Case study - Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent University
Burton Street
Nottingham
NG1 4BU
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4354
www.ntu.ac.uk/hive
Available in alternative formats
The Enterprising Researcher was written by Oliver
Darby. Oliver is a graduate of Nottingham Trent
University, where he completed a PhD in Forensic
Science and Analytical Chemisty. He currently
undertakes post doctoral research at NTU.
Sections of this resource have been adapted by Nottingham Trent University for our own
non-commercial use. It is based on the original resources Enterprise at work – exploring
intrapreneurship in researcher development, 2008, What do researchers do? 2010 and The
Common Good: introducing social enterprise manual, 2010, all developed by Vitae ® , © 2010
The Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited.
Please note that whilst the University has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the content within this
leaflet at the time of printing, the University reserves the right to remove, vary or amend the content of the leaflet at
any time. For avoidance of doubt, the information provided within the content of this leaflet is for guidance purposes.
© Nottingham Trent University and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or part without the
prior written consent of Nottingham Trent University.
6189/04/12
Intrapreneurship
Enterprise
Entrepreneurship
Self-employment
Social enterprise
The
Enterprising
Researcher
Being enterprising during and after your studies

Contents
Introduction ........................................3
Intrapreneurship...............................4
Self-employment...............................6
Social enterprise.............................12
If you have an idea .......................14
Introduction
“Much attention has been paid to the problems graduates
face in finding jobs in the current economic climate.
However, spare a thought for PhD students who, especially in
the humanities and social sciences, may be in an even worse
position. At the heart of the problem is the adverse effect of
the government's cuts on universities, traditionally the
primary destination for newly-minted doctorates”. [1]
The environment of postgraduate studies is changing significantly, not just in the United Kingdom
but globally.
Nicholas Sarantakes, writes the ‘in the Service of Clio’ blog about career management. He predicts:
“The job market is going to get worse for PhDs over the next five years.
Graduate programmes are overproducing each year and the surplus is getting
bigger and bigger. At the same time, colleges and universities are downsizing
their faculty and increasing their workloads. Supply is increasing at the very
same time that demand is decreasing”.
These issues mean that postgraduate students must look further afield than universities for
potential routes to employment following completion of their studies. It also means that the
training during their study must be adapted.
“Doctoral programmes in the UK have traditionally included training
in research skills, particularly those most relevant to research in
individual disciplines or fields of study. But this new skills agenda
seeks to go much further and embraces broader generic personal and
professional skills that are transferable to a range of different career
paths, within and beyond research.” [2]
With these current circumstances in mind, this booklet provides information about undertaking your
doctoral study in an enterprising manner, allowing you to gain the greatest number of transferable
skills, which will help you with future careers in academia and beyond. It also contains information
about considering self-employment after graduation as an alternative career path.
1. Careers for PhDs beyond academia, The Guardian, 12 August 2011, Matthew Partridge.
2. Park, C (2007) Redefining the Doctorate, Discussion Paper, Higher Education Academy
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4
Intrapreneurship
“Intrapreneurial capabilities include gaining personal reward
from seeing an idea through, spotting opportunities, having
the confidence to lead or initiate change processes, taking
risks and being resilient – all within an organisational
context”. [3]
By nature, postgraduate researchers are enterprising. They must show initiative and be
resourceful. Intrapreneurship means taking these inherent skills and applying them while working
as an employee (whereas an entrepreneur applies these principles to their own venture).
Vitae highlighted the following capabilities specifically related to Intrapreneurship [4];
Personal motivation
Initiative
Highly motivated
Gaining personal reward from seeing an
idea through
Creating ideas and opportunities
Creativity
Seeing (recognising) opportunities that
others have not seen
Open minded
Influencing change
Problem solving
Removing barriers to idea realisation
Self-confidence to initiate or lead change
processes
Persuasion and negotiation
Taking and managing risks
Tolerance of ambiguity
Resilience
3. Intrapreneurship; enabling postgraduate researchers to drive organisational innovation, Alison Mitchell, 2007
4. Vitae, Enterprise at work - exploring intrapreneurship in researcher development, 2008.
Working with people
Cooperating with others
Managing people and expectations at all
levels
Excellent networking
These skills should be innate in researchers,
and are very attractive to both academic and
non-academic employers. Annually around
50% of all research graduates go into
employment outside the education sector.
That percentage is higher in the biosciences,
physical and engineering sciences. So it’s
advisable to consciously look to develop these
skills during your time of study, and to consider
how to best include these skills on your CV.
Your core subject studies may equip you with a
set of very specific skills, and this may restrict
the areas of employment you are suitable for.
However the vast range of transferable skills
which you can develop during your period of
study can open an array of alternative
employment opportunities.
Case study:
3M Post-it Notes
3M fosters intraprenurial thinking by encouraging technical
staff to spend up to 15% of their time on projects of their
own choosing. Known as the ‘bootlegging policy’, this has
led to some of 3M’s most famous products.
In 1968 3M chemist Dr Spencer Silver invented a not-so-sticky adhesive, but he
didn’t know what to do with it. Spencer shared his idea with colleagues, both
informally and through seminars, presenting the features and benefits of his
new low-tack adhesive.
For six years nobody really saw the potential of his product. Finally, co-worker
Art Frey recognised a use for Spencer’s idea. During choir practice and
performances, Frey’s bookmarks regularly fell out of his hymn book. Spencer’s
product concept solved this problem. In 1980, Minnesota Mining and
Manufacturing’s (3M) Post-it Notes product line was successfully launched
across the USA, and internationally.
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6
Self-employment
“Having a doctorate opens all sorts of doors that you are not
necessarily aware of when you start. It is fine to plan a
career, but you also need to keep yourself open to
possibilities you had not considered. It is good to consider
that there are opportunities out there beyond research
assistant, research fellow, junior lecturer etc.”
Joan Smith, doctoral graduate. [6]
The employment prospects for post-doctoral researchers are shifting away from the traditional
routes through into academia. With this in mind it is well worth considering self-employment on
completion of your studies, as a full-time occupation or as a secondary income stream to
supplement part-time employment elsewhere.
‘Entrepreneur’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ describes the application
of enterprise skills to the problems of establishing a business or
organisation. [7]
Some would argue that anyone can be an entrepreneur, while others would say that anyone can
be enterprising but not everyone can take these skills and apply them to entrepreneurialism.
Research carried out by Zhao, Seibert and Lumpkin suggests that those who do become
post-doctoral entrepreneurs share similar personality traits. The most obvious being the desire for
independence and autonomy. [8]
“Autonomy and independence are my main values. The
money was never the motivating driver. The motivators
were that I could be independent and learn new things.”
Barrie Hopson, post-doctoral entrepreneur [9]
6. What do researchers do? Career profiles of doctoral graduates, Vitae, 2009
7.www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/What-do-researchers-do-Career-Profiles-of-doctoral-entrepreneurs-2010.pdf
8.Zhao, H, Seibert, SE, & Lumpkin, GT (2010) ‘The Relationship of Personality to Entrepreneurial Intentions and Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review’. Journal of Management,
36(2), pp. 381-404.
A Vitae study of post-doctoral entrepreneurs highlighted that
none of those interviewed had made a definitive choice early in
life, a career was something which was built rather than
something that was chosen. [7]
“I’m a ‘what’s next?’ kind of bloke. This requires some
sense of direction, to think that it is more likely to be ‘over
here’ than ‘over there’ but I’ve never been able to give an
answer to the question ‘what do you want to be doing in
ten years’ time?”
Bill Law, Educational Sociology. [7]
The skill set of the entrepreneur
The Entrepreneurship Forum of New England (EFNE) suggests the following six qualities of an
entrepreneur [9]:
Dreamer: A big idea of how something can be better and different
Innovator: Demonstrate how the idea applied outperforms current practice
Passionate: Expressive so the idea creates energy and resonance with others
Risk taker: Pursues the dream without all the resources lined up at the start and distributes the risk
Dogged committer: Stays with executing the innovation to make it work
Continuous learner: Constantly exploring and evolving to do best practice
A suite of online tutorials is hosted on NOW now.ntu.ac.uk, including an online test to assess
whether you may have inherent entrepreneurial attributes:
1. On your NOW homepage locate the ‘General Resources’ area and click on ‘Resources’.
2. Click on ‘Learning Development’.
3. Click on ‘Online Tutorials’.
4. Under ‘Online Tutorials’ select the ‘Research Skills Online’ button and click on ‘Select’ lower
down the page.
5. Select the ‘ENTREPRENEURSHIP 1 : ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR? link (opens new window)’
9. www.efne.org
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8
Case
study:
Oliver Dalby
Forensic science and analytical chemistry PhD graduate
“I developed a passion for photography during my undergraduate
Forensic Science degree, after taking a Forensic Photography
module. I went on to work at a photo lab part-time while studying.
Upon graduating I decided to take a HNC in Photography, which I
completed before starting my PhD.
“I kept taking pictures while studying for my doctorate and my passion for the activity
grew. I finally decided to try and make some money from photography after attending
a careers event put on by the University that highlighted self- employment as a potential
career choice.
“I signed up to The Hive’s HeadStart programme here at Nottingham Trent University in
October 2010. The programme is designed to help you develop your business idea and
make it viable. This was an invaluable step in helping me get my ideas up and running.
“Since taking the course I have gained employment as a part-time research associate, a
part-time research enterprise champion and have gained several photographic
commissions.
“Being part-time self-employed has been amazingly liberating, allowing me to draw an
income from my passions and to apply some of the many transferable skills I developed
during my doctorate to something in a completely different field. While working in
research part-time has allowed me to apply the core research skills that I developed
during my doctoral studies”.
Case study:
Nikolaos Markoulakis
Arts and Humanities PhD graduate
“In 2004 I started the Spartan Journal, an open access
periodical for a small group of ancient Sparta’s history friends
and enthusiasts. It was initially a curiosity and a great number
of questions concerning the development of this publication
that led me to The Hive.
“The Hive evaluative process of all my business
ideas led to the creation of Markoulakis
Publications. Without the encouragement and
promotion received from The Hive, Markoulakis
Publications, and my self-employability would
have never been a reality. I have begun two
more publications and a continental philosophy
series and will shortly be releasing the first title of
the series on ethnography and anthropology.
“My experience as a PhD researcher at NTU in
the School of Arts and Humanities boosted my
ability to act as an editor and peer-reviewer for a
number of the published material. My studies
have also helped me to better understand the
needs of academics to gain access to the
information world via publications as required by
the UK academic system. This knowledge has
altered the Publications’ design management of
Markoulakis Publications, which now seeks to be
open, supportive and free of any production fees for young scholars from UK and
overseas. That point, in my opinion, is greatly important as the financial crisis
continues to endure and starts to impinge on academia.”
5. www.intrapreneurshipinstitute.com/resources/intrapreneurship-success-case-study-3m-post-it-notes/
9

10
Social enterprise
“Social enterprises are businesses. They make and do things
that earn money and make profits like any business. It is
how they work and what they do with their profits that are
different: working to make a bigger difference, reinvesting
the profits they make to do more good.” [10]
This diagram illustrates where social enterprises sits in relation
to typical businesses and charities. [11]
Typical businesses: many have social
aims and benefits, including donating
to charity, but this is not central to
what they do or why they exist.
Social enterprise: have a primary social
and environmental purpose, generate
income by trading, with surpluses
principally re-invested for that purpose
in the business or community.
10. www.socialenterprise.org.uk/data/files/publications/Social_Enterprise_Explained_-_May_2011.pdf
11. The Common Good Manual, 2010 – Vitae
Traditional charities, community and
voluntary organisations; primarily rely
on fundraising, grants and donations.
Case study:
Atul Shah
Atul Shah runs Diverse Ethics, a social enterprise
focusing on cultural diversity
“I originally took a doctorate in accountancy and finance.
After my doctorate I took up several lectureship positions in
various universities around the UK and America for about ten
years. Towards the end of this time I started an international
magazine on issues of diversity and ethics, which led up to the
creation of my social enterprise.
“I came to realise how tricky the UK academic career ladder could be for people
with an independent identity. Despite the fact that I was breaking new ground,
and wrote several innovative research papers I was unable to secure a chair. I felt
that I could only really satisfy my intellectual appetites and ethical conscience by
moving out on my own. I have first-hand experience of life and work in the UK as
a thinker and in a cultural minority. It is this background, together with my
experience which has fed into the setting up of a social enterprise called Diverse
Ethics. We provide expert information, research, training and consultancy services
for public and private organisations on diversity issues, especially focusing on
culture change and leadership.
“Challenging aspects have been selling what we do, this is tough because
researchers tend to focus on complexity but selling requires a focus on sound bites
and practical aspects. Attending Business Link courses has been useful, but there
has been a lot of self-teaching as well. I love the independence but it is also lonely
and I miss talking to people. My doctorate helped me to understand the barriers
to learning. When you are brought up in a very structured textbook oriented
method of learning, the doctorate frees you because you are able to develop an
independent voice and different method of thinking. This started me on a journey
to revisit the culture I came from where I discovered huge scientific wisdom.” [7]
11

Case study:
Joanne Whitaker
Joanne Whitaker runs Faveo, a company that
manufactures an innovative backless bra.
“The area of my doctorate was Biomedical Sciences –
specifically looking at antigens that could be important in
developing cancer treatment vaccines. Much of your first
degree was learning to pass tests, but at doctoral study level I
liked that you were in control of your own destiny and your
own learning. You could choose your path and you would get
out what you put in.
“I had become a bit disillusioned with academia on noticing that career
progression was more limited for women – female heads of department within
science disciplines were rare although postgraduates made up more than 50%
of the intake. I decided I didn’t want to fight that battle, instead deciding to
combine my science and business knowledge. Whilst my career involved
working with inventors to bring new products to market, I had myself invented a
new product in my spare time – a gravity defying bra! It took me about three
years to raise investment, recruit staff and start selling the finished product (D+
Perk Ups).
“You have to get the product to a certain stage,
and spend quite a bit on IP costs before it is ready
to sell. I found that my doctoral study really
taught me to think logically and carry out
effective research and development – some very
transferable skills. There were quite a few
challenges along the way but my experience in
technology transfer for universities and the NHS
was the perfect background I needed as it taught
the basics of doing business in
this way. Inventing and
launching a new product
requires a broad range of skills:
financial, business, technical, IP,
funding, research, development,
people management, customer
service and many more.
“All my little jobs during college,
my degrees and full-time work
prepared me for the experience
of running a company. My
advice is to say that learning is
never a waste of time – you
never know when it might come
in handy!”
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If you have an idea...
The Hive is Nottingham Trent University’s purpose-built
Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise. Since 2001
we have helped more than 250 people to start up
companies, and more than 70% of these businesses are
still trading today.
If you have an idea that you think may become a business or would like
any help or advice on entrepreneurship and enterprise please contact us:
The Hive
Nottingham Trent University
Burton Street
Nottingham
NG1 4BU
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4354
Email: thehive@ntu.ac.uk
www.ntu.ac.uk/hive