Professor Sarah Jack

Distinguished Professor

Profile

Sarah Jack is a world-leading scholar known for her impactful research contributions. Before returning to Lancaster University in 2023 as Distinguished Professor in Entrepreneurship, Sarah was the Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg Professor of Innovative and Sustainable Business Development at Stockholm School of Economics (SSE, Stockholm, Sweden) where she led several initiatives, including the Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Business Development and the Sustainable Business Development platform for Misum, SSE’s Centre for Sustainability. Sarah was also a founding member of the House of Innovation, SSE. She was recognised as Sweden’s top female academic in Business and Management for three consecutive years.

Sarah held the leadership role for the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management from 2018-2023. She has excellent national and international networks and works with renowned scholars from across the world. She has presented her work at leading global conferences. Sarah has also led community-building initiatives in Sweden and the UK. She has also been a visiting scholar at Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), EMLyon (France), University of Ottawa (Canada), Hanken School of Economics (Vaasa, Finland) and Audenica Business School (Nantes, France).

Impact Case Studies:

REF 2024 - Designing and delivering Growth Hubs (W2GH): Supporting small businesses, creating and safeguarding jobs and driving economic growth across England.

REF 2021 - Improving the Performance of Technology Focused SMEs (IDEAS)

PhD Supervision Interests

Sarah is interested in supervisions related to her areas of interest in entrepreneurship, and students looking to use a qualitative approach.

Research Interests

Sarah’s research focuses on the social aspects of entrepreneurship, using social capital and network theory to explore the relationship between entrepreneurs, their social context, and the development of businesses and communities. Her interests include sustainability (especially the role of entrepreneurs, place, and resources), innovation (especially social innovation and social change), enterprise education and sustainable business development over time. Her work is published in top journals including Academy of Management Learning and Education (4* ABS/AJG); Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (FT50/4*), Journal of Business Venturing (FT50/4* ABS/AJG), Journal of Management Studies (FT50/4), Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal (FT50/4),and British Journal of Management (4 ABS/AJG).

Research Grants

Research Funding:

Sarah has an exemplary track record in generating research income. She has engaged with delivering projects funded through core funding bodies and private industry to support research activities, sponsored PhD studentships, sponsorship for conferences, and student mentoring activities. Examples of the work she has been involved with include:

EURASMUS+ Total Project Value Euros 400,000. TrEE – Transforming Enterprise Education Towards Hope, Social Justice, and Eco Justice. Period: 1/12/23-31/12/24.

ESRC UKRI-Covid-19 Total Project Value£290,965. Entrepreneurial resiliency, innovation, and change during the COVID-19 Crisis. Period: 1/6/20-31/10/21.

Horizon2020 (Swafs 09-2018-2019 call) – Euros 2,476,476. TARGETED-MPI: Transparent and Resilient Gender Equality through Integrated Monitoring Planning and Implementation (SSE partner) Period: 1/9/20-31/10/24.

MMW, Total Project Value 6.5MSK. Purpose: Public Procurement of Functions – A Stepping Stone Towards a More Sustainable Future. Period 1/1/20-31/12/23.

ESRC UKRI-GCRF, Total Project Value £6.8mn. Purpose: RECIRCULATE: Driving eco-innovation in Africa: capacity-building for a safe circular water economy. Period: 1/9/17-31/8/21.

Horizon 2020, Total Project Value (circa) 6 million Euros, SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised and Rural Areas), 26 European partners. Period: 1/4/16-31/3/20. EC comment on project SIMRA is one of the top success stories of Horizon 2020.

Regional Growth Fund/Wave 2 City Project, £32million Government funded project. Purpose: understanding growth in the UK SME sector. Period: 1/11/13-30/6/15.

AIM Visiting International Fellow, Purpose: to develop research links and activities with Ottawa University (With Rose, M.).

ESRC, Value £266,866, Purpose: Knowledge and Technology Transfer, Innovation and Competitive Advantage: Past and Present. Period: 2007-2010.

ESRC Business Development Fellow – Service Innovation grant.

Small Grant Scheme (Lancaster University), Value £4550, Period: 2007-2008. Purpose: Human resource management (HRM) and the small-medium sized enterprise (SME): can business support and intervention contribute to HR strategy?

HEIF funded project (Lancaster University), Value £13,000, Period: 2007-2008. Purpose: Family firms and social capital. Principal grant holder.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award, Value £67,604, Period: 2004-2006. Purpose: To look at improving the operational efficiency, productivity and profitability of a small successful manufacturing business (Lofthus Signs Ltd.).

Nuffield Foundation, Value: £4,393, Period of grant: 1998-2000. Purpose: To Conduct a Comparative Analysis of Networking Activities of Small Businesses based in Urban and Rural Environments.

Carnegie Trust, Value: £600, Period of grant: 1998-1999. Purpose: To Support PhD Activities.

EPSRC, Value: £30, 053, Period of grant: 1995-1997. Purpose: Integrating Clients: Specifications into R&D and Process Management.

External Roles

Sarah also serves as an Editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Associate Editor for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and as a board member for Journal of Business Venturing and Journal of Business Venturing Insights.

Current Teaching

Professor Jack teaches modules at postgraduate and undergraduate levels on entrepreneurship topics.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) PGCE(S) PhD

PhD Supervision Interests

Available for supervising students and particularly welcome strong applicants who share my research interests in entrepreneurship (especially those related to its social aspects such as social networks, social capital and social innovation) and those who wish to look at entrepreneurship in the context in which it is created and formed.