Economic Sociology & Organizational Behavior Expert; Robert P. Thome Professor at Michigan Ross; Author of "America's Crisis of Values"; Co-Founder of Give and Take Inc.

Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Wayne Baker Biography

Wayne E. Baker is an American sociologist and author whose work focuses on economic sociology, social networks, and organizational behavior. Baker holds the Robert P. Thome Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Management & Organizations chair at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He also serves as Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan and Faculty Associate at the Institute for Social Research. Baker earned a doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University and completed post-doctoral research at Harvard University. Before joining the Michigan faculty, he was a faculty member at the University of Chicago business school.

Baker is recognized for research in economic sociology, demonstrating that financial markets function as social networks, and for survey research on American values. His data indicate that Americans share more core values than often portrayed by news media and political campaigns, including patriotism, belief in God, individualism, success, equal opportunities, freedom and liberty, respect, and support for the free market. These findings are central to his book "America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception" and "United America," which examine common ground among Americans across political and demographic lines.

Baker led the creation of the Section on Economic Sociology of the American Sociological Association and served as the first director of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at the Ross School of Business. He is Faculty Director of the Center for Positive Organizations. Baker served as Principal Investigator and Team Leader for the Detroit Arab American Study, supported by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the University of Michigan. His management and leadership articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, and Sloan Management Review.

Baker has published six books and more than 60 articles. His book "All You Have to Do Is Ask" provides a practical guide on the power of seeking help in organizations. He is co-creator of the Reciprocity Ring, a group exercise used in corporations and business schools to facilitate asking for and giving help at work. His earlier book "Networking Smart" was named one of the thirty best business books by Executive Book Summaries.

Baker has received awards including the Senior Faculty Research Award from the Ross School of Business, the Best Article Published Award from the American Sociological Association Section on Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity, the Emory Williams Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Max Weber Award for Distinguished Scholarship, the Joanne Martin Trailblazer Award, and the SO!WHAT! Award for best article in Strategic Organization. Baker is a co-founder and board member of Give and Take, Inc., which developed Givitas, a SaaS platform designed to provide employees with access to collective intelligence and expertise. Baker is a frequent speaker and consultant, sharing academic research and practical insights with audiences in business, academia, and public sectors.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/17/2026.

Wayne Baker Videos

Wayne Baker - All You Have To Do Is Ask - Bregman Leadership Podcast

Wayne Baker - All You Have To Do Is Ask - Bregman Leadership Podcast

Reciprocity is the idea that you help others and, in turn, they help you. It also means paying it forward. Hear from Wayne Baker how this can help us...

The Paying it Forward Paradox | Wayne Baker | TEDxUofM

The Paying it Forward Paradox | Wayne Baker | TEDxUofM

What if the toughest barrier between us and our needs is that we don’t ask for help fulfilling them? Sociologist Wayne Baker offers insight into...

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Wayne Baker is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Wayne Baker for your event is available upon request. Wayne Baker generally travels from Ann Arbor, MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jia Jiang, Nataly Kogan, JP Pawliw-Fry, John Zogby and Chester Elton. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Wayne Baker for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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