
Charles (Chuck) Eesley
Associate Professor of Management Science and Engineering
Web page: https://cee.people.stanford.edu
Bio
Chuck Eesley is an Associate Professor and W.M. Keck Foundation Faculty Scholar in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. As part of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, his research focuses on the role of the institutional and university environment in high-growth, technology entrepreneurship. His research focuses on rethinking how the educational and policy environment shapes the economic and entrepreneurial impact of university alumni. His field research spans China, Japan, Chile, Bangladesh, Thailand and Silicon Valley and has received awards from the Schulze Foundation, the Technical University of Munich, and the Kauffman Foundation. He is a faculty affiliate at the Stanford Center for International Development, the Woods Institute for the Environment and the Stanford King Center on Global Development. He is also a member of the Editorial Board for the Strategic Management Journal. Before coming to Stanford, Prof. Eesley completed his Ph.D. at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. He started his first company while earning a Bachelor's degree from Duke University in 2002. His work has been published among other places in Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Research Policy, and Biological Psychiatry. Prof. Eesley previously was an entrepreneur, early employee, board member/advisor, and investor in the areas of life sciences, online education and machine learning. He has also been an advocate and mentor for immigrants and historically under-represented groups in STEM, academia and the tech sector via programs such as Diversifying Academia, Recognizing Excellence (DARE), Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST), and SURF among others. When not occupied with his Stanford responsibilities, Eesley is actively involved as a co-founder, board member and angel investor in many high-tech start-ups.
Academic Appointments
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Associate Professor, Management Science and Engineering
Administrative Appointments
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Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Department of Management Science & Engineering, Stanford. (2020 - Present)
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Organizer, Social Science & Technology Seminar (SIEPR) (2009 - 2018)
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Research Committee, ENT Division, Academy of Management (2012 - Present)
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Research Committee, TIM Division Academy of Management (2015 - Present)
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Lead Steering Committee, West Coast Research Symposium Doctoral Consortium (2011 - 2016)
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Advisory Board, United States Department of State - Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST Network) (2014 - Present)
Honors & Awards
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TUM Research Excellence Award, Technical University of Munich (2018)
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Faculty Affiliate, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment (2017-2019)
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Undergraduate Teaching Award, MS&E (2017)
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Richard Schulze Inaugural Distinguished Professorship Award, Richard Schulze Foundation (2015)
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Faculty Affiliate, Stanford Center for International Development (SCID) (2014-present)
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Kauffman-Nesta Research Grant winner - Randomized Controlled Trials in Entrepreneurship, Kauffman-NESTA (2014)
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Batten Institute Fellow, University of Virginia (UVA) Darden School of Business (2012)
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Research Fund for International Young Scientists, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (2012)
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Lillie Award, Stanford University (2011, 2012)
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Technology and Innovation Management, IEEE International (2011)
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Best Dissertation Award Winner (Business Policy and Strategy Division), Academy of Management (2010)
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Dissertation Fellowship Award, Kauffman Foundation (2007)
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Best Paper Proceedings, Academy of Management (2005, 2006, 2010, 2012)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Editorial Board, Strategic Management Journal (2015 - Present)
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Member, Academy of Management (2005 - Present)
Professional Education
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PhD, MIT, Sloan School of Management (2009)
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BS, Duke University, Biological Basis of Behavior (2002)
Research Interests
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Higher Education
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Leadership and Organization
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Research Methods
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Technology and Education
Current Research and Scholarly Interests
My research focuses on the influence of the external environment on entrepreneurship. Specifically, I have sought to be a leader in investigating the types of environments that encourage the founding of high growth, technology-based firms. Although I build on previous work that focuses on individual characteristics, network ties, and strategy, my major contribution is to demonstrate that institutions matter. I have broken new ground in showing that effective institutional change influences who starts firms, not just how many firms are started. I have repeatedly studied entrepreneurship in a single country (China, Chile, Japan, and the U.S.) before and after a major institutional change. My work is divided into three streams: (1) formal institutions (policies and regulations), (2) university and industry environments, and (3) informal institutions (social movements).
STREAM 1: My research in this stream advances theory by introducing novel mechanisms (e.g. barriers to growth and failure, institutional inconsistency), introducing new concepts (e.g. skill adequacy and context relevance) and in theorizing that institutional changes that lower barriers to growth and to failure alter who becomes an entrepreneur, the type of firms, and performance.
STREAM 2: My work in this stream changes the way we think about team composition as well as what characteristics lead to venture performance by linking their impacts to industry environments.
STREAM 3: In this stream, I explored how social movement organizations can change firms.
My research changes the way we think about how the environment – formal institutions, informal institutions, and industry contexts – influences entrepreneurship. I am a leader in situating ventures within environments and showing that interactions between environments and entrepreneurs matter. I am among the first to argue and show that policies that foster high-growth entrepreneurship are different than those that spawn small businesses. If policy leaders wish to foster technology-based start-ups, then we must consider how institutions operate. My research shows that institutional changes can significantly influence the types of firms that are created, who creates them, and how they perform. My research challenges widely accepted ideas about entrepreneurship by highlighting taken-for-granted notions that are incomplete or misleading. My studies call into question the assumption that institutions that make it easier to start firms are unambiguously beneficial, and that experienced, diverse founding teams are always superior. My theoretical contributions include introducing such concepts as institutional barriers to growth, skill adequacy and context relevance. I lead the way in broadening our conception of entrepreneurship beyond the developed North American economies. I have contributed methodologically by (A) showing how to measure talent, (B) collecting data internationally, (C) using randomized field experiments, and (D) analyzing multi-industry databases with state-of-the-art statistics (instrumental variables, differences-in-differences). I have been a pioneer in overcoming the challenges of inferring causality, by finding changes that altered the landscape for entrepreneurship, along with collecting novel data in international settings. I have been fortunate to see an impact of my scholarship, including over 1,574 Google Scholar citations. In future work, I plan to do more studies incorporating software development for data collection and digital platforms for randomized experiments (underway with NovoEd.com, Alibaba, and Qingfan.com) focusing on issues related to strategic change and entrepreneurship training. I was honored to receive the Schulze Distinguished Professorship Award, the goal of which is to "award funding to the country’s most accomplished entrepreneurship scholars who are infusing into their teaching the results of the original and meaningful research they are conducting.”
Projects
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Startup Chile, Stanford University (2/1/2015 - Present)
Location
Santiago, Chile
Collaborators
- Michael Leatherbee, Assistant Professor, Universidad Catolica
For More Information:
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ITRI - Stanford platform, ITRI (2/1/2015)
On-going collaboration platform with ITRI in Taiwan.
Location
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Collaborators
- Steven Su, Executive Director, ITRI
2020-21 Courses
- ASES Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
MS&E 73SI (Aut) - Entrepreneurship Doctoral Research Seminar
MS&E 372 (Spr) - Entrepreneurship without Borders
MS&E 272 (Aut) - Technology Entrepreneurship
ENGR 145 (Spr) -
Independent Studies (1)
- Directed Reading and Research
MS&E 408 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)
- Directed Reading and Research
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Prior Year Courses
2019-20 Courses
- Entrepreneurship without Borders
MS&E 272 (Spr) - Fintech and Entrepreneurship in China
OSPHONGK 32 (Aut) - Social Data Analysis
MS&E 379 (Win) - Technology Entrepreneurship
ENGR 145 (Spr)
2018-19 Courses
- Technology Entrepreneurship
ENGR 145 (Aut)
2017-18 Courses
- Entrepreneurship Doctoral Research Seminar
MS&E 372 (Spr) - Entrepreneurship without Borders
MS&E 272 (Win) - Technology Entrepreneurship
ENGR 145 (Win)
- Entrepreneurship without Borders
Stanford Advisees
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Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
Jiang Bian, Chenchen Pan, Eric Volmar -
Postdoctoral Faculty Sponsor
Zhuoxuan Li -
Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)
Khonika Gope, Carrington Motley, Tyler Whittle, Willow Wu -
Master's Program Advisor
Kelly Devens, Andrew Dworschak, Stefan Faistenauer, Lina Fang, Jocelyn Fu, Daniel Henry, Mallika Khullar, Ethan Le, Aishwaria Manek, Kun Qian, Raban von Spiegel -
Doctoral (Program)
Wajeeha Ahmad, Seyedeh Zahra Hejrati
All Publications
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Do university entrepreneurship programs promote entrepreneurship?
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
2020
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.3246
View details for Web of Science ID 000583243800001
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FOR STARTUPS, ADAPTABILITY AND MENTOR NETWORK DIVERSITY CAN BE PIVOTAL: EVIDENCE FROM A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENT ON A MOOC PLATFORM
MIS QUARTERLY
2020; 44 (2): 661–97
View details for DOI 10.25300/MISQ/2020/15138
View details for Web of Science ID 000537784700006
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Connected, But Still Lagging: Rural Sellers During Platform Change.
Strategic Management Journal.
2020
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.3259
- Entrepreneurship in dynamic environments: A comparison between the U.S. and China. Quarterly Journal of Management (管理学季刊) 2020; 5 (2): 1-17
- Entrepreneurial Strategies During Institutional Changes: Evidence from China’s Economic Transition. Conditional acceptance at Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. 2020
- How Do Institutional Carriers Alleviate Normative and Cognitive Barriers to Regulatory Change? Conditional accept, Organization Science 2020
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The dark side of institutional intermediaries: Junior stock exchanges and entrepreneurship
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
2018; 39 (10): 2643–65
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.2934
View details for Web of Science ID 000444803800003
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The persistence of entrepreneurship and innovative immigrants
RESEARCH POLICY
2018; 47 (6): 1032–44
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.respol.2018.03.007
View details for Web of Science ID 000434001600003
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Impact: Stanford University's Economic Impact via Innovation and Entrepreneurship
FOUNDATIONS AND TRENDS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2018; 14 (2): 130–278
View details for DOI 10.1561/0300000074
View details for Web of Science ID 000431012600001
- Brain drain, circulation, and linkage: Sequence analysis of Korean nationals graduating from Stanford University. Strategic, Policy and Social Innovation for a Post-Industrial Korea Routledge. 2018: 115–131
- A comparative analysis of Asian versus Asian American entrepreneurship: Evidence from Stanford University alumni Strategic, Policy and Social Innovation for a Post-Industrial Korea Routledge. 2018: 132–146
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Institutions and Entrepreneurial Activity: The Interactive Influence of Misaligned Formal and Informal Institutions
Strategy Science
2018; 3 (2): 367-480
View details for DOI 10.1287/stsc.2018.0060
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Social influence in career choice: Evidence from a randomized field experiment on entrepreneurial mentorship
RESEARCH POLICY
2017; 46 (3): 636-650
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.respol.2017.01.010
View details for Web of Science ID 000395613400010
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Failure Is an Option: Institutional Change, Entrepreneurial Risk, and New Firm Growth
ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
2017; 28 (1): 93-112
View details for DOI 10.1287/orsc.2017.1110
View details for Web of Science ID 000395830000006
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THROUGH THE MUD OR IN THE BOARDROOM: EXAMINING ACTIVIST TYPES AND THEIR STRATEGIES IN TARGETING FIRMS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
2016; 37 (12): 2425-2440
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.2458
View details for Web of Science ID 000388290800003
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Institutional Barriers to Growth: Entrepreneurship, Human Capital and Institutional Change
ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
2016; 27 (5): 1290-1306
View details for DOI 10.1287/orsc.2016.1077
View details for Web of Science ID 000391220200013
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Does Institutional Change in Universities Influence High-Tech Entrepreneurship? Evidence from China's Project 985
ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
2016; 27 (2): 446-461
View details for DOI 10.1287/orsc.2015.1038
View details for Web of Science ID 000375654300013
- Understanding Entrepreneurial Process and Performance: A Cross-National Comparison of Alumni Entrepreneurship Between MIT and Tsinghua University Asian Journal for Innovation and Policy 2016; 5 (2): 146-184
- How entrepreneurs leverage institutional intermediaries in emerging economies to acquire public resources Strategic Management Journal 2016
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THE CONTINGENT EFFECTS OF TOP MANAGEMENT TEAMS ON VENTURE PERFORMANCE: ALIGNING FOUNDING TEAM COMPOSITION WITH INNOVATION STRATEGY AND COMMERCIALIZATION ENVIRONMENT
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
2014; 35 (12): 1798-1817
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.2183
View details for Web of Science ID 000344327400005
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Are You Experienced or Are You Talented?: When Does Innate Talent versus Experience Explain Entrepreneurial Performance?
STRATEGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOURNAL
2012; 6 (3): 207-219
View details for DOI 10.1002/sej.1141
View details for Web of Science ID 000308646300002
- Bringing Ideas to Life IEEE International Recent Advances in Technology and Innovation Management Wily Publications. 2012: 40–60
- Neurocognitive Impairments Essentials of Schizophrenia American Psychiatric Publishing. Washington, DC, 2012.. 2012
- Entrepreneurial Impact: The Role of MIT - An Updated Report Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship 2011; 7 (1-2): 1-149
- Private Environmental Activism and the Selection and Response of Firm Targets. Journal of Economics Management and Strategy 2009; 18 (1): 45-73
- Neurocognition in Schizophrenia Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry edited by Sadock, B., Sadock, V. A., Ruiz, P. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins. 2009
- Entrepreneurs from technology-based universities: Evidence from MIT Research Policy 2007; 5 (36): 768-788
- Implementing a Public Subsidy for Vaccines Pharmaceutical Innovation: Incentives, Competition, and Cost-Benefit Analysis in International Perspective edited by Sloan, F. A. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2007: 107–126
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Firm Responses to Secondary Stakeholder Action
Strategic Management Journal
2006; 27 (8): 765-782
View details for DOI 10.1002/smj.536
- Governments as Insurers in Professional and Hospital Liability Insurance Markets Medical Malpractice and the U.S. Health Care System--New Century, Different Issues edited by Sage, W. M. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2006: 291–317
- Defining a cognitive function decrement in schizophrenia Biological psychiatry 2005; 6 (57): 688-691
- Entrepreneurship Education Comes of Age on Campus: The Challenges and Rewards of Bringing Entrepreneurship to Higher Education 2013
- Review of: Winds of Change: The Environmental Movement and the Global Development of the Wind Energy Industry Administrative Science Quarterly 2012; 57: 359-362