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Professor David Wilson

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Professor in Organisation Studies and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship

You can email Professor David Wilson directly; but for media enquiries please contact a member of The Open University's Media Relations team.

Staff profile

See below for Professor David Wilson's:

Biography

David Wilson is Professor of Organisation Studies based in the Centre for People and Organisations and is Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship in the Faculty of Business and Law. He is the author of nine books and over ninety peer reviewed articles on strategic decision making, power in organisations, organisational change and strategy. David is a Fellow and ex Chair of the British Academy of Management and is an Academician of the Social Sciences. He was a founder member of the scholarly association the 'European Group for Organization Studies' where he has served as Chair and is currently an elected Board member of the association. He has served as Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the top international journal Organization Studies and remains Chair of the Editorial Advisory Board. 

Teaching interests

Teaching interests include strategy, decision making and practice, politics and power in organizations, organisational change, the sociology of organisations, learning from strategic failures, risk and unexpected events.

Research interests

Research interests broadly encompass strategy, decision making and the sociology of organisations.  Current research interests include an investigation into unwaged work in the UK and how this does (or does not) lead to paid employment in changing labour markets. A second stream of research continues to examine strategic decision making, in particular implementation and putting decisions into practice.  A third stream of research is examining the role and value of Business Schools in wider society. 

Publications

Journal papers
Wilson, D, Thomas, H  (2012)  'The legitimacy of the business of business schools: what's the future?', Journal of Management Development, vol. 31, issue 4, pp. 368-376. Abstract
Wilson, D, McKiernan, P  (2011)  'Global mimicry: putting strategic choice back on the business school agenda', British Journal of Management, vol. 22, issue 3, pp. 457-469. Abstract
Collinson, S, Sullivan-Taylor, B, Wilson, D  (2010)  'Extending the integration-responsiveness framework: delivering a global service strategy at British Airways', Strategic Innovators, issue 4. Abstract
Wilson, D, Branicki, L, Sullivan-Taylor, B, Wilson, AD  (2010)  'Extreme events, organizations and the politics of strategic decision making', Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 23, issue 5, pp. 699-721. Abstract
Sullivan-Taylor, B, Wilson, D  (2009)  'Managing the threat of terrorism in British travel and leisure organizations', Organization Studies, vol. 30, issue 2/3, pp. 251-276. Abstract
Dibb, S, Simkin, L, Wilson, DC  (2008)  'Diagnosing and treating operational and implementation barriers in synoptic marketing planning', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 37, issue 5, pp. 539-553. Abstract
Miller, S, Hickson, D, Wilson, D  (2008)  'From strategy to action: involvement and influence in top level decisions', Long Range Planning, vol. 41, issue 6, pp. 606-628. Abstract
Ball, KS, Wilson, DC  (2000)  'Power, Control and Computer-Based Performance Monitoring: Repertoires, Resistance and Subjectivities', Organization Studies, vol. 21, issue 3, pp. 539-565. Abstract
Cray, D, Mallory, GR, Hickson, DJ, Butler, RJ, Wilson, DC  (1991)  'Explanations of strategic decision making processes', Journal of Management Studies, vol. 28, issue 3, Blackwell Publishing Limited, pp. 227-251.
Axelsson, R, Mallory, GR, Cray, D, Wilson, DC  (1991)  'Decision styles in British and Swedish organizations: a comparative examination of strategic decision making', British Journal of Management, vol. 2, pp. 67-79.
Hickson, DJ, Butler, RJ, Cray, D, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1989)  'Decision and organization processes of strategic decision making and their explanation', Public Administration, vol. 67, issue 4, Blackwell Publishing Limited, pp. 373-390.
Cray, D, Mallory, GR, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Wilson, DC  (1988)  'Sporadic fluid and constricted processes: three types of strategic decision making in organizations', Journal of Management Studies, vol. 25, issue 1, pp. 13-39.
Axelsson, R, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1987)  'Bureaucracy, decision making and leadership in private and public organizations', Scandinavian Journal of Management Studies, vol. 3, issue 03/04/10, pp. 185-195.
Kenny, GK, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Cray, D, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1987)  'Strategic decision making: influence patterns in public and private sector organizations', Human Relations, vol. 40, issue 9, SAGE Publications, pp. 613-632.
Wilson, DC, Butler, RJ, Cray, D, Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR  (1986)  'Breaking the bounds of organization in strategic decision making', Human Relations, vol. 39, issue 4, SAGE Publications, pp. 309-332.
Mallory, GR, Butler, RJ, Cray, D, Hickson, DJ, Wilson, DC  (1983)  'Implanted decision making: American owned firms in Britain', Journal of Management Studies, vol. 20, issue 2, Blackwell Publishing Limited, pp. 191-211.
Wilson, DC, Mallory, GR, Hickson, DJ, Butler, RJ, Cray, D  (1982)  'The limits of trade union power in organizational decision making', British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. XX, issue 3, Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the London School of Economics & Political Science, pp. 322-341.
Books
Nutt, PC, Wilson, D  (2010)  'Handbook Of Decision Making', Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 720. Abstract
McGee, J, Wilson, D, Thomas, H  (2010)  'Strategy: Analysis And Practice (2nd ed.)', London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, pp. 820. Abstract
Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Cray, D, Butler, RJ, Wilson, DC  (1986)  'Top Decisions: Strategic Decision Making in Organizations', Proquest Information and Learning.
Book chapters
Wilson, D  (2009)  'Organizational change management', The SAGE handbook of organizational behavior: macro approaches, vol. 2, London, Sage, pp. 409-423. Abstract
Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Cray, D, Butler, RJ, Wilson, DC  (1995)  'Sifting the Garbage: Conceptualizing and Explaining Processes of Strategic Decision Making', Warglien, M and Mausch, M (eds) The Logic of Organizational Disorder, de Gruyteer, pp. 35-54.
Cray, D, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1986)  'Proactive and reactive decision making', Subramaniam, V (ed.) in Problem Recognition in Public Policy and Business Management, South Asia Books.
Hickson, DJ, Butler, RJ, Cray, D, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1985)  'Comparing 150 decision processes', Pennings, JM (ed.) in Organizational Strategy and Change: New Views on Formulating and Implementing Decisions, USA, Jossey-Bass Inc..
Conference papers
Mallory, GR, Butler, RJ, Cray, D, Hickson, DJ, Wilson, DC  (1981)  'Technical and political explanations of strategic decision making', American Sociological Association Convention, Toronto, Canada, August.
Astley, WG, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1979)  'Cross-institutional decision making: theory and results', EGOS Colloquium, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
Astley, WG, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1979)  'Dialectics of strategic decision making', 1st Conference on Behavioural Models of Organizational Decision Making, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Astley, WG, Butler, RJ, Hickson, DJ, Mallory, GR, Wilson, DC  (1978)  'How many fingers in the pie? Power and decision making in the public and private sectors', 8th Annual Conference of Public Administration Committee of the Joint Council for Social and Public Administration, University of York.