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  • 02 Jul 2010
  • What Do You Think?

Is Profit as a “Direct Goal” Overrated?

decision-making and even to the future and viability of capitalism. One debate concerned the primacy of profit as a goal. Deaver Brown led this argument by saying, "Profit is the only legitimate goal of a corporation ," pointing... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 02 Jun 2010
  • What Do You Think?

How Do You Weigh Strategy, Execution, and Culture in an Organization’s Success?

hope the comments were as helpful and thought-provoking to you as they were to me. Those of you willing to venture to place weights on the determinants of success gave the nod to culture by a wide margin. As Mouaz AlZayyat put it,... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 02 Feb 2007
  • What Do You Think?

Is There Too Little “Know Why” In Business?

become centered around maximizing profits rather than maximizing on the Purpose." Neil Olonoff argued that the concept of purpose put forth by Nikos Mourkogiannis in his book is too impersonal. He pointed out that "Michael... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 07 Jul 2011
  • What Do You Think?

So We Adapt. What’s the Downside?

that "Where I believe we need more than ever to be strident and more fixed is in our intolerance of unacceptable behavior by our leaders." Both commitment and adaptability have their place. Jeffrey Cufaude reminded us that View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 02 Dec 2009
  • What Do You Think?

Should Immigration Policies Be More Welcoming to Low-Skilled Workers?

Summing Up Low-skilled immigrants: burden or opportunity? Immigration is apparently a topic that stirs passions globally, judging from the responses to this month's column. As Nauman Lodhi pointed out, "Tough times give rise more than ever to tough thoughts... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 06 Jun 2008
  • What Do You Think?

Why Don’t Managers Think Deeply?

possibility that " managers are not trained for it." Dianne Jacobs cited the possibility that persisting assumptions borne out of success serve as "roadblocks to act on needed change" (proposed by those who engage in... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 27 Nov 2006
  • What Do You Think?

What’s to Be Done About Performance Reviews?

worse." Dean Turner expressed the frustrations of many when he said, "What's the best system? After 40+ years in the work force, I am still searching for it." By way of contrast, Richard Tiedeman commented, "Almost any... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 04 Nov 2010
  • What Do You Think?

Why Do We Chase Stars?

evolved in management by gender bias with skills and talents so alien to their male counterparts that they are uniquely powerful in an information world?" Other questions come to mind. Do we continue to overstate the portability of... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 03 Jul 2008
  • What Do You Think?

Are Followers About to Get Their Due?

Summing Up Are leadership and followership joined at the hip? It seems impossible to separate the two. They are reflective of one another. These are two of the predominant opinions expressed in one way or another by respondents to this... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 08 Oct 2010
  • What Do You Think?

Will Transparency in CEO Compensation Have Unintended Consequences?

Summing Up The Dodd-Frank legislation provision requiring the publication of the ratio of CEO compensation to that of the average compensation level of all employees in public companies will have little or no impact on CEO compensation levels. That's the conclusion of... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 02 Apr 2010
  • What Do You Think?

Why Are Fewer and Fewer U.S. Employees Satisfied With Their Jobs?

over their own needs)." Mark Isaac pointed out that "Succession plans, open communication, and knowing that the company cares, create a learning environment." Gerald Nanninga's reference to findings of the biennial Global Workforce Study View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 03 Jan 2008
  • What Do You Think?

Does Judgment Trump Experience?

Summing Up How is good judgment developed? Whether judgment trumps experience quickly gave way in this month's rich exchange of views to other questions about how (and the extent to which) judgment is developed. Most of those addressing the question agreed with the... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 01 Oct 2009
  • What Do You Think?

Can the “Masks of Command” Coexist with Authentic Leadership?

leadership? Those arguing that the two can coexist cite situations, generally involving adversity, in which the "greater good" is served by masking a leader's feelings. Frances Pratt argued that " we must be careful (and... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 03 Apr 2009
  • What Do You Think?

How Much Obsolescence Can Business and Society Absorb?

Summing Up To remain sane and relevant, must we smell the flowers as well as the ozone? This month's question of how much obsolescence business and society (and by implication, we as managers) can absorb brought out both the poets and the... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Publishing; Journalism & News
  • 05 Mar 2008
  • What Do You Think?

Where Will Management Innovation Take Us?

not clear. Many suggested that the kind of management innovation described by Gary Hamel in his new book, The Future of Management, will more likely occur as a result of forces outside the organization. Tony Gattis described the... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • 11 Oct 2006
  • What Do You Think?

How Do We Respond to the “Dependency Ratio” Dilemma?

value by the fortunate few." As Cass Apple put it, "It is simply a matter of morality." Bob Fitzpatrick said, "This situation is nothing more than an extension of our 'Teflon' culture." At the national level,... View Details
Keywords: by Jim Heskett
  • April 1998
  • Case

Jim Lyons and GenRad

Lyons, currently CEO of Harry Gray Associates, a consulting and investment firm, had just been approached by an executive recruiter representing GenRad, a 78-year-old electronics company headquartered in Concord, MA. The company, which manufactured integrated software... View Details
Keywords: Technology; Management Succession; Personal Development and Career; Consulting Industry; Massachusetts
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  • 01 Dec 2006
  • What Do You Think?

How Important Is Quality of Labor? And How Is It Achieved?

is to assume that quality of labor is genetic ." Flavius Chircu said, "I would simplify the analysis by substituting 'quality of labor' with 'quality of output,' be that output a product, service, or mix thereof." In Sneh... View Details
Keywords: by by Jim Heskett
  • 02 Oct 2013
  • What Do You Think?

Is Leadership an Increasingly Difficult Balancing Act?

Summing Up What's the Future of the Authority Figure In Leadership? Leadership involves the effective management of tensions characteristic of all organizations. Are such tensions exacerbated by today's need for increasing speed and... View Details
Keywords: by James Heskett
  • October 1996
  • Case

Jim Bender and Alert, Inc. (A)

Jim Bender has just been hired as CEO of Alert, Inc. Alert, founded in 1986 by a charismatic technologist, has accumulated an impressive portfolio of patents and leading edge technology projects in a variety of fields. The company has never, however, shown a profit and... View Details
Keywords: Business or Company Management; Entrepreneurship; Management Skills; Business Startups; Technology Industry
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