RSS 1.0Theses
This collection contains the Doctoral and Masters by Research theses produced within the department.
This collection is licenced under a Creative Commons licence. The collection may be reproduced for non-commercial use and without modification, providing that copyright is acknowledged.
Recent Submissions
-
Supply chain and digital transformation in the automotive industryThe aim of this thesis is to fill a gap in the literature by evaluating how digitalisation transforms the automotive industry in Germany, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as the countries move from Industry 3.0 to 4.0. To achieve the research aim, secondary and primary data were collected through multiple choice and open-ended survey questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to respondents in three automotive firms and suppliers (Thyssenkrupp Presta, AD Plastik and ASA Prevent). They were recruited using convenience and chain referral samplings. Out of 800 questionnaires, 142 participants responded. Multiple-choice responses were analysed using correlation, regression and cross-tabulation analyses. Open-ended texts were evaluated using thematic analysis. The thesis revealed the following findings: firms assist their suppliers in improving digitalisation (backward and upstream supply chain collaboration, including risk sharing and customer focus). Firms are in stage three out of four supply-chain automation stages. However, they are currently in stage four out of six digitalisation stages. Both collaboration and digitalisation levels affect product quality; firms tend to undertake a high level of R&D to enhance new product development through a downstream part of the supply chain collaboration. Collaboration is regarded vital for vertical and horizontal integration. Collaboration and customer focus are the most important aspects in implementing digitalisation; the advantage of electric vehicles is energy conservation by steering away from fuel and oil. Unfortunately, they also emit toxic battery waste, leading to environmental degradation. Moreover, the growth of the vehicle charging stations infrastructure has not kept pace with the growth of electric vehicles; digitalisation has transformed the labour market. It has abolished conventional labour. However, education and training are not consistently conducted at all levels in companies. The findings contain strategic implications for the industries to upskill the labour force to enhance digitalisation, supply-chain automation and AI skills facing Industry 4.0.
-
Outsourcing marketing - the why, the what, the how, and the so whatThe focus of this research was to explore the drivers, processes and measurement protocols for the outsourcing of marketing, through the lens of both experienced client side and supply-side marketers. Here, the ultimate aim was to arrive at some decision-making best practices that can enhance the way in which organisations choose to engage (or not) in the outsourcing of marketing.
-
An investigation of the effects of retinoids and mesenchymal stem/stromal cell secretomes on embryonic stem cellsGastrulation is a landmark event in early embryonic development that marks the formation of the three germ layers. Spatiotemporal activation of retinoic acid receptors (RAR) α, β, and γ is crucial for proper embryonic development. In addition, mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) secretomes encompass trophic biological factors that provide global signalling pathways capable of regulating immature cell types via paracrine activities. The overall aim of this study was to explore (i) the influence of ATRA and highly selective agonists and antagonists for RARα and RARγ in the regulation of gastrulation and (ii) how the paracrine activity of MSCs regulates immature cell types during development. Transcriptome analysis conducted on a pre-existing mouse ES cell gastruloid dataset (Rossi et al., 2021) revealed the level of expression of RARα and RARγ in developing gastruloids identified heterogeneous cell types. UMAPs showed that mRNA RARα expression was ubiquitous. In contrast, RARγ mRNA expression was restricted to primitive cell types and strongly associated with the expression of stem cell markers, namely Pou5f1 (Oct4), Nanog, Sox2, Sox1, and Tbxt (Brachyury) at days 4, 5, and 6 of gastruloid development. Immunofluorescence (IF) revealed presence of RARα and RARγ in mouse ES cells, both primarily localised within nucleus, with some detected in the cytoplasm. Treatment of mouse ES cells with RARγ agonist significantly reduced ES cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas RARα agonism mirrors control effect. Additionally, WNT-induced gastruloid axial elongation was blocked by ATRA and RARγ agonist treatment. Conversely, 10 nM RARα agonist treatment slightly enhanced elongation, though not statistically significant. Surprisingly, 100 nM RARα agonist disrupted gastruloid elongation. Co-addition of RARγ antagonist to override the effect of ATRA blockage showed marginal effect. Serum-supplemented and serum-free (sf) MSC conditioned medium (CM) bound to the culture substratum had no significant impact on ES cell proliferation but was marginally better than control. 24 h serum or serum-free MSC CM had a comparable effect on ES cell proliferation to their respective control conditions, whereas late harvested MSC CM (48 h and 72 h) inhibited ES cell proliferation. Proteomic analysis of sfMSC CM identified 38 proteins consistently secreted across 48 h sfMSC CM triplicate samples. GO revealed enrichment in excreted factors and extracellular factors, while KEGG pathways identified 12 associated biological processes. STRING analysis revealed a complex, functionally interconnected protein-protein interaction (PPI), highlighting sfMSC secretome coordinated functional roles. Investigation of the paracrine activity of 48 h sfMSC secretomes on mouse ES gastruloids revealed induction of gastruloid elongation structure, albeit at ~58% frequency. Overall, the studies presented in this thesis have made use of a highly tractable gastruloid system to show that signals provided by RARα and RARγ, WNT/β-catenin, and extracellular signalling as provided by paracrine activities of MSC secretomes are integrated to mediate events during gastruloid development.
-
Enabling organisational congruency? A critical examination of character, culture and strategic intent at the University of ChesterHigher Education (HE) in England has been subject to significant change over the past 20 years, with most recent concerns including the sector’s long-term future as financial pressures reach a critical point in many institutions. Set against a challenging, arguably neoliberal environment, and using a mixed methods approach, I critically examine the character, culture and strategic intent of one university – the University of Chester (UoC). As an insider researcher, and through utilising an adapted version of the Organisational Character Index (OCI) (Bridges, 2000) with 75% (n=47) of UoC middle managers, I assert that the organisational character type for UoC is ISTJ and the organisational shadow is ENFP. Using this data, alongside analysis from an in-depth interview with the current Vice Chancellor, three key contributions to knowledge are noted; 1) A proposed model of character influence on organisational congruence; 2) The novel application of the Organisational Character Index to a university; and 3) The important identification of the ambivert organisation. Recommendations for germane training and development are offered for UoC, alongside opportunities for further research.
-
Coaching for wellbeing and engagement in contemporary work environmentsWellbeing and engagement in the workplace have been on the decline since 2020. This decline is attributed to factors such as economic instability, technological change, demographic shifts and new workplace settings employees and employers are experimenting with. This atmosphere continues to challenge employers and employees. Increased levels of flexibility and autonomy bring benefits and simultaneously pose heavy demands on workforces and companies. Upskilling workforces and leaders to better navigate these new work environments is indispensable. Extant literature acknowledges a decline in wellbeing and engagement but is inconclusive about what skills are required to equip the future workforces. Workforces have a strong desire in keeping the benefits flexibility and autonomy offer despite the negative impacts likewise evidenced. Leaders play an important role in shaping workplaces and in supporting their workforces. Synchronously, leaders themselves must develop new skills and drive the cultural and technological transformation of their organisations. This research project aims to provide more clarity about the specific skills leaders require to navigate these ambivalent dynamics and complex workplace situations. Furthermore, the role of coaching in these evolving workplace settings is investigated. A multimethod approach is deployed, comprising an online questionnaire to the researcher’s client base in Germany and England, her network on LinkedIn, and two focus groups to further reveal latent themes developed in the online questionnaire. Reflexive thematic analysis is used to develop themes from both datasets to answer the research questions posed. The findings of this research project add knowledge to existing literature about the growing importance of flexibility and autonomy for workforces, the ambivalent nature flexibility and autonomy entails, and how wellbeing and engagement can be negatively impacted by these paradoxical dynamics. Insights are added about the interrelatedness of competing interests and the impact an individual’s decision can have on the collective causing friction at task and at people level. A deeper understanding is provided for work process adaptation to alleviate workloads and time spent in meetings, paired with suggestions on how to humanise workplaces dominated by technology. Additionally, the findings present recommendations for practitioners to better balance ambiguities and paradoxical needs of new work. Ideas are proposed to re-design learning and leadership development programmes to upskill employees in organisations so they can benefit from the gains of flexible work arrangements and mitigate the deficiencies. A conceptual model synthesises the contributions made and exposes the unique skills combinations from the findings to support wellbeing and engagement in contemporary workplaces. A 4-phase framework is offered to practitioners to support reflections and facilitate skills transitions to the workplace. The findings and recommendations developed from the data are applicable to specific sectors including the automotive industry and their suppliers.
-
B2B Marketing: An exploratory study into how B2B brands influence the purchase decision in a SME contextTraditionally, the Business to Business (B2B) brand has been regarded as relatively unimportant, and that the decision making unit is focused on making rational purchase decisions with emotional factors being considered as having minimal influence. The increasing need for B2B suppliers to find new ways of maintaining a competitive advantage has strengthened the importance of the B2B brand. This shift has intensified the need to examine the influences on the B2B purchase decision including examining the buying process, the characteristics of the decision making unit and the potential role of the brand as a significant influence on the purchase decision. Drawing on Mudambi’s (2002) assertion that “branding is not important to all organisational buyers, or in all situations” (p. 527), and addressing the lack of recent studies examining the buying process and decision making unit in the context of significant purchases in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the B2B brand on the decision making unit in reaching the purchase decision. In fulfilling the purpose of this thesis, this researcher adopted a constructivist ontology and interpretivist epistemology. Within a case study research method, semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the members of the decision making unit which consisted of senior managers of SMEs based in the northwest of England and thus resulted in gaining a greater understanding of the experiences, perceptions and observations of how the B2B brand impacts on B2B purchase decision. The findings from this study revealed that the B2B brand exerts a strong influence on the decision making unit in making significant complex purchase decisions. The insights from this research illustrate that the B2B brand is more than just a discrete purchase criterion. It represents key tangible and intangible brand benefits. Although the decision making unit places a high priority on the tangible benefits, this study uncovers that it is the intangible brand attributes that have the greatest influence on the final purchase decision. As a result, a significant contribution of this study is the recognition that the purchase decision is shaped not only by the rational evaluation iv of the high priority tangible benefits, but also by the emotive elements that play a critical role in the decision making unit’s evaluation of the suppliers’ offerings. In examining the role of the brand in the purchase decision, the findings also revealed that the decision making unit within SMEs display distinct characteristics of a core and peripheral elements and distinguish between the role of selector from influencers. Finally, the findings uncovered an alternative buying process characterised by a set of iterative steps, reflecting how SMEs reach complex purchase decisions. It is recommended that B2B suppliers invest in brands that take into consideration the importance of the different brand attributes and priorities of the decision making unit.
-
Contextualising influential thought leaders and online learning communities in social media: A case of the gamification and serious games communityThis thesis aims to address the need for studies examining gamification as a community, particularly in the context of online learning communities. The growing influence of online learning communities in shaping nascent academic subjects calls for an understanding of the role of online influencers in their development. However, existing research lacks objectivity in identifying and assessing thought leaders and influencers within these communities. This research seeks to fill this gap by investigating an effective model for identifying and assessing influential thought leaders on social media platforms. The study utilizes a two-stage process that focuses on the social connections between accounts on Twitter. A Python program was developed to engage with Twitter's Application Programming Interface (API) for data collection. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is employed to query the network and measure levels of influence. The results indicate that the influence of Influential Thought Leaders within the community outweighs the social influence held by Social Media Influencers and celebrity accounts. Furthermore, the two-stage process developed in this thesis yielded a set of knowledgeable and subject-relevant accounts generated from a small initial sample and produced objectively. PageRank measurements further reveal that academic accounts exert more influence within this community compared to business or generic accounts. This thesis presents a new conceptual model called the Community of Development to address a theoretical shortfall. This model allows for an active online learning community with social and cognitive presence without the authoritative teaching presence observed in other frameworks such as the Community of Inquiry. The integration of gamification within the Community of Development framework contributes to the ongoing development of this subject area within academia. Furthermore, developing the Influential Thought Leader (ITL) concept addresses the gap in understanding online influencers. By recognizing the unique characteristics of influential thought leaders within the niche community, the research challenges the commercial and marketing-focused lens through which most influencer research has been conducted. This conceptualization expands our understanding of online influence and the dynamics of niche interest communities. The practical application of the research findings allows for the creation of a reliable and balanced "who to follow" listing for newcomers to the gamification community, as well as other online interest groups that function as Communities of Development. These results have implications for Social Network research, particularly for analyzing entire social networks or using small samples to explore the entire network. Understanding the dynamics of online influence is vital in marketing, especially in influencer marketing on social media. By identifying influential thought leaders within interest-based communities, marketers can find better fits for their brands and products, potentially yielding greater impact and influence within specific interest areas. This perspective offers a cost-effective and risk-mitigating strategy compared to seeking influencers with a larger general following. Overall, this thesis provides theoretical and practical contributions to the study of online learning communities, influencer marketing, and brand marketing on social media. The conceptual framework, combined with the objective approach for identifying influential thought leaders, can enhance our understanding of the dynamics of online influence and improve networking strategies within interest-based communities.
-
Exploring the transformational learning potential of the ‘outside field’ coach mentor: An ethnographic study with four duoethnographiesDespite the awareness that sports coaches actively seek advice and support from those they consider to be mentors (including, those mentors who may be positioned as non-sport, or outside the field of sport), there remains a paucity of empirical research, about ‘what happens’ or ‘what goes on’ in the mentoring space, particularly from a learning impact perspective. Indeed, ‘what is spoken about’, ‘what is said and by whom’ and ‘what may be learnt’ by mentoring participants in the mentoring space remains largely unknown. There may be reasons for this, including the fact that coach mentoring episodes are figuratively hidden, often private affairs. By gaining privileged mentor access to three high-performance Futsal coaches’ this study aims to explore the role of an outside field coach mentor, during a period of time when each Futsal coach is preparing national Futsal teams for international competition. Data about what happens in the coach mentoring space is collected through a form of collaborative reflexive dialogue (between the coach mentor and each Futsal coach), leading to the formation of four separate duoethnographies. In order to analyse the dialogue contained in each duoethnography (DE), the work of Jack Mezirow’s Transformation Learning (TL) theory is adopted as a lens to further explore the transformative learning potential of the coach mentor. Participation in this study was entirely voluntary, based on the principle of the informed consent from three high-performance Futsal coaches. Through the writing and analysis of each DE, findings reveal the potential an outside field coach mentor may have in supporting the transformational learning of each Futsal coach and indeed his own. In this way, this current study contributes both to a wider understanding of the role of a coach mentor in the context of high-performance sports coaching and equally the value of DE as an approach for critical reflexive dialogue in sports coach mentoring.
-
From bean-counter to lion-tamer: an ethnographical investigation into the lived experience of UK ACA chartered accountants and their career boundariesThe accountancy profession of the twenty first century, and the roles therein, are rapidly evolving, transforming, and potentially contracting. As digitalisation deepens, the acceleration of Artificial Intelligence, robotics and distributed ledger accounting threaten to finally sound the death knell for the traditional ‘bean-counter’ stereotype. The purpose of this study was to examine the career boundaries of contemporary chartered accountants, to consider how boundary expanding is expressed in practice. Employing an ethnographical approach, the study investigated the lived experience of accountants’ career boundaries through the auto-ethnographical lens of the researcher, a chartered accountant herself. The research unearthed a rich and diverse collection of boundary-stretching and boundary-contracting case studies, spanning a full career generation, and contributes a new model of ‘career boundary elasticity’ which has implications for the accountancy profession.
-
Understanding consumer perceptions of expiry dates for cosmeticsThe topic of cosmetics expiration is under researched in the marketing literature, and consumers can lack awareness about it. However, cosmetics expiration is important because it represents a consumer health issue, as illustrated by several papers published in medical journals. The aim of this research is to understand the role of cosmetics expiration date – specifically the Period After Opening (PAO) in cosmetics marketing, and how it influences consumer behaviour in the UK and China markets. This is the first study in a marketing management context that has investigated the role of PAO in consumer behaviour. The research adopts a mixed method approach and employs three studies: qualitative interviews in both countries (the UK and China), a quantitative experimental design in the UK, as well as a large survey in China. The data are analysed using NVivo, SPSS, AMOS and Fuzzy logic. The main findings and contributions to knowledge are: From the qualitative work: 1) A perceived risk framework is useful to an understanding of consumer attitudes to PAO in cosmetics. Self-brand connection (SBC) risk and environmental risk should be added to the existing risk framework. 2) Two major positionings in the cosmetics market can be identified: brands which emphasise the science behind their production and brands which emphasise their use of natural ingredients. 3) Some differences in PAO attitudes emerged by country (China versus the UK). In the UK study, psychological risk emerged as the most important in explaining overall risk, which is compatible with prior work. For UK respondents, the longer the PAO, the higher their purchase intention, irrespective of the brand type, thereby demonstrating that PAO can be a marketing signal as well as a statement of shelf life. In the China study, however, social risk emerged as more important, which can be explained by cultural differences. Different segments exist in the China market, defined by brand type, PAO, price and product type. PAO again emerged as a marketing signal. Both the UK and China studies indicate PAO and perceived risk can interact, and that such interaction can help explain the relationship between brand image and purchase intention. Specifically, perceived brand warmth is not as strong a predictor of purchase intention for cosmetics as prior work suggests it should be, and the interaction between PAO and perceived social risk in China and psychological risk in the UK helps explain why.
-
An Exploration of the Drivers for Professionalism within UK Jewish Heritage CharitiesThe thesis explores the drivers of professionalism for Jewish Heritage Charities as well as the impact on the organisations in the study. Though there was a growing body of research on development of professionalism in charities, there is very limited studies on how this was impacting Jewish Heritage Charities in the UK. Charities have been reporting decreasing revenue from traditional fundraising activities over the last decade as well as significant competition for major grants and governmental funding. The loss of traditional funding and the increase in reliance on major donors and funding bodies has led to more regulation and now the growing concern with the management and accountability of charities. The study explored how this development of professionalism has impacted on (JHC). Using a case study approach, 11 interviews took place with senior management, trustees, and volunteers of three JHC’s and one non-Jewish museum that had recently been through major governance and structural changes. Due to the nature of the research and small sample the findings are limited to the case study however some good practice has been highlighted and professionalism within the case study was identified by the developing business processes and managerialism. The study also identified that rigorous governance procedures for trustees as well as performance management of trustees was needed however proved controversial. The study also identified the need for more development of recruitment processes of volunteers and trustees alongside professional development and training programmes to ensure professional practices are embedded into the organisations and good practice is maintained.
-
SME Corporate Philanthropy (CP): Exploring how CP is managed and appraised for its impact on communitiesPurpose The ability to appraise the impact of any project allows for the opportunity to improve the project over time. The purpose of this study is to develop a bespoke Appraisal Tool, for SMEs, for Strategic Corporate Philanthropy (SCP), which allows organisations to appraise the impact of their SCP projects for themselves and the community. Exploring approaches to appraise SCP has been severely neglected by academics. Most appraisal tools focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This study will research how organisations practise and appraise their SCP activities. It is believed that a strategic approach to corporate philanthropy will increase the impact it has on the community, and the bespoke SCP Appraisal Tool for SMEs developed by the researcher will complement this approach. The central focus of this study is the way key decision makers of SMEs manage SCP. The impact of utilising a separate Appraisal Tool from that used to measure CSR will be observed by focusing on the impact the relevant projects have on the community and the SMEs’ corporate objectives. The study commenced in 2019. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a worldwide pandemic, which had a great impact on businesses and their philanthropic activities. It is for this reason that the researcher also included a research objective to address this phenomenon. The study aimed to gain an understanding of the influence that the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic had on company decision making with regards to philanthropic activities. Research Design A phenomenological approach was undertaken, given the unique pandemic situation and the need to gain a deep understanding of the experience and decision making of SME entrepreneurs and managers. Data collection was undertaken via in-depth, semi-structured interviews and observations within eight small and medium companies and one large corporate (key informant). The study identified the definitions of SCP that set it apart from CSR. The study also investigated how entrepreneurs and SME decision makers appraised and managed CSR projects and identified if this was undertaken separately from philanthropic activities. Qualitative data analysis was undertaken via cognitive mapping and template analysis. Findings This research echoed Kubíčková’s (2018) review of the current literature relating to SCP. Kubíčková stated that turning corporate philanthropy into measurable projects will benefit both society and corporations alike, and this seems to have been confirmed by this research. The respondents in this study felt that their philanthropic activities were driven by a deep-seated desire to “do good” and a desire to “support their local community.” They felt that their local community was an important stakeholder and as important as their customers. The data indicated that SMEs that publicised their CSR and SCP activities seemed to have a positive effect on the SME’s company and on the organisations they supported. Respondents involved their staff with all their CSR and SCP activities, from inception through to completion. The research indicated that the pandemic had a great effect on the day-to-day business of all participants, affecting staff numbers, staff morale and income, which in turn influenced their philanthropic activities. Companies adapted by adjusting their resource allocation and by focusing on local causes. Companies that held fundraising events in the past reverted to hosting online events and sponsoring local projects and clubs. The data indicated that COVID-19 had urged people to take a closer look at their own neighbours and communities and that the focus moved away from supporting international causes in favour of local community causes. This could have a knock-on effect for the income streams of international charities. Recommendations Key recommendations of this study (Chapter 7) are as follows: • Charities should build relationships with SMEs and not just larger corporates. • National and international charities are advised to establish community projects and team up with local businesses and organisations. • Government should consider reinstating the mandatory reporting of corporate giving (as part of the Companies Act), as was the case in 2013. • The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be simplified for use by SMEs. • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Strategic Corporate Philanthropy (SCP) could be defined and managed separately for better results and impact. This study found that most literature (both academic and practice) relating to CSR and SCP mostly focused on larger corporates and not on SMEs. The study found a gap in the literature with regards to defining, managing, and appraising SCP from the perspective of an SME. Originality The originality and distinctiveness of this research project is found in the development of a bespoke SCP Appraisal Tool for SMEs and the research done relating to corporate giving by SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as this has never been done before.
-
Equity crowdfunding as an alternative source of entrepreneurial financeEquity-based Crowdfunding (EBC) has been playing an increasingly important role in financing entrepreneurial companies (Signori & Vismara, 2018). Project founders raise funds via online platforms, such as Crowdcube, which also gives project founders direct interaction with potential investors. Through their feedback, investors provide opinions of the business idea, which may prove useful in reshaping and improving the products or services. Although current research on equity-based crowdfunding has correlated various campaign and projects’ features to success, there is a lack of convincing conceptual framework that has the potential to incorporate the interplay of the different factors in crowdfunding. In particular, the extant literature has so far attempted to explain success in terms of project characteristics, generally ignoring the characteristics of fund structure and their interrelationship with project characteristics in the success (or failure) of equity crowdfunding. This thesis is aiming to address this gap by building upon signalling theory, goal setting theory and social capital theories to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that incorporate projects characteristics, fundraising structure and their interplay in the EBC campaign. Hypotheses are developed based on the conceptual framework. The data of the thesis were collected from the 850 projects funded between 2011 and 2019 on EBC platform, Crowdcube, in UK. The data was analysed using a quantitative method, with the dataset being analysed using an Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a series of robustness tests using a logistic regression to assess the reliability of my results. The result of this study found that higher firm age, more social media channels, and more management team members in project characteristics can contribute to the success of EBC campaigns, whilst lower funding target, less equity offered, and moderate investment threshold value to gain voting rights in fundraising characteristics can also contribute to the success of EBC campaigns. The results also suggest that project founders may establish a higher investment threshold value for investors to obtain voting rights if they are confident in the project's ability to create substantial cash flows or revenue in the future. Moreover, investors may waive their voting rights if project founders provide signals of higher-quality projects. More importantly, the result of this study found significant interaction effect between different factors, including firm age and social media, equity offered and social media, and equity offered and investment. The findings help to depict a complex web of interacting factors that when considered together, are contributing to the success of EBC. Through investigation of the factors of project characters and its fund structure characters in equity crowdfunding, this thesis assists project founders in setting up their crowdfunding campaign and investors screening out projects with growth potential and advances understanding of Crowdfunding, especially for equity crowdfunding.
-
Charitable organisations and ambidexterity: Implications for charity sector leadersThe survival and sustainability of charities, also sometimes referred to as not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) has been a long-term challenge for the sector because of changeable socio-economic events, which have taken place throughout the last century and beyond. Charities and charity leaders demonstrate significant capability in managing the competing demands of short-term and long-term survival in accordance with their social mission. Despite this, there is limited scholarly literature, which considers how this is achieved. This research seeks to address this by examining the organisational concept ‘organisational ambidexterity’ in the context of private charitable organisations. In doing so it offers new contribution to the organisational literature on charity and organisational ambidexterity, as well as new knowledge to charity sector leaders through determining key components of organisational ambidextrous design in the delivery of social mission. The research was conducted between 2021 and 2022 using mono method research in the form of 14 semi-structured interviews with executive members (Chief Executives and Directors) of UK based charities in the disability, health, or social care arena. Analysis took place through a reflexive thematic analysis process, with findings culminating in eight key components for the application of organisational ambidexterity in charity. It is believed that this research represents the first scholarly research conducted into organisational ambidexterity applied to private charities in the UK. Building on previous knowledge, it finds clear evidence of organisational ambidexterity represented in multi-dimensional structural models, culture, systems, and strategy. It is limited by its size and unique context and therefore establishes a basis for further studies in this field to evolve.
-
Understanding Founders’ and Successors’ Expectations of British Higher Education Related to the Chinese Family Business: An Extrapolative Expectation PerspectiveThe importance of family business and thus family business succession is well supported in the literature. As part of their succession plan, Chinese family businesses tend to send the prospective successor to study in an overseas university. However, there is little attention paid to the effectiveness and efficiency of the successors’ overseas education and its impact on the family business succession. In particular there is a lack of attention on the expectation of the founders and successors’. This thesis is about exploring and explaining the similarities and differences in expectation of successors’ overseas education between founders and successors of family businesses in China. 60 informants comprising 30 pairs of successors (who were studying a business course) and business founders completed identical questionnaires separately. This was then followed by in-depth one-to-one interviews with respondents. Adopting extrapolative expectation theory, which holds that expectations are caused by prior experience, a comprehensive conceptual framework is developed, followed by corresponding hypotheses. The findings support the hypothesis that the business founders’ expectations about the business-related factors of a business degree course are significantly higher than the expectations of successors themselves. On the other hand, the expectations of founders and successors for non-business-related factors were similar, for instance: for the development of English skills. A follow-up in-depth qualitative research in the form of interviews was conducted with the business founders and successors. Qualitative data analysis helps to reveal that while there are some interesting differences associated with respondents’ background, gender and personality, the result of the analysis shows that work experience plays a key role in explaining the difference in expectations of the founders and successors. In addition, four competing theories (intention, relationship, gender and personality) failed to explain such differences. The thesis makes a significant contribution to knowledge in understanding the expectations of the family business on successors’ overseas education. It shows that, due to differences in work experience, the expectation of business founders and their successors differ significantly in many aspects related to the successors’ overseas education. This is important as literature tends to consider the multiple influences of various individuals within a family on major decisions as one decision-making unit. The differences in expectation have major implications in their choice of courses and satisfaction of successors’ overseas education, which in turn affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the longer-term family business succession process. The findings of this thesis help the family business, policymakers and researchers to see a potential issue in the family business succession process that is largely ignored. It is suggested that more resources can be put by policymakers into raising awareness of the different expectations that are identified. Family businesses should work on the differences in expectations including enhancing both understanding and the successors’ solid work experience before studying abroad. The findings of this thesis highlight an important but unresearched area for researchers to be further explored. Finally, the project design, which adopts a complementary mixed-method approach and compares the views from business founders and successors, is unique and helpful to understand the research question through different lenses.
-
A Comparative Study on Students’ Learning Expectations of Entrepreneurship Education in the UK and ChinaEntrepreneurship education has become a critical subject in academic research and educational policy design, occupying a central role in contemporary education globally. However, a review of the literature indicates that research on entrepreneurship education is still in a relatively early stage. Little is known about how entrepreneurship education learning is affected by the environmental context to date. Therefore, combining the institutional context and focusing on students’ learning expectations as a novel perspective, the main aim of the thesis is to address the knowledge gap by developing an original conceptual framework to advance understanding of the dynamic learning process of entrepreneurship education through the lens of self-determination theory, thereby providing a basis for advancing understanding of entrepreneurship education. The author adopted an epistemological positivism philosophy and a deductive approach. This study gathered 247 valid questionnaires from the UK (84) and China (163). It requested students to recall their learning expectations before attending their entrepreneurship courses and to assess their perceptions of learning outcomes after taking the entrepreneurship courses. It was found that entrepreneurship education policy is an antecedent that influences students' learning expectations, which is represented in the difference in student autonomy. British students in active learning under a voluntary education policy have higher autonomy than Chinese students in passive learning under a compulsory education policy, thus having higher learning expectations, leading to higher satisfaction. The positive relationship between autonomy and learning expectations is established, which adds a new dimension to self-determination theory. Furthermore, it is also revealed that the change in students’ entrepreneurial intentions before and after their entrepreneurship courses is explained by understanding the process of a business start-up (positive), hands-on business start-up opportunities (positive), students’ actual input (positive) and tutors’ academic qualification (negative). The thesis makes contributions to both theory and practice. The findings have far reaching implications for different parties, including policymakers, educators, practitioners and researchers. Understanding and shaping students' learning expectations is a critical first step in optimising entrepreneurship education teaching and learning. On the one hand, understanding students' learning expectations of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education can help the government with educational interventions and policy reform, as well as improving the quality and delivery of university-based entrepreneurship education. On the other hand, entrepreneurship education can assist students in establishing correct and realistic learning expectations and entrepreneurial conceptions, which will benefit their future entrepreneurial activities and/or employment. An important implication is that this study connects multiple stakeholders by bridging the national-level institutional context, organisational-level university entrepreneurship education, and individual level entrepreneurial learning to promote student autonomy based on an understanding of students' learning expectations. This can help develop graduates with their ability for autonomous learning and autonomous entrepreneurial behaviour. The results of this study help to remind students that it is them, the learners, their expectations and input that can make the difference between the success or failure of their study. This would not only apply to entrepreneurship education but also to other fields of study. One key message from this study is that education can be encouraged and supported but cannot be “forced”. Mandatory entrepreneurship education is not a quick fix for the lack of university students’ innovation and entrepreneurship. More resources must be invested in enhancing the enterprise culture, thus making entrepreneurship education desirable for students.
-
How can the Organisational Ambidexterity concept be applied to the automotive industry as it aims to exploit current vehicles sales profit pools and explore autonomous electric mobility services?The Automotive Industry is facing unprecedented disruption from electrification, connectivity, autonomous driving, and diverse mobility. Throughout its 130-year history, the industry has been built on increment change and could now be facing an existential crisis if it does not respond to these disruptors. Organisational Ambidexterity (OA) is the dual challenge of exploiting current profit pools whilst also exploring future revenue streams. The literature presented four antecedent themes that will form the basis of this research (Differentiation vs Integration, Individual vs Organisation, Static vs Dynamic and Internal vs External). The most recent a priori body of knowledge is set against a backdrop of mergers and acquisitions within the automotive industry to achieve globalisation, scale and explore new markets. The current backdrop of facing disruption has received very little attention to date, which this thesis has set out to redress. OA is a social construct, created by the perceptions and actions of the actors within the research site. The nature of disruption is also a mutually constructed reality, assessed by the actors according to their own beliefs on the scale and impact on their organisations and themselves. A subjectivist ontological approach is taken, with an interpretivist epistemology viewing the world as assimilated through perception and discourse. This research is qualitative, using semi-structured in-depth elite interviews to gather data, and represents privileged access. Analysis will be using the Constant Comparative Method, with the coding steps carried out manually. The researcher is embedded in the research setting and will take a participant-observer approach. This methodology of elite interviews, reinforced with emic indwelling and manual coding, delivered rich insights in the current context of the automotive industry. This thesis makes contributions on three fronts. The contribution to theory provides an upto-date view of OA within the automotive industry, assesses the relevance of the four antecedent themes, and identifies three emergent themes – Collaboration, Speed and Scale. The contribution to practice is to provide managers and organisations insights and guidance on how OA could be applied. The findings provide privileged insights into how collaboration operates, identifies some of the challenges, and empathises with the Traditional and Contemporary OEM’s and their different stances. Outside of the Automotive industry, any industry that is facing disruption can gain transferrable insights. The contribution to methodology is demonstrating that elite interviews, underpinned by emic indwelling, can deliver rich insights from a privileged setting.
-
A practical and theoretical approach to assessing Micro-Enterprise brand image signalsThis thesis aims to investigate how Micro Enterprises (MEs) communicate their brand image to their markets. The research takes a comparative approach and examines firms in both the UK and China. The main theoretical base for the work is that of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) which holds that entities with humanistic associations (including brands and corporate brands) are automatically judged for their ‘warmth’ (trustworthiness, sincerity, supportiveness) and their ‘competence’ (effectiveness, efficiency). The status (prestigious, glamorous) of the entity is also included in the SCM model but as an antecedent to competence judgements. Recent work alternatively considers it as a dimension of imagery which is automatically judged by customers. The methodology is a mixed method and has three interlinked pieces of work, the first two of which are more exploratory and the last more confirmatory. A case study approach first explored the signalling of 14 MEs using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with their owner-managers. A thematic analysis of content showed that managers emphasize their competence and that fewer provided unprompted examples of status positioning. The second study involved the content analysis of parts of 66 ME websites labelled ‘who we are’ or similar. Competence descriptors were again the most frequent followed by warmth and then status items. The two studies evidence that MEs signal competence, warmth, and status but in that order of emphasis. An experimental study was conducted where the status signalling of a fictitious ME (a gift company) was manipulated. It explored why MEs use the signal less and test whether this changes the perceived competence of the company and the purchase intention and person-brand congruence of potential customers. The increase in status did not increase competence and it reduced outcome behaviour and warmth. As warmth explains consumer attitude best, using the status signal can reduce potential sales. This holds regardless of country (the UK and China), and control variable values. However, perceived higher prices and giving too much irrelevant information mediated and therefore explain the effect of status on consumer attitude. The main effects were positive, but the indirect effects were negative due to perceived higher prices and irrelevant information. Finally, all variables considered in this study were tested using Structural Equation Modelling, adding to the insights from the final study The primary contribution is to better understand how MEs communicate their imagery to their market. SCM thinking is also tested and developed in the context of ME marketing and recommendations made for its adaption.
-
Disruptive Philanthropy: Assessing the Challenges of Funding from “Big Tech” for a UK CharityThe immense wealth generated by the technology sector – or Big Tech – since the end of the 20th century has created a new breed of philanthropists, keen to use the business practices of Silicon Valley to ensure their money is employed to optimum social impact. This study considers how a long-established, UK-based journalism charity can understand, and engage with, the new philanthropic practices of the digital economy in to order to fund transformative change, while appreciating, and managing, the associated benefits and risks. A characteristic of the digital economy is that it has blurred conventional boundaries between commercial and philanthropic practices. Accordingly, this study was conducted through the theoretical framework of “hybrid organizations” – defined here as non-profit entities which adopt business practices to achieve social ends but face the challenge of balancing the competing institutional logics of mission and money. This study synthesises the literature on the new, more market-oriented philanthropic models - collectively described here as “disruptive philanthropy” – to provide a conceptual model to guide hybrid, non-profits like the journalism charity that wish to engage with the digital economy. The model is then used to inform a qualitative, inductive study of the journalism charity using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight stakeholders from the journalism charity and four “elite” interviewees from the digital economy. This study makes a number of contributions to theory and practice in terms of understanding the digital economy’s business ethics and how non-profit organizations can assess clearly whether the funding support it is seeking from the digital economy is philanthropic or commercial. The conceptual model serves as a guide to hybrid, non-profit organizations on the factors to assess when seeking engagement with the digital economy. A framework is offered to help non-profits ensure good governance when accepting funds from the digital economy. The study reinforces the need for non-profits to have a clear identity and mission to obtain philanthropic funding. Finally, the study provides an understanding of how organizations from the digital economy assess their funding support through the benefits to their own “ecosystems” – which can be commercial, philanthropic or hybrid in nature.
-
To investigate the ambidextrous challenges and tensions of small and medium enterprises in the United Kingdom defence & security sectorThe defence and security industry is an extremely dynamic environment, influenced by policy and world events. Whilst it often needs to respond to rapid change, there is a dichotomy in that capital programs take years to come to fruition. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are involved in both of these short and long-term aspects of acquisition, thus creating strategic challenges. Though there has been much research around ambidexterity and SMEs, there has been very little in the fluid domain of defence and security supply-side SMEs. This study aims to investigate this gap in research. The investigation collected primary qualitative data through the use of semi-structured interviews, with research participants constituting the leadership functions of eighteen businesses that deliver either directly to the defence and security governmental departments, or into the supply chain. Findings indicate that within a shrinking defence sector, successful SMEs are operating in an ambidextrous fashion, often utilising the industrial partners of the industry trade organisations. Also, outside that of grand strategic change, Government policy has a limited impact on the SMEs in this sector. With scarce resources, the leadership of businesses see the competing needs of resource and finances as a major tension point. These two competing needs can be defined as exploration and exploitation respectively, and can be situated within an ambidextrous construct. Critically, successful businesses operate in a ambidextrous zone where there is constant iterative adjustment between both exploration and exploitation. This thesis advances the thought leadership in SME strategy, particularly around the key indigenous industry of defence and security, thereby adjusting the understanding of the definition of ambidexterity. This study contributes to the current literature, through the development of an alternative and responsive conceptual dynamic model of a growing business, theorising that ambidexterity functions change as SMEs grow, are constantly evolving, and are adjusted by both internal and external influences. The study concludes with recommendations for practice.
