As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an explorer. That led me to study Geography at University and to become fascinated by the way society "works".

How did you get involved in teaching business?

A series of stepping stones ... a number of twist and turns career-wise led me to running my own employment research consultancy and then writing a doctorate, exploring the influences that presently shape young people's career expectations. Doors then opened to teach on a range of academic and professional courses at Manchester Business School and more recently at MMU Business School.

What would 'moral leadership' look like in enterprise?

Moral leadership would involve wisdom, integrity and virtue on a personal level. However, I think much more is needed because leadership is about influencing people, so it must be value-driven and related to a particular community. Truly moral leadership seeks to find ways in which the business can bring benefits and transformation (offering satisfying work, creating good products and useful services, promoting creative sustainability) for all the stakeholders concerned.

Which movie character do you most relate to?

Neo in The Matrix because of his inquisitive nature.
Although when teaching I also relate to Morpheus: "all I'm offering is the truth"...

Who has been the biggest influence in your work?

Probably Miroslav Volf and his development of a Christian theology of work along with some of Jürgen Moltmann's thoughts about creating a just future.

Does money make the world go round?

No, but it lubricates the machinery. Money expresses a relationship of trust. At present, that trust has been broken.

What would be the hallmarks of an entrepreneurial revolution in our time?

Believing that social transformation is possible and that business has a positive contribution. However, I don't mean the usual (post) modern view of "progress" which is merely related to performance. Having the capacity to imagine ways of creating and running business that do not conform to present ideas of "reality." New forms of social entrepreneurship challenge the traditional belief that "there is no alternative" to our present form of business life.

How does your worldview vision influence your teaching?

I try to ask questions that invite students to think differently about their work situations. I try to explore the assumptions we bring to organizational life and to create a learning community. I try to include questions about wellbeing and spirituality and what these terms mean.

What's the one thing you couldn't live without

The sound of my children laughing

What living person do you most admire, and why?

John Stott - for setting up the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity and his concept of "double-listening.". Listening to the World and to the Word.

What is your most treasured possession?

My wedding ring

What's your greatest fear and your greatest hope?

Greatest fear - The human capacity for hate.
Greatest hope - The human capacity for love.

Tell us one of your most hilarious faux pas

A few years ago I was being interviewed by Mike Shaft, a presenter on BBC Radio Manchester. We were discussing a theology of work and career when Mike asked, "What about the widget worker?" What does your theology of work and business say about the people who do low paid jobs or work in terrible conditions? That conversation really challenged me to continue to think through the business implications of the gospel for everyone, not just the "professionals." I was glad Mike put me on the spot in my first radio interview. I am now slightly more prepared with an answer to "the widget question."

What Christian story or biblical text motivates you in your work?

Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (Eph1 15-23), especially "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know... his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead."

Martin Luther King Jr had a dream for society. What is yours?

To make sense of Luke 6:9-13 and apply it to contemporary Manchester. I am especially keen that Christians secure a voice in the realms of business and education, so we can proclaim a message of transformation and hope.

What is the main hindrance to living the dream?

I want other people to change first

What makes you angry?

Instant anything, including coffee.

What is your least and most green credential?

Most green credential - I have a bike and cycle to work.
Least green credential - Except for when it rains...then I drive.

When are you the happiest?

When talking with friends around a bottle of wine

So how can business increase wellbeing in society over the next 10 years?

I think that the many problems associated with contemporary business life derive from the underlying, foundational principles of rationality and associated secularisation. The unintended consequences of modernity (and post-modernity) are the exclusion of much that promotes well-being. Business can contribute to well-being when we recognise, embrace and re-integrate the material and the spiritual.

Tell us a joke

Interviewer to Mahatma Ghandi: "What do you think of Western Civilisation?"
Answer: "I think it would be a very good idea."