The US’s historical ascent to global dominance, and the implications for China, Russia, and today’s geopolitical landscape On this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast, we delve into the dynamics of rising powers with Sean A. Mirski, author of the new book, We May Dominate the World. Mirski, a lawyer and foreign policy scholar, has worked on national security issues for several US presidential administrations. He is a member of the Council…
Encouraging adolescents to feel capable and purposeful – rather than just happy – could improve their academic results as well as their mental health, according to new research which recommends changing how wellbeing is supported in schools. The University of Cambridge study, involving over 600 teenagers from seven English schools, examined two separate aspects of their wellbeing: life satisfaction and ‘eudaimonia’. While life satisfaction roughly equates to how happy a…
How leaders can root out this toxic habit — and understand what part they play in it.
Accenture has teamed up with smart Europe to establish its data-driven, direct-to-consumer (DTC) business model in Europe, repositioning the iconic brand and supporting the launch of its new fully electrical car lines, starting with the smart #1, with an innovative take on the car customization experience. Together the companies’ ambition is to make the car shopping experience easier and personalized to each customer. Implementing the direct sales model including a…
The US economy has been resilient but is starting to crack, and these cracks get deeper as the repressive effects of monetary and financial tightening make themselves known. Housing investment has already experienced a sharp adjustment, and real investment in turn should fall substantially. After dipping into their savings and relying on credit, the consumers who underpinned such resilient growth may be less confident and more thrifty. While a stronger-than-expected…
In the ever-evolving realm of modern organizations, there’s a shared understanding of the paramount importance of fostering a positive work culture. It’s no secret that a supportive and uplifting culture doesn’t just make employees happy, but it’s also the key for driving productivity and achieving remarkable outcomes. However, measuring the intangible aspects of work culture can be challenging. To find out how you’re doing on your journey to build a…
Three cost-effective steps organizations can take.
Four ways to work with your boredom — not against it.
Good company culture is the holy grail that many companies aspire to have and the thing that prospective employees seek. Undoubtedly, organisations have shifted towards becoming more employee-centric and use these benefits to drive value for their clients. This raises the question: how can leadership better understand what employees truly desire to build a more employee-centric organisation? Creating such an organisational change requires both knowledge sharing and collaboration as an…
What do we mean by ‘digital exclusion’? When we talk about digital exclusion, we mean people who don’t use the internet or digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. And then there’s also a group we call ‘digitally disadvantaged’. Digitally disadvantaged people do use the internet, but only in a limited way. 1. Come from a customer-driven perspective The most inclusive strategies are driven by the goals of your…
Retirement is a time when most of us can aim for a more relaxed pace of life and enjoy some long-held plans and dreams. But it’s been pretty impossible to escape the effect of higher inflation in the last 12 months, and its impact will ripple on for some time to come – perhaps into your retirement years. So with increasing costs is it likely that you’ll need a pension…
Every summer, the focus of world sport turns to a 42-acre site in the south-west of London. Since 1877, the All England Club has hosted the Wimbledon championships – one of the most prestigious tournaments in the tennis calendar. The only Grand Slam event to take place on grass courts, the tournament offers a cool £2.35 million to the winner of the gentleman’s and ladies’ singles – a far cry…
In November 2022, the United Nations announcement that the global population had crossed the 8 billion mark brought out the usual fearmongering regarding overpopulation, food shortages and environmental destruction. But what if this is the last flourish for population increases and, 50 years from now, we’ll reminisce of countries and economies that once grew? The UN’s gargantuan figure does not paint a complete picture of current demographic trends, nor does it capture…
Whistleblowing, as set out in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (‘PIDA’), is the act of reporting wrongdoing within an organisation with the aim of preventing it, and any harm that may arise from it. This holds particular importance in the financial services industry due to the clear potential for serious wrongdoings such as insider trading, financial fraud, money laundering and corruption to undermine the integrity of the financial system.…
The same was also true for increases in the amount of sedentary time, such as watching TV or reading. The researchers say this highlights the need to encourage older adults to remain active. Physical activity – particularly when it is moderate-intensity and raises your heart rate – is known to reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The NHS recommends that adults…
Talking through five common reasons you may have taken a step back from work.
Customer Closeness – the ‘Why’ In our experience, business event organizers aren’t as close to their customers as they claim. Deep and segmented customer understanding is vital to any business’s success, particularly in events where the job of organizers is to facilitate meaningful connections. Tradeshows are increasingly competing for participants’ time, attention, and budgets. Major event brands that have disappeared due to losing touch with their audiences include Baselworld and…
ChatGPT and other applications that rely on large language models (LLMs) are gaining widespread use and drawing abundant media attention. But a handful of large well-funded tech companies dominate the LLM space because pretraining these models is extremely expensive, with cost estimates starting at $10 million and potentially reaching tens or hundreds of times that. “Large language models are not very accessible to smaller organizations or academic groups,” says Hong…
ZeroNorth uses data to help shipping companies become more efficient and, by extension, greener. Its interactive platform provides simulations, predictions, analysis, and data-driven insights that can aid shipping companies in their quest to traverse oceans while consuming less fuel. Founded in June 2020, the Copenhagen-based start-up now has about 200 employees in six locations around the globe. ZeroNorth says it helped prevent more than 440,000 tons of CO2 from being…
Human ingenuity can solve all kinds of complex problems and find solutions to overcome all sorts of obstacles. But sometimes nature provides the best answer. To transport heavy, bulky goods to the sea, for example, we could build roads, bridges and petrol-powered trucks that emit climate-changing CO2. Or… we could simply float them down rivers, nature’s natural highways. The Nemunas River flows for nearly a thousand kilometres from the uplands…
Building on the first article in our two-part series, "Decoding Employee Needs for Resources and Support with Listening," this piece will explore the critical interplay between resources, support, and employee engagement. As emphasized in our previous discussion, effective employee listening not only helps translate employee voices into data-driven insights. It can also serve as a compass guiding the organization toward continual improvement and success. What Employees Want: Fulfillment and Productivity…
Many organizations utilize third-party apps for identity security solutions to automate and unburden overtaxed IT admins from tedious tasks that employees can perform via self-service without IT assistance. But in September 2021, our researchers observed threat actors exploiting one such third-party app at several US-based entities. The vulnerability was publicly reported on September 6, 2021 as CVE-2021-40539 Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService.1 The application in question was a multifactor authentication, single sign-on,…
A researcher was granted access earlier this year by Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to incredibly potent artificial intelligence software – and leaked it to the world. As a former researcher on Meta’s civic integrity and responsible AI teams, I am terrified by what could happen next. Though Meta was violated by the leak, it came ... Continue reading »
Nathalie made a living promoting fashion brands and products on social media. Initially, she found her work as an influencer liberating as it allowed her to express herself. However, over time, the responsibility and pressure that came with having her whole life displayed online took a toll on her physical and mental health. The constant need to churn out fresh, digital material for mass consumption, often by sharing intimate details…
In November 2022, the United Nations announcement that the global population had crossed the 8 billion mark brought out the usual fearmongering regarding overpopulation, food shortages and environmental destruction. But what if this is the last flourish for population increases and we will look back 50 years from now with fond memories of countries and economies that once grew? The UN’s gargantuan figure does not paint a complete picture of…
You might have seen our recent campaign, which draws on the parallels between CEOs and professional athletes. If not, you can check it out here. Since its launch, both the sports and business domains, and their synergies, have become front of mind for us at Elixirr. Whilst the overlap between the two worlds is by no means a new comparison, the more widely we spoke on it, the more it…
Abrasive leaders, also known as “workplace bullies,” engage in aggressive behavior because they are truly unaware that their actions cause so much damage to those around them. A lot of times, they are labeled as narcissists or gaslighters because they display these kinds of behaviors. Sure, they know they’re seen as hard managers to work with, but they probably think their management style makes them effective leaders. This lack of…
Today’s business environment operates on a global scale. Sending employees overseas is becoming increasingly common and many organizations can take advantage of the vast benefits of doing so. For companies operating across borders, having staff with an understanding of working internationally is not just an added advantage, but a competitive necessity. In fact, over 65% of multinational companies operate international relocation programs, and guess what? Malt does too. However, sending…
Are you still relying on word-of-mouth referrals to get new patients? Wake up and smell the antiseptic, Doc. Social media marketing for doctors is the new Yellow Pages. We get it. You’re from a prescriptive world full of rules and regulations. The wild west of advertising on social media can seem like extra work on your busy plate or simply not for you. But social media in healthcare is not…
Understanding Prigozhin’s Mutiny and What Is — and Isn’t — Happening in Russia Scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies offer insight on what Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny may signal about Russia, Putin’s power, and the war in Ukraine. Melissa Morgan Crew onboard a 'Terminator' tank support fighting vehicle during a Victory Day military parade in Red Square marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War…
Our client is a not-for-profit organisation supporting the effective regulation and management of the electricity industry. Following the announcement by Ofgem in 2019 that the industry would be moving to mandatory settlement every half-hour, our client was chosen to lead the delivery of the Half-Hourly Settlement Programme. The Challenge The settlement programme is a complex, market-wide transformation programme. With the Target Operating Model (TOM) for the future of the industry being…
One of the most venerable ways brands have urged customers to buy their goods is through in-store price promotions. You know these promotions well. You see them when you walk through the door of the supermarket and spot a coupon for $1.00 off a box of Cheerios. For decades, brands have been relying on these price promotions to boost their sales. And the evidence shows that it works: In the…
Thousands of visitors flock to Disney World every day to immerse themselves in all kinds of exciting experiences—a cruise on the Pirates of the Caribbean; a visit to the China pavilion at EPCOT; a meet-and-greet with a favorite princess. For many guests, however, the highlight comes at the end of the day, huddling with family in the Florida twilight as brilliant fireworks light up the sky above Cinderella’s castle. Disney…
Multinationals that don’t have a plan for building subsidiaries in the country risk missing out on one of the most promising market opportunities in the world today.
In today’s competitive job market, companies must focus not only on finding the best candidates but also on fostering positive relationships with them, starting with the first step of the recruitment process through every stage of employment. Communication is key to successfully creating those connections. How leaders communicate with prospective and current staff members can significantly affect their organization’s reputation as a place where people want to work. After all,…
The digital euro is a necessary step to ensure that our monetary system keeps up with digital advances. It will be widely accessible and easy to use while preserving privacy – just like cash. Contribution by Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, and Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Our world is changing. Digitalisation has transformed society in ways that would have been difficult…
Did you ever wonder what happens to your old smartphone when you trade it in for a new one? by Kirk Kardashian Most likely, it’s sold by your cell phone carrier to a phone remanufacturer who refurbishes it and sells it to a price-sensitive consumer who doesn’t want to buy a new one. The market for used phones is large and growing fast. Globally, the secondhand phone market is worth…
In today’s fast-changing business world, AI has the potential to transform industries and unlock unprecedented opportunities. Yet, many industry leaders are uncertain about how to embrace this adoption within their organizations. They question whether it will replace human capabilities or add complexity without delivering tangible benefits. Imagine the possibilities of strategic AI adoption. A staggering 79% of companies have already experienced significant cost reduction through implementation. But, without a well-defined…
American restaurant executives are bracing for another challenging year. While some supply challenges and immediate inflationary pressures have abated, many leaders anticipate hefty annual increases in labor and input costs over the next five years. Restaurants also continue to endure pressure to meet evolving consumer demands in an increasingly competitive environment. A previous article detailed eight “ingredients” for profitable growth—areas of focus that can help restaurants succeed even during a…
Most executives acknowledge that learning is crucial to the performance of their business. But at a recent research workshop that my team and I ran with executives from over 40 companies, it became clear that organizations’ traditional learning models are facing pressure from the emergence of new work models. The participants identified these three learning challenges as the most acute: 1. Increased workloads have reduced learning time. Eighty-eight percent of…