New York SBDC Research Network

By Jennifer Robison From Gallup In his annual letter to the leaders of companies that his asset management firm invests in, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink wrote, "Profits are in no way inconsistent with purpose -- in fact profits and purpose are inextricably linked." Leaders can be left with no doubt: Increasing profit and share price are the basics. Advocating for purpose to be an integral part of an organization's culture defines successful leadership. Astute leaders increasingly understand the effect purpose has on business outcomes. But purpose can't be limited to just a slogan. To advance, inspire and unite a company, purpose must be actualized in the day-to-day work. Gallup data show businesses have a long way to go on purpose -- but Gallup analytics show leaders how to get there.

From  BizFilings Managing the employees in your workplace effectively necessitates that even the smallest of businesses set up work rules. Work rules protect your business and your workers and if correctly implemented and executed, create and maintain a better work environment for all.  Having formal work rules in your business, even if they're not required, are a good idea because they can help you protect your business from litigation and maintain a high quality of work life for your employees. You need to make sure that your employees understand what is expected of them, not only in the work that they do, but in their behavior and in other areas of your employment relationship. If the rules are carefully selected, clearly related to the business, and fairly enforced, they can help you to better manage your workplace and your workers.

From Bizwomen : Social media, which too often can be an abyss harboring harassment and hate, has become a place for women to connect to fight sexual harassment and assault. The most prominent example is the #MeToo campaign, which encourages women to share their stories on Twitter and Facebook and other social media platforms. Their voices are coming from everywhere. And they’re resonating. A recent survey showed that more than 50 percent of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. High-profile men in media, fashion, food, and politics have been accused of harassment since the [Harvey] Weinstein scandal broke.

From Albany Business Review : Law firm Hodgson Russ and the Albany Business Review hosted a panel discussion with seven women in various stages of their careers to answer these questions. Teal Vivacqua, director, marketing communications at Plug Power; Ashley Jeffrey Bouck, executive director, Girls Inc. of the Capital Region; Kathleen Godfrey, president, Godfrey Financial Associates; Julie Clancy, director of admissions, Emma Willard; Dawn C. Doherty, partner, BST; Carmen Duncan, CEO and founder, Mission Accomplished Transition Services; Kendra Hart, business development manager, Martin Electric Cindy Applebaum, Albany Business Review publisher and market president, moderated the discussion. What’s the importance of having a mentor? What potential do you see in the younger generation? How do you approach and explain issues facing young girls? What barriers do you see for women taking on leadership roles? Are men always the obstacle? How often do you find yourself the...

If you've had a boss or co-worker tell you to leave your attitude at the door, you can feel better knowing they were probably just trying to protect your innocent colleagues from catching your rudeness. That's right: according to new research from psychologists at Lund University in Sweden, rudeness is contagious, and it can have seriously negative effects on the workplace. The research... defines rudeness as "something that goes under the radar for what is prohibited and that in some way violates the norm for mutual respect." More from Payscale.com .

From the US Department of Labor blog : Someone recently asked me to name the one thing I couldn’t live without at work. My answer?  Technology.  I couldn’t do my job – or live my life – as effectively as I do now without information and communication technology (ICT). Considering that I’m blind, this answer is sometimes met with surprise. Some people don’t realize that individuals with disabilities also rely on technology – as long as it’s accessible – to perform daily tasks. I certainly do. I use a screen reader to relay the information on my computer screen, a Braille note-taking device and a smartphone with built-in accessibility features. To say that I’d be lost without these innovations is an understatement. Technology is paramount for  all  of us – whether we have disability or not – and this is particularly true in the workplace. 

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation recognizes 304 major U.S. employers as its 2014 "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality". The list of top rated businesses has grown exponentially from 13 to over 300 since the report’s first launch in 2002. For twelve years, HRC has been working with Corporate America to maintain and establish best practice for LGBT inclusion, and this gathering of over 240 executives from top Fortune-ranked business, leading law firms, and other major employers reflects the absolute best in corporate leadership on LGBT equality. These are businesses that haven’t been waiting for legal mandates, but rather have extended equitable health insurance benefits to LGBT employees and their families, establishing a the new standard of truly inclusive employer-provided benefits, adding transgender inclusive health care coverage. This elite group of companies spans all industries, from manufacturing to banking, as well as all geographies. Companies receiving the...