Christoph
Zott

Head of Entrepreneurship Department

Professor of Entrepreneurship

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

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)

SNIHUR, Y., ZOTT, C., KISS, A. N. (2025). Incumbent response to business model innovation. The role of opportunity framing. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. doi:10.1002/sej.1534. (Online first) ZOTT, C., AMIT, R. (2024). Business Models and Lean Startup. Journal of Management, 50 (8), 3183-3201. doi:10.1177/01492063241228245. SNIHUR, Y., AMIT, R., ZOTT, C. (2021). Managing the Value Appropriation Dilemma in Business Model Innovation. Strategy Science, 6 (1), 22-38. doi:10.1287/stsc.2020.0113.

Working Papers

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). ZOTT, C., AMIT, R., MASSA, L. (2010). The business model: Theoretical roots, recent developments, and future research (DI-862-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. (2018). The role of differentiation, integration, and governance in developing innovative business models. Academy of Management Proceedings. SNIHUR, Y., ZOTT, C. (2018). The Genesis and Metamorphosis of Imprints: How Business Model Innovation Evolves in Young Firms. 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. (2016). Business Model Design: A Dynamic Capability Perspective. In David J. Teece and Sohvi Leih (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Dynamic Capabilities (pp. 1 - 4). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ZOTT, C., AMIT, R. (2015). Business Model Innovation: Toward a Process Perspective. In Christina E. Shalley, Michael A. Hitt, and Jing Zhou (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (pp. 395 - 406). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Non-refereed articles

ZOTT, C. (2016). How to Innovate in Business Models. Changing The Way The Company Does Business. Alumni Magazine (140), pp. 24 - 27. ZOTT, C. (2016). ¿Cómo innovar en modelos de negocio?. Cambiando el modo de operar de las empresas. Revista de Antiguos Alumnos (140), pp. 28 - 31. ZOTT, C., AMIT, R. (2009). Creating Value in Times of Change. Business model innovation. Alumni Magazine (115), pp. 32 - 36.

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. (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. ZOTT, C. (2016). The Forgotten Merits Of Business Model Innovation. Forbes.