Wannabe entrepreneurs are highly likely to ignore poor financial performances in order to pursue their dream, according to new research by emlyon business school and ESC Clermont Business School. The researchers found that in the early stages, new entrepreneurs are so blinded by their dreams of becoming successful, they believe entrepreneurial spirit can get them out of a difficult situation. More →

A new survey of around 2,000 people commissioned by Preply suggests that 46 percent of workers are not motivated by motivational phrases in the workplace with 53 percent of those surveyed saying they would never use a motivational quote in their everyday lives.  According to those surveyed, almost half of those would not be motivated by a motivational phrase with “Do the impossible” being the least motivating (57 percent). This is followed by “The sky’s the limit” and “Keep calm and carry on” both with 54 percent stating they wouldn’t be motivated by these phrases. More →

Volunteering is delivering productivity gains worth billions to the UK economy each year, a new study claims. The report by Pro Bono Economics (PBE), commissioned by national volunteering charity Royal Voluntary Service, estimates productivity gains worth at least £4.6 billion each year, or £4,551 per volunteer, arising from volunteering by those in professional and managerial occupations. The PBE report, titled?A pro bono bonus: The impact of volunteering on wages and productivity, stresses that these productivity gains would likely be even higher if the voluntary efforts of those in other job roles, as well as the benefits of volunteering to unemployed people, were taken into account. More →

Yesterday’s Spring Budget included a number of announcements that affect the various people, place and technology professions in the UK. These include a cut in National Insurance, pension fund reforms, support for working parents, AI, helping people back in to work and more. You can see the Government’s own summary here. The various industry sectors have been quick to respond to the announcements. You can see what some people have had to say below, in no particular order. More →

New research suggests that people tend to be overconfident in their ability to handle unknown situations, which has implications for business and entrepreneurship. A team of international researchers has shared findings on what they describe as overconfident behaviour, which can lead to negative outcomes in business and personal decision-making. Professor Mohammed Abdellaoui, lead researcher and professor at HEC Paris, and colleagues including Han Bleichrodt from the University of Alicante, Spain, and Cédric Gutierrez from Bocconi University in Italy, revealed that our own attitudes to uncertainty play a role in how we assess our own abilities. More →

Leaders who are not present during a time of organisational crisis increase workers’ stress levels and the likelihood of them burning out, according to new research from a number of UK business schools, including Durham University Business School. The researchers show that when leaders are absent it creates a more toxic workplace, turning workers against management, as well as increasing workers’ stress, levels of absence and even turnover. More →