Idea posted: August 2015

Institutions: Harvard Business School    Duke University Fuqua School of Business   

When people do good things, they reward themselves. This is the conclusion of a number of previous studies into the psychology of doing good deeds. Two researchers from Harvard Business…

Idea posted: April 2015

Institutions: University of St. Gallen   

While corporations are engaging in socially responsible initiatives related to their industries or to benefit their communities (supporting organizations to help the needy, for example), some companies are going one…

Idea posted: April 2015

Institutions: City University of Hong Kong    University of Toronto Rotman School of Management    Kellogg School of Management   

An investigation into the problems of the 1973 Ford Pinto, a car susceptible to catastrophic explosions when rear-ended, revealed that Ford’s engineers had calculated that the company could save $11…

Idea posted: January 2015

Institutions: The Barrett Values Centre   

Richard Barrett’s Seven Levels of Consciousness model, founded on the principles of values-based leadership, is a guide to achieving exceptional performance in organizations. Barrett’s framework based on his extensive research…

Idea posted: November 2014

Institutions: University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business    University of Arizona Eller College of Management    University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School   

Most people think of themselves as moral and ethical. And yet, major fraud and unethical behaviour is widespread. A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina, University of…

Idea posted: October 2014

Institutions: University of Alberta - Alberta School of Business    Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business   

Organizational values can exemplify the old saying that “words are cheap.” Inspiring words about ethics, diversity or sustainability etched on a lobby wall mean nothing if they are not reflected…

Idea posted: July 2014

Institutions: Harvard Business School    Boston College Carroll School of Management   

The most basic business is product-based, involving the manufacturing, assembling and/or delivery of a product. A different type of business, once rare but becoming more and more common, is platform-based,…

Idea posted: May 2014

Institutions: Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF)    Kellogg School of Management    University of Chicago Booth School of Business   

The true measure of integrity in a firm is not comforting slogans on the home page of the company website, but how employees feel about whether top management, through its…

Idea posted: November 2013

Institutions: Fordham University Graduate School of Business    George Washington University School of Business    University of Virginia Darden Business School   

The declining level of trust in businesses and corporations, from both customers and employees, is well documented. As companies seek to maintain or rebuild the trust of their stakeholders, they…