Robert Grant is a distinguished scholar whose pioneering work has fundamentally shaped the field of strategic management over the past four decades. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Management at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, where he previously served as Senior Professor and held the prestigious ENI Chair of Strategic Management in the Energy Sector. Born in Bristol, England, Grant earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics before completing his Ph.D. in Management Studies from City University, London. His academic journey has spanned multiple continents, with faculty appointments at Georgetown University, London Business School, City University, California Polytechnic, University of British Columbia, and the University of St. Andrews, while also serving as a visiting professor at UCLA, UC Irvine, University of South Africa, and INSEAD.
Grant's seminal contributions to strategic management theory have established him as one of the most influential scholars in the field, particularly through his development of the resource-based view of the firm and the knowledge-based view of the firm. His groundbreaking research on organizational capabilities and competitive strategy has been published in top-tier journals including Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, and Academy of Management Journal, where his work has received extensive citations and shaped strategic thinking in both academic and corporate environments. The impact of his theoretical contributions is perhaps best exemplified by his widely adopted textbook 'Contemporary Strategy Analysis,' now in its eleventh edition (2022), which has educated generations of business students worldwide and has been translated into multiple languages. His analytical frameworks for understanding competitive advantage have become foundational tools for both practitioners and scholars seeking to navigate complex business environments and develop sustainable organizational capabilities.
Beyond his theoretical contributions, Grant has significantly influenced the strategic management discipline through his editorial leadership as a board member of Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Organization, Strategy & Leadership and Long Range Planning, helping to shape the direction of scholarly research in the field. His election as a Fellow of the British Academy in 2024 represents the highest recognition of his scholarly contributions to management and business studies, joining a select group of international scholars honored for exceptional achievement. Grant's work continues to evolve as he explores the intersection of dynamic capabilities and strategic management, with recent contributions to the Oxford Handbook of Dynamic Capabilities demonstrating his ongoing intellectual vitality. As an emeritus professor, he remains actively engaged in research and continues to mentor emerging scholars, ensuring that his rigorous approach to strategic analysis will influence future generations of management thinkers and practitioners worldwide.
