美国商业英雄:信任女人

(接上期)然,没有一位经理会坐视那些可能影响公司发展问题的混子,那些问题需要管理部门即时的监督指导;但大多数的情况并非生死攸关,身为经理,明辨这种差异是工作之一。零售业的不寻常之处,在于年轻人很快就可以得到很大的职权。例如佐姬管理好几个部门,每年营业额高达500万美元。只要再向上爬一级,也就是佐姬将担任的采购助理工作,就需要周游世界,为公司采购服装,替公司花钱,决定下一季时货架上应该陈列些什么商品。许多做这项工作的人都在25岁到30岁之间,而他们中有许多人,都在是古德曼的身旁熟悉了这一行,并且寻得自信。不是所有的人都有…     

为中国的质量革命做好准备

美国派顿出版社总编（目前《质量文摘》由该出版社出版）、前《质量文摘》总编派顿先生2005年11月16日访问了上海质量管理科学研究院。在访问期间．派顿先生为《质量文摘》撰写了专栏文章，下面我们将主要内容译成中文。     

The case of the unpopular pay plan

Three years after launching the team-based Quality For All program, Top Chemical Company CEO Sam Verde was searching for a team-based compensation system that would reflect his company's new philosophy. With a committee gathered to discuss the issue, Verde confronts the fact that changing pay plans is an issue few people can agree on. "Very simply," explains vice president for compensation Gilbert Porterfield, "the plan is designed to give employees working on teams real incentives for constant improvement and overall excellence. The variable aspect of the system pays employees for the performance of their group." This doesn't sit well with the others. "It's going to punish teams like mine for the failings of others instead of rewarding us for the work we do and have already done," says packaging team representative Ruth Gibson. Another committee member feels that team-based anything is a "motivational happy land that doesn't square with how people really work." While Verde likes the proposed pay plan, he has doubts over whether his employees will accept the risk. Upper management has no problem basing 60% of its pay on TopChem's performance. But getting line employees to risk part of their salaries--even as little as 4%--on the ups and downs of the chemical industry may be more trouble than it's worth. Four experts on compensation reveal where Top Chemical went wrong in its plan and how Sam Verde might bring about change successfully.     

How to handle donor complaints

Responding to donor complaints takes great care. But know who's complaining and keep things in perspective.     

How public opinion really works

The public's thinking on issues progresses through seven predictable stages, the dean of American pollsters finds. Politicians make a big mistake just looking at raw numbers.