This article by Alec R. Levenson (CEO) examines the link between competencies and organizational performance.
Research and Insights Archive
Research and Insights from the Center for Effective Organizations
Available Content
From Human Resource Management to Organizational Effectiveness
Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) explains that for at least the last decade virtually every book, article, and speech on the future of the human resources function in corporations has emphasized the need for change.
Life at CMM Level 5: Lessons from Computer Sciences Corporation on the Effective Implementation of the Capability Maturity Model for Software
Paul S. Adler, Frank E. McGarry, Wendy B. Irion-Talbot, and Derek J. Binney share that a growing number of organizations are using the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM) as a guide to improving their development process.
Integrated Speed and Flexibility: Delivering Customer Solutions
Jay R. Galbraith states that a challenge for organization designers is to create an organization that can act with speed, flexibility and integration. Up until now, designers could create organizations that are characterized by any two of those features but not all three.
Why Leadership Development Efforts Fail
J. Conger and D. Ready state that in the past couple of years, leadership has become the hottest topic in business. Companies see this hard-to-pin-down ability as essential to organizational success, and they want their executives to learn how to exercise it.
4-D Theory of Strategic Transformation: When New CEOs Succeed and Fail
Larry Greiner, Thomas Cummings, and Arvind Bhambri discuss how there is no honeymoon for most new CEOs these days. Instead, they are challenged immediately by their boards to make major changes and improve financial performance. Entering with strong mandates for change, new CEOs frequently launch strategic transformation initiatives.
Performance Improvement Capability: Keys to Accelerating Performance Improvements in Hospitals
Paul S. Adler, Seok_Woo Kwon, Patricia Riley, Jordana Signer, Ben Lee, and Ram Satrasala explain that improvement trajectory is the fruit of a series of improvement projects, the proximate cause of this variation between organizations lies in the varied ways these projects are managed.
Building Trust: Effective Multi-Cultural Communication Process in Virtual Teams
Cristina B. Gibson and Jennifer A. Manuel share that collective trust is a crucial element of virtual team functioning. Collective trust can be defined as a shared psychological state in a team that is characterized by an acceptance of vulnerability based on expectations of intentions or behaviors of others within the team.
HR As a Strategic Partner: What Does it Take to Make it Happen?
E. Lawler and S. Mohrman share that a number of articles, books and studies have argued that HR needs to become a strategic partner. But is HR becoming a strategic partner?
Virtual Teams that Work: A Framework for Virtual Team Effectiveness
Susan G. Cohen and Cristina B. Gibson share how virtual teams can be either dramatic successes or dismal failures (or anywhere in between). Virtual teams amplify both the benefits and the costs of teamwork.
Best Practices for Virtual Team Effectiveness
Cristina B. Gibson and Susan G. Cohen discuss best practices for virtual-team leaders, members, and facilitators.
Leveraging Adversity for Strategic Advantage
A. Levenson shares how in 2000-01 companies were hit hard by a number of economic shocks, including industry-specific cycles, the stock market collapse, and national recession.