Our approach here at the Leeds University Business School is that knowledge transfer is an extension of research and teaching. We believe it is important for a world-class research centre to engage with external bodies and disseminate expertise by means of conferences, seminars, masterclasses and by the provision of expert advice to policy makers on a regional, national and international basis.
We carry out much of our work in this area through strategic partnerships with a number of blue-chip organisations. We encourage private and public sector organisations to play an active role in the School's research. This can involve a range of activities from a short interview and survey to a fully-commissioned bespoke research project.
Leeds University Business School is a research-led school and its research teams are amongst the best in the world. We have research centres covering all the major business disciplines including Accounting and Finance, Economics, International Business, Management, Marketing, and Work and Employment Relations. A substantial proportion of our research is undertaken through partnership and collaboration with organisations and we play a full part in government-funded schemes to increase university-business interaction such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and CASE awards.
Leeds University Business School and DawMed International Ltd
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between LUBS and DawMed International Ltd, a manufacturer of medical decontamination solutions, aims to develop the firm's capacity to trade internationally.
During the first half of this two-year project, we assessed DawMed’s export readiness, applied export market selection models, carries out market research in the potential target countries, and improved the company's export communication infrastructure.
Adam Cross, a senior lecturer at CIBUL, knowledgeable in the field of international business, provides continuous support and expertise to the project. The academic supervisor meets with the company supervisor and the associate for monthly KTP Project Meetings to review progress and agree on new action plans. Lead academic, Professor Jeremy Clegg, leads the project's overall performance, along with a Momenta representative. The University provides expertise in the research methods needed to create tailor-made knowledge solutions for the company partner.
In return, the developments taking place in the company offer the University unique insights in the internationalisation process of a small manufacturing firm. We intend that a number of case studies will be developed from the project for teaching purposes, thus building further the link between research and learning.
A CASE Award in action
A three year studentship with project partners the Centre for International Business University of Leeds (CIBUL) and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) will investigate the managerial decision-making and strategising structures of British multinational enterprises that operate in, or are expanding into, locations in China beyond the major conurbations of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In particular, it will investigate the following research questions:
- to what extent are British companies able to successfully identify locations in China that match and enhance their resources and capabilities?,
- how successfully have British firms achieved a good fit between their resources and capabilities and the industrial competencies of particular regions of China?,
- what are the factors driving the relocation of activities away from larger municipalities towards regional cities in China?, and
- what role do headquarter directives and subsidiary-specific ownership advantages play in this process?
In so doing, the project will identify and characterise the industrial competencies of China at a sub-national level, and will relate these to the resources and capabilities of British firms which have expanded, or are looking to expand, their sphere of operations to China's regions. Data for answering these research questions will be obtained through case studies of thirty British companies with operations in China, and a questionnaire survey of all British companies known to be active in China.
For more examples of how we are working with organisations, please visit Leeds University Business & Enterprise Case Studies
For an initial discussion as to how your organisation might play a part in the Business School’s research agenda, please contact:
Development Director
0113 344 3913
Corporate Relations and Projects Manager
0113 344 3916
