Thursday, 27 August 2009

Management magnified: Strategies for revenue growth in an economic downturn
Source: EIU. Briefing Paper
"In an economic downturn as steep as the current recession, companies tend to hunker down, cut costs and seek efficiencies. But firms focused on rapid growth are blending these defensive tactics with offensive measures in their efforts to pass their competitors. The research is part of a three-pronged analysis of management strategies that includes an examination of decision-making in a recession and an assessment of executives’ perceptions of the link between sustainability and growth."

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

What is a Skill Shortage? (journal article)
by Sue Richardson
from Australian Bulletin of Labour, Vol 35 No 1 2009
"The vocational education and training system has an important role to play in assisting with the smooth matching of the skills wanted by employers with the skills offered by workers. It will be helped in this task if we can give a precise meaning to the term ‘shortage’; identify the circumstances under which any such shortage is likely to be naturally and efficiently resolved by market forces; and identify when direct policy intervention is called for to assist the market. VET will be a part of any public policy response. It is the purpose of this paper to set out some clear thinking on each of these issues. I will not attempt to quantify any overall or particular shortage of skills."

Tuesday, 25 August 2009



Author: Daniel Goleman

"Shows that everything about what we buy and why is about to change. To date, he argues, our consumer thinking about issues such as the environment, health hazards or child labour has been one-dimensional, focusing on single problems in isolation from the rest. Our 'green' awareness is so superficial we often do more harm than good by ignoring the adverse impacts of the far vaster proportion of what we buy and do. ... shows how the phenomenon of radical transparency - the availability of complete information about all aspects of a product's history - is about to transform the power of consumers and the fate of business. Companies will no longer be able to control their own reputations. For the first time what they say will matter far less than what they actually do. They will be genuinely accountable." - cover.

Monday, 24 August 2009

The high price of international tourism (article)
By Rachel Borchardt
From Government News, 17/08/2009
"A major overhaul of global tourism is needed to help an industry that is not only threatened by climate change but also a contributor to the problem. This position was put forward by Professor Stefan Gossling from Sweden's Lund University in an address to the University of Queensland's School of Tourism late last week. "

The role of creative industries in industrial innovation (journal article)
by Kathrin Muller, Christian Rammer and Johannes Truby
from: Innovation: management, policy and practice, Vol 11 No 2 2009 pp.148-168
"This paper analyses the role of creative industries in affecting an economy's innovation performance. Conducting a survey of more than 2,000 creative industry enterprises, we show that creative industries are among the most innovative sectors in the economy. They support innovation in a variety of other sectors through creative inputs, such as ideas for new products, supplementary products and services or marketing support for product innovations. They are also an important user of new technology and demand innovations from technology producers, particularly information and communication technologies. Own innovative activities are a key driver for supporting innovation.
Creative industries are no homogenous sector, however. While software and advertising show the strongest links to industrial innovation, architecture and content providers contribute rather little."
Ask us for a copy of this article.

Friday, 21 August 2009



Authors: Mike Chaet and Stephen C. Lundin ; with Vince Moravek and Mary Chaet.

"What are 'Loops'? Loops are the essential keys to success in any small business. They are the relationships you build. The services you perform. The products you deliver. If you want to thrive in today's economy, you need to close all the loops: Manage your experience zones, Build a winning culture with vision moments, Help execute fundamentals with a loops group, Standardize every process, Innovate constantly, Live in the real world & Lead by example." - cover.

Tuesday, 18 August 2009



Authors: Matthew Bishop & Michael Green

"For philanthropists of the past, charity was often a matter of simply giving money away. For 'philanthrocapitalists' - the new generation of billionaires who are reshaping the way they give - it's like business. Largely trained in the corporate world, these "social investors" are using big-business-style strategies and expecting results and accountability to match." - cover.

Collision course : PM's advocacy of international financial regulation confronts DFAT's free trade zeal (journal article)
By Geoff Edwards
From Public Administration Today, No 17 October/December 2008
"Conflict between the ideal of liberalisation of trade markets and the need for a new international regime for the regulation of financial services - critique of assumptions underlying trade policy - theoretical basis of trade policy - conclusion that international free trade conflicts with many policies conducive to the public interest."

Friday, 14 August 2009



Author: Jeswald W. Salacuse

"Provides expert guidance to allow individuals, companies, and organizations to succeed at the very special task of negotiating with governments. ... addresses the key challenges involved - from influencing bureaucracies to counter - balancing the apparently overwhelming power on the government side of the negotiating table." - cover.

Tuesday, 11 August 2009



Authors: Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton

"Shows you how to: Develop an effective strategy - with tools such as SWOT analysis, vision formulation, and strategic change agendas; Plan execution of the strategy - through portfolios of strategic initiatives linked to strategy maps and Balanced Scorecards; Put your strategy into action - by integrating operational tools such as process dashboards, rolling forecasts, and activity-based costing; Test and update your strategy - using carefully designed management meetings to review operational and strategic data." - publisher website.




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

"Focuses on the overall economic context for regulatory reform, the government's capacity to manage regulatory reform, competition policy and enforcement, and market openness. The review also examines the regulatory framework in the electricity, water and health care sectors." - abstract.

Monday, 10 August 2009

The Global Talent Crisis (journal article)
By Edward Gordon
from Futurist Vol. 43 Issue 5 Sept/Oct 2009, pp. 34-39
"Contrary to popular opinion, there are plenty of open jobs. What’s missing are candidates
with skills."

Tuesday, 4 August 2009



Author: Carol Kinsey Goman

"Practical and entertaining guide to understanding what you and the people you work with are saying without speaking. Cartoons, photos, anecdotes and dozens of simple and enlightening exercises help readers gain control of the messages their bodies are sending so they can project a more accurate and compelling picture of who they really are to their colleagues, clients and partners." - cover.



Authors: World Bank; International Finance Corporation

"Presents quantitative indicators to measure the regulations affecting 7 stages in the life of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and closing a business." - contents.

Friday, 31 July 2009

State of Change: Global Turmoil and Government Reinvention (journal article)
By Giselle Datz
from Public Administration Review Vol 69 Issue 4, pp. 660 - 667.
"The current global credit crisis is unfolding in a context in which new dynamics in the engagement of the public sector and the market are taking shape. This article explores some of these dynamics, especially the reemergence of (re)nationalization initiatives, as well as the growing use of private methodologies for asset management on the part of some governments, which behave as both financial market players and domestic economic stabilizers. Hence, the article discusses the return of the state as a traditional "public leviathan" involved in financial regulation, as well as the work of sovereign wealth funds. The author concludes that at the heart of capitalism's endurance lies this diversity of public responses, which ultimately reveal governments' adaptable agendas and heterogeneous tasks."

Does Europe Still Matter? (journal article)
By Oliver Marc Hartwich
From Policy Vol 25 Issue 2 Winter 2009, pp. 35-40.
“The article focuses on the economic weakness of Europe which is conceived to be a problem for Australia. According to the article, the European economy is disturb and its political system appears to be incompetent of enforcing the necessary changes. It is stated that the economy of the European Union, which is an important trading partner for Australia, could mean bad news for Australians and Europeans.”

Revealing Australia’s Real Income Tax Rates (journal article)
By John Humphreys
From Policy Vol 25 Issue 2 Winter 2009, pp. 32-34.
“The article focuses on the effort of the government of Australia to engage an inquiry into the Australian tax and transfer system. According to the article, a transparent information on how the system works is needed to meaningfully address the income tax system. It is stated that the government must start publishing the real personal income tax scale which includes the full impacts of both the Medicare levy and low income tax onset (LITO).”

Is China Really an ‘East Asian Success Story’? (journal article)
By John Lee
From Policy Vol 25 Issue 2 Winter 2009, pp. 9-13.
“The article offers an argument regarding the view that China's rise is simply the next winning installment of the broad East Asian authoritarian model. According to the article, the size of the nation entails that even if its economy weakens, it will continue to be a major presence in the region. However, it is stated that its weaknesses in economic strategy and civil society have been questioned whether it will follow the pattern of successful modernisation enjoyed by Taiwan and South Korea.”

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

The relationships between team learning activities and team performance (journal article)
By Marianne van Woerkom and Marcel Croon
from Personnel Review Vol 38 Iss 5 2009, pp. 560 - 577
"The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different team learning activities relate to different types of team performance as rated by team members and managers."

Tuesday, 28 July 2009



Authors: Robert D. Atkinson, Scott M. Andes, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) / Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

"Examines the degree to which [U.S.] state economies are knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, IT-driven, and innovation-based. With these indicators as a frame of reference, the report then outlines a state-level public policy framework aimed at helping states master forthcoming challenges and take advantage of opportunities." - introduction.