a post for the Bytestart blog by Liz Walker, HR Director, Unum UK
According to Unum UK’s “Mental health as a workplace asset” report in partnership with The Mental Health Foundation and Oxford Economics, 15 percent of UK employees – 4.9 million people – are affected by common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Such issues are fast becoming a top priority for businesses both large and small, especially as it’s clear mental health challenges have no boundaries when it comes to the world of work.
It doesn’t matter how big your business, or how far a certain employee is up the career ladder. If stress and personal issues become too much it can have serious impacts on anyone at any time.
To unlock the true potential of your workforce, businesses need to be prepared. Leaders should be proactive in implementing both preventative and reactive measures, plus ensuring their workplace is a supportive environment for employees already living with a condition.
Continue reading
If you are an employee with a mental health problem then you may find it helpful to point your employer towards the Unum publication and/or this blog post.
The Unum publication is free for the summary but requires registration to access the full document.
Showing posts with label small_business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small_business. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 October 2017
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Creating a Good Local Economy: the role of anchor institutions
a policy paper by Matthew Jackson and Neil McInroy (Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)) published April 2015
Introduction
We need good local economies.
We need local economies where wealth creation improves the economic and social fortunes of people and communities – bringing benefits for all.
A good local economy is one where there are strong networks across the of public, commercial and social sectors. Networks and leadership which stewards investment, so that it brings a range of economic, social and environmental benefits.
Over the last eighteen months, the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) working in partnership with Preston City Council has been working on improving and developing a good local economy.
The action research work has sought to engage with and influence anchor institutions based in the local authority boundary so that their behaviour and activities bring maximum benefit for the local economy and creates wealth for the local community. This paper reflects upon the findings of the work and the change it has instigated; together with exploring how the impact of the anchor institutions can be maximised in the future.
The work is framed by a much wider discussion and debate about how the economy of places operate and perform.
The paper comprises the following sections:
Introduction
We need good local economies.
We need local economies where wealth creation improves the economic and social fortunes of people and communities – bringing benefits for all.
A good local economy is one where there are strong networks across the of public, commercial and social sectors. Networks and leadership which stewards investment, so that it brings a range of economic, social and environmental benefits.
Over the last eighteen months, the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) working in partnership with Preston City Council has been working on improving and developing a good local economy.
The action research work has sought to engage with and influence anchor institutions based in the local authority boundary so that their behaviour and activities bring maximum benefit for the local economy and creates wealth for the local community. This paper reflects upon the findings of the work and the change it has instigated; together with exploring how the impact of the anchor institutions can be maximised in the future.
The work is framed by a much wider discussion and debate about how the economy of places operate and perform.
The paper comprises the following sections:
- Section 2 outlines the challenges our local economies face and the theoretical underpinnings of more progressive local economies including components which enable a good local economy;
- Section 3 outlines the activities which have been undertaken in Preston with the anchor institutions including supply chain analysis and the core findings of these activities;
- Section 4 details the key changes in the behaviour of the anchor institutions as a result of their engagement in the project and wider influences;
- Section 5 details the means by which anchor institutions can maximise the impact they bring in the future, notably through the process of procurement.
- Section 6 details the next steps for activities with anchor institutions and wider, which need to happen to maximise community wealth and ensure a good local economy is progressed.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Can Facebook be an effective mechanism for generating growth and value in small businesses?
an article by John L. Hopkins, (School of Management and Information Systems, Institute for Supply Chain and Logistics, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia) published in Journal of Systems and Information Technology Volume 14 Issue 2 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
Online social networks (OSNs) offer organisations direct access to a plethora of information about their networks of connections and provide the means by which to create two-way, business-to-consumer (B2C), information channels. Instead of traditional impersonal and one-direction advertising, organisations can establish a personal and two-way communication medium, by accepting members and having friends on these platforms. This paper aims to discuss the phenomenon of OSNs, and in particular Facebook, and examine whether they can be employed by small businesses as a resource for growth and adding value.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study is presented that examines how a small business in New Zealand, specialising in the distribution of products that help babies and toddlers sleep through the night, has adopted Facebook as a tool for engaging with its largely stay-at-home customer base. This examination of The Sleep Store is an impartial study based on findings collected over a period of several months, via a series of interviews supplemented by telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges, with representatives from the case organisation.
Findings
The Sleep Store’s adoption of Facebook was found to offer the business both direct and indirect value. That is direct value, based on the value of transactions, quantified by the increase in turnover experienced through connecting with new customers, and organisational growth; and the indirect value of word-of-mouth, positive recommendations and the relative influence that Facebook community members exert on each other, which enable valuable new insights to be made into their business ecosystem.
Research limitations/implications
While the adoption of Facebook in this instance has been found to be an undoubted success it does not, however, suggest that such impressive results would necessarily be expected by all small businesses adopting Facebook in this way. The nature of this business, and their customer base, are an important contributing factor to the overall success of this project.
Practical implications
The findings of this study highlight potential opportunities for small businesses adopting Facebook as an additional sales channel or tool for leveraging new information about their market.
Originality/value
This is original academic research, designed to make a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature, on how small businesses are benefiting from the availability of OSNs.
Abstract
Purpose
Online social networks (OSNs) offer organisations direct access to a plethora of information about their networks of connections and provide the means by which to create two-way, business-to-consumer (B2C), information channels. Instead of traditional impersonal and one-direction advertising, organisations can establish a personal and two-way communication medium, by accepting members and having friends on these platforms. This paper aims to discuss the phenomenon of OSNs, and in particular Facebook, and examine whether they can be employed by small businesses as a resource for growth and adding value.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study is presented that examines how a small business in New Zealand, specialising in the distribution of products that help babies and toddlers sleep through the night, has adopted Facebook as a tool for engaging with its largely stay-at-home customer base. This examination of The Sleep Store is an impartial study based on findings collected over a period of several months, via a series of interviews supplemented by telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges, with representatives from the case organisation.
Findings
The Sleep Store’s adoption of Facebook was found to offer the business both direct and indirect value. That is direct value, based on the value of transactions, quantified by the increase in turnover experienced through connecting with new customers, and organisational growth; and the indirect value of word-of-mouth, positive recommendations and the relative influence that Facebook community members exert on each other, which enable valuable new insights to be made into their business ecosystem.
Research limitations/implications
While the adoption of Facebook in this instance has been found to be an undoubted success it does not, however, suggest that such impressive results would necessarily be expected by all small businesses adopting Facebook in this way. The nature of this business, and their customer base, are an important contributing factor to the overall success of this project.
Practical implications
The findings of this study highlight potential opportunities for small businesses adopting Facebook as an additional sales channel or tool for leveraging new information about their market.
Originality/value
This is original academic research, designed to make a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature, on how small businesses are benefiting from the availability of OSNs.
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