Management Today magazine SA

On 14^th April 2011 South Africa attended their first BRICS summit having been granted membership of the grouping in December 2010. One year on from their first summit we take a look at what membership of BRICS means for South Africa and look at some examples of how it is impacting business both here and overseas. It is a grouping that represents over 40% of the global population. Why is BRICS so important and what does it mean to you?

Our government believes, and I quote, that “the fast-growing emerging economies of BRICS have a vital role in addressing the global economic crisis, thus equaling their status with traditional powers. As part of BRICS, the international community can work together to strengthen cooperation for common development and the grouping calls for further international financial regulatory oversight and reform, strengthening policy coordination and financial regulation and supervision cooperation, and promoting the sound development of global financial markets and banking systems.”

As part of this common development our government believes in the importance that the BRICS member countries are major export markets for each other, which the figures certainly support: internal trade among the BRICS countries registered an average annual growth rate of 28% from 2001 to 2010, with the total volume reaching $230 billion in 2010. We interviewed DTI Minister Dr Rob Davies to hear his views first hand.

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Also in this issue we look at the work that the ACCA is doing in South Africa to help develop those who want to work in the accountancy industry. We also feature a very inspiring interview with Nadine Kater, Head of ACCA SA, and her views on the importance of education. Elsewhere in this issue we hear from SHL with their new Leadership Index, something which will allow us as business leaders to compare each year how we rank alongside our international colleagues. We also learn about the Lifestyle MBA that MyHealth-CODE.com has developed with Bluprints, an engaging new programme to ensure that your staff achieve their optimum performance and a work-life balance.

We continue our close associations with the ASTD with a word from President Robin Probart about the 10th anniversary of the network here in SA, and feature articles from two more of the speakers from the recent annual conference.

Our pages are filled with details of different events and courses; which is information that we have consciously decided to bring to you to equip and develop you in your role as a manager. On pages 26 and 27 we feature a new workshop from regular contributors Dorian Haarhoff and Graham Williams which is taking place in June. We would also like to thank them for the 16 page supplement included inside this month’s magazine.

I recently mentioned my Six Sigma background so I am happy to announce the GreenBelt training course that SSA will be running here in Johannesburg this month. It is not too late to book your place. This is a great way to find out what Six Sigma is all about and how it can help your organisation.

In closing my notes, we look forward to our June issue next month, celebrating Youth Month here in SA. You can look forward to some informative and inspiring success stories. We are delighted also to be supporting Sarah Brummitt with a one day workshop especially designed for graduates to help equip you for business life with vital network and presentation skills. You can read more on page 18.

Please be inspired, and informed.

Regards,

Alan

Why do we love our cars so much? Why do some of us spend more on our car payments each month than our bond? Yes, there is the debate about the availability of public transport in our country. Yes, there is the road versus rail discussion. Yes, we all have our opinions about e-Tolling.

In this month’s issue we look back on the career of John Newbury, CEO of Nissan for almost 20 years. What can Newbury teach us about the automotive industry in SA? It’s a fascinating read. We also take a brief look at some of the facts and figures for the industry. We take a look at how BMW is positioning itself to double output from 50 000 to 100 000 units by 2013 and the impact that will have on the local employment market. With Toyota in the news again with another recall in USA, we have an opinion piece about how the company is surviving, or not.

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With any manufacturing industry there is always the opportunity for business improvement, to look at processes and challenge the way we do things. So we have a report from SSA Solutions on their work with TATA motors in India. How can we bring these lessons, and their passion for the impossible, to Africa?

I would like to thank everyone who is now following us on Twitter. Our following has doubled in the past three months which is fantastic to see. We want you, our readers to engage with us. If you would to express your views, then please join in our discussions on LinkedIn. It really is the place for you to quickly and easily comment on either our latest discussion thread, or any aspect of what you might read in your magazine. You will find the link at the bottom of my message.

It has been a busy month; we had a most wonderful, informative time at the ASTD conference, meeting almost 300 of our readers. Thank you for all your feedback. We are taking your comments on board and we will soon be starting a series of one-day workshops, the first of which starts in June. Please do not wait until the last moment to book your place, as it is open to both ASTD members and non-members.

We were also at the Association of Project Management SA conference in Western Cape, so watch out for a report in the next issue and more news of how you can get involved.

By the time you read this, President Zuma’s second visit to a BRICS summit will have been concluded. Our next issue for May, out on April 25th, will focus on BRICS and some of the challenges and rewards that our country has experienced dealing with Brazil, Russia, India and China. We feature the views of DTI Minister Rob Davies who recently took time out to speak to Management Today.

Enjoy this issue of your magazine. Regards,

Alan de Sousa Caires, Publishing Editor  alan@management-today.co.za

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The new March issue is available here:

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We follow our Employee Engagement theme. Read the recent blog for more details!

The first sets of the March Edition of Management Today have just been delivered.  It’s very satisfying to see all that hard work neatly bound into a glossy magazine, almost as good as flipping through the pages on the iPad version!

We’re still celebrating 30 years in business – with a bumper second issue in our two-part series on employee engagement. This month we feature the HR and leadership teams behind some of South Africa’s great companies: Microsoft, Accenture, Unilever, the Peninsula Beverage Company and Eliance.  The Corporate Research Foundation Institute and Deloitte have done some amazing work helping South African companies to do the best they can.

We’re also opening up some tough issues to discuss and get right – reward and employee engagement.  P E Corporate Services CEO Martin Westcott comments frankly on some reward truths in the South African market:

• The wage gap between CEOs and lowest level workers is one of the highest in the world
• Executives in SA enjoy one of the best standards of living in the world
• The continuing pressure exerted by unions, and
• Skills in SA remain scarce.

What are the ‘right’ scales?  Do you give the best you can over time if you do not get back what you expect?

We are also proud to officially say we have gone social.  Part of that is this blog which you will now see every month or so.  We are also running an informed commentary on Twitter and throwing out topical issues for discussion on LinkedIn through our new page and discussion group.  Going social means we can keep abreast of and bring you the latest trends, research and thinking; and we’ll continue to report on these as well as to showcase organisations and individuals from a range of industry sectors and functions.  It also means you have a dedicated forum for sharing views and posing questions on your own burning business issues.

If you’d like to say hello in person, we’ll be at the 8^th Annual ASTD International Conference later this month. I’m looking forward to chatting again with Wayne Cascio from Colorado University, he features in this edition, and to Richard Straub who writes about Peter Drucker’s 2002 book Managing in the next society.  I think this is just  as relevant today as it was 10 years ago.

Alan

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As part of celebrating our 30 years, and to give you our readers even better value, we have teamed up with the South African branch of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) to bring you a great joint subscription / membership offer.

You can now join ATSD for just R700 plus VAT (R798 in total)

This is what you get for this low annual membership fee:

• A monthly print version of Management Today, delivered to your door, and an electronic copy of HR Future monthly magazine.
• Access to the annual “State of the South African Training Industry Research Report” to identify opportunities to benchmark against local and international trends in the field of HR/HRD. Contact Sandra at sandra@sabpp.co.za / 011 482 8595
• Substantial discounts on fees for local workshops and local conferences.
• Regular newsletters on trends and developments in the industry.
• Join ASTD study groups to visit and benchmark best practices in world-class companies en route to the International Annual Conference in the USA (usually in May every year). ASTD International e-membership is included in the tour price.
• Access to all ASTD text books and literature through ASTD International e-membership. See www.astd.org/ASTDPress and http://www.kr.co.za/bookstrainingmats.htm

ASTD Books are stocked by Knowledge Resources in South Africa. Website: www.kr.co.za. Telephone: 011 880 8540

•  Participate in ASTD’s International Certification Programme. The HPI programme (Human Performance Improvement International Certification proramme) is currently conducted by University of Johannesburg. A further certification programme CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning and Performance) will soon be added to the list. Currently ASTD International caters for more than 25 International Certification programmes. In time to come we will offer more certification programmes in South Africa.http://astd.co.za/content/certification-programmes
• AND – Attend the annual ASTD local Conference at a membership discount. Our conferences are rated as one of the top premier annual events in South Africa, hosting usually more than 5 international and various local experts in Human Resource Development
• Benefits of International Membership

* Access to ASTD International membership in the USA

* International Classic or e-membership. See customercare@astd.org

* For other international benefits see www.astd.org/benefits

You can read more about ASTD in SA at www.astd.co.za

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At Management Today Magazine we’re celebrating 30 years of providing a credible and authoritative source of business news and information to South Africa.   We bring the latest on leadership, business strategy and management to leaders, practitioners, academics and students who seek access to informed commentary, business news and leading edge, real-life practice in organisations.

To mark this milestone, we’re launching an anniversary edition of Management Today for February and March 2012, issues 1 and 2 of Volume 30.  We hope you enjoy them.

You’ll also notice our new digital strategy taking shape – this follows the immensely successful launch of our iPad edition last year.  We have an exciting new series of activities planned for the coming months. We’ve started to build and run an informed commentary on the latest topical business issues through Twitter, and we’ll be supplementing this through our Editors Blog which is coming soon. 

Going digital is more than about being online.  For us, it’s one of the ways in which we are opening up channels to engage with you in a two-way conversation.  It allows us to keep abreast of, and to bring you the latest trends, research and thinking; but it also creates various platforms for you to tell us what’s happening in your business world. 

We’ll be continuing to report on trends in local and global management thinking, and to showcase organisations and individuals from a range of industry sectors and functions.  Our insights into practice aim to assist organisations and their employees to positively tackle the critical strategic and operational challenges facing them in a changeable, fast-paced and competitive global operating context.   

We believe our new digital strategy is an essential part of making this happen.

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The new February 2012 issue of Management Today magazine is now available to buy.

Celebrating issue number 1 of our 30th Volume, we focus on employee engagement, featuring companies certified by the CRF Institute’s Best Employer project 2011/12, as well as talking with David Conradie about the winners of the Deloitte “Best Company to Work For” 2011 Survey. We preview the ASTD 8th International Conference as well as continuing our series about NeuroScience

Subscribe to the online copy here: http://free.yudu.com/item/details/324640/ or by sending us an to info@management-today.co.za where you can also buy the print or iPad version of the magazine.

The new December issue of Management Today magazine is now available to buy.

Featuring the Technology Top 100 Awards programme for 2011, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, along with a number of other great articles and interviews covering different aspects of technology and the management thereof.

Subscribe to the online copy here: http://free.yudu.com/item/details/324640/ or by sending us an to info@management-today.co.za where you can also buy the print or iPad version of the magazine.

The new November issue is available to buy here:

http://free.yudu.com/item/details/442418/Management-Today-Nov-2011-Issue-8-YS

Alternatively, to subscribe, send an email to info@management-today.co.za