Knowledge@W. P. Carey -- Strategic Management

Successful Small Team Leadership: Manage the Group, Not the Individuals

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:23:34 EST

Differentiated leadership -- a management style in which leaders treat individual staff members differently based on such factors as their skills, perceived value or personalities -- is a widely accepted approach to management. It seems like common sense, but new research from management Professors Angelo Kinicki and Anne Tsui and Joshua Wu of the University of Miami finds that differentiated leadership doesn't work in a team setting -- in fact, it's downright damaging.

Crisis Communication: Now More Than Ever, a Timely Topic

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:34:21 EST

When it comes to examples of crises in business, we have "an embarrassment of riches," according to the author of "Crisis Communication: Practical PR Strategies for Management and Company Survival." The debacle of Enron's collapse, the Tylenol package-tampering scare, the horror of Union Carbide's chemical accident in Bhopal, India -- these are but a few memorable crises that brought untold suffering to millions. We can learn from these examples how to handle crises -- and how not to. In his new book, Peter Frans Anthonissen brings a lot more to the table: Chapters written by 20 authors who are senior crisis communication consultants from IPREX, the worldwide corporation of independent PR firms.

Business Groups in China: Is Qiyejituan Membership a Guaranteed Advantage?

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:46:56 EST

The "qiyejituan" -- collections of companies and firms that are joined via social and economic ties -- have been playing an increasingly vital role in China's economy, just as the "chaebol" have been so important to Korea and the "keiretsu" to Japan. Membership in these groups can help firms compete in the global marketplace, but a research team led by the W. P. Carey School's Robert Hoskisson has discovered that this may not always be the case. Some business groups -- specifically those subject to heavy government intervention, or those managed by individuals coming from the central-government tradition -- actually stunted innovation.

The Faith-Based Corporation: Organizational Sacralization and Sacrilege

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:31:05 EST

From Google to Jet Blue and Patagonia to Trader Joe's, companies of all kinds are attempting to craft cultures and identities so idealistic that they could rightly be called "sacred." These companies are espousing these sacred ideals, values, beliefs, goals, behaviors and processes not only to attract and motivate employees and stakeholders but also as means to distinguish themselves from their competition. In fact, some say companies that take the sacred route may be able to offer something nearing spiritual fulfillment to customers and employees. Recently, three W.P. Carey management researchers -- Professors Blake Ashforth and Kevin Corley and doctoral candidate Spencer Harrison -- set out to investigate what might be behind this trend.

In Today's Process-Driven Workplace, Collaboration Is King

Wed, 21 May 2008 15:26:31 EST

"The in-box culture is dead," says Evan Rosen in his new book, "The Culture of Collaboration: Maximizing Time, Talent and Tools to Create Value in the Global Economy." This may come as a surprise if you're one of those people who start work every day facing 500 e-mails begging ASAP replies. If, however, your company embraces a collaborative culture, those 500 e-mails can be addressed in minutes or even seconds using the appropriate tools of collaborative technology. This book is not for the casual reader, but if you are committed to understanding exactly how and why collaborative tools will motivate your employees and drive your business, this is the book for you.

Keeping It in the Family: Family Firms Willing to Take Risks to Retain Control

Wed, 21 May 2008 15:26:31 EST

Studies show family-led companies implement better long-term planning and generally have greater internal organizational commitment than public companies. Even so, business researchers have for some time contended that because so few individuals control so much at family firms, executives there are less likely than their counterparts in public firms to take the kind of risks that truly successful companies need to take. This idea that family firms are naturally risk-averse has become a standard line of thinking in business academia. Unfortunately, says W. P. Carey management Professor Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, it's just not true. At least not entirely.

Academic Consultants Bring a Different Perspective to Business Problems

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:10:01 EST

The stereotypes are familiar to consultants and people who hire them: Commercial consultants are in it for the money. They offer boilerplate products and simple answers to complex problems. Then there are academic consultants. They are detached from the real world, miss deadlines, and make things more complicated than they need to be. While kernels of truth can be found in these simplistic characterizations, commercial and academic consultants, in fact, bring different and important perspectives to problems companies face, according to W. P. Carey School of Business researchers.

Doing Business in the Political Marketplace: Strategies for Success

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:27:58 EST

For many business people, politics is unfamiliar territory, where missteps bring unforeseen and often unfortunate consequences. But because so many issues that affect business wind up in the political arena, ignoring politics is not a good option, according to researchers at the W. P. Carey School of Business. They offer this piece of advice: Approach politics like it's a business, only with different rules.

Podcast: 'Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast'

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:33:41 EST

Companies that attempt strategic change without considering organizational culture risk failure, according to management Professor Angelo Kinicki of the W. P. Carey School of Business. When culture is not aligned with strategy, he explains, culture wins every time. Herb Kelleher, former CEO and current chairman of the board of Southwest Airlines, has been quoted saying that culture is the most important focal point for leaders. In this podcast, Kinicki describes how to identify your corporate culture, and how to manage it.

Want to Lure R&D? Investing in Tech Capabilities Trumps Financial Incentives

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:06:16 EST

Where a multinational corporation (MNC) decides to put its manufacturing and research and development (R&D) facilities is important both for the MNC and for the host country. An MNC that makes the right move can gain a significant technological advantage over competitors, while the wrong decision can deal a major setback to its innovation efforts. The location choices of MNCs are the subject of a recent study by W. P. Carey management professor Robert Hoskisson. Hoskisson and his co-authors conclude that companies locating manufacturing and R&D facilities in more technologically advanced locations are better able to gain technological advantages. Countries that want to attract foreign investment often hold out tax breaks as a lure, but this study suggests that developing technical assets at home may be more important.

Fight or Flight: How Employees Cope with Organizational Change

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:06:16 EST

In a global marketplace, change isn't just good. For many companies, says Angelo Kinicki, it's necessary. In a recent paper Kinicki, a professor of management at the W. P. Carey School of Business, and his co-authors examined the effect of organizational change on workers in a large government office. They found that significant change greatly impacted both the psyche and performance of employees. Fail to take this into account and force changes that employees aren't prepared to handle, and your company risks alienating its workers, losing money and, in the end, seeing those great strategic changes fall flat.

VEBAs: Autoworkers' Union Shares the Risk of Rising Healthcare Costs

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:12:36 EST

The tentative contract agreement that assigned a role to the United Auto Workers in managing the healthcare costs of its General Motors members was a turning point in the relationship between business and labor -- and a sign of things to come in a global economy. In fact, Chrysler was seeking similar healthcare concessions in contract talks with the union. It's all about risk-sharing. VEBAs -- Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations -- will most likely make declining U.S. manufacturing industries more competitive; however, they may do little to reverse sagging U.S. union participation, according to experts at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

Hand on Management: Lifelong Learning Key to Business Success

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:57:00 EST

Judi Hand, president and general manager of Direct Alliance, a business process outsourcer, visited the W. P. Carey School of Business recently to speak to an audience of students attending the Executive Luncheon Series. Her message -- that success depends on your ability to keep learning and keep questioning -- is as true for mid-career practitioners as it is for students.

No Phone for You! Sprint-Nextel Cuts Off High-Maintenance Customers

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:57:33 EST

Telecom giant Sprint-Nextel recently decided about a thousand of its customers were just a little bit too demanding, so it went ahead and fired them. The remarkable move made headlines nationwide and since has left business analysts to ponder two questions. First, was Sprint justified? Second, is Sprint's bold, controversial move a sign of things to come? The answer to the first question, say experts from the W. P. Carey School of Business, isn't so easy. As for the second? That's a resounding "Yes."

Lobbying to stay competitive

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:56:42 EST

Two-thirds of all bills introduced in state legislatures are filed at the request of state or local government agencies, business associations, social activist groups, companies, or individual citizens. Most of those are brought to the legislature by legislative advocates, or lobbyists. Indeed, for businesses, having an advocate at the legislature -- both in Washington, D.C. and at the state capitol -- is a crucial part of staying competitive, according to Gerry Keim, associate dean, W. P. Carey MBA.

Shouldering Triple Responsibilities: Social responsibility in Chinese banking

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:27:54 EST

Social responsibility is not just about handing out money, or establishing a charity or a fund, said Huaqing Wang, assistant chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission and director-general of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), Shanghai office. In his keynote address to the Fourth Annual Executive Forum, hosted by the W. P. Carey School of Business and the Shanghai National Accounting Institute, Wang argued that banks must take a broader definition of "service."

Be your own disruptor: Out-innovate your competitors and win

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:59:33 EST

"85 percent of CEOs have innovation on a short list of strategic priorities. But then they put it off," said Tom Kelley, the featured speaker at Arizona State University's 2007 Design Excellence Dinner. "In principle, everybody's for innovation, but in practice innovation gets put in the important-but-not-urgent pile." Kelley, author of "The Art of Innovation" and "The Ten Faces of Innovation," warns that putting it off until tomorrow can cause a firm to lose its competitive advantage.

Podcast: Learning to avoid the pitfalls in project management

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:59:33 EST

The planning, execution, and completion of projects is a challenge for organizations in both the public and private sectors; projects that are either late or plagued with problems continue to make the news. In this interview, supply chain management Professor Dwight Smith-Daniels -- who has been teaching project management courses for more than 15 years -- discusses four major categories of business projects and the lessons to be learned from both successful and failed projects.

Heart smart management: Emotional intelligence in the corporate world

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:34:02 EST

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a measure of how well individuals can manage their own moods, and how well they can read the moods of others. Though some critics question the scientific validity of EI, real-world results have been promising. According to multiple studies, companies that emphasize EI have reported increased productivity, higher sales, happier employees and lower staff turnover.

US Airways-Delta merger: A bad deal for consumers?

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:39:01 EST

US Airways has issued an $8 billion hostile bid for bankrupt Delta Airlines. The move surprised industry observers, who note that US Airways itself is the product of a merger that the Tempe, Arizona-based airline is still striving to sort out. W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Robert Mittelstaedt -- a private pilot who follows the airline industry closely -- talked with Knowledge@W. P. Carey about the bid and its potential impact on the aviation sector. Some mergers, he said, are good for consumers, but others benefit companies more than their customers. A US Airways/Delta marriage is probably the second type, he warns.