Think: Business Futures podcast

From business and finance through to technology, sustainability and gender equity, our expertise is at your fingertips. UTS Business School collaborates with 2SER 107.3FM to bring you podcasts packed with the latest business and economic developments, discoveries, expert insights and analysis.

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Going beyond the headlines each week, 2SER radio presenters are joined in the studio by a panel of leading UTS Business School academics and expert industry guests to discuss what you need to know about current business, finance and economics topics and what this means for your future.

Tune in to Think: Business Futures live on 2SER on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm or subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS.

2024 episodes

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2023 episodes

Turning Black Friday green

This week we look at a new initiative to make shopping and finding a bargain more sustainable. Green Friday is in its third year and brings 260 brands front and centre to shoppers looking for a more sustainable way to shop. We spoke to the CEO of Green Friday Melissa Drennan.

LISTEN > Turning Black Friday green | 26 Sep 2023 | 26 min

2023 Intergenerational Report with Professor Roy Green

This week we take a look at the 2023 Intergenerational Report and talk about the real story of the report that the media has missed. We now need to seriously decide if we want to live in a hotter and poorer Australia or one where we become a green industrial powerhouse. Our guest is Professor Green. Produced and hosted by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > 2023 Intergenerational Report with Professor Roy Green | 29 Aug 2023 | 35 min

Has the housing rental crisis just been solved?

Last week, the federal government unveiled its new housing plan. The centrepiece of this plan is the construction of 1.2 million homes over a span of 5 years. While some are sceptical about the plan's ability to achieve this ambitious target, if successful, could it effectively solve our current rental crisis? Additionally, how does this plan address the pressing issue of social housing? To delve into these questions and analyse the government's strategy, we spoke to Professor Alan Morris from UTS. Produced and hosted by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Has the housing rental crisis just been solved? | 24 Aug 2023 | 31 min

Returning to the idea of a carbon tax

This week we talk about why Australia should revisit the idea of a carbon tax. We spoke with Mona Mashhadi Rajabi who recently published an article on the economic benefits of a carbon tax. Produced and hosted by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Returning to the idea of a carbon tax | 15 Aug 2023 | 29 min

Australia's need for innovation With Professor Roy Green

This week we discuss just how ready is the Australian economy for future shocks caused by climate change and AI with Professor Roy Green. Producer and host Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Australia's need for innovation With Professor Roy Green | 18 Jul 2023 | 35 min

Businesses’ climate change

This week we look at businesses' growing awareness and efforts in fighting climate change. We spoke to Professor Martina Linnenluecke from the UTS Business School. Hosted and produced by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Businesses’ climate change | 7 Jul 2023 | 29 min

Making AI work for us

This week we turn to the number one topic of 2023 AI. To help us in the discussion we spoke to Dr Amanda White from UTS Business School and Professor Edward Santow from the Human Technology Institute of UTS. Hosted and produced by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Making AI work for us | 21 Jun 2023 | 28 min

Small business case study: Savvy Beverage

This week we take a look at what it takes to start your own business and what is the difference between having an idea and being an entrepreneur. Our guests were Mark Curry CEO of Savvy Beverage and Professor Prabhu Sivabalan a Professor of Management Accounting and Control at UTS Business School. This edition was produced and hosted by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > Small business case study: Savvy Beverage | 13 Jun 2023 | 44 min

PwC — When business and government don’t mix

Our first episode of 2023 is a look at the PwC scandal and we ask where the line should be between business and government. To help us work through some very difficult questions we were lucky to speak with the Dean of UTS Business School Professor Carl Rhodes. Produced and presented by Anthony Dockrill

LISTEN > PwC - When business and government don't mix | 7 Jun 2023 | 29 min

Earlier episodes

The Morrison Government's Your Super, Your Future legislation has taken superannuation in a new direction, applying strict performance benchmarks to funds, stapling super to individuals as well as trying to improve integrity and transparency. But has this legislation led to perverse incentives in the industry which leads to lower performance and worse outcomes for some fund members? On this episode, we weigh up the impacts of Your Super, Your Future.
Guests: Lorenzo Casavecchia - Associate Head of External Engagement of the Finance Department at the UTS Business School and Kris Glover - Senior Lecturer at the Finance Discipline Group at the UTS Business School.
LISTEN > The future of super | 3 Nov 2022 | 29 min
Big tech is literally changing the way we live. With the speed of innovation and lack of regulation, issues of dignity and ethics seem to often fall by the wayside as the influence of large platforms grows. We explore centering dignity in the tech start-up and entrepreneurial space. Guests: Lorenn Ruster, PhD candidate at the ANU School of Cybernetics and Anne-Marie Elias – Professional Fellow at UTS Startups.
LISTEN > The fight for ethics In tech | 26 Oct 2022 | 29 min
Gig work has provided countless Australians with unprecedented occupational flexibility. At the same time, the Labor Government has proposed legislation that looks to afford gig workers entitlements like minimum pay, leave and superannuation. One clear dilemma is how to implement these entitlements without compromising flexibility and the business model of tech startups like Uber, Airtasker and Menulog. This episode we discuss the potential impact of the proposed legislation on gig work. Guests: Giuseppe Carabetta, Associate Professor of employment law at the UTS Business School and Katie Sweatman, employment, industrial relations and discrimination lawyer at Kingston Reid.
LISTEN > The gig work dilemma | 18 Oct 2022 | 29 min
The Big Issue have been fighting homelessness in Australia for decades, and now they have a new project, in collaboration with the NSW Land Registry Service. Homes for Homes allows homeowners to pledge a tiny portion of the sale price of their property to help develop social and affordable housing. There's much to be admired about the Homes for Homes model, and this week on the show we take a look at how it works. Guests: Adam Bennett - Adjunct Professor at UTS and outgoing CEO of Land Registry Services NSW and Tracy Longo - National Operations Manager of Homes for Homes.
LISTEN > Homes for homes | 4 Oct 2022 | 29 min
Goal-enabling technology is the integration of goal-setting into tech-based products and services. Things like step-counts, savings targets and fitness goals all have a general benefit to app users and tech companies, however, the specifics of how to optimise goals in apps is not well-known. This episode we explore new research and modelling around the most effective ways to utilise goal-enabling technology. Guest: Jake An, UTS Business School lecturer
LISTEN > App goals | 27 Sep 2022 | 29 min
The Australian Social Welfare system is notorious for its punitive nature and complexity, leaving hundreds of thousands of Australians helpless.
Stefan is joined by Leanne Ho, CEO of Economic Justice Australia, and Julius Golab, solicitor at the Welfare Rights Centre to explore the complexity of social security and how things can change.
LISTEN > Struggling with social welfare | 20 Sep 2022 | 29 min
Contractors are very useful for construction, but did you know that you can hire a contractor to create your own craft beer flavour?
Stefan chats to Pavlina Jasovska, Lecturer in International Business and Strategy at the UTS Business School and Sam MacAulay, Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Innovation at the University of Queensland, about the triumphs and taboos about the emerging contract brewing practice.
LISTEN > Contract brewing: opportunity vs. stigma | 5 Sep 2022 | 29 min
Delays, cost increases and shortages are just some of the implications of a disrupted supply chain. How can we mitigate risk when they stop fully functioning?
Stefan is joined in the studio by Sanjoy Paul, Program Director of the Master of Strategic Supply Chain Management programs at the UTS Business School to discover how to build resilience in the wake of disrupted supply chains.
LISTEN > How to strengthen supply chains | 23 August 2022 | 29 min
Buy Now Pay Later apps have seen a boom in the last five years, culminating in ten BNPL companies listed on the ASX. But as with any emerging industry, regulation is lagging.
Stefan discusses the nuances of BNPL scheme regulation with Dr Thomas Matthys from the UTS Business School and Nikesh Lalchandani from the Emerging Payments Association of Asia.
LISTEN > The future of Buy Now Pay Later | 16 August 2022 | 29 min
The fear of missing out is perhaps one of our greatest worries that we don’t talk about. You may be surprised to discover that this fear can affect the economy.
Stefan chats to Michelle Baddeley, Professor of Behavioural Economics and Behavioural Finance at the UTS Business School, about herding, and how it manifests in the business sphere.
LISTEN > Copycats and contrarians | 9 August 2022 | 29 min
AI is a new phenomenon born last decade, and it has allowed computers to mimic the human decision-making process. However, how important is the ‘human’ insight in marketing, that algorithms and artificial intelligence lack?
Stefan is joined in the studio by Ashish Sinha, Professor of Marketing and TaeWoo Kim, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the UTS Business School to discuss this marvel and whether AI presents a danger to marketing jobs.
LISTEN > Will AI replace marketing jobs? | 2 August 2022 | 29 min
For this very special episode, hear the address by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, presented at the UTS Vice Chancellor’s Democracy Forum. Joined by Emeritus Professor Roy Green and Professor Michelle Baddeley, behavioural economist at UTS, they examine the role government plays in shaping post-COVID recovery, innovation and social outcomes in Australia.
LISTEN > Democracy forum: Government's role in innovation | 26 July 2022 | 51 min
Australians living with a disability often face enormous challenges when travelling, making the experience of travel and tourism unequal for millions. What is being done to tackle this issue? And what are the opportunities for businesses?
Stefan is joined in the studio by Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Inclusion at the UTS Business School and Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
MORE > Rethinking accessible travel and tourism | 14 June 2022
Along with maintaining longevity, profitability and shareholder satisfaction, modern businesses must now grapple with sustainability. What is needed to make sustainable business a reality?
Stefan is joined in the studio by Melissa Edwards, Director of the Executive MBA program and Tim Williams, Lecturer in Management at the UTS Business School.
MORE > What is sustainable business? | 7 June 2022
Companies are slowly implementing social and environmental policies. But is this incremental progression enough? Many think it's not even close.
Stefan discusses the potential future of business and social impact with Bronwen Dalton, Director of the Masters of Not-for-Profit and Social Enterprise Program and Claire Wright, business historian at the UTS Business School.
MORE > Social impact - can business change the world? | 31 May 2022
As voters head to the polling stations this weekend, one of the big issues on everyone's mind is the housing affordability crisis- and what our new government will do about it.
Stefan is joined in the studio by Harry Scheule, Professor of Finance at the UTS Business School and Simon Pressley, Founder and Head of Property Market Research at Propertyology to unearth the harsh truth about this problem.
MORE > Myth busting housing affordability | 24 May 2022
The royal commission into aged care has handed down its final report- revealing staff shortages, poor nutrition, and neglect were common in aged care homes throughout the country.
Stefan chats to Nicole Sutton and Nelson Ma, Senior Lecturers at the UTS Business School and members of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative about the key issues impacting the delivery of aged care in Australia.
MORE > Aged care's financial crisis | 17 May 2022
Sports bets are being sold at an alarming rate across all platforms and betting is becoming an increasingly prominent part of sports culture and fandom.
Stefan is joined in the studio by Dr Adam Cohen, Lecturer for Sport Management at the UTS Business School, and David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research at the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.
MORE > How sports betting impacts sports culture | 10 May 2022
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.
Stefan is joined in the studio by Mihajla Gavin, Senior Lecturer in employment relations and human resource management at the UTS Business School to discuss strategies that address this crisis.
MORE > The teacher walk-off | 3 May 2022
Without a federal body to keep our politicians accountable, and with an election looming, the issue of a national corruption commission is once again on the table.
Stefan chats to Dr Marie dela Rama, Lecturer at the UTS Business School and Adam Graycar, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Stretton Institute at the University of Adelaide
MORE > Donations, lobbies, integrity, corruption | 26 April 2022
COVID’s catastrophic impact on the tourism sector has exposed many of the industry’s vulnerabilities when it comes to managing crises.
Stefan looks at the learnings from the pandemic and what's in store for tourism with David Beirman, Adjunct Fellow at the UTS Business School and author of Tourism Crises and Destination Recovery.
MORE > How COVID is changing tourism | 19 April 2022
We explore the history and current landscape of women in leadership, discussing how we can increase both the number and diversity of women in leadership positions.
Stefan chats to Claire Wright, business historian at the UTS Business School and Dr Blair Williams, Research Fellow and lecturer with the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at the Australian National University.
MORE > Women in leadership: business and politics | 12 April 2022
The 2022 Budget was described by many as a pre-election cash splash, focusing on temporary fixes. But what options are available to governments to help address issues long-term?
Stefan is joined by David Bond, Senior Lecturer of Accounting at the UTS Business School and Cameron Curko, Head of Macroeconomics and Strategy at Pitcher Partners Accountants.
MORE > Short-term budgets vs long-term solutions | 5 April 2022
The pandemic has overhauled our relationship with work. Employees are prioritising job satisfaction and a work-life balance. Could the four-day working week be a solution?
Stefan is joined by Rowena Ditzell, PhD candidate and lecturer at the UTS Business School to discuss her research on this new concept and what this potential reality could look like for companies and individuals.
MORE > Can a four-day working week work? | 29 March 2022
What impact do Russian sanctions have on the Russian people? Does forcing sanctions on innocent civilians require a deeper level of ethical enquiry?
Stefan looks at the ethical implications of sanctions and where the moral line might be with Professor Carl Rhodes, Dean, UTS Business School and Steven Hamilton, Visiting Fellow with ANU’s Tax and Transfer Policy Institute.
MORE > The ethics of sanctions | 22 March 2022