Morning Advantage: Better Times Mean Job-Insecurity for CEOs
HBR.org 2012-06-12
You'd think that good economic times would mean good news for chief executives. But when it comes to job security, the data says otherwise. Among the notable findings in Booz & Company's annual study of CEO succession was an increase in leadership turnover in the face of 2011's improved economic outlook. More than 14% of CEOs were replaced last year, compared to just 11.6% in 2011. "This trend suggests that boards are more likely to keep their chief executive during times of economic uncertainty in order to maintain stability," write the study's authors, "and are more willing to make a leadership change when economic stability returns and the company outlook improves." Booz also finds that the percent of outsider CEOs is still climbing — 22 percent of new hires in 2011, up from only 14 percent in 2007 — even while there is mounting evidence that insiders deliver superior financial performance. Maybe boards should invest some time reading Harvard's Joseph Bower.
Why You Should Spend More Time at the Gym (Time Moneyland)
Forget losing weight. Forget the pursuit of callipygian buttocks. You want a truly inspiring reason to hit the gym? You'll make more money. A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Labor Research reports that employees who regularly exercise at least three hours a week earn 9% more than their less physically committed counterparts. And somewhere right now the membership director of your gym is writing a new renewal pitch.
How We Choose Which Causes to Support (Business Strategy Review)
A new study on charitable giving shows that people tend to donate more to large numbers of victims if these victims are perceived as comprising a single, coherent unit. For example, donations to help children in need are higher when they are shown as part of a family than when they have no explicit group membership. The study's authors note that the same effect is observed when it comes to donations for endangered animals that are depicted moving in unison, as part of a group. (Of course, said groups also need to have positive reputations.) Fundraising strategists would be wise to take note.
When IT Meets Marketing
A New Kind of (Net)Working Lunch (WSJ.com) Quiz: Are You Teaching Your Kids the Habits of Financial Success? (CSMonitor.com) How Walmart Is Using its Sustainability Metrics To Drive Productivity (GreenBiz.com)