Prof Robin Pesch

Professor

School: Newcastle Business School

Robin is a Professor in International Business. His expertise encompasses three primary areas: 1) international innovation alliances, 2) top management teams and technological changes, and 3) the workplace integration of migrants. Robin's research has gained international acclaim, earning him multiple prestigious awards. His research projects addressing grand challenges have successfully secured significant research funds in Canada, China, and Germany.

Robin brings a wealth of international academic experience to Northumbria University, having previously held positions at Newcastle University, and the University of Bayreuth in Germany. He is an esteemed member of the GLOBE 2020 research project, and he also lends his expertise to the Journal of Business Research and the European Management Journal as an Associate Editor.

His passion for teaching is evident in his diverse courses covering International Business, Strategy & Organisation, Innovation Management, and empirical research methods. His dedication to innovative pedagogy has been recognized through an award for outstanding teaching from the University of Bayreuth in 2017. Furthermore, his pioneering efforts in creating animated learning videos for dissertation support led to a nomination for a Best Teaching Award at Newcastle University.

Beyond academia, Robin actively engages in knowledge transfer with policymakers and managers in Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), small and medium-sized companies, and non-profit organizations. Robin's impactful work is regularly featured in various media outlets, including newspapers and radio and has been covered by the World Economic Forum.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

My research interests are:

International innovation alliances
Top management teams and technological change
Migrant and refugee employees
Cultural differences and leadership

I am pleased to talk to potential PhD students with interesting proposals that link to my research interests.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Digital product innovation management: Balancing stability and fluidity through formalization, Pesch, R., Endres, H., Bouncken, R. Nov 2021, In: Journal of Product Innovation Management
How to achieve benefits from diversity in international alliances: Mechanisms and cultural intelligence, Pesch, R., Bouncken, R. 2018, In: Global Strategy Journal
Family Firms, Alliance Governance and Mutual Knowledge Creation, Bouncken, R., Hughes, M., Ratzmann, M., Cesinger, B., Pesch, R. 5 Oct 2020, In: British Journal of Management
The support paradox: Explaining (mis)matches in refugee workplace support, Pesch, R., Ipek, E. 30 Nov 2025, In: Journal of Management Studies
Be a hero: Employ refugees like a pragmatist, Pesch, R., Ipek, E., Fitzsimmons, S. 24 Feb 2023, In: Organizational Dynamics