Richard M. Burton | Scholars@Duke

Richard M. Burton
Professor Emeritus

Research Interests:

Organization Theory that focuses on the choice of organizational design and strategy: the development and study of organizational structures and processes to achieve efficient coordinated planning and control; and implementation of organizational strategy for performance. In this context, an organization is viewed as a large number of interdependent subunits and individuals each of whom has its own goals, structures, processes, information, and measures of performance.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor Emeritus, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2013

Contact Information

A214 Fuqua Sch Of Bus, Durham, NC 27708
Box 90120, Durham, NC 27708-0120
rmb2@duke.edu (919) 660-7847
Fuqua Faculty Profile

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- D.B.A., University of Illinois 1967
- M.B.A., University of Illinois 1963
- B.S., University of Illinois 1961
Duke Appointment History
- Professor in the School of Nursing, School of Nursing, Duke University 2004 - 2015
- Professor with Tenure, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 1985 - 2013
- Associate Professor with Tenure, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 1972 - 1985
- Associate Professor, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 1970 - 1972
Research
Selected Grants
- (92-0314) Grants for Graduate Programs in Health Administration awarded by National Institutes of Health 1992 - 1993
- (92-0313) Traineeships for Students in Graduate Health Administration Programs awarded by National Institutes of Health 1992 - 1993
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Books
  - Burton, RM, Desanctis, G, and Obel, B. Organizational design: A step-by-step approach. January 1, 2006. Full Text
- Academic Articles
  - Turner, SF, Cardinal, LB, and Burton, RM. "Research Design for Mixed Methods: A Triangulation-based Framework and Roadmap." Organizational Research Methods 20, no. 2 (April 1, 2017): 243-267. Full Text
  - Døjbak Håkonsson, D, Eskildsen, JK, Argote, L, Mønster, D, Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Exploration versus exploitation: Emotions and performance as antecedents and consequences of team decisions." Strategic Management Journal 37, no. 6 (June 1, 2016): 985-1001. Full Text
  - Håkonsson, DD, Obel, B, Eskildsen, JK, and Burton, RM. "On Cooperative Behavior in Distributed Teams: The Influence of Organizational Design, Media Richness, Social Interaction, and Interaction Adaptation." Frontiers in psychology 7 (January 2016): 692-. Full Text
  - Long, CP, Sitkin, SB, Cardinal, LB, and Burton, RM. "How controls influence organizational information processing: insights from a computational modeling investigation." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 21, no. 4 (August 15, 2015): 406-436. Full Text
  - Burton, RM. "Extraordinary survival from ordinary resources-how so?." Management and Organization Review 11, no. 3 (January 1, 2015): 413-417. Full Text
  - "Preface." Methods in Molecular Biology 1077 (September 20, 2013).
  - Burton, RM. "The Future of Organization Design: An Interpretative Synthesis in Three Themes." Journal of Organization Design 2, no. 1 (April 15, 2013): 42-42.
  - Shimazoe, J, and Burton, RM. "Justification shift and uncertainty: Why are low-probability near misses underrated against organizational routines?." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 19, no. 1 (January 1, 2013): 78-100. Full Text
  - Shimazoe, J, and Burton, RM. "Justification shift and uncertainty: Why are low-probability near misses underrated against organizational routines?." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 19, no. 1 (2013): 78-100. Full Text
  - Gallo, PJ, and Burton, RM. "Sequencing Organizational Change for Post-Shock Adaptation: A Simulation Model." Journal of Organization Design 1, no. 3 (December 14, 2012): 37-50.
  - Carroll, TN, and Burton, RM. "A contingency approach to designing project organizations: theory and tools." Engineering Project Organization Journal 2, no. 1-2 (June 2012): 5-14. Full Text
  - Håkonsson, DD, Burton, RM, Obel, B, and Lauridsen, JT. "Strategy Implementation Requires the Right Executive Style: Evidence from Danish SMEs." Long Range Planning 45, no. 2-3 (April 1, 2012): 182-208. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Computational modeling for what-is, what-might-be, and what-should-be studies-and triangulation." Organization Science 22, no. 5 (September 1, 2011): 1195-1202. Full Text
  - Kang, HG, Burton, RM, and Mitchell, W. "How potential knowledge spillovers between venture capitalists' entrepreneurial projects affect the specialization and diversification of VC funds when VC effort has value." Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal 5, no. 3 (September 1, 2011): 227-246. Full Text
  - Cardinal, LB, Turner, SF, Fern, MJ, and Burton, RM. "Organizing for product development across technological environments: Performance trade-offs and priorities." Organization Science 22, no. 4 (July 1, 2011): 1000-1025. Full Text
  - Nissen, ME, and Burton, RM. "Designing Organizations for Dynamic Fit: System Stability, Maneuverability, and Opportunity Loss." Ieee Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Part A: Systems and Humans 41, no. 3 (May 2011): 418-433. Full Text
  - Jensen, KW, Håkonsson, DD, Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "The effect of virtuality on the functioning of centralized versus decentralized structures-an information processing perspective." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 16, no. 2 (August 5, 2010): 144-170. Full Text
  - Haakonsson, DD, Burton, RM, Obel, B, and Lauridsen, J. "How failure to align organizational climate and leadership style affects performance." Management Decision 46, no. 3 (April 18, 2008): 406-432. Full Text
  - Castro, M, and Kraft, M. "Preface." (2008): XI-XI. Full Text
  - Håkonsson, DD, Obel, B, and Burton, RM. "Can organizational climate be managed? Making emotions rational." Journal of Leadership Studies 1, no. 4 (2008): 62-73. Full Text
  - Burton, RM. "Culture and Demography in Organizations. J. Richard Harrison and Glenn R. Carroll." Administrative Science Quarterly 52, no. 1 (March 2007): 152-155. Full Text
  - Carroll, TN, Gormley, TJ, Bilardo, VJ, Burton, RM, and Woodman, KL. "Designing a new organization at NASA: An organization design process using simulation." Organization Science 17, no. 2 (March 1, 2006): 202-214. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Lauridsen, J, and Obel, B. "The impact of organizational climate and strategic fit on firm performance." Human Resource Management 43, no. 1 (March 1, 2004): 67-82. (Review) Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Lauridsen, J, and Obel, B. "How Organizational Climate and Strategy Fit, as Seen by the CEO, Affects Performance." Human Resource Management 43, no. 1 (2004): 67-82.
  - Burton, RM. "Computational Laboratories for Organization Science: Questions, Validity and Docking." Computational & Mathematical Organization Theory 9, no. 2 (July 2003): 91-108. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Lauridsen, J, and Obel, B. "Erratum: Return on assets loss from situational and contingency misfits (Management Science (2002) 48 (1461-1585))." Management Science 49, no. 8 (January 1, 2003): 1119-null. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Feller, I, Feldman, M, and Bercovitz, J. "The State of Practice of University Technology Transfer Activities." Research Management Review 12, no. 2 (2002).
  - Burton, RM, Lauridsen, J, and Obel, B. "Return on assets loss from situational and contingency misfits." Management Science 48, no. 11 (January 1, 2002): 1461-1485. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Long, CP, and Cardinal, LB. "Three Controls are Better than One: A Computational Model of Complex Control Systems." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 8, no. 3 (2002): 197-220.
  - Burton, RM, Turner, S, and Bettis, RA. "Exploring Depth versus Breadth in Knowledge Management Strategies." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 8, no. 1 (2002): 49-73.
  - Burton, RM, and Kim, JS. "The Effect of Task Uncertainty and Decentralization on Project Team Performance." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 8, no. 4 (2002): 365-384.
  - Feldman, M, Feller, I, Bercovitz, J, and Burton, R. "Equity and the Technology Transfer Strategies of American Research Universities." Management Science 48, no. 1 (January 2002): 105-121. Full Text
  - Bercouitz, J, Feldman, M, Feller, I, and Burton, R. "Organizational structure as a Determinant of Academic Patent and Licensing Behavior: An exploratory study of Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Pennsylvania State Universities." Journal of Technology Transfer 26, no. 1-2 (2001): 21-35.
  - Burton, RM, and Wong, SS. "Virtual Teams: What are their Characteristics and Impact on Team Performance?." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 6, no. 4 (2000): 339-360.
  - Baligh, HH, Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Organizational Consultant: Creating a Useable Theory for Organizational Design." Management Science 42, no. 12 (December 1996): 1648-1662. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "The validity of computational models in organization science: From model realism to purpose of the model." Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory 1, no. 1 (October 1, 1995): 57-71. Full Text
  - Aharoni, Y, and Burton, RM. "Is Management Science International: In Search of Universal Rules." Management Science 40, no. 1 (January 1994): 1-3. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Minton, JW, and Obel, B. "Organizational size and efficiency: An information processing view." Scandinavian Journal of Management 7, no. 2 (January 1, 1991): 79-93. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Using historical information in the design of a decentralized firm's budgetary planning system." Computers and Operations Research 16, no. 2 (January 1, 1989): 129-143. Full Text
  - BURTON, RM. "A MATHEMATICAL ORGANIZATION THEORY - DRENICK,RF." European Journal of Operational Research 37, no. 2 (November 1, 1988): 292-293. (Review) Full Text Link to Item
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Opportunism, incentives, and the m-form hypothesis." Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 10, no. 1 (July 1988): 99-119. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Forsyth, JD, and Melick, DM. "Searching for viability under changing environmental conditions." Technovation 8, no. 1-3 (January 1, 1988): 111-131. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Forsyth, JD, and Obel, B. "The new world of constant change." Technovation 8, no. 1-3 (January 1988): 1-6. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Forsyth, JD, and Obel, B. "Preface." Technovation 8, no. 1-3 (January 1988): vii-vii. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Namm, DH. "Fitting the strategic planning process to organization: A clinical study of Burroughs Wellcome Co." Technovation 8, no. 1-3 (January 1, 1988): 143-154. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Forsyth, JD. "Variety and the firm's performance: An empirical investigation." Technovation 5, no. 1-3 (October 1986): 9-21. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Preface." Technovation 5, no. 1-3 (October 1986): vii-vii. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Forsyth, JD, and Melick, DM. "The post-introduction management of products and services under rapidly changing environmental conditions." Technovation 5, no. 1-3 (January 1, 1986): 125-143. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Environmental-Organizational relations: The effects of deregulation." Technovation 5, no. 1-3 (January 1, 1986): 23-34. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Implications of deregulation: An overview." Technovation 5, no. 1-3 (January 1, 1986): 1-7. Full Text
  - BURTON, RM. "VARIETY IN STRATEGIC-PLANNING - AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH." COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF WORLD BUSINESS 19, no. 4 (1984): 92-98. Link to Item
  - Baligh, HH, and Burton, RM. "MOVEABLE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS AND MARKETS." International journal of policy analysis and information systems 6, no. 4 (1982): 435-449.
  - Burton, RM. "An Organizational System: An Overview." International Journal of Policy Analysis and Information Systems 5, no. 4 (1981): 247-250.
  - Baligh, HH, and Burton, RM. "Matching the organization's structure and its cooperative market relations." Theory and Decision 12, no. 4 (December 1, 1980): 311-324. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "A Computer Simulation Test of the M-Form Hypothesis." Administrative Science Quarterly 25, no. 3 (September 1980): 457-457. Full Text
  - BURTON, RM, and OBEL, B. "THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PRICE, BUDGET, AND MIXED APPROACHES UNDER VARYING A-PRIORI INFORMATION LEVELS FOR DECENTRALIZED PLANNING." MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 26, no. 4 (1980): 401-417. Full Text Link to Item
  - Burton, RM, Dellinger, DC, and Damon, WW. "Making the area agencies on aging work: the role of information." Socio-Economic Planning Sciences 14, no. 1 (1980): 1-11.
  - Burton, RM, and Naylor, TH. "Economic theory in corporate planning." Strategic Management Journal 1, no. 3 (January 1, 1980): 249-263. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Obel, B. "An Organizational Model of Integrated Budgeting for Short-Run Operations and Long-Run Investments." The Journal of the Operational Research Society 30, no. 6 (June 1979): 575-575. Full Text
  - Baligh, HH, and Burton, RM. "Marketing in moderation- The marketing concept and the organization's structure." Long Range Planning 12, no. 2 (January 1, 1979): 92-96. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Obel, B. "An organizational model of integrated budgeting for short-run operations and long-run investments." Journal of the Operational Research Society 30, no. 6 (January 1, 1979): 575-585. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Damon, WW. "Budgets for integrating decentralized investment and production planning." Omega 7, no. 2 (January 1, 1979): 113-117. Full Text
  - Burton, R, Dellinger, D, and King, WR. "Alternative strategies for legislative analysis of public policy." Urban Systems 3, no. 1 (January 1978): 9-20. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Dellinger, DC, Damon, WW, and Pfeiffer, EA. "A role for operational research in health care planning and management teams." Journal of the Operational Research Society 29, no. 7 (1978): 633-641.
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "A comparative analysis of price, quantity, and mixed approaches for decentralized planning." Economics of Planning 14, no. 3 (January 1, 1978): 129-140. Full Text
  - BURTON, RM. "SOCIAL CHALLENGE TO BUSINESS - ACKERMAN,RW." Interfaces 7, no. 2 (January 1, 1977): 123-126. (Review) Link to Item
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "The multilevel approach to organizational issues of the firm-A critical review." Omega 5, no. 4 (January 1, 1977): 395-414. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Dellinger, DC. "Estimating the impact of health services in a community." Behavioral Science 21, no. 6 (November 1976): 478-489. Full Text
  - BURTON, RM. "SOCIAL CHALLENGE TO BUSINESS - ACKERMAN,RW." Interfaces 7, no. 1 (January 1, 1976): 113-115. (Review) Link to Item
  - Baligh, H. "Organization structure and cooperative market relations." Omega 4, no. 5 (1976): 583-593. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Dellinger, DC. "Practice of Management Science—Patient States and the Technology Matrix." Interfaces 5, no. 4 (August 1975): 43-53. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Dellinger, DC. "Patient States and Technology Matrix." Interfaces 5, no. 4 (1975): 43-53.
  - Burton, RM, and Damon, WW. "ON THE EXISTENCE OF A COST OF CAPITAL UNDER PURE CAPITAL RATIONING." The Journal of Finance 29, no. 4 (September 1974): 1165-1173. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, Damon, WW, and Loughridge, DW. "THE ECONOMICS OF DECOMPOSITION: RESOURCE ALLOCATION VS TRANSFER PRICING." Decision Sciences 5, no. 3 (January 1, 1974): 297-310. Full Text
  - Burton, R, and Rivett, P. "SURVEY OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH GROUPS IN GREAT BRITAIN." Operational Research Quarterly 23, no. 2 (1972): 117-123.
  - Burton, RM, and Howard, GT. "Optimal Design for System Reliability and Maintainability." Ieee Transactions on Reliability R-20, no. 2 (May 1971): 56-60. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Laughhunn, DJ. "On the optimality of single-item, incremental cost rules for the make-buy decision." Engineering Economist 16, no. 4 (January 1, 1971): 227-246. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Laughhunn, DJ. "A Make-Buy Decision in a Production Planning Context." Journal of Business Administration 1, no. 2 (1970): 53-64.
  - Burton, RM, and Howard, GT. "Optimal System Reliability for a Mixed Series and Parallel Structure." Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications 28, no. 2 (1969): 370-382.
  - Burton, RM, and Holzer, HP. "To Make or Buy." Management Services 5, no. 4 (1968): 26-31.
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Organization Structure Experiments Using Operations Research Models." Advances in Management Studies 2, no. 4: 297-310.
- Book Sections
  - Burton, RM, Obel, B, and Håkonsson, DD. "Contingency theory, dynamic fit, and contracts." In Advancing Organizational Theory in a Complex World, 1-15. January 1, 2016. Full Text
  - Burton, RM, and Obel, B. "Design rules for dynamic organization design: The contribution of computational modeling." In Handbook of Economic Organization: Integrating Economic and Organization Theory, 223-244. January 1, 2013. Full Text
- Conference Papers
  - Hakonsson, DD, Burton, RM, Obep, B, and Lauridsen, J. "ACTION LEADERSHIP, MULTI-CONTINGENCY THEORY AND FIT." Conference on Organization Design. Univ So Denmark, Odense, DENMARK. May 2005.: SPRINGER, January 1, 2006. Link to Item
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
- BA 998: Independent Study 2019

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Books

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Conference Papers

Recent Courses