In remembrance of Professor Colin Eden
It is with great sadness that Strathclyde Business School announces the death of former Strathclyde Business School Dean and Emeritus Professor of Management Science, Professor Colin Eden.
Colin joined Strathclyde Business School in 1987 as Professor of Management Science and Head of the Department of Management Science, a position he held until 1999. He subsequently served as Director of the University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business until 2006. During his long association with the School, he also held a number of other senior leadership roles, including Director of the International Division, Vice-Dean International and Vice-Dean Staffing. He retired from his substantive University position in December 2014 and continued his association with Strathclyde as Emeritus Professor.
Before joining Strathclyde, Colin worked in the engineering industry as an operational researcher and operational research manager, and subsequently as a management consultant. He then entered academic life at the University of Bath School of Management, where he progressed from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer and Reader.
Colin was internationally recognised for his contributions to management science, operational research, strategic management and research methodology. His work addressed strategy-making, cognitive mapping, group decision support, managerial and organisational cognition, action research, and the modelling of disruption and delay in major projects.
He was particularly closely associated with the development of cognitive mapping and Strategic Options Development and Analysis, known as SODA. These approaches helped individuals and groups to structure complex problems, explore different perspectives and develop strategy. His work made a significant contribution to the development of what became known as “soft operational research”, bringing organisational politics, negotiation, qualitative modelling and problem ownership more fully into operational research practice.
Colin authored 12 books and more than 200 scholarly articles in management science, project management and strategic management, and his published work received more than 27,000 citations.
His contribution to his discipline was recognised through a number of major awards. These included the Operational Research Society’s Goodeve Medal in 2001 and Beale Medal in 2007, and the INFORMS Group Decision and Negotiation Section Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Management in 2007 and later served as Dean of its Fellows College.
Colin also made an important institutional contribution to Strathclyde Business School. Under his leadership, the Department of Management Science grew substantially, as did the Graduate School of Business. He played a leading role in the development of the School’s international activities and overseas centres and in its progress towards international accreditation. His contribution helped strengthen both the academic reputation and international reach of the School.
Professor David Hillier, Associate Principal and Executive Dean of Strathclyde Business School, said, “The whole Strathclyde community was deeply saddened to learn of Colin's passing. Many colleagues will have their own memories of working with Colin and of the profound influence he had on their careers, their research and the development of Strathclyde Business School. He will be remembered not only for his outstanding scholarship, but also for his generosity, encouragement and the lasting impact he had on colleagues, students and collaborators around the world.
"His contribution to our University and to the international management science community was both considerable and enduring, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of researchers and educators. On behalf of everyone at Strathclyde Business School and the University of Strathclyde, I extend our deepest condolences to Colin's family, friends, former students and colleagues.”
Published: 5 August 2026
