Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

At the UN Global Compact Leaders' Summit in September 2013, a new 'global architecture' for corporate sustainability was launched and the 'Post - 2015 Business Engagement Architecture' consultation report published. This initiative identifies the private sector as having a pivotal role in delivering sustainable development and a more just society. It links sustainable development priorities with long-term business goals in terms of growth, social equity, environmental protection and risk management. It also make a call to academia to be involved as partners in this debate, and specifically invites Business Schools to work with businesses in 'collaborative platforms to develop curricula and research programmes that provide current and future business leaders with the necessary mind-sets, skills and knowledge to lead companies to more sustainable outcomes' (p.17). This Seminar Series proposal is a direct response by a group of researchers from UK and Irish business schools, together with a representative from a major professional body, to this call. All of the co-investigators are part of existing academic, professional, and policy networks including: the UN Global Compact UK Network; the UN Women Network; the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW); Business in the Community; the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) Regional Chapter for UK and Ireland; the PRME Working Group on Gender Equality; the Centre of Social and Environmental Accounting Research; and the British Academy of Management Sustainable and Responsible Business Special Interest Group. Together we bring together a new network of researchers. This proposal answers the invitation to engage with business and policy contained in the 'Architecture' document and it is structured in such a way that will stimulate research with business stakeholders in the priority areas identified in the document as falling within poverty reduction, education, gender equality, health, food, water and energy, social stability, infrastructure, technology, and governance. Each seminar will take as its theme one of these areas identified in the 'Architecture' document, and aligned with the interests of at least one of the Investigators in this bid. It is intended that each seminar, from seminar 3 onwards, will also include a paper which will be the result of direct research undertaken with UNGC member companies to enhance relevance and potential impact, and demonstrate the advantages in this respect, of the co-production of knowledge. The ICAEW has agreed to publish for each seminar, a briefing document, and following each seminar, a monograph and a practitioner summary for dissemination. Academic journal articles are also anticipated from each seminar, and a book to offer the combined contributions and debates is also planned. The theme of each seminar will be circulated well in advance of the date of delivery to as wide a range of stakeholders as can be identified but including the networks associated with the investigators in this proposal. At least two academic research papers will be prepared in advance and a response sought from business/practice. A debate will follow. In the afternoon, selected papers from PhD students who have been invited to submit papers for presentation will be made with replies from respondents, both academic and practitioner. This is designed to further new research capacity in the topic areas and enable the development of PhD students and ECRs. A further paper presentation will be made and following a panel debate a reflective summary will be given on relevance and future directions for research. There is also an international dimension to the series, with the inclusion of a seminar in Ireland, drawing on Irish networks and businesses, and a seminar at Kedge Business School, France, building on an existing 'Research Chair' engaging UN Compact companies in Europe investigating new business models.

According to a recent government report (DCMS 06/05/2020) the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector is "fighting for survival", with increased demand for its services, whilst simultaneously facing funding cuts estimated at £4.3bn (during March-May 2020), resulting in many VCSEs organisations estimated to be insolvent 'within weeks'. As the report states: "Social distancing is making delivering services harder and more costly. Reserves are running out. Smaller charities, in particular, are at risk of imminent closure". The core ideas for this project emerged through dialogue with DCMS, who are leading the government's response on how COVID-19 is impacting the sector, and co-designed with NCVO, the sector's leading infrastructure organisation. The project has three purposes. First, to provide realtime data and learning on how COVID-19 is impacting the whole sector and, significantly, varies across different organisations by size, structure and services offered. Second, to provide lessonslearned reports about how organisations on the impacts and responses to COVID-19, particularly focusing on the new working-practices and innovations which can be scaled across the UK. Third, to provide insights to aid long-term the VCSE sector's resilience. The project team brings a unique alignment of researchers specialising in the VCSE sector, HR and innovation, NCVO, who provide sector knowledge, guidance and access, through their research and policy team and 15,000 members. The outputs are a VCSE vulnerability barometer, providing real-time data of the impact COVID-19 on the sector, lessons-learned reports, enabling innovations to be scaled, a final project report and toolkit for resilience.

Whether you work in private business, the public sector, a charity or social enterprise you can probably relate to the challenges associated with managing a team. In fact, there is a wide body of research on the effect of different management styles on workers and organisations. The Government is interested in creating 'Good Work' which means work that is both engaging for the worker and productive for the business. Sometimes we all get frustrated if our work is not so good due to our line management. For example, if we cannot contribute the way we want to because we are not allowed to work flexibly, have a say in how things are done, feel stressed due to conflict or are not given work that uses our skills (or are not developed so we can keep learning and progress). Equally, anyone with management experience knows that managing people can be really challenging. Even experts believe there is no 'right way' to manage people. Yet, managers must manage and, often, line managers and owners of small firms do so under conditions of scarce resources and short-term pressures. In fact, many are 'accidental managers' who have pretty mixed feelings about their roles and receive very little support to reflect on, and develop, their skills. So what can be done to help managers become more effective at people management, for the good of themselves, their staff and organisations? That is the key question we are addressing in the Good Employment Learning Lab. It is what we call a 'tricky question' - it's not easy to answer because managers, workers, workplaces, sectors and places of management vary so much. We are tackling this challenge by forming a Learning Lab. This is a space where researchers, policy makers and managers collaborate to understand and address shared problems. They frame ideas for better practice and outline the 'theory of change' that is the logic of why they think this will work. They then experiment and evaluate 'what works'. At a deeper level, Learning Labs support long-term, trusting and creative relationships so researchers and practitioners can work together to learn via a process of Engaged Scholarship. We are zooming into two contexts to develop Good Employment Learning Labs: - The Greater Manchester Good Employment Learning Lab will partner with the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter (a coalition of local government, employers, trade unions, workers and other experts who aim deliver good jobs in Greater Manchester with opportunities to progress and develop, and a thriving and productive economy, by promoting 7 principles of Good Employment). We will work in three Greater Manchester districts (Manchester City, Oldham and Salford) to run Workplace Trials to raise management capabilities and share this learning across Greater Manchester - and with other places - to support widespread learning about 'what works' in different contexts to improve people management. - The Social Care Good Employment Lab will also run Workplace Trials, but this time focused on managers of adult social conducted at home or in residential care. Some of these trials will also be in Greater Manchester, so we can compare findings with the Greater Manchester Lab. The Social Care Lab will also share learning nationally. Our third Learning Lab will raise capacity for researchers and practitioners to get involved in joint problem solving and research via Engaged Scholarship. Activities will including workshops introducing this method, sessions for early career researchers on 'Becoming an Engaged Scholar' and workshops for academics and practitioners involved in Practising Engaged Scholarship. The outcomes of the Good Employment Learning Lab will be new learning, new communities and new evidence-based ways of supporting people management. Each of our Labs will also produce an open access Digital Resource Bank that anyone interested in people management or Engaged Scholarship can use.