Peter Ward

Richard M. Ross Emeritus Chair in Management
Academic Director, Center for Operational Excellence

Operations and Business Analytics

Background

Peter Ward is Professor Emeritus of Operations Management and holds the Richard M. Ross Emeritus Chair in Management at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. Peter participates frequently in executive education programs including developing several successful certificate programs in lean management. He is the founder of the Lean Education Academic Network (LEAN), a global community of university educators dedicated to teaching systems thinking in universities. Peter is founding director of Fisher’s Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) program, an innovative degree program aimed at mid-career professionals involved in transforming their organizations through lean thinking and practice.

Peter is Academic Director of the Center for Operational Excellence at Ohio State, a consortium of organizations dedicated to continuous improvement and thought leadership in operations.  He has served as a member of the advisory board of Ford Motor Company’s Lean Resource Center and as a judge for Industry Week’s America’s Best Plants Program.  Peter has served as a consultant to leading corporations.  He currently serves on the boards of the Lean Enterprise Institute (Chairman), the Center for Lean Engagement and Research in Healthcare, and Catalysis.  Within Ohio State, Peter has served as chair of the Department of Management Sciences (12 years) and, more recently, Senior Associate Dean (4 years).

Dr. Ward’s research has resulted in numerous articles which have appeared in leading operations management journals and he has been recognized with a number of awards including the 2007 distinguished operations management scholar from the Academy of Management, the Shingo Prize for research, and Fisher College’s Pacesetter Research award, and the Bostic-Georges Pacesetter Award for Service.  He is a fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute and a life member of the Shingo Academy. His research focuses on gaining competitive advantage through operations.

 

Areas of Expertise

  • Lean management
  • Operations strategy
  • Operational Excellence

Education

  • DBA, Boston University
  • MSBA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • BBA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

    Publications

    Published Articles

    • Ward, Peter T., Shook, John, Womack, James P., Howell, Josh, “Commentaries on the ‘Lenses of Lean,’” Journal of Operations Management, 67(5), 2021, 627-39.
    • Branda, M.E., Chandrasekaran, A., Tumerman, M., Shah, N.D., Ward, P.T., Staats, B.R., Lewis, T.M., Olson, D.K., Giblon, R., Lampman, M.A., Rushlow, D.R. “Optimizing huddle engagement through leadership and problem-solving within primary care: A study protocol for a cluster randomized trial” Trials, 19:536, 2018.
    • Gardner, John, Boyer, Kenneth K., Ward, Peter T, “Achieving Time-Sensitive Organizational Performance through Mindful Use of Technologies and Routines” Organization Science, 28(6), 2017, 1061-79.
    • Senot, Claire, Chandrasekaran, Aravind, Ward, Peter T, “Collaboration between service professionals during the delivery of health care: Evidence from a multiple case study in U.S. hospitals. Journal of Operations Management, 42-43, 2016, 62-79.
    • Senot, Claire, Chandrasekaran, Aravind, Ward, Peter T, “Role of bottom-up decision processes in improving the quality of health care delivery: A contingency perspective. Production and Operations Management, 25(3), 2016, 458-476.
    • Senot, Claire, Chandrasekaran, Aravind, Ward, Peter T., Tucker Anita, Moffat-Bruce, Susan, “The Impact of Combining Conformance and Experiential Quality on Hospitals’ Readmissions and Cost Performance,” Management Science, 62(3), 2016, 829-848.
    • Marley, Kathryn A., Ward, Peter T., Hill, James A., “Mitigating supply chain disruptions ‐ a normal accident perspective” Supply Chain Management, 19 (2), 2014.
    • Marley, Kathryn and Peter T. Ward, “Lean Management as a Countermeasure for “Normal” Disruptions,” Operations Management Research, 6(1-2), 2013
    • Eckerd, Stephanie, Hill, James, Boyer, Kenneth K., Donahue, Karen, Ward, Peter T. ” The relative impact of attribute, severity, and timing of psychological contract breach on behavioral and attitudinal outcomes,” Journal of Operations Management, 31 (1), 2013, 567-568
    • Anand, Gopesh, Peter T. Ward, and Mohan Tatikonda, “Role of Explicit and Tacit Knowledge in Six Sigma Projects: An Empirical Examination of Differential Project Success,” Journal of Operations Management, 28 (4), 2010, 303-315.
    • Anand, Gopesh, Peter T. Ward, Mohan Tatikonda and David Schilling, “Dynamic Capabilities through Continuous Improvement Infrastructure,” Journal of Operations Management, 27 (6), 2009, 444-461.
    • Singhal, Vinod, Flynn, B.B., Ward, P.T., Roth, A.V., and Guar, V., “Empirical Elephants—Why Multiple Methods are Essential to Quality Research in Operations and Supply Chain management, Journal of Operations Management, 26, 2008, 337-348.
    • Ward, Peter T., John McCreery, and Gopesh Anand, “Business Strategies and Manufacturing Decisions: An Empirical Examination of Linkages,” International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 27 (9), 2007, 951-973.
    • Shah, Rachna and Peter T. Ward, “Defining and Developing Measures of Lean Production,” Journal of Operations Management, 25, 2007, 785-805.
    • Ward, Peter T. and Honggeng Zhou, “Impact of Information Technology Integration and Lean/Just-in-Time Practices on Lead-Time Performance,” Decision Sciences, 37 (2), 2006, 177-203.
    • Olsen, Eric O. and Peter T. Ward, “Performance Measurement System Simplicity,” International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 8 (4), 2006, 330-354.
    • Anand, Gopesh and Peter T. Ward, “Fit, Flexibility and Performance in Manufacturing: Coping with Dynamic Environments,” Production and Operations Management Journal, 13 (4), 2004, 369-385.
    • McCreery, John, Lee Krajewski, G. Keong Leong, and Peter T. Ward, “Performance Implications of Assembly Work Teams,” Journal of Operations Management, 22 (4), 2004, 387-412.
    • Goldstein, Susan M. and Peter T. Ward, Performance Effects of Physicians’ Involvement in Hospital Strategic Decisions,” Journal of Service Research, 6 (4), 2004, 361-372.
    • Christiansen, Thomas, William L. Berry, Peter Bruun, and Peter T. Ward, “A Mapping of Competitive Priorities, Manufacturing Practices, and Operational Performance in Groups of Danish Manufacturing Companies,” International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 23 (10), 2003, 1163-1183.                                                            
    • Shah, Rachna and Peter T. Ward, “Lean Manufacturing: Context, Practice Bundles, and Performance,” Journal of Operations Management.21(2), 2003, 129-149.
    • Meyer, Susan M., Peter T. Ward, G. K Leong,., and Tim Butler, “The Influence of Location, Strategy, and Operations Technology on Hospital Performance,” Journal of Operations Management 20 (1), 2002, 63-75.
    • Shah, Rachna, Susan. M. Goldstein, and Peter T Ward, "Aligning Supply Chain Management Characteristics with Inter-Organizational Information System Types: An Exploratory Study," IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.49 (3), 2002, 282-291.                                               
    • Duray, Rebecca, Peter T. Ward, Glenn Milligan .and William L. Berry, "Approaches to Mass Customization: Configurations and Empirical Validation," Journal of Operations Management 18 (6), 2000, 605-625.
    • Ward, Peter T. and Rebecca Duray, "Manufacturing Strategy in Context: Environment, Competitive Strategy and Manufacturing Strategy" Journal of Operations Management  18 (1), 2000, 123-138.     
    • Ward, Peter T., John K. McCreery, Larry P. Rizman, and Deven Sharma, "Competitive Priorities in Operations Management," Decision Sciences  29 (4), 1998, 1035-1046.
    • Ward, Peter T., James E. Storbeck, Stephen L. Mangum, and Patricia E. Byrnes, " An Analysis of Staffing Efficiency in U. S. Manufacturing: 1983 and 1989," Annals of Operations Research, 1997.
    • Boyer, Kenneth K., G. Keong Leong., Peter T. Ward., and Lee J. Krajewski,  "Unlocking the Potential of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies," Journal of Operations Management 15 (4), 1997, 331-347.
    • Ettlie, John and Peter T. Ward, "U.S. Manufacturing in the Early 1990s: the Chase and the Challenge," Business Strategy Review, 8 (4), 1997, 53-59.
    • Boyer, Kenneth K., Peter T. Ward, and G. Keong Leong, "Approaches to the Factory of the Future: An Empirical Taxonomy," Journal of Operations Management, 14 (4), 1996.
    • Ward, Peter T., Deborah J. Bickford, and G. Keong Leong, "Configurations of Manufacturing Strategy, Business Strategy, Environment and Structure," Journal of Management, 22 (4), 1996, 595-623.     
    • Ward, Peter T., Rebecca Duray, G. Keong Leong, and Chee-Chuong Sum, "Business Environment, Operations Strategy, and Performance: An Empirical Study of Singapore Manufacturers," Journal of Operations Management, 13 (2), 1995, 99-115.
    • Leong, G. Keong and Peter T. Ward, "The 6 P's of Manufacturing Strategy," International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 15 (12), 1995, 32-45.
    • Ward, Peter T., G. Keong Leong, and Kenneth K. Boyer, "Manufacturing Proactiveness and Performance," Decision Sciences, 25 (3), 1994, 337-358.
    • Hutchison, Jim, G. Keong Leong, and Peter T. Ward, "Improving Delivery Performance in Gear Manufacturing at Jeffrey Division of Dresser Industries," Interfaces, 23 (2), 1993, 69-83
    • Ward, Peter T., Andrew L. Betz, and Deborah J. Bickford, "Overhead Surgery or Media Hyperbole? An Examination of Manufacturing Employment Structure in High and Low Tech Industries, 1983 and 1989," Journal of High Technology Management Research, 4 (1), 1993, 95-110.
    • Ward, Peter T., Paul D. Berger, Jeffrey G. Miller, and Stephen R. Rosenthal, "Manufacturing Process Technology and Support Staff Composition: An Empirical View of Industry Evidence," Production and Operations Management, 1 (1), 1992, 5-21.
    • Hutchison, Jim, G. Keong Leong, David L. Snyder, and Peter T. Ward, "Scheduling Approaches for Random Job Shop Flexible Manufacturing Systems," International Journal of Production Research, 29 (5) , 1991, 1053-1057.
    • Leong, G. Keong, David L. Snyder, and Peter T. Ward, "Research in the Process and Content of Manufacturing Strategy," International Journal of Management Science (OMEGA), 18 (3), 1990, 283-97.
    • Ward, Peter T., Jeffrey G. Miller, and Thomas E. Vollmann,"Mapping Manufacturing Concerns and Action Plans," International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 8 (6), 1988, 5-18.
    • Rosenthal, Stephen R. and Peter T. Ward, "Technical CIM Issues: An Assessment for Management," CIM Review, 2 (1), 42-49, 1985.

    Book Chapters

    • Peter T. Ward and Rachna Shah, "World Class Manufacturing - Best Versus Rest," America's Best Plants, John Sheridan, ed., Penton Publishing (1999).
    • John Ettlie and Peter T. Ward, "U.S. Manufacturing in the Early 1990s: The Chase and the Challenge," International Manufacturing Strategies: Context, Content and Change, Per Lindberg, Chris Voss, and Kathryn Blackmon, eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers (1997).
    • Peter T. Ward, "Manufacturing Process Choice," The Instant Access Guide to Manufacturing Strategy, Thomas F. Wallace, ed., Essex Junction, VT: Oliver Wight Publications (1994).
    • Peter T. Ward, G. Keong Leong, and David L. Snyder, "A Review of Research in the Process and Content of Manufacturing Strategy," Manufacturing Strategy: The Research Agenda for the Next Decade, J. Ettlie, M. Burstein, and A. Fiegenbaum, eds., Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers (1990).
    • Stephen R. Rosenthal and Peter T. Ward, "Key Managerial Roles in Controlling Progress Toward CIM," Manufacturing Research: Organizational and Institutional Issues, Arthur Gerstenfeld, et al., eds., Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers (1986).