This is a story from the latest version of UNC Business magazine. To read the entire issue, download the iPad app. By Heather Harreld Can a lack of sleep make you more likely to be unethical at work? That is the question that intrigued Michael Christian, assistant professor of organizational behavior at UNC Kenan- Flagler, and prompted him to study the effects of sleep deprivation in the workplace. What he found about deviant behavior — hostility toward customers, stealing and other unethical actions — may surprise you. Christian studied the effects of sleep deprivation on nurses at a large medical center and on undergraduate volunteers in a laboratory setting. He found that those who are sleep deprived — defined as Read More
Tag Archives: Management
Leadership: When to lead by empowerment vs. when to be directive
05/20/2013 – 9:50 am
This is a story from the latest version of UNC Business magazine. To read the entire issue, download the iPad app. By Heather Harreld Empowering leadership — the practice of sharing power with subordinates and allowing them to collectively make decisions — has long been touted as better for performance than a more directive approach. But is an empowering leadership style always better when managing teams? It depends on the nature and timeline of the project, according to new research from Matthew Pearsall, assistant professor of organizational behavior at UNC Kenan-Flagler. While researchers have looked at the effects of both empowering and directive leadership styles separately, Pearsall wanted to directly compare the approaches at the same time. He studied 60 Read More
Fours ways to bolster your onboarding program
03/21/2013 – 11:18 am
“Just be yourself” may sound cliché, but for managers looking to train more effective employees, it’s a piece of advice worth incorporating into the orientation process. UNC Kenan-Flagler assistant professor Bradley Staats studies the onboarding process, the period of orientation and socialization that occurs during a new hire’s first few days on the job. During this time companies typically focus on skills training and building pride in the organization. However, Staats’ latest research has revealed that emphasizing self-expression and personal, rather than organizational, identities may create more beneficial outcomes for firms. Orientation programs with a more individualized approach result in lower turnover rates, greater job satisfaction and improved operational performance down the road. “By following these four principles of personal Read More
Insights Into Innovation: Why Organizations Must Innovate
03/15/2013 – 1:17 pm
Sridhar Balasubramanian – also known as “Dr. B.” – is associate dean of the MBA Program, the Roy & Alice H. Richards Bicentennial Distinguished Scholar and professor of marketing at UNC Kenan-Flagler. He is a widely published and cited researcher. Below, read his insight into innovation, the first in a five-part series with UNC Kenan-Flagler professors. Why is it important for an organization to master innovation? There are multiple reasons why it is important for organizations to master innovation. First of all, the world is becoming increasingly competitive. Fifty years back you only talked about competition from your local region. Today, you produce a product, you try to patent it, but within about six months somebody … some company in Read More
How to build a successful virtual team
10/25/2011 – 1:26 pm
“The use of virtual teams in organizations has exploded in recent years, and all indications are that it will continue to grow,” notes Kip Kelly, director of marketing and business development of Executive Development at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Arvind Malhotra, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler, agrees; virtual teams are here to stay. Malhorta says organizations realized more than 15 years ago that business travel takes away from productivity and increases costs. The faltering economy was “the final momentum builder,” according to Malhorta, firmly entrenching virtual teams in most corporate structures. There are other factors have caused the rise of virtual teams, but increasingly sophisticated technology made it possible, and globalization made it necessary. Once Read More
Blog post: Rethinking Generation Gaps in the Workplace
09/15/2011 – 11:55 am
The popular press has had a field day lately, alerting us to the looming generation gap in the workplace. The stories invariably begin something like this: “For the first time in history, four generations will be in the workplace at the same time.” Most reporters then describe the gap and its potential adverse impact on the workplace. In many cases, it isn’t described merely as a gap. It’s a crisis, a war, a chasm so deep that it threatens our organizations’ very futures. “Emerging studies, however, suggest that while there are some tensions among generations, the generation gap may have been overly exaggerated in the popular press. In fact, the different generations may actually have more in common than previously Read More
How to Close the Gaps in Leadership Development
08/25/2011 – 12:58 pm
“Simply put, successful organizations have strong leaders,” says Brigitta Theleman, director for UNC Kenan-Flagler’s OneMBA program. Organizations with strong leaders outperform other organizations in workforce retention, employee engagement, and organizational performance (including financial performance, customer satisfaction, service quality and productivity). Unfortunately, identifying the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed in strong leaders and creating corporate cultures that encourage the development of these is a challenge for which many organizations struggle; only about two-fifths of respondents to a recent American Management Association survey agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that their “leadership development program is highly effective.” The Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of Strong Leaders Strong leaders, according to various studies, possess the following KSAs: The ability to drive and Read More
The Role of Learning and Development in Succession Planning
08/12/2011 – 11:15 am
Effective succession plans are more than filling out forms. They are real, living programs that combine learning and development (L&D) opportunities and experiential learning to prepare leaders at all levels for tomorrow’s business challenges. “It’s unfortunate, but less than half of all organizations have succession plans in place, and those that do usually focus their efforts at only the highest management levels,” notes David Leonard, Ph.D., program director for Executive Development at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. “We have a perfect storm brewing. As the economy recovers, employees who have been hunkering down will seek new opportunities elsewhere, and Baby Boomers may finally feel comfortable to retire,” says Leonard. “Employers have to be ready for the exodus, and that’s where succession Read More
Executive Coach Insight: Techniques to Influence Others
11/30/2010 – 1:46 pm
Active listening and speaking assertively are critical factors to influencing others, yet successful communication can be one of the most significant challenges leaders face. People judge others on how they communicate. Failure to communicate effectively can create significant obstacles for a leader despite other strengths they might possess, notes executive coach G. Peter Morris. Morris has worked with more than 2,000 executives during the past 19 years and has worked as an executive coach with UNC Kenan-Flagler students. He notes that many leaders mistakenly identify effective leadership as solely making things happen in organizations. “So often we think of influencing as what I can do to convince another person to do something,” he says. “But the secret is, to be Read More
If your customers don’t win, you can’t win for long
11/09/2010 – 9:05 am
If your customers don’t win, you can’t win for long. You have to do something for your customer that makes your customer better off financially and get credit for it. You want your customer to feel like they are a valued partner and that both companies working together benefit financially. Then, your customers are likely to give you more and more of their business. Somehow, many companies have lost their way and became too focused on what is important to them and how they can win. While these are important considerations, to win long-term, in a sustainable way, your customer has to win. If you think about two companies, so you’re not just talking about two individuals, you’re talking about Read More