Call for Papers: 2014 Fall Global Mindset Development in Leadership and Management Conference

September 12-13, 2014
Los Angeles, United States of America

Call for Papers:
- Submission of an abstract, topic of interest or proposal will be accepted for the purpose of registration.
- Time schedule to be determined later after all the papers have been received
- 30 minute presentation per paper
- Approved and Peer Reviewed papers will be published in on-line proceedings.

Topics:
Abstracts of research papers in 150-200 words are invited from Managers, Leaders, faculty, academics, administrators and Ph.D. scholars/Post Graduate students on contemporary issues in Leadership and Management befitting any of the conference tracks mentioned as under. Topics of interest for submissions include, but are not limited to:

- Forensic Accounting
- Global Business Law and Ethics
- Global Business Policy and Strategy
- Global Entrepreneurship and New Ventures
- Reengineering Financing
- Global Business Perspective
- Global Innovative Education & Academic Administration
- The Global Village of Internet, E-Commerce and Technology Management
- Orientation of Management and Organizational Behavior
- Global Information Systems
- Competitiveness on Managerial Global Terrain
- Relationship Marketing Management
- Managers Line of Production and Operations Management
- Service Management (including Healthcare and Hospitality Management)
- Meaning of Small Business
- Recessions, Contractions, and Recoveries in 2010-2011
- Various Research Methods
- Health Care Administration
- Criminal Justice Administration
- Educational Leadership
- Public Policy
- Global Leadership
- Online Education
- Nursing Leadership

Website: http://www.uofriverside.com/conferences/globalmanagementconference/

Supply Chain Enhancement through Collaborative Quality Management

Supply chain management is a noteworthy avenue for product reach and emerging financial efficiencies. Products are sold online and distributed across the globe placing greater pressure on organizations to enhance delivery networks. Consumers in the 24/7 virtual world want to receive their products in a few days regardless of the country of origin. Research by Soltani, et. al. (2011) investigated the relationship between supply chain management (SCM) and Quality Management (QM) systems that further makes the case for improvements in inter-firm collaboration that enhances upstream and downstream efficiencies.

In the global economy the supply chain is the life blood that keeps products moving through arteries/vines that wind their way through the hearts of companies and countries.  A product built in the U.S. may move through a number of different entities and nations in adherence to negotiated treaties before delivered at the consumer’s doorstep.  Company competitive positions are impacted by how the system works together through quality improvement to ensure high performing networks (Yeung, 2008). 

A strong supply chain network requires greater collaboration of partners to successfully move products quickly, effectively, and efficiently from one continent to the next. Supply chain quality management is a systems-based approach that develops improvements in the upstream and downstream linkages between suppliers and customers (Foster, 2008).  Upstream and downstream being relative positioning on the chain but is often designated as the manufacturer who receives upstream materials and sends the products downstream to consumers. 

Understanding the upstreams, downstreams and the way in which seemingly disjointed parts work together requires systems thinking.  Systems thinking, or otherwise termed systems dynamics, are a mental concept of how the whole of the entity may be different than the sum of its parts (Metz, 2012). In the case of supply chains, each of the individual parts works together to create real value that converts to organizational profit. Quality management ensures that slack and inefficiencies are removed from the system to create better flow of information and products. 

Each supply chain requires albeit costly investment to set up, develop and maintain.  Different companies within supply chains often engage in opportunistic behaviors and become uncooperative which results in lower overall quality and effectiveness (Brown et al. 2000). Companies that monitor these relationships find greater symmetry between the varying elements and develop powerful competitive advantages. In the global world, shaving a few percentages off the costs or improving speed of a multi-national firm’s operations leads to significant acceleration of growth.

The authors found that many of the companies focused on their internal structures for five years before moving externally into their supply chains. The ability to integrate the upstream and downstream business activities into a cohesive whole requires quality-focused supply chains that build connections between intra and inter firm operations.  The development of quality was further enhanced by a global manager that was able to understand the system and make collaborative versus adversarial relationships among the supplier, manufacturer, and customer legs of the supply chain triangle.

Brown, J. et. al., (2000). Managing marketing channel opportunism: The efficacy of alternative governance mechanism. Journal of Marketing, 64 (2), 51–65.

Foster, S. (2008). Towards an understanding of supply chain quality management. Journal of Operations Management, 26 (4), 461–467.

Metz, S. (2012). Systems thinking. Science Teacher, 79 (7).

Soltani, E., et. al. (2011). Quality performance in a global supply chain: finding out the weak link. International Journal of Production Research, 49 (1).

Yeung, A.(2008). Strategic supply management, quality initiatives and organizational

performance. Journal of Operations Management, 26 (4), 490–502.

The Economic System as an Avenue of Needs Fulfillment

The economic system permeates our entire existence from cradle to grave. From our socialized beginning to our elder years we are constantly making choices that impact our social and financial positions in society. Our very first experiences in life help us internalize certain cultural traits that become the foundation for our viewpoints and our ability to compete on the market. Economic hubs and nations are collective traits of our economic values that maintain patterns across society. All systems start with very personal biological, sociological, and psychological choices we may not be fully aware of and make their way throughout society to determine the success or failure of a nation in the global market.

Our economic system starts in our biological, psychological, and sociological core. Neuroeconomics is a concept that tries to explain how we make subconscious choices to purchase products, trust one another, or engage in certain activities beyond the simple mathematical equations of present day economists. It is a deep process that connects to our biology but also takes into account our psychological and social needs.

Culture influences our viewpoint of the world and our ability to compete in it. As we internalize the values of our society and behavior we ultimately set upon an acceptable way of viewing the world and viewing ourselves within that world. This defines what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors are not acceptable within society. Such behaviors become a vantage point of life and make their way in repeated form throughout our history.

On a conscious level we compare and contrast our limited resources to determine where we are most likely to compete. We use our limited experience and known skills to compare against the potential acceptance in our social networks to choose our occupational paths. Some will go to college and others will move into trade schools. Each offers opportunities to redefine ourselves and obtain needed skills to adequately fulfill these psychological, sociological, and biological needs.

If we were to add up all of the choices people make, and the culture vantage point  they use to make those choices, we will have the economic indicators for a state, city, or regional hub. Indicators will include the economic choices of education, occupation, expended effort, skill development, innovative ability, employment opportunities, social outlets, recreational pursuits, etc…(i.e. demographic trends) When certain economic similarities in choice, sociological behavior patterns, and psychological streams of conscious begin to define an area you have found the segmented borders of a hub and market.

Diversity of perspective that maintain shared goals can improve upon the abilities of participants within an economic hub. As all understanding is socially negotiated it is important to connect those with diverse opinions to each other to develop a more accurate understanding of the world, market, product, lifestyle, etc… When diversity, knowledge, and experience are used to enhance decision-making and find new and more accurate solutions to problems you have maximized human capital  development.  Maximization of human capital can be seen as the motivational  pressures and available pathways to achieving biological, sociological, and psychological fulfillment within a particular system.

Economics is the added sum of all of our choices and opportunities. Those nations with greater choices and opportunities have better economies than those without. Each economic system is based upon hundreds of thousands of choices that include education, occupation, purchasing behavior, social relationships, and recreational activities. Each choice made by members of an economic system is a result of how they see themselves within their environment and their internal subconscious pressures that result from their biological, psychological, and sociological needs. No one can escape the market as much as no one can escape their own needs. To improve the market means to improve the choices and the factors that lead to those choices. The greatest freedom in society is the lawful maximization of available opportunities to achieve fulfillment based upon one's own skills and abilities.

Call for Papers: 2014 Spring Global Management Conference

Conference

Proposal Deadline: February 28^th, 2014

7th to 8th March 2014
Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Website

Submission of an abstract, topic of interest or proposal will be accepted for the purpose of registration. Time schedule to be determined later after all the papers have been received. 30 minute presentation per paper

Managing the Complex Web of Global Subsidiaries

Global firms often work with a number or partners in order to move their products into multiple markets. Global firms use subsidiaries to help them promote and distribute their products. Research by Homburg, et. al. (2012) seeks to categorize the varying types of firms available on the market to help multinational organizations do a better job at managing across countries, cultures, and markets.  Their research finds five different types of firms that have their own benefits and detractors.

Global firms attempt to maintain competitiveness by using subsidiaries to create effective international reach. These firms are more aligned with regional and local differences in market characteristics. Problems result when global marketing loses a level of efficiency and effectiveness in the development of methods of managing these multiple distribution fingers. 

Drawing from configuration theory of organizations it is possible to use subsidiary archetypes to understand the varying nature of firms.  The majority of marketing researchers have advocated for additional customization but this can create difficulties in global management and in turn impact sales.  Global marketing requires a different way of viewing subsidiary management. 

It is possible that moving beyond subsidiary characteristics to find value-added functions helps to create efficient archetypes. These archetypes enhance the effectiveness of decision-makers to make strategic considerations due to their ability to conceptualize complex information. Knowing how each type of firm can help in the branding and distribution of products is helpful in developing efficiencies.

The research used three steps to categorize firms:

-Conceptual Domains: Value-added scope, influence, and competence are common.

-Core Domain Constructions: Structure, subsidiary size, value-added scope, strategy, strategic influence, strategic competence, strategic importance, etc…

-Cluster Descriptive Variables: Performance, environment, communication, coordination, etc…

In this study they used surveys and random samples of multinational companies across various service sectors. They were able to categorize a variety of different market clusters to help define each type of company. Knowing cluster characteristics should encourage managers to think more strategically about which types of firms they are using and why they are using them for global and regional marketing. They are as follows:

Saturated Administrators:  These are the larger firms that have done well in the beginning of the globalization process. They are moderately effective but maintain name brand and strong purchasing power. They have difficulty effectively making their way into local markets and are relied on by a majority of companies seeking a global presence. 

Universal Champs: These are high performing firms that focus on certain industries in which they can maximize profits. They are seen as effective and seem to do well with high value added products/services.  Due to the nature of the customers they seek wealthier nations where the economic system is stable and maintain purchasing power. 

Important Dependents:  They are strategically important but small. They exist in a number of Asian countries and are relatively passive but have high value-added services. They provide local access to markets other firms may have a hard time reaching. 

Promising Aspirants:  These are small firms that are self-sufficient and work out of an entrepreneurial approach. They are beneficial in terms of their ability to work in fast growing markets that require cognitive flexibility. They offer generally low value-added services but work well in risky markets.

Flexible Implementers:  Small and young clusters. Very few value added activities with low influence and low competence. They move products and services along to local markets with high standardization.

Homburg, C., et.al. (2012) Ensuring international competitiveness: a configurative approach to foreign marketing subsidiaries. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40 (2).