Jennifer Jennings

Professor, Alberta School of Business - Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management

Curriculum Vitæ

Contact Overview Courses Publications

Contact

Professor, Alberta School of Business - Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management

Email: jjenning@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-0648
Address: 4-21E Business Building
11203 Saskatchewan Drive NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2R6

Overview

About

The holder of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Entrepreneurship, Gender, and Family Business, Jennifer is one of Canada’s leading researchers at the intersection of gender, entrepreneurship, and the family embeddedness of entrepreneurial activity. She has published two edited books and approximately 30 scholarly articles and book chapters on these and other topics. Seven of her articles have received “Best Paper” awards at international academic conferences. One of her articles, Aldrich and Cliff (2003), was recently recognized as a “Foundational Paper” by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.

Over the course of her career, Jennifer has played an integral role in strengthening the global profile of scholarly research on gender and entrepreneurship in particular. In 2010, she co-organized and co-hosted the Diana International Conference on Women’s Entrepreneurship Research in Banff. Key outputs of this conference included the production of a co-edited book (for Edward Elgar) and a special issue of Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (a top entrepreneurship journal on the FT50 list).

Recognized internationally for her research on female entrepreneurs, Jennifer was recently invited to produce an online compilation entitled “Women’s Entrepreneurship” for Oxford Bibliographies as well as a special “legacy” article to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the International Journal of Gender & Entrepreneurship. Most recently, she served as an academic advisor for a COVID and women’s entrepreneurship advocacy tool developed by the WE EMPOWER Program (sponsored by UNWomen/EU/ILO).

Jennifer obtained her Ph.D. in Organizational Behaviour from the University of British Columbia in 2000 (as Jennifer Cliff). She was the silver medalist in the BCom graduating class from Carleton University in 1990 (as Jennifer Huyda). Prior to pursuing her doctoral studies, she worked in Vancouver as a marketing manager for an educational institute and as a business consultant for an immigration law firm.

Service

Jennifer currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Business Venturing (JBV), and is a prior editorial board member of the Academy of Management Review (AMR) and the International Journal of Gender & Entrepreneurship (IJGE). In 2018 she received an Outstanding Reviewer Award at AMR. In 2015 she was recognized with an Outstanding Service Award for her contributions as a Field/Associate Editor at JBV from 2010-2015.

Jennifer also served as a co-author, with Dr. Anthony Briggs, of two outreach reports conducted on behalf of the University of Alberta. The 2012 report examined the institution’s general economic impact. The 2013 report examined the impact of alumni through entrepreneurship and innovation.

In 2009, Jennifer was elected as a Representative-at-Large of the worldwide Academy of Management (AOM)’s Entrepreneurship Division. She served as the Chair of the Membership Committee from 2009-2012, launching the division’s inaugural “New Member Meeting Point” event. She frequently serves in a mentoring capacity at doctoral, new faculty, and mid-career consortium at the AOM annual meetings.

Awards

2022 Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) Honor Roll
2021 Foundational Paper Award, Academy of Management (AOM) ENT Division
2020 Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Entrepreneurship, Gender and Family Business
2018 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Review
2015 Outstanding Service Award, Journal of Business Venturing
2015 Kauffman Foundation Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Conference
2014 Bertarelli Family Best Paper Award, BCERC-IVEY Entrepreneurship Research Conference
2014 Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Conference
2012 Best Paper Award (Entrepreneurship and Gender), ACERE-DIANA Conference
2011 McCalla Professorship, University of Alberta
2010 Aldrich and Cliff (2003) appears on list of “25 Most Influential Family Business Articles”
2008 Best Paper Award, DIANA International Research Symposium
2007 Best Paper Award (High Potential/Fast Growth), AOM ENT Division
2006 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Business Venturing
2003 Best Paper Award (Women’s Entrepreneurship), AOM ENT Division

Research

Over the course of her academic career, Jennifer has examined a variety of research questions pertaining to entrepreneurship, family business, gender, and the work-family interface. Examples include: How and why do women’s perceptions of entrepreneurship differ from those of men? Do female and male entrepreneurs tend to organize, manage, and grow their firms differently? To what extent are the entrepreneurial decisions and activities of women versus men differentially affected by family embeddedness considerations, gendered labour market experiences, and gender stereotypes? What are the implications for firm innovativeness, venture performance, and the wellbeing of entrepreneurs and their families?

Jennifer’s research on these topics (and others) has been published in numerous leading general management journals, including the Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of International Business Studies, and Organization Studies. Her work also appears in several top entrepreneurship, family business, and family science journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Family Business Review, Family Relations, and the Journal of Business Venturing.

An outreach article summarizing several of her women’s entrepreneurship studies was recently published in the leading science communication publication, Scientia.

When asked to state the main thing that she has learned from conducting research on female entrepreneurs, Jennifer responded as follows: “It’s that entrepreneurship is not a gender-neutral phenomenon.”

Teaching

Since arriving at the Alberta School of Business in 1999, Jennifer has taught courses in general management, family enterprise, and entrepreneurship at the undergraduate, MBA, and Ph.D. levels respectively.

Early on in her career, she played a lead role in designing a Major in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise for the Alberta School of Business, which was the first of its kind in Canada. In the summer of 2018, she and Dr. Angelique Slade Shantz led a research-oriented course for undergrad students dedicated to the “grand challenge” of gender-based pay inequity. This unique course was nominated for a university-wide teaching award.

In addition to acting as the supervisor (or co-supervisor) of several Ph.D. students, Jennifer has overseen numerous individual research projects for undergrad and MBA students. She previously served as the Course Coordinator for SMO 310, the Faculty Advisor for the SMO Club, and the Associate Director (Programs) for the school’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise (CEFE).

In 2011, Jennifer’s contributions on the teaching front were recognized with a university-level McCalla Professorship.

Teaching Experience

SMO 201 Introduction to Management
SMO 310 Introduction to Management
SMO 428 Managing Family Enterprise
SMO 488 Topics in Organization Theory
SMO 628 Managing Family Enterprise
SMO 704 Individual Research
SEM 705 Seminar in Contemporary Issues – Becoming a Management Professor
SMO 707 Seminar in Special Organizational Topics
SEM 711 Seminar in Entrepreneurship

Upcoming Teaching

Jennifer is thrilled to be back in the classroom. She will be delivering the SEM Ph.D. seminar in Entrepreneurship in the Winter 2023 term.

Courses

SEM 405 - Gender Issues in Organizations

This course examines the ways in which gender, personal characteristics and organizational practices interact in influencing women's and men's experiences in work settings. Among the issues discussed are gender differences in career motivation and commitment, leadership skills and ability, and conflicts between professional and personal responsibilities. Prerequisite: SEM 201, 301 or 310. Open to third- and fourth-year students.

Winter Term 2025

SEM 704 - Individual Research

Prerequisite: Registration in Business PhD Program or written permission of instructor. Approval of the Business PhD Program Director is also required for non-PhD students.

Fall Term 2024

SEM 705 - Seminar in Contemporary Issues

This course is designed to provide a holistic viewpoint on the life and work of a management professor. As students move through their doctoral program and into their first academic jobs, there are several skills and understandings that will be important for them to develop, with the ultimate goal of making their careers ones that are fulfilling. This course helps ground the students in a broad range of the basic skills they will build on over their careers. To that end, this course focuses on professional development, including research, teaching, presenting, and being a positive contributing member of the academe. Prerequisite: Registration in Business PhD Program or written permission of instructor. Approval of the Business PhD Program Director is also required for non-PhD students. Not to be taken by student with credit in ORG A 705.

Fall Term 2024

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