Staff Profile
Dr David Atkinson
Lecturer, Part-time
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I am a part-time lecturer in Business and Management and teach across a broad range of subject areas at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
As an ex-Royal Air Force Communications Engineering Officer, with a specialisation in software engineering management, and more recently significant experience of serial entrepreneurship in multiple sectors, I bring the benefit of a wide range of leadership and management perspectives from the world of real work to my teaching.
I completed my PhD in Critical Management Studies as Lancaster University Management School in 2006, winning two international awards for research excellence, including 1st Prize in the 2007 European Doctoral Association for Management and Business Administration—Outstanding Thesis Awards.
I am currently a Member of the York, North Yorkshire, East Riding, Local Enterprise Partnership’s Business Engagement Forum. I am openly autistic and also, separate to my role as Lecturer, I provide specialist study skills support to autistic students in Higher Education, and help run a company providing enterprise coaching and mentoring for autistic and ADHD employees.
- School – York Business School
- Email – d.atkinson@yorksj.ac.uk
Research
My main research interests centre on the immanent critique of socio-economic and organisational leadership and management. I am building on my PhD work to effect, in essence, a general theory of artistic, enterprising work. In this work I am drawing on readings of both quantum social theory and applied negative dialectics to seek new insights into the future of socio-economic, enterprising work. My latest book, Reimagining Capitalism (2023), is published by Vernon Press.
Research student supervision
I welcome enquiries from potential research students who relish the idea of invoking the imagination in post-disciplinary, critical enquiries into the future of socio-economic organisation, work and management. Such studies are likely to be highly experimental, philosophical and/or qualitative in nature. I would particularly welcome enquiries from autistic students, not for a study into autism, but in terms of the application of autistic thought to gain new critical insights through academic study of socio-economic enterprise broadly defined.
Publications
- Atkinson, D. (2023) ‘Reimagining Capitalism: Applying Negative Dialectics for a Better Future’, Malaga: Vernon Press, ISBN: 9781648895951
- Atkinson, D. (2022) ‘The shape of space: on the possible conscious properties of elementary particles, and their application to social and economic theory’, Project working paper: A provocation of Postcapitalism, Work and Aesthetic Enterprise, ResearchGate DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34779.08486
- Atkinson, D. (2020) ‘Dancing the VUCA’, Project working paper: A Provocation of Postcapitalism, Work and Aesthetic Enterprise, ResearchGate, DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25121.43369
- Atkinson, D. (2020) ‘From experts to (tall) story tellers—On the functional interchangeability of technology and institutions and the projected and emergent nature of employment and skills in a post Covid-19 future’, Project working paper: A provocation of Postcapitalism, Work and Aesthetic Enterprise, ResearchGate DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34057.67680
- Atkinson, D. (2020) ‘From growing pains to wrangling unicorns—Science fictioning futures narratives of an emergent, indeterminate entrepreneurship’, Project working paper: A provocation of Postcapitalism, Work and Aesthetic Enterprise, ResearchGate DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34692.55688
- Atkinson, D. (2020) ‘Storying the entrepreneurial call—On motivation, resurfacing Maslow and the nomothetic promise of entrepreneurial idiographies’, Project working paper: A provocation of Postcapitalism, Work and Aesthetic Enterprise, ResearchGate DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.30078.82242
- Waehning, N., Hemmings, M., Atkinson, D., Koukpaki, S., Weir, D. and Gold, J., (2020) 'Social Justice in York, 2030', Institute of Social Justice Report, York, UK
- Atkinson, D. (2008) ‘Dancing “the management”: on social presence, rhythm and finding common purpose’, Management Decision, Vol. 46, No. 7, 1081-1095
- Atkinson, D. (2007) ‘Thinking the Art of Management: stepping into 'Heidegger's Shoes', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN: 9780230553743
Conferences and presentations
- Atkinson, D (2022), ‘Growing crystals in the classroom: Negative dialectics and the emergent learning of inclusive enterprise’, 16th International Enterprise Educators Conference (IEEC2022), Swansea University (Awarded Best in Track 5: Enterprise for the 21st Century Workforce)
- Atkinson, D (Forthcoming, 2022), ‘The shape of space: on the possible conscious properties of matter—agency, causality and ethics within the ethnography of quantum socio-economic organisation’, 15th Annual Ethnography Symposium, Ipswich (University of Suffolk)
- Atkinson, D (Forthcoming, 2022), ‘From Citizen X to Citizen N: A quantum socio-economic provocation of social innovation—toward an ethic(s) of the imagination’, International Social Innovation Research Conference ISIRC 2022 Halifax, NS Canada.
- Gold, J. and Atkinson, D. (2020), ‘Workshop: Futures and Foresight Post Covid-19’. ‘TEFI 11: What’s Tourism Got to do it?’, Tourism Education Futures Institute Virtual Conference
- Atkinson, D. (2018), ‘Motivating Hermaphroditus’ Quest – Towards Storying Entrepreneurship’s Nomothetic Premise in the Ideography of The Entrepreneur’, Storytelling conference, Norwich
- EDAMBA (2007), ‘Thinking the Art of Management’, Proceedings EDAMBA 5th Thesis Competition, Bratislava
- AoM (2006), ‘A Portrait of the Manager as an Artist (After Degot)’, Proceedings, 3rd Art of Management Conference, Krakow
- AoM (2004), ‘Art & Management’, Proceedings, 2nd Art of Management Conference, Paris
Expert contributions
- UK Parliament's Knowledge Exchange Unit (2022), ‘Evidence submitted to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry on ‘Diversity in STEM’. Available online at https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42410/html/.
- APPG Entrepreneurship (2022), Submission to APPG Inquiry on Entrepreneurship Education, April 2022
Professional activities
I am a Fellow of the HEA (FHEA)
I am a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (FIET)
I am a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA)
