Knowledge Centre

Getting the message right on carbon

Wayne Burns Governments are finding it tricky to get the messages right to influence the behaviour of the public to strike a balance between putting a price in carbon to reduce emissions, and not harming the economy during the global economic crisis. The same is true for companies. In the face of potential job cuts and...

socio political environment

Reconsidering corporate decision-making

George Onisiforou A few nights ago at the Lowy Institute, the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Ian Macfarlane, attributed the current economic crisis on financial executives pursuing short term economic gains and ignoring risks for the benefit of their bonuses. There's no doubt that the crisis brings forward the need...

socio political environment

A crisis for corporate social responsibility?

George Onisiforou Public affairs practitioners can now visit the UN Global Compact's website to do some serious thinking around the implications of the current global financial crisis. The world's largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative released its response to the crisis, requesting public commentary and observations....

socio political environment

Business in China and the Olympics afterglow

Wayne Burns Talk to senior corporate public affairs executives working in China post the 2008 Olympics and they will tell you confidently that the Beijing Games is already changing business in the Peoples' Republic. Public affairs practitioners in corporations at the cutting edge of information flows and stakeholder demands...

socio political environment

Now is the time for all good public affairs practitioners to come to the aid - of themselves!

Wayne Burns It is June, so it must be Melbourne, Australia. And if its August, it would be Hong Kong. These are the months and the cities when my mind and the efforts of the staff at Centre for Corporate Public Affairs turn to heavy duty professional development via our long established residential public affairs...

socio political environment

Political messaging

Wayne Burns For those of you who may be following Australian politics today, the six months old national Labor Government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is being admonished by the Opposition and by journalists for being enamored by 'spin' a charge that tarnished seriously the credibility and community standing of British Prime...

socio political environment

Turn the page and turn it off - it's corporate speak.

Wayne Burns There is violent agreement among most public affairs folk that 'corporate speak' the stock in trade of some business leaders and many politicians is playing a starring role in diminishing trust and eroding community support for companies. From "moving forward together", to "working with stakeholders to achieve...

socio political environment

Policy influence amid political bushfires

Wayne Burns Over the years the Centre has often received calls during an election campaign from C suite executives asking how in the world they can get political candidates and elected officials to grasp the big policy idea and cut through a problem, issue or challenge. The conversation often goes along these lines... "Why...

socio political environment