Short Bio

I am a Lecturer and PhD candidate in Management at WSB University, alongside my professional role as a Senior Project Manager focusing on intralogistics technologies and international business. With over a decade of industry experience across Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Poland) and Asia (China, India), my work bridges practical operational excellence with rigorous academic inquiry.

My current research explores the intersection of international business, technology, and ethics, with a particular focus on how Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and emerging market suppliers adapt their International Business and Global Value Chains to meet mandatory Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD) and integrate AI-driven governance.

Professionally, I manage complex logistics implementations for Zalando SE across Europe. Academically, I hold dual master's degrees in International & Strategic Management and Business Administration. Since January 2026, I am officially lecturing at the WSB Campus in Krakow. My pedagogical approach focuses on equipping students with practical, market-ready skills in operations and international logistics, preparing them for dynamic careers in the global labor market.

Research Interests

My research bridges practical industry experience with theoretical frameworks (like the OLI paradigm and Institutional Theory), focusing on:

  • International Business & Global Value Chains: Evaluating the global evolution of sustainability requirements, regulatory convergence, and how emerging market firms and MNEs adapt to CSDDD.
  • Digital Governance & AI: Developing sociotechnical frameworks and maturity models for AI-driven supply chain due diligence.
  • Platform Business Models: Investigating "Architectural Control" as a non-contractual hybrid governance form deployed by platform MNEs.
  • Cross-Cultural Management: Longitudinal analysis of Sino-European business relations and the impact of cultural factors on operational success in joint ventures.

PhD Dissertation Research

Adaptation of Supply Chain Processes in Multinational Enterprises to the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive

Supervisors: Prof. Dr hab. Łukasz Sułkowski & Prof. Dr. Mário Henrique Ogasavara

My ongoing dissertation research investigates how multinational enterprises (MNEs) and digital platforms adapt their supply chain management processes to comply with mandatory sustainability and due diligence regulations (such as the CSDDD), utilizing the OLI paradigm and Institutional Theory to analyze structural and operational governance shifts.

Publications

Published Articles

Published

The Trump Effect on Deglobalisation: Empirical Evidence of the Cooperation Paradox amid Technological Acceleration

Welsen, M., Sułkowski, Ł.

Virtual Economics 8(2):92-123 (July 2025)

Investigates the economic, sociological, and political consequences of protectionist trade policies. The findings reveal a significant "cooperation paradox," demonstrating that negative national impacts from such policies may paradoxically strengthen public support for international cooperation and revised multilateral frameworks.
Published

Revisiting the Key Success Factors of a Sino-German Joint Venture: New Insights from the OLI Framework and Case Study Development

Welsen, M., Ogasavara, M. H.

Contemporary Concepts in Social and Technical Sciences (WSB Monograph, Eds. L. Sulkowski & J. Dziendziora, pp. 457-481, 2025)

This study revisits the key success factors for a Sino-German Joint Venture (JV) through a longitudinal case study of a venture established in 2012, using the OLI framework and cross-cultural theories to present updated findings based on data collected from 2013 to 2024.
Published

A Theoretical Framework for Analyzing Multinational Enterprise Responses to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive

Welsen, M.

Contemporary Concepts in Social and Technical Sciences (WSB Monograph, Eds. L. Sulkowski & J. Dziendziora, pp. 433-456, 2025)

Introduces an interdisciplinary, multi-layered framework integrating supply chain, institutional, globalization, and internationalization theories to guide Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) in their strategic adaptation and compliance with the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Published

The Key Success-Factors for a Sino German Joint Venture: An Analysis Applying Cross-Cultural and OLI-Frameworks

Welsen, M., Ogasavara, M. H.

Euro Asia Journal of Management, Vol. 23, Issue 1/2, pp. 19-41 (December 2013)

Identifies key success factors for establishing Sino-German joint ventures through qualitative fieldwork, utilizing the OLI framework and cross-cultural theories to evaluate institutional influences and the underlying value system of Chinese business culture.

Accepted & In-Press

Accepted / In Press

Toward a Sociotechnical Framework and Maturity Model for AI-Driven Supply Chain Due Diligence

Welsen, M., Sułkowski, Ł.

Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review (2026)

Develops a diagnostic maturity model and sociotechnical framework demonstrating how technological capabilities, ethical governance, and cultural adaptation must evolve together for effective AI-driven supply chain due diligence.
Accepted / Forthcoming

Global Convergence in Mandatory Due Diligence: Comparative Analysis Through Regulatory Convergence Theory

Welsen, M.

WSB Monograph (12th International Conference, WSB University)

Evaluates the global evolution of sustainability due diligence requirements (2010-2024), identifying a pattern of 'structured divergence' through the lens of Regulatory Convergence Theory.

Conferences & Academic Service

2026
Academy of International Business (AIB) Annual Conference | Manchester, UK (June 29 – July 3)
Accepted Interactive Session Paper: "Beyond Hierarchy: Platform MNEs and the Rise of Architectural Control in Response to Mandatory Due Diligence Regulations"
Service: Official Reviewer for AIB 2026 (Recognized for outstanding service reviewing multiple manuscripts in the Global Strategy and Organization track).

2025
12th International Conference at WSB University | Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland
Role: Presenter

Professional & Teaching Experience

Jan 2026 - present
Lecturer
WSB University, Krakow Campus, Poland

Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses focusing on operations and technology management. My goal is to equip future business leaders with practical, ethical, and highly applicable skills for the international labor market. Courses taught:

2019 - present
Senior Project Manager
Zalando SE, Berlin, Germany

Coordinating the implementation of intralogistics technologies for Zalando Warehouses across Europe, including Rotterdam (NL), Mönchengladbach (DE), Paris (FR) and Stettin (PL). Managing complex cross-border logistics solutions, business case development, and stakeholder coordination.

2014 - 2018
Expatriate Plant Representative & Country Delegate
BMW Group (Berlin, Germany & Bengaluru, India)

Served as Project Coordinator and Country Delegate steering plant support and implementing BMW requirements across production partners in India and China. From 2015 to 2017, completed an expatriate assignment in Bengaluru, India as the BMW Plant Representative for TVS, steering the production, quality, and volume of the BMW G310 R and GS motorcycle models.

2013 - 2014
Project Engineer
BMW Brilliance Automotive Joint Venture, Shenyang, China

Planning of 60U extension projects, including layout and structure planning for BMW Brilliance Joint Venture assembly in Tiexi plant, China. Coordination and communication between related departments.

2011 - 2013
Junior Consultant
Steria Mummert Consulting AG, Berlin, Germany

Project management and test coordination for major clients, including Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Ticket App & DB Navigator), Vattenfall Europe, and Rheinenergie Cologne.

Education

2024 - present
PhD in Management
WSB University, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland
Expected completion: Early/Mid 2027

2010 - 2011
Postgraduate Master in Business Management (Mestre em administração de empresas)
Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Brazil | Grade: 9.2/10
Thesis: Factors for establishing an International JV in China

2009 - 2011
Master of Arts (M.A.) in International and Strategic Management
Technical University of Applied Sciences Deggendorf, Germany | Grade: 1.5
Thesis: Engine Industrialization for the Daimler/Foton JV in China

2005 - 2009
Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics (Wirtschaftsinformatik) & Economics
Furtwangen University, Germany | Grade: 1.3 (Passed with Honors)

Additional Academic Experience: Intensive Mandarin language class at Guangdong University of Technology, China (2008); Exchange Semester at University of Macau, Faculty of Business Administration (2007-2008).

Scholarships & Awards

2006 - 2011
SDW Begabtenförderung / Scholarship for Gifted Students
Foundation of German Industry (Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft - Klaus Murmann)
Fellowship for Bachelor and Master degree, awarded to gifted students.

2008
E-Fellows.net Scholarship
Online scholarship for qualified and talented undergraduate students.

Contact & Collaboration

For research collaboration, academic inquiries, or consulting engagements, please reach out via email.

🌍 Exploring Hybrid Academic Opportunities:

I am currently seeking hybrid visiting lecturer opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region and emerging global markets—particularly in academic hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Lampang), and Brazil. My ideal collaboration model involves delivering remote seminars (15 to 30 hours per semester) paired with an intensive 1-2 week onsite workshop at your campus. I welcome connections from forward-thinking universities seeking expertise in International Business Management, Global Value Chains (GVCs), and Digital Supply Chain Governance, with an openness to exploring full professorships and long-term roles in the future.

Email: marcel@welsen.de