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Employee relations in Britain have undergone fundamental change in the last three decades. Research by Lewis, Upchurch, Croucher and other colleagues has tracked these changes identifying the decline of collective bargaining and the rise of alternative forms of employee voice. The impact of this programme of research has been evident in influencing the evolution of wider public debate on issues of employee voice and shaping the development of policy frameworks and specific policy initiatives in the UK and abroad, particularly concerning whistleblowing. Impact has been apparent through influencing the development of employment culture and the respective practices of employers, unions, and human resources/industrial relations practitioners.
There is a growing demand for evidence of the impact that non governmental and private businesses are having. Research findings have led to a range of practical and policy developments related to encouraging organisations to measure their impact and use it both for their own development and to access more resources. This research has resulted in social impact measurement being introduced to many organisations and an improvement in the tools used. Research insights into how social impact can best be measured have led to changes in the practices of charities such as Citizens Advice and the use of a measurement tool by over 200 smaller organisations.
Argentium, a sterling silver alloy with unique properties, has stimulated jewellers to develop designs retailing in over 1,220 high street shops in the UK alone and craft jewellery makers to extend their design practice around the world. A spin-out company from Middlesex was sold to private investors in 2008. Middlesex remains in partnership with Argentium International Ltd., and retains a board seat. The seven companies presently licensed to manufacture Argentium alloy are Legor Group, Heraeus, GSM Metals Inc, Lamet Spa, Noble Mind, Nubia and Pasavento. Route to impact was creation and protection of intellectual property, and its exploitation through a spinout company. Beneficiaries include silversmithing and craft industries, jewellery retailers, and users of Argentium Silver.
For over 40 years, the Urban Pollution Research Centre has undertaken pioneering work in understanding the sources, behaviour and fate of urban diffuse pollution and its mitigation using sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). Relevant impacts claimed here include the adoption of SUDS into UK practice and legislation, the role of SUDS as key components in achieving EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requirements and the embedding of our research within national best practice guidelines. In response to recent policy drivers, we are collaborating with Arup to commercialise SUDSloc and are informing policy developments in the fields of diffuse pollution mitigation and urban ecosystem services.
Our research in complex user interface design for environments where there is need to support a high cognitive overload as well the need to support variability of user interface design has led to impacts on the design of products and services in two organisations addressing the domains of crisis management software and nuclear power plant industry. In the former case, research arising from our investigations of user behaviour in complex systems has been applied by adopting our Variable Uncertainty Framework (VUF) into the software product `VSL Planner' developed by VSL Systems AB and the `XVR' product developed by E-Semble Systems. The XVR product has recently been sold to the London Fire Brigade. Related to this, our research on complex task analysis, specifically in abnormal situations resulted in a second conceptual framework that extended the Task Complexity (TACOM) methodology that has been used to inform and guide the Korean Atomic Energy Institute in their work on designing and implementing modern control rooms for atomic power stations in South Korea. The safety critical nature of these interfaces means the potential impact of this work is very high, as any failure could have catastrophic consequences.
Our research has underpinned the work of Celldex Therapeutics and other US based companies, in developing a vaccine directed against hCGβ for the adjuvant treatment of epithelial cancer. A number of Phase I trials indicated an improvement in survival of vaccinated patients and Phase II trials began for bladder cancer where early data showed promise by improving the survival time. This has had a significant impact on these patients, and has the potential to extend the life of many millions of cancer sufferers (around 32% frequency of hCGβ secretion by carcinomas). Our research input has helped prove the technology and further trials are awaiting finance.
Impact resulted from the unit's sustained research in the field, including the leadership of a large EU Framework 6 action project `EMILIA' - the Empowerment of Mental Illness Service Users: Lifelong Learning, Integration and Action, and the follow up project, PROMISE. The findings identified how to reduce social exclusion among people with serious mental illness through lifelong learning and by improving participation in service delivery, education and training, as well as paid employment. The research recommendations were included in a joint EU/WHO policy statement and subsequently rolled out across European Union Member States. The research impacted on the development of European and national policies regarding mental health service users and, through further knowledge transfer activities and the incorporation of the recommendations by a network of providers in 43 countries, also impacted on the profession and mental health service users directly.
The education gap between children from poor homes and their peers is established before they start primary school. These early inequalities heavily influence children's later outcomes. FAST (Families And Schools Together), is a parenting programme that aims to reduce the educational effects of deprivation and promote family cohesion. We have carried out evaluations of the programme. As a result, the UK government and international agencies have endorsed FAST. Specifically, we carried out research that has identified strategies for effective replication of the programme across a range of disadvantaged communities in different contexts. The research underpinned Save the Children UK's decision to support the roll out of this intervention, with £7M funding from Lloyds Bank and Morrison's grocery chain. Our evaluations of the roll out demonstrate a range of impacts on beneficiaries, namely children and families: increased parental involvement in schools and increased social capital; improved parent to parent support networks, increased parent community leadership, positive child mental health outcomes and increased social skills; improved academic and school behaviour; reduced aggression and anxiety as well as reduced aggressive and delinquent behaviours after eight weeks. The beneficiaries are children, their families and schools, and society at large.
Throughout the REF period our research - driven by risk assessment theory - has provided a continuously updated set of unique models, data and techniques for assessing the benefits of UK flood alleviation investment. These have been used to justify all flood alleviation investment for the whole of the UK for the whole of the REF period (c. £3bn), as well as for the previous 30 years. Our work has been central to all assessments by Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) of national flood risk (Foresight; NaFRA (England, Wales, and Scotland); LTIS) and all the Catchment Flood Management Plans for England and Wales. The research is also used in Scotland (by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA), by international and national insurers (e.g. through Risk Management Solutions Ltd), and in many other countries.
Research on the post-apartheid South African labour market showed high levels of economic inactivity among black people concentrated in certain areas and high employee turnover among these groups. An integrated development programme was developed in and around Port Elizabeth tailored to address specific failings in labour market supply and demand identified by the research findings. This brought greatly improved employment rates for over 3,000 participating job seekers, with more than 80% achieving a positive outcome in terms of employment or further training. Furthermore, the programme reduced turnover rates for those employers involved in the project, and built the capacity of Union workforce representatives. The development programme comprising integrated training workshops and employer support is now being rolled out across South Africa.