Browsing by Person "Cunningham, James"

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Bridging the divides: a case study of collective action across Scottish university business schools to support small business
(Elsevier, 2024-07-24) Cunningham, James; Hughes, Jeffrey; Hay, Allane; Greene, Francis J.; Seaman, Claire
Support for small business is widely acknowledged as a complex issue of interrelated economic resilience and sustainability. Despite an established literature on the mechanisms through which university business schools support business, few studies have focused on relations between business schools in matters of such national importance. Our qualitative case study contributes to this limited stock of empirical knowledge by following a consortium of 16 university business schools and associated public bodies in Scotland, as they develop a national business support programme. A Networks of Practice (NofP) lens allows us to identify three processual components crucial in developing relations between entrepreneurial universities: acknowledging drivers, establishing relationships, and building a vision-based reference. These three components reveal tensions and challenges as a network of common interest forms. Fresh theoretical insights are offered on the nature of the entrepreneurial university and role of vision to bridge a fragmented higher education environment.
Family entrepreneurship in communities: Social context and the creation of social value [Editorial]
(Emerald, 2022-03-03) Cunningham, James; Seaman, Claire
Knowledge sharing in small family firms: A leadership perspective
(Elsevier, 2015-11-08) Cunningham, James; Seaman, Claire; McGuire, David
Knowledge sharing is considered critical in the development of a knowledge resource to contribute to the strategic development of the firm. However, how this key organisational activity takes place in small family firms is unknown, as much of the surrounding literature focuses on large, nonfamily-oriented firms. This mixed-methods article investigates the nature of knowledge sharing in small family firms, and explores the role of the influence of family in knowledge resource development. Quantitative findings (n = 110) acknowledge heterogeneity of leadership style in small family firms and identify two distinct ways in which knowledge sharing activities are approached; while qualitative data (n = 26) examine implications for individual knowledge sharing and the role that family plays. This article contributes to both the family business and knowledge sharing literature and outlines implications for the way in which small family firms view the development of their knowledge resource.
Knowledge sharing under the influence of family: A Study of Small Knowledge-Intensive Family Firms in Scotland Volume One
(Queen Margaret University, 2013) Cunningham, James
The integration of the family and business worlds provides family firms with competitively unique capabilities. However, elements of entrenchment, strategic conservatism, and social pluralism, have become evident in many family-based organisations. The importance of balance in the cultural aspects of family business is therefore critical in achieving sustainable performance, of particular note being the role of organisational knowledge, facilitated by intra-organisational knowledge-sharing. The aim of this study is to understand the effects of path-goal leadership styles on intra-organisational knowledge-sharing in small family firms in Scotland. This work is rooted in the relativist research paradigm and results in a cultural picture of internal knowledge management practices, considering themes or patterns of leadership influence. A triangulation mixed-methods design is used, a type of design in which different but complementary data are collected. In this study, survey quantitative instruments (n = 109) test relationships between the behavioural variables of leadership style, familial influence, knowledge-sharing, and the performance variable of organisational efficacy. Concurrent with this analysis, qualitative interview data (n = 26) explore the phenomenon of social pluralism and multiple stakeholder perspectives existing within small family firms. Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data provides the opportunity for comparison to corroborate, contrast, or complement results. It is acknowledged that one form of data alone would be insufficient to achieve this. The findings of the work posit that leadership in small family firms is particularly sensitive to the perspectives and nature of individual organisational members; due to the diverse nature of family firm members this implies that great consideration is required on the part of leadership if performance enhancing knowledge-sharing is to be achieved. The main contribution of this work comes in the structured introduction of leadership and organisational knowledge theories to the realm of small family businesses. Moreover, analytical application of social power theories produces a relatively unique view on the internal culture of these relationally distinctive organisations.
Perceptions of Knowledge Sharing Among Small Family Firm Leaders: A Structural Equation Model
(Sage, 2016-12-28) Cunningham, James; Seaman, Claire; McGuire, David
Small family firms have many unique relational qualities with implications for how knowledge is passed between individuals. Extant literature posits leadership approach as important in explaining differences in knowledge-sharing climate from one firm to another. This study investigates how leadership approaches interact with family influence to inform perceptions of knowledge sharing. We utilize survey data (n = 110) from owner-managers of knowledge-intensive small family firms in Scotland. Our findings present a choice in leadership intention, contrasting organization-focused participation against family-influenced guidance. Insight is offered on the implications of this leadership choice at both organizational and familial levels