Dr Matthew Davis and Dr Helen Hughes, Associate Professors at Leeds University Business School, talk about what social networks at work are, and why they matter. They discuss how office space affects networks, if there's an optimum number of days to be in the office to make your networks effective, and offer some top tips for employers. 

For further information: 

Read the report. https://futureworkplace.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2022/10/Where-is-your-office-today-Oct-2022-2.pdf 
 
Visit the website. https://futureworkplace.leeds.ac.uk/ 

Listen to the podcast series. https://soundcloud.com/leedsunibschool/sets/adapting-offices-for-the?si=d22e4abb276a404da069aadc6cc20920&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  

 
This project - Adapting offices to support COVID-19 secure workplaces and emerging work patterns - is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to Covid-19. Visit the webpage www.bitly.com/adaptingoffices 

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in November 2022. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact  research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available at: https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/285/episode_56_transcript_-_episode_56_%E2%80%93_what_are_work_social_networks

About the speakers: Dr Matthew Davis is an Associate Professor at Leeds University Business School, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His research centres on how people interact with their environments, office design, hybrid working and future workplaces. He also researches how businesses engage in CSR, particularly to address sustainability and modern slavery. 

Dr Helen Hughes is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and Associate Professor at Leeds University Business School. She specialises in the social dynamics of workplace relationships, as well as graduate employability and early career transitions to the workplace. She is passionate about translating high-quality research into usable insights and strategies, working with partners such as Rolls-Royce, The National Health Service and KPMG.

What are work social networks and how do they relate to hybrid working?

In this episode, Jana Javornik speaks to Paul Hayes, Senior Policy Fellow at Leeds University Business School, about his experience as a policy manager at a local council and what it is like working in local government. They also discuss how local government engages with academics and how academics can get on policymakers’ radars and build networks with those working in local councils. 

If you would like to get in touch about this episode, please contact Jana Javornik at research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available: https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/317/the-business-of-policymaking-podcast---transcripts

For more information about Leeds University Business School’s work with policymakers visit the website. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-innovation

About the speaker: Paul Hayes is a Senior Policy Fellow at Leeds University Business School. He was formerly corporate policy manager at Wakefield Council and policy lead for the Key Cities Group, an association of 27 mid-size UK cities. This role encompassed policy advisory work to local, regional and national politicians; development and authorship of local and regional strategies and plans; engagement with and representation on working groups of UK government and national bodies; and responses to consultations. The role also included scoping, commissioning and joint development of academic and think tank research and engagement with business and voluntary and community sectors.

In conversation with Paul Hayes

With food prices on the rise, we’ve all been conscious of how to keep our families fed and our budgets in check. Who are the communities hardest hit – and how can we help? How do we stay healthy while reducing the cost of food? Can more investment in traditional markets change how we consume food? 

Host Rich Williams is joined by University of Leeds academics Michelle Morris, Professor of Data Science for Food, Effie Papargyropoulou, Associate Professor in Sustainable Food Networks and Sara Gonzalez, Professor at the School of Geography. 

Resources https://medium.com/globalfoodleeds/food-hubs-support-communities-against-food-poverty 7f1523f6b59 
Healthy Choices Healthy Lives: https://lida.leeds.ac.uk/research-projects/healthy-choices-healthy-lives/ 
Priority Places for Food Index: https://priorityplacesforfood.which.co.uk/ Trussell Trust: https://www.trusselltrust.org 

Presented by Rich Williams. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio Production: Jade Bailey. Design: James Parrett. Lead Producer: Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. HOW TO FIX… is a Podmasters Production for the University of Leeds Communications and Engagement team.

How do we cut the cost of healthy food?

Air pollution is a key problem in our cities. Why is the air that we breathe so poor – and how do we fix it? Are ‘clean air zones’ working? How can we protect ourselves and children from the harmful pollutants that contaminate our air? 

Host Rich Williams is joined by University of Leeds academics Jim McQuaid, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Composition, Cath Noakes, Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings, and James Tate, Associate Professor in ITS. 

Resources: Living Lab for Air Quality: https://sustainability.leeds.ac.uk/news/living-lab-for-air-quality/ Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring project: https://samhe.org.uk/about 

Presented by Rich Williams. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio Production: Jade Bailey. Design: James Parrett. Lead Producer: Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. HOW TO FIX… is a Podmasters Production for the University of Leeds Communications and Engagement team.

How do we clean up our air?

Jana Javornik speaks to Petra Petan, a policy assistant in the cabinet of Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for the Economy. Petra gives some useful insight into the daily work of the European Commission, as well as providing some advice on how academics can work with members of the Commission. 

If you would like to get in touch about this episode, please contact Jana Javornik at research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/317/the-business-of-policymaking-podcast---transcripts

For more information about Leeds University Business School’s work with policymakers visit the website. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-innovation

About the speaker:  

Petra Petan is a political economist with a Masters from the London School of Economics and a degree in English language and literature from the University of Ljubljana. 

After her first job in finance, she realised that policy and EU affairs are where her heart lies and got her first taste for both during a give-month Blue Book traineeship at the Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission in 2017. She later moved to a different part of the European Commission, getting acquainted with the European Semester. 

Petra later returned to her hometown of Ljubljana to join the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development as a Senior Advisor on social and employment topics. 

At the end of 2019, she joined the newly formed Commission of President von der Leyen, as Policy Assistant in the Cabinet of Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economy. Ever since, she’s worked in the cabinet on a vast array of topics, from the European Semester to the Customs Union, with ECOFIN and Eurogroup coordination and Sustainable Development Goals in between. Drawing on her previous experience in employment and social issues, she’s been responsible for the coordination these topics with the cabinet of EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights. She’s also been covering financial affairs, international partnerships, and foresight.

In conversation with Petra Petan

Lena Jaspersen and Tony Morgan talk about their pedagogical research on the development of employability skills in students engaged in challenge-based learning in diverse teams. Drawing on assignments produced for their own module “Innovation, Thinking and Practice”, Tony and Lena analysed reflective diaries that the students wrote throughout the module. Findings provided useful insights into how team-based learning can be designed to improve inclusivity and enhance learning outcomes, including employability skills. Lena and Tony discuss how pedagogical research can connect research and teaching activities in mutually beneficial ways.    

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in December 2023. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/325/transcript---designing-management-and-innovation-courses-for-team-based-learning   

Useful resources: 

LITE Research Project: https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/research/fellowships/i-de-es-project/ 

Diverging and Converging for Team-Based Learning: https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/diverging-and-converging-for-team-based-learning/ 

Design Thinking for Student Projects book: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/design-thinking-for-student-projects/book276875 

About the speakers:  
Lena Jaspersen is an early-career researcher with a multidisciplinary background in international sociology and organisation studies. Lena’s overarching research interests are in collaborative innovation processes, in particular in the context of global development, and qualitative research methods.  

Tony Morgan (FHEA) is an Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice at the University of Leeds in the UK, where he teaches interdisciplinary and team-based innovation modules. He previously held senior innovation and technology roles at IBM. Tony's primary interests include design thinking, innovation and innovation management, emerging technology, pedagogy and student skills development. Research areas include how students learn when working in diverse and interdiscplinary teams. Tony is the author of multiple books, and co-author with Lena of Design Thinking for Student Projects.

Designing management and innovation courses for team-based learning

Dr Jo Cutter is joined by Sam Perry, Green Bargaining Officer for Yorkshire and the Humber Trades Union Congress (TUC), to discuss the work the TUC is doing in the region to support a Just Transition for workers. 

This project is funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation – Just Transition: Aktivitäten im internationalen Vergleich 2021-582-2.  

Visit the project webpage. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-projects/1990/just-transition-action-concepts-debates-and-strategies-an-international-comparison-across-11-countries

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in November 2023. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. To find out more about the TUC’s Just Transition work, or to join the Yorkshire and Humber Just Transition Network, email Sam Perry sperry@tuc.org.uk.  

A transcript of this episode is available. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/294/podcast-just-transitions---a-global-exploration

About the speakers: 

Dr Jo Cutter is a lecturer in Work and Employment Relations at Leeds University Business School. Her research focuses on employment relations, social dialogue and the regulation of work with a core focus on skills, education and training. She is currently researching these themes concerning two contexts: workers and the just transition and labour mobility. 

Sam Perry is the Green Bargaining Officer for Yorkshire and the Humber TUC. He is focused on raising the profile of environmental action within the labour movement and building capacity in trade unions to bargain for justice as organisations adapt to the need to decarbonise. His special interest is in making the case for a massive growth of energy efficiency retrofits to homes across Yorkshire and the Humber, where he brings together a background in social housing and political and union activism.

The Trades Union Congress on climate change and workers’ voices

Dr Olga Ustyuzhantseva speaks to Mattia Dessì about Russia’s energy situation and the state's views on it; the ecological impact of coal in Russia; and the role of the labour movement in Russia's coal industry. 

This project is funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation – Just Transition: Aktivitäten im internationalen Vergleich 2021-582-2. 

Visit the project webpage. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/faculty/dir-record/research-projects/1990/just-transition-action-concepts-debates-and-strategies-an-international-comparison-across-11-countries

This podcast episode was recorded remotely in May 2023. If you would like to get in touch regarding this podcast, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk. A transcript of this episode is available. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/294/podcast-just-transitions---a-global-exploration
 
About the speakers: Mattia Dessì is a Postgraduate Researcher at Leeds University Business School. His PhD research focuses on new technologies and the future of work in the South African mining industry. 

Dr Olga Ustyuzhantseva is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa). Her recent research focus is on the sociotechnical transition to the sustainable development of coal-mining countries (South Africa and Russia), particularly climate, energy, and just transition policies and their impact on the coal phase-out trajectory.

Just Transitions – a global exploration: Russia

Leeds University Business School’s Research and Innovation podcast brings you insights from our expert researchers. From the future of work, to disruptive technologies; green behaviours to emerging markets, we’ll be covering a wide-range of topical issues and novel ideas. 

Listen to the podcast to find out more about our research and how it’s inspiring business managers, informing policymakers and influencing society.

If you have any comments regarding any of these episodes, please contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk.

What are work social networks and how do they relate to hybrid working?

Leeds University Business School

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