In a complex, dynamic, fast-changing environment, companies must strive for superiority in order to survive. Competitive edge cannot be achieved or maintained by setting goals based on past or even present performance. Benchmarking is a management practice that can be used to pursue excellence. It does this by identifying, comparing and emulating best practice wherever it occurs. Read More: Benchmarking as a Strategic Business Tool Benchmarking is defined as a continuous systematic process of evaluating companies recognized as industry leaders, to determine business and work processes that represent best practices and establish rational performance goals. It is a search for industry best practices that lead to superior performance. It illustrates how good a company currently is in comparison to its competitors, that is benchmarking analysis demonstrates what others are doing as well as what others are achieving. Benchmarking analysis is an integral part of the organizational improvement process and it Continue reading
Modern Business Concepts
Differences Between Social Entrepreneurship and Business Entrepreneurship
Before understanding the term social entrepreneurship, we need to firstly understand what traditional business entrepreneur itself is. An entrepreneur is an individual who owns a firm, business, or venture, and is responsible for its development. In order to do so, he or she will manage the resources he had. The aim of a traditional business entrepreneur or commercial entrepreneur is to generate profits from the risks and opportunities he or she is willing to take. A business enterprise therefore would be an entity that is owned by the business entrepreneur to achieve business goals that have been set by the entrepreneur. Social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. The definition of social entrepreneurship varies from a narrow definition to a wide one. Under the narrow definition, social entrepreneurship is basically the action of Continue reading
Role of Service Industries in Economic Growth
The pursuit of service economy, which dictates the specialization in the service industries, is one of the newest economic concepts that ensure the realization of the economic growth. The adoption of this form of economy will allow countries to transform the dimensions of their economic standards in a positive way. In this regard, countries would need to develop more service industries rather than manufacturing industries due to flexibility in the international trade. Similarly, the concept of service economy incorporates the need for improvement of services and product provision. Based on these factors, service industries should mainly focus on financial services, health, education, tourism, and distribution. The degree of mobility of these services is high, and they can be cheaply transferred from one location to another. Additionally, geographical factors do not hinder the performance of these services. As a result, industries should focus on service delivery to their customers, which increases their Continue reading
Crowdsourcing – Definition, Applications, Advantages, and Disadvantages
Since the advent of the internet and the emerging of user-generated media, for example, You Tube and Wikipedia, the process of sharing information has become an easy task, because of the great interaction tools that are provided by the internet. Currently, through the internet organizations and individuals can outsource most of their research work, market surveys, and even seek external assistance in solving critical organizational problems using processes such as crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing was first used to determine the degree of influence of the collective mind on a single business. It is believed that crowdsourcing is the process of doing work by a variety of contractors without any contracts, in most cases, online. Unlike freelance, the use of human resources is suitable for solving more labor-intensive tasks that require a considerable number of performers and time. Thus, the most precise definition of crowdsourcing is information technology, which combines interested people and Continue reading
Features of Modern Business
Now a days, business is viewed more as a profession or occupation. From the days of family owned business, we have reached a stage of professionals and experts starting and running business. It could also be noted that business administration and business management have emerged as the most prospective field of study and occupation. Persons with educational background in business, enter business or join business organizations to make them successfully function. Unlike the olden days, a number of interests are involved in business today, viz. owners, investors in business, suppliers, customers, employees, government, stake holders, administrators, managers, strategists, executives, and so many others. Hence, every business activity has to meet the goals or aims or objectives of these various groups of people. That in fact, has made business a most complicated activity. Modern business has a number of features. Understanding of these would help to appreciate and organize business activities Continue reading
Blending Spiritual Values with Business
The root for value is valor, which means strength. Values are sources of strength because they give people the power to take action. Values are deep and emotional and often difficult to change. Values are the essence of any organization and philosophy for achieving success. Values provide employees with a sense of common direction and guidelines for day to day behavior. The first step in creating an atmosphere of common commitment is to invite the hearts and minds of employees to join the purpose of the organization. Shared missions, values and vision bring people together. They unite and provide the link between diverse people and activities. People who share values or vision are more likely to take responsibility; they are more likely to challenge the limits of convention. Values provide guidance. Spiritual value is a way of expressing more humanity and recognizes each persons own beliefs. Traditional ways of achieving Continue reading