Bio
Christian is a professor in strategic management at the Warwick Business School, University of Warwick. He is an expert on long-term success and for the past decade has devoted his energy to the investigation of long-living corporations: how they grow, adapt, and consistently beat their competitors. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg Business Week, Fast Company, Fortune/CNN, and the BBC and has been translated into 11 languages.
Current Research Topics
- Firm capabilities and technology change
- Organizational learning
- Diversification
Professional Activities
Academic positions
- Visiting professor, Tuck School of Business, 2021–present
- Professor of strategic management, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, 2015–present
- Director, DBA Programme, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, 2015–20
- Associate professor, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, 2012–15
- Lecturer in strategy, School of Management, University of Bath, 2010–11
- Visiting scholar, Dartmouth College, 2008–09
- Assistant professor of strategy, Universität Innsbruck, 2003–08
Books
- With J. Hautz, K. Matzler, S. F. von den Eichen, Open Strategy: Mastering Disruption from Outside the C-Suite,” MIT Press, 2021
- Enduring Success: What We Can Learn from the History of Outstanding Corporations, Stanford University Press, 2011
Nonacademic positions
- Austrian Army (Reserve), 1st Lieutenant, 1995–2007
- Management consultant, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, 2002–03
Editorial positions
Member, editorial board: Journal of Product Innovation Management, Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Organization
Awards
“Future Thinker,” Thinkers50, 2013
Working Papers
- With F. Karaba, “Jack of All Trades: Cross-functional CEOs and Organizational Ambidexterity”
- With S. Schneck, J. Hautz, M. Mayer, K. Matzler, A. Strobl, “Taming the Beast: How Family Businesses Mitigate CEO Narcissism in Product Diversification Strategies”
- With M. Nakagawa, C. Liu, “When Game-Changers Change Their Game: Creativity and Success in Japanese Manga”
- With A. Taylor, “(Mis)learning from Infrequent Change: Innovating under Technological Transitions”
Selected Publications
- With C. Helfat, G. Verona, “Transferring Knowledge by Transferring Individuals: Innovative Technology Usage and Organizational Performance in Multi-unit Firms,” Organization Science, 2021
- With M. C. J. Mayer, J. Hautz, K. Matzler, “International and Product Diversification—Which Strategy Suits Family Managers?” Global Strategy Journal, 8(1), 2018
- With M. J. Mol, A. Ariño, “Africa: The New Frontier for Global Strategy Scholars,” Global Strategy Journal, 7(1), 2017
- With M. Mayer, J. Hautz, R. Whittington, “Diversification and Internationalization in the European Single Market: The British Exception,” Business History Review, 91(2), 2017
- With M. C. J. Mayer, J. Hautz, “The Relationship between Product and International Diversification: The Role of Experience,” Strategic Management Journal, 36(10), 2015
- With M. Mayer, J. Hautz, “Few Companies Actually Succeed at Going Global,” Harvard Business Review, 2015
- With K. Matzler, V. Veider, J. Hautz, “The Impact of Family Ownership, Management, and Governance on Innovation,” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(3), 2015
- With C. E. Helfat, G. Verona, “The Impact of Dynamic Capabilities on Resource Access and Development,” Organization Science, 2013
- “Process Innovation and Integration in Process-Oriented Settings: The Case of the Oil Industry,” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 28(s1), 2011
- “Four Principles of Enduring Success,” Harvard Business Review, July/August, 2007