Teresa Nelson

Elizabeth McCandless Professor of Entrepreneurship
P: 617-521-3867
F: 617-521-3880
teresa.nelson@simmons.edu

Ph.D., Strategic Management (minor: Global Business), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign


Specialization

Strategic management, Entrepreneurship, Business in China, and Global travel

Bio

Dr. Teresa Nelson holds the Elizabeth J. McCandless Professor of Entrepreneurship Chair and leads the School of Management's Entrepreneurship Initiative. For the past 10 years, she has been engaged in teaching, research, and consulting on issues of entrepreneurship and global business. She is particularly interested in governance of start-up and growth companies and the culture, business practices, and economy of China.

In the classroom, Dr. Nelson engages executive, graduate, and undergraduate students in experiential learning, believing that students of any age or experience level will benefit from learning that moves them out into the world to explore their own interests, talents, and identity. Nelson has taught on five continents: in West Africa and Europe; and as the leader of travel seminars to Asia, South America, and Europe. She has traveled across China many times to study the emerging profile of business in that country.

Nelson's primary research is related to the implications and outcomes of firms transitioning through initial public equity offerings. She has studied product, process and performance changes as well as the implications of firm growth patterns on women executives. Her experience in global business has translated into research on the markets of China and the strategic implications of the organization of global stock exchanges.

Dr. Nelson had more than 10 years of business experience in small business consulting, government, and politics before returning to school for her MBA and Ph.D. She has founded two businesses and works as an affiliate consultant with two others.

Publications

Work in Progress

 

  • "Toward An Engagement Theory Of Governance: The Dynamics of Governance Structures and Practices in High Growth, High Potential Firms" (with Huseyin Leblebici), presented at the 2006 conference of the Strategic Management Society 
  • "Women in the Governance Structures of High Technology Companies", presented at  the 2007 International Council of Small Business conference
  • "Social Entrepreneur and Environmental Engineer Susan Murcott and the Pure Home Water Project in Ghana" (with Cynthia Ingols and Jennifer Christian-Murtie), grant development award project of the North American Case Research Association
  • "The Relationship of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and the Growth Strategies of Entrepreneurs: Development of a Longitudinal Study in Partnership with Practitioners" (with Fiona Wilson and Deborah Marlino), submitted to the 2008 Annual US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship conference
  • The Impact of a Gendered Landscape on Access to Capital: A Qualitative Study" (with Deborah Kolb, Sylvia Maxfield, and Beth Doherty Evers)
  • "The Daughters of Family Business", submitted to the 2008 2nd Georges Doriot Conference on Family Enterprising

 

Professional Memberships

Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Academy of International Business, Women in the Academy of International Business, Diana International, International Council for Small Business, European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Professional Services

  • Member of the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division Committees, including Research and Welcome
  • Co-Chair of the Women’s Division Conference Program, ICSB 2008
  • Ad-hoc reviewer (2001-present) for Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Cambridge University Press, Journal of Small Business Management, Abacas; the   Entrepreneurship Divisions of the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society; and the US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)
  • Case Competition Reviewer and Judge, U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2006; Business Plan Judge, Make Mine A Million competition 2006
  • Representative to the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers