Stephen J. Anderson

Biography

Professor Anderson is an empirical researcher who studies management and policy questions at the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology-driven growth in developing economies. As a boundary spanner between the quantitative and behavioural fields of marketing, his research focuses on spurring more equitable advancement for the small firms that epitomize these markets. Steve uses multi-year field experiments, along with lab-in-the-field studies, to examine the main effects and mechanisms of marketing-based interventions (e.g., analytics technology, digitization practices, AI tools, e-payment solutions) on the behaviours, mindsets and performance of entrepreneurs and their customers.

Working alongside collaborators, Steve has been fortunate to secure over $30 million in funding for carrying out the interventions and data collection activities related to his field studies. In his first research program on promoting inclusive growth, one theme centers around building Marketing Capabilities in small firms and early-stage ventures, while the other focuses on Product Development. Steve’s second research program builds on this work by examining the role of technology and innovation in stimulating more sustainable growth – mainly through Ed-Fintech solutions that can be cost-effectively scaled, as well as Green Entrepreneurship projects that aim to drive both economic and environmental outcomes in business.

With more than twenty randomized controlled trials (RCTs) launched throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Asia, Steve has been a pioneer in bringing development economics research to the field of marketing over the past decade. These studies have been published in top journals across both disciplines, including Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing Research, Management Science and the Journal of Marketing, as well as the Journal of Political Economy and the Journal of Development Economics. The impact of this work has also been recognized with the MSI/AMA Paul Root Award, the INFORMS Frank Bass Outstanding Dissertation Award, the Hunt-Maynard Award (finalist), the AMA Robert Lavidge Global Marketing Research Award, and the INFORMS Gary Lilien Practice Prize Award.

Steve joined Mays after spending time with the World Bank and Stanford GSB, where he was a professor for five years. Before returning for doctoral studies, he gained industry experience in the technology start-up space, working with entrepreneurs in product management and tech-transfer roles. This early interest in entrepreneurship has carried over to Steve’s present day research activities, only now he is focused on designing and testing accelerator programs with entrepreneurs in developing economies. And more recently, translating his research into practice at Mays, Steve became the founding director of “Creative Destruction Lab – Texas”, an accelerator within CDL’s global startup program for seed-stage, science-based companies.

Having grown up on the west coast of Canada, Steve has always enjoyed activities involving the ocean and the outdoors! He’s become an avid gardener in recent years – working on his green-thumb at home and with green-entrepreneurs abroad. In addition, he is passionate about competitive team sports, and also likes traveling internationally to learn from different cultures and diverse perspectives. Steve shares these life adventures with his wife (Sophia) and their three kiddos (Jude, Sampson and Ayla Grace).