Researchers working in this field are motivated by a desire to help organisations to improve their performance, become more competitive and resilient. The research theme examines topics including strategic change and adaptation, development of strategic processes, practices and capabilities for enhancing resilience, productivity and performance.
Staff
- Dr Aylin Ates
- Professor Jillian MacBryde
- Dr Veselina Stoyanova
- Dr Nadia Zahoor
Research
Researchers working in this field are motivated by a desire to help organisations to improve their performance, become more competitive and resilient. The research theme examines topics including strategic change and adaptation, development of strategic processes, practices and capabilities for enhancing resilience, productivity and performance.
Aylin Ates
Dr Aylin Ates’ research is focused on processes of strategy management, and strategic change to enhance resilience and adaptability within manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
She has an ongoing collaboration with regional development agencies such as Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and international partners in the area of high-value manufacturing ecosystems, and developing competitiveness of SMEs.
She authored a series of research papers (such as SME resilience, performance management in SMEs, high-value manufacturing, maturity models) and book chapters (such as high-value manufacturing networks, open strategy in SMEs) disseminating her research in this field.
Jillian MacBryde
Professor Jillian MacBryde is interested in supporting organisations to improve their operations and competitiveness. Her work spans innovation, performance and operations management in changing environments.
She has undertaken recent research supported by ESRC through the Productivity Insights Network investigated productivity in UK manufacturing. The findings of this work were among other things presented to a meeting of MPs and Peers at the Palace of Westminster.
She has recently been awarded funding from EPSRC to undertake work to “Understanding the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on UK manufacturing and identifying priorities for renewal through innovation”.
Professor Jill MacBryde’s work also focuses on helping organisations in changing environments (such as changing markets or new technology) and works at the boundary of multiple disciplines.
She is often engaged in transdisciplinary research and has worked with academics from psychology to health, and with organisations as diverse as the Police and SMEs.
She is currently Co-Director for the ESRC Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge. She is also working with Scottish Enterprise on the Open Innovation Programme, helping companies to innovate using resources beyond their organisational boundaries.
Dr Veselina Stoyanova
Dr Veselina Stoyanova’s research interests centre on issues of organisational change, strategic development and adaptation during times of uncertainty and complexity (such as financial crises and changing political or market landscapes).
She is involved with a project that explores the implications of turbulent events such as the global health crisis for migrant entrepreneurship. The context of the study is the knowledge-intensive sector, which currently comprises 2.5 million business in the UK. The research aim of this study to explore how migrant small businesses and entrepreneurs navigate, shape, and adapt their business-level strategy in times of crisis to minimise the impact of economic crisis, as an unexpected event, which poses a significant business survival threat.
Dr Nadia Zahoor
Dr Nadia Zahoor’s is co-investigator of the £25,000 UpSkilling Lancashire project, partly supported by the European Social Fund. The project explores how SMEs can improve the capacity and working capabilities of their employees through the design and implementation of work-based and business strategy-related training programmes. The outputs include regular independent reports and findings will be included in future academic publications.