Dr Ian Vickers

Senior Lecturer

Department: Business and Management

Ian Vickers

Contact

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Science, Technology and Society (Middlesex Polytechnic - 1987) MSc Science, Technology and Industrialisation (University of Sussex -1988) PhD (Cranfield University in Innovation and Technology Transfer - 1997)

Research Interests

  • Sustainable Enterprise and Economic Development
  • Social Enterprise & Social Entrepreneurship
  • Support Policy for Enterprise & Small Business - particularly in disadvantaged groups and areas
  • Regulatory Policy & Enterprise
  • Innovation and Organisational Learning
  • Employment Relations, Work and Well-being in Small Enterprises

Teaching Interests

  • Research Project Design and Research Methods
  • Enterprise and Economic Development
  • Business and Society

Biography

Current Work including Administrative and Professional Duties/Roles:

Principal Researcher - Centre for Enterprise & Economic Development Research

Research and consultancy (including management of projects) within the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) Teaching within the Business & Management group, particularly research training, dissertation supervision and in Enterprise & Small Business and Business & Society

I organise the MUBS/CEEDR Research Seminars in Small Business and Regeneration, which has involved over 30 presentations to date by leading academics and practitioners.

Recent Publications

Book Chapters

  • Vickers I(2007) ‘Local Alchemy in the East Midlands’ in North D, Syrett S, Etherington, D, Political Devolution, regional governance and tackling deprivation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, p 49-79: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2137-devolution-governance-deprivation.pdf
  • North D, Smallbone D, Vickers I (2003) ‘SMEs and the Innovative Capability of Regions: London’s Lee Valley Region in a European Context’, in Kirby D. & Watson A (eds) Small Firms and Economic Development in Developed and Transition Economies: A Reader, Ashgate Publishing.
  • Smallbone D, North D, Vickers I, McCarthy I (2000) ‘Policy Support for R&D in SMEs: The UK Government’s Smart Award Scheme’ in New Technology-Based Firms at the Turn of the Century, Vol. VII, Ed. by W During, R. Oakey & S Mukhtar, Pergamon.
  • Smallbone D, North D, Vickers I (2003) 'The role and characteristics of SMEs', in Nauwelers et al (eds.) Regional Innovation Policy for Small-Medium Enterprises, Edward Elgar.
  • Smallbone D, Vickers I, James P, Baldock R (2005) ‘Regulating Heath and Safety in Small Firms’, in Bannock G. and Gray C. (eds) Government Regulation and Small Firms, Small Enterprise Research Trust

Academic Refereed Journal Articles:

  • Vickers, I. 'Better Regulation and Enterprise: the case of environmental health risk regulation in the UK', (2008)Policy Studies, 29(2) pp.215-232.
  • Baldock R, James P, Smallbone D, Vickers I (2006)'Influences on small firm compliance related behaviour: the case of workplace health and safety', Environment and Planning C, 24 (6), pp. 827-846.

  • Vickers I, James P, Smallbone D, Baldock R (2005) ‘Understanding Small Firm Responses to Regulation: The Case of Workplace Health and Safety', Policy Studies, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 149-169.

  • James P, Vickers I, Smallbone D, Baldock R (2004) 'The Use of External Sources of Health and Safety Information and Advice: The Case of Small Firms', Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 2(1) p. 91-104.
  • Smallbone D, North D, Roper S, Vickers I (2003) 'Innovation and the use of technology in manufacturing plants and SMEs: an inter-regional study', Environment and Planning C: Government & Policy, vol. 21, pp. 37-52.
  • North D, Smallbone D, Vickers I (2001) 'Public Sector Support for Innovating SMEs: the Effectiveness of Support Measures in London's Lee Valley Region', Small Business Economics, 16(4), 303-317.
  • Vickers I (2000)'Cleaner Production: Organisational Learning or Business as Usual? - An example from the Domestic Appliance Industry' Business Strategy and the Environment, 9(4), 255-268.
  • Vickers I and North D (2000)'Regional Technology Initiatives: some insights from the English Regions', European Planning Studies, 8(3), 301-318.
  • Vickers I, Cordey-Hayes M (1999)'Cleaner Production and Organisational Learning' Technology.

Official Reports:

Working Papers

  • Baldock R, Vickers I, Smallbone D, James P (2005) ‘Health and Safety in Small Firms: What are the Main Influences on the Adoption of Improvement Measures?' Business and Management Discussion Paper 6, Middlesex University, London.

Conference Papers

  • Vickers I, Lyon, F., North, D. (2009) ‘Removing Barriers to Enterprise Through Targeted Support
  • For Disadvantaged Groups’, International Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, Liverpool, 3-6 November 2009.
  • Vickers I, Baldock R (2007) 'Raising Enterprise Awareness? The experience of the Enterprise Promotion Fund', Royal Geographic Society (with IBG) Annual Conference: Sustainability and Quality of Life, RGS-Imperial College, London, 29-31 August 2007.
  • Vickers I(2006) 'Regulation for Enterprise? Recent Reforms and the Implications for Risk Regulation in Smaller Businesses', paper presented at the ECPR conference Frontiers of Regulation: Assessing Scholarly Debates and Policy Challenges, University of Bath, UK, 7th-8th September (http://www.bath.ac.uk/cri/ecpr_pdf/14_Vickers.pdf).
  • Vickers I, James P (2004) ‘Health and Safety in Small Businesses: the interaction of context and organisational/work cultures’ paper presented at the Work, Employment and Society Conference (WES 2004), Manchester 1st-3rd September.
  • Vickers I, Baldock R, Smallbone D, James P (2002) 'Attitudes and behaviour with respect to health and safety in black and minority ethnic businesses: some policy issues' ISBA 2002 National Small Firms Policy Conference, University of Brighton, 13- 15 November.
  • Vickers I, North D (1998) ‘Policy for Innovation and Technology Support: The Example of Regional Technology Centres’, ISBA 21st National Small Firms Conference, Durham University, 18-20 November 1998. Conference Proceedings: ISBN 1857 371379, pp. 1226-1246.
  • Vickers I(2000) ‘Innovation Support and Sustainable Development: some questions for policy’, 3rd POSTI (Policy Agendas for Sustainable Technological Innovation) International Conference, University of East London, 1-3 December 2000.
  • Vickers I(1998) ‘Cleaner Production: Organisational Learning or Business as Usual? - An example from the Domestic Appliance Industry’ Business Strategy and the Environment Conference, Leeds University, 17-18 September 1998. Conference Proceedings: ISBN 1 872677 19 3, pp. 245-250.
  • Baldock R, I Vickers, D Smallbone, James P (2003) ‘Health and safety in UK small firms: are black and minority ethnic businesses any different?’ Paper for the 13th Annual Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Conference, 3rd - 4th April, 2003.
  • North D, Smallbone D, Vickers I (1999) ‘The Innovation Support Needs of SMEs and the Policy Response’, RENT XIII Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 13th Workshop, November 25-26, 1999, Middlesex University.
  • Smallbone D, North D, Roper S, Vickers I (2001) ‘Innovation and the Use of Technology in Manufacturing Plants and SMEs: an Interregional Study’, Paper to be presented to the 24th ISBA National Small Firms Policy and Research Conference. Leicester, November (EMDA award for paper with most policy relevance to RDAs).
  • Smallbone D, Vickers I, James P, Baldock R (2004) ‘Regulating Health and Safety In Small Firms’ ISBA Regulation Day, hosted by Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA), London, 23 January 2004.

Research and Consultancy Projects:

  • 2008 SMEs in a low carbon economy, for Enterprise Directorate, Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR)
  • 2008 The cost to businesses of complying with importing and exporting regulations, for HM Treasury and BERR
  • 2008 Transformational Business Support Project: Mapping and Research, for Sussex Enterprise Services Ltd
  • 2007 Review of Economic Assessment and Strategy Activity at the Local and Sub-Regional Level, for Department of Communities & Local Government (DCLG)
  • 2007 Enquiry for BERR and DWP on the predicted costs of additional payroll services to support Personal Account Pensions
  • 2005/6 Review of the Enterprise Promotion Fund, for the Small Business Service, Dept of Trade & Industry
  • 2004/5 Regulatory Policy and Enterprise, HEFCE / Middlesex University
  • 2003 Cultural influences on health and safety attitudes and behaviour in small firms, for the Health and Safety Executive
  • 2005 Innovation, Growth and the Role of Public Policy: Workshop + synopsis for the Small Business Service / DTI
  • 2004/5 Dynamics of Local Economies, for Office of The Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
  • 2003/05 Evaluation of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund, for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
  • 2000 Key Sectors in Enfield and the Lee Valley Corridor, for Enfield Borough Council
  • 2001 The Impact of Middlesex University's Development Strategy on the Local Economy: The Proposed Expansion of the Hendon Campus, Middlesex University
  • 2001 Innovation, Technology and Manufacturing Best Practice: The South East Region in a European Context, for South East England Development Agency

Links with Partner/Business Organisations:

  • Research clients in relevant government departments and agencies (notably the Small Business Service / DTI and Neighbourhood Renewal Unit / DCLG), and also local enterprise/regeneration agencies.

  • Contacts with small business owner-managers through research activity.

Bookmark and Share