Invited Talk at Oregon State University

posted on May 29 2009

Today, the College of Business at Oregon State University has invited me to present my working paper "Rent Appropriation in Technology Licensing Deals" as part of their Austin Entrepreneurship Scholars Research Seminar Series.

Thanks to Ted Khoury for the kind invitation and to all the participants for the valuable feedback on my paper!

Faculty Enhancement Grant Received

posted on May 23 2009

The Office of Graduate Studies and Research at Portland State University has generously awarded me a 2009-2010 Faculty Enhancement Grant of $6,000 for my research project:

"Technology licensing deals: Motives, partner selection, and value creation."

Paper Included in Best Paper Proceedings

posted on Apr 09 2009

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that another research project I'm involved in will be included in the Best Paper Proceedings of the Academy of Management Meeting, this time for the 2009 Meeting in Chicago, IL:

The corporate context and the speed of SBU-level decision making

Maximilian Kownatzki*, Jorge Walter**, & Christoph Lechner***

* Oliver Wyman, ** Portland State University, *** University of St. Gallen

In this paper, we examine the impact of the context the corporate headquarter sets for its strategic business units (SBUs) on the speed of strategic decision making at the SBU level. Using two related empirical studies, we first inductively develop a taxonomy of corporate context categories and, second, deductively examine their effects on decision processes at the SBU level. Our results suggest that from a set of nine corporate context categories, four enhance decision speed (financial incentives, target definition, process-related involvement, and HR-/career incentives), one has a negative influence (content-related involvement) and four have no direct effect (arenas for discourse, coercive enforcement, sanctioning, and conflict resolution). Combining these insights with our inductive analysis, we are further able to provide explanations for why certain categories influence decision-making speed. Our study provides novel insights into strategic interactions between headquarters and SBUs as well as into the effects of the corporate context on SBU-level decision-making speed, a crucial determinant of firm performance.

Keywords: Strategic decision making; decision-making speed; corporate context; corporate-SBU interactions; grounded theory; repertory grid

Exceptional Performance Recognition Award Received

posted on Apr 02 2009

The School of Business Administration at Portland State University has generously granted me the 2009 Exceptional Performance Recognition Award.

This is a competitive annual award and salary increase granted to the top 10% of faculty of the School of Business Administration.

Upcoming Symposium at the 2009 AOM Annual Meeting

posted on Mar 20 2009

My colleague Daniel Z. Levin and I are happy to announce the upcoming symposium we just got accepted at the 2009 Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL:

"Decay, death, and rebirth of networks and network ties."

Participants: Jason P. Davis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Ranjay Gulati (Harvard University), Sérgio Lazzarini (IBMEC, Sao Paulo), J. Keith Murnighan (Northwestern University), Ray E. Reagans (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Todd R. Zenger (Washington University-St. Louis).

For more information, check the AOM Website.

New York Times Article on Facebook

posted on Mar 15 2009

Since I'm recently doing some research on reconnecting dormant ties (see the previous posts from Aug 13, Apr 10, and Mar 20), a colleague sent me this interesting article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/magazine/15wwln-lede-t.html

The author contrasts the ever increasing number of 35-54 year-old users--and their main interest to reconnect with old acquaintances--with the way Facebook may profoundly change the way young people create their adult identity...

Journal of Management Editorial Board

posted on Feb 12 2009

I gladly accepted an invitation by the new editor of the Journal of Management, Prof. Talya Bauer, to join the editorial board of the journal.

Please check JOM's website for more information.

2008 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Oct 20 2008

From October 11-15, the Strategic Management Society Annual International Conference took place in Cologne, Germany. Under the conference theme "How does knowledge matter?", we presented our papers:

"Not just ‘anything that leads to performance’: The operational validity of resource definitions" with Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University & WHU) & Benedict Kemmerer (Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete).

"Judgment-theoretical assessments of value and inimitability within the realm of the resource-based view" with Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University & WHU), Benedict Kemmerer (Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete), & V. K. Narayanan (Drexel University).

For more information, check the SMS website.

2008 Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on Aug 13 2008

From August 8-13, the Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2008 took place in Anaheim, CA. Under the conference theme "The questions we ask", we presented our paper:

"Dormant ties: The value of reconnecting" with Daniel Z. Levin (Rutgers University) & J. Keith Murnighan (Northwestern University).

Our paper was also included in the Best Paper Proceedings (see the post from April 10).

For more information, check the AOM website.

JoMS Article Published

posted on Apr 10 2008

New Article Published in the Journal of Management Studies 45(3): 530-560

Disentangling alliance management processes: Decision making, politicality, and alliance performance

Jorge Walter*, Christoph Lechner*, & Franz W. Kellermanns***

* Portland State University, ** University of St. Gallen, *** Mississippi State University

Using a sample of 106 organizations engaged in strategic alliances, we develop and test a framework of alliance-related organizational decision-making processes and their impact on alliance performance. With regard to direct effects, our results show a negative impact of decision-making recursiveness and no significant relationship for openness and procedural rationality. Acknowledging the importance of the organization’s micropolitical context in which these decision processes are embedded, we also test the moderating influence of politicality. Our findings provide support for our hypotheses that in a context of low politicality, the decision-making characteristics of openness and procedural rationality have a positive influence, whereas recursiveness negatively affects alliance performance. In a context of high politicality, however, openness and procedural rationality exert a negative influence, and the negative impact of recursiveness is aggravated. We suggest that alliance-related decision making cannot be adequately understood without explicitly considering the micropolitical context in organizations.

Keywords: Strategic alliances, alliance performance, alliance-related decision-making processes, politicality.

For a copy of the article, please contact me directly.

Paper Included in Best Paper Proceedings

posted on Apr 10 2008

I am very happy to announce that our new paper will be included in the Best Paper Proceedings of the 2008 Academy of Management Meeting:

Dormant ties: The value of reconnecting

Daniel Z. Levin*, Jorge Walter**, & J. Keith Murnighan***

* Rutgers University, ** Portland State University, *** Northwestern University

The prevailing view of social network ties is that, if not continually maintained, they will wither and disappear, losing their value as social capital. In contrast, we propose that dormant ties—i.e., former ties in which two parties have lost touch—can be a particularly valuable source of knowledge. We predict that dormant ties that were once strong can combine the benefits of weak ties (novelty and efficiency) with the benefits of strong ties (solidarity and comprehension). Our results support all four parts of this prediction: prompting executives to consult their dormant contacts about an important work project led to extremely useful interactions. The findings highlight the value of dormant ties as an overlooked and often-untapped source of social capital.

Keywords: Social capital, weak ties, knowledge transfer

New Working Paper Presented @ Purdue & Kentucky

posted on Mar 20 2008

My co-author Daniel Levin (Rutgers) has presented our new working paper "Dormant ties: The value of reconnecting" (co-authored with Keith Murnighan at Kellogg) at Purdue University (on February 19) and the University of Kentucky (on March 18).

We received a lot of valuable feedback to incorporate into our paper before submitting it to a journal by early summer, so thanks to all seminar participants!

2007 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Oct 09 2007 This year's Strategic Management Society's Annual International Conference with the title "The Challenges of Non-Market Influences on Market Strategies" is taking place October 14-17 in San Diego, CA. My co-authors and I are scheduled to present our paper:

"Friend Or Foe? Corporate Control And Strategic Decision-Making Speed At The SBU Level" with Maximilian Kownatzki (Mercer Management Consulting) and Christoph Lechner (University of St. Gallen).

For more information on the conference, check out their website.

2007 Society of Entrepreneurship Scholars Conference

posted on May 24 2007

My co-authors and I have received an invitation to the 2007 Society of Entrepreneurship Scholars Conference.

Included in the conference program is a Manuscript Boot-Camp, where we will present the paper:

"Empirical validation of resource-evaluation frameworks: A judgment analysis perspective," with Benedict Kemmerer (BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH), Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University), and V.K. Narayanan (Drexel University).

The conference will take place August 16-19 at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, and Franz will present the paper on our behalf.

JBR Article Published

posted on May 21 2007

New Article Published in the Journal of Business Research 60: 698-710

Knowledge Transfer Between and Within Alliance Partners: Private Versus Collective Benefits of Social Capital

Jorge Walter*, Christoph Lechner*, & Franz W. Kellermanns***

* Portland State University, ** University of St. Gallen, *** Mississippi State University

This article examines the process through which multilevel network structures translate into knowledge acquisition from alliance partners. The degree of knowledge transfer a multidivisional company achieves from its network of alliance partners is determined not only by the organization's external network structure, but also by the structure of relationships among its business units. By distinguishing two perspectives on the distribution of social capital's benefits - private versus collective - this article's approach reconciles the competing views on what types of network structures create social capital, that is, the brokerage and closure views of the social network literature. Private benefits of brokerage and centrality are more beneficial in interfirm networks, whereas collective benefits provided by network closure and low levels of centralization are more beneficial in intrafirm networks.

Keywords: Inter- and intrafirm networks; knowledge transfer; social capital; strategic alliances

Find the article here: Walter_2007.pdf

2007 Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on Mar 10 2007

In 2007, the Academy of Management Annual Meeting will be hosted by my wife's beloved hometown Philadelphia, PA. Under the conference theme "Doing well by doing good", we will present our paper:

"What's in a tie? Knowledge transfer and the dimensions of dyadic social capital" with Daniel Z. Levin (Rutgers University) & Melissa M. Appleyard (Portland State University).

The conference will take place August 3-8, 2007. For more information, check the AOM website.

This trip also offers an opportunity to visit my old friend Florian, who is currently holding a postdoctoral position at the University of Pennsylvania, and his wife Andrea during the last 4 months of their stay in this fantastic city. To see some pictures of their experiences in the US, check their website.

2006 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Dec 09 2006

This year's Strategic Management Society's Annual International Conference with the title "Strategy and Governance in a World of Institutional Change" took place October 29 - November 1 in Vienna, Austria. Together with my co-authors I presented the paper:

"Organizational structure and corporate entrepreneurship: A simulation model" with Dirk Martignoni (University of St. Gallen) & Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University).

For more information on the SMS Conference, visit their website.

2006 AOM Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA

posted on Aug 01 2006

This year's Academy of Management Annual Meeting with the title "Knowledge, Action and the Public Concern" took place August 11-16 in Atlanta, GA. Although I could not participate due to my wedding in Philadelphia, my co-authors presented our paper:

"To agree or not to agree? A meta-analytical review of strategic consensus and performance" with Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University), John C. Shaw (Mississippi State University), Christoph Lechner (University of St. Gallen), & Steven W. Floyd (University of Connecticut).

For more information on the AOM Meeting, visit their website.

Moving West

posted on Jul 18 2006

After a great year at the University of Connecticut, I am excited to start my tenure-track position as Assistant Professor at Portland State University's School of Business Administration. From September 2006, I will teach the undergraduate capstone course in strategic management and pursue my research projects in this fantastic West Coast city.

Colleagues win SMS Best Conference Paper Prize

posted on Oct 29 2005

I am very glad to announce that my mentor at the University of St. Gallen, Christoph Lechner, and my mentor at the University of Connecticut, Steven W. Floyd, won the prestigious Strategic Management Society (SMS) Best Conference Paper Prize for their paper:

"The role of authority, justification, and coalition-building in strategic renewal".

Congratulations also from my side for this tremendous achievement!

2005 SMS Annual International Meeting

posted on Oct 19 2005

In spite of the hurricane "Wilma", this year's Annual International Meeting of the Strategic Management Society took place in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. The theme for this year was "Strategic Management Achievements & Opportunities".

Together with my co-authors, I presented two papers there:

"Strategic decision-making at the firm and alliance level: An empirical study" with Franz W. Kellermanns (Mississippi State University), and

"Motives and outcomes of technology licensing: An exploratory study of the pharmaceutical and computer industries" with Melissa A. Schilling (New York University).

For more information on the SMS Meeting, visit their website.

JOM Article Published

posted on Sep 19 2005

New Article Published in the Journal of Management 31(5): 719-737

The Lack of Consensus About Strategic Consensus: Advancing Theory and Research

Franz W. Kellermanns*, Jorge Walter**, Christoph Lechner***, & Steven W. Floyd**

* Mississippi State University, ** University of Connecticut, *** University of St. Gallen

The purpose of this article is to describe the theoretical and methodological reasons for the inconsistent findings on the value of strategic consensus. This analysis suggests the need for (a) definitions of consensus that align the locus and content of agreement with the study context and theoretical premises; (b) measures of consensus that take account of locus as well as differences in how the content of strategy is perceived by top-, middle-, and lower-level managers; (c) research designs wherein assumptions about the locus and content of consensus govern the choice of antecedents; and (d) more consistent use of moderators.

Keywords: Strategic consensus; consensus decision making; strategic decision making

Find the article here: kellermanns_2005.pdf

New Position at UConn

posted on Aug 31 2005

After my year as postdoc at New York University's Stern School of Business, I have accepted a one-year appointment as assistant professor in residence at the University of Connecticut's School of Business. I will be teaching the capstone courses in strategic management at the undergraduate level and the MBA level.

2005 Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on Aug 10 2005

The Academy of Management Annual Meeting took place from August 5-10, 2005, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and featured the theme "A new vision of management in the 21st century". For more information about the meeting see their website.

Together with my co-authors, I presented two papers at this year's AOM Annual Meeting:

‘Resource-based and network-based motives for technology licensing: An exploratory study’, with Melissa A. Schilling (New York University).

‘Together or apart? An empirical investigation of decision making within and between alliance partners’, with Christoph Lechner (University of St. Gallen).

2005 Eastern Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on May 11 2005

From May 11-14, the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Academy of Management (EAM) takes place in Springfield, MA. This year's topic is "Managing ethically in times of change." All the information is on their website.

Christoph Lechner, Franz Kellermanns, and I presented our paper: "Disentangling alliance capability: Managerial decision making in strategic alliances."

Graduation

posted on Apr 04 2005

After years of hard work, I attended my gradation ceremony in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Thank you to my family & friends who supported me throughout this time and where there for me, always, and to my advisers Prof. Guenter Mueller-Stewens (left), Prof. Christoph Lechner (right), & Prof. Georg von Krogh (not in the picture).

2005 Organization Science Winter Conference

posted on Feb 03 2005

The 2005 Organization Science Winter Conference took place in Steamboat Springs, CO. I presented our paper:

"Disentangling alliance capability: Managerial decision making in strategic alliances," co-authored with Christoph Lechner & Franz Kellermanns.

And yes, we did go skiing as well. And it was great, although it was Erin's first time...

2004 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Oct 14 2004

The 2004 SMS Annual International Conference took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

My colleagues Christoph Lechner, Franz Kellermanns, and I presented our paper, "Strategic decision making in an uncertain environment: The case of learning alliances in high-tech industries."

Paper Nominated for SMS Best Conference Paper Prize

posted on Oct 01 2004

I am happy to announce that our paper was nominated for the Strategic Management Society Best Conference Paper Price.

Strategic decision making in an uncertain environment: The case of learning alliances in high-tech industries

Jorge Walter*, Christoph Lechner*, & Franz Kellermanns**

* University of St. Gallen, ** Mississippi State University

Alliance-related strategic decision making within an organization is of paramount importance for the benefits of its strategic collaborations to materialize. In this paper, we empirically examine the strategic decision-making processes within firms related to their strategic alliances as a subgroup of effective alliance management. Specifically, we argue that the decision-making process characteristics rationality, speed, flexibility, and politicality within an organization significantly influence the performance of a firm’s strategic alliances. Our empirical findings from 106 European high-tech firms engaged in strategic alliances largely confirm our argument that a rational-comprehensive and fast decision-making style – in contrast to a more flexible, incremental style – is the appropriate response to the challenges of strategic decision making with respect to collaborative agreements in dynamic industries. Contrary to our expectations, however, this approach has to be balanced with a certain level of decision-making politicality to promote necessary changes and free blocked decisions.

Keywords: Strategic alliances, decision-making processes, organizational learning.

New Position at New York University

posted on Aug 31 2004

Financed by a full scholarship from the German Research Foundation, I will spend a year as a postdoctoral researcher at the Stern School of Business, New York University. Besides being thankful for this tremendous opportunity at this prestigious institution, I am looking forward to spending a year in arguably the most exciting city of the world. And all this with Erin by my side...

2004 Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on Aug 06 2004

From August 6-11, 2004, the Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting took place in New Orleans, LA. This year's theme was "Creating Actionable Knowledge". For more information on the conference visit the AOM website.

2004 Eastern Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on May 12 2004

From May 12-15, the 41st Annual Meeting of the Eastern Academy of Management took place at Providence, RI. This year's theme revolved around Organizational Wisdom: Human, Managerial, and Strategic Implications. For more information, visit their website.

We presented the following paper:

Kellermanns, F. W., Lechner, C., Walter, J., & Floyd, S. W. "The ‘lack’ of consensus in strategic consensus research: A future research agenda."

2003 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Nov 09 2003

The Strategic Management Society's (SMS) annual conference will be held November 9-12 in Baltimore, Maryland. This year's title is "Intersections: Strategy Across Conventional Boundaries". SMS is the premier organization for strategy professionals worldwide, and its annual meeting is attended by academic, business, and consulting leaders. Find more information here.

2003 Academy of Management Annual Meeting

posted on Aug 01 2003

From August 1-6, 2003, Seattle hosts the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM). As a professional association dedicated to creating, applying and disseminating knowledge about workers, management, and organizations, this annual meeting brings the AOM community together, which consists of 12,612 members from 82 nations.

Together with my colleague Christoph Lechner, I presented our paper: "Configurations of inter- and intrafirm networks and their impact on alliance performance."

Visiting Doctoral Student at Wharton

posted on Jul 01 2003

Equipped with a full scholarship from the Swiss National Fund, I will spend a year as a visiting doctoral student at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to attending doctoral seminars and research presentations at one of the world's most prestigious academic institutions, I also intend to finish my dissertation during that timeframe.

I am looking forward to spending a year in this vibrant city with its cultural, historical, and culinary experiences. So if you happen to be in the area, don't forget to contact me.

2003 VHB-Pfingsttagung in Zurich, Switzerland

posted on Jun 10 2003

From June, 10-13, the VHB-Pfingsttagung took place at the University of Zurich. The conference with the title "Economics, Management, and Corporate Governance" attracted about 620 participants from all over the world.

Together with my colleague Christoph Lechner, I presented the paper: "Configurations of inter- and intrafirm networks and their impact on alliance performance."

2002 SMS Annual International Conference

posted on Sep 12 2002

The 2002 SMS Annual International Conference took place in Paris, France, under the motto: "Old Barriers Crumbling, New Barriers Rising."

For more information, see the SMS Website.