Morning Advantage: Now Would I Say Something that Wasn't True?
HBR.org 2012-05-30
Almost everybody cheats — just by a little, writes Dan Ariely in this Wall Street Journal essay. Except for a few outliers, our behavior is driven by two opposing motivations. "On the one hand, we want to benefit from cheating and get as much money and glory as possible; on the other hand, we want to view ourselves as honest, honorable people. Sadly, it is this kind of small-scale mass cheating, not the high-profile cases, that is most corrosive to society." Two natural questions emerge: first, what pushes us to cheat? Ariely's research found that peer behavior was key. We are much more likely to be dishonest when we directly observe others doing so. And, so, what keeps us on the straight and narrow? While lectures and training seem to have little effect on people, Ariely notes, "reminders of morality… at the point where people are making a decision” can have a major impact. We are aware of what's right and wrong, but when we're hit with the right message at just the right time, it's much more difficult to ignore the truth we already know. Do with this as you will.
The Elusive Emerging Market Consumer (McKinsey Quarterly)
Most of us are well aware of the growth potential of emerging-market consumers, an opportunity McKinsey estimates could exceed $20 trillion annually by 2020. Many multinational players, however, don’t seem to be capturing that growth as well as their local counterparts. One simple explanation: companies based in emerging markets target their customers more effectively than does the global competition. Local firms generally focus on the needs of fast-growing emerging middle classes with lower-cost products, while developed-economy companies rely more on brand recognition while targeting higher-margin segments. McKinsey found that across a number of product segments, local emerging-market companies’ price points were 10-60 percent below those of their multinational, developed-market counterparts.
I JUST WANT TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVE POTENTIAL
12 Tips To Encourage Innovation (VentureBeat)
Though culled from the experiences of entrepreneurs, most of these tips hold value for any executive. To start: 1) Budget for innovation: no one likes to ask for money, but when people have money (even just a few hundred dollars) as an available option, they are willing to spend it on things they think will be worthwhile. 2) Be hands off: hire great people and give them responsibility. Avoid micro-managing in favor of letting your team surprise you with their creativity.
Present Company Excluded
The Eurozone Crisis For Dummies (Business Insider) More Layoffs Looming at RIM (All Things D) Governments Are Biggest Threat to Internet, Says Eric Schmidt (Big Think)