Warwick Business School's Core Insights

Warwick Business School

Exploring the biggest challenges in today's business world, we bring the best of academic research and industry together in each episode. From the challenges of reaching net zero to the future of the office, we bring you up to date with the latest research and cutting edge insights from the CEOs and executives of the leading companies. We reveal how academic research can be used in the real world.

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Will CBDCs bring about the end of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies?

Will CBDCs bring about the end of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies?

In the final episode of this seven-part series in conjunction with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we are looking at Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and how they will work alongside cryptocurrencies. It has been argued in some quarters that the introduction of CBDCs will spell the end of cryptocurrencies. And that day seems to be drawing closer with CBDCs up and running in China and other central banks working out their own solution. Sure, it might make cryptos less relevant as a form of payment, but are they really that anyway? Most are so volatile as to be useless as a currency and are treated more as an investment asset. This episode will explore what the future will look like with CBDCs in operation and cryptos flying around. Will there be a crypto winter and cryptos disappear? Or will they work alongside each other and how? Host Natasha de Terran is joined by David Skeie, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Rhomaios Ram, CEO of Fnality International, a consortium of banks exploring applications for Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject:Are cryptocurrencies any closer to ending central banks' control?Five ways a digital pound could change our worldWhy would central banks want to issue digital currencies?For more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

Episodes

Will CBDCs bring about the end of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies?

Will CBDCs bring about the end of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies?

In the final episode of this seven-part series in conjunction with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we are looking at Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and how they will work alongside cryptocurrencies. It has been argued in some quarters that the introduction of CBDCs will spell the end of cryptocurrencies. And that day seems to be drawing closer with CBDCs up and running in China and other central banks working out their own solution. Sure, it might make cryptos less relevant as a form of payment, but are they really that anyway? Most are so volatile as to be useless as a currency and are treated more as an investment asset. This episode will explore what the future will look like with CBDCs in operation and cryptos flying around. Will there be a crypto winter and cryptos disappear? Or will they work alongside each other and how? Host Natasha de Terran is joined by David Skeie, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Rhomaios Ram, CEO of Fnality International, a consortium of banks exploring applications for Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject:Are cryptocurrencies any closer to ending central banks' control?Five ways a digital pound could change our worldWhy would central banks want to issue digital currencies?For more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

How blockchain is about to revolutionise banking

How blockchain is about to revolutionise banking

In this latest episode of a seven-part series in conjunction with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we are looking at blockchain's potential impact on banking. Blockchain has been billed as potentially a huge disruption to the financial system, removing the middlemen for instant transactions. Recently JP Morgan announced it is using blockchain in India and bypassing SWIFT - the global system used by banks to transfer payments - and there are others like French investment bank BNP Paribas, which has announced it will begin looking at how blockchain can be applied to its currency funds and for order processing. While the Nasdaq stock exchange has said it is working with blockchains to "reduce the time, costs, and points of friction across the capital markets." So where is all this heading? Will it be the end of exchanges and SWIFT? Host and former financial journalist Natasha de Teran discusses these questions and more with Ram Gopal, Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Martin Walker, Banking & Finance Director at the Centre for Evidence-Based Management.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject: How blockchain is being used in supply chains Can smart contracts function in an unpredictable world? How AI will accelerate financial democratisationFor more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

Can AI save ESG?

Can AI save ESG?

In this fifth episode on fintech with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we look at Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, which have become important to all businesses, especially as, according to the CBI, two-thirds of investors take ESG factors into account when investing in a company. Yet accusations of greenwashing are plaguing the ESG movement, while some companies have cottoned on to their importance and manipulated their ESG statistics to attract investors. So can their numbers be trusted? Who are the true ESG companies that are taking their societal responsibilities seriously and transparently and not just gaming their numbers? Trust is hard to find, but perhaps AI can help sort this out. Join host Natasha de Teran as she explores the issue with Isabel Fischer, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and the founders of ESG analytics firm Rho Impact; Seth Sheldon, Chief Scientific Officer, and Noah Miller, Chief Advisory Officer and Head of ESG Advisory Services.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject:Five steps for companies to deliver the UN's Sustainable Development GoalsThree steps to devising social value measures for investorsLeveraging artificial intelligence to address climate change: Financing, implementation and ethicsFor more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

CEX vs DEX: The battle for the future of cryptos

CEX vs DEX: The battle for the future of cryptos

Since the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX - a centralised exchange or CEX - the popularity of decentralised exchanges, or DEXs, such as Uniswap or Orca, has soared. But which type of platform will win in the battle for crypto trading? What are the pros and cons of the different types of platform? And will it just be cryptos being traded in the future or other financial assets like real estate? This episode will explore the merits of CEX and DEX and seek to answer the central question - which one is safest to use? CEXs have more regulation around them, but DEXs are supposedly more secure thanks to smart contracts. Join host Natasha de Teran as she explores the topic with Olga Klein, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Amit Chaudhary, former Head of DeFi Research at Polygon and now Co-founder of web 3.0 product developer ChainSolid Labs.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject:Polygon vs Ethereum – which platform is the future for the rise of DEX?How decentralised should DeFi platforms be?How would regulations stop another FTX scandal?For more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

What does DeFi need to go mainstream?

What does DeFi need to go mainstream?

In the third episode of this special series on Fintech with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we look at decentralised finance, or DeFi. It offers financial instruments without relying on traditional intermediaries such as brokerages, exchanges, or banks by using smart contracts on a blockchain. It could be revolutionary and take out a lot of costs that banks like to add, plus anybody can become a ‘bank’ and start lending money or cryptos, getting better rates than on the high street. But there are concerns around regulation and fraud and more; hurdles that seem pretty high to get a public weaned on the safety of high street banking to move to DeFi. This episode explores how DeFi goes from niche to high street with host Natasha de Teran being joined by Kalina Staykova, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology at Warwick Business School, and Erica Stanford, Founder & CEO of Crypto Curry Club, and author of Crypto Wars: Faked Deaths, Missing Billions and Industry Disruption.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations.Read more on the subject:What does DeFi need to go mainstream?How are interest rates set on DeFi platforms?How decentralised should DeFi platforms be? For more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

Will cryptocurrencies survive the coming regulations?

Will cryptocurrencies survive the coming regulations?

In the second of this special series on Fintech with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology we look at cryptocurrency regulation or the lack of it. The crypto world has frequently been described as the Wild West, while the collapse of the FTX exchange with investors losing billions of dollars and founder Sam Bankman-Fried convicted of fraud, means regulators and regulations are closing in. What will this look like for a market that crosses borders? How will they work? Will they dampen investor enthusiasm for cryptos and innovation? These questions and more will be discussed by Luigi Cantisani, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology at Warwick Business School, and Steven Murray, Head of IP and Technology Disputes at HCR Law. Join host Natasha de Teran as they discuss how regulation can help or hinder cryptocurrencies.Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.Join the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology's mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations. Read more on the subject: How should governments regulate stablecoins and cryptocurrency?How would regulations stop another FTX scandal?Why would central banks want to issue digital currencies?For more articles on Fintech and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights.

How will digital currencies impact our world?

How will digital currencies impact our world?

The first in a new seven-part series on Fintech with the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, join your host Natasha de Teran, a former financial journalist and author of The Pay Off: How Changing the Way We Pay Changes Everything, as we explore the world of digital currencies. Most central banks around the world are looking at introducing a digital currency or a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency), including the UK’s Bank of England. Indeed, China has already started experimenting with the digital yuan piloted in more than 20 areas. So, how will CBDCs change how we bank? Will we still need commercial banks? Will a digital currency help central banks control inflation? These questions and more will be answered by Jeremy Leake, Senior Advisor at the Bank of England, and Ganesh Viswanath Natraj, of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology at Warwick Business School. Find out more about the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology here and join its mailing list for access to free events where industry leaders, world-leading academics and policymakers will discuss topical issues and fintech innovations here. Read more on the subject: Why would central banks want to issue digital currencies?Five ways a digital pound could change our worldCentral banks may use stablecoins as route to CBDCsFor more articles on Fintech, and Finance and Markets straight to your inbox sign up to Core Insights here.

Maximising the benefits of inward investment

Maximising the benefits of inward investment

Nigel Driffield, Professor of International Business, has become a much sought after expert in foreign direct investment, leading the West Midlands strategy to attract investors from overseas and then Coventry and Warwickshire as the district sought to recover from the pandemic. Here, Professor Driffield reveals to Core Insights host Trevor Barnes the key policies and levers regional and national governments can use to attract foreign investment, creating jobs, boosting productivity and the economy.Read more from Professor Driffield on inward investment:What is the key to levelling up the British economy after Brexit?How policymakers can win the global war for talentChange Maker: Bringing jobs and prosperity to the UKRead more about Finance and Markets:Five ways a digital pound could change our worldWhy boards with a big age range are better at reining in CEOsWhy central banks need to understand behavioural scienceFor more articles on Finance and Markets sign up to the Core Insights newsletter here.

Partnering with policymakers to strengthen UK SMEs

Partnering with policymakers to strengthen UK SMEs

Stephen Roper joins Core Insights host Trevor Barnes to discuss how the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy and how his research is proving vital in their battle for growth and survival. Professor Roper is Director of the Enterprise Research Centre, the UK's leading centre for research into the growth, innovation and productivity of SMEs, shaping policies and practices. It is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Innovate UK (IUK), the British Business Bank and a range of other organisations. Listen to Professor Roper reveal the policies needed to drive growth for SMEs and establish the UK as a world leader in business innovation.Read more from the Enterprise Research Centre:Increased mental health sickness impacting firms, ERC report revealsFind out more about the Enterprise Research CentreRead more about Digital Innovation & EntrepreneurshipResponsible AI - a new online tool to protect children from harmful contentHow can digital platforms beat their rivals?Beyond the hype: what managers need to ask before adopting AI toolsFor more articles on Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship sign up to Core Insights here.

Helping NASA stay ahead in the new space race

Helping NASA stay ahead in the new space race

Loizos Heracleous, Professor of Strategy, has been advising NASA on how it can stay ahead and work with the new space firms emerging from the private sector, such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Here, he reveals to host Trevor Barnes how he has helped shape NASA's new strategy to not only strengthen the US as a global leader in space, but build a sustainable human presence on the Moon and Mars, and work with these new space firms in an alliance of international partners to stimulate commercial activities in low Earth orbit. Read more about NASA's strategy here:Inside NASA's strategy for the new space raceThe NASA pirates that transformed mission controlRead the latest articles on Strategy and Organisational Change:Five questions to unlock open strategy in your organisationHow to frame a strategy to make sure staff back it Has the day of reckoning for the gig economy arrived?For more articles on Strategy and Organisational Change sign up to Core Insights here.

Using Toyota’s Lean method to improve the NHS

Using Toyota’s Lean method to improve the NHS

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has been involved in a five-year long trial across five hospitals with the US-based Virginia Mason Institute (VMI), which is famed for adopting the lean methods used in car manufacturing pioneered by Toyota. The VMI has produced some of the best healthcare organisations in the US through this system and the NHS is hoping its magic can work in the UK as it looks to improve its services. Nicola Burgess, Reader of Operations Management, has been studying and researching the impact of the partnership, and here she joins Core Insights host Trevor Barnes to reveal what she has found along with Andy Hardy, CEO of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, one of the trusts involved.Read more on Dr Burgess' analysis of the NHS-VMI partnership here:Six key lessons from the NHS and Virginia Mason Institute partnershipBuild cultural readiness as the foundation for better quality improvementHow to build an 'improvement infrastructure'Why social networks are vital for continuous improvementFor more articles on Healthcare and Wellbeing sign up to Core Insights here.

Applying behavioural science to business

Applying behavioural science to business

Core Insights podcast host Trevor Barnes is joined by award-winning author Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, and Ed Gardiner, Director at Innovation firm Cogco, which uses behavioural science, data science and design to build new products and services.The pair reveal how research from behavioural science can be applied to many different businesses, from marketing agencies to finance companies. Gardiner and Professor Chater delve into how 'nudges' and robust findings about human behaviour can be used to improve an organisation's performance, from operational efficiency to boosting sales.Professor Chater is author of The Mind is Flat - The illusion of mental depth and the improvised mind and The Language Game - How improvisation created language and changed the world.Read more about his research:Is bias causing business leaders to make mistakes?Feel the noise: why people are so unpredictableWhy do systems create problems then nudge us to fix them?Read more about behavioural science and Decision-Making and Analytics.And listen to our podcast series on Behavioural Science on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify. Start with the first episode from Professor Chater on Why searching for your true 'self' is pointless.

Time to deliver on net zero

Time to deliver on net zero

Core Insights host Trevor Barnes talks to Michael Bradshaw, Professor of Global Energy, and how his research has led to him becoming a trusted advisor to UK Government policymakers as the country attempts to decarbonise its economy. The complicated journey to net zero has been made even more difficult by the effects of Brexit, an increased dependence on gas imports, and now the war in Ukraine. Research by Professor Bradshaw has informed the Government's approach to measuring and managing gas security in the context of climate change, informed debate on domestic shale gas development, and raised awareness of the geopolitical consequences of energy system transformation. Listen to his thoughts and insight on the UK's efforts to deliver on net zero. Read more from Professor Bradshaw on Warwick Business School's Core Insights section:Why the UK will be at the mercy of international gas prices for yearsCOP27: How is war in Ukraine affecting energy supplies?Is it really a green post-pandemic recovery?What strategy is Big Oil using to move to a green economy?For more on Sustainability sign up to the monthly Core Insights newsletter here.

Strategy in the post-COVID world

Strategy in the post-COVID world

Businesses have been turned upside down by the pandemic and, though restrictions are slowly being lifted, navigating a world still coming to terms with a new normal has left traditional strategy tools found wanting for many, while Russian's invasion of Ukraine has added a new layer of uncertainty.Christian Stadler, Professor of Strategy, reveals a new strategy-making method - open strategy. He discusses its real world application with Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East, who has guided the company through these unprecedented times.Join Core Insights host Audrey Dias as she discusses with the pair how open strategy can help companies deal with these uncertain and turbulent times.

How is the post-Covid economic recovery going?

How is the post-Covid economic recovery going?

The global pandemic saw the global economy effectively put on hold as lockdowns across the globe saw all but essential work frozen. Core Insights host Audrey Dias talks to Ana Galvao, Professor of Economic Modelling and Forecasting, and Paul Fisher, Ex-Bank of England Economist and Honorary Professor at Warwick Business School, to find out how the recovery is going and when the global economy will return to pre-pandemic levels. Read more from Professor Galvao on Post-COVID: When will the UK economy recover?

What is the future of the office?

What is the future of the office?

With the threat of COVID-19 continuing to affect our lives, working remotely or hybrid working seems to be a fact of life for many office-based workers. So what does this mean for the future of the office? Do organisations really need one?Maja Korica, Reader in Management and Organisation, and Toby Benzecry, founder and CEO of Workplace Futures Group, discuss the future of the office in a post-pandemic world with Core Insights host Audrey Dias. Dr Korica is researching the future of work, while Toby's company advises organisations on how an office can boost motivation and productivity. Read more from Toby on Does office design affect a firm's performance?

Can behavioural science help us do better with our money?

Can behavioural science help us do better with our money?

Host Audrey Dias talks with Neil Stewart, Professor of Behavioural Science and Rafael Batista, former Head of Behavioural Research at Commonwealth Bank, about how the finance industry is using nudges to help customers with their money. Professor Stewart has done pioneering work on credit cards and is forcing the industry to think again about how it persuades customers to pay off their debt. While Rafael used behavioural science nudges to help Commonwealth Bank build a better relationship with their customers. Read more on the subject with these articles from Professor Stewart on Is your credit card statement nudging you into more debt? and Why using direct debits may add to your credit card bill. And you can find out more about Rafael's journey with behavioural science in this feature Change Maker: Rafael Batista nudging for good in banking.

Should you compromise as a green entrepreneur to build your business?

Should you compromise as a green entrepreneur to build your business?

Join host Audrey Dias as she explores the tricky conundrum that often hits social enterprises and green start-ups as they seek to grow their business: should they compromise their ideals?Deniz Ucbasaran, Professor of Entrepreneurship, has researched this area and details her findings and a process that green entrepreneurs and social enterprises can go through to find the right balance. She is joined by Hugh Thomas, Co-Founder and CEO of Ugly Drinks, whose start-up is taking on the fizzy drinks giants with a healthy alternative. Find out more by read Professor Ucbasaran's article The authentic founder - how to stay true to your values.

Building back greener in the post-COVID world

Building back greener in the post-COVID world

Core Insights host Audrey Dias asks Michael Bradshaw, Professor of Global Energy, and Joan MacNaughton, Trustee of The Climate Group and an Executive Chair at the World Energy Council, if the world is building back greener as it recovers from the pandemic. Many governments have laid out plans to reach net zero by 2050 following the pandemic, but is this really happening or is it, as Greta Thunberg says, "all blah, blah, blah..."?For more on this topic read Professor Bradshaw's article Will there be a green recovery from the pandemic?