abs rdp brochure

7/22/2019 Abs Rdp Brochure

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/abs-rdp-brochure 1/46

DELIVERINGWORLD CLASSRESEARCHTO ACHIEVEGLOBAL RESULTS

Aston Business School Research



Welcome

I am delighted to introduce Aston

Business School and share with yousome of our outstanding research,which is adding value and impact tothe national and international business

environments.

Situated in the heart of the UK, amidthe culturally diverse population ofBirmingham, Aston Business Schoolattracts leading academics and keythinkers from around the world whoare committed to creating a rigorous,forward thinking environment.

For more than 60 years, we haveconducted pioneering researchinto contemporary business andmanagement issues, making us oneof the most firmly established researchbased Business Schools in the UK.The 2008 Research AssessmentExercise (RAE) deemed 95% of ourresearch to be of international standing,

placing us firmly in the top ten of morethan 90 UK Business Schools.

Welcome

We pride ourselves on our reputationfor generating research of the higheststandard: research that truly makesa difference. We work in collaborationwith industry, the public sector and theacademic community to develop newresearch initiatives, with a particularfocus on applied research thatcontributes to business excellence,policy and sustainable economicgrowth and development.

Our research delivers on

four key foci:

> Strategic HR, high-performanceteamwork and globally relevant

leadership> International investment, finance

and innovation

> Entrepreneurship and sustainability

> The practice of strategy, changemanagement and performancemanagement.

These foci have been the impetus

for a number of the research projectsundertaken by our Academic Groupsand Research Centres. These projects,some of which are described in thisbrochure, demonstrate the ways inwhich Aston Business School has animpact on society on a local, nationaland global scale.

Professor Pawan Budhwar

Associate Dean Research

‘‘

‘ ‘



Contents

03-07 Research Environment 04 Research Foci

04 The Academic Groups

05 The Research Centres

06 Our Research Awards

07 Our Publications

07 Our Reach and Influence

09-25 Research that Makes a Difference

10-13 Research Focus 1

Strategic HR, high-performance teamworkand globally relevant leadership


International investment, finance and innovation


Entrepreneurship and sustainability


The practice of strategy, change managementand performance management

27-31 Engaging with Business

28-29 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

30-31 Engaging Research for Business Transformation (EREBUS)

33-35 Research Degrees at Aston Business School

34-35 Research Degrees Programme

Contents



Research excellencewith global impact

02



Research

EnvironmentResearch is at the heart of what we do.The results we achieve are valued and referencedglobally. Our research is delivered through ournetwork of Academic Groups and Research

Centres, and Aston Business School facultymembers are in demand worldwide to workwith academics, businesses, policy makers,industry and governments.

Research environment 03



The Academic Groups

Aston Business School

embraces a wide range

of specialisms extending

across the full spectrum of

business and managementdisciplines. Our researchers

are organised into six

Academic Groups, each

forming an intellectually

vibrant community of

academics and research

students with common

interests.> Aston Law

> Economics and Strategy

> Finance and Accounting

> Marketing

> Operations and InformationManagement

> Work and Organisational Psychology.

Research environment04

A distinctive focuson applied research

Research Foci

We have particular skills in

pioneering new collaborative

research initiatives, with

a distinctive focus on

applied research.Our research delivers on four key foci:

> Strategic HR, high-performanceteamwork and globally relevantleadership

> International investment, financeand innovation

> Entrepreneurship and sustainability

> The practice of strategy, changemanagement and performancemanagement.



> Aston Centre for Higher EducationLearning and Management (HELM)

> Aston Centre for HumanResources (ACHR)

> Aston Centre for Research intoInternational Business (ACRIB)

> Centre for Performance Measurementand Management (CEPMMA)

> El Shaarani Centre for IslamicBusiness and Finance (EIBF)

> Institute for Health ServicesEffectiveness (IHSE).

Cross-Disciplinary University

Research Centres

Cross-Disciplinary Research Centresspan disciplinary boundaries to enablefocused and collaborative research withother Schools at Aston University.

> Aston Centre for Critical Infrastructureand Services (ACCIS)

> Aston Centre for InterdisciplinaryResearch in Language and Diversity(InterLanD)

> Aston India Foundation for Applied Research (AIFAR)

> European Bioenergy ResearchInstitute (EBRI)

> Centre for Sustainabilityand Innovation (CSI).


The Research Centres

Our Research Centres

have each been established

as a platform from which

we respond to emerging

research topics. They fostera sharpened focus on specific

areas of enquiry and promote

increased visibility and impact

for our research.



Examples of recent research awards:

> Dr Christopher Brewster receiveda research award of €363,011from the European CommissionDirectorate-General Home Affairsfor the project ‘Disaster 2.0: Using

Web 2.0 applications and semantictechnologies to strengthen publicresilience to disasters’

> Professor Paula Jarzabkowskisecured a European CommissionMarie Curie International OutgoingFellowship of €313,340 for researchon interdisciplinary advances inbehavioural theories of financialrisk-taking

> Professor Mark Hart received £48,795from UK Trade and Investment toexamine the contribution of tradeand investment to high growth firms

> Dr Nick Theodorakopoulos wasawarded £83,145 from the Economic

& Social Research Council (ESRC) tofine-tune an on-line assessment toolfor business incubators

> Dr Helen Shipton and ProfessorPawan Budhwar received an ESRCaward of £13,864 for a seminarseries with Warwick and Lancasteruniversities on organisationalinnovation, people managementand performance

> Professor Tim Baines has secured£352,911 from the European RegionalDevelopment Fund for his project‘Exploiting Servitization in WestMidlands SMEs’

> Professor Nigel Driffield, ProfessorJim Love, Dr Sumon Bhaumik and DrJun Du have been awarded an ESRC

Follow on Fund grant of £89,956 fortheir project ‘Maximizing the Benefitsof Inward Investment – How Best toTarget Limited Funds’.

Research environment06

In the past four years ourresearch has attractedfunding of over

£10million

Our Research Awards

Our research has attracted

funding of over £10million

in the past four years. This

reflects its relevance and

intellectual rigour.



Our Reach and Influence

We ensure that our research

is shared as widely as

possible through conferences,

workshops, industry

presentations and academicexchange visits.

Recent conferences and seminars at

Aston Business School have included:

> The 25th British Academy of

Management Conference: Buildingand Sustaining High PerformanceOrganisations in a ChallengingEnvironment

> The 11th International Human

Resource Management

Conference: Emergence of NewEconomic Powers – Management ofHuman Resources in the ChallengingGlobal Context

> The 1st Annual Symposium on

Islamic Finance: Analytical andEmpirical Research in Islamic

Finance, Management, Economicsand Law

> International Conference on

Manufacturing Research 2012:

Manufacturing Technology andOperations to Sustain BusinessSuccess

> The Aston Marketing Research

Camp: Discussing research practice

and identifying promising researchdirections.

International influence through

Visiting Scholars:

Visiting Scholars of internationalstanding contribute significantly to theresearch excellence of the School’s Academic Groups, Research Centres

and Doctoral Programme, and helpconnect Aston to the global academiccommunity through collaboration andknowledge exchange. This has led toimproved research links, production of joint papers and submission of researchgrant applications. Within the past year, Aston Business School has hostedvisitors from India, Australia, Japan,China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands

and the USA.


Our Publications

A further measure of the

excellence of our research

is the number of published

works written by our

researchers. Since 2008, AstonBusiness School academics

have produced over 1,300

publications, including:

> 512 papers in internationalpeer-reviewed journals

> 344 conference papers presentedat international conferences

> 26 authored books> 160 contributions to edited works.

If you would like further information

on any of the research undertaken

at Aston Business School, please

contact:

Professor Pawan Budhwar

Associate Dean Research Aston Business School Aston University

Aston TriangleBirminghamWest Midlands B4 7ETUnited Kingdom

www.aston.ac.uk/abs/research



Our research is valuedby the global business

community

08



Research that

Makes a Difference> Research Focus 1 Strategic HR, high-performance teamwork

and globally relevant leadership

> Research Focus 2 International investment, finance and innovation

> Research Focus 3 Entrepreneurship and sustainability

> Research Focus 4 The practice of strategy, change management

and performance management

Research that makes a difference 09



10 Research that makes a difference10

Research Focus 1Strategic HR,

high-performanceteamwork andglobally relevant

leadership

Our research helps businesses to implementstrategic change by aligning organisational

performance and individual talent to improvecompetitive advantage. It creates toolsand interventions that enable individualemployees to drive organisational success,advancing practice in strategic humanresource management.




Organisational Cognitive

Neuroscience

Organisational cognitive neuroscienceadvances our understanding of the

psychological processes whichunderlie human behaviour in marketsand organisations. ‘Adlab’, a nationalresearch study sponsored by the BritishScience Association as part of the2010 British Science Festival (held at Aston), was designed and conductedby Professor Nick Lee and LauraChamberlain from Aston BusinessSchool and Dr Carl Senior from the

School of Life and Health Sciences.The research looked at howconsumers react to different types ofadvertisements and what the processesare that may lead to positive behaviourchange (such as eating more healthily).

Gaining an insight into why particularadvertisements appeal to differenttypes of people should lead to moreeffective advertising, which willbenefit companies and, from a policyperspective, help influence morepositive behaviours.

Human Resource Management

(HRM) and Internal Marketing

in Indian Call Centres

A £100,826 award from the Economic

& Social Research Council (ESRC)enabled Professor Pawan Budhwarand Dr Neeru Malhotra to conductresearch into the main human resourceproblems facing the Indian call centresector. The research identified factorsthat influence the growth of businesses,with a particular focus on the effectof internal marketing strategieson employee attitudes andorganisational performance.

Findings from the research haveenabled managers to understandand implement suitable humanresource systems relevant to thissector. The implementation of thesestrategic systems has helped todevelop employee commitment,

improve service performance andencourage better retention, thusincreasing the profitability andcompetitiveness of call centresin India.



Research that makes a difference12

Aston Centre for Human

Resources (ACHR)

Aston Centre for Human Resources isinterested in understanding, identifying

and improving the effectiveness ofhuman resources (HR) practices tohelp organisational competitiveness,encourage individual growth anddevelopment, and enhance performanceand work-related attitudes andbehaviours. Led by Dr Helen Shipton, ACHR also provides a nurturing andchallenging environment for scholarsin the broader field of human resource

management (HRM).

A primary focus of the Centre is strategicHRM and its role in organisationalinnovation and performance. It isincreasingly recognised that employeecontributions are critical in creatingand sustaining competitive advantage,and that empowerment and ‘justice’

deserve attention both in humanisingthe work environment and in getting thebest from employees. Carole Parkes isresearching the role of HR in corporatesocial responsibility and the factorsthat contribute to the creation of ethicalorganisations.

The Centre’s standing in the academiccommunity is reflected in a recent awardfrom the Economic & Social ResearchCouncil (ESRC) for a seminar seriesin conjunction with the University ofWarwick and Lancaster University.The series draws on the insights ofleading scholars to explore the role ofpeople management practice in shapingorganisational innovation, with specificreference to medium-sized businesses.

Understanding, identifyingand improving the effectiveness

of human resources practices



Case StudyDeveloping aneffective workforcein the NHSDr Michael Butler

As a publicly-funded body, it is vital that The most recent survey results were Over a million NHS staff haveIn the Spotlight



the National Health Service understands

the effectiveness of its service and

personnel. Research into workforce

organisation and staff management

helps reveal and promote best practice,

resulting in a supportive working

environment for staff and, ultimately,

better patient care.

The NHS National Staff Survey

From 2003 to 2010, a survey believed

to be the largest annual workforce

review in the world was developed andconducted for the NHS by the Institute

for Health Services Effectiveness (IHSE).

The aim of the survey was to create a

benchmarking process on a range of

measures including staff experience,

satisfaction and opinion in order to

inform and improve NHS policy.

Research that develops

a strategic focus for HR

With funding of over £2million from

the Care Quality Commission, IHSE

managed the survey process including

developing the questionnaire and

methodology, analysing the resultsand providing an advice centre for

stakeholders. The survey required all

NHS trusts in England to take part, with

each trust responsible for conducting

and paying for a survey of their own

staff. All central support was provided

by the National NHS Staff Survey Advice

Centre at Aston Business School.

recorded by IHSE in 2010 when a total

of 306,000 employees across all NHS

trusts were asked for their views on

working for the NHS, with over 165,000

responding. The survey provided 38

key findings. Individual benchmarking

reports were produced for each

trust as well as national reports

which were published by the

Care Quality Commission.

Impact

Results from the survey were usedby the Care Quality Commission in a

number of ways, not least in the Annual

Health Check, which is the principal

performance management system for

NHS trusts. The staff survey accounted

for over 10% of the performance

indicators used.

The benchmark reports enabled NHS

trusts to see how they compared with

previous years and with other trusts

in similar categories. Detailed internal

breakdowns helped to reveal the areas

of strength and weakness within each

trust, and how staff experience could

be improved.

The Department of Health also used

the findings to determine workforce

policy and subsequently commissioned

further research from Aston to address

this. This enabled the Department’s

Staff Engagement Policy Group to

demonstrate the importance of staff

engagement in wider government

policymaking decisions.

benefited from the improved policies

and interventions brought about

by the survey. NHS patients have

in turn benefited from changes to

NHS services; the survey results

demonstrated significant links

between responses to the staff

survey and patient experience.

Researchers from IHSE are in high

demand to contribute to important

policy reviews and had significant

input into the 2009 Boorman Reviewof NHS staff health and well-being

commissioned by the Department

of Health. It included IHSE research

showing that NHS trusts with higher

levels of staff health and well-being

generally had lower absenteeism,

staff turnover and infection rates, as

well as higher patient satisfaction and

overall performance ratings. A further

conclusion was that having a healthy

workforce can deliver significant

financial benefits in terms of savings

on salary costs and other factors.

As a result, staff health and well-being

have become a priority within the NHS

Operating Framework for England.

For further information,

please contact:

Dr Michael Butler

Director, IHSE

T: +44 (0) 121 204 3053

E: [email protected]


In the Spotlight

Dr Michael Butler




Research Focus 2International

investment, financeand innovation

Innovation is one of the key determinantsof business success. Our research helpsidentify the main enablers and inhibitors ofinnovation and their impact on performance,profitability and growth. Economic conditionsare analysed, together with the various waysin which these incentivise innovation. Ourresearch consistently highlights the impactof knowledge sharing and its importancein shaping best practice for the future.



Aston Centre for Research into

International Business (ACRIB)

The Aston Centre for Research intoInternational Business is at the leading

edge of research into both internationalbusiness and innovation. Led byProfessor Nigel Driffield, there is a focusboth on the organisation – for exampleon the relationship between multi-nationality and performance, or howfirms engage in international technologytransfer – and on the importance ofForeign Direct Investment (FDI) forthe wider economy.

It is vital that business leaders andpolicy makers understand how FDIimpacts on economic growth, especiallyin the context of changes in theenvironment, with growth in sovereignwealth funds and increased FDI to andfrom emerging markets. This includesanalysis of the impact of inwardinvestment on host countries or regions,

and, for example, on FDI in conflict andpost-conflict zones. Research findingshave been used by many policy makersincluding UK Trade and Investment(UKTI), the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills (BIS), NationalEndowment for Science, Technologyand the Arts (NESTA), the EuropeanCommission, the World Bank and the

Foreign Investment Advisory Service.

Pension Risk Disclosures

by FTSE 100 Companies

The UK’s ageing population has resultedin growing concern about the risks

associated with company pensionschemes and their ability to meet futurepension payments. This concern isreflected in the increasing recognitionthat annual reports need to improvedisclosures about the pension risksfacing a company.

Margaret Woods, in collaboration withChristopher O’Brien and Mark Billings

(both from Nottingham UniversityBusiness School), has conductedresearch into pension risk disclosuresby FTSE 100 companies. The project,funded by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS),noted the widespread weaknesses incurrent reporting practice and includedproposals for changes to accountingregulations aimed at improving best

practice in the future. Their proposalswould result in improved comparabilityof pension risks across companiesand sectors.




El Shaarani Centre for Islamic

Business and Finance (EIBF)

Islamic principles place ethics andsustainability at the heart of business,forming a viable alternative to currentprofit-oriented approaches. Sharia lawprohibits the charging of interest or thesale of any debt, creating an equitable,sustainable and stable financial system. A strong link to the real economy hasmeant that Islamic financial institutionshave suffered far less in the currentturmoil compared to their conventionalcounterparts.

Islamic finance is an emerging researchtheme within the School and the ElShaarani Centre for Islamic Businessand Finance, directed by Dr Omneya Abdelsalam, is the platform for theSchool’s growth in this area. It exploreshow Islamic finance can expand intoboth the Islamic and Western financialmarkets and what the mainstream

financial institutions can learn fromIslamic financial practices in theirrecovery. The Centre encouragesinter-cultural and inter-religious dialogueas well as co-operation with secularethical initiatives in order to worktowards a more ethical and stablefinancial and world economy.

Competitive Manufacturing

Operations

Manufacturers are increasingly choosingto link a portfolio of services to theirproducts. This services-led competitivestrategy is achieved through a processknown as servitization. These servicesstrengthen relationships with customers,create new and resilient revenue streamsand set high barriers for competition.

Professor Tim Baines specialises in therealisation of competitive manufacturingoperations and has worked with many

services-led companies includingRolls-Royce, Caterpillar, Alstom, MANand Xerox. Tim’s in-depth researchinvestigates the operations andstrategies employed by many of thesemanufacturers, making best practiceavailable to other organisations whowish to compete in this effective way.


A viable alternative to currentprofit-orientated approaches



Case StudyBenchmarking forbusiness incubatorsDr Nicholas Theodorakopoulos

Reliable information on the performance

and impact of business incubators is a

pressing need for those involved in this

Research that underpins and

encourages innovation

Impact

The on-line assessment tool will enableIn the Spotlight



pressing need for those involved in this

increasingly important field. This new

project will provide rigorous research

to underpin improved practice and

evidence-based policy at local, regional,

national and international levels.

It builds on two previous studies

which identified reliable assessment

and on-going peer support as vital

components in supporting business

incubation management.

Nurturing a community of business

incubation management practice

The project is led by Dr Nicholas

Theodorakopoulos and is undertaken

in collaboration with UK Business

Incubation (UKBI), with funding of

£83,145 from the Economic & Social

Research Council (ESRC). It focuses

on the exchange of knowledge between

Aston Business School, UKBI and

managers of incubators in the UK.

It aims to fine-tune and make more

widely available a prototype on-line

assessment tool which business

incubator managers can use to evaluate

their performance against agreed best

practice, and consistently monitor

their impact.

The tool will provide the information

required to identify incubation

managers’ development needs and will

work as a ‘reference object’ for nurturing

a new Community of Practice for

incubation managers.

The research team will consider a

cross-section of business incubation

environments, including those with

social inclusion, community and

regeneration objectives. Incubator

managers will be interviewed face-

to-face and their use of the prototype

tool will be observed. Together with

a consideration of each business’s

policies and strategic plans, the

information gathered will be used to

fine-tune the prototype and populatea database of comparable information

about their management, performance

and impact. Moreover, focus groups

and surveys of client firms within

each incubator will provide a

triangulated picture.

The above will allow the development

of a rigorous and relevant assessment

tool, which will be added to UKBI’s

portfolio of services, and thus

disseminated to an extensive network

of practitioners. In addition, results will

be shared via conferences, academic

journals and a series of workshops.

The project will serve as a springboard

for further research in this domain,

contributing to the knowledge-base on

business incubators, their performance

and impact. It is anticipated that

entrepreneurship policy on business

incubation and technological innovation

management will be informed by the

outcomes of this project.

managers to align with best practice,

improve value-added services and

better support enterprises through

improved incubation expertise. The

establishment of a community of

business incubation management

practice will provide opportunities for

peer support and knowledge sharing.

Together, these will promote innovation,

economic growth, employment

generation, social mobility and cohesion.In addition, the data generated will

contribute to evidence-based policy,

and provide policy makers with reliable

information on the longer-term impact

and added value of business incubation.

Project leader Dr Nicholas

Theodorakopoulos commented:

“This project will offer and make

widely available an applicable tool

for improving business incubation

performance. It is expected to have a

high, multiple impact across a host of

stakeholders, ranging from business

incubator managers to incubatees,

researchers and policy makers in thisdomain. As such, it will add to relevant

knowledge-bases and spur employment

generation, innovation and socio-

economic growth at different levels.”


please contact:

Dr Nicholas Theodorakopoulos

T: +44 (0)121 204 3472



Dr Nicholas Theodorakopoulos

R h F 3




Research Focus 3Entrepreneurship

and sustainability

Entrepreneurship and sustainability are vitalto economic growth and stability. We aim toadvance the understanding of new and emergingchallenges and develop robust strategies to meetthem. We create tools that can be replicatedworldwide, enabling communities, policy makersand practitioners to generate sustainable businesssolutions. Our research analyses entrepreneurialactivity and the impact of sustainability ondeveloping economies and we promote theprinciples of Corporate Social Responsibilityto organisations and economies worldwide.




Climate change and corporate

social responsibility

With funding from the British Council,Drs Ataur Belal and Stuart Cooper,with Professor Prasanta Dey,are working in collaboration withresearchers at Dhaka University inBangladesh to heighten awarenessof environmental and climate changeissues amongst business leaders.

The project focuses on ‘CorporateReporting and Embeddedness ofEnvironmental and Climate Change

Issues in Bangladesh’. It hasinvestigated the reporting practicesof the Top100 companies on theDhaka Stock Exchange, and developedcase studies of UK multinationalsoperating in Bangladesh and theirdomestic counterparts. In addition,interviews were held with stakeholdersfrom international agencies, NGOs,professional bodies and business

associations. The results of theresearch will inform future corporatesocial responsibility (CSR) policiesof the government of Bangladesh,one of the developing countriesmost vulnerable to the effects ofclimate change.

Centre for Sustainability

and Innovation (CSI)

The Centre for Sustainability andInnovation is an inter-disciplinaryresearch centre focusing onsustainability, innovation and greenissues. Over the past three years,with funding from Aston University,it has sponsored a series of seedcorn grants covering such topics ascorporate climate change reporting inthe media, community engagement insustainability, greenwash in corporatereporting, lifelong learning, sustainability

and urban regeneration, semantictechnologies and sustainability.

Professor Prasanta Dey is collaborating




Aston India Foundation for

Applied Research (AIFAR)

The Aston India Foundation for Applied Research works to disseminateknowledge that will significantlyimprove operations and profitabilityfor corporations in India or those withIndian interests abroad. Business andengineering academics, in collaborationwith the Indian Institute of Technologyin Delhi, are working on a three-year,£3million Science Bridges project tolook into tackling energy poverty in Indiaby using waste products to generate

power. Supported by Research CouncilsUK (RCUK) and the Indian Departmentof Science and Technology (DST),

with colleagues from the School ofEngineering and Applied Science tooversee the construction of a combinedheat and power plant in a remote villagein northern India. The plant enablesregional farmers and their families to

access a cheap, renewable and reliableenergy source that in turn can helpremote villages to generate an incomeand escape from a ‘fuel poverty’ cycle.

The research will also investigaterenewable biomass technologies in theUK, which are currently being developedby Aston University’s EuropeanBioenergy Research Institute (EBRI). The

findings of this research will contributeto Birmingham’s 2025 target to reducegreenhouse gas emissions by 60%.

AIFAR’s Director Professor PawanBudhwar recently completed a StrategicHRM Foundation funded project (US$36,228) with Mohan Thite and AdrianWilkinson of Griffith University, Australia,which helped develop and apply aframework to examine the nature ofglobal HR strategies and practices ineight Indian multinational companies.The analysis has provided insightsinto the motives, strategic opportunitiesand constraints in cross-nationaltransfer of HR polices and practicesin a multi-polar world.

Tackling energy poverty inIndia by using waste products

to generate power



Case StudyEntrepreneurship:the key to economicrecovery?Professor Mark Hart

Entrepreneurial activity can contribute

to growth and national competitiveness.

Professor Mark Hart, an expert on small

business and enterprise, leads a UK

Research that develops sustainable

economic communities

GEM UK understands the challenges

f d b i di id l d iti

Impact

This extensive research enables policy

makers to gain a wider understanding

f th i t d t ib ti

In the Spotlight



business and enterprise, leads a UK

team in collaboration with Dr Jonathan

Levie at Strathclyde Business School on

a project that analyses the contribution

of entrepreneurial aspiration, intention

and activity to economic recovery.

The Global Entrepreneurial

Monitor (GEM)

Each year the Global Entrepreneurial

Monitor (GEM) analyses the rateof entrepreneurial activity between

countries, and uncovers factors

underpinning the differences which

can impede or enhance enterprising

activity and national output

(www.gemconsortium.org).

GEM UK specifically analyses

comparative measures across the

home nations of the UK. The results

help both the private and public sectors

by enabling organisations to understand

the scale and nature of entrepreneurial

activity. GEM UK is identified as a

key player in providing intelligence

and evidence of the drive to boostUK enterprise. Since it came to Aston

Business School in 2008 the GEM

UK project has attracted in excess of

£1million in external research funding.

faced by individuals and communities

aiming to succeed in entrepreneurial

activity. The project deepens our insight

into the variation in entrepreneurial

intention and activity across groups

such as young adults, women’s

enterprise and ethnic minorities to

identify the challenges that impede

progress and to recognise new

opportunities for success.

A principal user of GEM UK is the

Department for Business, Innovation

and Skills (BIS) who use the findings

to understand the contribution of

entrepreneurship to the economy.

In 2010, the study was set against the

backdrop of a world still struggling to

emerge from the 2008–2009 recession,

with a number of nations undergoing

major reforms in the effort to stabilise

their economies. Nevertheless, the

survey found that the UK fared relatively

well, with the percentage of working age

individuals who agreed there were good

opportunities for starting a business in

their local area in the next six monthsincreasing from 24% in 2009 to 29%

in 2010.

Professor Hart stresses, however, that

it takes more than the absolute numbers

of entrepreneurs to impact economic

development. The findings suggest that

it is the quality of the businesses which

drives growth and sparks innovation,

and which encourages participation

in the international marketplace.

of the impact and contribution

individuals can make to economic

growth, with an emphasis on

how governments can encourage

entrepreneurial activity. In particular,

Professor Hart emphasises that: “The

GEM UK evidence, combined with the

results from other comparable countries,

allows us to identify the bott lenecks

to the entrepreneurial process, which

provides policy makers with greaterinsight into the areas in which they

should be developing initiatives.”


please contact:

Professor Mark Hart

T: +44 (0) 121 204 3048



Professor Mark Hart

Research Focus 4




Research Focus 4 The practice of

strategy, changemanagementand performance

management

Our research enables organisations to increasetheir strategic agility and develop sustainablestrategies which meet the needs of multiplestakeholders. In addition we demonstratehow organisations can manage and lead throughchange, identifying areas in which they can adaptto changing markets and develop a competitiveadvantage within them. Our research alsounderpins the development of morecompetitive consumer markets.




Aston Centre for Critical

Infrastructure and Services

(ACCIS)

ACCIS delivers cutting edge researchinto the challenges of criticalinfrastructure service industries.

Current policy proposals aim toliberalise the water industry andpromote competition by separatingcharges in the water industry supplychain. Dr David Saal, in collaborationwith Alexandros Maziotis and Pablo Arocena from Universidad Pública

de Navarra in Spain, has developedstrategic research methods to lookat how to make the water industry amore competitive market. The researchanalysed upstream (water collection)and downstream (water distribution)practices and outlines where savingscould be made. The research, fundedby Severn Trent Water, is being used bythe water industry to inform policy, and

offers valuable lessons for the currentreform debate in England and Wales.

The TRANSFORMATION

Project

The way an organisation deals withproject management has a huge impactnot only on its own performance but

also on the lives of its customers.The cost of project failure can beimmense, and not only in financialterms. Led by Dr Michael Butler, withfunding of £99,785 from the Economic& Social Research Council (ESRC),and supported by the Associationfor Project Management (APM), theTRANSFORMATION Project has built on

knowledge gained from the public, thirdand private sectors to create two newmanagement toolsets: the Receptivityfor Change Toolset and the Actor Analysis Toolset.

The Receptivity for Change Toolsethelps organisations to identify factorsthat enable or hinder their ability toimplement change, while the Actor

Analysis Toolset produces detailedsummaries on the people andorganisational processes involved,and outlines their potential impact onthe change project. The toolsets alloworganisations to see where their effortsshould be channelled, focusing onturning resistant actors, actor groupsand organisations into proactive ones

whilst keeping on board those whoalready support the change.

A key benefit of the ERGO project hasbeen the increase in networking and




Analysing the preparednessof EU countries for massevacuation

Evacuation Responsiveness

by Government Organisations

(ERGO)

When natural disasters or man-madeemergencies occur, effective evacuationplanning is vital for minimising casualtiesand speeding recovery, and is a majorconcern for government organisationsacross the world. Aston researchershave been leading a €444,925 three-year project funded by the EuropeanCommission Directorate-General Home Affairs to analyse the preparednessof EU countries for mass evacuation.

Contributors from 10 countries haveworked on a framework coveringsix areas: preparing the public,understanding the evacuation zone,making the decision to evacuate,disseminating the warning message,evacuating pedestrians and traffic,and shelter management.

bee e c ease e o g a dcollaboration between EmergencyManagement Agencies in differentcountries. Aston Business Schoolhosted an International Conference onEmergency Preparedness (InterCEPt),

a unique opportunity for academics,practitioners and policy makers toshare insights, plans and approachesto prepare governments for whendisaster strikes, as well as to identifyways of preparing the public to respondto major incidents. Work is also beingundertaken on developing a standardon mass evacuation with theInternational Standards Organisation.

C S



Case Study

Reinsurance,London comparedwith Bermuda:an ethnographiccomparison of the

basis of trading andthe implications for

future evolutionProfessor Paula Jarzabkowski

The reinsurance industry

Recent changes in technology and

regulation have intensified competition

in insurance markets. Professor Paula

Jarzabkowski a leading authority on

Research that enables organisations

to strategise effectively

The report produced by Professor

Jarzabkowski, entitled ‘Trading Risk:

the value of relationship models and

Impact

Reinsurance firms and broking houses

worldwide are now able to evaluate and

strengthen their practices systematically,

identifying when best to use face-to-

In the Spotlight



Jarzabkowski, a leading authority on

strategic management in the Economics

and Strategy Group, won a Business

Placement Fellowship funded by the

ESRC and the Insurance Intellectual

Capital Initiative (IICI) (total £170,999),

to examine the benefits of a flexible

approach to the underwriting process.

Face-to-face or electronic

interaction: which to use?

The research considered the London

and Bermuda reinsurance markets.

Lloyd’s of London have built their market

around a central physical location where

businesses value face-to-face contact

at the point of their decision making.

Bermuda operates more remotely and

makes greater use of electronic trading,

exploiting regulatory and taxation

conditions without being bound to

a particular physical location.

the value of relationship, models and

face-to-face interaction in a global

reinsurance market’, analysed the

strengths and weaknesses of the

reinsurance underwriting and broking

practices in both the Lloyd’s and

Bermuda marketplaces. The strengths

of each were identified so that both

markets can in future determine which

process would be most effective foreach transaction, increasing efficiency

and effectiveness in the underwriting

process.

Further research

Following the success of this research,

Professor Jarzabkowski achieved a

second Business Placement Fellowship,

again funded by the ESRC and the IICI

(total £175,625). Her new report ‘Trading

Risks: the role of European firms in the

global reinsurance market’ builds on

the first project by focusing on trading

practices in European reinsurance

markets. In contrast to Lloyd’s and

Bermuda, European reinsurance buying

is mostly ‘direct’, without intermediation

by a broker. The comparison of direct

and mediated trading is an important

addition to the research, and the

inclusion of Europe produces a global

dataset covering the three main

reinsurance markets that between them

account for 94% of the global market.

identifying when best to use face to

face, electronic or ‘direct’ trading. They

will also be better placed to capitalise

on recent industry changes.

In addition, Professor Jarzabkowski’s

research enables the reinsurance

industry to understand the training

and development implications of each

means of conducting business, helps

policy makers to picture how future

markets will develop, and promotes

good practice to the benefit of all

stakeholders.


please contact:

Professor Paula Jarzabkowski

T: +44 (0) 121 204 3139



Professor Paula Jarzabkowski



26

Helping businesses improvecompetitiveness, productivityand performance

Engaging



Engagingwith Business

Aston Business School has an excellent reputationfor innovative, relevant and impactful research.Researchers at the School have expertise inareas that make a real difference and are

committed not only to generating knowledgebut also to applying and transferring this tocreate sustainable business solutions.

Our expertise can give businesses a real competitive advantage.

We work with businesses in many ways at tactical and strategic

levels to best suit circumstances, including:

> Short term projects and placements> Access to UK and EU funding

> Bespoke research collaboration

> Executive development.

We have a long track record of successful research collaboration

with businesses of all sizes. For example:

> Aston University is a leading provider of KnowledgeTransfer Partnerships

> We were also the lead partner in the landmark EREBUS(Engaging Research for Business Transformation) capacitybuilding cluster which facilitated funded and part-fundedprojects with businesses connected to the West Midlands.

Engaging with business 27

Knowledge Transfer Partnershipsis a UK-wide scheme designedto help businesses improve their

Business benefits

The precise benefits of a KTP to ani i d di h

Knowledge Transfer

Partnerships



to help businesses improve theircompetitiveness, productivity andperformance. These part-fundedprogrammes enable businesses toaccess our skills and expertise to help

their business develop. A qualifiedgraduate (Associate), recruited for theproject, works with the business for aperiod of one to three years to deviseand thoroughly embed the solutionsand knowledge to meet its particularstrategic needs. Throughout theprogramme, the Associate is mentoredby one of our leading academics andone of the business’s own managers

to ensure the new capability is robustand meets the requirements.

organisation vary depending on theproject. Latest information nationallyshows that, on average, recentpartnerships have resulted in:

> An increase of over £240,000

in annual profits before tax

> The creation of two genuinenew jobs

> Enhanced skills for existing staff.

Indicative costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are around£20,000 per year, and for largeorganisations around £30,000 per year.

This covers the employment cost of thegraduate and academic support andalso includes a provision for equipment,travel costs and the continued personaland professional development of the Associate. In addition, the TechnologyStrategy Board makes a significantcontribution to the overall costs ofthe KTP programme.

28

One example of collaboration

at a strategic level is

Knowledge Transfer

Partnerships (KTPs), in which

we partner organisationsto develop interventions

and embed knowledge that

together deliver tangible

commercial benefits and

make a lasting contribution

to their success.

Engaging with business

Recent KTP poster event

Dr Matthew Hall and the National

Skills Academy for Power (jointly

with the School of Engineering

Dr Ben Clegg and Higgs & Sons

Aston Business School academicsare partnering ith a ard inning la

KTPs can benefit a wide range

of businesses across many

sectors incl ding micro small



with the School of Engineering

and Applied Science)

Working with the National Skills Academy for Power, this project aimsto capture and store the knowledge

and skills of an ageing workforce in theelectrical power industry to enable thedevelopment of training and resourcesfor future staff.

Dr John Rudd and the British

Association of Social Workers (BASW)

This two-year KTP has transformedBASW, the UK’s largest membership

association for social workers, intoa market orientated organisationat strategic and operational levels.Information-based decision processeshave been embedded which facilitateadaptive strategic planning andmembership retention levels havesignificantly improved.

are partnering with award-winning lawfirm Higgs & Sons to implement aninnovative cultural change programmethat will impact on their performancethrough a better understanding of client

needs, re-examining pricing strategyand challenging operational processes.


please contact:

Tony Jay

Business Development Manager,Business Partnership Unit

T: +44 (0) 121 204 4236



£240,000

Nationally, recent partnershipshave resulted in an average increasein pre-tax annual profits of over

sectors, including micro, small

and large businesses, or public

sector organisations. KTPs

recently awarded include:

Engaging Research for

Business Transformation

(EREBUS)



(EREBUS)

In an era of increasing competition,organisations (especially SMEs withlimited market power and resources)need to continually innovate totransform their business. Effectiveknowledge transfer between universitiesand SMEs can help such transformation,leading to increased employment,productivity and profitability. TheEREBUS capacity building clusterwas developed in collaboration withWest Midlands businesses and theEconomic & Social Research Council

(ESRC) to enhance research that drivesbusiness innovation.

This highly successful £2million initiative,funded by the ESRC and led by AstonBusiness School in partnership with theuniversities of Warwick and Birmingham,provided funding for KTPs, Co-operative Award in Science & Engineering (CASE)Studentship Awards and other short-

term collaborative opportunities.It has transformed strategy andpractice in many organisations inthe West Midlands.

30

Recent EREBUS projects

have included:

> Express Energy: Review ofrenewables market (CASE Award)

> Department of Health: Learning and

innovation in health care technology(CASE Award)

> Warwickshire Police: Deliveringfaster police response times throughprocess efficiency (KTP)

> Aquarius Action Projects: Developing a business strategy andoperational processes in a changingfunding environment (KTP)

> SigmaPro: A systems approachto integrating lean thinking andSix Sigma (CASE Award).


please contact:

EREBUS Project Manager

E: [email protected]: +44 (0) 121 204 3249

www.erebus-cbc.com

Engaging with business

Case Study



Case Study

Developing an in-home care businessto provide homebased alternativesto in-hospitalservices such asrenal haemodialysisDr Graham Leask

Kimal is a successful Midlands-

based company which develops,

manufactures, markets and distributes

innovative medical devices, capital

equipment and customised procedural

solutions globally. It has built an

excellent reputation as a provider

A seven-fold target increase in ‘in-home’

treatments has been set. To ensure that

they are positioned to respond to this

changing service delivery model, Kimal

has entered into a two-year Knowledge

Transfer Partnership with leading

academics at Aston Business School,

The impact of the KTP

The key outcome of this project will

be a health economic model which will

help NHS decision makers understand

the overall costs of dialysis. The model

will use ground level financial data

allowing hospitals to make evidence

In the Spotlight



e ce e epu a o as a p o de

of renal haemodialysis products

and services to the NHS.

Currently there are around 20,000

dialysis patients in the UK and this is

predicted to increase by 8% per annum.

Technology and service delivery in the

sector is rapidly changing. Governmentpolicy is to migrate from ‘in-hospital’ to

‘in-home’ services wherever this can

be shown to offer improved clinical

outcomes for patients whilst generating

cost savings and societal benefits.

These have been demonstrated in

the case of renal haemodialysis; ‘in-

home’ dialysis frees patients from the

constraint of regular hospital sessions

and means that they can work and

lead a normal life. An additional benefit

is the reduced risk of cross-infection

compared to hospital patients.

acade cs a s o us ess Sc oo ,

funded by the Economic & Social

Research Council through the EREBUS

capacity building cluster.

This £128,582 project is led by

Dr Graham Leask, with Dr Rakesh

Bissoondeeal and a strong team

of colleagues from the Economicsand Strategy Group. The group has

considerable experience of competitive

strategic development and performance

measurement in many sectors, including

healthcare and pharmaceutical.

allowing hospitals to make evidence

driven decisions on the treatment of

their own patients. This will enable

Kimal to become a market leader in

‘in-home’ renal care, and pave the way

for the company to expand into other

‘in-home’ care products and services.

The partnership won the Innovation Award at the 2011 Medilink West

Midlands Healthcare Business Awards.

The awards, hosted by industry support

specialists Medilink West Midlands,

celebrate the commercial triumphs

of the very best firms in the region.

The project was also highly

commended in the ‘Partnership

with NHS/Academia’ category.

Mark Jenner, Commercial and Supply

Manager with Kimal, said of the win:

“This is great recognition of how

important it is to collaborate with

the right organisations and institutions

to help adopt new technology

and innovations.”


please contact:

Dr Graham Leask

T: +44 (0) 121 204 3150



Dr Graham Leask



At the forefront ofprofessional practice

32

Research Degrees



gat Aston BusinessSchool

Our Research Degrees Programmebrings together an intellectually stimulating

community of doctoral students from a rangeof academic and professional backgrounds.We specialise in research that addressesissues of practical relevance, and is boththeoretically advanced and at the forefrontof professional practice.

Research Degrees Programme 33

Aston Business School brings togethermore than 150 research students frommore than 40 countries, ensuringthat the research we undertake is of

Executive Doctorate of Business

Administration (DBA)

The Aston DBA is a professionald t t f ti h i h

Our Research Degrees

Programme combines

academic rigour with



that the research we undertake is ofglobal relevance. Our Research DegreesProgramme comprises an integratedportfolio of research degrees thatprovide students with the opportunityto pursue independent researchwithin a well-structured andsupportive framework.

MSc in Management Research

(by Research)

The Aston MSc in ManagementResearch (by Research) enablesstudents to pursue independent

research within a more containedframework. This programmeincorporates a taught ResearchManagement Course alongsidean extended research project.

MPhil/PhD in Management

The MPhil and PhD degrees areawarded for research that makes an

original contribution to knowledge in aparticular area. Our PhD students aresupervised by academics who are at theleading edge of research in their fields.

doctorate for executives who wishto undertake an original investigationinto a real business and managementissue. Executive Doctorate researchers

develop their intellectual, business andresearch expertise to the highest levelsand graduate as knowledge leaders intheir subject.


please contact:

Jeanette Ikuomola

Research Degrees Programme Administrator

T: +44 (0) 121 204 3219E: [email protected]

Research Degrees Programme34

Combining academic rigourwith comprehensive training

comprehensive training in

qualitative and quantitative

research methodologies.

Students working towardsa doctorate are expected to

make a tangible contribution

to knowledge and develop

their research and professional

capacities to the highest level.

Case Study



Case Study

Intuition in strategicdecision makingNeil Shepherd

Aston graduate Neil Shepherd is

researching how executives use their

intuition and experience when they

make strategic decisions.

Neil first graduated from Aston Business

School in 2004 with a first class BSc

(Hons) in Managerial and Administrative

St di H th t t k f

Neil describes his time as an

undergraduate at Aston as “the best

four years of my life”. He says he felt

well-supported academically, and

valued the helpfulness of the support

staff and management teams. He

likened his experience to being part of

a community, which he calls ‘the Aston

Effectiveness of strategic decisions

As part of his PhD Neil is researching

executives’ use of intuition and

experience in strategic decision making.

Strategic decisions critically affect the

health and survival of organisations.

Yet despite their importance, and

the prominent role that intuition and

In the Spotlight



Studies. He then went to work for

KPMG in London for five years, where

he qualified as a chartered accountant

and worked in audit and in mergers

and acquisitions. He returned to Aston

in 2009 to do his MSc (by research) in

Strategic Management, graduating in2010 with distinction. In October 2010

Neil began his PhD.

Family’. So when it came to choosing

where to do his Masters and PhD, there

was no contest. Neil says: “I didn’t

consider any other university; I knew

how happy I’d been at Aston.”

He identifies the key factors about his Aston experience that have helped

shape his career to date. “The practical

nature of the degrees makes graduates

very employable, and the placement

year enables you to try things out, and

see what you really want to do. Finally,

I was compelled to come back here for

my PhD because as an undergraduate

I had been so inspired by the l ecturers’

insights. I wanted to come back and

be part of that community – to follow

in the footsteps of the lecturers who

had taught me.”

the prominent role that intuition and

experience are assumed to play in

such decisions, very little research

exists in this area.

“I am passionate about this subject,”

says Neil. “Strategic decision making

has a massive impact on organisations,and can make or break a business.

Through this research, I want to

be able to help executives make

better decisions.”

Neil’s research is funded directly by the

Economic & Social Research Council.


please contact:

Neil Shepherd


Research Degrees Programme 35

Neil Shepherd



Aston Business Schoolresearch impacts societyon a local, national andglobal scale



Aston Business School

Aston University Aston TriangleBirmingham B4 7ETUnited Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)121 204 3000

www.aston.ac.uk/abs/research

abs rdp brochure

Documents