Jason Harkins, Ph.D.

Dr. Jason Harkins is the Executive Dean of the Maine Business School, Dean of the Graduate School of Business, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, and the Founder of Scratchpad Accelerator, the first seed-stage entrepreneurial accelerator in New England North of Boston. He received his Ph.D. from the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from the University of Missouri. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Strategic Management Review, The Journal of Business and Industrial Development, and the Journal of Management Policy and Practice. Dr. Harkins has started numerous companies, consults for numerous firms across Maine, and serves on the Board of Directors for for-profit and non-profit companies in the entrepreneurial space. He is a passionate believer in the opportunities for entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurship to transform Maine, the country, and the world!

Dr. Harkins’ CV

Education

  • Ph.D., Strategic Management, Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma (2008)
  • MBA from the University of Missouri (2003)
  • B.S. in Management from Truman State University (2001)

Teaching Areas

  • Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
  • Small Business Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Introduction to Business

Research Interests

Jason has teaching and research interests related to the intersection of strategy, entrepreneurship, and small business management.

Recent Publications

Busenitz, L. W., Sharfman, M. P., Townsend D. M. & Harkins, J. 2016. The emergence of dual identity social entrepreneurship: Its boundaries and limitations. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 7(1): 25-48.

Manev, I. M., Manolova, T. S., Harkins, J. A. & Gyoshev, B. S. 2015. Are pure or hybrid strategies right for new ventures in transition economies. International Small Business Journal, 33(8): 951-973.

Erhardt, N., Martin-Rios, C. & Harkins, J. 2014. Knowledge Flow from the Top: The Importance of Team Structure in Team Sports. European Sports Management Quarterly, 14(4): 375-396

Harkins, J. & Forster-Holt, N. 2014. Resource Dependence and the Exits of Young Firms. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 4(4): 323-349.

Arndt, A. D. & Harkins, J. 2013. A framework for configuring sales support structure. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 28(5): 432-443.

Harkins, J., Erhardt, N & Finegold, D. 2012. Reconsidering the link between human resource management and firm strategy for firms at the beginning and end of the organizational life cycle. European Journal of Business Research, 12(1): 59-70.

Canabal, A., Harkins, J. A. & Manev, I. M. 2012. What do you want and how much do you want it? A study of entrepreneurial goals and motivation intensity. Journal of International Management Studies, 12(1): 70-84.

Arndt, A. D., Karande, K. & Harkins, J. 2012. Does the performance of other functions in the frontline influence salesperson conflict? International Journal of Retailing and Distribution Management, 40 (9), 717-736.

Harkins, J. & Arndt, A. D. 2012. Antecedents and consequences of disclosures containing strategic disclosures. Strategic Management Review, 6 (1), 38-56.

Arndt, A. D. & Harkins, J. 2012. The role of technology in enabling sales support. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 13 (2), 66-73.

Service Work / Board Affiliations

Professional Activities

  • 2016 – Present: Vice President of the Board for UpStart Maine
  • 2016 – Present: Managing Partner CoVort
  • 2016 – Present: Managing Partner Fractional Executives of ME
  • 2016 – Present: Board Member of the Maine Discovery Museum
  • 2015 – Present: Managing Director of Scratchpad Accelerator 12 total companies between 2015 and 2019 in the program

Board of Directors

  • 2020 – Present: Cobbler Technologies

Entrepreneurial Advisory Boards

  • 2017 – Present: Wilcox Wellness and Fitness
  • 2014 – Present: Tip Whip LLC
  • 2014 – 2017: FORK Food Labs

Funded Grant Activities

Maine Technology Institute Grant (2019) $80,000. Scratchpad Accelerator
Bangor Savings Bank (2019-2021) $150,000. Scratchpad Accelerator

NSF Awarded Number: 1701087. (2017) “PFI:AIR – TT: Lateral Field Excited Acoustic Wave Sensor for Monitoring Thin Film Properties in Solid State Devices” John Vetelino PI, Nuri Emanetoglu co-PI, Jason Harkins co-PI

John Vetelino PI. 2018 Research Reinvestment Fund Seed Grant award for “Sensor Development/Adaptation to Improve Healthcare: A Collaboration Between the University of Maine System and Saint Joseph’s Hospital”.