Frank T. Rothaermel
The Russell and Nancy McDonough Chair in Business
Awards & Recognitions
Research
Education
Biography
Frank T. Rothaermel (Ph.D.) holds the Russell and Nancy McDonough Chair of Business in the Scheller College at the Georgia Institute of Technology and is an Alfred P. Sloan Industry Studies Fellow. He received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, which "is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of ... those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education." (NSF CAREER Award description).
Frank’s research interests lie in the areas of strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. To inform his research he has conducted extensive field work and executive training with leading corporations such as Amgen, Daimler, Eli Lilly, Equifax, GE Energy, GE Healthcare, Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea), Kimberly-Clark, Microsoft, McKesson, NCR, Turner (TBS), UPS, among others. Businessweek named Frank one of Georgia Tech’s Prominent Faculty in their national survey of business schools. The Kauffman Foundation views Frank as one of the world’s 75 thought leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Frank has published over 30 articles in leading academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, and elsewhere. Some of his academic articles are highly cited. Frank currently serves (or served) on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, and Strategic Organization. Frank regularly translates his research findings for wider audiences in articles in Forbes, MIT Sloan Management Review, Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. Frank is also the author of a leading textbook—Strategic Management—and numerous popular cases studies published by McGraw-Hill.
He has received several recognitions for his research, including the Sloan Industry Studies Best Paper Award, the Academy of Management Newman Award, the Strategic Management Society Conference Best Paper Prize, the DRUID Conference Best Paper Award, the Israel Strategy Conference Best Paper Prize, and is the inaugural recipient of the Byars Faculty Excellence Award.
Frank has a wide range of executive education experience, including teaching in programs at Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, ICN Business School (France), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), St. Gallen University (Switzerland), and the University of Washington. He received numerous teaching awards for excellence in the classroom including the Georgia Power Professor of Excellence award.
Frank holds a Ph.D. degree in strategic management from the University of Washington; an MBA from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University and an M.Sc. (Diplom-Volkswirt) in economics from University of Duisburg, Germany. He was a visiting professor at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and an Erasmus Scholar at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Professor Rothaermel is a member of the Academy of Management, the Industry Studies Association (Founding Member), and the Strategic Management Society.
Featured publications
Grigoriou, K., Rothaermel, F.T. (2017). Organizing for knowledge generation: Internal knowledge networks and the contingent effect of external knowledge sourcing. Strategic Management Journal, 38 (2): 395-414.
Grigoriou, K., Rothaermel, F.T. (2014). Structural microfoundations of innovation: The role of relational stars. Journal of Management, 40 (2): 586-615.
Hess, A. M., Rothaermel, F. T. (2011). When are assets complementary? Star scientists, strategic alliances and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Strategic Management Journal, 32 (8): 895-909.
Hoang, H., Rothaermel, F.T. (2010). Leveraging internal and external experience: Exploration, exploitation, and R&D project performance. Strategic Management Journal, 31: forthcoming.
Rothaermel, F.T., Alexandre, M.T. (2009). Ambidexterity in technology sourcing: The moderating role of absorptive capacity. Organization Science, 20 (4): 759-780.
Rothaermel, F.T., Boeker, W. (2008). Old technology meets new technology: Complementarities, similarities, and alliance formation. Strategic Management Journal, 29 (1): 47-77.
Rothaermel, F.T., Hess, A. (2007). Building dynamic capabilities: Innovation driven by individual, firm, and network-level effects. Organization Science, 18 (6): 898-921.
Rothaermel, F. T., Hitt, M. A., Jobe, L. A. (2006). Balancing vertical integration and strategic outsourcing: Effects on product portfolios, new product success, and firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 27 (11): 1033-1056.
Rothaermel, F. T., & Hill, C. W. L. (2005). Technological discontinuities and complementary assets: A longitudinal study of industry and firm performance. Organization Science, 16 (1): 52-70.
Hoang, H., & Rothaermel, F. T. (2005). The effect of general and partner-specific alliance experience on joint R&D project performance. Academy of Management Journal, 48 (2): 332-345.
Rothaermel, F. T., & Deeds, D. L. (2004). Exploration and exploitation alliances in biotechnology: A system of new product development. Strategic Management Journal, 25 (3): 201-221.
Hill, C. W. L., & Rothaermel, F. T. (2003). The performance of incumbent firms in the face of radical technological innovation. Academy of Management Review, 28 (2): 257-274.
Rothaermel, F. T. (2001). Incumbent’s advantage through exploiting complementary assets via interfirm cooperation. Strategic Management Journal, 22 (6-7): 687-699.