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Collaboration - A pillar of Organizational Behaviour
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TWO-WAY STREET FOR MANAGEMENT Business Collaboration Two-way communication can range from casually asking team members for their advice or input on a given problem, to implementing a review system that involves direct reports and peers, to something as simple as adding a comments section on your intra-team blog. More on the ins and outs of two-way communication later, but for now, I’m happy that we’ve got it here. Not only is the "two-way street" a good idea on a philosophical level, but technology-enabled collaboration is simply making it an imperative. Yet it is clear that we are still in the midst of making this fundamental shift in our ways of thinking and working together--we haven't quite made it yet. Business collaboration is where people assist and co-operate with colleagues and other contacts to further a particular aspect of the business that they share. The emergence of social media and the social web (I prefer this phrase to label the second generation of the web to other phrases or terms such as “Web 2.0”) has showed us that the web is a very suitable platform for cultures that encourage social behaviour: people communicating, interacting and building relationships with each other. The more we use the web to communicate, interact and build relationships with each other, the more social it becomes. Values such as openness, trust and participation stimulate us to be more social and thus drive the shift to the social web. Truely said culture always comes first and technology second. It is the way we use these new capabilities that matters. Social technologies are only social technologies if we use them for socializing with each other. But very often we focus entirely on the characteristics, design and features of tools and technologies - as if those things are what make them social. Sure, it helps if they are visually appealing and easy to use. It helps if they are interactive and people-centred. But in the end, what makes them social is who uses them, for what purpose and how. What is also important to understand is how the combination of the web as platform and social technologies help cultures which foster social behaviour to spread. When people use a tool or platform for socializing, that makes it interesting and attractive to use for other people who share similar values, attitudes and behaviours. Since the social web is open, easy to use, “free” and accessible to virtually anyone, cultures that foster social behaviour can spread in an almost epidemic manner. The barriers that still exist lie more in our own values, attitudes and behaviours than in the technologies. Uniform Platform Platform as a Service (PaaS) is one of three main forms of cloud computing, where companies rent hardware and software from a third party. The platform is accessed across a private network or the internet and used to build applications rather than owning, running and developing on an internal IT infrastructure. There are three main models in the cloud computing arena. Working up from the bottom there is infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and then software as a service (SaaS). With IaaS companies rent pure servers with operating systems pre-loaded, storage, network access and very little else. Organisations then load and configure their own applications and data. A Working PaaS Example Salesforce.com represents perhaps one of the most successful and clearest examples of SaaS. Companies rent space on their customer relationship management system (CRM) and log onto the website without having to download or install any software. Everything is provided by the company and the only thing the customer organisation has to do is load their data and configure their preferences. The IT department therefore doesn’t have to bother themselves looking after hardware, storage, networks, operating systems and software servers, they can spend their time building business applications. This makes sense for a lot of companies as this is where IT can deliver value to the business. Portability of Assets and PaaS Cost savings are difficult to compare between different PaaS providers and with other ways of developing applications, such as in-house development or outsourcing to a software house. As off-shore development becomes more capable and still remains cheap, PaaS faces considerable competition from traditional models. And, vitally, organisations using these more traditional models own and control their code and applications. There are hidden costs in adopting PaaS as well. Some of these are related to the 'what-if' scenarios of a PaaS provider going to the wall or becoming a liability. But others are not. For example, building any strategic relationship requires people to work at the interface between the two companies. Eyes Wide Open Don't be fooled by the ease of use that PaaS offerings present. This is a strategic relationship and if it isn’t treated as such from board level down then there is a high risk that cost savings and efficiency gains will not be as good as expected. Analyse every aspect of how the company will work with a PaaS provider and the output from such a project before making a decision. Computer Ware In a technology driven modern organisation computers are an integral part. It is used in each and every job which has to be accomplished by the company. It is used in two forms vis-à-vis software and hardware. Software is a collection of computer program and related data that provide the instruction to the computer what task is to be performed. Hardware on the other hand is the physical components of the computer. System Software: System Software includes operating systems, which govern computing resources. System Software helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It includes a combination of the following: Device drivers Operating Systems Servers Utilities Windows Systems The purpose of system software is to unburden the applications programmer from the often complex details of the particular computer used, including accessories and also to partition the computer’s resources such as memory and processor time in a safe and stable manner. Examples are - Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Hardware: The physical components of the computer system are called the Hardware. It involves all the outer parts of the computer system. The Hardware of the computer includes Monitor, CPU, Keyboard & Mouse, RAM, and ROM which forms the primary components. The other components are selected according to the need of the organisation. For E.g.: Graphics Card - It is essential in Fashion Designing industry Sound Card - It is essential in Audio and gaming industry Processor Speed - It is very essential in the IT industry Other components include Web Camera, Speakers, Antenna, Joystick, Printers, Scanners, Optical Disc Drive, and Ethernet etc. Security Security has to be compared to related concepts: safety, continuity, reliability. The key difference between security and reliability is that security must take into account the actions of people attempting to cause destruction. Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as inormation security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to remain accessible and productive to its intended users FIREWALL Firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. It is a device or set of devices which is configured to permit or deny computer applications based upon a set of rules and other criteria. ANTIVIRUS Antivirus (or anti-virus) software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware including computer ,worms , and troan horse. Such programs may also prevent and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware. A variety of strategies are typically employed. Signature-based detection involves searching for known malicious patterns in executable code. However, it is possible for a user to be infected with new malware for which no signature exists yet Technology driven Outdoor Advertisement The balloons, motion displays, backlit, lamp posts, bridge posters, etc. hardly give a hint of the pressures markeeting guys are going through to create a successful campaign. All over the world there have been several governmental and legislative attempts to quash the progress of outdoor advertising. Like Nigeria, however, this trend has not prevented the outdoor advertising market in that country from continuing to expand and prove itself a viable, effective and an increasingly attractive advertising medium. Computer painting courtesy of inkjet, electrostatic and digital airbrushing, is transforming outdoor advertising by the day. Whereas in 1992 approximately 5% of the billboards actually used digital technology in the U.S, today it is used on about 80% of the billboards. Two obvious advantages of this technology are: billboards look better; its speed allows advertisers to change boards more frequently with less cost. With more options in hand and less time to create a poster, the creative heads behind the these campaigns are finding new avenues getting opened before them. Bulletins are actually regarded as the “prime time” of outdoor advertising because of their imposing size which cannot fail to appeal to a vast audience; with larger-than-life images that feature colour, elegance and excitement, the consumer is thoroughly astounded! They not only appeal in more specific way but also to the illiterate and lesser educated ones which the earlier printed form of advertisement failed to target. The Barcode Identification tracks an advertiser’s campaign from poster production through shipping, display and removal. Its advantage is that advertisers can verify the status of their campaign through online communication with the outdoor companies. This also has advantage in stopping theft and duplicating of the goods. Sometimes when too many counterfeit products throng the market and eventually they start challenging the original goods, then marketers opt to use barcodes. Computer-mapping systems aid advertisers to combine demographic and geographic market research data with outdoor locations so as to determine the best place to advertise. The technology that makes it possible for outdoor advertisements to communicate to any device that runs the palm operating system is known as street beam, which was launched in the U.S on December 01, 2000. Jan Renner, Streetbeam’s president, had stated that its mission was to “wirelessly enable outdoor displays with interactivity.” Collaborative Data Collection From Market Since the advent of modern technology, many more options for collecting and processing data have been utilized than ever before. From the average person who owns a home computer printer and scanner to the largest corporation using state-of-the-art data collection technology, a wide variety of techniques is currently being manufactured to address every need. Too many people work independently often without letting other team members, or even the department, know what they are doing. Workplans and reports are not circulated, and there is no attempt to meet to coordinate activities. The result is that there is often an overlap - projects effectively doing the same work in the same area. Various techniques through which data can be collected and shared from internet are: 1. ) Online forms An online form builder which enables users to create any type of online form, including surveys, contact forms, event registrations, order forms and much more. You can then integrate the form into your website and begin collecting data. The application allows for organizations to create the forms without any programming, software or special skills required. 2. ) Spread sheets A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper, accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells that together make up a grid consisting of rows and columns, each cell containing alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas. A formula defines how the content of that cell is to be calculated from the contents of any other cell (or combination of cells) each time any cell is updated. Spreadsheets are frequently used for financial information because of their ability to re-calculate the entire sheet automatically after a change to a single cell is made.Spread sheets allow us to share collected data online with people working in different terminals. This avoids extra cost of travelling or postage for the transfer of data. It also quickens the process of data or sample collection 3. ) Blogs A blog is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries.Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (Art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (Video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts. Blogs can be used extensively for data collection using polls . You can view and analyze different comments posted on the blog, it can also be used as a feed back mechanism through which you can ask public opinion and respond to their comments or complaints quickly. 4. ) Wikis A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative wiki websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and inknowledge management systems. 5. ) Online polls Online polls help reach all those using internet and thus get opinion about a particular product or sector. This is a relatively new concept used to find opinion of people. 6. ) Google docs Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. Google Docs combines the features of Writely and Spreadsheets with a presentation program incorporating technology designed by Tonic Systems Google docs provides various applications such as- 1. Online forms. 2. Spread sheets. 3. Calendar 4. Shared folders 7.) Delicious Delicious (formerly del.icio.us, pronounced "delicious") is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks. This help the team share information which they would like other members to see, any thing / data relevant to the study could be book marked and all the team members would be able to see and acess the same. 8.) Social Networking Sites Social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks. It gives a particular or single platform for all the members of the group memebers to come together and discuss different feed back or data that has been collected. It also helps to come to a definite conclusion for any topic. Branding I. The Importance of Branding One of the truths of modern business is that there is almost nothing that your competitors can't duplicate in a matter of weeks or months. If you have a great idea, you can be certain that somebody will copy it before long. And not only will they follow your lead, but they may also be able to do a better job or sell the product or service at a lower price. The question then becomes, "What competitive edge do I have to offer that cannot be copied by anyone else?" The answer? Your brand. II. When Should You Brand? Because of the competitive nature of business today, nearly all industries can benefit from a branded product. All of the traditionally brand-conscious industries, including fashion, restaurants and consumer goods, are being forced to continue to brand heavily — perhaps even more strategically than they ever have in the past. Financial services, which were one of the last frontiers, are even beginning to see the importance of branding by tagging banking packages and even mutual funds with catchy names. Even industrial markets, where cost is usually more of a loyalty building factor, has seen brand names creep in. III. Types of Brands A brand cannot be all things to all people. By definition, no one brand is going to appeal to all customers. On the contrary, branding is based on the concept of singularity — targeting individuals in a personal manner— and therefore precludes the concept of universal appeal. This is why many brands broaden and widen their appeal by creating tertiary brands or line extenders. Although most industries and products or services can benefit from a brand, not every product needs its own stand-alone brand. Brands can be separated into three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary. • Primary Brands • Secondary Brand • Tertiary brands IV. What Goes Into a Brand? If your product or service is new or unique, the branding is made easier. Since there are no pre-existing biases toward the product or service, it will be easy to manipulate customer attitudes. More often, your product or service will have been in existence for a while and have direct competition. And if it doesn't, it probably soon will. Therefore, products that may be roughly equivalent in terms of their features need to have a brand identity that will impact consumer choice. Brand identity is comprised of: • Pricing - a component of value; higher prices may signify to consumers higher quality, and lower prices may suggest decreased value. • Distribution - availability; limited distribution of a product or service may imply exclusivity to discerning consumers. • Quality - which impacts satisfaction; obviously, higher quality will translate to more satisfied customers who come back again and again to purchase your offerings. There are other features which are also affecting the brand V. What's in a Name? The foundation of your brand is its name. After its uniqueness wears off, it will be your brand name against the brand names of your competitors in the marketplace. So, how can you create a name that will stand the test of time? VI. Brand Positioning A. Characteristics of the Campaign Positioning is the art of creating a brand that can persuade and realistically demonstrate its relevance to a customer's daily life to become his or her regular choice. Positioning is not created by the marketer or the individual brand itself, but by how others perceive it. Marketers don't create the positioning; rather, they create the strategic and tactical suggestions to encourage the customer to accept a particular positioning in his or her mind. Optimization Optimization is a structured, systematic process for assessing an organization's infrastructure and application platform across capabilities in order to provide an optimization roadmap toward a Dynamic. Optimization enables a business to realize the full value of its infrastructure and platform investments and establishes as a strategic business asset that can facilitate innovation and help organizations respond quickly to change. Optimization can be viewed in three perspectives: • Core Infrastructure • Business Productivity Infrastructure • Application Platform Levels of Optimization Within each model, there are four Optimization levels: basic, standardized, rationalized/advanced, and dynamic Improving infrastructure maturity revolves around three very important aspects - technology, process and people. Basic Infrastructure The basic infrastructure and platform is characterized by manual, localized processes; minimal central control; and non-existent or unenforced policies and standards regarding security, backup, image management and deployment, compliance, and other common standards Standard Infrastructure The standardized infrastructure and platform introduces controls through the use of standards and policies to manage desktops and servers, how machines are introduced to the network, and the use of Active directory, Directory services to manage resources, security policies, and access control. Rationalized Infrastructure The rationalized infrastructure and platform is where the costs involved in managing desktops and servers are at their lowest and processes and policies have matured to begin playing a large role in supporting and expanding the business. Dynamic Infrastructure Customers with a dynamic infrastructure and platform are fully aware of the strategic value their infrastructure provides in helping them run their business efficiently and staying ahead of competitors Intellectual Development According to Piaget (1967), children initially acquire skills in concrete tasks, and only with more experience and maturation do they become capable of dealing with abstract ideas. When students come to class, they may not have developed the intellectual capacity needed to understand the way in which a discipline works. Perry's (1970) scheme of intellectual development help us understand four different approaches to intellectual challenges that students face in accomplishing tasks that faculty usually characterize as critical thinking. The simplest approach is dualism, which divides reality into polar categories, such as true and false. Students who use this approach rely on authority to provide the 'right' answers without questioning why. However, no one can think critically about things that they accept as unquestionably true. The primary teaching task with such students is to show them the extent and scope of legitimate uncertainty in the area. This leads students to the second stage i.e. multiplicity. This stage is usually characterized by students thinking that as there is no guaranteed right answer in an area, all opinions in the area must be equally valid. The transition from multiplicity to the next stage, contextual relativism requires students to recognize that, despite the uncertainty about 'the' right answer, we can still often select one or more ideas that are superior or inferior to others. The primary teaching task becomes one of showing how we recognize acceptable, better, and terrible within the discipline. Students can think more critically if faculty explicitly delineate both the alternatives and the criteria that they use to adjudicate among them. In the intellectual games of contextual relativism, we understand that people living in different contexts often legitimately have different beliefs. However, in order to make wise judgements, we need to assert our own values. We have to begin to take stands again, as we once did in dualism, but our enterprise is now based on an articulation of our own values and analyses, not an echo of authority's positions. We come to see knowledge as constructed rather than discovered, as contextual, and based inevitably on approximations. Collaborative Learning and Intellectual Development: To foster critical thinking, it is not sufficient to simply have students work together. Faculty can provide intellectual scaffolding in the following three steps: preparation, cognitive structuring, and role structuring. Preparation can achieved either by structuring a shared background or selecting for discussion, points on which all students can safely be presumed to have some relevant knowledge. A common background can be provided by readings outside class, or presentations in class. Cognitive structuring implies providing students with frameworks or questions that prompt them towards more sophisticated thinking than would come spontaneously. The question 'what assumptions underlie this argument?' often serves this function. Role structuring is the specification of a collaborative process that gets all the members of a group to participate meaningfully. Consider the teach-write-discuss exercise discussed earlier. The lecture segment and the writing time prepare the students for collaboration. An appropriate question provides cognitive structuring. Finally, working briefly in pairs on what each student has written provides role structuring i.e. students primed by their small-group discussions will be more willing to participate in whole-class discussion. As our thinking becomes more sophisticated, we switch from an identity based on what one believes and does-an identity base that persists from dualism through contextual relativism-to an identity based on conscious choices. Whether we view these changes as intellectual development or reacculturation, the existential challenges are great. Most students do by far the most serious rethinking during and in preparation for collaborative sessions. Collaboration thus often provides an effective stimulus for the changes required for critical thinking. It also provides the social support needed to make those changes emotionally acceptable. Just A Click Away Market research is one of the most valuable selling tools a show organizer has. Up to the minute, accurate market data arms you with the type of valuable information you need to ‘sell’ your show to potential exhibitors, including who is attending your show, how well your exhibitors did at last year’s show, and what type of sales numbers resulted from participating in the event. Savvy exhibitors -- those that can contribute meaningfully to the success of your show -- will want to know this type of information. Any information you provide to potential exhibitors must be both timely and accurately. Unfortunately, hiring a market research team, especially on an annual basis, can be an expensive proposition. Doing the market research yourself can be time consuming and frustrating. What if there was a way to streamline the process, making it effortless and efficient for both you and your customers? Enter the internet. Trade show organizers have been woefully behind the curve when it comes to exploiting the internet’s potential for market research. As the Online Expo becomes more and more of an industry presence, it is imperative that show organizers incorporate web-based elements into traditional shows to accommodate exhibitor needs, especially as they pertain to market research. The transition to a more virtual society has creating an expectation of instantaneous, accurate information -- an expectation that we need to meet if we are going to survive. Here are five techniques you can use to meet this expectation: • Constantly Gather Information: Market research is not a once-a-year phenemeon. • Invite Open Communication: Exhibitors and potential exhibitors should always know how to reach you. • Create Discussion Forums: Discussion forums, whether they’re constructed as a bulletin board or group format, offer a great opportunity to invite feedback, ask your exhibitors questions, and brainstorm new show features. • Explore Other Communities: You’re in the exhibiting business, but your customer’s aren’t. Take the time to visit their internet hangouts -- industry specific bulliten boards, discussion groups, and e-mail lists. • Provide Content Rich Incentives: Attendees will only visit your website or participate in polls if you offer them something of value in exchange for their time Marketing online has proven to bring many cost effective benefits that help businesses do their own market research as well as still market effectively even on a shoe string budget. However, once you see the benefits in marketing online it can help you in creating even more successful marketing strategies offline. 
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