Those who doubt this need only consider their own work history.

FORBES

Another, though, may be that the things that make the French laugh involve linguistic somersaults that only work in their own language.

ECONOMIST: The French have jokes, but do they have a sense of humour?

Most manufacturers now produce chargers which work only with their own devices.

BBC: Universal charger for phones plan

Yahoo and Best Buy recently made headlines by ending their practice of a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), which gave employees the freedom to work on their own time and terms.

FORBES: Cutting ROWE Won't Cure Best Buy

More than a decade of research shows that when people experience a fit between their own motivation and the way they work, they are not only more effective, but they also find their work more interesting and engaging, and value it more.

FORBES: The Surprising Key to Finding The Right Job For You

The rules could be fairly simple, Liivak said: If researchers can demonstrate they derived the genes on their own, and only used the patented genes afterward to check their work, they get a pass.

FORBES: What If They Treated Gene Patents Like Nautical Charts?

However, a number of these managers lacked the capability to work sideways: Their horizons extended only to the boundaries of their own units.

FORBES: First Rule of Management: No Whining

Legalisation would work only if those who took advantage of this were held accountable for their own welfare.

ECONOMIST: Legalising drugs

Not only does it change work assignments, but it also makes people wonder about your judgment as a manager and their own job security.

FORBES: If You Have To Fire An Employee -- Here's How To Do It Right

If anything, it penalizes those who work hard because they spend time, energy and their own money to help students, only to get the same check each month as the worst teacher in the district (or an even smaller one, if that teacher has been there longer).

WSJ: Fran Tarkenton: What if the NFL Played by Teachers' Rules?