Interviewing While Pregnant

A study by researchers at Rice, Lawrence, and George Mason universities has concluded that pregnant women who interview for traditionally male-dominated positions face more hostility from interviewers than women who are not pregnant.  I’m sure this doesn’t come as a surprise but it’s an interesting study to read.  See the blurb about the report at Businessweek online, or read the full report titled “Hostile and Benevolent Reactions Toward Pregnant Women: Complimentary Interpersonal Punishments and Rewards That Maintain Traditional Roles”, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology 92 (6), pages 1499-1511.  The journal is available online through the Simmons Library catalog.

Inc. Tracks Microlending Process

Last December, Inc.’s editors decided to supply several microloans through Kiva and then set out to track the progress and impact their loans have.  Today they ran a Q&A with one of the entrepreneurs, a rice wine maker in Cambodia.  The Q&A, which you can read here, does a great job at investigating the impact that these microloans have on the business and also describes the environment the entrepreneur is operating in.  You can also follow the story at their blog, The Kiva Connection.

Recommended Read: Microtrends

We’ve recently purchased for the library Microtrends:  The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes, a book that I had heard some buzz about from magazines and friends.  Like a good librarian, I started reading it the moment we had it delivered (a quick aside:  most librarians enter the profession because they get first crack at the books in the library).  I certainly wasn’t disappointed that we’ve added it to our collection, and believe that there are some of you–if not many–who would enjoy it.

Microtrends was written by Mark J. Penn, a highly regarded pollster, current chief adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and CEO of the PR firm Burson-Marsteller.  A quick synopsis of Mark’s theory is that it only takes 1% of the population to make an impact on the society at large.  For the United States, the 1% would equal only 3 million people.  Once 3 million people begin effecting a change, a microtrend is born.  Mark presents 75 microtrends, most of them in American society but some also on the international level that are just fascinating reading.  Examples of microtrends are the “Arden Amazons,” women who work in professions that are physically strenuous; “Old New Dads,” the men who are having children in their late 40’s; and “Working Retired,” the employees who would have been retired but, for one reason or another, are still plugging away at their job.  Each microtrend is supported with statistics and features the larger societal implications of this demographic.  For example, the increase of working retired may lead to an increase in traffic accidents, since the largest percentage of accidents are caused by people that age.  So what does that mean for your commute, when you’re on the road with an ever-increasing number of people who are likely to cause accidents?

For those marketing students out there, and for anyone looking for an idea for a new business, I would highly suggest giving this book a look, or checking out the Microtrends website where you can read the introduction for free.  Each microtrend is only 4 or 5 pages in length, and the book is well organized so it’s easy to find the area that interests you.  But you don’t have to take my word for it . . . .

The Ethics of Time Off From Work

Have you ever worked for a boss who expected you to stick around for a regular 9-5 shift but they seemed to have a very flexible schedule? And would they expect you to explain why it was you needed time off, but would offer no explanation of why they were gone? A recent Deloitte survey addresses this issue and reports that a more transparent and flexible schedule for both leadership and employees would have a positive impact on the work environment. I know it may sound like common sense to some, but it’s a pretty interesting report to read. See the summary of the report at Kiplinger, and read the full report here.  Thanks to Linda Schuller Wolf for hearing a blurb about the report on the radio!

Men Harder Hit Than Women In Job Loss?

I don’t usually post content from the same source twice in one day, but today’s top story on Businessweek’s website certainly caught my eye.  The story reports on a recent household survey published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which shows that between November 2007 and April 2008 men aged 20 and older have lost 700,000 jobs while women aged 20 and older have gained 300,000 jobs.

The New Media Giant You May Not Have Heard Of

Businessweek has an interesting article on the recent sale of Reuters Group to Thomson, two media companies that respectively rank second and third in the financial information industry (with Bloomberg in first).   This is big news for financial companies, who get much of their information from either one or both of these companies.  While the newly-formed company, Thomson Reuters, will be giving Bloomberg a run for its money because of the pure size of the information they have access to, there are interesting intersections between the information they contain that may give their service a greater edge.

The librarian in me couldn’t help but post this article because their CEO, Thomas Glocer, states that the 21st century will be dominated by “information majors.”  And the drums of a knowledge-based economy keep up their steady beat . . . .

Flogos, payment on the honor system, and corporate power ballads

Have you seen the billboard for moonvertising on the Mass Pike near Fenway Park?  While advertising on the moon has been outed as a hoax by a beer company, and the FAA has declared a ban on it, other types of sky advertising are here to stay (think blimps, cloud-writers, and spotlights).  So what’s the next big thing for this method of advertising?  Well, familiarize yourself with Flogos, the environmentally friendly way to get your brand in the sky.  Disney World has already signed on, so if you’ll be visiting next month you’ll see Mickey floating above your head as a soapy mass.

Speaking of trends in business, how does doing away with your cashiers in retail strike you?  Some companies are moving forward with payment on the honor system, as seen here.  Interesting idea–can it be extended beyond small businesses?  Many companies already have the self check-out but I can’t remember the last time I’ve used one and not experienced troubles, or seen others struggling with it.  And I know there’s times I’d rather not deal with the bored-looking cashiers at many retail stores, so this may have its appeal for the right company.

Last, but certainly not least, what’s the deal with corporations using pop songs to tout their company?  I’m not talking about using a song in an advertisement, I’m talking about a company changing the lyrics so they’re singing about their company–like this one from Bank of America.  Read more about this odd form of corporate communication here.  What do you think–good for morale or just a pie in the face when a video is leaked on the internet?

Chicken Mythic?

Want to see how McDonald’s brands its products for different countries?  Check out this beautiful pictorial from Fortune Magazine.  Why doesn’t the US have pastries like they do in Germany?

Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women (and a fun link!)

If you haven’t seen this already (it’s from August 2007), then now’s the time to check out Forbes Magazine’s wonderful report on The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, available here.

I came across this while looking at the other lists that Forbes has online, which I was browsing thanks to April Dubrow, student worker in the SOM Library.  April forwarded me another of their list, the Forbes Fictional 15, a list lampooning Forbes’ compilation lists.  The Fictional 15 is a compilation of the top fictitious characters.  Check it out here, as well as their list of 25 Largest Fictional Companies, available here.

Women CEOs of the Fortune 500

Fortune has a rundown (with picture and bio) of the twelve women CEOs in its Fortune 500, available here.