PhD Candidate in Strategy & Entrepreneurship 

London Business School 


M. Dalbert Ma



About Me 

 I am a PhD candidate in Strategy & Entrepreneurship at London Business School. My research investigates how AI and digitization shape organizational adaptation and firm boundaries. I am particularly interested in understanding how incumbent firms navigate technological change, reconfigure their capabilities, and make strategic scope decisions in response to digitization.

contact: dma@london.edu




Working Papers

How Disruptive will Generative AI be? A Micro-Level Analysis of Evidence and Expectations


Michael Jacobides & Dalbert Ma - under review

This study investigates how executives assess Generative AI's impact on competitive advantage and industry disruption. Using mixed-methods analysis of UK Director data, we find that GenAI's disruptive potential is heightened in modular, less-regulated sectors, while incumbents anticipate leveraging complementary assets for differentiation. The presence of pattern recognition tasks and proprietary data amplifies both displacement risks and differentiation opportunities.

Presentations and invitations: Academy of Management 2024, Berkeley Open Innovation Seminar 2024, Stanford HAI/Digital Economy Lab



Where Has All the GenAI Productivity Gone? Jagged Diffusion and Structural Pre-adaptation


Dalbert Ma & Michael Jacobides - preparing for submission

This paper examines the puzzling disconnect between field experimental evidence showing dramatic productivity gains from generative AI (GenAI) in controlled settings and its more modest realized impact in organizations. We employ generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) to identify key organizational characteristics enabling GenAI early adoption. Our findings indicate that despite GenAI's characteristics as a general-purpose technology - notably low deployment costs and applicability to knowledge work - structural barriers persist in mediating value creation. 

Presentations and invitations: USC AI in Management conference 2025, ISB AI & Strategy Consortium 2025



A Configurational Approach to Synergies (Physical and Digital) and Downsides of Scope


Michael Jacobides & Dalbert Ma - preparing for submission

This study examines synergy realization within multi-business firms. Using data from a major GCC retail conglomerate, we find that corporate value creation depends on firms' ability to mitigate scope's costs while enabling synergies. Through configurational theorizing, we demonstrate how similar synergistic outcomes emerge via different governance arrangements. Traditional scope-related challenges can be addressed through alternative governance structures. We find internal ecosystem governance enables previously unattainable synergies, suggesting corporate advantage stems from scope management rather than mere scope breadth.

Presentations and invitations: Academy of Management 2024, Strategic Management Society 2024



Work in ProgressArtificial Intelligence, Knowledge Barriers, and Innovation Patterns
Dalbert Ma - data collection stage

This study examines the dual effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on knowledge barriers, specifically the degree of cumulativeness, within industrial sectors. AI lowers the costs of knowledge absorption while heightening the challenges of integration, particularly in contexts dominated by tacit knowledge. Using a framework grounded in technological regimes and organizational learning, we hypothesize that AI’s impact on knowledge cumulativeness is sector-specific, being more pronounced in environments with complex external knowledge. To test these propositions, we propose an instrumental variable approach exploiting geographic variation in AI talent.



The Interaction of Open-Source and Closed-Source Innovation
Dalbert Ma - data collection stage

The interaction between open-source and closed-source development raises important questions about how differing incentives and knowledge-sharing practices shape innovation outcomes. Open-source development is associated with collaborative contributions and shared knowledge, while closed-source approaches emphasize exclusivity and controlled dissemination. This paper explores how these two forms of development coexist and influence one another, focusing on their implications for resource allocation, innovation trajectories, and knowledge spillovers. 



Practitioner Papers

The Business Value of Gamification


Michael Jacobides, Dalbert Ma, Konstantinos Trantopoulos, Vasilis Vassalos - California Management Review (2024)

This paper analyzes the connection between gamification and business success. Based on a qualitative comparative analysis of 40 high-profile gamification projects, it shows that configurations of three key features—virtualization, social comparison, and tangible rewards—explain the various pathways to success. Each pathway requires the presence—and sometimes absence—of different design features, and firms do best when they focus on one or two objectives rather than all three at once. The article presents a framework for designing and implementing gamification more strategically and effectively, noting the ethical questions that arise.

To read the full paper: https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2024/02/66-2-the-business-value-of-gamification/

Case Studies

Facing the Retail Apocalypse: Majid Al Futtaim’s Digital Transformation
LBS Publishing, CS-24-025

Building Majid Al Futtaim’s Phygital Future: Orchestrating a Retail Ecosystem
LBS Publishing, CS-24-026

HDFC ERGO: A Product Ecosystem Built on Mindshare
LBS Publishing, 824-0026-1

LBS Publishing, 824-0026-1B

From Products to Experience Ecosystems: Haier's Internet of Food
LBS Publishing, 822-0104-1  | 2024 Bestselling Case Award

Building an Organisation for the Ecosystem Era: Weighing up the Recipe of Haier's Internet of Food
LBS Publishing, 822-0105-1