Business Issues
These are common business issues based on years of data collection done here at The Conference Board. Browse through the issues by topic to find the answers.
Corporate Leadership
Governance & Business Ethics
- How do we avoid becoming the target of shareholder activism?
- What are our regulatory obligations toward shareholders when expanding global operations and how can we balance all our stakeholders' expectations?
- What are the ethical challenges of running a global business?
- How can we attract external capital given the existing financial crisis and what are our options?
- How can we reposition our company in the market given recent changes in corporate ownership and market volatility?
- How can we strengthen the role of our board to protect ourselves against risk management failures?
Risk Management
- How are companies reorganizing to achieve effective risk management?
- How are companies managing risks within their supply chains?
- How can companies move toward more risk management solutions that are not merely compliance-driven?
- How can ERM become part of corporate strategy and tie in with performance management?
- How can a company proactively manage reputation risk?
Sustainability
- How do we measure and effectively communicate results of citizenship and sustainability strategies to our markets and stakeholders?
- How do we integrate citizenship and sustainability thinking into our strategy and value proposition?
- What management systems and governance structures best capture citizenship and sustainability opportunities while lowering risk exposure?
- Which standards and policies for managing climate change, carbon, and energy efficiency do we need to consider and why?
High-Performing Organizations
Corporate Finance & Measurement
Operational Excellence
- What internal processes and structures support seamless communication between operations centers in different regions?
- What are best practices for managing supplier training, certification, and project-mentoring initiatives in cross-border operations?
- How does organizational structure create alignment and enable company success?
Human Capital
Diversity & Inclusion
- How can diversity improve business performance?
- How can work/life strategies and policies increase employee attraction and engagement?
- What strategies and practices can improve engagement and retention of diverse talent?
- How can cross-cultural diversity improve employee engagement and business performance?
- How does corporate commitment to diversity stimulate innovation and growth?
- What are the challenges organizations encounter when working to attract, develop, and retain women?
- How can organizations identify and optimize multi-generational differences?
Human Capital Analytics
Strategic Workforce Planning
- What priorities should we set to ensure that our human capital investments support our business strategy in the current economy?
- What HR challenges/opportunities are likely to threaten/strengthen our competitive advantage globally and regionally?
- How should we adjust our portfolio of jobs, skills, locations, and talent management practices to produce the best workforce mix for today and for tomorrow?
- In what areas would talent improvement have the greatest impact on our strategic goals?
- How can we factor economic uncertainty/volatility into workforce planning?
Talent Management
- How can we best evaluate whether our human resources management strategies are effective?
- How can we build/maintain a value proposition that is sufficiently flexible to attract, motivate, and retain a global workforce?
- How can I measure the effect of employee engagement on company performance?
- How can my company demonstrate the connection between individual and business unit or enterprise-level performance?