Management in Practice

Six highly influential policymakers surveyed the current state of the world’s major financial institutions and discussed how to prevent another crisis.

If you hear the names “Steve Jobs,” “Jamie Dimon,” and “Warren Buffett,” you’ll probably think “Apple,” “JPMorgan Chase,” and “Berkshire Hathaway.” A CEO’s image can become almost inseparable from the company he or she leads.

Top marketing executives discuss big data and how today’s companies are using all of the information they’re collecting about customers.

Mercy Corps’ literacy program in Assam, India, works because it is local—designed and taught by staff with an understanding of the culture there. As a global organization, Mercy Corps needs to balance investment in a deep understanding of local issues with the imperative to make a difference in as many lives as possible.

Placing the right people in the right role lets companies innovate and grow. But there’s no surefire way of getting the perfect fit. Some companies are turning to big data to solve this problem; some go with the gut to find creativity and judgment. Beth Axelrod, eBay’s head of human resources, explains how the company goes about finding and retaining the talent it needs.

At the moment, the most visible parts of the Affordable Care Act are the newly launched—and glitchy—insurance exchanges, intended to extend coverage to millions of individuals. But healthcare reform also includes measures designed to slow the growth of healthcare spending and improve outcomes. In the coming years, the ACA will “transform how we deliver healthcare to individuals,” says Ezekiel Emanuel, a doctor, bioethicist, and advisor to the Obama administration.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, remains a focus of heated political rhetoric—rhetoric that can obscure what’s actually happening in the healthcare system. A panel of Yale experts discussed what metrics we can look at to know if the law is increasing coverage and reducing costs as intended—and whether there are unintended effects on the larger economy.

People the world over want to protect themselves from risk, but they have very different ideas about what insurance is and should be. Beth Hirschhorn, executive vice president for global brand and marketing at MetLife, discusses how her company found a universal message that can be localized for cultural resonance.

Anupam Bhargava, CEO of Clearwater Systems, discusses the role of cleantech in ensuring a sustainable water supply.

Henry Schacht, the CEO of Cummins from 1973 to 1995, saw his company transform from an essentially domestic company to one so global that "it doesn’t matter where the headquarters are." He talks about how leaders can learn to think globally.