The massive earthquake that struck northeast Japan Friday took a toll on a range of industries with global reach, including makers of autos, consumer electronics and steel, forcing some to shut their factories. (The Wall Street Journal)
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For the first time in many years, American manufacturing is doing better than the rest of the economy. Manufacturing output tumbled 15% over the course of the recession, from December 2007 to the end of June 2009. Since then it has recovered two-thirds of that drop. (The Economist)
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Three hours after I gave my name and e-mail address to Michael Fertik, the CEO of Reputation.com, he called me back and read my Social Security number to me. "We had it a couple of hours ago," he said. "I was just too busy to call." (Time)
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MBAs should be heartened by the findings of a new report, which predicts that hiring in the finance and consulting sector should return to pre-recession levels beginning in 2012. The finance sector hired 22 percent more MBAs in 2010 and expects to increase hiring by 11 percent this year. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. (Harvard Business Review)
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When male CEOs have daughters, relative pay for women at their firms goes up, narrowing the persistent gender wage gap. (Columbia Business School)
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Today, concern over the human suffering in Japan naturally dwarfs any worry about how much it will cost to rebuild earthquake-hit areas. But as the scale of the tragedy comes into fuller view in coming weeks, the impact on Japan's unsteady economy and stretched fiscal position – and the implications for markets – will start to weigh heavier. (Fortune)
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With state aid disappearing, more schools are balancing budgets on the backs of business students, charging them higher tuition than other students. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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NBMBAA is proud to sponsor the Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity, March 22-24 in Minneapolis, MN. Don't miss the largest diversity and inclusion conference in the country, which provides a compelling learning experience fostering business and thought leadership in workplace diversity and inclusion.
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By now you've probably heard of HTML5, the platform that every browser maker from Microsoft to Mozilla to Google can't stop heralding as the savior of the Internet. (Fast Company)
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Handing off various parts of your innovation process can work – if you are willing to spend the time upfront and follow these suggestions. (MIT/Sloan Management Review)
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American shoppers snapped up new cars, clothing and electronics in February, pushing retail sales up for the eighth straight month. (NPR)
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What do higher mileage on leased cars, more crowded day care centers and fewer disability claims all have in common? They're all under-the-radar signs of improvement in the U.S. economy. (CNN/Money)
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JPMorgan Chase, one of the nation's largest banks, is considering capping debit card transactions at either $50 or $100, according to a source with knowledge of the proposal. And the cap would apply even if you run your debit card as credit. (CNN/Money)
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In your quest for a smaller tax bill or a bigger refund, you need to make sure you're armed with the latest information when you tackle your 2010 tax return. If you're a procrastinator, you'll be happy that you have an extra weekend to sweat the details. Your 2010 tax return is due April 18, 2011 – three days later than usual. (Kiplinger's)
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Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin, succeeded on Friday in taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from the vast majority of the state's public employees, delivering an epic defeat to the labor movement. (The Guardian)
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The Longevity Project, by psychology professors Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin, presents the end-of-life findings of the Terman study, which the researchers say offer important, sometimes startling conclusions about the factors that sustain a long, rewarding life. (Slate)
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It's nearly impossible to get customer service these days without waiting in line, on hold, or for a technician to show up within an eight-hour window. But now companies are promising shorter wait times, 24-hour access and other privileges – to those customers willing to pay for it. (Smart Money)
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