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When people talk about work-life balance, they often mean that they have some engagement with activities outside of worknot just filling the hours of the day when they’re not working. That engagement might involve taking care of family members, engaging as a volunteer, or participating in a hobby. If youre fortunate enough to have the time to spend on a hobby, does it matter what you do? Perhaps any activity you engage in outside of work is likely to lift your spirits. But research suggests that different activities affect your overall happiness in different ways. The power of movement In particular, hobbies that enable you to be active make you happier than those that involve less movement. So, participating in sports or physical activity (even relatively mild activity) makes you happier, as does engaging in activities that involve some travel (like visiting significant buildings) or engaging in active creative pursuits like dancing or singing. In contrast, more sedate activities like going to the movies or theater or reading a book have no strong influence on happiness overall. What is going on here? For one thing, physical activity helps to keep you healthy. The more you move and stay fit, the more you are likely to continue to stay healthy and fit later in life. So, the activities themselves are enjoyable, and they have a positive impact on factors like health that have a positive effect on well-being. Moreover, many of these activities are actively social. A lot of sports require engaging with other people. In addition, a lot of active creative pursuits and travel are done in social groups. Humans are a social species, and so our motivational system and our emotional state thrive when we are around at least a small number of other people. Finding the right hobby for you The hobbies that dont have much impact on well-being are those that are primarily done while seated and are not particularly social. Reading is typically done alone, though you might ultimately talk about a book with friends. You might go to a theater with friends to see a play or watch a movie, but you actually participate in that activity sitting quietly in the dark. Of course, there are lots of reasons to engage in hobbies. You might want a diversion from your work. You might want to do something relaxing. However, the data suggest that if your goal for taking up a hobby is to be happier and feel more satisfied with life, then staying physically and socially active is likely to be your best bet.
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E-Commerce
When companies advertise job openings, they often use buzzwords like ambitious and self-reliant to describe their ideal candidate. These traits sound appealingwhat hiring manager wouldnt want a driven employee? But theres a catch. In my latest study, published in the journal Management Science with coauthors Scott Jackson and Nick Seybert, I found that these terms may attract job applicants with more narcissistic tendencies. As behavioral researchers in accounting, we are interested in executives who bend the rules. We decided to study job postings after noticing that the language used to describe an ideal candidate often included traits linked to narcissism. For example, narcissists tend to see themselves as highly creative and persuasive. Prior research also shows that narcissistic employees are more innovative and willing to take risks to get the success and admiration they crave, even if it means bending the rules. Based on these observations, we compiled two sets of terms commonly used in job postings. We call the two sets rule-follower and rule-bender language. Some examples of rule-bender language include develops creative and innovative solutions to problems, communicates in a tactical and persuasive manner and thinks outside the box. In contrast, the rule-follower language includes terms like relies on time-tested solutions to problems, communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner and thinks methodically. Through a series of experiments, we found that rule-bender language attracts individuals with higher levels of narcissism for accounting-specific jobs, as well as other industries. To measure narcissism, we used a personality assessment that asks people to choose whether they identify more with more narcissistic statements like, I always know what I am doing, or less narcissistic statements like Sometimes I am not sure of what I am doing. We also found that recruiters are more likely to use rule-bender terms when hiring for highly innovative, high-growth companies. For accounting positions, recruiters are more likely to use such terms when aggressive financial reporting could benefit the firm. Why it matters Companies write job postings carefully in hopes of attracting the ideal candidate. However, they may unknowingly attract and select narcissistic candidates whose goals and ethics might not align with a companys values or long-term success. Research shows that narcissistic employees are more likely to behave unethically, potentially leading to legal consequences. While narcissistic traits can lead to negative outcomes, we arent saying that companies should avoid attracting narcissistic applicants altogether. Consider a company hiring a salesperson. A firm can benefit from a salesperson who is persuasive, who thinks outside the box and who is results-oriented. In contrast, a company hiring an accountant or compliance officer would likely benefit from someone who thinks methodically and communicates in a straightforward and accurate manner. Bending the rules is of particular concern in accounting. A significant amount of research examines how accounting managers sometimes bend rules or massage the numbers to achieve earnings targets. This earnings management can misrepresent the companys true financial position. In fact, my coauthor Nick Seybert is currently working on a paper whose data suggests rule-bender language in accounting job postings predicts rule-bending in financial reporting. Our current findings shed light on the importance of carefully crafting job posting language. Recruiting professionals may instinctively use rule-bender language to try to attract someone who seems like a good fit. If companies are concerned about hiring narcissists, they may want to clearly communicate their ethical values and needs while crafting a job posting, or avoid rule-bender language entirely. What still isnt known While we find that professional recruiters are using language that attracts narcissists, it is unclear whether this is intentional. Additionally, we are unsure what really drives rule-bending in a company. Rule-bending could happen due to attracting and hiring more narcissistic candidates, or it could be because of a companys cultureor a combination of both. The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work. Jonathan Gay is an assistant professor of accountancy at the University of Mississippi. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Donald Trump has been clear that his vision for Americas energy landscape prioritizes fossil fuels. He has curtailed federal funds for renewable energyand has voiced his personal distaste for those projects, particularly wind farms. Hes talked about ramping up coal and increasing oil drilling, and hes threatened to completely undo the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). But even amid all that, the solar industry is still somewhat optimistic about its future. Solar just makes sense, industry players sayespecially if we need to increase our energy production, and do so fast. I keep on reminding people that solar energy is as competitive as natural gas now, its as cheap as any form of energy, and it can be built quicker than any form of energy, says George Strobel, cofounder and co-CEO of Monarch Private Capital, which invests in renewable energy and affordable-housing projects. A solar project can be built within two years, he notes. To get a new natural gas facility up and running takes around five or six years. That means new gas projects that arent in development now likely wont be adding to the energy grid before 2030. That wont help with the concerns around the grid resilience were facing nowand currently, there are tremendous concerns around grid reliability and resilience, Strobel adds. Solar, instead, could be quickly set up to provide microgrids that help maintain that resilience. Thats why solar energy still appeals to utility companies, and utilities are even campaigning on Capitol Hill for solar energy, Strobel says. There is some surprising supportat least as far as the [Trump] administration is concernedfor the solar industry, coming from the utility sector. Thats not to say there isnt uncertainty. The Trump administrations whiplash actions, including rapidly changing tariff policies and a series of climate rollbacks (a stark change from Biden’s efforts), are creating some instability for businesses at large. Anytime we have uncertainty, its going to create a problem in the industry, Strobel says. That has caused some solar projects to pause or investments to slow down. But even if that continues through 2025, Strobel expects companies to push back projects by just a year, and for solar demand to pick up again in 2026. (That’s also partially because the current Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of 2025, so by next year, there will at least be less unknowns around taxes, and what tax benefits companies will get for investing in renewables.) As time goes on, there also could be more action against things such as Trump pausing renewable permits on private lands. Tariffs could also affect the solar industry, even as the IRA spurred more stateside manufacturing. Trump has expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum, which could cause domestic steel prices to rise (as they did initially when he enacted similar tariffs during his first administration). That could make solar, which uses steel for its structural racks and trackers, a bit more expensiveeven if those structural components are made in the United States. Nevados, which makes all-terrain trackers that allow solar panels to move and follow the sun, is currently signing contracts for 100% domestically manufactured tracker systems (the IRA helped boost that domestic production). Even though the company has concerns about tariffs raising prices, it still expects solar to grow. Solar has seen major strides over the past decade: It became nearly 90% cheaper between 2009 and 2019; and for years, it’s been cheaper to create new renewable power plants than operate existing coal plants. The solar industry also saw record growth in 2024. The freight train is unstoppable by things like tariffs, says Nevados COO Jenya Meydbray. Though solar is influenced by policies, its growth, he adds, is really driven by private industry, which continues to see the benefits. The Trump administration has hinted at restarting retired coal plants, but the business case for coal isnt there. Even 10 or 15 years ago, utility companies began building out solar in order to stabilize energy costs, says Nevados founder and CEO Yezin Taha, and move away from coal and natural gas, which saw high price fluctuations. As our need for energy increases because of data centers or the electrification of appliances and vehicles, solar is a fast, stable way to add capacity. And interestingly, its Republican states that have primarily benefitted from the solar industrys growth. About 85% of the investments in renewable energy from the IRA have gone to red states, as well as 65% of the jobs. By the second anniversary of that bill in 2024, it had already brought $286 billion to Republican-led districts. Some Republicans have been speaking out for solar, and renewable energy at large. More than 20 House Republicans wrote a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee chairman opposing cuts to clean energy credits. Strobel, who has spent time on the Hill himself, has seen this Republican support firsthand. Most members of the House will tell you, ‘Dont listen to our rhetoric, thats for public consumption,’ but theres tremendous support for solar energy, he says. There may still be tweaks to the IRAperhaps removing some labor and apprenticeship rules and increasing domestic content rulesto more align with the Trump administrations agenda. But Strobel doesnt anticipate significant changes that affect solar’s growth. It’s got too many supporters, both on the Hill and in the country.
Category:
E-Commerce
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