| With so many veterans returning from war and | | | | Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs) |
| to jobs they left, be it management, senior | | | | believes that small businesses are better off with |
| management positions or business owners the | | | | a team of partners and collaborators than a |
| military touts the veteran's ability to lead a | | | | military organization. According to him not just for |
| organization. Jack Yoest writing for Small Business | | | | the small ones but also for large organizations that |
| Trends indicates that some small business owners | | | | is why so many military commanders flock to the |
| have a desire to run a company like a military unit. | | | | Fortune 1000 companies. Mr. Erdos had the |
| The business owner understands, almost | | | | misfortune of working for a Navy Captain turned |
| instinctively, that there are unique management | | | | Corporate VP who he said resorted to shuffling |
| strategies that military organizations employ to | | | | around his management team every six months |
| accomplish difficult missions. And perhaps die in | | | | and was a master of alienating customers. |
| the attempt. To sacrifice the last full measure | | | | Is a military type system right for small business |
| would be, to say the least, a motivated employee. | | | | and corporations? I think the answer lies in the |
| Mr. Yoest list three qualities that seasoned | | | | company goals and organization culture. In large |
| business leaders would look for in a military | | | | organizations the the impact of strict controls |
| person or concept. | | | | may not have an adverse effect on the total |
| 1. Persuasion, the ability to influence a point of | | | | organization because of other internal and external |
| view and enlist a following. Not blind obedience | | | | variables. But with a small company the effect |
| 2. Discipline, "the prompt obedience to orders". | | | | would be felt from the top down. Small |
| Compliance is necessary for a team to function. | | | | companies operate under fragile conditions with |
| 3. Field Expedient Methodology, using simple tasks | | | | the owner or boss in close proximity to |
| and jobs to mold organizations. Flexibility and | | | | everything and with more direct controls. More |
| Innovation. | | | | strict requirements would lead to diminished |
| Former Pawan Hans Helicopter chairman and | | | | morale, loss of productivity, absenteeism and a |
| managing director A. Natarajan says" If you go | | | | high turnover rate. |
| back in history, all management techniques have | | | | According to P. Keskonis and KM Siddiqi who did a |
| been drawn from the Army. It is about | | | | study concerning the factors that affect small |
| motivating men to deliver in the face of even | | | | business failure said "As we enter the twenty-first |
| death. | | | | century, employee morale as it pertains to profits |
| Bhaskar Ghose, managing director of IndusInd | | | | and lost production appears to be a major |
| Bank states that "command and discipline is the | | | | concern. |
| best thing that corporations can learn from the | | | | Managements of small business contracting firms |
| military". | | | | need to recognize employee morale as a critical |
| But not everyone agrees that military | | | | issue for profitability. Since morale affects profit |
| management qualities and are best for civilian | | | | and productivity, it is extremely important to |
| organizations and businesses. Zoli Erdos | | | | understand the factors that influence morale and |
| Editor-in-Chief, Program Chair, SVASE (Silicon | | | | the rationale behind these factors Keskonis said. |