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Paper Prototypes: Key to Innovation
-- Gary Oster
To succeed in the dynamic global marketplace, corporations need to routinely introduce innovation in their products, services, ideas, environments, and processes. The current global economic turbulence requires that new ideas be vetted, prioritized, and effectively tested with customers prior to initiation. Historically, companies have used prototypes in an ongoing conversation with customers to ascertain their actual needs and the attributes of products, services, processes, environments, and ideas most likely to satisfy those needs. Prototypes are an integral tool in the design process, not a result of it, and the appropriate use of prototypes is critical to mitigation of risk. This conceptual paper contends that prototypes—especially inexpensive, quickly developed two-dimensional paper prototypes—are a highly effective communication method used to elicit ideas and emotional responses in role discovery with customers, and should be a core competency and a primary mode of thinking and operating in every corporation. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Spiritual Intelligence at Work
-- Catherine Joseph and Sree Sailakshmi
The authors explicate that the terms spirituality and spiritual intelligence have no connection and have nothing to do with religion or belief systems. With spiritual intelligence happening at the workplace, the environment will be more favorable. A better working atmosphere relates to a higher level of output. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize on the significance of spiritual intelligence, the commitment to righteousness and ultimate wisdom at the workplace. The authors have attempted to show how by developing one’s spiritual intelligence, one can develop skills such as intrapersonal and interpersonal relations, problem solving, goal attainment, motivation, commitment, responsibility, self-awareness, team spirit, stress management, time management, leadership and transformation, necessary for work and be successful at workplace. The paper provides a few suggestions on how to develop spiritual intelligence. The authors conclude by stating that spiritual intelligence need not be an inborn trait but can be developed, which results in making life and work more meaningful and enjoyable. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Conflict Management: Making Life Easier
--Akinchan Buddhodev Sinha
From an unhappy customer to a dissatisfied director, business may face the challenge of conflict from any direction. The challenge of conflict is not always properly dealt with. According to a research done by the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), Europe’s biggest alternative dispute resolution body, the approach towards a conflict makes a difference. Most organizations strive for attaining higher sales, profits and growth, but amidst all these, they tend to lose focus on one important aspect, i.e., conflicts, which may be smoldering inside the organization and, if neglected, may become a cause for massive destruction. Effective management of conflict can lessen the amount of time and money spent in trying to solve an issue, reduce the damage it could cause to those involved, and help decision makers make smarter choices much before the damage. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Good Listening Skills Make Efficient Business Sense
-- D B Rane
The ability to understand and give response effectively to verbal communication is known as listening. The effectiveness in listening necessarily depends on the interrelationships between the sender and the receiver of the message, which is found to be a vital skill more particularly for the managers in business organizations while obtaining need-based information to perform their jobs successfully. The quality of relationships with others and job effectiveness largely depend on the listening ability of the individual concerned. Lack of listening ability at all the levels in the organizations lead to work-related problems. To become a good listener, one needs to practice and acquire special skills so that the vital information sent by the speaker is well received by the active listener. A lot of concentration and firm determination is required to become an active listener. Thus listening, among others, is one of the most essential skills one should have. Many people have bad listening habits and hence need to put a lot of effort to break these habits to become effective at work. This reveals that improvement in workplace productivity is possible by developing active listening and better communication at all the levels. This paper explains the process of listening, significance of active listening in business communication, concept of effective listening, and barriers to good listening, and gives vital tips to become a good listener. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
The Importance of Communication
-- Padmashree Radhaswamy and Anjum Zia
The objective of this paper is to understand the key aspects of good and effective communication, how to develop them, and the major challenges faced in the process. This task is accomplished by extensive literature review, and by interviewing experts and working professionals. The focus is on how effective communication is demonstrated and on the differentiating factors among good and not so good communicators. The study necessarily intends to go deeper and more technical than the myriad “how to be a good communicator” genre articles. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
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