Think: Business Futures

Dr Hardy Hulley, Senior Lecturer, Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Business School Producers: Jess Klajman, Annastasia Diaczok, Tim Wang and Rohan Indra

Most likely you've seen the bright pink and green logos on delivery drivers zipping around on bicycles. Maybe you've thought, that looks like a fun and flexible job. Or maybe you've wondered how do they get paid? Does it provide a more flexible workplace? Are they paid superannuation? On this episode of Think: Business Futures, Nicole and David speak to Sarah Kaine about the gig economy and how the legal definition of a 'worker' is important. Sarah Kaine is an Associate Professor in the Management Discipline at the University of Technology Business School. You can find out more about her research here. Caitlin Craufurd is a co-owner and manager of Petty Cash Cafe in Marrickville. Further reading: Criticism for Deliveroo superannuation A new definition of 'worker' could protect many from exploitation- The Conversation National Employment Standards- Fair Work Ombudsman Music: Michael Meem

Much has changed in the global economy since the early days of industrialisation. Supply chains have reshuffled, technological has changed, labour practices have evolved. One thing that has remained largely unchanged over this time is the linear model for resource consumption that follows a take-make-dispose pattern. On this episode of Think: Business Futures, Nicole and David speak to Melissa Edwards about designing goods to be reintroduced back into the consumption model. This model is referred to as the 'circular consumption model.' Melissa Edwards is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Business School. You can find out more about her research here. Rebecca Van Amber is a Research Associate at the Institute for Frontier Materials at Deakin University. For more information on the Circular Jeans project, visit Denim goes green thanks to Deakin innovation. Further reading: Key principles for a circular fashion industryPatagonia- Don't buy this jacketWhat We Learned in the Rainforest: Business Lessons from NatureStella McCartney on fashion waste in the Guardian Music: Michael Meem

It's easy to talk about the future of work using words like 'innovation', 'disruption' and 'blue-sky thinking' - but it's much harder to explain how it works and what it looks like in the real world. This is where Think: Business Futures comes in. Hosts David Brown and Nicole Sutton go beyond the buzzwords, and takes cutting-edge research and real world examples, to explore the complexities of a current business story.