
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 29, 1993                   TAG: 9309010265
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CARL H. TONG
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHAT BUSINESS LEADERS SAY

TO BUILD and maintain a prosperous national economy in today's highly competitive world, four groups of people in our nation - business people, government officials, educators and consumers - must work together as a team and communicate with one another frequently to enhance mutual understanding.

As with the nation as a whole, the commonwealth of Virginia needs to improve its economy. Virginia has a diverse economy. Its basic economic sectors include manufacturing, federal government military and civilian activities, business services, travel and tourism, agriculture, ports, mining and fisheries. According to the Virginia Department of Economic Development, the manufacturing sector provides more jobs to Virginians than any other economic sector.

Believing that seeking input from American business executives is a necessary and sensible step in restoring our nation's economic competitiveness in the world, my colleague J. Roger McCauley and I conducted a survey among the presidents of Virginia's largest business employers. The respondents in our survey offered the following suggestions for improving our economic performance (not in any priority order):

1. ``Tax laws should encourage R&D [research and development] and the development of competitive ability more, i.e., updated manufacturing.''

2. ``Implement existing dumping regulations.''

3. ``The emphasis should not be on limiting imports but on maximizing exports. Those countries not competing fairly should be prevented from participating in our marketplace. Turn our consumer power into a powerful force to ensure fair play.''

4. ``The national industrial policy should include regional partnerships between business/industry-government-education at all levels.''

5. ``Establish an organization like the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in Japan. Establish more magnet high schools for top students. Have more financial incentives from industry to promote students to major in engineering, applied sciences, etc.''

6. ``My concern about education starts in the secondary schools. Need to get back to the basics in education. In college/university, need more students in sciences and engineering.''

7. ``Better education for average citizens.''

8. ``Teach critical and creative thinking skills.''

9. ``Better education in business fundamentals. Executive programs on competitiveness.''

10. ``Have business schools teach how to motivate workers, produce a top-quality product efficiently, and be innovative. Do not teach how to manipulate assets to try to look good.''

11. ``Establish apprenticeship programs in various types of business/industry. This would give the student (fresh grad) the ability to hit the ground running in his/her first job.''

12. ``Those who teach business subjects in school should have required sabbaticals to work in business/industry.''

13. ``Emphasize quality, productivity and teamwork in both business and education.''

14. ``Raise awareness of importance of thinking globally. Stress importance of languages and tolerance of other cultures' views and ways of accomplishing business goals.''

15. ``Change business and economic indicators/measurements from 90 days to nine years. A long-term view will induce investment and stabilize economic outlooks.''

16. ``Regard quality as a total commitment, from all sectors of the U.S. economy.''

17. ``To compete on a worldwide basis - with high labor rates, we must compete based on quality, innovation and effective use of capital assets.''

18. ``We should stop trying to emulate the Japanese and begin to work on our own methods for success. What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander!''

The building of a healthy U.S. economy is the responsibility of all Americans - particularly of our leaders in government, business and education, because leaders have the duty to lead.

Epictetus, an ancient Greek philosopher and teacher, pointed out, ``Nature has given to us one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.'' We need to listen to one another carefully, understand the short-term and long-term economic challenges facing us, pay close attention to the new global economic realities, get ourselves extremely well-organized, be quick to change with the times, formulate intelligent plans, and take decisive actions.

Teamwork always works.

\ Carl H. Tong is professor of marketing and international business at Radford University.

by CNB