Karen Golden-Biddle

Professor Emerita, Management & Organizations

Karen Golden-Biddle is Professor of Management and Organizations, emerita at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. She received her BA degree from Denison University and MBA and PhD degrees from Case Western Reserve University.

Professionally she is active in the Academy of Management, where she has been inducted as a Fellow.

Karen conducts research and teaches executive seminars in the areas of discovery and cultural change. She also conducts workshops for researchers in theorizing and writing up projects using qualitative methodology. She has published four books and authored more than sixty articles and book chapters in management journals such as the Academy of Management Journal and Organization Science.

Karen’s recently published book, The Untapped Power of Discovery (2024, Routledge/Taylor & Francis) helps leaders at all levels cultivate a practice of discovery, so essential for navigating change in this uncertain time.

Recognition for Karen’s scholarship includes the 2022 Award (Organizational Research Methods) for her paper on coding practices and iterativity, the 2013 Douglas McGregor Award (Journal of Applied Behavioral Science) for her paper on cultural change and organizational identity in mergers, and the Academy of Management’s Robert McDonald Award for the Advancement of Organizational Research Methodology for her study of constructing contribution in analyzing and writing qualitative research.

Her co-authored book, Composing Qualitative Research, has been used in doctoral programs in top business schools across the world, including Stanford, University of Michigan, Northwestern, Cambridge, INSEAD, and Columbia. Her current work focuses on: The critical role of the discovery process in creating successful cultural change; How seasoned insiders create and sustain cultural change that makes a positive difference within and beyond their organization.

Education

PhD, Case Western Reserve University, 1988

BA, Denison University, 1976

Publications

Locke, K., Feldman, M., Golden-Biddle, K. (In Press). “Coding Practices and Iterativity: Beyond Templates for Analyzing Qualitative Data”, Organizational Research Methods 109442812094860-109442812094860

Golden-Biddle, K., Bartunek, J. (In Press). Relational objectivity as responsibility in management research.”Responsible Research for Better Business”, Springer Nature

Golden-Biddle, K. (2023). “Cultivating Discovery”, Routledge

Gioia, D., Corley, K., Eisenhardt, K., Feldman, M., Langley, A., Lê, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K., Mees-Buss, J., Piekkari, R., Ravasi, D., Rerup, C., Schmid, T., Silverman, D., Welch, C. (2022). “A Curated Debate: On Using “Templates” in Qualitative Research”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 31 (3), 231-252

Golden-Biddle, K., Bartunek, J. (2020). Relational objectivity as responsibility in management research.. In MJ, Thompson., L, Zsolnai. (Eds.), “Responsible Research for Better Business: Creating Useful and Credible Knowledge for Business and Society”, Palgrave Macmillan 47-68

Golden-Biddle, K. (2019). “Discovery as Abductive Mechanism for Reorienting Habits within Organizational Change”, Academy of Management Journal

Bhakoo, V., Koehler, T., Smith, A., Cilesiz, S., Cornelissen, J., Feldman, M., Golden-Biddle, K., Greckhamer, T., Harley, B., Ketokivi, M., Locke, K., Mantere, S., Pratt, M., Sonenshein, S. (2019). “Templates in Qualitative Research Methods: How Have We Got Here and How Do We Get Out?”, Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019 (1), 14900-14900

Golden-Biddle, K. (2017). “PDW. Coding in the Trenches: Discovery Processes”,

Golden-Biddle, K., Reay, T., GermAnn, K., Casebeer, A., Hinings, C. (2016). Creating and sustaining the right kind of space for organizational learning in primary health care.”Mobilizing Knowledge in Health Care: Challenges for Management and Organization”, Oxford University Press

Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K., Feldman, M. (2015). Discovery, validation and live coding.”The Handbook of Qualitative Organizational Research”, Taylor & Francis

Golden-Biddle, K. (2014). Create micro-moves for organizational change.”How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact”, Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Golden-Biddle, K. (2013). “How to Change an Organization Without Blowing It Up”, Sloan Management Review, 54 (2), 35-41

Reay, T., Chreim, S., Golden-Biddle, K., Goodrick, E., Williams, B., Casebeer, A., Pablo, A., Hinings, C. (2013). “Transforming New Ideas into Practice: An Activity Based Perspective on the Institutionalization of Practices”, Journal of Management Studies, 50 (6), 963-990

Langley, A., Golden-Biddle, K., Reay, T., Denis, J., Hebert, Y., Lamothe, L., Gervais, J. (2012). “Identity Struggles in Merging Organizations: Renegotiating the Sameness-Difference Dialectic”, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 48 (2), 135-167

Howard-Grenville, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Irwin, J., Mao, J. (2011). “Liminality as Cultural Process for Cultural Change”, Organization Science, 22 (2), 522-539

Golden-Biddle, K. (2011). Blink and you (dis)miss them: Coming to new lines of sight.”Research Alive: Exploring Generative Moments in Doing Qualitative Research”, Copenhagen Business School Press DK

Golden-Biddle, K., Azuma, J. (2010). Constructing contribution in “Strategy-as Practice” research.”Cambridge Handbook of Strategy as Practice”,

Golden-Biddle, K., Casebeer, A., Reay, T., Hinings, C., GermaAnn, K. (2009). Primary health care innovation sites: Learning to create new cultures of care.”Culture and Climate in Health Care Organizations”, Springer

Locke, K., Golden-Biddle, K., Feldman, M. (2008). “Making Doubt Generative: Rethinking the Role of Doubt in the Research Process”, Organization Science, 19 (6), 907-918

Sonpar, K., Golden-Biddle, K. (2008). “Using content analysis to elaborate adolescent theories of organization”, Organizational Research Methods, 11 (4), 795-814

Golden-Biddle, K., GermAnn, K., Reay, T., Procyshen, G. (2007). “Creating and sustaining positive organizational relationships: A cultural perspective”, Exploring Positive Relationships at Work: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation 289-305

Golden-Biddle, K., Reay, T. (2007). Strategies of persuasion: The efforts of nurse practitioners in institutionalizing a new role.”Change in Health Care”, Palgrave Macmillan

Reay, T., Golden-Biddle, K., Germann, K. (2006). “Legitimizing a new role: Small wins and microprocesses of change”, Academy of Management Journal, 49 (5), 977-998

Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K., Reay, T. (2006). “Using knowledge in management studies – An investigation of how we cite prior work”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 15 (3), 237-254

Golden-Biddle, K., GermAnn, K., Reay, T., Procyshen, G. (2006). Creating and sustaining positive organizational relationships: A cultural perspective. In Jane, Dutton., Belle Rose, Ragins. (Eds.), “Exploring Positive Relationships at Work: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation”, Lawrence Erlbaum Press

Scott-Findlay, S., Golden-Biddle, K. (2005). “Understanding how organizational culture shapes research use”, Journal of Nursing Administration, 35 (7-8), 359-365

Golden-Biddle, K., Wiebe, E., Locke, K. (2005). Using qualitative methodology to study the dynamics of organizational change.”Handbook of Organizational Change and Learning”,

Golden-Biddle, K., Thomson, D., Bzdel, L., Reay, T., Estabrooks, C. (2005). “Central questions of anonymization: A case study of secondary use of qualitative data”, Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6 (1)

Reay, T., Golden-Biddle, K., Germann, K. (2003). “Challenges and leadership strategies for managers of nurse practitioners.”, J Nurs Manag, 11 (6), 396-403

Golden-Biddle, K., Reay, T., Petz, S., Witt, C., Casebeer, A., Pablo, A., Hinings, C. (2003). “Toward a communicative perspective of collaborating in research: the case of the researcher-decision-maker partnership.”, J Health Serv Res Policy, 8 Suppl 2 20-25

Golden-Biddle, K. (2003). “Editor’s introduction – “Doing what feels right: The influence of CEO character and emotions on TMT dynamics”‘ by Veronika Kisfalvi and Patricia Pitcher”, Sage Publications Inc, 12 (1), 41-41

Golden-Biddle, K., Casebeer, A., Besner, J., Reay, T. (2003). The researcher-decision maker partnership: A collaborative journey.”The researcher-decision maker partnership: A collaborative journey”,

Golden-Biddle, K. (2002). “Editor’s introduction – Anne Smith, “From process data to publication: A personal sensemaking,””, Journal of Management Inquiry, 11 (4), 381-382

Golden-Biddle, K. (2002). “Editor’s introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 11 (2), 102-103

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (2001). “Nontraditional research – Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 10 (4), 339-339

Greenwood, R., Golden-Biddle, K. (2001). “Nontraditional research – Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 10 (2), 150-150

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (2001). “Nontraditional research – Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 10 (1), 39-39

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (2000). “Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 9 (4), 374-375

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (2000). “Editors’ Introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 9 (2), 146-146

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (2000). “Editors’ choice”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 9 (1), 55-56

Greenwood, R., Golden-Biddle, K. (1999). “Nontraditional research – Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (4), 339-339

Greenwood, R., Golden-Biddle, K. (1999). “Nontraditional research – Introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (3), 298-298

Greenwood, R., Golden-Biddle, K., Bartunek, J. (1999). “Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (2), 166-167

Golden-Biddle, K., Greenwood, R. (1999). “Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (1), 32-33

Golden-Biddle, K., Biddle, R. (1999). Sustaining change. In R, Gilkey. (Eds.), “Healthcare Leadership in the New Millenium”, Jossey-Bass

Golden-Biddle, K., Dougherty, D. (1998). “Editors’ introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 7 (3), 213-214

Golden-Biddle, K., Bartunek, J., Greenwood, R. (1998). “Editors’ Introduction”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 7 (1), 3-3

Golden-Biddle, K., Fiol, M., Hatch, M. (1998). Relationships between cultural and identity. In David, Whetten. (Eds.), “Identity in Organizations: Developing Theory through Conversations”, Sage Publications

Golden-Biddle, K., Gioia, D., Fiol, M., Rao, H., Schulz, M. (1998). Nomological net of organizational identity. In David, Whetten. (Eds.), “Identity in Conversations: Developing Theory through Conversations”, Sage Publications

Golden-Biddle, K., Rao, H. (1997). “Breaches in the boardroom: Organizational identity and conflicts of commitment in a nonprofit organization”, Organization Science, 8 (6), 593-611

Locke, K., Golden-Biddle, K. (1997). “Constructing Opportunities for Contribution: Structuring Intertextual Coherence and “Problematizing” in Organizational Studies”, Academy of Management Journal, 40 (5), 1023-1062

Golden-Biddle, K., Barr, P., Rao, H., Thomas, H. (1997). Cognitive processes in alliances: Birth, maintenance and (possible) death. In D, O’Neal., Howard, Thomas. (Eds.), “Strategy, Structure and Style”, John Wiley and Sons

Salipante, P., Golden-Biddle, K. (1995). “Managing traditionality and strategic change in nonprofit organizations”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 6 (1), 3-20

Golden-Biddle, K., Linduff, H. (1994). “Culture and human resources management: Selecting leadership in a nonprofit organization”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 4 (3), 301-315

Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K. (1993). “Appealing Work: An Investigation of How Ethnographic Texts Convince”,

Golden-Biddle, K. (1993). “Organizational Dramas and Dramatic Stagings about them”, Journal of Management Education, 17 (1), 39-49

Golden, K. (1992). “The Individual and Organizational Culture: Strategies for Action in Highly-Ordered Contexts”, Journal of Management Studies, 29 (1), 1-21

Golden, K., Ramanujam, V. (1985). “Between a dream and a nightmare: On the integration of the human resource management and strategic business planning processes”, Human Resource Management, 24 (4), 429-452

Golden-Biddle, K., Salipante, P., Buck, F. (1985). “A partnership for deriving meaning from human resources data”, The Personnel administrator