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My Willamette

Colin Birkhead

Assistant Professor of Management

Headshot of Colin Birkhead

Contact Information

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem  Oregon  97301
U.S.A.

Portland Center

Address
200 SW Market Street, Suite 101
Portland  Oregon  97201
U.S.A.
Email
cbirkhead@willamette.edu

Biography

Colin joined the faculty at Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management in fall semester 2022 after completing his PhD in Sociology at Duke University.

His research primarily investigates how entrepreneurial ventures build and leverage legitimacy and how modern corporations respond to institutional pressures to maximize shareholder value. He studies employee-owned companies, corporate myopia, and earnings management. Colin teaches classes on new venture formation, organization theory, and management.

He worked in the banking and finance sector prior to his doctoral studies.

Education

  • Duke University, PhD, Sociology
  • Colorado State University, MA, Management
  • University of Colorado, BA, International Affairs

Research Interests

Organization theory; entrepreneurship; economic sociology; corporate governance; employee ownership; corporate short-termism; financialization; inequality

Presentations

Birkhead, Colin and Ruef, Martin. What Can Outliers Teach Us About Entrepreneurial Success? Academy of Management Proceedings, 2021.

Birkhead, Colin. Corporate Financialization and Executive Interlocks. Academy
of Management Proceedings, 2020.

Honors and Awards

Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student, Duke Sociology, 2020-21 and 2018-19

Willamette University

Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6167
Email
mba-admission@willamette.edu

Portland Center

Address
200 SW Market Street, Suite 101
Portland Oregon 97201 U.S.A.
Phone
971-717-7260
Email
mba-p@willamette.edu