Business and feature
articles
The
Net Result: How Internet Blogging Has Transformed The Everyday
Workplace "NEW"
Blog - Facebook - MySpace - YouTube: Four
words that have not only changed today’s lexicon, but have also
created new issues for today’s employers. Incidents of “blogging
gone bad”are steadily appearing in workplaces.
By Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, May 8, 2008
Housing
Markets on Shaky Ground "NEW"
There's no shortage of housing markets that look like bubbles waiting to burst,
but economists say Canada has become one of the safer places in the developed
world to own residential real estate.
By Lori Mcleod, April
30, 2008 (Reprinted with Permission from the Globe and Mail)
10,000 Women
Arguably, investing in education for women may have the highest
social return of any investment.
By Faye Mallett, April 25, 2008
Greenwashing
Have no doubt. Greenwashing comes in a sophisticated
package. We may not always detect the extent to which we are "greenwashed," and
this is exactly the intent. Like whitewashing, the term it is derived from, greenwashing
masks the truth with a glossy image, the right spin, and a captivating design.
By Faye Mallett, March
28, 2008
Online Ad Spending
– Are you investing in Social Networking?
In terms of online advertising and marketing, companies
have a lot to gain by investing in websites like MySpace
and Facebook, the current two “network giants.”In
fact, with more marketers experimenting with this new medium,
worldwide online social network ad spending is projected
to jump from $1.2 billion in 2007 to $2.1 billion in 2008.
By 2011, it is projected to be at $4.1 billion.
By Faye Mallett, March 6, 2008
The Clean
Coal Debate
Given that coal is also the world’s largest
source of C02 emissions –the main culprit in global warming –coal
plants are at the top of the list of global warming threats cited by climate
scientists.
By Faye Mallett, February 21, 2008
Burning
Coal - The Clean Way
Burning coal to generate electricity is one of our planet’s major sources
of carbon emissions –the primary gas blamed for global warming. Producing
electricity with coal is therefore one of the pivotal issues in the conflict
between our energy needs and our environmental needs.
By Faye Mallett, February 21, 2008
Out of the Red
and into the Green: Transitioning your company from paper to
paperless
Electronic agreements and digital signatures
are no longer the future; they are here and ready to ease the burden on many
aspects of business communication.
By Reed Clayton, January 3, 2008
Designing a Team
Jesse Hopps finds himself in a position familiar to
many employers these days. He is running a successful business and
has ambitious plans to grow it, but finding the right people to help
him build his enterprise isn’t easy.
By Adrian Brijbassi, December 12, 2007
By-passed
oil revitalizing the economy
New developments in technology are making bypassed oil a resource
that could potentially increase the United State’s crude
oil reserves by 10 times the amount.
By Faye Mallett, December 4, 2007
Doors Open Wide
for International Students
For all the talk of building walls and reducing
traffic through America's borders, there's one group of visitors who continue
to enter the United States in record numbers. And Americans are enthusiastic
to have them.
By Adrian Brijbassi, November 27, 2007
The Next
Generation Builds Green
Over 55 million students in the United States
spend their days in schools that are hazardous to their health. This is because
conventional schools are designed to only meet minimum code, which holds no specific
objective towards creating healthy and productive learning environments.
By Faye Mallett, November 6, 2007
Private Health
Care a Growing Business in Canada
Procedures, such as plastic surgery, that are
not covered under the Canada Health Act have historically been provided by private
practitioners. In recent years, however, doctors and entrepreneurs in the medical
field have started to offer services that are covered under the national health
program. Economically speaking, they are filling a demand.
By Adrian Brijbassi, October 30, 2007
The Business
of Emergency Preparation
A recent report in the New York Times cited
numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that estimate a need for 14,000
emergency-management specialists by 2012, which would mean an increase of nearly
3,000 positions in 10 years.
By Adrian Brijbassi, October
9, 2007
Riders for
Health
Riders for Health (RfH), a UK-based
organization founded by former motorcycle racer Andrea Coleman
and her husband, journalist Barry Coleman, offers an innovative
solution to assist developing countries in their need for reliable
transport. A member of the Make Poverty History campaign, the
organization has worked for over 15 years on creating solutions
for health care delivery in Africa.
By Faye Mallett, September
24, 2007
The Science
of Intention
One recently-published book on the subject is The Intention Experiment, written
by science writer and award-winning journalist Lynne McTaggart. By posing the
question: Can our thoughts influence the world around us?; McTaggart makes a
comprehensive investigation of the subject in her study of athletes; analysis
of the leading evidence in neuroscience; psychology; and the latest findings
in physics.
By Faye Mallett, September 5, 2007
Impact
of a Declining Dollar
In what seems like a cruel trick typically reserved for
parlour games, Todd Ariss has witnessed his revenues shrink
before his disbelieving eyes. The now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t
switch is a result of the evaporating worth of the U.S.
dollar.
By Adrian
Brijbassi, August 29, 2007
A Profitable Investment
Monica Villasenor believes commercial real estate is a
profitable sector that anybody can invest in. Her own experience
proves it.
By Adrian Brijbassi, July 4,
2007
Buying
Back Our Carbon Footprint
While the concept of carbon neutrality dates back to at least
a decade, it has only been in the last two or 3 years that interest
in this market has exploded.
Beginning with a few innovative companies and individuals looking for an opportunity
to “do the right thing”; trading carbon emissions is quickly becoming
an environmental commodity market.
By Faye
Mallett, June 20, 2007
US Labor
Market - March 2007
Although the US economy seems to be slowing slightly according
to recent reports, the March Employment Situation Report
released by the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the labor
market is still in great shape.
By Shelley
Brennan, April 11, 2007
A
Choice of Where to Live for Skilled Workers
Leaving home is a part of life. Relocating to a far-flung destination, though,
is largely a result of politics and economics.
By Adrian
Brijbassi, April 4, 2007
Wellness
in the Workforce
Considering how the majority of people
spend at least a third of their day or more at their workplace,
it is no wonder then that workplace environments have a major
influence on national chronic health issues such as obesity,
diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
By Faye
Mallett, March 7, 2007
Online Advertising:
A Growing Domain
The growing number of online users, the
audience
of online advertising is anticipated to be huge. Businesses
can capitalize on this by using the internet to keep
in touch with customers through newsletters, chat rooms,
and promotions on their websites.
By Faye
Mallett, March 7, 2007
Finding the Market
Price
Finding a reliable resource on current market compensation
rates can be a frustrating, time consuming and expensive
endeavor. Employers searching for current salary rate information
typically will find they need to pay for it, and even then,
the information available to purchase is usually released
once a year, causing the information to become outdated soon
after the data is released.
By Faye Mallett, February
28, 2007
Up for Debate:
Bush's Healthcare Reform Proposal
Last week, we looked at the details of Bush’s new health
care proposal. This week, we will look at what supporters and
opponents of the plan are saying.
By Shelley Brennan, January
31, 2007
Up for Debate:
Bush's Healthcare Reform Proposal
President George
Bush recently unveiled his plans for health care reform with
a new proposal aimed at reducing the number
of people without coverage, as well as addressing tax code disparities within
the current American health care system.
By Shelley
Brennan, January 31, 2007
Labour Optimization
Reduce unneeded overtime; create a more flexible workforce;
and match labour to customer demand. These are the challenges
that face modern management as companies seek to reduce the
amount they spend on labour, while at the same time try to
increase the quality of their service to customers and clients.
By Faye Mallett,
January 10, 2007
Positive Global
News Events of 2006
Please enjoy our end of year “round-up”of
some of the more positive news events, trends, research and initiatives
that occurred in 2006.
By The Editor, December
28, 2006
Social Networking:
The Virtual Way
MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Craigslist, LinkedIn, Nerve, Meetup,
Tickle and
SecondLife.com –ask any of your twenty to thirty-something co-workers or
cohorts, and chances are they’ll know exactly what you’re talking
about.
By Faye Mallett, October 25,
2006
Where
Houses Lead, Will US Consumers Follow?
Homebuilding isn’t a large enough sector to bring the US economy
to its knees on its own, but would be if household spending is destined
to follow the housing market’s dramatic cooling. All else equal,
the loss of home equity wealth extraction would seem to doom consumer
spending to recession. But all else is not equal, as newfound labour
income gains look to ease some of the real estate pain, and mitigate
the consumer plunge.
By Benjamin Tal and
Avery Shenfeld, October 18, 2006
The Wage
Dispute
This is not a story about union vs. non-union.
It is not a story of evil intent. Nor is it a story about profiteering.
Although it may reach into all of these realms, it is ultimately
a story about indifference –of how fellow workers can
find themselves tolerating the intolerable.
By Faye Mallett, October
4, 2006
Smart
Productivity
Roland Pujol’s life leapt from fast-paced to warp speed
one moment 16 months ago. The moment occurred when the New
York based reporter purchased the latest
in the recent trend of Personal Digital Assistants: the Treo Smartphone.
By Adrian
Brijbassi, September 20, 2006
On The Wire Part
II
In a recent panel discussion in New York at the Associated
Press, former Vietnam reporter and bureau chief, Richard
Pyle, commented, "The military was remarkable in Vietnam
-- they not only didn't try to censor us, they made every
accommodation to us. There's never been a situation quite
like that anywhere."
ByShelley
Lightburn, September 6, 2006
On
The Wire: Telegraphy, Commerce and The Associated Press
For years, sociologists, philosophers and anthropologists
have studied the effects of media on society and how news
shapes the way people think. However, the news profession,
as a product and a purveyor of information, also drives technological
innovation and new modes of business.
ByShelley Lightburn, August
9, 2006
Cell Phones
Dial Into Kids Markets
Giving the order to "come home now" has never been
so easy for a parent
to
deliver. The cell-phone industry has targeted the preteen market with so many
choices and products you might think the craze was inspired by a George Lucas
movie.
By Adrian
Brijbassi, August 1, 2006
Single Mothers Make
Gains
The Canadian Government has just released some startling
economic and employment statistics that provide insight into
the economic status of single-mother families in Canada -
the number of which have risen dramatically (70%) over
the past twenty years.
By Faye
Mallett, June 7, 2006
The Windy City
Goes Green
Chicago wants to re-invent itself again, this time
as the “Greenest city in America.”At the spurring
of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who took office in 1989, Chicago
has been transformed into one of the most attractive cities
in the US.
By Faye
Mallett, May 24, 2006
Ten Trends
to Watch
Companies that tap into the wave of current trends and
developments are more likely to succeed than those who struggle
against them.
By Faye
Mallett, May 3, 2006
Multi-Sided
Markets: More Platforms for Business
Multi-sided markets are certainly not a new phenomenon.
Yet it has only been within the last few years that economists
have begun to view these markets as entities within their
own right, unique in the way they unite two or more markets
that seemingly have nothing to do with each other into one
platform.
By Faye Mallett,
April 17, 2006
Google
@ Animal Farm
Then: “Google does not censor the results
for any search term. Now: “It is Google’s
policy not to censor search results. However, in response to
local laws, regulations
or policies, we may do so.
By Peter
Meingast, March 8, 2006
The Motivation Contradiction
If leaders make their mark on the world because they motivated
people to action, then the notion that motivation is entirely
an individual choice must be wrong. This observation or
deduction, if accurate, immediately places all managers into
a peculiar
bind. Contrary to our practice of firing 7% of our employees
for bad attitudes, we’re forced to accept that we
have another, underutilized option.
ByPeter de Jager,
February 8, 2006
Fast Cities
What do Vancouver, Dublin, Helsinki, Sydney and Montreal have in common? They
are all cities that have been dubbed, Fast Cities—the new up and coming
metropolis’which are largely populated by the Creative Class—a
distinct, innovative people who have a hand in creating metropolitan accomplishment.
ByJake
Gosselin, January 26, 2006
More
Profit Less Carbon
To limit the use of carbon-based products can seem like an exercise in discipline,
not dissimilar to a diet or aerobics regimen. It's hard work, doesn't feel good
at first, requires a demanding level of sticktoitiveness, and can seemingly always
be put off until later. Like a 40-year-old with a waist size that's suddenly
catching up to his age, businesses - and the industrial world - are learning
the longer the procrastination,
the more difficult the ability to change.
By Adrian Brijbassi, December
21, 2005
Board Game Lets
Players Ponder Life Choices
After years of obsessing about choices related to love and money, teacher Susan
Morry decided to create a board game about life’s little trade-offs. As they
work their way through the game’s 660 questions on 330 cards, players of If You
Had To Choose...?™ can also look forward to many hours of considering the pros
and
cons of different decisions.
By Lara Greenberg, November
30,
2005
Overseas
Ambassadors
“If you can see the corruption at a very bottom level, then you can only
imagine the level of corruption at the top,”says Rubin McNeely, a member
of the steering committee for Amnesty International’s (AI) Business & Human
Rights Committee. A recent addition to AI’s extensive global research,
development and watchdog programs, the Business & Human Rights Committee
is a group that is researching and monitoring human rights violations in the
extractive industry.
By Faye Mallett, November
23, 2005
William
McDonough: visionary architect and designer
Time Magazine called him a "Hero of the Planet" in 1999. In 1977, William
McDonough designed and built the first-solar heated house in Ireland. In 1985
he designed the first "green" office in the US, commissioned by the
US Environmental Defense Fund.
By Faye Mallett,
October 26, 2005
Sustainable Economics
Once we’re producing beyond the rate of what we can renew,
growth as we know it becomes incredibly ignorant in the short
term and impossible to maintain
in the long run. The economic status quo as we know it now cannot be maintained
long into the future. Essentially, we are borrowing from the supply that
belongs to future generations.
By Faye Mallett, September
14, 2005
Building Anew
Composite materials, plastics, and ceramics are increasingly emerging as viable
building material solutions. The volume and number of applications of composite
materials has grown steadily, creating a wide realm of new markets - from
everyday products (think bath sinks to door frames) to niche applications
in the aerospace and automotive industries.
By Faye
Mallett, August 24, 2005
Increasing Creative
Thought
When leading executives define the purpose of their business, many say it is
to show a profit, increase shareholder value, or produce a specific product or
service. On the surface, they are correct, but they miss the mark because these
are not purposes but outcomes.
By Peter
de Jager, August 24, 2005
Cause and Effect:
Consumer Economics
When leading executives define
the purpose of their business, many say it is to show a profit,
increase shareholder value, or produce a specific product
or service. On the surface, they are correct, but they miss
the mark because these are not purposes but outcomes.
By Margaret
J. King & Bret Rigby, August 10, 2005
The Future
of Energy: Part I
Renewable energy sources could be used to generate much
more electricity then they are currently being used to do.
By Faye Mallett, July 27, 2005
Diversity: The Industry
More so than multiculturalism, diversity can be called an
industry. Within this industry are diversity trainers, diversity coaches and
diversity
consultants; one can study online through the Diversity Training University
International (yet many consultants and trainers do hold PhD’s in education);
and many organizations, recognizing the trends of workforce demographics, employ
the expertise
of trained diversity professionals as a way of adapting to the changing realities
of the workforce.
By Faye
Mallett, July 20, 2005
Weasel Words
Expect to find weasel words wherever the official language
is a kind of code that, on surface, everyone must at least
appear to understand - or risk being excluded. It happens
in businesses and government departments, and today it
is found predominantly in advertising and marketing, government
and corporate PR ‘spins,’and management ‘speak.’
By Faye
Mallett, June 23, 2005
Step up to it Canada,
World Says
January 2005 brought the release of a major
study of politicians, diplomats and thinkers from Europe, Asia, Africa,
the US and Latin America - all sharing their views on Canada's importance
in international affairs. It is a subject that most Canadians are by
now quite familiarly obsessed by (or perhaps just Canadian media), second
perhaps to the highly marketable question: What does being a Canadian
mean?
By Faye Mallett, June
8, 2005
Entrepreneur
Profile: John Savio
This is the first of a series of profiles
on people who are adding something unique to our world, whether
it is through a business venture, a passion, idea or dream. We
will profile entrepreneurs, scientists, writers, students, retirees,
CEO's, inventors, environmentalists, politicians, venture capitalists,
doctors, artists and educators - anybody who is inspired to create
change in our world, and inspiring others in the process.
By Melissa
Montgomery, May 25, 2005
A Choice for
BC Voters
Besides casting their vote in 2005, BC voters will
be asked whether or not they want to replace the current “first
past the post" system with a new alternative.
By Faye
Mallett, May 11, 2004
Planning under
the Influence of Change
Crafting a strategic plan is sort of like trying to get
to Mars, or running to catch a baseball, we don't move to
where it is now, but to where it will be, when we finally
get there.
By Peter
de Jager, May 4, 2005
What's in a
Name?
Imagine if our choices between the two main competitors
in the computer world were between Apple and….Melinda.
By Faye
Mallett, April 27, 2005
The
Future in SWORDS
The US plans to deploy 18 armed robots to Iraq this spring,
making them the first generation of robots to go to combat.
Although the robots have a memorable name: SWORDS (for Special
Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems), they
aren't quite the cold-blooded androids of Star Wars or I,
Robot, yet.
By Faye
Mallett,
April 12, 2005
The
Purpose Driven Organization
Compassion has always been
a driving force of humanity. This drive remains true in the
business sphere, where there are many examples of organizations
defining a
higher purpose that is
above the traditional accumulation of profit as means
of their
existence. This may lead to a competitive significance
in the very near future.
By David
Smith, April 6, 2005
Venture
Capital Investment on the Rise
The amount of venture capital invested in the US in 2004
increased for the first time since 2001, according to two
recently released venture-capital surveys. In venture-capital
history, this marks 2004 as the year VCs recovered from last
decade's boom (in 2000, venture capitalists invested a whopping
$103 billion into startups) and subsequent bust.
By Faye Mallett,
February 23, 2005
Performance
Anxiety
Step into the boardroom at any major company and you’re almost
certain to get an earful about mission statements and company goals.
In today’s intensely competitive global environment, everyone
agrees that a strong focus on core business strategies is essential.
“When employees are all on the same page it can create some awesome
capabilities,”states Stephen Covey, vice chairman of Salt Lake
City-based consulting and professional services firm FranklinCovey.
By Samuel Greengard,
January 5, 2005
Kahn's reality check
Amongst Herman Kahn's many insights was a basic technique that remains
an essential part of my analytical toolbox. Ironically, it is about
thinking about the present. It offers a valuable lesson for all senior
executives charged with forming a realistic and valid view of the future
environment for their business.
By The Global Future Forum, December 21 2004
Mind Your Manners!
A Global Guide to Etiquette
This author was recently at a business dinner in Chinatown
in Calgary. A Chinese woman briefed us before on what to
expect, which went along the lines of: “They are
taking you out to dinner to see if they like you personally.
Then they will decide whether or not to do business with
you.
By Melissa Montgomery, December 14,2004
The Essential Ethical Exam
It's difficult to think of a subject
touchier than that of what actions are "Right" and
what are "Wrong", especially when we're discussing
a real life situation. Ethics places not only our actions
and behavior under the microscope, but it also scrutinizes
our integrity and worth as a person.
By Peter de Jager, December 7,2004
CDN Roundup *NEW*
Ah, those Alberta Oil Sands. Not
since Woodward and Bernstein were in their prime
has the digging
of dirt spurred so much fanfare. Fresh off a spot
on “60 Minutes”, the Alberta oil fields –which
have ignited the most ferocious economy in North
America, if not the Western world –are extracting
plenty of another form of black liquid: ink.
By Adrian Brijbassi
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Asian
Business Roundup
With half the world's workers unable to earn enough to
rise above the two dollars a day poverty line, fairer
globalization and better jobs are vital to achieving
the UN millennium development goal (MDG) of halving the
number of global poor by 2015, according to a new report
published this week.
By Faye Mallett, December 7, 2004
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Consistency Is The Key To Interviewing The Disabled
Handicapped. Disabled. What pictures
come to mind when you read these words? If, like many people,
you think of someone in a wheelchair, your interviewing procedures
may be putting your company at risk of losing a discrimination
lawsuit.
By Workplace.ca November 30 2004
Dealing With the Old Guard
There is some 'old guard' in each of
us when it comes to any major change. That inner voice or the critical
skeptic is actually an ancient biological response that keeps us
from doing anything new that might endanger us until we have assessed
the situation and have sufficient information to move forward.
By Chris Edgelow November 16 2004
The Global Tea Party
About fifteen years ago the world was hit with the specialty
coffee boom. Spurred by Starbucks and nurtured by coffee
aficionados and café socialites, the beverage bar
boom is far reaching. Now that there are no shortages of
cafes to choose from, the coffee market is slowing down.
By Shelley Lightburn November 9 2004
The Art of Managing Culture through Organizational Change
Promoting dialogue and interconnectedness
As companies grow, it becomes more difficult to maintain a culture
with healthy communication among employees. Crystal Decisions, also
included in the top ten list of the Watson Wyatt survey, is currently
facing that challenge. The company, a provider of information management
software, has reached a critical point in its development. It currently
has 1,500 employees and continues to grow, bucking the downward trend
in the high-tech sector. Staying interconnected is particularly complex
given that they have more than 20 offices worldwide.
By Jeffrey Rotin November 2 2004
The Cultural Drivers of Money
Money, like all human invention, is a tool. Like all tools,
it is an extension and amplification of some human attribute.
If a hammer is an extension of our fist and a pencil or a
telephone is an extension of our voice, of what is money
an extension?
By Jamie O'Boyle November 2 2004
Beyond this Horizon
The study, or even the
casual examination of
the future has a bit
of a bad reputation.
Any media coverage of
a World Future Society
event will include the
obligatory references
to tea leaves and chicken
entrails. Not surprisingly,
the public perception
of Futurists is that
of a group of wide-eyed
mystics making ridiculous
and incredible claims
of the future that defy
verification.
By Peter de Jager October 26, 2004
Benefiting from Corporate Volunteerism
Many companies become involved with the volunteer sector
by helping employees find opportunities to share their
professional expertise with non-profit organizations. This
so called skills-based volunteering has its roots in the
legal community, with a long history of pro-bono services.
It has expanded, however, to include the employees of technology,
financial services, marketing and other professional services
companies
By Faye Mallett October 12, 2004
The Art of Managing Culture through Organizational Change
In order to compete
in the marketplace, companies must keep pace with change by reengineering,
restructuring and reorganizing. Too often, however, they focus on
the more tangible aspects of a transition —the procedures,
finances, policies and structures —without considering cultural
issues. Yet managing culture can be the key to effective organizational
change.
By Jeffrey Rotin September 28 2004
12 surefire ways to market HIGH TECH without raising costs
IF WHAT FOLLOWS seems like just so much
commonsense, remember that marketing is 90 per cent commonsense.
Everything else –database technology, relationship marketing,
statistical analysis, and other special tools –sits on that
base of commonsense.
By John Friesen October 5, 2004
Interview with Mark Hornung, senior vice president of the Bernard Hodes Group, on Employer Branding
Employer branding has been around as long as there have been employers and workers.
The concept gained recognition as a separate discipline in the mid-90s. The
talent wars of the dot com era, coupled with the looming demographic shift
caused by the retirement of the Baby Boomers, meant employers had to start
thinking seriously about how they would attract the best people.
By Faye Mallett September 28 2004
Trust on-the-line
Trust will be the new ‘watchword’ of the future. There is nothing new about the
need to be trustworthy; in our private, public and business lives. If we are
to deal fairly with one another it is the bedrock of our every action.
By David Smith, September 21, 2004
Are we there yet?
We could if we wished, and perhaps we should, get some
formal training in project management (PM). There are certainly
enough books, more than enough courses, conferences and seminars
to take us as far as we want along the path of PM enlightenment.
By Peter de Jager, September 15, 2004
Meet
the ‘Renewables’: Eco-Industry and Green Democracy
The current lexicon of industry and government policy incorporates lively terminology
that is diagnostic of environmental upkeep. Climate Change, sustainable resource
management, energy needs, and water availability have created an atmosphere of
activity uniting business, government, and non-profit groups.
By Shelley Lightburn, September 1, 2004
How to
Choose a Web Hosting Provider: Part 3 of 3
As the Internet becomes ever-more vital to most companies’ business, choosing
the right web hosting provider is one of the most critical decisions an IT director
must make. So, how can you cut through the morass? Here are the last of the
25
top questions you should be asking.
By Joe Mullich, July 21, 2004
The Ergosphere:
A concept for the world of work in the 21st century
Words have meaning and the meaning matters. "Work" doesn't
mean what it meant in the past: the world of work is changing.
We need new words to describe
that world.
By Margaret J. King, July 14, 2004
The Bus Stops Here: Public Transit and the ‘Hydrogen Highway’
There is a lot of hype over hydrogen in the news lately. Canadian Prime Minister
Paul Martin and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger both have ensured
plans to construct several hydrogen gas stations. The ‘Highway Highway’ has
the potential to extend from California to Whistler BC by 2010. Hydrogen fuel
cell cars are expected to be on the market anywhere from 2010 to 2014. However,
in many places hydrogen fuel cell buses are already on the go.
ByShelley Lightburn, June 30, 2004
How to
Choose a Web Hosting Provider: Part 2 of 3
As the Internet becomes ever-more vital to most companies’ business, choosing
the right web hosting provider is one of the most critical decisions an IT director
must make. So, how can you cut through the morass? Here are 8 more of the 25
top questions you should be asking.
By Joe Mullich, June 23, 2004
Sponsorships
Rule!
The way Michael Marckx sees it, building a brand name and connecting with customers
isn’t an endeavor for the feint of heart. With megabytes of spam flooding inboxes,
mountains of junk mail buckling mailboxes and a seemingly endless stream of commercials
assaulting the airwaves, today’s consumer is increasingly tuning out.
By Samuel Greengard, June 8, 2004
How
to Choose a Web Hosting Provider: 25 Questions You’d Better Know
the Answers To
As the Internet becomes ever-more vital to most companies’ business, choosing
the right web hosting provider is one of the most critical decisions an IT director
must make. It’s also one of the most puzzling decisions, considering analysts
say there are more than 15,000 web hosters offering a complex array of hard-to-compare
services. How can you cut through the morass? Start with this list of 25 questions
– probing providers about what they can offer and probing yourself to determine
what services and technology you really need.
By Joe Mullich, May 27, 2004
Paperless
Office
A quarter century ago, futurists predicted that computers would soon usher in
the paperless office. Since then, the demand for paper has actually increased.
Soon, however, the Internet and more advanced software may finally offer hope
that businesses can crumple the paper jam.
By Sam Greengard, May 5, 2004
Caged by Our Labels
If you've done any reading in the area of Creativity or Innovation
then you've certainly come across the advice "Think outside the Box". Even though
it’s almost a cliché, it hasn't outlived its usefulness. “Think outside
the box” is a brilliantly accurate description of the primary goal of the creative
process. I wish I'd come up with it.
By Peter de Jager, April 27, 2004
Working for Nothing - Corporate
Lessons from Nonprofits
Ask your colleagues about the work they do for nothing and you may be shocked.
You could learn more about them in three minutes than in the last three years
working together.
Volunteering is a rapidly growing phenomenon, a common passion among executives,
and a vital issue for corporations to understand.
By Dr. Patrick Dixon, April 7, 2004
Choose
a Coach with Care: Part 2 of 2
There are numerous distressing, off-the-record accounts about
the behaviour of instant coaches, from the 27-year-old who boasted
how he was working with a suicidal
middle-aged woman, to the tone-deaf and tool-happy: No matter what the presenting
issue, they use time-tracking checklists and batteries of tests unrelated to
the presenting issue, from which they interpret the results to their clients
as "truth," despite having little or no training in testing.
By Barbara Moses PhD, March 17, 2004
Our Taxations System Simplified
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes
to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this...
Author Unknown, March 10, 2004
Choose a Coach with Care: Part
1 of 2
Carole's manager sent her to see a corporate coach because her performance
had suddenly declined. "I told him this nuanced story about getting over my
father's recent death, how my marriage was in trouble and I was having difficulty
coping with it all. And that basically my job was the least of my problems,
because I didn't really care much about it any more." The coach's response?
Carole sighs. "He
asked me what my passion was."
By Barbara Moses PhD, March 3, 2004
Hybrids Pick up Speed in the Race to Go Green
Since environmental issues have gained an active voice in legislation and policy-making,
cars became the synonymous evil to Global Warming. Governments around the globe
launched their own programs to decrease the amount of harmful emissions that
enter the environment by cars and other transport vehicles. It was Japan that
first launched studies into developing an alternative to the internal combustion
engine as an answer to Tokyo’s increasing air quality concerns. In 1997 Japan
was also home to the first mass produced electric petrol hybrid vehicle, the
Toyota Prius. Since then several of the world’s car giants have launched their
own hybrid cars. The issue for the consumer is this: can a fuel-efficient low
emissions vehicle also be cost efficient?
By Shelley Lightburn, February 18, 2004
[Information] Highway Robbery
The Internet is a modern day convenience that can make everyone’s life virtually
easier, but it can also be used to anyone’s advantage. For example, the same
technology that enables us to visit our bank from any personal computer is
also the technology that enables certain dubious individual’s to rob one. And,
the remote chance of these cybercriminals getting caught means that this form
of fraud risks becoming an epidemic, making all areas of identity theft, and
the resulting financial loss, an increasingly important security issue for
businesses worldwide.
By Jana Ritter, February 4, 2004
Getting
Credit When It's Due: Part 2
A growing number of applications tie together all the various
aspects of credit management and automatio processes, from initial
credit checks all the way through
re-verifying credit status when a customer reaches its credit limit. Within
seconds, a system can tap into a variety of sources, including
credit ratings from the
likes of TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, as well as Dunn & Bradstreet
reports. It can then determine whether a company should halt sales until a
customer pays
up or extend additional credit.
By Samuel Greengard, January 20, 2004
Getting
Credit When It's Due: Part 1
In the quest for greater market share and revenues, today’s companies leave no
stone unturned. Advertising and marketing executives conjure up crafty campaigns
to entice corporate decision makers. Salespeople mine leads and court potential
buyers with relentless zeal.
By Samuel Greengard, January 6, 2004
Coming in to 2004:
an economic overview
Despite all the talk of corporate downsizing, possible recession and
the economics of terrorism and war, a closer look at the state of our
economy has shown that we are better off than some might have us think.
By Esme Friesen, December 31, 2003
Going
Viral: Part 2 of 2
Make no mistake, a growing number of companies are discovering that a healthy
dose of viral marketing is just the cure for the advertising blues. Over the
last couple of years, The New York Times, for example, has used online games,
including “Chess” and a Scrabble-like word game called “Big Darn Word,” to generate
traffic to its Website. Once there, subscribers could also e-mail copies of articles
to colleagues and friends, and participate in any array of other activities,
including crossword puzzles and sports quizzes.
By Samuel Greengard, November 12, 2003
Going
Viral: Part 1 of 2
Amid all the glowing talk about how the Internet and e-mail have
changed the
world for the better, it’s a rare day that consumers aren’t pitched,
blitzed and cajoled beyond their breaking point. Megabytes of Spam flood inboxes.
Banner ads blot out Web pages. And mountains of junk mail buckle mailboxes from
Seattle to Saratoga. Everyone, it seems, is vying for our attention…and
hard earned cash.
By Samuel Greengard, November 4, 2003
Why your Salespeople hate trade shows...
How to make them love them! Part 2 of 2
"As the nirvana of the selling environment," says Britt Roberts, advertising
and trade show coordinator at Camco International, a Houston supplier of gas
and oil products. "Where else are customers coming to you to see your products?"
By Joe Mullich, October 21, 2003
Why your Salespeople hate trade shows...
How to make them love them! Part 1 of 2
As trade show consultant Steve Miller sees it, salespeople have two
views of staffing a booth at a trade show: Some think of it as
a vacation. Others consider
it a prison sentence. How would companies like their salespeople to regard
trade shows?
By Joe Mullich, October 7, 2003
Work flows downhill
Here's a thought... with the rise of the Internet and the ability to send information
in all it's many forms anywhere, at minimal cost, immediately... most white
collar work is now geographically ambivalent.
By Peter de Jager, September 16, 2003
Sales reps need not apply
A question that I am often asked at my seminar is “What will be the role of
the sales rep in the future?" A fair question given the abundance of technology,
sales automation and the growing popularity of e-commerce. My answer suggests
that the role of a sales professional will not disappear anytime soon but
the
code of conduct and responsibilities will certainly change.
By Tim Breithoupt, September 2, 2003
The role of the emerging Hispanic population:
Power in numbers
No one was surprised when the US Census Bureau announced at the beginning
of the year that Latinos had surpassed African Americans as the USA’s
largest minority. Just turn on the TV, tune in the radio, open a magazine,
read a newspaper, look out the window and it’s clear that Latinos –
or Hispanics – are influencing every part of American life. But, while
the numbers are massive, it must be asked if there is such a thing
as a Latino community. Does speaking a common language bind Spanish-speakers
from all corners of Central and South America into a cohesive community
in the United States?
By Jim Plouffe, August 26,
2003
The spinning wheel
There's no doubt about it, we're a mobile society. The ability to get from point
'A' to point 'B' as quickly, safely and conveniently as possible, is important
to us. A quick look around your community will confirm this observation: Planes
and trains, boats, gliders and parachutes, trucks, buses and cars, scooters,
bikes, roller blades, escalators and elevators. You get the general idea...
we like to move around.
By Peter de Jager, August 19, 2003
The truth that economists
forgot: we're human
The most effective attacks on conventional economics are launched by renegade
economists. Why? Because they know where the bodies are buried. Clive Hamilton,
director of the Canberra think-tank the Australia Institute, is a former econocrat
with a PhD in economics.
By Ross Gittens, August 6, 2003
The opportunity impaired
Here is a First Nations’saying which I find intriguing: You cannot
wake those who pretend to sleep. At first, it brings to mind memories of
children pretending to sleep while you tried to get their attention so you could
send them off to bed. Their eyes clinched tighter and their snores became more
insistent. An amusing memory if you were not too obsessive about bundling them
off to bed.
By Peter de Jager, July 22, 2003
The customer is always right
All businesses, small, medium and large, at some point hit the problem of determining
if their customer service is working while trying to attract more customers.
Advertising is costly and easily saturated, and there is not always the budget
for extravagant marketing campaigns to build brand awareness and loyalty.
As well, auditing employee performance is costly if outsourced and is rarely
done properly internally. So what’s a company to do?
By Jim Plouffe, July 1, 2003
Rot spreads from
the top
I am a CEO. I work hard, stay in moderate priced hotels on business trips, have
my income linked to the organizational profitability - meaning it goes up and
it also goes down along with the fortunes of the organization, spend long hours
reading and learning and can only describe the occupation as a lifestyle, not
as a job.
By Peter Meingast, June 24, 2003
Engaging your employees is a must for shareholder
value
Success is a great motivator and a powerful tool to spur
employees on to produce even better results. It provides
an affirmation of their value and improves their career
prospects. But in today’s economic climate, success seems
to be the exception and not the norm.
By Watson Wyatt, June 3, 2003
Turning over CDs
Several years ago, I made the transition from black plastic records
to shiny plastic CDs. The sound quality is better and despite the price
increase, I'm satisfied with the value and the convenience. Yet, from
time to time, years after the transition from wax ruts to laser pits,
when a CD finishes playing, I'll get up from my desk and turn over the
CD.
By Peter de Jager, May 27, 2003
Feeling Lucky?
Well it happens to all of us at some time or another. We feel strongly
about our position, our legal counsel advises us, then the Judge…well
the Judge disagrees.
By Peter Meingast, May 13, 2003
Profitable Airlines Say…
We spoke with JetBlue: Southwest Airlines: Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue
and WestJet. We list their response by alphabetical ranking on each
issue.
By Peter Meingast, April 22, 2003
Succession planning: a tool for success
Expected or not, leadership succession is inevitable for any surviving
business but successful succession is a reality that must be planned.
An increasingly important factor in this ever-changing economy is the
imminent retirement of an entire generation of leaders. Consequently,
succession planning is becoming an increasingly distinct strategic imperative.
By Jana Ritter, April 15, 2003
The Goose Story
Next fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along
in 'V formation, think about what science has learned about why they
fly that way.
Author Unknown, April 15, 2003
Up, Up, And A…
Set aside for the moment the Iraq war and go back to the real issues
behind the problems some airlines are facing. Those problems are self-inflicted
and like most self-inflicted problems, embarrass the top brass, thus
necessitating the mythology of external nasty forces causing all the
woes. When many airlines are in trouble, and have been in trouble for
years, it is hardly sporting to blame the war as the cause of the demise.
By Peter Meingast, April 8, 2003
New Research Points to "What Works" When
Pursuing Organizational Change
The truth of the statement "Nothing endures but change" endures
unchanged some 2,500 years after the Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared
it. Today, many organizations are attempting to harness change to their
advantage and avoid being buffeted by a turbulent, hyper-competitive
economy and rapid technological evolution.
By Watson Wyatt, April 8, 2003
Buyer Beware: Uncovering Undercover Advertising
In this age of skeptical consumerism, traditional advertising vehicles
are facing roadblocks that have many companies seeking innovative, if
not extreme, alternatives. While a more sophisticated and discerning
breed of consumers has inspired innovative approaches to slipping past
consumer radar, it has also resulted in undercover marketing operations
that are avoiding detection altogether.
By Jana Ritter, March 18, 2003
Good etiquette makes for good business
Have you mastered the nuances of business etiquette - the subtle but
critical behaviors that can make important meetings, influence first
impressions, or impress potential clients?
By Carole Kanchier, March 4, 2003
Another fine mess, Stanley!
What is the world coming to? Nothing really, it is as it always was..
By Peter Meingast, February 25, 2003
A Corporate Affair: Ruling Love
Out Of Business
Be it love at first sight in the elevator, a growing affection between
cubicle neighbors or a Christmas party fling, the workplace can be a
rendezvous for romance. Appropriate or not, it's difficult to prevent
the chemistry of human attraction. While most companies have accepted
that even good ventilation won't remove the love in office air, employers
are best advised to warn love-struck workers that mixing business with
pleasure can be a dangerous endeavor.
by Jana Ritter, February 11, 2003
Trade can brush in a new border
The most important policy issue facing Canadian's today is our relationship
with the United States. Washington has assumed a changed, newly assertive
role in the world. Whatever they might think about that role, Canadian's
should expect Ottawa to take the lead in managing this swiftly changing
relationship because it is critical to our future.
by Wendy Dobson, February 4, 2003
Kyoto: You and Me
I am reminded of the old Far Side cartoon, in which some dinosaurs are
standing around smoking, bearing the caption "The real reason dinosaurs
are extinct."
Funny? Yes. True? Symbolically, yes.
By Peter Meingast, January 27, 2003
Politics of Oil
The modern era of oil production began on August 27, 1859, when Edwin
L. Drake drilled the first successful oil well 69 feet deep near Titusville
in northwestern Pennsylvania. Just five years earlier, the invention
of the kerosene lamp had ignited intense demand for oil. By drilling
an oil well, Drake had hoped to meet the growing demand for oil for
lighting and industrial lubrication.
By Steven Mintz, January 21, 2003
Alberta's potential Kyoto bonanza
I learned some of life's most important lessons in the Canadian oil
patch.
by Thomas Homer-Dixon, December 24, 2002
Power-Writing
for the Web: 10 Golden Rules
What's the most common thing visitors do on your web site? Okay, so
some of you might offer more...uh ... visual adult entertainment.
But for the majority of us, our visitors come to our sites seeking
information. Simply, most come to do one thing: read.
by Ann Handley, November 26, 2002
Emerging Greenhouse Gas Market
Emissions trading has become the "policy of choice" for addressing
climate change, according to a new report from the Pew Center on Global
Climate Change that documents the emergence of a market for greenhouse
gas emissions.
by Katie Mandes, November 13, 2002
Presumed guilt puts taxpayers
in legal and financial bind
Do Canadians enjoy taxation more than other nationalities? Probably
not, but we acquiesce to oppressive procedures in tax law, most notably
the presumption of guilt.
by Vern Krishna, November 5, 2002
Economic Globalization: Merging roads
to universal prosperity
Promoted as the path to widespread prosperity and protested as the course
of human disparity, globalization has become the controversial term
of our era. Defined as the process by which corporations and institutions
operate on a global scale, the effects of economic globalization continue
to verify both positions. But if this trend is evolving into an inevitable
reality, a unified direction may be the only way to global success.
by Jana Ritter, October 8, 2002
How to do an E-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletters are one of the most popular vehicles for connecting
with your target audiences, attracting visitors to your website, and
ultimately enticing more people to do business with you. Like the corporate
website itself, the e-newsletter is becoming a staple of e-marketing.
by Joanna Piros & Bruce Rozenhart October
1, 2002
Brave New Economics
Hold all the Earth Summits you want, we'll never achieve sustainable
development without developing new economics that value natural capital
by David J. McGuinty September 24, 2002
The sooner we grasp the labour shortage
issue, the better.
It was encouraging to learn in a report by the Canadian Labour and
Business Centre that there is no longer a debate about whether Canada
will be
facing a skills shortage in the foreseeable future
by Dr. David E. Bond.
September 10, 2002
Cubed: Life in a goldfish bowl
Cubicle life can easily cause tension and strife in the office. Facing
the prospective hell of sitting next to an unseen individual with
the
laugh of a slightly nervous hyena, or the assault on your nostrils
from the overpowering onion/curry/sausage aroma of your neighbour's
hot lunch,
how do you get through the days, weeks, months, and years?
by Mario
Cacciottolo. August 13th, 2002
Asian Business Roundup
Headlines: Samsung leads brand value growth, Cathay wants China routes, The Big Mac tumbles in Japan, China telecom hopes to float in sinking industry, Nike reduces Indonesian production.
by Jim Plouffe. August 13th, 2002
East and West: Strategic management
'We' vs. 'Me'. Your business, be it local or global, can achieve dramatically
increased productivity and an improved workplace atmosphere through the creation
of a management strategy that combines the best aspects of eastern and western
culture.
August 6th, 2002
Continuing Education
Forty years ago, it was said that the store of human knowledge would double within our lifetime. In fact, it is now doubling every two years. This is a daunting fact—no one can know it all—and many of us cannot access much of it. It is almost all potentially accessible; one must educate oneself on the basics, and determine how, what, where and why they want access.
July 16th, 2002
Setting up for Success... in Human Resources - Part 2
Part two of two. Our contributing writer and associate, Bathyah Charikar, brings her years of experience in Human Resources into a helpful article on the challenges of setting up an HR function, as well as tips on success for planning and maintaining a strong infrastructure.
July 16th, 2002
Setting up for Success... in Human Resources - Part 1
Part one of two. Our contributing writer and associate, Bathyah Charikar, brings her years of experience in Human Resources into a helpful article on the challenges of setting up an HR function, as well as tips on success for planning and maintaining a strong infrastructure.
July 9th, 2002
Top 10 dot cons
Can you avoid being caught by a scam artist working the web? Not always, but prudence pays. Here are the
top 10 dot cons as determined by consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission of the US.
July 2nd, 2002
The suit is history
The advent of the dot-com age with its slew of startup companies heralded
a new dress code: Casual Fridays became Casual Every Day. It seemed
that the suit, an enduring tradition and symbol of professionalism
for centuries, had hit the end of the road. However, rumors of its
death have been greatly exaggerated.
June 18th, 2002
Just-in-time hiring
There are many unforeseen circumstances that may arise in the normal
course of business that can affect your team's productivity or achievement
of company goals. Find out how to augment permanent staff with temporary
staff to increase productivity and workflow.
June 11th, 2002
Checking up on post-secondary e-learning institutions
In 1834, the University of London became the first higher learning institution to offer degrees without classroom attendance requirements. Today, with the expansion of the Internet and advancement in technology, greater options in distance learning have evolved. New technology makes online learning flexible, versatile, and in some ways more effective than traditional methods.
Creating a "Sick
Free" Work Environment
With corporate restructuring becoming widespread, you may find yourself
faced with the difficult challenge of having to manage shrinking departments
and increased employee workloads. The result is that employee attendance
becomes more crucial to the function of business operations. A key strategy
for reducing sickness related absences is to implement proactive responses.
Following are suggestions and strategies to help you overcome this increasingly
common problem.
Special Feature:
Commonly used keyboard shortcuts
Knowing a few keyboard shortcuts is invaluable if your mouse suddenly
becomes inoperable. They will save you time and could reduce your risk
of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Loonie loyalty has its
rewards
Canada's dollar is not as weak as it seems. So don't worry, be happy,
go shopping, says labour economist Jim Stanford.
Human Resources:
Employee Assistance Programs
Can we really "leave it" at the office or at home? Most probably not,
so when an employee is experiencing problems, chances are some of "it"
will translate into low work performance or absenteeism.
Employee Satisfaction
Relieves Stress
It seems like everything about life has accelerated. Personally and professionally,
it's getting harder and harder to slow down enough to catch one's breath.
With everyone feeling more pressure, it's clear that stress is affecting
the bottom line of every business across the globe, costing an estimated
$8 billion annually in Canada alone.
The 20 Activities The
Top 2% of Sales Performers Do – and Do Well
Those individuals wanting and needing to be in the top 2% take charge
of their own destiny. What do they do? Read on.
Special: The 'Scary Times' Success
Manual
Transforming current anxieties and fears into strategic growth,
progress, and achievement.
Barrelling over the falls
The Great Technology Bear Market has shocked millions of investors and
pushed the global economy towards recession. To veteran market observers,
this is just the most recent example of the most dreaded of all financial
events, the Triple Waterfall.
Banner ads not reaching market
Bad news is out for online advertisers. Recent figures estimate that more
than 99 percent of all banner ads don't get clicked. eMarketer also say
that the percentage of Web users who never look at banners rose to 49
percent from 39 percent last year.
One for all, and all for golf
In the not too distant past, golf was
a game reserved for the mostly rich, mostly white and mostly male.
The retreat of the blob
After decades of dumping and
fingerpointing, Thunder Bay is winning back its harbour by turning 13,000
cubic metres of creosote muck into useful wetlands.
Tailor made for casual wear
Events of the last few weeks are
suggesting changes around the office as it appears men in suits are
disappearing. Lindsay Wood investigates.
Beyond the oxymoron: can business
ethics pay?
Ethics is primarily
concerned with what we ought to do. Trust is a pervasive element of social
functioning. Trust is also largely independent of notions of contract.
Cicero focuses upon this very practical question of what we ought to do
when what is right and what is advantageous or profitable conflict with
each other.
Call centre spending increasing
The call centre is set to become
even more ubiquitous in Britain, despite the fact that studies show over
two percent of the UK's (and indeed Europe's) population are already
employed in the call centre industry.
Downsizing is bad for business
A research paper, published recently in the
influential Journal of the Royal Economic Society, will finally downsize
downsizing.
Charities work for disabled workers
Charity, so the proverb goes, begins
at home. But in the case of organisations like Goodwill Industries and The
Galt Foundation, it seems to have spread much further than the doorsteps
of benevolent citizens.
Choosing a Charity
Choosing a charity or a cause to donate to is a very
rewarding experience. Once you have decided where your interests lay -
cancer research, youth advancement, academic study - the list is endless,
then the easiest thing to do is write a cheque.
Women with their modems running
There are no celebrity endorsers at
digital-women.com. Nor are you likely to trip over any media moguls or
conglomerates on your way in. Yet despite this fact, digital-women.com is
one of the most highly regarded women's sites on the Internet today.
Developing warehouses to meet
e-commerce orders
In 1996, companies raced
to launch websites. In 1997, the challenge was to keep them up and
running. In 1998, online transactions became the new thing. In 1999, the
overwhelming hurdle was in on-time order fulfillment. The reality of
virtual reality is in bricks and mortar.
Endowment brings empowerment
"Endowment is crucial to becoming a premier
institution of higher education." So says Alan G. Merten, President of
George Mason University. The last decade was certainly a profitable era
for university endowments, thanks to investments made in a stable economic
climate. Colleges and universities currently possess in excess of $150
billion in endowment assets.
Alliances "falling short"
Companies are joining forces like never
before, but most corporate alliances fail to accomplish their goals, a new
study shows. The study, which involved a survey of 323 senior executives
from around the world and interviews with another 400, found that 61
percent of alliances deliver disappointing results or fail altogether.
Giving on Internet Time
"An income of $50,000 per annum! By this time
two years I can so arrange all my business so as to secure at least
$50,000 per year. Beyond this never earn-make no effort to increase
fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes." -Andrew
Carnegie, writing in his diary
Home-working has its challenges
Telecommuting, or home-working, sounds
ideal. But is life without commuting as good as it sounds? Lindsay Wood
looks into the stresses involved with working from the home office.
Internet calls can be costly
Ryan Faulks thought his family would save a
little money by signing up for free Internet access. He was wrong.
"Cyber-venting" on the Internet
"Hey! Whiny bosses! ... if you want your entry
deleted, you must allow 48 hours AND fill out this form ... Thank You, The
Gang at MYBOSSSUCKS.COM."
Investing
for women on the Net
The New York Times, in 1995, reported a
National Association of Investors Corp. (NAIC) study that found, since
1980, all-women clubs have earned higher returns than all-men clubs. And
the number of women-only clubs has continued to grow.
Loves
labours lost through stress
Workplace wellness in the
21st century is a serious issue. Today's employees face
unprecedented challenges to their well-being, and employers who want to
boost the bottom line must act to tackle negative forces such as workplace
stress.
Managing
your credit
Credit scores can be the scarlet letter or golden
halo that follows you around from the day you get a credit card to the day
you send in your last mortgage payment, largely because these scores
affect an overwhelming number of today's lending decisions.
The
Moo Moo Thing
Plowing the land and surfing the Internet,
today's farmers are going global. Lindsay Wood reports
Small
Investors Boost Online Trading
Perhaps the most striking
feature of these 10 years of astounding stock market performance was the
emergence of the small investor.
Regional
accents can hurt job opportunities
Does how you talk hold you
back at work? Or prevent job seekers' from getting work? Can someone's
accent even affect the type of job they get? Lindsay Wood investigates.
Some
buildings could be hazardous to your health
A World Health
Organization report suggests that as many as 30 percent of new and
remodeled buildings worldwide may generate excessive complaints related to
indoor air quality. In a nationwide random sampling of office workers, 24
percent perceived air quality problems in their work environments, and 20
percent believed that their work performance was hampered accordingly.
Open
your eyes before you close a sale
Type 'auction' into your
search engine and stand back. There is a whole plethora of sites where
you'll find anything from antiques to professional cleaning services
available to the highest bidder. Some sites are highly specific, such as
Yahoo's archery auction site to be found within www.auctions.yahoo.com,
and www.ccbid.com which caters for the global Christian community.
Poor
people? Surely not here?
College campuses' have been the voices
of many political movements, such as civil rights, the Vietnam War, and
the anti-apartheid protests. While these protests were known for their
volume the newest concern, sweatshop labor, is gaining ground among
college students.
TV-style
commercials pop-up on the web
You might not have ever heard of
interstitials. They account for only about three percent of U.S. Internet
ad revenue, far behind banner ads' 58 percent, according to International
Data Corp. But advertisers are looking for more effective ways to get
their messages across.
Investing
your money with your heart
Social investing is one of the most
powerful emerging trends in society today. Actually its more than a trend,
its a wave which may one day deposit us on the shore of a better future.
"Social investing" describes the integration of personal values and
societal concerns into investment decision making.
Old
PCs toxic in landfill sites
Landfill and incinerator facilities
are often the final resting-place for electronic waste. Computers, cell
phones, electronic games, television sets - are piling up with increasing
rapidity, ready to be burned or buried. But are you aware that these
leftover gadgets are loaded with toxins that can leak into the groundwater
or produce carcinogens and toxins?
Exposing
the limits of thinkable thought
In societies that like to call
themselves open and free, liberty is usually defined in contrasting terms.
State propaganda and indoctrination, for example, are said to be exclusive
characteristics of unfree or totalitarian states at both ends of the
ideological spectrum.
Thirtysomething
women take the lead
Forget the boardroom boys and macho
managers, Lindsay Wood looks at research that reveals young women
supervisors are the best bosses.
Stock
Screeners: finding the next hot stock
Investing, like most
other things, requires that you have a general philosophy about how to do
things in order to avoid careless errors. Many quantitative analysts use
"screens" to select their investments, meaning that they use a number of
quantitative criteria and examine only the companies that meet these
criteria.
Workplace
childcare centers increasing in numbers
Great news for working
parents. On-site, corporate-sponsored childcare - once thought of by
employers as an expensive liability -- is on the increase.
Virtual
votes may lead to increase in count
The stage has been set for
the 2000 elections. Television programs are interspersed with ads by
candidates, debates are being scheduled and placards and bumper stickers
adorn front yards and cars.
Vouchers
let workers choose
Frustrated with managed care and concerned
over pending health care legislation, U.S. companies are interested in a
new approach to delivering health care.
The
way of a will
One of the main difficulties with creating a
will is facing up to your own mortality. Planning who inherits what from
your estate can be awkward enough, but imagining life for your family
without you can be enough to make people put off the will-making process.
This, however, can lead to many problems in the event of a death.
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