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Irene, Bridget N is a Senior Lecturer at the Leicester Castle Business School, De 51³Ô¹Ïapp University, Leicester. Her scholarly interests range widely, encompassing entrepreneurship and focusing on the culturally instantiated facets of the debate on gender entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial competencies, family businesses, entrepreneurship education, and the informal economy. Her PhD research contributes to the already established discourse on gendering entrepreneurship and provides explicit feminist perspectives highlighting the inadvertent reinforcement of women’s subordination to men in the context of entrepreneurial endeavours.

The Centre for Enterprise and Innovation (CEI)

Conference Papers

• Irene, B; Lockyer, J; Onoshakpor, C; Nziku, D; Fourie, C and Okrah, J (2023). A Multi-Nation Study on Women Entrepreneurs Response to Crisis in The Global South: A Feminist Perspective. Presented at the Gender, Work and Organizations International Conference (GWO 2023), 28-30th June 2023 at Stellenbosch, South Africa.
• Irene, B; Onoshakpor, C; Lokyer, J; Chukwuma-Nwuba, Kemi and Ndeh S (2023). Entrepreneurial Learning and Apprenticeships: The Learning Process of the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS) in Nigeria. To be Presented at the British Academy of Management (BAM2023) conference, 5 – 6th September 2023, at Sussex University, UK.
• Irene, B; Lockyer, J; Chukwuma-Nwuba, K; Enebeli, O; Mudd, T; Aina, M (2023). Responsible entrepreneurship in a family business: Is your child the golden ticket? To be Presented at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference (ISBE 2023), 08-10 November 2023 at Aston University, UK.
• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Onoshakpor, C; Chukwuma-Onwuba, K; Ndeh, S. (2022). “Local Incubator Platforms and Transformational Entrepreneurship in Post-Covid-19 Era: Lessons from the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS) in Nigeria”. Presented at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 27-28 October 2022 (currently under review at International Review of Entrepreneurship)
• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Onoshakpor, C; Chukwuma-Onwuba, K; Ndeh, S. (2022). “Now you see them, now you don’t: Will Technological Advancement Erode the Gains made by Women Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa?” Presented at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 27-28 October 2022 (currently under review at International Review of Entrepreneurship)
• Irene, B.N; Nziku, D; Forson, C; Tesfaye, A. (2022). “Having Nothing and Giving Much: Sub-Saharan African Women Entrepreneurs Thriving in the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Presented at the British Academy of Management (BAM2022) conference, 31st August to 2nd September 2022 (currently under review at International Review of Entrepreneurship)
• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Hoyte, C; Dewitt, S. (2021). “A Micro-Sociological Approach to Understanding the impact of Unpaid Wages on Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Family Businesses”. Presented at Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 28-29 October - (Best Paper Award winner in the Family Business Stream and currently accepted at the Journal of Business Research)
• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Hoyte, C; Dewitt, S. (2021). “The 'no choice' option: A contextual analysis of the role of entrepreneurship in reinforcing the oppression of women in patriarchal societies”. Presented at the Gender, Work & Organization (GWO2021) conference, 30th June to 2nd July 2021 (currently under review at International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship)
• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Hoyte, C; Dewitt, S. (2021). “Gender Performance Gap: The Causal Effect of the “No Choice” Option on the ‘Underperformance’ of Women-owned Businesses in Patriarchal Societies”. Presented at Diana International Research Conference, 21-22 May (Currently in-press at the World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development)
• Irene, B.N.O (2017). ‘The Impact of EduTech on Teaching and Learning: A Discursive Analysis of the Intersection of Two Research Paths’. South African National Research Council, First Year Experience (SANRC FYE Conference) May 2017. University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Irene, B.N.O (2017). “Perceptions on the Accessibility, Affordability, and Quality of Education in Africa: The Debate about Low-Cost Private Higher Education”. International Conference on Education and Cultural Heritage, Brussels, June 10, 2017.
• Irene B.N.O (2016). “The Macroeconomic Landscape of Post-Apartheid South Africa: A critical review of the impact of the broad-based black empowerment policy on the success of female SMEs operators” paper presented at the 16th International Conference of Humanities and Social Sciences (ICHSS), London, 10th December 2016. ISBN: 978-88-909163-28. Doi: 10.5901/ichss-2016-vol-1 (pp 7-12).
• Irene, BNO (2014). “Gender and Entrepreneurial Success: Towards the Development of Entrepreneurial Competencies model for Female SME’s Operators in Africa” (Paper presented at Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) / African Unity for Renaissance Conference – the Africa Union @ 50: ‘’African solutions for African problems’’, Pretoria May 2014.

Journal Article

• Irene, B.N; Lockyer, J; Hoyte, C; Dewitt, S. (In-Press). “Gender Performance Gap: The Causal Effect of the “No Choice” Option on the ‘Underperformance’ of Women-owned Businesses in Patriarchal Societies. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development (WREMSD)
• Irene, B.N.O., Opute, A.P and Ibidunni, S (In press). Competency-based entrepreneurship education: analysis of the ‘disruptive innovation’ theory in African HEIs. Int. J. Business and Globalisation (IJBG).
• Onoshakpor, C; James, I; Ibukun, T and Irene, B.N (2023). Entrepreneurial Motivation in the Global South Addressing Gender Marginalization. International Journal of Entrepreneurship, 27(6).
• Irene, J., Kelly, M., Irene, B., Chukwuma-Nwuba, E. O. & Opute, P. (2023). Exploring the role of regime actors in shaping the directionality of sustainability transitions in South Africa. Energy Research and Social Science, Vol 99:103068.
• Okrah, J. & Irene, B. (2023). The Effect of Top Managers’ Years of Experience on Innovation. International Journal of Innovation Studies.
• Opute, A.P; Iwu, C.G; Khosa, R.M; Eresia-Eke, C; Hagos, S.B; Irene, B.N (2021). African Immigrant Entrepreneurship in the UK: The Hidden Hand of Family Influence on Entrepreneurial Orientation. Harvard Deusto Business Research, 10 (1):53-79
• Opute, A.P; Irene, B.O and Iwu, C.G (2020). Tourism Service and Digital Technologies: A Value Creation Perspective. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 9(2).
• Irene, B.N.O (2017). A Cross-cultural Assessment of the Competency Needs of Women Operating in the Context of SMMEs in South Africa. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences (MJSS), Vol. 8, No. 1, January 2017, pp 20-30. Doi:10.5901/mjss.2017.v8n1r
• Irene, B.N.O (2017). The Macroeconomic Landscape of Post-Apartheid South Africa: A critical review of the impact of the broad-based black empowerment policy on the success of female SMEs operators. Journal of Educational and Social Research (JESR), Vol. 7, No. 1, January 2017, pp 145-150. Doi: 10.5901/jesr.2017.v7n1p145.
• Irene, B.N.O (2017). Women Entrepreneurship in South Africa: Understanding the role of Competencies in Business Success, Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (SAJESBM) volume 9, issue 1, pages 1-9, a121.
• Irene, B.N.O (2016). Women Entrepreneurs: A Cross-cultural Study of the Impact of the Commitment Competency on the Success of Female-owned SMMEs in South Africa, International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR) Volume 27, No 2, pp 70-83.
• Irene, B.N.O (2016). A Cross-Cultural Review of the Impact of Entrepreneurial Motivation on the Success of Female MMEs Operators in South Africa, International Journal of Current Advanced (IJCAR) Volume 5, No 7, pp 1122-1130.

Book Chapters

• Opute, A.P.; Irene, B.O.; Jawad, C.; and Agupusi, P. (In-Press). Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: A Leadership Framework. Palgrave Macmillan, UK. In: Ibidunni, A. S (eds). Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Informal Economy in sub–Saharan Africa: A Sustainable Development Agenda.
• Lockyer, J; Chukwuma-Nwuba, K; Irene, B; Whysnianti B (In-Press). The Inculcation of Entrepreneurship into Tertiary Education: An Evaluation of the Impact of Policy Driver Entrepreneurship Education in Emerging Economies. In Crammond, R and Hyam-Ssekasi, D (eds). Entrepreneurship Education and Internationalisation: Cases, Collaborations and Contexts
• Irene B.N., Murithi, W., Frank, R and Mandawa-Bray, B. (2021). From Empowerment to Emancipation: Women Entrepreneurship Cooking up a Stir in South Africa. In: Guelich et al., (eds). Women’s Entrepreneurship & Culture. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Irene, B.N., Opute, AP; Muruthi, W (2021). An Empirical Insight into the Factors Affecting the Oscillation of Women between Self and Paid Employment in South Africa. In: Kolade, O; Rae, D; Obembe, D; Woldesenbet Beta, K (eds.) the algrave Handbook of African Entrepreneurship. Palgrave Macmillan, UK.
• Irene, B.N.O and Hussain, T (2020). The accessibility and affordability of higher education in Sub-Sahara-Africa: The debate on low-cost and private higher education institutions. In Adeyemo, K.S (Eds.) Global Education Systems. The Education Systems of Africa. Springer: Cham.
• Irene, B.N.O (2019). Technopreneurship: A Discursive Analysis of the Impact of Technology on the Success of Women Entrepreneurs in South Africa (147-173). In: Taura, Nasiru D., Bolat, Elvira, Madichie, Nnamdi O. (Eds.) Digital Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects. Palgrave Studies of Entrepreneurship in Africa.
• Irene, B.N.O (2018). Women SMEs Entrepreneurs in South Africa: Maintaining a Balance between Culture, Personal Life, and Business in Yousafzai et al Women’s Entrepreneurship and the Myth of Underperformance: A New Look at Women’s Entrepreneurship Research. Gower Publishers: London. 

Women Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurship Education; Women-owned Businesses; Small Business Strategy; Family Business; Minority Entrepreneurship; Migrant Entrepreneurship; Women Entrepreneurship in SSA

Business Management; Entrepreneurship

PhD

Work Based Management Project; Contemporary Issues in Business Sustainability

• Best Paper Award, Family Business Track, ISBE 2023
• Winner of Alistair Anderson ERD Publication Prize for an ECR, ISBE 2023
• Outstanding Reviewer Award – BAM 2022
• Best Paper Award, Family Business Track, ISBE 2021

Deputy Track Chair, Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group, British Academy of Management

British Academy of Management; Chartered Management Institute

HEA, Senior Fellow

• Gender, Work and Organizations International Conference (GWO 2023), 28-30th June 2023 at Stellenbosch, South Africa.
• British Academy of Management (BAM2023) conference, 5 – 6th September 2023, at Sussex University, UK
• Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference (ISBE 2023), 08-10 November 2023 at Aston University, UK.
• Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 27-28 October 2022, York University.
• British Academy of Management (BAM2022) conference, 31st August to 2nd September 2022, Manchester University
• Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 28-29 October, 2021, Cardiff University
• Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, 28-29 October, Kent University.
• Diana International Research Conference, 21-22 May, 2020, France
• South African National Research Council, First Year Experience (SANRC FYE Conference) May 2017. University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
• International Conference on Education and Cultural Heritage, Brussels, June 10, 2017.
• International Conference of Humanities and Social Sciences (ICHSS), London, 10th December 2016
• African Unity for Renaissance Conference – the Africa Union @ 50: ‘’African solutions for African problems’’, Pretoria May 2014.

Social Entrepreneurs International, USA

0000-0003-2864-4767