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Charles A. O’Reilly
Charles A. O’Reilly
Professor, Organizational Behavior
Contact Info
+1 (650) 725-2110
Email
CharlesA.O’ReillyIII
The Frank E. Buck Professor of Management
Academic Area: 
Organizational Behavior

Additional Administrative Titles

  • Co-Director, Leading Change and Organizational Renewal

Research Statement

Professor O’Reilly’s research spans studies of leadership, organizational demography and diversity, culture, executive compensation and organizational innovation and change.

Teaching Statement

Professor O’Reilly has taught courses for MBAs and executives in organizational innovation and change, strategy and leadership, organizational culture, and human resources.

Bio

BS (Chemistry), University of Texas at El Paso; MBA (Information Systems), PhD (Organizational Behavior) University of California at Berkeley. He has taught at UC Berkeley, UCLA, Columbia, and the Harvard Business School. He has published over 100 papers and three books. Several of his papers have won awards (e.g, The Administrative Science Quarterly Scholarly Contribution Award in 1995 and 1998; The California Management Review Accenture Award in 1996 and 2009).

He has been given the Distinguished Scholar Award by the Academy of Management (2010) and the Organizational Behavior Division Lifetime Achievement Award (2010). In 2001 he was given the Distinguished Teaching Award for MBA teaching at the Graduate School of Business.

He has consulted for a variety of public and private firms in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia. He also has developed, directed, and taught in executive programs for senior managers in innovation, technology, leadership, change, and human resources.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Organizational Behavior, University of California, Berkeley, 1975
  • MBA, University of California, Berkeley, 1971
  • BS, University of Texas El Paso, 1965

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 1993
  • Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1980-1992
  • Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, 1976-1980

Awards and Honors

  • ASQ Scholarly Contribution Award 1995, 1998
  • Accenture Award for Best Paper published in the California Management Review, 1996, 2009
  • Academy of Management Distinguished Scholar Award, 2010
  • Organizational Behavior Division Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010
  • Journal of Organizational Behavior Best Paper Award, 2011

Publications

Journal Articles

The Three Stages of Disruptive Innovation: Idea Generation, Incubation, and Scaling
Charles A. O’Reilly. California Management Review. May 1, 2019, Vol. 61, Issue 3, Pages 49-71.
When ‘Me’ Trumps ‘We’: Narcissistic Leaders and the Cultures They Create
Charles A. O’Reilly, Jennifer Chatman, Bernadette Doer. Academy of Management Proceedings. August 2018, Vol. 2018, Issue 1.
See You in Court: How CEO Narcissism Increases Firms' Vulnerability to Lawsuits
Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr, Jennifer A. Chatman. The Leadership Quarterly (in press). November 2017.
Gender Diversity on U.S. Corporate Boards. Are We Running in Place?
Catherine H. Tinsley, James B. Wade, Brian G. Main, Charles A. O’Reilly. ILR Review. January 2017, Vol. 70, Issue 1, Pages 160-189.
Paradigm Lost: Reinvigorating the Study of Organizational Culture
Jennifer A. Chatman, Charles A. O’Reilly. Research in Organizational Behavior. November 2016, Vol. 36, Pages 199-224.
The Promise and Problems of Organizational Culture
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman, Bernadette Doerr. Group & Organizational Management . December 1, 2014, Vol. 39, Issue 6, Pages 595-625.
Parsing organizational culture: How the norm for adaptability influences the relationship between culture consensus and financial performance in high tech firms
Jennifer A. Chatman, David F. Caldwell, Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr. Journal of Organizational Behavior. April 2014, Vol. 35, Issue 6, Pages 785–808.
Narcissistic CEOs and executive compensation
Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman. Leadership Quarterly. 2014, Vol. 25, Pages 218-231.
Organizational ambidexterity: Past, present, future.
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. Academy of Management Perspectives. 2013, Vol. 27, Issue 4, Pages 324-338.
Reducing the backlash effect: Self-monitoring and women’s promotions
Olivia A. O’Neill, Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 2011, Vol. 84, Issue 4, Pages 825-832.
Economic and psychological perspectives on CEO compensation: A review and synthesis
Charles A. O’Reilly, Brian G. M. Main. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2010, Vol. 19, Issue 3, Pages 675-712.
How leadership matters: The effects of leadership on strategy implementation
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, Jennifer A. Chatman, Margaret Lapiz, William Self. Leadership Quarterly. 2010, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Pages 104-113.
Organizational designs and innovation streams
Michael Tushman, Wendy K. Smith, Robert Chapman Wood, George Westerman, Charles A. O’Reilly. Industrial and Corporate Change. 2010, Vol. 19, Issue 5, Pages 1331-1366.
Careers as Tournaments: The Impact of Sex and Gendered Organizational Culture Preferences on MBAs’ Income Attainment
Olivia A. O'neill..., Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Organizational Behavior. September 2009, Vol. 31, Issue 6, Pages 856–876.
Organizational ambidexterity: IBM and emerging business opportunities
Charles A. O’Reilly, J. Bruce Harreld, Michael L. Tushman. California Management Review. 2009, Vol. 51, Issue 4, Pages 75-99.
Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability: Resolving the innovator’s dilemma
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. Research in Organizational Behavior. 2008, Vol. 28, Pages 185-206.
Relevance and rigor: Executive education as a lever in shaping practice and research
Michael L. Tushman, Charles A. O’Reilly, Amy Fenollosa, Adam M. Kleinbaum, Dan McGrath. Academy of Management Learning and Education. September 2007, Vol. 6, Issue 3, Pages 345-362.
Dynamic capabilities at IBM: Driving strategy into action
J. Bruce Harreld, Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman. California Management Review. 2007, Vol. 49, Issue 4, Pages 21-43.
Early teams: The impact of team demography on VC financing and going public
Christine M. Beckman, M. Diane Burton, Charles A. O’Reilly. Journal of Business Venturing. 2007, Vol. 22, Issue 2, Pages 147-173.
Fitting in: The effects of relational demography and person-culture fit on group process and performance
Hillary Anger Elfenbein, Charles A. O’Reilly. Group & Organization Management. 2007, Vol. 32, Issue 1, Pages 109-142.
Overpaid CEOs and Underpaid Managers: Fairness and Executive Compensation
James B. Wade, Charles A. O’Reilly, Timothy G. Pollock. Organization Science. 2006, Vol. 17, Issue 5, Pages 527-544.
Social Capital at the Top: Effects of Social Similarity and Status on CEO Compensation
Maura A. Belliveau, Charles A. O’Reilly, James B. Wade. The Academy of Management Journal. December 1996, Vol. 39, Issue 6, Pages 1568-1593.
The CEO, the Board of Directors and Executive Compensation: Economic and Psychological Perspectives
Brian G. Main, Charles A. O’Reilly, James Wade. Industrial and Corporate Change. 1995, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Pages 293-332.
Work Group Demography, Social Integration, and Turnover
Charles A. O’Reilly, David F. Caldwell, William P. Barnett. Administrative Science Quarterly . 1989, Vol. 34, Issue 1, Pages 21-37.

Books

Leadership for Organizations
David A. Waldman, Charles A. O’Reilly SAGE Publications, Inc, January 2019.
Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator’s Dilemma
Charles A. O’Reilly, Michael L. Tushman Stanford Business Books, March 2016.
Winning through Innovation: A Practical Guide to Leading Organizational Renewal
Michael L. Tushman, Charles A. O’Reilly Harvard Business Review Press, June 2002.
Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Performance with Ordinary People
Charles A. O’Reilly, Jeffrey Pfeffer Harvard Business Review Press, August 2000.

Working Papers

Conceit and Deceit: Lying, Cheating and Stealing Among Grandiose Narcissists
Charles A. O’Reilly, Bernadette Doerr, August 2019
Women in the Boardroom: Symbols or Substance? | PDF
Charles A. O’Reilly, Brian G.M. Main2012

Teaching

Degree Courses

2019-20

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

OB 513: Beyond Disruption: Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Existing Organizations

Why do large, successful companies often have such difficulty in disrupting themselves (e.g., Kodak, Blockbuster, Borders)? How do you maintain an entrepreneurial edge within an existing enterprise? How do you sustain core businesses while...

2018-19

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

OB 512: Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures

This course is designed to provide students with a summary of entrepreneurial processes that have successfully created, developed, and sustained breakthrough ventures. By "breakthrough" we mean ventures that have a lasting and positive impact,...

OB 513: Beyond Disruption: Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Existing Organizations

Why do large, successful companies often have such difficulty in disrupting themselves (e.g., Kodak, Blockbuster, Borders)? How do you maintain an entrepreneurial edge within an existing enterprise? How do you sustain core businesses while...

2017-18

OB 363: Leadership Perspectives

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various...

OB 512: Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures

This course is designed to provide students with a summary of entrepreneurial processes that have successfully created, developed, and sustained breakthrough ventures. By "breakthrough" we mean ventures that have a lasting and positive impact,...

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Stanford Case Studies

Brown Bag Films (A) | E656A
Charles O'Reilly, Lorraine Reid2018
Brown Bag Films (B) | E656B
Charles O'Reilly, Lorraine Reid2018
Brown Bag Films (C) | E656C
Charles O'Reilly, Lorraine Reid2018
DaVita: A Community First, A Company Second | OB89
Charles O'Reilly, Jeffrey Pfeffer, David Hoyt, Davina Drabkin2014
Cypress Semiconductor: A Federation of Entrepreneurs | OB84
Charles O'Reilly III, David Caldwell2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (B), The Millennium Acquisition | OB83(B)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (C), The Future of Takeda | OB83(C)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Becoming a Global Company (A) | OB83(A)
Chris Beaumont, Asaka Itoh, Hiromichi Kimura, Robert Kneller, Charles O'Reilly III2012
JetBlue Airways, A New Beginning | L17
David Hoyt, Charles O'Reilly III, Hayagreeva Rao, Robert Sutton2010
Internal Branding at Yahoo!, Crafting the Employee Value Proposition | HR25B
Aneesha Capur, Charles O'Reilly III, Tim Perlstein2006
Liberty Medical Group (Condensed) | OB43 Condensed
David Caldwell, Davina Drabkin, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2004
Transforming Human Resources At Novartis: The Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | HR22
Charles O'Reilly III, Irene Wang2004
Wells Fargo and Norwest, "Merger of Equals" (A) | HR26A
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer2004
Wells Fargo and Norwest, "Merger of Equals" (B) | HR26B
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer2004
Yahoo! - A New HR Challenge (A) | HR25A
Charles Catalano, Charles O'Reilly III2004
The Liberty Medical Group (A) | OB43(A)
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2003
The Liberty Medical Group (B): Crossing the Great Divide | OB43(B)
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III, Robert Pearl2003
Universal Music Group in 2003 | SM112
Robert Burgelman, Lewis Fanger, Cecilia O'Reilly2003
CISCO Systems, Inc., The Acquisition of Technology is the Acquisition of People | HR10
Charles O'Reilly III2002
Building the Culture at Agilent Technologies: Back to the Future | HR20
Charles O'Reilly III, Grace Yokoi2001
Homestead Technologies: A Start-up Built to Last | HR18
Charles O'Reilly III2001
Siebel Systems, Culture as a Pillar of Success | HR14
Victoria Chang, Charles O'Reilly III2001
PSS World Medical, The Challenges of Growth and the Financial Markets | HR12
Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer1999
Cypress Semiconductor, Vision, Values, and Killer Software (A) | HR8A
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III1998
Cypress Semiconductors, Vision, Values, and Killer Software (B) | HR8B
David Caldwell, Charles O'Reilly III1998
New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) | HR11
Charles O'Reilly III1998
Southwest Airlines (A) | HR1A
Charles O'Reilly III, Jeffrey Pfeffer1995
Southwest Airlines (B), Using Human Resources for Competitive Advantage | HR1B
Charles O'Reilly III1995

Teaching Materials

Service to the Profession

Fellow

  • American Psychological Society
  • American Psychological Association

Member

  • Academy of Management

In the Media

Why IBM Will Soar While Apple Stumbles
Fortune, June 30, 2016
For some workers, alcohol and startups are a dangerous mix
San Francisco Chronicle, June 5, 2016
Negativity in the workplace can quickly become contagious, expert says
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, April 22, 2016
Here's Why CEO Pay Matters
PayScale, April 13, 2016
Increasing Heterogeniety in the Workforce Has More Negative Effects on White Males, Researchers Report
Multicultural Advantage, November 23, 2012
O’Reilly Debunks the Impending War for Talent
Washington Post, January 2005
When Innovation Supersedes Short-Term Results
Boston Globe, June 2, 2004
SEC May Give Board Rebels Some Help
The Street, November 7, 2003
Contacts Pay Off In Deals for Perks
Chicago Tribune, November 27, 2002
Emotion and Values Move to the Fore
Financial Times, June 23, 2002
HP Has Challenging Road Ahead
San Jose Mercury News, June 4, 2002
Next Big Job for HP's Fiorina: Making Merger Work
Reuters News, April 20, 2002
Can HP Break the Curse of the High-Tech Merger?
Reuters News, April 18, 2002
Letting the Air Out of Celebrity Leaders
Business 2.0, April 1, 2002
The Wrong Kind of Ownership
Reuters News, January 2002
At Enron, the Fall Came Quickly
Washington Post, 12 2, 2001
Search for Corporate Scapegoats Often Ends at the Top
Washington Post, November 31, 2001
The Best Business Books of the Millennium
Strategy+Business Magazine, November 1, 2001
Ordinary Employees, Extraordinary Results
San Francisco Chronicle, January 2001
Hidden Value
European Alumni Conference audio , January 2000
The Numbers Game: Reports of Large Job Losses May Not Have Translated into Smaller Workforces
Financial Times, July 19, 1998
Playing the Board Game
Washington Post, January 1998
Executive Pay: A Better Way?
Wall Street Journal, May 13, 1994

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writtenWhat to Read This Summer
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Escape the heat with books recommended by Stanford business professors.
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writtenWhat Does “Value” Mean to You?
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writtenNarcissistic CEOs Can Mean Big Legal Bills
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Companies headed by overconfident, self-centered risk-takers are more likely to end up in court.
writtenHow to Get More Women on Corporate Boards
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New research shows that the fix is relatively simple: Add more females to the candidate pool.
writtenTwelve Business Books to Read in 2017
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Reading recommendations from the Stanford GSB community.
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writtenThe Recommended List by Stanford GSB Professors
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videoCharles O'Reilly: How to Be a Chief Culture Officer
December 5, 2014
Advice for managers on creating a culture of adaptability.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Finding a Corporate Culture that Drives Growth
October 23, 2014
Adaptive cultures minimize predictability and encourage innovation.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Narcissists Get Paid More Than You Do
July 14, 2014
New research explores why some CEOs have such big salaries.
writtenCharles O’Reilly: Why Some Companies Seem to Last Forever
May 31, 2013
The survivors can both manage existing business lines and prepare for change.
writtenMandy O'Neill: Why Capable Women Don't Always Realize Their Potential
May 8, 2013
A study suggests it's many factors, from priorities to putting in fewer hours at work than men.
writtenResearchers: How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace
March 1, 2011
A study shows that women who display masculine traits ― and know when not to ― get more promotions than men.
writtenHow Did IBM Avoid Becoming Extinct?
July 1, 2010
Research shows how some organizations manage to be ambidextrous.
writtenWhat Is the Best Path to Realizing Organizational Change?
July 1, 2010
Research shows that getting senior leaders on board in advance is the most effective way introduce change to an organization.
writtenHow Corporate Leadership and Turnover Affect Startup Success
May 1, 2007
Research says management teams with broad functional diversity tend to be more successful more quickly.
writtenA Wage Imbalance Between the CEO and Workers Sends a Bad Message
April 1, 2007
Research explores the psychological effects of executive pay on corporate life.
writtenHerb Kelleher: Manage in Good Times So You'll Do Well in the Bad Times
April 1, 2006
The Southwest Airlines chairman and former CEO explains the business philosophy that has his company thriving in the brutal airline industry.
writtenThe Impact of a Woman's Personal Style on Career Success
January 1, 2005
New research suggests that ambition and assertive behavior from women may set them back at certain firms.
writtenHow Do White Males Fare in the Heterogeneous Workplace?
March 12, 2004
A study shows that diversity didn't have as strong an effect on women and minorities as it did on white male workers.

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