Actual for You - Business

Buying Used Office Chairs
Used office chairs are available through a large number of suppliers. They are often a good deal for someone who is low on resources or is just starting a business. Often used office chairs are donated or sold by business owners because they are upgrading their furniture or they just desire a different fabric or color scheme for the office. There are many quality used office chairs available for a fraction of the cost of a new office chair.When choosing a used office chair it is important to ensure that the chair will offer good lumbar support and will aid in maintaining good sitting posture. Most chairs feature mechanisms that can be adjusted to accommodate individuals of varied height. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to test the chair to make sure that it is a good choice for one’s specific body type before purchasing.It is also critical that used office chairs be carefully examined prior to purchase, to ensure that all adjustment mechanisms are in proper working order. If possible, ask if the instruction manual for the particular chair is available. If it is not available as a hard copy, it may be possible to obtain it through the retailer or online. If any of the adjustment mechanisms are missing or broken, it is best to choose a different chair. It is also important to know how to properly use the adjustment mechanisms to achieve good sitting posture for one’s individual body type. Adjustments will be different for all users.To avoid back injury and discomfort, it is important that used office chairs offer lumbar support and provide a thick seat cushion for maximum comfort. The seat height should be able to be adjusted so that the user’s feet can be placed fla

omprises the most important knowledge of all times which is the tacit knowledge. This knowledge is the know-how, and skills hidden in each individual- described as the knower. In order to manage the tacit knowledge, all interest is toward the knower- the individual carrying this knowledge. This focus has created a knower-centered (K-C) view for the KM experts.

The knower-centered approach considers the humans as the principle source of knowledge. The main issue concerning the K-C practitioners is to manage not only the explicit but also the tacit knowledge belonging to individuals. For that, recently, a new function has been created – the Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO), this person dealing with knowledge. Drucker (1993) first mentioned the knowledge worker or CKO-as named today. He defined this person as a knowledge executive who knows how to allocate knowledge to productive use, and also as a strategic person that any organization must raise in order to meet the competitive goals.

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and

Why You Must Perform Career Research
There is such a large number of careers out there that it is still a mystery that many people, including graduating college students fail to do indepth career research before choosing their profession. My guess is that it is alot of work and quite draining when done in large chunks. It is necessary to research your career though, to make sure you don't end up in a job that is not satisfying or one that doesn't suit your long term goals.Did you know that most adults will completely change careers multiple times in their working lives? This doesn't mean that the people just went to work in a new company, it means that they completely changed fields. This is atleast partially a byproduct of those workers not doing the career research necessary to guide them in the best direction. Alot of problems could have been avoided ahead of time. If you think about it, these people who change careers have to essentially start from scratch at the bottom of their new company each and every time. When changing a career you are likely going to be inexperienced and at the lower end of the pay scale with fewer benefits than you had before.An example of this could be the recent college graduate who is eager to jump directly into the workforce and start making money. This individual may have done an analysis of his strengths and weaknesses, coupled with his professional goals. However, if he hasn't he is likely to be dissatisfied with his choice of careers and seek a new position elsewhere. Or even costlier he may go back to school to get a completely different degree. Conducting detailed career research, possibly with the help of a career counselor could have avoided that whole mess. It's no secret that a happ

In today’s economy, knowledge management has moved from being one of the resources of competitive advantage to being the most important resource. All attention has been turned toward knowledge and methods to manage it. Nonaka (1991) states that knowledge and its strategic use is one sure source of sustained competitive advantage for organizations. Thus, the processes used to retain and transfer knowledge is becoming the main objective of organizations. For that, knowledge management systems are created based on organizational needs in order to efficiently create and share knowledge.

However, few knowledge management systems have been able to deal with the human capital. The reason for that is two-fold; there are various definitions of knowledge and so what constitutes exactly knowledge management. At this point, many knowledge management (KM) practitioners have stated the weak capacity of the knowledge management systems (KMSs) in managing tacit knowledge. Yet, some made research trying to find solutions to the externalization of tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to the knowledge that cannot be easily articulated and thus only exists in people’s hands and minds. This was first mentioned by Polanyi (1966) who created this interest for tacit knowledge.

The introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) improved a bit the tacit knowledge management. Some KM practitioners stated the great contribution of ICTs-driven KMSs in externalizing tacit knowledge (Cohen and Bacdayan, 1994; Scott, 1998). Others concluded the useless function of these KMSs, even the negative effect of them on tacit knowledge management attempts (Blackler, 1995; Hansen et al., 1999). Those two opposite point of views concerning the effectiveness of the ICTs-driven KMSs in externalizing tacit knowledge urges the need to present the real role played by those KMSs in externalizing tacit knowledge. Knowledge and its Management:

Most organizations are nowadays realizing that knowledge management (KM) is one of the key success factors in today’s economy, and all are moving toward the knowledge-based economy. All the KM view practitioners are aware that their success depends on the way they use their knowledge in order to get competitive advantage and create new knowledge. Various organizations strive for continuous innovation and for that KM plays a key role in differentiating one organization from the other.

One of the most relevant discussions about knowledge management was made by Nonaka (1991) and Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) when they showed how the Japanese companies were and are still –after 10 years- able to develop fast and to innovate in the new product development. Their success was mainly the result of their capacities to transfer and share the tacit and explicit knowledge across their organizations. It is important to mention that one of the firsts to distinguish between tacit and explicit knowledge was Polanyi (1966) when saying that `We can know more than we can tell?.

Also, Davenport and Prusak (1998) defined KM as a process for the collection, distribution and efficient use of the knowledge resource. At that time, the slogan ‘efficient use of knowledge’ was already used showing the new emerging trend and interest for KM. In fact, even before that, Drucker (1993) stated that in order to meet market challenges, a company has to be prepared to create efficient means to manage its knowledge and create new one according to its performance needs.

Knowledge has been defined in a variety of ways depending on the context. An interesting definition by Beckman (1997) was that knowledge is reasoning about information to actively guide task execution, problem-solving and decision making in order to perform, learn and teach. Also, Wiig (1993) stated that knowledge consists of truths and beliefs, perspectives and concepts, judgments and expectations, methodologies and ‘know-how’.

Tacit Knowledge:

Knowledge, this mixture of information, experience, skills and capacities is not only located in documents, journals or books, but above all in people’s minds. It is important to understand that the primary sources of the tangible knowledge repositories are the human brains that are thinking and questioning. The human capital, as we call it, comprises the most important knowledge of all times which is the tacit knowledge. This knowledge is the know-how, and skills hidden in each individual- described as the knower. In order to manage the tacit knowledge, all interest is toward the knower- the individual carrying this knowledge. This focus has created a knower-centered (K-C) view for the KM experts.

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and

A United Consensus on Advertising Balloons
In the UK, everyone has reached a consensus on the fact that advertising balloons work. It works so well that most of the biggest brands in the UK use equally big advertising balloons to market their brand and keep their presence at the top of mind of their consumers. Use an advertising balloon to make sure that your ad will not and cannot be ignored.Grab the attention of consumers from the street as they walk or drive past as your advertising balloon floats by. Also, using an advertising balloon during an event, with your brand floating in the sky as a picturesque background makes a dramatic effect with equally dramatic results. Knowing that an advertising balloon will work wonders for your brand is only half the work. You should be able to figure out what you want your advertising balloon to look like.What shape and colors should it have are things that you need to think about. You should also consider where you will be having your advertising balloon floating to catch the most attention and whether you want your advertising balloon lit or not are options that you will have to decide upon.When you have gotten these details down pat, the last step before sailing your sales along with your advertising balloons is which advertising balloon supplier in the UK should you consider to make your investment on.Classic Hot Air BalloonsDon't' let their company name fool you. The only thing classic about this company is the fact that they are the typical choice by big brands that use advertising balloons to market their brands, products and services. Contrary to their company name, this company makes use of innovative shapes other than the usual inverted teardrop hot air balloo

fers to the knowledge that cannot be easily articulated and thus only exists in people’s hands and minds. This was first mentioned by Polanyi (1966) who created this interest for tacit knowledge.

Tacit Knowledge:

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and

Time for a Career Makeover? - Such Changes Occur from the Inside Out
With the popularity of makeover shows on television, it is apparent that people are eager to make cosmetic changes in their lives. But what would happen if a coach approached you on the street and offered you a makeover? What would you want to change?Most individuals would jump at the chance for a career makeover. How many of you are really working in a job that is aligned with your passion? Can you say that you love what you are doing and do you get excited about getting up in the morning to go to work? Does your job fit with your skills, talents, interests and abilities? Would you throw it all away for that career you always wanted but did not feel you could choose because of obligations or circumstances in your life at the time of your career selection? What would you make over in your work arena? Would you stay in the same occupation, but change your place of employment? Or would you just want to change how you interact with your co-workers or boss? How about changing the way you are perceived within the organization? How would you change your career if you had the opportunity?Rather than rhinoplasty or liposuction, an internal makeover offers up an opportunity for change from the inside out. What would you want to change for your internal makeover? Would you eliminate fear from your life? It is often fear that keeps you from moving forward, from taking risks and reaching your goals. Or would you eliminate procrastination? Perhaps you would like to be more responsible in your actions and choices or to have more integrity and be authentic. Or, would you opt to inject more fun into your life, to overrun the nagging inability to let yourself be free and enjoy life from the perspective

ioners are aware that their success depends on the way they use their knowledge in order to get competitive advantage and create new knowledge. Various organizations strive for continuous innovation and for that KM plays a key role in differentiating one organization from the other.

Tacit Knowledge:

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and

A Sure Fire Way to Say You Do NOT Care About Your Customers
There are many ways to show your customers that you care about them. Let me share one that tells your customers that YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEM. Remember, my friend, that in business it is sometimes the little things that begin to tear down the company that we have worked so hard to build. One of those little things is a real problem to me. I see it in almost every company and at almost every level. It is my belief that we do not realize the impact it has on people. In some small way it affects our "believability." What is it? It is the thing we can not do without. It's the telephone.Whether you like it or not we live in the age of voice mail. There are some who wish they could return to the good old days and talk to a real live person again. There are others who really do not care one way or another. But... now to my soapbox!If you are going to use voice mail, please return your calls and do so in a timely manner. I fear too many of us have begun using voice mail as our personal gatekeeper. "I do not want to talk to that person, so I'll just let voice mail handle it." Your customers deserve your responsive call. They want to talk to a live person and they need to know that you are there for them. If you promise to call back and do not, it affects your credibility and believability.I have a friend who has an interesting voice mail. It goes something like this...."Hi, You have reached ______'s voice mail. I will not be calling you back so I do not care if you leave a message or not."Now, this guy is a businessman. Frankly, I DO NOT CALL HIM ANYMORE! Personally, I think it is rude, and uncalled for. But that may

howing the new emerging trend and interest for KM. In fact, even before that, Drucker (1993) stated that in order to meet market challenges, a company has to be prepared to create efficient means to manage its knowledge and create new one according to its performance needs.

Tacit Knowledge:

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and

Writing Powerful Resumes - 10 Golden Rules
Your resume is your sales letter. It may not get you the job. But it must get you an interview. The resume should be written to arouse the interest of the employer so that you get your appointment for an interview. This is the primary purpose of a resume. Here are ten golden rules to follow in creating a very powerful resume.1. While writing a resume you should keep in mind that it is written with the purpose of getting a specific job. This will focus your resume on the requirements of the job and then match your experience and abilities to fulfill the requirements of the job.2. A powerful resume will be concise and to the point. Care must be taken not to include anything that comes to mind and it is not essential to include everything about you. It is not your autobiography. Every line, every word needs to be evaluated whether they are highly relevant to the job description. You only have few seconds to impress the employer. Within those few seconds you must convey what you do and what are your credentials for the job.3. A powerful resume starts with an Objective statement. The objective statement should be simple and straightforward. It should state preferably in one or two short sentences the position you are applying for and how you will benefit the employer. The resume must be tailored to the job description. While it may not be possible to write a resume for every job, it is desirable. Otherwise have several resumes with different objective statements.4. Use plenty of action words in designing a powerful resume. Action words make your resume more interesting, make you look more dynamic.5. While qualifications are important, employers are

Also, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) said that knowledge practitioners generate and accumulate both tacit and explicit knowledge. And that the quality of their knowledge accumulated depend mainly on the quality of their direct day-to-day business experiences. Again, according to Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), the CKO groups that are more linked to tacit knowledge are the ‘knowledge operators’; they accumulate and generate rich tacit knowledge in the form of experience-based embodied skills.

In fact, experience, as mentioned before, is one of the most relevant types of tacit knowledge. Experience is building personal skills and the best one able to deal with that is the knowledge worker. As Davenport and Prusak (1998) said, this person can then try to transfer as much knowledge as possible to someone through mentoring or apprenticeship, so that important tacit knowledge is not wholly concentrated in one person.

However, tacit knowledge was named so for specific reasons. We should keep in mind that tacit knowledge is this knowledge difficult to codify. Polanyi (1966) defines tacit knowledge as personal, context-specific and, not easily visible and expressible –nor easy to formalize and communicate to others. More recently, Grant (1996) explained that it is this tacitness precisely that makes tacit knowledge difficult to imitate or to import from one organization to another and therefore this makes it an important organizational resource for securing competitive advantage.

Besides, since an efficient tacit knowledge management provide an organization with a competitive advantage, it is important to give it the right definition. New KM approaches have appeared trying to deal with tacit knowledge. Hansen et al. (1999) distinguished between two different types of strategies depending on the tacit and explicit knowledge focus. Respectively, at the core of the codification strategy is the conversion of individual knowledge to organizational knowledge through the use of databases. And the personalization strategy instead stresses the tacit and contextual aspects of knowledge and experience, relying on the transfer of individuals between different teams. Then, the KM approach accordingly, related to tacit knowledge, calls for the creation of groups or networks that will share knowledge.

Wenger (1998) defines those formed groups of workers as the communities of practice. He studied how the know-how was shared among workers in large organizations showing that mostly information was exchanged in informal meetings. A community of practice is different from a team; it is defined by knowledge rather than by task. More recently, many examples of communities of practice have been created in organizations, but have different names. Gongla and Rizzuto (2001) mentioned some of them such as ‘learning communities’ at Hewlett-Packard Company, ‘thematic groups’ at the World Bank, ‘peer groups’ at British Petroleum, and ‘knowledge networks’ at IBM Global Services.

Information Communication Technologies and Knowledge Management Systems:

Knowledge sharing and creation- the aim of all communities of practice, has been recently boosted by the introduction of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in order to allow more information handling. It has established itself as an important tool for communication and information exchange between people. Some authors even seem to equate knowledge management with the introduction of specific ICTs applications like intranets, and groupware. The role of ICTs in knowledge management is once again to extract, and codify knowledge, whether it is explicit or implicit knowledge. As Malhotra (2000) said, knowledge management embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information-processing, capacity information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings. The supportive role of ICTs for tacit knowledge management has been discussed by many KM practitioners. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) described two modes of organizational knowledge creation related to the transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge; socialization referring to the transfer of individual tacit knowledge to organizational tacit knowledge, and externalization which is converting tacit knowledge based on experience to objective explicit knowledge. In fact, those two modes of dealin

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From those taking baby steps on the digital superhighway to those who've toured the block a few times - all need to heed a few universal rules to make sure their messages get noticed rather than become fodder for the recycle bin.

Profit Covers Many Sins - Ten principles that can help us maintain our focus, uncover some of those sins that may have been covered by profitability in 2006 and create the kind of success in 2007 that you can be proud of:

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