Retailers on a Mission for Transformation

By Dr Pilar Rojas Gaviria, Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham and Professor Domen Bajde, University of Southern Denmark Crouched at my desk in Sao Paulo At my house in the rua Lopes Chaves In a trice, I felt a chill inside me. I shivered, deeply moved With the stupid book looking at me. Can’t … Continue reading “Retailers on a Mission for Transformation”

Staying present, at a safe distance, for local craft businesses

 By Dr Scott Taylor Department of Management, University of Birmingham State intervention during the coronavirus pandemic is focused on two areas: first, healthcare and second, the economy. There can be tensions between the aims of these two policy spheres – large busy workplaces producing goods and retail outlets selling those goods are spaces where … Continue reading “Staying present, at a safe distance, for local craft businesses”

Urgent government action needed to avoid debt explosion

By Karen Rowlingson, Professor of Social Policy Department of Social Policy Sociology & Criminology, Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management, University of Birmingham Even before the current COVID-19 crisis hit, research by the University of Birmingham showed that 3 million people in the UK were behind with key bills such as: gas, electric, water, … Continue reading “Urgent government action needed to avoid debt explosion”

Maintaining trust within a virtual work space

By Mark NK Saunders, Professor of Business Research Methods, Birmingham Business School, and Colin Hughes, Head of the Graduate Business School, Technological University Dublin and Postgraduate Researcher, Birmingham Business School With organisations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government recently ‘ordering’ people to stay at home to avoid unnecessary social contact, the number of people … Continue reading “Maintaining trust within a virtual work space”

Social Distancing: People are the Problem

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and  International Business, University of Birmingham I spent last weekend engaged in voluntary work in a churchyard. This location makes one reflect on the past, the future and Covid-19. From the churchyard, I observed human behaviour in adjacent streets, which I found troubling. I saw three types of … Continue reading “Social Distancing: People are the Problem”

Working well in uncertain times: the benefits of working at home

By Dr Daniel Wheatley Department of Management, University of Birmingham Work has a central role in the quality of our lives. An increasingly large body of research has emphasised a range of features that influence the experience we have of work, such as: pay and reward; length of working day/week; job security; development opportunities; working … Continue reading “Working well in uncertain times: the benefits of working at home”

Troubled water: How social contracts could redeem the UK’s water industry

By Professor Andy Mullineux Department of Finance, Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink Climate change has given new meaning to the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous lines. While the UK has recently experienced heavy rains and severe flooding, the United Nation’s World Water Day reminds us … Continue reading “Troubled water: How social contracts could redeem the UK’s water industry”

The Challenge of Governance during a National Emergency

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and  International Business, University of Birmingham Who would want to be Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty or Sir Patrick Vallance? Who would want to take responsibility for the decisions that must be taken during these unprecedented times? These decisions must be taken rapidly and with partial information. It is … Continue reading “The Challenge of Governance during a National Emergency”

Covid-19 and the Economic Impact

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and  International Business, University of Birmingham The current mantra is that we are living in interesting or even crazy times in which everyday living is being turned upside down. During this time a handshake or a cough could result in illness, or even death, and widespread transmission of … Continue reading “Covid-19 and the Economic Impact”

Budget Reflections: A Welcome End to Austerity?

By David Bailey, Senior Fellow at The UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of Business Economics at Birmingham Business School and Philip Tomlinson, Professor of Industrial Strategy at the University of Bath Management School. The Budget marked the point at which the government finally recognised what many economists have been saying for years: with … Continue reading “Budget Reflections: A Welcome End to Austerity?”