Social movements in society lead to transformations in the companies and organizations within that society. The environmental movement led to environmentally friendly practices and processes, for example. Movements for the rights of women and minorities led to efforts by companies to promote women and diversify their workforces. While companies will face pressure from outside groups […]
With many companies facing increased challenges in attracting and keeping employees, employee engagement and commitment has become even more vital to organizational success than ever before. Recent research has emphasized the positive impact of “organizational belonging” (OB) on employee satisfaction and engagement. OB is defined as “experiencing an acknowledgment of one’s talents, interests, and experiences” […]
The importance of a group’s culture cannot be overstated: generally, the group’s culture defines how members of a group are expected to think, feel, and behave. Because culture is typically entrenched and long-lasting, one may sometimes forget the origin, or antecedent, of the culture. From where did the culture of a particular group emerge? Management […]
Past studies have demonstrated the power of humor in strengthening relationships between leaders and followers. In the early stages of these relationships, the power position of leaders requires them be the ones to reach out to followers. Humor is an effective strategy for making these early connections. Humor positively impacts early-stage relationships in three ways. […]
In 2008, a study led by Prof. Ashleigh Shelby Rosette of Duke showed that for Americans, Whiteness was one of the prototypical attributes of leaders. As a result, Whites, seen as more leaderly, were more likely to be promoted or recruited for leadership positions. In 2022, researchers replicated the 2008 research and found that attitudes […]
CEOs and corporate leaders come from diverse backgrounds, with a broad range of childhood experiences. While some CEOs were raised in affluent families, with all the privileges and opportunities that such an upbringing offers, other CEOs had difficult childhoods marked by poverty and challenging family situations. A team of researchers studying the impact of different […]
Past research has demonstrated that high external performance expectations (e.g., from supervisors, co-workers, clients, family, friends, and the media) can motivate individuals to increase their efforts and be more persistent, leading to higher levels of performance. The source of this motivation is the desire to make a good impression on those who are watching. One […]
Milton Friedman notwithstanding, maximizing profit (and thus shareholder value) is no longer considered the one and only purpose of a corporation or business. The truly successful business is driven by a greater purpose that benefits society and our world and inspires a firm’s leaders and employees by giving their work meaning. The inspiration and commitment […]
Today’s unprecedented quad-gen workforce (baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, Gen Z) presents unique challenges for employers who must try to engage all four generations. Although having different backgrounds and histories, all four generations agree on the important of job flexibility and, according to a recent study on the subject by Henley Business School, many believe […]
Stewardship describes the deeply felt commitment of managers and employees to the success of the company above their own individual interests. A stewardship climate is one in which stewardship is modeled and rewarded by leaders and shared by employees in the company. Past research has identified six dimensions of stewardship. Intrinsic motivation. In a stewardship […]