Biography - Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Recently, Professor Kanter provided input to Business Week for her preferred 'Recommended Reading' List. Her choices:
Mandela, Nelson. Long walk to freedom : the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.
DBWSTK DT1949.M35A3 1994
Machiavelli, Nicolo. The Prince.  JC143.M38 1968

 
Update: October 2009. New book by Professor Kanter. Supercorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth and Social Good.  HD60.K355 2009
“Harvard Business School professor Kanter ( Confidence ) offers cutting-edge insights on corporate competitiveness in this timely and captivating assessment of what it takes to succeed in the face of rapid technological, cultural and economic change. Asserting that "globalization increases the likelihood for shorter organizational life cycles," Kanter argues that companies must be more nimble than ever to survive. Drawing on stories of such businesses as Proctor and Gamble, and Cemex, she describes how "vanguard" companies exploit their strong cultures to adapt and innovate, often harnessing the momentum of change to capture market share or squash competition. Those companies that will thrive in the future, maintains Kanter, have "stamina, energy, long lists of contacts, an appetite for communication, comfort with ambiguity, and a belief that the company's values and principles mean that they are part of something bigger than just a job." This dense work may be demanding for many, but the opportune lessons within are worth the effort for readers seeking to compete in a global marketplace that is changing more rapidly than ever before”. [from Publishers Weekly]
View a video showing Prof. Moss Kanter speaking on Leadership.

Update: Feb. 2008. For a discussion about a new book that Professor Kanter has produced see"Rediscovering America: Putting Our Core Principles to Work," in the HBS Alumni Bulletin, Dec. 2007, p.44. The book is on order and the title is: America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-Do Nation Once Again.

Update: In September 2004, Kanter published Confidence: How Winning and Losing Streaks Begin and End. For a profile of Professor Kanter see: "If at First You Don't Succeed, Believe Harder," Claudia Deutsch, New York Times, Sept. 19, 2004, p.7.



Rosabeth Moss Kanter is one of the most prolific management scholars writing today. Her latest book, On the Frontiers of Management, ( HD58.8.K364) consists of the articles she has written over the years for the Harvard Business Review.

Kanter graduated from Bryn Mawr and then did graduate work at the University of Michigan where she obtained a Ph.D in sociology in 1967. She currently occupies the Class of 1960 Chair as Professor of Business Administration at Harvard; her biographical information can be found at the Harvard site.

A list of her books is presented in reverse chronological order. Articles written by her are also included. In addition, selected articles about her are provided. The list is not exhaustive since Kanter has attracted considerable attention. For a discussion of her somewhat controversial reign as editor of the Harvard Business Review see "Kanter era ends at 'Harvard Review'" in USA Today, May 29, 1992 and "Shake-up at the Harvard Business Review" in the Boston Globe, June 2, 1992 (both of which are available on Lexis/Nexis). For additional articles about Kanter search ProQuest ABI/Inform Global Research or Lexis/Nexis.

Books by Kanter (in reverse chronological order)

America the Pricipled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming  a Can-do Nation Once Again. HC106.83.K36 2007.

Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End. HF5386.K193 2004.

Evolve! Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow. HC79.I55K358 2001.  [Electronic Resource]

Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the Frontiers of Management. HD58.8.K364 1997.

Innovation: Breakthrough Thinking at 3M, DuPont, GE, Pfizer, and Rubbermaid. HD45.I53J26 1997.

World Class: Thriving Locally in the World Economy. HD62.7.K367 1995.

The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It. HD58.8.C43 1992.

When Giants Learn to Dance: Mastering the Challenge of Strategy, Management, and Careers in the 1990s. HD58.8.K365 1989.

Creating the Future: The Massachusetts Comeback and its Promise for America. HC107.M4K85 1988.

The Change Masters: Innovation for Productivity in the American Corporation. HD45.K335 1983.

Life in Organizations: Workplaces as People Experience Them. HD58.7.L53. 1979.

Men and Women of the Corporation. HD58.7.K36 1977.

Work and Family in the United States: A Critical Review and Agenda for Research and Policy. H31.S67 NO. 9. 1977.

Another Voice: Feminist perspectives on social life and social science. HQ1154.A69 1975.

Communes: Creating and Managing the Collective Life. HX635.K3C6 1973.

Commitment and Community: Communes and utopias in sociological perspective. HX653.K35. 1972.

Selected Articles by Kanter:


To find articles by Kanter in books, do a word search on her name on the Western Libraries catalogue. This will allow you to pick up such items as: "Women and Power in Organizations" in Critical Studies in Organization and Bureaucracy (DBW stack HD38.4.C74); "The New Managerial Work" in Fast Forward: The Best Ideas on Managing Business Change (HD58.8F37 1996) and "Achieving Synergies" in Managing the MultiBusiness Company. (HD2756.M36 1996). To quickly update this bibliography, simply look for articles by Kanter on ProQuest ABI/Inform Global Research. Here are a few articles from 1998: "Simultaneity" in Forbes, Nov. 30, 1998; "Change-Adept Organizations" in Executive Excellence, Aug. 1998; "Managing for Long-Term Success" in The Futurist, Aug/Sep. 1998; "New Frontiers" in Executive Excellence, Apr. 1998 and "Rethinking Your Strategy" in Executive Excellence, Feb. 1998.

"How Great Companies Think Differently", Harvard Business Review, Nov 2011, Vol. 89, Iss. 11; p. 66.

"Zoom In, Zoom Out", Harvard Business Review, Mar 2011, Vol. 89, Iss. 3; p. 112.

"How to Do Well and Do Good", MIT Sloan Management Review, Sept 2010, Vol. 51, Iss. 2; p. 12.

"What Would Peter Say", Harvard Business Review,  Nov 2009, Vol. 87, Iss. 11; p. 64.

"Mergers That Stick", Harvard Busines Review, Oct 2009, Vol. 87, Iss. 10; p. 121.

"Transorming Giants", Harvard Business Review, Jan 2008, Vol. 86, Iss. 1; p. 43.

"Innovation: The Classic Traps", Harvard Business Review, Nov 2006, Vol. 84, Iss. 11; p. 72.

"Thriving locally in the global economy", Harvard Business Review, Aug 2003. Vol. 81, Iss. 8; p. 119.

"Leadership and the psychology of turnarounds", Harvard Business Review. Jun 2003. Vol. 81, Iss. 6; p. 58.

"See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil - Leaders Must Respond to Employee Concerns About Wrondoing", Business and Society Review, Winter 2002, Vol. 107, Iss. 4; p. 415.

"Obstacles in your way? Don't freeze - improvise", Business 2.0, V. 3, Iss. 9, Sep 2002, p. 64.

"News innovation and leadership", Nieman Reports, V.56, Iss. 2, Summer 2002, pp. 30-34.

"How to fire up employees without cash and prizes", Business 2.0, V. 3, Iss. 6, Jun 2002, p. 134.

"6 rules for a happy marriage . . . Uh, partnership", Business 2.0, V. 3, Iss. 4, Apr 2002, p. 114.

"The 15-minute competitive advantage", Business 2.0, V. 3, Iss. 2, Feb 2002, p. 87.

"Strategy as improvisational theater", MIT Sloan Management Review, V. 43, Iss. 2, Winter 2002, p. 76.

"The end of the end of big government", Business 2.0, V. 2, Iss. 10, Dec 2001, p. 40.

"Managing through the miserable middle", Business 2.0, V. 2, Iss. 9, Nov 2001, p. 128.

"A more perfect union", Inc., V. 23, Iss. 2, Feb 27, 2001, p. 92.

"You are here", Inc., V. 23, Iss. 2, Feb 27, 2001, p.84.

"The ten deadly mistakes of wanna-dots", Harvard Business Review, V. 79, Iss. 1, Jan 2001, p. 91.

"Knowledge Exchange", Executive Excellence, V.17, Iss. 11, Nov 2000, p.3-5.

"A Culture of Innovation", Executive Excellence, V.17, Iss.8, Aug 2000, p.10-12.

"Kaleidoscope Thinking", Executive Excellence, V.17, Iaa.7, Jul 2000, p.15.

"The Enduring Skills of Change Leaders", Ivey Business Journal, V.64, Iss.5, May/Jun 2000, p.31-37.

"New Bottom Lines", Executive Excellence, V.17, Iss.4, Apr. 2000, p.18.

"Are You Ready to Lead the E-Cultural Revolution?", Inc., V.22, Iss.2, Feb. 2000, p.43-44.

"Change is Everyone's Job: Managing the Extende Enterprose in a Globally Connected World", Organizational Dynamics, V.28, Iss.1, Summer 1999, p.7-24.

"From Spare Change to Real Change", Harvard Business Review, V.77, Iss.3, May/Jun 1999, p.122-133.

"Why Collaborate?", Executive Excellence, V.16, Iss.4, Apr. 1999, p.8.

"'Global strategy' and its impact on local operations: Lessons from Gillette Singapore", The Academy of Management Executive, V. 12, Iss. 4, Nov 1998, pp.60-68.

"Managing for long-term success", The Futurist, V. 32, Iss. 6, Aug/Sep 1998, pp. 43-45.

"Rethinking your strategy", Executive Excellence, V. 15, Iss. 2, Feb 1998, pp. 3-4.

"Lasting leadership lessons", Sales and Marketing Management, V. 149, Iss. 13, Dec 1997, pp. 22-24.

"Getting a grip on globalism", Sales and Marketing Management, V. 149, Iss. 8, Aug 1997, pp. 34-35.

"Can giants dance in cyberspace?", Forbes, Dec 2, 1996, pp. 247-248.

"Thriving locally in the global economy", Harvard Business Review, V.73, No.5, Sep/Oct 1995, p.151­160.

"Collaborative advantage: The art of alliances", Harvard Business Review, V.72, No.4, Jul/Aug 1994, p.96­108.

Kanter and Stein, Barry A. "Leadership for change: The rest of the story", Frontiers of Health Services Management, V.10, No.2, Winter 1993, p.28­32.

Kanter and Stein, Barry A. "Why good people do bad things: A retrospective on the Hubble fiasco", The Academy of Management Executive, V.7, No.4, Nov 1993, p.58­62.

"Men and women: Equal partners?", Executive Excellence, V.10, No.11, Nov 1993, p.8­9.

"Mastering change", Executive Excellence, V.10, No.4, Apr 1993, p.11­12.

"Creating a Habitat for the Migrant Manager", Personnel Management, V.24, No.10, Oct 1992, p.38­40.

Kanter; Quinn, Gina; North, Jeffrey. "Engines of Progress V: NEES Energy Inc.", Journal of Business Venturing, V.7, No.1, Jan 1992, p.73­89.

Kanter and Parkes, Christopher. "In Search of a Single Culture", Business, Jun 1991, p.58­66.

"Transcending Business Boundaries: 12,000 World Managers View Change", Harvard Business Review, V.69, No.3, May/Jun 1991, p.151­164.

Kanter and Richardson, Lisa. "Engines of Progress: Designing and Running Entrepreneurial Vehicles in Established Companies ­ The Enter­Prize Program at Ohio Bell, 1985­1990", Journal of Business Venturing, V.6, No.3, May 1991, p.209­229.

Kanter; North, Jeffrey; Richardson, Lisa; Ingols, Cynthia; Zolner, Joseph. "Engines of Progress: Designing and Running Entrepreneurial Vehicles in Established Companies; Raytheon's New Product Center, 1969­1989", Journal of Business Venturing, V.6, No.2, Mar 1991, p.145­163.

"Championing Change: An Interview with Bell Atlantic's CEO Raymond Smith", Harvard Business Review, V.69, No.1, Jan/Feb 1991, p.118­130.

Kanter; Richardson, Lisa; North, Jeffrey; Morgan, Erika. "Engines of Progress: Designing and Running Entrepreneurial Vehicles in Established Companies; The New Venture Process at Eastman Kodak, 1983­1989", Journal of Business Venturing, V.6, No.1, Jan 1991, p.63­82.

Kanter; North, Jeffrey; Bernstein, Ann Piaget; Williamson, Alistair. "Engines of Progress: Designing and Running Entrepreneurial Vehicles in Established Companies", Journal of Business Venturing, V.5, No.6, Nov 1990,

"Forging Ahead", Successful Meetings, V.39, No.11, Oct 1990, p.70­76.

"The Quiet Revolution (Part 4)", Modern Office Technology, V.35, No.5, May 1990, p.14,16.

"The Values of Restructuring (Part 2)", Modern Office Technology, V.35, No.3, Mar 1990, p.12­13.

"When Giants Learn Cooperative Strategies", Planning Review, V.18, No.1, Jan/Feb 1990, p.15­20,22.

Books About Kanter:

Rosabeth Moss Kanter ed. John C. Wood, Michael C. Wood
HD58.7.R663 2012  v.1 and v.2

Selected Articles About Kanter:


For 4 recent articles see: "Rosabeth Moss Kanter" in T. Brown, et.al. Business Minds: connect with the world's greatest management thinkers ( HD53.B87 2002); "A Conversation With Rosabeth Moss Kanter About Leadership" in Training & Development, July 1998; "Kanter Saw it Coming" in Management Today, Feb. 1998 and "The Gurus: Rosabeth Moss Kanter" in Management Today, Feb. 1997. Some older articles are listed below for your convenience.

"Transcending academia: Rosabeth Moss Kanter", Ivey Business Journal, V.66, Iss.5, May/Jun 2002, pp.56-63.

Webber, David O. "E-volving with Rosabeth Moss Kanter", Health Forum Journal, V. 45, Iss. 1, Jan/Feb 2002, pp.10-15

"Knowledge workers", Executive Excellence, V. 17, Iss. 1, Jan 2000, pp. 15-16.

"Spotlight on Rosabeth Moss Kanter", Strategy & Leadership, V. 27, Iss. 6, Oct-Dec 1999, pp. 59-61.

Wood, Nora. "Change champion", Incentive, V. 172, Iss. 9, Sep 1998, pp.92-93.

Linden, Dana Wechsler. "The mother of them all", Forbes, V.155, No.2, Jan 16, 1995, p.75­76. ()

Harari, Oren. "An open letter to job seekers", Management Review, V.83, No.12, Dec 1994, p.38­41. ()

Anonymous. "Management theorists: Moss Kanter, corporate sociologist", Economist, V.333, No.7885, Oct 15, 1994, p.89. ()

Tracey, J Bruce. "The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It", Industrial & Labor Relations Review, V.47, No.4, Jul 1994, p.724­725. ()

Boyd, Malia. "Kanter can't quit", Incentive, V.168, No.4, Apr 1994, p.44­45. (CD-Rom)

Stonham, Paul. "Change in the global economy: An interview with Rosabeth Moss Kanter", European Management Journal, V.12, No.1, Mar 1994, p.1­9. ()

Romano, Catherine. "Report card on TQM", Management Review, V.83, No.1, Jan 1994, p.22­25. ()

For additional information see the following web site:

http://drfd.hbs.edu/fit/public/facultyInfo.do?facInfo=bio&facEmId=rkanter