The Heller School for Social Policy and Management

J. Bradley Morrison

Associate Professor of Management in the Brandeis International Business School

J. Bradley Morrison's photo

Contact

Email: bmorriso@brandeis.edu
Office: Lemberg Academic Center L-251
Phone: 781-736-2246
Brandeis Directory
Website

Expertise

System Dynamics, Health care, Healthcare simulation, Implementation, Innovation, Organizational Change, Process Improvement, Technology And Operations Management

Courses

  • BUS 172a - Operations Management
  • BUS 272a - Operations Management
  • BUS 276a - Business Dynamics: Managing in a Complex World
  • BUS 286a - Applications of System Dynamics
  • HS 258a - Operations Management
  • HS 458a - Operations Management
  • HS 462b - Systems Thinking for a Complex World

Degrees

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Ph.D.
  • University of Chicago
    M.A.
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    B.S.

J. Bradley Morrison

Associate Professor of Management in the Brandeis International Business School

Profile

Please visit my new faculty profile page.


Brad Morrison is fascinated with the challenges people face in accomplishing what they set out to do in organizations. His research focuses on two areas: 1) human performance in dynamically challenging health care contexts and 2) implementation, which he as studied in several contexts, such as process improvement settings and firms adopting the practices of lean manufacturing. He examines the paradoxes of building organizational capability and implementing innovations. For example, why do the actions some managers take foster the very problems they are attempting to solve? His methods blend organization theory with tools of system dynamics, feedback theory, mathematical modeling and computer simulation to elucidate the relationships between structure in systems and the patterns of dynamic behavior they exhibit over time.

Brad has previously taught at the Sloan School at M.I.T. and in executive education in a variety of settings. He has been a partner at a leading global management consulting firm and has more than 15 years of consulting experience in the retail and consumer products and healthcare industries. He has assisted dozens of organizations wrestling with change in areas such as product development, sourcing, and supply chain management. He has extensive experience in Asia where he has worked in 11 countries for his clients from North America, Asia, and Europe. He has also worked in cancer research and in banking. In 2012, he was recognized for his work on dynamic problem solving as the recipient of the Jay W. Forrester Award from the System Dynamics Society for the best published work in the field for the preceding five years.

Awards and Honors

  • Brandeis Teaching and Learning Fellow (2017 - 2018)
  • Best Poster - Health Division, International Conference of the System Dynamics Society (2014)
  • Jay W. Forrester Award (Best work in the field of system dynamics in the previous five years) (2012)
  • Academy of Management, Nominee for Best Paper in the Healthcare Management Division (2011)
  • Invited Speaker, "Masterful Classes," International Conference of the System Dynamics Society (2009)
  • Best Paper Selection, Academy of Management (2007)
  • Best Paper Selection, Academy of Management (2002)

Scholarship

  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Wears, R.L.. "Modeling Rasmussen’s Dynamic Modeling Problem: Drift towards a Boundary of Safety." Cognition, Technology and Work (2021). (forthcoming)
  • Urman, R. D., August, D. A., Chung, S., Jiddou, A. H., Buckley, C., Fields, K. G., Morrison, J. B., Palaganas, J. C., & Raemer, D.. "The effect of emergency manuals on team performance during two different simulated perioperative crises: A prospective, randomized controlled trial.." Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 68. (2021): 110080.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Announcement of the 2017 Application Award." System Dynamics Review 36. 3 (2020): 330-332.
  • Morrison, J. , Chung, D.H. & Steinberg, A.C.. "Transitions to Independence in Early Careers of Surgeons.." Presented at The 37th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society.. Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Announcement of the 2018 Applications Award." System Dynamics Review 35. 1 (2019): 52-54.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Announcement of the 2019 Applications Award." Presented at The 37th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society.. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 2019.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Opportunities and Risks on the Path Forward for System Dynamics." System Dynamics Review 35. 1 (2019): 25-34.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Resilience in the OR: An Ethnographic View of an OR Team and Room Turnover." Presented at the 8th Resilient Health Care Conference and Meeting. Awaji, Japan. August 2019.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley & Chung, S.. "Using Systems Thinking Tools: Unpacking a Classroom Challenge." Creative Learning Exchange Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling Conference, Wellesley, MA. June 2018.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley & Oliva, R.. "Integration of Behavioral and Operational Elements through System Dynamics.." Handbook of Behavioral Operations. Ed. K. Donohue, E. Katook, & S. Leider., 2018
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Adaptation in the Emergency Department: Managing a Surge of Critical Patients." Production and Operations Managment Society 2018 Conference, Houston, TX. May 2018.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Effective Feedback for Developing Excellence among Educators." Presented at the Co-Constructing Excellence: Recognising, Scaffolding and Building Excellence in University Learning and Teaching Conference. Hong Kong
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Expressions of Resilience in the Emergency Department.." 36th Annual International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Reykjavk, Iceland. August 2018.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Lessons for Leadership: Experiencing a Production-Distribution System." Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership. Boston, MA. February 2018.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley & Wears, R. L.. "Resilience in the Emergency Department: The Case of Emergency Downtime." Presented at the 28nd Annual POMS Conference, Seattle, WA. May 2017.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R. L.. "Unmasking the Sources and Dynamics of Adaptive Capabilities." Sixth International Meeting on Resilient Health Care, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. August 2017.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R.L.. "Modeling Rasmussen’s Dynamic Modeling Problem." 36th Annual International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Cambridge, MA. July 2017.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "From Amazing Failure to Amazing Success: Resilient Response to Crisis in the Emergency Department." POMS 2017 International Conference, Sydney, Australia. December 2017.
  • Wears, R.L & Morrison, J. Bradley. "Dynamic Modeling of Rasmussen’s Dynamic Modeling Problem." 48th Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists &12th International Symposium on Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management, Banff, Canada. July 2017.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley & Wears, R. L.. "Teamwork in the Emergency Department: A Grounded System Dynamics Study.." Presented at the Society for Interdisciplinary Business Research, Hong Kong. September 2016..
  • Morrison, J. Bradley & Wears, R. L.. "Why Patient Assignment and Teamwork in the Emergency Department is Challenging: A Simple Stock and Flow Insight." Plenary Presentation at the 34rd Annual Internatilonal System Dynamics Conference, Delft, Netherlands. July, 2016.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R. L.. "Managing on the Front Lines of the ED: Coping with Challenges to Patient Flow." Presented at the 27th Annual POMS Conference, Orlando, FL,. May 2016.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R. L.. "Teamwork in the Emergency Department: A Grounded System Dynamics Study." Presented at the 5th World Conference on Production and Operations Management, Havana, Cuba. September, 2016.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Sim Center by the Numbers: Metrics that Ask and Answer Important Questions." Symposium for Administrators in Healthcare Simulation, Cleveland Clinic and NYSIM,. New York. June 2016.
  • Wears, R. L. & Morrison, J.Bradley. "What underlies resilience in emergency departments?"." Presented at the Fifth International Meeting on Resilient Health Care, Hindsgavl, Denmark. August 2016..
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Deckers, Cathy. "Common Theories in Healthcare Simulation." Defining Excellence in Simulation Programs. Ed. Palaganas, J., Maxworthy, J., Epps, C., and Mancini, B.. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2015. 496-508.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R.L.. "Resilience in the Emergency Department: An Endogenous, Dynamic Phenomenon." Presented at the 26th Annual POMS Conference, Washington. DC.. 2015.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Wears, R.L.. "Resilience Capacity on the Front Lines: Coping with Challenges to Patient Flow." Presented at the 33rd Annual Internatilonal System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge. MA. July, 2015.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Healthcare Adventures at the Center for Medical Simulation." Presented at the 33rd Annual Internatilonal System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge, MA. July, 2015.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The Problem with Workarounds is that They Work: The Persistence of Resource Shortages." Journal of Operations Management 39–40. (2015): 79-91.
  • Wears, R.L and Morrison, J. Bradley. "How do EDs learn to work resiliently?"." Presented at the 6th International Symposium on Resilience Engineering, Lisbon, Portugal. 2015.
  • Delibas, A. and Morrison, J. Bradley. "Towards a shared understanding of nutrient pollution in Cape Cod's coastal waters." Presented at the 32nd International System Dynamics Conference., Delft, Netherlands. July, 2014.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Wears, R.L.. "Resilience in the Emergency Department: An Endogenous, Dynamic Phenomenon." Presented at the 32nd International System Dynamics Conference., Delft, Netherlands. July, 2014.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Small is beautiful: Learning from small models." Presented at the 31th International System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge, MA. 2013.
  • Morrison, J. B., Rudolph, J. W. and Carroll, J. S.. "Dynamic Modeling as a Multidiscipline Collaborative Journey." System Dynamics Review 29. 1 (2013): 4-25.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Debriefing as a system: Enhancing reflection in experiential learning." Presented at the 31st International System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge, MA. 2013.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Managing the Dynamics of Process Improvement: Production, Improvement, and Learning." Presented at the Academy of Management, Boston, MA. 2013.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The efficiency trap in process improvement and the critical role of learning by doing." Presented at the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL. 2013.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley; Rudolph, J W.; Carroll, J C.. "From the archives: The dynamics of action oriented problem solving: Linking interpretation and choice." Presented at the 31th International System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge, MA. 2013.
  • Morrison, J. B.. "Process Improvement Dynamics Under Constrained Resources: Managing the Work Harder versus Work Smarter Balance." System Dynamics Review 28. 4 (2012): 329-350.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Managing the Dynamics of Process Improvement: Production, Improvement, and Learning." Presented at the 23nd Annual Production and Operations Management Society Conference, Chicago. IL.. 2012.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The Efficiency Trap in Process Improvement and the Critical Role of Learning by Doing." Presented at the 29th International System Dynamics Conference, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 2012.
  • Morrison, J.B., Rudolph, J. W., & Carroll, J. S.. "Doing System Dynamics Collaboratively with Social Scientists, J.W. Forrester Award Reception Talk.." Presented at the 29th International System Dynamics Conference, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 2012.
  • Christopher Fee , Kendall Hall, J. Bradley Morrison, Robert Stephens, Karen Cosby, Rollin (Terry) J. Fairbanks, Barbara Youngberg, Gail Lenehan, Jameel Abualenain, Kevin O’Connor, Robert Wears. "Consensus-Based Recommendations for Research Priorities Related to Interventions to Safeguard Patient Safety in the Crowded Emergency Department." Academic Emergency Medicine 18. 12 (2011): 1283-1288.
  • Morrison, J. B., Rudolph, J. W.. "Fixation or Vagabonding -€“ The Two Faces of Self-fulfilling Interpretation." Focus on Patient Safety 14. 4 (2011).
  • Morrison, J. B., Rudolph, J. W.. "Learning from Accident and Error:Avoiding the Hazards of Workload, Stress, and Routine Interruptions in the ED." Academic Emergency Medicine (18). 12 (2011): 1246-1254.
  • Morrison, J. B., Wears, R. L.. "Emergency Department Crowding." Presented at The 28th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Washington, DC. 2011.
  • Morrison, J. B., Wears, R. L.. "Emergency Department Crowding: Vicious Cycles in the ED." Paper presented at the 4th Annual Mayo Clinic Conference on Systems Engineering and Operations Research in Health Care., Rochester, MN. . 2011.
  • Morrison, J. B., Wears, R. L.. "Emergency Department Crowding: Vicious Cycles in the ED." Paper presented at the Academy of Management, San Antonio, TX. 2011.
  • Morrison, J. B., Wears, R. L.. "Overcrowding in the Emergency Department." Invited paper presented at the System Dynamics Winter Camp, Austin, TX. 2011.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, R.L.. "Managing Emergency Room Crowding: Workplace Constraints versus Human Capabilities." 22nd Annual Production and Operations Management Science Conference, Reno, NV. 2011.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley and Wears, Robert L.. "Overcrowding in the Emergency Department." System Dynamics Winter Camp, Austin, TX. January, 2011.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The Transition Challenge in the Implementation of Process Improvement." 22nd Annual Production and Operations Management Science Conference, Reno, NV. May, 2011.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Simulation Modelling for Grounded Theory Building: Why Do Chronic Resource Shortages Persist?." European Operations Management Association, Porto, Portugal. 2010.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The Problem with Workarounds is that They Work." Academy of Management, Montreal, Canada. 2010.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. Managing the Dynamics of Process Improvement: Production, Improvement, and Learning. Proc. of 2010 International System Dynamics Conference. Seoul, Korea: 2010.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. The Problem with Workarounds is that They Work. Proc. of 2009 International System Dynamics Conference. Albuquerque, NM: 2010.
  • Sturtevant, Daniel, Morrison, J. Bradley. America Disrupted: Dynamics of the Technical Capability Crisis. Proc. of 2009 International System Dynamics Conference. Albuquerque, NM.: 2010.
  • Rudolph, Jenny, Morrison, J. Bradley, and Carroll, John. "The Dynamics of Action-Oriented Problem Solving: Linking Interpretation and Choice." Academy of Management Review 34. 4 (2009): 733-758.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Goldsmith, Daniel and Siegel, Michael. Dynamic Complexity in Military Planning: A Role for System Dynamics. Proc. of 2008 International System Dynamics Conference. Athens, Greece: 2008.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Rudolph, Jenny and Carroll, John. The Dynamics of Diagnosing: Virtuous and Vicious Cycles in the Operating Room. Proc. of 2008 International System Dynamics Conference. Athens, Greece: 2008.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Putting the Learning Curve in Context." Journal of Business Research 61. 11 (2008): 1182-1190.
  • Rudolph, Jenny W. and Morrison, J. Bradley. "Sidestepping Superstitious Learning, Ambiguity, and Other Roadblocks: A Feedback Model of Diagnostic Problem Solving." American Journal of Medicine 121. 5A (2008): 534-537.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley, Rudolph, Jenny W., and Caroll, John C.. "Modeling the Dynamics of Time-pressured Diagnostic Sensemaking." Proceedings of the 2007 International System Dynamics Conference, Boston, MA. 2007.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "Modeling the Dynamics of Process Improvement: Stretch Goals that Fail." Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA. 2007.
  • Rudolph, Jenny W. and Morrison, J. Bradley. "Confidence, Error, and Ingenuity in Diagnostic Problem Solving: Clarifying the Role of Exploration and Exploitation." Best Paper Proceedings of the Sixty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA (2007).
  • Choucri, N., Electris, C., Goldsmith, D, Mistree, D, Mandinck, S.E., Morrison, Bradley J., Siegel, M. and Sweitzer-Hamilton, M.. Understanding & Modeling State Stability: Exploiting System Dynamics. Proc. of 2006 Institue of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, MT: IEEE, 2006.
  • Morrison, Bradley J.. "Applying Learning Curve Theory to Implementation of Process Change." Academy of Mangement, Atlanta, GA. August, 2006.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. Implementation as Learning: An Extension of Learning Curve Theory. Proc. of 2005 International System Dynamics Conference. Boston, MA: 2005.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. Dynamics of Learning by Doing under Constraints: Analysis of the Tipping Point. Proc. of 2004 International System Dynamics Conference. Oxford, England: 2004.
  • Morrison, J. Bradley. "The Right Shock to Initiate Change: A Sensemaking Perspective." Best Paper Proceedings of the Academy of Management, Denver, CO (2002).