Influence in times of crisis: How do men and women evaluate precarious leadership positions?

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2012) ? We've all heard of the "glass ceiling" but the recent economic crisis has illuminated another workplace phenomenon: the "glass cliff." Women seem to be overrepresented in precarious leadership positions at organizations going through crisis. Evidence is growing that more feminine leadership traits, such as being understanding and tactful, are believed to be desirable under such circumstances, causing people to make a "think crisis -- think female" association.

But is it that women are always passively selected into these jobs or do they sometimes also actively seek them out? A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that it's not the precarious positions per se that attract women leaders, but perhaps the social resources that come with them.

In the study, psychological scientists Floor Rink and Janka Stoker of the University of Groningen and Michelle Ryan of the University of Groningen and the University of Exeter investigated how men and women evaluate these glass-cliff positions. The researchers speculated that, all else being equal, women wouldn't be more attracted to a precarious position, but they would be more sensitive to certain aspects of the position.

Rink and her colleagues hypothesized that, following gender norms, women would be more attentive to communal aspects of precarious leadership roles, focusing on social resources, while men would attend to aspects related to authority and hierarchy, focusing on financial resources.

In the first study, Rink and colleagues asked Dutch business students to imagine working for a large company in financial crisis. They were offered a top leadership position at the hypothetical company, where they would be in charge of resolving the crisis. All of the students read a passage containing information about the social and financial resources that came with the position. One group read that they had employee support (social resources) and financial investment from management (financial resources), a second group read that they had financial investment but no employee support, and a third group read that they had employee support but no financial investment.

Comparing across genders, women generally seemed less likely than men to evaluate any of the positions positively. Yet comparing across the three scenarios, women were particularly less likely to accept the position that lacked social resources, while men were less inclined to accept the position that lacked financial resources, confirming the researchers' hypotheses.

A second study suggests these findings may have been driven by internalized gender stereotypes about leadership. The researchers found that women viewed employee acceptance as a factor that would lead to influence, while men viewed influence as an attribute that would lead to employee acceptance.

"Since the discovery of the glass cliff, researchers and practitioners have questioned whether women are simply more likely than men to accept precarious leadership positions, thereby -- albeit unintentionally -- putting themselves at a disadvantage in their careers," the researchers note. "Our findings make it clear that the glass cliff cannot be attributed to women's failure to recognize the precariousness of glass-cliff positions."

Taken together, the findings from the two studies suggest that societal expectations about gender and leadership play a key role in driving women's and men's evaluations of glass cliff positions.

The researchers argue that these findings may be useful for organizations searching for new leaders to guide them through crises. "In order to get the right person for the right job, it is probably important for organizations to recognize which aspects of a crisis they want their future leader to solve and to give him or her the appropriate means with which to do so," says Rink.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Association for Psychological Science.

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Journal Reference:

1. F. Rink, M. K. Ryan, J. I. Stoker. Influence in Times of Crisis: How Social and Financial Resources Affect Men's and Women's Evaluations of Glass-Cliff Positions. Psychological Science, 2012; DOI: 10.1177/0956797612453115

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/LqqVlneEmug/121023134816.htm

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Tech Expenses That Businesses Shouldn't Skimp On | Techchai ...

Technology plays such an important role in business today that it?s difficult to imagine how anyone could have run a company before the advent of the internet, personal computers, and cellular phones.

Indeed, technology has changed every aspect of our lives from the significant to the mundane. Smart phones are now as ubiquitous as wrist watches, and people are more tuned in to technology than ever before.

What this means for businesses is that there are several tech expenses that simply can?t be skimped on.

1. Office Hardware

   If you expect your business to run smoothly, you and your employees are going to need computers that are fast, reliable, and up to date. Don?t skimp on hardware to save a few dollars here and there.

   The majority of the work that will go on in the office will be done on computers?this is a major investment. If you don?t get the best equipment available, your business will suffer for it.

2. Virtual Tools

   Of course, your hardware is essentially useless if it?s all empty. Think of every computer as a toolbox. If the box is empty, it doesn?t matter how great a box it is?it doesn?t do anything.

   Your business is going to need robust and powerful software to operate. Everything from accounting programs to graphic design programs should be loaded into your employees? work stations as necessary.

   Nobody ever expected Picasso to paint without a brush, and you shouldn?t expect your employees to do good work without the tools they need.

3. Mobile Development

   One of the fastest growing trends in the world of technology is the mobile platform. Smart phones are becoming more popular every day.

   Some people even spend more time surfing the net on these handheld devices than they do on their home computers. Your business should be ready to adapt to this.

   Get a mobile website running, launch apps for your customers, and introduce mobile payment options. The growing amount of business done through mobile technology makes it something impossible to ignore.

4. Web Hosting

   It is near impossible for businesses to survive without websites today. Your website is your virtual presence in the largest marketplace in the world, and that?s not something to skimp on.

   Look for the best small business web hosting available for your website, and make sure your web design and development are top notch.

   Look into responsive web design when setting up your pages?this new trend allows websites to adapt easily to different screen sizes making them view-able on both personal computers and smart phones.

5. Support Staff
   Naturally, your business is going to go over some bumps in the road, and your technology may not always be performing as it should. These things happen.

   Computers need repairs and maintenance to keep running just like cars and airplanes. Keep a competent IT support specialist on staff or on call to handle these problems.

   Tinkering with them yourself will, more often than not, put you deeper in the hole. Leave these matters to a professional.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://techchai.com/2012/10/23/tech-expenses-that-businesses-shouldnt-skimp-on/

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MintLife Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice | Update: The Mint ...

Back in July, MintLife hosted its Home Economics sweepstakes. As the lucky winner, I received a $400 gift card to West Elm and 1-hour phone consultation with designer Tracy Hutson. I was beyond excited to win and couldn?t wait to start decorating!

My husband and I decided to update our ?back room.? Our house was built in the 50s and a family room was later added to the back of the house. It?s connected to the kitchen and is the entryway used most in our house.

We already had some of the major pieces (paint, leather sofa, and TV) so we wanted to focus on pulling everything together and making the room work better.

These were some of our design questions for Tracy:

• Help corralling shoes, bags, purses, etc. We already had a vintage coat tree, so we were looking for a table or bench to drop items.
• Help with the floor plan. There?s a large nook on the side of the room that wasn?t being used.
• We knew that our current TV unit was a little underwhelming for the space, so we asked Tracy for her suggestions about how to liven up the current unit or if there was a better option.
• Accessorizing the room (side tables and artwork).

First, Tracy agreed that we needed an entry table to drop off keys, cell phones, wallets, etc. We also needed a proper place to kick off our shoes. I picked up a slim computer table from IKEA as our new entry table. Though I made the piece our own by replacing the glass top with wood.

Before:

After:

As for the floor plan, Tracy recommended pulling the couch slightly off the window and towards the center of the room. We moved the couch immediately after the call and it?s hard to believe that such a small change could make the room seem cozier.

Tracy agreed that the current entertainment unit was a little small for the room. So the search was on for something new to be the focal point of the room. We found several incredible vintage credenzas on Craigslist, which would be perfect for our 1950?s home. Though we ultimately picked up a TV unit and shelves from IKEA and spray painted them a glossy yellow.

Before:

After:

In addition to suggesting a low console or credenza for the TV, Tracy suggested leaning some larger artwork against the wall behind the TV. Tracy also suggested adding a floor lamp off to the side of the TV. In the end, we purchased a new TV that we mounted on the wall. We?re still on the hunt for the perfect artwork to hang as well.

In regards to our table situation, Tracy suggested putting a console behind the couch, adding side tables, or adding a coffee table/ottoman. After some consideration, we thought that a coffee table would be the best option.

As for the nook on the side of the room near the bathroom, Tracy recommended making a little seating area or adding a low bookshelf that can also work as seating. We went with the low bookshelf/seating option.

Before:

After:

In addition to Tracy?s decorating advice, we learned a lot about what it takes to redesign a room on a budget. Tune in next week and I?ll share my top 4 tips and tricks to making a DIY home makeover a success.

Cathy Derus is a Chicago CPA and lover of cupcakes, craft beer, running, nesting, and her hubs. She can be found writing about all of these things and personal finance at Fiscally Chic.?

Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/updates/update-the-mint-com-home-economics-sweepstakes-winner-shares-her-tv-room-makeover-1012/

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Greta Van Susteren: Candy Crowley 'Clumsy' on Benghazi Debate Interjection

Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, speaking on "This Week," called Candy Crowley's handling of one of the most heated moments of the second presidential debate "clumsy," saying the CNN anchor helped Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by putting the spotlight on the Benghazi attack.

"Candy Crowley ? is an old friend of mine. I used to work at CNN. But I actually think she helped Gov. Romney," Van Susteren said. "The most important issue for Gov. Romney's campaign is to put the spotlight on Libya and how the president's administration has been very clumsy, at best - not giving us the information, meaning the American people, what happened."

"So what happened is because Candy Crowley was clumsy in how she handled it - the entire discussion, and even right now, is about Libya, where we probably would have reserved it for the debate tomorrow night," Van Susteren added, referring to Monday night's final debate on foreign policy. "But Candy, in an unusual, bizarre way, put the total spotlight - it's all the media talked about."

In last week's presidential debate, Gov. Romney challenged President Obama on when he first said that the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was a terrorist act, with Romney saying, "I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror."

President Obama responded, "Get the transcript," prompting Crowley to interject "It - he did in fact, sir? he did call it an act of terror? It did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea there being a riot out there about this tape to come out."

While President Obama did say in a Rose Garden press conference the day after the Benghazi attack that "no acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation," the Obama administration has been criticized for continuing to say in the weeks after the attack that it was spontaneously spurred by a protest against an anti-Islamic video on YouTube.

While Van Susteren argued on this morning's roundtable that the heated exchange on Benghazi at last week's debate helped Gov. Romney, ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd said it was Romney's "worst moment of the debate," while praising Crowley for fact-checking the candidates.

"I think that Benghazi discussion, and Libya discussion, was the President's best moment of that debate, and I think Mitt Romney's worst moment in that debate," Dowd said on "This Week." "What Candy Crowley did, I actually thought was laudable, because what happens in this whole thing is the truth becomes a casualty, and nobody's supposed to say what actually happened. We're just supposed to make accusations back and forth to each other, and nobody's supposed to correct and say, 'By the way, that's not true.'"

"Mitt Romney does not want to be talking about Libya. Mitt Romney wants to be talking about the economy," Dowd added. "And if you take a look at all the polls on Libya and foreign policy, and going into this debate, the president has an advantage on that. A bigger advantage than now on the economy."

Watch Van Susteren and Dowd's comments here:

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greta-van-susteren-candy-crowley-clumsy-benghazi-debate-161618595--abc-news-politics.html

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The Easiest DIY Concrete Planter Ever - Design Milk

A few months ago, our lamp posts looked like this:

As you can see, not so nice. In fact, I called them ?The Saddest Lamp Posts on the Block.? We didn?t have much budget to do anything fancy, but we knew we couldn?t continue looking at those sad, half-falling apart brick structures any longer.

We discovered these great 16?x16? patio pavers at our local home improvement store and got the keen idea to stand them on edge together to create a concrete planter. This was one of the easier projects we?ve done and I think the result is pretty cool ? very industrial, which fits more into our own personal style and gives our mid-century house a little bit of an ultramodern vibe.

Here?s what we used for each lamp post:

- 4 16?x16? concrete pavers
- garden trowel
- a level
- 1-2 band clamps
- construction adhesive suitable for concrete/stone
- caulking gun
- a few old pieces of wood for leveling
- gravel and potting soil

(sorry I didn?t take the best step-by-step photos!)

We demoed the old brick lamp posts, which was oh so very satisfying.

Can you believe that this one was sunken in a plastic bucket full of concrete?

We started fitting them together to see what configuration would work better. We could stagger them and make the planter completely square, or create a rectangular box by placing one paver in between two side pavers. I was certain I?d like the square box, but after we looked at it, I just didn?t like how it fit together. The one exposed edge felt very unbalanced to me. We decided to go with the rectangular configuration.

Lulu wasn?t very helpful.

We then placed some scrap boards underneath to help us level it out. After we were happy with it, we used a fine bead of construction adhesive on each edge and fitted them together.

It takes a little finagling to get them to fit just right. Once the sides were level again and we were satisfied, we clamped it up and left it to dry for 24 hours.

The next day (OK, really it was the next weekend by the time we got back to it!) we removed the wooden boards and checked to make sure the box was level once it was on the ground.

We used a trowel to push some extra dirt into any uneven areas.

Ta-da! Then we filled the planter with half-soil (bottom), half-fine gravel (top).

And, now, we have the not-so-saddest lamp posts on the block. I can?t wait to plant some grasses in them next Spring.

In total, this project cost us under $75 for BOTH planters ? I?d say that?s a deal. Plus, it only took us about two days. I think it would be kind of cool to paint them or put house numbers on them. I even thought maybe I could put corrugated metal on the outside? what do you think?

Source: http://design-milk.com/the-not-so-saddest-lamp-posts-on-the-block/

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Better Credit Sparks Upswing in Phoenix Real Estate Market | For ...

In the wake of the housing crisis, many Phoenix home owners struggled with credit issues, and started to pay better attention to credit scores that could affect their eligibility to purchase real estate in the future, or qualify for a loan. Consequently, many home owners have improved their credit scores, which is a trend that has improved the real estate market overall. One of the reasons why consumers are flocking to Phoenix homes is that their credit scores have improved nationwide, and the increase in buying power has enabled them to take advantage of hot deals that are quickly becoming scarce as activity continues to increase.

According to financial experts, the trend of better credit scores is expected to continue. After the recession, consumers have watched their personal finances with care, and are taking preventative steps to maintain good credit scores. A record number of consumers nationwide are now included in the top credit rating of FICO?s credit-scoring charts, and are learning how to better manage their finances so as to prevent another incident where mortgage payments are out of reach.

The latest data from FICO shows that 1.4 million fewer consumers are in the bottom rung of the credit score ranges, which is a promising trend since those individuals most likely would encounter difficulty with obtaining a mortgage for a Phoenix home. The number of people in the lowest credit score range has recently dropped to 14%, which means that the vast majority of people nationwide are well-positioned to buy Phoenix real estate.

If you?d like to learn more about financing options or short sale properties, please don?t hesitate to contact me right away! I have years of experience dealing with all types of real estate transactions, and welcome the opportunity to provide you with expert consultation as you work towards owning your next Phoenix home.

Source: http://forsalephoenixhomes.com/buyers/better-credit-sparks-upswing-in-phoenix-real-estate-market/

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Early Metaphysical Ideas

Are our actions the result of circumstances or are we directed by external influences such as Cosmic vibrations? There are individuals who are masters and creators of their destinies for part of their lives, and innocent victims of fate at other times.

Some individuals believe it is the environment that has gradually molded our civilization and made mankind what it is. Others believe you may want to lay aside that belief and think again. There is an ancient system of self-mastery that contains fundamental principles that suggest you have complete control over your fate and that mankind has always had it.

These fundamental principles were recorded centuries ago and were evolved through observation over time. The principles were founded and perfected by test and application and reveal that all life and all existence within the universe are expressed in cycles.

It was determined that the cyclic periods are equivalent to certain measured rhythmic stresses and cosmic impulses . So, at a certain time of the day there is a cosmic impulse that is specific for reaping the benefits of a specific human activity. Go work out at the gym during the G period on Friday, for example.

Enthusiasts who believe in these principles might set a wedding ceremony to begin at 5:30 pm on a Thursday in order to reap all the positive influences for their union. They have become masters of their fate because they have timed their union to begin when the cosmos is most in favor of marriage.

According to the true believers the newlyweds will have the advantage over couples who marry without this knowledge. The newlyweds believe there are cosmic vibrations that have negative effects on couples who marry during a time of negative influences related to marriage.

Modern scientists have found that there is a definite rhythm to the human breathing process and heart action that closely resembles the more pronounced rhythms of cosmic energy. These findings suggest that these vibrations influence all living things on the planet ? including plants. The findings also suggest that the influences can be timed and measured.

The ancients who studied these influences were convinced that we can become master of our fate by designing our activities around the daily cycles and time periods suggested in these studies. These studies began with ?The order of The Rosicrucians.? Further information regarding The Rosicrucians is available online.

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/reference-and-education/early-metaphysical-ideas

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