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13 Mar, 2016

Government agencies can function better as ‘model’ businesses – Report

Australia, 10 March 2016, (ASBC News) – Government agencies across Australia can clearly improve the way is which they conduct business with the private sector, according to a major report on government business behaviour by the Australian Small Business Commissioner.

If government agencies improved their performance and were examples of good business behaviour the benefits to the Australian business community and the national economy would be “substantial,” Australian Small Business Commissioner, Mark Brennan said.

The report includes six recommendations and outlines how a government agency can improve their performance by adopting “model” business behaviours.

Government leaders felt that commitment to ‘strategy, stakeholders, staff and success’ and the alignment of behaviours around these commitments will realise clear and tangible benefits as important to government as to business.

It was also highlighted that the personality, philosophy and experience of government leaders is pivotal in establishing an appropriate standard of behaviour.

Australian business leaders also held a clear view that a ‘model’ business aligns the behaviours of leaders – government or private sector – with the values of an organisation and the principles and practices of employees.

Researchers interviewed 30 senior government leaders and 28 business leaders who regularly deal with government to explore federal government agencies’ business behaviour

The Office of the Australian Small Business Commissioner (ASBC) today released the report, titled ‘Government Agencies Behaving as a Model Business’.

It was undertaken by Deloitte Touche Tohamatsu for the ASBC and builds on earlier studies and consultations in 2014 that profiled Australian business leader’s views regarding what constitutes ‘model’ business behaviour.

Today’s report confirmed that all government agencies regularly behave in a business-like manner, but there is room for improvement.

“We found that the fundamentals of ‘model’ business behaviour are essentially the same, regardless of sector,” Commissioner Brennan said.

The recommendations made within the report are intended to guide and strengthen the adoption of ‘model’ business behaviour across government agencies in their relationships with the business community.

The studies are available at www.asbc.gov.au/reports or hard copies can be requested by calling 1300 650 460.