Profile

Biography

I joined the school as a lecturer in January 2012.  In 2009 I completed my PhD thesis, Owned, monitored, but not always controlled: understanding the success and failure of Scottish Free-Standing Companies, 1862-1910 in the Economic History Department at the London School of Economics.  I also worked for Dr Terry Gourvish and Dr Richard Coopey on their ESRC funded project 'The Business History of Popular Music, 1950-1980' in the LSE's Business History Unit.  In April 2010 I joined the Open University Business School as a Lecturer in Strategy, where I became more interested in the links between business history and strategy.  In 2011 I took over the role of Books Editor of the journal Business History from Andrew Popp and more recently have taken over the role of British Academy of Management Management and Business History track chair from John F. Wilson. 

Research

Overview

Over the last two years I have been pursuing research into music distribution, looking at the changing structures of business in this sector and the extent to which marketing strategy in the sector was shaped by the evolving music and retail scenes. From this I have developed a wider interest in distribution strategy.  I am also continuing to work on my original research theme of international business, working in co-operation with Dr Simon Mollan of Liverpool University Management School on the post 1950 development of the free-standing company.

Publications