Dr. Benson Honig

Professor / Director, Centre for Research on Community Oriented Entrepreneurship (CRCE) / Business Research Chair

Department / Academic Area

Faculty, Human Resources And Management

Email

bhonig@mcmaster.ca

Phone

DSB: 23943

Biography

Research Interests: Entrepreneurship (nascent entrepreneurship, marginalized and transnational entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship in transition economies, immigration and social entrepreneurship, gender and minority entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ingenuity); Intrapreneurship; Ethics in Scholarship; Social Capital; Organizational Theory; AI). Dr. Benson Honig is internationally recognized for leading innovative action research programs that seek to promote a resilient and inclusive economy. His research has advanced scholarly dialogue in the fields of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, scholarly ethics, business planning, and social capital. He actively collaborates with non-profit organizations and scholars from a range of disciplines to conduct research that tangibly supports small and micro businesses belonging to nascent entrepreneurs and marginalized communities. Dr. Honig is a Professor and Endowed Chair in Human Resources and Management at the DeGroote School of Business. He also directs the Centre for Research on Community-Oriented Entrepreneurship (CRCE) and co-founded the Reframery, a virtual incubator with minimal overhead costs that offers training, coaching, mentorship, networking, shared services, and micro-grants to underserved communities—including women, refugees, older adults, and people with disabilities. This research program has supported entrepreneurs in Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Kenya, and Poland. It has informed public policy and education aimed at empowering and equipping marginalized persons to transform their skills into community-minded, sustainable, and profitable ventures, often amid austerity. Dr. Honig has secured over 2.4 million in research funding as principal investigator from sources such as SSHRC and the New Frontiers in Research Fund. His peer-reviewed publications in top-tier outlets have amassed over 20,000 citations (Google Scholar, July 2025). He regularly presents at international conferences, such as the annual meetings of the Academy of Management, and is a sought-after keynote lecturer. He has held visiting appointments at universities in Poland, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, and Uganda. Dr. Honig currently serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Business Research and the Human Resource Management Journal. He has held leadership roles with the Academy of Management and the Babson Conference, and is currently a board member of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM).