Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and their B-movie monster-like threat to traditional education are all over the blog world again this week. I’m personally very excited by the tsunami of free online content. I just finished the excellent Model Thinking from the University of Read More…
Staying analytical, impartial and open to new ideas can be challenging when you are invested in a role and a business. It’s a shame, but we often find that managers develop a certain valuable clarity on their organisation only when Read More…
While you may be very proud of it – that really large spreadsheet you’ve been tending to doesn’t quite constitute big data: the term refers to datasets that are so large that they become tricky for standard analytical software Read More…
Does streamlining of resources threaten quality in an environment where the customer is king? Critics of the application of lean management techniques to the delivery of services often say that focussing on efficient processes goes against the concept of delivering Read More…
It’s that time of year when ambitious lists of resolutions get made – and while these usually include the standard roll-over of not quite achieved health and lifestyle commitments from last year – January can be a good time to Read More…
Our latest research shows that firms are still sidestepping established management practices in favour of quick-fix solutions. Why? Often in times of increased pressure, good management practices are sacrificed at the operational level as managers struggle to meet short-term operational Read More…
Our ongoing conversations with organisations have revealed that, despite the decline in employment and diminished job opportunities in most segments of the Irish labour market, many companies are finding it difficult to find managers with the requisite skills. Over half Read More…
The Irish Management Institute report Closing the Gap published at the end of 2010 found that a “long tail” of companies with poor management practices is damaging Ireland’s competitiveness. Research carried out internationally and in Ireland in 2009 by the Read More…