LLM+ Research Day: A Conversation with Professor Eric Zhao
Monday, 20 July 2026 | 12:30–2:00 PM
West Hub, University of Cambridge
Join us for an interactive research conversation with Professor Eric Zhao from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, as part of the LLM+ Research Day series.
This session will bring together researchers, students, and practitioners interested in strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, artificial intelligence, and organisational change. Professor Zhao will present his latest research, followed by an open discussion and audience Q&A.
Guest Talk
The Optimal Measure of Distinctiveness: Aligning Theory of Evaluation with Practice of Measurement
How should organisational distinctiveness be measured, and how can empirical measurement be better aligned with the theories explaining how audiences evaluate organisations?
In this talk, Professor Zhao will examine the conceptual and methodological challenges involved in measuring distinctiveness. The session will explore how researchers can better connect theories of evaluation with empirical measurement practices, offering insights relevant to research on competitive positioning, differentiation, legitimacy, and optimal distinctiveness.
Programme
12:30–1:00 PM — Reception and networking
Coffee and tea will be provided.
1:00–1:40 PM — Guest talk by Professor Eric Zhao
1:40–2:00 PM — Audience Q&A and discussion
Speaker
Professor Eric Zhao
Professor of Strategy and Associate Dean for Research
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Professor Eric Zhao is a leading scholar in strategic management, organisation theory, and entrepreneurship, with a growing focus on artificial intelligence and firm strategy. His research examines how firms create and capture value amid profound technological and institutional change, particularly how organisations adapt and thrive in the age of AI.
He is widely recognised for his foundational contributions to optimal distinctiveness theory. His work, including the book Optimal Distinctiveness, has shaped scholarly understanding of competitive positioning, differentiation, and legitimacy. His recent research explores AI-driven transformation, human–machine collaboration, organisational resilience, and changing sources of competitive advantage.
Before joining Oxford, Professor Zhao was a visiting faculty member at Stanford University and held the Samuel and Pauline Glaubinger Chair of Entrepreneurship at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He received the Academy of Management Emerging Scholar Award in Entrepreneurship in 2019 and the Strategic Management Society Emerging Scholar Award in 2022.
Venue
West Hub, University of Cambridge
JJ Thomson Avenue
Cambridge CB3 0US
Room B
Registration
Attendance is free, but places are limited. Please register in advance to help us plan seating and catering.
The event is particularly relevant to doctoral researchers, early-career academics, students, and colleagues interested in strategy, organisation theory, entrepreneurship, innovation, and management research.
About the Event
This event is organised by LLM+ with support from the West Hub Small Grants Programme [1].
Photographs may be taken during the event for documentation and communications purposes. Please speak with the organisers upon arrival if you would prefer not to be photographed.
[1]: https://www.westcambridgehub.uk/whats-on/small-grants-programme/