Ensuring the Continuity of the Family-owned Business - Revisited. August 2003.

Countless studies have concluded that the life of a family corporation is, in general, only three (3) generations long. It has been going around for so long that it is now a rule of thumb. For the families that do get to the fourth or fifth, it is either plain luck or they are not doing business at all.

Like most people that belong to the third generation of a business-owning family, there is this fear that the business may end soon. And it is further compounded by some kind of economic or political crisis in every generation. To face or even consider the thought that the business that we have grown and sustained all these years will crumble or seize to operate during our watch is very hard to swallow. It is actually unacceptable – both mentally and emotionally.

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The Effects of AFTA for SMEs in Developing and Emerging Industries. April 2003.

As previously protected countries open for international trade, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in service and manufacturing often have a difficult time coping with the “distortion” in the market. Few studies focus on understanding the effects of AFTA in specific industries and markets, as most papers have dealt with the subject in a macro economic level. Using a conceptual framework on AFTA success, a study is being proposed to examine the variables that influence the success of an SME in an AFTA influenced region.

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Forecasting Automotive Airconditioner Sales. December 2002

Forecasts are any manager’s or decision maker’s window to the future. It provides information about the future which we use to make decisions in our day-to-day operations.

Forecasting can be qualitative, quantitative or both. Though forecasts can never be perfect, they do tend to provide values that can be extremely useful. Selection of a reliable technique, using reliable information and carefully analyzing the information will produce the most accurate forecasts.

The paper presents a suitable forecasting method for the very seasonal and unpredictable market performance of the automotive industry. It aims to estimate or calculate in advance the sales of automotive vehicles for purposes of: production planning, inventory control, capacity planning, planning investments in equipment, cash flow management, and cost/revenue forecasting. Past vehicle sales data served as the basis for predicting the future performance of the automotive industry.

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Designing Product Pricing Strategies. December 2002

The importance of product and service pricing can never be under-emphasized. Countless books and articles provide templates on computing the “correct” price for almost all situations. However, the dynamic changes in the industries and markets make price setting difficult. Some components are disregarded, added or adjusted in the name of experience and intuition, or a fancy-named strategy. The purpose of this article is to (1) define a more current framework on designing pricing strategies, (2) provide a current view of the application of price strategies and policies in different situations, and (3) provide a direction for future research on the subject.

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My Theory of Organization. August 2002

Organizations are formed because of the need to survive. Different scenarios on the availability of resources influence the type of structure – agonic where there are dominant and submissive members, or the hedonic where leaders are selected based on social solicitation. In order to survive, theories on scientific management were drawn. One of the most popular is Taylor’s theory which required making specialists out of workers, while removing their need to make decisions…in order to lessen mistakes.

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Corporate Strategies of ZEXEL Automotive Climate Control Systems. September 1999

ZEXEL Automotive Climate Control Systems (ZACCS) will gain competitive edge in the automotive airconditioning industry by acquiring support from its Japanese principal in terms of drastic price cuts, and aggressively finding ways to install airconditioners to every available local vehicle model.

To attain its vision of becoming “the preferred source for automotive airconditioner parts and services that would enable its clients to run their vehicles efficiently and effectively for the success of their companies” the ZACCS should pursue a cost leadership position relative to the other members of its strategic group by exploiting its capabilities as well as the opportunities presented.

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