CMA Management articles from March 2007

CMA Management archives from March 2007

The pursuit of sustainability.(from the editor)
March 1, 2007... Newspapers in the month of January and February were full of reports charting the broad effects climate change has had on Canadians this winter. Even the business pages explained how some industries and individual companies are beginning to...

Crisis Communications in Canada.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Crisis communications is a subject that every senior manager should have some grounding in. A company that can manage a crisis proactively is less likely to be beset by long-term repercussions from a negative event. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Green to Gold.
March 1, 2007... Many firms find it profitable to have an environmental strategy. Green to Gold -- How Smart companies use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage examines these companies, outlining methods that any...

Firing Back.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Is it possible to rescue your career and restore your reputation after a major professional setback? In an age when we're bombarded with press accounts of disgraced CEOs, politicians, and celebrities, this question is more important than ever....

New international public sector accounting standards.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
March 1, 2007... The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has released International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs), which identify disclosures to be made by...

New IFAC paper on SME accounting standards.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
March 1, 2007... The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has released a new information paper that explores the needs of users and preparers of the financial reports of micro-entities. Entitled Micro-Entity Financial Reporting: Perspectives of...

Canadian IPOs dive in late 2006.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
March 1, 2007... Initial public offerings (IPOs) on Canadian equity markets all but stopped in the final three months of 2006, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) IPO survey. The steep decline in the value of new offerings in the last quarter dragged...

CRA issues FAQs on Form T1013.(New and noteworthy information you can use)(Canada Revenue Agency)(frequently asked questions)(www.cra-arc.gc.ca/eservices/tax/representatives/faqsauth-e.html)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... More information has recently been released by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on the processing of Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative. Frequently asked questions have been developed and can now be found on the...

Strong resource prices boost Canadian wealth.(New and noteworthy information you can use)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Despite a downturn in U.S. economic growth, Canada has enough strength in its domestic economy to grow by 2.7% in 2007 and 3.3% in 2008, according to the Conference Board's Canadian Outlook--Winter 2007. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The...

New software.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
March 1, 2007... Visit www.managementmag.com for more information on the following software and applications packages: * CyberMatrix Employee Scheduler version 2 * Adobe's Acrobat Connect web-hosted service

SEC extends 404 compliance for non-accelerated filers.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
March 1, 2007... In mid-December, the SEC issued an adopting release to provide for the extension proposed in August to push back the internal controls compliance dates for non-accelerated filers--the date is pushed back from annual reports for fiscal years...

Info management at your office bad? You're not alone.(New and noteworthy information you can use)(Survey)
March 1, 2007... Middle managers spend more than a quarter of their time searching for information necessary to their jobs, and when they do find it, it's often wrong, according to results of a recent Accenture survey. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Simply Accounting updated.(HIGH TECH)
March 1, 2007... Simply Accounting, by Sage Software, is one of the most popular accounting packages for small businesses. Each year, the company updates its system, and this process is driven by customer feedback and focus groups of new and current users....

Growing pains: expanding your business while keeping your employees happy can be a challenge. But with open communication, and an understanding of the employee/employer relationship dynamic, it can benefit all involved.(human resources)
March 1, 2007... Mason, the owner of an established, small and successful IT firm, was very excited last year after receiving news of some big contract wins. His firm had just landed several long-term general maintenance contracts that promised to double his...

Mergers and acquisitions--three ways to dodge the pitfalls: while mergers and acquisitions can often seem the ideal solution for a company's challenging situation, there are a few basic pitfalls that can make the investment worthless. Be aware of these potential difficulties.(business strategies)
March 1, 2007... Mergers and acquisitions (M & A) are simply a fact of doing business. They sometimes come in waves, considered a solution for the challenges of globalization, and a relatively easy way to grow quickly in a saturated market. As management...

Lean or green?
March 1, 2007... The way accountants balance the pursuit of profit and the image of corporate social responsibility has been a complex problem for many years. As companies try to gain market share with a greener image, getting the equation right--and...

Branding an energy contender: Atomic Energy of Canada has successfully sold its CANDU reactors overseas for years. Now, management's hoping that a streamlined and branded approach to its product and development will attract new business here at home.
March 1, 2007... In its first extensive report in two years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) in November stated that the world is facing an energy future that's "dirty, insecure and expensive" if governments don't pursue alternatives such as nuclear power...

Packing the perfect HR punch: Great Little Box Company president and CEO Robert Meggy, CMA, FCMA, knows that people make a business. His unique approach to employee engagement proves it.
March 1, 2007... When I reached Robert Meggy, CMA, FCMA, a couple of weeks before Christmas at his office in Richmond, B.C. he had a confession to make. "I never thought that, running a box company, I'd have to become an expert in children's toys." ...

The business of climate change: a recent Ottawa conference highlighted the challenges and benefits of addressing climate change. The federal government appears to be listening to what's being said here and elsewhere on the issue.(government issues)
March 1, 2007... In October 2006 a major conference was held in Ottawa sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Centre for Policy Ingenuity. It made important progress in starting to come to grips with the difficult issue of climate change. This...

Sub-Saharan Africa--a bold business opportunity: despite its reputation as a centre of strife, Canadian businesses are finding opportunities to make money--and help out--in this trouble area.(global view)
March 1, 2007... An all-too-common view of the part of Africa lying south of the Sahara desert is of a subcontinent rife with discord: war, famine, AIDS, and genocide. Yet sub-Saharan Africa continues to draw hundreds of Canadian companies and...