Enterprise Partnerships Research Articles

AFTER REGIONS: WHAT NEXT FOR LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS?

Standing out as an oddity in comparison to the convergence of policy across EU nations whereby the merits of regional apparatus – however defined – for administering development support appear to be accepted, the UK Government has abandoned England’s experiment with regionalism. Under the banner of localism, providing the thinnest of masks for swingeing public expenditure cuts, sub-national development activity (encompassing planning, regeneration, infrastructure development, enterprise support and spatial leadership) is in the throes of considerable economic shifts, policy flux and institutional upheaval (Ward & Hardy, 2012). This article attempts to address some of the questions posed in The regional lacuna: a preliminary map of the transition from Regional Development Agencies to Local Economic Partnerships (Pugalis, 2011) and helps to advance some of the points relating to the emerging sub-national development landscape published in recent issues of Regions (e.g. Bailey, 2011). The purpose is to take stock of policy developments underway by means of a post-regional sub-national review in order to outline the future development trajectory of Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Outsourcing Complex Business Processes: Lessons from an Enterprise Partnership

Outsourcing initiatives are key to firm efforts to focus on core competencies, alter engrained practices and attain significant cost reductions in non-core processes. Extensive thought goes into the selection of outsourcing service providers, with the aim of enlisting vendors that have the competence and reputation to lower cost and enhance service levels. However, in addition to traditional fee-for-service outsourcing, another option is to develop a new enterprise that is wholly or partially owned by the outsourcing entity to take on the activities that are externalized – a so-called “enterprise partnership.” This article examines one of the first examples of such a partnership: BAE Systems' efforts to outsource its HR services in collaboration with Xchanging It tracks the evolution of the resulting enterprise partnership from the perspective of both the new vendor and the outsourcing firm. The article also discusses the need for explicit contractual recognition of key phases of the outsourcing life cycle as a means to reduce inevitable in-process conflict. Understanding the divergence of interests that naturally emerge is critical to realizing the long-term promise that enterprise partnerships offer.

Rebalancing England: sub-national development (once again) at the crossroads

Over the last two decades there has been continuous tinkering and wholesale review of the remit, governance and territorial focus of sub-national development in England. There has also been mounting agreement that subsidiarity will produce optimum material outcomes. It is against this background that we provide a critical reading of the UK Coalition government's 2010 ‘White Paper’ on Local Growth. Revealing the peculiarities of an economic transition plan which dismantled a regional (strategic) framework, we explore the opportunities that cross-boundary local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) may provide. After abandoning regions, LEPs have been promoted as the only possible ‘replacements’ for regional development agencies and, thus, a prime example of new ‘techniques of government’. We probe the potentials and pitfalls from the dash to establish new sub-national techniques of government, and crystallize some key implications that apply beyond the shores of England. Our key contention is that LEPs have designed-in just as many issues as they have designed-out.

The governance of economic regeneration in England: Emerging practice and issues

How spatial economies are governed across the different places of England recently (re)commenced a process of fervent renegotiation following the 2010 election of a coalition government. As the third paper in a series examining state-led restructuring of sub-national development, the principal concern and analytical focus of this paper is the evolving governance landscape. Based on a review of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), the state reterritorialisation strategy is explored. Analysing the motives, interests, attributes and accountability of some primary actors entangled in these new and recast multilevel governance networks, the paper directs some much needed critical attention towards ‘the who’ aspects of economic regeneration partnership working. The paper argues that if LEPs are to be understood as a radical departure from what has gone before, then the form and mode of governance must, in turn, undergo a radical transformation of substance that transcends symbolic politics.

Diverse regional sustainability strategies: template for the future or squandered resources?

To date, regional sustainability has been given attention because it is often the case that key actors and stakeholders can be coordinated at this level. However, scant attention has been given to the question of whether and to what extent regionally-defined solutions for sustainability could and should be different to each other. Taking the example of the automotive industry this paper explores both theoretically and empirically the extent of diversity at a regional level in the UK where three regions (the North East, the West Midlands, and Wales) have adopted quite distinct trajectories and emphases (electric cars, low carbon cars and hydrogen cars, respectively) around novel mobility infrastructures and their attendant industrial bases. We use the transitions framework to interrogate the degree to which diversity is an inevitable outcome from the quest for sustainability at the local and regional levels considered against a backdrop of turbulent change as regional development agencies are abolished in favour of local enterprise partnerships.

Programming research: where are we and where do we go from here?

Convincing evidence has accumulated to show that both pre- and postnatal nutrition preprogram long-term health, well-being, and performance until adulthood and old age. There is a very large potential in the application of this knowledge to promote public health. One of the prerequisites for translational application is to strengthen the scientific evidence. More extensive knowledge is needed (eg, on effect sizes of early life programming in contemporary populations, on specific nutritional exposures, on sensitive time periods in early life, on precise underlying mechanisms, and on potential effect differences in subgroups characterized by, eg, genetic predisposition or sex). Future programming research should aim at filling the existing gaps in scientific knowledge, consider the entire lifespan, address socioeconomic issues, and foster innovation. Research should aim at results suitable for translational application (eg, by leading to health-promoting policies and evidence-based dietary recommendations in the perinatal period). International collaboration and a close research partnership of academia, industry, and small and medium enterprises may strengthen research and innovative potential enhancing the likelihood of translational application. The scientific know-how and methodology available today allow us to take major steps forward in the near future; hence, research on nutritional programming deserves high priority.

The new wave of Enterprise Zones

Besides the government’s clear commitment to reducing the deficit and national debt, there is also recognition that government has a role to play in enabling the private sector to flourish, and the economy to grow. The ‘Plan for Growth’ set out reforms aimed at breaking down barriers to enterprise, and the DCLG’s part in the growth agenda focuses on activities to all of which the introduction of Enterprise Zones (EZs) contributes. The government is very aware of the lessons learned from the EZs introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, which in some cases were expensive and created only a short-term boom. Today’s zones will concentrate on stimulating areas where there is strong potential for new jobs to be delivered quickly. The decision as to the location of the zones rests with Local Enterprise Partnerships — groups of business and civic leaders tasked with creating the right conditions for growth — which have been given a great deal of freedom in selecting EZ sites. Some areas have agreed two or more smaller sites, or are looking at a town centre location, focusing their EZs on specific sectors with good growth potential. To the first wave of 11 EZs allocated in the Budget of 2011, 11 more have now been allocated by competition. This generation of EZs will build on their economic potential to deliver growth and contribute to a flourishing economy.

The rates benefits of the new Enterprise Zones

The new Enterprise Zones (EZs) announced in the Chancellor’s 2011 budget will be a pale shadow of those designated in the 1980s. Restricted by EU limits, rates benefits are small, and exemptions are limited to low rateable value. Benefits will fall to sponsoring councils in Local Enterprise Partnerships sponsoring EZs however. Being able to retain the benefit of growth in business rates for a period of 25 years, they will have a powerful incentive to promote development that will increase the rateable value within the EZ.

Investigating the Social Capital and Resource Acquisition of Entrepreneurs Residing in Deprived Areas of England

Enterprise policy in England has focused extensively on funding and training aspiring entrepreneurs residing in deprived areas. These policy initiatives have been directed at increasing the capabilities of entrepreneurs residing in deprived areas without knowing about their social capital and access to resources. This study is based on a survey of entrepreneurs that have completed the New Entrepreneurship Scholarship training programme across the nine regions of England. The findings suggest that social capital helps explain the acquisition of resources entrepreneurs residing in deprived areas need to develop a new venture. However, there seems to be an overreliance on bonding ties for resource acquisition. Too much bonding can lead to redundant resources and ‘getting by’ and may limit growth. In light of these findings several recommendations are developed for the coalition government's Local Enterprise Partnerships policy and the future funding of entrepreneurship initiatives in deprived areas.

Prospects for local economic development in the north of England under the coalition

Britain's coalition government, elected in 2010, is making radical changes to the institutions for local economic development in England, scrapping New Labour's Regional Development Agencies and setting up weak, non-statutory Local Enterprise Partnerships. However, sharp regional differences remain between the North and the South, and the new arrangements are unlikely to achieve the coalition's avowed aim of rebalancing the economy.

ICT, Enterprise Education and Intercultural Learning

Little attention has been paid to the role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in enabling schools to work together in joint enterprise partnerships. This article reports on a school-based enterprise initiative which involved both primary and secondary school teachers working across an international frontier. The main findings of this research show that when ICT was used to link schools, it enabled a wide range of enterprise work to be carried out, particularly in the development of ‘soft’ skills. In primary schools, the ease of linking enterprise to the curricula in two different jurisdictions by teachers in well-established school partnerships led to high use of communication tools and strong collaborative learning. In secondary schools, in spite of timetabling difficulties and lack of prior experience between partners, links were made between a range of business studies courses and ICT helped to make enterprise far more than an academic subject. Overall, the evidence suggests that when students were working closely in teams across a national boundary, they developed a wide range of inter-personal skills that have been identified as important characteristics in enterprise work (Man & Yu, 2007) and for intercultural understanding (Deuchar, 2004).

The development of University Technology Transfer stakeholder relationships at a regional level: Lessons for the future

The increasing importance placed upon regional development and the knowledge-based economy as economic growth stimuli has led to a changing role for Universities and their interaction with the business community through (though not limited to) the transfer of technology from academia to industry. With the emergence of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) replacing the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), there is a need for policy and practice going forward to be clearly informed by a critique of TTO (Technology Transfer Office)–RDA stakeholder relationship in a lessons learned approach so that LEPs can benefit from a faster learning curve. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine the stakeholder relationship between three regional universities in the context of its TTO and the RDA with a view to determining lessons learned for the emerging LEP approach. Although the issues raised are contextual, the abstracted stakeholder conceptualisation of the TTO–RDA relationship should enable wider generalisation of the issues raised beyond the UK. Stakeholder theory relationship and stage development models are used to guide a repeat interview study of the TTO and RDA stakeholder groupings. The findings, interpreted using combined category and stage based stakeholder models, show how the longitudinal development of the TTO–RDA stakeholder relationship for each case has progressed through different stakeholder pathways, and stages where specific targeting of funding was dependant on the stakeholder stage. Greater targeted policy and funding, based on the stakeholder relationship approach, led to the development of joint mechanisms and a closer alignment of performance measures between the TTO and the RDA. However, over-reliance on the unitary nature of the TTO–RDA relationship may lead to a lack of cultivation and dependency for funding from other stakeholders.

Look before you LEP

State-led restructuring of sub-national economic governance and regeneration has been rapidly evolving over the past year or so across England. With several waves of cross-boundary Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) approved by the UK Government, it is opportune to take stock of some of the more notable shifts. Building on a preliminary analytical mapping of the rocky road from regionalism to sub-regional localism, the paper pays particular attention to the politicised process underpinning the alliances, and crafting, development and subsequent submission of LEP proposals, as well as the eventual assessment and state sanctioning of LEP bids. Examining the process from a variety of perspectives, the paper highlights unequal power relations and extracts a number of powerful policy considerations. The paper propounds the argument that the rhetoric of permissive policy masks centralist controlling tendencies and unwritten rules.

Sub-national economic development: Where do we go from here?

The UK’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat (Con-Lib) Coalition Government has been quickly dismantling New Labour’s policy framework since it gained political control in May 2010. Contemplating how this transition might play out and the impact upon regeneration policy, a preliminary map of the road from the incumbent English Regional Development Agencies to myriad Local Enterprise Partnerships is sketched out. The analytic interpretations are based on insights ‘in the field’ over the past decade and grounded in policy ‘chatter’. Reflecting on the importance of timing, resource availability and the policy vacuum arising between localities and national government, attention is drawn to countless questions that remain unanswered. Further, the Con–Lib Government’s sub-national economic policy architecture is demonstrated as remaining very much work in progress. The paper highlights that the current transitional period is likely to be disorderly and possibly ineffective: deconstruction is all well and good if the alternative reconstructions offer added value, but the potential to lose out is significant. While hope is expressed with a localism agenda which could potentially empower localities to devise unique policy solutions administered by tailored spatial configurations, it is cautioned that new spatio-institutional ‘fixes’ may open up new issues just as old ones are closed off. A policy story still being written, the analysis is of broader international appeal. Consequently, those plying their trade outside England can reflect on this and act accordingly the next time a new (and presumably better) policy innovation is proposed.

Where next for neighbourhood regeneration in England?

There has been a ‘triple whammy’ for neighbourhood regeneration in England in 2010. Key agencies and infrastructure have been abolished or cut back since the election of a new government; the previous administration’s area-based initiatives are ending; and property-led developments have slowed markedly during the recession. However, while policy stands at a crossroads, the underlying drivers for regeneration remain as pertinent as ever, regardless of wider fiscal and economic circumstances. Within this context, the article considers the form which neighbourhood regeneration might take during the next decade, exploring how evolving policy developments (e.g. localism, ‘Big Society’, Local Enterprise Partnerships) could impact on practice. Analysis suggests that neighbourhood regeneration will exist in a very different world to that which practitioners are familiar with, characterized by resource constraints, organizational change, uncertainty and upheaval. However, there are opportunities: a more powerful position for voluntary and community sector organizations with the greatest capacity; new forms of collaboration between neighbourhood regeneration organizations; and the development of new relationships between commissioners and service delivery organizations.

THE REGIONAL LACUNA: A PRELIMINARY MAP OF THE TRANSITION FROM REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES TO LOCAL ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS

Sub-national development in England is once again at a decisive crossroads in its persistent journey of state-led restructuring. Whereas the territories of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland achieved significant devolutionary packages under the UK’s Labour Government (1997-2010), decentralisation in England was rather more constrained and could be more aptly described as a regionalisation of central government functions. Since the election of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat (Con-Lib) UK Government in May, 2010, the demise of England’s regional framework has featured prominently in political discourse. It is a case of ‘out with the old’, including Regional Development Agencies, Government Offices for the Regions and Regional Leaders’ Boards, and ‘in with the new’, such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, as the Coalition Government embark on their quest of economic rebalancing and recovery at the same time as state spending retrenches. The transition is all the more intriguing from a European vantage, considering that regions are the bedrock of the EU’s territorial cohesion policy; performing a key role in the administration of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Contemplating how this transition may play out, I sketch a preliminary map of the road from Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

Uni-Objective Negotiating Model and Tactics of Multi-Agent Supply Chain System

In the multi-agent supply chain of manufacturing enterprise, there is the problem that purchasing agent need negotiate with supplier agent about price. Based on analyzing the multi-agent collaborative framework, this paper presents a price-negotiating model, and discusses the negotiating tactics and steps between purchasing agent and supplies agent. And then an example is discussed for validating the negotiating model. This model is useful to optimize the supply chain management of manufacturing enterprise. Manufacturing enterprise and strategic partnerships may share profit and achieve joint gains based on this model.

Impact of privatisation on performance of airport infrastructure projects in India: a preliminary study

Governments across the globe are turning to private-sector led initiatives for airport management and infrastructure development. This has resulted in a significant industry trend toward enterprise partnerships between public and the private sector. This article summarises the basic elements of this trend in airport infrastructure development. It defines airport privatisation, the process of privatisation and explores the benefits, risks and implications of recent privatisation experiences across nations. It pays special attention to the India’s privatisation experience with Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. Finally, the article examines issues relating to performance, ownership, pricing, risk-return and regulation, both in respect of Greenfield projects as well as Brownfield projects. This would pave the way to analyse the economic benefits of privatisation of Indian airports.

From RDAs to LEPs: A New Localism? Case Examples of West Midlands and Yorkshire

The new Coalition Government formed in May 2010 in the UK is to abolish Regional Development Agencies and, in the name of a ‘new localism’, is to replace them with Local Enterprise Partnerships, ‘joint local authority-business bodies brought forward by local authorities to promote local economic development’. This article looks at the proposals for LEPs, in the light of theories of governance. It explores the case examples of the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside, where there have been differing proposals for region-wide LEPs. It argues that far from localism, the move to set up LEPs is profoundly ant-regionalist and is re-centralisation in disguise, given that many economic development functions are being taken back to Whitehall. That problem of recentralisation, we suggest, risks being exacerbated by a fragmentation of LEPs into small territorial units, and a lack of resources.

Revisiting the ‘Missing Middle’ in English Sub-National Governance

In the light of the new Coalition Government's proposed ‘rescaling’ of sub-national governance away from the regional level, it is an opportune time to re-consider the strength and weaknesses of the city or sub-regional approach to economic development and to search, once more, for the ‘missing middle’ in English Governance. In this context, the article initially assesses the case for city or sub regions as tiers of economic governance, before examining the lessons to be learnt from the experiences of the existing city regions in the North East of England. It argues that while contemporary plans to develop Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) can be usefully considered within the context of the emerging city regional developments under the previous Labour Governments, a number of important challenges remain, particularly in relation to ensuring accountable structures of governance, a range of appropriate functions, adequate funding, and comprehensive coverage across a variety of sub-regional contexts. While the proposals of the new Government create the necessary ‘space’ to develop sub-regional bodies and offer genuine opportunities for both city and county LEPs, the scale of the sub-regional challenge should not be underestimated, particularly given the context of economic recession and major reductions in the public sector.