Debtanu LAHIRI

I am a PhD Candidate in Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris. I started my PhD studies in the Fall of 2017 and aim to graduate in the summer of 2022.My research interests primarily lie in the domain of Non-market strategy - an area that has seen increasing popularity among strategy scholars over the years. Among the various sub-streams that characterize this domain, my primary interests lie in corporate political activity (CPA) and social activism.

Despite there being considerable volume of research on CPA, a significantly large part of it has been skewed towards the examination of its benefits. Although certain scholars have talked about its liabilities in specific contexts, a systematic analysis of its costs is rather scarce. Furthermore, research on the extent of sustainability of the benefits is almost completely missing. I believe that for an appropriate assessment of the value of a strategic resource, a nuanced understanding of its costs and of the transiency of its benefits is necessary. Besides, what is also missing is a finer examination of the various forms of CPA and the role of geopolitics in domestic CPA. My interest in non-market research is motivated by the desire to contribute towards fulfilling some of these existing voids. 

Dissertation Title (proposed): Three essays contextualizing the benefits and the costs of firm’s non-market strategies [Proposal defended in Sep’ 2019]

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