SYMPOSIUM

Monday, September 22nd

13:30 - 18:00

The IACCM Academic Forum has been highlighted by many as one of the most fascinating conference sessions they have attended. For most in our community, there is little chance to meet with academics and discover some of the research that is going on in our field. And for the academics, it is often the practitioners who are hidden away.

Each year, the volume and quality of research in the field of contracting, commercial and related legal topics has grown. This is the leading forum for its display, promotion and discussion. Don’t miss it!

13:30 - 13:45
Intro

13:45 - 14:35
Session 1 - Defining The Emerging Community and Its Professional Development: Academia & Practitioners Working Together

Lead - Dr. David Lowe, Manchester Business School

At this time of dramatic change in the business environment, the competence to make and manage successful trading relationships is moving to the heart of the business. There is widespread agreement that this demands new skills and more consistent methods and practices. Defining this framework is critical to progress and requires close collaboration between academia and the practitioner community. This session will describe early efforts to define the overall roles of this emerging 'community of practice' and promote a model for professional development through dynamic new approaches to knowledge capture and management.

Discussion items include:

  • A new model for individual learning and support of corporate competency in contracting and commercial management
  • A new Masters program and MBA designed for our community
  • Is  there a demand for training programs – and if so, what type and level?
  • Developing industry-focused research  
  • Results of IACCM member survey
Discussion Groups:
  • What does industry want from the academic community?
  • What role should IACCM play in formulating professional development programs?


14:35 - 14:50
Break

14:50 - 15:40

Session 2 - "Is What We Are Taught in School Causing Confrontational Relationships?"  [Why is the proactive approach to contracting, law and relationship management still so rare - and what can we do about it?]

Lead - Helena Haapio, Lexpert Ltd

Are current Law School, MBA, and procurement programmes the problem? Do they teach topics and skills relevant for today's professionals? Or is it peoples' (our own) attitudes? Do we use contracts to secure successful implementation - or just to prepare for failure? The approaches that many organisations take to contract negotiation and management certainly appear to sub-optimise the potential value of results. Have we as a community of practice moved with the times? Why isn't the Proactive Law/Proactive Contracting movement being embraced more broadly and more quickly? What will it take to speed up its adoption?

Discussion Groups

  • Is current academic training too narrow and reflecting old-style business and backward-looking law?
  • Is academic research dealing with topics that are relevant today and tomorrow?
  • What would the business community welcome in terms of academic training and research?
  • Where should we be going? What would it take to achieve a change?

15:40 - 16:00
Break

16:00 - 16:50
Session 3 - "Standards - who, what, when, and where?"

Lead - Rene Franz Henschel, Aarhus School of Business
Mark David, CommitMentor

Tim McCarthy, Rockwell Automation

There are frequent calls for ‘more standards’, yet in many ways our community has either steadfastly resisted them (they destroy judgment, they fail to address circumstances), or has been seen to impose them in a way that creates confrontation and distrust (e-auctions, one-sided or lop-sided risk allocation). Are standards desirable?  And how far should they extend?

This session will look at two major areas – the creation of ‘global standard terms and conditions’ and the creation of a consistent ‘capability maturity model’ to assist standard assessment of contracting (commitment management) competence.

Discussion groups

  • Should IACCM take this on? 
  • How would practitioners want to proceed?

16:50 - 17:40 - Commercial Innovation: An Introduction

Lead - Ian Stewart, Birmingham City University

What is 'commercial innovation'? What role does commercial management have in driving innovation within the commercial function and within the wider business strategy? This concluding session will describe research into the innovation experience of commercial managers and provide examples of areas where commercial practices offer potential for competitive difference.

17:40 - 18:00 - Concluding Remarks

Dr David Lowe