In your area of focus within the strategic management field, what intrigues you most?
“For me it is the intersection of strategic management and supply chain management. Tomas Hult and I started doing research on that overlap in the early 2000s. At present, I’m looking at how elements of corporate governance (such as the gender composition of boards of directors) influences how companies address the presence of product defects within their supply chains.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the field of strategic management?
“Study research topics that companies care about. When you take on a topic, be confident that the academic journals and the business press will both be enthusiastic about what you find.”
Please share an impactful article or book that has shaped your professional life, career, or journey in strategic management, and explain it’s impact.
“Over the last few years, my thinking has been shaped to a significant degree by a 2019 book called “Why Not Win?” by Larry Thornton (UGA Press). The book chronicles how a Black youngster growing up poor in 1960s Alabama persevered in life and now owns seven McDonald’s in Birmingham. Thornton also serves on multiple corporate boards. In his book, Thornton urges people to not only work hard but to also “relate hard” — to strive to build strong and enduring relationships that help both parties win in life. He also stresses the importance of personal accountability which is a message that society needs now more than ever in my view.”
When you are not immersed in strategic management, what can we find you doing?
“I enjoy driving fast cars, fishing, and target shooting.”