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Research Interests

Business Strategy, Coopetitive Dynamics, Innovation, Intellectual Property Protection, Big Data Analytics

Background

Research

I have pursued studies in both engineering (Ph.D., City University of Hong Kong) and business (Ph.D., University of British Columbia). Having both engineering and business backgrounds, I am passionate about studying the role of business strategies in technological changes. I am particularly interested in how innovation is influenced by contrasting business forces, such as collaboration and competition between firms, and protection and violation of intellectual property rights (IPRs).

For example, I study how compensation design triggers competitive versus collaborative interactions among R&D employees, which affect firm innovation performance (Yanadori & Cui, 2013; Cui, Ding, & Yanadori, 2019); how collaborative portfolios between partners shape their value creation and appropriation, and consequently their competition in the product market (Cui, Yang, & Vertinsky, 2018); and how IPR violation and protection in host countries influence multinational companies’ innovation (Brander, Cui, & Vertinsky, 2017).

I have made contributions to these lines of research by publishing in top-tier academic journals such as Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS), and Research Policy. I have also served these areas by co-editing the 2019 JIBS special issue on IPR protection in international business. My research has been generously supported by SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants.

Teaching Achievements

I am passionate about teaching and strive to provide an experience-based knowledge service in the classroom that is highly tangible, interactive, and communal. I have been nominated and voted by the graduating classes of the Asper School of Business for the esteemed Golden Shovel Award (2015, 2019), the Outstanding Teacher of the University of Manitoba (2019), and I was also a winner of the Graduate Teaching Award at the University of British Columbia (2009). I have taught at undergraduate, MBA, Ph.D., and executive levels on Innovation, Strategy and other topics.

Media and Invited Talks

My research has reached a wide audience via media outlets such as Fortune, CBC, and Global News. Some of the media coverages are listed below. I have led workshops and delivered talks at multinational companies in North America and Asia, such as StandardAero, Merck & Co., TsingTao Beer, and the Bank of Beijing.

1. CBC Radio, Columnists, “Is the two week pay period antiquated - the pros and cons of being paid instantly”, Nov. 10, 2020
2. CBC TV, News, “Corona virus and its impact on Manitoba”, Feb. 10, 2020
3. CBC Radio, Current Affairs, “Corona virus and its impact on China and Canada”, Feb. 10, 2020
4. CBC News, “Manitoba business owners feeling financial hit from coronavirus”, Danelle Cloutier, Feb. 10, 2020
5. Global News/CJOB radio, Hal Anderson Afternoons, “Corona virus and its economic impact on China and Canada”, Feb. 6, 2020
6. Fortune, “Want to hire a team player? Ask about volunteer work”, Anne Fisher, Jan. 27, 2016
7. Roundhouse Radio 98.3 Vancouver, Our City with Kirk LaPointe, “Trust in the workplace”, Feb. 23, 2016

Research Team

I warmly welcome Ph.D. and M.Sc. applicants. Candidates with strong academic background in statistics, actuarial science, computer science and engineering, business, psychology, or sociology are strongly encouraged to apply. Computer programming skills (with SAS, R, Stata, C, JavaScript, Python, etc.) and expertise in machine learning are a plus. I also welcome visiting scholars, visiting Ph.D. students, and undergraduate students to join the team.

Major Publications

Cui, V., Ding, W., & Yanadori, Y., 2019, Exploration versus exploitation in technology firms: The role of compensation structure for R&D workforce. 48 (6), 1534-1549. Research Policy (FT, AJG 4*)
 
Cui, V., Yang, H., & Vertinsky, I., 2018, Attacking your partners: Strategic alliances and competition between partners in product markets. 39 (12), 3116-3139. Strategic Management Journal (FT, AJG 4*)
 
Brander, J., Cui, V., & Vertinsky, I., 2017, China and intellectual property rights: A challenge to the rule of law. 48(7), 908-921. Journal of International Business Studies (FT, AJG 4*)
 
Zhang, F., Wang, Y., Li, D., & Cui, V., 2016, Configurations of innovations across domains: An organizational ambidexterity view. 34(6), 821-841. Journal of Product Innovation Management (AJG 4)   
 
Cui, V., Ding, S., Liu, M, & Wu, Z., 2016, Revisiting the effect of family involvement on corporate social responsibility: A behavioral agency perspective. 152(1), 291-309. Journal of Business Ethics (FT)
 
Yanadori, Y. & Cui, V., 2013. Creating incentives for innovation? The relationship between pay dispersion in R&D groups and firm innovation performance. 34 (12), 1502–1511. Strategic Management Journal (FT, AJG 4*)

Other Publications

Cui, V., Vertinsky, I., Robinson, S., & Branzei, O. 2018, Trust in the workplace: The role of social interaction diversity in the community and in the workplace. 57(2), 378-412. Business & Society
 
Liu, H., Luo, J., Cui, V., 2018, The impact of internationalization on home country charitable donation: Evidence from Chinese firms. 58(2), 313-335. Management International Review
 
Li, Y., Cui, V., & Liu, H., 2017, Dyadic specific investments, absorptive capacity, and manufacturers’ market knowledge acquisition: Evidence from manufacturer–distributor dyads. 78, 323-331. Journal of Business Research 

Wang, Y., Wang, N., Yang, Z., Jiang, L., & Cui, V., 2016, Managing relationships with power advantage buyers: The role of supplier initiated bonding tactics in long-term buyer-supplier collaborations. 69 (12), 5587-5596. Journal of Business Research

Cui, V., Yang, H., & Vertinsky, I. 2015. Do alliances lead to competition? An empirical analysis of the US biopharmaceutical industry.  Best Paper Proceedings of the Seventy Fifth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management
 
Cui, V. & Vertinsky, I. 2011. The impact of knowledge resource similarity between competitors on innovation performance: A longitudinal study in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Best Paper Proceedings of the Fifty- Fourth Annual Meeting of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada
 
Cui, V. & Yanadori, Y., 2010. The relationship between pay dispersion among R&D employees and firm R&D performance. Best Paper Proceedings of the Seventieth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management