Steven Liu

Title: Assistant Professor of Marketing
Office: 418 Elliott Hall
Phone: (248) 370-3299
Email: [email protected]

Education:
Georgia State University, Ph.D. Marketing and International Business

Biography:
Dr. Steven Liu received his Ph.D. in Marketing and International Business from Georgia State University. Prior to joining Oakland University (OU), he served on the faculty of the Centre of International Business at the University of Leeds (CIBUL) in the United Kingdom, where he was actively involved in research and postgraduate teaching within an internationally recognized business research environment.

Dr. Liu’s research focuses on business-to-business (B2B) relationships, international marketing strategy, multinational enterprises, and emerging markets. His work examines how firms develop and leverage marketing capabilities, manage cross-border relationships, and navigate institutional complexities in global markets. He is particularly interested in how firms from emerging economies build competitive advantages and how relational governance and strategic adaptation shape international performance.

His research has been published in leading scholarly journals, including Journal of Business Research, International Business Review, and Journal of World Business. His work integrates perspectives from international business, marketing strategy, and organizational theory, contributing to both theoretical development and managerial implications in global business contexts.

Dr. Liu currently serves on the editorial review boards of International Business Review (since 2021) and Journal of Business Research (since 2022), where he contributes to the peer-review process and supports the advancement of high-quality research in international marketing and strategy.

Teaching interests: 
Dr. Liu teaches courses in Business-to-Business (B2B) Marketing and International Marketing, with an emphasis on global market entry, cross-border strategy, and relationship management in international contexts.

Research interests: 
B2B Marketing, International Marketing, Emerging Markets, MNEs

Awards:

Oakland University Founder's Day Faculty Award in Research, School of Business, 2025

Oakland University Founder's Day Faculty Award in Teaching, School of Business, 2025

University Research Committee Faculty Research Fellowship of 2023, Oakland University, June 2023

Best Paper Finalist, Consortium of International Marketing Research (CIMaR), Ankara, Turkey, June 2019

Journals and Articles:

Ozturk, A., & Liu, S. Y. (2026). A model for building capabilities among family-controlled multinational corporations in emerging markets. Journal of Business Research, 205, 115892.

Buckley, P., Kandemir, D., Liu, S. Y. H., Gencturk, E. (2024). An internalization perspective on subsidiaries’ reputation and its impact on subsidiaries’ marketing advantage: The moderating roles of resources and autonomy. Journal of Business Research, 175, 114565.

Napier, E., Liu, S. Y.-H., Liu, J. (2024). Adaptive strength: Unveiling a multilevel dynamic process model for organizational resilience. Journal of Business Research, 171, 114334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114334

Feng, J. B., Liu, S. Y., Liu, L. A.(2023). Cognitive antecedents of EMNEs' dynamic capabilities: A case study of global identity at Lenovo. Journal of Business Research. 113312

Liu, S. Y., Deligonul, S. , Cavusgil, S. T., Chiou, J. S.(2021). Addressing psychic distance and learning in international buyer-seller relationships: The role of firm exploration and asset specificity. Journal of World Business. 101208

Liu, S. Y., Napier, E. , Runfola, . A., Cavusgil, S. T.(2020). MNE-NGO partnerships for sustainability and social responsibility in the global fast-fashion industry: A loose-coupling perspective. International Business Review. 101736

Liu, S. Y., Deligonul, S. , Cavusgil, E. , Chiou, J. S.(2018). Always trust in old friends? Effects of reciprocity in bilateral asset specificity on trust in international B2B partnerships. Journal of Business Research. 171-185