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Mari Sako

Professor of Management Studies

Saïd Business School
University of Oxford
Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1HP

Profile

Mari Sako is Professor of Management Studies at Saïd Business School and Professorial Fellow at New College, University of Oxford. 

She joined the School in1997 after a ten-year tenure at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is a Fellow of the British Academy and Vice President for Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. During 2011-12, she was President of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE). She read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Oxford, and has a PhD in Economics from the University of London.

Her expertise includes:

  • global business strategy
  • comparative political economy of business
  • artificial intelligence and future of professionals

Read Mari's CV.

Research

Mari's most recent research is on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the future of professional work and venture ecosystems.

This follows a UKRI-funded research programme on Unlocking the Potential of AI in English Law. Mari earlier made a significant contribution to the analysis of the Japanese economy, business, and labour. In the 1990s and 2000s, she was a researcher for the MIT International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP).

Her current and past working papers are available at SSRN.

Publications

Leveraging or overcoming distance? Global strategy and structure of professional service firms

  • Journal article
  • Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
  • Mari Sako,
  • Jeffrey Peo
International Business
Professional Service Firms

When professionals become entrepreneurs: identity construction of lawtech startup founders in Japan

  • Journal article
  • Journal of Professions and Organization
  • Masashi Goto,
  • Masahiro Kotosaka,
  • Mari Sako
International Business
Professional Service Firms

How generative AI fits into knowledge work

  • Journal article
  • Communications of the ACM
  • Mari Sako
International Business
Professional Service Firms

How Technology Is (or Is Not) Transforming Law Firms

  • Journal article
  • Annual Review of Law and Social Science
  • Ian Rodgers,
  • John Armour,
  • Mari Sako
International Business
Professional Service Firms

When suppliers shift my boundaries: Supplier employee mobility and its impact on buyer firms' sourcing strategy

  • Journal article
  • Strategic Management Journal
  • MARI SAKO,
  • George Chondrakis
International Business
Professional Service Firms
See more publications

Engagement

Mari has held a number of influential advisory positions around the world.

Since 2016, Mari has conducted a study of alternative legal service providers with Thomson Reuters. This engagement led to her being on Thomson Reuters’ strategy board. She also organises the Future of Professionals Roundtable with donation from Thomson Reuters.

Since 2023, Mari has been non-executive  Vice President for Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, advising the university on global strategy and global engagement.

Teaching

Mari currently directs and teaches on the Executive Diploma in Global Business. She also teaches on the Diploma in Strategy and Innovation, and for custom executive programmes. Her teaching philosophy is to create a stimulating and memorable learning environment for students in what is typically a very international environment.

Her contributions to online programmes include:

  • Oxford Artificial Intelligence
  • Leading Professional Service Firms
  • AI Ethics, Regulation and Compliance Programme

Mari supervises doctoral students, and is interested in receiving doctoral applications from students in social sciences, with an interest in:

  • global strategy
  • artificial intelligence (AI) and the future or professional work
  • AI and startup ecosystems

Students

Mari supervises Saïd Business School doctoral students.

Social media

Oxford Answers

Thought-leadership and insights for business leaders written by our Faculty and Associate Fellows.

View articles by Mari.

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