Why culture change is the key to weeding out bad apples June 1, 2016 I read a magazine article recently which stated 55 per cent of respondents to a survey on the UK Senior Managers Regime (SMR) think it won’t be effective. I find that statistic surprising. To me, SMR is really about holding up principles of good corporate governance. Good corporate governance – transparency, respect, responsibility, controls – is paramount [...]
EU referendum: Would a Brexit free the UK workplace from EU red tape? June 1, 2016 The Leave campaign has said that by 2020 it will impose visa requirements on all foreign workers seeking employment in the UK. The pre-24 June scenario of EU workers having “freedom of movement” (no visas, no additional costs of hiring) will no longer apply. An Australian-type points based system will be introduced. This means employers have to satisfy [...]
Why holding the doors open for struggling businesses can also be best for creditors June 1, 2016 The UK insolvency regime plays a crucial role in our economy, and is one of the most effective in the world. It gives lenders and businesses the confidence to lend and trade, safe in the knowledge that, should things go wrong, debts will be settled in a fair and speedy manner. According to the World [...]
Putting the super back into the supermarkets: What the Co-op rebrand tells us about the current state of the sector June 1, 2016 The unveiling of the Co-op rebrand last week was the latest sign of a major shift in the supermarket arena. The brand’s decision to revert back to its origins, resurrecting – albeit also modernising – its 1968 logo, was a clear attempt to spark an emotional connection with an audience for whom loyalty is meaning [...]
Why innovation should be top of every business’ agenda June 1, 2016 Last week's announcement that the UK government will launch the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) body, a £6bn funded group to champion research and innovation, should be warmly welcomed by the UK and indeed the global business community. In modern business, everyone is trying to innovate, but very few are truly succeeding. In a world [...]
What’s the answer to dealing with difficult questions? June 1, 2016 As the debate over whether Britain should leave the EU intensifies we are once again exposed to the interminable dance of politicians being asked questions and subsequently not answering them. Nobody seems to have any idea what will happen. It appears that the Leave Campaign can only repeat horror stories about immigration if we stay, and [...]
Mrs M&S: Why demographic profiling no longer works June 1, 2016 Brands underestimate the power of social media at their peril. Steve Rowe’s comments about targeting ‘Mrs M&S’ last week were treated with derision on social media, with the Twittersphere roundly condemning Rowe’s decision. One user argued that it was “gendered, exclusionary and old-fashioned”, while another explained that Mrs M&S is "so cringey it makes my [...]
How digitisation can help save the UK’s creative industries June 1, 2016 Creativity is the lifeblood of the modern world we live in. From writers and designers, to architects and musicians, the world around us would not exist as it is if it wasn’t for our creators, who give every office, city and country its identity and history. The UK's creative industries, which generate £9.6m per hour for the UK [...]
Brexit vote too important to be left up to politicians June 1, 2016 Moan all you like about the EU referendum but it's got people talking. From Cornwall to the City and from the Western Isles to Westminster, people are engaged and discussing the issues. People are debating in restaurants and outside pubs and, as is always the case in political campaigns, they're doing so with more nuance and [...]
Heineken hopes F1 will help its beer zoom off shelf June 1, 2016 Brewing giant Heineken is reportedly close to tying up a five-year £100m deal to sponsor Formula One. The sport is more globalised than ever, with races now taken place in extremely lucrative markets across the Middle East, America and eastern Europe. Although many consumer brands have sponsored the sport over the years – with Red [...]