Business Ethics in the World of Corporate Governance

Executive Summary

All businesses are grey. A loaded statement but one which befits today’s business milieu. The debate is on the shades of the color and not the color itself. Wealth creation precedes wealth distribution, an unalterable sequence. There is a growing realization that former belongs to the exclusive domain of business and the latter to a shared domain. Businesses demand autonomy from others to create wealth and others demand accountability from businesses for the wealth created. Both, autonomy and accountability are worthless in isolation. Accountable autonomy is the panacea. Current business landscape is unprecedented. It is a world where the ends and not the means are brought in to question leading to business ethics boiling down to a personal and not an organizational call, taken everyday by millions, closer to the ground to succeed and more importantly survive.

All the stakeholders-management, employees, board, investors and society are asserting their influence simultaneously. A historical perspective on corporate governance suggests different approaches- (organization+stakeholder)-control approach and capital-market control approach dominating at different times and in different geographies. Both approaches have come alive globally and are trying to pip each other.

India Inc. has moved away from regulation toward latitude since early 1990’s and with the markets coming into their own, the governance style seems to be headed the capital-market control way.

Board of Directors, the venerable interface has to ensure accountable autonomy by fostering its own culture which includes promoting constructive dissatisfaction, actively monitoring the firm’s risk policies and practices, not contingent on having considerable expertise in the areas concerned and avoiding soft conflicts.

Enron and other scandals happened at the best of times and at the worst of times. The aftermath ensured till then increasingly becoming adventurous management’s retreat, activism in boards, dispelled smugness of investors and an acknowledgment of fast becoming oblivious society’s rights and responsibilities. Business initiatives with social spin-offs and not the other way around initiatives are welcome as the need is of responsible corporates and not of over-hyped corporate social responsibility.

A culture, undoubtedly percolating from the top echelons fostering openness and adherence to laws is required.

It has to be appreciated by everyone involved but its adoption has to be voluntary and customizable. The organizations should disseminate the information like practices, policies and risk appetite needed to take a fair call and not accord the right to itself of other stakeholders primarily markets to judge the firm. A culture of transparency starts where regulation ends in achieving accountable autonomy. Every stakeholder must understand that she has a role to play and has certain rights and responsibilities. Separations of powers are difficult to achieve but are crucial for the organization to do the right business and for others to ensure that the former does it the right way as the eternal bottom-line is- the business has and will always be managed by executives, investors have and will always be the ultimate decision making authority on investing and society has and will always be affected by the businesses.

Introduction

The world operates like a simple pendulum. Its microcosm, the business world is no exception. One extreme is autonomy and the other is accountability. It is hard to strike a balance between the two. Both are benign in their own space but too much of a good thing is also detrimental. Business environment has and will keep on testing both extremes. When one extreme is about to be reached, then its dire consequences are realized and businesses move back from the brink. The force which pulls them back from the disaster is so potent that it adds tremendous momentum till the other extreme is tested. This process is eternal and gives businesses a grey shade, blurring the line between right and wrong. After the corporate scandals that rocked the world in 2001-02, the pendulum has swung in the favor of accountability. This shift has happened at a time when the businesses around the world are about to peak. Hitherto unexplored markets are being forayed by organizations worldwide. Issues of business ethics, right and wrong, and corporate governance are hot debating points across the business landscape. All parties- management, board, employees, shareholders, regulators and community are asserting their presence. All of them have to collectively make a decisive move as both regulation and latitude are looking equally enticing and as doing the right things is mulling on the imperative of doing things the right way. The world is waiting!

Business Ethics- Individual’s or Organization’s

Dis-connect between an employee and the ground realities widen as she moves up the ladder. Today, businesses are very target driven. At each level, targets are set and are interlinked. The performance of one’s superior is determined by one’s own performance and this process goes on till the very top echelons. Till such time one meets or surpasses the targets no questions are asked on the way of achieving those and disconnect mentioned earlier plays a huge role. It is only when the shortfall occurs, explanations are demanded and then also words like ethics are given a short shrift. In nutshell, only the end and not the means is what matters. In such an environment, where targets are means to not only success but more importantly survival, ethics boil down to a personal call. These calls have to be taken everyday by millions of people in real time with targets and survival at top of the mind.

The line between right and wrong gets blurred. Can one put a number on the price, less than which a gift is considered a culture token and above which it is considered a bribe? Doubt whether any corporate dossier conceptualized at the very top on ethics can address this issue on the ground.

Approaches to Corporate Governance

Over the years, two very distinct approaches to corporate governance have emerged. One is the mix of organization-control perspective and stakeholder-control perspective and other is based on capital market control.

The former approach sacrifices short-term focus at the altar of long-term sustainability. It is based on 1 person 1 vote dictum. The agreed upon goal for the management is to achieve stability and perpetuity of business. Board has representation of employees and society. Major chunk of equity comes from financial and non financial companies, which are ready to wait for longer periods for their investments to fructify. Firms are not too keen on going public thereby not lending themselves to the whims and fancies of markets. Employee welfare, obligation to local community, size and market share make up the essence of this approach. Myopic Market model by Marris is the fundamental pillar of this approach. According to this model, heeding the markets too much has a detrimental effect on the organization.

Excesses in this approach are created by managerial capitalism as executives are given a free hand in managing the show. At times, a host of objectives other than wealth creation are followed.

As the firm expands, it requires additional capital. If this capital is not forthcoming from stable sources like banks then the company has no other choice but to go public. This gives rise to capital market-control system. It is based on 1 share 1 vote dictum. The more the equity held by an investor, the more the firm is at her mercy. Investors are interested in the ends- dividends and capital gains. Hence, companies have to jostle for the mind space of these players. This brings in the short-termism of this approach. This perspective is based on Principal Agent model. Line is crossed in this approach when investor capitalism sets in. All other obligations of the firm are relegated to keeping the share price up and there is intense pressure on executives to perform consistently in the short-run leading at times to violation of norms.

Both the approaches are similar to the extent that they both give minority shareholders a short shrift. They have been taken for granted and most of their rights have remained on paper.

Lost Ground

Recently the stakeholder inclusive approach has lost considerable ground to shareholder savvy approach. The reason is capital becoming mobile. The global investors like private equity funds and pension funds are deluged with choices. But they lack one crucial element which the local investors have which is the closeness to the business which in turn lends stability to the equity provided. This means the firms have to attract these global investors by way of the globally acceptable parameters, toplines and bottomlines or their manifestation- the share price.

Catching up in the offing

What goes round comes back. Human capital is already the most valuable resource of organizations especially the ones operating in the technology sectors. With the focus shifting from attracting capital to retaining talent, the stakeholder inclusive approach with a sharp focus on employees might make up the ground lost in the last two decades or so to the capital-market control approach.

India Inc.’s Governance Evolution

Corporate entities in India stand out in terms of complexities in the ownership structure. The direct ownership of promoters is quite substantial and if that is not enough, the promoters indirectly have tremendous equity in and control of the firm through the rogue holding companies. It was believed that with the capital market reforms initiated in 1991, the dominance of promoters in the firms will pare. But unfortunately the last decade of the 20th century was marred by scams. The corporate entities went in for private placements making use of the relaxed regulations. These developments made the public spooky. In the last few years SEBI has put its foot down to crack down on the perpetrators and raised the disclosure standards leading to a renewed interest in the markets. The corporates are going global, a sign of their enhanced credibility.

Giants like TCS and Infosys have set global benchmarks in reporting standards and have implemented CSR in the fabric of their organizations.

With capital markets becoming dominant as the time passes and as organizations increasingly care to heed the market and keep the investors happy, it is safe to assume that the Indian corporate entities are veering away from organization-control to market-control approach toward corporate governance.

Right Directors mean Right Business

Board of directors is the highest internal governance mechanism in the organization. The board is the interface between external environment and management. The composition of the board reflects this. It has to straddle between providing necessary freedom to the management for wealth creation and protecting the interests of those who help create and of those who share this wealth. Just like an organization has a culture, it is critical for the board given the role it plays to have its own way of getting a handle on issues. No regulation can substitute for this. The non-executive members should meet separately to thrash out issues among themselves to promote ‘constructive dissatisfaction’. As far as the skills of the board members are concerned, they do not need to have finance or risk expertise to play an effective governance role. The task for the board is rather to understand and approve both the risk appetite of the company at any particular stage in its evolution and the processes for monitoring risk.

If the management proposes changing these radically-for example, by switching the portfolio of assets from low to high risk, or by engaging in off-balance-sheet financial transactions that inherently alter the volatility of the business and its exposure to uncertainties-the board should be quite willing to exercise a veto. Also, the management should be sensitive to the tricky context the board operates in and must grasp that directors’ independence can be compromised by ‘soft conflicts’ such as significant charitable contributions to a favorite institution or the employment of board members’ children.

Enron coterie Debacle – The positive fallout

There is a silver lining even in the darkest cloud that burst over the corporate world post-millennium. In the run up to the uncovering of some of the biggest frauds almost all in America, ironically a country which has always consecrated regulations, the markets were increasingly being viewed as infallible. Whatever information emanated from the organizations to the markets was taken as the last word. There was a reason behind this. The rules were set by the market and organizations were just playing by them leading to smugness all around. The disasters were eye openers for the gullible investors. Markets were vulnerable after all. Stricter rules followed. The corporate boards world over became more agile. The managements retreated. To a certain extent a long-term inclusive focus was restored in the firms having benign effects for every stakeholder.

The Undesirable side effect

Innovation is the mantra for success. But for corporates it has become a survival factor. The frauds have happened at the worst time. The organizations need to be more creative. Risk appetite should be high to capture the unexplored high potential markets. This calls for ingenuity on the executives’ part. But the atmosphere has become very restrictive. Regulations like SOX go overboard.

Boards would much rather have a conservative rather than an adventurous management. This does not bode well for the society as a whole as cagey entrepreneurs will not be able to fulfill their outstanding objective-wealth creation.

Business Initiatives with social spin-offs and not vice versa

Prima facie, ITC’s e-choupal venture seems an effort in the direction of social responsibility. But intrinsically the effort makes eminent economic sense.

It is not a subsidy but an effort which is mutually beneficial. Corporate social responsibility enthusiasts might label such efforts as social initiatives. But the bottom-line is that such efforts generate returns, which guarantees shareholder support. Till such time the business gains precede societal benefits and the society appreciates this reality, the long-run sustenance of these initiatives is guaranteed. Responsible corporates and not corporate social responsibility is the order of the day.

Crucial Culture

Culture is the way people behave when they are not being watched. It is very organization specific and very unlike regulation which is procrustean. The magnitude of damage that can be caused by an individual to the stakeholders of the firm increases as he/she moves up the corporate ladder. The power to influence attitudes also increases on the way up. Hence self evidently the top brass of the firm has a big hand in shaping the culture of the firm. If the honcho crosses the line, it sends out an implicit signal to the people lower down to knowingly or unknowingly to act in a similar manner as the stakes are not that high as they are for the men at the top. The trickling down of an open culture might take time but one can be rest assured that the only way in which it is going to impact the firm is positively. But where organizations go wrong is where they expect the same things from culture as the regulators do from regulation. It is never going to be a one size fits all story. This is where the earlier talked about concept of ethics being very individual specific and not organization one comes into picture. Do not impose culture. Let people understand and appreciate it and find their own way of incorporating it into their work life.

The information imperative

A fair judgment is based on fair information. Often, the best appraisal is done by those who are at a certain distance from the subject matter and at the same time affected by it. Organizations err when they try to preemptively guess others’ reactions. This leads to distortion of information. Doing business is the primary task of business; it is not in the best position to evaluate it from different angles. Hence, organizations should pass on information about its policies, practices and risk appetite. Let the other stakeholders primarily the markets assign an appropriate risk premium and cost of capital. Part of this information dissemination has been achieved by regulation manifested in balance sheet et al. The other part has become more crucial as the businesses have grown complex and can only be achieved with the will of the management and the board. A culture of transparency goes a long way in achieving the latter. Of course transparency has its limits.

But voluntary initiatives like Triple Bottom Line reporting which not only cover the financial but also the social and environmental impacts of the company signal a start. All kinds of companies from the ones with most to hide like chemical to the fairly innocuous ones with the least to hide have adopted this practice. Why? It does make social and environmental sense, but more importantly, thanks to competition in and integration of the world economy, it makes eminent business sense.

Conclusion

Wealth has to be created before it can be distributed. The responsibility to create wealth is of business. And responsibilities and rights must go together. Hence, the society cannot disarm business of its rights which are essential for creating value. The spookiness comes in when business accords certain rights to itself by itself. The importance of wealth creation and difficulty in achieving it blurs the fine line.

As we have seen there is no silver bullet for settling issues like business ethics and corporate governance. Separations of powers just like between executive, judiciary and legislature is imperative. No one stakeholder is an apex authority. Everyone has a role to play.

Regulation defines these roles to a certain extent. But it can only do so much. A culture epitomized by the top management and communication of the right information do much more than regulation. At the end of the day we are all human. We think differently and have different takes on different issues. Till such time this fact is appreciated and co-opted by every stakeholder and a healthy debate continues on the rightness of business, we are certain that businesses will keep on doing what they are good at and others will keep making sure that businesses do it the good way.

Current Affairs News Online – Information About The World Available At Your Home

News can be transmitted faster through technology all over the world.

People can have complete control of what news they want to read about. Traditional newspapers convey local news more than international news while online newspapers from different countries can be accessed for free through the internet. There are many advantages for people to convert reading from traditional newspapers to online newspapers.

Any news around the world can be published online within a matter of few seconds. People can be more updated with the help of online newspapers. Current affairs news can be viewed immediately through the internet rather than waiting for a day in order to read it on the printed newspapers.

The online newspapers are updated every few minutes and the headlines keeps changing as and when new incidents occur in the world.

Most of the news that is available online is free of cost. People only need a computer and internet connection for browsing through the world news.

It is easy and convenient to read news online and people can multitask while they read online newspaper.

With the help of technology, customization of the news can be done. People, who are interested only in certain sections of news like business news or Sports News, can be provided with options on the website to display only that specific section instead of the entire newspaper.

Certain websites provide the viewers with the ability to discuss the news and events of the world among the peers. The interaction while reading news can make it more interesting.

Different viewpoints can be discussed by people all over the world for specific news.

The online newspapers provide the medium for the society to communicate back to the media. It can help them improve their ways of publishing news.

As traditional newspapers are printed on papers, the invention of online newspapers helps to create a greener environment by preserving the trees that are used for papers.

Purchasing newspapers can use up plenty of time and money which can be minimized by reading online newspapers.

Any news from all over the world can be viewed with just one click of the mouse from the comfort of each person’s home.

People prefer updated and comprehensive news. The unlimited space available on the internet can publish a variety of news and events from all over the world in order to attract as many viewers as possible. Gradually, people are converting themselves into avid online news readers.

Top MBA Colleges in India – The Breeding Ground For World Class Professionals

India has obtained a special place in the world map as far as imparting managerial education and nurturing industry-ready professionals are concerned. MBA which is the contraction for Master in Business Administration is the most sought-after course in India as well as abroad. This 2-year course is generally pursued after graduation. Luckily, students in this country have access to some of the top MBA programs in the world. These programs are offered by renowned institutes like IIMs, XLRI, FMS-Delhi, MDI, etc.

The need for world-class managers is always felt by various industries like IT, automobile, hospitality, insurance, FMCG and many more. To fulfill this growing need for efficient managers, many management institutes are coming up in various parts of the country. However, Indian Institute of Management or IIMs are the top MBA colleges in India with excellent track record since their inception.

The youth in India is frequently opting for MBA after completing their graduation as the course offers plenty of growth opportunities for them. It certainly assists them in climbing up the corporate ladder quickly. As effective management is turning out to be an integral part of any business, the demand for MBA professionals is increasing day by day.

The scope of MBA is very wide-ranging in comparison to any other courses. A management graduate always has the opportunity to work in any sector of his preference. The pay packages are always attractive and include allowances and other emoluments to increase the standard of living. Graduates passing out from top MBA colleges in India have occupied high positions in many corporate houses. Besides building careers in the corporate sector, one can become an entrepreneur, or work in co-operatives and NGOs as the options are simply unlimited.

Various MBA and post-graduate diploma in management or PGDM courses are designed in such a manner that they instill multi-dimensional and multi-tasking capabilities in the graduates, thereby making them least affected by recession of economy or changes in business environment. For instance, a MBA professional with finance specialization does not inevitably feel the heat when the finance sector experiences stagnation. He can always maintain his career growth by getting into the marketing of the financial services (e.g. marketing of insurance products).

The top MBA or PGDM institutes in India offer specialization in subjects like finance, human resources, marketing, operation, banking and insurance, international business, and IT and systems. Specialization in niche fields such as hospitality management, event management and fashion technology are also available.

There are total 8 IIMs in cities like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Shillong, and Ranchi. The admission into its top Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP) programs is conducted through Common Admission Test (CAT). The list of employers includes HSBC, Larsen & Toubro, Proctor & Gamble, Tata, ICICI bank and Deutsche Bank.

Founded in 1949, Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur is well-known for its two-year post graduate diploma in business administration and two-year post graduate diploma in personnel management and industrial relations. It selects candidates for its programs through the all-India entrance exam known as XAT.

The salary of MBA graduates is dependent upon the reputation and credibility of their business schools. Students from IIMs are always known for getting the best salary packages all over the country. Business schools like XLRI-Jamshedpur, FMS-Delhi and S P Jain-Mumbai are also not far behind. As per the placement records of 2010, there is an average 25 percent increase in average domestic salaries across top MBA colleges in India. For example, IIM-Calcutta has recorded an average salary of Rs. 15 lakh for the year 2010. Many other business schools have also similar encouraging news related to salary. Numerous global blue chip companies like Mckinsey & Co, The Boston Consulting Group, Bain and Company, etc. have hired graduates form these institutes.

What Is Digital Marketing? A Guide to Marketing in Today’s Digital World

In the world of business development and branding, going digital is all the buzz. So just what is digital marketing and how can we use it to grow our businesses?

Digital Marketing Defined

Digital marketing is the advertising and promotion of businesses and their brands through digital media channels. Digital media, at the moment, includes websites, social media, radio, television, mobile and even forms of traditionally non-digital media such as billboards and transit signs. Essentially any marketing media that is delivered electronically is considered digital marketing.

This leaves only various forms of person-to-person (P2P) marketing, print advertising and direct marketing outside of the digital marketing umbrella. Even then, print ads, direct mail, print directories, billboards and posters are all starting to connect to their digital counterparts. With items like URL landing pages, QR codes, web banner advertising, online directories and text codes, traditional marketing and advertising almost always has a digital marketing connection.

Why the Focus on Digital Media?

The shift to digital media is being driven by marketing agencies, business owners and consumers alike. The ever-increasing demand to show quantifiable results makes going digital a dream for the digital marketing agency. Most digital media, including websites, social media and mobile advertising is much easier to track than traditional marketing media such as print advertising.

For business owners, many forms of digital advertising are very low cost. Having a web presence, engaging customers in conversations through social media and e-mail marketing are low cost alternatives to print advertising and direct mail. These digital channels are available to businesses of any size, and help to even the playing field for start-ups, small businesses and independent consultants seeking new business.

For consumers, the fast pace of life makes digital advertising a must. When consumers are in need of goods and services, gone are the days of thumbing through a phonebook to find them. Now, we whip out our mobile devices or head to our computers for answers – and we find them fast.

Using Digital Media to Build Your Business and Brand

No matter what size your business is – large or small to medium sized business / enterprise (SMB or SME) – you can effectively market your business through low-cost digital channels. The foundation of your marketing efforts will be your website. Invest wisely in your website, and be sure that it does the following:

  • Adequately represents your business and brand (look and feel, messaging)
  • Adequately speaks to your target audience
  • Can be found by searchers on top search engines
  • Is up-to-date and easily navigable
  • Provides multiple channels for customer communication
  • Connects to other marketing efforts

It is recommended that you work with a professional web design firm that is skilled in web development and search engine optimization. Because your website is the foundation to and from which all other digital channels will lead, it should be considered one of your top business investments.

Once you have your website complete, the next steps would be to launch regular monthly or bi-monthly e-mail campaigns, and connect with customers via social media. If you are truly on a shoestring budget, these are efforts that can be done in-house (by someone with the proper knowledge) or for a low cost by an outside digital marketing agency. Be sure that all of your efforts lead customers back to your website where they can fully engage with your business, products and services, and choose the channels through which they contact you.

If you’re interested in getting aggressive with search marketing, you can set aside some digital marketing dollars for search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. Many businesses today rely heavily on being found online to gain new customers. A common misconception among business owners is that simply having a website means that customers will find it. Not so. Your site must be built with specific key words and phrases, meta data, page content and linking strategies that will help it reach top search rankings.

Because many key words and phrases have stiff competition for top search rankings, you will need to supplement your organic search engine optimization efforts with pay-per-click advertising. Getting established with pay-per-click advertising campaigns can be a little daunting, but with a little time, effort and instruction, that too can be accomplished in-house, or for a reasonable cost through an outside digital marketing agency.

Beyond e-mail, social media marketing and search engine marketing, you can venture into a host of other digital marketing efforts. Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards and much more are available as marketing outlets. Whatever digital efforts you choose, they should all connect and tie into your foundation – your company website.

If you have the means, a wise investment would be to engage the services of a digital marketing agency to assist in your marketing efforts. Today, many digital agencies offer multiple levels of service to accommodate businesses large and small.

What’s the Most Popular Sport in the World?

A lot has been written on this subject and the question has never been definitely determined.

The problem is how to define popular. Analysts have based their assessments on various criteria such as most watched, most played, most talked about, most revenue-generating, largest television audience, number of stadia and facilities worldwide, tournaments held and merchandise sold. Because so many criteria have been used numerous lists of the most popular sports have been published. However the problem is made easier by the fact that soccer is often on top no matter what the criteria used.

A survey in 2001 by the International Football Federation (FIFA) shows that more than 240 million people play the sport in over 200 countries across the globe.

Soccer is older than most other games. Its origin goes back 3000 years to ancient China where a game was played with a ball of animal skins stuffed with hair or feathers which was kicked between poles 10 meters high and used for military training. Evidence from other ancient societies Greek, Mayan, and Egyptian show that kicking games like soccer were played in those cultures. The modern game as we know it began in 19th century England and the London Football Association was started in 1863 which established the first set of rules.

Soccer spread very easily. It began in a country known for its culture and systems and for ownership of an empire and it was easily exportable.

Today, soccer is the highest paying professional team sport. The prize money for winning the 2010 World Cup was $30 million (World’s Most Popular Sport- Most Popular Sports.net). The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event; 715.1 million people watched the final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany (The Real Truth: World Cup: Why Soccer Is So Popular Around The World by Cliff Potter, July 10, 2010).

The game is played in a team format and each team has 11 players. The idea is that a team tries to score goals by kicking the ball between the goalposts of the opponent through a combination of passing and dribbling. Pushing, shoving or defending by causing opponents to fall is a foul. In the end the team who scores more goals wins.

Soccer is very popular because it has certain attractions that appeal to both men and women, young and old:

First, it’s simplicity is appealing. All you need to play is a ball. There are no money barriers and it can be played on any surface, on the neighbourhood street, the beach or in the park. It offers hope to kids particularly in developing countries to use as a stepping stone to a better life. They can play in a sport their heroes play which increases the game’s popularity.

Second, soccer is a team sport. As much as 22 people can play in one game. It helps to promote team spirit and unite people around a common purpose.

Soccer also creates team rivalries and passion. Soccer has some of the most intense international rivalries such as between Argentina and Brazil, England and Germany and the US and Mexico, and intense Derbies such as between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina, Manchester City and Manchester United in England, and Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.

Third, soccer stimulates national pride. It’s a dream to play for your country and people take more pride in their country when the national team succeeds. For example in Colombia when the national team plays both sides in the civil war lay down arms for 90 minutes and cheer on their team. On the other hand this pride can be taken to the other extreme so in 1969 El Salvador and Honduras went to war over a soccer game (called the soccer war).

Fourth, few countries have another viable sport to rival soccer.

Lastly, soccer is a good investment if you can get a team that goes far. That’s why $5 billion are spent by European clubs to buy the best talent available (Why Is Soccer Not Popular In The US? By Steve McCarthy, March 23, 2009). The purpose is to win trophies which in turn brings in big prize money.

There are different types of soccer i.e. futsal or indoor soccer and beach soccer which help to broaden its appeal. And there is women’s soccer which has expanded since the 1990’s and also has World Cup competitions.

It is also interesting to mention that in most lists of the most popular sports cricket often ranks second. This is surprising since it is only played in the British Commonwealth countries mainly, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, India and Pakistan.

A lot has been written on the reasons why soccer has not become more popular in the US. In my opinion American sports fans are already preoccupied with their own sports like baseball, basketball and American football so there is no more room for another competing sport.

Despite the success of soccer as a world sport it has not been without its problems:

In recent years FIFA has been hit by allegations of bribery, corruption scandals and resignations. The most notable are allegations against some top officials for wrongdoing during World Cup 2018 and 2022 bidding campaigns.

Secondly, soccer has been taken over by commercialization. Recently there has been an inflow of money from rich businessmen in East Europe, America and the Middle East buying up top clubs and top players. The desire to win and make money has become the main objective with the attendant problems associated with the use of performance enhancement drugs.

Third, Europol (a European law enforcement agency) recently found evidence of match-fixing in more than 380 matches including the Champions League and World Cup qualifiers between 2008 and 2011. Over 300 more matches are under investigation, most from outside Europe.

Lastly, the good name of soccer is increasingly being damaged by racism and racial abuse between players or from fans directed at players.

Added to this is the long standing problem of soccer violence not only between rival fans but last week festivities by Paris St.Germain fans in Paris celebrating their team’s triumph in the league was marred by outbursts of violence.

In conclusion, soccer has come a long way since it was first invented and found to provide much entertainment for the millions of fans around the world. But the essence of the game is different from those days. Today the game has become big business. It’s losing its authenticity and eventually may lose its popularity. Then soccer will no longer be “King”.

Victor A. Dixon

May 20, 2013

Unemployment Rates From Around the World

Small countries with low unemployment rate:

Andorra which is a country with a population of 71,822 has an unemployment rate of 0.00%. Now, how does this country do this? The answer to this is since World War II through its tourist industry, many immigrants both legal and illegal have been attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes. Now this leads to another country that has the same unemployment rate of 0.00% by the name of Monaco. Many of us have heard of this country that has a population of 33,000. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality’s mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center.

Much larger countries with mid range unemployment rates:

As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom (UK) played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth’s surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK’s strength seriously depleted in two World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is currently weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. The UK has an unemployment rate of 2.9% with a population of 60,776,238. Another country with an unemployment rate of 3.0% with a third of the population of the UK (27,780,059) is Uzbekistan which is a Russia conquered country in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. Intensive production of ‘white gold’ or (cotton) and grain led to overuse of chemicals and the depletion of water supplies. This left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. The country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while it is developing its mineral and petroleum reserves.

United States unemployment rate is not the highest:

While the United States has a population of over 300 million and an unemployment rate of 5.5% most know that if you can make it to the US, it is by far the best place to live. You have lots of freedom to do almost anything you want to do. The US has a steady growth in building and a rapid advance of technology. The US remains the world’s most powerful nation. Another country with a 40.0% unemployment rate and a population of 31 million is Afghanistan. This country served as a buffer between the British and Russian empires until it won independence from British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war.

The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-Communist Mujahedin rebels. Subsequently, a series of civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hard-line Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country’s civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution and a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. On 7 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan.

In conclusion, unemployment rates from 40.00% in counties with 30 million people and 0.00% in countries with 75,000 people all truly have the same goal. We all want everyone to be financially free or at least financially stable. Many people have computers and internet connections so you are able to work at home even if the economy in your country is not stable.

Successful Women Entrepreneurs Today In A Competitive World

The successful female operated businesses know the meaning of a true business owner, “One who carries out to conduct a business assuming complete control and danger,” is not gender specific, it is not surprising that most entrepreneurs are men.

Lots of women merely do not have the time to start a company due to the fact that women tend to undertake the greater share of raising kids and keeping the house together!

I had the chance to interview a few who attended the woman’s conference and take a close take a look at the issues that successful women entrepreneurs deal with.

At a current international women entrepreneur’s conference in Glasgow, the Bank of Scotland presented a few of its research studies.

In accordance with the bank, even successful women entrepreneurs tend to: under-capitalize their organizations at startup; have a disinclination to use financial obligation financing and to be more danger averse than their male equivalents,

And they utilize a greater percentage of their individual savings within their service, both at startup and advancement.

They are less aggressive than guys about their understanding and understanding of financial products and services, all which can influence on funding and growing their businesses.

This might be exacerbated by the banks’ historic hesitation to treat their women in business clients in the very same manner as male customers.

Females owned businesses have the tendency to be more service oriented.

Yes, and therefore have less equity than male owned services– another factor banks can be hesitant.

Financing is vital to all commerce and of course the female owned businesses, and possibly managing money is most crucial amongst small businesses, whether at the start or when expanding.

The struggle to keep appropriate cash and financial freedom alive is consistent among business owners.

Is it any surprise then, that monetary concern is the most widespread cause of stress and insomnia!

With female owned businesses producing over thirty nine percent of new start-ups, and just over a third of self-employed proprietorships in Canada owned or led by females, female entrepreneurs have increased by just over more two hundred per cent in the last twenty years.

As an outcome, more black female business entrepreneurs are seeking more opportunities to grow their network and boost their support systems.

The Women Entrepreneurs of North America in Canada was established in Toronto in 1992, as a support, opportunity and resource network for female entrepreneurs.

I found that WEC promotes and fosters the young women entrepreneurs, too, in Canada and assists them to accomplish and define success on their own terms.

It’s important to help promote the interests of successful women entrepreneurs and women in business getting started, and business owners in the larger service neighborhood.

It assists in the transfer of appropriate knowledge that is appropriate to WEC members; and partners with companies both in Canada and abroad, such as the National Association of Women Business Owners in the USA.

And the global groups like Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises Mondiales and the Italian Associazione Imprenditrici e Donne Dirigenti D’Azienda, to bring finest chances, resources and practices to its members here.

This is an organization where women can fulfill their life dreams and blend with other female owned businesses, who deal with similar issues in starting, running, and growing their services.

WEC is a resource that offers a unified voice to federal government and the public, pressing the issues of women in business to a right-minded leading edge.

It is suggested that increased young women entrepreneurs research and study to produce more chances for black female business owners, while bringing exactly what is learnt about women’s organizations updated.

And relating to maternity leave– as female owned businesses are working to do the exact same benefits as for their staff members as they ‘d like to be treated.

There’s the “what might be done” to level the playing field and extend that advantage to all as, for example, it is in Finland?

It’s like the Course in Miracles teaches, “True extension of Self and one’s true free will brings on an awakening worldwide.

There are many organizations that help female owned businesses to interact a confident and refreshingly positive message about the future potential customers for females, and it is gratifying that the message is being heard.

I urge any woman in business, especially young women entrepreneurs to discover more about self-confidence as an entreprneur.

This takes us to wonderful tips for female owned businesses, and encouraging young women entrepreneurs.

Many aspiring female owned businesses, business supervisors and other professionals typically forget that they really have 2 tasks– the very first is to do exactly what they make money for (and do it much better than males).

The other is to proactively handle their profession path and do exactly what is required to guarantee their upward mobility isn’t really based on others– particularly those who notoriously subscribe to the “Old Boys Club” mentality who might or may not be working in her benefit.

The following “secrets”, amassed through my substantial background as both a business entrepreneur and organization experts lending me advice, will help female professionals better handle their success course:

Understand the “circle of successful women entrepreneurs”

A typical piece of suggestions provided to female owned businesses is for them to spend a good deal of time being familiar with, and working side-by-side, with their personnel to make sure each employee has what (s) he needs to be productive.

While that concept is well intentioned, it’s does not offer maximum advantage to all included.

Rather, it is more vital that female managers hang around helping their employer look proficient at every opportunity.

When (s) he understands that you have the ability to assist her/him prosper, you and your group will get more time, attention and resources assisting in optimum productivity.

Many female owned businesses cite male stereotyping and prejudgments of female “appropriate” roles and abilities as a leading barrier to their development.

It’s crucial for women to assess where a male employer stands relative to female specialists.

Previously I discussed women’s insecurity issues can be healed fast and to be a confident woman.

This can be done by analyzing his promotion track record of males vs. females, his balance, or lack, of interactions with female vs. male staffers, and if his interactions with female staffers is strictly expert rather than just inane or flirty little talk exclusively about her household.

How we sound (i.e., one’s unique attributes of the voice such as pitch, volume, and tone) play a crucial role in how females are viewed.

In addition, lots of women tend to mention their opinions, objections or recommendations as a question as opposed to affirmatively and confidently making their point as a declaration.

In a work context, females should command the flooring lest their fantastic ideas fall by the wayside.

Since numerous of us still associate one’s temperament, speaking and appearance capability with their general ability, this stays a powerful challenge for those women who have other or physical stereotype-based characteristics that are tough.

But as humans like the Course in Miracles teaches us, “The ego is aware on how to creep in the back door on us and begin projecting judgment based on fear and self-doubt.”

That said, it might be impossible to change, such as height or weight, blonde hair color, or merely a high pitched voice.

This subjectivity is even worse for young women entrepreneurs as society is generally more able to accept males with what’s considered to be shortfalls more than ladies.

Regardless of these barriers, condition yourself to bring yourself with best posture, speak and gesture in a reliable and confident way, and wear clothes that imparts your female owned businesses success.

To actually stand out from the others and get the crucial promotion, young women entrepreneurs from off site, or in house women execs, ought to guarantee they are in the workplace whenever her employer is in the office.

If (s) he has actually decided that it’s essential to be there after hours, on weekends, or early in the morning, it is entirely to your advantage to be there at the very same time.

Even in this day in age of so-called gender equality, females need to take benefit of all chances to differentiate themselves in the work environment.

It is essential that those who are in the position to benefit a woman’s career in any method know who she is and exactly what she has accomplished.

Effective service people understand the importance of letting others understand about their successes, and go about it in the suitable method.

Ladies need to not wait to get discovered while they toil away at the job at hand, but rather develop the ability of how to tactically talk about her achievements in the work environment.

Far too numerous employees throughout our world are bored and disinterested, which is adversely affecting their performance and creativity.

It’s time for the globe’s corporate leaders to re-engage and invest more time acting as leaders rather than bureaucrats.

The female owned businesses need to exploit this innate capability whenever possible, since such right-minded management ensures that everybody is focused on, and vested in, getting to the goal lines.

(I always suggest searching the web for related information that is a discussion on being a self-assured woman today filled with female confidence. A good conversation might be, should you have a life coach, yes or no?)

To your success in life!

Best Business Ideas for Women In the Modern World

It’s no longer a man’s world out there. We live in a world where men and women alike rule the world; where women can be who and what they want to be without prejudice. According to the published report by the Catalyst, a non-profit membership association increasing opportunities for women and business, women make up the 7.6% of the Forbes 500 top earners and 46.7 % of the American workforce. Here are some of the best business ideas for women you should consider when thinking of having your own business.

In our world, men are not the only ones wearing the trousers; women nowadays are actively participating in making decisions for their careers, families, and their lives in general. For most women, starting a business can sometimes be gruelling. It’s hard to choose which idea can be great to start a business and a career. However, the most simple and unlikely ideas can sometimes become one of the best business ideas for women.

Any woman can be successful in any business she ventures into. Most women nowadays, like women who stay at home to watch over the kids, search for business opportunities that won’t compromise their responsibilities at home. For home-staying moms, you can start a home-based business.

Depending on your skills, capabilities, resources, and passion, a home-based business can be a great success. For those who are computer and internet-savvy, starting up a home-based virtual assistant service is one of the best business ideas for women. If you have a background in sales or customer service, you can start a call center facility. If you have superb writing skills, you can create a writing business, creating marketing and promotional write-ups for people and products.

Best business ideas for women include starting an interior design business, catering service, accessory-making and writing and PR services. A woman who enjoys baking, can start a pastry business; a woman who is passionate about beauty and wellness can start a spa or a beauty salon business. Depending on her skills, a woman who has technical dancing skills in ballet or musical talent like playing the piano, violin, guitar or any musical instrument can start her own dance/music class at home.

The list can go and on but before deciding which business idea to consider, take into account your capabilities, skills, budget, time, and the amount of passion that you can pour into that idea. Starting a business can sometimes be demanding, but with the right attitude and frame of mind, a start-up business can become a successful one.

Woman and The Business World

Did you know that one in every eleven adult women owns a business?

Did you know that women entrepreneurs are starting new businesses at twice the rate of men?

Did you know that women entrepreneurs are generating nearly $3.6 trillion in revenues to the US economy?

These eye-opening statistics from the Washington DC-based Center for Women’s Business Research paint a clear picture of a rapidly growing trend.

I’ve heard it referred to before as a “revolution” and I think that’s right on the money! Are you part of this trend?

Women business owners are critically important to the American economy. America’s 9.1 million women-owned businesses employ 27.5 million people and contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy.

The world of business and entrepreneurship is no longer comprised of men in suits. The changing landscape of the world and the economy are opening more doors for women now than at any other time in history, and without question, women are charging through those doors in ever increasing numbers.

Women are taking control in the business world, and entrepreneurship through a business marketed on the Internet should be no exception! It doesn’t matter where you are in your life, or where you have been. Neither your education level nor your job experience has anything to do with what drives you or what you are capable of achieving.

There are amazing opportunities for women to start a business right from the comfort of their home and build it into something that can take care of their life, their family and their future retirement as well.

There are women taking the plunge into entrepreneurship each day. Although the concept of starting a business may seem daunting, there are many tools and resources available to guide you. Desire and the passion to flourish are the key building blocks to success.

A successful home-based business can go a long way towards eliminating the stress of making ends meet and lacking the luxury of free time.

Your business can be your outlet for self-expression. It can lead you towards contentment, confidence, and self-worth… things even more important than the almighty dollar.

Come on ladies! This article is a call to action. You can take advantage of the endless possibilities that entrepreneurship has to offer. The Internet needs women to lead the way. The opportunity is there and all you have to do is take the initiative to get involved.

Let’s take a look at what you can do to get yourself moving successfully down the path of starting and operating your own business:

Choose a business that has the potential to provide you with the financial rewards you require to live the lifestyle you desire.

Avoid a business that will ultimately turn into a job which you must work 80-90 hours per week in order for it to succeed. Your goal is to make money, but also be able to enjoy your life and have time with your family and friends.

Learn everything you can about the type people you will be marketing to. Make them feel comfortable about working with you; relate to their current situations.

Have a marketing plan in place. Don’t just start your business without planning. Get a good understanding of what is involved in your advertising and promotional efforts, and find professionals to help you where needed to make sure you get things done efficiently.

Don’t give up before you give your business a chance to prosper. Very few businesses come rushing out the gate successfully, but that does not mean that they will not succeed in time. Give your business a chance to grow. Success does not happen over night, and a new business needs time to establish itself.

Work from home to keep expenses low. If your business can be operated from home, then definitely take advantage of that luxury.

Be persistent and stay focused on the task at hand. Learn from your experiences and stay committed to what is working for you. Avoid repeating mistakes and you will save yourself valuable time and money.

Use technology as a tool for building your business. You can be on the cutting-edge by using telephones, computers, the Internet, and fax machines to keep your business running. More importantly, using technology can also allow you to operate your business from anywhere that you want to be, and that is the definition of true freedom.

Right here at this website, I am offering you information about a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home that is truly changing lives, including my own. I have taken the initiative and have taken steps towards changing my future.

Wishing You Life’s Best,

Dr. Sran MBA, PhD

[http://www.yoursuccessdoctor.com] – Tired of Tiny Checks? This Secret is Your Solution!

dr.sran@professional-income.com

(877) 978-6742 (Direct)

Contact Me Today

Changes We Are Going to Experience in the SEO World in 2017

“A year can change a lot” – something very truly said. And when it comes to a world where change is occurring every other minute we need to scrutinize and review what all things needs to be addressed in order to keep moving. The world of SEO continues to change at lightning speed. SEO value is increasing everyday so there’s a high demand to figure out and rethink optimization strategies. For better optimization of strategies we need to be aware of the changes we are going to encounter in the coming time. Here are some important changes that we’ll be experiencing some time soon:

MOBILE SCREEN OPTIMIZATION

We have entered in the third screen world. The first screen involved big room size computers fashioned by Charles Babbage in 1990’s, then came in desktop screens, what we refer to as Personal computers (PCs) and now we have entered into the world where we opt for mbile phone screens for anything and everything and all this proactively works for creating a new Mobile ecosystem. So this requires to kick off on creating responsive mobile websites.

Statistical data and Facts:

• 95% smartphone users put location-based site links.

• Huge traffic can be drawn to mobile friendly sites as more than 1.5 billion users use mobiles instead of any other screen.

• A good UI (user interface) the engages good amount of prospect’s for longer period of time.

• 15% of all Internet traffic is mobile traffic, globally. (Source: Newtarget. com)

• 70% online action within an hour comes from Mobile searches. (Source: Socialmediatoday. com)

Social Media

SEO usually puts all the keywords people and more specifically targeted audience are inquiring for. Your audience is no longer in one place. People use other mediums to communicate their requirements, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Discussion panels or forums such as Yahoo answers, Quora etc. and directly browse on web, now the trend has changed and is more on phones. Keeping this in mind, plenty of brands has grown mobile-friendly in 2015. Social media is all about building a brand and spreading awareness about the prospects. To increase your ranking in Google search you need to have good reputation on social media that implies good network and active presence on social sites. That acts as a helping hand in having a great SEO rank.

Becoming more available or Real time is the key i. e. Audio Input to Search is a preferred mode

Nowadays, people prefer audio search instead of typing keywords for search just because of its convenience factor, specially when someone is driving or is engaged in multitasking. Almost all mobile devices have a voice search function. With audio search having so much of appealing power, most of the software companies, nowadays, focuses on audio search interface. Some like Microsoft, Google, and Apple have launched their own versions of advanced voice-responsive assistants – Cortana, Google Now and Siri, respectively. Even ‘Domino’s Pizza’ has a ‘voice-ordering feature. Allo, Whatsapp, and many more. However,

1. Long tail Keywords: When people carrying out with audio search they are more likely to ask questions like why to…? How to? When to? etc. these sentences come under long tail keywords category.

2. Know your Prospects: It’s always beneficial to use those keywords your target audience is searching for. Hence being aware of the keywords and usage of long tail keywords is a gateway to success and in real time could be an added advantage to it.

BACKLINKING AND INTERNAL LINKING IS ALWAYS IN

Backlinking or internal linking shall help you in engaging the right prospect who has come to your website. It’s not a new SEO technique but a very important one to keep the customer engaged once he has shown his interest.

INFOGRAPHICS:

1. USE ANIMATED DATA instead of text content: Content having animation pictures with tag lines is more likely to be preferred over text as its more user engaging.

2. USE SLIDER INSTEAD OF TEXT CONTENT: A Slider is considered to be a quick way to deliver an overview about a website to the visitors and in a more effective manner than just an image. Helps user to understand without putting in much effort.

3. SMALL VIDEO: A website named http://www.vimeo.com/ and many others help you create and share videos that furnishes and delivers your content in a more effective manner. Small videos would be like cherry on the cake.

Add Admob In Digital Marketer in their curriculum

Grow your business

Cross-platform capability

AdMob can be used with all types of platforms such as Android and iOS, windows etc.

Auto updates on Google Play

AdMob’s integration with Google Play provides preferred auto updates for better performance without additional SDK changes.

Smarter Monetization through mobile phones

• Earn more

Output of your effort is what matters to a Marketer the most. Admob helps to increase your earning, exponentially, if you do it right. Enable ad network optimization to earn good from CPM stack in real time.

• Promote your apps for free

Cross-sell your or your friend’s app or other apps to your users is now attainable.

• Direct deals

Run your own manipulated adds with right negotiation and advertisement through

AdMob Campaigns.

Easy automation

Its available free of cost and paid option are totally automated following your country specification details.

Link your AdMob app(s) to your database and start making smarter decisions about your business. Gain insights into your Android and iOS apps with Analytics.

YES! It’s that time already to start preparing our digital strategies for 2017.

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