This month’s press round-up features a number of recent Hult research findings. Topics range from the relationship between entrepreneurship and technology, to ethical trading reforms, the complexities of speaking truth to power, and the importance of cognitively diverse teams. Here we feature a digest of our top 5 publications for the month of April.
1. Hult professors at Ashridge Executive Education in the Harvard Business Review
Professor Megan Reitz and John Higgins’ contribution to the Harvard Business Review ‘5 Questions to Ask Before You Call Out Someone Powerful’ looks at the considerations and complexities surrounding the decision to speak up or not at work. This is based on their research around speaking truth to power, published last month by Hult. Many factors are at play including the written—and more importantly the unwritten—political and social rules of your organization.
Alison Reynolds is also featured in the HBR, highlighting recent research on the importance of building cognitively diverse teams for effective problem-solving. The evidence is that this improves performance and highlights the need for leaders to enable and encourage employees to be themselves and deploy their different modes of thinking.
2. Hult Research in Quartz
Quartz has also picked up the ‘speaking truth to power’ research. The article summarizes the key considerations and advice for both leaders and staff, from the risk factors associated with speaking up, to being aware of labels, and plugging into personal judgment.
3. Professor Cari E. Guittard for Huffington Post
Hult Professor of Women’s Leadership, International Negotiations & Corporate Diplomacy Cari E. Guittard prioritizes the top 10 resources ‘For Americans Who Want to Get Globally Smart, Fast’ in the Huffington Post. Political uncertainty surrounding America—compounded by the new order of fake news and Facebook echo chambers—means that Americans need to brush up on their “global smarts” in order to hold their elected officials to account and stay on top of world issues, she says. She lists the best resources to improve your global mindset according to how much time you have available. From skimming daily digests such as The Week and The Economist for those with limited time available, to which global think tanks and thought leaders to follow if you want to go deeper. There are even resources available to engage and globalize kids, the all-important next generation.
4. Hult & Microsoft’s Research in Forbes
Microsoft and Hult joined forces to research the relationship between technology adoption and growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Europe. Forbes looks into the results of this research and the conclusions that can be drawn from it. The differences between the growth mindset of business owners in more economically developed countries versus less economically developed countries may surprise you. Ultimately, all small businesses will need to adopt new technologies to stay profitable in the medium term.
5. Hult’s Research into Modern Slavery in the Chartered Institute of Professional Development
CIPD—the official body for HR and people development in the U.K.—published an opinion piece related to Hult’s recent research into modern slavery in the workplace. This research, undertaken in partnership with the Ethical Trading Initiative, revealed that 77% of companies think there is a likelihood of modern slavery occurring in their supply chains. The establishment of the U.K. Modern Slavery Act, along with the prospect of reputational damage, means that companies are motivated to improve their practices, but are unsure how to do so. The article considers what must be done to combat this and how we can learn from companies lighting the way on ethical performance. Ultimately, senior leadership buy-in and effective HR systems are crucial to succeeding in ending Human Rights abuses within the workplace, say the authors.
The modern slavery report was compiled by Quintin Lake, Jamie Macalister, Matthew Gitsham, and Nadine Page at Ashridge Executive Education, in partnership with Cindy Berman at the ETI.
Find out more
Download the modern slavery research report summary here.
Download the full Hult & Microsoft report on SME productivity here.
If you would like to find out more about our business programs, download a brochure here.
Mel Cloney is a staff blogger working in London, and is passionate about the Hult journey. Her writing focuses on faculty, academics, and student and alumni experiences. She’s a food, scuba, and running junkie with a penchant for all things French.
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