James Hall II

DPhil in Organisational Behaviour

Thesis

Economic Impact of Government Sponsored Support Programs for Small & Medium Sized Businesses

Research abstract

The aim of the research to be conducted is to measure, understand and evaluate government management training programs for Small and Medium Size businesses (SMEs). Additionally, the research seeks to determine the value government support for enhanced board of directors of SMEs might provide. Historical international evidence suggests that small firms provide the major source of new jobs in almost all economies. Government support is important in fostering and facilitating venture creation and the scaling of such ventures. Given the importance of job creation and economic growth to economies such as the UK, SME growth is required. However, issues arise when attempting to determine the most effective type of policy intervention. This research will investigate the impact of the UK governments Growth Accelerator management training program for SMEs. Analysis will be survey based, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Supervisor(s)

Professor Mungo Wilson, Oriel College Professor Jonathan Michie, Kellogg College

Biography

James received his BSc from Westminster College and his MBA from the University of Oxford's Said Business School. James founded and led several organizations including Insurance Point, which provides insurance benefits to healthcare employees at hundreds of hospitals across the United States, sold to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co in July 2014; Ebenefits.com, a successful web-based human resource benefits administration system, sold to UPMC 2007; and Versa Ventures, a management consulting and investment firm. Additionally, James was CEO of Childrens Miracle Network, an organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising three-quarters of a billion dollars for childrens hospitals under his leadership.

Research interests

Entrepreneurship, Scaling of New Businesses, SMEs, Boards, Management, Resource Dependency Theory, Organisational Behaviour Theory, Strategic Management