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An accredited non-profit university
with on-campus & online degrees >

Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

A non-profit university with on-campus and online degree programs

Home of Consciousness-Based Education

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

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Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

A non-profit university with on-campus and online degree programs

Home of Consciousness-Based Education

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

Request Info > Apply > Visit Us >
Request Info > Apply > Visit Us >

Dennis Heaton

Dennis Heaton
Dennis Heaton
  • Dean of the College of Business Administration
  • Professor of Management

Dennis Heaton earned his EdD in educational leadership. His areas of research interest include consciousness, holistic health, peak performance, and higher stages of human development and their implications for leadership. Dr. Heaton is Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Management. He has been directing PhD students’ research in areas of socially and environmentally responsible business, including financial impacts of responsible management, sustainable ethnic tourism, the effects of green buildings on human resources, consumer attitudes toward genetically modified food, moral development and ethical decision-making in accountants, and the role of human resource management in implementing sustainability.

Dr. Heaton’s professional life has been an integration of teaching management, researching management, and practicing management. He has served as Director of the PhD program in management and Dean of Distance Education and International Programs, establishing MIU programs around the globe. He has been honored for his teaching excellence with awards from students in 2018 and 1995. His wife Linda is Director of Sponsored Programs for the Maharishi International University Research Institute.

He comments, “A great thing about teaching at this university has been the growth of relationships with students from all over the world.”

Education

  • EdD in Educational Leadership from Boston University
  • MA in Psychology from the State University of West Georgia
  • BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame

Current Research Interests

Higher stages of human development and their implications for leadership and ethics teaching methods — presented workshops for teachers of management at national and regional conferences.

Selected Recent Publications (see also Curriculum Vitae).

Selected Recent Publications

  • Heaton, D. (2019). Maharishi University of Management: A community for consciousness. In M. Benefiel and B. K. Lee (Eds.), The Soul of Higher Education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
  • Heaton, D. (2018). Ethics of Enlightened Leaders. In S. Dhiman & A. Amar, Bhagavad Gītā and Management: Timeless Wisdom for Organizational Excellence. New York: Springer.
  • Heaton, D. (2018). The sustainability summit: Using Appreciative Inquiry to engage the whole system. In S. Dhiman & J. Margues (Eds.), Handbook of Engaged Sustainability. New York: Springer.
  • Heaton, D. & Heaton, C. (2018). Consciousness-Based Education: Cultivating sustainable minds. In K. Kassel & I. Rimanoczy (Eds.), Developing a Sustainability Mindset in Higher Education, (pp. 277-296). Routledge.
  • Heaton, D. (2016). Higher consciousness for sustainability-as-flourishing. In S. Dhiman, J. Margues, & I. Mitroff (Eds.), Spirituality and sustainability: New horizons and exemplary approaches. New York: Springer.
  • Heaton, D., Schachinger, E. & Laszlo, C. (2016). Consciousness-development for responsible management education. In R. Sunley, J. Leigh, & A. Murray (Eds), Educating for responsible management: Putting theory into practice. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf.
  • Wallace, P. G. & Heaton, D. (2012). A consciousness-based approach to poverty elimination. Spanda Journal, III, 1, 219-225. Special issue “Consciousness & Development 2.0”, July, 2012.
  • Herriott, E. Schmidt-Wilk, J. & Heaton, D. (2009). Spiritual dimensions of entrepreneurship in Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program practitioners. Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 6(3), 195-208.
  • Harung, H.S., Travis, F., Blank, W., & Heaton D. (2009). Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership. Management Decision, 47 (6), 872-894.Heaton, D. Transcendent experience and development of the post-representational Self. In A. Combs, A. Pfaffenberger, & P. W. Marko (Eds.). The postconventional personality: Perspectives on higher development. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
  • Heaton, D. P. (2008). An innovative model of management education for the poor: The South African experience. Journal of Management Education, 32 (6), 738-749. Special Issue: Management Education in the Context of Poverty.
  • Heaton, D.P., Schmidt-Wilk, J. and Nwoah, S. K. (2008). Training graduate students to be great teachers: Experiences and outcomes. Proceedings of the 35th OBTC: Teaching Conference for Management Educators, June 11-14, 2008, Babson College in Wellesley, MA.
  • Heaton, D. & Schmidt-Wilk, J. (2008) Leadership Development through Development of Consciousness. In G. Biberman and L. Tischler (Eds.). Spirituality in Business: Current Theory and Practice and Future Directions. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Heaton, D. P. (2005). Harmonizing stability and change by enlivening creative intelligence. Management and Change (India).
  • Chandler, H. M., Alexander, C. N., & Heaton, D. P. (2005). Transcendental Meditation and postconventional self development: A 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 17, 93-121.
  • Heaton, D. P. (2004). Human Resource Practices to Enhance Employee and Customer Satisfaction. CSS&CSSI Forum. (China).
  • Heaton, D. P., Schmidt-Wilk, J. & Travis, F. (2004). Constructs, methods, and measures for researching spirituality in organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 17 (1), 62-82. Special Issue: Organizations and Spiritual Values.
  • Heaton, D. P. (2003). Assessing problem based learning in a business program. PBL Insight, 6 (1).
  • Heaton, D. P. & Harung, H. S. (2001). Awakening creative intelligence for peak performance: Reviving an Asian tradition. In J. Kidd, Xue Li, and F.-J. Richter (Eds.), Human intelligence deployment in Asian business: The sixth generation project. London and New York: Palgrave.
  • Heaton, D (2000). Holistic health for holistic management. In G. Biberman & M. Whitty (eds.) Work and Spirit: A Reader of New Spiritual Paradigms for Organizations. Scranton, PA: University of Scranton Press.
  • Schmidt-Wilk, J., Heaton, D. P., Steingard, D. (2000). Higher education for higher consciousness: Maharishi International University as a model for spirituality in management education. Journal of Management Education, 24(5).
  • Heaton, D., Schmidt-Wilk, J., & Langstaff, J. L.. (2000). Finding Spiritual Principles of Leading and Teaching in the Ancient Vedic Literature. 2000 Business Research Yearbook, Best Paper Presentations at the 2000 International Association of Business Disciplines, Los Vegas, April, 2000.
  • Langstaff, J. L.. Schmidt-Wilk, J., & Heaton, D. (2000). Researching Spirituality in Organizations. 2000 Business Research Yearbook, Best Paper Presentations at the 2000 International Association of Business Disciplines, Los Vegas, April, 2000.
  • Harung, H. S., with Blank, W., Heaton, D., & Alexander, C. (1999). Invincible Leadership: Building Peak Performance Organizations by Harnessing the Unlimited Power of Consciousness. Fairfield, IA: MIUPress, 1999.
  • Heaton, D. & Harung, H. (1999). The Vedic Management of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Enlightening human resources for holistic success. Chinmaya Management Review , III, 1, pp. 75-84.
  • Schmidt-Wilk, J. & Heaton, D. (1999). A quantum metaphor for organizations: Implications for business education. Business Education Technology Journal, 1, (1), pp. 27-30.
  • Heaton, D. & Harung, H. S. (1999). The conscious organization. The Learning Organization: An International Journal, 6, (4), 157-162.
  • Harung, H. S., Alexander, C.N., and Heaton, D. (1999). Evolution of Organizations in the New Millennium. Leadership and Organization Development Journal , 20 (3), 198-206.
  • Heaton, D. (1999). The enlightened business of tomorrow. 1999 Business Research Yearbook, Best Paper Presentations at the 1999 International Association of Business Disciplines, Chicago, IL, March 25-28, 1999.
  • Harung H. S., Alexander, C.N. & Heaton, D. (1999). As organizations evolve, what’s next? 1999 Business Research Yearbook, Best Paper Presentations at the 1999 International Association of Business Disciplines, Chicago, IL, March 25-28, 1999.
  • Steingard, D., Fitzgibbons, D. and Heaton, D. (1998). Exploring the frontiers of environmental management: A Natural Law based perspective. Proceedings of the 1998 Conference, International Association of Business Disciplines, El Paso, Texas.
  • Harung, H. S., Heaton, D. Graff, W., and Alexander, C. (1996). Peak performance and higher states of consciousness. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 11, (5).
  • Harung, H. Alexander, C. and Heaton, D. (1995). A unified theory of leadership. Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, 16, (7)
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