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Professor Elena B. Spasova

Dean, Henley Business School

Professor in International Business

Henley Dean Elena B Spasova

Specialisms

  • International Business and Strategy, 
  • Performance, 
  • Competetive Advantage, 
  • RBV

Elena B. Spasova is the Dean of Henley Business School and Professor of International Business.

She joined Henley in 2009 with over ten years of corporate strategy consulting experience working with organisations across Europe and North America. Elena has held a number of T&L leadership positions over the years and led the instituting and growth of a number of work-based and executive programmes both nationally and internationally. In her leadership capacity Elena has also headed major change management and education innovation projects.

In her current role as Dean, Elena works to provide vision, direction and leadership of the Henley Business School.

Her research interests include strategic issues and challenges faced by organisations on an international scale, drivers of international competitiveness and performance, with particular focus on exports and SMEs.


Research focus

  • Strategic issues and challenges faced by managers in SMEs and multinational corporations on an international scale
  • International Business strategies of international firms
  • Global value chain
  • Dynamic and entrepreneurial capabilities as critical firm-specific advantages driving international expansion and competitiveness
  • Governance modalities of cross border expansion and operations – ownership versus control issue.
  • The effects of economic disintegration on the international competitiveness of firms from the exiting country – the case of BREXIT

Industry experience

  • Management and Strategy consultant at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Canada
  • Corporate and operations strategy development and implementation
  • Process and profit improvement
  • Enterprise development
  • Project management
  • Economic analysis, market research and feasibility analysis.

Client portfolio

  • Strategy development projects for large Canadian and USA international corporations
  • International new venture strategies for SMEs
  • Feasibility studies for government agencies in Canada, Cyprus, Macedonia, and World Bank projects in post-war Bosnia

Reference: Milevoj, E., Beleska-Spasova, E. and Bommer, W. H. (2021) Influence of CEO and firm characteristics on SME internationalization: evidence from California. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 31 (5). ISSN 1081-8510 doi: https://doi.org/10.53703/001c.29810
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Walker, J. , Wood, G., Brewster, C. and Beleska-Spasova, E. (2018) Context, market economies and MNEs: the example of financial incentivization. International Business Review, 27 (1). pp. 21-33. ISSN 0969-5931 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.04.006
Henley faculty authors:
Prof James T Walker - Professor Chris Brewster - Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. , Loykulnanta, S. and Nguyen, Q. T. K. (2016) Firm-specific, country-specific and region-specific competitive advantages: the case of emerging economy MNEs - Thailand. Asian Business and Management, 15 (4). pp. 264-291. ISSN 1476-9238 doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41291-016-0009-8
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova - Dr Quyen Nguyen
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. (2014) Determinants and measures of export performance – comprehensive literature review. Journal of Contemporary Economic and Business Issues, 1 (1). pp. 63-74.
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. and Glaister, K. W. (2013) Intrafirm causal ambiguity in an international context. International Business Review, 22 (1). pp. 32-46. ISSN 0969-5931 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2012.02.001
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. , Glaister, K. W. and Stride, C. (2012) Resource determinants of strategy and performance: the case of British exporters. Journal of World Business, 47 (4). pp. 635-647. ISSN 1090-9516 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2011.09.001
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. and Glaister, K. W. (2009) The geography of British exports: country-level versus firm-level evidence. European Management Journal, 27 (5). pp. 295-304. ISSN 0263-2373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2009.03.002 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2009.03.002 >
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. (2011) The role of firm-specific advantages in UK export initiation. Multinational Business Review, 19 (2). pp. 168-194. ISSN 1525-383X doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/15253831111149799
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova
Reference: Beleska-Spasova, E. and Glaister, W.G. (2010) Geographic orientation and performance: evidence from British exporters. Management International Review, 50 (5). pp. 533-557. ISSN 1861-8901 doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-010-0052-1 <https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-010-0052-1 >
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Elena B. Spasova

Global Business Context: Challenges and Prospects

The module provides students with the opportunity to develop an awareness of the contemporary global trends and developments and gain critical insight into their implications on current and future business...

Module code: MQM2GBC