Case studies

A clear operating model serves as the organisational blueprint that translates strategic vision into actionable structures, accountabilities, and processes, enabling teams to work cohesively toward shared objectives while optimising resource allocation and decision-making capabilities.

Organisational change, while often challenging, provides a unique opportunity to reassess and enhance culture, behaviours, and ways of working. Change initiatives allow leaders to address longstanding challenges, improve governance structures, and create a shared vision that both engages and energises staff. When approached thoughtfully, change can drive long-term improvements that strengthen both the organisation and its people.

Developing a robust strategy is crucial during major institutional change to ensure a clear direction and cohesive vision. It allows organisations to align goals, resources, and efforts effectively. Engaging all stakeholders in the strategy development process is essential, enabling diverse perspectives to be considered, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to shared goals.  

Taking the time to collectively articulate and embed shared values, beliefs and behaviours can positively impact business outcomes.

Comprehensive and accessible disability services are essential to remove barriers and support diverse needs throughout the student journey.

Successfully implementing organisational strategy requires collective accountability from leadership teams during times of change.

Moving to a service culture with a clearly defined service catalogue enables everyone to understand the ‘what, how, who and when’.

Fostering a strong sense of belonging amongst staff supports a shared sense of purpose and encourages a supportive and enabling environment. This can provide the foundation from which to build on an organisation's institutional and departmental strategic objectives.

By Ben Hunt, Sector Insights Lead / 06 December 2023 Identifying and Engaging the Higher Education Student Higher education students’ identities are constructed in different ways, by them individually, by higher education institutions and within society. This article introduces different ways of thinking about student identities, considers what this might mean for student expectations, and finally reflects on what this might say about different forms of student engagement.  

The student journey is marked by diverse experiences, intellectual growth, and needs. As higher education institutions face increasingly high expectations from students, the role of technology is pivotal in enhancing the educational experience and supporting students throughout their journey to have a positive outcome.

Taking the time to collectively articulate and embed shared values, beliefs and behaviours can positively impact business outcomes.

A student's sense of belonging is intrinsically linked to their student experience. It is well established that engagement, surroundings, and personal space are key facets of fostering student belonging.

Organisations with clearly defined job roles and job families are better placed to ensure they have the right people, doing the right things

UK universities are facing an increasing set of institutional challenges – reductions in public funding, increased competition for students, ensuring the wellbeing of staff and students, attracting talented staff – so it is vital that university services transition from a siloed provision of services to an integrated model supported by strategic business partnering that enables enhanced decision-making across organisations.

Organisational culture is comprised of commonly held values, beliefs and behaviours. Taking the time to collectively articulate and embed cultural expectations can support employee engagement and well-being which, in turn, can positively impact business outcomes. 

Being able to accurately forecast student numbers and recruit students is vital for the financial health of any university. As such, universities must look beyond how student recruitment teams operate to consider how the wider ecosystem across functions can be nurtured to support overall recruitment ambitions.