Full-service packaging supplier, Berlin Packaging, Chicago. Ill., USA, this week announced that Jeffrey Pfeffer, the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, has joined the Berlin Board of Directors. Pfeffer has had a long-time interest in Berlin's corporate culture and utilized the company as a case study in his 1998 book, The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First, which was published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Pfeffer is a renowned expert on leadership and organizational effectiveness who is listed in the top 25 management thinkers by Thinkers 50 and as one of the Most Influential HR International Thinkers by HR Magazine. He has authored or co-authored 14 books, more than 150 articles and book chapters, and regular columns for publications ranging from Fortune to Inc., Time, and the "On Leadership" section of The Washington Post.

"Our human resources strategy is one of the cornerstones of our success, and Jeffrey Pfeffer's presence on our board will help us strengthen that foundation to creatively energize, motivate, and continue building a team that is committed to delivering the best experience in the packaging industry," said Andrew T. Berlin, chairman and CEO of Berlin Packaging. "Being able to work side by side with an authority of Jeffrey's caliber is a tremendous opportunity that will help us widen our competitive advantage by fully leveraging the power of people."

Pfeffer said that "in a time when many companies talk about employee engagement, trust in leaders, and unleashing the full potential of their workforce, Berlin Packaging actually lives these objectives every day. Taking a seat on their board enables me to see how they operate at close range and play a role in further optimizing their unusual approach to utilizing their 'Anything is Possible' mantra to excel in their market."

For more than 25 years, Berlin Packaging has used human resources strategy to develop into an industry leader. The company uses its "T-Chart" to drive mutual accountability between the company and employees, and 76% of its employees are "highly engaged" compared with the 32% that Gallup cites in its recent State of the American Workplace report. More about the company's HR strategy and T-Chart can be found in its People Power http://www.berlinpackaging.com/en/news-and-knowledge/white-papers/strategy/People-Power-White-Paper white paper located at BerlinPackaging.com.

Pfeffer has degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the nonprofit Quantum Leap Healthcare and on the advisory board for Collective Health.