news 2021

Companies must walk the talk: human rights policies must be backed by deeper engagement Multinational corporations must go beyond simply adopting human rights policies if they are to stop human rights abuses in their supply chains and avoid charges of ethical window-dressing, new research from the University of Bath School of Management shows.

Companies must do more to understand and act on cognitive diversity in their boardrooms, according to a new report Last updated on Tuesday 19 October 2021 Companies must do more to understand cognitive diversity and foster a culture of 'constructive disagreement' within their boardrooms to make better decisions, according to a new report published today.

New research suggests regulators and short sellers alike may benefit from identifying cautious selling tactics Last updated on Wednesday 6 October 2021 Company directors, officers or major shareholders, worried that their personal share sales might trigger aggressive short selling from investors tracking their moves, are disguising their trades with a cautious, incremental approach often spread over several days, new research from the University of Bath shows.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, the R rate became well-known shorthand for the reproduction of the disease. Yet a new study suggests it's time for 'A Farewell to R' in favour of a different approach based on the growth rate of infection rather than contagiousness.

People with an individual personal pension could retire with as little as half the value of a comparable group pension fund facilitated by an employer Last updated on Wednesday 22 September 2021 The absence of a third party protecting the interests of individual personal pensions means they perform worse than group personal pensions (GPP), according to new research from the University of Bath's School of Management.

A new report has found that men within couples have substantially more private pension wealth than women, which poses particular challenges when they divorce.

Economic models of climate change may have substantially underestimated the costs of continued warming, according to a new study involving UCL researchers. Published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters , the international team of scientists found that the economic damage could be six times higher by the end of this century than previously estimated.

Highlights from the first session of the Knowledge Exchange training series , facilitated by Yvonne McLean, as part of the ESRC Collaboration Labs Programme, The University of Manchester. Our focus in this short series is to share the latest tools and best practice for academic research consultancy and effective knowledge exchange, delivered in our ongoing Collaboration Labs training series.

Research shows low-cost DNA biomarker technique can trace cocoa from a specific farm to the chocolate bar in your hand Last updated on Wednesday 14 July 2021 A new method of DNA testing on cocoa beans could revolutionise the chocolate industry, offering consumers greater reassurance about the origins and ethics of their beloved confectionery, and giving the global cocoa industry a precision tool to help end slavery and child labour.

Seafarers of different faiths and no faith rely on support from port chaplains in coping with what is often dangerous work in challenging institutionalised workplace settings, research from Cardiff University has found. On board ship, religious beliefs and attitudes are kept private but seafarers revealed to the team the ways in which many who do have a faith construct their own set of religious beliefs in order to cope better with living and working conditions.

Bank credit officers are more likely to approve loan applications earlier and later in the day, while 'decision fatigue' around midday is associated with defaulting to the safer option of saying no. This is clear evidence that regular breaks during working hours are important for maintaining high levels of performance Tobias Baer These are the findings of a study by researchers in Cambridge's Department of Psychology, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science .

More than half of adults plan to fly less or much less, even after they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, citing worries about the virus and climate change, according to a survey carried out by the University of Bristol The snapshot survey , conducted by researchers at the university's Cabot Institute for the Environment, captured views of nearly 500 respondents about how they might fly in the wake of the global pandemic.

Financial leaders sounding positive when they answer journalists' questions can boost share prices and soothe investors' fears about market risk, a new study reveals. Using sophisticated computer algorithms, researchers analysed the tone of voice used by US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairs during Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) press conferences and examined the impact on financial markets.

New research suggests sugar taxes only slightly changed consumer behaviour, arguing that a combination of different policies is fundamental to tackle obesity. Last updated on Friday 19 March 2021 The introduction of a sugar tax, increasing the price of fizzy drinks and other products high in sugar content, has had only a limited, moderate effect in shifting people's dietary habits and behaviours, according to a new study.

Global targets to improve the welfare of people across the planet will have mixed impacts on the world's forests, according to new research. The United Nations’ 17 key areas for global development – known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – range from tackling poverty, hunger and sanitation to promoting clean energy, economic growth and reducing inequality.

New energy tariffs designed for a low carbon future could leave people on bad deals even worse off, research has found. The Leeds-led study found new types of contracts could benefit all types of customer, with opportunities to sell excess energy from solar panels or incentives for using energy at off-peak times.

New research from Professor Roger Gill, helps us to understand the impact of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions on mental health and wellbeing. The study, delivered in partnership with Professor Matt Grawitch and colleagues at St Louis University in Missouri, surveyed people living and working across the UK, France, Germany, Canada and the US.

A review of ten types of policy used to reduce carbon suggests that some costs fall on those less able to bear them - but it also shows these policies can form the bedrock of a 'green recovery' if specifically designed and used in tandem. Unless low-carbon policies are fair, affordable and economically competitive, they will struggle to secure public support Cristina Peñasco Some of the low-carbon policy options currently used by governments may be detrimental to households and small businesses less able to manage added short-term costs from energy price hikes, according to a new study.