A wide-ranging overview of related psychological studies reveals that, without exception, bad has a greater impact than good, no matter the context. Here is some of the evidence presented by the researchers: Reacting to Events: Studies demonstrate that a major negative event has a lasting impact on an individual; a major positive event results in […]
Subject: Leadership
Making Messages Linger with Thought-Provoking Stories
After we have finished a compelling book or a film, the narrative of the story will linger in our minds. This lingering is involuntary: we do not choose or decide to think about the story. Emotional experiences and social interactions, research has shown, have the same lingering impact after their occurrence. A study by a […]
Read More… from Making Messages Linger with Thought-Provoking Stories
Leadership Humour Not Always Appreciated in Different Cultures
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. […]
Read More… from Leadership Humour Not Always Appreciated in Different Cultures
Divergent Views of Merit Complicate Merit-Based Corporate Practices
Meritocracy is an ideal that today’s organizations strive for. However, the practice of meritocracy doesn’t often live up to the aspiration. For example, studies continue to show that women and minorities are paid less than their white male counterparts. A study from MIT and Berkeley offers one explanation for why companies and organizations are not […]
Read More… from Divergent Views of Merit Complicate Merit-Based Corporate Practices
Hidden Bias Can Hamper Diversity Efforts
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 […]
Are Working Class CEOs Less Worried about Employee Welfare?
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 […]
Read More… from Are Working Class CEOs Less Worried about Employee Welfare?
How Group Rituals Enhance Meaning in Work
Companies recognize today that helping employees find meaning and purpose in their work will maximize employee satisfaction, motivation, engagement, and performance. The challenge for leaders is how to increase meaning at work. A team of researchers from five leading U.S. business schools (Virginia Darden, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, and Harvard) make the case […]
The Power of Leadership Empathy
Empathy entails making the effort to understand others’ perspectives and emotions, and demonstrating that understanding through care and concern. In the workplace, leadership empathy is manifested through actions ranging from flexible work-at-home options to a concerted effort to create an inclusive environment for workers of all races, genders and sexual orientations. A study from Catalyst, […]
Why Supervisors Are the Keys to Preventing Employee Misconduct
A new study of employee misconduct in the financial services field reveals that supervisors have the most significant impact—negative or positive—on employee misconduct in their firms. Based on 10 years of data from broker-dealer investment firms, the study by Zachary Kowaleski of University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, Andrew Sutherland of the MIT Sloan School […]
Read More… from Why Supervisors Are the Keys to Preventing Employee Misconduct
Why Craft Is Relevant (and Needed) in Today’s Workplace
Craft was long seen as a primitive form of work organization rendered obsolete by the Industrial Age. However, the concept of craft is making an energetic resurgence, influencing the making of products, services and even decisions. A new paper from a team of researchers led by Jochem Kroezen of the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business […]
Read More… from Why Craft Is Relevant (and Needed) in Today’s Workplace