Despite the tremendous benefits of information technology (IT), it comes at a human cost – the displacement of less-skilled employees. As software and systems automate an increasingly large portion of business processes, the displacement is affecting a wider set of workers. So despite an improving economy, 9.5% unemployment might last longer than many think.
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Sustainability: A Leftist Plot?
ut what is sustainability really? Is it a part of some communist conspiracy, is it a bad idea by well-meaning but naive environmentalists, or is it the future of good business? For years, U.S. business theory has been grounded in the teaching that earning profit is the number one moral responsibility of any business. The notion has been part and parcel of business school teaching for decades, and is ingrained in the mindsets of most of today’s top managers. Increasing shareholder value is the mantra that is still preached in schools and lower level management meetings across America. At first blush, it would appear that changing that mindset is an impossible task; but there is a common ground emerging.
Read the rest of this entry »Small Business 101: Profitable Sustainability
Sustainability is one of those “of the moment” catchphrases that tends to mean radically different things to different people. To old school environmental warriors, sustainability is watered down environmentalism for wimps; for many pro-business types, the concept is an insidious “fifth column” of environmental activism. My take on the idea is somewhat different; as someone [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Small Business 101: Identity Crisis
The $100 college title for what a business does is “core competency”. Every business that gets off the ground has one or more competencies that are at the heart of what they do. Most businesses that fail forget what those competencies are. What we are talking about is an identity crisis in your business. The [...]
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