Place-based policy is well-established in the UK. However, in my research on business support for creatives and conversations with policymakers, I have observed that ‘place’ is often used interchangeably with ‘location’, with no distinction made between the two. This observation has caught my attention, not only as a former geographer, but also because I believe… Read more
I recently worked on some new groundbreaking research with the ERC examining access to and use of equity finance amongst UK early-stage ventures. This involved the first national survey to explore the process of how potential high growth startup ventures access their first formally reported round of equity finance. The research is important because the… Read more
Supporting line managers during challenging times Employers are waking up to growing workplace mental health issues since the pandemic, with greater commitment to initiatives and practices to address them. But will they be able to continue that commitment as the cost of doing business spirals? And how can they best support the line managers who… Read more
This blog, by Dr Juliet Hassard, Associate Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Nottingham, links to our ongoing work programme on the theme of workplace mental health and productivity. You can find out more about our major research project on this theme, which is funded by the ESRC here Many people… Read more
It has often been suggested that smaller firms – especially more risk averse family-owned firms – may be reluctant to invest in new technologies or innovation. The Evolve Digital scheme, a business support programme for family run businesses, was developed through 2019 to address this issue. Evolve Digital was implemented as a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)… Read more
Firms’ increasing use of digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely highlighted. At the same time, evidence of the growing climate crisis also points to the need for firms to move towards more sustainable, low carbon ways of operating. The implications of these digital and net zero transitions for firms’ productivity upgrading are… Read more
The State of Small Business Britain report is the Enterprise Research Centre’s annual review of trends affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. The report discusses the findings from research and analysis carried out and/or published by the ERC in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to dominate the research agenda this year,… Read more
Recently I visited a company that had performed rather well during the lockdown. One of the lucky ones, its sales grew because they were focused on a domestic market concerned with people’s homes. In the lockdown, this market performed well as fewer people have been commuting to work and have been spending a larger proportion… Read more
Mental health issues have received a high profile in recent months, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that the crisis provoked by the pandemic has led to an inexorable increase in mental ill-health, and that this in turn has implications for productivity and employee wellbeing. Yet research carried out by the ERC indicates… Read more
A new working paper co-authored by ERC colleagues Mark Hart , Stephen Roper and Jun Du has been published by The Productivity Institute, outlining the ‘Organisational Capital’ research theme. The central theme of this programme of work is the need for greater understanding of heterogeneity in terms of the drivers of productivity and the role different types… Read more
Media Release issued by the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot Small businesses across the Midlands need urgent help with improving wellbeing in the workplace after a new report showed COVID-19 is now a main factor in causing mental health absences from work. The Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) is encouraging businesses to get in touch… Read more
Two new reports have been published by the Department for Economy NI. The research completed by Queen’s University Belfast provides insights on how Northern Ireland Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) have responded to environmental issues and on the digital transformation process of Northern Ireland small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The… Read more
Published this morning read the latest ERC Research paper and Blog looking at how UK COVID-19 emergency public support measures, furlough funding and loan guarantees during the pandemic have influenced firms’ future investment intentions and employee wellbeing. Click here for the Research paper Click here for the blog
In the first episode Lee Hopley is joined by Professor Stephen Roper, Director of the ERC, and Professor Mark Hart and Dr Vicki Belt, Deputy Directors at the ERC discussing the ERC’s research into small and medium-sized enterprises, and particularly about what they have found out about how businesses have fared over the past year during… Read more
Over the past decade, we have seen a historic slowdown in productivity growth. While there is some cause for optimism based on the rapid adoption of tech during the pandemic, boosting productivity should still be the top priority for any government. After all, more than anything else, it is what determines wages and living standards…. Read more
The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) is asking rural and farming businesses in the North East, South West and Midlands how they are dealing with COVID-19 to explore the lesser-known area of rural resilience. There is little research about how small firms in rural areas manage crises and how they recover so NICRE… Read more
2020 was a terrible year for UK trade. Overall, UK exports in goods contracted by almost 15%, down by £54.5 bln[i] in the twelve-month period, this is even worse than the contraction seen in the UK economy as a whole, which was just under 10% in GDP terms. [ii] Furthermore, the early 2021 bilateral trade… Read more
The dire consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on many firms across the UK continue with depressing implications for employment and future prosperity. The government has invested heavily in supporting businesses through the furlough scheme, loan schemes and rate relief. The strengths and limitations of these measures have been widely covered in the media, but less… Read more
ERC’s 2020 State of Small Business Britain is now out. And what a year it has been for the UK’s small businesses. ‘Unprecedented’ must be the defining word of 2020 and our latest report looks at how the unprecedented events of this year have translated into impacts on and actions by small and medium enterprises… Read more
Over 40% of UK’s small and medium-sized firms report COVID-related hit to turnover, while 3 in 10 forced to cut jobs Around 200,000 firms could be close to collapse based on analysis of those trading insolvently or running out of cash But a fifth of firms report positive impacts from the pandemic, with many embracing… Read more
Ask anyone working with small business owners and they will tell you great stories of how mentoring and training can transform people and their businesses. Each of these stories is important in its own right. In terms of policy, however, this type of anecdotal evidence is of little value in terms of justifying public investments… Read more
Thousands of businesses across England will remain shuttered today as the new month-long coronavirus lockdown takes effect. Citing new scientific evidence showing an expected surge in cases nationwide over the coming weeks, the Government finally bowed to pressure and abandoned its previous regional tiering strategy last weekend. Critics argue that a sharp ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown… Read more
‘Furlough envy’, isolation and additional home stresses have triggered deteriorations in workplace mental health, new study suggests Workers less likely to talk to managers about experiencing mental health problems since lockdown, fearing ‘repercussions’ Study highlights need to raise awareness among employers of resources available to support mental health Workers have become less open about… Read more
The pandemic has brought about difficult times for many businesses in the UK. Currently, with the onset of a second wave, and the end of the Brexit transition period only 80 days away, the road to economic recovery looks arduous. Inevitably, the rate of job and firm destruction will increase but for those businesses that… Read more
New study challenges assumption that most productive firms will drive future productivity gains Inspirational leadership shown to boost productivity in firms of all sizes and sectors, even those starting with low levels Research provides evidence to support recent public investment in ‘soft skills’ training for business leaders New research from the Enterprise Research Centre suggests… Read more
In recent years, we have heard much of the ‘frontier firms’ – those at the top end of the productivity scale, leaping further ahead of other firms – the hares and the tortoises, if you will. But our recent research, examining Companies House data for more than 17,000 firms across 12 sectors, suggests that small and… Read more
Three new ERC research reports focusing on innovation and productivity in the Northern Ireland economy have been published. The reports, authored by ERC research associates based at Queens University Belfast and Warwick Business School were funded by the Department for Economy Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. They focus on the interrelationship between R&D, innovation… Read more
For a long time, the UK has produced many firms that perform poorly yet manage to survive. Various descriptions of these firms have been used. In recent debates about productivity for example they have been referred to as ‘the long tail’ of underperforming businesses. Shortening the long tail has been identified as a policy priority… Read more
Lorry drivers on tight schedules. Pet owners demanding more from their vets. Sales and service staff working from home with little access to office support. Archaeologists staying in hotels as a way of life. Hospitality staff working longer than contracted hours to make ends meet. Short-term contracts restricting access to finance. Ex-Army personnel with PTSD… Read more
Bouncing back from the Covid-19 crisis: reflections on mental health and resilience Firms that survive adversity often have the abilities, characteristics and actions of their employees to thank. As many reflected during Mental Health Awareness Week last week, it is worth remembering that the current crisis will undoubtedly have impacted upon the mental health of…