The Impact of Culture on Hard-Wired Behaviors

Anthropologists tell us that our species of humans called Homo Sapiens first surfaced about 200,000 years ago.  And our ancestors survived through certain behaviors that became pretty much hard-wired into their brain circuitry.   When agriculture was invented about 10,000 years ago, our ancestors no longer had to move around, live in small groups, and live a hand-to-mouth […]

Generational Differences: Myth or Reality?

Traditionalists (otherwise known as Matures or the Silent Generation), those born before 1946, are hard-working and detail-oriented. They are disciplined and like consistency and uniformity. They are stable and loyal, and, at work, they are concerned about healthcare and retirement benefits and possibly being discriminated against because of their age. Baby boomers, those born between […]

Adopting a “Reverse Innovation” Attitude

Professor Vijay Gavindarajan’s concept of reverse innovation – developing ideas in an emerging market and coaxing them to flow uphill to Western markets – is a powerful one. If you are familiar with his work, you will know that he cites many examples, especially at GE, where products such as a low-cost ECG machine were […]