Michelle Barton

Michelle Barton serves as an Associate Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School, specializing in organizational and team resilience, uncertainty management, and interpersonal effectiveness during adversity. Her research examines real-time group dynamics in volatile contexts including wildland firefighting, expedition racing, military operations, and high-tech entrepreneurship, with a focus on sensemaking, relational coordination, and resilience practices. She teaches core courses such as Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Negotiations, and Power and Politics while conducting executive workshops on leading in volatile environments.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Management & Organizations from the University of Michigan
• BA in Psychology from Pomona College

Dr. Barton's research demonstrates that resilience is an active process ('something you do') rather than a static trait, emphasizing practices like 'relational pauses' to address emotional dynamics and structured interruptions to avoid 'dysfunctional momentum' during crises. Her work reveals how groups in extreme contexts like wildfire response and expedition racing redistribute strain through communal approaches, treating adversity as a collective challenge rather than an individual burden. This perspective shifts organizational thinking from wellness programs focused on self-care to systemic solutions that build shared resilience.

Analysis of her 11 publications (2013-2023) shows consistent exploration of group resilience across diverse high-stakes environments, with increasing focus on pandemic response applications. Key trends include translating lessons from firefighting into organizational frameworks, critiquing individualistic wellness approaches, and developing practical tools for real-time sensemaking. Her work appears in premier outlets including Academy of Management Review, Harvard Business Review, and BMJ Leader, demonstrating both theoretical rigor and practical impact.

Scientific awards:

• No specific awards mentioned in source materials

Dr. Barton mentors graduate students in organizational behavior research through her faculty role, with no publicly listed specific advisees. Her research has secured engagement with major organizations including NASA, U.S. Army Medical Command, West Point, and Children's Hospital Association, indicating applied research impact. She previously co-founded Harvard Business Publishing's eLearning business and served as global Product Director for leadership development programs, creating over 20 interactive management training modules.

She collaborates extensively with Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Kathleen Sutcliffe and Assistant Professor Christopher Myers on resilience research, conducting field studies with wildland firefighting units and expedition racing teams. Her methodology emphasizes real-world observation in dynamic environments, translating extreme-context insights into organizational frameworks for managing uncertainty. Current work focuses on pandemic response applications and developing executive coaching practices for volatile business environments.