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Kevin Zhu

Professor of Innovation, Technology and Operations

Kevin Zhu earned 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, blockchain, FinTech) and their adoption in the business world, economic impacts of information technology, integration of online and offline channels, and how new technologies drive innovation and competition in technology-intensive industries as well as digital transformation of traditional industries.

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 60 top institutions around the world. He also received five Best Paper Awards in the field. His work has been cited ~16000 times by other scholars (Google Scholar) with high impact (h-index 34, i10-index 42). Click here for a summary of his scholarly contributions.

He was awarded the prestigious CAREER Award by the US National Science Foundation for his research on digital transformation of enterprises. More recently he was honored with the Distinguished Fellow Award by the INFORMS Information Systems Society. He was the recipient of an MBA Teaching Award at the University of California and the Academic Achievement Award at Stanford University.

Major Research Publications

“Competition among Proprietary and Open-Source Software Firms: The Role of Licensing
on Strategic Contribution,” by T. August, W. Chen and K. Zhu, Management Science,
67(5), pp. 3041-3066, 2021. [ Abstract ]

"Monday Effect” on Performance Variations in Supply Chain Fulfillment: How IT-Enabled Procurement May Help, by M. Dresner, Y. Yao and K.X. Zhu, Information Systems Research, 30(4), pp. 1402-1423, 2019. [ Abstract ]

"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, 30(1), Vol.30, No.1, p.81-96, 2019. [ Abstract ]

"Engaging Voluntary Contributions in Online Communities: A Hidden Markov Model," by W. Chen, X. Wei, and K.X. Zhu, MIS Quarterly, Vol.42, No.1, p.83-100, 2018. [ Abstract ]

“The Asymmetric Impact of Customer Information Portability on Service Competition: Evidence from the Global Wireless Industry,” by X. Wei and K. Zhu, Production and Operations Management, Vol.27, No.5, p. 839-858, 2018. [ Abstract ].

"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 ]

"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.

“Why Do Firms Adopt Innovations in Bandwagons? Herding under Competition in Open
Standards Adoption.” by S. Xu and K. Zhu, International Journal of Technology
Management, Vol. 59, Nos. 1/2, p.63-91, 2012.

"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 ] 

"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.

"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.

"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.

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

"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.

"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 ]

"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.

“The Complementarity of IT Infrastructure and Ecommerce Capability: A Resource-based
Assessment of Business Value.” K. Zhu, Journal of Management Information Systems,
Vol. 21, No.1, p.167-202, 2004.

"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.


Other Published Articles

"Strategic Exercise of Real Options: Investment Decisions in Technological Systems," K.
Zhu, and J. Weyant, Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 3,
p.257-278, 2003.

"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. 

"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.


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.

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]. 

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 & Honors

Distinguished Fellow Award, INFORMS Information Systems Society, 2018

CAREER Award (Faculty Early Career Development Award), U.S. National Science Foundation, 2005-2010.

U.S. National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Grant on the Adoption and Impact of Business Technology, 2000-2005.

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 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. (out of 900 papers).

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, 2004-05.

Academic Achievement Award, Stanford University, 1996.

Research Areas

  • Innovation and Technology Strategy in the Digital Economy
  • Technology adoption, diffusion and productivity in global contexts
  • Healthcare in the digital age: Life science meets information science
  • Innovation and competition in technology-intensive industries (e.g., software, finance and healthcare)
  • Enterprise information systems and data analytics for finance, operations and e-commerce
  • Information in supply chains: Integrating IT and operations management
  • Internet-based online markets, e-commerce, online and offline (O2O) integration

Industry Areas

  • Data, Analytics and IT for Business
  • E-Commerce, Digital Marketing
  • Financial Technologies (FinTech)
  • Digital Healthcare
  • International Business
  • MGT 127 and 127R (online), Innovation and Technology Strategy for undergraduate students (open to all majors or minors)
  •  MGT 451 and 451R (online or hybrid), Technology Strategy for graduate students across all programs (MBA, FE MBA, EMBA, MSBA, MPAc, etc)