What is Strategic Human Resource Management?

In Human Resource (HR) and management circles nowadays there is much talk about Strategic Human Resource Management and many expensive books can be seen on the shelves of bookshops. But what exactly is SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Development), what are its key features and how does it differ from traditional human resource management?

SHRM or Strategic human resource management is a branch of Human resource management or HRM. It is a fairly new field, which has emerged out of the parent discipline of human resource management. Much of the early or so called traditional HRM literature treated the notion of strategy superficially, rather as a purely operational matter, the results of which cascade down throughout the organisation. There was a kind of unsaid division of territory between people-centred values of HR and harder business values where corporate strategies really belonged. HR practitioners felt uncomfortable in the war cabinet like atmosphere where corporate strategies were formulated.

Management Concept

Definition of SHRM

Strategic human resource management can be defined as the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organizational culture that foster innovation, flexibility and competitive advantage. In an organisation SHRM means accepting and involving the HR function as a strategic partner in the formulation and implementation of the company's strategies through HR activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel.

How SHRM differs from HRM

In the last two decades there has been an increasing awareness that HR functions were like an island unto itself with softer people-centred values far away from the hard world of real business. In order to justify its own existence HR functions had to be seen as more intimately connected with the strategy and day to day running of the business side of the enterprise. Many writers in the late 1980s, started clamoring for a more strategic approach to the management of people than the standard practices of traditional management of people or industrial relations models. Strategic human resource management focuses on human resource programs with long-term objectives. Instead of focusing on internal human resource issues, the focus is on addressing and solving problems that effect people management programs in the long run and often globally. Therefore the primary goal of strategic human resources is to increase employee productivity by focusing on business obstacles that occur outside of human resources. The primary actions of a strategic human resource manager are to identify key HR areas where strategies can be implemented in the long run to improve the overall employee motivation and productivity. Communication between HR and top management of the company is vital as without active participation no cooperation is possible.

Key Features of Strategic Human Resource Management

The key features of SHRM are

  • There is an explicit linkage between HR policy and practices and overall organizational strategic aims and the organizational environment

  • There is some organizing schema linking individual HR interventions so that they are mutually supportive

  • Much of the responsibility for the management of human resources is devolved down the line


Trends in Strategic Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management professionals are increasingly faced with the issues of employee participation, human resource flow, performance management, reward systems and high commitment work systems in the context of globalization. Older solutions and recipes that worked in a local context do not work in an international context. Cross-cultural issues play a major role here. These are some of the major issues that HR professionals and top management involved in SHRM are grappling with in the first decade of the 21st century:

  • Internationalization of market integration.

  • Increased competition, which may not be local or even national through free market ideology

  • Rapid technological change.

  • New concepts of line and general management.

  • Constantly changing ownership and resultant corporate climates.

  • Cross-cultural issues

  • The economic gravity shifting from 'developed' to 'developing' countries

SHRM also reflects some of the main contemporary challenges faced by Human Resource Management: Aligning HR with core business strategy, demographic trends on employment and the labour market, integrating soft skills in HRD and finally Knowledge Management.

References

  1. Armstrong, M (ed.) 192a) Strategies for Human Resource Management: A Total Business Approach. London:Kogan Page

  2. Beer, M and Spector,B (eds) (1985) Readings in Human Resource Management. New York: Free Press

  3. Boxall, P (1992) 'Strategic Human Resource Management: Beginnings of a New Theoretical Sophistication?' Human Resource Management Journal, Vol.2 No.3 Spring.

  4. Fombrun, C.J., Tichy, N,M, and Devanna, M.A. (1984) Strategic Human Resource Management. New York:Wiley

  5. Mintzberg, H, Quinn, J B, Ghoshal, S (198) The Strategy Process, Prentice Hall.

  6. Truss, C and Gratton, L (1994) 'Strategic Human Resource Management: A Conceptual Approach', International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol.5 No.3

What is Strategic Human Resource Management?

Rana Sinha is a cross-cultural trainer and author. He was born in India, studied and lived in many places and traveled in over 80 countries, acquiring cross-cultural knowledge and building an extensive network of professionals. He has spent many years developing and delivering Cross-cultural Training, Professional Communications skills, Personal Development and Management solutions to all types of organizations and businesses in many countries. He now lives in Helsinki, Finland and runs http://www.dot-connect.com, which specializes in human resource development as well as communication and management skills training with cross-cultural emphasis. Read his cross-cultural blog http://originalwavelength.blogspot.com

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What Is Time Management?

To answer this question simply, one could say that time management is a process by which one consciously keeps track of the amount of time they spend on each of their activities, in an effort to increase efficiency when it comes to usage of time. Below, you will find some of the basic concepts that are associated with time management of any kind.

Who needs it?

Management Concept

This is a very subjective question and one will need to analyze their needs very carefully. If you think you are lagging behind in a group of similar work professionals who produce significantly larger outputs than you, you might be in need of time management. You might also need time management if your productivity levels have dipped, when compared to your own productivity levels in the past. You might also need time management if your work causes an extreme amount of stress and anxiety.

For example, some workers might simply be overloaded with too much work. For such workers, no amount of management will help them finish their tasks. Time management is a concept that will allow one to use time more efficiently, not create more time. There will always only be 24 hours in a day, no matter how tediously a work day is planned.

What are some techniques in use today?

Time management, as mentioned earlier, will vary from person to person. Some will simply need to analyze their workday and eliminate some activities while some will need to do an in depth analysis of each of their activities, to see where processes could be improved. Time management may also involve the use of tools and software such as alarms, scheduling software, calendars, to do lists and so on.

You will also be required to analyze your own progress and make further changes to your time management techniques, as necessary. The management of time is a process where perfection can almost never be reached. So, there is always scope for improvement.

What are some quick ways in which these techniques can be quickly applied?

Though the management of time might sound like a sophisticated concept, one can easily reap the benefits of managing time by following some very simple concepts. For starters, one can easily create a lot more time in a work day by eliminating time that is spent on personal tasks. Every employee will have one or two vices such as taking personal calls, checking on their investment portfolio, social networks etc. Such activities must be eliminated or kept to a bare minimum.

Another way in which a simple management of time concept can be applied is that one will have to prepare a priority To Do list before they begin work every morning. The tasks with the most priority will require immediate attention while less important tasks will have to wait until the end of the day. That way, one will at least finish the most important tasks in a day, even if unforeseen circumstances reduced the amount of time they could spend on work.

What Is Time Management?

I have broadly outlined time management concepts I first read at timemanagementclasses.org

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Quantitative Management Theory

The advent of World War II introduced a new set of problems related to the practice of management. Submarine warfare was introduced, as was the massive deployment of airplanes as a means of attack. These developments made the conduct of war more complex and reduced the margin of error that one could afford militarily. With Great Britain confronting the prospect of defeat, the British formed an operations research team consisting of mathematicians, physicists, and other experts to develop methods for countering the German offensive. The team was able to develop sophisticated mathematical models that could simplify scenarios of attack and counterattack and thus reduce tactical errors by military commanders. These models, based on mathematical equations, were credited with assisting the British military in effectively staving off the German attack.

After World War II was over, interest in the application of operations research technology to industry began to emerge. This interest was accelerated by advances in computer technology that increased the speed with which many of the complicated mathematical models could be solved. In particular, operations research models were applied to solve production problems. Mathematical models were used to simulate a production problem, bringing to bear all the relevant factors affecting that problem. The values of these factors could be changed to develop different scenarios in the search for a solution. For example, a manager might be interested in the effect that delays in shipments of raw materials have on the cost of producing a good. By changing this variable in the equation, production costs under different scenarios can be estimated and managers can then make more-informed decisions on how to deal with this problem situation.

Management Concept

While operations research has provided management with a valuable tool in the planning and control of production activities, mathematical models have yet to account effectively for human behaviors. The difficulty, of course, is that the human factor is not as easily quantified as inanimate phenomena.

Quantitative Management Theory

Martin Hahn PhD has received his education and degrees in Europe in organizational/industrial sociology. He grew up in South-East Asia and moved to Europe to get his tertiary education and gain experience in the fields of scientific research, radio journalism, and management consulting. If you would like to know more about Martin Hahn PhD and purchase his e-book, please visit: http://www.martinimhahn.com.

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History of Corporate Performance Management

It was not possible for businesses to properly collect and analyze data before the 20th century. In 1970, decision support systems were introduced in business. Decision support systems can analyze one department at a time. In 1980, executive information systems were introduced. The executive information system can effectively summarize ongoing transaction within an organization. By 1990, business intelligence improved with the introduction of computer technologies. Customer relationship management also improved. Advanced management techniques combined with new technology improved the planning, reporting and analysis in business. These new developments gave rise to an integrated methodology known as corporate performance management. Corporate business management is a holistic approach in strategic planning.

The concept of corporate performance management was introduced in 2001 by Gartner research. Corporate performance management (CPM) is also known as business performance management. This describes the process, methodologies, metrics and systems needed to manage the performance of an organization. The main characteristics of corporate performance management include complete integration, automating data processing, support of collaboration, analytical insight and focusing on exceptions.

Management Concept

The three levels of corporate performance management are client, application and data levels. The important steps in corporate performance management are strategic planning, scorecarding, budgeting, forecasting, consolidation and business intelligence.

While strategic planning is the basic requirement of any business, the objective of scorecarding is to examine performance related to strategic planning. Corporate performance management uses metrics to assess the present state of the business. Metric related data is consistent and correct. Corporate performance management speeds up the budget and forecasting process, improving accuracy and providing auditable budgets. The forecasting ability helps the business to take appropriate action in keeping with the occasion. Consolidation is an important component in CPM. Financials depend upon the consolidation process. Business intelligence refers to turning data into information. This information is used in decision making.

History of Corporate Performance Management

Corporate Performance Management provides detailed information on Corporate Performance Management, Corporate Performance Management Software, Corporate Performance Management Solutions, Corporate Performance Management Courses and more. Corporate Performance Management is affiliated with Business Process Management Systems [http://www.e-BusinessProcessManagement.com].

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Difference Between Leadership and Management?

There are distinct differences between leadership and management. Sometimes you are able to keep them separate, and sometimes you must act as both manager and leader. Here are the differences between leadership and management, as well as some tips on integrating the two.

Leadership and management are two different concepts and actions. In many organizations, leaders and managers are the same people. The difference is in how you, as a leader and manager, separate the tasks of the two realms - and try to find a way to integrate them at the same time. In general terms, leadership can be defined as setting a vision and providing a goal or direction. On the other hand, management is the execution of the vision or the goal. If you are a manager and leader, you must balance the two. If you lead with no management, you'll provide direction with no concept of how to get to the ultimate result. But if you manage with no leadership, you'll find people in your organization wondering why they're doing what they're doing. Granted, in some organizations, the senior or executive level management can truly lead, that is, set the direction, while middle or line managers execute. Let's take a look at the true differences between management and leadership, and then find out how to integrate them.

Management Concept

One of the first big differences between leadership and management is the idea of change. A leader must initiate change - it's the whole idea of setting a direction or new goals. As most organizations know, change is difficult and sometimes uncomfortable. The leader sets the change as a positive, explains why the change is being made, and sets out either to manage it or to allow a team of managers to do so. A manager, though, when faced with change, must adapt to the change and then maintain the status quo - until another change comes along. Management is the practice of adapting and then maintaining - not necessarily determining changes that need to occur.

Another difference between leadership and management is the person's outlook on the organization. Leaders take a "bird's eye view" or "50,000 foot" view of the organization and its situations. From this vantage point, a leader can look at the big picture - how is the organization functioning, what processes are linked to what areas, and what changes will make things more efficient and cost effective. A manager, although in tune with the big picture, must continue to look at the micro picture, what's going on right in his or her area. This is not a short sighted view, but a view that can manage the nuts and bolts of the smaller unit.

Leaders and managers must take different views of processes and procedures, as well. A leader is concerned with overall processes. Remember, from the bird's eye view, a leader can see which processes are effective and which ones are not. A shift in process may come from an overall leader, but the procedures or execution of the new process is a management function. The managers with the micro views can make changes to their procedures in order to carry a process through from its beginning to its end. Along the same lines, a leader may even define a desired result, leaving process changes to other managers. In this situation, a leader might say that the time it takes to complete "Process X" is too long - the desired result is a shorter timeframe. Managers must be concerned with the tools that will help them achieve the desired result - for example, a new piece of equipment may be needed to shorten the timeframe for Process X, and a manager must have the knowledge of the tools to make this recommendation.

Motivation and control are also two other differences between leadership and management. A leader should provide motivation - after all, the leader is setting new directions. He or she must be ready to motivate by explaining why changes are occurring and what the desired results will bring. Motivation should also come from "kudos" for jobs well done and for improvements - this also means that encouragement must be the motivation for underperformance. A manager may have to take control after a leadership motivation occurs. This doesn't mean that a manager must be controlling or micromanage people or processes. It means that a manager must exercise a firm grip on the processes and ensure that people are getting their assigned tasks completed.

There are obviously numerous differences between leadership and management, and we've only discussed a few here. But what if you are, as managers are increasingly becoming, the manager and leader? How can you integrate and balance both sides of the leadership / management equation? Sometimes it's a question of levels: you may have to initiate change and motivate, then turn right around and manage the processes and the tools. There may be an easier way to look at the integration of management and leadership. According to Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, managing less is a great way to simply be a leader and manager all rolled into one. When Welch originally looked at his managers, he felt that they were managing too closely, not giving employees enough latitude to make decisions on their own within a framework. He transitioned managers into "creating a vision" for employees and always making sure the vision was on target - if not, adjustments could be made from the management perspective.

The most common argument to Welch's theory is that managers need to manage - they must be aware of what's going on at all times. Welch's advice: relax. Let people perform. Obviously if there's an issue, you may have to put your manager's hat back on and go down to the source of the issue. But by concentrating on the ultimate result and letting people get there, you're inspiring confidence and motivation. You're also allowing a new group of leaders to emerge.

Be aware of the differences between management and leadership. Use both wisely as an integrated way to inspire, but also to ensure that teams are on track.

Difference Between Leadership and Management?

About this Author

Copyright 2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - Managing Director and National Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

Subscribe to his blog - and learn the legendary secrets of top business training programs at: [http://www.BreathtakingLeadership.com] & http://www.BryantNielson.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryant_Nielson

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The Importance of Time Management

Working for myself, from home, means I am responsible for the work I do. It also means I am the one that must create the necessary motivation to achieve all that I plan to achieve on a given day or week. I know how important it is to set goals and create routines, yet I have spent weeks now working on this article. I have really struggled with motivation and I have wasted hours and hours of time not doing what I know I should be doing. Funnily enough, just writing that makes me suddenly conscious that I am never going to get that time back and that if I'd used it well I could be working on something new. So with no more procrastination, let's all learn from the words I am about to write.

What is time management?

Management Concept

Time management is about managing your day affectively so you can achieve all that you want to achieve. It is also about making use of time today, so that you can obtain larger, long term goals whose deadline is sometime in the future. Being able to manage your time well will leave you with a feeling of mastery and accomplishment, knowing that you put your time to good use.

Having busy lives with enormous demands from so many sources means life often feels like a juggling act. People can become overwhelmed with the amount they have to do, making them tired, disgruntled and demotivated. Motivation is important as it can lead to an apathy which can prevent you from doing anything, even though you know there is so much to do.

As such, time management can be seen as making the best use of your time, so you can handle all your responsibilities, without giving in to the misery of procrastination.

Why is it so important?

We all know that time marches on. We can all say "make the best of each day", "live every day as though it's your last", but are such affirmations alone enough? I am aware that time is precious but it took writing the words hours and hours, that jolted me into a frenzy of activity that I was beginning to think had gone forever.

Being able to manage time is important for those people who desperately would like more time to do all the things they want to do. You know who you are -- "I wish there were more hours in a day" is one of your favourite sayings. Yet there are some people that seem to get so much done each day and still find time to relax and enjoy themselves. We all have the same amount of time. As such, good time management is about making the best of the time available to you. This also means using your time to help you attain both your short term and long term goals.

Stress is a huge problem in this society and being in control of your own time is a sure way of helping you manage the stress you face everyday. By knowing what you are doing and when, then having enough time to do each activity will go a long way to helping you towards a life of reduced stress.

Finally, I think it is important to mention the concept of flow. Flow refers to those moments where you are so focused on an activity that all other things are forgotten. If you are managing your time well, you should be engaging in regular flow-inducing activities. This means minimising time wasters that do nothing to enhance your wellbeing or give you that feel-good feeling that comes from engaging in something that absorbs all of your attention. So begin by switching off the television, stop checking your email every five minutes and browsing websites that you are not really that interested in.

The Importance of Time Management


Copyright Julia Barnard 2007

Julia Barnard is a professional counsellor living in Adelaide, Australia. She provides an online counselling service through her website http://www.makethechange.com.au. Julia also writes articles for the website aimed at enhancing wellbeing and promoting good mental health.

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Space Waste Management

To keep our atmosphere clean, we need to have a proper waste management system. It is a responsibility of every human being on this earth and somehow we do it with utmost care. But have you ever given it a thought that what would be condition of space? In a report by NASA, the space stations are pilled up with trash and garbage causing serious health hazards to the astronauts. Shocking but true! There is a dire need to introduce a proper space waste management system to deal with this unforeseen danger. The space agencies need to have an excellent waste strategy before they plan to send any astronauts to mars or moon mission.

The waste management in the spacecrafts or the space stations cannot be undertaken in isolation. However scientists at NASA have already proposed a unique way to deal with the situation. Jean Hunter, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, has been working with research partner Orbital Technologies Corp. (ORBITEC) of Madison, Wis., to develop a revolutionary trash dryer for NASA.

Management Concept

This unique dryer blow hot dry air through wet trash and collects the water from the warm and moist air that comes out. Further, this water is purified for drinking purposes and the trash remains dry, odorless and static. The air and the heat are recycled to contain odors and save energy. The technique is called Heat-pump dehumidification frequently used for drying lumber. Now with this technique of dealing with the space waste, the spacecraft can bring full trash bags from Russian space station MIR to earth, where it could be burnt and destroyed. Sounds interesting!

Space Waste Management


Pauline Go is an online leading expert in education. She also offers top quality articles like:

Biography Of Paul Wolfowitz, Einstein Selfless Great Deed

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The Concept of Zero Defects in Six Sigma

The concept of zero defects as explained and initiated by Philip Crosby is a business system that aims at reducing the defects in a process, and doing the process correctly the first time itself.

The Concept of Zero Defects

Management Concept

When would a product be acceptable to a customer? It would be acceptable when it meets or conforms to the requirements of the customer - it is not just about being good. In short, when a product is built to specifications without any drawbacks, then it is an acceptable product. In terms of defects, a product will be acceptable when it is free of defects.

When considering the concept of zero defects, one might want to know what that zero defect level is, if acceptable levels can be achieved for a product.

Attaining perfect zero defects may not be possible, and there is always a chance of some errors or defect occurring. Zero defects means reaching a level of infinity sigma - which is nearly impossible. In terms of Six Sigma, zero defects would mean maximization of profitability and improvement in quality.

A process has to be in place that allows for the achievement of zero defects. Unless conditions are perfect, the objective of zero defects is not possible. It is possible to measure non-conformance in terms of waste. Unless the customer requirements are clear, you will not be able to achieve the product that matches these requirements and is not short of them or exceeds them.

Advantages

The advantage of achieving a zero defect level is waste reduction. When time is spent on manufacturing quality goods and services according to customer requirements, it will also lead to cost reductions.

By conforming to requirements, customer satisfaction is achieved - and that means improvement in customer loyalty and retention and an increase in profitability.

Possible Drawback of Pushing For Zero Defects

Some experts argue that if there is an overemphasis on efforts to create a situation of zero defects, there may be an increased allotment of time and expense on building the perfect process, which in reality is not entirely possible. It may be detraction from the realistic culture of successful continuous improvement.

In the same line of thought, if for zero defect there are tests and checkpoints at various places, it will result in an increase in the costs on these activities. There is also a probability of losing a good product due to overly strict criteria.

Impact on the Workforce and Supply Chain

Employees are aware of the need to reduce defects, and they strive to achieve continual improvement. However, over-emphasis of zero defects levels may be demoralizing, and may even lead to non-productivity. Unless a level of zero defects is achieved, it would be regarded as an unacceptable level.

When the zero defect rule is applied to suppliers and any minor defects are said to be unacceptable, then the company's supply chain may be jeopardized - which in itself is not the best business scenario.

It may be acceptable to have a policy of continuous improvement rather than a zero defect one. Companies may be able to achieve decent reduction in costs and improved customer satisfaction levels to achieve a bigger market share.

The Concept of Zero Defects in Six Sigma


Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

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The Importance of CRM Customer Relationship Management

CRM Customer Relationship Management is one of the newest innovations in customer service today. CRM stands for customer relationship management and helps the management and customer service staffs cope with customer concerns and issues. CRM involves gathering a lot of data about the customer. The data is then used to facilitate customer service transactions by making the information needed to resolve the issue or concern readily available to those dealing with the customers. This results in more satisfied customers, a more profitable business and more resources available to the support staff. Furthermore, CRM Customer Relationship Management systems are a great help to the management in deciding on the future course of the company.

As mentioned, there is much data needed for the CRM system to work. These fields include the customer name, address, date of transactions, pending and finished transactions, issues and complaints, status of order, shipping and fulfillment dates, account information, demographic data and many more. This information is important in providing the customer the answer that he or she needs to resolve the issue without having to wait for a long time and without going to several departments. With just a few mouse clicks, a customer support representative for example can track the location of the customer's package or order. This is infinitely better than the cumbersome process of tracking shipments previously. Furthermore, the customer service representative will also be able to see the previous concerns of the customer. This is a great help especially if the customer is calling about the same issue since he or she will not have to repeat the story all over again. This results in less time in resolving the issue, thus, higher productivity of the support staff.

Management Concept

CRM Customer Relationship Management systems are also important to the top management because it provides crucial data like customer satisfaction and efficiency of service by the frontline crews. A piece of customer relationship management software will also be able to generate the needed reports for product development or new concepts. Furthermore, this system will also be a great help for the top management in deciding the company's future course of action, whether it involves phasing out one of the products on the shelves or making adjustments to one of the products sold.

The reports generated by CRM systems are also invaluable to your advertising and marketing planners, as they will be able to pinpoint which ideas works and which do not. Because of CRM systems, you will be able to release advertisements or plan marketing campaigns more in tune with your target market. This will also lead to more responses to your advertisement and a more effective marketing campaign.

Successful integration of a CRM Customer Relationship Management system in your company, however, might not be as easy as it seems. The following might give you an insight why CRM systems fail in some companies... Most companies fail to prepare for CRM systems. By this, I mean that most companies fail to integrate all the departments that need to share the information for it to be effective. Furthermore, CRM units scattered all over the company's departments is often more effective than just making one big CRM department. This will ensure that each department will get the information and data that they need.

A CRM system will also help you a lot in expanding your business. As CRM systems are capable of handling enormous amounts of data, CRM systems will help you a lot in coping with the increased numbers of customers and data. With a CRM Customer Relationship Management system installed and properly utilized, you can be sure that all data is maximized and used to ensure that your business will be successful and your customers a lot more satisfied than before.

The Importance of CRM Customer Relationship Management


Steven Taylor is a Marketing Consultant to http://www.Retronix.com - one of the most innovative and effective suppliers to the electronics & semiconductor industries. Services include BGA Rework and De-Bug Services.

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How To Measure Total Quality Management, TQM, Success

Implementing TQM is an initiative many organizations wanted to embark on. Assuming that you are a leader of this organization, a common question you probably asked would be: "How do I know whether my organization is successful in implementing TQM?"

TQM implementation has been in my mind for a long time and I wondered how to measure the success of TQM implementation in an organization. If we take an organizations who are winners of the Baldrige Award, then my question is whether taking an assessment based on Baldrige Criteria an appropriate measure to gage the success of TQM in an organization.

Management Concept

There is no doubt that measuring TQM implementation is success rate is of interest with all if not most leaders. Otherwise, how would you as a leader know the effort put into implementing TQM is really worthwhile, more so when a lot of resources such a money, manpower etc are deployed to support the implementation of a TQM initiative.

So, would you ask a similar question before the TQM initiative is started? Or You would ask half way during its implementation? How would you like to measure the success of the TQM implementation? Do you accept the opinion of your management comment alone or you rather based on some form of evaluation result?

One of the ways to evaluate the TQM success is to adopt a holistic approach of assessing your organization. One of the examples of such a holistic approach is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award assessment approach. This is a national level award system in the United States to recognize organizations for achieving an excellent in their respective business.

To prepare for an assessment, you need to understand the Baldrige criteria which is used a reference for the assessment. Once you have understood the Baldrige Criteria, you would start to conduct an assessment based on these criteria. You may perform a self assessment guided by the Baldrige Self Assessment criteria to ascertain your level of performance with reference to the Baldrige Criteria. For a self assessment, it takes must lesser time. Alternatively, you can go for a full scale assessment. This mode of assessment may be conducted by your management team or a 3rd party Baldrige Assessors.

To help you to adopt the Baldrige Criteria, there are eleven core values and concepts used by the Baldrige Criteria. To jump start your assessment effort, perhaps you start with the understanding of these core values and concepts.

How To Measure Total Quality Management, TQM, Success


About the Author: Dr. LM Foong, PhD

He writes and publishes TQM articles, ebooks, case studies, trainer manual and presentation slides. Please visit website at http://www.tqmcasestudies.com for more TQM related matters. He can be contacted at http://www.tqmcasestudies.com/ContactUs.html

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Cross Cultural Management

Cross-cultural Management is a system designed to train and make known to people in the global business about the variations of cultures, practices and preferences of consumers around the globe.

Cross-cultural Management poses as a challenge for companies from all over the world who participate in the global market. As time passes by, the diversity in culture, practices and preferences significantly increases, and so is the need for cross-cultural management, to be able to bridge the communication gaps for every culture.

Management Concept

As the competition becomes rigid, the need to survive becomes a difficult test for most companies. Each must compete and at the same time formulate strategies that would make them stay alive. One is alliance with other companies, (not necessarily of the same country, culture, or preference).

Because of the increasing immigration counts, the global marketplace has become culturally diverse. And in order to survive, a company must be highly productive and at the same time innovative. It is a manager's key function to promote and maintain a system of communication to best understand the others' cultures and preferences, and at the same time keep pace with time zones, trends and updates so as not to get off the global market tracks or lose out to rivals.

Before embarking on a global marketplace, a newbie company must first be aware of the consumers to whom it will introduce its products and services. Thus, an intensive research about varied cultures and preferences of the possible target market in the world market is very necessary.

Communication is the foremost tool needed to deal with the stiff market competition. And, through cross-cultural management, people are trained to see other cultures and are exposed to various practices to be able to familiarize themselves on the preferences in products and services of various cultures.

Copyright 2007 Ismael D. Tabije

Cross Cultural Management


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