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Rod McNaughton

Rod McNaughton

The Conversation

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As entry‑level jobs dry up in NZ, how can we help young people find their way into work?

Youth unemployment is rising in New Zealand as junior roles increasingly disappear from the labour market. But the picture is more complex than AI...

20.04.2026 10

The Conversation

Rod Mcnaughton

NZ’s low productivity is often blamed on businesses staying small. That could be a strength in 2026

Globally, specialised small firms are demonstrating the power of being better, not bigger. NZ could capitalise on the trend if it adjusts some...

12.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton

NZ needs more entrepreneurs. Will its new tertiary strategy reward real risk takers?

Innovation, disruption and risk are central to the entrepreneurial mindset. But they are hard to measure with conventional business or educational...

09.12.2025 20

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton

The AI boom feels eerily similar to 2000’s dotcom crash – with some important differences

With investor unease over AI stocks having just wiped a trillion dollars from markets, have we really learned the big lessons from 25 years ago?

11.11.2025 10

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton

Looking inward: why Trump’s tariffs highlight the need for NZ to build local capacity

Trump’s tariffs shine a light on New Zealand’s supply chain vulnerabilities. Is it time to revisit the idea of ‘import replacement’?

07.04.2025 20

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton

A website is not enough: businesses that use digital tools without a strategic plan will struggle in a tough economy

To survive the current economic climate, small and medium-sized businesses need to move digital technology from the margins to the core of what they...

04.03.2025 10

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton

Mark Zuckerberg wants business to ‘man up’, but what it really needs is more women entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs can have a big impact on a country’s productivity. So why aren’t more entering business – and what can we do to foster an...

05.02.2025 10

The Conversation

Rod McNaughton