MIT Sloan Management Review

When it comes to recruiting, few studies examine the degree to which a company’s social reputation or other aspects of its reputation are more or less important than other, more utilitarian job choice factors. When a survey task simply asks people to rate the importance of a laundry list of job attributes such as corporate social responsibility, it hides the marginal value of each attribute to the potential employee. There is every indication it is not a case of one size fits all.

If one innovation approach is helpful, you might think using more than one approach to innovation would be even more productive. Not necessarily, write Frank T. Rothaermel and Andrew M. Hess in the new issue of Business Insight, MIT Sloan Management Review’s collaboration with The Wall Street Journal.

People aren’t stupid – they just often act that way. Noted behavioral economist Dan Ariely explains what that should mean for strategists.

Here at MIT Sloan Management Review we're big fans of the folks at 37 Signals. We use some of their software and we try to follow their ideas about simplicity in everything from product to process.

What if the United States electorate approached the task of choosing a president like a business organization hiring a leader? What kind of questions would be asked in a job interview of a candidate for the job of U.S. President?

Not the kind of questions we often here asked on TV, apparently.

Surprisingly often, executives with impressive track records are mysteriously transformed into corrupt and tyrannical monsters once they become CEOs. What danger signals do these individuals exhibit, and what measures can be taken to reduce the likelihood of hiring them?

Finding the right individuals to fill executive positions has never been easy, and the process is only getting more difficult with increased globalization.

Many companies have filled their corner offices with mediocre executives. A set of basic practices can help organizations avoid such a crucial mistake.

Decisions on CEO succession have never been more critical to an organization’s success. No wonder, then, that boards are insisting on being involved in the process and not leaving the choice up to a departing chief executive officer.

Are managers today less loyal to their companies? If so, can companies counter this trend? To retain loyal managers, companies must nurture an apolitical culture that places high priority on meeting career needs.