The Conference Board Publications

How to Compete and Win In a Broken Economy

Howard Muson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:03:00 UTC

While many small and midsize firms are struggling to survive, stronger companies will find opportunities to improve their competitive position.

Maximizing Human Capital: Employees with Disabilities: Building Your Leadership Pipeline

Corporate Authorship TCB — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:04:00 UTC

In this webcast, we investigate best practices for maximizing development and advancement strategies for one particular group of employees: those with disabilities.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times: Avoiding Shareholder Activism

Damien J. Park, MBA — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:04:00 UTC

This report provides board members with a checklist of issues they should consider addressing in their relations with shareholders and, in particular, how to avoid a costly and disruptive battle with an activist investor.

Prioritizing People Investments to Optimize for Today While Preparing for Tomorrow

Corporate Authorship TCB — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:04:00 UTC

This webcast will discuss why it is more important than ever for organizations to develop or refresh their people strategy to ensure that they protect their critical organizational capabilities as they optimize for today while preparing for the future.

Organization Design: Designing for Effectiveness and Efficiency

Corporate Authorship TCB — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:04:00 UTC

This webcast will discuss how leaders can stratify work to focus limited resources on differentiating capabilities while cutting costs in other "non-strategic" areas.

Action Plans for Dealing With a Global Pandemic

Carolyn Cavicchio — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

This report summarizes the business and health lessons from previous epidemics and provides important insights to managers about dealing with today's pandemic-related issues.

A Leadership Prescription for the Future of Quality

Mike Adams — Wed, 06 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

This report, created by The Conference Board Quality Council, looks at the future role of quality throughout the enterprise.

Innovation and US Competitiveness: Reevaluating the Contributors to Growth

Bart van Ark — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

This report takes stock of the innovation capabilities of the U.S. economy, including hurdles to maintaining the nation's leadership position, and recommends some means and methods of overcoming those obstacles.

The Potential Economic Impact of the 2009 A(H1N1) Influenza (Swine Flu) Pandemic

Andre Therrien — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

While it's too early to determine the ultimate scope of the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic, a comparison to the 2003 SARS outbreak shows the economic impact may be short-lived and will not significantly alter long-term trends in global macro economic activity

Videocast-Succession: Are You Ready? The Leader, the Successor and the Process

Corporate Authorship TCB — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:04:00 UTC

We will take you beyond what was presented at the "Executive Coaching Seminars: Learning from Legends and Thought Leaders" for a deep dive into the key issues and take away points of this timely presentation.

Key Questions in Pandemic Planning

David Vidal — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

This report addresses questions of concern to business managers across sectors, industries, and regions in light of the current resurgence of a global pandemic health threat.

Waddayaknow? Knowledge Management Can Be an Organization's Key to Survival

Tommy Peterson — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

This Executive Action report uses three case studies to build a business case for implementing Knowledge Management, and provides tips for making KM work.

The CEO View . . .Managing through the Global Financial Crisis

Esther V. Rudis — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

CEOs of five of the world's leading companies predict that the current global financial crisis will leave its mark on how business is done in the future. But how, to what degree, and for how long?

Shift in U.S. Policy on Climate Change Opens a New Era for Business

Dinah A. Koehler, Sc.D. — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:05:00 UTC

It's no longer business as usual when it comes to climate change. A significant change of direction for U.S. regulatory policy on the issue will eventually affect all of business.

Mission Accomplished? What Every Leader Should Know about Survivor Syndrome

Lara Rosner — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This Executive Action report explores the concept of "survivor syndrome," how it materializes, and what to do about it.

Evidence-Based Human Resources: A Practitioner's Guide

Christopher Woock — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This guide to Evidence-Based Human Resources provides practitioners with real live examples from early adopters of this innovative approach to human capital management.

On the Record with Barry Melancon

Kathie von Ankum — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

Barry Melancon, President and CEO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, discusses some of the successful initiatives that the AICPA has taken to build a strong pipeline for the accounting profession.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times: Responding to Unsolicited Takeover Offers

Frederick H. Alexander — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

An overview of issues a board may consider in evaluating its corporation's governance profile, given the potential increase in unsolicited offers in the current market environment.

Offshoring Reaches the C-Suite

Arie Y. Lewin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This report distills findings and interpretations from the 2007/2008 Offshoring Research Network (ORN) survey.

Corporate Contributions in Hard Times: How Companies are Managing the Economic Downturn

Corporate Authorship TCB — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This webcast will go beyond the statistics and hear directly from companies on how they are adjusting their contributions programs in response to the current economic downturn.

Succession Management—Strategies in Times of Crisis

Corporate Authorship TCB — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This webcast will show participants how to expand their perceptions and approaches to consider the rapidly changing environment, and the significant part that succession planning can play in a company’s talent management strategies

Business Ethics and Compliance–Effective Best Practices in Challenging Times

Corporate Authorship TCB — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This webcast will discuss how maintaining an effective program in these challenging times requires us to make the most of existing resources.

Implementing Strategic Workforce Planning

Mary B. Young — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This report highlights the implementation process for Strategic Workforce Planning---from simply connecting business strategy and HR strategy to becoming an input to business strategy that informs executive decision making.

Frameworks for Integrating Citizenship and Sustainability into Business Strategies and Operations

William R. Blackburn — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

This report explores the approaches of 11 North American companies with well-established citizenship and sustainability practices.

Ethics and Compliance Enforcement Decisions – the Information Gap

Jeffrey M. Kaplan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:06:00 UTC

Senior executives and corporate directors want to know whether companies have "received credit" (i.e., avoided prosecution or obtained sentence reductions) for having effective ethics and compliance programs - but such information is in short supply.

Relieving Pressures to Eliminate Jobs

Howard Muson — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:07:00 UTC

Smaller companies are finding ways to "redeploy" employees rather than lay them off. Three models for surviving recessions without losing your investment in human capital.

The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce

Jill Casner-Lotto — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This report raises several questions concerning the overall effectiveness of workforce readiness training programs.

A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits Are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool

Diane Piktialis — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This report explores the growing trend of nonprofits to recruit boomers and the things both sides need to do to make this very promising relationship work.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times... CEO Succession Planning

June Eichbaum — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

Management succession is one of the most critical strategic risks a corporation faces and a favorite topic of discussion on the role of the board in business crises.

Productivity, Performance, and Progress: Germany in International Comparative Perspective

Andreas Metz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This study argues that the key to a successful and sustainable growth strategy for any time and place is to find the optimal balance between labour productivity growth and labour input growth.

U.S. Salary Increase Budgets for 2010

Judit Torok — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

Salary increase budgets were hit hard in 2009. The good news for 2010 — budgets are projected to be higher. The bad news — the forecasted increase, at 3 percent, is the lowest in 25 years.

Building Risk Awareness into Performance: Integrating ERM and Performance Management

Daniel Sandy Bayer — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

This report explores the reasons behind the lack of ERM and performance management integration through an examination of the results of a survey of 97 senior executives.

The Conference Board Task Force on Executive Compensation

Corporate Authorship TCB — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

The Conference Board convened the Task Force on Executive Compensation in March 2009 to address the loss of public trust in the processes for oversight of executive compensation.

Corporate Governance Handbook: Legal Standards and Board Practices (Third Edition)

Matteo Tonello — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

Revised in 2009, this handbook presents an easy-to-use compendium of rapidly evolving laws and regulations and the best practices adopted by leading companies.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times: Leading the Public Company to Full Recovery

Matteo Tonello — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times offers corporate directors guidance on how to approach their oversight responsibilities during a period of financial distress.

Recession Lessons for Mid-Market CFOs: Successfully Obtaining Loans in the New World of Credit

Howard Muson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

Even though signs of an economic recovery are emerging, recession challenges and a shutdown of easy credit have changed the lending world for CFOs of small- and mid-sized firms

The 2009 Institutional Investment Report

Matteo Tonello — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:10:00 UTC

The Institutional Investment report, which is released annually in the fall, is the most comprehensive analysis of the asset growth and portfolio composition of institutional investors operating in the United States.

Working at the Intersection of Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance - The Need for Collaboration

Ronald E. Berenbeim — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:10:00 UTC

The publication pursues cultural and organizational issues that may limit this collaboration, human resources' potential leadership role, and ways of introducing metrics into the equation.

Director Notes: The Role of the Board in Risk Oversight—Adapting to Regulatory Developments and Emerging Practices

Mark S. Bergman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

This report highlights a range of considerations for directors as they approach the assessment and oversight of their risk management programs.

Protecting Critical Infrastructure: A Cross-Border Action Plan

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

Much of the critical infrastructure on which the citizens of the United States and Canada depend—transportation, energy, and communications systems, among others—exists on both sides of the border.

Social Networking: How Companies Are Using Web 2.0 to Communicate with Employees

Sheri Rothman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

Companies are revamping their intranets to mirror the function and applications of social networking and they are seeing benefits such as keeping work-related ideas inside company firewalls and increased employee engagement

Foreign Exchange Management: Creating Value Through Better Decision Making

Rainer Schultheis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

Foreign Exchange Management: Creating Value through Better Decision Making gauges the impact of the financial crisis on FX management practices

The Impact of Workforce Reductions on Layoff “Survivors”

Stephanie J. Creary — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

This Executive Action features data on how layoffs were conducted, what support is being offered to employees who are leaving and who are staying, and some write-in comments on how respondents’ roles and companies are changing.

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics: Reflections from The Conference Board

Pamela Bayless — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This Executive Action report contains insights from expert researchers at The Conference Board that link Elinor Ostrom’s and Oliver Williamson’s work to today’s business concerns.

Clearing Paths for Critical Foreign Talent to Work in the United States

Howard Muson — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

The future growth of many smaller businesses may depend upon recruiting highly skilled foreign workers for key jobs. That means becoming better acquainted with the complexities of the immigration code.

The 2009 Corporate Contributions Report

Carolyn Cavicchio — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

Responses to this year's edition of The Conference Board Annual Survey on Corporate Contributions indicate that for companies for which we have multi-year data, U.S. charitable giving declined in FY 2008, while international giving increased.

The 2009 Top Executive Compensation Report

Judit Torok — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This report examines salary, total cash compensation, total compensation, and the mix of compensation elements for the CEO and the five highest-paid executives for specific revenue and industry groups.

I Can’t Get No...Job Satisfaction, That Is

John M. Gibbons — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

In the 2009 edition of an annual job satisfaction survey conducted for The Conference Board, only 45 percent of Americans said they were satisfied with their jobs

Strategic Workforce Planning in Global Organizations

Mary B. Young — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

This report describes how SWP adds value by helping global companies make better business decisions. It details what it takes for companies to advance from a fledgling effort to a more robust version of SWP.

Directors’ Duties and the Pursuit of Social Investments

Janet E. Kerr — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

This report examines the implications of sustainability on business corporations and on the body of law that governs them.

A Global Barometer for Measuring Employee Engagement

John M. Gibbons — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This report shows that a robust measure of employee engagement can be constructed with just eight basic questions—termed The Conference Board Employee Engagement Barometer.™

The 2010 Productivity Brief: Productivity, Employment, and Growth in the World's Economies

Abhay Gupta — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

The recession left its mark on global productivity, which fell in 2009. With recovery expected in 2010, advanced economies will see renewed productivity gains but continue to shed workers.

U.S. Salary Increase Budgets for 2010—Winter Update

Judit Torok — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

Revised projections for U.S. Salary increase budgets in 2010 have dipped below 3 percent for the first time in more than two decades, barely staying ahead of The Conference Board’s forecasted inflation rate.

The Duty to Monitor under Delaware Law: from Caremark to Citigroup

Eric J. Pan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

Have corporate governance laws struck the right balance between risk taking and risk mitigation? This report provides an overview of Delaware law developments on the fiduciary duty to monitor.

Directors' Duties under the New SEC Rules on Disclosure Enhancement

Mutya Fonte Harsch — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This report discusses the new SEC rules and reform in detail and touches on the implications for boards of directors.

Ready or Not: Companies and the Sustainability Tipping Point

David Vidal — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

The challenge for companies is how to make sustainability-centric approaches deliver not only on the financial bottom line but also on a broader platform of ecological and social accountabilities and goals that make up the sustainability blend.

CEO Challenge 2010: Top 10 Challenges

Linda Barrington — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

Respondents to the latest edition of the annual survey of CEOs, presidents, and chairmen indicate that growth issues will be their top challenges for 2010.

Does Your Company Need a Don’t Do it List?

Martin Cohen — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Conversation Starter – the first in a new series of short provocative pieces commissioned especially for our mid-market members – suggests some ways that small- and mid-sized businesses can focus better on what really needs to be done.

Getting Fit For Leaner Times

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Mid-Market Conversation Starter considers the possibility of lateral growth for an entire company.

Solving the Customer’s Price Issues.

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Mid-Market Conversation Starter gives you a couple of new perspectives from which to think about solving customer price issues.

Reengaging Lost Customers

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

What can be done to win back customers that have proven loyal in the past and who may account for a significant portion of profits? A Mid-market Conversation Starter.

Labor Market Transitions: from Recession to Recovery

Christopher Woock — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:03:00 UTC

This report explores the factors in a recovery that drive the employment level and the unemployment rate. It offers an analysis of where the U.S. labor market stands and where it may be headed.

The Shareholder Activism Report and Resource Portal

Damien J. Park, MBA — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

The Shareholder Activism Report provides corporations with the tools required to understand their shareholder base, assess gaps and vulnerabilities that could make the company a target, and ultimately respond to possible requests for change.