Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title Australia's research field leaders - Business, Economics & Management Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet The Australian Media type Print Duration/Length/Size 735 words Country/Territory Australia Date 9/11/22 Description These are the top researchers and institutions in the 16 fields of business, economics and management
Allan O'Connor University of South Australia Field leader in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Allan O’Connor didn’t finish high school and he doesn’t have an undergraduate degree, but he is now an associate professor in enterprise dynamics at the University of South Australia, the co-executive director of the Centre for Enterprise Dynamics in Global Economies, and a recognised leader in his field of entrepreneurship and innovation.
In the early 1990s, armed with a mechanical engineering certificate, O’Connor worked in sales – really business development, he says. A worldwide economic downturn which led to the recession Australia had to have spurred him to think about different professional directions. Studying for a graduate diploma in airconditioning, he saw a note on a Swinburne University of Technology noticeboard about an innovation and entrepreneurship course – and his path became clear to him.
From those small beginnings he went on to achieve a master’s in enterprise innovation and a PhD in entrepreneurship education.
“Entrepreneurs are those who start businesses, but there’s an entrepreneurial behaviour which can span a lot of things,” O’Connor says. “Whether you’re in government, a university, a small business or working for a large corporate: you can still be entrepreneurial within those contexts.” His research investigates the connections between entrepreneurship, innovation and socio-economic development, and more specifically the dynamics of entrepreneurial ecosystems. “I work on entrepreneurial ecosystems, the systems within which we work,” he says. “It’s about businesses becoming transparent and responsible for not only their own bottom line, but for the environment and social conditions they create.” The world is moving through the fourth industrial revolution, he says, often referred to as Industry 4.0, an era known for increased digital capacity; smart manufacturing, smart machines and data analysis.
O’Connor says he is interested to understand more about how increasing digital capacities affect the landscape of business, the transparency of business and the connectedness of business. “Entrepreneurs and innovators will be on the front foot,” he says. “They will be looking for the advantage and looking for the opportunity and the growth prospects that will come out of this.” Industry 5.0 is now on the ascendant, he says. According to the European Commission, as the world moves to the so-called fifth revolution, focus has sharpened on industry goals beyond efficiency and productivity, placing workers’ wellbeing at the centre of the production process while respecting the production limits of the planet.
“The changes over the past couple of years underlined the need for sovereign capability, the need for strengthening businesses, the need for global relations,” O’Connor says.
The developed world’s shift to accommodate environmental, social and governance concerns may take some time to filter through all big corporates, he says. “It’s like most social changes, they take time to reach a tipping point,” he says. “The environment and social responsibility angle, that is starting to add momentum to the discussion. These things are coming to the fore.” Individuals can take the lead on these sorts of innovations in larger corporations, he adds. “There is a cultural dimension to this inside a large corporate. They can enable and support people with change agendas.” - Sian Powell
Accounting & Taxation Field leader: John Dumay, Macquarie Lead institution: Macquarie Business, Economics & Management (general) Field leader: Rob Raven, Monash Lead institution: Monash Development Economics Field leader: Paul Raschky, Monash Lead institution: Monash Economic History Field leader: Laura Panza, Uni of Melb Lead institution: RMIT Economic Policy Field leader: Paresh Narayan, Monash Lead institution: Monash Economics Field leader: Kaveh Majlesi, Monash Lead institution: Monash Educational Administration Field leader: Jessica Holloway, ACU Lead institution: Uni of Melb Emergency Management Field leader: Jonatan Lassa, CDU Lead institution: QUT Entrepreneurship & Innovation Field leader: Allan O’Connor, UniSA Lead institution: QUT Finance Field leader: Paresh Narayan, Monash Lead institution: Monash Game Theory and Decision Science Field leader: Haris Aziz, UNSW Lead institution: UNSW Human Resources & Organisations Field leader: Alexander Newman, Deakin Lead institution: Monash International Business Field leader: Paresh Narayan, Monash Lead institution: Monash Marketing Field leader: Shahriar Akter, Uni of Wollongong Lead institution: Monash Strategic Management Field leader: Shahriar Akter, Uni of Wollongong Lead institution: Monash Tourism & Hospitality Field leader: Brent Ritchie, UQ Lead institution: UQ
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Document AUSTLN0020221108eib90000iProducer/Author Sian Powell Persons John Dumay