Principles of Management - week # 2

Chapters discussed this week are :

Chaper 3 - The changing environment of management.

Points to remember :

Seven major changes in the 21st century workplace :

1. The virtual organization: computers and technology make virtual organization faster and more flexible. Employees need to develop skills accordingly.

2. Just in time workforce - temporary workers and outsourcing.

3. Computerized coaching and electronic monitoring trim cost and boost productivity.

4. Growth of worker diversity: growing minorities and immigrant population. Multilingual workforce.

5. Aging workforce - older workers viewed as a vital and reliable economic workforce.

6. Ascendancy of knowledge workers - moving from industrial economy to an information economy.

7. The birth of dynamic workforce - managers will be judged by their ability to encourage innovative thinking.

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Innovative ideas - what does it take ?

It takes more than just a good idea to be innovative because in order for it to become a success it needs to be technologically feasible, marketable and profitable. The combination of the above three is a necessity when talking about innovative ideas.Conceptualization alone is insufficient - development is a necessary second step and developing profitability is the third necessary element in making a good idea a success story.

Ethnocentric attitude - what does it mean ?

An Ethnocentric attitude is a style of management that is home-country oriented. It supports recruit and promotion of people of the same home/country base as the company's. It sees home country personnel, ideas and practices as superior to those from abroad.

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Interesting articles and links :

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My thoughts:

- The glass ceiling that stops women and other minorities from being promoted is just sad.

Women have proved they are able to do any executive job. What stops them from getting to the top is the so called "glass ceiling" - invisible yet it is definitely THERE.

- The world is definitely changing and so does the business world. The new social contract between employers and employees is a sharp evidence that things are changing, and not always for the benefit of the employee.

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