Kirkwood's interests include tall poppy syndrome, mumpreneurs and social entrepreneurs.
Kirkwood completed a PhD titled One size doesn’t fit all: gender differences in motivations for becoming an entrepreneur at the University of Otago in 2004.
[1] Kirkwood then joined the faculty of the Otago Polytechnic, rising to full professor.
[3] Kirkwood's interests include tall poppy syndrome, which is a tendency to mock, belittle or denigrate successful people, and her inaugural professorial lecture focussed on whether tall poppy syndrome was holding New Zealand entrepreneurs back.
[5] Kirkwood has also researched mumpreneurs and social entrepreneurs, and the role of family members in encouraging entrepreneurship.