Simple changes to employee training can improve results. Plus: How to push past an ultimatum, the case for acquiring during a downturn, a vote for generalists, and more.

In 2013 the genetic testing firm 23andMe received a cease-and-desist letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration forbidding it from selling its spit-in-a-tube DNA test to consumers. Since its founding, six years earlier, 23andMe had operated in a murky space: Previously, genetic tests were ordered only by doctors, and it was unclear whether the device the company sold to consumers to facilitate testing constituted a "medical device." .....more

Investors these days are paying close attention to companies'' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. But business leaders are discovering that it''s not enough just to disclose ESG data or invite shareholders to a sustainability-focused event; those sorts of cookie-cutter efforts fail to bring rewards from capital markets. The Spotlight feature "Social-Impact Efforts That Create Value" suggests a better approach--one .....more

Many White people deny the existence of racism against people of color because they assume that racism is defined by deliberate actions motivated by malice and hatred. However, racism can occur without conscious awareness or intent. When defined simply as differential evaluation or treatment based solely on race, regardless of intent, racism occurs far more frequently than most White people suspect. As intractable as it seems, racism in the workplace .....more

Even in severe economic downturns and recessions, some companies are able to gain advantage. In the past four downturns, 14% of large companies increased both their sales growth rate and their EBIT margin. A shock like the Covid-19 pandemic can produce lasting changes in customer behavior. To survive and thrive in a crisis, begin by examining how people are spending their time and money. Challenge traditional ideas and use data to actively seek out .....more

Rather than try to follow a set of simple rules ("Don''t lie." "Don''t cheat."), leaders and managers seeking to be more ethical should focus on creating the most value for society. This utilitarian view, Bazerman argues, blends philosophical thought with business school pragmatism and can inform a wide variety of managerial decisions in areas including hiring, negotiations, and even time management. Creating value .....more

To make it through the downturn and return to growth, companies will need to rewire operations, reallocate resources, and in some cases reinvent business models. Joint ventures and partnerships can help many firms with those efforts. In this article, three consultants outline how companies can shore up their existing JVs through capital-raising, cost-reduction, and synergy-tapping techniques that often aren''t available to wholly owned entities. .....more

Many companies can dramatically improve their products and services by using machine learning--an application of artificial intelligence that involves generating predictions from data inputs. Amazon, Google, and other tech giants are already experts at taking advantage of this technology. Smaller enterprises and late entrants, however, may be unsure how to do likewise to gain market share for themselves. This article suggests that early movers will .....more

In this fictional case, Alex, a real estate developer, is at a crossroads in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. His company is a year away from completing a 700,000-square-foot commercial office complex in downtown Moscow, but construction has paused, and the economic future is uncertain. One of his partners, who''s with a Russian company, proposes that they cut their losses and sell to a company in Kazakhstan. The other, a managing director .....more

In this fictional case, Alex, a real estate developer, is at a crossroads in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. His company is a year away from completing a 700,000-square-foot commercial office complex in downtown Moscow, but construction has paused, and the economic future is uncertain. One of his partners, who''s with a Russian company, proposes that they cut their losses and sell to a company in Kazakhstan. The other, a managing director .....more