Professor of Innovation & Organisation
Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation
Fellow of Hughes Hall
BA, PhD (Stirling University)
Research interests
Entrepreneurship; institutions and institutional change; regional innovation; social innovation.
Subject group: Organisational Theory & Information Systems
Professional experience
Prior to joining Cambridge Judge Business School, Paul was Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Warwick Business School. He has also held posts at the School of Geography at Oxford University and the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Newcastle. Paul serves on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, the Academy of Management Review, and Strategic Organization, has previously served on the editorial boards of Administrative Science Quarterly and Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and is an Associate Editor of Innovation: Organization and Management. He is Visiting Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne, a member of the Cambridge Corporate Governance Network (CCGN), Fellow in Clayton State University’s Center for Social Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and a Visiting Social Innovator at Memorial University’s Centre for Social Enterprise, Newfoundland, Canada.
Awards & honours
- Academy of Management Journal Best Article Award (with Laura Claus), 2021
- European Group of Organization Studies Best Paper Award (with Lilia Giugni), 2020
- ESRC Mid-Career Fellowship, April 2011-March 2013
Selected publications
Here are a selection of Paul Tracey’s publications. Please see the “Selected publications” tab above for a more comprehensive list.
Tracey, P., Dalpiaz, E. and Phillips, N. (2018) “Fish out of water: translation, legitimation and new venture creation.” Academy of Management Journal, 61(5): 1627-1666 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2015.0264)
Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2016) “Managing the consequences of organizational stigmatization: identity work in a social enterprise.” Academy of Management Journal, 59(3): 740-765 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2013.0483)
Tracey, P., Heide, J.B. and Bell, S.J. (2014) “Bringing ‘place’ back in: regional clusters, project governance, and new product outcomes.” Journal of Marketing, 78(6): 1-16
Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Jarvis, O. (2011) “Bridging institutional entrepreneurship and the creation of new organizational forms: a multilevel model.” Organization Science, 22(1): 60-80 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1090.0522)
Dacin, M.T., Dacin, P.A. and Tracey, P. (2011) “Social entrepreneurship: a critique and future directions.” Organization Science, 22(5): 1203-1213 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0620)
Bell, S., Tracey, P. and Heide, J.B. (2009) “The organization of regional clusters.” Academy of Management Review, 34(4): 623-642
Journal articles
Glover, I. and Tracey, P. (2000) “Learning from America? Review of Locke, R.R. The collapse of the American management mystique; and others.” Journal of Management Development, 19(7): 654-664
Tracey, P. and Clark, G.L. (2003) “Alliances, networks and competitive strategy: rethinking clusters of innovation.” Growth and Change, 34(1): 1-16
Tracey, P., Clark, G.L. and Lawton Smith, H. (2004) “Cognition, learning and European regional growth: an agent-centred perspective on the ‘new’ economy.” Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 13(1): 1-18
Clark, G.L., Palaska, T., Tracey, P. and Tsampra, M. (2004) “Market revenue and the scope and scale of SME networks in Europe’s vulnerable regions.” Environment and Planning A, 36(7): 1305-1326
Clark, G.L., Palaskas, T., Tracey, P. and Tsampra, M. (2004) “Globalization and competitive strategy in Europe’s vulnerable regions: firm, industry and country effects in labour-intensive industries.” Regional Studies, 38(9): 1085-1100 (DOI: 10.1080/0034340042000292656)
Chell, E. and Tracey, P. (2005) “Relationship building in small firms: the development of a model.” Human Relations, 58(5): 577-616 (DOI: 10.1177/0018726705055964)
Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Haugh, H. (2005) “Beyond philanthropy: community enterprise as a basis for corporate citizenship.” Journal of Business Ethics 58(4): 327-344
Karra, N., Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2006) “Altruism and agency in the family firm: exploring the role of family kinship and ethnicity.” Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 30(6): 861-878 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2006.00157.x)
Tracey, P. and Jarvis, O. (2006) “An enterprising failure.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, 4(1): 66-70
Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2007) “The distinctive challenge of educating social entrepreneurs: a postscript and rejoinder to the special issue on entrepreneurship education.” Academy of Management Learning and Education, 6(2): 264-271
Tracey, P. and Jarvis, O. (2007) “Toward a theory of social venture franchising.” Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 31(5): 667-685 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2007.00194.x)
Nwankwo, E., Phillips, N. and Tracey, P. (2007) “Social investment through community enterprise: the case of MNC involvement in the development of Nigerian water resources.” Journal of Business Ethics, 73(1): 91-101 (DOI: 10.1007/s10551-006-9200-8)
Phillips, N. and Tracey, P. (2007) “Opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial capabilities and bricolage: connecting institutional theory and entrepreneurship in strategic organization.” Strategic Organization, 8(5): 313-320
Karra, N., Phillips, N. and Tracey, P. (2008) “Building the born global firm: developing entrepreneurial capabilities for international new venture success.” Long Range Planning, 41(4): 440-458
Phillips, N. and Tracey, P. (2009) “Dialogue: institutional theory and the MNC.” Academy of Management Review, 34(1): 169-171
Bell, S., Tracey, P. and Heide, J.B. (2009) “The organization of regional clusters.” Academy of Management Review, 34(4): 623-642
Kneiding, C. and Tracey, P. (2009) “Towards a performance measurement framework for community development finance institutions in the UK.” Journal of Business Ethics, 86(3): 327-345
Di Domenico, M., Tracey, P. and Haugh, H. (2009) “The dialectic of social exchange: theorising corporate-social enterprise collaboration.” Organization Studies, 30(8): 887-907 (DOI: 10.1177/0170840609334954)
Di Domenico, M., Tracey, P. and Haugh, H. (2009) “Social economy involvement in public service delivery: community engagement and accountability.” Regional Studies, 43(7): 981-992
Phillips, N., Tracey, P. and Karra, N. (2009) “Rethinking institutional distance: strengthening the tie between new institutional theory and international management.” Strategic Organization, 7(3): 339-348
Dacin, M.T., Munir, K. and Tracey, P. (2010) “Formal dining at Cambridge colleges: linking ritual performance and institutional maintenance.” Academy of Management Journal, 53(6): 1393-1418
Di Domenico, M., Haugh, H. and Tracey, P. (2010) “Social bricolage: theorizing social value creation in social enterprises.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(4): 681-703
Eisingerich, A.B., Bell, S. and Tracey, P. (2010) “How can clusters sustain performance? The role of network strength, network openness, and environmental uncertainty.” Research Policy, 39(2): 239-253
Moizer, J. and Tracey, P. (2010) “Strategy making in social enterprise: the role of resource allocation and its effects on organizational sustainability.” Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 27(3): 252-266 (DOI: 10.1002/sres.1006)
Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2011) “Entrepreneurship in emerging markets: strategies for new venture creation in uncertain institutional contexts.” Management International Review, 51(1): 23-39 (DOI: 10.1007/s11575-010-0066-8)
Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Jarvis, O. (2011) “Bridging institutional entrepreneurship and the creation of new organizational forms: a multilevel model.” Organization Science, 22(1): 60-80 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1090.0522)
Dacin, M.T., Dacin, P.A. and Tracey, P. (2011) “Social entrepreneurship: a critique and future directions.” Organization Science, 22(5): 1203-1213 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0620)
Tracey, P. (2012) “Religion and organization: a critical review of current trends and future directions.” Academy of Management Annals, 6(1): 87-134 (DOI: 10.1080/19416520.2012.660761)
Lawrence, T., Phillips, N. and Tracey, P. (2012) “Educating social entrepreneurs and social innovators.” Academy of Management Learning and Education, 11(3): 319-323 (DOI: 10.5465/amle.2012.0224)
Phillips, N., Tracey, P. and Karra, N. (2013) “Building entrepreneurial tie portfolios through strategic homophily: the role of narrative identity work in value creation and early growth.” Journal of Business Venturing, 28(1): 134-150 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2011.12.002)
Tracey, P. and Schluppeck, D. (2014) “Neuroentrepreneurship: ‘brain pornography’ or new frontier in entrepreneurship research?” Journal of Management Inquiry, 23(1): 101-103 (DOI: 10.1177/1056492613485915)
Dalpiaz, E., Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2014) “Succession narratives in family business: the case of Alessi.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 38(6): 1375-1394 (DOI: 10.1111/etap.12129)
Tracey, P., Heide, J.B. and Bell, S.J. (2014) “Bringing ‘place’ back in: regional clusters, project governance, and new product outcomes.” Journal of Marketing, 78(6): 1-16
Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2016) “Managing the consequences of organizational stigmatization: identity work in a social enterprise.” Academy of Management Journal, 59(3): 740-765 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2013.0483)
Tracey, P. (2016) “Spreading the word: the microfoundations of institutional persuasion and conversion.” Organization Science, 27(4): 989-1009 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1061)
Smith, W. and Tracey, P. (2016) “Institutional complexity and paradox theory: complementarities of competing demands.” Strategic Organization, 14(4): 455-466 (DOI: 10.1177/1476127016638565)
Prabhu, J., Tracey, P. and Hassan, M. (2017) “Marketing to the poor: an institutional model of exchange in emerging markets.” AMS Review, 7(3-4): 101–122 (DOI: 10.1007/s13162-017-0100-0)
Kyratsis, Y., Atun, R., Phillips, N., Tracey, P. and George, G. (2017) “Health systems in transition: professional identity work in the context of shifting institutional logics.” Academy of Management Journal, 60(2): 610-641 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2013.0684)
Hampel, C. and Tracey, P. (2017) “How organizations move from stigma to legitimacy: the case of Cook’s travel agency in Victorian Britain.” Academy of Management Journal, 60(6): 2175-2207 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2015.0365)
Tracey, P. and Stott, N. (2017) “Social innovation: a window on alternative ways of organizing and innovating.” Innovation: Organization and Management, 19(1): 51-60 (DOI: 10.1080/14479338.2016.1268924)
Smith, W.K., Erez, M., Jarvenpaa, S., Lewis, M.W. and Tracey, P. (2017) “Adding complexity to theories of paradox, tensions, and dualities of innovation and change.” Organization Studies, 38(3-4): 303-317 (DOI: 10.1177/0170840617693560)
Stott, N. and Tracey, P. (2018) “Organizing and innovating in poor places.” Innovation: Organization and Management, 20(1): 1-17 (DOI: 10.1080/14479338.2017.1358093)
Tracey, P., Dalpiaz, E. and Phillips, N. (2018) “Fish out of water: translation, legitimation and new venture creation.” Academy of Management Journal, 61(5): 1627-1666 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2015.0264)
Cappellaro, G., Tracey, P. and Greenwood, R. (2020) “From logic acceptance to logic rejection: the process of destabilization in hybrid organizations.” Organization Science, 31(2): 245-534 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2019.1306)
Claus, L. and Tracey, P. (2020) “Making change from behind a mask: how organizations challenge guarded institutions by sparking grassroots activism.” Academy of Management Journal, 63(4): 965–996 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2017.0507)
Hampel, C.E., Tracey, P. and Weber, K. (2020) “The art of the pivot: how new ventures manage identification relationships with stakeholders as they change direction.” Academy of Management Journal, 63(2): 440–471 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2017.0460)
Heide, J.B., Bell, S.J. and Tracey, P. (2022) “Who we are and how we govern: the effect of identity orientation on governance choice.” Journal of Marketing, 87(1): 45-63 (DOI: 10.1177/00222429221094027)
George, G., Hass, M.R., McGahan, A.M., Schillebeeckx, S.J.D. and Tracey P. (2023) “Purpose in the for-profit firm: a review and framework for management research.” Journal of Management (DOI: 10.1177/01492063211006450) (published online Apr 2021)
Neuberger, I., Kroezen J. and Tracey, P. (2023) “Balancing ‘protective disguise’ with ‘harmonious advocacy’: social venture legitimation in authoritarian contexts.” Academy of Management Journal (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2020.0517) (published online Nov 2021)
Special issues of journals
Smith, W.K., Erez, M., Jarvenpaa, S., Lewis, M.W. and Tracey, P. (eds.) (2017) “Special issue on paradox, tensions and dualities of innovation and change.” Organization Studies, 38(3-4)
Books, monographs, reports & case studies
Clark, G.L. and Tracey, P. (2004) Global competitiveness and innovation: an agent-centred perspective. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Lounsbury, M. (eds.) (2014) Research in the sociology of organizations: vol.41: religion and organization theory. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing.
George, G., Baker, T., Tracey, P. and Joshi, H. (eds.) (2019) Handbook of inclusive innovation: the role of organizations, markets and communities in social innovation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
George, G., Haas, M.R., Joshi, H., McGahan, A.M. and Tracey, P. (eds.) (2022) Handbook on the business of sustainability: the organization, implementation, and practice of sustainable growth. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Book chapters
Tracey, P. (2012) “Entrepreneurship and neo-institutional theory.” In: Mole, K. and Ram, M. (eds.) Perspectives in entrepreneurship: a critical approach. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.93-106
Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Lounsbury, M. (2014) “Taking religion seriously in the study of organizations.” In: Tracey, P., Phillips, N. and Lounsbury, M. (eds.): Research in the sociology of organizations: vol.41: religion and organization theory. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, pp.3-21
Tracey, P and Creed, W.E.D. (2017) “Beyond managerial dilemmas: the study of institutional paradoxes in organization theory. In: Smith, W.K., Lewis, M.W., Jarzabkowski, P. and Langley, A. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of organizational paradox. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.162-177
Hampel, C., Lawrence, T.B. and Tracey, P. (2017) “Institutional work: taking stock and making it matter.” In: Greenwood, R., Oliver, C., Lawrence, T.B. and Meyer, R. (eds.) The SAGE handbook of organizational institutionalism. London: Sage, 2nd edition, pp.558-590
