Gilad Chen



Driving Uber: What's Next with the CEO On Leave?

What happens to a company when a CEO takes a leave of absence? It's a question Uber Technologies must now face, as chief executive Travis Kalanick begins a hiatus of unspecified length from the $68-billion ride-hailing company he co-founded. The embattled CEO announced this week he would stepping down temporarily, citing the need to work on his own leadership skills and to grieve the recent death of his mother. At the same time, the board of directors announced a series of changes it would make to address the company's toxic work culture, including a reduced role for its CEO. It's a rebuke of Kalanick and the renegade management style he embraced as Uber upended ground transportation in cities around the world. Smith School experts describe the road ahead for the ride-sharing giant. Read more...

When a Telecommuting Pioneer Calls Its Workers to the Office

What does it mean when a pioneer of the telecommuting workforce begins to curb its work-from-home practices? For IBM, it means a massive culture shift, say experts from Smith School of Business. And while the tech giant might be hoping it results in a surge in innovation, it also might spark a surge of resignations. IBM is ending work-from-home policies for thousands of marketing employees, many of whom had never commuted to an office. It was the latest co-location push for the company, following similar mandates affecting design, security and I.T. employees, among others. Big Blue, as IBM is known, had been at the forefront of the telecommuting movement since the 1980s, adopting it for its own teams and building the technology to enable it. Read more...

Is a Lack of Sleep Crushing the Economy?

Can U.S. companies simultaneously encourage that employees get enough sleep (7-plus hours nightly) and still maintain a competitive edge? Sleep deprivation costs U.S. firms 1.2 million employee work days and roughly $411 billion in revenue a year, according a recent report from the Rand Corporation. That lack of sleep knocks an estimated 2.28 percent off the nation’s gross domestic product each year. The groggy workforce is a worldwide challenge to businesses, but it's especially acute in the United States, the Smith School's Gilad Chen explains. But it doesn't have to be that way. Read more...


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