Tag: Aston University

Aston University and Colemans to develop smart sensors to deal with harmful dust on demolition sites

Stuart Mitchell

Aston University’s mechanical engineers are to pioneer a smarter, more sustainable way to manage harmful dust from building demolition through a partnership with Birmingham-based company Colemans.  In a first for the sector, the Knowledge Transfer Project (KTP) brings together expertise in demolition, smart sensors, mechatronics and digital manufacturing to explore this area and produce a protype. The design will have intelligent dust suppression and extraction techniques capable of responding to changing and unpredictable weather conditions. When inhaled, microparticulate silica dust from building materials can be harmful to human health. Conventional…

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New study reveals link between workaholism and organisational harm

Stuart Mitchell

The hidden ethical costs of workaholism have been highlighted in a recent study led by Aston University and University of Leipzig scholars. Workaholism is an inner pressure to working, that provides a sense of fulfilment but can lead to physical and psychological problems, relationship issues and burnout. The study, published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, showed that it can interfere with moral self-regulation and subsequent ethical behaviour, particularly in organisations that prioritise bottom-line results and self-interest. An international team of researchers, led by Professor Roberta Fida (Aston University) and…

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How workplace cultures can normalise unethical practices: new research

Stuart Mitchell

New research led by teams from Aston University and University of East Anglia has revealed how organisations may unwittingly foster environments where unethical behaviours become collectively justified and normalised. The study, The suspension of morality in organisations: Conceptualising organisational moral disengagement and testing its role in relation to unethical behaviours and silence, published in the journal Human Relations, introduces the concept of ‘organisational moral disengagement’, a novel framework developed to explain how organisations may systematically suspend moral standards to enable unethical practices that harm clients, communities and the environment. The Volksvagen…

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Aston University expert explores sustainability in SME supply chains in new book

Stuart Mitchell

An expert in sustainable supply chain operations and the circular economy at Aston University has co-authored a new book focused on the sustainability of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Dr Prasanta Kumar Dey, professor of operations management at Aston Business School, has written Supply Chain Sustainability in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises alongside Dr Soumyadeb Chowdhury of Toulouse Business School and Dr Chrisovalantis Malesios from the Agricultural University of Athens. This comprehensive book examines the sustainability of supply chains in SMEs across developed and emerging economies. It draws on contributions from…

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Aston University and Cranfield University strategic partnership to take flight

Stuart Mitchell

Aston University and Cranfield University have entered a new strategic partnership which will build educational and research opportunities to meet critical national skills shortages and support the widening of participation in higher education. The agreement was signed on 1 August 2024 by Professor Stephen Garrett, Pro Vice Chancellor, and executive dean of the College of Engineering & Physical Sciences and Cranfield University’s deputy Vice-Chancellor – Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Professor Dame Helen Atkinson DBE FREng. Initially focusing on aeronautical engineering and sustainable engineering, the partnership will see the two institutions work together to…

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