Dr James Cunningham is Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University. His research is rooted in the social construction of entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in societal perceptions of entrepreneurial activity and the nature of enterprise among peripheral groups. He has previously held posts at Otto-Friedrich-Universität, Bamberg and at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Recently, James has been involved in materials design for the CABS Help to Grow: Management programme, and before this the Scottish University Scale-up Consortium, funded by the Scottish Funding Council. He maintains strong links with entrepreneurship researchers across Europe and is currently Visiting Professor at ESC Clermont Business School.
James’s research work covers many issues at the intersection of enterprise and broader society, these include: national images of entrepreneurship, creative work in rural areas, employment in small family businesses, collaboration among craft sector enterprises, and the social role of independent artists. He is dedicated to a critical understanding of entrepreneurial activity, through which the value of entrepreneurship as a social activity can be examined. As part of his work, James is an enthusiastic supporter of creative and ‘alternative’ research approaches. He is Associate Editor at the International Journal Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and on the Editorial Review Board ofEntrepreneurship & Regional Development.
