Research and Insights Archive

Research and Insights from the Center for Effective Organizations

Growth, Innovation and High Performance

Started in 2003 by Theresa M. Welbourne, with participation from over 9,200 different individuals, the Leadership Pulse™ is conducted in partnership with Mercer and the Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) at the University of Southern California.The research shows that optimal employee energy increases financial performance while too much energy can significantly decrease productivity.

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Individualizing Organizations: What it takes

Forty years ago, Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) wrote an article arguing that organizations could be more effective and provide a better quality of life for their employees if they would individualize their relationship with their employees.

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Effectiveness of Management Approaches

Ed Lawler and John Boudreau discuss the effectiveness of five different approaches to management: bureaucratic, low-cost operator, high involvement, global competitor and sustainable.

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Evolution of a Decision Science for HR Management

In this webinar, John Boudreau described emerging findings from the data in his new book with Edward Lawler, Effective Human Resource Management: A Global Analysis.

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Performance Management and Reward Systems

Edward E. Lawler III (CEO), George S. Benson (University of Texas), and Michael McDermott (McDermott Sitzman & Associates, PC) Results from our survey provide clear guidance with respect to linking performance appraisals results to changes in pay. They strongly support the view that performance appraisals systems are more effective when there is a connection between the results of a performance appraisal and the compensation of individuals.

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What Makes Performance Appraisals Effective?

Edward E. Lawler III (CEO), George S. Benson (University of Texas), and Michael McDermott (McDermott Sitzman & Associates, PC) Performance appraisals are often criticized and poorly done. However, they are not going away and should not go away. They are needed in order to effectively manage an organization’s talent. Our research suggests that performance management systems can be effective if they are designed and executed correctly.

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Performance Where It Matters

This article by Tom Williams (Booz & Company) and Christopher G. Worley (CEO) focuses on two related management concerns: (1) is consistent/sustained high performance possible and (2) what might account for it?

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Sustained High Performance and the Role of Agility

Tom Williams (Booz & Company), Chris Worley (CEO), Niko Canner (Booz & Company) and Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) explain that “Competitive environments change continuously, and the pace of change continues to increase. Yet some companies in every industry show superior performance relative to their peers over very long periods of time. Does your company have the agility required to keep up?”

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Effective Human Resource Management: A Global Analysis

Ed Lawler and John Boudreau presented the results of CEO’s sixth tri-annual survey of HR in this webinar.

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Evaluating Employees? Add Environmental & Societal Impact to Your Performance Checklist

Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) argues that very few companies have appraisals that go above and beyond –considering employees’ performance as it relates to the environment or society.

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Performance Management: Creating an Effective Appraisal System

Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) explains that the existence of an effective performance management system is often the major differentiator between organizations that produce adequate results and those that excel. Without a focus on performance management at all levels of an organization, it is hard to see how an organization can find a competitive advantage that is based on its talent.

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Built to Change Organizations: Industry Influences and Performance Implications

Christopher G. Worley (CEO) and Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) define organization agility as “an evolving change and design capability, a leadership challenge that is never finished, only approached over time, but which yields consistently high levels of sustainable effectiveness.”

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