There's a small window on weekdays between when the key unlocks the front door, the book bag hits the floor, dinner lands on the table, and heads lay down for the night. It's in this sliver of time as the sun begins to sink that notebooks open and computer screens glow. Dwede Dennis ’12, ’18 MBA – Human Resource Management, knows this time well, as it's when she often helps her young daughter with her second grade homework. 

There are two types of workplaces: Those where you can hear a pin drop when you walk the halls, and the only sound is the sound of typing, people sending messages back and forth between their next-door cubicles. In contrast, there are those offices that are loud and active. You will see people standing on their chairs and shouting over cubicle walls.

Which workplace do you think is more productive?

Which workplace is happier?

The world of work is changing.

The one-job, one-company career popular in the Baby Boomer generation is a faded memory.

The portfolio life, a work life comprised of many work-related roles, is the new norm. For some, this may be contract work for many different projects; for others, work might be a series of part-time roles all packaged together. It also can mean starting one’s own business from home or working eight months in one organization, two years in another, all while starting a business on the side.

What’s driving these changes?

Do you remember your last review? If you do, chances are it’s not a good memory. The whole event probably left you feeling anxious and helpless. If you received a positive review or a raise that felt good, you still probably wondered, “What about next time? I wonder if I can keep this pace up. What if my boss changes? What happens if I have a couple of off days now?” If your last review was a negative experience, you are probably feeling stressed, unhappy and not sure of what you can do to finally make the boss happy with your performance.

With the recent announcement of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Economics being awarded to Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrom for their work on employee contracts and incentives, it got me thinking about what actually motivates employees in the workplace. Not to take away from their award, but, from my professional experience, I think contracts and incentives are an incorrect starting point if you want to promote employee satisfaction and productivity.

Who: Craig Nathanson, PhD, is an online faculty member for Johnson & Wales University, teaching in the HR programs. Dr. Nathanson is an educator, author, and  speaker in human and organizational growth.

Agree or Disagree with Article: Disagree.

Close your eyes and imagine a leader. Did you think of a general? The president? It’s not unusual to associate leadership with power, but to gauge effective leadership, I’d argue that power will only take you so far on the battlefield, in the Oval Office, and, yes, even in the workplace. In order to achieve sustainable success, managers need to embrace a humanistic model, which emphasizes compassion, the value of each individual, and respect.

Here are five personality traits that I believe are key to humanistic leadership:

Why Earn an MBA in HR?

Working toward a Human Resources MBA can give business professionals more opportunities and content expertise in many areas of HR such as training, employee relations, compensation, and strategy. At this level, individuals are learning in-depth information that applies to the industry they work in or wish to work in at some point in the future. Most important, an MBA with an HR focus can help you pursue the senior manager track, if that is one of your career goals. Consider the following advantages of this degree:

Let's face it, HR leadership can be challenging. With HR serving as the glue between what senior management wants to get done and the needs and development of the workforce, HR professionals face daily challenges. These challenges can be met with specific strategies and principles. The HR leader today should start with these top 10 approaches first!