Dr Robert Baldock

Principal Researcher

Department: Business and management

Contact

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8411 6303
E-mail: R.Baldock@mdx.ac.uk

Qualifications

PhD, London University, 1997 , BA Hons

Research Interests

SME (small business) policy, specifically including finance, regulation, high growth SMEs, rural business development and ethnic minority owned businesses (EMBs).
Also interested in all aspects of economic development and regeneration policy, particularly relating to governance issues, including the roles of local authorities and regional development agencies.

Biography

On completion of his PhD in Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) and urban regeneration policy at Birkbeck College, London University, Robert was appointed as a Researcher at the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) in 1994. After initially dividing his time between SME research and lecturing in political and economic geography, since 1996 Robert has focused on research at CEEDR. In 2001 he established a legal recruitment agency and he is currently a part-time Principal Researcher at CEEDR. Robert’s most recent research has focused on the financing of SMEs, including a study of access to bank finance for Scottish SMEs (for the Scottish Government) and an assessment of the government’s equity finance initiatives for SMEs with growth potential (for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). Other notable research projects have included: a vocational training needs assessment for the Falkland Islands Government; examining bank finance for Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) for the British Bankers Association; assessing the impacts of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund in England for the DTI; exploring capacity building approaches for the Third Sector for CapacityBuilders. He is currently undertaking research into the implications of the credit crunch for the financing of high tech SMEs.

Recent Publications (since 2000):

Books and published reports

CEEDR: Baldock R and North D (2009) Mystery Shopping the Early Stages of the Business Link Service. Report to Department for Business Innovation ands Skills, November. URN 09/1538 Published on BIS website (27/11/09) at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file53765.doc
Syrett, S., Baldock, R., Bertotti, M., Lyon, F., Vickers, I., Etherington, D., and Engelbert, S. (2009) Local Area Agreements and Local Economic Development, Communities and Local Government, London. (pp.1-69) http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/laaeconomicdevelopment?view=Standard
CEEDR: Lyon F, Baldock R, Etherington D (2009) Alternative approaches to capacity building - learning from the public and private sectors.
Syrett, S., North, D., Baldock, R., Etherington, D., and Engelbert, S. (2008) Review of Economic Assessment and Strategy Activity at the Local and Sub-Regional Level. London: DCLG. (pp1-23)
North D, Deakins D, Baldock R and Whittam G (2007) Access to Bank Finance for Scottish SMEs, Report for Enterprise, Energy and Life-long Learning Analytical Services, The Scottish Government
Vickers I, Baldock R, Etherington D, North D (2006) Review of the Enterprise Promotion Fund, BERR Enterprise Directorate: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file38329.pdf
North D, Vickers I, Baldock R (2005) Evaluation of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund, for the Office of the Deputy Prime: http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/publications.asp?did=1667
Vickers I, Baldock R, Smallbone D, James P, Ekanem I, Bertotti M (2003) Cultural influences on health and safety attitudes and behaviour in small firms, Health & Safety Executive Research Report, HSE Books: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr150.htm
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (eds) (2001) Governing London: Competitiveness and Regeneration in a Global City, Middlesex University Press, London.ISBN 1 898253 45 5 (163 pages)

Book chapters

Smallbone D, Ram M, Deakins D and Baldock R (2007) Access to Finance by Ethnic Minority Businesses in the UK, in (ed) Blackburn R: Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Kingston University) & Candida Brush (Babson College), ISBN 978-1-4129-3437-4, SAGE Publications, December
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
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (2001) ‘Changing times, changing styles: new forms of economic governance in London’, in S. Syrett and R. Baldock (eds) (2001)
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (2001) ‘Governing London: challenges for the new economic governance’ in S. Syrett and R. Baldock, R (eds) (2001) Governing London: Competitiveness and Regeneration in a Global City, Middlesex University Press, London, pp.48-160.

Academic Refereed Journal Articles

Baldock Rand North D (2010) Saving our Sub-Post Offices: An Examination of Grant Assistance to Sub-Post offices in Deprived Areas of the UK, International Journal of Consumer Studies (forthcoming)
North, D., Baldock, R., & Ekanem, I. (2010) ‘Is there a Debt Finance Gap relating to Scottish SMEs? A demand-side perspective’, Venture Capital, Vol.12, No.2.
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.
Baldock R., Smallbone D. (2003) ‘Bridging the gap in support for ethnic minority owned business: the case of Devon and Cornwall’, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.40-49, ISSN 1462 6004
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (2003) ‘Reshaping London’s economic governance: the role of the London Development Agency’, European Urban and Regional Studies, vol.10, no.1, pp.69-86.
Smallbone D, Ram M, Deakins D and Baldock R (2003) Access to Finance by Ethnic Minority Businesses in the UK, International Small Business Journal, Vol.21, No.3, pp.291-314
Smallbone D., Baldock R. and North D (2003) 'Policy Support for Small Firms in Rural Areas: the English Experience', Environment and Planning C, Government and Policy 21, 6, pp 825-841
Smallbone D., Baldock R., Burgess S. (2002) ‘Targeted support for high-growth start-ups: some policy issues’, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Vol. 20 pp195-209 ISSN 1068/c0049
Smallbone D, Supri S and Baldock R (2000) The implications of new technology for the skills and training needs of small and medium-sized printing firms’, Education and Training, Vol.42, No.4/5, pp.299-307
North, D. and Baldock, R. (2000) ‘From Crisis Manager to Strategic Partner: The Changing Role of Four London Boroughs in Economic Regeneration’, Town Planning Review , 71.4, pp 435-454
Smallbone S, Baldock R and Bridge M. (1998) ‘Targeting Support for New and Young Businesses: The case of North Yorkshire TEC’s ‘Backing Winners’ programme’, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol.5, No.3, pp.199-208
Baldock R(1998) Ten Years of the Urban Programme 1981-91: The Impact and Implications of its Assistance to Small Business, Urban Studies, Voll.35, No.11, pp. 2063-2084

Official Reports

2010 SME Access to Finance in London, CEEDR & Roger Tym Report to London Development Agency (with North D, Baldock R and Lewis A)
2010 Early Assessment of the Impact of BIS Equity Fund Initiatives, Report to Department for Business Innovation and Skills (with North D, BaldockR and Lewis A)
2009 Mystery Shopping the Early Stages of the Business Link Service. Report to Department for Business Innovation ands Skills, November (with Baldock R, North D, Etherington D, Ekanem I)
2009 Alternative Approaches to Capacity Building, for Capacity Builders - Agency of Office of the Third Sector (with Lyon F, Baldock R and Etherington D)
2009 Assessment of World Bank Trading Across Borders Research, Report to BERR (with BaldockR and Vickers I)
2008 Assessing SME Access to Finance in London, Report for the London Development Agency(with North D, Ekanem I, Baldock R and Lewis A)
2008 Review of research and data on SMEs and public service contracts, for H.M. Treasury/BERR (with Lyon F, Baldock R and Sepulveda L)
2008 Mapping the regional social enterprise sector, for South East England Development Agency (with Lyon F, Baldock R and Sepulveda L)
2008 SME Access to Finance Scoping Study for the London Development Agency (with North, D., Baldock, R., Deakins, D. & Sanders Thomas Limited)
2008 Access to Bank Finance for Scottish SMEs, Study commissioned by the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Directorate, Scottish Government (with North, D., Baldock, R., Ekanem, I., Deakins, D., Whittam, G. & Wyper, J).
2008 Measuring Equality and Diversity, Report for Groundwork UK (with BaldockR and Humbert A)
2007 Review of Economic Assessment and Strategy Activity at the Local and Sub-Regional Level, Report for, Department of Communities and Local Government (Syrett S, North D, Baldock R)
2007 Ethnic minority businesses in the South East Region, for South East Multi Ethnic Development Agency/South East England Development Agency (Lyon F, Baldock R, Ekanem I)
2007 Review of Economic Assessment and Strategy Activity at the Local and Sub-RegionalLevel, for DCLG (Syrett S, Lyon, Vickers I, Baldock T, Bertotti M, Etherington D)
2006 Evaluation of The Scottish Urban Post Office Fund, a report commissioned by Communities
Scotland (with North, D.; Baldock, R. and Botero, S.).
2005/6 Review of the Enterprise Promotion Fund, for the Small Business Service (Vickers I, Baldock R, Etherington D, North D)
2005 Developing a Methodology for Assessing the Impacts of Department of Work and Pensions Programmes Tackling Worklessness in Deprived Neighbourhoods, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (with Baldock R and North D)
2004 Public Service Sectors in Rural England, for the Countryside Agency (with Lyon F and Baldock R)
Cultural influences on health and safety attitudes and behaviour in small firms, for the Health and Safety Executive (Smallbone D, Vickers I, James D, Baldock R, Ekanem I)
2004/5 Dynamics of Local Economies, for ODPM (Syrett S, North D, Vickers I, Baldock R, Ramsden)
2003/05 Evaluation of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund, for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) (North D, Vickers I, Baldock R, Ekanem I)
2002 Encouraging and Supporting Enterprise in Rural Areas’, Commissioned by The Small Business Service. (with Smallbone, D., North, D., and Baldock, R.)

Conference Papers

Deakins D, North D, Baldock R and Whittam G. (2008) SMEs’ Access to Finance: Is there still a debt finance gap? Paper to the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship conference, Belfast 5-7^th November (Awarded best paper)
Lyon, F, McPherson, M and Baldock, R (2007) Generational Differences in Ethnic Minority Business – re thinking business support. Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Glasgow, November 2007
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.
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
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 13^th Annual Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Conference, 3^rd - 4^th April, 2003, University of Reading.
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.
Baldock Rand Smallbone D (2002) ‘Is it possible to pick winners? The case of the high growth start-up programme in England’, paper presented at Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, 15-16^th April, University of Nottingham
Smallbone, D. Baldock, R. and North, D. (2002) ‘Encouraging and Supporting Small Firms in Rural Areas: a Review of Current Policy Approaches, paper presented to the ISBA National Small Firms Research and Policy Conference, Brighton, November.
Smallbone, D. ,Baldock, R. and Michaelis, M. (2002) ‘Policy Support for New Businesses: an Evaluation of the High Growth Start-up Programme’, paper presented to the ISBA National Small Firms Research and Policy Conference, Brighton, November.
Smallbone, D. and Baldock, R. (2002) ‘Policy Support for High Growth Start-Ups: the Recent English Experience’, paper presented at Rent XVI, 21-22nd November, Barcelona, Spain.
Smallbone, D., Butters, S., and Baldock, R. (2001) 'SMEs in a Digital Age: the Case of the Printing Industry', paper presented to the 46th ICSB World Conference, Taipei, Taiwan, 17-20th July.
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (2001) ‘Multi-level governance in world cities: economic competitiveness and regeneration in London’, paper presented at Multi-Level Governance: AnInterdisciplinary Perspective, Political Economy Research Centre, University of Sheffield, 28-30 June, 2001.
Smallbone, D., Baldock R., and Burgess, S. (2000) 'Targeted Support for High Growth Start-Ups: Some Policy Issues', paper presented at the 23rd ISBA National Small Firms Policy and Research Conference, Aberdeen, November (award for best policy paper).
Baldock R and Smallbone D (2001) ‘Public Sector Support for High Growth Start-Ups: Can it Make a Difference? 31st European Small Busines Seminar, Dublin, Ireland 12th - 14th September.
Baldock, R. and Smallbone, D. (2001) 'Bridging the Gap in Support for Ethnic Minority Owned Businesses in Rural Peripheral Regions: The Case of Devon and Cornwall', paper presented at the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, Leicester, 29-30th March.
Syrett, S. and Baldock, R. (2000) ‘Economic Competitiveness and social cohesion in London: the role of the London Development Agency’, in A. Maconochie and S. Hardy (eds) ‘Two Speed Cities’? Cities and Urban Development in the New Millennium, Conference Proceedings from Regional Studies Association Annual Conference, November, London, pp.53-56.
Baldock, R. and Syrett S.(2000) ‘Reshaping London’s economic governance: the role of the London Development Agency’, paper presented at Third European Urban and Regional Studies Conference, Bergen, 14-17^th September, 2000.
Smallbone, D. Baldock, R. and Supri, S. (2000) 'The Impact of New Technology on SME Management: The Case of the Printing Industry'. Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, March.
Johnson, S. and Baldock, R. (1999) 'Microbusiness Support Needs in a Small Island Economy: the Case of the Falkland Islands', Proceedings of the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, Leeds, March
Baldock, R. and Smallbone, D. (1998) 'Sector Specific Support Needs for SMEs: Myth or Reality', paper presented at the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, Leeds, 30-31st March.
Baldock R, Smallbone D and Bridge M (1997) ‘Targeted support for new and young businesses: the case of North Yorkshire TEC’s ‘Backing Winners’ programme’, paper presented at Small business and Enterprise Development Conference, March 19-20^th, University of Sheffield.