Widespread global uncertainty in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing wars, social uprisings, and rising inflation have led individuals to feel less of a sense of personal control. New research finds that this lack of control can drive employees to seek similarity in coworkers, forming homogenous teams that stifle diversity and innovation. Research involving over 90,000 participants across multiple studies revealed that individuals with reduced control gravitate toward those similar in race, religion, or values, reinforcing predictability but fostering segregation and limiting collaboration. Leaders can mitigate this effect by taking the following steps: 1) Foster psychological safety, 2) establish predictable work routines, 3) encourage cross-functional teams, 4) develop responsive feedback systems, and 5) cultivate individual autonomy....

Every year, we offer up some predictions for the startup world in the coming year. Sometimes we're right ' as in last year, when we correctly predicted that IPOs would not come roaring back in 2024. Sometimes we're wrong ' also last year, when we expected the AI frenzy to cool (lol). M&A dealmaking involving VC-backed startups has slowed through the past few years ' per Crunchbase data ' and that has greatly affected VCs' ability to give returns to their LPs and therefore raise new funds. Many VCs hope a change in the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice will jump-start M&A activity after years of an overzealous regulatory environment quashed deals such as Amazon's proposed $1.4 billion acquisition of iRobot. While big deals that got tied up in reviews make the headlines, other smaller under-the-radar deals failed to materialize because they have become more expensive and deemed not worth the money and hassle. Increased tariffs ' which President-elect Donald Trump has promised ' could cause inflation rates to spike again, driving up interest rates. Also, while Trump has talked about less regulation he has also been critical of the power Big Tech holds. His nomination of Gail Slater ' a frequent critic of Big Tech ' to lead the Justice Department's antitrust efforts has likely caused some pause in Silicon Valley....

Hyundai has a lot riding on a patch of rural Georgia. In October, the South Korean auto giant opened a new electric-vehicle factory west of Savannah at the eye-watering cost of $7.6 billion. It's the largest economic-development project in the state's history (one that prompted the Georgia statehouse to pass a resolution recognizing 'Hyundai Day'). For now, workers at the so-called Metaplant are building the company's popular electric SUV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and soon more EVs will be built there, too. And to power those vehicles, Hyundai is set to open a battery plant at the site, and is spending billions to open another one elsewhere in Georgia. Hyundai's plan will allow the Ioniq 5'and other future electric cars already in the works'to qualify for tax credits implemented by the Inflation Reduction Act. American-made EVs are eligible for rebates that can knock thousands of dollars off their price, making them far more appealing to consumers. But Hyundai's nearly $13 billion investment may soon hit a snag. In his second term, President-elect Donald Trump has said he will make those tax credits history. If he follows through on that promise, EV sales will surely slow, and Americans will buy more gas guzzlers that will produce emissions for the decade-plus they'll be on the road. The problem is worse than it might look: The auto industry is investing more than $300 billion to meet the Biden administration's EV goals. Most automakers are hemorrhaging money on EVs, and revoking these incentives may give them an excuse to roll back their plans to introduce electric cars, which would give consumers more clean-driving options....

While the venture market in 2024 continued to wobble well below its pandemic-induced highs, venture capitalists and those close to the industry are cautiously optimistic political shifts and AI's overwhelming influence will power the private market to a solid ' or even great ' year in 2025. Although AI continued to fuel the VC market as companies such as OpenAI, xAI and Anthropic raised massive amounts of cash, overall venture dollars remained stagnant-to-below last year's levels. At the same time, both the M&A and IPO markets remained slow in 2024, a crippling double whammy to VCs trying to keep their limited partners happy with investment returns. However, after economic and geopolitical issues have conspired to quiet the market in recent years, many VCs we spoke with now feel more upbeat that the investing environment could see an upswing in 2025. Their optimism stems from the promise of less government regulation and lower inflation, coupled with more anticipated applications of AI technology....