Christoph
Zott

Head of Entrepreneurship Department

Professor of Entrepreneurship

• Ph.D. in Commerce and Business Administration, University of British Columbia
• Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur, Technische Universität Karlsruhe
• DEA, Génie Industriel, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble

Christoph Zott is Professor and Head of the department of Entrepreneurship. He holds graduate degrees with distinction in industrial engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (France). He received his Ph.D. in commerce and business administration from the University of British Columbia (Canada). His current work centers on business model innovation, entrepreneurship in established firms, innovation strategy and new venture creation. He teaches, consults and conducts research on these topics.

Professor Zott has published his research in the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Business Venturing, MIT Sloan Management Review, Organization Science, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal and the Strategic Management Journal, as well as in other research outlets and books. He is the author of Business Model Innovation Strategy, published by Wiley in 2021. Professor Zott is also an editorial board member of the Strategic Management Journal and a former co-editor of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

In addition, Professor Zott serves an elected fellow of the Strategic Management Society and he was elected as chair of the Strategic Management Division of the Academy of Management, the world’s largest organization of management scholars.

Areas of interest.

• Business Model Innovation
• Entrepreneurship in Established Firms
• Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Innovation Strategy
• New Business Opportunities
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Venture Capital

Publications

Journal Articles (refereed)

BOCKEN, N., HEIDENREICH, S., SPIETH, P., TUCCI, C., ZOTT, C. (2025). Innovating for impact. Harnessing business model innovation to tackle grand challenges. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 19 (4), 665-681. doi:10.1002/sej.70010. SERGEEVA, A., ZOTT, C. (2025). How founders' values enable business model innovation in new ventures. The case of Magnum Photos. Strategic Management Journal, 46 (10), 2492-2534. doi:10.1002/smj.3727. SNIHUR, Y., ZOTT, C., KISS, A. N. (2025). Incumbent response to business model innovation. The role of opportunity framing. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 19 (2), 225-255. doi:10.1002/sej.1534.

Working Papers

ZOTT, C., FRANKENBERGER, K., STAM, W. (2025). Resource management for business model innovation in incumbent firms. Strategic Management Journal. MANIT, R., ZOTT, C. (2010). Business model innovation: Creating value in times of change (DI-870-E). ZOTT, C., HUY, Q. (2010). The affective roots of resource heterogeneity: How founders' emotion regulation helps create social resources in startups (DI-871-E).

Proceedings

SNIHUR, Y., ZOTT, C., KISS, A. N. (2022). Incumbent response to disruptive business model innovation and CEO opportunity framing. Annual Meeting Proceedings: Seattle 2022. Academy of Management. FRANKENBERGER, K., ZOTT, C., STAM, W. (2022). Pioneering resource bundling for business model innovation. Annual Meeting Proceedings: Seattle 2022. Seattle: Academy of Management Proceedings. FRANKENBERGER, K., ZOTT, C. (2018). The role of differentiation, integration, and governance in developing innovative business models. Academy of Management Proceedings.

Books

AMIT, R., ZOTT, C. (2020). Business model innovation strategy. Transformational concepts and tools for entrepreneurial leaders. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

Book Chapters

ZOTT, C., AMIT, R., GIESSEN, E. (2024). Business model innovation capability. A game changer for sustaining a firm's edge. In Aagard, A. (Eds.), Business model innovation - Game changers and contemporary issues. London: Palgrave Macmillan. AMIT, R., ZOTT, C. (2021). Business model innovation strategy. In Duhaime, Irene M. ,Hitt, Michael A., Lyles, Marjorie A. (Eds.), Strategic Management: State of the Field and Its Future (pp. 679–698). Oxford: Oxford University Press. AMIT, R., HAN, X., ZOTT, C. (2019). Collaboration in business model innovation. In Reuer, Jeffrey J., Matusik, Sharon F., Jones, Jessica (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Entrepreneurship and Collaboration (pp. 568–586). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Non-refereed articles

ZOTT, C., RAES, A. (2024). Busting the myths. IESE Business School Insight (166). ZOTT, C. (2016). How to Innovate in Business Models. Changing The Way The Company Does Business. IESE Alumni Magazine (140), pp. 24 - 27. ZOTT, C. (2016). ¿Cómo innovar en modelos de negocio?. Cambiando el modo de operar de las empresas. IESE Revista de Antiguos Alumnos (140), pp. 28 - 31.

Cases

PEETERS, C., ZOTT, C. (2020). Aparkalo (A): Dynamizing a Sleepy Industry. IESE, E-208-E. PEETERS, C., ZOTT, C. (2020). Aparkalo (C): Normal Crisis or Sudden Death? IESE, E-210-E. PEETERS, C., ZOTT, C. (2020). Aparkalo (B): Revised Business Plan. IESE, E-209-E.

Outputs in other media

ZOTT, C. (2024). What business model designers can learn from lean startups — and vice versa. IESE Insight. ZOTT, C. (2020). In Times Of Crisis, Innovating Your Business Model Can Be A Lifeline. Here Is How To Do It Right. Forbes. ZOTT, C. (2020). Why Business Model Innovation Could Be The Key To Getting Better Results. Forbes.