November 26, 2001

It may be just another invitation to another corporate function but looking after clients is big business today as entertainers become more creative and guests more discerning.

When the way things used to work no longer applies, it’s tempting to redouble your efforts, or to flog the dead horse. In their book Net Ready, Amir Hartman and

Concerns by thousands of employers over many aspects of the Employment Relations Bill have led the Government to reconsider parts of the legislation and delay its introduction until at least 1 October.

The underlying principles of the ERB were clearly telegraphed by the Government and now that we know the detail, will it live up – or down – to the commentators’ expectations?

Setting up an advisory board is becoming a useful way to get the extra intelligence you need.

Airfares for flights originating in New Zealand are increas-ing significantly as airlines move to recover rising fuel costs, according to survey by American Express. The most substantial rises are in

The idea that you won’t have to physically travel from one government department to another has to be appealing. Especially when compared to the vision – sitting at your PC,

Mark Patton Patton is the new chief executive of Jacques Martin New Zealand. He was previously marketing manager and replaces Peter Baynes who resigned in July. ——————————— Nyree Pavlovich Walker

QBE Keeps Lead In Liability – Appoints Craig Anderson New Zealand and Australia are clearly following US trends that find organisations and individuals increasingly at risk to major liability awards

Alan Chapman Chapman has joined Meadow Lea Foods as sales and marketing manager. He was national sales manager with Goodman Fielder Milling and Baking. ——————————— Kerry McDonald McDonald has been

Being an expert, an adviser or consultant doesn’t mean people want to hear what you have to say.

Our athletes are on the last lap of their Olympic preparation, but who’s managing the next crop of champions.

The NZ Benchmarking Club kicked off recently with 16 member companies from a range of sectors including health, manufacturing, public administration, research, finance and insurance.

Few managers are immune from the problem of taking on more than they can realistically get through during the day. The ?to-do’ list, hardly seems to diminish. Why is this?

When common coutesy turns to confidence-crushing conflict.

It is always pleasant to find an intelligent, user-friendly use of a computer network. Unfortunately the opposite is just as likely.

On September 10th 12 identical yachts begin racing around the world the ?wrong way’. Traditionally boats sail around the world following the prevailing winds and currents, this race sails against

Having a good top team is a very smart way of magnifying your own abilities. One of the keys is to surround yourself with ?can-do’ people.

The use of technology today is survival issue most companies can’t handle alone. The quality of advice they get will help or hinder their business growth. Only few short years

Low business confidence that prompted demand for Government to modify its policies, was a city phenomenon.

Videoconferencing, email and the Internet mean people can do business in real time, but this also means when travellers take to the road, they want top service.

Back in the 1960s, a period of steady growth in the economy, the level of prices naturally increased, too.

Most of the time, the spouse of an expatriate executive is woman leaving her own career. But unless meaningful opportunities for her are found, the entire transfer could be in

Five years ago, Damien Nepata’s army career was cut short when Scorpion tank overturned and left him with burns to 40 percent of his body. After the accident, he faced

Flatter organisations, changing skills, outsourcing, information technology and the drive to cut overhead costs are all challenging attitudes about office space and the viability of the central city.

Managing high profile organisations that don’t return the traditional profits takes vision, innovation and sheer guts.

Do you want a partner? The Government is dying to oblige. But what would you be getting into?

Peter Biagetti is senior litigator at prestigious Boston law firm. His client is developer who wants to sue his mother, partner in the family real estate business. Before the hearing

Ed Johnson has worked for Shell for 20 years and his greatest period of sustained travel came when his family was young. Between 1988 and 1995 he and his wife

(Source: Ernst & Young) The taxation of an executive’s investment income can be complicated. New Zealand has tax treaties with 26 countries, including its most common trading partners like Australia

The education, skill base, attitude and mobility of many Kiwi executives make them an attractive proposition for overseas employers. But with companies the world over becoming increasingly protective of their

Anyone contemplating an overseas career must understand what they’re getting themselves into and what they’re getting in return, says expat Briton and career nomad Simon Edwards, CEO with the Hongkong

Are call centres becoming the breeding ground for future senior managers?

WESTPACTRUST BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Astron Plastics. MANUFACTURING AWARD (TWO WINNERS) Best Bars of Manurewa makes towbars, bullbars, bump-ers and cycle racks. Astron Plastics. PHILLIPS FOX INNOVATION AWARD Best

The day of the long queue is numbered they say. Going… going… going… the hours of slowly shuffling anonymously towards the counter of some government department.

Human intellect, say scientists, developed when we moved away from our all-vegetarian diet. Until we began eating protein and carbohydrate-rich meat, our metabolic resources were absorbed by energy-demanding digestive systems

What gender is a computer? It all depends whether you’re male or female.

There has always been family component to business travel for Gilbert Ullrich. He and his brother often went on business trips together. Then when he married Debbie 11 years ago,

The playroom is gaining power over the boardroom, as travel-

Horror writer Stephen King’s decision to publish his latest novel, The Plant, only on the Internet at $l chapter, has disturbing implications for investors, says UK’s Investors Chronicle. It shows

One leadership challenge we investigated in The New Zealand Leadership Survey 1999 was the issue of who is responsible for the ongoing professional development of our managers. In particular, we attempted to respond to concerns that our organisations are not taking sufficient responsibility for this management development.

Absenteeism is a real irritant for managers, forcing them to make alternative arrangements to cover for people who don’t show for work.

The leading cause of stress at work is the bad boss.

Often, when running workshops for people in business, I am asked a question which goes something like this: -John, here are the facts of my particular situation. If you were me, what action would you take?”

As the e-business wave continues to surge forward, insurance companies could find themselves swept along at the crest of the wave, but could just as easily find themselves dumped on the sea bottom.

Confidence surveys were showing perturbing levels of pessimism, at the time Treasurer Michael Cullen presented his first Budget.

Are you likely to retire rich or limp through retirement on the smell of an oily rag?

Consider these facts: ? Two thirds of all major companies have replaced their CEO in the past five years; ? Fewer than half current CEOs have held their job for

? Most of the jokes you’ve heard come by email instead of in person. ? You need PowerPoint to explain what you do for living. ? You know the people

“It’s hard enough for most sighted people to dodge bullets, let alone for me,” quips Justin Glyn, explaining why he left Johannesburg in South Africa two and half years ago.

Cohen travels regularly for Bendon. Flight Centre has her profile, so she always gets her favourite seat in the aisle of Business Class. She is dedicated user of Corporate Cabs

Katherine Anderson samples a weekend of putting Land Rovers through their paces.

While a shroud of uncertainty surrounds the possible effects of the Employment Relations Bill on contractors, executive leasing seems set to remain a strong factor in the employment sector.

Clustering Policy: Clustering and networking should be viewed as part of a spectrum of tools to enhance SME competitiveness. The focus of this presentation is active clustering as an intervention to accelerate the development of local clusters – and giving SMEs the local strength to globally reach. In this I will emphasise that networks are an integral component of a high performance cluster.

Setting up your computing environment was once simple process – nearly everything came from one supplier, who made it all work for you. Those days have gone. Today your servers,

Michael Burrows will soon drive himself to Milford Sound again. No big deal. Except he’s tetraplegic and has been for the last 21 years. The Mataura local has spent the

How often is copyright infringed in your organisation? In an increasingly information-driven workplace, management should work out a clear list of procedures for making copyright compliance a part of everyday working life.

The ERA heralds a change in more than the employment law ‹ the way people view employment relationships has shifted considerably ‹ but just how different will it be?

While over half of us have access to the Internet, only fraction of us use the Internet for banking, according to KPMG’s latest annual survey of New Zealand financial institutions.

When injuries end your career, starting over again can be scary. But it doesn’t happen without understanding and flexible employers.

Leading motivational speaker Art Miller Jr, described as world authority on human giftedness, is key speaker at “Passion and Power – the key to Productivity Growth” being held in Wellington

Mears set up his medical device technology company, Device Technologies, in April this year. He employs eight staff to serve customers all over New Zealand and is associated with companies

An economic impact assessment of Ports of Auckland concluded: ? The current total direct and indirect impact of the port on the Auckland regional economy is worth $10.6 billion year,

Qantas customers can now use dedicated express lanes at selected Australian international terminals following the airline’s signing of memorandum of understanding with the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

How do you get a high-wage economy? Not by going along with employers paying low wages, says the Government.

Consulting as we know it is becoming obsolete. As e-commerce expands around the world, the top tier consultancies are re-examining their core activities, reshaping them to fit the international future.

The Labour party swooped into office on the wings of anger at golden handshakes and public service profligacy.

Few people today can claim they feel in control of their working life strong competition and continual restructuring mean most are happy simply to have a job.

The Rotary Club of Wellington’s inaugural business ethics award was recently presented to Opus International Consultants in recognition of their involvement with eight schools in Porirua East since May 1999.

Careers in the fast lane sooner or later slow down or come to a standstill.

Shona Myers is new to business travel. She has been with the ARC for four years but regular work trips only recently became part of the job. Before that it

Just who benefits when directors hold shares in the companies they help steer?

When you see a transport award you expect someone in transport to get it. Someone with an efficient fleet of buses, for example.

(table 1.1) (Source: Deloitte Consulting) Stage one: Government departments establish websites that provide the public with information. Stage two: Using legally valid digital signatures, customers can submit personal information to

(Source: In Touch Foundation) Experience shows that the following personal skills are the most important for overseas living. On scale of one (low) to five (high), rate yourself in each

If you think that pay rise might stop your best staff leaving, think again, says the latest motivation survey from Sheffield Consulting. The survey of over 600 people from range

Being a director isn’t all champagne and chardonnay on the top floor. Prospective directors should look long and hard at what they are about to take on.

Sports management and marketing firm Carnegie Sports International NZ has appointed Murray Wright as managing director Carnegie NZ. He succeeds former All Black Grant Fox, who has withdrawn from day

“Ninety-nine percent of what we say is about values. I firmly believe that ethical capitalism is the best way of changing society for the better.” – Anita Roddick, founder of

Can you be liable if there’s stress in your workplace? In some circumstances, the answer could be “yes”. The recent employment case concerning former probation officer makes it clear that

(Source: Trade New Zealand) 1.Ensure full family support for the move. 2.Expect to go through cycle of initial euphoria (up to three months) followed by cultural shock (a further three

Susan Robinson-Derus describes her family as “three individuals working together for each other”. “We have never taken the attitude that one life is more important than another. Sophie (15) has

That is question that’s getting lot of attention lately as the dollar drops, business confidence stalls, and the grass looks greener in overseas pastures. A recent survey reported that the

The tale of Charles Babbage (1791-1871), the English mathematician who invented the digital computer in the 19th century, has forebodings for today’s Kiwi innovators.

Two months ago I described in this column the introduction of the NZIM Enterprise Certificate in Management in secondary schools. Its entry comes at a time of a major reorganisation of the senior secondary subjects and qualifications, a reform that is well overdue but fraught with controversy.

As organisations restructure them- selves into their minimalist shapes, they are going back to buying produce not time. That amounts to taking the price tag off time. Instead of employing

For many of us part-time or casual work is a relic of our younger years when earning money during school holidays was an economic necessity for a university education, or provided us with the means to purchase those extras we valued as important to our status at the time.

The rules for executive search have changed irrevocably. Old loyalties to one company have gone. Real talent is in short supply, while jobs in mid to senior level management are plentiful.

China and the United States currently have too many differences to forge strategic partnership, said Leslie Fong, editor of Singapore’s Straight’s Times and The Sunday Times, when he visited New

As the economy starts to tighten, and business confidence falls, watch out for an increase of fraud.

Government gets the chance to outline its draft e-commerce strategy at two day summit, at Auckland’s Aotea Centre on 1-2 November. It’s being billed as forum for business to learn

Our first grape vintage of this century looks like being the most prolific according to the Wine Institute. Following its Annual Vintage survey, the Institute estimates winemakers harvested 80,100 tonnes

But beyond the household gates recy- cling plastic is big business. While most of our consumer plastic waste finds its way to China for recycling, most industrial plastic waste is

Web Facts: 1 Internet-related businesses will create 10 million new jobs in the US and Western Europe by 2002 according to report by Andersen Consulting. The survey of 150 chief

Once it was a dull city you visited only for weddings and funerals, and got zapped by horizontal rain for your troubles.

What Organisations Provide

Business is too shrewd to leave city life to apartment dwellers.

Worried about absenteeism, high staff turnover, low morale and low productivity? The cause may be something you never thought would happen in your firm „ sexual harassment. Being prepared could save you a whole lot of time, heartache and money.

Many people say that despite opportunities in China, most foreign companies lose money. David Mahon is a Kiwi who’s lived there for almost two decades. He believes many ventures have been successful. Where they have not, he says, there are some clear common causes.

At the time of the merger, everyone has high hopes that their strategy of merger and acquisition would deliver new value.