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By Professor Joanne Murphy Department of Management Twenty-five years ago, I and others watched in dismay as Jeffrey Donaldson and his colleagues walked out of the multi-party talks that were to result in the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). That historic compromise represented a reframing of Northern Ireland’s conflicted past and potential future. It resolved the … Continue reading “The Good Friday Agreement: does it still hold up post-Brexit?”

By Dr Sarah Montano and Dr Inci Toral Department of Marketing Historically, International Women’s Day celebrates the working women’s suffrage to gain equal rights with men. Is it only the working women who suffered from inequality? As Caroline Perez notes we live in a world for men and designed by men! We ask: Have you … Continue reading “If Women are the driving force behind consumerism, why is retail designed for men?”

By Dr Nur Gundogdu, Research Fellow Centre for Responsible Business Gender equality is a multi-layered and multifaceted issue prevelant in all sectors across the globe, despite national and international regulations and interventions. It is also one of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed to be achieved by 2030. However, despite prolonged global … Continue reading “Embracing gender equality in academia”

By Dr Sarah Montano and Dr Inci Toral Department of Marketing, University of Birmingham Kybele, the mother of Earth, is one of the most ancient goddesses still celebrated in many cultures, although she might have different names and powers. Even today in most cultures, people celebrate the arrival of spring (Kybele’s awakening) as it is … Continue reading “Necessity is the mother of invention – Women as Retail Pioneers and Innovators”

By Helen Brain Department of Accounting, University of Birmingham Local government finance is in the headlines again, with the County Council Network reporting three quarters of councils will increase council tax by the maximum in April. Here we look at what councils do and why council tax is rising. The focus is on England; arrangements … Continue reading “Council tax: what is it and why is it another bill that’s rising?”

By Johannes Read City Region Economic and Development Institute, University of Birmingham Although initially rooted in addressing persistent economic inequality, the phrase ‘levelling up’ and given opportunity to new conversations, such as capital projects and a focus on cycle paths to accommodate more sustainable travel. Whilst creating opportunities is important, the continued patchwork approach to … Continue reading “The devil and the detail: the issues behind the UK Levelling Up Fund”

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham Nicola Sturgeon has dominated Scottish Politics and the Scottish National Party (SNP) since she became First Minister of Scotland on 20 November 2014. Her role in shaping the SNP’s political agenda dates back to 2004 when she became deputy leader of the … Continue reading “Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation: Scotland’s long road towards independence”

By Dr Eilnaz Kashefi Pour, Associate Professor in Finance, Birmingham Business School; Professor Sofia Johan, Florida Atlantic University; Professor Shima Amini, Leeds Business School; and Professor Abdul Mohamed, Leeds Business School When looking at staff, many organisations see their employees as human capital, a resource to be used. Could a focus on employee welfare and wellbeing help companies … Continue reading “How can employee welfare help newly listed firms’ prospects?”

By Professor Andy Mullineux Emeritus Professor of Financial Economics The cost of living crisis has encouraged an increase in the usage of cash for household payments, following a period in which card and digital payments increased substantially. Contactless payments, in particular, proliferated during the Covid pandemic, whilst cash payments were shunned. This encouraged banks to … Continue reading “Cash is back but who should pay for it in a digital banking world?”

By Dr Annum Rafique, City-REDI, Birmingham Business School What is it? In October 2022, the National Grid warned Britain that the country might face blackouts during the winter and, if the current energy crisis continues, then there might not be enough power for the whole country. To prevent this, they introduced a scheme dubbed the … Continue reading “Balancing the Grid: Understanding the National Grid’s Demand Flexibility Service”