Today's leaders are starving for change. We are constantly faced with business decisions that question or challenge our values, ethics, and organizational systems. Businesses tend to turn a blind eye to values and ethics as they press toward the pursuit of happiness–more money. The result is an unmotivated, unempowered, workforce whose daily functions become stagnate and unproductive.

Reflecting on innovation, organizational change and strategic thinking, this issue of the Regent Global Business Review (RGBR) sheds light on some of today's challenges found within the workplace and among business practices. The solutions and action points provided in these articles, if implemented properly, should help to turn your ship around in today's economy.

Strategic Thinking: A Matter of Organizational Survival
By Leo Wiltshire

In the current global marketplace, where sound strategic thinking is paramount for survival, there are some organizations that either do not take it seriously or plan poorly. This author explains how one organization's poor use of strategic thinking led it down a long path toward oblivion. What follows are some suggestions that readers can implement to help their organizations avoid a similar fate.

The Evolution of Electronic Systems Technology and its Impact on Methods of Innovation
By Kevin Leahy & Dr. Gary Oster

As electronic systems have become more complex, the component elements have become more highly integrated in both functional and physical characteristics, evolving from large "boxy" structures having many discrete parts into highly-integrated, aesthetically-pleasing designs. The increased complexity, packaging density, and functionality of a modern cellular telephone is metaphorically representative of the composition, skill mix, and tightly collaborative focus of the product development teams who innovate to create them. Careful consideration of the evolution of the mobile phone provides insight into the changes in nature and focus of innovation throughout the electronics industry over the past thirty to forty years. These changes also offer new challenges for modern engineers who continually must learn new skills as they continue to innovate across engineering, manufacturing and global business system.

Better by Design: Using Organizational Design for Competitive Advantage in the 21st Century
By Thomas D. Hollinger

This article discusses the role of organizational design in 21st century organizations. Organizational design provides leaders with one of the best opportunities for sustained competitive advantage. After all, leaders have used up most other options for improving performance, often with disappointing results. Downsizing, re-engineering, merger and acquisition activities, and other cost-control measures do not always produce the desired outcomes. Organizational design, however, presents leaders with an opportunity to improve performance and establish competitive advantages that others cannot easily copy. Organizational flexibility and continuous design processes are essential, particularly as rampant change continues to force market adjustments. While it is not easy to get organizational design right, improved performance and a more satisfied work force can make the effort worthwhile.

Change is one of today's most widely discussed and researched topics when it comes to organizations in the 21st century, yet we are largely ineffective at enacting any positive or meaningful change at all. With proposed change comes resistance and with resistance comes fear. Scripture indicates that most of the fear we face in the world is not of God; however, this still does not seem to be enough to open our minds to organizational change. This article contends that, with a solid understanding of the root cause of resistance and a biblical understanding of fear, we can begin to create organizations of learning through communication and information sharing, which will aid in the process of human development and organizational advancement alike.