Biography
Dr. Ali Mahdi is an assistant professor of marketing at the Adnan Kassar School of Business. He holds a PhD in Entrepreneurial Marketing from the University of Ottawa, Canada, where he received the Excellence Award. He also holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University, where he graduated with high distinction.
A Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) in Digital Marketing from the American Marketing Association and a Certified Digital Marketing Professional from the Digital Marketing Institute, Dr. Mahdi has international industry experience in digital marketing across Lebanon and Canada. He has also served as a consultant for businesses in West Asia.
Dr. Mahdi teaches courses in entrepreneurial marketing, marketing research, digital marketing, and marketing strategy. His teaching emphasizes student-centered, experiential, and active learning supported by technology. He holds a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching from the Centre for Innovative Pedagogies and Digital Learning at the University of Ottawa, as well as a Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Pedagogy Certificate from the United Nations Global Compact.
His research focuses on strategies at the intersection of marketing and entrepreneurship, also known as entrepreneurial marketing. Using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, he examines how entrepreneurial marketing strategies enable firms to co-create value with different stakeholders while navigating dynamic and competitive business environments marked by disruption and uncertainty.
In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Mahdi supervises and mentors students seeking research experience and welcomes proposals from students interested in developing their ideas into research projects or graduate theses.
Teaching Interests
- Entrepreneurial Marketing
- Marketing Research
- Digital Marketing
- Marketing Strategy
Research Interests
- Entrepreneurial marketing strategy
- Collaborative and value co-creation strategies
- B2B and coopetition strategies
- Internationalization strategies
- Business model digitalization
- Strategies during disruption and uncertainty
- Strategies for sustainability and agility
Publications
Articles in Academic and Trade Journals
Mahdi, A., Crick, D., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (in press). Marginal Exporters’ Entrepreneurial Marketing Practices Following a Crisis: The Importance of Resource-Leveraging Behavior. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
Mahdi, A., Crick, D., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (2025). How a coopetition-oriented mindset and competitive intensity drive coopetition behaviour to support export scale-up activities in a post-crisis environment. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 56(1), 24-52.
Mahdi, A., Crick, D., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (2024). Entrepreneurial marketing practices and rural wine producers’ performance: The moderating role of competitive intensity in an immediate post-crisis period. Journal of Rural Studies, 108, 103277.
Mahdi, A., Crick, D., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (2024). A study of entrepreneurial marketing activities and firm performance in an immediate post-COVID-19 era: the moderating role of coopetition. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 30(6), 1527-1552.
Mahdi, A., Farah, M. F., & Ramadan, Z. (2022). What to believe, whom to blame, and when to share: exploring the fake news experience in the marketing context. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 39(3), 306-316.
Proceedings and Presentations in Refereed Conferences
Mahdi, A., Mehdi, G., & Farah, M. (2026, July 20). “The Local AI Advantage: Double Standards in Consumer Evaluations of Artificial Intelligence in Branding.” 2026 AMA Summer Academic Conference, Denver, USA.
Mehdi, G., Mahdi, A., & Farah, M. (2026, July 6–9). “The AI Paradox in Branding: Why Artificial Intelligence Benefits Local Brands but Backfires for Competing Global Brands.” AM2026 Conference, Manchester, UK.
Mahdi, A. & Farah, M. (2026, July 6–9). “Rural Tourism under Crisis: Community Resilience and Contested Expectations in Rural Lebanon.” AM2026 Conference, Manchester, UK.
El Jurdi, H. & Mahdi, A. (2026, June 27–28). “Crisis, Care, and Continuity: Theological Ecofeminism and Women’s Environmental Leadership in Fragile Contexts.” GENMAC 2026, Kyoto, Japan.
Mahdi, A., Crick, D., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (2024). “Passive Exporters and Scale-Up Activities in an Immediate Post-COVID-19 Period: The Impact of a Coopetition-Oriented Mindset and Coopetition Activities.” McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference.
Mahdi, A. (2024). “Entrepreneurial Marketing Strategy: Unpacking the Quadratic Relationship Between Digitalization and Firm Performance.” American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Conference.
Crick, J. M., Crick, D., Mahdi, A., Spence, M., & Lamine, W. (2023). “Entrepreneurial Marketing Activities and Firm Performance Among US Wine Producers: The Moderating Role of Competitive Intensity.” Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference.
Crick, D., Mahdi, A., Crick, J. M., Lamine, W., & Spence, M. (2023). “Resilience Among Passive Exporters in a Post-Turbulent COVID-19 Era: A Capabilities Perspective.” McGill International Entrepreneurship (MIE) Conference.
Mahdi, A. (2023). “Manoeuvring Global Crises: Entrepreneurial Marketing in SMEs.” American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Conference.
Farah, M. F., Ramadan, Z., & Mahdi, A. (2019). “The Impact of Fake News on Brands and Social Media.” American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Conference.
Ramadan, Z., Farah, M. F., & Mahdi, A. (2018). “The Fakebook Effect: The Impact of Fake News on Facebook, Brands, and Consumer Behaviour.” Advances in Theory and Practice of Digital Marketing Conference.