Ke Cao, Wilfrid Laurier University
Assistant Professor
Waterloo, Ontario
kcao@wlu.ca
Office:
(548) 889-4450
Expert In
Bio/Research
I joined the faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University in July 2020. I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta in Strategic Management & Organization and a Master of Environmental Management degree at Yale University. Prior to becoming an academic, I worked with The Forest Trust (now Earthworm F...
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Bio/Research
I joined the faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University in July 2020. I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta in Strategic Management & Organization and a Master of Environmental Management degree at Yale University. Prior to becoming an academic, I worked with The Forest Trust (now Earthworm Foundation), American Friends Service Committee, Heinrich Böll Foundation, and Global Environmental Institute in managerial and consultancy roles, following a student internship stint at World Resources Institute's headquarters. I have lived, studied, and worked in Cambodia, Canada, China, Laos, and the United States.
My academic portfolio centers on societal impact-oriented innovations in business practice and management theory. I teach strategy and have engaged in broader humanities and social sciences research. My scholarship on Certified B Corporations and Benefit Corporations (commonly known as B Corps), presented at a set of frontline entrepreneurship, management, B Corps research outlets and in public discourse, has added to scholarly and public understanding and can be considered trailblazing and internationally leading.
In a separate line of research, armed with hubris, I have been trying to break new ground in enhancing the capacity and salience of management theory, a tall order primarily undertaken by eminently established and retired academic colleagues. Last, motivated by the dearth of quality China-themed scholarship, I have been building a research pipeline in this area.
Formal brief biography:
Ke Cao, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business & Economics. He studies and teaches contemporary administrative sciences and has received awards and honours from the University of Alberta, Wilfrid Laurier University, Yale University, Lazaridis Institute, China Scholarship Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada, Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM) network, Academy of Management, International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR), and Academy of International Business.
Here are the slides for a brief introduction about myself and my academic portfolio at the January 2023 Lazaridis Business Faculty Council.
My research program centers on advancing contemporary administrative sciences and modernizing management theory. To this end, I pursue scholarship that is more contextual, integrative, robust, and responsive to societal needs. My broad research interests include: How do organizations work? How can businesses contribute to societal welfare? How can management scholarship help build a better society?
In other words, sitting on the well-decorated business school floor of the academic ivory tower, I work to alleviate and prevent human suffering through my scholarship as a champagne socialist (referencing Canadian rock band Arkells).
Below are some ongoing projects. It takes time to generate, develop, and formulate good academic ideas. I am energized by the inquiry and optimistic about the output in the coming years and decades before I retire at old age like His Majesty King Charles of Canada and Their Excellencies the Honourable Presidents of the United States Trump and Biden.
- Cao, Ke, Li Tong & Yongzhi Du. On management theory.
- Cao, Ke. On China-related research.
- Cao, Ke. On the B Corp movement.
- Cao, Ke. On management theory.
- Cao, Ke. On management education.
- Cao, Ke. On sustainability-related issues in the palm oil industry.
- On Chinese multinational businesses. With Pál Nyiri, VU Amsterdam. (Tried a grant application once
and may try again)
- Espahbod, Shervin (former doctoral student) & Ke Cao. Preparing a journal paper submission in the
area of transportation and sustainability.
Click to Shrink <<
My academic portfolio centers on societal impact-oriented innovations in business practice and management theory. I teach strategy and have engaged in broader humanities and social sciences research. My scholarship on Certified B Corporations and Benefit Corporations (commonly known as B Corps), presented at a set of frontline entrepreneurship, management, B Corps research outlets and in public discourse, has added to scholarly and public understanding and can be considered trailblazing and internationally leading.
In a separate line of research, armed with hubris, I have been trying to break new ground in enhancing the capacity and salience of management theory, a tall order primarily undertaken by eminently established and retired academic colleagues. Last, motivated by the dearth of quality China-themed scholarship, I have been building a research pipeline in this area.
Formal brief biography:
Ke Cao, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business & Economics. He studies and teaches contemporary administrative sciences and has received awards and honours from the University of Alberta, Wilfrid Laurier University, Yale University, Lazaridis Institute, China Scholarship Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada, Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM) network, Academy of Management, International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR), and Academy of International Business.
Here are the slides for a brief introduction about myself and my academic portfolio at the January 2023 Lazaridis Business Faculty Council.
My research program centers on advancing contemporary administrative sciences and modernizing management theory. To this end, I pursue scholarship that is more contextual, integrative, robust, and responsive to societal needs. My broad research interests include: How do organizations work? How can businesses contribute to societal welfare? How can management scholarship help build a better society?
In other words, sitting on the well-decorated business school floor of the academic ivory tower, I work to alleviate and prevent human suffering through my scholarship as a champagne socialist (referencing Canadian rock band Arkells).
Below are some ongoing projects. It takes time to generate, develop, and formulate good academic ideas. I am energized by the inquiry and optimistic about the output in the coming years and decades before I retire at old age like His Majesty King Charles of Canada and Their Excellencies the Honourable Presidents of the United States Trump and Biden.
- Cao, Ke, Li Tong & Yongzhi Du. On management theory.
- Cao, Ke. On China-related research.
- Cao, Ke. On the B Corp movement.
- Cao, Ke. On management theory.
- Cao, Ke. On management education.
- Cao, Ke. On sustainability-related issues in the palm oil industry.
- On Chinese multinational businesses. With Pál Nyiri, VU Amsterdam. (Tried a grant application once
and may try again)
- Espahbod, Shervin (former doctoral student) & Ke Cao. Preparing a journal paper submission in the
area of transportation and sustainability.
Click to Shrink <<