Our research

World-leading multidisciplinary research

Our research focuses on strategic, entrepreneurial and innovation-related decision-making processes that drive organisational success.

The Macquarie University Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship (ISE) Research Centre has three key areas of success:

Innovation

Innovation that drives societal and firm benefits is central to research in the centre. See examples of this below.

This research theme encompasses:

• business model innovation
• collaborative innovation practices
• management innovations
• product and service innovation
• social innovation.

• A government-funded project develops guidelines on how to improve commercialisation success in public research organisations.
• Creativity and design thinking.
• Fostering innovation ecosystems in healthcare.
• Green innovation and disruptive sustainability to address grand challenges.
• Innovation and technology adoption (for example AI) in family businesses.
• The difference between senior and middle managers in innovation decision making.
• The impact of CMO discretion on exploratory innovation.
• The role of the CMO in firm decisions to invest in radical innovation projects.

Strategy

We have active research on a range of strategy topics. Explore our recent activities below.

This theme investigates elements such as:

• business failure and exit strategies
• leadership dynamics
• mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
• performance
• resource management
• the development of organisational capabilities.

• AI and new product innovations.
• Brand competitiveness.
• Business model innovation in the sharing economy.
• Non-market strategy research, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate political activity (CPA).
• The role of managerial cognition in strategic decision making.
• The role of dynamic managerial capabilities in firm strategy-making.
• The role of the board of directors on firm innovation strategy.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is an important driver of economic wealth creation. See some of our recent and ongoing projects below.

This theme explores topics like:

• new venture creation
• entrepreneurial orientation
• entrepreneurial well-being
• persistence/resilience in diverse organisational and societal contexts.

• Australian indigenous female entrepreneurs.
• CEO succession in family businesses.
• Entrepreneurial decision making concerning whether to exit a business.
• How do refugee family businesses build entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Lifestyle entrepreneurship.
• Managing social impact enterprises and practices including social entrepreneurship and autism/neurodiversity employment.