Conor O'Kane, Our people, Department of Management, University of Otago, New Zealand

BSc MBS PhD(NUI Galway) C_Okane_image

Room OBS 715
Tel +64 3 479 8121
Email conor.okane@otago.ac.nz

Conor O'Kane is Director of the Masters in Entrepreneurship and an Associate Professor in Strategic Management at Otago Business School.

Research

Conor’s research interests broadly focus on academic entrepreneurship and the strategies underpinning the commercialisation of university research. Specifically, Conor utilises stakeholder and identity theory in his study of knowledge transfer, Science-Industry engagement and R&D processes.

In New Zealand, Conor is a member of the “Building New Zealand’s Innovation Capacity” research team funded with the National Science Challenge: Science for Technological Innovation (funded for $30m over 5 years).
Read about this research in He Kitenga (2018)

Read about Conor's research in He Kitenga (2014) University of Otago research highlights.

Read an opinion piece by Conor on university governance in the Otago Bulletin

Conor is an active member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM). He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Management and Organisation. He sat on the ANZAM Board for three years (2015–2017) and he was Chair of the annual ANZAM conference in Queenstown in 2015.

See Conor's latest research on his Google Scholar profile

Teaching

Conor teaches strategic management at an introductory and undergraduate level as well as at an advanced level to postgraduate and executive students. Preferred teaching methods focus on case discussions, simulated games, debates and live case projects.
Conor’s teaching and coordination responsibilities include:

Supervision

Conor welcomes PhD applications in the area of strategic innovation and University-Industry interactions.

To be considered, you will have a postgraduate qualification with a significant research project, training in research methods and have studied strategy at university level. The University of Otago provides PhD scholarships to top-quality candidates.

Conor is currently supervising the following students:

PhD

Nana Awuah Bortsie-Arye – Water Footprinting: Theory to Reality – Building competitive advantage around water. (Supervisors: Sara Walton, Conor O'Kane, Peter Fennessy) - ongoing.

Completed

Hamizah Abd Hamid (2017). The entrepreneurship process of ethnic immigrant enterpreneurs. (Supervisors: André Everett, Conor O'Kane)

Regina Maniam - University-industry collaboration: University student activities in developing an entrepreneurial cluster. (Supervisors: André Everett, Conor O'Kane, Sergio Biggemann) - completed.

Masters

Completed

Josephine Tan (2017) – The key influences in spin-off development (Supervisors: Conor O'Kane, Jing (Annie) Zhang) – completed with distinction.

Matt Lowe (2015). Dynamic capabilities as a key determinant of M&A success – completed with distinction.

Regina Maniam (2014). Roles of universities in clusters – The University of Otago and the Dunedin ICT cluster. (with André Everett) - completed with distinction.

Memberships

New Zealand Institute of Directors
Strategic Management Society
Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management
International Society for Professional Innovation Management

Awards

Conor has received the following awards:

Co-winner of the 2015 Otago Business School’s Emerging Researcher Award
Best Paper Award 7th Colloquium on organisational change and development: European Institute for advanced studies in management, Bern, Switzerland, 2012
‘Best Leadership Track’ paper at the British Academy of Management, Sheffield, 2010
'Best Strategy Track’ paper award at the Irish Academy of Management in 2005
'Best Postgraduate’ paper award at the Irish Academy of Management in 2005

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Publications

O'Kane, C. (2018). Technology transfer executives' backwards integration: An examination of interactions between university technology transfer executives and principal investigators. Technovation, 76-77, 64-77. doi: 10.1016/j.technovation.2016.08.001

Zhang, J. A., Edgar, F., Geare, A., & O'Kane, C. (2016). The interactive effects of entrepreneurial orientation and capability-based HRM on firm performance: The mediating role of innovation ambidexterity. Industrial Marketing Management, 59, 131-143. doi: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.02.018

Cunningham, J. A., Mangematin, V., O'Kane, C., & O'Reilly, P. (2016). At the frontiers of scientific advancement: The factors that influence scientists to become or choose to become publicly funded principal investigators. Journal of Technology Transfer, 41, 778-797. doi: 10.1007/s10961-015-9400-4

O'Kane, C., Mangematin, V., Geoghegan, W., & Fitzgerald, C. (2015). University technology transfer offices: The search for identity to build legitimacy. Research Policy, 44(2), 421-437. doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2014.08.003

O'Kane, C., Cunningham, J., Mangematin, V., & O'Reilly, P. (2015). Underpinning strategic behaviours and posture of principal investigators in transition/uncertain environments. Long Range Planning, 48(3), 200-214. doi: 10.1016/j.lrp.2013.08.008

Journal - Research Article

Geoghegan, W., O'Kane, C., & Fitzgerald, C. (2015). Technology transfer offices as a nexus within the triple helix: The progression of the university's role. International Journal of Technology Management, 68(3/4), 255-277. doi: 10.1504/IJTM.2015.069660

Journal - Research Article

Cunningham, J. A., O'Reilly, P., Dolan, B., O'Kane, C., & Mangematin, V. (2016). Publicly funded principal investigators allocation of time for public sector entrepreneurship activities. Economia e Politica Industriale, 43(4), 383-408. doi: 10.1007/s40812-016-0054-5

Journal - Research Article

Cunningham, J. A., O'Reilly, P., O'Kane, C., & Mangematin, V. (2015). Managerial challenges of publicly funded principle investigators. International Journal of Technology Management, 68(3/4), 176-202. doi: 10.1504/IJTM.2015.069669

Journal - Research Article

O'Kane, C., & Cunningham, J. (2014). Turnaround leadership core tensions during the company turnaround process. European Management Journal, 32(6), 963-980. doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2014.04.004

Journal - Research Article

Cunningham, J., O'Reilly, P., O'Kane, C., & Mangematin, V. (2014). The inhibiting factors that principal investigators experience in leading publicly funded research. Journal of Technology Transfer, 39(1), 93-110. doi: 10.1007/s10961-012-9269-4

Journal - Research Article

O'Kane, C., & Cunningham, J. (2012). Leadership changes and approaches during company turnaround. International Studies of Management & Organization, 42(4), 52-85. doi: 10.2753/IMO0020-8825420403

Journal - Research Article

Lawton, T., Rajwani, T., & O'Kane, C. (2011). Strategic reorientation and business turnaround: The case of global legacy airlines. Journal of Strategy & Management, 4(3), 215-237. doi: 10.1108/17554251111152252

Journal - Research Article

O'Kane, C. (2009). Top management leadership in the turnaround process (PhD). National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. 368p.

Awarded Doctoral Degree

O'Kane, C. (2006). Management styles of a newly appointed leader in a turnaround context. Irish Journal of Management, 27(1), 111-144.

Journal - Research Other

O'Kane, C., Davenport, S., & Ruckstuhl, K. (2016). Research scientists’ role transitions and capacity development: A focus on New Zealand’s science for technological innovation challenge. Proceedings of the 30th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference: Innovating for Sustainable and Just Futures. Retrieved from http://anzam2016.com/

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Hamid, H., Everett, A., & O'Kane, C. (2015, December). Ethnic migrant entrepreneurs: Different countries of origin, different challenges? Verbal presentation at the 29th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference: Management for Peak Performance, Queenstown, New Zealand.