The prize is awarded to the work that in the opinion of the jury has the greatest potential to impact the field of International Business in the future. Both theoretical and empirical contributions are appropriate. Emphasis is put on creativity and originality.

The Chairman of the jury, Professor Örjan Sölvell remarks: “The idea behind the award was that it should 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”.

The following three finalists presented their theses at the EIBA annual meeting in Uppsala, Sweden, last week:

Karl Joachim Breunig (BI Norwegian Business School), “Realizing Reticulation – A Comparative Study of Capability Dynamics in two International Professional Service Firms over 10 Years”.

Francisco Figueira de Lemos (Uppsala University), “A Political View on the Internationalization Process”.

Maria Andrea de Villa (Cranfield University), “Developing Adaptive Political Capabilities for high Political Uncertainty Contexts – A Study of Strategic Responses in the International Operations of Food Firms in Latin America”.

The winner this year is Karl Joachim Breunig, BI Norwegian Business School.

Professor Örjan Sölvell remarks:

“Karl Joachim Breunig, PhD from BI Norwegian Business School, is awarded the Gunnar Hedlund Award 2012-2014 for his thesis “Realizing Reticulation – A Comparative Study of Capability in two International Professional Service Firms over 10 Years”. According to the jury, this dissertation, in the spirit of Gunnar Hedlund, is characterized by both creativity and originality”.

Motivation by the jury:

“Karl Joachim Breunig has written a novel piece in the intersection of Strategic Management and International Business. His work, based on two contrasting cases, examines how organizations balance flexibility and stability in order to achieve evolutionary fitness in their industry. The author points to success being explained by an active promotion and utilization of social networks – what is referred to as reticulation. The main strength of the thesis is the originality of the topic. The author does a thorough job of building on the dynamic capabilities literature and pointing to solutions to the rigidity paradox. This thesis has the potential of impacting the field of IB and Strategic Management research and therefore worthy of this distinction”.

For more information please contact: Ms Marie Tsujita.