Delivering in 43 degrees

For better or worse, food delivery drivers have become ubiquitous on the roads – and pavements – of Australia’s cities, braving the heat of summer and impatient traffic for very little in the way of reward.

The secret pleasures of schadenfreude

It’s human nature to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others sometimes, particularly in the cut-throat world of modern business, but showing some empathy and a willingness to learn from those mistakes might be more productive.

A fresh start at work

Fresh starts can open the door to change. But lasting momentum depends on what we build after the novelty wears off. The real skill isn’t setting goals when motivation is high. It’s designing goals that survive the weeks when it isn’t.

Hybrid new year!

For jobs that allow it, hybrid work is the new normal, allowing employees to work from home as well as the office, so both workers and managers must navigate new ways to keep people connected, social and happy in the blended workplace.

Making the most of work meetings

Business meetings reflect an organization’s culture, power dynamics, and implicit priorities and can suppress rather than encourage ideas, but well-run meetings can also become spaces of co-construction, respect, and collective innovation.

A closer look at flexible work

New research shows that workers benefit from flexible work arrangements when employers align policies with individual preferences rather than uniform mandates.

Who benefits from “hustle culture’?

Hustle culture is failing to help young people generate wealth, with most still tied to their 9-5 jobs despite investing hours of their personal time each week on a side venture, according to a recent international study.

Spying from home

The normalisation of remote work in the wake of the pandemic has allowed swathes of hostile foreign operatives to penetrate Australia’s businesses and public agencies under the cover of legitimate employment.

Could Australia’s trash become Donald Trump’s treasure?

Onshore recycling technologies can recover critical minerals from Australia’s endless stream of waste to unlock a range of strategic, economic and environmental advantages.

Digital embassy or tech tax dodge?

The world’s tech giants pay almost no tax to the countries they generate profits in and Atlassian cofounder Scott Farquhar’s proposal to exempt datacentres on Australian soil owned by foreign companies from Australian law is all about tax evasion rather than encouraging innovation.

Who has the CEO’s ear?

The old business saying that ‘the customer is always right in matters of taste’ is being ignored by today’s CEOs who tend to listen to tech experts who tell them what’s possible, rather than the marketing team who know if anyone will buy it.

New firms, not small firms, create the most jobs

While Australia’s small and medium sized firms are often called the “engine room” of the economy, research finds that new and young businesses, rather than small but long established firms, are the real drivers of economic growth.