COVER
STORY
The
Boston Group
- - Ravi S Madapati
The
Boston Group (TBG) is a leading provider of Enterprise Consulting
Services to clients in a variety of different industries.
TBG’s main focus is on E-Learning, which has enabled the company
to become a “full solution” provider for its clients. Its
other industry solutions include product and services that
are tailored for education, financial services, healthcare,
and insurance. Working with its client as partners, the company
identifies the business need, the technology, the projected
growth, and then focuses on a solutions strategy that encompasses
these criteria to deliver a scalable and robust solution.
© 2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
BUSINESS
STRATEGY
Grow
to sustain,not to perish
- - Sini Elezebeth Johnson
Sustainable
development is not a new concept. Over the years, many cultures
have recognized the need for harmony among people, and between
people and the environment. What is new is the articulation
of this idea for the framework of better living. The article
looks at how companies could sustain in a period of change.
The article also enlists various sustainability models.
© 2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
TECHNOLOGY
Sun
Microsystems:A business model in trouble
- - Ravi S Madapati
Sun
Microsystems is a leading manufacturer of workstation computers.
It has traditionally pursued a unique, vertically integrated
business model. Unlike most computer hardware vendors, Sun
makes its own chips (SPARC) and operating system (Solaris).
Sun rose to fame during the early 1990s with its huge bet
on the server market paying off. Riding the exploding growth
in that market, Sun grew faster than any other computer company
to reach a turnover of $1 bn. But things have not been going
well for Sun in recent times. Sun’s stock price, which hit
$60 mn by the end of 2000, has fallen to about $3 mn by August
2004. In mid-2004, Sun seems to be beset by various problems.
Low-cost computers based on Intel chips and Linux software
are posing a major threat. The company’s cost structure appears
to be bloated. There has also been a major management turmoil.
It remains to be seen whether Sun can overcome these problems
and reinvent itself.
© 2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
LEADERSHIP
Profile
of the leader
- - Srividya Srinivasan
Suresh
Krishna’s Sundram Fasteners is one of the few highly successful
Indian engineering companies that can claim to be world class.
The company’s success can be attributed to the leadership
of Suresh Krishna. He is proud of the culture of trust that
exists in his company and he attributes it to his close involvement
with the employees and understanding them. His organization
has always practiced a long-standing policy of openness and
transparency, and close involvement with employees. This article
outlines his leadership skills.
©2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
RISK
MANAGEMENT
Myths
about risk management
- - Vinay Dutta
Why
do risk and risk management mean different things to different
people? For some, risk implies exposure to the chance of injury
or loss; for others, it signifies variation in the expected
outcome. Some mistake it with uncertainty. For some it denotes
events, expected or unanticipated, with an adverse impact
on capital or earnings. For yet another set of people, it
stands for anything that creates problems in meeting business
objectives. This article enlists the various myths about risk
management and lucidly demystifies them.
©2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
GLOBAL
SCENARIO
Riggs
Bank – The fall of Washington’s oldest bank
- - Bala Bharati
The
168-year-old Riggs Bank is the oldest Washington-based bank
and one of America’s most respected institutions. In 2003,
the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations initiated
an investigation of private banking and Embassy accounts at
Riggs Bank for the effectiveness of key anti-money laundering
provisions in the US Patriot Act. The Subcommittee concluded
that Riggs executives, even after the events of September
11, 2001, have failed to monitor suspicious financial transactions
involving hundreds of millions of dollars. The article looks
into the fall of this once-eminent bank.
© 2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Organizational
culture at Nokia
- - Ravi S Madapati
Nokia,
the Finnish multinational, is renowned for its organizational
culture. Nokia believes in providing individuals with a platform
for personal growth in a challenging environment. Clear vision,
goals and shared management principles are an integral part
of Nokia’s culture. The challenge for Nokia is to retain these
core values as it grows in size. The article delineates the
important HR practices followed by Nokia.
© 2004 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
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