Issue 12 (Summer 2011) - Cardiff Business School - Cardiff University

Synergy
Cardiff Business School
www.cardiff.ac.uk/carbs
Issue 12
Summer 2011
innovation
The trials and triumphs of
Blue sky thinking - budget constrictions don’t
have to be a barrier to creativity
Helping Cardiff prosper + Sustainable procurement + Bankers in the dock

CBS_Synergy
Welcome
Planning for the future
It is a challenging time for higher education institutions in the UK,
not least because of cuts to Government funding and the
corresponding rise in tuition fees. In order to survive, business
schools need to adapt and develop – they need to continue to prove
their relevance to organisations in the private and public sectors by
providing the very best in educational programmes respectively.
Here at Cardiff we remain a very popular choice for students at
undergraduate and postgraduate level. We moved into the
Aberconway Building in 1987 and have been growing ever since. As
we approach our 25th anniversary, we find ourselves needing to
develop our estate in order to provide the best possible education
experience. I am therefore delighted to announce our intention to
build the Cardiff Business School Postgraduate Centre, a £10.6m
investment in state-of-the-art facilities. We hope to commence this
project, subject to the planning permission required from Cardiff
City Council, later this year.
The building will provide two new Harvard-style lecture theatres
and two seminar spaces. Students will also benefit from the latest IT
study facilities, a new and larger Trading Room, and student
workspace and common rooms. It will also house our PhD students
in bespoke office accommodation.
Many of our students choose to study here because of our
reputation for research that contributes to the development of
organisations in Wales and across the globe. In this edition of
Synergy, you can read about our Centre for Local and Regional
Government Research’s work in advising the Welsh Government.
Professors Martin Kitchener and Zoe Radnor are investigating patient
safety and the implementation of ‘Lean’ in the NHS respectively.
Professor Pete Turnbull outlines our relationship with the
International Labour Organisation. Professor Costas Andriopoulos
gives tips for managing innovation, crucial to the recovery of the
economy, while Professor Helen Walker explains how committing to
sustainable procurement can improve firms’ competitive advantage.
As well as communicating our research to the wider world, we
invite experts who can share their knowledge with our students, our
alumni and our corporate partners. Our public events programme
has included talks by David Roche, President of Hotels.com, Morag
Stuart, Former Head of Procurement at Olympics 2012, and Will
Hutton, Executive Vice Chair of The Work Foundation. A summary
can be found on page 8. From autumn 2011, guest lectures will be
available to download as podcasts from our website – visit
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs for further details.
Welcome to Synergy.
Professor George Boyne, Dean
Above and below:
an artist’s drawings
of the external
perspectives of
Cardiff Business
School’s proposed
state-of-the-art
postgraduate
facilities
2 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs

Contents
The greening
of supply
chains can improve
competitiveness
and performance
P14
News
04
04
05
05
06
06
Malcolm Anderson voted
Most Effective Teacher
Mr Anderson recognised at Cardiff University
Enriching Student Life Awards
Network location tool
The Network Locator Tool finds local business
networks at the touch of a button
Max Clifford shares
secrets with alumni
Max Clifford at launch of UK Business Alumni Network
SA Brains and Cardiff Business
School in leadership programme
Brains’ senior managers complete 18-month positive
leadership programme
Project Bernie wins CIPR award
Chartered Institute of Public Relations award for
campaign informed by Cardiff Business School
Developing a decent workplace
The School and the ILO join forces to develop better
working conditions in the global industrial, service and
maritime sectors
Features
4
5
6
07
A day in the life of ...
The latest developments from staff at the Centre for
Local and Regional Government Research
Editor
Laura Davies
Email: DaviesLE5@cf.ac.uk
08
10
Helping Cardiff prosper
The Cardiff Business Partnership is helping to drive the
city’s economic development
Trials and triumphs of innovation
Professor Costas Andriopoulos examines the balance
between long-term adaptability and short-term survival
12
Synergy magazine is published
by grist.
Unless otherwise indicated, copyright
in this publication belongs to Cardiff
University. This document can be
made available in alternative formats
upon request. It will shortly be
available on our website www.cf.ac.
uk/carbs. Views expressed in
Synergy magazine do not necessarily
reflect those of the University. The
Editor reserves the right to edit
contributions received. While care is
taken to ensure accuracy of
information, this cannot be
guaranteed.
ISSN 1753-5034
12
14
15
16
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Focus on the NHS
The School is exploring vital issues within the NHS
Sustainable purchasing
Professor Helen Walker on how sustainability can boost
performance
Bankers: villains or victims
Professor Andrea Whittle examines how bankers seek to
use language to defend their reputation
Profile
Nina Zhang, Senior Vice President, Citibank
EMU sovereign-debt crisis
Implications of the Greek debt crisis
Cardiff Business School events
Morag Stuart, David Roche and Will Hutton lead major
events at Cardiff Business School
15
18
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 3

CBS_Synergy
News
Malcolm Anderson voted Most
Effective Teacher at student awards
Martin Evans (centre) with postgraduate students at a celebratory dinner.
Malcolm Anderson (pictured left with
Sarah Ingram from Cardiff University
Students’ Union) of the Accounting &
Finance section won the Most
Effective Teacher Award at the first
ever Cardiff University Enriching
Student Life Awards. The awards are
organised by the Students’ Union
and invite nominations from students
in a range of categories including
Best Personal Tutor, Best Provider of
Feedback and Most Effective
Teacher.
Business School staff received 18
nominations across the nine
categories and Ms Caroline Joll, Dr
Yiannis Kouropalatis and Mr Malcolm
Anderson were all shortlisted.
The category of Most Effective
Teacher received the most
nominations from across the
University and had the highest
number of short-listed staff. Mr
Anderson is a deserving winner.
Professor Peter Marlow, Associate
Dean for Teaching and Learning,
says: “We are delighted that the
excellent teaching within the
Business School is being recognised
by students and celebrated within
the School and outside.”
Network location at
the touch of a button
Many businesses throughout Wales are missing out
on the benefits of networking, but a unique, free
new service, the Network Locator Tool, could
change all that. The tool identifies networks by the
criteria of the operator’s choice – locality, time of
meetings, format, content, industry sector, even
gender or ethnicity focus. It is the latest
development from Leadership & Management
Wales (LMW), the Welsh Government’s Centre for
Excellence in Leadership & Management, which
aims to improve and enhance leadership and
“Many companies in Wales
struggle to find the most
suitable network for them”
Sara Pepper, LMW
management skills in
private and third sector
businesses in Wales.
“The business benefits of
networking are well known,
but many companies in
Wales struggle to find the
most suitable network for
them,” explains Sara Pepper of LMW.
“We have researched known networks of every
shape and size throughout Wales to create this new
service, and it’s now available free to any
business.”
Research shows that networking
delivers a range of benefits to business,
including business development, problem
solving, lobbying and inspiration through
the exchange of ideas. In addition,
businesses involved in a network report
higher levels of success in achieving
business goals and greater gross sales than
those not in a network.
However, LMW discovered that
many organisations in Wales
were not using networks and were therefore missing
out on these benefits.
Already the benefits of the tool are being
applauded. Sarah John, Commercial Director at
Acorn People, says it is invaluable. “Welsh businesses
are already acutely aware of the benefits that can be
gained from networking but it can be hard to find
an appropriate network. The Network Locator Tool
will change that by providing detailed information
about all the network events taking place across
Wales.”
The Network Locator Tool is available from the
LMW website: www.lmw.org.uk.
4 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs

Max Clifford shares secrets at
launch of UK alumni network
“The basis of my business is promotion and
protection,” Max Clifford (right) told his audience
of business school alumni at the launch of the UK
ABS Business School Alumni Network at the
Grand Connaught Rooms in London on 22nd
February.
Mr Clifford revealed that when he first started
working in public relations (PR), the focus was on
promotion: building careers and businesses as
best you could. However, over the last 10-20
years, Mr Clifford said that it has become more
about damage control and mitigation.
An early career as a reporter on the local paper
had been a great education, Mr Clifford told the
audience. He later joined the EMI press office in
1962 and was given an unknown band to launch:
The Beatles. As PR was non-existent in the UK it
was very much a case of learning on the job, Mr
Clifford said. “It was,” he revealed, “a great
adventure. We found that by exaggerating and
colouring, we got a lot more attention and
coverage. Some would say I’ve been doing that
ever since!”
Image is king, Mr Clifford told the 800 business
school alumni. While image may have nothing to
do with reality, it plays a very important part in
launching a business or helping a charity. Those
wanting to get ahead in PR should grab every
opportunity, he advised. “If someone is opening a
hairdresser’s salon, offer to get the local press and
TV to cover it – so you are learning from doing as
well as getting an education.”
Seventy Cardiff Business School alumni
attended the lecture. The School is a member of
the UK Business School Alumni Network and will
be hosting bi-annual events in London.
For more information, visit: www.cf.ac.uk/
alumni. To see the video of the Max Clifford event
visit: www.the-abs.org.uk/index.phpid=750.
“We found that by
exaggerating and
colouring, we got a lot
more attention and
coverage”
Max Clifford
SA Brains and Cardiff
Business School in unique
leadership programme
Welsh brewer and pub operator SA Brains and Co
Ltd and Cardiff Business School have joined forces to
develop and deliver a pioneering leadership
programme.
The Power of Positive Leadership programme sees
16 of Brains’ senior managers complete an 18-month
course, designed to enhance their management,
operations and leadership expertise. During the
programme, led by Dr Barrie Kennard, managers will
attend six, two-day modules at Cardiff Business
School and deliver a retrospective presentation.
Scott Waddington, Chief Executive at Brains,
explains: “The brewing and hospitality industry, like
many others, has experienced a challenging couple
of years. It is therefore critical that we give our
employees the opportunity to enhance their
leadership skills and capabilities, and equip them with
the confidence and insight to meet these challenges.”
Head of Corporate HR and Payroll at Brains, Tracy
Dickinson, who has helped develop the programme,
notes: “We are delighted to be working with Cardiff
Business School on such an innovative programme. It
has always been our aim to support and develop our
employees and this provides the foundation for
future learning and development programmes.”
Professor George Boyne from Cardiff Business
School adds: “We are delighted to enter into this
collaboration with Brains. As a leading business
school in the UK, we are very keen to contribute to
the development of leadership and management
skills within Wales’ best organisations – this
partnership allows us to do just that.”
caption to come
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“We are delighted to be working
with Cardiff Business School on
such an innovative programme”
Tracy Dickinson, SA Brains
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 5

CBS_Synergy
News
Project Bernie
wins CIPR award
“This has set a new
standard in behaviour
change campaigns”
CIPR judges
A collaborative project featured in the winter issue
of Synergy has won the Chartered Institute of
Public Relations 2011 award for Best Public Sector
Campaign. The Bernie project involved a
partnership between the South Wales Fire and
Rescue Service, Alexander Consultants and staff
from the BRASS Research Centre and Cardiff
Business School.
Dr Sue Peattie provided the expertise in
behavioural change and social marketing behind
the campaign. She explains: “The project involved
getting to know and understand the youngsters
in South Wales Valleys communities responsible
for starting grass fires, and developing a package
of measures to discourage them. The scheme
created a range of deterrents and education,
including a programme of activities to keep them
busy during the spring ‘grass fire season’.”
In Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where the
Bernie campaign was first trialled, the incidence
of grass fires fell by as much as 46%. This year the
project has been extended to four other areas in
the South Wales Valleys.
The CIPR judges comment: “This campaign
tackled a deep rooted, locally accepted crime,
that of young people setting fire to grass in the
valleys of South Wales.
“In partnership with Cardiff
University, South Wales Fire & Rescue
Service researched, planned and
combined extraordinary creativity
with academic rigor to achieve
outstanding results. This has set a
new standard in behaviour change
campaigns.”
Developing a decent workplace –
Cardiff Business School and the ILO join forces
Cardiff Business School has joined forces with
one of the world’s largest labour organisations
in a bid to provide decent workplace conditions
for workers in the industrial, service and
maritime industries.
The School has signed an agreement with
the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
and its experts will offer advice on the
advancement of better working conditions. The
School will work alongside the ILO to promote
decent work and sector-specific standards and
develop tools for the sectors.
Professor George Boyne, Dean of Cardiff
Business School, explains: “The ILO has a long
and well-respected tradition of promoting
opportunities for decent and productive work,
in conditions of freedom, equality, security and
dignity. This agreement recognises Cardiff
Business School’s expertise in the social
responsibilities of organisations, and will
allow us to provide our expert knowledge
to help promote decent work and
sector-specific standards.”
Professor PeteTurnbull’s work with the
6 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs
ILO began in 1999 with his practical guidance
manual on social dialogue in ports. It has been
translated into six European languages and
now into Arabic for use in the Middle East.
Collaboration between the School and the
ILO has begun, with Professor Turnbull leading
an international tripartite meeting to approve
training guidelines for the ports sector. The
meeting is the culmination of consultation with
unions, shipping lines, port operators, training
institutes, the World Bank and the European
Union. Professor Turnbull will spend three
months at the ILO working on guidelines for
social dialogue in the public sector and will lead
projects in Egypt and Latin America.
Cardiff PhD student, Huw Thomas, will
spend six month with the ILO in 2012, and
undergraduate, Michaela Cernakova, will
undertake an internship over the summer.
Professor George Boyne, Dean, signs agreement with Elizabeth
Tinoco, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for
Latin America and the Caribbean
“Cardiff Business School will work alongside the ILO
to promote decent work and sector-specific standards”

A day in the life of...
The Centre for
Local and Regional
Government Research
The Centre for Local and Regional Government Research is
recognised internationally as a centre of excellence for public
management research and is engaged with senior policy makers in the UK
and Wales. Synergy met up with some of its members to find out more
The Senedd, home
to the National
Assembly for Wales
Learning to Improve
Workshop
Professor Steve Martin
The Welsh Government’s policy for local
government is different to its English equivalent: it
has a history of working in partnership with local
authorities and rather than encouraging
competition between councils, policy makers try
to collaborate with each other. Many local
authorities also work closely with health boards
and the police in order to increase efficiency.
At the start of the last Assembly, four years
ago, the Centre was commissioned to undertake
an independent assessment of the Welsh
Government’s local government policies. The
initial findings of the study, Learning to Improve,
were reported two years ago. In June we
submitted a second interim report which will be
published shortly.
The results will help shape the new
administration’s policies for the next five years.
While the Welsh model is fine in theory, the
Government’s policies have not yet achieved the
levels of collaboration that it was hoping for.
We have briefed the minister and are now
organising a series of events for civil servants. The
first of these Learning to Improve workshops
brought together 30 civil servants from the Welsh
Government’s public service and local
government teams. At the workshop we
presented the key findings of the research and the
participants then discussed in small groups the
implications for their roles.
“The results will
shape the new
administration’s
policies for the
next five years”
Measuring efficiency
Dr Rhys Andrews
I met with the Director of Public Service Improvement, the Welsh Government’s Chief
Economist and other members of the Policy and Performance Division to discuss new ways
of thinking about local government efficiency, particularly in an era of spending cuts.
Drawing upon theoretical and empirical work being carried out in the Centre, the meeting
particularly looked at ideas about
dynamic efficiency in the public
sector – the optimum allocation of
resources between current and
future needs. A follow-up meeting
explored these issues in further
depth in relation to specific policy
initiatives in the area of complex
families. These discussions also built
on my involvement with the Welsh
Government’s Efficiency and
Innovation Programme.
Evaluating scrutiny
“The meeting particularly
looked at ideas about
dynamic efficiency in the
public sector”
Dr James Downe and Dr Rachel Ashworth
We have recently been commissioned by the Welsh Government to undertake an evaluation of
the Scrutiny Development Fund. The project aims to assess the extent to which the fund has
succeeded in helping to develop more effective scrutiny in local government in Wales, and
whether it provided value for money, and to identify lessons for the future of scrutiny
development in Wales. It follows an earlier project we completed with colleagues at the Centre
on the role and function of elected members. We concluded in this report that members of
scrutiny committees needed further training and development opportunities and that there was
little effective scrutiny of external agencies.
The fund has been used to build the capacity for scrutiny through training programmes for
councillors across a number of authorities and to scrutinise the performance of partner
organisations. We have met with the Steering Group for the research, which comprises of
representatives from the
Welsh Government and the
Welsh Local Government
Association, and will be
carrying out seven case
studies of beneficiaries of
the fund over the summer.
“Members of scrutiny
committees needed further
training and development
opportunities”
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 7

CBS_Synergy
Feature
Helping
Cardiff prosper
Cardiff is the economic powerhouse of Wales and its future economic development is vital
for the country’s success. A new collaboration brings the city’s leading businesses and
academics at Cardiff Business School together
The Cardiff Business Partnership (CBP)
consists of Cardiff’s leading employers,
including Admiral, Legal & General,
PwC, Brains and Grant Thornton. The
CBP ensures that the views of enterprise
are at the heart of the development of Cardiff as a
competitive business location.
From the outset, the group recognised that
well-evidenced arguments are needed to promote
creative thinking. CBP and Cardiff Council
approached Cardiff Business School to provide
business and economic expertise.
The three institutions joined forces to fund a
Postdoctoral Research Fellow to conduct the
research required by the CBP to make a real impact
on the prosperity of the city. The collaboration is the
first of its kind in the UK.
Dr Andrew Crawley, CBP Research Fellow,
describes his role. “I act as a conduit between
business and academia, strengthening the
knowledge exchange that is critical in developing the
city region.
8 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs
“The current projects we are undertaking with
the business partnership are addressing major issues
facing the city region of Cardiff at this critical time
in an economic recovery. Our research will give new
insight into the local economy by examining issues
such as infrastructure, employment structures and
skills. For Wales to be economically successful it
must have a strong, healthy, dynamic economy in its
capital city.”
Adrian Clark, Chair of the CBP and Director of
Legal and General, says: “We are building the
Business Partnership on solid foundations. It is
unique in that it represents and exclusively consists
of private sector members. It needs to partner with
organisations that are committed to creating a
world-class business environment for businesses to
thrive. As a top-five UK business school, it is natural
that Cardiff Business School will be a founding
partner.”
Academics at Cardiff are embarking upon a Foreign
Direct Investment research project that will identify the
reasons why organisations choose particular cities as
their headquarters. The findings will directly inform
the strategy for bringing firms to the city’s new
Business District, a £60m investment recently
announced by Cardiff Council.
For Wales to be economically successful
it is imperative to have a strong,
healthy, dynamic economy in its capital city
Dr Crawley

Feature
Cardiff has much to offer both visitors and investors
and plays host to many international events
photos courtesy of www.studyincardiff.com
Employee survey reveals
Cardiff’s overwhelming
popularity
Major new Cardiff Business School report shows
how positive Cardiff employees are about their
employers and their city
Ninety five per cent of Cardiff
employees want to stay in Cardiff
for the foreseeable future, according
to a new report led by Cardiff
Business School for the Cardiff
Business Partnership (CBP). The report, the first
of its kind, summarises some key findings from a
major survey of employees working in Cardiff.
The research and analysis, conducted by Cardiff
Business School in conjunction with the CBP,
shows that employees are positive about their
current employers, with 48% wanting to stay with
them, but in a more senior role, in 15 years’ time.
Roy J Thomas of the CBP says: “In light of the
current economic climate and the gloom of
recession, the survey suggests that Cardiff as a city
has a strong basis on which to prosper in the
future. It is particularly pleasing that over two
thirds (68%) of respondents see their long-term
future as being in Cardiff.”
However, respondents felt that there was room
for improvement in the city’s infrastructure, with
transport-related issues featuring prominently.
Congestion, public transport and parking charges
emerged as major bugbears for a high proportion
of respondents. Almost 80% of the written
feedback given as part of the survey raised
concerns about transport, with complaints about
the limited parking available and the cost of
parking in the city centre. Buses and trains were
not considered to be effective alternatives to
driving by a number of respondents.
Professor Rick Delbridge of Cardiff Business
School says: “It is important that the views of
those who work in the city are taken seriously.
Good companies undertake employee surveys but
this was a survey of the city. The survey is the first
to look at how people feel about Cardiff as a place
to work.
“The School is delighted to be working with the
Cardiff Business Partnership on this research.
There is great potential value in work of this kind;
it gives firms, politicians and local policy makers
important insights into how people feel and the
things that worry them.”
The city of Cardiff has a diverse economic base
and is a major regional employer, drawing 70,000
people from outside the city to work each day. The
service sector employs 167,800 people and is of
considerable importance to the Welsh economy.
Mr Thomas explains: “We are intent on growing
the prosperity of Cardiff while at the same time
maintaining the character which makes it special
to those who work here. We aim to ensure that
policy makers consider the findings when shaping
Cardiff as a city
has a strong basis
on which to prosper in
the future
Roy J Thomas, Cardiff Business Partnership
a vision for the future.”
Ninety five per cent of those surveyed want to
keep working in Cardiff for at least the immediate
future, with over 65% indicating they wish to keep
working there for the foreseeable future. While the
job itself is what most attracted people to the city,
other major attractions are the nightlife and
shopping facilities.
Driving to work is by far the most common
method of transport, regardless of where people
live. However, congestion is a concern for those
surveyed with most seeing it as something the city
needs to invest in over the next decade.
This is the first of many projects and has shown
the good work that can be achieved when business
and academia come together.
Work of this kind gives firms, politicians and
local policy makers important insights into
how people feel and the things that worry them
Professor Delbridge, Cardiff Business School
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 9

CBS_Synergy
Research
The trials and
innovation
Innovation can secure competitive
advantage but is often elusive and creates
paradox. Professor Costas Andriopoulos
reports on how seven market-leading
companies balanced their long-term
adaptability with their short-term survival
W
e live in a creative age; a time in
which a company’s most vital asset is
its creative capital, the actionorientated
problem solvers. To be
innovative – to identify the tools,
ideas and opportunities which create new or improved
products and services – is vital. But innovation creates
paradox and demands a fine balancing act.
My research set out to discover how companies can
manage innovation, avoiding the frustration that so often
occurs as tensions pull the company, teams and individuals
in different directions. We worked with seven top-product
design companies and discovered that each company faced
four paradoxes [see box right].
Organisational paradoxes can fuel as well as frustrate
innovation. Rather than resolving their paradoxes, the
companies chose to embrace them.
Projects are bound by both their possibilities and their
constraints, with design teams wanting to create
cutting-edge products and clients stressing the constraints
of manufacturing. While difficult constraints push creative
workers out of their comfort zone, without them designers
and engineers can become complacent in their favoured
techniques. But while designers must not ignore
Organisational paradoxes
can fuel as well as
frustrate innovation
10 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs
commercial realities in pursuit of a trendy product, they
also need the freedom to be creative.
Recent studies have dispelled the myth that creative
output depends on a few, often flamboyantly different
individuals working in isolation. Group work was a
constant in each of the companies we examined. Diversity
among team members fostered creativity, but cohesiveness
in sharing goals and expectations was vital: managers
needed to avoid encouraging ‘prima donnas’ who wished
to work alone. Excessive cohesiveness, however, could lead
to ‘groupthink’, creating cliques with their own norms.
Similarly, passion and discipline were both needed, with
passion creating commitment and excitement for the
work, while discipline channels individuals’ efforts from
ideas to fruition.
Managing the work environment
How do managers begin to manage such a complex work
environment Managers must not avoid, fight or even
resolve tensions within the workplace, but rather tap their
energy. A careful balancing act is required: pulling too far
one way can prove counterproductive. Examples were
given of ‘failure traps’, where companies had singularly
sought out breakthroughs, straining resources and
eventually reducing funds for opportunistic projects.
Gradually intensifying exploratory efforts and taking
increasingly high risks in the hope of overcoming past
failures can feed a vicious, downward spiral.
Communication is vital. Reiteration within this
environment builds trust and avoids mixed messages, such
as employees perceiving cost control as taking priority over
creativity. We noted that leaders went to uncommon

triumphs of
Leaders went to uncommon lengths to
‘describe the link between profitability
and the freedom to do something creative’
The paradoxes facing
an innovating firm
long-term adaptability vs short-term survival
possibilities vs constraints
diversity vs cohesiveness
passion vs discipline
lengths to ‘describe the link between profitability
and the freedom to do something creative’.
Managers encouraged integration, giving
employees a framework to help them view tensions
as interdependent, and reducing the anxiety caused
by competing demands, while raising expectations.
But they also used splitting techniques, separating
teams by either time or space, allowing focus and
consistency. The use of physical space can spur
collaboration between team members. Access to
meeting rooms or project ‘war rooms’ within the
firm was used to encourage diversity or
cohesiveness, with interactions across many
specialisations.
Perhaps most important is learning to manage
highly creative people. Many of those that we
spoke to described themselves as practical artists –
an artist working for a business. Giving your
creators the capacity to be creative, yet helping
them to understand the constraints of the business
environment, can ease their frustrations and help
to avoid costly business mistakes.
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 11

CBS_Synergy
Research
Marketing messages fail
to resonate with mothers
Recent research by Professor Lindgreen reveals that patient care
is a priority for mothers when choosing a healthcare provider
Mothers do not trust marketing, advertising
and recommendations from healthcare
service staff, instead relying upon
word-of-mouth recommendations,
according to a new study. Research by
Cardiff Business School’s Professor Adam Lindgreen and
RMIT University’s Dr Angela Dobeloe found that mothers
felt more confident in their choice of healthcare provider
when using recommendations from other parents.
Professor Lindgreen says: “Choosing healthcare
providers for your child is a big responsibility. There is an
information imbalance, where the healthcare provider has
a lot more knowledge and information than the patient or
their parents. It is difficult to judge the quality of the
service that you receive and your child, the patient, is
completely reliant upon the medical professional to
determine a suitable treatment.”
The study has significant implications for healthcare
marketing. Professor Lindgreen explains: “For many
organisations it is a common practice to try to ‘add value’
to your existing products. Our study shows that tactics
like this are unlikely to work within the healthcare industry.
“Mothers do not trust commercial marketing messages
from healthcare providers – trying to sway their opinions
with ‘cheaper’ product-bundling strategies, for example, is
likely to create concern or confusion.”
The survey suggests that the healthcare industry needs
to concentrate less on selling strategies and more on
reinforcing the ‘service value’ that a patient receives.
Medical staff are judged on characteristics such as their
bedside manner and their skills in handling children. The
politeness of receptionists and other support staff is also
very important.
“Organisations ultimately need to focus on their
commitment to patient care in order to win the
recommendations of other parents which, in turn, will
create more business,” adds Professor Lindgreen.
Mothers do not trust commercial marketing
messages from healthcare providers
Professor Lindgreen
A structural problem
National measures to reduce hospital-acquired infections and
unnecessary deaths could be affected by local management
of hospital services. Professor Martin Kitchener is
investigating the claims
Experts in organisational management from Cardiff
Business School will embark on a three-year study to
establish why measures to improve patient safety
work better in some parts of the country than others.
“It’s estimated that one in ten NHS hospital
patients are harmed during their care,” says Professor
Martin Kitchener from Cardiff Business School, an
expert in the organisation of healthcare.
“Along with the human costs, safety incidents are
a drain on NHS resources, costing an estimated
£3.5bn a year in additional bed days and negligence
claims. We already know that, as a result of increased
public awareness, patient safety is top of the public
and political agenda and, as a consequence, we’ve
seen a series of improvement programmes
introduced to improve patient safety.
“However, we also know that outcomes are patchy
as a result of the ways hospitals are structured, their
12 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs
culture and differing managerial priorities.
“This study will help establish, for the first time, the
evidence we need to understand why we have
differing outcomes for patients in different parts of
Wales and help take action to address them.”
The research team from Cardiff Business School
has been awarded a £330,000 grant by the National
Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and
Organisation Programme. The study will examine
features of organisation and management associated
with the successful local implementation of a
national hospital patient safety programme.
Professor Kitchener explains: “Recent studies have
found that many safety interventions fail to deliver
the expected improvements because of
‘unanticipated’ organisational features such as
inappropriate structures and competing priorities.
Outcomes of NHS patient safety innovations vary
across hospitals, demonstrating that the
organisational context of implementation matters.”
The study will combine insights from
organisational theory with realist analysis to examine
relationships between aspects of organisational
context and health outcomes in the Welsh national
1000 Lives Plus patient safety programme.
Outcomes of NHS patient safety innovations vary
across hospitals, demonstrating that the
organisational context of implementation matters
Professor Kitchener

Research
Leaning
the NHS
The NHS has adopted Lean philosophy to
transform wasteful, unproductive and
unsafe working practices. However,
Professor Radnor believes there is still
some way to go to improve processes
Specifically, the study will combine existing health outcome data
with new primary data on context to examine the introduction of
three safety interventions: improving leadership, reducing infection
rates and implementing surgical checklists. The primary goal will be to
identify which contextual factors matter and explain how and why
they matter in order to improve the processes and outcomes.
During the first year the study will interview programme leaders,
clinicians, nurses and managers at nine case hospital sites, including
hospitals that exhibit variation in organisational features. In year two,
four main sites will be selected for detailed study. The primary goal will
be to develop a better understanding of local relations between
context and performance concerning the focal interventions.
Professor Kitchener, who will lead the study, alongside experts from
the University of Nottingham and Auckland University, adds: “The
study will help us develop an evidence base to improve the efforts of
policy makers and managers. We aim to develop a model which could
act as a diagnostic tool for new patient safety interventions in future.
Crucially, we hope our findings will help NHS services across the
country to develop improvement interventions that are more likely to
‘work’ in their local, contingent circumstances.”
The study is set to begin in October and is expected to be
completed in 2014.
Lean’s core philosophy is to continually improve a
process by removing non-value added steps or ‘waste’.
Developed by Toyota, the application of Lean
principles in healthcare, particularly in hospitals, should
remove duplicate processes and unnecessary
procedures.
Not surprisingly, the NHS is keen to use Lean to better meet
customers’ demands and improve its management processes.
However, Professor Zoe Radnor’s study of four NHS hospitals
has found that, although Lean has been used to good effect to
enable simple changes and quick wins, more permanent
cross-departmental streamlining has not been enacted.
Professor Radnor explains: “Reduced waiting times, improved
services for the patient, removal of duplicate processes and a
better understanding of the roles and relationship with other
departments are common.
“However, while staff are enthused by simple changes, these
have not necessarily delivered a smoother service to patients.
Staff are beginning to recognise the problems and issues, and
what changes were needed,
but they are not always
given the opportunity to
The NHS is keen
to use Lean to
better meet customers’
demands and improve its
management processes
implement change.”
One of the difficulties
facing the NHS organisations
is determining customer
value. Professor Radnor
notes: “There are few
examples of hospitals
working to understand what
the patient, as the customer,
requires, expects or desires
in terms of value. The
definitions of the customer rarely take a system-wide ‘patient
pathway’ view that ranges from entry into the hospital until
discharge, and so activities undertaken in one department or
stage of the care pathway are not necessarily aligned to those
undertaken in others or the delivery of value at a broader
system-wide level.”
Professor Radnor adds: “In order for Lean to bring successes
the NHS needs to realise that its implementation is a long-term
programme and not a short-term fix. The current context for the
NHS, particularly the Nicholson Challenge (to save £20bn by
2014), means there is little doubt that there is a burning need for
implementing Lean with the pressure to reduce the cost base and
become more efficient. It must be seen as an approach which
could turn the crisis into an opportunity, supporting the ways in
which healthcare services are to be delivered. The financial
challenge for the NHS is coming: what Lean can do, and is doing,
for the health sector, is allow the challenge to be met
systematically and effectively.”
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 13

CBS_Synergy
Research
Choosing Fair trade
can provide
companies with a
competitive strategy
power
The
of
sustainable purchasing
A sustainable approach to procurement can enhance organisations’ business performance in a
number of ways. Professor Helen Walker reports
In the modern business world, buyers have
power. An increasing number of organisations
are taking a strategic approach to their
procurement, moving away from the perception
of purchasing as a business support function.
Strategic purchasing has been found to promote
inter-organisational relationships and therefore helps
with overall company effectiveness. The often
significant financial resources spent on purchasing
can be used to assist actively in the delivery of a
company’s overall business strategy, for example, by
focusing not only on lower cost but also on quality,
speed and flexibility of purchasing.
Businesses look to foster longer-term cooperative
relationships with their suppliers, improving the
quality of communications and exchange of
information across the supply chain. Increasingly,
organisations are committing to sustainable
procurement and considering social, economic and
environmental issues when buying goods or services.
Investment and commitment
Sustainable procurement takes investment and
commitment, but the rewards are seen in cost
savings, new products, customer engagement and
employee commitment. In this way, sustainability
becomes a competitive advantage.
14 www.cardiff.ac.uk/carbs
Improving sustainability of supply chains can
improve competitiveness and performance.
Commitment to ethical and fair trade aspects of
purchasing, involving codes of conduct for worker
welfare, can provide companies with a self-regulation
code for running their businesses, a code which
many employees are likely to buy into. Consumers
are increasingly aware of the importance of ethics in
their purchasing. Fair trade could provide companies
with a new competitive strategy, based on ethical
standards communicated to the consumer through a
strategy of differentiation.
Consideration of ethical issues is also an
important part of risk management for many firms,
especially those with long international supply
The greening of
supply chains can
improve competitiveness
and performance
chains.
Collaboration with suppliers is important in
procurement: this can be achieved through joint
environmental goal setting and planning, and
working together to reduce pollution. Firms that
engage in closer supplier partnerships and solid
improvement practices are more likely to develop a
proactive environmental management programme
which, in turn, enhances competitive advantage
through cost savings, quality improvement and
process/product innovation.
Another aspect to sustainable procurement is
buying from small- and medium-sized enterprises.
This can create many benefits, ranging from a
contribution to local economies to an organisation
better aligning its operations with the community.
Sustainable procurement is not just about helping
the environment. There are considerable additional
benefits: economic, social, ethical and even personal
impacts of sustainability related changes in business.
Companies can make a major contribution by being
both environmentally and socially responsible. Tools
associated with these concepts can enhance the
competitiveness and economic performance of the
firm.

Research
Villains or victims...
bankers try to pass the buck
Since the global financial crisis, bankers have been called
upon to explain their actions. But their stories raise questions
about the level of responsibility they are prepared to take.
Professor Andrea Whittle reports
The stories that we tell help us to
make sense of events. Stories help us
to establish social norms:
understanding issues of rights,
responsibilities, duties, obligations
and potential blame. Often through storytelling
we assign responsibilities to people for what went
wrong and mark out the villains and the victims.
My recent research has looked at the evidence
given by bankers to the UK Treasury regarding
the recent financial crisis, investigating what the
bankers’ evidence says about the level of
responsibility they are prepared to take for
events.
Since the banking crisis, bankers have been
repeatedly marked out as greedy villains whose
actions have affected the lives of millions.
Interestingly, the questions which MPs ask the
bankers suggest that they have already assigned
them the role of the villain in the tragedy of the
banking crisis, marking them out as
unscrupulous and immoral, almost singlehandedly
bringing down the global economy.
Financial tsunami
Rhetorical questions have been asked. For
example, John Mann, MP, quizzed Andy Hornby
(Chief Executive, HBOS) about how much the
Jobseekers Allowance is for an adult his age. In
making the connection between the salaries of
those he thinks responsible (the bankers) and
those of the innocent victims (bank staff who
have lost their jobs), Mr Mann has assigned the
role of the evil villain enjoying the spoils of this
greed to Mr Hornby, while his victims suffer in
poverty. Yet the bankers have a different story to
tell: that of a global financial tsunami that they
didn’t create, could not have predicted and of
which they are victims.
Villain or victim
The bankers have not taken responsibility for
their actions. Instead, they make reference to
other agents (regulators, credit reference
agencies, shareholders) or to a wider collective
force (the Board, markets, culture). By
downplaying their involvement, the bankers are
effectively casting themselves out of the villain
role and into that of a victim. In his evidence, Mr
Hornby says that he accepts responsibility on
behalf of the Board, distributing blame and
responsibility and presenting himself as someone
who was just doing his job and following the
decisions made by the Board.
He adds, “I have lost considerably more in my
shares than I have been paid”, again trying to
position himself as innocent victim rather than
wicked villain.
Lord Stevenson of Codenham (Chair of
HBOS) presents himself as someone who may
have made ‘bad decisions’ but is not a ‘bad
person’, again emphasising his empathy with
those who have suffered. He describes the
financial crisis as a ‘turn of events’ rather than an
incident caused by the bankers.
The bankers also use ‘show concessions’ –
stating that they did not ‘foresee’ or ‘prophesy’
the collapse of the wholesale markets. By doing
so they have made a show of conceding a point
that does not actually question their moral
integrity. Rather, they have reformulated the
MPs’ storyline by trivialising the accusation and
acknowledging the obvious – how could they
By downplaying their involvement, the
bankers are effectively casting themselves
out of the villain role and into that of a victim
have been expected to be ‘fortunetellers’ and
predict the crash in the markets
Systems failure
The evidence shows that bankers are attempting
to persuade MPs that the financial crisis was a
‘once in a lifetime’ systems failure and that MPs
should retain faith in the existing system.
Whether or not this attempt will be successful
remains to be seen.
www.cardiff.ac.uk/carbs 15

CBS_Synergy
Profile
A programme
Nina Zhang is Senior Vice
President, Country Approval
Head for SME Credit, Citibank
(Shanghai). Academic curiosity
led Nina to pursue a PhD while
building a career in banking.
Synergy reports
You first came to Cardiff to complete a
Masters. What made you choose Cardiff
Nina Zhang (NZ): I was in the UK and found
the International Economics, Banking & Finance
(IEBF) course on the web. I emailed Kent
Matthews, who replied asking me to come to
see him. He interviewed me and gave me a 20
minute lecture to see if I was up to doing the
course. The level of commitment shown by him
made me choose Cardiff.
What was the difference between Masters
study and the PhD
NZ: The Masters course was a taught course: it
was also my first time in the UK, so I had to
work very hard on my English. I was working
full time back in China while undertaking my
PhD and the level of personal commitment and
motivation required was much higher. Initially
Kent, my supervisor, helped me a lot, but in the
last stages you work a lot by yourself.
Kent Matthews (KM): We had quite a few
arguments.
NZ: We did! I was living in Shanghai, finishing
work then coming back for calls with Kent late
at night.
for success
I’d like to be the first Chinese national to be
made Senior Credit Officer at Citibank
KM: It’s the nature of the relationship between a
supervisor and a PhD student. Initially the
supervisor gives lots of help and guidance but,
inevitably, the PhD student emerges as the
expert in this particular field.
What prompted you to do the PhD
NZ: I did my IEBF dissertation in Chinese
banking and I really didn’t feel that I’d finished
with the subject. There was very little academic
study of Chinese banking.
Before I’d done my Masters I had worked in
local Chinese banks, so I knew quite a bit about
the industry. Before getting my job at Citibank I
went to the Beijing State Library to research
more academic work on the subject but found
nothing.
KM: Then I got a research grant from the British
Academy looking at Chinese banking. I needed
Nina Zhang
someone on the ground in China who could speak
Mandarin and had the academic capacity to do
research. Nina joined the PhD programme.
What effect has the PhD had on your career
NZ: My colleagues respect me for it. Also, for
the past five years I’ve been very sensitive to
macro-economic policy which is really
important in my work. The training has been
very useful and my ability to write in English
has been greatly improved: this is really
important as all business in Citibank is done in
English.
What would you say to anyone considering
doing a PhD
NZ: Make sure that your heart is in it. Don’t do it
because your parents want you to, or because
you want status. You need a strong motivation.
What do you miss about Cardiff
NZ: My life as a student was far more
relaxed. Here, I’m constantly in meetings
and conference calls. Cardiff is green,
there are plenty of parks, trees and birds.
Shanghai is home to 20m people and is
full of tall buildings. People even walk
fast in Shanghai.
What are your future ambitions
NZ: In the short term, I’d like to address
my work-life balance. Now that I’ve
finished the PhD I have my spare time
back – before I was spending 90% of my
free time on my PhD. I typically work
from about 9am to 7:30pm so free time
is precious.
In the longer term, I’d like to be the
first Chinese national to be made Senior
Credit Officer at Citibank. Currently,
everyone who holds this position in
China is from Hong Kong or from
overseas. To achieve this would be a
great honour.
16 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs

Feature
The European Monetary Union sovereigndebt
crisis
Dr Michael Arghyrou explains
the reasons behind the EMU
debt crisis and why Greece
has been hardest hit
What has happened in the European Monetary
Union
Before the credit crunch, markets priced neither
macro fundamentals nor the international risk
factor, which at the time was very low. Markets
have changed their pricing drastically since
2007 – during the crisis period, markets have
been pricing both the international risk factor
and macro fundamentals on a country-bycountry
basis.
Why did the Greek spread escalate in such a
dramatic fashion
Greece’s problems are as much about trust as
they are about economics. Before November
2009, Greece was thought to be a country with
a fully credible commitment to future EMU
participation under the perception of fully
guaranteed fiscal liabilities – Greece was
effectively underwritten by other EMU countries.
However, Greece’s commitment to the EMU is
now more doubtful, and the country comes
without fiscal guarantees. This regime shift
explains the sudden escalation of the Greek
debt crisis in November 2009, and also the
difference in spread values observed between
Greece and the EMU periphery countries.
Compared with Ireland, Portugal and Spain,
markets perceive a much higher probability of a
Greek voluntary exit from the EMU and/or a
Greek default. But the Greek problem has
become an EMU-wide problem.
What happens next
The spreads of EMU periphery countries need to
decline – this can only be achieved by a marked
improvement in fiscal position and external
competitiveness. The EMU countries then need
to pursue a reversal of private expectations to a
more favourable status than the present one.
Greece’s problems are
as much about trust as
they are about economics
This can be achieved only
through structural reforms,
backed by evidence of
determined implementation.
Without this evidence, markets
will continue to doubt the
sustainability of these countries’
participation in the EMU, and the
risk that these expectations will
become self-fulfilling will remain.
And in the longer term
The crisis has highlighted the
need for institutional reform in two directions.
The EMU must develop effective mechanisms of
fiscal supervision and policy coordination in
order to avoid another debt crisis.
If a crisis does occur, it is important to prevent
its escalation in the affected country and its
contagion to others. This can be achieved
through the creation of a permanent EMU-run
mechanism of emergency financing. For such a
mechanism to be successful in stabilising
expectations, its rules and terms must be
transparent.
At the same time, the terms of emergency
finance must include eliminating the risk
of moral hazard discouraging fiscal
discipline and necessary reforms.
Identifying rules achieving both
objectives simultaneously is a
challenging task calling for significant
attention from academics and policy
makers alike.
The right framework
An independent report by Professor Hargreaves reviews how the
intellectual property framework supports growth and innovation
The independent review of how the
intellectual property (IP) framework
supports growth and innovation was
announced by Prime Minister David
Cameron in November 2010.
Currently Chair in Digital
Economy at Cardiff Business School
and the School of Journalism, Media
and Cultural Studies, Professor Ian
Hargreaves chaired the review,
assisted by a panel of experts who
reported to Government in May
2011.
The review emphasised IP’s
importance for growth: in the last 10
years, investment by UK business in
intangible assets has outstripped that
in tangible assets. The review makes
10 recommendations to Government
designed to ensure that the UK has
an IP framework best suited to
supporting innovation and
promoting economic growth in the
digital age. It also outlines the
creation of a Digital Copyright
Exchange to boost UK firms’ access
to transparent, contestable and
global digital markets.
Professor Hargreaves says:
“Responses to the review have been
pouring in thick and fast.
Ministers across
Government have
expressed their support
for the thinking in the
review and there has been
strong support from
bodies like the British
Library and the UK
Research Councils for its
key recommendations.
“Creative industry business
leaders have also made a number of
positive comments. The Government
will respond shortly.”
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 17

CBS_Synergy
What’s on
Cardiff Business
School events
Last year’s Cardiff Business School lecture series offered lectures by: Michael Izza, Chief Executive Officer
of ICAEW; Spencer Dale, Chief Economist, Bank of England; Morag Stuart, former Head of Procurement,
Olympics 2012; David Roche, President of Hotels.com and Venere.com; and Will Hutton, Executive Vice Chair
of The Work Foundation. A flavour of some of the lectures is given below
A challenge of
Olympic proportions
Morag Stuart, March 17th 2011
Morag Stuart (right) began the lecture by
recalling her student days “giggling at the
back of the lecture theatre” with fellow
alumnus Mike Shirley, who is now Director of
OSTC, one of the principal sponsors of the
Trading Room at the School. It was quite an
honour, she said, to be back and “right at the
front, presenting”.
The focus of the lecture was on the lessons
learned when procuring for a large-scale
project like the Olympics, dually building the
theatre for the Games and regenerating a
“The mission for delivery
includes a requirement
that the Games leaves
a sustainable legacy”
disadvantaged area of London.
Ms Stuart was faced with an immovable
deadline and a high-profile project that
equated to delivering a construction
programme twice the size of Heathrow
Airport’s Terminal 5 in half the time in an area
that had suffered from generational neglect.
In addition to the scale of the project, the
mission for delivery includes a requirement
that the Games leave a sustainable legacy,
with the balanced scorecard identifying
priority themes such as environmental
responsibility and ethical sourcing, as well as
design impact, the need to promote
innovation and excellence and the
importance of community utilisation.
To further complicate matters, the
changing economic climate had a radical
impact on the market engagement – when
the procurement for construction
began the economy was booming
and there was low competitive
tension for such a demanding project.
However, as the country went into
recession there was increasing
appetite but the risk of supplier failure
increased dramatically and had to be
carefully managed.
Ms Stuart identified that clear
policy objectives and senior management
buy in from the outset were key to the
success of the project, as was the use of
evaluation criteria throughout the process to
ensure consistency. Construction is now 60%
complete and the Olympic Park is beginning
to transform the East London skyline.
The Olympic Stadium will host the athletics and paralympic
athletics events at the London 2012 Games
London 2012
The School has a busy programme of events each year – with Baroness Hogg, Chair of the Financial Reporting Council, and Dr Jan
Hoffmann, Chief of UNCTAD’s Trade Facilitation Section, giving lectures in 2011-2012. Events are held both at the School and at venues
around the globe. Many events are free and open to the public. Visit www.cf.ac.uk/carbs to find out more.
18 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs

The importance of
internet analytics
David Roche, 10th February 2011
Internet business should be powered by
data-informed and analytic-led business
decisions, but most internet companies are not
sufficiently savvy, warned David Roche, president
of Hotels.com® Worldwide and Venere.com,
when addressing an audience at Cardiff Business
School.
In his talk, The internet: business, but not as you
know it, Mr Roche said that the internet has taken
away geographic barriers for consumers, leading
to increased price competitiveness and greater
consumer choice. However, it has rendered the
high street travel agent almost defunct, he added.
Digital analytics and improvements in
Hotels.com’s back-end systems provide the
company with the evidence it needs for making
decisions about site design, pricing and service
offering. For example, site traffic data for
Hotels.com has shown evidence of finance
directors cutting corporate travel budgets,
resulting in a squeeze on hotel ‘price per night’.
But the economic conditions are encouraging
consumers to look online for hotel bookings: the
average consumer scans a minimum of three sites
for options.
Asked what advice
he would give to
smaller businesses
wanting to grow an
online business, Mr
Roche said that larger
companies such as
Hotels.com had the
benefit of large sets of
traffic data which
analysts could work on.
He added that for
smaller internet
businesses data is not
David Roche (centre),
pictured with Professors
Costas Andriopoulos and
Martin Kitchener
as reliable as there is not enough for advanced
statistical analysis. However, Mr Roche advised
that free tools, such as Google Analytics, can
provide a useful insight to site users and their
interests.
Developing the analytical skills of your staff
could be key in the success of any internet
business, Mr Roche concluded.
“The internet
has rendered
the high street
travel agent
almost defunct”
“Society needs to avoid
giving passports to the
privileged and search out
talent in every part
of society”
The fair society
Will Hutton, 18th May 2011
The UK Government’s ‘triple whammy’ of UK
economic policy decisions will drive the economy
further into the ground, Will Hutton, journalist
and broadcaster, told an audience at Cardiff
Business School.
In a lively address, Mr Hutton (left) said that
the coalition government ‘does not understand
the nature of capitalism’. He explained that plans
to eliminate the structural deficit, a commitment
to Britain never borrowing again to finance
corporate investment and huge cuts to the
public sector diminishing state capabilities, could
only be sustained if there is substantial growth in
the private sector.
However, the two are interlinked, he said, and
capitalism would not ‘take off’ and ‘reach nirvana’
if public sector services are being cut.
Mr Hutton criticised what he referred to as
‘kitemark’ Britain, where public organisations,
such as the NHS, would become a label for
services run by private sector organisations. A
fair society, he said, should be based upon ‘good
capitalism’, with due deserts for individuals,
regardless of their brute bad or good luck, such
as where they were born and to which parents.
Bankers’ bonuses had enraged the public
because they weren’t their ‘due deserts’, Mr
Hutton added. Banks had grown their balance
sheets irresponsibly, yet the public was being
made to carry their debts.
He described the NHS as a ‘share in the brute
bad luck system’ and said that it is fair that all
should contribute to it to protect those with the
bad luck to need its services. The impartiality of
justice was also critical to a fair society.
What the UK needs now, Mr Hutton added,
was a rethink of the political system, moving from
the sterile debate of Prime Minister’s Questions
and the current media, which do not provoke a
conversation, to a system where real people can
challenge their politicians.
The business environment is changing and the
best talent will be needed to build the UK
economy. However, the assumption shouldn’t be
that the talent lies in public schools, because
those educated there happen to have parents
with high salaries, Mr Hutton explained. He added
that society needs to avoid giving passports to
the privileged and search out talent in every part
of society.
www.cf.ac.uk/carbs 19

Now online
View video of Cardiff
Business School online
The new Cardiff Business School DVD is available to view on our website, on
Youtube and on Facebook. Visit www.cf.ac.uk/carbs to see our faculty and
students talk about why they chose Cardiff Business School.
New website launch
The new Cardiff Business School website features news, information, videos and
photo galleries. Sign up to our online newsletters and get access to our social
networking groups. Visit www.cf.ac.uk/carbs.
20 www.cf.ac.uk/carbs