My Biography

Professor Bill O’Gorman is Director for Research in the Centre Enterprise Development and Regional Economy (CEDRE). As well as performing his own research and supervising others in the fields of entrepreneurial regions, regional development and entrepreneurship research he also lecturers in entrepreneurship, organisation development (OD), and change management at undergraduate, post graduate and executive levels. Bill is a mentor to a number of new and developing indigenous organisations. Prior to joining academia in 1999, Bill was Managing Director of his own electronics sub-contract business for nine years. Prior to that, he amassed over twenty years experience working in various multinational organisations at senior management and executive levels.

 

He has strong links with regional and national policy makers and implementers, and with indigenous and multinational organisations in Ireland. He is an advisor on several government programmes and participates in forums examining the development of policy for SMEs, entrepreneurial regions, and entrepreneurship education. He is a director of a number of local and regional enterprise support agencies and a number of micro-enterprises. Bill also set up the National Family Business Centre at University College Cork (UCC). He has also organised and managed several international conferences such as SME Policy Futures; Developing an Entrepreneurial Society in Ireland;  Facilitated Networks – The Future for SMEs; Creating a High-Tech, High-Growth Economy; Developing Knowledge-based Competitive Regional Economies; A Practical Methodology for Regional Development: An Experiment in Creating a Collaborative Process; and Networks, Learning and Entrepreneurship. The areas of research he is engaged with include: defining and developing entrepreneurial regions, analysing the direct impact of MNEs on the creation of new ventures in their host regions, creating a framework for the growth of entrepreneurship, and examining the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial activity. Bill was also the Project Leader for the successful EU Regions of Knowledge funded project CRIPREDE. One of the sustainable legacies from the CRIPREDE project was the creation and development of the Spirit of Enterprise Forum in South East Ireland, a forum involving all of the region’s key stakeholders in entrepreneurship and innovation. Currently Bill is Project Coordinator for the EU funded eDIGIREGION project (funded by the Regions of Knowledge Programme – RTD and Innovation Aspects of EU Digital Agenda.

Research

My research interests are mostly focused on entrepreneurial regions, regional innovation systems, regional development, and entrepreneurship.

I supervise PhD and Masters by Research students perfroming research in these fileds:

Curent PhD supervision titles include:

- Investigation of the Regional Innovation Paradox

- The Innovation Dynamo: Determining factors that generate and facilitate knowledge spillover in RIS

- An examination of deadweight within the Irish enterprise support system

- Influence of regional leel institutional frameworks in the evolution of a crossborder RIS

An example of completed PhDs includes:

- Innovation and firm's interaction behaviour: Is innovation associated withlocal or non-local interactions? An investigation of clustered micro and small technology-based firms in Brazil

- The effect and influence of gatekeepers on technology transfer processes in Institutes of Technology in Ireland

An exampe of completed Masters by Research inlciudes:

- In search of the Entremanager (r)

- Definign entrepreneurial regions

- Inward FDI as a catalyst for spin-offs in South East Ireland

- The impact of entrepreneurship education programmes on entrepreneurial peformance

Teaching

Most of my teaching is at Post Graduate level, for example:

          - MBA: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Change Management

          - DBA: Developing Research Ideas

          - Post Graduate Diploma in Busienss in Enterprise Development

                    - Anatomy of an entrepreneurial

                    - The entrepreneurial mindset

                    - Looking after self

                    - Creativity

                    - Recognising and improving of ideas using lateral thinking

Programmes Leader for:

          - Post Graduate Diploma in Business in Innovation Practice

          - Post Graduate Diploma in Business in Enterprise Development

          - Post Gradaute Diploma in Business in Enterprise Development for Entrepreneurs

          - Post Graduate Diploma in Business in Enterprise Development for Enterprise Centre Managers

 

Visiting Professor to European institutions teaching:

          - Entrepreneurship

          - Entrepreneusship in Complex, Turbulent and Uncertain Times

          - Exploring Embracing Ignorace and Shaping the Unknown

Professional

2004 to present 

   - Dirrector for Research, Centre for Enterprise Development and Regional Economy (CEDRE)

      - Director of South East Business and Innovtion Centre (SEBIC)

      - Director of Dungarvan Enterprise Centre

      - External Examiner for Business and Entrepreneuship courses in Universities and Institutes of Technology in Ireland and UK

      - Member of the HETAC Task Force for Entrepreneurship Education

      - Members of various government enterprise task forces on entrepreneurship and enterprise development

1999 Co-founder of the Irish Network for Teachers and Researchers in Entrepreneurship (INTRE) [served as Chairperson 2010 - 2012]   

1999 - 2004

     - Lecturer on Entrepreneurship ar University College Cork 

         - Co-founder of the John C. Kelleher Family business Centre

         - Instigator of student entreprneurship society, E-Soc

1992 - 2000

      - Founder and Managing Director of MDS (Clonmel) Ltd (formely Enterprise Technology Clonmel Ltd)

1981 - 1992

      - Senior Executive roles in Digital Equipment International, Clonmel

1980 and 1981

      - Production Manager, Ericssons, Athlone

1975 - 1980

      - From Quality Engineer, to Process Engineer, to Production Manager, EI Co. Ltd, Shannon

Publications

Crosbie, N., O’Gorman, B., 2014, The “Chicken and Egg” Paradigm of the Regional Innovation Paradox,  proceedings of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) Winter Conference 2014, London.

Brett, V., O’ Neill, A. and O’Gorman, B. (2014) Observing entrepreneurs in networks: reflecting on the relationship between the researcher and the participants’, International Journal for Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp.275–287.

O’Gorman, B., Donnelly, W., 2014, Ecosystems of open innovation: Their applicability to the growth and development of economies within small countries and regions, in Handbook on Politcs and Technology, Ulrich Hilpert (Ed)

O’ Gorman, B., Brett, V., and Afonso, O., 2014, Inter-regional institutional learning and its impact on knowledge transfer in regional economies in  Proceedings of the University Industry Interaction Conference, Barcelona.

O’Gorman, B and Brett, V., 2014, A road map for regional innovation: A Technovation example, in Proceedings of the 59th Annual Conference of the International Council for Small Business, Dublin.

O’Neill, A., O’Gorman, B., 2014, ‘Should I stay or should I go? A longitudinal study to understand entrepreneurs’ motivations to engage with and remain engaged with learning networks’, GW October 2014 Conference Proceedings, Washington DC

Power, J., Sinnott, E., O’Gorman, B., Fuller-Love, N., 2014, Developing self-facilitating learning networks for entrepreneurs: a guide to action’, International Journal Entrepreneurship and Small Business

O’Gorman, B., Donnelly, W, 2013, Knowledge-based networks: The jewel on the regional development crown, presentation to the Directing Committee of the Cooperative Action Programme on Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED), Derry-Londonderry

O’Gorman, B., Brett, V., 2012, Learning networks in a regional context: The SLNIW story, Regions, Vol. 286, No.2, pp 4-7

O'Gorman, B., Prytherch, A., Sinnott, E., Howells, A., Fuller-love, N., 2012, Gender differences in early group formation,  International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship,  Vol. 4, No. 2, pp 128-152

O’Gorman, B, Foller-Love, N, (Eds), 2011, Learning by Linking: Establishing Sustainable Business Learning Networks, Oak Tree Press, Cork

O’Gorman, B., 2011, Regional stakeholder cohesion: Myth, fantasy or reality, paper presented to the European Policy Research Centre, Strathclyde.

Dawson, C., Fuller-Love, N., Sinnott, E., O’Gorman, B., 2011, Entrepreneurs’ perceptions of business networks: does gender matter?, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 12, No. 12, pp. 245-255

O’Gorman, B., Crosbie, N., 2011, Programme for government 2011 – 2016: A recipe for enterprise creation, development and growth ?, Centre for Enterprise Development (CEDRE), School of Business, Waterford

O’Gorman, B., O’Donohoe, S., Crosbie, N, 2011, National recovery plan 2011 – 2014 and Budget 2011: Perspectives on competitiveness, Centre for Enterprise Development (CEDRE), School of Business, Waterford

O’Gorman, B., Crosbie, N., 2011, Cost of doing business in Ireland: Recent trends and competitiveness, Centre for Enterprise Development (CEDRE), School of Business, Waterford

O’Gorman, B., Fuller-love, N., 2011, (Eds), Learning by Linking:  A Guide to Establishing Sustainable Business Learning Networks, Oak-Tree Press, Cork

Fuller-love, N., O’Gorman, B., 2011, (Eds), Networks, Learning and Entrepreneurship, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation,  Nov. Vol 12, No.4

Power, J., Brett, V., Sinnott, E., O’Gorman and Fuller-Love, N., 2011, A Longitudinal Study Examining the Development of Entrepreneurial Learning Networks. RENT XXV Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Conference. University of Nordland, Bodo, Norway, (Forthcoming)

Sinnott, E and O’Gorman, B., 2011, Do men and women have different learning outcomes from a business learning network?, 34th ISBE Conference Sustainable Futures: Enterprising Landscapes and Communities. Sheffield, UK, (Forthcoming)

Mullally, M., Brett, V., O’Gorman, B, Carr, J and Fuller-Love, N., 2011, Facilitating trust among entrepreneurs to access tacit knowledge: The SNLIW story, 12th European Conference on Knowledge Management proceedings, University of Passau, Germany.

O’ Neill, A, and O’ Gorman, B., 2011, Understanding entrepreneurs motivations to disengage from networks, IAM Conference proceedings, Dublin.

Power, J., O’Neill, A, and O’ Gorman, B., 2011, Examining the influence of network attractiveness and commitment on network performance, 40th Annual Conference Regional Science Association International (RSAI) UK and Ireland Section. Cardiff.

Mullally, M., Brett, V., O’Gorman, B., 2011, The importance of trust to facilitate knowledge sharing within business learning networks, Action Research Colloquium, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland.

Power, J and O’Gorman, B., 2011, Developing sustainable learning networks: Accessing behavior and perceptions of entrepreneurs, Action Research Colloquium, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland.

Power, J., Brett., V., Fuller-Love, N., O’Gorman, B., 2011, Do opposites attract? The Interpersonal circumplex of behaviour in learning networks, 14TH Uddevalla Symposium 2011 on Entrepreneurial Knowledge, Technology and Transformation of Regions, Bergamo, Italy.

Carr, J., and Fuller-Love, N and O’Gorman, B., 2011, Refreshing the entrepreneurs that other business Schools cannot reach: The Implementation of Sustainable Self-Facilitated SME Learning Networks. International Council for Small Business (ICSB), Changes in Perspectives of Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Stockholm.

Brett, V., and O’Gorman, B., 2011, The Role of Higher Education Institutes as Intermediaries in Regional Economic Enhancement. 4th International Conference for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development, Macedonia.

Melo, P., O’Gorman, B, 2011, Geographic proximity: Critical for innovation or not? A Brazilian Case, ESAFIO, Revista de Economia e Administração" (Economy and Business Magazine) Vol.12,  No.26, pp 7-18, (ISSN 1678-1821),

O'Gorman, B., O’Neill, A., 2010, Initial Motivations for Entrepreneurs to Join Learning Networks, Conference proceedings, ISBE, London

O'Gorman, B., Prytherch, A., Sinnott, E., Howells, A., Fuller-love, N., 2010, Gender Differences in Early Group Formation,  Conference proceedings, ISBE, London

Bugge, K-E, O’Gorman, B., Hill, I., Welter, F., 2010, ‘Regional Sustainability, Innovation and Welfare Through an Adaptive Process Model’, in Joseph Sarkis, James J. Cordeiro, and  Diego Vazquez Brust, (Eds.) Facilitating Sustainable Innovation through Collaboration: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective, Springer, The Netherlands, pp 77-96

Prenderville, B., O’Gorman, B., O’Dwyer, M., 2009, SME Internationalisation: Exploring the influence of networks, the psychological characteristics of the owner/manager and the mode of market entry on market selection, ISBE conference proceedings

Tynan, M., Thomas, T., Durand, M., O’Gorman, B., Fuller-love, N., 2009, Training female entrepreneurs: lessons from the FEIW project, International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol 1.3, pp 253-260

O’Gorman, B., 2009, From e-factor to e-region: the role of higher education in stimulating entrepreneurship in rural regions, Regions 273, Spring 2009, Issn: 1367-3882

O’Gorman, B., Owens, N., 2009,  Integrative and collaborative technology and knowledge transfer process - a catalyst for Regional Innovation Clusters (RICs), Conference proceedings, Proton Europe, Cardiff

Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., Bugge, K.E., Hill, I., Peck, F., Roncevic, B., 2008, How to make regions (more) innovative, in U. Fueglistaller, T. Volery, W. Weber (Hrsg./Eds.): Innovation, Competitiveness, Growth and Tradition in SMEs, Papers presented to the Rencontres de St-Gall 2008, Beiträge zu den Rencontres de St-Gallen 2008, KMU-Verlag HSG ISBN 10: 3-906541-26-6 ISBN-13: 978-3-906541-26-6

Bugge, K.E., O’Gorman, B., Hill, I., Welter, F., 2008, Regional sustainability, innovation and welfare through an Adaptive Process Model, Conference proceedings, The Greening of Industry Network, The Cartesius Institute, and The Province of Fryslân, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

Bugge, K.E., Blokland, H., Lier, G., Peck, F., Mulvey, G., Hill, I., Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Adaptive Model for Creating an RTD Investment Policy in Emerging and Developed Economies – General Introduction, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Bugge, K.E., Blokland, H., Lier, G., Peck, F., Mulvey, G., Hill, I, Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Adaptive Model for Creating an RTD Investment Policy in Emerging and Developed Economies – Guidance for Process Facilitators, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Bugge, K.E., Blokland, H., Lier, G., Peck, F., Mulvey, G., Hill, I., Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Adaptive Model for Creating an RTD Investment Policy  in Emerging and Developed Economies – Audit Tool, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Bugge, K.E., Blokland, H., Lier, G., Peck, F., Mulvey, G., Hill, I., Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Adaptive Model for Creating an RTD Investment Policy in Emerging and Developed Economies – Strategy Development Tool, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Bugge, K.E., Blokland, H., Lier, G., Peck, F., Mulvey, G., Hill, I., Welter, F., Kolb, S., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Developing Knowledge-based Regional Economies in Europe, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Tynan, M., O’Gorman, B., Fuller-Love, N, 2008, Developing Enterprise Training for Women Entrepreneurs, Oak Tree Press, Cork

Ryan, D., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Irish SMEs and Non-Irish-national Employees – Is The Honeymoon Over?, Conference proceedings, ISBE, Belfast

Durand, M., Tynan, M., O’Gorman, B., 2008, Nature and Impact of Socialisation on The Decision to Become a Female Entrepreneur, Conference proceedings, ISBE, Belfast

Fuller-Love, N., O’Gorman, B., Tynan, M., 2008, Female entrepreneurs’ use of business plans to raise finance to expand their businesses, Conference proceedings, DIANA, Belfast

O’Gorman, B., Cooney, T., 2007, ‘An anthology of enterprise policy in Ireland’, in Cooney, T., Ed. Special edition of Irish Journal of Management, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin

O’Gorman, B., Aylward, E., 2007, An insight into why women start service enterprises versus high technology enterprises, Conference proceedings, ISBE, Glasgow

Tynan, M, O’Gorman, B., Durand, M., 2007, A FEIW lessons learned: Reflections on a women only enterprise development programme, Conference proceedings, ISBE, Glasgow

O’Gorman, B., Owens, N., 2007, Owner/Managers of SMEs that Export are more Motivated and Better Educated than Owner/Managers of SMEs that do not Export: Fact of Fiction?, Conference proceedings, EISB, Slovenia

O’Gorman, B., Hall, D., 2007, An examination of the factors that influence high-tech entrepreneurs to locate in certain regions: The relevance of these factors to South East Ireland, Conference proceedings, EISB, Slovenia.

McHugh, M., O’Gorman, B., 2006, Enterprise education does make a difference!, Conference proceedings, EISB, Southampton

O’Gorman, B., Aylward, E., Tynan, M., Sinnot, E., Durand, M., 2006, Women in business – exploding some myths about entrepreneurship education for female entrepreneurs, Conference proceedings, EISB, Southampton

O’Gorman, B., Swift, P., 2006, A proposed model for the development of entrepreneurial regions, Conference proceedings, Regional Studies, London

Spillane, M., O’Gorman, B., Birdthistle, N., 2005, ‘Family Business and Family Business Consultation: A Global Perspective Ireland’, in Kaslow, F., Family Business and Family Business Consultation: International Perspectives, The Haworth Press, NY

O’Gorman, B., 2005, Developing Entrepreneurial Regions – Towards a Model of Modernisation and Sustainable, Conference proceedings, Guangxi University of Technology, China

O’Gorman, B., 2005, Entrepreneurship and The Knowledge Economy, Irish Regions 8th Annual Conference, Conference proceedings, Carlow, Ireland

O’Gorman, B., 2005, Creating an RTD Investment Policy for Regions in Emerging and Developed Economies, Working Paper Series, Centre for Entrepreneurship, WIT

O’Gorman, B., 2005, An Exploration of the Direct Impact of MNCs on the Level on New Enterprise Creation, Working Paper Series, Centre for Entrepreneurship, WIT

O’Gorman, B., McGrath, H., 2005, Joining the dots – The Integrative EnAct Model, Waterford

Connolly, R., O’Gorman, B., Bogue, J., 2005, An exploratory study of the process by which recent graduate entrepreneurs (RGES) become self-employed, Irish Academy of Management Journal, Dublin

O’Gorman, B., 2004, MNCs and New Indigenous Start-ups: What is the connection – Accident or design? in Frontiers in Entrepreneurship, Babson, USA

Mythen, S., McGrath, H., O’Gorman, B., 2004, Joining the dots – An integrative model developing SMEs in rural Ireland, ISBA Conference proceedings, UK

O’Gorman, B., Dee, M., 2004, Creating and Developing an Entrepreneurial Region – Report based on the Athenaeum House Forum September 2004, Working Paper Series, Centre for Entrepreneurship, WIT

Hanley, M., O’Gorman, B., 2004, Local Interpretation Of National Micro-enterprise Policy – To What Extent Has It Impacted On Local Enterprise Development?, International Journal of  Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, Vol. 10.4

O'Gorman, B., 2004 ‘The Road to ERP - Has Industry Learned or Revolved Back to the Start?’, in Adam, F. and Sammon, D., (Eds), Enterprise-Wide Systems: Current and Future Issues, Trends and Technologies, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, PA

Connolly, R., O’Gorman, B., and Bogue, J., 2003, ‘Are the barriers to business start-up greater for female graduate entrepreneurs (FRGEs) than male recent graduate entrepreneurs (MRGEs)?’, in Butler, J., (Ed), New Perspectives on Women Entrepreneurs, Information Age Publishing, Hong Kong

Connolly, R., O’Gorman, B., and Bogue, J., 2003, An Exploration Of The Phenomena By Which Recent Graduate Entrepreneurs (RGE) With No Post Graduation Work Experience Become Self-employed, in Proceedings of 33rd EISB Conference, Milan

O’Gorman, B., O’Kane, B., 2003, Transition from entrepreneurial to professional management style in SMEs – Why does it need to happen? in Proceedings of 33rd EISB Conference, Milan

O’Gorman, B., 2003, Multinationals and SMEs: assessing the direct impact between multinationals and new venture start-ups, in Proceedings of 4th Management and Marketing Doctoral Colloquium, University College Cork        

O’Gorman, B., 2002, Study of the impact of multinational corporations (MNCs) on the level and viability of new enterprise activity, within the MNC’s host region, in Frontiers in Entrepreneurship, Babson, USA

O’Gorman, B., 2002, Do Large Firms Really Have an Impact on the Creation of NEW Enterprises? A Case Study of One Rural Town in Ireland, in Proceedings of  32nd  Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Small Business Conference, CERAM, Sophia Antipolis, France

O’Gorman, B., 2002, Do multinational corporations have a positive impact on the creation on new enterprises in their host regions? in Proceedings of 3rd Management and Marketing Doctoral Colloquium, University College Cork

O’Gorman, B., 2001, “Operations – Designing the Process”, (2002), in Cooney, T.M. and Hill, S., (Eds), New Venture Creation in Ireland, Oak Tree Press, Cork

O’Gorman, B., 2001, Study of the impact of MNCs on the level of entrepreneurial and sustainable start-ups, in Proceedings of 2nd Management and Marketing Doctoral Colloquium, University College Cork

Trehy, J., O’Gorman, B., 2001, Retaining the most valuable resources in a Hi-Tech company – can a connection between an employee’s motivational needs and their organisational commitment (OC) be used to achieve this goal? in Proceedings of 31st European Small Business Seminar, Dublin

O’Gorman, B., 2000, The dilemma of growing your own expertise versus competing with others to hire the expertise at an exorbitant price. A case study of how one small company survived under difficult circumstances, in Proceedings of 30th European Small Business Seminar, Gent, Belgium

O’Gorman, B., 1993, Starting a company, the myths, aspirations, and reality; the importance of strategy, identifying one’s core competence, posture, organisation structure and form for success – A study of one Irish company start-up in adverse economic conditions, MSc, Trinity College Dublin