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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Top Ten Management on Situational Leadership Theory: An Overview of How to Match The Right Leader to The Right Group of Followers

President George W. Bush, left center, joins f...Image via Wikipedia
This overview of Situational Leadership Theory was prepared by Christopher Grady while a Accounting major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Introduction

            Exploring people’s behavior when they try to work together to accomplish a goal gives excellent insight into the role of a leader.  How well a leader understands himself and those he wishes to lead can differentiate an effective leader from an impotent one.  Leadership skills are especially valuable to those in charge large groups of people, especially in business.  A theory, Situational Leadership Theory, was developed specifically to define and illustrate this practice.  The theory examines the role of the follower and his capability and willingness to accomplish a task.


The Idea in a Nutshell

Situational leadership is a theory that looks at a group of people at different degrees of maturity and how each degree should be approached and handled from a position of leadership.  It illustrates how involved the leader will have to be depending on the follower’s stage of ability and willingness. The theory was developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard during the mid 1970’s.   They recognized that there was a connection in task behavior and relationship behavior, then determined that there were four distinct leadership styles.  The styles include: Telling, Selling, Participating, and Delegating. When determining which leadership style to apply, you will have to look at the distinct level of maturity that will be appropriate for a specific follower.  When examining a well rounded manager, consideration of the manager’s ability to analyze the situation and apply various leadership styles to shifting environmental position will determine the specific leadership style being applied.

The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Situational Leadership Theory

1.         Situational Leadership Theory brings attention to the role of the follower.   A leader’s success is dependent on the willingness of the follower to affirm or abandon the leader.  A leader is only as effective as the followers behind him, thus making a focus on the follower a true mark of a good leader.

2.         The second dimension of the Situational Leadership Theory is the ability and willingness of the followers to perform a task.   Exploring and defining the follower’s maturity is paramount in the decision of how to lead the followers toward a particular goal.

3.         The Telling style is a high task-low relationship in which the leader explains the roles and assignments for each follower.  There is a one way communication between leader and follower whereas the leader informs the follower of what task needs to be performed.

4.         The Selling style is a high task-high relationship that deals with the leader still explaining the roles and assignments but asking for the follower’s insight.  This uses a two-way communication, giving reinforcement so the follower will adopt the leader’s idea.

5.         The Participating style is a low task-high relationship, in which the decision making process is shared.  The leader takes part in the decision, but leaves it to the followers to make the choice on how the task will be performed.

6.         In the Delegating style, the leader has a low task-low relationship with the follower.  The follower makes the decisions and chooses the way in which he or she believes will create the best results.  The leader is involved with the decisions, but mainly oversees the process.

7.         The first Maturity level is a person that is unable and unwilling, meaning the individual might not have the skills to perform the task or the courage to take charge of the project.  To get the response that the leader wants the Telling style would work best in this situation.

8.         In the second Maturity level, the person is unable but willing.  The person is not skilled to take on the task, but has a good work ethic and will attempt to take on the work anyway.  A  Selling style would be appropriate when attempting to convince the follower to gain the skill needed to complete the task.

9.         Maturity level three will consist of people that are able but unwilling to do the task by themselves.  The person has the experience and skills to complete the task, but lacks the confidence.  The Participating style should be applied here by the leader.  The leader needs to help motivate the follower to complete the task.

10.       The most advanced Maturity level is a person who is able and willing.  The person is experienced and highly skilled. The individual will be confident in completing the task.  This type of person adapts to change.  The Delegating style is used when the leader only needs to oversee the situation.


The Video Lounge

This video is of Dr. Paul Hersey speaking of how and why he came up with his theory.  He focuses on how relevant this theory is in today’s marketplace with leaders being found at a variety of levels.


This clip is of Aubrey Warren discussing his use of Situational Leadership Theory in his leadership program.  He draws attention to the benefits of this leadership style.


My Take

The Situational Leadership Theory is very easy to apply to all types of leadership challenges.  The theory is adaptable and simple to use.  This theory’s greatest strength being available to anyone with basic training and can be used immediately.  The basic skill is identifying and diagnosing a follower’s capabilities, then applying the appropriate level of leader involvement.  The obvious benefit is the flexibility to change as the staff changes.  The theory is highly practical, and can be used at high level leadership, lower level leadership, and even parental leadership.  The theory’s flexibility makes it even more relevant today due to the absolute certainty of change.

References

Robbins, Stephen, & Coulter, Mary. (2009). Management. New JerseyPearson Education.

Situational Leadership. (06-27-2010). Retrieved from [http://www.money-zine.com/Career-Development/Leadership-Skill/Situational-Leadership/]. (06-27-2010).

Situational Leadership theory. (06-25-2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory]. (06-27-2010).

What is the Situational Leadership Theory?. (05-28-2010). Retrieved from [http://businessmate.org/Article.php?ArtikeID=191]. (06-27-2010).

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Contact Info
To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Situational Leadership Theory,” please email Christopher Grady at Christopher.Grady@selu.edu.

BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).

AN INVITATION TO WORK WITH US, TODAY!
If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today to get published at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.


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Summary and Review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman


This book summary and review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded was prepared by Jonathan Gilleland while a management student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.


Executive Summary

“Hot, Flat, and Crowded” by Thomas L. Friedman is an amazing book which spares no details as it dives into the pressing issues that threaten our future as the human race. In this book, Friedman explores such problems facing us and future generations as: global climate change, the globalization of developed nations into a world economy, and skyrocketing human populations in denser areas. The real problem, however, is that this condition of our planet becoming increasingly “hot, flat, and crowded” only stands to make it more difficult to turn around key problems in our world such as fierce competition for scarce resources, the balance of wealth being tipped in favor of the oil producing nations, climate change, the uneven distribution of energy, and increased plant and animal extinction rates.

Much of this book is devoted to educating readers about the realities of the problems faced. This is done by informing readers about the way a lot of the things we are currently doing wrong are done, and historically how we got to where we are now. It makes sense to clarify how dire our need for change on a global level really is. It is important that the United States of America grasps the opportunity to lead the rest of the world in creating and abiding by new cleaner, greener standards to better sustain not only humans—but all life on Earth far into the future.

As the book develops, Friedman shifts his focus from “where we are” to “where we are going,” as he lays out his experiences from all over the world and suggests possible paths to follow to jump start a new world wide “green movement.” The common theme becomes more and more clear that the time for change is now, and the time for living in the now and turning the blind eye to disturbing facts and trends needs to be over.

The overall tone of this guide to change is positive; and even though the road to change will not be an easy one—or one for that matter that only a few individual changes can achieve—yet it is imperative that we get the ball rolling and get the entire world to “buy in to what we as the United States need to be selling.” It is clear upon completion of this novel that Friedman is truly optimistic about the future, and his belief that a new generation can grab the bull by the horns and ensure the sustainability of our world market, as well as the planet Earth.


The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Hot, Flat, and Crowded


1. Managers need to realize that decisions made today impact our tomorrow. This is evident through the fact the decisions of corporations in the past leave us questioning how to change their model going forward.

2. Managers need to realize that all of the resources that are converted into products, or are used to convert inputs into outputs, come at a cost. Unfortunately for managers living in the present, some of those costs may not be evident until some years into the future.

3. Managers should demand higher standards of themselves, their subordinates, as well as from the companies they represent. Sometimes, the only way to spark changes is to demand that different measures or outcomes are met.

4. Managers need to realize that collaboration with outside companies, even those who are direct competitors, should not be avoided. It should be embraced when a core change is needed in a given industry.

5. Managers need to understand that the current business environment calls for innovation—not repackaging the same old wheel.

6. Managers need to realize that collaboration between different departments of a given company is crucial to ensuring efficiency, and cutting out excess waste.

7. Managers need to realize that soon enough there will be political and legal changes that will shock the foundations of how certain industries operate. It is the companies who have the foresight to embrace where the world is heading who will have the advantage—not those who over invest in the present only to react later.

8. Managers need to realize that companies who are vested in the global economy have important leverage in how new innovations, as well as legal standards which affect innovation, are perceived and acted upon by those in office.

9. Managers need to understand that it makes sense to pay a higher fixed cost now when making energy-related infrastructural changes in order to take advantage of lower variable energy costs into the future. A current example would be switching to solar power.

10. Managers need to realize that there is a growing positive image for those companies who opt to make green changes. Failure to adapt could ensure the survival of a rival and could mark a death sentence for the company that was reluctant to change when they had the chance to be a leader.



Full Summary of Hot, Flat, and Crowded



Why Citibank, Iceland’s Banks, and the Ice Banks of Antarctica All Melted Down at the Same Time. Hot, Flat, and Crowded takes place on several continents. The first chapter begins with the description of a scene in Fenghua, China. A worker at a Chinese factory is amazed at the amount of worthless consumer products that are manufactured there. The destination of these products is the United States. The idea behind this is to show that people in other countries only care about possessing the bare essentials which are useful to core life activities—such as having a pot to cook food, whereas in America, people have become accustomed to an endless array of consumer products which are designed to meet broadening needs which are really better classified as wants. Most of these products don’t stand the test of their useful lives and are made of plastics and other materials which are detrimental to our planet. Yet consumers of these products simply throw them away without a second thought of where these items end up after they vanish from within their trash cans.

This type of modern ideology among developed nations where people just consume more and more has actually fueled complex trade relationships between developed and developing nations. Nations such as China which have a lot of labor capital and low costs of labor have found their niche as producers of the goods that nations like the United States of America have an all-time-high demand for. This demand for their products has lead other nations to become more vested in our economy by buying United States Treasury Bills and so forth. This influx allows our Federal Reserve to justify extending more and more cheap credit to consumers who in turn consume more and more. The more that Americans consume, the higher the demand for cheap foreign goods, and therefore the cycle continues exponentially. This basic concept has lead to the interdependence and influence of different nations’ economies.

Dumb as We Wanna Be. In this case “we” definitely refers to American citizens. Ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world has become a lot flatter. This basically refers to the growing freedom and ease of world trade due to less trade restrictions, new innovations, and even the mindset of people across the world who had less to fear, which comprises globalization. The United States has pretty much been a pioneer in globalization by historically actively seeking out less trade restrictions and better relationships with other nations. This trend changed, however, when the United States experienced the ill effects of 9/11. The United states became more secluded in their policies and actions. Our presence in Iraq has been the American influence that much of the world has felt or heard about in recent years—because we sure aren’t known for our innovations these days. As a whole, much of our country has been blind to the rest of the world as well as to their perceptions of us. Perhaps ignorance really is not bliss.

The Re-Generation. This chapter conveys hope for the future. Hopefully our generation and our children’s’ generation can become the “Re-Generation.” The hope is that we can take steps now and consistent steps moving forward to fundamentally repair and maintain the world economic situation, as well as mother earth. Friedman claims that “sustainability is today’s freedom crusade, because the next generation will not live free” if we do not fundamentally change the market system for the better and ensure our planet can sustain us in the future (Friedman, 50).

Today’s Weather: Hot, Flat, and Crowded. The time is opportune for America to take the leadership role in a global effort to sustain the world into the future. The world is pretty highly globalized in the year 2010. World communications are the platform to address our dire problems and global inequities moving forward if used for good. We are currently experiencing growing populations that we cannot sustain in the future if things worsen rather than improve. We are also currently experiencing global warming, which if not reversed, will also impede our goal of sustainability of human life. These conditions coupled give the book the title “Hot, Flat, and Crowded.” When living in a hot, flat, and crowded world, other problems threaten our existence. Key problems that threaten our prosperity as a global population emphasized in this book are: growing demand for scarce resources, the balance of wealth being tipped in favor of the oil producing nations, climate change, the uneven distribution of energy, and record plant and animal extinction rates.

Our Carbon Copies (or, Too Many Americans). This chapter begins with the portrayal of two examples of foreign cities which have rapidly transformed into American-like mega cities. One is Doha, Quatar, and the other is Dalian, China. Both are described as having high populations and massive amounts of infrastructure which have been built in response to consumer demand for technological products. Due to high levels of Carbon Dioxide pollution over a very short period, overpopulation, and industrial presence, these two cities have become hot, flat, and crowded. In the country of India, the presence of technological change and their niche of the last several years, the majority of the population has risen out of poverty to a life style of commuter traffic.

Fill ‘Er Up with Dictators. This chapter dives into the effects of petroleum on politics and economics. Members of the OPEC oil cartel earned an astonishing “$506 billion from exports” in 2006, and “$535 billion” in 2007 (Friedman, 112). The balance of wealth is continually and dramatically shifting in favor of oil producing countries—particularly those who export a lot of oil around the world. There is a new global trend of lifestyles based on the use of oil, and more of the world is now dependent on oil and therefore oil cartels. This money finds its way into political and religious agendas which hurt people and delay progress.

Global Weirding. This chapter warns us of the effects of global climate change. Friedman mentions his disgust with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina right here in the gulf-south region of the United States. A disgust for the results of the intensity of the storm—an intensity that was fueled by unusually warm gulf waters during the end of August, 2005. An interesting question that Friedman asks is whether the resulting catastrophe from a natural disaster is still considerable as “as an act of God” even if the intensity is fueled by or in direct result from the releasing of carbon emissions by man. We can no longer consider ourselves helpless viewers of the tapestry of weather and climate conditions—we need to understand that we have some role in the development of climate patterns into the future. Friedman goes on to compare available scientific data regarding the amount of carbon dioxide in the air over time.

The Age of Noah. “The Age of Noah” is a creative title to the eighth chapter of this book in which Friedman addresses concerns about our planet’s diminishing biodiversity. Friedman likens the biblical flood that threatened the existence of all biodiversity in the Old Testament to our global economy. The message is that we may act as Noah did and protect plant and animal life before it goes extinct. The upside of globalization as of now is that it has helped “bring more people out of poverty faster than ever before,” yet this turn from lush mother earth to more and more areas of urban development has increasingly threatened the existence of countless species of plants and animals (Friedman, 187).

Energy Poverty. Energy poverty refers to the unequal distribution of energy resources and infrastructure in the world. Friedman uses Africa as a basis of comparison to much of the rest of the world because Africa has so much raw land devoid of electrical infrastructure for its inhabitants. Having access to electrical infrastructure is key in our modern world to be able to ensure proper sanitation, access to health care, and to simply be able to cook safe food without dying from the indoor air pollution associated with poor ventilation while using an open flame. Unfortunately, less developed countries who are not contributing to global warming will suffer more from the ill effects of climate change which will make it even harder to have proper shelter and nutrient-rich soil.

Green is the New Red, White and Blue. It is important that with all of the problems already discussed, the human race, by way of the fist nation stepping up and making a change, move forward and lead an existence which is less harsh on the planet. The citizens of the world need a new clean energy system now—one that can reduce and eventually eliminate our carbon footprint. We can no longer hide the ill changes around us and there is no buffer for anyone to turn the blind eye. The new “Green” lifestyle that is necessary presents the companies who pioneer the movement with great opportunities as well. It also equates to “economic, political, innovative, and reputational power” for the nation who embraces this challenge and identity (Friedman, 212). An old way of viewing individuals who care about the preservation of the environment is to refer to them with the negative terms “tree-hugger” or “hippie.” This view was popular with those who were progressive in terms of our industrial progress and goals of last century. It is time for this way of thinking to yield to a new green movement, which Friedman fancies the title “code green.” Friedman wants his audience to understand that “green is the new red, white, and blue.”

205 Easy Ways to Save the Earth. This section focuses on the “supposed” green movement that we are currently experiencing in the United States. Many people would like to think that only a few minor changes will add up to a complete turnaround. This is good that people are starting to open up their minds to this “trend” and after all, many Americans look to what is considered trendy in order to decide what choices to make in their everyday lives. Unfortunately the changes that we need to make are more fundamental than a few product substitutions in individual households. Unfortunately many companies and entities with ill intent are now also branding themselves as “green.” This lends itself to people thinking that they are making more of a difference than they actually are while the problems continue to escalate.

The Energy Internet: When IT meets ET. This chapter begins to describe what a real clean energy implementation might be like. The energy systems of old which are still being utilized were never designed with anyone’s well being or efficiencies in mind. Instead they were designed to be efficient for the companies who administer them to install and to yield profit. This system is outdated and represents a time when no one cared about how much coal we use, or where the smog goes. In the future we will need smarter technologies that respond to changes in electrical demand, rather than continually run inefficiently. By changing core IT hardware such as hard drives and other infrastructure currently utilized, we can dramatically lower our energy usage—energy which we will use more wisely and efficiently.

The Stone Age Didn’t End Because We Ran Out of Stones. Chapter 13 of this book sends the message that we need to hurry up and act. We simply cannot wait until we run out of a given resource to worry about how to fulfill its void. Instead we need to innovate. We still have plenty of “stones” in circulation today. We cannot opt to regulate how the “stones” are utilized or juggled—we still need to innovate! Therefore, we cannot regulate our use of fossil fuels, or the standards to which they are refined and incorporated into the finished product of energy; we need to look beyond where we are and focus on where we are going.

If It Isn’t Boring, It Isn’t Green. It is important that people spend the time discussing adhering to increasing green standards. It is important that standards for cleaner emissions are raised. This will fuel innovation through a need to change—not just a desire. Therefore it is necessary that a lot of boring discussion, and a lot of boring legislation, and a lot of boring interactions between managers and engineers take place. This lays the groundwork for a pressing need for change. The pressing need for change will result in innovation to adhere to new standards.

A Million Noahs, A Million Arks. It is not enough to change to a green energy system worldwide. It is crucial to do so to stop the bleeding—and the effects on biodiversity—but it must be done together with a global campaign to create safe areas for endangered species to thrive now. Nations across the planet should according to Friedman, have “their own ark,” or in other words—a unique protected area where environmental conditions differ as region do so as to protect biodiversity of that given need. A lot of this movement can be accomplished through younger generations via improved education efforts.

Outgreening al-Queda (or, Buy One, Get Four Free). Going green, or thinking green is more than a clean energy movement. It is a way of life and way of strategizing. Much of what al-Queda has going for them is the fact that they do not use a lot of energy and are sustainable off of a lot less than for example, the United States military, which is dependent on a lot of energy derived from use of fossil fuels. This dependence limits the military’s ability to react quickly and helps determine the limits of what they can do and where they can do it. For the United States military to maintain power and to reflect upon our status of power as a nation, they must adapt to green technologies that are more practical such as solar power. Whether we are taking about a bedroom, a boardroom, a war-room, or even a war-zone, we need to fundamentally change our ways.

Can Red China Become Green China? China is growing more and more industrialized so quickly. In our modern era, and with a pressing need for the world to reduce carbon emissions, China needs to adopt new standards now. They cannot keep moving at such a rapid pace only to worry about the mess later. It seems as the government in China put a greater emphasis on the industrialization than on having clean air for the citizens to breathe. They need a society where the people stand up for their right to breathe clean air.

China For a Day (But Not For Two). In the eighteenth chapter of this book, Friedman stresses the importance for the United States to make big changes now. He thinks that maybe if the United States were China for a day it would be good enough for the leaders of our country to make a plan of action that is objective and quantifiable that we could stick to over the upcoming years. It seems that we spend so much time debating and performing research that we aren’t actually accomplishing much now—or for that matter, will we have by 20 years from now. If we could be China for long enough to make a statement only to then go on being good old fashioned America again in our own right then maybe, just maybe we could have experience more progress—but without going overboard and losing our identity.

A Democratic China, or a Banana Republic? Friedman stresses in the final chapter of the version 2.0 release of “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” that it is time to drastically raise awareness for the need for a green revolution. The citizens of our country need to demand a green revolution. The demands need to ring loud and clear to those in the government who have yet to make this a true political agenda. The grass-roots movement needs to spawn a new generation of politicians who understand this pressing need and act upon it, even if it is not easy.



Personal Insights


Why I think:

· The author is one of the most brilliant people around because he has the foresight to use the clues from where we have been as well as where we currently are to paint a picture of where we are going. He has compiled a telling argument from a pretty objective standpoint that expresses the world’s dire need for fundamental change. The way that he introduces the topics of challenges facing our world is tastefully done. Upon finishing this book the reader is left with a firm grasp of the perils we face, yet with the optimism that change is the next logical step, and therefore imminent.


· If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have written a children’s version as well. This would be easy to read for young people and would help get a new generation thinking about change.

2. I would have included more supplemental material as far as the opinions of other people who share the overall concern for change, but may have had different experiences that could lend to a more in depth understanding of the reader.

3. I would have given readers more information about sources they could visit as a next logical step for those who want to be proactive and let their voices be heard—for those who want a real revolution.


· Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. I did not realize that there is such a dire need for innovation in our world. I became accustomed to enjoying certain luxuries without questioning the actual need for better ways, for example, to reduce emissions.

2. I figured that changes were made as changes were needed. I did not realize that there is so much politics involved that clouds our judgment and impedes the accomplishment of important milestones.

3. I realize now that nothing is truly free. Everything has a cost associated with it even if we do not end up paying our own debts.


· I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I will evaluate the costs associated with a decision, both financial and how it affects others, before making a decision. Furthermore, I will not take the path of least resistance in the now if it adversely affects anyone in the future.

2. I will lead by example and be an advocate for change. Every small step must be a step in the right direction.

3. If I work for someone else, I will only work for companies who are willing to accept responsibility for their actions.


· Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

“What others (scholarly and magazine reviews – along with on-line reviews – not simply reviews off the back of the book) have said about the book and its author?”

Thomas L. Friedman has been getting a lot of attention from critics after the release of his major book titled “Hot, Flat, and Crowded.” As expected, some people agree with Friedman, as some people disagree with his ideas.

Columnist Gregg Easterbrook from popular website Slate.com agreed with some of Friedman’s points, although he disagreed with others. This is evident through the title of his review which is called “It’s Time to Turn Down the Heat. What Thomas Friedman’s doomsday environmental scenario gets wrong—and right.” In this review, Easterbrook criticizes Friedman’s citing of overpopulation and rising affluence as two problems we need to solve; Easterbrook notes, “ if resource trends and climate change are driven by rising population and rising affluence, which of these, precisely, do you propose to ban? I don’t like crowding, either, but that is the world’s fate for the next century or so, after which declining fertility is likely to cause population levels to fall. (Easterbrook, 2008).

New York Press columnist, Matt Taibbi is very critical of Thomas Friedman’s novel. This is also evident in the title of his editorial, “Someone Take Away Thomas Friedman’s Computer Before He Types Another Sentence.” In this editorial, Taibbi likens Friedman to someone who is just talking to himself. He actually goes on to attack Friedman based on presumptions of how big Friedman’s house is, saying things like, “Where does a man, who needs his own offshore drilling platform just to keep the east wing of his house heated, get the balls to write a book chiding America for driving energy-inefficient automobiles? Where does a guy whose family bulldozed 2.1 million square feet of pristine Hawaiian wilderness to put a Gap, an Old Navy, a Sears, an Abercrombie and even a Foot Locker in paradise get off preaching to the rest of us about the need for a ‘Green Revolution’” (Taibbi, 2008). Needless to say the rest is just as bad.

The reason that I compiled two negative reviews is that my own opinion of the book is positive, and I wanted to display both sides.


Bibliography

Easterbrook, G. (2008). Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from Slate Web Site: http://www.slate.com/id/2199435/

Taibbi, M. (2009, January 22). Environment. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from AlterNet Web Site: http://www.alternet.org/environment/121617/someone_take_away_thomas_friedman%27s_computer_before_he_types_another_sentence/


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Contact Info: To contact the author of this “Summary and Review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” please email Jonathan.Gilleland@selu.edu.

BIOGRAPHY

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).


AN INVITATION TO WORK WITH US, TODAY!

If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today to get your work published at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.



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Right Here, Right Now: Reverse Auctions Produce Big Savings for Penn State



All college and university administrators need to take note of how innovative institutions are beginning to make use of reverse auctions to save precious budgetary dollars during the financial meltdown taking place all across the higher education landscape today.


Introduction

Here at the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), we’ve been quite focused on the higher education market and the compelling case that reverse auctions present saving precious dollars – thousands and perhaps millions of them per institution – for colleges and universities today. We’ve made the case in two articles, the first in April’s “Reverse Auctions: A Tool to Help College and University Budgets in a Time of Massive Budgetary Pressures” (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/2010/04/universities-may-take-100m-hit.html), and followed-up with this month’s article appearing in the online journal Bizcovering, “Be a Procurement Hero in a Time of Great Budgetary Needs: Maximizing Purchasing Power Amongst Colleges and Universities Through Reverse Auctions” (http://bizcovering.com/business/be-a-procurement-hero-in-a-time-of-great-budgetary-needs-maximizing-purchasing-power-amongst-colleges-and-universities-through-reverse-auctions/). We’ve shared how institutions such as Emory University, Mississippi State University and the military academies have saved considerable amounts working with FedBid (http://www.FedBid.com), a Vienna, Virginia-based reverse auction service provider that works extensively with federal and state agencies.
The Penn State Example

We’ve invited our readers – buyers, suppliers, and e-procurement professionals to share their own reverse auction success stories with our audience, and I was thrilled to receive an email from Matt Barclay, CPM, of Erie, PA-based Procurex, Inc. (http://www.procurexinc.com/). We’ve covered Procurex before, chronicling their big effort to save big bucks for Governments across Western Pennsylvania on their energy procurements (see “Pittsburgh Blazes The Way, Again, in Reverse Auctions: How Municipal Governments are Saving Millions of Taxpayer Dollars on Their Energy Purchases Through Introducing Reverse Auction-based Competition Among Power Suppliers” http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/2010/06/Pittsburgh-blazes-way-again-in-reverse.html). Now, Procurex is reporting another success story – working in the higher education market with their home state Nittany Lions of Penn State University. In a single procurement auction for audio/visual equipment, Procurex saved Penn State over $200,000! In these times of budgetary crises across the higher education landscape, those kinds of savings translate into saving jobs and being able to continue providing quality instruction, resources, and services to students. In other words, this single action helped make the procurement staff at Penn State real heroes in stepping-up to the plate and producing concrete savings – savings that can be redirected for the greater good of all students, faculty, and staff in State College, PA! It truly is a “Happy Valley” when you can report successes such as this!


Here are the details from the Procurex blog site:

Q: How does a university purchasing department turn a routine purchase into an event worthy of a champagne celebration?

A: When you save over $200,000.

Penn State University recently conducted a reverse auction using Procurex and saved over $200,000 on audio-visual equipment. The equipment included Epson projectors, Extron switching equipment, WolfeVision document cameras, Sharp projectors, Crestron communications equipment, and other cabling and connection equipment.

This is real money that could go to save jobs, fund scholarships, manage tight budgets, buy lab equipment, new sports equipment, or a thousand other priorities.

Most people wouldn’t get too fired up about buying audio-visual equipment, but reverse auctions can change the game in big ways!

Check out the stats:

Category: Audio-Visual Equipment

# of items: 12

# of Suppliers invited: 10

# of Suppliers who bid: 9

Event duration: 40 minutes.

Extended Start Price: $1.003 Million

Extended Low Bid: $784 K

Savings: $219K

Not a bad day’s work! Go Nittany Lions!

Source: “Penn State Sees the Light” (http://Procurex.blogspot.com/2010/06/Penn-state-sees-light.html). Thanks Matt for the tip!


Analysis

So, if you are a college or university administrator, let’s put it bluntly. You need to find cost savings – now, and reverse auctions can produce them. It doesn’t take a PhD. to see the value in that equation, now does it? So, contact us at the here at the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/) to develop a strategy for making this tool – used extensively by organizations ranging from Fortune 500 firms to governments around the world – work for your institution. As a college professor myself, I know just how vital these savings can be in the budgetary “worst case scenarios” we are experiencing today across the higher education landscape – from Big 10 institutions to your community college. No one is exempt, and that means the time to deploy this proven, effective e-procurement tool is right here, right now! And yes, the world of higher education can be changed in the blink of an eye (or the click of a mouse)!



Ah, a chance to use a favorite from the music of my youth....

David

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About the Reverse Auction Research Center

Here at the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), we’re focused on how to best make use of reverse auctions across all sectors of business and government to maximize the value of each and every purchasing dollar for organizations. If you’re interested in learning more – or if you have a story to share about your own experiences using reverse auctions, please contact me at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.


About the Author

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/). He currently serves as the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a noted expert on reverse auctions and e-procurement topics, being widely published on the topic and a recognized expert/consultant in the area. He has been named among the Rising Stars in Federal Information Technology by Federal Computer Week.

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