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Social media return on investment – does it add up for your business?
David Cowling | December 6, 2011
Australia – you’re living in it, that makes it your responsibility
Fergus Neilson | December 5, 2011
Be unique and give the customers what they want
John Caldwell | December 1, 2011Australia recently became the 78th country in the world to house one of global brand phenomenon, Zara’s, 1700 stores. The brand, which began in 1975 in Spain, has managed to establish itself as one of the world’s most prolific fashion retailers. John Caldwell looks at how that happened.
There can be no doubt that the retail industry is going through some difficult times. Chains such as Borders and Colorado have gone under in the last year, and many others would have followed suit if they had not been bailed out by their parent companies.
Cloud revolution starting from the bottom up
Peter Reid | December 1, 2011The concept of cloud computing dates back to the 1960s, when computer scientist John McCarthy suggested that ‘computation may someday be organised as a public utility’. It has come a long way since then and, as Peter Reid discusses, it’s sky-high growth started from the ground up.
There has been much focus recently on cloud computing and its adoption (or not) by enterprise. Although most cloud vendors are understandably keeping their cards close to the chest, by all reports the enterprise uptake has been slow.
Having first-hand experience on both sides of the fence the problem, as I see it, is multi-faceted.
CRC boost a success for Australian innovation
Prof Tony Peacock | November 30, 2011Cooperative Research Centres were established in Australia in 1990 to enhance Australia’s economic growth through an injection of Commonwealth research funding. CEO Prof Tony Peacock shows how important they are to Australia’s global innovation success.
Australia’s unique Cooperative Research Centres Program received a boost recently, with the Innovation Minister announcing that six CRCs had been successful in the 14th funding round of the program.
Most observers thought a good result would be if four or five of the shortlisted 10 proposals received a funding offer, so six is a great result. Four continuing CRCs were funded along with two new centres.
Caution over government’s role in wage negotiations
Cameron Murray | November 28, 2011Australia has a long history of Union intervention, but the current reality is that only a small percentage of the workforce is represented by Union members. Cameron Murray argues that we should be looking to Germany when it comes to inspiration for our workplace relations.
Germany has a long history of organised labour wage bargaining, and a hands-off approach by government. This allowed the strong industry unions to negotiate their own wage agreements in response to sector specific conditions. This history explains why Germany is one of the nine OECD countries without a national statutory minimum wage. Yet union membership is falling, following a global trend, and as election time rolls around, Angela Merkel is proposing to adopt a national minimum wage for industries not covered by independently bargained wage agreements.
Let’s match words with action to truly clear the air
Anita Tang | November 25, 2011Since Australian laws banning smoking indoors came into effect we have enjoyed the benefits of clean air as we eat, work and play. Public demand for extending the same policies to outdoor public spaces has been increasing, but Anita Tang from Cancer Council NSW, asks why New South Wales has been slow to act.On a wet Thursday evening this week, over 60 people chose to attend a 30 minute discussion in NSW Parliament rather than head home for dinner with their family, attend the Christmas celebrations in the city or catch up on their late night shopping.Why? What was the attraction in Parliament that evening?
UncategorisedNSW Deputy Premier launches a stakeholder report on complexity management
editor | November 23, 2011
Be they bloated defence programmes, bungled IT projects or unwieldy infrastructure schemes, a large number of case studies from around the world demonstrate that traditional, linear project management tools and techniques are insufficient to manage the modern complexities of major schemes.
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