True customer-centricity: An operating model for competitive advantage

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…

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  • Reading time:12 mins read
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Our Guide to the Winter 2025 Issue

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…

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Ohio Governor Signs ‘Bathroom Bill’ Into Law, Impacting K–12 Schools and Higher Education Institutions in the State

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…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
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Corporate commitments to nature have evolved since 2022

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,”…

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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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Analysis of butchered bones suggests violent ‘othering’ of enemies in Bronze Age Britain

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…

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Oxford and partners lead on two new MRC Centres to create cutting-edge gene therapies

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…

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New framework shows the challenges involved with establishing a biodiversity credit market

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…

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Portola Valley approves new Stanford housing

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…

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Engaging Employees in Growth and Innovation

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…

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Cambridge to trial cutting-edge semiconductor technologies for wider use in major European project

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…

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Wrong trees in the wrong place can make cities hotter at night, study reveals

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…

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All about teams: A new approach to organizational transformation

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.…

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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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Redefining success: A new playbook for African fintech leaders

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…

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Three Things to Know About Incentivizing CEOs

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…

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Maximising employee talents and managing your workforce

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…

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Data Brokers Face Slew of Lawsuits Under New Jersey Privacy Law

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…

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  • Reading time:4 mins read
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A Very Un-American Response to the Murder of Brian Thompson

In the aftermath of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder in Midtown Manhattan, the most popular posts on social media are ones which express support if not ecstasy over the brazen assassination. In fact, UnitedHealthcare’s own bereavement message online was cruelly mocked by 77,000 laughing response posts, SNL ran into massive viewer blowback after they ran a skit mocking the response to the murder, and the etchings on the cold-blooded murderer’s…

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Investing in the future of tech: Lessons from winning companies

As the suite of technology tools at companies’ fingertips continues its exponential growth, so does the demand for technology’s role in business. Tech transformations are not singular events but rather a constant reality of corporate life. According to our latest McKinsey Global Survey of technology and business leaders, most companies are investing in tech with future growth in mind, and they’re seeing positive results from the transformation work they’ve already done. At…

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Building Human Connection in a Technical World: The Weaviate Approach to Marketing

The best part of my job is that I get to meet so many wonderful people, but I don’t always remember the exact moment we met. But I definitely remember meeting Bob van Luijt, CEO of Weaviate.* When I introduced myself to Bob, he reacted with contagious enthusiasm. He was warm and engaged in our conversation. At one point, he pulled out his phone to show me pictures of Weaviate’s…

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  • Reading time:8 mins read
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Green Digits

Another global problem has been the growth of waste associated with the digital transformation. In the second decade of the 21st century, the volume of screen and monitors waste, as well as discarded telecommunications equipment, increased worldwide by 30% - from 8.1 million to 10.5 million tons. Moreover, digitalisation affects the overall growth of waste not only directly, but also indirectly - stimulating additional consumption through recommendation algorithms. UNCTAD experts…

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Expert comment: Why are people in the UK leaving it so late to have children?

Dr Paula Sheppard. The UK has a fertility gap of around 0.3 children meaning that for every three children wanted only two are born. This phenomenon is largely driven by people starting families later in life. For instance, in 2016, approximately 22% of births were to mothers over age 35 compared with just 6% in 1980.The picture is very similar across Europe. In 2022 the fertility rate for the EU was…

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How Businesses Can Survive the AI ‘Black Hole’

It’s the conversation that’s dominating board rooms and strategy meetings. How are firms preparing for, or already harnessing, the potential of AI for their organisation? A KPMG survey found that 65 percent of executives anticipate a significant impact from generative AI (GenAI) within the next few years, even as many firms are still in the early stages of implementation. My own survey of INSEAD alumni found that 68 percent of business…

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  • Reading time:7 mins read
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Transforming mindsets: Nathan Bostock on banking transformations

Throughout his 40-year career, Nathan Bostock has seen the financial services industry change in big ways—and has used these changes to his advantage to usher in the next era of banking. He has led multiple full-scale transformations across several companies, including during his tenure as CFO and CEO of Santander UK and during his time as chief risk officer and CFO of the Royal Bank of Scotland. In this episode…

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  • Reading time:12 mins read
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Who gets to cross cultural boundaries without permission?

Elvis Presley may have been the king of rock ’n’ roll, but he didn’t invent it. His influences included country music and pop crooners as well as Black artists like Arthur Crudup, B.B. King, Fats Domino, and Little Richard, and the gospel music he loved as a kid in rural Mississippi.Years later, critics would lambaste Presley for “stealing” Black music and profiting from it in ways not open to the…

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The FCA concludes PMPRB decision re Differin® exceeded the Board’s jurisdiction

The Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) recently issued its decision in the appeal of Galderma’s second judicial review of the decision of the Patented Medicines Price Review Board (the PMPRB) that it had jurisdiction over Galderma’s Differin® product. In a strongly worded decision, the FCA granted Galderma’s appeal and set aside the PMPRB’s decision, holding that the PMPRB does not have jurisdiction over the price of the unpatented Differin® product.…

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The U.K.-Switzerland financial services mutual recognition agreement: A model for a future U.K.-EU relationship?

The United Kingdom and Switzerland announced, in December 2023, the signing of a ground-breaking mutual recognition agreement in the financial services sector. The Berne Financial Services Agreement, its proponents promise, opens doors hitherto closed, vistas so far unexplored, and markets yet unexploited. This kind of an agreement — or something like it, or something in the ballpark, or something notionally similar — had eluded U.K. officials in the course of…

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Capex excellence in oil and gas: Innovations for market challenges

Like many industries, the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry is facing challenges on several fronts: volatile commodity markets driving higher cost inflation, geopolitical instability causing supply chain disruptions, competition for construction talent and labor in certain geographies such as North America, and increasing pressure to accelerate bringing new production online. Capital expenditure (capex) is rising as a result, calling for cost optimization and innovation in capital deployment…

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New Center for Poetics ‘supports and encourages the vitality of the field’

A longstanding poetics workshop credited with fostering the academic success of many of its past and current members has given rise to a new center dedicated to poetry scholarship.The Stanford Center for Poetics was launched this quarter under the leadership of faculty director Marisa Galvez, professor of French and Italian. Situated within the School of Humanities and Sciences and administered by the Department of English, the center “provides a home…

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Working for Workers Six Act, 2024: New obligations on Ontario employers

On Nov. 27, 2024, just one month after many provisions of Ontario’s Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190) received Royal Assent, Ontario has proposed Bill 229, the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024. The new legislation, which builds upon its five predecessors, proposes changes that will affect employers, in particular to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Key proposed changes to…

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How the healthcare industry can weather ongoing challenges

The healthcare industry has been buffeted by a growing number of challenges over the past few years. This turbulence struck provider organizations in 2022, while payers were initially sheltered from the storm (Exhibit 1). But conditions became more difficult for payers in 2023, which has continued into this year, and there’s limited respite on the horizon. Unlike the widespread challenges the provider and payer sectors have faced, the picture for…

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Developing a resilient, adaptable workforce for an uncertain future

Unexpected crises, volatility, and a generally accelerated pace of change have increasingly become the norm. But it doesn’t feel normal. For many, it feels stressful and exhausting. Think of all the very large disruptions on leaders’ agendas these days—widespread use of automation, artificial intelligence, and other technologies at work; geopolitical and global economic shifts; impacts from climate change; genomic editing and other scientific and bioengineering innovations; social justice trends; and…

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New York State Releases Paid Prenatal Personal Leave FAQs as 1/1/2025 Effective Date Looms

What You Need to Know: As we previously reported, earlier this year a new paid prenatal personal leave entitlement was added to Section 196-b of the New York Labor Law, i.e., the New York State Paid Sick Leave Law. Beginning January 1, 2025, employers must provide at least 20 hours of paid prenatal personal leave (“PPPL”) during any 52 week calendar period, in addition to the existing statutory paid sick…

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Professor Duncan Richards appointed as Head of Department of Medicine

Professor Richards joins Cambridge from the University of Oxford, where he has been since 2019. His particular research interest is the demonstration of clinical proof of concept of novel therapeutics through the application of experimental medicine techniques, especially human challenge studies.As Climax Professor of Clinical Therapeutics, director of the Oxford Clinical Trial Research Unit (OCTRU), and the NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility, he led a broad portfolio focused on new…

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Cultivating Wonderment in Teaching and Learning

Imagine a world where education isn't just about information but about inspiring awe—a spark that transforms learning into discovery. This episode of Learning Through Experience envisions this future where teaching and learning are more collaborative, experiential and empowering, for instructors and students alike. As my guest Jenny Frederick, director of Yale's Center for Teaching and Learning, emphasized in our conversation: “When experiences bring the conceptual to life—like, wow, I get…

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BCBS 239 2.0 resurgence: Strengthening risk management and decision making

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) issued its standard number 239 (BCBS 239) nearly a dozen years ago in 2013, with the aim of strengthening banks’ risk management through improved risk data aggregation and internal risk reporting. Its binding compliance deadline for global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) was nearly nine years ago, in January 2016. For domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), compliance was expected within three years following their…

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Borderless Manipulated Terrorism in Syria: A Common Threat and the Need for Collective Cooperation

These two characteristics are seen in the radical forces currently active in Aleppo, Aleppo. That is, on the one hand, they consist of various nationalities including from Central Asia and Afghanistan, their slogans are cross-border and emphasise the expansion of operations in other countries, including Iran. On the other, the advanced equipment used in this rebellion, for example drones, also indicates foreign financing, training and support. Therefore, we cannot be…

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New project aims to transform how wildlife trade is monitored and managed

Unsustainable wildlife use and trade imperils thousands of species and is a major contributor towards current unprecedented rates of global biodiversity loss. Establishing effective controls on wildlife trade is an urgent priority, however this is hindered by rapidly evolving markets, opaque supply chains, and inadequate resources for enforcement.This new collaboration, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will focus on filling the critical gap in indicators of…

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AI could help reduce injury risk in pianists

Professional piano players spend countless hours at the keys, perfecting their craft. For people with smaller hands, this dedication can take a physical toll. Repeated stretching to reach distant keys in a chord can strain muscles and joints and may lead to tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other injuries.Researchers at Stanford are working to understand the forces involved in the hand movements of elite-level piano players, and how those change…

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The GenAI App Step You’re Skimping On: Evaluations

Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images If your organization is developing generative AI applications based on large language models (LLMs), you must have a rigorous process to evaluate the quality of each application. An evaluation process consists…

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