Elio Shijaku joined the Department of Business at the Universitat de Barcelona Business School in October 2016 as a postdoctoral researcher, after successfully going through a competitive international selection process. He obtained his PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2016. He has also been a Visiting Researcher at the Bocconi University and Research Fellow at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In this interview he talks about his experience so far and his expectations about the future.

It’s already been seven months since you joined the UB Business School as a postdoctoral researcher. What do you think of the experience thus far?
The experience has been great. All the merit goes to the members of the department that have been extremely supportive. It feels like being part of a big family; could not have asked for a better start.

What can you tell us about the research you are carrying out at the UB Business School?
I had the opportunity to engage with different researchers in the department who have voiced support for my research. Having said this, currently I am focusing on improving the chapters of my dissertation and preparing them for submission to scientific journals of the business field.

What are your fields of interest?
My current research is multidisciplinary with a combination of Behavioural Theory of the Firm, Social Network Theory and Resource-Based View that dwells into the classic ‘black box’ definition of the firm from a strategic management perspective.

What courses do you teach at the Faculty of Economics and Business?
Currently, I teach Managing International Companies (BSc) and Research in Strategic Management (MSc).

What do you enjoy most about teaching UB students?
I love conversing with them by posing various questions throughout the lecture sessions. It is nice to see how students speak out their individual perception on the raised issues. I think it is paramount to arouse independent, critical thinking, and equally important to let students internalise the ambiguous, multifaceted discussions outcomes.

Could you share a story or anecdote about your experience at the UB Business School?
Once I reminded the students to let me know if I sounded boring. There were plenty of laughs but there were also surprised faces. If I am not honest with myself, how can I be with others?

What do you expect from your postdoc experience at the University of Barcelona?
From a research perspective, I hope to further my agenda including potential publications in journals that hopefully acknowledge value in my work. From a teaching perspective, I hope the students can have good mementos from my course, and that acknowledge the multidimensionality of doing or researching businesses when they pursue their academic or professional life.

While at the UAB, you wrote a PhD thesis on Social Network Analysis Organizational Aspirations Organizational Ambidexterity, which was awarded the Cum Laude Mention. Can you tell us a little more about this?
The acknowledgment was a great feeling; my thanks go to my thesis directors Martin Larraza and Ainhoa Urtasun for believing in me, the dissertation committee members for seeing value in my work, and the DEMO program at UAB for providing unquestionable support. I had fun writing the dissertation and believe such merriment for as surreal as it sounds is crucial in large, energy draining projects such as this.

Do you think that Barcelona is a hub for research and teaching in business and related fields?
Absolutely, I believe Barcelona has great potential in business research and teaching. It is already a hub for multinational giants and entrepreneurial startups. Moreover, it is a real possibility for establishing fruitful relationships between universities, research centres and companies operating in the city. Plus, Barcelona is genuinely beautiful; its simplified complexity never ceases to impress me every day.