Dr Courtney Molloy

I am a Lecturer in the Newcastle Business School, Faculty of Business and Law. I completed my PhD here at UoN which explored the behaviours, motivation and impact of innovation champions in not-for-profit organisations. I feel very fortunate that I am able to participate in interesting and important research and that I get to work alongside our students to facilitate their learning. As the Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, I enjoy working closely with my colleagues to develop and deliver research-informed and industry relevant curriculum. 

Before moving into academia I worked in both small and large organisations in marketing, human resources and management. This included event management, communications, recruitment and selection and workforce management. My industry background means that I always aspire for my research to have real impact.

Research Interests

Innovation management: I’m particularly passionate about innovation that drives social outcomes and therefore seek to better understand how people and organisations can work together to solve society’s most challenging issues. In doing so, I work closely with not-for-profit organisations and the public sector to understand how to foster innovation which engenders positive social change both within and beyond organisational boundaries.

Regional innovation: Regions provide a unique opportunity to investigate and facilitate the activity of, and interaction between, individuals, groups and organisations in shaping positive community outcomes. My research within the regional innovation domain incorporates an Action Research approach to work closely with regional stakeholders to develop deep insights through the implementation of engaged and contextualised interventions.

Small business: As a result of my own experience working within my family’s small business, I understand the challenges and opportunities that small business ownership can involve. My research activity therefore has been drawn to investigating small business leadership, particularly the impact of owning a business on an individual’s mental health. I’m also increasingly focusing on how to facilitate change within small businesses through leadership interventions via Action Research.

I have published my work in leading journals such as the Journal of Product Innovation Management (A*), R&D Management (A) and the Australian Journal of Public Administration (A).