Archives: December 2008

Ideas that Matter Now

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 23

The business world is gripped in the throes of extraordinary change. The government is doling out bailouts, companies are adopting four day work weeks to stay afloat, and layoffs are...

Are You Working Today?

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 23

Many people aren't. And not just because it's the day before Christmas Eve. A growing number of companies have planned holiday shutdowns--some paid, others not--for the two weeks around the...

Consulting for Good

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 23

Giving back this holiday season with some volunteer work? Here's an interesting idea from one former CEO who's doing it in her own way. I came across a story in...

Thinking About the Four Day Work Week

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 23

It's back. After making an earlier appearance when gas costs were at their peak, the four-day work week is making a repeat appearance thanks to the recession. The first time...

The Long Wait Layoff

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 22

There's been some interesting stories online today, both at the New York Times and here at BusinessWeek, about companies that are trying to cut costs in ways other than resorting...

S&P Revises Outlook on GE Credit Rating

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 18

Just two days after General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt reiterated the company's commitment to maintaining its AAA credit rating, Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on the rating...

Managing Your Wardrobe: The Working Mom-cum-Recessionista Clothing Swap

Posted by: Michelle Conlin on December 17

I recently found myself on the Lower East Side, arms loaded with the has-beens and cast-offs of my corporate wardrobe. It was a drizzly Sunday evening and I had...

GE Stops Giving Quarterly Earnings Guidance

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 16

The company most associated with meeting its quarterly numbers is no longer going to be forecasting them. At General Electric's annual investor outlook meeting, held in the same studio where...

Boards Go Global

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 02

Three years ago, the board of directors for State Street, the Boston-based financial services firm, was decidedly local. Not only was it lacking any international members, but every one of...

GE Sees Profits At Low End of Range, Reaffirms Dividend

Posted by: Jena McGregor on December 02

GE's finance arm, GE Capital, is getting smaller. In an update this morning, the financial services unit provided wary investors with an update on changes to its business, which has...

Hank Greenberg on AIG's 'Punitive' Bailout

Posted by: Diane Brady on December 01

Just because someone is angry and clearly motivated by self-interest doesn't mean he's wrong. Former American International Group chief Maurice Greenberg has railed against the Fed's bailout of the insurer...