Professor Tim Edwards

: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Tim Edwards

Professor of Organisation and Innovation Analysis
Cardiff Business School

Tim Edwards started as Dean at Cardiff Business School in September 2024. Before that he was Pro-Dean Research, Impact and Innovation at the Business School and is a Co-Director of Cardiff University's Digital Transformation Innovation Institute. His priorities in the Dean role are to embed the School's Public Value strategy; enhance the student and staff experience; create space for research, scholarship, impact and engagement; and, to ensure the School achieves triple crown accreditation.

Tim is also a Professor of Organisational and Innovation Analysis and his research can be viewed in relation to four key themes: organisational and institutional change; critical management theory with a particular interest in a Critical Realist ontology; entrepreneurship and human reflexivity. He has published in journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Organisation Studies, Human Relations, Organisation, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Management Reviews, Management Learning and European Management Review. He has been an Associate Editor for two world leading journals including Organisation and International Journal of Management Reviews and has been an external examiner for the Executive MBA at Oxford University's Said Business School.

Personal Assistant

Claire Dickson
[email protected]
+44 (0)2920 876792

Date
Type

2026

Edwards, T. et al. 2026. Finding the middle ground: the role of (mis)understanding in creating a shared world of concern. In: Espedal, G. et al., The Palgrave Handbook of Emotions and Values in Organizational Institutionalism. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.397-422. (10.1007/978-3-032-12670-2_15)

2025

Song, R. et al. 2025. Digital roads and data ethics: Exploring the road users’ perspective. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour 115 103330. (10.1016/j.trf.2025.103330)

2024

Kakevelakis, K. and Edwards, T. 2024. Beyond the academy: Engaging with the creative industries. Project Report.Cardiff: Cardiff University.

2019

Lopez, U. et al., 2019. Enabling citizen science in rural environments with IoT and mobile technologies. Presented at: 1st Workshop on Cyber-Physical Social Systems, CPSS 2019 Bilbao, Spain 22-25 Oct 2019. Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Cyber-Physical Social Systems. Vol. 2530.CEUR Workshop Proceedings. , pp.50-56.
Edwards, T. 2019. Book review: justification, evaluation and critique in the study of organizations: contributions from French pragmatist sociology. Journal of Classical Sociology 19 (2), pp.213-219. (10.1177/1468795X18809190)

2018

Meliou, E. and Edwards, T. 2018. Relational practices and reflexivity: Exploring the responses of women entrepreneurs to changing household dynamics. International Small Business Journal 36 (2), pp.149-168. (10.1177/0266242617724858)

2017

Rhode, M. , Rana, O. and Edwards, T. 2017. Data capture and analysis to assess impact of carbon credit schemes. ArXiv arXiv:1711.07574.
Al-Amoudi, I. et al. 2017. Introduction: de/humanisation and critical realism. Journal of Critical Realism 16 (4), pp.349-352. (10.1080/14767430.2017.1348713)

2016

Meliou, E. and Edwards, T. J. 2016. Relationally reflexive women: household strategies of female entrepreenurs as social change. Presented at: Academy of Management Conference 2016 Anaheim, California 5-9 August 2016. Published in: Atinc, G. ed. Academy of Management Proceedings. Vol. 2016.Academy of Management Proceedings Vol. 1. Briarcliff Manor, NY: Academy of Management. , pp.1-6. (10.5465/ambpp.2016.197)

2015

Edwards, T. J. 2015. Institutional theory: reflections on ontology. In: Mir, R. , Willmott, H. and Greenwood, M. eds. Routledge Handbook of Philosophy in Organization Sciences. Routledge Companions in Business, Management and Accounting London: Routledge. , pp.125-137.
Edwards, T. and Meliou, E. 2015. Explaining leadership in family firms: Reflexivity, social conditioning and institutional complexity. Human Relations 68 (8), pp.1271-1289. (10.1177/0018726714554468)
Jennings, J. E. et al., 2015. Emotional arousal and entrepreneurial outcomes: Combining qualitative methods to elaborate theory. Journal of Business Venturing 30 (1), pp.113-130. (10.1016/j.jbusvent.2014.06.005)

2014

Brandl, J. et al., 2014. Why French pragmatism matters to organizational institutionalism. Journal of Management Inquiry 23 (3), pp.314-318. (10.1177/1056492613517463)

2013

Delbridge, R. and Edwards, T. J. 2013. Inhabiting institutions: Critical realist refinements to understanding institutional complexity and change. Organization Studies 34 (7), pp.927-947. (10.1177/0170840613483805)

2012

Jennings, J. et al., 2012. Affect in collaborative entrepreneurial projects: insights from innovators in the superyacht industry. Presented at: Academy of Management Conference Boston, MA, USA 3-7 August 2012. Academy of Management Proceedings. , pp.1-59.
Kakavelakis, K. and Edwards, T. J. 2012. Situated learning theory and agentic orientation: a relational sociology approach. Management Learning 43 (5), pp.475-494. (10.1177/1350507611427233)

2010

Edwards, T. J. 2010. Knowledge work and the employment relationship in the 'new workplace'. In: Blyton, P. R. , Heery, E. J. and Turnbull, P. J. eds. Reassessing the Employment Relationship. Management, Work and Organisations Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.401-423.

2008

Delbridge, R. and Edwards, T. J. 2008. Challenging conventions: roles and processes during non-isomorphic institutional change. Human Relations 61 (3), pp.299-325. (10.1177/0018726708088996)
Edwards, T. J. and Jones, O. 2008. Failed institution building: understanding the interplay between agency, social skill and context. Scandinavian Journal of Management 24 (1), pp.44-54. (10.1016/j.scaman.2007.12.001)

2007

Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. R. 2007. A critical assessment of the evaluation of EU Interventions for Innovation in the SME sector in Wales. Urban Studies 44 (12), pp.2429-2448. (10.1080/00420980701540960)
Edwards, T. J. and Delbridge, R. 2007. Reflections on developments in institutional theory: Toward a relational approach. Scandinavian Journal of Management 23 (2), pp.191-205. (10.1016/j.scaman.2007.02.003)
Edwards, T. J. 2007. A critical account of knowledge management: agentic orientation and SME innovation. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research 13 (2), pp.64-81. (10.1108/13552550710736910)
Edwards, T. J. 2007. Organizational politics and the "process of knowing": Understanding crisis events during project-based innovation projects. European Journal of Innovation Management 10 (3), pp.391-406. (10.1108/14601060710776770)

2006

Delbridge, R. and Edwards, T. J. 2006. The relational pragmatics of institutional entrepreneurship and field re-composition. Presented at: EGOS 2006 - European Group for Organizational Studies Bergen, Norway 6-8 July 2006.
Delbridge, R. and Edwards, T. J. 2006. Understanding field reproduction: the interconnection between agency, social position and stuctural context. Presented at: Workshop on the Present and Future Status of Institutional Theory Alberta, Canada 2-3 June 2006.

2005

Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. R. 2005. Understanding innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises: a process manifest. Technovation 25 (10), pp.1119-1127. (10.1016/j.technovation.2004.04.005)

2004

Edwards, T. J. , Battisti, G. and Neely, A. 2004. Value creation and the UK economy: a review of strategic options. International Journal of Management Reviews 5 (3-4), pp.191-213. (10.1111/j.1460-8545.2004.00103.x)
Edwards, T. J. et al. 2004. How can firms in the UK be encouraged to create more value? A discussion and review paper. Other. Advanced Institute of Management Research. Available at: http://www.aimresearch.org/uploads/File/Publications/Academic%20Publications%202/How_can_firms_be_encourages_to_create_more_value.pdf.

2003

Delbridge, R. and Edwards, T. J. 2003. Actors and roles in processes of de- and re-Institutionalization. Presented at: 19th EGOS (European Group for Organizational Studies) Colloquium Copenhagen, Denmark 3-5 July 2003.

2002

Budhwar, P. et al., 2002. Organizing/theorizing: Developments in organization theory and practice. Management Research News 25 (8/9/10), pp.1-193. (10.1108/01409170210783368)
Edwards, T. J. et al. 2002. Pathways to value: How UK firms can create more value using innovation strategically. Project Report.[Online].Advanced Institute of Management Research. Available at: http://www.aimresearch.org/uploads/File/pdf/Executive%20Briefing/AIM%20Pathways%20exec%20briefing%20FINAL%20FEB%202005.pdf.
Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. M. 2002. Learning companies: Innovative potential of Welsh manufacturing SMEs. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff Business School.
Thomas, R. et al. 2002. Organizing/theorizing: developments in organization theory and practice. Presented at: Employment Research Unit Annual Conference Cardiff, UK 12-13 September 2002.

2001

Edwards, T. J. 2001. Innovation in Wales: assessing the potential of Welsh small and medium sized manufacturers.. Presented at: WERU Conference 2001 Cardiff, UK May 2001. Welsh Economic Review. Vol. 13(2).Cardiff, UK: Welsh Economy Research Unit (WERU). , pp.33-36.
Edwards, T. J. 2001. Techno-economic networks: technological transfer via the teaching company scheme. In: Jones, O. , Conway, S. and Steward, F. eds. Social Interaction and Organisational Change: Aston Perspectives on Innovation Networks. Series on Technology Management Vol. 6.London: Imperial College Press. , pp.217-250.
Edwards, T. J. and Delbridge, R. 2001. Assessing the innovative potential of small and medium sized enterprises: a working model of innovation in manufacturing. Presented at: 2nd Managing Knowledge Conference Leicester, UK 10-11 April 2001.
Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. R. 2001. Learning companies: future challenges for small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises. Presented at: Critical Management Studies Conference Manchester, UK 11-13 July 2001.
Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. R. 2001. Linking innovative potential to SME performance: an assessment of enterprises in industrial South Wales. Presented at: 41st European Regional Science Association conference Zagreb, Croatia 29 August - 1 September 2001.
Edwards, T. J. , Delbridge, R. and Munday, M. C. 2001. Innovation in small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises: issues and future directions. Presented at: Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques Leicester, UK 10 -11 April 2001.

2000

Edwards, T. J. 2000. Innovation and Organizational Change: Developments Towards an Interactive Process Perspective. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 12 (4), pp.445-464. (10.1080/713698496)
Jones, O. , Edwards, T. J. and Beckinsale, M. 2000. Technology management in a mature firm: Structuration theory and the innovation process. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 12 (2), pp.161-177. (10.1080/713698466)

1998

Edwards, T. J. and Miller, H. 1998. Change in mass higher education: university, state and economy. In: Jary, D. and Parker, M. eds. The new higher education: issues and directions for the post-Dearing university. Staffordshire University Press

Tim is an organisation theorist with an interest in explaining institutional change processes, innovation and entrepreneurship. His most recent research work is a multi-disciplinary research study of citizen science in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. As PI he has led a project team that has been awarded up to £85,000 in funds from bodies such as the ESRC's Global Challenges Research Fund, EPSRC and includes scholars from social science, computer science and ecology. Research partners include academics from Fundação Getulio Vargas, UNICAMP and the Federal University of San Carlo, Brazil. The project involves school children and local farmers in developing a responsible innovation approach to citizen science. It involves the community in co-creating the socio-technical infrastructure that will help support sustainable livelihoods. This builds on previous work with colleagues in the computer science department (Rhodes and Rana) testing IT solutions in the monitoring of water repair projects in Eritrea.

Tim's work in Brazil has recently benefitted from a Visiting Research Fellowship Award which will support a planned visit to Sao Paulo at the beginning of 2023.

Awards since 2017

Cardiff Business School Seedcorn funding (2020-21) - Emancipating the youth in vulnerable rural communities: Science for citizenship in the forest community of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. PI.
ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (2021): Supporting citizen science: A critical, social science led approach to impact. Co-I.
ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (2021): Supporting women entrepreneurs in Wales through the Covid-19 crisis. Co-I.
ESRC Festival of the Social Sciences (2021): Widening Participation in Sustainability Through Repair. Co-I.
HEFCW GCRF (2018): Equitable and Inclusive Education for Sustainable Communities: Citizen Science. PI.
DIRI, Data Innovation URI (2018) Data-Driven Citizen Science: Capacity building and education innovation in the forest community of Guapiruvu. PI.
EPSRC, GCRF Institutional Sponsorship (2017): To establish a communications infrastructure based on cloud technology that enables a ‘citizen science’ approach for sustainable biodiversity management in the tropical forest community in Brazil. Co-I.

Tim's main undergraduate teaching commitment has been on the final optional module - Entrepreneurship and Small Business Start-ups (2008-2021). He has also taught Organisational Change on the MBA and Organisational Behaviour on the undergraduate Business Management Programme. Given his role as Pro-Dean for Research, Impact and Innovation Tim no longer has a lead teaching role and instead has been contributing to the delivery of modules including the first year undergraduate module Economy and Society and the Arts Humanities and Social Science flagship Masters programme for Research Methods. This is given to all social science postgraduate students intending to undertake a social science PhD at Cardiff University.

In addition to these commitments he has, since 2017, developed an outreach module delivered in conjunction with the support of students of the student social enterprise, Enactus. This is a nine-week module called 'Realising your Potential in Business' and is delivered to adult learners from the refugee community in Cardiff.

Further afield, Tim has, since 2016, been an invited international faculty member on Kobe University's SESMI Programme: "Qualitative Research in Strategic Management". Tim will be delivering another class in October 2023.

Tim is also an external examiner for the executive MBA at Oxford University’s Said Business School (since 2021).

Tim has a PhD in Innovation Management awarded from Aston University (2002), a MSc Management by Research, awarded from Aston University (1995), and a BA (Hons) in International Relations from Sussex University (1991). He has lived in a number of places including West London as a child, Brighton and Birmingham as a student and Bristol and Cardiff as an academic at Cardiff University. He is married and has two grown-up sons - the elder is studying Natural Sciences at UCL and the younger is about to make his University choices to study Psychology.

He has had two research sabbatical visits in his career - the first to the University of Alberta in 2007 and the second to UC Davis in 2016. Tim has also worked closely with colleagues from Grenoble Ecole de Management and continues to develop strong research links with colleagues in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Honours and awards

Cardiff Business School, Developing Student Employability Award (2013)
Cardiff University, International Travel Scholarship Award (2007). Visiting Professor position at the University of Alberta.

Best Paper Awards

Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, (2016): Relationally reflexive women: Household strategies of female entrepreneurs as social change (Entrepreneurship Division)
Academy of Management Conference, Boston, (2012): Affect in Collaborative Entrepreneurial Projects: Insights from Innovators in the Super yacht Industry. (Entrepreneurship and Creativity Division)

Outstanding Paper Award

(2008) - Emerald Literati Network: A critical account of knowledge management: agentic orientation and SME innovation, International journal of Entrepreneurial behaviour and Research.of Entrepreneurial behaviour and Research, Vol 13, No2, 2007

Professional memberships

Fellow, Royal Society of Arts
Fellow, Higher Education Academy

Committees and reviewing

Associate Editor: Organisation (2014-2021)
Associate/Consulting Editor: International Journal of Management Reviews
Editorial Board: Organisation Studies; Journal of Responsible Technology, Scandinavian Journal of Management
Grant reviewer - ESRC
Journal reviewer including: Academy of Manangement Review, Human Relations, Organisation Studies; Journal of Management Studies; International Journal of Management Reviews, Journal of responsible Technology and Organisation

Tim is currently the primary supervisor for four PhD students that includes:

a gender analysis of investor syndicates in support of women entrepreneurs
the reflexive management learning of senior staff in the NHS
the translation of neuroscience into management practice
Artificial Intelligence's impact on freedom in the workplace

He is always keen to discuss PhD opportunities with prospective students in a range of areas including innovation, entrepreneurship and organisation theory.

Cardiff Business School has welcomed a delegation from Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) to explore opportunities for future collaboration.

China’s leading foreign studies institution visits Cardiff Business School

03 July 2026

Cardiff Business School has welcomed a delegation from Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) to explore opportunities for future collaboration.

Dr Jane Haider was named a finalist in the Co-creation and Participative Leadership Award category.

Cardiff Business School recognised at Celebrating Excellence Awards 2025

29 May 2026

Dr Jane Haider was named a finalist in the Co-creation and Participative Leadership Award category.

Cardiff Business School welcomed a delegation from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (SXUFE) for a discussion on education, research, and partnership opportunities.

Cardiff Business School hosts Shanxi University of Finance and Economics to explore green transition and exchange opportunities

27 October 2025

Cardiff Business School welcomed a delegation from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (SXUFE) for a discussion on education, research, and partnership opportunities.