Think: Business Futures

Amid a perpetual rise in interest rates, the NSW Government have announced their First Home Buyer Choice scheme. A reform to stamp duty which gives first home buyers the option to opt out of stamp duty - and into an annual tax. This episode, we explore stamp duty as an impediment to property purchasing, and how the NSW government’s policy might affect housing affordability.  Guests: Harry Scheule...

What will Australia look like in 2030? Rocky Scopelliti is a futurologist, an author, a speaker and a researcher of the confluence of demographics and technological change. He joins the show this week to talk about the major trends that will affect the trajectory of Australia as we move into the next decade.

Contract brewing is having your brand's beer made by a third party, at a facility often far from the stated home of your label. This episode we discuss the opportunity contract provides industry up-starts and also the stigma that is often associated with the practice. Guests: Pavlina Jasovska – Lecturer in International Business and Strategy at the UTS Business School, and Sam Maccaulay - Senior l...

Over the last two years global supply chains have been massively disrupted and are still on their way to recovery. This episode we ask the question of how to we strength supply chains and build in resilience to copy with unforeseen events. Guest: Sanjoy Paul from the UTS Business School

Buy now pay later apps have seen a boom in the last five years. But as with any emerging industry, regulation is lagging. This episode we look at the growth of buy now pay later and what might the industry see in the future. Guests: Thomas Matthys from the UTS Business School and Nikesh Lalchandani from the Emerging Payments Association of Asia.

Why do we follow the crowd? When is it a good idea and when is it not? Michelle Baddeley from the UTS Business School is the author of the book Copycats and Contrarians. She joins the show to talk about the concept of herding and how it manifests in the business world.

The use of AI in marketing is growing rapidly. This week we take a look at how it's used, how much it's growing - and whether AI presents a danger to marketing jobs. Guests: Tae Woo Kim and Ashish Sinha from the UTS Business School.

For this very special episode, we bring you address by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. This address was from an event organised as part of the UTS Vice Chancellor's Democracy Forum. Professor Stiglitz's address is followed by a conversation with UTS behavioural economist Michelle Baddeley. The theme of this episode is Government's role in innovation.

Sydney University recently reported by far their largest surplus in history. Almost a billion dollars, compared to a 20 year average of just over $120 million. A huge profit, even through the crippling effects of the pandemic. So what happened? Dr David Bond, senior lecturer at the UTS business school has been looking into it. He joined Think Business Futures to tell us what he found.

Following from last week's show about educating entrepreneurs, this week we take a look at the story of a startup and its founder. We explore the highs and lows - and what entrepreneurship looks like from the ground. Mark Curry is the CEO of Savvy Beverages, an award winning nutrition business that makes healthy products that enhance energy and mental wellbeing.

Are entrepreneurs born with the characteristics that make them who they are, or is it something you can teach? This episode we explore what entrepreneurship means today and how to educate people to become entrepreneurs. Guests: Martin Bleimel, Associate Professor and the Director of Research at the Transdisciplinary School at UTS and Jochen Schweitzer, Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovatio...

Each month, Australians produce tens of thousands of tonnes of E-waste. This week we explore the problem, and the opportunity for business to turn this trash into treasure. Guests: Maruf Chowdhury, Senior lecturer and expert in closed loop systems and supply chain sustainability at the UTS business school and Lisa Saunders, Co-Founder and CEO of Arnie’s Recon.

A significant yet largely un-recognised aspect of domestic abuse is financial or economic abuse. It manifests as the restriction of a person's financial independence and often limits one's ability to take action to change their situation. This episode we discuss the prevalence of economic abuse, how to identify it and what can be done to make change. Guest: Kathy Walsh - Professor of finance and m...

Australians living with disability often face enormous challenges when travelling. From using digital devices to purchase tickets, to boarding planes, to finding accessible attractions at a destination - the experience of travel and tourism is not equal for all Australians. This episode we look at the challenges and opportunities of accessible tourism. Guests: Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Incl...

Modern business is now more than ever grappling with the question of sustainability. Is it possible for businesses to have a positive impact on the world while maintaining longevity, profitability and shareholder satisfaction? This episode we look at the mechanisms business use to contribute to sustainability, and what may be needed to make sustainable business a reality. Guests: Melissa Edwards,...

Many modern companies incorporate social or environmental principles into their structures. Is this incremental progression enough? Or do we need a complete restructure of incentives in order to see the change that's needed. This episode we look at the potential future for business & social impact. Guests: Bronwen Dalton, Director of the Masters of Not-for-Profit and Social Enterprise Program at t...

With a new government in office - housing affordability remains a big concern. The big questions are: What effect will rising interest rates have on house prices? And how far will the suite of Labor housing policies go in addressing the challenges for first home buyers? On this episode - we delve into these questions and try to unearth the harsh truth. Guests: Harry Scheule - Professor of Finance...

Aged care is often described as being in crisis due to things like neglect, poor nutrition and under-staffing. However another crisis of aged care is found in the finances - with many residential homes either lacking financial viability, or not meeting the minimum standards parties are proposing ahead of the election. This episode we explore a new report by the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative th...

Sports betting and advertising is ubiquitous throughout the channels of any regular sports fan. With sports codes, media, advertising and betting agencies all being interdependent - where does the boom in ads, odds and engagement end? This episode we explore the good, the bad and the fascinating impact sports betting is having on sports culture. Guests: Adam Cohen, Lecturer for Sport Management at...

NSW Teachers haven't gone on strike for over ten years but this week they'll walk off the job to raise their voice about unfair pay and workload conditions. So how did we let such a fundamentally important profession get to this place? This week we look at the current state of teachers conditions in NSW and what needs to change. Guest: Mihajla Gavin - Senior Lecturer in employment relations and hu...

In the lead up to the election, the establishment of a Federal corruption commission is an important issue for voters - but how exactly does federal corruption intersect with the private sector? On today's episode we dive into the impact of corruption on democracy and what attributes a Federal commission needs to have in order to clean ups politics. Guests: Marie dela Rama - lecturer at the Univer...

Covid's catastrophic impact on the tourism sector has exposed many of the industry's vulnerabilities when it comes to managing crisis. So what has tourism learnt from the pandemic, and how will it move forward? This episode we look at how tourism was crushed by Covid, how it responded and what's in store for the future. Guest: David Beirman - Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney B...

The second wave feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s brought sweeping changes to women's roles in both business and politics. This episode we explore the history of women in leadership. We ask what does the landscape of women in leadership looks like today? What the continuing barriers are, and how we can progress to not only increase the number of women in leadership positions but also to expan...

The 2022 Budget was described by many as a cash splash focusing on temporary fixes and pre-election problem solving. With inflation, interest rates and the cost of living set to be a continuing challenge - what options are available to governments to help address these issues long term? Has the global playing field that budget forecasts are based on changed? And how can reform take place when big...

The pandemic has completely overhauled our relationship with work. Priorities are shifting with an increasing number of people looking for job satisfaction and a harmonious work/life balance. One proposed solution is a shift to a four day work week. On this episode we discuss what four day work week can look like, and how companies and individuals maintain productivity working less hours. Guest: R...