Strategic Human Resources Briefs

When we talk about managing across cultures, we tend to think of the words “culture” and “country” interchangeably. For example, it is a widely accepted notion that in Eastern countries like China and Japan, cultural norms dictate that group harmony takes precedence over individual recognition and achievement in the workplace, while in Western countries like the U.S. and Germany, stronger emphasis is placed on individual accomplishment and performance at work.

Coworking spaces are on the rise, from Google’s “Campus” in London to NextSpace in California. Much has been made of these shared workspaces as a brand-new idea, one that barely existed 10 years ago.

Although companies have invested heavily in programs to advance women leaders, the number of women in executive roles has not changed significantly in the last decade. Even if women are well represented as middle managers, their numbers drop off when making the jump to VP-level executives. Why are women not rising to executive ranks?

A reputation can be made in an instant and take much longer to repair. Something as simple as a misguided email exchange can ignite a reaction, followed by a judgment call, and there you have it, a reputation is born! A reputation is a powerful thing. Right or wrong (and we've all heard this before), perception is reality.

If you’re a hiring manager, you’re probably happiest getting a sense of a candidate through unstructured interviews, which allow you to randomly explore details you think are interesting and relevant.

By partnering with arts organizations, companies can provide employees with innovative opportunities for growth and development, which can in turn have positive effects on engagement, morale, retention, and performance.

It was hard to be more of an insider at The Walt Disney Company than COO Thomas Staggs. The 26-year company veteran had been widely seen as the heir apparent to CEO Bob Iger — that is, until Staggs abruptly stepped down this month. News headlines trumpeted “Walt Disney Co Investors on Edge” and “Disney’s Succession Plan in Disarray.”

Fortune favors the bold, goes the old Roman saying. Our research suggests fortune is not alone in this: so do the Americans and the Chinese. But although some cultures do like boldness in their leaders, and reward it when they see it, this isn’t universally true.