THE WORKPLACE GURU

Cary Cooper is the professor of organizational psychology and health and pro vice-chancellor at Lancaster University's management school.

Hard times call for resilient leaders

Companies where managers empower staff when the going gets tough will prosper in the long run

Managing more with less

With budgets being squeezed, public sector bosses must double their efforts to engage staff hit by swingeing cuts

There's more to life than a bonus

Bankers warn of a talent exodus if rewards are withheld. But happiness for most employees is driven by factors such as work-life balance and career potential

Don't stop the party

Give your employees a chance to celebrate this Christmas. You can keep a lid on costs without looking like Scrooge

Human lessons of swine flu

Health scares rather than economic crises unite workers. But we should rekindle this spirit in good times as well as bad

United we stand

Redundancy survivors should be handled with care

keep smiling

Scientists say happiness is contagious and thrives among social groups. So perhaps it's time to spread a little cheer in the workplace to help banish the downturn blues

Why fidelity

In trying times there is greater danger of betrayal by those around you. Perhaps we should all be revisiting the psychological contract between employer and employee

The old routine

Uptake for a flexible working scheme aimed at parents has been held back by dinosaur line managers with outdated attitudes about the way we work

Money no object

In the current economic climate, employers need to look beyond salaries and bonuses to keep their workers happy, as the unexpected results of a new survey testify

Just say "thanks"

When a business finds itself in a crisis, it is often the staff who are able to pull things around. So it's about time directors recognised this and rewarded the extra effort

A pressing engagement

The success of our businesses lies in maintaining the health and well being of employees. Yet people issues are often forgotten in the rush for profits

When heads roll

If junior managers make mistakes, why does the press and much of the public think that the head of the organisation should take the blame?

The caring face of business

Corporate responsibility can too easily come across as just so much spin if it is not taken seriously within the company at the highest level

Finding the golden mean

Studies show that employers and employees can both benefit from flexible working practices and technology is making this easier than ever

Cary Cooper on greed

If the future of UK PLC is dependent on the likes of the would-be business leaders on the BBC's The Apprentice, we should be deeply worried

Blame and shame

Blogs are useful for the flow of information but they can damage reputation and highlight failure. What's needed is an atmosphere of constructive fault-finding

Games for a laugh?

Winning the Olympic bid should have been a cause for celebration, but the 2012 plans have been dogged by bad press, budget blow ups and criticism

The morality movement

Directors who live in a moral vacuum will lose out to a new breed of "authentic leader", who places values and quality of life above making a quick buck

The anatomy of a top dog

Successful entrepreneurs are visionaries, exuding self-confidence and vanity. But true leadership requires equal measures of ego and attention to detail