Leicester Castle Business School

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Open Access
Africa's Development Dynamics 2023: Investing in Sustainable Development
(African Union Commission and OECD, 2023-07-07) Egbetokun, Abiodun
Africa’s Development Dynamics uses lessons from Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa to develop policy recommendations and share good practices across the continent. Drawing on the most recent statistics, the analysis of development dynamics aims to assist African leaders in reaching the targets of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 at all levels: continental, regional, national and local. This edition explores how Africa can attract investments that offer the best balance between economic, social and environmental objectives. Its fresh data and analysis aim to help policy makers improve risk assessments, strengthen African-led partnerships, and accelerate regional integration in ways that increase sustainable investments. Two continental chapters examine Africa’s investment landscape and related policy priorities. Five regional chapters offer tailored recommendations in strategic areas including natural ecosystems, renewable energy, climate finance and agri-food value chains. Africa’s Development Dynamics feeds into a policy debate between the African Union’s governments, citizens, entrepreneurs and researchers. It proposes a new collaboration between countries and regions, focusing on mutual learning and the preservation of common goods. This report results from a partnership between the African Union Commission and the OECD Development Centre.
Open Access
AI and Big Data Readiness Report - Assessing the Public Relations Profession’s Preparedness for an AI Future
(CIPR, 2021-11-23) Virmani, Swati; Gregory, Anne
This Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Readiness Report provides an analysis of a global survey of public relations practitioners and academics and video/written evidence from senior practitioners concerning the profession’s knowledge, skills, adoption of and attitudes towards AI, and to a lesser extent, Big Data. Its aim is to provide an overview of current AI understanding and preparedness, but most importantly, provide pointers to how the profession should equip itself to exploit the potential and guard against the possible dangers of AI.
Open Access
Debt and Financial literacy in Leicester
(2023-01-10) Igudia, Eghosa; Cartwright, Edward; Dalziel, Nurdilek
Why do individuals or households with debt typically delay before accessing debt advice or help? What are the main triggers of ‘unaffordable debt’? And what factors lead to individuals seeking debt advice and support? We undertook a research project in 2021 and 2022 with the aim of understanding the challenges faced by individuals and households who are in debt in Leicester. We summarize in this report, key findings from the study. Then, appropriate policy recommendations are offered.
Open Access
East Midlands Top 500 Companies 2020
(De Montfort University, 2020-08-01) Rae, David; English, Rachel; Charles, Alexandra; Cowling, Marc; Rossiter, William; Olagboye, Deji Osigbodi; Eneh, Ngozi
The East Midlands Top 500 Companies 2020 is a new index which celebrates the business success of the East Midlands as a region with a remarkably strong, diverse and resilient range of firms. The Top 500 is based on historic data from Companies House accounts submitted between July 2017 and June 2018. These are accessed from the Financial Analysis Made Easy FAME database supplied by Bureau Van Dijk. This is supplemented from other publicly available sources of business information. The report includes analysis of the significance, an overview of the regional business economy, and a series of company case studies. The index represents the strength and diversity of firms based in the East Midlands. The Top 500 Index provides a continuing baseline for comparison in future years, since it comprises data predating the effects of Brexit and COVID-19. This will be updated yearly. It includes companies with their registered offices located in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. All these businesses have been included in the ‘Top 200 Companies’ 2019 for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, featured in the ‘Business Live’ coverage by Reach Media.
Open Access
The Effects of AI on the Professions: A Literature Repository
(Chartered Institute of Public Relations, 2020-01) Gregory, Anne; Virmani, Swati
The literature on AI as a whole is huge and burgeoning, but a focus on the professions has enabled us to look at how it will change the nature of work overall, and specifically how it will impact on those who offer a professional service either as specialist consultants or in-house practitioners in public, private and not for profit sectors. It does not claim to be exhaustive, but every topic that is currently under consideration about and arising from AI and the professions is covered here. It does not cover popular practitioner-oriented publications either since this was outside the remit of the research which was to look at a stable and authoritative base for considering AI and the professions. Readers of this report are encouraged to read the contemporary popular journals, blogs and websites since they provide a regular update on topics that are under consideration at any one time and form a running commentary that should be engaged with.
Open Access
The European End Street Homelessness Campaign: Leicester City Report
(De Montfort University, 2017-11-15) Richardson, Joanna
Open Access
The future of the workforce in Leicestershire.
(https://llep.org.uk/app/uploads/2022/06/The-Future-Workforce-of-Leicestershire.pdf, 2022-06-20) Cartwright, Edward; Igudia, Eghosa; Kahyalar, Neslihan; Le, Nhan
In this report we make projections on the likely shape of Leicester and Leicestershire’s workforce for the next 10-20 years. We do so based on an analysis of a range of existing data including the Office for National Statistics (ONS) population projections, Annual Population Survey, Annual Survey of Hours, and Earnings and the 2011 Census.
Open Access
Governing in and Against Austerity: International Lessons from Eight Cities
(De Montfort University, 2017-08-01) Davies, Jonathan S.
This report, mainly for non-academic users, summarises the interim conclusions from our ESRC study of austerity governance in eight cities. It also provides an overview of the eight case study cities: Athens, Baltimore, Barcelona, Dublin, Leicester, Melbourne, Montreal and Nantes. We welcome comments and discussion on the CURA website at http://cura.our.dmu.ac.uk/2017/08/16/dissemination-report-governing-in-and-against-austerity/
Open Access
Gypsy and Traveller Sites: the revised definition’s impact on assessing accommodation needs
(Equalities and Human Rights Commission, 2019-09-20) Cottle, S.; Munns, R.; Murdoch, A.; Richardson, Joanna; Ruston, S.; Soucek, N.
Technical report for EHRC on the impact of the Planning Policy for Traveller SItes (2015) on site delivery
Open Access
Hidden Culture
(2019-06-03) Granger, R.C.; Parsons, L.
Urban leaders globally have shown increasing interest in the city as a site for artistic and culture-led regeneration, and as such attempts to measure the value of culture and the impact of cultural growth have increasingly come under scrutiny. Arguably the application of traditional methods of capturing, measuring, and assessing impact using units of financial measurements remain totally unsuitable for the diversity and nuances of cultural activities, as cursory assessments leave much ‘hidden’ form public view. This research begins with the problem of how to suitably capture value in hidden cultural forms. Hidden in this sense might relate to: 1. Hidden culture can be hidden from view (in other words taking place in the home, or in marginalised communities) 2. Hidden culture may lie outside of mainstream society 3. Hidden culture may be tacit, and cannot easily be communicated outside of those who have an intrinsic understanding of it. Finding ways to capture and articulate the impact of this type of hidden culture is the primary objective of this study.
Embargo
Honest Fashion, Beyond Transparency
(Map The System, 2019-06-05) Lin, Zujin; Coles, Charlotte; Rees, Emma; Ullah, Mashud; Thomas, Nicola
This team set out to better understand the sustainability challenges in the global fashion system, and soon discovered through their research that transparency is in very short supply. Therefore, the team reports on their investigation into the perils and potential of transparency to better leverage positive changes – social, environmental and economic – in the fashion system.
Metadata only
Humans needed, more than ever
(Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), 2023-08-19) Gregory, Anne; Virmani, Swati; Valin, Jean
New research from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has found that up to 40% of tasks performed by public relations professionals are now assisted by AI tools. The report reveals that, while the adoption of AI tools has accelerated, they are still not widely used even though they make task execution more efficient and effective.
Metadata only
Improving Return to Work Coordinator Training
(Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, 2012) Cooney, Richard; Mwila, Natasha Katuta
Open Access
Inclusive poverty reduction: In search of a policy framework to support individuals operating in the informal economy in Lagos, Nigeria
(Policy Document for Lagos State Government, Nigeria, 2023-06-06) Igudia, Eghosa; Ackrill, Robert; Olusanya, Olasunmbo; Oyalowo, Basirat
Recent policy efforts to enhance and modernise the urban environment of Lagos have included restricting, or banning outright, street hawking and okada riding. These highly visible activities have been targeted for multiple reasons, including a desire by the authorities to improve personal safety and security, reduce okada-related accidents, improve traffic flows, and attract greater investment into the city. These measures have not been without controversy, with the uses of Lagos’s public space being highly contested between the authorities, informal operators, and residents. The bans target two major sources of income-earning opportunity for informal operators in Lagos. Further, they have persisted because residents have continued to buy from hawkers, and seek rides on okadas, as they actualise their daily transportation and consumption needs. The purpose of this research project has been to understand the reasons behind the perceived shortcomings of the measures imposed and seek to find ways to improve both the policies themselves and the policymaking processes that deliver the measures governing everyone’s daily lives in Lagos. To do this, we have engaged widely with stakeholders on both policies and policymaking. We have interviewed representatives from six government ministries, the federation of informal workers organisations of Nigeria, and representatives of Okada riders and street traders. We have gathered data through a survey of over 1700 respondents across okada riders, street traders and residents in 20 local government areas in Lagos State. Please note, however, that this survey was conducted in January-February 2022, before the outright bans on okada riders, imposed later in 2022. We have also sought the views of residents via radio phone-in programmes. We have then hosted two workshops, bringing the stakeholders together, to reflect on the findings of the research and to co-create proposals for ways that can take these concerns forward. Our workshops have demonstrated that whilst every stakeholder has an agenda to pursue and protect, and whilst the different agendas will sometimes conflict, there is a great willingness to meet in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. From these meetings, the stakeholders have identified mutually agreeable solutions and ways forward, towards inclusive policy and policymaking processes, reflective of the dynamics of the Lagos economy. We present these recommendations now.
Metadata only
Independent strategic evaluation. Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), 2016-2025
(United Nations Evaluation Office, 2024-09) Egbetokun, Abiodun
This report presents the independent strategic evaluation of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), an initiative launched by the United Nations General Assembly to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) across Africa from 2016 to 2025. The initiative, led in its execution by UNIDO, aimed to overcome hindrances to ISID in Africa, including limited economic diversification, weak physical and economic infrastructure development, and shortages in human capital, among others. IDDA III leveraged strategic partnerships with the African Union, regional economic communities, and various international stakeholders to achieve its goals. The evaluation focused on the implementation and outcomes of IDDA III, assessing its effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, sustainability, and impact on Africa's industrial development journey. The findings reveal that IDDA III has significantly contributed to raising political commitment and mobilizing resources for Africa's industrialization. Through high-level advocacy, technical cooperation, and capacity-building initiatives, IDDA III has supported the development of industrial policies, enhanced institutional capacities, and facilitated the creation of industrial infrastructure. However, its implementation has been hindered by several challenges, including a lack of effective coordination, weak knowledge management, and limited funding. The evaluation concluded that IDDA III has been a relevant programme for inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Africa, and it is also coherent with existing major flagship frameworks. However, IDDA III fell short of its full potential due to the challenges faced in its implementation. The specific recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions include a need for better resource allocation to the coordination of future similar initiatives, the creation of a database for knowledge management, and a need for a programmatic approach in future initiatives. Moreover, the design of a potential successor to IDDA III should be radically different. It should follow the ECOSOC Guidelines for International Decades by allowing sufficient time between the proclamation of the decadal plan and the start of its implementation. It should also be framed within an enhanced African ownership, stronger governance and coordination, enhanced resource mobilization, and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework.
Embargo
Innovation Explained: Inside the Black Box
(InnoHouse, 2020-04-01) Granger, R.C.
While it has often be said that we have entered an era of innovation, to what extent are we seeing accelerated globalisation of products and services and the emergence of new fields of technology, rather than innovation per se? In this book we unpack what innovation means and how we might stimulate innovation at a local level by providing the right conditions and support, and by fostering a culture and behaviour conducive to innovation activities. Forbes for example note that we are entering a new territory where the central challenge will be to bridge the gap between new scientific discovery and commercialisation – known as the ‘Valley of Death’ . The emphasis is on new discoveries in the academic world, and creating the conditions needed for successful exploitation/commercialisation of this new knowledge. When viewed in this way, quantum computing, neuromorphic chips, genomics, nanotechnology, AI and robotics are seen merely as linear developments in the innovation pipeline – in which a direct path is forged between discovery and commercialisation. In this book, we argue that this presents an old world view of innovation, and that the new era of innovation is much more about being connective and relational. In short, that collaboration and connections will become the new competitive attribute and the main tenet of economic growth. As such, we expect innovation to be complex and inherently unpredictable, but also recognise that there are core building blocks around social relations and connections that are visible in all examples of innovation, and from which localities might look to strengthen to tackle economic downturns.
Open Access
Islamophobia in Belgium. National Report 2016
(SETA, 2017-03-21) Easat-Daas, Amina
As with previous years Islamophobia in Belgium has continued to grow through- out the country in 2016. The most notable peak in anti-Muslim hate arose in the weeks following the Brussels terror attacks at Zavantem Airport and Maalbeek metro station on 22 March, 2016. The climate of anti-Muslim prejudice and hate in the period after the attacks was fueled by political figures and the Belgian media alike; most notably flagrant claims of Muslims celebrating the attacks contributed to exac- erbating Islamophobia. Islamophobia continued to affect Muslims, presumed Muslims, those linked to Muslims and Muslim sites. However, Belgian Muslim women faced the bulk of Is- lamophobia throughout the country over the course of the year. This discrimination was present at numerous levels: Muslim women faced physical and verbal attacks, they were the subject of political scaremongering, they faced legal limitations on their dress, and even deprivation of their right to education and employment. In spite of these worrying developments in 2016, Belgian NGOs maintain a strong counter-presence, and lead projects directly related to the inequalities and Islamophobic prejudices that have become apparent in Belgium in 2016.
Open Access
Islamophobia in Belgium: National Report 2015
(SETA, 2016-03-21) Easat-Daas, Amina
This section of the European Islamophobia Report details the state of Islamophobia in Belgium in 2015 and establishes its significant growth across the country over the year. Islamophobia in Belgium is shaped by factors both internal and external to the country; most notably peaks in Islamophobia in Belgium correlate with events in Paris such as the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January and the series of terror attacks in the French capital in November 2015. Belgian Muslim women and young Muslims are disproportionately affected by the phenomenon, notwithstanding Muslim men and those presumed to be Muslim or those affiliated with Islam who are also targeted by Islamophobia. In spite of the growing rates of Islamophobia in the country, Bel- gium is also home to numerous counter-Islamophobia initiatives. Analysis of these groups demonstrates several examples of good practice, which have informed the set of recommendations proposed at the end of this section of the report.
Open Access
Islamophobia in Belgium: National Report 2017
(SETA, 2018-03-21) Easat-Daas, Amina
During 2017, Islamophobia in Belgium has continued to grow at a steady rate. The most notable difference between the state of Islamophobia in the country and that documented in the European Islamophobia Report in previous years can be located in the lack of marked peaks or sizeable clusters in violent attacks against Muslims, Islam- ic sites or those presumed to be Muslim. However, this does not indicate an absence of Islamophobia rather it indicates a continuation of low level violent Islamophobic attacks, a growth in Islamophobic hate speech and most notably numerous state-level Islamophobic policies, legislative measures and proposals throughout 2017. As in previous years, Islamophobia in Belgium has continued to have a distinct- ly gendered nature, with Belgian Muslim women bearing the brunt of Islamophobia in the nation. The most pertinent example of this gendered Islamophobia includes the European Court of Justice preliminary judgements regarding the permissibility of dismissing women who wear the headscarf from employment issued in March 2017 - incidentally this decision was based, in part, on a case that had emerged from the Belgian context. Beyond the continued gendered Islamophobia seen in Belgium during 2017, the year was interspersed with significant state-led policies, bills and legislative mea- sures which sought to regulate the practice of Islam in Belgium, namely the limita- tions on ritual slaughter (including halal slaughter) voted on in May 2017 and July 2017, and the proposed state takeover of the Grand Mosque of Belgium. The bases of Islamophobic narratives remain much the same as in previous years: Islam is framed as constituting demographic, cultural and violent threat and thus it is alleged that Islam and Muslims must be regulated by the state, law and, in some cases, even the lay public. However, as we see from rulings such as that of the European Court of Justice, Belgian Islamophobia has the potential to influence and be influenced by the broader European Islamophobia, and this therefore has the potential to shape the ways in which the phenomenon may be effectively tackled.
Open Access
Islamophobia in Belgium: National Report 2018
(SETA, 2019-03-21) Easat-Daas, Amina
As with preceding years, Islamophobia in Belgium has continued to grow and to per- meate diverse aspects of Belgian society. The nature of Islamophobia in Belgium re- mains constant – it is based on narratives of threat and perceived alterity of Islam and Muslims. Direct manifestations of Islamophobia throughout 2018 have been wide- spread and have affected Islamic sites with physical attacks and graffiti on mosques, Islamic practices such as halal slaughter, and also presumed Muslim individuals. During 2018, far right political and socio-political movements have had sig- nificant influence on Islamophobic narratives and action in the nation, particularly apparent in the case of the far right socio-politically-led Marche contre Marrakech in December which saw the overt manifestation of the intersection of traditional anti-immigrant racisms with anti-Muslim racisms. Furthermore, Islamophobia in Belgium is increasingly normalised, evident for example in the number of reported cases pertaining to Islamophobia in the police force, mainstream and popularised media narratives perpetuating Islamophobic tropes, and continued policy limiting expressions of Muslimness. Islamophobia in Belgium during 2018 has continued to have a distinctly gen- dered dimension – with numerous attacks against visibly Muslim women in par- ticular. Examples of attacks against Muslim women range from verbal aggressions, denial of access to services, Muslim women forcibly having the headscarf removed, and go as far as attempted rape. National Islamophobic debates continue to focus on the headscarf, and in this area, some gains and losses have been made – whilst some organisations have made accommodations of Muslim women’s dress, key figures con- tinue to demonise visible Muslimness in the nation. At the heart of Europe, the Belgian capital hosts a distinct far right presence at the supranational political level. In 2018, plans for the opening of a far-right think tank in Brussels to support associated European politicians were announced by Steve Bannon in the USA – showing the globalising nature of Islamophobia and its poten- tial to impact the nation. Counter-Islamophobia work and activism remains strong and effective in Bel- gium, with increasingly comprehensive reporting and counter-action as detailed below.

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