Thomas Kochan

Thomas A. Kochan is the Post-Tenure George Maverick Bunker Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a faculty member in the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. His research focuses on the need to update America's work and employment policies, institutions, and practices to align with a changing workforce and economy. He emphasizes the importance of a new social contract at work that anticipates technological changes to foster an inclusive economy and shared prosperity. His recent book, Shaping the Future of Work: A Handbook for Action and a New Social Contract (Routledge, 2021), highlights these themes. He is a member of the National Academy of Human Resources and the National Academy of Arbitrators, and he is currently a member of the MIT Task Force on Work of the Future.

Thomas Kochan is a Professor of Management at MIT, specializing in management, industrial relations, labor and employment, and work. His research explores the transformation of American industrial relations, the effects of diversity on business performance, and the mutual gains enterprise model. Kochan's work emphasizes collective bargaining, stakeholder theory, and the impact of industrial relations systems on organizational effectiveness. He has examined the role of unions, quality of working life (QWL) programs, and employment practices in various industries, including the world auto industry and Nike's suppliers. His research also addresses worker participation, corporate codes of conduct, and the evolving landscape of employment relations in a global economy.