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HRL's Professional
Services for the Corporate Community:
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Many non-academicians
often see history in a vacuum, relegating it to the classroom or to the status
of a hobby. In reality, however, history is a valuable tool for fields as
diverse as the legal profession to cultural resource management. In addition,
the business and industry sector should recognize history as a corporate
resource. To activate history’s potential, there are several corporate
applications of historical research, as outlined in an article by George David
Smith and Laurence E. Steadman entitled "Present Value of Corporate History."
Building upon suggestions in this study, which was published in the
November-December 1981 issue of the Harvard Business Review, HRL is
pleased to offer the business community quality historical research geared
toward addressing a variety of corporate concerns. These include the following:
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PUBLIC RELATIONS:
In general, people
oftentimes do not appreciate what they do not understand. It is, therefore,
advantageous for companies to enhance public understanding of their missions–a
goal in itself which can be accomplished by reflecting upon a specific corporate
history. HRL scholars can help you to reach out to the public–as well as your
employees–by:
Producing a
well-written, colorfully illustrated historical narrative of your company that
can be adapted for a variety of uses including commemorative anniversary
booklets, corporate histories, publicity brochures and annual reports.
Designing an
attractive exhibit depicting your company’s history and evolution for display
at business conventions or appropriate public events.
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CORPORATE PLANNING:
History has often been
justified by the adage, "you can’t know where you’re headed if you don’t know
where you’ve been." Indeed, for a business to chart future growth, it is
necessary to be aware of past strategies to avoid pitfalls and replicate
successes. HRL scholars can help you prepare for the future by:
Developing a
historical prospectus of your company’s organizational structure and
decision-making policies to understand present conditions.
Providing comparative
historical analysis of pas decisions to evaluate the extent of
effectiveness/desire for future applicability.
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MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT:
Every individual has a
personal history, aspects of which can benefit a group when shared. Similarly,
each business has its own history, knowledge of which is essential for managers:
in conjunction with bringing their own experiences, they need to comprehend the
full picture of a company’s operation for effective administration. HRL scholars
can assist you in broadening your management’s perspective by:
Developing historical
contexts for use as training tools to orient as well as to motivate new
employees.
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MARKETING:
Resurrecting past
marketing ideas, including previously used logos or slogans, may offer a
successful, nostalgic solution for current marketing needs. Moreover, a
company’s own historical evolution may contain facets that could provide the
basis of a solid marketing image and campaign. HRL scholars can help you to
consider various marketing strategies by:
Creating a historical
portfolio of your company’s past marketing themes and charting the success or
failure of each.
Developing a
historical narrative of your company, high-lighting notable events and
characteristics that may appeal to particular target audiences.
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