Centre for FM Development Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University (UK)

Visiting April 7th—13th 2014 at the Department of Business, Government, Philosophy Studies

If's role is primarily to develop the centre's academic research and research based consulting activities. He directs the centre's DBA and PhD programmes. If has a PhD in Geology, and as a geologist worked and lived in many parts of the world before becoming manager of research and then head of business process review for BP Exploration. In that role he spent two years benchmarking change and organisational improvement world-wide. Lessons from that experience are still incorporated in all the centre's academic activities. If's special interests are the processes of innovation, and change in organisations, including applications of Systems Thinking and the Unwritten Rules and Complexity. He has pioneered the application of modern evolutionary theory to organisational design. 'Startlingly original', 'better than Tom Peters' and 'makes connections no one else has made' were early reviewers comments, on Shifting the Patterns; a book by If and a colleague Ray Shaw. Conversation and thinking shape organisations, and create resistance to change. The challenge of the future to create the conversations for value adding FM and workplaces are already starting through our expanding programme of Research and Application Forums. If has developed the argument through a number of papers especially The Complex Adaptive Workplace (2004), Business Critical FM (2004), and Lean Assets (2007). In November 2001 If accepted a position as adjunct professor of facility management with the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology, Sydney.

See more at: www.shu.ac.uk/sbs/our-people/Price/221/6#sthash.arZCMhby.dpuf.

Research Seminars:

“Strategic Facility Management: Property and Business Performance”
April, 8th, 2014 (9.00 am – 11.00 am) - Room A, Research Building, First Floor

“Patient Reflection on Facts: Revisiting Inductive Realism”
April, 8th, 2014 (11.30 am – 1.30 pm) - Room A, Research Building, First Floor