Improving Performance at State-Owned Enterprises
from McKinsey Quarterly
"State-owned enterprises have always struggled to match the private sector’s performance standards. That problem has become more acute now that many governments have been forced to deal with the current economic crisis by acquiring assets from private companies. Still, some state-owned companies in emerging markets have borrowed lessons from the private sector to improve their performance significantly. This article draws on those lessons to examine three strong and helpful measures--establishing a clear mandate, focusing on financial impact, and managing talent.
(Premium membership required - contact the library if you don't have a password))

Trade, Development and Openness (speech)
by Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development (UK)
"Douglas Alexander highlights both the dangers posed by the global recession, and the opportunities offered by trade in this era of interdependence – and how the world can move forward together."

Write a winning job application : a guide to responding to selection criteria [book]

Author: Lloyd White

"A practical handbook for job applicants that explains, in detail, how to: Respond correctly to selection criteria, Prepare a targeted resume, Identify your competencies, Write a good application letter [and] Sell yourself at an interview." - cover.

Want to borrow this book? Click here to send an email to the library.

Quick guide to the four temperaments and learning : practical tools and strategies for enhancing learning effectiveness [book]

Author: Donna Dunning

“Using interactive checklists, you will identify your learning style and preferences. Tips customized to your learning style will help you choose what, when, how and where to learn. ... You will see how to adapt to different learning settings, especially those that don’t suit your preferences. Leaders, coaches, trainers, and teachers will find practical tips for customizing and enhancing their interventions.” - cover.

Want to borrow this book? Click here, in order to request it.

Reforming Australia’s hidden welfare state : tax expenditures as welfare for the rich [book]

Authors: Bejamin Spies-Butcher, Adam Stebbing / Centre for Policy Development
"Outlines possible reforms to one of the largest tax expenditures, superannuation. By transforming this particular tax expenditure into a rebate program, which would be subject to proper budget scrutiny, Australia’s superannuation arrangement could be made more accountable and more equitable." - page 3.

Would you like to borrow this book? Click here, and send the library an email.

Leadership [book]

Author: James Burns

Classic text on the study of leadership. Sections include: Leadership: power and purpose, Origins of leadership, Transforming leadership, Transactional leadership, Implications: theory and practice.

Request to borrow this book from the library. Click here to send an email through to your friendly library.

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.

Would you like to read this book? Send an email to the library.

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.

Borrow this book! Click here & send your request through to the library.

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.

Click here, and request to borrow this book.

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.
Ask us for a copy of this article.

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."

Like to read this book? Request a loan from your friendly library!

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.

Want to read this book? Click here, and contact the library.

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.

Don't put it off, request this book now! Click here & email the library.

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.