Babbling leaders, ethical dilemmas, something rotten about Apple, and the era of provocative girls. We have collected our most read stories of the year.
Before we wrap up 2023 and head into the new year with vigour and poise, we went back and looked at what you, our dear readers, were most interested in this year.
So take a deep breath, lean back, and enjoy this list of BI Business Review’s greatest hits of the past year.
Bob Dylan famously proclaimed that “the times, they are a-changin’”. That may have been the case in 1964, but the number one article on BI Business Review in 2023 actually occupied the very same position last year. People just cannot seem to get enough of Øyvind Kvalnes and his guide to dealing with digital dilemmas.
“Increased activities in social media and rapid publication create a range of dilemmas for decisions-makers within organizations, where they must prioritize conflicting ethical considerations.”
Coming in at number two is an eight-year-old article from Christine Myrvang on a 100-year-old phenomenon.
“Through behaviour and appearance, these girls challenged the boundaries between sexes. It was a form of youth rebellion, a project of liberation, and it didn’t go unnoticed.”
Rounding out our top three is an article that concerns the very real problem of fast fashion. The same article also won BI’s Opinion Essay Competition in 2021 and is written by BI students Torger Dyrnes, Herman Rognaldsen, Martine K. Nilsen and Vy H. Nguyen.
“Despite efforts to become “greener”, the fast-fashion pioneer does not genuinely contribute to a sustainable future. The problem lies within its core operating business model.”
Most companies never expand outside their home markets. So what drives the ones that do? Gabriel R.G. Benito searches for answers in this article from 2021.
“Internationalization may become a goal simply because top managers see their competitors doing it.”
Are you a manager and think open plan offices is the perfect way to go to maximize attendance at work? Think again, says Linda Lai.
“In many office landscapes, the majority of employees have built a fourth wall. In other words the fourth walls has become a culture. And this culture comes at a cost. Maintaining the fragile fourth wall demands mental energy and is stressful and exhausting for many, especially over time.”
2023 saw the launch of several new tech gadgets. But something is rotten in the state of Apple, according to this Opinion Essay Competition-winning essay from BI students Anita Engelstad Thorsen, Hannah Sofie Kjellevold, Pernille Sæther-Larsen, Ellen Vik and Isabelle Steine Bendriss.
“Apple continuously tempts consumers to pick the unsustainable choice.”
Our readers also appreciated Sut I. Wong and her article describing a study of 33 countries on why employees do not speak up when something bad happens.
“Some employees keep quiet because they don’t believe leaders and others are interested in what they have to say or are responsive to it. Like their colleagues who remain silent because of fear, these employees are likely to experience increased negative emotions such as stress and exhaustion.”
Sustainability was a hot topic among our readers in 2023. BI students Chi Quynh Tran, Léa Ermini and Hau Hai Nguyen won BI’s Opinion Essay Competition in 2021 with this essay on why Coca-Cola’s approach to the circular economy is unacceptable.
“The launch of Coca-Cola’s new bottles made from ocean plastic turned out to be nothing but a greenwashing tool. Instead of investing further and making marketing campaigns out of this, Coca-Cola should start to deal with the core problem – their overproduction of throwaway bottles.”
Have you ever come across a colleague that just goes on babbling and talking gibberish to you? Watch out, because he or she might be your new manager, according to Mads Nordmo Arnestad and this article on talkative leaders.
“If you want to become a leader, you must speak up often and talk at length. The quality of what you say is less important. The path to leadership is paved with a lot of blah, blah, blah.”
Did you know that the best leaders are found in the public sector or that female leaders are better suited for leadership than men? This nine-year-old article from Øyvind Lund Martinsen still manages to engage and attract new readers in 2023.
“The results indicate that, as regards to personality, women are better suited for leadership than their male colleagues when it comes to clarity, innovation, support and targeted meticulousness.”
Published 19. December 2023