New way to look at volunteers

"You can ask of a volunteer exactly what you can ask of a paid worker," says Australian Margaret Bell, an expert on the management of unpaid labour.

"The difference is in the number of hours they have to volunteer, and the times they can work."

Sociologist Ron Major, a former Methodist minister and ex-CEO of Bio-Grow New Zealand who has been involved with voluntary organisations for much of his working life, joins her in heading the bill at an Auckland City-organised seminar today at the Sorrento, One Tree Hill. For details contact Ian Leader, Auckland City Community Development, 379 2020.

Exceptional success

On Friday, distinguished American professor, William H. Starbuck of the Stern School of Business, discourses for free at the University of Auckland's department of management and employment relations on the subject of "factors in exceptional success."

You can hear this expert on everything from bargaining and organisational design to accounting and business strategy at room 225, Short St between 2-3 pm.

Top quality

And the winner of the 1998 Australian Quality Award, Steve Pniewski, customer service manager of ANZDL, is keynote speaker with an impressive line-up of other speech-makers at "Excellence Achievable," a one-day conference on March 22, at Auckland's Sheraton Hotel.
Sponsored by the New Zealand Quality Foundation, the seminar includes a presentation called "Can excellence apply to any organisation" by Brent Ritchie, chief executive of Wellington Combined Taxis. He obviously thinks it does.

* Contributing writer Selwyn Parker can be contacted at wordz@xtra.co.nz