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David P. Baron

David P. Baron
Professor Emeritus, Political Economy
Contact Info
DavidP.Baron
David S. and Ann M. Barlow Professor of Political Economy and Strategy, Emeritus
Academic Area: 
Political Economy

Research Statement

David Baron has published in the fields of industrial organization, economic theory, political science, business strategy, operations research, statistics, and finance. He has authored over 100 articles and 3 books, one of which is in its 5th edition. His principal research interests have been the theory of the firm, the economics of regulation, mechanism design and its applications, political economics, and nonmarket strategy. His current research focuses on political economics and strategy in the business environment.

Bio

David Baron began his academic career at Northwestern University where he taught for thirteen years in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He joined the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University in 1981. He has also been a visiting professor at the Université d’Aix-en-Provence in France, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, Harvard University, and the California Institute of Technology. At Stanford he is the David S. and Ann M. Barlow Professor of Political Economy and Strategy (Emeritus) in the Graduate School of Business, and Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science (by courtesy) in the School of Humanities and Sciences. He received a BS from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Indiana University. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.

Professor Baron has taught in the MBA, PhD, and Executive Education programs, receiving the MBA teaching award at Kellogg and the PhD teaching award at Stanford. He has been an innovator in the field of business and its social, political, and legal environment, and is the author of the leading textbook in the field. In 2007 he received the lifetime achievement award from the Aspen Institute.

His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Bureau of Health Services Research, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Citicorp Behavioral Sciences Research Council. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and has served on the Board of Editors of the American Economic Review, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, Business and Politics, and Decision Sciences.

Academic Degrees

  • Doctor Honoris Causa, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, 2005
  • DBA in Quantitative Business Analysis (Major), Managerial Economics (Minor) & Finance (Minor), Indiana University, 1968
  • MBA, Harvard University, 1964
  • BS, University of Michigan, 1962

Academic Appointments

  • Donald P. Jacobs Visiting Professor of Research, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2007-present
  • Visiting Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University, 1990-91
  • Morrison Professor Decision Sciences, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 1978-1981
  • Visiting Professor, Department of Applied Economics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, 1977-1978
  • Visiting Professor, Universite D'Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France, 1973-1974
  • Visiting Professor, California Institute of Technology, 2012

Professional Experience

  • Corporate Analyst, Standard Oil Company (Indiana), 1964-1966.

Awards and Honors

  • Economics, Politics and Business Environment category, The Case Centre Awards and Competitions, 2015
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Business and Society Program, The Aspen Institute, 2008
  • Andersen Consulting Award for Best Article, California Management Review, 1995
  • Nancy L. Schwartz Lecture, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 2001
  • Teacher of the Year, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 1980-1
  • Distinguished Service Award, Doctoral Program, Graduate School of Business, Stanford, 1999

Publications

Journal Articles

David P. Baron. American Economic Review. 2010, Vol. 100, Issue 4, Pages 1299-1329.
David P. Baron. Journal of Economics and Management Strategy. 2009, Vol. 18, Issue 1, Pages 7–43.
David P. Baron. Journal of Economics and Management Strategy. 2007, Vol. 16, Issue 3, Pages 683–717.
Michael T. Hannan, David P. Baron, Greta Hsu. Industrial and Corporate Change. October 2006, Vol. 15, Issue 5, Pages 755-784.
David P. Baron. Journal of Public Economics. 2006, Vol. 90, Issue 1-2, Pages 1-36.
David P. Baron, Daniel Diermeier. Quarterly Journal of Economics. August 2001, Vol. 116, Issue 3, Pages 933-967.

Books

David P. Baron Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall, 2013.
David P. Baron Academic Press, 1983.

Working Papers

Dynamic Coalitions and Communication: Public versus Private Negotiations | PDF
David P. Baron, Renee Bowen, Salvatore Nunnari, December 172015
Dynamic Coalitions | PDF
David P. Baron, Renee Bowen, July 32014
Common Agency Lobbying over Coalitions and Policy | PDF
David P. Baron, Alexander Hirsch2009
The Economics and Politics of Corporate Social Performance | PDF
David P. Baron, Maretno Harjoto, Hoje Jo2009
Strategic Activism and Nonmarket Strategy | PDF
David P. Baron, Daniel Diermeier2005
Persistent Media Bias | PDF
David P. Baron2004
Private Politics | PDF
David P. Baron2001
A Dynamic Model of Multidimensional Collective Choice | PDF
David P. Baron, Michael Herron1999
Global Strategy and Organization | PDF
David P. Baron, David Besanko1996
Matrix Organization | PDF
David P. Baron, David Besanko1996
Informational Alliances | PDF
David P. Baron, David Besanko1995
Information, Control, and Organizational Structure
David P. Baron, David Besanko1992
Bargaining in Legislatures
David P. Baron, 1987
The Power to Propose
David P. Baron, 1987
Agency Theory and the Supply of Effort
David P. Baron, David Besanko1986
Commitment in Multiperiod Information Models
David P. Baron, David Besanko1985
Regulation, Asymmetric Information, and Auditing
David P. Baron, David Besanko1983
Risk and Return on Short Positions in Common Stock | PDF
David P. Baron, Jack McDonald, Donald Baron1972

Stanford Case Studies

Goldman Sachs and Its Reputation | P77
David Baron2011
Google Out of China | P76
David Baron2010
Carried Interest Taxation | P56
David Baron2008
Fuel Economy Standards 2007 | P58
David Baron2008
MTN Group Limited | P65
David Baron2008
Responsible Lobbying? | P57
David Baron2008
Siemens Anatomy of Bribery | P68
David Baron2008
Social Entrepreneurship Kiva | P70
David Baron2008
Tesco PLC in India? | P62
David Baron2008
The Nonmarket Environment of Google | P55
David Baron2008
Gilead Sciences (A) The Gilead Access Program for HIV Drugs | P53A
David Baron, Keith Krehbiel, Brian Tayan2007
Gilead Sciences (B) Implementing the Gilead Access Program for HIV Drugs | P53B
David Baron, Keith Krehbiel, Brian Tayan2007
Google in China | P54
David Baron2006
Obesity and McLawsuits | P49
David Baron2005
Strategic Activism The Rainforest Action Network | P44
David Baron, Erin Yurday2004
GlaxoSmithKline and AIDS Drugs Policy | P39
David Baron, Soon Jin Lim, Deborah Liu2003
Note on AIDS and the Pharmaceutical Industry | P41
David Baron, Soon Jin Lim, Deborah Liu2003
The FCC and Broadband Regulation | P45
David Baron2003
CAFE Standards 2002 | P43
David Baron2002
DoubleClick and Internet Privacy | P32
David Baron2002
eBay: Private Ordering for an Online Community | P37
David Baron, D. Hoyt2001
Internet Taxation | P36
David Baron, Alan Wiseman2001
Pharmaceutical Switching | P38
David Baron2001
eBay and Database Protection | P33
David Baron2000
Sophis Networks and Encryption Export Controls (A) | P34A
David Baron, Victoria Chang2000
Sophis Networks and Encryption Export Controls (B) | P34B
David Baron, Victoria Chang2000
The Microsoft Antitrust Case | P50
David Baron, Chen Lichtenstein1998
Echelon in Europe | P22
David Baron, Michael Ting1997
Proposition 211: Securities Litigation Referendum (A) | P23A
David Baron, Chris Watts1997
Proposition 211: Securities Litigation Referendum (B) | P23B
David Baron, Chris Watts1997
Echelon and the Home Automation Standard (A) | P20A
David Baron, Michael Ting, Erik Johnson1996
Echelon and the Home Automation Standard (B) | P20B
David Baron, Michael Ting, Keith Krehbiel, Erik Johnson, Daniel P. Kessler1996
Kodak-Fujifilm Trade Dispute | P17
David P. Baron1996
Cemex and Antidupming | P4
David Baron, Justin Adams1994
Levi Strauss & Co. Global Sourcing Guidelines | P12
David Baron, J. Adams1994
Levi Strauss & Co. in China* | P13
David Baron, J. Wu1994
Section 936 Tax Credit | P5
David Baron, A. Wu1994

Service to the Profession

Professional Associations

  • Member, American Economic Association
  • Member, American Political Science Association
  • Fellow, Econometric Society

In the Media

Ethical Soul-Searching at Business School
Financial Times, August 2002
Los Angeles Times, September 23, 2001

Insights by Stanford Business

December 1, 2009
A scholar says social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance.

School News

November 1, 2008
Stanford GSB professor David Baron is the winner of the 2008 Faculty Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement given by the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education.