Contact Information:
Jeff Scholes
Linkage, Inc.
781.402.5558
press@linkageinc.com
www.linkageinc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Center for Organizational Research Releases Results of Three Recent Studies

LEXINGTON, MASS. (January 10, 2002) - The Center for Organizational Research, a division of Linkage, Inc., is pleased to announce the release of its latest research studies. These studies help organizations to benchmark against best practice organizations, learn the critical success factors for developing and maintaining effective processes, and validate and challenge their own initiatives.

Innovations in Performance Management focuses on what leading organizations are doing to link performance and rewards to drive growth and commitment. The report includes a robust analysis of performance management trends, key recommendations for organizations establishing or reevaluating their performance management process, and the results of a global quantitative survey on how organizations use performance management practices. Central to the report are detailed profiles of five best practice organizations, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, The Coca-Cola Company, James Hardie and Sabre.

High-Impact Leadership Development, which was conducted in partnership with CDR International, focuses on identifying how leading organizations are enabling managers to implement effective leadership development practices in the context of continuous change. Central to the report are detailed profiles of eight best practice organizations, including the United States Army, Dow Corning, Griffin Hospital, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Pitney Bowes, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Zero to Three Foundation (a non-profit organization).

Effective Succession Management was conducted in partnership with Development Dimensions International (DDI) and Dr. William Rothwell, author of Effective Succession Planning. The study focuses on how successful organizations leverage succession to create an environment that attracts and retains top talent, develops leaders, and improves organizational performance. The research illustrates how to create an effective succession plan that increases organizational productivity and efficiency, reduces costs, and continuously improves overall competitiveness. This study includes detailed profiles of five best practice organizations, including Eastman Kodak, Honeywell, Steelcase, TRW, and Unisys.

All three research studies are available for purchase.

About Linkage, Inc.
Linkage, Inc. is a global organizational development company that specializes in leadership development. Serving the public and private sectors, the Company provides clients around the globe with customized leadership development and strategic change solutions that include and integrate consulting, training, assessment, coaching, and benchmark research. With a relentless commitment to learning, Linkage also offers a full range of conferences, institutes, summits, public workshops, and distance learning programs on leading-edge topics in leadership, management, HR, and OD. More than 100,000 leaders and managers have attended such a Linkage program since the Company's founding in 1988. Linkage is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with regional offices in Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, London, Brussels, and Singapore. On two occasions, Linkage has been named to the Inc. 500, a list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States.