The Conifer Killer Tree Diseases

The Conifer Killer Tree Diseases There are harmful sicknesses that assault coniferous trees which at last reason demise or debase a tree in the urban scene and provincial woodland to where they should be cut. Five of the most harmful sicknesses have been recommended by foresters and landowners at Abouts Forestry Forum. I have positioned these sicknesses as indicated by their capacity to cause stylish and business harm. Here they are: #1 - Armillaria Root Disease: The ailment assaults the two hardwoods and softwoods and can slaughter bushes, vines, and forbs in each state in the United States. It is unavoidable in North America, monetarily dangerous and is my pick for the most exceedingly awful disease.The Armillaria sp. can murder trees that are as of now debilitated by rivalry, different bugs, or climatic components. The parasites additionally taint sound trees, either murdering them through and through or inclining them to assaults by other growths or insects.More on Armillaria Root Disease. #2 - Diplodia Blight of Pines: This sickness assaults pines and is generally harming to plantings of both intriguing and local pine species in 30 Eastern and Central States. The growth is only from time to time found in common pine stands. Diplodia pinea kills current-year shoots, significant branches, and at last whole trees. The impacts of this infection are generally serious in scene, windbreak, and park plantings. Manifestations are earthy colored, hindered new shoots with short, earthy colored needles.More on Diplodia Blight of Pines .​​ #3 - White Pine Blister Rust:​ The sickness assaults pines with 5 needles for each fascicle. That incorporates Eastern and Western white pine, sugar pine and nimble pine. Seedlings are in most noteworthy danger. Cronartium ribicolais a rust parasite and must be contaminated by basidiospores created on Ribes (current and gooseberry) plants. It is local to Asia yet was acquainted with North America. It has attacked most white pine territories is as yet gaining ground into the Southwest and into southern California.More on White Pine Blister Rust. #4 - Annosus Root Rot: The sickness is a decay of conifers in numerous calm pieces of the world. The rot, called annosus root decay, frequently slaughters conifers. It happens over a significant part of the Eastern U.S. also, is extremely regular in the South.The fungus,Fomes annosus, as a rule enters by tainting newly cut stump surfaces. That makes annosus root decay an issue in diminished pine ranches. The parasite produces conks that structure at the root neckline on underlying foundations of living or dead trees and on stumps or on slice. More on Annosus Root Rot. #5 - Fusiform Rust of Southern Pines: This illness causes demise inside five years of a trees life if a stem contamination happens. Mortality is heaviest on trees under 10 years of age. A huge number of dollars are lost every year to wood cultivators due to the malady. The parasite Cronartium fusiforme requires a substitute host to finish its life cycle. Some portion of the cycle is spent in the living tissue of pine stems and branches, and the rest of the green leaves of a few types of oak. More on Fusiform Rust of Southern Pines.

Soul Sphere(2015) by Born Of Osiris free essay sample

Imprint this as the third Djent discharge this year that Ive inspected. Anyway, alot can be said with regards to the incredible old buddy of Born of Osiris. These folks are a dynamic metalcore/deathcore or djent band that has had a faction following since the start however truly began to explode in 2011 with the arrival of The Discovery. From that point forward, I hear, its been going downhill for them. In any case, possibly theyre is something intriguing in Soul Sphere. Soul Sphere is shockingly shorter than I wouldve envisioned, well in any event the tracks are. I would have expected at any rate a couple of 5 brief tracks in here in light of the fact that with the timed environment theyre ready to achieve, they could have pulled it off inside that measure of time. There is consistent special timing of the notes in here coincidentally, such that causes it to appear to be somewhat jumbled and difficult to follow. We will compose a custom article test on Soul Sphere(2015) by Born Of Osiris or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Likewise with that, alot of the fundamental riffs appear to be astoundingly like each other that it will be difficult to separate, and those are actually the most concerning issues here. Concerning the positives: it uses some decent audio effects to offer a little reprieve through the frenzy, the vocal styles, while not every one of my top picks are taken care of well and done assorted variety other than snarling, there are arranged parts out of sight that are moderately swoon generally yet radiate through some of the time and sound cool. The climate is dealt with pleasantly, as it should, with gratitude to synths, consoles and a portion of the djenting that is in the collection. The positives exceed the negatives so right now it is sitting at a C+ grade which isnt such terrible. Lets see what else we have, well the short length could fairly help individuals to help get into the band however that is all the more an individual inclination things being what they are. It isnt thought ab out a perfect work of art yet it could help individuals see far superior the ability of what they accept that would be( normal most loved is The Discovery however). Additionally it could acquaint individuals attempting with get into the class its self since well, Born of Osiris is one of the famous Djent groups really. Presently its opportunity to discover the last grade. I give this collection a 8.5/10. Im the Grim Reaper, closing down.

Deadline confusion COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Deadline confusion COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Happy Friday!   If you are aiming to submit your MIA or MPA application for fellowship consideration by the deadline, then this weekend is either going to be a very relaxing one (because you have already submitted your application) or a stressful one (because you havent written your essays or pulled together your CVs). To save you some time, dont send us additional materials if we dont ask for it, dont send it.   It saddens us when we receive hard cover bound dissertations, photographs of your travels, laminated autobiographies they obviously took a lot of time and effort to produce   unfortunately, these additional documents will not be included in your application file nor reviewed by the Admissions Committee so save the postage. With the application deadline change and the additional fellowship application, there seems to be some confusion with what is due and when so to lay it out in a simple chart to alleviate the confusion: What is required Deadline Admissions to MIA/MPA program with merit fellowship consideration Submit application for MIA or MPA January 7, 11:59pm EST (NY) Admissions to MPA in Development Practice program with merit fellowship consideration Submit application for MPA in Development Practice January 20, 11:59pm EST (NY) International Fellows Program (IFP) Additional 300 word essay January 7, 11:59pm EST (NY)* Lemann Fellowship Additional 300 word essay January 7, 11:59pm EST (NY)* Harriman Fellowship Additional 300 word essay January 7, 11:59pm EST (NY)* Admission consideration for MIA/MPA and/or MPA-DP program â€" final deadline Submit application February 5, 11:59pm EST (NY) Be considered for a SIPA Named fellowship (eligibility criteria varies, see full list here).You may apply one/all of the named fellowships even if you did not submit your application by the January merit fellowship deadline Submit fellowship application.Be mindful of additional requirements e.g. essay, CV each Named Fellowship have different requirements. February 22, 5:00pm EST (NY) *IFP, Lemann, Harriman fellowship essays are due on January 20th (along with the admissions application) for candidates applying for the MPA in Development Practice program. Hopefully this makes more sense.   Good luck!

Case Study Medical Ethics - 3528 Words

Case Study: Medical Ethics The case scenario in question verily presents a mind boggling situation. We are introduced to an intelligent woman of a credible forty years of age, suffering from a painful neurological affliction. As explained, her condition, the Gullian-Barnes syndrome, undermines the quality of her life greatly, by tremendously restricting her ability to move or to even so much as breathe on her own. Ms Katherine depends upon life support and her paralysis has rendered her bodily functions negligible. Furthermore, the chances of her recovering from the said condition have been told to become rather bleak. The case study then transcends into the core of the predicament at hand, as Ms Katherine is content with the idea of informed consent to perform Euthanasia. On the surface this case study is a singular decision taken by an educated woman to steer her life in whichever direction she sees fit. However, this request of hers raises moral and ethical arguments that have been thriving for as long as the medical profession itself. In order to understand the gravity of her situation and what she has sought, we must first breakdown her request into key points in order for us to understand its magnitude. According to Vaibhav Goel, in his article Euthanasia A Dignified End of Life Euthanasia is defined as, the intentional killing by act or omission of a human being for his or her alleged benefit. (Goel, 2008) Viewing the case study in accordance with thisShow MoreRelatedMedical Ethics Case Study Paper2077 Words   |  9 PagesRunning head: Medical Ethics Case Study on Medical Records Administrator 1 Medical Ethics Case Study on Medical Records Administrator Melody Hambright MO 215-8: Ethics and Health Information Management Alana Stephens, Instructor Herzing University April 22, 2012 Running head: Medical Ethics Case Study on Medical Records Administrator 2 Abstract Medical Records Administrators and health information professionals’ roles are intimatelyRead MoreMedical Ethics Case Study Essay1948 Words   |  8 PagesMedical Ethics Case Study Introduction Professionals in every field are always confronted with some kind of ethical issues. It has however been noted that these ethical issues become high in magnitude and extent when public officials are involved. Due to the involvement of human life, an industry like healthcare holds ethics in highest regard. Even though these healthcare practitioners are highly trained to deal with issues of these kinds, their decisions can sometimes have a lasting impact on theirRead MoreMedical Ethics Case Study: Nurse Jerry McCall870 Words   |  3 PagesJerry has been trained as a medical assistant and well as LPN or licensed practical nurse. Having an occupation as being a medical assistant is regulated loosely in the U.S. In addition, many states lack medical assistant certification and training requirements. It may be surprising that licensing for medical assistants does not exist. Despite inconsistent regulation, every state mandates by law that whenever a medical assistant provides any type of direct patient care, the supervising physicianRead MoreBiomedical Ethics : A Study Of The Line Between God And Medicine1611 Words   |  7 PagesBiomedical Ethics: A Study of the Line Between God and Medicine During the years of 1975 and 1976, a Supreme Court Case was fought that changed the world of biomedical ethics. On April 14, 1975, twenty-one-year-old Karen Quinlan experienced severe brain damage after ingesting a combination of narcotics and alcohol. Shortly after this, she lost consciousness and quit breathing for two periods of fifteen minutes each The young woman’s doctors declared her brain dead due to the irreversible trauma thatRead MoreBioethics in Medicine, Exemplified by the Karen Ann Quinlan Case882 Words   |  4 Pagesthe questions of: (i) just allocation of scarce medical resource, health care (ii) the nature of â€Å"being†, and (iii) the proper purpose of medicine. The main issues that caused the emergence, or the study and introduction of bioethics was the introduction of modern technology in medicine in the form of respirators and artificial heart machines. The media attention to the Karen Ann Quinlan case made the issues public. The Karen Ann Quinlan case serves as a perfect example of these new issuesRead MoreProfessional Practice Issues Of Health Care Essay1072 Words   |  5 Pagesin Health Care - Ethics Introduction Medical ethics play a huge role in the health care industry. A crucial part of a health care professional s role is to apply appropriate ethical guidelines into clinical settings. Due to its importance there is unlimited amount of references available in different forms regarding to this specific topic, however, the quality, reliability and relevance of each reference can remain questioned and requires further consideration. In this study three different typesRead MoreEthics And The Medical Field Using Tissue Ownership Essay1642 Words   |  7 Pagesbecoming a large public topic that lead to the creation of â€Å"do not resuscitate† orders and hospice care centers (Cassell 2000). This paper attempts to provide a better understanding of ethics and its relationship to the medical field using tissue ownership to demonstrate how bio-medical ethical debates arise. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with values concerning human conduct. These values help cultures determine what actions are appropriate and inappropriate and which motives of suchRead MoreHistory Of American Medical Ethics825 Words   |  4 Pages While the history of American medical ethics dates back four centuries (Baker, 2013), it is critical to differentiate between what was strictly medical ethics; the ethics between physician and patient, physician and physician, and physician and community versus bioethics: all of the aforementioned with the addition of scientific research involving human subjects â€Å"†¦in reaction to researchers’ exploitation of vulnerable populations, most notably the 399 African-American males deceived into servingRead MoreWgu Paper1509 Words   |  7 PagesCase Study on Ethics Jennifer Flathers Western Governors University Registered nurses have a moral and legal responsibility to uphold a patient’s rights in relation to their personal health care. An important nursing standard of practice speaks to the registered nurse acting as a patient advocate. WAC 246-840-700 section 3c states â€Å"The registered nurse†¦acts as client advocates in health maintenance and clinical care.† (Washington State Legislature, Practice Standards, 2004) The role of theRead MoreEssay On Doing Whats Rights875 Words   |  4 Pages Doing What’s Right Albert Campus once said,† A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.† Ethics is a huge component in any aspect of life, but it becomes extremely crucial when the well-being of a patient becomes involved. Medical ethics during clinical research should be made more regulated because organ/tissue harvesting without consent and exposing patients to invasive procedures that are not necessary are all ethical concerns that researchers say are necessary to get

Back-to-School After Hurricane Katrina

Contributed by Associate Writer Nicole Harms It has been a year since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As children around the country are out buying their school supplies, what will the children affected by Katrina be doing? How did Hurricane Katrina affect the schools of New Orleans and the other areas that were affected? As a result of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans alone, 110 out of 126 public schools were completely destroyed. The children who survived the storm were displaced to other states for the rest of the school year. It is estimated that close to 400,000 students from Katrina-ravaged areas had to move in order to attend school. Around the country, school children, churches, PTAs, and other organizations have had school supply drives to help replenish the schools and students who were affected by Katrina. The Federal government has donated a substantial amount of money specifically for the cause of rebuilding post-Katrina schools. After a year, efforts have begun to rebuild in New Orleans and the other surrounding areas, but significant struggles face these schools. First, many of the students who were displaced have not returned, so there are fewer students to teach. The same goes for the staff of these schools. Many people had their homes completely destroyed, and have no intention of returning to the area. There is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, though. On Monday, August 7, eight public schools in New Orleans opened. The city is attempting to transform the traditionally poor public schools in this area as they rebuild. With those eight schools, 4,000 students can now return to class in their hometown. There are forty schools scheduled to open in September, which will provide for 30,000 more students. The school district had 60,000 students before Hurricane Katrina hit. What will school be like for these kids? New buildings and materials may serve to make the schools better than they were before the storm, but no doubt children will be reminded every day of the devastation they just lived through. As they go to school without friends who are no longer in the city due to the effects of the storm, they will always be reminded of the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. The schools have had trouble finding enough teachers for the classrooms. Not only were students displaced by the storm, but most of the teachers were evacuated as well. Many of these have chosen not to return, finding jobs elsewhere. The lack of qualified teachers puts the re-opening date for some schools in limbo. Students who have returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina can attend any school they choose, no matter where they are living. This is part of an effort to improve the district. By giving parents the chance to choose schools, officials believe they will force all schools to improve in order to draw post-Katrina students. Teachers and staff of these post-Katrina schools will not only be teaching academics to their students but also dealing with the continuing emotional trauma these students are facing. Nearly all of their students have lost someone they knew and loved as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This creates a unique atmosphere for these teachers. This year for New Orleans schools will be a year of catching up. Students who missed large portions of last years school year will need remedial instruction. All educational records were lost to Katrina, so officials will have to begin new records for every student. While the road ahead for post-Katrina schools is a long one, the officials and staff of the newly opened schools are optimistic. They have made great strides in one years time, and have proven the depth of the human spirit. As children continue to return to New Orleans and the surrounding areas, there will be schools with open doors ready for them!

The Issues Of The African Americans - 1155 Words

Do you know the struggles and obstacles we face being Black in America? How can you justify being followed around a store while constantly being harassed by questions? I myself and millions of other African Americans face this dilemma on a daily basis. This paper will effectively document the occurrences African Americans face daily as well as provide ways to positively impact my community. 2016 was a very arduous year for blacks in America. Firstly, it is important to recognize the link between poverty and the lack of jobs. Sadly, as we lose jobs the black poverty rate increases. On the other hand, when there is strong job growth the black poverty rate decreases. A recent study by Pew Economic Mobility Project shows that a large†¦show more content†¦The unemployment rate is 8.8 percent, that’s double the rate for whites (4.3%), and is actually closer to the nine percent unemployment rates whites experienced in the depths of the recession. Many people think that e ducational system is the biggest blame for unemployment. The Economic Policy Institute data chart from 2015 shows that a higher percentage of white Americans obtain college degrees (41%), compared to the black’s population (22%). Notable research from Valerie Wilson, an Economist at EPI, shows African Americans that acquire the same level of education as white will not advance high enough to surpass certain races in the corporate world. Thus leaving us to drown our problems through drugs. Is it a coincidence drugs happen to be found mostly in African American communities? I d say no. According to Michelle Alexander’s book â€Å"The New Jim Crow† she explains how the war or drugs was created in the beginning of the civil rights movement to criminalize African Americans. Although consumption and distribution are amongst all races, people of color are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for drug law violations tha n whites. Moreover, higher arrest and incarceration rates for African Americans are not because of the consumption and distribution of drugs, but because the law enforcement targets black communities. The war on drugs discourages young black men fromShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of African Americans1833 Words   |  8 Pagesfoundations of disunity in the world and to pose the question Can we overcome racism? The case study I will refer to is the position of African Americans in the United States. The construct of race is one that is deeply engrained in every inhabited corner of the world. In this room today we can identify characteristics suggesting Asian, Scandinavian and South American descent – and I’m not being racist when I say that these differing characteristics have a real biological basis grounded on scientificRead MoreRacial Issues Involving African Americans1021 Words   |  5 PagesShkumbin Elmazi Mr. Bivona U.S. 1 Academic December 8, 2014 Racial Issues Involving African Americans The Declaration of Independence and Common Sense are one of the most important documents ever written. The point of the Declaration of Independence was to show why the thirteen colonies were separating themselves from Great Britain. Common Sense was written to to help strengthen the colonies argument for their freedom. Eventually, the colonists had won the Revolutionary War and formed a brand newRead MoreSocietal Issues Affecting African Americans1882 Words   |  8 Pages Set in the 1960’s, The Help, emphasizes the societal issues affecting African Americans in the past and shows eerily similar parallels to our society today. The 1960’s consisted of a multitude of protests and movements preaching civil disobedience and resistance. This attitude and behavior, led to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement which is also a major aspect of the film. The Help, delivers a message that stresses the dangers and paranoia that may be associated with a changing society thatRead MoreThe Issue For A Homosexual African American Woman1072 Words   |  5 Pagesto face in America, and all over the globe, that men are less likely to encounter. When you bring race, religion, and/or sexual orientation into the equation, things get even more complicated. For example, an issue for a homosexual African American woman might be a more difficult than an issue for a heterosexual Caucasian female would be. Intersectionality focuses on discrimination and oppression towards disenfranchised groups and minorities. Women in general are prime candidates for intersectionality;Read MoreThe Issue and History of Illiteracy Among African Americans1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe Issue And History Of Illiteracy Among African Americans Becca White Writing 123 Instructor Sydney Darby 27 May 2008 Illiteracy is a growing issue in America. The U.S. Department of Education funded the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) in 1992 that estimates over 90 million Americans fall well below an eight grade literacy level (Rome, 2004, pp. 84). Nowhere is this tragedy more prevalent than among the impoverished African Americans. Illiteracy has always been higher among AfricanRead MorePublic Safety Evaluation : An African American Issues1181 Words   |  5 PagesThis use to be just an African American issues, but with immigrants continuously entering the US whether legally or illegally society has to develop a form of hated for them and their race. But we do not just stop there, no we have to have biases against minorities, women, age, or GLBT communities. Why are we doing this? This learner will never comprehend. Bryant Mohai, Bullard (1992, 1994a) states that many economically impoverished communities are exposed to greater issues including health on theRead MoreAfrican Americans Face With The Issue Of Economic Justice812 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals are looking for a way out. This paper will identify the realities African Americans face with the issue of economic justice along in the United States. Identity Crisis The historical aspect of the civil rights movement was the tip of the iceberg of the social and economic injustice of African Americans within the United States. From the 1900s to the late 1980s economic disparities existed between African Americans and other ethnicities. According to Klarman (2004), many different sorts ofRead MoreHealth Issues Concerning African American Population2986 Words   |  12 PagesRunning head: AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH ISSUES The Health Issues Concerning the African American Population Andrea Chisholm 2633467 Health Studies 201 Assignment 3 Athabasca University August 20, 2007 Student Manuel  © 2005 African Americans first arrived to the United States as a crew on a pirate ship in the year 1619 (Bennett, 1992 as cited in Edelman Mandle, 2002). The American population saw these new immigrants as an opportunity and captured many of the six millionRead MoreHealth Disparities And Issues Among African Americans Essay1119 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstood issues among ethnic minorities. For instance, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Latinos. At the point when contrasted with whites, these minority bunches have higher rate of endless ailment, higher mortality and poor wellbeing results. Among the ailment particular cases of racial and ethnic variations in the united state is the tumor frequency rate among African Americans, which is 10% higher than among whites. Furthermore, grown up African Americans and LatinosRead MoreThe Urban Wellbeing Issue Of Diabetes Among African Americans Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay handled the urban wellbeing issue of diabetes among African Americans. It was found that diabetes is a standout amongst the most widely recognized wellbeing issues being experienced by African-Americans, and the effect of diabetes on African Americans is unbalanced. The nonappearance of social insurance was uncovered to be an enormous variable in the rise of diabetes and other urban wellbeing issues among African Americans. Diabetes relates to a gathering of sicknesses that is described

The Impact of IT on HRM-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Disucss about the Impact of Information Technology in Human Resource Management in Small Business Enterprises. Answer: Introduction The report sheds light on the issue of information systems in human resource and the importance of managing the human resource function electronically. Recruitment and best management of staff in an entity will be reviewed in both the benefits they offer and their limitations. The field of human resource management (HRM) is of extreme importance to the success of any business setting whether large or small or offering goods or services. Today, human resource forms an assortment of specialized functionalities each with specific objectives, roles, and requirements. The human resource is faced with an increasing gravity in supporting tactical organizational aspirations, and offering of value added activities. According to (Granados, 2017), the little pressure has made organizations to realize a lesser importance to use information technology to enhance the function of human resource. The today world of HRM has received a tremendous evolution in areas of staff (both current and potential ) portals, company intranets and internet information systems. The future seems to be made up of an entirely IT enabled HR function because the benefits outrun shortcomings. The report will present powerful way of handling the drawbacks to stress on how the business system needs to be embraced by small firms that are still considering what to do(Noe, 2007). The forces pushing developments in this technology are the necessity of managing a global workforce, the need to improve service delivery, management of organizations costs and an escalating competition. Project context Planning Planning in the human resource function refers to the inclusive approach of performing the preliminary aspects of staffing. The step is meant to maintain an adequate supply, suitably developed and motivated team to perform the roles that will lead to the attainment of the goals of an organization. The personal desires and ambitions of the staff members are also put into consideration. Job analysis It is a systematic examination of functions in a job. The accountabilities, responsibilities, and duties of a job position and the conditions of its performance are described and documented during job analysis. All the information about tasks and responsibilities of a particular job have to be collected and studied. It can be summed up as a collection of facts about jobs. Job description It is a product of analyzing a job. The duties, relationships, conditions, job responsibilities and the supervision responsibilities are identified and listed. Job Specification The human requirements are the specification of a job. It includes skills, education, and personal temperaments. Recruitment It refers to a process in which potential candidates are identified and attracted into an organization. It also involves selection of an appropriate candidate. Recruitment is of two types namely traditional and modern recruitment. The modern methods are trending in the current human resource world. The job postings are done online in systems of mailing and websites. Electronic HRM is being used to support and network individuals with shared roles(Majumder, 2014). E-Recruitment It is described as using the internet, that is, commercial boards and websites to attract the potential employees(Tsoni, 2017). The job descriptions, analysis, and vacancies here are together managed on the internet. More developed systems will even interview in search for candidates. The virtual recruitment is done by the web-built applicant tracking system. The biggest advantage of the arrangement in its integrated nature to manage all postings, attraction, applications, database storage, screening, searching and filtering. The job board will then shortlist and inform candidates of interviews(Purcell, 2011). The human resource information system is developed to manage acquisition and storage of data that will enable analysis and decision making. The application can work both online and as software. It facilitates entry of data, tracking, information essentials, payroll, accounting and management(Mantel, 2016). It has considerably helped in overcoming the human limitations of time and functionality. Research proposal Background and definition of the problem Information technology support services have helped organizations to cut down on the high cost of the human resource. The services are of the highest order of efficiency. IT and internet services have had the widest range of adoption ever in the current decade than in the previous five decades combined. Systems provide integrated services to eliminate the human single-tasked performance of acquisition, storage, manipulation, analyzing, retrieval and distribution of information(Wood, 2014). Research questions What are the benefits of e-recruiting? What is the standard recruitment process in a small business enterprise? How will the image of HR of small business look like in the next 30 years? Why do small businesses need to adopt IT in the human resource function? Literature review A small range of articles is available concerning adoption, implementation, and usage of IT in HRM. The area of use of IT in human resource has not been given sufficient concern. The central area is the use of the Application Tracking System. 3.3.1 Small business settings have less hierarchy level in the organization of its workers. The structure enables fast communication and more transparency. A lot of freedom is given to staff on choice and control of activities(Kasemsap, 2017). The control structure can be said to be broad and flat. Staff always work with a cross-functionality in several departments to achieve success. 3.3.2 Small business organizations recognize talent towards productivity. The freedom to make decisions is a frequent source of conflicts. It is easier to hold an all-staff meeting regularly without causing a stoppage of business(Hollensbe, 2016). 3.3.3 Most start-up business settings are continually risk averse, and for this reason, fewer are free to take up new developments that are available in supporting the human resource management(Gartner, 2017). The capital bases are minimal and cannot finance every investment like a larger business organization that serves a nationwide market. Project plan Method of data collection Questionnaires Both open ended and closed questionnaires were used to collect data about staff ten sampled small business setups. The respondents provided information about the recruitment processes which the organization used to acquire them. Facts on job analysis and description were also acquired. A total of 100 employees filled the questionnaires. The method provided a large base of information that could be analyzed to get a representation of use technology in human resource and its prospects(Ellington, 2017). Interviews Face-to-face interviews of the human resource managers of the ten organizations provided detailed information about the human resource functionalities and their plans for the future(Chinoy, 2017). Approach of data analysis A stratified sampling method was used in the analysis of the data collected in the field. The human resource processes, benefits, and challenges with relation to technological applications were identified and recorded(Cheng, 2017). The standard online staffing process found is listed below. Getting curriculum vitae (C.V)Selecting C.V Creating an interview scheduleInterview with the HRInterview with the head of a departmentInterview with the director (sometimes) Hiring The benefits of an online application tracker were found to be: It has enabled the creation of an automated recruiting process. The costs used are three times lesser when compared to the traditional process. The online and the software applications provide information support that has led to the best HR decisions being made. Acquisition of staff is faster and beneficial when staffing needs are urgent. An integrated of all HR services for corporates and agencies has been facilitated. Only one database can manage all HR needs. The website postings of vacancies have comprehensive coverage. The market provided systems are customizable to meet the specific needs of an organization. The systems have facilitated transparency in the human resource processes. Milestones and plan of action Sometimes, online systems have rejected a C.V of the best applicant for little reasons like poor scanning. Systems have also edited applicant information inappropriately that they cannot be read by humans(Bondarouk, 2017). Some systems always restrict the amount of candidate information which could have been necessary. Potential employees who found in the borderline of the required specifications are rejected by the systems. Another challenge of systems is the impersonal nature. Out-of-date postings misappropriate applications. Failures in websites will fail the recruitment process. Action plans- The organizations should employ services of a technology professional to overseers, control and maintain the efficiency of HR systems(Balaji, 2017). Conclusion Finally, the report has reviewed the state of technological systems in human resource for small businesses. The opportunity to acquire the system will have a lot of benefits to the firm. Moreover, the cost that is needed to take up and implement a system is smaller than the long run cost of running the HR using the traditional method. Firms must put in place plans of actions to control the threats to failure, privacy, and attacks to reap all the gains of using such systems. References Balaji, M. (2017). Employee Retention Strategies. Global Journal of Management And Business Research, 327. Bondarouk, T. (2017). People and Performance. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, 17. Cheng, Z. (2017). Imagery-Based Risk Assessment Using Crowdsourcing Technology in Simple Workspaces. Computing in Civil Engineering, 174-182. Chinoy, S. (2017). A thing to Service: Perspectives from a Network of Things. International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (pp. 1-33). Cham: Springer. Ellington, C. (2017). The Influence of E-Recruitment Techniques. Generation Y, 1-119. Gartner, J. (2017). The Changing Nature of Work and the Management of Human Resources. Academy of Management (pp. 1-12). Chan: Springer. Granados, L. (2017). Innovators intent: The role of IT in facilitating innovative knowledge practices in social enterprises. Academy of Management (p. 193). Victoria: Macmillan. Hollensbe, E. (2016). Technology-related Pressure. Human Resource Development International, 1-16. Kasemsap, K. (2017). Knowledge Management: Applications and Implications. Evaluating Media Richness in Organizational Learning, 232-261. Majumder, S. (2014). Impact of IT on Performance Appraisal. Human Resource Management, 1-57. Mantel, R. (2016). Factors Influencing Employees Performance Appraisal. Performance Appraisal System, 93. Noe, R. (2007). Fundamentals of human resource management. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Purcell, J. (2011). Strategy and human resource management. Palgrave: Macmillan. Tsoni, E. (2017). Internet Recruitment. Human Resource Managenent, 103. Wood, S. (2014). Human resource management and performance. International journal of management reviews, 367-413.

Balanced Scorecard free essay sample

Strategic Plan III: Balanced Scorecard A balanced scorecard is a strategic business tool used to collect and report information to management on four specific areas which include the financial perspective, customers perspective, internal operations perspective, and learning and growing aspect. These help a business monitor performance and make necessary improvements that will contribute to the success of the organization. In the following paragraphs I will discuss my ice cream parlor’s balanced scorecard and how it will be used to better my business. In my ice cream parlor’s financial perspective of my balanced scorecard the strategic objectives that merit the main focus would be revenues and costs, profitability and competitive position objectives. Revenues and costs are extremely important because these will help us get the necessary ratios to determine the current ratio and whether or not we are stable in our finances. The goal is to have higher revenues than costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Balanced Scorecard or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The profitability is also just as important and we can use the profit margin to conclude if we are meeting our objectives and targets, which are to maximize the business value and to increase profits by three percent every six months. The initiative used would be to create a main focus on net income and sales to create stricter strategies to meet our goals. Lastly, our competitive position would be our products prices. They will be lower than the other ice cream parlor- like stores because we will buy from a wholesaler or distributer and start selling making a slight profit but as the competition raises their prices we will raise ours but keep them lower than the rest. Customer value perspective is very significant to my business. My business strategic objectives would dominate in the following areas: customer retention, customer satisfaction, and customer value. The most important strategic objective is to keep customers happy and loyal to my company. This can be achieved by keeping the business fun, friendly, clean, and fast which is what most customers want. This can help us predict that we will maintain a stable clientele and be able to attract more customers. To measure this, web polls, surveys, and emails will be used. We will have many promotions and use different media types to advertise so we can meet our target of increasing our clientele 3 to 5 percent every 6 months. Our customer value is what will help us establish our customer retention. We will give the customer a delightful and high quality treat for the low price they are paying as well as the best service possible. Our internal operations perspective includes strategic objectives on measures of process performance, productivity, and operations metrics. The objective on measuring the process performance will be to keep a high quality of products and service as well as a friendly staff. This would be measured by customer satisfaction through web polls and surveys. In this aspect, our target would be to introduce a new product every 6 months and reassess processes to modify as needed. Productivity objective would be to keep high levels of production and maintain high levels of demand. Employees would be trained accordingly and would also have incentives and rewards for extraordinary performance. As for our operations metrics, our objective would be to maintain efficiency in all processes and operations. We would achieve this goal by having regularly checks and getting input from employees as well. The learning and growth perspective would include strategic objectives in areas such as employee satisfaction, employee retention, and level of organizational capability. Employee satisfaction and employee retention go hand in hand and the objective for these is to develop a strong relationship with each employee to keep a dedicated employee and keep them happy. To measure this we would survey employees and have monthly meetings where they could also have a say in most aspects of the business and give ideas that could better processes whether it is speeding them up or lowering operational costs. The target is to be to better in all aspects of the staff which includes communication, management, skills, morale, and knowledge. Employees would receive incentives, bonuses and rewards for being the best. All aspects of a balanced scorecard are very important and can definitely help an organization flourish. It will give insights and remind everyone of objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives. In my ice cream parlor, a balance scorecard will help establish goals and report information to all shareholders. It is a valuable tool that helps achieve success. Balanced Scorecard free essay sample Since the Market downturn in October 2007, a challenging set of economic events has been rocking the financial services industry and AXA equitable has since experienced major changes to keep the company competitive. A well-developed balanced scorecard is what AXA Equitable needs in order to remain a worldwide leader in the financial services industry. In the past, management have believed that the factors critical to the success of a company were based solely upon financial measures; this is why the Balanced scorecard was developed. The BSC has gained increasing popularity as an effective management tool that aligns employee actions and goals with corporate strategy since first being introduced in 1992 (Davis Albright, 2004). Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton proposed the balanced scorecard (BSC). The Balanced scorecard is a widely recognized tool to support decision making at the strategic management level which improves the satisfaction of the strategic objectives (Kaplan Norton, 1992). We will write a custom essay sample on Balanced Scorecard or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The BSC provides feedback on internal business processes, performance, and market conditions in order to review the trategy and future plans and  Large U. S. companies, such as General Electric and Federal Express, and non-profit and public organizations have implemented the BSC approach (Creamer Freun, 2010). According to the module, â€Å"financial measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation (Baltzan, Phillips, Haag 2010). The balanced scorecard deals with a proposed model that embraces both financial and non-financial aspects to measure performance of an organization in the financial services industry (Wu, Tzeng, Chen, 2009). The  balanced scorecard[pic](BSC) is a multi-criteria evaluation concept that highlights the importance of performance measurement, and it recognizes that performance measurement should be incorporated in both of financial and non-financial measures; it captures not only a firm’s current performance but also the drivers of its future performance (Tseng, 2010). The balanced scorecard would be a positive force for AXA Equitable as it is a vital part of an overall strategy to become and remain an industry leader. Since times can be unsettling and while no company is immune from the challenges of a volatile market, management should strive to identify the factors that are critical to the success of the company. AXA Equitable needs to implement the measures listed on the balanced scorecard to achieve the company’s critical success factors. This will strengthen the company and continually improve AXA Equitable’s ability to manage through turbulent market conditions when necessary. The Balanced scorecard has four main parts. The balanced scorecard is developed along the four well-known perspectives of Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process, and Learning and Growth Performance, which, at any point in time of measurement, characterize the current status and future potential of organizations (Craig Moores, 2010). The financial perspective includes the measure of an organizations financial performance. For instance, it measures revenue growth, shareholder’s value, assets under management, and cash flow. This perspective links the company to its shareholders with main attention to the question: â€Å"How do we look to our shareholders and those with a financial interest in the organization? † Financial goals include achieving profitability, maintaining liquidity and solvency both short term as well as long-term, growth in sales turnover and maximizing wealth of shareholders (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The customer perspective includes the measure of an organizations market share, customer satisfaction, customer retention, customer referrals and value added activities. This is the second external oriented perspective that takes a look at the organization’s customers, who are the crucial factor for financial success generating revenue by buying products and services. The question is: â€Å"How do our customers perceive us in term of products, services, relationships and value-added? † (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The internal process perspective includes the measure of an organizations productivity, research and development, customer complaints and returns, and operational speed. This Measure focuses on the internal processes that will have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction and achieving an organization’s financial objectives. Firms should decide what processes and competencies they must excel at and specify measures for each of them (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The learning and growth perspective includes the measure of an organizations turnover ratio, hiring goals, education and training of new and existing employees, and number of new and improved products or services. This perspective identifies the infrastructure that the organization must build to create long-term growth and improvement. Intense global competition requires that organizations continually improve their capabilities for delivering value to customers and shareholders. Thus the question remains: â€Å"To achieve our future vision, how will we continue to improve and create future value for our stakeholders? † (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The best way to measure AXA Equitable’s financial performance is the shareholders value. This shows the value that the shareholders perceive AXA Equitable to be worth. There is strong evidence that the balanced scorecard is an effective strategic management tool that leads to improved shareholder returns (Crabtree DeBusk, 2008). The primary objective of management should be maximizing its shareholder’s value. Since the turbulent economy, AXA Equitable shareholder value is back on the up rise again. This can be seen with the stock price. AXA Equitable stocks, just like most other companies, were not immune to the highly volatile market conditions; However with the market getting back together, the stock price is gradually rising again. The management decisions at AXA should be geared towards maximizing the wealth of AXA Equitable shareholders, which means increasing the value of shares owned by existing shareholders. A good measure of AXA Equitable’s superiority over its competition would be the ability to generate consistent and high total returns that it gives to its shareholders over time. Major company issues will exist with AXA Equitable if management interests are not aligned with those of shareholders. When managers pursue self-serving behavior rather than the maximization of shareholder wealth, several symptoms may become apparent: low stock returns, below-average operating performance, and suboptimal investment decisions. The likelihood of company problems is higher when managerial incentive systems do not coincide with shareholder wealth maximization (Manry Stangeland 2003). It is very important that AXA Equitable management put the interest of the shareholders first. Research suggests that firms with management that pursues its own interests at the expense of shareholders will perform comparatively worse than firms with management whose interests are aligned with shareholders (Manry Stangeland 2003). When a company like AXA Equitable is able to generate wealth for its shareholders year after year, it is able to differentiate itself from the competition and creates better value for its shareholders. Investors who purchase AXA Equitable shares hope that the returns they get on their investments would be higher than what they could get from putting those funds in a risk-free savings account. This shows that the investors are definitely willing to tolerate more risk of ownership in AXA Equitable because of the chance of making higher returns. Assets under management are a measure of the total market value of client assets with the company. AXA as a whole has 1. 46 trillion dollars in assets under management, making it the 13th largest company in the world. One of the biggest advantages of having assets under management as a critical success factor on the balanced scorecard is that focus on increasing the total value of assets under AXA demands continuous efforts and improvement by the management and employees of AXA. This financial measure is not only obvious to AXA management and employees but also those outside the company, i. e. the public. Ranking organization like Fortune 500, use the figures for assets under management as a financial success measure to rank companies against their competition and industries. Constantly increasing the sale of financial products or services is a very important aspect of a company especially one in the financial services industry. AXA Equitable offers a wide range of financial products and services like fixed income investments, equity investments, individual retirement accounts, education planning accounts, life disability insurance and annuities to its clients. The products or services is used to address their needs and help shape their financial futures. The sale of AXA Equitable’s financial products or services is crucial in measuring the financial success of the company. The product or services sale is exactly how the company makes money and becomes profitable. Employees of AXA Equitable earn production credits after each sale of its products or services. Production Credits are the total amount of compensation that AXA Equitable pays to its employees in form of commission for the sale of its products or services. The total amount of production credits earned by each employee is the best way AXA uses to measure employee performance. The Production credits can also serve as a measure of financial performance that AXA Equitable uses as a requirement for other benefits other than commission for its employees. Benefits such as medical plan eligibility, stock options, stocks appreciation rights, AXA Share plan and AXA Equitable Advantage. AXA Equitable should strive for consistent and positive investment results for its investment portfolios. This is very important to a company that deals with attracting new prospects and retaining existing clients. An AXA Equitable client, for example, with a portfolio with poor investment results will not remain with the company if that client can get better results with other financial companies outside of AXA Equitable. AXA Equitable financial advisors manage the managers. Portfolio managers manage the investment portfolios and financial products inside AXA Equitable. Those managers are in turn, managed by the financial advisors that make these investment portfolios available to the clients. The portfolio managers are responsible for picking the equities and bonds available in each portfolio, making changes and the investment results for the portfolios they handle. Clients can benefit from a professional allocated portfolio of AXA Equitable funds that delivers automatic diversification, risk management benefits, quarterly rebalancing, and consistent investment results. The customer perspective section of he balanced scorecard cannot be effective if customer satisfaction is not the number one focus. The first and most important rule for any company in the financial services industry is that the client is of the utmost priority. Financial advisors should learn to put the interest of their clients first before any other interests. Companies in a service industry should understand that customer satisfaction is a great measure of performance. Banks and other companies that deal with providing financial services to the public must first put more emphasis on customer satisfaction, and then on financial return. These companies must ensure that their customers remain loyal to them and develop new markets to attract new customers (Wu, Tzeng, Chen, 2009). A crucial part of maintaining client satisfaction is understanding the clients and their needs. AXA Equitable and its advisors are responsible for making financial recommendations and providing its clients with financial products and services, and financial education to address their needs and help the clients create the retirement of their dreams. AXA Equitable should take sending out client satisfaction surveys to every client on the anniversary date of purchasing a financial product or service very seriously. This Client Satisfaction Index survey is a true measure of customer satisfaction and has helped the company identify the key drivers of client satisfaction. AXA Equitable uses this survey to get client feedback on their financial products and the level of service that their advisors showed the client throughout the year. Value added activity is an important way a company can separate itself from the competition. Companies in the financial services industry primarily offer financial products or services to their clients. Why would a client want to use AXA Equitable’s products and service versus another financial company like American International Group (AIG)? What can AXA Equitable offer that client that no other company can? For example, every financial advisor is required to provide the clients with a contract after every sale of a financial product or service. This contract usually contains copies of signed forms and prospectus. It is better to hand deliver these contracts instead of mailing it to the clients. AIG, a major competition for AXA Equitable, usually sends out thank you cards and client referral forms after every new sale of the company’s financial product or service. This is very effective because it showed that AIG appreciates the client and their business. Value added activities can be as simple as remembering a customers’ favorite drink. Whatever the activity is, managers must find a way to capitalize upon it, as doing so will enable them to gain a competitive advantage. AIG uses this service-oriented strategy to get additional referrals and establish relationships with their clients. BSC is an effective performance measurement tool in performance improvement, which positively affects service quality (Ghani, Said, Laswad, 2010). Exceeding client expectations is another critical success factor on the balanced scorecard that AXA Equitable and its employees should incorporate. When this strategy is taken seriously and done correctly, the clients are satisfied; they stay with the company longer, purchase additional financial products or services and most importantly, refer others to the company. Customer satisfaction offers an immediate, meaningful and objective feedback about clients’ preferences and expectations (Mihelis, Grigoroudis, Siskos, Politis, Malandrakis, 2001). AXA Equitable has provided several tools like eRelationship ® for its financial advisors for client contact. The eRelationship ® platform is a good way for the advisors to have continuous contact and build strong relationships with their clients all year long. For example, doing the simple things like remembering and sending out birthday cards, wedding anniversary cards, seminars invitations, could go a long way in building and maintaining credibility, trust and satisfaction with the clients. When the financial advisor is compassionate and is always willing to help, the clients can now see the true value of the advisors. AXA Equitable needs to generate clients constantly to be successful in the financial service industry. To be successful in this business, the financial advisors have to constantly be in front of their clients. Activities that drive the success of AXA Equitable financial advisors include prospecting and meeting new clients, number of appointments set, running appointments and appointments closed. AXA Equitable uses to 5-3-1 weekly matrix to guide our advisor activities They will be successful every week if they can have five prospecting visits, run three client appointments and sign up one new client†. Internationale Nederlanden Groep (ING), another major competition in the financial services industry uses a performance management strategy to keep track of employee activities. The financial advisors are required to submit their performance goals, development plans, and action plans at the beginning of every quarter to their managers. At the end of the quarter, performance reviews are conducted by the managers to measure the activities and production of the financial advisor. The balanced scorecard will help enhance communication between the client and the organization to ensure favorable organization performance (Wong, Lam, Chan, 2009). The internal business process perspective measures efficiency and productivity level within the company. During the client appointments, after the recommendations have been presented to the client, how quickly and efficiently can AXA Equitable provide the financial products or services needed to the client? This can be done with a software called eDox ®. eDox ® is an online database software that the financial advisor carries with him to every appointment with clients. eDox ® contains information about every product that AXA Equitable offers to its clients as well as links to products from other companies that AXA Equitable advisors can also offer to its client. Intra-industry trade (IIT) has been central to increasing the variety of products available to consumers (Moshirian, Li, and Sim. 2005). eDox ® also serves as a tool that top management uses to send out memos, journals, sales ideas, and information on new product launches to every employee of the company. When the client agrees to go ahead with the advisors recommendation and get the financial products; all the applications and forms necessary to make the sale can also be found on eDox ®. A continual review and constant improvement of eDox ® would be very important to keep productivity levels high to become an industry leader. AXA Compliance department is faced with the task of keeping AXA Equitable and its financial advisors compliant with the governing rules made by the Security and Exchange Commission. The Security and Exchange Commission set rules, regulations and guidelines that govern all the companies in the financial services industry. The SEC draws up new regulations periodically that sometimes make business very difficult in the financial services industry, for example, the 90-24 transfer rule, which involves more documentation for transfers of funds between one financial companies. Meeting these guidelines and standards set by the Securities and Exchange Commission is important to eliminate client complaints, trading malpractice, and negative internal and external audit for AXA Equitable Growth within a company like AXA Equitable does not always have to mean more profits because it is in the financial services industry. To become a leader in this industry, the financial company would have to hire more financial advisors to acquire more clients, which in turn leads to more productivity within the company. AXA Equitable should set hiring goals for its managers each year that the company expects to be met because an increase in the number of financial advisors every year will cause an increase in the amount of business written in that year. AXA Equitable and other companies in the financial service industry are constantly rolling out new financial products or services to keep pace with market volatility and unlimited client needs. The companies equip these products with better features and benefits to make them more attractive to the clients and stand out from the competition. AXA Equitable should be committed to providing its financial advisors with the resources necessary to build a lifelong career. Companies facing intensive competition also have a greater impetus to find ways to differentiate their products and services from those provided by competitors, this frequently results in a greater number of product and service lines and differentiation sought through increased customization of products and services in order to meet specific customer desires. (Guilding and McManus, 2002). The Learning center at AXA Equitable is set up to train and support new and experienced financial advisors. For example, when a new financial advisor is hired, the advisor is required to take some necessary courses on AXA Advisors Virtual University (AAVU) to learn everything about the company, its policies and financial product or services. American International Group (AIG) is another company that has a similar new employee development strategy. AIG developed a New Branch Employee Orientation Program where new employees receive online orientation sessions that include information about AIG, as well as company policies and benefits. AXA Equitable should require additional sessions for training and development for their financial advisors. These sessions should include experiences and accomplishments of experienced licensed financial advisors to keep the all other financial advisors motivated and knowledgeable about everything going on with the company and the industry as a whole. Introducing a balanced scorecard in an organization and implementing the critical success factors identified on it will not be an easy task. When firms develop a  scorecard they often start with a strategic performance measurement system which includes a set of financial and non-financial measures. Afterwards, the cause and effect relationships between the different (sets of) measures are developed further to translate the firm strategy to operational activities (Wiersma, 2009). AXA Equitable’s Management and employees will have to cultivate a change initiative. The increasing use of balanced scorecards is changing the way top managers run their companies. When envisioning a firm’s future development, they no longer focus chiefly on monetary success indicators in the financial area, Instead balanced scorecard is designed to complement financial measures of past performance with their measures of the drivers of future performance (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). Companies need to address issues to help assess competition in their industry. The Balanced Scorecard is generally implemented at the corporate, business unit, and individual level, and also becomes a powerful tool for the directors to monitor the implementation of the corporate strategy.

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America Introduction The Allstar Brands Corporation was founded in 1924 and is among the leading makers of packaged goods around the world (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). Over the years the company has merged or acquired several smaller packaged goods companies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today the company is made up of three divisions namely Consumer Products, International and Pharmaceuticals. The Consumer Products division is primarily concerned with a number of packaged goods including laundry detergent, bar soap and shampoo. The International division is in charge of the distribution of Allstar products in international markets around the world. The Pharmaceutical division is in charge of the production and marketing of ethical and over the counter medications (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). The primary product curre ntly offered by the Allstar brand is an over the counter cold liquid known as Allround. The products designed as combat remedies are designed to relieve several basic symptoms including aches and fever, nasal congestion, chest congestion, runny nose and coughs. It is common for allergy remedies to be grouped together with cold remedies due to the fact that these address many of the same symptoms as cold remedies (James, Deighan and Spotts 21). In the current over the counter cold and allergy market the Allstar brand has four other competitors. The cold and allergy industry is divided into five different product categories namely cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The five firms offer a total of 10 brands that cater for these product categories. Based on current statistics the Allstar brand currently accounts for 12% of the total sales in the industry (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).Advertising Looking for r esearch paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current financial statistics indicate that Allround which is the company’s only product is performing fairly well within the market. Based on statistics from the last period the product managed to report sales of $ 214.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The company reported a gross margin of $132.5 million and after making deductions received $ 50.7 million in net profits for the same period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). It is the belief of the senior management that the OCM group will continue to make even more significant contributions in the coming years. For this reason it will be wise to consider what goals the company intends to achieve to improve its current position in the future. Goals In this section some of the crucial goals will be highlighted and some insight will be shed on how to improve. For example, one of the goals tha t Allstar will have to focus on includes maintaining the drive within the company as far as product development is concerned. According to the company report there are expected to be a released reformulations of the Allround brand within a year. In addition to that it has been reported that three new products are expected to be released by the beginning of the third period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This drive to continue production of new and competitive products is crucial because one risk associated with the industry stems from the fact that new competing products can be launched at any time within the market. To push this point further home, it has been reported that Curall announced the introduction of a new drug called cold cure in the same period (n.p.). This is of special concern to the company because this new drug is the second drug by Curall to be launched into the market suggesting a loss in the market to this drug.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition to this it has been observed that prior to this launch Curall had only a cough liquid which did not affect the market for Allround whereas cold cure may have a direct effect on sales in the following period (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The company must therefore focus on research and release new products drugs to be more competitive. Another important goal for the company to focus on in the coming period is that of increasing expenditure on advertising. The main reason for this is due to the fact that advertising plays a major role in creation of awareness among a product’s consumers. In addition to that it has been reported that advertising can be used to shape consumers perception about products (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). Based on that information it is clear to see that the company risks losing business by not advertising adequately. In addition to the above information highlighting the importance of advertising it was reported that in the just concluded period the total expenditure on advertising went up by $19.6 million whereas promotional expenditure increased by $ 6.3 million (n.p.). This fact proves that competitors are increasing spending on advertising and thus the company should make efforts to also increase expenditure on advertising. The focus on increased advertising expenditure should also be driven by the fact that when listed against 10 competitors it was noted that the company expenditure on advertising had it ranked between 5th and 6th (n.p.). In addition to focus on advertising it would appear that in order to improve its competitive position the company will need to consider increasing its focus on the mass merchandiser sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that during the last period mass merchandiser sales showed the strong growth with 8% (n.p.). Thi s statistic indicates that it is likely that with more emphasis sales from this sector can grow even further. Given the increase in mass merchandiser sales it is possible to see that the company risks losing business if it does not increase the sales force in this area. Upon observation of the company sales force it was noted that only 10 of the sales staff were mass merchandisers (James, Deighan and Spotts 27). When this figure was compared with competitors it was noted that the number was very low and for this reason the number of mass merchandisers for the next period should be increased. It may be that the competition has not yet identified this potential loophole thus giving the company a head start.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to the sales force it would also be prudent to focus on ways to increase retail sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that retail sales increased by 4.6% for the ended period (n.p.). In order to achieve this there is a need to reassess the current prices of products. It has been observed that the current Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Allround is $5.49. In addition to this retailers receive an allowance of 13% and a volume discount of 30%. It has already been observed that the current price was significantly higher than that of its competitors (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). To increase the retail sales further it would appear wise to make reductions on the MSRP. Overall Competitive Strategy Situation Analysis: As it has been mentioned earlier in the report Allround has so far been a successful and profitable brand with sales exceeding $200 million at the manufacturer’s level during the last period. These sales figures transl ate to net income of slightly over $50 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). However it has been observed that the company urgently needs to increase it expenditure due to trends within the industry. It has already been reported that competitors have launched competing products into the market that are likely to affect the sales figures of the company in the coming period (n.p.). This matter causes a lot of concern and needs urgent remedial action due to the fact that the product in question is in the same category of products such as Allround. In addition to the competing products in the market it has already been observed that there have been significant increases in advertising and promotional expenditure in the concluded period (n.p.). Given the crucial role played by advertising in shaping customer perceptions it would appear that the company will need to increase its expenditure on advertising in response. Also to be given consideration in the upcoming budget is the need to increase the sales force. This comes in light of the fact that mass merchandiser sales had increased significantly (n.p.). This report comes when the company is ill equipped to deal with this sector of retail sales and such some money needs to be spent on this sector in the upcoming budget. It has also been observed that despite the good performance in the just ended period, Allround’s prices were comparatively high (n.p.). At the same time it has also been observed that trends within the market indicate that retail sales were increasing. It has therefore been suggested that with a view to improving sales further, the MSRP be reduced and the allowances and volume discounts be increased as an incentive. SWOT: In the case of Allround its main strength stems from the fact that the company has no competition in the manufacture of cold liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In an overview of the industry it is noted that the company is in competition with four other firms. The fir ms all produce products that can be categorized into cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray. The five companies offer a total of 10 brands within the market and only Allstar provides cold liquid from this list (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In the market a brand can be availed in three forms namely liquid, capsule or spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). The consumer’s selection of a product with regard to form is usually based on personal preference. For this reason those who prefer liquid form the only available option is Allround. Being a relatively new market the company will also exhibit some weakness in comparison to the competition. This is because it has been observed that advertising plays a major role in creation of brand awareness among consumers (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The entry into the market suggests that brand awareness is comparatively low and therefore will require much more expenditure to build. Another weakness th at the company has within the new market is a lack of resources. It has been reported that the company senior management will only make budget increases based on results from sales and profitability (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This leaves the company at a disadvantaged position when compared with its competitors. This is the case given the significant financial input that is required to address the current financial demands for the next period. However, there are some opportunities that the company can exploit to improve its position in the market. It has been observed the United States Food and Drug Administration regulate the amount of medication for various periods of relief. Based on this a drug can be made in a 4 hour formulation such as Allround or in 12 hour formulation (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). This presents an opportunity for the company due to the fact that it can still produce 12 hour formulations of the same drug to improve its product range. In addition to cha nging the formulation to increase product range another opportunity exists in making different cold formulations. It has been reported that a brand can be made available in one of three forms namely liquid, capsule and spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). It has been reported nasal sprays typically provide faster relief than other forms of drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). In addition to that it has also been reported that most consumers find the capsule form more convenient than liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 23). The production of a nasal spray or capsule for relief of cold and flu symptoms presents an opportunity. In order to have a complete marketing plan the company also has to prepare to deal with threats. The main threat to the company exists in the form of its competitors and the likelihood of their releasing similar products within the market. The current statistics places the number of competitors in the market at 5 (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).It has already bee n observed that one of the competitors released a product that may affect sales for the coming period (n.p.). Basis for effective competition: In order for the firm to remain competitive in the coming periods it would have to increase its expenditure on advertising and promotions. This comes in light of the fact that the market indicates spending on advertising is increasing (n.p.). In addition to this it has already been established that advertising plays a crucial role in product awareness. For these reasons the marketing plan for the future would require this change be made. It has also been noted that there has been a significant increase in retail sales (n.p.). For this reason the company will need to consider means to increase these sales further. It has been reported that Allround’s MSRP was significantly higher than competing brands (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). It would appear that to improve the company’s competitive position a reduction should be made on t he MSRP and some incentives such as increased promotional allowances and volume discounts. Finally it would appear that the company will need to increase the number of mass merchandisers on its sales force. This comes in light of the fact that there was significant increase in the sales volumes from mass merchandisers (n.p.). To maintain a competitive position would thus require that the company increase the numbers involved in mass merchandising. It is also crucial that the company continue research on new products and release them into the market as soon as possible. This comes in light of the fact that competitors are constantly producing new products to compete with existing company products (n.p.). Resources and Capabilities: Based on the results from the previous year it was reported that the company made a net income of slightly over $50 million. Using the available resources to improve the company position to allow it be profitable in the coming years requires some adjustmen ts to be made. It was observed that an increase of funding for promotion was required and after calculations it was reported that promotion would now be worth 19% of the budget. Advertising expenditure also had to be increased to meet the current demands. This saw the expenditure on advertising rise to 38% of the budget. It was also observed that the company required adjustments on its sales force in order to meet the demands of the market. The sales force adjustments suggest the sales staff will now consume 41.3% of the budget. In addition to this it was observed that the company needed to work on production of new products. This required a budget allocation of 1.7% to finance research. The total amount for this budget came to $29.1 million. The previous budget for the period was $28.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 30). Given the amount of net income made from the previous period it would appear that the company has the resources to finance this budget and the associated incre ments. Segmentation, Target, Positioning Segmentation options and final analysis: The industry selected is basically divided into segments based on the way products are branded (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). There are three standard product categories in the OTC market namely cold, cough and allergy. As earlier mentioned since the company currently has only one product in the market the segment that it will operate in is the cold segment. This segment produces 59% percent of the revenue from sales of OTC drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). This represents a very large segment of the OTC market. Within the segment the company has to compete with 5 competitors. Of the five competitors currently only one company has a product that generated more revenue than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). Target: The target group for the company represents 59% of the current OTC market (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). However, since the company is only selling a single product the remaining 41% of the market also exists as a potential target market for the company’s future products. Based on the sales in relation to brand awareness it would appear that if the company increases expenditure on advertising there is bound to be a significant increase in sales. This is based on the fact that all the companies that report greater brand awareness than Allround also report greater sales (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). Positioning options: As it has been mentioned above all the companies that have reported greater brand awareness have also recorded greater sales than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The positioning strategy for Allround therefore is to spend more on advertising to create greater brand awareness and greater sales. In addition to that the company also intends to spend an increased amount on increasing the sales force to improve overall sales. Marketing Mix Product: It has already been observed that the company’s strength stems from the fact that it has the only cold liquid product currently available. All the remaining competitors either produce a cold capsule or a nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). For this reason the company intends to take full advantage of this position to market its product. It is the only product that alleviates several symptoms with one drug. This fact has been reported to be the reason many consumers prefer the brand (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). At the same time the company also intends to increase expenditure on research aimed at producing new products to be released in the near future. Promotion: Another essential aspect catered for in the marketing plan was the promotional approach. The approach that will be used with regard to advertising will be the same as before just that there will be more spending on each segment. It has been observed that the previous budget allocated 25% for primary demand adverts, 25% for benefits approach adverts, 25% for comparison approach adverts an d 25% for a reminder approach adverts (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The marketing plan suggests similar allocations for the new amount. However, the message of the advertisements needs to be changed to reflect greater maturity than those of the previous period. The increased retail sales suggest that there should be an increase in the amount of promotional material within the stores. Price: Based on the significant increase observed in retail sales the marketing plan suggests price reductions for the coming period (n.p.). Due to the trends within the market it would appear that there is a need to encourage sales to increase further. To achieve this there is going to be a reduction in the MSRP to reflect this need. In addition to that there are going to be reductions made in the promotional allowances and volume discounts. This is aimed at increasing the revenue earned from sales of Allround and act as an incentive for sellers of the product. Place: In addition to the increased adv ertising in retail stores and incentives to sell the product the marketing plan will also include shift of focus on the marketing place. In the analysis of the business for the next period it was observed that sales from mass merchandisers reported a significant increase (n.p.). It has been suggested that an increase is made in the number of mass merchandisers. James, Stuart W., Michael Deighan and Harlan Spotts. MarketShare: The Marketing Principles Simulation. Virginia: Interpretive Simulations, 2005. Print. n.p. The MarketShare Case. Interpretive Simulations. n.d. Web.

Global Leadership and Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Ex-Basketball Player Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Effect of Employee Empowerment on Customer Satisfaction

Effect of Employee Empowerment on Customer Satisfaction Employee empowerment and customer satisfaction is one of those terms that everyone thinks they understand, but few really do. Ask a dozen different people and youll get a dozen different answers to the question, What is employee empowerment? In fact,  research a dozen organizational theorists and youll get as many answers to the same  question. Some writers indicate that empowerment consists of sharing power and  authority. Others say that empowerment occurs when the organizations processes are  set-up to allow for it. If you keep in mind the secondary dictionary definition of to give  faculties or abilities to: enable (Grove, 1971, p.744), with all that this word implies, then  you will be on the right track for the purposes. Employee empowerment is a key feature of the modern management style. Empowered employees are expected to perform more effectively as compared to those working in  traditional or authoritarian organizational cultures. Empowered employees are more  motivated as compared to those who just follow the given lines. Employee  empowerment creates sense of belongingness and ownership towards the parent  organization. Empowered employee feel more confident and try to give their best to  their employers, as a result, service quality improves. Improved product or service  quality generally results into higher level of customer satisfaction. Higher level of  customer satisfaction results into a bigger sales volume resulting into an improved  profitability. Every business aims at earning profits; however profits and customer value  go hand in hand. In order to give maximum value to a customer, the service provider is  required to develop a sound understanding of the customer e xpectations. In the first part of this thesis, the authors will present the background to the problem,  which will then be specified in the second part. Further, the delimitations of this study  will be stated. After reading this first part, the reader will have gained a better  understanding of the research subject which leads to purpose and related research  questions guiding this study. 1.1 BACKGROUND Global markets have built a competitive environment in business. If the organizations  want to remain in the market, they must be inventive in lowering costs and value to  customers. So it is essential for an organization to utilize the full potential of its people. But the employees need power and control to make decisions to fulfill the customers  needs. According to (Cook, 1992) studies shown that people work with full energy when they  feel happy, even they are ready to sacrifice for organizations and give their blood to the  company. But when they feel valued and important. They show their involvement in the  business. (R Maxwell, 2005) Employees in a service organization and particularly, those who have  frequent contacts with the customer usually serve as representatives of both the  Organization and their products or services to the customer at contact point. The quality  of the service and the satisfaction the customer may derive will be an assessment of the  entire service experience. Employees who are empowered in an organization can either  portray a positive or negative picture to the customers. 1.2 PURPOSE STATEMENT The purpose of this survey based quantitative research is to determine and identify the  perception of employees about the employee empowerment in banking sector of  Pakistan. At what extent these organizations are practicing employee empowerment,  and how much this empowerment has impact on service quality and customer  satisfaction. In matters concerning financial commitments, investments and spending customers, not  only need reassurance that their finances are safe, but also that they are valued for  committing their stakes with a particular financial institution. Customers of a bank rely  on the services delivered to them by the bank whether they are saving depositing,  taking loans, cashing cheques or buying funds, they count on the employees  responsible for handling issues relating to them, to deliver high service quality in other  to increase their satisfaction. 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This research will provide a deep view to the implications of employee  empowerment to employees, government, employers, students and the general  public who have an interest in the study. The readers will be able to understand new relations between different variables  and conceptual understanding of these variables. They will read new concepts in  the context of banking sector e.g. organizational image, effectiveness and  efficiency and building trust. This research is targeted at the management of organizations within the banking  industry, and industries producing highly intangible-dominant services, as  suggestion regarding employee empowerment, which when practiced can  enhance customer satisfaction and create a good customer- perceived service  quality. 1.4 OBJECTIVES Main objectives of the study is to determine the impact of employee empowerment on  customer satisfaction in banking sector of Pakistan. General objectives: To determine the impact of employee empowerment on effectiveness and  efficiency. To determine the impact of employee empowerment on service quality. To determine the impact of employee empowerment on organizational image. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION What is the impact of employee empowerment on customer satisfaction in banking  sector of Pakistan? CHAPTER TWO LITRATURE REVIEW 2.0 INTRODUCTION Inside of todays unstable public and private sectors, external pressures from political,  environmental, social and technological sources require management to seek out,  evaluate and embrace, new planning, organizational and operating techniques to  remain on track in pursuit of their associations mission and long-term goals. Among  the myriad of proposed theories, models and plans submitted in the past decade to the  managerial community for possible acceptance and implementation is the concept of  employee empowerment. Within the spectrum of discussion on employee  empowerment, rhetoric inevitably mentions the relevant success or failure of  empowerment as a viable tool to upper management. According to (Kirkman, 1989) empowerment of employees is continuously growing  today in Europe. Multinationals have a great concern on empowerment of employees. Empowerment increase employee motivation and positive orientation towards his work  role and finally results in higher productivity.(Watson,2003)over the past few years,  traditional management has gone and new democratic approaches has takes its place. Employee empowerment, which came up in 1990s, is known as one of the new  management concepts. (Hanold, 1997) However, when the relevant literature is  analyzed, this concept is understood to have a longer history than previously thought  with its roots Human Rights Movement of 1950 and 1960s, empowerment has rather  closely related to the various concepts and techniques designed to democratize the  work-place. 2.1 EFFECTIVENESS EFFICIENCY (Conger, Kanangu, 1988) management researchers and practitioners have keen  interest in concept of empowerment and related management practices. This interest is  due to several reasons. First studies on leadership and managerial skills suggest that  the practice of empowering subordinate is a principal component of managerial and  organizational effectiveness. Second analyses of power and control within organization  reveals that the total productive form of organizational power and effectiveness grow  with superior sharing of power and control with subordinates. (Mayers, 1987)  employees are effective performers when they are empowered. Because it is the fact  that the employees who have authority to take decisions perform better. And utilize the  resources of the organization efficiently. 2.2 SERVICE QUALITY In banking organizations, the general offering in a particular industry is averagely  similar, even though they may engage in different approaches to achieving a  differentiation from the others, to be able to gain more market share and customers in  the industry. According to (Gooronos, 2001), that almost any retailing bank can provide  an individual with retailing services, but not every bank manages to treat customers in a  way that they are pleased with. Service providers therefore seek to differentiate themselves from their rivals by offering customers higher quality of services than their  competitors, which makes the basis of their competition to be defined by their services. (K.Sen, 2008)The nature of services as being intangible, heterogeneous, perishable,  produced, and consumed at same time makes it peculiar to deliver, and challenging to  organizations to achieve a differentiation from the others. 2.3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (Spetz, Butler; 2008)In the past years the competition in the banking sector is  increasing. There is more choice for the customers and thereby the banks have to work  harder to attract customers. (Peter, Waterman, 1982) focused that good organizations  align their strategies and goals to the requirement s of their customers .One way is to  care employees and empower them. (George 1992)There exists an interaction between  the desired results and customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHADOLOGY 3.0 INTRODUCTION Research methodology is defined as the analysis of the principles of methods, rules,  and postulates employed by a discipline or the development of methods, to be applied  within a discipline or a particular procedure or set of procedures. It should be noted that  methodology is frequently used when method would be more accurate. Methodology  includes the following concepts as they relate to a particular discipline or field of inquiry: 1. A collection of theories, concepts or ideas. 2. Comparative study of different approaches. 3. Critique of the individual methods. Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale  and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study. This is why scholarly  literature often includes a section on the methodology of the researchers. Another key,  although arguably imprecise, usage for methodology does not refer to research or to the  specific analysis techniques. This often refers to anything and everything that can be  encapsulated for a discipline or a series of processes, activities and tasks. Research is the search for knowledge through objectives and systematic method of  finding solutions to a problem. It is an original contribution to the existing stock of  knowledge making for its advancement. It is also pursuit of truth with the help of study  observation comparison and experiment and it is the science of studying how a  research is done. This chapter outlines the various stages of the research  methodology. Namely sampling procedures, data collection methods, questionnaire  design and coding of questionnaire etc. 3.1 RESEARCH STRATEGY For the purpose of this research, questionnaire-filling strategy is chosen. Primary data  will be collected through the survey questionnaire. The required information was  collected from the selected areas of Lahore in Pakistan, in order to have a complete  knowledge and insight about the activities of the banking. The study will involve a sampling of 130 individual customers of banking from a Lahore  in Pakistan. CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 TIME SCALE The following Gantt chart represents the estimated time the researcher plans on  covering the research. November December January February No ACTIVITY 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Submission of proposal waiting 1 for approval 2 Read literature 3 Introduction objectives of study 4 Draft literature review 5 Draft methodology Write questionnaire, send 6 questionnaire 7 Updating chapter 1 2 analysis Draft submission, review of all 8 chapters 9 Conclusion abstract 10 Final review of all chapters 11 Final draft submission 4.1 TIME A time resource, available is approximately 3 months (Beginning from proposal  approval) and its management has been planned as shown in the Gantt chart above,  from the Gantt chart. 4.2 COST The cost of whole research is fully sponsored be researcher. This includes all costs  incurred, inclusive of printing, transport, and communication costs. 4.3 OTHER RESOURCES Other resources that the researcher is planning to use are SPSS version 16.0 for this  analysis and other statistic analytical tools.