Professor Bruce Cronin MA, MSc, PhD, SFHEA

Professor of Economic Sociology

Professor Bruce Cronin specialises in the role of business networks in strategy and innovation within and across organisational and national boundaries. He is Director of the Centre for Business Network Analysis and Co-Director of the Networks and Urban Systems Centre.

His corporate clients have included Defra, Ernst & Young, Institute of Management Consultants, London Knowledge Network, McGraw-Hill, Nesta, NHS, Northern Trust, Oxford University Press, Pearson, Pensions Regulator, Thackray Williams, Work Foundation, Unilever, Universities UK.

Networks and Urban Systems Centre
Centre for Business Network Analysis

Business and management Economics Sociology

Responsibilities within the university

Teaching and administrative activities

MPhil/PhD supervision

Current

Steven Brown. Factors affecting inclusion in strategy making.

Bertha Okpara: The role of collaboration and social networks in achievement of change management and project success in the pharmaceutical sector.

Birant Osaman: Innovation networks in the pharmaceutical Industry

Neda Tabatabaei. User innovation in online communities.

Rafeekh Kanakkan Thodi. Innovation diffusion through managerial networks

Completions

Dr Ali Al Busaidi, Motivational and de-motivational factors during onboarding (PhD)

Dr Aya Awad: Sustainable development strategy for informal settlement in Egypt, Cairo (PhD).

Dr Christos Bassa: Deciphering strategies to manage knowledge creation processes: leveraging product and technology development (PhD).

Dr Dawn Foster: Collaboration and organizational learning among companies contributing to F/OSS production (PhD).

Dr Yehui Hu: Evolution of guanxi within Chinese large-scale exhibition service market (PhD)

Dr Matthew Smith: International trade and investment networks (PhD).

Dr Mohamed Rafik Sadek. Toward Sustainable Desert Settlements in Egypt, in light of past experiences and future prospects.

Dr Sergey Sosnovskikh: Effective management in developing Special Economic Zones in the Russian Federation (PhD).

Dr Stefanos Michiotis: Towards an archetypal change model for organisations (PhD).

Dr Srinidhi Vasudevan: Financial performance effects of interlocking directorships (PhD).

Dr Feng Zhang: Chinese corporate overseas direct investment in the UK (PhD).

Bankole Olagbaiye: Project and process management in the context of organisational complexity (MPhil).

Imad Guenane: Organisational process spillovers from foreign direct investment in Algeria (MPhil).

Shir Ali Narouei: An empirical investigation into the UK profit rate 1949-1998 (MPhil).

Ann Braithwaite, Mapping knowledge flows using archetypes (MRes).

Recognition
  • Director, World Economics Association
  • Treasurer, Association for Heterodox Economics
  • Subject Editor, Business Networks and Innovation, Connections, Journal of the International Network of Social Network Analysts
  • Member of the editorial boards of the Forum for Social Economics, Connections and The Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change.

Organisations

Member of the international advisory boards for:

  • European Knowledge Management Conference
  • International Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organisations
  • International Conference on Knowledge Management and Information Sharing
  • World Association for Political Economy

Research / Scholarly interests
  • Epistemic communities
  • International production and trade networks
  • Business-governmental relationships
  • Managerial career networks

Recent publications

Article

Garsten, Nicky , Cronin, Bruce, Howard, Jane (2024), An exploration of PR Week UK’s framing of specialist PR identities (1985-2010). Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Public Relations Review, 50: 102468 (4) ISSN: 0363-8111 (Print), 1873-4537 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102468).

Hu, Yehui , Cronin, Bruce, Smith, Matthew (2024), The impact of internationalisation on Guanxi: a social network approach. Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. - Elsevier.. In: , , , . Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. - Elsevier., Social Science Research Network (SSRN): 4813760 ISSN: 1556-5068 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4813760).

Ockendon-Powell, Nina , Beck, Alice, Hird, Diane, Thomas-Hughes, Helen , Boonham, Neil , Foster, Gary , Bailey, Andy , Cronin, Bruce (2024), Framing conditions, convergence and divergence in developing interdisciplinary research capacity and collaboration: the community network for African vector-borne plant viruses. Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. - Elsevier. In: , , , . Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. - Elsevier, Social Science Research Network (SSRN): 4809499 . pp. 1-31 1556-5068 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4809499).

Cronin, Bruce and , Betez, Yildiz (2022), Navigating online and offline communications in the hybrid future. CIPD. In: , , , . CIPD, People Management ISSN: 1358-6297 (Print), (doi: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1788201/navigating-online-offline-communications-hybrid-future).

Cronin, Bruce , Perra, Nicola, Correa Da Rocha, Luis, Zhu, Zhen , Pallotti, Francesca , Gorgoni, Sara , Conaldi, Guido , De Vita, Riccardo (2020), Ethical implications of network data in business and management settings. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Social Networks, 67 . pp. 29-40 ISSN: 0378-8733 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2020.09.001).

Sosnovskikh, Sergey and , Cronin, Bruce (2020), The effects of culture, attitudes and perceptions on industrial cluster policy – the case of Russia. SAGE Publications. In: , , , . SAGE Publications, Competition & Change, 25 (3-4) . pp. 350-381 ISSN: 1024-5294 (Print), 1477-2221 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529420949491).

Smith, Matthew , Gorgoni, Sara, Cronin, Bruce (2019), International production and trade in a high-tech industry: A multilevel network analysis. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Social Networks, 59 . pp. 50-60 ISSN: 0378-8733 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2019.05.003) NB Item availability restricted.

Michiotis, Stefanos and , Cronin, Bruce (2018), Simple tools with a complex attitude: A new way to imprint the implicit factors of organizational culture and make sense of maturity for change. Emergent Publications. In: , , , . Emergent Publications, Emergence: Complexity & Organization, 20 (2) ISSN: 1521-3250 (Print), (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.emerg/10.17357.46d3ecbf34066f4898be0dc592da39ab) NB Item availability restricted.

Heemskerk, Eeelke , Young, Kevin, Takes, Frank W., Cronin, Bruce , Garcia-Bernardo, Javier , Henriksen, Lasse F. , Winecoff, William Kindred , Popov, Vladimir , Laurin-Lamonthe, Audrey (2017), The promise and perils of using big data in the study of corporate networks: problems, diagnostics and fixes. Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, Global Networks: A journal of transnational affairs, 18 (1) . pp. 3-32 ISSN: 1470-2266 (Print), 1471-0374 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/glob.12183) NB Item availability restricted.

Arrieta-Paredes, Mary-Paz and , Cronin, Bruce (2016), Exponential random graph models for management research: a case study of executive recruitment. Elsevier B.V.. In: , , , . Elsevier B.V., European Management Journal, 35 (3) . pp. 373-382 ISSN: 0263-2373 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2016.08.002) NB Item availability restricted.

Book section

Cronin, Bruce and , (2025), Organisational Network Analysis. Elsevier - Academic Press. In: , , In: Vanessa Ratten (ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Business Management. Elsevier - Academic Press, (1st) . ISBN: 9780443137013; 9780443137020 (doi: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/international-encyclopedia-of-business-management/ratten/978-0-443-13701-3) NB Item availability restricted.

Da Gama, Francisca and , Cronin, Bruce (2025), Foreign Direct Investment. Elsevier - Academic Press. In: , , In: Vanessa Ratten (ed.), International Encyclopaedia of Business Management. Elsevier - Academic Press, (1st) . ISBN: 9780443137013; 9780443137020 (doi: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/international-encyclopedia-of-business-management/ratten/978-0-443-13701-3).

Cronin, Bruce and , (2020), Heterodox economic journal rankings revisited. Routledge- Taylor & Francis Group. In: , , In: Arturo Hermann, Simon Mouatt (eds.), Contemporary issues in heterodox economics: implications for theory and policy action. Routledge- Taylor & Francis Group, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY (1st) . pp. 231-258 . ISBN: 9780429346415; 0429346417; 9781000199499; 1000199495; 9781000199192; 1000199193; 9780367365042; 0367365049 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429346415).

Smith, Matthew , Gorgoni, Sara, Cronin, Bruce (2018), The international fragmentation of production: a multilevel network approach. Vernon Press. In: , , , Networks of International Trade and Investment: Understanding globalisation through the lens of network analysis. Vernon Press, Wilmington, DE, USA . ISBN: 9781622730667 (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.

Cronin, Bruce and , (2017), The rise and decline of the Business Roundtable?. Palgrave Macmillan. In: , , In: Alejandra Salas-Porras, Georgina Murray (eds.), Think Tanks and Global Politics: Key Spaces in the Structure of Power. Palgrave Macmillan, New York . pp. 133-157 . ISBN: 9781137574930 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56756-7_6).

Cronin, Bruce and , (2016), Social network analysis. Edward Elgar. In: , , In: Frederic Lee, Bruce Cronin (eds.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Heterodox Economics. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK . pp. 237-252 . ISBN: 9781782548454 (doi: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-and-applications-in-heterodox-economics).

Cronin, Bruce and , (2016), Multiple and mixed methods research for economics. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.. In: , , In: Frederic Lee, Bruce Cronin (eds.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Heterodox Economics. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., Cheltenham, UK . pp. 286-300 . ISBN: 9781782548454 (doi: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-and-applications-in-heterodox-economics).

Lee, Frederic F. and , Cronin, Bruce (2016), Introduction. Edward Elgar Publishing. In: , , In: Frederic Lee, Bruce Cronin (eds.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Heterodox Economics. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK . pp. 1-13 . ISBN: 9781782548454 (doi: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-and-applications-in-heterodox-economics).

Conference item

Cronin, Bruce , Gorgoni, Sara, Conaldi, Guido, Piazza, Anna , Saint Hilaire, Antoinette , De Vita, Riccardo (2022), Productivity and innovation in remote work: a case study on the impact of organizational integration and communication on the performance of employees working from home. European Academy of Management (EURAM). In: European Academy of Management 2022 Conference, 15th - 17th June 2022, ZHAW School of Management and Law, Winterthur, Switzerland In: Reto Steiner, Suzanne Ziegler, Rémi Jardat, Eythor Ivar Jonsson (eds.), E-proceedings of the European Academy of Management 2022 Conference. ZHAW School of Management & Law, Winterthur, Switzerland, 15th - 17th June 2022. European Academy of Management (EURAM), Brussels, Belgium (1st) . ISBN: 9782960219548ISSN: 2466-7498 (Print), (doi: http://www.zhaw.ch/en/sml/euram-2022/) NB Item availability restricted.

Han, Chunjia , Yang, Mu, Cronin, Bruce (2021), The effects of network position in open innovation communities. In: 5th European Conference on Social Networks, 6-10 September 2021, Naples, Italy , . , . pp. 1-23 (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.

Smith, Matthew , Gorgoni, Sara, Cronin, Bruce (2016), The fragmentation of production and the competitiveness of nations in the automotive sector – A network approach. In: 5th Annual CIRANO-Sam M. Walton College of Business Workshop on Networks in Trade and Finance, Friday, 30 September - Saturday, 1 October 2016, Fayetteville, Arkansas , . , (doi: http://economics.uark.edu/conference-files/The-Fragmentation-of-Production-and-the-Competitiveness-of-Nations-in-the-Automotive-Sector.pdf).

Edited book

Lee, Frederic F. and , Cronin, Bruce (2016), Handbook of research methods and applications in heterodox economics. Edward Elgar Publishing. In: , , , . Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK . ISBN: 9781782548454 (doi: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-and-applications-in-heterodox-economics).

Monograph

Williams, Alex , Dovey, John, Cronin, Bruce, Garside, Peter , Flintham, Matthew , Smith, Matthew , Barnett, David , Brooks, Richard , Boddington, Anne , Taylor, Faye (2017), The Hidden Story: Understanding Knowledge Exchange Partnerships with the Creative Economy. Kingston University in partnership with University Alliance; UWE Bristol; & Greenwich, Coventry & Sheffield Hallam Universities,. In: , , , . Kingston University in partnership with University Alliance; UWE Bristol; & Greenwich, Coventry & Sheffield Hallam Universities,, (doi: http://www.hiddenstory.org.uk).

Working paper

Heemskerk, Eelke M. , Young, Kevin, Takes, Frank, Cronin, Bruce , Garcia-Bernardo, Javier , Popov, Vladimir , Winecoff, William , Folke Henriksen, Lasse , Laurin-Lamothe, Audrey (2016), Big Corporate Network Data: Problems, Diagnostics, and Fixes. Social Science Research Network. In: , , , . Social Science Research Network, (doi: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2846761).

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