August 24, 2009 Issue Posted August 13, 2009, 5:00PM EST

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Job-hunting in Maryland: The pace of job losses fell sharply in June WinMcNamee/Getty Images

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Hold on There, BofA

Reason No. 42 why Ken Lewis wishes he hadn't bought Merrill Lynch: In early August, Bank of America (BAC) agreed to pay the government $33 million to settle charges that it violated securities laws by failing to inform investors of Merrill's plans to pay $6 billion in bonuses. But on Aug. 10 a federal judge refused to O.K. the accord, saying it left too many questions, including who knew what about the payouts. The likelihood that BofA will have to turn over mountains of merger documents could create a field day for private lawyers who have sued the bank over the deal.

See "Judge Questions, Delays BofA Settlement"

—Edited by Harry Maurer & Cristina Linblad

EBay, Meet GM

Best-known as a gargantuan online flea market for secondhand goods, eBay (EBAY) wants to ramp up sales of new products on its site. So why not try cars? In a partnership with General Motors (GM) announced on Aug. 10, the online auctioneer will invite 225 GM dealers in California to list new vehicles for a short trial period. While the promotion will help dealers clear out some of the past-season models collecting dust on the lot, not all are thrilled that GM will set fixed prices for the cars. But Greg Heath, vice-president of Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, Calif., expects eBay to bring in 25 to 50 sales at his dealership during the trial, which runs through Sept. 8. Meanwhile, GM trumpeted its lineup of new vehicles and said its upcoming electric car, the Chevy Volt, will get 230 miles per gallon in the city when it hits the road in 2011.

See "At eBay, Showrooms Push Aside Yard Sales"

—Edited by Harry Maurer & Cristina Linblad

Video of Opportunity

Get 'em in the cubicle: That's the message for online advertisers from a new study. Some 34% of folks who watch online video do it at the office, says the study, and they're much more likely to remember the accompanying ads than are TV viewers. What's more, they're three times more likely to recall ads alongside "highly engaging" videos than those beside less grabby ones. So, advertisers: Pick your video mates with care.

See "The Next Target for Advertisers? Your Office Cubicle"

—Edited by Harry Maurer & Cristina Linblad

Why That Plum Job Abroad Could Be a Rotten Move

With eight years of international experience on two continents under your belt, you figured you were on a fast track to a C-suite job. Well, think again. Monika Hamori and Burak Koyuncu of Spain's IE Business School examined the careers of 1,001 executives from the largest companies in the U.S. and Europe and found that the number and duration of foreign assignments did influence how fast an employee rose up the ranks—but not in the way you might expect. Those who spent more time away from headquarters actually took longer to get to the top. And posts taken at later stages of an executive's career were especially detrimental to advancement. Time spent abroad with other employers didn't do anything to help one's chances, either.

The working paper, presented at the Academy of Management's annual meeting, held in Chicago Aug. 7-11, makes a good case that face time still counts for a lot in corporate life. Executives assigned to work abroad can lose out because they are unplugged from the valuable social networks at corporate headquarters—what Hamori and Koyuncu call "the out-of-sight, out-of-mind effect." This is consistent with previous studies that found that nearly half of repatriated executives left their company within two years of returning to their home country, largely because of concerns about career advancement. The pair's advice for those who have their eyes on the corner office: Go ahead and take the job in Shanghai. But do it only for a year or two, and do it when you're young. And don't even think about jumping to another company when you get back.

("Career Advancement in Large Organizations: Do International Assignments Add Value?" - Academy of Management)

—Edited by Harry Maurer & Cristina Linblad