A research professor of innovation and international business in the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Joe Cheng identifies and manages research and academic partnerships for the Discovery Partners Institute. Before rejoining the University of Illinois in 2018, he served three years as professor of management and the Michael J. Crouch Chair in Innovation at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and then two years as research professor of international business and Director of the Center for International Business Education and Research at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. During 2012, he was a visiting professor in the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.
Joe’s research centers on three main areas: (1) innovation, R&D productivity, and international competitiveness; (2) globalization and multinational management; and (3) organizational learning, adaptation, and change. He is currently studying the inner-workings of national innovation ecosystems in North America, Europe, and Asia and how companies (both established and startup) can leverage ecosystem resources to build a competitive advantage. His research has been supported by competitive grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and corporate sponsorships from major multinational firms.
Joe has published seven edited books and many refereed articles in leading U.S. and European academic journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Human Relations, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Long Range Planning, Management and Organization Review, Management Science, Organization Studies, Strategy Science, and R&D Management, among others. A former elected Chair of the Academy of Management (AOM) International Management Division, he currently serves or has served on the editorial boards of 12 academic journals, including appointments as a consulting editor, reviewer, and special issue editor.
Joe has received recognition for research, teaching, and professional service excellence, including a Leading Book Series Editor Award from Emerald Group Publishing, a Best Paper Award from the AOM Organization and Management Theory Division, Excellent Teacher Listings (undergraduate and doctoral) at the University of Illinois, an Outstanding Elective Professor Award from The Ohio State University MBA Programs (full-time, evening, and weekend), and a Distinguished Service Award from the AOM International Management Division.