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Lidija Polutnik

  • Professor
Academic Division: Economics
781-239-4211
Dr. Lidija Polutnik is a Professor of Economics at Babson College, where she teaches graduate level courses in managerial economics, pricing, and competitiveness. She served as Chair of the Economics Division from 2005 to 2017. Between 2014 and 2020 she held a Visiting Professor position at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, where she continues to hold the Honorary Visiting Professor title.

Dr. Polutnik's research and consulting have focused mainly on pricing, revenue management, and strategic cost management. Her work explores the relationship between costs and customers' value and the influence of this relationship on the firm's financial results and the sustainability of business models. Dr. Polutnik's work contributes to both theory, and practice, and her research has been published in a variety of academic journals including: The European Accounting Review, Advances in Management Accounting, Journal of Cost Management, Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, and Industrial Relations Journal. She has received several grants and awards for her work, most recently The Davis Educational Foundation grant for the project entitled "Containing Costs While Enhancing the Educational Mission: A Study of Best Practices for Small Private Colleges."

Dr. Polutnik has extensive consulting and executive teaching experience. She has developed and delivered customized corporate training programs for many companies in the areas of tactical and strategic pricing, and in monetizing innovation with new revenue models such as subscriptions. Her recent work has focused on how firms can create additional revenue streams by using new technologies and by shifting customer preferences toward use, and sharing as opposed to ownership economy. Dr. Polutnik also works with nonprofit organizations on the professionalization of their services with an emphasis on their revenue models and financial sustainability. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors, and the Treasurer of Cambridge Center for Adult Education, the largest adult education provider in Boston. She is also a Board member of the Executive Education at the University of Gothenburg.

Academic Degrees

  • Ph D, Georgia State University
  • MA, Ohio University
  • BA, College of Business and Economics, University of Maribor

Academic Interest / Expertise

Economics; Tactical and Strategic Pricing; Revenue Models in For and Not-for-Profit Organizations

Awards & Honors

  • 2022 — 2021 Bestselling Case in Economics, Politics, and Business Environment, The Case Centre
  • 2020 — 2020 Most Impactful Faculty, F. W. Olin Graduate School
  • 2019 — 2019 Most Impactful Faculty, F.W. Olin Graduate School
  • 2014 — Grant, Principal Investigator, Davis Educational Foundation
  • 2012 — The Deans Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, Dean of Faculty, Babson College
  • 2008 — Best Paper Award in Management Accounting, Global Accounting and Organizational Change Conference
  • 2004 — Fulbright Senior Specialists Program (FSSP), Council for International Exchange of Scholars

Courses

  • Degree Courses 2024

    • ECN 7500 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR BUSINESS DECISIONS
    • MKT 9501 STRATEGY & TACTICS OF PRICING
    • ECN 7575 BUS MODELS COMPT AND CHANGING EURO ENV
    • ECN 7200 MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS

  • Degree Courses 2023

    • ECN 7500 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR BUSINESS DECISIONS
    • MKT 9501 STRATEGY & TACTICS OF PRICING
    • ECN 7575 BUS MODELS COMPT AND CHANGING EURO ENV
    • ECN 7200 MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Magnusson, J., Polutnik, L., Ask, U. (2020). Semi-Confusing Information Systems Revisited: The role of Inefficiency in the Enactment of Ambidexterity. Vol: 47, Issue: 2020, Page: 26. CAIS . link
  • Gai, Y., Polutnik, L. (2019). A Lecture on the Pharmaceutical Industry in the United States. Journal of International Business Education. Vol: 14, Issue: 1, Page: 1-24. NeilsonJournals Publishing. link
  • Gai, Y., Polutnik, L. (2019). Sovaldi: Pricing of New Products and Consequences. Journal of International Business Education. Vol: 14, Issue: 1, Page: 1-16. NeilsonJournals Publishing. link
  • Simon, J.K., Way, M.M., Polutnik, L., Albright, J. (2019). Linking College Mission Statements to Cost Containment Strategies. International Journal of Educational Management. Vol: 33, Issue: 4, Page: 792-804. Emerald.
  • Way, M.M., Polutnik, L., Gai, Y., , . (2016). Compensation and Employment Impact of a Full-time MBA Program. International Advances in Economic Research. Springer.
  • McNair-Connolly, C.J., Polutnik, L., Silvi, R., Watts, T. (2013). Putting the Customer First: Value-Based Cost Management Systems. Cost Management. Vol: 27, Issue: 6, Page: 6-17. W G & L Financial Reporting & Management Research.
  • Polutnik, L., Minniti, M.A. (2007). Currency Conversion and the Role of Expectations: The Case of Slovenia. Economics and Business Review. Vol: 9, Issue: 1, Page: 5-21.
  • Polutnik, L., McNair, C.J., Hertenstein, J. (2006). Capacity Cost Measures and Decisions: Two Field Studies. The Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance. Issue: March/April , Page: 63-77.
  • Polutnik, L., Bliss, R.T. (2003). Women Managers in Poland and the United States: A Comparative Analysis. Industrial Relations Journal. Page: 210-225.
  • McNair, C., Polutnik, L., Silvi, R. (2001). Cost management and value creation: the missing link. Vol: 10, Issue: 1, Page: 33-50. The European Accounting Review.

Cases and Teaching Notes

  • Polutnik, L., Way, M.M. (in press). Apple Watch (A) - The Launch. The Babson Collection.

Book Chapters

  • Polutnik, L., Minniti, M.A. (2006). No-Name Money: Money and Markets: Essays in Honor of Leland Yeager. Page: 151-165. Routledge Press.
  • Polutnik, L., Bliss, R.T., Lisowska, E. (2003). Women Business Owners and Managers in Poland: Research in Entrepreneurship and Management. Vol: 3, Page: 225-241.

Reports

  • Polutnik, L., Way, M.M., Simon, J.K. (2016). Containing costs while enhancing the educational mission: A study of best practices for small private colleges. Davis Educational Foundation.
  • Way, M.M., Jones, K.A., Polutnik, L. (2014). Education of girls vital to moving up the trade value: Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade Policy Brief. Issue: 43, Page: 8. ARTNeT Secretariat, United Nations ESCAP. link

Conference Proceedings

  • Way, M.M., Polutnik, L., Gai, Y. (2013). Return to Investment in a Full-time MBA Program: The Relative Value of Ability, Skill and Experience: Proceedings of the 40th Northeast Business & Economics Association Annual Conference.

Presentations

  • Which Economics Experiences Matter? Predicting the Probability of Choosing the Economic Major at Selective Colleges Simon, J. Polutnik, L. Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education (CTREE), Atlanta, GA (2024)
  • The Shuttle Shuffle: A Competition Game for Economics Students Simon, J. Polutnik, L. Staveley O'Carroll, J. Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education (CTREE), Chicago, IL (2022)
  • Revenue Management in Nonprofits: A Case Study of an Adult Education Nonprofit Organization Polutnik, L. Gai, Y. Engelsted, I. Babson Research Day, Wellesley, MA (2018)
  • Revenue Management in Nonprofits: A Case Study of an Adult Education Nonprofit Organization Polutnik, L. Gai, Y. 84th International Atlantic Economic Conference, Montréal, Canada (2017)
  • Using Analytics for Mission-Driven Capacity Management and Cost Containment in Small Colleges Polutnik, L. Way, M. Simon, J. NERA Annual Conference, Trumbull, CT (2017)
  • Containing Costs While Advancing the Educational Mission: A Study of Best Practices for Small Private Colleges Polutnik, L. Way, M. Simon, J. Babson Trustees and Overseers, Babson Park, MA (2017)
  • Containing Costs While Advancing the Educational Mission: A Study of Best Practices for Small Private Colleges Polutnik, L. Way, M. Simon, J. Babson Faculty Research Chat, Babson Park, MA (2016)
  • Compensation and Employment Impact of A Full-Time MBA Program Gai, Y. Way, M. Polutnik, L. 78th International Atlantic Economic Conference, Savannah, GA (2014)
  • Return to Investment in a Full-time MBA Program: The Relative Value of Ability, Skill and Experience Way, M. Polutnik, L. Gai, Y. 40th Northeast Business & Economics Association Annual Conference, Bretton Woods, NH (2013)
  • Ethics and Incentives: Utilitarian Approaches to a Nonprofit in India Slegers, R. Polutnik, L. Forum for Economists International Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2013)
  • Entrepreneurship vs. Privatization: The Case of Slovenia Polutnik, L. Bliss, R. Pahor, M. Babson-Kaufmann Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Wellesley, MA (2007)
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