AWARD CRITERIA
The CK Prahalad Award for Scholarly Impact on Practice, introduced in 2011, was created to honor the legacy of CK Prahalad. The award recognizes excellence in the application of theory and research in practice. These include but are not limited to contributions to knowledge through the extraction of learning from practice; authored scholarly works that have substantively affected the practice of management; and/or the integration of research and practice.
A scholar-practitioner who has used applied learning to influence how theory and research guide practice is honored by this award. Special attention will be given to a scholar-practitioner whose contributions have shaped the understanding of global strategic leadership.
Nomination Process:
SMS Members are invited each year to nominate deserving members for the Awards and Honors Committee to review.
Nominations include:
- Nomination letter by an SMS Member for why the individual is deserving of the Award
- A full CV for the nominated individual
The recipient of this award is selected by a subcommittee appointed by the SMS Awards & Honors Committee.
CK Prahalad Award for Scholarly Impact on Practice 2025 Recipient:
Julian Birkinshaw
Julian Birkinshaw was nominated for this award by Richard Whittington (Said Business School, University of Oxford) as a highly influential combination of scholarly work and practice. The SMS Awards & Honors Committee evaluated 16 deserving candidates for this award and selected Julian because of his commitment to integrating research and practice through his writings, consulting, case development, executive education, and initiatives like MLab. His frameworks on strategic agility and management innovation and his deep expertise in MNCs make his contributions highly relevant to global strategic leadership and provide direct guidance to practitioners. His recent appointment as Dean of Ivey Business School further solidifies his leadership role in combining theoretical management education and application in practice.
About Julian:
Professor Julian Birkinshaw is a world‑leading scholar and dynamic academic leader. Appointed Dean of Ivey Business School at Western University in August 2024, he brings an impressive 25‑year legacy at London Business School where he held roles including Vice‑Dean, Deputy Dean Programs and Deputy Dean Executive Education. A graduate of Ivey (MBA ’91, PhD ’95), he also holds a BSc in Geology from Durham University.
An internationally renowned authority on innovation, digital transformation, and strategic agility of large firms, Birkinshaw has authored 16 books—including Resurgent, Fast/Forward and Becoming a Better Boss—and 130 articles in top journals. He has won best paper awards in leading academic journals (e.g. Management Innovation in Academy of Management Review in 2008) and practice-oriented journals (e.g. How Incumbents Survive and Thrive in Harvard Business Review in 2022. His is a Fellow of the British Academy, Strategic Management Society, American Academy of Management, and Academy of International Business, and holds honorary doctorates from Copenhagen and Stockholm universities.
Award Past Recipients
David Teece, 2018
Kathleen Eisenhardt, 2017
Richard Rumelt, 2016
Michael Porter, 2015
Henry Mintzberg, 2014
Clayton Christensen, 2013
Nitin Nohria, 2012
Yves Doz, 2011