Management

Jefferson and Lincoln: Different leaders for different times

It's hard to imagine two more different routes to great presidencies. Jefferson and Lincoln's paths shaped what they accomplished in the White House.

More male caregivers, more discrimination at work

The recession took a heavy toll on men in general and many became caregivers by default. Corporate policies and attitudes haven't kept pace.

By David Koeppel

FORTUNE -- Employees are mad as hell, and they are not going to take it any more. At least some of them, that is.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reported a rise in employee discrimination claims made by both female and male caregivers of children, MORE

Why Mary Jo White is the wrong pick for the SEC

Maybe the former white collar defense lawyer will be able to set aside her past connections to the corporate world and the possibility of future alliances. But the president could have picked someone who lacked such conflicts.

FORTUNE -- Imagine waking up one morning and reading a speech made by one of your bosses, where you discover just how little he values the projects you've been slaving away at for the MORE

Four (and a half) promising ideas from Davos

Beyond the fancy parties and Swiss scenery, leaders at Davos debated several ideas that will fundamentally change the global economy.

By Vineet Nayar

FORTUNE -- It may come across as a humble four-letter word, but the world has changed many times over on account of a simple "idea." Goethe said that "daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward: they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." I spent MORE

Defense industry braces for major spending cuts

Congress and the Obama Administration will need to strike a new deal in late March to avoid chopping billions from defense budgets. The major contractors are preparing now.

By Elizabeth G. Olson

FORTUNE -- Budget watchdogs of all political stripes and military contractors are sparring furiously over the effects of truncated government spending, a matter where emotions soar over such hot-button issues as unemployment and national security.

While even the most ardent MORE

How Ed Whitacre brought GM back from the brink

Days after General Motors went bankrupt, former AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre took over as chairman. He found a company paralyzed by old ways and seemingly unable to change. Inside his fight to get GM moving again.

FORTUNE -- General motors filed for Chapter 11 on June 1, 2009. Eight days later the White House announced that Ed Whitacre would serve as chairman. He had to learn the business fast; six months MORE

JP Morgan has plenty of shaping up to do

An internal report is just a start. Regulators and JP Morgan's board have much more they need to examine.

FORTUNE -- Searching for a banking hero, many in the press falsely awarded the great risk manager trophy to JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon. Apparently, the bank's board bought the hype. But in the wake of investigations into the London Whale trading fiasco, many more now recognize that JP Morgan, its board, MORE

What's behind all the corporate secrecy over political spending?

Last week, the New York State Comptroller sued Qualcomm for records related to its political spending. When it comes to these kinds of corporate accountability issues, the tech giant has plenty of company.

FORTUNE -- While millions of unemployed struggle to keep hope, corporations shelled out millions on election attack ads last year. Individual companies are still not fessing up on how their millions were spent. What do they have to MORE

Building a new Egypt: Where we are today

No nation can be rebuilt in short order. Egypt is no exception. A Harvard Business School professor describes how business leaders can help.

By Tarun Khanna

FORTUNE -- When Hosni Mubarak's regime fell in Egypt, I wrote in a column for Fortune that businesspeople should not stand by the sidelines. Rather, they should actively combat the deficit of trust that had rent the Egyptian social fabric. Without nurturing trust, I argued, MORE

Why the U.S. lags Europe (and others) on board diversity

The U.S. has a business culture that doesn't like top-down mandates or term limits, yet evidence suggests that businesses with more diverse boards perform better. What to do?

FORTUNE – Compared to many countries, the United States is progressive in terms of women's rights. But when it comes to pushing businesses to increase their ranks of female leaders, European and Asian nations leave the U.S. in the dust.

On December 12, European MORE