Recent Articles
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Business buzzwords: Phrases can become too popular
Paul Zukowski CommunicationsSometimes a colorful buzzword (or phrase) becomes so popular "nobody goes there anymore" as baseball legend Yogi Berra once said about a restaurant. Or at least you should resist going with the stampede.
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Effective risk facilitation: Understand the 4 P’s
Dr. David Hillson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe role of the facilitator is to make things easier for a group of people working together on a common task. This is a difficult job that needs special skills and careful preparation, particularly when facilitating a risk workshop, where the element of uncertainty introduces special challenges.
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Mobile devices are great — until they cause mental health issues
Jessica Taylor Mental HealthcareI recently downloaded a new game on my smartphone to pass the time during travel, but what I didn't know is that it would cause some significant issues. This new game, Color Switch, features a ball you have to bounce through a series of obstacles — all by tapping on the screen. How fast you tap will determine how quickly the ball moves. The catch, though, is you can only move through an obstacle when the color matches the color of the ball, which changes each time an obstacle is completed.
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Sci-fi writers rocket Lowe’s customer service into the 21st century
Danielle Manley RetailIn the last two years, customer satisfaction has declined across all retail sectors, according to a new report by ACSI. Satisfaction was highest after the Great Recession when companies were doing practically anything to win back customers. Now that retailers have regained their footing, they are increasing prices again and spending less time and effort on winning customers as they focus on planning ahead.
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What’s the cure for a board hangover?
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementA hangover usually refers to "discomfort from overindulging." More recently, it is the name of a movie about a bachelor party gone wrong in Las Vegas. But a hangover should not describe a board or any of its directors.
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The latest in project-based learning
Brian Stack EducationA recent Getting Smart Podcast highlights how project-based learning (PBL) connects the real world with deep impact. Blogger Bonnie Lathram highlights the Flight by Design engineering and math course at Washington state's Raisbeck Aviation High School and also a STEM program in South Carolina's Westwood High School as great examples of PBL programs for which "students are engaged in authentic and meaningful project work" that promote "deeper learning outcomes for more students." On Twitter, the hashtag #PBL is always trending with educators sharing their experiences with PBL.
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HUD wants to snuff smoking in public housing
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIn an effort to prevent smoking-related deaths and the social and economic costs of smoking, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed to ban smoking in all public housing within the United States. If the ban is implemented, it would impact more than 700,000 units of housing.
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Colorado’s travel industry still hesitant to embrace marijuana
Suzanne Mason Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementMarijuana is no longer a budding industry in Colorado. It has blossomed into a $1 billion industry for the state. While it has received praise for helping to build the state's economy, the marijuana industry still remains under scrutiny when it comes to travel and hospitality.
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Risk management for the warehouse operator
Ken Ackerman Distribution & WarehousingWarehousing always has been a risky business. In our present-day global economy, the risks are more diverse and more plentiful than ever before.
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For team-building and workplace benefits, follow the bouncing ball
Bob Kowalski Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe pingpong table long ago moved from the rec room to the office. The question that followed is this: Is it a recruiting tool, team-building element, fitness equipment or a waste of time and productivity? It's not hard to see why pingpong tables have found their way into companies — they're cheap. Used tables can be bought for less than $100. Coworkers easily can pitch in to buy a table if the company doesn't provide one. That means an ownership stake by the employees.