Arvind Karunakaran
Assistant Professor of Management Science & Engineering, and (by courtesy) of Sociology, Stanford University
Core faculty, Center for Work, Technology, and Organization (WTO) and Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP)
Faculty affiliate, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) and Digital Economy Lab
I study authority and accountability in the workplace, especially in the context of technological change. My current work examines human–AI augmentation and its consequences for professionals and organizations. I use ethnographic and field-based methods, complemented by comparative-historical analysis of archival data and computational analysis of large text corpora. My research appears in Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Annals, Annals of the Academy of Political and Social Science, Research Policy, JASIST, and HBR.
Speaking & advising
Keynotes and executive sessions on AI strategy, adoption, and organizational change, drawn from field research inside companies adopting AI. See talks and videos →
Selected Publications
Karunakaran, A. (2024). “Frontline Professionals in the Wake of Social Media Scrutiny: Examining the Processes of Obscured Accountability.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 69(3), 747–790. DOI
Karunakaran, A., Lebovitz, S., Narayanan, D., Rahman, H. (2025). “Artificial Intelligence at Work: An Integrative Review on the Impact of AI on Workplace Inequality.” Academy of Management Annals, 19(2). Equal Contribution DOI
Karunakaran, A. (2022). “Status-Authority Asymmetry between Professions: The Case of 911 Dispatchers and Police Officers.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 67(2), 423–468. DOI
Karunakaran, A., Orlikowski, W.J., Scott, S.V. (2022). “Crowd-based Accountability: Examining how Social Media Commentary Reconfigures Organizational Accountability.” Organization Science, 33(1), 170–193. DOI
Recent News
2025
Named to the Thinkers50 Radar cohort and recognized as an Ascendant Scholar by the Western Academy of Management.
2025
“Artificial Intelligence at Work” (with Lebovitz, Narayanan & Rahman) published in Academy of Management Annals.
2024
Received the W. Richard Scott Article Award (ASA, OOW Section) and the Responsible Research in Management Award.