All you need is a good idea! : how to create marketing messages that actually get results [book]

Jay Heyman

"Shows you step by step how to create powerful marketing and advertising ideas that dramatically increase sales without having to invent new products, increase sales forces, find new distribution channels, or spend a ton of money you don't have." - cover.

The Speed reading book [book]

Tony Buzan

Presents information about your eyes and brain that will improve your reading speed, comprehension, and ability to learn.

Job interviews for dummies [book]

Joyce Lain Kennedy

Clear advice on overcoming your fear of interviews, Internet video interviewing techniques, presenting yourself on a global scale, and pinpointing the critical part of questions.

Quick meeting openers for busy managers : more than 50 icebreakers, energizers, and other creative activities that get results [book]

Brian Cole Miller

"Gives you the tools, activities, and advice you need to create the kind of open, energetic, and relaxed atmosphere that leads to effective meetings and serious results. The book is designed to take the anxiety out of meetings and encourage creative and practical discussion." - cover.

The Best service is no service : how to liberate your customers from customer service, keep them happy, and control costs [book]

Authors: Bill Price & David Jaffe

Takes a different approach to customer service which argues that customers don't really want a "relationship" with your company's customer service department. They only need customer service when a company does something wrong. Thus, eliminating the need for service is the best way to satisfy customers.

Building a wider skills net for workers (journal article)
by Robert I Lerman
from Issues in Science & Technology, Summer 2008, Vol. 24 No 4, pp. 65-72
A range of skills beyond conventional schooling are critical to success in the job market, and new educational approaches should reflect these noncognitive skills and occupational qualifications.

Changes with Penguins: A Q&A with Harvard Guru John Kotter (journal article)
by Lorri Freifeld
From Training, July 2008, Vol 45 No 6, p.6
An interview with Doctor John Kotter, a retired professor from Harvard Business School. When asked which of the 8 Steps to Successful Change most organizations seem to have the most difficulty implementing, he states that organizations have problems with all the steps, but most people most often get it wrong at the beginning.

Employee Motivation (journal article)
By: Nitin Nohria, Boris Groysberg and Linda Eling Lee
from Harvard Business Review Jul 2008, Vol 86 No 7, pp. 78-84
The authors identify the organizational levers that companies and frontline managers have at their disposal as they try to meet workers' deep needs. Reward systems that truly value good performance fulfill the drive to acquire. The drive to bond is best met by a culture that promotes collaboration and openness. Jobs that are designed to be meaningful and challenging meet the need to comprehend. Processes for performance management and resource allocation that are fair, trustworthy, and transparent address the drive to defend. Equipped with real-world company examples, the authors articulate how to apply these levers in productive ways.

Reaching your potential (journal article)
by Robert S. Kaplan
from Harvard Business Review Jul-Aug 2008, Vol 86 No 7/8, pp. 45-49
The goal isn't about getting to the top. Rather, it's about taking a very personal look at how you define success in your heart of hearts, and then finding your own path there. To discover your way, you need to step back and reassess your career, recognizing that managing it is your responsibility. Many people feel like victims when, in fact, most career wounds are self-inflicted. Taking control begins with understanding yourself: seeking frank feedback about your strengths and weaknesses from colleagues above and below you, and figuring out what you truly enjoy doing. That understanding--not other people's definition of success--should guide your career choices and goals.

Making Diverse Teams Click (journal article)

by Jeffrey Polzer

From Harvard Business Review Jul-Aug 2008, Vol 86 No 7/8, pp. 20-21

The article reports on a study concerning team building and the fit or interpersonal congruence among team members. The study found that the performance of diverse teams improves when there is a high level of interpersonal congruence. Performance appraisals with 360-degree feedback improves congruence and collaboration, opens communication when feedback is discussed by the team, and provides an opportunity for more accurate self-assessments. An example of how 360-degree feedback was used by a cross-functional management team at National Semiconductor is discussed.

Fierce conversations : achieving success in work and in life, one conversation at a time [book]

Author: Susan Scott

"How to overcome barriers to meaningful conversations, express who you are and what you believe, encourage others to reveal their true opinions, bring about real change through talking, confront tough issues with confidence and sensitivity, inspire followers, attract believers and build visions that become reality" - cover.

The Internationalisation of business R&D : evidence, impact and implications [online resource]

Author: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Finds that large multinational enterprises are increasingly choosing non-OECD countries such as China and India for R&D investment, due to lower labour costs and growing markets. This report considers what are appropriate policy responses from OECD countries.

Predictably irrational : the hidden forces that shape our decisions [book]

Author: Dan Ariely

Explains the hidden reasons behind human decision-making, and demonstrates the implications in our personal and business lives.

The Future of management [book]

Author: Gary Hamel

"Argues that organizations need bold management innovation now more than ever. The current management model - centered on control and efficiency - no longer suffices in a world where adaptability and creativity drive business success." - cover.

Some emerging issues in urban water supply and pricing (journal article)
by John Freebairn
from Economic Papers, Vol 27 No. 2 June 2008, pp. 184-193
"In the future, the marginal cost curve for urban water will be an increasing function. This fact favours a single volumetric water price to meet both equity and revenue adequacy criteria, and in some cities an explicit resource rent tax should be imposed. Although desalination and recycled water are likely to be more expensive than rain-fed water, their comparative stability and security of supply gives them a stabilisation value, and in a portfolio model framework there is a good case for their inclusion as a component of urban water supply."
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Measuring regulation and regulatory performance: benchmarking through key performance indicators (journal article)
by Justin O'Brien
From Economic Papers, Special Edition June 2008, pp. 70 - 82
"The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has embarked on a strategic mission to 'embed' business integrity. The review may succeed in reconstituting the parameters of capital-market regulation. Its success, however, will be dependent on whether the agency can align the ethos of market participants with its conception of integrity."
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Doing business in China : a guide for Australians [book]

Author: National Centre for Language Training

"Primer for business people visiting China ... quick and handy guide takes you through the basics of Chinese etiquette and the business habits ... gives an insight into the way Chinese executives approach negotiations with foreign companies." - cover.

Modelling economy-wide effects of future TCF assistance [book]

Author: Australia. Productivity Commission

Finds that there would be small net benefits from reducing the current subsidises given to the TCF (textile, clothing and footwear) industry, largely because of the sector's high tariff rates.

The Airport economist [book]

By: Tim Harcourt

An accessible look at the economics behind global trade, by the chief economist from the Australian Trade Commission.

Why a senior manager needs a mentor (journal article)
by Judith Germain
from Training Journal, June 2008, pp. 47-50
"Mentoring is often much more beneficial to business leaders than traditional coaching practices as it provides senior management with an external sounding board, and someone who can practically assess and advise them on problematic issues within the organisation as a whole, and will not just sit back and wait for the answers to 'come from within'."
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