Research from BCU has provided a basis of programmes that developed a series of service chain multi-unit leaders and area managers.
Research summary
Research from Professor Christian Edger, Associate Professor Scott Lichtenstein, and Professor Alexandros Psychogios enabled over 800 multi-unit managers across 22 organisations to use research results, models and frameworks in order to enhance their business practice, progression and performance.
When surveyed, 94% of Business managers agreed that the programme improved their impact and performance, and 97% agree that Accelerating the Multi-Unit Leader and Service Chain Growth (AMUL) research was integral to their success. Testimonials from service chain business leaders also confirmed multiple successful impacts on their organisations’ culture, sales and growth.
Research background
The research of the Business School has provided the intellectual input through which successive groups of area managers have been developed. The AMUL has drawn on the research expertise of three academics who have delivered the AMUL programme.
Edger used qualitative case study, and secondary quantitative survey data from 21 services change organisations to create an ‘Effective MUL Model’, outlining what is outstanding area manager practice. Central to this model was Portfolio Optimisation through Social Exchange (POSE) which provided new insights into the performance of upper quartile operators. The ‘Effective MUL Model’, the notions of POSE and local leadership, helped area managers to extend their practice beyond ‘managerialism’, accelerating their development into high performance multi-unit leaders.
The research of Lichtenstein expands on this, exploring emotional intelligence and the relationship between executive decision-making and personal values which has been delivered to AMUL cohorts. Using mixed-methods and focus groups, this work demonstrated the efficacy of a behavioural strategy approach.
Psychogios research focused on the reluctance of Multi-Unit Leaders in using formal feedback processes. His research proposes a three-fold form of feedback through which managers can expand their perspectives of feedback from feeding-back to feeding-forward, thereby enhancing the confidence of employees, and making it easier to deal with challenges.
Impact and outcomes
AMUL research has informed a series of postgraduate programmes, which have been delivered to over 800 delegates, and 22 UK organisations, including:
- Four of the leading pub-restaurant chains in the UK: Stonegate Group; Greene King ; Mitchells and Butlers; and, Marstons.
- The UK’s largest hotel chain, Premier Inn.
- The UK’s largest, St Gobain builders’ merchants and cohorts throughout the Builders Merchant Federation.
- The UK’s largest land-based leisure gaming company, Rank Plc.
- Other fast-growing SMEs (including Oakman Inns).
Impacts include increased commercial sector confidence and generated income of £775,000 to the Business school, demonstrating the ongoing value to these companies.’
The ‘Effective MUL Model’ was created while researching at the start programme, and published shortly after. In a 2020 survey of participants:
- 97% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that AMUL’s research was integral to the success of the AMUL programme; and,
- 94% of respondents acknowledged that their day-to-day management practice, as middle managers, continued to be informed by the knowledge and understanding gained from this research.
Reports from area managers confirm that the AMUL models have enhances practice and performance in the industry; provided support in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, enhanced prospects of career progression with 57% of managers who confirmed they had been promoted during the REF period.
A series of written testimonials from the service chain clients of the MUL Programme also support its growth impact on their organisations.
