Blog

Construction giant John Holland uses skills diversity as a business strategy. For Glenn Palin, Group Managing Director, it is a leadership and management environment of quite amazing scope. By Jason Day. If leaders can be said to be shaped by the environments in which they work, then the diversity inherent in leading a large construction company must make for one dexterous chief. Think about it. Construction companies must constantly identify moving targets for new work, specialise in tendering to win it, and be adept in forming the right teams quickly.

Flexibility, cost certainty, risk mitigation, vigilant management and reporting systems drive better fleet management outcomes. Mark Story talks to the experts.

With over 50 per cent of all new vehicle registrations going to fleets annually, corporate Australia's preference for leasing options in fleet management is far from waning.

Managing reputation in the event of crisis starts well before any calamitous event, writes Brian West. Toyota, BP and the Australian Wheat Board are just some of the industry giants that have had cause recently to pick up the pieces of their damaged credibility thanks to an event, the subsequent crisis and intense public criticism. Regardless of how well established a business's reputation is, its standing with customers, partners, suppliers, employees and government can unravel with astonishing speed. The importance of being prepared and to expect the unexpected a

Alastair Sorbie, the UK-based head of global IT company IFS, says companies need to service their customers better and deal with the pace of change. By Richard Jones The arts of cross-cultural communication and integration are not always easy to practise. In Australia, many of our blue chip companies are or have been headed up by people from other nations and cultures.

Sustainability strategies can lead to financial benefits as well as reducing pressure on the environment. Cameron Cooper investigates some of the initiatives being implemented by leading organisations.

Road freight giant Linfox is a prime example of an organisation with a significant environmental footprint taking action on business sustainability issues.

How does a business communicate with its audience now that mass media is no longer the only game in town? Nicole Richards speaks with three industry insiders.

Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan famously declared advertising to be the greatest art form of the 20th century.

It's not difficult to understand why. Twenty years ago, a good TV commercial was the ultimate in paid promotion. For advertisers, TV was simply the way to go if you wanted to reach a mass audience; all eyes were on the box.

Despite the current impasse over the way forward, climate change policy and related national legislation remain vital matters for organisations.

Absences from the office are about a lot more than illness, experts say, and there's plenty a manager can do to reduce downtime caused by 'sickies'. By Chris Sheedy. Believe it or not, organisational research suggests staff in many workplaces together develop something of an unwritten agreement regarding how many sick days are acceptable each year.

A market research program will help your business as long as you ask the correct questions. By Nicole Richards. The famous maxim 'knowledge is power' is more than 400 years old; yet in today's instant information age, the words ring truer than ever. Failing to stay abreast of changing consumer preferences and trends in highly competitive markets can be detrimental to market position and growth. "Market research can help drive business," Peter Harris, National President of the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) says adamantly.

The experience of wearing the two different hats of finance and sales has made Hewlett-Packard's Bruce Dahlgren a much better manager. By Richard Jones.

Bruce Dahlgren, Senior Vice President, Managed Enterprise Solutions, Imaging & Printing Group (IPG) with global giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) has spent 25 years in the information technology industry. This includes stints with heavyweights including NCR, Teradata, AT&T and Lexmark.