Andrew Knight, associate professor of organizational behavior at Olin Business School, focuses his research on the dynamics of innovation and teams.
Of particular interest to Knight are industries, such as healthcare and education, in which people are the products. “Much of my work and research has been centered on how to successfully implement change in healthcare systems and, more recently, in education,” says Knight. “The legacy traditions and strong roles in organizations in these historic industries often produce more resistance to change than the blank slate and undefined roles in younger industries, such as software development and technology. According to Knight, although education and healthcare share similar barriers to change, each offers unique challenges that must be addressed to successfully implement new programs or innovations.
As an ISP Faculty Fellow, Knight shared his expertise and experiences with the wider community in the form of an after-school entrepreneurship club for 8th graders at Brittany Woods Middle School in the University City School District.