Management Practice Associate Professor
Director of the MSt in Entrepreneurship programme
BA, MA (University of Nottingham), PhD (University of Cambridge)
My research centres on entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on early-stage venture formation, startup strategy development, experimentation and pivoting, gender dynamics, entrepreneurial impact, and the use of sociological frameworks to deepen our understanding of entrepreneurial activity. I am especially driven by the potential for research to enhance the design and effectiveness of entrepreneurship education, to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Professional experience
Research employs sociological approaches to deepen our understanding of entrepreneurial activity, with a particular focus on experimentation, pivoting, strategy formation, early-stage venture strategy, gender and diversity, and entrepreneurial impact.
She has led and collaborated on numerous research initiatives, including the EVER project on early-stage venture strategy. She has also led several research initiatives focussed on understanding the impact of entrepreneurship education, including a collaboration exploring Arab youth career self-efficacy, and EU-funded projects, which focussed on the design and delivery of a tool to measure the impact of entrepreneurship education. She has also contributed and advised on policy on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education and women entrepreneurship in multiple countries, and supported startups across multiple industries.
Monique has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and her thesis focused on applying philosophy to archaeology to look at the nature of knowledge creation of the past.
Alongside being the Director of the Masters in Entrepreneurship and supervising multiple students, Monique currently teaches across several Cambridge Judge Business School programmes, including the following modules: Experimentation and Pivoting, Entrepreneurial Impact (ethics and diversity), and Management Praxis.
Selected publications
- Boddington, M. (2024) “Reshaping gendered norms in entrepreneurship: incorporating gender identity and entrepreneurial practice.” Gender, Work and Organization, 31(2): 378-398 (DOI: 10.1111/gwao.13075)
- Yousafzai, S., Henry, C., Boddington, M., Sheikh, S. and Fayolle, A. (2022) Research handbook of women’s entrepreneurship and value creation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
- Boddington, M. and Kavadias, S. (2018) “Entrepreneurial pivoting as organizational search: defining pivoting in early stage ventures.” Academy of Management Proceedings, 2018(1): 12065 (DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2018.12065abstract)
- Boddington, M. and Barakat, S. (2018) “Exploring alternative gendered social structures within entrepreneurship education: notes from a women’s-only enterprise programme in the United Kingdom.” In: Yousafzai, S., Fayolle, A., Lindgreen, A., Henry, C., Saeed, S. and Sheikh, S. (eds.) Women entrepreneurs and the myth of ‘underperformance’: a new look at women’s entrepreneurship research. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp.141-158 (DOI: 10.4337/9781786434500.00020)
- Boddington, M.I. (2016) “‘Boys’ things and girls’ things’: understanding the gendered order of entrepreneurial practice.” Academy of Management Proceedings, 2016(1): 13960 (DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2016.13960abstract)
- Boddington, M. and Barakat, S. (2015) “Entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a measurement of entrepreneurship education: understanding programme affects and demographic variability.” Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 35(16): 7
- Barakat, S., Boddington, M. and Vyakarnam, S. (2014) “Measuring entrepreneurial self-efficacy to understand the impact of creative activities for learning innovation.” International Journal of Management Education, 12(3): 456-468 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijme.2014.05.007)
News and insight
At the World Women Entrepreneurs Forum in Mongolia, Jennifer Waller Martin and Monique Boddington of Cambridge Judge Business School explain how we need to challenge the norms that decide who is seen as fundable, while investors and policymakers must rethink how entrepreneurship is valued and financed.
Governance, economics and policy
Put your resources to work: strategies for business success
Change is the very nature of business – especially successful businesses. Times change, customer needs change and the attractiveness of different market sectors change over time. Effective allocation of resources is essential to meet the demands of such change, finds research at Cambridge Judge Business School.
Entrepreneurship and innovation
Start, grow and scale: entrepreneurship lessons you need to know
Entrepreneurship is more than just having a great idea – it’s a journey shaped by purpose, persistence, and personal growth. In this article, Monique Boddington, Management Practice Associate Professor and Director of the Masters in Entrepreneurship at Cambridge Judge Business School, explores the real lessons behind building a business, drawing on the experiences of 2 successful founders to uncover what it truly takes to go from a personal passion to scaling a venture. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your venture, these insights offer a grounded, practical perspective on what makes entrepreneurship both challenging and deeply rewarding.