Category: Uncategorized

By Dr Christoph Biehl Associate of the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business, Department of Management The history of shareholder engagement and activism – particularly in the US – is one of ‘the little man’ making his voice heard by buying shares. So what’s so different about the current situation with GameStop? Well in … Continue reading “GameStop: a new era of shareholder activism?”

By Professor Aditya Goenka The Department of Economics, University of Birmingham The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequalities that exist in society. While the demographic data on infections and mortality has not been matched fully with income data, a picture of the unequal impact of the pandemic on society is emerging. Recent evidence shows that … Continue reading “Inequality in economic impact of COVID-19 and its consequences”

By Dr Jennifer L TyreeHageman Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business It’s the start of a new year and even in these strange, lockdown times, many of us will be making resolutions to improve ourselves over January. Challenging ourselves to eat healthier or get fit are the usual ones, but what about resolving to … Continue reading “My New Year’s resolution? To be more sustainable”

By Professor Aditya Goenka The Department of Economics, University of Birmingham In 2019, Boris Johnson said “We’ve got a deal that’s oven-ready. We’ve just got to put it in at gas mark four, give it 20 minutes and Bob’s your uncle.” The deal was finally sealed on Christmas Eve 2020 and rushed through Parliament to … Continue reading “Brexit: What has come out of the oven?”

By Andy Lymer, Professor of Accounting and Taxation and Director of the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM) at the University of Birmingham The UK’s Money and Pensions Service estimates 8 million of us will face problem debt – debt they don’t know how we will repay – by the end of 2021. … Continue reading “What is the best Christmas present you can give yourself this year if you are in problem debt?”

By Professor Ian Thomson Director of Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business The pandemic has seen plastic waste skyrocket, while corporates continue to pump out single-use plastic packaging that’s found dumped all around the world. But a new inter-disciplinary research network at the University of Birmingham is looking to tackle the problem with infinitely … Continue reading “Kicking our addiction to plastics”

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham Christmas is a very special time of the year. It is a time to look back at the year that is nearly past and to gaze forward. It is a time at which family and friends come together to celebrate. It is … Continue reading “Responsible consumption and COVID Christmas – shopping safely online”

By Professor Isabelle Szmigin Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham Firstly, let me say that I cannot answer the question as I do drink alcohol. I do, however, live with someone who has not had an alcoholic drink for over 30 years, so I have some vicarious understanding of one person’s view. But in a … Continue reading “Does it really matter if you don’t drink alcohol at Christmas?”

By Dr Emma Surman Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham For many, this Christmas is going to be slightly different. Christmas parties, carol singing, pantomimes – none of these will be happening in quite the same way. However, if this week’s figures about grocery shopping are anything to go by, it looks like one thing … Continue reading “All I want for Christmas is… a little less food?”

By Dr Scott Taylor, University of Birmingham, and Rosie Ginday MBE, Miss Macaroon December is the moment when corporate advertising turns towards the social. Companies such as John Lewis, Boots, all of the major supermarkets, and even Amazon, stake a claim to doing good by doing business. For some, such as the Co-op group, there … Continue reading “The Christmas Promise of Social Enterprise”