In the 1990s, some Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) started providing stock options for directors, following in the footsteps of the US and other countries. The intention was to signal alignment of managerial interests with those of shareholders. But rumours and reports over the years put a question mark over whether these options were bona fide. For ... Read More

Imagine being in a clothing shop and hearing the salesperson tell another customer, “You have fantastic fashion sense”. The other customer can expect to feel flattered, but simply witnessing this exchange has an effect on the observer, too: it elicits complex and conflicting emotions and ultimately could influence their purchase decision. This was the ... Read More

Work is an economic activity but also a social one, and the nature of that social side can have implications for an organisation ranging from an employee’s sense of obligation to the firm to even their task performance. Research by Riki Takeuchi, Seokhwa Yun and Kin Fai Ellick Wong shows how this happens by focusing on a specific aspect of the social nature ... Read More