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Modern business is uniquely complex, changes over hasty changes and depending on technologies and strategies that are changing constantly, elaborate?

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts

It's often said that change is the only constant in life. Yet humans are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the risk associated with it. Despite this resistance to change, it is more important than ever. Napoleon once said, "One must change one's tactics every years if one wishes to maintain one's superiority." In today's society the pace of change is immensely faster, and it will only continue to accelerate

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Question added by Mohammed Ashraf , Director of International Business , Saqr Al-Khayala Group
Date Posted: 2016/03/25
Mohammed  Ashraf
by Mohammed Ashraf , Director of International Business , Saqr Al-Khayala Group

In present and future, the organisations are facing abrupt changes at an unprecedented extent with any cost by dint of Information technology, and  is the highly powerful deriving force of any business today and tomorrow  too. Here, management must take decisions on successful strategies that directly influence the goal of the business entities. The rapid growth of MIS in organisations during the last one and half decades created big challenges, changes, development and demands . and that all things made changes over changes of today.

In a world where changes are the only constant there are needs of tools and techniques to help the organisations to became more effective as per the market situation. In a competitive world  there is a need for ways to stay ahead or to catch up before it gets too late. Again, in complex world there is need for powerful mechanisms that can make apparently complicated things simpler.  

Today, modern businesses are facing following problems with constant changes, solution is not easy then but business has to run however.

1. Uncertainty

All human beings, but it seems business leaders in particular, find great discomfort in uncertainty. Uncertainty in the global economy, uncertainty in the credit markets, uncertainty in how new regulations will affect business, uncertainty about what competitors are doing, and uncertainty about how new technology will affect the business—these are just the start of a never-ending list. The bottom line is that uncertainty leads to a short-term focus. Companies are shying away from long-term planning in favor of short-term results, with uncertainty often the excuse. While this might feel right, we believe that a failure to strategically plan five years into the future can end up destroying value. The problem to be solved, therefore, is to balance the need for a more reactive, short-term focus with the need for informed, long-term strategies.

2. Globalization

In interviews conducted by BMGI, seven of Fortune CEOs cite the challenges of globalization as their top concern. Understanding foreign cultures is essential to everything from the ability to penetrate new markets with existing products and services, to designing new products and services for new customers, to recognizing emergent, disruptive competitors that only months earlier weren’t even known. The problem to be solved is to better understand international markets and cultures through better information gathering and analysis of what it all means. Similarly, the incredible degree of government intervention in nearly all major economies of the world is leading to much greater uncertainty (see No.1 above) in the global marketplace, making international operations ever harder to manage.

Big companies are struggling with innovation and a better innovation process is at the top of the agenda for most CEOs.

3. Innovation

Interestingly, we haven’t found that many companies are looking to create more innovative cultures. At least not the big companies (Global) anyway, though that changes some as companies get smaller. This finding was a big surprise when we did our first studies in and little has changed since. It seems big companies are struggling with innovation and a better innovation process is at the top of the agenda for most CEOs, but the idea of a more innovative culture appears too frightening to many. The problem to be solved is how to become more innovative while still maintaining a sense of control over the organization.

4. Government Policy & Regulation

A changing regulatory environment is always of concern in certain industries, but uncertain energy, environmental and financial policy is complicating the decision making for nearly all companies today. It’s true that things seem to have settled down over the past couple of years, but have they really? We find that they haven’t; it’s simply that dealing with an unknown regulatory environment is fast becoming the new normal and companies are deciding to get on with it—whatever “it” may be—despite the angst. Whether a demand from customers or shareholders to become more “green,” the threat of increased costs due to new carbon taxes, constant talk of changes to corporate tax rates, or the impending healthcare mandate for businesses in the US (postponed until), much is unsettled. The problems to be solved are to understand the meaning of regulation and government policy in your industry, its implications for your business, and to develop the skills necessary to deal with it.

5. Technology

The pace of technological improvement is running at an exponentially increasing rate. While this has been true for several decades, the pace today makes capital investment in technology as much an asset as a handicap because a competitor may wait for the next-generation technology, which may only be a year away, and then use it to achieve an advantage. Of course waiting to be that competitor can be equally risky. What’s a CEO to do? Similarly, the ability for even the best of technologists to stay informed about emerging technology is in conflict with the need to master a company's current technology. The problem to be solved is to develop a long-term technology strategy while remaining flexible enough to take advantage of unforeseen technology developments.

6. Diversity

A particular subset of human capital planning is found so often in our research that it is worth its own mention. Diversity brings many challenges, as it makes it far more likely that people do not agree, and the lack of agreement makes running a business very difficult. At the same time, the lack of diversity within many large company leadership teams leads to a narrow view of an ever-changing and diverse world—contributing to groupthink, stale culture and a tendency to live with the status quo for too long. The problem to be solved is to first define what diversity (and we’re not talking about satisfying government statisticians) really means in your company, then foster the expansion of differing ideas and viewpoints while ensuring a sufficiently cohesive environment that efficiently gets things done.

There’s no doubt that life and business have gotten more complex, even as certain tasks and activities have become easier due to information technology.

7. Complexity

There’s no doubt that life and business have gotten more complex, even as certain tasks and activities have become easier due to information technology. The pace of change is quickening. The global economy is becoming still more connected, creating a much larger and more diverse population of customers and suppliers. Manufacturing and services are increasingly targeted at smaller, specialized markets due to the flexibility that IT provides in these areas. The3D printing revolution is a perfect example. We know from our knowledge of the patterns of evolution that, in reality, systems tend to become more complex as they evolve, then become simplified again. The problem is how to develop better systems-thinking capability so you can design your business models, processes, products and services in a way that minimizes unnecessary complexity.

8. Information Overload

It is said that the only true constant is change, and in today’s world nothing is changing more, or growing faster, than information. A March estimate put global Internet traffic at exabytes— million terabytes. By, global traffic will reach1.3 zettabytes, according to a report released in May. Every day,2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created. The ability of companies, much less individuals, to consume and make sense of the information that is available (and necessary) to make good decisions is becoming a nearly insurmountable challenge. The problem to be solved is to deal with this mountain of information with both technology and human know-how, then to convert this information into valuable knowledge.

9. Supply Chains

Because of uncertainty in demand and the need to stay lean, companies are carrying smaller inventories than ever. At the same time, uncertainty in supply, driven by wildly changing commodity prices, an apparent increase in weather-related disruptions, and increasing competition for raw materials makes supply chain planning more challenging than ever. Smaller suppliers that, five years after the global financial crisis, still struggle to get the credit they need to keep up with their larger customers’ demand exacerbates an already unwieldy situation. The problem to be solved is to develop a supply-chain strategy that not only ensures the lowest costs, but also minimizes the risk of crippling supply-chain disruptions.

The lack of sophisticated approaches to information acquisition, analysis and the development of unique insight leaves many companies at a disadvantage.

. Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving

 While the first nine biggest problems faced by business are a direct result of research, theth is really BMGI’s own conclusion based on the prior nine. The lack of sophisticated approaches to information acquisition, analysis and the development of unique insight leaves many companies at a disadvantage; they lack a long-term strategic imperative and instead jump from one strategy to the next on a year-to-year basis. Everyday problem-solving competency among today’s business leaders is also limiting their ability to adequately deal with the first nine problems. This is why corporate managers tend to jump from one fire to another, depending on which one their executives are trying to put out, and in many cases the fast-changing business environment is what ignites these fires in the first place. So what is the problem to be solved? We believe, to navigate the future, companies must resolve that strategic thinking and problem solving are the keys to successful business,then develop a robust capability at all levels.

Ghada Eweda
by Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.

That gives  focus on the importance of transformational leadership during the different stages of the change process relies on my study of Carter, Ulrich and Goldsmith’s book “Best practices in leadership development and organization change ” (). Indeed, today’s business climate calls for a new definition of what it takes to make an organization run. With hastily changing technology, a downsized work force and an emphasis on acquiring a broad range of skills, leaders of today have to be more flexible than ever in their .That's all about how companies sustain effective leadership while implementing organizational change even so today’s business environment is becoming increasingly dynamic, complex and socially aware. One sustainable competitive advantage in contemporary, rapidly changing organizations is competent management , thus the behaviors of organizational leaders directly influence actions in the work environment that enable change (Drucker,).

Leaders in complex organizations are now responsible for creating and nurturing conditions which will enable fast, innovative adaptations to change. Indeed, leaders and managers are responsible for change strategy, implementation, and monitoring, thus they function as change agents. However, they must take into consideration that there is a part of unknown, which they will never control. As a result, the challenge of managing change is one of the most essential and enduring roles of leaders while current rapid organizational changes has made effective leadership more imperative. Resistance to change is a dead-end street. In today's business world, organizations that support and implement continuous and transformational change remain competitive .However leaders’ should explore effectiveness in implementing organizational change and the processes, skills, abilities required for such effectiveness.

Nuridin Islam Diab
by Nuridin Islam Diab , Training Manager , Bbusinesss LLE

Thanks for the invitation. Very important topic and excellent answers. I recommend the book: "Who moved my cheese" by Spencer Johnson. It has a lot practical advice on change. 

Mohammad Iqbal Abubaker
by Mohammad Iqbal Abubaker , Jahaca Pty Ltd - Accounts Administrator , Jahaca Pty Ltd - Accounts Administrator

 I AGREE WITH THE ANSWER GIVEN BY Ghada Eweda   Medical sales hospital representative AND OTHER TEAM MEMBERS.

Wasi Rahman Sheikh
by Wasi Rahman Sheikh , WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR , AL MUTLAQ FURNITURE MFG
Rami Abbas
by Rami Abbas , Sales Manager , Al Houda Contracting and Real Estate Development

The answer provided by Mr.Mohammed Ashraf is very good. I agree with it.

مها شرف
by مها شرف , معلمة لغة عربية , وزارة التربية السورية

 Thank for the invite. I agree with Mr Mohamad ashraf and M's Ghada answers. 

حسين عبدالهادي الصلوي
by حسين عبدالهادي الصلوي , متدرب , المحطة الغازية توليد الطاقة الكهربائية

because society head for capitalistic political structures , and are highly industrialized and divided into  social classes based on economic status, These characteristic include regular pattern of everyday life,urbanization, influx of women at level of employment and business, secular outlook, intellectual freedom, acceptance of the not centralized goverment on free trade, standardized education system, and pervasive use technology ,specially in communication

Sohail Lone
by Sohail Lone , Assistant Manager Audit , Deloitte - United Arab Emirates

True that changing technology, globalization and dynamic macro and micro environment effects business output but business organization structure should be flexible to adapt rapidly to these changes.In changes staff organization culture is effected,reluctance occurs to adapt in change management.Sometimes organization structure needs ad drift which is not quickly absorbed by the staff 

 

 

 

Dr Samrat Ray Actively seeking good opportunity/Job
by Dr Samrat Ray Actively seeking good opportunity/Job , Strategy and Advisor to Chairman , CMA Dubai

Need of Hour:

 

Change managers

 

Proper communication life cycle

 

leadership and ethical practices

 

Academically strong individuals for academics in motion.

 

Value based business practices and l+d

 

 

 

I believe that we now live in a world where everyone is becoming resilient to change in one way or another.  We except everything to happen faster, sooner, with more precision and accuracy.  Our advances in technology and our desire and ability to be connected and communicate with one another instantaneously has created an impatient and short tempered generation.  Attention spans are lessened and our choices are more selective which leaves businesses reeling to cater instant gratification to this judicious modern populace. 

 

But keeping up with technology and change does not mean that businesses should run to every possible social media outlet to advertise or compromise long term planning by running after short term solutions. 

 

As Mr. Mohamed has mentioned, the long term vision, however pervasive it may be due to changing technology is still a necessity for creating a sturdy hold on the future viability of the business; and this means holding to a constant from which all variables and changes can circumnavigate.

 

 

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