Christian Schumacher, PhD
Assistant professor (tenure-track)
I am an economist and philosopher by training (MSc in Economics; BSc in Philosophy, with a focus on analytical philosophy) and hold a PhD from the University of Vienna on behavioral strategy. My research examines behavioral strategy and managerial decision-making through quantitative approaches. Currently, I study how artificial intelligence is reshaping strategic decision-making, talent markets, and managerial judgment.
My work has appeared in leading journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Strategy Science, and the European Journal of Operational Research. Before joining WU, I held a tenure-track position at Copenhagen Business School and was a Schumpeter Fellow at Harvard University. I have also trained at and visited institutions such as INSEAD (Singapore), Tsinghua University (Beijing), and Keio University (Tokyo). I was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Commission (2022–24) and regularly present my work at major conferences such as AOM, SMS, and EURAM, as well as in media outlets.
See stateofai.at for our recent independent report on Austria's AI workforce, co-authored with Can Tihanyi and Andreas Schumacher.
For updates and current projects, see my personal homepage cschumac.com
Find my short CV here.
Current Research Projects
Search Without Build: How Generative AI Decouples Performance Shortfalls from Capability Accumulation—how firms respond to performance shortfalls in their AI capability building after the ChatGPT moment. (SMJ, under review.)
AI as a Ruthless Contrarian: How LLM-Powered Devil's Advocacy Enhances Strategic Decision-Making—using LLMs as devil's advocates to strengthen strategic decisions. (SMS, accepted.)
Career Adaptation Under Generative AI Exposure—how workers reorganize their careers in response to the GenAI shock. (ICIS 2026.)
Build, Apply, Operate: How AI Workforce Portfolio Composition Shapes Firm Value—how the internal composition of AI talent shapes firm value. (ICIS 2026.)
AI Workforce Architecture and Digital Innovation—how AI workforce composition shapes the kind of innovation firms produce. (ICIS 2026.)
Flagship Courses
AI-Driven Decision-Making
- Workflow automation; AI-based decision models; AI as a debiasing coach; AI-augmented data interpretation; AI-powered scenario generation; hands-on coding with cutting-edge AI tools (API calls, n8n, and more).AI for Business
- Firm-level AI transformation; the AI value chain; strategic workflow automation; human–AI collaboration; strategic use of AI tools; the future of work.
Selected Publications
Keck, S., Schumacher, C., Leavitt, K., & Gupta, A. (2026). How Mega-threats Influence Workplace Cooperation: Evidence from the Effect of #BlackLivesMatter on Cooperation among and between Black and White Co-workers. Academy of Management Journal.
Schumacher, C., Keck, S., & Gupta, A. (2025). Violence and Competition: The effect of mass shootings and domestic terrorism on organizational risk-taking in response to performance shortfalls. Academy of Management Journal.
Schumacher, C., Keck, S., & Tang, W. (2020). Biased interpretation of performance feedback: The role of CEO overconfidence. Strategic Management Journal, 41(6), 1139–1165.
- Coverage: Fortune, Business Insider, Business Money Magazine, Management Today, AMBA Magazine, Corporate INTL, Fresh Business Thinking, Real Business, AI Global; Finanznachrichten, De24, Risknet, Die Presse, Kurier, Tiroler Tageszeitung, Salzburger Nachrichten, trend, Wiener Zeitung, VDI Nachrichten, MSN; Ö1 (radio interview); Personal Manager (blog interview).
- Awards: WU Star Paper Award; Strategic Management Journal Award – among the most downloaded during the first 12 months after publication.