Shaker A. Zahra

Shaker A. Zahra

Professor, Robert E. Buuck Chair of Entrepreneurship
Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship Department

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Education:

  • PhD in Business Administration
    Business Policy & Managerial Economics University of Mississippi
  • MBA (with Distinction)
    Management/MIS National University
  • B. Commerce (with Honors)
    Management Al-Azhar University

Expertise:

  • International Entrepreneurship
  • Technological innovation in global industries
  • Corporate Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • Digital Innovation & entrepreneurship
  • Public Policy & entrepreneurial ecosystems

Biography

Shaker A. Zahra is  Robert E. Buuck Chair of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Carlson School of Management, the University of Minnesota. He  has served as the department chair (9 years), Director of the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (10 years), and the Academic Co-Director of Carlson Ventures Enterprises. He also served as the Founding Co-Director of the Center for Integrative Leadership at University of Minnesota. Previously, Shaker was Paul T. Babson Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College and Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at Georgia State University. He has been a visiting or guest professor at several universities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Shaker has also held the 3TU Chair in International Entrepreneurship at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. 

Research

Focus of Current Research.  Shaker's research centers on corporate and international entrepreneurship, dynamic capabilities in science and technology global industries. He is also interested in social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in family firms operating in technology industries.

Shaker studies industry emergence and its consequences for entrepreneurship. His research also explores the evolution and sources of novelty in companies' strategic choices and their implications for firm heterogeneity.  This research contributes to the knowledge, organizational learning, and the dynamic capabilities' theoretical perspectives-- especially in young entrepreneurial and established companies in technology-based global markets.

Snapshot of Ongoing Research. Shaker's ongoing research covers multiple industries that include: robotics, software applications, global mobile applications, videogame, pharma, and nanotechnology. Besides the US, his research projects are underway in several countries that include: China, Swaziland, Brazil, India, Morocco, Korea, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Spain. These studies, which are conducted in collaboration with several research partners, apply multiple methods and theories and cover multiple levels of the analysis.

Sample Publications. Shaker's research has appeared in leading  journals including all  Academy of Management publications (Journal, Review, Annals, Discoveries, Perspectives,  Executive, and Learning and Education),  Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Decision Sciences, Information Systems Research, Industrial & Corporate Change, Research Policy, Human Relations, Strategic Organization, among others.  Shaker has also published or (co) edited 12 books and conference proceedings.

Sample Research Recognition. Shaker is the winner of the 2014 Global Award For Entrepreneurship Research. He has received several grants, honors and awards-- including 5 honorary Ph.D. degrees from  Stockholm School of Economics, Jonkoping International Business School (both in Sweden), Ghent University (Belgium), University of Messina (Italy) and Universidad de Olavide de Seville (Spain). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Management (AOM),  Research Fellow of the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, Fellow of the Southern Management Association, Fellow of the International Family Enterprise Association (IFERA), and the Raymond Institute for Family Business.  Shaker's research has received several "Best Paper" awards from Academy of Management Journal,  Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, among others. His research and writings have appeared and cited in the New York Times, Financial Times, USA TodayPhiladephia Inquirer, Inc, among others. His writings have appeared (profiled) in or translated to Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, German, Portuguese (Brazilian), Swedish,etc.

Academic Leadership

Shaker has served on over 25 journal editorial boards as well as a Track Chair for: Decision Sciences Institute, Academy of International Business, and Southern Management Association (3 times). He has also served as the Director of the Babson Kauffman Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BKERC/BCERC) and as the Chair of the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.  In addition, Shaker served as a keynote speaker for over 40 conferences in the US and other countries (e.g., France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Turkey, Dominican Republic & Netherlands).

Teaching & Outreach

Shaker has taught undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and the executive programs at Minnesota, Babson, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, among several others. He has also taught in several company-sponsored executive education and customized-MBA programs.  He has been a consultant to several prominent companies and organizations in the US and other countries. His clients include some of the world's largest global technology-based companies.

Shaker has taught at several DBA, Executive Doctorate and Ph.D. programs in the US and other countries (advising/ chairing or serving on committees of over 75 Ph.D. students). Shaker received several awards for his excellent teaching, including the Best teacher in the MBA and the Mentor Award from the Entrepreneurship Division, the Academy of Management.

 

 

For a Full Copy of Shaker's resume, please send an email to Zahra004@umn.edu

 

Selected Works & Activities

  • Journal Articles
    "Stakeholder Pressure on MNEs and the Transfer of Socially Irresponsible Practices to Subsidiaries, " Academy of Management Journal, 2013, in press (Surroca, Tribo, & Zahra)
  • Journal Articles
    Exploration, Exploitation and Firm Performance: Analysis of S&P 500 Corporations," Keil, Maula, Juha & Zahra, Strategic Management Journal (2008).
  • Journal Articles
    "The role of external knowledge sources and organizational design in the process of exploiting strategic opportunities," Strategic Management Journal, 2013, 34, 1453-1471." (Foss, Lyngsie, & Zahra).
  • Journal Articles
    "The Effect of Strategic Variety and Origin on New Venture Performance," Strategic Management Journal, 2013, in press (Larraneta, Zahra. & Galán).
  • Journal Articles
    "Top Management's Attention to Discontinuous Technological Change: Corporate Venture Capital as an Alert Mechanism," Organization Science, 2013, in press (Maula, Keil & Zahra)
  • Journal Articles
    "Stakeholder Pressure on MNEs and the Transfer of Socially Irresponsible Practices to Subsidiaries, " Academy of Management Journal, 2013, in press (Surroca, Tribo, & Zahra)
  • Journal Articles
    "Globalization of Social Entrepreneurship," Zahra, Rawhouser, Bhawe, Neubaum & Hayton, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal (2008).
  • Journal Articles
    "Exploration, Exploitation and Firm Performance: Analysis of S&P 500 Corporations," Keil, Maula, Juha & Zahra, Strategic Management Journal (2008).
  • Abstracts
    "A Typology of Social Entrepreneurs: Motives, Search Processes and Ethical Challenges," Zahra, Gedajlovic, Neubaum & Shulman, Journal of Business Venturing (2009).
  • Journal Articles
    "The Effect of Governance Modes and Relatedness of External Business Development Activities on Innovative Performance," Keil, Maula, Schildt & Zahra, Strategic Management Journal (2009).
  • Journal Articles
    "Knowledge Conversion Capability and the Performance of Corporate and University Spin-Offs," S. Zahra, Van de Velde & Larraneta, Industrial and Corporate Change (2007).
  • Journal Articles
    "The Survival of International New Ventures," R. Mudambi & S. Zahra, JIBS (2007).
  • Journal Articles
    "Entrepreneurship and Dynamic Capabilities: A Review, Model, and Research Agenda," S. Zahra, H. Sapienza & P. Davidsson, Journal of Management Studies (2006).
  • Journal Articles
    "The Effect of Early Internationalization on Firm Profitability and Growth," H. Sapienza, E. Autio, G. George & S. Zahra, AMR(2006).
  • Journal Articles
    "A Theory on International New Ventures: A Decade of Research," S. Zahra, JIBS (2005).
  • Journal Articles
    "Management Fraud: Antecedents and Consequences," S. Zahra, A. Rasheed & R. Priem, J. of Management (2005).
  • Journal Articles
    "Absorptive Capacity: A Review, Reconceptualization, and Extension," S. Zahra & G. George, AMR (2002).
  • Journal Articles
    "Sources of Capabilities, Integration, and Technology Commercialization," S. Zahra & A. P. Nielsen, SMJ (2002).
  • Journal Articles
    "Privatization and Entrepreneurial Transformation: A Review and Research Agenda," Zahra, Ireland, Guiterrez & Hitt, AMR (2000).
  • Journal Articles
    "International Expansion, Technological Learning, and New Venture Performance," S. Zahra, D. Ireland & M. Hitt, AMJ (2000).
  • Journal Articles
    "Entrepreneurship in Medium-Size Companies: Exploring the Effects of Ownership and Governance Systems," S. Zahra, D. Neubaum & M. Huse, J. of Management (2000).

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