Human Capital Briefs

Ever wondered what it's like to work at Amazon? Or to be one of its competitors or potential acquisitions? Or even to be related to founder Jeff Bezos? Look no further than this lengthy piece by Brad Stone.

Over the past 30 years, most companies have added new C-level roles in response to changing business environments. The chief financial officer (CFO) role rose to prominence in the mid -1980’s as pressures for value management and more transparent investor relations gained traction.

Ms. Mayer’s announcement banning work from home, or “teleworking,” was, of course, controversial. We write in The Enthusiastic Employee about the steps management frequently takes when they feel they have to whip an organization into shape. Among the most common is to crack down on malingerers.

While health spending in the United States far surpasses that in other industrialized nations, the quality of care in the US is no better overall, and on several measures it is worse. This stark fact has led to a wave of payment reforms that shift from rewarding volume to rewarding quality.

California is often ranked among the world’s most inventive regions. But most observers miss one of the major reasons why: the absence of non-compete agreements.

Bally Technologies, a leading provider of gaming systems for casinos, has earned more than 60 awards for innovation in just the last four years. It increased R&D spending from 7-8% of revenue before 2009 to 11-12% of revenue starting in 2010, and maximized the return on that increased investment.