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I learned a lot in this course. Hopefully this helps me in the future. I hope to be a great manager on day!

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This article was  written about the man who lost family members to an accident involving the Toyota recalls

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Recently, Toyota Motor America recalled over 4 million of its Toyota brand and Lexus brand vehicles to stem a problem that's hung over the automaker's head for months.

Back in August, a family of four crashed in a Lexus ES350 after the driver noticed he couldn't get the car to slow down. With a floor mat stuck underneath the accelerator pedal, the car traveled out of control, through busy intersections under its own uncontrollable power.

Traveling at a rate of over 100 MPH, the car finally came to a stop after it bounded through an intersection at a dead-end road, swiped another car, crashed through a fence, jumped over a dirt berm and landed into a riverbed below. All four people died from the injuries sustained in the crash and the ensuing fire. The driver of the other vehicle escaped with minor injuries.
Toyota's advice for owners of the above vehicles: Until the company sends you a letter asking you to come into the dealership, it is asking owners of specific Toyota and Lexus models to take out any removable driver's floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat.
The details of Toyota's safety advisory and recall are now known (view our story on the recall), with hopefully no further accidents. Toyota says the full scope of the recall, which includes the shaving of accelerator pedals and the installation of a brake override system in some models, could take a few months.

But, absent in the dry discussion of the recall are two critical things: the loss of a young family and the tragic fact that the entire thing could have been avoided.

On Their Way To Soccer Practice

Mark Saylor lived the kind of life most kids dream about. After a childhood playing sports and trading baseball cards, he grew up to join the Air Force, where he traveled the world, including a stint of two years in Okinawa, Japan. Eventually he moved to his final Air Force commission in Sacramento, achieving the rank of Sergeant E4. He was well regarded amongst his friends and fellow soldiers.

Saylor's life of service didn't stop with the Air Force, however. He joined the California Highway Patrol after the Air Force, serving for 20 years.

In California as a CHP, Saylor would go on to meet his wife to-be, Cleofe. Cleofe Lastrella, born in the Philippines but raised in the Midway Islands and San Francisco, was a smart and pretty young woman with a degree in biochemistry from UC Davis. In 1995, the two wed in Vallejo, California.

One year later they gave birth to their only daughter, Mahala, who took to her father's love of sports. She was an avid soccer player and loved playing with her friends. After graduating from St. John's Middle School earlier in the year, she was due to start high school in the fall.

The morning of August 28, 2009 started like any other for the Saylor family, save for the fact that it was a Friday. Officer Saylor started early like he normally did -- 5:30 a.m. -- with a brief break in the morning to take his car for service at Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus. He brought in his 2006 Lexus IS250 for a problem with the CD player and was given a loaner vehicle, a 2009 Lexus ES350. He left the dealership at 9:35 in the morning, returned to work at the California Highway Patrol Special Duties School and finished his shift at 2:00 p.m. It being Friday, he was looking forward to spending time with his family.

That afternoon Saylor returned home to the family's residence in Chula Vista, where he picked up his wife, daughter and brother-in-law (Cleofe's brother, Chris Lastrella). Officer John Concepcion, Saylor's close friend at the CHP, said the family usually spent Friday evenings at Mahala's soccer practice. They were on their way to such a practice on Friday afternoon when their Lexus experienced problems.

Chris Lastrella, riding in the back seat next to Mahala, called 911.

"The accelerator is stuck," he said to the operator. "We're approaching an intersection..."

Santee, California's intersection of SR 125 and Mission Gorge Road is one of the busiest intersections in San Diego County. The Saylors and Lastrella died only moments later.

An Avoidable Tragedy

Any tragedy of this sort leaves plenty of tough, unanswered questions. Chief among them is: why couldn't Mark Saylor get his car stopped? With the sort of rigorous training a California Highway Patrol officer goes through, there's little doubt that Saylor tried every possible option in his attempt to slow the car and save his family.

Toyota called the issue one of "pedal entrapment," brought about by the car's floor mat sticking under the pedal. The vehicle, on loan from Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus, actually had the wrong floor mat installed. It was an all-weather floor mat from a Lexus SUV, which -- given the angle of the ES350's floor and its distance to the bottom of the accelerator pedal -- caused the jamming. Saylor and his family were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a complete and utter tragedy.

Was it Toyota's fault? Was it the dealership's fault? It's tough to say, but we can be certain it wasn't Mark Saylor's fault.

When the news broke that the vehicle had the wrong floor mats in it, our hearts sank. Nobody double-checked it. Nobody from the dealership considered what might occur. But, how could they see the future, right? In a world of a thousand possibilities, it would be difficult for them to expect acceleration problems with any of their vehicles, let alone the Lexus they loaned Mark Saylor.

We believed that until something we learned this week.

When the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Report No. 09056454.1 became public information last week, we learned that the very same car that Mark Saylor drove on August 28 had been reported as having unintended acceleration problems.

Earlier in the week the Saylor family died, Frank Bernard and his wife picked up the very same loaner vehicle -- a white Lexus ES350 with California dealer plate 6DRT323. In a police report, Bernard told the San Diego Sheriffs that that as he was merging onto a freeway, he saw a truck nearby and accelerated briskly to get in front of it. Once in front of the truck, he let his foot off the accelerator. The vehicle "kept accelerating on its own, to about 80-85 MPH."

Bernard said he stepped on the brakes and tried to lift up on the accelerator with his right foot. He got over to the shoulder, was able to slow the car to 50-60 MPH, but was unable to stop the car's ignition (the Lexus has a push-button start system that requires a three-second hold to turn off the car). Trying everything he could, he eventually placed the car into neutral. The engine "made a very loud, whining, racing sound" but the car stopped.

He was safe.

Bernard noticed the floor mat had become stuck under the accelerator pedal. After he cleared the mat, he drove normally, although likely a little shaken.

When Bernard returned the vehicle to Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus on the evening of August 25, he reported the problems to the receptionist.

"I think the mat caused it," he told the receptionist upon handing her the keys. "You need to tell someone."

The message never got to the right person.

Three days later, Mark Saylor picked up the same Lexus ES350 with the same all-weather floor mat installed. Hours later, he and his family were dead.

A Problem To Be Fixed

Consumer Reports recently uncovered NHTSA's log books from 2008 that showed Toyota and Lexus vehicles accounted for over 40% of the complaints about uncontrolled acceleration in 2008 models. That's a significant percentage, especially considering that Toyota doesn't sell 40% of the cars on the market (it sells about 15% of all cars).

When Toyota's President, Akio Toyoda, recently went on record to say, "Toyota has become too big and distant from its customers," we knew the tragedy had hit home at the mother company.

"We are grasping for salvation," Toyoda said.

It's the cold, hard truth of the safety business that it usually takes a tragedy to jumpstart a widespread innovation that eventually saves lives.

It's heartbreaking that Mark Saylor and his family became that tragedy, especially when it's now clear they didn't have to suffer such a fate.

- Rules For Safe Driving
- Runaway Toyotas: Fact or Fiction?
- How to Notice Common Car Dealer Sales Tricks

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Recently, Toyota Motor America recalled over 4 million of its Toyota brand and Lexus brand vehicles to stem a problem that's hung over the automaker's head for months. Back in August, a family of four crashed in a Lexus ES350 after the driver noticed he couldn't get the car to slow down.

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This atricle was written about the man who lost family members to an accident involving the Toyota recalls!

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Recently, Toyota Motor America recalled over 4 million of its Toyota brand and Lexus brand vehicles to stem a problem that's hung over the automaker's head for months.

Back in August, a family of four crashed in a Lexus ES350 after the driver noticed he couldn't get the car to slow down. With a floor mat stuck underneath the accelerator pedal, the car traveled out of control, through busy intersections under its own uncontrollable power.

Traveling at a rate of over 100 MPH, the car finally came to a stop after it bounded through an intersection at a dead-end road, swiped another car, crashed through a fence, jumped over a dirt berm and landed into a riverbed below. All four people died from the injuries sustained in the crash and the ensuing fire. The driver of the other vehicle escaped with minor injuries.
Toyota's advice for owners of the above vehicles: Until the company sends you a letter asking you to come into the dealership, it is asking owners of specific Toyota and Lexus models to take out any removable driver's floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat.
The details of Toyota's safety advisory and recall are now known (view our story on the recall), with hopefully no further accidents. Toyota says the full scope of the recall, which includes the shaving of accelerator pedals and the installation of a brake override system in some models, could take a few months.

But, absent in the dry discussion of the recall are two critical things: the loss of a young family and the tragic fact that the entire thing could have been avoided.

On Their Way To Soccer Practice

Mark Saylor lived the kind of life most kids dream about. After a childhood playing sports and trading baseball cards, he grew up to join the Air Force, where he traveled the world, including a stint of two years in Okinawa, Japan. Eventually he moved to his final Air Force commission in Sacramento, achieving the rank of Sergeant E4. He was well regarded amongst his friends and fellow soldiers.

Saylor's life of service didn't stop with the Air Force, however. He joined the California Highway Patrol after the Air Force, serving for 20 years.

In California as a CHP, Saylor would go on to meet his wife to-be, Cleofe. Cleofe Lastrella, born in the Philippines but raised in the Midway Islands and San Francisco, was a smart and pretty young woman with a degree in biochemistry from UC Davis. In 1995, the two wed in Vallejo, California.

One year later they gave birth to their only daughter, Mahala, who took to her father's love of sports. She was an avid soccer player and loved playing with her friends. After graduating from St. John's Middle School earlier in the year, she was due to start high school in the fall.

The morning of August 28, 2009 started like any other for the Saylor family, save for the fact that it was a Friday. Officer Saylor started early like he normally did -- 5:30 a.m. -- with a brief break in the morning to take his car for service at Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus. He brought in his 2006 Lexus IS250 for a problem with the CD player and was given a loaner vehicle, a 2009 Lexus ES350. He left the dealership at 9:35 in the morning, returned to work at the California Highway Patrol Special Duties School and finished his shift at 2:00 p.m. It being Friday, he was looking forward to spending time with his family.

That afternoon Saylor returned home to the family's residence in Chula Vista, where he picked up his wife, daughter and brother-in-law (Cleofe's brother, Chris Lastrella). Officer John Concepcion, Saylor's close friend at the CHP, said the family usually spent Friday evenings at Mahala's soccer practice. They were on their way to such a practice on Friday afternoon when their Lexus experienced problems.

Chris Lastrella, riding in the back seat next to Mahala, called 911.

"The accelerator is stuck," he said to the operator. "We're approaching an intersection..."

Santee, California's intersection of SR 125 and Mission Gorge Road is one of the busiest intersections in San Diego County. The Saylors and Lastrella died only moments later.

An Avoidable Tragedy

Any tragedy of this sort leaves plenty of tough, unanswered questions. Chief among them is: why couldn't Mark Saylor get his car stopped? With the sort of rigorous training a California Highway Patrol officer goes through, there's little doubt that Saylor tried every possible option in his attempt to slow the car and save his family.

Toyota called the issue one of "pedal entrapment," brought about by the car's floor mat sticking under the pedal. The vehicle, on loan from Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus, actually had the wrong floor mat installed. It was an all-weather floor mat from a Lexus SUV, which -- given the angle of the ES350's floor and its distance to the bottom of the accelerator pedal -- caused the jamming. Saylor and his family were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a complete and utter tragedy.

Was it Toyota's fault? Was it the dealership's fault? It's tough to say, but we can be certain it wasn't Mark Saylor's fault.

When the news broke that the vehicle had the wrong floor mats in it, our hearts sank. Nobody double-checked it. Nobody from the dealership considered what might occur. But, how could they see the future, right? In a world of a thousand possibilities, it would be difficult for them to expect acceleration problems with any of their vehicles, let alone the Lexus they loaned Mark Saylor.

We believed that until something we learned this week.

When the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Report No. 09056454.1 became public information last week, we learned that the very same car that Mark Saylor drove on August 28 had been reported as having unintended acceleration problems.

Earlier in the week the Saylor family died, Frank Bernard and his wife picked up the very same loaner vehicle -- a white Lexus ES350 with California dealer plate 6DRT323. In a police report, Bernard told the San Diego Sheriffs that that as he was merging onto a freeway, he saw a truck nearby and accelerated briskly to get in front of it. Once in front of the truck, he let his foot off the accelerator. The vehicle "kept accelerating on its own, to about 80-85 MPH."

Bernard said he stepped on the brakes and tried to lift up on the accelerator with his right foot. He got over to the shoulder, was able to slow the car to 50-60 MPH, but was unable to stop the car's ignition (the Lexus has a push-button start system that requires a three-second hold to turn off the car). Trying everything he could, he eventually placed the car into neutral. The engine "made a very loud, whining, racing sound" but the car stopped.

He was safe.

Bernard noticed the floor mat had become stuck under the accelerator pedal. After he cleared the mat, he drove normally, although likely a little shaken.

When Bernard returned the vehicle to Bob Baker Toyota/Lexus on the evening of August 25, he reported the problems to the receptionist.

"I think the mat caused it," he told the receptionist upon handing her the keys. "You need to tell someone."

The message never got to the right person.

Three days later, Mark Saylor picked up the same Lexus ES350 with the same all-weather floor mat installed. Hours later, he and his family were dead.

A Problem To Be Fixed

Consumer Reports recently uncovered NHTSA's log books from 2008 that showed Toyota and Lexus vehicles accounted for over 40% of the complaints about uncontrolled acceleration in 2008 models. That's a significant percentage, especially considering that Toyota doesn't sell 40% of the cars on the market (it sells about 15% of all cars).

When Toyota's President, Akio Toyoda, recently went on record to say, "Toyota has become too big and distant from its customers," we knew the tragedy had hit home at the mother company.

"We are grasping for salvation," Toyoda said.

It's the cold, hard truth of the safety business that it usually takes a tragedy to jumpstart a widespread innovation that eventually saves lives.

It's heartbreaking that Mark Saylor and his family became that tragedy, especially when it's now clear they didn't have to suffer such a fate.

- Rules For Safe Driving
- Runaway Toyotas: Fact or Fiction?
- How to Notice Common Car Dealer Sales Tricks

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Recently, Toyota Motor America recalled over 4 million of its Toyota brand and Lexus brand vehicles to stem a problem that's hung over the automaker's head for months. Back in August, a family of four crashed in a Lexus ES350 after the driver noticed he couldn't get the car to slow down.

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I did research on how accurate are assessment tests in gathering information about potential employees? This article was very helpful.

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The Benefits of Using Pre-Employment Tests

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Resumes and interviews can be unreliable, but well-validated employment tests offer reliable and objective information on candidates.

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I found this funny comic about Toyota after the recall.

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This model was much easier for me to understand than the model in our Textbook on Vroom-Yetton-Jago.

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How you go about making a decision can involve as many choices as the decision itself.

Sometimes you have to take charge, and decide what to do on your own, but you don't want to appear autocratic to your team (particularly in situations where you need their input). At other times it's better to make a decision based on the group consensus, but this can use up precious time and resources. So how do you decide which approach is best?

Every manager needs to be able to make good decisions. A systematic approach to decision making, such as the Vroom-Yetton Decision Model, allows you to bring consistency and order to a process that might otherwise feel idiosyncratic and instinctive. It can also help you to determine the most effective means of reaching a decision.

Understanding the Model

The Vroom-Yetton model is designed to help you to identify the best decision-making approach and leadership style to take, based on your current situation. It was originally developed by Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton in their 1973 book, " Leadership and Decision Making."

No single decision-making process fits every scenario. Instead, Vroom-Yetton offers a number of different processes and directs you toward the best one for your situation. For example, if speed and decisiveness are required then it will likely point you toward an autocratic process. If collaboration is what's needed, then it will nudge you toward a more democratic process.

Researchers have found that managers are more effective, and their teams more productive and satisfied, when they follow the model. The simplicity of Vroom-Yetton also means that anyone - from the boardroom to the factory floor - can use it.

Although a little long-winded at times, it can be particularly helpful in new or unusual situations. Practice using it, and you'll quickly get a feel for the right approach to take, whether you're making a decision about a day-to-day issue or dealing with a more complex problem.

Before you start using the model, you'll need to consider these three factors:

Decision quality - Sometimes, making the "right" decision is critical, and you'll need to use a large number of resources (people, time, information, and so on) to ensure that the action you take has been well thought through and is of high quality.

Team commitment - Some of your decisions will have a major impact on your team, while others will go unnoticed. When a decision will likely impact your team, it's best to use a collaborative process. This will improve the quality of the decision, and you'll likely deliver a successful result faster.

Time constraints - When the issue at hand isn't time sensitive, you have more "space" to research your options and to include others, which will help to boost the quality of your decision. If your time is limited, however, it may not be feasible to include others or to undertake thorough research.

Specific Leadership Processes

Figure 1, below, shows the Vroom-Yetton model. The framework poses seven "yes/no" questions, which you need to answer to find the best decision-making process for your situation.

As you answer each of the questions, you work your way through a decision tree until you arrive at a code (A1, A2, C1, C2, or G2). This code identifies the best decision-making process for you and your team. (Note that, in some scenarios, you won't need to answer all of the questions.)

Figure 1: The Vroom-Yetton Decision Model
Download Diagram
The following codes represent the five decision-making processes that are described by the model:

Autocratic (A1): You use the information that you already have to make the decision, without requiring any further input from your team.

Autocratic (A2): You consult your team to obtain specific information that you need, and then you make the final decision.

Consultative (C1): You inform your team of the situation and ask for members' opinions individually, but you don't bring the group together for a discussion. You make the final decision.

Consultative (C2): You get your team together for a group discussion about the issue and to seek their suggestions, but you still make the final decision by yourself.

Collaborative (G2): You work with your team to reach a group consensus. Your role is mostly facilitative, and you help team members to reach a decision that they all agree on.

In general, a consultative or collaborative style is most appropriate when:

You need information from others to solve a problem.

The problem can't be easily defined.

Team members' buy-in to the decision is important.

You have enough time available to manage a group decision.

An autocratic style is most appropriate when:

You have greater expertise on the subject than others.

You are confident about acting alone.

The team will accept your decision.

There is little time available.

Note:

Vroom-Yetton is a useful model, but it's not necessarily appropriate for all eventualities. It misses out several important considerations, and its rigid structure means that it fails to take into account subtleties, such as the emotions and dynamics of your team, and the task's complexity. The seven questions are imprecise, too - "importance" and "quality," for example, are vague terms - and it can be difficult to give straight "yes" or "no" answers to them.

Vroom and Arthur Jago addressed these weaknesses and amended the original model in their 1988 book, " The New Leadership." The newer model is more complex and includes several additional questions, which allow users to take other constraints, such as geographic location, into account when making their decision. It also uses a mathematical formula to help people to pinpoint the optimum decision-making process for their situation. The newer version of the model is often referred to as either Vroom-Jago or Vroom-Yetton-Jago.

Key Points

The underlying assumption of the Vroom-Yetton Decision Model is that no single leadership style or decision-making process fits all situations.

To find the process best suited to your situation, you need to consider a number of factors. These include time constraints, the level of team participation required, and the quality of the final decision.

The model walks you through these factors logically, to help you to identify the most appropriate process and style. It is particularly useful for managers and leaders who are trying to balance the benefits of participative management with the need to make decisions effectively.

Infographic

You can see our infographic of the Vroom-Yetton Model here:

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The Vroom-Yetton Decision Model: Deciding How to Decide

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How you go about making a decision can involve as many choices as the decision itself. Sometimes you have to take charge, and decide what to do on your own, but you don't want to appear autocratic to your team (particularly in situations where you need their input).

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A Chart that shows what a good manager is.

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Despite their obstacles , Hp is still one of the most valuable brand. I find that amazing.

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Hewlett-Packard on the Forbes World's Most Valuable Brands List

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Hewlett-Packard #42 on the Forbes World's Most Valuable Brands List

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I found these Headhunter comics really amusing!

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This video explains about factors Influencing Group Communication.

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A diagram to fully understand Human Resource Management System.

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History of Marriott family. Their humble and honest beginnings is what I think has helped their company become so successful.

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This article explains the importance of having a well planned meeting. I found this article very interesting and learned that the average employee spends up to 30% of his or her work time in meetings.

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Effective Meetings: The Importance of a Well-Organized Group Meeting

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A well-planned group meeting is the key to productive and successful teams; however, understanding how to plan effective meetings can be difficult. This article identifies the importance of a well-planned group meeting and identifies the characteristics of effective meetings.

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In this module I learned how useful a meeting agenda can be, also rather boring. This cartoon demonstrates it.

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This article was an overview on organizational culture.

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This article gave me more insight on what organizational structure is all about.

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I wanted to find out information about Lynsi Torres, who is head of In&Out

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I wanted to learn more about In and out Burger. I wanted to see if they were going to really expand or not. I would also like to visit them and see how tasty their food is!

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Given the amount of fanfare that surrounds In-N-Out Burger, one would think that the fast-casual chain was fairly ubiquitous. While 281 stores is nothing to shrug at, the locations are only in five states in the Western U.S., so East Coasters are forced to take a cross-country trip to get a bite of a double-double (well, unless they happen to chance on one of the occasional international In-N-Out pop-ups).

In an interview with the Orange County Register, In-N-Out president Lynsi Torres, America's youngest female billionaire, explains why the company hasn't expanded to more of the country.

For one, In-N-Out doesn't franchise any of its stores, which the chain argues helps it maintain control over "food quality, restaurant cleanliness and its overall image," the OC Register explains.

Second, none of the restaurants have freezers or microwaves, so all of its food comes fresh from two distribution facilities, one in California and one in Texas. Opening up locations in areas that are farther away would result in a need for more distribution facilities and a big change to In-N-Out's supply chain.

"We're definitely not franchising, and we're not going to sell," Torres tells the paper. ( Read the whole interview in the OC Register here.)

It's interesting to compare In-N-Out's expansion strategy to that of Shake Shack, the 9-year-old New York-based burger chain that also inspires a herd of rabid fans. While In-N-Out has been around for 65 years, has a relatively unchanged menu and expands mostly within a defined geographical area, Shake Shake is almost doing the exact opposite. The chain customizes certain food offerings based on each location and is expanding to places far from its home base, like London and the Middle East.

Worth noting, however, is that Shake Shack has not yet made attempts to open in areas where In-N-Out restaurants are located. Smashburger, another growing fast-casual burger concept chain, is planning to take on California, though. And Five Guys, another threat to In-N-Out's burger dominance there, has already done so.

What does this exactly mean for In-N-Out? Will its strategy of low and slow growth be able to compete against chains that are growing bigger, faster? Given how much the brand still resonates, despite being considerably older than its competitors, we're wondering if the newer chains are the ones that should be worried.

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Given the amount of fanfare that surrounds In-N-Out Burger, one would think that the fast-casual chain was fairly ubiquitous. While 281 stores is nothing to shrug at, the locations are only in five states in the Western U.S., so East Coasters are forced to take a cross-country trip to get a bite of a double-double (well, unless they happen to chance on one of the occasional international In-N-Out pop-ups).

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Before doing the Swot Assignment I wanted to know why was SWOT so important. This article point out the why it is so important.

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One of the things that we know about SWOT analysis is that it stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a type of analysis or research that a company will study to learn about another company. They do the research because they want to learn about a competitor.

Before you set up any type of business, you want to look and see:

who the neighboring businesses are

what their strengths are

areas where they might be weak

the opportunities that they have

That way you can better understand if you should move into an area. You will also know if you want to work in that industry. Your competitor's threats will also be your threats if you're in the same industry. That means you want to look to see all the competitors so you understand what your business will be up against. You will also have a thorough understanding of who you're going to be competing with.

You don't want to be caught with the lights off!

So what does SWOT analysis have to do with keeping the lights on? Good question!

Have you ever not paid the electric bill? Sometimes people think "Oh, I can get by without paying my electric bill because they won't put my lights out!" You might think that the electric company will always keep the lights on, so that's the strength. They might also be able to turn the service on instantly. Maybe when you first moved into your home and you called them, you didn't even have to go to their building. They turned your service on ahead of time. That's a really good strength.

One of the weaknesses might be that in the summer time people lose their electricity because they are blackouts at that area. Opportunities might be that you can pay your bill online. You can also go and pay in person, and you can even mail a payment in. But a threat might be when they send you a bill that lets you know that your lights off if you don't pay! They might give you a few days. If you don't pay your bill, your lights will be cut off - even if it's in the summer time and it's 95-degrees out! Remember, they can do it instantly!

That's why you want to make sure you pay attention to the threats that a particular type of company might have. They will be your threats in that industry. As it relates to SWOT analysis, though, SWOT analysis is very important to businesses because it helps to ensure that they can work together in the same areas.

They may have different types of customers. And this can help another business that's moving into an area.

New flower shop in town

For example, if you have a company like a flower shop that moves into an area where they were already two flower shops, they have to know strategically what their strengths are so they can make money. Understand that if they can work alongside two existing flower shops, they might have to look at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. They want to make sure that they can work in those areas and make money, too.

While you might think it would be foolish for them to open in a location where there are already two flower shops, maybe this particular flower company know something that the others don't. For example, this flower company might have a special deal where they sell not only flowers but deliver cards, fruit baskets, balloons and gift baskets. While the other two companies are strictly flower companies, this company might stand out and it's ahead of the competition as they offer more services.

This is considered scaling when a company is able to expand their services and do more than just sell things like flowers. It's very important because that's one of the only ways that this particular type of company would be able to last in an environment where there are similar companies.

Now, what would happen if the other two flower companies finally started realizing that they were losing money and decided to start selling the same products as the new company? You got it:

there would probably be a price war

all three might lose money

and they might start competing with each other

That's why it's very important to do SWOT analysis before you move into an area.

Never ignore the importance of SWOT analysis

Just remember that whether you are looking at an area where there's no competition, or an area where you think you can expand, you have to do your research. Just like in our Con Edison/Gas and Electric Company example, every area of a company is going to have really strong areas and really weak areas. It's just a matter of doing your research to know the difference.

Like with our flower shop example, you want to make sure that you know the competition inside and out. A SWOT analysis is not something that's done just once. You want to try to do this every year or every few years to know what the competition is doing.

Remember the reason you want to do this. Those two flower companies had to find out the hard way that our new flower company moved in; you don't want to wait until you start losing money to realize there's a problem.

Always make sure that you know what your competitors are doing in the neighborhood and in the surrounding areas. You also want to make sure that you do your research online to see who your competition is and who might be trying to take money from your ideas. It will happen!

Because it's about strategy and doing research, SWOT analysis can help you every time you look at the different types of companies that are available in the area, and so you know who your strongest competitor. Since your competitor may change over time, you may have to change your products and services, too. Don't be afraid to expand services to keep up with the competition!
Image: chrupka/Shutterstock.com

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One of the things that we know about SWOT analysis is that it stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a type of analysis or research that a company will study to learn about another company. They do the research because they want to learn about a competitor.

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I wanted to see what companies were global. These are the worlds biggest companies.

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Chinese banks held on to the top three spots in the FORBES Global 2000, a comprehensive annual ranking of the world's largest public companies.

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This Explains what WTO is all bout. It gave me some really good insight to how complex managing a global organization can be.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world's trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.

There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization. It is an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.

The WTO is run by its member governments. All major decisions are made by the membership as a whole, either by ministers (who usually meet at least once every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).

The WTO agreements are lengthy and complex because they are legal texts covering a wide range of activities. But a number of simple, fundamental principles run throughout all of these documents. These principles are the foundation of the multilateral trading system.

The World Trade Organization — the WTO — is the international organization whose primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all.

A starting point for essential information about the WTO.

An introduction, in more depth, to the WTO and its agreements.

The world is complex. The World Trade Organization is complex. This booklet is brief, but it tries to reflect the complex and dynamic nature of trade and the WTO's trade rules.

From the early days of the Silk Road to the creation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the birth of the WTO, trade has played an important role in supporting economic development and promoting peaceful relations among nations. This page traces the history of trade, from its earliest roots to the present day.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world's trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.

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This Article help me with my Discussion 2 opinion!

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Gender diversity makes organizations better workplaces. Gender diversity makes organizations more profitable.

These are the central conclusions from Women matter: gender diversity, a corporate performance driver. In the five years since its appearance, McKinsey & Company's report has become one of the most visible works on the value of gender diversity.

As we work together to develop the best arguments for enhanced gender balance in academia, we can look to Women Matter for inspiration. (There are in fact a total of fourfive Women Matter reports; I'll write about the others in subsequent posts.)

It's true, of course, that arguments for increased gender balance in universities will vary some from those relevant to the private sector; university life and corporate life, after all, differ in some crucial ways, such as the focus on profitability. But we should study McKinsey's research and ask if the conclusions might be relevant for us.

The argument for the conclusions above has two crucial parts.

Organizational excellence enhances financial performance.

Nine criteria for organizational excellence are identified: leadership, direction, accountability, coordination and control, innovation, external orientation, capability, motivation, work environment and values. Employees are asked to evaluate their companies on these criteria.

After studying over 200 companies and over 115,000 individual evaluations, McKinsey demonstrates that the best companies on these criteria are also the most profitable. The top quartile on organizational excellence is more than twice as profitable as the bottom quartile.

Women in leadership enhance organizational excellence.

How do we add gender diversity to the story? About 100 of the companies studied provided information on the gender make-up of their management teams. These were winnowed down to two groups: 45 companies with no women in the top leadership and 13 companies with 30% women at the top. This distinction acknowledges that one must reach a tipping point to move beyond tokenism and to reap the benefits of diversity.

How did these two groups compare on the nine criteria for organizational excellence? The 13 companies with women in leadership outperformed the 45 other companies on every single criterion!

The premises of the argument are now clear: women in leadership enhance organizational excellence and organizational excellence enhances financial performance. The principles of logic tell us the conclusion: women in leadership enhance financial performance.

But this research identifies correlations, not causations. To strengthen the story, Women matter reports on a supplemental study.

89 large companies with significant gender diversity in leadership were identified. The financial performance of each company was assessed against the average for its sector. On three different criteria for financial success, they companies with gender diversity in leadership were above average.

The authors of Women matter conclude as follows.

Companies with a higher proportion of women on their management committees are also the companies that have the best performance.

Women matter reports research results on a number of other topics, including the slow thaw for women, the double-burden syndrome, gender differences on self-promotion, and variation in family structures among successful women and men (raising the spectre of a motherhood penalty).

What does Women matter mean for academia? How do you think we rank on organizational excellence? What measurable benefits might we discover if we invested even more in enhancing our gender balance?

I think improving gender balance will make universities better workplaces. And I think improving the quality of our workplaces will lead to better work. Do you share those views? Why, or why not?

My interest in moving universities towards balance encompasses gender equality, the communication of scientific results, promoting research-based education and leadership development more generally. Read more

@curtrice curtrice@me.com

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Women matter: gender diversity, a corporate performance driver

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Gender diversity makes organizations better workplaces. Gender diversity makes organizations more profitable. These are the central conclusions from Women matter: gender diversity, a corporate perf...

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This article was basically an add for a new book about managing a global organization. However, it gave me some really good insight to how complex managing a global organization can be.

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PREMIUM If there was any further need to prove the interconnectedness of our global economy, the biggest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression has delivered it.

In previous crises a variety of boundaries (in the housing, banking and industry sectors, as well as between nations, or at least regions) confined and limited the impact of actions and decisions to a defined space. This...

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How to manage complexity in global organizations

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PREMIUM If there was any further need to prove the interconnectedness of our global economy, the biggest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression has delivered it. In previous crises a variety of boundaries (in the housing, banking and industry sectors, as well as between nations, or at least regions) confined and limited the impact of actions and decisions to a defined space.

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I thought this comic  was relevant on Module 2. I found it funny.

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This article expands the idea of how corporate social  responsibility is beneficial and will move you to act. I found this article very interesting and relevant to module 2.

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Recently, I connected with dozens of corporate executives of large and small companies in an effort to understand the benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the corporation.

The question, I learned, is harder to answer than you might expect, principally because most corporate do-gooders approach their social good efforts with more of an eye toward impact on the community than on the firm.

With some effort, however, I've pulled some meaningful responses from corporate leaders I've reached and learned a great deal in the process.

Garratt Hasenstab, Director of Sustainability at the Verdigris Group, a real estate development and consulting firm, says, "Verdigris Group is focused on being a leader in the area of corporate social responsibility. We have developed and established a comprehensive set of sustainable business initiatives that facilitate our triple bottom-line approach to operating our business." He notes that the firm has operated "as a certified carbon-neutral business since 2007." The firm engages its employees actively in all of its sustainability initiatives.

Hasenstab adds, "Verdigris Group is fortunate to work with some of the most socially and environmentally conscious clients and partners in our industry. Those that we work with, both partner companies and clients alike are actively engaged in our sustainability efforts and take pride in being involved with a company that is focused on the triple bottom-line of people, planet, profit."

He concludes by saying, "Our CSR policy is at the core of our daily operations and guides our future progress. We benefit from these efforts in a number of ways. Our clients want to work with us because we are focused on a healthier and more productive world. Our development clients can rely on us to develop their projects to the highest standards of energy efficiency and occupant health, while creating an architecturally resonant project that reflects our mission and vision. Of course we save money by operating more efficiently which is a direct benefit of our CSR efforts, however the true value we receive from our ongoing initiatives is that of social good will - we believe that setting a good example is the greatest benefit in that we inspire other organizations, companies and individuals to 'up their game' when it comes to social and environmental responsibility, which in turn encourages further inspiration in the community leading to a more enlightened perspective on how to run ones business or lead one's life."

While each company I interviewed had varying responses for the benefits of CSR and cause marketing for the company, 51 of 59 believe that they have happier employees and 45 of the 59 believe they end up with better employees, either as a result of being able to attract better talent or that the CSR programs help to develop better employees.

John G. Taft, great-grandson of President Taft and CEO of RBC Wealth Management-USA, which reports $227 billion of assets under management, describes one of their CSR initiatives, "The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year global commitment to help protect the world's most precious natural resource: fresh water. It includes a $50 million philanthropic commitment to organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water." He notes that "Clients are often invited to participate in RBC sponsored local events with nonprofits."

Taft further explains, "For the sixth year, RBC employees around the globe will participate in Blue Water Day on June 14. On this day, employees will volunteer their time to participate in a Community Makeover with a local nonprofit to help preserve fresh water in urban areas." He adds, "I have personally attended Blue Water Day activities and have seen firsthand the commitment of our employees to the environment. Last year, in Minneapolis, we cleared invasive species from a local riverbank so the natural vegetation can thrive and be a natural filter for runoff that flows into the river. The demonstrated commitment by the company and employees makes me proud to work for RBC." He sums up the benefits to the company this way, "Employees and customers want to work with a company that they respect."

Similarly, Lisa Dewey, Pro Bono Partner at DLA Piper, one of the world's largest law firms, says the firm "is deeply committed to Corporate Responsibility initiatives through pro bono service, community engagement, diversity and environmental sustainability." She further explains, "In the United States, DLA Piper structures its pro bono program around "Signature Projects," which are designed to commit significant resources to tackling major social issues, including education, hunger relief, juvenile justice, access to justice, domestic violence and serving veterans. DLA Piper's signature projects are often developed in partnership with nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, foundations and the firm's corporate clients." She adds, "Globally, New Perimeter, a nonprofit organization established by DLA Piper in 2005, provides pro bono legal assistance primarily in developing and post-conflict regions."

When asked about the involvement of employees, she responded, "All DLA Piper attorneys and staff are encouraged to participate in the firm's pro bono and volunteer projects. The wide scope of our pro bono programs allow employees to choose causes that are important to them and provides several options for giving back to their communities and helping those less fortunate. I continue to be astounded by the tireless dedication of our attorneys to pro bono service and to projects that often span multiple years and require substantial time commitment and cross-border travel."

As to the benefit to the firm, she comments, "The success of our pro bono programs and the unwavering commitment of our lawyers has truly made a difference in the lives of others both in the U.S. and globally, and has made us all better lawyers and DLA Piper a better firm." She also noted, "DLA Piper's deep commitment to pro bono and CSR initiatives has had a positive impact on the firm, its attorneys and staff, and clients across numerous areas. We've seen a noticeable impact in terms of strengthening relationships with clients, providing young attorneys practical and hands-on experience, improving employee morale, and deepening the firm's ties to the many communities in which it operates."

Shaun Walker, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of HEROfarm, a marketing agency in New Orleans, explained their approach to CSR, saying, "A cornerstone of HEROfarm is to do at least one pro bono campaign per year (often doing much more) for a non-profit, as well as work with clients who have admirable missions of their own." Walker reports that the firm has supported organizations as varied as the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America and Tulane University's media arts program. He notes, "True success comes when everyone focuses on the bigger picture and here, the bigger picture isn't just about doing your job-it's about trying to change the world for the better." This spirit carries over to client relationships, he adds, "An old saying goes, 'In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself.' We truly believe that. People remember the kindness and smiles you share with them and how you made them feel, not what kind of car you drove or what designer clothing you wore."

HEROfarm, says Walker, has received numerous awards and other accolades which he attributes to the pro bono work the firm does, "We also measure these results by our rising name recognition, as seen by our increasing accolades as we've matured, and by the fact our revenue has risen every year since our founding four years ago."

In another example, Gary Beu, Managing Director of People and Leadership Development at the consulting firm West Monroe Partners, says, "At the end of 2011, West Monroe Partners launched its "1+1+1 Program," a corporate social responsibility initiative through which we would donate 1-percent of our time, 1-percent of our treasure and 1-percent of our talent, each year, back to organizations in our communities." He adds, "Since kicking off our 1+1+1 Program, West Monroe Partners has collectively matched 1,500 employee volunteer hours, completed nearly 4,000 hours for pro bono projects across the United States, and donated over $250,000 to non-profit organizations."

Beu goes on to say, "Our 1+1+1 Program empowers our employees to give back to our communities in a way that complements their personal and professional lives." When pressed for the benefits to the company, Beu responds, "The goals that we set through our volunteer initiatives have given us an even deeper sense of purpose and motivation to do the best work possible in and outside of the office. West Monroe Partners has always been a community of driven, creative and curious people, but our social good efforts especially have brought out the compassion and loyalty in all of us."

Joe Mechlinski, CEO of the Baltimore-based consulting firm entreQuest and author of Grow Regardless with whom I did a live interview recently, sees "giving back to the community" as "an essential key to a successful business because it not only lifts moral and builds capability among the team, but it also clears people's minds allowing them to make better decisions." The eQ team conducts "Give Back Days" where the employees serve meals at Our Daily Bread, a local soup kitchen, work with Habitat for Humanity on local housing, mentor children through b4Students and Big Brothers Big Sisters and more.

For Mechlinski, social good goes beyond his own company. He says, "We encourage all of our clients to find a cause (or causes) meaningful to them and help them coordinate Give Back Days for their entire team. In fact, we believe in the power of these Give Back Days so much so that we typically recommend a Give Back Day as part of a two-day strategy retreat-on the first day the company has a Give Back Day where they focus on serving others and feeding their souls, then on the second day they are more ready to work through tough strategy decisions in order to cultivate an environment of growth, align their team, and positively impact both the employee and client experience."

Mechlinski says the evidence that their community focus pays off is in their recognition two years in a row as one of Baltimore's Best Places to Work. He also noted, "I was honored to be named one of Maryland's Most Admired CEO's by The Daily Record last year. Again, much of what determined this award was the fact that as a leader, I've made it a priority to give back to my community and encourage my team to do the same."

Some businesses are built from the ground up to do social good; these social enterprises are wired differently, says Soapbox CEO and Co-founder, David Simnick, "Soapbox Soaps started with the idea that a simple bar of soap could legitimately save kids' lives. We've now grown into offering a line of health and beauty products that have a mission attached to each one. The grand idea is to empower customers with the ability to change the world through simple, every day purchases. For example, every bottle of our liquid hand soap buys one month of clean water to a child in need through RainCatcher."

Simnick points out that for Soapbox, the mission came first, "We started the company first because we wanted to stop child mortality due to lack of access to hygiene. We only figured out how to sell soap afterwards." He adds, "Without the social mission, our company would not exist."

Shel Horowitz, a CSR consultant who says he practices what he preaches, says, "For the past ten years or so, I've been very publicly touting the benefits of eco/social responsibility-in my books, articles, blog, and speeches. I don't think it's a coincidence that during this period, my business underwent significant growth in average per-client revenue and total revenue."

While some can quickly identify the benefits of their CSR initiatives, others can't see past the benefit to others to measure the benefits for their own firms.

John Paul Engel, President of Knowledge Capital Consulting, which launched Project Be The Change (PBTC) to provide help in a variety of forms. In a remarkable observation, Engel notes that most of their employees started as volunteers in their PBTC. When asked about the benefits to the company, he responded, "Everyone gets excited when we have a successful project. I think it makes everyone feel good that our work is paid forward and that we are positively impacting so many people beyond our clients."

Tara Wilson, the principal attorney at Wilson, LF, a "boutique" law firm with offices in Andover Massachusetts and Washington, DC, has made community service and pro bono work a central part of the firm's strategy. She believes this has led to having "a higher profile in the communities we serve because they recognize our firm from our charitable endeavors."

Examples of CSR program are as varied as the companies that sponsor them.

Karen Ross, CEO of Sharp Decisions, an IT consultancy that supports government clients, describes their V.E.T.S. Program (Vocations, Education and Training for Service members), which helps veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to find jobs. Retention is improved, she says, by sending the candidates out in "squads." Ross sees the benefits of the new program already, reporting, "We have had an outpouring of response and support from our current clients, some who have their own veteran outreach initiatives. Many of the companies we work with have been very receptive to our ideas about training and rightshoring jobs for these heroes. The V.E.T.S. Program adds a different dimension to the Sharp Decisions story, and that resonates with many of our prospective clients as well."

Some companies observe that their employees develop new skills and abilities through their nonprofit service.

Ryan McEvoy, a Principal at California-based Gaia Development, which does sustainable development, helped found Collective Solutions, a nonprofit organization that is confronting poverty and climate change. A percentage of Gaia's revenue is donated to Collective Solutions each year, he says, and notes that "Employees are encouraged to dedicate their time and expertise to something beyond the realm of day-to-day business, and many find that outlet in Collective Solutions." Employees recently participated in a trip to Nicaragua where they helped families learn to build effective solar ovens from scrap materials including cardboard to reduce their dependence on declining supplies of wood.

Of the benefits to Gaia, McEvoy notes, "Collective Solutions offers our employees a chance to think-outside-of-the-box and apply their years of experience and advanced skills in new ways. Our employees, who traveled with us to El Carizal, show remarkable versatility and creativity. They know how to seek out the simplest solutions (ovens out of cardboard?), which are oftentimes the most effective."

Art Papas, founder and CEO of Bullhorn, a software company serving recruiters, says, "Bullhorn's corporate mission is to help recruiters put the world to work. Our employees volunteer their time and we make donations to organizations that seek to end working class poverty like Career Collaborative and Youth Villages. And all of the charities we support aim to help the community at large and prepare individuals for a more productive life." He is obviously proud of the extent to which employees are involved, "Each employee receives a day off per quarter to do community service and volunteer. The Bullhorn Cares committee - a team of individuals that organizes, plans and markets these various events to the rest of the company - actively recruits employees from across Bullhorn to volunteer time, money, and effort to help with a variety of community service initiatives."

Among the benefits he observes, "Customers appreciate Bullhorn employees' dedication to service, as it shows through not just in how we help the less fortunate but also in how we respect everyone around us. Bullhorn excels at both customer service and community service." He adds, "These efforts demonstrate to employees that we share their personal values. It changes the employment relationship-it's not just about a pay check, it's about working together to accomplish something."

Likewise, Tyler Collins, CEO of Orange County SEO, of California, says, "Orange County SEO offers charities and philanthropies free search engine optimization and online marketing." He notes, "Every employee is actively engaged in Orange County SEO's social good efforts. We all work together as a team to promote our charitable clients through search engine optimization, public relations, and social media. Employees gain a sense of pride and accomplishment helping these organizations and often engage in additional charitable actions in their personal lives." He concluded by saying, "In addition to the good feelings we gain, our sales have actually increased through our good works. This unexpected benefit came about because people were impressed with our work and wanted to use the same company who had produced such positive gains."

John Meyer, CEO of Arise Virtual Solutions, describes the company's approach to CSR, "Arise Virtual Solutions is in the business of changing the way the world works through its network of 25,000 home-based customer service professionals. The company aligns its social good efforts closely with its business goals, focusing its efforts on organizations whose focus is on the home and family." He explains the employee involvement, saying, "Our employees are extremely engaged and each year we look for a new initiative to support. This last year or so has been very focused on the Military Veterans community."

Meyer goes on to say, "Arise employees also participate in Habitat For Humanity builds throughout the United States several times a year, with plans to support international builds in the near future. Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world. This partnership is a great fit for Arise, in particular, because of its corporate focus on 'home.'" He concluded with this observation, "During the actual Habitat For Humanity builds people get to spend the day with [employees] that perhaps (a) they have never met, (b) have never worked with, (c) have never had lengthy conversations with. We've also found that the teamwork required to build a house together is also carried over into the office."

Christy Consler, SVP of Human Resources and Corporate Sustainability, at Jamba Juice, says, "The Jamba-sponsored Team Up for a Healthy America program was launched in 2011 in an effort to raise awareness of the obesity epidemic in the United States and engage company partners in a broad awareness campaign aimed at encouraging and inspiring the nation's youth to make better dietary choices and providing ways for them to stay fit and keep active."

Consler adds, "From volunteering at local food banks, to running half marathons in support of charities and in support of employee's personal health goals, to participating in WNBA Fit Clinics at schools as part of Team Up, our employees are always active in driving our social responsibility programs."

Consler also notes, "Customers are highly engaged in our company's corporate social responsibility efforts because they recognize that Jamba is passionate about the impact they can have in their local communities. A few examples of how well our customers get involved would be their support of our current American Heart Association campaign in the Bay Area and our annual 'Pink Whirl' program to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In both cases, our customers overwhelmingly exceeded our donation goals."

Consler says, "As an example [of our success], our CEO was recently invited to speak with President Obama in a teleconference with 120 mayors from across the U.S. to describe our job hiring program aimed at creating summer employment opportunities for underserved youth through our nationwide National Hiring Day and our partnership with Job Corps of Treasure Island that offers culinary internships in our corporate headquarters."

With respect to the benefits of their social good efforts to the company, Consler concluded, "With our better-for-you offerings, our social responsibility programs and our ongoing support of the community, consumers continually recognize Jamba as one of the top health and wellness brands in the country, which is notable when you consider that we do not have stores in every state."

Perhaps the most encouraging sign amidst my research for this article was the tremendous number of companies I found that are making these efforts. It was impossible for me to include all the stories I found. As a result, I'll be writing a series of articles on this theme in the coming months. It does appear that the world is experiencing the beginning of what could become an era of more conscious capitalism.

If your company is doing good in the world, please leave a comment below explaining your initiative and the benefits your company receives from your good work.

Please help me continue this conversation by commenting below, on Twitter at @devindthorpe and on Facebook, Google+ and my personal website yourmarkontheworld.com.

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Why CSR? The Benefits Of Corporate Social Responsibility Will Move You To Act

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Recently, I connected with dozens of corporate executives of large and small companies in an effort to understand the benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the corporation. The question, I learned, is harder to answer than you might expect, principally because most corporate do-gooders approach their social good efforts with more of an eye toward impact on the community than on the firm.

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This diagram was very helpful on the corporate assignment in module 2.

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I found this Article very interesting about Steve Jobs

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This was funny cartoon to About Steve Jobs.

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After Doing the discussion on Steve Jobs, I order this book to Learn more about him as a manager.