Jody Gittell

Degrees

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.
• New School for Social Research, M.A.
• Reed College, B.A.

Expertise

• Relational coordination; human resource management; organizational effectiveness; organizational change; organizational resilience; organizational theory

Profile

Jody Hoffer Gittell is Professor of Management at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy & Management, and co-founder and board member of the Relational Coordination Collaborative.

Dr. Gittell is interested in how stakeholders achieve their desired outcomes in coordination with each other. For this purpose, she developed Relational Coordination Theory, which proposes that highly interdependent work is most effectively coordinated through relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect, supported by frequent, timely, accurate, problem-solving communication. The Relational Model of Organizational Change shows how stakeholders can join together to design structural, relational and work process interventions to support more effective coordination of their work. As of early 2020, this theory was tested in 36 industry contexts and 73 countries. For purposes of research - or to assess dynamics among stakeholders and open up dialogues for organizational and social change - the Relational Coordination Survey can be helpful.

Gittell is currently exploring the relational dynamics of multi-level systems change in complex systems in multiple sectors around the world. With founder Shyamal Sharma, she co-leads the Relational Society Project - a research and innovation lab that helps communities bring stakeholders together to create local solutions to global challenges. With Olawale Olaleye, Brandeis PhD candidate and healthcare management consultant, she is working to develop a diversity management curriculum based on principles of relational coordination, called Relating Across Difference. And with Heba Naim Ali, Brandeis PhD candidate and RC data analyst, she is innovating methodologies related to the Relational Coordination Survey as shown in their new book Relational Analytics: Guidelines for Analysis and Action.

Gittell received her PhD from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and currently serves as treasurer for the Seacoast NAACP, on the editorial board of the Academy of Management Review, and on the board of directors for Greater Seacoast Community Health.

Awards and Honors

• VA State of the Art Research Conference, Keynote Speaker (2018)
• Visiting Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education (2018)
• Expert Panel, Cambridge Health Alliance Innovation Fellowship Symposium (2017)
• Expert Panel, Commonwealth Care Alliance (2017)
• Treasurer, NAACP Seacoast (2017)
• Associate Editor, Special Topic Forum on the Changing Nature of Work Relationships, Academy of Management Review (2016)
• Distinguished Speaker, Health Care Management Division, Academy of Management (2016)
• Technical Expert Panel, University of California Berkeley, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (2016)
• Editorial Board, Academy of Management Review (2014)
• Chief Scientific Officer, Relational Coordination Analytics, Inc. (2013)
• Executive Director, Relational Coordination Research Collaborative (2013)
• Board of Trustees, Endowment for Health (2012)
• International Visiting Fellow, Australian Health Workforce Institute (2012)
• Board of Trustees, Reed College (2011 - 2014)
• Industry Studies Association, Awards Committee (2011)
• Acting Faculty Director, MIT Leadership Center (2010 - 2011)
• Executive Board, Labor and Employment Relations Association (2010)
• Douglas McGregor Memorial Award, Best Paper of the Year, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (2009)
• Best Paper Award, Human Resources Division, Academy of Management (2008)
• Co-Chair, Health Care Industry Council (2008 - 2010)
• Douglas McGregor Memorial Award, Best Article on Organizational Change, Honorable Mention, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (2006)
• MBA Program Director, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management (2006 - 2009)
• Best Book Award, Sloan Industry Studies Program, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2005)
• Chair of the Board, Families First Health and Support Center (2003 - 2006)
• Robert Wood Johnson and Atlantic Philanthropies grant for study of nursing home practices and outcomes (2003 - 2006)
• Commonwealth Fund grant for study of patient care coordination (2002 - 2004)
• Harvard Business School Division of Research grant for study of patient care coordination (1996 - 1998)
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant for study of coordination in the airline industry (1993 - 1994)
• Industrial Performance Center Fellowship for dissertation research on airline performance (1993 - 1994)
• National Research Council Fellowship for dissertation research on airline performance (1993 - 1994)
• Outstanding Young Scholar of the Year, Labor and Employment Relations Association (1991 - 1993)