The Strategic Management Society mourns the loss of Dr. Richard A. Bettis, who passed away on January 22, 2025. Rich was a Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout his career, he made significant contributions to the field of strategy and was deeply engaged in editorial leadership and professional service. He served as an associate editor for Management Science (1987–1991), a consulting editor for the Academy of Management Review (1990–1993), an associate editor for the Strategic Management Journal (1995–2006), and later as a co-editor of the Strategic Management Journal (2007–2016). Additionally, he played a leadership role in the Academy of Management, serving as Chair-Elect and Chair of the Business Policy/Planning Division (1986–1989) and as a member of its Board of Governors (1989–1992). As a Founding Member of SMS, Rich contributed extensively to the society’s growth. He served on the SMS Board of Governors (1999–2008), was Program Chair for the 2001 SMS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, and was President-Elect (2002–2003) and President (2004–2006). His influential research with C.K. Prahalad on “dominant logic” in diversified firms earned them the inaugural SMJ Dan and Mary Lou Schendel Best Paper Prize in 1993. In recognition of his longstanding contributions, he received the SMS Distinguished Service Award in 2016.
Rich’s impact on the field of strategy was profound. His research spanned corporate strategy, behavioral strategy, and, in his later work, he strongly championed replicability and transparency in empirical strategy research. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Rich was a dedicated mentor and advisor who shaped the professional lives of many doctoral students and junior colleagues.
He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Rich is survived by his wife, Debbie Bettis; his children, Matthew Bettis and Kimberly Bettis; three grandchildren; and his brother, James Bettis.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 15, at 10:00 AM at Chapel Hill Bible Church. In lieu of flowers, you may honor Rich by contributing to The Rich Bettis PhD Memorial Fund. For the full obituary, please follow this link.
