Case Study on Entrepreneurship: Larry Page

Business Analysis

The Boundaryless Career: Modern Contemperory Perspective on Career

Human Resource Management

Concepts of Throughput Accounting and Theory of Constraints

Financial Management

Kaizen – Understanding the Japanese Business Philosophy of Continuous Improvement

Operations Management

Role of Leaders in Shaping Organizational Culture

Management Principles

Foreign Direct Investment and the Business Environment

Direct investment abroad is a complex venture. As distinct from trade, licensing  or investment, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)  involves a long-term commitment to a business  endeavor  in a foreign country. It often involves the engagement of considerable assets  and resources that need to be coordinated and managed across countries and to  satisfy the principle of successful investment, such as sustainable profitability  and acceptable risk/profitability ratios. Typically, there are many host country  factors involved in deciding where an FDI project should be located and it is  often difficult to pinpoint the most decisive factor. However, it is widely agreed  that FDI takes place when three sets of determining factors exist  simultaneously;  the presence of ownership-specific competitive ages in a transnational  corporation (TNC), the presence of locational advantages in a host country, and  the presence of superior commercial benefits in an intra-firm as against an  arm’s-length relationship between investor and recipient. The Continue reading

Abey Francis

Work-Life Balance Programs – Cost or Investment?

Work-life balance programs are fast gaining popularity in developed countries. Work-life balance programs can be defined as any benefits, policies or programs that help employees find ways to manage the demands of the workplace and life outside work. In other words, work-life balance programs are designed as a two pronged approach to achieve meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life. There are many forms of work-life balance programs such as flex-time, child-care facilities at work, gyms and concierge services and paid vacations. Many reasons are cited for the introduction of work-life balance programs at the workplace, the most common being that it increases productivity as well as employee loyalty. While these are all valid justifications, the costs of having work-life balance programs should not be ignored. Therefore, do the benefits of work-life balance programs outweigh the costs? Going further, should these programs be considered a cost or an investment to Continue reading

Abey Francis

Corporate Governance – Concept, Need and Principles

Corporate governance can be defined as a set of rules and regulations according to which the behavior of a company is affected. Another aspect of it is that it is also concerned with the relationships which exists among different stakeholders of the company and with the goals which the company has in view. Shareholders, board of directors, employees, customers, creditors, suppliers, and the community at large are the main stakeholders of a business. Gabrielle O’Donovan defines corporate governance as ‘an internal system encompassing policies, processes and people, which serves the needs of shareholders and other stakeholders, by directing and controlling management activities with good business know-how, objectivity, accountability and integrity. Sound corporate governance is reliant on external marketplace commitment and legislation, plus a healthy board culture which safeguards policies and processes. The most common definition of corporate governance has been provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED), Continue reading

Abey Francis

Case Study: Wal-Mart’s Distribution and Logistics System

As the world’s largest retailer with net sales of almost $419 billion for the fiscal year 2011, Wal-Mart is considered a “best-in-class” company for its supply chain management practices.   These practices are a key competitive advantage that have enabled Wal-Mart to achieve leadership in the retail industry through a focus on increasing operational efficiency and on customer needs. Wal-Mart’s corporate website calls “logistics” and “distribution” the heart of its operation, one that keeps millions of products moving to customers every day of the year. Wal-Mart’s highly-automated distribution centers, which operate 24 hours a day and are served by Wal-Mart’s truck fleet, are the foundation of its growth strategy and supply network. In the United States alone, the company has more than 40 regional distribution centers for import flow and more than 140 distribution centers for domestic flow. When entering a new geographic arena, the company first determines if the Continue reading

Abey Francis

Deflation – Meaning, Effects and Modes of Control

When prices are abnormally high, termed as inflation, it is indeed desirable to have a fall in prices. Such a fall in the price level is good for the community, as it will not lead to a fall in the level of production or employment. The process designed to reverse the inflationary trend in prices, without creating unemployment, is generally known as disinflation. But if prices fall from the level of full employment, then income and employment will be adversely affected and this situation is termed as deflation. Effects of Deflation The following are the adverse effects of deflation: On production: Deflation has an adverse effect on the level of production, business activity and employment. During deflation, prices fall due contracting demand for goods and services. Fall in price results in losses and sometimes forcing many firms to go into liquidation. In the face of declining demand for goods, firms Continue reading

Abey Francis

3 Important Domains of Learning

The term learning means changes in our behavior, attitude, knowledge and skills. In other wards we can say that through learning we can feel permanently changes in our self. If we are not feeling any changes in our above skills then it will not be called as learning. The learning is a type of reinforcement, which may learn a change in behavior enduring by strengthening and intensifying certain aspect of an individual behavior. Learning may be described at the process of acquiring the ability to respond adequately to a situation, which may or may not have been previously an countered. The term domains of learning means classification, area and scope of learning. The classification allows the trainer to be better able to organize instruction and thereafter provides better structure and improved clarity. The main aim of domains of learning that the students will be better able to achieve success if Continue reading

Abey Francis