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Bigger isn’t better: Investors favor boutique stores and hotels

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Bigger is better, right? That’s why there have been more hotel mergers and acquisitions in recent years. There are also many hotel chains building larger loyalty programs to pull in more travelers. Besides hotels, Airbnb and online travel agents (OTAs) also want to get bigger through acquisitions. When it comes to product development, however, investors seem to favor small, boutique concepts over bigger ones. Here are a few examples.

12 significant challenges for boards

Robert C. Harris Association Management

There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit boards in the United States. Chances are good that every organization has experienced at least one of these 12 significant challenges. One example is self-evaluation. You want your association board to be recognized as the best. Start with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Six months into the term ask, "How do you think we are doing? What can we improve?" Forms are available to facilitate board and individual self-evaluation.

Tips for minimizing and avoiding bullying in the workplace

D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

A few states are beginning to consider and/or pass anti-bullying laws to address inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Increasingly, plaintiffs' lawyers and courts are trying to advance novel theories to punish employers for failing to stop bullying or to create liability for employers. For example, even absent a specific anti-bullying law, employers could be liable under anti-discrimination laws and OSHA or similar state laws that impose on employers a "general duty" to maintain a safe workplace. With these trends emerging, employers need to develop programs and systems to prevent and avoid claims of bullying. Here are some steps employers should take to reduce bullying and resulting liability.

The pros and cons of corporate events at sports venues

Wendy Parsley Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

We recently found ourselves at a football stadium that was playing host to a manufacturing industry conference and trade show. It didn’t take long for us to ask: are sports venues a good fit for corporate events? Let’s face it: finding unique event venues for corporate events with the ever-elusive "aha" factor can be challenging for event professionals everywhere. We are all on the hunt for the extra special place that offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience. But before you make the leap to say yes to a ballpark or basketball arena as your next event venue, be sure to think about all the potential pros and cons. Here are just a few that caught our attention.

Demand for design services currently a mixed bag

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

As I talk with clients around the country, I'm hearing quite divergent views of how business is going these days. The picture that emerges is something of a mixed bag. Some designers are keeping quite busy and have future projects lined up. Others are reporting a decrease in client requests and inquiries. Some of this appears to be sector-driven and some of it regional. What's not clear yet is whether this is a temporary blip or the start of a general slowdown in the industry.

Where brands see the most social media marketing opportunities

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

Just like that, the first quarter of 2019 has ended. While the time likely flashed by, make sure you stop, analyze and regroup before you plow ahead with your Q2 strategy. Analyze your own data to determine what worked best for your brand this quarter. Then, overlay those insights with the areas that other companies see the most success in. You just may find a new avenue or marketing tactic to try that could be the secret sauce you’re looking for in Q2. Read on to learn how marketers from more than 1,800 companies are approaching their social media marketing strategy in 2019.

Integrate coding challenges into your proposal strategy

Brenda Crist Civil & Government

Proposal professionals can expect to see an increase in "coding challenges" added to Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements. Government and industry are using coding challenges to either down-select offerors as an entry or final review gate after they submit a proposal. Coding challenges are tests sent to evaluate the offeror's ability to build a minimal viable product (MVP) or web-based app to respond to a set of requirements. If government and industry do not create their own challenge, they may use one on sites like CoderByte or HackerRank.

Study: Higher risk of depression in women who work long hours

Dorothy L. Tengler Mental Healthcare

Working women face challenging stressors involving both their family and professional lives, juggling roles as a wife, mother, and earner. For women who work more than 55 hours a week, however, these stressors increase the risk of depression. According to a recent observational study, those who worked for all or most weekends had 4.5% more depressive symptoms compared to women working only weekdays. For men who worked all or most weekends, 3.4% had more depressive symptoms compared to men working only weekdays.

Economy rebounds to add 196,000 jobs; unemployment steady at 3.8%

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The March jobs report shows that nonfarm payroll employment rose 196,000 from 20,000 new jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. March’s rate of unemployment of 3.8% matched February’s rate of 3.8%. "To be really clear — today's jobs report inspires a bit of a sigh of relief relative to the disastrous February jobs number — but the economy is definitely going to grow a lot more slowly in 2019 than 2018," said Josh Bivens, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. March marked the 102nd consecutive month of expansion since the end of the Great Recession.

5 ways to feel less isolated at work

Lisa Mulcahy Mental Healthcare

Do you feel less than connected to your co-workers on a personal level? It might not be that you don't have things in common with them. Feelings of isolation might be caused by behavior you routinely practice but don't even recognize as a problem. Don't just accept feeling alone in your cubicle — use these science-driven tips to feel better physically and emotionally.

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