Business drivers reimbursement survey.

A survey of Canadian firms showed that about 88% reimburse employees for the business-related use of their own vehicles. Most companies reimburse an average of 28 cents a kilometer, with the lowest reimbursement being 8 cents and the highest being 50 cents. About 71% of respondents also say that job requirement is the basis of providing reimbursement while about 24% claim to have a minimum business distance requirements per year.

Competing in the Third Wave: The Ten Key Management Issues of the Information Age.

Executives waste over a month each year trying to find things.

A survey showed that executives spent about 9% of their total working hours searching for lost things such as files, memos and reports. Several steps can be taken to avoid the problem which include prioritizing projects, taking immediate action on correspondence, delegating tasks when possible, regularly eliminating unnecessary files, clearing desks every evening and using personal information management software.

Five network nightmares: you can solve with job scheduling solutions.

Computer network managers can use job scheduling to eliminate five network problems. Job scheduling, for instance, allows the pre-programming of tasks during non-peak hours to free network resources during business hours. Scheduling also enables employees to concentrate on tasks requiring intellect and interaction as well as ensures the speedy processing and provision of database information.

Getting Back to Work: The Ultimate Jobseeker's Guide for Canadians Over 45.

Getting them to see things your way.

Managers can take a number of steps to persuade others to their own way of thinking. These include developing an understanding of the perceptions of the individual to be persuaded, creating a sound strategy for persuasion that is based on the beliefs of the other person rather than one's own, overriding existing perceptions by creating new ones and enticing the other person to negotiate by appearing reasonable to negotiation.

Human resource information systems improve management decision-making.

Companies should conduct a needs-assessment prior to adopting or upgrading their human resource information systems (HRIS). Firms with fewer than 150 employees should turn to systems that allow the tracking and control of HR functions such as attendance, benefits and payroll while larger firms should select flexible and customizable HRIS packages. The application of HRIS by Calgary Stampede and Memotec Communications Inc are described.

Lack of aggressiveness is the number on barrier to Canada's international competitiveness.

A survey of Canadian chief executive officers showed that about 29% believe that Canadian firms are not competitive internationally because of their lack of aggressiveness. However, there are signs of change with 15 out of the 52 respondents announcing plans to expand overseas in 1998. About 80% intend to export products and services while less than 47% plan to open overseas branches or sales offices.

Metropolitan Toronto Police Services.

The Metropolitan Toronto Police Service (MTPS) has taken several steps in line with its commitment to training and public service. The MTPS became a member of the Canadian Institute of Management in 1996 and has consistently provided high quality service despite budget cuts. The MTPS has also undergone a reorganization process to boost efficiency and is working with local communities to prevent crime, improve public safety and enforce laws.

Performance improvement counselling. (employee motivation)

A growing number of employers are using Performance Improvement Counselling to address the decline in an employee's performance. Under Performance Improvement Counseling, a counsellor meets with management and the employee to identify and discuss problems. The employee then undergoes one-on-one sessions with counsellors to resolve these problems. Benefits of counselling include reduced employee turnover and improved employee morale.

Retirement realities. (Registered Retirement Savings Plans)

Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) can help Canadians prepare for their retirement by allowing the long-term, tax-free accumulation of wealth. Canadians must realize that increasing life expectancies have made retirement planning and goal setting essential. The government is also actively encouraging retirement planning by raising RRSP contribution limits and establishing the carry-forward provision.

Speak your way to success: presentation skills - myth vs. reality.

Managers can improve their public speaking skills by becoming aware of the truths behind some common myths on public speaking. One example is the myth that presentations should open with a joke. This practice should be avoided since jokes are often inappropriate during presentations. Another is the myth that hands should be placed in pockets while speaking to appear relaxed. This myth has been dispelled by studies which show that presentations are more effective when supporting gestures are u...

The Midas touch. (Burlington Taxi Inc's development of its own dispatching software)

Burlington Taxi owner Scott Wallace asked Cantech International Inc to develop a dispatching software for his company due to his dissatisfaction with off-the-shelf packages. Wallace then established a joint venture with Cantech when he realized that his competitors also needed the same type of software. The new venture has developed the TaxiMan universal voice-assisted dispatching system for taxi companies.

The three C's of participative management.

Organizations can get the most out of participative management by applying the Three C's of Participative Management. These are criteria, contribution and choice. Criteria means providing employees with the necessary information or criteria to serve as the bases for their ideas. Contribution means ensuring that employee ideas are used in final decisions while choice means allowing employees to choose the final decision.

The 3 principles of decision-making.

Managers can make optimal business decisions for their company by becoming aware of three principles of decision making. The first principle is to realize that each decision affects profitability. The second is that the financial impact of decisions on the company must be considered prior to decision making while the third principle refers to the need to improve financial knowledge to evaluate the financial impact of decisions.