Management Blog

Mobility underscores the office of the future: study

A new report on workplaces of the future suggests the possibility of greater mobility and flexibility as well as décor that adapts to a worker’s mood, the BBC reports.

Researchers say workers of the future will spend considerably less time at one physical location and as a result head offices and individual desks will be largely replaced by 'hot desking'.

An ICT innovation known as 'information walls' that screen a person’s diaries, documents and videoconferences are also predicted to be a fixture of future homes and workplaces. 

And in a very Space 2001 twist, technology will have the ability to measure and then respond to its user’s mood by adjusting changeable elements of workplace décor.

Introducing pay-what-you-want advertising

An American advertising agency is offering clients the opportunity to ‘pay what they want’ for creative services, Springwise reports.

According to the article, Agency Nil is in a position to make this happen by employing recent graduates and advertising professionals who are in-between jobs.

Clients submit a work request to Agency Nil and in return receive creative by deadline. The big difference is that it’s up to the client to decide what the work is worth.

The only fees agreed upon up-front are travel, proprietary research tools and production costs.

To date the people behind Agency Nil say they haven’t had a client that has decided to pay nothing, and if one did it is unlikely they would do work for them again.

You’ve got to give it to Agency Nil for wanting to break the mould. Could this be end of advertising fees as the business world knows them or is the innovation an unsustainable recession gimmick?

Ignore everybody and get creative

Creativity isn't a gift some of us have and other don't.

It's a talent that everyone has to some degree, and one that can be nurtured to flourish and grow, according to the new book Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod.

A glowing 800ceoread review says the book offers a number of insights into how new ideas emerge and how to make a living as a creative worker.

A couple of the noteworthy tips showcased in the review include:

• "Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less."
• "If your plan depends on you suddenly being a discovered by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain."
• "The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will."

Potential readers are warned the book might not be for everyone with some pages featuring cartoons that are more blunt and profane than they are warm and fuzzy.

For a taste of MacLeod's vision, check out gapingvoid.

An app that sees while you text

There can be little doubt text messaging has resulted in a proliferation of pedestrian accidents with many a mobile and smart phone user forgetting to watch where they are going.

To help remedy the problem an iPhone application called Email 'n Walk has been developed, lifehacker reports.

The app overlays an email composition window in front of vision that shows what's directly in front of the iPhone. Check out a photo of the $1.19 app here.

On the topic of apps, it appears Apple could lose its stranglehold of these increasingly popular smart phone mini-programs.

Vodafone Europe has announced it intends to give developers the software they need to create applications for all of the phone types and operating systems its customers use.

Apps prove their worth for Apple

Apple has revealed that over one billion applications, a.k.a. apps, have now been downloaded by iPhone and iPod Touch users, hispanicbusiness.com reports.

The news is particularly impressive when you consider the source of these applications, Apple's App Store, has only been open to the public for around nine months.

The dramatic growth of smart phone mini-programs, over 35,000 of which are available via the App Store, has not gone unnoticed by marketers.

The trend spotting website Springwise says the 7-Eleven brand in Sweden offers an example of how to create a successful consumer-focused app.

To bolster foot traffic, the convenience store chain has released an application that delivers free one-use-only product vouchers for items like coffees or ice creams to iPhone users.

Busting the myths of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is enjoying a worldwide renaissance in defiance of the global economic downturn, according to a recently published Economist report.

In a bid to better understand what is means to be an early 21st century entrepreneur the report seeks to dispel a number of myths about business trail blazers.

In summary these myths are:

1. Entrepreneurs are not loners - they might not follow the rules but they are well aware of the need to develop strong social networks in order to succeed

2. Most entrepreneurs are young - on the contrary, research suggests 39 is the average age of tech company founders when they start out

3. Venture capital makes entrepreneurship happen - not so, many start-ups are funded by the 'three Fs' – friends, fools and families

4. Entrepreneurs make world-changing products - successful start-ups often develop new processes rather than new products, e.g. Richard Branson, who turned flying into a more entertaining experience

5. Big companies can't accommodate entrepreneurship - large companies often support start-ups by contracting out innovation; examples mentioned include Microsoft, which works with a global network of 750,000 small companies

If all this puts you in the mood to read a gripping tale or two about entrepreneurs in action, check out Inc magazine's slideshow of the world's greatest fictional business innovators here.

Branson unveils PitchTV

Serial innovator Richard Branson has launched PitchTV, an initiative designed to help budding entrepreneurs get their big ideas off the ground, news.com.au reports.

In a recent blog post, Branson invited entrepreneurs to submit a two-minute pitch for consideration; pitches judged to have merit be played as part of Virgin Atlantic's in-flight entertainment.

On a yearly basis, he will identify one pitch as his favourite and award the winner a yet to be confirmed prize.

Beyond his personal involvement, Branson says he hopes the process will expose up and coming entrepreneurs to potential backers or partners.

But could PitchTV result in an idea being stolen instead of supported?

According to the article, entrants are advised not to publicise their idea until they have taken the necessary steps to protect it.

Outsiders bolster brainstorming: study

The key to effective brainstorming is to involve an outsider in the process, a recent Time article advises.

The argument is based on study jointly conducted by three US universities that concluded a new face or dissenting voice can force group members to challenge their assumptions.

The study found groups that included a new or nonconforming team member were generally more productive, but participants often perceived their group work as inefficient or not very collegial.

By comparison, groups without a newcomer were found to be less effective at completing group thinking challenges although members believed the process had worked pleasantly and well.

The researchers say that while adding a newcomer to a group might not always lead to the most feel-good brainstorming sessions, the tension it evokes can translate to brighter ideas.

Innovation alert: self-healing paint

Scientists in the US have developed a car paint film that's capable of self-healing when scratched, MSNBC reports.

The University of Southern Mississippi has developed a paint coating that contains a form of polyurethane that when damaged and then exposed to sunlight stretches itself across scratches.

While testing is still underway on the coating, a number of applications are being suggested for easily scratched devices including electronics, phones and MP3 players.

Made from a derivative of the chemical compound chitin (a naturally occurring form of glucose), the new coating also boasts impressive environmental credentials. 

Trickle-up innovation

A growing number of first-world companies are looking to less affluent countries as a source of innovation brainpower, Business Week reports.

This 'trickle-up innovation' trend has recently been embraced by GE with the release a highly portable first-of-its-kind electrocardiograph (ECG) machine for heart testing.

Originally developed for rural and remote hospitals in India and China, the easily transportable ECG machine has been modified by GE for doctors' offices in western nations.

According to Business Week, the key benefits of trickle up innovation include a faster time to market as well as cost savings for both customers and suppliers.

One of the key advocates the concept is C.K. Prahalad whose book The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits describes a number of trickle-up case studies. (See Google Books for a preview)