Just-In-Time Inventory Management
Maintaining appropriate levels of inventory is a fundamental aspect of operations. In order to insure a smooth flow of work and delivery to customers, companies need to keep some amount of both raw materials and finished product on hand. But histori...
Human Resources: Morale and Motivation
Morale in the workplace depends primarily on the working conditions that management creates. In most cases, the deciding factor is whether management treats employees as valued resources, and tries to provide meaningful, satisfying work, or instead ...
Increasing Productivity
One way to increase productivity is by improving technology. Another is through long-term investment. Research and development, capital improvements, and workforce training can all be extremely expensive and may not pay off for years. But they do ge...
Quality Control Revolution, The
In recent decades, the concept of control, especially quality control, has been undergoing a revolution of sorts. To some extent this has been driven by innovative organizational and management techniques first utilized within Japanese industry. In ...
Social Responsibility and Profitability
One reason some organizations are hesitant to adopt social responsibility programs is cost. The argument here is that profit is the cornerstone on which a business is built, and that additional responsibilities only jeopardize the efficiency of prof...
Motivational Strategies
Although material rewards can motivate people, such rewards don't usually represent the strongest motivational force. Many companies have redesigned jobs to challenge their employees. A number of companies have also tapped new sources of employee mo...
Managerial Skills and Functions
While there is a wide range of general skills required of nearly all managers, there are some differences in emphasis from one level of management to another, from supervisory or operating level managers up through senior, top level managers.