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January 11, 2013 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise Business Finance Today  Analysis: Jobless claims point to steady labor-market improvement The latest data from the U.S. Labor Department points to a steady improvement in the job market, Lucia Mutikani writes. First-time claims for unemployment benefits rose by 4,000 last week, but continued claims by those who previously applied for benefits fell by 127,000. The Christian Science Monitor/Paper Economy blog (1/10), Reuters (1/10), Nasdaq.com/Dow Jones Newswires (1/10)       ECB leaves rate unchanged with a view to 2013 recovery The European Central Bank has indicated that more interest-rate cuts are probably not in store because the outlines of a more normal financial situation are discernible. The ECB left its rate at 0.75% on Thursday. At a news conference, ECB President Mario Draghi said that a strong economic recovery hasn't materialized but that he expects improvement later in the year. Reuters (1/10), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/10), Bloomberg (1/10), The Wall Street Journal (1/10)       Your Bottom Line  CFOs eye increased duties for 2013 More than 70% of finance chiefs said in a survey that they believe their responsibilities will increase this year compared with last year, according to CFO Alliance. The areas in which CFOs expect to see their duties expand are HR, information technology or business development; merger-related projects; and tactical roles, the survey indicates. The Wall Street Journal/CFO Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/10)       The red-flag words in e-mails that may indicate fraud Employees who use the phrases "nobody will find out," "gray area," and "they owe it to me" in e-mails are likely discussing fraud, according to research by Ernst & Young and the FBI. Incriminating e-mail traffic is typically identified after a fraud has been committed, but E&Y suggests companies can detect fraud by scanning for these phrases and others. Compliance Week/Enforcement Action blog (1/8)       In the C-Suite  "Leadership" and "management" aren't synonyms People often confuse the two concepts, but management and leadership are qualitatively different things, John Kotter writes. Management allows an organization to execute effectively, whereas leadership allows a company to take advantage of new opportunities. "[T]hey serve different, yet essential, functions. We need superb management. And we need more superb leadership," he writes. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (1/9)       Fear is the real innovation-killer To succeed as innovators, workers first need to conquer their fears, Jorge Barba writes. To spur that process, bosses should champion creative ideas and make it clear that everyone's perspective is important and valuable. "If everyone agrees with each other, that is a bad sign. Dissent is good when it leads to constructive criticism," Barba writes. InnovationExcellence.com (1/9)       On the Move  Greg Gorgone was named CFO of Citizant. Gorgone was the company's senior vice president of finance and administration. Washington Technology (1/10)       Off the Charts  Study cites social downsides of China's 1-child policy China's one-child policy may have led to less trust, less competition, more pessimism and more risk aversion in its society, according to a study by researchers at Monash University in Australia. "Only children in Chinese families are loved and given almost everything by their families and they can get resources at home without competition," says Zou Hong of Beijing Normal University. "Once they enter society, they are no different from other people. Having been overly protected, they feel a sense of loss and show less competitiveness." Yahoo/The Associated Press (1/10)       SmartQuote  Innovation is about value. And the one who receives this value is the customer." --Jorge Barba of Blu Maya, writing at Innovation Excellence       SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! 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