Think: Business Futures

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...

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. B...

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...

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 finan...

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 boo...

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 informati...

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 Ni...

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 corporat...

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.

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.

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

Professor Kees Van Gool, Associate Professor at Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE)- University of Technology Sydney Produced by: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok and Tim Wang 

Martijn Boersma, Lecturer in the Management Discipline Group at the University of technology Business School Produced by: Jason L'Ecuyer, Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok and Tim Wang

Rosalie Viney, Professor of Health Economics and Director of the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney Produced by: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok and Tim Wang 

Dr Deborah Cotton, Senior Lecturer, Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Business School Produced by: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok and Tim Wang 

Professor Bronwen Dalton, Associate Professor, Management Discipline at the University of Technology Business School Produced by: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok and Tim Wang

Dr Brett Govendir and Associate Professor Roman Lanis, Accounting Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Business School Produced by: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok, Tim Wang and Rohan Indra

Dr Hardy Hulley, Senior Lecturer, Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Business School Producers: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok, Tim Wang and Rohan Indra

Much has changed in the global economy since the early days of industrialisation. Supply chains have reshuffled, technological has changed, labour practices have evolved. One thing that has remained largely unchanged over this time is the linear model for resource consumption that follows a take-make-dispose pattern. On this episode of Think: Business Futures, Nicole and David speak to Melissa Edw...

Most likely you’ve seen the bright pink and green logos on delivery drivers zipping around on bicycles. Maybe you’ve thought, that looks like a fun and flexible job. Or maybe you’ve wondered how do they get paid? Does it provide a more flexible workplace? Are they paid superannuation? On this episode of Think: Business Futures, Nicole and David speak to Sarah Kaine about the gig economy and how th...

It’s easy to talk about the future of work using words like ‘innovation’, ‘disruption’ and ‘blue-sky thinking’ — but it’s much harder to explain how it works and what it looks like in the real world. This is where Think: Business Futures comes in. Hosts David Brown and Nicole Sutton go beyond the buzzwords, and takes cutting-edge research and real world examples, to explore the complexities of a c...