Cynthia J. Smith

Dr. Cynthia J. Smith is an anthropologist who has conducted numerous field-based studies of businesses. She is co-author of Inside Arthur Andersen: Shifting Values, Unexpected Consequences. This book is an analysis of events deriving out of the Enron collapse that led to the fall of Arthur Andersen. The book traces the decades-long shifts in values of the firm, with emphasis on changes in leadership over time. Dr. Smith was a member of Arthur Andersen's Management Development Group during the 1980s.

During the 1990s, Dr. Smith spent several years collecting field-based data on three Silicon Valley-based, "new economy" companies. She was inside each of these organizations for one to two years, which makes the data distinctive from typical academic studies or journalistic access. These primary research materials are used in our analysis.

Dr. Smith is a lecturer at The Ohio State University.