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Management should not be thought of as a science but as a practice, says management thinker Henry Mintzberg.

The best management style is one that comes naturally and fits with the context of the job, rather than a method pushed into conforming with academic fashion, according to leading management thinker Henry Mintzberg, who examines the area in his latest book Managing. "Effective management requires emotional health, clear-headedness, a genuine empathy for others and a good understanding of the field," he says.

Tasked with the responsibility of saving lives, Victoria's Transport Accident Commission leads the way in social marketing innovation.

Early this year the tiny town of Speed in northern Victoria temporarily changed its name to 'Speedkills'.

The quirky new title was the result of a sponsorship by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). But how great would be the marketing effect of the temporary changing of a town's name when the town itself only contained 45 people?

Patrick Imbardelli, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group, eschewed survival mode and chose a sustainable growth strategy during the GFC.

When A. Patrick Imbardelli was appointed President and CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) in 2009, he couldn't have been more primed for it.

For Melbourne-born Imbardelli, the high-profile appointment and move to the company's Singapore headquarters was the culmination of 25 years of experience in the hotel industry.

For companies eyeing off the colossal Chinese marketplace, success is by no means a guarantee.

With seeds sewn by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's then-radical 1972 policy of engagement, and China's own subsequent reformations and 'opening up', Australian companies large and small are seeking their fortunes in a vast, mysterious country with a growing middle class of consumers. Some have succeeded, while others have been derailed or defeated.

Partnership principles - HASSELL

If you're personally mired in a state of inertia, achieving momentum requires a bold rethink.

Why does a business lose momentum? There can be structural reasons: shifts in the economy, technological change, the age of the business or its people. Mostly, however, it's management. All those structural things can be managed, but in challenging times management batteries can run low. Over time, inertia sets in.

With modern technology, it's important for organisations to be managing risk when it comes to their data. By Eddie Sheehy

When it comes to risk management in the digital age we all know that information is power.

In spite of the huge rise of digital documents and communication within the corporate sector, Australian executives all too often find themselves in the embarrassing (and unacceptable) position of needing to admit 'I didn't know' when faced with high-profile evidence of corporate fraud or inappropriate behaviour.

The Healthy Habits sandwich business sells more than just bread and filling. By Josie Gagliano

Katherine Sampson is under no illusions; she sells sandwiches, even if they're good quality and healthy ones.

Yet hers are sold in 35 stores around Australia and New Zealand, with plans for 100 in a few short years. Sampson is very clear about what it takes to compete in the crowded marketplace of lunchtime food options.

How to use PR to build your reputation in business and on boards. By Catriona Pollard

Some company directors and CEOs see public relations as something that only benefits the company as a whole.

What many in the top job may not realise is that the PR opportunities available to them within their company can give their own reputation a boost and increase their chances of landing a position on a board or making their next career move. Here are some strategies that use PR to improve your reputation.

Research into customers' emotional intelligence has implications for staff training.

Superior customer service has long been recognised as a source of competitive advantage for service providers.

This is never truer than when things go wrong. When customers complain or are disadvantaged is the time when superior customer service really has to work. If a company can't manage a customer when something goes wrong, that customer will rarely come back, moreover, they will tell everyone they know what happened.

Rolling natural disasters have placed Australian leadership under immense pressure and scrutiny. What went well, and what leadership lessons can be learned? By Sarah Marinos

On 7 February 2009, bushfires swept through Victoria claiming the lives of 173 people. Countless homes were destroyed and the Victorian landscape was changed forever.

The following year those fires claimed the career and reputation of Christine Nixon, the former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police and the Coordinator of the State Emergency Response Plan for the fires.