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The article provides practical advice regarding the hiring of business executives such as chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs), and it mentions the needs of companies, the scaling of a business, and initial public offerings. Business leadership is addressed, along with contextual challenges for businesses, the CEB Inc. (Gartner Inc.) research and advisory firm, and a three-year study of 9,000 leaders at 85 businesses around the world.

Full-time, permanent jobs with large organizations are quite possibly an artifact of a particular moment in economic history--about 60 or 70 years ago. For elite executives and professionals, such jobs are now in many cases far less attractive than independent, project-based work, say the authors, who are "supertemps" themselves. Independent professionals are making inroads in law, consulting, and even management roles, sometimes earning more than they did in their previous positions while escaping 80-hour weeks, endless internal meetings, and corporate politics. And they're achieving a gratifying work/life balance. Corporations are learning how best to tap the supertemps' skills; organizations may soon come to look less like pyramids and more like jigsaw puzzles. Intermediary firms that broker independent talent are growing rapidly. But social biases against temporary work persist. And--especially in the U.S.--the health care and tax systems are unfriendly to project workers. Rising numbers of highly paid independents will be motivated to overcome those obstacles: Health coverage could become portable; tax rules could be rewritten. The result would be not just more-rewarding careers but a more innovative economy. INSETS: Idea in Brief;MAKING A SUPERTEMP STINT WORK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executives stay with an organization for only 3.3 years, on average. But does switching employers offer a fast-track to the top jobs? Research suggests the answer is no. In fact, that's one of four career fallacies identified in a study examining how managers get ahead. Fallacy 1: Job hoppers prosper. An analysis of the career histories of 1,001 CEOs and 14,000 non-CEOs in top corporations shows that the more years executives stay with the company, the faster they make it to the top. Lesson: Build a résumé that demonstrates a balance between external and internal moves. Fallacy 2: A move should be a move up. Among the executives studied, about 40% of job changes were promotions, 40% were lateral, and 20% were demotions. Lesson: While a downward move will detract from your CV, a lateral move can often lead to a promotion or enhance your CV when the new company conveys brand value. Fallacy 3: Big fish swim in big ponds. When making a move, 64% of executives trade down to smaller, less-recognized firms. They gain better titles or positions, cashing in on the brand value of their former employer. Lesson: Join top companies as early in your career as you can, and transfer to a lesser company only if the job is very attractive. Fallacy 4: Career and industry switchers are penalized. It's not always a bad move to change industries, or even careers, as is often assumed. Firms hire employees from different businesses for many reasons: For example, another industry might simply offer superior human capital. Lesson: Look for industries where your skills represent a genuine asset. Every career is unique; what's important is to look at each move with a critical eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article profiles John J. Mack, the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of investment giant Morgan Stanley. Mack, who worked for Morgan Stanley up until 2001 when he began working for rival Credit Suisse First Boston, rejoined Morgan Stanley in early 2006 to replace Phillip J. Purcell as CEO. The return of Mack to the company signifies a different direction in Morgan Stanley's leadership, with more emphasis on personal interaction and sales. INSETS: Mack's Plan;Where They Are Now;John J. Mack.

Looks at how the booming global oil industry has increased its focused on recruiting talented and skilled engineering professionals to help the industry grow. Review of how oil companies have begun exploring remote spots in the search for the world's untapped supply of oil; Suggestion that the companies have plenty of cash to finance the dig for more reserves; Author's view that the one thing holding the industry back is the need for engineering professionals and executives; Review of how the oil industry will spend $50 billion on talent development in 2005.

The article presents a first person narrative discussing the author's work life and his decision not to separate his work from his personal life. He is a self-described virtual chief executive officer who has been with 11 companies in 25 years. He has made his career choices based on what would bring him happiness. His jobs include community development manager, music promoter, corporate lawyer, chief financial officer at a technology start-up and chief executive at a video game company. An Ivy-League educated baby boomer, he feels that by not having a career, he has accomplished much. However, he also argues that having a "career" like his is not for everyone with its financial ups and downs. Some of the positive aspects of his work choices are excitement and love of what he does.

The authors report that large companies are struggling to cope with major, disruptive change. Good managers must be as skilled in assessing the abilities and disabilities of their organization as they are in assessing people. Research suggests that an organization's resources, its processes and its values determine its capabilities and that these factors evolve over time. Managers can create new processes and values internally, through a spinout organization or through acquisitions. Managers first must decide if they have the resources necessary for success, determine if their organization has the processes in place to succeed and whether the organization values its need to thrive in this new situation. INSETS: Digital's Dilemma;Fitting the Tool to the Task.

Discusses the Internet brain drain caused by managers leaving traditional companies for online businesses. Efforts of offline business to keep talented people, including increased salary, perquisites, and flexible schedules; Lure of stock options in startup or online companies; Examples of people who have joined Web companies, including former Disney executive, Richard Nanula; Why the brain drain trend concerns educators.

Focuses on companies' efforts to retain the services of their ageing management executives in the United States as of September 20, 1999. Deloitte Consulting's Senior Leaders Program; Hiring of senior executives as a means of easing the labor shortage faced by companies; Incentives offered by companies to senior executives. INSET: It ain't over when it's over, by Jack Dierdorff..

The article discusses the rights of executives who change their jobs in the U.S. with a focus on a lawsuit involving Joseph Vittoria, ex-president of car rental company Hertz Europe, who moved to become president at rival Avis. Topics include trade-secret litigation in the U.S. with attention paid to the lawsuits launched by computer technology company IBM. Tips are also presented on how one can avoid a lawsuit when changing jobs to go to a competitor or start own business.

A few years ago, the Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd., was faced with a period of adverse business conditions that made massive managerial cutbacks inevitable. Recognizing that the company shared the responsibility for the expendable executives, and that the available, time-tested techniques for firing people did not meet that responsibility, Alcan tried a new approach that attempted to help each dismissed employee find a new job and to understand why he had, in a crisis, become expendable. Since most of the people found new jobs, the procedure Alcan implemented was a success. It also led the company to adopt new performance appraisal procedures to prevent recurrences of this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It sometimes seems that an impermeable membrane separates business and government, preventing unmuffled communication and dampening out understanding. To encourage more open, relaxed relations between the public and the private sectors, the President's Commission on Personnel Interchange arranges for managers from each sector to work in the opposite one for a year or more. In the colloquium presented here, five executives discuss the benefits they derived from the program, some of the differences they encountered in working in each sector, and, notably, the ease with which they were able to surmount some of these differences. The record of their experience suggests that the two sectors can and must work together more closely. In the opening and closing sections of the article, Mr. Weiss tells why the program was established, how it is administered, and the steps being taken to improve it. He devotes the main body of the text to the colloquium so that the reader can view through the eyes of the participants what has actually been happening in both sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses economic factors that may affect the employment of executives, particularly in the banking industry, in the U.S. It notes that there has been a shortage of executive immigrants coming into the country. It also discusses the state of work in New York where earnings of industrial wage earners have doubled.

This article presents information on the view of companies, executives and employment agencies about executive search companies in the U.S. It explains that executive search is a new business and companies engaged in this sector help companies to find and win management talent that cannot fill their executive vacancies. Executive recruiters think of themselves as specialized consultants that help management.

The article examines the shortage of executive talent in the United States and what companies can do to offset these pressures. Elements that have led to the lack of executive talent include a decline in the birth rate, company growth, and increasing complexity in business practices. Steps a company can undertake to confront the shortage of executives and aid in its recruitment process include assessing its manpower needs, analyzing its promotion process, and running a skills inventory of executive positions. Companies can take protective action to prepare for the lack of available executives, including reducing their need for executives, retaining good employees, and updating personnel function.

The article focuses on the role of the project manager in modern industry. The project manager's main business is to create a product and the primary tool available to him is the brainpower of men who are professional specialists in diverse fields. He uses this tool in all phases of the creation of his product, from concept through the initial test operation and manufacturing stages. In studying the project manager, the author first takes a look at the advanced technology industry in which he works. He then differentiates his function from that of the conventional manager and analyzes his unique characteristics and attributes.

Focuses on problems faced by U.S. corporate boards of directors as a result of government investigations and shareholder lawsuits from accounting scandals. Pros and cons of the job, including coverage under the firm's directors-and-officers insurance policies; Concern of executives about their reputations; Idea that directors often have little expertise in corporate governance; Comments of Dick Grasso of Computer Associates and Jane Shaw of McKesson, which overstated revenues.

Reports on the evacuation services that Air Partner Plc. provides for multinationals when unrest hits a troubled hot spot. Charges for their services; How revenues have grown since 1997; Other charter services they provide.

Focuses on the common missteps of Internet start-up companies due to their attitude and lack of managerial awareness. Bias against experienced managers and the notion that management skills may be acquired with little effort; Assimilation of 'gray hairs,' or those over age 35, into Internet culture; Details of young companies that have hired experienced managers, including Oven Digital, Eveo.com, and StateScape.

The article mentions the introduction of the Cybersecurity Disclosure Act of 2015 in Congress in December 2015 by U.S. senators Jack Reed and Susan Collins which is designed to promote transparency, requiring publicly traded U.S. companies to have at least one cybersecurity expert on their boards. Topics discussed include the appointments of security executives as member of the corporate board including retailer Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. appoinment of Erin Nealy Cox in the audit committee.

Discusses how executives who find themselves prematurely `retired' are finding the hunt for a second career easier than ever before. Reasons for the demand; How early retirees can take advantage of the trend; Benefits of easing into retirement.

Offers advice for managers for increasing their success at a new job. The record number of searches reported by executive recruiters; How companies are increasingly looking outside for fresh talent rather than promoting from within; Results of a survey of human resources workers on the failure of management hires; The reasons why freshly hired managers fail; The growing number of firms that are combining executive searches with extensive personality screening, along with follow-up coaching.

The article deals with recruitment of corporate executives in the U.S. as of April 1977. The author discusses the amount of executives' salaries and bonuses, their compensation packages, and employment contracts. Special attention is paid to how a manager is attracted to a company including executives Joseph B. Flavin, Robert J. Suslow, and Robert C. Wilson.

Reports that the demand for top level managers is rising in the United States. Workload of executive-search firms; Reason for the increased demand; Result of downsizing; Hirings on Wall Street; Billings of search firms.

The article discusses the implications of executive dismissal to the official's likely sought for another executive job. It says that though companies know that the dismissal may be driven by politics, they will still doubt the executive's abilities. It tells that the termination makes an executive reluctant to reenter the management field due to his aversion to prove himself again. It adds that several deposed chiefs claim satisfaction on their new careers which are considered less prestigious.

The article offers information on the resignation among executives in the U.S. from 1960 to 1983. It discusses reasons why top executives resign from their position which include insecurity among executives, economic recession, and pressures from foreign competition and domestic markets. It mentions that in terms of chief operating officers, the reason for resignation is considered to be the widespread belief that authority must be given to lower-level managers who are nearer to the market.

The article reports about developments in the U.S. steel industry as of April 1, 1930, focusing on a rivalry between Bethlehem Steel and Republic Steel Corp. for the acquisition of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube, mergers between smaller producers, and the performance of steel companies' stocks. The formation of the Republic Steel concern, appointments and career changes of American executives, and the finances of chemical producer Union Carbide and Carbon Corp.

The executive was most recently global engagement partner at Marsh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the growth of managerial employment as of July 5, 2016.

The article offers tips for new executives on overcoming challenges in professional transitions, including avoiding a larger-than-life persona by defining their image, creating purposeful messages as leaders, and learning from unfiltered information.