Business Process Improvement

Business Process Improvement Introduction According to the evaluation of the Benchmark System Company, Business Process Improvement is a contemporary management technique that can assist the organization in achieving its critical success factors. Business Process Improvement is a technique that involves the manager and the workers commitment to continuous improvement in quality as well as critical success factors (Tidd and Pavitt, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Business Process Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rationale for Business Process Improvement Business Process Improvement results in an increase in operation efficiency and customer focus. Therefore, the rationale for Business Process Improvement includes the need for change, motivating factors of the change process and competition in the business environment. According to Blocher, Stout, Cockins (2010), operation processes in the current competitive universe experience the effects of technology. For instance, networks, software and access to information are changing at a faster rate while interfering with the expenditures of organizations. As a result, organizations need to adapt to changes as they continuously receive process updates. In the Benchmark System Company, the questions that frequently presents concern the business goals, competition, improvement processes and the change techniques. This is because the company has several critical success factors that require assessment. They include high turnover, client improvement, customer satisfaction, expenditure management and support issues. Therefore, in order to improve these factors, the Benchmark System Company has a challenge of putting new processes, procedures as well as systems into place. This is possible through implementation of Business Process Improvement because it will affect the profitability as well as the stability of the company. Moreover, the Benchmark System Com pany has some motivating factors to the process of change. They comprise concern for customer services, operation cost, employees’ production, operation processes, technology advancement, challenges in the market and organization infrastructure. Therefore, these motivating factors create the need for Business Process Improvement. This is because the process aid in providing solution to most of the concerns.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, Business Process Improvement assists in production enhancement via achievement of specific goals. They include, enhancement of customer services, improvement of employees’ ability to anticipate and respond to changes that take place in the business environment, maximization of business opportunities and reduction of inefficiencies as well as errors (The Frame Group Limited, 2008). Since these goals apply to Benchmark System Company, there is need for the implementation of Business Process Improvement. Additionally, Business Process Improvement helps an organization to understand the need for doing business, cumbersome processes, competition and the desire of having a working environment with excellent practices. A description of the Business Process Improvement Drucker (2008) states that Business Process Improvement assist organizations to maximize resources. Moreover, Business Process redesigning and engineering are rooted to it. Therefore, it focuses on doing the correct thing because it tries to minimize variation in processes so that the organization can achieve the anticipated outcome with proper resources utilization. As a result, the Business Process Improvement works via definition of goals, determination of customers and alignment of processes. To begin with, the definition of goals as well as purposes involves determination of the organization reason for existence, t he activities that they undertake and the rationale. Secondly, the determination of customers involves a thorough analysis of the people that the organization serves (Kerzner, 2010). Lastly, alignment of the processes entails organization realization of the techniques that improve the existing activities. Therefore, the aim of Business Process Improvement is a fundamental change in performance and not incremental in amendments. This helps an organization to fit in the competitive business environment. In order to have a successful Business Process Improvement, everyone in the organization needs to be involved. This is because people contribute differently in the achievement of an organization vision. Hence, role definition is imperative in Business Process Improvement. Griffin (2010) explains the four roles that include leadership, ownership, management and operator.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Business Process Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the roles are peculiar, they work together to achieve an effective and efficient Business Process Improvement. Furthermore, some people in the organization may find themselves performing more than a single role. As a result, the roles have four categories that include planning, doing, checking and acting. The leadership role involves the creation of procedures and resourcing plans that aid in the achievement of Business Process Improvement. It entails the definition of the customers, the employees as well as the business needs (Hazlett McAdam, 2010). Thus, the planning, doing, checking and acting phases play a significant role in elimination of barriers to critical success factors. For instance, it ensures that products produced are of high quality and customers are satisfied. In the planning phase, performance objectives are determined via analysis of the customers, the stakeholders, the community, the employees and th e suppliers (Tidd and Pavitt, 2009). This involves an understanding of competition in order to translate business issues into performance objectives. For example, a company can react to the threat of market demand by formulation of an objective that ensures constant supply of products. Blocher, Stout, Cockins (2010) state that the doing phase entail removal of barriers to Business Process Improvement. The barriers can be lack of training, inadequate resources of harsh working environment. As a result, the organization requires collecting data and analyzing performance of the business. This is possible in the checking phase where activities appraisals take place as issues that hinder Business Process Improvement are rectified or eliminated. Finally, in the acting phase, the organization creates action for improvement. This helps the company to achieve its vision of effective and efficient Business Process Improvement. The Frame Group Limited (2008) argues that ownership is important in Business Process Improvement because it give employees the power to create, update as well as approve work procedures that aid in the achievement of the organization goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hence, employees need to understand the customers need in order to create procedures that lead to customer satisfaction and growth. Moreover, the employees need to determine their needs and address them. This will lead to achievement of critical success factors like employee satisfaction, training and competence. Moreover, the organization can use problem solving skills, risk assessment as well as root cause analysis to address the issues of Business Process Improvement (Drucker, 2008). Problem solving skills involve a critical analysis of existing issues followed by proposed solutions and implementation strategies. On the other hand, risk assessment help in reduction, elimination and mitigation of anticipated factors that can interfere with Business Process Improvement. This alleviates obstacles of critical success factor. Lastly, the root cause analysis reacts to an existing problem. For example, the organization uses it to determine the cause of a problem and implement corrective measures. In a recent research, Kerzner (2010) explains that Business Process Improvement has four fundamental processes. They include the necessity of aligning business goals, client focus, benchmarking and establishment of owners. To begin with, the alignment involves integration of balance scorecard and Business Process Improvement initiatives. Secondly, client focus concentrates on the customer issues to ensure that the organization hears their voices and address complains. Thirdly, benchmarking stress on specific, achievable and realistic goals that lead to measurable results. Finally, establishment of owners empower the employees with authority and responsibility. This make them feel valued thus increasing their motivation towards Business Process Improvement. In order to implement Business Process Improvement, the methodologies are important. They include definition of the problem, determination of the outcome and reorganization of the organization ability to meet the new ob jectives. The implementation of Business Process Improvement The implementation involves four fundamental steps. They include identification and selection of the procedures, mapping and redesigning of the processes and implementation of the solution (Griffin, 2010). Although they are steps, they form a cycle that the organization follows without making a stop. This continuity allows interaction that ensures efficient and effective implementation of Business Process Improvement. The first process involves identification of business procedures and it involve acceptance of the need of change. This is because the acceptance will lead to identification of an opportunity that will result to excellent outcome (Hazlett McAdam, 2010). The determination of process owner then follows. This process empowers the employees with authority and responsibility of implementing the Business Process Improvement. Finally, the organization develops goals and objectives that will direct the selected busin ess procedure. Additionally, the identification process creates an understanding of doing business, the stakeholders’ involvement as well as the idea of change (Hackes, 2008). As a result, it comprise of identification of barriers to critical success factors and the activities that will alleviate them. For example, if the problem is lack of employees training, activities that promote workers development require consideration. The mapping process involves analysis of the procedures that take place in the organization. This involves all the activities that relate to the employees, the customers and the management (Tidd and Pavitt, 2009). They may include production, processing, supply and management activities. Additionally, the mapping process includes evaluation of available resources and determination of weaknesses. The evaluation of available resources is imperative because the principle of Business Process Improvement states that an organization should use what it own, as it is cost effective. On the other hand, determination of weakness helps an organization minimize them while maximizing the strength. This process usually helps an organization to choose the best Business Process Improvement activity. For instance, an organization that has a weakness of employee turnover will implement strategies that lead to workers retention. Finally, the mapping process involves documentation as it ensures consistency in routine. The first step in the redesigning of the processes and the initial activity is the identification of goals for the selected procedure (Blocher, Stout, Cockins, 2010). For example, if the procedure entail employee training, then the goals should aim at increasing the competency of the workers. Secondly, the employees together with the managers should work together and formulate processes that lead to workers development. The processes can be on job training or scholarship for further education. Stimulation, evaluation as well as redefini tion of the suggested processes follow it (The Frame Group Limited, 2008). Thereafter, the organization selects a process that meets the set goals. This is because it will lead to effective implementation of the Business Process Improvement. Finally, the organization implements the chosen process by integrating it with the existing procedures. This entails an analysis of the available resources together with cost benefit. For instance, the organization will analyze the benefit of the proposed process as well as anticipated problem. The final step in Business Process Improvement is implementation. It involves all the activities that the company will perform to ensure that the selected Business Process Improvement procedure is taking place. This step involves finalization of the Business Process Improvement (Drucker, 2008). It includes activities like gaining consensus, funding, improving infrastructures and developing processes. Therefore, the organization should cautiously implement as well as integrate the Business Process Improvement activities in to the existing system. This ensures that the Business Process Improvement is in line with the objective of the organization. As a result, continuous monitoring and evaluation is imperative as it aid in identification and rectification of problems. Moreover, it ensures that the selected process is on the road to achieving the organization mission and vision. Therefore, this makes Business Process Improvement a continuous process. Application of Business Process Improvement by other organizations Different organizations apply Business Process Improvement in a peculiar way depending on their vision and mission. Some common techniques involve problem solving, brainstorming, cause-effect diagrams and policy deployment (Kerzner, 2010). Problem solving cycle is a continuous process that entails identification of a problem together with the solution. For instance, the problem can be an emergency or an attempt to do someth ing in a different way. The organization need to analyze the cause as well as the way forward. Next is the selection of a suitable solution. The solution may provide an answer to the problem or it may lead to a repeat of the whole process. Therefore, this technique is a circle and with careful monitoring it alleviates problems that hinder the success of an organization. In other organizations, brainstorming has been successful in achievement of Business Process Improvement. Brainstorming is pooling of ideas from all the people in the organization before declaration of a final decision (Griffin, 2010). It begins with formation of a team, definition of a problem and generation of ideas. A thorough review of the ideas follows. Finally, the organization selects the procedure that facilitates Business Process Improvement. For instance, if an organization has a problem with customer satisfaction, all workers will have a chance of airing out their views. Finally, the management together wi th employees will select a favorable solution. According to Hazlett McAdam (2010) other organizations apply the cause and effect diagrams to achieve Business Process Improvement. This entails exploration of links that exist between causes and effects of issues. It operates under the principle that a single problem can have many causes. It is used to identify the causes of any effects. The effect can be a problem or something beneficial. Moreover, if something beneficial occurs, the organization should find out its cause so that they can increase the chances of it happening again. For instance, an organization with satisfied employees should find out the cause of that satisfaction so that they maintain it. On the other hand, if an organization produces low quality products, it should establish the cause so that it can rectify. There are steps that organizations need to follow in order to apply the process of cause and effect diagram. They include problem identification, cause analys is selection as well as implementation of a probable solution. Finally, some organizations use policy deployment to implement Business Process Improvement. This technique entails breaking down of an organization objective into several goals that ensure every member play a role in Business Process Improvement (Hackes, 2008). For example, if the company wants to improve its product, it will formulate several goals that ensure every person play a role in the improvement process. Applicability of Business Process Improvement to Benchmark System Company Business Process Improvement applies to Benchmark System Company at three levels. They include the organization, the employees and the customers’ levels. This is because the company has problems with some critical success factors that concern the organization, employees and the customers. Therefore, Business Process Improvement will offer a solution to these problems. To begin with, the Benchmark System Company has a number of issu es concerning sales, support, products and internal processes. The sales have been decreasing instead of rising. Additionally, the company has ineffective support quality leading to poor products. Moreover, inefficient internal processes have resulted to long waiting hours. As a result, Business Process Improvement will assist in streamlining those issues. This is because it will help in identification of causes of those problems as well as proposing the way forward. Therefore, the company will have an increase in sale, efficient support, quality products and effective internal processes. Secondly, Benchmark System Company has some problems with critical factors that concern the employees. They include satisfaction, training and competence. The employees are dissatisfied, have inadequate training and are incompetent. Therefore, the company needs to find a solution, which is Business Process Improvement. This is because it is a contemporary management technique that ensure the compan y has qualified and skilled employees. As a result, it will ensure that employee development and satisfaction take place. Finally, the Business Process Improvement is important because it will help the company satisfy the customers’ needs. This is because the Benchmark System Company has a number of issues concerning the customers. They include client growth and customer dissatisfaction. As a result, Business Process Improvement is the best contemporary management technique that applies to the company. This is because the technique will ensure that customers receive quality products. Besides, their demands and concerns will receive attention. The plan for implementation of Business Process Improvement in Benchmark System Company The implementation of Business Process Improvement will involve problem solving, brainstorming, cause-effect diagrams and policy deployment. This is because these processes are efficient and effective in ensuring that the implementation of Business Pr ocess Improvement take place. To begin with, the problem solving cycle will begin by determination of all the companies’ problems that concern the organization, the employees and the clients. Thereafter, every person in the organization will suggest the applicable solution. A thorough analysis of the proposed solutions will take place. Finally, a selection of solutions will take place and then implementation phase begins. During the implementation phase, monitoring and evaluation will take place to ensure that the Business Process Improvement is on the right track. The second technique will be the brainstorming process. This will involve formation of different groups within the organization. The different groups will then generate ideas of how the workers can improve the relationship with each other as well as the customers. The different groups will then come together and select some imperative ideas. After that, the assembling of the required recourses will take place and t he selected proposals implemented. This technique is important because it will ensure implementation of a sustainable Business Process Improvement. Thirdly, the company will use the cause effect diagrams to implement the Business Process Improvement. This will involve investigations of the causes of both the company’s problems as well as successes. For example, the company can investigate the cause of all the problems relating to the critical success factors like employee dissatisfaction. On the other hand, an investigation of factors that leads to strengths will take place. After the cause identification, alleviation of the causes that result to problems will take place. On the other hand, enhancement of the causes that lead to strengths will also take place. The two activities will result to a perfect organization, which is the aim of Business Process Improvement. Finally, policy deployment is a technique that will facilitate a smooth implementation of Business Process Impr ovement. It will begin by formulation of goals that focus on different activities that facilitate the implementation of Business Process Improvement. The goals will focus on the organization, the employees and the clients. For instance, the company can formulate a goal that ensures all the clients receive quality services. After goal formulation, policy development will take place. The policies will provide directions for all the activities that the employees engage in. For instance, activities towards the implementation of Business Process Improvement will have policies that direct them. Conclusion In conclusion, Business Process Improvement is an imperative contemporary management technique. This is because it will help the Benchmark System Company achieve its critical success factors. References Blocher, E., Stout, D., Cockins, G. (2010). Cost management; A strategic Emphasis. New York: McGraw Hill Companies. Drucker, P. (2008). Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Practices. New York: Taylor and Fransis. Griffin, R. (2010). Fundamentals of Management. New York: Cangage. Hackes, C. (2008). Top Quality Mangement: The Key to Business Improvement. North Carlifornia: Springer. Hazlett, M., McAdam, R. (2010). Business Improvement: Intergrating Quality, Inovation and Knowledge. New York: Routledge. Kerzner, H. (2010). Project Management. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. The Frame Group Limited. (2008). Business Process Improvement. The Business Process Improvemnt Workbook , 23 (18), 58-67. Tidd, J., Bessant, J., Pavitt, K. (2009). Continuous Improvement: Specific Techniques. Managing Inovations , 1 (7), 31-34.

Environmental effects of oil pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental effects of oil pollution - Essay Example The coastal vegetations, tidal forest, and marine ecology are worse hit. It is widely known that oil spills are causing wide-ranging destruction to wild animals and marine life. Hence considerable preparation and rigid laws are required to conquer this huge problem. Attempts are being made to predict the oil spills and their devastating effects, which can curb the menace of oil pollution to some extent. Still, the international community is required to remain more alert and agile. Apparently, the best approach to deal with the detrimental impact of oil spills to the environment is to significantly lessen oil spills. To effectively minimize oil spillage demands appropriate training and effectual planning. Environmental Effects of Oil Pollution Introduction Combustion of fossil fuels is a major problem in the context of today’s environment. This major threat to the environmental sustainability is indeed an indirect result of oil pollution. Oil pollution has direct effects too. T here are numerous sources of oil pollution. Oil pollution can pollute the oceans, seas, soil, and underground water streams. Moreover, combustion of petroleum, gasoline, and diesel causes large scale air pollution. The pollutants in the air again settle into the water bodies and soil with the lapse of time by means of convection, condensation, and rain. Oil pollution due to the oil spills caused by the accidents of oil tankers and rigs is another major threat to the environment. Since the conveyance of crude oil and petroleum is mainly conducted through the waterways, accidents of oil tankers cause huge amounts of oil to get mixed in the waters of the seas and oceans (Fleming 2010). This is the main feature of oil pollution – even through pollution in the soil; the petroleum agents ultimately reach the underground water streams. In the case of the oil spills, varieties of the sea birds and animals are immensely affected. Oil pollution adversely affects the marine ecology, cau sing death to thousands of organisms (Baker 1978). It damages the natural treasures like coral reef and harms the aquatic animals like fishes, plankton, reptiles, etc. Humans can be seriously affected by taking polluted sea food. Moreover, pollution caused by the combustion of petroleum is also highly injurious to human health. In this relation, it can be further mentioned that the economic dimensions of losses due to major oil spills are considerably high (Pezeshki et al. 2000). The economic losses hamper both the industries and the financial expenditure in the various environmental reconstruction processes. Sometimes, the estimation of these losses is rather difficult. In a nutshell, effects of oil pollution are multifaceted and need to be discussed in detail. Literature Review Large scale of oil pollution particularly due to the oil spills and tanker accidents damages the oceans and seas considerably. Not only that, the petroleum agents would reach the shores and harm the coastal ecology as well. Hundreds and thousands of aquatic animals, sea birds, and plants are adversely affected. This effect of oil pollution is discernable in the US Gulf coast (Pezeshki et al. 2000). Oil spills have taken place in this region, so the effects of oil spills and clean up have manifested as environmental hazard in this part of the world. Hence, plant response to

A description of the UK economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A description of the UK economy - Essay Example The UK economy is currently doing well and might be begrudged by many emerging economies. It has high employment levels, minimal inflation rates and a good annual growth of 0.2%. however, if the government continues increasing its expenditure, the UK might soon find itself in another self-imposed crisis. The UK government should realize that the real risk from increased government expenditure is the burden of interest that has to be paid on the money borrowed to finance government activities. Though the government has the role of stimulating economic growth, it must use methods and/or policies that will not conflict with some of its goals and/or objectives. Apparently, tax reduction might work in further improving the performance of the UK economy but such reductions must not be at the expense of government revenues. Vast as it is, the UK government requires lumpsome amounts of money to provide for its population and finance its numerous activities hence taxes must still be considere d as an important source of the government’s existence.

Quorn Revision Essay Example for Free

Quorn Revision Essay Introduction Branding creates attachments between consumers and brand: the stronger the attachment, the better the branding. Nothing connected with branding should surprise anyone any more (Frank, 2001). Whenever the word is spoken, it seems, there instantly follows some scarcely believable anecdote of corporations expanding, metastasising, covering more and more of our world and our culture, putting their mark in some unthinkable new spot or on some inviolable hero, ransacking the temples of art, laying claim to the legacy of the historical avant-garde, to that of religion, of bohemia, of the civil rights movement, of the left itself. We ride in subway cars whose every surface promotes an allergy remedy or the offerings of a TV network. We hear of masterbrands and megabrands (Frank, 2001).   And the claims attached to brands grow constantly: no longer simple guarantees of quality, brands are now thought to have a more high-minded aspect (Frank, 2001). The brand was everything, the very foundation of economic life. The brand was all that would survive, zealously protected and polished by a core of managerial workers, while the physical operations of the corporation were outsourced to those lands where people work for next to nothing (Frank, 2001). The most important thing to understand about integrated branding is that it is a model for building the most important asset any company hasits relationship with its customers (Lepla, 1999). If you understand that your best customer is the one you already have, then creating a rational system for deepening customer relationships is the logical next step (Lepla, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zeneca PLC is a pharmaceuticals company that offers agrochemical and specialties chemicals. The company considers itself as a bioscience company that targets it RD, their abilities in technology and marketing enhance new products that will resolve the scientific problems of their customers and consumers. Zeneca is one of the biggest pharmaceuticals firm globally that holds 2.5% of market share of the said industry, Zeneca’s major competitors are GlaxoWellcome with 4.5% share in the pharmaceutical industry. Zeneca is also offering healthy new products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI and Rank Hovis McDougall or RHM, came up with a synthetically developed, healthy substitute for meat, called Quorn. During the 1980’s there was a great opportunity on this product because of the trend in healthy living, however, true vegetarians snob this product because of egg content. However, after the initial research RHM sold its stocks to ICI.   Quorn became a direct substitute to chicken. The market of Quorn was mixed, QTI was integrated to different recipe cards. Marlow Foods’ tie up with supermarkets localized the distribution of the product and made difficult for them to have control and surpassed the demand of the product. In 1990, Sainburys developed meat alternative pies and penetrated the London market. Quorn was introduced to the supermarkets of Tesco, the direct competitor of Sainsbury, profits increased dramatically. In 1994, Quorn was re-launched with a mainstream advertising campaign and logo. PROBLEMS WITH QOURN The consumers of Quorn are obviously still does not fully understand the product because it has no definite characteristics of its own. The knowledge that it is synthetically produced consumers worry about eating it especially those who want to eat healthy. Although, Quorn has its own loyal consumers, however people view it as a fad and targets vegetarians only. Quorn was relaunched in 1994, it was repackaged with a new logo, and a new advertisement that will put Quorn in the mainstream healthy food instead as a vegetarian food. Recommendation Initially, the understanding of buyer behavior is one of the more perplexing tasks confronting every manager (Schiffman Kanuk 2000). The difficulty arises from the heterogeneity of buyers, from being groups of individuals who differ from one another. But notwithstanding differences, consumers do share attitudes, opinions, reactions, and desires at various times (Schiffman Kanuk 2000). Business experience, marketing research, theoretical constructs and models, and trial-and-error methods help to find some of the common denominators. Practically, Quorn has to make some essential decisions that are taken in developing an effective marketing mix for their products particularly their â€Å"veggie meats,† that should be based in the systematic knowledge of the consumers that make up its permanent target market (Johnson and Mullen 1990). Johnson and Mullen believes that understanding the behavior of the consumer is the most basic step in helping marketing authorities to visualize and predict future trends, reactions, and changes in the marketing mix. It may also serve as a reference in determining the potentials of new products and its adoption. Customers recognize the importance of knowledge in relation to the product being purchased. That is why Quorn should make a consumer behavior study regarding their products and that way the company will be able to identify the needs and wants of their consumers. Wong (2000) argued that a customer evaluates a product or a service. Such action is based on the customer’s reaction from the using the product or service, which means that the product or service should leave a good perception to the customer’s contentment. Ferguson (1992) explained that it can be ensured that a customer is satisfied by taking into importance the value package, which includes: price, product quality, service quality, innovation, and corporate image. Others also stated the importance of maintaining or establishing a uniqueness of the product, while also understanding customers and what pleases them (DeMooji, 1997). Customers should also understand the product and be allowed to set their own standards in order to be satisfied (Frederick and Salter 1995). Because of the implications for profitability and growth,   Quorn should give emphasis to their customer retention is potentially one of the most powerful weapons that companies can employ in their fight to gain a strategic advantage and survive in todays ever increasing competitive environment (Lindenmann 1999). Aside from having a strategic purpose, gaining customer loyalty is also a key corporate challenge today especially in this increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace because of the eventual profitability it will provide (Chow Holden 1997). Every business wants to have a regular customer base because customers dictate profits and how the customer is treated will reflect on whether the customers will remain loyal with the company or not.    This concept is illustrated by Mittelhauser (1997) in a study about the textile and apparel industry. Competition forces certain brand names to become stronger than others because of product loyalty and name recognition. Consumers tend to buy what is already familiar to them. Thus, it becomes imperative for retailing outfits, especially small or exclusive ones to build a steady base of customers to exist in the competitive marketplace. This relationship becomes mutually beneficial with the company, gaining steady profit and the consumer having the product/s of the said company. Consumers tend to buy what is already familiar to them (Farquhar, 1996). It becomes imperative for retailing outfits, especially small or exclusive ones to build a steady base of customers to exist in the competitive marketplace. Foss and Ellefsen, (2002) stressed that the relationship of consumers to certain brands are established through the individual’s concept of oneself. However, the company can go a step further and make additional profits by cross-selling as well as save money from having to acquire new or replacement customers. The consumer, on the other hand, can also do the same, by demanding benefits from being a loyal customer that companies would certainly give to maintain them. Previous researches have concluded that satisfied consumers are more loyal to the product as compared to unsatisfied customers (Aaker and Erich, 1999). Meanwhile, customers may remain loyal for a number of reasons and may not even be happy with the product or service. Customer loyalty becomes evident when choices are made and actions taken by customers (Watkins, 1998). Customer satisfaction refers to the consumer’s positive subjective evaluation of the outcomes and experiences associated with using or consuming the product or service. It refers to either a discrete, time-limited event or the entire time the service or product is experienced (Duffy and Kechand 1998). Satisfaction occurs when the product has been able to meet or exceed the conceived expectations that the customer has (Padilla 1996). Furthermore, customer satisfaction may also be considered as the measure of the high degree of quality of the product (Jacobs et al. 1998).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crosby and colleagues (2003) deemed that once a product or service has been delivered or sold, its quality is believed to have been established.    Brand Management for Quorn Basing your product or service offerings on an integrated brand allows your organization to develop more saleable products over the long term by keeping it focused on your strengths as an organization. This focus opens it to new possibilities by broadening the corporate aperture from looking at what you are producing right now to looking at the bigger picture. Seeing the big picture is an essential prerequisite to company longevity. Strategy based solely on current product or service uniqueness ultimately results in decreasing market share, lower margins, missed opportunities, and price wars (Lepla, 1999).Integrated branding helps companies understand who they are and how to use that knowledge consistently to create better results. As with all worthwhile change, the process takes some investment in time and elbow grease up front, but results in a huge payoff (Lepla, 1999). Brand breadth is a function of not only the number and variability of products represented by the brand but also of the strength of association between the brand and the products it represents (Dawar, 1996). The strength of association is reflected in the retrievability from memory of product associations. This, in turn, influences the evaluation of fit of brand extensions. Two types of brands were studied: those with a strong association to a single product (and weaker associations with other products) and those with strong associations to multiple products. Results from an experiment showed that for brands with a single product association, brand knowledge and context interact to influence evaluations of fit for extensions to products weakly associated with the brand. For brands strongly associated with more than 1 product, context influences evaluations of the fit of brand extensions (Dawar, 1996). Given the importance of these associations, brand-extension researchers are now focusing on acquiring a deeper understanding of how cognitive representations of brands influence the evaluations of the fit of extensions with the original brand (Dawar, 1996). Ferguson (1991) reported that perceptions of brand-extension fit depend not only on similarity of product-based aspects, such as features or attributes, but also on the consistency of the extension product with an abstract mental representation, such as the brand-name concept. Primarily, Quorn can start the branding of their products with the effective use of media as an advertisement tool. Cultural diversity and the penchant for global fashion are increasingly reinforced in the media. Preferences for clothes, accessories and other fashion items rest on how a product is shown and perceived by the consumers around the world. Thus, advertisements are not only focused on a specific market but rather on the global market by universalizing their product and thus their brands. The potential influence of globally shared television images, the informational power of the Internet, or how displays of popular culture artifacts or consumer goods proffer modes of articulation for sharing surface identities based on styles (Ferguson, 1992). Being, first of all, a pragmatic market instrument, ads have an important side effect: they reproduce dominant ideologies, social structure, power relations and a global cultural. The products consume by individuals are wide spread markers of their social status, and they can be analysed as second-order signs, in Barthess terms, or to put it another way, as myths of consumer society: goods are imagined as magic latchkeys, letting one to come into the dream world (Ross, 2000). Fairytale narrative in a 30-second advertisement. Role of advertisements in socialization and construction of identity; representations of males and females and construction of their subject positions in advertisements (Ross, 2000). New brand extensions are generally supported by substantial communication efforts to build on existing product associations (Dawar, 1996). For brands like Quorn   with a single strong product association, and for extensions close to that product, communication could cue either the strongly or the weakly associated product. However, if the extension is close to the weakly associated product, context cues should primarily focus on it, especially if the target consumers are knowledgeable about the brand. Activating the strongly associated product would be a mistake in this communications should cue the product close to the extension product in order to maximize consumer perceptions of fit (Dawar, 1996). Dawar (1996) argued that the proximity construct refers to the distance of extensions from the brand concept. The strength of brand-product association was used to refer to the relation between the brand and its associations with existing products. However, empirically in psychological research, the two constructs are often treated similarly in that both distance and strength of association are measured using response latency. Quorn should recognize that these two constructs are independent and can be tapped using different measures. In this study we used response latency measures to determine strength of association and a card-sorting task to determine proximity-distance. Future research could provide additional insight into the orthogonality of these constructs by crossing levels of the two constructs. The memorability of a brand name and of copy items in print ads is enhanced by relations between the element to be remembered and other ad elements (Millard and Schmitt, 1993). Differences in brand-name memory were stronger on unaided recall measures than on brand-name recognition or brand-name matching measures. As argued before, this result suggests that interrelations among ad components are especially valuable for retrieval processes (Millard and Schmitt, 1993). It could be argued, however, that related ad elements provide redundant information which allows for guessing; that is, if an individual is exposed to the same information three times, then he or she has to remember less information than when three different items of information are presented. We believe, however, that it is not clear how an individual could find information to be redundant without noticing the relation between the two concepts that supposedly constitute redundancy. Bibliography    Aaker, David and Erich Joachimsthaler. 1999. The Lure of Global Branding.Harvard Business Review, 77 November/December,: 137-144. Chow, S Holden, R 1997, â€Å"Toward an understanding of loyalty: The moderating role of trust† Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 9, pp. 275. Crosby, LB, Devito, R, Pearson, MJ 2003, ‘Manage your customers’ perception of quality’, Review of Business, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 18+. Dawar, Niraj, 1996, Extensions of Broad Brands: The Role of Retrieval in Evaluations of Fit, Lawrence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Erlbaum Associates. DeMooij, Marieke. 1997. Global Marketing and Advertising, UnderstandingCultural Paradoxes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Duffy, J Ketchand, AA 1998, ‘Examining the Role of Service Quality in Overall Service Satisfaction’, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol.10, no. 2. Farquhar, Peter, 1996, Impact of Dominance and Relatedness on Brand Extensions, Lawrence Erlbaum  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Associates. Ferguson, M. 1992, in press,. Media globalization: Myths, markets and identities. London: Sage. Hofstede, G 1997, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Jacobs, FA, Latham, C, Lee, C 1998, ‘The relationship of customer satisfaction to strategic decisions’, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 165+. Lepla, Joseph, 1999, Integrated Branding: Becoming Brand-Driven through Companywide Action, Quorum  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Books. Lindenmann, W 1998, â€Å"Measuring relationships is key to successful public relations†, Public Relations Quarterly, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 18+. Millard, Robert and Schmitt, Nader, 1993, Memory for Print Ads: Understanding Relations Among Brand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name, Copy, and Picture, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mittelhauser, M 1997, â€Å"Employment trends in textiles and apparel, 1973-2005†, Monthly Labor Review, vol. 120, p. 24. Padilla, R 1996, Review of literature on consumer satisfaction in modern marketing, Concordia University. Retrieved August 25, 2006 from http://www.pages.infinit.net. Ross, Cassandra, 2000,   Seeing Ourselves: An Analysis of Ideology and Fantasy in Popular Advertising,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Queens  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Film Studies.  Ã‚   Submitted to Jean Bruce for FILM 231*: Media and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society I. Watkins, WM 1998, Technology and Business Strategy: Getting the Most out of Technological Assets, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.

Main Causes of The Great Depression :: history

Main Causes of The Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The maldistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total realized income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929(end note 1). However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%(end note 2). That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all(end note 3). Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million(end note 4) in the same year that the average personal income was $750(end note 5). By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500(end note 6), Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income(end note 7). A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period. Main Causes of The Great Depression :: history Main Causes of The Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The maldistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total realized income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929(end note 1). However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%(end note 2). That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all(end note 3). Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million(end note 4) in the same year that the average personal income was $750(end note 5). By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500(end note 6), Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income(end note 7). A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period.

The First Day of School Essay

The first day of school is one of a child’s most significant moments of his or her life. Starting off kindergarten can be quite dreadful but a mother’s presence will reassure you that everything will be fine from the very start. In the story, â€Å"The First Day†, the author conveys the story of the mother going to great lengths to prepare her daughter for the start of school. Throughout the story, the author uses narrative techniques such as point of view, foreshadowing, and the main plot in order to convey the meaning of the short story that includes; love, pride and shame. The author uses first person point of view to describe the experiences she went through with her mother while enrolling for school. The narrator includes a series of flashbacks such as mentioning her father, who left them while she was young. This technique gives the readers access to the narrator’s perspective of the events and characters. She includes her thoughts, observations, and feelings about her mother, whom she is ashamed of due to the fact that she is illiterate. The purpose of foreshadowing is to warn or indicate readers of what is to come later in the story. In this case, the story begins with â€Å"In an otherwise unremarkable September morning, long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother, she takes my hand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The narrator’s shame towards her mother is prevalent when she mentions â€Å"learned to be ashamed of my mother†. This indicates that the memory she is looking back on is not a joyful one. Furthermore in the story, the author makes numerous mentions about the mother’s lack of education by indicating her dialogue. This includes â€Å"If I’da wanted her someplace else, I’da took her there† or â€Å"Would ifou help me with this form? That is, if you don’t mind.† This technique made it obvious to the readers that there is something wrong with the mother. Lastly, the main plot is the most significant technique the author uses to make this short story compelling. It begins with memories of her past, to imagery about her clothing and perfume to introducing the main event: enrolling for Kindergarten. In then furthers to when she could not enroll to  Seaton Elementary School due to her current address. It led to her mother enrolling her to a different school where the climax is revealed that her mother could not fill out the paper work because she did not know how to read nor write. The conclusion came to an end when the daughter found out about her mother’s lack of education and how she realized her mother’s only dream is for her is to go to school and not become like her. The impact of the mother’s only dream for daughter to be able to go to school became the most important point of the story. The narrative techniques the author used showcased the mother’s desperate yearning for a better life for her daughter than the life she endured. It provokes feelings of self-love, pride and shame that unravels throughout the whole story.

Duane Morris Case Analyses Essay - 1642 Words

Duane Morris Case Analyses 1. What factors have led to Duane Morriss success? What prompted their late-1990s growth spurt? 2. How should Duane Morris plan to integrate their new acquisition? 3. What are the biggest risks faced by the firm in the next 5-10 years? Duane Morris strategy evolved over time while leveraging its history. The strategy was shaped by its environment, resources and leadership. The degree of congruence between the people, the tasks, the informal and formal organization was relatively high, which led to a successful growth and profitability. * Duane Morris compensation structure is one factor that was well aligned with the company’s strategy from formal organization perspective and led to its†¦show more content†¦This probably contributed to better retention. On the other hand, this process is more slow and conservative, potentially leading to the firm missing out on great opportunities. * The people it hired were well aligned with its straregy. They spend significant amount ensuring the person they are interviewing understands the culure and will be a good fit. 1. Client have multiple touch point provides better service for the client interms of expertise, but at the same time could prevent any one lawyer leaving and taking away that client as they client appreciate having all these other lawyers as well. This is aligned with the firm strategy and helped their success of growing and not losing clients. 2. Another business approach is their ancillary businesses and its success growth. The separation from Duane Morris, called another name, so it limits their exposure. In addition, if things go terrible wrong, it is not their client anyway bc 85% to 90% of the ancillary businesses’ customers were not law firm clients. Also this business was not the same cyclicality so it allowed to diversify its revenue stream. Duane Morris’ growth in the late 1990s was prompted by the macro environment change at the same time they embraced their history of team work and listening to each other, resources that are good at team work andShow MoreRelated Creation and Evolution Essay3027 Words   |  13 PagesHenry Morris and Dr. Duane Gish established the Institute for Creation Research with the purpose of meeting the need for an organization devoted to research, publication, and teaching in those fields of science particularly relevant to the study of origins (Gish, 1993, 17). Evolution Over the next forty years, the laws prohibiting the teaching of evolution were invalidated or modified. Some states adopted laws requiring equal teaching time for creation and evolution. In most cases the courtsRead MoreSolution Manual, Test Bank and Instructor Manuals34836 Words   |  140 PagesAnalysis,Brian Bradie (ISM) A Guide to International Financial Reporting Standards, 3rd Edition_Belverd E. Needles, Marian Powers (SM+TB) A Guide to Modern Econometrics, 4th Edition_Marno Verbeek (SM) A History of Modern Psychology, 10th Edition _ Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz ( IM+TB) A Microscale Approach to Organic Laboratory Techniques, 5th Edition _Donald L. Pavia, George S. Kriz, Gary M. Lampman, Randall G. Engel (IM) A People and a Nation A History of the United States, Brief EditionRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 PagesMARKETING MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Alana Filipovich Jeof Vita Arthur Medina Allison Morris This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara ®, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Westford. The cover was printed by Courier/Westford. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright  © 2009, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1995, 1992, 1989Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesvi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction What Is Organizational Behavior? 3 The Importance of Interpersonal Skills 4 What Managers Do 5 Management Functions 6 †¢ Management Roles 6 †¢ ManagementRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages This book was not written in a vacuum, nor is it intended for use in one. In-basket exercises, case studies, action mazes, and other simulation techniques can complement, supplement, and magnify the principles discussed. Case studies can be helpful. Anderson’s1 volume, although somewhat dated, was specifically developed as a companion piece for earlier editions of this text. The most applicable cases from Anderson are available on the Web site for this volume. In addition, each chapter is introduced