October 14, 2010

In contrast to most other indicators released recently, the results of the BNZ Confidence Survey undertaken this week show an improvement in business sentiment. A net 18% expect the economy to get better over the coming year, a turnaround from a net 1% expecting a deterioration two months ago. However, BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander concedes this rebound in sentiment is not all that apparent from comments about respondents’ own particular sectors, which the BNZ has summarised.

Despite a great deal of energy spent on trying to balance the gender make up of senior management teams – including countless well-intentioned mentoring programmes for high-potential professional women – men still receive more promotions than women. How can women overcome these odds?

Actively pricing products or services across their life cycle is increasingly important, particularly in innovation-intensive industries such as consumer electronics and consumer durables, IT, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Failing to do so may forego potential profits or even destroy value.

Management – Executive Update Edition 4

Yesterday’s weaker-than-expected retail sales statistics is a positive development for a government wanting to encourage exports and discourage domestic consumption in its attempts to rebalance the economy, says economic commentator Bob Edlin. But it was a negative number in the forex markets and an immediate reflex action saw the dollar ease as analysts anticipated interest rates staying on hold for longer.

Andrew Ferrier, Canadian CEO of our  biggest business, Fonterra, is concerned by the impact of New Zealand’s ‘tall poppy syndrome’ – the inclination to “cut down large institutions simply because they are large” – which he finds quite “unattractive”. “There seems to be something in the culture which equates big with being somehow bad. Yet we need to create some large institutions to really be competitive in today’s world. We should celebrate, not castigate, our successes.”

Anne Paton, Libraries Manager (New Zealand) for DLA Phillips Fox , is our first contributor in the draw for a Flip MinoHD (RRP $379.95) pocket video camera for readers who share informative and interesting blogs, websites or online video clips with other readers of Executive Update. She’s a big fan of TED (Technology Entertainment and Design), a website established to disseminate ‘ideas worth spreading’. Presenters include David Cameron, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and many Nobel Prize winners.