Office Space: Behind the scenes of the Soho headquarters of games developer King, the creators of Candy Crush December 18, 2018 The bright yellow King logo above the entrance to a London office on Wardour Street must trigger some kind of Pavlovian response in the pedestrians who pass by it every day. King is the studio responsible for Candy Crush, which is less a game than a global phenomenon. Since its launch in 2012, games in [...]
Laura Ashley shares fall as it prepares to shutter 40 UK stores in fresh growth strategy December 17, 2018 British fashion retailer Laura Ashley is preparing to close 40 more stores in the UK, as it looks eastward for further business growth. The home furnishings chain, which is owned by Malaysian United Industries (MUI), has closed around 40 stores to date since 2015, and is set to double that. MUI's freshly appointed executive chairman [...]
How automation can improve the millennial working experience December 17, 2018 Automation is set to surge in impact over the next few years, nowhere more so than in the world of work. While this represents a huge opportunity for economic growth, some employers are concerned that certain jobs may be at risk of being replaced by bots. At the same time, employers are managing the challenges [...]
Brexit: The EU referendum cost the taxpayer £129m to carry out December 14, 2018 The EU referendum in 2016 cost taxpayers £129.1m, the Electoral Commission has revealed. The UK's electoral watchdog said today that the biggest cost was administering the poll, which included the running of 40,000 polling stations, issuing postal votes and counting votes on the day, and totalled £94.5m. There were also statutory grants of £1.2m to both the [...]
Confronting the Robots December 13, 2018 Professor Peter Fleming, formerly of Cass Business School, wrote an article for Demos Quarterly which argued that the age of automation is unlikely to lead to a utopian world of play, but doesn't necessarily mean a proliferation of rubbish jobs. You can read the article in full here. Dr Simone Stumpf, Senior Lecturer in the Department of [...]
Brexit Live: Theresa May survives vote of no confidence December 12, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May faces a challenge to her leadership after the threshold for triggering a vote of no confidence was reached this morning. Welcome to today’s City A.M. Brexit live blog. This post is being updated. Please refresh for the latest version. A vote will be held tonight between 6pm and 8pm after Sir Graham [...]
The future of corporate training lies in virtual reality December 11, 2018 Virtual training is being hailed as the “new Powerpoint” for corporates when it comes to training up staff. And as virtual reality (VR) continues to rise in popularity across the social community, it is no surprise that organisations are looking to embrace this immersive technology as a replacement for existing, more traditional methods. No more [...]
DEBATE: Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? December 11, 2018 Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. When Theresa May became Prime Minister, she promised to be all things to all people. To Remainers, the pragmatist who would keep Brexit damage to a minimum; to Leavers, the leader who would [...]
Profits plunge at Thames Water after extreme weather puts the pressure on pipes December 6, 2018 Thames Water’s half-year profits plunged by nearly 50 per cent today, as a combination of extreme weather and regulatory fines threw light on the mounting pressures that loom over one of Britain’s largest utility companies. The under-fire firm posted pre-tax profits of £67.7m in the six months to September, falling from £129m in the same [...]
Scrap the migration target and open the doors to global talent December 6, 2018 As the Brexit debate rages on, the government is gearing up to confirm new immigration rules, including the end to freedom of movement for people from the EU. The warning light should be flashing for businesses, particularly in the capital. If immigration is curtailed, who will do the jobs? We are at full employment, and [...]