Environmental squeeze prompts utilities to change tune

Electric utilities are in the business of selling electrons. The more they sell, the more they earn. But today, a whirlwind of forces is sweeping electron sellers into counterintuitive activities such as promoting conservation and offering rate structures designed to cut peak consumption.

The art of negotiating with your boss — part two

One of the most difficult tasks for a worker is negotiating with a boss.

Podcast: World economy heading for an oil slick?

Analysts are watching the global oil situation with a raised eyebrow as prices flirt with the $100 per barrel mark. The U.S. economy is bearing the brunt, because with a weakening dollar oil costs more, and because at 20 million barrels per day, America uses more oil than any other nation.

Benchmarking tool zeros in on supply chain ills and opportunities in health care

Supply expense is the second highest operational cost in hospitals, but traditional healthcare benchmarking doesn't pinpoint factors that contribute to supply-expense performance, nor does it enable hospital supply chain professionals to see how they stack up against similar organizations.

Prognosis for AMT: Minimal change ahead

The alternative minimum tax (AMT), enacted in 1986 to make sure that a handful of millionaires paid at least some federal income tax, has come to affect tens of millions of taxpayers — most not even close to being millionaires.

Fight or flight: How employees cope with organizational change

In a global marketplace, change isn't just good. For many companies, says Angelo Kinicki, it's necessary.

Want to lure R&D? Investing in tech capabilities trumps financial incentives

Where a multinational corporation (MNC) decides to put its manufacturing and research and development (R&D) facilities is important both for the MNC and for the host country.

The bigger they are: Ethical challenges of the rich and famous

Think twice about accepting a job with an organization headed by a renowned industry captain, a technological wunderkind or a visionary philanthropist, warns an expert who's studied the downside of charismatic leadership.

The best tool for the job: Selecting and implementing e-tools

Tools to facilitate the full range of business processes proliferated over the past decade. Some firms base entire business models or product lines on such tools, while other traditional companies are looking for tools as a means to improve operational efficiency or processes.

Podcast: Here come the boomers will Social Security survive?

The first official baby boomer reached age 62 and applied for Social Security benefits recently. Her action set off a ripple of reaction, fueled by a fear that plagues many Americans — that the Social Security system will collapse under the weight of millions of baby boomers entering retirement.