TWSM#4

Work Style

A worldwide observatory on work style changes

8 Four authors ‘for Certainties’ Pascal Couchepin, Saul Kaplan, John Steele Gordon, Charles H. Green 16 Abuse and addiction in the workplace by Mark D. Griffiths 29 Sacrificing to serve by Allan Hall 32 Are you ready for the truth? by Stephen Snyder 34 Redemption and greed: the 2010 World Cup by Nigel Phillips 36 Escape from corruption by Sara Peverelli 38 Power and lies by Dana R. Carney 39 Mr. Simpleton goes nuts by Rosario Imperiali 54 Remembering work in Greece by Thrasy Petropoulos 77 Industrial heritage workplaces Revisited as “Art Containers” by Louis Bergeron 80 Golden State still brilliant? by Kimberly Chase

Colophon

# 4 issue, June 2010

International publisher

Pe Partecipazioni editoriali

Via GB Pioda 5, POBox, 6901 Lugano, Switzerland

T 0041 91 9101000

W www.theworkstylemagazine.com

E welcome@theworkstylemagazine.com

Italian publisher

Gds Brand consultancy

Foro Buonaparte 48, 20121 Milan, Italy

T 0039 02 80583151

Printing

Italgrafica

Via Verbano 146, 28100 Novara, Italy

Periodical magazine registered at the Milan’s Court

Chairman Mirko Nesurini

Editor in Chief Giorgio Tedeschi

Editor Paola Bettinelli

Foreign Editors Pina Draskovich, Fabian Uzaraga

Section Editors Roberto Benzi, Filippo De Bortoli, Luca Brunoni, Pia Colombo, Milan Lee, Nigel Phillips, Sara Peverelli, Blake Esterday, Ugne Baltrusaityte

Advertising Raquel Mendez

Cover illustration Aki Miyajima

Authors’ illustrator Alessandro Baronciani

Subscriptions

Roberta Donati

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Summary

The Work Cities Guide Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia.

8

Certainties in politics

Autonomy or Independence Analysis of current trends in politics and economics effecting governmental decisions.

10 Certainties in science Think big, start small, scale fast A guide to making progress through innovation.

12 Certainties in finance It will fluctuate How uncertainty, fluctuation and human nature effect current financial trends.

14 Certainties in economics Out with the old economic ideologies, in with the new The new economic keys are more commerce, less competition and more relationships, less markets.

16

Games at work Abuse and addiction in the workplace

Prevention and action steps for employers when dealing with employee Internet abuse.

18 Great workplaces Why awards are given to companies

Benefits companies receive from participating with the Great Place to Work® Institute.

19

The Best Workplaces in Europe 2010 Involving employees

Benchmark companies offer insight on the manager-employee relationship.

20 Health Feeling better, working harder

How to create a quality Health & Wellness program which brings economic benefits to a company.

23

The beautiful best A good look = money and success

A guide to improving professional appearance for men.

29

Work for others

Sacrificing to serve

Why working for aid organizations is fulfilling yet challenging work. 32

Unfaithful

Are you ready for the truth?

A sexual therapist offers advice on romance in the workplace and three attorneys explain new divorce trends. 34

Unusual strategy Redemption and greed: the 2010 World Cup

How South Africa is dealing with the entire world’s attention. 36

Corporate integrity

Escape from corruption

A discussion with Transparency International reveals current trends in corruption and how companies, governments, and society can prevent it. 38

A research on behaviour Power and lies

Why power corrupts and a guide to detecting lies. 39

Silence is not always golden Mr. Simpleton goes nuts

The balance between employer monitoring and employee privacy.

40

Best universities

Did your child choose their university?

A guide to the best universities in the United States, Europe and Asia. 43

Exceptional lives

A comet named Margherita

An interview with famous astrophysicist Margherita Hack on various topics effecting research and practice. 44

Unusual jobs The art of service How to become a butler. 47

Working at court The new renaissance of the chateaux

Analyzing the new trend of the hospitality industry: staying in a castle. 51

Comfortable chairs

Putting a stop to back pain at work

A guide to reducing musculoskeletal problems in the workplace with example products.

54

Greece crisis Remembering work in Greece

The Athens News Editor gives an update on the crisis in Greece and provides personal interviews with its citizens. 56

Keeping trust in relationships

The power of relationships

The important link between executive search consultants, companies, and candidates. 58

Global Overview Movers and shakers

Top managers who are making news in the business world. 62

To be cool 62 Design ideas Red Hot Design Award 63 Fashion in the world The business side of style Portraits of Grishka Guzmán, Fabrice Leclerc, Madeline Perry 77

Industrial heritage I.H.W. revisited as ‘Art Containers’

The complex history of how large industrial spaces have recently become centers for art and culture.

80 California Golden state still brilliant?

A past and present overview of the U.S. state of California and how it is dealing with the economic crisis.

85

Kuala Lumpur

The heart of Malaysia

The Work Cities Guide now travels to unique Kuala Lumpur. 86

Outlook of the future County guide

A photoshoot with Tufan Abaci. 88

Euroscience open forum

Connecting Europe through science

The importance of fostering dialogue between science and society. 90

Neighbourhoods The ‘new life’ in neighbourhoods

Filippo de Bortoli reveals how the world has changed and where the local and global societies meet. 92 Book selection Exciting new releases and interviews with the authors 98 Our choices

Editorial

By MIRKO NESURINI

These first six months of 2010 were characterized by ‘leaks’: volcanic, underwater, and in States’ financial public accounts. The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull has quieted. Obama is dealing with the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In Greece we sent a journalist to understand what is happening there in the economic day-to-day life (page 54). To symbolize the curious period we are living in and to give a positive signal, we wanted a winged horse on the cover. The winged horse expresses vitality and strength, combined with the ability to disengage from the weight of Earth’s gravity.

It is a symbol of the spiritual life, beyond obstacles. One theme highlighted in the dialogue with our authors is the loss of certainties. It seems that understanding the planning for the future has still not been reached. The period began with the subprime crisis, which has not yet born fruit in terms of innovation and behaviors in the medium-term prospects. Some of us say “nothing has changed”, others - those who we prefer - say “the world is changing for the better”. Pervaded with an excited sense of doubt, we approached four excellent testimonials of our era: Pascal Couchepin, Saul Kaplan, John Steel Gordon and Charles H. Green. We asked them to reflect on the future by refering to the many certainties that have guided us in the past and that today are in a reconsideration phase. This issue contains many articles rich in content, curious, intense and we believe, whole.

Mirko Nesurini Chairman

mirko@theworkstylemagazine.com

Note: Authors’ names are given in full in the first article, while an abbreviation is used thereafter. The remaining pieces are by members of the Editorial Board.

Athens

Thrasy Petropoulos

Editor of the Athens News.

Elina Psimitis President and CEO of Psimitis Greece.

Sisy Eliopoulou Manager at Coca Cola

Barcelona

Alejandro Mingarro

Illustrator for the multidisciplinary Brosmind studio.

Berlin

François Valerian

Head of Private Sector Programmes of Transparency International Secretariat.

Branford

Amy J. Barry

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Brasilia

Janete Ana Riberiro Vaz Founder of Laboratório Sabin de Análises Clínicas.

Decatur

Goni Montes Scientific illustrator, editor and advertiser.

Denver

Mary Louis Starkey CEO of Starkey Internationals.

Chicago

Alesia Wagner Osteopathic physician.

Coes Creek

Mark Johnson Business Developer Executive of Magnums Butler.

Fredericksberg

Mette Hybschmann HR Department at McDonald’s

Grosseto

Masiar Pasquali Grosseto

Professional photographer. He has had numerous solo exhibitions.

Contributors

Contributors around the world for The Work Style Magazine.

Kerk Avezaath

Robert Wennekes Chairman of the International Butler Academy.

Istanbul

Gülnur Sözmen Professional Photographer, Graphic Designer, Visual Artist, Art Director and Lecturer.

London

Paul Davis Illustrator.

Catherine Hakim Senior Research Fellow in the Sociology Department of the London School of Economics.

Ian Macauly Photographer. Hanna Melin Freelance illustrator and artist.

Marilyn Stowe

One of the UK’s best known divorce lawyers. Senior partner at Stowe Family Law.

Milnerton

Newton Cross Principal and Owner of The South Africa Butler Academy.

Martigny

Pascal Couchepin Swiss politician, former member of the Swiss Federal Council.

Melville

Tom Mammone Executive Director of Biological Research and Development Worldwide for Clinique, where he created The Skin Biology Lab.

Mexico DF

Sergio Montes Mexican photographer with 20 years of experience and founder and partner of OYO PHOTO.

Milan

Barbara Boeris and Giorgio Guidone Personal shoppers who collaborate with Le Vie Della Moda and the Timeline Agency.

Gaia Del Torre Psychologist of Developmental Communication, she works in Milan and São Paolo.

Munich

Andreas König Senior Vice President and General Manager at NetApp

Naples

Rosario Imperiali Member of the European Privacy Association Committee.

New Dehli

Rakesh Taneja Lawyer specializing in Appellate and Supreme Court practice.

New York City

Catherine Albert

Graduate of the Master of Science Program in Historic Preservation at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Dana R. Carney Assistant Professor of Management, Columbia University, Graduate School of Business.

Jennifer Loftus PresidentElect of the Human Resources Association of New York.

Stephen Snyder

Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Carlo Sanpietro Designer and Artist.

North Salem

John Steele Gordon

Full-time writer for the last twenty years, he specializes in business and financial history.

Nottingham

Mark Griffiths

Professor of Gambling Studies, School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

Osaka

Mariko Yamazaki

She has been a freelance illustrator since 2001, completing work for advertisements, magazines, and websites.

Oxford

Richard Scrase Freelance journalist and presenter/producer specialising in science and technology communication.

Paris

Louis Bergeron Honorary president of The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage.

Gaël D’Echallens HR Manager Pepsico.

Patrick Dumoulin Director of Great Place to Work® Institute France.

Carlo Tarsia in Curia Manager of Groupama.

Providence

Saul Kaplan Founder and Chief Catalyst of the ‘Business Innovation Factory’.

Rome

Agostino Miozzo Manager of International Relations Office-Civil Defence.

Luca Piovano Plastic surgeon, member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Rotterdam

Eelco van der Berg Illustrator, painter, graffitti writer and DY.

San Francisco

Kimberly Chase A writer and journalist.

Santa Monica

Ariel Hauter Co-Founder, President Armchair Revolutionary.

Santiago de Chile

Jose Antonio Yazigi

Chanes Co-founder and Director of Great Place to Work® Institute Chile.

Shelton

Laurie Giles

She serves by special invitation as a Family Special Master for the Connecticut Superior Court.

Singapore

Maurice Neo President of the Society of Singapore Writers (SSW). He has been a political columnist for the Edge and Sun of Malaysia.

Lena Soh-Ng Senior Partner of Huntington Singapore.

Stockholm

Danijela Dodric One of the worldwide best illustrators in 2009.

Taipei City

Yishin Wu One of the most important illustrators in Taiwan.

Tokyo

Aki Miyajima Graduated from an advanced media design course at Kyoto Creative Design College.

West Orange

Charles H. Green Founder and CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates.

Windham Center

David Johnson Freelance Illustrator. He recently won a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators in NY, and a gold in 1990.

Utrecht

Ingrid Smaldens Managing partner &Samhoud.

This season offers opportunities like never before in history. Something has changed. We are free from certainties. We must deal with a new world which is emerging. We discussed the ‘abandonment of certainties’ with some testimonials of our Era. We asked each person to reflect on this topic in relation to their ‘field’, bearing the theme of the magazine in mind: the world of work.

Thinking out of the box Certainties in politics

Autonomy or independence

When we think about economy, free associations, or citizen groups, what type of political autonomy do states have, when facing the famous civil society? What type of autonomy do national states have when dealing with multinational institutions? Many spontaneously believe that autonomy does not exist anymore and that our societies are moved by forces that are beyond them. At most, one can only put up weak temporary resistance.

It is obvious that economic interdependence has grown over the years. But even with the expansion of interdependence, there is a chance for freedom. The captive markets disappear. To cite an example, African States are not dependent anymore only on their former colonial powers. Study the trade flows of a country like Switzerland and you will see an expansion of relations in new geographic areas, guarantee of choice and, consequently, new freedoms. Large organizations of global governance such as OECD, WTO etc. have been created by national governments. Their legislation is based on collective decisions. Thus in some cases, the consensus is imposed. The WTO as we know requires the unanimous approval of its decisions. Meanwhile the WHO, which does not rule unanimously, is still troubled by open discussions regarding it’s attitude towards the risk of pandemics. It is true that some countries are more equal than others, but this reflects normal power relations, especially since positions are never definitively acquired. The West must give space to emerging countries, particularly to BRIC (Brasil, Russia, India, China). Who can say something, since this is a healthy balance? Throughout the crisis we have experi-

Pascal Couchepin

is a Swiss politician. Member of the Free Democratic Party from the Canton of Valais. Former member of the Swiss Federal Council he was President of the Confederation. In 1998 he took over the Federal Department of Economic Affairs. In this position he fought against the Swiss government contributing any money to the $1.25 billion settlement between Swiss banks and Holocaust survivors.

enced, the hope of recovery has relied heavily on the dynamism of these countries. On a national level, the power of states has not diminished, if we take into account the extent of powers granted to them. There is no need to be a historian to judge. Fifty years ago, the state jurisdiction was more limited than today. A good test is the Gross Domestic Product. It has increased everywhere. It is not uncommon to find countries where it reaches half of the GNP. But there are important cultural differences from one country to another even within a small geographic area. The Swiss government is less greedy than its neighbors, the Germans and French. It is a factual demonstration of the states’ autonomous decisions. The complexity of modern life weighs on citizens. But at the same time, complexity is the result of democratic decisions, elections and referendum. The citizen has more difficulty in understanding the links between the various decisions. Democracy becomes more demanding. In some cases it can lead to confusion. This seems to be the case in California where voters have approved contradictory projects. A reflection on these issues will prevail, especially since many institutional references have disappeared completely or partially. The crisis of confidence in political parties is evident. And then there are the heavy local and regional impacts on the everyday life of citizens. Here, more than ever, the possibilities for action are important. Quality of life depends as much on the regional or local policy as on higher politics. My conclusion is also a belief that the ability to act effectively remains. It must take into account new constraints, but it exists. There is a good dose of romanticism in the complaint of those who deplore the impotence of modern states. Proof is the diversity of concrete situations of states. It is the result of successive choices of voters and their elected representatives.

pp. 8, 10, 12 and 14: Illustrations by Paul Davis, London, UK

Thinking out of the box Certainties in science

Think big, start small, scale fast

We need to try more stuff. Innovation is never about silver bullets. It’s about experimentation and doing whatever it takes, even if it means trying 1000 things, to deliver value.

Making progress on the real issues of our time including health care, education, and energy will require a lot more experimentation than we are comfortable with today. These are all systems challenges that will require systems solutions. Tweaking the current systems will not work. Technology as a sustaining innovation may improve the efficiency of current systems but will not result in the transformation that we all know is needed. We need to learn how to leverage technology for disruptive innovation and to experiment at the systems level.

My mantra is Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast. The imperative for all innovators is R&D for business models and systems. We know how to do R&D for new products and technologies. We need to also do R&D for new business models and systems. It is not technology that is getting in the way, it is humans and the intransigent organizations we live in that are both stubbornly resistant to change. We have plenty of technology available to us. We need to learn how to leverage it to open up transformative ways to deliver value. Designing and experimenting with new system approaches, particularly those that cut across sectors and silos, is the path to the transformation that we need. We must design around the end user and learn how to harness the potential of social media platforms and storytelling to enable purposeful networks.

Saul Kaplan

is the founder and Chief Catalyst of the Business Innovation Factory. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Family Services of Rhode Island and The Big Picture Company. Kaplan was appointed to the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council and is a member of the Board of Overseers for Roger Williams University.

Systems transformation is all about experimentation. It is about combining and recombining capabilities from across silos until something clicks and value is delivered in a new way. It is never just one thing. It starts with a big idea that gets the juices flowing and attracts others with similar passion to the purposeful network. The big idea has to be translated from the white board on to a real world test bed to demonstrate that the idea is feasible. Starting small and demonstrating progress is key to building credibility and expanding a network of interested stakeholders. An ongoing portfolio of smallscale experiments to fail fast on those without merit and to prioritize those with the potential to scale is critical. Those experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of a new model or approach become candidates for expansion. Scaling fast becomes more likely with the ability to leverage the proof point of a successful real world experiment and the opportunity to leverage a network of passionate supporters. Calling all innovators. It is time to get below the buzzwords and to mobilize our networks with urgency and purpose. Waiting for public and private sector institutions to transform our social systems and economy won’t work. It is up to us to deliver on the promise of social media platforms and self-organizing networks. We must mobilize purposeful networks to address the big social challenges of our time. Systems level innovation is about enabling purposeful networks with the capacity to Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast.

Thinking out of the box Certainties in finance

It will fluctuate

A reporter once asked J. P. Morgan, the most powerful banker in the United States, perhaps the world, what the stock market was going to do.

Morgan looked at the hapless reporter with his famously blazing eyes and said, “It will fluctuate.”

If there is a certainty in the financial world, it is fluctuation. Today’s bull market, when the sky’s the limit and baby’s going to get a new pair of shoes, can quickly be tomorrow’s bear market when it’s “Brother, can you spare a dime?”. The hedge-fund genius who has made all his clients rich is suddenly a convicted felon, doing 150 years for fraud. General Motors was the very epitome of the well-run, profitable corporation in the mid-20th century. Today it’s a ward of the federal government. Ten years ago Apple was nearly bankrupt. Today, thanks to the IPad and the IPod, its market cap has passed Microsoft and is now second only to Exxon.

The economic philosopher Joseph Schumpeter described capitalism as being a process of ‘creative destruction’. And what is true of capitalism as a whole is inevitably true of financial markets as well. As new technologies are born, they bring forth vast new opportunities to create wealth. But they also force old technologies to adapt or die.

The automobile not only created fortunes for the companies that manufactured them, but also in steel, glass, cement, rubber, oil, and garages. However the automobile devastated the leather and horse industries and profoundly changed the economics of railroads.

The decline in the number of horses in the American economy caused a radical change in agriculture. As the one-third of arable acres that had been devoted to hay and oats was shifted over to human food, the transition greatly lowered prices for such commodities as wheat and corn and caused widespread depression in rural areas in the 1920’s.

But while technologies change, human nature does not and this greatly affects financial markets as well. Humans are sometimes too sanguine about the future, fueling bubbles. This is especially true about major new technologies. The promise in such technologies is obvious, but how to actually make money exploiting them often much less

so. Railroad stocks in the early 19th century, franchised restaurants in the 1960’s, and dot.com companies in the 1990’s are examples of stocks that soared on the promise but then crashed back to earth on the reality. Equally people can be too pessimistic. And it is this alternation of too pessimistic and too optimistic that drives the business cycle, another certainty of the financial world. If you want to know why most financial panics happen in the autumn, the reason can be found in Aesop’s story of the ant and the grasshopper, written centuries before financial markets even developed.

John GordonSteele

worked as a Production Editor before travelling for nine months from New York to Tierra del Fuego, resulting in his first book, Overlanding. Now he is a full-time writer. Specializing in business and financial history, he has had articles published in, among others, Forbes, Forbes ASAP, Worth, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Op-Ed pages, the Washington Post’s Book World and Outlook.

Psychologically, people tend to be grasshoppers in the summer - fiddling away, having fun, sure that the good times will roll on. But when the chill winds of autumn begin to blow, people turn into ants, looking to the onset of winter and bad times. They suddenly look on stocks that had soared as risky. It’s time to hunker down, so they dump high-flying stocks and if too many do so at once, the market crashes. Every great panic on Wall Street in the last 150 years - 1857, 1873, 1893, 1907, 1929, 1987, 2008 - occurred in either September or October.

Humans are quirky as individuals and it can be very hard to predict their behavior. But humans in general are much less so. For instance, no one knows when an individual will die. But any actuary can tell you with astonishing precision how many people of a given age will die in the next year and what the life expectancy of the entire cohort is. Financial markets are nothing more than millions of human beings acting simultaneously. Alexander Pope in his ‘Essay on Man’ wrote that “the proper study of mankind is man”. If you want to make sense of financial markets - in other words, find the certainties - you could do a lot worse than follow the great poet’s advice.

Thinking out of the box Certainties in economics

Out with the old economic ideologies, in with the new

More About Commerce, Less About Competition. Leading business strategists like, Michael Porter brought about a shift beginning in the 1980s. Theorists like Peter Drucker had suggested the purpose of business was to create customers. Porter posited a more Hobbesian worldview, in which the natural state of business was one of competition.

A company was constantly in a struggle to gain sustainable competitive advantage, Porter said. He taught that there are five competitive forces, including not only existing and potential competitors, but customers and suppliers. Today it’s different. We are massively more interconnected. In Tom Friedman’s terms, the world is flat. The businesses of today are not defined by corporate entities; they spill out across hundreds of companies, related through strategic alliances, buy-and-supply agreements, and collaborative arrangements.

In a globally connected world, competition as an underlying condition isn’t just wrong, it’s destructive. We need to replace it with a focus on commerce - the mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services for the creation of greater economic value.

One benefit is innovation. Competitive ideologies limit interaction with others. A belief system built on relationships, collaboration and exchange provides far greater opportunities for interaction and innovation.

Another benefit is efficiency. A competitive ideology demands excessive emphasis on offense and defense, requiring massive transaction costs - legal agreements, costly accounting and due diligence procedures. A collaborative and commerce-based belief system substitutes trust and relationships for contracts and enforcement systems; business gets done faster, and less expensively.

More About Relationships, Less About Markets. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, business began to rely on markets as the ‘best’ solution. Reagan and Thatcher added political dimensions of ideology on top of economic ideology. The result: de-regulation and the application of market forces to areas of economic life formerly the province of government, regulated or non-profit organizations.

Charles H. Green

is a speaker and executive educator on trust-based relationships and trust-based selling in complex businesses. Founder and CEO of Trusted Advisor, he is author of Trust-based Selling, and co-author of The Trusted Advisor He has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Directorship Magazine, Management Consulting News, Businessweek.com, CPA Journal, American Lawyer, and many others.

The rationale was simple: markets would cost less and be more innovative. The Darwinian law of the market would naturally find the best solution. This made sense when applied to outsourcing of non-strategic business functions, or to competitive bid sourcing.

But it was less clear when applied to utilities, educational institutions, or natural monopolies like water companies or airlines. The US governmental response to Hurricane Katrina and the current Gulf Coast BP oil spill revealed costs to this faith in markets. And the global drift toward reliance on markets was a direct cause of the catastrophic failure of global financial systems.

In a pure market system, a state of competition is inherently unstable. Pure competition quickly resolves to monopoly. But regulation is not the only solution.

A far more business-natural response is to re-examine the critical role of relationships. Trusted business relationships, developed over time, and nurtured by personal interactions and interlocking interests, form powerful forces for the same things we wanted from markets: speed, low cost, and innovation.

The old belief systems grew out of a competitive, impersonal world. Our new world is connected and related. Our belief systems need to reflect it.

Using Internet games for positive change

An interview with Ariel Hauter, CEO of Armchair Revolutionary, a new social game with activities that support worldchanging science and technology projects.

Armchair Revolutionary objective: “to support outstanding science, technology, and media development, and organizations focused on solutions-based social change projects that will have a significant impact in solving complex social issues and problems”.

Twsm How Armchair Revolutionary (AR) began. ah Several years ago, a new movement started entitled ‘Games for Change’. The other trend, which AR follows, is called ‘serious games’. Examples of serious games are for education or to train personel. Most of those games were developed by academia as a mental exercise. We spent two years developing AR, and the idea behind it was to create individual social change projects by crowdsourcing, tapping the masses, and appealing to a wider consumer driven audience.

Illustration by Goni Montes, Decatur, USA

Editorial Games at work

By MARK D. GRIFFITHS

THE INTERNET IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF MANY PEOPLE’S DAY-TO-DAY WORKING LIVES Issues surrounding use, abuse and addiction in the workplace have surfaced concerning social networking games.

Abuse and addiction in the workplace

A company in Chicago recently installed software to track employee Internet usage and found that 8% of their staff members were playing Farmville at work. Findings such as this show it is not uncommon for office workers to spend workplace time on various non-work activities (e.g. shopping online, bidding in online auctions, emailing friends). According to a survey by the International Data Corporation, up to 40% of Internet access in the workplace is spent on non-work related browsing, and 60% of all online purchases are made during working hours. The same survey also reported that 90% of employees felt the Internet can be addictive, and 41% admitted to personal internet surfing at work for more than three hours per week.

AN ALTERNATE REALITY Research into Internet addiction suggests that it exists but that it affects only a very small minority of users. These are usually people who use Internet chat rooms or fantasy role playing games - activities that they would not engage in except on the Internet itself. To some extent, these internet users are engaged in text-based virtual realities and take on other social personas and social identities as a way of

making them feel good about themselves. In such cases, the medium of the Internet may provide an alternative reality to the user and allow them to have feelings of immersion and anonymity, feelings that may lead to an altered state of consciousness. This in itself may be highly psychologically and/or physiologically rewarding.

WHO ABUSES THE INTERNET

It is clear from research in the area of computer-mediated communication that virtual environments have the potential to provide short-term comfort, excitement, and/or distraction. Despite worries about Internet addiction, it is Internet abuse that is far more common in the workplace. Research has also shown that males are more likely than females to engage in Internet abuse in the workplace (particularly young men), and that employees are more likely to rationalize their misuse of the Internet in the workplace when they perceive that their employers do not treat them fairly.

PREVENTION MEASURES

To overcome Internet abuse in the workplace, it has often been recommended that a company begin by de-

ploying deterrent measures followed by preventive and then detective measures. If all these fail, then remedial measures are necessary. However, research has highlighted that monitoring (a prevention measure) and blocking (a detection measure) are the only actions to have significant effect on Internet abuse reduction in the workplace. Policies, contracts, and remedial action measures have considerably less impact.

ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS

In my own work I have advised employers to (i) take the issue of internet abuse seriously, (ii) raise awareness of Internet abuse issues at work, (iii) monitor Internet use of staff who are suspected of having problems, (iv) check Internet bookmarks of staff as those that are completely non-work related (e.g. online dating agencies, gambling sites) and (v) develop an ‘Internet abuse’ policy. Furthermore, an employer policy needs to let employees know exactly which behaviours on the Internet are reasonable (e.g. the occasional e-mail to a friend) and those that are unacceptable (e.g. online gaming, cybersex, etc.).

Twsm Armchair Revolutionary project examples.

ah In AR, a user attacks social issues, earns points, and competes against other players. We recently launched the ‘Play 4 Change Lab’, a production house focused on building these serious games for change. One project is called ‘Make Waves’, an ocean activism game that promotes sea sustainability. Players own and maintain a 3-by-3 foot of ocean to help reduce habitat destruction and pollution.

Twsm

The Future

ah AR is preparing us for the future. Games are not for kids anymore. The average gamer is 38 years old, 58% female. The median age continues to rise as games are becoming more sophisticated and more pervasive in society. The next 100 years will be defined by science and technology revolutions. We want AR to be an incubator for launching projects that will take these movements forward.

Recognition Great workplaces

By JOSE ANTONIO JAzIGI

TO GET A

PERSPECTIVE ON WHY THE GREAT PLACE TO WORK® INSTITUTE

SURVEYS are so effective, we interviewed two members of this organisation and an expert in the HR field. The purpose of the surveys is explained as well as the many benefits companies receive from participating.

Why awards are given to companies

What is the point of awarding the best work environments? Today, aren’t there more urgent issues to analyze such as how to boost companies? When the crisis is over, like in a war, we must consider rebuilding, with no regard to subtleties. The rebuilding period is often driven by tough decisions, while style, which better working environments have, is often forgotten. For example during the post-war period of the ‘50s and ‘60s, it was popular to have ugly city buildings, but there were also those which were seen as being excellent architecture, such as the World Trade Center in New York City. As in architecture, in people management in the “post-crisis” period, it is not only important to “stand out in the crowd”. Given this premise, we asked professionals about awards: Jose Antonio Jazigi, Great Place to Work® Institute Chile, and Patrick Dumoulin, Great Place to Work® Institute France, as well as Jennifer Loftus, President-Elect of the Human Resources Association of New York, to offer their answers to our questions.

BENEFITS COMPANIES RECEIVE

For Jennifer Loftus, “participating in ‘best workplaces’ surveys encourages employers to do more for their employees. The resulting reduction in turnover and increase in productivity both positively impact an organization’s financial results. By publicizing the results of these studies, the general public learns more about what makes for a positive work environment and the publicity gained from participating in these programs increases the talent pool for the participating organization and enhances the organization’s

brand, as a caring innovator, when recruiting talent. Rewarding the organizations who have built ‘best workplaces’, enables the sponsoring group to promote best practices for the betterment of HR in the geographic area or industry. These studies also afford exclusive access to significant benchmarking which can be used to help other organizations enhance their HR and management practices”. Patrick Dumoulin further explains the benefits for companies “a company wants to have a clear picture of their inner social climate. The survey is the employee’s voice and it is important to have clear feedback. Secondly, a company wants to know if inside the employees really trust their managers. Being a great place to work is about building trust, pride, and camaraderie”.

THE PURPOSE OF GPTW

Jose Antonio Jazigi states, “the purpose and mission of GPTW is ‘helping society as a whole by helping companies transform their workplaces’. First of all, people spend more time at work than with their family. So when we speak of society, we also speak about the workplace. When employees care about each other, managers care about their employees, and in turn a company cares about its employees. When you come home happy after work, you impact your family as well. Therefore, a good climate at work has various implications for society”.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING

Jose Antonio Jazigi explains the criteria of Great Place to Work® Institute surveys “the factors for determining a great workplace are so deep and true, that they have stayed the same

By PATRICK DUMOULIN

By JENNIFER LOFTUS

across nations and throughout time. The 5 dimensions of the Trust Index were established to create a real photo and true reflection of what a company is internally. The factors were so globally the same for everyone, that in 2002 the head of EU labor chose Great Place to Work® Institute to make a survey of all the 15 member countries. Even in the past years, the criteria haven’t changed. All companies have the same relationships that take place such as trust between people, camaraderie, or pride that you have in your work. Therefore, regardless of what is happening on the outside, a company can be changed. Society can also be changed by companies”. Patrick Dumoulin agrees, with one additional thought “the model and criteria for being a great place to work has not changed over time. However, occasionally some of the survey questions change. For example, due to the economic crisis, we changed one of the statements from ‘I want to work my entire professional life in this company’ instead to ‘I want to work for a long time in this company’. The essence is still the same, but it is a more realistic statement for employees today”.

Excellent organizational environments therefore, also positively effect a company’s results. This seems to be the majority opinion in response to the initial question.

Recognition The best workplaces in Europe 2010

By UGNE BALTRUSAITYTE

MANAGERS MUST INVOLVE THEIR EMPLOYEES: there are several different ways, which depend on the organization culture and on the kind of industry. Most of the time it is an exercise of management communication with the aim of listening and to be listened to more closely, by their own internal public.

Involving employees

We asked the managers of some of the best companies in Europe to tell us about the practices they use to manage ideas collected from their employees. Here is what we discovered.

COLLECTING FEEDBACKS AND IDEA BOx NETAPP NETHERLANDS, UK, FRANCE, GERMANY, SWITzERLAND Creating a new strategy is not something hidden in this company. “We go back to the feedback we have received from managers or teams. Then we rework the strategy and go back to the them again. People feel involved, they have: 1. the security that what we’re implementing will be accepted by the team and 2. that it’s the right strategy.” says Andreas König, Senior Vice President and General Manager. “We also created an Idea Box. People can go to the website or send an email. They can describe an idea and what they want to achieve through it. Every week we go through the list of ideas, and select the top 10 (to be implemented) and the best one is awarded as the idea of the month”

OPEN DOOR AND MEETINGS

MCDONALD’S DENMARK Mette Hybschmann, HR department, states the importance of the internal dialogue processes and an ‘open door policy’.

01

“Mostly this generates ideas as to how we can improve the working conditions and internal communications and service. A representative employees group is involved, twice a year, to discuss how the employees perceive the business and the daily leadership. This group has collected input from the other employees before the session. These sessions are lead by an external independent chairperson – often from another restaurant. A summary of the session is presented to the management team of the restaurant, who then works out a plan of action”.

REWARD PROGRAMS

COCA COLA GREECE “Through our reward program ‘Extra Mile’ and an engagement survey which we run each year, we encourage employees to suggest innovative ideas on products, services and as well our work environment. In 2009, 48 ideas were evaluated by Leadership Team. From these ideas 2 have already been implemented. ‘Green Roof’- Placement of a specific construction at Schimatari Plant, located specifically at the roof area which houses the production line. ‘E-Pay slips’ – E-mail that will be sent monthly to every employee and will include their payroll receipt, while elim-

inating all hard copies.” Says Sissy Eliopoulou Communication & Consumer Relations Manager.

WORKING

TOGETHER ON STRATEGIES

&SAMHOUD THE NETHERLANDS “Four times a year a Balanced Scorecard Meeting is organized, which is attended by all employees and involves sharing the latest status with regard to projects, customers etc.” says Ingrid Smolder. “The aim is to share knowledge and information and involve employees” she adds. During these meetings a competition is also organized in which employees can suggest their proposals for new developments. Moreover, employees at &samhoud are involved in brainstorming sessions to contribute with their opinion on areas of improvement that have emerged from the internal employee satisfaction survey. Finally, “the management and the employees can share their experience with everyone via a blog”, states Ingrid Smolder.

SURVEY AND WORKSHOP

PEPSICO FRANCE Every 2 years employees are invited to participate in a satisfaction survey, by assessing different dimensions: Company, Management quality, Work environment, Job & Career, Comp & Ben. To ease the survey “people are invited to share ideas and suggestions by sticking post its in our cafeterias” says Gaël D’Echallens HR Manager. In this way “strong points are consolidated and workshop defines action plans to improve our weaker scores”. It involves several groups which “generate ideas and make suggestions to our management teams: Think Tank, Business committees & Manager committee” adds Gaël D’Echallens. Some examples of ideas that have been already implemented: Culture et Sens, which is a way to have an access to different cultures through conferences; home office once a week; larger access to sports activities and equipments. All the companies interviewed have one thing in common. It seems that they act by involving all the senses in the relationship with their employees: listen, communicate, share and especially care, are the main ways to collect new wonderful ideas.

01 The guide can be ‘flipped through’ online for free at http://www.theworkstylemagazine.com/flip/33/default.asp

•

For a free PDF copy of the guide contact roberta@theworkstylemagazine.com

Training Health

AN EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM directly influences the tangible success of a company. This campaign is not solely taken care of by HR. Instead, it is a value which is deeply embedded in the culture of a company, managed and outwardly expressed by the everyday actions of managers and employees.

Feeling better, working harder

In the present economic climate, companies are trying to survive and are looking for a competitive advantage. Investing in an effective Health & Wellness program can give a company this edge.

WHY DO COMPANIES NEED HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS?

Enrico Manaresi, International PR & Media Relations Manager for Technogym, states why these programs are beneficial “keeping the workforce in shape brings tangibile benefits for business operators, in terms of improving the quality of life and health conditions of employees. It also constitutes an important strategic objective for the firm, generating obvious performance benefits thanks to an improved working environment, increased productivity and reduced absenteeism”. Right Management’s recent study also found that “wellness is an extremely powerful ele-

ment that can play a significant role in employee engagement, organizational productivity, talent retention, and creativity and innovation”. The implications for not having an effective Health & Wellness program are shown by a Boston Consulting Group study“chronic illnesses, which are becoming more prevalent in almost all workforces throughout the world, impose a heavy cost burden on companies, not to mention individuals, public budgets, and local and national economies”. The UK organisation C3 Collaborating For Health also warns companies about these risks and that the direct impact must be understood by employors “the diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles are responsible for significant absenteeism and reduced productivity”

Finally, the Oxford Health Alliance states that companies must act now“much of this illness is premature – by tackling three risk factors

Technogym Success Stories

Paolo Malpeli (Ferrari): “Since there has been a company gym, it has greatly reduced the disease-related physical and mental overload of employees, who start work at around eight in the morning and stop when a car is ready, sometimes until midnight. This idea has reduced the average small physical problems like back pain or cervical pain by 70%”.

The New Discipline of Workforce Wellness

Enhancing Corporate Performance by Tackling Chronic Disease. This study developed a simulation model to identify how individual employee behaviours contribute to chronic illness over a five-year period.

Research

• Identified the 15 most costly diseases

• Examined Eight well-known behaviours identified as the major contributors to the most costly illnesses: smoking, physical inactivity,

poor diet, alcohol consumption levels, poor standard-of-care compliance, poor stress management, insufficient sleep and lack of health screening.

Interesting Findings

• In EU and US companies, depression ranks among the top five cost drivers, regardless of age racket

• Regardless of employee age bracket, addressing physical inactivity and poor standard-of-care compliance rank among the top three interventions

• The single costliest condition, for all companies in all regions, is obesity.

One company

approach &samhoud actively manages the health of its employees. Plan

• Employees draw up their own personal plan

• They are supported by a manager or a coach

• Healthy lunch provided by organic chef and managed by nutritional expert

• Full equipped wellness room at the office with a wellness specialist

• Employees given the Allosta test, used also by top athletes

to measure inner body energy, balance, stress levels. A score of ‘good, attention required, or danger zone’ is provided.

Further Assistance

• Personal repair plan for people in ‘danger zone’

• Internal communication by newsletter, posters, intranet, etc.

• Office water massage bed –massage for half an hour

• Office flotation tank – resting in salt water

• Weekly office yoga lesson offered.

Illustrations by Danijela Dobric, Stockholm, Sweden

Roberto Lisot (Philips): “The initiative was well received by all employees, in fact, young and old colleagues at different levels of corporate responsibility are all members. The initiative has proven most successful among the male and female population”.

Tony Cooke (Adidas): “Our Wellness program is a great example of added value for our brand, our staff and our corporate culture. The program ‘adfit for life’ has a positive impact on employee morale and discourages the phenomenon of absenteeism”.

of poor diet, lack of physical activity and smoking, up to 80% of premature deaths can be prevented”.

MISTAKES MADE IN THE PAST Companies have made countless errors in the strategy and implementation of a Health & Wellness program. First and foremost, the managers of many companies do not take it seriously. As research from Boston Consulting Group explains, “the absence of well-defined metrics makes it hard to calculate the ROI. Few companies have been able to measure the impact of such investments in a standardized and systematic fashion”. Furthermore, BCG states that in the past, most companies do not implement the plan effectively as it is only dealt with “by the human resources (HR) function and not well integrated into a firm’s operations and its corporate culture. Many (plans) are the result of government directives or are copies of initiatives implemented by other organizations. Once established, they are often forgotten by senior management”. The Oxford Health Alliance reveals that most companies have Health & Wellness as a voluntary pro-

gram. Thus, there is a huge lack of employee participation, causing the program to fall by the wayside.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT

Right Management offers a step-bystep guide for implementing a Health & Wellness plan:

•Senior leaders must first buy into the initiative and ensure that wellness objectives are aligned with organizational strategy.

•Wellness objectives must then be communicated across the organization to engage stakeholders.

•Measurement and assessment will help determine needs, identify causal factors impacting wellness and performance and generate data for enriched decision-making.

•In accordance with strategic needs, interventions can then be designed to change individual behaviours linked to organizational performance.

•Finally, additional reviews and assessment should be conducted to determine the efficacy of the interventions, their alignment with strategy and next steps.

By GIORGIO TEDESCHI

Towards a healthier life

The “Healthy Life” program is an investment in a companywide initiative for health and well-being. The focus is on both physical health and mental health. Steen Michael Erichsen, Managing Director Nordea states, “To me, the most important capital in a company is human capital.

(…) Healthy habits are a driving force for developing people. And companies miss out on a great potential by not investing in the energy of their employees”.

Goal

• “Health is not about how much you weigh. It is about how you feel. The goal of healthy life is therefore not just to reduce sickness. But to a greater extent to increase energy levels and strengthen company culture”.

Facts

• Nordea’s culture of diversity and informality supports the program

• Employees are allowed to shape the content

• 20 ‘Health Amassadors’, employees appointed as role models to share their personal experiences

• Organized events, such as ‘fish day’ where a fish monger explains health benefits

• Frequent and company-wide communication.

[W bcg.com cocacola.com c3health.org ferrari.com nordea.dk oxha.org philips.com right.com samhoud.nl technogym.com weforum.org]

By SARA PEVERELLI

IN OUR SOCIETY, ATTRACTIVENESS HAS BECOME A MEASURE OF OUR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS. Businessmen are now increasingly paying more attention to their skin care and to their look. The cosmetic sector confirms this new trend with innovative beauty solutions.

A good look = money and success

In the 19th century, Cesare Lombroso postulated that criminals represented a reversion to a primitive or subhuman type of man characterized by physical features reminiscent of apes, lower primates, and early man. These characteristics were to some extent preserved, he said, in modern “savages”.

Nowadays, physiological traits are no longer studied. Lombroso’s theories are outdated. All that remains is the emotional factor of beauty against ugliness. Today, diversity is a value. In this article we investigate why many people want to be beautiful.

A good look has value and it has a substantial impact upon success Society has become more image-driven and it seems that beauty confers substantial concrete benefits on individuals. Attractiveness is an important determinant of popularity, persuasiveness in a disagreement, attributes of ability and competency, influence over other people, marital success and happiness, and successful affairs. Beauty affects not only perceived abilities but also actual interaction, so that attractive people are more successful at wielding influence to get what they want in the workplace, in business as well as in private relationships.

It seems that building a nice and assertive image is mandatory in order to build a managerial career that is dependant on someone else’s decisions. Substance and intelligence are not enough to give you sought-after quality. In the work place, being good-looking and youthful are more

Cesare Lombroso (06 nov. 1835 – 19 sept.1909) published The Man of Genius in 1889, a book which argued that artistic genius was a form of hereditary insanity. He outlined 14 physiognomic characteristics which he and his followers believed to be common in all criminals. Image: “Watercolor portrait of a forger”, Museum of Criminal Anthropology Cesare Lombroso University of Turin, Italy.

often placed in high esteem, while in the past it was solely age and experience that counted.

According to Gaia Del Torre, an italian work psychologist, “the way we look influences the way we are perceived by others and it does have implications also on our idea of ourselves. Worldwide, attractive people are assumed to be more extroverted, happier, more harmonized and at peace with life and with the people who share their lives. Today, more than ever, both men and women use physical attractiveness as a measure of how good another person is, and this can have obvious implications on a job interview or on a professional relationship”.

Successful people

It is not a coincidence that a telegenic person like Barack Obama and David Cameron won their respective elections over their less photofriendly opposition. Their presentations, their looks, their charisma helped them to conquer the electorate. (sx) UK Member of Parliament for Witney Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron (1966), married to Samantha(1971).

Appearance and the labour market

We live in an era of equal opportunity, where legislation protects employees from discrimination on the basis of disability, sex and race. But another form of prejudice affecting our career seems to exist. Indeed, it seems that physical appearance such as attractiveness, height and weight, affects the jobs we do and the money we earn. A landmark study by Hamermesh and Biddle (1994) analysed three national survey data sets (two for the United States and one for Canada) that included interviewers’ assessment of respondents’ look as well as information on occupation and earnings. Among men and women, over half were rated as average, between one-quarter and one-third were rated as above average, and 1 in 10 were rated as above average in looks. They found that plain people earn less than average-looking people, who earn less than good-looking men and women. The beauty premium ranged from 1% to a maximum of 13% (for women), while the penalty for plain looks ranged between 1% and 10%.

The Study of London Guildhall University

Berry Harper in 2000 investigated a sample of 11,000 people aged 33, examining the effects of looks, height and obesity on hourly pay and employment. It emerged that: attractive people earn more than unattractive people, with a penalty for unattractiveness around -15% for men and -11% for women.

The beauty premium and penalty were not explained by differences in intelligence, social class or selfconfidence. Instead, part of the economic benefits were due to attractiveness. Similar results are reported from equivalent studies in other countries on the effects of good looks in occupations that involve a lot of social interaction, such as lawyers and managers.

Meritocracy The beautiful best

Tell me

are...and I’ll dress you! The Italian

Boeris and Giorgio

Erotic capital: the key attributeprofessional of our times

A new report published in the European Sociological Review by Professor Catherine Hakim (2010), a sociologist at the London School of Economics, finds that “Erotic capital” is the implicit but powerful commodity that can count just as much as educational qualifications in the labour market, politics, media or the arts. According to the British sociologist, an attractive appearance and social style can boost your success at work, and hence boost your earnings by 10% to 15%. The interesting point, is that if you are not born with a high Erotic Capital you can learn to have it.

People are becoming aware that apparance, social skills, presentation, sexual competence and liveliness are important factors in order to succeed in the service-based society where we live. That doesn’t mean that ugly people never get roles, but that attractive people tend to have a bigger choice of roles to play. To support her theory Ms Hakim maintains that from the last British research on consumption it appears that British men spend an avarage of £25.22 a month on grooming products. Ms Hakim states that “when the credit crunch hit, and people began to lose their jobs, newspapers were full of stories about men having plastic surgery and buying new ties in order to look their best in a competitive job market. It’s not enough for men to be the bread-winners, they are expected to be

attractive and well-groomed too.” Men in Western Europe work out in gyms to mantain an attractive body, spend more on fashionable clothes and toiletries and display more varied hairstyles. The english footballer David Beckham is a prime example, reputedly earning more from modelling and advertising contracts than from his profession as an athlete. It is assumed that looking smarter and being more presentable is becoming an essential part of life and that it wll become increasingly difficult to do without.

shoppers

Men and cosmetics

Men are no longer ashamed to enter into a perfumery. Taking care of themselves now has a whole new meaning, a new way of being in the world, beyond the prejudices and the stereotypes of previous generations. We have experienced a kind of legitimacy and today men have acquired a passport for perfumery, without the fear of discrediting their identity.

Men have realized that in social life, at work and in relationships, a pleasant and nice look, more carefully and deliberately chosen, seems to have a strong importance.

According to research conducted by L’Oréal (2007), the first beauty product most bought by the “new men” was a hydration product for the face or body (75% of the men interviewed declared using it), followed by a tonic (31%) and by an anti-fatigue product.

According to Shiseido, the male approach to skin care is more functional than ritual and it is more than anything related to shaving and to the preven-

Grooming products for businessmen

Cleaning Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash 01 by KIEHL’S, an efficient and energizing facial cleanser removes dirt, surface oil, and impurities without an over-drying effect; Face Soap by CLINIQUE, thoroughly cleanses skin, leaves it feeling fresh, comfortable, never tight or dry; Liquid Face Wash by CLINIQUE; Face Scrub by CLINIQUE; Gel Micro-Purifiant by DIOR HOMME

Shaving Electric Shave Primer 02 by CLINIQUE is an essential lotion for men who use electric shavers. It softens and lifts the beard for the closest possible shave and protects even sensitive skin against irritation; Perfect adherence

Our favorite one?

We love the ‘thoughtful’ look: the 2010 dandy!

Classic Look

Brioni is a must for any man who wants to be elegant and comfortable at all times. The gilet gives the look a touch of class. And a shirt from the Truzzi line with a Marinella tie complete the look.

[W brioni.com truzzimilano.it marinellanapoli.it]

Thoughtful Look… A striped collared shirt with white cuffs and a polka-dot tie from Tom Ford, Burberry, or Etro is all a man needs to be dressy. Thomas Pink for cufflinks, ties, and briefcases.

[W tomford.com burberry.com etro.com thomaspink.com]

tion of some negative aspects of the skin, such as redness, irritation and flaking. Businessmen prefer to use beauty products that help fight aging, and avoiding dark circles under the eyes, eye bags, and sagging skin. It is generally assumed that a careeroriented, competitive man should look healthy, sharp, clean, well cared for and rested. Indeed, good grooming is tied to a good lifestyle and for this reason men are paying more attention to themselves. According to Dr Tom Mammone, Executive Director

Shaving foam by COLLISTAR; Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream –Blue Eagle by KIEHL’S; Crème de Rasage by DIOR HOMME; Comfort Gel & Cream by LAB SERIES; Razor Burn Relief Ultra by LAB SERIES; Actif Apaisant Reparateur by BIOTHERM HOMME; 3In1 Post Shave by LAB SERIES; Maximu Comfort Shave Gel by LAB SERIES

Hydration

Baume Hydratant Moisture Balm 03 by CLARINSMEN; Facial

Fuel by KIEHL’S; Homme Aquapower

Viso by BIOTHERM; Skin Empowering Cream by SHISEIDO MEN; Anti Shine Refresher Gel by SHISEIDO; M-gel Lotion by CLINIQUE;

[W zegna.com brunellocucinelli.it barbanapoli.it tods.com]

of Clinique Research & Development, men are usually looking for skin care products that are effective, multi-purpose, easy to use and practical to carry with them.

Despite research that shows there is growing awareness among men regarding grooming and their skin needs, according to Richard Sawyer, Spokesperson and International Education Director of LabSeries, men still need more education on which skincare and grooming products to choose and how to use them.

Maximum Hydrator by CLINIQUE; Daily Protective supermoisturize by COLLISTAR ; Daily Moisture Defence Lotion SPF 15 by LAB SERIES ; Acquapower Absolute Gel by BIOTHERM HOMME

Self-tanning

a cream to gradually achieve a deeper tan, like Moisturizing Self-Tanner 06 by SHISEIDO MEN; Emulsion Effet Halé, DIOR HOMME

Eye

Anti- Fatigue Firming Eye Serum 04 by DIOR HOMME relaxes skin around the eyes, firming it and reducing fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness; Correcteur AntiCernes DIOR HOMME, Homme Force Supreme Yeux by BIOTHERM HOMME; Liftactiv CxP by VICHY; Age Defense for Eyes by CLINIQUE; Eye Alert – Ultimate Men by KIEHL’S

Active Look…Total Dior or Gucci look, preferably in black, gray, dark blue with a 3/4 length coat (for fall/winter) or a trenchcoat (for spring). For an extra touch, Louboutin men’s shoes!

[W dior. com gucci.com christianlouboutin.com]

Anti-aging Max LS Age-Less Face Cream 05 by LABSERIES, combining hydolyzed rice extract, hydrolyzed myrtus communis leaf extract and larix sibirica wood extract helps your skin fight the signs of age; Soin Fermant Age Control by DIOR HOMME used daily helps strengthen your skin and protect your facial structure from the signs of age; Skin Empowering cream by SHISEIDO MEN, a powerful skin revitalizer that immediately provides toned radiance and visible smoothness; Facial firming and lifting products: a high-performing cooling emulsion, like Facial Contour refiner by SHISEIDO MEN, that improves the appearance of poorly-defined and sagging facial contours and promotes a firmer, smoother and more youthful complexion; Homme Force Supreme Rebuilder by BIOTHERM HOMME; Actif Total Regenerant by BIOTHERM HOMME

Sporty Look Zegna suit, Brunello Cucinelli cashmere pullover, Barba di Napoli shirt with mocassins from Tod’s and a cashmere scarf.

Managers need to relax

In our society men are increasingly blaming a lack of time. Our professional life is becoming more and more competitive and time has become scarce. But nowadays, businessmen are starting to invest in their personal care. And in the last few years we have seen an increase in the number of Spa and Beauty Centers and in the

demand for treatments by men. The latest frontier of pleasure is the opening of Beauty Centers in the Terminals of the most important Interntional Airports. The first beauty chain store that opened a Beauty Center allowing people to relax between flights was NH Hotels, which opened the Elysium Travel Spa and the Elysium Beauty Spa at Terminal 4 of the Barajas Airport in Madrid. There the first question that you hear is: “How much time do you have?”. Indeed the range of treatments varies depending on the time you have available, going from an express massage of 25 minutes to a deep massage of two hours. While travelling from one side of the world to the other, businessmen can find a huge and diverse number of beauty treatments, passing from alpine saunas made of fir and stones, to aromatherapy treatments to be completed on the plane with an aloe box and some coconut balms, to some typical asiatic treatments including: chakra balance, yoga and foot massage.

Meritocracy

The beautiful best

01 Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport BE RELAXED SPA

02 Waist: a weak to man

Adresses of the most important Spas in Airports around the World Singapore, Changi International Airport RAINFOREST LOUNGE is located at the 3rd storey, West Wing (near gate C1), in the Transit Area. [W sats.com.sg] Hong Kong, International Airport REGAL AIRPORT HOTEL HEALTH SPA is connected directly to the Passenger terminal by an airconditioned link bridge. [W regalairport.com] Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport BACK TO LIFE, located on Departures level between the E-Gates and the F-Gates. [W backtolife.nl] Madrid- Barajas Airport ELYSIUM BEAUTY SPA is located at Terminal 4. [W aena.es] Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport BE RELAxED SPA offers a great range of treatments in its 14 locations all around the Terminals [W paris-cdg.com] Zurich, Airport THE AIRPORT FITNESS is offering some unique fitness and wellness treatments. [W airportfitness.ch] Helsinki- Vantaa Airport THE VIA LONGUE is located between gate 36 and 37.

[W finnair.com/spa] New York, JFK International Airport ELMIS TRAVEL SPA is located at Terminal 7 [W elemis.com/ locations/travelspa.aspx] xPRESS SPA has several locations in Terminal 1 Departures and Arrivals, Terminal 4, Terminal 7, and Terminal 1 Kiosk. [W xpresspa.com]

MOLTON BROWN TRAVEL SPA is located in British Airways Terminal 7. [W moltonbrown.co.uk]

THE OASIS DAY SPA is located at the Jet Blue Airways Terminal 6. [W oasisdayspanyc.com] Philadelphia, International Airport xPRESSPA is located at Terminal C. [W xpresspa.com] Vancouver, International Airport ABSOLUTE SPA has locations in the International and U.S. departures terminals. [W absolutespa.com]

The increase in the demand for surgery by men

According to CosmeticVacations, a medical tourism company based in Brazil, the most required surgeries demanded by the male population are liposuction, liposculpture, facial procedures such as rhinoplasty, face lift, eyebrow lift, wrinkle filler and dental procedure. Ethos Spa, Skin and Laser Center in Summit, NJ

states that the most common procedures considered by managers are laser hair removal, Botox to soften the wrinkles and dermal filler to decrease the deep folds such as the nasolabial folds, melmental fold. The Italian surgeon Luca Piovano says that he has seen a great increase in the requests for plastic surgery. Politicians, freelance workers, actors, and people from show business ask for surgery in their attempt to look more presentable and youthful.

Beauty advice

According to Dr. Tom Mammone, beauty is endlessly fascinating and difficult to define because it is so utterly personal and different for every beholder. “In the eyes of Clinique” he states, “beauty is ageless, timeless and achievable by everyone by having an appropriate skin care regimen that includes daily cleaning, exfoliating and moisturizing as a base and adding products that relate to specific skin care concerns such as acne, skin sensitivity, aging etc.”.

Attachment

By ALLAN HALL

WHILE FULFILLING ON MANY LEVELS, it takes a very special breed of person to become an aid worker for relief organizations, dropped, into crisis zones at a moment’s notice.

Sacrificing to serve

SPEED AND AVAILABILITY

Executives are expected to board planes at the drop of a hat, to break off holidays, to leave wives and families behind to attend crucial business meetings around the globe. The stressedout nights in hotels before showtime the next day, the monotony of international airports, the loneliness of the long distance traveller – this is the expected downside to a high-pay, highpressure job.

STRESS FACTOR

But there are other jobs where the stress factor is tenfold, the separations longer, the ‘business’ to be attended to heartbreaking. Because the earth – or dictators, despots and crackpots – give no notice, the individuals drawn to such careers have to make life choices and commitments like few others.

2010 “ANNUS HORRIBILIS”

This year alone there has been plenty to keep them occupied; the Haiti earthquake, the Chilean earthquake, floods in Colombia, Brazil and Peru, Cyclones in Madagascar and the Solomon Islands, the unrelenting violence of the Congo, of Somalia and Darfur… these are the place names of suffering on an unimaginable scale.

NUMBER OF OPERATORS

Currently there are hundreds of such organisations at work in the world; national bodies like AusAid in Australia to the United Nations’ World Food Programme to the plethora of NGO charities like Save the Children, Help the Aged and Oxfam.

01 Typical instruments kit to take to a disaster site

FUND RAISING

Whether supplied with government cash or subsidised by handouts from the public through appeals, the sums of money involved are vast: some 25billion euros donated privately in the USA alone last year.

AID WORKER PERCEPTION

But while the perception of the typical aid worker is one of a driven, vocational person intent on changing the world through selfless acts, those at the sharp end say no-one should take their eyes off the fact that these agencies are businesses and only succeed when they are run as such. Peter Casier, 50, who trained as a graphics engineer and worked in IT in his native Belgium before deciding he didn’t want to look back on his life “and realised I had done nothing but survive,” exemplifies a spirit of both pragmatism and realism. He was 34 when he decided to change and, like the many frustrated people who cannot find an easy entry into the world

and pride Work for others

of professional aid working now, he too found it hard to get his first break.

“You just have to keep knocking on all the doors”, said Peter, 50, and a father of two who has juggled family life and work in the field for the past 16 years. “You have to remember that aid agencies need press officers, accountants, engineers, mechanics – skilled people that make up the workforce.” After first working for the International Red Cross on 850 euros a month, he now is a senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Over the years he has worked at the scene of some of mankind’s worst suffering including in Kosovo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan. He spoke with The Work Style magazine from Dominican Republic where he was busy setting up a logistics pipeline to get urgently needed aid to survivors of the Haiti earthquake. He said “I regularly get emails from people asking more information on how to join one of the humanitarian organizations, either full time, part-time or as a volunteer”

PARTS OF AN AID ORGANIZATION

“Let’s compare a humanitarian organization to something we all know. Say, a construction company. The activities in a construction company - like in any company - you can split in two parts: the internal support part and the external part. The latter deals with the external world within the specialty of that company. For instance, in a construction company, the external part would be the architects, engineers, construction workers: all people specialized in the core business of that company: ‘construction’. The internal support part has people working in accounting, budgeting, marketing, public relations, human resources, procurement, administration, ICT ... These would all be people whose job it is to support those working in the external part.

A humanitarian organization has both parts too. They have the ‘specialists’, doing the core external work. And there is a wide spectrum of specializations: from medical, social, micro-finance, education, to basic emergency support, arts, logistics, construction, environment etc. You name one aspect of life, and I bet you can find a humanitarian

organization specializing in it. Most of the people working in this part of the organization either studied this stuff, or got into it, through experience. Most people forget the internal support part of each organization. They forget we need accountants too. And budget people, HR officers, auditors or even legal specialists .... These are all ‘generalists’. So, no, you do not have to be a doctor or a nurse to work in the humanitarian field. There is work for standard ‘generalists’ too. Even in the field offices”. But he did say the aid world now belongs to the university graduate. Although most minimum requirements are 18 years of age, having a high school diploma or GED, first-aid certifications as well as a valid driver’s licence and passport, Peter said; “few organisations I know would be willing to take on people who do not have a degreee, whatever it might be in”, he said, unless it was local recruitment on the ground.

HARD WORK

Another aid worker who knows that only too well is Alessandra Magri, 38, an Italian-born emergency response

officer with CAFOD, the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Like Peter Casier, she had a Damascene moment in her job as a university-educated business analyst in 2001 when she, too, wanted to look back on a life more fulfilled and helpful to others. Since ‘getting her foot in the door’ she has worked in Eritrea, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Africa is her speciality and she often spearheads relief efforts by getting to a place first to determine what is needed; food, shelter, medicines, and to prioritise them.

“You don’t come into aid work to get rich”, she said.“And you have to make trade-offs with your personal life. But I have no regrets.

You’re not just a missionary in this job but it helps to have a missonary’s zeal. You can find yourself working 14 to 16 hours a day in the field. I got in through working for an NGO for a year: I know it is harder now but all I can say to people who want to do it is to keep knocking on those doors. Sooner or later one will open”.

The points of view of professionals

By Agostino Miozzo, with contribution of Giovanni De Siervo and Valeria Silvestri

What is the relationship between humanitarian/relief organizations and NGOs during the working phase? When the Department of Civil Protection operates in an international emergency, such as last January

in Haiti, the Italian department of civil protection can decide to provide emergency relief by cooperating with NGOs as implementing partners of its assistance programs. A partnership based on a clear attribution of roles and responsibilities is a very important element of such a policy, as a necessary prerequisite to achieve a good synergy and save human lives.

How does the chain of command work and how is the system run?

It is of the utmost importance that a definite chain of command be envisaged and established before an emergency occurs and within an overall emergency planning strategy. It goes without saying that an efficient chain of command cannot lack of a clear distribution of responsibilities, of an ultimate body formally responsible of the whole performance and of welldefined procedures established in advance.

What can companies do to

make an actual contribution to humanitarian/relief organizations and more generally speaking to natural disasters? Quite a number of companies have already established partnerships with major humanitarian organizations to conduct operations in developing countries. One of the most relevant models is the assistance that TNT offers to the United Nations World Food Programme in the form of active support during emergencies

[W ageuk.org.uk ausaid.gov.au cafod.org.uk fema.gov ifrc.org oxfam.org plan-international.org projecthope.org protezionecivile.it redcross.org

Attachment

and pride Work for others

01 Bangladeshi All-Female Police Unit Arrives in Haiti, Port-au-Prince

02 A German Peacekeeper with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on a patrol ship

03 Tennessee Floods 2010, Arlen Herrera & Maria Ramirez receive clean up kits from the Red Cross distribution site. © The American Red Cross

04 Tennessee Floods 2010, Steve Bragg and his girlfriend, Jessica Johnson, were in the house when high winds suspected to be a tornado caused extensive damage. © Daniel Cima/American Red Cross

05 UNAMID Helps Build School for Former Child Soldiers in North Darfur Tora, Sudan

06 Tennessee Floods 2010, Lipscomb University in Nashville,Tennessee. © Daniel Cima/American Red Cross

HOW MUCH YOU EARN

Lowly field officers can expect to earn around 1.700 to 2.700 euros a month, but there are benefits like housing and education allowances for children. Higher-ranked jobs obviously

pay more; CAFOD is currently looking for a Darfur-based water and sanitation engineer on 30.000 euros a year and recently advertised for a security officer in the region on a salary of nearly 43.000 euros a year. Very senior field

officers with these aid groups can rise up to somewhere around 60.000 to 85.000 euros a year while the homebased directors and CEOs often draw salaries approaching the private sector of senior management.

HEAD HUNTING PROSPECTS

as well as knowledge and skills transfer projects. The companies can make available their stocks on site, transportation means, human resources, or put any other resources and capacities at the disposal of relief organizations. When it comes to corporate social responsibility programs, how can companies introduce programs which are relevant to humanitarian/relief organizations? The companies can apply their technologies and

skills in offering products able to improve the delivery of assistance in peacetime. Companies can, through corporate social responsibility programs, implement actions aimed at raising funds to be devoted to humanitarian and relief organizations. Furthermore, corporate social responsibility programs can focus on the postemergency phase and support the long-term sustainability of relief programs.

Experts say that people should be prepared to learn additional skills to help boost their chances - knowledge in areas like public health, water sanitation and logistics. Others recommend signing up to work as a volunteer for a disaster-relief agency or a non-governmental organization, such as The Salvation Army, Project HOPE, FEMA or UNICEF. Dr. Unni Krishnan, a veteran worker with the Plan agency which operates to help children in 48 countries, “no words or pictures can truly describe the level of devastation and real misery that exists in Haiti” he said. “Haiti is a land of children. Nearly 60 per cent of its people are under 19”

savethechildren.org salvationarmy.org unamid.unmissions.org unifilunmissions.org unhcr.org unicef.org wfp.org]

07 Kosovo Refugees, These boys carry their family’s bread rations. Kukes, Albania

THE MOST COMMON REASON ROMANTIC

LOVE HAPPENS WITH

COWORKERS IS BECAUSE THEY’RE THERE. We spend a lot of time at work - often more total time with our coworkers than our family members. That’s just the reality of the modern workplace.

Are you ready for the truth?

ATTRACTION

We’re built to attract and be attracted to others. It’s in our DNA. One could make a wildlife documentary of two people flirting, and even with no soundtrack a human audience would instantly know what was going on. People love to flirt. It’s nothing to feel bad about. It’s also natural for flirting to lead to feelings of romantic love. We’re built to fall in love. That too is in our DNA.

ROMANTIC LOVE

Romantic love in the workplace may be OK in some cases if you’re both single. But for most women who already have partners, it’s a bad idea to let flirting develop into a full-blown romance.

There’s something about romantic love that begs for exclusivity. Feeling divided between two partners, or having one’s lover be divided between you and someone else, is usually very painful and generally not worth the trouble. What started as a welcome diversion from a boring workday can turn into an emotional nightmare. And some people in the workplace

Infidelity Advice

“Be the first to know, not the last to find out” – the advice of Christopher Paoletti, Private Investigator Infidelity Investigations. Services offered are background investigations, surveillance, and GPS tracking.

Signs of a Cheating Spouse

01 Intuition or gut feeling.

02 He or she says ‘You’re crazy’, ‘You don’t trust me’, or ‘It’s your imagination’, when you confront them.

are definitely not worth falling in love with. There are men who spend much time and energy to acquire power, then use it to attract and manipulate women.

A woman may feel excited and privileged if a man she perceives as powerful has noticed her and made her feel special. Everyone wants to feel special.

A THERAPIST’S VIEW

We psychotherapists are experts in the area of infidelity. We are the ones who help pick up the pieces when a workplace romance becomes a source of misery. So we’ve seen the harmful effects over and over. Furthermore, since much of our days are spent speaking about very intimate things one-on-one with intelligent, desirable people in the privacy of our offices, we have to be alert to make sure it doesn’t happen to us. Romantic and/or sexual involvement between a therapist and patient is strictly forbidden. In those unfortunate situations when it has happened, it generally means the therapist has failed to maintain the integrity of the treatment relationship.

01 — 02 — 03 Reflections on life The photographer Masiar Pasquali was born in 1983 to an Italian father and Iranian mother. He has had numerous solo exhibitions. For example he depicts the gestures and the faces of people on the street carrying signs with their company’s name inscribed. In his wanderings he photographed ‘the crossroads of life’ which takes place in the glass reflections of public transport and tram stops. Passers-by become the protagonists of stories which are unlikely but possible.

A GUIDE TO AVOIDING INFIDELITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Here are some practical guidelines for avoiding infidelity in the workplace:

1. Know that you’re not immune. Yes, it could happen to you. You’re human.

2. Recognize when harmless flirting may be developing into love. Are you beginning to feel unhappy when he’s not around? Is your work suffering because of daydreaming about him? Are you spending more time getting dressed in the morning, selecting just the right outfit to please him?

3. When this happens, don’t add fuel to the fire. Don’t do things together that couples do. Don’t go for long walks together. Don’t have meals together, if you can help it. And if business requires that you share a meal on the road with him, by all means avoid restaurants that are designed to get you in the mood for love. You know which ones I’m talking about.

4. Take care of yourself. Talk about it with someone sensible. A friend, or a therapist. Don’t suffer alone. And don’t assume you’re the only one who’s gone through this.

5. Take care of your current love relationships. Falling in love with a coworker is a sure sign that there’s trouble at home. But you knew that already. Don’t wait until you have an affair to realize that a problem at home with your spouse or partner is serious and needs attention.

03 Excessive use of Internet, e-mail and or text messaging.

04 Shutting down the PC or changing screens when you walk into the room.

05 Going to work early or coming home late. Working a lot of over time without pay.

06 Long trips to the store or staying at the gym for excessive periods of time.

07 Hiding the home or cell phone bill.

Questions you should ask yourself to determine

if your mate is cheating

01 Are you having a tough time communicating with your spouse?

02 Does your spouse disappear without a good excuse?

03 Does your marriage seem to be slipping away?

By STEPHEN SNYDER, MD

2

1Laurie Giles

Connecticut, United States

The number of women in top management, business owners, and partners is increasing at rapid speed. However, as with many positive change effectuations, there is the unexpected and undesired downside. For many of these women who have broken through the glass ceiling, the downside may be that they are often held to the same standard as their male counterparts during divorce. The alimony pendulum is shifting. Courts are beginning to move away from gender-based alimony and toward a gender-neutral stance of awarding alimony. In many jurisdictions gender is no longer relevant, but rather the income and station in life of the parties is considered more important. A prime example of this is when a woman who has reached an upper level executive status who divorces a man who earns significantly less than her, she will likely be ordered to pay alimony to her ex husband. While this seems incomprehensible to many, it is a phenomenon that is moving rapidly through the American judicial system.

Marilyn Stowe

Senior

Partner, Stowe Family Law London, United Kingdom

I wouldn’t agree that the rise of successful women in the workplace has led to a rise in the number of wives – and husbands – who have affairs. We are all human beings with failings, and everyone has the potential to have an affair. In my experience, men are more likely to cheat. However some of the most challenging cases that we take on at Stowe Family Law are those in which the husband and wife are joint partners in a successful business. Such a situation can add increased stress to what is already an extremely trying time. Splitting a business is rarely an option, so one party will have to buy out the other. Many high profile divorce cases involve successful business leaders. In 2007 John Charman, nicknamed ‘King of London’s insurance market’, made legal history in England when he lost his appeal against an order to pay his former wife 58 million euros. The food and drinks magnate Vivian Imerman, who sold his stake in Del Monte for 460 million euros, is currently embroiled in a bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife, who is demanding a 120 million euros share of his fortune. In many such cases, the business leaders involved are serial entrepreneurs and it tends to be their personal fortunes, rather than their company fortunes, that are affected.

3Rakesh Taneja Taneja Law Office New Delhi, India

There may not have been many highprofile divorce cases in the business world in India in the recent years or if there were any they might have occurred discreetly without being taken into the limelight for various reasons including no intentions of the parties to bring their family disputes in the open. There is one interesting example though of a case where the working woman who was placed better financially in comparison to the man. The woman was obviously influenced by her status and expressed her desire for dissolution of marriage.

04 Have you been suspicious of your spouse’s sexual habits?

05 Is the intimacy less than normal?

06 Does your spouse argue when you ask for an explanation of his/her whereabouts?

07 Are the simple things, like getting bills paid on time or spending time together, not important to your spouse anymore?

08 Is there a problem with money?

09 Do you notice more unexplained ATM transactions?

Attorney Insight 3 attorneys offer their point of view on divorce and how it effects people in the business world.

Communication Unusual strategy

By NIGEL PHILLIPS

THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP WILL TAKE PLACE FROM THE 11TH OF JUNE TO THE 11TH OF JULY THIS YEAR, in South Africa. It is the 19th World Cup and the first one hosted by an African nation. It will be the biggest sporting event ever, and over a billion people are expected to follow the 32-team tournament, won four years ago by Italy. Such a huge event will be exciting, over-analysed and inevitably fraught with problems.

Redemption and greed: the 2010 World Cup

ENGLAND TEAM LOGISTICS

OPTIMISM AND CAUTION

South Africans hoped the World Cup would make them rich, with three million fans travelling to their country. But bookings are running at half the anticipated level and cash-strapped supporters seem to be avoiding a country, famous for its high levels of crime. Only two percent of corporate boxes have been sold. Many South Africans resent the fact that billions have been spent on stadia they didn’t need, in the hope of ripping off football tourists and the political shenanigans that were required to host the world’s most prestigious tournament have left many of them hoping the event is a complete disaster. The poet, Breyten Breytenbach, described the country as a place “shot through with heartspace and the danger of beauty”, so fans should attend the biggest event of their lives with equal measures of optimism and caution.

Logistically, there are problems. England’s training base, in Bafokeng, is still being compared to a construction site, but that is always the case with projects on this scale. Officials insist the complex will be ready on time, even if some infrastructure plans (roads) have fallen by the wayside. England’s manager, Fabio Capello, chose the most isolated venue possible, probably to dissuade his players’ wives and girlfriends (Wags) from attending. The playing venue is actually a 20-minute drive into Phokeng, home of the Bafokeng tribe. During apartheid, the tribe was helped by Lutheran missionaries to hold on to its ancestral lands and the discovery of platinum made the tribe very wealthy. But probably not as wealthy as their visitors. Pampered by everyone, the English players have apparently been sleeping in Michael Jackson-style altitude tents, to help them acclimatise to South African conditions. They were all tested over the season and results suggested some players would benefit from sleeping in these tents at home. The players apparently love the tents, which are said to aid recovery from injury as well as boost fitness levels. The tents increase red blood cells (which carry oxygen to the muscles); absolute nonsense of course, but every percentage advantage counts. Not for 6’ 7” Peter Crouch though; they couldn’t find a bed big enough for him.

SOUTH AFRICA HOPE

As with all huge sporting events, the organisers have promised to leave a legacy and the ‘1 Goal: Lesson for All’, wants to alert football fans to the problems of providing education in Africa and Fifa’s president, Sepp Blatter, says it will be

the biggest campaign based around a sporting event ever and “will leave a lasting legacy of education in Africa and the rest of the world”. South Africa has always proved that sport and politics are inextricably linked and this World Cup is no exception. President, Jacob Zuma, said “2010 is the most important year in our country since 1994”. Some in Zuma’s own party, the ANC, are calling for his resignation, after just one term, but this is more for his polygamy than perceived lack of organisational skills. South Africa was chosen six years ago to host this tournament and has worked with America on security issues, but the world (mostly German and British media outlets) is still concerned about its ability to host the tournament.

SECURITY AND OTHER ISSUES

They have made 10 new for the event and now security has become the main issue for its critics, following the murder of three, during the terrorist attack on the Togolese national team, at the Africa Cup of Nations, in Angola. It was thousands of miles away, but tainted the African continent as a whole and reminded the world that South Africa has 50 murders, 100 rapes and 1,200 violent attacks and robberies reported every day. The strong rand and over-priced ticket prices (70-750 euros) are also proving a disincentive to travellers and locals alike. Out of three million tickets, over two million have been sold, but only 11% have been bought by South Africans, who were offered heavy discounts. 40% of them live below the poverty line and they are not especially interested in their national team, currently ranked 81st in the world. English fans are hoping that Wayne Rooney,

04 03

whose sponsors include Hovis, Nike and Coca-Cola, will remain injury-free and keep out of trouble. Some leading world players, however, have already been ruled out of the tournament. Germany’s Michael Ballack will miss the World Cup because of a tackle in May’s FA Cup Final, France’s leading player, Franck Ribery, will probably be left behind for assorted sexual shenanigans and the likes of Thierry Henri and John Terry have got a lot of makingup to do. Who knows what will happen once the players arrive in South Africa? Reputations and legends are ready to be made, but also shattered. Sven-Goran Eriksson was the English manager and considered to be a busted flush, but will receive over 2.5 million euros for taking

his new charges, the Ivory Coast, to the World Cup. Unfortunately for him, his group also contains Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. His tenure should be short, but he has a point when he says; “There are six African countries in the World Cup. It is in Africa for the first time and I am sure two or three will spring some big surprises.” Wherever there is football, big business is never far away, and Fifa is going to employ ‘brand police’ to ensure only the logos of official sponsors are visible in the stadium. So you could pay your 750 €, only to have your clothes confiscated. South African players will share one million rand (109.000 euros), each time they score a goal and will hope not to be the worst-performing hosts in World Cup history, but the

01 Rugby in 1995 + Football in 2015 = antidote for South Africa’s growth. South Africa benefits from the positive images of the film Invictus, which recalls the great Rugby World Cup win of 1995. In the medium term, we hope that South Africa can repeat this success, as a prospect for the expulsion of the country’s violence.

01 Nelson Mandela (actor Morgan Freeman) shakes hands with Francois Pienaar (actor Matt Damon). 02 Meadowlands Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2009 by Thomas Hoeffgen 03 Babylon, Namibia, 2007, by Thomas Hoeffgen 04 Sunset Stadium, Lusaka, zambia, 2007 by Thomas Hoeffgen

fact their potential friendly opponents were all booked up a year ago, may mean they are underprepared. Chairman of the English FA, Lord Triesman, has just been forced to resign, following a honey-trap sting, when allegations he made in private were published in a Sunday newspaper. He claimed Russian football authorities were going to help their Spanish counterparts bribe referees in South Africa, in return for favours in the 2018 bidding process. That sounds fairly scandalous, but not as bad as the bet an online bookmaker has apparently been offering; customers can bet on a squad member of any team to be murdered during the tournament. Let’s hope both rumours are completely unfounded.

02, 03, 04 Emotional photographs convey Africa’s passion for soccer. Hoeffgen spent several years taking unusual, direct photographs of players and spectators in Nigeria, Namibia, Botswana, zambia, Malawi, and South Africa.

Exhibition:“Germany Academy for soccer”, Nuremberg, until July 18, 2010. Book: Thomas Hoeffgen, “African Arenas” (2010), Hatje Cantz.

Change Management Corporate integrity

THE PRIVATE

SECTOR PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION

WORLDWIDE Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2009 documents the many corruption risks for businesses, ranging from small entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa to multinationals from Europe and North America.

Escape from corruption

Insider corporatetrading,fraud

Managementboard, employees, owne r Suppliers, customers Competitors, market environment

Business in Society

Commercial bribery Collusion and cartles

Regulatory and policy capture

Figure 1: Corruption risks within spheres of corporate activity

Source: Transparency International

Twsm spoke with Francois Valérian, Head of the Private Sector Program, Transparency International.

twsm Which are the main situations of corruption in the corporate world?

fr There are primarily two main situations of corruption which occur in the corporate world. The first is the interaction between businesses and governments, which has always been the main area of corruption. In this field, corruption is done by people who have money but with no decision power in their interaction with people who do not have money but have the decision power. Transparency International reveals which business and government sectors are more exposed or prone to paying bribes, through hallmark measuring tools such as various Indexes. The second situation of corruption occurring in the corporate world is private corruption between two firms. In this case, firms take an advantage for themselves to the detri-

ment of others – their own employees throughout the supply chain, competitor firms, or other actors. An example would be the ‘classic bribe’ being paid to a purchaser, or the abuse of insider trading privileges. In the private field, a rarely explored situation of corruption occurs with mergers and acquisitions. Corruption can occur when someone is on both sides of the transaction, for example being the buyer and the seller. An example is when a Chief Financial Officer negotiates the sale of a subsidiary to an entity of which he is a hidden shareholder.

twsm Are there company protocols which deal with avoiding corruption? If yes, which are they?

fr There are several company protocols aimed at preventing corrupt practices, called ‘anti-corruption programs’ or ‘compliance programs’. While many multinational corporations have these programs in place and they are more or less enforced, it can be difficult for a company to ensure correct implementation, especially a larger company with a lot of foreign subsidiaries. Two important company processes are worth mentioning. Firstly, ‘whistle-blowing procedures’ must be enforced and made available to employees. Employees must be able to bypass their direct supervisor or management on a confidential basis in order to report any concern. A second process implemented by companies is the management of 3rd party agents. Corruption is now channeled many times through these agents. While it is easy to hire an agent, it must be known what this agent is doing on your company’s behalf.

twsm Basically, which type of corruption occurs in companies – money, blackmail, or other?

fr Blackmail may be a consequence of preexisting corruption. It is interesting to mention that these payments exist as ‘petty corruption’, regarding only a few dollars or hundreds of dollars with poor people, or by companies as ‘grand corruption schemes’, typically involving millions of dollars. In the corporate world, cash is given to people by electronic money wires from one off-shore account to another off-shore account, those accounts being often operated by trusts. Disguise then comes in two forms: the account disguises the flow of money and the trust disguises the identity of the company. These ‘grand corruption schemes’ are normally very complex, since several countries are involved. To fight this corruption, we must advocate for better international cooperation.

twsm So in the fight against corruption, not only local and national governments must be involved but also organizations such as the United Nations?

fr You rightly mention the UN since there is a UN Convention against corruption which has been signed by 140 countries worldwide, so most of the countries are involved. This convention is very detailed, with precise provisions for investigative and judiciary action. However, the adequate implementation of this convention is still very weak and slow.

twsm Is it possible to classify the different kinds of corruption found in different countries? If yes, which are they?

fr It is difficult to classify corruption in different countries because it depends on the country. With petty corruption, it especially depends on how the local government and civil authorities act. With grand corruption schemes, the corruption is enhanced by the global scale and interconnected nature of the economy. It is important also to understand that developing countries are often re-

Figure 2: From ‘corporate integrity’ to a ‘corporate integrity system’.

Source: Transparency International

Norms and culture. Ethical leadership, codes of conduct, corporate citizenship Public rules and regulations. Compliance systems, whitstleblowing, corporate governance, accountants,auditors

source rich and international corporations are operating and headquartered elsewhere, creating situations for more corruption. The developing country is therefore the victim of corruption and the external country is where the bribing originates. Overall, most countries cooperate with anticorruption laws, but strong enforcement is only done in a few countries. The governments of the U.S. and Germany hand out significant fines

Arlington / Washington Alexandria, Usa.

• Ethics Resource Center Nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and the advancement of high ethical standards and practices in public and private institutions

• CARANA Corporation Designs and directs market-led solutions to economic development challenges.

For 25 years, it has guided practical approaches to help businesses and countries compete globally, reducing poverty and raising living standards around the world.

• DAI

DAI has built a diverse body of work comparable in scope and impact with any development firm in the world.

• Center for international private entreprises (CIPE) Develops private sector tools to combat corruption

• World Bank (WB)

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

Governance. Regulatory oversight, civil and criminal liabilities, law enforcement

Broader checks and balances. Investors, public reporting, civil society watchdogs, investigative journalism, consumer campaigns

to any company which commits corruption; which is a good start. But it is still not enough. Both governments and companies must be involved in the fight against corruption, as ‘it takes two to tango’. Private sector development has become a central feature of the development strategies of many actors. From 2004 the UN Global Compact (both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to

sustainability and responsible business practices), seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With over 7,000 signatories in more than 135 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative.

• The Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance (CFBE) Saint Petersburg, Russia CFBE’s mission is to help build a rules-based market economy in the Russian Federation that rewards businesses that follow best practices of ethical conduct and respect the spirit and letter of the law

•

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mandaluyong City, Philippines

• OECD Convention against Corruption Paris-Cédex, France

Insider corporatetrading,fraud

ADB is an international development finance institution whose mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people.

Commercial bribery Collusion and cartles

Encourages companies to adopt compliance programmes and mechanisms; and to encourage complementary reform trends on public procurement systems and accounting standards in the region, in a corruption prevention perspective.

Regulatory and policy capture

Business in Society

Figure 1: Corruption risks within spheres of corporate activity

Source: Transparency International

• Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) Sandton South Africa BACSA supports and influences Governments to rapidly and substantially reduce the levels of crime in South Africa.

[W adb.org bac.co.za carana.com casals.com cipe.org dai.com ethics.org fias.net ifc.org oecd.org transparency.org russiaethics.org u4.no/about/sitemap.cfm worldbank.org]

Managementboard, employees, owne r Suppliers, customers Competitors, market environment

Communication A research on behaviour

DOES POWER CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF THE POWERFUL UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO SEE LIES AS BEING ACCEPTABLE? Research done by Columbus University proposes that power should offer a buffer against stress associated with wrongful acts, such as telling a lie.

Power and lies

The powerful hold the keys to our livelihood and the veracity of their statements and acts is of utmost importance. It is not without a sense of irony as research shows that the powerful may be more likely to be corrupt. If power leads to positive emotions, an abundance of cognitive resources, and physiological resilience to stress, power then, should offer a buffer against stress associated with acts such as telling a lie-essentially making such acts of corruption emotionally, cognitively, and physiologically less costly. The researchers propose that power corrupts and that there is a mechanism which renders acts such as lying less stressful.

WHAT IS THE MECHANISM?

The mechanism rooted in social neuroscience, may be able to reconcile how power seems to simultaneously (A) lead to more deception and corrupt behavior but also (B) pave the way toward proac-

How to Detect Lies?

tive and pro-social acts such as: leading, taking action, enduring risk, garnering resources for one self and others, and monitoring the one’s well-being.

THE STRESS BUFFERING EFFECTS OF POWER

Telling a lie is stressful. While humans lie for many different reasons, such as to protect feelings, claim undue resources, project a false self-image, manipulate, or coerce, telling a lie is emotionally, cognitively, and physiologically costly. A liar must actively inhibit and suppress many things including: the truth, internal monitoring of their own moral compass, social norms, fear of consequences, and consideration of others’ interests. This suppression leads to experiencing negative emotions, decrements in mental function and physiological stress. Because telling a lie is emotionally, cognitively, and physiologically costly, we lie less often than we would if lies were ‘free’.

Body Language of Lies • Less arm and hand movements • Eye contact is avoided • Hands touching face, throat & mouth • Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace • Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement • Expressions are limited to mouth movements instead of the whole face. Interactions and Reactions • A guilty person gets defensive • A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn

Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming

Up Right Visually Constructed Images (Vc) Up Left Visually Remembered Images (Vr) Right Auditory Constructed (Ac) Left Auditory Remembered (Ar) Down Right Feeling / Kinesthetic (F) Down Left Internal Dialog (Ai)

Theories from psychological science, such as the somatic marker hypothesis, have mapped the ways in which humans learn how to engage with their environment. This research shows that individuals act and get either punished or rewarded for that act. Punishment reduces the likelihood of engaging in that act again, and reward increases the likelihood of it happening. With the powerful having plenty of emotional, cognitive, and physiological resources, are lies less costly for them?

POWER IS FUNDAMENTAL

Power determines access to agency resources, the control over one’s own body and mind, and enhanced cognitive functions. Powerful individuals also demonstrate a general state of not being inhibited, marked by willingness to engage in action and a focus on reward as opposed to risk. The neuroendocrine profiles of the powerful also differentiate them from the powerless. Power is linked to the stress hormone cortisol, and since power-holders show lower levels of basal cortisol, the cortisol drops as power is achieved. Thus, the powerful appear to be more resilient to stress and have an abundance of emotional and cognitive resources available to use when dealing with stress as it arises.

By DANA R. CARNEY •

his head or body away • A liar might unconsciously place objects between himself and another person. Verbal Context and Contents • A liar will use the words of another person to answer a question • The guilty person may speak unnaturally or add unnecessary details • Liars are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation • A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone • Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off.

[W blifaloo.com]

Illustrations by Brosmind Studio, Barcelona, Spain

Richard Bandler and John Grinder

Data transfer Silence is not always golden

By ROSARIO IMPERIALI

66% OF EMPLOYERS MONITOR INTERNET CONNECTIONS, 43% of companies monitor e-mail, 45% monitor time spent and numbers called, almost half (48%) of the companies surveyed use video monitoring to counter theft, violence and sabotage. Only 7% use video surveillance to track employees’ on-the-job performance.

Mr. Simpleton goes nuts

Mr. James Smith works with a car manufacturer company, Frankstin Automotive Inc. – a US based multinational. He generally uses the Internet during work hours to carry out his job, for keeping himself informed as well as for leisure. His colleague Paul Simpson of the Administration Department sometimes gets connected to Facebook in order to keep himself in touch with his friends and workmates who do similar jobs with other companies to exchange work experiences. Aretha Jensing, instead, has received a cellular phone from the company for business calls: she is in the Public Relations Department and contacting people is key for her occupation. She is too busy to distinguish between business and personal calls so that she generally uses the same line for both. Finally Jack Pollak is the company driver and his boss has introduced a GPS tracking system to locate his car in order to better manage the service. John Simpleton, Vice President Human resources has decided to revise a policy regarding employee usage of company technological equipment, to be implemented worldwide. His European colleagues in human resources, however, raise important issues. Mr. Simpleton goes nuts. All these are just a few examples of how technology is intermingled nowadays with job performance. As a consequence, tapping and tracking combined with company policies are increasingly used by employers to manage productivity and minimize different types of risks. On the opposite side, workers and trade unions do not feel at ease if every sneeze of the employee or short work interruption during business hours is detected and registered.

According to the 2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey from American Management Association (AMA) and The ePolicy Institute, employers use technology extensively to monitor their employees, not only for ascertaining the possible misuse of a company’s assets but also for performance control. Violation of company policy, inappropriate or of-

fensive language, excessive personal use, and breach of confidentiality rules are the main reasons which motivate monitoring, then causing the loss of jobs when they are finally ascertained. Modern technology in the workplace make it possible to monitor almost every aspect of work activity. The answer for how to draw the line between the interests of employers and employees is not clear-cut. Employers have the legitimate interest to verify the correct use of company tools as well as have their workers comply with law and company policy. On the other side, workers have the right to obtain privacy protection. First, in the global environment, the basic differences in the notion of privacy principles on the two sides of the Atlantic reflect on the workplace. In short, in the old continent privacy is a human right and employees do not lose their fundamental rights only because they cross the company’s entrance door. In the US instead, the right of privacy is limited to individuals who are in a place that a person would reasonably expect to be private. Because originally, the major concern of the drafters of the American Constitution was the possible intrusion of government on the private life of individual citizens. The difference in practice causes a company policy of a US multinational, covering aspects such as employee monitoring, not to be implemented in the EU zone as such. In short, in the US almost any sort of technological monitoring at work – from video surveil-

lance to telephone monitoring, from computer control to e-mail content reviewing – is basically legal. In the States the match between permitted and illegal monitoring is played over the transparency principle. Monitoring, in substance, is deemed legal if employees have been previously informed. Despite this fact, only a minority of States in the US require prior notice for legal monitoring. In the European community the Working Party of art. 29 (WP) – an advisory group composed of representatives of the data protection authorities of the Member States – has expressed its views on this subject in a few occasions. Employee monitoring falls under the scope of the European Data Protection system and it is also ruled by the labour law and practice of each Member State. In general, ‘any monitoring must be a proportionate response by an employer to the risks it faces’ and ‘must be carried out in the least intrusive way possible’. Prolonged, continued and/or blanket controls are inadmissible. But besides the law, wouldn’t these principles improve internal relations and individual well being inside the company? •

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Illustration by David Johnson, Windham Center, USA

Training Best universities

By AMY J. BARRY (U.S.)

as gain

Did your child choose their university?

THE BEST U.S. UNIVERSITIES

U.S. News and World Report conducts the most recognized and respected survey, based on 15 indicators of academic excellence. Each school is ranked using the same set of quantitative and qualitative measures, from percentage of students who graduate to opportunities for undergraduate research. Schools in the National Universities category offer students a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral degree programs, and are committed to producing groundbreaking research. All top ten universities are located in large and small cities from coast to coast. Harvard, established in 1636, is the oldest university in the nation and University of Chicago, founded in 1892, is the newest.

RECENT GRADUATES’ VIEWPOINT: Brian Howard Reed, Yale Class of 2007 received a Bachelor of Arts in theater and history. He is doing a paid internship at This American Life where he produces documentary stories. Previously, he worked as a Kroc Fellow at National Public Radio (NPR) reporting and producing stories and interviews for national and regional broadcast. “I loved Yale. I can’t imagine college any other way”, Reed says of his experience at the Ivy League college. “I think, however, that much of my fondness is due to the way I approached my time there”. Reed stresses that he specifically made it a point not to think of Yale as preparing him for a career and instead treated his time as “four blissful years studying the things that turned me on, developing deep friendships with the people that challenged me, and exper-

imenting and exploring with as close to utter abandon as is healthy”, while, he notes, keeping up good grades by taking classes that interested him. After this internship ends, Reed says he’d like to keep reporting, doing radio, and also returning to theater, his major, in some capacity. “Anything I can do to avoid slipping into a rut”, he says.

Daniel Andrew graduated from Harvard in Jan. 2008 with a major in government. In his senior year, the young entrepreneur started Unofficial Tours,walking tours of Harvard and The Freedom Trail that the New York Times calls ‘The Daily Show of tours’.“We strive to entertain tourists through our ‘laugh and learn’ approach”, Andrew explains. He says his Harvard education fundamentally changed not necessarily what he thinks, but how he thinks. “My worldly knowledge in the arts and sciences is radically superior to what it was before entering college”, he notes. “The professors were phenomenal. To be surrounded by such immense intelligence was at once humbling and inspiring”.

THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN ASIA Asian universities are an option when considering where to study as some Asian universities are ranked among the top in the world. No doubt an emphasis on education

comes naturally to Asia with its traditional overwhelming respect for learning. Several factors are behind the surges by Asian institutions. These countries have invested heavily in higher education of late, and this is reflected in the improved quality in their top institutions. They have also attempted to internationalise their universities by hiring more faculty from overseas ... this helps to improve their visibility globally. These universities have also stressed the importance of their professors publishing in international journals, which has no doubt increased the visibility of their research. Despite having a total of only eight government-funded tertiary institutions, Hong Kong had five institutions in the top 200, up from four in 2008. With the ever increasing popularity of the global education system, the university ranking system of THESQS serves as a guide for students on which universities to enroll.

National University of Singapore President and Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said “to be consistently placed amongst the leading universities in the region and the world is testament to the significant contributions made by NUS faculty and researchers towards a high quality global education and cutting-edge research”.

Commenting on the growing prominence of Asian universities, Professor Tan said “the dramatic growth and vibrancy of Asia is attracting top students and scholars from around the world. The influx of global talents will further accelerate the stature and the standing of Asian universities”. Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University was ranked 18th. At the top is the University of Hong Kong, followed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Ranked fourth is the Chinese Univer-

Top 10 Ranked Universities in U.S. 01 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02 Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 03 Yale University, New Haven, CT 04 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 05 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 06 Stanford University, Stanford, CA 07 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 08 Columbia University, New York, NY 09 University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 10 Duke University, Durham, NC

[W caltech.edu columbia.edu duke.edu harward.edu mit.edu npr.org princeton.edu stanford.edu thisamericanlife.org uchicago.edu unofficialtours.com upenn.edu usnews.com yale.edu]

A DIPLOMA FROM A SCHOOL THAT OFFERS THE HIGHEST QUALITY ACADEMIC PROGRAMS CAN HELP A GRADUATE land a good job as well

admission into the best graduate programs in the country.

By MAURICE NEO (ASIA)

sity of Hong Kong, followed by the University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Osaka University and Kyoto University.

RECENT GRADUATES’ VIEWPOINT

For Andrew Teo, a recent graduate of The National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, who has a first degree from New York, the rise of Asian universities will be in tandem with fostering leadership and innovation. He believes it is no coincidence that it will be tied with the degree of internationalisation on campus.

He said, “in Singapore our universities are fast catching up with the best in the West because old constraints of freedom of expression have been loosen and we have become more open to foreign ideas”

“Little is known of our Singapore Management University (SMU) because it is relatively new and not promoted so much by the State as it is independent. But its graduates first pay packet far outstrip those from National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological Institute though they were first on the scene. SMU has benefitted from its willingness to be less stiflying

cuhk.edu.hk

of students’ free speech and not afraid to cultivate habits requiring students to be more than mere passive recipients of information; they have acquired habits of thinking for themselves even as their intake of foreign students are of better quality”. At the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), “the aim is to be among the best not only in Asia but the world” says Kim Sung Chul, KAIST’s dean of academic affairs.

Now, Ewan Stewart is the only foreign professor. But the 33-year-old Welsh physicist will soon be joined by more foreign teachers in a bid to widen the university’s reach and be global.

THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN EUROPE

Chief executives at Europe’s leading centres of learning place huge importance on their global position in University League tables as they compete

to attract the best staff and students from abroad, as well as maintaining their share of their own nations students.

But how useful are tables such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University or that of the Times Higher Education (now created jointly with Reuters). In particular as they seem to understate European universities where most of the education is not conducted in English. The league tables also overlook important graduate institutions like the European Institute in Florence and significant regional universities such as the Central European University in Budapest.

RECENT GRADUATES’ VIEWPOINT

Perhaps to really judge a university we need to see what happens to their students as they graduate and then progress through their working lives.

Students pay tribute to Irving Penn This collection of pictures are a special tribute made by students from the London College of Communication to Irving Penn, ‘one of the most respected photographers of the 20th century’. The photo shoot took place over two days in April 2010. It was a recreation of Irving Penn’s 1950s ‘Small Trades’ project, in which he photographed ‘every day tradespeople against a plain background using natural light’. The students organized the entire self-funded project themselves: recruiting people to be photographed, the photo shoot, and the production and planning of the exhibition. The exhibition was featured next to Irving Penn’s current

By RICHARD SCRASE (EU)

works at the National Portrait Gallery. The Work Style magazine includes this photo shoot to show what will be the future of some of the most brilliant students who attended the best universities of the world. 01 Cleaners 02 Chef 03 Therapeutic radiographer 04 Civil engineer 05 Massage therapist 06 Artist 07 Gymbay player 08 Photographer 09 Road builders 10 Priest 11 Musician 12 Chiropractor

Berthe Jansen did her first degree as a mature student in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at Leiden University in Holland and is now about to complete an MPhil. in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at Oxford University in the UK. When asked what she thought made a good university she said“above all else it is the teachers. You can have wonderful resources and facilities but without good teaching you are nowhere”. What the league tables also cannot take into account are the courses that take place in more than one university.

MESPOM is an Erasmus Mundus Masters course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management operated by four leading European and two North American Universities and supported by the European Commission. This course has excelled in opening up job opportunities to its graduates.

Marta Vetier graduated in 2007 and became an environmental impact assessment coordinator at a large engineering consultancy company in

the United Kingdom, but after a few months she started to find it unsatisfying. “What disturbed me most was the business-interest perspective”, she says. “I felt that there were just too many trade offs in the field”. So Vetier joined Greenpeace in 2008. There, she monitors the activities of European institutions and prepares briefings. Marta compares her job to a dancing exercise. “There’s a certain beat that is given by the political agenda, and it is that beat that the decision-makers, the scientists, the industry, and the public interest groups, all try to follow”.

CREATING NEW JOBS

While students traditionally graduated and then moved on some universities are increasing their role in innovative start up companies, and creating jobs for and with their students. This is definitely the case at ETH Zurich. One recent spin-off, VirtaMed, has developed a product that simulates endoscopic operations. Until now doctors acquired knowledge and experience of operations only through accumulated surgeries. VirtaMed CEO and ETH Zurich engineer, Stefan Tuchschmid, says the advantages of this system are evident, “just as a pilot can use a flight simulator before flying, so can a doctor safely train with our simulator before operating on a person”. So to conclude, which are Europe’s best universities? The answer is still ‘it depends’, but whatever your criteria, Europeans are fortunate to have access to some of the best universities in the world.

Top 10 Ranked Universities in Europe 01 University of Cambridge 02 University of Oxford 03 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH zürich 04 Norwegian University of Science & Technology 05 University of Edinburgh 06 University of Oslo 07 University College London 08 University of Helsinki 09 University of Vienna 10 University of Southampton

[W cam.ac.uk ed.ac.uk helsinki.fi/university ntnu.no ox.ac.uk path.ethz.ch soton.ac.uk timeshighereducation.uk ucl.ac.uk uio.no univie.ac.at webometrics.info]

People Exceptional lives

Academic Path Margherita Hack was Professor of Astronomy at the University of Trieste from 1964 to 1992. She directed the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste from 1964 to 1987, leading her to international fame. A member of the most prestigious societies of Physics and Astronomy, Margherita Hack was also Director of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Trieste from 1985 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1997.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, RESEARCH AND TEACHING, ARE INExTRICABLY LINKED TO SOCIAL COMMITMENT

Spreading knowledge is a scientist’s duty, who ‘returns’ the fruits of their labor to society. In astrophysics, this also means giving answers to people’s fears and curiosity.

A comet named Margherita

Margherita Hack was born in Florence, Italy, on June 12, 1922. We go to print two days before her 88th birthday after meeting her in Trieste, her adopted city where she lives with her husband (Aldo De Rose, married in February 1944), a dog and six cats. Margherita is in splendid physical shape and expresses herself with an innate rebellious attitude.

TRAINING

Her passion was unleashed by her first research on ‘Cepheid variable stars’, which led her to a degree in astrophysics in 1945, and inspired her to follow her accademic path. Cepheid variable stars is the name of the variable stars studied and then presented in 1912 by Henrietta S. Leavitt, an astronomer at Harvard. Margherita is direct on the theme of women’s liberation: “what counts in life is grit and competitiveness”.

ASTROPHYSICS OBSERVATORY OF TRIESTE

At one time, physical endurance played a key role: “think what it means to spend nights watching the stars in a cold place like a dome”. In the ‘60s, with the development of IT, research had a significant boost in terms of data collection and also in the practical sense of the activity. “Size does not matter like in the past” when the prestige of a laboratory was based on the diameter of the telescope. Today’s telescopes are owned by international consortia. They are located in Chile and other places where there is a clear visibility of the universe.

After the war, Trieste became a ‘science city’ at an international level. Empty of its industry, because of the fear of the Soviet bloc that was about ten kilometers away the vocation of the city became attracting men of science who

leaned towards the rich and well-organized Physics faculty. Margherita, who was not a part of that faculty, found a way to enter the field, and took the opportunity to launch her observatory, thanks to the connections with her international academic colleagues.

CHANGE

“Changing the world of research was part of my job.” When Margherita started her journey, the Italian Universities were ‘in the hands’ of the so called ‘Barons’, who were controlling the power. The movements of ‘68, from which a new Era for the sector began, saw Margherita as amongst the most determined scientists. In this period the ‘College of Teachers of Astrophysics’ was created, which directed research at the international level towards more exchange of experience and with an equal treatment between national observatories.

PRACTICAL AND EPHEMERAL Margherita is a very practical person who has never engaged in active politics “because people in parliament speak too much. What I love about politics is the possibility for people to compare their opinions, in other words the ‘public discussions’ is what I really like!”.

THE LIGHT FACTOR

“It’s plausible to think of other life in the universe”, however, to reach them it would be necessary to travel a distance of at least 20 light years. We should build a spaceship where “several generations can live and reproduce themselves while traveling” and then return with some information for their descendants. “The distance is thus the reason why we postpone meeting extra-terres-

trial life”. Indeed, the speed of light is a limit that we cannot cross.

RELIGION

“We atheists believe we should act according to our conscience to a moral principle, not because we expect a reward in heaven.” She doesn’t get excited when talking about religion, but if someone involves Margherita, she says that “religion has given people many answers that were not there and that are still not there”.

POLITICS

“I have a right to be indignant.” The research base has undergone strong cuts

and she argues that “there is no innovation without research”. A Country that does not invest in this area is destined to an inevitable decline.

Margherita Hack is an extraordinary person. She talked with us for an hour sitting in her kitchen, with absolute clarity and simplicity. Without any notes, she opened the starry wonders of the universe in front of her. Margherita is a direct person, cheerful, ironic, dressed with absolute simplicity in colorful pants and a shirt like a teenager. We felt like she has always been our friend.

01 Margherita Hack

‘Curiosity is the fertilizer of research ’

[MN]

People Unusual jobs

By PAOLA BETTINELLI

The art of service

Today’s butlers come from all walks of life, but most get started from the same point ”the optimal way to enter the butler profession is to enroll at a butler training school where existing (or non-existing skills) can be learnt”, said Newton Cross, Principal and Owner of The South Africa Butler Academy.

In order to become a top ‘go-getter’ in this profession, Mark Johnson, Business Developer Executive of Magnums Butler, explains “the person will be managed by the senior butler and learn the skills under their guidance and gradually assume additional responsibilities and then move in to the position if their senior manager moves on or retires”.

A BUTLER’S ATTRIBUTES

There are no specific personal characteristics or school studies required to become a butler, but “to do this kind of work one must have a love for the profession and for the work one does on a daily basis”, advises Robert Wennekes, chairman of The International Butler Academy. Even more than in other professions, a butler is required to be servile, flexible, resilient, attentive to detail and an excellent organizer.

Another important characteristic, that has appeared only in the last years due to today’s business environment, is that “it is advisable to have English as a second language if it is not the primary language”, in fact, “those in this profession are often directly involved with principle international guests who more than likely do converse in English” Mark Johnson states.

BUTLER SCHOOL/ACADEMY

In the 21st century, it is possible to find a butler school or academy more or less in every country. Each school develops different kinds of courses in line with the needs of different markets.

Following a research on different types of butler certification schools, it is evident that many offers are more or less similar.

From the USA, to Europe, South Africa, and Australia, it is possible to find different courses but with all having the same aim.

Mary Louise Starkey, CEO of Starkey International, says “Our primary course is 360 hours and costs 15.000 euros including room and board”. Newton Cross, explains that his main course “is on a full-time basis of eight weeks. The weeks are often spread over six days as some practicals are done on a Saturday…the course is very intensive and includes classroom sessions of theoretical training and also practical exercises in various aspects of the profession”.

“The cost for the full course is currently 15.000 euros except the prescribed formal attire and accommodation that are at the student’s expense”. The International Butler Academy of Zeist in The Netherlands provides 3 courses per year, 8 weeks per course; the cost is 12.500 euros all inclusive.

Australian Magnums Butler school proposes to their students “a 4 week traditional hands on training program”. Moreover, continues Mark Johnson, “Magnums Butlers International developed the first general Distance Learning program…consisting of 10 units of study and it may take a student any where from 4 months to a year to complete depending upon their own personal situation”. Magnums also offers “a Distance Learning program consisting of 6 units of study and 2 weeks in Australia for hands on training.” The cost of this course is about 1.300 euros. A normal course in the school is from 4.000 to 6.000 euros.

A BUTLER’S CAREER Mary Louise Starkey defines a butler as “a professional who is trained in the overall management of a private home”. There have always been excellent career prospects for one who chooses this profession, and this trend continues to the present. The number of professional butlers worldwide has increased steadily over the past 25 years.

You can find butlers in multi-million dollar homes in every country in the world. Newton Cross stresses that “with the modern day butler the emphasis is moving to total lifestyle management, instead of the traditional role…multitasking is the keyword”. Usually, continues Mr. Cross, “the younger, recently qualified butlers often find work in hotels, guest houses and game lodges where there

THE HOSPITALITY BUTLER OR ‘GENTLEMAN’S GENTLEMAN’ COMES TO LIFE IN P.G. WODEHOUSE’S STORIES OF THE BRITISH BUTLER JEEVES AND HIS EMPLOYER BERTIE WOOSTER. Jeeves saves the day! The Butlers in these stories are companions and artists of discretion for their Employers. Today, butlers work in all types of fields around the world and we may find numerous academies in which to learn this fascinating profession.

Illustrations by Yihsin Wu, Taipei City, Taiwan

is still an element of supervision and guidance. They are also in huge demand on luxury yachts, cruise liners and trains. The older more experienced is better suited for the domestic household where the responsibilities and pressure can be huge“. Therefore, a butler has many options in his or her career path. Due to today’s economy, Johnson specifies that “we are seeing an increase in activity in the field and our inclination is the demand will continue to expand. Luxury resorts are perhaps the most likely to be hiring at present though we are seeing an increase in private estate owners seeking staff for their homes”. Regarding the salary, it varies between countries depending on a butler’s education background and flexibility. Mr. Cross from South Africa says that “entry level is 750 to 1100 euros per month”. For Europe, Mr. Wennekes says that “a butler can earn anywhere from 40.000 to 120.000 euros a year, plus benefits”. While in Australia, Mark Johnson states that ”an entry level butler, in a private home, can expect to begin around 31.000 euros…with experience and working for an employer with multiple homes, it is not uncommon for a butler to earn in excess of 80.000 euros and much much more”. In the USA, Ms. Starkey says that for a Certifed Household Manager “salaries are currently between 42.000 and 105.000 euros per year with benefits, plus housing”.

A BUTLER’S CLIENTS

Butlers are found in all types of fields, such as working for heads of indus-

try, heads of state, embassies, royalty, successful businessmen and businesswomen. In other words, “the domestic private service is usually required by a range of employers; they can include the rich (old and new money), the famous (celebrities of all ages and walks of life), the pretentious, the lonely, the ‘hectic’, the rock star, the quiet family with kids, the jetsetter and the rural farmer”, as Netwon Cross tells us. Mark Johnson concludes that “in some parts of the world, it is not unheard of for a butler to have his or her own business and work on a contract basis for a number of private residences. Sometimes a principal may wish to have a butler available but not be in a position to support a full-time staff member. In this instance a ‘Butler-onDemand©’ works to the benefit of all concerned”.

DRESS CODE

The common viewpoint is that a butler is usually dressed in a specific uniform, composed of ‘striped trousers, tailcoat and white gloves’, but this uniform “is definitely on the wane”. Today, “more modern, casual wear is now expected although a sense of decorum and understated elegance is

still expected. A pair of khaki chinos, golf shirt and boat shoes are quite acceptable”. Usually “private resort / spa / villas all have varying dress codes for their butlers” Mr. Cross explains.

•

OUR ANSWER IS SIX MILLIONS OF TIMES YES. We’re not big because we have six million clients, we’re big since we’re committed to always keep each of them in sight. Aurora’s and Unipol’s insurance experience –now together in UGF Insurance supported by UGF Bank – allows us to provide you with competitive products, integrated solutions and innovative services that come up to private and business needs. That’s why, when someone like UGF is on your side,

MEASURED UP TO YOUR TOMORROW.

IS THERE ANYBODY WHO SEES THE PERSON BEYOND THE CLIENT?

By ELENA MAzzUOLI

LIVING IN A REAL FAIRYTALE CASTLE IS NO LONGER A CHILDHOOD DREAM A castle vacation can be true joy for anyone’s senses, breathing in the historic air between ancient walls and discovering the exciting secrets of noble families with a long, rich tradition.

The new renaissance of the chateaux

In Europe and overseas there are many properties, mainly owner managed, which offer their visitors, inhabitants and staff the charm, diversity, seduction…in a word… the soul of time honored civilizations. Many of these historic buildings look back on a long and eventful history. Some of them changed owners frequently or were partially destroyed in the chaos of war; others were virtually forgotten and fell into ruin through the course of centuries, until they were eventually rediscovered and restored by their present owners; most of them have hosted rich and famous guests…. In an estate on the lake, shortly after his abdication from the throne of English, Edoardo Duca of Windsor wrote about his ‘place of peace’. While in another place, the text was written for the ‘Blue Danube Walz’ by Johann Strauss. More recently, Richard Burton, John Lennon... and many other famous people, have been distinguished guests.

PASSION AND PATIENCE ....

All of these estates, each having its own past and peculiarities, are nevertheless united by the intrinsic virtue of rehabilitating and maintaining historic heritage. This has been possible thanks to the passionate dedication of their owners and collaborators, who allow these places not only to tell their past stories, but also to build new ones.

Staying in a chateaux has become a new trend in the hospitality industry. Tourists have long visited these ancient buildings, but now companies, universities, and other organisations host events in these historical settings. The past blends with the present.

1

..A LOT OF EVENTS

These buildings host a wide range and variety of acrivities. Palaces and castles have always served as gathering spots for artists from around the world. Today’s owners of castles are dedicated to continuing this tradition, hosting special events in their salons such as concerts and exhibitions, but also workshops and conferences. Moreover, these houses can be the perfect setting for family celebrations or even for university, religious and military reunions. And since many of the Inns hold a Civil Wedding Licence, they are a suitable romantic setting for tying the knot. Companies too can make the past a part of their future meetings there. While these hotels offer classic character and legendary hospitality, they also provide the latest in high-speed technology, audiovisual equipment and business services making their salons the ideal location for unforgettable corporate meetings, retreats, conventions and conferences.

TYPE OF WORK IN THE CASTLE

Due to this richness of entrepreneurial activities, one can apply for different types of job positions, ranging from selling positions, to catering, to gardening, to tourist guides, event management…up to very rare jobs one wouldn’t even think about. For instance, the oldest private German raptors center is based in the

People Working at court

01

02 03

Chateaux de Briottires

It couldn’t be more French than this! ”We were the first in France to open the castle doors” explains the owner monsieur François de Valbray. Now this 18th century family château is one of the most beautiful in the region with its rooms, 50 hectares of English parkland and sport facilities ideally situated at the west end of the Châteaux of the Loire circuit. But the spirit of the castle has

01 Guttenberg Castle, one of the oldest private German raptors centers.

02 A medieval event taking place at the Skipton Castle (England).

03 Rocca di Soragna (Italy)Galleria dei Poeti.

remained unchanged. “We think of our guests as friends, not as customers.” Castle employees: “We are looking mainly for local people. We train them and transfer them the spirit of the house…we prefer maybe less experience but a nice smile… we don’t have any receptionist, any baggagist, any sommelier…my wife cooks the dinner for our guests: it’s all a family system”.

2Rocca di Soragna

The old lady.... it is said that the ghost of the house comes once in a while…and she is very funny The fortress was built in 1385 by the Marchesi Bonifacio and Antonio Lupi. It is known as a fine example of early Baroque style. Now it is possible to visit the house by permission of the Prince, Diofebo Meli Lupi.

“I remember” he explains us “as a child, tourists used to come and visit the house on Wednesdays. Little by little, since interest in castles increased, we came to the conclusion that our house was a significant part of our land and culture and therefore a legacy to be shown to people. Visits also contribute to the maintenance of the ‘old lady’ as I like to call her. As such, she always needs some help or some medicament to cure her diseases; so, we organize guided tours to present the house and illustrate our family’s history being both deeply related one to the other”.

Guttenberg Castle and raptors experts take care of 130 birds and handle them during flight shows taking place twice a day. The castle also employs ‘old style carpenters’ who are able to do renovation works, trying to figure out how people used to do that centuries ago. No matter what the area of interest is, passion for history and

tradition, sense of belonging and loyalty are musts to appreciate working in castles.

MARKETING IN THE CASTLE

Most of the properties rely on their promotion by national associations, which gather selected members with the shared aim of promoting their

country’s traditions and cultural heritage. In most cases, these associations are developing very effective marketing campaigns and have even opened branch offices abroad. That’s the case of Chateaus&Hotels Collection (founded in France in the 70s) with an office and dedicated promotional channels in Japan. To strength-

[W briottieres.com burg-guttenberg.de chateauxhotels.com historichotels.org roccadisoragna.com skiptoncastle.co.uk the-silk-road.com

Yalcin Sertkaya is a Turkish amateur photographer. His passion for photography started in 2005. Yalcin enjoys taking pictures of architecture, historical places and landscapes. He usually uses the HDR technique in his pictures, and in this way he manages to combine more than one photo, with different exposures.

People Working at court

3Skipton Castle A

very Yorkshire experience Over 900 years old, it is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England. Now belonging to the Fattorini Family, it is open to tourists and as Mr. Sebastian Fattorini explains , ”the castle benefits from people in two ways; they make it alive and help its upkeep”. Mr. Fattorini says “People who come to the castle want to have a nice day out, want to talk to the members of the staff and want to have a feeling of belonging to something. My staff are local, have a background of the town they are living in and have the particular Yorkshire accent…Obviously, they need to have qualifications according to the job they are doing…but if they haven’t got some of the qualifications and I think they are good enough, I will send them to a course. There’s a variety of different skills and qualifications but it is a factor that they have an interest in history”.

4Burg Guttenberg

Romanticism of the Middle Ages Bernolph Freiherr v. GemmingenGuttenberg, owner of the castle, says “our children are now the 17th generation of Gemmingens living here We try to always keep up renovation works. With 800 year old walls a slow down in investment can have dramatic consequences a couple of years down the road. On average we invest 100 – 200.000 euro

per year in the maintenance of Guttenberg castle We are very careful to preserve the environment around us. We have planted some 200.000 oak plant in the last 5 years. When they will be harvested, it will be 180 years down the road, maybe for the 4th generation or further”.

5….And in China

La Maison Zhu in Janshui, south of China, belongs to the zhu family since the XIX century. It became a hotel in 1999. Its architecture is characterized by wooden pavillions facing little gardens, once home of the concubines. In Beijing Lu Song Yuan used to be the house of a member of the royal family belonging to the Quing Dinasty. It now offers 58 rooms and facilities which provides an ancient way of living such as a teahouse, a study room for the ancient classics, open areas for Tai Chi as well as courtyards to listen to birds singing. The Suzhou Ping Jang Lodge – on the Silk Road - offers a travel back in time, where one can find pieces of relics dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), and also the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976). The traditional ambience also allows one to experience the Chinese culture to its fullest with the stone piano (Qin), Chinese Chess and Checker (Qi), as well as Chinese Brushes and Black Ink Bar for calligraphy (Shu) and painting (Hua).

en their impact, these entities often initiate some cooperation with associations of the same kind. The Historic Hotels of Europe Federation for example represents different European national associations and in turn has an agreement with the Historic Hotels of America, which covers areas such as joint promotions on trade and

consumer shows, website links and exchanges of advertisements in respective directories. Similar networks are also to be found in other regions such as Mexico, Turkey and China, representing a further opportunity to work in this sector.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT

Due to the historic significance of these houses, public administration support sometimes comes into play. In the UK, the National Trust is in charge of the rediscovery and restoration of some cottages, while in the U.S. the Historic Hotels of America is a project of the National Trust.

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th Century Romanesque Revival Place on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The Place was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and a san homage to Richard Wagner. By Yalcin Sertkaya.

By MILAN LEE

Putting a stop to back pain at work

Reducing musculoskeletal problems in the workplace

Catherine Albert from WorkFuture gives an overview of work related health issues and what both individuals and companies can do to reduce musculoskeletal problems in the workplace.

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries and disorders affecting muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, peripheral nerves and associated blood vessels. They can result in pain, stiffness, altered sensation and loss of strength which make work activities extremely difficult. Most work related MSDs are cumulative disorders, resulting from repeated exposures to risk factors over a long period of time rather than one single trauma or event. Although it is not clear to what extent MSDs are caused by work, their impact on working life is huge. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common work-related health problem in Europe, affecting millions of workers. MSDs are the biggest cause of absence from work and account for 50% of absences greater than 3 days (European Commission, 2007). In the US the estimated direct costs amounts to US $20 billion a year with indirect costs as high as $45 billion/year (IOSH 2000).

RISK FACTORS FOR MSDS WITHIN THE OFFICE WORKPLACE

The chances of developing a MSD are higher the greater the exposure to the risk factors and the more risk factors involved. These include: awkward postures, excessive force, highly re-

petitive work and Vibration. Within the office environment the specific risk factors for MSDs are thought to be sustained periods of computer work, awkward postures from poor placement of the computer screen, prolonged use of the keyboard and mouse. However, recent studies now suggest that other factors contribute to the development of musculoskeletal problems. These include mental stress or psychosocial factors such as work load, a lack of control over the work, and the level of support in the workplace. It seems it’s the combination of both physical and psychosocial factors that are likely to result in MSDs such as neck pain.

REDUCING MSD IN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

Interventions aimed at reducing musculoskeletal disorders should be directed at both physical/ergonomic factors and work organizational and psychosocial factors as this combined approach is likely to be more effective than any one measure on its own. Ergonomic interventions include optimising workplace layout, providing ergonomic training to staff, and the selection of appropriate equipment such

01 Wellness Ball by Technogym is a tool which exercises all muscle groups and helps improve flexibility, balance, coordination, and posture. Technogym’s patented technology allows the Wellness Ball to maintain its elastic properties even after continuous use. The wellness tool is allergy tested and made of unscented plastic. [W technogym.com]

as alternative pointing devices or alternate keyboards. At present there is insufficient evidence for implementing changes to work-rest schedules, or providing task rotation or job enlargement.

Organisational interventions include management training in effective supervision and support for staff; when implementing changes within the workplace, use a participatory approach that includes workers in the process of changes; and reduce psychosocial stress by providing employees with greater control over their work to help them deal effectively with time pressures and high workloads. Individual factors can be managed through providing ergonomic training on work techniques to avoid awkward postures and fatigue, and information on good ergonomics and workplace layout.

Personal risk factors for MSDs include smoking, being overweight, or in poor physical shape. Therefore general health promotion in the workplace may also have a role to play in MSD prevention. Physical training has been shown to reduce the recurrence of back pain and neck-shoulder pain so increasing employee physical activity may also help.

MANY PEOPLE WHO WORK IN OFFICES SUFFER FROM BACK PAIN AND OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS which can result in more days off work and higher costs for companies. Furniture companies and health organizations give us an insight on comfortable seating for workplaces.

Workplace Comfortable chairs

01 Vitra Chairless by Alejandro Aravena (2010) is a simple tool for sitting – a textile strap joined into a loop which can be wrapped around the back and knees in order to stabilise the body and relieve tension, while in a seated position. Chairless takes pressure off the back and thigh muscles. Arms and hands can be used for other activities. [W vitra.com]

Innovation.Ergonomics.Design.

Three furniture companies based in Europe give us their insight on chairs and offer various options for different areas within the workplace as well as possible solutions to work related health issues as well.

MANY PEOPLE OFTEN SPEND MORE TIME ON THE OFFICE CHAIR THAN IN BED

Maria Manzitti (De Padova, Italy), says “the starting point for every project is offer comfortable seating for workplaces”. On the other hand, Burkhard Remmers (Wilkhahn, Germany), describes what chairs represent “the office chair is the one piece of furniture that people feel most attached to. They often spend more time on it than in bed. Apart from its function as a piece of equipment in the workplace, the chair also reflects a person’s position in company hierarchy”. Burkhard Remmers also stresses the importance of ergonomics when it comes to seeking solutions that

meet all requirements for work environments “the ideal chair sought is one with a certain cachet which at the same time should boost healthy working and cost as little as possible”.

ERGONOMICS: CHAIRS AND WORK RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS

Marion Hämmerli (Vitra, Switzerland) says “shoulder and neck stiffness are the most common problems caused by office jobs as well as problems with the intervertebral discs in the lumbar zone due to long periods of sitting. Ergonomics is a very important subject throughout the development process of a product, which is why we work together with medical institutions and stay in contact with our customers’ company doctors and other employees related to the health management in order to meet their needs”. Burkhard Remmers points out how “the lack of motion and the so-called ‘ideal’ postures, preached in today’s brochures from manufacturers and ergonomics institutions, lead to limited metabolic functions and weak muscles. These in turn cause muscle strain and degenerative complaints. Movement is vital if the body is to work properly - but not the type of movement that entails a work-out or putting it under strain, but that stimulates it. The body, its muscles, the spine, the joints and the whole metabolism require stimulation and receptors to keep body and mind fit”. As a matter of fact, Wilkhahn has been

working with physiotherapy and research specialists for more than 30 years. Companies also make sure their products meet certain standards. De Padova particularly pays attention to legislation, as Maria Manzitti explains “our company provides standard or custom products of great quality, in compliance with national and international standards and regulations, which have a particular impact in the contract sector”.

A Hundred Years — A Hundred Chairs

An exibition of The Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein (Germany). Drawings, sketches and documents belonging to the Vitra Design Museum accompany the chairs on display. Visitors are given precise details of the pieces on show, which are exhibited in specially designed interiors evoking the historical context in which they were created. Six films reveal the manufacturing process of some of the chairs, giving the spectator general insight into different production techniques. [W design-museum.de] 04 Tube Chair © Studio Joe Colombo, Milan

Useful tips for our posture

Incorporatating stretch/ exercise breaks throughout the work day can help reduce pain and discomfort.

1. To stretch the neck and shoulders, sit in a chair and interlace fingers in front of you. Bring arms overhead, then draw your shoulders and chin back. (Hold for 10 seconds!).

2. Standing tall with hands above your hips and elbows pointing back, bend back slightly from waist and return to upright position. (Repeat 10 times).

3. To stretch hands and forearms, sit in a chair with your arms stretched out in front of you. Starting with the right hand, extend fingers back one by one and hold each finger for 5 seconds. Creating a user-friendly work station can help workers ensure correct posture positioning, such as:

1. Having the top of the computer screen at eye level

2. Keeping the keyboard on a flat surface. Shoulders should be relaxed with arms hanging comfortably by the sides, elbows bent 90 degrees and wrists in a neutral position.

3. Locating the mouse at the same level as the keyboard, immediately beside it. Suggestions by Dr. Wagner, osteopathic physician of the American Osteopathic Association. [W osteopathic.org]

CHAIRS FOR DIFFERENT AREAS AT WORK

The furniture companies we have interviewed give an overview of comfortable chairs that may suitable for different areas within workplaces which go from meeting rooms and reception areas to cafeterias and relaxing areas, including task chairs and executive chairs. Wilkhahn offers several different ranges and multipurpose seating as Burkhard Remmers points out “because we don’t think in terms of separate products, but in whole product families, our office chair ranges can cover categories such as conference, seminar, counter/reception”. Wilkhahn presents the Modus range as their bestseller which is considered “the benchmark in high quality office chairs that encourage dynamic sitting”. Following the Modus range is Wilkhahn’s new ON range which “has become an ergonomic

yardstick worldwide”. According to Burkhard Remmers “in addition to different office chair models, ON can also offer conference chairs, stackable four-legged chairs and cantilevers, so that furnishings perfectly co-ordinate”. Vitra proposes an innovative solution with the Headline range. As Marion Hämmerli says, Vitra’s HeadLine range “not only provides optimal support in the lumbar zone, but also pays attention to vulnerable areas that have previously been neglected –the shoulders, neck and head”. Marion Hämmerli moves on to explain the advantages of HeadLine seating as opposed to conventional office chairs which may cause muscle strain and tension “the flexible, elongated backrest is suspended from the frame at the critical points of the lower back and neck by means of articulated joints. In the upright position, most of the supportive function is focused on the lumbar zone. When the sitter leans back, the shoulders sink into the back panel and the upper backrest extension tilts forward to support the head. This prevents muscle strain in the neck and shoulder areas. Contrary to conventional office chairs, in which users find themselves gazing at the ceiling in the reclined position, HeadLine maintains a horizontal line of sight with the sitter’s eyes directed towards the computer monitor”. •

Using Ergonomics in the Office Environment

By Catherine Albert

COMPUTER MONITORS

• Ensure the screen is directly in front to reduce any twisting of the neck and back.

• Position the top of the screen slightly below eye level to reduce bending of the neck. This may be lower for individuals that wear bifocals/trifocals.

• Position the screen at an arm’s distance from the user.

• Position the screen to avoid reflections from windows and lights.

KEYBOARDS

• Place keyboard directly in front of the user to reduce twisting.

• Do not rest on a wrist rest while typing.

INPUT DEVICES

• Place the mouse close to the side of the keyboard.

• Ensure elbows are by the side when using the mouse – don’t reach forward or to the side.

• Do not rest on a wrist rest while using the mouse or angle the wrist.

• Do not hold the hand in mid-air over the mouse when the mouse is not in use.

DOCUMENT HOLDER

• Use a document holder that sits between the screen and the keyboard.

• Do not position the document flat on the desk next to the keyboard as this leads to twisting and bending of the neck.

• If you need to write on the documents, you should choose a ‘read and write document holder’.

HEADSETS

• Do not cradle the phone between the shoulder and ear.

• Use a headset if you need to write or type while using the phone.

Younow Chair: Face2face. Constituted of «+» and «x» symbols which can be linked in infinite combinations, the piece entitled Face2face, is an invitation to meet, to unite, to add and multiply forces. Every element is adjustable in multiple positions and exists in different colors, allowing us to endlessly reinvent new configurations, new ways to meet each other until we invent a common ground. [W florencejaffrain.com]

Actuality Greece crisis

By THRASY PETROPOULOS

PEOPLE

AND BUSINESSES STRUGGLE TO COME TO

TERMS

WITH THE FALLOUT FROM GREECE’S DEBILITATING

DEBT CRISIS.

The Athens News Editor gives an update on the crisis and discusses personal interviews which offer an inside perspective into the current events in Greece.

Remembering work in Greece

Petros Kapsalis would have been forgiven for thinking he was digging a gold mine when, 15 years ago, he helped his brother and father excavate the hole that would contain the swimming pool at their family’s hotel on the Ionian island of Zakynthos. The 42-year-old now speaks with undisguised nostalgia when he recalls the decade that followed, when the hotel ran at near full capacity from May to October. There have been just five bookings at the hotel so far this season and he is pinning his hopes on last-minute bookings from midJune. “I’ve had people calling me from England asking how much a beer and a sandwich are”, he says. “They’ve heard so much about the austerity measures here and how expensive Greece has got and they’re frightened. I tell them the cost of beer hasn’t changed. I’ll absorb that price rise for now. But how can I go on doing that when it costs 27 euros for a bottle of vodka, up 40% from last year”. Petro’s story is representative of thousands of others across the country as people and businesses struggle to come to terms with the fallout from the country’s debilitating debt crisis.

GREECE FALLS FROM GRACE

With a budget deficit of 13.6% of GDP and a public debt of 310bn euros, the country was – in Prime Minister George Papandreou’s words – effectively bankrupt before the EU and IMF established a three-year, 110bn euro bailout fund. The package guarantees 80bn euros in EU bilateral loans at 5% interest, and a further 30bn euros from the IMF at 2.75%. In the days immediately before the bailout was agreed, borrowing rates on the open market topped 10%. The trade-off has been the introduction of unprecedented austerity measures that have seen rises in taxes, deep cuts in public sector salaries and sweeping pension changes that foresees the entire workforce working significantly longer for less. The aim is to cut spending by 36bn euros over three years and lower the budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2013, the maximum level allowed for eurozone members.

No one could have anticipated such a fall from grace during the market optimism that greeted the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2002. In traditional cafes across the country, people now discuss the merits of returning to the drachma, despite the many visible benefits and economic stability the European currency has brought. “What’s the difference?” says hotelier Petros. “The cost of living. It’s killing us. We were once the cheap destination of Europe. Now people are travelling elsewhere – Bulgaria, Turkey –there are so many countries cheaper than here”.

STATISTICAL DECLINE

Tourism, which accounts for a fifth of the country’s 240bn euro economy and employs one in five workers is down 10% so far this year, following a similar trend in 2009. And the killing of three workers during a firebomb attack on an Athens bank during antiausterity protests on May 5 have done nothing to improve the image of the country abroad. There were, according to the Athens-Attica Hotels Association, 27.000 nights cancelled in the capital’s hotels in the days after the incident. Travel websites have since been awash with potential tourists asking whether the country is safe. With the issuing of building permits – the key indicator in the previously booming construction industry – also showing a 20% decline this year, the unemployment rate has crept above 12% and is expected to rise further. For 18-24-year-olds the rate is 30%. ICAP, a regional business services

01

The Great Place to Work® Institute list has been a very useful tool which helps us to undertake a benchmarking against ourselves and against the best organizations across different sectors. This endeavor has been very useful in aiding us to create an improved, better managed, healthier, and well organized company. This journey to excellence, the effort and its beneficial outcome is

what matters to us. Based on the experience, the achievements and the learning of the contest we are working together with our people, with positive attitude, open communication, inspiration and trust across all levels of employees and movement. Contrary to other organizations, we invest in staff development and empowerment and we focus on our employees with commitment because our people are important to us. Trying together, management and personnel, we create innovative ideas that will help us pass through the crisis safely and lead our company to a new era. [W psimitis.gr]

Elina Psimitis, President and CEO of Psimitis Greece, offers ideas on

how excellent companies can survive the economic crisis.

01 — 02 The images on the left on in this page come from vases (“Greek Vases. Gods, Heroes and Mortals” [2010]

01 The situation represents two men using sticks to knock down olives, with a boy collecting the fallen fruit. This harvesting scene is

group, announced in mid-May that one in three Greek enterprises reported losses last year, with the manufacturing showing an 18.7% decline (or 4.2bn euros) and sales in commerce down 8.7% (296mln euros).

individual perspectives

At the same time, consumer tax (VAT) has been increased to 23% and a oneoff levy of 4% is being applied on corporate profits of up to 300.000 euros. For profits over 5 million euros that rises to 10 percent. The doom and gloom pervading an outlook that forecasts the economy to contract by 4 percent this year (recently revised upwards from 2 percent by the government) and 2.6 percent in 2011 does, however, belie the fact that some areas have managed to partially buck the trend. Asked how the difficult economic situation has affected the airline industry, Terry Flynn, Emirates manager for Greece and Albania, points out that first-quarter traffic at Athens International Airport was positive this year, with 3.17 million

symbolic of the traditional Greek way of life, its economy, people, and culture, which are now threatened by the crisis. Greeks are

passengers and 44,600 flights, an increase in 10.4% and 5.2% respectively on last year’s figures. “Demand on the Athens-Dubai route [for Emirates] remains strong,” he says. “And as June-July are peak times for Greece, a healthy growth is expected”. He also emphasizes the airline has managed to increase staffing levels at a time when others are cutting back. Other difficulties, such as the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland and the “challenging” business environment globally should be borne in mind when analyzing the situation in Greece, he said. Beyond tourism, Greece is, of course, dependant on shipping. And here, too, there has been no escape from the financial troubles. Though trade remains healthy enough due to the global nature of the industry and shipping companies receive generous tax breaks, questions remain about the vi-

looking for ways “to pick up the pieces” and create a better future for their fragmented country.

02 Achilles bandages Patroklos

ability of the next generation of ships and ship owners. “The main difference is that ship owners just can’t get mortgages”, explains an established ship broker, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It’s slowing down new buildings and the purchases of second-hand vessels. And we’re not just talking about the new boys. Traditional family ship owners will always be looking to renew their fleets. The banks aren’t supporting them, and when they do the rates and terms just don’t make sense”.

Perhaps most worrying for the economy, those same owners were part of a trend that recently saw, according to local media, billions transferred out the country when there were fears of default – or at least a restructuring of the country’s debt. “Every ship owner I know has done it”, says the broker. “The government says savings are safe but what you’re told here isn’t always what ends up happening”.

Europe helps Greece

Images: © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, taken from the book Greek Vases: Gods, Heroes and Mortals published by Scala Publishers Ltd

As in the picture, Europe is running to help Greece. The aid was pre-meditated. Germany, for example, doesn’t understand the reason why men must work ‘from the top to the bottom’ to save a corrupt country, which is certainly not virtuous in industrial terms and entrepreneurial dynamism. The agreement between Greece and Europe supposed that the aid will be done in a period of ‘tears and blood’. In terms of the reconstruction of the public account of the country.

Joining the company Keeping trust in relationships

By PINA DRASKOVICH

ExECUTIVE SEARCH CONSULTANTS ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING TRUSTED CONSULTANTS and an important link between a company and its candidates. This link creates a deep and long-term relationship which provides consistant value for all parties involved.

The power of relationships

INTERMEDIARY ROLE

The main role of a Head Hunter is to act as an intermediary between the company’s needs and the profiles of candidates; searching for the perfect minds and skills to match up, according to Frank Smeekes, Board Member and Managing Director, DHR Europe. He states that “in Europe, we maintain constant contact with our clients as we are organized in industries (consumer, technology, financial services) or functions board practice, CFO, CIO practice. As we work by practice we understand the trends, the opportunities and the challenges both nationally and internationally”.

Building long-term relationships with clients requires a lot of contact with them.

In order to stay informed throughout the search process, it is important to not only listen to what they need,

but to also provide them with competitive intelligence (salary requirements, organization structures, succession planning).

“This helps them understand the main challenges when trying to attract the best talent and allows them to react accordingly” states Sal DiFranco, Executive Vice President & Global Technology Practice Leader, DHR Chicago, USA. He continues “when we are engaged in an assignment with a client, one of our first ‘To Do’s’ is to set up a weekly phone call with key stakeholders, from the client organization, and the Search Team”.

Behind this way of handling the relationship with clients, the philosophy, according to Christine Greybe, President DHR International Hong Kong, “is to build lasting partnerships with our clients, acting as both a consultant and an advisor”.

A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON HOW THE MARKET MOVES

The macro trends vary from continent to continent according to the DHR managers interviewed. “Most companies have been very conservative during the past 18 months in Asia”, says Gary Williams, Managing Director, DHR Southeast Asia. “The trend is that they are looking for people to take their businesses to the next level –so candidates must be able to discuss key accomplishments in a very specific manner – not just growing a business. Clients are tending to identify a key trait, beyond just a star performer, as someone whom is able to be innovative, think outside the box, quickly identify market opportunities / quickly turn into results (…) As a result, candidates must demonstrate the ability to be able to contribute longer term to the business beyond their specific job function (…) finally, clients want to ensure

Factors evaluated by candidates during the outplacement, including the decision to go abroad.

• Company culture and chemistry with the leadership team.

• In Asia – brand name of organization– as well as title, role and responsibilities

• Long-term opportunities

• Opportunities to grow into regional roles – for the most part Asian Nationals (exception South Asia – India, etc.) candidates are not as mobile as Westerners due to tighter family unit structure (parents, inlaws, relatives typically live close to each other)

• Salary considerations

• Considerations regarding moving expenses, costs associated with the sale of an existing home, schooling for children, etc.

• Support offered by the organization to learn the new culture and language

Relationship between a HH and a company

• Understand the company’s culture, business objectives, strengths and weaknesses

• Understand the past and present types of people the company has had, who are successful, and why

• Set an expectation level

• Ensure all parties are on the same page

• Send engagement updates

• Detail the current search strategy, accomplishments, upcoming activities, committed milestone delivery dates

• Proactively engage the company to ensure that they understand what points they need to discuss with each candidate during the interviews

• Openly discuss with the company regarding their view of the ‘Fit Assessment’

• Create constant and proactive communication

For over 20 years DHR International has been a leading, privately held provider of executive search solutions with more than 40 wholly-owned offices spanning the globe. DHR’s renowned consultants specialize in all industries and functions in order to provide unparalleled senior-level executive search, management assessment and succession planning services tailored to the unique qualities and specifications of our select client base.

Frank Smeekes

The “best profile” in this moment in history (following DHR manager’s experience) is:

DHR

Europe Sal DiFranco

DHR Headquarters Chicago, USA

Gary Williams

DHR Southeast Asia

Alan Small DHR Canada Joseph C. Huddle DHR, New York

Christine Greybe DHR Hong

Kong

Professional Services 2,3% Non-Profit 4,30% Life Science Healtcare 12,7% Technology 15,4% Consumer Production 18,6%

Others 0,8%

that candidates have stuck through the good times and bad times with a company – not just left when the company encountered difficult times, etc” adds Gary Williams

Europe is behind Asia and the US in terms of economic recovery according to Frank Smeekes: “Therefore companies are hesitant to make changes (…). In addition executives are risk averse. We see still an upswing in those companies who are in industries which are recession resilient (Example: pharma, energy, healthcare) and innovators”. Alan Small, Managing Director DHR Canada states, “In Canada with unemployment still at historical highs, there remains the perception that it is a buyers market”. He adds, “As a result, there is considerable competition for available positions, a general reduction in salary levels”.

Financial 22,4% Others 0,8%

In this way, we can say that in today’s market, companies are looking for very specific profiles, depending on the job. “Clients are very selective about when they use executive search. Candidates will have a tougher time ‘reinventing’ themselves, the best thing they can do is leverage their relevant skill set and career experience rather than try to launch into a new career field” says Joseph C. Huddle, Executive Vice President, Global Industrial & Supply Chain Practice New York.

LEVERAGE USED

The search for a new candidate is an art, and in this crisis period it has become even more difficult as Head Hunters are obligated to use particular leverages. “If you can get a candidate to where they want to go, fast- •

have some recruitment tailwind, so to speak”, says Joseph C. Huddle. “Also, when we’re representing a client who has a strong balance sheet, is making money and sees opportunity for growth, you’ll have a good amount of leverage” he adds. Sometimes it is enough to talk about opportunities, according to Sal DiFranco: “I’ve had the same approach for over 20 years with candidates, it never hurts to talk and hear what the opportunity is. I’m not asking them to switch jobs, I’m asking them to take a look at it and make an intelligent decision based on all the facts”. A Head Hunter is especially a trusted advisor for the client and the candidates. “Our reputation is not just based on placements – it is based upon successful placements”, adds Gary Williams.

1. A global experience 2. An experience with differentsized companies 3. A steady career progression with increasing responsibilities 4. Ability to add value to the organization 5. Potential for further growth 6. Visionary capacity 7. Passion 8. Capacity to motivate and stimulate a team North America 39,6

Financial 22,4%

AESC Association of Executive Search Consultants - Report 2009 Data for the report is collected from a consistent sample of AESC member search firms representing the activity of over 1500 executive search consultants in 46 countries worldwide. Market Share by Region Market Breakdown by Industry

Professional Services 2,3% Non-Profit 4,30% Life Science Healtcare 12,7% Technology 15,4% Consumer Production 18,6%

About The Association of Executive Search Consultants

The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) is the worldwide professional association for the retained executive search industry. The AESC promotes the highest professional standards in retained executive search consulting, broadens public understanding of the executive search process, and serves as an advocate for the interests of its member firms. For more information, or to download the AESC Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Guidelines, please visit: [W aesc.org]

Appointments Global overview

THE MANAGERS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION have been placed in their new position by DHR which is ranked #1 in geographic coverage providing global executive search service. Established in 1989, it is the fifth largest retained executive search firm in the U.S.

Movers and shakers

Jim (James) Orchard is currently Board Member, CEO of Mark IV LLC and CEO of Mark IV Automotive, a company which is the globally diversified leader in automotive and duty Power Transmission Systems, Air Intake and Cooling Systems, Information Display systems for bus, rail and aircraft markets and Toll Processing Technology. James, in his 40-year career in the field, has been COO at Noble International, PresidentNorth America and Comex Board Member of Faurecia, President of Visteon North America and Asia Operations and was the first and only non-German member of the Management Board of zF Friedrichschafen AG as CEO of their North and South operations. His career started at Dana Corporation where he spent 20 years in a variety of management positions.

Patrick Simon is currently the COO of Rustan’s Supermarket in the Philippines, responsible for the company’s 30+ supermarkets. In 27 years of experience he has been the China Retail Operations Director and Acting Managing Director of A.S. Watson Group responsible for ParknShop. Prior to that, Simon was the Hypermarket Director of Carrefour China. Earlier in his career he was the Business Unit Operations Director for S.A. Wickes Continental, a “Do-It-Yourself” (supermarket chain) in Belgium & Southern Netherlands. He began his career with Walt Disney Company as the Area Manager Merchandise Shop Operations in Paris, France. Simon holds a degree in Business & Marketing Management from I.E.S.P. in Jonfosse, Belgium.

Abe Salloum has recently been promoted to Senior Vice President responsible for Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering at Harman Automotive. Abe Salloum started his career in the automotive industry as a Manufacturing manager/Specialist at Mazda Motor Manufacture in Flat-Rock Michigan where he kept the position until 1996 when he moved to Grimaldi Group as Operations and Logistics Manager. After he moved to General Motors as Orion Production manager he then proceeded with his career in Key-Plastic as Division Quality Manager. In 1999 he moved to TRW Automotive and occupied different managerial positions.

Illustrations by Mariko Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan

Juan José Dabou since June 2006, has been the Managing Director of the World Bank, responsible for the Bank’s operations in 74 countries. In addition, Juan oversees other administrative Vice-Presidencies and functions, including the Information Systems Group (ISG) and the Department of Institutional Integrity (INT).

Prior to joining the World Bank, Juan served concurrently as El Salvador’s Minister of Finance and Chief of Staff to the President. He led family-owned businesses for nearly a decade before joining the Board of CEL, El Salvador’s electric utility, and he presided over El Salvador’s electric distribution companies.

Subsequently, he was named President of ANTEL, the state-owned telecommunications company. Juan holds a BS, MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Caroline Brereton is the CEO of Mississauga Community Care Access Center. She has a 25 year career in various Health Care and Educational roles, most recently as VP of People, Corporate and Clinical Support Services. Caroline received a Bachelor of Administrative Studies at York University and then continued her studies with an MBA at Queens University. She is a registered nurse as well.

Soojin Seok is Head of Diabetes Care, for Abbott Labs, Korea. She leads all business functions and defines the organization’s long-range strategic plan within the country. Prior to this role, she was the Country Manager for Haemonetics Korea, a global leader in automated blood processing systems. Previously, Soojin was also the Regional Sales Manager at Medtronic. She spent several years with Baxter Korea in a variety of product management and sales roles. She holds an MBA in Marketing from the Graduate School of Management at Korea University and a BSc in Nursing from the Korean Armed Forces Nursing Academy.

Tyler Fleming is Director, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI). Graduated with Hon B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, Tyler Fleming has extensive experience in Government and most recently in the private sector as a senior consultant, specializing in consulting corporations on communications and government outreach strategies.

Quentin Tse is now the Global Vice President of Sourcing for Ericsson Services Inc, a global leader in the development of Wireless Infrastructure Services. Prior to joining Ericsson, Quentin ran global sourcing for all indirect expenses for Alcatel-Lucent, also a leader in Wireless and Wireline Telecommunication Services; and spent several years with Goodyear, Siemens, and General Electric in different Supply Chain and Purchasing roles. He holds a Master of Science in Electronics & Computers from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.

To be cool Design ideas

Red Dot Design Award

The Red Dot Design Award is the largest and most renowned design competition in the world. It is divided into three categories: Product Design, Communication Design, Design Concept. Presented annually by the Design zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen (Germany), it has been marking outstanding product designs since 1955. The award-winning products are presented to an international public at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen. The winners will be listed on their online exhibition for at least one year, starting from the day of the award ceremony. Additionally, all companies and designers who participated in the competition will be listed in an online index. [W red-dot.de]

AirPress Pen/Tombow (red dot). Ideal innovative design for any writing situation: overhead, dusty surroundings, wet paper, or outdoors. Designer Access design, Corp. [W tomboweurope.com]

2010 Two Best of the Best Awards for Product Design

Tandberg Performance Mic 20 Wideband table microphone from Tandberg (Lysaker, Norway). Designer Tandberg Design Team (Lysaker, Norway). [W tandberg.com]

Diffrient World Chair Sustainable highperformance task chair from Humanscale (New York, USA). Designer Niels Diffrient (New York, USA). [W humanscale.com]

[honorable mention]

N@t/Rossin Trendy lounge chair from Rossin Srl/GmbH (Egna/ Laghetti – Neumarkt/Laag, Italy). Designer Martin Ballendat (Simbach am Inn, Germany). [W rossin.it]

[honorable mention] Bite/Bisley Office Equipment Multi-feature mobile desk associated storage. Designer Bisley Office Equipment (Newport, UK). [W bisley.co.uk]

Photo credits • Roberto Benzi, Italy and Ireland • Sergio Montes, Mexico

Madeline Perry Banbridge Ireland

Grishka Guzmán is a Marketing manager for Microsoft Mexico and she is also the former owner of the Academia Culinaria AACC. She is the mother of two 6 year old twins. One of her most passionate hobbies is cooking and teaching the fundamentals of cooking skills and techniques, as well as patisserie. She sometimes travels around the world to cook with renowned pastry chefs and to visit cooking expos, to stay up to date on cooking related trends. When she travels abroad she always visits markets to research new flavors, colors and aromas, and she enjoys having an extraordinary gastronomic experience by spending time with local people. Grishka believes that “people are what they eat” and her statement is that “we are here in this world just to enjoy life and to be happy”. She thinks that if a person has a dream, he or she must never give it up because“if you go for what you desire and what you want your dreams

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Advice from Demetra Dossi for the ‘Grishka Style’. For Grishka, seeing her love for ethnic accessories and clothes, I chose products inspired by the warm lands of the East. I selected items with intense colors like brown and purple or bright colors like pink and turquoise. I chose clothes to wear in multiple occasions like the Odd Molly silk dress and I selected some products from the new collection of Chanel: Les Pop Up.

01 Ipanema sandals (25€) 02 Chanel Les Pop Up nail polish (20€) 03 Brioni bags (price on request) 04 Odd Molly silk dress (268€) 05 Chanel Les Pop Up lip gloss (23€)

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come true”, and she really means it. Over the past six years, she has been teaching people how to cook and she is spreading the history and culinary message of other cultures, by explaining their cooking and eating traditions. She is passionate about Mexican wine and two years ago, she found the treasure of Mexican grapes through wine tasting sessions.

Inspired by this finding, one year ago she created a gastronomic community where attendees bring a recipe from around the world, discuss it, cook it, enjoy it with a fine wine and then they make a report to up-load on the web. Indeed, Grishka also has a great passion for blogging and baking. She has a huge blog http://chefpastelero.blogspot.com with 45.720 hits in only three months, where she explains how one can create some of her favorite recipes.

Fabrice Leclerc

Doing “the right thing” for business, people and the planet is the belief of Fabrice Leclerc. In 2008, he was the Founder of “la vallée éternelle” in France, a biodiversity sanctuary, UNESCO World Heritage site, habitat of 50 protected species and one of the most ancient valleys on earth. Fabrice started learning the “rules of nature” during 6 years of medicine and veterinary studies and with various nature expeditions worldwide. Fabrice Leclerc has a highly proactive approach to Corporate Responsibility and to▲

spreading the new concept of a ‘top performer’. He believes in inspiring and illuminating others regarding social responsibility and the role nowadays of a ‘top performer’. He is Professor of ‘Innovation’, ‘Green Business’ as well as ‘Business Instinct’ courses in the Fashion Experience and Design MBA program at SDA Bocconi University in Milan. For the MBA of Luxury Goods LVMH program, he is Professor of ‘Corporate Responsibility and Green Business Conversion’. Using his experience from more than 17 years as the Managing Director of international companies such as Diageo, General Mills and L’Oréal International, he has recently started a new project in Switzerland. ▲

Advice from Demetra Dossi for the ‘Fabrice Style’. For Fabrice I selected minimal and charming products. I opted for a jacket by the designer Ermenegildo zegna, a flowing watch by Swatch and a pair of organic jeans made with cotton and bamboo by Timberland. Finally I chose the iPad, the new table computer created by Apple.

01 Apple iPad (499€) 02 Timberland sandals (100€) 03 watch by Swatch Colour Codes (38€) 04 Ermenegildo zegna jacket (price on request) 05 Tilt Dual Fit Earthkeepers Timberland jeans (99€)

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The ‘Business Farmer project’isaspecialand symbolichub,aplace whereallthegreenbrains in the world connect throughthewebtomeet upandexchangeideas.The aimistounleashcreativity byputtingtogetherthe most diverse skills and cultures,creatingradically new and fresh ideas and businessmodels.Byhelping anyonewhohasgreat ideas in how to finance intellectualpropertyand share it with the world, theprojectcreatesgreen opportunitieswhichwere impossibleinthepast. In 2010, Fabrice received theprestigiousPatagonia/ Yvon Chouinard award. ■

Madeline Perry is one of the top 10 squash WISPA Tour players in the world. She began playing at the age of 11 at a club based in Queens, Halifax and has played professionally for 10 years. Her best results so far have been in the World Open Semi-Final 2008, British Open Final 2009, and Irish Open 2009. She led the Irish team at the Women’s World’s in Canada in 2006 as she reached the quarter finals. Facing many challenges both on and off the field, Madeline has battled against food poisening, a knee injury in 2006 and a head injury in 2007. One of her career highlights was in 2009 when she beat world number one Nicol David 11/9.

Born on 11/02/1977 in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, Madeline has other interests besides her passion for sport. She received a BSc in Geography at Queens University. Her ambition is to go to the base camp of Mount Everest. Her hobbies are watching sport, watercolor painting, and taking photographs. She doesn’t have any definite future plans, but would like to continue being involved in the squash sport in some way.

Advice from Demetra Dossi for the ‘Madeline Style’. For Madeline I opted for a dynamic and summer look. I chose a multicolor dress by Accessorize that can be worn with a pair of olive green plastic sandals created by Kartell in collaboration with Normaluisa, or a pair of more sophisticated shoes like those of Alberto Guardiani. I selected an elegant ring by Bulgari and a golden clutch by Accessorize.

01 Kartel shoes (115 €) 02 Bulgari ring (790 €) 03 Alberto Guardiani leather sandals (368 €) 04 Accessorize clutch bag (39 €) 05 Accessorize dress (21,60 €)

orange little secrets

Workplace Industrial heritage

By LOUIS BERGERON

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE WORKPLACES (IHW). Over the last three centuries, a long story of complex relationships has existed between ‘Art’ and ‘Industry’.

I.H.W. revisited as ‘Art Containers’

Since the 18th and more clearly since the mid-19th century, art and artists have closely collaborated on the enhancement of new industrial techniques in such product fields as crystal, ceramics, metals or wood; and luxury fabrics applied for instance to the arts de la table or to the various sectors of affluent classes’ domestic life(1). Later, the great challenge of iron, steel and concrete began, succeeding in creating the new aesthetics of architecture for industry, while many industrially manufactured items were becoming a favorite prey of the modern design discipline (just think of the automobile industry), and to its rather dictatorial imprint.

Towards the end of the 20th century however, the above mentioned relationship went through a deep transformation. In the aftermath of de-industrialization, a main problem (among others) arose: under which conditions could a number of huge industrial buildings (endowed with a significant value) be adequately re-used and, consequently, safeguarded?(2)

Among a whole range of possible choices, one has appeared as a favourite: some of those monuments and workplaces might well be conserved in the new role of containers of art

On this point, the connection between art and the former function of the concerned workplace has been disrupted. The latter serves completely different

activities, which in turn offer opportunities for a long term survival of the premises. On the other hand, talking about containers of art remains ambiguous: it can regard artists and their production, or works of art – something like a museum.

For decades, industrial halls with huge spaces have been fitting the needs of large collections or of different kinds of important shows. It often happens that empty spaces with many undefined possible vocations are instead used by dance, theater, music schools, groups, and performances – at least until a more precise function is assigned to them, on mining or ironworks sites for instance.

FRANCE

In France, a few miles north of Paris, in Saint-Denis city, Luc Besson is developing the project of a European City of cinema, around the site of a wonderful 1933 thermo-electrical power plant - a prestigious architecture that will be entirely preserved thanks to a project by the Robert & Reichen Agency.

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(1) See, for instance, L’Art de vivre. Decorative Arts and Design in France 17891989, Cooper-Hewitt Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, The Vendome Press, New York, 1989.

(2) This has been the theme for a DVD produced in 2003 with the help of one of the cultural programs of the European Commission, under the title: The Dinosaurs of Industrial Heritage.

In Loos-en-Gohelle (France, Pas-deCalais) in 1998, the association Common Culture, under the leadership of a dynamic woman sociologist, took hold of the salle des pendus (the former miners’ changing-room) at the 11/19 Pit, for the purpose of offering cultureal activities to the inhabitants of dozens of towns. The space is now at the disposal of artists for training and creation: some teams are busy bringing back to life the coal mines’ historic heritage, while

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01 Gasometer with image of the sun.

Photo by Wolfgang Volz

02 The ‘largest moon on earth’ in the Oberhausen Gasometer Sculpture and photo by Wolfgang Volz

03 View of the Grand-Hornu esplanade

04 —05 The new building at the World Heritage zollverein: The SANAA Building, composed by the Japanese architects Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima, offers surprising prospects and insights. Photo by Thomas Willemsen

06 The impressive industrial architecture of the Coking Plant’s coke oven battery is 800 metres long. The official opening of the Ruhr. 2010 took place here on January 9, 2010. Photo by Thomas Willemsen

others are presenting new artistic practices, thus winning official recognition at the national level.

BELGIUM

Not far from there, in Grand-Hornu (Hainaut), a Museum of Contemporary Art was inaugurated in 2002 within the prestigious walls of one of the cradles of early 19th century industrialization in Wallonia. It was intended to make the population sensitive to contemporary art, in the middle of a culturally deprived region, but also to inform others about the new technologies helping arts in progress

GERMANY

Following the same underground line of coal and of open air landmarks of the iron and steel industry, one meets in Bochum (Ruhr district) the famous Jahrhundert Halle (built on the eve of the 20th century) where, in 20022004, the first Ruhr-Triennale took place under the artistic direction of Gérard Mortier - an annual festival dedicated to theatrical, musical and visual arts creation, possibly inspired by the majestic space of that industrial monument. More generally speaking, the whole Ruhr district, namely during the decade of the Internationale Bau Austellung Emscher-Park (19901999), seems to have been driven by the motto ‘Kunst statt Kohle’ ‘Art instead of Coal’, as columnist Rosemarie Noack wrote in Die Zeit in 1999, as if large sectors of the population were eager to catch up on a long history of cultural backwardness. So, for instance, the huge gasometer (116 m high, 67 m in diameter) in Oberhausen and its entirely metallic structure – the biggest of its kind in Europe –has become a place for exhibitions and cultural events such as theatrical shows and concerts. On another scale, in the same period, Zollverein Colliery Shaft XII (later on the World Heritage List) was designated by the City of Essen to become the seat of the North Rhineland-Westphalian Region. In a very similar spirit, the Völklingen Ironworks (Saarland, near Saarbrücken), registered on the World Heritage List in 1994, since 2001 has been re-founded as a cultural centre for exhibitions, various kinds of events, and a museum. Even previous to that new definition, one of the major buildings on the site, the com-

Workplace Industrial heritage

pressors hall with its perfectly preserved blowing engines, had begun since 1991 to welcome symphony concerts or sessions of dance theater. From iron culture to culture factory, art workshops and innovation centre, such are the new themes and ambitions, combined with the respectful memory of the industrial monument.

ITALY

One must mention two particularly daring initiatives. In the western periphery of the city of Rome, the historic Montemartini electric powerplant, built in a kind of neo-classical style, has become an important museum of classical archaeology after some parts of the sculptures belonging to the collections of the Capitol Museum were moved therein.

In Turin, at the Lingotto former FIAT factory, a tremendous variety of re-uses has included two spectacular tributes to the new alliance between derelict industrial buildings and the promotion of art. The first one is the G. and M. Agnelli art gallery, located on the top of the main building: inaugurated in September 2002, it presents twenty-five masterpieces of European

painting from their private collection, and also comprises rooms for temporary exhibitions. The other is the large underground auditorium conceived by Renzo Piano, equipped with the most updated technologies, a leading concert hall in Europe. Another example comes from the cinema industry which has also established a connection with derelict industrial sites of large dimensions: in Papigno, close to Terni (Umbria), the film Pinocchio was produced inside the walls of a closed-down important electro-chemicals business.

GREAT BRITAIN

Why not make reference to the Tate Museum in Albert Dock, Liverpool – a glorious British accomplishment from the end of the past century? In

fact, the conversion there concerned a famous 19th century port warehouse – not an industrial workplace. Nonetheless, Albert Dock is viewed as a successfully re-adapted monument of industrial architectural heritage. Let us suggest a conclusion – provisional until it is confirmed in the passing of time. Art taking advantage of big empty spaces abandoned by industry does not simply mean local communities taking hold of easy to catch opportunities for meeting their unsatisfied cultural needs, as a sort of a revenge. It also points to an emerging awareness of hidden affinities which link technical feats to artistic creativity, and to the will to use artistic performance and creativity as a tribute paid to the preservation of a meaningful memory of industry, labour and workers.

07 Symbolic image of the industrialization process. Photo by Brigida González © Ruhr Museum 08 Early coal mining iron and steel production. Photo by Brigida González © Ruhr Museum 09 Montemartini Electric Power-plant. Photo by Mimmo Frassineti

Work cities California

TIMES ARE TOUGH IN CALIFORNIA - new gadgets are still delighting customers, Yosemite is still beautiful and Hollywood is still filling theaters, but the state is facing major economic difficulties

Golden State still brilliant?

California isn’t alone - in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the US economy is reeling from a broken banking system, huge numbers of foreclosed homes and too many lost jobs. Soaring debt, trade deficits and an unstable stock market are leading many to doubt the dollar and invest in gold, to the point where even the site of the Gold Rush is having trouble withstanding all the upset. Home to about 36 million people, the Golden State’s unemployment rate rose from 10.6 percent to 12.6 percent over the last year, with the loss of 458,600 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the state’s budget in crisis and the governor hunting for money to make ends meet, many key services have been placed on the chopping block. Government employees have shorter workweeks and children are spending fewer days in school. In early May 2010 Governor Schwarzenegger called for budget reductions totaling

US$12.4 billion that include cutbacks in financial assistance for families in need, childcare, and mental health services, according to the New York Times. Revenue collection is the complementary concern – the state is already increasing fees for parking and traffic violations, leading to wide discontent. As the situation goes from bad to worse, Californians are stressed out and want the good times back again.

SILICON VALLEY

Historically one of the country’s most important sources of innovation, Silicon Valley is also feeling the effects of the recession. “Silicon Valley is feeling a lot of pain,” says Russell Hancock, chief executive of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. “We’re undergoing some pretty painful transitions.”

The area lost about 90,000 jobs from 2008 to 2009, returning to the number of employed residents it had in 2005, according to the ‘2010 Index of Silicon

Valley’ report, created by the Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Several key indicators for the region’s success are slowing, includine venture capital funding and patent registration.

Silicon Valley’s unemployment rate is 11.5 percent, below California’s rate of 12.6 percent but above the national rate of 9.9 percent. The region’s average annual salary of $75,390 is significantly higher than the statewide median household income of $49,894, but the cost of living matches these higher earnings. Rents and home prices remain high by national standards – a one-bedroom apartment rental in the Bay Area can cost about $1800 per month. Home purchase prices are also high for these incomes – as of March 2010 the average single-family home in Santa Clara county was valued at $700,329, compared with the state average of $407,235, according to the RAND California database.

The number of patent registrations from Silicon Valley went down slightly (less than one percent) in 2008, compared to a decline in US patents of 2.6 percent. Still, Silicon Valley accounted for nearly half of the country’s patent registration in 2008, with six of the twelve top registering cities in the US. Venture capitalists are hesitant to invest following a decade in which the firms would have made more money by investing

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1

Tetrahedron Investment

A Registered Investment Adviser, John Medlin is the founder/president of Tetrahedron Investment Management. From John’s point of view the current economic situation in CA is weak with few signs of significant improvement in jobs or real estate prices. John states “For the remainder of 2010, I believe we will see a repeat of the State Government issuing (IOU’s) to employees and vendors”. With a 12.6% rate of unemployment statewide, there will be continued layoffs of jobs in government and education as the State struggles to finance its multi-Billion $ deficits.

Leslie Conliffe Managing Director Intellectual Property Group IPG represents writers, directors, and authors in film and television industry. Leslie’s clients include talents such as Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby), and James Ellroy (LA Confidential). “In talent representation, seeing a client’s success after having worked and supported their talent and efforts is the greatest reward”, says Leslie. With the current economic situation, studios are producing and releasing less films and television shows. They seek to pay talent less money than they were making a year ago. “The amount of work is the same. The effort to get clients work is the same. We are all just doing it for less money!” affirms Leslie.

11 People from the West Coast: Work, Dreams and Passions.

John Medlin Founder and president of

By KIMBERLY CHASE

California History in pills

• The name “California” came from a knightly romance book that was published in 1510. It was about an island paradise near the Indies where beautiful Queen Califia ruled over a country of beautiful black Amazons with lots of pearls and gold. Men were only allowed there one day a year to help perpetuate the race.

The first settlers to arrive in California after the Native Americans were Spanish, and later Mexican. Russia had some small settlements for the purpose of whaling and fur trapping in Northern California, but Russia didn’t attempt to colonize the area except in very isolated areas.

3Elizabeth Goel Owner of Bite Catering Couture Elizabeth graduated from The French Culinary Institute of New York. In 2006 she founded Bite Catering Couture, which provides amazing food and excellent service in the Los Angeles area. Bite Catering Couture clients are people or corporations planning any type of event. The Company’s specialty is small, bite sized food. “Everything is made from scratch using high quality and seasonal ingredients. Taste and presentation are equally important”, says Elisabeth. For her the biggest satisfaction is “the camaraderie of the Bite team and the pleasure and satisfaction we take in working with one another”.

4Alexia Vassiliou Singer. She has over 18 albums in

to”, she adds.

in the S&P 500. There was a 37 percent slowdown of venture capital funding in clean technology from after a spike in the area in 2008, according to the report. But this could still be the area that brings Silicon Valley back to life.

FOREIGN TALENT DWINDLING

California has long relied on foreign talent, which makes up 60 percent of Silicon Valley’s scientists and engineers. But the area is increasingly failing to lure these skilled international workers to its companies. Total foreign immigration to the region was down by 34 percent between 2008 and 2009. The US is less hospitable than in the past, the cost of living is high, and workers’ home countries are offering more attractive opportunities. While total immigration numbers dwindle, talent from India, China and Korea is growing in importance as a percentage of total workers. Indians made up 20 percent of Silicon Valley’s

scientists and engineers in 2000, and by 2008 had risen to 28 percent. India’s relationship with Silicon Valley is one of both collaboration and competition, Hancock says, with Bangalore becoming a point of focus for entrepreneurs, but some suspect that it would be hard to replicate the breadth and depth of expertise present in Silicon Valley.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY

But parts of Silicon Valley are on the upswing – since 2002, the fields that have experienced the most growth are industry and energy, media and entertainment, biotechnology and medical devices.

One notable area of hope for the future is green technology, which could lead the way out of the area’s current slump. Since 1995, businesses that help preserve resources, provide alternative fuel sources and minimize pollution have increased by 50 percent, with an

• The fight for California began almost 500 years ago with Queen Elizabeth I. She sent Sir Francis Drake to harass and raid the Spanish galleons.

• 200 years after the superpowers of Spain and England, Spain decided to send priests in significant numbers in order to start missions. The effect that the missions had on the native population was enormous. Many traditions were abandoned or forbidden.

• In addition to starting the missions to gain settlers, the Spanish King, and later the Mexican government, gave people land grants to start ranchos and encourage settlers.

• By the mid nineteenth century, California had come from obscurity to statehood because of the Gold Rush which started in earnest in 1849

• On September 9, 1850, President Fillmore officially made California the thirty-first state.

expansion of eight percent between 2007 and 2008, the Joint Venture report says. There was an increase in jobs in the green sector of 24 percent from 2004 to 2008 – this area includes business services, agriculture, research and advocacy, transportation, recycling and waste, energy efficiency and green building, among many other areas that work toward a sustainable society. But more significant job creation could take time. “You’re not going to see prodigious job growth in Silicon Valley, you’re going to see steady, incremental growth,” Hancock says. Silicon Valley’s fortunemaking machine has been based on computers, microprocessing, and software. In the case of software, developers could work cheaply on their own, then watch the money pour in. But future innovation, if it moves toward cleantech, is going to be slower and more expensive. This means that

6John Giddins Realtor Sotheby’s International Realty

Alexia has a career spanning over 20 years in the international marketplace, as both a worldwide distribution film sales agent and as a Literary Agent. She’s experienced in promoting talent across the globe, packaging films, securing co productions and arranging for US and International Distribution outlets. “I am able to recognize raw talent and see it before they see it in themselves”, she says. Alexia is one of those people who has realized the American dream: “when I was 14 years old I used to watch “Dynasty” and “Happy Days’ and I wanted two things: to live in America and work in the Film Business and to graduate in an American High School and go to Prom. I did all that and much more”, she affirms.

John began his career in real estate in New York City where he was raised. Nevertheless he choose LA as the perfect milieu to practice his trade. One of his great joys when assisting clients is to help them find and live their dreams. “Understanding the needs and desires of buyers and sellers who place their trust in my hands offers a remarkable challenge and gratification”, he states. Regarding the impact of the crisis on LA: “Sellers either still have equity in their properties or in some instances, those who bought at the height of the market now find themselves ‘upside-down’ and are forced to negotiate a ‘short-sale’ or face ‘foreclosure’”, he adds. The secret of John success is “always put the clients first”.

Greece. She has collaborated with Milva the Swiss harpist A. Vollenweider, C. Corea and B. Rothschild. “The greatest satisfaction came when I began to compose my own music and write my own lyrics and then having orchestras and musicians play this Music and me interpreting”, she says. “Many singers, including me, have had the opportunity to do what they love best but instead of singing the music of our heart, we were often forced to sing songs that we did not like just because a ‘record company’ has forced-convinced us

5Alexia Melocchi Producer and Partner of Little studio films

7Agostino Sciardi Restaurant owner. He graduated from

Hotel & catering school in Bellagio, Italy. Then he moved around Europe, while

Italy. He came to America in 1985 as a chef at “Il Giardino”. In 1989 he opened his first restaurant “Toscana”. Today he is the owner of seven restaurants. In the United States, Italian food consistently increases 15-20% annually, in a town where trendy is the main focus, quality power doesn’t come less. There has been an increase in Japanese cuisine. “Japanese food might receive very high ratings but Italian food remains the most popular and favored food among Americans” says Agostino.

01 John Giddins

02 Alexia Melocchi 03 Alexia Vassiliou

Work cities Golden State

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entrepreneurs will be less independent than they used to be, as venture capital wanes and self-funding becomes nearly impossible, and reliance on Federal funding increases. Some new areas of strength are likely to be in battery technology, a smart grid, alternative fuels and renewable energy. But Silicon Valley didn’t fare as well as hoped in receiving Federal stimulus dollars. The area receives only about one percent of the nation’s total federal R&D funding (Washington, DC receives 13 percent) and is seeing less of this funding stream over time.

Another strong area of Silicon Valley is the biotech sector. Like clean tech, biotech developments are often long-term, as the Food and Drug Administration approval process can take a decade. Still, Silicon Valley is ripe for biotech because of its potential for synergy with different disciplines.

AGRICULTURE

Another strength of the Golden State is its prodigious agricultural output. California produces about half of the country’s fruit, nuts and vegetables, with $36.2 billion of output from 81,500 farms and ranches in 2008, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. But the state’s agricultural sector is facing major challenges. Water shortages are causing a strident debate in which farmers, residential water users and environmentalists are competine for the same resource. Water availability became a huge problem in recent years as water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta was limited for agricultural use because of an endangered species of fish, the delta smelt. These difficulties have encouraged farmers to explore ways to use less water and conserve what they have. Practices like

unlimited groundwater extraction have been curtailed, and changes the in the US Farm Bill are encouraging farmers to use their land for multiple purposes, like wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge and crop production, simultaneously.

Crop selection is another opportunity to save water. Rice and cotton use more water than orchards and vineyards, for example, and some crops have been genetically altered to use less water. Most of the field labor in California is done by Mexican migrant laborers working for minimal pay, a large percentage of whom are thought to be in the country illegally. According to a 2004 report by the Oakland, California-based Food First Institute for Food Development and Policy, there were then roughly two million farm workers in the US, including about 100,000 children. About two-thirds of them are from outside the US, most commonly from Mexico, and most of these workers earned less than $10,000 a year, the report says.

Immigration has long been an issue for farmers, who rely heavily on migrant labor. But times are changing – in 2007 the New York Times reported that US farmers were increasingly renting land in Mexico as an alternative to facing immigration issues for foreign workers in the US.

HOLLYWOOD

Another major California industry is entertainment, which is mainly centered in Hollywood. The film and television industry generates about US$80 billion

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Jason Peterson CEO of GoDigital Media Group

8Hal Adler President and Founder of Leadership Landing

Prior to founding Leadership LandingTM, Hal was President of Great Place to Work® Institute. Hal held leadership positions at The Center for Talent Retention, Manpower, and the Training Arts Institute - an organization that he founded. Before entering the field of management consulting, Hal worked as a restaurant owner, opera singer and orchestral conductor. For Hal, living and working in Northern California offers everything as the best of all worlds. “Open, forward thinking people, cutting edge, industry making businesses and some of the best weather (and hiking) in the country”, he says.

Jason was named as one of the ‘Top 30 entrepreneurs under 30’ in LA. GoDigital represents over 900,000 music copyrights, including content from famous artists such as The Temptations, James Brown, and Akon as well as over 15,000 hours of movies & TV programming. Jason has produced music videos for Sony BMG, EMI, Universal, and Warner Bros among others. The corner stone for his work is a license to practice law and a business degree with an emphasis in Cinema / TV “That background provides the ability to see and analyze the industry at a 30,000 foot strategic level, determine the playing field, and then execute tactically at ground level” he says.

the

working in London, South of France and

per year, US$13 billion of which go to Federal and state taxes. It is the only US industry to run a positive trade balance in every country in which it does business, according to the Screen Actors Guild. The US entertainment industry includes some 2.5 million people including actors, makeup artists, stuntmen and many others. It’s a young crowd, with 54 percent of workers under 34 years old. Many people are employed on a contract basis, which is known to be very competitive and a difficult way to earn a living.

Most people in the motion picture and video industries earn modest, middleclass salaries. In 2008 the median hourly wage for producers and directors was $41.32, film and video editors earned $27, and ushers and ticket takers earned $7.87 per hour. While some actors earn millions per film, the minimum daily rate for actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild is $782, or $2,713 for a five-day week, based on a union contract negotiated in 2009.

CONCLUSION

Hollywood’s continuing success is encouraging, but it remains to be seen if other parts of California’s economy will emerge from the recession in good shape. Silicon Valley has taken a major hit and faces international competition, but many believe that its combination

11

10Tiffany Brouwer Actress

Tiffany is a young actress with important experiences in series like “NCIS: Los Angeles”, Fame, Murphy’s Lie, “CSI: Miami”, etc. Along with this life style comes sacrifice. Everyday she cannot be close to her family and friends. “Having solid long lasting relationships in LA is very difficult, everyone is focused on themselves and are going in their own direction with a tunnel vision”, she states. At the age of 14 she left her family in North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles. “It wasn’t long after that I realized that it was going to take years of determination to achieve my goals”, she says. Now she is 26 years old and she continues to follow her dream and waiting tables five nights a week. “For now it is flexible and it pays the bills and allow me to take auditions during the day”, she says.

• One thing that helped ease California’s isolation was the telegraph. By 1861, telegraph lines stretched across the country.

• In 1862 the Pacific Railway Act authorized the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.

• Prosperity and rapid population growth continued after the war. Many African Americans who came during World War II to work in the war industries settled in California.

• From the end of World War II through the mid-’90s alone, 5 of the 7 governors were Republicans.

• During the 1970s and 80s California continued to grow rapidly, with a major shift of population to the state’s interior.

• In Oct., 1989, a major earthquake killed about 60 people and injured thousands in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay area.

• In a backlash against illegal immigration, California voters in 1994 approved Proposition 187, an initiative barring the state from providing most services—including welfare, education, and nonemergency medical care—to illegal immigrants.

• In late 2000, California began experiencing an electricity crisis

of computing, biotech, and major universities would be nearly impossible to replicate and will retain lasting value. California’s agricultural sector continues to be the country’s largest source of produce, and water concerns can be addressed with better irrigation technology and techniques as environmental, urban and agricultural water users negotiate to meet their needs. But most importantly, California has seen recessions in the past. It has shown the resiliency and the energy to rebound according to the industrial and technological requirements of the future and remain competitive on both the national and global levels.

Lauren Ackerman Owner of Ackerman Family Vineyards

The Ackerman’s have learned a lot about grape growing since they bought the property in 1994. In 2003, they produced their first commercial vintage. “Positioning our small winery business in a sea of more established and much larger brands has been both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because we are new and people enjoy discovering new brands; a curse because it is easy to get lost in the myriad of choices that consumers have when purchasing a wine for the table” she states. “The advantage for a small family-run operation is the ability to be flexible from year to year in terms of our production and profits and lack of the huge overhead costs associated with a larger operation – something that has hurt several wineries during these past two years during difficult economic times”, she states.

By BLAKE ESTERDAY

The heart of Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR AND BUSINESS

A thriving and eclectic mixture of industry and services, tourist hotspots, and cultural activities, Kuala Lumpur, affectionately called KL, offers a wide array of options for residents, business travelers and tourists. The city gained its independence from Great Britain in 1957 and is now home to over 8 million inhabitants. A first snapshot of Kuala Lumpur is breathtaking, with the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower dominanting the view. These modern buildings are immediate symbols of the sheer power of the Malaysian economy, traditionally focused on manufactured goods such as oil and timber, but now shifting to technological products and financial services such as Islamic banking. Indeed, the most important Malaysian and international brands and companies are all located in this capital city. Businessmen and businesswomen flock to Kuala Lumpur to attend largescale events hosted by the KL Convention Center and Putra World Trade Center. Attending to the needs of incoming business travelers is not a problem, with a variety of upscale hotels and modes of transportation available.

CULTURE

Balanced with the modern age, Kuala Lumpur remains true to its traditions through the religion and culture of its citizens. Islam is the offical religion of Malaysia, and Muslim influences can be found throughout the city by the sound of the Imam’s call to prayer and the mosques. But the telling feature of KL is again its variety, with Chinese Buddhists and Indian Hindus composing large parts of the population. Chinese and Indians celebrate their heritage through displays of festivals and food. The main festivals paint the entire city with colors: Malaysian National Day has fireworks and parades, Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by Chinese with moon cakes and paper lanterns, Hari Raya celebrates the end of Ramadan fasting by Muslims, and the Deepaveli Festival of Lights has Hindus lighting candles in their temples and homes. Whether as a new resident or as a passing traveller, it is a must to witness these cultural and religious events.

LEISURE

The cultural diversity of Kuala Lumpur is reflected in the delightful variety of leisure activities. Great food can be served by both famous restaurant chefs and local ‘hawker vendors’ at street markets. While the city offers an incredibile number of choices for Chinese, Indian, and Japanese food, the traditional Malay cuisine is the specialty that must be tasted. The main hotspots for eating are the Golden Triangle and Jelan Petaling in Chinatown. Shoppers literally find paradise in Kuala Lumpur with an overwheming number of op-

tions. The most famous places to go are Berjaya Times Square with 10 floors, Suria KLCC located at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers, and the Starhill Gallery with 7 differently-themed floors. While these house more familiar brand names, one should also go to the Central Market for hand-made products, Chow Kit Market for the largest number of food, and the Craft Complex for arts and crafts. One of the most famous KL spectacles is the Sepang Formula 1 Grand Prix.

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

KL is nicknamed ‘The Garden City of Malaysia’ for a reason. Amidst the towering skyscrapers and architectural masterpieces, the natural world is alive and blooming. While most cities attempt to recreate nature with artificial parks, Kuala Lumpur has instead been built around the nature. Internally, the landscape is overflowing with the Lake Gardens Park, home to the KL Bird Park, Orchid Garden, and Butterfly Park; the KLCC Park, spread out next to the Petronas Twin Towers; and the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, one of the oldest forests in Malaysia. Right outside the city outskirts is where true jungles reign, where a short trip can lead to the magnificent Batu Caves, which is home to ancient Hindu temples, or to the Kuala Selangor Firefly Park, where one can become surrounded by glowing balls of light.

[W visitkl.gov.my tourism.gov.my]

Illustrations by Eelco Van Den Berg, Rotterdam, NL

THE WORK CITIES GUIDE IS NOW TRAVELLING TO KUALA LUMPUR, THE CAPITAL OF MALAYSIA Kuala Lumpur is an indescribably unique environment: a cultural melting pot, an experience of nature, and center of the Malaysian economy. It is indeed a link between past and present, with a vision which attempts to include everyone for the future.

Tufan Abaci is a Turkish gentleman who lives in Istanbul. Here there is a portrait with his wife Güher and one of his children Defnee. He is the owner of Abaci Group. Tufan will introduce us to his Country for a trip we will do with him to discover this fascinating ‘zipper’ from West to East. We will publish this special at the end of 2010.

Work Cities Outlook of the future

Photography by Gülnur Sözmen, Istanbul, TR

Work cities Euroscience open forum

SINCE ITS FIRST EDITION SIx YEARS AGO ESOF HAS DEVELOPED AND GAINED VISIBILITY, ATTRACTING BIDS FROM EUROPE’S TOP DOGS: so far, the privilege has been awarded to Barcelona, Munich and Stockholm. Turin has been chosen for the 2010 edition and Dublin for 2012.

Connecting Europe through science

Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) is part of the Science and Society Programme of Euroscience, the European Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology. The Forum’s unique concept combines the presentation of cutting-edge scientific developments in all scientific disciplines (from genetics to music) with the fostering of a closer dialogue between science and society. According to Dr. Gail Cardew, Chair of ESOF Supervisory Board and Vice President of Euroscience, the event is “the only pan-European meeting place for scientists, science teachers, media, politicians, industry and the public to debate issues of science and technology, society and policy”. “ESOF represents the European integration dream at the scientific level” says Dr. Kitson-Pantano1. Director of Euroscience’s ESOF Programme “Cities recognize ESOF as a great opportunity to increase their European renown, and the quality of the bids is constantly growing”.

HISTORY

Since its first edition six years ago ESOF has developed and gained visibility, attracting bids from Europe’s top dogs: so far, the privilege has been awarded to Barcelona, Munich and Stockholm. Turin has been preferred to Paris and Copenhagen for the 2010 edition, and Dublin snagged the 2012 ticket after a harsh battle against rival candidate Vienna. According to ESOF 2008 Co-Chair and EuroScience President Enric Banda, hosting the biennial event means joining “the select few cities in the world that have successfully and uniquely bridged the gap between science and society whilst forging a Scientific European Identi-

ty”. The event, continues Banda, represents a unique “opportunity to raise the profile of [the] city’s scientific institutions internationally”. “The forum’s prestige is susceptible to produce tangible effects” comments Dr. Raphaëla Kitson-Pantano, “such as bringing new investments and brainpower to the city – and the nation’s – institutions”.

City Programme is part of what makes ESOF a key tourism opportunity for cities” says Dr. Kitson-Pantano. Through hundreds of events including theatre, multimedia performances, experiments and exhibitions, ESOF reaches out to the city, its schools, its people and its tourists, with the objective of disentangling science from its ‘world apart’ reputation. According to Dr. Gail Cardew one of ESOF’s objectives is to “raise awareness about the importance of science to society” and to “[leave] a lasting effect after the event”.

A

MULTITASKING OPPORTUNITY

ESOF represents an attractive opportunity not only for cities, but also for single scientists, marketing experts, communication people, and other professionals looking for a broaden-

THE CONCEPT

The ESOF concept is based on two main programs: the Conference Programme consists of a series of debates and presentations focusing on avantgarde scientific topics. For example, ESOF 2008´s programme committee chair Sir Colin Berry explains, “the programme at ESOF 2008 closely reflected the major trends … that are likely to have a major impact on some of the world´s most pressing issues such as climate change, energy security, cloning and stem cell research”. The Science in the City Programme, has been conceived to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public. “The Science in the

ing of their career horizons. “Preparing an ESOF is a potentially career boosting opportunity for all the people involved” claims Dr. Kitson-Pantano. “The heart of the project is the Project Team, a task-force of fifteen-twenty people working full-time for the realization of the event. Further thirty-forty people are hired externally to handle communications, registrations, graphic and design, etc., moreover, continues Dr. Kitson-Pantano, three major commissions of twenty to thirty volunteers each collaborate with the Project Team”. Although all mandates’ duration is limited to two years, Dr. Kitson-Pantano insists that working for ESOF can be a turning point for

Cell infected with poxvirus

LLCPK1-alpha cells

by Dr. Daniel Kalman and Patrik Reeves Ratie Ris-Vicari (2007)

by Dr. U. Serdar Tulu (2007)

By LUCA BRUNONI

Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition

This competition awards the best photographs taken each year with a light microscope. It “is widely regarded as the leading forum to recognize proficiency and photographic excellence”. Founded in 1974, the competition this year received over 2.200 image entries. Winners of the contest receive one of 20 prizes, with the first prize winner receiving $3.000 for the purchase of Nikon equipmant and attending an awards ceremony in New York City. Twsm would like to highlight these images to spread the knowledge of science. Nikon Small World describes a photomicrograph as “a technical document that can be of great significance to science or industry”. These images reveal new hidden details about the world that most people have never seen before. The image galleries offer a fanstastic vewpoint of the microworld, which shows the beautiful complexity of the universe.

one’s career “it raises everyone’s profile to an elite status and an important international dimension, regardless if one is a scientist or a marketing operator, and regardless of one’s age and previous achievements.”

CAREER PROGRAMME

The members of the Project Team are not the only ones whose career could be improved through the event: one of ESOF’s aims is in fact to provide resources and career advice to young scientists from all over Europe. “The Career Programme” explains Dr. Kitson-Pantano “gives young researchers

access to a broad range of opportunities at a European level, and introduces them to a consolidated network of fellow scientists from all disciplines.”

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

After Turin 2010, Dublin is next in line for the hosting of ESOF. Professor Patrick Cunningham, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, stresses the importance of intensifying the connection between the Forum and the general public “we want the citizens of Dublin and Ireland to get involved”. The organizers of ESOF 2012 have

taken the initiative of labeling Dublin ‘City of Science 2012’. Dr. KitsonPantano, however, explains that the title – which obviously echoes EU’s European Capital of Culture – is not an official denomination of Euroscience “Dublin can advertise the event as it prefers as long as it doesn’t generate confusion: The ESOF forum is not to be mistaken for an EU initiative such as the Capitals of Culture, nor does it wish to compete with the latter in any way.” Dr. Kitson-Pantano is a firm believer in a bright future for both ESOF and its Science in the City programme.

Listeria monocytogenes by Matteo Bonazzi (2008)

1 Raphaëla Kitson-Pantano holds a PhD in Neuroscience-Genetics from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in European Politics and Administration from the College of Europe, in Bruges. She is the Director of Euroscience’s ESOF programme.

A glance on the city Neighbourhoods

LOOKING FOR NEW ‘CENTRES’ FOR BUILDING YOUR CAREER, finding plenty of attractive spots to feel at home, where there is the ‘globalization of the local’.

The ‘New Life’ in neighbourhoods

THE LESSON FROM THE VOLCANO Eyjafjallajokull, a new spot on most maps, was unknown to the great majority of people until the volcano filled the skies with its ashes. It is a name so far away, and yet a place where the global economy stopped for a while, burning millions of euros, cancelling businesses, and halting flying (the most global and popular dynamic after talking on the phone). The primeval forces of Nature gave us a ‘little’ lesson: what is at the very border of our life and our world can turn rapidly into the centre of our attention and interest. Maybe the destination we have chosen is more important than the problem of taking two days and not two hours to make our trip. So the Icelandic volcano gives us a paradigm for choosing ‘where’ to work, considering that we are now facing the ‘globalization of the local’.

THE ‘LIQUID’ NEW ERA

We are living in a kind of world where you can write your own song, create a podcast version in any language you like and share it with the rest of the world. A single individual or community can meet other local experiences and content, no matter where the point of origin is. Thanks to new ‘reticular technologies’ explains Saskia Sassen, senior sociologist at Columbia University, “very local initiatives are participated and shared with forms of global network, strengthening local battles to preserve certain standards for quality of life experienced in a defined perimeter”. The web, cell and smart phone communications are in fact bringing back the “liquid” hypermobility of ideas, messages and projects to a ‘physical’ perception, made possible by and occurring in the urban tissue, through a series of pieceby-piece transformations.

SPONTANEOUS REBIRTH

Last year in Hamburg a group of artists occupied abandoned and rundown buildings, which have stood mostly empty for years, in one of the oldest parts of the city: Gaengeviertel, a dense district of narrow alleys. So the city was delighted when an investor willing to foot the bill for the development of the project was found. A Dutch investment company drew up plans to tear down some of the original buildings, restore the facades of others, and develop a complex of high-end offices and apartment buildings. But what the city and the investor had not realized is that new life had sprouted in the historic neighbourhood. In the dim and musty rooms, artists have set up ateliers, an information centre and gallery space. Very soon after the artists occupied part of the property, the Hamburg Senate got in contact with them and the investor

An interesting experience is made by the Teachers Village designed in Newark by R. Meier In fact the planning of a fourblock-long mixed-use development would have passed nearly unnoticed, if it hadn’t been for the name and the standing of the architect. R. Meier is well known to the world for his design, from second homes in the Hamptons to international museums.

A new trend in Us architecture is being called for after a long period devoted to work almost exclusively for the wealthy. As matter of fact, more and more design is playing a role in remodelling people’s lives in a neighbourhood or other places. Brisbane, for instance investing in a new breed of under 40 designers and architects: a generation critically aware of bigger issues like water

By FILIPPO DE BORTOLI

to see if there was a way to meet the demands of the artists, looking for a way to preserve more of the original buildings while giving space for the artists to work. The case of Hamburg highlights a common trend in many big cities: giving room to artists’ initiatives to make life in the city as colourful and multifaceted as possible.

ARTISTS FOR THE RENAISSANCE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD

Many cities around the world are now looking to culture and arts as a real chance to ‘give new blood’ in the difficult season of cuts and losses that have made 2010 worse than the already tremendous 2009. The successful case histories of West Philadelphia, Harlem and South Brooklyn give the right example, changing the myth of displacement claimed by many urban sociologists.

THE DIVISION BETWEEN A ‘CITY CENTRE’ AND THE ‘SUBURBS’: IT’S A EUROPEAN ExPERIENCE.

The European Union is investing in cultural programs such as the Black/ North SEAS, which connects artists and cultural organizations seen as gateways of intercultural engagement and laboratories of urban renewal. Black/North SEAS again raised the question of how one can have a cultural impact on big cities, such as creating cultural events. These kinds of ‘Culture injection’ for new social life are still the best recipe for the renewal of large and medium cities, which cope with facing global competition for attracting more talented workers.

THE REAL MEANING OF CULTURE IS THE HUMAN FACTOR

In a city you can consider and discover the different relationships within

The ash rising from the volcano in southern Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier had ripple effects worldwide, as it disrupted air traffic, tourism, trade, and other economic activities. The slowdown in international transportation allowed people to revalue the local market and culture. While millions of people where waiting for air traffic to re-open, life in local cities continued.

neighbourhoods. “A geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb”, states Wikipedia: “neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable faceto-face interaction among members”. So choosing an adequate location to work in is more a matter of ‘community’ versus ‘solitude’, says Fran Tomkiss, responsible for the ‘Cities Programme’ at the London School of Economics. People are looking for new social approaches and for new ways of using public spaces where the ‘borders’ are used as an opportunity, to get in touch, to know each others’ diversity and identity, without reproducing division and exclusion. Large cities are facing a challenge of another kind: borders that are able to be seen, but absolutely not exclusive or impermeable. No more ‘downtown’ versus ‘suburbs’: it is the ‘with’ dimension that’s winning, the participation and shared sense of living (and working) which are taking place worldwide. Restaurants, coffee shops, schools, museums, art galleries and parks, all express our search for a real quality of life. We need something anchored to specific spaces, so typical as to become our own little spot where we can feel at home....

consumption, transport solutions, energy efficiency and focused on reinventing city spaces such as multi-story car parks or playgrounds for children in green areas. Another kind of ‘cultural transformation’ is what happened in the South Bank neighbourhood, which has become a prime cultural destination in London after a decade of significant public investments.

The area is populated by numerous cultural institutions, most of them located along the Thames walkway between Westminster and London Bridge. For over 2 square miles, aligned one after the other, there is the SouthBank Centre, the Purcell Room, the Hayward Gallery, the British Film Institute, the National Theatre, the Tate Modern and the Shakespeare Globe Theatre.

Book selection Exciting New Releases

Interviews

• Terry O’Reilly (co-author with Mike Tennant) The Age of Persuasion. Terry was the co-founder of Pirate Radio & Television in 1990. A creative audio production company, Pirate has a staff of 50, and 8 recording studios in Toronto and New York City.

• Mireille Guilliano Women, Work &the Art of Savoir Faire. As the former CEO of Clicquot, Inc., Mireille Giuliano has appeared on countless national television programs, including Oprah, Dateline, and the Today Show, and has been profiled in a myriad of publications, including the New York Times, Time, and Newsweek.

• Grant McCracken PhD Chief Culture Officer . Trained as an anthropologist (Ph.D. University of Chicago), Grant has studied American culture for 25 years. He has been Director of the Institute of Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum, a lecturer at Harvard Business School, a scholar at University of Cambridge, and currently a research affiliate at C3 at MIT.

• Gary Namie PhD (co-author with Ruth Namie) The Bully at Work. Gary Namie (Ph.D., Social Psychology) taught college over a 20-year span in several departments of psychology and management. He taught the nation’s first university course on workplace bullying. He was also a corporate manager for two regional hospital systems. He was the expert witness in the nation’s first “bullying trial” in Indiana with the verdict upheld by the state Supreme Court.

• Clara Shih The Facebook Era. She is the creator of Faceconnector, the first business application on Facebook. Faceconnector integrates Facebook and Salesforce CRM. Clara is also CEO of the social media software company Hearsay Inc

Books

• 101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times Jay A. Block

• The 4-Hour Workweek Timothy Ferriss

• Questions of Character Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.

• Get a Life Not a Job Paula Caligiuri Ph.D

• Click Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman

• No More Rotten Eggs Debra Thompson and Bill Greif

• The M-factor Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman

• Meaningful Workplaces Neal E. Chalofsky

• Heroic Leadership William A. Cohen, Ph.D

• Intrinsic Motivation at Work Kenneth W. Thomas

• Drive Daniel H. Pink

• Surviving the Toxic Workplace Linnda Durre

• All Hands on Deck Joe Tye

• Make Their Day! Cindy Ventrice

Our selection

The Age of Persuasion

Brands aren’t just products on shelves. Brands are people, and places, and events, and moments in time: anything that leaves a distinct emotional impression. To better understand this we made an interview with Terry O’Reilly, co-author with Mike Tennant of the best-selling book ‘The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture’. Terry explains to his readers the magic of these mighty brands, and what makes them unforgettable.

twsm Persuasion is a term that is affected by a highly commercial or business content. Someone tries to convince someone else of the goodness of his/her products. If this person manages to convince the other, the products are sold, otherwise he/she closes down. What does this mean nowadays, in the era of empathy and maximum circulation of information? What’s the point in persuading?

to I believe the lack of persuasion in so many campaigns is the reason why so many advertisers are generally unhappy with their agencies. ‘Branding’ means to attach a selling idea to a product. That selling idea must be meaningful to the customer, it must honestly sum up the unique benefit of the product, and it should ideally be communicated in an utterly creative way.

Today people are exposed to between 500 and 3,000 messages a day, then the only way an ad has a chance of breaking through is

Jay A. Block

101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times

McGraw-Hill Professional, pp. 208, £10.99 101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times covers job hunting strategies such as creating interview magic and

Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek

The Age of Persuasion

How Marketing Ate Our Culture Counterpoint LLC, pp 324, $26.00 [W terryoreilly.ca]

salary negotiation secrets, resume development and networking skills.

Escape 9-5, live anywhare, and join the new rich. Crown Publishers, pp. 320 , $19.95 The 4-Hour Workweek is based on Ferriss’s controversial guest lectures at Princeton University, where he has captivated undergraduates and professors alike with his take on the mobile lifestyle. In this book, Timothy Ferriss argues that the New Rich have abandoned the ‘deferred-life plan’ (slave/save/retire).

to be highly creative, strategically meaningful and incredibly persuasive.

twsm The syntax of communication is nowadays built by appealing to images, texts, and sounds. This virtuous triptych includes all the instruments and techniques of significance. How are the three elements connected to one another? How are these elements used? And what are the expected results from this new syntax of communication?

to As I mentioned above, a brand is created by attaching an idea to a product. A ‘Brand’ is the result of communicating that idea via images, text and sound in a consistent way. The most successful brands in the world stay consistent in their messaging. A brand is made up of many different efforts: design, labeling, advertising, marketing, promotion, distribution, and how it fits into pop culture. A smart marketer always ensures that all communications emanate from the core promise of the product. I always say that a brand’s communications should NOT look like a line of identical hamburgers coming out of an oven. Instead, great marketing is more like a shish-kabob – a series of different treats skewered by a consistent strategy. As long as the strategy never varies, the creative executions can. Every touch point between a brand and a potential customer is an opportunity.

•

Terry O’Reilly, Mike Tennant

Illustrations by Hanna Mellin, London, UK

Book Twsm selection

Linnda Durre

Surviving the Toxic Workplace

Protect Yourself Against Coworkers, Bosses, and Work Environments That Poison Your Day McGraw-Hill, pp. 256, $18.95 Do you dread going to work? Dealing with pestering coworkers, unmanageable managers, angry clients can take its toll on your job performance. And in these difficult economic times, no one can afford to lose their jobs.

In Surviving the Toxic Workplace, syndicated author and psychotherapist Linnda Durre teaches you how to pinpoint and treat these office maladies with effective communication and conflict negotiation techniques that are sure to bring you peace of mind and peace at work.

In her book The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff, Clara Shih discusses the challenges and opportunities companies have when they implement social media into their corporate strategy.

twsm Higher circulation of information between people (at work) have made companies ‘transparent’. What has changed from the ‘privacy’ point of view?

cs The Facebook Era presents tremendous possibilities for people and companies, but there are also new risks which must be addressed. The reality is that through social network profiles, status messages, and tweets, people are sharing more information about themselves than ever before. For individuals, this means new opportunities to share, connect, and learn about the people, causes, brands, and organizations they care about. For companies, this means new opportunities to target the messages and experiences offered to customers.

twsm Do social media mean higher sales as well for companies? If yes, how?

cs Social media can help companies achieve higher sales in several different ways. First, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are very effective channels for reaching large audiences. Second, Facebook has created an advertising platform

Joe Tye

All Hands on Deck

8 Essential Lessons for Building a Culture of Ownership John Wiley & Sons Ltd, pp. 192, £15.99 In the stormy seas of today’s world economy, organizations need people to own their work, not just rent a spot on the organization chart. All Hands on Deck is a fun-to-read story that is both a business strategy book about creating competitive advantage through corporate culture, and a personal development book.

Cindy Ventrice Make Their Day!

Employee Recognition That Works Berrett-Koehler, pp. 191, $18.95 Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works is designed to help anyone interested in improving recognition by spending less money to obtain better results. This book reveals what employees really want—and shows how everyone within an organization can contribute to the process of offering recognition.

which makes it possible for companies to target ads based on users’ profile information. Last but not least, the social nature of Facebook and Twitter invite users to share their interests and passions, which often leads to people recommending products or services with friends.

twsm How are relationships capitalized? Are there other nonmaterial ‘values’ which can be used to a company’s advantage?

cs There are many intangible benefits to engaging with customers and building relationships on social media, including many of the ones you listed. Companies which are able to engage audiences on topics they feel passionately about have an unprecedented opportunity to build customer loyalty, which directly fuel business growth.

twsm What is your opinion about the ‘equal treatment between men and women at work’?

cs I think gender differences are a very important issue which we should continue to discuss until we achieve equality. Social media not only provides an ideal outlet for open dialog about this issue, it can also help address the issue directly by empowering women with greater flexibility. Social media helps to level the playing field, providing women with an equal presence online because height and voice aren’t factors.

The Facebook Era

Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audience, and Sell More Stuff

Prentice Hall, pp 236, $24.99

[W thefacebookera.com]

Clara Shih

The Facebook Era

William A. Cohen, Ph.D

Heroic Leadership

Leading with Integrity and Honor

John Wiley & Sons Ltd, pp. 288, £18.99 Heroic Leadership examines military leadership principles as they apply to business and life. As a leadership expert and retired general, William Cohen describes the eight universal laws of leadership and explains why heroic leadership has worked so successfully and ethically for thousands of years.

The Bully at work

Kenneth W. Thomas

Intrinsic Motivation at Work Building Energy and Commitment. Berrett-Koehler, pp. 147, $18.95 This breakthrough book presents a new model for building the intrinsic motivation needed to develop a more committed, selfmanaging workforce. Intrinsic Motivation at Work describes four intrinsic rewards needed to energize today’s work, with

the building blocks that create those rewards.

Gary Namie, author of The Bully at Work, explains that bullies are a difficult force to deal with. He offers advice to both targets of bullies and to companies. He stresses that this problem is dealt by top management, not only by Human Resources.

twsm What is a typical example of workplace bullying?

gn When a new employee arrives, the supervisor (the bully) is friendly at first and welcomes her. In the first days, the supervisor collects information about the new employee, who openly shares about her personal life. But after three weeks, the supervisor suddenly makes continuous demands and becomes hypercritical. The other coworkers (for a variety of reasons) fail to help the new employee. One day, the supervisor calls a quick meeting and the new employee is stripped of her clinical duty. The new employee, once a confident and competent worker, in 6 months is forced to quit her job due to stress and mental health problems.

twsm What is a typical workplace bully like?

gn There are 4 categories of tactics which a bully uses. The first is the most obvious and stereotypical, which is verbal abuse in public. The second tactic is the constant critic behind closed doors. The third tactic is the ‘2-headed snake’, when a bully is

The Bully at Work

What Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim your Dignity on the Job Sourcebooks, Inc., pp 333, $14.99 [W workplacebullying.org]

Book Twsm selection

Daniel H. Pink Drive

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Riverhead Books, pp. 242, $26.95

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, in this book, Daniel H. Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges.

In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action.

nice to one’s face, but then uses gossip and lies behind one’s back. The fourth tactic is the gatekeeper tactic, where a bully does not allow the target to have funding or communication with other people. The Workplace Bullying Institute says that this is ridiculous, becuase the bully has no right to dictate who a person can or can’t talk to. What all bullies share regardless of tactic is the need to control another person.

twsm What advice would you give to bullying targets?

gn In the US, there are no laws enacted to curb bullying. So, what does a target do in the absence of laws and supportive coworkers? First of all, don’t make an emotional case. You will be perceived by others as being crazy and out of control. Instead: Name it: the quicker you state, ‘someone else has done this to me’, the less blame you place on yourself. Take time off work to consult a doctor and mental health physician. Deliver a ‘business consulting report’ to the Executive or highest level of management. Show how costly the bully’s actions have been to the company due to employee turnover, absenteeism, and potential lawsuits.

Gary and Ruth Namie

Book Twsm selection

Debra Thompson, Bill Greif

No More Rotten Eggs A Dozen Steps to Grade-AA Talent Management. McGraw-Hill, pp 208, £16.99 This book is your proven weapon in the battle for talent. Take your business to the top by finding, developing, and keeping top employees. Almost every business runs on quality personnel, and its up to you to acquire, develop, and retain top-performing employees to secure business success, growth, and profitability. No More Rotten Eggs provides step-bystep guidance for revolutionizing your hiring practices and keeping your company flourishing with the best staff. With proven, practical models, this invaluable hiring guide shows you how to save money and increase profit and productivity by attracting and keeping top talent.

Lynne

C.

Lancaster, David Stillman

The M-factor How The Millennial Generation Is Rocking The Workplace. HarperBusiness, pp. 305, $ 26.99 Millennials – the generation born between 1982 and 2000 – have entered the workforce in droves and are challenging assumptions about everything we do. They’re causing a revolution in the workplace, and it’s time for managers to learn how to tap the power of this generation that will change the face of business over the next decade.

Neal E. Chalofsky

Meaningful Workplaces

Reframing How and Where we Work Jossey-Bass, pp 208, $ 45.00 Drawing from a multiyear study of how a strong and responsive HR function can influence organizational effectiveness, Meaningful Workplaces provides guidelines to build an employeeengaged, high-performance, community-based culture, and addresses the changed nature of work, and what constitutes meaningful work.

Grant McCracken’s book Chief Culture Officer discusses why it is so important for companies to be aware of culture in society. He explains how top companies use a proactive approach to keeping track of current opinions and predicting future culture trends.

twsm What does a Chief Culture Officer do and why do corporations need this type of position? Is there a “perfect” type of CCO?

gm Culture is now the source of both opportunity and danger for the corporation. In the book, I document several instances in which the corporation is taken entirely by surprise by developments. Quaker, for instance, bought Snapple and was obliged to sell it 3 years later at a 1.1 billion euros loss. Snapple had lost its ‘seal’ - it’s connection to culture. But culture is also the source of value, as is demonstrated I think in the cases of Apple, Nike, Four Seasons, Starbucks. As it stands, there is no one in the corporation who assumes the responsibility for keeping track of what is happening in the culture outside the corporation, spotting the opportunities and dangers there, and finding ways to turn this knowledge into value. This shouldn’t be someone outside the

corporation (though the CCO will certain want to work with many people outside the corporation, includng the agency and the consultant). It should be a senior manager inside the corporation. twsm What aspects of contemporary culture does a CCO monitor or research? How does he or she predict future trends? gm The CCO has the daunting task of keeping track of all of culture, all of our tastes and preferences, all of the trends that reshape how we see, how we act, what we want, how we shop. It is a fantastic amount of waterfront to cover. Hence those external partnerships. Predicting future trends takes a ‘big board’, a single body of dynamic information that show all the developments the corporation thinks will matter, where they are in their development, and with an estimate of when each of these developments will come ‘on line’ for the corporations purpose, when it will make a difference for strategic and tactical purposes. twsm Can you please provide some brief example cases of a CCO effectively influencing an organization? gm I think Chris Albrecht did remarkable things for HBO, the American TV network that transformed popular culture in the US. Mary Minnick helped read a shifting culture for the Coca-Cola Company. Chris Hughes did amazing things for Facebook. And then I decided to help the Obama presidential campaign and may well be responsible for the critical difference there. The book explores all of these and more.

Grant McCracken Chief Culture Officer

How to Create a Living Breathing Corporation

Basic Books. pp 262, $ 26.95 [W chiefcultureofficer.ning.com]

Chief Culture Office

Joseph L.

Badaracco, Jr. Questions of Character

Illuminating the Heart of Leadership

through Literature Harvard Business School Press, pp. 221, $26.95

In his new book, Badaracco highlights eight works from the Western cannon––novels, plays and short stories––each of which raises a vital question on a particular aspect of character. These works cast a strong light on the recurring tests of character faced by men and women in positions of responsibility.

Paula

Get

Caligiuri Ph.D

a

Life

Not a Job

Do What You Love and Let Your Talents Work For You

FT Press, pp. 185, $19.99

Get a life, Not a Job breaks all the rules and shows readers step-bystep how to determine their varied talents, and leverage them into multiple income-creating opportunities.

Paula Caligiuri wants her readers to learn how to navigate the 21st century workplace.

In her books French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women for All Seasons, Mireille Giuliano reveals the secrets to living a more fulfilling life by experiencing a full but moderately balanced lifestyle. She discusses with us her advice to women in the business world.

twsm What is the suggested ‘proportion’ between work and personal life? More generally speaking, what is the ‘border’ or ‘boundary’ between the two ‘lives’?

mg The proportion can vary from one person to the next. I don’t give specific prescriptions for how much time you should spend working and how much on personal life since everyone’s situation and comfort level is different. Some people may be able to work a 60-hour work week and stay balanced, others may not. I encourage people to focus on maintaining what I call the ‘4 anchors’, which hold you in a secure place in life: 1) good health, 2) a functional social network of family and friends, 3) a solid employment situation and 4) time, space, principles and policies for yourself (what I call your Personal zen). You need all of these in place to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Some-

Mireille Giuliano

Women, Work & The Art of Savoire Faire

Business Sense & Sensibility

Simon&Schuster, pp 261, $24.99 [W mireilleguiliano.com]

Book Twsm selection

Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman Click Virgin (Random House Australia), pp. 256, $29.95

This book combines psychology and sociology with an insightful understanding of human interactions. Ori and Rom Brafman have written a compelling narrative that helps us to understand the magic behind those moments when we form an incredible connection with other people, or which cause us to become fully immersed in whatever activity or situation we’re involved in.

times the stronger ones can compensate for the weaker ones, but if you lose one or two you become unanchored.

twsm The French saying or expression savoir faire implies people’s style as well, other than the information or content related to knowing how to do certain things. What kind of people are women who work?

mg Well, there are all different types of women in the workplace, of course. Savoir faire means competence, experience, literally ‘knowing how to do’. So, when I think of savoir faire I think of a woman who knows herself, is good at her job, comfortable in her skin with her own sense of style, and makes time for her personal life and interests, too. She maintains a good balance. Savoir faire is also acting in what I call enlightened self-interest, creating your own luck and opportunities and making the most of them.

twsm Some people state there is no need to talk about it because the objectives have been reached. Others say that talking about it is required for final fulfilment of the objective.

mg Talking about savoir faire is very important because women can learn from one another and help each other succeed. There’s too little of this in business these days, but if women are going to rise to the top we need to work together and help each other get there.

Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire

The Ben Carson Story, by John Pielmeier

The Long Tail, by Chris Anderson

Black Berry Curve TAM, Transportes Aéreos Marília, Brazil

Hyatt Hotel

Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton 06

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell 01 Iphone Singapore Airlines

Tanjung Rhu resort, Langkawi

To be cool Our choices

Metropolis by Friz Lang 07

A Heart so White, by Javier Marìas Mountain bike 02 Qatar Airways Porquerolles, Le Mas du Langoustier

Coco Avant Chanel, by Anne Fontaine 05

Rio Erotico, by Otto Stupakoff

‘Cloche Chair’ by the street is in the house Virgin

The Bowery Hotel New York (The suites on north west corner)

Universal Dinner Chef Mara Alcamim (Brasília, Brazil)

Flowers: orchid

The Beach Jurerê Internacional, Florianópolis, Brazil Opus One, Napa Valley 08

Iggy’s Singapore Ipad 09

At least three days skiing in Niseko, Japan and having a Hokkaido crab dinner in Sapporo.

Aquila Nigra, Mantova (Italy)

Cap de Creus Cadaques, Costa Brava Spain, situated in an old light house

Sky Diving 04

Bouchard Pere et Fils, Beaune du Chateau Rouge

Sailing across Turkey with a “caicco” Bouzy

Transiberian train experience Algodoal, small fishing village on ilha de Maiandeua, 180 km northeast of Belem, Brazil 03

Meursault Chablis

We asked Janete Ana Riberiro Vaz — Founder of Laboratório Sabin de Análises Clinicas in Brasilia (Brazil), Lena Soh-Ng — Senior Partner of Huntington in Singapore (Singapore), Carlo Tarsia in Curia — Manager of Groupama in Paris (France) — and Carlo Sanpietro — Designer and artist New York City (US) to select ‘our choices’.

Janete A. Riberiro Vaz Lena Soh-Ng Carlo Tarsia in Curia Carlo Sampietro

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