My research informs and transforms how we understand the strategic organisation of innovation. I do this through research addressing the foundations of strategy and innovation. Empirically, my research focuses on complex, project-based forms of organising commonly found in infrastructure, engineering, and resources, to develop better explanations for how organisations innovate and adapt. Scholars of strategy and innovation have traditionally paid less attention to these organisational forms. And yet they are a central feature of many economies, including Australia. Theoretically, my research makes contributions to The Behavioral Theory of the Firm (e.g. developing new, more socialised models of organisational search and innovation), the Resource-based View of the Firm (e.g. how engineering and design can be used to protect innovation knowledge from imitation), and Project Organising (e.g. developing new frameworks for managing innovation in projects). I am currently bring this research together to study the innovation in the context of artificial intelligence used in medical imaging with colleagues at UQ's ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology. My research has been published or is forthcoming in a wide variety of top journals ranging from MITSloan Management Review and the Academy of Management Review through to Transportation Research Part A and EMBO Reports.
I am passionate about doing research that has a positive impact on our economy and society. My research seeks to improve what we know about how organizations work. The hope is that by better understanding organizations, we'll be better equipped to understand why they function as they do, and thus make better decisions about how they should function.
Other Outputs: Digital Service Transformation: Pathways to human and economic wellbeing White Paper
Andreassen, Tor W., Archibald, Gordon, Beekhuyzen, Jenine, Bongiovanni, Ivano, Brea, Edgar, Breidbach, Christoph, Burchill, Keith, Burgers, Henri, Cao, Selina, Coote, Len, Coram, Brendan, Cunningham, Claire, Feast, George, Field, Mitch, Ford, Jerad, Fouche, Leon, Gain, Alexandria, Gooding, Glen, Goyeneche Ramirez, David, Green, Teegan, Gschwind, Daniel, Hall, Thomas, Hartley, Nicole, Heinz, Daniel, Hine, Damian, Indulska, Marta, Kapernick, Brett, Kastelle, Tim, Ko, Ryan ... Zhang, Wenlu (2023). Digital Service Transformation: Pathways to human and economic wellbeing White Paper. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland Business School - Service Innovation Alliance. doi: 10.14264/aed4918
Journal Article: Valuing Theory and Practice: Using a Portfolio Lens to Publish Research on Projects
Davies, Andrew and MacAulay, Samuel C. (2023). Valuing Theory and Practice: Using a Portfolio Lens to Publish Research on Projects. Project Management Journal, 54 (3), 875697282311736-218. doi: 10.1177/87569728231173647
Other Outputs: Interviews
Oyola Lozada, Giuliana, Jenkins, Anna, Pregelj, Lisette and MacAulay, Sam (2022). Interviews. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/4ef737d
The perception and management of uncertainty in megaprojects: the role of domain decisions
(2016–2017) Project Management Institute, Inc
Organising Innovation at the Dawn of a New Era: A Comparative Study of Sports Organisations and The Formalisation of Innovation Management
Doctor Philosophy
Disruptive innovation: How can it be valued and priced? A case of novel theranostics in oncology
Doctor Philosophy
How to enhance the probability of success in a complex project via Risk Leadership
Doctor Philosophy
Gil, Nuno and MacAulay, Samuel C. (2019). Collective action under the shadow of contractual governance: the case of a participatory approach to upgrade Cairo's 'garbage cities'. Duality by design: the global race to build Africa's infrastructure. (pp. 284-312) edited by Nuno Gil, Anne Stafford and Innocent Musonda. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781108562492.011
Understanding the innovation ecosystem in mining and what the digital revolution means for it
Steen, John, Macaulay, Sam, Kunz, Nadja and Jackson, John (2018). Understanding the innovation ecosystem in mining and what the digital revolution means for it. Extracting innovations: mining, energy, and technological change in the digital age. (pp. 3-26) edited by Martin J. Clifford, Robert K. Perrons, Saleem H. Ali and Tim A. Grice. New York, United States: CRC Press.
The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation
Steen, John and Macaulay, Sam (2012). The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation. Handbook on the knowledge economy. (pp. 216-237) Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781781005132.00023
The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation
Steen, John and Macaulay, Sam (2012). The past, present and future of social network analysis in the study of innovation. Handbook on the knowledge economy. (pp. 216-238) edited by David Rooney, Greg Hearn and Tim Kastelle. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar.
New tools to map and manage innovation networks
Steen, J., MacAulay, S. and Kastelle, T. (2008). New tools to map and manage innovation networks. Inside the innovation matrix: Finding the hidden human dimensions. (pp. 83-95) edited by C. Evans. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Australian Business Foundation.
Valuing Theory and Practice: Using a Portfolio Lens to Publish Research on Projects
Davies, Andrew and MacAulay, Samuel C. (2023). Valuing Theory and Practice: Using a Portfolio Lens to Publish Research on Projects. Project Management Journal, 54 (3), 875697282311736-218. doi: 10.1177/87569728231173647
Sharapov, Dmitry and MacAulay, Samuel C. (2022). Design as an Isolating Mechanism for Capturing Value from Innovation: From Cloaks and Traps to Sabotage. Academy of Management Review, 47 (1) amr.2018.0413, 139-161. doi: 10.5465/amr.2018.0413
The search environment is not (always) benign: reassessing the risks of organizational search
MacAulay, Samuel C., Steen, John and Kastelle, Tim (2020). The search environment is not (always) benign: reassessing the risks of organizational search. Industrial and Corporate Change, 29 (1), 1-23. doi: 10.1093/icc/dtx045
Delivery model innovation: insights from infrastructure projects
Davies, Andrew, MacAulay, Samuel C. and Brady, Tim (2019). Delivery model innovation: insights from infrastructure projects. Project Management Journal, 50 (2), 119-127. doi: 10.1177/8756972819831145
Transparency on scientific instruments
Bergenholtz, Carsten, MacAulay, Samuel C., Kolympiris, Christos and Seim, Inge (2018). Transparency on scientific instruments. EMBO reports, 19 (6) e45853. doi: 10.15252/embr.201845853
Five rules for managing large, complex projects
Davies, Andrew, Dodgson, Mark, Gann, David M. and MacAulay, Samuel C. (2017). Five rules for managing large, complex projects. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59 (1), 72-78.
Innovation strategy in new transportation systems: the case of Crossrail
Dodgson, Mark, Gann, David, MacAulay, Sam and Davies, Andrew (2015). Innovation strategy in new transportation systems: the case of Crossrail. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 77, 261-275. doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2015.04.019
Making innovation happen in a megaproject: London's crossrail suburban railway system
Davies, Andrew, MacAulay, Samuel, DeBarro, Tim and Thurston, Mark (2015). Making innovation happen in a megaproject: London's crossrail suburban railway system. Project Management Journal, 45 (6), 25-37. doi: 10.1002/pmj.21461
Mantra to method: lessons from managing innovation on Crossrail, UK
DeBarro, Tim, MacAulay, Samuel, Davies, Andrew, Wolstenholme, Andrew and Gann, David (2015). Mantra to method: lessons from managing innovation on Crossrail, UK. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Civil Engineering, 168 (4), 171-178. doi: 10.1680/jcien.15.00008
InnovationXchange: A case study in innovation intermediation
Håkanson, Lars, Caessens, Petra and Macaulay, Sam (2011). InnovationXchange: A case study in innovation intermediation. Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, 13 (2), 261-274. doi: 10.5172/impp.2011.13.2.261
Small worlds: The best network structure for innovation?
Steen, John, Macaulay, Sam and Kastelle, Tim (2011). Small worlds: The best network structure for innovation?. Prometheus, 29 (1), 39-50. doi: 10.1080/08109028.2011.567125
MINIMUM VIABLE GOVERNANCE FOR DATA SCIENCE INITIATIVES A TRANSPORT FOR NSW CASE STUDY
Mathur, Sandeep, Transport for NSW, Australia, Sankaran, Shankar, MacAulay, Samuel, Tsang, Ivor, School of the Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney, Australia, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia and Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Australia (2022). MINIMUM VIABLE GOVERNANCE FOR DATA SCIENCE INITIATIVES A TRANSPORT FOR NSW CASE STUDY. International Project Management Association, Serbian Project Management Association. doi: 10.56889/vjtu9918
Innovation strategy in temporary organizations
MacAulay, Sam, Davies, Andrew and Dodgson, Mark (2014). Innovation strategy in temporary organizations. Strategic Management Society Conference, Madrid, Spain, 22 September 2014.
MacAulay, Sam, Davies, Andrew and Dodgson, Mark (2014). Organising innovation in temporary organizations: Preliminary findings and future research directions. 30th EGOS Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 3-5 July, 2014.
A review and critique of the small worlds hypothesis: The best network structure for innovation
Steen, John, MacAulay, Sam and Kastelle, Tim (2010). A review and critique of the small worlds hypothesis: The best network structure for innovation. DRUID Summer Conference 2010: Opening Up Innovation: Strategy, Organization and Technology, London, United Kingdom, 16-18 June 2010. Copenhagen, Denmark: DRUID Society.
How do people find knowledge in complex organizations? A process perspective on problemestic search
MacAulay, S. (2009). How do people find knowledge in complex organizations? A process perspective on problemestic search. DRUID Summer Conference 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark, 17-19 June, 2009. Copenhagen, Denmark: DRUID.
Digital Service Transformation: Pathways to human and economic wellbeing White Paper
Andreassen, Tor W., Archibald, Gordon, Beekhuyzen, Jenine, Bongiovanni, Ivano, Brea, Edgar, Breidbach, Christoph, Burchill, Keith, Burgers, Henri, Cao, Selina, Coote, Len, Coram, Brendan, Cunningham, Claire, Feast, George, Field, Mitch, Ford, Jerad, Fouche, Leon, Gain, Alexandria, Gooding, Glen, Goyeneche Ramirez, David, Green, Teegan, Gschwind, Daniel, Hall, Thomas, Hartley, Nicole, Heinz, Daniel, Hine, Damian, Indulska, Marta, Kapernick, Brett, Kastelle, Tim, Ko, Ryan ... Zhang, Wenlu (2023). Digital Service Transformation: Pathways to human and economic wellbeing White Paper. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland Business School - Service Innovation Alliance. doi: 10.14264/aed4918
Oyola Lozada, Giuliana, Jenkins, Anna, Pregelj, Lisette and MacAulay, Sam (2022). Interviews. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/4ef737d
How do you prepare for tomorrow's mine today?
Mitchell, Paul, Steen, John, Sartorio, Afonso, Bolton, Wayne, MacAulay, Samuel C., Higgins, Louise, Kunz, Nadja, Yameogo, Theo, Hoogedeure, Wim and Jackson, John (2017). How do you prepare for tomorrow's mine today?.
How do you prepare for tomorrow’s mine today?
Mitchell, Paul, Steen, John, Sartorio, Afonso, Bolton, Wayne, MacAulay, Samuel C., Higgins, Louise, Kunz, Nadja, Yameogo, Theo, Hoogedeure, Wim and Jackson, John (2016). How do you prepare for tomorrow’s mine today?. : EYGM.
Productivity in mining: Now comes the hard part, a global survey
Mitchell, Paul, Bradbrook Michael, Higgins, Louise, Steen, John, Henderson, Chris, Kastelle, Tim, Moran, Chris, MacAulay, Sam and Kunz, Nadja (2014). Productivity in mining: Now comes the hard part, a global survey. Not available:
The perception and management of uncertainty in megaprojects: the role of domain decisions
(2016–2017) Project Management Institute, Inc
Organising Innovation at the Dawn of a New Era: A Comparative Study of Sports Organisations and The Formalisation of Innovation Management
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Disruptive innovation: How can it be valued and priced? A case of novel theranostics in oncology
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
How to enhance the probability of success in a complex project via Risk Leadership
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Artificial intelligence in medical imaging: understanding the frames that influence the adoption and integration of new technology
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: