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

Organizational Culture – Development and Importance

Management Principles

Five Important Organizational Cultural Models

Management Principles

Lead Bank Scheme

A milestone in the history of banking in India is the nationalization of the 14 major commercial banks in 1969. This process was undertaken with the main objective of involving the banking sector in a big way in the nation building and economic development. To help to achieve this commendable objective, two committees were set up viz., National Credit Council Study Group with D.R. Gadgil as the Chairman and the Committee of Bankers under the chairmanship of Nariman. These     committees     independently     went into     their     terms     of reference   and recommended an ‘area approach’ for involving the banks in     economic development. This paved the way for giving a concrete shape to the Lead Bank Scheme. As nationalization of banks took place to extend and expand the banking services to all the non-banked areas especially the rural areas, Continue reading

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Case Study: Zara’s Entry into Indian Retail Fashion Market

Zara is an extremely renowned brand, known for its latest designs and is among the top 100 best global brands in 2010 .It uses the unusual strategy of zero advertising and instead invests the revenue in opening new stores across the world. Zara is popular amongst old and young generations too because it is affordable fashion. It is crystal clear that Zara is successfully living upto the standard of its two winning retail trends firstly, it is fashionable and secondly it is low in price thus resulting in a very effective mixture out of it. The first store of Zara was opened in a central street in Spain in 1977 by Amancio Ortega who also owns, other brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear and many others. Spain is the headquarter of Zara. Zara have opened 95 stores around the world in quarter 1 of year 2009 alone, bringing Continue reading

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What is Marketing Ethics?

One of the most known definitions of ethics is the one from Aristotle: Human actions from the point of view in their rightness or wrongness. Ethics should concern “personal virtue” and with every decision, one should be honest, good and caring. A definition that is so idealistic and simplistic is not helpful in finding a solid definition: right and wrong are probably just as normative as the term ethics. When we try to give a definition of the term ethics it appears from the literature that you can look at it from two different philosophical views, also know as “ethical dualism”. The first view is the teleological view, also known as the consequentialist view or utilarism, which is based on the results of certain actions taken. Whereas the other view, deontology, is more based on average behavior and obligations to other people. Teleology is based on the ethical valuation of Continue reading

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ABC System of Inventory Control

Inventories include raw material inventory, work-in process inventory and finished goods inventory. The goal of effective inventory management is to minimize the total costs – direct and indirect – that are associated with holding inventories. However, the importance of inventory management to the company depends upon the extent of investment in inventory. It is industry-specific. In the case of a manufacturing company of reasonable size the number of items of inventory runs into hundreds, if not more. From the point of view of monitoring information for inventory control, it becomes extremely difficult to consider each one of these items. The ABC analysis comes in quite handy and enables the management to concentrate attention and keep a close watch on a relatively less number of items which account for a high percentage of the value of annual usage of all items of inventory. The ABC System of Inventory Control  is based Continue reading

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Criticism of Scientific Management Theory (Taylorism)

Frederick  Winslow  Taylor  was one of the first theorists to consider management and process improvement as a scientific problem and, as such, is widely considered the father of scientific management. He proposed that a business’s economic efficiency could be improved by simplifying and optimizing work processes, which would, in turn, increase productivity. Taylorism, as a philosophy, was the product of a series of experiments and observations, such as time-motion studies, designed to determine the most effective and efficient way to complete a task. Its fundamental and inter-related principles can be summarized as follows: Using scientific method to challenge habitual working practices and to determine the most efficient way to perform specific work tasks; Matching workers’ capability and motivation to the task requirements and supervising them according to the established rules and procedures; Establishing fair performance levels and develop a pay system that rewards, and therefore encourages, over-achievement; and Appropriate division Continue reading

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Definition of Budget

A budget is a detailed plan of operations for some specific future period. It is an estimate of costs and benefits of programs to be undertaken and policies thereto prepared in advance of the period to which it is applied. Budget acts as a business barometer as it is a complete program of activities of the business for the period covered. According to Gordon and Shilling law, ‘budget is a predetermined detailed plan of action developed and distributed as a guide to current operations and as a partial basis for the subsequent evaluation of performance’. According to Weygandt, Kimmel & Kieso, “A budget is a formal written statement of management’s plan for a specified future time period, expressed in financial terms. It represents the primary method of communicating agreed-upon objectives throughout the organization. Once adopted, a budget becomes an important basis for evaluating performance. It promotes efficiency and serves as Continue reading

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