Think: Business Futures

A behind the scenes look at the team's favourite stories, research and episodes. Music:

The year is 2050, Australia has decarbonised its economy through an unprecedented collaboration between local communities, elected officials and the private sector. The debate about whether or not renewable energy is financially viable or logistically possible has long since passed. Homes are powered by a mixture of wind and solar. Land use practices have been adapted and now capture large amounts...

On this episode, we’re talking about savings, earnings and investing. In a nutshell, financial literacy. This is an episode for listeners who think to themselves, ‘I’ll think about my finances later!’ First, we calculate the retirement savings of a fictional 80’s soap opera character. Then, Jon Tyler from the UTS Business School joins us to explain why financial literacy is so important for everyo...

Marketing has faced an existential questions for years. Traditionally, marketing was relegated to the creative art of persuasion in what is now referred to as “The Mad Men Approach.” But overtime, companies started to loose confidence in their marketing teams’ ability to justify their expenses. With the rise and pervasiveness of digital technology, marketers began to justify their actions using di...

Have you ever had a great idea for ways to improve your neighbourhood and community? What if you had the ability to design your own public park or playground? On this episode, we’re looking at a new form democratic decision making that combines elements of community consultation and crowdsourcing. David is joined by Dr Krithika Randhawa, Senior Lecturer at the UTS Business School, to talk about wh...

On this episode, we’re looking at the costs (hidden and otherwise) of cancer treatment in Australia. David is joined in the studio by Professor Kees Van Gool from the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) and Philip Haywood. Further Reading: You can find more information on the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) on their website. The Sydney Morning He...

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 Econo...

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...

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 s...

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 s...

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 H...

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 O...

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...

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...

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...

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 bi...

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 Disci...

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 co...

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,...

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 t...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...