Publications

Research Summary

Dynamics of Network Formation

An ongoing research project with my doctoral students extends my previous line of inquiry by examining some of the evolutionary dynamics of small-world networks. Diverging from recent research that has analyzed static small worlds, we have adopted a dynamic view of the... View Details

August 2024
Case

Ashesi University: The Journey from Vision to Reality

By: Ranjay Gulati and Caroline de Lacvivier

In 1997, Patrick Awuah had a dream: to bring liberal arts education to Ghana. Amid the country’s declining economy and pervasive corruption problems, Awuah saw education as an opportunity to reverse its fortunes by investing in the next generation of African leaders.... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Higher Education; Entrepreneurship; Leadership Development; Growth Management; Mission and Purpose; Private Ownership; Education Industry; Ghana

August 2009 (Revised July 2010)
Case

Jones Lang LaSalle: Reorganizing around the Customer (2005)

By: Ranjay Gulati and Lucia Menzer Marshall

Peter Roberts, CEO of Jones, Lang, LaSalle (JLL) Americas division, has been charged with expanding the company's presence in its core geographic markets while simultaneously growing its corporate account business. Roberts and his task force have narrowed their options... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Global Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Structure; Business Strategy; Real Estate Industry

November 2019
Case

The Genesis Lab at Novartis

By: Amy C. Edmondson, Ranjay Gulati, Patrick J. Healy and Kerry Herman

Novartis' Genesis Labs program, launched in 2016 as part of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), hosted pitch competitions where teams of NIBR scientists proposed ideas to explore that aimed to revolutionize drug discovery. The goal was to break down... View Details

Keywords: Drug Discovery; Health Care and Treatment; Research and Development; Innovation and Invention; Programs; Management

Research Summary

Research Summary

My research focuses on how to unlock organizational potential and unleash human potential.

Unlocking organizational potential involves a deep dive into how enterprises can achieve enduring success. This includes applying strategic frameworks to drive... View Details

2015
Book

Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective

By: Rebecca Henderson, Ranjay Gulati and Michael Tushman

The business case for acting sustainably is becoming increasingly compelling—reducing our global footprint to sustainable levels is the defining issue of our times, and it is one that can only be addressed with the active participation of the private sector. However,... View Details

21 Oct 2014
First Look

First Look: October 21

available. Publisher's link: http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/bookentry_main.lasso?currency=US&id=14987 October 2014 Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective From Periphery to Core: A Process Model for Embracing Sustainability By: Silvestri, Luciana, and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

June 2023
Article

Can Purpose Foster Stakeholder Trust in Corporations

By: Ranjay Gulati and Franz Wohlgezogen

As part of institutional changes toward more responsible capitalism, firms increasingly articulate a purpose beyond simply profit as a central tenet of their governance. Management scholarship has noted the potential advantages of such purpose-focus for stakeholder... View Details

Keywords: Stakeholder Management; Moral Identity; Mission and Purpose; Trust; Corporate Governance; Business and Stakeholder Relations

December 16, 2019
Article

Why Your Startup Won't Last

By: Ranjay Gulati and Vasundhara Sawhney

Why do some startups that have crossed the threshold of “product-market fit” and have a viable business model still fail? This article begins by exploring the argument that most startups need more professionalization to thrive. Founders resist putting in place... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Organizational Structure; Growth and Development Strategy

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November–December 2012
Article

Toward a Theory of Extended Contact: The Incentives and Opportunities for Bridging Across Network Communities

By: Maxim Sytch, Adam Tatarynowicz and Ranjay Gulati

This study investigates the determinants of bridging ties within networks of interconnected firms. Bridging ties are defined as nonredundant connections between firms located in different network communities. We highlight how firms can enter into these relationships... View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Opportunities

March 2024
Case

ixigo

By: Ranjay Gulati and Rachna Tahilyani

Ixigo is India’s second-largest online travel aggregator (OTA) and the market leader among private train OTAs. It has overcome numerous near-death crises to emerge as a customer-centric, profitable firm. It aspires to become the leading OTA in the next billion Internet... View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Profit; Growth and Development; Product Positioning; Travel Industry; India

Research Summary

Network Resources and the Performance of Interorganizational Exchange

My recent book (Managing Network Resources, Oxford University Press) introduced the idea of "network resources," valuable assets that accrue to a firm not from within its boundaries but from its ties to key external constituents including but not... View Details

January 2009 (Revised June 2010)
Case

Cisco Systems (2001): Building and Sustaining a Customer-Centric Culture

Customer centricity has been an important part of the culture at Cisco Systems since its inception. While part of this is attributable to values put in place by the founders and retained by subsequent management, it is also closely interwoven with its organizational... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Organizational Culture; Research and Development; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Employees; Brands and Branding; Customer Relationship Management; Business Units

08 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 8, 2008

the Crowd: The Visibility-Enhancing Effects of IPO-related Signals on Alliance Formation by Entrepreneurial Firms Authors:Tim Pollock and Ranjay Gulati Periodical:Strategic... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

2019
Chapter

Markets as Networks: The Dynamics and Implications of Interorganizational Network Structures

By: Ranjay Gulati and Maxim Sytch

We discuss existing research that applies a relational, socio-structural lens to studying organizations and markets. Research in this field has described markets first and foremost as networks of enduring relationships and repeated interactions among organizations. We... View Details

Keywords: Interorganizatonal Relationships; Social Networks; Networks; Markets

12 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 12, 2017

Business School’s Ranjay Gulati looks at how it tackled the challenge. He identifies several important takeaways for other multinationals: Give the local organizations clout, embrace creative abrasion, build... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Article

A Learning Perspective on Intraorganizational Knowledge Spill-Ins

By: James Oldroyd and Ranjay Gulati

This exploratory study examines the role of intraorganizational knowledge spill-ins in the process of inferential learning. Drawing on the notions of knowledge reliability (the creation of shared meanings) and validity (understandings of cause and effect), we explore... View Details

Keywords: Learning; Perspective; Knowledge; Business Units; Organizations

March 22, 2022
Article

The Great Resignation or the Great Rethink?

Unsettled by the pandemic, most people are considering our jobs with fresh perspective. Some are quitting, in what has been dubbed the Great Resignation. But, for many, it’s more of a Great Rethink. Do we really like our employers’ culture? Do we feel that we’re fairly... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Personal Development and Career

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July–August 2019
Article

The Soul of a Startup

There’s an essential, intangible something in start-ups—an energy, a soul. It inspires enthusiasm and fosters a sense of deep connection and mutual purpose. While this spirit persists, engagement is high and businesses keep their edge.
But all too often,... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Mission and Purpose; Customer Focus and Relationships; Employees; Creativity; Business Growth and Maturation