January ’15
A newsletter about recent research activities, new funding opportunities and upcoming events at the Business School of the University of Lincoln
Moving on from the REF
IN PRESS...
The results of REF 2014 have been very heartening, with the School seeing a significant improvement over the 2008 results and moving up the league table of business schools to 56th position out of 101 on average score.
A good start has been made by many of our current and new staff with some excellent publications over the last year, and we will be looking to promote more research activity through a variety of activities.
The result was particularly strong on the impact measure. The School achieved the highest score in the University and was placed 34th out of all business schools. We are now starting to think about REF 2020 and how to build on our successes and do even better next time. In order to increase the number and proportion of staff submitted, we will actively support staff to produce high quality publications.
Underpinning research activity is a supportive research environment, and this is where we saw a lower score in the REF. If we can improve our research environment, not only does this help a future REF result, but more importantly it helps raise the quality of research across the board. To achieve this, we will be strengthening research groups, providing targeted support to help win grant income and seeking additional resources for research.
This of course is not just a REF-related aim, but is what we want in terms of the development of our staff and ensuring our teaching is informed by an active engagement in research and publication.
Finally, we will be looking to build on our success in impact, spreading the lessons of our successful impact work to date, but also learning from success elsewhere and building impact into research projects from the start. Prof. David Charles, Director of Research
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David Charles: The drivers of climate change innovations: evidence from the Australian wine industry, Journal of Business Ethics (with J. Galbreath and E. Oczkowski) (forthcoming) Chris Chen: Conceptualisation and Measurement of the Dimensionality of Place Attachment. Tourism Analysis, 19(3), pp. 323–338 (with L. Dwyer and T. Firth). Cristina Cherino: Circular Migration and New Modes of Governance: So what are the consequences? In: Państwo demokratyczne, prawne i socjalne, AFM, Kraków (with I. Barnes). Michal Izak: Translucent Society and its Non-fortuitous Design: Producing and Consuming Reality through Images’, Culture and Organization, 20(5), pp. 359376. Mi Lin: FDI Spatial Spillovers in China, The World Economy (with Yum K Kwan). Jeremy Pearce: Corporate decision-making, corporate collapse and inefficiency, Bond University Corporate Governance ejournal (forthcoming). Sarah Schiffling: Performance measurement in humanitarian logistics: a customer-oriented approach, Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 4 (2). pp. 198-221 (with Piecyk, M.).
Broadband research Project workshop
The International Bomber Command Centre The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) has been successful in attracting £3.1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will enable the realisation of a new heritage centre in Lincoln devoted to the story of the bombing war in Europe. The funding will be spent on developing a Bomber Command Digital Archive, as well as the exhibitions that will be based on the archive's holdings. The exhibitions will be the focus of the new visitor centre, and will extend also to the memorial gardens planned around it. Fundraising continues for the actual structure to house the exhibition. Professor Heather Hughes is overseeing the construction of the archive, together with Lydia Parry, the holder of a PhD studentship attached to the project. In the near future, four researchers will be employed to assist. A vast amount of intangible heritage, in the form of oral narratives, is currently being collected: from veterans and others who served in the armed forces, those caught up in the bombing campaign and those involved in reconstruction efforts post World War II. Masses of memorabilia such as letters, log books and posters will also be digitised. The project’s key aim is to present the ‘difficult heritage’ of the bombing campaign in such a way as to honour those who served and suffered, as well as to promote a spirit of reconciliation.
Twelve businesses participated in a workshop entitled “Creating Opportunities from Superfast Broadband” on 2nd December at the LLMC. The morning was led by Professor Ted Fuller and aimed to highlight the opportunities for growth and support that is available to businesses. Discussions focused on the benefits of superfast broadband and how businesses could tap into the skills and expertise of academics and researchers working at the University. The workshop commenced with Stuart MacFarlane from CDI Alliance discussing the onlincolnshire ERDF investment and support across Lincolnshire, followed by sessions where businesses shared their experiences of using digital technologies. Members of staff from LBS, Chamber of Commerce and Lincolnshire Technology Hubs outlined opportunities for working together. As a result, a number of businesses are already discussing collaboration with the LBS. It is hoped that this group of businesses will continue to grow as the project develops a network of small and medium sized enterprises who are forward thinking broadband users.
FUNDING CALLS Research Investment Fund (RIF) The University has made available an annual £500k investment fund to assist academic staff with the development of new strategic research opportunities. Applications can be made for PhD studentships, equipment and pump-priming. Applications from early career researchers are particularly welcome. Deadline is 31st January 2015.
Postgrad news As part of the LBS Research Seminar Series, the School hosted a "Meet the Lincoln Business School PhD researchers" session on the 5th of November. The aim was to introduce current PhD researchers to the wider academic community and to strengthen the postgraduate research environment in the Business School. Nine part-time and full-time doctoral researchers, some of whom are also staff members, gave short presentations on their research, shared stories from their fieldwork as well as discussing their initial findings. LBS would like to thank David Anderson, Luke Dolling, Victoria Ellis, William Hamilton, Susan Marango, Mark Swainson, David Rugara, Nono Wibisono and Mahdieh Zeinali for participating in the event. It is hoped that more events like this will be hosted in the future.
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British Academy International Partnership and Mobility Scheme This scheme supports the development of partnerships between the UK and other areas of the world. Application deadline is 11th February 2015 British Academy Small Grants These will be announced in April for up to £10,000 of research support. Deadline is May 2015. More details of these and further opportunities can be found in the regular Research Office updates or by contacting the College Research Office rep, Lyndsey Kemsley on 7821 or email LKemsley@lincoln.ac.uk
Researching Migration in Lincolnshire
IN CONFERENCES American Economic Association Conference, Boston. “Corruption and Human Capital Accumulation: A Panel Data Analysis” Shrabani Saha, Mi Lin and Arusha Coorey. BAM Workshop on Scenarios, University of Warwick. “Epistemological and Ontological Challenges of Anticipation through Scenarios” Ted Fuller (keynote presentation). III Congreso Internacional de Química e Ingeniería Verde, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico. Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo (invited speaker).
On the 14th January, Gary Bosworth and Agnieszka Rydzik hosted a symposium on migration. The presenters included Nicola Radford (Lincolnshire County Council), Carey Doyle (Queen’s University, Belfast) and Iwona Lebiedowicz (Managing Director of Local Link Recruitment Ltd and PAB Translation Centre) as well as Ian Barnes, Paulina Babuchowska and Mahdieh Zeinali (all from the University of Lincoln).
27th European Conference on Operational Research, University of Strathclyde. “Military, Expeditionary and Humanitarian Logistics” stream, chaired by Martin Hingley and Gary Ramsden. 14th Global Convention, London. “Corporate Governance and Boardroom Leadership” Jeremy Pearce.
The aim of the event was to facilitate discussion and explore future research collaboration. Among the topics discussed were rural entrepreneurship in the migrant community, empowerment of migrant workers, migrant identities and employment as well as public sector initiatives.
28th International Business Research Conference, Barcelona. “Bribery and Corruption: Modus Operandi or Unethical Practice” (awarded Best Paper) and “Employment decisions amongst seasonal workers in the Japanese ski industry” Jeremy Pearce, Michael Segon and Chris Booth.
For the bookshelves…
OR55 Annual Conference – Community OR Stream, Royal Holloway University of London. “Communities and food supply: Looking at their intersection” Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo and Martin Hingley. Oxford Farming Conference, University of Oxford. “How does the UK retail scene compare with the rest of the world?” Martin Hingely (invited speaker). Regional Studies Winter Conference London and North American Regional Science Council, Washington. “Economic linkages between urban and rural regions” Gary Bosworth and Viktor Venhorst. Re-imagining Rurality Conference, University of Westminster. “Rural perceptions and place identity – a study of counterurbanisers” Chris Chen and Gary Bosworth.
“Untold stories in Organisations” edited by Michal Izak, Linda Hitchin and David Anderson explores stories that are neglected, edited out, unintentionally omitted or deliberately left silent in organisations.
Social and Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing Academic Conference, Said Business School, Oxford University. "Making Friends with Windmills: Building Territorial Capital", Geeta Lakshmi, Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo, Gerard de Zeeuw and Martha Vahl.
Also book chapters from: Jeremy Pearce: Ethical marketing in Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia, In: B. Nguyen and C. Rowley (eds), Ethical and Social Marketing in Asia, Woodhead Publishing (with M. Miani, M. Segon and B. Nguyen).
Tecnológico de Monterrey. “Métodos participativos para la Toma de Decisiones”, Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo.
Gary Bosworth: The Character of Rural Business Relations, In: E. Kasabov (ed.), Rural Cooperation in Europe: In Search of the 'Relational Rurals', Palgrave MacMillan (with R. Newbery).
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In the pipeline…
INTERNATIONAL VISIT
Artem Khudenko has become a member of the prestigious EUwide think tank ‘Megaproject’ dedicated to the effective design and delivery of megaprojects within the EU. This is the next step to establishing a cross-college (with the Engineering School) research expertise on major infrastructure projects. Artem is also developing a partnership with Kyiv School of Economics. Liz Price and Jim Shutt have been awarded a contract to evaluate a Lincolnshire County Council programme to promote use of superfast broadband across the county. The project involves evaluation of a number of business support activities, digital demonstration hubs, and delivery of broadband using wireless technology in remote areas of Lincolnshire. As part of a consortium with consultants Rose Regeneration and OpenPlan, Liz Price has been awarded a contract to identify future growth options for Lincoln, involving a review of existing evidence and extensive consultation with local stakeholders and communities. Ted Fuller has been working with Luke Dolling and Linda Hitchin to improve the safety practices at Siemen’s Industrial Turbomachinery Limited. Agnieszka Rydzik has been awarded funding from the University’s Fund for Educational Development for a research project into part-time tourism employment. Congratulations to Shrabani Saha, Mi Lin, Juliana Siwale, Chris Chen, Farhan Ahmed and Hanya Pielichaty who all received College research funding for conferences and new research projects this year.
Prof. Larry Dwyer from University of Sydney delivered a seminar on “Dutch disease and other ailments affecting the economic significance of tourism”. Prof. Dwyer is a President of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. He specialises in tourism economics, management and policy and is the most cited Australian tourism researcher over the past decade.
Stop press… Five Business School research groups have received College approval. We will have updates from the Responsible Management, Community Organisation, Regional and Rural Enterprise, Marketing and Supply Chains, and Visitor Economy groups next time.
BUSINESS SCHOOL RESEARCH SEMINARS Sponsored by Rose Regeneration 21 January (BL1102)
Dr Jeremy Pearce (Lincoln Business School) “CSR, Human Rights and UN Guidelines in Action”
28 January (BL1102)
Dr.Clive Trusson (Lincoln Business School) “A Very Modern Professional: The Case of the IT Service Support Worker”
4 February (BL1102)
Mrs Hannah Spencer (Managing Director, LAGAT Ltd and Quest Recruitment Ltd, Founding Trustee of LEAP Ltd and Chairman of the Lincoln Castle Academy) – title to be confirmed
11 February (BL1102)
David Rugara (Lincoln Business School) “The social worlds of migrant remittance: tales from the field”
18 February (BL2111)
Dr.Chris Chen and Dr.Gary Bosworth (Lincoln Business School) “Rural perceptions and place identity – A study of counterurbanisation”
25 February (BL1102)
Dr.Juliana Siwale, Dr. Rebecca Herron and Burdbar Khan (Lincoln Business School) “Inseparable responsibilities”
4 March (BL1102)
Dr Damien O’Doherty (Manchester Business School) “Reporting ethnographic fieldwork in an airport”
11 March (BL2111)
Dr. Stefanie Reissner (Newcastle University Business School) “Storytelling in Management Practice”
To be included in this newsletter, email Gary Bosworth (gbosworth@lincoln.ac.uk), Agnieszka Rydzik (arydzik@lincoln.ac.uk) or Michal Izak (mizak@lincoln.ac.uk) with details of your recent research activities and publications.
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