Dr. John Psarouthakis, Executive Editor of www.BusinessThinker.com, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, publisher of www.GavdosPress.com. Founder and former CEO, Industries, Inc., a Fortune 500 industrial corporation

The linkages listed in this segment and following segments on this topic to be posted in separate categories are based on my experience as senior executive as well as an entrepreneur on managing growth businesses. Because statistical techniques test for probabilities but not certainties, the wordings are stated in terms of likelihoods. Discussions of these linkages are to be presented in future articles. Other executives and entrepreneurs could come to different conclusions compared to those listed in the segments posted. Therefore, those that read my views should take them as the experience of one person and use their judgment as to whether these linkages are to be taken as stated in their case.

LINKAGES FOR COORDINATION ADEQUACY (WORK FLOW, PART 2)

Linkage-1: The more able the firm is to obtain needed managers, capital, and information from OUTSIDE the firm, then the more effective coordination strategy is likely to be, the less likely are things to slip through cracks, and the less often are unnecessary work delays likely to occur.

Linkage-2: The more closely employee goals integrate with company goals, the better are employee morale and commitment likely to be, And the more effective is the CEO’s value-sharing strategy, the more effective is coordination strategy likely to be.

Linkage-3: The more closely employee goals integrate with company goals, the better employee commitment and morale are, and the more effective the CEO’s value-sharing strategy is, the less are unnecessary work delays likely to occur.

Dr. John Psarouthakis is the Executive Editor of www.BusinessThinker.com Internet Magazine, Distinguished Visiting Fellow / Professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Publisher of www.GavdosPress.com and Founder and former CEO, JPIndustries, Inc., a Fortune 500 industrial corporation

The world is a better place because of great novelists and poets and painters and musicians and sculptors and actors. We could include great chefs on a short list of specialists who add value to our cultural lives. Even such a basic need as food, after all, can be lifted above the ordinary and into the realm of art. As a voracious consumer of the arts (and occasional patron of the arts), and as someone who enjoys a wonderfully prepared meal, I obviously believe esthetic good things enrich us all. I also believe everyone’s education should include a well-guided tour of the literary, visual, and musical arts. But only a relative handful of citizens can pay the rent by knowing the difference between a sonata and a fugue, or by sharing their opinion of Moby Dick—or, for that matter, by knowing how to play a fugue or write a novel or choose the best fresh ingredients and bring them to table well enough to rent a building and start printing menus. The world doesn’t work that way. The overwhelming majority of us always have needed to make a living in the mundane realm of commerce and industry (or, via subsidy by the private sector, government). Education’s role in that familiar dynamic must be fundamentally recast, however, for the 21^st Century.

At a glance, educating young people for the 20^th Century workforce didn’t look much different than what education must accomplish in the new age. For example, all young people preparing for today’s job market know the lately fashionable acronym “STEM,” meaning “science, technology, engineering, and math.” Pointing toward a STEM career means, according to a 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics essay, preparing for a job that will . . .

“ . . . play an instrumental role in expanding scientific frontiers, developing new products, and generating technological progress. These occupations are concentrated in cutting-edge industries such as computer systems design, scientific research and development, and high-tech manufacturing industries. Although educational requirements vary, most of these occupations require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Accordingly, STEM occupations are high-paying occupations, with most having mean wages significantly above the U.S. average.

Dr. Athanase C. Papandropoulos studied economics, politics and media communication in at the university of Mons, university of Liege and university of Lille. He obtained his PhD in Economics in Mons.

He has become one of the leading European personalities among media people, especially in European and business affairs.

He is International Honorary President since 1998, and Former International President 1992-1998, Association of European Journalists; Anchorman for financial matters at SBC TV; Editorial consultant at “European Business Review” magazine.

This time the situation is indeed very serious. A new party made its appearance in German politics and is composed of economists, lawyers and Christian Democrat politicians who believe in the dissolution of the euro area before this, they say, breaks Germany. The new party will be called «Alternative for Germany» and its basic philosophy is the exit of Germany from the euro zone and return to the Deutschmark, or another currency involving The Netherlands, Austria, Finland and any other country shares the German positions on competitiveness, fiscal discipline and reduce government borrowing.
«Joining the euro zone and the adoption of the single European currency proved fatal mistakes, that undermine prosperity. The old parties, not only do not understand the mistakes they made, but continue to grow», said Hans-Olaf Henkel, former president of the Association of German Industries and well-known europhile. «In my professional life I made the serious mistake some years ago supporting the euro», adds the German industrialist, who has a strong influence on German political and economic lives.
«Our exit from the euro is now imperative. Differences between North and South is the cancer of Europe, which self-destructs. The Mediterranean countries can maintain the euro to devalue and try to deal with their debts. May be so subsided threat of bankruptcy for these countries», says professor Bernd Luque, who is also a leading member of the new party. «When we see the Italians vote for Bepe Grillo and ignore their massive debt and to deal with it, we do not understand why German taxpayers should tend a helping hand», says the German economist Kurt Hetzel, member of the new party. «The Italian elections demonstrate the real risks for the euro. To the extent that the repayment of excessive debts of Southern Europe depends on political decisions of their peoples and electoral choices, something is not clear», argues Horst Keller, journalist, commentator on German television channel ZDF. Moreover, recent poll conducted on behalf of the channel shows that 69% of Germans believe that the euro is disastrous for the economy and 49% favor the exit of Germany from the euro zone.

Dr. Aneel Karnani is Associate Professor of Strategy, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His interests are focused on three topics: strategies for growth, global competition, and the role of business in society. He studies how firms can leverage existing competitive advantages and create new ones to achieve rapid growth. He is interested in global competition, particularly in the context of emerging economies. He studies both how local companies can compete against large multinational firms, and how multinational firms can succeed in these unfamiliar markets. Karnani researches poverty reduction and the appropriate roles for the private sector, the state and civil society. He is interested in how society can strike the appropriate balance between private profits and public welfare in tackling major societal problems.

This is an interview based on his book “Fighting Poverty Together: Rethinking Strategies for Business, Governments, and Civil Society to Reduce Poverty” he gave to iMpact of the University of Michigan. Prof. Karnani authorized us to publish it in the Business Thinker.

Despite global efforts to alleviate poverty in the past half century, it remains a vexing social problem. Livable wages and lack of access to the basics — clean drinking water, sanitation, roads, and security — remain far too elusive for far too many. Recent efforts such as microfinance and base of the pyramid (BoP) ventures may generate attention, but they don’t achieve the objective, says strategy professor Aneel Karnani. Efforts should instead focus on ensuring that governments provide access to essential services while creating a climate in which businesses create jobs. Nonprofits, meanwhile, should serve as catalysts and watchdogs.
In his book, Fighting Poverty Together: Rethinking Strategies for Business, Governments, and Civil Society to Reduce Poverty (Palgrave Macmillan), Karnani argues this alignment across multiple sectors is critical for raising the incomes of the poor.

In the following Q&A, Karnani discusses why he thinks this approach is more effective than microfinance and BoP outreach.