Author: Peter Bloom, Professor of Management, University of Essex

Amid rising tensions around the world, the UK government faces pressure to increase defence spending. External threats and uncertainty over the nature of peace talks with Russia over Ukraine have been in the spotlight. But there are also broader political and economic interests shaping these decisions. The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, must navigate commitments to Nato, expectations from allies and the influence of the defence industry. All the while, the squeeze on domestic spending and public scepticism loom large. The UK’s total military spending for 2024-2025 is expected to be £64.4 billion, with a rise to £67.7 billion in…

A former CEO and executive chairman of Google, recently suggested that the tech giant’s apparent lag in AI development was due to the company prioritising employees’ personal wellbeing over progress. Eric Schmidt told an audience: “Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning.” Schmidt later retracted his statement, claiming he “misspoke”. Yet his comment reflects a common view in the tech industry – that progress is dependent on intensive work patterns and keeping a close eye on staff. Companies such as Amazon have implemented contoversial worker tracking systems. Others promote…