William J. Abernathy

William J. Abernathy (November 21, 1933 – December 29, 1983) was an American professor at the Harvard Business School. With his empirical studies of the automobile industry, Abernathy contributed to explaining the industrial decline of the US automobile industry and influenced management thinking to pay more attention to innovation and long-term strategic decision making.

Early life William J. Abernathy was born on November 21, 1933, in Columbia, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in electrical engineering.

Abernathy was an early key contributor to the influential International Motor Vehicle Program. His influence on European researchers, among others, is noticeable in that his critique of the dominating mass production was readily picked up and extended to inform theories on innovation and integrated product design.

Personal life He was married to Claire Abernathy. They had two daughters, Evelyn and Jannine. They resided in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Death He died on December 29, 1983, in Boston, Massachusetts.