Ali Ahmadi

Biography

In my dissertation, I ask how competitive surprise—a firm-initiated competitive event that is unexpected to rivals and other market participants—shapes the rival's response time and effectiveness.

Empirically, I use large-scale text mining and large language models on news articles, SEC filings, and other unstructured text to measure and examine these questions.

Educational Background

• BSc in Mechanical Engineering
• MBA in Strategy

Published Papers

• Goudarzi, K., Ahmadi, A., & Andrevski, G. (2026). From protection to adjustment: How rival repositioning alters competitive action repertoires. Journal of Business Research (ABDC: A-Journal)
• Ahmadi, A., & Arndt, F. 2022. Dynamic Capabilities and Innovation. In R. G. Renu Agarwal, Eric Patterson, Sancheeta Pugalia (Ed.), Innovation. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Innovation/Agarwal-Patterson-Pugalia-Green/p/book/9780367343026.
• Hosseini, E., Tajpour, M., Salamzadeh, A., & Ahmadi, A. (2022). Team performance and the development of Iranian digital start-ups: the mediating role of employee voice. In Managing human resources in SMEs and start-ups: international challenges and solutions (pp. 109-140).

Awards & Honours

• Best Paper Award at the Competitive Dynamics Conference - University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
• Program on Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis Scholarship - Queen’s University Economics Department
• PhD Student Research Excellence Award - Smith School of Business