Recent Articles
-
Inadequate workplace benefits cause employees to jump ship
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementEmployee benefits might be more important than you think. Smart companies are using them to attract and retain talent, and employees indicate that they prefer workplace benefits over a salary increase. A report by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) reveals that by a margin of 4 to 1, American workers favor workplace benefits over an increase in salary. So, why are benefits so important to employees, and which benefits do employees want?
-
Living the association’s values
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementBoards frequently adopt values. Values are the guiding principles that are intended to frame discussions, decisions and events. Often the process of adoption is only a perfunctory step in strategic planning; like updating the mission or adding a vision. Once adopted, the values remain buried in the strategic plan report. They are seldom referenced at board meetings. If you ask a board if it has values, the room may go silent.
-
U.S. payrolls grow by 155,000 jobs as unemployment holds at 3.7 percent
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNonfarm payroll jobs rose 155,000 in November, down from 250,000 in October, while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.7 percent for the third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In November, the number of jobless workers was 6.0 million workers versus 6.1 million in October. November’s jobs report could be a harbinger of slower growth due to the U.S. and China imposing retaliatory import tariffs. That conflict is on pause now, though existing tariff impacts on businesses and consumers continue.
-
Overcoming the fear of failure
Dr. David Hillson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe fear of failure often stops us taking risks, because most of us think of failure as "a bad thing." Reality is more balanced. Accepting the possibility and likelihood of failure gives us freedom to think outside the box, to act unconventionally, to challenge norms and stereotypes, and to be different — which can be very enjoyable! The 10 key characteristics of failure in this article show it includes both negative and positive aspects. Of course, not all of these characteristics are evident in every instance of failure, or they may appear at different times in the same failure.
-
US, China come to trade truce — for now
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThere are signs that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping want to mend if not end a growing trade fight. Businesses in both nations would appear to welcome the 90-day binational trade truce between the nations that began on Dec. 1. "China will agree to purchase a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance between our two countries," according to a White House statement. This is not a signed agreement, though. In other words, this is no done deal.
-
Have an elf give you the gift of patient resources this season
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareHermey the Elf is a beloved character from the 1964 classic television special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." He dreamed about becoming a dentist for more than 50 years! Hermey encountered some resistance, some prejudices, some doubts and challenges along the way. He was named a Dental Do Gooder by the American Dental Association in 2014 and is back for another round this holiday season to make improving oral health more merry and bright. Hermey will be featured in patient resources, including coloring pages and brushing charts. Downloads are available at MouthHealthy.org.
-
US groundwater sparser than previously thought, technology may help
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalMany rural areas in the U.S. may be in danger of a groundwater shortage. Additionally, digging deeper for water in the form of new, deeper wells may not be a good long-term solution to compensate for increasing demands on groundwater because there is potential for contamination of deep freshwater and brackish water in areas where the oil and gas industry injects wastewaters into or in close proximity to aquifers. A new study may shed some light on use of underground freshwater and brackish water in some of the most prominent sedimentary basins across the U.S.
-
The future of analytics: 6 predictions
Dr. Beverly Wright Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAnalytics have become an important part of the decision-making process for many companies in the past few decades, particularly with corporations using data assets as a core competency and point of origin. My work in the past few decades in the data and analysis field has brought forward six predicted trends to watch for in the near future.
-
If you still use your sights to aim, you should do this instead
Mike Ox Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityThere are stages that shooters go through as they go from picking up a pistol for the first time to being ready to use a pistol in a life or death situation. This is true of all skills. For some reason, most people treat shooting differently. They think that if an instructor told them something at any point in their life, it must still hold true today. That’s not the way it works. Take the sights on a pistol as an example.
-
Ethology and veterinary practice: Behavior and bond challenges in multi-dog…
Dr. Myrna Milani Pet CareLast month’s article considered the inverse relationship between the amount of energy an animal expends when displaying a perceived problem behavior and the animal’s level of confidence. Consequently, more naturally submissive animals who find themselves in protective positions beyond their capacity may expend more energy barking, snarling, and posturing than more fit animals in that same environment. At first glance it may seem like it would be more difficult to convince these dogs to give up those behaviors. But in my experience, this often isn’t the case.