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Polly Rizova

Associate Professor of Management

Headshot of Polly Rizova

Contact Information

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem  Oregon  97301
U.S.A.

Portland Campus

Address
200 SW Market Street, Suite 101
Portland  Oregon  97201
U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6422

Message

“Young people today will have to learn organizations the way their forefathers learned farming.” -Peter Drucker

“The fact is that the organization of the large formal enterprises, governmental or private, in modern society is modeled on, is a rationalization of, tendencies that exist in all human groups.” -George Homans

Read more about Polly Rizova's book, The Secret of Success
Read more about Polly Rizova's book, Racial Conflict in Global Society

To say that organizations are ubiquitous to us, is to state the obvious. Hardly any of our daily human activities take place outside of not just one but multiple formal organizations. Chances are, the vast majority of us were born in a formal organization and we spend the rest of our lives as members of numerous others. We shape them and they shape us. To be a member of an organization, or moreover, to be given the responsibility of managing processes in a marketing, finance, accounting, or any other functional area for that matter, in the absence of a keen appreciation of the complexity of forms and a critical understanding of how organizations “really” work and change can be pernicious to managing our own personal and professional life chances and, what's more, to making decisions that shape those of others.

More specifically, to succeed in this world ruled and governed by formal organizations, and to improve our effectiveness both as a manager and a member, it is a must that we acquire and continuously develop a wide array of skills and competencies including: how to set up structures that facilitate work; how to deal with and accommodate change; and how to work with other people, for other people, and through other people. To these ends, the Organizational Development and Change area offers courses that examine the behaviors of large organizations – whether public, private, or not-for-profit – in terms of their functioning, performance and accountability to their various stakeholders.

Biography

Polly Rizova serves as Associate Professor of Management at Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Dr. Rizova came to Willamette from the Department of Sociology and The College of General Studies at Boston University. She has also been a Visiting Professor at Wellesley College and Tufts University in Massachusetts.

A native of Bulgaria, Dr. Rizova began her career as a Regional Manager and Data Analyst at the Central Statistical Office in Sofia. In the United States, she first worked at the Office of Institutional Research and Policy Analysis at the State University of New York in Albany. She then moved to Boston where she has been an internal consultant for the Gillette Company. Her work there involved several studies into the design of the business processes and organizational structure of the company’s Corporate Research and Development Division .

Dr. Rizova earned a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Economics from the Higher Institute of Economics in Bulgaria. She then received a Diploma through a United Nations Fellowship at the International Statistics Program Center in Washington, D.C. She also holds a Master of Arts from the State University of New York at Albany and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology of Formal Organizations from Boston University.

Personal Interests

Reading about world history, philosophy and cultures, traveling, learning foreign languages, listening to music and watching films and documentaries, never fail to make me feel a citizen of the world who is inextricably and meaningfully connected to the human race for whose variety I have a genuine appreciation and respect.

Education

  • Ph.D., Boston University
  • M.A., State University of New York, Albany
  • Diploma, International Statistics Program Center
  • B.A.,M.A., Higher Institute of Economics (Sofia, Bulgaria)

Research Interests

Managing Organizational Dynamics, Social Networks for Managers, Leading Organizational Change, Organization Design

Selected Professional Activities

Reviewer: Organization Science; Organizational Studies; Comparative
Sociology; Organization and Management Theory Division - Academy of
Management; Technology and Innovation Management Division - Academy of
Management.

Peer Reviewed Academic Books

Stone, J. and Rizova, P. (2014). Racial Conflict in Global Society, Polity Press: Cambridge, U.K. and Malden, MA U.S.

Rizova, P. S. (2007). The Secret of Success: The Double Helix of Formal and Informal Structures in an R&D Laboratory, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

Edited Volumes and University Press Chapters

Stone, John, R. Rutledge M. Dennis, Polly S. Rizova, and Xiaoshuo Hou (Eds.) (2020). The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism. ISBN13 9781119430193.

Stone, J., and Rizova, P. (2007). The Ethnic Enigma: Nationalism, Racism, and Globalisation. In Nationalism and Ethnosymbolism, A. Leoussi and S. Grosby (Eds.), Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 31-41.

Selected Publications

Stone, J., Rutledge, Dennis, Rizova, P.S., Xiaoshou Hou. From Obama to Trump: The Dialectics of Race and Nationalism in Contemporary America. In: The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Race, Ethnicity, Ethnicity and Nationalism." Blackwell-Wiley. Aug 2020. ISBN13 9781119430193

Rizova, P.S., Gupta, S., Maltz, E., & Walker, R. (2018). Overcoming Equivocality on Projects in the Fuzzy Front End: Bringing Social Networks Back In. Technovation, Vol. 78: 40-55.

Rizova, P. S. (2016). Learning Organizations and Diversity Management. In the: "Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism." Blackwell-Wiley.

Rizova, P. S. and J. Stone (2016). Social Networks and Racial and Ethnic Boundaries in Organizations. In the: "Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism." Blackwell-Wiley. Stone, J. and Rizova, P.S. (2016). Racial and Ethnic Conflict. In the: "Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism." Blackwell-Wiley.

Thompson, F. and P. Rizova (2015). Understanding and Creating Public Value: Business is the engine; Government the flywheel (and also the regulator). Public Management Review, Vol. 17, (4): 565-586.

Thompson, F. & Rizova, P.S. (2015). How Government creates Value? Economic Themes Vol. 53(4): 449-466.

Thompson, F. and P. Rizova (2013). Understanding and Creating Public Value: Business is the engine; Government the flywheel (and also the regulator). Public Management Review. Published on-line on Oct. 15, 2013
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14719037.2013.841982#preview;

Thompson, F. and P. Rizova (2013). What about the Losers in the Race to the Top? Education Review//Resenas Educativas. Vol. 16, (9): 1-16.

Rizova, P. S. (2011). Finding Testable Causal Mechanisms to Address Critical Public Management Issues. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. Vol. 13, (1): 91-100.

Ahn, M., York, A., and Rizova, P. (2010). Pathways to Biomedical Tipping Points: Vertical, Horizontal or Other? Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, Vol. 16, (3): 224-238.

Stone, J. and Rizova, P. (2007). The Dialectics of Discrimination in the Twenty-First Century. Migration and Ethnic Studies Review, Zagreb, Vol. 23, (4): 373-389.

Rizova, P. S. (2006). Are You Networked for Successful Innovation? MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring, Vol. 47, (3): 49-55.

Smith-Doerr, L., Manev. I., and Rizova, P. S. (2004). The Meaning of Success: Network Position and the Social Construction of Project Outcomes in an R&D Lab, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, Vol. 21: 51-81.

Selected Presentations

Rizova, P. S., Maltz, E. & Gupta, S. (2017). Dealing with Equivocality on Projects in the Fuzzy Front End: Social Networks to the Rescue. Academy of Management Meeting, Atlanta, GA, August 7-11.

Rizova, P. S. (2014). Succeeding at Technological Innovation: Check Your Networks First! A Keynote Address, International Conference on Technology and Business Management, Dubai, UAE, March 24-26.

Rizova, P. S. (2013). The Role of Friendship Social Networks in Shaping R&D Project Success. International Conference on Technology and Business Management (ICTBM), Dubai, UAE, March 24-26.

Thompson, F. P. S. Rizova. (2013). Understanding and Creating Public Value; Business is the Engine, Government the Flywheel (and also the regulator). 13th Annual Conference of the European Academy of Management (EURAM), Istanbul Turkey, June 26-29.

Thompson, F. P. S. Rizova & H. Bi. (2012). Organizational Learning in Multi-School Districts: Understanding Outstanding Performance, the XVI Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Rome, Italy April 11-13, 2012, (w/ Fred Thompson and H. Bi)

Thompson, F. P. S. Rizova & H. Bi. (2011). Turning School Districts into Organizations that Can Sustain Learning over Time: Superintendents as Leaders. PMRC Syracuse University, June 2011.

Rizova, P. S. (2009). Building Learning, Self-sustaining R&D Organization: Evidence from a Fortune 500 Company. European Group of Organizational Studies, 25th Annual Colloquium. Barcelona, Spain, July 1-5.

Rizova, P. S. (2008). Applying Ragin's method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to Studying Technologically Innovative Projects. European Group of Organizational Studies, 24th Annual Colloquium, Amsterdam, Holland, July 10-12.

Rizova, P. S. (2007). QCA: Studying Success and Failure of R&D Projects. 22nd Annual SIOP Conference, New York City, NY. April 27-29.

Rizova, P. S. (2007). Beyond Waltz: The Dance Between Individuals and Organizations. European Group of Organizational Studies, 23rd Annual Colloquium, Vienna, Austria, July 4-7.

Rizova, P. S. (2006). Work-related Advice Networks, Social Capital and Technological Innovation on R&D Projects: What is the Missing Link? 10th International Workshop on Teamwork (IWOT X), Groningen, The Netherlands, September 7-8.

Rizova, P. S. (2006). It Takes Two to Tango: Choreography of R&D Project Success, Academy of Management Meeting, Atlanta, GA, August 11-16.

Rizova, P. S. (2006). Does the Boss Know it All? Advice Social Networks and Success on R&D Projects, American Sociological Association Meeting, Refereed Roundtable Session, Montreal, Canada, August 11-14.

Rizova, P. S. (2005). The Double Helix of Formal and Informal Structures: Project Design for R&D Success, Academy of Management Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 5-10.

Rizova, P. S. (2005). Social Networks, Social Capital and Success on Technologically Innovative Projects. American Sociological Association Meeting, 100th meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 13-16.

Rizova, P. S. (2005). Whom to Ask and Whom Not to Ask: Social Networks, Social Capital and Success on R&D Projects. The 37th World Congress of the International Institute of Sociology, Stockholm, Sweden, July 5-9.

Rizova, P. S. (2004). Technological Innovation: Global Comparisons. Invited lecture to the Chinese Nanjing University delegation at the Boston University School of Management, 13-14 December 2004.

Smith-Doerr, L. and Rizova, P. S. (2003). The Meaning of Success: Network Position and the Social Construction of R&D Project Outcomes. American Sociological Association, "Organizations, Occupations, and Work Refereed Roundtables" Session, Atlanta, GA.

Willamette University

Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6167

Portland Center

Address
200 SW Market Street, Suite 101
Portland Oregon 97201 U.S.A.
Phone
971-717-7260