MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is, as they say in ‘East Enders’, a little previous to acknowledge
people who have helped one achieve something before one knows
whether one has achieved it. However, whether I achieve it or not, it is
important to acknowledge the people who have been responsible for
the high spots in a process which, inevitably, has had its low spots.
Without what the following people have done for me, and to whom I am
eternally grateful, I should never have got as far as producing this
document.
• My Review Panel at Cranfield, Dr. John Towriss, Dr. Mark
Jenkins and Dr. David Partington. The review system at
Cranfield is one of the strongest aspects of the programme and,
as I said at my Second Review, it amazes me that busy and
distinguished academics should be prepared to spend such a lot
of their valuable time reading one’s prentice efforts and giving
such valuable feedback.
• The inventors of QSR NVivo, who include Professor Lyn
Richards of the University of Western Sydney. Also, Ann Lewins
of the University of Surrey. I went to an invaluable NVivo
workshop at Guildford in 2002 and, following the cancellation of
another, spent a very long time on the phone to Ann receiving
some characteristically technically assured and rigorously
practical advice on how to use the system. I do not know how
anyone could possibly do qualitative research without it.
• My supervisor, Professor Chris Brewster, who has read and
commented on material no matter where in the world he was; no
matter how bad it was, he was always confidence building.
• My amazing wife, Win, who has put up with my being a
miserable old goat for months on end
• And, most of all, to those remarkable people who have allowed
me to interview them and who have given me such unique data.
I have been wildly impressed with the dedication, ability and
inner strength of pretty well everyone I have met –
characteristics which belie much of the cynical, axe grinding and
outdated literature about trade union officials and leaders. It
would be good to think that, if they become recognised as
dedicated trade union managers, focussed on their members
and their people, they will be able to begin to gain the credit they
so richly deserve.
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