Academic biography

Eric Clinton is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at DCU Business School and Director of the DCU National Centre for Family Business. Eric is a Visiting Professor at Babson College, USA and the University of Valencia, Spain. He received his PhD in Entrepreneurship from the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School UCD. His research interests are primarily concerned with strategic entrepreneurial practices in multi-generational family firms. In one stream of research, Eric explores how family influences entrepreneurial activity in the firm ranging from portfolio activity, communication practices, to engaging the next generation. In another stream of research, Eric investigates how past experiences in the family firm influence future strategic behaviour. In particular the influence of imprinting, legacy, entrepreneurial learning and long-term strategic thinking. This research has been published in leading international journals such as the Journal of Management Studies; Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice; Academy of Management Annals; Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal; Academy of Management Review; Family Business Review and Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.

His work is also regularly presented at leading international conferences such as the Academy of Management Conference, Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference and the Strategic Management Society. His research has been funded by the European Union, Irish Research Council (IRC), Family Firm Institute (FFI) and Institute for Family Business (IFB). In 2021/2022, Eric was awarded a visiting research fellowship to the Family Owned Business Institute (FOBI) at Grand Rapids University Michigan USA. Eric’s work on imprinting processes in family firms was awarded the FFI’s best unpublished paper award. Demonstrating the practical relevance of his research Eric has worked with family businesses in over 25 countries globally. Eric is a principal investigator in the STEP Project, the largest family business research project globally. He serves on the editorial review board of Family Business Review, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development and International Small Business Journal. Eric teaches in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation. His commitment to teaching excellence was rewarded in his receipt of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2015), Teaching Hero Award (2021) and the winner of the prestigious international Innovation & Entrepreneurship Teaching Excellence Awards in Jyväskylä, Finland (2016), and the International Council for Small Business Entrepreneurship Education Excellence Award in Gwangju, South Korea (2023).