Blog

What could possibly go wrong whilst managing a franchise of a proven brand or service? Plenty. Chris Sheedy discovers that success is all about having the right attitude. Gary Harley would love to employ male aerobics instructors at his three Fernwood Women's Health Clubs in Victoria, but the franchisee is not able to do so as the franchisor's rules of compliance don't permit this.

As part-time and casual work become a reality for many Australians, managers are feeling compelled to respond effectively to the needs and demands of this section of the workforce. Bina Brown reports.

The challenge of keeping a motivated and happy workforce, despite inadequate hours or infrequent work, calls for fresh thinking and a flexible and varied style of management.

A company's culture can be its best asset. When it's more than just hype it can inspire and empower staff to take the business to great heights, writes Gillian Bullock

Corporate culture is the hidden force that shapes behaviour. It's like gravity, you can't see it, but you can feel its pull.

Every company has a culture that drives the way its employees behave. When a new person joins an organisation they will adapt to the prevailing corporate culture in order to assimilate with their fellow workers.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that, by 2020, depression will be the world's second biggest health problem behind heart disease. What does this mean for your workplace? Penny Sutcliffe reports. Depression is shaping up to be one of the most serious challenges confronting the modern workplace. It costs the Australian economy about $4.3 billion in lost productivity each year.

Developing a positive point of difference into workplace culture is a complex issue. Penny Sutcliffe interviews two leaders who have built cultures in different sectors of the marketplace. Restructure, change management, new strategies, mergers, acquisitions, resignations, new managers on board - just some parts of the corporate merry-go-round that often demand a reassessment of "company culture". Yet a change at the top does not automatically instil any new values into other members of a team.

They are leaders in business. In the second of a two-part feature, Management Today quizzes two outstanding Australian entrepreneurs on the factors behind their remarkable rise. By Cameron Cooper Jim Zavos Founder of EzyDVD

Skills shortages, workers with new lifestyles and priorities, and a lost work ethic and loyalty factor mean that managers have to revise their hiring practices. Jane Cherrington reports.

It makes sense to put more effort into hiring when one in five employees turns out to be a bad hiring decision, according to a recent global study.

They are at the top of their game in business, turning small, backyard operations into world-class enterprises. What are their secrets? What drives them and their businesses? In the first of a two-part feature, Management Today talks to three outstanding Australian leaders and entrepreneurs. By Cameron Cooper

Anybody can advertise, but for a true "money-can't-buy" marketing experience, sponsorship is the way to go. Chris Sheedy reports.

Many leading companies are embracing the Six Sigma quality measurement system. But what is Six Sigma and how successful is it? By Gillian Bullock

A bid to extend the life of tyres at BHP-Billiton's Saraji Mine in Queensland has saved the mining giant $US350,000.

This project was just one of many undertaken as part of BHP-Billiton's Six Sigma program that goes under the name Operating Excellence.