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Edward Harrison Powley

Assistant Chair
Organizational Sciences Academic Group

Phone: (831) 656-2768

Overview

Edward H. Powley (Ned) is Chair of the Organizational Sciences Academic Group (OSG) and an Associate Professor of Management at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he teaches organizational behavior, complex organizational change. He contributes to the institution’s mission of developing ready warfighters and relevant warfighting solutions. With approximately 30 years of experience in organizational development, Prof. Powley brings deep expertise in helping leaders and institutions adapt, learn, and improve — competencies that are essential as the Navy navigates strategic competition and an era of increasing resource pressure. His work directly supports NPS’s commitment to expanding the intellectual capacity of naval leaders and building a culture of excellence that accelerates warfighting advantage.

Prof. Powley’s research and scholarship advance NPS’s education and research priorities by generating knowledge with immediate operational relevance and enduring strategic value. He has published widely on organizational resilience, leadership, organizational change and culture, and organizational healing in leading journals including Human Relations, the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, and the Academy of Management Executive, among others. As co-editor of the Research Handbook of Organizational Resilience (Edward Elgar), he contributes foundational scholarship that informs how naval and defense organizations build the cognitive readiness and adaptive capacity needed to prevail in complex, contested environments.

Beyond the classroom and scholarly publications, Prof. Powley’s work embodies NPS’s innovation and institution-strengthening priorities through applied consulting and executive coaching across a diverse range of organizations, including Johns Hopkins University Medical Institutes, Prudential Retirement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Navy, and others. This blend of academic rigor and real-world practice reflects the NPS mission to deliver immediate impact, future advantage, and enduring leadership — equipping warriors and warfighting enablers with the organizational insight needed to achieve decision advantage in both competition and conflict.
Education
  • PhD - Case Western Reserve University 2005
    Major: Organizational Behavior
NPS Experience
  • 2013 - current: Associate Professor
  • 2006 - 2013: Assistant Professor
Other Experience
  • 2005 - 2006 Visiting Assistant Professor of Management, Case Western Reserve University
  • 1999 - 2000 Senior Research Associate, Corporate Executive Board, Corporate Leadership Council
  • 1997 - 1999 Projects Assistant, The World Bank Group
Research Interests
Resilience in organizational systems
Organizational change
Organizational culture
Organizational healing
Appreciative Inquiry (US Navy)
Teaching Interests
Organizational development and change
Organizational theory
Organizational behavior
Leadership development
Strategy and organizational change

Boards, Memberships, & Certifications

Professional Memberships
  • 2000 Member, Academy of Management
  • Navy Operational Stress Control Research Group

Scholarly Work

Publications
  • Book Chapters
  • Powley, E. H., Amdurer, E. E., & Barrett, F. J, (2021). Coaching Interventions for Challenging Experiences. Springer.
  • Powley, E. H, (2020). Introduction: Framing resilience research. Edward Elgar.
  • Powley, E. H., & Cameron, K. S, (2020). Resilience and organizational culture: a competing values perspective. Edward Elgar.
  • Journal Articles
  • DiRenzo, M. S., Tosti-Kharas, J., & Powley, E. H, (2022). Called to Serve: Exploring the Relationship between Career Calling, Career Plateaus, and Organizational Commitment in the U.S. Military. Journal of Career Assessment, 1(30), 60-77.
  • Kanov, J. E., Powley, E. H., & Walshe, N. D, (2016). Is it ok to care? How compassion falters and is courageously accomplished in the midst of uncertainty. Human Relations.
  • Powley, E. H., & Taylor, S. N, (2014). Critical incident approach to crisis management education: Facilitating and fostering resilience and healing through leaders. Journal of Management Education, 4(38), 560-585.
  • Powley, E. H., Lavine, M. D., Bright, D. S., & Cameron, K. S, (2014). Exploring the generative potential between positive organizational scholarship and management spirituality, and religion research. Journal of Management, Spirituality, & Religion, 1(11), 6-26.
  • Magazines/Trade Publications
  • Denyer, D., Powley, E. H., & Winn, B, (2022). Leading Resilient Organizations: From New Normal to Never Normal.
  • Technical Reports
  • Rendon, R. G., & Powley, E. H, (2017). Navy Contracting Organizational Climate Assessment.
  • Shattuck, N. L., Matsangas, P., & Powley, E. H, (2015). Sleep Patterns, Mood, Psychomotor Vigilance Performance, and Command Resilience of Watchstanders on the Five and Dime Watchbill.
  • Powley, E. H., Shattuck, N. L., & Matsangas, P, (2015). Sleep patterns, mood, psychomotor vigilance performance, and command resilience of watchstanders on the “five and dime” watchbill.
Presentations
  • Oral Presentations
  • Powley, E. H.,& Walshe, N. D., The Conditions for Compassion., "Courageous Action as an Antecedent to Compassion," PA, United States. (August 1, 2014).
  • Powley, E. H., Crafting Resilience: A multilevel examination of resilience resources at work in organizations, "Organizational Resilience: Outlining a Construct," Academy of Management, PA, United States. (August 1, 2014).
  • Powley, E. H., Professional Development Workshop, "Innovative Teaching of Positive Organizational Scholarship in the Management Classroom," Academy of Management, PA, United States. (August 1, 2014).
  • Papers
  • Powley, E. H. (Author), & Barrett, F. J. (Author), Academy of Management, "Newcomer Resilience: The Impact of Identity-Based Conversations". (August 1, 2018).
  • DiRenzo, M. S. (Author & Presenter), Tosti-Kharas, J. (Author), & Powley, E. H. (Author), Western Academy of Management, "Called to Serve: Career Calling and Commitment in the U.S. Military". (March 1, 2018).
  • Powley, E. H. (Author & Presenter), Western Academy of Management, "Renewing Resilience: Exploring the Role and Process of Organizational Healing in Cosmology Episodes," UT. (March 1, 2018).
  • Powley, E. H. (Author), Barrett, F. J. (Author & Presenter), & Sluss, D. (Author), Academy of Management, "Making the Case for Relational Resilience," GA, United States. (August 1, 2017).
  • Rendon, R. G. (Author & Presenter), & Powley, E. H. (Author & Presenter), NPS Acquisition Research Symposium, "Army Contracting Workforce Organizational Climate Assessment". (April 26, 2017).
  • Powley, E. H. (Author), & Barrett, F. J. (Author), Academy of Management, "Identity and Leadership: Exploring the Intersections between Who We Are and How We Lead," CA. (August 1, 2016).
  • Powley, E. H.,Barrett, F. J.,& Sluss, D. (Author), Positive Relationships at Work, "Resilient Narratives: Co-Creating Scaffolds of Hope," Cornell University, NY, United States. (June 3, 2016).
  • Powley, E. H., International Positive Psychology Association, "Co-creating Narrative Scaffolds of Resilience: Developing Resilience in a Ready Force". (June 25, 2015).