Performance Management

Do Your Employees Trust You?

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT

An expert on well-being, John Helliwell explores the connection between distrust and unionization, why too much paperwork can cause workers to feel less engaged, and why we are apt to keep office politics alive, even when it makes us unhappy.

MBA Stands for Mexico's Business Accelerator

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT

With the enthusiastic support of Puebla's governor, this Mexican state's university for economic development is using an innovative MBA program to create a cadre of business leaders.

Tough Talk About Crisis Management

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Few people know more about leadership in crisis than Lieutenant General Russel Honor�, who headed the U.S. military's response to Hurricane Katrina. In this interview, he offers well-tested, blunt advice for executives facing a bad situation -- how to set priorities, talk to the media, and communicate within the organization -- that can keep a crisis from devolving into a disaster.

Amid Job Losses, All Isn't Lost

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"The unemployment rate shot up by half a percentage point in May, the biggest single-month increase in over twenty years," notes Princeton economist Alan Krueger. The job cuts have hit the retail and financial services sectors particularly hard, and they illustrate problems in the economy in general. But they also point to opportunities for forward-thinking business leaders.

Making Sense of China

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The factors that motivate China's executives and workers are no different from those that motivate any executive or any worker. So says Zhang Zhixue, an expert on Chinese business, who thinks Westerners are needlessly perplexed by China.

Evaluating Your Business Ethics

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Max Bazerman is the author or editor of 16 books and more than 180 research articles, including a recent paper on why we aren't as ethical as we think we are. In this interview, he tells why we don't accurately assess our ethicality and why the nature of decision making can force executives to behave unethically.

Re-Learning Economics

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Frank, author of The Economic Naturalist, shares his take on the "miserably bad job" most colleges do of teaching economics and explains the effect it has on economic decision making. He also tells why simple questions like the ones his students pose have implications from the classroom to the CEO suite.

The Problem of Pay

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

To understand how compensation motivates -- or demotivates -- employees, executives must come to terms with, and learn to manage, the irrational, emotional nature of pay.

Who's Afraid of China's Economic Might?

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

Many people are, particularly in the U.S. It's time for a reality check. Two experts reveal how the economic boom has actually changed China, what stands in the way of the country's further growth, and what companies from other countries should know before they try to set up shop there.

News Flash: Money Does Buy Happiness

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Economist Angus Deaton thinks so -- or at least, money can buy you a more valued life. But he also believes a focus on happiness may do more harm than good, particularly in emerging countries. He also wonders if foreign aid -- both social and financial -- to emerging countries might be harmful. Read this very provocative conversation.

Small Companies, Big Results in Mexico

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Globalization has inspired this fascinating turn of events: The type of management science usually reserved for large, multinational companies is starting to be applied to small businesses in Mexico -- and it's boosting bottom lines. Find out how.

Is the U.S. in a Recession?

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This question has been nagging at executives, investors, and the media. Here, Gallup's chief economist sheds some much-needed light on the subject. He also tells how companies can protect themselves if there's a serious downturn and what managers -- many of whom have never lived through a real economic slump -- should know.

Debunking Strengths Myth #2

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Building a strengths-based organization seems like it would be simple. The concept is so intuitive, the thinking goes, that embedding strengths in a company's DNA should be almost effortless. But this is one of the biggest myths about strengths management -- and, for that matter, about managing transformational change.

The Economics of Happiness

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Leading economists are joining researchers who seek new approaches to measuring -- and influencing -- well-being. Here are their latest insights into a subject that has implications not only for business executives, but for global leaders too.

Understanding the Nature of Talent

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When evaluating and developing employees, managers must distinguish what's innate in them (talent) from what can be changed or acquired (knowledge and skills). The authors of Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter dig deeper into this crucial distinction.

Are You the Decider?

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Gerald Wagner has spent his career trying to understand decision making and decision makers. He has come to the conclusion that most businesspeople, in fact most people, don't understand the rules of cause and effect as they apply to decision making. But he thinks he knows how to fix that problem.

The Well-Being Revolution

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Leading psychologists think that it's time to change the way the world thinks about how to create happy, fulfilling, prosperous lives. That's because well-being does more than make people feel good; it promotes the kind of tangible benefits that can make for stronger, more stable workplaces and societies.

Can You Evaluate Your Own Abilities?

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Probably not, says Cornell psychologist David Dunning. In this interview, he explains why employees and managers have blind spots and how to work around them. He also reveals ways to make critiques more effective and what to do when coworkers fail to accurately assess their competence.

Will the Credit Crunch Steal Christmas?

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Gallup's chief economist discusses what the credit crunch will do, what the Fed should have done, and whether or not it will hurt the holidays. He also warns that inflation, high commodity prices, a weak dollar, and potential unemployment are on the horizon.

China's Successes and Looming Challenges

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

An expert on Asian economics forecasts the political and economic fate of China, examines how immigration is shaping the U.S. and Japanese economies, and tells what every business student should know.

The Sixth Element of Great Managing

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Why are mentors such a powerful influence on their prot�g�s? "Human see; human do" is a fundamental part of our wiring, write the authors of the New York Times bestseller 12: The Elements of Great Managing.

The Fifth Element of Great Managing

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Why does it matter so much to employees that someone at work cares about them? It's because their need for bonding extends far beyond their homes, churches, and neighborhoods, according to the authors of the New York Times bestseller 12: The Elements of Great Managing.

Would You Fire Your Boss?

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Nearly one quarter of U.S. employees -- and 51% of actively disengaged workers -- would sack their managers if given the chance, according to the latest GMJ survey. Engaged employees, however, are far more charitable to their supervisors.

Beware: Your Customers Oppose Outsourcing

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Nearly 80% of Americans think the practice is bad for the U.S. economy -- and not just because of the loss of jobs, according to Gallup research. This may be a red flag for U.S. executives, who should be aware of the fact that, regardless of what their companies think of outsourcing, the vast majority of their customers aren't keen on it.

Why Gas Prices Are Soaring

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Gallup Chief Economist Dennis Jacobe has been analyzing the situation and has come to some surprising conclusions. Among them are that higher gas prices are the result of myopic oil company business strategies, and the best government response might be a regressive gas tax.