Business & Finance

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 07 jan 2014

Human capital is one of the most critical and valuable component of organizations and the need for better qualified, skilled and talented personnels is imperative to successfully compete in the globalized environment. The latest 'Conference Board Challenge Survey' of 729 global CEOs rated human capital 10% higher than operational excellence as a major challenge for businesses. According to Erna Oldenboom of University of Capetown in South Africa, the challenges and confusion regarding HR can be overcome by aligning and integrating it into the overall business strategy and by involving it from the very beginning in the vision, mission and procedures of the organization. The 2013 Global Assessment Trends Report (GATR) based on a survey of 592 HR professionals identifies the following top priorities for HR globally - Engagement & retention (55%); Leadership development (52%); Performance management (49%); Workforce planning & talent analytics (43%); Training (42%); Succession planning (38%); External hiring (38%). Read on...

Ventures Africa: Strategic HR Answers To Human Capital Battles
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 03 jan 2014

Wearable technologies are finding prominence in the human-centered technology ecoystem with devices like smart watches, smart glasses, smart textiles etc. The article provides an interview with Oliver Stokes from PDD, a design consulting firm, where he explains the current and future prospects for the wearable and embedded devices. He mentions that more advancements are required in wearable technologies so that they blend seemlessly in human ecosystem without specifically affecting their body language and social behavior. Moreover healthcare is one of the areas where these technologies will get early adoption. Smart textiles, in addition to healthcare and fitness, may find use in fashion clothings where they can change color and patterns providing them more versatility or they can be used in cars for shape and color variations and changes. Considering the present research advancements, smart textiles will find commercial use in 5 years. Read on...

Shiny Shiny: Forget smart watches, are smart textiles and implants the future?
Author: Ashley Norris

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 02 jan 2014

As technology continues to pervade every aspect of human life, both personal and professional, it becomes essential for humans to have set of skills that complement the intelligent machine environment for their better prospects in future. Article explores the human types based on their mental abilities that complement the mechanized intelligence and will thrive in this environment in times to come - Freestylers (skill of knowing when a specific situation or case is following predictable patterns guided by intelligent machine and when there is a possibility of divergence or error); Synthesizers (capacity to explore and analyze vast amount of data and derive a generalized pattern and story); Humanizers (keeping the human aspects intact and making the interplay between man and machine more natural); Conceptual Engineers (ability to devise creative methods to think and solve unexpected problems); Motivators (ability to motivate in the machine dominated environment with lessened human-based evaluation and exchange); Moralizers (valuing human moral traits in the machine based environment with performance metrics while evaluating humans); Greeters (ability to attract customers by personalized and customized high-end service approach); Economizers (economic advising skills for those with less disposable income to provide better lifestyle opportunities); Weavers (skills that will combat social disintegration and dangerous inegalitarian tendencies of the new world). Read on...

The New York Times: Thinking for the Future
Author: David Brooks

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 02 jan 2014

Resolving dilemmas and ambiguity, anticipating change and thinking about future or predicting it, is a challenge that can seldom achieve definiteness. But there is a possibility to better understand what the future holds and prepare for the uncertainty if one follows the suggestions made by Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO of Legatum Institute, as mentioned in the article. He provides four ways to do so - (1) Enhance Your Power of Observation (be empirical, work with full data sets, listen carefully) (2) Appreciate the Value of Being [a Little] Asocial (avoid groupthink, inculcate curiosity) (3) Study History (helps to understand social patterns and human nature, condition & behavior) (4) Learn to Deal with Ambiguity (avoid sorting the world into binary choices, acknowledge the grey areas). Read on...

HBR Blog Network: Four Keys to Thinking About the Future
Author: Jeffrey Gedmin

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 dec 2013

Business ethics are an important element of corporate governance and are critical for building public trust and achieving long term success of the businesses. According to the report by SHRM Foundation, more than half of the 10 largest corporate bankruptcies since 1980, costing US$ 1.228 trillion to the owners and the economy, were caused by unethical business practices. While on the other hand, the stock price growth of 100 firms with most ethical culture outperformed stock market and peer indices by 300%, mentions Great Places to Work Institue. Linda Fisher Thornton, author of '7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership', provides seven tips to be an ethical leader - (1) Face the complexity involved in making ethical choices (2) Don't separate ethics from day-to-day business (3) Demonstrate respect for everyone at all times (4) Don't think about ethics as just following laws and regulations (5) Don't exempt anyone from meeting ethical expectations (6) Celebrate positive ethical moments (7) Don't ever stop being ethical. Read on...

Business Report: The ethical workplace
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 dec 2013

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) phenomenon is finding relevance around the world. In a recently held 'CSR Saudi Arabia 2013 Conference' the main focus was to encourage Saudi business leaders to participate in initiatives to provide youths with employment skills and promote their civic engagement. Saudi Arabia's 65% population is below the age of 25 years and holds the potential to lead the country for a better socio-economic future. The main themes of the conference included job creation, community-based initiatives, gender diversity, and growing a knowledge-based economy. According to Huda Hakki, Programs & Projects Department Director of the King Khalid Foundation, although Saudi Arabia is one of the highest in philanthropy but partnerships and collaborations among various stakeholders ensure effective use of resources to build a vibrant civil society and thriving business and entrepreneurial community. Read on...

CSRwire: Corporate Social Responsibility Takes Center Stage in Saudi Arabia
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 dec 2013

Organizations develop and implement CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policies and programs based on their own specific approaches. It may include philanthropy, community engagement, environmental sustainability, social sector collaborations etc. Deloitte, a global consulting firm, has Humanitarian Innovation Program that collaborates with social organizations to develop better solutions for the problems they face. The program intends to have a more client-centered approach to CSR and engages these organizations, considering them as their important clients, through an application and consultation process. In this process Deloitte utilizes its private expertise to co-create innovative solutions. Read on...

devex: CSR should be more 'client-centered' - Deloitte executive
Author: Paul Stephens

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 dec 2013

According to a study by Margaret Ormiston of London Business School and Elaine Wong of University of California at Riverside, for every five cases of good CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) that Fortune 500 CEOs undertake they commit one act of CSiR (Corporate Social Irresponsibility). For their study they considered the 2002 list of Fortune 500 CEOs, obtained detailed background information available through various media, conducted assessment tests like California Adult Q-sort (a forced distributed methodology) and narrowed the list to 49 CEOs for the study. Then they used KDL (Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini) scale to assess CSiR. KDL rates companies in seven qualitative areas from a scale of -2 to +2 on aspects like environmental behavior, community relations, employee relations, corporate governance, diversity, human rights, and product. Researchers suggest that CEOs should always be aware and vigilant of their organization's activities from all aspects and companies should have CSR board or an oversight committee to check on their CEO more frequently. Read on...

THOMASNET News: Study - How CSR Leads to Corporate Social Irresponsibility
Author: Michael Lewis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 17 dec 2013

Eric McNulty, a retail industry and leadership expert, explains how an experience in retail provides lessons that can develop and enhance leadership abilities - Don't just be different, be special (make customers part of your enterprise and delight them so much that they form an emotional attachment to the brand); Pick up the trash (don't hesitate to act on even smaller things if there is a need, become visible to your customers, model the behavior that you want others to follow, develop emotional connect with customers and employees); Don't blow a long-term relationship over a short-term glitch (create clarity around what a customer experience feels like in your context, understand the competitive offerings as the customers are aware too in today's connected world); When your name is on it, you own it (cutomers may not understand the organizational separation of working units so if they see a corporate connection then you should make sure to deliver as corporate reputation might be at stake); Frontline employees are too often undervalued (keep in mind the value of the employees who are at the bottom of the hierarchical pyramid in the organization, understand their needs and ensure their well being with proper pay and benefit policies, training efforts and other support mechanisms). Read on...

strategy+business: Learning the Leadership Lessons of Retail
Author: Eric J. McNulty

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 11 dec 2013

'Liberation Management' is the concept that encourages workers to be themselves without the limiting and formal workplace norms and professional attitudes. The boundaries between home and work are blurring. Workers are provided freedom to carry on their duties without being restricted to workplace. Organizational structures are less hierarchical and more flexible. Collaborations are on ad hoc basis. Professor Peter Fleming of Cass Business School in London, used the concept of 'biopower' developed by Michel Foucault, a French expert in the working of discipline and control, to examine the pros and cons of the present day freedom and autonomy of workers. According to him, this is a 'lifestyle approach' to management, where companies expect better performance by encouraging employees to be their everyday selves on the job. Life skills, communication & organization skills and emotional intelligence are now the key competences. Read on...

ANI News: Experts say line between professional and personal life 'blurring'
Author: NA

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