Tag: Aston University

Aston University launches innovative project to protect young women and girls from dark web violence

Stuart Mitchell

Aston University is launching a new online safety resource – said to the first of its kind in the UK – designed to help protect young women and girls from violence and abuse on the dark web.  The new toolkit features helpful tips for parents and guardians on warning signs of abuse as well as an emoji definition guide which can be used to identify hidden meanings behind the graphics when used on social media.   The CyberDIVA (Dark Web Investigation of Violence & Abuse) initiative was formally launched on 25…

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Aston University partnership will create a one-stop app for personalised nutritional support

Stuart Mitchell

Aston University and BioCare Ltd are working together to create a unique AI-powered digital health tool that can deliver personalised nutritional and lifestyle advice by analysing data from health tests and questionnaires. Along with ongoing support, the app will empower its users to make long-term and lasting improvements to their health and wellbeing. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) will bring together Aston University’s experts in AI, machine learning, and digital health technologies with the team at Birmingham-based BioCare.   The company is an international provider of nutritional supplements, professional guidance,…

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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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