Jane Dutton

Jane Dutton's research and expertise lies at the intersection of strategy, management and organizations, and psychology. After receiving her Ph.D. from Northwestern, she was on the strategy faculty of New York University for six years. Since 1989, when she joined the University of Michigan faculty, she has enjoyed a joint appointment between the Management and Organizations department at the Ross School and the Department of Psychology.

Jane's research is focused on processes that build capabilities and strengths of employees in organizations. In particular, she examines how high quality connections and identity processes increase employees' and organizations' capabilities. Her research has explored compassion and organizations, resilience and organizations, as well as energy and organizations  This research stream is part of positive organizational scholarship, a sub-field of management and organizations that Jane, along with Bob Quinn and Kim Cameron, established in 2001.  In 2002, they founded the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, now known as the Center for Positive Organizations.  Her past research has explored processes of organizational adaptation, focusing on how strategic issues are interpreted and managed in organizations, as well as issues of organizational identity and change.

Jane has published over 100 articles and book chapters, edited 13 books and written two books for managers called Energize your Workplace: How to Build and Sustain High Quality Connections at Work (Jossey-Bass Publishers). and Awakening Compassion at Work (with Monica Worline, Berrett-Koehler Publishers). She  edited a book  (with Gretchen Spreitzer) called How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). She also co-edited a book with Karen Golden-Biddle: Using a Positive Lens to Explore Social Change and Organizations: Building A Theoretical and Research Foundation.(2012). This book is part of a series of edited books on Positive Organizational Scholarship that unpacks how looking at a core construct in organizational studies from a positive lens opens up new theoretical and research possibilities. As part of this series, Laura Morgan Roberts and Jane co-edited Exploring Positive Identity and Organizations: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation (Psychology Press/Routledge). The first book in the series was completed with Belle Ragins and is called Exploring Positive Relationships at Work: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation (Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers). She co-edited the first book on Positive Organizational Scholarship with Kim Cameron and Bob Quinn (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003). Her research papers have won both the Best Paper Award for the Academy of Management Journal, the Administrative Science Quarterly Award for Scholarly Contribution, and the Breaking the Frame Award for the Journal of Management Inquiry.

She has been awarded the Distinguished Scholar Award for the Organization Behavior Division, Organization and Management Theory Division, the Organization Development and Change Division and the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management. At the Ross School of Business she has earned the Senior Scholar award and Researcher of the Year award,  In 2012 she was awarded the Scholarly Contributions Award for the Academy of Management. In 2007, she was honored with a Distinguished University Professorship and named it after one of her academic heroes, Robert L. Kahn.

Jane consults and works with a variety of organizations. For 10 years she served as co-director of ICOS (Interdisciplinary Committee of Organizational Studies), which is the largest interdisciplinary community of organizational scholars at any university. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Kelly Services. She loves teaching and participates in teaching undergraduates, MBAs and executives.  Currently, in her sem-retired status, she teaches an innovative course on Flourishing at Work.