One career, two audiences
Most of my work sits at the point where academic rigor has to survive contact with a real balance sheet.
I'm currently Professor of Strategy at BI Norwegian Business School, where I lead the development of BI's flagship Master of Management program. Before Oslo, I was Professor of International Business and Director of the IB PhD Program at Aalto University in Helsinki, and Dean of Nottingham University Business School China — the first and largest Sino-foreign business school, where I grew the faculty from around 40 to 95+ scholars from 28 countries and increased top-tier research output by roughly 240%.
"Author of the most highly cited article in international human-resource management of the past fifty years." — Journal of World Business bibliometric analysis, 2021
None of that research stayed in a journal. In parallel, I've run my own consulting firm, Direction International, since 1997, and spent several years as a senior consultant at Ward Howell International — advising firms on foreign market entry, post-merger integration, and organizational effectiveness across Russia, China, and the CIS. I currently serve as a Visiting Scholar at the Boao Forum for Asia — often described as Asia's World Economic Forum — and was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard in 2026.
- Based inOslo, Norway
- RoleProfessor of Strategy, BI Norwegian Business School
- AlsoVisiting Scholar, Boao Forum for Asia (2023–present)
- EducationPh.D., Richard Ivey School of Business, Western Ontario (1997); B.S. Physics, Bates College (1991)
- Editorial rolesEditorial Review Board, Journal of International Business Studies; former Deputy & Senior Editor, Management and Organization Review
- RecognitionFellow, Academy of International Business — one of ~125 Fellows worldwide
- MediaRegular commentator on CGTN / CCTV on China, trade, and global business
- NationalityAmerican and Swedish
70+ journal articles
A selection of the roughly ten academic articles I consider most representative of the work.
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2026
Building compositional capability to enhance SME export performance: The role of government support programs
Shahzad, K., Fan, D., Fey, C.F., Kim, D. & Liu, W. — Forthcoming, Journal of International Business Studies -
2021
HR ambidexterity and absorptive capacities: A paradox-based approach to HRM capabilities and practice adoption in MNC subsidiaries
Beletskiy, A. & Fey, C.F. — Human Resource Management, 60(6): 863–883 -
2020
Fostering integration through HRM practices: An empirical examination of absorptive capacity and knowledge transfer in cross-border M&As
Zhou, A.Z., Fey, C.F. & Yildiz, H.E. — Journal of World Business, 55(2): 1–14 -
2018
When same is (not) the aim: A treatise on organizational cultural similarity, fit and knowledge transfer
Morgoulis-Jakoushev, S., Yildiz, H.E. & Fey, C.F. — Journal of World Business, 53(2): 151–163 -
2016
Are the extent and effect of psychic distance perceptions symmetrical in cross-border M&As? Evidence from China and Sweden
Yildiz, H.E. & Fey, C.F. — Journal of International Business Studies, 47(7): 830–857 -
2009
Opening the black box of the relationship between HRM practices and firm performance: A comparison of MNC subsidiaries in the USA, Finland, and Russia
Fey, C.F., Morgulis-Yakushev, S., Park, H.J. & Björkman, I. — Journal of International Business Studies, 40(4): 690–712 -
2008
Top management compensation and co-ordination mechanisms in multinational corporations as drivers of knowledge transfer: The case of China and Finland
Fey, C.F. & Furu, P. — Strategic Management Journal, 29(12): 1301–1323 -
2005
External sources of knowledge and performance in R&D organizations
Fey, C.F. & Birkinshaw, J. — Journal of Management, 31(4): 597–615 -
2003
MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity and HRM
Minbaeva, D., Pedersen, T., Björkman, I., Fey, C.F. & Park, H.J. — Journal of International Business Studies, 34(6): 586–599 · the most-cited HRM article of the past 50 years -
2003
Organizational culture and effectiveness: Can American theory be applied in Russia?
Fey, C.F. & Denison, D. — Organization Science, 14(6): 686–706 -
2001
The effect of human resource management practices on MNC subsidiary performance in Russia
Fey, C.F. & Björkman, I. — Journal of International Business Studies, 32(1): 59–76
The complete list — including practitioner articles, books, cases, conference proceedings, and work in progress — is available on request.
A regular voice on CGTN and CCTV
Since 2012 I've made 97 television and radio appearances — mostly on CGTN and CCTV — explaining global trade, China's economy, and international business to a general audience. A recent selection:
An Assessment of China at the End of 2025
Insight into US Tariffs
Global Tariff War
Boao Forum for Asia 2025: Global Guests Discuss China's Opportunities
How Is Business Likely to Develop in China in 2025?
What Will International Business Look Like During a Trump Administration?
Understanding Chinese New Productive Forces and Innovation
The International Trade of Chinese EVs: Implications of Recent Tariffs
Full list of 97 TV and radio appearances since 2012 available in the CV on request.