Working out power dynamics

Your success in an organisation depends on your ability to execute with and through others. But when you’re starting a new job, it can be hard to find out who the true power players are and how to get close to them. Research shows that during times of transition like moving to a new role or company, it’s vital to understand the hidden networks that truly get the work done — regardless of hierarchy. Follow these strategies to recognise the lay of the land: 1) Understand the different kinds of power. Five bases of power to consider: coercive (relying on force), reward (relying on incentives), legitimate (relying on hierarchy), referent (relying on affiliation), and expert (relying on knowledge authority). 2) Identify which people others seek out for authority. 3) Look beyond the obvious pockets of power. It’s natural to assume that those who have “chief” or “senior” in their titles are the ones that dominate the power landscape. But this isn’t always the case. 4) Let relationships with powerful colleagues multiply through curiosity and generosity.

(Adapted from “How to Figure Out the Power Dynamics in a New Job,” by Nihar Chhaya, published by the Harvard Business Review)

After the chaos

Turmoil in financial markets and growing evidence of stress elsewhere are some of the normal signs of a bear market and a coming recession. But they also mark the painful emergence of a new regime in the world economy — a shift that may be as consequential as the rise of Keynesianism after the second world war and the pivot to free markets and globalisation in the 1990s. The era of economic placidity in the 2010s is over. The immediate fear is of a blow-up, as a financial system that has become habituated to low rates wakes up to the soaring cost of borrowing. But look further ahead, and the fundamental trends in the 2020s and 2030s are for bigger government expenditure (as spending rises on health care, defence and energy infrastructure) with still-low real interest rates (as ageing populations in rich countries accumulate excess savings). So should central banks ditch their 2pc inflation targets and raise them to, say, 4pc? A brave new world of somewhat higher government spending, and somewhat higher inflation, would present both opportunities and dangers.

(Adapted from “A new macroeconomic era is emerging. What will it look like?” published on October 6, 2022, by The Economist)

The war crisis of schooling

Nearly a quarter-of-a-million Ukrainian children have enrolled in German schools after fleeing their country following Russia’s invasion, according to data from the Conference of Ministers of Education and German state governments. But seven months after the war began, Ukrainian refugees are still struggling to find the best way to continue their education. The Ukrainian government is urging students abroad to continue Ukrainian schooling online so they can easily return when the war ends. For some families, Ukrainian school is also the only time their children are actually learning at their grade level as they struggle with school in languages they don’t understand or take intensive language programs with little focus on other subjects. In many cases, the children are arriving in schools that already have programs in place for non-native speakers. As refugees from Syria and elsewhere flooded school systems in 2015, states realised they needed programs for non-German speakers.

(Adapted from “For Ukrainian Students Fleeing War, Education Is Still Inconsistent,” by Eliza Collins and Kateryna Rudeshko, published on September 28, 2022, by The Wall Street Journal)

When hunger contributes to obesity

Obesity affects about 40 per cent of the US population, almost one in four Americans had trouble affording food in 2021, and the price of food has risen more than 11pc since this time last year. A new scientific view is framing hunger as a scourge that afflicts not only people who get too few calories but also those who consume mostly sugar and refined starch, writes Faye Flam. If it’s correct, it means hunger has actually contributed to the dramatic rise in obesity over the last 30 years — a 70pc increase in adults and an 85pc rise in children. The kind of diet that’s most harmful to human health is unfortunately the food that’s cheapest, most convenient, most available in poor areas, and most heavily marketed — foods and drinks that are high in sugar and starchy foods.

(Adapted from “Hunger And Obesity Are The Same Problems,” by Faye Flam, published on October 5, 2022, by Bloomberg)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 17th, 2022