Kevin Zhu

Research Areas

Technology management
Innovation, commercialization, and IP strategy
Information systems and software
Data analytics and business intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
Integration of OM and IT

Industry Areas

Information technology
Internet, E-Commerce
Financial Technologies (FinTech)
Digital Healthcare
Smart electronics and sensors
Big data and analytics
Technology-based Startups and Venture Capital
International Business

Kevin Xiaoguo Zhu (祝效国) received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and is Professor of Innovation, Technology and Operations (ITO). His work focuses on technology-enabled innovation, next generation of information technologies (big data, AI, FinTech) and their adoption in global environments, economic impacts of information technology, integration of online and offline channels, competition and innovation in technology-intensive industries (software, media, telecomm) as well as digital transformation of traditional industries (manufacturing, retail, and financial service).

Dr. Zhu''s research has been published in the top academic journals such as Management Science, Information Systems Research, IEEE, MIS Quarterly, and Marketing Science. He has held editorial positions at the top academic journals and co-chaired major conferences. He has been invited to give research seminars by more than 50 top institutions around the world. He also received five Best Paper Awards in the field. His work has been cited more than 8200 times by other scholars (Google Scholar) with high impact (h-index 26).

He was awarded the prestigious CAREER Award by the US National Science Foundation for his research on digital transformation of enterprises. He was the recipient of an MBA Teaching Award at the University of California and the Academic Achievement Award at Stanford University.

The Financial Times ranked the Rady School of Management the 17th worldwide in Faculty Research and 3rd in California after Stanford and Berkeley. Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the school first in Intellectual Capital.

Major Research Publications

"Measuring and Managing the Externality of Managerial Responses to Online Customer Reviews," by W. Chen, B. Gu, Q. Ye, and K.X. Zhu, Information Systems Research, forthcoming. [Abstract]

"Engaging Voluntary Contributions in Online Communities: A Hidden Markov Model," by W. Chen, X. Wei, and K.X. Zhu, MIS Quarterly, forthcoming. [Abstract ]

"Portability’s Asymmetric Impact on Service Competition: Evidence from the Global Wireless Industry," by X. Wei and K.X. Zhu, Production and Operations Management, forthcoming [Abstract].

"Reforming China''s Science Awards," by G. Qi, X. Xie and K. Zhu, Science , vol. 351, no. 6278, p.1161, 2016.

"Green Process Innovation and Financial Performance in Emerging Economies: Moderating Effects of Absorptive Capacity and Green Subsidies", IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 101-112, 2016. [Abstract ]

"Lock-in Strategy in Software Competition: Open Source Software vs. Proprietary Software", by K. Zhu and Z. Zhou, Information Systems Research, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 536-545, 2012. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Do Electronic Linkages Reduce the Bullwhip Effect? An Empirical Analysis of the U.S. Manufacturing Supply Chains." Y. Yao and K. Zhu, Information Systems Research, 2012, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 1042-1055. [Abstract] [PDF ]

"The Effects of Information Transparency on Suppliers, Manufacturers and Consumers in Online Markets." Z. Zhou and K. Zhu, Marketing Science, 2010, Vol. 29, No. 6, p. 1125-1137. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Information Technology in Supply Chains: The Value of IT-enabled Resources under Competition," S. Dong, S. Xu and K. Zhu, Information Systems Research, 2009, Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 18-32. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"How Does Information Technology Shape Supply Chain Structure? Evidence on the Number of Suppliers," J. Dedrick, S. Xu, and K. Zhu, Journal of Management Information Systems, 2008, Vol. 25, No. 2, p. 41-72. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"The Process of Innovation Assimilation by Firms in Different Countries: A Technology Diffusion Perspective," K. Zhu, K. Kraemer, and S. Xu, Management Science, 2006, Vol. 52, No. 10, p. 1557-1576. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Information Transparency of Business-to-Business Electronic Markets: A Game-Theoretic Analysis," K. Zhu, Management Science, 2004, Vol. 50, No. 5, p. 670-685. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Migration to Open-Standard Interorganizational Systems: Network Effects, Switching Costs, and Path Dependency," K. Zhu, K. Kraemer, V. Gurbaxani, and S. Xu, MIS Quarterly, 2006, August, Vol. 30, special issue on standards, p. 515-539. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Innovation diffusion in global contexts: determinants of post-adoption digital transformation of European companies." K. Zhu, S. Dong, S. Xu, and K. Kraemer, European Journal of Information Systems, 2006, Vol. 15, No. 6, p.601-616. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"Post-Adoption Variations in Usage and Value of E-Business by Organizations: Cross-Country Evidence from the Retail Industry," K. Zhu and K. Kraemer, Information Systems Research, 2005, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 61-84. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

"E-Commerce Metrics for Net-Enhanced Organizations: Assessing the Value of E-Commerce to Firm Performance in the Manufacturing Sector," K. Zhu and K. Kraemer, Information Systems Research, 2002, Vol. 13, No. 3, p. 275-295. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

Other Published Articles

"Using Real Options Analysis for Evaluating Uncertain Investments in Information Technology," P. Tallon, R. Kauffman, H. Lucas, A. Whinston, and K. Zhu, Communications of the AIS, 2002, Vol. 8, p. 136-167. [PDF ]

"Economics of Digital Bundling: The Impacts of Digitization and Bundling on the Music Industry," K. Zhu and B. MacQuarrie, Communications of the ACM, 2003, Vol. 46, No. 9, p.264-270. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

Books & Book Chapters

Zhu, K., "Information Transparency Hypothesis: Economic Implications of Information Transparency in Electronic Markets," in Advances in the Economics of Information Systems, K. Tomak (ed.), Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, PA, 2005, p. 15-42. [Abstract ] [PDF ]

Kraemer, K., J. Dedrick, N. Melville, and K. Zhu (eds.), Global E-Commerce: Impacts of National Environments and Policy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2006. [view the book on Amazon]. [PDF ]

Zhu, K., et al, "Global Convergence and Local Divergence in E-Commerce: Cross-Country Analyses," in Global E-Commerce: Impacts of National Environment and Policy, K. Kraemer, J. Dedrick, N. Melville, and K. Zhu (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Zhu, K., et al., "What Drives E-Business Diffusion among Firms? Evidence from European Companies." in The European eBusiness Report, European Commission, p. 195-203, 2004.

Awards & Grants

CAREER Award (Faculty Early Career Development Award), U.S. National Science Foundation, 2005-2011.

Overseas Outstanding Scholar Award (海外杰出青年学者奖), National Science Foundation of China, 2008-2011.

U.S. National Science Foundation Grant on Information Technology, through the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, 2000-06.

Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, 2007-09 (Co-PI, with Sean Xu).

The World’s 17th Most Productive Scholar (out of 3,000 academics worldwide) in Information Systems, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (CAIS), Vol. 18, p. 296-328, 2006.

Best Paper Award, The 10th China-US Summer Workshop on Information Management (CSWIM), 2016

Best Paper Nominee, Conference on Information Systems and Technology (CIST), 2014

Best Paper Award, Americas Conf. on Information Systems, 2004, New York, NY.

Best Paper Award, Intl. Conf. on Information Systems (ICIS), 2003, Seattle, WA. (out of 600 papers).

Best Paper Award, Intl. Conf. on Information Systems (ICIS), 2002, Barcelona, Spain (out of 526 papers).

Single Investigator Innovation Grant, University of California Academic Senate Council on Research, Computing and Library Resources (CORCLR), 2004-05.

Academic Achievement Award, Stanford University, 1996.