About

I am Professor of Economics with responsibilities within the University of Derby Regional Economic Observatory whose purpose is to build a robust evidence base to inform economic and social policy deliberations, engage with people and businesses and produce analysis to support engagement with national government policy. My focus is on the areas of SME performance and growth and Human Resource Management.

Having caught the ‘learning bug’, I transferred from industry to academia qualifying as a mature student in the 1990s. Having spent 18 years working in engineering I found myself completing an economics degree and then a master's and PhD at Warwick Business School. My thirst for knowledge led me to explore how to apply my industrial and academic experience for the benefit of academic and business communities.

My work is focused on developing people and performance. People are the drivers and backbone of all organisations, and the economy. If we get this right we start to make a significant contribution to all of our lives. I start all my work by developing world-class research on personal and organisational growth and performance and then translate it into tools and services that help business owner manager(s) and their staff to understand the dynamics of the organisation, its stakeholders, and wider growth and performance issues.

I continue to research and publish extensively on SME Growth and Human Resource Management issues faced by business owners and their organisations. I was Director of the Centre for Employment Competitiveness and Growth, University of Kent and the Centre for Enterprise, Innovation and Growth at Birmingham City University. I am also Co-founder and Director of BIG Associates Ltd (A University spin-out).

Teaching responsibilities

In the past, I have taught in the areas of HRM, SME growth and entrepreneurship. More recently most of my teaching and development is with entrepreneurs and their businesses. As a trusted and accredited practitioner, I have developed and delivered a range of leadership and executive programmes and networks, coaching, facilitation, action learning and consultancy interventions with individuals and organisations of all shapes and sizes, all with the aim of helping them improve their performance. These products include The BIG Journey, The BIG Network, The BIG Toolkit, and The BIG Diagnostic.

I am an active PhD supervisor and I welcome applications from potential doctoral students in the areas of understanding SME growth, development and productivity

Research interests

My research interests revolve around understanding the context and dynamics of SME performance and growth.

I have developed a multidisciplinary research model - Promoting sustainable performance - which has been utilised in the UK, France, China, Canada and Indonesia. From this research process, I have also developed a number of practical diagnostics and interventions for ambitious owner managers and their employees

Membership of professional bodies

• Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• British Academy of Management

Qualifications

• PhD: Industrial and Business Studies, University of Warwick
• MA: Industrial Relations, University of Warwick
• BA (Hons): Economics/Industrial Studies, University of Leeds

Experience in industry

I have worked in industry and academia for the last 40 years engaging with businesses of all sizes including Boots PLC, Barclays Bank, British Airways and a number of public sector organisation. More recently, I have been impacting the growth of 1000s of SMEs through research and coaching interventions for ambitious business owners.

International experience

I have carried extensive research in France, Canada and Indonesia working with local universities, policy makers, business associations and businesses. 

Recent publications

• Gilman M, & Salder J. (2020) 'The role of diagnostics as a means of engaged scholarship and enhancing SME research'. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• J. Salder, M. Gilman, S. Raby, & A. Gkikas (2020). Beyond linearity and resource-based perspectives of SME growth. Journal of Small Business Strategy / Vol. 30, No. 1 (2020) / 1-18
• Fletcher L., Bailey K & Gilman M (2018). Fluctuating levels of personal role engagement within the working day: What matters most? Human Resource Management Journal. Digital Object Identifier (DOI) - 10.1111/1748-8583.12168 to search in Wiley Online Library
• Siyanbola, T O & Gilman, M W (2017) Extent of Employee-Turnover in Nigerian SMEs: Employees’-Owner/managers’ Standpoint. Employee Relations
• Gilman, Pantelica & Chua. (2017)  "Aligning university-industry interactions: the role of boundary spanning in intellectual capital transfer" Journal:  Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Volume 123, October 2017, Pages 199-209
• Stoian C & Gilman M (2017). Corporate social responsibility that ‘pays’: A strategic approach to CSR for SMEs, Journal of Small Business Management. Wiley, Oxford
• Gilman, Raby & Pyman (2015). 'The contours of employee voice in SMEs: the importance of context', which was published in Human Resource Management Journal, Volume 25, Issue 4, November
• Gilman & Pantelica (2015). University-Industry Linkages in the UK: Emerging Themes and ‘Unanswered’ Questions. Prometheus Critical Studies in Innovation, Volume 32, Issue 4: The Triple Helix
• Gilman, Raby & Pyman (2015). 'The contours of employee voice in SMEs: the importance of context', which was published in Human Resource Management Journal, Volume 25, Issue 4, November 2015
• Bull E, Pyman A & Gilman M. (2013) ‘A re-assessment of non-union employee representation in the UK: Developments since the ‘ICE’ age’, Journal of Industrial Relations, 55(4). Sage, London
• Gilman M & Raby S. 2013. National context as a predictor of High-Performance Work System effectiveness in Small-to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A British-French Comparative Analysis. International Journal of Human Resource Management. 24(1): 372-391. Routledge, London
• Gilman, M.W. and Raby, S.O. and Turpin, J. (2012) The BIG Ten: The Ten Characteristics of Successful SMEs. ISBN 978-1-902671-76-5
• Gilman Mark and Cristina Serbanica (2011). University – industry linkages in the UK.  A review of current issues and lessons to be learned. Strategii manageriale, ISSN 1844-668X
• Gilman M W & Edwards P, 2008. Testing a framework of the organization of small firms: fast growth, high tech SMEs.  International Small Business Journal, 26: 531-558. Sage, London
• Gilman M W & Chaix, J 2006. Growth indicators and sustainable growth of SMEs: A comparative analysis. Special edition Journal from Forum l’Espirit de l’Innovation 2. Colloque Internationale
• Broughton A & Gilman M. 2004. European industrial relations in 2003: chronicle of events. Industrial Relations Journal. Vol 35, Issue 6: 647-675. Blackwell, Oxford
• Arrowsmith, J., Gilman, M., Edwards, P. K., and Ram, M. 2003. The impact of the National Minimum Wage in Small Firms. British Journal of Industrial Relation. Vol 41, No 3: 435-456. Blackwell, Oxford.
• Broughton A & Gilman M. 2003. European industrial relations in 2002: chronicle of events. Industrial Relations Journal. Vol34, Issue 5: 510-534. Blackwell, Oxford
• Edwards, P. K., Gilman, M., Ram, M., and Arrowsmith, J. 2003.  Public Policy, the Performance of Firms, and the ‘Missing Middle’: the Case of the Employment Regulations, and a Role for Local Business Networks. Policy Studies. Vol23, 1, pp5-20
• Ram M, Gilman M, Arrowsmith J and Edwards P K. 2003. Once more into the sunset? Asian clothing firms after the National Minimum Wage. Government and Policy. 21 (1). pp. 71-88