Dr Zeineb Djebali BA MALit MBA PhD

Research Overview

Social Entrepreneurial intentions in later working life

My interest in social entrepreneurial intentions in later working life spans the understanding of the motivations of those over50s in starting a social enterprise, the specific factors that led to their decision in becoming social entrepreneurs, and the interplay of their age and social entrepreneurial intentions. Although the field of social enterprise is theoretically developed, much of this research has focused on the intentions of those in younger age/students. The focus of my research is therefore to understand, from a micro-perspective, how the over-50s social entrepreneurs understand age as an antecedent to their social entrepreneurial intentions.

Much of my research is qualitative, focusing on the perspectives and the ‘world views’ of those who are experiencing the social entrepreneurial process, and the extent to which age influences their social entrepreneurial intentions. This formed the basis of my doctoral studies as well as my recent publication (2022) in a highly ranked journal: International Small Business Journal - ‘Starting up, not slowing down: Social entrepreneurial intentions in later working-life’ https://doi.org/10.1177/02662426221093570

Enterprise and Entrepreneurship education

How enterprise and entrepreneurship education influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions and new business venture creation is a growing area of interest. These span from describing the teaching & learning methodologies that foster students’ entrepreneurial mindset like the use of case studies, business plan creation, problem solving, simulation and games, seminars, role plays, and formal lectures, to programme and curriculum development at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels that enhances students’ entrepreneurial skills and attributes.

My work in this area spanned understanding how the development of cross-disciplinary enterprise and entrepreneurship education can enable students, regardless of their discipline, to develop the necessary attributes, behaviours, and competencies that enhance their entrepreneurial capabilities and mindset either as ‘entrepreneurs’ or within established organisations.

In May 2022, I presented at the Chartered Association of Business Schools, Learning, Teaching and Students Experience Conference a paper titled ‘Why am I doing all the work? Establishing some principles for student action focused feedback’. Drawing on management and entrepreneurship disciplines, the paper aims to encourage the development of key common frameworks that enable students to engage with assessment and feedback, and to take actions to improve their learning performance.

Related to this, I led a professional development workshop at the Surrey Institute of Education (2022) on ‘making learning & teaching relevant with case studies’ introducing participants to both the theory and practice of case studies in the classroom. Besides, I led a workshop at the Surrey ExciTes Excellence in Teaching Symposium (2022) on ‘integrating storytelling and photo-elicitation pedagogies’ to engage students with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in business contexts.

I am currently in the process of developing peer-reviewed teaching & learning case studies that can be used by teachers in the classroom, to develop students’ enterprising skills and employability in a range of contexts, whether building their start up from the ground up or acting as ‘intrapreneurs’ within existing organisations (including not for profit, public sector, social enterprise), adding significant social, cultural, and economic value to society.

Qualitative Research

My interest in qualitative research is extensive and this stemmed from my doctoral studies in which I have adopted a qualitative approach to ‘dig deep’ into the realities of those who experience the social entrepreneurial process.

In 2022, I won the second Prize in Innovation in Teaching and Research Methodology Excellence Award (ECRM) on my co-authored paper (Prof Mark Saunders): ‘Integrating reflexivity in qualitative research practice: towards a double helix’, in Remenyi, D (ed). Innovation in the Teaching of Research Methodology Excellence Awards: An Anthology of Case Histories. Reading: Academic Conferences International Ltd, pp. 23-34. In 2018, I co-authored a paper with Prof Mark Saunders ‘An integrative approach to teaching research methodology to large groups’ and won the first Prize in Innovation in Teaching and Research Methodology Excellence Award at the European Conference on Research Methodologies (ECRM), in Remenyi, D. (Ed) Innovation in Teaching of Research Methodology Excellence Awards: An Anthology of Case Histories. Reading: Academic Conferences and Publishing International Ltd, pp. 33-46.

In 2021, I led pedagogical collaboration with Birmingham Business School to deliver virtual seminars for doctoral students on Advanced Qualitative Interviewing and the role of reflexivity in qualitative research. Besides, in 2018, I led a master class on ‘sample selection and interviewing’ for doctoral students at Anglia Rusken University.

Besides, I published book chapters on qualitative research:

Dejbali, Z and Saunders, MNK (2020) ‘My viva voce examination: a rollercoaster’, in Townsend, K, Saunders MNK, Louden, R and Morrison E, How to keep you doctorate on track: insights from when things go wrong. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 356-364.

Djebali, Z and Saunders, MNK (2019) ‘Starting up not slowing down: social entrepreneurs in an ageing society, in Saunders, MNK, Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A (ed). Research Methods for Business Students (8th ed). Harlow: Pearson, pp. 332-334.