William Barnett

The Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Schools

Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford University (ONLINE)

Expertise

Biography

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Research Statement

William Barnett studies competition among organizations and how organizations and industries evolve globally. He is conducting a large-scale project that seeks to explain why and how some firms grow rapidly in globalizing markets. His prior research includes studies of how strategic differences and strategic change among organizations affect their growth, performance, and survival. This research includes empirical studies of technical, regulatory, and ideological changes among organizations, and how these changes affect competitiveness over time and across markets. His studies span a range of industries and contexts, including organizations in computers, telecommunications, research and development, software, semiconductors, disk drives, newspaper publishing, beer brewing, banking, and concerning the environment. He is best known for his work on "Red Queen competition", where firms learn from competition and so become stronger competitors over time. Follow Professor Barnett on Twitter @BarnettTalks.

Bio

William Barnett is the Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. After receiving his PhD in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988, Barnett was an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Business. In 1991, Barnett came to the Stanford Business School as an Assistant Professor. He became an Associate Professor in 1994 and received tenure in 1996, and has been a full professor since 2001. Barnett has also twice been a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and is an affiliated faculty member of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. Barnett serves as a senior or associate editor for several academic journals.

Academic Degrees

PhD in Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1988
BA in Political Science and Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 1982

Academic Appointments

The Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations, Stanford GSB, 2004-present
Professor of Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 2001-2004
Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 1996-2001
Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Stanford GSB, 1994-1996
Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, Stanford GSB, 1991-1994
Assistant Professor of Management, Graduate School of Business, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1988-1991

Teaching

Degree Courses

2018-19

STRAMGT 207: Strategic Leadership

This course examines fundamental issues of general management and leadership within an organization. You will learn about setting an organization''s strategic direction, aligning structure to implement strategy, and leading individuals within the...

2017-18

STRAMGT 207: Strategic Leadership

STRAMGT 359: Aligning Start-ups with their Market

Most everyone associated with technology start-ups would agree that the most important initial characteristic of a successful endeavor is a compelling vision. The journey from vision to escape velocity is highly dependent on management''s ability...

2016-17

OB 626: Strategy and Organizations

Why are some organizations more competitive than others? This is the defining questions of the interdisciplinary research field known as "strategic management." In this PhD seminar, we will survey the field of strategic management as seen from...

STRAMGT 207: Strategic Leadership

STRAMGT 359: Aligning Start-ups with their Market

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

The Corporate Entrepreneur: Driving Innovation and New Ventures Learn how to translate ideas into action using strategic frameworks and design thinking; then put theory into practice with real innovation projects.
The Emerging CFO: Strategic Financial Leadership Program Guide your organization through growth with innovative CFO training that blends financial expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership skills.
The Emerging COO: Driving Innovation and Operational Excellence Drive and sustain innovation and operational excellence. Strengthen collaboration with C-suite leaders to translate strategies into actionable plans.
Executive Program for Growing Companies Discover business growth strategies and build a stronger company designed to sustain progress, scale management, and facilitate market expansion.
Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship Take your social enterprise to the next level in this program designed to help entrepreneurs refine their innovations and leverage their impact.
Executive Program in Strategy and Organization Effectively diagnose and solve problems using proven frameworks for executing change in this multidisciplinary strategic management course.
Stanford Executive Program: Be a Leader Who Matters Learn to generate change, inspire innovation, and instill excellence at this six-week executive program.
Stanford LEAD: Corporate Innovation Certificate In this online program, learn innovation, intrapreneurship, and how to create organizational change.

Insights by Stanford Business

written10 Most-Read Stories of 2017

December 4, 2017

Readers keyed into humor’s workplace value, the secret to improving communication skills, and advice from Sheryl Sandberg and Marc Andreessen.

writtenThe Risk of an Unwavering Vision

March 28, 2017

A new study concludes that successful tech firms are often “discovered and not planned.”

writtenWhy You Don’t Understand Disruption

March 7, 2017

It’s not that big companies are bad at inventing; it’s that they’re bad at organizational shifts.

writtenSix Ways to Be a Better Manager

January 25, 2017

Kill consensus and beware the false negative, says one Stanford GSB professor.

writtenFinding the Next Billion-Dollar Company

April 21, 2016

Want to spot a unicorn? Look for the horse running against the herd.

writtenWilliam Barnett: The Value of Fuzzy Market Categories for Entrepreneurs

November 23, 2015

Sometimes it pays to define your product market more broadly.

writtenThe Recommended List by Stanford GSB Professors

April 30, 2015

Those in the know share where to go to learn more about reward and related topics.

writtenWilliam Barnett: Business Leaders Should Not Avoid Competition

November 21, 2014

Competition raises the bar for rivals to do better.

writtenWilliam Barnett: When Being a Nonconformist Entrepreneur Pays Off

October 2, 2014

A study finds that bucking the trend can lead to entrepreneurial success.

writtenResearch: Economics Lessons From Indian Textile Firms

December 1, 2010

New studies show that firms implementing systematic management practices improved their productivity by 10 percent reduced defects by 60 percent.

writtenThe Rise of the Mighty Microbrew

August 1, 2002

Researchers explain how industries dominated by large firms actually create an environment where smaller specialists can thrive.

writtenWhy Do Some Companies Thrive While Others Fail?

August 1, 2002

Researchers in the growing field of organizational ecology say it's vital to look at the entire life cycle of the business, including the failures.

Videos