We’ve moved into winter and that means many bands and artists are taking a breather after summer and fall tours. Some seemed to go on for eras. For me, that means waiting a few months to catch some favorite acts. But I’ve got plenty of music to digest in the meantime. To my surprise, several of the new bands I’ve discovered do not have federal trademark registrations. No — I won’t be naming names. Okay,…
Quick Hits On December 9, 2024, the State Department updated the J-1 Exchange Visitor Skills List, revising the countries subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement. J-1 visa holders from China, India, and other countries may see a significant reduction in restrictions depending on the changes in their respective skills lists. The change, which took effect immediately, is retroactive, potentially allowing J-1 visa holders who were previously subject to the…
In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, McKinsey partner Rikki Singh speaks with Paul Yacoubian, co-founder and CEO of Copy.ai. They explore how an AI-native company such as Copy.ai leverages product-led growth (PLG), the pivotal role of analytics in the company’s customer outreach strategy, and how start-ups can scale effectively without overexpanding. An edited version of their conversation follows. Background of Copy.ai Rikki Singh: Tell me a bit about…
In just the past few years, a series of unprecedented and fast-moving threats have disrupted organizations. How companies, particularly financial institutions, respond to these complex risks has profound implications. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on credit models, and social media has played a leading role in accelerating bank runs to real time. The latter exposed a systemic risk that has required banks to rethink their liquidity and interest rate models.…
By: Erin Dougherty Foley, Sara Eber Fowler, Taylor Iaculla, Ridhima Bhalla, and Hannah Sosenko Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 1, 2025, employers in Illinois must be poised to comply with the looming changes to a host of existing and newly enacted employment laws. The changes reflect the state’s ongoing expansion of workers’ rights and addressing issues of employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and freedom of speech. Illinois Human Rights Act Amendments Period…
Transit agencies in the United States are at an inflection point. Ridership—along with revenue generated from fares—remains, on average, significantly below prepandemic levels. Costs continue to rise as agencies (which manage state and local public-transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys, and ferries) pay more to expand services and adopt innovations that are demanded by riders. Aging infrastructure is creating growing maintenance backlogs. Meanwhile, federal subsidies, which…
Euro-Atlantic utopia The post-Soviet space is currently experiencing the largest transformations since the collapse of the USSR. They include not only the armed confrontation in Ukraine, the struggle to create an alternative financial and logistical architecture, and the growing activity of extra-regional players. There is also a third dimension, a psychological one. We are not talking about an ideology centred on utopia, the Greek term for “a place that does…
Throwing Away the Contract In Favor of an Environment of Enduring Bargaining: Biden Board Expectedly Reinstates Waiver Analysis for Mid-Term Unilateral Changes | Management Writes: Practical Labor Law Updates Skip to content
Mixed-use real estate developments and neighborhoods, where office, retail, and residential property coexist, were growing in popularity well before the COVID-19 pandemic. McKinsey’s research on how the pandemic affected demand for commercial real estate underscores how these areas contribute to resilience, better quality of life, and financial success. Cities with these dynamic spaces saw fewer people fleeing to the suburbs, greater office attendance, and stronger in-store retail than did cities where…
Future-proof your business Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) helps businesses align their workforce capabilities with future goals. By assessing skills, forecasting needs, and fostering adaptability, organisations build resilience against market uncertainties. Q5 supports clients with tailored SWP strategies, combining workforce modelling and organisational health expertise. A client example highlights enhanced talent retention and readiness. Reading time: 5 minutes Rapid technological advancements, shifting market dynamics, and global uncertainty are now commonplace influences…
Eight years ago, Battery kicked off a research project into what we termed “blue-collar software”. We used the term to describe technology for workers in the field—on a crowded construction site, or on a factory or retail-shop floor—and not those sitting behind a cushy office desk. This software, we wrote in a slide deck at the time summarizing our thesis, was often delivered via mobile devices and focused on automating…
The used-car market has faced unprecedented upheaval in recent years. From 2014 to 2024, prices increased by an average of 3 percent per year. The beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, followed by the supply shock, sent used-car prices soaring, rising by about 50 percent between second quarter 2020 and third quarter 2022. But since late 2022, used-car prices have dropped by 20 percent in several European countries, and there’s significant…
Suddenly we spotted a luminous white, purple-spotted flower dangling above our heads. We suspected immediately that it was new to science. It’s so exciting that beautiful species like this are still there waiting to be described.Dr Chris Thorogood, Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum and Department of BiologyThe group made the discovery during an expedition to the remote Barangay Balbalasang rainforest on the island of Luzon in 2022. This almost impenetrable…
Led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and the University of Iceland, the review explores how genetic variations can explain differences in reproductive health and longevity.The study provides the most comprehensive review of male and female genetic discoveries of reproductive traits to date, and provides new insights into how our DNA affects when we have children, the timing of menopause, and even how that…
Tips to get your team future-fit for 2025 Chris Parsons, Q5’s founding partner, highlights the importance of becoming ‘future fit’ for 2025. By setting a clear direction, simplifying processes, embracing technology, and fostering a culture of optimism, leaders can drive efficiency and performance. The actions taken now will shape next year’s success—start planning for a thriving 2025 today. Reading Time: 3 minutes Being ‘future fit’ for 2025 should be on…
Quick Hits On November 21, 2024, OFCCP released “A Guide to Combatting Harassment in the Construction Industry,” providing information and resources for federal construction contractors and subcontractors. OFCCP’s guide is prepared in a Q&A chart format detailing the agency’s responsibilities, generally, and discussing harassment examples, obligations related to combatting harassment in the construction industry, worker rights, and best practices for maintaining harassment-free workplaces. OFCCP’s guide follows similar guidance from the…
Culture can make or break a workplace. If that sounds dramatic, but consider this: 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a strong workplace culture is critical to business success, yet 69% of employees say their organizations lack a culture where feedback is valued and encouraged. The gap between what’s desired and what’s delivered is glaring—and you’re often caught in the crossfire. You’ve felt the tension of juggling employee…
Quick Hits Generally, under the FLSA, employers must pay exempt employees their guaranteed salary during business closures caused by inclement weather, as deductions for employer-caused absences are not permitted. Employers are typically required to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked, but if they cannot work remotely due to the nature of their jobs during a weather-related closure, employers are not required to pay them. Connectivity problems during inclement weather…
A topic that matters more than ever, and yet is debated more than ever Sustainability matters now more than ever—the increasing need for an urgent step-up in action to meet key climate goals was a common refrain around COP29. Three illustrative facts were often cited: This is the first year we are on track to exceed 1.5 degrees. The costs of climate change are already piling up, global insurance losses…
Q: You are co-authors of “Is Your Use of AI Violating the Law?” published in the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. What is the aim of the paper? Chertoff: The idea was to survey various ways in which artificial intelligence is impacting the legal landscape. What are the responsibilities of those developing AI technologies? What are the rights of those at the receiving end of decisions made or assisted…
Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share It takes a truly confident leader to admit what they don’t know — and a brave one to ask their subordinates what they really think. A telling anecdote about the kind of leader Bob Stiller wanted to be comes early in his recent book about how…
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employees who sign an arbitration agreement with one company cannot avoid arbitration with related defendant-companies by arguing they were not parties to the agreement. The California Court of Appeal held that claims against related defendant-companies that are closely tied to the arbitration agreement cannot not be separated for litigation. Edgar Gonzalez v. Nowhere Beverly Hills LLC, B328959. The Facts Edgar Gonzalez worked at a grocery store (Erewhon) operated…
Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch once said: “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” To remain competitive, companies must adapt quickly to an ever-evolving business landscape. In times of growth, they may expand rapidly and hire aggressively. But when conditions shift, so must their strategies. This often requires realigning roles, streamlining processes, or improving operational efficiency to…
In the midst of negotiations over the budget bill, part of which had already been rejected by the centre-left opposition, which holds a parliamentary majority, President Yoon Suk Yeol decreed martial law, prohibiting all political activity and rallies and putting the press under the control of the army. This extremely surprising and inordinate power grab – a tactic widely used by the authoritarian military regimes that ruled the country from…
The emergence of new technologies and geopolitical changes are disrupting industries around the world. Corporations are rethinking how to create value for their customers—whether they are serving other businesses (B2B), consumers (B2C), or both (B2B2C)—and how to rewire their business operations to focus on customer needs. Legacy automotive companies are having to find ways to compete with electric-vehicle disruptors, banks are competing with fintech companies, and consumer goods companies are…
subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Design Work to Prevent Burnout Sharon K. Parker and Caroline Knight Key Insight: Managers can apply a new model for work design to enhance their teams’ well-being and engagement by improving key job characteristics. Top Takeaways: Maintaining employee morale and keeping productivity high are just two of managers’ myriad responsibilities. But reducing burnout and improving worker well-being in order to meet those challenges is a struggle for…
Quick Hits Ohio has enacted into law SB 104, legislation restricting transgender access to certain school facilities: On November 27, 2024, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law the “Protect All Students Act,” which mandates that Ohio schools designate multi-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms for exclusive use by male or female students based on their biological sex. Provisions of and exceptions to the new law: The law…
The world’s largest companies increasingly recognize the risks and opportunities presented by nature and natural capital. This awareness is driving more businesses to set specific targets to address their impact on water, biodiversity, forests, and other dimensions of nature. The unprecedented decline of nature and biodiversity underscores the urgency of these commitments. Of the nine planetary boundaries proposed by scientists in 2009 to define a “safe operating space for humanity,”…
Charterhouse Warren is one of those rare archaeological sites that challenges the way we think about the past. It is a stark reminder that people in prehistory could match more recent atrocities and shines a light on a dark side of human behaviour. That it is unlikely to have been a one-off event makes it even more important that its story is told.Professor Rick Schulting (School of Archaeology, University of…
The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UKRI, is launching its first two Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE), which will develop transformative new advanced therapeutics for currently untreatable diseases. Oxford is leading one of these Centres and co-leading the other. Together, these international collaborations will receive up to £50 million each over 14 years.The Centres will build on the huge progress that has been made in genomics - allowing the…
We can't avoid all impacts of human activity on nature, so we need to be able to compensate for the damage that we cause to nature. Our review demonstrates how challenging it is to do this via a tradeable ‘unit of nature’ and provides guidance on how to ensure biodiversity credits are appropriately designed and used, so that they can support genuine biodiversity recovery.Study senior author Professor EJ Milner-Gulland (Department…
On Thursday, Dec. 5, the Portola Valley Town Council voted unanimously to approve Stanford’s Portola Terrace residential project. Portola Terrace will provide 27 single-family homes for faculty and 12 affordable housing units for members of the Portola Valley community on a portion of “the Wedge” property along Alpine Road, near Westridge Drive.Intentionally configured as a cluster development, Portola Terrace will occupy only 10.8 acres of the 75-acre property, including nearly 5…
Topics Radar Brief insights on emerging trends in management from the opening pages of MIT Sloan Management Review’s quarterly print magazine. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Courtesy of Bob Stiller Bob Stiller founded Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury, Vermont, in 1981, serving as CEO and president until 2007 and chairman until 2012. Nasdaq named the company’s stock its top performer of the decade in 2009 even as…
Photonic chips transmit and manipulate light instead of electricity, and offer significantly faster performance with lower power consumption than traditional electronic chips. The Cambridge Graphene Centre and Cornerstone Photonics Innovation Centre at the University of Southampton will partner with members from across Europe to host a pilot line, coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain, combining state-of-the-art equipment and expertise from 20 research organisations. The PIXEurope consortium has been…
Temperatures in cities are rising across the globe and urban heat stress is already a major problem causing illness, death, a surge in energy use to cool buildings down, heat-related social inequality issues and problems with urban infrastructure.Some cities have already started implementing mitigation strategies, with tree planting prominent among them. But a University of Cambridge-led study now warns that planting the wrong species or the wrong combination of trees…
In today’s business landscape, organizations face unprecedented levels of change and complexity. Markets shift overnight, new technologies emerge daily, and customer expectations evolve rapidly. This volatile environment demands that organizations adapt quickly, innovate continuously, and respond decisively to new challenges and opportunities. Companies aiming for significant performance improvements may have tried top-down or bottom-up approaches to transformation—either relying on senior management alone or on programs that seek to change employee mindsets.…
Africa’s fintech landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, characterized by rapid growth and innovation. Despite significant headwinds, the market remains one of the most dynamic and promising in the world, with notable optimism among fintech leaders and investors. Key fintech players we interviewed indicated they were excited about opportunities across Africa, as reflected by our optimism survey, on which they returned an average score of 4.5, where…
Radar These research-based tips can help boards better align chief executives’ contract terms with corporate objectives. Kaushik Viswanath December 09, 2024 Reading Time: 1 min Topics Radar Brief insights on emerging trends in management from the opening pages of MIT Sloan Management Review’s quarterly print magazine. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Getty Images When boards are hiring a new chief executive, they have tough choices to make as…
Unlocking workforce potential through culture, motivation, and innovative talent strategies Explore how to unlock your workforce’s full potential by building a culture of engagement, motivation, and development. In this article, we unpack strategies for fostering ownership, spotting talent, and implementing innovative, cost-effective rewards in today’s evolving workplace. Listen to the podcast below. Reading time: 3 minutes On November 21, we hosted a compelling panel discussion, “Maximising employee talents and managing…
Quick Hits Daniel’s Law in New Jersey allows judges, prosecutors, police officers, correctional officers, and their immediate family members to request in writing that any company or entity not disclose their home addresses or unpublished telephone numbers. On November 26, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey rejected constitutional challenges to the law. On December 2, 2024, the court allowed the defendants whose constitutional challenge was…