Africa: Business Schools Set Skills Agenda - AllAfrica.com

Mwaura Kimani

Business schools in Africa are expected to play a larger function in promoting economical growing in future by expanding chances for learning good direction practices, the institutions' association have said.

This volition largely be through development of programmes, which are relevant to countries' development and concern agenda, with the position of making alumni globally competitive, said functionaries of the Association of African Business Schools, made up of 17 prima concern schools.

Prof Desiderius Erasmus Kaijage, the president of AABS, said authorities are beginning to trust more than on concern schools and other establishments of higher acquisition as think-tanks inch policy formulation.

However, some of the schools' programs are far from the development schemes being pursued by countries, rendering them less competitive.

To contract this preparation spread and bring forth experts who can force the wheels of growth, one of AABS' docket is Associate in Nursing interchange programme.

"If we are able to turn a highly-skilled human resource base, this encouragements prospects of faster economical growing in our several countries," said Prof Kaijage, who is also the dean, School of Finance and Banking, in Rwanda.

While Africa is said to be lagging behind other parts in concern education, AABS is seeking to raise criteria in the continent by linking schools so they can exchange staff, pupils and thoughts towards the all-important international accreditation.Such an enterprise is expected to hike the 17 schools' onslaught to come in new marketplaces and drama a larger function in economical development.

"Schools must enterprise to offer pupils better insight into the challenges of direction based on the concern environment that they are jump to confront in their workings life," said Republic Of Kenya Commercial Depository Financial Institution CEO, Mister St Martin Oduor-Otieno.

Established in 2005, the association seeks to better the capacity of members to "deliver high quality direction education."

While demand for executive director preparation is booming, informed by planetary tendencies and demand for top-notch skills as competition among companies heightens, local and African concern schools have got got been angling to have their presence felt both locally and internationally.

George Njenga, the Dean of Strathmore Business School, said with expanded economies, concern schools could acquire a stronger feel in the preparation market, taking advantage of expanding income watercourses as companies pass billions of Ugandan shillings to develop staff.

Relevant Links

Strathmore Business School, University of Nairobi's School of Business, Catholic University of Eastern Africa and United States International Universities are the lone Kenyan establishments that have got registered with AABS. For investors, Republic Of Kenya is particularly viewed as strategical because of its alone geographical advantages and well developed concern hub.

During its yearly full general meeting last hebdomad in Nairobi, the association announced programs to acknowledge more than schools. "Business schools and private sector participants must also develop wider golf course to hike accomplishments development, which stay the greatest challenge threatening Africa's growth," said Mister Mugo Kibati, the managing manager of East African Cables, who was the head invitee at the function.

According to AABS, challenges facing African economic systems as they travel to vie with Asia are high costs of telecoms, stiff labor markets, spreads in public-private partnerships, and political uncertainty, among others. Some African concern schools have got been recognised; for example, the University of Cape Town's Master in Business ranked 66th on the Financial Times' 2006 planetary rankings, the lone African school in the top 100.

Obama again stirs up decades-old debate on Cuba

By Toilet King CNN American Capital Bureau

Washington (CNN) -- As Ronald Ronald Reagan might have got set it, here we travel again.

Sen. Barack Obama political campaigns in Ioway last week.

What to make about Fidel Fidel Castro is a inquiry that days of the month back five decennaries and 10 U.S. presidencies.

In more than than recent times, it have go somewhat of a litmus diagnostic test test in presidential politics, dating back to Reagan's heavy accent on the Cuban-American vote in the 1980s.

The inquiry have more significance now, perhaps, because of Cuban leader Fidel Castro's failing health.

"Even though it is not the figure 1 issue for the bulk of electors in Florida, for a very vocal minority, it is an incredibly passionate issue that have a batch of history," states Washington-based Democratic strategian Mare Cardona. Don't Girl /n /n

The argument was stirred Tuesday by an op-ed essay Sen. wrote for the Miami Herald. In it, he called for the lifting of two Shrub disposal limitations on Cuban-Americans. Obama wrote that he would let Cuban-Americans "unrestricted rights to see household and direct remittals to the island."

A prima Republican candidate, former Bay State Gov. was speedy to pounce, saying in a statement "unilateral grants to a dictatorial authorities are counterproductive" and that Obama's place turns out the Prairie State senator "does not have got the strength to face America's enemies or support our values."

Current limitations allow Cuban-Americans to direct household members $300 a one-fourth and bounds visits to up to 14 old age once every three years.

Among the other Democratic candidates, New United Mexican States Gov. already was on record in favour of alterations along the lines outlined by Obama.

Former Sen. split the difference; he prefers limitless traveling by household members but opposes "raising the bounds on sending American dollars back to Republic Of Republic Of Cuba at this time."

Sen. would make more; he prefers allowing all Americans unrestricted traveling to Cuba.

Democratic front-runner Sen. prefers no alterations to U.S. policy and said through a spokesman "we cannot talking about alterations to U.S. policy" unless and until Fidel Castro go throughs from the scene and a new government shows its intentions.

On the other end of the spectrum, Rep. prefers lifting the trade embargo outright.

Most interested in this argument is a bantam piece of the U.S. electorate. Nationally, Cuban-Americans business relationship for less than 1 percentage of the U.S. population. But they are heavily concentrated in the cardinal presidential battlefield of Florida, where they represent 8 percentage of the state's electorate. (The victor in Sunshine State was decided by 537 ballots in the 2000 presidential election.)

Cuban-Americans are the most reliably Republican of the nation's Spanish American voters, leading some strategians to inquire why Obama would be interested in inflaming the passionatenesses of the Republic Of Republic Of Cuba debate.

"Non-Cuban-Hispanic electors make not appreciate a presidential campaigner coming down and once again making Cuba the issue. They desire to hear about other things," Cardona said.

Others saw a deliberate attempt by Obama to switch attending away from unfavorable judgment in Miami's Cuban-American public for his talking of being willing to ran into with Fidel Castro and leadership of other so-called rogue governments in his first twelvemonth in office.

The op-ed piece made no reference of such as a pledge. Instead, Obama talked of isobilateral negotiation in a "post-Fidel" Cuba and said his disposal would do clear that if such as a authorities would follow democratic reforms, "the United States is prepared to take stairway to normalise dealings and ease the trade embargo that have governed dealings between our states for five decades."

Obama's stirring of this argument goes on a subject of taking an irregular -- challengers would state inexperienced -- attack to foreign policy issues. It is also an issue that could prove how the actions of President Bill Clinton's disposal affect the campaigning of his wife.

Her hubby made courting Cuban-Americans A priority, and received nearly 40 percentage of Miami's Cuban ballot in the 1996 presidential election.

But President Clinton's determination to go back Elian Gonzalez to Castro's Republic Of Cuba provoked indignation among Cuban-Americans, and, according to a Sunshine State International University Study, Republican campaigners received more than than 80 percentage of the Cuban-American vote in Sunshine State in the 2000 presidential and the 2002 gubernatorial elections.

Ten Reasons Why You, a Middle Manager, are More Valuable Than Your Company's CEO

Peter Drucker said the intent of a concern is to make and maintain a customer. So much of that work haps smack dab in the center of companies. These are the top 10 grounds why you, the center directors of the workings world, are more than valuable than the chief executive officer of your company.

1 – You cognize how material really acquires done. Let's human face it - procedure maps intend very small when you cognize that in order to acquire your personal computer up and running again, the fastest path is to purchase a gem for Oscar in IT.

2 – You cognize what motivates individuals. You're with them everyday. Sometimes it is cash, clip off for a kid's event or just some recognition. Whatever the case, you're in a place to assist and actuate more than than anyone else.

3 – You cognize the client well adequate to acquire to the truth. You are them, they are you and there is a particular bond. The client will state you, more than so than anyone else, exactly what they necessitate and how to sell to them.

4 – You cognize the sellers and what's going on with competitors. All that clip you pass shooting the bull with Marvin, who provides the whole industry, really pays off when he states you that your greatest rival is never going to acquire their new merchandise launch off the line. With that information and a few pinches to your products, your company stand ups to make a killing!

5 – You don't have got to support your original strategy. This is big. Since you didn't invent the scheme you aren't obligated to support it. Instead you can state it like it is.

6 – You have got the accomplishments to acquire people of diverse backgrounds to work together. That's because you dwell with them everyday. There's a large difference in telling people what to do and actually helping to make it happen. You cognize how to do things happen.

7 - You cognize exactly at what point your company is in the movie. You've been life it with your squad and more than than anyone else, you cognize if the squad is ready to take the hill, or if they necessitate to withdraw and salt lick their wounds.

8 – You cognize the believers. When the squad necessitates to acquire fired up, you cognize who they look to and more than importantly, you cognize what visible lights those people up.

9 - You can actuate with humor. You've got their trust, and therefore you can jest a spot and have got some fun. Fun is a great motivator, and you're the 1 best positioned to acquire them all laughing.

10 - You have got the powerfulness to heal. When things travel wrong, you're outdo positioned to acquire people on the way to recovery with a vision for the future.

In a concern human race where things are changing nightlong and full industries are being reshaped from manufacturing to music, transportation system to telecommunications, it's quite likely that the adjacent great concern theoretical account won't come up from the chief executive officer but rather from you, the center manager. Keep these 10 grounds in head as you travel about your day-to-day business, and you are certain to come up out on top!

Small Business Stress Management - Worry Creatively About Money

Only fools and dead people have no worries. Human nature being what it is, all of us worry about money. We worry about money when we have too little, when we have enough and when we have extra. But not everyone worries equally.

Those who worry well about money are relatively stress free when it comes to money management, no matter whether the concerns are about too little money or how to best manage adequate and surplus funds. Those who do not know how to worry about money are nervous wrecks and consider finances to be a headache producer.

I suggest three rules of thumb about how to handle the financial concerns that go with every business and that are usually pressing concerns with small businesses.

First: organize the worries. Financial matters fall into a very few categories such as cash flow, debt management, credit development, receivables, taxes and asset management. Each have their own considerations and need to be well-organized, carefully filed and accurately tracked. For example, with cash flow it is important to have cash on hand to meet daily expenses and payrolls. With credit is is important to develop lines of credit, the longer the better. But aside from writing legibly and making careful notes and entries, none of these money matters merit non-stop attention.

Translating the worries into organized tasks that can be accomplished is a way of acting on the worries instead of worrying. If organizing the worries into action is step one, then step two becomes scheduling the dates on which the actions occur. Change the worry to action, schedule the action, and live worry-free during the interim.

Second: schedule the tasks and do them faithfully at the proper times. Get the taxes done on time. Be sure to make payroll on time every time. Organize debt payments to be automatically deducted or do them manually on the same date each month. It might be that the various tasks related to financial management of the business require a total number of hours each month equal to less than one work day! By organizing and scheduling the financial tasks a new perspective becomes possible: financial management of the business is not a big headache, just a collection of routine tasks!

Third: worry about the finances on purpose. Remember, we are all humans. It is human to worry. The manager of a small business and indeed of any-sized business will worry about finances, no matter how well-organized and efficient the company's management of financial tasks and policies. The goal is to be worry free in between the tasks you have organized. But the human mind does not always adhere to schedules.

Ridiculous as it may seem, commit yourself to worry on purpose when you "feel it coming on." Just be sure the worry session has a beginning and end before you get into the worrying. Keep it short: ten minutes is far more than enough to worry yourself sick and get it out of your system. This is a different approach than being half-worried or a little worried or stuffing down the worry.

Nagging worries simply produce a sense of unease. By comparison, an all-out bone-rattling worry acts like a strong storm: it clears the atmosphere so calm can return. Venting out fears, worries and anxiety is a cleansing antidote as old as human nature. Use it as often as needed. It won't let you down.

Managing a small business brings with it plenty of financial problems and challenges. It is human nature to sit up and take notice of financial problems. Just remember, they never really go away, they only mutate. Managing worry is the best approach: organize the worries, turn them into tasks and schedule the tasks. When you need to worry do it with abandon. The rest of the time enjoy successfully managing the financial aspects of your business!

Leadership Development

Leadership, what is it and what is the difference between being a manager and being a leader?. Definitions of leadership, there is not a single definition that everyone agrees on. Manfred Kets de Vries, a professor at INSEAD, says that leadership is a "set of characteristics, behaviour patterns, personality attributes" that makes certain individuals more effective in achieving a set goal or objective.

Another way of describing leadership is to say that, to get the best out of people, individuals, teams, organisations, they need to be led, guided, persuaded, motivated, inspired, to be committed, to do their best, to work together to achieve a common objective. This, rather than the pure "management" approach of being told, directed, ordered, and treated as subordinates.

True leaders are recognised as being the leader, and their followers accept that they need to be guided by that leader, but they do not feel that they are mere subordinates. A good example is the captain of a sports team - hockey, baseball, netball, cricket, soccer, football, athletics - these are individuals who have an individual role to play, yet find time and ways to motivate and encourage others to do their best, to use their own individual skills, knowledge and experience (scoring goals, defending, winning races, hitting home runs) whilst at the same time working together as a member of the team to achieve team objectives.

There are other ways of defining leadership, managers perform transactions, and leaders bring about transformations.

The transactional manager influences others by appealing to self-interest, primarily through the exchange of rewards and services. The relationship between this type of manager and the follower is seen as a series of rational exchanges that enable each to reach their own goals. Transactional managers supply all the ideas and use rewards as their primary source of power. Followers comply with the leader when it's in their own interest - the relationship continues as long as the reward is desirable to the follower, and both the manager and the follower see the exchange as a way of achieving their own ends.

The transformational leader inspires followers to not only perform as expected, but to exceed expectations - transformational leaders motivate followers to work for goals that go beyond immediate self-interest, where what is right and good becomes important - these leaders transform the needs, values, preferences and aspirations of followers. They do this so that the interests of the wider group replaces the self-interest of individuals within that group.

It's interesting that research has shown that the way women leaders describe how they behave, lead, is in line with the transformational style, whereas most male leaders when describing themselves use words and phrases that describe the transactional style. There are exceptions of course, and in some situations the leader can by viewed differently by different groups. Many people in the UK would not describe Margaret Thatcher as transformational in style, but more likely they would use words such as dictatorial, domineering, riding roughshod over opponents, yet others, in her close team for example, describe her as charismatic, motivational, inspirational, kind, supportive.

We can see from this look at Leadership that there are different ways of describing what a leader does, and how, at least in some ways, this is different to how a manager behaves. Individuals recognised as leaders makes it obvious that there are great differences in the way in which certain leaders behave. On the surface there are great differences between the leadership style of Prime Minister Thatcher, and that of the Indian industrialist Rajiv Bajaj. Yet both are widely acknowledged as highly successful leaders. The common factor, it seems, is that all are able to persuade others to follow them, in order to achieve success in their particular field. They all have something that brings diverse people together, to work as a team, to aim for and work hard to achieve a common objective. It is, perhaps, a special talent, or characteristic, or personality trait, or set of circumstances that they find themselves in, or perhaps a combination of all of these. Perhaps leaders are born with this ability, perhaps it is something that can be, or has to be, learned.

Bringing Business and Morality Together

Being successful in business in usually based on the general
idea that desire for making profits and self-interest are
good and moral, however there still should be right ways and
wrong ways to go about making a profit. Morals still should
come into play no matter what, just because you are running
a business it doesn't give you the right to lie, cheat and
do what you consider to be morally wrong order to make a
living. This isn't what the successful businessman is all
about, although there are and have been many business men
that have got to the top solely by making the mis-telling of
truth an art form and where morals seem to have gone totally
out of the window for the sake of success?

In today's business world it can be hard to remain true to
your morals when there are advertising campaigns to figure
out. After all if you have a product or service to sell
shouldn't it be good enough to sell by telling the truth and
not having to fabricate claims of what it can and cannot do.
However, in today's world it can be just as hard to find a
businessman with morals as it can be to find a politician
with them.

However, there are businessmen who will show a willingness to
add ethical principles to the decision making structure of
their business. When starting out in business it is important
not to lose sight of your values and morals, some people value
honesty and values above all else and will stick with them
full stop no matter what while other have high ethics only to
a certain degree then they fall by the wayside.

Some people regard ethics and morals as being the same thing,
however they are not they are different and the difference is
that a persons ethics determine what they see as right or wrong
while morals are judgements, standards and rules of good conduct
which guide people towards specific actions.

Morals vs. Ethics


Knowing the difference between the two can help business managers
as ethics programs are part of life in business and managers can
hold sessions to discuss their values, ethics and morals for the
company. A business code of ethics should be in place in every
business and this will protect individuals and address moral
issues and value of the business during decision-making processes.

However having a corporate code of ethics program in place isn't
just an instruction manual put there to solve problems within the
company. The whole idea behind the program is it will enable those
who work there to have the valuable tool of saying "That is against
our company's policy" or "It would violate the company's code of
ethics"

This is a strategy that will enforce the company and bring values
closer, it also makes it a much better working environment and can
increase the commitment of those working in the company simply due
to the fact that many people still do take pride and have a strong
sense of moral.

Marketing Your Home Business in Just 30 Minutes a Week

It's all the rage. It's what everyone is talking about. It is unquestionably the most effective form of marketing available to home based business owners. It costs almost nothing, it takes about 30 minutes a week, and it makes your business stand out above the competition.

What is this thing that everyone is talking about? The buzz is about "article marketing" - the practice of providing royalty free content to websites, e-zines and newsletters.

It works like this: You write a simple article that is interesting to a particular group of people. It doesn't have to be The Great American Novel, just about 500 words on the topic of your choice. Then you submit your article all over the web to ezine publishers, newsletter editors and content-laden websites.

When they publish your article (and they almost always do) your target market reads your words, sees you as an expert (after all, you're a published author!) and they click on a link to your website that you conveniently provided at the end of the article. Viola! Instant, qualified traffic.

And it's not fleeting traffic. Your article remains out there for people to find for weeks, months, even years. As new people happen across your article, they click the link and visit your site. You have a perpetual traffic machine, driving tons of pre-qualified, open-to-an-offer, interested traffic to your site. This is better than advertising, and far less expensive.

The problem is the effort of submitting your articles to enough sites that you really make a splash. Most authors will submit their articles to 20-30 places before getting totally burned out on the submission process. It's tedious, dull, drudge work.

There are three online services that automatically submit articles for authors. Each of these services explain the intrinsic value of publishing your articles, and of course they each describe their services as best-in-class. They range from single submissions to unlimited submissions and from completely free to $299.85. Check them out and draw your own conclusions.

- - - - -http://www.SubmitYourArticle.com - - - - -

Sends out articles in three categories: Internet marketing/online business Self-improvement/motivation Health and fitness. (They promise "Business-General" and "Finance/Investment" categories soon.)

Submits articles to an undefined number of ezine publishers and 15 or more article announcement lists with over 10,000 subscribers.

Special Feature: Offers an article management suite to retrieve, edit, or resubmit your article.

Cost: * Bronze membership, $37.00/month, you may submit one (1) article per month * Silver membership, $57.00/month, you may submit two (2) articles per month * Gold membership, $75.00/month, you may submit three (3) articles per month * Platinum membership, $90.00/month, you may submit four (4) articles per month

Submit 16 articles over four months for $360.00

- - - - - http://www.ThePhantomWriters.com - - - - -

Accepts articles in nine categories: * Business and Marketing * Coaching and Personal Development * Health * Internet * Money Saving Tips * Home and Family * Pets * Writing Related * Christian

Submits articles to about 20,000 publishers and webmasters. Depending on how you categorize your article, it will be submitted to appropriate publishers.

Special Feature: No limit to the number of articles that can be submitted. (Is this really a "special feature"? They seem to think so. I guess it's better than SubmitYourArticle.com's one article/month limitation)

Cost: * One article: $49.95 * Three articles: $119.85 + $39.95 per article thereafter.

Submit 16 articles for $639.20

- - - - - http://www.ArticleMarketer.com - - - - -

Accepts articles in 364 niche categories which (for the sake of space) I won't list here.

Submits articles to over 30,000 people. Depending on how you categorize your article, it will be submitted to appropriate publishers.

Special Feature: An "auto pilot" feature where an author can submit several articles at once and have them distributed on to a custom defined schedule. (That's one of my favorite features. I just set it up for the month and don't have to think about it again. The articles are consistently distributed.)

Cost: * Free Article Distribution: goes to over 3,000 people * Best Exposure: goes out to over 30,000 people: Quarterly Membership $39.95 for as many articles as you want to send out. Annual Membership $119.95 and the best value - $299.95 Lifetime Membership

Submit 16 articles for $39.95. At only $299.95 the Lifetime Membership (with its unlimited article submission) is the financial winner in this comparison.

http://www.articlemarketer.com?a_aid=d80e4079

All three of these services seem to do a fine job submitting articles. They appear to have automated the process and articles are distributed within a few days of submission. Of course, each offers the disclaimer that your article will only get published if it's interesting.

Of the three, I prefer Article Marketer (for obvious reasons) and I have absolute proof that it works: you are currently reading this article.

Now that's what I call effective marketing!

Delegation with Confidence - Five Essential Steps

The old maxim "if you want something done right, do it yourself," does not address the busy manager with assignments and deadlines facing them everyday. Many managers find themselves limited simply by the hours in a day to meet the many demands confronting them. Giving up control and authority is a challenge that many managers fear more than working twelve hours a day six days a week. But the effective manager is one who understands his or her limitations and has confidence in both their ability to delegate and their subordinates. There are five steps that insure that the delegation process will yield the best results for the manager and the recipient of delegated tasks.

1. Clarify the assignment. Look carefully at the task and what is required to complete it. What steps are involved in the assignment? What knowledge is needed? Who in your organization is best qualified to assume this task? If you are not clear in your assignment the results will definitely be in jeopardy. Finding the employee with the necessary skills and experience to do the job is only half the challenge. Once that employee is designated you have to be clear about what you want done. For best results, delegate the outcome of the assignment. Let your subordinate choose methods and strategies that they feel will best allow them to complete the assignment. Also long as you've made your goals clear, your chosen employee is the best person to determine the way to reach a positive outcome.

2. Specify the range of authority. Every time you delegate a project you also delegate authority. But every assignment and the authority required have inherited constraints. It is fruitless to give an assignment and not delegate the authority needed to gather information, enlist others help, and utilize company resources. When you clarify the assignment, examine how much authority is required and inform your designee of the range of discretion you are giving them. Be clear about constraints and limits that you are granting and the boundaries involved.

3. Inform all affected parties that delegation has occurred. Your designee is going to need cooperation to complete the given project. Also, they are acting in your place and to avoid misunderstandings and confusion, let everyone know that you've delegated this task and to whom the task has been given. Failure to communicate with others will sabotage your employee's efforts. Also, in all organizations where established lines of authority are clearly drawn, changes can cause uncertainty and concern about other members of your team. Avoid "water cooler gossip" by being upfront with your employees and communicate your trust that they will cooperate with your designee as they would cooperate with you.

4. Allow your subordinate to participate. Employees that are encouraged to participate in the requirements, methods, degree of authority, and time frames of a given project are more motivated and enthusiastic in assuming tasks. When you give an assignment, draw on the thoughts and opinions of your subordinate to map out the assignment and your expectations. This illustrates a manager's confidence in the recipient and their abilities. A cooperative spirit goes a long way to ensuring success. When employees feel they have a voice in a given project there is a higher degree of satisfaction, motivation, and accountability for performance.

5. Establish an open line of communication for feedback and monitoring progress. As you set time tables and reporting guidelines, also make sure that your employee has a route for questions, advice, and concerns that may arise. Delegation is an ongoing process and communication is essential to its success. This communication should involve not only concerns of your subordinate but the managers concerns as the project progresses. Periodic monitoring insures that problems along the way are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner. Each step involved in an assignment should have a corresponding time frame and specific reporting requirement. Mutual understanding and acceptance of these reporting requirements is vital to a smooth transition from your actions to the actions of your designee.

Delegation is an issue facing managers more and more as personnel budgets are tightened but demands on mangers time and expertise are growing. Delegating is not a sign of limitation or failure to meet expectations but a sign of a confident and secure manager who can draw upon the talent within their organization. Indeed, delegation is the truest test of a manager's confidence. The mission of every manager must be trust in themselves and trusting the team they have assembled. After all, why build a great team if you don't use its talents to the fullest degree?