Article Abstract:
W. Edwards Deming is an 87-year-old business consultant who is credited with being one of the initiators of Japan's quality consciousness, and with helping to turn around the fortunes of troubled firms such as Nashua Corp and Ford Motor Co. Deming's management approach is based on the notion that all business processes are subject to change that can lead to reduced quality. Deming therefore believes that management must control variation levels in order to succeed and remain competitive. Among 14 key points of management propounded by Deming are: calling for extensive business-sponsored employee training; ending annual rating and merit systems; eliminating barriers among staff areas; ending production targets; and promoting long-term business relationships with a few suppliers.
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Article Abstract:
Hong Kong's economic future is being threatened by the trend of young executives choosing to emigrate to Australia, Canada and the U.S. in search of better opportunities, with as many as one-third of the managers between the ages of 30 and 35 planning to seek their fortunes overseas. Hong Kong has always relied on human resources for success, but the loss of the young professionals has caused some companies to adopt strategies that are not considered to be in their best interests. Among these are the expansion of backup positions behind senior management, accelerated employee promotions, and expansion of management-training programs. The effect of these trends on local Hong Kong companies and the boost it has meant for executive recruiters are described.
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Article Abstract:
Entrepreneurs who operate from within corporations, so-called 'champions', are those executives who come up with the ideas for new products or new technologies and possess the motivation to follow through on the ideas to realize their benefits. Many companies are so anxious to hold on to these executives that they do not consider how well the ideas fit into the overall organization, both in terms of the company fit (the commitment of top management to the ideas) and the marketplace fit (to assure that the products being developed will be successful on the market). The process of criteria-setting to assure that the ideas will truly benefit the organization is described, and the importance of a 'sponsor' for the 'champion' from top management is discussed.
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