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

Brand-Product Matrix

To characterize the product and branding strategy of a firm, one useful tool is the brand-product matrix, a graphical representation of all the brands and products sold by the firm.  In the brand-product matrix  all products offered under different brands are represented by columns. This helps marketers understand the current brand line and explore further opportunity in expanding the product line. In the brand-product matrix  all current existing brand are represented in form of rows referred to as brand portfolio. The brand portfolio analysis is essential to design and develop new marketing strategies to target a given product category. Brand-product matrix helps in showcasing different brands in any given product category. In that respect brand hierarchy is graphical representation of company’s products and its brands. Hierarchical structure starts with corporate brand and then showcases different product category and below brands. This sort of presentation helps devise marketing strategy at many Continue reading

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Factors Influencing Foreign Exchange Rates

Foreign exchange rates are extremely volatile and it is incumbent on those involved with foreign exchange – either as a purchaser, seller, speculator or institution – to know what causes rates to move. Actually, there are a variety of factors – market sentiment, the state of the economy, government policy, demand and supply and a host of others. The more important factors that influence foreign exchange rates are discussed below: Strength of the Economy :The strength of the economy affects the demand and supply of foreign currency. If an economy is growing fast and is strong it will attract foreign currency thereby strengthening its own. On the other hand, weaknesses result in an outflow of foreign exchange. If a country is a net exporter (as were Japan and Germany), the inflow of foreign currency far outstrips the outflow of their own currency. The result is usually a strengthening in its value. Continue reading

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Is free pricing of pubic issues are good or bad for investors

The answer depends upon whom we mean by “investors”?   Is investor the one who is already holding a share, that is, an existing shareholder, or one who is going to become a shareholder?   Unfortunately there has been some confusion in this regard.   To any reasonable person, it should be clear that is the existing shareholder who is the true investor since he has already invested. Whenever a company makes a public issue of shares at a price, which is lower than the market value of the share, some part of the wealth gets transferred from the existing shareholder to the new shareholder.   It happens like this.   Consider a company with 1lakh shares outstanding, quoted in the market at Rs.50 each.   The total wealth of the existing shareholders can be said to be Rs.50 lakh.   If this company raises another Rs.10 lakh by issuing Continue reading

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Mechanistic Organizational Structure – Definition and Features

The structure of any organization has a clear impact on both employee behavior and its performance. On the other hand, an organizational structure provides an overview about the hierarchy of levels, roles and responsibilities, authorities, communication channels, etc.  It is of utmost importance to understand the definition of the organizational structure since it affects both employee behavior and organizational performance. Organizational structure is understood as a method consisting of responsibilities and power allocated amongst members and how work procedures are carried out among them. It also includes the layers of hierarchy, centralization of authority, and horizontal integration. However, an organizational structure is a multi-dimensional construct which illustrates the division of work (roles or responsibilities including specification), departmentalization, centralization, complexity, communication or coordination mechanisms including standardization, formalization and flexibility. An important  type of organizational structure can be identified as mechanistic organizational structure. Mechanistic organizational structure is  hierarchical  and bureaucratic by nature. Continue reading

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Guidelines for Preparing a Proper Strategy for Debt Recovery

Devising a strategy helps in achieving a set goal or objective.   Recovery agents should therefore devise a strategy for debt recovery.   The following guidelines would help in preparing proper strategy for debt recovery. The collection process should be compliant to the bank-specific recovery norms and also regulatory guidelines. The collection timing should be synchronized to the cash inflow pattern of the debtors: For example, recovery from salaried employees should be timed when salary is received by or credited to the debtor’s account, normally at the moth-end.   In case of SME borrowers the effort should coincide with cash flow on account of sales.   In case a collection from agriculturist should be made, then it should be soon after the crops are sold.   This will call for knowledge of bank products on the part of agents.   It should be the endeavour of the agent that collection Continue reading

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Harmonization of Accounting Standards

Many authors have put together different definitions for accounting harmonization in various ways. It would seem not an easy word to define, as neither the European Commission nor other organs of the commission have explicitly defined the concept of accounting harmonization. Some have even complicated the whole concept, by attempting to substitute harmonization with standardization, as if to mean that the process is the same, rather than making it more compatible. In practice, harmonization of accounting standards tends to mean the process of increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds for the degree of variations. This can be accepted to be the most suitable definition of the concept. Harmonization of accounting standards has become a highly demanded issue of discussion and debate among accounting professionals around the globe. Accounting Standards are the authoritative statements of best accounting practices issued by recognized expert accountancy bodies relating to various aspects Continue reading

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