Dr Samuel Mwaura

Lecturer

Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship

Personal statement

Dr Samuel Mwaura is lecturer of entrepreneurship at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde Business School. His main research interest is on the links between entrepreneurship, individual and household wellbeing, and the wider socio-economic context. Samuel is also very passionate about knowledge exchange and societal impact from his research.

Samuel’s recent work has focused on entrepreneurial ecosystems, entrepreneurial participataion rates and performance especially amongst ethnic minorities, migrants and women and in the regions, SME financing, innovation and its impact on productivity, the link between entrepreneurship and household wellbeing (including household wealth), and entrepreneurship and firm performance in developing country contexts.

Besides contributing to the academic discourse through international conferences and publications, Samuel’s research has been disseminated to various enterprise practitioners, policy-makers and the general public in the UK and beyond through consultancy reports, practioner talks and workshops, policy hackathons, mass media and social media.

Expertise

Has expertise in:

Through my research, I have gained expertise in the following areas:

Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Regional enterprise and economic development policy
Evaluation of SME performance and growth
Enterprise finance
Diversity (intersectionality) and entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship and household economic wellbeing
Innovation and it's impact on firm performance
Entrepreneurship in developing countries
Cultural and creative industries
Social capital, networks, and industrial clusters

Methodologically, I have expertise using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. I have used large datasets as well as designed and conducted surveys in my research. Analytically, I use various multi-variate regression techniques as well as GIS mapping. Qualitatively, I have also carried out and analysed in-depth interviews.

My research has generally been multi-disciplinary, collaborative (including with policymakers), and geared towards generating practical implications and impact on business practice and public policy. I therefore have experience interacting resourcefully with academic colleagues from other disciplines as well as policy-makers and the business community leading to informed changes in policy (e.g. regional development policy) and business strategy and practice. In addition, participation in a variety of public engagement events has allowed me to gain expertise in adaptable knowledge dissemination techniques, including radio and TV interviews.

Publications

Commeedalism : Why Capitalism Fails and How We Can Build a Robust, Equitable and Sustainable Alternative: Mwaura Samuel; (2022)
Strathclyde Pandemic Research Journeys : Personal Accounts of Research During the Covid Period: Sutter Jens, Morton Alec, Maguire Roma, Littlejohn David, Allan Grant, Cogan Nicola, Combe Malcolm, Corrigan Damion, Cooper Benjamin, Egan Kieren, Flowers Paul, Grez Hidalgo Pablo, Inns Tom, Janssen Xanne, Kleczkowski Adam, MacBryde Jillian, Reilly Grant, Megiddo Itamar, Mwaura Samuel, Sharpe Tim, Sambajee Pratima, Suckling Colin, Carver Mark; (2022); https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00083221
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor : Scotland Report 2021/2022: Mwaura Samuel, Sahasranamam Sreevas, Hart Mark, Bonner Karen, Prashar Neha, Ri Anastasia, Levie Jonathan; (2022); https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00081609
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor United Kingdom Monitoring Report 2020: Hart Mark, Bonner Karen, Prashar Neha, Ri Anastasia, Mwaura Samuel, Sahasranamam Sreevas, Levie Jonathan; (2021)
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor : Scotland 2020 Report: Mwaura Samuel, Sahasranamam Sreevas, Hart Mark, Bonner Karen, Prashar Neha, Ri Anastasia, Levie Jonathan; (2021); https://doi.org/10.15129/KCC9-7842
Data Collection and Analysis of Current Barriers to Business Growth in the South of Scotland: Levie Jonathan, Mwaura Samuel; (2021)

More publications

Teaching

I have experience teaching at all undergraduate levels as well as taught post-graduates programmes and executive education. Teaching areas include:

Enterprise finance
New venture creation
Small business management
Innovation management
Entrepreneurial leadership
Entrepreneurship and innovation policy

Research interests

I welcome opportunies for research collaboration and PhD supervision in the following broad areas that I have both qualitative and quantitative methodological expertise in:

Enterprise/ SME Finance
Inclusive Entrepreneurship (Diversity, minority, women's entrepreneurship)
Innovation
SME performance/ growth
Link between entrepreneurship and households
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
SME Clusters and local/ regional economic development policy
Entrepreneurship in developing country contexts

Professional activities

FDI/ trade policy roundtable: Participant; 11/2022
Understanding Scotland: public perceptions of the economy: Speaker; 30/8/2022
Youth enterprise and university ecosystems: Speaker; 6/2022
When all else is not equal: gender, ethnicity and the journey to loan financing: Speaker; 4/2022
How Scotland can encourage more diversity in entrepreneurs: Speaker; 21/10/2021
Young Migrant Entrepreneurs Multiplier Event: Speaker; 22/4/2021

More professional activities

Projects

Coronavirus and the financing of ethnic minority entrepreneurship in the UK - RSE Covid Research Reboot: Mwaura, Samuel (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
Current Barriers to Business Growth in the South of Scotland: Mwaura, Samuel (Principal Investigator); 22-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2021
Barriers to business growth in the South of Scotland: Levie, Jonathan (Principal Investigator) Mwaura, Samuel (Co-investigator) Sahasranamam, Sreevas (Co-investigator); 15-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2019
Migrant Entrepreneurship in Scotland: Mwaura, Samuel (Principal Investigator) Drakopoulou Dodd, Sarah (Co-investigator) Lassalle, Paul (Co-investigator) Levie, Jonathan (Co-investigator) Stoyanov, Stoyan (Co-investigator); 27-Jan-2018 - 30-Jan-2018
CDT Entrepreneurship & Innovation (SE): Mwaura, Samuel (Principal Investigator); 26-Jan-2018 - 26-Jan-2021
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ? Benchmark Research: Levie, Jonathan (Principal Investigator) Mwaura, Samuel (Co-investigator) Sahasranamam, Sreevas (Co-investigator); 05-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2018

More projects

Address

Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship
Stenhouse Wing

Location Map

View University of Strathclyde in a larger map