June 23, 2004

At six foot something and with proportions to match, Gary Wilson has, in the physical sense, broad shoulders. This attribute, in the metaphorical sense, has been something of a blessing at times in his management career. But the occasional “nasty experience” notwithstanding, the generally ebullient chief executive of New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation still, after seven years in the hot seat, “loves” his job and rises at 5.30 every morning to prove it.

Coaching is fast-growing business in New Zealand. The questions, however, are whether business is making use of it and what benefits do individuals get? That’s what corporate coach Leslie Hamilton,

New Zealand workers are under performing. At least, that is how they feel according to recent survey by employment agency Drake New Zealand. The survey of 500 contract and temp

The majority of employees would prefer to work, all other employment factors being equal, for company that supports good causes, according to an Australian survey. The “Passion People” survey carried

Can’t find skilled labour in New Zealand? Try Germany. While this country is scratching for construction, engineering, manufacturing and technical workers, Germany apparently has them to spare. Which is why

What would happen if large business entities were subjected to the standard checklists employed by psychiatrists and psychologists? The Corporation, screening at this month’s New Zealand International Film Festival does

KPMG is following the lead of its trans-Tasman equivalent by separating off its corporate recovery practice to create an independent firm operating as McGrath Nicol & Partners as from August

Trade union membership numbers are up for the fourth year in row. And the number of active unions has doubled since the Employment Relations Act came into force. A survey

Brands rule, the customer is king, CEOs are the prime custodians of corporate virtue, and NGO criticism holds no fears. This is corporate China as seen through the lens of

Senior executives have much itchier feet these days and employers now expect corporate leaders to come and go at an increasingly faster rate than in the past, according to US

New Zealand is losing both growth opportunities and competitive advantage because its equal employment opportunities (EEO) programmes lag behind those of other countries, according to report by University of Auckland

Job advertising is still on the rise, pointing to ongoing strength in the employment market, according to the latest ANZ Job Ads series. It recorded one-percent lift in newspaper advertising

New Zealand and Australian cities have experienced the fastest rise in this year’s cost-of-living ranking, mainly because of the strength of local currencies. Auckland has catapulted from 115th to 80th

When it comes to making major spending decisions, senior executives are just as likely to rely on gut instinct as metrics. A US study by business communications agency Doremus found

Obesity is becoming an increasingly weighty problem for the western world. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. One airline recently ignited the ire of its chubbier clientele

New Zealand’s aging workforce might threaten to drain the nation’s labour market, but less than half the country’s employers consider the transition business issue, according to Hudson New Zealand’s ‘Ageing

Does size matter? Alice in her Wonderland adventures found that it did, but in different ways in different situations. Why and how does it matter in an economic sense? The

At recent Toshiba media function I was reminded of the many different DVD formats out there in the marketplace. I am not regular notebook user so I wasn’t aware of

Does it matter what we think from moment to moment? Or how we think? The answer, according to an increasingly large and persuasive body of research and writing is: more than you might think.

New technologies deliver vast new efficiencies to organisations. But they also bring increased security risks with them. How can managers fortify their enterprises on all fronts?

There will, this month, be much reminiscing on the 20th anniversary of the election of the fourth Labour government. After all, it turned this country inside out. But there is

Being world class is about concepts, competencies and connections. World-class managers must be familiar with the latest management concepts, ideas and emerging trends. It’s become fashionable to describe new management

Paula Tyler Tyler, Canadian who has spent most of her public sector career in social services in variety of policy and management positions, starts as chief executive of the Department

Last month’s cover story in Management magazine highlighted the need to focus on improving New Zealand’s long-term economic and growth performance by lifting business capability. What does that mean?

Effective implementation and integration are crucial to a successful company acquisition – but only if it is the right deal in the first place.

If Minister, or anyone else for that matter, wants to know how much heat Bill is generating in the commercial world, then he or she need do no more than

The battle to cultivate, capture and keep the brightest and best people in every professional walk of life, but in management and leadership in particular, is being waged on global

The Government giveth, and the Government taketh away. In these days of handsome fiscal surpluses, it taketh away more than it giveth. In the 2004/05 financial year, it has budgeted

Talent has become a global commodity. So can New Zealand keep it’s share of sharp thinkers? What will keep top players at home or attract others to replace departing brains? In other words, how do we maintain our talent trade balance?

New Zealand must move from its largely principles-driven governance environment to more prescriptive compliance if our companies want to play in the global capital marketplace. Why?

What’s The Big Idea? By: Thomas H Davenport & Laurence Prusak Publisher: Harvard Business School Press Price: $35 Here’s book for devotees or debunkers of fashionable management ideas. The authors