Dr. Susan Sisay is the new Course Director Entrepreneurship at the Staffordshire Business School. She holds a PhD in International Entrepreneurship from Wrexham Glyndwr University, Wales. Susan has worked in academia for over a decade, both in the UK and internationally developing and delivering across a range of subjects.
Dr Susan Sisay
More recently, her focus is around entrepreneurship and related subjects, such as innovation, and small business management. Susan joins Staffordshire University from Birmingham City University, where she taught across a range of provision including apprenticeships, funded programmes for small businesses and also led the DBA programme.
Prior to academia, she was a legal practitioner. Alongside her practice, she delivered bespoke executive programmes for government and commercial organisations as well as initiate and/or participate in several justice and legal reform projects, specifically around women’s rights and access to justice. The experience of leading and managing these projects culminated in her doing her MBA (specialising in Law and Management) at Bangor University, Wales.
Her current areas of research interest are entrepreneurial education, ethnic minority businesses and international entrepreneurship, specifically entrepreneurship within the African context. She currently supervises doctoral students in these areas. She is also interested in exploring the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship and open to explore opportunities to collaborate across the stated areas of interest.
Here at Staffordshire University we are extremely proud of our Visitor Attraction and Resort Management degree programme. The course is designed in accordance with guidelines published by the Events, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism (EHLST) network, and delivered in close association with Alton Towers Resort.
The course is unique to the UK, with only one other similar course worldwide taught at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, USA – who have their unique partnership with Cedar Point amusement park.
On the 21st April 2023 we met our siblings who were on a field trip to the UK……!!! This is their experience….
The two sets of students initially met at the teaching facility at Alton Towers. They chatted all things course related, life experiences, ambitions and ‘marmite’ – apparently a preferred food of the students! It was amazing to watch like minds instantly connect, it only took a matter of minutes, and the chatter began to grow…..
Taking the students away from their conversations we were lucky enough to all jump on a ride (Galactica) and enjoy the thrills…
We then had a ‘behind the scenes’ tour after the park closed. We were escorted by Kirsty (the Learning and Development Assistant with the Human Resources department) who took us to the (usually restricted) top of the historical ruins of Alton Towers stately home and are the source of the park’s name.
Seeing the surrounding area was breath-taking and we could see the vast expanse of the park itself. If you look closely you’ll see the ‘Wicker Man’ eerily peering between the trees!
Following this we had an escorted tour of the various accommodations on offer such as the themed ‘Gangsta Granny’ and ‘Ice Age’ rooms which were a feast to the eyes!!!!
It was all too brief – so much so by the end of the day, students were sad to part ways and contacts were quickly shared:
“I’ve been speaking with some of the students… and they seem incredibly passionate about how attractions operate outside of the UK, and considering how many laws and regulations differ between countries. The opportunity allowed us to keep growing our network with the other course and open new opportunities in the future” (Kenzie – Level 4 VARM student).
“an incredible opportunity to network with the Ohio students more and get a better sense of the theme park landscape of USA and how it’s different to the industry in the UK… it was a great experience and gave us an ‘in person’ perspective of the industry worldwide and will help us with our studies and writing our assignments” (Sam – Level 4 VARM student).
Moving forward we are to expand upon the relationship, BGSU are due to visit again next year, and we are already planning on collaborating again in the form of a incorporating a VARM/RAAM student project.
WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!
Courses and projects such as these are vital: the visitor attractions sector is experiencing tremendous growth both in the UK and overseas with tourism, hospitality and events recognised as major contributors to the UK economy.
As an indicator of THE’s value, travel and tourism contributes significantly to the economy in the United Kingdom (UK) and in 2021, an estimated £131.5 billion of GDP was generated, directly and indirectly, by this sector.
To achieve and sustain this level of economic contribution it is critical that the sector is able to access highly qualified, skilled graduates who can become the leaders of tomorrow.
So, if you’re looking to establish a career in visitor attractions that growth is great news. But if you’d like to give yourself an edge when it comes to seeking employment, our Degree in Visitor Attraction and Resort Management, developed in partnership with Alton Towers Resort, could be for you…
Dr David Cook has recently joined as a Senior Lecturer in Business and Marketing, in the Department of Business and Law, School of Justice, Security and Sustainability, Staffordshire University, United Kingdom.
Dr Cook has also worked within Academia for almost a decade, with previous Lecturer and Senior Lecturer positions held at Coventry University and Nottingham Trent University, teaching across a range of Business, Sport & Events, and Marketing courses, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. David also currently holds External Examiner roles at Birmingham City University and Nottingham Trent University.
David holds BA Hons (Business & Marketing) and MSc (Marketing Management) degrees from UCLan in Preston, as well as a PhD awarded by Coventry University on the topic: ‘Sponsorship of Major Sport Events: A Creating Shared Value (CSV) Approach’. The study extended knowledge in four key areas: developing an understanding of how CSV principles can be applied in order to benefit different stakeholders; addressing a growing need for business sustainability considerations; exploring the potential of sport events as co-creation platforms; and advancing sponsorship management methods.
Dr Cook has published several peer-reviewed research papers in well regarded academic journals such as European Sport Management Quarterly, The International Journal of Voluntary and Non-profit Organizations, and The International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, as well as providing a number of published chapters and case studies for academic textbooks. He is currently a member of the Editorial Board for the journal, Event Management.
Dr Richard Ahumibe holds an MSc in Operations and Supply Chain Management and a PhD in Management Studies from the University of Liverpool. Richard started his teaching career during his PhD studies and has lectured at the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University, and the Global Banking School. He is also a Visiting Lecturer at The University of Law.
Before his PhD, Richard had over ten years of industry experience in several positions in different multinational manufacturing and services organisations in Europe and Africa, including British American Tobacco, Danone Medical Nutrition and AstraZeneca.
Richard is passionate about contributing to industry and academia through education, research and consultancy and describes himself as a scholar and practitioner. An enthusiast of the humanist teaching philosophy and adaptive learning approach, Richard is currently working on developing a research profile.
I’ve been thinking about ‘quiet quitting’ (the topic, more so than the practice!). Seeing many articles and posts on social media over the last few months, I thought I would add my own thoughts to the mix.
‘Quiet quitting’ is described by HR Grapevine as:
‘…a range of behaviours that correlate with disengagement. That is, when an employee feels like they’re no longer valued, feel burnt out from prolonged periods of heavy workloads, or are generally unhappy with their job and terms, they begin to dial down their efforts and mentally check out.’
Simpson (2022) utilizes another term ‘acting your wage’, fulfilling duties and responsibilities, but not going ‘above and beyond’ while guarding personal-professional boundaries. It is often attributed to experiencing a global pandemic which afforded people an opportunity to reflect on their lives and what was important, including work-life balance and well-being.
‘Quiet quitting’ is bad news for employers, particularly those that rely on employees ‘going above and beyond’. Some articles offering advice often frame it as something to be ‘curtailed’, ‘combated’, and ‘stamped out’. However, it should be noted that many employees would not envisage ‘quiet quitting’ as conducive to their growth and advancement, and even detrimental to their professional ethic and job satisfaction. Therefore, workplaces tend to consist of those who continue to give generously alongside quitters of both ‘quiet’ and ‘loud’ varieties.
Some would recognize ‘quiet quitting’ not as something new, but rather a fundamental contradiction characterising employment relations. We don’t all want the same things, hold the same values, or share the same objectives all the time, harking back to that old managerial dilemma – how to persuade workers to work (the ‘labour problem’). The problem framed in the 21st Century, post-pandemic world is ‘quiet quitting’ rather than being ‘not engaged’ or ‘disengaged’ (Gallup, 2006), or ‘working to rule’ (adherence to contracted duties). We are good at inventing new terms for this phenomenon and that helps to keep things current and meaningful in a changing context, but understanding is comparatively lacking. This makes it easier to label those who attempt to claw back some balance in their lives as ‘trouble-makers’, ‘uncommitted’, and ‘letting co-workers and the organization down’, than to address the issues that make employees want to ‘quiet quit’ in the first place.
To suggest that people who prioritize their well-being are quitters is insulting (Personnel Today, 21st October, 2022). People cannot increasingly give ‘more for less’ and it is not unreasonable for work to be decent, fulfilling at least some expectations around life and work. Work evolved as an expressive and meaningful activity for humans that later became appropriated by employers for producing a profit or service. Consequently, many workers end up giving too much of something an employer values (time, effort, commitment) but receiving less of something that they value (decent pay, work-life balance, avoidance of overwork). This can feel unreasonable and even unacceptable initiating individual and collective action to improve working lives.
Flexible working, employee well-being, progressive HR policies, and moving to a four-day working week are all steps in the right direction but, sadly, attitudes are ingrained. The ‘labour problem’ will persist, but an acknowledgement that it is endemic to work relationships rather than simply pathological would increase our chances of understanding and managing it. In many respects jobs are more decent than in the past, but some (including professional jobs) are worse according to some indicators. While there are those on both sides of the employment relationship that promote decent work for all, it is sad that the ‘race to the bottom’ is stubbornly resilient. ‘Quiet quitting’ (or whatever you want to call it) may not be desirable but it remains a rational and legitimate response.
The January intake of students on the MSc in Digital Marketing Management are now looking for summer placements.
Placements will run between 1st June to 31st September and can be delivered in person, hybrid or fully remote.
To get the placement ready the students will carry out an audit of your current marketing activity, look at your competitors and provide you with a set of strategic options that could be implemented on the placement.
The majority of our students are professionals with several years of experince and you can see their profile on the link below.
The placement can be in the private sector, public sector, charity sector – given the timing of the placement it would be well suited to the tourism and hospitality sector.
We’re not sure what we’re doing with our marketing can you help? You are very suited to a placement. The student will first review your activity and then in discussion with you provide you with options depending on what your needs are.
What is digital marketing? Digital marketing covers a very wide rage of techniques to both get your messages out and to get customers to engage with you. From website design , SEO optimisation, content creation (including podcasts, films and blogs), email marketing, social media, PPC campaigns and more – digital marketing is so much more than just social media. In fact we have found that in general in recent years social media has been quite a way down the list of effective strategic approaches that organisations can take to develop thier digital marketing.
We need someone to set up and run some social media accounts? This has been a common request but so often it is based on very little. What are you trying to achieve? Which social media channel matches the personas of your customers? What is the size of your marketing budget for paid adverts on these channels? Most social media channels have been tightened so organic growth can be very small without a budget.
We’re a B2B business can you help? Yes, B2B often requires a different approach to a B2C organisation. B2B organisations are often sitting on unused assets.
What resources will the placement need? A line manager who can respond to updates and proposed work to give feedback. To provide a recommendation on Linkedin at the end of a satisfactorily completed project.
Will we need to pay for the placement? We have had paid and unpaid placements on the course (the workplacement is credited). Placements that are paid are likely to have access to a wider range of possible students. Some companies have paid a stipend for satisfactory completion of the project. We would expect any organisation to pay for any transport costs and meal allowance if working on site.
We are looking to grow capacity and increase collaboration both within the School and across the University. To aid this process we have made a series of small grants from the new Business Research Centre
Small Collaborative Research Grants
1. Drivers and outcomes of digital marketing activity
Dr Joe Hazzam, Paul Dobson, Vicky Roberts, Dr Bharati Singh
Lead: Dr Joe Hazzam – Value £1,800
2. Exploring factors leading to augment destination tourism in the northern areas of Pakistan using digital channels
Dr Muddasar Khwaja and Carol Southall
Lead: Dr Muddasar Khwaja – Value £2,400
3. Exploring the development of Islamic financial technology in South east Asia. A sentiment analysis
Dr Syed Zaidi and Dr Muddasar Khwaja
Lead: Dr Syed Zaidi Value – £2,400
4. Job rotation and the inclusive labour market
Prof David Etherintgon and Duncan Adam
Lead Prof David Etherington value £2,000
Early Career Research Grant
Exploration of the long-term links between innovation, exporting and productivity
Ema Talam Value – £500
Ema Talam passed her PhD viva in January with minor corrections. Congratulations!
Ema Talam – recently passed her viva with minor corrections
Bids in the pipeline
Prof Geoff Pugh, Prof Jon Fairburn, Prof Mark Gregory – Digital Stoke – submitted to the Productivity Institute
BA Newton International Fellowship 2022, Harsh Mittal and Prof Steven Griggs, Movement In and Of Policy: The Spaces and Temporalities of the Sustainable City in India and UK, under assessment.
Goods Yard Longitudinal Evaluation, awaiting programme approval – Prof Steven Griggs and Prof Jon Fairburn
ESRC Local Innovation Partnerships – round 1 – submitted in January 2023, led by Birmingham University – Prof Stephen Griggs is part of the submission
Projects in progress
Project pump-priming: Promoting the creative sector in de-industrialised economies: a comparative study across three European countries (with colleagues from Balkan universities) Prof Geoff Pugh, Prof Jon Fairburn, Ema Talam
Association for Public Service Excellence – national survey of councillors – Prof Stephen Griggs
Local Skills and Improvement Plans – Prof Thomas Lange (for Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and UK Govt)
Evaluation of Enterprise Education – Staffordshire Chambers – Ema Talam
Conferences
Carol Southall (2023) “Decolonising the tourism curriculum – Experiences of faculty in Asian transnational education contexts.” Critical Tourism Studies Asia Pacific (CTS3). Venue: British University Vietnam (BUV), Hanoi, Vietnam
Nyakudya, F. W. (2022). The effect of gender and resources on entrepreneurial activity. Paper presented at the International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 27-28 June 2022, London, UK.
Reports
Beel, D, Russell, B, Jones, I R, Morgan, K and Jones, M (2022) Research Report: North Wales Growth Deal. Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD).
Hazzam, J., Wilkins, S., & Strong, C. (2022). The impact of social media technologies on organization cultural intelligence and new product development in international markets. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/CCSM-03-2022-0046
Wilkins, S., Hazzam, J., & Ireland, J. (2022). Servicescape in transnational higher education: the effects of campus design, physical environment and facilities on student experience and satisfaction. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2022.2139792
Dr Joe Hazzam has published several papers
Wilkins, S., Butt, M., Hazzam, J., & Marder, B. (2023). Collaborative learning in online breakout rooms: Effects of learner attributes on purposeful interpersonal interaction and perceived learning. International Journal of Educational Management. In Press
Dr Muddasar Khwaja and colleagues have successful published in the 4* Journal of Travel Research “Linking Regenerative Travel and Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in Kaua’i Island (Hawaii): Moderating-Mediating Effects of Travel-Shaming and Foreign Tourist Attractiveness” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00472875221098934
Dr Muddasar Khwaja and collegaues with a paper in 4* journal
Dimos C, Pugh G, Hisarciklilar M, Talam E, Jackson I, (2022) “The relative effectiveness of R&D tax credits and R&D subsidies: A comparative meta-regression analysis,” Technovation, Volume 115, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102450.
Begovic S, Adnett N and Pugh G (2023) “The effect of a currency board arrangement on subjective assessments of a country’s economic performance” in International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Countries Vol 17 (1) https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJEPEE.2023.128384
Etherington D, Jones M and Telford L (2022) Challenges to Levelling Up : Post-COVID precarity in “left-behind” Stoke-on-Trent. Frontiers in Political Science. 10335. ISSN 2673-3145 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.1033525
Dr Fred Nyakudya has a revise and resubmit for “The moderating role of individual and social resources in gender effect on entrepreneurial growth aspirations”, in Small Business Economics
Dr Fred Nyakudya has a paper submitted “Attracting entrepreneurial potential: A multilevel institutional approach” to the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research
Prof Thomas Lange has recently joined the School on a part time basis – his most recent publication is here Mehrajunnisa M, Jabeen F, Nishat Faisal M & Lange T (2022) The influence of green human resource management practices and employee green behavior on business performance in sustainability-focused organizations, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2022.2074824
As I write, I’m sitting on board a long-haul flight to the Middle East, en-route to an international partner review event. We’re already almost five hours late leaving, mostly due to an unexpectedly heavier than anticipated snowfall, so this time has given me some scope for reflection, as long-haul flights and their associated wait times so often do.
A definition of reflection is giving careful thought and consideration to something (Collins, 2022). In an academic context we reflect on the completion of a specific task, lecture, or project. We urge and encourage our students to question and think critically to facilitate further development. The benefits of reflection are clear. It enables sense-making and reimaging. It can also enhance performance and promote practice improvement (Bravenboer, 2018). In the words of Christina Aguilera, in Mulan’s Reflection; “Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel…[we] need to know the reason why” (Aguilera – ‘Reflection’, 2020)
Carol Southall
My reflections on the last Semester were to be the topic for this blog. Here it would be easy to list successes, and challenges and how each were addressed, managed, and achieved. Here I would note our growth in student numbers, specifically international students, and apprenticeships. I would reflect on our new course development and the USPs of our academic programmes. I would identify our successes in REF, where, in terms of research impact, we are 16th in the country. Added to this the diversity of our staff base, which continues to grow as our department, now located in the University’s Catalyst Building, attracts researchers from across the World. My reflection on the Semester would be peppered with critical analyses of progress to date, and how this informs our future. But this is perhaps the time of year for an alternative reflection.
Reading ‘Psychologies’ magazine, this and ‘Coast’ being my inflight reading of choice for many years, I note that one of the first articles I read describes the well-being benefits of “blue spaces”, noting that time spent near lakes rivers and/or coastal areas during childhood can stimulate an appreciation and joy of nature considered beneficial for mental health in adults (Psychologies, December 2022). In July 2020, after lockdown, I wrote about the health benefits of spending time in “green” space and the benefits of taking a family holiday outdoors under canvas (The Conversation, 2020), and at this point I reflect on my own childhood and my love of “blue” and indeed “green” space. In recent months I have longed to spend time by the coast, or near a lake or river, and I realised that subconsciously I see this as the antidote to a stressful work life. My reflection leads me to realise how little time I’ve spent with family in our ‘happy place’ by the sea, and I promise myself to make more time.
Making more time is, after all, a valuable lesson we all learnt during the first months of Covid, when we promised ourselves and each other that we would continue to benefit from the time we had made for each other and the simpler things in life. Except that these lessons seem to have been forgotten, in the perverse rush to get back to a more complicated and demanding existence.
In a recent Harvard Business Review Article (HBR, 2021) we are urged to reflect on our productivity and the cultural messaging of hours + effort = success. Giving yourself permission to dial it back is suggested as the solution for a more productive and healthy life, and here’s the thing, if we combine dialling it back with blue and green space, we have the perfect ingredients for less stress and increased wellbeing, if we take long-haul flights out of the equation!
Creative industries represent a vital segment of the UK economy, contributing to the growth of local economies (Mateos-Garcia et al., 2018) and the country’s competitive advantage (HM Government, 2018). In 2018, the creative industries comprised 6.2% of the economy of the United Kingdom in terms of employment (DCMS, 2019) and 5.8% in terms of gross value added (GVA) (DCMS, 2020). Additionally, the creative industries are fast growing – employment in the creative industries grew by 30.6% over the period 2011 to 2018, while the GVA in real terms increased by 43.2% since 2010 (DCMS, 2020). Creative industries tend to be innovative (Bird et al., 2020) and can be highly productive, although they constitute a diverse sector of the economy embracing a wide range of productivity levels (see Section 2 below). Currently, the creative industries, and arts, humanities and social sciences more generally, are ineligible for R&D tax policy support in the United Kingdom (Bakhshi, Breckon and Puttick, 2021). This report explores the potential of R&D tax policy to support the creative industries.
For my 4th blog in 5 years, I have decided to move away from writing about my learnings from the corporate sector and instead write a personal reflection on my encounter with mental health.
I have been on this planet for half a century now and have experienced highs and lows both in my personal and official life. Growing up in India, in school when we came across classmates who did not do well or did not understand simple things or failed – we just called them ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb’. We did not have any awareness of learning disabilities or mental health. The first time I learnt about ‘dyslexia’ was from a Bollywood movie called ‘Taare Zameen Par’ (Stars on the ground, 2007).
Then, I met with a huge personal tragedy in 2011 which made me leave India and move to England. It was here that I learnt about various learning disabilities and about mental health. This was also the time when back home in India, there were discussions about mental health and some famous Bollywood stars started talking about their own personal experiences with depression.
This is when realisation dawned on me that I myself had experienced issues with mental health but not having any awareness and not knowing the symptoms, had just plodded on with my life. However, there were indications which I had overlooked like severe weight loss and alopecia leading up to my departure for England in 2012. I joined University of York to read for a PhD and forgot my troubles as there was a very strong collegiate life and a very strong social network. After 16 years of corporate life, it was difficult to get back to studying but the atmosphere was very conducive with the support from my college, colleagues, supervisory team and the friends I made.
In the last year of my PhD, I secured a full-time job and moved to Staffordshire University at Stoke. The first 5 months were consumed with the new job, understanding my role, impending PhD viva and subsequent corrections. Just after submitting my PhD corrections, post-PhD blues or depression hit me. While, I had great colleagues, they went home to their families after work, and I would come back to an empty flat. I lost 1.5 stones in the space of 2 months. Finally, after 4-5 months, I decided to seek professional help.
However, in all of this, I did not lose focus at work. I had literally restarted my career at age 46 in HE and gave it my all. Slowly, I made friends in Stoke and travelled quite a bit. Along with the professional help I received and the support of family and friends, old and new, I became mentally stronger.
The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2022) has stated that depression is one of the main causes of disability. However, there are still many countries which still do not recognise mental health and people suffering from it may face different types of discrimination. Today, globally mental health ranks second in health concerns having overtaken cancer (Ipsos, 2022; ).
In UK alone, 1 in 6 adults suffers from depression (Pindar, 2022; ). NHS stats (July 2022) state that 1.61 million people have been in contact for mental health services.
NHS July 2022
While organisations have focussed on employee mental health, workplaces have seen an increase by 81% post pandemic (MHFA 2022; ). However, most of the action is reactive rather than being proactive. MFHA further states that UK employers spend almost £56billion per annum on mental health.
Just last month in October 2002, we celebrated World Mental Health Day.
However, just celebration alone will not help the cause. If you feel that someone may be suffering from any kind of mental health or you yourself may be feeling the blue, please remember:
