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Andrew Fairley

Dr Andrew Fairley

Lecturer in Business Management

York Business School

Contact details

After completing my undergraduate in English Literature at the University of York I spent several years working professionally, including as a Recruitment Consultant. I returned to higher education to complete a Masters in Management at the University of York where I successfully applied for a White Rose studentship for my PhD. My PhD was an investigation into the UK high-tech startup sector where I explored the intersection of gender, community, and entrepreneurship through an in-depth ethnographic study of a UK startup accelerator and coworking space.

Following the completion of my degree I was employed for three years at Newcastle University as a Research Associate. There I was part of a successful funding bid for a research project exploring the impact of regulations on UK small businesses during the Covid-19 Pandemic. This was a joint study conducted with the FSB and resulted in a report recommending how the UK government should manage its regulatory response in future crises.

In 2022 I joined York St John University as a Lecturer in Business Management. Since 2024 I have been the course lead for the International Business BA (Hons) degree programme.

I primarily teach across undergraduate degrees. My teaching focuses on entrepreneurship, operations management, and technology. I am the module lead for YBS' new AI and the Futures of Work module. Here I bring my knowledge and expertise of the emerging modes of AI technologies to develop student skills, knowledge, and understanding of these tools, as well as bringing a critical viewpoint to their capabilities, and impact both socially and environmentally.

I am the Course Lead for International Business BA (Hons). I teach on both International Business and Business Management undergraduate degree programmes.

I currently teach:

  • Entrepreneurship and the Business Environment
  • Operations and Project Management
  • Managing Business Resources
  • AI and the Futures of Work
  • Contemporary Issues in the Technological Era (CMDA)

My research focuses primarily on small businesses. I conduct both quantitative and qualitative research to explore learning and innovation, entrepreneurial practice, and regulation. I also work on systematic reviews.

Associate Fellow (HEA)

Founding Member of the forthcoming Perspectives on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Conference