Sondos Gamal Abdelgawd

Sondos G. Abdelgawd joined IE in 2013, having earned her PhD with distinction “ Cum Laude” from ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.

Sondos’s research focuses on entrepreneurial capabilities and their role in inducing and exploiting variety and novelty in existing companies. Her research interest includes corporate and strategic entrepreneurship as well as organizational learning. She is specifically interested in examining different types of opportunities across multiple contexts and how they shape and get shaped by firms’ entrepreneurial actions. In her research, she draws upon multiple theoretical perspectives such as the dynamic capability perspective, organizational learning theory, and social exchange theory among others.

Sondos’s research has appeared in several academic journals such as Journal of Management Inquiry, and Journal of Leadership and Organizational studies.  Sondos regularly presents her papers in several leading academic conferences such as the Academy of Management conference. She is a member in its Entrepreneurship division and serves as a reviewer for the division and other academic journals.

Coming from an entrepreneurial family, Sondos believes in the power of entrepreneurship in empowering individuals, organizations and societies.  Viewing entrepreneurship as a method that could be learnt and taught, she aspires to share with her students a unique learning experience that unleashes their creative power to pursue opportunities.  Prior to her academic career, she worked as VP for new business development in her family’s business in the real estate and construction sector where she got to launch and manage several projects across different countries.  She appreciates the value of diversity at all levels and its importance for the development of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies. She thinks that the entrepreneurial power lies in harnessing variety to combine resources in innovative ways that leads to new value creation at the level of the individual, firm, economy, and society.

Academic Background

• PhD with distinction “Cum laude” in entrepreneurship and management science, ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain

• Visiting PhD student, strategic management and entrepreneurship department at Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, US

• Masters of research degree in management science, ESADE, Business School, Barcelona, Spain

• High honors bachelor degree of business administration, the American University in Cairo, Egypt

Academic Experience

• Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, IE Business School 2013 to present

• Teaching Assistant, Entrepreneurship; MBA, CEMS, ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain

Business Experience

• VP for new business development, Alboroug Company for Construction and Development, Cairo, Egypt. 2006-2009

Selected Publications

• Abdelgawad, S. G., Zahra, S. A. (2020). “Family Firms' Religious Identity and Strategic Renewal”. Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 163: 775-787

• Tietz, M., Abdelgawad, S. G., Pasquini, M. (2018). “Social Innovation. Combining Profits and Progress”. In Johns Hopkins University Research in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Eds.). Social Innovation and Sustainability. Edward Elgar Publishing

• Zahra, S., Wright, M., Abdelgawad, S. G. (2015). “Contextualization and the advancement of entrepreneurship research”. International Small Business Journal, Vol. 32(5): 479-500

• Abdelgawad, S. G., Zahra, S.A., Svejenova, S., Sapienza, H.J. (2015). “Strategic Leadership and Entrepreneurial Capability for Game Change”. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, Vol. 20(4): 394-407