Debtanu LAHIRI

I am a PhD Candidate in Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris. I started my doctoral studies in the Fall of 2017, and aim to graduate in the summer of 2022. In the Fall of 2021, I will be on the international job-market for tenure track faculty positions starting in the Fall of 2022. I have presented at a number of international conferences such as the Academy of Management Annual Meeting (2019, 2020, 2021), Annual Meeting of the Strategic Management Society (2020), Academy of International Business (2019). One of my working papers received a 2nd round R&R from Strategic Management Journal, and is currently under revision for the 3rd round review. I have also reviewed quite extensively for various academic conferences, and received the Best Reviewer Award for my services at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business, 2019. 

My research interests broadly lie in the domain of non-market strategy. A number of sub-streams contribute to the richness of this area - arguably, the more popular among these are: corporate political activity, sustainability and social activism, and firms’ adaptation strategies in different institutional environments. The vast existing scholarship in this tradition remains deficient in some directions: Much research on corporate political activity has remained focused on unravelling its benefits – although its aggregate impact on firm performance remains elusive. Also, surprisingly, existing research remains silent on the extent to which such aggregate benefits (if any) are sustainable. Furthermore, although recent scholars have started to examine some of the ‘costs’ associated with political connections, there are several dimensions of such ‘costs’ that are yet to be accounted for. And, perhaps, the most important void that has remained unfulfilled stems from the scarcity of an integrative view encompassing the various sub-streams mentioned above. My interest in non-market research is motivated by a desire to address some of these voids. 

Dissertation Title: Three essays contextualizing the benefits (and costs) of firm’s non-market strategies 

Advisors: 
Prof. Bertrand Quelin, Strategy & Business Policy, HEC Paris
Prof. Goncalo Pacheco de Almeida, Strategy & Business Policy, HEC Paris