29th June 2009 Cost cutting may be the order of the day, but technology companies have to carefully balance their need for short-term profits with the need for investment in innovation. FSN contributing editor, Lesley Meall, finds out where software developers are focusing their R&D spend and why.(more)
Leadership in times of crisisSome leaders have come through the credit crunch better than others, says Morgen Witzel, FSN writer and senior fellow at the University of Exeter Business School.
Can strategy succeed without leaders?Discussions of leadership often focus on the character of the leader himself or herself, but leaders do not act alone.
Outsourcing – which destination?A choice that seemed like a “no-brainer” yesterday can seem complex and challenging tomorrow, says Lesley Meall FSN contributing editor.
The problem with performance management when approached as a scientific discipline is that the organisational and human factors are often sidelined in favour of tools and software. The IT industry would have us believe that all ills can be cured by technology and it is easy to lose sight of the people component that is a necessary part of any enduring solution. FSN has written about strategy on many occasions but rarely have we examined the people related aspects, for example, leadership style that influence its creation and successful delivery. In order to redress the balance FSN has commissioned a series of articles from Morgen Witzel, FSN writer and senior fellow at the University of Exeter Business School specifically to examine the ‘softer’ side of performance management. Last month he looked thought provokingly at whether the CEO should be the sole guardian of strategy and this was followed up by some original thinking around leadership styles in times of crisis. Discussions of leadership often focus on the character of the leader himself or herself but leaders do not act alone. This week Morgen suggests why even the best leaders in the world will fail unless they have the trust and willing support of those around them.