Education
- PhD International Business and Strategy, University of South Carolina
- MBA, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- MS Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
- BS, Naval Academy of Greece
Selected Publications
- Athanassiou, N., Nigh, D. (2002). Internationalization, Tacit Knowledge and the Top Management Teams of MNCs. Journal of International Business Studies. 2000, 31(3), 471-488.
- Athanassiou, N., Nigh, D. (2002). The Influence of the International Business Experience of the Top Management Team on the Internationalization of the Firm: Social Networks at Work. Management International Review, 2002, 42(2), 157-181.
- Kelly, L., Athanassiou, N., Crittenden, W. (2000). Founder centrality and the strategic posture of a family owned firm. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice. 2000, 25(2), 27-41.
- Athanassiou, N., Nigh, D. (1999). The Impact of Company Internationalization on Top Management Team Advice Networks: A Tacit Knowledge Perspective. Strategic Management Journal, 1999, 19(1), 83-92.
- Athanassiou, N., McNett, J., Harvey, C. (2003). Critical Thinking in the Management Classroom: Bloom's Taxonomy as a Learning Tool. Journal of Management Education, 2003, 27(5), 533-555.
Selected Presentations
- Martha, Maznevski (Presenter & Author), Celia, Chui (Presenter & Author), Athanassiou, Nicholas (Presenter & Author), Daniel, Waeger (Presenter & Author), Annual Meeting, “Cultural distance, turbulence, and friction: Advancing the constructs in cross-border knowledge transfer”, Academy of Management, Orlando, FL. (August 12, 2013).
- Athanassiou, Nicholas, AACSB Associate Deans Meeting, “The DMSB Bachelor of Science in International Business Program”, AACSB, Houston, Texas. (November 2012).
- Athanassiou, Nicholas (Presenter & Author), Robles, Fernando (Presenter & Author), Ito, Kiyohiko (Presenter & Author), Rose, German (Presenter & Author), Academy of International Business Annual Meeting, “International Business programs as a means to internationalize the business school”, Academy of International Business, Washington, DC. (July 2012).
Research & Teaching Interests
Athanassiou's teaching interests have focused on global business, strategy, and on managing across national cultures. His research is based on studying the international business capabilities of top management teams viewed as networks of international business strategy decisions that depend on knowledge acquisition and transfer across multinational corporations' geographic and cultural boundaries. His interest on the social network aspects of top management teams leads to seminal work on the role of the centrality of a family business founder's role and legacy on subsequent strategic decisions of a company. Athanassiou's teaching focus and his international business experience has led to his research on teaching international business.
Industry & Academic Experience
Prior to earning the PhD and joining the D'Amore-McKim School of Business faculty, Athanassiou had a long career in international business that included a number of senior executive positions in the United States, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East with PepsiCo, Kentucky Fried Chicken International, and Heublein, Inc. Additionally, he served as a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina and a lecturer at the University of Maryland's International Business Management Institute in Tokyo. Athanassiou's first career was as an officer in the Greek Navy.
Services to the Profession
Athanassiou was the Academic Director of the DMSB Bachelor of Science in International Business from 2003 to 2017, and the Master of Science in International Management from 2006 to 2016. From 2012 to 2016 he served as the Program Chair for the International Partnership of Business Schools joint Master of Science in International Management. He served as Chair of the DMSB International Business and Strategy Group from its founding in 2005, stepping down in 2014. From 2019 he has been serving DMSB an advisor on the BSIB program's evolution. Athanassiou served as guest editor of Management International Review in 2006. Additionally, he has been a regular reviewer for the Journal of International Business Studies. He introduced and organized the Academy of Management Professional Development Workshop “Introduction to Social Networks” in collaboration with David Krackhardt, Carnegie-Mellon University, Dan Brass, U. of Kentucky and Steven Borgatti, U. of Kentucky. Athanassiou is a member of the Academy of International Business, the Academy of Management, the Strategic Management Society, and The Institute of Management Sciences.
Awards & Recognition
- Joseph G. Riesman Research Professorship, CBA. (2000).
