BottomFeeder: V. 8 No. 5 November 2008

The Bottom Feeder Vol. 8, No. 5 November 2008

What's New:

Asbestos Again!

Back in 2004 we produced one of our "Timely Topics" on the subject of asbestos and earlier in 2008 we updated it. We will now revise it again to include the new round of articles that were written on the eve of the Rotterdam Convention meeting in Rome. Those of you interested in corporate social responsibility and business and politics may want to re-visit our guide to see what the current kerfuffle is all about. For those who are not that interested, we will include here a reference to one article which briefly outlines the issue and which hints that Canada is guilty of "Hazardous Hypocrisy" - see the Economist, Oct. 23, 2008. For more detail, see our guide - Asbestos.

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New From Stat-USA

 

American Tax Dollars @ Work - For You!

Once again we have discovered some very useful Canadian data that have been assembled by Americans for Americans who wish to do business elsewhere in the world. If you go to Stat-USA and then choose the international section (GLOBUS & NTDB) and the International Market Insight Reports you will find the Canadian ones listed right between Cameroon and Cape Verde - which provides an indication of how broad the coverage is, in that Canada is even included. Here are two we noticed to add to the ones we pointed out in The Bottom Feeders back in August and May of 2008.

 

Canada: Toys and Games Industry Report, Elizene Osores, Aug. 2008.

Among the subjects covered you will find: Market Definition and Demand; Industry Statistics; Number of Companies; Market Entry and Market Issues. There is nothing that is "top secret" about this toy industry analysis since the sources used are all available to you - from, e.g., Industry Canada and the Canadian Toy Association. Still Ms Osores has done a good job of pulling all the information together and presenting it clearly. Among other things you learn that the toy industry is worth almost $2 billion (US) and that there are around 200 toy and game manufacturers in Canada (although most of the toys sold come from China). As well, you find among the Educational Toys a reference to a game that allows children to be the General Manager of a hockey team so as to learn negotiating and, one supposes, fight refereeing skills.

The toy industry is relatively difficult to research so keep this report in mind. We did look at some of our other proprietary resources and found three that we will mention here: Mintel has a couple of reports on toys and games - one for the U.S. (2002) and one for Ireland (2007). GMID has reports on both traditional and electronic games for many countries and they even have a good Canadian report done this year. Freedonia also provides a 20 page Focus Report on the U.S. toy industry that was done in 2007.

 

Country: Canada - Natural Health Products, Pierre Richer, Sept. 2008

This report is very useful. On p. 5 there is, for example, a list of the top Canadian suppliers, which includes the location, number of employees and sales. We learn on p.4 "that Canadian consumers are very responsive to new research, media coverage, and advertisements of NHPs, making their preferences in the NHP market very dynamic". Among the most popular products you will find: Glucosamine, Echinecia, garlic supplements and Ginko Biloba. The Canadian market for NHPs is estimated to have a wholesale value of around $1.3 billion (US) and 4 Canadians out of 5 have used NHPs.

For other studies relating to this subject see GMID. In our catalogue you will also find related books by using the subject - Natural Products. We have, in the Reference Collection this book and are attempting to see if a new edition is planned: Natural Health Products Canada: Industry Guide (BUSREF HD9675.B68N38)

 

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CIAO

Those of you who have forgotten and those of you who are new to the University may only recognize the letters above as an Italian expression. In the context of information delivery they stand for

"Columbia International Affairs Online"

a resource to which you have access and which includes journals, working papers and even books from a variety of sources. We have listed below some of the organizations, institutions and NGOs that contribute data to CIAO, and sample titles that were recently added. They will likely be of most interest to those who teach and study international relations and to the Centres for Sustainable Value and Emerging Markets. If you use CIAO be sure to try the "Interactive Atlas Tool" which allows you to quickly pull up information about a country by simply clicking on the map provided.

 

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

Title: Giving Green to Get Green: Incentives and Consumer Adoption of Hybrid Vehicle Technology
Author: Kelly Sims Gallagher, Erich Muehlegger
Date: February 2008

The Cato Institute

Title: Executive Pay: Regulation vs. Market Competition
Author: Ira T. Kay, Steven Van Putten
Date: September 2008

Center for Global Development

Title: Biofuels and the Food Price Crisis: A Survey of the Issues - Working Paper 151
Author: Kimberly Elliott
Date: August 2008

The Brookings Institution

Title: Credit Crisis: The Sky is not Falling! [ the ! is ours]
Author: Anthony Downs
Date: October 2007

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Title: China's Economic Rise-Fact and Fiction
Author: Albert Keidel
Date: July 2008

Council on Foreign Relations

Title: Sovereign Wealth and Sovereign Power: The Strategic Consequences of American Indebtedness
Date: September 2008
[see the guide to this subject we produced last Spring - Sovereign Wealth Funds. ]

Oxfam Publishing

Title: Briefings for Business: Business and the Millennium Development Goals
Date: August 2008

Title: Coping with climate change: what works for women?
Author: Kate Raworth
Date: July 2008

Title: Another Inconvenient Truth: How Biofuel Policies are Deepening Poverty and Accelerating Climate Change
Date: June 2008

Peterson Institute for International Economics

Title: Financial Repression in China
Author: Nicholas R. Lardy
Date: September 2008

 

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New from the Conference Board:

 

Compensation Planning Outlook 2009: Economic Uncertainty Spells Caution Ahead, by Allison Cowan

Compensation Planning Outlook summarizes the results of The Conference Board of Canada's annual compensation survey. This year's Outlook explores reward strategies and priorities; base pay increases; short- and long-term incentive plans, including variable pay; employee turnover; performance management; and anticipated wage settlements. The average non-union pay increase for 2009 is projected to be 3.9 per cent, 1.9 percentage points ahead of the 2 per cent inflation rate forecast for next year. The highest increases-averaging 5.4 per cent-will occur in the oil and gas industry. Wage settlements for unionized workers are expected to average 3.2 per cent in 2009.

Turmoil in the financial markets and the possibility of a global economic downturn will put downward pressure on pay increases in 2009. Recruitment and retention issues will continue to place pressure on businesses.

 

Harnessing the Power: Recruiting, Engaging, and Retaining Mature Workers, by Karla Thorpe

[This report] examines the aging workforce and the strategies Canadian organizations have in place to recruit, engage, and retain mature workers. The report summarizes the results of a survey of 109 Canadian organizations representing a broad cross-section of regions and industry categories.

The report highlights the concerns of Canadian organizations about their aging workforce, particularly the expected loss of experienced leaders and corporate knowledge in the next few years. To date, however, most organizations have not yet targeted specific human resources programs and policies to their mature workers. This is limiting their ability to attract, retain, and engage this increasingly important segment. To ensure organizational success as the post-war baby boom ages, organizations will need to invest in a better understanding of the motivations, needs, and preferences of this cohort.

 

Steering a Tricky Course: Effective Public-Private Partnerships for the Provision of Transportation Infrastructure and Services, by Mario Iacobacci

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly being used to procure transportation infrastructure assets. But what are the factors that make for successful PPPs? A review of three case studies offers insights. The Confederation Bridge PPP shows that project risks can be successfully transferred to the private sector, and underscores the importance of having the procurement authority adapt its role to the requirements of a PPP. The London Underground PPPs demonstrate the use of innovative output-based performance measures, but they also show that significant uncertainty about major costs (such as upgrades to legacy assets) can impair the effectiveness of risk transfer to the private sector. As well, these PPPs suggest that governments should be cautious about imposing PPP delivery methods on lower levels of government. Finally, the Montréal metro project, which was not a PPP, provides insights on the importance of thorough project planning and the value of extensive due diligence.

[we have long been interested in this subject and have produced some related guides. See, for example: Public Private Partnerships; The Private Sector and Public Highways; Private Prisons and Industry/University Alliances.] We also continue to get books on the topic. One of the latest hints, in the sub-title, at the central dilemma with P3s: European Public-Private Collaboration: A Choice Between Efficiency and Democratic Accountability?

 

Making Canada More Competitive: Improving Major Project Regulation in Canada, by Len Coad.

The burden of regulation can be a key constraint to economic performance. Governments at all levels in Canada are keenly aware of this burden and face constant pressure to reduce regulatory requirements. This analysis looks at regulatory requirements for major resource projects and recent initiatives to reduce the time required to review projects. The goal is to contribute to regulatory efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness. The key focus of this study is the evolving regulatory treatment of major resource projects-primarily at the federal level-while also considering issues of shared jurisdiction with provincial or aboriginal governments

If you have difficulty accessing any of these CB reports, contact the Johnston Library.

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The Canadian Data Centre Industry

We were attracted to this industry by an informative article in the G&M. Quite frankly if you had asked us for Canadian data about this subject prior to reading the article, we would have been unsure about where to get them. To learn more about data centres, start with the piece by Steve Ladurantaye: "Co-Location, Co-Location, Co- Location...Off-Site Data Centres a Growing Industry," G&M, Aug.19, 2008, p.B11. He defines the industry this way and is bullish about it: "Data centres are essentially large, climate-controlled warehouses full of computer servers. A business outsources network services to the centre, eliminating the need for in-house equipment and expertise." While the largest data centres are run by companies with names with which you are familiar (e.g. IBM, HP and EDS), the article provides information about three smaller Canadian firms: Peer 1 Network Enterprises; Q9 Networks and IWEB.

The article indicates that there are sound reasons for investors to be attracted to this sector and if you are interested in learning more details you should have a look at the very interesting analysis upon which the reporting is based. We tracked it down on Thomson One Banker. The 35 page report was done by David Lambert of Canaccord Adams - "Canadian Data Centers: Still Early Stage," Aug. 12, 2008. Here are some of the topics covered:
"Key Factors Driving Demand for Data Centre Services in Canada"
"Landscape of North America Data Centre Companies"
"Canadian Data Centre Companies' Competitive Advantage"
"Data Centre Company Valuations"
In the valuation section (p.15), the companies covered other than the three mentioned above are Equinix; Savvis and Rackspace.

If you want to go beyond this excellent and informative study we suggest you have a look at two of our IT resources. Faulkner provides very useful reports as well as company profiles. See, for example, their report on Savvis. Forrester is also very good and related reports include: "Check Lists for Data Center Site Location" and "Q&A: Top Questions About Data Center Colocation". There is also an interesting article in a recent Forbes: "Power Hungry: Who's Getting Rich off those Electricity Hogging Data Centres? Cisco," by Quentin Hardy, Vol. 182, N0.5, Sept. 29, 2008
(Note: when you are searching for information on this topic use the variant spellings for center/centre and co-location/colocation.

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The Canadian "Cleantech Sector"

Our attention was drawn to this subject by an article in the National Post that presented "Ten Companies that are Cleaning Up", (by Alia McMullen, Nov.1, 2008, p.FW2). According to the article, there are now over 100 "cleantech companies" on either the TXS Stock Exchange or the TSX Venture Exchange. The firms are engaged in a variety of activities such as alternative energy development, and the production of parts and components or services for those involved in renewable and sustainable endeavours. The first reference we were able to find that relates to the TSX's involvement with this sector is in a speech that was given at the DeGroote School of Business by Rik Parkhill, President of TSX Markets who noted that (at that time) the sector was not clearly defined. He added: "While we don't have a strict definition of cleantech on our markets yet, we do have a number of issuers in the business of improving the environment." TSX Group's exchanges have 80 companies involved in all aspects of cleantech from fuel cell technology to water purification and wind power." ("Tsx Group Inc - Supports Innovative Market Solutions",

Market News Publishing, May 10, 2007.) Last month the TSX hosted a "Cleantech Investor Day (Oct. 16, 2008) and it was noted that as of August 2008, "there were 108 cleantech companies listed on Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange with a combined market capitalization of more than $11.5 billion." ("Toronto Stock Exchange to Host Cleantech Investor Day", Market News Publishing, Oct. 15, 2008.) Here is the list of "FP Top Ten Canadian Cleantech Companies" that was presented in the Post article. The companies are listed in alphabetical order, but it is not clear to us how exactly "top" is defined:

Aqua-Pure Ventures Inc.

ARISE Technologies Corporation

Boralex Inc.

Canadian Hydro Developers

Carmanah Technologies Corporation

ProSep Inc.

QuestAir Technologies, Inc.

Sustainable Energy Technlogies Ltd.

Timminco Ltd.

Westport Innovations Inc.

 

Related stories about the "cleantech sector" are easily found. See for example, "Cleantech Investment Hits Record of $1.6 billion [U.S.] in Third Quarter of 2008," by Dirk Lammers, Associated Press Newswires, Oct. 30, 2008. At this point, however, industry reports for cleantech are not generally available and information about the companies comprising this sector will have to be pieced together. One suggestion we have - take a look at the "Cleantech Chronicles" which cover Cleantech and Renewable Energy. They are produced by Dundee Capital Markets and are available to you on Thomson One Banker.

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The Sports Industry

This industry is also difficult to research and for that reason we call to your attention this new three volume work: The Business of Sports: Vol.1: Perspectives on the Sports Industry; Vol.2: Economic Perspectives on Sport; v.3: Bridging Research and Practice, ed. by Brad R. Humphreys and Dennis R. Howard. In a review in the Nov. 2008 issue of Choice, it is noted that "Humphreys (economics, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton) and Howard (business, Univ. of Oregon) have amassed and organized more than 30 commissioned papers that examine and explain many facets of this "n-dimensional" industry. Looking at the business of sports from a variety of academic and hands-on viewpoints--economics, marketing and management, health and physical education, policy and planning--the volumes in this set include chapters on profitability and financial aspects of leagues and mega-events, expansion and relocation, sports labor markets, facilities, and many other topics related to North American professional and college athletics and to international sports." Two of the most important resources we have for this subject, SBRnet and Plunkett are profiled in the July 2006 issue of The Bottom Feeder. For another recent book on the topic, see International Cases in the Business of Sport. For data about sports-related themes, (e.g. the most valuable soccer clubs or valuations for teams in the NFL or NBA) see Forbes which we have in print and which is searchable by using ProQuest.

 

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Canadian HR Resources

In the last issue of The Bottom Feeder we presented some general information about HR resources and here we get more specific and describe some of those that are Canadian. Seven are singled out below and they will be very useful for those studying the Canadian workplace, for case writers and especially for HR staff here at Ivey and Western. In most cases, they are not available electronically and they are otherwise hard to find unless one points them out. That is our purpose here.

CLV reports.
Management Matters.
Canadian Business Management Manual

Human Resources Management in Canada
Focus on Canadian Employment and Equality Rights

The Human Resources Advisor (Ontario).
Human Resources PolicyPro (Ontario)



CLV Reports

The CLV stands for "Canada Labour Views" and the masthead indicates that this weekly publication has been "Serving Industrial Relations Since 1956". We have it in our periodicals collection from 1972 and for anyone tracking Canadian HR trends and issues it will be a useful periodical. There is an index in the front of the current binder and from some of the entries you will be able to see how it could be used. It covers "Court Cases" and among the titles are " Wal-Mart Wins in Court of Appeal" and "Pay Equity Settlement Deep-Sixed". In the "General" category for 2008 you will find: "Newly Organized Workplaces Reflect Trends"; "Public Sector Wages Higher in West"; "Ontario RPNs Get Raise" and "Family Day an Issue for Some Unions". Each month there is also a table indicating the CPI for Canada, the Provinces and Regional Cities (unfortunately, London is not included). Here is a description of CLV Reports from the publisher, Carswell.

Stay up-to-date in the fast-moving industrial relations field with reports from collective bargaining tables across the country. Settlements, as they occur, are covered in complete detail with pertinent information on wage adjustments, paid holidays, vacations with pay, shift premiums, medical benefits, dental plans, weekly indemnity, life insurance, pension plans, cost-of-living allowances and rates of pay. CLV Reports monitors the trends in wage settlements, working conditions and pension benefits enabling you to negotiate wage contracts using the latest economic data including the consumer price index and labour force information. Keep track of developments in federal/provincial employment, collective bargaining and occupational health and safety legislation with our "Legislative and Regulatory Review" column. "Arbitration Review" presents summaries of leading grievance arbitration decisions in digest form combined with other significant arbitration decisions.

At this time, the publication seems to be only available in print and we do not know of an electronic alternative.

 

Management Matters

This monthly publication comes as part of our subscription to the Canadian Business Management Manual (see below). It is published by CCH (Wolters Kluwer) and we have issues back to 1995. It consists of stapled sheets (the older issues are bound) and it is basically difficult to determine what it contains without simply browsing through them. Recent issues cover these topics in brief (typically a couple of paragraphs) and offer comments on such things as labour legislation and they frequently include a piece about U.S. trends: "The Family Circus: Helping Employees Juggle Work and Family Responsibilities"; "Employee Share Purchase Plans: Do They Really Motivate Employees to Think and Act Like Owners" and the March 2008 issue offers "Performance Improvement Plan Guidelines". At this time a searchable electronic version does not appear to be available. Some back issues (1996-2002) are provided via a ProQuest database where they can be browsed or searched.

 

Canadian Business Management Manual

This 2 volume looseleaf manual is kept behind the Johnston Library Service Desk. These volumes are packed with information on topics ranging from adoption and parental leave to Yukon minimum wages. Broad subjects include: intellectual property;
e-commerce; franchising and environmental management. The second volume is devoted to Human Rights issues and includes Federal and Provincial Legislation relating to such things as sexual harassment, prohibited conduct and affirmative action. There are also data on the CPI, the Bank of Canada lending rate and wages and salaries and taxation.

 

Human Resources Management in Canada

Here is a description of this resource from the publisher - Carswell:
Written by leading human resources experts (consultants and practitioners), Human Resources Management in Canada is designed to help human resources professionals in three key ways:

• Solve the day-to-day problems that arise • Present information regarding "state of the art" management issues that may benefit job performance

• Provide specific information on the latest governmental, legal, labour, business and professional developments.
Keep current with leading-edge management developments and the critical legal, labour, business and professional news that affects your profession and your company. As a subscriber to this three-volume looseleaf reference service, you will receive monthly supplements containing updates to core reference material and provincial employment standards legislation, in-depth feature articles about current human resource issues, and the Report Bulletin, a digest of news and professional development tips.
Table of Contents • Volume 1 • How to Use this Service • Report Bulletins • Index to Report Bulletins and Features Articles • Index to Reference Manuals • Professional Associations • Organization and Administration of Human Resources Management Function • Human Resources Planning • Staffing: Recruitment and Selection • Training • Human Resources Development • Wage and Salary Administration • Volume 2 • Employee Benefit Plans • Human Rights: Issues in Employment • Union-Management Relations: An Overview Volume 3• Occupational Health and Safety • Quality of Working Life and Employee Motivation • Control of Human Resources • Termination of Employment • Employment Standards.

It is updated frequently and the topical issues covered in a recent one include: "Ontario to Extend Bargaining Rights to Part-Time College Workers" and "Newfoundland Protects Employees During Pension Plan Wind-up"

 

Focus on Canadian Employment and Equality Rights

This monthly publication from CCH is described this way by the publisher:

Unless you know the most recent laws and current issues in this area, you can easily find yourself or your company embroiled in a dispute. This monthly newsletter is for employers and HR practitioners who want to avoid such problems. It gives you expert reviews of the hottest issues in employment and equality rights. Practical "how-to", "question and answer", and "what would you do?" columns and case notes offer a broad range of insight on a wide range of topics, such as workplace diversity and accommodation, privacy rights, absenteeism, sexual harassment, drug and alcohol testing, and pay equity. Also includes legislative developments, and government programs and initiatives.

Features:

• Editorial - expert analysis and interesting commentary on topical issues
• Case Notes - summaries of court, board, and tribunal decisions
• Did you know? and Q&A columns - interesting facts you need to be aware of
• How To - practical advice on specific topics
• Quotable - recent quotations that highlight areas of current interest
• Buzz-Words - an ongoing glossary of terms
• Legislative Developments - updates on recent changes in the law
• Calendar - upcoming seminars and conferences on employment and human rights issues
• "What Would You Do?" - analysis of actual workplace situations involving human rights or equity issues. They examine what was done and what should have been done, focusing on the repercussions.

Benefits:

• Focus on Canadian Employment & Equality Rights encourages you, the employer, to be proactive rather than reactive and helps to keep you out of potentially costly trouble. For example, you're provided with information to help avoid and prevent discrimination in the workplace and employment-related human rights disputes.
• You're kept aware of government programs and initiatives that may be beneficial.
• You're also made aware of other publications and information and how they may be accessed.
• The "How To" section covers such topics as how to improve the hiring process, how to revise application forms, and how and why to implement a sexual harassment policy.
• The "Buzz Words" section helps you to understand the jargon of Charter cases and equality legislation.

 

 

The Human Resources Advisor (Ontario)

This publication is produced by First Reference and this description is from their website. From it you will see that anyone researching HR issues or

writing a case about them, will find this to be an invaluable resource.

· The Human Resources Advisor for Ontario Employers (HRAO) is a comprehensive, straightforward, one-volume guide to payroll and employment law. Always up-to-date and filled with practical "how-to" information, it's like having a full-time HR consultant on staff!

• HRAO makes it easy for Ontario employers to comply with legal requirements set out in employment legislation and regulations. It is also a concise, up-to-date guide to an employer's payroll obligations.
• CD version (included with subscription) contains all the information in the HRAO binder, plus expanded coverage of specific topics, Quick Reference checklists and fillable personnel forms. It also features hundreds of links to government and industry websites.
  Whether you have a question about overtime, public holidays or leaves of absence - or more complex issues like termination, absenteeism, or human rights - you'll find the answer you need in The Human Resources Advisor.

 

The HRAO binder is kept at the Service Desk and it includes a version on CD. It also includes a newsletter - Inside HRA Newsletter and some issues of that publication are found and can be searched on a ProQuest database (c1998-2006)

Human Resources PolicyPro (Ontario)

This resource is also from First Reference and it will be useful for those looking for forms or those who need to create an HR manual. Here is a description:

• Creating and maintaining an HR policy and procedure manual is a substantial undertaking for any organization. The process takes a lot of valuable time and effort - but it's essential. You must comply with Ontario employment law statutes and regulations and avoid costly legal challenges. And health & safety and anti-harassment policies are now mandatory in Ontario.
• But how do you find the time to research, write and review the policies, then distribute them to your colleagues? And how do you maintain your policy manual when the laws never stop changing?
• That's where Human Resources PolicyPro - Ontario Edition (ONPP) can help. ONPP contains a complete set of ready-to-use model personnel policies that meet Ontario's minimum employment law requirements. Each policy also includes expert advice, including legal and other considerations. Whether you use ONPP as a comprehensive reference work or a fast, easy way to customize, print and distribute individual policies or a complete policy manual, Human Resources PolicyPro - Ontario Edition is an ideal way to ensure that your personnel policies are clear, consistent and up-to-date. And the powerful PolicyPro application is fully integrated with Word and Excel, so there's no new software to learn.

 

Those interested in Canadian HR issues should be aware of these reference tools and periodicals. For specific topics related to this broad subject see the guides we have created for Human Resources. For more books and journals, click on the links above where you will see the subject headings related to the entry - subject headings such as "Personnel Management" (which provides 45 other related headings) and "Personnel Management - Periodicals" (which leads you to HR periodicals).

 

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What's Old - From the Stacks:

Entrepreneurship

Early interest in the subject of entrepreneurship here at Western was discovered among the Johnston Library periodicals in the form of five slim issues of The Entrepreneurs Journal which was produced in the mid-1980s by students here at Western. According to the first issue (Vol. 1, Dec. 1983) the UWO Entrepreneurs's Club began at the end of the school year in 1982 and had a membership of 400. In that first issue you will also find on the front page, a picture of a young Conrad Black. Apparently the Club asked him to come to speak and he countered with an offer to have the club's executive visit him at Argus, which they did. Mr. Black currently resides in the U.S.

There are brief profiles of people and companies (e.g. Greig Clark, College Pro Painters and Tim Snelgrove of Timothy's Coffees of the World) and remarks by speakers who came to Western (e.g. Peter Newman - for a short sketch and long bibliography relating to Newman, see our guide which is found among our other Biographies).

The last issue we have is Vol.5, 1985 and we are unsure why it ceased to exist since there is no indication that that issue would be the last one.