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Dr Nicholas Theodorakopoulos

Nicholas Theodorakopoulos

Senior Lecturer

Work & Organisational Psychology Group

  • Phone:+44(0)121 204  3472
  • Email: n.theodorakopoulos@aston.ac.uk
  • Room: SW8015                                             

Education

  • 2008 PhD in Strategic Entrepreneurship, De Montfort University, UK 
     Award winning project – partially sponsored by the Centre for Enterprise (CfE)

  • 1997 Master in Business Administration (MBA), University of Leicester, UK

  • 1996  BSc in Business Administration, The American College of Greece

Summary of Academic Career

                                                                                                                                                  

2012 - Date: Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Strategic Entrepreneurship & Management Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

  • Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship
    University of Cauca, Popayan, Colombia

 Administration Responsibilities:

  • Director of the MSc HRM & Business PT course and leader of course and module teams, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels

  • Contributing to the design and delivery of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Programme, at Aston Business School

  • Learning and Teaching Convenor of the Work and Organisation Psychology Group

Also responsible for:

  • Delivering various modules in management, strategic change and entrepreneurship in academic and executive development programmes

  • Undertaking curriculum development of academic and executive development programmes relating to strategic development and performance management 

  • Managing research projects in the areas of entrepreneurial learning, innovation, and diversity

  • Supervising MBA, MSc and Doctoral students

  • Producing, publishing and disseminating relevant scholarly work, including academic articles and project reports


2010 – 2012 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Strategic Entrepreneurship & Management
                   Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK


2004 – 2009 Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management
                   Department of Strategy & Management – Leicester Business School


1999 – 2004 Lecturer in Management & Enterprise
                   Department of Business & Management Studies – Leicester Business School

Teaching, Training & Consultancy Experience

At both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the UK, France, Malaysia and Singapore

Postgraduate

MBA - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
MSc - Entrepreneurship for the World -
          Strategy, Change and Leadership 
          International Strategic Management, Markets and Resources
DMS - Strategic Management

Undergraduate (BA Business Studies; BA Business & Management):

Year 1- Business in Context (comprising principles of HRM, Marketing & Operations) – year 1
Year 2- International Perspectives in Organisations
            Management and Strategy, year 2
Year 3- Managing Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) 
           Strategic Aspects of Organisational Performance
           Strategic Management
           Contemporary Business Issues


With regard to executive development, I have designed, developed and delivered management development courses to a diverse array of organisations in the private and public sectors, such as the Russian Space Agency in Moscow and small firms in various programmes in England.
Moreover, I have acted as a consultant to a host of organisations in the private and public sectors on issues relating to strategic development and performance management.

Research Interests and Funding

Specialist areas of research and funding relate to Entrepreneurial Learning and Innovation, Strategic Entrepreneurship and Change, Diverse Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Procurement.

Recent Grants

ESRC award ES/J001538/1 - £83,150, Principal Investigator
Business incubation related, follow-on, one year project (2012 – 2013). 

An Online Assessment and Development Tool for Business Incubators: Measuring to Improve Business Incubation Management Skills, Performance and Impact

This project constitutes a collaborative venture with UKBI, the professional body of business incubation management in the UK.  It aims to provide proof-of-concept for an online tool, which assesses the competencies of business incubation management, as well as the performance and impact of business incubators, longitudinally.  By engaging an array of stakeholders concerned with business incubation, the tool will serve as a catalyst for nurturing a community of incubation management practitioners, which will be using it to align itself to best practice.  Beyond influencing business incubation management practice, the tool is expected to have an impact on policy-making and future research in this field.


ESRC award RES-185-31-0060 - £98,500, Co-Investigator

Facilitating Supplier Diversity: A Collaborative Approach to Engaging Underrepresented Suppliers and Large Firms, with Prof. M. Ram

Completed Projects – Reports

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. (2009) Social Entrepreneurship in a Challenging Context: Exploring the key Success Factors in Supplier Diversity Intermediation (SBERG award - £2,000).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2008) An Assessment of Current Practices in Supplier Diversity in the UK, Leicester Business School, Leicester (funded by HEIF- £75,000).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2007) An Examination of the Somali Entrepreneurial Activity in Leicester: Profile, Potential and Constraints, Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council, Leicester (commissioned by the Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council - £10,000).

  • Theodorakopoulos, and Ram, M. and (2006) An Evaluation of the Supplier Diversity East Midlands Pilot Initiative, Leicester Business School, Leicester (funded by HEIF - £200,000).

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Worthington, I. (2005) A Guide for Large Purchasing Organisations and Ethnic Minority Suppliers, Equality and Human Rights Commission, London (commissioned by the then Commission for Racial Equality - £90,000).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2004) The Role of Supplier Diversity in Facilitating the Export Potential of UK EMBs to the USA, UK Trade and Investment, Nottingham (commissioned by UK Trade & Investment - £5,500).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Wyer, P. (2001) An Examination of the Nature and Form of Strategic Management Activity within Micro and Small Service Sector Businesses in Bedfordshire & Leicestershire, Centre for Enterprise, Leicester (commissioned by the Centre for Enterprise - £6,000).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Wyer, P. (2000) An assessment of Netfleet Portal’s Potential (commissioned by a car fleet company - £2,000).

 

  • Theodorakopoulos, N, Ram M. and Beckinsale, M. ‘Developing Large Procurers and Ethnic Minority Business Owners for Supplier Diversity’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, forthcoming.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. (2013) A Framework for Developing the Relationship between Large Purchasing Organisations and Ethnic Minority Suppliers, Journal of Management Development, 32 (1), forthcoming.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Sanchez, D. and Bennett, D. (2012) ‘Transferring Technology from Academia to Rural Industry within a Developing Economy Context: The Case for Nurturing Communities of Practice’, Technovation, 32 (9-10), pp. 550-559.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. (2012) ‘What Can Situated Learning Theory Tell us About Entrepreneurial Performance? Lessons from a High Technology Small Firm’, Thunderbird International Business Review, forthcoming (December 2012).

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Budhwar, P. and Patel, C. (2012) Knowledge Flows, Learning and Development in an International Context, European Journal of International Management, Special Issue 6 (1), pp.

  • Beckinsale, M., Ram M. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (2011) ‘ICT Adoption and E-business Development’, International Small Business Journal, 29 (3), pp. 193-219.

  • Jones, T., Ram, M. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (2010) ‘Transnationalism as a Force for Ethnic Minority Enterprise? The Case of Somalis in Leicester’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 34 (3), pp. 565-585.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. (2009) ‘Supplier Diversity as a Manifestation of Corporate Social Responsibility: Mind the Context’, Advances in Management, 2 (4), p. 1-5.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Jones, T. (2008) ‘Forms of Capital, Mixed Embeddedness and Somali Enterprise’, Work, Employment and Society, 22 (3), pp. 427-446.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Worthington, I. (2007) ‘Policy Transfer in Practice: Implementing Supplier Diversity in the UK’, Public Administration, 85 (3), pp. 1-25.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Ram, M., Worthington, I. (2005) ‘Supply Chain Learning: Experimenting with Supplier Diversity’, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1 (4), pp. 461-478.

  • Wyer, P., Mason, J. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (2000) ‘An examination of the Concept of the Learning Organisation within the Context of Small Business Development’, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 6 (4), pp. 239-259.

 

  • Matthew, J., Varma, A., Theodorakopoulos, N., Pichler, S. and Budhwar, P. (2012) ‘Host Country National Support of Nurses and IT Expatriates in the UK: The Mediating Role of Job Type’, Proceedings of the 12th International Human Resource Management Conference, 10th – 13th December, MDI, Gurgaon, India.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Drapier, A. (2012) ‘Business Incubation Performance and Impact in the UK’, Proceedings of the 35th Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 7-8 November, Dublin, Ireland.

  • Nyfoudi, M., Shipton, H., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Budhwar, P. (2012) ‘Coaching in the Workplace: A Comprehensive Review’, Proceedings of the 26th British Academy of Management Conference, 11-13 September, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

  • Sarmento, E., Figueira, C. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (2012) ‘High Growth and Gazelle Enterprises in Portugal: A Firm Demography and Growth Analysis, Proceedings of the 57th International Council of Small Business Conference, 10-13 June, Wellington, New Zealand.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Shipton, H. and Sarmento, E. (2012) ‘Entrepreneurship as a Career for Disabled People: Combining the three Forms of Capital with the Institutional Perspective’, Proceedings of the 57th International Council of Small Business Conference, 10-13 June, Wellington, New Zealand.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Kakabadse, N., Bennett, D. Figueira, C. (2012) ‘Diversifying into Technical Clothing Manufacture: A Situated Learning Theory Perspective’, Proceedings of the 12th International Association of Management of Technology Conference, 18-22 March, Taiwan.

  • Nunes, B., Bennett, D., Shaw, D. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (2012) ‘Philosophy, Theory and Practice of Green Operations Management’, Proceedings of the 12th International Association of Management of Technology Conference, 18-22 March, Taiwan.

  • Nyfoudi, M., Shipton, H., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Budhwar, P. (2011) ‘Developing Sustainable Competitive Advantage through Managerial Coaching’, Proceedings of the 7th Biennial International Conference of the Dutch HRM network - ‘Evidence based HRM’, 10-11 November, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. (2011) ‘Entrepreneurial Action as Inter-organisational learning: A Communities-of-Practice Perspective on Innovative Software Development’, Proceedings of the 25th British Academy of Management Conference, 13-15 September, Aston University, Birmingham UK.

  • Nyfoudi, M., Shipton, H., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Budhawar, P. (2011) ‘An Integrated Framework for HR Development: Linking Goal Orientation with End-Based Competencies and Examining the Influence of Continuous Learning Culture, Emotional Activation and Multisource Feedback’, Proceedings of the 25th British Academy of Management Conference, 13-15 September, Aston University, Birmingham UK.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. Bennett, D. and Sanchez, D. (2011) ‘Intermediation for University-to-Industry Technology Transfer in a Developing Country Context: The Case for Nurturing Communities of Practice’, Proceedings of the 11th International Association of Management of Technology Conference, 6-9 April, Miami, Florida.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N, Ram M. and Beckinsale, M. (2010) ‘Developing Large Procurers and Ethnic Minority Business Owners for Supplier Diversity’, Proceedings of the 11th International HRM Conference, Aston Business School, 9-12 June, Birmingham, UK. Track Chair: HR Practices and Performance

  • Theodorakopoulos, N., Sanchez, D. and Bennett, D. (2010) ‘Nurturing Communities of Practice for Effective University-to-Industry Technology Transfer: Two Exemplar Cases from the Cauca Region of Colombia’, in Sousa R (Ed) ‘Managing Operations in Service Economies’, Proceedings of the 17th International Annual European Operations Management Association Conference, 6-9 June, Porto, Portugal.

  • Theodorakopoulos N. and Kakabadse, A. (2009) ‘Developing Strategic Learning Capabilities under Entrepreneurial Leadership: Lessons from a Knowledge-Intensive, Growth-Oriented Small Firm’, Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance, 5-7 November, Athens, Greece.

  • Theodorakopoulos N. (2009) ‘A Benchmarking Tool for Supplier Diversity’, presented at the Supplier Diversity Workshop, sponsored by the ESRC, 3-4 February, Birmingham.

  • Theodorakopoulos N. (2009) ‘The Contribution of Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship: A Comparison between Britain and Greece’, Seminar delivered at London Metropolitan University Business School, 29 January, London.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Jones, T. (2008) ‘Transnationalism as a Force for Ethnic Minority Enterprise? The Case of Somalis in Leicester’, Proceedings of the RENT XXI - Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Conference, 22–23 November, Cardiff.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Jones, T. (2007) ‘Forms of Capital, Mixed Embeddedness and Somali Enterprise’, Proceedings of the 30th ISBE conference, 7-9 November, Glasgow.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2006) ‘Supplier Diversity Intermediation: Nurturing and Bridging Communities of Practice, Proceedings of 29th ISBE Conference, 31 October - 2 November, Cardiff – Nominated for the ‘Best Academic Paper’ award.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Worthington I. (2005) ‘Policy transfer in Practice: Implementing Supplier Diversity in the UK’, Proceedings of 28th ISBE Conference, 1-3 November, Blackpool - Received 3 Awards: ‘Overall Best Paper’, ‘Small Business Service Award for Best Policy Paper’ and ‘Best Paper in Track S’.

  • Theodorakopoulos N. and Wyer P. (2000) 'Small Business Growth and the Use of Networks', Proceedings of 23rd ISBA Conference, 15-17 November, Aberdeen.

  • Wyer, P. and Theodorakopoulos N. (2000) ‘Toward a Richer Understanding of the Concept of the Learning Organisation within a Small Business Developmental Context’, Proceedings of the 23rd ISBA Conference, 15-17 November, Aberdeen.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Wyer, P. (2000) ‘Research Methodology for Addressing the Issue of Growth-oriented SMEs Strategic Development’, Proceedings of the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, 10-11 April, Manchester.

  • Wyer, P., Mason, J. and Theodorakopoulos, N. (1999) ‘The Concept of the Learning Organisation within a Small Business Development Context’, invitation guest paper at the President Yeltsin Programme Managers, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Faculty of Economics, Business and Management, 23 November, Moscow.

  • Mason, J., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Wyer, P. (1999) ‘Exploring the Role of People Management in Enhancing SME Competitiveness for the Achievement of Sustainable Growth’, Proceedings of the CIBER Conference, 22-23 September, Cambridge.

 

  •  Theodorakopoulos N., Figueira, C., Kakabadse, A., Kakabadse N. (2011) ‘Developing Strategic Learning Capabilities for Open Innovation under Entrepreneurial Leadership: Lessons from a Technology-based Small Firm’. In SMEs and Open Innovation, H. Rahman and I. Ramos (Eds.), NY,  IGI Global.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Jones, T. (2009) ‘Transnationalism, Mixed Embeddedness and Somali Entrepreneurs in Leicester’, in Smallbone, D., Landstöm, H. and Jones-Evans, D. (eds), Entrepreneurship and Growth in Local, Regional and National Economies - Frontiers in European Entrepreneurship Research, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, pp. 312-338, ISBN 978 1 84844 592 5.

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2008) ‘A Framework for Assessing and Managing Large Purchaser – Minority Supplier Relationships in Supplier Diversity Initiatives’, in Kordic, V. (ed.) Supply Chain: Theory and Applications, Vienna, I-Tech Education and Publishing, pp. 41-58, ISBN 978-3-902613-22-6.

  • Mason, J., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Wyer, P. (2000) ‘Exploring the Role of People Management in Enhancing SME Competitiveness for the Achievement of Sustainable Growth’, in Lloyd-Reason, L. and Wall, S. (eds), Dimensions of Competitiveness, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, pp. 58-75, ISBN 1 84064 568 7.

 

  • Theodorakopoulos, N. and Ram, M. (2005) ‘SDEM: A Supplier Diversity Initiative as a vehicle for Supply-Chain Learning’, DMU Occasional Paper Series.

  • Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N. and Worthington, I. (2005) ‘Implementing Supplier Diversity in the UK: SDEM as Mindful Policy Transfer’, DMU Occasional Paper Series.

Indicators of Citizenship and Esteem

Member of Executive Boards/Committees

2011 -  DateMember of the Board of Directors of IAMOT (International Association for the management of technology

2011 - Date Member of the Aston Business School Board

Member of Validation Panels

2004 - Member of the London Metropolitan validation panels for BSc Business Information Technology and BA Logistics &          Transport courses (franchised provisions, delivered by BCA in Greek/English)


2008 -  Member of the Kingston University validation panel – articulation agreement between Faculty of Business and Law &             Hellenic National Defence College for the award of the MSc in Human Resource Management


2012 -  Member of the Irish Management Institute validation panel for the MSc in Management Practice course


External Examiner

Responsible for various programmes and modules in the areas of Entrepreneurship, HRM and Strategic Management.

2005 – 2009 London Metropolitan University:

  • Acting as external examiner in respect of the BA Business Enterprise and BA Business Studies programmes in London.

  • Also external examiner to the BA Business and Management and BSc Shipping & Transport programmes at BCA in Athens (franchised provisions, delivered in Greek/English)


2006 – Date University of Teesside:

  • Acting as an external examiner in respect of the BA Business Management (delivered in Greek/English), as well the MBA and MSc Management programmes (delivered in Greek), franchised provisions at the Mediterranean College in Athens.

2008 – Date University of Hertfordshire

  • Acting as an external examiner in respect of the BA Business Studies (delivered in Greek/English), as well the MBA and MSc Management programmes (delivered in Greek/English), franchised provisions at IST in Athens.

Guest Editor

  • Human Resource Management

  • European Journal of International Management

Reviewer to Academic Journals

  • Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society

  • Human Relations

  • International Small Business Journal

  • International Journal of Human Resource Management

  • Journal of Management Development

  • Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management

  • Journal of Small Business Management

  • Thunderbird International Business Review

Other Memberships

  • Board of Directors of the International Association for the Management of Technology (IAMOT)

  • British Academy of Management (BAM)

  • Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE)

  • Strategy as Practice Community

  • Athens Institute for Education & Research (ATINER)