| ||||
| Organizer: Andri Georgiadou, Equality Inclusion Diversity (EQUIDY) Center Organizer: Miguel R. Olivas-Lujan, Clarion U. of Pennsylvania Distinguished Speaker: S Robert Hernandez, U. of Alabama, Birmingham Distinguished Speaker: Kate Marie McCombs, Florida Atlantic U. Distinguished Speaker: Regina F. Bento, U. of Baltimore Discussant: Andrew Marcinko, Aston Business School Discussant: Christine Nittrouer, U. of Houston-Downtown Discussant: Christine Marie Manno, U. of Arkansas Facilitator: Dorothea Roumpi, Pennsylvania State U. Discussant: Eugene Agboifo Ohu, Lagos Business School Pan Atlantic U. Nigeria Discussant: Franklin Oikelome, Eastern U. Discussant: Hyacinthe Michael Schwartz, Organizational Behavior Case Western Reserve U. Facilitator: Jennifer Griffith, U. of New Hampshire Discussant: Lesley Clack, U. of Georgia Discussant: Mami Taniguchi, Waseda U. Discussant: Maureen Andrade, Utah Valley U. Discussant: Muhammad Farrukh Moin, Tongji U. Discussant: Rachael Goodwin, U. of Utah Discussant: Rana Haq, Laurentian U. Facilitator: Renée Smith-Maddox, U. of Southern California Discussant: Samantha Dodson, U. of Utah, David Eccles School of Business Discussant: Stacy Kratz, U. of Southern California Facilitator: Stephanie L. Black, Texas A&M U., San Antonio | ||||
| This PDW aims to foster a discussion about how to promote an inclusive culture inside and outside the classroom. The starting point of this discussion is the exploration of inclusion in academia from a broad range of different disciplines, geographical, and theoretical perspectives with the common aim of approaching ways for combating inequality and fostering diversity and inclusion. | ||||
| Please send an email to the organizers describing your interests and expertise (highly preferred, but not required for attendance). | ||||
Showing posts with label business advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business advice. Show all posts
AOM PDW this August!
If you are attending the Academy of Management meeting in Boston this August, please join us for this interactive Professional Development Workshop (PDW)!
Customers Help Transformational Managers Energize Employees
* I am grateful to Dr. Matt Gilley, Founder and CEO of BusinessMinded.com, who allowed me to post this summary I wrote (as a "beta test") for his company. If you enjoy it, I am positive that you will want to sign up for their week-long free trial!!
Key Points:
• Transformational or inspiring leaders that incorporate employee contact with customers improve their organization’s effectiveness.
• When followers perceive that their work has a positive impact on society, the association between contact with beneficiaries and supervisor ratings of performance strengthens.
• Giving employees information about how their work impacts its beneficiaries improves the motivational effectiveness of transformational leaders.
Overview:
Transformational leaders inspire their employees through sharing their vision, confidence, optimism, core values and ideals. When their employees have direct contact with others who ultimately benefit from their work, managers’ efforts to motivate their workforce are amplified. Employee perceptions of how their work improves society strengthen this relationship.
What the Research Shows:
Two studies published in the Academy of Management Journal by Adam Grant, a researcher from the University of Pennsylvania, show that transformational leaders’ words and actions motivate their employees more strongly when the latter have contact with customers. In a naturally occurring experiment, Grant obtained sales performance of 71 new hires at a call center selling software to nonprofit organizations. Both number of sales and revenue after seven weeks differed significantly, but only for employees exposed to both a speech by a senior director and another speech by a beneficiary of their sales; employees that heard only one speech or none showed lower sales, not different from each other.
The second study included survey data from 329 employees and their leaders in a wide range of jobs from a government organization. Grant measured several job characteristics such as employee empowerment, relationship quality, task significance, etc., using well-accepted measures. Only when employee contact with their work beneficiaries and their leaders’ transformational style were high, did managers’ performance ratings show a significant, positive difference. Perceptions of the benefit work has on society were also higher for employees who reported working for more transformational leaders, especially if they had high contact with customers.
Why this Matters:
These two studies help managers who prefer using a transformational leadership style magnify their effectiveness as motivators for their employees (transformational leaders are those who offer a vision for the future of their organization, foster team spirit, confidence and optimism, and are explicit in identifying values and ideals for their groups). Connecting employees with individuals who ultimately benefit from their actions has a powerful effect in their performance that can be detected in measurable quantities. Top managers may receive unsolicited “Thank you” letters from customers, but the urge to share those notes with the employees that earned the acknowledgement is not always there!
Organizations that actively seek customers’ feedback are in a position to profit greatly from distributing their positive findings with line and all other employees. For example, Deere & Company and Medtronic are among the companies that welcome contact between customers and employees in an effort to foster these human connections that show such a powerful influence in their managers’ efforts. The Marriott and Hilton hotel brands also have campaigns to “catch employees doing their best” by inviting guests to provide feedback that identifies star employees by name. If your organization has one such program, ensuring that all employees—not just the best ones—receive final customers’ positive comments as directly as possible might be an inexpensive way to increase productivity and make managers’ work more effective.
These initiatives amplify transformational leaders’ efforts to a higher extent than other types of leaders that were not part of the studies (for example, some leaders are highly task oriented, with no concern for individuals’ feelings or preferences). Still, some workers might be sensitive to these interactions with customers even when their managers have other leadership styles; sharing information about how the organization’s products or services impact people’s lives may increase productivity by means of higher motivation in all kinds and levels of employees.
Use this Today:
Giving employees opportunities to connect with customers, whether internal or external to the organization, can motivate them in measurable ways, particularly when their managers have a transformational style. This should be considered a motivational tool of the highest strategic level.
Related Links:
The Evolution of Employee Opinion Surveys: The Voice of Employee as a Strategic Business Management Tool :: http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Pages/TheEvolutionof.aspx
How to Make the Most of Customer Feedback :: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/07/how-to-make-most-of-customer-feedback.html
The Power of Customer Feedback :: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/4865/the-power-of-customer-feedback
Source: Grant, A. M. (2012). Leading with Meaning: Beneficiary Contact, Prosocial Impact, and the Performance Effects of Transformational Leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 55(2), 458-476.
…my new “Ba-B-JHR”!
Many times I’ve heard authors talk about their latest publication as
“their baby” –in fact, I have used this metaphor several times, especially when
I show the results of my efforts with colleagues or friends, after months of
thinking, writing, analyzing, submitting manuscripts and responding to
reviewers and editors. Well, a few
days ago, I received my newest “baby,” the “ba-BJHR” or Business Journal of Hispanic Research, first issue of its fifth
volume, and I can hardly wait for opportunities to talk about it!
The funny thing is that I only wrote one page in this
issue. But I can tell you that I
spent many more hours, energy and effort as Editor-in-Chief of this issue than
I have for many other publications, even those in which I am single or first
author. Coordinating the efforts
of twenty-six highly qualified individuals who so conscientiously wrote their
manuscripts to be scrutinized by our editorial boards –another forty, highly
qualified, well known individuals from industry and academia—and several ad-hoc
reviewers is an experience in interdependence that I had never had before. I sure hope that many conscientious
managers and researchers will agree with us that this issue is full of helpful,
relevant advice, distilled through rigorous methodologies.
I believe that this is one of the clearest ways in which NSHMBA
distinguishes itself from other organizations that only have a yearly event or
two to serve their stakeholders! And this is one that creates a tangible legacy
for generations to come!
Let me share with you how this journal is different from other business
publications. First and foremost,
most of the authors are highly trained individuals: you will notice in its
index and Contributors section that all have finished graduate school and most
–over 80%--have doctorates. Secondly, there are five sections in this journal, three of
them written mainly for the thoughtful manager who wants her or his practice to
stay away from fads and “intellectual snake oil” –the Executive Articles,
Summaries, and Book Reviews—and the other two sections –the Academic or
Scholarly Articles and the Research in Progress—are written mainly for business
scientists and researchers, who report their work in a more technical
fashion. All the content is
intended to document how Hispanics in business have different sets of
circumstances than the rest of our society, and provide information that will
not just be rigorously distilled, but also highly usable. Lastly, while the BJHR, like most
journals, is distributed through libraries and electronic databases, it is also
sent directly to NSHMBA’s sponsors and partners, both academic and industrial;
to chapter presidents and to subscribers.
This increases the chances that it will be read and used actively, not
just found occasionally.
Contributions
Have you ever noticed how some blue-collar workers seem to be more
stressed than others? Dr. Carol
Howard and her co-authors from Oklahoma City University and from the U. of
Tennessee -Knoxville surveyed not just workers but also their supervisors to examine
whether ethnical matches made any difference on job stress and burnout. They found measurable differences in
stress levels, on burnout and on intent to turnover, but Hispanics appeared to
be more vulnerable to ethnic mismatches than their Anglo counterparts; for that
reason, they recommend a focus on job design for Anglo workers and on perceived
ethnic fit for Hispanic workers.
But don’t take my word for it; read the full article on pp. 54-71 so you
can draw your own conclusions!
You might also have noticed that some organizations have Diversity
Management initiatives that are readily accepted, whereas other organizations
struggle to find support for them, even among the employees that are expected
to benefit. Dr. Richard Herrera
from Texas A&M in Texarkana and his collaborators from Our Lady of the Lake
and UT-Dallas have been able to find empirical support for a number of
relationships that link cultural descriptors with leadership preferences and
ratings of diversity management.
Among their recommendations, Human Resource and other managers of people
might do well by promoting a collectivistic rather than individualistic culture
to increase the acceptability of their diversity practices. Again, I invite you to read the full
report on pp. 72-85.
Now, if you have been following the debates over illegal immigration
and how the local and state debates may impact businesses –hey, your business
might have experienced some of these concerns!—you will be interested in a case
study that Dr. Mark D’Antonio and his colleagues from Northern Virginia
Community College wrote. This
review of the legal precedents and justification for Affirmative Action
programs, not just for compliance but from a competitive advantage perspective
will put you –or your trainees—in the driver’s seat. In addition to the case printed on pp. 86-97, there is a
full set of teaching notes available from the Managing Editor of the BJHR; they
are free for qualified instructors with a current subscription to the BJHR, but
others who are not so close to NSHMBA may also purchase the teaching notes in
electronic or print form.
Our Executive sections include articles on entrepreneurs and services
offered to them, on academy-business collaborations and academic inequality, a
couple of summaries that address differences on Hispanics’ happiness and
job-related stress levels, in addition to two reviews of highly relevant books. From well-known to recently minted academics
from universities like Indiana, Tulane, UT-San Antonio, Saint Xavier, Quinnipiac,
Marymount, and Clarion are present in these articles.
And, did I mention that NSHMBA Premier and Executive members have
online access to the electronic version of the journal included as a benefit of
their membership? All you need to
do is login to the NSHMBA site and continue your professional development
through reading and internalizing the information in this multi-disciplinary
effort by businesspersons and academics.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you via email or through my
social networking pages (please remember to let me know that you’re a fellow
NSHMBA member if you send me a connection request).
¡Hasta la próxima!
…Hispanic Business Research
I am returning from the 2010 Conference and Career Expo in Chicago as I write this note. What an incredible event this has been, changing the lives of hundreds of individuals who find jobs, schools, talent, and like-minded individuals who are willing to spend their time, their money and many other resources to improve society through education for and about Hispanics! What a long sentence too, but my batteries get so recharged every time I attend a NSHMBA event like this!!
A particularly exciting development (especially at the personal level) is that, starting October 2010, I have assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief for the Business Journal of Hispanic Research, NSHMBA’s most noticeable and recent effort to educate not only ourselves, Hispanics, but all of society! By systematically and scientifically documenting the situations, problems and solutions that Hispanics and non-Hispanics businesspersons encounter, the BJHR bridges research and practice, to serve students, mid-level managers and executives that are interested in going beyond what “common sense” (often the least common of the senses!) and mainstream media tell.
I am excited about this opportunity for several reasons. I have found my professional calling in research because the scientific method has transformed the way we live, work, and study; progress in all areas of life has accelerated since our society has been documenting its problems and solutions in a systematic manner. I also believe that keeping records of a subject of study by means of academic journals helps it transcend beyond time! Let me explain: I have often wondered, “shouldn’t we know more about the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs or other Native Americans than about the Jewish people, who lived in a more remote place and time?” Besides the obvious answer that religions have played a large role in preserving the knowledge our society currently has about the Abrahamic legacy, I believe that a key factor is that they wrote things down in a way that has been transmitted by generations!!!
To the extent that we are serious about keeping our Hispanic heritage alive and passing it to future generations, I believe we need to read, write, publish and promote outlets that specifically focus on Hispanics. Thousands of books are published every year, but very few of them are written by, for or about Latinos. In Business, there are also hundreds of journals dealing with every business function from the mainstream perspective, but only one is currently publishing content that is targeted explicitly to and about Hispanics in the business world, and that is the BJHR.
No other Society or Association of MBAs has assembled a group of qualified and diverse executives and academics to call for, double-blind review and publish content that specifically focuses on its Mission, and I believe that this is one of the more tangible ways in which NSHMBA enacts its vision to become the “premier organization for Hispanic business professionals”! The BJHR distinguishes us as a group that cares about ongoing professional development, and it can be used as a recruitment, retention, and fundraising tool –it simply makes me incredibly proud to be a NSHMBA Lifetime member!
Regarding fundraising, I also was impressed when Andrés Velásquez, from the Cleveland Chapter of NSHMBA, shared with me and Manny Gonzalez –our new CEO—that a most effective approach to sell sponsorships for the upcoming Hispanic Summit (May 19-20, 2011; mark your calendar!) has included sharing an issue of the BJHR with potential sponsors. Diversity and Inclusion executives seem to appreciate the contribution that NSHMBA gives to society through this publication, enough to share some of their scarce resources to support other activities that also carry the NSHMBA brand, again, the only Society of MBAs that has been willing to improve society through educating not only Hispanics but anyone else willing to take the time and effort to read the BJHR.
I can also see many challenges in this road I’m starting. You might be aware that, recently, the BJHR has been published online only, as the printing, shipping and handling expenses have been too high for NSHMBA to bear. Of course, publishing it online only is better than not doing it at all, but, as the anecdote above suggests, fundraising without a printed copy might be less effective. Also importantly, the number of business researchers who include Hispanics in their professional interests is quite low, and peer reviewed research reports take months, when not years, to be completed. Strengthening the pipeline of articles to keep the BJHR fresh and useful for its readers might need special promotion in the form of research grants and other initiatives. I hope that we –all of NSHMBA’s stakeholders, internal and external—will be able to create and support these initiatives so that we can continue to improve society through education.
I feel both privileged and humbled to get the baton from Dr. Donna Maria Blancero, who had the vision to found the journal and is now part of the Faculty at Bentley College, in Boston. I am also grateful to NSHMBA’s Board of Directors and to its Interim CEO, Steven Ramos, who ensured that the BJHR survived through some of the worst economic times that NSHMBA has undergone, and initiated the process that Manny finalized to bring me to this position. I also have to thank the BJHR Editorial Board which has continued to support the journal through its economic difficulties, particularly Henry Hernandez, Jr., and Drs. Dianna Stone-Romero and Mickey Quinones. The journal also has a debt of gratitude to Drs. C. Douglas Johnson and Rob DelCampo, who worked very hard as Associate Editors but are now moving to other responsibilities.
Ms. Maru Tapia has been working beyond her contractual obligations as the Managing Editor who has “kept the doors open” even before Clarion, my home university and NSHMBA started to explore the agreement that will enable me to serve in this capacity. Jim Huerta has been serving as a Development Executive, finding ways to expand the BJHR influence and sustainability. And, last, but never least, every reader of the BJHR who applies its lessons in their professional life, benefitting not just his or her career, but also their companies and society at large!
What about you? If you haven't read the BJHR recently, please use this link. I'd like to know your thoughts about it; your suggestions or comments are very much needed to make this publication a stronger asset for you, your chapter and your organizations!
¡Hasta la próxima!
A particularly exciting development (especially at the personal level) is that, starting October 2010, I have assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief for the Business Journal of Hispanic Research, NSHMBA’s most noticeable and recent effort to educate not only ourselves, Hispanics, but all of society! By systematically and scientifically documenting the situations, problems and solutions that Hispanics and non-Hispanics businesspersons encounter, the BJHR bridges research and practice, to serve students, mid-level managers and executives that are interested in going beyond what “common sense” (often the least common of the senses!) and mainstream media tell.
I am excited about this opportunity for several reasons. I have found my professional calling in research because the scientific method has transformed the way we live, work, and study; progress in all areas of life has accelerated since our society has been documenting its problems and solutions in a systematic manner. I also believe that keeping records of a subject of study by means of academic journals helps it transcend beyond time! Let me explain: I have often wondered, “shouldn’t we know more about the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs or other Native Americans than about the Jewish people, who lived in a more remote place and time?” Besides the obvious answer that religions have played a large role in preserving the knowledge our society currently has about the Abrahamic legacy, I believe that a key factor is that they wrote things down in a way that has been transmitted by generations!!!
To the extent that we are serious about keeping our Hispanic heritage alive and passing it to future generations, I believe we need to read, write, publish and promote outlets that specifically focus on Hispanics. Thousands of books are published every year, but very few of them are written by, for or about Latinos. In Business, there are also hundreds of journals dealing with every business function from the mainstream perspective, but only one is currently publishing content that is targeted explicitly to and about Hispanics in the business world, and that is the BJHR.
No other Society or Association of MBAs has assembled a group of qualified and diverse executives and academics to call for, double-blind review and publish content that specifically focuses on its Mission, and I believe that this is one of the more tangible ways in which NSHMBA enacts its vision to become the “premier organization for Hispanic business professionals”! The BJHR distinguishes us as a group that cares about ongoing professional development, and it can be used as a recruitment, retention, and fundraising tool –it simply makes me incredibly proud to be a NSHMBA Lifetime member!
Regarding fundraising, I also was impressed when Andrés Velásquez, from the Cleveland Chapter of NSHMBA, shared with me and Manny Gonzalez –our new CEO—that a most effective approach to sell sponsorships for the upcoming Hispanic Summit (May 19-20, 2011; mark your calendar!) has included sharing an issue of the BJHR with potential sponsors. Diversity and Inclusion executives seem to appreciate the contribution that NSHMBA gives to society through this publication, enough to share some of their scarce resources to support other activities that also carry the NSHMBA brand, again, the only Society of MBAs that has been willing to improve society through educating not only Hispanics but anyone else willing to take the time and effort to read the BJHR.
I can also see many challenges in this road I’m starting. You might be aware that, recently, the BJHR has been published online only, as the printing, shipping and handling expenses have been too high for NSHMBA to bear. Of course, publishing it online only is better than not doing it at all, but, as the anecdote above suggests, fundraising without a printed copy might be less effective. Also importantly, the number of business researchers who include Hispanics in their professional interests is quite low, and peer reviewed research reports take months, when not years, to be completed. Strengthening the pipeline of articles to keep the BJHR fresh and useful for its readers might need special promotion in the form of research grants and other initiatives. I hope that we –all of NSHMBA’s stakeholders, internal and external—will be able to create and support these initiatives so that we can continue to improve society through education.
I feel both privileged and humbled to get the baton from Dr. Donna Maria Blancero, who had the vision to found the journal and is now part of the Faculty at Bentley College, in Boston. I am also grateful to NSHMBA’s Board of Directors and to its Interim CEO, Steven Ramos, who ensured that the BJHR survived through some of the worst economic times that NSHMBA has undergone, and initiated the process that Manny finalized to bring me to this position. I also have to thank the BJHR Editorial Board which has continued to support the journal through its economic difficulties, particularly Henry Hernandez, Jr., and Drs. Dianna Stone-Romero and Mickey Quinones. The journal also has a debt of gratitude to Drs. C. Douglas Johnson and Rob DelCampo, who worked very hard as Associate Editors but are now moving to other responsibilities.
Ms. Maru Tapia has been working beyond her contractual obligations as the Managing Editor who has “kept the doors open” even before Clarion, my home university and NSHMBA started to explore the agreement that will enable me to serve in this capacity. Jim Huerta has been serving as a Development Executive, finding ways to expand the BJHR influence and sustainability. And, last, but never least, every reader of the BJHR who applies its lessons in their professional life, benefitting not just his or her career, but also their companies and society at large!
What about you? If you haven't read the BJHR recently, please use this link. I'd like to know your thoughts about it; your suggestions or comments are very much needed to make this publication a stronger asset for you, your chapter and your organizations!
¡Hasta la próxima!
…business advice in Spanish sayings
Have you ever been at work, perhaps listening to a presentation or talking with a coworker when an old proverb suddenly comes to mind, somehow capturing the essence of what is being said? Now, depending on your fluency level in Spanish (or any other language!), chances are that the saying is in such language, connecting you to family, places, coursework you took, or in some way bridging you to a culture that is important to you from an intellectual, emotional, or other standpoint. I find those moments fascinating…!
Remember for example your classes in Strategy, Marketing or Industrial Economics; “First mover advantage” is often mentioned as a strong correlate of success for new product development. You probably have heard “Al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda” (“The early bird gets the worm”). This saying’s relevance for business can hardly be questioned –though I remember arguments to the contrary in some new industries such as Internet book retailers or social networking sites; for example, neither Amazon nor facebook were the first companies to be launched, but currently they seem to be the most successful.
How about “El hábito no hace al monje” (“the garb doesn’t make the monk”)? I remember Human Resources, Marketing and Cognitive Psychology readings that talk about the power –and danger!—of first impressions. This and many other sayings make me think about the wisdom of our great-grandparents. Clearly, before we had schools or formal training programs, dichos (sayings) have provided an effective vehicle to transmit valuable information within a society and between generations.
Still, the value of modern education and of scientific research also becomes apparent when we consider that some old proverbs are reflective of beliefs that do not pass the test of science. Consider “Árbol que crece torcido, jamás su tronco endereza” (“crooked trees will never straighten their trunk”); an English parallel for this saying is “old dogs don’t learn new tricks.” Well, Education research does show that age is no obstacle for learning when we are motivated and have no strong impairment to stop us!
Or, on the other hand, “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” (“Because of his age, the Devil knows more than because of being the Devil”) suggests that experience –or old age, at least—trumps cognitive endowments, motivation or other features. There is ample evidence showing that, within certain contexts –track and field sports come to mind—experience or age is important, but not as crucial as an appropriate set of muscles, training, and perhaps some luck. In fact, at the organizational level of analysis, company age often dampens creativity and may work against the firms’ ability to innovate.
What do you think? Have you come across any old sayings –in Spanish or another language—that offer sound (or less than!) advice for managers or businesspersons? My closest business partner–and wife—and I have been compiling a collection of sayings and how they stack up on the face of the available scientific evidence in Management for a future publication. We might also present a paper on this topic in Minneapolis, at this year’s NSHMBA Academic meeting that runs in parallel with the Annual Conference and Job Expo. Would you be interested in participating too?
If you send me a saying (or more!) and how you have applied it at work via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or facebook (I’m also test-driving twitter -@drolivas is my username), we will acknowledge your help. We are particularly interested in sayings from all Spanish speaking regions, and we are more familiar with Northern and Central Mexico. Look forward to hearing from you!
¡Hasta la próxima!
Remember for example your classes in Strategy, Marketing or Industrial Economics; “First mover advantage” is often mentioned as a strong correlate of success for new product development. You probably have heard “Al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda” (“The early bird gets the worm”). This saying’s relevance for business can hardly be questioned –though I remember arguments to the contrary in some new industries such as Internet book retailers or social networking sites; for example, neither Amazon nor facebook were the first companies to be launched, but currently they seem to be the most successful.
How about “El hábito no hace al monje” (“the garb doesn’t make the monk”)? I remember Human Resources, Marketing and Cognitive Psychology readings that talk about the power –and danger!—of first impressions. This and many other sayings make me think about the wisdom of our great-grandparents. Clearly, before we had schools or formal training programs, dichos (sayings) have provided an effective vehicle to transmit valuable information within a society and between generations.
Still, the value of modern education and of scientific research also becomes apparent when we consider that some old proverbs are reflective of beliefs that do not pass the test of science. Consider “Árbol que crece torcido, jamás su tronco endereza” (“crooked trees will never straighten their trunk”); an English parallel for this saying is “old dogs don’t learn new tricks.” Well, Education research does show that age is no obstacle for learning when we are motivated and have no strong impairment to stop us!
Or, on the other hand, “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” (“Because of his age, the Devil knows more than because of being the Devil”) suggests that experience –or old age, at least—trumps cognitive endowments, motivation or other features. There is ample evidence showing that, within certain contexts –track and field sports come to mind—experience or age is important, but not as crucial as an appropriate set of muscles, training, and perhaps some luck. In fact, at the organizational level of analysis, company age often dampens creativity and may work against the firms’ ability to innovate.
What do you think? Have you come across any old sayings –in Spanish or another language—that offer sound (or less than!) advice for managers or businesspersons? My closest business partner–and wife—and I have been compiling a collection of sayings and how they stack up on the face of the available scientific evidence in Management for a future publication. We might also present a paper on this topic in Minneapolis, at this year’s NSHMBA Academic meeting that runs in parallel with the Annual Conference and Job Expo. Would you be interested in participating too?
If you send me a saying (or more!) and how you have applied it at work via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or facebook (I’m also test-driving twitter -@drolivas is my username), we will acknowledge your help. We are particularly interested in sayings from all Spanish speaking regions, and we are more familiar with Northern and Central Mexico. Look forward to hearing from you!
¡Hasta la próxima!
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