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Roles and Responsibilities of Production and Operating Managers

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The roles and responsibilities of production/operations managers in SMEs: evidence from Canada

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This paper examines the nature of the production/operations manager's job amongst small to medium enterprises in Canada. The results are taken from 11...

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Difference Between Data and Information

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When discussing data quality, we need to understand exactly what we mean by the word data. Often, the words information and data are used interchangeably, yet they are not the same thing.

Data is, or are (depending on your knowledge of Latin), fundamental to business intelligence. But how do we recognise data as data - and why is bad data such a pernicious entity?

First Things First: Data vs Information

There's a really simple way to understand the difference between data and information. When we understand the primary function of the item we are looking at, we quickly see the distinction between the two.

Here's a simple way to tell one from the other:

Computers need data. Humans need information.

Data is a building block. Information gives meaning and context.

In essence, data is raw. It has not been shaped, processed or interpreted. It is a series of 1s and zeros that humans would not be able to read (and nor would they want to). It is disorganised and unfriendly.

Once data has been processed and turned into information, it becomes palatable to human readers. It takes on context and structure. It becomes useful for businesses to make decisions, and it forms the basis of progress.

While the bigger picture is slightly more complex, this gets us part way towards understanding what data means.

The Bigger Picture

When we look at the relationship between data and information, we can establish a larger chain. This is the DIKW Pyramid.

Why DIKW? It stands for Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom, and describes the hierarchy between all four.

The DIKW Pyramid describes the acquisition of data, its processing, retention and interpretation, and it's as applicable to businesses as it is to the human brain.

To see the DIKW Pyramid in action, consider the following example.

Data: I have one item. The data displays a 1, not a zero.

Information: It's a tomato. Now, we understand the item and its characteristics.

Knowledge: A tomato is a fruit. We can identify patterns in the information and apply them to the item.

Wisdom: Tomato is never added to a fruit salad. There is an underlying, commonly understood principle that governs the item's purpose.

Data Quality: The Building Block

In this article, we have truly put data in context. We now understand its position as the foundation. It is the base of a pyramid; the beginning of a continuum.

If data is flawed, the DIKW Pyramid breaks down. The information we derive from the data is not accurate. We cannot make reliable judgments or develop reliable knowledge from the information. And that knowledge simply cannot become wisdom, since cracks will appear as soon as it is tested.

Bad data costs time and effort, gives false impressions, results in poor forecasts and devalues everything else in the continuum.

Data quality software addresses problems with data to avoid these kinds of problems. It ensures that data processing results in reliable information that improves response and retention. This information unlocks the potential of marketing campaigns, increases sales, improves accuracy and adds value.

That's why data quality is so vital to us all.

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What is the Difference Between Data and Information?

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When discussing data quality, we need to understand exactly what we mean by the word data. Often, the words information and data are used interchangeably, yet they are not the same thing. Data is, or are (depending on your knowledge of Latin), fundamental to business intelligence.

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Control (click image to view)

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Power (click image to view)

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Motivational Strategies

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The difference between inspiration and motivation is that inspiration gives you the idea and motivation causes you to put the idea into action. In business, inspiration is important in offering new ideas for running expanding your company and motivation insures that employees will work hard enough to see your ideas ...

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Motivating for Success

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When looked upon the first time, the link between employee motivation and performance seems to be quite obvious. That's because every time when we deem a task to be important and valuable to us, we act with a high level of dedication and enthusiasm to its completion. However, the relationship between these two things is in fact a lot more complex. Realistically speaking, the duties we have at work can be most of the time tedious, repetitive and quite boring. Most of us don't go to work excited that we're going to have another day in which we'll respond to dozens of emails, complete countless Excel spreadsheets, or other tasks which fall into the dullness category.

With that in mind, managers need to find creative ways in which to consistently keep their employees motivated as much as possible. Motivation is highly important for every company due to the benefits that it's able to bring. Such benefits include:

Human Capital Management - a company can achieve its full potential only by making use of all the financial, physical, and human resources that it has. It is through these resources that the employees get motivated to accomplish their duties. This way, the enterprise begins to glisten as everyone is doing their best to fulfill their tasks.

Meeting Personal Goals Help an Employee Stay Motivated and Feel About Themselves to Continue to Produce - Motivation can facilitate a worker reaching his/her personal goals, and can facilitate the self-development of an individual. Once that worker meets some initial goals, they realize the clear link between effort and results, which will further motivate them to continue at a high level. This relates closely to...

Greater Employee Satisfaction - Worker satisfaction is important for every company, as this one factor can lead towards progress or regress. In the absence of an incentive plan, employees will not fill ready to fulfill their objectives. Thus, managers should seek to empower them through promotion opportunities, monetary and non-monetary rewards, or disincentives in case of inefficient employees.

Raising Employee Efficiency - An employee's efficiency level is not strictly related to his abilities and qualifications. In order to get the very best results, an employee needs to have a perfect balance between ability and willingness. Such balance can lead to an increase of productivity, lower operational costs, and an overall improvement in efficiency, and can be achieved only through motivation.

A Higher Chance of Meeting the Company's Goals - Any enterprise has its goals, which can be achieved only when the following factors are met:

- There is a proper resource management

- The work environment is a cooperative one

- All employees are directed by their objectives

- Goals can be reached if cooperation and coordination are fulfilled at once through motivation

Better Team Harmony - A proper work environment focused on cooperative relationships is highly important for an organization's success. Not only that it can bring stability and profits, but employees will also adapt more easy to changes, fact which is ultimately in the company's benefit.

Workforce Stability - Stability of the personnel is highly important from a business point of view. The staff will stay loyal to the enterprise only they meet a sense of participation within the management side. The abilities and potency of staff can be used in their own advantage, but also in the benefit of the company. This may cause an honest public image within the market which can attract competent and qualified individuals into the business.

With all that said, it's important also to point out that motivation is an interior feeling which should target both the manager and the team members, as they can interact and feed off each other, motivationally speaking. Needs, wishes and desires are interrelated, representing the thrust to act. These wants should be understood by the manager and he/she should formulate and frequently update comprehensive motivation strategies.

If you wish to inspire your personnel, then you need to provide an environment that exudes positive energy. Ensure that all your workers feel that they are an integral contributor to the overall team success. Keep your workplace doors open and keep yourself approachable, and encourage all of your managers to try and be constant. The additional positive of the surroundings, the additional empowering and greater employees' productivity are the basic elements that will get your business to the top. This is why employee motivation is so important. Related information is available on employee training software page. Enjoy your readings.

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Is Employee Motivation Important for Performance? - Training Station

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When looked upon the first time, the link between employee motivation and performance seems to be quite obvious. That's because every time when we deem a task to be important and valuable to us, we act with a high level of dedication and enthusiasm to its completion.

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Leadership Challeges

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With the dawning of the new year comes soon-to-be-released products, updated technologies, unexpected opportunities and, of course, unforeseen challenges (hey, you can't have the yin without the yang).

The leadership challenge for 2016 will continue to be the pace of global change and the rate at which technology. The two are a cruelly matched pair that will forever challenge any leader's judgment and decision-making, as both significantly impact a company's scalability, the timeframe to scale and the value it delivers along the spectrum of its growth.

The secret to overcoming challenges is to anticipate them to the point that their inherent complexity is minimized (how's that for obvious?). This means getting ahead of the power curve rather than looking at it from the low ground-something too many organizational leaders delay until it's too late.

To minimize the landscape of complexity in your organization, beware the top five leadership challenges for 2016:

Creating a shared purpose. It's no secret that Millennials are, well, different. They're motivated differently, they communicate differently and they make decisions differently. Conscious capitalism--where companies focus on delivering long-term value through purpose, passion and shared ideals--is the long-game strategy to attracting today's top talent. According to a recent PwC study, one quarter of CEOs report a change in their company's sense of purpose within the last three years in order to take into account its broader impact upon society. The challenge for leaders, then, is in translating what they know and how they've been raised in an organization into a language that Millenials speak and that resonates with them.

Measuring ROI of soft skill development. It's an age-old challenge that HR practitioners, consultants, and coaches face: qualifying the financial ROI of leadership development programs. After all, smiles and sunshine don't turn profits, right? Wrong. In an interdependent world, it's amazing that this question still exists. Anybody who knows anything about having to lead with influence over authority knows that soft skills are anything but soft--they're difficult to learn and extremely difficult to master. However, an article by the ROI institute notes that "soft skills create agile organizations, develop innovative companies, make the best places to work, and build the most admired companies. Soft skills bring out the best in people as their behaviors and competencies are shaped to fit the strategy of the organization, the desired work climate, and the ever-changing, unpredictable landscape."

Identifying and communicating what success looks like. What does success look like in a world where technology constantly advances, where change is the flavor of the day--every day--and where geographically dispersed workplaces are the norm? In order to communicate success, leaders must first get granular and identify what success looks like. Once they're clear on the end state, only then are they in a position to communicate the strategies to get there. Also, keep in mind that while the leader's vision of success won't change, the means by which the company arrives there surely will, which means leaders also need to communicate the value of adapting to change; that change is merely a strategy used to achieve organizational objectives, rather than a one-time objective itself. Strategy is a constantly moving target, and the only way to hunker down, get comfy and feel secure is to embrace the chaos that we call business.

Building trust. With globalization being the norm nowadays there are less opportunities to interact and build trust. A lack of trust in business (55 percent) has etched itself into one of the top four concerns based on the same study by PwC. Can trust be built without personal (i.e. face-to-face) interaction? Certainly. But at a much slower rate than had those encounters taken place under the same roof. As we know, trust is the basis upon which everything-relationships, performance, results-is built.

Perspective management. Perception is everything, especially when our perceptions drive our attitudes and our attitudes impact others. In a constantly changing competitive landscape, how a leader comports herself has direct implications for not only organizational climate but painting the picture for newbies as to what effective leadership looks like. For every leader who sees uncertainty, for example, somebody else sees opportunity; for every leader who sees risk, another sees reward. How leaders show up is contagious.

The difference between leaders who show up at work and those who show up to work is intentionality. The former reacts to fires whereas the latter proacts to the ingredients that cause fires by using self-management tools like mental imagery to anticipate events and their subsequent impacts upon others. They know that body language sends powerful messages and that people pick up on just as much on what they didn't say or do as what they did. Remember, people like hearing a vision, some direction--especially in turbulent times. Any sort of communication in this regard offers a degree of certainty and trust, because it communicates that A) leadership is aware and B) they have a plan to deal with it (yeah, right).

Of course, this is by no means an all inclusive list. Every leader faces challenges native to his or her industry. What do you foresee?

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With the dawning of the new year comes soon-to-be-released products, updated technologies, unexpected opportunities and, of course, unforeseen challenges (hey, you can't have the yin without the yang). The leadership challenge for 2016 will continue to be the pace of global change and the rate at which technology.

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Relationship Between Leading and Managing

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Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Leaders influence. Managers direct. While it may not be that black and white, leaders generally do focus on what matters and why as managers focus on how. Both use different forms of influence and direction at different times. But leaders have a bias to influencing by inspiring and enabling through advice and counsel while managers have a bias to command and control.

Coca-Cola's Doug Ivester was crystal clear on the difference. Sometimes he'd come to us and say,

This is your decision to make. I'd like to give you my thoughts as input.

Since he was the CEO, we always considered his thoughts. Most of the time we did things the way he suggested. Sometimes we disagreed. We quickly learned that going back to the CEO and telling him that we decided he didn't know what he was talking about did not make for pleasant meetings. But it did work when we went back to him and said,

Wanted to follow up on the decision we made on this subject. After we talked to you, we did some more digging and uncovered five things that you could not have known about. Given those new findings, we decided to go a different direction than what you had suggested.

He was fine with that.

Other times he'd say,

See these stripes. I am the CEO of this company. I'm going to give you some direction which you will follow.

It was extraordinarily helpful to know when he was giving us input for us to consider in our decision and when he was giving us no choice but to follow his direction.
Decision versus input
The more companies I help with their executive onboarding and team onboarding, the more I'm becoming convinced that clarifying decisions versus input solves a whole host of other problems.

The most important thing for any two people to understand as they are working together is which of them is going to make which decisions so they know when they should be deciding and when they should be providing input into the others' decision.

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The Fundamental Difference Between Leading And Managing: Influence Versus Direction

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Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Leaders influence. Managers direct. While it may not be that black and white, leaders generally do focus on what matters and why as managers focus on how.

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Emotional Intelligence

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We learn a lot from our clients. Their insights and experiences are our primary lifeline to what is happening at every level in today's workplace.

And too often, what we hear isn't pretty.

Overworked, overburdened, stressed, exhausted, cynical, pessimistic, untrusting, disengaged, resentful, frustrated, fearful and angry are common descriptions too many people give us.

Since we began integrating Emotional Intelligence (EI) into our organizational consulting in the late '90's, we've watched it slowly grow to become a more accepted "best practice" in some business settings. Many leaders and HR professionals have come to understand and inform their organizations that all intelligence is not cognitive. Slowly but surely, more organizational leaders are seeking out EI training, coaching and interventions for their employees.
Why is that?
Countless surveys show trust and engagement at all time lows. Reports of bullying and escalated conflict (taking many different shapes and forms) are on the increase.

At a time when creativity, innovation and sustained engagement are urgently needed to restore and fuel new business, organizations cannot afford for their employees to be carrying so much emotional baggage. More than ever, employees need the tools to navigate interpersonal differences, manage change effectively and build strong relationships.
How Can EI Help?
While there are no magic formulas, increasing EI awareness - for people and organizations (yes, workplace cultures can be EI rich or deficient) can significantly contribute to healthier workplace environments. In our work, we are always hearing reports of how enhanced EI skills support personal and organizational efforts.

Let's take the example of Jim, a manager in a Midwest manufacturing plant. In his workplace conflicts have been the norm for a long time, but have gotten steadily worse. Jim reports that his company has tried everything to reduce arguments, lower turnover and absenteeism and implement changes.
"Initially, we never entertained the idea of Emotional Intelligence. I guess we thought of it as some California "love-in" kind of thing. When we heard about training people to develop their empathy competencies we thought it sounded like a real waste of time."
Now that his employees have developed and are using their emotional intelligence skills, Jim's perception about EI has completely shifted.
"We looked under every rock, used all the right language and people still couldn't deal with differences, their own issues and handling changes. Now we are starting to experience what respectful communication and collaborative thinking can do to turn those negative numbers around." What the Heck are EI Competencies Anyway?
There is no universal definition of EI. So let's begin with our favorite "definition." It's based on the work of Robert Cooper and Ayman Sawaf, authors of the book, Executive EQ.
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source for connection, collaboration, influence and inspiration."
This rich description captures the potential of using strong EI skills as a sustainable resource for self-motivation and healthy relationship management. Nearly everyone has the potential to build their capacity by developing the competencies identified as fundamental to the skillful use of emotional intelligence.

With some variation, most EI developers use the following competency clusters to organize skills.

The first two are considered to be intrapersonal skill sets.

Self- Awareness - Our success and accomplishments in the workplace rely on our ability to be aware of ourselves and our impact on our environment.
What's that mean?
First and foremost, what do we know about our mindsets - how we think, feel and act? Until we develop the skills of self-awareness - conscious thought, feeling and action - we often operate reactively, in auto-pilot mode. Unless we have a strong awareness of our intrapersonal process - we tend to look everywhere except inside for motivation, problem-solving and to meet our needs.
Self-Awareness is the "mother-ship" of EI competencies - the foundation on which all other skills sit.
- This critical competency addresses how we manage our internal processes. Everyone gets emotionally triggered, especially in the workplace. The question is how solid are our skills to honestly and clearly identify what we feel - and then to make a choice about how we are going to handle those feelings.

Without strong self-management skills we're often looking for something or someone else as the cause and remedy for our experience.

Poor self-management skills drain personal and organizational resources. Managers spend as much as a third of their time managing conflicts and dealing (often indirectly) with employees who lack skill in these competencies.

The second cluster of EI competencies centers on our relationship abilities:

Arguably, relationship building and the ability to collaborate effectively are among the most important skills for the 21 st century workplace. Some of us are naturally gifted in this area - but for most of us - it takes a great deal of "work" to maximize our people skills.

Social Intelligence - We'd single out two areas that we believe are the cornerstones of this competency - the ability to respond to others empathically - and the ability to develop trust in relationships. Both of these are worthy of multiple posts in themselves!

Although often misunderstood, empathy is not sympathy, coddling, indulgence, condoning, pampering, overlooking or conceding towards others. It is simply our ability to relate to others with care and consideration, even when we don't like them or disagree with their views or actions. Empathy is natural to us all, unless those channels have been shut down in some way. Consciously acting empathically requires that we be as in touch with our emotional brain as with our "rational" brain.

Trust, in seriously short supply these days, is the glue that binds relationships. Can we really be effective in our work without it? We certainly don't think so.

Trust is a personal and idiosyncratic experience. It stems from our values, beliefs and the experiences that have been shaped by them. The more that we know and understand about how trust works for us - and for others - the better. Without that knowledge, we largely act from past experience (not always an accurate barometer) or from unchecked assumptions and expectations.

Relationship Management - Clearly this competency is built on all the others. How capable and flexible are you in relating to others to maximize your personal and organizational goals? That's the challenge.

There is no question that people bring all kinds of emotional issues to the workplace. One reason (and there are too many to list in this post) is because most organizations don't hire for EI competencies. As a society, we are not at the point (yet) where we have fully realized the value of social and emotional skills to accomplish work more effectively.

The three skills we want to highlight within this competency group are:

Regardless of the professional or organizational goals - EVERYONE benefits from expanding their EI competency.

Better listening elicits greater understanding and rapport. Assertive vs. aggressive communication strengthens leadership and influence while respecting the boundaries of co-workers and colleagues. In workplaces burdened with unresolved conflict or conflict-averse climates, good conflict management skills contribute to creating "cultures of permission" where people can speak honestly and respectfully about their differences and disagreements - freeing up creativity in the process.

In the "new economy" organizational leaders must find new ways to increase engagement, retain talent and create climates where trust and resiliency are optimized. More satisfying emotional experiences and workplace relationships are a key to that future.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, subscribe, share, like and tweet this article. It's appreciated. Louise Altman, Partner, Intentional Communication Consultants Join our mailing list and receive our monthly newsletter and occasional mailings!

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Why Today's Workplace Needs Emotional Intelligence More Than Ever!

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We learn a lot from our clients. Their insights and experiences are our primary lifeline to what is happening at every level in today's workplace. And too often, what we hear isn't pretty. Overworked, overburdened, stressed, exhausted, cynical, pessimistic, untrusting, disengaged, resentful, frustrated, fearful and angry are common descriptions too many people give us.

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Informal vs Formal

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Communicating Within The Organization | Communication Channels in Organizations

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Committees influence the communication process within an organization. A well-run committee can serve as a supplementary link in the communication chain and provide a means for disseminating information. However, committees often fail to ensure that Managers A and B tell each other what they wish or need to know.

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Pre-Employment Tests

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I am often asked by women in my seminars what my thoughts are about using pre-employment testing. While I have found pre-employment tests to be beneficial in helping to screen and select the best candidates for jobs, there are legal issues that can arise if the tests are not valid, reliable, or are improperly implemented.
What are pre-employment tests?
Pre-employment tests are used to screen job applicants and can include testing of cognitive abilities, knowledge, work skills, physical and motor abilities, personality, emotional intelligence, language proficiency, and even integrity. Drug testing can also be utilized as part of the pre-employment process. Companies use testing to find the candidates most likely to succeed in the open positions and to screen out those who are unqualified.
Why are they used?
By helping companies identify the candidates most likely to perform well on the job, pre-employment testing can lead to additional company benefits, such as saving time and cost in the selection process, decreasing turnover, and even improving morale. According to a survey by the American Management Association, "Almost 90 percent of firms that test job applicants say they will not hire job seekers when pre-employment testing finds them to be deficient in basic skills" (Greenberg, 1996, p. 24).
What are the key issues in using pre-employment tests?
While there can be dramatic benefits gained from using testing in the employee selection process, there are potential issues companies need to understand prior to implementing any tests. The first issue is validity; whether or not the test measures the specific criterion it is supposed to measure and can predict future job performance or success. An employer should be able to demonstrate that those who do well on the test do well in performing the job and those who score poorly on the test perform poorly on the job. For example, if an employer can demonstrate that a typing test and skills tests using Microsoft Office software products constitute a fair sample of the content of an administrative assistant job, then the tests will probably be considered content valid.

The second issue is reliability, the consistency with which a test measures an item. "For a test to be reliable, an individual's score should be about the same every time the individual takes it (allowing for the effects of practice)" (Stanley, 2004, p. 12). If someone takes the test on one day and scores high, then takes the test a week later and receives a low score, the test is probably not very reliable. A test should consistently measure traits; otherwise it will be of little value in predicting a candidate's future job performance. Similarly with validation, test reliability should be proven prior to the test being implemented.

The third issue focuses on the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) aspects of pre-employment testing. Because employment tests are periodically challenged in court, employers must make sure tests do not violate federal, state, or local EEO laws, including Title VII.
Tips for using pre-employment tests:
Here are five tips to help ensure pre-employment testing delivers the desired business outcomes and is legally defensible:

Choose the right tests and certify validity and reliability

Ensure tests meet all EEO laws

Conduct thorough research if purchasing tests from outside companies

Avoid test questions of an overly personal nature or that are considered offensive

Do not rely solely on test results to choose candidates

Employers can increase the likelihood of hiring high-quality candidates by using pre-employment tests to help screen and select the best candidates for jobs. Administered correctly, pre-employment testing can help companies save time and cost in the selection process, decrease turnover, increase productivity, and improve morale. Even though screening tests are occasionally challenged in court, companies can reduce their legal risk by ensuring test validity and reliability, by making sure tests do not cause disparate impact on minorities or protected groups, and by consistently applying tests to all candidates.

Does your company use pre-employment tests? Tell us how well you believe the tests are working in the "Comments" section, below.

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Pre-Employment Testing: A Helpful Way For Companies To Screen Applicants

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I am often asked by women in my seminars what my thoughts are about using pre-employment testing. While I have found pre-employment tests to be beneficial in helping to screen and select the best candidates for jobs, there are legal issues that can arise if the tests are not valid, reliable, or are improperly implemented.

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Performance Appraisals

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How to Conduct Employee Performance Appraisals (Performance Reviews)

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Learn about employee performance reviews and appraisals in this topic from the Free Management Library.

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Company Culture = Success?

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5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The importance of "company culture" is getting a lot of attention these days, especially in the startup world. Tech giants like Google have made a name for themselves by offering unique, sometimes luxurious benefits to their employees, while small, nimble startups are changing the rules of office culture, with perks like unlimited vacation time and flexible hours.
Related: Why Company Culture Is More Important Than Ever
Even simple cultural components, like a set of common values or a mission statement, can align workers under a single, identifiable banner.

Culture is heralded as one of the most important factors for a business' long-term success -- second to the overall business model, of course. But what is it, exactly, about company culture that makes it such an impactful institution?

Keeping the mission at heart

The first job a company culture has is to establish a clear set of priorities which align with the company's overall goals. As a great example, Google's simple and open-to-interpretation mission statement is "Don't be evil." This applies at the corporate level, as the company strives to do as much "good" as possible, but also at an employee level, with individuals expected to do all the "good" they can at their respective levels.

These priorities also work on both a top-down and bottom-up level: Employees who keep their core mission at heart will be more likely to stick with it, helping the company stay on track with its identity and purpose. A company with a strong purpose, then, may be able to encourage more individuals to buy into that purpose and complete the feedback loop.

If this describes your company, ultimately you'll have a more focused, more aligned organization, capable of achieving its short-term and long-term goals.

Attracting new talent

Every organization also needs talent in order to stay afloat, but attracting that talent can be a challenge even for long-established companies. You can spend money to post more job ads, hire professional recruiters or head-hunt at professional networking events, but sometimes the inbound approach is easier: If you have a well-established company culture (and a reputation to go along with it), talented people will naturally seek you out.

This works well because the most talented candidates know their worth and are picky about where they work. They tend to want more than just a salary in terms of an office culture that meshes well with their personalities. If your culture doesn't fit that, they'll move on -- leaving you only those talented candidates who have filtered themselves as good fits for your brand.

Retaining employees

It's hard to build a successful company if your employee turnover is excessive. Finding new candidates, training them and integrating them into your business takes time, costs money and may lower overall morale. With a strong company culture that encourages people to come to work every day, your retention numbers should go up.

Fortunately, employee retention and company culture have a kind of self-sustaining relationship. The stronger your culture is, the less likely your employees are to leave. And the more your employees stick around, the stronger your culture will become. The key is to find a "core team" of people who fit your culture perfectly, and keep them happy and consistent as your company grows.

Encouraging passion

Giving people an ideal cultural environment in which to work is about more than just preventing them from quitting; it's about making them feel truly invested in their jobs. If you create a culture that your employees really love, they'll feel that the office is an extension of their home, and will feel both excited and passionate about the work they're doing.

More passionate workers means more productive, more innovative and more creative work (not to mention higher employee satisfaction). In a way, company culture is a tool that keeps employees happy enough to produce their best work -- and that means the company can push new boundaries and tread new ground.
Related: 10 Examples of Companies With Fantastic Cultures
Differentiating brand identity

Last but not least, maintaining a great internal company culture can develop a distinguishing reputation for your brand, in an external context. For example, if you pride yourself on being informal and conversational, your customer service reps may themselves be more conversational and friendly with customers, who in turn will see your brand as more casual and approachable. Unique brands always have an edge over brands that blend in with the competition, so the stronger your culture is, the stronger your brand can perform.

Company culture is more than just a general attitude. It's more than a brand, too, and it's more than just a great series of benefits. It's the combination of environmental, atmospheric and practical conditions that keep your company a company -- and more than just a bunch of individuals who happen to work in the same physical space.

If you can capture and preserve that group dynamic, you should have no problem keeping your company on track to achieve its goals.
Related: Building a Better Company Culture in 5 Steps

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How Does Company Culture Actually Lead to Success?

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5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The importance of "company culture" is getting a lot of attention these days, especially in the startup world. Tech giants like Google have made a name for themselves by offering unique, sometimes luxurious benefits to their employees, while small, nimble startups are changing the rules of office culture, with perks like unlimited vacation time and flexible hours.

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Organizational Culture

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If you want to provoke a vigorous debate, start a conversation on organizational culture. While there is universal agreement that (1) it exists, and (2) that it plays a crucial role in shaping behavior in organizations, there is little consensus on what organizational culture actually is, never mind how it influences behavior and whether it is something leaders can change.

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What Is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?

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What leaders need to know to change orgs for the better.

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Relationship between Authority, Responsibility and Delegation

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Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions of Organizational Structure

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Small businesses usually implement horizontal structure.

organizer image by Anton Gvozdikov from Fotolia.com

How you organize the management of your small business has a tremendous effect on future growth, how you interact with your customers and the overall culture of your small business. Most small businesses start off with a horizontal structure, but they should consider implementing vertical structure if they hope to compete on the global market, according to LearnManagement2.com.

Identification

Vertically structured, or "tall" companies have a chain of management, usually with a CEO at the top making decisions and then delegating authority to lower-level managers, according to AllBusiness.com. Horizontal, also called flat, companies have almost no middle managers--meaning that high-level managers handle day-to-day tasks and usually interact with customers and front-line employees personally.

Significance

Most new companies and small businesses opt for a horizontally arranged company because they have a limited amount of employees, according to Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics. Small businesses tend to be more intimate, and the lack of a large workforce means management styles are more informal than formal. In addition, small businesses may not even have the resources to hire any middle management.

Benefits

Companies with a tall organizational structure are better at designating tasks to employees or departments within the company, have well-defined responsibilities for employees, and are generally easier to manage, according to Practical Management. Horizontally structured businesses tend to have the best employee morale because there is less red tape when dealing with problems. Also, it costs less to run a horizontal company because managers cost more than rank-and-file employees.

Disadvantages

Vertical companies are dependent on a strong leader at the top. Weak upper management means that each successive hierarchical structure will get frustrated by poor decision making by the superior. In addition, tall companies lack the transparency of a horizontal company because each layer muddles information more and more. Horizontal companies are much harder to implement than vertical companies, especially as the business grows, because the business must foster a culture of teamwork. Employees may be less sure about their roles and responsibilities within the company, and project managers can be frustrated by their lack of authority.

Potential

Frank Ostroff, author of "The Horizontal Organization," believes that companies will become more horizontal than vertical as the world globalizes, because customers will demand fast response times and better service--two things at which horizontal companies excel. No business, however, should have a strictly horizontal or vertical structure, but rather should implement the best of both worlds.

About the Author

Russell Huebsch has written freelance articles covering a range of topics from basketball to politics in print and online publications. He graduated from Baylor University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

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The Vertical Structure Vs. the Horizontal Structure in an Organization

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How you organize the management of your small business has a tremendous effect on future growth, how you interact with your customers and the overall culture of your small business. Most small businesses start off with a horizontal structure, but they should consider implementing vertical structure if they hope to ...

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Problem Solving and Decision Making

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Problem Solving and Decision Making (Solving Problems and Making Decisions)

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Learn about problem solving in this topic from the Free Management Library.

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Decision Making Tools

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Credit:

Viorel Sima | Shutterstock

Running a business requires the ability to make good decisions. One wrong choice can affect the entire company. It is crucial for business owners to understanding the weight behind each decision they make, and to continually improve their decision-making skills.

The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth outlines seven basic steps in effective decision-making:

1. Identify the decision to be made

2. Gather relevant information

3. Identify alternatives

4. Weigh evidence

5. Choose among alternatives

6. Take action

7. Review decision and consequences

While the basic principles might be the same, there are dozens of different techniques and tools that can be used when trying to make a decision. Here are some of the more popular options, many of which use graphs, models or charts. You may want to use a combination of these techniques to arrive at your final decisions.

Decision matrix: A decision matrix is used to evaluate all the options of a decision. When using the matrix, create a table with all of the options in the first column and all of the factors that affect the decision in the first row. Users then score each option and weigh which factors are of more importance. A final score is then tallied to reveal which option is the best.

T-Chart: This chart is used when weighing the plusses and minuses of the options. It ensures that all the positives and negatives are taken into consideration when making a decision.

Decision tree: This is a graph or model that involves contemplating each option and the outcomes of each. Statistical analysis is also conducted with this technique.

Multivoting: This is used when multiple people are involved in making a decision. It helps whittle down a large list options to a smaller one to the eventual final decision.

Pareto analysis: This is a technique used when a large number of decisions need to be made. This helps in prioritizing which ones should be made first by determining which decisions will have the greatest overall impact.

Cost-benefit analysis: This technique is used when weighing the financial ramifications of each possible alternative as a way to come to a final decision that makes the most sense from an economic perspective.

Conjoint analysis: This is a method used by business leaders to determine consumer preferences when making decisions.

SWOT Analysis: SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which is exactly what this planning tool assesses.

PEST Analysis: An acronym for political, economic, social and technological, PEST can improve decision-making and timing by analyzing external factors. This method considers present trends to help predict the future ones.

There are a few common mistakes people make during the decision-making process that could result in a poor choice. Jeff Miller, the director of corporate training and development for human resources and business performance solutions provider Insperity, said that leaders often either rush decisions or procrastinate on making them.

"As well as being uncomfortable or time-consuming, avoiding decisions can also hurt your reputation," Miller wrote on the Insperity website. "Your staff may perceive it as a lack of care for their well-being, which can create a lack of respect."

Another mistake is not trusting your own gut feelings when trying to make a decision. Business leaders often both over and underestimate the value of the information they receive from others. Instead of letting others sway your belief one way or another, the U.S. Small Business Administration advised leaders to keep the opinions of others in perspective.

"Our society teaches us to ignore [our gut] feelings, but by tuning into your intuition, you will find that you will make much better decisions in the long run," the SBA writes on its website.

While you can and should consult expert advice on particularly difficult decisions, the SBA advises leaders not to rely too heavily on those opinions when evaluating their choices.

"Oftentimes, people have a tendency to place too much emphasis on what experts say," said the SBA article. "Remember, experts are only human and have their own set of biases and prejudices just like the rest of us."
Additional reporting by Chad Brooks.

Sammi Caramela

Sammi Caramela is a recent graduate of Rowan University, where she majored in writing arts and minored in journalism. She currently works as a Purch B2B staff writer while working on her first novel in her free time. Reach her by email, or check out her blog at sammisays.org.

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Techniques and Tools to Help You Make Business Decisions

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Running a business requires the ability to make good decisions. One wrong choice can affect the entire company. It is crucial for business owners to understanding the weight behind each decision they make, and to continually improve their decision-making skills.

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Ways to Assign Work to Employees

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Sometimes, efficiency isn't about shifting priorities or working on things in a different order. Sometimes, your workload is simply too much for one sane person to bear, and you need a little help to get everything done on time. Some professionals wear a heavy workload as a kind of badge of honor, considering it a point of pride or evidence of job security, but that isn't a valuable long-term strategy to deal with the increased load.

Over time, the additional stress and hours of work will take a toll on your health, both professionally and physically. If you're overloaded with work, you won't be able to do your work as effectively, and if you're constantly stressed, you're more likely to become sick or develop chronic ailments. Instead, use the strength of your department's own resources--such as partners, subordinates, or interns--to evenly distribute the workflow and get the best results for your company.

If you're overwhelmed with work, preserve your department's efficiency with these seven delegation strategies:

1. Identify key opportunities for delegation. Not everything can be delegated. You have earned your position in the company because you have the skills and the experience to execute the work successfully. If everybody in the company had those skills, your position wouldn't be unique. As a result, there will be some tasks and projects that you'll have to tackle on your own, but there should also be a set of tasks on your plate that someone else can handle.

Part of being an effective delegator is being able to determine which types of tasks are suitable for delegation, and which types are not. It may be difficult for you at first, especially if it feels like none of your tasks can be delegated, but eventually you'll find a rhythm. If you feel like nothing can be delegated, try breaking down your tasks into what skills they require--take a look at the tasks that require the fewest skills, and consider training someone else to handle them.

2. Establish a clear set of objectives for each task. No matter what type of task you're delegating, make sure to take the time to clarify all objectives for the task. Doing so can proactively protect against the possibility of miscommunication or a failed execution of the task. In some cases, this will be extremely simple (such as "enter this set of data into this spreadsheet"), but in other cases, you'll have several simultaneous goals.

Depending on the size of the task you're delegating and the type of person you're delegating to, it could be helpful to have a face-to-face meeting to go over expectations and any questions your coworker might have. No matter what, it's also a good idea to send a follow-up email, so all your expectations and task objectives are referenceable and in writing.

3. Play to your coworker's strengths. Even within your department, your coworkers all have unique skillsets, unique preferences, and unique talents. Making good use of those unique working personalities will result in more overall efficiency. For example, let's imagine you have two tasks you want to delegate--one requires making phone calls to a client and one requires writing up a proposal. You also have two interns who could potentially handle the work--one has great people skills and the other is a fantastic writer.

It's clear which task should go to which intern because this is a cut-and-dry example. Most of your tasks won't align themselves as conveniently, but the principle is still the same. If you aren't sure who to delegate the task to, present the task to a group of your coworkers, and openly ask who might be the best to handle it.

4. Construct a timeline. Timelines keep people focused, and hold all members of the group accountable. This is especially useful for tasks that don't have a strict deadline, or complicated tasks that will encounter several milestones before being completed. Work together with your coworker to establish a mutually agreed-upon timeline, from the beginning of the task's delegation to its final execution.

Like with the task objectives, it's a good idea to send out an email recap that reiterates each phase of the timeline. Doing so ensures that each member of the project has access to the same agreed-upon information, and no dates can get lost in translation. Be sure to select dates that are reasonable enough that they can be achieved, but aggressive enough that they inspire your workers to keep the task top-of-mind.

5. Use follow-up tasks to keep your workers on point. First, let me say that micromanagement is not advisable. Delegating a task, only to nitpick every detail and every choice your coworker makes while executing that task, will only frustrate your coworker and make you busier than you would have been had you just tackled the task yourself.

That being said, there's a difference between micromanaging and simply following up. Following up occasionally, especially for long-term tasks, gives you insight into progress, and gives your employee the opportunity to bring up any questions or obstacles that have arisen in the process. Set reminders for yourself to follow up occasionally and ensure the task's timely, effective completion.

6. Establish authority and respect. When working with a large group of people, it's important to set the tone for your position in the relationship. When working with employees or interns, it's important to set a tone of authority, and that you expect them to work as instructed. It's also important to set a tone of respect, so they understand they are being relied on and appreciated.

Authority and respect are also important when dealing with your peers in a delegation scenario. You must present yourself as a respectable authority in the workplace, and not someone just trying to pass off work, and you must also let your coworkers know that you respect and appreciate their willingness to help.

7. Use a feedback loop to make future delegation easier. Successful delegation is partially a result of successful relationship management, and relationships take the commitment of multiple people. After delegating your tasks, follow up with your coworkers to learn from the situation. Ask them if they were comfortable executing the task, and if you've given them all the information they needed. Ask how effective you were in setting expectations, and if your timelines were reasonable.

Once you have this information, you should have a better idea about how you performed as a delegator, and you can use this information to make delegation easier and more effective in the future. This is particularly useful for learning the strengths and preferences of your coworkers over time.

Some professionals fear delegation because it means relying on an outside party to execute quality work, but if you surround yourself with reliable workers, you'll never have to worry about things being done right. Delegating effectively is an important skill to develop, especially as you move up the corporate ladder, so the sooner you start putting it into practice, the better.

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7 Guidelines for Delegating Tasks to Employees

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Sometimes, efficiency isn't about shifting priorities or working on things in a different order. Sometimes, your workload is simply too much for one sane person to bear, and you need a little help to get everything done on time.

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Steps of Problem Solving

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Difference Between Multinational and Transnational

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Companies operating in the international arena fall into one of four general classifications. International companies engage in importing and exporting exclusively. Global companies standardize product or service offerings, production and marketing worldwide under centralized management to reduce costs. Transnational and multinational companies fall between international and global companies.

Ambiguous Distinctions

Because of similar operating characteristics, transnational and multinational firms sometimes are labeled as being the same. While they are similar in many respects, they differ in others. Both transnational and multinational companies headquarter their management in one country, called the home country, and operate in many other countries, called host countries. Both usually have local production and service facilities that often have a significant influence on employment, household incomes and standards of living. They mainly differ in the degree of autonomy host country managers have in running their local operations. However, the concept of local autonomy is not readily observed, nor easily defined, by casual observers.

Culturally Relevant

Multinational companies tailor their offerings and marketing strategies specifically to the customs and preferences of host countries. Although local managers may operate within financial parameters established by headquarter management, they have considerable, if not complete, autonomy in developing product or service offerings expressly for their host countries. The same autonomy applies to developing and executing marketing and communication strategies, which generally reflect the cultural idiosyncrasies of host countries. McDonald's often is cited as an example of a multinational company; many of its products have global appeal, but the company also has offerings unique to local markets, such as vegetarian burgers in India and rice burgers in the Philippines.

Standardized and Localized

Transnational companies are compromises between global companies that standardize offerings and marketing in all markets and multinational companies that cede autonomy for offerings and marketing to local managers. Often called "glocal" companies for thinking globally and acting locally, they centralize some strategic decisions to cut costs while remaining responsive to cultural distinctions. There is not a unified template that governs how companies split decision-making authority and responsibility between headquarters and local managers. Companies tend to use whatever works for their needs; however, sensitivity to local market cultures forms the basis for the transnational operating model, which gives local managers autonomy for marketing communications in host countries. McDonald's also is cited frequently as a transnational company because many of its offshore operations are owned locally by host-country franchisees that are independent businesspeople.

Aligning Communications with Cultures

Local managers in both operating models typically take responsibility for marketing communications to ensure that message content aligns with local cultures and languages. Local managers in the multinational model may have more autonomy in shaping message content, as some local managers in the transnational model may have authority only to align a universal global message with the local language. Both models, however, are particularly keen about assimilating into the cultural fabric of host countries through marketing activities. In contrast, global companies need not rely on cultural preferences and language nuances to drive demand. Their products and services typically have universal appeal that transcends national boundaries. Computers and smartphones are examples of products having global appeal.

About the Author

George Boykin started writing in 2009 after retiring from a career in marketing management spanning 35 years, including several years as CMO for two consumer products national advertisers and as VP for an AAAA consumer products advertising agency. Boykin mainly writes about advertising and marketing for SMBs.

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Differences Between Transnational and Multinational Companies in Marketing

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Companies operating in the international arena fall into one of four general classifications. International companies engage in importing and exporting exclusively. Global companies standardize product or service offerings, production and marketing worldwide under centralized management to reduce costs. Transnational ...

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Risks Associated with International Operations

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When an organization decides to engage in international financing activities, it takes on additional risk along with the opportunities. The main risks that are associated with businesses engaging in international finance include foreign exchange risk and political risk. These risks may sometimes make it difficult to maintain constant and reliable revenue.

What Is Foreign Exchange Risk?

Foreign exchange risk occurs when the value of an investment fluctuates due to changes in a currency's exchange rate. When a domestic currency appreciates against a foreign currency, profit or returns earned in the foreign country will decrease after being exchanged back to the domestic currency. Due to the somewhat volatile nature of the exchange rate, it can be quite difficult to protect against this kind of risk, which can harm sales and revenues.

For example, assume a U.S. car company receives a majority of its business in Japan. If the Japanese yen depreciates against the U.S. dollar, any yen-denominated profits the company receives from its Japanese operations will yield fewer U.S. dollars compared to before the yen's depreciation.

Foreign exchange risk typically affects businesses that export and/or import their products, services and supplies.

What Is Political Risk?

Political risk transpires when a country's government unexpectedly changes its policies, which now negatively affect the foreign company. These policy changes can include such things as trade barriers, which serve to limit or prevent international trade. Some governments will request additional funds or tariffs in exchange for the right to export items into their country. Tariffs and quotas are used to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. This also can have a huge effect on the profits of an organization because it either cuts revenues from the result of a tax on exports or restricts the amount of revenues that can be earned.

Although the amount of trade barriers have diminished due to free-trade agreements and other similar measures, the everyday differences in the laws of foreign countries can influence the profits and overall success of a company doing business transactions abroad.

In general, organizations engaging in international finance activities can experience much greater uncertainty in their revenues. An unsteady and unpredictable stream of revenue can make it hard to operate a business effectively. Despite these negative exposures, international business can open up opportunities for reduced resource costs and larger lucrative markets. There are also ways in which a company can overcome some of these risk exposures.

For example, a business may attempt to hedge some of its foreign-exchange risk by buying futures, forwards or options on the currency market. They also may decide to acquire political risk insurance in order to protect their equity investments and loans from specific government actions. What a company must decide is whether the pros outweigh the cons when deciding to venture into the international market.

For further reading, see Forces Behind Exchange Rates and Investing Beyond Your Borders.

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The risks businesses face in international finance

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When an organization decides to engage in international financing activities, it takes on additional risk along with the opportunities. The main risks that are associated with businesses engaging in international finance include foreign exchange risk and political risk. These risks may sometimes make it difficult to maintain constant and reliable revenue.

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Multinational Corporations

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Multinational Corporations are the main actors driving economic globalisation which thrives when market forces are de-regulated, allowing essential goods and services to be allocated by commercial activity, not human need. The result is a world economy that favours affluent countries and their corporate interests whilst neglecting those living in extreme poverty who the market fails to reach. Below is a brief overview, some key facts and further resources that relate to multinational corporations.
Contents
Once considered dangerous and untrustworthy by governments, corporate enterprises are now the key players in the globalised economy, exerting substantial influence over governments and international organizations the world over. Their financial success seems endless; despite a widespread economic downturn in recent years, corporate profits are at an all time high, with the largest banks, oil, pharmaceutical and retail companies regularly reporting record turnovers. A significant proportion of these profits are reinvested not only in influencing politics and economics, but ensuring that people continue to consume their products.

Economic and Political Influence

Despite employing less than one percent of the global work force, 200 of the largest multinational corporations (MNCs) have sales equivalent to almost 30% of the world's GDP. Given their sheer economic might it is unsurprising that, in a period where economic growth is considered a panacea for development success, governments increasingly adopt pro-market policies and facilitate commercial activity. The result is a firmly established mutual-interdependence between corporations and governments, a phenomenon which is most evident in the United States which increasingly undermines a truly democratic representation of public interest.

While corporate-friendly policies of privatization, government downsizing and market liberalization continue to be propagated, large swathes of the public in both the North and South are suffering. As a result, there is now a significant worldwide backlash against many of the principles and effects of economic globalization. Transnational corporations, in their relentless drive to maximize profits and bolster share prices, have been re-locating their production facilities to developing countries where tax, labour and environmental restrictions are negligible - creating large-scale unemployment in the industrialized countries.

Many argue that this is a necessary sacrifice in order to secure economic growth and opportunity in the developing world, but in many cases the result is merely a glut of labourers working in inhumane factory conditions for comparatively miniscule pay. These workers often give up their families and rural life to migrate en masse to overcrowded cities, inadvertently buying into an economic state of play which promotes unsustainable over-consumption in already wealthy countries.

At the same time, food security has sharply declined in many developing countries as large-scale agribusinesses out-compete local farmers, exporting cash crops and not growing food for those who need it locally. Consequently, communities are no longer able to grow the food they need to eat, must import food instead, and are therefore at the mercy of increasingly volatile international markets - a factor at the heart of the current food price crisis.

Influencing the public

Far from supplying public demand, corporations actively dictate cultural habits and create demand by influencing the public through a sophisticated and well-funded combination of research, marketing, advertising and media manipulation. The result is the subtle, but quite apparent, alignment of public and corporate interest. This cultural homogenization of society both nationally and globally is fertile ground for maximizing profit. Whilst levels of unnecessary and unsustainable consumption increase globally, corporate longevity is secured.

The sophistication and effectiveness of advertising and marketing methods is well understood. The ubiquity of the television and the increasing number of hours it is watched, especially by children, is particularly disturbing. In the US, watching TV is the third most time-consuming pastime after sleeping and working.

As domestic markets become saturated, or public opinion turns against a particular product, corporations - using the same aggressive marketing tactics - shift their attention to developing countries with devastating effect. Nestle is notorious for its aggressive marketing of infant milk formula in poor countries in the 1980s. Because of this practice, Nestle is still one of the most boycotted corporations in the world, and its infant formula remains controversial. In recent years, as public awareness of dire health consequences of smoking tobacco have come to light in industrialized nations, tobacco giants have also had to shift their focus to increasing demand in developing countries. The WHO has reported that 84% of an estimated 1.3 billion smokers live in developing and transitional economy countries. A 1994 WHO report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US $200 billion, a third of this loss being in developing countries which consequently hampers development efforts.

Corporate Greed or Public Good?

The battle for control of the democratic process is clearly being won by those with the greatest financial and economic leverage, and the phenomenon of market forces is becoming more entrenched in every aspect of public life. As many industrialized nations call for democracy to be spread abroad, the economic ideologies they have vested our future in are cancerous to these same democratic principles. True democracy can only be established if the global public is empowered to make decisions that favour cooperation and economic efficiency over competition and self interest.

After 30 years of economic globalization and the decadent rise of multinational corporations, almost half the world is still denied even the most basic of goods and services such as clean water, basic food, energy and medicine. Whilst small to medium-scale business is crucial in a thriving and interdependent society, the commercialisation of all resources and their distribution through a tiny number of oligarchic corporations will never supply the most essential resources to those who need them most. Small-scale, localised industry combined with international economic sharing is likely to play a significant role in creating a sustainable future. This will only be possible, however, when corporate rights are scaled down to a level where corporations act in a limited and regulated capacity to serve the public's economic needs.

Size and Income

Many corporations have a greater turnover than the GDP of most countries. Of the 100 largest economies in the world, 52 are corporations and 48 are countries, and these corporations have sales figures between $51 billion and $247 billion.

Seventy percent of world trade is controlled by just 500 of the largest industrial corporations, and in 2002, the top 200 had combined sales equivalent to 28% of world GDP. However, these 200 corporations only employed 0.82% of the global work force.

In the US, ninety-eight percent of all companies account for only 25 percent of business activity; the remaining two percent account for nearly 75 percent of the remaining activity. The top 500 industrial corporations, which represent only one-tenth of one percent of all US companies, control over two-thirds of the business resources in the US and collect over 70 percent of all US profits.

According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), inflows of foreign direct investment to the emerging markets have grown by an average of 23 percent per year between 1990 and 2000. The combined value of stock markets in emerging economies is set to exceed $5 trillion in 2006, and has more than doubled in the past decade.

Chevron's CEO received $37 million in total compensation in 2005, whilst Exxon's CEO received a $400 million pay and retirement package. In the meanwhile the minimum wage in America (£5.15 per hour) is at a 50 year low.

Corporate growth is around four times as high as global economic growth.

In 2005 the number of millionaires globally swelled to 8.7 million, 5.7 million of whom are based in North America and Europe. Forbes reported a 15% rise in the number of billionaires since 2005, who now have a combined worth of $2.6 trillion.

Job Losses

Between 1980 and 1993, over four million jobs were shed by the largest 500 industrial corporations in the US. Since President Bush took office, two million have lost their jobs and in 2004 nearly one in ten could not find a full time job.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) calculates that global unemployment rates are at an all time high. Of the 2.8 billion workers in the world in 2005, nearly 1.4 billion still did not earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the two dollars a day poverty line - the same proportion as ten years ago.

Health

Nestlé's fierce marketing of powdered milk in the 80's caused the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million children through the contaminated water used to make the infant formula.

Nestle is still one of the most boycotted corporations in the world, and its infant formula is still controversial. In Italy in 2005, police seized more than two million litres of Nestle infant formula that was contaminated with the chemical isopropylthioxanthone (ITX).

In recent years tobacco giants have had to shift their focus to increasing demand in developing countries. The WHO has reported that 84% of the estimated 1.3 billion smokers live in developing and transitional economy countries. A 1994 WHO report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 billion, a third of this loss being in developing countries, stumping development efforts.

Human Rights

Chevron and Coca Cola have been indirectly involved in the violent killings of workers and union officials in developing countries in attempts to suppress workers rights. Instances of kidnappings, torture, discrimination, health violations, fuelling conflicts, privatizing and contaminating local water sources, using child labour and even sex trafficking have all been documented as occurring under the responsibility of the largest corporations.

Sweatshops are often used in developing countries by the apparel industry which usually pay negligible wages to under age workers who often work long hours in terrible conditions.

Corporate Welfare

Government support to farmers in OECD countries totalled $283 billion in 2005, representing 29% of total farm income. The majority of farmers who own small to medium sized farms do not benefit from these subsidies. 30% of farmers in the US do not receive any of the $26 billion of US subsidies, and over 85% go to only 20% of the largest farms, a pattern repeated in the EU.

The number of small farms in the US has decreased from 6.8 million in 1935 to 1.5 million in 1998. In global commodity markets these subsidies mean that producers in developing countries, many of whom produce their goods with more efficiency and less cost than the US and EU, cannot compete with agri-business suppliers.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that 95 percent of corporations paid less than 5 percent of their income in taxes, and 6 in 10 paid nothing at all in federal taxes from 1996 through to 2000. The corporate share of taxes paid fell from 33 percent in the 1940's to 15 percent in the 1990's. The individual's share of taxes has risen from 44 to 73 percent.

Externalities

Every year corporations are fined hundreds of millions of dollars as their externalities create serious environmental catastrophes, neglect employee rights and even cause deaths. Examples include Chevron, guilty of some of the worst environmental and human rights abuses in the world such as the dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into rivers used for bathing water in the Amazon, devastating the health of the local community.

Taking the cost of these externalities into account, Ralph Estes estimated that the public cost of private corporations was over $3 trillion in 1995. His externalities included "workplace injuries, pollution, employment discrimination, consumer rip-offs, corporate white collar crime, tax abatements and all the other instances of corporate welfare, government contracting fraud and creative accounting"

The World Bank

Foreign direct investment now exceeds $1 trillion per year for World Bank projects such as privatization of public utilities and creating banking systems. 1% of all multinationals own 50% of the total stock of all foreign direct investment.

IMF

When these corporations made bad loans to developing countries, the IMF provided multi billion dollar bailouts. For example, it bailed out foreign investors in Russia with an $11 billion package and orchestrated a massive bailout of the big banks that made bad loans to Asian countries. In 1995, the IMF gave almost $18 billion to Wall Street investors who stood to lose billions with the peso devaluation.

WTO

WTO rulings have often resulted in national governments being sued by corporations simply for placing national interests above corporate profit. The overall effect is the harmonizing of international regulations and standards to their lowest denominator.

The success of corporate influence on the global economy is measurable, as 70% of global trade is now controlled by just 500 corporations

The developing world, where 75% of people's livelihoods depend upon agriculture, is the source of 90 per cent of all biological resources. Yet transnational companies based in developed counties hold 97 percent of global patents. Since 1985 there have been 10,778 patents on plants registered in the US. Overall, patent applications at the World Intellectual Property Organization have soared from 3,000 in 1979 to 67,000 in 1997.

Influencing Governments

Eighty percent of all corporations reside in the US and EU. Over 30,000 corporate lobbyists are based in Washington and Brussels, vastly outnumbering the US Congress and European Commission staff that they lobby.

The vast majority of lobby groups represent business interests who spend billions of dollars annually advocating their main cause, which is currently market access in emerging economies. In the US, corporations and their agencies spent $9.7 billion lobbying Congress between 1997 and 2000, about $4.5 million per year per member of Congress.

In his book Captive State (2000), George Monbiot lists 43 individuals who, since the 1997 elections in the UK, have been appointed as ministers, heads, chairmen, and advisors to as many government departments and independent committees. In each case their previous corporate positions (mostly as directors, chairmen or chief executives) and existing links to industry present a direct conflict of interest with their governmental roles.

The President, Vice-President, Commerce Secretary and National Security Adviser all have strong ties to the oil industry. The Bush family had strong ties to Enron-which was President G. W. Bush's largest corporate source of funding.

Vice-President Dick Cheney amassed some £50m-$60m while he was chief executive of Halliburton Oil Company. Condoleezza Rice was a director of Chevron. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans held stock valued between $5m and $25m in Tom Brown Inc, the oil and gas exploration company he headed.

Influencing Society

In the US, watching TV is the 3rd most time consuming pastime, after sleeping and working. In the US, 75% of commercial television time and 50% of public television time is paid for by the 100 largest corporations. Projected global advertising expenditure for corporations in 2006 is over $427 billion dollars.

Public Relations

All major corporations, particularly those which have the greatest negative impact upon the environment, have repackaged themselves recently as having 'green' credentials to great effect. The oil giant BP's new green, flower-like logo and recent PR campaign is an excellent example. As a result, BP has successfully managed to shift public focus away from the fact that is one of the world's foremost polluters of the environment and considered by many as one of the top 10 corporate criminals.
Organisations Campaigns Reports Articles Books Further resources

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Multinational Corporations are the main actors driving economic globalisation which thrives when market forces are de-regulated, allowing essential goods and services to be allocated by commercial activity, not human need. The result is a world economy that favours affluent countries and their corporate interests whilst neglecting those living in extreme poverty who the market fails to reach.

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International Management

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International Management - duties, benefits

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Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. International Management: Int-Jun

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Advantages of Diversity in Workplace

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What Are the Advantages of a Diverse Workforce?

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Companies that cultivate a diverse workforce reap the benefits of increased productivity and creativity, and gain the reputation of an employer that hires talented people without regard to race, ethnicity or gender.

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Diversity in Corporate Structure

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Examples of Social Responsibility Strategies

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Voluntarily eliminating practices that could harm the public or environment effectively achieves corporate social responsibility.

crowds and small groups of people image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com

Social responsibility is a form of self-regulation that businesses adopt as a part of their corporate conscience and citizenship. Often referred to as corporate social responsibility or CSR, this policy spurs businesses to develop means to monitor the public's social perception of them as a responsible business. The business goal of social responsibility is to encourage the company's actions toward the positive impact of consumer, community and employee responsibility.

Voluntary Hazard Elimination

Companies involved with social responsibility often take action to voluntarily eliminate production practices that could cause harm for the public, regardless of whether they are required by law. For example, a business could institute a hazard control program that includes steps to protect the public from exposure to hazardous substances through education and awareness. A plant that uses chemicals could implement a safety inspection checklist to guide staff in best practices when handling potentially dangerous substances and materials. A business that makes excessive noise and vibration could analyze the effects its work has on the environment by surveying local residents. The information received could be used to adjust activities and develop soundproofing to lessen public exposure to noise pollution.

Community Development

Companies, businesses and corporations concerned with social responsibility align with appropriate institutions to create a better environment to live and work. For example, a corporation or business may set up a foundation to assist in learning or education for the public. This action will be viewed as an asset to all of the communities that it serves, while developing a positive public profile.

Philanthropy

Businesses involved in philanthropy make monetary contributions that provide aid to local charitable, educational and health-related organizations to assist under-served or impoverished communities. This action can assist people in acquiring marketable skills to reduce poverty, provide education and help the environment. For example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on global initiatives for education, agriculture and health issues, donating computers to schools and funding work on vaccines to prevent polio and HIV/AIDS.

Creating Shared Value

Corporate responsibility interests are often referred to as creating shared value or CSV, which is based upon the connection between corporate success and social well-being. Since a business needs a productive workforce to function, health and education are key components to that equation. Profitable and successful businesses must thrive so that society may develop and survive. An example of how CSV works could be a company-sponsored contest involving a project to improve the management and access of water used by a farming community, to foster public health.

Social Education and Awareness

Companies that engage in socially responsible investing use positioning to exert pressure on businesses to adopt socially responsible behavior themselves. To do this, they use media and Internet distribution to expose the potentially harmful activities of organizations. This creates an educational dialogue for the public by developing social community awareness. This kind of collective activism can be affective in reaching social education and awareness goals. Integrating a social awareness strategy into the business model can also aid companies in monitoring active compliance with ethical business standards and applicable laws.

About the Author

Susan S. Davis is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the L.A. Press Club. She was managing editor of "The Hosting News" and a columnist at Online Dating Magazine. Davis attended Chicago's Medill School of Journalism, and holds an A.A.S. in radio broadcasting from Minnesota Business College and a certificate in paralegal studies from University of California, Los Angeles.

Photo Credits

crowds and small groups of people image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com

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Examples of Social Responsibility Strategies

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Social responsibility is a form of self-regulation that businesses adopt as a part of their corporate conscience and citizenship. Often referred to as corporate social responsibility or CSR, this policy spurs businesses to develop means to monitor the public's social perception of them as a responsible business. The ...

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Corporate Social Responsibility

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What is 'Corporate Social Responsibility'

Corporate social responsibility, often abbreviated "CSR," is a corporation's initiatives to assess and take responsibility for the company's effects on environmental and social wellbeing. The term generally applies to efforts that go beyond what may be required by regulators or environmental protection groups.

CSR may also be referred to as "corporate citizenship" and can involve incurring short-term costs that do not provide an immediate financial benefit to the company, but instead promote positive social and environmental change.

BREAKING DOWN 'Corporate Social Responsibility'

Large companies are immensely powerful entities, to the point that they have frequently trumped the interests of sovereign nations. American businessmen deposed the queen of Hawai'i in 1893 because they were incensed with her tariff policies. The formerly independent country became an American territory a few years later. Corporate interests frequently harm local communities, as in 1928 when the Colombian army massacred an unknown number of striking United Fruit Company workers. The U.S. had threatened a military invasion of Colombia to protect the company's interests.

Corporations can have enormously detrimental effects on the environment. Oil spills are some of the most conspicuous examples, but industries as varied as chemical manufacturing, mining, agriculture and fishing can do permanent damage to local ecosystems. Climate change can also be attributed in large part to corporations. While their responsibility is hard to untangle from that of the consumers who demand electricity and transportation, it is difficult to deny that many corporations have profited from the deterioration of the global environment.

In many cases, harm to the environment and harm to vulnerable communities go hand-in-hand: indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest, for example, have been decimated and even wiped out, both intentionally and unintentionally, in order to make room for logging, cattle ranching, gold mining, oil and gas drilling and hydroelectric power generation.

In light of this often dark legacy, some areas of corporate culture have begun to embrace a philosophy that balances the pursuit of profit with a commitment to ethical conduct. Google Inc's ( GOOG) slogan sums up the idea of corporate social responsibility nicely: "Don't be evil."

The same money and influence that enable large companies to inflict damage on people and the environment allows them to effect positive change. At its simplest, a corporation can give money to charity. Companies can also use their influence to pressure governments and other companies to treat people and resources more ethically. When Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Atlanta's business leaders initially refused to attend a dinner celebrating the Atlanta native's achievement. Coca Cola Co.'s ( KO) CEO, recognizing the damage such a display of segregationist attitudes could do to the firm's international brand, threatened to move Coke out of the city, causing an immediate change of heart in the local business elite.

Companies can invest in local communities in order to offset the negative impact their operations might have. A natural resources firm that begins to operate in a poor community might build a school, offer medical services or improve irrigation and sanitation equipment. Similarly, a company might invest in research and development in sustainable technologies, even though the project might not immediately lead to increased profitability.

In order to account for the importance of social and ecological considerations in doing business, some organizations advocate the concept of the " triple bottom line": social, environmental and economic - or "people, planet, profit."

In recent years, supply chains have emerged as a central focus of corporate social responsibility. Company X's management might make extraordinary efforts to hire, foster and empower a diverse workforce. They might offer generous paid maternity and paternity leave. They might sponsor after-school programs in crime-affected neighborhoods, fund the clean-up of local river systems and put pressure on elected officials to consider the needs of all citizens rather than simply seeking political expediency. None of that would change the fact that they source their raw materials, albeit indirectly, from outfits that use slave labor.

The diamond industry, for example, has come under fire for benefiting from injustices along its supply chain. "Blood diamonds" or "conflict diamonds" are diamonds which have been sourced from war zones, where rebel groups will often fund their campaigns through mining, frequently using forced-often child-labor. Such situations have arisen in Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Congo-Brazzaville. International consumer and NGO pressure has caused diamond companies to scrutinize their supply chain, and has reduced the number of diamonds reaching the market from conflict zones.

Today, a shift has occurred in the way people conceptualize corporate social responsibility. For decades, corporate business models have been assumed to be necessarily harmful to certain communities and resources. The intention was therefore to mitigate or reverse the damage inherent in doing business. Now many entrepreneurs consider profit and social-environmental benefit to be inextricable. Few tech startups pitch their ideas without describing how they will change the world for the better. Social media platforms believe they will facilitate democracy and the free exchange of information; renewable energy companies believe they will make money by selling sustainable solutions; sharing economy apps believe they will cut down on the waste and inefficiency of a post-war economy myopically geared toward the individual consumer.

To be sure, some companies may engage in greenwashing, or feigning interest in corporate responsibility. Companies may tout window-dressing contributions to "the greater good" while engaging in morally questionable or inherently unsustainable conduct in the background. Google's "don't be evil" slogan can seem hypocritical when viewed in terms of the company's collaboration with repressive regimes, not to mention the questionable practice of compiling reams of personal data on every customer.

Some think corporate social responsibility is an oxymoron. Others see corporate social responsibility as a distraction of a different sort, that is, from the lawful pursuit of profits. To them, a corporation's sole responsibility is to generate returns for its shareholders, not to try to save the world or to fret over its own impact. Laws and regulations must be followed in all jurisdictions in which the company operates, but management should not go beyond that, as that could hurt its bottom line and violate its duties to the owners. Some counter that this concerned is misplaced, since responsible initiatives can increase brand loyalty and therefore profits. This may become increasingly true as ethical consumer culture gains wider acceptance.

A few cynical executives will inevitably try to portray themselves as responsible when they are decidedly not. And for some critics, nothing short of a massive overhaul of the world system will suffice. The truth is that many large corporations are devoting real time and money to environmental sustainability programs and various social welfare initiatives. These activities should be encouraged, but at the same time, continually questioned and reassessed.

In 2010, the International Organization for Standardization released ISO 26000, a set of voluntary standards meant to help companies implement corporate social responsibility.

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Corporate social responsibility, often abbreviated "CSR," is a corporation's initiatives to assess and take responsibility for the company's effects on environmental and social wellbeing. The term generally applies to efforts that go beyond what may be required by regulators or environmental protection groups.

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Effective Communication

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The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, and staff is essential, no matter what industry you work in. Workers in the digital age must know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone, email, and social media. Good communication skills will help get hired, land promotions, and be a success throughout your career.

Top 10 Communication Skills

Want to stand out from the competition?

These are the top 10 communication skills that recruiters and hiring managers want to see on your resume and cover letter. Highlight these skills and demonstrate them during job interviews, and you'll make a solid first impression. Continue to develop these skills once you're hired, and you'll impress your boss, teammates, and clients.
1. Listening
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator. No one likes communicating with someone who only cares about putting in her two cents and does not take the time to listen to the other person. If you're not a good listener, it's going to be hard to comprehend what you're being asked to do.

Take the time to practice active listening. Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and rephrasing what the person says to ensure understanding ("So, what you're saying is...").

Through active listening, you can better understand what the other person is trying to say, and can respond appropriately.
2. Nonverbal Communication
Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone all color the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear approachable, and will encourage others to speak openly with you.

Eye contact is also important; you want to look the person in the eye to demonstrate that you are focused on the person and the conversation (however, be sure not to stare at the person, which can make him or her uncomfortable).

Also pay attention to other people's nonverbal signals while you are talking.

Often, nonverbal signals convey how a person is really feeling. For example, if the person is not looking you in the eye, he or she might be uncomfortable or hiding the truth.
3. Clarity and Concision
Good communication means saying just enough - don't talk too much or too little. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether you're speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email. If you ramble on, your listener will either tune you out or will be unsure of exactly what you want. Think about what you want to say before you say it; this will help you to avoid talking excessively and/or confusing your audience.
4. Friendliness
Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your coworkers to engage in open and honest communication with you.

It's important to be nice and polite in all your workplace communications. This is important in both face-to-face and written communication. When you can, personalize your emails to coworkers and/or employees - a quick "I hope you all had a good weekend" at the start of an email can personalize a message and make the recipient feel more appreciated.
5. Confidence
It is important to be confident in your interactions with others. Confidence shows your coworkers that you believe in what you're saying and will follow through. Exuding confidence can be as simple as making eye contact or using a firm but friendly tone. Avoid making statements sound like questions. Of course, be careful not to sound arrogant or aggressive.

Be sure you are always listening to and empathizing with the other person.
6. Empathy
Even when you disagree with an employer, coworker, or employee, it is important for you to understand and respect their point of view. Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are coming from" demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions.
7. Open-Mindedness
A good communicator should enter any conversation with a flexible, open mind. Be open to listening to and understanding the other person's point of view, rather than simply getting your message across. By being willing to enter into a dialogue, even with people with whom you disagree, you will be able to have more honest, productive conversations.
8. Respect
People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple actions like using a person's name, making eye contact, and actively listening when a person speaks will make the person feel appreciated. On the phone, avoid distractions and stay focused on the conversation.

Convey respect through email by taking the time to edit your message. If you send a sloppily written, confusing email, the recipient will think you do not respect her enough to think through your communication with her.
9. Feedback
Being able to appropriately give and receive feedback is an important communication skill. Managers and supervisors should continuously look for ways to provide employees with constructive feedback, be it through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates. Giving feedback involves giving praise as well - something as simple as saying "good job" or "thanks for taking care of that" to an employee can greatly increase motivation.

Similarly, you should be able to accept, and even encourage, feedback from others. Listen to the feedback you are given, ask clarifying questions if you are unsure of the issue, and make efforts to implement the feedback.
10. Picking the Right Medium
An important communication skill is to simply know what form of communication to use. For example, some serious conversations (layoffs, changes in salary, etc.) are almost always best done in person.

You should also think about the person with whom you wish to speak - if they are very busy people (such as your boss, perhaps), you might want to convey your message through email. People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication, and will be more likely to respond positively to you.

More Skills Lists: Employment Skills Listed by Job | Lists of Skills for Resumes

Read More: Top Skills Employers Seek in Job Applicants | Skills Not to Put on Your Resume

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These Are the Communication Skills Employers Look for in Employees

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The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, and staff is essential, no matter what industry you work in. Workers in the digital age must know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone, email, and social media.

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Management Definition

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"Stock options are inevitably tied to the overall performance of a corporation. Logically, therefore, they should be awarded only to those managers with overall responsibility. Managers with limited areas of responsibility should have incentives that pay off in relation to results under their control. The .350 hitter expects, and also deserves, a big payoff for his performance -- even if he plays for a cellar-dwelling team. And the .150 hitter should get no reward -- even if he plays for a pennant winner. Only those with overall responsibility for the team should have their rewards tied to its results."

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"Stock options are inevitably tied to the overall performance of a corporation. Logically, therefore, they should be awarded only to those managers with overall responsibility. Managers with limited areas of responsibility should have incentives that pay off in relation to results under their control.

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Keys to Being an Effective Manager

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For many businesspeople, the last thing you want to worry about (or do) is managing people. You want to get out there and meet customers and create awesome products and bring exciting new opportunities through your front door. But unless you've hired people to take on the task of managing your employees, then you're still on the hook.

The good news is that you can make that task a little bit easier for yourself by remembering these 7 essential leadership keys, and your organization will benefit as a direct result.
1. Delegate wisely
The key to leadership success is to learn to effectively delegate both the responsibility for completing assignments and the authority required to get things done. Many bosses feel that they need to control every little thing that their employees do. This is a recipe for disaster. When you delegate work to employees, you multiply the amount of work you can accomplish while you develop your employees' confidence, leadership and work skills.
2. Set goals
Every employee needs goals to strive for. Not only do goals give employees direction and purpose, but they ensure that your employees are working towards the overall organizational goals. Set specific and measurable goals with your employees, then regularly monitor their progress toward achieving them.
3. Communicate
Far too many bosses communicate far too little. It's often difficult for busy business owners and executives to keep their employees up-to-date on the latest organizational news. Regardless, you must make every effort to get employees the information they need to do their jobs quickly and efficiently.
4. Make time for employees
Above all, leadership is a people job. When an employee needs to talk with you--whatever the reason--make sure that you set aside the time to do so. Put your work aside for a moment, put down your smartphone, and focus on the person standing in front of you.
5. Recognize achievements
Every employee wants to do a good job. And when they do a good job, employees want recognition from their bosses. Unfortunately, few bosses do much in the way of recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. The good news is that there are many things bosses can do to recognize employees that cost little or no money, are easy to implement, and that take only a few minutes to accomplish.
6. Think about lasting solutions
No matter how difficult the problem, there is always a quick solution, and leaders are happiest when they are devising solutions to problems. The trouble is that, in our zeal to fix things quickly and move on to the next fire, we often overlook the lasting solution that may take longer to develop. Although it's more fun to be a firefighter, the next time you have a problem to solve in your organization, deal with the cause of the problem instead of simply treating the symptoms.
7. Don't take It all too seriously
Without a doubt, running a company is serious business. Products and services must be sold and delivered, and money must be made. Despite the gravity of these responsibilities, successful leaders make their organizations fun places to work. Instead of having employees who look for every possible reason to call in sick or to arrive to work late or go home early, organizations work hard and play hard end up with a more loyal, energized workforce.

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7 Keys to Becoming a Remarkably Effective Leader

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For many businesspeople, the last thing you want to worry about (or do) is managing people. You want to get out there and meet customers and create awesome products and bring exciting new opportunities through your front door. But unless you've hired people to take on the task of managing your employees, then you're still on the hook.

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The 5 functions of Management

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Five Functions of Management & Leading

Every day, managers are tasked with leading and inspiring the people who work under them. This includes planning for team success, and fulfilling what it takes run a business. Five key functions are regarded as the ways that management should lead and interact with team members. From planning to review, the more specific management is, the more effective the business is in achieving goals.

Tip

The five key functions of managing are strategic planning, organizing resources, staffing, directing activities and controlling the company's success.

The Strategic Planning of Actions

Strategic planning is the process of evaluating the goals of the company and then setting a course for success. This function evaluates the existing activities and goals. Managers then schedule activities that will lead to achieving those goals. Leaders tend to be more strategic: they must become problem solvers able to see the big picture while also identifying specific things that affect overall success. For example, if the goal is to improve the time it takes for customers to get their order fulfilled, then an operational strategy is executed to improve product fulfillment.

Organizing Resources to Achieve Goals

The organizing function brings resources together to achieve the goals established in the planning function. Resources include materials, personnel and financial backing. Leaders need to identify what activities are necessary, assign those activities to specific personnel, effectively delegating tasks. Leaders need to coordinate tasks to keep resources moving efficiently toward goals. It is important to prioritize which resources are essential at any given time. For example, if more inventory is needed but the company doesn't have the financial resources to obtain the inventory, then the priority is to tackle the financial need.

Putting the Right Talent in the Right Place

When a business is short-handed, it cripples the company's ability to serve customers, and it also overwhelms existing staff. Management needs to identify key staff positions, and to ensure that the proper talent is serving that specific job duty. Once the right staffing structure is established, leaders need training, professional development, pay rates and monitoring performance. Effective leaders are able to develop talent and identify those ready for promotion.

Guiding and Directing Activities

Directing activities is a key function. Letting staff know what needs to be done, and also by when is a responsibility of managers. However, bosses tell people what to do, while leaders motivate people to contribute in meaningful ways. The directing function requires leaders to do more than simply give orders, even though tasks must be completed for business success. This function begins with supervising subordinates while simultaneously motivating teams through guided leadership communicated in clear ways.

Controlling Success Systems

Controlling systems refers to all the processes that leaders create to monitor success. Sports coaches have a saying, "Winners keep score," meaning that winners know where they are and know what is necessary to achieve a goal. This business function requires leaders to establish performance standards, measure actual performance and compare the metrics to determine anomalies.

For example, a sales leader is focused on more than only the final sales numbers; he considers the leading activities such as the number of minimum pitches and outbound calls. Leaders review the data and make adjustments in processes, policies, training or personnel to address failures based on that data. Winning leaders don't look at poor performance as failures but as opportunities to solve a problem that gets the desired results.

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The five functions commonly used in management and leadership are strategic planning, organizing resources, staffing, directing activities and controlling the company's success. Managers tend to schedule activities that will lead to achieving the company goals; leaders tend to be more strategic.