Even environmental activists go on holiday – although they may feel guilty about their impact on the planet. Now research has revealed the six most common excuses they use to justify their behaviour.

Loyalty schemes allow companies to tap into detailed information about their customers’ behaviour, encourage repeat customers and generate more revenue. However they need to be relevant to your customers’ needs. Here are some ideas for features, new and old, which companies are using.

Only one in four employees is fully engaged at work. New research shows that having staff who share the company’s values is key to improving motivation and suggests that businesses may need to review their recruitment policies.

Confronting problem behaviour is part of a manager’s role. Leadership expert Dr Polly Parker explains how to use ‘challenging conversations’ to resolve conflict and bring about change.

Traditional businesses in Indonesia are facing a fresh challenge, as the new generation of graduates exposed to western ideas are starting to rebel against authoritarian management styles and the subservient role expected of them.

Should advertisers use different positioning messages to promote the same product to different audiences? And if so, could there be a backlash if one group sees an advert targeted at another? New research has cast light on this marketing dilemma.

Managers trying to encourage their team to ‘do more with less’ sometimes overstep the mark. But when do high-pressure demands turn into abuse – and why do staff differ so markedly in their reactions to it? And how can managers trying to improve performance avoid being seen as bullies?

Property expert Associate Professor Clive Warren explains the underlying factors affecting the property market and answers the question everyone is asking.

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?