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Drugs and music: New study shows increased mentions of marijuana in chart-topping…
Dr. Denise A. Valenti PharmaceuticalLegal acceptance of adult use marijuana is moving from state to state, with nine states now having laws allowing for the recreational use of marijuana for adults. Along with this are indisputable cultural changes, and a recent study has shown this is reflected in popular music. The study, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, looked at the Billboard Top 40 charts from 1986 and 2016 and screened for mentions of drugs or alcohol.
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What you need to know about Instagram’s newest shopping options
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingInstagram is the ultimate inspiration board. People use it to collect places they want to go, people they wish they could meet and products they hope to buy. In fact, Instagram is the social network that people say influences their purchases the most, according to a 2017 Dana Rebecca Designs survey. The latest research, which was just released by Facebook, details exactly what people are buying and what their shopping journey looks like. Conveniently, this research debuted a day after Instagram rolled out new shopping features. Read on to learn how your business can take hold of this trend.
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4 questions to diffuse a tense situation
Deborah Ike Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen you bring people with various personalities, working styles and backgrounds together, a few tense moments are almost inevitable. It doesn’t seem to matter that your team is talented and diligent. Even when you put considerable effort into building relationships, conflict can happen. The issue could be rooted in a personality difference, varying communication styles, or frayed nerves from a challenging project. Whatever the cause, ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it disappear. When caught in a tense moment, try one of these questions to diffuse the situation.
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McDonald’s workers strike against sexual harassment in several major…
Michelle R. Matisons Food & BeverageA lot has changed in labor organizing as the Fight for $15 campaign, which seeks to raise the minimum wage, and the #MeToo movement addressing workplace sexual harassment recently merged to target workplace sexual harassment against McDonald’s workers. On Sept. 19, McDonald’s workers in 10 cities — including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, Durham, and Kansas City — hit the streets demanding better sexual harassment training programs, a better employee complaint process, and a sexual harassment complaint committee.
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How to improve your organization’s telecommuting policies
Lisa Mulcahy Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementFor many employees, there's no greater perk than working from home. Workers appreciate the opportunity as well: a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study found that remote workers often go above and beyond what's expected of them, and are "good citizens" in an organization — positive, cooperative and friendly to their peers. As a manager, it's helpful to re-examine your telecommuting philosophy from time to time for a few important reasons. You want to make sure your remote workers can always receive the info they need, feel fully engaged as part of your organization, and stay as productive as possible.
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Sacrificing service on the altar of efficiency
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementFew companies like to see wasted effort, loss of productivity, and wasted resources. Efficiency is hailed as the end goal of every organization. But sometimes customer service is sacrificed in this quest for efficiency. Even small businesses use automated voicemails to route phone customers to the right department. Press 1 for store location and hours. Press 2 for new orders. Press 3 for existing orders. Press 4 for accounting. Sure, you haven’t wasted a real employee’s time to route that call, but in the meantime, you've possibly alienated a customer who just wants someone to give him a tracking number for his overdue order without it taking 15 minutes to get a live person who can look up the information.
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Welcoming Gen Z into the workplace
Linchi Kwok Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementGen Z, also known as the iGen or post-millennials, has grown up. Born between 1996 and 2010, Gen Z makes up 32 percent of the world's population. They are young, they are energetic, and they are driven. They are now joining other generations in the workplace. As Gen Z is different from the previous generations, their expectations may or may not align with other generations, especially millennials. With what they want in mind, companies must adjust their recruitment strategies in attracting the top talents in Gen Z.
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Why your business should embrace the Christmas creep
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingNow that summer’s over, it’s time to start dreaming of what the rest of the year holds. For most people, that means thinking about the holidays. After all, Christmas is only about 100 days away! However, some people simply can’t wait that long! More than 10 percent of internet shoppers surveyed by eMarketer said they start their holiday shopping before September. While it’s easy to write them off as enthusiasts, you may be surprised that nearly half of those shopping on the internet (40 percent) start purchasing before November.
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Don’t take your foot off the gas
Bob Harris and A. Michael Gellman Association ManagementEvery association has a board of directors responsible for governance. Their efforts advance the mission, serve the members and manage the finances. Every association has a board of directors responsible for governance. Their efforts advance the mission, serve the members and manage the finances. At board meetings, the agenda is the GPS. For this article, let’s rename the GPS from global positioning system to "goals, priorities and strategies."
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How can AI help market your small business?
Mashaal Ryan MarketingAI is more than just a techy buzzword now, it’s a reality that is helping change lives and businesses for the better. So, is it worth it to start using AI technology at your small business? The answer is a resounding yes! You can improve several components of your small business and brand using artificial intelligence. For example, AI can currently help your campaigns, content generation, search engine optimization and customer analyses.
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