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Stefano Borzillo

Dr Stefano Borzillo

Dr Stefano Borzillo

Associate Professor

Expertise

  • Best practice transfers in organization
  • Communities of practice
  • Human resources
  • Organizational behavior
  • Process and knowledge creation
  • Leadership and Organizational Behavior E
  • Leadership and Organizational Behavior F

Biography

Dr. Stefano Borzillo is an associate professor of organizational behavior at EHL Hospitality Business School. He obtained his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Stern School of Business (New York University,). His main fields of research are communities of practice, processes of knowledge creation, and best practice transfers in organizations.

Dr. Stefano Borzillo has also published in peer-reviewed journals such as Management Learning, European Management Journal, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Business Strategy, the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, and Tourism Economics.

Stefano has repeated experiences in executive education and in consulting for SMEs and large organizations. 

Education

PhD in Organizational Behavior, HEC Genève

Courses Taught

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
• Leadership and Organizational Behavior
MASTER IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
• Social Sustainability & Humanistic Management

Teaching Location

EHL Campus Lausanne
Academic Publications

Academic publications from Stefano Borzillo

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Article

Balancing control and autonomy in communities of practice : governance patterns and knowledge in nine multinationals

This research aims to uncover three forms of communities of practice (CoPs), based on a set of six governance mechanisms. The focus is on the specific question of how organizations combine different governance mechanisms to balance autonomy and...

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Article

Balancing present needs and future options : how employees leverage social networks with clients

This paper applies a social capital perspective to study how business units leverage individuals’ external networks to explore and exploit resources outside the firm’s boundaries. We explore this matter inductively by analysing the development and...

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Article

Challenges to the learning organization in the context of generational diversity and social networks

Purpose : The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the challenges to the emergence of a learning organization (LO) posed by a context of generational diversity and an enterprise social networking system (ESNS)....

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Article

Afraid of engagement ? : towards an understanding of engagement in virtual communities of practice

Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) foster learning and knowledge sharing between employees. However, many virtual communities of practice fail due to the lack of engagement of collaborators. Employees often claim that they do not have time for...

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Article

New employee orientation, role-related stressors and conflict at work : consequences for work attitudes and performance of hospitality employees

Combining role theory with theories on hindrance stressors and intragroup conflict, we develop a model of the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of new employee orientation in hospitality organizations. We test hypotheses about main and...

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Article

Leaders of organisational communities of practice : their characteristics, activities, and fit with their communities

By balancing the needs for autonomy and control, leaders of organisational communities of practice (OCoPs) play a central role in their effectiveness. This study aims to identify different OCoP leader profiles and analyse possible contingencies with...

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Article

When the hierarchy folds: how employees may react.

Purpose: This paper aims to uncover how employees make sense of the implementation of holacracy in their organization.

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Article

A shared corporate vision: staff and senior management collaborate for market dominance at a large Saudi hotel

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to uncover the essential conditions for establishing a successful collaboration between the Fairmont Hotel (Makkah) staff and the senior management team to prepare for cocreating a future shared corporate vision.

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Article

The hospitality industry and COVID-19: Stock price crash risk

In this paper, we analyze the factors that have determined why certain companies in the hospitality industry managed to buffer themselves from the effects of COVID-19 more consistently than others. In particular, we focus on downside risk measures....

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Journal publications

Haas, A., Borzillo, S., & Bootz, J.-P. (Forthcoming). Communities of practice and innovation: a review and research agenda. Journal of Knowledge Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2025-0106

Borzillo, S., Hasman, A., & Raub, S. (2025). Ensuring a pipeline of Gen-Z talent for the hotel industry: contrasting views of hoteliers and future graduates. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 24(4), 589–616. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2025.2530283

Stoikov, S., Borzillo, S., & Raub, S. (2025). Picky Eaters Make for Better Raters. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 66(1), 85-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/19389655241226557

Hasman, A., & Borzillo, S. (2024). The hospitality industry and COVID-19: Stock price crash risk. Tourism Economics, 30(6), 1634-1641. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166231211250

Borzillo, S., & Alshahrani, S. (2024). A shared corporate vision: staff and senior management collaborate for market dominance at a large Saudi hotel. Journal of Business Strategy, 45(5), 321-330. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-07-2023-0148

Audrin, B., Borzillo, S., & Raub, S. (2024). When the hierarchy folds: How employees may react. Journal of Business Strategy, 45(2), 98-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-12-2022-0221

Bootz, J.-P., Borzillo, S., & Raub, S.P. (2023). Leaders of Organisational Communities of Practice: Their characteristics, activities, and fit with their communities. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 21(5), 972-982. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2022.2120837

Raub, S., Borzillo, S., Perretten, G., & Schmitt, A. (2021). New employee orientation, role-related stressors and conflict at work: Consequences for work attitudes and performance of hospitality employees. International journal of hospitality management, 94, 102857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102857

Haas, A., Abonneau, D., Borzillo, S., & Guillaume, P. L. (2021). Afraid of engagement? Towards an understanding of engagement in virtual communities of practice. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 19, 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2020.1745704

Kaminska, R., & Borzillo, S. (2018). Challenges to the learning organization in the context of generational diversity and social networks. The Learning Organization, 25(2), 92-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-03-2017-0033

Borzillo, S. (2017). Balancing control and autonomy in communities of practice: governance patterns and knowledge in nine multinationals. Journal of Business Strategy, 38(3), 10-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-03-2016-0031

Josserand, E., Schmitt, A., & Borzillo, S. (2017). Balancing present needs and future options: how employees leverage social networks with clients. Journal of Business Strategy, 38(1), 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-01-2016-0003

Borzillo, S., & Kaminska, R. (2016). Organizing for Sustained Innovation: the Role of Knowledge Flows within and between Organizational Communities. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 14(1), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2014.31

Bardon, T., & Borzillo, S. (2015). Communities of Practice: Control or Autonomy? Journal of Business Strategy, 37(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-02-2015-0018

Harvey, J. F, Cohendet, P., Simon, L., & Borzillo, S. (2015). Knowing Communities in the Front End of Innovation. Research-Technology Management, 58(1), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.5437/08956308X5801198

Schwenger, D., Straub, T., & Borzillo, S. (2014). Non-Governmental Organizations: Strategic Management for a Competitive World. Journal of Business Strategy, 35(4), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-11-2013-0105

Schiavone, F., & Borzillo, S. (2014). Creating Technological Knowledge in Vintage Communities of Practice. Journal of Knowledge Management, 18(5), 991-1003. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-06-2014-0251

Kaehr, C. & Borzillo, S. (2013). Founder succession in new ventures: the human perspective. Journal of Business Strategy, 34(5), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-04-2013-0031

Borzillo, S., Schmitt, A., & Antino, M. (2012). Communities of practice: keeping the company agile. Journal of Business Strategy, 33(6), 22-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661211281480

Schmitt, A., Borzillo, S., & Probst, G. (2011). Don’t Let Knowledge Walk Away: Knowledge Retention during Employee Downsizing. Management Learning, 43(1), 53-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507611411630

Borzillo, S., & Kaminska-Labbé, R. (2011). Unraveling the Dynamics of Knowledge Creation in Communities of Practice through Complexity Theory Lenses. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 9, 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2011.13

Borzillo, S., Aznar, S., & Schmitt, A. (2011). A journey through communities of practice: why and how members move from the periphery to the core. European Management Journal, 29(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2010.08.004

Borzillo, S., & Kamiska-Labbé, R. (2011). Step-in or Step-out: How to Support Innovation through Communities of Practice. Journal of Business Strategy, 32(3), 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661111121974