In This Issue

Will the state policy of social engineering through the centralising of post-school admissions create fertile ground for the growth of quality private education?

As humankind advances, new technologies are supposed to enhance and improve our lives by broadening access to education, financial instruments and other tools, while also improving communication within our globalised society. These were the ideals that the founders of the internet shared, says American futurist, author, professor and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff.

The digital workplace is one where people, processes, technology, and the company converge to improve business productivity and employee engagement. It's a workplace where employees have the technological tools they need to complete business tasks effortlessly and efficiently.

Read our exclusive cover story entitled PRIVATE EDUCATION EVOLUTION | AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING? by Chris Hattingh, Researcher, Free Market Foundation, as well a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics in the June/July 2019 edition of BusinessBrief.

An interview with Judy Klipin, Master Life Coach, Judy Klipin Coaching and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing how burnout affects both individuals and organisations and is a service delivery and efficiency and effectiveness crisis waiting to happen.

An interview with Soria Hay, Head of Corporate Finance, Bravura, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing the issue of black ownership which continues to be a dominant aspect within the country’s transformation landscape. 

South Africa has yet to witness a major blockchain-related dispute, but such disputes are bound to occur as interest in cryptocurrencies and smart contracts intensifies and transactions involving them become more common.

When boards of directors gather to discuss the top risks of an organisation, it may entail matters such as structurally high unemployment, labour unrest, exchange rate volatility, political uncertainty, unmanageable fraud and corruption, threats of new market entrants or even product stagnation. Whilst there are indeed many more topical risks that may be relevant to the nature of the organisation’s business and immediate environment, it is not common for a board to include the threat of their innovation and intellectual property (IP) being marginalised or lost.

Burnout affects both individuals and organisations and is a service delivery and efficiency and effectiveness crisis waiting to happen. While Pareto’s Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule or ‘the law of the vital few’, does not necessarily have a 80/20 ratio (but let’s carry on using the ratio for ease of communication), it is well observed that most results are generated by a minority of the action (and actors):

According to QuickBooks, there are already more than 700 apps that are assisting accountants to automate processes and reduce their workload. Gone are the days where accountants can be mere number crunchers, who collate and check data and allocate it to the correct cost centre. The future accountant will have transformed her/himself into a financial advisor, adding value to businesses by offering strategic advice, consulting and financial planning.