Academic-Capital

  By Dr. Susan Sasiadek (March 13, 2015) While working on my MBA it was clear to me that the number one goal for all companies was to turn a profit.   I remember learning early on that owning a business is much like the game of Monopoly; as long as you have money, you re in the game. Once you are out of money, the game is over. So why then wouldn’t the focus of owning a business be centered on profits?   For many companies this is exactly where the focus is. However, there has been a dynamic shift in the thinking as to why entrepreneurs set out to create a business and how to maintain a successful organization. One of the beliefs that lies within the hearts of many entrepreneurs is to do what you have a passion for and the profits will follow. A similar concept I have often shared with young college students; do what you love and the money will come.   Although this sounds easy enough, many times people and organizations lose their focus of what it is they set out to ac

Leadership is a necessary component of moving groups from one performance level to another. Leaders provide a focal point for collective action, a voice to the will of the people and decision-making capacity when problems arise. Responsible leaders are able to bring stakeholders together to accomplish some important goal. This isn’t possible without considering the multiple stakeholders in any worthwhile activity. According to Doh & Quigley (2014) leaders are able to use psychological and knowledge-based pathways to impact micro/individual, team, organizational, and societal outcomes. Such leaders have the personal capacity to see how daily activities can impact larger groups of stakeholders to create higher levels of impact. Responsible leaders can impact organizational processes and outcomes to achieve goals. Consider the different types of stakeholders interested in an organization and the levels by which these can be categorized. The individual worker has a stake in term

Word of mouth fosters social learning about issues, products, and opportunities.   Friends that act and think alike often create clusters and these clusters can influence the purchasing choices as well as the decisions members make. Economists often have difficulty formulating how social networks formulate and influence people’s impressions of products and services. Research by Arthur Campbell (2013) sheds light on how word of mouth in social networks influences perception of value.  When individuals are interested in a concept or product they are naturally more willing to engage in word of mouth. Generally, as a product’s price is lower it raises the interest level and the potential discussion of the product leading to more word of mouth activity. It is this interaction that brings to the forefront ideas, concepts, and discussions on products that are settled within a group.  One of the difficult aspects of understanding social networks and diffusion is the complexity of

Leadership has taken a level of interest among researchers. As organizations become complex, large, and multi-national the leadership team will need to develop and recruit a higher skill set. Global leadership requires the mastery of cognitive intelligence (IQ), personality, and emotional intelligence (EI). A paper by Colfax, Rivera and Perez (2012) helps explore how emotional intelligence impacts the overall ability of global leaders to influence their environments. Their paper sheds interesting light on the concept that global leaders required certain abilities to be successful in their environment.  Global businesses are complex animals that require certain knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) to manage well. As these skills grow and develop other aspects of human development take precedence. The emotional-social development of people is a main factor that determines those who will succeed with those who will not in the global management environment. Emotional intelli

Time management is an important part of maintaining productivity within the workplace. With the proper allocation of time companies can accomplish more projects that are beneficial to their needs. When looking at wasted time throughout a corporation a significant proportion of this limited resource simple goes down the drain with little benefit. Proper time management is a skill that can be learned on an organizational and individual level and should be fostered for higher performance. At an individual level a person can gain a sense of mastery and accomplishment by having time-management skills that make it easier for them to navigate their day. Research has indicated that time management training, based upon psychological theory, increased perceived control of time and decreased stress (Hafner & Stock, 2010). The type of skills learned varied in ability and effectiveness yet the findings remained relatively consistent across the spectrum. Since time management raised