Ph.D., General Management, Western University
M.A.Sc., Management Science, University of Waterloo
B.A.Sc., Chemical Engineering (Sociology Minor), University of Waterloo
Failure
Innovation
Organizational Learning
Advanced Technologies
Social Influencers
Dr. David Maslach is an associate professor in the Department of Management at Florida State University’s College of Business. Maslach studies how firms make inferences from learning and innovate from failure. His primary research interests are theories of organizational learning and organizational decision-making. He and his colleagues have dabbled in a variety of fields, including medical technology, Formula 1 racing, software development, content creators and the sharing economy. While he employs a variety of methodologies, he specializes in large sample datasets and online experimentation. He has taught strategy, organizational theory, research methods and innovation, and entrepreneurship courses at the undergraduate, MBA and doctoral levels. He has been a visiting professor at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and NYU Stern. He is currently on the editorial boards of Academy of Management Review, Organization Science and Strategic Organization and is the secretary of the Academy of Management's Strategy Division. Maslach cofounded the Carnegie School of Organizational Learning Conference (CSOL) with Jerker Denrell and now co-organizes the CSOL with Daniella Laureiro-Martinez, Özgecan Koçak and Scott Turner. He has published in several outlets, such as the Harvard Business Review, Journal of Management, Journal of World Business, Management Science, Organization Science and Strategic Management Journal.
Maslach has also founded three organizations, all of which have had varying degrees of success. His current passion project is the creation of a researcher feedback platform, www.r3ciprocity.com, which offers solutions and hope to researchers all over the world. R3ciprocity also functions as an online field experiment platform. As part of this project, he is a social influencer who discusses research, innovation and strategy. Millions of people have been touched by the R3ciprocity Project across all platforms. He wrote “The Bumbling Fool 'Theory' of Creating Something From Nothing: Being Okay With Being A Bumbling Fool From The Start” to describe the journey.
Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in strategy from Western University's Ivey School of Business, he earned degrees in chemical engineering and management science from the University of Waterloo. In addition to academia, Maslach has held non-academic positions in scientific programming and public policy.
Maslach, D, H. Rousseau, B. Lamont. 2024. Pioneer learning from failure: How competitor entry and consumer reports improve learning from failure repositories. Journal of Management. Forthcoming.
S. Ro, D. Kim, B. Lamont, & D. Maslach. 2024. Foreign identity and organizational crises: Evidence in the U.S. Automobile Industry. Journal of World Business. 59(6): 101582.
Maslach, D. 2023. Generative AI can supercharge your academic research. But remember: LLMs are your partner—Not your replacement. Harvard Business School Publishing Education. (December 14, 2023).
J. Denrell, C. Liu, Maslach, D. 2023. Underdogs and One-hit Wonders: When is Overcoming adversity impressive? Management Science. 69(6): 4973-5693.
Lamont, B., King, D., Maslach, D., M. Schwerdtfeger, and J. Tienari. 2018. "Integration Capacity and Knowledge-Based Acquisition Performance" R&D Management. 49(1): 103-114.
Maslach, D., O. Branzei, C. Rerup, and M. Zbaracki. 2018. "Noise as a signal in learning from rare events." Organization Science. 29(2): 225-246. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2017.1179
Desai, V., P. Madsen, D. Maslach. 2017. "Organizational learning from failure: Present theory and future inspirational inquiries." Handbook of Group and Organizational Learning. Ed. L. Argote and J. Levine. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Maslach, D. 2016. "Change and persistence with failed technological innovation." Strategic Management Journal, (37) 4: 714-723.
Bhandary, A. and D. Maslach. 2016. "Organizational memory." The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management. Ed. M. Augier and D. Teece. London, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
Maslach, D., C., Madsen, P., and V. Desai, C. Liu. 2015. "The robust beauty of "Little Ideas": Comments on the Past and Future of A Behavioral Theory of the Firm. Journal of Management Inquiry. 24(3): 318-320.
Liu, Chengwei, David Maslach, Vinit Desai, and Peter Madsen. 2015. "The first 50 years and the next 50 years of A Behavioral Theory of the Firm: An interview with James G. March." Journal of Management Inquiry. 242(2): 149-155.
Professor Maslach grew up in Northern Canada on a diet of venison, moose and other game. Now that he lives in Florida with his wife (Lyndsey), two sons (Jack and Andrew), and two wild dogs (Maddie and Carlie), he has grown to love gator and crawfish!
- FSU College of Business Core Values Award (“for excellence, integrity, respect, leadership and/or innovation”)
- 6 Academy of Management Outstanding Reviewer Awards, BPS Division
- Finalist for OMT Best Symposium, Academy of Management
- Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship
