Professor Samuel Adomako BA (hons), MBA, PhD, FHEA

• PhD in Management, University of Warwick, 2016
• Postgraduate Award (Teaching and Learning), University of Warwick, 2015
• MBA in Management, University of Ghana, 2010
• BSc (Hons) Sociology, University of Ghana, 2005

Dr Adomako is Professor of Entrepreneurship at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He is an internationally recognised scholar with a proven record of research, teaching, and academic leadership. His work lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship and innovation, with particular attention to the cognitive and behavioural processes that shape entrepreneurial strategy and innovation. His geographical focus spans developing and emerging economies, including Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Professor Adomako has collaborated with scholars worldwide, including colleagues at the University of Warwick, San Diego State University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, University of Kent, University of Ghana, University of Bradford, De Montfort University, Saint Louis University, and University of Portsmouth. He is also regularly invited to deliver lectures and presentations at leading universities in the UK, Ghana, USA, France, Australia, UAE, and South Africa.

His research has appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Management Studies, Research Policy, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Product Innovation Management, The Leadership Quarterly, and the British Journal of Management. He has also co-edited books with Routledge and Palgrave Macmillan, and is currently editing two volumes: Technology Entrepreneurship in Africa and Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Africa (Routledge, Taylor & Francis).

Professor Adomako’s scholarly contributions have earned him international recognition. He has been listed in Stanford University’s Top 2% of Scientists in the World for citation impact in both 2023 and 2024. His research has accumulated more than 7,500 Google Scholar citations to date. Within the University of Birmingham, he has received several awards, including the Outstanding Research Award (2023, 2024), the Mid-Career Output Award (2025), and the Outstanding Student Experience Award (2025). Earlier in his career, he won the Best Empirical Paper Award at the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference and the Emerald Literati Highly Commended Paper Award.

Beyond academia, he has extensive experience consulting for organisations, incubators, and SMEs, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. He is an Associate Editor of Business Strategy and the Environment and serves on the editorial advisory boards of the British Journal of Management, International Small Business Journal, and International Business Review.

Professor Adomako holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).

His current research agenda examines:

• Entrepreneurship and innovation in emerging markets
• Cognitive and behavioural foundations of entrepreneurial strategy
• Frugal and sustainable innovation
• Start-up scaling and descaling
• International entrepreneurship and strategy

Through his research, teaching, and engagement, Professor Adomako continues to contribute to advancing knowledge on how entrepreneurship and innovation drive growth, resilience, and societal impact across diverse global contexts.

•  Strategic Innovation Management (MSc Advanced Engineering Managemtn, Birmingham)
• International Business Data Analytics (MSc International Business, Birmingham

He welcomes applications from prospective doctoral students with research interests aligned with his expertise. His current research agenda focuses on:

• Entrepreneurship and innovation in emerging markets
• Cognitive and behavioural foundations of entrepreneurial strategy
• Frugal and sustainable innovation
• Start-up scaling and descaling
• International entrepreneurship and strategy
• Corporate entrepreneurship

He has previously supervised doctoral projects exploring entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategic management in both developed and emerging economy contexts. He particularly encourage proposals that adopt interdisciplinary approaches, integrate behavioural perspectives into strategy and entrepreneurship, or examine innovation in resource-constrained settings.

His research lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship and innovation, with a particular focus on emerging and developing economy contexts. He explores the cognitive, behavioural, and strategic processes that shape entrepreneurial decision-making, innovation practices, and firm performance. His work has been published in leading international journals, including Journal of Management Studies, Research Policy, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Product Innovation Management, The Leadership Quarterly, and British Journal of Management.

Current Research Directions

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Markets
  Investigating how entrepreneurs and firms in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East navigate institutional voids, build resilience, and innovate in resource-constrained environments.
• Cognitive and Behavioural Foundations of Strategy and Innovation
  Examining how individual-level traits (e.g., CEO cognition, leadership styles, top management team dynamics) influence strategic choices and innovation outcomes.
• Frugal and Sustainable Innovation
  Studying low-cost, resource-efficient innovations that create social and environmental value, with particular attention to inclusive entrepreneurship and responsible innovation in developing economies.
• Start-up Scaling and Descaling
  Analysing growth dynamics, resilience, and adaptation among high-growth ventures (“unicorns” and “camels”), including international scaling strategies and venture capital dynamics.
• International Entrepreneurship and Strategy
  Exploring how firms both multinational enterprises and SMEs develop routes to market, engage with global value chains, and adapt strategies in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Recent and Ongoing Projects

• Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Africa (Routledge, forthcoming): co-edited volume examining gender diversity, refugee entrepreneurship, and inclusive innovation ecosystems.
• Technology Entrepreneurship in Africa (Routledge, forthcoming): co-edited book exploring digitalisation, technology adoption, and entrepreneurial ecosystems across African economies.
• Female Entrepreneurs with Disabilities in Ghana: project analysing the intersection of gender, disability, and entrepreneurship, with implications for inclusive policy and practice.
• SMEs and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): collaborative project on how SMEs contribute to sustainable development in emerging markets.
• Frugal Innovation in Emerging Markets: studies on how firms develop and implement frugal solutions in response to institutional and market constraints.
• State of Small Business Ghana: annual report initiative providing insights into SME development, opportunities, and challenges in Ghana.

Previous Research Activity

Earlier work examined small business growth and performance in Africa, culminating in his PhD thesis at Warwick Business School on small business growth in Ghana. He has since extended this focus to comparative research across different institutional contexts, collaborating with international partners at universities in the UK, USA, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

Editorial roles 

• Editorial Advisory Board: International Business Review, (ABS Rating: 3), Elsevier Publishing, February 2025—Present.

• Editorial Advisory Board: International Small Business Journal, (ABS Rating: 3), Sage Publishing, February 2025—Present

• Editorial Advisory Board: British Journal of Management, (ABS Rating: 4), Wiley Publishing, October 2023—Present.

• Associate Editor: Business Strategy and the Environment, (ABS Rating: 3; IF=13.40), Wiley Publishing, 2023—Present

• Associate Editor: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Wiley Publishing, 2020—Present

• Associate Editor: Journal of the International Council for Small Business, Wiley Publishing, 2019-2023

• Editorial Advisory Board: Business Strategy and the Environment, (ABS Rating:3; IF=13.40), Wiley Publishing, 2020—Present.

• Editorial Advisory Board, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (ABS Rating:1; IF=9.80), Wiley Publishing, 2022—Present.

• Editorial Board, International Journal of Multinational Corporation Strategy, Inderscience Publishers

Guest editorials

• Special Issue Guest Editor: ‘‘Entrepreneurship and SMEs in Times of Geopolitical Crisis’’ in Long Range Planning, February 2025 to date (ABS Rating: 4)
• Special Issue Guest Editor: ‘‘Grand Societal Challenges and Entrepreneurship in Emerging/Developing Economies’’ in Entrepreneurship and Regional Development March 2024 to date, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest Editor: ‘‘Digital Technologies and Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets’’, Technovation, May 2023 to date, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest Editor: ‘‘Democracy and International Business’’, Journal of Business Research, March 2023 to date, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest-Editor: ‘‘MNCs and Social Innovation in Emerging Markets’’, Management International Review, May 2022, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest-Editor: ‘‘Doing Business in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges, and Paradoxes’’, Journal of International Management, March 2022 (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest-Editor: ‘‘Business failure in post pandemic era: new challenges for industrial networks, emerging insights and market opportunities’’, Industrial Marketing Management, June 2021, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest-Editor: ‘‘International Entrepreneurial Behaviours of African Firms: Emerging Issues, Challenges and Opportunities’’. Journal of Business Research, June 2022, (ABS Rating: 3)
• Special Issue Guest-Editor: ‘‘Technology strategies in emerging economies: Emerging issues, challenges and new research agenda’’. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, September 2021, (ABS Rating: 3)

 Edited Books

•  Adomako, S., Donbesuur, F., Frimpong, K, & Zahoor, N. (2025) (Eds).Technology Entrepreneurship in Africa, Routledge Taylor, and Francis
• Adomako, S., Donbesuur, F., Frimpong, K, & Opoku, R.A (2025) (Eds).Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Africa, Routledge Taylor, and Francis

• Adomako, S., Gyensare, M, & Ahsan, M (2024). (Eds). Stakeholder Management and Entrepreneurship in Africa, Routledge Taylor, and Francis

• Adomako, S., Danso, A, Boateng, A (2023). (editors) Corporate Sustainability in Africa: Responsible Leadership, challenges, and Opportunities, Book Series, Palgrave Macmillan