The tentative contract agreement that assigned a role to the United Auto Workers in managing the healthcare costs of its General Motors members was a turning point in the relationship between business and labor — and a sign of things to come in a global economy.

You’ve determined that a particular culture will allow you to execute your business strategy, but how do you build it? Angelo Kinicki has years of research and consulting experience in this area as the Weatherup/Overby Chair in Leadership at the W. P. Carey School.

Retired CEO Craig Weatherup was addressing a group of finance undergraduates at the W. P. Carey School recently when he popped a question. "How many of you would profess to have a model or a definition of how you want to grow as a leader?" he asked. Three or four hands went up.

Avnet, Inc., a Phoenix-based global technology distributor, marks its 50th anniversary as a public company on the New York Stock Exchange today. To celebrate, CEO Roy Vallee will ring the closing bell.

Thomas K. Linton is the executive vice president and chief procurement officer for LG Electronics, based in Seoul, South Korea. Linton addressed the monthly luncheon meeting of the Economic Club of Phoenix on November 18.

Until very recently, Brad Casper was the president and CEO of The Dial Corporation, a part of Henkel AG & Co.

If you use a cell phone or buy household electronics, there's a good chance you own a device with one or more components distributed by Avnet.

What does it take to be an effective leader of a corporation? What must a chief executive officer do to energize employees and inspire them to go beyond what is normally expected? How does a CEO motivate employees to truly commit to a company?

Some small firms have weathered the economic storm by cutting expenses and reducing staff. But others have continued forward by focusing on what they do best: exemplary customer service, employee excellence and innovation. They tweaked their business plans to react to the new economic realities.

Recessions are especially hard on small businesses. Few small firms have the resources to stay the course and wait out the bad times. Credit is scarce, and budget cutting difficult. In a small operation, there are not that many places to cut.