Before joining Eastern Illinois University, Dr. Grünhagen taught at Clemson University in South Carolina, at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a proud Panther and an Eastern alumnus (MBA '95).
..EDUCATION
...Ph.D. ........... .University of Nebraska-Lincoln ...........1999
...M.B.A. .......... Eastern Illinois University................... 1995
...Vordiplom ......Universität zu Köln.(Germany).............1994
RESEARCH
Dr. Grünhagen's research interest lies in the broader area of small business marketing and retailing in an international context, and has resulted in over 120 published journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings. He has been ranked among the Top-10 researchers globally on franchising in emerging markets. As an internationally recognized franchise expert, Dr. Grünhagen's main interest over the past several years has focused on franchise conflict, relationship dissolution, and the evolving role of franchisees as multi-brand and multi-system owners in the emerging markets of East and Southeast Asia as well as Latin America.
Dr. Grünhagen (with his co-authors) has been a two-time recipient (2009 & 2018) of the Arthur S. Karp Award for the Best Applied Research Paper on Franchising from the Educational Foundation of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Together with his co-authors, he has also been awarded the Best Paper Award from the International Society of Franchising (ISoF), as well as the Outstanding Research Award from the School of Business at Eastern Illinois University.
Dr. Grünhagen has been quoted as a franchise expert by major global news outlets, among them Entrepreneur Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio (NPR), The China Business Journal, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Cincinnati Enquirer.
In addition to his research on franchising, Dr. Grünhagen has investigated global consumer perceptions of retail store hours and genetically modified foods, the emerging phenomenon of 'food deserts', the meaning of materialism to consumers in an international comparison, means of public transportation financing by retailers, and real estate sales negotiations. He has been invited to present his research at professional venues across six continents, Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. Dr. Grünhagen has also been a Visiting Scholar at Ming Chuan University (Taiwan), the University of Oviedo and the University of Zaragoza (Spain), the University of Rennes 1 and the Rennes School of Business (France), the University of Rijeka and the University of Zagreb (Croatia), Griffith University (Australia), the Franchise Management School on the Zhuhai campus of Beijing Normal University and the University of International Business and Economics (China).
Dr. Grünhagen's scholarly work has been published or is forthcoming in numerous prestigious academic journals, including the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Business Research, Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Macromarketing, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Small Business Management, Information & Management, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Marketing Channels, Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship, Journal of Food Products Marketing, Information Systems Management, and Jahrbuch der Absatz- und Verbrauchsforschung. He has also presented his studies at various national and international research conferences, among them the meetings of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Society for Marketing Advances (SMA) and the Macromarketing Society.
Dr. Grünhagen is the Associate Editor for Franchising and Small Business Marketing of the Journal of Small Business Management (JSBM), the oldest leading journal in entrepreneurship and small business management. He was also named "Associate Editor of the Year" by the Journal of Small Business Management. Dr. Grünhagen has been Co-Editor of a Special Issue of the Journal of Retailing (on "Retailing and Franchising"), Academy of Marketing Science Review (on "Global Entrepreneurship"), Journal of Small Business Management (on "Entrepreneurial and Small Business Marketing"), and the Journal of Marketing Channels (on "Distribution Channels in the BRICS Economies"). He has served on the Editorial Review Boards of the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Marketing Channels, Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship and the Academy of Marketing Science Review, and is a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Inter-Organizational Relationships. Dr. Grünhagen has chaired the Office Depot Small Business Research Forum, and the International Society of Franchising (ISoF) Annual Conference in 2009 and 2013. He is also Past President and Honorary Advisor to the Board of the International Society of Franchising (ISoF), the global association of academic scholars focused on franchising research.
TEACHING
Dr. Grünhagen has developed and taught courses in International Business, International Marketing, Retail Management, Principles of Marketing and Marketing for Entrepreneurs for over two decades. He has also coordinated and led several study abroad trips to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, Croatia and Australia.
Dr. Grünhagen has received multiple awards for his teaching, student advising and service. Among his honors are the Outstanding Teaching Award and the Outstanding Service Award of the School of Business at Eastern Illinois University, the Graduate Teaching Awards of the College of Business and the Alumni Association of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Recognition from the Parents' Association of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was also a runner-up for the Charles Dunn Academic Advising Award by the Student Senate at Clemson University, and he was named a Distinguished Professor by the Clemson University Chapter of Chi Omega.
