Raghu Garud is the Michael J. Farrell Chair and Professor of Management and Organization. His research explores the emergence of novelty and its adoption. Specifically, he is interested in understanding how new ideas emerge, are valued, and become institutionalized. He has written extensively on these topics, offering concepts such as path creation, economies of substitution, technology entrepreneurship, bricolage and the socio-cognitive bases for technology emergence. His work was recognized by the Technology and Innovation Management Division of the Academy of Management as its distinguished scholar for 2020. Raghu takes an engaged scholarship approach. He interacts with practitioners in the field, and theorizes about the issues they confront. For instance, his five-year Ph.D. work emerged through engaged scholarship with 3M Corporation. Subsequently, he continued with such scholarship by engaging with practitioners at Infosys Technologies, MindTree, NCR Corporation, Technical Research Education Center, wind turbine actors in Denmark, and scientists at ATLAS CERN in Geneva. Before joining Pennsylvania State University, Raghu was on the faculty at the Stern School of Business, New York University. He was a Fellow of the Sydney Sussex College, the University of Cambridge, and a visiting scholar at VU Amsterdam, the Copenhagen Business School, the University of Bologna, the University of St. Gallen, The Indian School of Business, and the Singapore Management University. He has co-edited or co-authored The Emergence of Novelty In Organizations, Oxford University Press; Technological Innovation: Oversights and Foresights, Cambridge University Press; Path Dependence and Path creation, Lawrence Earlbaum Associates; Cognition, Knowledge and Organization, JAI Press; Managing in the Modular Age: Architectures, Networks and Organizations, Blackwell and The Innovation Journey Oxford University Press, which was the finalist for the George R. Terry Book Award at the Academy of Management. Raghu teaches courses on Innovation & Growth, Creativity & Innovation, The Management of Technology, and Entrepreneurship. He has taught undergraduates, graduates, Ph.Ds. and Executives at various institutions including the Smeal College of Business, the Stern School of Business, Indian School of Business, Motorola University, the Copenhagen Business School, the University of Bologna, the University of St. Gallen, Helsinki University of Technology, the Medici School, and Singapore Management University. He has received awards for teaching MBAs on several occasions. Raghu served as the Chair of the Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) Division of the Academy of Management, the co-director of e-resources for the Academy, the co-editor of Organization Studies and the Associate Editor of Management Science. Raghu was a co-PI on an NSF grant to study the architecture of collaboration in scientific communities and has received grants from 3M Corporation to study innovation and from the Society for Human Resource Management to study virtual work. He was the recipient of the Tenneco and Dexter awards and the best paper award from the Technology and Innovation Management Division of the Academy of Management as well as from the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Stern School. The Journal of Management Inquiry awarded Raghu the ‘Breaking the frame’ award for his paper titled A frame for deframing in strategic analysis. His dissertation was among the top 5 in the BPP dissertation competition, Academy of Management.
Expertise
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Emergence of novelty
Education
Ph D in Strategic Management and Organization, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 1989-05-01
Courses Taught
B A 304H – Management and Organization (H)
Junior Core Business Management - Honors Section.
BA 559 – Qual Analysis
This course provides the foundational skills necessary for conducting qualitative research in an applied business context. Students will explore some of the following topics: ethnography, observation, interviewing, grounded theory, discourse analysis, case method, narrative analysis, and action research. Through this process, students will be introduced to the epistemological foundations of qualitative research, learn different methods of data collection, introduce different techniques for coding and analyzing qualitative data, and provide guidance on creating rigorous qualitative research.
BA 580 – DBA Culminating Res Project
This course provides Doctorate of Business Administration students with the opportunity to identify a practice problem or clinical question and investigate the literature related to this selected area of interest. Students will develop and implement a comprehensive project to address the problem. Students will also disseminate the results in both a scholarly presentation and manuscript for publication.
ENGR 426 – Invention Commercialization
Working with Penn State inventions selected by the Intellectual Property Office, student teams define an optimum commercialization path each technology.
ENTR 500 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Practical and theortical insights into analyzing a new business opportunity that you have created.
ENTR 597A – Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (A)
Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.
ENTR 820 – CORP INNV STRATGS
This course is designed to survey and explore the methods used to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in a corporate setting.Emphasis will be placed on the methods used in organizations to foster creativity, innovation, and new venture creation. Thiscourse covers both tactical and strategic approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship, and examines these in multiple contexts,including technology, business process, product, and strategy. Furthermore, the course will expand on widely acceptedframeworks and perspectives for managing innovation, such as agile product development, and the lean startup approach. Studentswill also delve into the more abstract notion of how to create and enable an organizational culture of innovation, manage conflict,and negotiate agreements effectively. Lastly, a final objective of the class is to ensure students understand how to protect andmanage intellectual property.
MGMT 301H – Basic Management Concepts (H)
Study of fundamental principles and processes available to the understanding of management. Not available to students who have taken B A 304.
MGMT 453 – Creativity and Innov
Analysis of the process of innovation in organzations and of how creativity and other variables influence the process. MGMT 453 Creativity and Innovation (3) Creativity and Innovation analyzes the process of innovation in modern business organizations and the variables that influence the process. The relationship between creativity and innovation is investigated and individual, organizational and environmental influences on both the creative and innovation processes are examined. Special attention is given to organizational architectures that are conducive to innovation. A major objective of the course is to help students develop the competencies necessary for managing innovative organizations.
MGMT 453 – Creativity and Innovation
Analysis of the process of innovation in organzations and of how creativity and other variables influence the process.
MGMT 496 – Independent Studies
Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.
MGMT 538 – Sem in Org Thry
Current theoretical and research issues applicable to the study of design and management of complex organizations.
MGMT 551 – Growth and Innovation Strategy
Identify opportunities for growth and profitability through technological and organizational innovations and market independently or with strategic partners.
MGMT 551 – Grwth Innov Strtgy
Identify opportunities for growth and profitability through technological and organizational innovations and market independently or with strategic partners.
MGMT 590 – Colloquium
Continuing seminars which consist of a series of individual lectures by faculty, students, or outside speakers.
MGMT 592 – Qualmeth
This course provides students with an introduction to and experience with qualitative research methods employed in organizational contexts.
MGMT 596 – Individual Studies
Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.
MGMT 600 – Thesis Research
MGMT 601 – Ph.D Dis Full-Time
NO DESCRIPTION.
MGMT 601 – PH.D. DISSERTATION FULL-TIME
NO DESCRIPTION.
Selected Publications
Bojovic N., Zec D., Garud R. B. "State-Led Innovation and Its Limits: The Rise and Fall of Medresco Hearing Aids in Postwar Britain (1943-1982)" Business History, 2026-04-01
Bojovic N., Garud R. B., Klopp J. "Counter‐Stigmatization in the Digital Age: The Case of the Sex Tech Award Incident" Journal of Management Studies, 2026-01-01
Garud R. B., Phillips N., Thomas L., Yuliya S., Zietsma C. "Hype in entrepreneurial settings." Journal of Business Venturing, 2026-01-01
Garud R. B., Turunen M., Karunakaran A. "Revisiting exploration and exploitation: Temporal structuring for innovation at work" Organization Theory, 2025-07-11
Garud R. B., Thomas L., Philipps N. "The Dark Side of Entrepreneurial Framing: A Process Model of Deception and Loss of Legitimacy" Academy of Management Review, vol. 50, 2025-04-16
Garud R. B. "How Founders Can Avoid the Deception Trap" Harvard Business Review, 2025-01-01
Bojovic N., Garud R. B., Cheded M. "The Body as a Cultural Resource for Entrepreneurs in Stigmatized Settings" Journal of Business Venturing, 2025-01-01
Garud R. B., Klopp J. "Notes on continuity and change during innovation." A research agenda for organizational continuity and change., 2024-01-01
Tharchen T., Garud R. B. "The differential categorization of novel products related to wicked problems by institutional actors across places: The case of E-cigarettes. Strategic Organization" Strategic Organization, 2023-02-01
Garud R. B. "A performative perspective on entrepreneurship as design." Journal of Business Venturing Design, 2022-08-01
Snihur Y., Thomas L., Garud R. B., Philipps N. "Entrepreneurial Framing: A Literature Review and Future Research Directions." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2022-05-01
Garud R. B., Kumaraswamy A., Roberts A., Xu L. "Liminal Movement by Platform-based Sharing-economy Ventures: The Case of Uber Technologies." Strategic Management Journal, vol. 22, 2022-03-01
Berends H., van Berg E., Garud R. B. "Pivoting or persevering with venture ideas: Recalibrating temporal Commitments" Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 36, 2021-07-01
Garud R. B., Kumaraswamy A., Tuertscher P. "Collaborating Using Digital Technologies: The Role of Generative Memory" Organizing in the Digital Age: Understanding the Dynamics of Work, Innovation, and Collective Action, 2021-05-01
Garud R. B. "Microfoundations of Innovation as Process" The Oxford handbook of organization change and innovation, 2021-01-01
Tharchen T., Garud R. B., Henn R. "Design as an interactive boundary object" Journal of Organization Design, vol. 9, 2020-10-30
Garud R. B. "Winds of Change: A Neo-Design Approach to the Regeneration of Regions." 2019-10-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J. "Performativity: Not a Destination but an Ongoing Journey" Academy of Management Review, 2019-07-01
Garud R. B., Lant T., Schildt H. "Generative Imitation, Strategic Distancing and Optimal Distinctiveness During the Growth, Decline and Stabilization of Silicon Alley" Innovation: Organization and Management, vol. 21, 2019-01-01
Kumaraswamy A., Shazad A., Garud R. "Perspectives on Disruptive Innovations" Journal of Management Studies, vol. 55, 2018-10-01
Garud R., Gehman J., Guiliani A. "Why not take a performative approach to entrepreneurship" Journal of Business Venturing Insights, vol. 9, 2018-10-01
Garud R., Gehman J., Giuliani A. "Serendipity Arrangements for Exapting Science-based Innovations." Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 32, 2018-01-01
Garud R., Gehman J., Kumaraswamy A., Tuertscher P. "From the Process of Innovation to Innovation as Process, in A. Langley and H. Tsoukas" The Sage Handbook of Process Organization Studies, 2017-01-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J., Tharchen T. "Performativity as Ongoing Journeys: Implications for Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation" Long Range Planning, 2017-01-01
Garud R. B., Berends H., Tuertscher P. "Qualitative Approaches for Studying Innovation as Process" Routledge Companion to Qualitative Research in Organization Studies, 2017-01-01
Garud R. B., Turunen M. "The Banality of Organizational Innovations: Embracing the Substance-Process Duality" Innovation: Organization & Management, 2017-01-01
Garud R. B. "Theory Evaluation, Entrepreneurial Processes, and Performativity" Academy of Management Review, 2016-08-01
Garud R. "Technological Exaptation: A Narrative Approach" Industrial and Corporate Change, 2016-01-01
Garud R. B. "The Disruptor’s Dilemma: TiVo and the U.S. Television Ecosystem" Strategic Management Journal, 2016-01-01
Garud R. B. "The performative puzzle: How institutions matter in marginalizing and reconstituting identities" Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 2016-01-01
Garud R., Tuertscher P., Van de Ven A. "Business Innovation Processes" 2015-06-01
Garud R., Simpson B., Ann L., Tsoukas H. "The emergence of novelty" 2015-03-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J., Karunakaran A. "Boundaries, Breaches and Bridges: The Case of Climategate" Research Policy, 2014-01-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J., Giuliani A. "Contextualizing entrepreneurial innovation: A narrative perspective" Research Policy, 2014-01-01
Tuertscher P., Garud R. B., Kumaraswamy A. "Justification and interlaced knowledge at ATLAS, CERN" Organization Science, 2014-01-01
Garud R. B., Tuesrtscher P., Van de Ven A. "Perspectives on Innovation Processes" Academy of Management Annals, 2013-05-01
Garud R. B., Giuliani A. "A narrative perspective to entrepreneurial opportunities" Academy of Management Review, Dialogue, 2013-02-01
Gehman J., Trevino L., Garud R. B. "Values Work: The emergence and performance of organizational values practices" Academy of Management Journal, vol. 56, 2013-02-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J. "Metatheoretical Perspectives on Sustainability Journeys: Evolutionary, Relational and Durational." Research Policy, vol. 41, 2012-06-01
Karnoe P., Garud R. B. "Path Creation: Co-creation of heterogeneous resources in the emergence of the danish wind turbine cluster" European Planning Studies, vol. 20, 2012-06-01
Garud R. B., Kumaraswamy A., Tuertscher P. "A model of and for virtual projects" Project-based organizations/organizing, Advances in Strategic Management, 2011-01-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J., Kumaraswamy A. "Complexity Arrangements for Sustaining Innovation: Lessons from 3M Corporation" Organization Studies, vol. 32, 2011-01-01
Garud R. B., Dunbar R., Bartel C. "Dealing with unusual experiences: A narrative perspective on organizational learning" Organization Science, vol. 22, 2011-01-01
Berends H., Garud R. B., Debackere K., Weggeman M. "Thinking along: A process for tapping into knowledge across boundaries" International Journal of Technology Management, vol. 53, 2011-01-01
Raghuram S., Tuertscher P., Garud R. B. "Mapping the field of virtual work: A co-citation analysis." Information Systems Research, vol. 21, 2010-12-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J., Karnoe P. "Categorization by Association: How the atomic bomb became emission free electricity" Research in the Sociology Work: Institutions and Entrepreneurship, vol. 20, 2010-01-01
Garud R. B., Kumaraswamy A., Karnoe P. "Path dependence or path creation?" Journal of Management Studies, vol. 47, 2010-01-01
Garud R. B., Gehman J. "Procrustean transformations: Climategate, scientific controversies and hope" Debordements: Melanges offerts a Michel Canon, 2010-01-01
Dunbar R., Garud R. B. "Distributed knowledge and indeterminate meaning: The case of the Columbia shuttle flight" Organization Studies, vol. 30, 2009-04-01
Ansari S. M., Garud R. B. "Inter-generational transitions in social-technical systems: The case of mobile communications" Research Policy, vol. 38, 2009-03-01
Bartel C., Garud R. B. "The role of narratives in sustaining organizational innovation" Organization Science, vol. 20, 2009-01-01
Garud R. B. "Conferences as venues for the configuration of emerging fields: The case of cochlear implants" Journal of Management Studies, vol. 45, 2008-09-01
Garud R. B., Munir K. "From transactions to transformation costs: The case of Polaroid's SX-70 Camera." Research Policy, vol. 37, 2008-01-01
Garud R. B., Jain S., Tuertscher P. "Incomplete by design and designing for incompleteness." Organization Studies, vol. 29, 2008-01-01
Garud R. B., Hardy C., Maguire S. "Institutional entrepreneurship as embedded agency: An introduction to the special issues" Organization Studies, 2007-01-01
Beunza D., Garud R. B. "Securities analysts as frame makers." Market Devices, 2007-01-01
Garud R. B., Hardy C., Maguire S. "Special Issue on 'Institutional Entrepreneurship" Organization Studies, 2007-01-01
Garud R. B., Karunakaran A. "Enabling Identity-challenging Innovations Through Participative Experimentation: The Case of Gmail and Adsense at Google" Strategic Organization
Garud R. B., Schildt H., Lant T. "Entrepreneurial storytelling, future expectations, and the paradox of legitimacy" Organization Science
Bartunek J., Garud R. B., Langley A., Schilli K., Sun Y. "Performing while transforming: Andrew H. Van de Ven’s enduring contributions to management scholarship"