Research in the Strategy area of the PhD Programme focuses on how firms achieve and sustain superior performance over time.
Research in strategic management draws on two key intellectual traditions. One stems from economics—incorporating neoclassical, evolutionary, and institutional perspectives—to explain how firms and industries shape business strategy. The other merges strategy and organisational theory, focusing on leadership and managerial processes that produce superior enterprise strategies.
INSEAD’s Strategy area features robust faculty expertise in both traditions, creating a rich, diverse environment. PhD students gain exposure to a wide range of theories and evidence, fostering a dynamic setting for advanced strategic inquiry.
"A great privilege of being part of INSEAD is the fact that it’s an endless fountain of youth in terms of academic inspiration."
As part of the “Foundations in Strategy and Organisation” class, INSEAD doctoral students engage with prominent scholars who have made significant contributions at the intersection of strategy, knowledge, and innovation. This engagement is facilitated through an interview series organized in conjunction with the annual Strategic Management Society (SMS) conferences.
INSEAD’s Strategy PhD students hail from diverse academic and professional backgrounds—economics, engineering, information systems, technology, business, and management. Some enter the programme directly after undergraduate studies, while others bring significant industry experience. Although prior research and methodological skills are advantageous, the programme’s inherently interdisciplinary nature encourages students to collaborate across areas. Many Strategy PhD candidates also explore research topics in Organisational Behaviour, Entrepreneurship, and Technology and Operations Management, among other fields.
