A Humane Economist on the Meaning of Work A possibly apocryphal story highlights the key idea of this 20th century German-Swiss economist. Röpke was walking along a road with a famous colleague Ludwig von Mises. Walking … Continue reading Wilhelm Röpke on Why Do We Work
Category: Corporate diseases
On Lateness: True Causes and Right Solutions
By Isaac I’m often late. Fortunately, I have no boss and my students—from whom I often rob 5 minutes of lecture time (although I try to make up for it with class-relevant jokes) —can’t punish … Continue reading On Lateness: True Causes and Right Solutions
Incentive plans: Addictive for people and ruinous for companies
Taleb and Whitney of why incentives are just another sick game A big bank announced its annual profits—not very big this year—with a whole third of those going as bonuses for traders. Traders ususally make … Continue reading Incentive plans: Addictive for people and ruinous for companies
McGregor and Whitney on “making the numbers”
The exciting game of “making the numbers.” In Freedom, Inc. we wrote: “Because you get what you measure, your measurement becomes the performance. And before long, rather than boosting your firm to ever-faster growth and … Continue reading McGregor and Whitney on “making the numbers”
Deming on invisible costs and other figures
Running a company on visible figures alone We have written in Freedom, Inc. on the invisible costs of traditional companies and illustrated it through the costs of the workplace stress. Of course, there are others … Continue reading Deming on invisible costs and other figures
On Animals and Pets in the Workplace
Why animals and pets are welcome in the workplace (and we didn’t even know it) We have just “discovered” this amazing book written in 1993. Its author, John O. Whitney, spent most of his career … Continue reading On Animals and Pets in the Workplace