Clik here to view.
Staying out of jail in China (and other developing countries)
Another Australian businessman has landed himself in jail in China, according to a report in The Australian Financial Review today. His name is Carl Mather, and he is married to a Chinese national,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why January 2013 gives reason for optimism
A month into 2013, and the economic indicators aren’t good. Australia’s leading economics wonks forecast unemployment to rise to 6%, growth to slow to 2.0-2.5% and the mining boom to recede. For the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The case for change at Casella: Putting a strategic bounce into Yellow Tail...
One of the few Australian companies to become the subject of a globally-applied strategy theory, Casella Wines, is experiencing difficulties with its business model. Most stories about strategy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Europe’s fundamentals sink despite investment surge
A strong wave of investments has flowed into Europe over the past couple of months, offering some observers hope that it’s a precursor of a sustained economic recovery and an end to the long-standing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Knowing when to float your company: Has Virtus got it right?
Has Virtus Health got the timing right on its $500 million float plans? The company, which provides in-vitro fertilisation services, is owned by Quadrant Private Equity, and is being readied for a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The economy if Labor wins: Industry and construction the keys
Where’s the Australian economy headed if Labor manages re-election? Yesterday we looked at how the economy would fare if the Coalition’s broad economic and fiscal policies — to the extent that we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dell's reboot: How to rekindle the creative flame
The computer company, Dell, once worth $100 billion, has announced its sale for $24.4 billion to private equity company, Silver Lake Partners, and the company founder, Michael Dell. Shareholders will...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are we there yet: Has our share market bottomed out?
We have all been on a car trip when inevitably someone says “Are we there yet?” While the share market is not a car, it has been on a long downward journey followed by a protracted sideways move over...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The iPhone replaced our watches; will the iWatch replace our smartphones?
Image: Yrving Torrealba If rumours are true about its forthcoming product release – the iWatch – Apple is inadvertently paying homage to the comic strip legend Dick Tracy. The fictional...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wesfarmers 1, analysts 0: A triumph of conglomerates over specialists
Twelve months ago, perceptions of Wesfarmers’ overcommitment in capital to its Coles acquisition generated headlines declaring “Wesfarmers at the crossroads”. But this week, Wesfarmers is once again...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David Jones and Myer slide into irrelevance: Why our department stores are...
For more than 100 years, David Jones and Myer ruled Australian retail. From the 1800s they linked us to the world, giving us a taste of the high fashion and luxury missing on Australian shores. Now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why the young are still worth marketing to (especially if you’re Channel Ten)
Only 13 months after being appointed, including seven months of “gardening leave” while he served out a non-compete clause, Channel Ten chief executive James Warburton is gone. His sacking comes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How economists are building uncertainty into forecasting
One certainty about economic forecasts is that, almost certainly, they will prove to be incorrect. The best forecasters can hope for is not to make systematic errors – to get it right on average –...
View ArticleClik here to view.
More than just cheap labour: How Asia is challenging us on innovation
When we consider the wealth of Asia, we normally think of factory workers and mass-production instead of new, innovative ways of doing things. Sophisticated innovation can only come from advanced...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Get ready for the new workforce
I recently came across a stunning statistic from the Pew Research Centre: for the next 19 years, 10,000 Americans will turn 65 years old every day, and (presumably) retire shortly thereafter....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Three mid-market sectors take off amid widespread optimism
The past 12 months have been increasingly difficult for mid-sized companies, but their chief financial officers are feeling optimistic anyway – more optimistic than their counterparts in both small...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Contagious': Jonah Berger on why things catch on
If you have watched and shared Korean pop singer PSY's Gangnam Style video or gone into an unknown restaurant simply because it was full of people and appeared to be popular, you have the basis for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ignore the 'global tilt' at your peril
When news broke in February that the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital was teaming with Berkshire Hathaway to buy Heinz for $28 billion, some people noted that the deal marked a resurgence in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The iPhone replaced our watches; will the iWatch replace our smartphones?
Image: Yrving Torrealba If rumours are true about its forthcoming product release – the iWatch – Apple is inadvertently paying homage to the comic strip legend Dick Tracy. The fictional...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wesfarmers 1, analysts 0: A triumph of conglomerates over specialists
Twelve months ago, perceptions of Wesfarmers’ overcommitment in capital to its Coles acquisition generated headlines declaring “Wesfarmers at the crossroads”. But this week, Wesfarmers is once again...
View Article
