Professor Colin Eden 1943 - 2026

Very sadly Professor Colin Eden passed away on the 28th of July 2026

Colin was born on the 24th of December in 1943 in Birmingham and went to school there before going to Leicester University to do an engineering degree. He subsequently did a PhD in Control Engineering initially at Leicester University but subsequently completing it at the University of Southampton.

After a period working as a consultant in an engineering company, Colin joined the University of Bath – initially on a one-year sabbatical. However, his interest in supporting decision makers tackling complex problems resulted in him staying in academia and becoming a member of the Centre for the Study of Organisational Change and Development.

During his time at Bath, he developed the cognitive mapping technique, and along with David Sims and Sue Jones, wrote two books Thinking in Organisations (1979) and Messing about in Problems (1983) These books challenged the status quo. For example, when reviewing Messing about in Problems George Huber noted that the book “articulates, much more explicitly than I have seen done elsewhere, the idea that "problems are psychological entities which are often unclear and expressed as anxiety and concern about a situation as well as being expressed as a positive wish for the situation to be different” and additionally that the book “provides a mechanism for modelling these subjective idiosyncratic constructions”. Helping managers manage was important to Colin.

Along with colleagues, Colin continued to develop the cognitive mapping technique augmenting it with software (COPE) to support the modelling and analysis and a processual framework (SODA). In 1987 he moved to Strathclyde University where he took up the role of Head of the Management Science Department. Here he was instrumental in building the department, hiring many new academics, ensuring the university provided good facilities and encouraging innovative ideas.

Colin also was a strong supporter of the BAM – and in 1993 with Arthur Francis sought to develop specialist workshops for ‘rookie’ management researchers (very much in alignment with the 1993 conference being focused on the Crafting of Management Research). Around 1994 Colin with others formed a training sub-committee and embarked on an annual training agenda for doctoral students.

He continued to research and publish with articles in the Journal of Management Studies on the analysis of maps, and a book with J-C Spender on Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Theory, Methods and Research (1999).

Cognisant of the fact that problem structuring often led to strategic outcomes, Colin shifted his focus to strategy making paying particular attention to the social processes of strategic management. This work, grounded in him being engaged as a consultant for many organisations, resulted in a further book Making Strategy: The Journey of Strategic Management (with Fran Ackermann). Colin and Fran also became close friends with John Bryson whose work on strategic planning in the public sector influenced their thinking, as Colin’s thinking influenced John’s. The collaboration was to prove an immensely productive one.

Working with top management teams also enabled Colin to ensure that his research was grounded in practice as well as being rigorous in design. He was thus a keen advocate for Action Research (publishing on the topic with Chris Huxham).  In addition, he published, with Richard Thorpe, John Bessant and Paul Ellwood an article on Rigour, Relevance and Reward in the British Journal of Management (2011).

Colin continued his work with BAM producing discussion papers for the Newsletter, reviewing papers and supporting the conferences. In 2007 he was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Management and was the Dean of the Fellows College in 2013. Colin didn’t only support BAM but also the American Academy of Management winning conference best paper prizes in 2003, 2006 and 2011.  

After 10 years as Departmental Head, Colin moved to take up Director of the Graduate School of Business at Strathclyde University (8 years) and subsequently Vice Dean of the Business School. Colin enjoyed teaching – particularly the MBAs and the tributes from many past MBA students is testimony to the excellent job he did. He also supervised over 40 PhD students.

Whilst undertaking demanding managerial roles, Colin continued to research and work with organisations getting involved in the modelling of disruption and delay on projects through a two-day piece of consultancy. This engagement led to work on 6 different litigation claims (working with Terry Williams, Susan Howick and Fran Ackermann) and resulting in robust methodologies for assessing learning curves, modelling risk systemicity and the amoebic behaviour of projects.

Colin was also a keen sailor – and over the course of my friendship with him, I along with others, had the wonderful opportunity to explore much of the West Coast of Scotland. Colin enjoyed hill walking as well as attending concerts e.g. Celtic Connections, the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

He formally retired in 2014 and was awarded emeritus status from the University of Strathclyde. Despite being ‘retired’ Colin continued to research and write. He also found time to establish a wonderful garden, design and project manage the construction of a new house (in collaboration with Christine), ski, sail (getting to explore nooks and crannies of Sweden and Norway) and enjoy classical and Celtic music. He was generous, funny, a critical thinker and a wonderful friend and colleague. He will be missed professionally and personally.

He is survived by his wife Christine.

Fran Ackermann: co-author, colleague, close friend, fellow sailor.