In 1997 the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) and the European International Business Academy (EIBA) decided to launch an international award for the best PhD thesis in the field of International Business – the Gunnar Hedlund Award. A substantial 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 should act as a vehicle to stimulate PhD candidates around the world in the field of International Business, and also commemorate Professor Gunnar Hedlund’s important work in the field‖.
For the 2008/2009 Award, 20 PhD theses were submitted. Three finalists were chosen in a blind selection round, and presented their theses at the 35th EIBA Annual Conference in Valencia, Spain, on 15 December 2009. The 2008/2009 finalists were:
Brandon Charleston, ―Mind the Gap: Exploring the Cross Cultural Encounters of Managers Working on Overseas Development Projects for NGOs—the Case of Raleigh International in Sabah‖, Leeds University Business School, UK.
Jesper Edman, ―The Paradox of Foreignness: Norm-breaking MNEs in the Japanese Banking Industry‖, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden.
Ajai Gaur, ―Essays on the Strategic Adaptation and Firm Performance during Institutional Transition‖, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
The winner this year is Jesper Edman.
The Chairman of the jury remarks:
―Jesper Edman has written an important and novel PhD thesis within the field of International Business. His research puts focus on institutional norm-breaking behavior by Multinational enterprises (MNEs), within the empirical context of the Japanese banking industry. The notion of the liability of foreignness is turned into a somewhat paradoxical reality, where liabilities are combined with considerable benefits. Methodologically, the thesis is based on a few case studies within one industry, including both domestic firms and foreign MNEs. This thesis challenges the standard ―truths‖ within the field of IB. Furthermore, it is a thorough piece of work and therefore worthy of this distinction‖.
The jury consisted of:
Professor Örjan Sölvell, Chair, Stockholm School of Economics (no vote - disqualified due to closeness to one of the finalists)
Professor Julian Birkinshaw, London Business School Professor Peter Buckley, Leeds University Business School (no vote - disqualified due to closeness to one of the finalists) Professor Daniel van den Bulcke, University of Antwerp Professor Eleanor Westney, York University Professor Rebecca Piekkari, Helsinki School of Economics
For more information about the Gunnar Hedlund Award please contact orjan.solvell@hhs.se