James K. Sebenius
About James K. Sebenius
James K. Sebenius is a Professor at Harvard Business School, where he has worked since 1991. He has extensive experience in negotiation and decision-making research, having authored over 250 works and previously held roles at Lax Sebenius LLC and The Blackstone Group.
Current Role at Harvard Business School
James K. Sebenius holds the Gordon Donaldson Professorship of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He has been a professor at the institution since 1991, contributing to the academic environment for over 33 years. In his role, he has developed and served as the first head of the Harvard Business School Negotiation Department, which is now known as Negotiation, Organization, and Markets. His work focuses on negotiations, human behavior, and decision-making processes.
Previous Experience at Lax Sebenius LLC
James K. Sebenius co-founded Lax Sebenius LLC and served as a partner from 1995 to 2018, a tenure of 23 years in the Greater Boston Area. The firm specializes in negotiation and decision-making consulting, where he applied his extensive knowledge and expertise in the field to assist various organizations.
Educational Background
James K. Sebenius has a robust educational background. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in Mathematics with minors in English and Computer Science from Vanderbilt University from 1971 to 1975. He then pursued a Ph.D. in Business Economics at Harvard University from 1977 to 1980. Additionally, he obtained a Master of Science in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University, studying there from 1976 to 1978.
Contributions to Negotiation Research
James K. Sebenius has made significant contributions to the field of negotiation and decision-making. He has authored or co-authored over 250 items, including academic and popular articles, book chapters, case studies, negotiation exercises, multimedia teaching materials, and working papers. His research explores various aspects of decision-making, including personal bias, cognition, learning, time perception, ethics, morality, and emotion.
Leadership Roles in Academic Institutions
Before his current position, James K. Sebenius served in various academic roles. He was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Harvard Kennedy School from 1980 to 1984. He also directed the Harvard Negotiation Project from 1992 to 2018, where he played a key role in advancing negotiation strategies and practices within the academic community.