• Phone: 617-358-6073
  • E-Mail:  somahony@bu.edu
  • Office: 658A
    • Office Hours: By Appointment
  • Address: Boston University School of Management
    595 Commonwealth Avenue
    Boston, MA 02215

Profile Summary

Professor O’Mahony’s research explores how technical and creative projects organize. She has examined high technology contractors, open source programmers, artists, music producers, internet startups and corporate consortiums. She is interested in how people create organizations that promote innovation, creativity and growth without replicating the bureaucratic structures they strive to avoid. Dr. O’Mahony’s research has appeared in Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Academy of Management Journal, Research in Organizational Behavior, Research Policy, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Industry and Innovation, and the Journal of Management and Governance. A former consultant with Price Waterhouse LLP and Electronic Data Systems, she has consulted to organizations such as IDEO, the Global Business Network, Novell, Cap Gemini, Proquest, Microsoft, McDonald Investments, and the European Union. Her current research examines how a nonprofit organization certifying privacy and trust practices on the Internet transitions to a venture backed startup. Dr. O’Mahony also serves as the DBA liaison for the Strategy and Innovation group.

  • Education Open or Close

    Ph D, Stanford University, Management Science and Engineering, 2002.

    MPA - Masters in Public Administration, Cornell University School of Public Affairs, Science and Technology Policy, 1993.

    BS, Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations, Organizational Behavior, 1991.

  • Current CoursesOpen or Close

    GSM SI839 A1 Design and Innovation Strategy

    GSM SI839 F1 Design and Innovation Strategy

    SMG SI451 A1 Organizing for Design and Innovation

  • PublicationsOpen or Close

    Book Chapters:

      O'Mahony, S., Ferraro, F., (2012). Managing the Boundary of an Open Project. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Other Publications:

      O'Mahony, S., Seidel, V., Managing the Repertoire: Concept Coherence and the Coordination of Innovation.: Organization Science.

      O'Mahony, S., Dahlander, L., One Foot In, One Foot Out: How Individual Search Behavior Affects Innovation Outcomes.: Academy of Management Journal .

  • Research PresentationsOpen or Close

    Accepted Lectures:

      Dahlander, L., (Author Only), O'Mahony, S., (Author Only), West Coast Research Symposium, “One Foot In, One Foot Out: How Individual Search Behavior Affects Innovation Outcomes”, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. (September 8, 2012).

  • General ServiceOpen or Close

    Service to the School:

      School of Management, Working Group/Task Force Participation, Committee Member, Research Working Group, approximately 200 hours spent for the year. (2013 - Present).
      Served on research committee to assess how to improve research culture and design process to allocate summer support


      School of Management, Strategy & Innovation Department, Other Role, approximately 400 hours spent for the year. (2013 - Present).
      Served as chair of recruiting committee


      School of Management, Working Group/Task Force Participation, Committee Member, Institute for Summer Technology Leadership Program Design Committee, approximately 60 hours spent for the year. (April 1, 2012 - Present).
      Worked with Engineering Department and University Relations to design special joint summer program


      Regional, Public/Community, Board of Directors of a Company, Board of Directors, Sustainable Nantucket, approximately 72 hours spent for the year. (June 2012 - Present).

    Service to the Profession:

      Professional, Other Role, approximately 72 hours spent for the year. (January 1, 2012 - Present).
      Served on AMJ editorial board reviewing about one manuscript per month


  • Conference ActivitiesOpen or Close

      MIT Wharton Knowledge Creation and Transfer Conference, MIT Wharton NSF, Knowledge Across Boundaries, Discussant (work of others). (July 25, 2012 - July 26, 2012).

      Academy of Management Annual Conference, Academy of Management, Being There/Being Them: Ethnography Beyond Single Organizations, Panelist. (August 3, 2012 - August 3, 2012).

      Visualizing Techniques for Analyzing and Presenting Field Data: Moving Beyond Text and Tables, Boston University, Keynote Introduction and Organizer, Committee Member. (May 1, 2011 - November 3, 2011).

  • ConsultingOpen or Close

    Management, Robert A. M. Stern Architects, New York. (January 1, 2012 - Present).

    Aided firm with organization, culture, compensation during transition. Conducted workshops with partners and employees.


  • Editorial And Review ActivitiesOpen or Close

    Academy of Management Journal, Editorial Board Member, International, Appointed, Academic. (January 1, 2012 - Present).

    Administrative Science Quarterly, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, Academic. (January 1, 2012 - Present).

    Organization Science, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, Academic. (January 1, 2012 - Present).

    Academy of Management Conference, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Papers, International, Appointed, Academic. (January 1, 2012 - Present).

  • Awards and HonorsOpen or Close

    Editor's Choice Collection, Administrative Science Quarterly, Research. (February 28, 2013).

    Nexus Work: Brokerage on Creative Projects Administrative Science Quarterly 2010 55:47-81; was selected as one of 8 key articles on Networks and Knowledge


    Editor's Choice Collection, Administrative Science Quarterly, Research. (February 28, 2013).
    Siobhán O'Mahony, and Beth A. Bechky, "Boundary Organizations: Enabling Collaboration among Unexpected Allies", Administrative Science Quarterly 2008 53:422-459; selected as 1 of 6 key articles on soci


  • DirectorshipOpen or Close

    Board Director, Sustainable Nantucket