Work-Life Balance or Work-Life Alignment? A test of the importance of work-life balance for employee engagement and intention to stay in organisations (article)
By Louise P Parkes and Peter H Langford
from Journal of Management and Organization Vol 14 Iss 3 July 2008, pp. 267 - 284
"In an Australian sample of over 16,000 employees we assessed whether employees are satisfied with their ability to balance work and other life commitments. We tested the hypothesis that work-life balance is important for engaging and retaining employees in the context of other aspects of organisational climate.
We also explored how individual and organisational variables were related to work-life balance aiding further development of theory integrating work with other aspects of life. Results showed that of 28 organisational climate factors, work-life balance was least related to employee engagement and intention to stay with an organisation.
We discuss implications for how organisations position work-life balance strategies, particularly in relation to social responsibility and wellness, rather than the solution to employee commitment and retention. "

Work and Family Policy: Spoilt for choice or spoilt by choice? (article)
By Tanya Bretherton
from Journal of Management and Organization Vol 14 iss 3 July 2008, pp. 259 - 266
"
Employer perspectives on work-life balance are under-developed and under-represented within the context of public debate on work and family. The current state of policy debate on work and family is grounded in the value of 'choice' and implicitly suggests that expanding the range of programs available will inevitably deliver a superior program for employees and employers.
While diversity in program design is obviously an important priority for both parties, the current debate has not substantially increased knowledge or awareness of how best to assess program 'fit' nor evaluate program effectiveness for either party.
This paper presents the experience of two organisations which have implemented successful work-life programs by focusing exclusively on workplace and workforce need, rather than policy rhetoric. Comparing the experience of these two organisations demonstrates that the needs of employers may be better served by a shift in the policy debate toward program 'appropriateness' and improved program evaluation techniques, and away from 'choice'.
Government rhetoric on 'choice' may actually serve to confuse rather than assist employers in the formation of an integrated and effective organisational wide work and family policy and program. "

Climate change : what's your business strategy? [book]

John G. Woody

Considers how climate change will affect the business environment, and explains the 3 key steps for preparing for and capitalizing on the climate change issue: know your exposure, embrace change, and get a seat in policy making organisations.

75 green businesses you can start to make money and make a difference [book]

Glenn E. Croston

"Discover 75 green startup ideas in multiple industries including eco-tourism, small wind power, green schools, water conservation landscaping, green investment consulting and more. For each business, Croston shows you the market, product to be delivered, resources need, major hurdles ahead, competitors and strategies for success." - cover.

The Gridlock economy : how too much ownership wrecks markets, stops innovation, and costs lives [book]

Michael Heller

Examines the consequences of excessive property rights creating an underuse of resources, addressing such issues as excessive patent rights that inhibit the development of life-saving drugs, real estate practices that lead to a loss of family estates, and copyright laws.

How to negotiate anything with anyone anywhere around the world [book]

Frank L. Acuff

"Provides you with the savvy you need to negotiate with finesse and ease, no matter where you are. Now including 63 countries, the book has been updated to reflect changes in the international scene as well as up-to-the-minute topics like foreign outsourcing and multicultural work teams which increasingly characterize present-day work relationships." - cover.

Australian risk roundtable : Gerry Robinson's risk thinkers guide [book]

Gerry Robinson

Chapters include: What the hell is strategic risk? -- In praise of operational risk -- Making sense of risk ranking -- Effective whistleblowing programs.

What to say to a porcupine : 20 humorous tales that get to the heart of great customer service [book]

Richard S. Gallagher

"Reveals the essence of great customer service through twenty short, entertaining tales." ... "Covers every aspect of exceptional service, from basics like listening and making a good impression to excelling when your best laid plans go south." - cover.

Good Job!: Recognition Training (article)
By Holly Dolezalek
from Training Vol 45 Iss 7 Aug 2008, p.16
"The article focuses on the role of training for managers in recognizing excellent employee performance. Gallup polls have shown that employee engagement and recognition of good performance are linked. Management consultant Judith Bardwick says that recognition stems from the point of view that people are an investment-worthy core asset that achieves a high rate of return. Desirable effects of proper recognition are noted. Difference among recognition, rewards, and incentives is discussed."

Minding the gap : appraising the promise and performance of regulatory reform in Australia [book]

Peter Carroll (and others)

Examines "successive attempts by the Commonwealth government to improve the quality of the processes by which business regulation is made." - page 5.

Speak to win : how to present with power in any situation [book]

Brian Tracy

"The art of speaking can be systematically learned if you have the desire, discipline, and determination" ... This book "reveals time-tested tricks of the trade you can use to present powerfully and speak persuasively, whether in an informal meeting or in front of a large group of people." - cover.

Measuring tax incentives for R&D (article)
By Kenneth J. McKenzie
from International Tax and Public Finance Vol 15 Iss 5 Oct 2008, pp. 563 - 581
"A methodology for measuring the user cost of intangible R&D capital is developed. In contrast to the way in which the Hall–Jorgenson–King–Fullerton (HJKF) approach to measuring the user cost of capital, and the related notion of the effective marginal tax rate on capital, is typically applied to intangible R&D capital, the methodology takes explicit account of the microeconomic foundations of R&D in order to aggregate the user costs of the various inputs used in the production of R&D. Illustrative calculations are presented for Canadian provinces which show that relative to the methodology developed here, the standard approach substantially overstates the tax subsidy offered to intangible R&D capital. "

Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership (article)
By Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis
From Harvard Business Review Vol 86 Iss 9 Sept 2008, pp. 74 - 81
" A decade ago in these pages, Goleman published his highly influential article on emotional intelligence and leadership. Now he, a cochair of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, and Boyatzis, a professor at Case Western, extend Goleman's original concept using emerging research about what happens in the brain when people interact. Social intelligence, they say, is a set of interpersonal competencies, built on specific neural circuits, that inspire people to be effective. The authors describe how the brain's mirror neurons enable a person to reproduce the emotions she detects in others and, thereby, have an instant sense of shared experience. Organizational studies document this phenomenon in contexts ranging from face-to-face performance reviews to the daily personal interactions that help a leader retain prized talent. Other social neurons include spindle cells, which allow leaders to quickly choose the best way to respond to someone, and oscillators, which synchronize people's physical movements. Great leaders, the authors believe, are those whose behaviors powerfully leverage this complex system of brain interconnectedness. In a handy chart, the authors share their approach to assessing seven competencies that distinguish socially intelligent from socially unintelligent leaders. Their specific advice to leaders who need to strengthen their social circuitry: Work hard at altering your behavior. They share an example of an executive who became socially smarter by embracing a change program that comprised a 360-degree evaluation, intensive coaching by an organizational psychologist, and long-term collaboration with a mentor. The results: stronger relationships with higher-ups and subordinates, better performance of her unit, and a big promotion."

Making Sense of Ambiguous Evidence
By Lisa Burrell
from Harvard Business Review Vol 86 Iss 9 Sept 2008, pp. 53-57
"The information that top managers receive is rarely unfiltered. Unpopular opinions are censored. Partisan views are veiled as objective arguments. Honest mistakes are made. The manager is then left to sort it all out and come to a wise conclusion. Few people know how to get an accurate read on a situation like documentarian Errol Morris. He is the award-winning director of such films as The Thin Blue Line and this year's Standard Operating Procedure, an exploration of the elusive truth behind the infamous photographs taken at Abu Ghraib prison. The Guardian has ranked him among the world's top 10 directors, crediting him with "a forensic mind" and "a painter's eye." In this article, Morris talks with HBR's Lisa Burrell about how he sorts through ambiguous evidence and contradictory views to arrive at the real story. "I don't believe in the postmodern notion that there are different kinds of truth," he says. "There is one objective reality, period." Getting to it requires keeping your mind open to all kinds of evidence -- not just the parts that fit with your first impressions or developing opinions -- and, often, far more investigation than one would think. If finding the truth is a matter of perseverance, convincing people of it is something of an art, one with which Morris has had much experience not only as a documentarian but also as a highly sought-after director of TV ads for companies like Apple, Citibank, Adidas, and Toyota. He holds up John Kerry's 2004 bid for the U.S. presidency as a cautionary tale: Kerry struck voters as inauthentic when he emphasized only his military service and failed to account for his subsequent war protest. Morris would have liked to interview him speaking in his own words -- natural, unscripted material -- so that his humanity, which seemed to get lost in the campaign, could emerge."

Eat that frog! : 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time [book]

Brian Tracy

"Cuts to the core of what is vital of effective time management: decision, disipline, and determiniation." - cover.

Adam Smith : a primer [book]

Eamonn Butler / Centre for Independent Studies (Australia)

Provides an introduction to the 'founder of economics' and examines his contribution to economics, politics and philosophy.

Risk and compliance in Australia : the issues and trends as seen by practitioners [online resource]

SAI Global

147 Australian companies were interviewed to determine what their approach was, whether there are common frameworks used, and how they measure the costs of the programs that are in place.

Riding the third wave : some challenges in national reform [book]

Australia. Productivity Commission

Looks at the challenges faced by Australian governments: lifting workforce participation rates, health and aged care, climate change and water, education and developing efficient national infrastructure.

A Functionalist Framework for Identifying Business Clusters: Applications in Far North Queensland. (journal article)
by Adee Athiyaman and Celik Parkan
in Australian Journal of Management, June 2008, Vol 33 No 1, pp201-229
The extant literature on industry-cluster identification recommends the use of both quantitative and qualitative data to uncover clusters. We argue for a functionalist approach to identifying clusters. The logic here is that since spatial proximity of firms is an observed fact, attempts to uncover business clusters should begin with a statistical test of the randomness of firm density in a region. Rejection of this hypothesis should lead to an inter-firm analysis that identifies the relationships among firms in the region. Data from a regional area in the state of Queensland, Australia, are employed to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework

Corporate governance : theories, principles and practice [book]

John H. Farrar

Covers the basic concepts, the legislation in Australia, the self-regulation penumbra, contemporary issues in corporate governance, and the impacts of globalisation.