Countryside v.sCity Life Essay

Have you ever thought about your birth place? Do you make your own decision where to live? I believe every person, in a certain time, think about the place they should live: countryside or city? To make the best choice, we must look at three big differences between countryside and city: the environment, education, entertainment. First of all, the countryside has a quiet and peaceful environment. Since most people living in the countryside make their living mainly on farming, the atmosphere is kept fresh and healthy. They are living close to the nature with green vegetables, pure water. In the countryside, people are neither in a hurry, nor anxious. They can stay in their house until they feel the need to visit their farm. On the contrary, the city has a busy and stressful environment. Everyday city dwellers have to face with pollution by noise and smoke from a huge amount of vehicles. Since many people work in factories or offices, and they also get paid by working hours, every day they are full of schedules and plans. As a result, they are suffering more pressures than those living in the countryside. The next difference between city and countryside is education. In the countryside, there are not many high graded school, many students have to go to the big city for higher education. While schools in the countryside don’t provide much services for students, many schools in the big city are equipped with modern labs supporting for practice and research. Others with workshops on or off campus give the learners the best training for later work. Schools in big cities also offer many activities for low grade students like field trips and boys and girls club. In higher levels, with many exhibitions, fairs, festivals and conferences, students are much easier to do their researches. Entertainment is another concern of many people. In the countryside, entertainment is only in some physical activities: fishing, biking, hiking, swimming. These things, in fact, are only practice outside and sometime not enough for the human nonstop needs. In big cities, there are more culture activities like concerts and cinemas making the richness of mental life. Entertainment of the nightlife including casinos, clubs, hotels, recreation and shopping centers, gyms, fashion centers, contributes to the liveliness of a city, which we are hardly find in the countryside. In conclusion, both countryside and city has their own values. Therefore, people can choose living in the countryside or in the city depending on their most needs. For me, each person only has one life. We are not able to choose the birth place but we completely can choose the place to live. That is the part of reaching our most optimal peak of life. Once we look back we are proud of the happy time we have ever lived in that place.

Has the development of Human Resource Management practices replaced the need for trade unions Essay

According to Phelan (2007, pp. 45-47), trade unions were the most powerful organizations after the industrial revolution. During the 19th and 20th century, management was largely mechanistic and the position of workers was not felt unless the force of the numbers was employed. As a result, the membership to the trade unions increased steadily to 1979 after which a sharp decline is evident. During the 20th century, Donna, Stephen and Roderick (2007, p. 832) report that over one third of all employees belonged to trade unions by 1979 before declining sharply o 13. % by year 2000. In their view, Gurpreet (2007, p. 85) and Hearnshaw (2007, p. 76) argue that the trade unions decline is an indication of the critical period that change must be embraced to create greater value of the production systems. According to Tove, Hammer and Bayazit (2009, pp. 405-406), the unions lacked the needed sensitivity to their members and held their views towards salaries and job security only. Under this model, unions failed to recognize the fact that if employees were guaranteed what the unions provided, they would lack their value. From their view point, Coca-Stefaniak, Hallsworth and Bainbridge (2005, pp. 361-363) argue that trade unions’ mandates lacked clear definition and therefore kept overlapping between political delineations to employees protection. Consequently, many leaders used them to settle political scores and stepping stones to power. Indeed, Marlow (2006, p. 54) points an accusing finger to this vagueness in executing their mandates that employees sought to distance themselves. A major question that arises at this point is what is indeed the future of the unions? Though many analysts appear to avoid answering the question directly, Pencavel (2003, p. 21) and Blanden and Machin (2003, pp. 121-122) suggest that the unions will indeed not fully die, but resilience of their roles will be evident when major problems occur. Comparison of human resources managements and trade unions Comparison of trade human resources and trade unions brings out the picture of two negating forces but geared towards achieving the same objectives. To begin with, trade unions were run politically and therefore involved a very wide spectrum of employees they dealt with. As a result, Gill (2009, pp. 41-42) explains it was very hard to address the demands of the different members with ease. On the other hand, human resources management is a discipline defined by clear cut professional outline that have key objectives. Redman and Wilkinson (2009, p. 121) explain that apart from this clear objectivity, human resources managers have a narrower spectrum, for instance, one company or institution, which makes it easier to address concerns of their subjects. The approach and consideration of trade unions as Marchington and Wilkinson (2005, p. 114) pointed out in their study, was based on a competitive model that was viewed as a major achievement for specific leaders. As a result, other options were locked out; a consideration that created controversy with economists and political elites. Marchington and Wilkinson (2005, p. 117) further point out that human resources managers consider conflicts to be critical aspects that must be addressed carefully in defining a better relationship and ultimately greater productivity. Though Jose and Fernando (2002, pp. 181-182), use of the term ‘militant’ when referring to trade unions has received sharp criticism, it is perhaps the correct term. Trade unions main method of addressing conflicts was use of strikes and demonstrations. As a result, they resulted to great losses to particular institutions, companies and even nations. Human resources managers however, balance between critical human qualifications, existing infrastructure and overall returns as dictated by the demand and supply of resulting products. Gill (2009, pp. 41-42) therefore concurs with Marlow (2006, p. 78) that everybody has his own niche and stands a better chance of advancing with ease. Modern roles of human resources a) Staffing and selection The roles of human resources have over the years changed with the rising demand to view employees as a responsive system as opposed to a rigid consideration Farber and Western (2002, pp. 398-399) explains that this role therefore creates a harmonic platform that proactively addresses key problems that necessitated the need for trade unions. Staffing and selection is done on the basis of merits; a consideration that give employees great security both locally and internationally. By conducting effective selection, the employees do not feel threatened, but are given a chance to improve on their skills which the organization they work for strongly struggles to retain while others remain opportunistic to outsource (Blanden and Machin, 2003, pp. 126-127). Unions are therefore rendered less essential as job security is indeed very high and payments highly sustainable. ) Rewarding compensation and motivation management To concur with Gill (2009, p. 90) conclusion, poor rewarding systems formed the basis of unions in the mid-twentieth century. At this time most production were privately owned, but most importantly, they lacked effective competition to trigger better compensation and motivation of their workers. Human resources managements’ greatest roles are indeed to assess performance, initiate the needed improvement ef forts and most importantly reward the best performers. In his theory of human needs, Robert Maslow argued that when employees are guaranteed the needed capacity for progression towards self actualization, other systems are easily foregone (Gill, 2009, p. 48). Unlike the trade unions that provided only raising the salaries, human resources create a roadmap for sustainability; a factor that Brewster (2004, p. 371) indicate directly disrupts their consideration for unionization. c) Employee’s development and modelling When refereeing to the current replacement of trade unions roles with human resources management, one cannot fail to focus on the modelling and development roles. Though trade unions train their members on different aspects of their relationship with their seniors and the employers, greater credit as Jose and Fernando (2002, p. 189), suggests, is given to human resources managements. As indicated earlier, trade unions lack the necessary specificity on their members who are highly diverse. Due to their smaller nature of operation, human resources have proved to be more effective in that employees are continuously modelled with close supervision with an aim of improving their place in an organization. Jose and Fernando (2002, pp. 188-190) add that modelling sets a clear role model and a definite roadmap to follow in addressing their concerns and issues. d) Negotiating and change management Unlike during the period of the trade unions, negotiations have taken a central position for all the employees. Brewster (2004, p. 368) explains that human resources management eliminates key bureaucracies and therefore brings the employees closer to the top leadership. Furthermore, human resources management facilitates teamwork to encourage involvement of all the workers in negotiating their views in an organization. To infer greater need for negotiations, Coca-Stefaniak et al (2005, pp. 366-367) argue that internal and external change agents often propose changes towards improving the welfare of the employees and ultimate productivity of the company. As a result, the need for trade unions to create either a rise in payments or even improved working conditions does not arise. Counterarguments In his view, Phelan (2007, pp. 4-75) suggests that trade unions roles will remain critical despite the current decline. He further points out that though many workers have shifted from the trade unions; their need will always be rekindled during the periods of major crisis. During the 2007-2008 financial crises, many workers turned to trade unions for protection of their jobs. Pencavel (2003, p. 25) cites the political interference in reducing the relevance o f the unions. As a result, strength of trade unions will always recur when new political elites with favouring views rise to power. However, the two counterarguments fail to acknowledge the great advancements in technology that facilitate easier detection of workplace problems, faster communication and precise assessment that assists in making the correct decisions to avoid major issues (Hearnshaw, 2007, p. 69). Conclusion and recommendations From the above discussion, this paper supports the thesis statement, ‘the critical roles played by human resources managements that greatly satisfies the customers, improves their earnings, secures their employment, and maintains the correct organization cultures have increasingly replaced the need for trade unions. Trade unions came out as strong movements that were very vibrant during the 20th century when clear professionalism lacked in running businesses and organizations. Human resources management came in with great specialization that is highly proactive and employees driven; a consideration that surpassed the major roles of the unions. However, counterarguments presented in the discussion are true and their roles will often recur during periods of major crisis in organizations.

Managing Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Managing Diversity - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the modern business environment is observed to become increasingly competitive undergoing constant alterations owing to globalization. This certain fact is in turn growing to be a major challenge for the survival of the organizations in the current day context. The rate of globalization is rapidly escalating, simultaneously triggering the need of increased communication in between the people with varied beliefs, backgrounds and cultures compared to the earlier times. Individuals are no more considered to exist in a limited marketplace as the factor of globalization makes them an integral part of the global economy and is believed to face competition from almost all the continents. Owing to such reasons, it becomes necessary for profit as well as non-profit organizations to entail and accept diversity so as to attain increased creativeness along with becoming open to different types of alterations. Capitalizing as well as maximizing on the element of diversity is developing to become quite a significant issue related to management in the present times. Diversity refers to the concept of comprehending, recognizing, accommodating and assessing along with commemorating about the dissimilarities that exists among individuals with regard to class, gender, mental stability, sexual-orientation, status related to public assistance, age, ethnicity, physical competence, race, and spiritual application. The issues associated with diversity are presently regarded as significant and are even anticipated to gain augmented significance in the upcoming days owing to the growing dissimilarities in the population. It is considered to be imperative for the organizations to concentrate on the element of diversity and seek for different ways in order to become completely comprehensive organizations. Diversity is believed to entail the prospective of reaping increased productivity level accompanied with competitive advantages. In this context, managing as well as assessing diversity is learnt to be a vital constituent associated with effectual people management which is competent of enhancing the productivity of the organizations (Rosado, 2006). Concept of Managing Diversity The international environment of business, increased requirements owing to the intense competitiveness and demographic alterations calls for the requirement of diversity. In this regards, managing diversity has been referred to the practice related to learning which paves the path towards overall organizational competence. The development of this competence is measured to be immensely important in a modern organization for the reason of effectually acting in response to the issues as well as prospects that are triggered owing to the existing socio-cultural form of diversity with regard to a particularly distinct social system. Management of diversity is believed to take place by pursuing a definite order of steps with the aid of which individuals as well as organization s progress from lack of knowledge. This is again associated with the definite topic till the stage or a level where the activities with regard to diversity manipulating the organizations, their consequences and their workforce is comprehended (Cox & Beale, 1997). Managing diversity is also referred to the constant process which helps in setting free of the different talents along with proficiencies that is brought into a particular organization, society and community by its respective diverse population with the aim to build a completely inclusive along with wholesome environment. This particular environment is believed to hold increased significance as it helps in effectively managing the differences along with making the most of the entire latent of all the involved individuals which proves to be beneficial for all from a cultural perspective (Rosado, 2006). Diversity is stated to be a budding notion in the current phenomenon. This specific term is believed to be both particular b eing centered on a definite individual and being contextual

Reducing Stress and Enhancing Productivity through effective workspace Essay - 1

Reducing Stress and Enhancing Productivity through effective workspace Design, provision and organisation for A Bank HQ Building - Essay Example As if not enough, desirable work place environments has shaped the building design paradigms in certain ways, including the necessitation of incorporation of aspects pertaining to efficiency, as well as a reduction of stress at the work place (Broberg,1997). Indeed, in the current world, building designs concepts and building designs are arguably inseparable. Building design concepts are inclined on coming up with designs of equipment and devises, including buildings that are suitable for human operations. Such are subject to body movement, not to forget, the bodies’ cognitive abilities. Thus, the objective of desirable design concept is to foster productivity while fulfilling the health requirements. As such, the desirable design concept is most appreciable when designing products such as equipment and furniture, as well as machines that contain interfaces that are not only reliable, but easy for use (Broberg, 1997). Clearly, this relate to building designs. Nevertheless, considering that people have varied physical and cognitive capabilities, the subject of satisfactory building designs may not be fully explored without inclusivity. It is indispensable that buildings designs have to put into considerations the needs of people with disabilities such as the deaf, the blind, and those on wheelchairs. Inclusivity is a point that most architects have to put into consideration, especially when the underlying goal is to design buildings that could be accessed by all groups of people with prompting customization. What is worth noting is that desirable inclusive designs should be fit all equality groups although emphasis may be laid on disabled people. On the other hand, it is limiting to design buildings based on certain concepts and inclusivity alone. Other elements of desirable building designs, especially office areas, include Safety, security, sustainability , Comfort,

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Statement Example I have always paid a great deal of attention towards my educational realms and this is the reason why I have attained the best out of my knowledge thus far. I have successfully completed my Bachelors of Finance from College of Business Administration in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a GPA of 4.49 out of 5.0. I learned the basis of finance and how the world of economic disparities have brought to the fore the understanding of business and its related realms. I have become prone to finding out the goodness within the financial ranks as well as discern the negativities which have plagued the system. I believe that my education has opened up my pathways as now I can see life as it is, and determine where I am right and where I have gone wrong with the advent of time. This has implicated for my success across the board and has made me who I am with utmost care and attention to detail. I look forward to being a part of the Global Village in the near future through my hard work and dedication. Coming towards my professional background, this has been filled with work experience that I have incorporated for three different organizations. I learned how to give solutions to customers’ hardware, assembly, installation and maintenance processes. I also found out how to work as a team within this job as well as to manage time properly. I tested product and system performance which were geared to enhance solutions towards engineering and technological issues. I developed team working technologies, manage time adequately well, and communicate through the skills that I had learned thus far. My essential role was to make sure that I provided for an efficient and effective administrative support base for the employees around me. I also possess a number of skills which are specially suited to my personality domains. These comprise of the organizational skills like capable of working under strict deadlines and taking on pressure routines; the language skills where I am good at t he native Arabic, fluent in English and basic Greek; the computer skills where I am reasonably sound at some of the more renowned software and operating systems which are present in the market. Seeing myself 10 to 20 years ahead shall always make me feel proud of what I have learned today. I envision success through hard work and persistence and this is the reason why my future is devoted towards some of the more renowned names in the world of business. I have set my aims high while remaining firm on the ground to show my true mettle. I would immensely cherish the fact that I can establish a business for my own self or if I could work within a multinational company as a business developer. But for that I would require a MBA in Operations Management as this will be the basis of my success in the times to come. I am aptly driven at B2B, IPO and M&A, and thus I understand these are significant drivers to bring success towards my folds in the coming times. I would request the authoritie s at the helm of affairs to give me a chance to showcase who I am and what I bring to the MBA program as this is my utmost wish to seek a Masters Degree program under my belt. My interests are more towards project management and/or operations management as I believe these two aspects will ultimately put me on the global map with my complete devotion

How staff motivation can be improved by effective leadership and Essay

How staff motivation can be improved by effective leadership and management - Essay Example This style is also known as authoritarian style .It is one in which involves retention of full authority by the leader. Leader decides, decision is passed on to subordinates, instructions about the implementation of decisions are given and the subordinates are expected to do what the leader has told them to do. The employees have to obey the supervisors without receiving any explanations. â€Å"The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments† (Styles of leadership, 2002). The advantage of this style is that the tasks are efficiently completed, since there is no opportunity for the time consuming two way communications between the employees and the supervisors. The autocratic styles are useful in the case of new untrained employees who need detailed orders and instructions to perform. There are some workers who prefers autocratic leader since they feel secure under his or her leadership. In such cases productivity and morale of the workers tend to be high. The report analyses the various implications of autocratic leadership under different heads. The impact of autocratic leadership styles in different kinds of organizational setup is being analyzed in this portion. The autocratic leadership has a lot of problems associated with it. The primary problem is that workers are made aware of what to do but not why. This may lead to low employee morale and higher turn over. The autocratic leadership style cannot be used in some situations. In the case of employees become tense and fearful, and depend more on their supervisors to take decisions, the production volume is high and the time is limited to take a decision. In such situations if this style of leadership is used the employees do not feel secure and they cannot adjust with the situation. They don’t get motivation, therefore their confidence decreases. This will increase the employee turn over. This also creates low employee morale in the

Is there evidence that genetic variation in wild populations is caused Essay

Is there evidence that genetic variation in wild populations is caused by natural selection - Essay Example This adjustment may be structural, behavioral or functional which increases the individual’s ability to survive in the ecological niche. The process of natural selection happens through random genetic variations. The beneficial variations are carried to the progeny. Under the similar environment the process is extended to the entire population of the species in the ecological niche. The new alleles and genes are responsible for genetic variations. Mutations can create new genes and alleles. In the process of gene duplication morphology of chromosomes may undergo changes which would alter the genetic structure in the evolutionary process. Barett R.D.H. and Schluter state â€Å"Compared with new mutations, adaptation from standing genetic variation is likely to lead to faster evolution, the fixation of more alleles of small effect and the spread of more recessive alleles. There is potential to distinguish between adaptation from standing variation and that from new mutations by differences in the genomic signature of selection.† When we consider sudden alterations by way of mutation as against existing genes, where the changes were induced on account of adaptability to environment filtered for benefits with regard to survival, we can understand the concept of adaptation and natural selection in evolution in the latter case. However, it is also established that beneficial mutations create new alleles to aid an organism in its struggle for existence. Natural selection has been rather well established and reveals increase in the frequency of these alleles. An example is given with reference to Adaptation to High and Low Temperatures by E. coli.   ‘A single clone of E. coli was cultured at 37 C  (that is 37 degrees Celsius) for 2000 generations. A single clone was then extracted from this population and divided into replicates that were then cultured at either 32 C , 37

Optional Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Optional - Essay Example China has become so popular that it is a subject of discussion in the social, economic and political debates. One of the subjects has pertained to the position of china in regard to sustainability. This paper seeks to evaluate the position of china in regard to energy and environmental sustainability. It had been initially argued that the world was transforming to the positive. Dramatic industrialization, urbanization and strive for economic stability among countries and regions were conspicuously cited as evidences of trending development. However, it was not until the recent decades that these perceptions shifted. This was majorly triggered concerns for the environment. The dominant view has been that sustainable development is never achievable without environmental conservation and management. Indeed, the same view has dominated the energy subject; that countries that are concerned about realizing sustainable development must not only diversify energy resources, but also limit dem and and consumption while pursuing green energy. Undoubtedly, this should also be considered as the premise of evaluating China’s economic development. In this evaluation, understanding the state of China’s energy consumption is crucial in understanding how critical the energy situation is. It is also pivotal in offering information about the future trend. The rest of the question only leads in comprehensive determination of the criticality of the energy demand and consumption, especially considering that energy issue cannot be addressed effectively explored when limited within the China’s border. If the situations happen to be critical and China’s policies are well informed by the decisions that reflect the criticality, the inference would be that China is fit to reach great heights of success. The Economic state of China, Energy demand and Consumption China has become so popular that it is a subject of discussion in the social, economic and political de bates. It was the center stage of the 2006 Davos Economic Forum discussions. Within that period, as significant as 50 percent of the global leaders visited china (Yin & David, 2006). Even as the West views China as an obstruction environmental sustainability, it may seem that China’s upward economic trend may be limited by the dynamics in the global energy supply and consumption. Accounting for a population of as significant as 1.4 billion people and realizing development at a rate of over 8 percent, as from 1970, the energy demand and consumption for China has been surging. This has been necessitated by the expansion of commercial, as well as industrial sectors. The impact of rising living standards of households on energy demand and consumption can also not be overlooked. In the last decade, China was considered as the second largest energy product consumer, coming after the United States of America. It has now overtaken United States (Swartz & Shai, 2010). The country cons umes over 1.7 billions of coal tonnage (Rubin, 2012). China accounted for as significant as 32 percent of the global cola consumption, 11 percent of hydro-electric power consumption, 8 percent of global oil consumption and 1 percent of the global gas consumption, in 2003. This energy consumption is obviously enormous. Even intriguing is the fact that the share of energy consumption

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of Essay

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of (Nike) ) - Essay Example Nike has also become one of the world’s leading sportswear and equipment providers with revenues exceeding 18.6 billion in supplies for athletic shoes (Yu). Although based in the US, the company continues to provide excellent quality products to its customers and to maximize its profits all over the globe, with the swoosh becoming one of the most iconic brand symbols of all time. In 2009, Nike was employing 30,000 people in different 52 countries all over the world (Yu). Nike began as a small retail outlet in the car of Phil Knight in January 1964. Its founding fathers, Bill Bowerman and Phillip Knight, were initially disappointed by the sales that they were making. They paid a university student to make a logo for their products that would help to attract more recognition to the brand (Yu). Over the past five decades, the company has risen to remarkable fame, and the UK marketing manager for Nike attributes this fame and success to the firm and resolute vision of the company. He observes. â€Å"Absolutely everything we do is motivated by the fact that we’re here to enable athletes to be even better. We know who we are. We know what we want to achieve and we go for it 100 per cent of the time† (Yu). Nike has several brand names such as Nike Pro, Nike Air Max and Nike Football, and works with subsidiary names such as Umbro, Cole Haan and Converse. Along with producing sports gear and equipment, Nike also operates widely in retail stores under the ‘Nike Town’ profile. Many high profile athletes have benefited from Nike sponsorships deals promoting the ‘swoosh logo’ and ‘just do it’ trademarks. According to the Global Alliance report on the factories making Nike products in Indonesia, about 58% of the employees are young adults aged between 20 and 24 years. Moreover, 83% of the labour is female. Half of the

Chapter 4) Demanding Ethical and Socially Responsible Behavior Assignment

Chapter 4) Demanding Ethical and Socially Responsible Behavior - Assignment Example This negative ethical implication leads to a revenge mission on the part of the affected parties and the whistleblower(s) have to relocate or even at times go into witness protection program to protect them from revenge by wounded corporations and employers. These rewards are ethical because they are just a token of appreciation by the SEC for the ultimate unveiling of the crimes taking place in the corporations and they save the country millions if not billions of dollars as well as prevent the citizens from being defrauded anymore like in the Ponzi schemes. By blowing the whistle, the whistle blower has conducted an honorary thing but may be out of job and not easily get another job. Their life may also be in danger from those who were not happy to be unveiled. The money will therefore cushion their future for a while before they stabilize or even forever depending on how much it

Internet Privacy Essay Example for Free

Internet Privacy Essay Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is a great opportunity for any fledging entrepreneur to expose his goods to buyers all over the world through the internet. Small and medium scale businesses, with the right mixture of products and e-commerce capabilities can thrive in a global market. Geography is now longer a hindrance. One doesn’t even need a great amount of capital outlay to get started. For $ 25 a month, one can get an e-commerce start up kit (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Every imaginable commodity is now sold on-line. It would be wise for any business minded person to ride the information age. Of course, one area of concern when it comes to electronic transactions is security. There have been many instances where credit card information submitted to certain business related websites were stolen and used for other purposes. Customers would need some measure of guarantee that they are not getting scammed. At the same time, businessmen, especially the newer ones, would like to minimize costs of implementing a highly secure environment. Like everything else, a balance must be reached between security for the customer and cost for the business owner. The advantage of a non-secure e-commerce environment is that the business can start right away, even at the comfort of your own home if you prefer. Starting capital would be affordable since one only needs to register a website name and post the products he is offering. The site functions as a showroom for global customers. The disadvantage is that the number of hits on the site doesn’t necessarily translate to customers. 54% of prospective buyers cancel their transactions because of concerns which include insecurity (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Another disadvantage is that safe payment options are limited. Because non-secure e-commerce sites are vulnerable to hacker attacks, customers would prefer not to use any kind of electronic payment. This would limit the customer’s options to bank deposits and cash-on-delivery schemes. If credit card payment is offered in an insecure web environment, the risk of theft is increased. Overly secured e-commerce sites provide the customer with a blanket of safety and convenience for both the customer and the site owner. With up to date security measures, the owner opens his business to the more than 1. 2 billion credit card owners, world wide (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Applying encryption methods such as the widely accepted secure socket layer (SSL) certificates on the business website shields important customer information, like credit card numbers, from hackers and other web predators. One disadvantage of a highly secure e-commerce setup is the cost in putting up the safeguards. Verisign, the company that offers SSL certificates, charges over $1,000 for an extended SSL good for 1 year (â€Å"Verisign†, 2007). Other security costs include purchasing and updating of anti-virus software and firewall infrastructure. A minor inconvenience for the customer would be repeated input of customer information including passwords to help secure a transaction. These are not one time only costs. SSL and anti-virus software need regular updates to adapt to relentless hackers and virus code programmers. Even with all of these, there is still no 100% guarantee that the e-business is safe since security is meant to â€Å"manage not eliminate risks† (Tung, 2007). If the entrepreneur is new to the e-commerce business and confined with a limited budget, it is advisable that he start with registering the website first and live with the payment limitations. If the product is good, and the owner makes up for the limitations with above average service like on time delivery and packaging, then he may gradually add components that would make his e-business more secure. If money is no object to the businessman, then adding market accepted security features will certainly not hurt and will even attract repeat business. References: E-commerce 101. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from Sell it on the web Web site: http://sellitontheweb. com/ezine/webstore101. shtml Exploring E-Commerce. Entrepreneur. com , Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://www. entrepreneur. com/growyourbusiness/howtoguides/article81238. html Tung, Liam (2007, November 2007). Friendly rootkits proposed for safe e-commerce. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from ZDNet. co. uk Web site: http://news. zdnet. co. uk/internet/0,1000000097,39291134,00. htm? r=2 Verisign (2007). Retrieved December 10, 2007, Web site: https://ssl-certificate- center. verisign. com/process/retail/product_selector? uid=f149c3d301a629c3897d6187982dbfe7

Changing Customer Needs And Aspirations

Changing Customer Needs And Aspirations In todays global marketplace, managers face many challenges to meet changing customer needs and aspirations. It has become the concept of customer service in recent times is more complicated because of globalization of goods and services. Customers become familiar with decision-makers because of the abundance of information on the Internet and the media. Today the consumer is more interested in how the vendor can solve the fundamental problems at the end of the day and add value to the product or service. The role of businessmen and the agency is now more important than ever to achieve success in this new global competitive market. As a result, sales managers and a new challenge to respond to this new environment, with innovative technologies to manage and motivate the sales force. The following sections specify general conditions for sales management, and study the role of director of sales, and focus on the methods used to mange, lead and motivate staff. Sales Management in And can easily manage sales, as specified in the planning, implementation and monitoring communication programs aimed at achieving personal sales goals and profits. Overall, sales managers are responsible for direct sales program for the company. In the implementation of this goal, and the appointment of director of sales territories, set goals and to develop training programs. In addition to identifying individual goals, and sales managers to monitor vendor performance, and continuously provide guidance and leadership on how to improve their performance. It will be the organizational structure to manage the sales depends on the size of the business and strategy. In the area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹sales management, and the structure consists of a unit manager, area manager, regional manager, general manager and vice president of sales. And often referred to as Unit Operator as a manager in training with the interaction that takes place on the level of customers. The main responsibilities of the operator and the new units include the training of sales representatives, employment, and sales of small accounts and the implementation of neighborhood meetings. And area managers, one step away from the heads of units, from 5 to 10 years of experience in management and public administration 80-10 sales. Area managers usually report to the Regional Director, who is responsible for the management of multiple regions in a given geographical area. Sometimes referred to the Director-General of the vice president of sales and market ing. This was a position traditionally the leader of the sales organization, with the vice president of marketing and sales strategy to lead the companys sales. There are clear differences between the base and high level managers. The main difference is the amount of time spent in each of their functions. Lower level managers spend most of their time on sellers of personal, direct and monitor. Senior managers generally focus on planning, organizing and coordinating the marketing strategy with the overall objectives of the business sector. They also forecast sales, set goals, develop strategies and policies, and budgeting. Management Strategy, Sales and Marketing Facing sales managers with many challenges in designing effective marketing strategy. How should the restructuring of the sales force? How big of a sales force is required? How can the sales force to deliver their message? Strategies vary depending on the number of products offered by the company, and if the company sells a certain type of customers to sell to different customers. When you sell the production line to one sector, with customers in many locations, the use of a regional strategy for the sale. With this strategy, will be appointed the exclusive representative of land sales in the region. These representatives sell full product line consists of multiple products to customers in that region. A good example of this strategy is the sale of food equipment. A representative of a commercial food equipment in general, and encourage companies range of products for sale, restaurants, schools, canteens and in specific territories. And is often used when the product sales strategy to sell the company along product lines. Using this strategy, bed sales representatives will require them to focus on selling one product or a small group of selected products. And use this strategy when product managers are numerous and complex. Used widely in the sales of this strategy, which focused on medical sales representative to sell products, medical care and specific health that are part of a specialized field of medicine. Finally, sales managers can use the strategy of the sales force customer-oriented vendors that specialize in matching clients to target specific products or services. This strategy enables the company to focus more on building strong relationships and long-term relationships with key customers. Motivate the sales force Subject of special attention in the field of sales management is motivation. Motivation is probably the most important aspect of sales management. If it is sorted correctly the sales force, and the selection of trainers, and the product is right, then it becomes the decisive motivation for success. There are many reasons to motivate the sales force is an important part of the sales process. First, we must deal with the vendor acceptance and rejection on a continuous basis. It is to be exalted as a result of the sale of a large disappointment that comes from being rejected. In many cases, sellers will spend long hours on the road, away from their families, which may affect public morale. This, in addition to the fact that vendors usually operate without the supervision of management, indicates that these people require a high level of personal reasons, in order to produce consistently good results. Finally, motivation has a direct impact on the level of enthusiasm and a street vendor in providing the product or service for the client. If the seller is passionate and enthusiastic about the product or service, it can directly affect the decision of the customer to purchase and develop strong relationships for future purchases. However, it is important to note that sales managers are responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective level of motivation in employees. In addition to providing strong leadership, director of marketing and sales to stimulate the force to achieve predetermined sales targets. Managers can use a variety of tools to stimulate a successful sales force. Strongest motivation is the compensation package is well designed. Sales managers can stimulate the effective design of vendor compensation formula, which is a good balance of bonuses, salaries and commissions. Sales managers set goals in the form of quotas, wage levels, and efficient catalyst for the shares. There are a number of formulas for sellers of compensation, and depends on the formula up to the expectations of the companys overall performance for each salesperson. Uses, respectively, to the Committee by the sales managers to reward salespeople for their achievements instead of their time and efforts. Compensation Commission directly enhance the independence of the seller. This is a strong motivation in this victory happen only if the sale was made, resulting in cost savings for the company. E program conducive to organizations that want to reduce the costs of compensation, especially for new companies and growing. There are some disadvantages to the Commission, including the lack of the ability of sales managers to monitor sales activities, as well as the high rate of staff turnover. Another program of compensation that are frequently used by non-salary in addition to the bonus. In essence, the formula includes salary plus a bonus of base salary with bonus based on performance pay when they are to achieve sales targets and quotas. It can also assess the salespeople on factors, including the establishment of new accounts, the average profit margin, and after-sales service. Unlike the Commission has the right, and this program helps to reduce the rate of staff turnover. The plan also encourages sellers to build long term relationships with customers. After that the security of a steady income, and sales staff can be patient with their customers, enabling them to take the time to make an informed decision. This is especially important when buying long cycles and when salespeople need time to adapt to the customer purchase cycle. And can be used to sell products or services are complex, in addition to a salary structure for the Commission to compensate the sales force. Under this program, the seller is guaranteed base salary, granted to the Commission based on the factors identified by the organization. Typically, the organization of salary in addition to the Committee on the upper and lower thresholds for sales volume. For example, the seller can earn 4 percent on the first $ 20000 of the volume of sales in each month, and 5 percent for $ 15,000 and 6 percent on sales of more than $ 40,000. Other companies may use different criteria, such as achieving sales quotas on the number of individual products sold in each category of products. Linked to the advantages of this method is the flexibility of the program. Companies are able to adapt the program to meet business objectives as they relate to sales force. Committees can be distributed over a certain period will continue to offer lessons to ensure a high leve l of customer service, and to discourage repeat left the company after the sale of a large. Commission salary plus bonus is a combination of the above programs. This plan combines the stability of the salary, an incentive for the Commission, as well as a special bonus prizes. It is recognized all financial activity from a seller by this program and the preferred vendor because of the potential benefits of the plan. The plan is not as popular as the others because of the complexity of the case management program. Are often used short-term incentive programs by companies to stimulate the vendor behind the standard compensation. Sales incentive contests are the most commonly used to generate enthusiasm for the sale of products and services. Competitions and usually works for a limited time, include cash prizes or travel to those vendors who reach a certain level of sales. The timing of events is crucial. Generally, it should return the competitions during the slower seasons of a particular sector, in order to increase sales and generate additional revenue. Employment for Success Sales force Sales Manager is responsible for appointing the sales staff, and identify new sources of employees, screening of applicants and interviews, contact references, and recommend candidates to the Regional Director. In general, the regional director of sales recruiting and selecting new vendors when needed. In many cases, were found on the candidates through universities, and Internet sites, or candidates who have formally applied to the entity through the efforts of cold calling. Managers should identify some basic qualities to recruit candidates for employment. Features is an important factor when considering a candidate for the post of sales. Empathy, and ego and optimism are the traits of good character into account when examining candidates for the position of sales. All of these qualities is a strong relationship with success in sales. Empathy is the ability to imagine the reactions of another person and I refers to the need for internal convince someone else to his satisfaction. All of these features combined provide a good indication of the seller and is considered strongly when recruiting and interviewing job applicants. It is also important to consider the level of demand of optimism with regard to personal fulfillment. Optimism and enthusiasm are good indicators of the ability of the seller to deal with adversity a feature that is often necessary to overcome the rejection and the slow sales months. Although most companies have chosen their own procedures, the process for selecting candidates from the model are similar to the following: 1. The first interview was president of the sales (the applicant is not acceptable and given a formal request or is not acceptable, and sent a letter of rejection.) 2. Are invited to applicants who apply for a second interview with the director of the region. 3. And candidates can spend a day in the field with the seller and the area manager receives feedback from the seller at the level of enthusiasm of the candidate. 4. Area Manager to check the references of the candidate, and a criminal record. 5. Regional Sales Manager interviews the candidate. 6. Regional Director and Area Manager to discuss the candidate via conference call or personal meeting. (Whether to give the student position) 7. Regional Director of Sales and offers the candidate and the official function. 8. Required physical examination in the event of acceptance of the offer submitted by the candidate. Quality management Total And customer satisfaction The main responsibility of the Sales Manager in the management of customer relationships. The emergence of a global market for goods and services and stimulate new thinking in the management of products related to the customer. Is defined as Total Quality Management (TQM) and process management and a range of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets customer expectations. Originally identified as a theory of manufacturing, total quality management and is now being applied to sales in particular. In the context of Sales and Marketing, Total Quality Management determines the quality of sales and service effort in terms of customer satisfaction. The goal of Total Quality Management for the sale of services and quality of value-driven (and not on price), to create customer loyalty, and profits in the long term. Systems sales and service that connects individuals, departments, suppliers, customers and focus on quality overall. Each section within the institution to have direct responsibility for the client in a certain capacity. Marketing of new products designed with the customer in mind. Manufacturing focuses on achieving the highest level of product quality. Under total quality management, and set ambitious targets but reasonable to improve sales and service quality. Innovation and continuous improvement of sales and service core of the idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹total quality management. The client of every aspect of total quality management. By focusing on customer expectations and to investigate them using formal methods, you can search for Total Quality Management misconceptions previous and new opportunities. Some basic ideas underlying the Total Quality Management and continuous improvement to make the products and services, and the elimination of defects, doing things right the first time, and understand that the employees closest to the process know-how to improve this process. Depending on the sales and service, and total quality management focuses on the exchange between the buyer and the seller. The intangible aspects such as response to the needs of different customers, and sympathy with the concerns of the client, and providing reliable service, and ensure the capacity of service at the customer relationship management. This process is a bit more difficult than the actual management of the quality of the product because of customer requests to be involved in this process. And ask them to provide information on the companys products and services to enable the process of continuous improvement. Customer satisfaction is essential to the philosophy of total quality management. In the management of sales, and total quality management suggest that organizations must have the majority of workers in jobs customer support, with the positions of a smaller number of staff. This will help to eliminate the costs associated with handling and reduces the levels of decision-making. Lower levels of management also allows the organization to be flexible enough to change quickly to support new opportunities for sales. Continuous improvement of all products and improve the sales process allows companies to move forward in a manner consistent with the products and services to remain competitive in the new global market. Career Paths There are no jobs sales management in all sectors of consumer and business, in positions ranging from the area manager to vice president of marketing and sales, and senior management of the companys sales. May be competition to be intense sales management. Sales managers usually arise as a trader, and work their way to the top with strong leadership and organizational skills. The development of sales staff in managerial positions gradually, with the representatives of the movement in the top positions to take more responsibility for their larger, national accounts. Its probably a sales representative will spend part of their professional career as a district or regional manager before moving to the role of senior management in sales. The development of sales staff in managerial positions vary depending on the size and structure of the organization Vision Marketing Trainee Retail Management Salaries The average salary for retail sales and management functions, and the vision of marketing trainee is $ 29,000. Could be that the average salaries of trainee retail management and marketing vision vary greatly because of, the site of the company, experience, industry and utilities. This salary was calculated using the average salary for all jobs with the term view of marketing management trainee retail sales in any part of the work site Sales Marketing Management Trainee salary information to see retail This free salary calculator uses salary data from millions of job listings indexed by Simply hired for the work of the search engine. Retail sales management and marketing vision trainee salary comparisons feature allows job seekers to get the information required to make important decisions and negotiate salary ranges Career. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis. Have been recreated with this plan by the Liquidity Management Centre A SWOT analysis of the blood of chronic SWOT analysis is a management tool used to identify and evaluate the considerations of the project or business initiative. Key considerations are the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats and are usually displayed in the organization and management tool, such as the letters S, W, X, Ot. Strengths include the characteristics of the current organization that are useful for achieving the overall objective. Weaknesses in the other hand, are the qualities of the existing organization that are harmful to achieving the objective. The opportunity to represent all the external conditions that may be perceived as useful to achieve the goal, while the threat is still external conditions that could interfere with the achievement of the target business. Are arranged in the four elements of this management tool in the network so that components can be grouped in two ways: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Internal and external factors (living or originating within or outside the company) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Profit / harassment (which have a direct impact on achieving the objectives of the work). Key issues in the analysis of SWOT analysis is used to develop a strategy and guide the decision-making process and access to, or possible to measure the important business goal might be. Analysis consists of the core issues of the objectives of the company, based on four elements: 1. How can we maximize all the power? 2. How can we stop or limit any weakness? 3. How can we take advantage of every opportunity? 4. How you can stop, reduce and defend against any threat? A key factor in when these questions are against the objectives of the work is what can be a force for the purpose of, and may be considered weak against another. In this case, the question requires input from the departments or authorities concerned, and discussion to assess the relative importance of factors in play should be. And should include a SWOT analysis is ideal input from key personnel from business reliable by all departments. Thus, it may be a typical team includes an accountant, sales manager, marketing manager, and CEO of operations management and broker. And is characterized by general importance or the success of any SWOT analysis in terms of value to the business strategies it generates. Explore ideas: Lets start with the first idea and ask: If we do, what results / problems can we expect? Write each problem or on the board. If you need more information, and then noted the appointment of person to conduct further investigations, and a deadline. Ask the next To accomplish this, what should we do? I write all the tasks on the table. It helps to divide the table into three sections: Problems of results, and activities. Once you have completed the process for each idea, and then write a plan of action and follow-up session to follow. The goal is to get ideas and perspectives from different angles, and explore each other Brainstorming preparation Select a group of people who should participate, if possible, at least one person from each department and all parties and decision makers, as possible. It should not be limited to a group of senior management, and sometimes the best ideas come from staff. Should be appointed Chairman of the management of this process and maintain control over the session. Appoint a person to take notes and gather information. Determining the duration of the session, and issue invitations. Room must be set so that it includes a relaxed atmosphere, and prefers that the president should be in a circular fashion, or gathered around a table, depending on the size of the group. Encourage people to walk around and relax. Provide a whiteboard, note paper, pens, coffee and anything else that might encourage a relaxed session. Can be in respect of each category can be classified in order of importance Brainstorming session Discuss the reason for the session and clearly define the objective or problem. Make sure that all participants agree with the objective and understand the desired result. Writing objective voice on the board, and this will help to keep everyone on track during the session. Set the rules of the session: there must be no criticism or ridicule of any ideas, and keep on track, avoid lengthy discussions about the pros and cons of the idea, and will be done at a later time during the investigation. Encourage everyone to participate and respect the ideas of others. Session leader should ensure that follow the rules and had no idea and mocked or criticized and described as stupid. Start asking people to provide their thoughts / ideas and write each one on the plane. Will probably find that once the collection of ideas, and the rest will flow. Once I have noticed all the ideas, and then it was time to explore each and every one else. Group all the ideas that are similar to other Ideally, one aims to have 5-10 ideas to investigate Plan of Action for the exchange of ideas The plan should include a summary of each idea work, a list of requirements for further investigation, it is assigned and deadlines. If the idea can be implemented immediately, then, tasks, and who are assigned deadlines. Brainstorming sessions are excellent tools to solve problems and lead to more opportunities. This can be done successfully meeting to brainstorm on an individual basis, but the group session will allow different views of all regions. And effective way to stimulate the vendors with the incentive program, but production is not as simple as defining a set of objectives which, when met, to reward those with the cash. If money is the only element of the incentive program, the sellers simply sell more without additional incentives. So, to begin to understand what each hopes to achieve the seller: This is the best person to be sold for the quarter? Staff record the best sales? Should be a good incentive program be understandable, measurable and achievable. Any program that does not include all three of these critical elements will quickly become confused and therefore counterproductive. As a business owner or manager of the team, you must specify the program to stimulate sales in a clear and put it in writing. Meeting to make sure that every member sales team, which includes in its entirety. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Show the basic salary, in addition to the Committee. If possible, Salesforce and pay your base salary for a decent addition to the commission. Forced to work in the Committee can only create tension, which leads to depletion and turnover is high, while that for a balanced approach will help you maintain the best talent. Can find the right balance between basic salary and the percentage of a committee to be difficult, however. For example, when the vendors on a higher salary base is likely to keep closely how do they spend their time, pack more heavily dependent on the Committee may motivate them to spend more time seeking lead a strong, rather than engaging in activities that do not lend themselves to a high proportion of sales

Syndicated Data And Standardized Services And Their Differences Marketing Essay

Syndicated Data And Standardized Services And Their Differences Marketing Essay At work, I am involved in the selection process of research suppliers for the sake of annual staff surveys, benefits surveys and for mystery shopper program and analysis, I realize the services offered by the research industry has grown greatly in the past decade. So I am interested to find out the kind of services research agencies offer, and about the marketing research industry worldwide. This paper is therefore relatively informational, in which I have included a lot of named research suppliers who were listed and found from the various book references, library and internet sources in order to support the different categories of the services. There will be little emphasis on opinionated discussion, as the objective of this paper aims to explain the syndicated data and standardized services offered by research agencies, distinguish their differences, various applications and sources of data. Both services are common nowadays in Asia, especially the SMEs (Small to medium sized ente rprise) that are using such research data for nurturing the success of their organizations, however the difficulties to operate a nation-wide approach in Asia is discussed. I have also included a sample of a standardized service in Hong Kong, WorkHKà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ by Towers Watson, in the area of job satisfaction survey and its process is shared here. Introduction What is Syndicated data and Standardized services Today, over $20 billion a year is spent on marketing/advertising/public opinion research services around the world. Spending on marketing research is $6.9 billion in the United States alone. During the past two decades, the research market has become highly concentrated, with about 54 percent of the market being held by the 50 largest worldwide organizations. The other half of the market is shared by a thousand or more small research firms. The concentration is even more pronounced in the United States, where the 10 largest firms account for 64 percent of total U.S. spending for marketing research (Wileys Marketing Research Industry and Research Ethics article, p.26). In the highly competitive retail market, understanding the customer is paramount. In order to fill in the gaps of consumers buying motive and actual buying, companies have to understand the customers, and of course, marketing research is the tool for gaining knowledge about the customers. Marketing research is a systematic gathering of information and such analysis of data gathered connects the consumers and the public to the marketer so as to identify the marketing problems and opportunities, assess marketing actions, manage the marketing performance, and improve the overall marketing process. Marketing research information is provided by research suppliers which can be either an internal supplier or an external supplier. Most manufacturers, retailers, and service businesses, such as McDonalds, Kraft Foods or American Airlines, have small internal marketing research departments, and Procter and Gamble (PG) has a large internal research department. External suppliers are outside marketing research companies hired to supply marketing research data; and they can be classified as full service supplier firms and limited service supplier firms; full service suppliers are companies that offer full range of marketing research activities, they provide standardized information which involves two broad classes, namely the syndicated data services and standardized services which this paper focuses to discuss. Figure 1.0 indicates the overall services provided by an information supplier. What it means by Syndicated Data and Standardized Services According to Curry (1993) and Kolb (2008), syndicated data is a form of external and secondary data supplied in a standardized format and ready-to-use routine information made available to multiple subscribers known as a syndicate in a common database, which means the information is not tailor made to meet the needs of any particular company or designed to solve client-specific problems, the data format is designed to provide a standard, ongoing vehicle to facilitate the collection of data. Syndicated data is provided in a common data base for a service fee charged to subscribers and these research firms which provide the data are known as syndicated data service firms. These suppliers offer syndicated data on a subscription basis to all subscribing members of the syndicate, such detailed information can be of value to companies in a specific trade but may not be available in libraries. Syndicated data suppliers collect data on a continuing basis regarding the consumption of a specif ic product or products or the purchasing behavior of a specific target market segment. These data are then sold to companies, which specify how much data they want and the analysis they require; the more data and analysis that are required, the higher the price and what they do not do is conducting research specifically for any single client company. With syndicated data, both the process of collecting and analyzing the data and the data itself are standardized, firms supplying syndicated data follow standard research formats and uniform reports that enable them to collect the same standardized data over time at periodic intervals. Common types of syndicated data measure retail sales, wholesale product shipments, consumer panels, advertising media audiences, advertising effectiveness, and consumer attitudes. ACNielsen TV Ratings and IRI are examples of two large syndicated data services firms, ACNielson collects information on TV and media viewing and also on ad recognition on the i nternet, anyone, including the public, can buy the products they sell by visiting their website. On the other hand, standardized services rarely provide clients with standardized data, rather, they provide the research process. Zikmund (2003, p.74) explained that standardized services refer to a marketing research process that is standardized and used to generate information for a particular user and the application of that standardized process will result in different data for each client, even though the standardized process is the same in gathering the data. For example, a client will use a standardized service firm to measure customer satisfaction, instead of developing its own process. Several other marketing research services, such as test marketing, naming new brands, pricing a new product, or using mystery shoppers, can be provided or purchased from standardized service firms. Synovates ProductQuest service assists in developing new products and improving existing products. Baltimore Research offers a Mock Trials service to clients involved in litigation, to listen to di fferent attorney presentations so that the litigants attorneys can have better presentation ways to impact the jurors. Advantages and Disadvantages of Syndicated Data and Standardized Services Advantages of Syndicated Data A key advantage of syndicated data is on the shared costs of the data among users as many clients may subscribe to the same information, thus making the cost of the service greatly reduced. Burns Bush (2010, p.205) made it clear that due to the quality of the data collected is typically very high and requiring a huge amount of cost, so the share of affordable cost with several users maintains the validity and reliability quality of the data. Another advantage is that the data are normally disseminated very quickly because of the routinized systems, standard procedures and methods used to collect and process the data over and over again on a periodic basis. Besides, the information is current, the more current the data, the greater is the use. Syndicated data services can at least aid in the formulation of the clients decision problem, suggest types of data for meeting the information needs, and service as a source of comparative data by which internal data from within the organizati on cannot achieve. Advantages of Standardized Services The advantage of using standardized service suppliers is mainly buying the experience of the research firm, especially when the buyer company does not have enough the experienced personnel to carry out a particular research process. Besides, using standardized services helps to reduce cost of the buyer when the trial and error process and potential errors can be minimized. Since the standardized service suppliers has been conducting the service for many clients regularly, their procedure is therefore efficient in delivering the result as compared to having the research processed by the buying company themselves. Most importantly is the time saved for buying company in collecting similar data by themselves, because several weeks or months may be required to design, pretest a survey or questionnaire, train the interviewers, devise a sampling plan, collect and process the data. In addition, such cost of the project could be tremendous but it can be much reduced by employing the services from external standardized suppliers. Due to the always availability of standardized services, it is therefore important in the marketing research application. Disadvantages of Syndicated Data Since the format is standardized, buyers have little control over what information is collected and must be satisfied with the standardized information received. Buyers may feel helpless if the units of measurement or definition of classes, recency of data, publication currencies and the units of geographical data are not appropriate which are summarized as the data fit problem. Burns Bush (2010, pp.205-6) gave a second disadvantage, that buyers must often commit to a long-term contract which only serves to secure the expenses required by the syndicated data supplier on the quality and vast scope of research. The last and most crucial disadvantage is that the same data is available to competitors, that is, what the client firm buy and see from the report, the competitors also see the same analysis and picture. Disadvantages of Standardized Services Naturally, the word standardized automatically implies the service is not customized, standard service suppliers do not design a service specifically for the clients project. Besides, Zikmund (2003, p.113) stated that the standardized service supplier may not know a particular industry well so it becomes the responsibility of the buying company to ensure the standardized service really fits their intention. This accuracy problem poses a limitation and can only be minimized if the buying company has a comprehensive knowledge of the research process so as to evaluate the accuracy of the data and assess the evidences regarding the quality of the data as well. Applications of Standardized Information Standardized information is a type of secondary data which can be either syndicated or standardized, in which the data collected and/or the process of collecting the data are standardized for all users. Standardized information can have many applications, in general, it includes measuring the consumer attitudes, clarifying market segments, conducting market tracking and monitoring the usage of media and effectiveness of promotional activities. Measuring consumer attitudes and opinion polls Burns Bush (2010, pp.206-207) gives plenty of examples for this kind of suppliers: The Maritz Poll uses a standardized process to ensure that consumer attitudes and opinions are properly measured, and these polls are examples of a standardized service. ESRIs Tapestryà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Segmentation is a standardized service that uses a process to profile residential neighborhoods. This information is purchased by clients desiring to better understand who their customers are, where they are located and how to reach them. The Yankelovich Monitor measures changing social values and their impact on consumers. It specializes in generating studies on mature populations, baby boomers and Generation Xers. These data are syndicated which is available to anyone who wishes to buy, and the information can be used for a variety of marketing decisions. Ipsos Public Affairs ® produces Ipsos Global @dvisor ® to study the companys proprietary audiences so that company can better understand how consumers and key stakeholders view its reputation as a brand. Coca-Cola is its subscribers. The Harris Poll measures consumer attitudes and opinions on government and economy, and other topics include politics, world affairs and legal issues. Harris poll is a source for identifying trend lines and is standardized information offering syndicated data. The Gallup Poll (http://poll.gallup.com/) measures public opinion polling on a wide variety of topics, such as domestic issues, private issues or world affairs, military and defense, stem cell research, smoking population percentage over time, etc. Gallup poll is syndicated data, as the information is available to all who wish to buy. Client firms can track attitudes of consumers toward buying private brands or their attitudes. Defining market segments This research method requires placing customers to share certain attributes, such as age, income, into homogeneous groups or market segments. The Stanford Research Institute, for example, conducts an annual survey of consumers and classifies them into homogeneous groups for market segmentation purposes. Some standardized information sources focus on members of the industrial market, two sources being the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system allow marketers to define industry types more specifically. Dun Bradstreet (DB) credit bureau collects vast amount of information on business firms, private and public. While SIC uses 4 digits codes and NAICS uses 6, DBs Duns Market Identifiers (DMI) uses 8 digits classification system to identify firms into very specific types of businesses. Since DB originated as a credit reporting firm and companies already supplied DB with detailed information about their operations, allow DB create databases containing a wide spectrum of business information. This is important if a marketer is trying to target specific business firms, however narrow their classification. Other standardized information sources provide information on members of the consumer market. SRI Consulting Business Intelligences (SRIC-BIs) VALSà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ program (www.sric-bi.com/VALS/) segments consumers by psychological and demographic measures, placed them in each of eight personality segments. This knowledge of consumers behaviors helps the client firm develop a deeper understanding of its target market consumer. Birn (2000, p.74) brought in the term, geodemographics, which describes the classification of usually small geographical areas and related to the characteristics of the inhabitants. Research firms specializing in geodemographics combine census data with survey data. Boyd, Walker Larrà ©chà © (1998, pp. 171-179) further substantiated this service by referring it as PRIZM, (Potential Ratings Index for ZIP Markets) which defines every neighborhood in the US based upon 66 household market segments. ESRIs Tapestryà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ also divides US residential ZIP cod es into 65 segments based upon selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Nielsen Claritas (http://www.claritas.com) and Acorn help sending promotion messages to targeted consumers and they have created desktop products that assist marketing managers to conduct regional and national segmentation studies. Knowing which market segments helps to make up a client firms potential customers. Conducting market tracking Tracking studies are those that monitor, or track a variable such as market share or sales over time. Tracking studies can tell a firm how well the products are being sold in retail outlets globally and also the sales status on competitors products. Nielsen SCANTRACK Services is based on syndicated retail scanning data, tracks thousands of products as they move through retail stores, allowing brand managers to monitor sales and market share and to evaluate marketing strategies. As for market tracking at the household level, it is gathered in homes using scanning devices or through the use of diaries and sending auditors to households. Nielsen Homescan ® Panel, uses scanning device to scan all bar-coded products brought home from all outlets. IRI ScanKey Consumer Network Household Panel, an example given by Malhotra Birks (2000), maintains a panel of consumer households that record purchases at outlets by using a handheld ScanKey wand. Todays technology is so advanced that a user o f information can easily be overloaded with information, various companies have therefore created decision support systems, data mining systems, expert systems and the like by using analytical tools to attach meaning to data, allowing marketers to make decisions in response to the quickly changing market conditions. Monitoring media usage and promotion effectiveness In order to measure the promotional effectiveness in media, readership, listenership effectiveness, some syndicated data service companies conduct studies on several forms of media. To track television, Nielsen Television Index (NTI) records television ratings data which are reported by DMAs (designed market areas). Naturally higher viewership of certain programs allow the television company to charge higher fee for advertisements. NTI also provides subscribers with audience characteristic information that allows potential advertisers to select audiences that most closely match their target markets characteristics. To track radio, Arbitron Panel provides syndicated data on radio station listening through selected samples who record their radio listening in diaries and Arbitrons Portale People Meter (PPMSM), a hand-held electronic device in the size of a mobile phone, automatically records the stations listened to. The procedures for measuring advertising effectiveness are standardized for comparing the results across studies. To track print, MRIs Starch Readership Survey is widely used for measuring the actual exposure of magazine ads to readers; Gallup and Robinson Magazine Impact Studies are another well-known syndicated service firms, aim to help marketers make decisions about what comprises a good ad. To track downloaded music, videos and recorded books, Nielsens SoundScan, VideoScan and BookScan separately provides information on the downloaded music, sales of VHS and DVD and sales of books. To track Multimedia, Simmons National Consumer Study gathers information on media usage linked to product usage, this information allows companies to determine the viewing/listening media habits of users. Nowadays, on-line consumer word of mouth or on-line consumer business have been shared through the internet world, via websites, blogs, facebook, discussion forums, companies can keep track of what is being said about them and their products by subscribing to BussMetrics from the Nielsen Company (Hester, 1996, pp. 169-170 and Burns Bush, 2010, pp. 219-222). Monitoring health related facilities and pharmaceutical products IMS Health Incorporated, as mentioned by Burn Bush (2010, p.76), is the worlds second largest research firm, providing services in over 100 countries. IMS services include pharmacy and hospital audits plus the measurement of disease and treatment patterns. Westat, Americas third largest research firm, conducts research and long-term follow-up surveys for agencies of the US government and businesses foundations. Major areas include health, education, social programs, environment and transportation. Sources and Suppliers of Data Primary and external syndicated Secondary Data Primary and secondary data are two main sources of data. Primary research starts from raw scratch, collected specifically for the research needs to solve the problem at hand. Secondary data already exists and are already published as they were collected for purposes other than the specific research needs at hand and usually used by someone else. Secondary data are therefore more economical than primary research which is a quick source of background information, but the format seldom meets the needs of the researcher. In a marketing problem definition process, analysis of available secondary data is an essential step and primary data should not be collected until the available secondary data have been fully analyzed. Scott (2009) alerted marketers with international marketing research that few problems may arise because customers may vary due to different cultures, traditions, beliefs and expectations. If this happens, separate country should collect individual countrys secondary info rmation and then compare the data difference, which means international marketing research better counts more on original primary data instead of secondary information. Primary data sources Primary data is original and normally organizations commission external researcher to establish the techniques, measurement and analysis for them. The technical aspects of conducting various types of primary marketing research relies on qualitative research methods, which means working with focus groups, conducting surveys, questionnaires, interviews and experiments. Wilson (2006, pp. 37) said this is a skilled task that requires careful thought and planning whereby a poorly designed questionnaire can jeopardize the response rates and provide incomplete or inaccurate data. Besides, determining the sample involves clearly specifying the types of respondent to be included, the number of respondents required and the method by which individual respondents will be selected. To conduct focus groups and interviewing, the researchers need to be well trained to ensure unbiased judgment and uphold the ethics to respect the rights of the respondents. Most companies will outsource the data colle ction process and rarely have it conducted by the companys internal personnel. Syndicated sources and Suppliers of Secondary Data Secondary data can be classified as coming from internal sources or external sources. Boyd et. al. (1998, p.80) specified clearly that internal sources can be available within the organization when every organization has at its disposal valuable internal secondary data, such as sales invoices, estimates of total annual usage of a product, advertising and promotion activities recorded, research and development and manufacturing reports or service by location, etc. that can be an important starting point for any marketing research project. External data can be available from various sources, such as government statistical publications, trade association data, books, bulletins, annual reports and business periodicals which can be free from library resources. Otherwise, external data sources not available in libraries are usually standardized data which are comparatively expensive. These secondary data are supplied by syndicated services suppliers to many client firms, anyone willing to pay the price can buy the data. One method of obtaining secondary data is frequently through surveys, which could be periodic surveys on the same set of variables conducted at regular intervals; or panel surveys to measure the same panel respondents over time but not necessarily on the same variable; or shared surveys are developed and executed for multiple clients when each of them share the cost. A number of firms maintain panels of respondents who are matched to the general population in terms of age, income and who agree in advance to participate in surveys, typically by mail or phone and response rates within the panels tend to be high and the demographic and lifestyle information are already available . Curry (1993) classified syndicated data sources as a) consumer data, b) retail data, c) wholesale data, d) industrial data, e) advertising evaluation data, and f) media and audience data. Consumer data normally relates to purchases and the circumstances surrounding the purchases. Kinnear Taylor (1991, pp.151-155, 164) provided examples of these suppliers: The National Purchase Diary (NPD, http://www.npd.com/) maintains over 30,000 households who keep diaries of purchases. The Marketing Research Corporation of America (MRCA) maintains a diary panel that records details on purchase of groceries and personal care items. Mediamark Inc. has annual survey that includes overall breakdown of usage by demographic category. The Roper Reports monitor public opinion and consumer behavior and interests on a broad range of social and political topics and on opinions of various consumer products and services. Yankelovich Clancy Shulmans Monitor Service conducts annual survey of households on social trends. Regarding consumers attitudes and buying behavior, Burgoyne Consumer Surveys provides in-store consumer on-the-spot reactions to marketing and product innovations, DDB Needham an d Gallup Omnibus conducts long term tracking of attitudes and opinions. PRIZM serves to explain, predict target consumer behavior while the Survey Research Center at University of Michigan monitors consumer consumption patterns, attitudes and intentions on financial issues. Retail Data collected focus on the products or services sold through the outlets and/or the characteristics of the outlets themselves. Hair, Bush Ortinau (2006, pp. 12-13) mentioned ACNielens Retail Index and Audits Surveys National Total-Market Audit provide data on total sales by product class, sales by brand and of competing brands in supermarkets, drugstores. IRI (http://www.infores.com/) and ACNielsen (http://www.acnielsen.com/) basically dominate the retail scanner business. Scanner data are collected in two separate forms (household level and store level) and for two distinct sets of clients (manufacturers and retailers). In addition, three other sets of data are also maintained, they are (a) prices, features and displays at the retail level; (b) coupons and other promotions (c) advertising on TV, print, radio. Audits Survey also provides National Restaurant Market index on the commercial restaurant market annually. Ehrhart-Babic Group provides syndicated in-store distribut ion data and new-product-introduction performance data through their National Retail Tracking Index. BehaviorScan and InfoScan by IRI assist in multiple market testing and tracking services while DBs National Scan Track provides projection to monitor displays in supermarkets. Wholesale data are warehouse shipment data used to estimate sales at retail. Birn (1999) told us that SAMI (Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc.) is the best known syndicated service of this type, especially for retail food stores. SAMIs data allow the client to analyze trends in sales or package size and the impact of promotions and competitive actions. These data also serve as an intermediary audit purpose in the distribution chain, wholesalers and formal examination of product movement by analyzing inventory. Pipeline Research Inc. provides audit service on warehouse inventories of drug products monthly. Then P-O-S Research audits the national warehouse movement and trend line of products sold through food store distribution, including grocery, frozen, dairy, household, health and beauty aids. Industrial data are more syndicated data services available to consumer goods manufacturers rather than to industrial goods suppliers. Birn (1999) shared that DBs Market Identifiers provides data on companies rated by DB, which can be used to construct sales prospect lists, identify sales territories, sales potentials, and so forth. McGraw-Hills Dodge Reports collects data from building material manufacturers and distributors so the data can be used in marketing building products while Polk Companys Motor Statistics provides vehicles registration data. Advertising Evaluation data help advertisers in measuring the effectiveness of their ad expenditures in broadcast and print media. AdTel, ARS (Advertising Research Service), CATS (Comprehensive Advertising Tracking System) offer comprehensive and continuous tracking of weight and quality of commercial ads in terms of GRPs (Gross Rating Points). Starch Message Reports, Gallup and Robinson Magazine Impact Studies are most widely used syndicated services on readership. Burns Bush (2010, p.150) cited Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) is a standardized, independent third party audit bureau, aims to confirm methodology, verification of lists and credibility of the content of magazines which are very helpful to the magazine industry providing advertisers with richer data on magazine readership. Media and audience data Media companies include advertising agencies, sales promotion companies, public relations agencies, and direct marketing firms which are all concerned with getting the right message to the right target market, the advertising effects of competitors, how much they are spending and the media mix, hence marketing research information is often required to accomplish this goal. For example, companies that advertise on network television want to select shows that reach their target customers most efficiently so they need information on the size, demographic and psychographics composition of the audiences for various TV programs. Firms like NMR and American Research Bureau provide standardized TV audience ratings to a syndicate group of clients. The Simmons Market Research Bureau compares audience characteristics. Kolb (2008, p.64) mentioned it would be greatly inefficient for company to collect these data by themselves, only ad agencies have internal research depar tment as they need to find the correct marketing message and the best image to represent a client company and also the best media to use. Marketing Evaluations, Inc., for example, offers several Q Scores ® services, one of its services measures the familiarity and appeal of performers, such as actors/ actresses, authors, athletes, sportscasters, and so forth. Such information helps companies to choose the most appropriate spokesperson or help a movie producer select a performer for an upcoming movie. Scott (2009) gave an interesting fact that Tom Hanks and Bill Cosby, for example, are performers who have high Q scores. Nielsen Media Researchs Nielsen Television Index (NTI), is another example of a syndicated data provider, supplying subscribers with data on TV viewing, available to anyone wishing to buy it. Arbitron and ACB (Advertising Checking Bureau) offer syndicated data on the number and types of listeners to the various radio stations. This standardized information helps advertising firms reach their target markets; and also helps radio stations define audience size and characteristics. One must not undermine the service by the research giant, VNU Inc. (VNU), founded in 1964, is a major international media and information company and the largest company owned by VNU is ACNielsen. Hair et.al. (2006) gave a thorough introduction of ACNielsen, that it is broken down into several companies: a) Nielsen Media Research (NMR) provides television audience measurement information; b) NetRatings Inc. (NR) reports on internet and digital media syndicated research; c) Entertainment Information Division (NE) serves the entertainment industry, including movies, music and home entertainment; d) Media Solutions Division includes PERQ/HCI providing healthcare audience measurement, Scarborough Research (SR) measures local and regional shopping patterns of American consumers, Standard Rate Data Services (SRDS) offers the worlds largest database on media rates, Interactive Market Systems (IMS) offers audience profiling. Single Source Data Single source data means continuously monitor a panel of respondents on media exposure, promotional material exposure, and buying behavior to measure their exposure to promotional material

Philosophy of Childhood and the Politics of Subjectivity :: Children Papers

Philosophy of Childhood and the Politics of Subjectivity The Western onto-theological tradition has long been preoccupied with two symbolizations of childhood. One conceives of it as an original unity of being and knowing, an exemplar of completed identity. The other conceives of childhood as deficit and danger, an exemplar of the untamed appetite and the uncontrolled will. In the economy of Plato and Aristotle’s tripartite self, the child is ontogenetically out of balance. She is incapable of bringing the three parts of the self into a right hierarchal relation based on the domination of reason. In other words, attaining adulthood means eradicating the child. Freud’s reformulation of the Platonic community of self combines the two symbolizations. His model creates an opening for shifting power relations between the elements of the self. He opens the way toward what Kristeva calls the "subject-in-process," a pluralism of relationships rather than an organization constituted by exclusions and hierarchies. After Freud, the chil d comes to stand for the inexpugnable demands of desire. Through dialogue with this child, the postmodern adult undergoes the dismantling of the notion of subjectivity based on domination, and moves toward the continuous reconstruction of the subject-in-process. The Child and the Second Harmony The child first appears in the known ancient texts, not as a beginning, but as an end. She represents the idea of the fulfillment of spiritual growth as a reversal of the life cycle. In the 6th century B.C. Lao Tzu says, "He who is in harmony with the Tao is likea newborn child. It's bones are soft, its muscles are weak, but its grip is powerful. . . The Master's power is like this. He lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire." (1) Jesus speaks of the attainment of spiritual maturity as "becoming like little children." (2) Plotinus contrasts children with adults, "whose faculty and mental activity are busied upon a multitude of subjects passed quickly over all, lingering on none." Among children, on the other hand, objects "achieve presence," because the child's attention is not "scattered," dispersed in the world of multiplicity. (3) In this grand perennial Western mythos, the child represents an original ontological unity of being and knowing, thought and experience — identity realized. The child is premoral, the realized adult postmoral. The story of the journey from one to the other begins with a Fall into division. It is, as the story goes, a necessary fall, for it inaugurates a psychological and spiritual journey which — if you don't die in the desert of adulthood — promises self-reintegration on a higher level.

Comparison between F.Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby Essay -- Gatsby F

Comparison between F.Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby After watching the biography of F.Scott Fitzgerald, I noticed there are a lot of similarities between F.Scott Fitzgerald and the protagonist of the novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† – Jay Gatsby. First of all, their romantic idealism are very much the same, they both love the person that love so deeply. In the novel, before Gatsby and Daisy were first separated, Gatsby was already deep in love with Daisy, we can see this from a quote in the novel, â€Å"well, there I was, ‘way off my ambitions, getting deeper in love every minute, and all of a sudden I don’t care. What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her what I was going to do?† (Chapter 8). However, Gatsby was poor and Daisy didn’t want to marry a poor boy, so Daisy married a rich man named Tom afterwards. This didn’t stop Gatsby’s love towards Daisy. He waited for almost five years and during that time, he got rich by bootlegging. So he came back and ready to win Daisy’s love again. This showed how much Gatsby loves Daisy and willing...

The Problem of Poverty: Welfare in America Essays -- Poverty Essays

The Problem of Poverty: Welfare in America For centuries, nations, cities, and individual families have dealt with the problem of poverty; how to remedy current situations and how to prevent future ones. For most of history, there have been no government controlled poverty assistance programs. The poor simply relied on the goodness of their families or, if they did not have a family, on the generosity of the public at large. In the United States, this situation changed in 1935 with the passage of the Social Security Act. The Social Security Act has seen many successes, but it also faces many critiques of its structure and function. In the past, most governments did little to actively aid their poor population. This duty was understood to fall on the families of the poor individuals, charity groups, and generous individuals. Some governments aided their needy in indirect ways. One of the first government-mediated assistance programs was passed by the English Parliament in 1601 as the Act for the Relief of the Poor. This act s et up local 'parishes' that were responsible for taking care of the poor in their own district. However, the government provided no funds to facilitate this program?the parishes were responsible for levying and collecting taxes to finance their programs. Though it would be considered a very primitive form of welfare by today?s standards, it was a large step toward government-mediated welfare compared to the English system 250 years before that. In 1349, Parliament forbade charity on the grounds that it might encourage laziness. Since then, public attitudes have changed about the responsibility of the citizens and the government to provide for the assistance of the needy. Limited federal assistance was given to war veterans and their families beginning during the Civil War, but large scale assistance to the general needy community was not available for almost 75 more years (Komisar 48). A large contribution toward the assistance of the poor in the United States came during the Progre ssive movement around the turn of the century. Activist groups championed not only workers rights in the form of unions, but also the right of every citizen to have access to decent living conditions (Komisar 67). The Progressive movement slackened during the prosperous ?20s, but the social welfare issue was forcefully placed back into the public con... ...banks could meet the needs of the increased number of people who seek their services. Although it is probably impossible to achieve complete freedom from poverty, society need not sit idly by in the face of such a monumental challenge. Indeed, it is the public duty of each individual to aid in the improvement of the lives of poor persons around the nation and around the world. Large-scale, complex systems such as the one now in place in America, only serve to create an inefficient, costly effort that could be achieved with less manpower and fewer dollars. Government oversight and subsidizing of private contributions toward the elimination of poverty is a far more efficient, adaptive, and economical way of working toward the eradication of the problem of poverty. Bibliography Garfinkel, Irwin. ?Welfare?, World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc., New York, Vol 21, pp. 191-193, Â ©1988. Komisar, Lucy. Down and Out in the USA: A History of Public Welfare. Rev. ed. Watts, Chicago, Â ©1977. Patterson, James. America?s Struggle Against Poverty, 1900-1980., Harvard Press, Boston, Â ©1981. Segalman, Ralph. Poverty in America: The Welfare Dilemma, Greenwood, Los Angeles, Â ©1981