Idea posted: July 2014

Institutions: New York University School of Engineering   

Why are some people more open to change and others instinctively resistant to anything that significantly alters the status quo? The key is often in an individual’s basic attitude toward…

Idea posted: July 2014

Institutions: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania   

Why do so many people make New Year’s resolutions? Because the New Year is the most obvious and universal of temporal landmarks — the dates or periods in time that…

Idea posted: June 2014

Institutions: Kellogg School of Management    University of Texas McCombs School of Business    Stanford Graduate School of Business   

Research in the past suggested that specifically working at happiness (what can I do today to be happier?) is counterproductive since it focuses the person on what is making him…

Idea posted: June 2014

Institutions: HEC Montréal    Queens University School of Business   

Technology that is supposed to make us more productive only seems to have complicated our task. We may be in an important meeting but know that whoever just sent an…

Idea posted: June 2014

Institutions: Kellogg School of Management    University of Chicago Booth School of Business   

Motivation can be divided into two dimensions: outcome-focused and process-focused. With outcome-focused motivation, people are driven by the desire of an achievement. They want to finish the task so that…

Idea posted: June 2014

Institutions: London Business School   

It sounds so obvious. It is obvious. But far too few managers actually do it. We are talking about the most basic of leadership tasks – spending as much time…

Idea posted: May 2014

Institutions: Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics    Queens University School of Business    University of Manitoba Asper School of Business   

While a sense of humour can be an effective leadership tool, it depends on how that humour is used. Humour that targets or belittles followers undermines the leader’s influence. On…

Idea posted: March 2014

Institutions: IMD   

Traditionally, financial capital has been viewed as the primary promoter of growth and profitability for an organization. Though undoubtedly still important, executives have begun to realise there is something else…

Idea posted: March 2014

Institutions: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania    IE Business School   

The profile of leaders has changed over the decades, with a significant shift away from the notion of lifetime employment. The employee of the mid-twentieth century who climbed the ladder…