The Power of Public Value

Professor Maneesh Kumar joins Peter to discuss quality management, process excellence, and how adopting a public value approach, both environmentally and socially, can significantly enhance business calibre.

He shares insights into the power of cross-disciplinary, global collaborations and their role in solving complex challenges more effectively.

Passionate about equality, social enterprise, and healthcare, Maneesh talks about how his personal commitment to morals, ethics and family connect to making a meaningful impact on society, the community, and the wider world.

What role does branding play in today’s ethical landscape?

Dr. Zoe Lee, Reader in Marketing at Cardiff Business School, joins Peter to discuss the growing commercialisation of the non-profit sector—and how businesses, in turn, are becoming more values-driven. Zoe draws on her research into how charities use branding to drive awareness and donations.

Together, they unpack how brand ethics influence consumer trust, talent attraction, and public perception. Zoe also shares insights on why brands must be bold in engaging with socio-political issues, and how storytelling and standing up for values is key to staying relevant in a rapidly changing world.

In the first episode of our third series, Peter sits down with Amy Boote, a PhD student with a passion for fashion and sustainability.

After working as a buyer for a well-known retailer and feeling powerless about how to improve conditions for garment workers, Amy began her research project: Environmental Impact and Gender Inequality in the Fast Fashion Supply Chain: An Ecofeminist Perspective.

Amy discusses how she is motivated to break down the complexities of her research on climate resilience, empowering the garment worker voice and make a visible difference to supply chain policies.

Curious to hear a clear explanation from an economist? Is there a link between alcohol pricing and violence? In the final episode of the series, Peter talks to Dr Iain Long about embedding public value into the economics degree programmes and his research which addresses key societal challenges.

In episode 8, Peter is in conversation with Dr Robert Bowen, a passionate foodie and champion of Welsh food and drink on the global stage. How did his time in France help shape his research interests? Robert discusses his background, insights from his research with food and drink SMEs, and his involvement in developing a food and drink strategy for Wales.

Why is the extinction of the polar bear a risk to businesses? How can we help businesses address biodiversity? Peter chats with Jill Atkins, a Professor of Accounting, about her research in extinction accounting, a pioneering area in academia and the wider financial world that is helping companies to report on biodiversity.

Sometimes you just have to step up, because your values demand it. Peter speaks with Emmanuel Ogbonna, a Professor of Management and Organisation, about his work in spearheading the Welsh Government’s Black, Asian, and minority ethnic COVID-19 Advisory Group. They also discuss his ongoing work with Cardiff University’s anti-racism initiatives

In this episode, Peter talks with Dr Alison Parken, about serendipity, networks, the advantage of being in Wales, and the chain of events that derive from a real determination to make things better. They discuss her research on workplace inequality, focusing on the gender pay gap, driving policy forward, and how she helps employers create fairer work practices.

If ever somebody was an illustration of the nomadic lives of modern academics it is Dr Helen Tilley, as revealed in her conversation with Peter. Now settled as a Senior Research Fellow at the Wales Centre for Public Policy, Helen reflects on her career journey from international development roles overseas to shaping policy in Wales. They also discuss the role of the Centre in bringing experts together to provide crucial evidence for policymakers.

Do farting cows have a place in the MBA programme? Apparently, yes. In episode 3, Peter chats with MBA student Jagatheep Kumar about his decision to study at Cardiff Business School and the focus on public value. Jagatheep shares how the MBA, and a small project on bovine methane emissions, shifted his perspective from viewing business as personal gain to understanding its impact on wider society.