Dr. Tara Li teaches Strategic Management. She began her career in China as a supply chain analyst for a GE subsidiary and in sales roles for Lenovo and Microsoft, earning her MBA while working full-time. These experiences piqued her interest in strategy and led her to pursue a doctorate in the field. Her dissertation explores how a firm’s knowledge characteristics — the interdependence among its knowledge domains and its distinctive knowledge compared to competitors — influence the way it innovates and the outcomes of those innovations.

Her research employs computer simulation, machine learning techniques such as natural language processing, and econometric analysis of large data sets.

Dr. Li joined the Department of Economics and Business in 2024.

Areas of Expertise

• Strategy
• Innovation
• Organizational search and learning
• Organization design

Education

• Ph.D., strategy, Drexel University, 2024
• MBA, international program, China Agriculture University (Beijing, China), 2018
• B.A., business English, Mudanjiang Normal University (Heilongjiang, China), 2012

Honors and Awards

• Named an Outstanding Reviewer for STR, The Academy of Management, 2023
• Invited participant in Industry Emergence & Evolution in an Open World conference, University of Oxford, 2022
• Top Sales Award, Microsoft China Inc., 2017
• Innovation Star in Supply Chain Asia, Lenovo Inc., 2014

Selected Presentations

• “The Differential Effects of Knowledge Complexity on Search and Learning Outcomes in the Process of Innovation,” presentations at Strategic Management Society conference, Toronto, 2023, and at Rising Scholars Conference, MIT, 2023 
• “Technology Landscapes: Recombination and Innovation,” presentation at Academy of Management meeting, Seattle, 2022
• “Interfaces Design and Architectural Innovation,” presentation at Strategic Management Society conference, London, 2022

Outside the College

Dr. Li grew up in China and later immigrated to the U.S. for graduate school. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Puya, and their daughter, Alina, who was born in early 2024. Now settled in West Michigan, they cherish the area's peacefulness and beauty. Dr. Li enjoys hiking and beach outings with friends, often as part of their weekend routine. She also loves tackling intricate puzzles or Lego sets. While she doesn’t claim to have a great ear for music, she and her husband often relax to classical pieces, sharing a laugh over her self-proclaimed lack of musical sense.