ABOUT THE RESEARCH

The Special Interest Group for Emerging Technologies (SIG for ET) aims to:

Conduct interdisciplinary research into the theory, methods and technologies underpinning the transformation of processes through technology.
Inform teaching and learning policies, practices and curricular developments of emerging technologies in Higher Education.

This group is operating as an interdisciplinary and internationally embedded research and knowledge community which conducts research into the social, cultural and experiential dimensions of the design, use and futures of new and emerging technologies. In support of teaching and learning across the OLC portfolio of curricula, this group is a cross-faculty initiative that conducts research on behalf of the academic programmes of Business and Management Studies, Healthcare Professional Studies, Computing Technologies, Education and Training, and areas of Hospitality, Tourism and Travel.

Projects

The Special Interest Group for Emerging Technologies (SIG for ET) encourages research that supports the OLC Ethos: To Improve our Impact on Society: which is expressed by the formula.

Is = ∑E1 x ∑E2 x ∑E3 x Cp

Where Expressing the OLC Ethos as an Ethical Aim and Strategic Intent gives:-

– E1: We seek to improve our positive engagements with all stakeholders
– E2: We will improve the effectiveness of evaluation of our people, process and systems
– E3: We shall implement enhancements that improve our teaching and learning environments and practices
– Cp: We shall maintain our constancy of purpose by providing HE programmes in Business, Teaching, Hospitality and Health Care

The group prioritises a high level of engagement with a multiplicity of stakeholders (employees, managers, trade unions, policymakers, professionals, and government), and encourages research that is inter-sectoral but aims to make a difference to local communities that OLC serve.

A recent project that was carried out as part of a European Funded Erasmus bid captured the requirements for training and developing staff competencies and skills within the Social Enterprise (or Third Sector). The outcome of the research carried out with a team of researchers led by Dr Chris Bamber of OLC (Europe) Ltd, playing a key role under the umbrella of Businet (at the moment, the organisation has 143 higher education sector members and is represented in 35 countries; see, https://www.businet.org.uk/) was

"The Third Way (T3W): Development of a new curriculum that supports and promotes Social Enterprise as a destination of choice for European vocational and higher education graduates"

The curriculum devised is now available in digital form as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and can be delivered as innovative face-to-face programmes of study.

For the content of the course and more about this Erasmus “The Third Way” research project see:

https://thethirdway.eu/

Publications

The role of the maintenance organisation in an integrated management system, Bamber, Chris; with Sharp, John; Hides, Mick, Managerial Auditing Journal; Volume 17 No. 1; 2002
Woodhead, M., Graham, G., Bamber, C.J., Priestley, D. and Sharp, J.M. "Lean and Agile Manufacturing for SMEs in the UK Aerospace Sector", paper submitted to the Int. Journal of Operations Management
Developing management systems towards integrated manufacturing: a case study perspective Bamber, C.J.; with Sharp, J.M.; Hides, M.T. Integrated Manufacturing Systems; Volume 11 No. 7; 2000
Factors affecting successful implementation of total productive maintenance. A UK manufacturing case study perspective Bamber, C.J.; with Sharp, J.M.; Hides, M.T. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering; Volume 5 No. 3; 1999
Bamber, C, J, and Sharp, J,M, "New developments in Quality Systems Certification and its Role in CE Marking" at the New Developments in the Quality Systems Certification Conference at the World Quality Day, organised by the Turkish Standards Institute in Ankara, Turkey in November 2003.
Castka, P., Bamber, C.J. and Sharp, J.M."Problems and barriers in implementation of process based quality management systems", 2003, Proceedings of the 8th Int. Conf. on ISO9000 and TQM, Montreal, Canada, April 2003, pp134-140. Edited by Ho, S.
Michaela A. Balzarova, Christopher J. Bamber, & Sharon McCambridge (2002), The factors affecting successful implementation of a process-based management in a UK housing association enterprise, Int. Conf. on Systems Thinking in Management, University of Salford, UK, April 2002
Pavel Castka, Chris J. Bamber, & John M. Sharp, A systems approach to the development of High Performance Teams (HPTs), Int. Conf. on Systems Thinking in Management, University of Salford, UK, April 2002.
Sharp, J.M. & Bamber, C.J. "Agile Manufacturing in UK Aerospace SMEs", 2002, Int. Conf. on Systems Thinking in Management, University of Salford, UK, April 2002.
Boyes, J., Bamber, C.J., Motara, Y. & Sharp, J.M. "Managing your PC the 5S Way", 2002, Int. Conf. on Systems Thinking in Management, University of Salford, UK, April 2002.
Bamber, C.J and Sharp, J.M "Quality Systems Certification and its Role in CE Marking in the Glass Industry", at the Quality and CE Marking Glass Industry forum in London in September 2004.
Sharp, J.M., Bamber, C.J. & Hides, M.T. "Integrated Management Systems: An Agile Management Enabler", 2000, Int. Conf. on Systems Thinking in Management, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, Nov 2000.
Bamber, C. And Motara, Y, (2000), The contribution of the 5S’s towards Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
J.M.Sharp, C.J.Bamber and M.T.Hides (2000), A Futuristic Evaluation of the Maintenance Function in the Organisation, COrE Research Group, University of Salford, UK, paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
M.T.Hides, J.M.Sharp and C.J.Bamber, (2000), Shifting the Maintenance Paradigm, COrE Research Group, University of Salford, UK, University of Salford,UK, paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
J.M.Sharp, C.J.Bamber, P.Caska and Y. Motara (2000), Towards Team and People Centred Maintenance, paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
Sharp, J.M., Bamber, C.J., Desai, S. & Irani, Z. N. "An Empirical Analysis of Lean and Agile Manufacturing", 1999, Seminar at I. Mech. E. Manufacturing Industries Division, I. Mech. E. HQ, London, March 1999.
Sharp, J.M. and Bamber, C.J. "Managing Corporate Social Responsibility and its implications for Businesses", paper presented at Institute of Credit Management (ICM), Manchester, Nov 2004.
Bamber, C.J. & Sharp, J.M. "Managing Agility through Developing Partnerships", paper presented at ‘British Academy of Management (BAM)’ conf. at Edinburgh University, Scotland, September 2000.
Bamber., C.J., Sharp, J.M. "The Role of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in Modern Maintenance", A one- day workshop presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
Bamber, C.J. & Sharp, J.M. "Factors Affecting Successful Implementation of Total Productive Maintenance", paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf. at University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 2000.
Bamber, C.J., Sharp, J.M. & Kutucuoglu, K. "Future Skills Required for Maintenance Engineers", paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf, University of Pretoria, South Africa, Aug 1999.
Sharp, J.M. & Bamber, C.J. "Successfully Implementing Total Productive Maintenance", paper presented at IFRIM Workshop, May, 1999, University of Salford, Salford.
Sharp, J.M., Bamber, C.J. & Hides, M.T. "International Standards Affecting Maintenance Engineers", paper presented at ‘World Trends in Maintenance Engineering’ conf University of Pretoria, South Africa, Aug 1999.