Quality Curriculum Improves Student Motivation

Motivation is a big factor in successful  adult completion of education. That motivation can be fostered from the quality of the school and its benefit to the actual student. If the information appears to be helpful to students and solves a problem then it contributes to development. That problem can be employment related or a personal problem.

According to a study of 203 university students motivating factors includes instruction quality, curriculum quality, relevance, pragmatism, interaction with students, solid feedback, and self-directedness (Sogunro, 2015). Students appear to understand the quality and importance of their program and respond accordingly.

Each student decides if they desire to engage their education programs fully. This is something universities can screen for but can't control. When they offer high quality curriculum they are more likely to be motivated than if it isn't. 

The study helps us think about why it is important to ensure schools develop solid curriculum and create higher levels of relevancy in the market. Constantly updating curriculum and engage with students helps to raise their learning and motivation. Professors that are actively engaged in their classes are worth more than those aren't.

Sogunro, O. (2015). Motivating factors for adult learners in higher education. International Journal of Higher Educations, 4 (1).

Dumping Money into Poor Systems-Knowing When to Change Strategy

The greatest ability to succeed in business is to see trends and capitalize on those trends before everyone else does. Those who can find openings in the market and put forward a successful strategy will beat the market while those who cannot muster this ability will be beaten by the market. When old strategies become ineffective it is necessary to do something new and put investors money in places that actually work.

Strategies are inevitably tied to people's egos. We spend a great deal of time trying to develop strategies and looking through our personal knowledge banks to assess a situation and formulate a plan. They become personal extensions of ourselves.

This is one reason why changing a strategy once it has been solidified is so hard. People become opposed to change because it could reflect poor judgement, a changed situation, or invalidation of one's experience.

Strong leaders have the ability to see the need for change and be reflective of their strategies. They are able to draw in the collective knowledge of their teams and in turn are able to incorporate new knowledge when it becomes available without threatening their fragile sense of self.

There are times when it become apparent that a strategy change is needed. A few of red flags could include the following:

-When your business is losing revenue/customers.
-When the political and regulatory environment changes.
-When your business isn't differentiated from everyone else.
-When your value propositions become weaker.
- When your business fails to capitalize on emerging markets.
-When expenses and cost structure becomes over burdensome.
-When old strategies lose the support of internal stakeholders.
-When competitors move into your market.
-When new knowledge and ideas are not incorporated into management decision-making.
-When customer complaints rise.
-When mistakes and errors rise. 

Using Social Norms in Subconscious Organizational Management

Bare with an idea for a minute and lets get unique without making judgements. Do you believe that you can manage a company subconsciously? I picked up a study from 1994 that discusses Japanese inter-organizational control through subconscious normative and symbolic inducements. They had less need of utilitarian methods often utilized in current human resource practices.

Sounds crazy doesn't it?

Think for a moment about the design of organizations and how it uses incentives and punishments to coerce behavior. If you do something right you get rewarded with praise while if you do something wrong you get punished with chastisement or fired. The mechanisms of control are overt and part of the official management practices of an organization.

As long as a person believes in these mechanisms they have power (conscious).

There is also stronger internal, deep seated, subconscious mechanism based on our social upbringing and value systems. These are often symbolic by nature and are culturally laden. They are what makes us connected to a particular society through our shared value systems. If the Japanese are good at anything it is symbolism.

We conform to certain rules and values because we are have subconsciously pre-programmed ability to accept social structures. We can't live and be in a society unless we accept certain values and norms as part of who we are. Not only do we learn these values through interaction with others but are born capable of connecting to other people.

As long as we are connected to society we have certain norms and values we accept (subconscious).

Creating a subconsciously motivating business, in this case as found in a Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, is by perking cultural values and using symbolism. The person comes willingly, or at least unknowingly, to accept the values of the organization because they fit within the cultural context of society. They act and work in a way that is drawn from their subconscious desire to be connected to others and be accepted by a greater social network.

Nussbaum-Gomes, M. (1994). The subconscious in organizational control. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 35, 1/2.

The Impact of the Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement

The Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement (TPP) includes the U.S., Japan and 10 other nations (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam).  The goal is to connect these countries together by lowering trade barriers in an attempt to increase transactions and the economic engines of all the nations.

There are a few things we can expect from such an agreement:

Increased Trade: When barrier are reduce there should be an increase in trade and commercial activities. This should lead to higher levels of interaction and hopefully economic contribution.

Cultural Influence: Cultural values are transferred  through trade. Throughout history people visited, explored, and traded with people from other places and in term influenced and were influenced by them.

Counter to China: The agreement offers a counter-balance to China. Trading partners whose economies become more integrated with the U.S. are likely to be more included to lean toward U.S. interests.

Job Gain or Loss: When trade increased jobs should also increase.  If the U.S. is gaining access to new markets to sell high value products then there should be net gain. If trading partners dump cheaper products in the U.S. there could be net job loss.

Access to Resources: The trade agreement should provide access to cheaper resources that is used to fuel development and growth in the U.S.

How to Create Marketing "Buzz" and Greater Sales

One of the best forms of marketing are the organic types that quickly pass information through social networks in a way that sparks people's interest and helps them remember the message. "Buzz" marketing is one way in which companies can help people learn about new products and services.

"Buzz" is designed for global online media and is expected to move quickly. This is one reason why videos, pictures, and other digital methods are more popular than print media. The latter being too slow of process to take a market by storm.

A few ideas on how to create marketing "buzz":

1) Do something unique, funny, crazy, bazaar, and organic.

2) Put it on digital media to be shared vial email, text, social media and other viral marketing networks.

3) Film it with simple media for simple technology transmission.

4) Use a message that has lasting power.

5) Ensure the message fits within your core demographic group.

6) Spread it quickly and track what is going on.