
Overview
Background
My research informs and transforms how we understand the strategic organisation of innovation. I do this through research addressing the foundations of strategy and innovation. Empirically, my research focuses on complex, project-based forms of organising commonly found in infrastructure, engineering, and resources, to develop better explanations for how organisations innovate and adapt. Scholars of strategy and innovation have traditionally paid less attention to these organisational forms. And yet they are a central feature of many economies, including Australia. Theoretically, my research makes contributions to The Behavioral Theory of the Firm (e.g. developing new, more socialised models of organisational search and innovation), the Resource-based View of the Firm (e.g. how engineering and design can be used to protect innovation knowledge from imitation), and Project Organising (e.g. developing new frameworks for managing innovation in projects). I am currently bringing this research together to study the innovation in the context of artificial intelligence used in medical imaging with colleagues at UQ's ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology. My research has been published or is forthcoming in a wide variety of top journals ranging from MITSloan Management Review and the Academy of Management Review through to Transportation Research Part A and EMBO Reports.
Availability
- Associate Professor Sam MacAulay is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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The Organization of Innovation
I study how innovation is shaped by organizational design, how new products and services are created, and the role of competition in knowledge production.
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Carnegie School organizational theory
My research here is twofold. I study how better socialized theories of organizational search can improve explanations of organizational adaptation and learning. And I am also branching out to study how organizational slack influences this process.
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Construction, Infrastructure, and Mining
Construction, infrastructure, and mining, have all traditionally received little attention in mainstream research on innovation, management, and strategy. I am doing research that tries to change this.
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Project-based organizations
My research investigates the strategic organization of project-based organisational forms, ranging from the delivery models of complex infrastructure projects through to service providers in mining.
Research impacts
I am passionate about doing research that has a positive impact on our economy and society. My research seeks to improve what we know about how organizations work. The hope is that by better understanding organizations, we'll be better equipped to understand why they function as they do, and thus make better decisions about how they should function.
Works
Search Professor Sam MacAulay’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Other Outputs
Productivity in mining: Now comes the hard part, a global survey
Mitchell, Paul, Bradbrook Michael, Higgins, Louise, Steen, John, Henderson, Chris, Kastelle, Tim, Moran, Chris, MacAulay, Sam and Kunz, Nadja (2014). Productivity in mining: Now comes the hard part, a global survey. Not available:
2014
Conference Publication
Organising innovation in temporary organizations: Preliminary findings and future research directions
MacAulay, Sam, Davies, Andrew and Dodgson, Mark (2014). Organising innovation in temporary organizations: Preliminary findings and future research directions. 30th EGOS Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 3-5 July, 2014.
2014
Conference Publication
Innovation strategy in temporary organizations
MacAulay, Sam, Davies, Andrew and Dodgson, Mark (2014). Innovation strategy in temporary organizations. Strategic Management Society Conference, Madrid, Spain, 22 September 2014.
2012
Book Chapter
The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation
Steen, John and Macaulay, Sam (2012). The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation. Handbook on the knowledge economy. (pp. 216-237) Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781781005132.00023
2012
Book Chapter
The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation
Steen, John and Macaulay, Sam (2012). The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation. Handbook on the knowledge economy. (pp. 216-238) edited by David Rooney, Greg Hearn and Tim Kastelle. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar.
2011
Journal Article
InnovationXchange: A case study in innovation intermediation
Håkanson, Lars, Caessens, Petra and Macaulay, Sam (2011). InnovationXchange: A case study in innovation intermediation. Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, 13 (2), 261-274. doi: 10.5172/impp.2011.13.2.261
2011
Journal Article
Small worlds: The best network structure for innovation?
Steen, John, Macaulay, Sam and Kastelle, Tim (2011). Small worlds: The best network structure for innovation?. Prometheus, 29 (1), 39-50. doi: 10.1080/08109028.2011.567125
2010
Conference Publication
A review and critique of the small worlds hypothesis: The best network structure for innovation
Steen, John, MacAulay, Sam and Kastelle, Tim (2010). A review and critique of the small worlds hypothesis: The best network structure for innovation. DRUID Summer Conference 2010: Opening Up Innovation: Strategy, Organization and Technology, London, United Kingdom, 16-18 June 2010. Copenhagen, Denmark: DRUID Society.
2009
Conference Publication
How do people find knowledge in complex organizations? A process perspective on problemestic search
MacAulay, S. (2009). How do people find knowledge in complex organizations? A process perspective on problemestic search. DRUID Summer Conference 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark, 17-19 June, 2009. Copenhagen, Denmark: DRUID.
2008
Book Chapter
New tools to map and manage innovation networks
Steen, J., MacAulay, S. and Kastelle, T. (2008). New tools to map and manage innovation networks. Inside the innovation matrix: Finding the hidden human dimensions. (pp. 83-95) edited by C. Evans. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Australian Business Foundation.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Sam MacAulay is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Artificial intelligence in medical imaging: understanding the frames that influence the adoption and integration of new technology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anna Jenkins
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Doctor Philosophy
Business models and implementation roadmap for rapid translation of PDCogniCare Intervention into healthcare
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka
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Doctor Philosophy
How to enhance the probability of success in a complex project via Risk Leadership
Associate Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Disruptive innovation: How can it be valued and priced? A case of novel theranostics in oncology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lisette Pregelj, Associate Professor Anna Jenkins
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Doctor Philosophy
Artificial intelligence in medical imaging: understanding the frames that influence the adoption and integration of new technology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anna Jenkins
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Sam MacAulay directly for media enquiries about:
- collaboration
- management of innovation
- megaprojects
- organisational design
- organizational design
- research and development
- social networks
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