External Blog

The Making of Corporate Athlete

HBR’s article by Loehr and Schwartz has enlightened me with how complicated it actually is to maintain high performance in employees. Employees are a firm’s most problematic asset, yet they are also its most valuable asset.

The Performance Pyramid

The Performance Pyramid fundamentally addresses four dimensions: the body, the emotions, the mind and the spirit. Each of its levels influences the others, and failure to address any one of them compromises performance. An integration of these factors must be addressed through rituals, as establishing positive rituals can replace old habits.

An analogy between businessmen and athletes is helpful to understand how to develop high performing employees. When training athletes, the trainers never focus on the primary skills such as public speaking or negotiating, but instead help executives build their capacity for secondary competencies including endurance, flexibility and self-control.

Why Performance Is Crucial

In conclusion, I believe that in this fast changing corporate environment, efficiency is pivotal to maintain competitiveness or even simply to achieve survival when first enter an industry. As employees are the most valuable assets of most businesses, their performance is a crucial factor that will differentiate a business from its competitors.

Whether a company produces goods or provides service, they need high performing employees to unfailingly satisfy their customers and to take advantage of the changing environment in order to stay ahead of the ‘game’.

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United Nations Vs. Social Enterprise

“If the United Nations was fully funded, why would we need the Arc or social enterprise?”

Social Enterprise’s Vital Role

Social enterprise initiates from innovative individuals of the society who are brave enough to disrupt the status quo and transform this world. Despite of the monetary and social challenges, these individuals experience a first hand encounter with the society and thus are able to cooperate with them more personally. Furthermore, social enterprise is more likely to fill the gap in existing businesses that cannot or will not be provided by the public or private sectors.

Salem Kassahun: Why this Social Enterprise Succeeds

In the case of Salem Kassahun’s challenge to maintain fair trade boutique without alienating customers, I believe that supporting a social entrepreneur like her is worth the time and money, as her business effectively alleviates poverty and improve the standards of living in Ethiopia. Her investment not only equips women with creative skills, but also educates them on the importance of business.

Although social enterprise might not be in an international scale, these projects are extremely effective in combating the ongoing daily problems in our society that are usually ignored by most people. In contrast, the UN takes much more time to organise and create effective movements due to their inevitably large size and endless political and social pressures.

I believe that despite of the success that UN has achieved, we need more of social enterprise to transform our society to the better and to the fullest.

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Exclusivity: Does It Still Benefit Businesses?

Drawing from Jason’s post regarding Abercrombie’s lawsuit publicity, I agree that essentially it is possible to create a successful brand without being exclusionary by various other strategies.

A&F’s Controversial Values

I was initially appalled by the fact that many businesses nowadays oppress customers indirectly through distinguishing people based on their sizes. Last year, A&F was constantly on the public spotlight because they refused to make clothes for large women. CEO Mike Jeffries said, “Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

Being exclusionary can add value to a brand, as some people make conspicuous consumption and therefore are willing to pay more for products that provide them status symbol. Although it is debatable whether exclusionary based on body sizes is socially immoral or not, businesses have their own freedom to include what their company values are. And clearly, sex appeal is the main value of A&F.

Mass Vs Exclusive Market 

However, exclusivity may not last as long as what people expected. Many teens, including myself, are passing over the logo-centric clothes for cheaper and faster fashion chains such as Zara, H&M and Forever 21. These stores may not offer exclusive products, but they are taking away the customers of the “3A’s” fashion stores (Abercrombie, American Eagle, Aeropostale).

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Hotels Embracing Mobile Technology

Speed and convenience are two of the most vital factors in the hotel industry. People want to check-in quickly, especially after those long hour flights and when having a tight holiday/business schedule. Nowadays, hotels embrace smartphone technology for check-in process.

As part of their Business Technology Management, some hotels have started to launch a smartphone app for checking in as well as room keys. Marriott Hotels, in particular, has launched a virtual mobile app check-in service that would allow customers to check in the day before arrival and notify them when the room is ready.

Does Technology Comprise Customer Relationship?

This article has enlightened me on how technology is now a rather mandatory asset that every business must invest on if they were to survive in this competitive world.  In fact, research shows that one in every 5 people in the world own a smartphone, one in 17 own a tablet!

However, an issue to be considered is, will technology disrupt customer relationship? How can businesses provide personal and memorable service if everything is via technological mediums? I believe that hotels must thoroughly understand who their target customers are and what they want to decide whether conventional or modern system satisfies their customers better.

In the long run, I believe, competitive advantage for most businesses greatly rely on technological innovation, as we live in a digital era. Information technology goes beyond development of convenient services – it also helps businesses to systematically keep records of customer data and other critical information in the company.

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