Prof. Barton H. Hamilton
I am the Robert Brookings Smith Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. I am also the Research Director of the Koch Center for Family Business at Olin. Before coming to Olin, I was a professor at McGill University.
I am an economist who conducts research in the fields of entrepreneurship, healthcare, personnel economics, and strategy. I also teach in these areas at the undergraduate, MBA, and PhD levels.
I have also consulted with many organizations and particularly enjoy working with entrepreneurs.
I received my PhD in economics from Stanford University and my undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
MY LATEST RESEARCH
What determines the speed and direction of innovation? In "Innovation and Diffusion of Medical Treatment" we show how patient preferences and the (un)willingness to experiment affect the speed of entry and types of new medical treatments introduced into the market.
Which entrepreneurs will be successful? In "Personality and Entrepreneurshp..." we show that personality traits such as openness that are associated with preferences for self-employment do not predict success. In fact, extraversion is associated with high entrepreneurial earnings.