Research, teaching, and service define Walsh’s professional life. Two qualities distinguish much of his work. His is fascinated by cross-level relationships: the influences between and among individuals, organizations, and society. And as romantic as it may sound, he thinks we are all called to try to leave the world a better place. The desire to better understand these cross-level relationships, done with a clear eye on bettering our world, animates most everything he does.
His research explores the purpose, accountability, and control of the firm (and even more generally, business itself) in society. His teaching aspiration is to help students learn to lead. With leadership rooted in a person’s being, knowing, and doing, he is open to all kinds of teaching approaches. He is particularly drawn to action-based learning. Ultimately, he believes we are called to service. He has tried to contribute to the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College (earlier in his career), and his profession over the years.