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Strategies for profitable revenue growth in a VUCA operating environment : an interpretive study of Zimbabwe commercial banks
Full text linkPurpose – The Zimbabwe business environment is widely recognized as a VUCA
(volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment, with its after-effects being
increasingly significant. This study delves into how commercial banks in Zimbabwe can
formulate effective strategies to navigate this disruptive landscape. Emphasizing
profitable revenue growth as a critical metric, the research explores the strategies that
senior managers of commercial banks could embrace to survive and thrive in the VUCA
world. Additionally, it underscores the pivotal role of senior managers' values and their
association with the success or failure of their banks' strategies for revenue growth.
Despite the abundance of VUCA literature, most of it is consultancy-based rather than
research-based and focuses on strategies indirectly associated with revenue growth for
commercial banks. Moreover, there is a noticeable absence of empirical research
investigating the potential association between senior managers' values and their
strategies in a VUCA environment.
Design/methodology/approach - The study involved 30 participants and six commercial
banks, exploring the success strategies and reasons for failure in Zimbabwe's VUCA
environment from 2007 to 2019. Employing an interpretive research paradigm, the study
delved into individuals' experiences using the laddering interview technique based on
Kelly's Personal Construct Theory. By thematically analysing the relationship between
banks' strategies and their values, the study presented significant research findings that
could shape the future of banking strategies.
Findings – The findings underscore the importance of aligning personal values with
strategies. They suggest that senior managers implementing strategies reflecting their
values significantly impact the organization's success or failure. This insight empowers
senior managers to take ownership of shaping strategies that resonate with their values
and ultimately enhance the organization's success.
Practical implications— This study contributes to academic discourse and provides
practical guidance for regulators and bankers. It offers valuable insights into effective
revenue growth strategies that can be implemented during a VUCA period. Furthermore,
it establishes a direct connection between these strategies and bankers' values,
underscoring the practical relevance of nurturing these values within banks.
Originality/value – This study contributes to the currently limited academic literature
concerning strategies for achieving profitable revenue growth and their connection with
the personal values of senior managers in commercial banks operating in VUCA
environments. Additionally, it presents an innovative and pioneering application of the
laddering technique within Zimbabwe's VUCA environment. Furthermore, it addresses
survivorship bias in strategic management by integrating failed and successful
commercial banks.
Suggestions for business applications and further research are included
The lived experience of disabled academics with energy-limiting chronic impairments (ELCI)
Full text linkDespite the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, disabled academics report
experiencing a range of barriers to pursuing an academic career. Such barriers apply to those
with visible and non-apparent impairments, such as ‘Energy-limiting chronic impairments’
(ELCI). Similarly, and consequently, the lived experiences of disabled academics are under-researched. The social-relational model of disability (SRMD) was embraced as the theoretical
framework for this study. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, this study overtly observed
the disability intervention (DISC) project to explore the lived experience of disabled academics
with ELCI. The semi-structured interviews with participants/stakeholders and the observational
data from DISC were thematically analysed. Indeed, hidden impairments among academics are
poorly disclosed in universities, resulting in institutional structures failing to meet their needs,
particularly those living with ELCI. This study contributes defeatism as a systemic impact of
management practice that is socially imposed. It inevitably leaves disabled academics to self-exclusion or self-managing ‘impairment effects’ in universities, which is worth considering for
improving disability inclusion with equitable support in UK universities. The broader
implications of the findings point that universities should adopt proactive attention to social-relational barriers. Further, universities should also consider systemic change to indirect
discrimination in disability management practice.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC
Strong relationships matter : how female entrepreneurs grow and leverage social capital in the German consulting sector
Full text linkSocial capital is vital for entrepreneurial success, and female entrepreneurs, as a
significant emerging group in the start-up ecosystem, face unique challenges due to social
role expectations, gender bias, and financial limitations. Despite this, they build and
manage sustainable businesses, particularly in Germany’s consulting sector, where
traditional gender roles persist. However, there is limited understanding of how female
entrepreneurs grow and leverage social capital.
This study explores how female entrepreneurs in Germany's consulting industry
develop and leverage social capital for business growth. Drawing on the theories of
Bourdieu (1983, 1986 & 2000), Skeggs (1997, 2004), and Granovetter (1983), this
research employs a case-based approach to examine female entrepreneurs' particular
experiences. Semi-structured interviews, analysed through thematic analysis, provided
in-depth insights (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
The study contributes to understanding how female entrepreneurs navigate social
relations, how societal factors influence their practices, and how the consulting sector's
dynamics shape their approaches. Findings highlight that female entrepreneurs prioritize
strong ties, differing from typical business networks that rely on weak ties. Strong ties
also enable barter, a common practice in the consulting industry.
Additionally, they face gender-specific challenges while benefitting from female role
models
System justification in action : banal ideology and the rhetorical mobilisation of democracy in UK parliamentary debates concerning Brexit
Full text linkThis thesis critically engages with System Justification Theory (SJT) and Banal Nationalism. SJT
demonstrates that ideological beliefs motivate people to either preserve or challenge the status quo.
There is however limited research considering how system justification can be understood as an
observable process. System justification can instead be re-conceptualised from a relatively static
cognitive-motivational construct to a dynamic process enacted in discourse. Banal Nationalism
meanwhile demonstrates that individuals treat nation-states as natural entities around which to
organise human affairs. The concept of banality is however not exclusive to nationalism because
it has the potential to be applied to other forms of ideology. I aim to address this by showing that
democracy is taken-for-granted as a natural feature of the UK’s political system. The data were
drawn from the official Hansard records of UK House of Commons debates relating to the
‘European Union (Withdrawal) Act.’ To capture system justification in action, and show the
banality of democracy, I used a discursive-rhetorical psychological framework to analyse 22
debates. The banality of democratic ideology is indicated by politicians treating democracy as a
universal value which does not need to be justified. System justification in action was
demonstrated when politicians from left- and right-wing parties constructed the status quo and
depicted themselves as either preserving or challenging it to achieve rhetorical goals. By
demonstrating both the banality of democracy and system justification in action, this thesis warns
social psychologists against accepting discursive and rhetorical psychology’s seminal work on
ideology without question
Advancing techno-economic assessment for emission reduction technologies in the cement industry
Full text linkThe cement industry, characterised by low profit margins, accounts for approximately 7% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and has the highest carbon intensity per unit of revenue
among all industries. To achieve full decarbonisation of this sector, it is essential to develop economically viable strategies that incentivise CO2 emission reductions. To guide policymakers and
decision-makers from industry or academia in search of decarbonisation strategies, ex-ante system analysis tools including techno-economic assessments (TEA) are essential. This thesis advances techno-economic assessments of emission reduction technologies in the cement industry,
both by conducting crucial assessments that have been lacking in this field (e.g., investigating
potential business cases for CO2 mineralisation technologies) and by providing guidance for modellers on good and maybe bad practices in TEAs of emerging technologies, aiming to provide
actionable insights for policymakers, industry decision-makers, and researchers.
The research addresses three key questions, each explored in a peer-reviewed article. First, it
evaluates the role of CO2 mineralisation in creating economically viable pathways to net-zero
emissions. The results indicate that CO2 mineralisation using virgin minerals could reduce emissions by 8-33% at optimal plant sizes, with potential for profitability when supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are produced. This suggests CO2 mineralisation could be a transitional technology in the decarbonisation of cement production. Second, it demonstrates the critical
role of uncertainty analyses in TEAs, advocating for the use of global sensitivity analysis methods
to enhance transparency and reliability in decision-making. Third, it assesses least-cost decarbonisation strategies across different European regions using geospatial modelling, considering plant
locations and potential synergies between industrial actors. The results highlight significant regional cost variations and underscore the importance of coordinated efforts among industry stakeholders to minimise decarbonisation costs.
Overall, this thesis provides actionable insights into economically viable emission reduction strategies in the cement industry while offering methodological advancements for TEAs . By integrating uncertainty analyses and geospatial considerations, it contributes to the development of robust, evidence-based decarbonisation pathways.Heriot-Watt University scholarshi
A leadership perspective on drivers of team performance during mandatory telework in the UAE
Full text linkTraditionally, telework – also referred to as Work-from-home (WFH) - is a voluntary
work agreement between an employee and their line manager to partially work outside
the usual office location. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 forced companies around the
world into ”lock-downs”, applying mandatory and full-time telework. These “telework”
models differed substantially from traditional conceptualizations of telework: The
arrangements were not voluntary but rather imposed and furthermore, the extent of
teleworking practices increased from partial to full-time. Traditional telework knowledge
is unable to explain phenomena under these new conditions. Companies lack guidance on
how to cope best with a crisis situation where mandatory and full extent telework adoption
becomes obligatory. Mandatory telework has rarely been conceptualized in literature. The
study’s aim is to address this gap in knowledge by investigating drivers of successful
adoptions of mandatory telework from a leadership perspective. Team performance is
justified as success measure in the study. Mandatory telework remains a relevant topic
even after the pandemic is over: The findings of the study could be applied to other crisis
scenarios where mandatory telework must be adopted, for example violent conflicts due
to increasing geopolitical instability as well as increasing natural disasters due to global
warming like floods and hurricanes. A mixed methods approach with triangulation design
is adopted.
The study is conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for four reasons: First,
although there is a vibrant academic community in the UAE, not many studies have
examined telework in this region. Second, the UAE are a regional technology hub with
highest ICT (information and communication technology) standards like broadband
penetration and speed. Telework use and ICT are known to be correlated. Third, the UAE
managed the crisis exceptionally well, both in economic as well as in public health terms,
which makes this region a case to learn from. Fourth, the researcher is based in the UAE,
therefore gaining access to leaders is feasible. The population of the study are leaders in
the UAE who “normally” work with their teams in traditional office environments.
Two research questions are asked:
1. What are drivers of team performance during mandatory telework – from a UAE
leaders’ perspective?
2. How do UAE leaders overcome challenges when having to implement mandatory
telework?
Through systematic review of key literature, the study identifies key concepts for
potential drivers: Boundary management, media-rich collaboration technology, trust and
shared leadership. Research hypotheses are developed, assuming relationships between
the drivers and team performance with trust as a moderator. Findings from quantitative
and qualitative parts are triangulated.
The study found that boundary management, media-richness in communication and
shared leadership are drivers of team performance in a mandatory telework environment.
The role of trust as a moderator or mediator was inconclusive in the study. Particular
challenges related to mandatory telework were identified: mental health and workflow
inefficiency.
The study contributes to theory by extending boundary theory, media-richness theory and
shared leadership theory into the new application “mandatory telework”. In literature,
these theories had been applied to other contexts like traditional telework or virtual teams
but not to mandatory telework. Developing practical guidance for companies from the
findings of the study represents the contribution to practice
Accelerating offshore wind development in Indonesia : a case study of South Sulawesi
No full textAbstract and full text unavailable. Restricted access until 29.11.2027. Please refer to PDF
Simulation of Wishart processes and generalised Heston models
Full text linkThe topic of this work is in studying the Wishart processes in the extended
Heston model framework, which is commonly used as a pricing tool in finance.
A volatility process, which is driven by the Wishart process, is simulated by the
exact splitting scheme of Ahdida and Alfonsi [2]. We enhance their approach by
adding the component of a time integral of volatility to the existing generator of
the Wishart process. We also avoid the expensive matrix exponentiation procedure,
that Ahdida and Alfonsi [2] state about, by the change of measure approach from
Malham et al. [50] and Gnoatto and Grasselli [28]. Using the composition techniques
from Ninomiya and Victoir [55], we construct the three new schemes to sample the
pairs of volatility and its time integral. One of the schemes has a local error of order
two, whereas the other two schemes are based on the Strang splitting with the local
errors of order three. The change of measure approach of Gnoatto and Grasselli [28]
helps us to transfer between the restricted and full parameter cases of the Wishart
processes.
The sampled pairs of volatility and its time integral are then used during the
pricing procedure. Comparison of the moment generating functions with Gnoatto
and Grasselli [28], and comparison of the call option prices with Leung [45], are used
to show a correctness of the implemented schemes.EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Mathematical
Modelling, Analysis and Computation (project reference EP/S023291/1) grant 2277802
Learning change management : case study of a mining company undergoing expansion
Full text linkZambia's mining industry has a long history, dating back to the late 1920s. However, a prolonged
period of mismanagement resulted in reduced funding, poor performance, and increased
operational risk. In 1991, the mines were privatised, and the Swiss mining company, Glencore,
acquired Mopani Copper Mines, one of the industry's largest units operating in the Copperbelt
province. This company is a substantial contributor to employment, GDP, and foreign exchange
earnings in Zambia.
To address operational risks, the organisation adopted a risk management framework called
SafeMining, which was developed by the International Council of Metals and Minerals to create a
safety culture where all workplaces recorded zero accidents. The implementation of SafeMining
resulted in several changes, including the introduction of new technologies, mechanisation of
underground operations, ISA smelting, modification of procedures and practices, adoption of a
comprehensive risk assessment and management system, and subcontracting of key operations.
However, the organisation had little experience of managing change, with no documentation of
past changes and how these were managed.
To review and understand the change programme in Mopani Copper mines, this study was
conducted to identify existing problems and areas for improvement. The study used a multi methods approach, which included case studies in which staff were interviewed, documents and
incidents were reviewed, and a small questionnaire survey was undertaken. From this it was found
that despite additional controls being developed and implemented, inappropriate risk behaviour
and poor management of operational risk persisted. The conclusion is that the culture change
initiative has failed to achieve its goals. The evidence gathered points to the organisation relying
heavily on experts, often external to the organisation, in the implementation process. They did not
understand the workplace and the changes were not supported or owned by senior management.
There is a failure to align organisational structures and resources to achieve a safety culture. This,
when combined with poor communication with workers and middle management and the lack of
involvement of senior management, means that the change programme had little chance of success.
These findings, coupled with learnings from literature, led to the formulation of a plan to help
remedy the situation and improve the safety and operation of the mining company
Investigation of mechanical and structural properties based on bond development under different printing conditions in fused deposition modelling
Full text linkFused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printing presents a compelling alternative to
conventional manufacturing methods from a professional research perspective. Its unique
attributes address key challenges inherent in traditional manufacturing paradigms. As
such, FDM emerges as a catalyst for advancing manufacturing practices, offering
researchers avenues for exploration in efficiency, sustainability, and design innovation.
One of the main obstacles of FDM technologies is the poor mechanical properties of
fabricated parts, resulting in the lack of functionality and its low production rate.
The research centred on a systematic exploration of temperature-associated printing
parameters within the domain of FDM. Temperature measurement techniques were
employed to track temperature changes during printing and cyclic heating based on
different printing parameters. Next, the physical dimensions of printed rasters was
correlated with bonding mechanisms, and their effect on mechanical properties (e.g.
tensile, flexural, impact strengths) was quantified. As an auxiliary study, the research was
also supplemented with investigations on other printing parameters such as printing
speed, layer height, deposition sequence and raster orientation which also affected the
temperature development during the printing process.
The research findings provided crucial insights into the ramifications of printing
parameters that induced temperature changes. In the present work, the underlying
mechanism of physical bonding between printed rasters were investigated and related to
the mechanical properties of fabricated parts. Results showed that changes to printing
temperature was most significant due to its reheating effect on previously deposited
layers. This promotes the spreading of deposited rasters resulting in a reduction of size
and percentage of voids was observed when cross section of the fabricated parts were
examined. It was ascertained that the mechanical properties improved due to better
developed physical bonds when printing temperature increases due to its reduced
viscosity.
By refining printing parameters in accordance with the findings, users can achieve
superior mechanical performance. Thereby, they can enhance the applicability of FDM
technology across various industries and driving advancements in additive manufacturing
methodologies, fostering innovation and efficiency in production processes
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