Month: November 2002

  • Dancing interior

    Written by: René Jakl Photo by: Hana Hamplová The building nicknamed the “Fred and Ginger House” has interiors as eye-catching as its exterior. The third floor houses ING Real Estate Development, which realized the entire construction project. Its current director, Tomáš Kadeřábek, appreciates the airiness, simplicity, and transparency of the interiors, which were designed by…

  • Don’t underestimate your worth

    Written by: René Jakl Photo by: Věroslav Sixt Unfortunately, most insured firms and households don’t become acquainted with the term “underinsurance” until it’s too late. For example, when an insurer pays out only CZK 80,000 in compensation for damages in the amount of CZK 320,000, even though the policy with the insurer stipulated coverage at…

  • The nuts-and-bolts of leadership

    Written by: Renée LeMoine Photo by: Věroslav Sixt During an important negotiation with a new client, an employee leading the proceedings unexpectedly informed me that he was quitting. It appeared that he was trying to use the situation to inflate his power and perceived value, so I let him go even though it put the…

  • Tactics to red uce the outflow of employees

    Written by: Philippe Riboton Photo by: Tomáš Kubeš Markéta Main HR manager, Deloitte & Touche The departure of key people may mean lost productivity in the vacant position, sets an example for other personnel to also leave, causes inconvenience, may mean the loss of client contacts, and strengthens competitors if former employees are lured away…

  • Petr Fejk: Kamikaze in the zoo

    Written by: Monika Mudranincová Photo: Pavel Veselý Initially despised, the 38-year-old director of the Prague Zoo has changed the facility beyond recognition in five years. Following the floods, his former opponents have become allies. When you won the tender to become the zoo’s director five years ago, you found yourself in a difficult position, as…

  • Mobile looks for new angles

    Written by: John Letzing As the wireless telecom market nears saturation, mobile operators are struggling to divine what services will successfully carry the industry into its next phase. Cheaper = more popular? Nokia, Sony Ericsson and other vendors plan to bring cheaper MMS phones to the market soon, probably during the 4Q of this year.…

  • ISSUE #85

    Written by: John Letzing Video phone up next Wireless pioneer Nokia is going to try to push multimedia messaging (MMS) to the next stage of development with the 3650, a handset capable of recording and transmitting video clips. Also included in the phone are Java capability, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a 4,096-color screen. Available some…

  • Not just virtual apartments

    Written by: Martin Zika This month we turn our attention to apartment sales and rentals. No one wants to buy a pig in a poke, and as opposed to opaque ads in newspapers, the option of viewing apartments on offer facilitates the search. An additional advantage is the ability to conduct a very specific search…

  • Developing a “green field” chain

    Written by: Martin Zika Photo by: Jan Vágner The Mountfield story could be a Hollywood film. Eleven years ago Ivan Drbohlav began selling lawn mowers from his garage. His company’s turnover this year is expected to exceed two billion crowns. “AT THE BEGINNING, some people predicted that the firm would fail. They claimed that Czechs,…

  • NATO summit: make profit, not war

    Written by: Jasna Sýkorová For the first time, a NATO summit will be hosted by a post-communist country. This is not only an honor with political and military significance, but also a chance for Prague’s business community to boost its global reputation. LIKE ANY OTHER undertaking, the summit needs a budget. The Czech government approved…