On this episode, we’re doing something a bit different. Peter Fleming (Professor, Management, UTS Business) recently wrote an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Peter asks- Are corporations using CSR to take over social services formerly provided by governments? Nicole and Peter explore the origins of CSR in the 60’s and 70’s, the critique by Economist Milton Friedman in the 80’s and CSR's return to popularity after the global financial crisis. P...
Sep 18, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 42
On this episode, we’re looking at sustainable finance, the idea that investors might not just want to maximise their financial returns, but also invest with an eye towards environmental and social issues. To help us understand this world, we are joined by Deb Cotton, Senior Lecturer in Finance at the UTS Business School. Plus, we speak with Mark McVeigh, who decided to sue his superannuation fund over a lack of information around their climate impact. Further Reading: To learn more about impact ...
Sep 03, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 41
On this episode of Think Business Futures, Nicole and David spoke with Professor Lionel Page about over rewarding luck in business, law and on the sporting field. Later in the show, Darren O'Shaughnessy explains how data is used for useful decision making and for propaganda in the AFL. Further Reading: You can read more of Lionel’s work on the UTS website or on Twitter. Darren O'Shaughnessy is a sports analyst for St Kilda Football Club. He can be found crunching and analysing the numbers on Twi...
Aug 28, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Cheating isn’t a new phenomenon. By the time you’ve reached university, it’s likely you’ve been told what is considered cheating and what isn’t. Writing the answers to your exam on your arm-that’s cheating. Looking over classmate’s shoulder to see their answers- cheating. And of course- paying someone to take an exam or write a paper for you- that’s obviously cheating. Right? On this episode, We speak with Amanda White, Senior Lecturer in accounting at the UTS Business School, about her solution...
Aug 19, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 39
On this episode, we’re looking at collective aggregation and the appeal for each of us to make small contributions to grand collective outcomes. Consumer Psychologist, Adrian Camilleri joins us to explain how this strategy works from a marketing perspective. Plus, we speak to Andy Ridley, Co-Founder of Earth Hour, about the power of symbolism in aggregate action. Further Reading: Watch the Earth Hour 2007 ad here. For more information on Adrian’s research visit his website or the UTS website. An...
Jul 11, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 38
On this episode of Think Business Futures, we took a look at the business behind academic publishing. We examine the production side, by speaking with Ros Attenborough, an early career researcher at the University of Edinburgh. Then, David speaks with a consumer- in this case, Belinda Tiffen at the UTS Library. Finally, our producer, Jason, speaks with Ginny Barbour, Director of the Australasian Open Access Strategy Group about the vision for open access in the academic world. Further reading: F...
Jun 26, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In the lead up to the recent Australian federal election, David and Nicole interviewed social researcher Rebecca Huntley and senior lecturer in economics, Jingjing Zhang. The information was in and the polls had led to predictions of the outcome. As we all now know, the outcome of the election was a surprise to everyone, particularly the major parties. In light of the shock results, the team went back into the studio to go back to the theory in light of the information and unpick what happened. ...
Jun 15, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 36
With the help of the internet, social media platforms and smartphones, we have seen the emergence of a new breed of celebrities - so-called ‘influencers’. Who are these people and how do they differ from more typical celebrities such as pop stars or athletes? On this episode, we’re looking at celebrity capital. On this episode, we’re looking at celebrity capital with Francois Carrillat, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Technology Sydney. Plus, we find out how the business of...
Jun 03, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 35
On this episode, we’re talking about death. Specifically, we take a look at end-of-life care in Australia from an individual and societal view. Distinguished Professor Jane Hall from the University of Technology Sydney discusses how health economics and individual choice together can improve the way we do end-of-life care. Plus, Nicole speaks with a palliative care nurse about how to plan for the final stages of life. Further Reading: If you’d like to share your care experiences participate in p...
Apr 09, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Every year, journalists from around the country are locked into a room in Canberra with the task of making sense of the government's proposed federal budget. The coverage usually falls along the lines of winners and losers. But how does something as massive as a country’s budget get made? On this episode, we speak with Matt Flavel from the Department of the Treasury to find out how something so big and complex gets made. The answer- lots of takeaways and a usb sent to the printer. Further Readin...
Apr 01, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 31
A hundred years, ago most businesses counted their value in solid objects like ships, buildings, pipelines and heavy machinery. But in the 21st century, the value of a company is much more likely to reside in the immaterial world…..Welcome to the world of The Intangibles! On this episode, David and Nicole speak to Distinguished Professor Stephen Taylor from the UTS Business School Accounting Discipline the rift in the accounting world due to the calculation of intangible assets. Plus, Paola Nora...
Mar 25, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Women’s professional sport has quickly developed in Australia over the past few years. Historically, there have been far fewer women’s professional sport leagues with enough sponsorship to pay athletes full time. This started to change beginning with netball, basketball and rugby and now Australian rules football (AFLW). The meteoric rise of the AFLW, it's become clear that the time has finally come for women’s professional sport. But there are still fundamental equity issues around sponsorship,...
Mar 18, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 29
During our lifetimes, we all make healthcare decisions. Do you go to the doctor to get something checked out, or wait for it to get better? In Australia, you may choose between Medicare and private health insurance. These healthcare decisions are made on a personal level by weighing the costs and benefits. So how are these decisions made? How do you measure the value of healthcare? Fundamentally, how do you put a dollar figure on a life? On this episode, we’re speaking with Richard De Abreu Lour...
Dec 18, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 28
On this episode, we dive further into our collaboration with History Lab on the first deposit into Australia’s oldest bank by asking- Why do we trust banks? We speak with Harry Scheule, Professor of finance, about how and why banks operate on trust and how that has changed since the Royal Commission into banking. Harry is a member of the Retail Banking Council of FINSIA and occasional advisor to the financial service industry including banks, banking regulators and government. Further Reading: M...
Dec 14, 2018•26 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Money has been described as one of the most important systems of trust that humans have created to date. Whether you pay in cold, hard cash or with the tap of a credit card, you use it every day. But have you ever wondered, what is money? This episode of largely based on an investigation for another podcast called History Lab. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, we highly recommend you go listen to that first. The Bank, the Sergeant and his Bonus should be listed as the previous episode ...
Dec 04, 2018•24 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In 1817, the Bank of New South Wales opened as the first financial institution in the Australian colonies. But when the first customers arrived for the grand opening, they found someone had already made a deposit. Where did the money come from? Our producers, Jason and Nicole, follow the record trail and discover the uncertain foundations of Australia’s first bank. This episode is a collaboration between the UTS Business School, The Australian Centre for Public History and 2ser Radio in Sydney. ...
Nov 27, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 25
What is it like inside the mind of a designer? How can they see what makes a good design? Is it a particular shape, a feeling, an experience or process? On this episode of Think: Business Futures, we speak with Casey Hyun about how to think like a designer. Casey is responsible for the iconic Hyundai Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy. Plus, David and Nicole were also joined by Jochen Schweitzer, Associate Professor and Director Entrepreneurship at the UTS Business School, to tell us about what...
Nov 18, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 24
As part of Indigenous Business Month in October, the UTS Business School and Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, hosted a panel event called UTS Women Mean Business. The panel featured three Indigenous business women who discussed and reflected on their experiences working in and founding their own commercial organisations. On this episode, we drop in on the panel discussion to hear about Indigenous women’s experiences in the business world. Plus, David and Nicole are joine...
Nov 04, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 23
On this episode, we’ve crowd-sourced economics questions from friends, family and our listeners on Facebook and Twitter. A few of the toughest questions come from a few high school students studying for their Higher School Certificate (HSC). Renowned Economist, Warren Hogan answers these questions and shares his insight into the economic forces that affect us from day to day. Further Reading: More information on Warren Hogan’s career at the Australian Government Treasury, NSW Government, Westpac...
Oct 16, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Most of us would be hard pressed getting through a day without interacting with at least one platform business: Airbnb, Uber, eBay, Amazon, Kindle, Google. But do we really understand how these businesses work? How do they make money? How do they differ from conventional ways of doing business? And what wider implications does the rise of platforms have for our economy and society? On this episode of Think Business Futures, David and Nicole look at the theory and practicalities of platform busin...
Sep 25, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Is making better choices making you unhappy? Homo Economicus, or ‘economic man,’ is someone who always makes the most rational financial decisions based on self interest. This idea forms the basis of many theories about how we consume. If we always make the most rational decision, then having more options to choose from will allow us to maximise our decision in order to achieve the best outcome. But what if we don’t behave like homo economicus and prefer to choose the option that is ‘good enough...
Sep 03, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In the commercial context, research and development, or R&D, is a strategic choice made by a business in the pursuit of competitive advantage. But what does this for governments funded R&D? Should society expect an immediate return on investment in the same way? On this episode of Think Business Futures, we turn the tables on our co-host Nicole Sutton, to ask why a society would choose to fund R&D with taxpayer money. Further Reading: You can read more about the CSIRO’s early history...
Aug 23, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 19
How would the finance industry and society as a whole benefit from a stronger ethical framework? After the fallout from the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, many people would say that ethics and finance are an oxymoron. On this episode, we speak to Gerhard Hambusch, Senior Lecturer in finance at the University of Technology Sydney, about teaching ethics to finance students. Gerhard believes the finance industry can work to instill a public trust in the fairness of markets through ethical training a...
Aug 03, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 18
On this episode, we speak to Peter Siminski, professor of economics at the University of Technology Sydney, about income mobility in Australia. Plus, Nicole speaks to former New South Wales Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr about the importance of equality of opportunities in Australia Further Reading: Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey Bob Carr’s new book Run For Your Life is available in bookstores now. All proceeds go to UNHCR to children displaced b...
Jul 17, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 17
With obesity on the rise in many western countries, researchers have tried to understand why we’re overeating. Despite the large volume of research, there seems to be no simple solution. On this episode, we speak to Natalina Zlatevska, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Technology Sydney, about how plate and portion sizes affect the amount we eat. Further Reading: For more information on Natalina’s research, visit her website The Small Plate Movement is an initiative to encourage ...
Jul 02, 2018•35 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In Australia, each year we take in approximately 14,000 refugees under our current humanitarian program, most of whom come from Iraq, Syria, Burma and Afghanistan. At first glance, these new arrivals appear to be the most unlikely of entrepreneurs. And yet, these people create more business income than any other category of migrant. On this episode of Think: Business Futures, Jock Collins joins Nicole Sutton to discuss the impact refugee entrepreneurs have on the Australian economy. Plus, David ...
Jun 19, 2018•29 min•Season 1Ep. 15
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was once seen as The Man In the Grey Flannel Suit, stuffy, stressed and serious. But something changed in the latter part of the 20th century, giving way to a cultural and political veneration of the modern CEO. On this episode, we speak to Carl Rhodes (@ProfCarlRhodes), professor of organisational studies at the University of Technology Sydney, about how corporate has become the model for transforming all spheres of life. Further Reading: CEO Society- Carl Rho...
Jun 08, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 14
On this episode of Think Business Futures, Nicole and David speak to Dr. Geetanjali Saluja, about her research into moral decision making. Plus, we track down Adam Ferrier, co-founder of Naked Communications and Thinkerbell to tell us how moral decision making plays out in the marketing world.
May 31, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 13
On budget night, the Treasurer announced the government’s vision for the economy. His speech contained vague phrases and euphemisms, tailored for a broader audience. On this episode, we pick this speech apart and get behind some of those pesky budget buzzwords.
May 17, 2018•11 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Professor Danielle Logue, Associate Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management at UTS Business School Dr Krithika Randhawa, Lecturer, Management Discipline Group at UTS Business School Producers: Jess Klajma, Annastasia Annastasia.Diaczok, Tim Wang
May 15, 2018•11 min•Season 1Ep. 11
