Information Systems Role in Contemporary Businesses

Introduction An information system comprises of all constituents that collect, proliferate and disseminate data. In most cases, these comprise the hardware, people, software, communication systems and the information itself. Information systems conduct various activities that include processing data in to information, input of data, data storage and the production of outputs (Moin, 2006). For these reasons, most contemporary businesses have integrated systems of information technology in their management.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Information Systems Role in Contemporary Businesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benefits of information Systems to a business Correct utilization of information systems by the management of a business can offer a great deal of operational effectiveness and accurateness. In contemporary business world, this is similar to the competitive advantage of the business (Shar rieff, 2011). Moin (2006) affirms that in most cases, information systems sustain and sometimes comprise the competitive advantage of a business. In this case, information systems sustain all the sustainable competitive advantages of a business. Incorporation of information systems helps employees to give greater level of services to their consumers, especially the employees who are in contact with customers. This means that information systems are at most times fundamental in running business activities in the modern world since the employees offer better services to the consumers. Businesses achieve more productive business decisions that have positive influence on the company’s bottom line due to suitable utilization of the information systems offered by the company (Sharrieff, 2011). Information systems can decrease the number of administrative employees as well as the number of hours an employee will work in comparison with the manual performance of a similar process. Th is occurs since the duty that an employee was supposed to perform happen to be performed by the machine. This effectiveness permits the organization to gather benefits in other areas. For instance, a company can offer a lower bid for a certain contract than its rival company due to the reduced costs linked with the execution of effective information systems (Webster, 2011). In the modern world, computer networks permits the multinational companies to offer real time services at all times all over the world. Improved technology of the computers and the information systems helps in meeting consumers’ requests and their relocation across the nations and time zones even without the customers’ consent.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 For instance, the Sealand Services Inc. which is a global based shipping company in the United States executed a new propriet ary shipping management system that mechanized customer transactions worldwide. These customer transactions included order taking and document management (Stephens, 2011). Information systems play a major role in supporting business processes and operations. They achieve this through recording and storing sales information, acquisition data, savings data, payroll data, and other accounting information. Information systems also aid in storing and recording inventory data, equipment repair and maintenance data, work in process data, supply chain data and other production records. The human brain is not capable of storing all the necessary data that a company requires and thus the use of information systems is relevant. Information systems are also helpful in recording and storing customer purchase histories, market data, customer profiles, marketing research data, advertising data and other marketing records (Moin, 2006). In most companies, execution of information systems occurs in o rder to offer self-services to employees and the consumers. If companies and businesses grant permission to customers and employees to gain access and make changes to their own account data rather than presenting a paper request, the response time will radically decrease. Electronic communications such as email reach the receiver faster than communication sent through traditional paper modes (Webster, 2011). For a company to ensure that their management information system is pertinent and offers the greatest level of profit, they must plan purposely for their business entity. Even though most software packages offer a level of usefulness to a business venture, it is essential that the system that a business executes addresses the informational necessities and utilization behavior of every person who will take part in the operational effort (Sharrieff, 2011). Information technology mechanizes some of the information systems. For instance, Dell Computers has a system where there is no human interference in their various operations including taking orders from customers, delivery of constituents to the Dell factory for assemblage as well as shipment to the consumers. Through the company’s website, the company can acquire an order for a personal computer directly from a customer (Moin, 2006). Information systems aid in reducing errors that are common when performing processes manually. The access to error-free reports guarantees that the organizational leaders have access to the required information needed to make well-informed decisions. Reduction of response time enables leaders to make better verdicts than they might have otherwise done. With the aid of effective information systems, leaders can make efficient decisions in an appropriate manner (Webster, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Information Systems Role in Contemporary Businesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion It is evident that information systems are vital components of a business. They increase the competitive advantage of a business in various ways. In addition, information systems accelerate the globalization of business and trade. This offers multinational companies a suitable ground to reach many customers. In contemporary business world, most businesses have integrated information systems in their business management to accelerate their business performance and eventually increase sales. References Moin, U. (2006). Information Systems and Technology. Web. Sharrieff, M. (2011). The Impact of a Management Information System. Web. Stephens, D.O. (2011). The Globalization of Information Technology in Multinational Corporations. Web. Webster, A. (2011). Tangible Benefits of Information Systems. Web. This research paper on Information Systems Role in Contemporary Businesses was written and submitted by user Kamron Dixon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Metonymy

Metonymy Metonymy Metonymy By Maeve Maddox Metonymy [meh-TAHN-uh-mee] is a figure of speech that substitutes a word or phrase that stands for an object, action, institution or the like for the object itself. For example, in the phrase â€Å"surf and turf†- in the context of restaurant fare- surf is a metonymy for seafood and turf is a metonymy for beef. In a different context, the word turf is a common metonymy for the institution of thoroughbred horseracing: One of the  most famous jockeys  in the  history  of the  turf  a century ago was Sam Chipney, who was â€Å"jockey for life† to the Prince of Wales, at a salary of $1,000, and retired from the turf with his royal master in 1791. Home and Country, Volume 9, Monthly Illustrator Publishing Company, 1894. Here are some more examples of metonymy from various sources: Tories were American colonists who  remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolutionary War. Crown = â€Å"the British government.† Suits  stars Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter and Patrick J. Adams  as Mike Ross- lawyers at a high-powered New York law firm.  (Suits is the title of a television series.) Suit = an authority figure such as a lawyer or FBI agent. Ready for another cup? cup = a cup or mug filled with coffee The pen is mightier than the sword. pen = written form of persuasion sword = military action Friends, Romans, countrymen: Lend me your ears. ears = attention Lamb and potatoes: a dish fit for a king dish = a meal France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it. This quotation from A Tale of Two Cities contains more than one layer of figurative language. France = the people of France. France is also being personified as a woman with a sister. sister of the shield and trident = Britannia, ergo, Britain. A common symbol of the nation of Britain is the image of Britannia- a seated woman holding a shield and trident. The shield she holds represents military might, and the trident represents sea power. The trident is associated with the sea because it was the emblem of Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Reading fluency requires background knowledge that enables readers to interpret the use of metonymy and other figurative language. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive ClausesTestimony vs. Testimonial

Critiquing a literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiquing a literature review - Essay Example McCloskey argues that the utilization of research is essential for nursing. As part of a larger systematic review on research utilization instruments within the magnet health care system the argument made is precise, logical, and very well-articulated. However, the research conflicts on certain levels with many scholars who have continuously over the past two decades expressed profound concerns about whether nurses use the best available scientific evidence and research to guide their clinical practices.(Karkos,et al, 2006). This disparity between the availability of research evidence and its use in practice has created what is referred to as the research-practice gap (Larsen et al, 2002) within the professional application. The nature of this gap has been the subject of near continuous debate and conjecture and is the proximal focus of McCloskey’s research. The research provided validates the premise that nurses have an evolving perception of how research transcends into their practice, and is to an extent based upon educational level and hospital position. McCloskey puts forward a methodology of â€Å"what is to be† integrated and used by administrators and by nurses at all levels of the profession in order to assume a more positive posture toward research and evidence based practices. The problem statement of the paper is answered to the extent of how staff demographics’ effect research utilization, and to a larger extent how the circumstances of the organization may in fact precipitate much of what is recognized as the research-practice gap(Larsen et al, 2002). However, McCloskey’s research lacks sufficient depth to offer a specific formulaic approach to rectifying the research-practice gap as detailed in the wide panorama of the entire nursing profession. McCloskey sets out with a very simple tenant,

PETCO Develops Successful Stakeholder Relationships Case Study

PETCO Develops Successful Stakeholder Relationships - Case Study Example The third section of the article dealt with risks associated with the pet industry. The article mentioned that a single negative incident of animal neglecting, abuse, or mistreatment can taint the public image of a firm in this industry such as PETCO. The nest two sections of the article dealt specifically with PETCO discussing its ethical program and philanthropic initiatives. The article ended with PETCO recommendations and accomplishments. Answers to the three questions from the article are illustrated below. 1) How has Petco’s ethics and compliance program helped it deal with ethical misconduct? The ethics & compliance program has helped PETCO a lot to deal with ethical issues that occur while doing business. Ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles that deals with decisions of right or wrong (Reference, 2011). The ethics program states that the company should treat the animals with utmost care and it should respect the customer’s privacy. The code of e thics addresses other areas including selling, advertising, pricing, and buying practices. Based on the ethics program the company the employee cannot push a sale on a customer for a particular brand, since the employees are supposed to explain the pros and cons of each brand so that the customer can make an informed decision on their own. The company implemented correction action measures whenever harassment and mistreatments occurs in the company to either humans or animals. Ethical decisions are influenced by organizational culture (Ferrel, et. al, 2011). The ethics program of the firm also addresses drug abuse, asset protection, and violence in the workplace. The organization has implemented measures for associate, vendor, and customer protection. Conflict of interest scenarios have been included in the code of ethics which provides guidelines for the employees when they are faced with these types of situations. If the customer is involved in a potential conflict of interest the employees are supposed to relay the information to the manager so that the manager can make the final decision on how to proceed and fix the situation. The employees of the company are prohibited from receiving gifts from suppliers, vendors, or customers. Supervisors and their immediate family are not supposed to invest in vendor companies without prior approval from PETCO’s ethics committee. The code of ethics also addresses concerns such as employee safety, wage laws and reporting time worked. The supervisors are supposed to act as role model for the organization. 2) How do you think re-privatizing the company will help PETCO’s performance? Or do you think it hurt the company overall? The decision to turn PETCO from a public company back to a private firm in my opinion was not warranted. The re-privatizing decision did not add any value to the organization. By privatizing the company the firm lost its ability to raise large sums of capital through the sale of common stocks in the open market. Public companies have greater recognition in the market and the fact they are listed on major public exchanges such as NYSE creates free word of mouth advertising for the company. I thought it was unethical when the company re-privatized and it did follow a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandate that was pending because once the company stopped being public the SEC had no jurisdiction over them. The case study did not show any specific

Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week 4 - Essay Example It also allows the replacement of the startup configuration file in place of the running configuration file without requiring the installation of a router (Meghanathan, Chaki, & Nagamalai, 2012). Installation of a router would require that the system be shut down thus loss of running time, resources and increase in costs incurred during downtime. Reverting also allows the user to roll back to any Cisco operating system that is saved in the system. This helps in simplifying and hastening the process of inputting the needed commands to the router as only the commands, which required to be added or removed are affected and the rest are left intact (Meghanathan, Chaki, & Nagamalai, 2012). The disadvantages of Reverting to an old system include the system continuing to work under limitations such as inefficiency that initially prompted the change. Additionally, it is not economically sound to revert to an old system as that means loss of resources initially put into the project while Reverting the configuration change must be approved, which frequently results in delay thus loss of time and resources. International Conference on Computer Science and Information Technology: Advances in computer science and information technology: Computer science and information technology: second International Conference, CCSIT 2012, Bangalore, India, and January 2-4, 2012. Proceedings. Berlin:

Groups And Team Effectiveness

Groups And Team Effectiveness Organisational behaviour is a methodical learning of the behaviour and reactions of persons, groups and sub systems that actions to understand, explain, predict and change human behaviour that occurs in the organizational context. Organizational behavior can be defined as the study and application of knowledge about human behavior related to other elements of an organization such as structure, technology and social systems (LM Prasad). Stephen P Robins defines Organizational behavior as a systematic study of the actions and attitudes that people exhibit within organizations Groups and Teams Groups and teams in the association play a very significant in the performance of the association. For every achievement and breakdown in the organization teams and groups play a major role. Some groups and teams within the association function effectively while other disfunction. The employ of groups and teams inside an organization have enlarged on a worldwide scale in current years . Group: A group is nothing but two or additional persons who are interacting and mutually dependent, contain come together to attain a common objective. A work group is one which first and foremost interacts to share information and make decisions and to assist their collection members of their area. They dont enclose the chance to connect in collective work which wants joint attempt. Here production is just the adding up of individuals split work. Hence there is no much superior performance of work group. A figure of people who act together with one other are mentally aware of one another perceives themselves to be a compilation. Uniqueness of groups: Group consciousness A sense of shared purpose and identity Shared communication and net work Shared goals Interdependence Interaction Groups play a very important role on organizations. Groups are an essential feature of the work patterns of organizations. Types of groups: There are two types of groups: Formal groups In-formal groups Formal groups: Formal groups are created to achieve specific managerial objectives as well as be worried through the management of work activities Formal group include command groups, task groups, affinity groups Command groups are usually included in the organizational chart Task groups is created to perform specific task Affinity groups is created for new product development Formal groups tend to be relatively permanent, although there may be a change in the membership of the team Informal groups: In-formal groups serve to please the emotional and communal want of group members not connected essentially to the farm duties to be undertaken In-formal groups includes friendship groups and interest groups Friendship groups arises out of the cordial relationships among members and the enjoyment They get from being together. Interest groups are organized around a common activity or interest. They may be based on individual relations and association is able to hack across the official arrangement of the organization. Team: A team is a collection of people planned to work to gather interdependently and helpfully to gather the requirements of their clients by accomplishing a principle and goals. Teams are created for both long period and short period communication. Work teams have optimistic synergy which comes by their mutual effort. Hence the presentation level is better than sum of human being inputs and consequently work teams have superior capability and better production than employment group. Hence an association must own employment teams with following characteristics which are collective presentation, optimistic synergy, personality and mutual responsibility and balancing skills. . Team work can increase competitiveness by Improving productivity Improving quality and encouraging innovation Improving employee motivation and commitment Types of teams: There are different types of teams exist in organizations today. Some evolved naturally in the organizations others have been formally created at the suggestion of enlightened management. The most common type of teams is quality circles, problem solving, virtual teams, and management teams. Quality circles: Minute groups of workers as of the similar job region who frequently meets to talk about and advise solutions to occupation lay problems. Quality circles are Problem solving: Problem solving teams are temporary teams establish to attack specific problems in the work place Virtual teams: Teams where the major interaction amongst members is by various electronic information and message procedure Management teams: Consists of managers on or after a range of areas; they manage work teams. Motivation: Motivation refers to the psychological forces that determine the direction of peoples behavior, their level of effort and level of persistence. Motivation is an internal state that directs individuals toward certain goals and objectives. Source of motivation: How does employee motivation impact organizational performance? Employee motivation plays a great fraction in an organizations presentation and output consequences. Motivation encourages populace to try and attain their chosen job and goals. For many, motivation provides a sense of accomplishment and the good emotion of belonging to an association in control of their destination. Being part of something structured can frequently offer much motivation for employees. Lack of motivation among the work strength can result in low encouragement to achieve, promote negative feeling about the association and the organizations concerns about its workers. Organizations who promote optimistic motivation express consciousness and acknowledgement about their staff further attractive creativity and efficiency results Extrinsic motivation: Related to tangible rewards, e.g. salary, security, conditions of work promotion, Intrinsic motivation: Related to psychological rewards, e.g. a sense of challenge and achievement, receiving appreciation Management and leadership plays a major role in the behaviour of the organization, now we will see the relation they have towards there groups and teams. How Google motivate their employees? Google wrote a programme related to their employees they use their engineers what they did by the end of the week .Google use to send them email on every Monday, and focus the emails to collect in a file that everybody can examine. The mail will be transfer to every person and shames who did not respond by putting them top of the list. It has been fallowed every week from the time when we started, so each week of our companys history will have a evidence of what each person did. it`s good for presentation reviews, and if you are joining a development team, in a small number of minutes you can examine what your team members did the most recent weeks or months. How Google motivates employees Management: Management is about changing behaviour and making things happen, it is an everyday activity involving interactions between people. Management is defined as the process of achieving organizational effectiveness with in altering surroundings by matching competence, efficiency and fairness, obtaining the majority from incomplete resources, and functioning with and through other people. Elements of management: Planning Organizing Command Co-ordination Control Leadership: Leader ship is a matter of making difference and is a combination of persuasion and compulsion that results in making people do things they might not otherwise have done. Good management leadership helps to develop team work and the mixing of person and assembly goals, it aids essential motivation by emphasize the significance of the work people do and importance on interpersonal behaviour in a broader situation. A balance between management and leadership: In the organization the team leader seems to be halo affixed, whereas the phase manager is seen to have incredible of sigma. Leader establish direction for group and gain the group members commitment and motivate them to achieve goals to move in that direction, whereas manager brings to brain less-charismatic persons annoying to construct people in to more competent device in the business engine. Considering the definition of management we can see that leadership is actually a sub-category of management. Applying these concepts for manager and leader within the location of a team, we discover attractive results: If there be a team leader that is obvious to be uninterrupted by income of the team member necessities, or have a personality plan more important than the teams goals, then the leader is obvious to be more of a manager and become alienated from the team members. On the other hand, the team leaders most conventional and loyally followed are persons who reveal worry for the team members as folks with actual necessities, and are persons who put The reason of the group above there. Googles Organizational Behavior Main factors and procedures that organisational behaviour contributed to the success of Google: Google is one of the majority flourishing internet based industry. The achievement of the Google is fixed on its exceptional organizational practices and core competencies. Google formulae of accomplishment are not only its knowledgeable expertise but also its insistent ability to come up with both inventive and profit oriented projects. The inventive ability of Google combined with incorporated process in the supportive culture creates sustainable competitive benefit. For instance ,Google describes as investigate engine leader to facilitate create latest fangled opinion by physically powerful speed or what they call the 70-20-10rule where the staff predominantly engineers are buoyant to use 70%of their functioning time on top of central trade functions,20% on related business functions ,and 10% on areas completely of their own choice. The Googles are aggravated to put in their suggestions, thoughts, or no matter which that pertains to possible income gaining actions all the way through a range of means like meetings, intranet, and additional forms of message. Team work is another main factor for Google achievement. it is confirmed that engineers effort in teams in doing projects. The teams have whole independence relating to their projects and the habits in which they will attempt on it. Organizational communication is also a core means of Google. Communication serves four most important functions within a group or organization as well as control, motivation, emotional expression, and information. This serves as the lane through which ideas , suggestions, and in sights that would potentially produce alter and innovative features within the organization or discussed. On the feature of HRM, Google has a distinct employment method that is surrounded on the improved significance on appreciated intelligence and mind power more than experience. Major factors that make a payment to the extraordinary achievement of google are the capability on the way to innovate, exceptional teamwork in the middle of Googles, flourishing message process, and distintinctive service events. These are given critical factors and core competencies that make up the successful organizational. http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/googles-organisational-culture.html Negative aspects of Google culture: When there is positive aspect there are chances for negative aspects in the same way there are some negative aspects for Google. Google is having a very good reputation in the internet industry though they have a very good status in the internet business here are a small number of criticisms in the organizational background of the company. The negative features of Google culture are nonappearance of clear organization structure, work principles, poor worker relations and its casual work culture. The unclear definition of management structure leads to organizational divergence. Divergence is a hazard because staff has conflicting values and practice different situations. Management theorys used as a corpse of awareness that will direct the engineers and project managers in constructing excellent decisions for the advantage of the whole organization. Google is also criticized for its unique recruitment process. Critics describes the process of Google recruitment is narrow. Google is also called up on its problematic employee relations and in efficient organizational behavior Google on no account kept their schedule or activitys on time and forever turns up late for clients presentation. Positive and negative aspects of organisation will have influence of groups and teams .in the organisation some teams and groups function effectively while some other groups and teams in organisation dysfunction. This will directly reflect on the positive and negative aspects of the organisation, now we will critically evaluate why some teams and groups in the organisation function effectively while some others dysfunctional? The exercise of groups and teams within organisations has enlarged on an international scale in current years. This detail on your own suggests with the intention of a group demographic confers several concrete benefits to an organisation. Group is a set of people brought jointly through the set of plan that their personality skills resolve to higher productivity when combined. The employees may comprise similar skills in a particular field of the companys movement. For ex. The group research and development employees brought to gather for the focus groups involved in the development of Google chrome. Google chrome: Google chrome is a browser designed by the Google to work exclusively with web applications. Designed goals and directions of Google chrome are as follows: User interface Architecture Remote application access Hard ware support Integrated media player Printing Like handling Security. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome_OS Groups may also have complementary skills that allow them assist in the direction of a common goal. The staffs with in the corporation have enormous impact upon how the corporation functions and on its output, so it is significant for business to inspect and re-examine their organisational behaviour. Factors and process which influence group effectiveness: Task orientation- an efficient groups is the majority possible to stay alert on its aims and targets that some one personality on your own and will be a great deal more focused than a dysfunctional group. This possibly will be achieved of through an organization goals and targets for the group as they progress through a task. Motivation through hierarchical flattening- The introduction of equality by the adding up of management within the group structure. The crash of barriers stuck between support staff and organization can lead to extra stress-free working environment. Also organization with in group can uphold the focus and direction of the group. A successful group will be skilled to introduce a new member to the culture of the organization rapidly so the new member may not waste time in settling in. Group norms can serve to facilitate goal achievement- if each group member knows how he is to behave and what is expected of them, and then greater productivity is sure to ensue. If suitable rewards are deliberately offered to the maximum performing group then opposition will increase In a successful group the aims and targets are complete clear to all members, no one is puzzled or left exclusive of a task, nor are farm duties duplicated. Based up on social identify theory and the ordinary desire to uphold optimistic self perception; people like to identify with high status groups and subsequently will work hard to stay associated with them. The stereotyping of out-group factors can facilitate in -group unity High expectations placed upon a group can lead its members to function more effectively. Some possible benefits of high expectations are: Increased responsibility Independence and trust Praise Room for creativity Seek comments Over look minor setback A group working successfully will make easy cultural differences, for example, Americans and French tend to prefer not to work in a group where as the Japanese do. The construction of a successful group may be due to its members living and socializing jointly, for example; the Google employees live together in apartment style accommodation; this creates a sense of group harmony and also defines each members role in the strict hierarchy within the organization. Factors and process which influence groups to dysfunction: Group norms can delay goal achievement, particularly if an associate of the group is intractable. In a group where norms are unidentified or deviated as of certain employees; as an alternative of tolerant and adhering to the norms, it takes longer for upcoming members to connect in and be accepted. One of the major flaws in a dysfunctional group is similar to to be communal loafing; the responsibility of each person is diminished, they everyone feel they can get away with a minor amount of work than if they are functioning alone. This might be due to the idleness on the part of staff or inaccurate organizational behavior on the division of the employer, for example having groups consisting of too numerous members or not allocating the accurate quantity of work to a group. Unclear instructions or briefs provided by higher authority could lead to a team performing poorly. If a new member of the group joins, it will take time for them to learn the group norms, dysfunctional groups may be the result of regular membership reshuffling A dysfunctional group may be the result of combining contrasting cultures; an example of this is the fusion of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz-the cultures clashed and the groups of the two sets of employees did not get along. Motivational incentives can cause disharmony among group members, if members of the group pitted against one another in competition this can often backfire and be counterproductive with the faster slowing down to keep pace with their slower working friends. Competition for leadership can lead to loss of focus and productivity A social phenomenon called groupthink can result from certain conditions, usually when the group is successfully and has excited for a while. The symptoms of group think are: Pressure to conform applied by other members of the group- this can stifle individual input. Self censorship-a group member may hold their tongue if they feel they are in the minority Feeling of unanimity and invulnerability-individuals in a group, especially a successful one, may develop an arrogance that could lead the group in rash and risky directions A group may become dysfunctional if it is under threat; this is called the crises factor and can panic group members in to rash choices and sub-par work. A group can deteriorate in performance if it is rife with negative stereotyping-the perception-the perception of a whole individual based up on specific attributes has implications for selection, promotion and performance evaluation. If individuals do not feel pride in a group then they will attempt to change the status of the group and try to detach themselves from it A group may become dysfunctional if low expectations are placed upon them. Some negative impacts of low expectations include: Decreased responsibility Directive instructions Emphasis of mistakes Less attention paid to comments/suggestions To predict how groups behave; certain psychological models can be applied; specifically tuck mans model of group development and Gersicks punctuated equilibrium model. The following is a representation of tuck man and gersicks model superimposed: A group working effectively will progress through the stages quickly to the performing stage after resolving any leadership disputes and establishing norms early on. Effective groups will contain members that have complementary skills and personalities, a group may work well if they have been formed for a long time or if they have worked to gather before as this greatly diminishes the effects of stages1-3 of tuckman`s model. A dysfunctional group will spend longer on the earlier stages not performing this could be due to number of factors either attributable to the individuals within the group or the management that assembled the group. The management may have chosen individuals that are not suited to the task they may not posess the necessary skills, or have little cooperation or leadership qualitys. It could simply be due to the fact the group members do not get along socially, this can lead to lower productivity so it may be wise to form a group of individuals of prior acquaintanc e. This could however have a negative impact if the colleagues have a social relationship they may not focus up on the task in hand. General Electric Case Study Managing Groups and Teams within Organizations Recognize and understand group dynamics and development Understand the difference between groups and teams Compare and contrast different types of teams Understand how to design effective teams Explore teams and ethics Understand cross-cultural influences on teams In Durham, North Carolina, Robert Henderson was opening a factory for General Electric (GE). The goal of the factory was to manufacture the largest commercial jet engine in the world. Hendersons opportunity was great and so were his challenges. GE hadnt designed a jet engine from the ground up for over two decades. Developing the jet engine project had already cost GE $1.5 billion. That was a huge sum of money to invest-and an unacceptable sum to lose should things go wrong in the manufacturing stage. How could one person fulfill such a vital corporate mission? The answer, Henderson decided, was that one person couldnt fulfill the mission. Even Jack Welch, GEs CEO at the time said, We now know where productivity comes from. It comes from challenged, empowered, excited, rewarded teams of peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Empowering factory workers to contribute to GEs success sounded great in theory. But how to accomplish these goals in real life was a more challenging question. Factory floors, traditionally, are unempowered workplaces where workers are more like cogs in a vast machine than self-determining team members. In the name of teamwork and profitability, Henderson traveled to other factories looking for places where worker autonomy was high. He implemented his favorite ideas at the factory at Durham. Instead of hiring generic mechanics, for example, Henderson hired staffers with FAA mechanics licenses. This superior training created a team capable of making vital decisions with minimal oversight, a fact that upped the factorys output and his workers feelings of worth. Hendersons self-managing factory functioned beautifully. And it looked different, too. Plant manager Jack Fish described Hendersons radical factory, saying Henderson didnt want to see supervisors, he didnt want to see forklifts running all over the place, he didnt even want it to look traditional. Theres clutter in most plants, racks of parts and so on. He didnt want that. Henderson also contracted out non-job-related chores, like bathroom cleaning, that might have been assigned to workers in traditional factories. His insistence that his workers should contribute their highest talents to the team showed how much he valued them. And his team valued their jobs in turn. Six years later, a Fast Company reporter visiting the plant noted, GE/Durham team members take such pride in the engines they make that they routinely take brooms in hand to sweep out the beds of the 18-wheelers that transport those engines-just to make sure that no damage occurs in transit. For his part, Henderson, who remained at GE beyond the project, noted I was just constantly amazed by what was accomplished there.  © 2010 Jupiterimages Corpor ation Teamwork can make something as complex as an airplane engine possible. GEs bottom line showed the benefits of teamwork, too. From the early 1980s, when Welch became CEO, until 2000, when he retired, GE generated more wealth than any organization in the history of the world. Sources: Fishman, C. (September 1999). How teamwork took flight. Fast Company Issue 28, http://www.fastcompany.com/node/38322/print; Lear, R. (Jul/Aug 1998). Jack Welch speaks: Wisdom from the worlds greatest business leader, Chief Executive; Guttman, H. (Jan-Feb 2008). Leading high-performance teams: horizontal, high-performance teams with real decision-making clout and accountability for results can transform a company, Chief Executive, 231, 33. Conclusion: Many factors and process that influences group effectiveness or dysfunction has been highlighted. Organization should consider carefully when assembling and structuring any group or team because both the market and the organization should work under the organization .

War of 1812 Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The War of 1812 was a war between Britain and the United States fought primarily in Upper Canada. It had many causes, few which involved British North America. The results of the war include the fact that there was no clear winner or loser among them. The only real losers in the situation were the Natives in the region. They were driven out of their lands and customs. None of the borders was changed by the war, though many attempts were made. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, did nothing to advance the state of the countries. It went so far as to end the war and put things back the way that they were, but the main causes of the conflict were not addressed or dealt with. In order to evaluate the significance of this war, Canadian victories and losses, as well as overall results, must be analyzed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most Canadian victories came in the form of preventing American attack from being successful. This is the main Canadian reason for believing they won this war. An example of this occurred on 12 July 1812, when General Hull and his troops crossed into Canada. Their invasion was promptly met and turned away by opposing forces. This also happened in the Battle of Raisin River on 21 January 1813. American General Winchester surrendered to British Colonel Proctor, losing 500 prisoners. Perhaps the most significant of Canadian victories was the burning of Washington. When the British forces won the battle of Bladensburg, it â€Å"opened the door to Washington†. The Capitol Building and the White House were destroyed but luckily, for the Americans, torrential rains put out fires in the rest of the city. To the Canadians from 1812-1814, this was reason enough to believe that they were victorious. To Canadians now it seems a shallow way to claim triumph.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Notable role models were born out of this war for Canadians. Sir Isaac Brock was a prominent figure. He was â€Å"Commander of Forces in Upper Canada† and later added Administrator to his title. Being engulfed by politics proved too much for Brock, who left to join forces in the march upon Detroit (August 1812). He led troops to victory here, but lost his life in the Battle of Queenston Heights in October 1812. To this day, Brock is well renowned throughout Canada as a fearless leader and important to the history of the country. Another... ...sp;Canada: Copp Clark Ltd., 1998 Feldmeth, Greg. Key Events and Causes: War of 1812, 31 March 1998,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://home.earthlink.net~gfeldmeth/chart/1812.html (21 October 1999, 5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 1999) Filewood, Alan. â€Å"National Battles: Canadian Monumental Drama and the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investiture of History.† In Modern Drama. 38. (Spring 1995) 71-86 Stanley, George F.G. The War of 1812 Land Operations. Canada: MacMillian of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canada, 1983 Turner, Wesley. The War of 1812. The War That Both Sides Won.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1990 Zaslow, Morris. The Defended Border, Upper Canada and the War of 1812.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toronto: MacMillian of Canada, 1983 The War of 1812- Causes of the War, â€Å"n.d.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www2.andrews.edu/~downm.causes.html (26 October 1999, 13   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 1999) The War of 1812, Major Battles, â€Å"n.d† http://multied.com/1812.html (18   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  October 1999, 5 November 1999)

Exclusionary Rule Essay

Constitutional Law pertains to the account of fundamental laws of nation-states and other political associations. Thus, constitutions refer to the foundation and structure for government and could limit or characterize the power and system of political institutions to carry out new laws and policies (Chemerinsky, 2003). The constitution sets the boundaries of new laws, thus, the entire state is subjected to the constitution. The Fourteenth amendment of the United States which covers citizenship and civil rights is where the Fourth Amendment sprouted from. In recognition of equality among citizens discarding race, ethnicity and religion, the fourth amendment was made to protect the rights of the citizens and those are the right to due process and to privacy and security of his properties. This fourth amendment was created in 1914 was at the federal level and was only adapted by all states of America. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution (Search and Seizure) includes the Exclusionary Rule which protects citizens of the United States from illegal searches of their private properties (Sundberg). Any unwarranted intrusions made by the police force to the privacy of an individual are prohibited by law. For a search to be valid the warrant to search should be able to describe in detail the items to be searched, the location and facilities to be confiscated (Roberts, 2007). This lets the people enjoy their right to feel secure of their houses, documents, papers and other properties that are considered private. The rule also gives the citizen a right to due process as the police force cannot just confiscate and search them without the needed papers. Furthermore, this law also abides by the philosophy of deontology wherein the action is judged to be right or wrong if the root of the action itself is based upon the duty and obligation of a person (Darwall, 12). Thus, the means upon which evidence is acquired is more important than the value of the evidence gathered. Since this rule encompass criminal cases only, even if the police found a gun or any evidence that points out that the man who owns the property upon which the evidence was found is indeed the perpetrator, this evidence will be considered invalid in court and will not make any impact on the courts decision given that the police did not have the warrant to search the individuals property. In addition to that, a search that is made in areas that is not specified by the warrant is not allowed even if evidences are found within the parameters of the facility that was searched. The positive side of this law is that it protects the rights of every citizen against illegal searches by the police, thus securing their privacy. This also discourages illegal searches and bounds the police to their duty by following the law. However, the downside of this rule is that if evidence is found in illegally searched areas, even if it can very well summarize the outcome of the case will be put to waste for the simple reason that there was no warrant of arrest or it was not indicated in the warrant that such place is included in the search. The absence of that piece of paper means a lot in the proceedings, and such important evidences are discarded. For example, a weapon that is found in the car of a murderer with his finger print on it would still be useless in court since it was searched illegally. Which is more important then, the evidence or how the evidence was obtained? Perhaps for us to fully assess the situation it is a need for us to analyze a certain scenario. For the purpose of further understanding the gravity of the situation let us assume that a bomb explosion took place in a residential neighborhood rendering 10 people killed and 20 other wounded. Right after the explosion operatives responded in just 3 minutes given that the place is in close proximity to the police station. The initial assumption was for it to be a terroristic act. Since the neighborhood was closely knit almost everyone knew something about everybody. They denied that such ruthless murderer could be one of their residents but a policeman guided by his instinct was convinced that a prominent resident of the neighborhood did the bombing. The resident was bound to leave the place the day after but since it was a Sunday, the court was close and cannot issue a warrant plus the fact that they cannot link him to the bomb explosion. The policemen decided to search the house of the resident without the warrant and found evidence. Materials of making a bomb were found at his residence. They arrested him but after years the case was dismissed because of the exclusion rule. First and foremost, there was no warrant and second they filed motion to suppress the evidence. The law supports the defendants claim and sets him free. This issue is a philosophical debate of the deontological and consequentialist groups (Philip, 2002). Deontological perspective would argue that the fault was in the part of the officials since they did not do their duty. To act from duty is to do the right thing and it is more important that catching the perpetrator before he leaves the town. The obedience of duty is placed in higher value as the result of their act. Even if they found the evidence and arrested the man responsible for the bombing that killed 10 people, it is still not valid. They did not abide to their duty. â€Å"A human action is morally good if and only if it is done from duty† (Kant, 397–399). Consequential or Utilitarianism would say that the act of searching without a warrant is the right thing to do since they found who did the bombing. The measures upon which the police undertook to get to the perpetrator is not important as long as the greater good for the most number of people was realized, and that is justice. It does not matter if there is no warrant and the police invaded the house of a private citizen as long as the truth was discovered and the person responsible was caught. The evidence was clear, therefore is compensates for the policeman’s inability to adhere to the Fourth Amendment. Both philosophies have their reasons that are enough to justify their claims, but I believe that we should keep the Fourth Amendment as it is. It is in our law that we should respect the privacy and rights of a citizen. In the scenario above the policemen caught the perpetrator because they found evidence in his household. The search was illegal but either way, they got what they were looking for. However, what if they saw nothing, would it not be invasion of privacy on grounds as weak as instinct? Then the basic right to privacy and security of the citizen would have been violated. There is no need to change the exclusionary rule, policemen should abide by their duty and help to protect the rights of the people. We cannot compromise the basic rights of an individual for public safety. Though it is the duty of the police to go after the perpetrator and give justice to the crimes he has committed, he also has rights whether he is a citizen of the United States or not. According to the fourth amendment the exclusionary rule covers even illegal aliens. We cannot strip a person with his rights even if the need arises for the simple reason that it is adherence to our duty that defines who we are. If the exclusionary rule is to be abolished then, warrantless arrests and rampant would be more prevalent in our nation. Even now that the rule takes effect there are still violations. Rampant searches especially to our brothers with colors are evident in our nation. Wire tapping is also an issue about the security of communication lines especially for public officials. The Bush administration wanted to allow the use of evidences that were illegally seized by the police given that it was in good faith and is useful in finding the person who is responsible for the crime. Plus they want to allow federal agents to arrest persons without a warrant of arrest regardless of nationality as long as it is done with the most honest intentions. Sure this can solves some crimes such as the scenario given above, but I want to point out that this only allows further suppression of a persons liberty. When the use of illegally searched evidences is allowed in court, this would only encourage the policeman to search anyone and any house or establishment that they want to search and if they find nothing, the person concerned can’t go after the policemen and ask for damages. They will be protected by law to barge into the homes of countless citizens and invade their privacy. If we take action just because we believe that it is for the best even if it is not in our duty, we have no guarantee that that action can be fruitful. It can’t be denied that there is a need to reduce crime in our nation and solve those that are still looking for justice, but giving justice for the price of a person’s liberty is a cost that’s too high for a nation who values autonomy of its citizens. The exclusionary rule has set standards for our policemen for them to abide too such that their level of professionalism and adherence to their duty is further raised higher. They are bounded by law to protect the citizens of this nation and they should do so while safeguarding the basic rights of every individual. Thus, there is a need for the exclusionary rule to uphold the liberty of this nation. Reference http://www.robertslaw.org/4thamend.htm

How to Make Instant Snow From Boiling Water

How to Make Instant Snow From Boiling Water You probably know that you can make snow using a pressure washer. But did you know that you can also make snow from boiling water?  Snow, after all, is literally precipitation that falls as frozen water, and boiling water is water that is on the verge of becoming water vapor. Its incredibly easy to make instant snow from boiling water. All you have to do is follow the steps below. Materials You only need two things to turn boiling water into snow: Freshly boiled waterReally cold outdoor temperatures, around -30 degrees Fahrenheit The Snow-Making Process Simply boil the water, go outside and  brave the frigid temperatures, and toss a cupful or pot of boiling water into the air. Its important that the water be as close to boiling and the outside air be as cold as possible. The effect is less spectacular or wont work if the water temperature drops below 200 degrees Fahrenheit or if the air temperature climbs above -25 degrees Fahrenheit. Be safe and protect your hands from splashes. Also, dont throw the water at people. If it is sufficiently cold, there shouldnt be a problem, but if your concept of the temperature is mistaken, you could end up causing a dangerous accident. Always be careful when handling boiling water. How It Works Boiling water is water that is at the point of changing from a liquid into water vapor. Boiling water has the same vapor pressure as the air around it, so it has plenty of surface area to  expose to a freezing temperature. The large surface area means its much easier to freeze the water than if it were a liquid ball. This is why it is easier to freeze a thin layer of water than a thick  sheet of water. Its also the reason youd freeze to death more slowly curled up into a ball than if you were to lie spread eagle in the snow. What to Expect If you want to see boiling water turn into snow before you attempt this experiment, you can view a demonstration on the Weather Channel. The video shows a person holding a pot of boiling water and then tossing the scalding liquid into the air. An instant later youll see a cloud of snow crystals falling to the ground. I could watch this all day, the announcer says as she introduces the video, which was shot at  Mount Washington, New Hampshire, the highest mountain in New England. The announcer notes before the video begins that the snow-making folks actually performed the experiment three times- once with a measuring cup, once with a mug, and once with a pot (which is the effort captured in the video). Ideal Conditions In the demonstration video, the temperature of the water was 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature outside was a frosty -34.8 degrees. The experimenters said that they had diminished success when the water temperature dropped below 200 degrees and when the outside temperature rose above -25 degrees. Of course, if you dont want to go through all of this, and you still want to make snow- or if the temperature outside  is just too warm- you can  make  fake snow  using a common polymer while staying warm and toasty indoors.

Hi

Hi Executive Summary Hi-tech Outlets, which is a hypothetical company currently operating in Europe and USA, wishes to become a global organization in the retail sector. The company has 2700 retail stores situated across Europe.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Hi-tech Outlets Company Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hi-tech Outlets Company has ventured into a new international market in an era when technological environmental factors are essential in fostering competitive advantage of any organization that seeks to build a unique brand in a new market. One of the top priorities in the list of marketing strategies of the company is the use of new media in marketing. Selling online is an option that is considered by the company in its efforts to ensure rapid distribution of its products. Objective and Goals The main objective of this project is to develop a marketing plan for Hi-tech Outlets Company. M arketing planning involves market research, market segmentation, setting of marketing strategies, evaluation of the marketing environment, and even positioning of marketing strategies among others (Kotler and Armstrong 56). This concern of marketing constitutes the goal of this marketing project. The goal is to discuss Hi-tech Outlets Company’s suitable marketing plan to help it gain competitive advantage and growth in the global retail industry. Competitive Strengths and Competitive Weaknesses Competitive analysis assists in identifying and comparing organizational strengths and weaknesses. This strategy ensures development of an effective marketing planning that capitalizes on organizational strengths while curbing any organizational weakness (Westbrook 48). Hi-tech Outlets Company’s strengths include the ability to offer high quality products, pursuit of low-price strategy, and ensuring minimal operation costs. The company has also managed to establish a strong pres ence in the German market. Amid the above strengths, Hi-tech Outlets Company encounters some weaknesses such as a relatively small brand in regions where competitors have managed to establish higher presence. For instance, while Hi-tech Outlets Company has 1200 openings in Germany, Aldi has 8000 outlets. Hi-tech Outlets Company has also not established any presence in global markets. Pursuing the low-cost strategy makes customers perceive Hi-tech Outlets Company as an outlet for cheap and low quality products. Product Description and Product Life Cycle Hi-tech Outlets will be introducing a new brand in the Asian market starting with the Chinese retail market. Hence, the organization has to maintain strong brand inventories. Brand inventory constitutes one of the essential elements of brand audits that permit the examination of the origin of brand equities of an organization (Keller 105).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Hi-tech Outlets China brand inventories will highlight the brand elements utilized to build brand loyalty together with the manner in which this goal is accomplished and/or how it is reflected on any necessary marketing programs to win the confidence of Chinese retail shoppers. Immediately Hi-tech Outlets Company opens its outlets in China, the reception of its brand is expected to be low. Thus, at the infancy phase of its brand development life cycle, low sales levels are expected. However, following intensive marketing campaigns, consumers will become cognizant of the existence of the Hi-tech Outlets Company’s brand and embrace it, thus making the sales volume increase exponentially (growth phase). At a constant magnitude of marketing effort and without any change of marketing strategy, there will reach a time when such strategies cannot result in increased clientele and/or more sale levels (maturity phase). C ustomers may also be dissatisfied with the quality of services rendered by the company and consider seeking alternative utilities from competitors (Keller 117). This move may reduce the sales levels of the company (the decline phase). To prevent this situation from occurring, a major consideration encompasses re-engineering Hi-tech Outlets’ operational and marketing strategies. Price Price is an important aspect of marketing Hi-tech Outlets’ brand in the new market. The company currently uses the strategy of low price to penetrate new markets. â€Å"The price of products involves examination of customers’ perceptions, rival products, and the costs of manufacture† (Khosla 220). The price of a product is set such that an organization is able to cover its direct and indirect costs while earning a profit margin. The price of the products to be offered by the Hi-tech Outlets Company in Asian markets needs to be set such that the target market population will b uy large enough number of products. This strategy is necessary to make it break even quickly to deliver value to its shareholders. Place, Distribution, and Marketing Channels Hi-tech Outlets Company plans to distribute its products through both physical stores and online channels. The physical stores will be established first in the major cities of China before progressing to other Asian nations such as India. Hence, the place of offering products is at the company-rented stores across China.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Hi-tech Outlets Company Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Online distribution of the Hi-tech Outlets Company products will be conducted through partnership with Taobao.com. The organization will enhance the process of ordering and payment for products. Hi-tech Outlets Company will receive bulks of orders from Taobao.com. After receiving bulk orders online from Taobao.com, Hi-te ch Outlets will check them before making necessary logistical arrangements of delivering products to consumers. The choice of Taobao.com as a distribution channel is important and a success factor for Hi-tech Outlets in China. Xie states the company is the major player in the online retail selling in China. Hence, even though the organization will be sourcing the products from Hi-tech Outlets Company, consumers will continue perceiving that the products are sold by an organization to which they have a long-term loyalty. In this strategic partnership arrangement, both organizations will gain mutually. Hi-tech Outlets will benefit from the online selling service by a strong brand that is already successful in the in Chinese market. Taobao.com will benefit from Hi-tech Outlets’ help in supplying high quality products and/or enhanced logistical arrangements. Hi-tech Outlets is well experienced in logistics and supply chain management. Promotion and Communication Companies seeking to establish a strong brand within new markets need to invest in the promotion of their brand in the effort to create customer awareness. Incidences of negative profiling of the Hi-tech Outlets’ products in the European markets spread through the social media and the internet. In the effort to build a strong brand in the Asian markets, which will overcome such challenges in the future, social media and the internet form important promotional media platforms. Through new media, it is possible to reach a large number of people globally with minimal expenditure of organizational financial resources (Abhamid and McGrath 47). Social media is a low-cost promotional strategy. Customers share promotional information with minimal efforts from an organization. The organization only initiates the marketing strategy by sending promotions to the first recipient. Where the campaign becomes viral, the company loses control of what is said about its brand (Southgate and Westoby 353). In thi s end, Hi-tech Outlets Company hopes that its social media marketing campaigns will result in positive profiling.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Viral spreading or negative profiling might impede its success efforts in the international markets. Apart from using traditional media such as newspapers, magazine, audio, and audio visuals to alert people about the presence of Hi-tech Outlets in the Asian market, the company will also seek to employ point-of-sale promotion. Uncontrollable Variables Hi-tech Outlets Company encounters uncontrollable variables in all its market segments. These variables are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors. Political environment affects the operations of the company via taxing policies. The organization must pay taxes from its profits. The management must also comply with environmental regulations, tariffs, and employment laws established within various nations where the company has established outlet stores. The main challenges of the company are that these policies are different in different nations. Consequently, Hi-tech Outlets has no control over these policies in the effort to have harmonized financial budgeting approach in all outlets including the ones to be established in the Asian markets. Market Segmentation and Target Marketing Market segmentation for Hi-tech Outlets Company is accomplished through demographic and psychographic segmentation. Demographical aspects refer to the characteristics of people such as age, religion, gender/sex, and social class among others. Psychographic elements encompass people’s opinion and interests. From the paradigms of demographic segmentation, some of the targets of Hi-tech Outlets Company in Asian markets include young people who are highly accessible to social media and internet-based buying and selling systems. The internet is highly embraced by people whose age is between 10-45 years (Maktoba and Sonny 227). Thus, such people are more likely to use social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter among others. The products sold online through partnership with Taobao.com in the Chinese market mainly target this group of people. The interests or attitudes of people towards different products are dependent on various variables such as tastes and preferences (Kotler and Armstrong 85). In the context of Psychographic segmentation, the target populations are the Chinese citizens and other people from different nations residing in China. Buyer Behavior In deriving market-positioning strategies, it is important to evaluate the determinants of buyers’ behaviors in a given market. In the Asian market, psychographics study will be deployed as the strategy for determining these behaviors. This strategy can help reveal why people buy certain products, services, and not others. â€Å"Marketers are able to understand the motivation and conscious aspects of a target audience by creating psychographic profiles† (Xiaoni and Prybutok 9) through studying psychographic characteristics of the target population. The market can be divided into the middle class and working class persons. Middle and working-class citizens are more likely to consume a wide range of products ranging from food staff to electronic products offered by Hi-tech Outlets Company in China. They are also likely to shop in supermarkets as opposed to small retail outlets (Kerr 125). While targeting this group of people, it is important to maintain high quality products in the stores since middle or the working class is also highly responsive to quality standards of products and services offered by an organization for it (Kerr 126). Marketing Research Market research is an important component of marketing planning. â€Å"It provides important information for identifying and analyzing the market needs, market size, and competition† (Drake 77). For Hi-tech Outlets Company, market research is conducted in China to aid the company in maintaining consistent growth in competitiveness in comparison with competitors in the European markets such as Aldi, Netto, Biedronka, and Lidl who may also consider extending their operations into the Asian markets. Once the market size is identified, the company will focus on acquiring 70 percent of the market share. This effort is informed by theoretical assertion that threats of new entrants becomes minimal after an organization has established a sizeable market share and/or developed customer loyalty in the market (Westbrook 51). Perceptual Map Perpetual maps encompass a research technique used in marketing research whereby consumers’ views for a given product are traced on a chart. Hi-tech Outlets has many competitors in the market. It should use price and product range to ensure that it stays competitive. Some of the brands that are in close competition have high prices or offer a limited product range. Companies such as Aldi offer a relatively high price for their products. Hi-tech Outlets should counter competition from them by offering significantly low prices and a wide product range. The perceptual map below shows the most favorable position for Hi-tech Outlets to be the most competitive of all the brands in the market. Figure 1: Perceptual map for Hi-Tech Outlets showing the brand position. International Marketing Close competitors to Hi-tech Outlets such as Aldi and Lidl are seeking to colonize other markets in the attempt to gain economies of scale. Hi-tech Outlets is well aware that in the attempt to gain competitive advantage, it needs to deploy various strategies for success in its expansion to the international markets such as Asian markets that have high-untapped potential for growth. By expanding into international markets, the company can also increase its economies of scale. Ethical Considerations Marketing brings a large number of people to work together in a teamwork environment. The work teams are guided by codes of actions that define what needs to be done during the marketing and what should not be done. Marketers have the roles of placing products and service s with success in a market. However, it is a violation of marketing code of ethics to deceive while attempting to make a sale. All marketing efforts must then ensure that the targeted audience gains the greatest good from the products offered for sale. Ethical aspects in marketing refer to â€Å"principles and standards that define acceptable conduct in the market place† (Kerr 128). This implies that ethics in marketing involves all practices, which have the capacity to result in the greatest happiness among all people. Some of the marketing practices that are considered unethical by Hi-tech Outlets entail attempts, which are openly meant to deceive and/or take advantage of a given situation for individualistic or group gains. Conclusion Marketing research is an essential activity that a company seeking to introduce its brand into new market needs to conduct in the effort to determine the feasibility of a new market. In the project term paper, Hi-tech Outlets, a hypothetical company operating in Europe, seeks to reach global markets by opening new physical retail distribution stores together with engaging in online distribution activities in Asia with a particular initial focus on the Chinese market. This concern makes marketing planning important before investing in the new market. Limitations Asia is a new market that has not yet been fully explored by many European retail outlets. Consequently, no much data is available on the reception of foreign retail companies in Asia. To determine the appropriateness of the strategic initiatives for expanding the operation of Hi-tech Outlets Company in the Asian markets, implementation of a pilot market plan is necessary. Unfortunately, the project fails to consider it. Lack of data for construction of perpetual maps is also another significant limitation of the project. Abhamid, Norman and Martins McGrath. â€Å"The Diffusion of Internet’s Interactivity on E-retail Web Sites: A Customer Relationship Mo del.† Communications of the International Information Management Association 2.1(2005): 45-70. Print. Drake, Philip. Distribution and Marketing in Contemporary Hollywood. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008. Print. Keller, Raymond. Strategy Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print. Kerr, Simon. â€Å"Rational decision making in business organizations.† American Economic Review 3.4(2007): 123-129. Print. Khosla, Stephen. â€Å"Consumer Psychology: The Essence of Marketing.† International Journal of Educational Administration 2.2(2010): 220–225. Print. Kotler, Philip and Gary Armstrong. Principles of marketing. Australia: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. Maktoba, Ian and Newton Sonny. â€Å"Internet marketing and customer satisfaction in emerging markets: the case of Chinese online shoppers, Competitiveness Review.† An International Business Journal incorporating Journal of Global Compe titiveness 21.2(2011): 224-237. Print. Southgate, Dobele and Page, Westoby. â€Å"Creative determinants of viral viewing.† International Journal of Advertising 29.3(2010): 349–368. Print. Westbrook, Hill. â€Å"SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall.† Long Range Planning 30.1(1997): 46–52. Print. Xiaoni, Sherwood and Drury Prybutok. â€Å"An empirical study of online shopping: a service perspective.† International Journal of Service Technology and Management 5.1(2008): 1-13. Print. Xie, Hu. â€Å"E-retail Market Characteristics of China.† International Journal of Innovative Management, Information and Production 3.2(2013): 88-99. Print.

BBC DMI project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

BBC DMI project - Essay Example Leadership is defined as the capability to get whole things done by others. The project leadership skill helps to pay emphasis on the efforts of the group members towards the common objective and thus allowing them to perform better (Andersen, 2006). The effective project leadership skill helps in the decision making as well as problem solving process. It provides direction to the staff members in making important decision related to the execution of the project (Andersen, 2006). It also assists in the team building process. Effective leadership skill of an individual guides the team in case of any conflict that might occur while performing the work. If the employees perform well and pay attention towards the project’s transparency then the project will not lead to failure (Shenhar, 2004). Due to the effectual project management skill, it was assured by BBC that the organisation was on its path in order to deliver the programme without any delays. The Digital Media Initiative programme was absolutely essential for the BBC and it was also stated that the future of British Broadcasting Corporation was coupled with the thriving delivery of the DMI programme (National Audit Office, 2015).

Summary What Leaders Really Do) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary What Leaders Really Do) - Assignment Example An organization cannot run in the expected manner if those working under the leader do not receive direction to follow. This direction is very essential in bringing about the desired changes, which is why leaders ought to be on their toes so that these goals can be attained; to help an organization be able to cope as they struggle through it. Leaders do not have to produce a detailed plan on what is to be done, setting direction is the main aspect they are supposed to deal with and leave the rest to the management. There is nothing fascinating about leadership, but the fact that they develop visions that make way for changes, and work towards achieving them. For these changes to get realized, it is necessary that leaders with outstanding competence are selected and exposed so that they can come out with strong leadership. It is however useless having strong leaders with management that is weak, as performance will still be low. An example of visionary leadership that is set to bring about changes in an organization is that American Express at the time it was receiving a lot of competition from other companies that came up with cards to compete with them. Competition is known to hinder growth of a company and being the visionary leader he was, he decided to come up with a scheme that would put the company at its feet again; which was through asking of fundamental questions on economics, market and competition so that he could develop a perfect understanding of the business. It is the above that a leader should do as his dedication made him save the company. In aligning of people, communication is very important, and it is best that leaders be good at it. These challenges are in trying to get people understand a new or alternative vision to be implemented as well as having the people one is dealing with believe the message being put across. Alignment leads to empowerment, which ends up reducing on