Dr. James Riley

Biography

James Riley is an economic sociologist who conducts ethnographic research and produces qualitative studies on roles, status, norms, and social valuations within organizational cultures of innovation-driven organizations, creative industries, and cultural markets. His fieldwork aims to identify and distill complex informal governance structures and relational mechanisms to generate observationally grounded theories of organizational actors’ strategic behavior. As a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center, he has hosted and moderated engaging panels, including discussions on the transformation of the music landscape through emerging platforms and artist-centered business models. He has led discussions with esteemed panelists from various institutions, including Harvard University and Boston University, to explore the pressing questions at the intersection of law, technology, and business. Professor Riley earned his Ph.D. from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master’s degree in Urbanization and Development from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California.

Research Interests