Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/D01350X/1
Title:	Knowledge, Skills and Productivity in Retailing
Principal Investigator:	Grugulis, Professor I
Other Investigators:	Williams, Professor AM Anon Higon, Dr MD Clegg, Professor LJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Faculty of Management and Law
Organisation:	University of Bradford
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	17 October 2005	Ends:	16 October 2008	Value (£):	206,650
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Manufact. Business Strategy Manufact. Enterprise Ops& Mgmt
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Retail
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project will investigate the importance of (different forms of) knowledge transfer as a driver of productivity within UK retailing, and thereby provide insights into the nature and sources of the UK productivity gap. Labour productivity in the distributive sector (wholesale plus retail) in the UK lags almost 20 % behind that in the USA (ESRC, 2004). Our starting point is that this gap may be ascribed to a number of factors, particularly to the ownership of activity. This ownership dimension leads directly to our central focus on knowledge and its transfer both within and between organisations. It also drives our methodological approach, as productivity differences may arise between firms of different ownership in the same locations, and between different locations (within the UK) for the same (multiplant) firms.The project is innovative in that it:- Aims to link theoretically the analyses of inter- and intra-firm knowledge transfer and labour productivity, as exemplified by UK retailing.- Utilises a multi-level methodology, which combines quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses, ranging from econometric investigation using secondary data sources, through a firm level survey, to detailed case studies of selected firms. The three levels of analysis are mutually informing (see methodology). - Is the first major empirical study of the links between knowledge transfer and productivity in retailing.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.brad.ac.uk