My Notes — Research

March 27, 2015 · Lectures Research

Murmann Lecture: What constitutes a compelling case study?

I gave a 50-min keynote lecture on what constitutes compelling case study. The video from the event at the Forum for Case-based and Qualitative Research in Business Administration may be useful for anyone who is attempting to publish case based studies in field of management.

The slides from the lecture are visible in the video and can also be downloaded here. Murmann Slides

The lecture is also available within China on the youku platform. Click here if you want to access video from China: China Video Access. Alternative China Video Access

Click on “more” for a written summary of lecture both in English and in Chinese.

March 15, 2015 · Management, Psychology Research

Carol Dweck: Differences between Growth and Fixed Mindsets

Carol Dweck has spent her career studying how personality traits impact life outcomes. Here is it summarized into one chart.

You can see a larger image by clicking here: Full Size Image

November 18, 2014 · Management, Writing Research

Useful if you consider submitting to AMJ: Editorial Statement by Current Editor of AMJ

I just read the editorial statement of the current editor of AMJ. If you would like to write about big problems that managers are facing in a scholarly way, AMJ may be a great outlet. Gerry George writes: A compelling way to frame a study for theoretical contribution is by asking questions on important anomalies… More »

October 18, 2014 · Management Research

Superb Example of Strategy Process Research: New Paper by Laurent Mirabeau and Steve Maguire in SMJ

I just read a fantastic research paper that I recommend highly to anyone who is interested in strategy process research.

Mirabeau, L., & Maguire, S. 2014. From autonomous strategic behavior to emergent strategy. Strategic Management Journal, 35(8): 1202-1229.

The authors do wonderful job first summarizing the different strands in strategy process research. Then they present new findings on how autonomous strategic initiatives become emergent strategy. They introduce the new idea of Ephemeral Autonomous Behavior to balance out the traditional Mintzberg model of emergent strategies. I have added the paper to my list of exemplary case studies worthy of imitation.

The core of the paper is nicely summarized in these two figures.

(Right click on each figure to open it in a larger format on a new page.)

September 19, 2014 · Conferences Research

Will give two presentations at Strategic Management Conference in Madrid, Sep 21-22

1. The Strategic Process and Competitive Dynamics of Industry Convergence

Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014
Time: 11:15 – 12:30
Room: Viena
Session Co-Chairs:

Samina Karim, Boston University
John Prescott, University of Pittsburgh

Panelists:

* Alfonso Gambardella, Bocconi University
* Anita McGahan, University of Toronto
* Johann Peter Murmann, University of New South Wales
* Fernando Suarez, Boston University

Understanding how industries change has attracted considerable attention because it blurs industry boundaries, redefines the competitive landscape, creates opportunities for new strategies to emerge, destroys competitive advantages while solidifying others, challenges cognitive maps and establishes new institutional arrangements. In this session, expert panelists will bring us up-to-date on the phenomenon of industry convergence (IC) by sharing their perspectives regarding (1) the antecedents, dynamics, and consequences of IC; (2) how to conceptualize strategic management processes and how they may inform the dynamics of IC; (3) how scholars should evaluate the attractiveness of, and rivalry within, IC industries; and (4) promising research directions including theory development and empirical studies.

August 5, 2014 · Uncategorized Research

Who Matters More? The Impact of Functional Background and Top Executive Mobility on Firm Survival

Do some top executives matter more than others? Integrating insights from upper echelons and executive mobility research, we suggest that the functional roles performed by top executives shape their value to the firm. We examine the effects of inter-firm executive mobility on firm survival for New York City advertising firms from 1924 to 1996. We… More »

May 14, 2014 · Management Research

How Fast Can Firms Grow?

Abstract: Building on recent research on dynamic, high-growth firms—so-called “gazelles”—this paper explores a simple question that is important in both theoretical and practical terms: What is the fastest rate at which firms can grow? Based on a sample of seven high-growth firms (Cisco, GM, IBM, Microsoft, Sears, Starbucks, and US Steel), we find that 162%… More »

March 22, 2014 · Methodology Research

Another Great Example of Serendipity in Scientific Discovery

People underestimate that scientists often make progress by chance. Here is the story of researchers studying a species that has invaded Florida’s Everglades made an unanticipated discovery: deadly Florida pythons have internal GPS. “We found that Burmese pythons have navigational map and compass senses,” said Shannon Pitman of North Carolina’s Davidson College, the lead researcher… More »

February 18, 2014 · Innovation Research

Joel Mokyr Sees no End to Innovation

Mokyr points out the modern GDP measures are not accounting for improvements in quality of products and life. He sees no end to innovation. Basic science needs to be funded by governments because private individuals and corporations cannot appropriate the returns from these investments. He sees culture that encourages natural skepticism of students as a… More »

February 11, 2014 · Methodology Research

Improving Your Case Method Skills: Two Methodological Pieces by Michael Scriven

The philosopher and polymath Michael Scriven has written extensively on the logic of explanations. Here are two of his most valuable pieces. The first one is how one can make good inferences from single case studies and the second one one explanations in history. 1. Scriven, M. (1974). Maximizing the Power of Causal Investigations: The… More »