Portrait of Dr Oguz A. Acar

Dr Oguz A. Acar

Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Innovation

Cass Business School, Faculty of Management

Contact

Visit Oguz A. Acar

Room 4036, Bunhill Row

Postal address

Cass Business School
106 Bunhill Row
London
EC1Y 8TZ
United Kingdom

About

Overview

Oguz A. Acar is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Director of the Marketing Strategy & Innovation MSc Programme at Cass Business School, City, University of London. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Higher Education Academy. Before joining to Cass, he was a an Assistant Professor in Marketing at King's College London, and a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NYU Stern School of Business. He completed his PhD from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. He also worked as a marketing professional in FMCG and financial services industries.

Dr Acar’s research mainly lies at the intersection of marketing and innovation. It focuses on topics such as antecedents of creativity (with a particular interest in behaviour in digital platforms like crowdsourcing communities), psychological consequences of novel firm-consumer interactions (e.g., crowdfunding), and behavioural responses to innovative technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence), products and other creative outputs (e.g., ideas). This research has been published in leading journals such as Harvard Business Review, Journal of Management, Research Policy, Psychological Science, PLoS ONE, Leadership Quarterly, Marketing Letters, Industrial Marketing Management and Journal of Advertising Research.

Dr Acar's research and opinions have attracted widespread global media coverage – he has written op-eds for business magazines like and had his research featured/mentioned in dozens of popular media outlets from all over the world including the outlets like the Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Daily Mail, Barron's and Advertising Age.

Dr Acar has a broad experience in teaching students and executives on topics including Marketing, Innovation Management, Marketing Research, Business-to-Business Marketing and Global Brand Management.

Qualifications

  1. PhD, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Netherlands
  2. Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Higher Education, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Visiting appointments

  1. Visiting Scholar, Stern School of Business, New York University, 2013
  2. Visiting Scholar, Center for Collective Intelligence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012

Fellowships

  1. Fellow, The Royal Society of Arts, 2017 – present
  2. Fellow, The Higher Education Academy, 2016 – present

Languages

Turkish.

Expertise

Primary topics

  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Digital Economy
  • Digital Marketing
  • Innovation & Creativity
  • Marketing

Additional topics

  • Leadership

Research

My research interests revolve around; digital marketing, innovation management, consumer behavior, creativity, incentives and motivation, decision making, affective and cognitive processing, individual differences

Research students

1st supervisor

Publications

  1. Brunneder, J., Acar, O.A., Deichmann, D. and Sarwal, T. (2020). A New Model for Crowdsourcing Innovation. Harvard Business Review.

    [publisher’s website]

  2. Acar, O.A., Tarakci, M. and van Knippenberg, D. (2019). Creativity and Innovation Under Constraints: A Cross-Disciplinary Integrative Review. Journal of Management, 45(1), pp. 96–121. doi:10.1177/0149206318805832.
  3. Acar, O.A. (2019). Motivations and Solution Appropriateness in Crowdsourcing Challenges for Innovation. Research Policy, 48(8). doi:10.1016/j.respol.2018.11.010.
  4. Acar, O.A. and Deichmann, D. (2019). Does Crowdsourcing Need a Cash Prize to Work? Harvard Business Review.

    [publisher’s website]

  5. Acar, O.A., Tarakci, M. and van Knippenberg, D. (2019). Why Constraints Are Good for Innovation. Harvard Business Review.

    [publisher’s website]

  6. Acar, O.A. (2019). Why Crowdsourcing Often Leads to Bad Ideas. Harvard Business Review.

    [publisher’s website]

  7. Acar, O.A. (2018). Harnessing the creative potential of consumers: money, participation, and creativity in idea crowdsourcing. Marketing Letters, 29(2), pp. 177–188. doi:10.1007/s11002-018-9454-9.
  8. Tuncdogan, A., Acar, O.A. and Stam, D. (2017). Individual differences as antecedents of leader behavior: Towards an understanding of multi-level outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(1), pp. 40–64. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.10.011.
  9. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2016). Knowledge Distance, Cognitive-Search Processes, and Creativity: The Making of Winning Solutions in Science Contests. Psychological Science, 27(5), pp. 692–699. doi:10.1177/0956797616634665.
  10. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2015). Understanding Fear of Opportunism in Global Prize-Based Science Contests: Evidence for Gender and Age Differences. PLoS ONE, 10(7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134898.
  11. Wiertz, C., Banerjee, A., Acar, O. and Ghosh, A. (2020). Predicted Adoption Rates of Contact Tracing App Configurations - Insights from a choice-based conjoint study with a representative sample of the UK population. London.

Chapter

  1. Acar, O.A. (2020). Crowdsourcing. In Runco, M. and Pritzker, S. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Creativity (pp. 291–295). Elsevier.

Conference papers and proceedings (28)

  1. Acar, O.A., Dahl, D., Fuchs, C. and Schreier, M. (2019). Consumers opt for Crowdfunded Products to Reduce Inequality in the Marketplace. La Londe Conference Toulon.
  2. Brunneder, J. and Acar, O.A. (2019). Positive Emotions Bias Experts’ Decisions in Crowdsourcing. European Marketing Academy Conference.
  3. Acar, O.A., Dahl, D., Fuchs, C. and Schreier, M. (2019). Consumers opt for Crowdfunded Products to Reduce Inequality in the Marketplace. JAMS Thought Leaders Conference.
  4. Acar, O., Dahl, D., Fuchs, C. and Schreier, M. (2018). It Is Not All About the Money: Why Consumers Prefer Crowdfunded Products. Winter AMA.
  5. Acar, O.A., Dahl, D., Fuchs, C. and Schreier, M. (2018). This Product is Crowdfunded: The Signal Value of Having Succeeded in Raising Funds from the Crowd. European Marketing Academy Conference.
  6. Tarakci, M. and Acar, O. (2018). Does Strategic Autonomy Drive Employee Engagement? Strategic Management Society.
  7. Acar, O.A. and Tuncdogan, A. (2017). Bringing Innovation to Management Education: Using the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach for Enhancing the Innovativeness of Management Students. Learning at City Conference London.
  8. Acar, O.A., West, D. and Koslow, S. (2017). New Product Project Screening: Exploring Decision Making Processes, Speed and Confidence. International Product Development Management Conference.
  9. Acar, O.A. (2017). Pay Enough or Don’t Pay at all for New Product Ideas. European Marketing Academy Conference.
  10. Acar, O.A. and Tuncdogan, A. (2016). Bringing Innovation to Management Education: Using the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach for Enhancing the Innovativeness of Management Students. 6-8 September, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
  11. Acar, O.A. (2016). Eyes on the Innovation Prize: Motivation and Performance in Innovation
    Contests.     Open and User Innovation Conference.
  12. Acar, O.A. (2015). Unpacking the Individual Mechanisms of Customers’ New Product Ideation Success. ACR Asia-Pacific Conference 2015 Hong Kong, China.
  13. Acar, and Van den Ende, J. (2014). Crowdsourcing Solutions for Innovation Problems: The Interplay of Expertise and Knowledge Search. 74th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management: The Power of Words 1-5 August, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
  14. Acar, O. (2014). Unpacking the Knowledge Mechanisms of Crowdsourcing. The Copenhagen Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship 17-19 January, Copenhagen.
  15. Acar, O.A. (2014). Roads to Victory: The Making of Winning New Product Ideas in
    Crowdsourcing Platforms.     Marketing Science.
  16. Acar, O.A. and Van den Ende, J. (2013). When Less is More: The Role of Prosocial Motivation in the Reward-Creativity Link.
  17. Acar, O. (2013). Gender, Age, Trust and Fear of Knowledge Disclosure: The Case of an Innovation Tournament Platform. Academy of Management Meeting: Capitalism in Question Lake Buena Vista, FL.
  18. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2013). Individual Knowledge Disclosure in Online Innovation
    Tournaments: The Effects of Trust, Gender and Age on Fear of Opportunistic Behavior.     European Academy of Management Conference.
  19. Acar, O.A. (2013). Knowledge Disclosure Paradox in Innovation Tournaments. Organization Science Winter Conference.
  20. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2012). Monetary Rewards, Motivation and Crowdsourcing. European Academy of Management Conference.
  21. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2012). Crowdsourcing for Innovation. Organization Science Winter Conference.
  22. Acar, O. and van den Ende, J. (2011). Reward Size, Motivation and Contributions in Idea Crowdsourcing. DIME-DRUID Academy Winter Conference Aalborg, Denmark.
  23. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2011). Innovation through Online Communities. Strategic Management Society Annual Conference.
  24. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2011). Innovation Through Online Communities: A Conceptual Model to Assess The Effects of Reward Size on Motivation and Contributions. European Academy of Management Conference.
  25. Acar, O.A. and van den Ende, J. (2011). Innovation through Online Communities. International Product Development Management Conference.
  26. Acar, O., Karaosmanoglu, E. and Nijssen, E.J. (2009). The Role of Marketing Accountability at the Marketing and R&D Departments' Integration and New Product Success. 38th European Marketing Academy Conference 26-29 May, Nantes, France.
  27. Acar, O.A. (2009). Motivation Crowding Effect in Idea Crowdsourcing. European Reward Management Conference.
  28. Acar, O. The Value of Optimal Constraints in Crowdsourcing. Open and User Innovation Conference New York.

Internet publications (3)

  1. Acar, O.A. (2019). When It’s Actually Better To Be In It for the Money. Barron's.
  2. Acar, O.A. and Winsor, J. (2017). The Creative Potential Of (Some) Outsiders. Forbes.
  3. Acar, O.A. (2017). Can Crowdsourcing Bring About More Creative Ads? Advertising Age.

Journal articles (5)

  1. Kouropalatis, Y., Giudici, A. and Acar, O.A. (2019). Business capabilities for industrial firms: A bibliometric analysis of research diffusion and impact within and beyond Industrial Marketing Management. Industrial Marketing Management, 83, pp. 8–20. doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2018.11.012.
  2. Acar, O.A. and Tuncdogan, A. (2019). Using the inquiry-based learning approach to enhance student innovativeness: a conceptual model. Teaching in Higher Education, 24(7), pp. 895–909. doi:10.1080/13562517.2018.1516636.
  3. Verschuere, B., Meijer, E.H., Jim, A., Hoogesteyn, K., Orthey, R., McCarthy, R.J. … Yıldız, E. (2018). Registered Replication Report on Mazar, Amir, and Ariely (2008). Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1(3), pp. 299–317. doi:10.1177/2515245918781032.
  4. McCarthy, R.J., Skowronski, J.J., Verschuere, B., Meijer, E.H., Jim, A., Hoogesteyn, K. … Yıldız, E. (2018). Registered Replication Report on Srull and Wyer (1979). Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1(3), pp. 321–336. doi:10.1177/2515245918777487.
  5. Acar, O.A. and Puntoni, S. (2016). Customer empowerment in the digital age. Journal of Advertising Research, 56(1), pp. 4–8. doi:10.2501/JAR-2016-007.

Professional activities

Editorial activity (14)

  1. Studies in Higher Education, Referee, 2019 – present.
  2. Technovation, Referee, 2019 – present.
  3. Track Co-chair for EMAC 2019 (Innovation Management & New Product Development track), Track Co-chair, 2018 – 2019.
  4. Research Policy, Referee, 2018 – present.
  5. International Journal of Research in Marketing, Referee, 2018 – present.
  6. California Management Review, Referee, 2018 – present.
  7. Industrial Marketing Management, Referee, 2017 – present.
  8. Journal of Business Research, Referee, 2017 – present.
  9. Journal of Marketing Behavior, Referee, 2017 – present.
  10. Personality and Individual Differences, Referee, 2017 – present.
  11. PLoS ONE, Referee, 2015 – present.
  12. Journal of Technology Transfer, Referee, 2014 – present.
  13. Journal of Product Innovation Management, Referee, 2012 – present.
  14. Creativity and Innovation Management Journal, Referee, 2010 – present.

Events/conferences (21)

  1. European Marketing Academy Conference. (Conference) Groningen, Netherlands (2017). Invited speaker.
    Paper: Pay Enough or Don't Pay at all for New Product Ideas
    Author: Acar, O.A.
  2. Innovation and Product Development Management Conference. (Conference) Reykjavik, Iceland (2017). Invited speaker.
    Paper: New Product Project Screening: Exploring Decision Making Processes, Speed and Confidence
    Author: West, D.
    Co-authors: Acar, O.A.; Koslow, S.
  3. Learning at City Conference. (Conference) London (2017). Invited speaker.
    Paper: Bringing Innovation to Management Education: Using the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach for Enhancing the Innovativeness of Management Students
    Author: Acar, Oguz A
    Co-authors: Tuncdogan, A
  4. Open and User Innovation Conference. (Conference) (2016).
    Paper: Eyes on the Innovation Prize: Motivation and Performance in Innovation Contests
    Author: Acar OA
  5. British Academy of Management Conference. (Conference) (2016).
    Paper: Bringing Innovation to Management Education: Using the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach for Enhancing the Innovativeness of Management Students
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: A Tuncdogan
  6. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research. (Conference) (2015).
    Paper: Unpacking the Individual Mechanisms of Customers’ New Product Ideation Success
    Author: Acar OA
  7. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. (Conference) (2014).
    Paper: Crowdsourcing Solutions for Innovation Problems: The Interplay of Expertise and Knowledge Search
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  8. Marketing Science Conference. (Conference) (2014).
    Paper: Roads to Victory: The Making of Winning New Product Ideas in Crowdsourcing Platforms
    Author: Acar OA
  9. Copenhagen Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. (Conference) (2014).
    Paper: Unpacking the Knowledge Mechanisms of Crowdsourcing
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  10. Organization Science Winter Conference. (Conference) (2013).
    Paper: Knowledge Disclosure Paradox in Innovation Tournaments
    Author: Acar OA
  11. European Academy of Management Conference. (Conference) (2013).
    Paper: Individual Knowledge Disclosure in Online Innovation Tournaments: The Effects of Trust, Gender and Age on Fear of Opportunistic Behavior
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  12. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. (Conference) (2013).
    Paper: When Less is More: The Role of Prosocial Motivation in the Reward-Creativity Link
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  13. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. (Conference) (2013).
    Paper: Gender, Age, Trust and Fear of Knowledge Disclosure: The Case of an Innovation Tournament Platform
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  14. European Academy of Management Conference. (Conference) (2012).
    Paper: Monetary Rewards, Motivation and Crowdsourcing
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  15. Organization Science Winter Conference. (Conference) (2012).
    Paper: Crowdsourcing for Innovation
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  16. International Product Development Management Conference. (Conference) (2011).
    Paper: Innovation through Online Communities
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  17. European Reward Management Conference. (Conference) (2011).
    Paper: Motivation Crowding Effect in Idea Crowdsourcing
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  18. European Academy of Management Conference. (Conference) (2011).
    Paper: Innovation Through Online Communities: A Conceptual Model To Assess The Effects Of Reward Size On Motivation And Contributions
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  19. DIME-DRUID Academy Winter Conference. (Conference) (2011).
    Paper: Reward Size, Motivation and Contributions in Idea Crowdsourcing
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  20. Strategic Management Society Annual Conference. (Conference) (2011).
    Paper: Innovation through Online Communities
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: J van den Ende
  21. European Marketing Academy Conference. (Conference) (2009).
    Paper: The Role of Marketing Accountability at the Marketing and R&D Departments' Integration and New Product Success
    Author: Acar OA
    Co-authors: E Karaosmanoglu, EJ Nijssen