REF: APPLICATION FOR MANAGER IN CHARGE OF UNION MANAGEMENT OPERATION

I wish to apply for the post of manager in charge of union management department in the Octave Career Bay, which I occur to have seen on the companies’ website. This happens to be my area of specialty right from back in my college level. Apparently I am based at the administrative department as contract negotiator which I attend over one thousand clients per day both on the counter and over the online platforms. I have been the head supervisor in my department for over two years apart from managing various other temporary personnel. Over the short period I have been in this company I did succeed to receive a number of accolades coming from the job which the management deem quality and satisfactory.  I have won two awards courtesy of my negotiation skills on contracts which have brought the company over two million in the span of one and half year. This has led to modification of our ongoing construction of the new apartment building in the neighborhood. My management abilities have continued to be appreciated in all departments and it is for this reason that I wish to extend my service to what I would work for what I am passionate about (Finney, 2008). Managing people especially in regards to running a union has been one area which I admire and as a matter of fact my first degree from Devonshire school of management was a degree in management.

I attained first class and was given honors student award for my exemplary contribution for the management of the university union during my last year at varsity management post. Over the years I have developed a unique and comprehensive urge to lead organized group and being an active member of our company union I think it would be a perfect timing to attend the needs of my union. I do clearly understand the post holder responsibilities and being around the same company would be added an advantage in attending the needs of the members (Huder, 2012).

I would be very much delighted to discuss my application if given any chance of an interview and I look forward hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Application For Manager In Charge Of Union Management Operation

Having experience in the field union operation is the reason I deem myself the right person to take care of the company’s union sector. I believe my position as contract negotiator has seen me through several challenges which I can proudly say so far I have managed well and I am looking forward to even looking for other challenges (Godfrey, R. (2005). The accolade rewarded to my department speaks for itself and I plan to do the same given the chance to be part of the union management operation. Union management can make a huge turn around to the entire company needs in terms of taking care of each and every member be it a complaint or heads up for an upgrade of service; I promise to offer equally all round services to each (Finney, 2008). I have a special kind of personality which for the longest time I have known to draw attention and with it I can convince the union in a walk towards success. I understand the situation of Octave Career Bay union as per now and it is my wish to change how things are being run there, the much outcry on union dues will be my first mission given the chance. For any union to be rigid it has to have a policy which reflects the needs and all round manageable institution (Fowler & Graves, 2013). The job which I have covered as contract mediator has mentored me a lot and the motivation will go forward in strengthening and reforming our union. I cannot water down the efforts which my colleagues did offer me and together we have achieved commendable strides towards the prosperity of the contractual achievements.

Unions operation covers a lot of issues which is a complete reflection of company progression and I will make sure to distract all the organization operation from any political entanglement (Finney, 2008). Having a background which has been well oiled with management brought up I believe make a turnaround in our union management of daily operations. My long list of connection in the contract department will be of many advantages to the union operation, my long list of elites is breathtaking and you can be sure to be the people who are all around mentors. I trust the work of my hands and for sure as contract negotiator my work has continued to speak for itself and I promise by any chance I will do that as Octave Career Bay Manager In charge Of Union Management Operation.

Kindly consider my hearty feelings and you will be guaranteed of quality performance and policy reforms within the first hundred days in office.

Regards

References

Fowler, E., & Graves, P (2013). Managing an Effective Operation. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Finney, M. I. (2008). Building high-performance people and organizations. Westport, Conn: Praeger.

Godfrey, R. (2005). Sooooo-- you want to be a manager!: Things you should know!. Victoria, B.C: Trafford.

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            TOWS Matrix

            Tows matrix is a strategic analysis method that is used to research the surrounding of an organization as well as the organizational situation analysis. The process therefore involves systematic and comprehensive assessment for internal and external factors that are crucial in determining the existing and the future status of the organization (Grossmann, 2011).

            For the success of the organization the corporation can utilize tows matrix method. TOWS analysis involves the following procedures, the identification of the organizational profile which involves identifying strategic aims and the resources of the organization (Duncan & Swayne, 2013).  This can thus be achieved by establishing the needs of the customers and the existing market trends.  Also the tool can thus be used to identify and asses the market trend. From the current analysis of the organizational surrounding the corporation should use the maxi-maxi option which generally involves utilization of strengths in maximizing the market opportunities. The organization can therefore achieve this by ensuring that the corporation is updated about the newest rends I the market so that it can comfortably overcome competition (Duncan & Swayne, 2013).

            The organization can therefore secure its success in the future it can utilize the available strength in minimizing the threats (Duncan & Swayne, 2013). This helps in overcoming challenges that are related to products or the market.  The corporation can therefore utilize the resources and fiancé availability that it holds in ensuring that efficiency is maintained.  The mini-maxi method is additionally essential for the corporation in ensuring that the weaknesses were reduced by taking advantage of the opportunities.  Threats can therefore be avoided by ensuring that the weaknesses are reduced using the mini-mini strategy (Duncan & Swayne, 2013).

            Strategic planning involves the management of organizational activities in setting priorities by focusing the energy and resources of the corporation towards the given priorities (Grossmann, 2011). This is accomplished by identification of the strengths in relation to the directed aims. Suitable organization strategies are essential as it helps in articulating the future as well as the past of the origination. This therefore helps the organization in indemnifying the needs of the organizations in order to fully achieve success. This procedure can help the corporation n communicating directly to the organization y helping it understand the actions required in development (Grossmann, 2011).

            The organization structure that is suitable for the organization is the functional structure.  This structure consists of activities like supervision, coordination as el as the allocation of tasks.  The structure s essential as it helps an organization in determining how it operates (Shalowitz, Stevens, & Kotler, 2013). The organization ca therefore be able to organize individuals by their functions or qualifications. This helps in setting differentiation as individuals are fully able to concentrate o the give functions thus increasing their efficiency.  Functional structure will be effective in solving the issue of communication in the organization as interaction is increased in different departments among the individuals who are grouped in similar functions. Communication is rigid in functional structure because it is characterized with standardized operational methods which have a formalization degree (Shalowitz, Stevens, & Kotler, 2013).

            Since the corporation is involved in the production of larger quantity products functional organization structure is more appropriate.  This is because activities such as supervision ad ordinations become centralized in an organization (Grossmann, 2011). This helps in achieving efficiency as well as quality of products because priorities are fully set. Functional organization structure makes the operational activities easier as task differentiation is fully achieved and the employees are able to concentrate o he given tasks thus boosting productivity. Functions specialization is therefore a major characteristic of the functional structure which helps Identifying of market opportunities more easily (Grossmann, 2011).

            The corporation should therefore adopt strategic management strategies. This involves implementation after formulation of major initiatives and goals by the management of the organization by assessing internal and external surrounding of the organization ( Kongstvedt, 2001). This involves evaluating the weaknesses, opportunities, strengths as well as threats.  This is to help the organization in overcoming the existing issues in the market that may hinder it from attaining success In the future. The organization can utilize diversification management strategy.  This is by defining the activities that are elated and those that are not related to assess and implement solutions for the associated risks. It is effective as it helps in lessening of risks that are involved in operations and also from the market surrounding. The strategies therefore help in achieving efficiency more speedily ( Kongstvedt, 2001).

            The strategy is effective as it is directed towards the aspects of products and that of the marker. This therefore aims at improving the market operations by ensuring that production is developed by focusing on the needs of the customers in developing the product and the market domains within the reduced constraints (Shalowitz, Stevens, & Kotler, 2013). In order to maintain a competitive position in the market it is necessitated to invest in marketing expertise.  In addition the corporation should adopt advanced marketing strategies such as the utilization of the internet.  Marketing expertise are essential in identifying fresh trends in the market as well as establishing reliable investors based on market performance and the environment that they operate in. the cooperation can utilize the price quality  strategy in remaining competitive.  This is the strategy of offering more in regard to services, product and features.  This can thus be achieved by ensuring that costs are considered in providing quality products in order to offer them at favorable prices to maintain and grow the market range (Shalowitz, Stevens, & Kotler, 2013).

            References

Grossmann, C., Institute of Medicine (U.S.)., & National Academy of Engineering. (2011).          Engineering a learning healthcare system: A look at the future : workshop summary.     Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
Shalowitz, J., Stevens, R. J., & Kotler, P. (2013). Strategic marketing for health care        organizations: Building a customer-driven health system. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-     Bass.
Kongstvedt, P. R. (2001). The managed health care handbook. Gaithersburg, Md: Aspen Publishers.
Kongstvedt, P. R. (2003). Essentials of managed health care. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

CASE STUDY

            Allenton Material Corporation is an industry that manufactures glasses and they are specialized in this line of business in Allentown which is found in the Pennsylvania. Initially it was established in the late 1800s. This organization had the ability to discover ad manufacture more and more glass products and it dealt with a variety of glass as well as ceramic markets and this is what determined its growth and a better reputation (Ellet 2007). This made to be financially strong especially in the 1992 making the whole of Allentown to be in a strong financial and earning position. Don Rogers being the vice president of the electronics product division and it is at this time in 1992 that the state of the company was experiencing a lot of challenges in the company (Ellet 2007). He was therefore expected to lead the company through the challenges and ensure that he succeeds the challenges and make the company to gain growth and to meet the aggressive return profits objective of the organization (Ellet 2007). This paper therefore will major it’s argument on the problems that the organization faced and some of the solutions that would be provided to ensure that the organization meets its growth and great profits as they would be able to compete against the huge number of challenges.

             Competition is the root cause for the fall of many organizations and the electronic product division is not an exception. According to a statement made by the general manager, don Rogers, he stated that the company was undergoing violent competition against some of the constituent manufacturers who were anticipated to be contending for a dwindling total market. This therefore lead to the decline of the organizations performance, reputation that involved its delivery as well as services and missed obligations by the organization had increased. The problem has aggravated thus resulting to reduction in the number of people to be served by the organization as well as the number of employees by the business.

            The action has also resulted to reduction of the daily expenses of the organization as the earnings from the business are quite low to cater for the expenses. As a result the organization has lost control of the business with a lower rate of morale and increased rate of conflicts among the various groups which the organization has failed to resolve. The level of mutual confidence as well as trust is lowering each single day while the gap in the organization is widening thus resulting to poor coordination and at times lack of coordination at all thus affecting the performance and the ability of the business to invent and innovation of new products.  

            The best way to solve a problem in the business is to face the problem and work towards rectifying the mistakes and making changes relevant for the success of the business. Rogers in his leadership he was determined to make a turn of the business by ensuring that he was effective in his reign. He therefore established changes which to him would curb these challenges thus enabling the business to meet its objective (Hoboken 2013). One of the strategies he did put in place was the division of the marketing and sales purpose. Sales according to him would be concerned with daily functions where personnel go searching for orders from place to place while marketing. On the other hand would be responsible for strategizing on the way the organization would be able to make pricing, invention and recognizing new opportunities in the future of the business.  This would thus help the organization to increase sales and produce more of goods to meet the daily demands while as the marketers search for new markets, new products as well as identifying best prices that would gain maximum profits.

            Employee’s morale as well as attitude towards the business is most vital in any business. Therefore in changing the personnel in the EPD Corporation led to an enhanced collaboration and corporation of all the stakeholders in the business.

Improving services in the business as a result of these new employees led to its greater competence as better and high quality products would be produced (Robertson 2009). Different targets were set amongst the different personnel such as the managers and the improvement of the information system that would ensure better communication led to its growth (Hoboken 2013).

            In conclusion, the management of any business has the responsibility to see to it that the organization’s objectives are met. Failure of the business is mostly attributed to the failure of the management while the success is as well determined by the success of the management leadership.  To measure the performance of any business the services rendered as seen from the discussion enhances the business to be competent and hence attracting more of the customers thus increasing demand and also increasing sales as well. Increase in sales will in turn ensure that high return rates are achieved. Employees are also great determinants of success and with them working in togetherness and in cohesion much more success and better performances are witnessed in the business. This is what would see the electronic product division through their challenges in the business.

            References

Ellet, W. (2007). The case study handbook: How to read, discuss, and write persuasively about   cases. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

Hoboken, N.J. (2013). Handbook of principles of organizational behavior: Indispensable             knowladge for evidence-based management.: Wiley.

Robertson, D. A., & Caldart, A. A. (2009). The dynamics of strategy: Mastering strategic             landscapes of the firm. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Management

The following are the three key components Strategic management, Groupthink and social networks.

Strategic management, this is the creation and solicitation of the focal goals and ingenuities which are used by the top management of an organization on the behalf of its owners. It is consequently established on the assessment of internal and external settings which the organization competes with.

This concept provides directions to the business and it also involves the objectives of the organization, the policies of development and the plans which are designed in order to be able to achieve the required objectives (Freeman, 2010). There are multiple benefits of employing this concept and they include the following: financial benefits, and non-financial benefits. Companies which engage in strategic planning tend to avoid encountering losses hence improving their performance. Furthermore, they are also able to control their future thus planning in advance hence avoiding any obstacles that they may be likely to encounter in future. On the other hand, non-financial benefits are: the companies become aware of the possible threats that they are likely to encounter. The companies are also able to know their competitors thus putting the best measures of making sure they beat their competitors in place. Furthermore, they are also able to understand the changes that the business systems are likely to face hence avoiding them and hence being in the right line. Thus this concept will allow me to be able to avoid any obstacles which a business is likely to face.

Groupthink, this is a psychological phenomenon which mainly takes place in a group of people whereby the need for conformity in the results of the group in an illogical decision making outcome. This concept consequently allows the members of the group to be able to reduce conflict and thus reaching a consensus decision without actually doing critical evaluation. This concept reduces conflicts in the group thus making it easy for the group members to be able to work effectively without any problem (Griffin, 2012). Furthermore, it also increase the participation of the group members thus making it possible for the group to be able to gain ideas. The execution of a project will also be conducted within the shortest time possible through the participation of most people who will be able to lead to the execution of any task at a very short time. Since this concept allows each and every group member to be able to participate in the group discussion, this will really make the group work to be very easy as most of the members will be able to participate thus making group work to be successful. This concept will therefore create different opportunities which include executing tasks within the shortest time possible, thus making it easy for most tasks to be executed within the shortest time possible. The possible challenges likely to be encountered while using this concept is it can create confusion, thus leading to the lack of accountability. This could therefore lead to confusion thus reduction in the production of services in the group. Hence different tasks may not be executed effectively. The best way to overcome this challenges will therefore be to create friendship between the group members thus making the group members to work effectively.

This concept made it easy for us to be able to carry out different tasks very easily. Moreover, we were also able to identify the problems which the business was likely to encounter hence avoiding them (Griffin, 2012). On the other hand, we experienced different problems and this included misunderstandings between the group members which led to slow execution of tasks. Thus we need to agree with each other in order to be able to avoid any problems or otherwise misunderstandings in the group. What led to misunderstanding between the group members was conflicts between the group leaders thus making it hard for the group members to be able to conduct their activities freely.

Social networks, this is a social structure which is composed of social actors and this may include individuals or either organizations who have social interactions. This set of network therefore allows people to be able to communicate with other people through a set of methods or otherwise structures whole social units. It therefore makes it easy for people to communicate freely and conveniently. The expected outcomes of this concept was therefore to improve and increase the market of the goods thus making it easy for us to be able to reach many customers (Ryan, 2011). This concept provided us with social media marketing which really helped in the promotion of goods thus making it easy for us to be able to reach many customers. The challenges encountered included lack of proper knowledge of dealing with the social media, thus this consequently made it hard for us to be able to use the concept effectively. We are therefore going to learn on how to use the social media thus making it easy for us for to attract most customers. This concept was very easy to work with since most people are using it. Want went wrong was the way we were actually supposed to use the social media since it grows and keeps on changing from time to time. We have therefore resolved to continually learning how to work with the social media.

Reference

Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Griffin, R. W. (2012). Fundamentals of management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Ryan, P. K. (2011). Social networking. New York: Rosen Central.

MEMORUNDUM

TO: The Supervisor

CC: The Manager

FROM:

DATE:

RE: New Employee Expectation

 It is quite evident that every person has expectations in life especially when one has moved from one level of education to another. Being a new employee in this organization has created so many concerns within me as I know that I have to multi-task. To put a balance between my learning and working ethics is one of the greater concern as I am partially an employee and as well as a student. All of the two tasks are quite important in my carrier thus I believe that I have to work extremely hard to ensure that I effectively benefit and succeed from the two.

Success is measured by how well we utilize our time and thus I have decided to manage every single opportunity I have to make the best out of me. I have thus strategized and allocated time for each and every task and am determined to be disciplined in doing the right thing at the right time.

Individual study is important for me but I am more effective while working in a group. I believe that when we as group members pull our forces together greater success is usually achieved. I believe that unity is strength.

Personally, I believe that for me to be effective in a group I have to do more of personal study and research at an individual level. Then it’s when I can engage in a group so that I can be able to contribute and also be able to grasp any of new ideas as well as those points I might have missed during my personal study.

My knowledge of the amount of writing has changed significantly and has even changed my perception from the misconception that engineering is mainly involved with math. I have experienced that there is so much of writing in the engineering lessons as well as any engineering career. I have thus learnt a lot on writing some technical reports instructions and memos so as to communicate significant information.

I am so glad to be part of this company as it has enabled me to learn more on how to manage my time, how to use writing skills in this profession and how to work effectively in a group.

May 24, 2016

Perception as a Communication Barrier

Communication is the determinant factor that affects the success of a business or an organisation. However an effective communication is not easily achieved due to various barriers that come in the process of communication (Kanu, 2009). Some of them include the emotional barriers, language barriers, perception barriers among others. I would like to focus my study on one of the most problematic issue towards an effective communication in business. This is perception barrier that comes about due to difference in opinion between people in a business (Holmes, 2012). The effect of perception comes about when the same message is interpreted differently by different people. Perception is dependent on several factors such as the experiences of the past, culture and personal feelings that a certain member may have (Monkovic, 2016). Perception can cause damage to a business or an organisation because the decisions made through the influence of perception may be biased or have other kinds of distortions. This essay will deeply discuss the issue of perception as a barrier to effective communication (Kanu, 2009).

Perception may take charge when people start stereotyping and generalising. This is when people are overwhelmed by the tendency to see or fell what they like most. Out of it people make assumptions about a thing or a person from the simple experience they had had. Perception is also contributed by lack of enough time of investigation. This may leave out details of the circumstance that should have been considered. Misconceptions rather than facts are drawn from the misrepresentation hence becoming a barrier to an effective communication (Kanu, 2009).

When people have a distorted focus, they also tend to be subjected to this concept of perception. This is associated with negative attitudes that grow as a result of certain habits that are seen in the concerned people. Even if the positive things are noticed, people tend to lean towards the negative side of what had happened in the past (Kanu, 2009). In many cases, the negative overshadows the positive.

Perception also comes about due to the experience of in-congruent cues. Both the speakers and the listeners send cues. People at times fail to match the verbal and non verbal cues which bring a misinterpretation of the intended message. In this case the speakers are unable to express what they are talking about with the correct body language or expression.

Perception also gets attributed by making an assumption that all people have interpreted the message in the same way. When a message is passed across, different people tend to interpret these messages differently. Perception makes people to understand their own world. Interpretations therefore are made differently. In agreement to the message, people simply communicate that the message is within the boundaries of their perception.

Solutions to this barrier of communication are numerous though people find it hard to adapt or implement them in their daily business endeavors. However, people should consider adopting the solutions and live according to them. Perception may cause biasness and unfair judgment of the people involved (Kanu, 2009). First, one should analyse and question his or her own perceptions before making an assumption. This is accompanied by seeking other people’s views or comments on your perceptions.  Seeking other people’s comments will ensure that the actions that are taken satisfy the members who are directly or indirectly affected.

The other best way of overcoming the barrier of perception is by expecting the worst from others. This is a strategy that prepared people for anything out of those who are over or under them in terms of hierarchy in business. For instance, when an employee waits for the worst from his or her boss, he is surprised to find that boss may do something in his favor which is against his expectation. Contrary to this, one may expect appreciation for the job well done but gets surprised of how the boss reacts towards the same. This brings a disappointment (Rao, 2009).

People should focus on others by getting to know more about their knowledge on certain matters. This will bring down the issue of making assumption on people’s decision through generalising. Seeking for clarification when a message is not clear is also an effective solution to perception (Monkovic, 2016). The speaker in this case should ensure that the listeners fully understand what was being communicated and not just assume that all have interpreted the instruction correctly.

Speakers and listeners should also aim at improving their perception. There is achieved through regular self evaluation. In this way people are able to identify the awareness barriers about the main barrier of perception. Checking oneself regularly improves honesty, and positive attitude towards others. As much as people should expect the worst from their colleagues, they should also work in ensuring that they don’t hurt others by the way they treat them. This can play an important role in eliminating the barrier of negative perception about others (Holmes, 2012).

Conclusion

Perception is a destructive barrier to effective communication and so the above recommended solutions should be considered. Speakers and listeners should aim at improving their perception, consider other people’s views, expecting the worst out of someone and giving the best service one can. Effective communication will bring harmony to the business and hence it shall succeed in all its operations.

References

Kanu, A. M. (2009). Reflections in communication: An interdisciplinary approach. Lanham:          University Press of America.

Boyer O’Leary, M., Wilson, J. M., & Metiu, A. (2014). Beyond Being There: The Symbolic          Role Of Communication And Identification In Perceptions Of Proximity To            Geographically Dispersed Colleagues1. MIS Quarterly, 38(4), 1219-A7.

Holmes.S., (2012) Breaking Down Communication Barriers The Wall Street Journal             http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443921504577643773810338032

            Initiatives Reflection

            According to Spillane, & Joullié, (2015), an organization that runs smoothly is footed on organizational philosophy, the proposition of values as well as a mission statement. In order for the intended leadership to yield success in an organization, the leadership philosophy must be in written nature for the leader to achieve the same thing an individual level without fail. When the efficiency values are well articulated they assist the organization in keeping track as it works towards the directed aims. Efficiency is best achieved with the full cooperation of a leader as well as the employees. Favorable measures of achieving efficiency should that be developed to ensure that process motivation is maintained throughout the production process (Spillane, & Joullié, 2015).

            This is similar to my efficiency philosophy which holds that written and stated values allow the individuals involved to understand what is expected, what the organization leader values and how to work to achieve the stated aims. This is, therefore, beneficial because it makes the workplace less stressful thus increasing the level of productivity.

            Through my internship in Om Ayman Independent School and Qatar Academy Alwakra, I have learned through literature, experienced and generated the following pieces. I, therefore, plan on assisting the differentiation process by incorporating the following:

• Adopt technological communication equipment to increase communication
• Develop positive teaching and leadership styles to offer support to the teachers and the students for educational development.
• Develop working initiatives that will enhance and embrace changes

Implement favorable operations styles that will suit every employee as well as the stake holders

            Piece 8-1 achieving efficiency in the learning institution requires expertise skills. Offering training to the hired employees is an effective initiative developmental plan. This involves the provision of the necessary equipment as well as knowledge to ensure that production is increased. Knowledge changes with time and therefore the training program is essential in ensuring that the instructors are well updated with the current trends. This eliminates the issue of employees and students turnover rate. The lean philosophies assert on crating more value for the customers and utilize few resources via workflow optimization. The outcome of this principle therefore ensures that the operations are more organized and the employees have the necessary tools to deliver the needs of the students.

            Piece 8-2 Adopting of technology to increase communication efficiency is crucial in increasing production. This is because communication is essential in the development of an organization since it helps improving efficiency by eliminating challenges. Modern communication is more effective since it is cost effective, profitable and helps in developing teachers work flow.

            Piece 8-3 leaders are fully responsible for developing strategies which have the capability of comfortably embracing changes. Teaching is characterized by distinct changes which range from teaching strategies to development. Therefore, there is a need to implement initiatives which supports process development while utilizing less concentration. These strategies should additional be able to develop solutions to the associated risks.

            Piece 8-4 organization should be able to offer support to the demands of the students as well as for the needs of the teachers. This helps in improving organization development as the implemented styles are focused on eliminating wastes and inefficiencies. 

            It is thus my opinion that efficiency and suitable leadership cannot be separated. A leader is, therefore, responsible for the efficiency of the organization and it is necessary for him to provide policies and measures that are aimed at ensuring that organizational development is achieved.  The employees have to be supported by the stated philosophies to ensure that the needs of the students are considered.

            References

Spillane, R., & Joullié, J.-E. (2015). Philosophy of Leadership: The Power of Authority. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

“DO ALL COMPANIES HAVE TO BE EVIL?”

The qualities of both ethical and unethical are well portrayed in these two cases, Google has done many efforts to support and create a decent environment for all the staff and the results are amazing. Enron at first during the era of Kindler was superb and judging from the revenue gains, we can conclude that from early 1990’s to 1996 it was an exemplary season for Enron “When Enron operated with highly effective managerial system” (Shermer, 2008). The features of ethical behavior have to accompany transparency and accountability from all levels of the company. Kindler while at helm encouraged and even went to and extent of questioning his manager’s reports which they will, in turn, scrutinizes and question their junior staff under them. Transparent governance is the root of ethicality in a corporate world (Smither & London, 2009).

Google slogan “Don’t Be Evil” is the ultimate formality in defining what you should expect when you are transacting or in the boundaries of google (Shermer, 2008). Transparency and openness are one of the vital determiners of morals incorporates. Google moral code is a big plus to ethicality (Smither & London, 2009). Unethicality might be pressed by the urge to make a win in a cutthroat kind of competition. Enron allowed itself to be in a situation which ruined their reputations, George bush once quoted the company has having “few bad apples” henceforward the downfall (Shermer, 2008). Even though by nature humans are xenophobic and that is the reason we witness underpinnings of morality in modern companies. “Skilling evaluation and bonus system led to a lot of behind the scene wheeling” (Shermer, 2008). Skilling appraisal is one of the areas which resulted to immorality at Enron, the activities which did not happen in the light seemed to be evil in one way or the other. Infringement of employees was just a norm of each and every business day.

Reference

Shermer, M. (2008). Do All Companies Have to be Evil?. Scientific American Mind, 19(1), 48-51

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Smither, J. W., & London, M. (2009). Performance Management: Putting Research into Action. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

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A REFLECTION ON HR EFFECTIVENESS

Growth and the Need for Job Analysis

In any business organization, HR development consists of the organization’s focus which is directed in fostering the ability, knowledge and skills as well as other talents of its workers. Therefore, in the process of recognizing the success of its workers as well as the desire of improving the performance of the organization, this is will be ultimately achieved through the skills of workers. Because of that one, the management of the organization should recognize that they will be forced to spent money and time in not only growth but also development of its employees (Dessler, 2013).

1. a) What does an organization need to do to ensure an effective HR department?

In at least all business organizations, human resource management offers two types of services i.e. strategic and administrative. This is to mean that the organization will ensure that it has advised a realistic strategy which will assists in achieving the needs of the HR. Such key need will comprise of things like workers motivation, engagement, recruitment and retention and development (Dessler, 2013). Conversely, such objectives will be met through the use of strategic management process. Typically, strategic planning is perceived as being the most relevant method of determining not only the course of the department but also setting measurement of success.

Therefore, this means that there are various things an organization will have to take into consideration in case it wishes to ensure that it have developed an effective HR department. Initially, the organization should understand that it is critical to develop efficiencies and effectiveness on all technical aspects of HR. In connection to that, the next step is that the organization should understands the core business as well as the use its combined knowledge about HR technical competencies and its employees in influencing the direction, goals and abilities to perform (Sims, 2002).

1. b) What can the HR department do to ensure its effectiveness?

For the purpose of ensuring that effectiveness of the HR department, those responsible for this department should ensure that they have paid attention to the goals and needs of their organization while ensuring that the right and needs of the all the employees are adequately met (Lawler et al, 2012).  The reason for that is mainly because its responsibilities varies from compensation and benefits to recruitment and organizational effectiveness.  This is because an effective HR department is the one which will assist the organization’s culture to grow in line with the business as well as becoming the path to valuable and honest feedback from its leaders to all workers. Finally, HR department should look ahead. It should use of the knowledge of the whole enterprise in contributing towards its growth as well as strategic direction. 

1. c) And what role do employees play in helping to achieve this goal?

In developing an effective HR department, employees are crucial elements is driving it forward. This is because they are the ones who assist in executing its daily economic activities hence realizing its set goals. For instance, a HR director is important in that he or she is the one who understands better the whole organization as well as delivering approaches on retention and attraction in meeting its needs. Moreover, the HR department is run by both the well-rounded staff and skilled who has the reputation of being trusted with confidential information (Lawler et al, 2012).

Reference

Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management (10th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, United States of America: Pearson

Sims, R. R. (2002). Organizational success through effective human resources management. Westport, Ct: Quorum Books

Lawler, E. E., Boudreau, J. W., & University of Southern California. (2012). Effective human resource management: A global analysis. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Business Books, an imprint of Stanford University Press.

Case Study: Organizational Behavior on Employees

            It is evident that the employees were receiving payments that were below the minimum wage at sports direct (The Guardian, 2015). This is to mean that the compensation program was not effective and the employee welfare had been over looked. It is evident that the working conditions were not favorable as this could be seen by the manner in which money was deducted as a result of slight lateness (The Guardian, 2015). It is vital to note that division of duties was lacking in the company as matters dealing with employees needed to be handled by the human resource department which was not present. This has reduced motivation among the employees which in turn may affect performance (The Guardian, 2015).

            It is evident that the company has many employees who ensure the success and productivity of the company. The article gives information that the employees are normally checked as they enter the company premises (The Guardian, 2015). However, the security procedures are not effective; this is because it is evident that the surveillance is only to spot the staffs who commit offences such as wearing unauthorized uniform (The Guardian, 2015). This is to mean the company’s organizational culture is weak because the company is only concerned about productivity and not the welfare of the employees which is a major reason for high labor turn over. This can also be seen by the fact that the employees wear uniform that is not branded; this can cause the staffs not to feel as part of the company thus reducing the motivational levels (The Guardian, 2015).

            As discussed earlier, it is clear that the company saved millions of money each year by deducting money from the employees as a result of lateness (The Guardian, 2015). It is also clear that the employees were not paid for any over time that they worked. It is also critical to note that the employees faced harassment at the place of work due to noise from speakers (Latchkey children, 2015). The company culture of the company was also a major issue especially to the employees. It is clear that the company has no policy on employee welfare and this can be seen by the manner in which they handle their employees. The personal life of the employees is also affected by the conditions in the work place. The children of the employees are affected and most turn into becoming latchkey kids due to the fact that they do not find their parents at home (Latchkey children, 2015).

            The article reveals that the employees are being paid a wage that is below the minimum wage. This is to show that the policies of the company do not conform to the national policies regarding compensation (Press Release regarding National Minimum Wage Charter, 2015). It is evident that the employees do not have job security. This can be seen by the manner in which they have to report to work even under critical circumstances and the fact that they work on a zero percent contract (Press Release regarding National Minimum Wage Charter, 2015). The employees also go through body searches that can be termed as harassment on a daily basis yet the company would have installed security cameras that would be monitoring the employees without being hard on them (Press Release regarding National Minimum Wage Charter, 2015). It is also clear that the employees live in fear because they are afraid to lose their jobs if they speak out of the working conditions of the company.

            The job opportunities revealed by the company are often very appealing. This is done to attract more employees to work for the company (Career opportunities, 2015). This helps to enhance the corporate image of the company and attract people to apply for the ‘job opportunities in the company. However, what is provided on the company’s website is very different from the reality of the conditions in the work place (Career opportunities, 2015).

            The customer reviews showed exceptional performance by the company. This can be seen by the fact that the company has many employees that ensure the work is efficient thus yielding high levels of productivity (Customer Reviews, 2015). It is evident that the employees were provided a good ground where they were able to acquire experience for the work despite the horrible working conditions. The employees also complained of the poor compensation programs despite the amount of work that they did (Employee Reviews, 2015). Nevertheless, the company did not provide a competitive working environment as employees always performed the same tasks all year round. It is clear that the employees did not enjoy the working conditions in the company as they did activities due to the fear of losing the job (Employee Reviews, 2015).

            It is clear that the company sells all the clothes at a lower price thus attracting more companies (Increasing consumer interest in sports apparel, 2015). The company has been producing sportswear for leading sports people such as Wayne. It is vital to note that the company has billions of money that is received from the deductions made from the employees (Increasing consumer interest in sports apparel, 2015). The low prices have enabled the company to sell its products at a lower price.

            The company is at now facing problem while trying the destroyed corporate image for the company (The Times, 2016). This has come about as a result of the manner in which the employees were handled. However, if the employees’ welfare was reviewed the employees would help to restore the image of the company (The Times, 2016). This is due to the fact that the employees lose morale and this in turn affects the productivity levels this reducing the amounts of profits. It is also vital to note that the company asked the consumers to give them another chance with the hope of amending the culture of the organization (The Times, 2016).

References

“Inside Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct” (The Guardian, 10 December 2015, p. 1)

“Cheap labour, low-tech work: undercover in Ashley’s ‘gulag’” (The Guardian, 10 December      2015, pp. 8-9)

“Latchkey children” (The Guardian, 10 December 2015, p. 9)

Press Release regarding National Minimum Wage Charter from www.sportsdirect.com

Customer Reviews on http://www.reviewcentre.com/customer

Career opportunities shown on the Sports Direct website.

Employee Reviews (Sports Direct retail stores) from www.indeed.co.uk

“Increasing consumer interest in sports apparel…” (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news)

“ ‘We’re in Trouble, admits Sports Direct’s’ Ashley” (The Times, 22 March 2016, p.37)

“ ‘Give us a Sporting Chance’, Ashley tells critics” (The Times, 22 March 2016, pp.38-9)

WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND BRIBERY VERSUS EXTORTION

A white color crime is the type of offence which involve with issue of trust, in the sense of crime related to manipulation for the benefit of financial gain. Bank scam, embezzlement, and cash laundering. They have got key elements which help identify this white-color crimes, the first one is the fraudulent swindles and security scam, in such cases they are always ought to be reported  to the state law enforcers. This might happens in organization and government which usually ranges from inside deals and other external means the key drive is the financial gain (Mann, Roberts & Smith 2012). The other chief element is money. Research shows, that the individuals who involve themselves in this type of crime a motivation of personal financial gain. The job capacity in the business world can allow individual to seek fortune in illegal means. The access of huge amount of money is everyday crime which the public happens to view that the offenders are being treated with leniency by US District Attorney yet it is actually the opposite (Twomey & Jennings, 2010). You are bound to receive heavy penalty if found guilty on crimes of financial crimes compared to drugs or violence for instance.

Specific strategies and tactics for conviction of white-color criminals by government are common in different District quotas. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was introduced in the early 2000s to counter the serious rise of tall profile fiscal scandal which made investors’ confidence drop significantly (Mann, Roberts & Smith 2012). Courtesy of the drafted law we witnessed improvement of commercial governance and responsibility, this is not meant for the financial departments but also has tremendous impact of IT department. The law entails a lot of definition on what actually should be maintained in the company reports and for how long. It should be saved for not less than five years and if not dully abide it would result to enormous high fines. The penalty for violation of SOX Act sums up to twenty five years imprisonment with no consideration of being allowed to reveal the defendant actually acted deliberately (Twomey & Jennings, 2010). Inventory shrinkage is another common crime which has implication ranging from financial benefits, the inventory which are received by the company are diverted to other areas in secret and later sold and revenue collected outside the company. Employee theft is a common practice which led to imprisonment and supplementary financial fines. There are discrete difference between bribe and extortion merely exist but one should be aware that for it to be extortion it has to involve some threat, implicit warning. Extortion can be defines as misuse of civic justice which in this case is a public officer unlawfully taking any money or other fortunes which he is not entitled to earn. Surprisingly, this kind of crime can be found in government departments, if a firm participates in a given crime the government through the department of justice (DOJ) and to make the civil suit go away they are asked to make donation (Mann, Roberts & Smith 2012). In bribery, the briber can at time be the initiator rather than being the briber. At first, the individual can pose as demanding for bribes, nonetheless in broad-spectrum the bribed person with then do something in indulgence of the persuading party.

It is important to know the difference even thou the two are related to exchange of funds or property crimes.

References

Mann, R. A., Roberts, B. S., & Smith, L. Y. (2012). Smith & Roberson's business law. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

 Twomey, D. P., & Jennings, M. (2010). Business law: Principles for today's commercial environment. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Porter’s five forces

This is an analysis that highlights the competitive forces that every company is likely to face. It helps in identifying the strengths and the weaknesses a company may be experiencing in the efforts of laying a shaping ground for the success of the business (Garanti  & Berzina, 2013). The five forces comprise of the competition within and outside the industry, power of the suppliers, the power of the customers and the substitute products.

In my analysis about how the market for the athletic footwear, I was able to deduct several concerns about my newly established business. This was done using the porter’s five forces analysis.

Competitive rivalry

The competition was seen to be so stiff from the dominant companies such as Adidas and Nike. These two companies were found to have too many resources at their disposal. The stiffness of the competition has been there considering that there are only very few competitors and so customers have only two choices to choose from. The competition I have faced has made the maintenance costs such as advertising and attracting customers expensive (Garanti  & Berzina, 2013).

Bargaining power of suppliers

In this recent analysis of 2012, it was found that there were 27 producers who manufactured the same products as mine. This ran across 14 countries. Ten of the producers dominated the market by 49 percent of the total supplies of all the manufacturers. The main challenge in this sector is the fact that suppliers share the costs of raw materials which has recently doubled (Garanti  & Berzina, 2013).

Bargaining power of the customers

In this case, the bargaining power of the customers is lower compared to the past years. The bargaining power however is seasonal because during the end of the year, sport shoes are always on demand and so the power of customers is relatively low (Garanti  & Berzina, 2013). However, low seasons are really challenging because the customers bargain to their satisfaction hence forcing the prices to go down. My wholesale customers have become the stronghold of the customers unit because their bargain lies within certain limits. This makes the assurance of maintenance live even during the low seasons.

Threat of new substitutes

Sport shoes cannot be substituted by any other type of shoes because of their unique purpose of use. This means that there is no threat of a substitute for my company.

Threat of new entrants in a company

The cost of stating a footwear industry is very high. Other expenses such as marketing of the products, building a brand image and other expenses are also very high. These costs limit the chances of a new company being opened and so this comes to my favor. The threats to new entrants being introduced are of less impact (Garanti  & Berzina, 2013).

Reference

Garanti, Z., & Zvirbule - Berzina, A. (2013). REGIONAL CLUSTER INITIATIVES AS A DRIVING FORCE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT. European Integration Studies, (7), 91-101. doi:10.5755/j01.eis.0.7.3677

Response to Lisa’s

The summary of the Porters five has been properly outlined only that the methods have not been put in details. The strategies in which she shall put to compete with her competitors should also be specific. For instance, she can decide to improve the quality of the services offered and offer them at a low cost. I also think that there are substitute threats that may affect her travelling industry. If she is in the airline, the threat maybe the road transport means which people may prefer because it is cheap.

Response to Michael’s Discussion

 The discussion is well detailed and he has incorporated all the elements of the Porter’s Five. Indeed the chances of having new entrants would be low and so he would be able to operate in a worry free environment. The issue of competition is a threat that needs to be monitored over time because the cruise line is also growing at a faster rate than before. It is also with great appreciation in they way he has presented the threat of substitute products because cruise services cannot be substituted with anything of a cheaper price. This is a strength he has in his strategy and so other areas of concern can be addressed.

Case study analysis for Louis Vuitton Company

Synopsis of the situation

Louis Vuitton is a worldwide producer of luxury bags. The company is run by Japanese despite its location in French. For the past few years, the company has experienced a significant drop in the number of sales made. This has come to the company’s attention that they need to start a new strategy that would be used to improve the conditions of the company. Some of the external key issues that have led to this reduction include the overall Japanese economy drop down. This made the customers to stop buying the luxurious products and limit their budgets to only the essentials. Since Louis Vuitton Company was over depending on the Japanese market, it had to suffer the consequences.  The second issue that shall be addressed is the customer’s preference and the different tastes that changed.

The company has failed in various areas of operations that are not dependent on the external forces. They have been unable to attract new niche markets and they have also accepted the selling of forged or counterfeit products. The company has also been slow to adapt reinvestment brands as the market demands. These are just but very few among a long column of factors that has contributed its failure in the recent years.

Alternative solutions

1. The most effective solution would be lowering the prices of commodities. This would gather many customers who opted for low price products. However, this strategy may not be fully effective because the current prices are proportional to the quality of products offered.
2. The other solution would be establishment of new markets in the third and second world countries. This would save the company from the local financial crisis that comes about as a result of economic variation.
3. The company can also choose to expand the variety of the products such as clothes and jewelry. This would ensure that those that choose to buy different products in place of the luxury bags can find them at their disposal.

The selected solution

The best solution that fits this company is that of establishing new markets in other countries. This would save the company from suffering from local economic drop down. The market and the economic crisis have generally affected the company due to the overdependence of the Japanese market.  Opening other stores outside japan would protect such a tragedy that has recently faced the company. Other markets may include the Chinese market and any other market in the second and third world countries.

SWOT analysis

Strengths

1. The brand is well known
2. High quality luxury products
3. Cooperation of the human resource

Weaknesses

1. High costs for their products
2. Limited distribution channels
3. Very poor in their after-sales services

Opportunities

1. Ability to lower their prices
2. Ability to expand their markets into other country
3. Most of its competitors have no their own stores

Threats

1. Economic imbalance
2. Political instability
3. Counterfeit products might cause problems

A secretarial resume

 I am a committed secretary who is always on toes to make sure that everything runs as expected by those that I serve. I am specialized in administrative support to busy engineering firms. I am committed to delivering high quality results in my work under the least supervision. I am an energetic, organized and professional secretary. My profession is best based on Microsoft office proficiency, time management and business writing. I am a resourceful person, strong problem solver and also a self-directed person. It will be evident that am also a QuickBooks expert and a mature secretary.

                I have been a secretary for the last six years. My work has always been exemplary good wherever I have worked but because of different unavoidable circumstances I have had no choice than to leave those places. I was recently working with the designed electronic file system company for the last four years. As a secretary I achieved a lot towards the strategic plan of the coming ten years of the company. According to our view the plan will be done in the next few years and it is something that the company is very optimistic about. I am determined to make great achievements wherever a vacancy for work will be available.