Nature times nurture: How organizations can optimize their people's contributions

Leaders and managers have turned to science to devise better ways of developing high‐performance organizations. The author, however, cautions against being misled by oversimplified perspectives in the long‐running “nature versus nurture” debate over what determines human behavior. He contends the truth is really more complex, and it can point the way to more effective people management solutions once we know—with the help of good science—the real “changeables” and “unchangeables” in employee behavior. He provides two examples of solutions—better hiring/selection practices and improving employee engagement— that, when aided by science, yield a high return on investment for the companies that adopt them.