Dr Alexandra Dawson
- Professor, Management
- CIBC Distinguished Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Family Business
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Biography
PhD, Universita' Bocconi, Italy
MSc, London School of Economics, UK
Master's Degree, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
I am a Professor in the Department of Management and hold the CIBC Distinguished Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Family Business. I have a PhD in Management and Business Administration from Bocconi University, where I was also a post-doctoral fellow, and an MSc Econ from the London School of Economics.
My research is in the areas of entrepreneurship and family business, and current projects are on women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial learning. I have published in several leading journals, including Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Family Business Review, Journal of Family Business Strategy, Organization Studies, Small Business Economics, and Corporate Governance: An International Review.
I have received the JMSB Dean’s award for distinguished scholarship twice, in 2014 as a mid-career scholar and in 2022 as an established scholar. I am an Associate Editor for Journal of Family Business Strategy and a Review Board member for Family Business Review (these are the top two journals in family business).
In 2014-17 I was the founding director of Concordia University's National Bank Initiative in Entrepreneurship and Family Business. In 2014-19 I ran the Concordia Small Business Consulting Bureau (CSBCB), supervising select MBA students offering business consulting services to entrepreneurs and business owners.
Prior to academia, I worked as a strategy consultant in London and Milan for several years, advising businesses and private equity investors.
Areas of expertise
- Entrepreneurship
- Family Business
- Private Equity
Teaching
Publications
Click on links for full text or email me for a copy
Bannò, M., D’Allura, G.M., Dawson, A., Torchia, M., & Aldrich, H.E. (2024). Advancing diversity research in family business. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 100607. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858524000020
Dawson, A. (2024). Entries on ‘Succession’ and ‘Succession planning’. In Discua Cruz, A. F. & Howorth, C. (Eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Family Business (pp.418-421 & 422-424), Edward Elgar.
Ginesti, G., Ossorio, M., & Dawson, A. (2023). Family businesses and debt maturity structure: Focusing on family involvement in governance to explain heterogeneity. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 14(2), 100563. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/992673/1/Ginesti%20et%20al_JFBS_2023.pdf
Dawson, A., Paeglis, I., & Basu, N. (2022). Founder teams and firm value in young public firms: An analysis of the moderating effect of founders' ownership power and team size. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 30(2), 232-251.
https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/990595/1/Dawson%20et%20al_CGIR_2022.pdf
Gimenez-Jimenez, D., Edelman, L. F., Dawson, A. & Calabro, A. (2022) Women entrepreneurs’ progress in the venturing process: The impact of risk aversion and culture. Small Business Economics, 58, 1091-1111. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/991404/1/Gimenez-Jimenez%2C%20Edelman%2C%20Dawson%2C%20et%20al_SBE_2022.pdf
Kandade, K., Samara, G., Parada, M. J., & Dawson, A. (2021). From family successors to successful business leaders: A qualitative study of how high-quality relationships develop in family businesses. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(2). https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/987999/1/From%20Family%20Successors%20to%20Successful%20Business%20Leaders.pdf
Dawson, A., Ginesti G. & Sciascia, S. (2020) Family-related antecedents of business legality: An empirical investigation among Italian family owned SMEs. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 11(1). https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/988000/1/Family-Related%20Antecedents%20of%20Business%20Legality_Final.pdf
Cirillo, A., Dawson, A., Michiels, A., & Mussolino, D.(2020) Financing the growth of family businesses. In Calabrò, A. (Ed.), A Research Agenda for Family Business. A Way Ahead for the Field (pp. 215-230), Edward Elgar. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345376301_Financing_the_growth_of_the_family_business_a_research_agenda
Dawson, A., Parada M. J., & Gimeno, A. (2020). Growth through innovation and internationalization: Exploring the role of family business identity through narrative analysis. In: Kammerlander, N. & De Massis, A. (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods for Family Business (pp. 248-269), Edward Elgar.
Dawson, A. (2019) Financial performance and corporate reputation in family firms: Is it about being good or being known?, in Colli, A., D’Allura, G.M., Faraci, R. & Goel, S. (Eds.) Family firms and institutional contexts: Business models, innovation and competitive advantage (pp. 170-185), Edward Elgar.
Dawson, A. & Parada, M. J. (2019). Corporate governance in family businesses across generations: Exploring intergenerational issues, in Memili, E. & Dibrell, C. (Eds.), Heterogeneity among Family Firms (pp. 115-139),Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, UK. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/989982/
Chadwick, I.C. & Dawson, A. (2018) Women leaders and firm performance in family businesses: An examination of financial and nonfinancial outcomes. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 9(4): 238-249. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/985032/1/Chadwick%20%26%20Dawson_JFBS_2018.pdf
Chadwick, I. & Dawson, A. (2018) Women in leadership and family firm performance, in D’Allura, G.M. & Faraci, R. (Eds.) Governance delle Imprese Familiarie e Traiettorie di Crescita. Internazionalizzazione, Innovazione e Contesti Istituzionali (pp.99-105), Franco Angeli, Italy (in Italian). http://ojs.francoangeli.it/_omp/index.php/oa/catalog/book/301.
Dawson, A., Paeglis, I. & Basu, N. (2017) Founder as steward or agent? A study of founder ownership and firm value. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 42(6): 886-910. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/984433/1/Dawson_Paeglis_Basu_2018.pdf.
Parada, M.J. & Dawson, A. (2017). Building family business identity through transgenerational narratives. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 30(3): 344-356. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/985005/1/Dawson%20%26%20Parada_JOCM_2017.pdf
Sharma, P., Debicki B.J., Dawson, A. & Kellermanns, F.W. (2017). Editorial: Behavioural issues in family enterprises. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 16(1/2): 1-12. https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticletoc.php?jcode=ijmed&year=2017&vol=16&issue=1/2
Parada, M. J. & Dawson, A. (2017) Exploring institutional entrepreneurship in developing countries. Co-preneurs in the tourism industry: A Bolivian case, in Ramirez-Pasillas, M., Brundin, E., & Markowska, M. (Eds.), Contextualizing Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies and Developing Economies (pp.194-210), Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.
Hjorth, D. & Dawson, A. (2016) The burden of history in the family business organization. Organization Studies, 37(8): 1089-1111. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/980912/1/Hjorth%20%26%20Dawson%20_OrgSt_2016.pdf
Dawson, A., Sharma, P., Irving, P.G., Marcus, J., & Chirico, F. (2015) Predictors of later generation family members’ commitment to family enterprises. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 39(3): 545-569. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/978746/1/Dawson_et_al_ETP_in_press.pdf
Dawson, A., Irving, P.G., Sharma, P., Chirico, F., & Marcus, J. (2014) Behavioral outcomes of next generation family members' commitment to their firm. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(4): 570-581. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/978747/1/Dawson_et_al_EJWOP_2014.pdf
Dawson, A. & Mussolino, D. (2014) Exploring what makes family firms different: Discrete or overlapping constructs in the literature? Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5(2): 169-183. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/978750/1/Dawson_and_Mussolino_JFBS_2014.pdf
Dawson, A. (2014) A look into the future: What is the next generation of family business scholars focusing on?, in Melin, L., Nordqvist, M., & Sharma, P. (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Family Business (pp.629-642), Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/980913/1/ADawson_A%20look%20into%20the%20future.pdf
Dawson, A. & Valentini, G. (2013) Acquisition and diversification behaviour in large family firms, in Smyrnios, K.X.,Poutziouris, P.Z., & Goel, S. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Family Business (pp. 719-733), 2nd Edition, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236214772_Acquisition_and_diversification_behaviour_in_large_family_firms
Dawson, A. & Hjorth, D. (2012) Advancing family business research through narrative analysis, Family Business Review, 25(3): 339-355. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/974637/4/Dawson_%26_Hjorth_FBR_2012.pdf
Dawson, A. (2012) Human capital in family businesses: Focusing on the individual level. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 3(1): 3-11. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/973655/1/Dawson_JFBS_2012.pdf
Dawson, A. (2011) Private equity investment decisions in family firms: The role of human resources and agency costs. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(2): 189-199. http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/977300/1/Dawson_JBV_2011.pdf
Corbetta, G. & Dawson, A. (2011) Innovation and science and technology based entrepreneurship in Italy: Structural problems and policy challenges. In Mian, S. (Ed.), Science and Technology Based Regional Entrepreneurship: Global Experience in Policy and Program Development (pp. 125-142), Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233895726_Innovation_and_science_and_technology_based_entrepreneurship_in_Italy_Structural_problems_and_policy_challenges
Valentini, G. & Dawson, A. (2010) Beyond knowledge bases: Towards a better understanding of the effects of M&A on technological performance. In Finkelstein, S. & Cooper, C.L. (Eds.), Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions (pp. 177-197), Volume 9, Emerald Books, Bingley, UK. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236214772_Acquisition_and_diversification_behaviour_in_large_family_firms
Dawson, A. & Lassini, U. (2005) External environment and growth of family firms. In Corbetta, G. (Ed.), Capaci di Crescere (pp. 227-253), Egea, Milan (in Italian).
Recent Conferences
Dawson, A. (2023). The trade-off between financial and nonfinancial wealth objectives: A story of a family business’s wealth and social value creation over four generations. EIASM Workshop on Family Firm Management Research, Naples, Italy
Dawson, A. (2022). Strategic response to a grand challenge: Rethinking the business model after emerging from organized crime. Strategic Management Society Conference, London, UK
Chadwick, I., & Dawson, A. (2020). Do I (want to) fit in? Women entrepreneurs’ journey from imposter fears to authenticity. Academy of Management (AoM) conference, online
Media articles
5 common misconceptions about women and entrepreneurship
https://theconversation.com/5-common-misconceptions-about-women-and-entrepreneurship-242457
Creating a gender-inclusive entrepreneurial landscape will help women fit in and thrive
Five common misconceptions about women and entrepreneurship (see pages 13-18)
Canadian_Women_Entrepreneurs.pdf
JMSB researchers investigate how gender affects the corporate climb
JMSB's first international school receives award
Concordia Small Business Consulting Bureau collaborates with Montreal theatre
The entrepreneur's b-school
Why Quebec needs more entrepreneurs
http://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2014/05/07/why-quebec-needsmoreentrepreneurs.html