http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/2975119-1.html
Chapter 12 in our text discusses understanding and managing creative people. There is an article on allbusiness.com that gives 10 tips for managing creative types. The article states that "managing a group of creative people is challenging but rewarding work." Creative and intelligent thinkers are needed for truly new and interesting innovations. Managers need to be able to deal with these kinds of people in order to continuously improve their products and still maintain a healthy work environment. The first steps are cultivating a creativity-inducing space and giving some structure. It is important to provide employees with an environment that is conducive to their creativity but also to provide enough structure to keep creative employees on track and on schedule. Other steps include giving employees time to dream, stressing the importance of balance, trusting the process, and directing them at your actual problems. Employees should have some downtime and also pay attention to all aspects of their work. It is also important to make sure they stay focused on solving the real business problems through effective communication. The last few tips include being generous with praise, allowing employee input, building a team, and being open to new ways of working. It is imperitive that these creative employees feel good about their work and feel like they are making a difference and are really included in the entire process. Managers of creative people have the challenge of being open to new ideas and innovations while also maintaining efficient business practices. Creative people can be a huge asset to a company and can help produce many beneficial innovations. Therefore, it is important for leaders to be aware of effective ways to manage these types of employees.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Top 10 Auto Innovations
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=innovations&story=pastInns
On Cars.com I found a page that lists the Top 10 Innovations in recent times. This list of innovations goes back about 30 years and ranges from radios to fuel injection. The top 10 innovations are antilock brakes, airbag advancements, key fobs, fold-flat rear seats, electronic stability systems, dvd players, heated and cooled seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheels and adjustable pedals, navigation systems, and hybrid drivetrains. I am doing my research paper on autombile innovation so I found this to be an interesting list. Innovations like the key fobs, dvd player, and heated/cooled seats have helped make the driving experience more convenient and comfortable for consumers. These are the kinds of technologies that, when first introduced, can give a company competitive advantage over other manufacturers. I was especially interested in electronic stability systems, which was one of the focuses in my paper. ESC is a computerized system that can apply the individual breaks automatically when the car is cornering or swerving on the road. People can drive beyond a car's capabilities and end up losing control and crashing. This innovative technology can prevent or assist these kinds of situation and decrease the number of accidents by a large amount. This technology, among many others, is one of the amazing innovations that has been introduced in the automobile industry.
On Cars.com I found a page that lists the Top 10 Innovations in recent times. This list of innovations goes back about 30 years and ranges from radios to fuel injection. The top 10 innovations are antilock brakes, airbag advancements, key fobs, fold-flat rear seats, electronic stability systems, dvd players, heated and cooled seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheels and adjustable pedals, navigation systems, and hybrid drivetrains. I am doing my research paper on autombile innovation so I found this to be an interesting list. Innovations like the key fobs, dvd player, and heated/cooled seats have helped make the driving experience more convenient and comfortable for consumers. These are the kinds of technologies that, when first introduced, can give a company competitive advantage over other manufacturers. I was especially interested in electronic stability systems, which was one of the focuses in my paper. ESC is a computerized system that can apply the individual breaks automatically when the car is cornering or swerving on the road. People can drive beyond a car's capabilities and end up losing control and crashing. This innovative technology can prevent or assist these kinds of situation and decrease the number of accidents by a large amount. This technology, among many others, is one of the amazing innovations that has been introduced in the automobile industry.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Utility Models
http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/ip_business/utility_models/utility_models.htm
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/ipr/sme_guide_utility_models_bywipo.htm
These are two sites that discuss Utility Models, also know as "petty patents" or "utility innovations", which are used to protect inventions and innovations. A utility model is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which allows the right holder to prevent others from commercially using the protected innovation for a limited period of time. The term of protection is usually around 7 to 10 years for utility models. The requirements for utility models are less stringent than the requirements for patents, but they do vary from country to counrty. These are usually best suited for minor improvements to already existing products or adaptations of them. There is only a small number of countries that currently use them and according to 1000ventures.com, the US is not one of them yet. I think it is important for all companies to be aware of these models, as well as the other types of patents and copyrights, so they can safely protect their inventions and innovations. Innovation can bring great competitive advantage to a company, but that advantage can be quickly taken away if those innovations are not protected properly.
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/ipr/sme_guide_utility_models_bywipo.htm
These are two sites that discuss Utility Models, also know as "petty patents" or "utility innovations", which are used to protect inventions and innovations. A utility model is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which allows the right holder to prevent others from commercially using the protected innovation for a limited period of time. The term of protection is usually around 7 to 10 years for utility models. The requirements for utility models are less stringent than the requirements for patents, but they do vary from country to counrty. These are usually best suited for minor improvements to already existing products or adaptations of them. There is only a small number of countries that currently use them and according to 1000ventures.com, the US is not one of them yet. I think it is important for all companies to be aware of these models, as well as the other types of patents and copyrights, so they can safely protect their inventions and innovations. Innovation can bring great competitive advantage to a company, but that advantage can be quickly taken away if those innovations are not protected properly.
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