The View from Harvard Business

A Market for Cadavers

Sean Silverthorne — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:28:13 +0000

Some things we just don't want to think about, like selling the remains of a loved one to the highest bidder. But market forces could provide an efficient way to solve a shortage in cadavers required by researchers and students. Is it time for capitalism to step in?

You Know the Difference Between Cash and Profit. Right?

Sean Silverthorne — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:04:00 +0000

A new survey of managers reveals that most are bordering on financial illiteracy -- they don't know the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet, for starters. How about you? Take our poll.

Your Company Can Avoid Layoffs

Sean Silverthorne — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:57:44 +0000

Even in the worst recession in recent times, some companies are practicing no-layoff policies. How do they do it? Are you ready to exchange your current job to sweep the grounds?

What Transparency? Why the Financial Stability Act Fails

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:38:48 +0000

The Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2008 has a gaping hole in its hull. The list of systematically dangerous firms requiring special government regulation would be kept secret from the public. That's the same public who footed much of the government's financial response to the current crisis. Sorry, you can't be trusted.

Consumer Finance Taught for First Time to Harvard MBAs

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:49:31 +0000

In many nations, consumer spending drives the economy. So why don't most MBA programs teach consumer finance? That has started to change at Harvard Business School, where students begin by designing a budget for an average Boston family.

When Your Best Leadership Skills Work Against You

Sean Silverthorne — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:36:26 +0000

You are often praised for your ability to focus. But what your colleagues don't mention is that your single-mindedness can transform into passive-aggressive behavior that really ticks people off. Understanding when your strengths turn into weaknesses.

Social Networks to Become Less Social

Sean Silverthorne — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:48:16 +0000

Social networking users will soon rebel against their ever-growing list of 'friends' they barely know. For Internet marketers, this culling could be a blow or an opportunity. How will you play it?

Leadership Brings Joy at Work

Sean Silverthorne — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:16:26 +0000

Want to reduce stress at work? Don't be a cog in the machine, says Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Take the lead.

GM's New Ad Strategy Has a Problem: The Spokesman

Sean Silverthorne — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:53:43 +0000

Colonel Sanders, Walt Disney and Lee Iacocca were great symbols and spokesmen for their companies. Ed Whitacre? Not so much. Why the new GM chairman is not who car buyers want to see.

Readers Find Time for Creative Sabbaticals

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Who needs a personal sabbatical when you have Excel, a nearby diner and a wife to work with? Our readers share their unique methods for finding time to think, reflect, and problem solve.