Prof Farrington has been a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the Nelson Mandela University (previously NMMU/UPE) since 1995. She was awarded her Doctorate in April 2009 for her study on siblings working together in family businesses. In addition, Prof Farrington holds an MBA degree from the Ghent-Leuven-Vlerick School of Management in Belgium (magna cum laude), as well as a BCom Hons degree (cum laude), an HDE diploma, (cum laude), and a BCom degree from the University of Port Elizabeth.
Prof Farrington has extensive lecturing, research and practical experience in the field of small business and entrepreneurship, specifically relating to start-up issues and business plans. Her field of expertise in the area of family business relates particularly to entrepreneurship in family businesses as well as family relationships and teamwork among family members in business together. She and her husband, psychologist Robin Farrington, a marriage and relationship consultant, work closely in this regard.
To date Prof Farrington has co-authored 45 accredited journal articles and has presented more than 100 papers at international and national conferences. Sixteen of these conference papers have either been nominated or won best paper or runner-up best paper awards. In addition, she is the co-author of a book titled “Starting and managing your own business”, now in its second edition. She has also contributed chapters to an introductory management textbook which is now in its third edition.
Prof Farrington has supervised many post-graduate honours, masters and doctoral projects and is also the faculty of Business and Economics Sciences mentoring project coordinator. She is an avid researcher and currently has NRF C2 rating. In 2012 and 2013, she was the faculty researcher of the year, and in 2016, the faculty runner up researcher of the year. Her most notable research award was an NMMU research excellence award in 2013, for being one of the universities top researchers.
Prof Farrington was actively involved in a family business with her two brothers for 14 years and was also instrumental in the establishment of five other small family businesses. She currently still serves as an ad-hoc advisor to these businesses.