Is China recession-proof? (video)
Source: McKinsey Quarterly
"China's economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the midst of a worldwide slump. How has the country managed to cope? Is China finally emerging as an engine of global demand? Can its economy generate enough new jobs to maintain social stability? What will drive future growth, and how should foreign firms in China adapt? In this video roundtable, a panel of leading Chinese economists explores these questions and explains how the world's fastest-growing economy keeps expanding despite the global downturn."

India offers a cautiously optimistic tale
Source: eGov Monitor
"Whilst turning things around will not be easy, India offers a cautiously optimistic tale of how things can go from very bad to at least a little better."

Understanding growth priorities at small and medium-sized businesses
Source: EIU. Briefing Paper
"The Economist Intelligence Unit carried out a survey of senior executives of small and medium–sized firms around the world to understand how they are approaching business strategy as markets improve. The findings were based on an online survey of 328 executives from small and medium–sized businesses worldwide. "

Stress testing your business to survive tough times (article)
by Michael Fingland
from Dynamic Business, 22 May 2009
"The global financial crisis has dramatically increased the speed at which business conditions can change, forcing many business owners to rely more than ever on risk management strategies to protect their businesses. Stress testing a business can be an effective way to ensure a business survives unpredicted change."

The People factor : strengthening America by investing in public service [book]

Authors: Linda Bilmes & W. Scott Gould

Facing its greatest domestic challenges since the Great Depression, America is waking up to the realization that government is still important. In their new book, The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service, Harvard professor Linda J. Bilmes and IBM Vice President W. Scott Gould argue that the country cannot prosper without a strong, highly functioning federal work force to manage the government. The authors call for an investment of $10 billion to improve recruiting, training and management of the federal workforce predicting that investment will yield $300-$600 billion in productivity gains. Packed with cost and performance data as well as new research on what motivates applicants for government jobs, these former government executives provide a compelling business case for investing in the civil service so that it may better serve the nation. A must read for policy makers, civil servants and citizens who demand more from government.

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Creative ecologies : where thinking is a proper job [book]

Author: John Howkins

"Shows how creativity depends on a mix of environmental conditions, such as diversity, change, learning and adaptation. He draws on diverse sources from Charles Darwin to Buddhism, to examine the implications of his creative ecologies model for free speech, education, collaboration, management, cities and the internet." - cover.

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Proposals for the reform of the taxation of goodwill in Australia [book]

Author: Michael Walpole, Australian Tax Research Foundation

"Demonstrates how aspects of the law of goodwill infuse the tax law - from the duties on property levied by Australian States, through income tax laws to the federal capital gains tax ... Argues that tax operates at the crossroads of accounting, law, and economics and there should be agreement on what goodwill is - and how it should be taxed." - cover.

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Employee engagement: it doesn't have to be all about remuneration
by Kerrie McDonnell
from Food and Drink Business Magazine, May 2009, p.20
There are strategies which can be used to engage employees which don't necessarily imply higher wages, such as: funding for further studies; the ability to purchase additional leave; half-day Fridays; casual dress Fridays; subsidised gym memberships and funded health checks.
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Power, politics, and organizational change : winning the turf game [book]

Authors: David A. Buchanan & Richard J. Badham

"Combines a practical and theoretical guide to the politics of organizational change, and provides an exceptional resource to students of change management, and organizational behavior. Buchanan and Badham show how the change agent who is not politically skilled will fail, and that it is necessary to be able and willing to intervene in the political processes of the organization."

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Bubble poppers : monetary policy and the myth of ’bubbles’ in asset prices [book]

Author: Stephen Kirchner, Centre for Independent Studies

"Argues that monetary policy should not aim to actively manage asset price cycles. ... Asset price cycles are a normal part of the functioning of financial markets and may have significant economic benefits. These cycles are only harmful when associated with poorly regulated financial systems and government incentives to risk taking." - introduction.

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Work is the New Retirement (journal article)
By Wendy Webb
from Training Vol 46 Iss 4 May 2009, p28-28
"This article discusses the employment of older workers and the issues and benefits involved."

Procrastination : why you do it, what to do about it [book]

Authors: Jane B. Burka & Lenora M. Yuen

"By identifying and examining the reasons we put off tasks in the first place - fears of failure, success, control, separation, and attachment, as well as our concept of time and the neuroscience of our brain [this book] lays important groundwork for learning how to understand the impulse to delay and how to take action in new ways." - cover.

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Globalisation and emerging economies : Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa [online]

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Analyses key elements of the trade performance of the BRIICS in relation to the rest of the world, focusing on trade and other policies influencing that performance. Developments in global trade policy are reviewed, notably the impact of preferential trade agreements on the multilateral system and patterns of world trade are described using both indices that reveal networks of trading relations and more standard modeling results." - abstract.

OECD regions at a glance, 2009 [online]

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Measuring such factors as education levels, employment opportunities and intensity of knowledge-based activities, this publication offers a statistical snapshot of how life is lived - and can be improved - from region to region in the OECD area." - abstract.

Managing mobility [book]

Author: Alexander Mann Solutions

Explores "why mobility matters, and take an in-depth look at the results of a survey of 1,400 professional and senior level workers from around the world to gain insight into their views, expectations, motivations, and experiences around career mobility." - page 1.

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Emerging markets : lessons for business success and the outlook for different markets [book]

Authors: Nenad Pacek & Daniel Thorniley

"Looks at the reasons why some firms fail and others succeed. Full of real-life corporate experiences, it analyses the strategic lessons for both those planning to enter and those already operating in emerging markets." - cover.

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Business innovation: are you asking the right questions? (journal article)
by Roger LaSalle
from Dynamic Business, 29 April 2009
"Business innovation is important in tough times. A continued commitment to invest in innovation can help businesses survive the recession and thrive when the economy recovers. Innovation is about finding a better way of doing things, but in order to correctly innovate, you need to be asking the right questions."

The Term Spread and GDP Growth in Australia (journal article)
By Jacob Poke and Graeme Wells
from Economic Record Vol 85 Iss 269 2009, pp. 121 - 131
"This article analyses the significance of the spread between short- and long-term interest rates for predicting GDP growth in Australia, and whether the predictive relation deteriorates, as theory suggests, with the adoption of a credible inflation-targeting regime. We test whether the significance of the term spread is sensitive to the inclusion of other conditioning variables which may be useful in forecasting GDP growth, and whether forecasting significance is due primarily to the expected change in short-term interest rates, the term premium, or a combination of the two. There is some support for the proposition that the rationally-expected term spread has become less significant with the adoption of inflation targeting."

Commercialisation push is disastrous (journal article)
by Doug Edmeades
from Australasian Science , May 2009
"Business management and the profit motive have put science in a strait-jacket, New Zealand experience shows."

Economic downturn : who will thrive in 2009? [online]

Author: IBISWorld

"Australia is well placed to get through the global financial crisis, mainly due to a tight housing market maintaining asset values and banks' strong balance sheets. In the short term, however, a slow rate of increase in household consumption will not be enough to offset severe drops in exports and business investment. The economy as a whole is not expected to get back on the road to recovery until the September quarter of 2009." - cover.

Animal spirits : how human psychology drives the economy, and why it matters for global capitalism [book]

Authors: George A. Akerlof & Robert J. Shiller

"The global financial crisis has made it painfully clear that powerful psychological forces are imperiling the wealth of nations today. From blind faith in ever-rising housing prices to plummeting confidence in capital markets, "animal spirits" are driving financial events worldwide. ... acclaimed economists George Akerlof and Robert Shiller challenge the economic wisdom that got us into this mess, and put forward a bold new vision that will transform economics and restore prosperity." - cover.

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The Ascent of money : a financial history of the world [book]

Author: Niall Ferguson

"Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labour. But in The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress.

With the clarity and verve for which he is famed, Niall Ferguson explains reveals financial history as the essential back-story behind all history. He explains why the origins of the French Revolution lie in a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scots murderer. He shows how financial failure turned Argentina from the world's sixth richest country into an inflation-ridden basket-case - and how a financial revolution is propelling the world's most populous country from poverty to power." - from publisher.

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Australian Venture Capital Guide, 2009 [online]
Author: Adrian Herbert
"A complete guide to more than 200 sources of equity financing for fast growth companies. Covers private equity and venture capital, business angel networks and investment matching services, new product development assistance and infrastructure in Australia, New Zealand & PNG." - cover.

OECD statistics on international trade in services : 1997-2006 [online]

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Seeks to provide detailed data on international trade in services between residents and non-residents of the 30 OECD member countries broken down by type of service according to a common classification and conceptual framework." - introduction (vol 1).

Competency-based interviews : master the tough new interview style and give them the answers that will win you the job [book]

Author: Robin Kessler

Chapters include: "Understanding competency-based interview systems", "Expect competency-based behavioural questions", "Prove competencies with examples", "Looks like a strong candidate" and "Understand how a typical competency-based interview flows".

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