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On May, 28th 2015 DCU Business School hosted the first of three ‘Employee Engagement Roundtables’ which will be spread out over the course of a year.

The roundtable was organized and led by academic experts in the field of HR and engagement, Professor Kathy Monks, Dr Edel Conway, Dr Yseult Freeney and Dr Janine Bosak (all DCU Business School staff members). It brought 17 HR directors and managers from a range of non-competitive organizations together in order to explore the concept of employee engagement and the various definitions that are being used by practitioners, discuss best practices in assessing engagement and jointly tackle issues of employee engagement using an evidence-based approach.

The first roundtable was a great success; the second part of this exclusive event will be held on September, 17th 2015 in DCU Business School with over 20 HR directors and managers expressing interest already.

You can find out more about research in HR and Organisational Behaviour at DCU Business School here.

Details of our part-time executive Masters in Work and Organisational Psychology/Behaviour can be found here.

In collaboration with Great Place to Work® Ireland, a team of researchers based at Dublin City University (Link Research Institute) and Maynooth University recently conducted a major research project of the current and future challenges faced by HR Managers in Ireland. The aim of this project is to capture HR professionals’ views in order to understand the key challenges faced by HR Managers currently and in the future.

A feedback workshop held at Dublin City University on the 21st of Jan 2015 attracted about 30 HR Directors/Managers drawn from diverse sectors and organizations. The workshop was welcomed by the Dean of DCU Business School Dr. Anne Sinnott and chaired by the CEO of the Great Place to Work® Ireland Mr. John Ryan. The research team presented the survey findings and received valuable feedback from the audience. The findings cover many important HR topics including organizational effectiveness, HR networks, evidence-based management, line managers’ role in HRM, middle managers’ role in change management, work engagement, HR current and future priorities and HR challenges. Participants actively discussed their experience on these topics. The results will be published in a special supplement of the Irish Times.

Picture (right to left): Mr. John Ryan (GPTW), Dr. Claire Gubbins (DCU), Dr. Na Fu (MU), Professor Patrick Flood (DCU), Dr. Edel Conway, Director- Link; Dr. Yseult Freeney (DCU) and Mr. Jim Flynn (GPTW)

The final week of term saw 48 groups of budding entrepreneurs enter the Dragons’ Den to pitch their New Enterprise Development ideas to a panel of experienced Dragons. A total of 25 Dragon’s, all DCU MBA alumni, sat in the Den over the three days. Companies represented included Irish Rail, Google and Netflix. Students in groups of 4 were given 7 minutes to present their innovative business ideas, followed by 7 minutes of gruelling questions from the Dragons.

New Enterprise Development is a year long final year undergraduate module that tasks students with creating an innovative product or service idea and putting it through the various stages of the new venture creation process including: concept development, feasibility analysis, market research, digital marketing campaign, financial planning, and finally the business plan presentation in the form of a Dragons’ Den.

A selection of some of the product/service ideas include:

  • Water preservation device for electrical showers
  • ‘5 a day’ nutritional children’s drinks
  • Multifunctional sandwich/wrap storage device
  • Non swish sports running bottle
  • All in one sterilised baby’s bottle with power supply
  • Dog detection GPS chip

The standard of all the student’s ideas was truly exceptional and numerous groups have gone on to win business plan competitions outside of DCU.

Congratulations to all!

Find out more about our undergraduate Business Studies courses.

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If you’re someone with a real, demonstrable passion for food and you’d like a career in that industry where innovation and entrepreneurship are at the core of what you do – then we have a life changing opportunity with your name written on it.  As part of the Bord Bia Talent Academy, the DCU MSc Insights and Innovation offers a fully-funded Masters qualification and a unique, extensive placement in an innovative and dynamic food or beverage company.  You’ll also receive a monthly bursary and, once qualified, you’ll join an elite, in-demand, professional group of innovation specialists who are revolutionising the industry.

Founded to accelerate innovation in order to create and capture value in the exciting food and beverage industry, the Bord Bia DCU Msc Insights and Innovation has already been the launchpad for many successful careers and we are now once again open for applications for the next intake. This unique 18 month full time programme combines an immersive work placement, in a dynamic food or beverage company, alongside an exciting, professional and contemporary Masters qualification in Insight and Innovation delivered in person in DCU’s Business school.

The programme, which is endorsed and supported by the largest food and beverage companies in Ireland, is designed with three guiding principles: insight, sustainability and innovation. 

Jointly designed by Bord Bia and DCU, this programme’s vision is to forge the next generation of world-class innovators to join the food, horticultural and beverage sectors where they will use their creativity, talent and skill to drive sustainable, scalable, profitable and insight-led growth for their host companies and for their industry.

Run over 18 months, this programme combines study and work placement in a Bord Bia company. It begins with an intensive academic element, with modules taught by experienced thought-leaders in the field of innovation and sustainability in the food industry. Following this, the focus moves to experiential learning, as participants are given work placements at the headquarters of the world’s leading food companies where they work side-by-side with leading Insight and Innovation practitioners to discover, develop and deliver new products and services.

This combination of academic content and work placement enables participants to directly apply the insights gained from DCU Business School coursework to their placement company, with immediate and direct benefit to host companies.

Successful applicants will be fully funded and will receive a total €42,000 bursary over 18 months (paid in instalments) to cover living and some travel expenses.

For further information on Bord Bia please see https://www.bordbia.ie/careers/msc-insight-innovation

* Details of the next intake will be posted on this website as soon as they are confirmed.  Please keep watching.  Or, alternatively, register your interest by emailing: bordbia@dcu.ie – Thank You.


“Having collaborated with Bord Bia over the years we jumped at the opportunity to work with a student from the Bord Bia DCU MSc Insights and Innovation programme for over a year.  We gained access to a fresh pair of eyes focussed on the innovation process which is core to our fast-paced dynamic business, and we provided the student the freedom to take ownership of a wide number of projects important to our business growth.  It was a very positive experience, and we were especially delighted with the delivery of new packaging innovation and a new product launch.  

I recommend other Irish food and drink businesses to consider partnering with Bord Bia and DCU and gain access to fresh perspectives about building their innovation capacity.” 

Pat Rigney, Managing Director & Founder, The Shed Distillery