Idea posted: January 2014

Institutions: Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®)   

Though formal hierarchies continue to be an integral part of organizational structures, in recent years individuals have been required to look beyond these towards the informal and invisible structures supporting…

Idea posted: December 2013

Institutions: University of Pretoria Gordon Institute of Business Science   

Executives and managers are inundated with management theories, philosophies and models, many of which offer contradictory advice. One dilemma they face is whether to grant employees autonomy or to use…

Idea posted: December 2013

Institutions: Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School    University of St. Gallen   

Most organizations are split into different business divisions that all report to a corporate office. This office houses the CEOs and other corporate functions, such as HR, finance and IT.…

Idea posted: December 2013

Institutions: University of St. Gallen    IMD   

Discontinuous technologies refers to when new products are created that end up transforming existing markets, such as cloud computing, digital photography, 3D printing, online news, etc. Not surprisingly, they often…

Idea posted: December 2013

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

In 2013 Benner and Tushman’s research was awarded the impressive accolade of ‘Paper of the Decade’ by the American Academy of Management Review. For this reason alone it merits revisiting, but…

Idea posted: October 2013

Institutions: INSEAD    Hong Kong University of Science and Technology   

It is important to draw a distinction between over-confidence and over-optimism in business. The former can be seen as a pejorative term, linked to arrogance and hubris, and the latter…

Idea posted: October 2013

Institutions: University of St. Gallen    University of Cambridge Judge Business School   

Perhaps at one time, ‘corporate burnout’ was attributed to few, mostly C-suite executives. Now, it is much more commonly experienced by employees at all levels of an organization. Increased competition…

Idea posted: October 2013

Institutions: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania   

Researchers have long noted that employees will sometimes spontaneously create games as a way of improving their work experience, helping them to not only pass the time but also alleviate…

Idea posted: October 2013

Institutions: Harvard Kennedy School    Harvard Business School    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill   

Seasonal depression is well-known and has traditionally been easy to recognize: difficulty concentrating, low levels of energy, etc. — all related to bleak winter weather conditions. So naturally, it follows…