Faculty and Staff
Photo of Dr. Moustafa Haj Youssef

Dr. Moustafa Haj Youssef

Associate Professor

Bio

Dr Moustafa Haj Youssef is an Associate Professor of Management at the Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lebanese American University. His research spans strategic management, entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural studies, with a particular focus on managerial discretion, strategic leadership, and gendered and contextual dimensions of entrepreneurship in emerging economies (focus on MENA/Arab region). His work has been published in leading international journals, including Journal of Business Research, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Business Strategy and the Environment, International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, and Cross Cultural & Strategic Management among others.

He has secured and led several competitive research grants, most notably as Principal Investigator of the Templeton World Charity Foundation–funded project Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region: The Uncharted Territory (USD 248,325), as well as externally funded projects supported by Chinese national research councils and internal university funding. He is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and a Chartered Management and Business Educator, and actively contributes to the academic community through doctoral supervision, journal reviewing, and international research collaborations.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

Editorial and Review Activities

Recent Refereed Publications

  1. Haj Youssef, M., Wahidi, I., Cheng, C.-F., & Kallmuenzer, A. (Forthcoming). Job satisfaction: A gendered analysis of personal, relational, and work factors across the MENA region. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research.
  2. Morris, S., & Haj Youssef, M. (Forthcoming). Acculturation of international doctors in the UK National Health Service: The case of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Journal of Work-Applied Management.
  3. Haj Youssef, M., & Sayour, N. (Forthcoming). The influence of parental entrepreneurial background on children’s intentions: A gendered analysis across the Arab MENA. Management Decision.
  4. Baijou, M., Ahmed, T., Haj Youssef, M., & Kraus, S. (Forthcoming). Uneven contributions: Informal entrepreneurship and sustainability in the Global South. Business Strategy and the Environment.
  5. Haj Youssef, M., Sayour, N., Valaei, N., Hussein, H., & Harakeh, M. (2026). Impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial orientation: A configurational comparative study of home and international entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.
  6. Haj Youssef, M., Kleindienst, I., Khalife, D., & Ayanian, M. (2025). Enacting high discretion in a low discretion environment: The character assassination of Carlos Ghosn. Critical Perspectives on International Business.
  7. Haj Youssef, M., Nolan, S., & Hussein, H. (2025). The transition behaviour of the self-employed in the UK and the role of unionization during economic downturn. Journal of Management History.
  8. Haj Youssef, M., & Sayour, N. (2025). Exploring gendered perspectives on personality traits and entrepreneurial performance in Lebanon during the COVID-19 crisis. Gender Issues.
  9. Kleindienst, I., Haj Youssef, M., Harakeh, M., & Yu, M. (2024). Does the CEO effect differ in times of crisis? Evidence from the US and China during the Global Financial Crisis. Journal of Business Research.
  10. Awada, H., & Haj Youssef, M. (2024). Tacit knowledge sharing in a Lebanese family business: The influence of organizational structure and tie strength. Journal of Family Business Management.
  11. Hussein, H., Haj Youssef, M., & Nolan, S. (forthcoming). Is it worth investing in education? The returns to the most dynamic group of entrepreneurs. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
  12. Haj Youssef, M., Nolan, S., & Hussein, H. (2024). Navigating turbulence in the UK: How gender shapes self-employed social engagement during crises. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.
  13. Teng, D., Haj Youssef, M., & Li, C. (2024). When MNEs bribe more? The role of managerial discretion. Cross-Cultural & Strategic Management, 31(1), 87–115.
  14. Haj Youssef, M., El Masri, T., Christodoulou, I., & Lan, M. T. (2024). Graduate employability in Lebanon: Leveraging alumni networks and cross-cultural competencies. Journal of Asia Business Studies.
  15. Christodoulou, I., Haj Youssef, M., Wasim, J., Phan, T. T. T., Reinhardt, R., & Nguyen, B. N. (2024). Breaking barriers: Unveiling motivations, challenges and policy recommendations for women’s entrepreneurship in Vietnam. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 18(6), 1541–1566.
  16. Haj Youssef, M., Wasim, J., Christodoulou, I., & Reinhardt, R. (2024). Intersecting bonds: A perspective on polygamy’s influence in Arab Middle East family firm succession. Journal of Family Business Management, 14(5), 1018–1025.
  17. Wassim, J., Haj Youssef, M., Christodoulou, I., & Reinhardt, R. (2024). The role of social networks in closing the gap between entrepreneurial learning and university curriculum. Journal of Management Education, 48(3), 459–493.
  18. Wassim, J., Haj Youssef, M., Christodoulou, I., & Reinhardt, R. (2024). Higher education student intentions behind becoming an entrepreneur. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 14(1), 162–180.
  19. Arslan, N., Haj Youssef, M., & Ghandour, R. (in press). The role of AI in shaping the learning experiences of international students: A case study of a UK university. AI in Education.
  20. Christodoulou, I., Haj Youssef, M., Reinhardt, R., Wasim, J., & Simillidou, A. (2024). Strategic scaling initiatives and client networking dynamics for small and medium enterprise growth: A comprehensive case study analysis. Journal of Trade Science.
  21. Hussein, H., & Haj Youssef, M. (2023). In and out of self-employment: Are you really an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 13(4), 881–934.
  22. Haj Youssef, M., & Teng, D. (2021). Market entry strategies in the Middle East: Unveiling the sponsorship strategy. International Studies of Management & Organization, 51(3), 253–275.
  23. Haj Youssef, M., & Teng, D. (2021). Managerial discretion and corporate governance: The bonded relationship. Corporate Ownership & Control, 18(3), 75–85.
  24. Haj Youssef, M., Hussein, H., & Awada, H. (2020). The more you value, the less you practice: Culture and managerial discretion. Cross-Cultural & Strategic Management, 27(1), 26–50.