Our research and partnerships need to be international to reflect the global realities that entrepreneurs face. This can inspire us to pay closer attention to important work being done at our partner institutions. The interplay I observed between top-tier academic research and applied practitioner-based teaching was particularly timely for our strategic development at King’s Business School.
Dr Susan Schwarz, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Entrepreneurship and Management at King's Business School
05 August 2026
How international partnerships can make entrepreneurship research more globally relevant
Dr Susan Schwarz recently completed a faculty exchange visit to the McDonough School of Business as part of King’s Business School’s strategic partnership with Georgetown University.
A King’s Business School academic has returned from Washington DC with fresh thinking on how international partnerships can help business schools develop research that is less tied to one national context and more relevant to the global realities entrepreneurs face.
Dr Susan Schwarz took part in the faculty exchange programme, which launched in the 2024-25 academic year and aims to strengthen research connections and encourage collaboration between academics at both Schools.
Dr Schwarz’s research focuses on the role of intangible resources, including human capital, social capital and psychological capital, in shaping entrepreneurial performance across different economic and cultural contexts. Her current work examines how entrepreneurs use social networks in varying institutional environments, as well as the influence of spouses and partners on entrepreneurs’ wellbeing throughout different stages of venture development.
During her time at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, Dr Schwarz explored how entrepreneurship research can better account for the different contexts in which founders build networks, access support and sustain their wellbeing. Conversations with Georgetown colleagues and a network analysis workshop at the Capitol Hill campus prompted her to reflect on how ideas such as social capital may operate differently across countries and cultures. For Dr Schwarz, the exchange showed how working across geographic settings can help business academics develop research that is more globally relevant.
The visit also prompted conversations regarding the future of research methods in the age of generative AI and online research platforms. Dr Schwarz said these discussions raised important questions about how new technologies can be used effectively, for instance to conduct survey-based research that is both contextually grounded yet globally meaningful.
She added:
“I had some challenging conversations about the future of survey methodology in the age of GenAI and online survey platforms. Some methods also don't translate well across borders - and more immersive fieldwork is needed. Inspiring more rigorous research on entrepreneurship across different contexts is another reason to build these kinds of international partnerships.”