Dr Harris is Senior Lecturer, Marketing & Enterprise in the University of Wolverhampton’s Business School. His specialist lecturing areas include change management, strategic management/marketing; international business development, innovation in marketing, and strategic marketing communications. He has delivered many commercial and government funded programmes (both in the UK and internationally) to organisations of all sizes; and has provided business support to over five hundred SMEs. He has published and presented conference papers in key international forums. His doctoral research focused on developing the marketing capability of regional SMEs.

Robert was presented with the coveted Lord Stafford Award for Knowledge Transfer in 2007 in recognition of his effective contribution and long-term commitment to developing the commercial capability of UK businesses.

In addition to his academic role, Robert has significant practitioner experience and manages his own successful manufacturing business.

Knowledge Transfer & Developing Marketing Capability

Innovation in Product Development and Marketing

Entrepreneurial Marketing

Small business (SME) Development

Chartered Institute of Marketing

Ba (Hons) Business Studies

MBA

Doctrate in Business Administraion

PGCE

Harris, R.J. (2019) “The effectiveness of the Challenge Academy Network for Cascading Entrepreneurial Creativity from Universities into SME’s” Conference Paper presented at The ‘Link You’ International Conference, Nov 2019, Bogota Columbia.

Harris, R.J. (2019) “Measuring the Effectiveness of High Growth Digital Marketing Support”. Working Paper target publication, Journal of Education & Training. This research focuses on the development of diagnostic audits for improving digital marketing capability, through targeted funded support.

Research is also being conducted to investigate the impact of tribal marketing on the growth of entrepreneurial craft breweries (adopting an action research methodology).

Books:

Nobre, F., Walker, D., Harris, R.J. Technological, Managerial and Organizational Core Competencies: Dynamic Innovation and Sustainable Development. IGI Global

Journal Articles:

Smeilus, G., Harris, R.J. and Pollard, A. (2013) ‘Independent inventors and inbound open innovation: using a resource-based approach to create a tool for screening inventor approaches in order to facilitate technology in-licensing’, International Journal of Technology Marketing, Vol. 8.

Harris, R.J. (2012) “Measuring Marketing Capabilities of SMEs: The Implementation of the MarKit Audit Tool”. International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and Management. Vol.4.

Harris, R.J. (2011) “Enhancing Support for Continuing Professional Development Using a Digital Portal-driven Collaborative Learning Environment”. Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-Learning. 

Harris, R.J. (2009) “Improving Tacit Knowledge within SMEs through E-Collaboration”. Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol.3.

Harris, R.J., McPhee. I, (2002) “Marketing Capability in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Survey of West Midlands Businesses. Annual Review of Progress in Entrepreneurship Research, Vol 2.

Conference Papers:

Harris, R.J. and Birch.N. (2015) “Developing an Entrepreneurial Experience to Enhance Graduate Employability: The Role of Challenge Academy” presented at Teaching & Learning through Cooperation With Business Conference, 25^th Sept 2015, Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool, Antwerp, Belgium.

Harris, R.J. and Buszard.P. (2012) “Supporting Networking and Innovation in a Cluster of SMEs”: The Role of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, in Creating Opportunities Through Innovation, ISBE Conference, Nov 7^th-8^th Dublin, Ireland.

Smeilus, G. E., Harris, R. J. and Pollard, A. (2012) “UK independent inventor engagement in open innovation: Improving the performance of the licensing Interface – a resource-based perspective”, presented at 23^rd ISPIM Conference Action for Innovation: Innovating from Experience, June 10^th 2012, Barcelona, Spain.

Harris, R.J. (2008) “Enhancing University Support for Continuing Professional Development, Through a Digital Portal Driven Collaborative Learning Environment”, presented at iLearning Forum, February 4^th& 5^th, Paris, France.

Harris, R.J. (2005) “The Impact of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme on the development of marketing competency in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises”, in EFMD, Enterprise, Innovation, and Small Business Conference, Sept 12-14^th 2005, Barcelona, Spain.

Harris, R.J. (2004) “Improving Tacit Knowledge Transfer Within SME’s Through E-Collaboration” in 4^th IASTED Web-Based Education Conference, 21^st-23^rd Feb 2005, Grindelwald Switzerland.

Harris, R.J. (2003) “Effectiveness of Entrepreneurial Marketing Support to SMEs”, in EFMD Entrepreneurial and Professional Management in Small Businesses, SDA Bocconi, Sept 10^th-12^th 2003, Milan, Italy.

Harris, R.J. (2002), Marketing Capabilities of SME’s, in 32^nd European Federation for Management Development Conference on Small Business Development, Sept 8^th-10^th 2002, Sophia Antipolis, France.

Editorial Reviews:

Editorial Reviewer:  International Association of Science and Technology for Development, Journal of Advanced Technology for Learning (2007-2009)

Editorial Reviewer:  The Use of e-learning in the workplace:  a systematic literature review, Journal of Applied Research in E-Learning (2009)

International Programme Committee Member:  IASTED International Conference on Web-Based Education (2008) & (2009)

Marketing Communications:  J. Egan (2009)

E-Business Strategy:  Text and Cases:  P Phillips, (2003)

Retail Marketing:  P McGoldrick (2002)

Principal Lecturer Employability, University of Wolverhampton

• Lead and manage all faculty employability initiatives and report through executive committees
• Develop, implement, and lead ‘Challenge Academy’, a university-wide enterprise talent programme that provides real-life business experience for students
• Award Leadership for MSc Marketing Management programme
• Support executive education activities, nationally and internationally
• Act as Liaison with University’s Business Solutions Centre and Chamber of Commerce, to develop and lead entrepreneurship and Innovation initiatives
• Support and deliver Leadership Apprenticeship training
• Support Outreach activities
• Manage and deliver overseas modules, specifically Transformation & Change Management; Strategic Marketing; and Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Lead and Manage ‘Link You’ an EU funded international entrepreneurship education programme, focusing on knowledge transfer into Latin American Universities
• PhD Supervision (Two students completed and one application currently being supported)
• Module leadership: Developing learning materials, designing assessments and teaching delivery for modules including The Entrepreneurial Mindset, Entrepreneurial Marketing, Exporting & International Engagement, Business Research Methods, Digital Marketing Communications, and Delivering Growth Through Creative & Innovative Solutions
• Supervision of UG and PG Dissertations in Entrepreneurship, SME Growth, Marketing, Business, Innovation
• Personal Tutoring of 50 students per academic year

Principal Lecturer Knowledge Transfer, University of Wolverhampton

• Developed and managed faculty Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) and Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Network (KEEN) activities
• Led EU funded entrepreneurship projects
• Engaged with internal entrepreneurship activities in support of the University’s Business Solutions Centre
• Represented University on Business Engagement Committees, Chamber of Commerce, LEP, FSB, and other business stakeholder networks
• Delivered executive training and entrepreneurship-focused seminars
• Provided academic input and managed modules focused on entrepreneurship, small business development, and marketing
• Provided lecture input and module management of overseas programmes
• PhD Research supervision

Academic Director Institute for Innovation & Enterprise

• Directorship of academic and administrative teams to deliver £4.6M RDA funded programme, focused on developing entrepreneurship and innovation within the West Midlands region
• Creation and development of SPEED, an enterprise start-up programme offering sandwich degree students an alternative to a placement year
• Management of all Business School KTP programmes, and lead academic on 15 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Teaching Company Schemes.
• Creation and development of EU funded programmes linked to entrepreneurship and innovation
• Supported and delivered EU funded TE3 (Technology Enhanced Enterprise Education) project in association with Birmingham University
• Supported inter-university Business and Student Enterprise Networks
• Developed and supported Business Incubators in Universities and Colleges
• Delivered entrepreneurship and marketing focused courses in Hong Kong through Hong Kong Productivity Council and Hong Kong City University

OTHER OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director, Harris Homecraft Ltd

Family business manufacturing and retailing equipment and supplies into the brewing industry

• Responsibility for strategic planning and business development
• Delivered consultancy and business support to over 300 West Midlands based SME’s
• Directed international marketing research projects (Spain and France)
• Strategic development of entrepreneurial development projects in partnership with Business Link and SBS

Director, MAAS MARKETING SOLUTIONS LTD

 Business consultancy providing support through government funded initiatives

EU Funded project: LinkYou.

Provided project management and consultancy input to develop entrepreneurial skills in South America (principally Peru, Columbia, Argentina).