21. Project management

Project management has evolved from engineering, construction and aerospace industries, and nowadays includes such industries and institutions as information and computer technologies, telecommunications, business management and financial services.

PM now closely linked to the strategic goals of organizations. Senior managers run projects as well as do day-to-day managerial role, and principles of PM are an important part of executive’s responsibilities in project-driven industry. A project manager should have ability to build the right team, work out achievable schedule, estimate the resources needed and manage the project.

Project manager must also have good leadership, conflict-resolution and team-building skills.

Team members must understand the project objectives and have clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

There are generally marked out four project stages: initiation, definition, implementation and completion. Key decision points (milestones or events) occur during every phase, they may include need to check objectives or frames of the project, to put it on hold, to repeat or to even end the project.

Advances in technologies impact on project management in recent years. Project information may be updated 24 hours a day from any location. Companies are able to build virtual project teams with members from all over the world. It also makes easier for project managers to react to changes in schedule, cost or risk factors.

22. Ecological management

We live in a consumer society; we consider it important to buy products and services. Companies need to be aware of the impact of this on the environment. Many companies use packaging (boxes, bottles) which has been recycled, that is made using old materials. Pollution, such as smoke in the air, can be reduced if companies use trains instead of road transport.

The worst situation nowadays is in China and Japan (extremely fast industrialization not thinking about impacts on environment) followed by Africa (European corporations are setting up harmful for environment plants there – double moral) and Latin America (deforestation, cutting forests). In some countries (Scandinavian) the taxes for environmentally-friendly companies are lower than for the opposite.

The most dangerous environmental threats caused by industries are global warming, oil spills, chemical/nuclear waste, rubbish bin, hole in the ozone layer.

In the next decade environmentalism will be the most important issue for business (global responsibility). As consumers become increasingly concerned about the environment, more and more companies claim to be producing “environmentally- friendly” products especially in well-developed countries (less polluting, recycled, packaging made of biodegradable materials).

Environmentalism is sometimes a part of corporate culture. Green-marketing strategies make consumers that are aware of ecology loyal to the companies and thus increase the profits. Europeans nowadays prefer to buy artificial fur instead of natural. Broad environmental education teaches consumers that although buying green is more expensive, environmentalism is less taxing on the Earth in the long run, and therefore, on individuals.

Many companies sponsor or contribute money towards events or activities to maintain their image or to create a new image.

In conclusion I want to add that Ecological economics is positive, in its development of understanding of the physical, biological and social structural and functional relations between economies and natural ecosystems. Ecological economics is also normative in addressing appropriate roles of human economies within natural ecosystems.