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The Secret of Building Successful Teams
Successful organizations depend on successful teamwork, and according to Arizona State University psychological scientist Nancy J. Cooke what you think you know about teamwork is probably wrong; creating a high-performing team is about much more than simply trying to recruit the best and the brightest (which research shows can backfire anyway). For tasks that require a high degree of cognitive complexity, from brain surgery to manufacturing a car, it is impossible for any single individual to completely understand all of the components necessary for the task.
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Power and Punishment: The Rules of Leadership Are Not Universal
When employees are late for work, breaking safety procedures, or ignoring deadlines, it’s part of the boss’s job to dole out the appropriate punishment. Nobody wants to be disciplined at work, but punishment for breaking rules ensures that the workplace is kept safe and productive. In fact, the US Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission states that an employer must make “a diligent effort to discourage, by discipline if necessary, violations of safety rules by employees.” But when and why managers dole discipline to employees may depend on where they are in the world.
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The Look of Leadership
How much a leader earns may depend, at least in part, on whether she or he looks the part.
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Why Office Jerks Get Ahead
People who score high on some sinister personality traits appear to have better career prospects, according to a scientific review.
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Maximizing the Gains and Minimizing the Pains of Diversity
For organizations, diversity pays off. Empirical research has shown that diversity increases creativity and innovation and promotes better decision making because it spurs deeper information processing and complex thinking.
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Get Up, Stand Up! How to Get People to Quit Sitting
If you work a typical office job, you might be spending more than 10 hours a day sitting down. Across numerous studies, extensive sitting has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even an early death. People are becoming increasingly aware of the health risks associated with sitting, but with many employees desk-bound, how do you convince people to get up and get moving at work? According to a new meta-analysis, interventions that specifically targeted sitting, rather than just getting people to exercise more often, were the most effective at getting people to be less sedentary at work.
