No-Deal Brexit could mean ‘Carmageddon’ for UK Auto

  Professor David Bailey  Birmingham Business School ESRC UK in a Changing Europe Senior Fellow   UK auto output slumped by almost a half in April as firms shut down plants in case of a No Deal Brexit that didn’t come, leading to renewed warnings from the industry over the damage being caused by Brexit … Continue reading “No-Deal Brexit could mean ‘Carmageddon’ for UK Auto”

The story of football in the West Midlands: Where did it all go wrong?

Professor John Samuels  The Department of Accounting   Sport is now a big business and, like it or not, football is the most high-profile and followed sport. Successful football clubs result in significant financial returns to those involved with the club, city, and region. It boosts brand value and the city becomes associated with success. … Continue reading “The story of football in the West Midlands: Where did it all go wrong?”

The Business of Bees – A Tale of Interconnectedness

Dr Christoph Biehl Associate of the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business Department of Management   Today is World Bee Day, a day designed to increase awareness of the issues facing bees worldwide. It is a well-known fact that bee numbers are dwindling. Recent years have seen a sharp upswing in news from around … Continue reading “The Business of Bees – A Tale of Interconnectedness”

Brand Stories: Can good storytelling increase Ribena’s sales?

Dr Finola Kerrigan Reader in Marketing and Consumption   Consumer tastes change over time, and trends in marketing influence this. This creates an ongoing challenge for brands that have been in the marketplace for a long time. With increasing levels of choice, consumers can easily be seduced away from familiar brands by the lure of … Continue reading “Brand Stories: Can good storytelling increase Ribena’s sales?”

Huawei and Building the United Kingdom’s 5G network: Poor Policy or Weak Governance?

John R. Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography   To Huawei or not to Huawei that is the question that has been debated throughout developed market economies and, in particular, amongst the members of Five Eyes. Five Eyes is the intelligence alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Australia and the U.S. have an all-out … Continue reading “Huawei and Building the United Kingdom’s 5G network: Poor Policy or Weak Governance?”

The Retail Crisis Catches Up with Debenhams

Dr Amir Qamar Department of Strategy & International Business   Debenhams was reportedly worth £900 million in 2016, but today the retail giant is only worth £20 million. Debenhams generates approximately 80% of its revenue in the UK, thus the firm is highly dependent on a single country. Considering that the British retail industry has … Continue reading “The Retail Crisis Catches Up with Debenhams”

The Invisible Killer and London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone: Too little and too late?

John R. Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography University of Birmingham   On Monday 8 April 2019, London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was activated to cover central London. From 25 October 2021, this will be extended to the area within the North and South Circular Roads. Currently, any petrol or diesel vehicle driven within central … Continue reading “The Invisible Killer and London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone: Too little and too late?”

Jaguar Land Rover: One-week shutdown will impact the rest of the supply chain

Dr Amir Qamar Department of Strategy & International Business   Before the Brexit referendum, a large number of manufacturing firms within the automotive sector were re-shoring to the UK with an estimated 1/6 bringing manufacturing back home between 2011-14. Since Brexit was announced, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, declared last year … Continue reading “Jaguar Land Rover: One-week shutdown will impact the rest of the supply chain”

Can increased police power to stop and search tackle knife crime in the UK?

Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing As part of a strategy to combat knife crime, police have been given more extensive stop and search powers in the six areas where knife crime has been most extensive. This has received a mixed reaction, with many police officers welcoming this … Continue reading “Can increased police power to stop and search tackle knife crime in the UK?”