Profile Information

Profile

Zeki Simsek is a Professor of Management and Gressette Endowed Chair of Business Strategy and Planning at the College of Business. Prior to this appointment he held the Eversource Scholar of Technological Entrepreneurship and Ackerman Scholar at the University of Connecticut.

Simsek's research focuses on strategic leadership, competitive strategy and innovation. His papers regularly appear in the field's premier outlets such as the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Management, among others.

An award winning teacher, Simsek has taught executives, masters, undergraduates, and Ph.D. students. Simsek is currently the Chair of Management Dept. TPR Committee, and has held numerous departmental, school, and university-level committees and faculty council positions. In part as recognition of these efforts across the spectrum from the school and university to community levels, and in part for his scholarly achievements, Simsek received the Research Excellence, as well as Distinguished Service awards at the University of Connecticut prior to joining Clemson in 2016. In 2019, he was also awarded a lifetime appointment to the Clemson University URSAAA society for significant achievement in research. He also won the College of Business Senior Scholar Research Excellence Award.

Simsek currently teaches Strategic Management course in the MBA program, and Ph.D. Seminar in Strategic Management: Research Foundations. He served as an Associate Editor of the Academy of Management Journal and Senior Editor of the Journal of Management. Currently, Simsek serves on multiple editorial boards, including the Academy of Management Discoveries, Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Management.

Research Interests

• Strategic Leadership, Competitive Strategy & Innovation

Research Publications

• Asad, S., Heyden, M. L., Graf-Vlachy, L., Altman, E. J., Hambrick, D. C., Simsek, Z., & Tripsas, M. (2026). Follow the technology or follow the leader? Radical innovation and strategic leadership at a crossroads. Research Policy, 55(8), 105579.
• Simsek, Z., Fox, B. C., Heavey, C., & Liu, S. (2025). Methodological rigor in management research reviews. Journal of Management, 51(1), 103-131.
• Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., König, A., & Stam, W. (2024). Leading digital transformation in incumbent firms: A strategic entrepreneurship framing. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 18(1), 91-102.
• Fox, B. C., Simsek, Z., & Heavey, C. (2023). Venture team membership dynamics and new venture innovation. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 17(4), 741-769.
• Jansen, J. J., Heavey, C., Mom, T. J., Simsek, Z., & Zahra, S. A. (2023). Scaling?up: Building, Leading and Sustaining Rapid Growth Over Time. Journal of Management Studies, 60(3), 581-604.
• Heavey, C., Simsek, Z., Fox, B. C., & Hersel, M. C. (2022). Executive confidence: A multidisciplinary review, synthesis, and agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 48(6), 1430-1468.
• Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., Fox, B. C., & Yu, T. (2022). Compelling Questions in Research: Seeing What Everybody Has Seen and Thinking What Nobody Has Thought. Journal of Management, 48(6), 1347-136
• Simsek, Z., Fox, B., & Heavey, C. (2021). Systematicity in organizational research literature reviews: A framework and assessment. Organizational Research Methods, 10944281211008652.
• Simsek, Z., Li, N., & Huang, J. L. (2022). Turbocharging practical implications in management studies. Journal of Management, 48(5), 1083-1102
• Chen, J., Simsek, Z., Liao, Y., & Kwan, H. K. (2022). CEO self-monitoring and corporate entrepreneurship: a moderated mediation model of the CEO-TMT interface. Journal of Management, 48(8), 2197-222
• Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., & Fox, B. C. (2022). A managerial interfaces perspective for competitive action research. Long Range Planning, 55(3), 102141.
• Simsek, Z., & Li, S. (2022). Designing Scholarly Introductions as Jobs to Be Done. Journal of Management, 48(4), 807-820
• Fox, B. C., Simsek, Z., & Heavey, C. (2022). Top management team experiential variety, competitive repertoires, and firm performance: Examining the law of requisite variety in the 3D printing industry (1986–2017). Academy of Management Journal, 65(2), 545-576.
• Heavey, C., Simsek, Z., Kyprianou, C. & Risius, M. 2020. How Do Strategic Leaders Engage with Social Media? A Theoretical Framework for Research and Practice. Strategic Management Journal, Forthcoming.
• Simsek, Z., Vaara, Paruchuri, S., Nadkarni, S. & Shaw, J.D. (2019). New Ways of Seeing Big Data. Academy of Management Journal. 62: 971-978.
• Simsek, Z., Bansal, P., Shaw, J.D., Heugens, P.P.M.A.R. & Smith, W. 2018. Seeing Practice Impact in New Ways. Academy of Management Journal. 61: 2021–2025.
• Simsek, Z. Heavey, C. & Fox, B. 2017. Interfaces of strategic leaders: A Framework, 30-Year Review, and research agenda. Journal of Management, 44:280-324.
• Heavey, C. B & Simsek, Z. 2015. Transactive Memory Systems and Firm Performance: An Upper Echelons Perspective. Organization Science. Date Accepted: January 18, 2015.
• Simsek, Z. Jansen, J., Minchilli, A., & Escriba, A. 2015. Strategic Leadership and Leaders in Entrepreneurial Contexts: A Nexus for Innovation and Impact Missed? Journal of Management Studies,52: 4; Accepted 4/15/1015.
• Simsek, Z., Fox, B., & Heavey, C. 2014. "What's Past is Prologue": A framework, review, and future directions for organizational research on imprinting. Journal of Management, 41(1): 288 - 31 (Date Accepted: July 26, 2014).
• Heavey, C. B & Simsek, Z. 2014. Distributed cognition in top management teams and organizational ambidexterity: The influence of transactive memory systems. Journal of Management, Accepted. Date Accepted: April 27, 2014
• Heavey, C. & Simsek Z. 2014. Managerial social networks and ambidexterity of SMEs: The moderating role of a proactive commitment to innovation. Human Resource Management, March 21, 2014
• Simsek Z., Heavey, C. & Jansen, J. 2013. Journal impact as a diffusion process: A conceptualization and the case of Journal of Management Studies. Journal of Management Studies, 50: 1374-1407.
• Heavey C. & Simsek, Z. 2013. Top management compositional effects on corporate entrepreneurship: The moderating role of perceived technological uncertainty. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30:837-855.
• Cao, Q., Simsek, Z., & Jansen, J. 2012. CEO social capital and entrepreneurial orientation of the firm: Bonding and bridging effects. Journal of Management.
• Olie, R., Iterson, A.V., & Simsek, Z. 2012. When do CEOs versus top management teams matter in explaining strategic decision-making processes? Toward an institutional view of strategic leadership effects. International Studies of Management and Organization, 42: 86-105.
• Jansen, J. Simsek, Z. & Cao, Q. 2012. Ambidexterity and performance in multi-unit contexts: Cross-Level moderating effects of structural and resource attributes. Strategic Management Journal, 33: 1286-1303.
• Souder, D., Simsek Z. & Johnson, S. 2012. Market expansion over agent and founder CEOs' time in office. Strategic Management Journal, 33: 23-41.
• Simsek Z. & Heavey, C. 2011. The mediating role of knowledge-based capital for corporate entrepreneurship effects on performance: A study of small-to-medium sized firms. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 5: 81-100.
• Cao, Q. & Simsek, Z. 2010. Modeling the Joint Impact of the CEO and the TMT on organizational ambidexterity. Journal of Management Studies. 47: 1272-1296.
• Heavey, C., Simsek, Z., Roche, F., & Kelly, A. 2009. Decision comprehensiveness and corporate entrepreneurship: The moderating role of managerial uncertainty preferences and environmental dynamism. Journal of Management Studies, 46: 1289-1314.
• Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., & Veiga, J. 2009. The Impact of CEO core self-evaluations on entrepreneurial orientation. Strategic Management Journal, 31: 110-119.
• Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., Veiga, J. F., & Souder, D. 2009. A typology for aligning organizational ambidexterity's conceptualizations, antecedents, and outcomes. Journal of Management Studies, 46: 864-894.
• Simsek, Z. 2009. Organizational ambidexterity: Towards a multilevel understanding. Journal of Management Studies, 46: 597-624.
• Simsek, Z., Veiga, J. F Lubatkin, M.., & Dino, R. N. 2009. The role of an entrepreneurially alert information system in promoting corporate entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Research. 62:810-817.
• Ling, Y., Simsek, Z., Lubatkin M., & Veiga, J. 2008. The Impact of transformational CEOs on the performance of small- to medium-sized firms: Does tenure or founder status matter? Journal of Applied Psychology.4:923-34.
• Ling, Y., Simsek, Z., Lubatkin M., & Veiga, J. 2008. Transformational leadership's role in promoting corporate entrepreneurship: Examining the CEO-TMT Interface. Academy of Management Journal, 51: 742-776.
• Simsek, Z. 2007. CEO tenure and organizational performance: An intervening model. Strategic Management Journal, 28: 653-662.
• Florin J. & Simsek Z. 2007. The effects of moral hazard and adverse selection on the pricing and underpricing of initial public offerings. Venture Capital: An International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, 9: 127-143.
• Simsek, Z. Lubatkin, M., & Veiga, J. F. 2007. The impact of the competitive environment on corporate entrepreneurship: Toward understanding discretionary slack's pivotal role. Journal of Management Studies. 44: 1398-1424.
• Lubatkin, M., Simsek Z., Ling, Y. & Veiga, J. F. 2006. Ambidexterity and performance on small- to medium-sized firms: The pivotal role of TMT behavioral Integration. Journal of Management. 32: 646-672.*
• Golden, T., Veiga, J. F. & Simsek, Z. 2006. Telecommuting's differential impact on work-family conflict: Is there no place like home? Journal of Applied Psychology. 91: 1340-1350.
• Simsek, Z., Veiga, J. F Lubatkin, M.., & Dino, R. N. 2005. Modeling the multilevel determinants of top management team behavioral integration. Academy of Management Journal, 48: 69-84.
• Simsek, Z., Lubatkin, M.H., & Floyd, S.W. 2003. Interfirm networks and entrepreneurial behavior: A structural embeddedness perspective. Journal of Management, 3: 427-442.
• Simsek, Z. & Veiga, J.F. 2001. A primer on Internet self-administered surveys. Organizational Research Methods Journal, 4: 218-235.
• Simsek, Z. & Veiga, J.F. 2000. The e-mail surveying technique: An assessment and integration. Organizational Research Methods Journal, 1: 92-114