MBWA

Management By Walking Around is a leadership style that can be successful if it proves popular with staff. The manager has to have an open door policy or an open plan office arrangement. It means being in close contact with people. The leader is required to have the ability to listen and respond to subordinates and to customers. It means being available and visible. The manager needs to able to rely on good interpersonal relationship skills. It is a more consultative style that requires flatter structures. Being in close contact with people means you are close to what is going on and can respond to problems and change more quickly. It is a style that puts the manager in a position to respond to changes in the market and technological obsolescence. It is people and particularly customer focused. A manager there at the time a problem is raised can take control of the situation and sort out the problem to the customer's satisfaction. MBWA enables the manager to share the working experience of the staff and see their side of things.

Coming Soon!!

Two days to Christmas. If all the predictions are true it will be another good one. People may not be spending as much this year. At least that was the fear of many businesses, but researchers suggest it may not be too different after all.

It is a time of family get togethers and seeing relatives and friends we haven't seen for awhile. It is a time for celebration and good will. Christmas is often said to a time when materialism and cynicism take the place of religion and the real message is lost. Not entirely. There may be some pagan elements. We live in a materialistic and secular society and for some people it may simply be a cycle of Christmas one year after another and basically the same every time, but for Christians it has direction. It is not so much a circle as a spiral. It is going somewhere. We put it into practice as we live it out on our journeys. There is a great sense of unity. Everyone is about the same business. It is a time of expectation. We all want to enjoy Christmas and have a good time. We can also spare a thought for the less well off and the poor and lonely. Loneliness at any time is bad but at Christmas it must be the worst thing.

Some social enterprises and not-for-profit businesses work at Christmas. They deserve our support. It is one of the Church's busiest times of the year. Extra services will be held at the usual unusual times in addition to the usual times. They will probably be well attended. There is always a better turn out at Christmas. It is a sign that something is happening. It is a behaviour pattern with great potential. It means a religious festival is accepted and respected in whatever way, spiritual or material. Christmas is a good time of year!

One Egg Of An Idea

'Creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration' so said Thomas Edison. Creativity is central to innovation and design. There is a certain mystery to it. Competitive advantage must be gained someway and price competition has its limitations. Many companies mistakenly think they cannot afford it but innovation is vital to business success. The creative process is all tied up with both risk and uncertainty. The risk can be managed. First the business must decide that it is going to innovate as part of its business strategy and then what kind of innovation is best suited to the business. It might be niche markets, differentiated products, a line extension or something else.

Although we do not know everything about creativity there are a number of characteristics that show themselves. First there has to be a recognised need for a new discovery. The mind has to be receptive to creative ideas. When the area of innovation is decided on the researcher should become immersed in the relevant field for an understanding of current knowledge. Then an important stage is reached when the ideas have to be 'incubated'. The ideas can be left to develop for awhile. Inspiration that has been mulled over for some time may suddenly come during a time of relaxation or reflection. Letting the mind go can let in diverse thoughts that can make associations and connections. Constantly thinking about something may get you nowhere. Sleep theory suggests that sleeping on an idea may help sort it out into different parts of the memory, and the facts and ideas can be digested and assimilated better. Whatever technique you use once the thoughts and ideas are sorted out the mind is ready for illumination.

Use Your Imagination

Mission statements state the purpose and direction of a business. The purpose of a business is why it was formed and now exists. The best missions are guided by visions. A vision may be described variously as a dream, a concept, a mental image, a long term pattern of communal possibilities or a goal. It is something that captures the needs of the time. The vision and the mission are related to the philosophy of the business and describe its long term plans. It can be used to build a bridge to the future. Managers and other personnel can refer to it for guidance, inspiration and motivation. It can be tested and developed.

Visions are best supported by angels and other signs. The best ideas usually come to nothing without financial backing. Once backing is obtained, internally or externally, the work becomes a duty. The leader might see it as a vocation or calling. A good leader will be able to generate the necessary intellectual and social capital to take it to the next stage.

Reposition The Brand

Brands are one of the biggest phenomena in marketing today. They have been important for centuries. Some brands become well established and very popular, but eventually some if not most brands get a bit tired. A brand manager has to ensure that a brand has environmental adaptability and growth potential. No matter how well a brand is positioned it may need repositioning later. It may be competitor positioning or changing consumer tastes but, whatever the reason, it is as well to reposition existing brands before bringing out new ones. That way the existing awareness of the brand and customer loyalty can be built on without risking alienating or confusing people.

A brand may be a name, design, sign, word or symbol or combination of them to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers from those of competitors. People who become brand loyal may develop a set of beliefs about a brand and it takes on special value. A reputation for an experience of quality and consistency in a brand establishes trust with the owner. Maintaining that special place in the mind of the consumer is vital in repositioning.

There may be considerable risk involved in repositioning but problems can be overcome by carrying out some research first. Attitudes and perceptions may be easy to observe with new brands but more difficult with existing brands. Some brands and products have repositioned so often customers do not know what they mean anymore. Others have repositioned their products and brands very successfully like Volvo and Wrigley, Brylcreem and UPS.

New ideas for repositioning brands and products can be generated by any number of well established methods. The aim may be best served by following principles of market orientation to maintain a customer focus and be aware of competitive positions.

The Use Of Power

Power is ability to do or have done what will commands and the mind plans. It can be used for good or ill. Happiness comes from good use, misery from ill use. The role of power in a struggle between protagonists focuses on the differences between individuals and groups. They have different goals and interests. No one enters the arena sure of losing, and there is no position so strong that it cannot be overturned.

Power is also important in the creative actions of people and the possibility for change. If something happens there is usually someone or group behind it, emphasising the importance of managerial skills. Explanations of the exercise of power often sound as if the actions were consensual, arrived at by the group. It is probably partly true that the decision was made after a process, a struggle, with power underlying it.

According to Lukes, power is getting someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. It involves a conflict of interests. At another level, power is preventing or excluding options from being considered and further than that, the prevention of the forming of preferences and choices. The narrowed social horizons of working class people may be a case of such a radical view of power. A group under power never able to formulate its own interests.

The formation of coalitions, according to Fincham and Rhodes, is an important power tactic. Interest groups faced with powerful opposition join forces. A winning coalition will depend on the relative power of the groups involved. If the combined power of smaller unified groups is sufficient against a third group the coalition will succeed. If not, it might not be worth forming. The groups might be in agreement about everything but unable to work together without a good manager. Differentiation among managers is important. The issue at stake will be a condition of formation. It may unite otherwise unlikely or disparate groups. Interest group tactics are the preferred option of professionals.

There is always uncertainty in the outcomes of coalition formation. There is usually imperfect information. Gains and losses are spoken of but they are the expectations of people. The amount of power each potential individual or group has is difficult to determine so also the power of the coalition. Each participant has the opportunity of winning. The actions taken by the leaders can turn a weak position into a winning combination by applying good management skills.

Economic Development

There is no one accepted single theory of economic development. Dependency theory, as the name suggests, focuses on the dependence of developing countries on rich countries. The term 'developing country' could be defined as middle to low per capita GDP. It is often approached from a Marxist perspective. It can also be approached from the perspective of helping poorer countries become politically and economically self-sufficient. The neo-classical revival may produce efficient markets but it has no answers for poverty reduction.

Many of the developing countries were once under the control of a colonial power. They were under political control and were also affected economically. Even after independence there may be ties that are difficult to break. Industries started by colonial powers may be serving the needs of the colonial power more than their own. The profit motive is still a reason for business interest in these emerging markets. They are an opportunity to make large profits quickly in financial markets. They are also a sales opportunity for consumer goods. These developing countries also need infrastructure. So there are a number of diversification opportunities but they are above average risk and have high transaction costs. Specialist local knowledge is key.

The world's political and economic order is dominated by powerful nations and multinational corporations. It is also a cause of inequality. Rapid globalisation led by the world's biggest economies is marginalising the poorest countries. The culture of dependence is said to hold back development. Conventional economic growth may not be the answer for all of their economic problems. They aren't all capitalist countries. What works in one place may not work in another. As these countries and the whole theory of economic development are still new, reliable economic models for transition do not yet really exist. There are some indices that can be used in selecting markets, but the efficiency of these markets needs to be tested. Empirical data is lacking and imperfect information is all potential investors have to make their decisions.

Poorer countries remain poor if they are controlled by corrupt governments more interested in power and wealth than development. Social problems in health and education, famine and malnutrition that often accompany this do not help.

So much for the analysis, but what can be done about it? Poor countries need to trade more with conditions of peace, democracy and the rule of law. Following that there are 2 main schools of thought. Those in favour of trade liberalisation and market reform which is the position of the ‘Washington consensus’, the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank, and those supporting more government intervention and international action, the favoured position of UNCTAD. As there are 2 strong but different positions there is no consensus and therefore the debate is ongoing.

Policies are needed to change the balance of political and economic power between rich and poor countries. They should have more representation at the international institutions. Foreign policy should also be supported by domestic political, social and institutional reforms and direct government action on economic development.

Uncertain Futures

Farmers are always concerned about the future and the uncertainty surrounding selling prices and growing conditions. They are also often uncertain about future demand and supply. They can try a number of different ways to reduce uncertainty and risk.

The farmer can reduce the uncertainty and risk about the future and future prices and market conditions by trading in the futures and forwards markets. The forward market enables farmers to sell specified quantities of farm produce at a specified price on a specified future date. A futures market enables farmers and agricultural traders to exchange contracts for future delivery of farm produce. Diversification is another option in risk management.

Diversification is simply the application of the principle of not putting all of your eggs in one basket. It reduces risk by spreading the uncertainty about risky asset prices over more asset holdings and increasing expected utility. It is more attractive to risk averse people which most of us are on average.

The forward and futures traders use economic information in running their markets. Huge amounts of information exists on prices, qualities and quantities of assets, goods and services. The reliability of much of it is questionable. There may be significant costs involved in searching for and buying reliable information which is scarce. A lot of information is created by advertising as producers tell the market about their products and prices in the hope of attracting customers. Asymmetric information, a situation in which one trader has more information than another, can give a competitive advantage to the person who has it but can also lead to moral hazard and adverse selection in the use of private information. Signals about growing conditions and future market conditions, incentives and warranties can reduce uncertainty and provide first mover advantages in forward and futures markets.

In this way asset markets can be efficient. Prices should be a rational expectation of future prices based on all the available, relevant information. Some people are more risk averse than others. For some there is always an opportunity cost. It is a problem of probability. Of course, there is always insurance.

God's Laws, Man's Laws

Natural law is the highest form of law. It is an expression of divine law. It demands that human laws conform to and recognise higher principles, theological or secular, not the political ruler, and respects rights and freedoms. All other laws must be evaluated against it.

The focus at one time moved from natural law to positive law and the analysis of state power. The attempt was to isolate the law laid down by human superiors to human inferiors, that is from the sovereign power to subjects. Only by keeping separate the ought from the fact could there be true understanding of reality. It accepted the state procedures and law and the obligation of obedience. No claims to freedom or human rights were capable of overriding the positive law.

Natural law was further weakened by the claims of the utilitarians. The claims of utility were for society as a whole. Proposals for legislation had to conform with utility and were only valid if they increase the sum of happiness for society. Happiness is a natural desire for most people in society. Further developments of natural law thought have led to the body of human rights and freedom legislation that we have currently enjoy.

The moral law is a rule of conduct for the sake of the common good and prescribes the rules of conduct that lead to happiness. The natural moral law expresses the moral sense and shows the way to follow to practice good. It is present in the heart and is established by right reason. It is universal and immutable. It determines the basis for rights and duties. The application of natural law is variable and can demand reflection to take all the various times, places and circumstances into consideration. It is necessary for integrity and indispensible for building the human community.

East Asian Growth

The 'Asian Tiger' economies experienced an economic ‘miracle’ during the 1980s and 1990s and a financial crisis in the late 1990s. The miracle did not last too long as with all economic ‘miracles’ it was flawed. The 'tiger economies' include Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and China and Hong Kong and Singapore were among the best performers.

One of the important factors of some of these East Asian economies is the way businesses conglomerate around a central business and bank. In Japan they are called 'keiretsu' and are the successor of the large conglomerates known as 'zaibatsu' broken up after World War II as part of the reform programme. They are large family controlled vertical systems. There are 6 post-war ‘keiretsu’. They operate as a mutual support system with a financial structure that lowers the cost of capital for industry. The number of 'keiretsu' is very small. The 'chaebol' system that operates in South Korea is also made up of conglomerate groups. The 'chaebol' families dominate the South Korean economy.

The Asian financial crisis began with a loss of confidence among investors and institutions in the international financial markets. In Thailand the currency collapsed. The loss of confidence led to rapid outflows of capital from affected countries. One flaw in the system was that the problems were made worse by the close links between the firms in the 'chaebol' and the banks at their centre. Another was to try and peg the exchange rate of an emerging economy, Thailand, when even major currencies were fluctuating.

Financial crises have been fairly common - Israel, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Scandinavia. It is not unusual for countries experiencing rapid growth to experience economic problems. Rapid globalisation of business and financial markets is a cause for concern. They are difficult to regulate. The tiger economies may have been a victim of their own success. They became too attractive to investors and institutions with huge amounts of capital. The fact that there was such a loss of confidence suggests that the emerging markets were not seen as a long term investment.

The 'chaebol' invested in a diverse range of industries with no apparent synergy. It may also have been a mistaken Government policy to encourage the expansion of certain industries. Increases in production capacity have created large industries. In Japan the ROI fell for years in some other countries it was worse.

The problems that led to the crisis already existed in the Asian economies but the financial crisis brought them out into the open. Things are changing as foreign companies are becoming more active in certain areas as 'keiretsu' loosen control. In South Korea the 'chaebol' are reforming following the crisis and more recent problems. They also have to adjust to the emergence of China as a leading world economy and accession to WTO. Reform and restructuring may help the Asian countries affected worst by the crisis to recover and return to more sustainable growth and expansion.

Help For The Oppressed

People are truly free and responsible agents. Destiny is another argument. Supernatural destiny is said to be above power and nature. Theological debates go on about supernatural destiny and natural destiny and the relationship between destiny and evolution. The logic of Parmenides is that reality and intelligibility are in one unchanging being. The contingent events of history then become cycles of necessity with no freedom for human beings. In his view man is not responsible for his actions. Freedom and contingency are denied in that system. If anything goes wrong we can do nothing about it apparently, but really we can.

The philosophies of justice and rights also have a long history. God knows they do. They are not being ignored. Modern ideas about justice and rights are usually talked about in terms of giving everyone their due and human rights conventions. Old Testament history is also full of it. The morality of Israel is a lot higher than the morality and ethics of some of the surrounding nations. It might be due to the monotheism and deep moral consciousness of the prophets. The covenant obliges Israel to a particular way of life.

Since ancient times some people have believed that pleasure is good and pain bad and they should be the main criteria for ethics and morality. Bentham found that the greatest happiness of the individual was in the greatest happiness of the greatest number. That only leaves minorities and their rights and justice. The motive for obeying the rules necessary for a social life is the pleasure gained from obeying and the pain felt in disobeying.

Philosophers have always said good is the fundamental thing in morality; the right act is that which produces the most good. Deontologists argue that duty is the fundamental notion not its consequences and good is secondary. Right is independent of good. Acting from a sense of duty however has no purpose. The moral act is not for itself or anything else other than duty, whereas the virtuous act is done willingly and for a good motive, though motive is not always in man’s control.

The theory of final causality, teleology, is often found debated in biology but it is criticised by many modern scientists as being pre-scientific. Those who reject causal explanations will reject teleology. It can give explanations about individual and interacting natural units. The tests for scientific explanations are observation and experiment. Observed phenomena can be analysed backwards from effect to cause looking for prerequisites in matter, forces and structures and step-by-step processes to produce the observed effects. These teleological phenomena are subject to value judgements about natural processes always producing good effects. The end does not justify the means.

Anyone who is suffering despair, hardship, feeling overburdened, stressed or oppressed must be confident that there is someone there for them. They must be assured they have somewhere to go and someone to turn to in troubled times. Someone who will listen. Give them rest, some peace. There is a way out. Someone can help.

Customer Management

A customer-centred business with a market orientation should be putting effort into retaining its customers by building customer relationships. Customers can have life-time value. Most businesses are trying to turn short-term and one-off transaction-based 'leaky bucket' marketing into partnerships and long-term relationships and networks.

Success depends on the co-ordination of the different value adding activities in the value chain and comparing them with the competition. There are core business processes including product development, inventory management, order-to-payment and customer service that help with the management of the value chain and customer value delivery.

Businesses can lose customers and must keep account of customer retention. Many markets are mature markets and therefore there is a lot of competition to attract new customers and to retain existing customers, especially the profitable ones. It costs five times more to attract one new customer than it does to keep one existing customer happy. Retaining customers can add significantly to profits. The continuation of exchanges depends on customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is central to retaining customers. It depends on meeting the customer's expectations. Customers defect for different reasons. Complaints and suggestion systems, satisfaction surveys, mystery shoppers and lost customer analysis can help identify the reasons why customers defect. Adding extra benefits to the offering can help to keep customers and attract new ones. The financial and economic dimension of the relationship can be increased, learning about customers needs and wants, personalisation and customisation can add to the social benefits by turning customers into clients and a variety of linkages can add structural ties.

A business must manage its customers as well as its products. A relationship marketing programme can be put in place to enable good customer management.

Redeeming Grace

Management consultants have to believe in the Resurrection. It happens all the time. Saving businesses and turnaround strategies are what they do. They also have to believe in infallibility. They have to know everything and get it right when it matters, even all the time. Process innovation is good if it is based on good doctrine. Do not be too worried if you are criticised for being 'unorthodox' by those who claim to be the 'orthodox' authorities. It has probably been done before. It is often said the old ways are the best. Innovation is often an old way revived. When it works your client will be grateful. Self-righteous, narrow minded and greedy pessimists show a neglect of justice and equity. Those that can get on with it. The clients and their employees are worth it. Once turned round and able to see and understand their errors they can set out on their new way of life. Consultants and marketing researchers can also help in the start-up phase with ideas for new ventures, development and bringing new products to market. Those who know little or nothing about starting a business could use the help of a consultant in the early days. Reason and empirical evidence support it.

Down With Tyrants

There are good managers and bad. Managers sometimes think they are good leaders or that managers and leaders are the same thing. They are not. The 7S model shows the differences between leadership and management. Managers tend to use strategy, structure and systems whereas leaders use style, staff, skills and shared goals. The model is more for leaders than managers. Managers might never master all 7. Managers can be leaders because of their position in a hierarchy. There is no guarantee though as leadership has been defined in terms of attempted as well as successful and effective. It might be a focus on power and use of power levers.

The question is often asked are leaders born or made. There are lots of answers from both sides. There may be certain inborn talents in some people but they need to be encouraged and developed at least. Managers can be educated and trained. There are limitations to the traits approach that raises the question. No conclusive evidence exists to support it. Some correlation between leadership and certain personality types have been identified for example intelligence, effectiveness, supervisory ability, individuality and initiative. At the same time other research has produced no such correlation. Another perspective is look at the functions the leader or manager has to perform rather than the personality of the leader and another to look at the task/relationship orientation and whether production or people should be given top priority.

Management style can be broadly classified as autocratic or democratic. This continuum can be subdivided into telling and selling, consulting and joining. It defines the degrees of freedom for managers and subordinates. Some managers make the decisions which everyone else has to accept but in other situations the decisions may be made consultatively together. Important decision making forces are involved when deciding which type of management style is most practical. They are to be found in the manager, the employees and the situation. The effectiveness of the decision depends on the quality of the decision and the employees' acceptance of it giving due consideration to the time involved in making it. The path-goal theory of leadership suggests the performance of workers depends on the extent to which the leader/manager satifies their expectations. The expectations include getting positive rewards and avoiding negative outcomes. Workers see leadership behaviour as motivating. Poor leadership will not get many followers. Claims of unfair dismissal show a breakdown of communication between manager and staff and could be a sign of the last in a series of management mistakes.

The employee should be an important variable when considering management style. The 'readiness to follow' continuum goes from willing and able at one end to unable and unwilling at the other. These attitudes can be matched to a management style made up of a combination of task/relationship behaviour. The manager can adjust the style to tell, sell, participate or delegate depending on the employees involved. The focus on the individual may also give signs as to which workers could be effectively developed.

There may be an ideal future state. Transformational leadership may help to attain it. Transformational leadership aims to engender higher levels of motivation and commitment, and generate vision and to appeal to higher ideals and values, and create a sense of justice, loyalty and trust. Coaching will bring our the best in people and a mentoring relationship will involve sharing, guidance and getting feedback.

If there are good managers and bad managers, appropriate and inappropriate styles of management behaviour, management education might help raise the level. Learning is for managers as well as other employees. Education and training can give explanations and enlighten. There is a large literature base on the subjects of knowledge management and the economics of knowledge that can guide an individual, manager or director in making a decision about learning more. Learning new behaviours and actions and gaining new knowledge and understanding can increase effectiveness and still be economical.

Team Building

One individual is unlikely to have all the desirable qualities of the ideal manager. Each individual has different characteristics. Teams made up of people with a wide range of managerial qualities can build up their collective experience cumulatively and synergistically. Teams can be renewed when a member leaves.

Team or group structures reflect the basis of their identity. They represent the social aspect of group life. The members occupy different categories of membership. The leader emerges early on perceived to be the most competent at the functional requirements. Leadership may not necessarily be from within the structure itself. People act as leaders without the role being officially recognised. Members are those who accept group goals as relevant and recognise the interdependence between members in the achievement of the goals. Those classed as deviates have goals that conflict with the goals of the group and are not prepared to modify their personal goals and experience dissatisfaction with the group. The isolate is a deviate who resists group pressure and persists in rejecting group goals. The isolate is left alone by other members.

Groups composed entirely of clever people or people with similar personalities show negative results and a lack of creativity. A leader should not be surrounded by 'Yes men'. Every leader needs a couple of 'No' men who are prepared to speak their mind and give a genuine opinion about things and not simply say what they think the team leader wants to hear. Consisently successful groups are composed of a range of different roles. Belbin's 8 team roles, later increased to 9 with the addition of the 'Specialist' because of the importance of professional expertise in some team situations, are patterns of team member interaction where performance serves to facilitate progress. Belbin argues that traditional managerial activities are now shared with an assortment of well-educated experts, advisers and specialists. It has been suggested that the Team Role Self-Perception Inventory be used in the recruitment and selection process. The roles are:

The Chairperson or Co-ordinator who attempts to establish and clarify tasks, goals and agenda, to allocate roles and responsibilities and co-ordinate group efforts. The role makes best use of the talents of each member. Typically self-confident and mature the Chairperson has to sum up the feelings and accomplishments of the group. Assertiveness, affiliativeness, conscientiousness are the drivers.

The Plant is the ideas person, the source of creativity, is innovative and imaginative in looking for possible changes in the group's approach to problems. Typically intelligent, introverted, unorthodox and imaginative.

The Company worker or Implementer is the one who converts ideas, decisions and strategic objectives into defined practical and measurable operational procedures. This person is task-oriented, conscientious, affiliative, disciplines and reliable.

The Monitor-evaluator objectively analyses problems, reflects on, interprets and evaluates others contributions, pours scorn on ideas and suggestions to test their viability. The monitor-evaluator will be sober, introverted and shrewd.

The Shaper is extraverted, dynamic, tense and defensive and leads the accomplishment of tasks by guiding team effort. The Shaper is anxious to prioritize and structure activities to get results.

The Team worker is socially oriented, affilative not overtly dominant, promotes team unity and harmony, focuses on interpersonal behaviour, internal friction and discord. The Team worker encourages participation and is able to respond to people, arbitrate and harmonize, defusing animosity and building team spirit.

The Resource investigator is extraverted with many outside contacts and likes exploring new ideas and information. He/she is imaginative, stable and able to identify ideas, resources and new developments in the external environment which can be made available to the work of the group.

The Completer or Finisher is a perfectionist, keen to complete groups tasks to deadline and worries about what will go wrong. A concern for progress and order makes the Completer keen to identify areas where more work or oversight is needed. Typical qualities include anxiety and conscientiousness. The fulfiller of schedules gives the team a sense of urgency.

The Specialist is focused on providing specialist knowledge and skills, is single-minded and self-motivating.

Team building is one of many management skills and competencies that derive from the application of the knowledge and understanding, learning and experience that has accumulated over time.

A Mountain Of Food And Drink

Christmas is a special time of year. Everyone is invited to celebrate the feast of Christmas in happiness and peace. It is the busiest season of the year in terms of retail foot fall and sales in all regions. It is the highpoint of the year for a great many businesses. A good Christmas means a good year and a bad Christmas means a bad year. In Britain it is a once a year phenomenon. The other Christian feasts and public holidays are insignificant by comparison in terms of participation and spending. In Japan there is even a Christmas shop open all year round.

It is a time to try to forget problems, to accept and join in the seasonal festivities, to look for an end to misery. Feasts are a time of celebration and rest for mind and body. They are a common effort, a participation and public celebration at the heart of community life. Everyone should set aside time for such leisure. It is right that the principal feasts are public holidays. Employers should also allow time off for religious worship and holidays.

Christmas in the workplace means Christmas parties, decorations, greetings cards and the festive spirit. It is also a time to respect the religious liberty of others. An example of prayer and joy will give a spiritual dimension that may otherwise be lacking.

The Leader's Gifts

Succession in a family business and any other leadership position may meet problems including competence and willpower on the part of available candidates. The dynamic efforts of the founder and team may flounder if left to a person with no motivation or who prefers a 'playboy' lifestyle, idleness or leisure. There are gifts to look for in a worthy successor and most business leaders recognise the fact that a company may have to look elsewhere for a successor than the immediate family.

When survival, breaking even, increasing the margin of safety and making a profit are the most important matters, bringing in a qualified and competent person may be better than passing the business down the family line, especially when it isn't wanted.

Different cultures approach the issue of family succession differently. In some countries the successor is trained up for the job and expensively and ruthlessly prepared to take over. The prevailing culture will determine so much but even in those cultures only those considered able enough will be trusted with the leadership. There is always a capacity for catastrophic mistakes.

In recent decades the number of universities and specialised colleges offering courses in the many different disciplines concerning business, marketing and economics have mutiplied considerably so there is no shortage of individuals qualified to do a wide range of jobs and gain the necessary experience for taking the helm. The debate between nativists and empiricists goes on. Some people seem to have inherited a natural aptitude while others have to prove themselves in practice which may be difficult considering different attitudes to succession. Education wouldn't do any harm any way.

A competent manager should have written and verbal communication skills, financial analytical skills, the ability to identify a problem, effective delegation skills, negotiating powers and the ability to manage human resources. He or she may also be called on to give counselling, mentor, manage conflict and other interpersonal skills at various times. The ideal manager will have many charisms. More likely to come with achieved status than ascribed status whether from within the family or outside.

World Peace

Peace serves the interests of business. There is a positive relationship between peace and successful business. The more governments understand the attributes of peace the more they can do to improve the business environment accordingly and businesses will have more confidence when making international investment decisions. Research by Vision of Humanity show the correlations between per capita income and peacefulness. There is also a relationship between some businesses and rising levels of violence.

Peaceful nations seem to enjoy better economic performance than the more violent. A better understanding of peace equips business to make successful investments. Stable peace enables the construction of an infrastructure. Increasing peacefulness gradually decreases business costs. Local markets can improve and expand better in conditions of lasting peace.

Methods of measurement for peace could bring new forms of business, marketing and investment analysis. The Global Peace Index is a start. The P10, the 10 most peaceful nations according to the Index, might bring new international relationships of trust, co-operation and sustainability. There is also a positive relationship between education and peace. Peace is necessary for education and education is an important part of creating and sustaining peace. The Global Peace Index can also serve as a useful benchmark for NGOs overall activities. The international institutions have an obligation to promote peace.