Message From the General Manager, IBM Z

To map existing literature about concussion management in older people, identifying and analyzing gaps in our understanding. Concussion injuries affect older people, yet little guidance is available about how to approach concussion management with older people. Research does not always include older populations, and it is unclear to what extent standard concussion management is appropriate for older people. Scoping review. A structured literature search was conducted using 4 databases to identify existing literature relating to concussion management in older people. Studies that assessed outcomes relating to the management of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury in those 65 years or older were included and mapped according to the main themes addressed. The search yielded a total of 18 articles. Three themes related to early management (use of anticoagulants n = 6, intracranial lesions n = 3, and service delivery for older people n = 5), and 1 theme related to general management (cognitive issues n = 4). A lack of articles exploring general management in older people was observed. Existing literature indicates that specific management strategies are needed for older people with concussion, especially in early management. This review highlights that good evidence is available about early management and this is reflected in some guidelines, yet little evidence about general management is available and this gap is not acknowledged in guidelines. Distinct approaches to early management in older people are clearly recommended to mitigate the risk of poor outcomes. In contrast, general concussion management for older people is poorly understood, with older people poorly represented in research. A better understanding is needed because-as observed in early management-older people have distinct characteristics that may render standard management approaches unsuitable.

Hotel general manager career paths in the United States

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate general managers' (GM) demographic characteristics and career paths in China's indigenous economy and budget hotels.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was chosen as the most appropriate means of obtaining information from 104 general managers in Guangdong Province, China.FindingsThe data from this study indicate that the majority of general managers are between ages of 31‐51, predominantly males with three‐year vocational college educations, and trained in either a hospitality/business‐related major or totally non‐business‐related major. The career paths of younger general managers show more similarities with their counterparts on the international market. However, some unique differences are identified. General managers in China have more years of non‐hotel experiences and pursue more diversified experiences. Experience in marketing and sales and human resources are considered particularly important in qualifying them for the GM position.Research limitations/implicationsNon‐random sampling was used, and it only focused on GMs in one region of China.Practical implicationsThe study shed some light on the demographic characteristics of GMs and the change of career paths over the past 20 years in China. The knowledge obtained from this study will help foreign hotels operating in China effectively select the right leaders and partners. Most importantly, the results will offer useful information to the Chinese hospitality industry as it expands its role in China.Originality/valueWhile an updated career development research of hotel GMs is needed, the findings have an incremental contribution to the body of knowledge on career development and a better understanding of hotel GMs in China.

Frameworks for General Management and Operations Consulting

PurposeThis paper focuses on not‐for‐profit (NFP) general management competencies and examines the predominant desired knowledge skills and abilities as a key component of general management responsiveness capability in empirically validated strategic success hypothesis. The strategic success hypothesis postulates that the performance of an organization will be optimized when the strategic aggressiveness and the responsiveness capability of general management is aligned with the respective environment.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilizes a content analysis approach whereby the contents of job postings for the top positions in NFP organizations from different sources were analyzed and summarized. The analysis involved the collection of a comprehensive list of the top‐level general management position or job advertisements posted in both print and electronic media. Some of the sources include the Non‐Profit Times, job postings by agencies, and electronic job posting boards.FindingsOne of the key findings was that the NFP sector utilizes the top‐level general management to address the fiscal management dynamics. Fundraising experiences and skills are emphasized and were listed as the key responsibility of the top‐level general management. There was also some emphasis on not‐for‐profit organization management skills and experiences along with communication, governance, interpersonal skills, budgets and fiscal management. The other finding was that in addition to the above sector related desired competencies, generic experience, skills and position responsibilities were emphasized.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study include: Using job postings as a proxy for actual preferences for certain competencies has certain disadvantages. For instance, the quality of job postings in terms of information included might be a reflection of the writing skills and depositions of the drafters. The size and the life cycle stage of the organization might impact the need for certain competencies. For example, a small start‐up agency might not be concerned with governance or ethics issues like a huge organization such as the United Way. The nature of the NFP's activity may also influence the type of competencies sought.Practical implicationsThe most important feature of any organization is the quality of its human resources. The NFP sector is currently faced with many challenges which include fiscal, technological, human resources, governance and overall effectiveness. While leadership is recognized as a powerful resource in determining the direction and the future of the organization, leadership alone is not sufficient to address all the problems facing the sector. Firms do need effective managers, good strategic management systems, motivated staff, and adequate financial resources to drive success.Originality/valueThe study found that formal educational requirements were emphasized with over 77 percent of the job postings listing bachelor degree and above as criteria for selection. This indicates that there is need to develop curriculum at the higher education level aimed at addressing the specific needs of the NFP sector. About 23 percent of the job postings did not specifically state formal education as criteria for selection; it might have been an oversight because it is unlikely an organization would hire a CEO with no reasonable formal education.

General managers control new and existing products differently

This study reports on the perceived importance of the professional needs of the Italian hotel industry's managing owners (MOs) and general managers (GMs). A survey was used to (1) determine the hotel-management skills that need improvement, (2) assess which of those skill areas can be improved through training, and (3) identify the specific training courses that are actually of interest to those managers. When asked which of their professional skills needed the most improvement, the MO and GM groups both cited marketing and human-resources expertise, followed by financial and administrative-management knowledge. Moreover, more than 80 percent of the MOs and GMs considered human resources and marketing the most useful skill areas that could actually be taught in professional-development courses. A series of open-ended questions also revealed the managers' perceived shortcomings regarding employee relations-in particular, recruitment, selection, training, and motivation. When asked about which courses they might actually attend, managing customer satisfaction was ranked first followed by publicity and promotion. Leadership and motivation came in third, followed by strategic marketing and maximizing hotel sales. As for a training program's cost, GMs are willing to spend more money than are the MOs. GMs prefer that training take place on weekdays while the MOs preferred weekend programs.

The prior aim of sustainable tourism development should be geared towards the improvement of human resources in the tourism industry in general and in the hospitality sector in particular. It is essential to admit that the success of any hotel could be achieved through efficient human resources operation, thus requiring effective management. It is through the management process that the efforts of hotel members are channeled, coordinated and guided towards the achievement of organizational goals. Taking into account the crucial role of the hotel General Manager (GM), a full comprehension of the GMs' managerial roles and the leadership styles adopted in hotel management appears to be essential. The main objectives of the study were to investigate the differences and/or similarities existing between Egyptian and foreign GMs in Egyptian five-star chain hotels, and to determine their leadership effectiveness level. Results revealed no differences between foreign and Egyptian GMs regarding their level of leadership effectiveness and their perception concerning the importance of the “leader” role. The leadership styles they adopted were, on the other hand, not similar.

The transition of functional specialists into general managers is recognised as a priority area for management education. This article is concerned with those factors and events which general managers themselves regard as having been the main influences on their careers. It addresses the following questions: what skills do general managers acquire as they develop, how are these acquired and how important is management education in this process? The findings should be of interest to aspiring general managers and those charged with identifying and grooming these managers.

<p>This dissertation, based on interviews with over 40 managers and quantitative data on over 1,900 foreign subsidiaries, aims to provide new insights regarding subsidiary general manager (GM) changes in multinational enterprises (MNEs). I study continual GM change, individual succession event, the decision-making process through which different types of subsidiary GM successors are selected, and how they link to subsidiary performance. I found that GM succession decisions are path dependent and evolving, can be influenced by MNE environments, and need to be based on both GM successor nationality and origin. My dissertation underscores the complexity of subsidiary GM succession and bridges succession strategy with implementation.</p> <p> </p>

This article reveals an a priori link between the effective management of corporate brands and the strength of corporate brand identification by customers and stakeholders. The article introduces a model of corporate brand management and corporate brand identification. This research, undertaken within leading business schools, resulted in three propositions: (PI) corporate brand management is analogous to strategic general management and involves nine connate activities – adapting, communicating, embracing, endorsing, investing, leading, maintaining, reflecting, and supporting; (P2) a stakeholder and values approach is more likely to result in there being a strong corporate brand identification on the part of students; (P3) an institutional and functional approach to corporate brand management results in weak/indifferent corporate brand identification by scholars. The pivotal importance of corporate brands to contemporary organisations and to their policy advisors, are illustrative of the saliency of this study. This inductive study draws on insights from policy makers and scholars in top business schools. This article throws light on why and how general managers should accord importance to corporate brand management. In broader contexts, leading business schools are regarded as repositories of best practice in terms of scholarship in business administration and, in terms of operations, general management per se. As such, this study has an especial significance for general management of corporate brands among contemporary organisations.

A discussion of pressures and constraints on general management is not straightforward. Pressures and constraints can be seen both as external influences and as individually determined. This dual origin is important so that general managers can help themselves, and be helped, to be more in control of their jobs and their environment. Drawing on the findings from the Templeton tracer study of DGMs and from the Templeton DGMs' group, the paper considers a range of possible pressures and constraints on DGMs. It argues that an effective general manager will know which pressures and constraints are external and which are self-imposed and will know which can and should be changed.

The article presents a comprehensive study of the digitalisation of educational process management in general secondary education institutions (GSEI) in the context of transformational challenges, in particular martial law, as well as in the context of Ukraine's integration into the European digital space.The relevance of the issue is determined by the need to improve the effectiveness of management decisions, the transparency of the educational process and the resilience of the education system to external risks with the help of digital tools. Particular attention is paid to identifying factors that hinder or promote the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) at the management level of GSEI. The aim of the study is to analyse the current state of digital transformation of management processes in the general secondary education system of Ukraine and to substantiate strategic directions for the development of digital educational management. To achieve this goal, methods of theoretical analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematisation and generalisation of secondary data, as well as elements of a structural-functional approach were used.This made it possible to explore the conceptual foundations of digitalisation, characterise the regional specifics of digital maturity, identify barriers to the introduction of ICT in school administration, and assess the dynamics of digital literacy among participants in the educational process. The results obtained indicate significant regional disparities in the level of digitalisation of education management, the absence of a unified state information system for general secondary education, a lack of technical resources and uneven readiness of management personnel for digital change.At the same time, there is a positive trend towards improving digital competence and expanding the use of ICT in management. It has been determined that the digitalisation of education in a state of martial law performs not only a modernisation function but also a crisis function, ensuring the continuity of the educational process, data backup and emergency communication. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of using its results in strategic planning for the digital transformation of educational management, developing recommendations for education authorities, training school leaders, and forming uniform digital standards in general secondary education.The article provides recommendations for the unification of digital platforms, improvement of the regulatory framework, development of infrastructure, and investment in digital education for managers.Prospects for further research are related to the empirical study of digital management models at the community level, the evaluation of the effectiveness of digital solutions in crisis conditions, and the study of the impact of digitalisation on the quality of students' educational outcomes.

This study examines the dynamics of general manager (GM) succession in the foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs). First, drawing on insights from evolutionary theory and the organizational learning literature, we argue that MNEs are adaptive organizations such that prior subsidiary GM changes at the “intra” regional level decrease the probability of further GM change in the focal subsidiary. Our logic is that the accumulated context-specific knowledge may allow MNEs to further develop extant succession routines. Second, in the context at the “inter” regional level, given the high spatial transaction costs, what are more likely to be applied to the focal subsidiary are standardized succession processes, which are less likely to accommodate the situations specific to the focal subsidiary. Due to the reduced marginal costs of making similar changes, prior GM successions that occurred outside the region where the focal subsidiary operates accelerate the momentum for further GM change in this subsidiary. Third, we propose that when changing from a parent-country national to a host-country national GM, succession routines may be refined in order to accommodate particular candidates or particular search committees, which in turn decelerates the momentum for further subsidiary GM change. A fixed effects longitudinal analysis of 1,169 Japanese subsidiary firms between 1995 and 2013 provides empirical evidence to support these arguments.

Management of the general education system is a theoretical and practical area of social sciences aimed at developing a strategy for the education system, planning and monitoring educational processes, identifying current management tasks, and solving them effectively. Management of general education has become an integral part of the educational system as a whole since the organization and implementation of educational processes are impossible without the use of management mechanisms and skills. Moreover, the area of general education management has become a kind of link between the academic needs of society and the strategic goals of the state. Therefore, management of the general education system is not only an area of theoretical knowledge but also has great practical and social significance. Along with the achievements of scientific thought in the field of general education management, it should be noted that the rapid development of modern societies requires periodic revision of theoretical management models and their compliance with the current educational needs of society. Modern social demands and expectations regarding the educational system dictate the need to develop criteria for selecting a management model. Today, such issues have already emerged in the field of general education management, of which the following issues are of particular importance: - the presence of various management models in practice and the absence of their theoretical description; - formal choice of management models for educational systems; - contradictions between multiple changes in the education system and the lack of theoretically sound models for managing these changes. To formulate theoretical and practical recommendations aimed at solving of current problems in the area of general education management there were investigated trends of management models formed and their essential characteristics. The objectives of this study include describing the main characteristics of social connections that form configurations of relationships between general schools and society and constructing a typology of management models that dominate modern schools of various countries. These objectives were formed based on qualitative data obtained during a comparative study of international experience in the field of general education management. Հանրակրթության ոլորտի կառավարումը սոցիալական գիտությունների տեսական և գործնական ոլորտ է, որն ուղղված է կրթական համակարգի ռազմավարության մշակմանը, կրթական գործընթացների պլանավորմանն ու մոնիթորինգին, ընթացիկ կառավարման խնդիրների բացահայտմանը և դրանց արդյունավետ լուծմանը: Հանրակրթության ոլորտի կառավարումը դարձել է կրթական համակարգի անբաժանելի մասը, քանի որ կրթական գործընթացների կազմակերպումն ու իրականացումն անհնար է առանց կառավարման մեխանիզմների և հմտությունների կիրառման: Ավելին, հանրակրթության կառավարման ոլորտը դարձել է հասարակության կրթական կարիքների և պետության ռազմավարական նպատակների միջև կապող օղակը, ուստի՝ հանրակրթության ոլորտի կառավարումը ոչ միայն տեսական գիտելիքի ձևավորման ոլորտ է, այլև ունի գործնական և սոցիալական մեծ նշանակություն ։ Հանրակրթության կառավարման ոլորտում գիտական մտքի ձեռքբերումներին զուգընթաց պետք է նշել, որ ժամանակակից հասարակությունների արագ զարգացումը պահանջում է տեսական կառավարման մոդելների պարբերական վերանայում և համապատասխանեցում հասարակության ներկայիս կրթական կարիքներին: Կառավարման մոդելի ընտրության չափանիշների մշակման անհրաժեշտությունը պայամանվորված է կրթական համակարգի վերաբերյալ ժամանակակից սոցիալական պահանջներով և սպասելիքներով: Հանրակրթության կառավարման ոլորտում այսօր արդեն իսկ ի հայտ են եկել այնպիսի խնդիրներ, որոնցից առանձնահատուկ կարևորություն են ներկայացնում հետևյալ խնդիրները. - պրակտիկայում կառավարման տարբեր մոդելների առկայությունը և դրանց տեսական հիմնավորման բացակայությունը, - կրթական համակարգերի կառավարման մոդելների ֆորմալ ընտրությունը, - հակասությունները կրթական համակարգում բազմաթիվ փոփոխությունների ևայդ փոփոխությունները կառավարելու նպատակով մոդելների տեսամեթոդական հիմնավորվածության բացակայության միջև: Հանրակրթության կառավարման ոլորտում առկա խնդիրների լուծմանն ուղղված տեսական և գործնական առաջարկությունների ձևակերպման համար ուսումնասիրվել են կառավարման մոդելների ձևավորման միտումները և դրանց էական բնութագրերը: Այս հետազոտության նպատակներից ներառում են սոցիալական կապերի հիմնական բնութագրերի նկարագրությունը, որոնք կազմում են հանրակրթական դպրոցների և հասարակության միջև փոխհարաբերությունների հիմնական կոնֆիգուրացիաները, և տարբեր երկրների ժամանակակից դպրոցներում գերիշխող կառավարման մոդելների տիպաբանության կառուցումը: Այս նպատակները ձևավորվել են հանրակրթության կառավարման ոլորտում միջազգային փորձի համեմատական ուսումնասիրության արդյունքում ձեռք բերված որակական տվյալների հիման վրա: