Performance Management

Why Hope Matters Now

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

It’s easy to cultivate a sense of doom at the moment, and there are ample reasons to give up hope. But business leaders should resist the tide of negativity, says a prominent psychologist. That’s because hope serves a bottom-line business purpose.

Scientific, Systematic Succession Planning

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Succession planning involves much more than filling in boxes on an organizational chart. If it’s done right -- that is, scientifically and systematically -- it creates a pool of leadership talent that can drive an organization, engage employees, and increase shareholder value.

Where Is the Economy Going?

Thu, 21 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Executives are getting conflicting signals. They’re told the U.S. GDP contracted sharply in early 2009, but also that the recession is bottoming out. Gallup Chief Economist Dennis Jacobe, an early forecaster of the downturn, tries to clear up the confusion.

Making Mergers Work

Tue, 05 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Mergers, acquisitions, joint marketing agreements: Some thrive; many fail. Two management experts say that successful corporate marriages aren’t all that different from productive partnerships between two colleagues. Here are the eight elements of a prosperous merger.

Diversity: An Elusive Concept

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Many companies have a robust program for recruiting a diverse array of people, but they aren’t able to transform this diversity into organizational excellence. As a result, the real challenge is not creating diversity but inclusiveness.

What to Expect in 2009

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT

All eyes will be on the U.S. economy over the next 12 months. The outlook is of particular importance to executives and managers, who have to make short- and long-term decisions for their organizations as economic news continues to unfold. Here, two leading economists offer their blunt assessment. Warning: Don’t expect good news for a while.

What Obama Should Do

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Gallup’s chief economist points to the incoming president’s most pressing economic concerns and how to solve them. He explains why policymakers keep dropping the ball and how Barack Obama can avoid doing the same. And he discusses what Obama and business leaders should expect in 2009, some of which is actually good news -- though most of it isn’t.

News Flash: Workplace Socializing Is Productive

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Contrary to their every instinct, managers should actually encourage their workers to chit-chat, to gather around the water cooler -- even to gossip. An MIT researcher reveals why these guilty pleasures are, in fact, good for a company's productivity.

The Power of Two

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You are built for collaborating and for forming productive and meaningful partnerships. You actually acquired this trait from your ancestors. But chances are, you’re not making the most of your many opportunities to partner more effectively at work.

Confronting the Last Taboo: Pay

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Leading economist Alan Krueger argues that companies can get away with paying lower wages than competitors without losing many employees, though there are hidden costs. He also says that organizations are right to keep pay a secret.

Who Needs a Palin or a Biden?

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

So Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his VP nominee, and John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Big deal. Why should executives care? Well, studying these tickets (and others) reveals many do’s and don’ts for your own business partnerships.

Investors and Consumers: Don't Panic

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The stock market remains volatile, and credit markets have been frozen. The question is: Will the panic move from Wall Street to main street -- and if it does, will it make a bad economic situation worse? Two esteemed economists and a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist argue that cooler heads should -- and really must -- prevail.

The High Price of Price Distortions

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Gallup’s chief economist explains how global mispricing costs all of us more than we know, evaluates the effect of the value of the dollar on the U.S. economy, and notes what it all means to consumers.

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 Honoré, 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.