The current financial crisis that threatens the entire world has created an ideal opportunity for educators. A number of important lessons can be learned from this financial meltdown. Some are technical and deal with the value of mathematical models and measuring risk. The most important lesson,...

The apology is an important marketing and management tool. Knowing how to apologize correctly is a skill that must be mastered and should be studied. The purpose of this paper is to provide needed course material for instructors preparing a course module on this relatively new and very topical...

This paper examines the Book of Esther, deriving important insights about a variety of approaches to leadership that can be applied to today‘s crisis in leadership. Esther was a Queen of Persia approximately 2,500 years ago. In reviewing the leadership styles of three characters from this...

Scholars are noting a change in the way business is being conducted. Many firms -- one scholar estimates the number at 15% -- are concerned about values rather than focusing exclusively on maximizing profits. This new kind of capitalism considers factors such as societal needs, quality, needs of...

Adam Smith demonstrated how self-interest and the “invisible hand” of the marketplace allocated scarce resources efficiently and promoted social welfare. Unfortunately, the invisible hand argument led to the belief that regulation is unnecessary and that “greed is good.” This paper uses...

This paper examines Abrahamic values that can be used to heal the world and promote ethical leadership. Abraham, a simple clan leader from Ur of the Chaldees, sowed the seeds that helped defeat paganism, planted the roots for the three major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and...

This paper examines anti-Semitic humor, which, like most bigoted humor, is not very witty and often relies on ridiculous stereotypes. This is not unexpected from people whose family tree does not fork. Those who tell bigoted jokes should, at the very least, attempt to ensure that their humor is...

In this paper it is argued that two kinds of capitalism are engaged in a great struggle in the United States. Both approaches are derived from the opinions of Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, who posited in The Wealth of Nations that universal self-interest and the “invisible hand” of...

Critical to success in today's world, characterized by the knowledge economy, is the ability to communicate and collaborate across the boundaries of cultures, disciplines, and functional areas. In the knowledge economy, where people tend to work in groups, what matters most is the “c...

Jewish humor is generally considered to be self-deprecating rather than mocking. This paper studies one Jewish humor trope in which disparagement is used – that of the pious fool. The Talmud presents the chasid shoteh (pious fool) as one who could destroy the world; his piety is a danger to...