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Quantitative risk analysis: Why bother?

Dr. David Hulett Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Many projects overrun their budget and schedule targets, often due to bias or because of plans that do not fully reflect the impact of uncertainty and risks (including both project-specific risks and systemic risks). Fortunately, quantitative risk analysis can help to address both of these, through a two-stage analysis. The first stage addresses the two main causes of unrealistic plans.

Cybersecurity steps to consider following Facebook’s reported breach

Damon Sayles Science & Technology

Some are calling it the worst Facebook hack of all time. Last month, Facebook engineers recognized unusual activity within their systems, and the company announced a network attack had exposed personal information of roughly 50 million users. As a Facebook user, there are a few steps that can be taken to keep your account safe from future attacks. And while they may seem like elementary rules of social media cybersecurity, here are three that seem to be forgotten and only remembered when a big breach takes place.

5 tips to escape the meeting trap

Deborah Ike Religious Community

Do you find yourself running from meeting to meeting all day long? Are you frequently double-booked with meetings? If so, consider this: Is your presence vital for each of those meetings? Now, I’m not suggesting that you don’t have something valuable to contribute. However, your time and energy might be better spent elsewhere. While you probably can’t clear out your calendar tomorrow, here are some tips to help create more free space on your calendar.

Study: Activity-based workplace design on the rise

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

A recent survey of more 100 corporate real estate and facilities executives found that 70 percent of respondents said that they expect to incorporate "activity-based workplace design" into their businesses, and most of those interviewed also said they anticipate a reduction in square footage per employee. These are among some of the findings pointed out in a recent report by CBRE, "Managing Global Corporate Real Estate and Facilities."

Mistakes to avoid with holiday marketing emails this year

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

Fa la la la la! It’s the most wonderful time of the year: holiday marketing planning. It’s time to draft those email subject lines, finalize the copy for your social posts and decide what deals to highlight. Ah, the magic of the season! Already, 40 percent of people have started their holiday shopping, according to research from the National Retail Federation. More people will be choosing to shop online this year, as eMarketer predicts e-commerce sales will increase 15.3 percent.

September nonfarm payrolls grow by 134,000; jobless rate drops to 3.7 percent

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 134,000 in September vs. 201,100 in August, as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent from August’s 3.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In September, the number of unemployed workers declined to 6 million compared with 6.2 million in August. September’s BLS data does show growth in wage income, though with room for improvement, according to economist Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute.

Finding more time: A CEO crash course

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

How do CEOs of massive, complex, international companies find time to exercise, sleep, and enjoy their families when so many of us in much less complicated positions can’t seem to do even one of those things regularly? While it may seem that a huge salary and an executive assistant are the answers, those only address part of the massive, relentless responsibilities of these leaders. Here are a few fundamental approaches CEOs use to control their time that the rest of us can apply.

How new US tariffs will affect big business and consumers

Dr. Samantha Bietsch Civil & Government

We have heard a lot recently about the new U.S. tariffs on imported goods and services and how they will affect American business. While some in business favor the new tariffs, others do not. Some of these opinions are based on facts; others are not. Although improving the domestic economy sounds like a great idea, increasing tariffs on U.S. imports does not come without retaliation from other nations. Just as Americans buy foreign products, other nations buy American-made products and crops.

As Amazon raises minimum wage, not everything is good news for its workers

Michelle R. Matisons Retail

As more pressure mounts to raise the federal minimum wage to a $15 living wage, Amazon announced on Oct. 2 that its lowest paid workers will make $15 per hour. However, Amazon’s much-scrutinized workplace practices leave people scratching their heads about its influence and long-term goals. On one hand, the embrace of the Fight for $15 goal is lauded. But the company remains embroiled in controversies like high-pressure work cultures for its white-collar employees and surveillance-style tracking of its warehouse workers.

The corn maze of strategic planning

Robert C. Harris Association Management

Fall is the season for pumpkin patches and corn mazes. A corn maze is a strategically designed field that invites people to enter. The goal is to find the exit as efficiently as time allows. It is designed with obstacles and dead-ends so participants feel lost or confused. The maze comes to mind because an association board president said, "Our facilitator is going to lead us through the corn maze. When we exit, our strategic plan will be near completion."

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