MBS Media coverage

Scrapping NBN tender a huge waste of money

Paul Kerin, The Australian, 08 April 2009
The Rudd Government yesterday abandoned the fibre-to-the-node National Broadband Network tender and announced a new cunning plan: a $43 billion fibre-to-the-home broadband network.It represents an incredible waste of taxpayers' money. The new plan's objectives can be realised far more cheaply and quickly. Read the full article.

What they said

The Age , pg 9, 08 April 2009
Joshua Gans, Melbourne University economics professor: For as long as we have had phone calls, successive governments have approached telecommunications reform by going for the money rather than the structure that would benefit consumers and sustain competition.

Can Executive Education survive?

Forbes, 07 April 2009
The signs so far suggest it may actually benefit from hard times. For many in business education, the worldwide recession may perversely end up being good news. According to a global survey of more than 500 MBA programs by the Graduate Management Admission Council, 77% have reported a rise in applications from potential students this year, up from 64% last year. "The role of executive education is shifting," says Paul Kirkbride, associate dean at Melbourne Business School, a leading institution in the Asia-Pacific area. "In the past, its focus was to provide managers with management knowledge and prepare them for promotion, and it was also used for reward and recognition, as a staff retention tool. Today, customized executive education is about moving the needle in terms of business outcomes.” Read the full article.

MBA seen as a recession buster

Australian Financial Review, pg 27, 06 April 2009
Australian business schools are benefiting from the economic slowdown, experiencing a significant rise in MBA enrollments as professionals look to strengthen their employability and upskill for when recessionary times recede. Indeed Melbourne Business School has seen a 35 per cent increase in enrollments for its full-time MBA.

Enjoy the free stuff while we can

SMH, pg 14, 06 April 2009
Joel Stein discusses the notion that consumers aren’t buying enough because many items can be obtained for free. He also discusses the concept of repugnant transactions and quotes MBS Professor Joshua Gans who says that there is a social norm against these transactions.

Foreign funds guarded banks

The Weekend Australian , pg 31, 04 April 2009
An over-reliance on offshore funding by the nation's major banks was the very structural weakness that spared the banking system from the worst of the financial crisis, ANZ chief executive Mike Smith says. Mr. Smith outlined his theory while taking questions at the Melbourne Business School on Thursday night.

Plans are welcome but often too general

Andrew John , The Age Business News, pg 2, 04 April 2009
Andrew John sees pros and cons in the meeting's communiqué. Read the full article.

School’s in

HR Monthly, pg 24, 04 April 2009
According to this HR Monthly report, when the going gets tough, the tough go back to the classroom. Not surprisingly, increasing numbers of MBS students are coming from the financial services sector, notes MBS acting dean, Jenny George.

Trains of thought.

HR Monthly, pg 28, 04 April 2009
While the general outlook for training may be bleak some organisations are finding creative ways to make sure staff learning and development continues. Entire L&D departments have been among the corporate casualties of the past few months, reports associate dean of Mt Eliza Executive Education, Paul Kirkbride. “Some big companies have set a negative precedent,” he says. He goes on to say that sophisticated companies are showing a strong understanding of developing people in the current climate.

Recession winners at low end of market

Courier Mail , pg 4, 04 April 2009
Most people are braced for a recession yet for others the economic bad news is really rather good. Andrew John, associate professor of Economics at the Melbourne Business School, said in recessions some businesses and people always did better than others.

Dreamy directors make the cut

Paul Kerin, The Australian, pg 17, 03 April 2009
On Monday, corporate governance adviser RiskMetrics listed its Top 10 company directors, dubbed the "dream team". It generated considerable market mirth. The typical response was: "How on earth did he/she get (or not get) there?" No offence, but most dream team nominations reflect methodology problems rather than superior performance. Read the full article.

Executives must make sacrifices

ABC Gold Coast Drive , 03 April 2009
MBS associate professor Ian Williamson says executives at a lot of major corporations have made a lot of bad decisions recently. Williamson says that Governments will have a difficult time regulating the behaviour of executives to ensure it's in line with their organisations' economic growth. Williamson says that executives who expect their employees to make sacrifices without making sacrifices themselves are demonstrating poor leadership.

Why IMF gold should help developing countries

Gary Sampson, Australian Financial Review, 02 April 2009
The IMF member nations are dragging their feet on a proposal for an equitable solution to past injustices, writes MBS professor Garry Sampson Read the full article.

Bonus anyone?

ABC Radio 936 , 02 April 2009
MBS associate professor Ian Williamson speaks to ABC radio Hobart about corporate high flier pay rises and bonuses in the current financial climate. Williamson mentions that the salaries received by these executives are competitive already and suggests that they should tie their fates to the performance of their companies.

The upside of destruction

BRW, pg 26, 02 April 2009
Capitalism’s not dead – it’s just time to rebuild, classical economists and modern-day business academics alike say. However, Paul Kerin from Melbourne Business School warns that interventions such as the federal government’s $6.2 billion subsidy to the automotive industry ‘may prevent and/or delay the realisation of the downturn’s potential benefits’ and actually ‘makes us more prone to downturns’.

Baby bonus and the budget

3AW Drive , 01 April 2009
Derryn Hinch chats to MBS Professor Paul Kerin about the baby bonus and the childcare allowance in the budget. Kerin says the Government should redirect funds to people who need them rather than the middle class, and questions tax concessions for superannuation contributions, and the need for compulsory superannuation.

Government set to announce broadband tender

ABC1 7:30 Report , 31 March 2009
The Fed Government already knows who won the tender for one of Australia’s most important infrastructure projects, the $9.4b national broadband network. However, only once the PM returns from overseas next week will Australians learn who will build the new telecommunications grid. Telstra is bracing for the biggest fight of its history as new competition is unleashed against it. Melbourne Business School’s Paul Kerin says the critical issue is giving the consortium access to Telstra's copper wires. Read the full article.

Who is to blame?

Radio National, Background Briefing, 29 March 2009
As unemployment queues grow 'narcissists with Harvard MBAs' are being blamed for the global financial crisis. Melbourne Business School’s philosopher in residence John Armstrong, speaks about the education of ambition. Jenny George, Associate Professor from Melbourne Business School says there is a growing interest in ethics among MBA students and describes the new Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership for Social Impact. Read the full article.

Now is not the right time for the parting jibe

Daily Telegraph, pg 47, 28 March 2009
Employers and workers need to be careful about burning bridges in tough economic times. Companies could be missing vital business opportunities by cutting ties with former staff, and employees should maximise their value and profile to their employer, experts advise. "Though the state of the economy is fuelling the increase in workforce reductions among organisations globally, employers need to think more broadly about their social capital at this time," Ian Williamson, an associate professor at Melbourne Business School, says.

Even the greenback must be treated with some caution

Mark Crosby, The Age, pg 8, 27 March 2009
Assumptions about safety are misguided, writes Mark Crosby. Read the full article.