Dealing with stress Essay Example for Free

Dealing with stress Essay One of the greatest sources of stress at work is caused by the innovations that have been created to make work easier. While it is true that there are already so many inventions and technological devices that have been invented to help people accomplish more at work, the result is far from the anticipated goal of allowing people to rest more. The increased capability of performing more work has been off-set by the fact that more and more tasks are placed upon the employees. The fact paced working environment and steady competition has changed the way work is being done and increased the stress levels. When a few decades ago companies only had to contend with local or national competition, the current business environment faces competition from firms and companies all over the world. Another factor which adds to the stress in any working environment, aside from the increased pressure to produce more, is the fact that the stress in the work place negatively affects the health of employees thus causing more absences and adding more pressure to catch up with the work load. It has been suggested that stress can be thought of as resulting from an â€Å"imbalance between demands and resources† or as occurring when â€Å"pressure exceeds ones perceived ability to cope† (Sedgeman 2005). The most common reasons for stress are poor working conditions such as excessive noise or heat and crowded or poorly designed workspaces, a lack of control over work, time pressures, long or inflexible working hours, too much or too little work or responsibility, confusion about duties and responsibilities, including role ambiguity, a lack of variety and interest in job, inadequate training and possibilities for learning new skills, poor work-life balance, difficult relationships with supervisors and coworkers, lack of support from colleagues, isolation from colleagues, organizational confusion, restructuring, and job change. All of these factors contribute to stress at the work place. It is important to note however that the effect or weight of each of these factors differs from person to person. Over the years, there has been more emphasis on job specialization and training. Aside from performing the regular work tasks, employees are also expected and pressured to meet higher expectations and maintain their competitive edge constantly. These factors were not as prevalent in the work place a few decades ago as they are now. There have been a number of studies on the relationship between stress and job performance that show that as the level of work related stress increases the job performance and satisfaction level also changes. Some of the consequences of stress include, job-related consequences such as low performance and absenteeism, emotion related consequences such as irritability and depression which affect work place relationships, and physiological consequences such as high blood pressure and other illnesses. All of these consequences affect the worker’s ability to perform his/her task at work and are also detrimental to the work atmosphere as more irritable people are less likely to contribute to team-related tasks and goals. Absenteeism is also a problem as it directly affects the work output of not only an individual worker but of the team or unit as well. Many techniques have been implemented to reduce worker stress. In a number of Japanese firms, certain activities such as worker exercise programs have been implemented in an effort to keep the employees in better shape. Other workplaces over the world have taken advantage of the technical advances in communications technology and used these to reduce worker stress levels. Some of these programs include the permitting of certain employees to telecommute at least once or twice a week in order to create a more relaxed yet productive working environment. Other programs included involving the families of the workers in group activities and corporate activities. While these have been shown to have mixed effects in relation to coping with stress, these activities have also shown that the most important way of dealing with work related stress lies in showing the employees that their employer cares about their welfare and is instituting programs to deal with such. In the long run, there is really no sure fire method of dealing with stress. There will always be different stress levels and methods of coping with them. The most important thing that remains, however, is that something is done. A proactive stance is still better than anything. References: Bower, J. E. Segerstrom, S. C. (2004). Stress management, finding benefit, and immune function: positive mechanisms for intervention effects on physiology. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 56(1): 9-11 Sedgeman, J. A. (2005). Health Realization/Innate Health: Can a quiet mind and a positive feeling state be accessible over the lifespan without stress-relief techniques? Med. Sci. Monitor 11(12) HY47-52.

Nestlé industry

Nestlà © industry Executive Summary Nestlà © is the largest food and beverage industry in the world. Its revenue in million in 2008 were 89,630.00, they employ over 276000 people around the world. (Global 500) Their goals are to produce good, healthy, and tasty foods which are consisted of important nutrients. (Nestlà © South Africa) These features make Nestlà © a unique business which profits by offering products which gives satisfactions to all customers. After we skimmed through the Fortune 500 list of the companies, there were a lot of choices of well known companies, however, we picked up Nestlà © Corporation. Since we grow up with Nestlà ©s products which are nutritional and healthy products, and at the same time very tasty, it seemed interesting for us to do the project about this well known Corporation. The most important issue facing our company today is to maintain the quality of our products and continue to maintain our strong brand name known for its healthy products. Business Mission Vision According to the founder of Nestlà ©, Henri Nestlà ©, Nestlà ©s mission is to: positively influence the social environment in which we operate as responsible corporate citizens, with due regard for those environmental standards and societal aspirations which improve quality of life. Furthermore, the vision and values of Nestlà © are to make Nestlà © a leading, competitive, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company delivering improved shareholder value by being a preferred corporate citizen, preferred employer, preferred supplier selling preferred products. (Nestlà © South Africa) Description of the Business The address of corporate headquarters is: Ave, Nestle 55 Vevey 1800, Switzerland. Nestlà © operates in 83 countries, in five continents. It has more than 509 factories out of which 220 are located in Europe, 153 in America, 136 in Africa Oceania (MARKETING PROCESS OF NESTLE CORPORATION) According to the official website of the Company, Nestlà © was formed by Henry Nestlà © in 1867. He was a pharmacist. In the beginning he started to produce milk food for newborn babies, which was the first milk cereal for children. The company was located in Switzerland, where the actual largest headquarter is located even today. Then, in short period the company started to grow and expand, and also offering a large variety of products. Nowadays, the company is a corporation which has multiple stockholders. Throughout its existence, Nestlà © has merged with some international companies. For example, in 1905 merged with a Anglo-Swiss milk company. (MARKETING PROCESS OF NESTLE CORPORATION) In 1998 Nestlà © purchased the UK largest chocolate factory, then it made some other agreements with some other companies. In 2002, Nestlà © made a partnership with Coca-Cola, then with General Mills, LOreal. These mergers helped Nestlà © expand their market shares on the global international market. (Nestlà ©.) The brand name of Nestlà © comes from Henries surname. It is a short name which can be easily remembered. It is a well known and everyone can identify its logo. The quality of Nestlà ©s products made the brand easily identified, including the slogan of the brand, Good Food, Good Life. Since Nestlà © is a company which operates in the global market, it means that its products are spread worldwide and they are available whenever consumers need them. Nestlà © over the time has developed and continues to maintain a strong reputation on the Food Industry. We consider that Nestlà © is on the stage of brand insistency. This means that costumers insist on getting Nestlà ©s products, and this is considered to be a big advantage for the company. (Nestlà ©) The legal status of Nestlà © is a corporation, which is a business that includes stockholders. The main headquarter of Nestlà © is in Switzerland; Peter Brabeck-Letmathe is the CEO. According to the Global 500, the stockholders equity is 46,006.2 million dollars. (Global 500) The board of directors represents the stockholder on managing the corporation. Nestlà © deals with manufacturing of products, thus, its type of business is manufacturing. Nestlà © produces a fairly similar group of individual products. Its products are produced on similar ways, they have fairly similar prices, which make up a great product line. They produce milk and chocolate products, water, baby food, coffee, and so on. Since Nestlà © is a huge corporate, they produce on large amounts. We know that when a product is being produced in large amount, its production costs are lower, comparing to products produced on small amounts, thus these lower production costs leads Nestlà © to bring its products on the market with reasonable prices, from which the consumers benefit directly. Furthermore, they use a production program which includes green technology (environmental friendly technology) that saves electricity, does not pollute the air which leads to consumers benefits. They sell different types of chocolates, ice creams, coffees, natural water, baby food, flavored milks, etc. Some of the products offered from Nestlà © are NESCAFÉ, NESQUIK, Hot Chocolate, Cocoa, Chocolates, AERO BAR ONE Chocolate Assortments CHOCOLATE LOG CLASSIC Slabs CRISP CRUNCH Baking Chocolate KIT KAT TEX MILKY BAR MILO Nestlà © GOLD ROLO SMARTIES SUCROSE FREE Powdered Milk, Nutren Shakes Convalescing Malnourishment Diabetes Supplements Critical Care Nestlà © Baby Foods, CERELAC Gold CERELAC NESTUM Infant Formula Nestlà © Waters, Still Sparkling Flavoured Water Dispensers Imports Ice Cream, Impulse Take Home Out of Home Nestlà © Cereals, and so on. Consumers may benefit in different ways from buying Nestlà ©s products. From the consumers point of view, when we decide to buy something to eat or drink, we want to get the most satisfaction from it. Thus, we look at its price first, then its ingredients, if it is nutritious, if it is tasty, and healthy. Since Nestlà ©s company objective is to produce healthy, tasty, nutritious food, and they offer them at reasonable prices, we conclude that consumers benefit by buying Nestlà © products. Nestlà ©s products are considered as high quality products. Furthermore the raw material for example for chocolate, milk is purchased only from the milk producers who grow and give food to their cows in natural ways. All Nestlà © products are demanded, because Nestlà © first makes research and market analysis then starts to produce its products. But still chocolate products are the most demanded products from Nestlà ©. In order for Nestlà © to grow and expand its market share is to follow up and to adapt to the current trends that are affecting the food industry. For example, the trend of customers demanding low and no fat products is increasing, and if Nestlà © develops a strategy to adapt and expand production of low and no fat products, this would be a growth opportunity. Franchising is perceived as a way for companies to expand on other markets. In our case, this also would be a growth opportunity, however, they should supervise and control and see if the franchisee is maintaining the quality standards that the Nestlà © Company sets to them. Also Nestlà © officials should make sure that the franchisees are maintaining the prestige and the reputation of the brand. The corporate goals and objectives are to maximize their profits. They tend to achieve this by meeting consumers demand, by offering nutritional products which taste good, coping up with trends. There are many resources for producing products related to food industry. Nestlà ©s success is reliant on fresh milk, cocoa, sugar, water, power supply, materials related packaging, technology, transportation modes. Suppliers define success when there is a huge demand for their products, while the stakeholders define success if they achieve to increase the market shares, having enough resources to meet the demand, and maximizing profits by increasing sales. Market Analysis Nestlà ©s primary target is considered to be people of all ages. In this range there are included infants, children, teenagers, adults, and elderly people. If we take age into consideration, we conclude that it is a factor that distinguishes the consumers, since Nestlà ©s has products made especially for infants, while on the other hand we have other products which are targeted to athletes, or to adults, such as coffee. Despite of the age, gender, income, and education level are not factors to be included in targeting Nestlà © consumers. There is not a special product of Nestlà © which is dedicated to males or females, or to people with different levels of education, while when it comes to income, since our products are not expensive, we dont consider income a factor to target Nestlà ©s products. From the consumers point of view, we define Nestlà © as a successful company if they meet our demands, they always supply us with new products, we find Nestlà ©s products easily and with a fair price. Also, a factor of Nestlà ©s success would be seen if they are aware of social responsibility meaning that they should care more for the benefits of the society as a whole and not only for companies profits. In general, the food industry is in the level of steady market that does not necessarily grow since people always use food products because they are necessity goods which no one can substitute them with something else. Furthermore, even if Nestlà © is always bringing new products on the market, since the population is still growing, we cannot say that it is being placed on the growing level. SWOT analysis Strengths Nestlà © has a very organized structure, it manages to lead in an effective way more than 276 000 employees and that requires great organizational skills. Thus, one of the strengths of the company is considered to be the organizational structure, Nestlà © is divided in sectors and each sector has their CEOs, then it has the executive board and in the top is the CEO. The hierarchy on Nestlà © works perfectly. Efficient chain of supply, it delivers its products in a good condition in a fast way. Furthermore, it is a Socially Responsibility and innovative company. It has skilled and educated employees. Weaknesses Since Nestlà © develops many products, it is impossible to promote each of them. Another weakness is that Nestlà ©s products are dependable on milk, any global disease on cows may impact directly on Nestlà ©s production. Opportunities Nestlà © has many growth opportunities which are considered to be current trends that allow the company to extend its market. If Nestlà © catches up with some of the trends that are affecting food industry then it may be an opportunity to increase their profits. Threats As a threat that intimidates the company may be the current global economic crises. Nestlà © has to react fast with a strategy in order to pass the world recession without many losses. It may overturn into a disaster for the company if they ignore what is happening in the global economy. Another threat is competitions operations. PEST analysis Political The government plays a role on Nestle in terms of the rules that the government makes related to the food industry in general. For example failing to meet any standard of quality, hygiene or other set by the government may result in some sanction or fee for the company. Economic When it is about economics, companies always fear any recession that may occur. So if any recession occurs Nestle will be affected, and result in possible losses. Another way of economic involvement is the tax rises which also interrelated to the Political (government regulations). However if the economy is doing well it means that also Nestle expectations are to do well on the market too, because it has the necessary conditions. Social Change of life styles, income level, place of residence, education level are some social factors, which might have an influence in a company. But when it comes to food industry they doesnt make a huge difference, because food is a necessity and whether you live in urban or rural areas, or whether you are educated or not, you need to eat unless it is a luxury, and most of the Nestle products are for everyday use or necessity. Technological Technological advancements always shape the industries; change the way they are produced, and makes industries much more productive, but also the need for employees is lower. With the new technologies productivity has increased, the delivery of products is easier; products are being safer with the new packaging. Another segment related to technology is that the advertisement of Nestle products is much easier with internet, other media channels. Nestlà © uses market segmentation in order to develop a suitable market mixes for different consumers. For example, they segment market for only water consumers or products which are dedicated only for athletes. First step of market segmentation is to name broad product markets, for example, in the case of Nestlà © would be beverage and then as stated earlier segment this market on only a relatively homogeneous group of consumers, such as athletes. According to Fortune 500 the five most influential competitors of Nestlà © are considered to be Unilever, PepsiCo, Sara Lee, Groupe Danone, ConAgra Foods. However, Nestlà © has advantages over these particular competitors since it is a larger company and can produce with lower cost, thus the products can be offered with lower price, this can be seen as a weakness of these companies over Nestlà ©. They, offer fairly similar products as Nestlà © does. They also use many advertisement tools such as, TV, radio, news paper and so forth, some of them also use direct advertisement against Nestlà ©, for example PepsiCo. According to the research that we have done Nestlà © maintains to be ahead of these companies, so they are not taking market shares from Nestlà ©. In order to increase its market shares, Nestlà © Corporation must continue to develop new products, to spread even more on the countries that do not have factories. It must cope up with trends and forces that are affecting food industry today. The promotional budget of Nestlà © is set every year. Nestlà © for its products uses all known promotional tools. Nestlà ©s logo placed in a product makes Nestlà © responsible for the quality of the product. Advertising plan has an important role on promoting Nestlà ©s products therefore, advertising a product in an effective way increases chances for that product to be successful. They use many advertisement techniques to promote their products such as TV, Radio, Internet, Newspapers, and Magazines. (MARKETING PROCESS OF NESTLE CORPORATION) Beside advertisement, Nestlà © pays a lot of attention on the Public Relations field. They have a 24 hours media helpline so that journalists can contact them and inquire information whenever they want. Also, Nestlà © has developed a reputation and maintains that reputation through a variety of public relations strategy. The department of PR in Nestlà © tends to maintain a good relationship among employees and develop goodwill. They have developed or branded their CEO in a very professional matter and made him well known also developed its reputation worldwide. Because of their reputation when they can easily contact media to make announcements or Press Releases. According to Nestlà © pricing strategy, Nestlà © has its own set of techniques for setting the prices of the product. It does not primarily focus on the competitors pricing strategies. It emphasizes on the market demand of the product. Nowadays market is going through tough recession, so they set their prices keeping in view the purchasing power of the customers. Moreover the prices of the products are also subjected to the type of consumer product. If the product is a daily use then it can have a minimum price to attract the customer towards your product. Thus the company cannot influence much on the prices. (MARKETING PROCESS OF NESTLE CORPORATION) Trend 1: Step 1: State the focal issue or decision facing the enterprise. When a customer want to buy a product he goes through a decision process in order to choose between so many offers from different producers for the same product. Now when it comes to the food industry products, there are so many indicators that affect a persons decision. If it is farm friendly than it is an important factor that affects the decision of the buyers. Buyers will always choose the products that are consistent of organic and natural ingredients. In our case Nestlà ©s most important materials that purchases are milk and cocoa. And it is very important that Nestlà © purchases organic and natural milk and cocoa for the production of its products. Step 2: List the key factors that influence this decision. Certainly success will be considered that all of our raw materials (milk and cocoa) to be purchased from the farm-friendly sources. When we sell our products we also put the farm-friendly sign on it than customers will differentiate our products not only with our brand name, Nestlà ©, but also with its farm-friendly sign. Whereas failure would be considered if we fail to purchase organic and natural milk and cocoa. Whether it is because we cannot afford to buy them or nobody produces organic and natural milk, it still would be considered failure to us. In order to purchase the organic and natural sources, we need to know our suppliers. Where are their farms located, are there sufficient hygiene sources, check for possible diseases that cows may have and also some other issues that would affect the milk quality. Step 3: List the driving forces that influence these key factors Predictable: People will shift to the products that are farm-friendly (natural organic). Nestlà © will increase the profit. Nestlà ©s brand name will become stronger. Increase in the number of farmers who offer farm-friendly products Less predictable: Other food industries will use the same strategy. Higher competition. Highly uncertain: Customers will reject the farm-friendly products. The number of farm-friendly farmers will decrease. Step 4: Rank the key factors and driving forces by importance and by uncertainty. Step 5: Compose plots for alternate futures that could impact the decision. Best Case Scenario: The best case scenario would be if our customers like the products that produce by the organic and natural ingredients. And if this happens, customers shift their demand to these kinds of products, and certainly we will have to shift all of our sources in the production of these products. Furthermore we will grow our market because our brand name will be stronger and we expect a market growth for Nestlà ©. Worst Case Scenario: The worst case scenario would be if customers reject the farm-friendly products. And all of our production will be a loss for our company. Therefore we will lose our market shares not only for these kinds of products but also for other products produced by Nestlà ©. And this will lead to the weakening of our brand name. In-between case Scenario: The in-between case scenario would be if people will buy the organic and natural products but there wouldnt be any raise in the market shares or any change in the demand for Nestlà © products. Step 6: Evaluate the decision in each of the postulated scenarios. Best Case Scenario: We have to make the decision of producing our products with organic and natural ingredients because customers always tend to buy products that are natural and organic. And also products with natural and organic ingredients are much healthier and tastier too, so we will provide healthier and tastier products. By using this farm-friendly strategy of production we will affect also in the raise of the number of farmers in the rural areas. Worst Case Scenario: If the worst case scenario occurs than Nestlà © will for sure face losses in the market shares and in other sectors of the company too. In-between case Scenario: With the in-between case scenario occurrence Nestlà © will probably face some losses in some of its sectors, but it will be easier to rehab in a near future. Step 7: Select indicators and signposts for each scenario. Best Case Scenario: There will a huge demand for the products with organic and natural ingredients. Increase the market shares. Increase in profit. Worst Case Scenario: Rejection of farm-friendly products by customers. High production costs. Loose the market shares. In-between case Scenario: Competition. The market shares status: steady. Trend 2: Recently Nestlà © has merged with the Krafts Food Company so they will start to offer frozen pizzas. Since it is easy for people to prepare frozen products, it is considered that this trend will have positive effects on Nestlà ©s profits. Step 1. State the focal issue or decision facing the enterprise. A lot of consumers are interested on frozen products because it is easy to prepare them. If a person can prepare a Pizza for 5 minutes by putting it on Microwave, then they will buy it. The focused target for this products will be people who work and do not have enough time for preparing food. Also, the fact that Nestlà ©s slogan is Good Food, Good Health, it is obvious that the frozen pizzas will be healthy, nutritious and they tasty, therefore, there will be a demand for them. Step 2. List the key factors that influence this decision. In order to achieve this goal, which is to be successful in frozen food industry, we must get information from other food industries which deal with frozen products. We will obtain information which we will analyze, and according to them we will come up with our products. An important factor that influences us to this decision is the name of our company (Nestlà ©), which is a powerful name on the food and beverage industry. People will buy our products more when they realize that Nestlà © is the producer, thus they will increase the demand for the frozen pizzas o There will be a success if with this trend we increase the production and the profit to Nestlà ©. o There will be a failure if the target market will not accept our new products. If they do so, we have to start developing a new trend. Conditions/Events determining the success/failure: o Success  § If the trend increases the profit and bring success of Nestlà ©  § If consumers accept our products and get satisfaction from it  § If the demand of our frozen products will be higher than the demand for our competitors products. o Failure  § If this trend will bring losses to our company  § If frozen products will not be demanded by our target market Critical assumptions defining the logic of these responses o The competition on the food and drink industries nowadays is very large. In order to keep our clients and gain new ones, we must develop the frozen products on the market. Therefore, Nestlà © will be differentiated from other companies and will gain success by this trend. Step 3. List the driving forces that influence these key factors. Highly Predetermined/Predictable o An increase of people who consume frozen products o Increase companies profit o New production technology Less Predictable o A decrease of unemployment rate on rural areas o Market Size o Increase of employees income o Competitive advantage of Nestlà © o Higher production costs Step 4. Rank the key factors and driving forces by importance and by uncertainty. Step 5. Compose plots for alternate futures that could impact the decision. Best Case Scenario If we will be concentrated on frozen products, the demand for our frozen products and the profit of Nestlà © will be higher. In-Between Outcomes The trend of frozen products will keep things going almost on the same direction, but with a lower profit and production. Worst Case Scenario If we will not go through the strategy of our trend, our market size would be decreased and we will no more have competitive advantage. No one would buy frozen products with a high price if they find almost the same product with a lower price. Step 6. Evaluate the decision in each of the postulated scenarios. Best Case Scenario We should make this decision because it is a reasonable decision. First of all, the demand for frozen products is higher. Nowadays, most of the people are working and they need products which they can prepare quickly. By informing people about our trend which is Nestlà ©s Frozen Products, we will change the peoples behavior so the demand for our frozen products will increase even more. In Between On this case, the things will diverge a little from the best case, but we are sure that they will not get very bad. This is not a decision which brings us high profits, but it will help us to avoid failure. Worst Case Scenario If we take this scenario, we will face loses for sure. This is obvious that by having a high production cost, the price will increase, which would keep us away from clients. Step 7. Select indicators and signposts for each scenario. Best Case Scenario Demand for our products Number of clients is high Profit is high In Between The demand for frozen pizzas only (not necessarily other frozen products) Worst Case Scenario High production costs Small number of clients Many competitors Summary During the completion of the project we have done a lot of research to find proper information for each sector of the project assigned to us. We tried to work together on each sector in order to make the project more cohesive. We found very interesting information about Nestlà © and how a big company should operate. We used the terminology and concepts learned through the quarter in the Global Forces and Trends course. During the completion of the project we found out that Nestlà © is a very serious company, each department of Nestlà © has its own responsibilities and it is very well organized. It is important for Nestlà © to observe forces and trends that are affecting the food industry nowadays. It is essential for the company to maintain its market shares and its position in the global market through following the current trends such as: low and no fat products, use of green technology, farm friendly (use of organic and natural sources), healthy and tasty drinks, frozen produc ts and so on. We could expand our knowledge if continue to do more research and explore the company even in more details. Bibliography Global 500. CNN Money. CNN, 01 Jan. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. . MARKETING PROCESS OF NESTLE CORPORATION. Http://www.scribd.com. Nestle Corporation, 29 May 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. . Nestlà ©. Nestlà © Corporation, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. . Nestlà © South Africa. Nestlà © Corporation, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. . Scenarios from Homework Arianit Bllaca: Trend: Low and no-fat products Step1: Trend The food industry is a very competitive market and companies are trying to adapt to changes of customer tastes, attitudes, beliefs in order to grab as much market shares as they can. Nestle is one of the most important brand on food industry that deals mainly with producing products such as chocolate, ice creams, beverage and so forth. Although, it is a leading company on this industry it has a very strong competitors. Nowadays many people are concentrating on buying products that have very low or no fat at all. Until now Nestle products had on average amount also included fat. The key issue is whether we as a company should shift our production on products with low and no fat? Or, perhaps give no importance to this trend and focus on other potential trends with higher importance? Step2: Key Factors that influence the decision In order to have clearer picture of the problem and construct a strategy on this issue, we need to have more information on the impact and importance of this trend on our company. We should do primary market research in order to create alternatives for solving the problem. If the results show that there is enough evidence that the trend will impact the market in wide range then we should go on with the decision. o If the companys decision to increase the production of the products that have low or no fat increases market shares, this would be considered as a success. It is also important that the shift of production in this direction will not impact on the cost of producing these types of products; the cost is lower or approximately the same as previous. o Failure is, if the decision for making more products with low or no fat essentially depreciates our customers base. The customers do not respond positively and do not appreciate the change. Conditions/Events determining the success/failure: o Success:  § The decision increases profit.  § The changes made by the company lead to more market shares.  § The actual customers like our new products.  § We are perceived as shapers of the market.  § We wider our customers base. o Failure:  § If our market shares drop significantly.  § The products do not taste as delicious as previous ones.  § The actual customers perceive it as an unnecessary move.  § We cannot attract new customers.

Role of the Human Resource Manager

Role of the Human Resource Manager Executive Summary The following report has discussed about the role of Mr. John Edwards, Human resource manager of Reliance Communication Ltd. The report focuses on the responsibilities and complexity of a person who is performing the role of a human resource manager. Interaction of Mr. Edwards as a human resource manager with other departments of the organization and with people outside the department is also discussed. The report begins with introduction to human resource management and highlights its importance in every business. Introduction is followed by a brief summary of the company. The report provides an analysis of the role of Mr. Edwards, what his priorities are and what he should do to be more effective in his job. The report is concluded with key points discussed in the report and is followed by references. Introduction The focus of Human Resource Management (HRM) is on managing people within the employer-employee relationship. It involves the productive use of people in achieving the organizations strategic business objectives and the satisfaction of individual employee needs (Stone, 2008). The competitive advantage for organizations in the old economy centered on the financial capital and technology, the emerging economy has shifted its emphasis on investment in human capital, knowledge and the commitment of the employees. The focus in the business world has shifted from physical assets to knowledge and information capital. The effective management of human capital poses new challenges in the organisation for leadership and managerial capabilities. The human resource function has gone from the traditional hire and fire role to a strategic partner with finance, operations and other business departments that are not centers of profit for the organization. The job of HR, as is the job of all such departments, is to ensure that the business gets the most out of its employees. In another words, the human resource management needs to provide a high return on the businesss investment in its people. This makes it a highly complex function (Cascio, 1998). The following discussion is all about that is discussed above. Discussion will surround around involvement of Mr. Edwards in the company and how he is developing assets for his company. Company Profile Reliance Communications (formerly Reliance Infocomm), along with Reliance Telecom and Flag Telecom, is part of Reliance Communications Ventures (RCoVL). It is an Indian telecommunications company. Reliance Communications is a leader in telecommunications products and consultancy, a privately owned company with over 20 years of service to the business community, and with a reputation for integrity, superior implementation and support. Anil Dhirubhai Ambani controls 66.77 per cent of the company, which accounts for more than 1.36 billion shares. It is the flagship company of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Reliance Energy, Reliance Capital and telecom initiatives of the Reliance ADAG (Company profile). Role of HR Manager Staffing: Key function of Mr. Edwards is to fulfill staffing needs of the company and it can be done in variety of ways, whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs. It takes place in two three steps. First step is to identify the requirements of the company and what kind of requirements is being requested. Second step is to determine the number of people and the skills mix necessary to do the work. Final step is to recruit and select the people best suited for the job and then to train them to fit and work efficiently in the organization. Retention: one of his critical roles in todays environment must be to help keep, develop and motivate the good people with scarce skills. This, of course, means knowing who they are and making sure that sufficient time and attention is spent with them. He makes sure that employees are rewarded for performing their jobs effectively, so as to keep them motivated. To make them comfortable he ensures that harmonious relations are maintained between the employees and the company and to maintain a safe and healthy work environment. Managing change: The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR manager to frequently manage change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make him exceptionally valued. He acts as a change agent, serving as a catalyst for change within the organization. He has achieved this by developing problem solving communication and influence skills. He Advise managers on organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes. Employee Advocate: He acts as an advocate to every employee working in his company, to makes them aware of every information they require. It is his duty to provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, and opportunities for promotion and employee benefits. Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, and administering contracts and helping resol ve work-related problems interpreting. Analyze training needs to design employee development, language training and health and safety programs (Dolezalek, 2008). Development: is a function in which his objective is to preserve and enhance employee competence in their jobs through improving their knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics. Other functions: Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements. Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives. Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals and absenteeism rates. Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organizations personnel policies and practices. Plan, organize, direct, control or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization. Conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for employee termination (Hofstede, 1980). Responsibilities of Mr. J. Edwards Tasks What he Do What he Doesnt Do Skills Required Skills not Required Provide expert guidance, perspective, and support to enable managers and supervisors to make appropriate pay decisions Yes Communicate programs and guidelines to help managers and supervisors understand all aspects of the compensation program Yes Identify, collect, and analyze external market data in order to ensure alignment Yes Maintain the competitiveness of the staff compensation structure by reviewing the market trends annually and, when appropriate, making adjustments to the structure to reflect market pay levels Yes Evaluate and determine appropriate job family, level, title, exempt/non-exempt classification and salary range for each new position and for each request for reclassification Yes Hiring, supervising, training, monitoring and firing of staff. Yes Maintain performance management tools for each staff position on campus Yes Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations Yes Effective communication Yes Ethical behaviour Yes Persuasiveness and the ability to influence others. Yes Strategic thinking and critical/analytical thinking Yes Organizational skills Yes Interdependencies Human resource manager works with different types of people and groups within and outside the organisations. Without interacting with these groups he wont be able to do achieve his goals with efficiency. Thus he is very much interdependent on these groups to bring the best out of him and the people his is supervising. Following chart shows the various departments he is related to: = outside organisation = within organisation Top management: HR manager links the employee with the company. If there is demand made by the employees such as change in pay structure, working conditions or resolving disputes between them, he gets in touch with the management and tries to resolve the issue as soon as possible. In return top management sets the guidelines and objectives which are to be followed by the employees. He makes sure that if there is any change in the guidelines for the employees, they are implemented. Sales department: sales department of Reliance communication is very big and have different branches. There are sales people who manage the sales process and there are others who complete the sale. Both the branches require people with different skills. Sales department will inform the HR manger about their requirements for personnel and it is the responsibility of Mr. Edwards to fulfill it on time. He may do it by directly recruiting people or if it is an emergency, he may approach any recruiting agency t o meet his requirements. Production Department: He maintains a constant touch with the production manager and provides him with staff that is required to fulfill the department. In this case it is his duty to guide employees of workplace safety and other safety measures. Marketing Department: Mr. Edwards play a very important role when dealing with the marketing department. He not only recruits people for them but also discusses the need of skills that are feasible for promoting the company and accordingly sets out the criterion for selection. Accounts department: he prepares an estimated budget, which will be required for the purpose of hiring and training new employees. In return he hires people for the accounts department when required. There are few interactions which are similar with every department. He takes initiative to motivate employees in every department and makes sure that he is in constant touch with employees who are facing any problems or having any issues while working. He sets up programs at regular basis to interact with employees of every department to know their problems and inform them if there are any changes required by the top management (Mujteba, 2006). Recruiting agencies: he contacts these agencies when there is an urgent need to employ people and it is not viable to go through the process of recruitment because of its time consuming feature. He will inform them with his requirements and in return they will provide with people of required skills. Conclusion The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of his or her changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptive, resilient, quick to change direction and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR manager, who is considered necessary by line managers, is a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor. According to Dickson (1998), most important function of HR manager is to provide a support system to its employees; it can be emotional or physical. In todays organizations, to guarantee their viability and ability to contribute, HR managers need to think of themselves as strategic partners. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives. The HR manager contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this. Managing people is one of the most difficult aspects of organizational management; it means dealing with people who differ physically and psychologically (Mendenhall, 2007). References: ïÆ' ¼ Stone, R. J., (2008). Human Resource Management, 6th edition. Pg. 3. John Wiley publication. ïÆ' ¼ Dickson, R. (1998). Huaman Resource Management 2. Retrieved from http://www2.prestel.co.uk/rossticle/essays.htm, retrieved on 12th August, 2009. ïÆ' ¼ Company Profile. Retrieved from www.reliancecommunications.com. Retrieved on 12 August, 2009. ïÆ' ¼ Cascio, W. F. (1998). Managing Human Resources. Pg 46. Irwin McGraw Hill. ïÆ' ¼ Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. ïÆ' ¼ Mendenhall, Mark E.; Oddou, Gary R.; and Stahl, Gunter K. (2007). Readings and Cases is International Human Resource Management 4th ed. Routledge Publishers, Taylor Francis Books. ïÆ' ¼ Mujtaba, B. G. (2006). Cross Cultural Change Management. Llumina Press, Tamarac, Florida. ïÆ' ¼ Dolezalek, H. (2008). Good Job! Training, 45(6), pp. 32-34.

Affluenza: To Buy or Not To Buy Essay -- essays research papers

Affluenza: To Buy or Not To Buy There is an epidemic widespread throughout the country. A highly contagious disease of being out of control; overconsumption, and the symptoms normally include compulsive shopping, high debt, overwork, a sense of entitlement, obsession with externals and "having it all," wastefulness, and stress. The disease is called affluenza, which is derived from the word â€Å"affluence,† meaning: abundant supply, wealth, and riches. Affluenza has been described as: â€Å" 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.† It is a fact that â€Å"advertisers who promote and shape a consumer’s way of life seek to condition us to the idea that by trading our â€Å"life† for the money needed to buy their product, in hopes we can fulfill our hopes for power, happiness, acceptance, success, achievement, and personal worth.† Example the factory worker who dreams of winning the lottery and devotes a chunk of his weekly paycheck toward buying tickets. The secretary who spends her grocery money at a shoe sale nearly every week before paying the household bills. â€Å"What is Affluenza† a web site I read to better understand what Affluenza really meant, warns that â€Å"those of us who buy into the advertisers' messages find our time so consumed by jobs we don't even like, ...

My Second Home Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples, Observation

My Second Home The wind blowing in my hair, the water softly mists my face. There is a persistent humming in my ear from the motor. I turn and gaze over the railing, there are islands scattered in the distance including one, my final destination, the largest island in sight. The mysterious water curls against the edge of the boat, foamy and disturbed by the passing boat. My fingers drum consistently on the railing, repeating a rhythmic beat. I find myself pacing the deck, back and forth, always returning to the same location, facing the island. As the ferry boat approaches the dock, I become overwhelmed with the anticipation of the fun that, I know, is awaiting me on this island. Kelly's Island is a place that brings back fond memories from my childhood. This is a place where I have spent many summer vacations and family reunions. I think back on my simple, quiet, and lonely life. I am always the center of attention but lacking someone of my own age to interact with, to share my deepest secrets with. Although some people might say I'm crazy, I would have liked to have siblings. Kelly's Island gave me a chance to be around my family. Having cousins my own age to play with and even pick on me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. This island presents its own kind of magical aura, located in the middle of Lake Erie just off the shore of Northern Ohio, and perhaps this is why I was so mystified by this special place. This small island has many beaches. On one side of the island, the beaches are made of stone, on the other, they are sandy white beaches resembling an ocean shore, glistening in the sunlight. The hot muggy weather makes your skin moist, and the only relief to be found is the occasional breeze off the lake... ...to reality. The heavy air fills my lungs making them tight with every breath. My eyes are heavy from the exhausting vacation, fulfilled with continuous action. The horn from the approaching ferry rings throughout my eardrums even after the noise is over. The coldness from the metal seat penetrates into the warmth of my blood, as the gentle breeze tousles my hair. I gaze over the railing and have time to reflect on my time spent in my most favorite place. The chaos from my cousins has drained my energy and I realize that my time spent alone is not all that bad. Its is my valued time spent getting to know my self and grow as a person. Kelly's Island is a place to visit, play, and interact with family. Its is also a place to leave and only return to every once and a while. I am on my way home and become overwhelmed with the anticipation of what is awaiting me there. My Second Home Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples, Observation My Second Home The wind blowing in my hair, the water softly mists my face. There is a persistent humming in my ear from the motor. I turn and gaze over the railing, there are islands scattered in the distance including one, my final destination, the largest island in sight. The mysterious water curls against the edge of the boat, foamy and disturbed by the passing boat. My fingers drum consistently on the railing, repeating a rhythmic beat. I find myself pacing the deck, back and forth, always returning to the same location, facing the island. As the ferry boat approaches the dock, I become overwhelmed with the anticipation of the fun that, I know, is awaiting me on this island. Kelly's Island is a place that brings back fond memories from my childhood. This is a place where I have spent many summer vacations and family reunions. I think back on my simple, quiet, and lonely life. I am always the center of attention but lacking someone of my own age to interact with, to share my deepest secrets with. Although some people might say I'm crazy, I would have liked to have siblings. Kelly's Island gave me a chance to be around my family. Having cousins my own age to play with and even pick on me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. This island presents its own kind of magical aura, located in the middle of Lake Erie just off the shore of Northern Ohio, and perhaps this is why I was so mystified by this special place. This small island has many beaches. On one side of the island, the beaches are made of stone, on the other, they are sandy white beaches resembling an ocean shore, glistening in the sunlight. The hot muggy weather makes your skin moist, and the only relief to be found is the occasional breeze off the lake... ...to reality. The heavy air fills my lungs making them tight with every breath. My eyes are heavy from the exhausting vacation, fulfilled with continuous action. The horn from the approaching ferry rings throughout my eardrums even after the noise is over. The coldness from the metal seat penetrates into the warmth of my blood, as the gentle breeze tousles my hair. I gaze over the railing and have time to reflect on my time spent in my most favorite place. The chaos from my cousins has drained my energy and I realize that my time spent alone is not all that bad. Its is my valued time spent getting to know my self and grow as a person. Kelly's Island is a place to visit, play, and interact with family. Its is also a place to leave and only return to every once and a while. I am on my way home and become overwhelmed with the anticipation of what is awaiting me there.

Financial Management Challenges Essay

Find at least two articles from the ProQuest database that highlight and discuss two of the biggest challenges facing financial managers today. One of the articles should be about the challenge of maintaining ethical financial integrity and the other article should be on any other challenge that a financial manager may face (e.g., competition, foreign markets, government intervention, etc.). Financial managers face countless challenges ethical and financial alike. These challenges can be known to affect the reputation of the firm, and the ethical approach taken can set a positive or negative moral standing for the firm. The challenges alone would be a tough job for any normal individual, but financial managers also must deal with the rising demands that have been placed on the institution that span over a much wider area and deal with a countless different activities. The first portion will be ethically concentrated and touch on integrity and market reporting. There are a lot of mediocre leaders out there; I know, they’ve been my bosses. However, when it comes to financial managers, mediocre just won’t do the job. But what’s the difference between a good leader and a mediocre one? Doing a job just to get paid and using the smallest amount of effort to do so is typically the mindset of a bad or mediocre leader. Knowing your job includes many tasks, one of which and most importantly is to lead others with good examples of ethical and financial responsibilities is an example of a great leader. The lack of leadership in every level of the organization can affect the whole ethical integrity of the financial manager. â€Å"This leads to the offering of bribes, inaccurate timesheets  reporting or the provision of misleading information,† (Hennessey, 2007). The ethical standing of the financial manager affects the overall provision of the quality skills in the analysis of the documentation. â€Å"The financial manage r not being proficient enough to trace the individuals, who are responsible for the financial records, could mean the loss of the management,† (Hickman and Byrd , 2011). Understandably, false reporting would be unethical and illegal actions for a financial manager to partake in. This will ruin the firm’s reputation and trust. Financial record reporting requires the overall upkeep of precise and complete records and can be a huge challenge. â€Å"The lack of evident or documented policies and actions in the maintenance of the financial records affects the overall ethical integrity of the financial manager, â€Å"( Hickman and Byrd, 2011). The financial manager must make evaluate each situation and be able to formulate policies that will help in the growth of the firm to a successful point and beyond. â€Å"The ill will of a financial manager not reporting the truth or the overall analysis of the firm makes his conduct un-ethical,† ( Chan, 2005). These unethical practices will eventually lead to the problems dealing with legal liabilities that happen due to the design of the financial systems. Each of which is backed by a set checks and balances that occur in the process of maintaining the financial documents. The absence of compliance to this unique design affects the overall running of the compan y’s activities. Faulty reporting will damage the company’s trust publicly and internally. Shareholders, employees and stakeholders alike would all be affected by unethical practices within a firm. Foreign markets, apart from financial integrity are another challenge. â€Å"The time period and ban on the entry of the foreign market affects the financial manager’s valuation or process of reporting,† (Hickman and Byrd, 2011). â€Å"The inconsistent regulations and strong rule of law in the foreign markets should be reported to the stakeholders,† (Chan, 2005). Financial managers are expected to report ethical issues that affect a firm’s market. â€Å"The challenge of cultural misunderstanding of the firm and the investment that the financial manager has presented to the market could lead to the abrupt decline of sales or ban of the institution. This ban will mean the loss of  all the funds that will have been invested,† (Hennessey, 2007). A poor estimation of the human resource funds and the business operational cost may lead to a decline in the profit of the firm. Once profit begins to decline, shareholders are more likely to push to replace a financial manager due to the performance of the firm’s management. In conclusion, financial integrity and foreign markets scenarios affect the overall activities of the financial managers. Unethical practices of financial managers affect almost every aspect of the firm. The lack of formation of a relationship with the players and customers in the foreign market will lead to the overall decline of the firm’s market share. â€Å"The financial managers should look at the provision of morally approved approaches in the activities of the firm,† (Chan, 2005). Reference Chan, R. (2005): Does the Natural-Resource-Based View of Emerging Economy? Survey of Foreign Enterprises in China: Journal of Management Studies, 42(3), 625-672 Hennessey, J. (2007). Communicating the Value of Energy Efficiency Projects to Financial Decision Makers In Not-for-profit Markets. Strategic Planning For Energy & the Environment, 26(4), 55-66, Retrieved from Pro-Quest Hickman, K. and Byrd, J. (2013): Essentials of finance: San Diego, CA: Bridge point Education Inc. Retrieved from Pro-Quest Norton, E. (1991). Factors affecting capital structure decisions. The Financial Review, 26(3), 431-431 Retrieved from Pro-Quest

Once More, America, Before I Go Essay

The explication of poetry demands close reading of a single short poem or several stanzas of a longer work. Its goal is to unearth the hidden meaning/s of the poem by using the poetic techniques and elements employed by the author. Some of these techniques and elements include â€Å"diction, stanza and line structure, meter, rhythm and imagery (â€Å"Poetry Explication,† n. d. ). Walt Whitman’s poem, â€Å"Once More, America, Before I Go,† benefits from the use of explication due to its abstract nature, as it lacks concrete and specific imagery. To offset this problem, an in-depth look at the way Whitman uses rhythm and language will help to expound on the theme of the American democracy, of which he was an outspoken supporter. For Whitman, rhythm and language are intertwined, as the rhythm of the poem is inevitably linked with the type of language used. The work begins with the lines from which the poem takes its title: â€Å"One song, America, before I go / I’d sing, o’er all the rest, with trumpet sound, / For thee—the Future (Whitman, 1872). † This first stanza is notable: it establishes and introduces the readers to Whitman’s radical departure from traditional poetics. Note that the stanza seems like one continuous line, as if it were written in prose. Yet, this prose unit is broken in erratic intervals to form lines and not one continuous sentence. Whitman’s experimentation encapsulates perfectly his view of the democratic American society. This society, he believed, was the best form of society because it allowed for the individual’s self-expression and self-formation. Written as if spoken from his deathbed, as signaled by the first line, he tells American that it is the â€Å"Future. † The first letter of future is capitalized, which indicates it to be a proper noun. As such, future was become synonymous with future, and, at the same time, it implies the American democracy is the future, the mold for everybody to follow. Words such as these pepper the work, as can be seen in succeeding stanzas. In the second stanza, he elaborates on the other things he would do for America before dying: â€Å"I’d sow a seed for thee of endless Nationality; / I’d fashion thy Ensemble, including Body and Soul; / I’d show, away ahead, thy real Union, and how it may be accomplish’d (Whitman, 1872). † Nationality, ensemble, body and soul, and union all have their first letters capitalized. Again, Whitman’s unique use of language here gives the poem a deeper meaning. By using the same technique he used with the word â€Å"future† in the preceding stanza, he again turns these abstract concepts into concrete proper nouns. Furthermore, through such technique, he emphasizes the America will inevitably be the paradigm of all these because of democracy. In the second line, three words are capitalized: ensemble, body, and soul. All of these points to Whitman’s desire to form the perfect citizenry of America. In order to do this, he had to start with perfecting the individual person, a goal that can easily be reached because of democracy. The third stanza is different from the rest of the poem, being set off in parenthesis. It indicates a plan he will only start, but not accomplish, unlike those tasks he mentioned initially: â€Å"(The paths to the House I seek to make, / But leave to those to come, the House itself. ) (Whitman, 1872)† Here, Whitman is broaching on the continuation of time from the past to the future, and the fact that the experiment in democracy will see its final form in the future. He will only blaze the trails, but the final form will be for the future. The poem ends with an assertion of his belief. However, he says that simply believing will not bring results – they must also prepare: â€Å"Belief I sing—and Preparation (Whitman, 1872)† Both must act together to fulfill the goal not only for the present but also for the future: â€Å"Life and Nature are not great with reference to the Present only, / But greater still from what is yet to come, / Out of that formula for Thee I sing (Whitman, 1872). † He believes that the present is already good, as emphasized by the words life, nature, and present having their first letters capitalized. However, he believes that with the coming of future comes the fulfillment of the promise afforded by democracy.