Dr Nick Beech

Abstract Purpose – To examine the mainstream theories of corporate governance in an attempt to suggest that their underlying assumptions are misplaced and that the need is to analyse the impact discourse has on decision-making practices within the boardroom. From suitable HR strategies can be developed to enable more effective boardroom performance to prevail. Design/methodology/approach – The paper engages with traditional governance theory from a business and organisational perspective. It then considers the boardroom environment and the challenges the relevance and limitation of such traditions. Drawing upon the ethnographic method the work explores how directors employ talk-based interpersonal routines to influence boardroom processes. Findings – The analysis suggests that the established underlying assumptions and rational ideologies of corporate governance are misplaced and to understand the workings of corporate governance we need to gain deeper insight into the employment of talk within boards. Originality/value – The paper makes a case for greater focus to be placed upon fine-grained studies of talk-based interpersonal practice within boards. The work further challenges the suitability of mainstream theories of corporate governance as credible approaches to exploring how influence is employed by the power elite. Research limitations/implications - The work is limited to the workings of one board but provides insight in to the employment of ethnographic methods to boardroom enquiry. Practical implications – The work provides greater insight in to boardroom talk and events from which HR theorists and practitioners can enrich their understanding and devise suitable development strategies to support boardroom effectiveness.

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Purpose – The purpose of this study is firstly to consider how veterans employ talk to shape interpretations of personal and social identify. Secondly, we seek to gain an understanding of how veterans see themselves in a civilian world, their ability to re-conceptualise and realign their perspective on life to support their transition in to a civilian world. Design/methodology/approach – Underpinned by Ricoeur’s theory of narrative identity, the work provides a qualitative analysis data from coaching interviews with 5 veterans Findings – The findings revealed the on-going legacy of military life and how its distinctiveness and belief centred on kinship shapes personal identity and the way they see their civilian world. The work sheds light on to the benefits of this Ricoeur’s self-reflexive approach and how it can be used to provide a deeper insight in to the nature of personal transitions and how narrative can be used to expose complexities of the narratives of personal history and meaning as the narrator becomes both the seeker and what is sought. Practical implications –the work reinforces the value of Ricoeur’s self-reflexive approach identifying narrative mediating between two ‘poles’ of identity and the act of mimesis; prefiguration, configuration and refiguration as veterans project stories of their world and their place within it. Originality/value – The paper provides new insights in to the important of narrative identify broadening its potential application with engagement across diverse communities, thereby providing depth and rigour of its conceptual understanding of personal identify. The work further provides insights in to the challenges facing veteran to integrate within a civilian society. Keywords –narrative identity, military veterans, coaching, Ricoeur Paper type - Research paper

Purpose: The article is to explore the concept of resilience set within a family business context and considers how familiness and the nature of noneconomic factors, such as relationship dynamics influence performance. The work provides new insights into the nature and impact of familiness as a mediating device, uncovering the potential for reframing resilience theory and practice. Methodology: The article draws on a review of the extant literature in the areas of resilience and familiness as a means of developing a deeper understanding of the social-ecological system of the family firm. Findings: The work reveals family business as a complex interrelationship between complimentary social-ecological systems. It highlights the complexity of family business and the challenges of the relational nature of familiness and how this presents additional layers of complexity in the decision-making process and implementation. Limitations: The article draws on literature that is dominated by western culture and may partially or not at all reflect the issues associated with organisational resilience in family firms with such backgrounds and their culturally bound social-ecological systems. Originality: The article seeks to fill a knowledge gap by exploring the key elements of organisational resilience in the context of familiness. The work calls for further research into the nature of familiness connections mediating the nature of family relational dynamics. It further provides a framework indicating how these elements can shape and subvert day-to-day management events, raising implications for theory and practice and calls for deeper empirical research to be undertaken. Keywords: resilience, familiness, small and medium sized enterprises, sustainability, social-ecological systems, family business.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact competency frameworks as standardisation can have on the employee engagement of academic staff within higher education (HE) through their employment as managerial tools. Design/methodology/approach A literature review is conducted from which the conditions for effective competency frameworks are evaluated and the influence of changes in the HE environment in the form of political agendas and tight resources are explored. Findings This paper provides insights into the dynamics of public service modernisation and the tensions between the dominant discourse of managerialism and the degree of agency afforded to professional academics. It highlights the relevance of informal peer relationships in setting the climate to generate collegial bonding and professional engagement that underpin successful teacher fellowship accreditations. It further highlights the key role managers play in this process and provides a conceptual framework highlighting the dynamics and combined effect of employee engagement and competency frameworks set within complex HE environment. Practical implications This paper brings together the prerequisites for effective implementation of competency frameworks to implement successful employee engagement strategies set within the complexities of the HE context, which has not been studied to date. Armed with such insights, Human Resource Development (HRD) departments and universities can implement competency assessments that generate greater staff engagement. Originality/value The paper provides a critical approach in reviewing the impact of Continued Professional Development and its link to professional status and thus helps British Universities and others to understand how the mechanisms at work affect engagement levels of academic staff. Armed with this depth of understanding of how the change initiative works, with whom and under what circumstances, universities will be better able to meet target UK Professional Standards Framework membership levels required by the higher education academy (HEA) and, subsequently, the HEA to meet their targets for the government.

It is recognized that the value of entrepreneurship education and the recruitment of practising entrepreneurs for such learning programmes can be problematic. This raises an important and challenging issue for universities when they are increasingly being asked to develop the leadership and management capabilities of entrepreneurs. In this account of practice, the authors explore the role for business simulation in the development of existing entrepreneurs’ and small business leaders’ strategic decision-making skills. The article describes and reflects on a pilot business simulation course, considering the challenges in the planning, the engagement of entrepreneurs and the delivery of the programme. It provides insights into the value of introducing this form of learning experience and exposes the significant challenges associated with engaging small business leaders.

This Ph.D. thesis explored the military transition and veteran entrepreneurship phenomena through the conceptual lenses of Erving Goffman’s total institution. The study reviewed works associated with total military institutions, veteran transition, military culture, military identity, entrepreneurial success, and veteran entrepreneurship to address the thesis’ research aim: To establish if it is possible to view veteran entrepreneurship as a continuation of military institutionalization. A thematic literature review produced interrelated themes that were used to conceptualize a taxonomic model relating total military institutionalization to military transition and veteran entrepreneurship. The themes from the interview narratives also revealed that successful veterans have a profound actionable desire for continuity in impact and purpose. By combining the aforementioned themes, this research study abstracted a visual conceptual model called the Total Veteran, viewing veteran entrepreneurship and identity role change (transition) as a longitudinal continuation of total military institutionalization through reinventive institutional sociological mechanisms. The purpose of the Total Veteran model is to provide a sociocultural framework for the resocialization of veterans into entrepreneurship affording participants organizational membership, personal and professional support networks, and a pathway for veteran entrepreneurship identity construction. Collectively, the model serves as a reinventive institution with the purpose of transforming military veterans into impactful veteran entrepreneurs. The conceptual model and initial research findings were presented to the U.S. Office of Veterans Business and the Nueva Granada Military’s October 2022 Risk Management, Data Analysis, and Knowledge Management Conference in Colombia.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact discourse has on decision making practices within the boardroom and considers how personal proficiency in micro-language use can enhance an individual’s personal efficacy in influencing boardroom decisions. The work uses Habermas’ theory of communicative action to critique board talk, highlighting the need for greater understanding of the power of everyday taken for granted talk in strategy shaping. It illuminates the contribution that human resource development (HRD) professionals can make to the management of such behaviour and minimising dysfunctional behaviour and enabling effective boardroom practices. Design/methodology/approach Traditional governance theory from a business and organisational perspectives are provided before considering the boardroom environment and HRD’s role. The authors undertake ethnographic research supported by conversation analysis to explore how directors use talk-based interpersonal routines to influence boardroom processes and enact collective decision making. The authors provide one extract of directors’ talk to illustrate the process and demonstrate what the data “looks like” and the insights it holds. Findings The analysis suggests that the established underlying assumptions and rationale ideologies of corporate governance are misplaced and to understand the workings of corporate governance HRD academics and professionals need to gain deeper insight into the employment of talk within boards. Armed with such insights HRD professionals can become more effective in developing strategies to address dysfunctional leadership and promote good governance practice throughout their organisation. Social implications The work raises a call for HRD to embrace a societal mediation role to help boards to become a catalyst for setting good practice which is strategically aligned throughout the organisation. Such roles require a more dialogical, strategic and critical approach to HRD, and professionals and academics take a more holistic approach to leadership development. Originality/value The paper considers the role of the development of HRD interventions that both help individuals to work more effectively within a boardroom environment and support development to shape a boardroom culture that promotes effective governance practice by influencing boardroom practice thereby promoting strong governance and broad social compliance throughout the organisation.

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are vital in promoting sustainability by embedding sustainable development (SD) into their curricula, equipping future leaders with critical thinking skills to envision and implement positive changes. In alignment with UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), our “Futures Focused Management for Sustainability” module fosters innovative, systems-based, and futures-oriented thinking. It challenges narrow perspectives, encouraging students to embrace ethics, responsibility, and mindset transformation for sustainable practice by understanding long-term impacts. The module integrates ‘futures’ tools within a step-by-step framework, allowing flexibility to incorporate additional methods while addressing complex, real-world challenges. The Moral Mindset Matrix (Triple M) tool supported critical reflection on corporate sustainability and personal values, fostering students’ growth as sustainability-oriented professionals on our undergraduate module. Using an action research approach, and Braun and Clarke’s (2007) reflexive thematic analysis of reflective assignments from 37 participants revealed heightened self-awareness, systems thinking, and anticipatory skills, reinforcing transversal competencies critical for addressing sustainability issues. The approach appeared to deepen students’ understanding of SD principles, the SDGs, and the complexities of sustainable management practices, including power dynamics and stakeholder interests. By fostering a critical, transdisciplinary mindset, the module helps student to make informed, impactful contributions to society, encouraging reflection on their values and responsibility as sustainable citizens strengthening professional development.

Purpose The “Germanwings” air crash in 2015 in which 150 people were killed highlighted the challenges pilots working in the aviation industry face. Pilots regularly work for extensive periods in inhospitable and high-pressure operational conditions, exposing them to considerable work-related stress. This has raised calls for a more systemic cultural change across the aviation industry, championing a more holistic perspective of pilot health and well-being. The study aims to explore how peer coaching (PC) can promote an inclusive psychosocial safety climate enhancing pilot well-being and can mitigate hazardous attitudes and dysfunctional behaviours. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted with military and civilian peer coach/coachee pilots and key industry stakeholders, totalling 39 participants. The research provided significant insights into the perceived value of PC in promoting both pilot health and mental well-being (MW) and flight safety across the aviation industry. Findings The study highlights four key PC superordinate themes, namely, coaching skills, significance of well-being, building of peer relationships and importance of confidentiality and autonomy. Such combined themes build reciprocal trust within peer conversations that can inspire engagement and effectively promote personal well-being. The contagious effect of such local interventions can help stimulate systemic cultural change and promote a positive psychosocial safety climate throughout an organisation and, in this case, across the aviation industry. This study provides a PC conceptual framework “Mutuality Equality Goals Autonomy Non-evaluative feedback, Skill Confidentiality Voluntary Supervisory (MEGANS CVS),” highlighting the salient features of PC in promoting MW. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the salient features of PC and its role in promoting peer conversations that enable personal transition, openness and acceptance. This study also highlights how PC and well-being can be used to encourage inclusivity and engagement, thereby strengthening institutional resilience. Practical implications This study highlights how PC that can assist HRM/HRD professionals to embed a more inclusive and salutogenic approach to MW that can reshape organisational cultures. This study highlights the significance and link of workplace stress to hazardous attitudes and dysfunctional behaviours. It further notes that whilst the MEGANS CVS peer coaching framework has been applied to pilots, it can also be applied across all sectors and levels. Social implications This study highlights the value of PC as an inexpensive means to engage at the grassroots level, which not only improves personal performance, safety and well-being but by building peer relationships can also act as a catalyst for positive and deep organisational cultural change. Originality/value This study offers the MEGANS CVS framework that exposes insights into PC practice that can assist HRM/HRD professionals embed a more inclusive and salutogenic approach to health and well-being that can reshape organisational cultures. This study highlights the significance and link of workplace stress to hazardous attitudes and dysfunctional behaviours, and whilst this framework has been applied to pilots, it can also have relevance across all sectors and levels. This study calls for a “salutogenic turn,” employing MW and PC to transform organisational capabilities to be more forward-thinking and solution-focused, promoting an inclusive “just culture” where leaders positively lead their people.

Integrating foresight into corporations has proved to be challenging. This account of practice reports on the introduction of futures and foresight (FF) teaching content into an executive Masters programme. The FF contentwas further linked to and provided a background for action learning sets. The purpose was to identify how introducing distant time horizons would help participants to adapt and change their perspectives in problem solving and professional development. The report describes how FF was incorporated across the programme and used to develop insightful conversations in the action learning sets. Citing two case examples, the authors reflect on how participants responded to these new elements and offer insights into the value of introducing FF as an interdisciplinary element in a programme.