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COVER STORY
Senior Executives : Behavioral Dynamics
-- Dr. Michael Walton
Successful senior executives have to be aware that their success, unless monitored
and carefully managed, may possibly lead to subsequent corporate failure. Corporate
success can result in dysfunctional levels of self-belief, grandiosity, arrogance and
narcissism leading to counterproductive workplace behavior. This article suggests
countermeasures and five reasons to be careful to help guard against senior executive self-destruction
and potential corporate malaise.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
MANAGEMENT
On the Shoulders of Giants : Drucker on Management
-- Timothy L Wilson
For this issue, we turn to Peter F Drucker, the father of management for a
basic understanding of management. Specifically, we look at his assertions concerning
the functions of a business and the role knowledge players have in these businesses.
Clearly, these topics are of interest and importance because executives continually
find themselves redefining their businesses in terms of available resources and
competition, depending more and more upon knowledge workers. The material is also put into
some perspective with regard to our own research findings and recommendations made
for today's managers or executives.
© 2010 Timothy L Wilson. All Rights Reserved.
MANAGEMENT
Towards a Superior Management Model at Work
-- Swarup Kumar Dutta
Companies win in the marketplace by producing superior quality of products and
services through an effective business model which has a sound value proposition for
the customers. Ever heard of companies winning because of a unique management model
at work? Yes, if the recent trends are to be tracked, there has been a shift from a pure
business model to one in which an effective management model is wrapped inside a business
model. In such management model, innovation is a key area for business success. This
article takes a closer look at how management models can be effectively utilized for
delivering business success.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
MANAGEMENT
Cross-functional Teams : The New Success Mantra
-- Soumya Saha, Hirak RoyChowdhury
The modern business world without uncertainty, complexity, speed and continuity is a
mere illusion. Thus, to reach a desired goal is undoubtedly impossible by an individual
effort. Hence, the concept of team emerged. There are different types of teams with their merits
and demerits. This article throws light upon few major aspects of cross-functional
teamwork which became the new success mantra for businesses.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Making Talent Count : Gearing Up to
Face the Challenges of
Talent Management
-- Garima Bardia
Traditionally, organizational growth was driven by hiring more people. However,
today's economic environment requires an increase in the productivity of existing workers before
a new headcount is considered. This article intends to highlight the inevitable need for
talent management in the present day business environment, and identify the talent
challenges that exist today for organizations which are contemplating the use of talent management
as a key strategic advantage. This article is an attempt to understand all such complexities
and challenges of talent management that need to be faced by companies to build a
solid foundation for the future.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Role of Managers
in Improving Employee Performance
-- Vivek Anand and Abhishek Singhania
Managing employee performance has always been a critical component of a
manager's responsibility and in difficult times it becomes even more critical. The problem
with managing employee performance is that there are too many external variables that affect
an individual's performance. Also, employees vary in their capability and attitude to
work making no two situations and no two employees the same. In such a situation, it
becomes difficult to have a standard approach towards resolving performance-related
problems. Since no two people or situations are the same, it would be advisable for managers to
treat each of their employees differently. A manager can adopt different strategies to deal
with subordinates by appropriately playing the role of a mentor, a coach
and/or a counselor depending on the latters' performance levels.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
SELF-DIRECTED TEAMS
Self-Directed Teams : A Case Study of Tata Motors
-- Dr. KM Nalawade, Shivraj Nikam
A Self-Directed Team (SDT) is a fairly new management reform in India. It is gaining
more magnitude among the corporates aiming at generating desired results through
employee empowerment. This article highlights the maturity level of members in a self-directed
team and identifies the flaws in the functioning of SDT. The article is a project evaluation research
in nature wherein the functioning of 60 SDTs has been evaluated. The study concludes
that quality and low cost are effectively attained through SDTs but deployment causes lack
of consistency in SDTs.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
CASE STUDY
Cisco's Strategy in Recessionary Times
-- Indu P
This case examines the strategies adopted by the US-based Cisco Systems
Inc. to tackle recession in the US markets in the fiscal 2008-09. Earlier, during the recession in
2001, Cisco was caught unawares leading to a
write-down of inventory worth US$2.2 bn.
The company reported a loss of US$2.69 bn for the third quarter ending April
2001. Learning its lessons in 2001, Cisco was well
prepared to face the recession during the fiscal 2008-09, with a cash balance of US$34 bn. Cisco saw the downturn as
an opportunity to invest in new technologies and emerging markets and continued
to acquire several companies. During the recession, it found opportunities in the areas
of virtualization, video architecture, telepresence, collaboration and
network-enabled technologies. Cisco also benefitted through its unique organization structure
that comprised of small groups and councils. The structure helped the company define
short-term goals when the projects were initiated and long-term goals. Cisco also helped
the partners and customers during recession by helping them adopt new technologies.
With these and other initiatives to cut costs, even amidst recession, Cisco
expects an annual growth between 12 to 17% by 2015.
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org
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