Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division
Nontraditional Academics Committee

This committee focuses on the issues of non-traditional academics (NTA) that are involved in entrepreneurship teaching and research. It is among the standing committees organized under the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.

Goals

We focus on the concerns of academics that have non-traditional career backgrounds — whether in the period prior to their academic career (i.e., extensive industry/entrepreneurship experience) or in their choices of their academic careers. While there are other possible definitions of a “non-traditional” academic, this definition fits most closely the interest we have attracted from members of the Academy.

One of our major concerns is making sure that the field of entrepreneurship successfully integrates new NTAs, particularly Ph.D. students trying to reconcile their own knowledge and experience with the socialization of a doctoral program and their own career aspirations.

We see the committee’s efforts as being directly aligned to the division’s goal of “engaged scholarship” as defined by Andy van de Ven.

Our committee members believe that NTAs have a unique contribution to make to the field, but we have only anecdotal evidence to support those beliefs. Thus, we seek to encourage (or sponsor) research contrasting NTAs with the field as a whole to identify the differences in their respective contributions to teaching, research and service.

History

At the annual Academy meetings, committee has sponsored two preconference workshops and one panel discussion:

• 2007 meeting (Philadelphia): the “Doing Entrepreneurship Education Good by Doing Entrepreneurship Education Well” workshop (PDW) was organized by Brian McKenzie and Joel West
• 2005 meeting (Honolulu): “A New Vision Of Entrepreneurship: Traditional/Non-traditional Views Of The Entrepreneurial Domain” az symposium organized by Brian McKenzie
• Academy 2000 meeting (Toronto): the “Non-Traditional Faculty and the Growing Action Orientation of Schools of Business” PDW was organized by Norris Krueger and Pat Dickson.

Members

The committee was chaired by Brian McKenzie of CSU East Bay from 2004-2007. Since 2007, the chair has been Joel West of San José State. Current committee members are:

• Richard Ash, College of William and Mary
• Craig Justin, Bond University
• Maryellen Kelly, Duquesne U
• Norris Krueger, Entrepreneurship Northwest
• Theresa Lechton, DeVry U
• James Sanders, U of Maryland
• William Schulte, Shenandoah U
• George Simeon, U Bocconi
• Mukesh Sud, Augustana College
• Joel West, San José State U
• Jack Zimmerman, U of Southern Nevada

Page hosted by Joel West. Last updated February 3, 2008