Momentum

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  • There’s a long list of corporate scandals that have damaged public trust in respected businesses. Research suggests that corporate wrongdoing is often due to ‘ethical blind spots’ rather than wilful misconduct.
  • Non-humans are moving into frontline roles. But would you really want to work with a robot – and can they offer long-term value to a business? New research helps leaders prepare for the future workforce.
  • Today there is no such thing as a product-only business, according to a new approach that aims to encourage innovation. Many manufactured products including TVs, mobile phones and ‘smart’ devices are there to deliver a service, yet often the service element is greater and more profitable than the product itself.
  • Achieving constant economic growth is unrealistic in a world with finite resources. But how do we change mindsets and limit consumption in a fair and acceptable way? Dr Cle-Anne Gabriel analyses models of business within a ‘degrowth’ economy.
  • Subtle differences in the upbringing of boys and girls could set the scene for inequality at work, research shows. Over 10,000 boys and girls in single-sex schools with surprising results.
  • Despite a series of suicides by high-profile chefs, conditions have not improved in Australian restaurant kitchens according to one UQ Business School researcher who is exploring ways to create change.
  • Technology has severed the chains which once bound workers to their desks. Today your fellow team members could be operating from almost any location – the coffee shop around the corner, or the other side of the world.
  • Platforms like Airbnb are reshaping traditional employment models and opening up new opportunities – but do they really offer the freedom they promise or are they a threat to workers’ rights?
  • From introducing robots in the workplace to persuading humans to work alongside them, leaders need to prepare for the brave new world ahead. But what skills will be most important for leaders as these technologies develop?

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  • Written by Professor Mark Dodgson for The Conversation (December 2015).
  • Social media is transforming business. It is building new kinds of communities and shaping key conversations. What are the trends? Who’s doing it well? And how can you build your own online profile?
  • The reality of tougher trading conditions and the high Australian dollar means that SMEs will need smart and well-targeted strategies to make a dent in overseas markets. How can a small business determine a successful export strategy?
  • ‘Two-speed economy’ has become a bit of a business catch phrase, some might say cliché. We talk to 20 leaders about what it means to their businesses.
  • Cash flow and customers – your business needs both. But in times of rapid change, just about everything else is up for grabs. What business skills will keep your company relevant? What are the capabilities of Business 3.0?
    Five UQ Business School thought leaders give their take on core capabilities for competitive corporations.

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  • 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?
  • 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?
  • Stress in the workplace costs businesses millions of dollars each year. Now research is casting light on why some people are better at dealing with it, and how we can train others to become more resilient.
  • A new report which reveals the reasons for the fall in mining productivity holds some valuable insights for other sectors.

  • In our third issue of Momentum, we challenge business to consider: ‘What’s next?’
    At UQ Business School, it’s not merely a question, it‘s our strategic position.
  • Competition among not-for-profits is tough. Success can depend on a strong brand, smart marketing and transparent corporate governance, as much as it does in any commercial business. But it's not enough to earn a great name. You have to keep it. Surf Life Saving Australia is learning tough lessons, the hard way.

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