Entrepreneurship

Robots are moving off the assembly line, into other areas of work. Businesses will need to adapt to take advantage of the benefits that robots can offer, while managing the impact on their human workforce. The mantras of organisational change management, leadership and culture will take on new and very real meaning.

Between us we’ve downloaded 11 apps for every man, woman and child on earth - and not everyone has a smart phone. Yet. We take a look at a few apps that are emerging for business use. It’s just a sample. Do you have more to add?

Professional networking sites are undoubtedly a great way to stay in touch with business contacts, former colleagues and uni mates, but how essential are they to the job application process? Are the days of the paper résumé numbered? And what’s an online peer endorsement worth? As LinkedIn turns 10, we ask: is the résumé dead?

Do X-Politicians come back as company directors?

There is life after politics, but is it in business? When politicians join company boards in Australia, the share price is more likely to drop than when a non-politician is appointed, says UQ Business School research. Don’t shareholders value the expertise that our former leaders bring to the boardroom? Or perhaps it’s a vote of confidence in our democracy?

Everyone knows the first thing you should do when starting a business is to write a business plan. Or is it? According to one school of thought, business plans are a waste of time because they are based on untested hypotheses. The lean startup movement has turned conventional business thinking on its head in an attempt to make the whole process of starting a company less risky.

If you think it’s hard running a business, spare a thought for those starting up in the tough slum areas of Colombia, where a new initiative by UQ Business School aims to show how enterprise can help rebuild communities.

Now there’s a new place to hang out at work. Enterprise social networks provide an online environment where employees can get to know their colleagues, work together and exchange ideas.

As one of the world’s largest consumer markets, India offers huge opportunities for Australian companies but also major cultural challenges. After a memorable tour of India with a party of MBA students, MBA Director, Dr Sarah Kelly reveals some of the insights they gained.

Australian retailers are losing out in the competition for online sales, as consumers now spend more money with overseas websites than those from home-grown companies. Here are some lessons retailers could learn from their foreign competitors.

Tired of working long hours as an owner manager? By taking a step back, you can improve your quality of life and will be in a better position to take the business forward.