ProfessorBo Nielsen

Professor Nielsen’s research is at the intersection of strategy and international business with a specific focus on multilevel issues pertaining to strategic collaboration, firm internationalization, and strategic decision-making across borders.

He strives to utilize novel and advanced methodologies to answer pertinent research questions related to why, where, how and when firm’s – and their upper echelon decision-makers - make particular strategic decisions that allow for above-average performance and returns.

His research is both qualitative and quantitative with a particular emphasis on advanced quantitative modelling such as structural equation modelling and multilevel modelling. He also strives to be cross-disciplinary, integrating managerial micro-foundations via psychology with firm level insights from strategy and management and macro-level contingencies from economic geography, urban economics, institutional and political economics and sociology, among many other fields.

His recent work on micro-location choice of foreign direct investments with focus on municipalities and cities has received wide acclaim both academically and practically as policy makers – at firm, local and national levels – all seek to learn about the drivers, determinants and consequences of multinational firms locating specific value-chain activities in specific sub-national locations.

In another stream of research, Professor Nielsen seeks to understand how diversity among upper echelons, such as boards of directors and top management teams, influence firm strategic behaviour and performance. His work on various types of diversity among top managers in relation to specific strategic choices regarding foreign market entry and operations is particularly salient in the public debate.

Yet another stream of research is specifically looking at strategic alliances and joint ventures as vehicles for firm growth and performance. His research clearly articulates the four most salient questions alliance managers must deal with; (1) motives, (2) partner selection, (3) governance form and (4) performance evaluation and builds conceptual and empirical linkages between these key factors.

In a final and more recent stream of research, Professor Nielsen is contributing to the strengthening of applied methods in management, strategy and international business research. As a co-founder of the Research Methods Special Interest Group at AIB, he is committed to advancing our understanding and quality of use of research methodologies as evidences by a number of influential articles and editorial published in top-tier journals.