The Conference Board Publications

The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce

Jill Casner-Lotto — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This report raises several questions concerning the overall effectiveness of workforce readiness training programs.

A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits Are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool

Diane Piktialis — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This report explores the growing trend of nonprofits to recruit boomers and the things both sides need to do to make this very promising relationship work.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times... CEO Succession Planning

June Eichbaum — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

Management succession is one of the most critical strategic risks a corporation faces and a favorite topic of discussion on the role of the board in business crises.

Productivity, Performance, and Progress: Germany in International Comparative Perspective

Andreas Metz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

This study argues that the key to a successful and sustainable growth strategy for any time and place is to find the optimal balance between labour productivity growth and labour input growth.

U.S. Salary Increase Budgets for 2010

Judit Torok — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:08:00 UTC

Salary increase budgets were hit hard in 2009. The good news for 2010 — budgets are projected to be higher. The bad news — the forecasted increase, at 3 percent, is the lowest in 25 years.

Building Risk Awareness into Performance: Integrating ERM and Performance Management

Daniel Sandy Bayer — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

This report explores the reasons behind the lack of ERM and performance management integration through an examination of the results of a survey of 97 senior executives.

The Conference Board Task Force on Executive Compensation

Corporate Authorship TCB — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

The Conference Board convened the Task Force on Executive Compensation in March 2009 to address the loss of public trust in the processes for oversight of executive compensation.

Corporate Governance Handbook: Legal Standards and Board Practices (Third Edition)

Matteo Tonello — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

Revised in 2009, this handbook presents an easy-to-use compendium of rapidly evolving laws and regulations and the best practices adopted by leading companies.

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times: Leading the Public Company to Full Recovery

Matteo Tonello — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times offers corporate directors guidance on how to approach their oversight responsibilities during a period of financial distress.

Recession Lessons for Mid-Market CFOs: Successfully Obtaining Loans in the New World of Credit

Howard Muson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:09:00 UTC

Even though signs of an economic recovery are emerging, recession challenges and a shutdown of easy credit have changed the lending world for CFOs of small- and mid-sized firms

The 2009 Institutional Investment Report

Matteo Tonello — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:10:00 UTC

The Institutional Investment report, which is released annually in the fall, is the most comprehensive analysis of the asset growth and portfolio composition of institutional investors operating in the United States.

Working at the Intersection of Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance - The Need for Collaboration

Ronald E. Berenbeim — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:10:00 UTC

The publication pursues cultural and organizational issues that may limit this collaboration, human resources' potential leadership role, and ways of introducing metrics into the equation.

Director Notes: The Role of the Board in Risk Oversight—Adapting to Regulatory Developments and Emerging Practices

Mark S. Bergman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

This report highlights a range of considerations for directors as they approach the assessment and oversight of their risk management programs.

Protecting Critical Infrastructure: A Cross-Border Action Plan

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

Much of the critical infrastructure on which the citizens of the United States and Canada depend—transportation, energy, and communications systems, among others—exists on both sides of the border.

Social Networking: How Companies Are Using Web 2.0 to Communicate with Employees

Sheri Rothman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

Companies are revamping their intranets to mirror the function and applications of social networking and they are seeing benefits such as keeping work-related ideas inside company firewalls and increased employee engagement

Foreign Exchange Management: Creating Value Through Better Decision Making

Rainer Schultheis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

Foreign Exchange Management: Creating Value through Better Decision Making gauges the impact of the financial crisis on FX management practices

The Impact of Workforce Reductions on Layoff “Survivors”

Stephanie J. Creary — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:11:00 UTC

This Executive Action features data on how layoffs were conducted, what support is being offered to employees who are leaving and who are staying, and some write-in comments on how respondents’ roles and companies are changing.

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics: Reflections from The Conference Board

Pamela Bayless — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This Executive Action report contains insights from expert researchers at The Conference Board that link Elinor Ostrom’s and Oliver Williamson’s work to today’s business concerns.

Clearing Paths for Critical Foreign Talent to Work in the United States

Howard Muson — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

The future growth of many smaller businesses may depend upon recruiting highly skilled foreign workers for key jobs. That means becoming better acquainted with the complexities of the immigration code.

The 2009 Corporate Contributions Report

Carolyn Cavicchio — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

Responses to this year's edition of The Conference Board Annual Survey on Corporate Contributions indicate that for companies for which we have multi-year data, U.S. charitable giving declined in FY 2008, while international giving increased.

The 2009 Top Executive Compensation Report

Judit Torok — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This report examines salary, total cash compensation, total compensation, and the mix of compensation elements for the CEO and the five highest-paid executives for specific revenue and industry groups.

I Can’t Get No...Job Satisfaction, That Is

John M. Gibbons — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

In the 2009 edition of an annual job satisfaction survey conducted for The Conference Board, only 45 percent of Americans said they were satisfied with their jobs

Strategic Workforce Planning in Global Organizations

Mary B. Young — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

This report describes how SWP adds value by helping global companies make better business decisions. It details what it takes for companies to advance from a fledgling effort to a more robust version of SWP.

Directors’ Duties and the Pursuit of Social Investments

Janet E. Kerr — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

This report examines the implications of sustainability on business corporations and on the body of law that governs them.

A Global Barometer for Measuring Employee Engagement

John M. Gibbons — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:12:00 UTC

This report shows that a robust measure of employee engagement can be constructed with just eight basic questions—termed The Conference Board Employee Engagement Barometer.™

The 2010 Productivity Brief: Productivity, Employment, and Growth in the World's Economies

Abhay Gupta — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

The recession left its mark on global productivity, which fell in 2009. With recovery expected in 2010, advanced economies will see renewed productivity gains but continue to shed workers.

U.S. Salary Increase Budgets for 2010—Winter Update

Judit Torok — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:01:00 UTC

Revised projections for U.S. Salary increase budgets in 2010 have dipped below 3 percent for the first time in more than two decades, barely staying ahead of The Conference Board’s forecasted inflation rate.

The Duty to Monitor under Delaware Law: from Caremark to Citigroup

Eric J. Pan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

Have corporate governance laws struck the right balance between risk taking and risk mitigation? This report provides an overview of Delaware law developments on the fiduciary duty to monitor.

Directors' Duties under the New SEC Rules on Disclosure Enhancement

Mutya Fonte Harsch — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This report discusses the new SEC rules and reform in detail and touches on the implications for boards of directors.

Ready or Not: Companies and the Sustainability Tipping Point

David Vidal — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

The challenge for companies is how to make sustainability-centric approaches deliver not only on the financial bottom line but also on a broader platform of ecological and social accountabilities and goals that make up the sustainability blend.

CEO Challenge 2010: Top 10 Challenges

Linda Barrington — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

Respondents to the latest edition of the annual survey of CEOs, presidents, and chairmen indicate that growth issues will be their top challenges for 2010.

Does Your Company Need a Don’t Do it List?

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Conversation Starter – the first in a new series of short provocative pieces commissioned especially for our mid-market members – suggests some ways that small- and mid-sized businesses can focus better on what really needs to be done.

Getting Fit For Leaner Times

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Mid-Market Conversation Starter considers the possibility of lateral growth for an entire company.

Solving the Customer’s Price Issues.

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

This Mid-Market Conversation Starter gives you a couple of new perspectives from which to think about solving customer price issues.

Reengaging Lost Customers

Howard Muson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:02:00 UTC

What can be done to win back customers that have proven loyal in the past and who may account for a significant portion of profits? A Mid-market Conversation Starter.

Labor Market Transitions: from Recession to Recovery

Christopher Woock — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:03:00 UTC

This report explores the factors in a recovery that drive the employment level and the unemployment rate. It offers an analysis of where the U.S. labor market stands and where it may be headed.

The Shareholder Activism Report and Resource Portal

Damien J. Park, MBA — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

The Shareholder Activism Report provides corporations with the tools required to understand their shareholder base, assess gaps and vulnerabilities that could make the company a target, and ultimately respond to possible requests for change.

The 2009 Directors' Compensation and Board Practices Report

Judit Torok — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

This report analyzes director compensation and board structures in U.S.-based public companies based on proxy data through May 2009 from 2,436 companies and the results of a 2009 survey of corporate secretaries by The Conference Board.

Is the Pressure Easing? The 2010 Philanthropy Agenda

Carolyn Cavicchio — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

The economic downturn took its toll in the U.S. corporate philanthropy arena but the negative impact seen in 2009 may have reached its peak.

Financial Services Offshoring: Moving Toward Fewer Captives and Global Cost Competitiveness

The Conference Board — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

Financial services companies show greater interest than other sectors in contracting with large international providers and becoming more cost competitive by moving operations to lower labor cost locations

The 2010 Executive Coaching Survey

Henry M. Silvert — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

This survey by The Conference Board Council on Executive Coaching focuses on external coaching practices as well as the growing use of internal coaching

Increasing U.S. Business Investment in Postsecondary Credentialing for New Workforce Entrants

Christopher Woock — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:03:00 UTC

Can businesses be persuaded to invest in tomorrow's workforce through increased postsecondary credentials?

Investor Engagement in Europe in the Wake of the Shareholder Rights Directive Implementation

Marco Scalera — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

This report briefly outlines major governance issues that, in light of the new legal and economic environment, the boards of European public companies should consider, especially in connection with their general meetings.

Survival Lessons from Family Businesses

Howard Muson — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

What accounts for the longevity and success over time- of these multi-generational family businesses? A Mid-market Conversation Starter.

Up in the Air / Down to Earth

Martin Cohen — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

Is there a more deflating pronouncement to hear from your boss than "I’m going to start incorporating humor in my staff meetings?" A Mid-market Conversation Starter.

A New Era in Global Anti-Corruption: Governments Get Serious about Enforcement

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

The year 2010 has seen a surge in FCPA enforcement, producing a buzz among corporate executives that the old ways of doing business with “a wink and a nod” are over.

Strategies for Winning Government Business—and Making It Profitable, Too

Howard Muson — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

How three midsize companies build relationships with federal and state agencies and avoid perils in the contracting process.

Examining the Impact of SEC Guidance Changes on CEO Succession Planning

Edward Ferris — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:04:00 UTC

In late 2009, the SEC made a policy change that effectively removes the defense used by companies reluctant to disclose their CEO succession process to shareholders. The change means a new wave of corporate governance scrutiny.

Harnessing the Power Within: Using Your Employees to Help Deliver the Brand Promise

Sheri Rothman — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:05:00 UTC

This report discusses how creating an internal branding model will help employees understand and connect to your core brand, then communicate that brand message to your customers.

Sustainability in the Boardroom

Matteo Tonello — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:06:00 UTC

Despite formal assignment of responsibilities to top business leaders, many companies still lack the structural framework to enable proper director oversight of corporate sustainability.

Goals and Incentives for a New Day

Howard Muson — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:06:00 UTC

This new Conversation Starter by Howard Muson poses a number of provocative questions about goals and incentive systems in today’s economy.