E-mail Overload
The seemingly infinite number of communication channels has made it a small world after all, but that doesn't mean business professionals are happy about it. A new survey of
more than 1,700 business communications executives by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) reveals that e-mail overload is a clear and present danger --
or, at least a clear and present nuisance: 93% of PDA users report being negatively affected by e-mail overload. Other results include:
- 85% say e-mail overload is having a negative affect on their productivity at least some of the time;
- 62% of all respondents and 75% of Blackberry users report receiving too much e-mail;
- 44% of all respondents and 56% of Blackberry users report sending too much e-mail;
- 61% cite the biggest cause of e-mail overload as external news sources and professional subscriptions, followed by co-workers (39%), professional networks (34%),
team/department sources (29%) and companywide corporate sources including senior management and HR (23%);
- 81% of respondents say their e-mail is always open; and
- 40% claim to spend two hours daily responding to e-mail.
Ethical Behavior Pays Solid Dividends
Profitability favors ethical organizations, according to a new study released by Corpedia, a specialist in risk assessment and eLearning for ethics and compliance. According
to the survey, such ethical corporations as Starbucks, Timberland and Whole Foods outperformed other S&P500 organizations by more than 370 percent over five years. This
"Ethics Index" tracks the stock performance of publicly traded companies that are recognized for their corporate citizenship, ability to attract and retain employees, and
sustainability practices. The average five-year return on the Ethics Index was 102% compared with 26% for the S&P500. The obvious conclusion: It pays to play nicely with your
colleagues and customers, as well as the world at large.
Strong Performance Leads to Better CEO Pay
America's executive pay-for-performance model is working, judging from a new Watson Wyatt survey, which found that CEOs at higher-performing companies have significantly
greater "realizable" pay, especially from long-term incentive (LTI) awards. It's a trend of note for PR professionals who are largely responsible for managing CEOs public images,
and consumers are often less-endeared to the highest-paid ones in spite of their company's higher performance. The study, based public data from 793 companies in the S&P
Composite 1500, found that:
- Between 2003 and 2005, the median realizable LTI for CEOs at higher-performing companies was $4.4 million, compared with just $1.5 million for CEOs at lower-performing
companies
CSR's Internal Company Profile
A survey released last month by the Business for Social Responsibility and the Global Environmental Management Initiative revealed that corporate social responsibility has a
high profile inside many companies, in addition to the external visibility. Of the 54 surveyed sustainable business professionals:
- 72% said that their CEO publicly communicates the company's commitment to CSR;
- 79% said they believe there is a strong connection between their company's words and actions; and
- 48% believe board-level oversight of social performance is strong; however, only 36% believe the same is true when it comes to environmental performance.
Top Country Brands
It pays to live Down Under when it comes to branding, according to the 2006 Country Brand Index released by FutureBrand in conjunction with Weber Shandwick. The index, which
polls more than 1,500 international travelers, industry experts and hospitality professionals, examines how countries can be branded and ranked according to key criteria. The
results revealed the following top-dogs in various categories:
- Australia ranks as the top overall country brand;
- The U.S ranks as the top country brands for doing business, families and shopping; and
- Thailand ranks as the top country brand for the value for money.