Dear AIB colleagues,

 

I am delighted to let you know about a paper award, sponsored by the Aalto University School of Business, which was given at last week’s AIB conference in Copenhagen. The Aalto University School of Business “That’s Interesting!” Award recognizes the AIB conference paper that most effectively pushes the boundaries of our existing knowledge in the field. The criteria for the award are based on the extent to which the paper crosses boundaries, challenges taken-for-granted assumptions in the field, denies old “truths”, attracts the reader’s attention, and/or makes an original argument.

 

This is the eighth year in which the award has been given. The award, which includes a plaque and US$1000, is named after Murray S. Davis’ seminal article about how to define what is interesting in social sciences.* Nominations are made by the AIB conference track chairs, and the winning paper is selected by a committee on which I have had the pleasure of working with Eleanor Westney and Udo Zander.

 

The finalists for this year’s Aalto University School of Business “That’s Interesting!” Award were:

 

Manufacturing Value Networks of Multinationals: How Digital Technologies are Reshaping the Relationships Embedded in the OLI Paradigm

            Arindam Das, Krea University

            Sourav Dey, Cognizant

 

Knowledge: The Role of Relationship-Specific Human Capital in Knowledge Transfer for Young Chinese Firms

            James A. Robins, VU Vienna

            Kathleen Y. J. Low, EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht

 

From Grassroots to Global Markets: A Comparative Case Study of Innovation in India

            Abrar Ali Saiyed, Ahmedabad University

            Marleen Wierenga, Aalto University

            Stephanie Fernhaber, Butler University

 

Bridging Distance: The Experience of International Friendship Cities, Regional Government Leaders, and Outward Foreign Direct Investment from Emerging Economies

            Yameng Zhang, Sun Yat Sen University

            Zhan Wu, University of Sydney

            Yekun Xu, Liaoning University

            Vikas Kumar, University of Sydney

 

And the winner of the 2019 Aalto University School of Business “That’s Interesting!” Award is…

 

Manufacturing Value Networks of Multinationals: How Digital Technologies are Reshaping the Relationships Embedded in the OLI Paradigm, by Arindam Das (Krea University) and Sourav Dey (Cognizant).

 

Warmest congratulations to all of the nominees, and especially to winners Arindam Das and Sourav Dey!

 

Best regards,

Beth

 

 

*Davis, M.S. (1971) That’s interesting! Towards a phenomenology of sociology and sociology of phenomenology. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 1: 309-344.