Benyamin Lichtenstein
Area of Expertise
Entrepreneurship, New Venture Creation, and Small Business Growth, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Complexity Science and Emergence, Organizational Transformation, Leadership
Degrees
PhD, Boston College, 1998
BA, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1988
Professional Publications & Contributions
- Lichtenstein, B & Stroh, P., 2017. Engines of Entrepreneurial Growth: Resources, Complexity, Capacity and Emergence. In G. Markman, A. Guerber & WT Su. Sustainability, Society, Business Ethics and Entrepreneurship. World Scientific Press, Volume 3.
- Lichtenstein, B., 2016. Complexity at a Crossroads: Exploring a Science of Emergence. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. Organization Theory division.
- Lichtenstein, B., 2016. Emergence and emergents in entrepreneurship: Complexity science insights into new venture creation. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 6(1): 43-52.
- Weller, C., Wenger, J., Lichtenstein, B. & Arcand, C., 2016. Push or Pull: Changes in the Relative Risk and Growth of Entrepreneurship Among Older Households. The Gerontologist, 0(0): 1-12; online, doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw145.
- Generative Emergence: A New Science of Organizational, Entrepreneurial and Social Creation; 2014. Benyamin Lichtenstein. N.Y.: Oxford University Press.
- Complexity and the Nexus of Leadership: Leveraging Nonlinear Science to Create Ecologies of Innovation; 2010. J. Goldstein, J. Hazy & B. Lichtenstein. N.Y.: Palgrave MacMillan Press.
- Power Law Distributions in Entrepreneurship: Implications for Theory and Research., 2015. C. Crawford, H. Aguinis, B. Lichtenstein, P. Davidsson & B. McKelvey. Journal of Business Venturing, 30: 696-713
- Levels and Degrees of Emergence: Toward a Matrix of Complexity in Entrepreneurship. 2011. B. Lichtenstein. International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management, 1(3): 252-274.
- What Should Be the Locus of Activity for Sustainability? Eight Emerging Ecologies of Action for Sustainable Entrepreneurship., 2011. B. Lichtenstein. Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth – Vol. 13: Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Edited by Tom Lumpkin & Jerome Katz. Pg. 231-274
- Non-linear Meltdowns and the Potential for Emergence: Complex Systems Theory and Social-Environmental Sustainability; 2011. D. Levy & B. Lichtenstein. In: A. Hoffman & T. Dacin (Eds.), Oxford Handbook on Business and the Environment. Chapter 31
- A Terminal Assessment of Stages Theory: Introducing a Dynamic States Approach to Entrepreneurship; 2010. J. Levie & B. Lichtenstein. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 34 (2): 314-351.
- Complexity Dynamics Of Nascent Entrepreneurship. 2007. B. Lichtenstein, N. Carter, K. Dooley & B. Gartner. Journal of Business Venturing, 22: 236-261.
- Collaborating for Systemic Change; 2007. P. Senge, B. Lichtenstein, K. Kaeufer, H. Bradbury & J. Carroll. Sloan Management Review, 48 (2): 44-53.
Additional Information
Background
Conference design and implementation; Sales and marketing for entrepreneurial companies.
Courses Taught
Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (MGT 667);
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MGT 470);
Organizational Analysis and Skills (MGT 650);
Honors Thesis Program (MGT 478);
Managing Organizations (MGT 303).
Clean-Tech Entrepreneurship (MGT 697)
Research Interests
Emergence and transformation of entrepreneurial ventures; Dynamics of social and organizational change. Complexity science and the ecology of leadership; Social change through entrepreneurial innovation.
Professional Activities
Editorial/Science Boards:
Journal of Business Venturing
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Group and Organizational Management
International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management
Praxyma, Inc. - Consulting practice for sustainability and growth in entrepreneurial companies
Awards, Grants, and Honors
- Best Paper Award. Academy of Management, Organization Theory Division, 2016. “Complexity at a Crossroads: Exploring a Science of Emergence.”
- Best Paper Award. Academy of Management, Entrepreneurship Division, 2013. For Crawford & Lichtenstein, “Is There A Single Driver of Entrepreneurship? A Power-Law of Organizational Emergence and Growth”Social Innovations Assessment Project, for Harvard-Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. 2012—2013. $80,000 grant by the Center for Social Policy, UMass Boston; B. Lichtenstein as Senior Researcher.
- Employment Options and Financial Security of Older Households, 2012—2013. $95,000 grant by AARP, through the McCormack Graduate School of Social Policy, C. Weller P.I., B. Lichtenstein as co-P.I.
- Joan Moon Undergraduate Teaching Award, College of Management, 2010-2011.
- College of Management Faculty Research Fellow, 2009-2011. UMass Boston.
- Best Paper of the Year Award; Academy of Management Executive, 2001 for “Self-Organized Transitions: A Pattern Amidst the ‘Chaos’ of Transformative Change.”
- Outstanding Paper Award; Journal of Organizational Change Management - MCB Press, 1998. For “Grace, Magic & Miracles: A Chaotic Logic of Organizational Transformation.”
- Outstanding University Teaching Award—Harry Jack Gray Teaching Scholarship; University of Hartford, 1999-2000
- Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow; Students in Free Enterprise. 1999-2002. Regional Competition Awardees (Rookies of the Year; and 2nd Runners-Up in the 4-year University section)
- Outstanding Student Club at the University (Founding Faculty Advisor for the Entrepreneurs Association) - Office of Student Affairs; University of Hartford, 2000-2001.