Insights Podcast

Insights is the Cork University Business School podcast bringing you the latest news & events from the school as well as the most interesting and ground-breaking research being carried out in the school that is making an impact not just in Cork, Munster and Ireland but beyond. Insights is a co-production between CUBS and LastCastMedia.com
From business to Brexit, management to marketing, the Insights podcast brings you fresh perspectives and different ways of thinking from CUBS UCC.
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Episode Eighteen: Is there a 'say-do' gap when it comes to sustainability in Ireland?

While climate change and sustainability are the biggest issues facing the planet, is there in fact a ‘say-do’ gap between talk and action?

On this episode of Insights, we look at the approach to sustainability in agriculture and food in Ireland asking how this vital industry needs to adapt and change in light of current issues and external pressures.

Joining Anthony McDonnell to answer some of these questions are Olive McCarthy, Director of the Centre for Co-operative Studies at UCC, Yvonne Cooney, Head of Sustainability, Ornua, and John Curran, Head of Sustainability for Musgrave.

Episode Seventeen: The Truth About Whistleblowers

While society lauds whistleblowers for their bravery and integrity, the truth is that, despite protective legislation, whistleblowing is still a fraught experience often ruining lives and careers.

Why is that and how can society, organisations and businesses ensure that whistleblowing can be more accepted and does not always have to address deep-seated infrastructural change?

These are just some of the fascinating questions that Kate Kenny, Professor of Business and Society at NUI Galway, and one of the foremost experts on whistleblowing, answered on this latest episode of Insights, the CUBS UCC podcast.

For more on this topic, Prof. Kenny’s books include: Whistleblowing: Toward a New Theory (Harvard University Press, 2019) and The Whistleblowing Guide: Speak Up Arrangements, Challenges and Best Practices (Wiley, 2019).

Episode Sixteen: Michael Twomey and a PhD CF Story Like No Other

On this episode of Insights, the CUBS UCC podcast, we find out about the remarkable journey of Michael Twomey, a cystic fibrosis sufferer who set out to improve the lives of those impacted by the genetic disorder through his PhD research.

Not only that, but he is now looking to develop an app arising from his research, and he has achieved all of this after returning to UCC as a post-graduate student having previously set up and sold his own IT consultancy business.

Never settling, never giving up and always looking to learn are just some of the inspiring themes from Michael’s life-story on this episode. 

Image courtesy of CFIreland.ie

Episode Fifteen: Why it's time to stop blaming governments and look at our own consumption and sustainability

While the environment is the most important issue affecting our lives, and we may decry harmful policies of governments and multi-nationals, what about our own consumer lives and how does our daily behaviour influence the future of the planet? 

These are the questions being asked by Dr Stephen Onakuse, a lecturer in food business and development at UCC who believes we need to look more at our own individual behaviours and actions to best influence consumption and sustainability.

Episode Fourteen: The PhD Journey

The PhD journey is one you’ll never forget with many highs and some lows along the way and on this episode of Insights, discover more about whether a PhD is for you and get some tips and advice from three PhD candidates at CUBS UCC whose research covers social entrepreneurship in Ballyhoura, rented farm land, and the artisanal food sector in Ireland.

Mara van Twuijver, Tracy Bradfield and Conor Drummond joined presenter Anthony McDonnell to talk about their topical projects as well as their PhD journey of discovery and as Conor says, ‘You’ll never do anything like this ever again.’

Episode Thirteen: Thia Hennessy on the plans and exciting times ahead for the new CUBS Business School 

It’s exciting times for CUBS UCC with plans afoot for the new Business School in Cork city centre after €17.25m was invested in a new site at Union Quay that has planning permission for a 200,000 sq ft building. Thia Hennessy, Dean of CUBS UCCC, spoke to Anthony McDonnell, Professor of Human Resource Management and presenter of the Insights podcast, and explained the importance and need for this new business school.

This will be a huge project, she explained, and with increasing student numbers, will be badly needed, providing more facilities, bigger lecture halls and an entrepreneurship hub, as well as providing added vibrancy, increased footfall and a boost to Cork city itself. 

Episode Twelve: Thia Hennessy and the impact of Brexit on Irish food & agriculture

As a no-deal Brexit looms larger and larger on the horizon, we all hold our breaths not knowing just how it will impact our lives.

But for Irish agriculture, so reliant on the UK with 40% of our food exports destined for the UK, how can this vital industry safe-guard itself from the consequences of Brexit?

Thia Hennessy, Dean of CUBS UCC is also a renowned agri-economist and on this episode of Insights, she joins Anthony McDonnell to give her insights into the potential fall-out and knock-on effects from Brexit, and how we're looking to Asia and the Americas for future food markets.

Plus, Thia explains how CUBS is planning for its own future with a new business school in Cork city and how research topics such as sustainability and the environment are, and will continue to be, central to the school's ethos and thinking.

Image courtesy of FarmersJournal.ie

Episode Eleven: Are Irish business owners content to stay small?

Dr. Jane Bourke joins Anthony McDonnell on this episode of Insights, to explain why Irish small businesses are content to keep their business to their current scale, with only 1 in 4 looking to grow into a national or international business.  

Jane co-authored the study – Micro-Business Report in Ireland – which surveyed 1,500 Irish micro-businesses to identify their ambition, innovation and adoption of digital technology.

She discusses the study's findings, the importance of micro-businesses in Ireland, why they don't want to scale, and how government policy runs counter to the ambitions of these business owners.

Insights, the CUBS UCC podcast presented by Anthony McDonnell, Professor of Human Resource Management, finds out about the new and ground-breaking research and ideas from CUBS lecturers that are making an impact on society in Ireland and abroad. 

From business to Brexit, management to marketing, the Insights podcast brings you fresh perspectives and different ways of thinking from CUBS UCC.


 

Episode Ten: Leadership and Respect in Business

The latest episode of Insights, the CUBS UCC podcast, is focusing on the topic of leadership and the importance of respect for relationships in work.  More recent ideas about leadership emphasise the importance of relationships as central to leadership effects. This suggests that the impact of leadership arises from the nature and characteristics of specific relationships that leaders and followers share.

Professor Nicholas Clarke from EADA Business School, Barcelona was speaking recently at the Human Resource Research Centre (HRRC) In partnership with the Irish Institute for Training & Development about this topic.

In this lecture Nicholas draws upon research over the past 10 years to argue that respect lays at the core of leadership and is critical for achieving positive outcomes in organisations beyond simply better employee performance. Nicholas will examine how the concept of mutuality has received minimal attention in research both within the field of leadership as well as HRM more broadly, yet is a critical aspect of the leadership relationship and the place of respect within it.
 

The lectures brings together key findings from Nicholas’ own research over the past 5 years in this area to highlight why mutuality in respect matters and how it comes about in leadership relationships. The lecture concludes by exploring its potential implications for enabling organisations to become more sustainable and socially responsive to meet the challenges of today’s business environment.     

Episode Nine: Strategic Marketing Insights & Practice

To coincide with the launch of the new MSc in Strategic Marketing and Practice at Cork University Business School, marketing lecturer, Dave Alton speaks to three of Cork's experts for their insights into best practice in the marketing industry.

Declan Carey, Chairman of Cork City FC, discusses sports marketing, Paula Cogan Head of Sales at the Doyle Collection explains branding and marketing for the hotel group, while Kevin Cullinane Head of Communications and Marketing from Cork airport gives his insights on international branding.

Cork University Business School's new MSc in Strategic Marketing and Practice begins September 2019 and will give you the specialised skills and knowledge to become a successful marketing leader. 

The programme will provide crucial practical experience through undertaking an applied research and consultancy project in collaboration with an industry partner to develop strategic marketing instincts and creative abilities, enhancing your professional expertise and personal development. 

For more information, click here.

Episode Eight: The true cost of money lenders in Ireland

Why is it that some moneylenders in Ireland can charge interest rates of up to 287% and in most cases targeting those from lower socio-economic backgrounds?

Dr Olive McCarthy and Dr. Noreen Byrne of CUBS released an influential report last November which looked into the need to introduce rate restrictions on high cost credit in Ireland and they join Anthony McDonnell to discuss their findings on this week's Insights podcast.

Episode Seven: What jobs will be safe from the robots?

On this week’s episode of Insights, we turn our attention to the Future of Work, asking are the robots taking over and what will our future jobs look like?  

Presenter, Anthony McDonnell, spoke to Ronan Carbery, co-director of the HR Research Centre and Senior Lecturer in Management at CUBS, Ultan Sherman, Lecturer in Management, and James Duggan, Irish Research Council Post-Graduate Researcher.

Plus, we find out if the gig economy is going to expand even more and why innovation and creativity will be the most highly-prized skills in the workplace.

Episode Six: Brexit uncertainty and the storm clouds for 2019

What will 2019 bring for Irish businesses and the economy?  With so much uncertainty around Brexit, plenty of question marks and external threats remain.

Presenter, Anthony McDonnell, spoke to CUBS alumni, Gerard Brady, who is Head of Tax and Fiscal Policy at IBEC, to find out how Irish business is coping and planning for the year ahead.

He also discussed other issues around corporation tax, infrastructure and available talent, but one thing is certain, Brexit will continue to dominate the headlines.

Episode Five: From Kerry to the World

This week on Insights: the CUBS podcast, presenter Anthony McDonnell speaks to CUBS alumni, Brian Mehigan, who was recently appointed Chief Strategy Officer to the Kerry Group and who was their CFO for sixteen years. 

The Kerry Group is one of the world’s leading food manufacturers and distributors and their story is a remarkable one of growth, vision and ambition that began from a co-op in the Kingdom. 

With the food business industry booming in Ireland and Cork, Brian is one person expertly placed to give his insights and advice into this sector.

Episode Four: The CUBS Way 

This week on Insights: the CUBS podcast, presenter Anthony McDonnell speaks to present and past Deans of Cork University Business School, Thia Hennessy and Ciaran Murphy.

Anthony finds out about the school’s plans for future growth and the importance and need for deeper ties to business in the Cork region, as well as the emphasis and importance placed on applied learning in CUBS.

Episode Three: Why Gender Inequality & biases still exist in the Irish workplace

Why does there continue to be a deep-rooted inequality in Ireland preventing the rise of more women to top positions in management?

Professor Carol Kulik of the University of South Australia was a guest speaker on gender diversity organised by the HR Research Centre at University College Cork in September, when she gave insights into Australia's experience and what Ireland can do to remedy its own situation.

This week's episode of Insights: the CUBS podcast, has some of the key points from Carol's presentation where she warned of 'gender fatigue' in organisations.

She also highlighted the need for a more top-down approach with the appointment of women to executive board positions leading to an immediate positive impact in the feeder group to these highest-level positions

Episode Two: The Rise of Populism - is Ireland next?

On the first episode of Insights: the CUBS podcast from UCC, we’re discussing the topical and thorny issue of populism and the reason for its rise in regional areas, asking if it could happen in Ireland too? 

Joining presenter, Anthony McDonnell, was Declan Jordan, CUBS’ Senior Lecturer in Economics and Co-Director of the Spatial and Regional Economics Research Centre, to discuss regional economics and the dangers of the problems caused by imbalances in the system.

Episode One: Coming Soon

Insights is the new monthly podcast from CUBS, the Cork University Business School, bringing you the latest news and events from CUBS as well as finding out about some of the most interesting and ground-breaking research being carried out in the school that is making an impact not just in Cork, Munster and Ireland but beyond.