Consumer Spending Increases 1% Showing Cosumer Confidence

Approximately 2/3rds of the economy is based on consumer spending so a 1% increase last month, as reported by the Commerce Department, shows improving consumer confidence. Consumer confidence doesn't rest on purchasing power alone but how consumers feel about the economy and their prospects for the future.

When consumers are confident they can maintain employment and their incomes they are more willing to purchase items then if they are fearful. Optimism and fear seem to be the two main components here. When people are confident they want to spend and enjoy life but when they are fearful they want to hang onto their money.

The increased spending is a risk of current reward versus future risk. People typically scan their options and prospects about the future based on the subjective impressions, news, friends opinions, and jobs to determine whether or not a purchase is possible. In many cases it is as much a "hunch" and "feeling" as anything else.

A large increase of 1% in a single economy means that people are feeling good and have positive perceptions of their lives. They want to enjoy the things they purchase and not worry about tomorrow. As their optimism rises so does the general speed and strength of the national economy. How people feel when they go into a store is the first point of contact that determines consumer activity on a national level.

The Strategy Creation Process

The strategy creation process takes time and a well thought out approach to the market. Internal resources must be understood and considerable market analysis created before it is possible to truly match the two. As one moves down the process of strategy creation they will inevitably come across new challenges. Step 1: The need for change occurs due to market adjustments that leave the company less competitive than before. This pressure forces the company to rethink its strategy. Step 2: Defining the problem and its impact on the business can be difficult. Companies have often made the problem of misinterpreting the underlining cause of change and therefore won't be able to master a solution. Step 3: Determine the possible short and long-term solutions to those problems. This may take time, research and analysis to even have a solution. - Review the success and failures of other companies. - Understand the market and its demands. - Review the regulatory environment - Spend time understanding customers and what they need from the company. Step 4: Consider the overall needs of the customer and how they fit within the strategy. There must be some value proposition the company can offer that will appeal to customers and their need to purchase. Step 5: Scan Internal resources and see what the company currently has in place and can put in place to meet market challenges. Step 6: Review all possible strategies and ensure that investments in this strategy will create the most flexibility and options in the future. Step 7: Adjust all activities to meeting the new strategies and ensure that performance is rewarded for successful completion. Step 8: Continually review the strategy and match it against the needs of the market.

Getting in Touch with Performance by Getting in Touch with Self

Performance is seen as the primary marker of a person's success. Depending on whether a person is focused on short or long-term goals the way in which they approach the work environment will change. Intrinsically motivated people will focus on the personal value of their work while extrinsically motivated will seek the recognition from others to maintain momentum. Getting in touch with yourself will determine how you approach your work.

People who are task oriented focus on immediate gains that can be helpful for getting the work done. Sometimes they miss the big picture and fail to see why those tasks are important. They can continue on with the same tasks without questioning whether or not their work is ending in fruitful results.

Others are more long-term and question every task and its importance. If the task doesn't have real additive value or doesn't seem to be the best use of their time they will lose motivation quickly. They question the work they are doing and try and keep it as relevant as possible.

As you can tell the way in which we view our work and ourselves filters through everything we do. It becomes part of our work activities and perception towards that work. By tapping into our own potential, wants, and needs we are able to improve our work capacity and the organization.

Most importantly, we also come to like that work more as we find personal meaning in it and are able to identify with our tasks more. This is the ultimate goal of any organization that wants to develop long-term relationships with their employees and create a strong talent base. The more they can help employees reach their true potential the more they can benefit from the natural outputs of personal strength discovery.

Tapping your true potential isn't an easy road and takes lots of new experiences, learning, and integration of knowledge. Most people don't have the capacity to develop on their own and will continually fall into the same perceptions and patterns they are accustomed with. Through getting in touch with who you are you can find your personal strengths and weaknesses and put them to constructive work.

Monuments of a Commercial Past

Lighthouses are a monument of the past that represent a time when shipping was the main mode of transportation and method of moving products. The Great Lakes were an integral part of the country economy and movement of natural resources. The houses and families that once lived there are gone but the blinking lights that indicate land are still there.

People visit these monuments because they find them to be peaceful reminders of our past. They were part of what made our country great. As people visit these historical places they read about some of the families that lived there and what it all meant.

In Delta County Michigan there is a long maritime history of ore boats, logging, shipping, and natural resources. The water was one way in which people spent a great amount of time cultivating to ensure their survival in a harsh environment. The water and its gifts are still very much part of local life even though modern amenities have made their way into the area.

Succeeding in Small Business by Offering Something Unique

Small businesses don't often have the capital, manpower or resources to make their businesses competitive with larger chains. They suffer from a lack of having most things. Businesses that try and be all to everyone often fail as larger chains use their deep pockets to create exceptional facilities and economies of scale. Small business compete best when they create a niche and focus on a few service enhancements.

Large chains will always cater to the middle of the market in hopes of earning the most amount of money. This leaves everything outside of the bell curve for prime pickings for small business. For example, a large chain may focus on families with children that want pools while a smaller hotel might focus on providing exceptional comfort for retires.

This creates a fundamental shift in how the business thinks. All the marketing, design, decor, and associated services would be geared toward this niche demographic. Instead of marketing in the general paper they would focus more on niche publications and outlets. Instead of emphasizing the local sports activities they might focus more on restaurants and activities that appeal to their core demographic.

If you have a small business consider how you can maximize your opportunities by finding a true demographic that fits outside the average curve. By developing and focusing on this target customer you can draw in more interest and people that are willing to pay for your service and come back over and over. With enough time and forethought you could have a thriving business again.

Modern Airport Travel

The modern airport offers conveniences beyond what our parents could have imagined. Recent generations have become increasingly familiar with airports as a method of traveling. They expect more and get more in terms of amenities and options. From free Wi-Fi to piano lounges seem to be only some of what they expect.

Partly a mall, a strip of restaurants and a transportation hub the airport offers a complete flying experience. Generation X also expects these things. They don't want to travel and be inconvenienced by poor design. Localities are investing more money to make these things happen. Airports are now little cities.

Security checkpoints are becoming more customer friendly and airlines are trying hard to accommodate customers. Incidents do happen and there are service failures but this is becoming more rare.  Improvement in the overall speed and customer friendly processes are improving.

Service skills will still be important. You can have all the fast checkout lines and amenities you want but at the end of the day it is necessary to treat people well. Friendly, fast, and as individuals. Airlines were once notorious for thinking about people as numbers. Service recovery will become increasingly important as people come to expect more.

Why do People Skew Information?

I often wondered why people can see the same thing and come out with different conclusions. While thinking about this for some time and my knowledge of business, society and psychology I believe there is a fundamental reasons why information gets changed in a persons mind. People see what they are interested in and socialized to accept.

Consider two people in a conversation about a particular topic. Both hear something different and see the event differently. It is possible that the information they saw, retained and recalled is based on their memory and interest. If we are interested in a particular topic of information then we will remember that which either confirms our interest or that which helps us.

People skew information either inadvertently or intentionally. Through the natural course of paying attention to some information and ignoring others they may be inadvertently skewing the information. However, some skew information in order to obtain a benefit that wasn't necessarily derived from the conversation.

For example, a person could try and skew information to bolster their position with others or to try and reframe information. An important and regularly used method that is effective. Power structure makes this even more difficult when people who don't hold equal power dont have the ability to call the bluff without consequences.

Likewise, people have developed mental models throughout their lives and use those models for interpreting information. Those models filter out some information and leave other information. The interpretation of the event and top becomes skewed by the model. If the model is dysfunctional it will be consistently inaccurate.

Metrics and Personality Create Organizational Culture

Organizations are not built by official policies but by the implicit knowledge that is transferred by how people are promoted and the personalities of key stakeholders. The total information come from the environment will determine how the employee interprets what it takes to get ahead and the appropriate activities are. When most employees have the same impression you have corporate culture.

Corporate culture is the unwritten rules and expectations of the workplace that move beyond the formal written expectations. Many companies fail because changes in the formal structure are not accepted in the corporate culture and the organization begins to not adapt to its environment. Changing corporate strategy means changing how people are paid and the personalities that influence the outcomes.

It is hard for companies to figure these problems out because 1 + 1 doesn't equal 2. It takes considerable experience and knowledge to understand how these subtle influences work. Yet they may actually be the most important part of how the business runs.

Consider a company that has formal rules but there is an active culture where people are paid for some activities and not for others. It would make sense that everyone from the employee to the senior leadership seek out additional rewards and compensation. If the metrics used to determine performance are misaligned with the organizations mission it is only a mater of time before problems arise.

The same can be said for personalities. One bad apple in a leadership position can poison all the other apples in the bunch. In essence, the perception of that bad apple emulates throughout the company and the department. In the end an entire social network can be formed that has almost nothing to do with what the company is seeking to accomplish.

Is your Pefectionist Boss Hiding a Problem?

Most businesses encourage high quality work that is accurate and creates an impact. If you are feeling the pressure from your boss to perform more, get more done, and do it perfectly there may be a problem your boss is hiding. This becomes even more apparent when the boss resorts to constant criticism of work without regard to its actual merits. The next time your boss is on a perfectionist, demanding, and criticism streak think about their psycho-social development. 

Good quality work should always be expected but there comes a point where perfectionism is maladaptive. In these cases the expectations become unrealistic and the demands start to damage the continuity and functionality of the workplace.  People who work with the manager become frustrated, their self-esteem gets damaged, and turn over rates start to climb.  Personality gets projected all over the workplace and results suffer without the awareness of the manager.

Overly demanding and perfectionist people often hold hidden personality disorders that are manifesting themselves throughout their lives. Such individuals are overly concerned with results, hypersensitive to criticism, have difficulties interacting with others, and generally have poor personal images (Dimaggio, et. al., 2015). The same persistent demanding traits that got them promoted also begin to break down when managing the subtleties of relationships.

 

 There is a difference between a boss who has high standards and those who have maladaptive personalities. High standard bosses will give constructive feedback and have reasonable expectations of performance. They accept that things don't always work out perfect and adjust their approaches as needed. Maladaptive personalities are pathological and have the same hypercritical and unrealistic approach to everything and everyone they work with. They are projecting their dislike of themselves onto others.

 

Such bosses are difficult to work with as they can't change or vary their personality in a way that is helpful to their employees or the workplace. Their personality disorder integrates into everything they do and they will be incapable of seeing another point of view. If they don't get the results they want they start to get even more aggressive and domineering. The best you can do is weather the changes and wait until the situation changes. If the problem is too persistent you can move onto another job.

Dimaggio, G., et. al. (2015). Perfectionism and personality disorders as predictors of symptoms and interpersonal problems. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 69 (3).

 

36th International Business Research Conference

DATES: 14 – 16 July 2016

VENUE: Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada

Submission Deadline: 6 June 2016 and Registration Deadline: 27 June 2016

Website: www.torontoconfo.com and email: paperswbi@gmail.com

Full-length papers, research-in-progress papers, case studies and /or abstracts, relating to all broad areas of Accounting, Banking, Finance, Economics, Investment, Management, Marketing, Business Ethics, E-Commerce and all other areas of Business Studies are invited for the above international conference. An author can present up to two papers. This conference is supported by 5 internationally peer reviewed journals, World Business Institute, Australia and American Research and Publications International, USA.

Submission Guidelines, Review Process and Announcement of Acceptance:

Please send full papers and/or abstracts directly via paperswbi@gmail.com by 6 June 2016 (please note you can submit papers any time before this deadline). At the time of submission, please include information relating to your title (Mr. Ms. Dr. etc), author’s names and full address of the institute/university with contact email address for correspondence. All papers will be double blind reviewed and the notice relating to acceptance of abstract and/or full paper will be provided within 10 working days after we receive them. Please see the submission guidelines.

Publications Opportunity Without Any Fee

Outstanding papers will be considered for publication, without any fee, in the following international peer reviewed and indexed (EBSCO, Ulrich, ABDC, ERA etc) journals with ISSN: Journal of Business and Policy Research. World Journal of Management, Global Economy and Finance Journal, International Review of Business Research Papers, Global Review of Accounting and Finance subject to compliance to editorial comments. However quality papers will also be considered for World Journal of Social Science and World Review of Business Research, subject to compliance to editorial comments and conference feedback that would be sent after the conference. Please note there is no fee involved for submission or publication in online issue of these journals. However, there is subscription fee of US$150 for a printed copy of the journal.

Awards and Conference Proceedings and other Benefits

Best paper award will be announced in each track and will be published in any of the above journals and a certificate will be issued to the winners. All winners will be awarded Fellowship of World Business Institute and Membership of American Research and Publication International without any cost. All accepted abstract and full papers (for those who register for the conference) will be published in the refereed conference proceedings with ISBN and will be published electronically via a separate website, namely, www.wbiworldconpro.com which is linked with Google Scholar. There is an option that the participant can serve as session chair and/or discussant of a paper of his/her own area of interest and certificate will be issued to such participant.

Research Networking Tour

On 16 July 2016, we will organise a Research Networking Tour to Niagra Falls. The cost is US $125. Please see the link provided on the conference website for more information about what is included as part of the tour.

Further information:

Please click on the links provided on www.torontoconfo.com for more information. For other enquiries please email Ms. Nuha Jahan via email address: paperswbi@gmail.com

Economy and Jobs Important Concerns for Californians

Americans are concerned about their jobs. According to a USC Schwarzenegger Institute/Field Poll printed in an MSNBC article, 73 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans feel that the economy and jobs are the most important concern for the looming elections. Education and Social Security take a backseat to the need to keep Americans employed.

Rightly so. There are changes in the wind that many people will become distinctly aware of in the next decade. Information and money transfers across the globe in a quickening pace and this is going to disrupt the global economy while pushing local economies to adapt or collapse. New economic models will need to be developed to predict and foster change.

Consider how much has changed in the past 30 years and how much faster in the next 30 years. China is on the rise and the Millennials will be in charge of the national economy but also influencing international commerce. Economic integration and innovation is likely to speed up making education and learning more important. There will very be few stop signs to change beyond isolationism.

While the economy and jobs is important most Americans rely on our politicians to help them understand how the economy works. They know a good economy equals a solid paycheck, purchasing power, and a better life. Why this happens is only partly based on science and in many cases speculation...and this is where politics fills the interpretation gap. 

Knowing When to and when Not to Talk to a Coworker

Coworkers are like family as we spend most of our day, every week, sitting next to and communicating on some level with our coworkers. Most coworkers are excellent and easy to get along with. However, there are some who are not so easy to get along with and the more you talk with them the worse it will get. Those trouble workers should be politely dismissed and ignored for greater workplace health.

Most people are contributors through their positive personalities and mature disposition. They can hold a reasonable conversation and seek to treat people appropriately. They can create the most enjoyable workplace as reasonably possible and want positive relationships with others.

When you are surrounded with positive people the workplace will be enjoyable. You will be more motivated to come and engage in meaningful work. The workplace is only partly about the work and more so about how you feel and interact with others at work.

Toxic people poison everyone around them and should be avoided at all costs. They have a negative outlook on life and won't contribute anything of real value to you or the workplace. By being polite but also firm you can maintain your boundaries with them. Avoid getting into non-work related discussions with them.

With all relationships consistency has value. Consistency in your personality will draw positive people and detract from the motivation from negative people. When someone is seeking advantages at the expense of others they look for personalities that don't seem to be confident or change based on the circumstances. 

Does Yoga Improve Book Smarts and Academic Performance?

Yoga may have additional benefits that move beyond general health and into improved educational outcomes. According to new research in the journal Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine Yoga may improve cognitive function and mood of students. If your hitting the books hard you might want to engage in some yoga activities to improve performance. 

An analysis of nine studies found an effect size  for mood indicators, tension and anxiety, self-esteem, and memory. This doesn't mean it improved functioning in all cases but that there is some indication that students performance will increase based on their yoga practice. The results didn't make any determination on the type of yoga that was most helpful. 

Even though the study was geared toward children the benefits are likely to be applied to adults as well. Particularly, adult students suffer from anxiety, poor cognition, mood changes, and other ailments that impact their performance. The more balanced the personality becomes the more likely improvements will be seen in performance. 

Emotional intelligence is an important indicator of success in nearly all fields. If yoga helps in the improvement of focus and emotions then it is bound to have some improvement on educational performance. Persistence in practice and the ability to focus on school work can influence the overall academic performance. Engaging in regular yoga practice might just make you a little smarter. 

Ferreira-Vorkapic, C., et. al. (2015) Are There Benefits from Teaching Yoga at Schools? A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials of Yoga-Based Interventions. Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 17

Gig Economy Wont Pay Much in Taxes Unless System Reform

In addition to companies moving overseas, lost investment and general frustration with the tax system itself it can now add lost future tax revenue. According to a study conducted by Bloomberg most of the $2.5 million people earning money from shared services such as Lyft, Airbnb and other services don't pay taxes. They fall under a $20K threshold that don't require companies to report their income at all. Without tax reform this trend is likely to grow.

The government suspects that $194 billion is under-reported every year. As the gig economy grows so will the opportunities to not report the income. People will earn their income from multiple places and these will fall under the reporting threshold. Under-reported income will likely increase as a direct percentage of labor market transitions.

Antiquated systems leave room for mistakes. Financial information can be reported easily ensuring that revenue is adequately represented. It makes no difference if it is 5K or 25K as the revenue can be reported with the same ease. Those that do not meet minimum thresholds simply don't pay but their amount they make from multiple companies  is filed.

As the gig economy becomes increasingly common people will naturally have different small pocket earnings that is difficult to include unless the system becomes more sophisticated. This would mean that the way we view taxation and the kinds of taxes we collect, and on what amounts, would need to change. The same sophistication can be used in better monitoring income from large corporations that skirt reporting requirements.

Researching Companies Before the Job Interview

Job interviews offer you an opportunity to show your skills to a potential employer. They are looking for certain key indicators of your potential. These include job knowledge, communication skills, personality and overall intelligence. Job experience has already been assessed and this is part of what got you to the interview. It your chance to show your character and capacity.

Researching the company helps you to better answer questions the hiring manager is likely to ask.  They want to know what you can do for them so ensuring that you frame all your answers in this way is helpful. It can be difficult to give strong answers if you don't understand the business you are applying for.

Managers are also looking for people who can communicate and elaborate on their skills. Having a strong knowledge of the business and position you are applying for can make a big difference in your communication confidence.

Those who research the company also show that they take the job interview seriously. They took the time needed to understand the company and formulate a strong opinion. Candidates that approach issues that way will likely research topics online as well.

Greater Hiring in Higher Education-Administration Positions Show Big Business

Higher Education is on a hiring track seeking high quality candidates to fulfill their needs. According to an analysis conducted in the HigherEDJobs a .7% hiring increase was realized in the Q1 2016 at 12,500 colleges. Open position advertisements were up 13.7% indicating that future growth is likely.

Administration heavy and faculty light are some of the findings. One of the reasons why this is the case is that college has become big business and bureaucracy is a growing risk. 

As higher education legislation grows so does the need to have lots of administrators to manage the data mills. Administrators have a knack for justifying their own existence. 

A potential problem is that as higher education institutions become top heavy they also become more expensive. More administrators means more layers of management, less innovation, and increasing cost.

Universities should be hiring faculty and removing as many barriers to teaching as they can. This means ensuring that all activities are focused on teaching students. Administrators should be kept at a minimum while faculty should be kept at a maximum.

Stealing from Our Children-Ethics for Sale in the Detroit School System

Over 14 individuals are charged in a scheme to provide kickbacks through vendors and enrich the individuals tasked with helping our children learn. As the school system goes bankrupt the FBI has found over $2.7 million dollars of mismanagement. This is likely only the tip of an iceberg for other coordinated thefts throughout the system. Are ethics for sale?

Ethics is an important part of doing business and create trust with our most important national institutions. Our school systems are a promise to the kids of Detroit that they have a chance to make their way out and into a world of prosperity. Those who profess to be helping these kids have taken their money to buy themselves luxury lifestyles and robbing their hopes.

I have found that ethical violations are violations of the perpetrators personality. People who default on their morality when it comes to money have also defaulted on their higher principles. They failed to develop beyond their own needs and issues and lose control over their capacity for higher order reasoning. They believe their image is more  important than their true selves.

As a person who supports ethics and accountability for those who do wrong, whether they are working within the pension funds, law enforcement, city government, construction, non-profits, or anywhere else, it frightens me that moral reasoning is thrown out the window when its convenient. There is a current debate on whether there should be an audit of the system...I say "lets make it happen".

I would recommend an audit of not only the school systems but also anywhere where significant amounts of money have been funneled with lax accounting, record keeping, high turn over, increased expenses and close associates of businesses. The problem is feasibility. It can be expensive to complete detailed audits of large and complex systems.

Not all audits need to be in depth. Some can scan for problems and mismanagement while others move into depth in places where red flags are prevalent. Cursory audits that focus on areas that received previous complaints, whistle blower cases, increasing expenses, and concerns can help bring to our attention the need to do more in-depth audits. Audits are a feedback loop that hold our administrators and public officials accountable to a higher order than themselves.

Someday we might be able to release all of the documents on a public facing site and let the public do its digging as it feels necessary...open innovation can have its benefits for public accountability.

How Globalization Impacts Our Local Businesses

Globalization impacts everything around it. No business can save itself from globalization. Local markets are heavily influenced by the market forces of change. There is nothing that can be done to save it or change it. The only thing a small business can do is adjust and change their strategy as their market changes. A few strategies seem to work the best.

Companies can either seek to adjust by becoming more competitive through changing their internal structure of find additional value with their current offerings. The strategies the business chooses depends on their model and personal strengths. Sometimes they can do both!

Internal Structure: Investing in operations can help companies function better and become more profitable. Sometimes it is best to adjust the structure to ensure maximum flexibility and innovation while other times it is possible to streamline the operation so that it will become cheaper. Small companies may want to focus on improving their adaptability and responsiveness to the market.

Finding Value: It is sometimes beneficial to move into a niche market, raise warranties, enhance services, improve customer service, or change the nature of the products.  Being local has its advantages in creating higher levels of local value through being more connected to local needs. Narrow the focus but improve the value proposition can be helpful.

G7 The Benefits and Dangers of Coordinated Economy

Finance leaders from the G-7 met in Japan to discuss the global economy. Despite the slow down they have decided against coordinated actions to boost the global economy. There are a few good reasons for and against this decision. Coordination is not risk free and does carry a few dangers.

In a global world we should be able to coordinate our economies and prop up a slowing global market. The problem is that the economy runs its course as a large complex system that almost no one can control with any clarity. The more we artificially influence a system the higher the risk for potential backlash.

Consider companies that are protected against foreign competition for decades and then one day the country can no longer afford to protect them. The entire industry gets crushed by those who learned to adapt to the market. The same can be said for national economies.

Stimulus and market coordination can be beneficial in short-term situations but when relied on as a prime method of thwarting change risk begins to build up. The tidal wave of change can only be held back so long. If the global economy is going to improve then it must be a natural change.

Governments can make a difference. Instead of coordinated activities it is possible to create treaties and market infrastructure that makes it easier for economies to become more efficient by adjusting to each other easier. They can make it easier for nations to transfer materials and goods so efficiency raises prosperity across the board.

The Difference Between Good and Bad Managers

Not all managers are good and not all are bad. Most fall somewhere in between. By having some way of understanding the differences between good and bad managers you can gauge your own. The ability to get tasks done is different than the people skills that managers need to succeed. The difference between good and bad....

Good:

Listens to employees needs

Motivates employees to perform at their best

Achieves agendas by drawing in talent

Spends the time to understanding their employees

Can develop personal relationships

Emotionally intelligent

Skillful in their work

Creates confidence

Short and long-term plan

Allows others to manager their own affairs.

Bad:

Doesn't really listen

Focused on their agenda without motivating others

Has a hard time interacting with others

People don't have confidence in their abilities

Seems to be self-focused

Emotionally closed and explosive when angry

Short-term strategies without a long-term plan

Lacks team building skills

Lacks skill and blames others

Micromanages

Tips to Detox Your Brain

You may have heard of detoxing your body by eating the right kinds of food but not of detoxing your brain. Detoxing your brain can improve your outlook on life and renew your focus on your job. A cluttered head with lots of useless toxic thoughts won't give us the best performance.

1.) Find something you enjoy that relaxes you.

Sometimes we move through our working careers and don't take time to find things that we truly enjoy. It is beneficial to find work-life balance so that we can enjoy work and and not be plagued by regret and a negative gnawing feeling that we are neglecting something.

2.) Can you lose yourself in the flow.

Those activities that are the best are the ones that help you get into the flow and forget where you are or how much time you spent on the activity. For some it might be painting while for others it could be sports. It allows you to truly just be in the moment and process your thoughts.

3.) You can connect with yourself.

Not all activities allow you to connect with yourself, your needs, and feelings. It is important to create a healthy mind be being yourself and understanding yourself. Find those activities that allow your brain to slow down and feel at peace.

Are Pension Funds in Need of New Leadership?

The Central States Pension Fund that 1,500 employers contributed to and 407,000 people rely on will likely be reduced to almost nothing. Projections are that it will be out of money in 10 years and there is no viable plan to save it. Employees are receiving this bad news now, have no way out, and the problems were present for years. Are our pension funds in need of new leadership?

Sure....managers can claim "they didn't know" but it is their job to know, managed and project possible scenarios. If they were not doing this then they were not doing their jobs and should be questioned.

Personally I love pension funds because in theory they guarantee we take care of the elderly when they can no longer can work. The problem is that other people love pension funds as well and this opens them up to all types of ethical problems and poor decisions.

As Detroit pension fiasco showed us, pension funds are so attractive that they can become part of financial lining of a city and its politicians. Scrupulous people and unethical businesses got involved, paid bribes, and wasted employees retirement money. Some got caught and some walked....no one would dare to oppose them until the FBI stepped in.

Those that raised a protest were swiped away as trouble makers.

Central States Pension Fund might be a different case but is likely based on some of the very same poor decisions that caused similar funds to go bankrupt. It didn't just run out of money one day and short-sighted decisions must have been made along the path. The employees get thrown into poverty and the business and fund managers move onto other opportunities.

I'm a capitalist at heart but I believe that when a promise is made it should be kept. A tall order in today's world! The problem is that government can't be responsible for other people's decisions. There is a growing need for ethics and values in fund leadership. The way we have been doing it isn't working and we are now seeing fund after fund implode because of poor management.

Trans Pacific Trade Deal to Help or Harm Economy?

There has been a lot of debate over the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal and whether or not it will be helpful. Let me first say there is no clear answer as all trade deals have a give and take aspect as each country focuses on what they need. It can be said that those countries that engage in isolationist views typically don't do as well as those who willingly embrace
the market.

Consider that growing countries need access to investment capital, cheaper resources, and cutting edge technologies to succeed then creating trade deals that feed American companies with what they need will make a big difference. At least in theory, but in real life it gets more complicated as local companies must be ready to compete and city governments must have the policies enacted that help businesses grow.

The problem is that some American companies have some internal work to do before they can maximize their opportunities under new treaties. They will succeed and grow if they can get their products to the market and they will fail if foreign companies have better offerings at a better price point.

The treaty really isn't the issue. The issue is our current capabilities in terms of business and governance that will determine if this treaty will allow for maximum benefits that draws opportunities to the country or if our failure to compete will cause resources to move overseas. If we are afraid then we should get moving and start putting the American spirit to work. Treaty or no treaty we cant keep away the invisible hand of the free market forever.

San Diego Becomes #9 for Entreprenuership

San Diego is quicking becoming a hot market for new businesses ventures that will draw more investment and greater activity. The Kauffman Foundation's Startup Activity report shows San Diego moving up to the 9th best start-up locations. The index looked at:

-Rate of New Entrepreneurs-
-Opportunity Share of New Entrepreneurs
-Startup Density

Movement up for San Diego means the city is improving as a place to do business. This is important for drawing in fresh talent and ensuring that new companies are growing and thriving in a way that lead to jobs a few years down the road.

As a nation we also seem to be starting more companies that we did previously. This can make a difference between a successful nation and one that fails. American must maintain its entrepreneurial approach if it wants to lead markets and maintain its competitive position against new challenges.

The Factors of Grade Inflation

Grades seem to be the primary focus of students who judge their performance by a little letter that gets noted in their transcripts. They put pressure on professors to raise those grades but don't often consider the greater significance of learning. The end result is rising grades that have little impact on learning.

There are a couple of factors that are at play that create this situation. They are 1.) the student, 2.) the professor and 3.) the university system. When one of these factors are not in alignment grades begin to inch upwards thereby reducing the quality of education.

The student

The student has a natural interest in getting the highest grade with the least amount of work. It is a natural effort and reward calculation.Asking students to think about the long-term consequences of high grades without knowledge mastery won't have much effect because many don't have this level of awareness.

The professor

Some professors simply don't care and don't want to have poor ratings by students. By giving their students high grades they get less questions, have less complaints, and in turn have less work to do. It is easier to grade lightly and avoid time consuming challenges.

The university system

Administration determines the performance networks that reward/punish professors for their work. If student complaints create havoc on professors sense of security, grade appeals are constant, and the metrics reward those professors who don't challenge their students, then most professors will get lenient.

Call for International Business Education Lesson Plans

The U.S. Chapter of the International Society for Business Education (ISBE) is seeking quality lesson plans to be published in the book Creative Teaching Ideas for International Business. The lesson plans may include international topics in any business and management courses that attempt to integrate global content. The lesson plans need to use the “Lesson Plan Format” provided in this call (See the required format attached). Subject areas needed:

International Business (general topics)

International Marketing

International Finance

International Law

International Ethics

International HR

International Entrepreneurship

International/Intercultural Communications

International Management

Language Integrations

Global Logistics – Supply chain management.

Deadline for submission: May 30, 2016.

Submit lesson plans to:

Irina Weisblat, EdD – President-elect of ISBE, at:  Irina.weisblat@ashford.edu

All submissions must be in electronic format. Submissions must include any supplemental materials (handouts, presentations, files) in their native format (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.).

The primary author must be a member of ISBE. All authors will receive one free copy of the book. No other gratuity or payment will be provided.

Please address any questions to Dr. Irina Weisblat at Irina.weisblat@ashford.edu


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