TheEvolutionofStrategicManagement

Culture can be one of the most misunderstood elements in an organisation, as it can work effectively as a massive engine, aligning efforts or work against the organisation with a multitude of sub-cultures moving in many directions.

The devastating result is noticed when a culture displays unruly behaviour that maims, torments, manipulates or just breaks the code of ethics that define the company. What is worse is when bad behaviour can continue to define all those that accept or ignore it, to see it get worse with time.

If the culture does not reflect maturity it is broken, even if it is not evident. As the minority can set and run the culture to control what could be unscrupulous practices. A sign of corruption that may be well-disguised until someone gets hurt.

Productivity, Growth and Sustainability are not mutually exclusive as the organisations maturity cannot be realised without every associated element supporting related goals. Some organisations can evolve in their productivity when all the respective elements, e.g. security support their endeavours. But those that have reached their structural capability plateau a new business model is needed to strive towards new horizons or even be able to conceptualise anything beyond their current goals.

Anything less may reflect new forms of procrastination, as low ambition levels of productivity continue to be rationalised as acceptable. Quality circles and continuous improvement have their limitations in organisations where innovation becomes complacent or depleted. Maturity is not static, as innovative business models help to shed limitations that restrict our ability adapt to future opportunities.

Productivity reviews seem to be constrained by their own limitations, unable to look beyond the scope of existing practices. Opportunities exist in raising standards and lifting visions, goals and thus maturity of the respective organisation. Cost cutting improvements only impact the long term situation as moral, vision, and key resources are impacted. A negative spiral can form that affects the long term direction of the organisation as it gradually inhibits innovation, creativity and the dynamic environment that can thrive on openness.

In stark contrast to liberating consumers of their hard earned money, this article is about liberating consumers from degrading conditions, exploitation, manipulation and the right to define their own future. This applies equally for business to business customers that also face unreasonable contract conditions, bad debts, and predatory associations that squeeze industries for profits.

Consumer advocacy groups, pretentious customer focussed businesses and Government policies for consumer protection have done little to stem the constant deception, manipulation and corruption that reflect deteriorating conditions and inefficient industries. Despite marginal progress with some laws, the tide favours the focus on growth at the expense of millions of consumers, in pursuit of higher profits. It is up to consumers to get wise, make poor practices transparent and take responsibility for their own future as empowered consumers.

Education might spring to mind for most when thinking of empowerment. This is however a very shallow reflection, without considering all the elements that enable empowerment. Empowerment requires a maturity with the appropriate development, capabilities, support and opportunities. Without continued support, it might seem like the blind leading the blind, as those that set policies and conditions also need help to appreciate the consequences of actions that are intended to empower. Thus, a little knowledge is dangerous, when unforeseen conflicts can create more serious issues.

In an age when social media is still at its infancy, it is a wonder why communities are not empowered to solve many issues. Instead, we witness the manipulation of social media to control advertising, secure free to cheap labour, obtain free Intellectual property and condition consumers. The answer is simply a lack of maturity in today's politics and management to reflect the void of broader visions.

The Tipping Point conjures up Malcolm Gladwell's concepts of what it takes to set a trend and become viral with "Law of the Few", "Stickiness Factor", and the "Power of Context". These concepts may have contributed to the numerous marketing tactics that are evident today; seeking exponential popularity with structures that either set or manipulate trends (e.g. Group voting, Celebrity endorsements or new forms of Media attention). The consequences that arose from concepts like the 80/20 Rule identified what can go wrong when people live these rules to focus on the few and neglect the majority. With misplaced priorities that could exclude potentially vital relations, many remain blinded to their market potential out of ignorance or immaturity.

These popularity engines continue to have adverse effects as their imposed limitations and conditions contribute to the loss of value and quality of products to threaten the prospect of evolving with great ideas. This can reflect degenerating systems that affect consumer's options and inhibit the evolution of those industries. It is not enough to caution consumers from falling into another merry go around or getting swept with illusions of value that may be fabricated. The obvious trappings, scams or deceptions that form these illusions also contribute to consumers conditioning.