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School of Management, People and Organisations



Dónal O'Brien

Image for Dónal O'Brien

Lecturer and Programme Chair

Email: donal. obrien@tudublin.ie

Qualifications: PhD in Global Strategy / MSc in Strategic Management / BSc in Management

Lecturer in Strategic Management and Global Strategy in the School of Management, People and Organisation, Dónal holds a PhD in Management and is the current chair of the AMBA accredited Executive MBA programme in TUDublin. Dónal is also a member of the University Academic Quality Enhancement Committee and is the TUDublin representative on the Irish Academy of Management Council (IAM). Within the IAM he is a member of the Early Career Development Network committee.

Dónal’s research interests center on strategy, learning and entrepreneurship in complex organisations and his research is supported by a range of leading organisations and agencies. He has successfully applied for PhD research funding from the Irish Research Council to study the experiences of skilled migrants who come to study and work in Ireland. Dónal’s work along with his PhD students has been recognised for a number of international and national awards at conferences. Along with national and international collaborators he has published in leading international strategy journals including the Global Strategy Journal and the Journal of World Business.    

Dónal has delivered on strategy and international business modules across a range of executive education, masters and undergraduate programmes for national and international universities and to senior leadership in University and Corporate settings.

Journal Publications 

  • O'Brien, D., Sharkey Scott, P., Andersson, U., Ambos, T., & Fu, N. (2019). The microfoundations of subsidiary initiatives: How subsidiary manager activities unlock entrepreneurship. Global Strategy Journal, ABS 4, 9(1), 66-91. Wiley Top Cited Article
  • Tippmann, E., Sharkey Scott, P., Reilly, M., & O’Brien, D. (2018). Subsidiary coopetition competence: Navigating subsidiary evolution in the multinational corporation. Journal of World Business, ABS 4, 53(4), 540-554.
  • O'Brien, D., Sharkey Scott, P. & Gibbons, P. (2013). Developing Strategy from the Middle: Subsidiary Strategy and the Role of the Subsidiary General Manager. Irish Journal of Management, ABS 1, 32(2): 109-28.
  • O'Brien, D. (2021). Teaching Strategic Decision Making: Business Management Simulations as a Tool for Generative Learning.   Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 9(1). 

Chapters in Books 

  • O’Brien, D., Sharkey Scott, P. & Andersson, U. (2019). Subsidiary Management’s Horizontal Boundary Spanning Activity as Entrepreneurial Behaviours. In Entrepreneurial Behaviour –Individual, Contextual and Microfoundational Perspectives. McAdam, M. & Cunningham, J. (Eds) , U.K: Palgrace MacMillan. 
  • O’Brien, D., Scott, P.S., Andersson, U. (2018). Strategy Creativity in Multinational Subsidiaries. In: Castellani, D., Narula, R., Nguyen, Q., Surdu, I., Walker, J. (eds) Contemporary Issues in International Business. The Academy of International Business. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
  • O'Brien, D., Sharkey Scott, P., & Gibbons, P. (2011). From Federation to Global Factories: Assessing the Contribution of the Subsidiary Middle Manager in Today's MNE. In Hutson, Elaine, Rudolf R Sinkovics, & Jenny Berrill, editors, Firm-Level Internationalisation, Regionalism and Globalization. Houndmills, Basingstoke, U.K: Palgrace MacMillan.
  • Linder, R., & O'Brien, D. (2019). The Global Virtual Teams Project: Learning to Manage Team Dynamics in Virtual Exchange. In A. Turula, M. Kurek, & T. Lweis (Eds.), Telecollaboration and Virtual Exchange Across Disciplines: In service of social inclusion and global citizenship (pp. pp.81 - 89). Research-Publishing.net. 
  • O'Brien, D. & Sharkey Scott, P. (2012). Correlation and Regression, Approaches to Quantitative Research – A Guide for Dissertation Students: Oak Tree Press

Conference Proceedings/Papers

  • Dunlea D. & O’Brien, D. (2024) Exploring the Microfoundations of Capability Development in Multinationals through Transformational Learning Experiences of their Managers, Strategic Management Society Conference, Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Rasidat, Adedayo Adeniji Oseni & O’Brien. (2024). A Gendered Exploration of Situated Learning Experiences and Career Trajectories among Highly Skilled African Business Postgraduates in Ireland. British Academy of Management Conference, University of Nottingham, UK
  • O’Brien, D. Sharkey Scott, P, & Andersson, U. (2023), Understanding the Development of Creative Capabilities for Complex Problem Solving in Multinationals, Through the Strategic Attentional Engagement of Subsidiary Management, European Academy of Management Conference, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  • O’Brien & Petrick, C. (2021) Managing Headquarters Instigated Change in a Multinational Subsidiary: The Influence of Discursive Practices on the Strategy Practitioner’s Sensemaking and Legitimisation, 48th Academy of International Business Conference (UK & I), University of Greenwich, London, UK
  • O’Brien, D. Sharkey Scott, P, & Andersson, U. (2019), The Microfoundations of Competence Building in MNC Subsidiaries, through the Attentional Engagement of Subsidiary CEOs, Academy of International Business Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark

Teaching and supervision

Dónal is actively engaged in a Strategy and International Business research community and currently the lead supervisor on three PhD students. The research topics are; 

  1. Role of Collective Mindfulness in Preparing for Global Supply Chain Disruption
  2. Understanding how Subsidiary Managers Learn Entrepreneurial Capabilities
  3. Exploring the Career Trajectories of Highly Skilled Postgraduate Student Migrants from Africa Transitioning to Full Time Employment in Ireland.     

His teaching focuses on Strategy, Learning and Decision making in complex settings. Dónal delivers Global Strategy on the AMBA Executive MBA, MSc in Strategic Management, MSc in Leadership, Innovation and Technology and a range of Executive programmes with organisations such as WorkDay, Skillnet Ireland and the Marketing Institute of Ireland. He also teaches on a range of undergraduate programmes where he has implemented innovative teaching practices around case study approaches and the use of strategy simulations.

Research interests for potential research students

  • Strategies for Multinationals and SME Interaction
  • Transformational Learning and Strategy Development
  • Learning Experiences and Career Trajectories among Highly Skilled Migrants

Areas of Professional Expertise

  • Entrepreneurial Leadership in Multinationals
  • Strategy Development
  • Strategic Learning 

Committee and Panel Membership

  • Board Member RecycleIT
  • AQEC Committee Faculty of Business TUDubln
  • Irish Academy of Management Council Member
  • Early Career Development Network IAM Committee Member

 

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