CIMR PhD Workshop

On Wednesday 9 January 2019, the Centre for Innovation Management Research (CIMR) held a PhD workshop featuring three presentations and a panel discussion.

Workshop Programme

Abstract: Saudi Arabia’s (SA) top leadership positions in higher education are male-dominated despite increasingly better-qualified women academics. Hence, this research has two goals: an in-depth analysis of why women academics are mostly excluded from senior roles in SA and an examination if SA’s female academics are ready to develop as leaders once opportunities arise. Taken longitudinally, this study will illuminate how recent rapid political, social and cultural changes in SA have contributed to changes in women’s self-perceptions regarding their leadership potential and what hinders or accelerates this process. Building on developmental leadership readiness literature (Avolio and Hannah, 2008, 2009) and the role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders (Eagly and Karau, 2002), this research contributes to the scarce knowledge and practice concerning leadership developmental readiness from a gender lens in SA. Methodologically, because research and theories are dominated by the Western-North American context, adopting a narrative analysis approach will contribute to a more robust understanding of female academics’ experience in SA. Preliminary findings suggest Saudi women’s ability to claim and grant leadership roles is context-dependent. Yet, initial findings reveal gender inequality practices that impact Saudi women’s advancement are institutionalised within the country’s higher educational system. Finally, there is growing evidence that new socio-political reforms in SA are changing perceptions toward accepting more women in elite positions; however, there is a long way toward the social legitimacy of women academics.

Abstract: Entrepreneurial enterprises in the Tech and Digital sectors form an increasingly important part of the UK economy. One of the critical factors determining the success of entrepreneurs is how they persevere and remain motivated during the early start-up and growth phase on their venture when challenges, setbacks, failures and frustrations are common. A related area to entrepreneurial motivation is an entrepreneurial passion (EP). This has become deeply embedded in the folklore and practice of entrepreneurship but remains poorly researched and understood. James will outline the results of his field research, based on fourteen semi-structured interviews with Tech and Digital entrepreneurs in the UK. He will also talk about the next stage of his research, a longitudinal study to examine how entrepreneurs experience EP over the first crucial stages of their venture and the role it plays in helping them persist and achieve their goals.

Abstract: In a broader perspective, this PhD research explores the relationship between large and small enterprises through the corporate innovation lens. More specifically, the study focuses on the corporate-startup programmes phenomenon and will investigate the motivations, formats, and impact results of these kinds of collaborative engagement for the large companies and cohorts of startups. Special attention will be given to the role of other stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem in generating a positive and/or negative impact on the relationships between corporates and startups in the development and exploitation of new products and services. Therefore, this study will shed some light on this theme by investigating the Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystems in San Francisco (Silicon Valley), in the US, and London, in the UK, that respectively, hold the top two positions in the AI regional hubs raking (ASGARD, 2018).

Discussants

Professor Tomasz Mroczkowski, Kogod School, American University and Emanuel Adam, Executive Director London, Director of Policy & Trade British American Business.