Management Blog

Exercise equates to productivity: study

A Bristol University research project suggests pre-work exercise or lunchtime workouts result in a more productive, happier and less stressed workforce, The Daily Mail reports.

The study found 21 per cent of exercising workers enjoyed better concentration rates, 25 per cent had less unscheduled breaks and 22 per cent finished more of their work on time.

The study authors say their findings prove employers should be doing all they can to encourage a fit workforce and to provide exercise opportunities at work.

It's possible studies like this may encourage the adoption of workplace exercise equipment such as desk treadmills, which allow people to use computers while they burn calories.

Job hunting 'acers' win the day

The power of positive thinking may be the key to job hunting success during the global economic crisis, a new study reveals.

The Guardian newspaper and Barkers recruitment agency survey indicates positive thinking, pro-activity and decisiveness can all help job seekers find a new position within a four month period.

Other characteristics of successful job seekers - who are categorised by the survey as 'acers' - include registering for job alerts, using job sites and tapping into their network of family and friends.

In addition, 'acers' are 50 per cent more likely to forward speculative applications to possible employers and will send out up to eight job applications a month until they find a job.

The perils and promise of workplace dressing

A British survey claims almost 30 per cent of female workers would wear a risqué outfit to get ahead at work, but Australian women are cut from a different cloth a local fashion consultant claims.

Speaking to news.com.au, Serena Beirne of Australian Fashion Partners says most Australian women would consider provocative dressing to be an 'enormous compromise of principles'.

Beirne says different rules can apply to particular sectors with some professions, such as accounting and hotel management, offering little room to deviate from a corporate look.

Despite this, there can be little doubt that causal dressing is on the rise. To help professionals find the right look for casual days b-net offers the following words of advice:

• Focus on details - casual doesn't mean sloppy, always stay neat and smart
• Dress one step up - go for a business causal look rather than a weekend casual approach
• Mix it up - don't go too trendy, blend classic pieces with contemporary styles
• Role models - find a look that works for you by studying fashion magazines and make it happen with the work of sales assistants

To Twit or not to Twit?

In the tradition of new media tools like Facebook, YouTube and Google, the microblogging application Twitter has gone from being an esoteric geeks' toy to the 'next big thing' pretty much overnight.

In a nutshell, Twitter consists of individual social media users (as well as a number of brands and organisations) all answering the question 'what are you doing now?' by publishing online status updates of less than 140 words.

These mini-messages are then read and often commented on by other social media users who have decided to 'follow' a Twitterer via the Twitter website or by SMS updates. (A video of how Twitter works can be found here.)

This might all sound like a bit of a yawn to the uninitiated but Twitter's explosive growth speaks for itself. According to The Times, Twitter has attracted 1.2 million active users since its 2007 launch and currently publishes over 2.25 million tweets (Twitter messages) every day.

Obamabilia grips the US

In an unadulterated case of bandwagon marketing, several high profile brands have chosen to link themselves to 44th US President Barack Obama, BusinessWeek reports.

Here are just a few companies that have released celebratory products to celebrate Obama's historic inauguration:

• Marvel Comics has placed Obama on an Inauguration Day edition of 'The Amazing Spider Man'
• Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has renamed their butter pecan favour to 'Yes Pecan' in a nod to Obama's 'Yes, We Can' slogan
• Ikea has launched a website that allows users to decorate the Oval Office with Swedish furniture
• Kona Joe Coffee has created a coffee blend consisting of beans from Hawaii, Kenya and Indonesia to reflect Obama's cultural heritage

Is this a case of 'only in America'?

It's certainly hard to imagine Australian brands going out of their way to associate themselves with our politicians.

US women executives often earning more

Once they manage to break though the glass ceiling, top American female executives often earn more than their male counterparts, a recent study has found.

management-issues says the Tepper School of Business study indicates female managers earn around US$100,000 more than men the same age with the same education and experience.

But the study suggests women still have a difficult time breaking through the glass ceiling in the first place with researchers claiming just 5 per cent of US executives are women.

This situation has raised alarm bells for many executives who argue that greater female input may have helped the world avoid the current global economic crisis.

A study of business executives late last year by the Aziz Corporation claims the macho culture within the financial services sector is to blame for the world's economic woes.

Nearly 50 per cent of respondents said some of the sector's dangerous excesses could have been avoided if more women were placed in senior positions.

Retailers return to lay-by

It may seem like a seriously out-dated notion but lay-by is set to make a comeback as a result of the global economic crisis, the Financial Times reports.

Known as layaway in the US, the arrangement in which an item is set aside and paid off in instalments has recently been ignored by retailers thanks to the rise of easy credit.

But as the credit crunch continues to bite, major US retailers like Sears department stores and Kmart claim their lay-by services have proved a hit with customers.

US clothing retailer Buckle says it outperformed the rest of the retail sector in November and December last year after promoting its lay-by service in online advertising.

German IT grads taught social skills

Germany's Potsdam University has introduced a masters degree course for IT engineers that includes lessons on social skills, ITnews reports.

While the course predominantly covers computer programming, it also hopes to teach IT types how to better communicate with non-technical workers as well as ways to improve their social lives.

Professional social skill topics include reading body language, stress management and presentation skills.

To bolster their social lives outside of work, students will be shown how to impress people at parties, send flirty text messages and handle rejection.

According to the article over 400 students have already enrolled in the course.

Buzzword watch: 'co-preneurs'

More women in the workforce, falling technology prices and an increase in corporate retrenchments are all resulting in the rise of 'co-preneurs', or couple entrepreneurs.

Another factor luring couples into jointly run businesses is the ability to have a more family-friendly lifestyle, Time reports. But just how easy is it to balance a personal and business relationship?

Jean Charles, author of Couplepreneurs: Prosperity Through Partnership, says couples can make it happen by ensuring clearly articulated guidelines are in place from the outset. These include:

• A shared vision of your ideal business and relationship
• A high degree of respect for each other's principles and beliefs
• A good system of communicating with each other
• Agreement on financial risk 
• The ability to recognise and capitalise on each other's strengths
• A gift for presenting a united front to clients, suppliers and staff
• A desire to put the relationship before the business

Our entrepreneurial spirit rates well globally

A new survey suggests nearly 50 per cent of our entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future, The Australian reports.

The 2009 Grant Thornton International Business Report ranked Australia as the 10th most optimistic country with 46 per cent of privately held business feeling positive about the local economy.

India topped the list with 83 per cent of its entrepreneurs feeling optimistic about their economy, quite a feat when you consider the global optimism average was -16 per cent.

The US was ranked 22nd in the listing while Japan was named the least optimistic nation in the 36-country study.

According to article, 80 per cent of Australians entrepreneurs are confident their turnover will increase or remain stable in 2009, and 39 per cent planned to invest in plants and machinery this year.