Dr William Murithi

Dr Murithi is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship and is a fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK. He has over 4 years’ experience in the Higher Education Sector in the UK teaching Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management areas in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. His research interests are in entrepreneurship and innovation, strategy, family business, regional development, socio-cultural and institutional context within developing economies, Entrepreneurship Education and Teaching Pedagogy using Digital Technology. His PhD research focused on the intersection of entrepreneurship, family firms and regional development looking at the effects of strategic behaviours and their impact on firm’s regional outcomes in developing economies.

Dr Murithi has published in internationally recognised journals as well as presented his research in global conferences Euram (Portugal), BAM (UK), AOM (Boston), AFAM (Nigeria), ISBE (UK), ICEA (Leicester), and GCEG (Germany). In addition, he is enjoys organising international trips for business students to New York (US) and Nairobi (Kenya). Dr Murithi has worked with international partners where he has taught and assessed Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation (UG) course at the Sun Wah International Business School (SWIBS), Liaoning University, China. He has also received several awards for his contribution to the research community and publications.

The Centre for Enterprise and Innovation (CEI)

Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Strategy, Strategic entrepreneurship, Family Businesses, Regional Development, SMEs, Culture (as a toolkit), Institutional Voids, Transitional Entrepreneurship, Urban Areas/slums, Entrepreneurship Education and Teaching Pedagogy using Digital Technology

Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Development, Strategic Management, Research Methods, Enhancing Research Skills, Doing Business in Africa

• PhD in Entrepreneurship and Family Business
• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching Education (PCertLTHE)
• MSc. International Business and Entrepreneurship (Distinction)
• Bachelor of Commerce: Banking and Finance Option (First Class Honours)

UG- Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Creative Management and Marketing, Introduction to Enterprise and Entrepreneurship PG-Entrepreneurship Project, Consulting for MBAs, Research Methodology (MSc), Enhancing Research Skills (MSc.)

• 2019 July Research Oscars Faculty of Business and Law: Winner for Excellence: PhD student Contribution to Research Community.
• 2019 June Best paper in the Entrepreneurial Opportunities track in the 1St International Conference on African Entrepreneurship (ICAE) held at De Montfort University, 13-14th 2019.
• 2019 Feb Current Holder of the Challenge Cup for publications “Per Angusta Ad Augusta” –Business and Law Faculty, De Montfort University.
• 2014 Oct Vice Chancellors Highflyer Scholarship Award –De Montfort University
• 2013 Nov Best Student Award for International Business and Entrepreneurship
• 2012-2013 Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

• Fellow Higher Education Academy
• Academy of African Management
• Academy of Management
• British Academy of Management
• Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Family Enterprise Research Conference
• Enterprise Educators UK

PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCES PAPERS AND POSTERS 

a) Publications

Murithi, W. Vershinina, N. and Rodgers, P. (2019), Where more is less: Institutional Voids and Business Families: A Focus on Sub-Saharan African Context, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.

Vershinina, N., Woldesenbet Beta, K., & Murithi, W.K. (2018). How does national culture enable or constrain entrepreneurship? Exploring the role of Harambee in Kenya. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 25(4), 687-704.

b) Chapters Submitted and accepted for Publication 

Murithi, W.K and Woldesensbet, Beta, K (forthcoming) Comparing Family and Nonfamily Firms’ Strategic Effects on Regional Development: Evidence from Kenya, in the upcoming book Basco, R, Suwala, B (ed), “Family Business and Regional Development”, Routledge-Taylor and Francis Group, to be published in 2020. 

Ogunsade A.I; Murithi W. K., and Mafimisebi O. P (forthcoming) Institutional Determinants and Entrepreneurial Mindsets of University Educated Youths in Sub-Saharan Africa, Dobson, S., Jones, P, Agyapong, D and Maas, G. (ed) “Enterprising Africa: Transformation Through Entrepreneurship”, Routledge-Taylor and Francis Group, to be published in 2020. 

Irene, B.N., Murithi, W.K, Frank, R Madawa-Bray, B (under review), Is a Woman’s Place in the Kitchen? The Emancipatory potential of Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of African Women Entrepreneurs, Guelich, U. et al (ed), in the EE-Dianabook Edward Elgar Publishing, to be published in 2020. 


d) Conference Papers and Un-refereed Papers

Murithi, W. K., (2020), Exploring the Intersection of Entrepreneurial Activities and Socio-Cultural Institutions: How Technology Entrepreneurs (Firms) Create Social Value in Kenya, Africa Academy of Management Lagos, Nigeria 8-11th January 2020 

Murithi, W.K. and Vershinina, N., Exploring Strategic Behaviours of Family Businesses in Sub-Saharan African Context: Does Family Involvement and Size of the Firm Matter? Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) conference in November 4th, 2019 Newcastle, UK

Murithi, W. K (2019), Dynamics of Family Businesses and their Implications on Creation of Social Value: Evidence from Kenya a sub-Saharan Africa Country, presented at the Academy of Management Conference in Boston, Massachusetts 9-13th August 2019 

Murithi, W.K., Wodelsbett Beta, K. and Adekunle, O (2019) Working title: Exploring the Intersection of Entrepreneurial Activities and Socio-Cultural Institutions: How Technology Entrepreneurs (Firms) Create Social Value in Kenya, presented at the International Conference of African Entrepreneurship, Leicester, UK 13-14th June 2019 

Murithi, W.K and Woldesenbet, K (2019) and Do family firms contribute differently to regional development compared to nonfamily firms? Presented at the European Academy of Management (Euram) Conference in Lisboa, Portugal, 26-28th June 2019 

Murithi, W.K and Woldesenbet, K (2018) Firm Entrepreneurship and Regional Economic Development: The Role of Family Involvement in the Firm, presented at the British Academy of Management (BAM), Sept 3-5th in Bristol 2018 

Murithi, W.K (2018) Family firms and regional Economic Development: What is the role of industrial clusters and firm growth in emerging economies, presented at the 5th Global Conference on Economic Geography held in Cologne, Germany 24-28th July 2018. 

Murithi, W.K Vershinina, N. and Rodgers, P. (2018) Understanding the Institutional Environment influence on Family Businesses: A Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, submitted to the 4th Biennial Conference of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) held on the 3-6th January at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia

Murithi, W.K., Woldesenbet, K., and Vershinina, N. (2017) Do ‘Harambee Spirit’ and ‘Familiness’ share their meanings in the context of ICT Sector Family Businesses in Kenya? Paper presented at 17th European Academy of Management Annual Conference, 21- 24th June, Glasgow, UK.

Murithi, W.K, Vershinina, N., and Woldesenbet Beta, K. (2017) ‘The Role of ‘Harambee’ in enabling Entrepreneurship Activities in developing Economies: A Case of Kenya’), presented at the European Academy of Management (Euram) Conference, ‘Making Knowledge Work’, held in Glasgow, UK, June, 2017.

"Why Peer Mentoring Works" (Eyre, J. and Murithi, W.K 2015), during the 'Learning and Teaching conference' held at De Montfort University, 2015


e) Research Poster Presentation 

Murithi, W.K (2018). When does family involvement in a business make a difference in regional economic development? De Montfort University Poster Competition, Leicester, England, 20th March 2018 

Murithi, W.K (2015), Egg or Chicken: Do family-ownership influence firm’s involvement in industrial/regional clusters, research poster presented at the British Academy of Management (BAM) annual conference, Portsmouth, England, September 2015

Murithi, W.K (2018). When does family involvement in the business make a difference to regional economic development? Presented at the De Montfort University Annual research poster competition, Leicester, England, 11th April 2018.

Institute of Small Business and Enterprise (ISBE) Glasgow, Scotland, November 2015

“Internationalisation, innovation and Leadership”

British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Portsmouth, England, September 2015

“Value of Pluralism in Advancing Management Research. Education and Practice”

Egg or Chicken: Do family-ownership influence firm’s involvement in industrial/regional clusters

Entrepreneurship Strategy, Family Business (Strategy, Governance, Innovation, Firm growth)Creating Shared Value, Strategic Plans, Business Plans, Leadership and Capacity Building in SMEs, Peer Mentoring in HE,

‘Minding the gap: Peer Mentoring and learning at De Montfort University’. A consultancy report prepared for the Centre for Learning and Support Services (CLaSS), Directorate of Library and Learning Services, De Montfort University, 2015.

‘Greening in Action Program (GRINA)’ that "Promotes Environmental and Behavioural Sustainability among college and university students, (2014) prepared on behalf of EASM/ACX.

0000-0002-9356-9479