Tim Morris is Professor of Management Studies at Saïd Business School. He is also a member of the Novak Druce Centre for Professional Service Firms and Project Director in  Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation. He has taught and written extensively on strategic change, the management of innovation and strategies for managing human capital.

Tim co-directs the School’s High Performance Leadership Programme and the Diploma in Organisational Leadership. He has taught on a range of custom programmes for clients including 02, Ernst & Young, Innogy, Clifford Chance, Standard Chartered and BAe Systems.

Before taking up his chair at Oxford, Tim was a professor at Imperial College, London, and at London Business School. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta, Canada.

Tim's research interests are concerned with the nature and patterns of change and processes of innovation in professional service firms. He and his co-researchers have developed highly practical models that outline the process of successful innovation as well as explaining the political implications of  this activity. Tim has also been working in the area of corporate reputation, specifically seeking to understand more clearly how organisations develop and sustain strong reputations in the market for talented staff. Recent and forthcoming publications include chapters on ‘Career systems and innovation in professional service firms’ in Handbook of Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ and ‘Structure in Management Consultancy’ in Handbook of Management Consulting. He is co-author of a number of  recent journal articles including 'New Career Models in UK Professional Service Firms: From Up-or-Out to Up-and-Going-Nowhere?' in the International Journal of Human Resource Management (2009), 'The Organizational Design of Transnational Professional Service Firms' in Organizational Dynamics (2010) and ’Heterogeneity in Professional Service Firms’ in the Journal of Management Studies (2009).

Tim has a BA from Cambridge and an MSc and PhD from the London School of Economics.

 

Research interests

Tim Morris's research has been published widely in scholarly journals. His early work examined methods of human capital development, including promotion and rewards systems and their impact on performance. Subsequently he examined the extent and patterns of change in professional firms. Challenging arguments that suggest professional firms have changed radically in recent years, he used survey data to argue that important areas of continuity in organization and management persist.
 
Morris' recent work focuses on the organisational challenges of innovation.  Specifically, he and his research colleagues have looked at new practice formation as the vehicle by which innovations in professional services are developed and delivered. They have developed a conceptual model that outlines the process of new practice development as well as analysing the political processes involved in successful practice creation. Other current work re-examines the relationship between professions and professional firms and the changing nature of promotional systems.

Greenwood, R., T. Morris, Fairclough, S., and Boussebaa, M., (2010) The Organizational Design of Transnational Professional Service Firms. Organization Dynamics 39(2): 173-183.

Malhotra, N, Morris, T., and Smets, M. (2010) New Career Models in UK Professional Service Firms: From Up-or-Out to Up-and-Going Nowhere? International Journal of Human Resource Management. 21(9) 1396-1413

Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (2009) Heterogeneity in Professional Organizations. Journal of Management Studies. 46/6:895-922

Gardner, H., Anand, N. and Morris, T. (2008) Chartering New Territory: Legitimacy and Practice Area Creation in Professional Service Firms. Journal of Organizational Behavior 29(8): 1101.

Anand, N., Gardner, H. and Morris, T. (2007) Knowledge Based Innovation: Emergence and Embedding of New Practice Areas in Management Consulting Firms. Academy of Management Journal 50(2): 406-428.

Morris, T. and Lancaster, Z. (2006) Translating Management Ideas. Organization Studies 27: 207-233.

Pinnington, A. and Morris, T. (2003) Archetype Change in Professional Organizations: Survey Evidence from Large Law Firms. British Journal of Management, 14: 85-99.

Pinnington, A., Morris, T. and Pinnington, C. (2003) The Processes of Structuration. International Studies in Management and Organization.

Pinnington, A. and Morris, T. (2002) Transforming the Architect: Ownership Form and Archetype Change in Professional Practices. Organization Studies 23(2): 189-211.

Morris, T. (2001) Asserting Property Rights: Knowledge Codification in the Professional Service Firm.  Human Relations, 54(7): 819-838.

Morris, T., Storey, J. and Wilkinson, A. (2001) Industry Change and Union Mergers in British Retail Finance.  British Journal of Industrial Relations, 39(2): 237-256.

Morris, T. and Empson, L. (1998) Organization and Expertise: An Exploration of Knowledge Management in Accounting and Consulting Firms. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 23(5/6): 609-624.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (1998). Promotion to Partner in Professional Service Firms. Human Relations, 51(1): 3-24.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (1998) Patterns of Profit Sharing in Professional Firms. British Journal of  Management, 1: 1-15.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (1998) Strategic Fit in Professional Service Firms. Human Resource Management Journal, 8(4): 76-87.

Storey, J., Cressey, P.,  Morris, T. and Wilkinson, A. (1997) Changing Employment Practices in UK Banking. Personnel Review, 26 (1\2): 24-42

Fenton-O'Creevy, M., Winfrow, P., Lydka, H. and Morris, T. (1997) Company Prospects and Employee Commitment: An Analysis of the Dimensionality of the BOCS and the Influence of External Events on those Dimensions. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 35(4): 593-608.

Morris, T. and Westbrook, R. (1996) Centralised Processing and Competitive Advantage in Retail Financial Services: A Case Study in Operations and Human Resource Management.  British Journal of Management, 7(1): 45-62.

Morris, T. and Fenton O’ Creevy, M. (1996) Opening Up the Blackbox: A UK Case Study of Top Managers’ Attitudes to their Performance-Related Pay. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 7(3): 708-720.

Pinnington, A. and Morris, T. (1996) Power and Control in Professional Partnerships. Long Range Planning, 29(6): 842-849.

Westbrook, R. and Morris, T. (1995) Designing Effective Service Operations: Comparative Case Research from the Netherlands. New Technology, Work and Employment 10(1): 32-45.

Morris, T. (1995) Review Article, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 33(1): 117-136.

Willman, P. and Morris, T. (1995) Financial Management and Financial Performance in British Trade Unions. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 33(2): 289-299.

Morris, T. and Willman, P. (1994) The Union of the Future and the Future of the Unions.  Employee Relations Special Edition ‘Unions on the Brink’, 16(2 ): 101-108.

Morris, T., Lydka, H. and Fenton O'Creevy, M. (1993) Can Commitment be Managed? A Longitudinal Study of Employee Commitment and Human Resource Policies.  Human Resource Management Journal, 3(3): 1-22.

Morris, T. and Wood, S. (1991) Testing the Survey Method: Continuity and Change in British Industrial Relations. Work, Employment and Society, 5(2): 259-282.

Aston, B., Morris, T. and Willman, P. (1990) Still Balancing the Books: The NUM and the 1984-85 Strike.  Industrial Relations Journal, 21(3): 173-184.

Morris, T. (1989) Information Technology: Servant or Master?  Public Money and Management, 9(2): 35-41.

Willman, P. and Morris, T. (1988) The State of the Unions: Trade Union Finances 1975-85. Employee Relations, 10(2): 23-28.

Morris, T. (1986) Competition and Union Merger in British Banks. Industrial Relations Journal, 17(2): 129-140.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDITED BOOKS

Smets, M., Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (forthcoming 2011) Career systems and innovation in professional service firms. In Reahlin, M. and A. Werr Handbook of Entrepreneurship and Innovation  (Oxford: Edward Elgar)

Morris, T., Gardner, H. and Anand, N. (forthcoming 2011) Structure in Management Consultancy. In M. Kipping and T. Clark (eds.), Handbook of Management Consulting. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morris, T., Greenwood, R., and Fairclough, S. (2010)  Decision Making in Professional Service Firms. In D. Wilson and P. Nutt (eds), Handbook of Decision-Making. London: John Wiley.

Morris, T. (2008) Professions. In Y. Gabriel (ed) Organizing Words. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morris, T. (2008) Professional Service Firms. In M. Earl and S. Dopson (eds,) When the Map Changes: Management Development After 40 Years. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gardner, H., Morris, T., and Anand, N. (2007) New Practice Development in Law Firms. In L. Empson (ed.) Managing the Modern Law Firm. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morris, T. (2006) Commentary: Concluding chapter for J. Hearn and G. Michelson (eds.) Rethinking Work, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Malhotra, N., Morris, T. and C. R. Hinings, C. R. (2006) Variations in Organization Form among Professional Service Organizations. In R. Greenwood, R. Suddaby and M. McDougald (eds) Research in the Sociology of Organizations: Professional Firms. Oxford: JAI Elsevier Press.

Morris, T. and Anand, N. (2005) Professional Service Firms. In N. Nicholson, P. Audia and M. Pillutla (eds.) Dictionary of Organizational Behaviour (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

T. Morris (2005) Knowledge Management. In N. Nicholson, P. Audia and M. Pillutla (eds.) Dictionary of Organizational Behaviour (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (2002) Beyond the War for Talent Hype: Occupational and Organisational Change in the Business Professions. In S. Clegg (ed.) Paradoxes of Organizing and Managing. Amsterdam: John Benjamin Publishing Company.

Morris, T. (2000) Promotion Policies and Knowledge Bases in the Professional Service Firm. In M. Peiperl, M. Arthur, R. Goffee and T. Morris (eds.) Career Frontiers: New Conceptions of Working Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morris, T. (1999) From Advice to Execution: Consultants in Strategy Implementation. In P. Flood, S. Carroll and L. Goram (eds.) Managing Strategic Implementation. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (1999) Continuity and Change in Professional Organizations: Evidence from British Law Firms. In D. Brock, C. R. Hinings and M. Powell (eds.) Restructuring the Professional Organization: Accounting, Health Care and Law. New York: Routledge: 200-214.

Storey, J., Morris, T., Cressey, P. and Wilkinson, A. (1999) Changing Employment Patterns in UK Banking. In M. Regini, J. Kitay and M. Baethge (eds.) From Tellers to Sellers: Changing Employment Relations in the Finance Sector. Boston: MIT Press.

Morris, T. (1995) Professionalism. In Dictionary of Organisational Behaviour. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Morris, T. (1995) Knowledge Workers. In Dictionary of Organisational Behaviour. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Morris, T. (1995) Professionals in Organisations. In Dictionary of Organisational Behaviour. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Smith, G. and Morris, T. (1992) Exploiting Shifting Boundaries. In The Strategic Study of the Profession of Architecture. London: RIBA: 61-78.

Morris, T. and Lydka, H. (1992) Falkner Wilks: A Case Study in the Management of Professionals.  In C. Clegg, D. Fowler & K. Legge (eds.) Case Studies in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management   London: Prentice Hall.

Morris, T. and Willman, P. (1988) La Gestione delle Risorse Umane nelle Banche Britanniche. In Gestione Del Personale E Politiche Sindicali Nelle Banche, 2: 25-33.

Morris, T. and Willman, P. (1988) Le Strategie Sindicalie nel Settore Finanziario Britannico. In Gestione Del Personale E Politiche Sindicali Nelle Banche, 2: 34-46.

Morris, T. and Rothwell, S. (1985) Trade Unions in Banking. In B. Livy (ed.) Management and People in Banking. London: IOB.

BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS

Peiperl, M., M. Arthur, Goffee., R. and Morris, T. (Eds.) (2000) Career Frontiers: New Conceptions of Working Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Willman, P., Morris. T. and Aston, B. (1993) Union Business: Trade Union Organisation and Financial Reform in the Thatcher Years. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Willman, P. and Morris. T. (1988) Trade Union Finances 1975-85 Department of Employment Research Paper No. 62 (HMS0).

Morris, T. (1986) Innovations in Banking: Business Strategies and Employee Relations London: Croom Helm.

Marsden, D., Morris, T., Willman, P. and Wood, S. (1985) The Car Industry: Labour Relations and Industrial Adjustment. London: Tavistock Press.

SELECTED CONFERENCE AND OTHER PAPERS

Morris, T. and N. Malhotra (2010) BNFL and the restructuring of the nuclear waste industry in the UK (Centre for Corporate Reputation).

Morris, T. and Malhotra, N. (2010)  The politics of privatisation: business and government relations in the UK nuclear industry. EGOS, Lisbon, Portugal

Smets, M., Morris, W. and Morris, T. (2008) Reputation and Performance in Large Law Firms. Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, California.

Malhotra, N., Smets, M. and Morris, T. (2008) Up-or-Out Tournaments in Elite Law Firms. EGOS track on Institutional Work, Amsterdam.

Morris, T.,  Gardner, H. and Anand, A. (2007) Its Not What We Do Its How We Do It: Private Equity’s Impact on Professional Advisors. Clifford Chance Conference on Professional Service Firms. University of Illinois, Chicago.

Malhotra, N., Smets, M. and Morris, T. (2007) Institutional Continuity and Change: Up-or-Out Tournaments in Elite Law Firms. Clifford Chance Conference on Professional Service Firms. University of Illinois, Chicago.

N. Anand, Gardner, H. and Morris, T. (2005) The Organizing Grammar of New Practice Evolution in Professional Service Firms. Academy of Management OMT-Strategy Symposium on Code-Breaking and Code-Making, with W. Powell and H. Rao.

Morris, T. (2004) The End of Management Fashion? Business at Oxford (November)

Lawrence, T., Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (2004) The Re-organization of Power: Processes of Change in Professional Service Firms. Academy of Management Conference, New Orleans, seminar at Kings College London.

Anand, N., Morris, T. and Gardner, H. (2004) The Process of New Practice Development in Professional Service Firms.  EURAM, EGOS, Boston College Conference on Professional Service Firms, seminars at Sydney University and University of Queensland, Australia.

Lawrence, T., Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (2003) The Re-organization of Power. Conference on Current Issues in Neo-Institutionalist Theory, Northwestern University, Chicago.

Morris, T. and Malhotra, N. (2002) Towards Managerialism: Analysing the Process of Change in Professional Service Firms. EGOS, Barcelona.

Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (2001) Exploring Heterogeneity in Professional Service Firms: Comparing the Nature of Professional Work and Knowledge Flows in Engineering Consulting and Law. Third Oxford Conference on Knowledge Intensive Firms.

Malhotra, N. and Morris, T. (2001) Knowledge Types and Knowledge Flows in Multinational Professional Service Firms.  EGOS, Lyon.

Morris, T., Pinnington, A. and Malhotra, N. (2001) Professional Service Firms as Intermediaries in Change: The Case of the UK Government. All Academy Symposium on Interaction between Governments and Professional Service Firms. Academy of Management, Washington, DC.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (2000) Beyond the ‘War for Talent’ Hype: Capacity Constraints and Archetype in Professional Firms. APROS 2000 Conference, Sydney.

Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. (2000) Constraints on Corporatising Second-tier Accounting and Business Advisory Firms. Anzam 2000 Conference, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Sydney, Australia.

Morris, T. (1999) Commentary on Culture and Values Change in KPMG. Business Strategy Review, 10(4): 17-19.

Anand, N. and Morris, T. (1999) Knowledge Creation in Professional Service Firms. Academy of Management Conference, Chicago.

Anand, N. and Morris, T. (1999) Holes and Covers in Knowledge Work.
Seminar on Knowledge in Professional Service Firms, University of Alberta, Canada.