AIB 2026 Manchester may be over, but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate. Our members have continued to innovate in the field of IB research and, as always, we want to recognize their exceptional scholarship. All of our 2026 award nominees are a credit, both to our association and our discipline as a [...] The post Congratulations to our AIB 2026 Manchester Award Winners and Nominees! appeared first on Academy of International Business (AIB).
AIB 2026 Manchester may be over, but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate. Our members have continued to innovate in the field of IB research and, as always, we want to recognize their exceptional scholarship.
All of our 2026 award nominees are a credit, both to our association and our discipline as a whole. Please join us in congratulating all of them!
Peter J. Buckley and Mark Casson AIB Dissertation Award
Award Sponsors
2026 Award Winner
Towards a Tradeoffs-based Theory of GVC Governance: Three Essays on Mitigating Exposure to Reputational, Transactional, and Operational Hazards Along Global Value Chains
Award Nominees
A Matching Perspective on Foreign Direct Investment
Ph.D. Awarded by WU Vienna
Navigating Sustainability Challenges: Three Essays on Climate Change, ESG Rating, and Geopolitical Conflicts
Ph.D. Awarded by University of Hong Kong
The Socio-Economic Value Creation of Microcredit – A Tribal Identity Investigation
Temple/AIB Best Paper Award
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Ari Van Assche, HEC Montréal / University of Leeds
Seyyed Milad Shirvani, HEC Montréal
A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed – Friendshoring and Geopolitical Alignment in International Public Procurement
Award Nominees
Frederico Heusmann, WU Vienna
Sophia Habisreutinger, WU Vienna
Bettina Höfle, WU Vienna
Chiara Paola Donegani, Aston University
Tomasz Mickiewicz, Aston University
Neha Prashar, Aston University
Muntasir Shami, Aston University
Not All Conflicts Are Equal: The Divergent Effects of Political Violence and Protest on Entrepreneurship
Consumer Adoption of Household Robots: Interactions Between Culture and Anthropomorphism
Jingjun Chen, ESCP Business School
Marion Festing, ESCP Business School
Feeling Included at Work in Intercultural Settings: An Identity Work Perspective
Sebastian Reiche, IESE Business School
Günter Stahl, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Response Surface Methodology as a Tool for Conceptualizing and Estimating Distance in International Business Research
Khadija van der Straaten, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Pursey Heugens, Erasmus University Rotterdam
The Expression and Suppression of Upstream Workers’ Voice in Contemporary Global Value Chains
Sali Li, University of South Carolina
US-China Tech War on Supplier’s Brokerage Position: An Examination of Apple’s Global Supply Chain
Artin Backtash-Rad, University of Surrey
Reshaping Management Education based on International Students’ DEI
Jusuke JJ Ikegami, Waseda University
From Cultural Distance to Strategic Design: Reconceptualizing Culture as an Endogenous Parameter in International Strategy
Anran Li, Monash University
You-Xiang (Joe) Song, University of Auckland
Peter Zamborsky, University of Auckland
Opacity Beyond Borders: Tax Haven Use and the Dispersion of Executive Rewards
Kai Xu, University of Texas at San Antonio
Len J. Treviño, Florida Atlantic University
The Role of Board Gender Diversity and National Culture in Explaining Social Performance Differences Between Family and Nonfamily Firms
Alan M. Rugman Most Promising Scholar Award
2026 Award Winners
Lan-Huong Hoang, University College Dublin
Shuna Ho, University College Dublin
Multinational Enterprises As Ceremonial Intermediaries for Energy Transitions: Integrating Transition and Institutional Theories
Award Nominees
Johannes Kleinhempel, University of Warwick
Robert J. Pidduck, Old Dominion University
Beyond the Liability of Foreignness: Cultural Distance Enhances Immigrant Entrepreneurship
Youhan Wang, Renmin University of China
Buyer-Led Geopolitical Supply Chain Reconfiguration and Supplier Innovation
Mengshu Cui, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University
Nianyu Zhou, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University
Chenguang Hu, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University
Peng Wang, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University
Home-Country Geopolitical Risk and Entrepreneurial Firm Exporting: An Institutional Escape Perspective
Jannik Wiegert, WU Vienna
Frederico Heusmann, WU Vienna
Sophia Habisreutinger, WU Vienna
Bettina Höfle, WU Vienna
Politics Inside the Credit Spread – A Quantitative Study of the Effect of Political Risk on Corporate Credit Spreads
Sichang Liu, Tilburg University
Róisín Donnelly, Tilburg University
State-Directed FDI as a Strategic Response to Home Institutional Change: Evidence from China
AIB-Sheth Foundation Best International Marketing Paper Award
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winner
Award Nominees
Adrian Schuetz, Trier University
Bernhard Swoboda, Trier University
Local Performance Effects of Adaptation of International E-Commerce Firms’ Offers, Services, and Delivery and the Moderating Role of Strategy Tripod Forces
Mariana Bassi-Suter, TBS Education
Luiza Neves, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Clarice Kogut, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Luis Alexandre Grubits de Paula Pessoa, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
“What? I Thought That Brand Was Brazilian!” A Semiotic Analysis of the Country-of-Origin Image Use by Foreign Brands
UNCTAD-AIB Award for Research on Investment and Development
Award Sponsor

2026 Award Winner
Han Li, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Award Nominees
Cem Soner, Bangor University
Pledged but Not Delivered: Governance Quality and Climate Finance Implementation after the Paris Agreement
Yue Lin, University of California, Berkeley
Sink or Swim Together? How the Rule of Law Affects Cross-Border Investment
Lan-Huong Hoang, University College Dublin
Shuna Ho, University College Dublin
Multinational Enterprises As Ceremonial Intermediaries for Energy Transitions: Integrating Transition and Institutional Theories
Anthonin Levelu, Joint Research Center, EU Commission
Investor-State Dispute Settlement and the Margins of Firms’ Foreign Direct Investment
2026 Doctoral Consortium Awards
Best Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award Winner
Albert Yu, University of Queensland
Building Dynamic Managerial Capabilities Through Transformative Learning: A Longitudinal Case Study of an International Non-Governmental Organisation
Neil Hood and Stephen Young Prize for Most Original New Work Winner
Emily McAnnally, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Uprooted Identities: Context Disruption and Identity Network Reconfiguration among Expatriates
Michael Z. Brooke Doctoral Prize for High-Quality Doctoral Proposal Winner
Zhihong Wen, University of Sydney
Economic Nationalism in Antitrust Merger Control: Evidence from Cross-Border Acquisition Outcomes
FIU/AIB Best Theory Paper Award
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winner
Yujia Zhang, T-Y-J Education
Bringing Local Voice into Bargaining Models: Multilevel Bargaining Model of MNEs Host Government Relations
Award Nominees
Nicholas Alexander Bacon, King’s College London
Dana Minbaeva, King’s College London
Johann Fortwengel, King’s College London
Explaining Globalisation and Deglobalisation Cycles: An Integrative Theory of MNE-State System Dynamics
A Practice Theory Perspective on the Transnational Translation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Dual Orchestration at the Nexus of Global Value Chains and Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: A Theoretical Framework for Synergistic and Hybrid Governance
JIBS Decade Award
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Izzet Sidki Darendeli, California State University, East Bay
TL Hill, Temple University
Uncovering the complex relationships between political risk and MNE firm legitimacy: Insights from Libya
Daniel Shapiro AIB Insights Award for Actionable Insights

2026 Award Winners
Dongmei Cao, Nottingham Trent University
Award Nominees
Huaichuan Rui, Royal Holloway University of London
Thriving in Global Chaos: How Chinese MNCs Manage Crises to Stay Competitive
Minjie Zhang, University of Windsor
Jian Wang, Northeastern University (China)
Youbin Zhu, Northeastern University (China)
Hongrui Feng, Pepperdine University
“That’s Interesting!” Award
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Yanan Lin, Independent Researcher
Xiaohan Li, Central University of Finance and Economics
Song Lin, Central University of Finance and Economics
Zhengda Xu, Beijing Technology and Business University
More or Less Adaptation? Unpacking the Opposing Effects of Name and Content Adaptation Strategies on the Foreign Performance of Digital Cultural Products
Award Nominees
Andrea Pallás-Rocafull, University of Valencia
Giulia Galizzi, University of Vienna
Ana Botella-Andreu, University of Valencia
Beyond Templates: Engaging Paradigmatic Pluralism in Case Study Theorizing
Hyun-Jung Lee, London School of Economics and Political Science
Carol Reade, San Jose State University
Rethinking Language Policies in MNCs: Translanguaging as a Catalyst for Linguistic Inclusion
Deepak Nayak, Ohio State University
Eduardo Jimenez-Moro, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Liability of Embeddedness: MNE (In)action as a Response to Home-Host Geopolitical Tensions
Jiachen Liu, Tsinghua University
Qinglingzi Li, Tsinghua University
Zhengyao Kang, University of Bristol
Jiawen Ma, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Jian Hu, Singapore Management University
Stefan Zagelmeyer, University of Manchester
Best Paper Award in Emerging Economies Research
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Manish Popli, Indian Institute of Management Indore
Mehul Raithatha, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Award Nominees
Felix Arndt, University of Waterloo
Wilson Ng, IDRAC Business School
Stephanie Villers, University of Waterloo
Regulatory Interventions and Corporate Political Reconfiguration: How Foreign MNEs Restore Legitimacy in Sin Industries
Dana Minbaeva, King’s College London
Navigating Cross-National Transfer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices: The Boundary Spanning Role of DEI Practitioners
Best Paper Award in Research Methods
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Eren Akkan, KEDGE Business School
Sebastian Reiche, IESE Business School
Günter Stahl, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Response Surface Methodology as a Tool for Conceptualizing and Estimating Distance in International Business Research
Award Nominees
Gilbert Kofi Adarkwah, HEC Montréal
Margaret Fong, HEC Montréal
Sinziana Dorobantu, NYU Stern School of Business
Geopolitical Fault Lines: Alignment, Volatility, and Cross-Border Collaborations
Hilla Back, Aalto University
Iaroslav Kriuchkov, Aalto University
Philipp Back, Aalto University
One Nation, One Language? A Netnography Approach to Understanding the Polarization of Language Ideologies
CUIBE Award for Best Paper on International Business Education
Award Sponsor
2026 Award Winners
Estee Ch’ng, Western Sydney University
Sabreena Zoha Amin, Western Sydney University
Lalitha Kirsnan, Western Sydney University
Christopher Yorke, Western Sydney University
Beyond Groupwork: Structured Teamwork Training for Australian Undergraduate IB Strategy Education
Award Nominees
Artin Backtash-Rad, University of Surrey
Reshaping Management Education based on International Students’ DEI
Aswin Mannepalli, University of Pennslyvania
Developing Cultural Intelligence Through Museum Education: An Integrated Baseline Survey and Interim Embedded Experiment in International Business Pedagogy
Beyond Rupture and Reform: Towards A Critical-Pluralist Pedagogy for Decolonising International Business Education
2026 WAIB Awards
Awards Sponsor

WAIB Best Paper Award Winners
Ru Zhang, Renmin University of China
Hai Guo, Renmin University of China
Pengcheng Ma, Renmin University of China
Meitong Dong, University of Science and Technology of China
Yining Wang, Hong Kong Baptist University
When Social Structure Influences SMEs’ Resource Acquisition: Ethnic Fractionalization, Gender, and Credit Access in Sub-Saharan Africa
WAIB Emerging Scholar Award Winner
Soni Jha, Purdue University Fort Wayne
WAIB Woman of the Year Award Winner
Catherine Welch, Trinity College Dublin
Best Reviewer Award
2026 Award Winners
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Mark Barrueta Pinto, Peruvian University of Applied Sciences
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Jongik Chang, Korea University Business School
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Kelly Xing Chen, Lingnan University
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Stephanie Decker, University of Birmingham
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Wenjia Du, Tongji University
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Dimitrios Gounopoulos, University of Bath
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Yoo Jung Ha, University of York
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Tamiko Kasahara, Waseda University
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Jeoung Yul Lee, emlyon business school
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Nathaniel Lupton, San Jose State University
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Ayush Mishra, University of Wollongong in Dubai
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Jorge Ochaita González, Rey Juan Carlos University
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Eriikka Johanna Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, University of Turku
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Andrea Pallás-Rocafull, University of Valencia
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Santana Pathak, Georgia State University
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Rama Krishna Reddy, Indiana University South Bend
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Evelyn Reithofer, WU Vienna
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Vahid J. Sadeghi, Aston University
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Alexis Sandes, Osaka Gakuin University
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Björn Schmeisser, NHH Norwegian School of Economics
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Maria Cristina Sestu, University of Groningen
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Paresha Sinha, University of Waikato
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Lasse Torkkeli, LAB University of Applied Sciences
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Chris Vazquez Llanos, Universidad Ana G. Mendez
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Davina Vora, SUNY New Paltz
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Runqiong Wang, Renmin University of China / City University of Hong Kong
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Mingchu Wang, Newcastle University
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Jannik Wiegert, WU Vienna
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Ling Eleanor Zhang, ESCP Business School
The post Congratulations to our AIB 2026 Manchester Award Winners and Nominees! appeared first on Academy of International Business (AIB).




















