Tag Archives: business
Why Study Sustainability in Business
In a word facing the daunting problem of global warming and climate change, sustainability
Sustainability is a broad discipline covering multiple areas but within business has strategy at it’s heart moving on from the Triple Bottom line of the 90’s, Sustainability aims to not only serve to promote the survival of the business but to be an integral contributor to society through active relationships with stakeholders. It seeks to find how companies might live in harmony with the external environment to promote corporate survival and for there to be a balance with ecology.
Protecting our environment is now critical for companies if we are to maintain our standard of living as a species although environment is not the only aspect of sustainability studies. Sociological aspects are also taken into account, with future business leaders learning about to topic studying business ethics as a means to make better, more informed decisions in the future which have a solid foundation.
Business leaders now just don’t understand ethics, this is clear when you see many business practices and the corruption which is endemic in many businesses.
Many of the world’s problems are rooted in social problems from alcoholism to the digital divide, these problems all have a social component. Many believe that with a strong background in sustainability the future business leaders of the world will be able to solve many of these problems. We now live in a throw away culture where products become obsolete in weeks and we waste a huge amount of resources on packaging, if you truly want to change the world you need to learn about sustainability.
The United Nations seeks to end hunger and poverty, improve education and healthcare, achieve gender equality, build sustainable growth and tackle climate change. Through studying sustainability you will be able to contribute to achieving thee great worldwide goals by working with likeminded people on the problem and through studying the problem you will be better able to come up with solutions by understanding it.
One of the top institutions to study sustainability is Global Business School Barcelona (GBSB) – http://www.global-business-school.org, winner of many prestigious awards and ranking higher than many Ivy League schools in International league tables and competitions. Gere students are given a holistic view of international business and given key principles to understanding ethical business. If you want to study with sustainability being integrated into all of your classes GBSB is one of the number 1 institutions internationally to go to.
Investment management: is it a career for you?
Careers in investment management may be an excellent option for those who are good with numbers and research, and that are looking to utilize and develop these talents.
An investment manager’s job is to make money for clients. A successful manager turns a portfolio into a vehicle for growth using the risk level and desired returns specified by the individual needs of each client.
Successful portfolio managers are those who are self-motivated and possess good analytical, research, and communication skills.
College students interested in a financial management career are advised to study economics, accounting and mathematics, written and verbal communication, and general business courses. Many portfolio managers hold an MBA. Once work experience is gained, professional certification, CFA, may be applied for. A Chartered Financial Analyst shows proficiency in quantitative analysis, practical experience, and use of terms and techniques necessary for professional status.
There are several different paths within the investment management career. The size of the firm will help to determine what specific job each new hire will perform. A large firm that manages mutual funds, for example, may wish to hire entry-level research analysts straight out of college, whereas a smaller firm might offer more diverse tasks. Job outlook will depend on the firm’s growth rate and how often an analyst recommends winning investments to the fund manager.
Advantages of this career path are many. The earnings of an investment manager are not dependent on how many hours are spent at the office. Instead, compensation and promotions are usually determined by how much money is made for clients. It is a competitive industry with room for the successful to grow.
The career path of Wesley Edens of Fortress Investment Group provides one example of such success. Currently co-founder and principal, Mr Edens held several positions with other firms, including partner and managing director, before founding Fortress in 1998. Fortress has grown rapidly under his direction, separating the business into four branches totaling more than $55 billion in assets under their management.
A self-motivated individual who desires a career in financial investment management can begin by researching firms and what each requires of its new employees, keeping in mind that a position as a manager is usually attained over time. A penchant for learning is a good beginning, with graduated steps along the way. Once reached, the portfolio management position provides an exciting and lucrative opportunity filled with daily challenges.
Oops moment you want to avoid when involved in a video meeting…
When it comes to communicating with one another, human beings can be very awkward. Not all the time of course, but often enough someone says something or does something that just makes others feel uncomfortable. Depending on the means of communication, these instances can be incredibly awkward, slightly annoying or somewhere in between. Talking face-to-face is the most effective means of communication possible, but it’s also where people can mess up and cause discomfort for others. Alternatively, chatting online or texting doesn’t have nearly the same impact for the same transgression. Companies use things like CIPHR HR Software to lessen the awkwardness of communication with others while boosting productivity, but sometimes, good ole’ person-to-person interactions is the only way to get things done.
Face-to-face communication is the top of the hierarchy of potentially awkward situations, but video meetings can make a close second (phone calls are up there too, but at least an awkward silence during a phone call doesn’t entail actually seeing the other person). Video meetings and conferencing can be used for a multitude of different tasks, school, personal and business related. Yet awkward situations can arise in either instance. Avoiding uncomfortable situations while on a video call with friends or family is not usually a big deal (it’s mainly a personal desire to avoid the situation and most often doesn’t incur significant consequences). But committing an error in social custom, business etiquette or any other unwritten code of conduct while participating in a business meeting can have dire consequences.
What to Do If You Mess up
The fact of the matter is, you will make a mistake at some point; everyone does. Depending on the circumstances the initial mistake is often not the problem; the real problem usually comes from how the person who makes the mistake handles the aftermath. It’s important to put things in perspective, according to Psychology Today. Quite often, the mistake you made is not serious and chances are many people might not even notice it. But if someone does notice, you should remember that what’s done is done, and you can’t change the past. What you can do, however, is apologize, especially if what you did had any negative effect on the situation. In addition, laughing at yourself is a great way to ease the tension and set the other person at ease, as long as the circumstances are conducive to a laugh. Whatever you do, do not try to make excuses; most people will see right through them and this will make the situation worse by showing you to be unwilling to own up to your own mistakes. Of course, there are some gaffes you could commit that might be unfixable, period, especially if you’re in a business situation. But for the most part, as long as you think before you speak and don’t do anything that could be construed as offensive, any awkward situations created by your actions should be easy enough to laugh off or apologize away as long as you are sincere.
Avoiding the Situation in the First Place
While everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, trying to avoid committing them in the first place is your best plan of action. When in meetings, either face-to-face or video conference via Blue Jeans Network, it’s incredibly important to hold yourself in a way that tells your bosses you are paying attention, listening and focused on what is being discussed, according to Today. Body language is incredibly telling, according to Nonverbal Group. Anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of communication is transmitted through nonverbal cues. This means that the way you move, your facial expressions, your hand movements, leg jitters and any other body movement can communicate your mood and interest in a conversation. This can be good or bad depending on multiple variables like who you’re talking to, what you’re talking about, how lenient that person is and plenty more. Self-control is important, so make sure you are capable of it. If you’re ever unsure of your ability to hold your own during a video meeting, then it can be useful to practice. It’s actually a very mature and responsible habit to practice speaking or acting for when you might be in an interview or video meeting. It may be clichéd, but practice does make perfect. It’s also incredibly important to keep calm; don’t let any small mistakes or your nerves distract you, and if you do make a mistake just get over it and move on, according to US News. Look directly into the camera. You can’t actually have eye contact through a video screen, but looking through the camera instead of the screen will show the other person you are intent, focused and interested. If you are participating in the meeting or interview from home, make sure you wear appropriate clothing; showing up on screen in a t-shirt is not a good idea. And above all, watch your language; not just swearing, but any slang or jargon that might be seen as either immature or overly casual will not help you at all.
