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Enterprising TimesThe Business School Newsletter September/October 2011

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ContentsEditorial...................................................................................2

Joan Walley MP, Stoke on Trent North ...................................3

The Sentinel Regeneration Lecture – Mike Wolfe ..................4

The role of the British Ceramics Biennial for North Staffordshire – Paul Williams .......................................................................5

British Ceramics Biennial opens – Kirsty-Ann Hewson ..........7

New hospitality developments at the Heritage Quarter, George Town, Malaysia .......................................................................9

Segmentation practices of Russian subsidiaries – Ian Wilson ...............................................................................................10

Wider Outlook issue 13: latest funding opportunities, policy updates and research ...........................................................10

Celebrating Staff Success – Professor Susan Foreman ......11

Exciting new campus plans for the Business School’s partner in Vietnam .............................................................................12

European Union Pioneers into Practice programme ............13

Profile for Kirsten Loew-Knower ...........................................13

Community Organic Gardeners ............................................13

International Renewable Energy in Secondary and Further

EditorialWhen work is getting you down surround yourself with bright young things! Bright young thing Kirsty-Ann Hewson is back and she reports on the opening of the British Ceramics Biennial. Bright young thing Nathalie Maddocks joins us via Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the West Midlands European Service (see page 17 for her profile). Nathalie joins the team of Enterprising Times along with Tom Ward and Kirsty-Ann.

It’s great to see the British Ceramics Biennial back and Paul Williams provides commentary on how it was established and what it might achieve (page 5).

Thanks to Joan Walley, MP for her article. All three city MPs have been in contact with us over the year and we are as keen as them to help the city develop and regenerate.

Just a reminder that back issues of Enterprising Times (both print and web versions) can be found at this link http://www.staffs.ac.uk/faculties/business/news_and_events/business_news.jsp. All links in the electronic version of the newsletter are live. The deadline for copy for the next edition is 5th December. Feel free to get in touch with me, Jon Fairburn, at [email protected] or on 01782 294094, if you would like to be interviewed, or are interested in submitting an article.

Jon Fairburn

Front cover image: Robert Kesseler, Jardin Porcelanico, British Ceramics Biennial Award nominee 2011. Photographer: Joel Chester Fildes.

Education Seminar, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 7th June 2011 – Katy Vigurs .......................................................14

Michelin development fund supports SME development in North Staffordshire ...............................................................15

6 Towns Radio – Paul Dobson ‘Voice of the People’ ............15

Staff profile – Vicky Roberts .................................................16

Proposal for a Business School Sabbatical Research Club .16

Staff profile – Nathalie Maddocks .........................................17

Doctorate of Business Administration ...................................17

Staffordshire Bright Futures Society – Jim Pugh ..................18

Supporting informed decision-making: Developing effective information, advice and guidance for students in North Staffordshire .........................................................................18

Forthcoming events ..............................................................19

Round up of activity ..............................................................20

Free enterprise column: Death of the lemonade stand – Dr Luke Pittaway .......................................................................21

Film fanatics rejoice over new film club in town....................22

What’s on in Stoke and Stafford ...........................................22


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Joan Walley MP, Stoke on Trent NorthThere is no getting away from the global economic crisis, and the priority we all need to give at local, regional, national and international level to addressing these challenges. From where I sit on the green benches of the House of Commons it is clear that the Government is cutting too much too quickly, and compromising economic growth in the process.

Irrespective of the Coalition Government’s approach to dealing with the deficit, there is the deeper fundamental issue of how to integrate green sustainable development principles into economic development. That might not command the media headlines but it certainly dominates the international negotiations and will be doing so throughout 2012 at the UN Durban and Rio Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity. It is precisely this agenda where universities can bring their expertise.

Nationally my contribution is through my chairmanship of the Environmental Audit Select Committee. A key part of our current programme is bringing leading academics together to explore what role research, technology and innovation play in influencing the agenda and driving the step change needed by business.

Locally though there are massive opportunities that Staffordshire University can make by aligning its Business School and its work at the cutting edge with local partners including the Local Enterprise Partnership and local councils. The successful cities of the future will be those which champion energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and protect biodiversity, those where leaders and citizens, entrepreneurs and investors alike work together to create the green economy and with it a step change in behaviour.

From what I know about the objectives of Staffordshire University’s Business School and research, the creative work underway could make

huge inroads into the efforts of Stoke on Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council’s efforts to bring new jobs and develop the zero carbon economy. Moreover the university itself is well placed to promote this step change amongst its students.

Achieving our carbon emission reductions is the priority for our generation and I look forward to developing this agenda with you in the months ahead and welcome feedback.

Joan was awarded an honorary doctorate by Staffordshire University and chairs the Environmental Audit Select Committee of the House of Commons.

http://www.joanwalleymp.org.uk/

Lawrence Epps, Employees, Fresh exhibition, British Ceramics Biennial 2011. See pages 5-8 for more on the British Ceramics Biennial


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The Sentinel Regeneration Lecture – Mike Wolfe‘Happy New Year, happy new city.... I want you to imagine that it’s New Years Eve 2016.... Robbie Williams is performing live in Stanley Square, Stoke on Trent (pictured below). The concert is going out live on Radio 1 at midnight. They have just finished an interview with The Control, a local band who are now

famous for making the Stoke Sound a national pop phenomenon. Although Robbie’s appearance wasn’t publicised, the Square is full because 20,000 local people have come out for the New Year’s celebrations which the local council promised would be different.

‘This square was created last year by the demolition of most of the shops on the east side of Stafford Street and the small shops behind them

which form the west side of Tontine Street (opposite the old Post office). The square was named in honour of Stanley Matthews after a special referendum in The Sentinel attracted huge debate and a 70 per cent participation level’ (Mike Wolf, 2011, Stoke-on-Trent).

Over 300 people turned out for Visiting Fellow and Sentinel columnist Mike Wolfe’s lecture ‘Re-inventing Stoke on Trent. In the run up to the lecture Mike had published seven articles outlining ideas for the city’s regeneration in response to the Council Mandate for Change document. Mike’s ideas included a new square in the city centre to be a focus of events, a pioneer housing scheme to give land housing away and better marketing of the city. The event was held in the recently refurbished Mitchell Arts Centre, which must be one of the nicest regenerated buildings in the city.

There was a good attendance from the Business School including, Stephen Malone, Paul Dobson, James O’Kane, Susan Foreman, Paul Williams, Linda Phillips, Gerard Ryan, Liz Binns, Nathalie Maddocks, Peter Greene, Panos Sousounis, Tom Ward, Amanda Hughes, Kim Slack, Duncan Hindmarch, Michelle Lowe and Geoff Pugh. Also spotted from the University were Deputy VC Paul Richards, Sandra Booth (ECD), and Martin Brown and Liz Hughes of AMD.

See how Paul Dobson of the Business School followed this lecture up on page 12.

To read Mike’s speech in full visit http://bit.ly/qA1T0z.

Mandate for change: http://bit.ly/nwELlv.

Left to right: Mike Sissi (Sentinel Editor), Mike Wolfe and John Fairburn (Business School). Photograph: The Sentinel


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The role of the British Ceramics Biennial for North Staffordshire – Paul WilliamsStoke-on-Trent is clearly a city keen to reinvent itself. Urban places, particularly those that have undergone a period of de-industrialisation have increasingly recognised that the arts, culture and the creative industries are an important part of the regeneration process.

Back in 2004 the North Staffordshire Tourism Strategy explicitly acknowledged the key role of tourism as an agent of regeneration whilst simultaneously recognising that the ceramics heritage gives Stoke-on-Trent a unique sense of place and is the primary reason why tourists are attracted to visit the city. Consequently, amongst a myriad of recommendations aimed at ‘showcasing ceramics’, the strategy recommended that:

‘As a means of establishing the cultural strength of the city centre, there seems to be an obvious opportunity for a major arts-based event in Stoke-on-Trent that celebrates the ceramics industry. The aim would be to create a populist annual event that, over the years, builds a national and international reputation.’

A review of the small number of existing ceramic festivals in the UK revealed that they were primarily inward looking insofar as their focus was solely on studio pottery and its making community. In contrast, the inaugural ceramics biennial which was launched in 2009 was designed to be considerably more inclusive by showcasing work by UK and international designers, artists, studio potters, and industrial ceramics manufacturers.

Specifically, the initial planning document produced by the British Ceramics Biennial’s (BCB) co-directors proclaimed that as a flagship cultural event, the BCB will:

• significantly advance the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership’s strategies for the cultural industries• embrace the heritage of the Potteries as the home of British ceramics• stimulate creativity and innovation• sharpen Stoke-on-Trent’s creative edge as an international centre for excellence in contemporary ceramics• be a catalyst for the growth and ambition of the creative/cultural industries in North Staffordshire• contribute to the quality of life and social cohesion.

As Kirsty-Ann Hewson’s report reveals, the 2009 event is claimed to have contributed around £2 million to the rejuvenation of Stoke-on-Trent as well as attracting 35,000 visitors to the city.

This year’s second BCB which will run over a 6 week period (30th September-13th November) is, according to The Guardian newspaper, ‘aiming to present itself as the guardian of creativity for British ceramics in all its forms – art, craft, design and industry’.

Sharon Richards, Cosmic Flora, Fresh exhibition

Goele De Bruyn, 2010, Sundaymorning@ekwc


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In celebrating the city’s ceramics heritage and more importantly showcasing excellence by promoting the very best in contemporary ceramics, innovation and design, the majority of the 2011 BCB takes place in the original, but now redundant Spode factory with exhibitions, creative events and site-specific installations alongside a special programme of lectures, seminars, films and workshops. What is becoming apparent is that this international biennial is starting to:

• provide opportunities to attract and incorporate the wider ceramic spectrum

• be outward facing with a focus on raising public awareness • demonstrate the impact of ceramics on the wider world• seek out new viewpoints and communicate different and

challenging ways of using ceramics• break down boundaries between designers, crafts people

and artists• build significant European partnerships with other major

festivals and centres for ceramic research• aid regeneration, support a positive city image and re-affirm

Stoke-on-Trent as the ‘Ceramics Centre of the Western World’.

Whereas the first BCB event was successful in winning the confidence of residents and visitors, this year it seems that the ceramics industry is a much more active partner with sponsoring companies such as Portmeirion, Steelite, Emma Bridgewater and Johnson Tiles

joining with Staffordshire University to strengthen the positive messages about Stoke-on-Trent’s capacity for regeneration.

Crucially, the BCB is also providing a forum for new entrepreneurial talent assisting with the retention of new graduates from the University, as well as encouraging enterprise-related projects and greater collaborative research amongst educational institutions.

So, it seems that the ceramics phoenix may yet rise from Josiah Spode’s historic pottery as the BCB continues to enhance the image of Stoke-on-Trent by providing a platform to demonstrate the cultural and creative vitality of the city and to communicate its reputation for innovation and excellence in design. However, as with all such festivals it is difficult to fully quantify the tangible and intangible benefits yielded by the BCB in the absence of any robust economic or social impact evaluation.

Paul can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 294064.

Above: Portmeirion tea set

Below: Aynsley flowers


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British Ceramics Biennial opens – Kirsty-Ann HewsonCelebrations of the ceramic industry kicked off on Thursday 29th September at the original Spode factory to showcase the pottery world. Hundreds of people gathered together to celebrate the launch of the 2011 British Ceramics Biennial (BCB).

Barney Hare Duke, co-director of BCB led the night’s events with an emotional speech filled with passion. He said:

‘Spode has been producing fine bone china since the 1930s and it now functions as an exhibition hall. It is not a regular gallery space but it is a fitting site for the event as the heritage or ceramics started here. It is an industrial site and will be great for the regeneration and innovation of Stoke-on-Trent. It is where we will showcase the skill and passion that drives the ceramics forward. I am delighted to be part of the launch for this festival.’

The original Spode factory has undergone no renovations itself, but has been left in its original state so that the public can fully appreciate the building. The room is filled with designs from beautiful Moorcroft Vases to Fairey industrial drinking water filters. It is a tribute to the variety of ways ceramics can be used. There

is also an area dedicated to ‘Fresh’ research which showcases all the new ideas and developments in the world of ceramics. The Factory Refectory is a café that cannot be missed out with its beautiful, delicate cupcakes and delicious refreshments.

Ranti Tjan, Director for the European Ceramic Work Centre in The Netherlands (EKWC) also gave a speech about his feelings regarding the importance of ceramics. After a humorous opening about his lack of English speaking abilities, Ranti said:

‘Everyone needs and uses ceramics, we all have crockery or kitchen or bathroom tiles or something. It is one of those things in life we need to know. Some countries are really strong on ceramics. It is not English or European, it is used worldwide so in some sense it is British and it is European and we need to expand and be creative. The brilliant “A Great Wall” we have here is to remind us to be innovative. If we can achieve great workshops and exhibitions tourists will come here to Stoke and it will be regenerated.’

The BCB first came to Stoke in 2009 and brought with it 35,000 visits and an economic impact of £2.1 million. It is playing a part in reinventing Stoke-on-Trent and bringing the city back to life. Councillor and

cabinet member for economic development, Mark Meredith was there to represent Stoke City Council, one of the principal funders of the BCB. Councillor Meredith said:

‘Ceramics is what makes Stoke-on-Trent. Spode has a very special place in the community and has been in production for 200 years. In 1770 Josiah Spode established the pottery factory and it was the first factory to use the steam engine. It has a lot of historical importance. It is all too easy to think of

Left to right: Councillor Mark Meredith, Ranti Tjan and Barney Hare Duke. Photograph: Joel Chester Fildes


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pottery as in decline rather than facing up to the creative design possibilities and that is why we are doing this exhibition. BCB 2011 will play a vital role in the community and in the centre of Stoke town itself.

‘Stoke is still reeling from the closure of the Spode factory but the council has reopened the Spode site and we have to opportunity to create a better town. The legacy of the BCB is to reinvigorate Stoke-on-Trent and the festival is going to be fantastic.’

October and November will be filled with ceramic-based activities and events to help regenerate Stoke-on-Trent and to help remind people why we are famously known as ‘The Potteries’. The original Spode factory has been reopened to showcase the work of ceramic designers around the UK and to teach people the art of ceramics. One thing which is memorable and a must see

is at the centre of the festival called ‘A Great Wall’. A wall consisting of designs and different ceramic uses from over thirty British companies, it is a compelling array of displays presenting the best in British ceramic manufacturing.

Events will take place throughout the six weeks including competitions for graduates in the designs industry. Top TV chef Brian Turner CBE will spend a day cooking and plating up his food on Steelite’s unique tradeware, workshops will run for the public to have a go and make their very own crockery as well as providing opportunities to come and learn about the vast history of Spode.

Spode is open everyday except Mondays for a look around. There are two other BCB exhibitions in the city centre – Award at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery until 11th December and artists’ collaborations are on show at AirSpace Gallery until 13th November.

More information about the BCB can be found at http://www.britishceramicsbiennial.com

Above: Ranti Tjan addressing the opening. Photograph: Joel Chester Fildes

Left: ‘Fresh’ student designs

Far left: ‘A Great Wall’


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New hospitality developments at the Heritage Quarter, George Town, MalaysiaDISTED College has taken an initiative to participate in the regeneration and rejuvenation of George Town by injecting the Heritage City into our College. By the end of 2011 DISTED’s School of Hospitality will relocate to the former Behn Meyer Building in China Street Ghaut (CSG), right in the middle of the Heritage precinct. The former Behn Meyer Building has a change of name to Wawasan Building. It will have a

modern and state of the art teaching and training facility inside while maintaining a total heritage look and feel outside. The College will also work with land and building owners to build students hostels to create long-term and youthful residents in the Precinct. The strategic move enables the School to create value, generate economic activities and bringing life and vibrancy to the inner city area.

Courses in Hospitality, Tourism, Event, Business and Hotels Management/Operations working in partnership with Staffordshire University Business School will be available to provide a high quality people-centric and knowledge-based hospitality and Tourism education in the Malaysia Northern Economic Corridor.

As the School moves into its new premises in CSG it will bring in a partner hotel and F&B outlets to stimulate a flurry of activities in the precinct. The introduction of young students, with high spending power, will also encourage more consumption activities and will give property and business owners in the precinct an economic boost in accommodation and food catering at the very least. The location will also

enable students from the hinterland of the adjacent mainland an easier and convenient access to the precinct, and at the same time act as an attractor to funnel tourists into the heritage enclave.

Apart from that the foreseeable intense tourism development in the Northern Corridor as propounded by Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA), other stakeholders are driving demand for trained personnel in the various areas of tourism, hotel, student residences, catering, F&B, culinary and event management. The School has therefore to gear up to provide a multitude of practical and vocational programmes, targeting at the supervisory and operational levels of the tourism and hospitality business, and trades related courses meeting industry needs will be given emphasis.

To encourage the setting up of leisure businesses, a DISTED F&B Entrepreneur Development Centre where students/trainees will be exposed to the business, the multitude of style and equipment in F&B, so that graduates will be job-ready and has a strong knowledge and skills of style and the multitude of equipment to run the business. The School will invite select F&B suppliers and equipment manufacturers to use the Centre to champion their ware.

The education-led regeneration of the CSG/ Victoria Street Precinct not only can pioneer a hospitality and tourism-based knowledge and learning revival but in most likelihood enable the growth of many creative

Dr Liew Yueah Cin, Head of the Business School at DISTED, pictured with with Professor James O’Kane


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industries quarters. Fashion, clothing and textile and creative industry could take root as resident business in the area. The College will ensure in its expansion to strengthen and create vibrant and thriving centres for the design, manufacture distribution and retail of gem, jewellery, fashion apparel and shoes design, leisure and Entertainment Media.

With this pioneering move the College hopes for the recognition of education as a key and integral part of the regeneration of George Town, making the Heritage city an Education-Tourism City. The College wishes to deepen and widen its thrusts of best of breeds programme offerings, be of relevant to the industry, people and life in the City as well to wish to play its role to create a high quality people-centric and knowledge-based creative, hospitality and tourism sectors in the northern corridor and at the same time entrenched Penang as the engine of growth and the Capital of the Northern Corridor Economic Region.

http://www.disted.edu.my/

Segmentation practices of Russian subsidiaries – Ian WilsonIan Wilson has had an article accepted for publication in Marketing Intelligence and Planning. Snappily (or perhaps not!) entitled ‘Market segmentation in Russian subsidiaries of FMCG MNEs; practitioner and academic perspectives’, it does what it says on the tin. The article explores the segmentation practices of Russian subsidiaries of such firms as Cadbury, Danone, Bacardi and Glaxo. It then compares and contrasts them with some of the theory on segmentation.

Amongst the findings was one that found most firms certainly did not consider age, sex and social class as having much to do with segmentation. Most had experimented with different product specific approaches such as need-state segmentation and organoleptics (e.g. what different chocolate textures and sensations people like) but were all engaged on a journey of segmentation improvement.

Research was undertaken in Moscow with appointments being arranged by Dr Maria Mukhina, previously a PhD student at Staffordshire University. (As part of her PhD Maria developed a psychographic segmentation of Russian consumers and is now Marketing Director for the Baby & Kid’s Food Division of Pepsico). The respondents were extremely savvy and professional young marketers who all spoke perfect English and all were female. The only downside to the primary research was that the incredibly hot weather led to researcher dehydration ending in a brief spell of gout!

Ian can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 294185.

Wider Outlook issue 13: latest funding opportunities, policy updates and researchWider Outlook is Enterprise and Commercial Development’s newsletter, with the latest in funding opportunities, policy updates and research. Lots on new funds have been launched and Wider Outlook gives details on some of them and also points in the direction of where to get more details.

Highlights of the edition include:• Public Engagement: Fund Launched by Research Councils UK• Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction Survey• Up Coming Funding events• Travel Funding to Develop European Grant Applications

The edition can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/oCQqJQ.


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Celebrating Staff Success – Professor Susan ForemanThe Business School was well represented in every category of the ‘Celebrating Staff Success’ awards held on 29th September. The event was split into several categories including teaching excellence fellowships, professorial conferments, academic qualifications and a series of awards for specific areas of work.

The latter categories were open to nominations from across the different areas of the University (six Faculties/Schools and all the service areas), and we were pleased to have nominated the following staff, many of whom featured in the video presentations:

• Newcomer of the Year: Paul Dobson (pictured middle right with Mike Herbert, Regional Director, St Modwen)

• Equality and Diversity Award: Anni Hollings• Sustainability Award: Jon Fairburn• Outstanding Manager Award: Peter Ingham• Customer Service Award (Individual): Sue Clews

(pictured top right with the Vice-Chancellor, Michael Gunn)

• Customer Service Award (Team): International Partnerships Administration Team – Esther Handy, Nicky Turnock (pictured bottom left with Michael Gunn), Frances Adams and Liz Binns

These groups of awards were also allocated an overall winner – whose name was not known until the envelope was opened on the night, so it was all very exciting stuff…. I am delighted that Paul Dobson won the overall University Newcomer of the Year Award!

Paul, Sue and the International Partnerships Team collected their various trophies which I am sure they would be proud to show you when you next call in to see them.


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Tehmina Basit was awarded her professorship and Guy Durden (pictured bottom left on page 11) his Teaching and Learning Fellowship. Visiting professorships were conferred on Bernard Burnes, Colin Carnall, Cliff Oswick, Rod Gunn, Luke Pittaway, David Tyrrall and David Williamson.

Congratulations to everyone!

Exciting new campus plans for the Business School’s partner in VietnamStaffordshire University Business School’s partner British University Vietnam is set to embark in an exciting new partnership called EcoparkTownship – converting an eco urban area in northern Hung Yen province, Vietnam into the new campus for British University Vietnam, (BUV).

Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) which was signed on May 12 at the project’s site, BUV shall lease 5.5 hectares in the Ecopark to build the university campus. The land will consist of functional areas such as learning and office spaces, as well as sport facilities such as a football pitch, tennis courts and swimming pool.

It is positioned to be the first international university campus in the Hanoi area with British-standard facilities and curricula, offering a modern and innovative environment for studying, researching and teaching for a capacity of 10,000 students. International architects and construction-management services will cooperate on the design and construction of the university campus. The estimated £13 million project is scheduled to commence in 2 years and be completed within 18 months.

For more information about BUV go to http://www.britishuniversity.edu.vn/en.html or email the Dean, Christopher Jeffery, at [email protected].

Business School colleagues pictured at the Celebrating Staff Success awards. Left to right are: back row – Guy Durden, Paul Dobson, David Shepherd, Janet Fletcher and Sue Clews; front row – Peter Ingham, Esther Handy, Nicky Turnock and Paul Williams


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European Union Pioneers into Practice programmeThe Regional Innovation and Implementation Community (RIC) within Climate-KIC has started an exciting new knowledge development programme called Pioneers into Practice (PiP) to promote world-class learning about the dynamics and management of system innovation for the transition to a low carbon economy in Europe.

PiP aims to create a new generation of low carbon innovators with the capacity to understand and manage this new type of innovation. It seeks to develop a mix of inter-disciplinary knowhow and managerial capability among practitioners in low carbon innovation. PiP will be delivered across the 6 regions in the RIC: West Midlands (UK), Valencia (ES), Emilia Romagna (IT), Hessen (DE), Lower Silesia (PL) and Central Hungary (HU), and will allow participants to understand the distinctive challenges faced by different regions across Europe in supporting the transition to a low carbon economy.

For more information on the programme and to apply to be a host or pioneer visit http://www.climate-kic.org/.

Profile for Kirsten Loew-Knower Kirsten joined Staffordshire University Business School in October 2011 as a professional intern on the Pioneers into Practice programme.

Kirsten graduated from Provadis School of International Management and Technology in Frankfurt, Germany in 2010 with a BSc in International Business Administration and is currently completing a Masters in Industrial Management. Kirsten also works at the Provadis School as a Controlling and Finance Manager. Strategic projects within Kirsten’s role include: • Service Excellence (Research, Development of Future Concept for the University, Implementation) • Customer relation program: Provadis School 2015• Process optimization

In 2010 Kirsten embarked on her first placement with the Pioneers into Practice programme at the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Energy. Her role was to research how a strategic environmental fund could be setup to finance carbon projects in the future.

Kirsten will be working at the Business School until 28th October and will be based in the International Visitor’s office, room B332.

Kirsten can be contacted at [email protected].

The Centre for Applied Business Research (http://www.staffs.ac.uk/cabr) is happy to act as a host for any future internships on the Pioneers into Practice programme and more generally on EU funded programmes (e.g. Leonardo). Programme managers are invited to get in touch with either Nathalie Maddocks at [email protected] or Jon Fairburn at [email protected].

Community Organic GardenersStaff and students are reminded that they are more than welcome to attend the sessions on Sundays, 10:00-5:00, at the Community Organic Garden based on Leek Road behind the Reporatory Theatre. There is loads to do at the moment – we’re redesigning and reconstructing raised beds, moving flowers to their overwintering sites before the first frost, preparing the soil for next year, pruning, shredding, planting and generally having a good old mess around. Come down and join us, you’ll be made very welcome.

For more information contact Tom Ward at [email protected] or on 01782 294902.


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International Renewable Energy in Secondary and Further Education Seminar, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 7th June 2011 – Katy VigursThe International Renewable Energy in Secondary and Further Education Seminar was part of the Renewable Energies Transfer Scheme (RETS) project, which aims to improve the knowledge and competencies of local and regional policymakers in renewable energy systems, and by doing so facilitate a greater deployment of effective renewable energy policies at local and regional levels.

The seminar attended was a tailored workshop for local authorities and third sector organisations to transfer knowledge, good practice and stimulate policy implementation. Delegates travelled from the UK, France, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovenia. The key question underpinning the day was:

• How do we enable learners to understand and engage with issues of energy and the significance of renewable energy?

Presentations were delivered that charted the process and impacts of a range of collaborative projects between educational and environmental organisations. The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales reported on their collaboration with the Geography department of a secondary school in Wales, which aimed to enhance the geography curriculum by signposting the geography staff to cutting edge resources and stimulating environmental geography activities.

The National Botanic Garden in Wales had partnered with another secondary school to conduct an environmental language and communication project, which culminated in the development of a renewable energy technology family trail around the Botanic Gardens. Pupils were involved in designing this self-led trail by translating key themes from recent academic articles into concepts and language that was suitable for young people and their families. The National Museum of Wales reported on their work with a secondary school in Cardiff, where resources had been developed to support Welsh Baccalaureate students studying renewable energy technologies as part of personal and social education.

The young people were involved in designing a sustainability trail at St. Fagans National History Museum, which required them to investigate how each historical building used water, heat, light and energy, as well as stimulating discussion of lifestyle differences over history and different cultures.

Finally, the Centre for Alternative Technology reported on their collaboration with the Design and Technology department of a Further Education College. This project saw the redevelopment of an A level assessment to include the design of a sustainable building which can then be displayed and communicated to the general public. This required students to begin by looking at their own college’s building and conduct energy audits so as to understand the use of energy and building design before they developed their own vision for a sustainable building.

Overall, it was a stimulating and engaging seminar that raised critical questions about how renewable energy knowledge can be better disseminated and acted upon across society.

For more information about the RETS project, visit http://www.rets-project.eu.

Katy can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 294273.


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Michelin development fund supports SME development in North StaffordshireThe Finest network North Staffordshire’s meet and eat breakfast event on 4th October welcomed Mike Cole, Director of Michelin Developments Ltd, to share the latest opportunities available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – companies of up to 250 employees.

Michelin Development is a scheme that has been set up to assist with the economic development and long-term prosperity of the regions where their sites are or have been located. The regions that are currently eligible for support from Michelin are Dundee, Ballymena and North Staffordshire.

The Michelin group are offering two services to SMEs: financial support and business expertise. An unsecured business loan of £5000 or more, to be repaid over three to five years at the Bank of England base rate. Access to free of charge independent advice from Michelin’s considerable in-house expertise is included in addition to or instead of financial support. Michelin holds a diverse range of expertise from health and safety to recruitment, sales training and productivity improvement.

The offer is available to companies with projects that demonstrate the potential to create high quality and sustainable jobs. The funding is private so it can normally be used to ‘gear up’ public and other forms of loan funding. There may also be an additional opportunities for relevant clients to tender for business with Michelin and all successful companies will be featured in a press release of the scheme, gaining free exposure and marketing.

For more information of the scheme visit http://www.michelindevelopment.co.uk/contacts.htm or contactMike Cole at [email protected].

University representatives at the event included Janet Daragheh, Catherine Edwards, Frances Seabridge and Nathalie Maddocks.

6 Towns Radio – Paul Dobson ‘Voice of the People’ Paul is a co-presenter of ‘Soapbox’, a programme on Wednesdays 19:00 to 21:00 where he receives e-mails, chat-questions and calls from people around Stoke-on-Trent to put to the guests on the show. Recently, he had Stoke-on-Trent Chief Executive Officer John van der Laarschot and the former elected mayor Mike Wolfe discuss what the future may hold for Stoke-on-Trent, following on from The Sentinel Lecture in September (see page 4). It was a very lively session where the guests had different visions for the future of Stoke. A recording of this will be available at http://www.6towns.co.uk. Left to right: Keith Graham (main presenter of the show), John van der Laarschot,

Paul Dobson and Mike Wolfe


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Staff profile – Vicky RobertsVicky’s background was originally banking and finance, where she worked in numerous roles throughout the UK, including corporate finance, securities, mortgage lending and international trade. She then moved onto customer service and sales management.

Vicky’s interests have grown and developed over the years and she still retains an active interest in professional areas of business following her transfer to the teaching and lecturing profession. With the IFS School of Finance (one of the leading financial services education providers in the UK and overseas) she was actively involved as a member of their Programme and Validation Committee during the successful application for TDAP (Taught Degree Awarding Powers) granted by the QAA. She is a member of their Sustainability Committee as well as a Senior Examiner for their marketing module. With the Chartered Institute of Marketing she retains strong links and contributed to their recent syllabus review.

Brand management has always been a research interest and more recently association with Istituto Marangoni, one of Europes’ most respected schools of fashion, has helped to focus this area more specifically on luxury branding. Visits to the Interactive Luxury (London 2011) and Luxury and Counterfeit (Geneva 2011) helped to highlight the growing interest in the area of luxury branding and recent contributions to research. Globally, we are seeing the emergence of Brazil and Russia as strong luxury consumer markets as well as China’s continuing interest in the consumption and now the production and creation of luxury brands. The apparent ‘recession proofing’ of luxury brands is consistently reported. However, preliminary research has uncovered that the creation of luxury may not be the confines of large multinationals, but could emerge closer to home here in the West Midlands. Embryonic luxury will partly focus on the role of the artisan in the creation of luxury from both historical and contemporary perspectives with a more regional focus.

Overall the development and launch of the two year fast track programme has proved to be one of the most rewarding periods of my career and the development and promotion of this award continues to be a primary focus of my work along with my developing research interests.

Vicky can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 298503.

Proposal for a Business School Sabbatical Research ClubObjectiveThe objective of the Club is to allow colleagues to focus on producing research outputs, for up to a semester, free of other duties. Membership is purely voluntary and the Club is designed to be self-funding, i.e. members take on the teaching and other roles of those members on sabbatical leave.

Guiding PrinciplesThe Club would need to attain a critical mass in which a sabbatical leave of, say, one semester in six could be funded by the members within contractual restrictions. The Club presupposes that all members’ teaching and other non-research roles are potentially transferable to other members of the Club or switchable between semesters and/or sessions. This would suggest the need for multiple members in each Academic Group. Membership would have to be for a minimum of one cycle (i.e. three years in this example) and presupposes an implicit commitment that members will be able to complete the cycle. Before the beginning of each cycle lots to be drawn to determining the sequence of member’s sabbatical leave. Each member’s research outputs across the cycle would be monitored and eligibility to renew membership for a further cycle would be subject to a satisfactory level of outputs. Details of the operation of the Club based on these principles would be determined by the Club members at the beginning of each cycle.

Please let Prof. Nick Adnett (at [email protected]) know if you would be interested in discussing this proposal. If there is sufficient interest an exploratory meeting will be held.


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Doctorate of Business AdministrationThe Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) has recently recruited its first intake. Dr David Douglas is course director and is pictured with some of the students.

Left to right are Alex Finlayson, senior manager with Atkins Consulting UK and MBA graduate; Edona Kurtolli, Lecturer (Riinvest) and Entrepreneur from Kosovo; Tracy Redpath, senior manager with Stafford Borough Council and MBA graduate; Dr David Douglas; and Gary Marks, group purchase manager with JCB (UK), currently located in India, and MBA graduate. Not pictured are Robert Curtis, Director of Learning and Teaching, Business School; and Abaz Recica, Lecturer and Director of Sustainable Development (Riinvest) Kosovo.

David can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 294190.

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/dba_web_brochure_tcm44-39199.pdf

Staff profile – Nathalie MaddocksNathalie joined the Business School in August this year as a Research Assistant in the Centre of Applied Business Research (CABR). In addition to her part time role for CABR, Nathalie will be studying towards an MBA at Staffordshire University.

Nathalie graduated from Aston Business School in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) in International Business and Management and joined the Economic Development and Partnerships department at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

In 2008 Nathalie embarked on a one year industrial placement at the West Midlands European Service in Brussels as a Business and Marketing Assistant. Through monitoring EU business developments and regional implications to implementing the strategic Marketing plan and hosting project planning workshops, she was exposed to EU parliamentary and commission practices, funding mechanisms and a number of strategic networks. In February 2009, in addition to her placement Nathalie joined smallbusinesseurope, a business support consultancy in Brussels specialising in European SME policies and providing strategic advice on lobbying and practical policy implementation, as a part time European business research assistant.

At Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Nathalie managed a European Regional Development Fund, (ERDF) project called Collaborating Automotive Regions (CAR) and led the communications work package for the Interreg IVB, North West Europe project European Network of Electric Vehicles and Technology Expertise (ENEVATE).

Nathalie is also a member of the European Automotive Strategy Network (EASN) and provides communication support on a voluntary basis and supports its representation at EU level and project activity in her spare time.

Nathalie can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01782 294209.


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‘Staffordshire Bright Futures’ is the Business School’s new student society. For those that don’t already know, rather than merely creating a society for the Business School that is internally facing, the students involved linked themselves to the national organisation Bright Futures, which supports student societies by liaising with companies to enhance employability and career skills, forming Staffordshire Bright Futures.

Already Staffordshire Bright Futures has arranged guest activities and sessions with IBM, Centrica, Bibby Financial Services, Eversheds and KPMG. Although housed in the Business School the society is open to (and encourages members) from all schools and faculties.

I will be introducing Mark Acquaye, the society’s President for 2011/12, to our undergraduate and postgraduate students to promote the society and help it to get students to sign up. Joining the society costs £5, which is excellent value for money!

For the Business School this is good news. Not only will a forum which shows how enterprising students are capable of creating, running and joining such a society exist, it will also mean that we’ll have an ability to have a dialogue with a representation of our student body in order to improve student engagement in appropriate School committees and feedback groups.

Finally this week will see the initial outcomes of a lot of work from students and staff in the School. Even at this stage I’d like to thank Mark and his team of students from across the School and University. Mark is one of our Level 5 Business School students and I’m sure you’ll be impressed with his entrepreneurial skills and dedication to student engagement.

I’m sure colleagues will have lots of questions and will be keen to work with the society, therefore I’ll be introducing Mark and members of Staffordshire Bright Futures at an Award Leaders meeting to provide further explanation of what the group aims to do and how the society hopes to include working with the

School (and University) on its enterprise initiatives through future projects.

The Bright Futures Society is keen to receive advice, support and sponsorship from local and national businesses. If you or your company could offer any of these then Mark and his team would certainly appreciate any help you can offer. Please contact me at [email protected] or on 01782 294349 and I’ll arrange a meeting with Mark and his team. Alternatively contact Mark via the Staffordshire Bright Futures websitehttp://groupspaces.com/staffordshirebrightfutures.

Staffordshire Bright Futures Society – Jim Pugh

Supporting informed decision-making: Developing effective information, advice and guidance for students in North StaffordshireDr Kim Slack and Amanda Hughes of the Institute for Education Policy Research have been awarded funding to conduct a review of the literature on effective information, advice and guidance (IAG) practice for young people, with a particular focus on North Staffordshire. The research will also include a series of interviews with local practitioners and policy makers to identify enablers and barriers to effective practice. The aim of this phase of the research will be to develop a more nuanced understanding of these issues within the context of the local area and is particularly pertinent given recent changes to UK Government policy which are resulting in a refiguring of IAG and careers work. The project is due to be completed in February, 2012.

Kim and Amanda can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected] or 01782 295740.

Mark and a few of the Bright Futures team busy at a student event


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Forthcoming eventsOrganisational Behaviour, Leadership and Change guest speaker sessionsThe Organisational Behaviour, Leadership and Change (OBLC) academic group would like to invite members of staff, students and external colleagues to attend this semester’s guest speaker sessions. The two first sessions have been arranged as part of the MBA module ‘Managing Change and Leadership’, and the guest speakers are leading academics in the field of change management, leadership and organisational studies. Details are as follows:

Title: Leading Successful ChangeSpeaker: Professor Malcolm Higgs (Southampton Management School)Time: Monday 24th October, 14:00-16:00Venue: BG027, Brindley Building

Title: Understanding and Changing BehaviourSpeaker: Professor Bernard Burnes (Manchester Business School)Time: Monday 7th November, 14:00-16:00Venue: BG027, Brindley Building

The third session, to be presented by Professor Martin Parker of Warwick Business School on the invitation of CABR and Journal of Change Management, is the first lecture to form part of the new initiative ‘Let’s Talk Research!’. Details are as follows.

Let’s Talk Research with Professor Martin ParkerTitle: Academics, Publishing and CapitalismTime: Wednesday 16th November, 14.00-16.00Venue: LT001, Ashley Building

Staffordshire University Business School, Centre for Applied Business Research (CABR) and Journal of Change Management are excited to welcome Professor Martin Parker to deliver the session ‘Academics, Publishing and Capitalism’. In many ways we are welcoming Professor Parker back to his original academic roots as he gained his PhD here at Staffordshire University. Being Professor of Organisational Studies at Warwick Business School, Editor-in-chief of Organization and a prolific researcher and author, Martin is a highly influential academic not only in the UK but worldwide.

His research touches upon a wide variety of topics, some of these being social and organisational theory, alternative organisations, business ethics, market managerialism and Higher Education, and critical management studies. His work has been published in journals such as Organization Studies, Organization, Human Relations and Journal of Business Ethics to name but a few.

The event is open to staff, students and external colleagues. However, places are limited so please register your interest prior to the event with Nathalie Maddocks at [email protected].

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/cabr

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rjcm

Institute for Education Policy Research (IEPR) SymposiumThe next IEPR Symposium will take place on Wednesday 23rd November from 2:00-5:00pm. Three doctoral students will present their work.

Please contact Tom Ward at [email protected] or on 01782 294902 if you would like to attend.


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Round up of activityMeet the Press and Media – 12th SeptemberThe large number of new staff in the Business School and the need for local experts from the area to supply the media made this an obvious opportunity to get together. Jon Fairburn introduced the meeting with the role of academics in society and the need to see communication of ideas and knowledge as a key part of the job. This was followed by a number of practical steps that staff can take to engage with the media, local and regional agendas, and television and radio.

After brief overall introductions, Louise Pyslliades (Business Reporter, The Sentinel), Maria Scrivens and Sam Schofield (Staffordshire University Press Office), and Liz Copper (BBC Midlands Today) had small group discussions and one to ones to understand some of the Business School expertise.

Attendees were Paul Dobson, Katerina Thomas, Pete Considine, David Douglas, Sue Clews, Anni Hollings, Linda Phillips, Paul Williams, Robert Curtis, Carol Southall, Rune By and Andrew Hirst. Less than one week later Andrew Hirst appeared on BBC Midlands Today to provide insight into the Jaguar Company.

Maria and Sam are following up this workshop with another workshop on interview training. Please contact Maria or Sam direct at [email protected] or [email protected] if interested.

For other staff who wish to be added to it, the University Expert Guide is at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/about_us/news_and_events/expert_guide/

EU Transversal Study Tour Workshop – 13th SeptemberAbdul Qadir (West Midlands European Service – WMES) and Jon Fairburn ran a workshop on the Transversal scheme; some of those attending completed the application form in the workshop. As we were halfway through the call there was a reduced choice for mainstream business school staff so some staff could not find a suitable tour this time. However there is another catalogue which will be out shortly with a deadline six months away.

In attendance Katy Vigurs, Kim Slack, Michelle Lowe, Steve Malone, Pete Considine, Gerard Ryan, James O’Kane, Katerina Thomas, John Wyld, Carol Southall, Linda Phillips, Vicky Roberts, Andrew Hirst, Stephen Hall, Phil Weston and Ahmad Mlouk. Sandra Booth and Naomi Arblaster of ECD also attended. Those in bold submitted applications.

Conference papersThe following two papers were presented by Professor Tehmina N Basit at international conferences: Basit, T.N. (2011) ‘The use of digital ethnography in research into ethnicity and education’, paper presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference, 6-8 September, Institute of Education, University of London, UK. Basit, T.N. (2011) ‘Educational capital as a catalyst for upward social mobility amongst British Asians: A three-generational analysis’, paper presented at the European Conference of Educational Research (ECER), Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, 13-16 September.

Centre for Research on Emerging Economies (CREE) SeminarSpeaker: Professor Mihailo CrnobrnjaDate: 16th NovemberTime: 1:00pmTopic: Transition to a Market Economy in SerbiaVenue: To be announced

All colleagues are welcome.


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Free enterprise column: Death of the lemonade stand – Dr Luke PittawayThere are few things that are more important to the American entrepreneurship psyche than the lemonade stand. Kids across the country learn their first lessons in entrepreneurial behavior and capitalism when running one. Some of America’s most successful entrepreneurs gained their ‘spirit of enterprise’ from their first greenback gained from one. And yet if you have spotted recent stories the lemonade stand is under threat. There can be no greater metaphor than this for what might be going wrong with American capitalism and economic governance.

It started in Montgomery County where a county inspector ordered the Marriott and Augustine kids to shut down their stand after they had ignored a couple of warnings and then fined their parents $500 because the kids didn’t have a vendor’s license (Leshan, 2011). The kids in this instance were raising money for paediatric charity. Later after much negative press the county permits director allowed the children to move the stand to another location and waived the fine. Then in Midway police shut down a lemonade stand ran by three girls trying to make money for a trip to a water park in Savannah because the girls didn’t have the license and permit required for their enterprise (Kenny, 2011). In the words of the children: ‘They told us to shut it down’, 10-year-old Skylar Roberts reported. ‘It’s kind of crazy that we couldn’t sell lemonade’, said Casity Dixon, 14. ‘It was fun, but we had to listen to the cops and shut it down.’ Then Forbes reports a nationwide ‘inexplicable war on the lemonade stand’ citing examples from Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as, these two from Georgia. Of course Forbes announced 20th August its unofficial National Lemonade Freedom day (Kain, 2011).

Most of the reports of this phenomenon came over as ‘perplexed’ or ‘mildly amused’ but the truth is these examples should worry us all and are perhaps a metaphor for what might be going wrong with the American spirit of free enterprise. It eventually happens to all successful nations. There are great periods of endeavour, a sense of purpose and a desire for freedom that drive new nations and their economic intensity. People create, they build and they hope for a better future for their children. As nations become more mature though they create ever increasing bureaucracy, laws that all nations need to govern get increasingly complex until they suck the life-blood from that spirit of innovation, creativity and enterprise that the nation needs to succeed. The ability to create new jobs dies as the weight of compliance becomes too heavy and the spirit of enterprise buckles under the complexity of the law. We might be perplexed or even amused by these reports but we should be worried about the future of entrepreneurship in this country if a few young kids, who are harming nobody, get their lemonade stands closed. It is a symbol that the bureaucracy governing enterprise has become too heavy and too inflexible. Not only does such enforcement damage the ‘fun’ that these kids are gaining from their enterprise, it damages the aspirations they may have gained for entrepreneurial endeavour. If this is how we are treating our kids’ lemonade stands then how are we treating our entrepreneurs? And where do we think the new jobs will come from?

Luke Pittaway is Visiting Professor at Staffordshire University and Professor and William A Freeman Distinguished Chair in Free Enterprise at Georgia Southern University.

ReferencesKain, E. D. (2011) ‘The Inexplicable War on Lemonade Stands’, at http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/08/03/the-inexplicable-war-on-lemonade-stands/.Kenny, J. (2011) ‘Midway, Ga., Police Shut Down Kids’ Lemonade Stand’, at http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/8243-midway-ga-police-shut-down-kids-lemonade-stand.Leshan, B. (2011) ‘County shuts down kids’ lemonade stand; $500 fine’, at http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/155167/158/County-Shuts-Down-Kids-Lemonade-Stand-500-Fine.


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What’s on in Stoke and StaffordUseful informationCar Parking – A flat rate charge of £1 applies from 6pm on all surface Stoke city centre car parks. Charges differ on multi-storey car parks.

What’s on in Stoke-on-Trent – www.visitstoke.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on.aspx

What’s on in Stafford – www.staffordshire.gov.uk/doitonline/EventCalendar/calendar.aspx

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre – www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk/ or telephone 01785 254653

Victoria Hall and Regent Theatre Ticket Sales – www.ambassadortickets.com/stoke or telephone 0844 871 7649

New Vic – http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/v3_5w/index.html or telephone 01782 717962

Stoke Film Theatre on College Road – www.stokefilmtheatre.org.uk or telephone 01782 411188

Film fanatics rejoice over new film club in townThe town formally devoid of a cinema welcomes The Nantwich Big Cheese Film Club open to all film lovers over 18 to join.

The Big Cheese Film Club is located in the ballroom of the Crown Hotel on the High Street of Nantwich and screened its first film, the 1988 academy award winner Paridiso on Thursday 8th September.

The club meets every second Thursday of the month and for the ticket price of £5, bought from the venue in advance or at the door, the evening commences with a pre- film drink and ends with an open discussion and critique of the film amongst members.

The not-for-profit club will be showing art house, independent, classic and international films from all decades and aims to become an established film venue for locals and movies fans alike. To join the Nantwich Big Cheese Film Club email: [email protected]

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