Dr. Rodrigo Canales

Biography

Rodrigo Canales is an Associate Professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, specializing in Management and Organizations. His research operates at the intersection of organizational and institutional theory, focusing on how individuals can purposefully change complex organizational systems. He studies how personal backgrounds, professional identities, and organizational roles influence individual and collective action toward change, contributing to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that allow institutions to operate and evolve. His work includes investigations into entrepreneurial finance and microfinance, as well as the institutional implications of the Mexican drug war. Canales currently focuses his research on the structural determinants of quality startup employment and the conditions under which development policies and practices can effectively integrate rigorous evidence. He also explores how to build effective, resilient, and trusted police organizations in Mexico, supported by the Merida Initiative. Additionally, he serves as the faculty director of Questrom's Social Impact Program and holds an advisory position at the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT. Canales previously taught at the Yale School of Management.

Research Interests