In 1997 the Boards of the Institute of International Business (IIB) at the Stockholm School of Economics, and the European International Business Academy (EIBA), decided to launch an international award for the best PhD thesis in the field of International Business (IB) – The “Gunnar Hedlund Award”. A substantial yearly prize was set up, today amounting to €10,000.
The Chairman of the jury, Professor Örjan Sölvell remarks: “The idea behind the award is that it shall act as a vehicle to stimulate PhD candidates around the world in the field of International Business, and also to commemorate Gunnar’s important work in the field”.
Four finalists had a chance to present their theses at the 33rd EIBA Annual Conference at the University of Catania, Italy, on 15 December 2007. The 2007 finalists are:
- Seiko Arai, “Absorptive Capability of Japanese and European Multinationals: Dilemmas in Managing R&D at Home and in the United States”, University of Oxford, UK
- Chris Changwha Chung, “The Evolution of International Joint Ventures: Multiple Waves of Structural Change, Performance, and Survival”, Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
- Alex Eapen, “Essays on International Market Entry: Strategic Alliance Governance and Product Segment Entry”, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
- Sabina Tacheva, “Top Management Team Diversity: A Multilevel Exploration of Antecedents and Consequences”, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
The winner this year is Chris Changwha Chung
The Chairman of the jury remarks:
“Chris Chung has written an important thesis within the field of International Business, focusing on international joint ventures (IJV). The thesis offers a rich literature review. A set of hypotheses are tested, and it is confirmed that the hazard rates of IJV termination vary, depending on their history of structural change. The notion of a “liability of reorganization” received strong empirical support. With each mid-stage structural change, IJV performance decreased. The thesis is well constructed and does an excellent job of identifying and researching a fresh set of issues in the ways in which the IJVs’ structural ownership evolves. The author uses a somewhat eclectic style, drawing upon organization/population ecology/sociology literature, and the thesis is methodologically strong. This thesis is a thorough piece of work and therefore worthy of this distinction”.
The jury consisted of:
Professor Örjan Sölvell, Chair
Professor Julian Birkinshaw
Professor Peter Buckley
Professor Daniel van den Bulcke
Professor Eleanor Westney