An aerial view of Bay Campus, with the sea stretching into the horizon.

Dr Dafydd Cotterell

Senior Lecturer

Business

d.j.cotterell@swansea.ac.uk

Office 322 - 322
Third Floor
School of Management
Bay Campus

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Institute

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

About

Dr Dafydd Cotterell is Director of the BSc (Hons) Global Business Management Top-Up Degree at Swansea University’s School of Management.

Within this role, Dr Cotterell is responsible for the leadership of the programme’s ongoing development and implementation. This includes leading a large teaching team spanning 8 modules, with a cohort of approximately 100 students. As Director of the Programme, Dr Cotterell also works internationally, establishing and maintaining partnerships with overseas institutions and agents.

Dr Cotterell maintains an active portfolio of research, where he has accumulated several scholarly awards. This includes the James Callaghan Research Prize 2022-2023, a University wide award recognising his PhD thesis as of outstanding quality. This award is presented to one PhD thesis per year. Furthermore, Dr Cotterell has received several awards from the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), including the Best Paper in Conference Award 2024, where his work was selected from over 225 submissions. Additionally, Dr Cotterell has won the Best Paper in Track Award 2024 in the Networks, Innovation and Policy Track, and the Best Paper in Track Award 2021 within the Rural Entrepreneurship Track at ISBE. In addition to his academic research at ISBE, Dr Cotterell is co-chair of the Rural Enterprise Network Special Interest Group.

Further to his research, Dr Cotterell maintains strong relationships with industry, where he frequently works with SMEs both nationally and internationally. Local work has involved mapping over 70 Swansea University projects across the Swansea Bay City Region, of which held a combined value of over £50 million. International work includes the leadership of a successful executive education programme for Malaysian based SMEs, in collaboration with the Malaysian Government.

As a Senior Lecturer at the School of Management, Dr Cotterell was recently presented with a Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award. This is a student nominated award and represents his continued commitment towards creating a sector leading learning environment across the School. Dr Cotterell teaches across Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, where he also supervises several PhD students.

Areas Of Expertise

Dr Cotterell's area of expertise falls broadly within the field of Operations Management. He has significant expertise in the areas of Crisis and Resilience Management, Project Management and accompanying international management standards.

Languages Spoken

Welsh

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

Dr Cotterell's teaching ethos stems from the belief that business and management education should be highly practical, equipping students with knowledge and skills that support employability. To this end, Dr Cotterell ensures that learning materials are aligned to the latest research and industry bodies of knowledge. He also draws on a diverse range of assessment methods, ensuring students are assessed authentically.

Research Award Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

Halawi, A., Jones, P., Burvill, S., & Cotterell, D. (2025). The Gendered Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia: a multi-level analysis of barriers and enablers for female entrepreneurs. In IERC 2025 Conference: 1st International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Family Business & Sustainable Innovation, January 17-23, 2025, Riyadh.Mohhamed Bin Salman College for Business.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69005
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Bowen, R., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (n.d.) Evaluating Retail micro-SME Resilience During a Time of Crisis: Social Media as a Key Enabler for Resource Bricolage. In IERC 2025 Conference: 1st International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Family Business & Sustainable Innovation, January 17-23, 2025, Riyadh.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68996
Alowayfi, R., Dennehy, D., Dwivedi, Y., & Cotterell, D. (2024). A Systematic Review of Algorithmic Bias in Decision-Making. In Saudi Conference on Information Systems (SaudiCIS)
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68283
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Bowen, R., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (2024). Evaluating Retail micro-SME Resilience: Failing, Surviving and Thriving as Outcomes of Bricolage. In Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68260
Cotterell, D. (2024). Developing Organisational Resilience to Fundamental Crises: Evaluating Social Media as a Key Enabler for Resource Bricolage within Retail micro-SMEs
https://doi.org/10.23889/SUthesis.66294, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66294

All Research

Journal Articles

Cotterell, D., COTTERELL, D., & Bowen, R. (2021). SME Resilience during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Exploring Urban-rural differences. Regions(10)
https://doi.org/10.1080/13673882.2021.00001103, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57673

Book Chapters

Zhao, G., Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Wen, B., & Huang, P. (n.d.) Driving sustainable agri-food supply chains through Industry 4.0: A multidisciplinary collaboration. Food Industry 4.0 and Food Sustainability
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06527-8, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70322

Conference Contributions

Halawi, A., Jones, P., Burvill, S., & Cotterell, D. (2025). The Gendered Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia: a multi-level analysis of barriers and enablers for female entrepreneurs. In IERC 2025 Conference: 1st International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Family Business & Sustainable Innovation, January 17-23, 2025, Riyadh.Mohhamed Bin Salman College for Business.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69005
Alowayfi, R., Dennehy, D., Dwivedi, Y., & Cotterell, D. (2024). A Systematic Review of Algorithmic Bias in Decision-Making. In Saudi Conference on Information Systems (SaudiCIS)
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68283
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Bowen, R., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (2024). Evaluating Retail micro-SME Resilience: Failing, Surviving and Thriving as Outcomes of Bricolage. In Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68260
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Huxtable-Thomas, L., & , R. (2023). Evaluating the Resource Bricolage Activities of Retail SMEs During a Time of Crisis: Failing, Surviving and Thriving as Three Degrees of Organisational Resilience.. In Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), 2023, 8-10 November 2023, Birmingham, UK.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64195
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Huxtable-Thomas, L., & Bowen, R. (2022). Developing Organisational Resilience to Fundamental Crisis: Evaluating the role of Social Media as a Key Enabler of Bricolage within Retail SME’s.. In Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), 27-28 October 2022, York, UK.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64190
https://isbe.org.uk/isbe-2022/
Cotterell, D. (2021). Developing Organisational Resilience to Fundamental Crisis: An Evaluation of Social Media as a key Enabler for Resource Bricolage within Rural SME’s.. In Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) 28-29 October 2021, Cardiff, UK.ISBE.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64192
Cotterell, D., Jones, P., Bowen, R., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (n.d.) Evaluating Retail micro-SME Resilience During a Time of Crisis: Social Media as a Key Enabler for Resource Bricolage. In IERC 2025 Conference: 1st International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Family Business & Sustainable Innovation, January 17-23, 2025, Riyadh.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68996

Other Research Outputs

Cotterell, D. (2024). Developing Organisational Resilience to Fundamental Crises: Evaluating Social Media as a Key Enabler for Resource Bricolage within Retail micro-SMEs
https://doi.org/10.23889/SUthesis.66294, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66294

Taught Modules

MN-2075 Dadansoddi Strategol (Strategic Analysis)

This module introduces students to techniques, tools and frameworks that will enable them to undertake basic strategic analysis. A brief introduction to different approaches to strategy will then lead to a `step by step¿ approach to analysing the strategic environment of organisations, including external drivers of change, resources, stakeholder management and organisational culture. Mae'r modiwl hwn yn cyflwyno myfyrwyr i dechnegau, offer a fframweithiau a fydd yn eu galluogi i ymgymryd â dadansoddiad strategol sylfaenol. Bydd cyflwyniad byr i wahanol ddulliau o ymdrin â strategaeth, yn arwain at ddull `cam wrth gam¿ o ddadansoddi amgylchedd strategol sefydliadau, gan gynnwys ysgogwyr allanol o newid, adnoddau, rheolaeth rhanddeiliaid a diwylliant sefydliadol.
MN-3019 Project Management

This module is intended to provide students with a thorough understanding of the project management process and the ability to undertake management of projects in practice.
MN-3019T Project Management

This module is intended to provide students with a thorough understanding of the project management process and the ability to undertake management of projects in practice.
MN-3019TE Project Management

This module is intended to provide students with a thorough understanding of the project management process and the ability to undertake management of projects in practice.
MN-3055 Rheoli Prosiectau (Project Management)

Bwriad y modiwl hwn yw darparu dealltwriaeth drylwyr i fyfyrwyr o'r broses rheoli prosiectau a'r gallu i ymgymryd â phrosiectau rheoli yn eu gwaith.
MN-3521 International Standards

This module provides an overview to the background, development and rationale for international (quality) standards systems. In addition to the lecture course, students will undertake a range of case study exercises and practical implementation workshops.
MN-3579 Managing Crisis in Organisations

Recent years have presented the global economy with a series of shock events, fostering complex challenges for businesses. Such events have included Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Europe and the Middle East, and the destructive effects of climate change. The disruption caused by such events has prompted many organisations to increase investment within resilience activity, while also increasing recruitment of those who have specialist knowledge within the area of Business Continuity. It is now said that 93% of businesses have a C-Suite sponsor for resilience (PwC, 2023). This module was developed to provide students with specialist Business Continuity knowledge and skills, giving students a competitive advantage within the graduate job market. MN-3579 Disaster and Crisis Management uses a combination of lectures and seminars to teach key Business Continuity frameworks, while also allowing students to test these frameworks by taking part in practical business scenarios
MN-M074 Leading and Managing Projects

This module is a specialist Project Management module designed for students to apply across a range of industries including health, finance, construction and logistics. The module will provide an in-depth understanding of key Project Management practices in additional to useful frameworks. The module syllabus is aligned to the process areas of PRINCE2 Foundation. This prepares students towards the PRINCE2 Foundation certification, if they wish to pursue this independently upon graduation. Taught content will be supported by guest lectures from industry professionals where appropriate. This will support students in identifying the practical applications of academic theory.
MN-MBA02 Navigating Innovation and Change

This module brings the latest insights from the areas of innovation and organisational change management and aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools to navigate key challenges within this space. With a focus on co-creation of value, the module will examine approaches to the realisation of new goods, services and processes. Set against a backdrop of rapid technological, global, social and cultural change, students will examine innovation, organisational culture and change through the multidisciplinary perspectives of management, psychology, economics and sociology. Successful companies and organisations of all sizes are typically characterised by innovation and the ability to be agile. This is increasingly important in today¿s global marketplace but brings with it challenges to product and service development, as well as change in organisational structures, operations and human behaviour. This module will equip students with the knowledge and skills to engage in the effective development of new products and services delivering value through navigating the innovation lifecycle, open collaboration and developing organisational structures that support rapid and sustainable change. The module is divided into five key themes: [1] Key theories of innovation, strategy and core processes [2] Innovation networks and multidisciplinary approaches [3] Disruptive forces [4] People, culture and change [5] Product and service design agility Based on this learning, students will develop a business case to successfully navigate and overcome a series of contemporary challenges in the pursuit of new product or service development. This authentic assessment reflects practice across sectors, and allows the full range of learning outcomes to be tested. The module will develop managerial skills, synergistic thinking, critical evaluation and research skills. Students are required to think beyond the current parameters of business subjects to endorse their work. The module is also highly complementary to strategic and leadership elements of the MBA programme.
MNXN30 International Soft Landings

This soft landings course is available to the owners and leaders of small firms from outside of the UK who wish to export to, or trade with the UK. The course focuses on creating two key documents ¿ an ambitions plan and an export/trade action plan.

Dr Dafydd Cotterell

Email address

LinkedIn Account

Research Institutes

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Languages Spoken

Career Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

Conference Contributions

Other Research Outputs

Taught Modules

MN-2075 Dadansoddi Strategol (Strategic Analysis)

MN-3019 Project Management

MN-3019T Project Management

MN-3019TE Project Management

MN-3055 Rheoli Prosiectau (Project Management)

MN-3521 International Standards

MN-3579 Managing Crisis in Organisations

MN-M074 Leading and Managing Projects

MN-MBA02 Navigating Innovation and Change

MNXN30 International Soft Landings