BETTER ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINA; THE DOWNSIDE OF REMOTE WORKING

BETTER ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINA; THE DOWNSIDE OF REMOTE WORKING

CHINA-AUSTRALIA: DIRECTORS CALL FOR BETTER ENGAGEMENT

  • Australian company directors want better relations with our largest trading partner, China, according to a survey the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). The survey also found that a quarter of directors believe that engaging with Asia, and China in particular, should be a key priority for the Federal Government. Read all of the reports findings here.

BETTER ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINA– THE CANNINGS VIEW

  • Working closely with our sister agencies, Barton Deakin and Hawker Britton, and using our extensive WPP Asian network, Cannings can help organisations navigate the new trade and political realities in Australia’s testy relations with China. We have assisted and continue to assist both Australian and Chinese-owned companies to communicate effectively with policy makers and opinion leaders. For more information, contact us at [email protected]

GOODBYE TRUST: THE DOWNSIDE OF REMOTE WORKING

  • Business leaders are under more pressure than ever to be transparent when communicating with employees, as remote working continues to hit trust levels between bosses and workers. According to Alec Bashinsky, Partner at HR consultancy Josh Bersin Academy, the isolation and frustration that comes with working from home causes employees to be hyper-critical, and that messages perceived as not being completely transparent are judged harshly. Read more in The AFR.

WHAT WILL PROXY FIRMS AND INVESTORS FOCUS ON THIS AGM SEASON?

  • Executive remuneration will be even more in focus this AGM season, as investors scrutinise remuneration against company performance and in response to the impacts of COVID-19. This is the view of Vas Kolesnikoff, head of research for Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), and our special guest on ‘On The Couch’, our own regular podcast. You can listen to the latest episode here.

THE RISE OF INTANGIBLES

  • Intangible assets, such as algorithms, brands and lists, make up more than 84 per cent of the value of the S&P 500, according to Bloomberg. This is a radical shift from just 20 years ago. And now the global pandemic is pushing the intangible component even higher with the value of intangible-heavy companies like Google and Facebook soaring while smokestack stocks languish. Read the full Bloomberg article here.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES: STARBUCKS TIES EXECUTIVE PAY TO 2025 DIVERSITY TARGETS

  • Coffee chain Starbucks has become the latest company in the US to set fresh diversity goals, announcing that it would mandate antibias training for executives and tie their compensation to increasing minority representation in its workforce. The chain says it will aim for at least 30 per cent of its corporate employees and 40 per cent of retail and manufacturing employees—to be people of color by 2025. Read more in The WSJ.

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