Our team - BSBI

Our team

Dr. Konstantinos Pitsakis

Dissertation Supervisor
Dr. Konstantinos Pitsakis holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance and an MSc in Marketing. He received his PhD from Bayes Business School, City University of London in 2010. He has published in world-class scientific journals in the Financial Times 50, such as Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Venturing and Strategic Organization.

Overview

Dr. Konstantinos Pitsakis holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance and an MSc in Marketing. He received his PhD from Bayes Business School, City University of London in 2010. He has published in world-class scientific journals in the Financial Times 50, such as Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Venturing and Strategic Organization. His expertise spans the fields of industrial economics, strategy, entrepreneurship and organisation theory. For 15 years, he has worked as an Academic or Program Director at Bayes Business School, Tilburg University, Kingston University London, London Metropolitan University and the Russian Presidential Academy. He has taught extensively MBA, exec-MBA and DBA students, winning several teaching awards.

Dr. Pitsakis is a Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy and a former Research Fellow at the Center for Innovation Research in the Netherlands. He is also a member of the Academy of Management and the European Academy of Management. Prior to academia, he worked as Research Manager at the Financial Times and as Business Intelligence Manager at Winmark Ltd, both in London. He has worked as a consultant directly or indirectly for companies like Ricco, Heineken, Merck, General Electric, Sysdoc, the Forest Stewardship Council and others.

Areas of Expertise

  • Strategy
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Organisation theory
  • Industrial economics
  • Econometrics
  • Panel data

Research interests

In his research, he investigates the diffusion of innovations by looking at the historical emergence of the UK academic spinoffs industry and how spinoff firms strategise, grow or die. He uses a multi-disciplinary perspective by borrowing from organization theory, identity theory, population ecology, competitive dynamics, reputation & signaling theories, diffusion theories and industrial self-regulation models. His current mega-project on the “Economics of Spinoffs” builds on a panel database of 1,700 spinoffs, 123 universities and 70 variables over 24 years for a total of 7 million datapoints, as well as 23 in-depth interviews with technology transfer managers. He explores the process of optimising the technology transfer process to gain efficiency, the construction of a sustainable portfolio of spinoffs within a university’s incubator and the effects of commercialisation on the individual scientists that engage with patentable innovations. Lately, he has developed a great interest in sustainability and, specifically, how firms standardise their ethical processes via accreditation. Other studies of his examine synergies from cross-border mergers and acquisitions and how business models and organisational restructurings add value to post-merger product integration. While most of his research is conducted at the macro/industry level, he has worked extensively with mix-method techniques drawing from primary, qualitative data.

Awards and Honours

  • Athens University of Economics & Business, Graduate Student Thesis Award, 2002
  • Athens University of Economics & Business, Prize for excellent performance, 2002
  • Athens University of Economics & Business Scholarship for postgraduate studies, 2001
  • State Scholarship Foundation of Greece, finalist for postgraduate studies, 2001
  • Koutsopoulos Foundation Scholarship for postgraduate studies, 2000-02
  • Koutsopoulos Foundation Scholarship for undergraduate studies, 1997-99
  • Dr. Ptisakis has been twice Course Director for MSc International Business Management courses for a period of over 6 years. He is currently Director of a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and supervises several PhD and DBA students. He regularly reviews for the Academy of Management, the European Academy of Management and top scientific journals such as Journal of Product Innovation Management, Research Policy, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Journal of Business Venturing, Urban Studies, etc.

Publications

  • Gotsopoulos A. and Pitsakis, K. (2024) “United we Stand? Organizational Groups and Spinoff Mortality in the Context of Academic Entrepreneurship”. Journal of Business Venturing, 39(1): 106360 (ABS 4*) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2023.106360
  • Pitsakis, K and Goessling, T. (2022) “When do Technology Transfer Offices enter into association? Evidence from U.K. universities”. In: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings; Vol. 2022, No1. ISSN: 2151-6561
  • Pitsakis, K, Goessling T. and Vink R. (2022). “Beyond compliance: An event history analysis of Forest Stewardship Council accreditation”. In: Albæk M and Andersen TJ (Eds) Strategic Responses for a Sustainable Future: New Research in International Management, p.147–174, Emerald Publishing, DOI: 10.1108/978-1-80071-929-320214007
  • Pitsakis K. and Giachetti, C. (2020). “Information-based imitation of university commercialization strategies: The role of Technology Transfer Office autonomy, age and membership into an association”. Strategic Organization, 18(4), p.573-616 (ABS 3*) https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1476127019850098
  • Pitsakis K., Souitaris V. and Nicolaou N. (2015). “The peripheral halo effect: Do academic spinoffs influence universities’ research income?” Journal of Management Studies, 52(3), p.321-353 (ABS 4*) https://doi/10.1111/joms.12119
  • Pitsakis K., Biniari M. and Kuin T. (2012). “Resisting change: organizational decoupling through an identity construction perspective”. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25(6), p.835-852 (ABS 2*) http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09534811211280591
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2009). “Spinoff diffusion”. In: Zacharakis et al (Eds.) Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. Vol. 29, Issue 20, Chapter XX, p.701-714, MA: Babson College, ISBN: 0-910897-30-1
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2007). “The effects of spinoffs on the universities that create them”. In: Zacharakis et al (Eds.) Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. Vol. 27, Issue 22, Chapter XXII, p.741-755, MA: Babson College, ISBN: 0-910897-28-X

Conferences, Talks and Speaking Engagements

Refereed Conference presentations:

  • Pitsakis, K. Gotsopoulos, A, Goessling T. (2025) “Spinoff Ecosystems: Micro-Foundations, Intermediaries, and Performance Metrics” discussion symposium, Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, 25-29 July (upcoming)
  • Goessling, T. and Pitsakis, K. (2024). “Regional and Place-Based Institutional Drivers of Practice Adoption: The Forest Stewardship Council Certificate”. Conference on Sustainability: Which Way Now? London, UK, 18 June
  • Gotsopoulos, A and Pitsakis, K. (2022). “An Evolutionary Approach to Academic Entrepreneurship: Founding and Failure Dynamics Among U.K. University Spinoffs”. European Academy of Management, Annual Conference, Zurich, Switzerland, 14-17 June
  • Pitsakis, K. and Goessling, T. (2022). “Regional and Place-Based Institutional Drivers of Practice Adoption: The Forest Stewardship Council Certificate”. European Academy of Management, Annual Conference, Zurich, Switzerland, 14-17 June
  • Pitsakis, K and Goessling, T. (2022). “When Do Technology Transfer Offices Enter Into Association? Evidence From U.K. Universities”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA, 5-9 August [Nominated for Best Paper award]
  • Pitsakis, K. and Goessling, T. (2022). “Regional and Place-Based Institutional Drivers of Practice Adoption: The Forest Stewardship Council Certificate”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA, 5-9 August
  • Gotsopoulos, A and Pitsakis, K. (2022). “An Evolutionary Approach to Academic Entrepreneurship: Founding and Failure Dynamics Among U.K. University Spinoffs”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA, 5-9 August
  • Gotsopoulos, A. and Pitsakis, K. (2019). “Ecological Groups in the UK Academic Entrepreneurship Industry: The Survival of Spinoff Firms”, European Academy of Management, Annual Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 26-28 June
  • Vink, R, Pitsakis, K. and Goessling, T. (2016). “Beyond Compliance: An Event History Model”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, USA, 5-9 August
  • Gotsopoulos, A. and Pitsakis, K. (2015). “Between Populations and Communities: Organizational Groups and The Case of UK University Spinoffs”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 7-11 August
  • Pitsakis K, and Giachetti C. (2014). “When Do Corporate Venture Units Imitate the Leader? Evidence From the UK Academic Spinoffs”. European Academy of Management, Annual Conference, Valencia, Spain, 4-7 June
  • Pitsakis K, and Giachetti C. (2013). “When Do Corporate Venture Units Imitate the Innovation Leader? Evidence From the UK Academic Spinoffs”. EGOS colloquium, Canada, 4-6 July
  • Gotsopoulos A. and Pitsakis K. (2012). “Between Populations and Communities: Organizational Groups and The Case of British University Spinoffs” 28th EGOS colloquium, Helsinki, Finland, 2-7 July
  • Pitsakis K., Biniari M. and Kuin T. (2011). “Mapping Organizational Decoupling Through a Social and Organizational Identity Perspective”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, USA, 12-16 August
  • Pitsakis K. and Goessling T. (2011). “Legitimacy Conditions of Organizational Entry Into Industrial Associations”. 27th EGOS colloquium, Gothenburg, Sweden, 7-9 July
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2010). “The Contingent Nature of Government Intervention in the Diffusion of Innovations Among Public Organizations”. Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 6-10 August
  • Souitaris V and Pitsakis K. (2010). “Community Ecology: A General Model of Reciprocal Legitimacy Between Two Organizational Populations”. European Academy of Management, Annual Conference, Rome, Italy, 19-22 May
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2009). “Spinoff Legitimacy and The Social Construction of University Funding”, Academy of Management, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, USA, 7-11 August
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2007). “A Model of Reciprocal Legitimacy For The Entrepreneurial University and Its Spinoff Firms”. American Sociological Association, Annual Meeting, New York, NY, USA, 11-14 August
  • Pitsakis K. and Souitaris V. (2007). “The Effects of Spinoffs On The Universities That Create Them. An Empirical Analysis Using Institutional Theory”. Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Madrid, Spain, 7-9 June

Invited speeches:

  • University of Surrey, 2019
  • Coventry University, 2019
  • De Montfort University, 2017
  • Aegean College, Athens, 2017
  • University of Venice, 2015
  • Berlin School of Economics, 2015
  • Warsaw School of Economics, 2015
  • Russian Presidential Academy, 2014
  • Kingston Business School, 2012
  • Westminster Business School, 2012
  • University of Venice, 2012           
  • Warwick Business School, 2011
  • Newcastle University, 2011
  • Strathclyde University, 2011
  • London Metropolitan University, 2011
  • University of Bologna, 2010
  • Tilburg University, 2009
  • University of Maastricht, 2009
  • Imperial College London, 2009
  • Brighton University, 2009
  • London Business School, 2008