Dr Paul Davies

• The impact of future challenges and opportunities on entrepreneurship for female-run SMEs in Saudi Arabia to achieve the 2030 vision (current)

  PhD

  Other supervisor: Prof David Pickernell

  Other supervisor: Prof Paul Jones

• CRM Strategy Development, Operationalisation and Evaluation: Drivers, Methods and Success Factors for B2B Sales Performance Organisations (current)

  DBA

  Other supervisor: Prof Paul Jones

• How does Health and Care practitioners' participation in the Most Significant Change technique inform strategic thinking and acting to enable health and care outcomes? (current)

  DBA

  Other supervisor: Prof Nicholas Rich

• MN-2514 Business Information Systems

  The module provides an introduction to Business Information Systems. It will introduce Information Systems in today¿s digital age and its role in achieving competitive advantage, its underlying technological infrastructure and related concepts (e.g., security of Information Systems and ethical and social issues).

• MN-M549 Research Methods

  This module will provide an introduction to the fundamentals of research methods and methodologies to better prepare students on how to conduct a dissertation. The lectures and seminars will be split to cover both the theoretical and practical nature associated with research. They will cover all aspects of research methods: from what is research, the ethics associated with conducting research, the literature review, methodology and what types of research exist such as quantitative and qualitative. This module will highlight the links that exist between each stage of the research development process. As well as developing traditional research methods skills, this module will also focus on the development of career enhancing employability skills.

• MN-MB05P Creating Sustainable Value

  The module combines case-based teaching with an introduction to the key MBA fields of technology management, operations management and marketing. The module takes an integrated approach to managing key aspects of technology, operations and marketing activities within an organisation. Rather than proceeding along conventional MBA disciplinary lines, as this method can often obscure the fundamental connections between them, the module takes a holistic approach to the way value is perceived and realized. This is a case-based module, organised around the evaluation of management and business practices for enabling sustainable competitive advantage. Recognising that sustainable development in all its forms is a dilemma beyond the capacity of any single organization, business or state to meet, this module draws on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide a flexible and topical curriculum that can keep pace with international news. We will give students an experience where the various perspectives that derive from their own professional experience, cultural and national diversity and traditional MBA fields are brought to bear on cases of the challenges of economic and social sustainability.

• MN-MB08P Exploring Organisational Purpose: Fundamentals

  This module introduces key concepts to build the necessary knowledge and skills to explore and evaluate organisational purpose. The module will help students develop their capacity for critically assessing the context in which organisations have developed and evolved their current strategies. An understanding of this evolution will involve the consideration of fundamental questions such as `what is an organisation and what forms do they take?¿; `why have organisations developed in this way?¿; `to whom do organisations owe responsibilities?¿ and `who benefits from organisational value?¿. These, and other critical issues help us understand the overarching question of organisational governance and purpose. These questions lead to an evaluation of contemporary challenges, disruptions and mega-trends that create the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous context that impacts upon organisations today. Students will be encouraged throughout to consider their own perceptions of how the context is manifesting itself as a set of conditions affecting the purpose of organisations with which they are familiar. As a link to the next MBA module, this module will introduce contemporary organizational responses, including but not limited to concepts such as creating shared value, strategic resilience and strategic agility.

• MN-MB09P Exploring Organisational Purpose: Responses and Applications

  The module will help students develop their capacity for organising, competing and collaborating within and across public, private and third sectors as well as knowledge of the possibilities of alternative, hybrid organisational forms to meet future challenges. The module will build on the key concepts and knowledge gained from studying the importance of context and will investigate and construct meaningful and contemporary applications and responses to how organisations realise their purpose. We introduce methods to meet the challenge of maintaining a holistic and future-orientated purpose on longer-term strategic purposes whilst dealing with the short term, quotidian challenges of operating in context. The rest of the MBA develops in greater depth these introductions to designing and implementing strategy for achieving organisational purposes.

• MN-MBA00 Research in Action

  The Research in Action module introduces students to the way in which research informs management practice establishing research as a core skill underpinning the MBA programme. Running throughout the course, the module enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that underpin effective research. The module culminates in a consultancy-based project that provides students with practical experience in applying a range of theories and models through working with a client organisation.

• MN-MBA01 Exploring Organisational Purpose

  The module uses a three-part structure combining case-based teaching with introducing the key concepts to build the necessary knowledge and skills to explore organisational purpose. The module will help students develop their capacity for organising, competing and collaborating within and across public, private and third sectors as well as knowledge of the possibilities of alternative, hybrid organisational forms to meet future challenges. The first part concerns the foundational questions: `what is organisation?¿ and `why do we need them?¿ Students will be introduced to different forms of organisation in society and their relationships with stakeholders across different spheres and sectors, and at different territorial scales. Through case-based teaching, students will be equipped to answer the accountability challenge: to whom and for what are organisations answerable. The second part of the module tackles organisational purpose in context. Students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to explore the complex and uncertain contexts in which contemporary organisations operate. This tranche uses cases to analyse the challenge of organising in the context of mega-trends; for example, ageing, climate change, digital disruption, the future of work and the rise of a global middle class. Students will also be encouraged to consider their own perceptions of how the context is manifesting itself as a set of conditions affecting the purpose of organisations with which they are familiar. Part three of the module investigates how organisations realise their purpose. We consider how to maintain a holistic and long-term purpose whilst dealing with the short term challenges of operating in a daily context The rest of the MBA develops in greater depth these introductions to designing and implementing strategy for achieving organisational purposes in line with the Programme-level learning outcomes.

• MN-MBA08 Exploring Organisational Purpose: Context

  This module introduces key concepts to build the necessary knowledge and skills to explore and evaluate organisational purpose. The module will help students develop their capacity for critically assessing the context in which organisations have developed and evolved their current strategies. An understanding of this evolution will involve the consideration of fundamental questions such as `what is an organisation and what forms do they take?¿; `why have organisations developed in this way?¿; `to whom do organisations owe responsibilities?¿ and `who benefits from organisational value?¿. These, and other critical issues help us understand the overarching question of organisational governance and purpose. These questions lead to an evaluation of contemporary challenges, disruptions and mega-trends that create the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous context that impacts upon organisations today. Students will be encouraged throughout to consider their own perceptions of how the context is manifesting itself as a set of conditions affecting the purpose of organisations with which they are familiar. As a link to the next MBA module, this module will introduce contemporary organizational responses, including but not limited to concepts such as creating shared value, strategic resilience and strategic agility.

• MN-MBAP Research in Action (Part 2)

  The Research in Action module introduces students to the way in which research informs management practice establishing research as a core skill underpinning the MBA programme. Running throughout the course, the module enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that underpin effective research. Part two of the module culminates in a consultancy-based project that provides students with practical experience in applying a range of theories and models through working with a client organisation.

• MN-N017 Professional Skills Development

  This is an optional module for all students studying on the MBA. It provides an essential opportunity for students to develop their professional skills alongside the subjects taught on the course.

• MN-NMBAP Research in Action (Part 1)

  The Research in Action module introduces students to the way in which research informs management practice establishing research as a core skill underpinning the MBA programme. Running throughout the course, the module enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that underpin effective research. Part two of the module culminates in a consultancy-based project that provides students with practical experience in applying a range of theories and models through working with a client organisation.

Paul has taught in higher education for 25 years and this period has included delivering sessions at all levels from Doctoral to HND. His principle focus of teaching for the majority of this time has been at postgraduate and final year undergraduate level.

His teaching has incorporated a variety of styles of delivery covering large lecture settings along with smaller tutorial classes. Along with the traditional class structure at postgraduate and undergraduate level, Paul is experienced in delivering classes ranging from 3-hour masters tutorials to weekend block delivery.  The longer sessions have been excellent opportunities to develop a more informal style that enables activities to break up the class in order to allow the students to explore the themes being covered.  Paul’s management of the class is fundamental in keeping up the energy of the students and providing a structure that gives them the chance to work in groups.  This provides an opportunity for students who are not as comfortable in speaking in front of the class to contribute to the discussions that then inform the summarising of key points from the activity.

Most of Paul’s teaching has been to a mixed cohort of domestic and international students and this has been invaluable in developing awareness of teaching styles and thus the improvement of teaching skills. His use of activities for students to work in groups is an effective way for students studying in a second language to feel more comfortable engaging in the session. This is particularly the case for Chinese students where the style of learning is significantly different to their experience in the UK. 

Alongside the on-campus delivery, Paul’s teaching experience includes a range of modules overseas, including: 

• Strategy modules on the MBA course delivered in Bahrain for a number of years
• 2 weeks teaching in China as part of a relationship between USW Business School and SUST in Suzhou
• MSc Management modules in Germany & Romania
• Final year strategy modules in Hong Kong

• Renewable Energy Supply Chain project 2012 - 2015

  , with Dr Rachel Mason-Jones, £10,000

• Food Innovation Network for Wales 2005 - 2006

  , with Dr Duncan Lewis & Wil Williams, £5,000

• MBA Programme Director & Senior Lecturer, Swansea University School of Management

  September 2019 - Present

• Member, South Wales Chamber of Commerce Cardiff Regional group

  2016 - 2019

• Academic Manager; Business Portfolio, University of South Wales; Faculty of Business & Society

  2016 - 2019

• Business Development Co-ordinator, University of South Wales; Faculty of Business & Society

  2014 - 2016

• MBA Course Tutor, University of Glamorgan; Business School

  2003 - 2014

• BA (Hons) Business Administration Course Tutor, University of Glamorgan; Business School

  1998 - 2003