Innovative organizations are a result of employees that have the freedom to be creative and develop new ideas, products, services and ways of doing work. For my class on Technology Strategy and Innovation in Global Markets I had to choose the rules and principles I would like my organization to embrace so that it can be increasingly innovative.

To have innovation in my company, I need to make sure the organizational environment inspires creativity. Some rules and principles that might help create this environment are:

Policies: Having policies are important because they ensure consistency and they speed up routine work, essential in large organizations. However, sometimes they are not changed or updated and become out of date and even irrelevant. Nonetheless, they are still followed by the employees. Policies should be kept to a minimum and must reflect that I want to have an innovative and creative organization and should be constantly reviewed and changed.

Vision and Mission: having a well defined “vision and mission” is of great importance. They must be clearly written and must quickly identify what the company wants to achieve in order to guide the employees. This would reduce the need for policies and rules, bringing flexibility to the company.

Flexible working conditions: employees have different abilities and interests. In order to ensure the right work-life balance, I would adopt flexible working hours, according to each person’s responsibilities and interests. By doing this, I believe people’s creativity’s will be stimulated. In addition to that, rather than punishing employees for their mistakes, I will encourage them to learn from them.

Structure: a hierarchical structure leads to rivalry between departments and divisions and closes down the channels of collaboration that could lead to new ideas. It also adds bureaucracy and sluggishness to processes, taking longer for ideas or initial expressions of interest to be approved. My goal is to have a flat structure where people are free to talk to each other across boundaries, inspiring collegiality.

Teamwork: a shared purpose motivates individuals to contribute their energy, skills, and abilities. I will encourage employees to work with and through others. The potential of the teams and the company will be multiplied through ennobling, enabling, empowering, and encouraging others.

By following these guidelines, I believe I can inspire creativity and courage among the employees leading to an innovative organization.

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These are cultural events that take place every couple of months and bring out the most interesting side of the Fletcher students. They usually happen on a Saturday night and convene students, relatives and friends in a happily decorated room at the Tufts University.

After being welcomed by students dressed in typical outfits, Fletcher students do one of their favorite things: eat. At the beginning of the night, they have the opportunity to fill their plates with the delicious food from the region whose students are responsible for organizing the event.

Open to anyone from any part of the world, it is often common to see someone from Latin America doing an Asian dance, or someone from Africa in the Mediterranean fashion show. About three weeks ago, we had the pleasure of going to Mediterranean night. Some students sang, others played instruments and a lot of them danced. A group of versatile students presented a play and others put together a TV show.

Asia night took place in the end of last semester. Very talented students got on stage wearing typical clothes and costumes and put on a remarkable show. Dancing, singing, fighting, playing, the night was filled with fascinating performances. I was one of the proud Latin Americans included in a Japanese fighting performance (watch the video). I must confess thought that my favorite part was the Bhangra dance (watch it here).

This Saturday we are getting ready for Africana night. Their last performance made quite an impression since it was the first cultural night for the Januarians, the group of students who join Fletcher in January. Impressed by their talented peers, they screamed and got up on the chairs to cheer for them. This year’s “actors” are getting ready for the show. As one walks around campus, it is easy to spot a group of people rehearsing, to hear some background music and to see some typical clothes being carried around.

The nights usually end with a performance of “Los Fletcheros”. The best band at Fletcher, and also the only one, constantly renovates itself as the

players return to their professional lives. New students are quickly welcomed into the group and they easily put on a new show for their fans who dance until the lights go off. For those who feel the night has just started, the joy is not over yet. There is usually a party at a house not too far, ready to be invaded by grad students.

Latin night. Can’t wait for it!

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at Tufts University

Why the Master of International Business?: Because it will equip you with the hard financial and strategic skills as well as network to get the work that you want. As you progress through your career as a global business leader, the global economic, statistical and legal frameworks that you learnt here will help you add value to the global economy.

URL: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/business/default.shtml

Ranking: In a joint venture with Harvard University, Tufts University pioneered postgraduate studies in diplomacy and international affairs in the United States at a time of isolationism, economic depression, racism and nationalism. The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was born in 1933.

The school is as forward thinking today as it was then, pioneering postgraduate studies in the field of global business at a time when we are forced to rethink the assumptions that almost brought us to a similar economic collapse to that in 1929. Since the programme is still so unique, there aren’t rankings to compare the Master of International Business with competition – it’s in a class of its own.

The Fletcher School at Tufts University is, however, ranked fourth in the world for its professional master in international affairs (half of the Master of International Business degree) by Foreign Policy magazine:
http://imthemad1.xanga.com/695955411/fletchers-ranking/

Alumni network: There is a lot of chemistry between students of different graduating classes and because the school is so small, the alumni network is very cohesive.

I was welcomed to the school by a Fletcher alumnus who graduated in 1973. He introduced himself as a neighbour in more ways than one; he said that he was from Kohat and lived in Surrey. When we met, he said he would help me get an internship with his investment bank (Lazard) in Dubai, and he followed through.

List of notable alumni: From heads of state to CEOs:
http://imthemad1.xanga.com/716278760/listing-of-select-prominent-alumniae/

Experience:

Exposure to personalities: On the same day, I interviewed two Fletcher alumni and professors: one was a Senior Advisor to the Obama administration on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the other was the former CEO of Xerox and former CFO of IBM. I also argued with the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel that day for several minutes.

Later, the former CEO professor is took 10 of us to dinner after lecture, mentioning his weekend with the Trilateral Commission and conversations with Henry Kissinger, Richard Holbrooke and Paul Volcker. Dropping his name and what he mentioned in class in a follow-up note to a current chief officer at IBM helped, I think, in getting him to recommend my application for summer work in the treasury department of IBM.

Your peers: Within each year group, business students make up 30 of 250 students, so peers include Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy students, LLM students and PhD students. There are also military fellows, which include four US colonels. My classmates are very well travelled, are knowledgeable about the world and have some heavyweight experiences. There are a lot of mid-level career diplomats and some army personnel from the USA, China, Japan, S Korea, Turkey, Armenia, and Indonesia, people from top banks, top consulting firms etc, a former group chief executive officer for finance for a petroleum company. Everyone is at least bilingual. A few students speak 6-7 languages.

But besides being an impressive bunch, people here are easy to get along with and most people party with everyone else. I live in a residence hall for Fletcher students and so have got to know a lot of people quite well.

Fall at Fletcher

Mediterranean night

Halloween

Pakistan friendly: 9 out of 250 people in my year are of Pakistani descent, and a number of people have lived there, not to mention the number of people who have visited. The two girls who have come directly from Pakistan are both LUMS graduates and are Fulbright scholars (which we have a lot of). Like a number of other Fletcher students, Dania turned down Johns Hopkins and Georgetown to be here. Maria first finished her MSc (also on a full scholarship) at the LSE before coming here.

On the faculty side, we boast Professor of History Ayesha Jalal, one of Pakistan’s and South Asia’s finest academicians, as well as International Politics Professor Vali Nasr (himself a Fletcher alumnus), a Senior Advisor to the Obama administration on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Cross-registration: Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School obviously offer courses of great value, the schools are pretty close by and Harvard students are also good people doing significant things to change the world. So it’s an asset to Fletcher students that we can easily register a quarter of our classes at Harvard, and have access to Harvard’s conferences.

Interested?: Feel free to introduce yourself to me. My name is Imad and my email is imaduddin@gmail.com
You can also get in touch with the extremely helpful and responsive Associate Director for Admissions and Financial Aid, Kristen Zecchi, by email (kristen.zecchi@tufts.edu) or by phone (+1 617-627-3240).

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Over the past 5 centuries, we have witnessed the evolution and growing importance of communication; triggered by Guttenberg’s printing press in 1455 and the famous Bible of 42 lines per column, improving the typography that European refiners had known since 1260. Books dating from the early decades of the 15^th century printed with movable types have been discovered in Korea, but it is from the 2^nd half of the 16^th century when more than 50 German cities already had newspapers that the printed book finally gets its independence from the manuscript and leads to the emergence of the press.

For 400 years the art of printing books and newspapers had few improvements. At the end of the 19^th century an automated system for the production of graphics fonts was built to accelerate the assembly of the text to be printed: the Linotype by Ottmar Mergenthaller in 1884. At that same time new technologies started being introduced in the printing system. The flat machines that printed the paper sheet by sheet were replaced by rotating systems that used rolls of paper and also did the binding and packaging of the printed paper. However, it was the replacement of the linotype by the computer, and the replacement of the printing press by the off-set printing system that allowed the evolution of newspapers into large media companies in the 20^th century. From the “Roman fonts” that Germans spread throughout Italy to the body 11 “Calibri” of this text, done instantly on the computer with the possibility of color reproduction even if the printer is on the other side of the planet, evolution has been remarkable.

In a globalized world, where texts and scanned images travel around the world via satellites and fiber optics, and are “decoded” at the other end through the most variable interfaces, we look into how much space is left to the journalist on the professional responsibility to produce, process and deliver the speech. The journalistic discourse needs to be lighter and at the same time more informative, despite the speed with which it must be produced and “objectivity” that needs to be presented to the receiver who is overwhelmed by many channels of communication. Do we still use the same criteria of objectivity and impartiality as when modern printing press was created? And what about ethics? With the new media, news production is no longer done in the same way. From the standpoint of the receiver much has changed. The technological advancement has generated a more informed, selective, demanding, knowledgeable of their rights, and prepared to exercise full body citizenship receiver.

Ever since Guttenberg’s invention, the contexts of production, transmission and reception of speech information are no longer the same. The new technologies require professionals to constantly update the view, capture, encode and transmit the news. One wonders what will happen to the invention of Guttenberg and the inventions it made possible? The heavy movable type has become a fluid alphabet that flashes on a video as we write. If the Internet reaches all the inhabitants of the earth one day, if everyone can send emails with the same cost as an ordinary letter or even for free, what will be the role of the printing media after the electronic media is much improved?

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There is a new class at Fletcher - Technology Strategy and Innovation in Global Markets, taught by prof. Partha Ghosh. To innovate and move along the axis of consciousness and courage, one must just have one idea, but it must reflect one’s passion and it must be a response to a latent need in the society. The process of innovation is intuitive, minimalist and naturalistic. In order to bring something new into practice, some conditions are imperative:

1. Imagination: be creative and try to imagine and envision what you want to create. Don’t limit yourself to the reality we live in, try to feel the texture of the innovation, try to hear its sounds.
2. Unconventionality: think outside of the parameters; look at things from different perspectives.
3. Curiosity: ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions.
4. Visualization: create a drawing, a chart, an image of your project. Make a video or a cartoon, use clay to make a first draft of it. Visualize what you have in mind and show it to others. Get their comments and opinions. Be flexible and open to changes.
5. Openness: be alert to new discussions in the topic you are interested in, look for different ideas, join networking groups, attend conferences. Be willing to receive new pieces of information and change your basic assumptions. Only then can you find out the best way to deliver what the world needs.
6. Reality check: it is important to be creative and imagine different solutions to day to day problems, but don’t forget to tie your idea to the world we live in. Think of plausible ways of reaching your goal.
7. Commitment: once you know where you are and where you want to be, dedicate your full self, time and resources to your project. Defend your idea and be proud of it using all your devotion to ensure it becomes real.
8. Courage: in order to overcome barriers and obstacles that you may naturally face or that may be placed in your way by competitors, be brave. Build your inner strength from your past experiences and beliefs in the future and you are bound to be successful.
9. Faith: believe in your project and in your ability to undertake it. Don’t give up when you face obstacles. You can do it.

And a little luck is always welcome.

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A debate on the carbon tax has made one of my favorite classes even more interesting. Petroleum in the Global Economy taught by professor Bruce Everett spices up the life at Fletcher. Playing the role of an Analyst in the US Department of Treasury, below are my thoughts on the impacts of adopting this tax.

Carbon taxes can be justified on the principle that prices for fossil fuels should include the externality costs their use imposes on society. Our premise is that a carbon tax will reduce the demand for and emissions of carbon from the use of gasoline. One of our main challenges is setting the tax high enough to create real market incentives that lead to the development and the adoption of climate-friendly technologies.

As per its value , I suggest a carbon tax of $15 per metric ton of CO2 ($55 per metric ton of carbon) and an extra $4/ton CO2 each year over the next 90 years. Assuming the tax is fully passed forward to consumer prices it would nearly double the price of coal; there would be an increase of approximately 13% in the price of petroleum products and about 7% in natural gas. In terms of gasoline prices, this tax would cause an increase of around 13 cents per gallon. The impact on petroleum and natural gas output would be very small and the coal industry would suffer the highest impact with a reduction of 1/3 in its consumption. The tax would reduce the emission of CO2 by more than 700 million metric tons of CO2 (12%), most of which due to the smaller use of coal.

In terms of near term economic growth, the overall affect on competitiveness will differ by sector and firm. The tax could adversely affect some industries and have limited impacts on others. In the US, it is argued that a tax would disadvantage domestic manufacturers by creating a cost penalty for doing business in the country, but others believe a carbon tax encourages new innovations and efficiencies that benefit long-term competitiveness. Considering that there is price-elasticity in gasoline consumption, this tax can be a powerful lever for controlling and reducing demand.

A carbon tax may increase gasoline prices to a point where consumers choose to use less gasoline and/or switch to less GHG-intense fuels, but the consumer response may be different for other goods and services such as electricity. According to some researches a price-elasticity of 40% is a reasonable assumption for first-level analysis. This means that a rise in fuel prices would cause a drop in demand that is a little less than half as steep as the price rise. Since key determinants of energy use like infrastructure, location and capital will not be changed overnight, reductions in demand due to higher prices usually take years. The 40% estimate is a long-run figure that requires around a decade to become fully manifested. Indeed, short-run elasticities also exist and everybody hesitates before paying an increased price for gasoline, but they are less than the long-run values. After short-run demand adjustments, the tax would collect around $80 billion.

Different points of view and many other arguments can be made. A fun way of teaching. An excellent professor.

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Brazil changed its financial policy towards capital inflows in mid October by announcing a 2% tax on capital headed to fixed-income and stock investments. Foreign direct investments will remain untaxed.

It is important to understand why Brazil adopted this policy. Lately, foreign investors have shifted money to high-yield emerging markets. Its benchmark index, BOVESPA has seen an increase of nearly 80% this year. The Brazilian currency, the Real, has gained a massive 36% against the U.S. dollar this year. The appreciation of the local currency has had negative effects on the competitiveness of exporters. The new tax is aimed at preventing an “excessive” surge of the local currency.

First, the value of the tax is low. It will not soften the appreciation of the Real. Investors have realized high returns investing in equities or through exposure to currencies and this tax is not enough to convince an investor to look for another option. There are many items that factor into the decision, including Brazil having received an investment-grade rating from Moody’s in 2008. Forecasts of faster economic recovery and growth also bring money into the country, even with the tax.

Second, higher taxes lead to higher interest taxes, so that foreign and Brazilian bonds offer the same return to foreign investors. Higher rates tend to slow down private investment. If the country’s growth rate is lower than its interest rate, government borrowing deteriorates. This would force the government to lower its public spending. High interest rates have a long history in Brazil.

Third, the new tax impedes capital flows. If the goal is to halt the real’s appreciation, another tactic should have been adopted. The government could have reduced public spending that would ultimately allow lower interest rates. Policymakers could also have lowered import tariffs on capital goods. This would increase the country’s imports, resulting in a higher demand for US dollars.

Fourth, despite the issues above, if Brazil still wanted to create a new tax, they should have differentiated between the types of capital. The government’s concern lies with the short-term speculative capital that enters the country. According to the Finance Minister Guido Mantega, this capital could eventually cause a bubble. The tax was applied across the board to short- and long-term capital. Instead, it should have only targeted capital that is in the country for less than 12 months.

Lastly, if the exchange rate is at these levels, then there must be a macroeconomic reason for it. The current surge in the real is to some degree the result of a weaker US dollar internationally. This tendency is beyond the control of Brazilian policymakers.

The financial tax will have a short-term impact on the local currency. Investors have had an immediate reaction to the tax, and the market has slowed down. Brazil’s economic fundamentals still attract investors from abroad. That is where the changes need to occur in order to bolster the currency in the long run.

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In search of a much needed break from thesis writing, my roommate Kate and I went to the Somerville Theater in Davis Square this evening to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are.  The movie met my expectations by being whimsical, heartwarming, and reminiscent of the best parts of the book I loved as a child.  What I was not expecting was the underlying message relating to international development.

Granted, I may be a nerd who spends all my time thinking about development policy, but Kate agreed with me that the message was clear.  The film tells the story of a boy named Max who stumbles upon a strange island and convinces the inhabitants that he can be their king.  He promises to make everyone happy, and convinces them all to build a fort together (read: participatory development.)   For a while, everyone seems happy to have a new project.  However, Max quickly learns that the existing relationships are too complicated for him to navigate as an outsider – and this community is comprised of only six members.  He finally decides that it is best to return home and to work his own problems with his family.

The real issue in this community is that all of its inhabitants all suffer from desperate loneliness, a problem present in all societies that can’t be solved through any number of projects or infrastructure improvements.   Of course, the story is not black and white.  The boy’s departure is heartbreaking because of his bond with the community, despite the failure of his reign as king.  As he boards his ship, his friend asks just one favor: When you return home, will you tell them good things about us?

The story depicts the risks of making promises you can’t keep and of trying to solve the problems of people you don’t understand. Relationships and human emotions are complex and messy.  We need to remain flexible, never stop listening, and always question our assumptions.  As we move from Fletcher to work internationally, we should all keep Max’s story close to our hearts.

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I recently posted a paper on the MobileActive blog that discusses the potential for using mobile phones to improve the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation in development programs.  The beginning of the paper is posted below, and if you’re interested you can read the rest at MobileActive.

The potential for mobile technology to impact development has been researched and reported on in areas ranging from job matching services to financial inclusion.  More and more development agencies are adopting mobile communications in their programmes in innovative ways. However, there is a lack of research on how mobile technology is being used to monitor and evaluate programs in the field.

Monitoring and evaluation, often abbreviated as M&E, is a popular topic among both academics and practitioners. While evaluation of programs can serve a number of purposes, including accountability to donors or transparency of use of resources, I am focusing here on M&E which is aimed at organizational learning that can be used to improve program implementation.

This type of M&E requires “adaptive management,” where the organizational culture is conducive to responding to information gathered through research. This level of learning presents a real challenge to organizations, and there are many problems with implementation even with a high level of commitment on the part of program staff. There are the difficulties surrounding the participation of beneficiaries, as well as a lack of understanding of how to make monitoring and evaluation useful to practitioners. Finally, both monitoring and evaluation are expensive, and often are sacrificed when budgets are tight.

I argue here that mobile technology can be integrated into M&E systems so that they are more participatory, useful, and cost effective.

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