Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay Analysis of environmental conditions is based on the framework put forward by Lynch (2009) that assesses the general degree of turbulence in the environment. This can be done by using the two measures of Changeability and predictability (Lynch, 2009, p80), which can be subdivided into complexity and novelty (changeability), and rate of change and visibility (predictability). Establishing a level of turbulence in the environment allows us to know with how much confidence we can predict the future (Lynch, 2009). In the fourth quarter of 2009 the UK GDP rose by 0.1% (www.statistics.gov.uk, 2010) which means Britain is officially out of recession. While this means recovery is under way, many analysts remain sceptical of the extent of recovery. Andrew Sentance of the Monetary Policy Committee has claimed that pace of recovery would remain uncertain (Sentence in the Telegraph Newspaper, 2010). So, as far as predictability and visibility go, it appears very difficult to predict with confidence the extent to which the UK economy will recover in 2010, with many anticipating a slow process because the economy remains weighed down by a still fragile banking sector and high consumer and government debt levels (Seager, 2010). With regards to Changeability and complexity, there is a general election expected in May this year and there is a strong possibility of a change of Government (www.yougov.co.uk, www.ipsos-mori.com, 2010), which will bring about a change in Government policy towards businesses, for example, the Conservative Party are pledging a cut in corporation tax. (www.conservatives.com, 2010). Adding to the complexity is the recent return to a 17.5% VAT rate that adds more financial pressure to consumers in an already struggling market. The recession may have ended but analysts are not expecting too much change in spending as economic downturn is squeezing spending power and that pressure will continue into 2010 (Mintel, Oct 2009). Given the reasonably turbulent conditions, organisations must change its strategies, and possibly its beliefs if it is to maintain its ability to handle changes in the environment (Thompson, 2005). So strategy cannot be made for years into the future because of the uncertain nature of the environment. Strategy should focus on the upcoming year until the turbulence reduces. 4.2 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis is a focus on the macro environment and which factors will change the external environment in the years to come. Johnson et al (p.54) states The environment is what gives organisations their means of survival. However the environment is also a source of threats. The macro environment is the highest-level layer. This consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisations. Therefore a good analysis of the macro environment is critical to success but should also be as general and non-specific as possible, this leads to one of the down falls of PEST that it can be a very useful tool when analysing the macro environment but also its general nature can be its downfall if it becomes little more than a huge list of factors in a shopping list fashion. We have chosen to use a simple PEST analysis but to add Legal to Political and Environmental to Socio-Cultural to make sure we consider all issues of the external environment. Another criticism of PEST is that it is only as good as the group or person conducting it, a criticism that can apply to any model. However when used appropriately this model can give a good indication of the factors that will affect the external environment in the years to come. Its ability to briefly analyse and present the factors that could prove important can be highly significant. The PEST Analysis can be seen in Appendix 1 and summary in Appendix 2 4.3 Porters 5 Forces Analysis of the industry analysis is based on Porters 5 forces model as referenced by many authors. The five elements that can have an impact upon MS are The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of Buyers Threat of potential new entrants Threat of Substitutes Extent of Competitive Rivalry (Lynch, p97, 2009) More detailed information on Porters 5 Forces can be found in Appendix 3 4.4 Strategic Group Analysis Below is the strategic group analysis for Marks and Spencer, detailed information on SGA and how the table was created can be seen in Appendix 4 (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2008:76))SGA1.jpg Strategic Group Analysis for Marks and Spencer plc Scope of Activities (Extent of Product Diversity) Resource Commitment (Advertising Effort) Marks and Spencer Next John Lewis (Waitrose) Arcadia Group British Home Stores Tesco Marks and Spencer Tesco Next John Lewis (Waitrose) ASDA Debenhams 4.5 Market Segmentation Market segmentation differs from SGA in the way that is looks to customers as its focus rather than sector competitors. Lynch (2006, p105) states Market segmentation is fundamental to the development of corporate strategy. Careful analysis of segments and their characteristics is therefore important. For example some segments may have more profit potential, have less competition then others and some may be growing faster. Taking the age demographic for example the 18-30 age group is declining, whereas the 31-60 age group is growing rapidly. (ONS.gov.uk) Marks and Spencer have a great deal of competitors when it comes to market segmentation mainly due to the fact that Marks and Spencer covers so many segments, children through to adults, males and females, for example. The only segment Marks and Spencer does not appear cater for is the low income segment as its pricing policy is slightly more than mid range offered by the competitors such as Tesco in food and Next in clothing and home ware. Market segmentation of course has its advantages as it will help you to understand more competitors but importantly like the SGA will also show strategic opportunities or gaps in the market that after careful consideration could be moved into. Unfortunately, again, it is difficult to place a company easily within a segment and as before will only be based on one persons views and therefore cannot be ideal. 5.0 Internal Analysis 5.1 Resource Audit Johnson et al. state that although many companies in the same sector compete in the same environment, one may be a superior performer. It is not their environment that distinguishes between them but their internal strategic capabilities. (Please refer to Appendix 5 for definitions) We know that Marks and Spencer has the strategic capability to perform at the level required to survive and has the threshold resources needed to carry this out as well as the necessary threshold competences to underpin this, companies that were founded in 1880s would not still be in business today without these in place. More interesting are the unique resources and core competencies specific to Marks and Spencer that help them gain and maintain competitive advantage. We know that MS has a wide range of shops and retail units the length of the country but this is not a unique resource as Tesco has more units and more retail space, however unique to MS its presence on the high street in the volume it appears, with food and clothing, more supermarkets are situated on retail parks and out of town, even when they appear in town they are small and do not carry the same stock levels. MS also have 295 stores in 41 different countries. Logistically MS must have excellent systems in place to allow all these stores to be stocked. MSs biggest unique resource perhaps is the brand. When you say Marks and Spencer to people they almost always think of quality. Marks Spencer have been around for over 125 years and no company can survive this long without delivering good quality own branded products that have stood the test of time. 5.2 Value Chain Analysis The value chain describes the categories of activities within and around an organisation, which together create a product or service (Johnson, 2008, p110). The primary activities for Marks and Spencer concern its inbound logistics, operations outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. MS places great emphasis on the quality of its products, which they believe justify higher prices. The marketing strategy emphasises this with, for example, the your MS (see case study) attempting to give back to the customer and emphasising the quality of the products. They have also begun to promote a price comparison with Waitrose (Thomas, 2009) while keeping an emphasis on quality, with the strap line Price checked against Waitrose Essentials. Quality checked by MS (Thomas, 2009). This method of emphasising quality has given MS its reputation, but it is important to live for the standards it sets itself. MS also adds value through its customer service, with a Mintel report revealing it has the highest customer service rating of any retailer amongst consumers and is continuing to invest in raising service standards (Mintel, 2007). They have also trained some staff to become healthy eating experts (Mintel, 2007) in a bid to improve customer service. It is this sort of commitment that enables MS to be regarded as a high quality retailer. They would be unable to charge higher prices if customer service was poor. For its outbound logistics MS have launched new ways of packaging. Under a program known as plan A in cooperation with Oxfam they plan to become carbon neutral by 2012. This is being done by promising not to send any packaging to landfill and putting labels on packaging so that consumers know how to recycle their goods. (Mintel, 2010). While many retailers have launched ethical policies with regards to packaging MS appear to have gone further than others with its promise to become carbon neutral. This policy is backed up through one of its support activities, technology development, where they sought to introduce new recyclable content into its packaging. Value has also been created through a commitment to sustainable fishing (The Guardian, 2010) making it the first food retailer to make such a commitment. This shows an ethical standpoint on its inbound logistics and procurement policies. Such policies have helped create value within the brand, giving consumers the image that while they may pay a bit more for their products, they will receive high quality, ethically produced goods, which it is hope will bring customers back. 5.3 Key Stakeholders We will now look at key stakeholders using Mendelows Matrix (Ref: majyds.wordpress.com//power-of-stakeholders/) Mendelows power/ interest matrix High Customers Employees Shareholders Power Low Bank Creditors Low High Level of Interest NB: More detailed analysis on how this conclusions were drawn can be found in Appendix 6 6.0 SWOT Analysis of External and Internal Analysis After analysing the internal and external environments we can generate a series of strategic alternatives or choices of strategies to follow in the future. To do this, we must look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The purpose of this is to build on the strengths of the company, eliminate weaknesses, develop opportunities and counter threats. The SWOT and the reasons why we have chosen the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that we have can be seen in Appendix 7 and 8 7.0 Strategic Options for Marks and Spencer 7.1 Option One After producing the swot analysis and identifying the areas that need attention and further progression, we need to implement some strategic options using the key elements of the organisations purpose. When looking at the SWOT analysis we can see that amongst MSs strengths, they have the biggest market share in clothing and produce quality products. They also have weaknesses of reliance on their own brand and they are in a weak cash position. These lead us to consider MSs environment based options, in particularly, their market options. Ansoff Matrix Diagram(Mindtools.com) Looking at Ansoffs Matrix (above), one of the strategic options we have chosen to implement is that of Product Development. We believe that although MS currently have the biggest market share in clothing, this needs to be protected and pushed forward. Especially as there is such fierce competition in this sector. With the fact that MS already sell clothing, they will not require new competencies to execute this plan. Fashion retailers like Next, MS and Topshop have been through a long period when they have been able to rely solely on declining prices to drive sales upwards. However, with the falling pound and rising overseas sourcing costs, competing on price is going to become increasingly difficult for them. Customers who still have money to spend are going to be ever more demanding. Retailers will have to identify the needs of their core customer even more closely and make sure that they are met. Improving staff training, motivation and product knowledge, as well as recruitment and retention will be crucial in doing so. (Mintel 02/09) As the statement above says, retailers need to identify the needs of their customers more closely. MSs clothing is well know as a mature fashion range, though recently George Davis, the man behind George at Asda is about to launch a new spring collection with a brand new label. This clothing range is called give and is aimed at aged 30+ women. The entrepreneur is bankrolling give, which targets well-off women with fashion pieces that can be customised to fit perfectly. (The Guardian, 02/10) This is product development in itself as they are bringing in new products to existing markets, but we would suggest that they focus on making the new label one that will attract the younger customer at an affordable price. We would also suggest that they use a well know female celebrity to endorse the new clothing range. Neil Mason, a senior retail analyst at Mintel, believes that introducing a limited collection, like Kate Mosss at Topshop, adds to the appeal. The celebritys status in itself is enough to make these lines work, but theres no doubt that when a retailer limits the supply it generates more interest, a real kudos for the people who manage to get their hands on a coveted item. (independent.co.uk:2007) Younger females look up to and want to be like young, successful female celebrities and are very fashion conscious. MS currently have Twiggy as the face of a brand of clothing, but this would not appeal to the younger audience. This strategy should be implemented as soon as possible to coincide with MSs seasonal clothing ranges. 7.2 Option Two Using Ansoffs matrix, it has also been decided to use market penetration as an option, specifically with regards to food sales. As was found in the SWOT analysis food sales remain comparatively low and with its main competitor (Waitrose) having overtaken MS food in terms of market share, (Finch, The Guardian, 2009). As of July 2009 Waitrose had a share of 4.2% to MS 3.7% (Creevy, 2009). Having identified food sales as a weakness (despite slight growth in the last quarter of 2009 (Mintel, Nov 2009)) it is necessary to formulate a strategic plan to improve this situation. Given the immense competition, struggling UK economy, consumers down trading and the price wars between competitors there are major hurdles to cross to penetrate the market further. However, using the strength of the brand and the added value MS has over other food retailers a plan can be developed. While MS will never compete with the likes of ALDI and LIDL on price it can look at overtaking Waitrose. Mintel suggests Waitrose have leapfrogged Marks Spencer in food sales, helped by its Essential value range (Mintel, 23-07-2009) and as consumers are moving to cheaper supermarkets it is suggested that MS launch a lower cost range to compete with Waitrose. By attracting customers with lower cost alternatives it can use its high level of customer satisfaction to try and keep them. It will be important to also keep an emphasis on quality. The advert referenced in the value chain analysis reflects this, but the campaign needs to be bigger to make all consumers aware of it. There is a perception that MS is much higher priced than its competitors (Finch, 2009), that Sir Stuart Rose has acknowledged so it needs to wow customers with good deals. Also, it could be said that MS has an over reliance on its own brand and shoppers cannot get their favourite brands in MS so have to go to another shop to get them. This possibly results in a loss of custom. If MS can roll out popular household favourites, such as Kelloggs, Heinz etc as well as keeping an extensive range of their own products an increase in food sales and market share should happen. 7.3 Option Three Looking at the further options raised by Ansoff, another strategic option for Marks and Spencers to investigate is that of Diversification. Looking at the SWOT we can see that diversification and acquisitions are both on the SWOT as is a strong brand name, this led us to thinking what could MS do? There are two types of diversification one is related, where new products and markets are developed but within current capabilities and constraints or unrelated where it is beyond the current capabilities. We are going to look at adding new luxury products to new markets concerning both vertical and backward integration. This could be through integration or merger/acquisition of say a car manufacturer or a luxury holiday supplier. The supplier getting to use the Marks and Spencer brand name associated with quality and then MS marketing the products and getting a percentage of the profits made on sales. MS already supply travel money so why not holidays as well. Many companies have to adapt to survive, MS are not different in this respect, companies need to look to increase revenue where they can and this is one way it can be achieved. Business synergy is important and this can be one way to achieve, create new and maintain it. 8.0 Evaluation of Strategic Options Strategic Option Suitability Acceptability Feasibility Total 1 8 5 9 22 2 7 6 7 20 3 7 4 4 15 Detailed Analysis of how this was reached can be found in Appendix 9 8.1 Conclusion Overall, we would therefore recommend option one for implementation. 9.0 Evaluation of Models Some analysis is contained within the text and appendix but any additional analysis is detailed in Appendix 10

Causes of WWI

Newspapers, literature, music, parades, propaganda, and theatre all fueled Nationalism Our nation is special, unique and superior Can not be defeated Our government and military will win any conflict Royal, politicians, and diplomats fueled this belief and pushed this belief Such hype ND arrogance led many to believe war was good, Inevitable, and would only prove their arrogant belief Europe had not seen War or experienced significant military loss for decades which only added to their misfiles Examples Many people like the British thought the war would be over in a matter of months Thought it was spiritual with God on your side†¦ ND war enthusiasm Felt entitled to more land Militarism Militarism AND THE EUROPEAN ARMS race were both contributing factors to WWW When a country decides to grow and focus on their military Spent a lot of money on weapons/defense Drafting folks into militaryThe dreadnought (battleship) LED TO THE WAR using power of weapons to destroy others Alliances made alliances even if they weren't â€Å"mad† at the other country 2) Sucked in other HUGE countries to help them in war 3) Led to world wide war Otherwise would've been local war Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy Triple Entente Russia, France, Britain Imperialism Industrialism Building factors, big business's In order to be a successful factory, you needed materials Everybody wanted something, natural competition out of industrialization Hungry for resources, coal, tin, steel Mechanisms of war to buildCompetition over territory When Austria annexes Bosnia The blackhead didn't like it (Yugoslavian nationalists) Want their own kind of Serbian Yugoslavian empire Their way of saying how they disapprove is by assassinating Archduke Ferdinand June 24, 1918 Gabriel Principia Austria declares war on Serbia, as a result of the assassination because of the assassination Russia sides with Serbia Weapons of War Machine Guns Used as defensive weapon Took 4 men to opera te 1 gun Usually positioned on flat tripod Fired 400-600 rounds p minute Short burst shot Rapidly overeat without cooling mechanism (water)Had to carry large amounts of water to big battles IF they ran out of water, they would use urine Tanks Protected soldiers inside and behind Helped get people across â€Å"no-man's land† Awkward and uncomfortable but useful, but hot Poison Gas Burned skin Destroyed lungs Used them to put in trenches Gas might blow toward your men Trenches Weren't very hospitable Dug by soldiers who were going to fight No Man's Land Land between trench's Filled u=of bombs, mud, holes, barbed wire Health Giants rats, lice, cooties are body lice Rats and pests Weather Muddy and cold, trench foot (cool temp and wet foot) Deteriorating foot Salted meat and crackers Boredom Played cars, letters, go out and shoot rats Chores Soccer Game During Christmas Truce Traumas Trench foot Trench fever Sickness and disease Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PETS) Caused by bei ng in battle or war for an extended amount of time Also known as shell shock Suffer from nightmares and horrors Families were changed Soldiers came back and weren't the same Still have PETS through relatives dying Three Key Battles of WWW The Battle of Verdure Feb. 21-Deck 16 1916 Ten month battle BTW France and Germany Neither side gained much of an advantage Roughly half a million lost on each side No advantage for either side Battle of Jutland Naval battle Gave allies control of sea, British now had most powerful Ana Sea superiority America was supporting by sending supplies over ships Only major naval battle of WWW Meanwhile, Germany focuses on U-boat Children in War Girl scouts Raised cookies Collected peach pits for gas masks Made gardens Boy scouts Looked out for incoming ships Victory gardens with schools Red Cross Poems Motivations of a poet were the horrors and question their existence of God John Peal Bishop – were in the war and questioning GodJoyce Killer  œ why friends died and questioning God Archibald Manacles – talking about mother nature Woodrow Wilson President, reelected again for no war Reluctant to Join WWW He had to because of the Louisiana (ship that was sunk) Ship was sunk because USA was transporting Britain weapons and food Zimmerman Telegram German ambassador Sent coded message to Mexico that said: Join the war and you'll get land British coded it out and told USA Toward the end of the war, Willow's wrote document called â€Å"14 Points† that said to be a lasting peace and no more war Make a league of nations New George Washington† David Lloyd Jorge British prime Up to him to work with French Had to negotiate on how to work together Oversaw the building of the royal navy. ar (navy) Convoy is key – group of soldiers in unison Sent a bunch of ships, scouting, and looking for u boats If you can't keep supplies going to Europe, then your men will be out of food, bullets, medicine, and soldiers Geo rge Clemencies â€Å"Curious George† Key drafter in treaty of Versailles Much of French countryside was completely destroyed French suffered greatly since it was destroying their country Easy to point a finger on Curious George, now there was a reason to be mad at Paris was evacuated Mad at Germany, made sure Germany paid for the war Gassed by John Singer Sergeant Aftermath of a mustard gas attack Bravery of soldiers Wounded and dead soldiers all over the ground The soldiers have blindfolds over their eyes to try to protect their eyes from the burning gas Hispanics and Native Americans Lots of people had prejudices against people not white in the war Stereotype that certain type of people, considering their not white enough, as being unable to contribute Many Hispanics served (200,00) David Barley changed his name to go in front, blended inNative Americans were code talkers Anyone who could speak Chickasaws were pulled to send messages Letters and Interviews Hildebrand Scan N o money Hard to get Job Injured (one leg/arm) Many died from illness Flu was going through Lied to get in because thy wanted to fight so badly Myth of war was going to have a great experience Censored letters Didn't' want people to lose support Didn't want people to tell horrible experiences Squashes their spirits Always going to stay positive Economic and Social Aspects of World War I War bonds – whenever you buy a war bond, it gave money to the government so they loud use it on the army After the war, you would get a small interest back 20 Billion dollars Social aspects Private industries donated Woman in work force Black markets emerging Victories exaggerated for morale A lot of propaganda Women are going to get more Jobs then they ever had since so many men were overseas Social Effects Most went for heroism Gas warfare caused fear (mustard gas) for soldiers Restricted rights in Britain WWW government restricted people that they couldn't say bad stuff about the government Social Rights Huge propaganda Illegal to criticize gob Social Impact New field of occupation Health, manufacturing guns Better conditions Increase of nurses Increase of transport/services African Americans Thought it would give them better treatment and opportunity They split the blacks and whites into 92nd and 93rd infantry Weren't many blacks in the Ana Some fought alongside the French Awarded by French for their bravery Most women got factory Jobs and nurse Jobs Harlem Hellfire's It took them 4 trains and 2 ferries to transport black veterans Punished for killing people Race riot at camp Discrimination Wanted higher wages and better working conditionsThere was residential segregation Great Migration – blacks living in the south saw opportunities for better work and less racism up north Go up north and look for a place to live Said they were told by people that they can't live in a certain part of town Many blacks like Henry Johnson were given awards for how hard they fough t Blacks felt like they had to prove themselves The Treaty of Versailles End cap of war This treaty is so important in understanding WI Central Powers Germany – mil dead Austral-Hugger -1. 2 mil dead Turkey 325,000 dead Bulgaria – 100,000 dead Total losses – 8. 5 mil dead, 2. Mil wounded The Big Three David Lloyd George (Britain), Clemencies (France), and Woodrow Wilson (America) Italy had an alliance with Germany when the war started and remained neutral in the war until they finally sided with Allied forces This caused Italy to technically be the fourth Big country in the war, but were not involved in signing of the treaty much Russia had Just gotten out of â€Å"Stalin's Purge† > great loss David Lloyd George of Britain wanted Germany to be punished but he didn't not want to be kicked out of office for punishing to little.His goal was to punish Germany for their crimes but not o much Woodrow Wilson didn't want much movement in the treaty, he believed i t was up to Europe, but he still believed in punishing Germany The only thing he really wanted was a league of nations set in place in Europe, The league of Nation was a council of European countries working together Clemencies wanted revenge of Germany Terms of Treaty Military Terms Germany was to have a very limited army The army force was reduced to 100,00 men Only 6 naval ships No tanks No air force No gas weapons No heavy artillery General Terms of The Treaty Germany had to admit responsibility for the war meaning he had to pay all the image he caused, they had to pay over 6 mil 6 hundred pounds and the repair their own country. The league of nation was set up to keep the peace, but not the way Wilson wanted it to be The Germans only had two options, sign the treaty, or be invaded The treaty gave away 13. % of Germany's land to other countries and almost it all of it's colonies in other parts of world It also demoralized the western part of Germany for 1 5 years Sum: Germany ha d to take blame for the war and took away it's weapons Negotiation The treaty was negotiated from Jan 1919 to June 1919 The treaty had 15 parts and 440 articles IT ended the war officially on June 28 1919 The Germans started disobeying this disagreement in the sass's Hitler denounced treaty altogether in 1935 ON September 1, 1939 Hitler attacked Poland The impact of WWW on Women outside, dealing with forestry, service and cars, police force, nurses on the front line, fixing equipment, running messages, playing sports,†hello girl† – telephone operators, helped communication between trenches and lieutenants.Widowed, women had to adjust to man, (PETS) Juggle with career, kids,(single mom duty) Toward the end of the war, men come back and want all these Jobs back Women are old â€Å"it's your patriotic duty to go back home† forced to go back home Men in army want their Jobs back from blacks and women Because they played a key role in the economy, 19th amendment will be passed – right to vote Flu Pandemic 1918 and 1919 Originated from Spain, they called it the Spanish flu Kills more people than the war Roughly 20-40 million people died Conditions of warfare (training in facilities) going to forts and camps and the conditions that they live in are very congested If someone got the flu, it was easily caught Same thing in the trenches t Flu killed people within 24 hours, a lot of people survived, but more people diedPeople war masks to prevent from flu Resources were limited as to keeping up with the sick Schools, churches, gems, to lay out bodies and help people Doctors and nurses were in shortage Elevates to the point where your respiratory system and blood causes your system to fail How the US Got Ready for WWW Draft people (selective service act) Age 21-30 were drafted Some volunteered 3 million men served Dodge draft, religious reasons to not fight Raise money Liberty bonds Espionage Act – worried about others spying on us Go after people who aid the enemy German spies in US (terrorist from Germany) Sedition act Don't criticize government or the war effort Propaganda Committee of Public information Posters Movies Demonic or villainies Remember causes of war Harlem Hell fighters Most honored army Black people People had their own music Jazz) Jazz age came Women Women in WWW don't get much real attention Women did lots of munitions work Dangerous work, often lost fingers, could lose their life They were the ones who made sure the men overseas had bullets, shells, guns, and uniforms in which to fight. They pushed and moved heavy trucks Learned to mix chemicals Assemble airplanes Learned to weld and rivet Got to vote Operate machine tools

Education Journal Article Essay

I have been working with children for quite some time and I have always wondered why some children were coming to school being able to communicate better than others. With that being an interest of mine, I chose the article Ways of Talking: Patterns of Parent-Child Discourse and the Implications for Classroom Learning (Roseanne L. Flores, Educational Horizons 77 no1 25-9 Fall ’98). The purpose of this article was to examine parent-child talk within two groups of parents from the New York City area. The questions posed for this study were 1) Does home environment i.e, culture or socioeconomic status, lead to different types of discourse practices, and 2) Does one type of discourse practice parallel classroom discourse better, and if so, what are the implications for education (Flores, 1998)? The research was conducted at two sites in New York City. A Bronx city public school servicing kindergarten children from a low socioeconomic status composed primarily of Latino and African-American children, and an elementary school servicing gifted children ranging from nursery school to eighth grade from a diverse economic and ethnic background. There were a total of fourteen children and their parents who participated in the study. Seven children and their parents were from the public school and seven from the gifted school. Each parent and child set were given a tape recorder and were asked to record two mealtime conversations with their child; one conversation from the weekend and one during the week. The purpose of the recordings was to examine how parents and their children talk to each other in everyday contexts. The parents were able to select the meal they wanted to record,  the location of the tape recorder, and the time the taping began and ended. The dialogue practices engaged in by parents and children from this study were dramatically different between the groups (Flores, 1998). The results/answers to the questions are as follows: 1. Does home environment i. e, culture or socioeconomic status, lead to different types of discourse practices? -The parent-child pair from the gifted program engaged in more parent-initiated, child response, parent-evaluation dialogues than did the children selected from the non-gifted program. Children from the gifted program initiated more questions and had parents who responded to their questions by probing for additional information than did the children from the non-gifted program (Flores, 1998). The conversations from the students in the gifted program were more open-ended and mirrored classroom dialogue practices. The conversations from the students in the non-gifted program were more close-ended, yes-no-style dialogues (Flores, 1998). 2. Does one type of discourse practice parallel classroom talk more than other forms? – The information from the data indicated that there were different styles of talking that children and parents engage in and that in fact one style reflected classroom dialogue practice better. The results showed the children from the gifted program engaged more in patterns of dialogue with their parents that were reflective of teacher talk. Parents replicated teacher talk at home by evaluating and pushing children to think and they engaged in more topic-centered talk mimicking what teachers do in the classrooms. While the conversations with the parents and students from the non-gifted program were more yes-no interactions and closed ended discussions (Flores, 1998). In conclusion, parents and children from different social and economic backgrounds clearly engage in different dialogue practices. Certain styles of discourse mirror classroom practices more than others (Flores, 1998). The assumption made concerning young children’s ability to enter into school during their formative years and to engage in language as a means to communication is a faulty one. The research demonstrated the communication styles are often quite different even though the basic prerequisites for communication have been met (Flores, 1998). It is important to avoid the misapprehension that the children and their parents from the non-gifted programs are incapable of engaging in teacher-type talk. They may not talk in this way because it does not have the same meanings in their community (Flores, 1998). In order for students to engage in the conversations that are going on in the schools on a level where they understand, parents will have to learn to speak the language and participate in the school more. Teachers will have to work hard in convincing parents the importance of learning and functioning within the school culture so they will instill that in their children. The article clearly states that parents and their children should not stop talking in their â€Å"home-language† they just have to learn the art of â€Å"code-switching†, being able to know when to use certain dialogue. References Flores, R. L. (1998). Ways of Talking: Patterns of Parent- Child Discourse and the Implications for Classroom Learning. Educational Horizons 77 no1 25-9 ———————– 5

The need for administration within a company - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2783 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Every developed or business administration comes into way of life when a number of individuals link hands. All these persons exert to attain various organisational goals. The performance of a variety of individuals will be coordinated if somebody is there to assume this work. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The need for administration within a company" essay for you Create order Management of all ventures seized up the dependability of conveying, managing and domineering the activities of persons running there. Management conveys individual and material resources jointly for accomplishing the organisational goals. Human resource is of dominant significance for the achievement of any organisation. Different individuals demonstrate comparable and contradictory outlines of manners. They include their own set of wants, drives, goals and practices. Management have to be sentient of their desires. Manpower management is the most fundamental job. Proper human resource management will develop competence and concert of individuals at work. TASK 1- HRM approach: 1a) Distinguish between Personnel management and Human resource management approaches, outlining the advantages/ disadvantages of each approach? By tradition, inside the huge organisations at least, dependability for human resource issues put down within the workers function. A characteristic catalogue of workers management functions approved out in organisations would be extremely broad and would consist of recommending on different actions such as: recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, training and development, payment and pensions systems, industrial relations and so on. Personnel management has had only a incomplete role in the management of people in organisations. It has had a necessary role at the effective level in, for example: advising on and implementing selection systems, payment methods, training and development programmes, welfare arrangements and a swarm of other activities. It has had much less brunt, nevertheless rather than strategic. Distinguish between Personnel Management and Human Resource Management? Some people may feel that HRM is a distinguished word for personnel management. While others feel that HRM and personnel management execute the same functions. Both the terms are dissimilar in attitude or philosophy. Human resource management is not personnel management rather the latter is a part of the former. Personnel management is the planning, organising, directing and controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration and maintenance of people for the purpose of contributing to organisational, individual and social goals.- Flippo Despite the fact that, Flippo talks of individual and social goals but the key driving force is to attain organisational aims with the assistance of individuals. The individual objectives and goals inundate into organisational goals. The planning, organising, directing and controlling of human beings are the other key functions of personnel management. HRM philosophy is to enlarge the people as per their targets and indi vidual goals and encourage them to facilitate in accomplishing organisational goals. So human resource is considered to be an important element in HRM thinking. Personnel function is headed by personnel manager who is believed to be acquainted with rules and regulations of personnel trainings and he advises the top management on special policies. Personnel management is measured as a separate function like other functions HRM, on the other hand, is a part of every line function. The most important job of every manager is activating and human resource management cannot be secluded from activating. So there should not be a consciousness that conventional personnel management function is replaced by HRM. Rather, HRM has engrossed the personnel function in developed form. Personnel Management Approach: Personnel management is fretful with the management and accurate consumption of human resources for accomplishing the organisational goals. It necessitates a stable awareness and responsiveness of human relations and their significance in day by day businesses. It aims to provide not only the organisation and its workers but also the culture at large. Advantages of Personnel Management: Manages the people in the enterprise effectively. Deals with employees both as individuals as well as in groups Motivates people for getting better outcomes. Universal application Continuous application Human Resource Management Approach: Human Resource Management is fretful with the human beings in an organisation. It replicates a new viewpoint which views organisations manpower as its possessions and assets. In the present complex and quickly altering socio-cultural environment, no business or organisation can survive or cultivate devoid of efficient management of human resources. Advantages of Human Resource Management: Human resource helps in employee management It provides consultancy Builds business plans Anticipation of business Structuring the public relations Expand organisational commitment Coping with changing environment Disadvantages of Human Resource Management: Lack of Top management support Inappropriate implementation Insufficient development programmes Inadequate information 1b) Identify which of the approaches (HRM or Personnel Management) that your chosen organisation currently adopts and discuss how the chosen organisations approach to managing people has changed over recent years? Internationalisation of the hotel industry has reached the pinnacle of business programmes and many hotel chains commence to understand that the global business environment is obtainable to be essentially dissimilar from that of the precedent and that their HRM approaches necessitate attention. In order to discuss the HRM or Personnel Management approach, we can choose Hilton International Hotel Group. This organisation mostly focuses on HRM approaches in order to manage the people. Hilton International Hotel Group is a foremost global hotel brand. The company controls the 380 hotels worldwide and is represented in 66 countries. Its 80,000 strong workforce looks after an average of 8 million guests every year. (Article, 2002; Annual Report. 2003). The excellence of the Hilton brand is such that customer service and effective excellence is superior than in most industries. In recent years, a variety of informations have tried to recognize the causes of the disequilibrium in th e allotment of the labour. Clarifications have ranged from the necessitate to change management style to enhancements in staffing and selection procedures. A booming English economy might have inhaled strong profits into the generosity industries underneath line, but it has left many hotels rushing to fill positions in what is being called tightest labour market. Now a day the industry employs for the most part young people and certainly for a lot of them provides the summit of entry into the world of work. In Hilton, where employees are renowned as appreciated assets and obtain the training essential to presume better responsibility, and where their attitude is required with look upon to operational changes, revenue rates are lower. TASK 2- Recruitment and Selection: 2a) Outline the HR planning process undertaken by your chosen organisation and discuss how this compares to the theory of HR planning as identified in the HR planning lesson of the RDI study materials? Senior executives at Hilton consider that the training and partial development of its employees is significant in order for the business to continue ahead in a aggressive global market place. Hilton International is totally decentralised; dividing into countries, cities and individual hotels. This intended that hundreds of managers had to be persuaded about the programme- and exercise in which skill soft played a fundamental role. For the last few years, Hilton has initiated a large number of HRM strategies which hub on selecting, training and initial global managers who recognize the worldwide consequence of their business and be able to activate all the way through the world. The failure of employees is surrounded by the chief issues in front of contemporary day to day corporations. Hilton Hotel Group is one of the examples, where managers employ with intimately with employees to facet their career paths. Hilton begins to exhibit that edifying a pleased and important workforce is not a temporary procedure, but an incorporated approach that saturates all the way through every aspect of the organisation. Hilton tries to be familiar with the significance of employee approaches and profoundly invests in them. 2b) Compare and contrast the recruitment and selection processes of two organisations operating in different industries- one organisation should be your chosen organisation as identified in Q1 plus another organisation of your choice? In this study we are going to analyse the recruitment and selection processes of two organisations namely- Hilton International Group and Mc Donalds which are operating in hospitality and fast food industry. The analysis on the hospitality industry assumed here as attained numerous key results where the first relates to the importance to the external environment. The affiliation between HRM and concert only exist in the middle of hotels emphasising the importance of quality improvement among hotels in other countries. HRM shows unproductive where cost control felt as a means to business strategy cost. This analysis affords sustain for the emergency suggestion that the efficiency of HRM relies upon fit with business strategy. The company that applies the global included business strategy supervises and staffs employees on a global basis. Hilton has for many years challenged to recruit and develop a group of international managers from various countries. These people represent a portable base of managers who are used in a mixture of services as the need arises. Here we can discuss about the recruitment and selection process of two organisations namely Hilton International Group and Mc Donalds. Both focus on different industries such as hospitality and fast food industry. The recruitment and selection process of Hilton International Group is very wide as compared to the fast food industry. In each employees are interviewed and successful them are recruited to the management. Both the organisation needs the concentration of hospitality as well as fast food industry. But there are some differences and similarities in both these organisations recruitment and selection process. In Hilton International Group and Mc Donalds, the key management holders recruit the employees who are able to work in the management. But they are not recruiting the shop floorers, chefs, cleaners, housekeeping etc. This right were given to sub-contractors. Therefore there will b e some differences in the selection in the position for management and other. But in Hilton, recruitment process is a huge criteria as compared to Mc Donalds. TASK 3- Monitoring and rewarding employees: 3a) Explain how your chosen organisation measures the performance of its employees? According to the performance evaluation of employees in Hilton International Group, the workers are recruiting with a number of objectives in mind, whether these have accomplished or not has to be frequently assessed. They have chosen Merit rating technique which assess the performance of a job in requisites of its requirements. Moreover, persons differ in their abilities and propensities. Even if the same basic education and training is given to them, these differences cannot be eliminated. There will always be difference in the quantity and quality of work done by different employees even on the same job. Thus, it is but essential for the management to know these differences so that the employees having better abilities may be rewarded and the wrong placement of employees may be corrected through transfers. The individual employees may also like to know their level of performance in comparison to the others, so that they can improve upon it. All this emphasis on the need to have a suitable performance appraisal system in order to measure the relative merits of each employee. The performance of the employees in Hilton International Group can be evaluated in different ways. They are: Reviewing past performance Assessing training and development needs Target setting Evaluating potential Pay determination 3b) Give details of the systems in place within your chosen organisation to reward employees and evaluate the success of these methods in motivating employees? An organisations rewards strategy is possibly the area which, for employees, provides the furthermost connection between oratory and certainty. It is not only an important instrument in terms of conservation, eagerness and recruitment. It is an outlook to make clear the culture of the organisation in a way that has real impact on employees. In Hilton International Group, the acquirement of leisure group Stakis Plc promotes a re-examine and succeeding modernizes of the companys rewards program. (Webster, 2004) Hilton International aims to make everyone feel valued within their working environment. Its objectives are to maintain high standards in human resources management and to create a business culture in which everyone can grow and develop their careers. To support this commitment, Hilton international has been launched worldwide, covering a range of skills for the hotel industry, from operational and technical to finance and general management. All these rewarding policies he lp the organisation to motivate the employees. TASK 4- Employment exit procedures: 4a) Describe the different circumstances under which employees can leave an organisation? Use examples from your chosen organisation to illustrate. Employees may leave the organisation due to different circumstances. They are as follows. Level of Job satisfaction Flexibility of staff Commitment Competitors wages Lack of flexibility in working patterns including hours and career break Poor investment in career development in any level of staff Diversity and equality in any of these organisations Poor staff induction and management training Poor performance feedback We can compare these points with Hilton International Group. In this organisation, the employees are recruited on the basis of their abilities and knowledge. The management should be satisfied with the working. The workers should get appropriate job satisfaction because the hospitality industry is mainly based on that. If only the workers are satisfied with the working environment, the customers will also be satisfied. Customer plays a key role in every organisation. If the employee doesnt have proper training, there will be no proper or ganisation. Therefore in order to get better result, the employees must get proper training and get suitable performance appraisal. 4b) Outline the key components of the redundancy policy of your chosen organisation. Identify in what areas the policy can be improved particularly with reference to the redundancy selection and alternatives to redundancy. Every organisation comprise of redundancy policy. There will be no organisation without these policies. The key components of redundancy policy of Hilton International Group (Hospitality Industry) are as follows: Introduction: it is business policy to avoid making compulsory redundancies among its employees whenever and wherever possible. This will be achieved by variety of measures which was set out in following process. In the event of unfortunate redundancies the business will act sensitively as possible in accordance with all relevant legislation. Definition of Redundancy: Redundancy defined under employment rights act. Avoiding redundancy: The business will endure to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible. Measures for avoiding compulsory redundancies may include a mixture of following have deemed to be appropriate and cost effective. Natural waste Terminating employment of casual staff and staff employed by agencies Seeking volunteers for early reti rement or voluntary redundancy Re-deployment and if possible re-training to other parts of the organisation Reduction or elimination of over time working Restriction on recruitment Considering volunteers for part time working Short time working Considering suggestions from trade unions Formal consultation with relevant trade unions and employees: This should begin as soon as redundancies are contemplated and includes informing both trade unions and employees that redundancies are possible and seeking their views on. Determining the areas where redundancies occur: Management will take in consideration from employees and trade unions. The decision has to where to make redundancies must ultimately rest within the board. Consultation with relevant trade unions: The decisions were taken in order to explain to the legal compliance with the trade unions. Selection methods: Since the need to maintain a balanced, skilled and experienced workforce after the redun dancy is paramount, individuals who have been selected for individuals redundancy will normally selected using merit criteria. (Taking into account disciplinary and attendance records). Right to make representation: Those who been selected for redundancies have a right to make representations appointed by them such as legal assistance or trade unions or member of family. Issuing of notice: Appropriate selected employees will be given advanced and proper notice to terminate their contract and due arrears will be paid accordingly. Appeal: The employees have the right to appeal against the management, if they feel that the management decision was wrong. Right to time of seek other employment and other suitable alternative employment: If the skilled employees are redundant, normally the management will give grace period in order to find out other job. Status of policy: The business reserves the right to depart from this policy where circumstances demanded and to review an d vary this policy from time to time. Conclusion: Hiltons strategies on globalisation sturdily impinge on the approach it takes to international human resource management. To make sure the improvement of managers with global knowledge, Hilton and other global hotel chains could do with to set up HRM systems as a heart constituent of general organisation tactic and implement a formalised approach. Whichever approach is approved, it looks like necessary to graph the strategy and focus on a holistic, long term approach to a certain extent than the individual, short term approaches. An additional centralised approach can optimize Hiltons management as a reasonable supply.