Speaker
Dr. Xin Li, Associate Professor (Tenured), Newcastle University Business School, UK

Lecture Language
Chinese & English

Moderator
Dr. Nanfeng Luo, Associate Professor 

Lecture Introduction

The organizational paradox literature emphasizes the importance of balancing and integrating contradictory yet interdependent demands. Scholars in organization and management studies have proposed various approaches to paradox integration, such as ambidexterity, yin-yang balancing, zhong-yong middle-way, and transcendence. While all claim to adopt a "both/and" perspective, they differ significantly in their underlying mechanisms (despite sharing some similarities). I propose a SMART framework that serves two purposes: first, to systematically categorize and interpret these existing integration strategies in the literature; second, to function as a universal theoretical framework capable of identifying and accommodating other potential integrative solutions. Additionally, I have developed a decision-making model to guide the selection of appropriate strategies when confronting paradoxical tensions, taking into account specific internal and external contextual factors.

Speaker Biography

Xin Li is a tenured Associate Professor at Newcastle University Business School, UK, and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. His research focuses on corporate strategy, international business, management paradoxes, and indigenous Chinese management studies. He has published over thirty Chinese and English articles in leading academic journals including Academy of Management Review, Management and Organization Review, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Journal of Management Inquiry, Asia Pacific Business Review, Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Chinese Journal of Management, Nankai Business Review International, Foreign Economics & Management, and Chinese Culture and Management. He has presented more than fifty conference papers at premier international academic conferences such as AOM, AIB, SMS, EGOS, and IACMR. Dr. Li serves on the editorial boards of several renowned international management journals. In 2015, he was awarded 1.32 million DKK by the Carlsberg Foundation for his independent research project on the international catch-up strategies of Chinese latecomer firms.

Lecture Time
May 21, 2025 (Wednesday), 14:30–16:00

Venue
Tencent Meeting (ID: 392-766-889)