Faculty
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan is the Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He is also cofounder of MIT Sloan's PhD Program in Economic Sociology.
Zuckerman Sivan is an economic sociologist whose research focuses on showing how an understanding of fundamental social processes is important for shedding light on key issues in business and management, as well as how an appreciation for the dynamics of business and management inform our understanding of fundamental social processes. He is perhaps best known for demonstrating the importance of categorical structures in shaping valuation in various markets.
Zuckerman Sivan's master's and executive level teaching centers on competitive and technology strategy, and he teaches two doctoral courses, "Sociology of Strategy" and "Identity and Action."
He holds a BA in political science from Columbia University as well as an MA and a PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago.
Featured Publication
"The Categorical Imperative Revisited: Implications of Categorization as a Theoretical Tool."Sivan, Ezra Zuckerman. In From Categories to Categorization: Studies in Sociology, Organizations and Strategy at the Crossroads, 31-68. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2017.
Featured Publication
"Why Elites Love Authentic Lowbrow Culture: Overcoming High-Status Denigration with Outsider Art."Hahl, Oliver, Ezra Zuckerman Sivan, and Minjae Kim. American Sociological Review Vol. 82, No. 4 (2017): 828-856.
Ha, Jaekyung, Stine Grodal, and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan. Organization Science Vol. 35, No. 5 (2024): 1571-1955.
Kim, Minjae, Oliver Hahl, Ethan Poskanzer, and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan. American Journal of Sociology Vol. 130, No. 1 (2024): 193-240.
Friis, Simon and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan. Advances in Group Processes Vol. 40, (2023): 71-89.
Ha, Jaekyung, Stine Grodal, and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan. Advances in Strategic Management Vol. 43, (2023): 91-114.
Consumers approve of firms that do the work to make an industry seem legitimate. Those that free-ride on that “legitimation work” are seen as less authentic.
A new study finds that both Democrats and Republicans are more likely to permit the spreading of misinformation when it articulates a “deeper truth” that captures their grievances.
In surveys, both Republican and Democratic voters used moral grounds to justify politicians' false statements.
This intensive program details a unique and powerful approach to integrating business and technology strategy and to developing profitable ventures and technologies. Participants are introduced to a set of tools to identify high-leverage projects, match product strategy to market dynamics, capture market value, and change organizational capabilities to reflect evolving markets and technological dynamics.
