RSS 1.0Centre for Professional and Economic Development
The centre includes: Strategic Economic Development (SED) Work Based Learning Work Based and Integrative Studies
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Recent Submissions
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Reclaiming work design in the age of automation: A call to human-centric strategyPurpose: This paper revisits work design theory in light of rapid advancements in workplace automation, arguing that traditional models are no longer sufficient for addressing the complexities introduced by digital automation technologies (DAT). It aims to reposition work design as a central strategic concern for organisations navigating technological change. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a narrative review, drawing from contemporary academic literature and recent empirical studies, to offer reflective commentary grounded in current research. Findings: Despite increasing attention to automation’s impact on job displacement, there remains a limited focus on how work design can respond to negative outcomes and promote employee engagement, innovation, and retention. Originality/value: This paper offers a timely call to action for HR leaders and work design researchers. It urges a shift away from purely technical implementations of automation toward more human-centred, strategically designed work environments. The piece contributes original value by framing work design as both a challenge and an opportunity in the digital economy.
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Women’s football subculture of misogyny: The escalation to online gender-based violenceGiven the global expansion of women's football and its significant social media presence, it is vital to investigate fan culture and perspectives. This article examines how fans react to the rising visibility of female athletes on TikTok. Our goal is to assist other scholars interested in examining complex platforms and how gender-based violence literature enables us to explore broader social concerns such as privacy and security. The present study answers a call by Dá-Lameiras and Rodrguez-Castro (2021) for empirical research into newer digital video social media channels and women’s football. We, therefore, post the following research questions: RQ 1 How do fans react to women’s football on TikTok in the framing of gender-based violence? RQ2 How can brands respond to gender-based violence on TikTok? We investigated these topics through a netnography (Kozinets 2020) in which researchers used immersive data operation to study women's football on TikTok. We studied (2) English Premier League football (EPL) clubs’ use of social media in the United Kingdom and situated it within the context of gender sports studies politics. More specifically, text and video were analysed, but primarily fan text comments/responses to videos were examined as this was the primary fan response mode. We kept a netnography team digital immersion journal over seven months containing screenshots, field notes in text and video. The study examined public posts on TikTok and gained University ethical approval (see also Fig 1). We used an inductive approach to examine all posts. Our findings provide fresh insights by identifying themes from social media responses to women's football and providing brand recommendations pertaining to gender- based violence. The study set out to investigate how the EPL represents and promotes female football players on social media and how professional women football players are perceived as “sporting topics” (Jones, 2008). We were particularly interested in how fans (re)construct women footballers’ identities and the fan-based mentality at play here, revealing what we perceive as vulnerabilities when these athletes are made available via social media. The study raises questions of how these clubs navigate the complexities and contradictions inherent in sports regarding how women are empowered individually while also being used as targets for harassment. It contributes to and expands on current studies on how football teams and their fans utilise social media to represent, promote, and advertise themselves and their sport, particularly emphasising the identities of female players featured in their content. We identify the escalation of gender- based violence on social media against women players. Academics interested in analysing complex platforms such as TikTok and the ways in which gender-based violence literature enables us to analyse broader social issues such as privacy and security will find our research useful.
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When YouTubers Launch a Sports Drink: A Social Network Analysis Case Study of the Virality Related to Prime HydrationWhen entertainment influencers launch products like sports drinks, it often leads to significant online conversations that shape public perception and consumer behaviour. This case study examines such discussions surrounding Prime Hydration on X (formerly Twitter) from December 2022 using Social Network Analysis (SNA). A total of 1,562 tweets were retrieved from d posted by 1,536 Twitter users. The analysis identifies two main groups: isolated users sharing individual opinions, sometimes questioning the hype and central influencers KSI and Logan Paul, whose posts drove widespread engagement. The most active discussions during our time period were in the United Kingdom and North America, where the product was heavily promoted and readily available at retailers. Australia and Southeast Asia showed moderate interest, while Africa and South America had less activity, potentially reflecting varying levels of market penetration. Our research highlights how SNA can effectively map social media conversations, offering valuable insights into the influence of key users and global consumer reactions. The findings emphasize how influencer-driven marketing significantly impacts public dialogue and regional brand visibility, underscoring the importance of credibility and authenticity of social media influencers.
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Digital Innovation in Sport – Barriers and Opportunities for Branded Fitness Apps for FansThe COVID-19 pandemic is challenging the growth and future of businesses globally and technological innovation, via digital means, has been identified as a key factor for brands to survive the pandemic. However, whilst the majority of decision-makers in sports clubs recognise the value of innovation, less than half have a clear strategy in this area generally let alone in digital innovation. This chapter examines the opportunities and barriers for sporting brands in adopting digital innovations to engage fans. Using a branded fitness smartphone app as an example of a digital innovation to stimulate discussion, we interviewed 13 decision-makers in sport primarily working in marketing, communications and managerial roles within professional sports clubs. Following thematic analysis, the themes from the interview data were, perceived benefits, barriers to adoption, and overcoming barriers. The study also presents potential solutions to enable sports clubs to overcome such adoption barriers in the future. It provides important managerial and tactical recommendations to sports clubs. The need for a clear strategy for digital innovation is identified and we conclude that digital innovation is missing from typologies of sport innovation, reflective of its overlooked importance within the sector and call for greater recognition.
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A netnography of international students studying in the UK: Leveraging social capital to enhance employabilityThis study utilises a netnography approach to investigate the perceptions of employability and social capital among Indian and other international students and prospective students. There is a strong relationship and understanding between the UK and India who both place great emphasis on the value of University study and studying abroad. Both countries have high quality Universities and value the idea of cultural and international exchange of staff and students. Whilst there are a range of studies regarding international students, little is known about international students and their perceptions and motivations for studying abroad with regards to employability. Employment and seeking further opportunity are generally a considerable motivator for students wishing to study abroad and Indian students are no exception. In recent years, changes from the UK government to Visa and post study work rules have had positive and negative effects to student’s employability, networks and mobility. Furthermore, the rise of Artificial Intelligence and other disruptive technologies has also challenged what we know about the job market. The concept of widening one's network is also seen as critical to finding and securing skilled and desirable jobs. The concept of social capital and building relationships is seen as critical in many cultures. By incorporating social capital theory, our research focuses on bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. The primary research question addresses the perceptions and influences of Indian students regarding employability through social media research using a netnography approach. Social media influencers are also ever present on platforms and sometimes influence students in their perceptions of employability and study abroad. We also highlight the role of social capital in connecting these influencers with the students.
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Achieving Purnam through Equitable Education: A Pathway to Wholeness in Health Service ManagementThe concept of Purnam, or wholeness, emphasizes achieving balance and fulfilment (Chatterjee, 2022). In the context of education, Purnam entails providing equitable opportunities and support for all students, regardless of their background. This paper explores how equitable education can help achieve Purnam, particularly for international students from India. International mobility of student from India to the rest of the world has been a key feature of the power shift from global North to Global South. For Indian students coming to study in the UK for the first time, it is the duty of these host Universities to foster Purnam and satisfaction for international students. By examining theoretical frameworks such as Vygotsky's Social Constructivism, Deutsch's Social Interdependence theory, and Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, the paper delves into the importance of collaborative learning in fostering wholeness. The discussion will also address the unique challenges faced by international students and propose strategies for bridging cultural gaps in education. Finally, the paper highlights the significance of management education in healthcare as a means to achieve Purnam for both students and the healthcare sector.
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Gender stereotyping in student perceptions of teaching excellence: Applying the shifting standards theoryExisting characterisations of student conceptions of teaching excellence (TE) implicitly position it as an objective construct. This study investigated gendered differences in student-submitted nominations (n = 418) for an excellence award in a mid-sized university in England. Biernat’s shifting standards theory, which proposes that evaluative standards can shift due to stereotyping effects, was used to interpret the findings. Chi-square tests revealed significant effects of gender on the distribution and thematic content of nominations. Results suggested that students were more likely to nominate teachers of the same gender, but also that male students were disproportionately less likely to nominate a female teacher. Student conceptions of TE generally conformed to gender biases, particularly for male students. These findings indicate that students’ perceptions of high quality teaching are inextricable from sociocultural influence. Future research can continue to engage with the shifting standards theory to investigate the influence of gender and student perceptions of high quality teaching.
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The influence of IT outsourcing on organisational success and innovationThis study investigates the domain of IT outsourcing (ITO), focusing on its implications for organisational success or failure, and its impact on innovation. Through a comprehensive literature review, significant gaps were identified, including a lack of empirical studies assessing ITO outcomes for organisations, how ITO impacts innovation, and if an organisation’s industry impacts ITO success. In response, three research questions are formulated to address the identified gaps, leading to the creation of a novel conceptual model designed to evaluate the influence of ITO on organisations. Employing a deductive approach, the model informed a triangulation research approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data. A survey garnered responses from 112 senior IT professionals across three industries, complemented by eight interviews with senior and executive management. Findings indicate a concerning rate of perceived ITO failures and reveal that the specific industry of an organisation can affect ITO success. The study also concludes that ITO adversely impacts organisational innovation. Based on these insights, eight best practices are recommended to enhance ITO outcomes, including market research on vendor skillsets and experience, the establishment of well-structured contracts, adherence to SLAs without grace periods, shorter project durations, multi-sourcing strategies, bolstering internal IT capabilities, helping employees to understand ITO value, and rigorous governance. Acknowledging its limitations, this paper calls for future research involving broader industry representation and larger sample sizes to validate and expand upon these findings.
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Seeking ambidexterity through hyperautomation: What next for GBA logistics in their evolution from local labour entrepreneurs to global players in logisticsBased in the Northwest of England, GBA Logistics (GBA) is a global logistics provider focussing on the transportation of goods. Founded in 1987 as GBA Services, this family firm has transformed from being a provider of labour for local companies, to a major player within the national and international logistics sector, now ranking in the top 50 operators in the UK. Starting as a sole trader, GBA became a limited company in 2000 and now employs around 400 staff across 16 locations in the UK and Europe. Working in a highly competitive, dynamic environment, the company constantly faces the challenge of optimising its existing services whilst needing to explore new opportunities to meet the changing demands of its clients. Balancing these two opposing requirements is known as organisational ambidexterity. Part of GBA’s strategic response to this challenge, is to explore how it can employ advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness, whilst identifying novel ways to adapt to market conditions. The application of these emerging technologies to automate and optimise operations is known as hyperautomation. For GBA, striking a balance between offering standardisation versus a customised service to customers is increasingly crucial to its success. However, this family firm’s underlying culture of entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability together with its commitment to remain relevant and competitive in logistical services means it is keen to explore how it can exploit hyperautomation to achieve its aim of organisational ambidexterity.
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The productivity dilemma: Examining the truth behind automation’s impact on employment, and the mediating role of augmentationThis paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature examining the relationship between automation and employment, with a focus on understanding the debates of automation displacement and enablement, and the mediating role of employee augmentation in driving organisational productivity. Design/methodology/approach: A semi-systematic literature review was conducted across the areas of automation, work-design, and employee skills over the past 3 years. Findings: The academic literature was found to still be in its infancy, with empirical evidence in an organisational setting scarce. However, research suggests that automation does not cause job displacement or a negative impact on employment. In contrast, data suggests that automation leads to new job creation, task enlargement and skills enhancement. The findings suggest that organisations should employ augmentation alongside automation to drive productivity, in a way that promotes strong work-design, builds trust, and leverages human creativity. A further recommendation is made for organisations to focus on continuous upskilling to combat the shortening shelf-life of skills and adapt to the constant change brought around by advances in automation. Originality/value: Through a synthesis of diverse perspectives and academic evidence, this paper contributes to the nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding automation and its impact on employment. This literature review underscores the need for organisational strategies that leverage augmentation to harness productivity savings, alongside a renewed focus on widespread employee skills enhancement. In addition to creating new recommendations for practitioners and organisational leaders, this paper also furthers the research agenda through a list of research gaps for scholarly attention.
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Internationalization of liquor in the age of social media: Navigating the digital silk road through netnographyWe presented Internationalization of baijiu in the age of social media: Navigating the digital silk road through netnography
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Remote yet connected: Two focus areas for elevating organisational belonging in virtual teamsPurpose – This viewpoint paper provides recommendations in two key leadership areas to improve belonging and connectedness in remote teams. Design/methodology/approach – This paper synthesises recent academic and contextual literature regarding virtual teams, organisational belonging and generations coupled with the authors practical experience as a leader within a multi-national organisation. Findings – Two focus areas related to leaders as critical actors in organisations and the improvement of leaders’ social skills to drive improved socialisation, connection and belonging in the workplace. Originality/Value – In the changing working landscape of continued remote working, wider workforce demographics and declining organisational engagement this paper contributes to literature by presenting two key areas coupled with practical recommendations for HR professionals, leaders, and organisations to focus on to improve belonging.
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Re-visiting the Leadership Gap: How to lead in a task-focused work system.The organisational focus on workplace automation is fuelling the evolution of the labour market towards task focused work systems, and an emerging gig economy. This evolution creates new demands on organisational leaders to introduce flexible and agile management techniques, whilst maintaining a strategic focus on upskilling and reskilling their employees for a digitalised world. We revisit our previous GJSD paper, “Mind the leadership gap”, to further emphasise these aspects of the changing work environment and introduce 1. Their potential influence on organisational belonging, and 2. The resultant impact on leadership styles and skills. This paper presents a short synthesis of the complex challenges faced by leaders within such an operating environment. This is followed by four further proposals for the future research agenda along with two suggested research methods which enhance our previous call to action on the leadership gap.
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From Surviving to Thriving - Leading the Way to Decent Hybrid WorkplacesAs we transition out of the pandemic, enjoying more flexible workplaces and worktimes, a bright future seems ahead for employees and employers. However, studies show that job types and industries determine choice, that remuneration policies often favour on-site over remote options, and that increasing the flexibility of working hours can affect the workforce’s well-being. New skills and behaviours are needed in the use of technology and in leadership, and different aspects, compared to before the pandemic, may influence the career choices of the next-generation workforce. In these new circumstances, Business Schools are invited to adapt their curricula and companies might envision an update of their in-company continuous learning and development programmes to allow for these new workplaces and learning scenarios to become more sustainable. This study adopts an abductive approach to literature review which entwines literature and first-hand experience to identify lessons for business schools and beyond. The findings of this piece call for a more serious prioritisation of Decent Work (SDG8) for equal opportunities, equal pay, and well-being.
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The Influence of Joe Wicks on Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Thematic, Location, and Social Network Analysis of X DataBackground: Social media (SM) was essential in promoting physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among people confined to their homes. Joe Wicks, a fitness coach, became particularly popular on SM during this time, posting daily workouts that millions of people worldwide followed. Objective: This study aims to investigate the influence of Joe Wicks on SM and the impact of his content on physical activity levels among the public. Methods: We used NodeXL Pro (Social Media Research Foundation) to collect data from X (formerly Twitter) over 54 days (March 23, 2020, to May 15, 2020), corresponding to the strictest lockdowns in the United Kingdom. We collected 290,649 posts, which we analyzed using social network analysis, thematic analysis, time-series analysis, and location analysis. Results: We found that there was significant engagement with content generated by Wicks, including reposts, likes, and comments. The most common types of posts were those that contained images, videos, and text of young people (school-aged children) undertaking physical activity by watching content created by Joe Wicks and posts from schools encouraging pupils to engage with the content. Other shared posts included those that encouraged others to join the fitness classes run by Wicks and those that contained general commentary. We also found that Wicks’network of influence was extensive and complex. It contained numerous subcommunities and resembled a broadcast network shape. Other influencers added to engagement with Wicks via their networks. Our results show that influencers can create networks of influence that are exhibited in distinctive ways. Conclusions: Our study found that Joe Wicks was a highly influential figure on SM during the COVID-19 pandemic and that his content positively impacted physical activity levels among the public. Our findings suggest that influencers can play an important role in promoting public health and that government officials should consider working with influencers to communicate health messages and promote healthy behaviors. Our study has broader implications beyond the status of fitness influencers. Recognizing the critical role of individuals such as Joe Wicks in terms of health capital should be a critical area of inquiry for governments, public health authorities, and policy makers and mirrors the growing interest in health capital as part of embodied and digital experiences in everyday life.
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Motivating, developing and retaining talent through job enrichment: an exploration of “side-of-desk” projects in a corporate environmentGlobal talent shortages, new skill demand and rising numbers of unfilled posts are fuelling an increasingly challenging job market, exacerbated by economic uncertainty and transformational digital change. Seeking creative solutions in response, the authors examine talent management’s (TM) theoretical and conceptual foundations, specifically the identification and selection of talent and TM programme design to explore the challenges and benefits of side-of-desk projects as interventions. Design/methodology/approach Taking an inductive qualitative approach, questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews gathered data from three employee groups in a UK digital communications organisation. Findings The authors reveal inconsistencies in the definition and selection of talent, highlighting programme quality challenges to expose a direct correlation between participant experience and motivation and retention, along with the longer-term challenges of balancing talented human capital, shareholder expectations and sustainable workforce resourcing. Originality/value The authors' research extends existing knowledge concerning the effect of organisational culture, context and workforce demands upon TM programmes, providing theoretical and practical implications for leaders and policymakers in designing enrichment activities to motivate, develop and retain talent. The authors make recommendations to inform the future design of TM programmes, revealing new opportunities to develop hidden talent and presenting a realistic and sustainable toolkit for future practice in the form of an organisational logic model.
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“Mind the leadership gap!” A call to action for the Future Research AgendaThe coronavirus pandemic has acted as a catalyst for organisational change, disrupting historic ways of working, and spearheading organisations towards the next evolution of their working environments. In the aftermath of the largest concurrent work from home experiment in the world, organisations are coming to grips with the new policies and practices they need to implement to remain competitive. But there is one crucial stakeholder who continues to be left out in academic research, leaders. New questions now arise as to how we should remodel leadership in an increasingly remote world. What skills do leaders need to develop and how, in order to maintain employee wellbeing and manage the intergenerational divide? This paper presents a short synthesis of the challenges faced by leaders today specifically around remote team management but also in the context of a multigenerational workforce, alongside a summary of the research gaps we face in post-COVID literature. This paper concludes with the production of a future research agenda for scholars to close this gap, and to help organisations in building their leadership capability in the ‘new normal’.
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Navigating towards hyperautomation and the empowerment of human capital in family businesses: a perspective articleThis paper aims to explore the past and future impacts of automation on family businesses, with a focus on the opportunities for human capital empowerment. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws upon a contemporary literature search to examine a range of scholarly and practitioner perspectives of the challenges and benefits of automation, exploring the evolvement towards hyperautomation and the empowerment of human capital in family businesses. Findings Automation, transforming to hyperautomation, general purpose artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond has the possibility of radically improving productivity. Fear of job obsolescence has been present since the birth of modern automation, and whilst some jobs are at risk of redundancy, a net gain towards higher-skilled labour is already evident. Family business leaders must be prepared to react appropriately to the accelerating war for talent by implementing a strategy for human capital empowerment. Originality/value This unique paper synthesises developments in automation and proposes a future perspective centred upon the empowerment of human capital in family businesses.
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Women’s Football Subculture of Misogyny: The Escalation to Online Gender-Based ViolenceResearch question: Given the worldwide growth of women’s football and its presence on social media, it is essential to explore and understand fan attitudes and culture. Research methods: This article provides the first empirical social media netnography focusing on English women’s football teams (Manchester United and Burnley) and international fan views towards women professional players on TikTok. We extend this discussion by utilising a netnography in which researchers immersed themselves for seven months in women’s football groups on TikTok to gather and analyse new qualitative data in this context. Results and Findings: We identify the escalation of gender-based violence on social media against women players. Four key themes emerged from the netnography: 1. Sexism: the place of women in football; 2. Misogyny and hatred of women; 3. Sexualisation of women; 4. Demand for a male-only space. Sexist comments were apparent in all the TikTok posts containing female football players, with some also containing more aggressive misogynistic comments. Other dominant comments sought to reduce women to objects of sexual desire and belittle their professional skills, whereas others were appalled at the presence of female players on the clubs’ official accounts, demanding them to be a male-only space. Implications: The study contributes to the understanding of online fan cultures on complex, video-based platforms such as TikTok. Through literature review and netnography, we identified a problem for football clubs on social media of longstanding, problematic issues of toxic fan comments.
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Wellbeing and Engagement in Hybrid Work Environments - Coaching as a Resource and Skill for Leaders to DevelopThis paper explores how working from home has impacted leaders and the workforce in corporate environments during the pandemic, how these experiences might influence the workplace of the future, and what role coaching could play to foster skill development in the 21st century workplace. Before the pandemic, plenty of research had already been done on what factors influence well-being and engagement in the workplace. Models explaining the elements of well-being and engagement, as well as, tools to measure their existence or the lack of have been reviewed, tested, and validated. We know little at this point about what combinations of factors caused the decline in well-being and engagement during the pandemic, and what skills in leaders, or requirements for the workplace would be necessary to hone and implement, to improve the situation of well-being and engagement in future work environments. This paper explores how coaching could support leaders in the 21st century workplace. The business world is facing challenges while moving into post-pandemic workplace scenarios. The plurality of interests increases the complexity of the topic. The literature on well-being and engagement has been reviewed. Data that was collected during the pandemic by different organisations and conclusions drawn from these were compared with what the literature says and it was combined with experiences the author made in the field while coaching leaders and their teams in corporate environments during the pandemic. This paper concludes with a recommendation on how to enhance coaching skills among leaders and to build their knowledge and literacy in the field of coaching, to result in positive effects on workplace well-being and engagement in contemporary work environments.
