Google the mutual fund company

No, Google isn’t managing investments. They’re still devoted to “organizing the world’s information,” but that doesn’t matter to the SEC. A rule enacted in 1940 could cause increased regulatory headaches for the company. Companies whose securities make up more than 40 percent of their assets can fall under restrictions that govern the mutual fund industry.Continue reading “Google the mutual fund company”

Microsoft splurges on more Microsoft stock

We’ve all been wondering just what Microsoft was going to do with that massive reserve of cash it’s been sitting on for years, not unlike a corporate Smaug. Turns out, they’re buying some shares in themselves. It isn’t news that Microsoft is buying back some of their shares, but what is news is that theyContinue reading “Microsoft splurges on more Microsoft stock”

Casual Fridays become Casual Weekdays

What qualifies as acceptable attire in the workplace has been changing ever since the advent of Casual Fridays. Friday has become every day of the week, and there’s a growing backlash against the slackening of dress codes. Tie Tuesdays are beginning to crop up. A couple days ago I blogged about going to client’s, whichContinue reading “Casual Fridays become Casual Weekdays”

Saga of Semco continues

I blogged about Semco SA yesterday, but it was a shallow, dull post merely outlining the ways in which the management philosophy has improved operations for the Brazilian manufacturing and environmental/IT services company. Some more interesting details: Due to management style clashes with his father and founder of the company, current CEO Ricardo Semler threatenedContinue reading “Saga of Semco continues”

Unorthodox management style is paying off for Semco

Semco is a Brazilian company that has recently taken digg by storm and is making waves amongst more real world folks too. The company is turning pretty much everything we know about how to run a business organization upside down, and getting great results doing just that. The long and short of it: Employees setContinue reading “Unorthodox management style is paying off for Semco”