UK Business Research Articles

Exploring the Link Between Economic Complexity and Emergent Economic Activities

Recent studies have shown a strong link between the complexity of economies and their economic development. There remain gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning these links, in part because they are difficult to analyse with highly aggregated, official data sources that do not capture the emergence of new industrial activities, a potential benefit from complexity. We seek to address some of these gaps by calculating two indices of economic complexity for functional local economies (Travel to Work Areas) in Great Britain, and explore their link with these locations’ economic performance. Seeking to gain a better understanding of the mechanism connecting economic complexity with economic performance, we create a measure of emergent technological activity in a location based on a combination of novel data sources including text from UK business websites and CrunchBase, a technology company directory, and study its link with economic complexity. Our results highlight the potential value of novel, unstructured data sources for the analysis of the links between economic complexity and regional economic development.

In the Shadow of Empire: Global Britain and the UK Business School

In this essay, I scrutinize the ‘Global Britain’ project championed by the UK government since the Brexit vote and reflect on the role played by business schools in it. My argument is twofold. Firs...

What factors influence student satisfaction with module quality? A comparative analysis in a UK business school context

Understanding the links between student satisfaction and module teaching quality is a concern to UK business schools. This paper explores the determinants of overall student module satisfaction, as well as their relative importance, comparing the module evaluation questionnaire (MEQ) responses of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students in a UK business school. Based upon econometric modelling of the MEQ averages from 470 UG modules (21,096 student responses) and 93 masters modules (4429 responses) our results identify several key factors driving overall satisfaction in both groups. The helpfulness of lectures and seminars, involving direct student-teacher contact time, is the most important determinant of satisfaction. This is followed, in order of importance, by: the degree to which a module integrates well with other elements of the course; the usefulness of supporting on-line materials; and the appropriateness of summative assignments. Readings and feedback on formative assignments appear weaker drivers of overall satisfaction, particularly for PG students, as is the negative impact of perceived module difficulty. Module difficulty, however, is a strong driver of dissatisfaction for both groups, raising the question of whether excessive use of MEQs may lead to ‘dumbing down’ processes in higher education.

Brexit fears mask underlying pressures on investment

▀ Brexit uncertainty is seen as a likely culprit behind weakness in UK business investment. But structural shifts in the economy alongside issues relating to how investment is measured suggest that even without the uncertainty factor, a significant revival in measured investment spending may not materialise. ▀ Movements in relative prices continue to favour expansion by relatively labour‐intensive rather than capital‐intensive sectors. Relatedly, a shift towards investment‐light services activity is persisting, while recent changes in the make‐up of employment are reducing the extent of likely automation. ▀ Moreover, the ongoing pace of technological change and corresponding fears of rapid obsolescence could deter investment. And an increasingly fuzzy division between investment and consumer spending suggests that official data may be increasingly understating investment's true level.

Identity Work, Loss and Preferred Identities: A Study of UK Business School Deans

This paper investigates how leaders construct ‘loss’ identity narratives which defuse the scope for external attack and sustain self-meanings. We draw on a sample of 31 United Kingdom business school deans, who although often depicted as multi-talented, high-status achievers, are also targets for criticism and have high rates of turnover. Our study makes two principal contributions. First, we argue that leaders may employ a specific pattern of identity work involving talk about loss to construct identities that bolster their leadership by presenting them as making sacrifices for their institutions. Losses are ubiquitous and malleable discursive resources that constitute both identity threats and opportunities for constructing preferred identities. Second, we deepen understanding of ‘preferred identities’, i.e. normative self-narratives that specify who people want to be, and to be seen to be, and which serve self-meaning and impression management functions. Preferred identities, though, do not necessarily serve people’s interests, and deans tied themselves to demanding requirements by authoring themselves as research credible, scrupulously moral, hard-working professionals.

In the shadow of empire: Global Britain and the UK business school

In this essay, I scrutinize the ‘Global Britain’ project championed by the UK government since the Brexit vote and reflect on the role played by business schools in it. My argument is twofold. First, I contend the project is bound up with British imperialism, being at once the expression of a melancholic attachment to the colonial Empire of yesteryear and part of a long-standing effort to renew Britain’s imperial greatness in the so-called ‘postcolonial’ era. Second, I maintain that business schools, while notionally anti-Brexit, are complicit in the Global Britain project by virtue of propagating elements of its imperialist discourse. I conclude with some reflections on our role as scholars and educators in fostering debate on this project and challenging its imperialist underbelly.

When the political becomes (painfully) personal: Org-studying the consequences of Brexit

This ‘Speaking Out’ essay contributes to debates over Brexit and populism by suggesting how we, as management and organisation studies scholars, might approach ‘org-studying’ Brexit. First, as UK-based European Union citizens working in UK business schools, we clarify our own position(s) in relation to Brexit. Second, we position ourselves more specifically as management and organisation studies academics by considering how we might begin to analyse the organisational consequences of Brexit through seeing it as part of a continuing global crisis – or series of crises – including and going beyond those affecting American and European societies and economies, as well as their political and other social fields and organisations. We highlight the salience of emotions with regard to Brexit, and in particular ressentiment in relation to populism as a political methodology. We also note the importance of identity and how political and personal identities are being reconstituted in the United Kingdom in light of the Brexit vote. We put forward suggestions for how management and organisation studies scholars might integrate these insights into an overarching approach to researching the organisational consequences of Brexit based on the works of Pierre Bourdieu and Gisèle Sapiro on the transposition of crisis. Our final remarks address the way that Brexit crisis continues to challenge our own established identities.

Integration of the practice of mindfulness within action learning as an added component within a post graduate leadership programme: an account of practice

ABSTRACTThis account of practice provides a practical example of the use of mindfulness practice within action learning which was a component of a bespoke UK Business School post-graduate leadership development programme commissioned by an English NHS Mental Health Trust aimed at improving the leadership capacity of mid-level managers through work-based learning. The article discusses background and context of the programme followed by how application of mindfulness exercises was integrated within the action learning process to encourage participants to be ‘in the moment’ as an added component of their leadership development. The aim of the paper is to share examples of practice applied within action learning. Finally, the paper asserts that the application of mindfulness exercises helped to enhance the action learning process by creating a calm, focused space for individual and collective reflections, enhancing the quality of engagement and enabling action learning members to take a more pragmatic approach to addressing the work issues raised within the action learning sets.

Developing learning relationships in intercultural and multi-disciplinary environments: a mixed method investigation of management students’ experiences

ABSTRACT In this article, we suggest that competencies in working in intercultural and multidisciplinary environments are part of expected key skills in contemporary organisations. Higher educational institutions across the globe are pressured to contribute to the development of such key skills. Using social identity theory, through social network analysis of 113 postgraduate management students in one UK business school and follow-up focus group interviews (N = 16), we have identified three types of learners: Co-National Learners, Bridge-Building Learners, and Cross-National Learners. We argue that developing learning relationships in intercultural and multidisciplinary environments needs to go beyond a cultural-only approach, and the understanding of identity has an important place.

DCMS: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019

A third (32%) of UK business and nearly a quarter (22%) of charities found themselves under cyber attack or suffered data breaches in the past year, according to the latest report from the Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). And these figures climb substantially for larger organisations. However, this is actually a fall compared to previous years.

Autoethnography and the doctorate in business administration: Personal, practical and scholarly impacts

Using the Researcher Development Framework (RDF), we analyse autoethnographies in impact statements by doctorate in business administration (DBA) students to understand outcomes for self-reflexivity, management practices, and scholarship. We also use comparative data to content-analyse keywords on UK business school DBA web sites to explore institutional expectations. As a terminal applied research degree, the DBA is designed to generate contextualised ‘mode 2’ knowledge driven by solving organisational problems within students' own practices. While our paper shows that DBA students value the impact of the DBA journey on themselves as reflective practitioners, only a few web sites expect DBA students to publish. Consequently, we call for greater emphasis on DBA students' potential contributions to academic publications and the growing research impact agenda. We argue that business schools should raise the ambitions of these experienced scholar-practitioners to be more fully integrated into the academy, creating greater synergies between personal impacts, practice and management scholarship in their research. Furthermore, we highlight the value of autoethnography (AE) as a useful method to incorporate self-reflexivity and to map the socialisation of DBA students within the academy. Finally, we recommend collaborative AE for DBA students and their supervisors to evidence personal, practical, and scholarly published impacts.

Sandwiched: Exploring role and identity of middle managers in the genuine middle

This article explores middle managers in the professions from their position in the sandwiched middle. Based upon interviews with senior academics in management roles and their subordinates in UK business schools, we investigate this experienced middle through a metaphor that informs one particular subject position: to be an umbrella carrier. This position entails protecting subordinates from what is seen as unnecessary and/or damaging initiatives and information from top management above, in order to allow for good professional work to take place below. This form of countermanagement, which aims to weaken hierarchical pressure rather than enforce or uphold it, is informed by a stronger identification with the profession and subordinates below than with the leader role or the superiors above, and aids the middle managers in their identity work.

TOP CEOs, FINANCIALIZATION, and the CREATION of the SUPER-RICH ECONOMY

This piece takes a close look at top CEOs in the United Kingdom. CEOs are not only among the ranks of today’s super-rich, they have played a vital part in the evolution of an economic system that supports the super-rich generally. As the article argues, they have done this in two key ways: first, by promoting to news media and policy makers a set of financialized free-market ideas about managing the economy, and second, by managing large companies as financial assets for the benefit of financiers and the super-rich. In both ways, they have encouraged financialization and the funneling of capital away from the real economy and ordinary employees, and upward toward the super-rich. The article is based on thirty interviews with top UK business leaders, including twenty Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 CEOs, as well as other demographic and qualitative data.

The importance of making a Will as a business owner

A relatively recent change to UK inheritance law has made it even more important that those who own businesses draw up a Will. Having no plans in place could mean that some survivors are left with nothing. In this article, Angharad Lynn, Solicitor at VWV Law, explains the changes to the law, and how they will affect UK business owers in the future

What is business school research for? Academic and stakeholder perspectives, politics and relationality

ABSTRACTThrough an empirically grounded analysis of contested interpretations of impact held by business school academics and wider stakeholders, we provide a political and relational understanding of research impact whereby impacts are realized through situated, relational and ongoing interactions. Our qualitative study of three UK business and management schools, comprising interviews with around 70 researchers, academic leaders and stakeholders explores conceptualizations of impact, examines the processes through which impact is achieved and considers the influence of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The inclusion of academic leaders and business stakeholders adds value to studies that have focused primarily on academic researchers. We present a nuanced picture of the ways in which academics and business stakeholders conceptualize impact and navigate the complexity of roles and relationships in this arena. Implications for practice include the desirability of embracing different understandings of impact, creating space for generative dialogue and incorporating impact more explicitly in teaching and learning.

Ethical Judgement in UK Business Students: Relationship with Motivation, Self-Compassion and Mental Health

Business ethics have come under increasing scrutiny recently due to various corporate scandals. This has prompted a need for research into the characteristics of people drawn to the business world and the education they receive. This study (i) evaluates the levels of ethical judgement, mental health, motivation, and self-compassion in 144 UK business students and (ii) assesses the relationships between these variables. A high proportion of respondents (i) believed that other students would behave unethically, whilst they themselves would not, and (ii) had a high level of anxiety, extrinsic motivation and self-compassion. Extrinsic motivation was associated with participants’ belief that others would behave unethically, whilst intrinsic motivation was associated with strict ethical judgement and self-compassion. Extrinsic motivation and self-compassion were significant explanatory variables for students’ ethical judgement, and self-compassion was a significant explanatory variable for mental health symptoms. This study is unique in examining the facets of ethics, mental health, self-compassion and motivation in business students. Findings have implications for both educators and practitioners since improving ethical behaviour in the future workforce may be achieved by augmenting future employees’ levels of self-compassion and intrinsic motivation, rather than solely administering “ethics training” that has been found to be of limited value. Findings also indicate that such an approach may have utility for improving business students’ mental health.

Exploring employee energy efficiency awareness in UK commercial offices: IT and small power

Energy consumption reduction is called upon across UK business facilities in order to mitigate the rising impacts of climate change. Business facilities such as office buildings rely on a range of electrical equipment on a day-to-day basis (Carbon Trust 2005b). However, it is not always appreciated how much electrical equipment can cost a company (Carbon Trust 2005b). The need for businesses to assess their current office energy use and seek ways to significantly improve their energy efficiency and energy cost is increasing (Pellegrini-Masini and Leishman 2011). The implementation and effectiveness of energy-efficient measures within a commercial office environment is reported as a key to the success of improving a business’ energy efficiency (DECC 2012; Westminster Sustainable Business Forum 2013). Office electrical equipment can be responsible for up to 30% of total energy consumption. Using equipment more efficiently is suggested to enable a difference to energy use and spending (Npower 2010). Individual IT equipment and small appliances is an area where wasteful electricity consumption can often occur through the inefficient use. Typically, desktop and associated IT equipment such as computers, printers, modems and fax machines average about 160 W per work location commercial offices (BRECSU 2000). According to Bray (2006), employee usage patterns relating to IT equipment and small power appliance use are a more important factor in determining energy consumption than the energy efficiency ratings of the equipment itself. In addition, out-of-hours usage is a common issue which needs further investigation by exploring small power behaviour of office workers when leaving at the end of the working day (Bray 2006). The purpose of this survey-based approach paper is to examine employee awareness and behaviour regarding energy efficiency implementation in commercial office buildings in the UK, with a focus on IT and small power equipment. The IT and small power equipment which are included as part of this study are laptops, desktop computers, printers, teleconference equipment, fax machines, kettles and microwaves. The following sections discuss key literature on the topic followed by a section on research methods. This is followed by a discussion of key findings, discussion and conclusion outlining key contributions and implications.

Second-generation gender bias

Purpose The eradication of gender discrimination at work has been a prominent feature of the UK political and business agenda for decades; however, the persistent business gender leadership gap remains. The concept of second-generation gender bias has recently been proposed as the primary cause. This paper aims to evaluate how women experience second-generation gender bias in construction organisations. It examines key manifestations of second-generation gender bias and how it impacts women’s career progression into leadership positions in the UK construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a broad feminist interpretative lens aligned with the general aims of feminist critical inquiry through semi-structured interviews with 12 women experiencing career journeys of at least five years in the construction industry. Findings This paper reveals that second-generation gender bias hinders the career development and leadership identity of some women and the persistent business gender leadership gap is unlikely to change without addressing it. Originality/value There is little or no research that speaks exclusively to the experience of second-generation gender bias and female managers working within the UK construction. This paper provides further insight into the barriers women face when attempting to progress into senior management roles, particularly in construction.

Can we get more satisfaction? Improving quality of working life survey results in UK universities

ABSTRACTThe quality of working life (QoWL) has preoccupied practitioners and management scholars since the 1960s [Grote, G., and D. Guest. 2017. “The Case for Reinvigorating Quality of Working Life Research.” Human Relations 70 (2): 149–167. doi:10.1177/0018726716654746], while satisfaction and occupational stress for professional and academic staff in universities are issues of growing concern amidst a context of poor student mental health literacy [Gorczynski, P., W. Sims-Schouten, D. Hill, and J. C. Wilson. 2017. “Examining Mental Health Literacy, Help Seeking Behaviours, and Mental Health Outcomes in UK University Students.” The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice 12 (2): 111–120]. The enhancement of QoWL appears increasingly difficult to achieve within the UK higher education (HE) sector, with constant external and internal reforms [Bessant, C., and S. Mavin. 2016. “Neglected on the Front Line: Tensions and Challenges for the First-Line Manager-Academic Role in UK Business Schools.” Journal of Management Development 35 (7): 916–929. doi:10.1108/JMD-09-2014-0105], the “tyranny of metrics” [Muller, J. Z. 2018. The Tyranny of Metrics. Princeton: Princeton University Press], and the continuous decline in QoWL survey results, which became an issue for many UK universities [Denvir, A., J. Hillage, A. Cox, A. Sinclair, and D. Pearmain. 2008. “Quality of Working Life in the UK.” http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/452.pdf]. Furthermore, there is little understanding of how university HR departments enhance QoWL [Yeo, R. K., and J. Li. 2011. “Working Out the Quality of Work Life: A Career Development Perspective with Insights for Human Resource Management.” Human Resource Management International Digest 19 (3): 39–45. doi:10.1108/09670731111125952]. This paper presents a new perspective by looking at the role of HR and management in achieving QoWL in the UK's HE sector. The incongruity between strategic human resource management metrics in the HE sector to measure employee well-being and self-reported employee satisfaction has a significant influence on student satisfaction, particularly in large units like business schools. Drawing on secondary data, we contribute to debates on current challenges faced by UK universities and offer practical suggestions to improve QoWL.

Economic Complexity and the Emergence of New Ideas

Recent research has shown a strong link between the economic complexity of a country and important economic indicators such as GDP per capita and lower inequality. However, the mechanisms underpinning this relationship remain poorly understood. While it is often argued that complex ecosystems provide a fertile ground for novel combinations of ideas leading to the emergence of impactful new technologies and industries, this process is hard to measure with aggregate data structured around industrial codes offering a lagging view of the economy. We seek to overcome this challenge by combining official data about industrial activity in UK Local Authority Districts (LADs) with a novel dataset containing the content and meta-data from almost a million UK business websites. We measure economic complexity using ECI and a Fitness based measure, which respectively capture a location’s specialization in unique, knowledge intensive sectors, and a weighted measure of economic diversity. We use a complex networks approach to topic modelling to detect ‘topics’ in the websites of businesses and analyse their relation to economic complexity and industrial sectors before going on to measure emergence by looking for novel words in the websites of businesses in different locations and sectors. We show that LADs with high ECI scores have a stronger share of companies active in emerging technologies, even after we control for their industrial composition. Further, and contrary to our initial expectations, emergent companies are more industrially diversified in locations with high ECI scores than locations with high Fitness scores. One potential reason is that the innovative sectors that high ECI locations specialize on are lead adopters of emerging technologies that are subsequently diffused into other parts of the local economy.