The Bottom Line

For many graduates an internship has become the default route to full-time, paid employment. But getting a good placement is competitive and in some cases poorly paid or unpaid. What does this mean for social mobility and diversity in the workplace? Evan Davis and guests discuss the pros and cons of internships.GUESTSSarah Churchman, UK Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Wellbeing, PwC Amalia Illgner , Freelance journalist and a former intern Oliver Sidwell, Co-founder, Rate My Placement

Technological advances have made it easier for businesses to offer us more personalised goods and services, from customised cars to clothes that fit better and pioneering cell and gene therapies to target serious illnesses. How far can this personalisation revolution go? GUESTSDarrin Disley, Chief Executive of cell therapy company, Mogrify Georgina Silvester, Chief Operating Officer (designate), Handelsbanken UK Karl Howkins, Managing Director, Citroen UK Kate Ancketill, Chief Executive of GDR Creative Intelligence

There are more than two-and-a-half thousand consumer and business magazine titles on sale in the UK. What is the appeal of magazines and how does the business endure in spite of falling advertising revenues and declining circulation figures? GUESTSWolfgang Blau, President, Conde Nast InternationalTerri White, Editor-in-Chief, Empire MagazineRebecca McGrath, Senior Analyst, Media, Mintel

What's the point of an audit if it fails to detect when a company's about to go under? The sudden collapse of BHS, Carillion and Patisserie Valerie has dented public confidence in the firms that audited them and prompted calls for a shake-up of the audit industry. Would more competition in the sector, which is dominated by four big players, drive audit quality up? Do accountants need to be more robust in challenging company figures? Joining Evan Davis for The Bottom Line:Bill Michael, UK Chairman and Senior Partner at KPMG. Jac Berry, Audit Partner and UK Head of Quality at Mazars and Christopher Humphrey, Professor of Accounting at the Alliance Manchester Business School

Understanding how humans think and what makes them tick can be enormously helpful if you're running a company. Luckily behavioural science is on hand to do just that. How far can its use improve decision making in businesses? Joining Evan Davis are:Octavius Black, CEO and Co-founder of MindGym David Halpern, CEO, The Behavioural Insights Team Kim Atherton, Chief People Officer, Ovo Energy and CEO and Founder of Just3Things

Higher education in the UK is an astonishingly successful British industry, with an income of almost £35 billion a year. Universities have expanded hugely with more students from home and abroad. But uncertain times lie ahead. Tuition fees are under review and some people in the sector argue Brexit may make it harder to attract students from EU countries. Are universities sustainable as businesses?Guests: Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northampton Professor Trevor McMillan Vice-Chancellor of Keele University Dr Helen Carasso, Department of Education, Oxford University

The Internet of Things promised to revolutionise the way we live and work but what has it delivered and what more is it capable of doing? Join Evan Davis and guests as they discuss The Internet of Things.GUESTSKevin Ashton, Author who coined the phrase the Internet of ThingsCaroline Gorski, Global Director of R2 Data Labs, Rolls Royce PlcPaul Beastall, Head of Strategy, Cambridge Consultants

Has the #MeToo movement made businesses change the way they deal with sexual harassment and gender equality claims in the workplace? Does the law around non-disclosure agreements - often used to hush up this kind of behaviour - need to be changed? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTSSamantha Mangwana, Employment Lawyer, Partner, CM Murray Zelda Perkins, Campaigner and Theatrical ProducerOctavius Black, CEO and Co-founder, TheMindGym

There has been an explosion in the number of craft ale breweries and small-scale gin distilleries in recent years. The so-called super premium alcohol sector is growing. Why are these drinks popular among consumers? Is this a passing fad or is the drinks business facing fundamental change? Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests:Tina Warner-Keogh, partner and co-owner of Warner Edwards Gin Distillery Laura Edwards, general manager at Meantime Brewing Company and Andrew Geoghegan, global consumer planning director at Diageo

There is some evidence to suggest we are falling out of love with buying material things. Instead, we want to splash out creating memories that last a lifetime. What does the growth of what's known as the experience economy mean for businesses? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GuestsTristram Mayhew, Group Chairman, Go Ape! Myf Ryan, Chief marketing officer Europe, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Nick Johnson, Founder and co-Director, Market Operations

Plastic is arguably one of the world's greatest inventions. Its' qualities allow it to be used in everything from food packaging to clothes and cars. But discarded plastic clogs up our rivers and oceans threatening marine life creating a consumer backlash. So what can the industry do to restore its reputation and how? Evan Davis and guests discuss.GUESTSLubna Edwards, Global Sustainability Director, Klockner PentaplastRoger Baynham, Managing Director, Philip Tyler Polymers and Chair of the Recycling Group, British Plastics FederationAdrian Griffiths, CEO and Founder, Recycling Technologies.

No supply chain is immune from disruption and shocks. From extreme weather to strikes and cyber crime, what causes a supply chain to fail? Join Evan Davis and guests.GuestsTim O'Malley, Managing Director of Nationwide Produce Richard Oldroyd, Regional Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Liam Fassam, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Geography and Research Director at the University of Northampton

Business has undergone seismic changes over the past decade; do the rules of business need to be re-written? If so, who should write them and what should they say? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Ian Taylor, Chairman, Vitol Dame Helena Morrissey, Head of Personal Investing, Legal & General Investment Management Wendy Tan White, Partner, BGF Ventures

There are thousands of festivals in the UK each year and millions of us go to them. But as an organiser how do you make any money? Do logistics and the British weather make them a risky business? Every year festivals get cancelled and some cease trading. Profit margins are tight, say organisers, and set-up costs are high. A big festival may have to pay more a million pounds to secure a top headline act. Evan Davis and guests discuss mud, music and hard cash. Guests: Syima Aslam, co-founder and director of the Bradford Literature Festival Ian Stockley, chief executive of the Bath Festivals. Simon Taffe, co-founder of the End of The Road Festival.

The UK has been a global leader in the Advertising Industry since the end of the last century. But like many businesses it's now facing disruption from technology. Pop up banners on the internet and social influencers are cheaper and more immediate. Evan Davis and guests discuss whether a data driven approach to advertising will eventually kill creativity. GUESTSSir John Hegarty, Co-Founder BBH Rohan Midha, Managing Director, PMYBRory Sutherland, Vice-chairman, Ogilvy Producer: Julie Ball.

Commodities are the raw materials which oil the wheels of the modern economy. From minerals to crude oil to coffee, Evan Davis and guests look at how the business of buying and selling commodities works and why it matters to all of us. GUESTSAndrew Gowers, Global Head of Corporate Affairs, TrafiguraJean-Francois Lambert, Founder, Lambert CommoditiesColin Hamilton, MD Commodities Research, BMO Capital Markets.

Social media giants mishandle data, banks mis-sell PPI insurance, engineers arrange for cars to cheat emissions tests. Why do companies sometimes do bad things? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether it's by accident or deliberate. Coverage of business wrongdoing often focuses on bad individuals but how far can a company's culture be blamed? Guests: Nick Leeson, the original 'rogue trader' Sara George, Partner, Stephenson Harwood Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology, Norwegian Business School.

In some countries politicians have fixed term limits. What would happen if the same principle applied to CEOs? On average bosses in the UK stay for just under six years. But founder chief executives stay much longer. Evan Davis and guests discuss whether chief executives know when their time is up? Guests:Martin Gilbert, co-ceo, Aberdeen Standard Investments. Margaret Heffernan, author and entrepreneur Catherine Bright, a leadership consultant with Spencer Stuart.

Is becoming a franchisee a good way to start your own business? Evan Davis and guests discuss the ups and downs of franchising. GUESTSKen Deary, Franchisor Right at HomeRachana Pancholi, Franchisee, SubwayRoz Goldstein Goldstein LegalProducer: Julie Ball.

Facebook, Apple, Google, or Amazon. Dominant companies that today look unassailable. But similar claims were made about MySpace, Tesco, Microsoft, Kodak and Polaroid. However, these companies turned out to be more vulnerable than anyone thought. Evan Davis and guests discuss invulnerability, complacency and hubris in corporations. Guests:Sean Percival, entrepreneur and former Vice President for Online Marketing at MySpace Dr Kamal Munir, Reader in Strategy and Policy at the Judge Business School, University Of Cambridge Martin Franklin, Head of Global Marketing at Polaroid Originals.