Kunyuan Qiao
Northeastern University, D’Amore-McKim School of Business
“His teaching stands out due to his creative approaches, such as using food to engage students and calling himself “Professor Food for Thought.” (Subscribe to his YouTube video channel. It is very fun!) These unique methods make his classes not only informative but also enjoyable and memorable, and he is the best among all NEU professors and the first to use such kind of unique pedagogical tech!
Prof. Qiao is not only an outstanding researcher but also a beloved and highly effective educator whose methods and dedication leave a lasting impression on his students.” – Luoqi (Fred) Wang
Kunyuan Qiao, 34, is Assistant Professor of International Business and Strategy, and Sociology at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business as well as the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
His research explores how historical and natural processes shape firm strategy and entrepreneurship through institutions, cultures, and various social structures. He examines a broad array of national contexts, including China, Europe (with a focus on Germany), India, Latin America, and the United States, and addresses organizational outcomes related to sustainability, social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Kunyuan’s work has been published or is forthcoming in leading academic journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, and Research Policy.
He has received or been a finalist for numerous awards for his book, dissertation, papers, reviews, and service from organizations such as the Academy of Management, the American Sociological Association, the Strategic Management Society, Cornell University’s Emerging Markets Institute and S.C. Johnson College of Business, the University of California, Berkeley’s Culture Connect Conference, the International Association for Chinese Management Research, as well as distinctions from the Axiom Best Business Books and Financial Times, and journals like Organization Science and the Journal of Management Studies.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2023
Education: PhD in Management, Cornell University; MA in Economics, the Pennsylvania State University; MA in Economics, Peking University; BA in Economics and BS in Statistics, Peking University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Strategy in Action
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I was pursing a PhD in Economics at Penn State when one of my former professors introduced me to the field of organization theory and we started some collaborative projects with my eventual doctoral advisor Chris Marquis at Cornell. Through this work, I learned the importance of understanding the social and institutional bases of organizational behavior and strategy. This experience made me determined to become a business school professor.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I am currently researching how historical and natural factors serve as the foundational roots of firm strategy and entrepreneurship. I am developing organizational theories to understand how and why events from the past—such as the admission of U.S. states into the Union, the system of chattel slavery, and German firms’ historical ties to the Nazi Party—continue to influence firm strategies today. Additionally, I examine how natural elements—including Climate (above the earth’s surface), Topography (e.g., mountains and rivers), Resources (beneath the earth’s surface), and Living nonhuman entities (animals, plants, bacteria, and diseases)—shape/“CTRL” corporate behavior. My findings suggest that these deep-rooted factors still play a significant role, and I aim to build new paradigms based on these insights.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … An econometrician developing both theoretical models and empirical applications at an econ department.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I may not have made a significant mark yet, but I am enthusiastic about using a “Food for Thought” approach to enrich student learning. Since I live near campus, I have had the opportunity to bake for my students and bring fresh pastries to class. During these sessions, I encourage students to share their thoughts on strategies for a hypothetical company selling these foods, aiming to deepen their understanding of firm strategy. The foods, which blend East Asian and Western influences, also serve as a metaphor for combining different perspectives and cultures—something I hope my students appreciate both in and out of the classroom.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Experiential
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: students might not know too much about history and I need to lay the intellectual background well
Professor I most admire and why: I admire many people, but Chris Marquis, my former doctoral advisor, stands out as the person I admire the most. Chris is not only a standout and superstar scholar of his generation—having published numerous seminal works that are highly regarded in academia and impactful books that make this knowledge accessible to a broader audience—but also an exceptional individual. He has played a significant role in helping me grow both as a scholar and as a person. His encouragement to pursue big questions and important topics has had a lasting influence on me, and his unwavering support has been invaluable. I am deeply grateful for all he has done, and I cannot thank him enough.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Our students at Northeastern are super smart and appreciative. There are very supportive of my experiential learning style.
What is most challenging? While there is norm to apply a bell curve to students’ grades in many U.S. schools, I believe in recognizing the high caliber of our students. When they consistently demonstrate excellence, I feel it is important to assess them based on their individual merit and provide them with the grades they truly deserve.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: curious
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: uninvolved
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … fair
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? Watching movies about history and exercise
How will you spend your summer? Work in my office mostly
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Historical cities like Athens, Istanbul, Philadelphia, Rome, and many Chinese cities.
Favorite book(s): Democracy in America (by Tocqueville), The Spirit of Law (by Montesquieu), Guns, Germs, and Steel (by Jared Diamond), and The Confucian-Legalist State: A New Theory of Chinese History (by Dingxin Zhao).
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? Once Upon a Time in the West, directed by Sergio Leone, is a quintessential example of the Spaghetti Western genre. The film explores the waning era of the “Wild West,” a time when many people often took justice into their own hands through duels and vigilante actions. As industrialization and the establishment of law and order encroached on this untamed way of life, the old ecosystem became unsustainable. The movie highlights a pivotal societal transformation in U.S. history, illustrating the profound impact of modernity—a key theme in sociology, which seeks to understand the effects of such changes on society.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? Ennio Morricone and his music for historically oriented Western movies directed by Sergio Leone. The music took the movie to the next level.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … I believe it could be valuable for business schools to incorporate more courses related to social sciences and humanities. This could help business school students and future business leaders gain a deeper understanding of history, culture, and other fundamental social factors that shape various regions and people. Such knowledge could enhance their ability to design more informed and effective strategies—particularly in areas like internationalization and foreign market engagement—while also fostering more thoughtful, humanistic approaches to employee management.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … It might be important for firms to recognize that historical and natural factors, or “deep roots,” continue to influence their operations. For instance, a company’s founding history may become their strengths or weaknesses and firms need better management of history. At the same time, firms should also consider how they can integrate artificial intelligence and related technologies to remain competitive and innovative in today’s business environment.
I’m grateful for … my wonderful colleagues and students, especially those at my current and former institutions. If I were to list all those who have supported and inspired me, it would amount to hundreds of names, which might be too many for Poets & Quants! Suffice it to say, they have been incredibly supportive, helpful, and caring throughout my journey, and I am deeply grateful for their guidance.
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