PULSE News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School April 2020 | Issue 8
TEACHING BUSINESS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Learning in Lille
Industry insights
Outdoor adventures
Business Games takes students to France
Behind-the-scenes in business
First years bond at Plas Caerdeon
News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School April 2020 | Issue 8
WELCOME TO PULSE The second semester has been a really busy one for Business School staff and students alike, with the theme of travelling very much at the fore.
NEWS IN BRIEF Dr Tony Bradley awarded doctorate
Two of our Young Enterprise (YE) teams from the second year Business Management course represented the Business School brilliantly at the regional finals in Preston. One of these groups, Seedlings, achieved four awards and will go on to the national finals in London in May. Read more about our current and previous YE successes on page 8. You can also read more about the participation of a group of first year students and Business School tutors in an international business game in Lille (page 3). As well as working in collaboration with peers from France and Belgium, the group experienced the cultural delights of a modern European city. Closer to home, February saw the Business School’s annual residential visit to the University’s outdoor education centre, Plas Caerdeon in Snowdonia, by our first year students (page 4).This was closely followed by Industry Week, when first and second year students benefited from the opportunity to visit and learn about a range of important locally based organisations, including Everton Football Club (page 6). All of these initiatives sit at the heart of the Business School’s drive to enrich our curriculum and give students as many opportunities as possible to develop their employability levels. Ian McKenna Subject Leader – Business Management & Marketing
IN THIS ISSUE 3
Students get their game on in France
7
In the spotlight
4
Outdoor adventures in Plas Caerdeon
8
Excellence in enterprise
6
Behind-the-scenes in business
10
Expert comment: Liverpool’s economy
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Professional Tutor in Business Dr Tony Bradley has become the latest Business School staff member to achieve his doctorate. Talking about the experience, Dr Bradley said: “When I sat in Da Vinci University, Johannesburg, to signup for my doctoral studies in social innovation (September 2013), I had an inkling of the road ahead. “My overriding feeling is gratitude to those who walked alongside me and have been immensely supportive cheerleaders. Thanks to all for the encouragement. But, the purpose of completing a PhD is for the students. “We are committed to researchinformed teaching and I use what I have learned, through my doctoral and subsequent research, every single day. Importantly, we are committed to developing an intense research culture – staff and students together – across Liverpool Hope Business School.”
SPOTLIGHT
Business games leads to French fieldtrip
The International Business Games saw students travel to Lille to compete with peers from France and Belgium. A group of first-year students travelled to Lille, France, to take part in the first stage of the International Business Games.
During the game, they receive further information about developments in their market, which they have to assimilate and then react to.
The annual event features two parts – the first based at our partner university l’Université Catholique de Lille, and the second in Ghent, Belgium. The Games gives students the ideal opportunity to develop their business skills, and the Business School has been taking undergraduates each year since 2016. Senior Professional Tutor Brian Ricketts, who along with Dr Clay Gransden escorted the students, said: “This year’s group really enjoyed the experience in Lille. They made the most of the opportunity and have kept in touch with their individual groups. “Dr Gransden and I were delighted to be involved in the trip again this year and it was a pleasure to see how the Hope students worked well as a group, but also within their individual teams.” Working in groups, students are challenged with understanding the business environment of their market and developing plans for their company. Groups are given some initial information on which to build their plans, and this is then added to as the Game progresses. Students have to make decisions around market strategy, sales, pricing, production levels and recruitment.
Alongside this, the students prepare a presentation for the tutors, who then have the opportunity to ask questions. Monika Kucharska, who is studying Marketing and English Language at Hope, said of the Games: “It was an exciting opportunity to apply theory in practice, make friends and visit a beautiful city.” In each group, there are students from the three participating universities – Lille, Ghent and Liverpool Hope. This means students are not only given the opportunity to visit another country, but are also exposed to different languages and cultures. PULSE Magazine | 3
FEATURE
ADVENTURING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
The great outdoors provided a learning experience with a difference for a group of intrepid students. 4 | PULSE Magazine
FEATURE Rock climbing, raft building and archery may not be what you expect from a Business School degree, but for a group of first year students, taking to the great outdoors brought a university experience they’re unlikely to forget. Each year, new Business School students are taken on a free trip to Liverpool Hope’s outdoor education centre Plas Caerdeon in Snowdonia. Set in 18-acres of self-contained grounds and overlooking the Mawddach Estuary, the facility is used to enhance the student experience. This year’s theme was a sense of belonging, and the 46 students were challenged with working together to support each other in teams.
The trip proved to be a great success, with the students asked to give feedback on their experience. All of those who attended said they enjoyed the trip and it helped them to make or strengthen friendships. Business Management student Theo Domfeh described what he got out of the trip. He said: “The highlight of the trip was discovering the essence of teamwork. Being able to negotiate/cooperate with people despite not knowing them, has helped people to come out of their shell. “Since the trip, a lot of people have got closer, which means if someone is not able to attend important classes or doesn’t understand a topic, they will find it easier to ask for help.
Jo Whittingham, Senior Professional Tutor in Accountancy & Finance, supervised the trip and described the students’ experience: “Day one, we arrive, play hunt the suitcase, allocate rooms, grab some lunch and out for a number of team work and problem-solving activities.
“My favourite activity was climbing up a ladder that was held by my fellow team member. Initially we had few people who were scared to climb up the ladder, but once other people did it and encouraged them, they were able to complete the activity. This shows that encouraging and leading the way is a crucial part in becoming a successful team.”
“Not so bright, but early start, to day two, the teams had to use negotiation skills to set their itinerary. They opt for raft-building, archery, zip wires, walking and climbing. The raft building needs some work… let’s just say it was ok on land. “Day three, the students got creative helping shape our thoughts on our exciting move to a new building on campus in 2021. “And before you know it. We were on our way home.”
See more pictures from the trip on our Flickr gallery: www.flickr.com/photos/liverpoolhopeuniversity/albums
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HIGHLIGHTS
Behind-the-scenes in business
Industry Week took students behind-the-scenes at a number of leading Merseyside companies. Visits to a number of important Merseyside-based organisations saw students witness first-hand how companies function.
The visit provided a fascinating insight into the business operations of a locally based, but multi-million-pound global institution.
As part of the Business School’s annual Industry Week, first and second-year students were invited onsite to see behind-the-scenes and hear about the challenges faced by employers in today’s dynamic - and often volatile environment.
Students interested in retail were treated to an overview of the Liverpool Bid Company’s strategy to support retail and trading in Liverpool city centre. This was followed by behind-the-scenes tours at Primark and Lush in Liverpool’s main shopping area.
The week began with an inspirational visit to the Plaza Community Cinema in Crosby, Liverpool, where students learned how the local community fought against a development company’s plans to turn the local cinema into offices.
The Industry Week activities concluded with a visit to First Ark Group, a social business that works collaboratively with the public, private and social sectors to add value and create life-changing opportunities through its social business model.
The community mobilised and were able to purchase the site, opening the largely volunteer-staffed Crosby Plaza in 1997, with the cinema continuing to go from strength-tostrength. To cap off the visit, the students were treated to a screening of The Invisible Man.
Reflecting on the week’s activities, Ian McKenna, Subject Leader for Business Management & Marketing, said: “Industry Week is always a key point in the Business School’s academic year. It helps our students contextualise a lot of the theory and business models that they have been exposed to in the classroom. It also gives them new insights and knowledge that serve them well in their assessments and in their career planning strategies.
At the other end of the commercial scale, a group of students and staff toured Everton Football Club’s Goodison Park stadium, before receiving a number of briefings from the club’s key departments, including Finance, Marketing, HR and Everton in the Community. 6 | PULSE Magazine
“We are really grateful for the continued support of our local employers.”
ALUMNI STORIES
In the spotlight Pulse caught up with international alumnus Sam Kreps, to find out how his MA Business and Management degree has helped him go onto a successful career. did a great job of having all of the international students interact with each other, as they knew many of us were in similar situations. The Big Hope 2 in 2018 was one of the many highlights. Once again, interacting with people from all over the world was such a joy. Whether we were watching the FIFA World Cup or listening to guest speakers, there was always a smile on my face. I still talk to people I met at Big Hope 2 to this day. I studied the social impact of sport - with an emphasis on Everton in the Community - for my dissertation, and was fortunate to work closely with Dr Clay Gransden, who has done some incredible work in this area. My experience at Hope has definitely helped with my career. I was hired as a Sales Development Specialist at Terryberry just one month after I returned to the USA, and just shy of one year into my time at the company I was promoted to Customer Success Manager - where I am still today.
My Hope experience has hands down been one of the biggest influences in shaping me into the person I am today. That’s cliché, but it’s true, and one of the main reasons is because I was an American living in England. I tried my best to work hard, but also enjoy my experience in a different academic setting. The Hope staff/faculty cared for me and were always available to talk, whether it was about a class assignment or how I was enjoying Liverpool, which gave me that extra motivation to do well in class. Learning with students and staff from different cultures was also a great experience for me. I never got that experience when I was studying at undergraduate level. Learning about cultures is one of the most interesting things for me to do and I got to do that every day at Hope. The International Team did an outstanding job in ensuring I was enjoying my time at Hope. Whether that was the field trip to Wales or hosting an international festival. They
Hope taught me how to problem solve real-life issues and problem solving has been such a key part of my roles at Terryberry. Speaking with customers and prospects can be a challenge at times and Hope taught me how to solve problems quickly. Hope did this by instilling confidence in me when it was lacking. While at the University, I was also given the opportunity to work at Alternative Futures Group where I got vital experience in learning how such large charities operate. Once again, I was working closely with people from different cultures, and this was important for me as I hope to eventually move into more of an international role with my current employer. I hope to return to the UK permanently and my goal is to work with young people trying to find their way in life. Hope and Liverpool have provided so much to me in such a short amount of time, and I feel like it’s my duty to give back to the University and city. I want to thank everyone I met during my time at Hope, everyone played a role in making my experience what it was and I can’t thank them enough. PULSE Magazine | 7
STUDENT SUCCESS
Pulse looks back on our students’ Young Enterprise successes. The Young Enterprise scheme has launched several successful student businesses in recent years, with Liverpool Hope teams not only making it all the way to the finals, but some even receiving investment interest.
Students are assigned teams on a random basis and guided through a programme that aims to help them develop essential skills and attitudes, which not only enrich their academic learning, but also provide a strong foundation for the future.
All of our second year Business Management students take part in the competitive business programme, which sees them learn first-hand how to establish and run a company.
Professional Tutor in Business Tony Bradley, who coordinates the Young Enterprise programme at Hope, said: “Every group learns what it means to engage in business development – from the first idea, through to product creation.”
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STUDENT SUCCESS In the last three academic years, three teams have sailed through the regional events making it all the way to the national finals. In 2017/18, MealMate picked up the Strategic Marketing Award for its mission to provide students with healthy and cheap meal ideas, and went on to secure business from both Liverpool Hope and Loughborough College’s accommodation and student welfare departments. MealMate Managing Director Robyn Harrison-Reid discussed what she got out of the experience: “I’ve enjoyed developing as a business woman and becoming more educated and gaining the skills I needed to take this business forward. I was keen to gain experience in being in management and taking responsibility for a company and its assets.”
I’ve enjoyed developing as a business woman and becoming more educated and gaining the skills I needed to take this business forward. A year later, a student business centred on selling dissolvable drinking straws made from sugar saw the team Sweet Sips win an award for best ‘marketing performance’. The concept, inspired by the global response to plastic pollution, also won the Young Enterprise National Business Sustainability Award, sponsored by Lyreco; a global office supplies firm who are committed to sustainability. The most recent team to achieve great success at Young Enterprise is Seedlings, which is led by Managing Director Katie Moore. She said: “Young Enterprise has been invaluable in teaching our team that if there’s determination and positivity, then you can create something fantastic from nothing. “Young Enterprise presented challenges and triumphs throughout the first stage, which reflected a real-life experience of running a business, which added so much value to our degrees. Winning the Young Enterprise Liverpool Hope Finals was an amazing experience, and gave us the motivation we needed to continue the hard work to build Seedlings.” With the 2020 national finals still to come in May, the Business School may soon have yet more Young Enterprise successes to celebrate – watch this space.
Sweet Sips Managing Director Hannah Houghton was recently invited to be the first-ever alumni member to co-host the Young Enterprise North West Start-up Final. Here she tells Pulse how it felt to be given the prestigious opportunity. How does it feel to be co-hosting the event? I was delighted and honoured to be asked to co-host this year’s regional finals. I loved experiencing the Young Enterprise (YE) programme last year, as it really helped me flourish and I wanted to continue my journey with them, but this time as an alumnus. I asked Andy Firr how I could be more involved, and he offered me the chance to co-host. YE are keen to express their alumni voice more, showing off previous success and talent that they have helped flourish in the past. I jumped at the opportunity as presenting has never been a strong skill of mine, and I’m always looking for opportunities to challenge myself. What have you enjoyed most about being involved in YE and how does it feel to have launched a successful business? The experience that YE gave me is one I’ll never forget, it was a surreal experience presenting my business last year at Chessington World of Adventures, and to top it off, we came second! Young Enterprise has not only helped me develop my skills professionally, but personally too. I feel so much more confident and have learnt to challenge myself after being able to get up in front of large groups of people, which is something I’ve always dreaded doing in the past. How do you think the skills you have learnt and experience of being part of YE will help you as you move forward in your career? They already have. When I was put forward for my summer internship with Active Profile last year, I was amazed how well I was able to apply my experience with YE to the interview questions and how much it helped my confidence during my time in a professional environment. Do you have any tips or advice for other students thinking about getting involved? DO IT! I know the experience isn’t for everyone and that’s perfectly fine. For some of you this may be a kickstarter for your future career in entrepreneurship that you never knew was an option for you. Others will find out that entrepreneurship isn’t for them, but that’s ok, its still an experience you can apply to job interviews when they talk about your skills, such as working in a team, leadership and presenting etc.
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EXPERT COMMENT
The Liverpool economy: Challenges of the new decade
Archontis L. Pantsios, Associate Professor of Economics, reflects on the evolving Liverpool economy and what the future holds. With the dawn of a new decade, and Brexit already a reality that is taking shape, regional economic development is expected to take centre stage in the public debate.
inward investment, towards the development of a new Superport (Liverpool 2), and the redevelopment of the Paradise Street area into the 42-acre Liverpool ONE retail shopping centre.
In the past 20 years, Liverpool’s economy has experienced growth rates similar to London’s, and rivalling fast-growing government-centre cities like Cardiff and Edinburgh. In 2017, the Liverpool City Region boasted a real annual growth rate of 3.3%, the highest in the UK, while in 2019 Liverpool’s economy continued to be strong, with a year-on-year rise of around £1.6 billion and a forecasted annual growth into 2021 of 1.5%.
With an expected slowdown in retail, manufacturing and public sector employment, the business service sector is projected to be in the forefront of any future growth potential, with the information and communication sectors expected to be significant drivers.
A number of explanations account for these apparently surprising growth statistics, including the fact that Liverpool had reached a very low baseline after becoming Europe’s fastest declining city – in terms of population losses, gross value-added productivity and industrial decline – for much of the 70s and 80s. While the beginnings of cultural tourism and knowledge economy regeneration meant that Liverpool’s economic fortunes improved dramatically. Perhaps the most important factor in turning Merseyside’s economic tide was EU investment. The so-called ‘Option 1’ terms in the mid-90s transformed the city’s status and prospects. This led to very significant 10 | PULSE Magazine
Nowhere is this manifested more emphatically than the development of the Knowledge Economy within the city’s Knowledge Quarter. This hub of education, knowledge and research generates £1 billion in annual income. Moreover, in the Baltic Triangle, close to £130 million has been invested to transform a district of dilapidated warehouses into a digital, cultural and creative business community of innovation and enterprise. It becomes apparent, therefore, that what needs to be prioritised is investment in education and skills. It is against this backdrop that Liverpool Hope Business School offers a new Economics degree starting in October 2020. This degree will not only expose students to current national and international issues, but will also use case studies from Liverpool’s economic past to educate the minds of tomorrow.
THE BUSINESS SCHOOL
ABOUT US: LIVERPOOL HOPE BUSINESS SCHOOL The Business School curriculum is cutting-edge with all teaching research-informed and delivered by staff with both professional and practical backgrounds. A high number of staff have PhDs, while three members of the School have run successful businesses. This means the School is highly qualified at an academic, professional and experiential level, to engage in research that connects with the business sector.
The School works closely with accreditation bodies and is a member of various professional networks. These include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Professional Liverpool.
With strong links to a range of leading local and national companies, professional bodies and organisations, and a range of innovative ethical and social enterprises, the School has a reputation for developing students with sound theoretical principles and a thorough understanding of contemporary business practices. Guest lecturers and practitioner input allows students the opportunity to visit companies, study abroad and work via Young Enterprise to develop and run their own business.
WHO WE WORK WITH:
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CLUB
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CLUB
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To find out more please visit: www.hope.ac.uk/businessschool
Pulse is published by Liverpool Hope Business School, Hope Park, L16 9JD.
T: 0151 291 3087 E: businessschool@hope.ac.uk
The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Liverpool Hope University.
LiverpoolHopeUniversity @LiverpoolHopeUK
