By Dr. Lee Stringer

18 November 2024

Lee Stringer recently joined the Institute of Business and Innovation in the School of Digital, Technology, Innovation and Business at The University of Staffordshire, as a Lecturer in Human Resource Management (HRM) and Organisational Behaviour. He is an award-winning graduate with a robust research background and industry experience.

Lee’s qualifications speak to his expertise in HRM and Organisational Behaviour. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business and Management from the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS), the University of Manchester in 2023, where his research focused on online task crowd workers, web-based digital labour platforms and buyers, under the guidance of Professor Tony Dundon and Dr Stephen Mustchin.

In addition to his doctorate, Lee also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in HRM and Industrial Relations from the AMBS, earned with distinction in 2017, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Management and HRM, where he graduated with first-class honours from the Keele Business School (KBS), the University of Keele in 2015.

Lee’s academic journey has been marked by prestigious accolades, including the Economic and Social Research Council Northwest Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership Studentship, and the Faculty of Humanities President’s Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award, whilst undertaking his PhD at the AMBS. “PDS award-holders are students of the highest calibre, who have the commitment and desire to work on challenging research projects in world-leading research environments.” He was also honoured with a distinguished scholarship and received the Programme Prize during his MSc at the AMBS. Lee’s commitment to excellence was further recognised during his BA with the KBS where he was awarded the student prize for HRM and received commendation from the examination board for his exceptional academic performance.

Lee’s expertise extends to collaborative research, evident in a published book chapter, “Youth employment, masculinity and policy” in “Contemporary Issues in Management, Second Edition”, and high-quality articles. Notably, his co-authored pieces on “The Downsides of Homeworking” and “Technology and Remote Working Post COVID-19” have been published in prestigious blogs. Lee has also presented his thesis findings at the 39th International Labour Process Conference, engaging with academic, policy and practice audiences.

Lee brings diverse experience from roles across higher education and retail. In 2024, Lee worked at the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School and previously worked with Keele University’s IT services (2015 to 2016). Earlier, Lee gained extensive retail expertise at Woolworths, Spar and Rohan Designs Ltd. (2004 to 2011).

Lee is passionate about forging a career that combines teaching and research, while nurturing his interest in ICTs and organising, particularly in relation to work and employment.

As he says: I am thrilled to join the Institute of Business and Innovation as a Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour. This role offers an incredible opportunity to combine my passions for teaching and research while advancing my interests in ICTs, work and employment. I am excited about the platform it provides to launch and grow my career.

Lee will be teaching a variety of modules to undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship students within the school.

Feel free to email Lee or connect with him on LinkedIn.

By Craig Holdcroft

5 November 2024

As a digital marketing practitioner and lecturer, I’ve seen the industry transform with technology, from the early days of web analytics to today’s AI-driven strategies. The initial hype around generative AI has quietened over the last 18 months, but its impact is far from fading. Today, many professionals, myself included, are finding ways to use AI tools to streamline daily tasks, enhance creativity, and better connect with audiences. For those of us teaching the next generation of marketers, this is also a huge opportunity to bring AI strategies into the classroom, ensuring students are prepared for the modern workplace.

A New Chapter with ChatGPT’s Web Search Capability

One of the most exciting developments in recent months has been ChatGPT’s web search capability. This feature allows users to access live, up-to-date data directly from the web—making it not just a research tool, but a real-time content and strategy assistant. Imagine the possibilities for content creation, where marketers and students alike can find timely insights, discover new trends, and conduct in-depth competitor analysis in moments.

As a lecturer, I’m finding that this capability is transformative. It enables my students to access current examples and case studies, saving us all valuable time and bringing an entirely new dimension to learning. For small businesses, web search integration can support market research and competitor analysis without the cost of a full team, helping them make informed decisions on the fly.

AI in Digital Marketing: Benefits and Barriers

According to a Microsoft report on the future of work, around 75% of global knowledge workers have used generative AI at work. However, many executives are still uncertain about how to fully harness its power (Accenture). As marketers, we understand that data-driven insights are essential, yet integrating new AI tools often comes with challenges in strategy and skill development.

Microsoft’s research shows that AI is already helping professionals save time (90%), focus on priority tasks (85%), boost creativity (84%), and improve job satisfaction (83%) (Microsoft). Many digital marketers are already using AI to automate repetitive tasks, from email management to scheduling, enabling more time for creative and strategic work.

In my own teaching and consulting work, we’re exploring pilot schemes that integrate AI into daily operations, including small businesses that need a competitive edge. Additionally, our faculty has adopted the AI Assessment Scale, which serves as a guide to help students understand how AI can be responsibly and effectively utilised as part of their studies. This scale provides a framework for integrating AI into academic work, encouraging students to think critically about when and how to use AI tools to enhance their learning and develop practical skills (in this case,digital marketing). Together, these initiatives showcase how AI, when used thoughtfully, can streamline tasks, support decision-making, and offer assisted guidence to users who can utiise generative AI as a junior assistant in their role.

AI-Powered Learning: The Key to Retention and Engagement

One of the biggest challenges in learning—whether for students or professionals—is overcoming the “forgetting curve”. We know that people lose about 90% of what they learn within a week if they don’t apply it. This ties closely to the Dunning-Kruger effect in digital marketing, where those with limited knowledge may overestimate their understanding. This overconfidence without skill reinforcement can be a problem for anyone trying to advance in such a fast-paced field.

Together, these theories remind us that to develop real expertise, we need ongoing practice and reinforcement. AI tools offer the solution by creating personalised, adaptive training environments that deliver insights and learning exactly when they’re needed. For students, this means they can experience real-time coaching, build skills, and apply what they learn in a safe, environment—a huge leap forward for applied learning in digital marketing.

Learning in AI: Accessible Courses to Build Foundational Skills

In a world where employees and students have limited time—only about 24 minutes a week for professional development (Josh Bersin) its important to break down generative AI into a sequence of learning tasks. For me I tend to practice with Chat GPT as my main source of online technology. There are now so many different AI platforms it can be difficult to know where to begin. To help individuals get to grips with the basics of generative AI, here are four free courses from Google Cloud offer an efficient way to build foundational skills:

• Introduction to Generative AI: An overview of generative AI concepts, its applications, and potential impact across industries.
• Introduction to Large Language Models: A focus on large language models, including their workings and role in AI-driven solutions.
• Introduction to Responsible AI: A course dedicated to the ethical use of AI, which is crucial for marketers to understand as they integrate AI tools responsibly.
• Generative AI Fundamentals: A deeper dive into generative AI, exploring its capabilities, limits, and how to harness its power for innovative solutions.

These free courses offer an accessible starting point for marketing professionals and students alike, empowering them with the knowledge to use AI responsibly and effectively in their careers.Remember, generative AI technology is improving rapidly. Keeping up can be difficult but choosing to make a start will give you that boost should you need it.

Still deciding on AI strategies

Despite all these advantages, many leaders are still unsure about their AI strategy. Building a clear, effective AI adoption plan remains challenging, but empowering teams with AI for learning and task automation is a scalable way to address these hurdles.

Through our pilot projects in education and consulting, I’m seeing firsthand how AI can support practical needs in various environments, from learning to marketing. If you’re facing challenges with AI in business or higher education, let’s connect! I’d love to explore opportunities for collaboration to overcome these barriers and advance AI’s positive impact.

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