https://www.rikon.ie
Prof. Denis Harrington B.Comm (Hons)

Prof. Denis Harrington B.Comm (Hons)
MBA, PhD, FRSA

  • Title
    Head of Department of Graduate Business
  • School/Department
    Business -Graduate Business
  • Telephone
  • Email
  • Room Name/Num
    E22c
  • Building
    1977 - Business Building
  • Campus
    Main Campus
  • Social Media

Professor Denis Harrington is Head of Graduate Business at Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland. He has responsibility for leading and directing all taught graduate business programs within the School and for executive development. He has extensive research and consultancy experience having worked in the UK, France, China and within the Russian Federation.  As well as teaching responsibilities for Leadership and Professional Development on the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) and Executive MBA programmes at WIT Business School, he is also a visiting professor at NEOMA Business School, France and at Shanghai University, China. He is a Council member of the Irish Academy of Management and is an MBA programme external examinar with the Open University Business School UK. Denis has recently been awarded a High End Foreign Expert Award Scholarship from the Chinese government and is a past recipient of an International Talent Programme Scholarship at Shanghai University, China.

Prof. Denis Harrington’s research encompasses managerial capability development and innovation in micro firms. Another area of current research interest is strategy deployment and the role of middle managers in strategy implementation.

Given my role, I have an ongoing research interest in the management education domain focusing in particular on the nature of knowledge created by research at the interface between business and academia in the context of global competitive changes that are likely to affect the demand for such knowledge in the future. This research focuses attention on the evolution of knowledge transfer and the importance of dynamic collaboration between third level institutions and corporate leaders. In this regard, I have worked on a number of management case-led initiatives to address business school-practitioner interaction in an Irish context.

I am on the Editorial Board for the following Irish and International journals:

  • Editorial Review Board member – Service Industries Journal
  • Editorial Board member – Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
  • Editorial Advisory Board member – Irish Journal of Management
  • Editorial Advisory Board member – Irish Business Journal

Intellectual Contributions include some of the following:

Peer‑Reviewed Articles

O’Toole, T., Kelliher, F. and Harrington, D. 2016. Editorial, Special Issue, Irish Journal of Management, 35 (3).

Kearney, A., Harrington, D., Kelliher, F., 2016. Managerial capability for innovation for micro-firms: Integrating theory with empirical evidence. Irish Journal of Management, 35 (3).

Galavan, R., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2016. Reconsidering the Rigour Relevance Gap: the need for Contextualised Research in Risk Societies, Irish journal of Management, 35, 2.

Doyle, L., Kelliher, F., Harrington, D. 2016. How multi-levels of individual and team learning interact in a public healthcare organization: a conceptual framework. Action Learning: Research and Practice, Volume 13, Issue 1

Reinl, L., Owens, E., Kelliher, F., Harrington, D. 2015. Facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange among rural micro-firms: a community of practice perspective. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 16, Iss. 3.

Kearney, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F, 2014. Exploiting managerial capability for innovation, Special Issue on Innovation, (Eds. T Garavan and Sheehan, M.), European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 38, no 1/2

Harrington, D., Short, J.C. and Hynes, B. 2015. Changing times for Management Educators – Rethinking Engagement with Participatory forms of Knowledge Production. Irish Journal of Management, 34 (1).

Harrington, D. and Kearney, A. 2011. Business school in transition: new opportunities in management development, knowledge transfer and knowledge creation. Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 35, no.2.

Walsh, M., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2011. A capability-based framework for tourism innovativeness. Irish Journal of Management, Vol. 31 (1), pp.21-37.

Kelliher, F., Harrington, D., Galavan, R., 2010. Spreading Leader Knowledge: Investigating a participatory mode of knowledge dissemination among management undergraduates. Irish Journal of Management, 29(2): 103-21.

Harrington, D and Cunningham, J. (2006) “The Evolving Strategic Role of Middle Management”, Management Online Review, vol.1, no.1, October.

Harrington, D, Cunningham, J. and O’Riordan, C. 2006. Knowledge Management in a High Growth Entrepreneurial Context: Some Evidence from O’Briens Sandwich Bars. Irish Business Journal, Vol.2, No.1.

Harrington, D. and Keating, M. 2006. Quality practices in Irish hotels: Current Issues and future prospects. Tourism and Hospitality Research: The Surrey Quarterly Review, vol.6, no.4.

Harrington, D. and Lawton, T. 2006. Banking on Global Success: internationalistion strategy and its limitations (the case of AIB). Thunderbird International Business Review, Vol.48, no.3.

Harrington, D., Lawton, T. and Tazeeb Rajwani, 2005. Embracing and Exploiting Industry Turbulence: The Strategic Transformation of Aer Lingus”, European Management Journal, vol. 23, issue 4.

Foley, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2006. How Learning Networks can bridge the Training Gap. Decision Magazine, Issue 2 no.6.

Ennis, K., Harrington, D. and Williams, B. 2004. Head and heart in quality implementation: Applying the quality philosophy within Irish healthcare institutions. Total Quality Management Journal (Special Edition), vol.15, no.8, 1143-1153, October.

Harrington, D, and Williams, B. 2004. Managing quality implementation – the evolving role of the middle manager. Managing Service Quality Journal, vol14, no.4.

O’Toole, T. and Harrington, D., 2003. Boundaries and Interfaces in Management. Irish Journal of Management, Vol. 24, No.1.

Keating, M. and Harrington, D. 2003. The challenges of implementing quality in the Irish hotel industry. Journal of European Industrial Training, vol.27, no.9.

Keating, M. and Harrington, D, 2002. Implementing quality in the Irish hotel industry. Managing Service Quality Journal, vol.12, no.5.

Ennis, K and Harrington, D. 2002. Organisational Effectiveness in Irish Healthcare. International Journal of Healthcare Quality Assurance, vol.12, no.5

O’Keeffe and Harrington, D, 2000. Learning to Learn – A study of organisational learning practices within selected Irish Multinationals. Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 25, no.s 2/3/4

Ennis, K., and Harrington, D. 2001. A study of quality practices within the Irish healthcare sector. Service Industries Journal, 21,1.

Harrington, D. 2000. Changing times for traditional tourism. Decision, June/July.

Harrington, D. 2000. Empirical Study of Service Quality Implementation. Service Industries Journal, Vol.20, No.2, pp.133-156, 2000.

O’Toole, T. and Harrington, D. 1999. Tracing the evolution of quality management: lessons from the development of strategic management. Irish Journal of Business and Administrative Research. Issue 19/20, Vol.2., pp.139-153.

Ennis, K., and Harrington, D. 1999. Factors to consider when Implementing Quality Management in healthcare. Managing Service Quality Journal, September/October.

Ennis, K., and Harrington, D. 1999. Quality management in Irish healthcare, International Journal of Healthcare Quality Assurance, vol.12, no.s 6 and 7, pp.232-244.

Harrington, D. 1999. Quality implementation in selected UK hotels: perspectives and future challenges. Journal of Tourism Research: Surrey Quarterly Review, vol.1, no.2, June.

Harrington, D. and Akehurst, G. 1996. An Exploratory Analysis of Service Quality and Performance in UK Hotels”, Vol. Vol.12, No.3, International Journal of Hospitality Management.

Harrington, D. and Akehurst, G. 1996. An Exploratory Study of Service Quality in UK Hotels. Vol.2, No.3, Progress in Tourism Research, University of Surrey.

Books

Harrington, D. and Cunningham, J. 2009. Management 2.0: New Priorities for a Changing Economy, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin.

Harrington, D., and Lenehan, T., 1998. Managing Quality in Tourism, Oak Tree Press, Dublin.

Chapters in Books

Harrington, D. and Walsh, A. 2016. Competing on the periphery – designing a strategic infrastructure for the entrepreneurial university in an Irish higher educational context, in (Ed. Professor Don Siegel), Entrepreneurial Universities: Technology and Knowledge Transfer, World Scientific Publishing Innovation Handbook Series.

Harrington, D., Foley, A. and Lenehan, T. 2014. Tourism development and planning in Ireland, in (eds.) C. Costa, E. Panyik E. and Buhalis, D. European Tourism Planning and Organisation Systems, New Perspectives and Emerging Issues.

Lynch, P., Holden, M.T.., Harrington, D. and Foley, A. 2013. Engaging entrepreneurs with a blended learning degree programme’, in Eds.Wankel, C. and Blessinger, P. Increasing Student Engagement and Retention in e-Learning Environments: Web 2.0 and Blended Learning Technologies, Emerald Publishing. Awarded Emerald Literati Prize for Excellence, 2013.

Harrington, D. 2009. Developing Management capability in an Irish context: future trends and prospects, in Harrington, D. and Cunningham, J. (ed.) Management 2.0: New Priorities for a Changing Economy, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin.

Harrington, D. and Lawton, T. 2007. The internationalisation of Allied Irish Banks, in Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (ed.), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Pearson Publishing, London.

O’Riordan, C. Harrington, D. and Cunningham, J. 2006. O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars: Building the appetite for international expansion, in Henry, C. (ed.) Irish Case Studies in Entrepreneurship, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin.

Harrington, D., Lawton, T. and Rajwani, T. 2005. Case History: Strategic transformation at Ireland’s National Airline in Cooney, T., (ed.) Irish case studies in Entrepreneurship, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin.

Harrington, D. and Lawton, T. 2004. The Internationalisation of Allied Irish Banks, in Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (ed.), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Pearson Publishing, London.

Harrington, D. 2002. Quality Issues in Tourism Distribution Channels: Practices and Prospects’ in Tourism Distribution Channels, in Buhalis, D. and Laws, E. (ed.) Continuum Publications, London.

Peer Reviewed Proceedings

Kearney, A. Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2016. Managing innovation in the tourism micro firm: a framework for sensing, seizing and reconfiguring dynamic capabilities, CHME Conference, University of Ulster, May 3-6.

Kearney, A., Harrington, D., Kelliher, F. 2015. The strategic management of innovation as a dynamic capability: Empirical evidence from the hotel micro-firm. Accepted for inclusion in the Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland (THRIC) Conference proceedings, June.

Reinl, L., Owens, E., Kelliher, F., Harrington, D. 2014. Facilitating Cross Border Knowledge Exchange among rural Micro-firms: A Community of Practice perspective. Business, Economics, Management & Tourism Conference proceedings, Prague, Czech Republic, 30-31 Oct.

Kelliher, F., Joyner, D., Harrington, D., McDonald, M., Griffiths, G., Owens, E., Walmsley, J., Walsh, M. 2013. Green Innovation and Future Technology: Engaging Rural SMEs in the Green Economy. 36th Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference proceedings, Cardiff, Nov 11-13.

Kearney, A., Harrington, D., Kelliher, F., 2013, Managerial capability for innovation in Irish tourism micro firms: integrating theory with empirical evidence, Irish Academy of Management Conference proceedings, WIT, Waterford Sept 2-4. (Best Paper Award).

Kelliher, F., Walsh, M., Harrington, D., Lynch, P. 2012. Moving Towards a Green Economy: Capitalising on Organisational Innovation Capability to Leverage the Reservoir of Knowledge in Learning Organisations – an Irish perspective, IFASM conference proceedings, University of Limerick, June 25-7.

Kearney, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2012. Managerial capability for innovation in tourism micro firms: A conceptual framework, THRIC conference, University of Ulster Belfast, Great Britain.

Kearney, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2012. Developing a taxonomy of managerial capability for innovation in tourism micro firms, Irish Academy of Management conference, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland

Kearney, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2012. A theoretical model of managerial capability for innovation in Irish tourism micro firms,EUROCHRIE conference, Ecole Hostellerie de Lausanne, Switzerland, October 27th

Kearney, A., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F. 2011. Managerial capability for innovation: a review of literature, Irish Academy of Management conference, National College of Ireland, Dublin.

Harrington, Denis; Lynch, Patrick; and Walsh, Margaret 2010. Strategic Innovation in an Irish Tourism Context: New Opportunities for Enhancing Competitiveness, In: 28th EuroCHRIE Conference: Passion for Hospitality Excellence, 25th – 28th October 2010, Stenden International Hospitality Management and Saxion Hospitality Business School, Amsterdam.

Gannon, C., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2009. Managing intellectual capital for a sustained competitive advantage in the Irish tourism industry. THRIC Annual Conference, Dublin.

Galavan, R., Harrington, D. and Kelliher, F., 2009. Why, What and How of Rigour and Relevance in Management Research, Irish Academy of Management, September.

Gannon, C., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2009. Managing Intellectual Capital for Sustained Competitive Advantage in the Irish Tourism Industry, 5th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference Proceedings, DIT, Dublin Ireland, 16th – 17th June.

Gannon, C., and Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2009. Dynamic Knowledge Management Capability for the Small Tourism Firm, In: IAM Conference, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, Ireland, 2nd – 4th September.

Gannon, C., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2009. Dynamic Knowledge Management Capability (DKMC): From Resources to Capital, In: EIASM 5th Workshop on Visualising, Measuring, and Managing Intangibles and Intellectual Capital, 8th – 9th October, Dresden, Germany.

Gannon, C., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2010. Framework for Enhancing Competitiveness in Culture and Heritage Organisations in the Irish Tourism Industry, In: Proceedings of the 6th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference (THRIC), Shannon College of Hotel Management, Shannon, Clare, Ireland, 15th – 16th June.

Gannon, C., Lynch, P., Holden M.T. and Harrington, D. 2010. Does Sustainable Competitive Advantage Exist? And, if so, How Can it be Achieved? In: Proceedings of The Irish Academy of Management (IAM) Conference, The Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Cork, Ireland on 1st – 3rd of September.

Walsh, M. Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. 2010. Competitiveness through firm-level innovativeness for the tourism SME: a dynamic capabilities perspective, In: Kate O’Connell; María Palma Fahy; Sean T. Ruane; and Kristin Onderdonk Horan (eds.), Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities”, (2011), College of Business, Public Policy and law, NUI Galway in conjunction with Shannon College of Hotel Management, pp. 35-51.

Walsh, M., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. (2009). Towards a conceptualization of the innovativeness construct, Irish Academy of Management, September.

Walsh, M., Lynch, P. and Harrington, D. (2009). A proposed model of firm-level innovativeness in Irish tourism, THRIC Annual Conference, Dublin.

Walsh, Margaret; Lynch, Patrick; and Harrington, Denis (2010), “Creating Superior Competitive Advantages for the Small Tourism Firm ThroughIn: 6th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities, 15th – 16th June 2010, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Shannon Airport, IRELAND, Best Paper Award, June.

Walsh, Margaret; Lynch, Patrick; Harrington, Denis; and Holden, Mary 2010. Conceptualising Firm-level Innovativeness: A Tourism Service Perspective, In: XX. International Conference of RESER: The Resilience of the Global Service Economy, 30th September – 2nd October, Gothenburg.

Galavan, R., Harringtion, D. and Kelliher, F. 2008. The road to relevance 15 years on: are we there yet?, EDiNEB (Educational Innovations in Economics and Business) Conference, Malaga, June 12th.

Kelliher, F., Harrington, D., Galavan, R., 2007. Spreading Leader Knowledge: A proposal for practitioner-academic partnership in disseminating leader knowledge, Irish Academy of Management Conference proceedings, Queen’s University, Belfast, Sept 3-5, Best paper award (Management track, overall Conference).

Harrington, D, Cunningham, J. and O’ Riordan, C. 2006. Knowledge Management in a High Growth Entrepreneurial Context: Some Evidence from O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars, Irish Academy of Management Conference, September.

Harrington, D., Lawton, T. and Rajwani, T. 2004. Back from the brink: Strategic transformation at Aer Lingus, Irish Academy of Management Conference,September.

Milner, B., Dunne, E. and Harrington, D. 2004. Hospital Accreditation – Exploring the Irish Experience, National Association of Healthcare Quality Conference, USA.

Harrington, D. and Lenehan, T. 2002. International challenges in managing quality issues for tourism industries”, National Academy of Tourism, State University of St Petersburg, Russia.

Harrington, D. and Lenehan, T., 2001. Irish Tourism Trends and Prospects, Conference of the UK Tourism Society, University of Surrey, July 1-3.

O’Keeffe, T. and Harrington, D., 2001. Learning in dynamic multinational organisations, Global HR Conference, Barcelona, June.

O’Keeffe, T. and Harrington, D. 2000. Learning to learn: a study of organisational learning practices in selected Irish multinationals, Irish Academy of Management Conference,September, 7-8th.

O’Keeffe, T. and Harrington, D. 2000. A study of organisational learning practices in selected Irish multinationals, British Academy of Management Conference,September 11th-15th.

Ennis, K. and Harrington, D. 1999. Quality Management within the Irish Healthcare Sector, TQM World Congress Verona, 24th-26th June, 2002.

Ennis, K. and Harrington, D. 1999. Quality Management within the Irish Healthcare Sector, British Academy of Management Conference, 3rd-5th September.

Ennis, K. and Harrington, D. 1999. Quality Management within the Irish Healthcare Sector, British Academy of Management Conference, 3rd-5th September.

Harrington, D. and Akehurst, G. 1996. Managerial Perceptions of Service Quality in the UK Hotel Industry”, Proceedings, Learning Edge Conference of the European Foundation for Quality Management, Paris, April 24-26, 1996.

Published Case Studies

Harrington, D. and Healy, T. 2011. Paper Tigers: State Street International Ireland and the growth of the Irish International Financial Services Centre.

Harrington, Lawton, T. and Cunningham, J. 2009. U2: keeping the rhythm. In James Cunningham and Brian Harney (ed.) Strategy and Strategists, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Harrington, D., Lawton, T. and Cunningham, J. 2009. U2: keeping the rhythm’. In James Cunningham and Denis Harrington (ed.) Management 2.0: New Priorities for a Changing Economy, Blackhall Publishing, Dublin.

O’Riordan, C. Harrington, D. and Cunningham, J. 2006. O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars: Building the appetite for international expansion.

Harrington, D., Lawton, T. and Rajwani, T. 2005. Strategic transformation at Ireland’s National Airline, Shortlisted for Best Case Award, Case Centre, UK.

Harrington, D. and O’Riordan, C., 2005. Stable Diet – Growing within an expanding niche, European Case Clearing House.

Lawton, T. and Harrington. D. 2003. The Internationalisation of Allied Irish Banks, European Case Clearing House. Case reference number 303-015-1. French language version, reference number F303-015-1. Teaching Note reference number 303-015-8.

My main teaching interests encompass the areas of leadership and professional development. I have taught and examined management and strategy courses for over 15 years within the School of Business. This includes core courses for final year undergraduates and both postgraduate MBS and MBA students, as well as more specialised advanced executive programmes such as the DBA for post-experience groups. My general objectives in teaching are as follows: first, to convey knowledge; second, to stimulate critical thinking and conceptual reflection; and third, to contribute to better management practice. Current teaching responsibilities include professional development modules for the DBA and Executive MBA as well a visiting professorship at NEOMA Business School, Reims Campus France and at Shanghai University, China.

I have significant professional experience, having studied, lived and worked in different countries and have taught graduate and executive courses In Ireland, UK, France and within the Russian Federation. Consequently, I am well used to working with and teaching people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and at varying stages of career development.

I also have responsibility for our CEO in Residence programme within the School which seeks to further integrate senior business leader perspectives into our learning environment on a more sustained basis. It also provides an important advisory role supporting the valuable work of the School and informing our research and programme development activities.

I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (UK), an external Examiner at the Open University Business School, UK, a member of the International Judging Panel Emerald HETL Education Outstanding Doctoral Research Award Program and an Emerald Literati Network Award Winner for Excellence for a research project completed with colleagues at the WIT School of Business.