SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP AND ECONOMICS
Networked
What Goliath can learn from David In Business Schools all over the country and beyond we tend to focus on large and often multinational corporations, and the overarching focus on providing shareholders with the greatest possible return on investment has been identified as one potential contributor to the 2008 financial crisis (see Forbes for example).
of having a trade and a purpose that goes beyond only making a living. They all refer to their colleagues as an integral part to their success, and they don’t define themselves as managers or leaders, but as master brewers or floor sweepers. They have an identity, authenticity and presence that go way beyond any suit and tie.
replaceable overheads. Whilst David is focusing on providing the best possible service or product, Goliath is more concerned about often meaningless and short term KPIs. Whilst David’s eye is on securing sustainable organisational success, Goliath’s is on personal shortterm success, sometimes at the cost of his very own existence.
My current research leads to conversations with barbers, microbrewers, tattoo artists, baristas, tailors, street artists and denim heads who are participating in the resurgence of traditional trades rather than CEOs of multinational corporations. These entrepreneurs all have two things in common and that is the importance
Talking with these individuals I am becoming more and more convinced that Goliath has much to learn from David. Whilst David believes in success with and through his people, Goliath too often believes in success despite of his people. Whilst David is acknowledging individual contributions, Goliath is often referring to staff as
Yes, David also needs to be successful and make a living, but he has a whole different approach to doing so which I believe Goliath can learn from.
Professor Rune Todnem By @Prof_RuneTBy
New Project:
Adoption of Sustainable Accounting Practices for Reporting - Report Asap
Have you been thinking about a new career or moving up to the next level? Why wait until next September, start in January
MBA – Full-time Report ASAP is a new project funded under the EU ERASMUS Plus Strategic Partnership Programme; led by Dr Souad Moufty of the Business School with the help of Dr Aisha Abuelmaatti and Professor Jon Fairburn.
Therefore, the aim of this project is to help small and medium size business report on their sustainability by providing the necessary training and tools for SMEs to adopt sustainable accounting and reporting practices in a cost-effective way.
An individual SME may have small social, environmental and financial impact; however, collectively SMEs have a great impact. More than 70% of all pollution can be attributed to SMEs (European Union, 2010). In the EU-27, 99% of companies are SMEs and they employ two thirds of European workers (European Commission, Oct. 2010). Therefore, SMEs are key players in achieving sustainability. However, SMEs face many barriers preventing them from reporting on sustainability such as the existence of many sustainability frameworks which could be complex for SMEs, and are designed as “one size fits all” with large enterprises in mind (Tutterow, 2014).
The project will first carry out a needs analysis in the six partner countries to establish a knowledge gap framework. This consultation will launch early in 2018. The partnership will then produce a training course, online training tool and a trainers’ guide. These will be supported both by the ECVET skills framework and by an achievements recognition framework (based on the Open Badges specification).
Other barriers include lack of knowledge regarding sustainability problems and the potential benefits of sustainability practices; as well as lack of experience or expertise to address sustainable issues and lack of resources required to put sustainability practices in place.
The project will run until Sept 2019. The partnership comprises: Staffordshire University Business School (England); Business School PAR (Croatia); Civic Computing limited (Scotland); FGUGREM (Spain); Eurocrea Merchant (Italy); Ruse chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bulgaria) and AKNOW (Greece). If you are an SME and would like to take part and attend the free training this project will offer, please email the project leader Dr. Souad Moufty at souad.moufty@staffs.ac.uk
MBA – Part-time MSc Digital Marketing Management BA (Hons) Business Management Top-up CIPD Level 3 CIPD Level 5 CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing DMI Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing MSc Accounting and Finance
Postgraduate loans are available for some of the courses and others start from just £1,500. Plus if you are a Staffordshire University graduate you can access our alumni discount of 15%.
For more information email:
enquiries@staffs.ac.uk
Staffordshire Business School gets full marks in National Student Survey Staffordshire University are pleased to announce that they have received 100% in the National Student Survey 2017 for their Accountancy and Finance Accelerated course. In fact the course scored 100% in 20 of the 27 categories in the survey, including: • Staff are good at explaining things • Staff have made the subject interesting
Earlier this year the subject area was also ranked 1st for Student Satisfied with Teaching in The Guardian League Tables 2018 and in the Complete University Guide we were number 1 in the Midlands for student satisfaction. Karl McCormack – Course Leader joined Staffordshire Business School in 2010, and is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and has expertise in forensic accounting and fraud risk management.
• The course is intellectually stimulating • My course has challenged me to achieve my best work • I have received helpful comments on my work • The course is well organised and running smoothly • The timetable works efficiently for me
Accounting and Finance at Staffordshire offers 100% satisfaction The National Student Survey 2017 show that 100% of students were satisfied with their Accountancy and Finance Accelerated Course. Earlier this year the subject area was also ranked 1st for Student Satisfied with Teaching in The Guardian League Tables 2017 and in the Complete University Guide were number 1 in the Midlands for student satisfaction.
Find out more about our courses on the website or visit us at the next open day.
Karl said: “It is really good to see that our accounting students are having such a great experience on their course and at Staffordshire University. Our strong personal tutoring programme, staff enthusiasm and promotion of the Staffordshire Graduate Attributes all play a crucial role in these results. It must not be forgotten though that the dedication of staff, both academic and support, shapes the overall experience.”
“These results are testament to the great work that our Accountancy and Finance team does in producing a fantastic student experience. To be ranked number 1 in the UK is a real achievement.” Dr Peter Jones For more information on our Accounting and Finance courses go to www.staffs.ac.uk
Here are our SUPER SEVEN reasons to study Accounting and Finance with Staffordshire Business School:
1. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) accredits all our undergraduate Accounting and Finance degrees.
2. Access to a selection of careers and networking activities, including Global Entrepreneurship Week, to help develop your employability skills.
3. Work experience – guaranteed. We guarantee to provide the opportunity of work experience to all new undergraduate students.
4. We’ve invested £75 million over the last few years in new buildings, learning spaces and state-of-the-art facilities.
5. Industry links and work experience opportunities mean you’ll be well connected to the real world from day one.
6. Gain insights from experienced academics, inspirational guest speakers and industry visits.
7. Study at the Staffordshire Business School, with access to industry standard software and facilities.
Photo credit: Wikia
Industry vote of confidence in UK’s first esports degree Staffordshire University announced in May that it was launching the country’s first BA (Hons) Esports degree and has been overwhelmed with enquiries from prospective students from all over the world. The University recently invited organisations including British Esports Association, Ukie, The National University Esports League (NUEL), Fast Web Media and Codemasters to make up an industry panel and help advise on modules making up the course which aims to supply skilled graduates to the global gaming industry. This offers the opportunity of future collaboration and companies like Red Bull have already offered student work placements at their new esports studio in London.
Rachel Gowers, Associate Dean for Recruitment in Staffordshire Business School, said: “It is vital that the degree supports the needs of those working and recruiting to this specialist sector. The industry is driving the creation of new jobs and companies are looking for people who are both entrepreneurial and tech savvy. “Our course focuses on the business and culture of esports from developing teams, communities and a fan base to hosting esports events. We are delighted to be partnering with the businesses and organisations who can help us to fine tune the course prior to launch in 2018.” The University has also won the high profile backing of Ed Vaizey MP and Vice Chair of the British Esports Association.
He added: “Staffordshire University’s decision to establish an esports course is visionary and far sighted. Esports is one of the fastest growing entertainment mediums in the world, and anything that can help the UK establish itself as a centre for this exciting industry should be celebrated.” The new degree course is in direct response to the Ukie white paper on esports. Dr Bobbie Fletcher, Associate Professor of Games Education, said: “Plans to grow the UK as an esports hub brings huge opportunities and we are well placed as a University to respond to that. Connecting with industry in this way enables us to benefit from their expertise and exciting work experience opportunities.”
Digital Marketing Professional Diploma
Do you want to upgrade your digital marketing skills?
Staffordshire Graduate lands dream job at one of Staffordshire’s top tourist destinations!
The course is suitable for anyone with a passion for digital marketing, whether it’s your job or your hobby and because most of the course is delivered on-line you can study at a time that works for you. You will study a range of modules over a six-month period all for £1,560. You will study: Search Engine Optimisation Pay Per Click Digital Display Advertising Email Marketing Social Media Marketing Mobile Marketing Analytics Strategy and Planning
Hannah Mannion Event Management Professional BA Hons Events Management Alumni After three years of studying at Staffordshire University on her BA(Hons) Event Management degree, Hannah Mannion managed to land her dream job as the Events Manager for Trentham Gardens, one of the biggest tourist destinations in Staffordshire. Hannah got involved with all aspects of course life throughout her time at Staffordshire University which included getting involved with the Stone Food and Drink festival which attracts thousands of people from around the local area to the little town of Stone to try wonderful food and drink. Hannah is involved in all elements of the event programme at the Trentham Gardens, including managing large inhouse events such as summer concerts as well as the Staffordshire University graduations. Her role includes contract writing, client liaison, contractor and supplier liaison as well as writing event management plans and risk assessments.
Find out more here
“There is just me working in events at Trentham at the minute so I’m a oneman band”. Even though Hannah is a one-man band the event programme just keeps growing and more and more successful events are being created. Recently Hannah began working on a wide range of events for 2017/2018, including the Trentham annual fireworks, a year on from Hannah’s first event that she had nine weeks to plan. This turned out to be on of Hannah’s proudest moments. When the fireworks went off at the 2016 firework event Hannah realised all the planning was worth it as she was sat in the house right behind the firing zone with 5000 people behind it with smiles on their faces. Hannah’s future ambition is to grow the event income and programme over the next five years and hopefully the number of staff within the event department too. With over 100 events already in the programme over the next few years she is looking into hopefully recruiting an event assistant in the near future.
If you can offer work placements to students studying within Staffordshire Business School please contact Carol Southall, Senior Lecturer, at C.Southall@staffs.ac.uk or 01782 294269.
While most people recognise the importance of regulation for protecting the public on issues such as food safety, there are also serious concerns on the effectiveness of regulation and the costs that poorly performing regulation places on businesses and the economy. To help address this concern, Professors David Williamson and Geoff Pugh have been awarded £22,500 to look at the effect of early compliance advice on hygiene standards to outlets providing prepared food to the public, to see if this provides better economic outcomes than traditional inspection and enforcement. The project builds upon the National initiative on ‘Better Business for All’ as part of the governments agenda for growth, and they will be working closely with the Regulation for Growth Group, local authorities and Staffordshire County Council trading standards, to investigate early intervention across the county. As this is the first such study it is expected that the findings will be of great interest, particularly to business bodies and those local and national agencies that have responsibility for improving regulatory and economic performance, and that it may also provide a baseline for a larger national study.
My first days in Hanoi Ryan Gowan: 28 September, 2017 Never in my wildest dreams did I think one year ago I would be sat in Hanoi writing my first blog promoting study abroad opportunities for Staffordshire University. British University Vietnam is a fantastic chance for Business students at Staffs Uni to experience a new culture, new way of living and fantastic environment to study in and during my time here I will prove it.
the struggle was well worth it as the food was delicious- and yet so cheap! If you’re anything like me though you won’t be too adventurous with what you eat and you stick to what you know. In Vietnam, take a chance and you will be unexpectedly surprised. Octopus would never have turned out to be one of my favourite sea foods if I had not approached my meal with an open mind, fact!
All students and staff have welcomed me with open arms right from my first breathe of Vietnamese air as I stepped outside the airport to be greeted by two current BUV students. They helped me and Jed (also an international student) get to our accommodation smoothly, which was very much appreciated due to how tired we were from the flights. It’s so easy to make friends at the University because everyone is so warm and kind as they have gone out of their way for me when I was merely a stranger to them!
Although I have only been in Hanoi for a few days and met just a fraction of the students, my first impressions of the place are fantastic and this makes me even more determined to promote the opportunity of studying at BUV. I can’t wait to throw myself into University life after my induction weekend at ZEN camping resort which my next blog will be focused on.
My first night in Hanoi was unforgettable because I had so many new experiences in a city so unfamiliar. We were invited to go out by an employee of BUV who helped us navigate our way through the hustle and bustle of The Hanoian streets to a restaurant in the mall. My friend generously introduced us to the surrounding area of the University’s location and this gave me a taste of what’s to come. Honestly, my first meal of the famed Vietnamese street food put me well out of my comfort zone. Getting to grips with chop sticks is not the easiest of tasks, but
Vincom Centre Ba Trieu, the shopping Centre just opposite the University
Q A
Why did you choose to study at BU Vietnam?
Q A
What made you choose to study this way?
Q A
What do you hope to get out of this experience?
Professor David Williamson
If you would like to find out more or get involved with the study please email Professor David Williamson at: David.Williamson@staffs.ac.uk
BUV is an opportunity not to be missed!
I chose to study at BUV because it is not very often you hear of a British student studying abroad or even having the opportunity to do so. When I was given the chance to experience this, I knew it was something I couldn’t turn down.
I am a person who embraces a challenge. Studying abroad, living away from home (something I have never done before) sounded like the ultimate challenge for me and so I was very keen to commit myself to the challenge. Furthermore, the fact that this will also be my third and final year for my degree added that little bit extra to get me fully out of my comfort zone. I feel that if you stay in your comfort zone for too long, then you are limiting your progress as an individual.
When it comes to this time next year, I hope to have a high-quality standard of degree coupled with unique memories that will be created in the coming months with new friends in a completely new environment. M10786
Research with Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership