The Open University

It’s tough going for UK businesses, finds the OU’s 2022 Business Barometer

29 June 2022

According to The Open University’s Business Barometer 2022, published in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, UK organisations are experiencing the knock-on effect of ongoing skills shortages and recruitment challenges. The OU’s annual report provides a temperature check on the UK skills landscape and found more than three quarters (78%) are seeing reduced output, […]

Joy for academic on news of her OBE in Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours

27 June 2022

An academic from The Open University’s Business School has just learned she is to receive an OBE for her work promoting Black history and heritage. Joyce Fraser (Joyce King to her OU colleagues) founded the Black Heroes Foundation in memory of her late husband ‘Flip’ Fraser, the first editor of The Voice newspaper (a publication […]

Our daily bread – how craft bakers fared during the pandemic and what happens now

22 June 2022

As the cost of living continues to rise researchers at The Open University (OU) are looking into how craft bakers are faring in an uncertain future. Emma Bell, Professor of Organisation Studies at the OU, has launched a survey to see how they are responding to today’s challenging market and what kind of support they […]

Greenwashing: how ads get you to think brands are greener than they are – and how to avoid falling for it

21 June 2022

Brands have several tricks up their sleeves to convince ad viewers their products are sustainable. Here three academics from The Open University: Morteza Abolhasani, lecturer in marketing, Gordon Liu, Professor of Marketing Strategy and Zahra Golrokhi, Lecturer in Engineering, give their views. Ads are ubiquitous in many people’s lives, whether on billboards across our cities or […]

BAFTA nominations for two BBC/OU programmes

5 May 2022

Two BBC and Open University co-productions have earned BAFTA nominations in the current affairs and factual series categories. And on Sunday, 8 May, academics from the Faculties of Business and Law and Arts and Social Sciences, who acted as consultants for the programmes, find out if they’ve won. The BBC billing for Trump takes on […]

OU academics contribute to new BBC Ideas film: ‘Does it ever pay to represent yourself in court?’

29 April 2022

Appearing in court without representation is becoming increasingly common. But is it a sensible strategy? Academics from The Open University’s Open Justice Centre have answered exactly this question in a new BBC Ideas film titled ‘Does it ever pay to represent yourself in court?’. Open Justice Centre Director Francine Ryan, Professor of Law and Social […]

New report reveals flexible learning and hybrid working are the key to public sector talent retention challenge

28 April 2022

Almost three quarters (73%) of public sector workers would be more likely to stay in a job that allowed hybrid working, according to The Open University’s new report into public sector skills. The Embracing Flexibility report was published in partnership with the Public Sector Executive and highlights a desire for more flexibility and learning-and-development opportunities […]

New research: fewer than half of large UK companies cut executive pay in response to Covid-19

21 April 2022

Fewer than half of Britain’s leading businesses cut executive pay in response to the economic shock of Covid-19, according to research contributed to by The Open University (OU) and published in a report by the High Pay Centre think tank. It also showed that firms with more female representation at board level on average were […]

Governments, the law, and long-term issues for Ukrainian refugees

11 April 2022

It could be many years before Ukrainian refugees will be able to go back home even if the war ended soon so governments in countries of refuge may need to be thinking of a long-term plan of action. That’s according to Dr Natalia Szablewska, Professor in Law and Society at The Open University who specialises […]

Stuffed chocolate easter egg on a wood table with hazelnuts

Want to buy guilt-free Easter chocolate? Pick from our list of ‘good eggs’ that score best for the environment and child labour

8 April 2022

Dr Cristiana Bernardi, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Financial Management at The Open University, John Dumay, Professor of Accounting and Corporate Governance at Macquarie University and Dr Stephanie Perkiss, Senior Lecturer at University of Wollongong, write for The Conversation about the most sustainable chocolate eggs on offer this Easter. What do Beyond Good, Alter Eco, Tony’s Chocolonely […]

OU News

Category: Business and law