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Vahid J. Sadeghi

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Dr Vahid J. Sadeghi

 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3083-6119

    • Aston Triangle

      B4 7ET Birmingham

      United Kingdom

    Accepting PhD Students

    PhD projects

    I welcome doctoral applications on AI and entrepreneurial decision-making, including how entrepreneurs adopt, signal, and are evaluated on AI capability claims in venture creation and growth; digital transformation and international entrepreneurship, including knowledge management, digital resilience, and internationalization pathways of SMEs; entrepreneurial cognition across cultures, including how cultural orientation shapes opportunity recognition and international expansion decisions; and non-linear internationalization, including strategic oscillation, de-internationalization, and re-internationalization in entrepreneurial firms.

    Personal profile

    Biography

    Phone:  +44 (0) 121 204 5848       Email: [email protected]
    Room: SW1108

    Biography

    Vahid J. Sadeghi is Associate Professor in International Entrepreneurship and Director of Research Degree Programmes at Aston Business School, Aston University, where he leads research on the psychological and cognitive foundations of international entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurial signaling, and entrepreneurs' engagement with artificial intelligence. His work has been published in the Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Business Research, and other leading international journals, and has received Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division in 2025 and 2026. He is Associate Editor of the EuroMed Journal of Business and the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Strategic Communications Officer on the Executive Board of the Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Chapter (AIB-UKI), and has chaired the 50th Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Conference and served as co-track chair for Internationalization Processes and International Entrepreneurship at the Academy of International Business Annual Meeting.

    Chair and member for international conferences

    Vahid is the chair of the 50th AIB UK & Ireland Chapter Conference (2024), which is hosted by Aston Business School, UK. He is also a member of the organisation committee of The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) 2023 conference at Aston Business School, and served as Track Chair for Internationalisation Processes and International Entrepreneurship at the Academy of International Business (AIB) 2025 Annual Meeting.

    Research Interests

    • Entrepreneurial cognition and decision-making under uncertainty across cultural contexts
    • Digital entrepreneurship: signaling and audience perception in online venture communities
    • Entrepreneurial engagement with AI and digital transformation, including Industry 4.0
    • International entrepreneurship: psychological and cognitive drivers of entrepreneurial internationalization
    • International entrepreneurship: non-linear internationalization strategies and de-internationalization pathways

    Funding Applications and Awards

    • The British Academy (ISPF ODA Challenge-Oriented Research Grants). “Empowering green women entrepreneurs” (£18,880).
    • The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye – TÜBİTAK, Türkiye's national science and research funding agency (2219 International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Programme for Turkish Citizens). A cross-national study on Industry 5.0 readiness: Strategic roadmap in the Turkish and British automotive and manufacturing industries using fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods (Dr. Ahmet Çalik) (£12,300).
    • Midlands Engine (Aug 2022-April 2023), An explorative study on the export decline of Midlands Engine areas (£50,000.00), Co-Investigator
    • European Institute for Export Compliance (EIFEC)- Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (Assegno di Ricerca in Università degli Studi di Torino) (Nov 2018-Sept 2019), Export compliance as emerging issues in international business (€19.637,00), Principal Investigator/ Fellowship Holder
    • Thompson Rivers University- SOBE Emerging Researcher Grant (Sept 2018- Aug 2019), SMEs’ International Entrepreneurship: Research Mapping the Environmental, Organisational, and Institutional Perspectives, ($5,000), International Co-Investigator
    • Thompson Rivers University- SOBE Emerging Researcher Grant (Sept 2018-Aug 2019), Examining Different Contingency Factors Effective in Entering International Markets of New Firms, ($5,000), International Co-Investigator
    • University of Regina- DEAN’s Grant (Sept 2018- Aug 2019), Structural and Competitive Determinants of Global Orientation by Indigenous-owned Small Business (Canadian Firms) ($5,000), International Co-Investigator
    • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)- Presidents SEED Fund (Sept 2017- Aug 2019), Entrepreneurship as a Vehicle for Effective Participation in the Global Economy "On One's Own Terms" (Firms in Iran, Zimbabwe, and New Caledonia) ($4,800), International Co-Investigator

    Professional/editorial offices

    Associate Editor

    • 2024–Present    International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
    • 2021–Present    EuroMed Journal of Business

    Editorial / Advisory Board

    • 2025–Present    Multinational Business Review
    • 2023–Present    Strategic Change
    • 2022–Present    Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal
    • 2022–Present    Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
    • 2021–Present    International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research

    Editorials (Guest-Edited Special Issues)

    • Rezaei, M., Sadraei, R., Magni, D., & Sadeghi, V. 2027. AI-driven knowledge dynamics in global entrepreneurship and innovation: Implications for international entrepreneurship ecosystems. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Forthcoming
    • Sadeghi, V., Budhwar, P., Korosteleva, J., Mickiewicz, T., Nummela, N., Zucchella, A., & Discua Cruz, A. 2026. Internationalization as an entrepreneurial process: Boundary spanning for regional growth across diverse contexts. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development. Forthcoming
    • Calandra, D., Massaro, M., Lanzalonga, F., & Sadeghi, V. 2026. Integrating AI in ESG frameworks: Pioneering knowledge economy transformations. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems. Forthcoming
    • Sadeghi, V., Sukumar, A., Radu-Lefebvre, M., & Nyuur, R. 2025. Disentangling innovation in international entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 26(3), 177-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503251347
    • Sadraei, R., Sadeghi, V., Marvi, R., & Yoruk, E. 2025. Strategic Adaptation in a dynamic global environment: Unleashing the power of dynamic capabilities for international organizational performance. Strategic Change. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2675
    • Sadeghi, V., Garcia-Perez, A., Vrontis, D., & Bedford, D. 2024. Digital resilience, new business models, and international entrepreneurship in the era of knowledge-economy. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 37(5), 1401-1417. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-09-2024-636
    • Jafari-Sadeghi, V., Sukumar, A., Dana, L-P., & Anderson, R. 2022. International entrepreneurship from behavioural Perspectives. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 28(3), 569-576. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2022-998
    • Jafari-Sadeghi, V., Sukumar, A., & Lockyer, J. 2022. Entrepreneurial practices in agri-food industry: Advancing the research agenda. British Food Journal, 124(7), 1977-1983. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2022-036

    Edited Books

    • Sadeghi, V., Sadraei, R., Munjal, S., & Khorana, S. (Eds.) 2025. Navigating disruptions and transformations in international business. The Academy of International Business Series (50th AIB-UKI Conference Proceeding), Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-75637-5.
    • Jafari-Sadeghi, V., & Amoozad Mahdiraji, H. (Eds.) 2023. Decision-making in international entrepreneurship: Unveiling cognitive implications towards entrepreneurial internationalisation. Emerald Publishing (Entrepreneurial Behaviour Series), Bingley, UK. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-233-420231010.
    • Jafari-Sadeghi, V., & Dana, L-P. (Eds.) 2022. International entrepreneurship in emerging markets: Contexts, behaviours, and successful entry. Routledge, New York. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003218357.
    • Jafari-Sadeghi, V., Amoozad Mahdiraji, H., & Dana, L-P. (Eds.) 2021. Empirical international entrepreneurship: A handbook of methods, approaches and applications. Springer Nature, Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68972-8.
     

    PhD Supervision

    Current PhD Students:

    • Behnaz Haj Mohammadi (2023-Present)
    • Pearl Gyan-Amponsah (2023-Present)
    • Yasaman Yazdanpanah (2024-Present)
    • Ananya Yadav (2024-Present)
    • Mohammed Al-Ghaithani (2025-Present)
    • Golnoosh Ghotbshahi (2026-Present)
    • Caio Sousa da Silva - FGV EAESP (Brazil) - (2024-Present). 

    Completed PhDs

    • Moses Mmadubuko (2022-2025), Returning to succeed: The role of innovation in enhancing SME re-internationalisation performance in an emerging economy, Aston Business School. 
    • Mojtaba Rezaei (2019-2022), Knowledge sharing drivers in organisations, what and how; identifying and analysing their impacts in different platforms, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy.

    Visiting PhD Students

    • Caio Sousa da Silva (Jan- Sept 2024). FGV EAESP (Brazil)
    • Luca Simone Macca (March- Sept 2023). University of Turin (Italy) 

    DBA Students

    • Syed Ijlal Hussain (2021-Present)
    • Yusra Anas (2021-2026)
    • Mohammed Almheiri (2022-2026)

    Awards

    • 2026 - Best Paper Award (Entrepreneurship Division). Sadeghi, V., & Sadraei, R. (2026). “When vulnerability backfires: Audience sophistication and digital entrepreneurial signaling.” 86th Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
    • 2025 - Best Paper Award (Entrepreneurship Division). Sadraei, R., & Sadeghi, V. (2025). “A multi-level analysis of cognitive-cultural factors in international entrepreneurship.” 85th Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    • 2025 - Top Cited Article and Top Viewed Article. “Cyber risk assessment in small and medium-sized enterprises: A multilevel decision-making approach for small e-tailors” (reference year 2023). Risk Analysis, Wiley, UK.
    • 2023–2024 - Aston Future Research Leaders Programme, Aston Business School, Aston University.
    • 2022–2024 - Top 2% of Most Cited Scientists Worldwide in the field of “Business and Management” (2021, 2022, 2023 data). Elsevier/Stanford dataset.
    • 2022 - Literati Award Winners 2022: Outstanding Reviewer. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Emerald Publishing.
    • 2020 - SSL Award for ‘Best Team: B.A. Business Administration.’ Coventry University, School of Strategy and Leadership.
    • 2020 - SSL Award for ‘Research Impact.’ Coventry University, School of Strategy and Leadership.

    Administrative Roles

    Vahid has served as the director of the below programmes at Aston Business School.

    Teaching Activity

    Vahid teaches modules related to international entrepreneurship at the postgraduate (MSc) level.

    • BDM173: Research Method (MSc International Business Dissertation/Project) 
    • BSM933: International Business 
    • BSM934: Advanced Topics in International Business 
    • BSM936: International Business Strategy 
    • BSM948: Business Venturing 

       

    Scholarship and Fellowship

    Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

    Membership of Professional Bodies

    Academy of Management (AOM)

    Academy of International Business (AIB)

    European Academy of Management (EURAM)

    Short Bio (max 200 characters)

    Dr Sadeghi's research focuses on entrepreneurial cognition and decision-making under uncertainty across cultural contexts.

    Education/Academic qualification

    PhD, Business and Management (International Entrepreneurship), Università degli Studi di Torino

    Oct 2015 → Sept 2018

    Award Date: 1 Oct 2018

    External positions

    Executive Board Member - Strategic Communications Officer, Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Chapter (AIB-UKI)

    Jun 2026 → …

    Executive Board Member - Conference Organizer, Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Chapter (AIB-UKI)

    Apr 2022 → Apr 2025

    Lecturer in Business Strategy, Coventry University

    Sept 2019 → May 2021

    Post-Doctoral Research and Teaching Fellow, Università degli Studi di Torino

    Nov 2018 → Sept 2019

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    1. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
      SDG 5 Gender Equality
    2. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
      SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
    3. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
      SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    4. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
      SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

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