Comment & analysis

LUMS researchers provide opinion and expert analysis of today's key issues.
21/11/14

How forecasting undermines the need for zero hour contracts

Robert Fildes, writing in The Conversation, asks whether employers really need to rely on using zero hour contracts to manage large numbers of staff.
19/11/14

The minimum wage and young workers

Geraint Johnes says there is a need for employers to nurture younger workers, with a career path that promises development and progression.
18/11/14

Do we need HR? How the function has developed

In an opinion piece in HR Magazine, Paul Sparrow describes some of the themes of the latest book to come out of Lancaster's Centre for Performance-Led HR.
07/11/14

Will devolving powers to Manchester really stimulate economic development?

Geraint Johnes says that creation of a nexus of political authority in Manchester may well hinder economic integration of the north rather than aid it. 
04/11/14

London’s congestion charge increases speed and saves lives

Writing in the Conversation, Professor Colin Green describes research which shows that London’s congestion charge has led to a significant fall in road traffic accidents.
30/10/14

'Smart drugs' in the workplace

Writing in HR Magazine, Dr Karen Dale calls for more debate about use and effect of 'smart drugs' at work.
30/10/14

There are two sides to flexibility

In his column in HR Magazine Cary Cooper says that new underemployment figures hint at the polarising effects of flexibility without balance.
28/10/14

Europe’s stress tests find 25 banks wanting, but it’s not all bad news

Kim Kaivanto says that the ECB’s stress tests on European banks sets a new standard for confidence-building transparency in the Euro area.
23/10/14

HR must stay focused on NHS wellbeing

In an opinion piece in HR magazine, Professor Cary Cooper says that for most NHS staff the desire to help people and their own control over that role that is the real driver of wellbeing.
16/10/14

A look behind UK’s impressive unemployment figures shows they’re not so dazzling

Unemployment in the UK has fallen below two million for the first time in almost six years. Good news, says Geraint Johnes, but there are some important caveats to the headline figures.
10/10/14

Why we urgently need Islamic student loans

A major barrier to career aspirations among Muslims has been their inability to take on student (or any other) loans to fund higher study, as Shariah law prohibits predetermined interest rates, explains LUMS researcher Vasileios Pappas.
25/09/14

Branson unlimited holiday plan for Virgin blazes trail others should follow

Cary Cooper argues that Virgin’s unlimited holiday offer to employees is something that other employers should copy.
18/09/14

Why Lord Hill’s role as EC finance commissioner is a poisoned chalice for Cameron

Robert Read says that Lord Hill, the new EU finance commissioner, may find himself at the heart of implementing legislation to which his government at home is opposed.
05/09/14

Hard Evidence: are more older people going to university?

At a time when more and more mature students are going into higher education, Dr Jill Johnes discusses what this rising trend in applications means for universities.
22/08/14

Funding cuts reduce options for teenagers forced to stay in education after GCSE

Geraint Johnes and Beth Foley argue that as reforms to the school leaving age kick in, it’s far from clear whether the reforms will be effective, as institutions responsible for the training provision face significant cuts to resources.
13/08/14

Eight year olds 'fear the effects' of student debt

With one in four children worrying about family finances, Professor Cary Cooper writes in The Telegraph, asking why these concerns have been passed down to such a young generation.
13/08/14

Longer working lives: challenges to individuals, employers and government

Geraint Johnes describes new research on ageing from the Work Foundation and LUMS which it is hoped will provide insights valuable for organisations and government.
18/07/14

Cost of student visa clampdown weighs heavily on colleges

Geraint Johnes says that targeting students and universities as part of a broader migration policy is neither appropriate nor innocuous.
18/07/14

No room for workplace complacency despite 'green shoots'

With UK sickness absence at an all-time low of 2.1%, Cary Cooper says it’s time for employers to tackle the culture of ‘presenteeism’.
10/07/14

CEOs are more likely to be 'punished' as a result of takeovers

Research by Swarnodeep Homroy and colleagues reveals the negative consequences for CEOs as a result of poor company acquisitions.
07/07/14

US ideas have a disproportionate influence on business schools

David Collinson argues that the desire to publish in top, US-based journals has a homogenising effect on research.
02/07/14

Does equity analyst research lack rigour and objectivity?

Research by LUMS academics reveals that when incentives for criticality are high, analysts are prepared to challenge management directly about performance and to give investors an objective view of the firm through their research notes.
19/06/14

The skills mismatch

Geraint Johnes says that government, business and education must do more to make the matching of workers to jobs as efficient as possible.
12/06/14

Explosive London housing bubble will spread to the rest of the UK

Escalating house prices are no longer just a London quirk – research by a team of LUMS economists supports the view that the housing market is the biggest issue for the UK economy.