Derek Thompson
[Raymond] Loewy … believed that consumers are torn between two opposing forces: neophilia, a curiosity about new things; and neophobia, a fear of anything too new. As a result, they gravitate to products that are bold, but instantly comprehensible. Loewy called his grand theory “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”—maya. He said to sell something surprising, make it familiar; and to sell something familiar, make it surprising. … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Author: Derek Thompson | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Customer Related, Marketing / Sales
The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger
The rot runs deeper than almost anyone has guessed.
Content: Article | Author: Daniel Engber | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: MBA Related
How McKinsey Destroyed the Middle Class
Technocratic management, no matter how brilliant, cannot unwind structural inequalities.
Content: Article | Author: Daniel Markovits | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Economics | Industry: Consulting | Company: McKinsey & Company
Jerry Useem, Francis Fukuyama
If you can rely on people to do what they say they’re going to do—without costly coercive mechanisms to make them dependable—a lot of things become possible.
Content: Quotation | Authors: Francis Fukuyama, Jerry Useem | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Economics, Organizational Behavior
Jerry Useem
Trust is to capitalism what alcohol is to wedding receptions: a social lubricant. In low-trust societies (Russia, southern Italy), economic growth is constrained.
Content: Quotation | Author: Jerry Useem | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Capitalism, Economics
Kenneth Arrow
Virtually every commercial transaction has within itself an element of trust.
Content: Quotation | Author: Kenneth Arrow | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Capitalism, Economics, Marketing / Sales
The Four-Letter Code To Selling Just About Anything
When Raymond Loewy arrived in Manhattan, U.S. companies did not yet worship at the altars of style and elegance. That era’s capitalists were monotheistic: Efficiency was their only god. American factories—with their electricity, assembly lines, and scientifically calibrated workflow—produced an unprecedented supply of cheap goods by the 1920s, and it became clear that factories could make more than consumers naturally wanted. To sell more stuff, … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Derek Thompson | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Customer Related, Marketing / Sales
The Secret to Happiness at Work
Your job doesn’t have to represent the most prestigious use of your potential. It just needs to be rewarding.
Content: Article | Author: Arthur C. Brooks | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Career, Human Resources, Organizational Behavior
The Biggest Problem With Remote Work
Companies need a new kind of middle manager: the synchronizer.
Content: Article | Author: Derek Thompson | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Human Resources, Organizational Behavior
Could Index Funds Be ‘Worse Than Marxism’?
Economists and policy makers are worried that the Vanguard model of passive investment is hurting markets.
Author: Annie Lowrey | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Economics
The Science of Smart Hiring
Finding great new workers is hard. A little bit of empiricism can help.
Content: Article | Author: Derek Thompson | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Human Resources
People Don’t Actually Know Themselves Very Well
Chances are, your coworkers are better at rating some parts of your personality than you are.
Content: Article | Author: Adam Grant | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Human Resources, Organizational Behavior, Personal Development
Capitalism the Apple Way vs. Capitalism the Google Way
Whichever company’s vision wins out will shape the future of the economy.
Content: Article | Author: Mihir A. Desai | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Capitalism, Economics
The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence
In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil.
Content: Article | Author: Adam Grant | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Organizational Behavior
The Confidence Gap
Evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. Here’s why, and what to do about it.
Content: Article | Authors: Claire Shipman, Katty Kay | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Career, Organizational Behavior, Women in Business
They’re Watching You at Work
What happens when Big Data meets human resources? The emerging practice of “people analytics” is already transforming how employers hire, fire, and promote.
Content: Article | Author: Don Peck | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Human Resources
The Optimal Office
How better design could fix your workday—and your life .
Content: Article | Author: Julie Beck | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Organizational Behavior
More Is More: Why the Paradox of Choice Might Be a Myth
It’s widely assumed that overwhelming people with options — whether in TVs or delicious jams — can make them less likely to make a decision. But maybe that’s wrong.
Content: Article | Author: Derek Thompson | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Marketing / Sales
Anthropology Inc.
Forget online surveys and dinnertime robo-calls. A consulting firm called ReD is at the forefront of a new trend in market research, treating the everyday lives of consumers as a subject worthy of social-science scrutiny. On behalf of its corporate clients, ReD will uncover your deepest needs, fears, and desires.
Content: Article | Author: Graeme Wood | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Market Research
Graeme Wood
Listen to people talk about how they break the rules, in other words, and you’ll figure out what they consider the important rules in the first place.
Content: Quotation | Author: Graeme Wood | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subject: Organizational Behavior
