Dr Arash (Ash) Sadeghi

I am an Associate Professor in International Business at the University of Leicester School of Business, where I also serve as Director of Internationalisation and Programme Leader for Help to Grow: Management, a UK government-backed executive education programme for SME leaders.

My research sits at the intersection of international business, strategy, and entrepreneurship, innovation. I examine how SMEs internationalise, grow, exit and re-enter foreign markets, build capabilities, form alliances, innovate, and develop resilience in uncertain environments. I have published in leading journals including the 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, and 𝐑&𝐃 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Alongside my research, I am strongly committed to executive education and knowledge exchange. Through Help to Grow: Management, I work closely with SME leaders to support business growth, resilience, innovation, and internationalisation. I have also designed and delivered executive and postgraduate teaching in international business, strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

As Director of Internationalisation, I contribute to the development of global partnerships, international student recruitment, international learning opportunities, and the integration of global perspectives into teaching, research, and executive education.

I welcome connections with academics, doctoral researchers, SME leaders, industry partners, and institutions interested in research collaboration, executive education, international partnerships, and knowledge exchange.

 

Journal Articles

• Published/Accepted Articles

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, & O., Bouguerra, A. (2023). Unpacking the relationship between post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance of SMEs: A capability-building perspective. Journal of International Management, 29(1).

• Aliasghar, O., Sadeghi, A. & Rose, E.L. (2023) Process innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises: The critical role of external knowledge sourcing and absorptive capacity. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(4).

• Larimian, T., Taylor, K. E., & Sadeghi, A. (2023). Evolving Towards Mobility-as-a-Service: Drivers and Consequences of Car Subscription Services. e-Service Journal, 14(3).

• Bouguerra, A., Mellahi, K., Glaister, K., Sadeghi, A., Temouri, Y., & Tatoglu, E. (2022). Absorptive capacity and organizational performance in an emerging market context: Evidence from the banking industry in Turkey. Journal of Business Research. 139, 1575-1587.

• Sadeghi, A., Rose, E.L. & Madsen, T. (2021). Perceived export performance: A contingent measurement approach, Journal of International Marketing. 29(3), 63-84.

• Sadeghi, A., Chetty, S., & Rose, E. L. (2021). Perceived export performance: The invisible part of the iceberg. Thunderbird International Business Review. 63(6), 667-686

• Sadeghi, A. & Aliasghar, O. (2020). Filling the post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance gap, Academy of Management Proceedings.

• Larimian, T., Sadeghi, A., Palaiologou, G., & Schmidt-III, R. (2020). Neighbourhood Social Resilience (NSR): Definition, Conceptualisation, and Measurement Scale Development. Sustainability, 12(16).

• Larimian, T., & Sadeghi, A. (2019). Measuring urban social sustainability: Scale development and validation. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 48(4), 621-637

• Sadeghi, A., Rose, E. L., & Chetty, S. (2018). Disentangling the effects of post-entry speed of internationalisation on export performance of INVs. International Small Business Journal, 36(7), 780-806.

• Sadeghi, A., & Larimian, T. (2018). Sustainable electricity generation mix for Iran: A fuzzy analytic network process approach. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 28, 30-42. 

• Sadeghi, A. (2018). Success factors of high-tech SMEs in Iran: A Fuzzy MCDM Approach. The Journal of High Technology Management Research. 29 (1), 71-87

 

Recent Conference Papers

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, & O., Jafari-Sadeghi, V. Disentangling the impact of coopetition on financial and non-financial performance: A capability-building perspective, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM 2023), Boston, UK.

• Sadeghi, A. & Larimian, T., External social capital and performance of SMEs in Iran: the role of socio-economic and built-environment characteristics of the neighbourhoods, Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP 2023), Lodz, Poland

• Mehralian, G & Sadeghi, A., Exploring the Capacity for learning and Transformation role for Innovation Ambidexterity, Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM 2023), Boston, UK.

• Larimian, T., Sadeghi, A. (June 2023). Does external social capital help SMEs’ performance? A configurational analysis, Regional Studies Association (RSA 2023), Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, & O., Jafari-Sadeghi, V. Examining the mechanism underlying the performance impacts of coopetition: A capability-building perspective, Academy of International Business (AIB 2023), Warsaw, UK.

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, & O., Jafari-Sadeghi, V. Performance implications of coopetition: The mediating role of absorptive capacity and unlearning, Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Chapter (AIB UK-I 2023), Glasgow, UK.

• Sadeghi, A., Douch, M., Du, J., & Roper, S.(June 2021). Re-internationalization and firm’s post-re-entry performance: the role of international heritage, Academy of International Business (AIB 2022), Seattle, US.

• Sadeghi, A., Douch, M., & Du, J., (June 2021). Re-internationalization and firm performance, Academy of International Business (AIB 2021), Virtual Conference. 

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O. (June 2021). Post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance of SMEs: The role of dynamic capabilities perspective, Academy of International Business (AIB 2021), Virtual Conference.

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O. (August 2021). Examining the black box of the mechanism underlying performance advantages of rapid internationalization: A dynamic capabilities perspective, 81th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM  2021), Virtual Conference.

• Sadeghi, A., Taylor, K., & Larimian, T. (August 2021). Evolving towards ‘Mobility-as-a-service’: Emergence of car subscription services in the UK automotive market and impacts on incumbent vehicle manufacturers, 81th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM  2021), Virtual Conference.

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O. (August 2020). Filling the post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance gap: The mediating effects of dynamic capabilities, 80th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM  2020), Vancouver, Canada.

• Aliasghar, O., Sadeghi, A., (August 2020). Process innovation in SMEs: The critical role of absorptive capacity and external knowledge sourcing, 80th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM  2020), Vancouver, Canada.

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O. (February 2020). Export performance consequences of rapid internationalization: Looking inside the black box, Academy of International Business UK and Ireland Chapter (AIB-UKI 2020), Glasgow, UK.

• Sadeghi, A., Douch, M., & Du, J., (February 2020). Re-internationalisation and firm performance, Academy of International Business UK and Ireland Chapter (AIB-UKI 2020), Glasgow, UK. 

 

PUBLICATIONS:

• Mehralian, G. A., Sadeghi, A., & Wilden, R. (2026). Learning to innovate: How and when firms transform intellectual capital into exploratory and exploitative innovation. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal [(ABS: 4; ABDC: A; Journal IF: 6.3], forthcoming (https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.70028)

 

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O., & Sadeghi, V. J. (2026). Alliances with frenemies: Capability-building mechanisms linking coopetition to firm performance. Journal of Business Research. [ABS: 3; ABDC: A; IF: 9.8], forthcoming (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116076 )

 

• Aliasghar, O., Sadeghi, A., Haar, J., & Jafari‐Sadeghi, V. (2025). Dare to Sell! Impacts of “Make and/or Buy” Decision Strategies on Outbound Open Innovation. R&D Management. [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 6.7] (https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12766)

 

 

• Zhu, F., Adomako, S., Donbesuur, F., Ahsan, M., Shinnar, R., & Sadeghi, A. (2024). Entrepreneurial passion, alertness, and opportunity recognition: Affective-cognitive interactions in dynamic environments. International Small Business Journal. [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 4.3] (https://doi.org/10.1177/02662426241298176)

 

• Aliasghar, O., Sadeghi, A., & Rose, E. L. (2023). Process innovation in small-and medium-sized enterprises: The critical roles of external knowledge sourcing and absorptive capacity. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(4), 1583-1610 [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 3.12] (https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2020.1844491)

 

• Sadeghi, A., Aliasghar, O. & Bouguerra, A. (2023). Unpacking the relationship between post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance of SMEs: A capability-building perspective. Journal of International Management, 29(1). [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 5.56] (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2022.100982)

 

• Larimian, T., Taylor, K. E., & Sadeghi, A. (2023). Evolving Towards Mobility-as-a-Service: Drivers and Consequences of Car Subscription Services. e-Service Journal, 14(3).

 

• Bouguerra, A., Mellahi, K., Glaister, K., Sadeghi, A., Temouri, Y., & Tatoglu, E. (2022). Absorptive capacity and organizational performance in an emerging market context: Evidence from the banking industry in Turkey. Journal of Business Research. 139, 1575-1587. [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 10.5] (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.10.077)

 

• Sadeghi, A., Rose, E.L. & Madsen, T. (2021). Perceived export performance: A contingent measurement approach, Journal of International Marketing. 29(3), 63-84. [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 4.96] (https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X20973663)

 

• Sadeghi, A., Chetty, S., & Rose, E. L. (2021). Perceived export performance: The invisible part of the iceberg. Thunderbird International Business Review. 63(6), 667-686  [ABS: 2, ABCD: B] (https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22223)

 

• Sadeghi, A. & Aliasghar, O. (2020). Filling the post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance gap, Academy of Management Proceedings. (https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2020.17259abstract)

 

• Larimian, T., Sadeghi, A., Palaiologou, G., & Schmidt-III, R. (2020). Neighbourhood Social Resilience (NSR): Definition, Conceptualisation, and Measurement Scale Development. Sustainability, 12(16). [JIF: 2.57] (https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166363)

 

• Larimian, T., & Sadeghi, A. (2019). Measuring urban social sustainability: Scale development and validation. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 48(4), 621-637 [ABCD: A*, JIF: 2.82] (https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808319882950)

 

• Sadeghi, A., Rose, E. L., & Chetty, S. (2018). Disentangling the effects of post-entry speed of internationalisation on export performance of INVs. International Small Business Journal, 36(7), 780-806.  [ABS: 3, ABCD: A, JIF: 3.756] (https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242618775169)

 

• Sadeghi, A., & Larimian, T. (2018). Sustainable electricity generation mix for Iran: A fuzzy analytic network process approach. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 28, 30-42.  [JIF: 3.00] (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2018.04.001)

 

• Sadeghi, A. (2018). Success factors of high-tech SMEs in Iran: A Fuzzy MCDM Approach. The Journal of High Technology Management Research. 29 (1), 71-87 [ABS:2, JIF: 1.06] (DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2018.04.007)

 

• Larimian, T., Zarabadi, Z. S., & Sadeghi, A. (2013). Developing a fuzzy AHP model to evaluate environmental sustainability from the perspective of Secured by Design scheme—A case study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 7, 25-36. [JIF: 5.268] ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2012.10.001)

I am particularly interested in supervising students in the areas related to International Business, Entrepreneurship, and innovation. Some of the topics that I am interested are as follows: 
• International diversification strategies
• De- and re-internationalisation
• Dynamics of internationalisation and patterns of international growth,
• Innovation and knowledge co-ordination, Knowledge acquisition, and organizational learning, 
• Coopetition and alliance, 
• Entrepreneurial scaling and scalability, 
• Business resilience and business continuity planning, 
• Digital entrepreneurship, 
• Business model innovations.
 I am interested in supervising both qualitative and quantitative research projects.

I am the module leader for MN7050 (Principles and Practices of International Business). Also, I deliver the Module 1 "Strategy and Innovation" as part of the Help to Grow Management Programme.