Professor Paul Beamish, HBA ’76, PhD ’84, and Dwarka Chakravarty, PhD '18, are experts in international business.
When it comes to business, Paul Beamish (pictured left) and Dwarka Chakravarty (pictured right) have a global outlook.
Beamish’s interest in emerging markets has taken him to more than 80 countries. He currently holds the Canada Research Chair in International Management at Ivey, and is the recipient of countless awards including the International Management Eminent Scholar Award 2017 and Outstanding Educator Award 2012 from the Academy of Management. As the founder of The 39 Country Initiative, Beamish works to provide relevant teaching materials, including business cases, to universities in the world’s 39 lowest income countries.
Born in Bangalore, India, Chakravarty grew up in Mumbai. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, and his career has taken him to the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Canada.
Since 1991, Beamish has supervised 33 PhD dissertations. Chakravarty – whose doctoral dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 23 global cities in North America – will be PhD graduate number 34.
While advanced urban areas attract FDI due to their economic and institutional advantages, they also pose challenges of greater cost and competition, Chakravarty explains. “I examine the characteristics, performance, and survival of Japanese FDI in global cities, relative to other locations,” he says. “Having lived and worked in several global cities, I am passionate about this research, and the results are interesting.”
Beamish says he enjoys his work with PhD students. “I like big projects,” he notes. “My relationship with a PhD student typically evolves from being a supervisor to more of a professional peer. Some actually become friends. I think Dwarka will ultimately fall into that category.”
Best career advice you’ve ever received?
Beamish: Work with people who are smart, passionate, and trustworthy.
Chakravarty: Give bad news quickly and good news loudly.
The place or experience that made the biggest impact on the way you think about international business?
Beamish: I’ve been fortunate to travel to all sorts of places and one of my takeaways is that the challenges are actually more similar than different, regardless of where you go.
Chakravarty: Growing up there was a time in India where you couldn’t get Coca-Cola because imports were restricted. Then the economy was liberalized and we had access to numerous international products. As kids, we thought, “This is great!” Later on, I realized it’s also good for the economy and innovation. That’s what excited me about free trade initially and international business in particular.
What can business leaders in the developed world learn from their counterparts working in emerging markets?
Beamish: Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas.
Chakravarty: How to contribute more and connect better with the communities in which they operate.
The most surprising thing you have learned about yourself in your global travels?
Beamish: I often think about this expression attributed to Saint Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I like reading more pages.
Chakravarty: I do not collect souvenirs.
The one place you have yet to visit that is on your bucket list?
Beamish: Any place where I can see whale sharks.
Chakravarty: Prague. From all accounts, it looks like an urban fairy tale.
Photo: Nation Wong
Art Direction: Greg Salmela, Aegis
