Dennis P. Wittmer

Professor

  • Faculty
  • Daniels College of Business
  • Department of Management

Professional Biography

Dennis Wittmer is Professor and Chair, Management Department, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver. He received his Ph.D. in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1992. His dissertation ("Ethical Sensitivity and Managerial Decision Making: An Experiment") received the best dissertation award from the Public and Nonprofit Sector of the Academy of Management for 1992.

Dr. Wittmer received the Piccinati Endowed Professorship for Teaching Excellence at the Daniels College (2002-04). Dr. Wittmer primarily teaches courses in the ethical, legal, and public policy environments of business. Professor Wittmer’s research has included empirical and conceptual studies of managerial ethics, comparative studies of public and private organizations, project management effectiveness, reward preferences among employees, R&D science policy, economic development policy, and the design of effective teaching methods in business education.

Dr. Wittmer has numerous publications in such journals as Journal of Management History, Public Integrity, Public Administration Quarterly, Teaching Business Ethics Journal, Public Productivity and Management Review, Science and Public Policy, and Project Management Journal. He has contributed chapters to books such as Handbook of Administrative Ethics and the Handbook of Public Administration.

Dr. Wittmer has provided consulting and corporate training services for such organizations as Newmont Mining, the Lottery Commission of Colorado, Intrado, Kaiser Pemanente, Healthone, Meeting Professionals International, TIMET, various chapters of health underwriters of Colorado, Lockheed Martin, First Data Corp., the Garibaldi Group, the City of Englewood, and John Mansville. He has also done international training in business ethics for MBA students in Kuwait (3 years) and with Russian managers. For the past three years he has led a three-week course to the Scandinavian countries, visiting various businesses such as Nokia, Ericsson, Absolut, and Carlsberg.

Dr. Wittmer also spent eight years working for the City of Syracuse. During that time he was engaged in a variety of responsibilities, including: directing the planning activities of the central grants office, intergovernmental relations at the federal level, and developing policy and planning for employment and training programs.