south wales business review vol3 issue4

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Issu

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Swansea Business SchoolYsgol Fusnes Abertawe

Driving ForwardCustomer EngagementHow the DVLA is leading the

way on Data Insight

Stepping off theDancefloor… Why Public Service Leadersneed time away from the fray

Paying For Itself?The Pros and Cons ofPrivate Finance Initiatives

Fire-proofingyour Business10 Minute Guide fromthe Fire Service

Leadingby Example Public Services Chiefson their PersonalLeadership Philosophies

3 Editorial:THE HEART OF THE WELSH ECONOMY? Taking the Pulse of the Public Services

4 Think-piece: “GET OFF THE DANCE FLOOR AND ONTO THE BALCONY” Why Public Service Leaders in Wales need to take time away from the fray

6 Industry View:LEADING BY EXAMPLEPublic Services Chiefs on their Personal Leadership Philosophies

16 Industry Profile: BLENDED LEARNING IN THE POLICE FORCEHow blended learning is enabling South Wales Policeto develop future leaders ona budget

18 10 Minute Guide:FIRE-PROOFING YOUR BUSINESSYour essential guide to making sure your business is fireproof and legal

20 Emerging Theme: MATHEMATICS OFTHE HEART Can heart-based stress-reduction techniques ease the burden on the NHS?

21 News and events

23 Books

24 Next Issue: BRIGHT SPARKS – CAN WALES IGNITE ITS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT?

inside

CONTACT US / CYSYLLTWCH Â NI

Web/ Gwefan: www.smu.ac.uk/swbr

Email/ E-bost: [email protected]

Twitter: @SWBusReview

Post: Lucy GriffithsSouth Wales Business ReviewSwansea Business SchoolMount PleasantSwansea SA1 6ED

summer/autumn 2012Volume 3 Issue 4

2 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012

Alternative formatsIf you require this document in analternative format (e.g. Welsh, large printor text file for use with a text reader),please email [email protected]

Fformatau eraillOs hoffech y ddogfen hon mewn fformatarall (e.e. Cymraeg, print mawr neu ffeiltesun i’w ddefnyddio gyda darllenyddtesun), anfonwch e-bost [email protected]

ISSN 2049-5544

Disclaimer: The articles in this publication represent the viewsof the authors, not those of Swansea Metropolitan University.The University does not accept responsibility for the contentsof articles by individual authors. Please contact the editor ifyou have further queries.

Ymwadiad: Mae’r erthyglau yn y cyhoeddiad hwn yncynrychioli barn yr awduron, nid rhai Prifysgol FetropolitanAbertawe. Nid yw’r Brifysgol yn derbyn cyfrifoldeb amgynnwys erthyglau awduron unigol. Cysylltwch â’r golygyddos oes gennych gwestiynau pellach.

Registered Charity Number / Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig1139800 © Swansea Metropolitan University/PrifysgolFetropolitan Abertawe 2012. All rights reserved/ cedwir pobhawl.

Images: Front cover: ©iStockphoto.com/JuSun. This page:©iStockphoto.com/Freder

Amendment: The news item ‘More Placement Success for MetStudents’ in Volume 3 Issue 3 of the South Wales BusinessReview (published May 2012) contained a factual error inreference to refurbishments at Raithwaite Hall Hotel. Ourapologies to Horst Schulze

9 Opinion: WHY HAVE A PUBLIC SECTOR? The rationale for our public services

10 Business perspective: DRIVING FORWARD CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTHow the DVLA is leading theway on Data Insight

12 Research in Focus:PAYING FOR ITSELF?The Pros and Cons of Private Finance Initiatives

14 Education:DOES PRACTICE MAKE PERFECT PUBLIC SERVICE PROFESSIONALS?How can Higher Education help deliver the next generation of public servants?

Welcome to the new issue of the South

Wales Business Review. This time our

theme for the issue is the public

services and their role in the Welsh

economy. It seems to me that there’s

a common perception amongst us

Welsh folk that Wales has become

heavily reliant on the public services

for job creation in recent years – and

that this may not always be a good

thing - but is this truly the case? In

this issue we’ll be taking a closer look

at the role of the public services in the

Welsh economy, asking what the

recent cuts in government spending

mean for our public services and

highlighting some fantastic examples

of how the public services are

operating at the cutting edge of

business and operational thinking.

We’re all dependent on the public

services to one extent or another,

whether in our working or personal lives,

so we all have a stake in their success –

and in this edition we’ve got Steve

Griffiths looking at whether public services

are still relevant in a modern economy,

and proposing a new rationale for their

existence in his opinion piece on page 9.

Dr Margaret Inman reports on a recent

public service leadership conference on

pages 4 and 5, where those in senior

positions in our public services were

encouraged to ‘step of the dancefloor’ for

a while and take a long hard look at how

public sector workers can be developed

and motivated.

The importance of developing public

service employees is exemplified by a

case study from South Wales Police on

page16 which explains how they are

using innovative blended learning

techniques to train the next generation of

police officers.

We’ve also got a fantastic example of a

public service using cutting edge

technology to help make itself financially

robust, right here in South Wales as

Alison Saunders of the DVLA explains

how customer insight is driving their

business forward on pages 10 and 11.

Owen Lewis presents the findings of a

recent piece of research conducted by

Swansea Business School into the

financial implications of Private Finance

Initiatives (PFIs) in Wales on pages 12 and

13, and in addition to all this, we have our

10 minute guide (this time it’s hints and

tips from the fire service on how to ‘fire-

proof your business’ p18) and the usual

news, events and reviews.

I very much hope you’ll enjoy reading this

edition and welcome your feedback by

email to [email protected].

Lucy

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to receive aregular copy by post or view the SWBR online atwww.smu.ac.uk/swbr.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Editor: Lucy Griffiths

Editorial Board:Kathryn FlynnSamantha MorganPam Murray

Design & Print: SMU Print Unit

SBS Contributors:

Owen LewisOwen Lewis is Programme Directorfor the Swansea Business SchoolMBA and is an expert in financialmanagement with a particularresearch interest in public servicefunding issues including PrivateFinance Initiative schemes.

Steve GriffithsWith a background in Economics anda strong interest in Business Ethics,Steve Griffiths has taught atSwansea Business School for manyyears, and is currently AssistantDean Faculty of Business andManagement and Head of the Centrefor International Development wherehe is responsible for internationalpartnerships and theinternationalisation agenda within theFaculty.

Dr Margaret InmanMargaret Inman is the Head of theCentre for Professional and PostGraduate Studies at SwanseaBusiness School and Principallecturer in Human ResourceManagement (HRM). Her researchinterests focus on leadershipassessment and development. Shehas co-authored a text book on HRMand has published in internationaljournals on leadership.

Bronwen WilliamsBronwen Williams is a legal expertwith a focus on the public servicesand recently joined the team on apermanent basis as part of the teamdelivering our newly redeveloped andrevalidated range of programmes inthe Public Services.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │ 3

ADOLYGIAD BUSNES DE CYMRU │

Editorial: The Heart ofthe Welsh Economy?

LucyGriffithsEditor

Taking the Pulse of the Public Services

Ronald Heifetz founding Director of the

Centre for Public Leadership at

Harvard University coined the phrase

‘get off the dancefloor and onto the

balcony’, and often there is a need to

gain a broader perspective; are we too

busy on the ‘dance floor’ to be

effective? Immersed in day to day

challenges, keeping our head just

above the water, occasionally we need

to step outside and get ‘on to the

balcony’ to see the broader picture to

see what is really going on. This

involves deep thinking, collaboration,

meeting and learning with and from,

other people. The recent Public

Services Management Wales (PSMW)

Summer School was aimed at doing

just that. Leaders from over 100 public

service organisations in Wales were

spending time on ‘the balcony’, to

promote collaborative learning and to

develop innovative ways to meet the

needs of Welsh citizens in the most

efficient and effective way.

Ensuring public service employees

continue to feel valued in the face of

uncertainty and change was a key theme

that emerged from PSMW. As Public

Services is a ‘people business’ it is critical

to put in place mechanisms to get the

best from our people. It is imperative that

in such times of austerity employees are

being the best they can possibly be. In

order to do this they need to understand

the bigger picture and what part they play

in this.

So, just as the cleaner at NASA knew that

his job was “to put a man on the moon”,

employees know exactly how they add

value to the organisation and are

empowered to do so. It is widely claimed

that only 30% of individual’s potential is

used in work. Gary Hamel writing in the

Harvard Business Review (2011) believes

that a hierarchical structure disempowers

employees. His research has shown that

out of solutions for change initiatives, only

10% that work come from the ‘top’.

Despite this many decisions within our

organisations are progressed up the

chain and in doing so, employees wait to

be ‘told’ which in turn encourages

learned ‘helplessness’.

We need to encourage employees to

develop their own solutions and not go

straight to the ‘expert’. This will involve

the redistribution of power so people are

motivated to take personal responsibility.

From ‘the balcony’, organisations need to

consider how their structures need to

change in the future to encourage the

release of effort and energy. It is important

that we don’t overlook the talent that sits

in the shadows of organisations because

we don’t know how to identify strengths

only weaknesses. People grow on the

basis of their strengths. Trying to improve

weaknesses at best will encourage

mediocre performance, at worst will invite

failure. This calls for a growth mindset.

Fliaster (2011) believes we need to ‘hire

and wire’ people. If we see people as

‘grow able’ it is likely that interventions will

be put in place to help them grow.

Creating a coaching culture is one way of

doing this and in the Public Services in

particular, encouraging collaboration. This

has already happened between and

within public service organisations

through Local Area Agreements and

Shared Services. The realisation that

4 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012

Think Piece: Get off the dancefloor and onto the balcony…Why Public Service Leaders in Wales need to take timeaway from the fray.

│SOUTH WALES BUSINESS REVIEW

“As Public Servicesis a ‘peoplebusiness’ it is criticalto put in placemechanisms to getthe best from ourpeople”

Dr Margaret InmanDr Margaret Inman considers the need forPublic Service Leaders to take time out fromthe day-to-day to consider the bigger picturein terms of their people development strategy.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │ 5

creativity is not down to

one person, but

collaboration can help

identify and solve problems

through division of labour. Burt

(2001) coined the phrase ‘structural

holes’ where social groups may be

separated by artificial barriers.

This can be for example, between

different departments in the same

building.

As a result departments work in ‘silos’

where ideas flow within each department,

not between departments. Burt suggests

there is a need to establish information

flow across the holes to take advantage

of knowledge and promote learning

throughout the organisation. Regular

meetings between departments, and

working across functional teams builds

bridges across these structural holes. It

may involve spending less time on

understanding what divides people but

take more time to understand what brings

them together.

To do this we need to get on to the

‘balcony’ and legitimise thinking. The

NHS growth of strategic consultants

increased by 500% in the last 5 years.

We are paying them to think for us.

Encouraging ‘slow’ thinking and

collaboration to explore ideas is one

suggested way of ensuring sustainability.

Of course we don’t want everybody to

leave the dance floor otherwise the party

will end but we do need to encourage

people to take time out, look out from the

‘balcony’, and take well thought out steps

to get the best from our people in order

to meet the unprecedented challenges

that face the public services in the future.

Each year PSMW holds a SummerSchool for leaders across the PublicServices in Wales. The theme for the2012 event was ‘Managing Beyondthe Frontier, A 21st CenturyApproach to Delivering Success’.

To find out more about the PSMWSummer School please go to theirwebsite:wales.gov.uk/psmwsubsite/psmw/

Image: ©iStockphoto.com/Freder

ADOLYGIAD BUSNES DE CYMRU│

“People grow on thebasis of theirstrengths. Trying toimprove weaknessesat best willencourage mediocreperformance, atworst will invite failure.This calls for agrowth mindset.”

Industry View:Leading by ExampleFour of Wales’s highest profile Public Service Leaders givetheir views on how their colleagues can best preparethemselves to meet the future challenges faced by thesector…

Mohammed Mehmet: Chief Executive, Denbighshire County Council

Carmel Napier:Chief Constable,Gwent Police

Paul Roberts: Chief Executive,Abertawe Bro MorgannwgUniversity Health Board

Paul Roberts: Chief Executive,Newydd Housing Association

6 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Q That do we need from Public

Service managers in the future

to deliver outstanding public

services?

Paul Roberts (ABM UHB)

'Well, overall what we're going to have to

do is to continue the route of improving

public services - but we all know we're

doing that at a time of absolutely

unprecedented challenge in terms of the

economic situation, and therefore,

finances in the Public Service. So, the

overall vision has to be to keep improving

but to do it within that context. It's a

pretty tough challenge.'

Paul Roberts (Newydd)

'I don't think you can really start to deliver

an effective service unless you

understand what customers really want

from that service - and, I think you really

need to be able to think beyond the limits

of your own responsibility. You need to

think about the interface with other public

services and also how you may be able to

interact with the private sector and the

voluntary sector.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'Being creative about making the best of

less resources, I think is going to be

important for the next generation of

managers. So, it's about having higher

aspirations, recognising the environment

in which we work and turning that to an

advantage.'

Carmel Napier

'We must work across agencies and work

towards a shared mission, have the same

values to deliver and, above all, when

we're considering how we're going to

deliver business always put the public, ie.

the customer, first.'

Q What are the key challenges

managers will face in delivering

that vision?


'I believe the biggest challenge for all of

us is how we take our workforce with us,

because in organisations such as the

Health Service in which I work, our staff

are out there in our local communities.

They're hugely influential in what our

communities think about our services and

some of the changes we're making.'


'I think what we need to do is work

around a value-for-money approach that

really focuses on outcomes rather than

outputs – making sure that every penny

we spend is actually achieving

something.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'The challenge of competing in the

international economy is massive for

Wales. We know, in terms of education

and skills we're some way behind. We

have a long way to go before we can be

satisfied. I do sometimes feel frustrated

that we think we're better than we are

and there is a feeling that what we do is

good enough. I think we need to tackle

that.'

Carmel Napier

'I think the key challenges will be about

the cultural shift, in that it will require a

move from hierarchical type

organisations, which organisations like

the police can be, so that we work on

joint initiatives and joint projects – where

we jointly fund a team.'

Q What do you think are the

strengths managers in the public

service already have that we can

build on, to perform even better in

the future?


'There is a very, very strong code of

Public Service ethics it seems to me in

Wales. People are very committed to

doing the best for their local communities

and, while I'm sure that's the case across

Public Services in the rest of the UK and

the rest of the world, I think there's a very,

very strong sense of that community

pride in Wales – and I think that comes

through in public services managers. I

have been deeply impressed with that.'


'Generally, we've got an ethos of strong

governance and probity. I think we know

that we're accountable for what we do

and for every penny we spend, and that's

a very positive starting point for public

services. Secondly, I think we've all got an

ethos of improvement and challenge; it's

not good enough to be satisfied with

what you’re doing, you should always be

trying to think about how can we actually

improve what we're trying to do as an

organisation. And, I think in Wales it's

fairly unique really – there is a very strong

and quite close network that we can draw

on. Wales is a relatively small country and

it's not difficult to make those

connections with people across the

Public Service, both within your own area

of work but also outside as well - and

right across the country. I think that can

be very supportive.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'I think there are significant strengths in

Wales, the one that I'm always struck by

is that there is very good knowledge of

each other which you get in a small

country, that you wouldn't in a bigger

one. I think there is a lot of knowledge

and experience in all of our organisations.

We have people who have been around

for a while, which is good. So, in terms of

continuity and of knowledge of place and

challenges, that's impressively there. And,

we know about each other so the

potential for sharing that, networking,

building on good practice is there more

than it is in other places. I think that is

probably the biggest single advantage we

have.'

Carmel Napier

'There is already that common bonding,

in relation to that 'Welshness' brand

about how we move and take things

forward together. I think within Wales,

we're really, really lucky in that we're small

enough to know most of each other. I

think also there's a key will to do it. We've

got a Programme for Government which

is joined up on its approach – it's actually

focussing very much on the benefits and

the outcomes to the public. I think

through that common purpose that we

can pull together. I think the advantage

that we've got is that we can build on the

strength in the professional working

relationships that we already have in

place and the outcomes and successes

that we're already achieving.

We know at time of critical incidents and

disasters, that all the agencies do

mobilise and work really successfully

together – both supporting and engaging

the community, explaining what they're

doing and providing excellence and

service. I think it's about having that

critical joint agency response being part

of our day-to-day business, which we can

build on for the future.'

Q What are the top three key

leadership qualities our future

leaders will need?


'In all the hard work we do about

delivering change and services, we must

always appreciate the need for

developing ourselves. Keep looking

around at where good practice is, make

sure we keep up-to-date, make sure that

we keep educated. The challenges we

face at the moment are going to draw on

our own individual and personal

resources like they've never done before.

So, I think being reflective about practice

is one.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │ 7


8 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


We need to be resilient. The next few

years are going to be very, very tough –

we will have to find lots of innovative

solutions, they're going to be tough.

Some people are not going to like them.

We'll have to make sure we're resilient

and determined to see some of that

change through.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'I think we need people who are not

phased by change or challenge, that they

actually look forward to it and thrive on it

and think it's a good thing. We want and

need leaders who can see opportunities

in difficult times. The characteristics of

leaders are also very important. I think,

being authentic and communicating a

passion for improvement and change –

people can read through you if you are

not authentic. That's really important for

me.'

Carmel Napier

'People that can help build a clear

strategy and mission which is rooted in

values. For me, it's that clarity of vision.

‘What is our purpose? What are we

seeking to achieve?’ - and to get others

working to it. That's number one.

I think secondly, it's about that ability to

work across other organisations and to

work together to overcome those hurdles

of organisational cultures. To move away

from the way we traditionally delivered our

business within our silos, to work

compactly and effectively together to

achieve one goal.’

Q What are the things managers

need to do more of?


'I feel one of the things we need to do

more of is draw on the existing strengths

of our workforce. We need to draw more

on people who are in the front line to help

us develop solutions to some of the

problems we face.'


'They need to listen to customers, they

need to listen to staff, they need to listen

to stakeholders – because without

listening you don't really know what those

groups of people expect and what

challenges they're facing.

We need to do more around supporting

and coaching staff. At the end of the day,

leaders in the public services are in a very

small minority; how we achieve things is

through our staff and through our

relationships with external organisations.

And, then finally, again it's about

reinforcing those key messages. Making

sure that people are very clear about the

organisation’s mission, about what it's

trying to achieve and that those

messages keep getting repeated.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'I think we need to invest in our workforce

more. There is enormous capacity in

every organisation, and the Public Sector

is no different. I think we need to be

better at recognising that potential,

developing it and deploying it. We have

initiatives here in Denbighshire where

we're creating what we're calling a 'Hub'.

For example, where a number of staff will

spend a certain amount of their time on

their day job and a certain amount of their

time on corporate and other priorities for

the Authority. Now, that is an alternative

to bringing in people from outside, it will

save us money and it will also develop

our own staff. I think good managers

need to be able to communicate the

vision that is about different ways of

working, rather than losing your job. And,

I think that's completely possible.'

Carmel Napier

'We've got to radically change the way

that we do business. We cannot do

business the same way that we've been

operating over the last 30 to 50 years. We

can't. There have been some significant

strengths in it and it's taken us to the

good point that we are at now. But, we

have to really focus about what it is we're

seeking to achieve, what is the

investment we are putting in it to achieve

and actually know what the outcomes are

which must be sustainable for the future.

The days of armchair executives at my

rank, or any other level within the

organisation, for me are gone. You need

to know the detail of the business, you

need to know what your personal

contribution is and what your team's

contributions are to it. From that, actually

challenge each other to move and push

the service on so it delivers the best for

the public. Until we reached this time of

austerity, I think some of our managers

we aren't aware of all those core

ingredients.'

Q What are the things managers

could do less of?


'I think, in a time of real challenge

financially, what we've got to do less of is

accept low standards. I think we as

leaders have to constantly demand high

standards of our services, of our staff

and, most of all, of ourselves.'


'It sort of drives me mad really when

people get into a management position

and think that gives them the right to

assume that they know everything about

the area of work they're working in. They

don't – they're there to do a specific job

and they need to listen to people and

establish why there might be barriers to

change, why there might be barriers to

improvement and try to work with people

to remove those barriers and achieve

better results for customers.'

Mohammed Mehmet

'Cutting out meetings and travelling, by

something like a half - or more! - because

I think there is a lot of redundant activity

that managers do. Some of the things

they should not do is attend meetings for

the sake of attending meetings, getting

involved in things for the sake of getting

involved in things – because they might

miss out if they're not there, that kind of

stuff. Doing much less travelling,

focussing a lot more on research and

analysis and understanding of situations.

I'd like to see that shift from day-to-day,

kind of operational management stuff, to

more thinking and shaping the future,

through investing in their workforce.'

Carmel Napier

'Meetings for the sake of a meeting. I

think costing time against the outcomes

we are seeking to achieve and to

maximise the technology that we've got

available, both from video conferencing to

social media to telephone conferencing.

And, to do things today and not put off

until tomorrow, because if the public in

areas that we identify are high risk need

our help then we cannot wait for a

management meeting to happen

tomorrow. I would like to see public

services moving towards providing

against the demands that the public need

and make – against that 'threat, harm and

need'. I think in a society which is 24-7

they need to be working more on that

seven days a week, against the times of

demand and need and making access to

our services easier.'

Published with kind permission of PublicService Management Wales (PSMW).PSMW supports and helps develop theskills required by managers and leadersacross the Welsh public service to workcollaboratively, across traditionalboundaries.

More information can be found at theirwebsite: wales.gov.uk/psmwsubsite/psmw/

Opinion: Why have a public sector?

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │ 9


The rationale for having the

government make, deliver or regulate

goods and services has changed over

time as our thinking has changed and

in response to social and economic

forces. However the key driver of

whether we have more or less

controlled by government has, in

modern times, remained political. The

underlying economic justifications

derived from the fact that the market

fails to deliver the efficiency that it

promises are still valid, but critics of

the public sector will simultaneously

point to failure of government, in terms

of inefficient bureaucracy, lack of

concern for what people really want

and its lack of flexibility to change to

meet new needs.

These competing economic perspectives,

both with their strengths and weaknesses

mean that most of us will opt for a mix of

public and private. Few are so confident

that either sector should be abolished,

and even free market economists such as

Milton Friedman saw some role for

government - not a very big role, but

certainly defence, policing and protection

of children.

In fact, most things could be run privately

or use private philanthropy. Few apart

from unreconstructed Marxists would

deny some role for market forces;

remember the thriving ‘black markets’ of

past Soviet regimes? The debate is really

about the nature of the mix in the mixed

economy. The great leaps forward or

backward for the government sector have

been politically motivated.

The post 1945 nationalisations and

creation of the big public services

followed a wave of welfare state liberalism

and municipal socialism fostered by the

nationalisation and planning for the war

effort. The privatisations of the 80s and

90s were driven by conservative

readoption of neoclassical economics of

Hayek and Friedman and belief in

individual freedom and the idea that there

was “no such thing as society”.

The fact is that thefree market is not alevel playing field.However you look at it, the economic

arguments still demand answers to key

questions. Should the state sector be

seen as the first choice provider (is the

NHS safe in the hands of the

Conservative Party) or as a fall back,

‘safety net’ for those who are the

casualties of the free market? Should

council houses be seen as ‘homes for

workers’ (a 1940s concept) or as welfare

housing for those unable to pay for

private rents or mortgages? If you had the

money, would you go private?

The fact is that the free market is not a

level playing field. Inequality, the under

production of merit and public goods,

lack of information to make rational

choices and Professor Pigou’s “defective

telescopic faculty” whereby many people

fail to make provision for future needs like

old age, sickness or having children (far

from the free market ‘rational consumer’

assumption) mean that there are many

ways in which we all agree that the state

must intervene.

Should we have let the banks go bust in

2008? If not are we prepared for the

negative aspects of the market as much

as we like the benefits? Those who

believe in the free market are just as

“political” as those who defend it, and

perhaps recognising the philosophical

and political context as well as the

economics might just make the debate

more realistic and humane.

Steve Griffiths Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Business andManagement at Swansea Met, Steve Griffiths,on why politics still drives the balancebetween the public and private sectors in our economy.

For many years, the private sector in

Britain has recognised the value of

sharing customer insight in developing

customer-focus and in increasing the

potential for efficiency, productivity

and market share. Building effective

customer insight capability enables

the organisation to focus on and meet

customer needs, thereby building

value and enhancing the brand.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

(DVLA) perceives this knowledge sharing

as a way to improve the quality of

information underpinning its core

business, providing greater synergy

between customer service and efficiency.

DVLA has committed significant resource

to sharing customer insight between its

core business functions as a means of

enabling the organisation not only to meet

the ever-increasing demands of its

customers, but also in achieving:

• More effective monitoring of the

external environmental factors

impacting on the organisation to

enable the organisation to anticipate

the needs of its customers;

• Greater understanding of customers

which can lead to reduced operating

and delivery costs;

• More cost-effective and transparent

processes increasing engagement

with the public.

This requires customer insight in the

holistic sense, with all key organisational

activities aligned towards serving the

needs and aspirations of the customer in

a viable and sustainable way.

Channelling Knowledge

A developing customer-focus will require

staff to be equipped and empowered to

respond appropriately to changing

customer needs. An integrated and

systematic approach to customer insight

across the Agency enables the

organisation to focus on broader market-

based questions such as:

• What are our core products and

services?

• Who are our customers?

• How do they differ in terms of needs

and expectations?

• How do they access our service and

how would we like them to access

our services?

• Who else could offer the same

services as DVLA, but more

efficiently?

• How should we respond to this?

Barriers to Customer Insight

The integration of customer insight with

customer service has also been

described by some major organisations

as a messy and uncomfortable business.

This may be due to the perceived internal

conflict that it causes, as well as the

competitive threat or other significant

challenges faced by the organisation from

increasingly discerning customers and

their demands for value for money. In

order to focus on what matters most to

the customer, the organisation needs to

align and monitor its processes to provide

consistency between the quality it

promises and that which is actually

experienced by the customer.

Whilst this requires various organisational

functions to communicate and share

customer insight routinely, more

significantly, it requires them to share a

common, fundamental goal: to delight the

customer. Integration of customer insight

into the core business can often be

hampered by the organisation's culture.

Reduced Customer Focus

Without a centralised approach to

customer insight the Agency is unable to

assess accurately the effectiveness of its

customer service and inform Ministers on

the formation of practical, knowledge-

driven policies. For example, reducing car

tax evasion depends on fully targeted,

intelligence-led enforcement policy which

in turn depends on an appreciation and

dissemination of customer behaviour and

social trends throughout the organisation.

10 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Business Perspective: Puttingcustomers in the driving seatHow the DVLA Swansea are using the latest data insighttechniques to improve customer engagement

Alison Saunders Alison Saunders is Customer Insight TeamManager at the Driver and Vehicle LicensingAgency (DVLA), an executive agency for theDepartment for Transport.

Thus, a customer insight strategy

engenders greater customer focus and

identifies more accurately and objectively

how stakeholders and customers

perceive DVLA’s processes and the

accessibility of its service.

The dissemination of customer insight

across DVLA supports those whose role

is to deliver customer service to an

increasingly high standard. As

communications channels increase and

diversify, so too will the opportunities for

dialogue with the customer. It is precisely

this dialogue which can offer the

organisation a rich and varied source of

customer intelligence on which to base its

product or service offering – provided of

course that it has a robust mechanism for

disseminating its intelligence throughout

the appropriate parts of its business. This

should identify for the organisation where

policies and transactions meet customer

needs and where they do not, driving up

efficiency through enhanced intelligence-

based, customer-centric processes. This

can mean increased product take-up,

improved accuracy of the customer

database and of course an increased

return on marketing communications

investment through greater efficiency in

the use of customer intelligence.

For DVLA this offers an opportunity to

undertake Customer Journey Mapping

(CJM) in order to examine critically the

key DVLA transactions from our

customers’ perspective. Through this

increased understanding of customers’

real needs and expectations, the

business will be better placed to improve

and develop its services and improve the

overall customer experience whilst

maximising cost efficiencies through

reduced failure demand. The wider

objectives of CJM are to:

1. To explore at what point customers

become aware of their obligations and

requirements when interacting with

DVLA.

2. To determine where customers seek

and obtain information prior to

interacting with DVLA

3. To identify what methods customers

use to interact with DVLA and why.

4. To determine customer satisfaction or

dissatisfaction with each key stage of

the customer journey along with

qualitative information on the

experience.

5. To capture customer views and

opinions on the overall customer

experience

6. To establish customer opinion on

improvements to the service/process.

7. To identify where interacting with

DVLA sits within customers’ priorities

Data on the customer journey is captured

and analysed using a structured,

‘Customer Experience Map’. In order

that the outcomes of our CJM activity be

actionable, rather than just an academic

exercise, key stakeholders across the

business should identify priorities for

action and drive service improvements.

References:

Turnbull, A. Letter to all Civil Servants, 19th July

2004. (Reference AO2004/942)

Disclaimer

Reference made in this article to DVLA and work in

knowledge management does not form part of the

official viewpoint of the DVLA. Responsibility for the

content remains with the author.


Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │11

CU5T0M3R 1

“Whilst this requires various organisationalfunctions to communicate and share

customer insight routinely, more significantly,it requires them to share a common,

fundamental goal:

to delight the customer.”

12 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Paying For Itself?The Pros and Consof Private Finance Initiatives

Owen LewisProgramme Director for the Swansea BusinessSchool MBA, Owen Lewis, considers whetherWales should jump on the Private FinanceInitiative bandwagon or find another way offunding public service developments.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │13


Private enterprises often use assets to

generate revenue and profits, even

though they do not own them. In the

early 1990s, the then Conservative

government championed the same

principle for the financing and use of

major new public assets. The adoption

of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

relieved pressure on already tight

government spending plans and the

national debt, as at that time (i.e.

before 2009-10) such ventures were

not included in National Debt

statistics.

There has been considerable debate over

the last twenty years as to whether

entering PFI contracts provides greater

benefits and value for money for public

organisations over the traditional or other

forms of procurement. The UK in total has

adopted the PFI procurement route to a

far greater extent than Wales (760

schemes in the UK, valued at £76.2bn, of

which only 42 schemes relate to Wales,

valued at £1.02bn). A recent study

undertaken at Swansea Metropolitan

University evaluated PPP/PFI

procurement processes and value for

money issues in Welsh public

organisations.

The results illustrate that the PFI model

does have faults and heavy financial

consequences in terms of future revenue

payments. This may explain the Welsh

Government’s previous reluctance to

actively promote and pursue this method

of procurement. However, this investment

in public infrastructure may also provide

economic benefits for employment,

quality of public service delivery and

promote private sector investment and

economic activity during recessionary

times.

Practitioners’ opinions of PFI /PPP in Wales

Our research examined both the economic issues affecting the PFI procurement

process, and the constituent elements of economic evaluation, gathering opinions from

Welsh Public organisations, and they suggested the following positive and negative

aspects of PFI schemes:

Pros There may be a role for private

organisations in the maintenance of

public assets, since public

organisations are reluctant to support

due to pressures on the public purse.

The PFI procurement route has no

initial capital funding requirement.

Private sector companies can

compensate for the enhanced costs

of borrowing by introducing

innovation, qualitative and cost

effective solutions.

PFI contracts can provide value for

money over the ‘whole-life’ of the

contract.

Opinion regarding PFI schemes that

have been undertaken in Wales have

concluded that they have been

“pretty efficient”.

Cons Financial benefits accrue to the

private sector not the public.

PFI projects may not provide savings

in procurement transaction costs.

The PFI process is impacted by

inexperience and low levels of

contract negotiation expertise

available in the public sector.

Private contractors may cut costs on

the materials used in PFI projects.

High bidding costs can reduce

competition in the PFI procurement

process.

The PFI procurement process is

heavily bureaucratic and time

consuming.

The economic climate has restricted

the supply of private finance for PFI

projects.

Insufficient information is available in

the public domain to judge whether

a PFI contract is more beneficial than

other routes.

A considerable degree of subjectivity

is involved in risk evaluation.

PFI schemes could cost public

organisations up to 5 to 8 times the

actual cost of the project.

Future of PFI in WalesThe study concluded that the Welsh Government were now considering changing the

approach to public asset procurement from the classic PFI model, to one which is

more of a true partnership with the private sector. A procurement programme with a

‘whole of Wales’ approach was being considered, in the belief that larger schemes

jointly sponsored with the private sector would provide better value for money to

public organisations in Wales.

Overall, there are concerns regarding the total cost to the public purse, and the whole

system of assessing whether a PFI contract represents better value for money than

any other procurement route. This strategy is currently under consideration by the

Welsh Government, and its attributes will be examined in the same way as the PFI has

in the past two decades.

Image: Mark Hobbs

PFI Schemes by thenumbers

UK:760 schemes Value £76.2bn

Wales:42 schemes

Value £1.02bn

14 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Does Practice make Perfect PublicService Professionals?How can Higher Education Institutions help deliver the nextgeneration of professional public servants?

According to Susan Anderson (2011

p1), CBI Director for Education & Skills

"Employability skills are the most

important attributes that businesses

look for in new recruits, but graduates

are currently falling short of employers'

expectations.” The employability of

prospective new employees is also an

issue that has gained a great deal of

prominence for many employers in the

last few years and the public sector

has been no different in this respect. In

the uniformed public services although

they may not require any specific

qualifications to join the service,

experience and practical skills seem to

be a priority when selecting successful

recruits. South Wales Police, for

example, are recruiting PCs from the

existing pool of voluntary Specials

rather than through advertising due to

the knowledge and skills that the

Specials already possess. So, if

practical experience is the key to

successful recruitment then how are

universities responding to this?

Since the Dearing Report (1997), which

played heavily on the need for key skills,

work-based learning opportunities and

more collaboration between higher

education and employers, universities

have seen a fundamental change in

society’s expectations of higher education

(Harvey and Knight 2003). Indeed with

students now expected to cover the cost

of increased tuition fees their

expectations of the quality of delivery and

content of degree courses has increased,

students want to see a good return on

their investment, notably is there

employment at the end of it?

New proposals from the Government for

legal education and training were

encapsulated in the White Paper for

Higher Education (2011) “Students at the

Heart of the System”, which called for “A

Better Student Experience and Better

Qualified Graduates.” The report

recognised that HE was a good thing in

itself and students may study a subject

because they love it regardless of what it

means for their earnings but, even so,

one of the purposes of higher education

is to prepare students for a rewarding

career. Indeed Atkins (1999) identified that

the ‘current preoccupation’ of HE

institutions to increase the employability

of graduates has resulted in the

development of key skills, or similar

named skill enhancements within

curricula. Hills et al (2003) agree that there

should be “a match between the learning

outcomes of the students and the

employment market into which they

proceed after graduation”. However they

then argue that a majority of graduates go

into jobs in which their degree knowledge

base would appear to be of little benefit.

Therefore they suggest that a more

functional framework for employability

would have to be an overarching concept

that supports preparation for a wide

range of careers, from an academic

research career, to the voluntary sector, to

the commercial sector. Consequently this

view re-enforces the point made by the

Council for Industry and Higher Education

(2008) that:

Bronwen WilliamsMA LLB(hons) PGCE FHEALegal expert Bronwen Williams considers therole of Higher Education in developing highquality public service professionals.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │15


“Graduates are more likely tobe equipped with the skillsthat employers want if thereis genuine collaborationbetween institutions andemployers in the design anddelivery of courses.Although around 80 per centof universities say they areengaged in collaborativearrangements withemployers, this can still beimproved.”

The Confederation of British Industry

(CBI), and the Government have been

calling for all universities to incorporate

more clinical education and work

experience and to include good

communication skills, practical

commercial awareness, professionalism

and how to be a team player and well

organised into their undergraduate

courses in order to increase employability.

However Newman (1966) described the

role of universities as providing students

with the intellectual means to make better

choices about their lives, allowing them to

select and pursue the occupation that

best suits their talent and aspirations.

Arblaster (1974) affirmed this sentiment

stating that “Education is not

synonymous with training, least of all

training for specific jobs,” that the primary

function of universities is to educate

students not workers. While this

sentiment is true and that the protection

of education is important it has to be

borne in mind that students are now

consumers and value for money is key.

Here at Swansea Metropolitan University,

the Public Service department have

recognised the need for effective

engagement and collaboration with public

service providers. Communication with a

number of these providers has led to

creation of links and training to enhance

the student experience. The course

includes modules that have been written

and delivered by current public sector

employees increasing the

appropriateness and context of the

course, such and Emergency Disaster

Management, Management of Terrorism

and Public Sector Governance. This gives

students up-to-date, relevant and

necessary skills to enter public sector

employment, which could also be applied

to the private and voluntary sectors.

Students will be given the opportunity to

train in a professional fire service

environment and experience first-hand a

fire simulation using breathing apparatus.

The department is creating links with the

local police forces to provide training

opportunities and have included a work

experience module into the course to

allow the students to become Specials or

undertake other voluntary work during

their degree course. The aim is to create

graduates who gain relevant subject

knowledge balanced with the necessary

skills for employment.

Image: Chris Thomas

16 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


To Blend, or not to Blend?How blended learning is enabling South Wales Police todevelop future leaders on a budget.

Businesses of all kinds today are beset

with financial imperatives and

competitive influences that constantly

influence the culture of learning within

the organisation. The danger is that

business allows compliance to

become the driver for learning, rather

than the need to enhance skills and

improve attitudes and behaviours.

For example, if an organisation

dramatically reduces or eliminates

leadership development for their

supervisors and managers at all levels;

past evidence has shown that it will see a

reduction in the general productivity and

effectiveness of those leaders. Leadership

has been found to be more important

during an economic downturn than ever

before. It is the ability to lead and inspire

that will produce ‘more with less’, and it is

quality leadership and creativity that

nurtures innovation and action. Managers

look to leaders to restructure the business

to meet demand, to improve the

productivity or effectiveness of the

business, and to find new ways to keep

the impetus towards the good. They look

to leadership to increase standards, drive

value, and work even harder to rebuild or

redirect the business. Does it make sense

to take away that small amount of the

budget spent on developing skills,

capabilities, and networks? Or, do we

allow the bottom line to be the driver?

Within a Public Service such as Policing,

there is an understanding for the need to

maintain leadership qualities, at the same

time as reducing financial deficits. Over

time within South Wales Police there was

a dawning realisation that it does not

need a trainer to regurgitate knowledge

based content to learners. Therefore

there was a concerted effort to create an

upturn in the use of distance learning…

and this change has been dramatic. This

increase however comes with a health

warning… ‘To swap traditional learning

with distance learning is not the answer’.

Therefore we at South Wales Police

embarked on an ambitious programme to

transform the delivery strategy to meet

the needs of the Force, whilst attempting

to balance the books, and meet the

needs of the community. During our study

we consistently put the needs of the

citizen at the heart of all our efforts, at

times to the contrary of the prevailing

culture. We continue to put the citizen at

the heart of our service delivery and the

‘just in time’ approach to training, via the

Distance Learning strategy has enabled

us to do this in terms of reduced

abstraction for learning, and maintaining

frontline availability and visibility.

Part of the rationale at the beginning of

the study, was that the current leadership

in the world of learning is of a generation

that has inherited methods of learning

that have been sanctioned and practiced

for centuries. There is evidence to

suggest that this leadership can at times

be guilty of not embracing change and

ignoring the wholesale growth in the

technological influences over the past

twenty to thirty years. In his research

Marc Prensky (2001) stated:

“It is amazing to mehow in all the hooplaand debate thesedays about thedecline of educationin the US we ignorethe mostfundamental of itscauses. Ourstudents havechanged radically.Today’s students areno longer the peopleour educationalsystem wasdesigned to teach.”

Steve CommanderSenior Design & Development Officer for SouthWales Police, Steve Commander explains howthrough taking a blended approach to learningthe force is able to develop its peopleefficiently and effectively.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │17


“…a type ofeducation or trainingprogram in whichlearners define whatthey want to learnand learning isconsideredsuccessful whenlearners feel that theyare able to mastertheir intendedobjectives (whetheror not the coursedesigners believethat the learners haveor have notdemonstratedmastery).”

Technological changes have spawned a

generation of young people who operate

at a technical pace that is unimagined by

those who would deliver their learning…

with that in mind, further education and

higher education has moved to meet this

challenge, in line with some of the

methods being used in the compulsory

learning sector. However, the South

Wales Police prospectus for 2010/11

indicated that the Force continued to

spend in excess of 80% of its learning

budget on traditional classroom methods

of learning.

Some of the work that has taken place

within the Distance Learning research

helped to highlight the areas that assisted

South Wales Police to make more

intelligent learner centred choices when it

came to delivery methodology. It was our

intention to help inform the leadership

with detail around the preferences that

exist in the business, and produce both

qualitative and quantitative data to help

inform understanding.

This investigation came at a time when

the public sector had to embrace ‘lean’

methods of operation, and when the

private sector was attempting to recover

and create a more competitive workplace

environment. The findings from our

investigation helped inform leaders as to

the impact of the digital era, and give

detail around the differences that exist in

the workforce of today. Our research

helped inform leadership as to the fact

that as ‘a profession’ the Police Service is

going through a state of change; from

traditional methods of ‘one-to-many’

types of learning, to a more blended

technological approach.

“Blending the learningwithin South WalesPolice has seen asaving in excess of£1M”The data from the study helped to show

that blended learning could work given

the right environment and circumstances.

Driscoll and Carliner (2005) stated of

blended learning:

One of the main revelations from the

study was the culture and sub cultures

that existed within South Wales Police.

The evidence from this study gave a clear

indication that there was a divide in

attitudes towards learning, and that this

divide had the potential to hinder the

progression of any change in learning

methods. However it was acknowledged

that the Force was faced with conflicting

priorities on a daily basis which may or

may not have given a distorted result

during the study.

Blending the learning within South Wales

Police has seen a saving in excess of

£1M, and although the initiative continues

to be a working progress, a 5480%

increase in e-Learning completions alone,

is an indicator that a blend in the learning

is having a positive outcome. Who

knows; it may even allow the doubters to

start looking at learning as an investment

in individual development and ultimately

organisational performance improvement.

Image: South Wales Police

18 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


10 Minute Guide:Fireproofing your BusinessAdvice from the Fire and Rescue Service on your legalresponsibilities and how to protect your business from firedamage.

The Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) are

now involved to a greater extent with

commercial premises than ever before,

and not just in an enforcement

capability. Whilst business fire safety

enforcement is still the domain of

inspecting officers, Mid and West

Wales FRS are also capable of provide

advice regarding reducing unwanted

fire alarm signals, arson reduction and

business continuity management.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

2005 (the ‘Order’) came into force on 1st

October 2006 and replaced over 70

pieces of dated fire safety legislation

including the Fire Precautions Act 1971

and consequently the requirement for a

number of businesses to hold a Fire

Certificate.

The Order applies to all commercial and

multiple-occupancy housing properties in

England and Wales and states that the

nominated Responsible Person must

carry out a fire safety risk assessment

and, if there are 5 or more people

employed record the findings.

The law applies to a person who is:

• responsible for the business premises

(the Responsible Person);

• an employer or self-employed with

business premises;

• responsible for a part of a residence

where that part is solely used for

business purposes;

• a charity or voluntary organisation;

• a contractor with a degree of control

over any premises.

The Order requires any person who

exercises some level of control in

premises to take reasonable steps to

reduce the risk from fire and ensure

occupants can safely escape if a fire does

occur.

One of the key differences between the

Order and previous fire safety legislation is

that the Order is non-prescriptive and the

focus is on the Responsible Person (RP)

to identify the risks and take suitable and

sufficient measures to reduce the risks

from fire to ‘So Far As Is Reasonably

Practicable’ and ‘As Low As Reasonably

Practicable (ALARP)’.

The ALARP principle incorporates cost

benefit analysis and in most cases the

required measures should be undertaken

unless the costs in time, money or effort

are grossly disproportionate to the benefit

that would be gained from their

implementation.

Whilst the Order is non-prescriptive and

self-regulatory, the Order clearly identifies

the enforcing authority as the fire and

rescue authority for the area in which the

premises are, or are to be, situated.

To enforce the Order Mid & West Wales

FRS have a number of fire safety

inspecting officers that will undertake

inspections of premises as part of a

planned audit programme and in

response to complaints. The Order

provides a range of powers to officers to

enforce the Order including serving a

Prohibition Notice for a premises that:

“involve or will involve a risk to relevant

persons so serious that use of the

premises ought to be prohibited or

restricted”.

A suite of Guidance manuals are

available from the Home Office to assist

the RP in determining risk relative to the

premises type and a Risk Assessment

template is available from Mid & West

Wales FRS . Local Business Fire Safety

departments are available for consultation

regarding complex issues.

Peter GreensladePeter Greenslade, Fire Officer at Mid & West Wales Fire andRescue Service and part time lecturer in Public ServicesLeadership at Swansea Met provides guidance for all businesseson how to minimise their risk of fire damage and stay withinthe law…

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │19


Unwanted Fire Signals

Fire alarm and detection systems are

primarily a means to warn persons at risk

however, unwanted fire signals across the

UK have totalled 285,000 a year and

reduce fire service delivery, increase the

financial burden on FRS’s and result in a

decrease in productivity in the workplace.

The Order encompasses unwanted fire

signals and RP’s are encouraged to

discuss steps to reduce unwanted fire

signals with their alarm maintenance

company and local fire safety inspecting

officers.

Avoiding the Arsonists

Arson is an increasingly significant factor

in fire losses and industrial and

commercial buildings are major targets for

arsonists. Although the public perception

is that arson is a crime against property

rather than the person and that the

insurer will pay, the losses due to arson

fires are not simply financial, they can also

involve:

• Deaths and injuries to staff and fire

fighters.

• Business interruption or even closure

of the company.

• Loss of jobs.

• Loss of facilities or amenities for the

community.

• Pollution of the air by smoke and

possibly water pollution as a result of

the run off of water used in the fire

fighting operations.

• Loss of our industrial heritage.

3 Step Arson Prevention Plan

• Undertake an arson risk assessment –

be aware, be prepared.

• Check security measures - things to

consider are:

• Perimeter protection.

• The strength of the building envelope.

• Access control.

• The detection of intruders.

• Security lighting.

• CCTV systems.

• Staff relations.

• Awareness of activities of pressure

groups who could target the

premises.

• Remove your rubbish regularly and

place it outside in a secure closed

metal container positioned at least 10

metres from buildings and plant.

Planning Ahead

A Business Continuity Management Plan

could save your business in times of

trouble…

The experiences of Swansea businesses

affected by the major fire in Fforestfach in

2011 have highlighted the benefit of

business premises undertaking a

Business Continuity Management plan.

Business Continuity relates to

identification of the critical services that

would be required to maintain operations

through a major disruption such as fire or

civil unrest.

Key Questions when developing your

plan:

• What are your organisation’s key

products and services?

• What are the critical activities and

resources required to deliver these?

• What are the risks to these critical

activities?

• How will you maintain these critical

activities in the event of an incident

(loss of access to premises, loss of

utilities, etc)

For more info:How prepared are you? BusinessContinuity Management Toolkit, HMGovernment. Available fromwww.direct.gov.uk

The range of advice and guidance to yourbusiness from Mid and West Wales Fireand Rescue Service is extensivehowever it is important the ResponsiblePersons take on board their legalresponsibilities under the RegulatoryReform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 toensure the safety of employees and allrelevant persons.

20 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Emerging Theme:Mathematics of the Heart Can heart-based stress-reduction techniques ease theburden on the NHS?

In 2010 the prime minister set up the

National Wellbeing Project, to go

beyond economic measures to find out

what matters most to people in order

to inform policies that can encourage

and foster well-being. This followed

on from earlier work by researchers

and practitioners such as Daniel

Goleman (writer of the hugely

influential and popular ‘Emotional

Intelligence’) who reported on

compelling breakthroughs from the

fields of neuroscience and business.

He suggested that those who excel in

emotional intelligence achieve not only

superior academic and business

results, but also have higher levels of

personal fulfilment and increased well-

being.

In recent years others have taken these

concepts forward and one interesting

development in this field is the concept of

‘HeartMath’ (developed by the US-based

Institute of HeartMath) which is

considering the important role of the heart

in balancing and managing our mental

and emotional energy. The Institute

promote the idea that Intuitive Intelligence

(IntQ) is the ability to tune into the

inspiration and guiding force within us.

According to HEC Paris International

Business school Intuitive intelligence is

the ability to combine our analytical mind

with our intuitive aptitude to solve

problems in an innovative way and

succeed in the new economy.

Can Heartmath Reduce the Cost of

Workplace Stress?

The Institute also suggest that developing

this form of intelligence through training

programmes that work on our ability to

work with our heart’s natural regulatory

rhythms can result in a reduction of

workplace stress.

The Institute’s studies in this area

continue - and both those in charge of

managing the nation’s health services and

large corporations will, no doubt, be

watching with interest to see how this

emerging field of study could improve

health and wellbeing levels within our

society, and hence have an impact on the

cost of workplace stress…

“Studies investigatingthe impact ofHeartMath programs inthe workplace havedocumented a widerange of organizationallyrelevant outcomes,including increases inproductivity, jobsatisfaction,communicationeffectiveness,improvement inemployee health andreductions in turnover.”

(Institute of Heartmath , 2012)

Image: ©iStockphoto.com/JuSun.

James Williams Lecturer at SwanseaMetropolitan considers thewave of interest in thepotential for HeartMath toimpact organisations.

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │21


1pm - 4pm, 3 October 2012

1.30 - 4.30pm, 31 October 2012

12 - 18 November 2012

Undergraduate open day for SwanseaBusiness School programmes. Seewww.smu.ac.uk for details.

Half day conference in collaboration withthe CIM. Email [email protected] tobook. Price: £45.

Various events throughout the week. Seewww.smu.ac.uk for details.

Open Day

Sports Marketing: Insights for OtherSectors

Global Enterprise Week

Events @ Swansea Business School

News and ReviewsFor further details of these events and to

register to attend please email [email protected] call our Faculty Office on 01792 481132.

NewRecruitto thePublicServicesTeamThe School of Public Services

Leadership is delighted to

welcome lecturer Bronwen

Williams as a member of the

teaching team at Swansea Met.

Bronwen, who has been teachingBusiness and Organisational Lawas a part time lecturer for sometime, has recently joined the teamon a permanent basis as part ofthe team delivering our newlyredeveloped and revalidated rangeof programmes in the PublicServices.

Welcome aboard Bronwen!

New Home for SwanseaBusiness SchoolFrom January 2013, Swansea Business School and the School of

Public Service Leadership will have a new home – the newly

refurbished building right at the heart of the city centre, and ideally

placed next to Swansea’s train station will provide improved student

facilities and a dedicated library and study space for our growing

Faculty.

We can’t wait to welcome students new and existing to our new home,and are looking forward to settling in to what should be a fantastic basefor the Faculty of Business and Management at the centre of Swansea’sbusiness district.

For more on the move see: www.smu.ac.uk/businessmove

22 │ Vol 3 Issue 4 2012


Award-winningTeachingQuality

Pictured (left to right) Samantha Morgan, John Williams (Students’ Union President) Lucy Griffiths, Steven Osborne.

Five members of the lecturing team at the Faculty of Business and

Management at Swansea Met were recently honoured with awards for

their teaching as nominated by the most important people at the

University…the students.

Swansea Metropolitan University’s Students’ Union is extremely active underthe leadership of President John Williams (now in his second term of office),and just one of the fantastic initiatives introduced this year has been a seriesof awards for teaching quality. The Faculty was delighted to have a significantnumber of nominees from its teaching staff and to win five of the awards. Thewinners were Andrew Campbell, Pam Murray, Steve Osborne, SamanthaMorgan and Lucy Griffiths, and they received their awards at a glitzy awardsceremony organised by John and the team from the students’ union. Dean ofFaculty, Leigh Jenkins said ‘I’m delighted that there were so many nomineesfrom the faculty and proud of those members of staff who have been awardedprizes – it shows just how much emphasis we place on high quality teachinghere at Swansea Met’.

You’ve been SMUDGEd!Students who took part in the final workshop of the SMUDGE Enterprise

programme (developed collaboratively by Swansea Business School and

the Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering and supported by the

Welsh Government’s Dynamo project) were treated to a fantastic visual

representation of their journey created by visual minute-taker and

Swansea Met Illustration student, Karl Mountford (see above). The

workshop aimed to help those graduating this year to find their passion

and develop a career based on their own unique skills and talents,

something we believe strongly in supporting here at Swansea Met.

The event was highlighted by Tim Clark, (author of the best-selling BusinessModel You, the book on which the workshop was based and which presentsa framework which individuals can use to create their own ‘personal businessmodel’) and featured on his web site and in his international newsletter.

Feedback from the students wasexcellent, and we look forward tohearing how the participants puttheir personal business plans intopractice as they progress in theircareers after graduating fromSwansea Met…

Visual minutes by Karl Mountford

MasteringFinancialManagementSwansea Business School is

proud to be launching two new

Master’s programmes in

Financial Management and

Financial Management (Learning

and Development). These

programmes are designed to

help both experienced financial

managers and those developing

their career in the field to

respond to rapid changes in this

challenging area of business.

The 21st Century accountant

and financial manager should be

at home in the boardroom in a

managerial role, on the

international stage or in an

entrepreneurial environment.

Today's business managers

need to be able to interpret

financial information and use it

to guide business strategy.

The MSc in Financial Managementrecognises the need to broadentraditional accountancy educationand to include a much broaderbusiness footprint. Theprogramme is designed to fitcomfortably within the newaccounting educational frameworkincorporating academic rigour withpractical experience. It would alsoprovide a route for qualifiedaccountants and financeprofessionals to obtain a Master’sdegree. Qualified charteredaccountants are likely to only haveto complete the part 2 dissertationstage, as their professionalqualification such as ACCA orCIMA should exempt them fromthe part 1 modules.

For more information pleasecontact the admissions tutor forthe programme,Richard Dunstan:[email protected] orapply online at www.smu.ac.uk

BooksInequality may kill the systemReview by Steve Griffiths

Since the economic crisis of 2008 a number of economists have been returning

to the philosophical roots of their discipline to challenge what the meaning and

motivation of the capitalist system are. Since the death of the Soviet Union when

Francis Fukuyama declared we had reached the “End of History” with

capitalism’s final triumph, many have questioned the efficacy of the system.

Richard Layard has investigated the source of happiness, which may not be

tightly linked to material wealth, Robin Hahnel (2010) urges us to adopt green

economics to avoid ecological disaster and Michael Sandal (2012) questions

what we should be striving at within the capitalist system. All have alerted us to

the under performance of the system in creating wealth and especially, the lack

of equity in the distribution of benefits.

Nobel prize winner Stiglitz and James Galbraith, son of the great John Kenneth, focus

on the causes and impact of the inherent inequality in our system. Both challenge the

claims of neoclassical economics which has dominated government policy since the

80’s and give damning verdicts on current recession inducing austerity measures. All

these writers come from the liberal wing of economics and politics, but are not

preaching socialism.

Stiglitz identifies the top 1% of the US population who dominate economics and

politics, and who have gained a 150% wage rise in the last 30 years, compared with

the bottom 90%, who are excluded, disenfranchised and have seen only a 15% wage

rise in the same time period. Galbraith with his powerful analysis of his upgraded data

base, agrees with most of the diagnosis and predictions of Stiglitz, but adds an

international dimension in his analysis of the inequality in the wealth of nations, as well

as that within. Both challenge the conservative idea that inequality is necessary to

create incentives and growth. Indeed they believe more equality would generate more

jobs and real welfare gains. Both inject a moral dimension to the discussion of means

and ends in the economic system. The ideal of social benefits and the positive role for

state intervention are advocated.

As liberals, not revolutionaries, they also point to the possible explosive consequences,

even threatening the top 1%, if the immiseration of the poor and wasteful use of

resources by the powerful are ignored. These books are not an easy read, but can be

read selectively by readers who want to learn a critical alternative to the current

“monetarist inspired” consensus.

References:

Fukuyama, Francis (1992) The End of History and the Last Man, London, Penguin

Hahnel, Robin (2010) Green Economics: Confronting the Ecological Crisis, NY, ME Sharpe

Layard, Richard (2006) Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, London, Penguin

Sandal, Michael (2012) What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of the Market, London, Penguin

Vol 3 Issue 4 2012 │23


Stiglitz, Joseph, E. (2012) The Price of Inequality: The Avoidable Causes and Hidden Costs of Inequality, London, Allen Lane

Galbraith, James, K. (2012) Inequality and Instability, Oxford, OUP

Next Issue…

Bright SparksHow Wales is Igniting itsEntrepreneurial Spirit…Out November 2012

To reserve a copy please visitwww.smu.ac.uk/swbr or email yourname and address to: [email protected]

Image: ©iStockphoto.com/YaryGin

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