IN 2007, the world witnessed distortions that sparked recession that can be compared only to the one in the 1930s. The problem, which originated from the real-estate sector ravaged the global economy as organizations, ordinarily regarded as invincible, were quickly harried out of existence. It was only  the strong-hearted CEOs that survived the recession.

Research is linked to innovation and the willingness to take risks. Innovation is an expression of corporate creativity but it is aided by research. Companies that sustain market share regularly invest in research which hardly ever yields short-term results. This implies that research investment may and indeed sometimes lead to dead ends. Yet, in many industries such as cosmetics, household products, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology the long-term survival of companies is directly related to research spend and not just sales.

‘‘NO pain no gain’’ is an old proverb; this shows that those who are not ready to stay local because of its strenuous nature, pain and sacrifices to be made will not partake in its harvest when it eventually comes there will be a lot of desire competing for your attention some complementary, some competing and others negating but you have to be steadfast and hold on to your desire. Conquer fear, say no to nay-sayers, and you are already inching closer to the desire you cherish so much. When the sky seems to be gathering clouds, great waves beating against the rocks, the sea became rough, ships are battling against the gale and you are left alone to paddle your own canoe, this is the period to be strong, calculating and ingenious.

THE consequences of poor crisis management could severely damage  the  reputation  of a company, hence  every company  must be prepared for   crisis. This  is the case with  Toyota, one of  world’s leading auto makers.

ENTREPRENEURS come from different races, creed and religion; but irrespective of their roots, they do possess some common qualities, good entrepreneurs are not the ones that are stuck at the starting block but those that have moved ahead despite the odds and the tribulations on their path. Listed below are some of the attributes that are common to almost all the great entrepreneur and leaders, make use of them so that your part to greatness may become smoother.

I have been writing on the relationship between the Creation Story and business strategy. In the last few articles, my thoughts have centred on creativity and the difference it brings to the strategy of organisations. I have explored the meaning of difference and its benefits for corporate success. One useful analogy is that both nature and business thrive on difference (not similarity).  This aligns with the Creation Story – plants, animals, aquatic species, male, female – each one distinct in its composition. As I contemplated the creativity captured in nature and the Creation Story, it led me to a consideration of the elements of corporate creativity. Yes, what are the elements of corporate creativity? That’s what I’m going to dwell on in this article.

IT was Tacott Parsons, a renowned American sociologist, who first muted the idea that a society can be studied as a structure with interrelated parts. The concept which is known in social science parlance as structural functionalism addresses social structure in terms of the function of its constituent elements, namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions.  According to this theory, when any of the constituent elements suffers stress, the other elements are affected.

THE business environment around the world now is like the quotation above that stem from the recent inquiry into the activities of British government before, during and after the Iraq War. The paradigm shifted after the economic bubble of 2007, calculus of risk  in the financial sector changed and the repercussions is being felt around the business circle all over the world, either profit or non-profit, government or private even within family circle. For effective growth and adequate value for all stakeholders, strategy formulations must be based on scientific assumptions, extrapolation of facts and building of concrete scenarios but in recent past even that have not stopped a lot of organization from meeting their waterloo.