november 2008

news and views fromHull University Business School

business

Hull University Business School

events diary

research revealed seminarsKeep up-to-date with the latest trends in business throughseminars hosted by our internationally renowned researchcentres

Time: All 2pm – 4pmWednesday 14 January 2009Integrated marketing communications and return on investment

Wednesday 28 January 2009Insights from ethnographic research

Wednesday 11 February 2009Mega-trends that are re-shaping the supply chain landscape

Wednesday 29 April 2009Made in Ireland II – benchmarking Irish SME practice andperformance

As further dates will be added throughout the year, please visitthe events section of our website, www.hull.ac.uk/hubs, to viewthe latest information.

AMBA eventTuesday 24 February 2009Taking charge of your careerJohn LeesIn association with AMBAFor further information visit www.mbaworld.com

open evenings for part-time studyWednesday 11 March 2009Wednesday 10 June 2009Wednesday 2 September 2009

The business school offers a range of part-time studyopportunities to enhance your business and managementknowledge and skills.

BA Business Management, BA Business Management andLogistics and the Hull Executive MBA provide participants withthe knowledge and skills needed to respond to constantlychanging market conditions and ensure long-term success.

To register for any of these events contact

Postgraduate OfficeT +44 (0)1482 463254E businessmasters@hull.ac.uk

Hull University Business SchoolHullHU6 7RX

T +44 (0)1482 463010E businessschool@hull.ac.ukW www.hull.ac.uk/hubs

2

contentsinstitute gains top retail specialist 3

roll on the age of ‘real’ CSR 4

the mind gym – the future shape of management development? 5

innovative PhD learning tool launched 6

recycling to be improved 7

first supply chain leadership forum at House of Lords 7

new teaching method for accounting wins national recognition 8

facebook group launched 8

life is sweet for MSc student Adam Schilke 9

business school graduate achieves highest exam results in the world 9

students launch socially responsible swap shop 10

management development 11

events diary 12

I am delighted that we recently welcomed our largest everintake of students to the school – testament to our burgeoningreputation for providing exceptionally high standards oflearning, teaching and research.

As a school we are extremely proud of our success to date, butknow that we have the resources, the potential and the drive todevelop even further at an international level. So, to mark thenext phase in our development, we have created a new visionand mission for the school which will guide us through the nextfive years. At its heart is the key strength of the school inmaximising the connections between research, teaching andlearning, corporate engagement and international partners. Thiswill equip managers and business professionals to succeed in afast-changing and interconnected world.

There are many examples of our mission in action in this editionof our newsletter, which highlights just some of the successesof our students and graduates, research and consultancyprojects, and innovations in learning and teaching.

Professor Mike C Jacksondean of school

We hope that you enjoy this issue and if you have any news forthe next edition or would like further information on any of theitems featured here, please contact the communicationsdivision, +44 (0)1482 463409, hubscomms@hull.ac.uk.

welcome to business

institute gainstop retailspecialistHull University Business School’s LogisticsInstitute has secured top retail guru,Christine Cross, as a visiting professor.

Christine, a leading independent business advisor and a formerdirector of Tesco, will provide extensive retail expertise to theinstitute. Working alongside staff to further increase the institute’scommercial activity, she will offer vital insider knowledge oncreating and winning proposals in the retail industry.

Christine says, ‘I was honoured and delighted to be asked tobecome a visiting professor and I will be working alongsidecolleagues to put the Logistics Institute on the map regionally,nationally and internationally. I will be making sure that theacademic expertise available here is not only visible tocommercial partners but integral to the institute’s businessplans.’

Christine will also co-chair the institute’s steering group whichincludes the former CEO of Safeway, the chairman ofLittlewoods Shop Direct and PWC’s retail transaction servicespartner.

As group business development director of Tesco, Christinewas involved in the development of the store’s private labelbrand, the establishment of their non-food business and globalbusiness development. Having set up her own company,Christine now consults businesses on international operations,customer insight, brand development and value chainmanagement. She combines this with a mixture of executiveand non-executive roles and is also currently a non-executivemember of the boards of high street giant Next and UKmanufacturer Premier Foods.

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roll on the age of ‘real’ CSRThe contagion from the irresponsible lending practices of anumber of banks has spread through the global financialsystem and now affects us all. Businesses and consumers alikeare tightening their belts in an effort to pull through the malaise.So where does that leave corporate social responsibility (CSR)?This concept, which advocates business having wider socialresponsibilities beyond making profits, had demonstratedphenomenal growth, but banking irresponsibility has led to aslump in business responsibility.

Consider London. Not only has the city been hit hard, beyondthe towers and trading floors, but hundreds of charities,schools and community projects in the East of London relianton the generosity of city firms have also suffered a majorsetback. Millions of pounds of corporate donations,volunteering schemes, fundraising activities and payroll givingschemes have all been significantly reduced. The collapse ofLehman Brothers alone means £2 million pledged to EastLondon charities is in serious doubt, as is the provision of morethan 2,000 volunteers who help in these deprived areas.

The fallout goes far beyond London. Consultancy serviceSustainAbility has reported a significant drop in CSR budgets inthe UK and similar reports are emerging globally. CSR is in for astormy ride, but that is exactly what the concept needed if it isto avoid falling into this hole again.

There is nothing like an economic downturn for sharpeningthinking. The CSR discipline needs to separate the valuablefrom the trivial. I have come across too many organisations withpoorly reasoned, non-strategic, window dressing CSR practices.In tough times, those activities that do not prove their businessand social worth will be ditched by the firm and spurned by asociety that has suddenly had a stark reminder of the influencethat seemingly remote business decisions have on our lives.

The superficiality will be left behind as a relic of corpulenteconomic times. Business has the power, properly harnessed,to eradicate poverty and hunger, improve education globally,fight disease and inspire environmental sustainability. CSR willbe transformed from just a movement into a mainstay ofbusiness practice that will be resilient to economic fluctuations.Roll on the age of ‘real’ CSR.

Dr Tim Campbell is programme leader for the ExecutiveMBA at the business school, having particular interests inCSR and exploring the relationship between organisationallearning and ethical decision making. For further informationcontactDr Tim CampbellT +44 (0)1482 463114E t.campbell@hull.ac.uk

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the mind gym – the future shapeof management development?

5

Recent decades have seen the launch of numerousmanagement and executive education programmes. However,as the number of programmes has increased, so has theamount of debate concerning their direction, relevance andeffectiveness.

In response to this, business school research director,Professor Steve Armstrong, and Professor Eugene Sadler-Smith from the University of Surrey, have recently completedresearch into the future shape of management development.Funded by the British Academy of Management this workexplores the structure and validity of the training offered byorganisations like The Mind Gym – which offers a series ofshort mental workouts for organisations or individuals to delveinto depending on their needs.

Steve says, ‘A growing number of corporate trainingorganisations offer management training where learning isdistributed ‘just-in-time’ and embedded in a work context. Thisis delivered in rapid bite-sized pieces which aim to meetparticipants’ needs in terms of depth of information, time andrelevance to job. The Mind Gym is an excellent example of thisand is used by more than 150,000 people from more than 360organisations worldwide.’

This trend has implications for business schools. Steve goes onto say, ‘Business schools must recognise that learners’expectations may be skewed towards bite-sized, job related,on-demand, blended learning solutions. They must managethese expectations without losing the benefit of universityprogrammes which offer a positive, reflective learningenvironment – this is the challenge for the future.’

The business school is currently engaged with a number ofcommercial organisations and, through our advisory board andcorporate partner scheme, we work to make sure ourprogramme of management development meets the needs ofthe commercial world.

The outcomes from Steve and Eugene’s project include aforthcoming article in the Academy of Management Learningand Education journal, ‘Learning on demand, at your ownpace, in rapid bite-sized-chunks: the future shape ofmanagement development?’

For further information contactProfessor Steve Armstrongdirector of researchT +44 (0)1482 463388E s.j.armstrong@hull.ac.ukW www.hull.ac.uk/hubs/research/cmol

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Hull University Business School has unveiled a unique methodfor supporting and educating PhD students – the VirtualGraduate School.

Barbara Allan, director of learning and teaching at the school,came up with the initiative in response to the need for thesestudents to develop the skills necessary to conduct a PhD andto combat the feelings of isolation many students experience asa result of the independent nature of PhD research.

Dr Cecilia Loureiro-Koechlin, project leader of the VirtualGraduate School, can speak firsthand about the sometimesdaunting nature of undertaking a PhD, having completed hersin Information Systems in 2006.

She said, ‘It is easy to feel overwhelmed as you embark on yourown research. This is exacerbated by the fact that the teachingprogramme is less structured than a masters or undergraduateprogramme, which means you have fewer classmates to shareideas with.’

In the first part of the project, Cecilia conducted research intothe key issues among students and their struggles. She foundthat students needed more ‘human’ approaches to help themwith their research, and stated that current practices were toofocused on academic research and less on the emotional andpersonal sides of the PhD.

The Virtual Graduate School provides a forum to discusstheoretical frameworks, upload work and share experiencesafter an upgrade seminar or viva. It also means students cansee for themselves how others are carrying out their research.

Cecilia added, ‘This will also help PhD students to feel moreengaged, allowing them to meet with others who may betackling similar issues not only from their own subject but fromother disciplines as well’.

For more information visit the project site atwww.hull.ac.uk/VGS.

innovative PhD learning toollaunched

7

Luxus currently recycles a variety of consumer waste, includingplastic bottles, into a range of commodities including wheeledbin material and products for the automotive industry. Anoverhaul of their supply chains using the expertise andtechnology available at the institute will lead to significantlyincreased efficiency for the company.

The nature of the recycling business means that Luxus has asporadic supply of material, creating a need for specialistlogistics expertise to produce a unique supply chainmanagement system. The institute will begin with supply chainmapping using advanced software to identify inefficiencies andrecommend changes and will then work within Luxus onimplementation. From Easter next year, one of the highestperforming MSc Logistics students from the institute will beworking for the organisation on a year-long industrialplacement.

Peter Atterby, managing director of Luxus, said, ‘As we areplanning to move to new facilities this gave us an opportunemoment to review our efficiency and ensure that we are recyclingwaste products as effectively as we can. I hope this marks thestart of a longer term relationship with the Logistics Institute asthey offer world-class facilities and provide solutions that gobeyond off-the-shelf products and are tailored to our needs.’

The issue of sustainability within logistics and supply chains is acritical area of expertise and focus for the institute,demonstrating its commitment to working with industry toreduce carbon footprints.

recycling to be improvedRecycling in the UK will be given a boost thanks to a partnership between HullUniversity Business School’s Logistics Institute and one of the largest independentplastics recycling companies in the country.

first supply chainleadership forumat House of LordsDavid Grant, Professor in Logistics at Hull University BusinessSchool, was the keynote speaker at the first Supply ChainThought Leadership Lunch held at the House of Lords.Organised by ITW Networks and Oracle, the purpose of theforum was to bring together supply chain executives to sharetheir experience and promote best practice.

Hosted by the Earl of Erroll, the theme of the event wasmanaging supply chain risk and it attracted senior delegatesfrom organisations such as BP, BAA, Flybmi, Argos andGeneral Dynamics. Drawing upon his eighteen years’experience in consulting, teaching and researching logisticsand supply chain issues, David delivered an engaging keynotespeech and saw the event as being indicative of the need tomanage risk in today’s global marketplace. ‘As businessesstrive for competitive advantage, the issue of risk has risen onthe corporate agenda. A key to an organisation’s success isbeing able to assess the nature and potential of any risk andensure its supply chain is able to respond quickly and efficiently.’

For Dave Food, business development director supply chainwith Oracle, the world’s largest enterprise software company,the event was a great opportunity to raise awareness of thisgrowing issue. He says, ‘The risk agenda is now commandingmuch more board-level attention. There are a number ofemerging approaches to managing risk but best practice is stillunclear. The purpose of this forum was to highlight key issuesand spark debate, allowing participants to share best practice.’

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Jon Simon, head of Accounting and Finance at the businessschool, has won recognition from the British AccountingAssociation for his work on an innovative teaching method inaccounting. He has been awarded the annual prize for the bestpaper in accounting education following on from the publicationof his research, ‘Concept Mapping in a Financial AccountingTheory Course’. The paper was the first by a UK academic toassess the use of the learning technique, concept mapping, inaccounting and was published in Accounting Education: aninternational journal, the official education journal of the AAER.

Traditionally used in natural sciences, concept mapping is aneducational tool that uses visual concepts and links to makeknowledge explicit. Jon identified that this would be useful foraccounting education as it stimulates in-depth thinking andunderstanding that rote learning cannot offer.

Accounting lectures tend to use PowerPoint which leads to alinear teaching approach, making it difficult to pinpoint linksbetween different slides and subject matters. His researchdemonstrated that most students found concept mappingrelatively easy to use, providing them with a goodunderstanding of complex issues and supporting their learning.It was beneficial to all students irrespective of age or genderand was particularly effective for some international students.

Jon said, ‘I’m proud to win such a prestigious award and it wasquite unexpected. I believe concept mapping has the potentialto be used in a wider number of subject areas than at present,such as management, business, economics, marketing and ITas well as other social science and arts subjects. It can be usedat all different levels of the curriculum and my research showsstudents respond well to it.’

new teaching method foraccounting wins nationalrecognition

facebook group launchedAn alumni group has now been created on Facebook to helpstudents and graduates of Hull University Business Schoolkeep in touch with each other.

This new group has been set up to complement the servicesprovided through HUBS Alumni Forum, a facility used by our

students and graduates to find out about alumni groups, alumnievents and where they can also view career opportunities.

To join the Facebook group or for further information about theHUBS alumni forum visit www.hull.ac.uk/hubs/alumni.

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life is sweet for MSc studentAdam Schilke

business school graduateachieves highest exam resultsin the world

MSc Financial Management student, Adam Schilke, has justaccepted a graduate finance trainee position with British Sugar.British Sugar is part of the portfolio of Associated British Foodswhich also owns the Silver Spoon brand and Primark and hasan annual turnover of £6.8 billion.

Adam is delighted to have been accepted on the trainingprogramme and is looking forward to the challenge. ‘BritishSugar is the sole processor of the UK sugar beet crop – overone million tonnes of sugar is processed each year at itsfactories. I am looking forward to applying the knowledge andskills I developed while studying as well as learning from mycolleagues.’

Having graduated with a BSc (Hons) Financial Mathematicsfrom Hull in 2007, Adam decided to enrol on the MSc FinancialManagement programme in order to further develop hisknowledge and skills. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time at thebusiness school. ‘I have learnt so much in the last year that isparticularly applicable to employment. The Masters programme

is specialised, and provides students with an excellentopportunity to put theory in to practice. Tutors treat you as anequal, and it is a great opportunity to make new contacts.’

Adam is currently awaiting his final mark for his MSc, in whichhe hopes to gain a distinction, and is revelling in his new role atBritish Sugar.

Hull University Business School graduate Joanne Milton hasachieved the highest score in the world in her CharteredInstitute of Management Accountants (CIMA) exams. Joanne,divisional management accountant for Premier Interlink inBrandesburton, successfully beat 3,317 other entrants to reachthe top spot and was awarded a £750 prize.

Joanne graduated in 2003 with a 2:1 in BA Management.Speaking of her time at Hull she says, ‘I very much enjoyed mytime at the business school and found it a very friendly place tostudy. Choosing such a broad course definitely gave me anadvantage in the final CIMA exam, where you act as aconsultant advising a business which is often in trouble. Havingsuch a varied choice of modules to study meant you couldfocus on areas that particularly interested you.’

The business school is committed to offering the very best inbusiness and management education and delivers a wide

range of flexible programmes at undergraduate andpostgraduate level. Working closely with academic andcommercial institutions across the globe, this presentsopportunities for students to tap into the latest business trendsand gain advice from the experts.

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students launch sociallyresponsible swap shop

Phillip Ross, Kola Odetayo and Luke Branagan, with help frompsychology student Lucy Sumarno, have set up the site toencourage fellow students to recycle and contribute to a moresustainable future. ‘MyUniSwap will give students theopportunity to turn old items into cash and reduce waste in theUniversity and surrounding area.’

Unlike Ebay and other auction based sites, MyUniSwap is aclassified advertising space which takes advantage of the factthat many universities have a tight radius of like-mindedstudents nearby – all of whom want both to save money and tomake a little extra to stretch their student loan further.

For fellow students Phillip, Kola and Luke their objective is clear.‘Our mission is to build a local then national swapping andtrading movement that reduces waste, saves preciousresources and eases the burdens on our landfills, whileenabling our students to save money.’

David Tucker, director of enterprise at the business school,believes initiatives like this highlight the entrepreneurial spirit thatexists among the student community. ‘We equip futureprofessionals and entrepenuers through teaching thefundamental principles of business and management, providingwork placements and guest speakers, and running Dragons’Den style business competitions. The business start-up ideaswhich are created can be further nurtured and developed aftergraduation in the University’s new Enterprise Centre with itsincubator space and business support programme. On behalfof the school I would like to wish Philip, Kola and Luke everysuccess in the future.’

For further information visit www.myuniswap.com.

Students from Hull University Business School have launched MyUniSwap.com– a free to use, simple online marketplace for students to sell or give awayunwanted items such as text books, music, cars or household furniture.

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lead, transform and inspire withthe Hull Executive MBA

management development

logistics managementdevelopment programme

Today’s businesses have to compete globally and face increasing market volatility and complexity,making effective logistics and supply chain management essential for business success.

In response to this, the Logistics Institute has developed a unique management developmentprogramme designed to show organisations how to enhance their capabilities in managing thesupply chain to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

With two courses delivered each year, the programme is proving popular and beneficial to anumber of cross-sector organisations, including Argos, O2, DFDS Torline and Arco.

For Alex Aitken of Arco, the benefits of the course are clear. ‘The logistics managementdevelopment programme offered a good overview of some of the more established supply chaintheories and practices, while linking in to some more contemporary and emerging developments.Ranging from HR to service to base logistics, this is a good course for both the new supply chainpractitioner and the seasoned logistics manager to broaden their horizons.’

For further information about our range of business services visit the new business section of our websitewww.hull.ac.uk/hubs/business

Alternatively telephone +44 (0)1482 347523 or email businessconnections@hull.ac.uk

The Hull Executive MBA is a fully-accredited, flexible businessdegree which will enable you to develop as an effective andefficient manager, capable of driving organisational andprocedural change. The course is studied on a part-time basisover two years, with the taught elements being delivered over along weekend to offer maximum flexibility to both participantsand their employers.

Sarah Croft, group carrier manager at Arco Ltd, feels thatcompleting an MBA at Hull was a worthwhile experience.‘Studying for an accredited MBA within a recognised institutionsuch as Hull University Business School has given me theknowledge and experience that I need to develop my careerfurther. The Hull Executive MBA ticked all these boxes. TheMBA has exposed me to a range of theoretical and practicalbusiness skills, which I now apply to my role at Arco Ltd.’