Jim Dewald

Jim Dewald is the dean of the Haskayne School of Business and a professor in the strategy and entrepreneurship. A business leader who can provide an effective bridge between strategy theory and on-the-ground practice, his research interests are related to the micro-foundations of strategy formulation and implementation. Specifically, his work has contributed to the constructs of cognitive resilience, entrepreneurial thinking and strategic response to disruptive innovations, most specifically business model innovations.

Jim has two books, two book chapters, and several articles to his credit, including publications in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, the Journal of Management Studies, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Journal of Small Business Management. He has received research awards from SSHRC, the United States Association of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, the Real Property Association of Canada, the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, and the University of Calgary. In addition, he was awarded the MBA Society’s Outstanding Teaching and Learning Award for the 2007/2008 academic year. 

Jim holds a BSc in civil engineering and MBA from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in strategy and global management from the University of Calgary. Prior to entering academe, he was active in the Calgary business community as the CEO of two major real estate development companies and a leading local engineering consulting practice, and president of a tech-based international real estate brokerage company. He was recognized as Calgary Citizen of the Year (1999) and is an honourary member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada. Currently, Jim sits on the board of Boardwalk REIT, and the West Campus Development Trust.

Selected publications:

Osiyevskyy, O. & Dewald, J. 2015. "“Explorative versus Exploitative Business Model Change: The Cognitive Antecedents of Firm Responses to Disruptive Innovation”, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 9(1): 58-78.

Osiyevskyy, O., & Dewald, J.  2015. “Inducements. Impediments, and Immediacy: Exploring the Cognitive Drivers of Small Business Manager’s Intentions to Adopt Business Model Change”, Journal of Small Business Management.

Casebeer, A., Reay, T., Dewald, J., & Pablo, A. 2010. “Knowing Through Doing: Unleashing Latent Dynamic Capabilities in a Public Sector Context”, book chapter in From Knowing to Doing: Connecting Knowledge and Performance in Public Services by K. Walshe, G. Harvey, E. Spencer, C. Skelcher & P. Jas (Ed.) Cambridge University Press.

Dewald, J., & Bowen, F. 2010. “Storm Clouds and Silver Linings: Responding to Disruptive Innovations through Cognitive Resilience.” Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice, 34(1): 197-218.

Pablo, A., Reay, T., Dewald, J., & Casebeer, A. 2007. “Identifying, enabling, and managing dynamic capabilities” Journal of Management Studies, 44(5): 687-708.

Dewald, J., Hall, J., Chrisman, J., & Kellermanns, F. 2007. “The governance paradox: Preferences of small vulnerable firms in the homebuilding industry” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 31(2): 279-297.

Verbeke, A., Dewald, J. 2005. “Managerial responses to borderless risk”. Transnational Corporations and Economic Development: From Internationalisation to Globalisation (ed. L. Cuyvers, F. deBeule)book chapter.

Dewald, J., Hall, J. Chrisman, J. 2004. “Why do small firms choose quasi-integration?  The case of the homebuilding industry.” ICFAI Journal of Management Research 3(11): 66-73. 

Recent conferences and professional publications

MahdaviMazdeh, H. & Dewald, J. 2015. “How industry and firm specific characteristics moderate the behavioral theory of the firm.” Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.

MahdaviMazdeh, H. & Dewald, J. 2014. “The impact of manager’s cognition on firm search choice.” Decision Sciences Institute Annual Conference, Tampa Bay, Florida. 

Mahdavi Mazdeh, H. & Dewald, J. 2014. “A comprehensive theory of behavioral search: The role of industry and firm specific characteristics” Strategic Management Society 34^th Annual Conference, Madrid, Spain.

Osiyevskyy, O. & Dewald, J. 2014. “Incumbent responses to disruptive business model innovations: Rational and behavioral perspectives” Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dewald, J. 2014. “Three factors that foster entrepreneurial thinking” The Globe and MailMarch 10, 2014 Leadership Lab.

Dewald, J. & Osiyevskyy, O. 2014. “Strategic entrepreneurship: Developing a model of socially constructed opportunities” Exemplars Conference, Keystone, Colorado.

Osiyevskyy, O., Dewald, J., & Falkenberg, L. 2014. “Online exploration or brick-and-mortar exploitation? Business model change in public sector” Strategic Management Society Special Conference, Tel Aviv, Isreal.

Osiyevskyy, O. & Dewald, J. 2013. “Explorative versus exploitative business model change: the antecedents of firm-level responses to disruptive innovation” Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal Special Issue Conference, Barcelona, Spain.

MahdavMazdeh, H., Falkenberg, L., Osiyevskyy, O., & Dewald, J. 2013. “When to innovate and when to mimic? Responding to disruptive changes in higher education” Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Research Conference, Wales, UK.

Osiyevskyy, O. & Dewald, J. 2013. “Explorative versus exploitative business model change: The antecedents of firm-level responses to ongoing disruption” Academy of Management Annual General Meeting, Lake Beuna Vista, Orlando, Florida.

Dewald, J., Abousalem, N. & Osyivskyy, O. 2013 “Does decision-making process matter?” Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Calgary, Alberta.

MahdaviMazdeh, H. & Dewald, J. 2013. “Theories in corporate strategy: Vertical integration in the oil and gas industry” Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference, Calgary, Alberta.

Dewald, J., Osiyevskyy, O. & Abousalem, N. 2013. “Strategy and entrepreneurial thinking: New perspectives in teaching and practice” Canadian Council of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Victoria, BC.

MahdaviMazdeh, H. & Dewald, J. 2013 “Ecosystem of Innovation in the Oil and Gas Industry” Strategic Management Society Lake Geneva Special Conference, Lake Geneva.

Osiyevskyy, O. & Dewald, J. 2013. “Adversity as a Driver of Innovation in Small Business”, United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, San Francisco, CA.

• Courses
• Supervised Students