Online masterclasses for MBA alumni
We are delighted to introduce the MBA+ Global Updates, a new series of free MBA masterclass webinars led by our leading international faculty which will provide some insights and updates on different topics linked to modules currently running as part of the distance learning MBA.
These masterclasses are an opportunity for you to refresh and update your MBA knowledge as well as connect with the Bradford MBA global alumni community. Details of upcoming masterclasses are provided below.
Managing a Business in the Minimum Wage Era
Wednesday 6 September 2023
08:00-09:00am or 16:00-17:00pm BST
In this MBA+ virtual masterclass, Professor Kerry Papps will discuss the range of ways in which businesses have accommodated the minimum wage, what the academic evidence suggests regarding this and what the future of personnel management might look like in the Minimum Wage Era.
The Low Pay Commission estimates that 1.6 million workers in the UK were paid at or below the minimum wage in April 2022 – around 5% of the workforce. The Government has set a target for the National Minimum Wage to continue to rise until it reaches two-thirds of median hourly pay by October 2024, increasing wage bills significantly.
The UK is not an outlier within the OECD and countries such as New Zealand already have minimum wages above two-thirds of the median wage. To date, economists have focused mainly on whether the minimum wage leads companies to lay off workers. Evidence from the UK overwhelmingly suggests that this has not been the case. However, companies have numerous other options for offsetting the costs brought about by the minimum wage, from raising prices to providing less training for workers.
Attendees will be invited to submit questions during Q&A.
About the Speaker
Kerry Papps joined the University of Bradford in 2022. He is a labour economist who researches the effects of the minimum wage and other social policies. He also has an interest in what labour economists can learn from professional and amateur sports.
Kerry undertook his undergraduate education in New Zealand and worked for the New Zealand Department of Labour before completing a PhD at Cornell University, where he held a Fulbright Scholarship. From 2007-2010 he was a research fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and in 2011 was a visiting assistant professor at Cornell University.
Prior to joining Bradford, Kerry worked for 11 years at the University of Bath. While there, he directed Bath’s Master of Research programme in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and was director of impact within the Department of Economics.
Kerry is a research fellow of the IZA, Bonn and a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has been commissioned to provide research for the World Bank and the UK Low Pay Commission.