Aswo Safari

Kort presentation

Aswo Safari is an Associate Professor at the Department of Business and Mathematics at Mälardalen University and an Associated Researcher at the Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University. His research lies at the intersection of international business, marketing, and geopolitics, with a particular focus on how firms navigate complex and uncertain global environments.

Biografi

Safari's work primarily examines how multinational enterprises operate across borders amid varying institutional, political, and relational conditions. A central theme in his research is the role of uncertainty arising from institutional differences, geopolitical tensions, and market dynamics, and how firms respond to it through strategy, relationships, and organizational decision-making.

Safari has made notable contributions to the literature on psychic distance, internationalization processes, and interfirm relationships. His recent work advances a microfoundational perspective, integrating individual-, firm-, and country-level dynamics to better explain how perceptions of distance and trust shape international business outcomes. He is also actively developing new theoretical frameworks that address paradoxes in international business.In parallel, his research explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on business and marketing theory. He investigates how AI reshapes foundational assumptions in relational exchange theory and the behavioral theory of the firm, particularly in relation to bounded rationality, decision-making, and interorganizational relationships. His work aims to contribute to the development of next-generation theories that reflect the increasing role of intelligent technologies in economic and organizational life.

Safari’s research is strongly theory-driven, with a particular interest in conceptual development, meta-theory, and the refinement of foundational constructs in business research. His work often bridges disciplines, drawing on insights from international relations, political economy, and organizational theory to enrich the understanding of firm behavior in a multipolar world.

He has collaborated with scholars and institutions across the globe, including research engagements at leading universities such as MIT, Harvard University, and the University of Sydney.

In addition to his research, Safari has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. His pedagogical approach emphasizes critical thinking, intellectual engagement, and the integration of theory with real-world challenges. He has taught at several international institutions, including MIT, Uppsala University, and universities in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.