Neil Malone

Dr. Neil Malone is a Lecturer at the Salford Business School, University of Salford, where he joined in 2018. He lectures across a range of business and research modules with specific expertise in entrepreneurship, digital business, and qualitative research methods.

Dr. Malone holds a PhD, MSc, PgCertHE, and BA (Hons). His doctoral research explored nascent entrepreneurship and new venture creation in the indie videogames industry. Prior to academia, he spent over a decade in industry as a senior manager and practitioner in digital, online, and creative sectors, and managed his own web development business.

His research focuses on nascent entrepreneurship, particularly in the indie videogames sector, interpretative phenomenological analysis as a research methodology, and issues of employability and entrepreneurial learning. His work examines how individuals make sense of the early entrepreneurial period prior to venture creation, exploring the 'entrepreneurial journey' from the perspective of the entrepreneurs themselves through phenomenological interviews.

Dr. Malone's publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of business practices and digital industries, particularly examining supply chain management in the maturing videogames industry and how employer feedback can enhance graduate employability in competitive labor markets. His research employs qualitative methodologies to explore complex phenomena in emerging business contexts.

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI)
• Chartered Manager (CMgr)

Dr. Malone welcomes PhD supervision enquiries in the fields of entrepreneurship, indie videogames, and related areas. During his industry career, he managed complex multi-million pound global projects in commercial change management and outsourcing, as well as public-sector awareness-raising campaigns to educate children regarding online safety. His international experience spans projects in both Europe and Asia, working with videogame studios serving over 200 million players.