Breda Kenny - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Breda Kenny
Irish Business Journal, 2018
This paper explores the origins of the electronics and software sector, now called the Informatio... more This paper explores the origins of the electronics and software sector, now called the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Sector in the Republic of Ireland and its subsequent development from 1960 to 2010 inclusive. The research sought to identify key developments that influenced the emergence of the sector. For the purposes of this study, the ICT sector is defined as the foreign-owned and indigenous firms actively involved in the production, design and/or servicing of hardware and software electronic products within the Republic of Ireland. Empirical evidence in the form of 15 semi-structured interviews was analysed and validated by three respondents as well as one external ICT expert. Two key drivers found in the data were the development of a capable managerial cohort and a spinoff mechanism.
Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector,... more Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector, regional location and stage of the start-up. In making it easier for people to set up a business, many countries provide access to finance, training and advice. Business incubation (BI) centres are one such model of support for entrepreneurship. The current research provides some preliminary insights into the extent of the demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to thrive and survive. Employing a unique data set based on information gathered from business incubation centre managers, current and alumni clients, we adopted an exploratory research method to contribute to knowledge on potential demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to grow and scale beyond the on-site incubation phase. The findings contribute to the literature for and need to provide tailored services in the post-incubation phase. A gap that emerged from this research is the t...
Ireland’s economic performance over the past two decades was largely driven by the exporting sect... more Ireland’s economic performance over the past two decades was largely driven by the exporting sector of the economy. Vigorous export growth largely reflected the success of the economy in securing inward foreign direct investments flows, mainly from the United States (Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland, 2009). Given that Ireland has a population of just over 4.23 million (CSO, 2006) it is imperative that Irish organisations expand into foreign markets to gain a larger market base. It is against this background of international trade that this paper is set. This is a study of export performance and electronic commerce and it seeks to ascertain the extent to which organisational factors impact on export performance and electronic commerce adoption in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Ireland. The core objectives of this study are: to identify the internal organisational characteristics of both export performance and electronic commerce ...
Irish Journal of Management, 2006
Small Enterprise Research
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial learning and support needs o... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial learning and support needs of older unemployed, highlighting the barriers that need to be addressed, and to explore the impact of a tailored entrepreneurship training programme. Design/methodology/approach An interpretivist philosophical standpoint is adopted with an action research approach to engage key informants to design, implement and evaluate the programme. Focus groups and interviews with 132 older unemployed individuals and 50 stakeholders across six countries were conducted as well as pre- and post-programme evaluations and surveys with 55 programme participants across three countries. Findings This research provides a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial learning and support needs of older unemployed. Research limitations/implications The small sample size of participants measured using a hybrid measure of ESE is a limitation. Practical implications For entrepreneurship educators, the components o...
Firm-Level Internationalization, Regionalism and Globalization, 2011
Irish Journal of Management, 2006
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2015
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The compan... more Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.
Industry and Higher Education, Apr 1, 2015
This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilitie... more This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilities, their attitude towards university supports and the extent to which they engage in external collaboration. The study concentrated on current PhD researchers at one university in Ireland as a unit of analysis and provides encouraging evidence from the PhD student perspective. There is a strong base to work from, considering the level of absorptive capacity in terms of industrial experience and the desire to increase business/entrepreneurial capability. This capacity sits alongside a realism on the part of the students, who openly acknowledge their skills deficit but believe that education modules can close this gap. There was a willingness to invest in entrepreneurial up-skilling to a point, with the students wishing to maintain a balance between mastery of their discipline and the development of entrepreneurial capability. However, no evidence was found that individual capability combined with university supports is a predictor of research commercialization activities or of collaborative research endeavours.
Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2011
Purpose-This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and in... more Purpose-This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and international performance of high tech small to medium-sized enterprises (HTSME) in the telecommunications industry in Ireland. The network resource construct for this paper comprises three dimensions: network human capital resources, network resource combination, and information sharing. Design/methodology/approach-Empirical research was carried out using a mail survey in which 154 firms completed and returned the questionnaire. Three hypotheses were analysed using structural equations modelling using LISREL. Findings-The study's main finding suggests a positive relationship between a firm's network human capital resources and international performance. However, no support was found for the relationship between network resources combinations, information sharing and international performance. Research limitations/implications-This study is cross-sectional, confined to a single industry and focused on the role of networks in the HTSME context only. Results from this study provide policy makers and practitioners with additional insights into specific network resource-based factors that are associated with international performance for HTSMEs. Such an assessment would help identify specific areas of relationship strengths and weaknesses in terms of the level of human capital available to firms, the combinations of complementary resources across firms and the extent and level of information exchange between firms. Practical implications-The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings and the overall implications for policy makers and managers. Specifically, it is necessary to identify and review the types of resources that are critical to the international performance of firms and develop and implement business strategies building on those resources in order to enhance the likelihood of international success. Originality/value-This study offers a multiple dimensionality to the network resource concept by measuring the direct effect of the type of network resources in terms of human capital, information and network resource combinations on international performance of HTSMEs in the telecommunications industry. These findings advance network research by highlighting the trade-offs that networks impose on firms that seek to manage and leverage their network resources.
This study identifies and examines the relationship between network characteristics and internati... more This study identifies and examines the relationship between network characteristics and international performance of High Tech SMEs (HTSME) in the telecommunications industry in Ireland. The network characteristics construct for this paper comprises three dimensions: strength of ties, relational capability and trust. Empirical research was carried out using a mail survey in which 154 firms completed and returned the questionnaire. Five hypotheses were analysed using structural equations modelling using LISREL. The hypothesis stating that stronger ties are more influential on international performance than weak ties was supported. Strong ties and trust were positively associated with international performance, but non-significant. Weak ties and relational capability were negatively associated with international performance. Therefore, these findings indicate that the level of interdependence between the firms in this research is not prominent. The findings also imply that the effects of networks are contingent: they can present both strengths and constraints to firms.
Industry and Higher Education, 2015
This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabil... more This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilities, their attitude towards university supports and the extent to which they engage in external collaboration. The study concentrated on current PhD researchers at one university in Ireland as a unit of analysis and provides encouraging evidence from the PhD student perspective. There is a strong base to work from, considering the level of absorptive capacity in terms of industrial experience and the desire to increase business/entrepreneurial capability. This capacity sits alongside a realism on the part of the students, who openly acknowledge their skills deficit but believe that education modules can close this gap. There was a willingness to invest in entrepreneurial up-skilling to a point, with the students wishing to maintain a balance between mastery of their discipline and the development of entrepreneurial capability. However, no evidence was found that individual capability c...
R&D Management, 2015
ABSTRACT A key trend of recent literature is the increased use of interorganizational relationshi... more ABSTRACT A key trend of recent literature is the increased use of interorganizational relationships to achieve organizational objectives. While the phenomenon of collaborative innovation has attracted significant academic interest in recent years, little research has been undertaken to examine how widespread the collaborative phenomenon is relative to organizational size or the diversity of partner organizations being leveraged for collaborative innovation activity. Consequently, this paper seeks to address two research questions. Firstly, the extent to which collaborative innovation is occurring within different sized firms that are research and development active, and secondly, are these different sized firms engaging in collaborative innovation activities with different types of partner organization. The results support earlier studies regarding the increasing practice by industry leveraging interorganizational collaborations in order to support innovation. Findings highlight that large-scale firms are more active than SMEs in leveraging external resources for innovation and that small-sized firms are the firm category least active in the practice. In addition, findings indicate that when small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) are collaborating, they leverage both vertical and horizontal partner linkages but that the sector is constrained by geographic distance in terms of the diversity of its collaborating partners.
Irish Business Journal, 2018
This paper explores the origins of the electronics and software sector, now called the Informatio... more This paper explores the origins of the electronics and software sector, now called the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Sector in the Republic of Ireland and its subsequent development from 1960 to 2010 inclusive. The research sought to identify key developments that influenced the emergence of the sector. For the purposes of this study, the ICT sector is defined as the foreign-owned and indigenous firms actively involved in the production, design and/or servicing of hardware and software electronic products within the Republic of Ireland. Empirical evidence in the form of 15 semi-structured interviews was analysed and validated by three respondents as well as one external ICT expert. Two key drivers found in the data were the development of a capable managerial cohort and a spinoff mechanism.
Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector,... more Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector, regional location and stage of the start-up. In making it easier for people to set up a business, many countries provide access to finance, training and advice. Business incubation (BI) centres are one such model of support for entrepreneurship. The current research provides some preliminary insights into the extent of the demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to thrive and survive. Employing a unique data set based on information gathered from business incubation centre managers, current and alumni clients, we adopted an exploratory research method to contribute to knowledge on potential demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to grow and scale beyond the on-site incubation phase. The findings contribute to the literature for and need to provide tailored services in the post-incubation phase. A gap that emerged from this research is the t...
Ireland’s economic performance over the past two decades was largely driven by the exporting sect... more Ireland’s economic performance over the past two decades was largely driven by the exporting sector of the economy. Vigorous export growth largely reflected the success of the economy in securing inward foreign direct investments flows, mainly from the United States (Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland, 2009). Given that Ireland has a population of just over 4.23 million (CSO, 2006) it is imperative that Irish organisations expand into foreign markets to gain a larger market base. It is against this background of international trade that this paper is set. This is a study of export performance and electronic commerce and it seeks to ascertain the extent to which organisational factors impact on export performance and electronic commerce adoption in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Ireland. The core objectives of this study are: to identify the internal organisational characteristics of both export performance and electronic commerce ...
Irish Journal of Management, 2006
Small Enterprise Research
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial learning and support needs o... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial learning and support needs of older unemployed, highlighting the barriers that need to be addressed, and to explore the impact of a tailored entrepreneurship training programme. Design/methodology/approach An interpretivist philosophical standpoint is adopted with an action research approach to engage key informants to design, implement and evaluate the programme. Focus groups and interviews with 132 older unemployed individuals and 50 stakeholders across six countries were conducted as well as pre- and post-programme evaluations and surveys with 55 programme participants across three countries. Findings This research provides a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial learning and support needs of older unemployed. Research limitations/implications The small sample size of participants measured using a hybrid measure of ESE is a limitation. Practical implications For entrepreneurship educators, the components o...
Firm-Level Internationalization, Regionalism and Globalization, 2011
Irish Journal of Management, 2006
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2015
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The compan... more Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.
Industry and Higher Education, Apr 1, 2015
This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilitie... more This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilities, their attitude towards university supports and the extent to which they engage in external collaboration. The study concentrated on current PhD researchers at one university in Ireland as a unit of analysis and provides encouraging evidence from the PhD student perspective. There is a strong base to work from, considering the level of absorptive capacity in terms of industrial experience and the desire to increase business/entrepreneurial capability. This capacity sits alongside a realism on the part of the students, who openly acknowledge their skills deficit but believe that education modules can close this gap. There was a willingness to invest in entrepreneurial up-skilling to a point, with the students wishing to maintain a balance between mastery of their discipline and the development of entrepreneurial capability. However, no evidence was found that individual capability combined with university supports is a predictor of research commercialization activities or of collaborative research endeavours.
Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2011
Purpose-This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and in... more Purpose-This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and international performance of high tech small to medium-sized enterprises (HTSME) in the telecommunications industry in Ireland. The network resource construct for this paper comprises three dimensions: network human capital resources, network resource combination, and information sharing. Design/methodology/approach-Empirical research was carried out using a mail survey in which 154 firms completed and returned the questionnaire. Three hypotheses were analysed using structural equations modelling using LISREL. Findings-The study's main finding suggests a positive relationship between a firm's network human capital resources and international performance. However, no support was found for the relationship between network resources combinations, information sharing and international performance. Research limitations/implications-This study is cross-sectional, confined to a single industry and focused on the role of networks in the HTSME context only. Results from this study provide policy makers and practitioners with additional insights into specific network resource-based factors that are associated with international performance for HTSMEs. Such an assessment would help identify specific areas of relationship strengths and weaknesses in terms of the level of human capital available to firms, the combinations of complementary resources across firms and the extent and level of information exchange between firms. Practical implications-The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings and the overall implications for policy makers and managers. Specifically, it is necessary to identify and review the types of resources that are critical to the international performance of firms and develop and implement business strategies building on those resources in order to enhance the likelihood of international success. Originality/value-This study offers a multiple dimensionality to the network resource concept by measuring the direct effect of the type of network resources in terms of human capital, information and network resource combinations on international performance of HTSMEs in the telecommunications industry. These findings advance network research by highlighting the trade-offs that networks impose on firms that seek to manage and leverage their network resources.
This study identifies and examines the relationship between network characteristics and internati... more This study identifies and examines the relationship between network characteristics and international performance of High Tech SMEs (HTSME) in the telecommunications industry in Ireland. The network characteristics construct for this paper comprises three dimensions: strength of ties, relational capability and trust. Empirical research was carried out using a mail survey in which 154 firms completed and returned the questionnaire. Five hypotheses were analysed using structural equations modelling using LISREL. The hypothesis stating that stronger ties are more influential on international performance than weak ties was supported. Strong ties and trust were positively associated with international performance, but non-significant. Weak ties and relational capability were negatively associated with international performance. Therefore, these findings indicate that the level of interdependence between the firms in this research is not prominent. The findings also imply that the effects of networks are contingent: they can present both strengths and constraints to firms.
Industry and Higher Education, 2015
This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabil... more This paper explores PhD students' perceptions of their entrepreneurial and commercial capabilities, their attitude towards university supports and the extent to which they engage in external collaboration. The study concentrated on current PhD researchers at one university in Ireland as a unit of analysis and provides encouraging evidence from the PhD student perspective. There is a strong base to work from, considering the level of absorptive capacity in terms of industrial experience and the desire to increase business/entrepreneurial capability. This capacity sits alongside a realism on the part of the students, who openly acknowledge their skills deficit but believe that education modules can close this gap. There was a willingness to invest in entrepreneurial up-skilling to a point, with the students wishing to maintain a balance between mastery of their discipline and the development of entrepreneurial capability. However, no evidence was found that individual capability c...
R&D Management, 2015
ABSTRACT A key trend of recent literature is the increased use of interorganizational relationshi... more ABSTRACT A key trend of recent literature is the increased use of interorganizational relationships to achieve organizational objectives. While the phenomenon of collaborative innovation has attracted significant academic interest in recent years, little research has been undertaken to examine how widespread the collaborative phenomenon is relative to organizational size or the diversity of partner organizations being leveraged for collaborative innovation activity. Consequently, this paper seeks to address two research questions. Firstly, the extent to which collaborative innovation is occurring within different sized firms that are research and development active, and secondly, are these different sized firms engaging in collaborative innovation activities with different types of partner organization. The results support earlier studies regarding the increasing practice by industry leveraging interorganizational collaborations in order to support innovation. Findings highlight that large-scale firms are more active than SMEs in leveraging external resources for innovation and that small-sized firms are the firm category least active in the practice. In addition, findings indicate that when small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) are collaborating, they leverage both vertical and horizontal partner linkages but that the sector is constrained by geographic distance in terms of the diversity of its collaborating partners.