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General Interest

Why We Have Such a Love-hate Relationship With Work

Pexels. Ian Fouweather, University of Bradford Shock, horror, a new study shows the British public donā€™t like their jobs. Using smart phones researchers mapped the happiness of people in real time, while they went about their daily lives. And they discovered that people do not report feeling very happy at work. In fact, apart from being ill, work was shown as the activity that people reported they were least happy doing. Continue reading →

How Universities Can Earn Trust and Share Power in the Bitter Post-Truth Era

Universities can take a stand. Shutterstock Alice Roberts, University of Birmingham and Saul Becker, University of Birmingham James Baldwin, the author, playwright and social critic, whose life is depicted in the remarkable 2016 film I Am Not Your Negro, once said: ā€œIt is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. Continue reading →

Punked? How an Upstart Brewing Company Sold Up and Sold Out

Justin Green/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Scott Taylor, University of Birmingham Want to be a multi-millionaire? Well then, start a ā€œrebel businessā€, generate brand controversy ā€“ and then sell it to the capitalists you appeared to despise. Thatā€™s one way to do it. Scottish multinational brewery, distiller and bar chain BrewDog is the most recent version of this story. It has attracted a lot of attention recently. Continue reading →

Frexit: How a Le Pen Victory Could Unleash a Tsunami of Economic Volatility

Panicos O. Demetriades, University of Leicester With Marine Le Pen through to the second round of the French presidential elections, the prospect of Frexit, which is at the centre of her economic policies, is beginning to spook financial markets. While the possibility of Le Pen winning in the second round remains remote, two weeks can be a long time in politics. When it comes to the implications of a French exit from the European Union, commentators have so far focused on the ā‚¬1. Continue reading →

Thing-ification: Why the Human Face of Work Needs to be Brought Back In

Eugene Wei/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Stephanie Russell, Anglia Ruskin University At work, do you feel like a disposable financial asset, or part of a family; a cog in the machine, or a human being on a team? How your company treats you can have a huge effect on your well-being and the success of the firm. The novelist Terry Pratchett wrote that ā€œevil begins when you begin to treat people as thingsā€. Continue reading →

Is this the Most Secure Coin in the World?

Royal MintRichard Farmer, University of East Anglia Although people are becoming increasingly reliant on electronic forms of financial transaction, the introduction of a new coin still feels like an important occasion. The new Ā£1 coin, which enters circulation on March 28, is described by the Royal Mint as ā€œthe most secure coin in the worldā€. It is likely to be controversial. Continue reading →

Opinion: Where are the Women Managers ?

Last September, Deloitte announced that the gender pay gap will not close definitively before 2069. In the UK, there was still a 17.48% wage difference in 2014 (OECD). However, a recent study from Resolution Foundation showed that women in their twenties only face a 5% salary inequality. While it is a positive advancement, this gap will only deepen throughout their career, as they will face heavy barriers to progress in their job, hardly ever reaching managerial positions. Continue reading →

Digital Literacies Session Preparation

  Hi all! Thank you as ever for reading this blog, and today I have just a short note about the session in the tutorial classes for MANG1022 next week. This session will be on Digital Literacies, or more specifically a practical enquiry into your online identity. Online identity is the general term used to describe all the data held about you, and viewable on you online. Continue reading →