Honorary Professor of International Management
Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management
Fellow and Director of Studies in Management at Jesus College
BA (Macquarie University), PhD (Harvard University)
Research interests
Globalisation and its implications for corporate strategy; business ecosystems and the management of networks of strategic alliances; merger and acquisition strategy and post-merger integration; strategies for success in China and the internationalisation of Chinese companies and their global impact; strategies for a carbon-constrained world.
Subject group: Strategy & International Business
Professional experience
Professor Williamson has wide experience in research, consulting and executive education as well as serving as a non-executive director and chairman of both publicly listed companies and new ventures in industries as diverse as whisky, textiles, hedge fund management and Chinese software. He has worked in Australia, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, before returning to Britain to join Cambridge Judge Business School, where he founded the Advanced Leadership Programme, and at Jesus College, where he is Fellow and Director of Studies in Management. He is currently Chairman of the digital process automation company Bizagi, and has served as a non-executive director of both listed and private companies across a wide variety of industries, including textiles, whisky, green energy, hedge funds, software and sales training.
Professor Williamson was formerly with the Boston Consulting Group in London, and Merrill Lynch. He serves on the editorial boards of European Management Journal, and Academy of Management Learning and Education. Peter has acted as consultant on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and international expansion to numerous companies as well as to governments and international organisations throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as in Europe and North America. He has experience in China since 1983, assisting numerous multinationals, and more recently, Chinese companies venturing abroad.
Previous appointments
Prior to joining Cambridge Judge Business School, Professor Williamson was ten years with the Asian Business and International Management faculty at INSEAD (1997-2007). Between 2003 and 2007 he was also Visiting Professor in Strategy at the Cheung Kong Business School in Beijing. He was Visiting Professor of Global Strategy at Harvard Business School (1993-1996) and Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School (1987-1992).
Awards & honours
- Sloan-Pricewaterhouse Coopers Award honouring those articles that have contributed to the enhancement of management practice, 2005
- Lloyds Tercentenary Fellow, 2001
- Fulbright Scholar, 1980-1984
- Frank R. Knox Memorial Fellow, 1980-1984
Selected publications
Here are a selection of Peter Williamson’s publications. Please see the “Selected publications” tab above for a more comprehensive list.
De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2020) Ecosystem edge: sustaining competitiveness in the face of disruption. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Symeou, P.C., Zyglidopoulos, S. and Williamson, P. (2018) “Internationalization as a driver of the corporate social performance of extractive industry firms.” Journal of World Business, 53(1): 27-38 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2017.07.004)
Williamson, P.J. and Raman, A.P. (2011) “How China reset its global acquisition agenda.” Harvard Business Review, 89(4): 109-114
Zeng, M. and Williamson P.J. (2007) Dragons at your door: how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting the rules of global competition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian and Russian)
Doz, Y., Santos, J. and Williamson, P. (2001) From global to metanational: how companies win in the knowledge economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean, Italian, and Portuguese)
Markides, C.C. and Williamson, P.J. (1994) “Related diversification, core competences and corporate performance.” Strategic Management Journal, 15(Special Issue, Summer): 149-165
Journal articles
Markides, C.C. and Williamson, P.J. (1994) “Related diversification, core competences and corporate performance.” Strategic Management Journal, 15(Special Issue, Summer): 149-165
Williamson, P.J. and Zeng, M. (2004) “Strategies for competing in a changed China.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 45(4): 85-91
Santos, J., Doz, Y. and Williamson, P. (2004) “Is your innovation process global?” MIT Sloan Management Review, 45(4): 31-37
Williamson, P. and Zeng, M. (2008) “How to meet China’s cost innovation challenge.” Ivey Business Journal (Online Edition), 72(3): article 761
Williamson, P. and Zeng, M. (2009) “Value-for-money strategies for recessionary times.” Harvard Business Review, 87(3): 66-74
Williamson, P.J. (2010) “Cost innovation: preparing for a ‘value-for-money’ revolution.” Long Range Planning, 43(2-3): 343-353
Williamson, P.J. and Raman, A.P. (2011) “How China reset its global acquisition agenda.” Harvard Business Review, 89(4): 109-114
Yin, E. and Williamson, P.J. (2011) “Rethinking innovation for a recovery.” Ivey Business Journal (Online Edition), May/Jun
Williamson, P.J. and De Meyer, A. (2012) “Ecosystem advantage: how to successfully harness the power of partners.” California Management Review, 55(1): 24-46
Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E. (2014) “Accelerated innovation: the new challenge from China.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 55(4): 1-8
Williamson, P.J. (2015) “The competitive advantages of emerging market multinationals: a re-assessment.” Critical Perspectives on International Business, 11(3/4): 216-235 (DOI: 10.1108/cpoib-02-2014-0008)
Santos, J.F.P. and Williamson, P.J. (2015) “The new mission for multinationals.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 56(4): 45-54
Wan, F., Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E. (2015) “Antecedents and implications of disruptive innovation: evidence from China.” Technovation, 39-40: 94-104 (DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2014.05.012)
Zyglidopoulos, S., Williamson, P. and Symeou, P.C. (2016) “The corporate social performance of developing country multinationals.” Business Ethics Quarterly, 26(3): 379-406 (DOI: 10.1017/beq.2016.41)
Williamson, P.J. (2016) “Building and leveraging dynamic capabilities: insights from accelerated innovation in China.” Global Strategy Journal, 6(3): 197-210 (DOI: 10.1002/gsj.1124)
Williamson, P.J. (2016) “Chinese acquisitions in Europe: absorptive capacity and impacts on competitive advantage.” Uluslararasi Iliskiler (International Relations), 13(49): 61-83
Rezk, R., Singh Srai, J. and Williamson, P.J. (2016) “The impact of product attributes and emerging technologies on firms’ international configuration.” Journal of International Business Studies, 47(5): 610–618 (DOI: 10.1057/jibs.2016.9)
Williamson, P.J., Wu, X. and Yin, E. (2018) “Super-fluidity: creating an organization that flexes with the market [in Chinese].” Harvard Business Review China, May: 121-127
Williamson, P. and Wan, F. (2018) “Emerging market multinationals and the concept of ownership advantages.” International Journal of Emerging Markets, 13(3): 557-567 (DOI: 10.1108/IJoEM-08-2017-0319)
Williamson, P.J., Hoenderop, S. and Hoenderop, J. (2018) “An alternative benchmark for the validity of China’s GDP growth statistics.” Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 16(2): 171-191 (DOI: 10.1080/14765284.2018.1438867)
Symeou, P.C., Zyglidopoulos, S. and Williamson, P. (2018) “Internationalization as a driver of the corporate social performance of extractive industry firms.” Journal of World Business, 53(1): 27-38 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2017.07.004)
Hertenstein, P. and Williamson, P.J. (2018) “The role of suppliers in enabling differing innovation strategies of competing multinationals from emerging and advanced economies: German and Chinese automotive firms compared.” Technovation, 70–71: 46-58 (DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2018.02.008)
Wan, F., Williamson, P. and Yin, E. (2019) “Enabling cost innovation by non-traditional organizational processes: the case of Chinese firms.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 139: 352-361 (10.1016/j.techfore.2018.12.003)
Ramamurti, R. and Williamson, P.J. (2019) “Rivalry between emerging-market MNEs and developed-country MNEs: capability holes and the race to the future.” Business Horizons, 62(2): 157-169 (DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11.001)
Trevor, J. and Williamson, P. (2019) “How to design an ambidextrous organisation.” The European Business Review, 24 April 2019
Williamson, P.J., Wu, X. and Yin, E. (2019) “Learning from Huawei’s superfluidity.” Ivey Business Journal, May/Jun
Williamson, P. and De Meyer, A. (2019) “How to monetize a business ecosystem.” Harvard Business Review, 30 September 2019
Wan, F., Williamson, P. and Pandit, N.R. (2020) “MNE liability of foreignness versus local firm-specific advantages: the case of the Chinese management software industry.” International Business Review, 29(1): 101623 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2019.101623)
Wan, F., Williamson, P., Yin, E. and Lei, L. (2020) “Is disruptive innovation in emerging economies different? Evidence from China.” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 57: 101590 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2020.101590)
Williamson, P. (2021) “De-globalisation and decoupling: post-COVID-19 myths versus realities.” Management and Organization Review, 17(1): 29-34 (DOI: 10.1017/mor.2020.80)
Williamson, P., Guo, B. and Yin, E. (2021) “When can Chinese competitors catch up? Market and capability ladders and their implications for multinationals.” Business Horizons, 64(2): 223-237 (DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2020.11.007)
Zhang, M.Y. and Williamson, P. (2021) “The emergence of multiplatform ecosystems: insights from China’s mobile payments system in overcoming bottlenecks to reach the mass market.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173: 21128 (DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121128)
Zhou, A.J., Williamson, P.J. and Tung, R.L. (2021) “Editorial.” Cross Cultural and Strategic Management, 28(2): 229-234 (DOI: 10.1108/CCSM-05-2021-237)
De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2022) “Thriving as an ecosystem partner.” European Business Review, 26 September 2022
Liu, W., Beltagui, A., Ye, S. and Williamson, P. (2022) “Harnessing exaptation and ecosystem strategy for accelerated innovation: lessons from the VentilatorChallengeUK.” California Management Review, 64(3): 78-98 (DOI: 10.1177/00081256211056651)
Rong, K., Kang, Z. and Williamson, P.J. (2022) “Liability of ecosystem integration and internationalisation of digital firms.” Journal of International Management, 28(4): 100939 (DOI: 10.1016/j.intman.2022.100939)
Williamson, P.J., Symeou, P.C. and Zyglidopoulos, S. (2022) “International diversification, legitimacy, and corporate social performance of extractive industry multinationals.” Global Strategy Journal, 12(2): 359-393 (DOI: 10.1002/gsj.1405)
Alvi, F.H. and Williamson, P.J. (2023) “Responses to global financial standards in emerging markets: regulatory neoliberalism and the Basel II Capital Accord.” International Journal of Finance and Economics (DOI: 10.1002/ijfe.2554) (published online Mar 2021)
De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2023) “Kickstarting an ecosystem to innovate.” Management and Business Review (forthcoming)
Books, monographs, reports & case studies
Doz, Y., Santos, J. and Williamson, P. (2001) From global to metanational: how companies win in the knowledge economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean, Italian, and Portuguese)
Williamson, P.J. (2004) Winning in Asia: strategies for the new millennium. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean and Italian)
Zeng, M. and Williamson P.J. (2007) Dragons at your door: how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting the rules of global competition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Williamson, P. and De Meyer, A. (2010) “ARM Holdings Plc: ecosystem advantage.” European Case Clearing House (ECCH).
Williamson, P.J., Ramamurti, R., Fleury, A. and Fleury, M.T. (eds.) (2013) The competitive advantage of emerging country multinationals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Williamson, P. and Wang, M.J. (2015) “Alibaba Group’s Taobao: from intermediary to ecosystem enabler.” The Case Centre: 314-139-1.
De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2020) Ecosystem edge: sustaining competitiveness in the face of disruption. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Book chapters
Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E. (2009) “Racing with the Chinese dragons.” In Alon, I. et al. (eds.): China rules: globalization and political transformation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.69-100
Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E.Y. (2013) “The new wave of disruptive innovation from China: why and how global incumbents need to respond.” In: Ling, P.P. (ed.) Disruptive innovation in Chinese and Indian businesses: the strategic implication for local entrepreneurs and global incumbents. Abingdon, UK and New York, NY: Routledge, pp.179-198.
Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E.Y. (2013) “Innovation by Chinese EMNEs.” In: Williamson, P, Ramamurti, R, Fleury, A. and Fleury, M. T. L. (eds.): The competitive advantage of emerging market multinationals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.64-94
Williamson, P.J. and Wan, F. (2019) “How real are the opportunities for multinationals in China?” In: Grosse, R. and Meyer, K.E. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management in emerging markets. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.745-762
Williamson, P. (2020) “Realizing the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative: what role for M&A?” In: De Cremer, D., McKern, B. and McGuire, J. (eds.) The Belt and Road Initiative: opportunities and challenges of a Chinese economic ambition. London: Sage, pp.221-235
Williamson, P.J. (2021) “Chinese cost innovation, the Shanzhai phenomenon, and accelerated innovation.” In: Fu, X., McKern, B. and Chen, J. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of China innovation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, New York
Working papers
Trevor, J. and Williamson, P. (2014) “A blueprint for the next generation organisation: reconciling agility, efficiency and purpose.” Cambridge Judge Business School Working Papers, No.01/2014. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
