Anita McGahan in conversation with Michael Barnett
October 19, 2026
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About the Guest
Michael Barnett
Professor of Management & Global Business at Rutgers Business School
Mike Barnett is Professor of Management & Global Business at Rutgers Business School at Newark & New Brunswick. His scholarship focuses on how firms' stakeholder management practices influence their reputations and financial performance and affect society. He has won many...
Mike Barnett is Professor of Management & Global Business at Rutgers Business School at Newark & New Brunswick. His scholarship focuses on how firms' stakeholder management practices influence their reputations and financial performance and affect society. He has won many awards for his scholarship, teaching, and service. The list of his research fellowships and distinctions is so long that it would take up virtually all our available time for me to read them to you. Just a few of them are Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Social Innovations Group at EGADE, Fellow of the American Council on Education, Chair of the Social Issues in Management Division of the AOM, and International Research Fellow of the Oxford University Center for Corporate Reputation. Mike currently serves as Fellow of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers University and as Editor-In-Chief of Academy of Management Perspectives. He has published award-winning articles in our top journals. Prior to entering academia, Mike served as a lieutenant in the US Air Force, wherein he was a Distinguished Graduate of Air Force Officer Training School and a Squadron Section Commander and Executive Officer within a large logistics group.
Reflections from the Interview
Professor Michael Barnett is among the most highly cited scholars on corporate social innovation in the field of management. In this talk with Anita, he reflects on his early experiences as an undergraduate and in the military as the starting point for his scholarship. The core idea that drives Mike is that governmental regulation, effective public policy, and appropriate enforcement of the law and of regulations can unleash corporate innovation that serves the public interest. We can’t expect companies not...
Professor Michael Barnett is among the most highly cited scholars on corporate social innovation in the field of management. In this talk with Anita, he reflects on his early experiences as an undergraduate and in the military as the starting point for his scholarship. The core idea that drives Mike is that governmental regulation, effective public policy, and appropriate enforcement of the law and of regulations can unleash corporate innovation that serves the public interest. We can’t expect companies not to pursue profit, but we can guide them to do what’s constructive for society.
