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Ryan Thomas Allen

Ryan Thomas Allen

Doctoral Student

Doctoral Student

Ryan is a a 5th year PhD candidate conducting research at the intersection of innovation strategy, organization theory, and entrepreneurship.  He is on the job market this year (2022-2023).

For more information about Ryan and his research, visit his personal website.
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Ryan is a a 5th year PhD candidate conducting research at the intersection of innovation strategy, organization theory, and entrepreneurship.  He is on the job market this year (2022-2023).

For more information about Ryan and his research, visit his personal website.

Ryan's dissertation research is organized around the question: how do organizations anticipate market demand to produce commercially successful innovations? Whereas prior work extols the benefits of analytics and experimentation, he identifies circumstances in which these methods can be misleading. To view the abstracts of his dissertation chapters, click here.

His dissertation work follows prior publications on the topics of algorithms+judgment, epistemology in machine learning methods, and industry dynamics.

Prior to doctoral studies at HBS, Ryan studied Economics at BYU, served a 2-year mission in Taiwan for his church, conducted economic research on environmental health issues, managed at a nonprofit, and did a stint as data analyst at Amazon. He lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and 3 children.

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Ryan Thomas Allen
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Publications Teaching Awards & Honors

Journal Articles
Journal Articles

  • Allen, Ryan, and Prithwiraj Choudhury. "Algorithm-Augmented Work and Domain Experience: The Countervailing Forces of Ability and Aversion." Organization Science 33, no. 1 (January–February 2022): 149–169. ("Best PhD Student Paper" at SMS conference 2020.) View Details
  • 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
Working Papers

  • Allen, Ryan. "The Market Size Paradox of Niche Product Innovations." Working Paper, March 2022. View Details
  • Allen, Ryan. "Epistemic Plasticity and Innovation in Data-Driven Organizational Cultures." Working Paper, March 2022. ("Best Paper" at Strategy Science Conference 2022;"Best Paper" at Wharton Innovation Doctoral Symposium 2022.) View Details

Cases and Teaching Materials
Cases and Teaching Materials

  • 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
All Publications

Ryan is a a 5th year PhD candidate conducting research at the intersection of innovation strategy, organization theory, and entrepreneurship.  He is on the job market this year (2022-2023).

For more information about Ryan and his research, visit his personal website.

Ryan's dissertation research is organized around the question: how do organizations anticipate market demand to produce commercially successful innovations? Whereas prior work extols the benefits of analytics and experimentation, he identifies circumstances in which these methods can be misleading. To view the abstracts of his dissertation chapters, click here.

His dissertation work follows prior publications on the topics of algorithms+judgment, epistemology in machine learning methods, and industry dynamics.

Prior to doctoral studies at HBS, Ryan studied Economics at BYU, served a 2-year mission in Taiwan for his church, conducted economic research on environmental health issues, managed at a nonprofit, and did a stint as data analyst at Amazon. He lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and 3 children.

Journal Articles
  • Allen, Ryan, and Prithwiraj Choudhury. "Algorithm-Augmented Work and Domain Experience: The Countervailing Forces of Ability and Aversion." Organization Science 33, no. 1 (January–February 2022): 149–169. ("Best PhD Student Paper" at SMS conference 2020.) View Details
  • 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
  • Allen, Ryan. "The Market Size Paradox of Niche Product Innovations." Working Paper, March 2022. View Details
  • Allen, Ryan. "Epistemic Plasticity and Innovation in Data-Driven Organizational Cultures." Working Paper, March 2022. ("Best Paper" at Strategy Science Conference 2022;"Best Paper" at Wharton Innovation Doctoral Symposium 2022.) View Details
Cases and Teaching Materials
  • 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
Teaching
Owner and President Management (OPM); HBS Executive Education; 2022
  • Coached executive education course on general management and leadership
  • Taught management and leadership to chief executives in small group sessions
  • Conducted one-on-one sessions focused on complex business challenges and personal leadership development
Leading Change and Organizational Renewal (LCOR); HBS Executive Education; 2022
  • Coached executive education course on innovation and organizational change
  • Led a group of senior executives in applying course theories to develop solutions for their organizational problems
Leading with People Analytics; HBS Elective Curriculum; 2020
  • Teaching fellow for MBA course that used the case method to teach data science in the context of people analytics
  • Led weekly MBA student review sessions teaching statistics and the R programming language
  • Teaching rating 6.5 / 7 (30 students)
Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise (BSSE); HBS Elective Curriculum; 2018-2021
  • Teaching fellow for MBA course on strategy, entrepreneurship, and disruptive innovation
  • Contributed to HBS teaching cases and module notes; provided written feedback to students
Awards & Honors
Winner of the Best Paper Award at the 2022 Wharton Innovation Doctoral Symposium for “Epistemic Plasticity and Innovation in Data-Driven Organizational Cultures.”
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.
Awarded Best Paper at the 2022 Strategy Science Conference for "Epistemic Plasticity and Innovation in Data-Driven Organizational Cultures."
Additional Information
  • CV
  • Personal Website
  • LinkedIn
Area of Study
  • Technology and Operations Management
  • Innovation
Areas of Interest
  • innovation
  • strategy
Additional Information
CV
Personal Website
LinkedIn

Area of Study

Technology and Operations Management
Innovation

Areas of Interest

innovation
strategy
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