contact on colin@gsb.strath.ac.uk
Colin started his working life as an Operational Researcher in the engineering industry following his PhD, subsequently becoming Operational Research Manager. This was followed by a period as a Management Consultant specialising in small business problems. He then moved to become Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, and Reader at the University of Bath School of Management. Followed by a move to be Professor of Management Science and Head of Department at Strathclyde University Business School, Glasgow from 1987-1999. He has been a Director of the Scottish Examination Board, appointed by the Scottish Secretary of State and an Adviser to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. He is currently Director of the University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business.

He has received research grants from the Leverhulme Trust, British Telecom, ICL, the Northern Ireland Office, SSRC, EPSRC, Bombardier Inc, and ESRC.

Specifically, his research interest is in:
Judgement and decision making; Scenario planning and strategic thinking; Decision analysis; Strategic use of IT in financial services; Judgemental forecasting; Methodology and statistical analysis of data; Expert systems, Individual, group and cultural differences; Thinking.

Colin is internationally known within the field of Management Science through his research and publications in the field. His major teaching contributions are to the MBA programme within the field of Strategic Management.

His major research interests are into the relationship between operational decision making practices and their strategic consequences; the use of group decision support in the analysis and making of strategy; multi-organizational collaboration; managerial and organisational cognition; ‘soft OR’ modelling approaches and methodologies, including particular emphasis on the role of cognitive mapping; the theory of consultancy practice; the process and practice of ‘action research’; and the modelling of the behaviour of large projects disruptions and delays, including issues of the dynamics of productivity changes, and learning curves.
 

Recent Publications:

Strategic Management, Mapping, Group Support:

Bryson, J., Ackermann, F., Eden, C., and Finn, C. (2004) Visible Thinking : Unlocking Causal Mapping for Practical Business Results , Chichester: Wiley.

Ackermann, F., Eden, C., and with Brown, I. (2004) The Practice of Making Strategy , London: Sage.

Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. (2004) 'Using Causal Mapping to Support Information Systems Development: some considerations', in Narayanan, V. K. and Armstrong, D. (ed.), Causal Mapping for Information Systems and Technology Research: Approaches, Advances and Illustrations .

Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. (2004) 'Using Causal mapping: individual and group; traditional and new', in Pidd, M. (ed.), Systems Modelling: Theory and Practice . Chichester: Wiley. pp.

Shaw, D., Ackermann, F., and Eden, C. (2003) 'Sharing and Building Knowledge in Group Problem Structuring', Journal of the Operational Research Society , 54: 936-948 .

Shaw, D., Ackermann, F., and Eden, C. (2003) 'Mapping Group Knowledge: structuring information sharing in meetings', submitted to Journal of Knowledge Management ,

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2003) 'Cognitive Mapping for Policy Analysis in the Public Sector', European Journal of Operational Research , 152: 615-630.

Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. (2003) 'Stakeholders Matter: Techniques for their identification and management', Proceedings of the Academy of Management conference, Seattle , Best Paper Award:

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2001) 'SODA - The Principles', in Rosenhead, J. and Mingers, J. (ed.), Rational Analysis in a Problematic World Revisited . London: Wiley. pp.21-42.

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2001) 'A Mapping Framework for Strategy Making', in Huff, A. and Jenkins, M. (ed.), Mapping Strategy . London: Wiley. pp.173-195.

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2001) 'Group Decision and Negotiation in Strategy Making', Group Decision and Negotiation , 10: 119-140.

Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. (2001) 'SODA - Journey Making and Mapping in Practice', in Rosenhead, J. and Mingers, J. (ed.), Rational Analysis in a Problematic World Revisited . London: Wiley. pp.43-61.

Ackermann, F. and Eden, C. (2001) 'Contrasting Single User and Networked Group Decision Support Systems for Strategy Making', Group Decision and Negotiation , 10: 47-66.

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2000) 'Mapping distinctive competencies: a systemic approach', Journal of the Operational Research Society , 51: 12-20.

Sims, D. and Eden, C. (1999) 'Futures Research -- Working with Management Teams', in Bryson, J. M. (ed.), Strategic Management in Public and Voluntary Services: A Reader . Oxford: Pergamon. pp.173-186.

Brightman, J.R., Eden, C., van der Heijden, K., and Langford, D. (1999) 'The development of the construction alternative futures explorer', Automation in Construction , 8: 613-623.

van der Heijden, K. and Eden, C. (1998) 'The Theory and Praxis of Reflective Learning in Strategy Making', in Eden, C. and Spender, J. C. (ed.), Managerial and Organizational Cognition . London: Sage.

Eden, C. and Spender, J.C. (1998) Managerial and Organizational Cognition , London: Sage.

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (1998) Making Strategy : the journey of strategic management , London: Sage.

Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (1998) 'Analysing and Comparing Idiographic Causal Maps', in Eden, C. and Spender, J-C (ed.), Managerial and Organizational Cognition . London: Sage. pp.192-209.

Eden, C. (1998) 'Cognitive mapping and problem structuring for system dynamics model building', in Dyson, R G and O'Brien, F (ed.), Strategic development: methods and models . Chichester: Wiley. pp.227-242.

Eden, C. and van der Heijden, K. (1995) 'Detecting Emergent Strategy', in Thomas, H., O'Neal, D., and Kelly, J. (ed.), Strategic Renaissance and Business Transformation . New York: Wiley.

Bryson, J.M., Ackermann, F., Eden, C., and Finn, C. (1995) 'Using the 'Oval Mapping Process' to identify strategic issues and formulate effective strategies', in Bryson, J. M. (ed.), Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organisations . San Francisco: Jossey Bass. pp.257-275.

Eden, C., Jones, S., and Sims, D. (1994) 'Misunderstandings: understanding problems and the problems of misunderstanding', in Armson, R. and Paton, R. (ed.), Organizations: cases, issues, concepts . London: Paul Chapman Publishing.