Category: CSR/ECO/ESG

by Gael O’Brien The pandemic changed the work, family and social patterns of our lives. It wreaked havoc on business operations with closings, layoffs, pay cuts and furloughs. Normal became a memory except for continuing pay disparities: 2020 CEO compensation had “some of the biggest pay packages on record”  as worker median pay rose 1.9%. […]

In July, the United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone has the right to live in a healthy, sustainable environment. In so doing, it recognised that the well-being of our society is inextricably bound to the functions of the natural world.

Lead author Caitlin Mandeville recalls how she and her co-authors kept their focus close to home in their latest research that explores connections between citizen science and recreation in natural areas. Just about every community has some small, unassuming natural areas that are mainly known to locals: a neighbourhood park, a small wildlife preserve, a […]

by Gael O’Brien The vulnerability exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic refocuses not just how work is done but how those doing it are feeling and being valued. Executives have learned enough about their employees during the pandemic to realize change is needed. People and performance are inextricably tied. Remarkably, as burnout rates have increased, performance […]

Following the two-week climate summit in Egypt, representatives and negotiators from across the globe reached a series of conclusions; the most prominent of which being support for climate victims in the form of a loss and damage facility – with a commitment to set up a financial support structure for the most vulnerable by the […]

Martin Mayer and Martin Šálek take us through their latest research into how old ‘messy’ farmsteads may actually be bird hotspots and how modernization changes this. Old cow sheds are a great place for farmland birds. There are many cracks, corners and beams in these old brick buildings where birds can build their nests. The […]

by Gael O’Brien CEOs not actively listening to employees’ high expectations for leaders (and the role employees see for themselves) will forfeit the fragile trust they have. Millions of employees have recently quit jobs amid the COVID pandemic, giving up on their companies and leaders. Many employees who’ve stayed feel empowered to be workplace activists […]

We recently did a poll on whether we need to see more positive news to create optimism and momentum to drive solutions and change or if we need to be confronted with the stark reality of climate change, with a clear split in the results.

This post is also available in Dutch here. Nelleke Buitendijk discusses a newly published study from her and her colleagues on the impact of grazing on agricultural grasslands. Highlights include that decreasing herbivore abundance may not directly translate to a decreased yield loss, and that management tools should be used with care. Grazing by geese […]

by Gael O’Brien Sigal Barsade, a pioneering researcher on the impact of emotions in the workplace, leaves a legacy for leaders who want to get their culture right. Professor Barsade, the Joseph Frank Bernstein Professor of Management at Wharton, died at 56 in February 2022 of brain cancer. For nearly 30 years, she researched, taught, […]