P.J. (Philip) Steinberg, Dr

I am an Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation and Programme Coordinator of the MSc BA Strategic Innovation Management at the Department of Innovation Management & Strategy, University of Groningen.

My research concentrates on the following three main areas:

1) Leadership and the Cognitive Microfoundations of Strategy and Innovation

I study how top executives’ psychological dispositions and incentives shape strategic choices and innovation outcomes. This includes work on CEO narcissism and the exploration–exploitation trade-off, as well as pay dispersion and organizational ambidexterity. I also examine leaders’ attention and temporal focus when confronting grand challenges (e.g., water scarcity). A further stream investigates values, language, and non-market strategy—such as foreign-language use in idea selection, CEO activism, and how creativity links to corporate responsibility and irresponsibility (CSR/CSiR).

2) Ownership Structures and the Governance of Corporate Strategy

This stream analyzes how ownership and governance shape competitive behavior and long-term positioning. I focus on common institutional ownership—its determinants, implications for competitive differentiation, and effects on technological diversification. Related projects study misconduct and succession decisions, and how CSR can catalyze creative performance. I also explore structure–performance relationships, showing when organizational structure strengthens product innovation and competitiveness.

3) Technology & Innovation Management: Global Knowledge Flows and Collaboration

Here I investigate where innovation comes from and how it travels. My work covers R&D offshoring and contract research and their effects on innovation output, as well as internationalization and knowledge transfer in multinational enterprises. I study cooperation and adaptation under external shocks and map sector-level networks—illustrated by ongoing work on the global hydrogen ecosystem—to understand how collaboration and turbulence drive exploration and renewal.

My research contributes to the faculty's strategic themes of "future prosperity & sustainability" and "leadership and governance". I have received have received and was nominated for several academic prizes. My work has been published in Research Policy, Global Strategy Journal, the Journal of Economic Psychology, the Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Product Innovation Management, among others.

After completing my diploma studies (~MSc) in Business and Management at the University of Mannheim and the doctoral studies at the Jackstädt Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research, University of Wuppertal, I joined the University of Groningen as an Assistant Professor. In the past, I was also a visiting scholar at the Department of Strategic Management and Globalization at the Copenhagen Business School and at the University of Cologne. My professional career includes positions at the German carmaker AUDI, the Douglas Holding, a large service retailing group, the Innovation Institute in Frankfurt, and the Bültmann GmbH.

Current Responsibilities:
Programme Coordinator - MSc BA Strategic Innovation Management
FEBRI I&O Research Fellow
Research Fellow Jackstaedt Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research