Professor Dewar received his MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) in Sociology. He is a member of the American Academy of Management and has served on the editorial board of the Academy of Management Journal and the Administrative Science Quarterly. From 1980 to 1988, Professor Dewar served as Chairman of the Organizational Behavior Department at the Kellogg School of Management. He has also served as the academic director for both Kellogg's Institute for Management and its Executive Development Program. Most recently, Professor Dewar was director of Kellogg's "Creating the Market Focused Organization" Executive Program.

His areas of expertise include the implementation of strategy through design of organizational systems and delivering customer service. He is currently researching manufacturer’s response to wholesale and retail trade concentration and national account management systems. Professor Dewar designs training programs for middle and senior managers in many types of organizations. He also designs development programs for professional accounting and consulting companies. Professor Dewar frequently consults with major corporations.

Professor Dewar has conducted executive development programs and/or consulted with the following: State Farm Insurance, CCC Information Services, Inc., The Harris Bank, Citicorp, National Association of Independent Insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Cigna, North Pacific Insurance, Deloitt & Touche, Baker and McKenzie, General Telephone and Electronics (GTE), AT&T, Ameritech, Association of Legal Administrators, The American Red Cross, U.S. Gypsum, IBM, British American Tobacco, Nestlé’s, Hoechst, Good Year, General Motors, Mobil Oil, Lee Enterprises, S.C.Johnson, Spiegel Catalog, Abbott, Eli Lilly, G. D. Searle, The Chicago Tribune, BP, The Hearst Corporation, and other organizations and professional groups.