Social category diversity — diversity of race, gender or political leanings, for example — has been shown to enhance creative thinking in groups, and leads to more effective decision-making that takes into account a wider range of perspectives. The downside, according to previous research, is that the relationships among members of diverse groups are not […]
Read More… from Diversity in Teams: Tasks, Not Relationships Drive Performance
In Shakespeare’s Othello, the eponymous lead’s passionate jealousy motivates all of his actions, including ultimately the murder of his own wife. Similarly, in the corporate world, there exist executives whose quest for power or professional success can generate jealousy that consciously or unconsciously affects their decisions. In an article published in the European Business Review, […]
Read More… from Is Othello Boss Syndrome Affecting Your Organization?
‘Charismatic leadership’ has received much attention from researchers over the past few decades, lending support to theories that it is capable of fostering higher levels of employee and team performance in organizations. The term was first used in the 1940s by German sociologist Max Weber, who envisioned ‘charismatic leaders’ as leaders able to inspire passionate […]
Read More… from Leaders’ Charisma, Team Performance and Organizational Change
What distinguishes good leaders from great leaders? This research suggests that the key lies in the way they approach the task of leadership and coaching, inspiring others to achieve their best rather than instructing them to do so. The notion of ‘coaching with compassion’ hinges on leaders making a strong positive connection with those around […]
Read More… from Accentuate the Positive – the Art of Coaching with Compassion
Would you seek help from someone who has rejected you in the past? Most people are hesitant to ask for favours the first time around, let alone ask someone that has already refused one. However, according to a study led by Stanford University’s Daniel Newark, we often overestimate the chance that our requests will be […]
Read More… from Once Bitten, Twice Shy? Past Refusal and Future Acceptance
Social exclusion has been described as one of the most severe punishments people can mete out to each other. A 2007 report by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development highlighted that people that experience social exclusion may suffer many negative consequences: they cannot think logically and they may engage in aggressive behaviour. At […]
Read More… from How Power Mediates the Effects of Social Exclusion
There is a lot of cultural lore about the power of eye contact as an influencing tool. Business leaders, salespeople and many others have long been urged and trained to engage in eye contact with their audience – whether that is an individual customer or a convention of thousands. It has been taken as read […]
Read More… from In the Eye of the Beholder-When Eye Contact Fails to Persuade
Imagine rushing into a store to grab a bottle of wine on your way to a dinner party and encountering a salesperson who wants to share their extensive knowledge of wine with you. Although the salesperson is very friendly and very keen to be helpful, he is clearly unaware of your need for rapid service […]
Read More… from The Secret of a Good Sales Assistant: Reading Customer Mood
Studies have shown that anger can be an effective management technique to spur a response from employees, and equally effective in negotiations to demonstrate toughness, ambitious goals, and resistance to making any concessions. However, in previous negotiation research, negotiators had no reason to doubt the sincerity of the anger of the other party. Stéphane Côté […]
Networking has been linked to a number of indicators of individual attainment and success within organizations, including promotions and career satisfaction. But despite its acknowledged importance, little is known about the specific organizational practices that can help individuals build interpersonal connections. How do practices like formal mentoring, for example, affect workplace networks? In order to […]
Read More… from How Formal Mentoring Affects Workplace Networks
