Ryan's research can be categorized under two broad streams. The first stream contributes to the literature on organizational innovation capabilities--how the structures and processes of established organizations can be designed to consistently innovate and adapt successfully. The second stream investigates how decision-making tools (in particular, algorithmic tools) influence worker decisions in organizations, and which workers are best able to effectively leverage those tools.
Ryan's dissertation work lies at the intersection of these two broad streams of research. In his dissertation (still under development), Ryan uses a mix of econometrics, qualitative field interviews, and computational social science techniques to explore how decision-making tools and methods profoundly influence the trajectory of organizations. Specifically, he tracks successful product innovation in a large sample of CPG firms to measure how the evolution of data-driven cultures influence the kinds of product innovations that organizations produce.
Ryan Thomas Allen
Doctoral Student
Doctoral Student
Ryan is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Technology and Operations Management unit studying strategy and innovation in organizations. He uses a mix of econometrics, qualitative field interviews, and computational social science techniques to explore how decision-making tools and methods influence the trajectory of organizations. He is currently developing his dissertation, in which he investigates product innovation in highly data-driven organizational cultures.
Ryan is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Technology and Operations Management unit studying strategy and innovation in organizations. He uses a mix of econometrics, qualitative field interviews, and computational social science techniques to explore how decision-making tools and methods influence the trajectory of organizations. He is currently developing his dissertation, in which he investigates product innovation in highly data-driven organizational cultures.
Prior to joining HBS, Ryan graduated from Brigham Young University summa cum laude with a BS in Economics and minors in Mathematics and Strategy. While there, he co-authored several papers on the health and economic effects of air pollution. Ryan also worked as a business analyst at Amazon, as a nonprofit manager, and spent two years in Taiwan as a full-time service missionary for his church.
Ryan and his wife live in Boston with their 3 children.
- Journal Articles
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- McDonald, Rory, and Ryan T. Allen. "A Spanner in the Works: Category-Spanning Entrants and Audience Valuation of Incumbents." Strategy Science (forthcoming). View Details
- Choudhury, Prithwiraj, Ryan Allen, and Michael G. Endres. "Machine Learning for Pattern Discovery in Management Research." Strategic Management Journal 42, no. 1 (January 2021): 30–57. View Details
- Working Papers
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- Allen, Ryan, and Prithwiraj Choudhury. "Algorithm-Augmented Work Performance and Domain Experience: The Countervailing Forces of Ability and Aversion." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-073, October 2020. View Details
- Cases and Teaching Materials
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- Khanna, Tarun, Ryan Allen, Adam Frost, and Wesley Koo. "Rural Taobao: Alibaba's Expansion into Rural E-Commerce." Harvard Business School Case 719-433, January 2019. (Revised October 2019.) View Details
- Research Summary
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- Teaching
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- Teaching fellow for course on people analytics
- Lead weekly MBA student review sessions teaching statistics and the R programming language
- Assisit with preparing course materials
- Course teaching fellow for course on disruptive innovation
- Assisted preparing course materials; provided written feedback to students
- Awards & Honors
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Winner of the 2020 Strategic Management Society (SMS) Conference Best PhD Student Paper for “Algorithm-Augmented Work Performance and Domain Experience: The Countervailing Forces of Ability and Aversion” with Prithwiraj Choudhury.
- Additional Information
- Area of Study
- Areas of Interest