Creativity and Innovation are two different terms and they technically have different meanings. Creativity means originality, imagination and inventiveness that are brought out through resourcefulness. Innovation, on the other hand refers to modernization and improvement over an existing idea. In this way, it is true that creativity and innovation are two different terms and cannot be used interchangeably. Yet, they have been used interchangeably in several areas or walks of life, including business and management as well as technology. In this way the main distinction between creativity and innovation, being the originality has been ignored and as the line between creativity and innovation is thin, it becomes even more difficult to distinguish between these terminologies. Innovation is an important aspect of growth and development of individuals, organizations, cultures and societies. Innovation and creativity refer to bringing in new ideas to life. Innovation can be achieved strategically through a process of Continue reading
Management Concepts
Delegation – The future of People Management
Many managers or team leaders feel quite threatened by the whole concept of delegation — after all they may have taken some time to reach their current position, so why should they start to give their much coveted job away? Benefits of effective Delegation Benefits to the organization: Optimum use of staff resources Tasks performed at the cheapest rate consistent with quality Wider ownership of company mission and objectives Reduce vulnerability to unexpected absences Benefits to the manager: Free time for more vital tasks Develops staff for wider role Increased staff motivation Spreads the ownership of achieving departmental objectives Benefits to the individual: Develops increased skills or knowledge Motivation Shows wider view of the company Builds trust and confidence Trying to decide what to delegate is made easier if we first of all decide which tasks should not be delegated. Things to consider when deciding what to delegate: Ruthlessly analyse Continue reading
Ways to Overcome Resistance to Organizational Change
Change triggers emotional reaction because of the uncertainty involved, and most Organisational change efforts run into some form of employee resistance. Resistance to change can be overcome by education and communication, participation and involvement, facilitation and support, negotiation and rewards, and coercion and manipulation. Kotter and Schlesinger set out the following six change approaches to deal with this resistance to change: Education and Communication — Where there is a lack of information or inaccurate information and analysis. One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort. this reduces unfounded and incorrect rumors concerning the effects of change in the organization. Participation and Involvement — Where the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change and where others have considerable power to resist. Continue reading
The 7 Core Principles of Customer Service
In any field either business, company or an institution they are usually guided by the principles of customer service. These principles help them improve the services and maintain a good relationship with their customers. Here are some of the principles of customer service that are core in any business or company. Through the core services, customer service techniques will govern the organization of the quality of service. The seven principles of customer service include; speed, accuracy, clarity, transparency, accessibility, friendliness and efficiency. Speed: This has been critical to many organizations. Through speed and responsiveness, it will determine the quality of service provided in an institution. As one may know, the ability to respond to the customer need has an impact on both the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For companies to improve on their customer service, they ensure they have good responsiveness. There are various types of responsiveness which include first Continue reading
Elton Mayo’s Hawthorne Experiment and It’s Contributions to Management
The term “Hawthorne” is a term used within several behavioral management theories and is originally derived from the western electric company’s large factory complex named Hawthorne works. Starting in 1905 and operating until 1983, Hawthorne works had 45,000 employees and it produced a wide variety of consumer products, including telephone equipment, refrigerators and electric fans. As a result, Hawthorne works is well-known for its enormous output of telephone equipment and most importantly for its industrial experiments and studies carried out. Hawthorne Experiment by Elton Mayo In 1927, a group of researchers led by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger of the Harvard Business School were invited to join in the studies at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric Company, Chicago. The experiment lasted up to 1932. The Hawthorne Experiment brought out that the productivity of the employees is not the function of only physical conditions of work and money wages paid Continue reading
Forecasting Manager – Duties and Responsibilities
The Forecasting Manager serves as the lead of a forecasting working group. The primary responsibility of this individual is to implement the forecasting process and provide objective short-term and long-range forecasting models, standards and guidelines to the Product Team. This includes the design, construction and implementation of forecasting models for specific brands. When working with the group, the Forecasting Manager must have the ability to quickly assess the major issues surrounding each forecasting problem, understand the decisions the forecast will impact, and recommend a forecasting approach. In addition, the manager should be able to identify the information/data required, and to articulate any secondary and/or primary research required to support the forecasting process. The Forecasting Manager may be required to hire external consultants to complete forecasting projects. Also, this position will require the continuous evaluation of new forecasting techniques, and technologies through internal/external networking, and attending forecasting and industry seminars. Major Continue reading