Norms
Intel and the Slow Culture Reset
Although startups are a good way to change norms, there are examples of existing organizations successfully morphing and resetting culture. In the corporate world, Intel, is an example. Alexis Madrigal’s latest piece in the Atlantic …
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Civic Startups: Lessons from Shenzhen
Shenzhen can be described as a civic startup and more specifically, an example of a charter city. On these metrics as well as several others it can be considered a success. As leaders think about …
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Instagram and Changing the Rules
Leaders who make sudden changes to the rules may encounter a backlash from their communities. The problem arises when a community’s dominant social norms do not align with the change the leadership wishes to pursue. …
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J.C. Penney and Culture
J.C. Penney is a timely example in the corporate world on how systems of rules are persistent. The high-level details of ousted CEO Ron Johnson’s strategy were: Johnson’s strategy, which included trading steep sales for …
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Norms Around Time in the Workplace
Jody Greenstone Miller recently weighed in on the ongoing conversation between Sheryl Sandberg, Anne-Marie Slaughter, and others about women in the workplace. Miller makes an interesting call for a change in workplace norms. She wants firms to …
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Potential Impact of Immigration on Laws and Norms
Eugene Volokh and Ilya Somin have started an interesting conversation on immigration at the Volokh Conspiracy blog. The initial exchange centered on the potential for immigration to alter the social norms and formal laws in the destination …
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Anti-Corruption Agency Case Studies
Princeton’s Innovations for Successful Societies has recently published a series of case studies on the successes and challenges of anti-corruption agencies. The studies include Lithuania 1997-2007, Latvia 2002-2011, Indonesia 2002-2007, and Indonesia 2007-2011. In all three countries there …
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Federating Up versus Devolving Down
Reformers tend to assume that progress requires higher levels of government that embrace more people and more nations. This assumption should be challenged. Some reforms may be achieved more quickly by moving in the opposite …
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Changing Administrative Norms in Madagascar
Madagascar’s former president Marc Ravalomanana faced a rice shortage two years after entering office. He tackled the problem by piloting a program called Rapid Results, an approach pioneered by Schaffer Consulting. In an administration characterized by …
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