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Smith Business Insight Podcast

The Smith Business Insight Podcast from Smith School of Business

Tune in for a different take on business, with professors, researchers and experts from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. We bring you a blend of research expertise and insightful discussions, exploring the depths of commerce and beyond. You’ll never look at business the same way again.

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Series 4

AI Reality Check

The age of artificial intelligence is here — and it can be hard to decide whether we should feel giddy or dread. AI is already disrupting everything from finance and law to education and health care. Where do we go from here? Join host Meredith Dault as she and expert guests take a clear-eyed view of the promise and perils of AI applications.

Episode 1

Welcome to the Age of AI

Take a tour inside the big tent of artificial intelligence to learn which applications are starring, which are not ready for prime time and whether any are worth trusting  

Listen now to Welcome to the Age of AI
Episode 2

Battling Bias

Algorithms hobbled by human biases are playing havoc with people’s lives. How do we best respond to the challenge?

Listen now to Battling Bias
Episode 3

AI-Powered HR

From recruitment to retention, next-generation platforms promise to streamline humdrum workplace functions and enhance employee experience

Listen now to AI-Powered HR
Episode 4

Marketing Unbound

Generative AI is getting so good that the human touch in marketing may be a thing of the past

Listen now to Marketing Unbound
Episode 5

Legal Disruptors

AI has the potential to take over almost half of the work in law firms and to give individuals and small businesses easier and less expensive access to pricey legal services

Listen now to Legal Disruptors
Episode 6

The AI Colleague

Say hello to the newest member of your team: Cathy Cobot. And goodbye to predictable team dynamics

Listen now to The AI Colleague
Series 3

Brave New Workplace

A Brave New Workplace. That sounds like just what we need right now — a positive vision of the workplace that is productive, healthy and safe for everyone. It’s a vision Julian Barling, one of the world’s top leadership researchers, sets out in his latest book, “Brave New Workplace”. Join host Alan Morantz as he explores the future of work with Dr. Barling.

Episode 1

Leadership

A look behind the hero’s cape reveals the secrets guiding great leaders and the shortcomings of wannabes

Listen now to Leadership
Episode 2

Safety

The fallout from Covid has changed how we talk about the management of workplace health and safety

Listen now to Safety
Episode 3

Autonomy

Members of the organizational elite expect to have a major say in how and where they do their own jobs. What will it take for them to get over their need to micromanage others?

Listen now to Autonomy
Episode 4

Meaning

Engaging work and the chance to help others — not money or self-interest — are the ultimate job motivators. Someone forgot to tell the boss

Listen now to Meaning
Episode 5

Looming Issues

Robot bosses? Random safety checks at your home office? We may be careening into the unknown, but the workplace of the future will be guided by familiar human needs

Listen now to Looming Issues
Series 2

Teams Work

Most of the work you’ll do today isn’t done solo. It’s done in teams with your colleagues, managers and others. Indeed, effective teamwork is the superpower behind organizational success. Host Meredith Dault takes you inside the world of teamwork and tackles the issues and stumbling blocks that prevent teams from being all that they can be.

Episode 1

Managing Boundary-Busting Teams

How do we build teams that make the most of being hybrid, and how do we keep pulling in the same direction… even when we’re not in the same space?

Listen now to Managing Boundary-Busting Teams
Episode 2

Aligning Diverse Voices

How do team leaders align diverse voices? And how can a diverse mindset be cultivated, whether or not you’re in charge?

Listen now to Aligning Diverse Voices
Episode 3

Secrets of Knowledge-Hungry Teams

People seem too busy or shy or skittish to share information or offer advice that would improve a team member’s performance. This episode shows you how to release the knowledge dam.

Listen now to Secrets of Knowledge-Hungry Teams
Episode 4

Building High EQ Teams

We know how important it is for people to have emotional intelligence to thrive in the workplace. The same goes for teams. Here’s a road map to build team-wide EQ

Listen now to Building High EQ Teams
Episode 5

Innovating Teams

Innovation teams have jumped from tech firms to general organizations that need to find creative responses to rapid-fire change. What makes them special?

Listen now to Innovating Teams
Series 1

Start-up Cycle

Is there any job harder than being an entrepreneur? Starting a business is a journey filled with opportunities and obstacles, hard-won wins and crushing losses, days of joy and nights of dread. Whether you’re just starting down the new venture road or already well on your way, join host Meredith Dault as she explores the steps to reach entrepreneurial success.

Episode 1

Discovery

Are entrepreneurs born or are they made? And what matters more when you are starting a business - passion or perseverance? This first episode of The Start-up Cycle explores these questions and more.

Listen now to Discovery
Episode 2

Risk

Shari Hughson, director of the Master of Entrepreneurship & Innovation program, knows a thing or two about risk-taking. We also hear from Smith entrepreneurship coach and mentor JP Shearer on the risks every entrepreneur needs to be aware of when starting a business.

Listen now to Risk
Episode 3

Financing

You know your business idea is worth a million bucks – now you just have to convince someone to give you the cash to make it happen. But while some say it is easier than ever for start-ups to raise money, one question remains: what’s the best way to do it?

Listen now to Financing
Episode 4

Scaling

One of the challenges when you are growing your business is finding the right balance: do you grow the leadership team first, or focus on the sales force? And how far into the future should you be casting your gaze? We tackle these questions and hear what makes great entrepreneurial teams tick.

Listen now to Scaling
Episode 5

Sustaining

Too many start-ups hit the ground running, and then sputter out before their time is up. Don’t let it happen to you. This episode focuses on finding ways to sustain your business as it grows.

Listen now to Sustaining
Episode 6

Perseverance

Starting a business is one thing, discover how to keep going when the going gets tough.

Listen now to Perseverance