Prof. John Sterman

Jay W Forrester Professor of Management
Professor of System Dynamics and Engineering Systems
Director, System Dynamics Group

Primary DLC

MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Room: E62-436

Areas of Interest and Expertise

Actino Learning
Alternative Energy
B-School
Business Education
Energy
Environment
Business Process Modeling
Change Management
Climate Policy
Managing Change
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Learning
System Dynamics
Supply Chain Management
Nonlinear Dynamics
Strategy
Strategic Planning
Social Responsibility
Solar Power
Sustainability
System Dynamics
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Wind Power

Research Summary

Sterman uses system dynamics -- a framework for understanding complex situations-to examine how people approach complex decisions and discover why dysfunctional dynamics persist in organizations. Using management "flight simulators" that Sterman and his students have developed, managers can design effective policies to improve the long-term performance of their organizations. Recent applications include the semiconductor, automotive, and computer industries; and issues from growth strategy to process improvement and product development.

Recent Work