News & Comments

Could a recent ruling change the game for scam victims? Here’s why the banks will be watching closely

Meteoritka/ShutterstockIn Australia, it’s scam victims who foot the bill for the overwhelming majority of the money lost to scams each year.

A 2023 review by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) found banks detected and stopped only a small proportion of scams. The total amount banks paid in compensation paled in comparison to total losses.

Can NZ’s supply chain build enough resilience and sustainability to survive the next global crisis?

New Zealand is highly reliant on trade – particularly on maritime routes, which are lifelines for exports and imports. Key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and wholesale and retail trade depend heavily on this global network.

External events can severely disrupt the flow of goods, delay deliveries or damage critical infrastructure.

But a crisis like the COVID pandemic can also disrupt business commitments to sustainability goals such as reducing carbon emissions, minimising waste and improving resource efficiency.

Banning debit card surcharges could save $500 million a year – if traders don’t claw back the money in other ways

Galdric PS/ShutterstockIn a move that could reshape how Australians pay for everyday purchases, the federal government is preparing to ban businesses from slapping surcharges on debit card transactions.

This plan, pending a review by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), promises to put money back into consumers’ pockets.

Can listening to music make you more productive at work?

Gorodenkoff/ShutterstockListening to music can enhance our lives in all kinds of ways – many of us use it during exercise, to regulate our mood, or in the workplace.

But can listening to background music while you work really make you more productive?

It’s a controversial topic. Some people swear by it, others find it painfully distracting. The research agrees there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

Too good to be true? New study shows people reject freebies and cheap deals for fear of hidden costs

If you’re offered a free cookie, you might say yes. But if you’re paid to eat a free cookie, would your response be the same?

In our new research, twice as many people were willing to eat a cookie when they weren’t offered payment compared with when they were.

From a purely economic perspective, our findings reflect irrational decision making. Objectively, a cookie plus money is better than just a cookie.

More and more, business schools want to show they’re making a positive impact on society. But how should they measure it?

Business schools shape more than just business. iStock/Getty Images PlusBack in 1970, the economist Milton Friedman famously argued that businesses have a single responsibility: to increase profit. For decades, the so-called “Friedman doctrine” amounted to dogma in certain circles, including at many business schools.

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