It’s not a baptism of fire

By Dr Ufuk Gunes Bebek, Lecturer in Economics Department of Economics, University of Birmingham Long before the most recent slump in the lira, the Turkish economy had already begun to deteriorate President Erdogan’s senior advisor Yigit Bulut’s opening line in a recent column was “August 10th has gone down as Turkey’s financial 15th of July in … Continue reading “It’s not a baptism of fire”

The fear of crime: is Britain entering a lawless era?

By Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics Department of Economics, University of Birmingham giving the impression that we live in a dangerous country, filled with criminals who are fearlessly terrorising people with the police helpless to control them. In most Western countries, including the UK, crime rates have fallen over the recent years. Surprisingly, crime rates … Continue reading “The fear of crime: is Britain entering a lawless era?”

What does it take to be an entrepreneur?

By Professor Kiran Trehan, Professor of Leadership and Enterprise Development Department of Management, University of Birmingham Entrepreneurship is a highly personal journey with many ups and downs; you will shape your business and your business will shape you. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the key to economic growth. With TV reality shows like The Apprentice … Continue reading “What does it take to be an entrepreneur?”

Trusting which experts? Think tanks and politically-neutral knowledge

By Dr Scott Taylor, Reader in Leadership & Organization Studies, Department of Management, and Dr Amon Barros, Assistant Professor, FGV Sao Paulo School of Business Administration political debate is now framed by a mistrust of ‘experts’ who claim specific knowledge and authority, as well as their research. Long-established London-based think tank, the Institute of Economic … Continue reading “Trusting which experts? Think tanks and politically-neutral knowledge”

Responsible business education: a no-brainer

By Dr Juliet E. Kele, Research Fellow In HRM Department of Marketing and Lloyds Centre for Responsible Business, University of Birmingham Teachers have the power to create safe places for many under-represented student groups. This in turn allows students to express their views and perspectives within the classroom With organisations becoming increasingly conscious that their responsibility … Continue reading “Responsible business education: a no-brainer”

Has Netflix’s reign come to an end?

By Dr Finola Kerrigan, Lecturer in Marketing Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham Netflix will continue to appeal to large mainstream audiences […] But for those seeking to find hidden gems, more niche providers still have a place. While video on demand services have been a reality for quite some time, Netflix has really come to … Continue reading “Has Netflix’s reign come to an end?”

Is it still safe to use Facebook?

By Dr Rosalind Jones, Lecturer in Marketing Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham Facebook needs to work on creating an improved alliance with outsourced companies or bring the work in-house, ensuring compliance for a better and safer world. A recent Channel 4 Dispatches program – Inside Facebook: Secrets of the Social Network – saw an undercover … Continue reading “Is it still safe to use Facebook?”

Emojis and message clarity

By Dr David Houghton, Senior Lecturer in Marketing Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham we are seeing plenty of new emojis challenging the status quo,  from male- and female-only couples to the ability to change the skin colour for the majority of emoji characters. When World Emoji Day was brought to my attention, my initial thought … Continue reading “Emojis and message clarity”

The last straw – why Wimbledon has fallen out of love with plastic

By Professor Delphine Gibassier, Senior Research Fellow Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham it’s no surprise that companies and organisations such as Wimbledon rallied behind the cause, drifting from their plastic-dependency. At the last tournament, Wimbledon generated roughly 400,000 plastic straws. It is therefore no wonder, amidst the ever-growing … Continue reading “The last straw – why Wimbledon has fallen out of love with plastic”

Chocolate, Fairtrade and Responsible Business

By Nana O Bonsu, Research Fellow Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business, University of Birmingham Though that might be good for the consumer, our buying habits could have a negative effect on cocoa farmers across the globe For years in the UK, chocolate has been inexpensive and readily available. Though that might be good for … Continue reading “Chocolate, Fairtrade and Responsible Business”