Understanding Business & Marketing Strategies

Business Evolution & Marketing Approaches

Commercial activity serves as the nexus between businesses and the market, aiming to meet consumer needs. The marketing function enables companies to maintain contact with consumers, identify their needs, and produce goods that facilitate mutually beneficial exchanges. Historically, firms have reoriented their strategies based on four primary approaches: product, sales, marketing, and social marketing.

Product Focus

Companies adopting this approach concentrate

Read More

European Union Employment and Social Policies

Due to the unequal results across countries regarding the European Employment Strategy, in 2005, efforts focused on National Plans of Action (NPAs) to boost job creation, improve quality, and enhance coordination of labor market policies.

The European Employment Observatory (established 1982), working with national governments and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, compiled information on employment policies through two networks:

Read More

Global Trade Organizations and Agreements

Key International Trade Organizations

GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GATT was a significant international agreement established in 1947. Its primary objective was to facilitate and ensure fairness in global trade by reducing tariffs and eliminating trade barriers between nations.

GATT operated on three core principles:

  1. Most Favoured Nation (MFN): Mandates equal treatment for all trading partners. Any trade advantage granted to one country must be extended to all other GATT members.
  2. National
Read More

Technology and Organizational Structure: Theories & Impact

Technology in Organizations: Definition & Levels

Technology refers to the set of skills, knowledge, machinery, tools, and equipment that people use to change or transform raw materials into valuable products or services.

Within an organization, technology operates at three distinct levels:

  • Individual: The knowledge and skills possessed by individual people.
  • Functional or Departmental: The procedures and techniques developed by specific work groups.
  • Organizational: The way the entire organization
Read More

Team Collaboration and Conflict Resolution Strategies

Team Problem-Solving Methods

Solving problems in a group is not just about finding a solution, but doing so in a structured and collaborative way.

1. Brainstorming

Share lots of ideas freely, without judging, to solve a problem. Advantages: Boosts creativity, includes everyone, no pressure to have a perfect idea.

2. Root Cause Analysis

Ask “Why did this happen?” until you find the real cause, to understand why and prevent repetition. Advantages: Solves the real problem and prevents it from happening

Read More

Essential Concepts in Organizational Management

Understanding Management: Definition and Variables

Management involves the process of planning, directing, and controlling all variables that constitute an organization.

Planning:
Determining what actions to take and when to take them.
Directing:
Guiding how tasks are performed (operational systems). This adds value to a service or product.
Controlling:
Monitoring and evaluating processes through feedback. Information is compiled as “Output” to ensure objectives are met.

Contrasting McGregor’s Theories

Read More