Profile

Profile

I am a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) in International Management at Newcastle University Business School.

I am, by inclination, a theory-oriented scholar, aspiring to develop new theories that deepen our understandings of critical academic questions and important practical issues. My research has been published in academic journals such as Academy of Management Review (AMR), Asia Pacific Journal of Management (APJM), Journal of Management (JOM), Journal of Management Inquiry (JMI), and Management and Organization Review (MOR).

Roles and responsibilities

• Deputy Degree Programme Director for MBA (since 1 Sept. 2025 -)
• Degree Program Director for MSc International Business Management program (2021 Aug.-2024 Aug.)

Qualifications and certificates

• Ph.D. in Business Economics, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark (2011)    
• M.Sc. in Business Studies, Aston University Business School, UK (2004)     
• B.Eng. in Computer Applications, Southwest Petroleum Institute, China (1999)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Skills of Teaching to Inspire Learning, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK (2007)
• Certificate of Assistant Professor Program in Teaching and Pedagogical Competence, Copenhagen Business School (2016)
• Diploma, The Nordic Research School in International Business (Nord-IB) PhD Program in IB, Uppsala University, Sweden (2010)
• Certificate of Fellowship of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy), U.K. (2024) 

Previous positions

• Assistant Professor in International Business, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark (2012-2019).

Awards

• 2024: My paper titled “Decomposing Both/And: SMART Strategies for Balancing Paradoxical Opposites”, presented at the Academy of Management 2024 Annual conference, 9-13 August 2024, Chicago, USA, is a Finalist for the OMT Division Best International Paper Award.
• 2022: Winner of the Best Presentation Award (I am one of four Best Oral Presenters) of the 3rd International Conference on Modern Management based on Big Data (MMBD2022), 15-18 August 2022, online conference, for my speech "What explains TikTok’s international success?"
• 2022: My 2020 article ‘The quan(tum)-xin philosophy: A solution to the ‘Hwang Kwang- Kuo puzzle’ of Chinese indigenous social science’ (全心学：试解华人本土社会科学的‘黄光国难题’) was selected to be included into the inaugural edition of Yearbook of Chinese Management Philosophy (vol. 2020-2021, pp. 253-263) on 5 May 2022.
• 2019: Winner of “2019 Emerald Literati Award: Highly Commended Paper” (for an article published in Cross-Cultural & Strategic Management in 2018:“How emerging market resource-poor firms compete and outcompete advanced country resource-rich rivals: An asymmetry reversing theory”)
• 2018: Winner of the Outstanding Research within the Fields of Philosophy and Social Science Prize (the second rank) given by the Government of Shanghai, China in 2018 (2018年上海市第十四届哲学社会科学优秀成果奖之学科学术奖论文类二等奖)
• 2015: Winner of “2015 Emerald Literati Award: Highly Commended Paper” (for an article published in Nankai Business Review International in 2014: "The integration of corporate non-market and market strategies: why, what, and how")
• 2014 Winner of the Outstanding Conference Paper award of the 18th World Management Forum & Eastern Management Forum in 2014 (2014年度第十八届世界管理论坛暨东方管理论坛优秀论文一等奖)
• 2007 winner of the Outstanding Doctoral Student Paper award (with 1000 USD prize) of the Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ASBE) 2007 Fall Conference, 10-12 October, Austin, Texas, USA, for my paper "Generic strategy spiral: An invisible hand behind corporate entrepreneurship".

Languages

• Chinese (native)
• English (fluent)

Management

• Deputy Degree Programme Director for MBA (since 1 Sept. 2025 -)
• Degree Programme Director for MSc International Business Management (2021 Aug.-2024 Aug)

Teaching

Current:

• BSc course (BUS1002): Global Business Environment (I am the module leader)
• MBA course (NBS8128): Transitions in the Global Political Economy (I am the module leader)
• BSc course (BUS2041): Principles of International Business (lecturer)
• MSc course (NBS8659): Applied Research Project (tutor)

Past:

• MSc course (NBS8599): Research-based Dissertation (as the module leader)
• MSc course (NBS8060): International Business Strategy (as lecturer)

Supervision

In addition to PhD supervision, I have supervised UG and PG students of the following modules:

• BUS3052: Dissertation for BSc International Business Management
• NBS8500: Research-based Dissertation for MSc Global Human Resource Management
• NBS8599: Research-based Dissertation for MSc International Business Management
• NBS8600: Practice-based Dissertation for MSc International Business Management

Current work

My current research focuses on some fundamental theoretical issues with significant practical implications, in the fields of international business, strategic management, organizational paradox, and indigenous Chinese management studies.

Main expertise

My research interests include international business, strategic management, organizational paradox, and indigenous Chinese management studies. I am particularly interested in bridging Chinese and Western perspectives in business and management scholarship.

Funding received

• 2015: Danish Carlsberg Foundation’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Denmark, research grant (Danish Kroner 1,324,000) for the 3-year project titled “An Inquiry into the Survival and International Success of Resource-Poor Firms from China” (ID: CF15-0270).
• 2016: Danish Otto Mønsted Foundation’s Visiting Professors from Abroad grant (Danish Kroner 98,000) for inviting Prof. Arie Y. Lewin of Duke University, US, to be a visiting professor at Copenhagen Business School.

Future research

In addition to what I have been doing, I have interests in following research areas:

• Digital transformation of business organizations
• Application of Chinese philosophy (e.g., Xinxue or Xin-Philosophy) in management studies
• Applications of relevant ideas from physics (e.g., quantum and relativity theories) in management studies

PhD supervision

Currently, I have supervised 5 PhD students with the following research topics respectively:

1. Coopetition strategy in sustainable entrepreneurship from a paradox lens
2. How early career academics cope with the paradoxical tensions within the higher education system in China
3. How small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) implement digital transformation to enhance agility and resilience
4. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and Artificial Intelligence in the UK Retail and E-commerce industry
5. The Rise of Confucian Enterprises: Drivers, Practices, and Competitiveness

I welcome potential PhD applicants proposing to do PhD research within the following research fields:

• international business
• strategic management
• paradox research
• digital technology and artificial intelligence

• Articles

  • Li, X. Practicing Chinese Traditional Culture to break Competitive Involution: A Quanxin-Relationalism Perspective (践行传统文化、破解竞争内卷: "全心关系主义"视角). Shanghai Management Science (上海管理科学) 2025. In Press.
  • Yang D, Wu X, Wang X, Li X. Enterprise digital transformation path selection and paradox identification: A qualitative meta-analysis (企业数字化转型路径选择及其悖论识别：一项质性元分析). R&D Management (研究与发展管理) 2025, epub ahead of print.
  • Li X, Rong K, Shi X. Situating artificial intelligence in organization: A human-machine relationship perspective. Journal of Digital Economy 2024, 2, 330-335.
  • Li X. Solving paradox by increasing technological capacity: A critique of the concept of business model innovation at TikTok. Management and Organization Review 2022, 18(1), 203-208.
  • Li X. The Neither-And thinking: Understanding James March’s unique solution to paradox. Management and Organization Review 2021, 17(4), 755 - 776.
  • Li X. The diversity of Chinese management research: Four approaches and eight patterns (中国管理研究的多样性：四种取向和八种模). Chinese Culture and Management (中国文化与管理) 2021, 2021(1), 131-141.
  • Li X. Solving paradox by reducing expectation. Academy of Management Review 2021, 46(2), 406-408.
  • Li X. Quantum approach to organizational paradox: A Copenhagen perspective. Academy of Management Review 2021, 46(2), 412-415.
  • Sharma G, LBartunek J, Buzzanell PM, Carmine S, Endres C, Etter M, Fairhurst G, Hahn T, Lê P, Li X, Pamphile V, Pradies C, Putnam LL, Rocheville K, Schad J, Sheep M, Keller J. A Paradox Approach to Societal Tensions during the Pandemic Crisis. Journal of Management Inquiry 2021, 30(2), 121-137.
  • Li X. Transcendent intelligence and quan(tum)-xin leadership: A Xin-Philosophy perspective on quantum management’ (慧商与全心领导力: 心学化的量子管理理论初探). Chinese Culture and Management (中国文化与管理) 2020, 2020(1), 135-153.
  • Li X. The Quan(tum)-Xin Philosophy: An Attempt to Solve the “Hwang Kwang-Kuo Puzzle” of Chinese Indigenous Social Science (全心学: 试解华人本土社会科学的‘黄光国难题’). Chinese Culture and Management (中国文化与管理) 2020, 2020(2), 34-56.
  • Li X, Ma L. Chinese management research needs self-confidence but not over-confidence. Asia Pacific Journal of Management 2020, 37(2), 481-498.
  • Li X. Is “Yin-Yang balancing” superior to ambidexterity as an approach to paradox management?. Asia Pacific Journal of Management 2019, 36(1), 17-32.
  • Dong L, Li X, McDonald F, Xie J. Distance and the completion of Chinese cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Baltic Journal of Management 2019, 14(3), 500-519.
  • Li X, Andersen TJ, Hallin CA. A Zhong-Yong perspective on balancing the top-down and bottom-up processes in strategy-making. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management 2019, 26(3), 313-336.
  • Li X. Zhong-Yong as dynamic balancing between Yin-Yang opposites. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management 2018, 25(2), 375-379.
  • Li X, Worm V, Xie P. Towards an integrative framework of conflict-handling behaviour: Integrating Western and Chinese perspectives. Asia Pacific Business Review 2018, 24(1), 22-36.
  • Jakobsen M, Worm V, Li X. Making sense of context in international business: Some methodological reflections. Asia Pacific Management Review 2018, 23(4), 251-257.
  • Li X, Worm V, Xie P. Is Yin-Yang superior for paradox research?. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management 2018, 25(3), 501-514.
  • Li X. How emerging market resource-poor firms compete and outcompete advanced country resource-rich rivals: An asymmetry reversing theory. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management 2018, 25(3), 538-544.
  • Xie P, Wang C, Li X. Research on the integration of market and non-market strategies in the process of internationalization of Chinese enterprises (中国企业国际化过程中非市场战略与市场战略的整合研究). Management World (管理世界) 2017, 2017(Supplementary Issue), 478-480.
  • Xie P, Meng X, Li X. Genuine and spurious competitiveness: New perspective on firm-level strategy’ (虚假竞争力: 企业战略研究新视角). Foreign Economics & Management (外国经济与管理) 2017, 39(2), 3-16, 35.
  • Li X. The danger of Chinese exceptionalism. Management and Organization Review 2016, 12(4), 815-816.
  • Li X. Modesty or overconfience: On the attitude of Chinese indigenous management research (谦虚谨慎或者骄傲自负: 中国本土管理研究的心态问题). Chinese Journal of Management (管理学报) 2016, 13(1), 40-48.
  • Li X. X-integrationism: A philosophical perspective of Chinese indigenous management research’ (中国本土管理研究的X整合主义). Chinese Journal of Management (管理学报) 2015, 12(2), 157-166.
  • Cheng Z, Li X. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions: What you need to do’, (跨国并购，你需要做对什么). Business Review (商业评论) 2015, 2015(10), 88-102.
  • Li X, Ma L. Business management practices: Converging in some aspects but diverging in others. Management and Organization Review 2015, 11(4), 795-805.
  • Xie P, Li X, Xie X. The integration of corporate non-market and market strategies: why, what, and how. Nankai Business Review International 2014, 5(1), 115-132.
  • Xie P, Meng X, Li X. Spurious and genuine competitiveness: New perspective on enterprise competitiveness (虚假与真实竞争力: 企业竞争力研究的新视角). Management World (管理世界) 2014, 2014(Supplementary Issue), 67-75.
  • Cao Y, Li X. Huawei: Winning in Europe (华为: 攻克欧洲). Business Review (商业评论) 2014, 2014(5), 126-139.
  • Li X. Can Yin-Yang guide Chinese indigenous management research?. Management and Organization Review 2014, 10(1), 7-27.
  • Li X, Gammelgaard J. An integrative model of internationalization strategies: The corporate entrepreneurship – institutional environment – regulatory focus (EIR) framework. Critical Perspectives on International Business 2014, 10(3), 152-171.
  • Li X. Chinese Traditional Philosophy and Indigenous Management Research: Discussion and Reflection’ (中国传统哲学与本土管理研究: 讨论与反思). Chinese Journal of Management (管理学报) 2013, 10(10), 1425-1433.
  • Wuthnow J, Li X, Qi L. Diverse multilateralism: Four strategies in China’s multilateral diplomacy. Journal of Chinese Political Science 2012, 17(3), 269-290.
  • Li X, Worm V. Building China’s soft power for a peaceful rise. Journal of Chinese Political Science 2011, 16(1), 69-89.
  • Li X, Brødsgaard KE, Jacobsen M. Redefining Beijing Consensus: Ten economic principles. China Economic Journal 2010, 2(3), 297-311.

• Book Chapters

  • Li X. How Resource-Poor Firms Survive and Thrive: The Story of Successful Chinese Multinationals. In: Torp SS; Andersen T, ed. Adapting to Environmental Challenges: New Research in Strategy and International Business. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2020, pp.215-228.
  • Jakobsen M, Worm V, Li X. Navigating a global corporate culture: On the notion of organizational culture in a multinational corporation. In: Andersen T, ed. The Responsive Global Organization: New Insights from Global Strategy and International Business. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2017, pp.129-152.
  • Sun X, Cao Y, Li S, Li X. Building a global responsive organization: The case of the Haier group. In: Andersen T, ed. The Responsive Global Organization: New Insights from Global Strategy and International Business. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2017, pp.153-172.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Li X. Decomposing Both/And: SMART Strategies for Balancing Paradoxical Opposites. In: 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. 2024, Chicago, Illinois, USA: Academy of Management.

• Review

  • Li X. Book Review: Who’s afraid of China? The challenge of Chinese soft power, authored by Michael Barr. Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies 2012, 30(1), 117-119.