A day in the life of:
Pam Muckosy
Ethical Corporation Institute
Joined: 2007
Studied: Bachelor of Business Administration (focus on international business), University of Regina (Canada); MSc in Development Management, London School of Economics and Political Science
A day in the life of a Research Manager
Today I have treated myself to a latte from the gourmet coffee cart at Spitalfields Market. With a coffee in hand, I turn on my laptop and check what surprises await in my inbox.
A well-planned weekly schedule is a necessity for someone responsible for half a dozen research projects. Even the most organised and experienced Research Manager will need to adjust their schedule to address unforeseen issues. Urgent messages from an interested client, a curious member, our internal accountant, or a frantic researcher are common.
After addressing pressing queries and emailing reports to new buyers, I ease into the day with www.guardian.co.uk, www.ft.com and numerous corporate social responsibility (CSR) newsletters that fill my email account.
If there is a news story our members may find useful, I’ll post a comment and link online. Marketing is a key job function of any employee at FC. An article about Marks and Spencer’s success in reducing bag use catches my eye. The results of their bold initiative to charge customers for plastic bags would be interesting to some of our retail members.
Today, there was also an email from another leading ethics institute, inviting us to explore ways to combine our research capacities. This is a partnership I am willing to explore, so I gather a bit of information about the company and send a meeting invitation to our Director to discuss this.
However, I cannot afford to spend too much time emailing or getting lost in news websites. Like all employees at Ethical Corporation, I enjoy a high level of independence and I am held responsible for keeping on top of my duties.
Today’s ‘to do’ list includes: contact recent report interviewees, edit a report, and meet with our marketing manager and a conference organiser to discuss cross-marketing opportunities.
I prioritise my tasks and decide to contact the interviewees first. Generally, the most interesting and insightful case studies come from big multinational companies. I enjoy this social aspect of my job. Daily correspondence with managers from leading companies quenches my thirst for continuous learning on the topic of CSR. The CSR Manager for Boots Alliance is telling me about their approach to measuring and monitoring the company’s social and environmental impacts. I drink it in.
Relations with these corporate report contributors must be carefully managed. Real examples of CSR challenges and success help differentiate our business intelligence reports.
We have built a community of highly qualified external researchers. They are a joy to work with and a challenge to manage. As I edit a report written by one of our researchers, I ask my usual questions. Does the report follow the outline presented in the terms of reference? Does the content create value for the reader? Is the report clearly written, and well presented to our target audience?
After lunch, I send a list of comments to the researcher, and call to clarify these requests. A number of revisions are required before we send this report to our page setter. Together, the researcher and I discuss ways of overcoming any research challenges we face.
Late afternoon approaches quickly. Soon, I am having a healthy debate with my colleagues about marketing. I am not surprised by the flow of ideas that pour out of this meeting. Our management encourages creativity, our open-office structure facilitates ongoing strategic discussions and our pay structure rewards those who can find new ways of adding value. I am not surprised that we have attracted such cleaver and explorative employees.
