Determining Different Strategies For Different Situations Situation Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 19 Words: 5560 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? All successful small business startups eventually face the issue of handling business expansion or growth. Business expansion is a stage of a companys life that is fraught with both opportunities and perils. On the one hand, business growth often carries with it a corresponding increase in financial fortunes for owners and employees alike. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Determining Different Strategies For Different Situations Situation Business Essay" essay for you Create order In addition, expansion is usually seen as a validation of the entrepreneurs initial business startup idea, and of his or her subsequent efforts to bring that vision to fruition. But as Andrew J. Sherman observed in The Complete Guide to Running and Growing Your Business, business expansion also presents the small business owner with myriad issues that have to be addressed: Growth causes a variety of changes, all of which present different managerial, legal, and financial challenges. Growth means that new employees will be hired who will be looking to the top management of the company for leadership. Growth means that the companys management will become less and less centralized, and this may raise the levels of internal politics, protectionism, and dissension over what goals and projects the company should pursue. Growth means that market share will expand, calling for new strategies for dealing with larger competitors. Growth also means that additional capital will be required, crea ting new responsibilities to shareholders, investors, and institutional lenders. Thus, growth brings with it a variety of changes in the companys structure, needs, and objectives. Given these realities, Sherman stated that the need of the organization to grow must be tempered by the need to understand that meaningful, long-term, profitable growth is a by-product of effective management and planning. Methods Of Growth Small businesses can expand their operations by pursuing any number of avenues. The most commonplace methods by which small companies increase their business are incremental in character, i.e., increasing product inventory or services rendered without making wholesale changes to facilities or other operational components. But usually, after some period of time, businesses that have the capacity and desire to grow will find that other options should be studied. Common routes of small business expansion include: Growth through acquisition of another existing business (almost always smaller in size) Offering franchise ownership to other entrepreneurs Licensing of intellectual property to third parties Establishment of business agreements with distributorships and/or dealerships Pursuing new marketing routes (such as catalogs) Joining industry cooperatives to achieve savings in certain common areas of operation, including advertising and purchasing public stock off erings Employee stock ownership plans Of course, none of the above options should be pursued until the businesss ownership has laid the necessary groundwork. The growth process begins with an honest assessment of strengths and weaknesses, wrote Erick Koshner in Human Resource Planning. Given those skills, the organization then identifies the key markets or types of future market opportunities the company is likely to capture. This, of course, raises another set of issues about how to best develop the structures and processes that will further enhance the organizations core capabilities. Once these structures and processes are identified and the long range planning completed, the business has a view of where it will be in three to five years and agreement on key strategies for building future business. Situation No: 2 Advertising Strategy An advertising strategy is a campaign developed to communicate ideas about products and services to potential consumers in the hopes of convincing them to buy those products and services. This strategy, when built in a rational and intelligent manner, will reflect other business considerations (overall budget, brand recognition efforts) and objectives (public image enhancement, market share growth) as well. As Portable MBA in Marketing authors Alexander Hiam and Charles D. Schewe stated, a businesss advertising strategy determines the character of the companys public face. Even though a small business has limited capital and is unable to devote as much money to advertising as a large corporation, it can still develop a highly effective advertising campaign. The key is creative and flexible planning, based on an in-depth knowledge of the target consumer and the avenues that can be utilized to reach that consumer. Today, most advertising strategies focus on achieving three general goals, as the Small Business Administration indicated in Advertising Your Business: 1) promote awareness of a business and its product or services; 2) stimulate sales directly and attract competitors customers; and 3) establish or modify a business image. In other words, advertising seeks to inform, persuade, and remind the consumer. With these aims in mind, most businesses follow a general process which ties advertising into the other promotional efforts and overall marketing objectives of the business. Methods Of Advertising Small business owners can choose from two opposite philosophies when preparing their advertising strategy. The first of these, sometimes called the push method, is a stance wherein an advertiser targets retail establishments in order to establish or broaden a market presence. The second option, sometimes called the pull method, targets end-users (consumers), who are expected to ask retailers for the product and thus help pull it through the channel of distribution. Of course, many businesses employ some hybrid of the two when putting together their advertising strategy. Push Method The aim of the push method is to convince retailers, salespersons, or dealers to carry and promote the advertisers product. This relationship is achieved by offering inducements, such as providing advertising kits to help the retailer sell the product, offering incentives to carry stock, and developing trade promotions. Pull Method The aim of the pull method is to convince the target consumer to try, purchase, and ultimately repurchase the product. This process is achieved by directly appealing to the target consumer with coupons, in-store displays, and sweepstakes. The Process of Implementation of Strategies in two different Organizations The following chart shows that how we are going to implement the recommended strategy on Aone Advertisement Company as well as on Apollo Advertisers. Process of Implementation in Aone Advertisement Company Formulated Strategy As mentioned above also the strategies recommended are: To adopt the Product Development Strategy At the beginning the market will be the same i.e. Peshawar Later on it can expand to new areas like Kohat, Charsada, Mardan, Noshera, Bajawor Agency, Khyber Agency etc The products will be acquired through outsourcing. Formulated Strategy Marketing Break in to Policies Out Sourcing Price Place Product Promotion Human Resource Finance Tasks Responsibilities Vision Consequences of Change Prioritize Tasks Vision The vision of the recommended strategy is to stabilize the company by offering its services through a new product line. And to become a leading advertisement company is Peshawar by utilizing the revenue generated from new product line. Consequences of Change Organization Structure The organization Structure of Aone Company will be slightly changes. As well be using the same people for the new business also. The managers under Customer Servicing Executive will be separate. And each one would handed over other tasks. Increase in Tasks and Responsibilities As well be using the same people for the new business also therefore, their current jobs will be extended. The accountant who is on part time job and comes in the evening for 2 hours will be asked to now come for at least 4 hours. Office Setup The office setup will be changed. With the beginning of a new business the entrance of the office will not only project an advertisement company. The look will be changed to enhance and support both the businesses. Image of The Company Offering advertisement ideas, facilities etc. is more service oriented business where as offering UPS is more product oriented business. So after starting the new business the image will lie somewhere in between the service oriented and product oriented. Break in to Policies The next step for implementing the strategy is to divide it in to further policies or goals for different functions. Each function is described under following headings. Marketing The functions, goals, responsibilities or tasks of the marketing area are explained in 4 categories as price, place, product and promotion. Price The prices of different models are different. Still they are set a bit low then the market prices. Firstly, because of the short distribution channel, which reduces cost and secondly for the reason to penetrate the market. Place The product will be available in workshop set up by Aone Company. The workshop will be in the same plaza where Aone Company is operating its business. Promotion UPS is a kind of product that is purchased only on the basis of need. Its requirement is felt or becomes necessary only if the customer identifies its need. Now days the need of UPS and batteries are highly felt in the market therefore, the need of advertising the product in magazines, newspapers, TV commercials, cable network or internet is not required as such because of the nature of the product. Still only one medium will be used for creating awareness and that is Mashriq Newspaper. Second way to create awareness about the new product offered by Aone Company is to use personal contact and to reach existing clients through phones, text message, fax and informal gatherings. Finance The financial decision, which includes investment decisions, day to day operational costs, etc, will be made by the owner of the company Mr. Misbahuddin Ghauri. The overall finance that Aone Company requires is about 2 lacs. As the company is short of finances therefore, it will acquire the required amount of money from a bank. According to Mr. Misbah-ud-Din Ghauri the bank can lend him up to 20 lacs based on his credibility. All the financial operations will be recorded on the daily basis. And at the end of each week the data will be complied. At the end of each month the weekly data will be reviewed and matched with the targets. And decisions will be taken regarding changing policies based on reviewing the monthly data. Human Resource The new human resource will be hired for the new business as well as the present human resource will also be used. This will save the cost as well as the present employee will show loyalty to the new business because they are attached to Aone Company for a long time. Following would be the tasks and responsibilities of the human resource. Tasks Misbahuddin Ghauri To make all the financial decisions Arrange monthly meetings with other employees M. Salahuddin Make sales report Make decisions regarding sales Fazal-e-Rehman Book keeping for the new business Technicians Repairs the product returned by the customers Electrician Provides installation services to customers Sales Person Interaction with Customers Responsibilities Misbahuddin Ghauri Keep the new business at breakeven point Inform other employees about changes that might need with the passage of time M. Salahuddin Monthly sales targets are met Monitor complaints by the customers with the coordination of sales person Fazal-e-Rehman Present financial data in every monthly meetings Technicians Analyze the problems in products and report to Misbahuddin Ghauri so that he may contact the suppliers Electrician Provide satisfactory work to the customers Sales Person Make maximum sales Outsourcing Aone is not going to manufacture the products itself. The company will be acquiring the product through the suppliers in Rawalpindi. The owner will be in close contact with the suppliers in order to assure the smooth availability of the products according to the demand in the market. Process of Implementation in Apollo Advertisers The Apollo advertiser provides the billboards in different areas of Peshawar. It just charges rent for offering billboards. Following would be the process of implementation of the recommended strategy for Aone Company if applied on Apollo. Vision To enter in to the new business in order to expand our product portfolio. Consequences of Change The change will be on the human resource. As they would completely need to acquire new people for new business. They need technicians, electricians and some sales persons. The organizational structure will also be affected. The financial status of the company will be affected. Marketing In order to capture the market share the Apollo should keep comparatively low prices. They can also use their own billboards for advertising their new business. They are financially good as compare to Aone Company therefore; they can afford to spend more on creating awareness. They should have maximum number of products range. This would enhance their image. The quality should be given priority. One thing that Apollo needs is the office for opening a new workshop. Finance Apollo is financially strong and can invest in order to enter the new business. Instead of completely taking the loan, Apollo invests from its own pocket. This will save him the money it has to pay as an interest. Human Resource Apollo needs to hire new employees who can run the new business. Because there are more technical people involved in this new business. Resources Required for Implementation of Recommended Strategy Financial Resource As mentioned earlier the overall finance that Aone Company requires is about 2 lacs. As the company is short of finances therefore, it will acquire the required amount of money from a bank. According to Mr. Misbah-ud-Din Ghauri the bank can lend him up to 20 lacs based on his credibility. Human Resource The company requires seven employees to carry out all the activities at inception. The salaries of each four electricians will be three thousand at least. One salesman will be given four thousand and two (UPS) technicians with the salary of six thousand. The total budget required for the working capital is thus thirty thousand (Rs. 30000). Workshop Area To set up a work shop Aone Company requires a physical place. Which Aone company already has it. In its current set of advertisement office there are plenty of rooms empty. Aone Company can utilize these rooms to set up a workshop for the time being. The disadvantage of this workshop would be that it is located on the 1st floor and will affect the business. Therefore, in future the Aone company can search for ground floor office either in sadar or university area. Time Time is very important resource for any business. The time required for every step of implementation of strategy will be calculated. And a check will be kept whether the activities are carried out in time or not. Otherwise delay will cause loss to the business. Different Monitoring tools for follow-ups of Strategy Monitoring Tools Monitoring tools are described as the means by which the actions of individuals or groups within an organization are constrained to perform certain actions while avoiding other actions in an effort to achieve organizational goals. Controlling The following section addresses regulative controls including bureaucratic controls, financial controls, and quality controls. The second section addresses normative controls including team norms and organization cultural norms. Regulative Controls Regulative controls stem from standing policies and standard operating procedures, leading some to criticize regulative controls as outdated and counter-productive. As organizations have become more flexible in recent years by flattening organizational hierarchies, expanding organizational boundaries to include suppliers in inventory management and customers in new product development, forging cooperative alliances with competitors, and developing virtual organizations in which employees are geographically dispersed and may meet only a few time each year, critics point out that regulative controls may prevent rather promote goal attainment. Bureaucratic Controls Bureaucratic controls stem from lines of authority and this authority comes with ones position in the organizational hierarchy. The higher up the chain of command, the more an individual will have authority to dictate policies and procedures. Bureaucratic controls have gotten a bad name and often rightfully so. Organizations placing too much reliance on chain of command authority relationships inhibit flexibility to deal with unexpected events. However, there are ways managers can build flexibility into policies and procedures that make bureaucracies as flexible and able to quickly respond to customer problems as any other form of organizational control. Financial Controls Financial controls include key financial targets for which managers are held accountable. These types of controls are common among firms that are organized as multiple strategic business units (SBUs). SBUs are product, service, or geographic lines having managers who are responsible for the SBUs profits and losses. These managers are held responsible to upper management to achieve financial targets that contribute to the overall profitability of the corporation. Managers who are not SBU executives often have financial responsibility as well. Individual department heads are typically responsible for keeping expenses within budgeted guidelines. These managers, however, tend to have less overall responsibility for financial profitability targets than SBU managers. Quality Controls Quality controls describe the extent of variation in processes or products that is considered acceptable. For some companies, zero defects-no variation at all-is the standard. In other companies, statistically insignificant variation is allowable. Quality controls influence the ultimate product or service outcome offered to customers. By maintaining consistent quality, customers can rely on a firms product or service attributes, but this also creates an interesting dilemma. An overemphasis on consistency where variation is kept to the lowest levels may also reduce response to unique customer needs. This is not a problem when the product or service is relatively standardized such as a McDonalds hamburger, but may pose a problem when customers have nonstandard situations for which a one-size-fits-all solution is inappropriate. Wealth managers, for example, may create investment portfolios tailored to a single client, but the process used to implement that portfolio such as stock mark et transactions will be standardized. Thus, there is room within quality control for both creativity; e.g., wealth portfolio solutions, and standardization; e.g., stock market transactions. Normative Controls Rather than relying on written policies and procedures as in regulative controls, normative controls govern employee and managerial behavior through generally accepted patterns of action. One way to think of normative controls is in terms how certain behaviors are appropriate and others are less appropriate. For instance, a tuxedo might be the appropriate attire for an American business awards ceremony, but totally out of place at a Scottish awards ceremony, where a formal kilt may be more in line with local customs. However, there would generally be no written policy regarding disciplinary action for failure to wear the appropriate attire, thus separating formal regulative controls for the more informal normative controls. Team Norms Teams have become commonplace in many organizations. Team norms are the informal rules that make team members aware of their responsibilities to the team. Although the task of the team may be formally documented and communicated, the ways in which team members interact are typically developed over time as the team goes through phases of growth. Even team leadership be informally agreed upon; at times, an appointed leader may have less influence than an informal leader. If, for example, an informal leader has greater expertise than a formal team leader, team members may look to the informal leader for guidance requiring specific skills or knowledge. Team norms tend to develop gradually, but once formed, can be powerful influences over behavior. Organizational Culture Norms In addition to team norms, norms based on organizational culture are another type of normative control. Organizational culture involves the shared values, beliefs, and rituals of a particular organization. The Internet search firm, Google, Inc. has a culture in which innovation is valued, beliefs are shared among employees that the work of the organization is important, and teamwork and collaboration are common. In contrast, the retirement specialty firm, VALIC, focuses on individual production for its sales agents, de-emphasizing teamwork and collaboration in favor of personal effort and rewards. Both of these example are equally effective in matching norms with organizational goals; the key is thus in properly aligning norms and goals. Maintenance Maintenance is the combination of all technical and associated administrative actions intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform its required function. Many companies are seeking to gain competitive advantage with respect to cost, quality, service and on-time deliveries. The effect of maintenance on these variables has prompted increased attention to the maintenance area as an integral part of productivity improvement. Maintenance is rapidly evolving into a major contributor to the performance and profitability of manufacturing systems. In fact, some see maintenance as the last frontier for manufacturing. Preventive maintenance-the prevention of equipment breakdowns before they happen. This includes inspections, adjustments, regular service and planned shutdowns. Repair work-repairing equipment and troubleshooting malfunctions in an effort to return the equipment to its previous condition. These repairs may be reactive or preventive. I mprovement work-searching for better materials and improved design changes to facilitate equipment reliability. Repair work is often a part of improvement work. As shown in figure below, six maintenance programs are identified within the maintenance hierarchy, each representing an increased level of sophistication. Reactive Maintenance Reactive maintenance (also known as corrective maintenance) involves all unscheduled actions performed as a result of system or product failure. Basically, it is an attempt to restore the system/product to a specified condition. The spectrums of activities within this level are (1) failure identification, (2) localization and isolation, (3) disassembly, (4) item removal and replacement or repair in place, (5) reassembly, and (6) checkout and condition verification. This approach is mainly a response to machine breakdowns. Unfortunately, many manufacturers are still in a reactive mode of operation. Their main objective is to ship the product. If their manufacturing equipment breaks down, they fix it as quickly as possible and then run it until it breaks down again. This is an extremely unreliable process and is not the best way to maximize the useful life span of ones assets. It leaves machine tools in a state of poor repair and can cause the production of out-o f-tolerance parts and scrap. Because of its unpredictable nature it can easily cause disruptions to the production process. Scheduled Maintenance Scheduled maintenance utilizes a previously developed maintenance schedule for each machine tool. This is much like an oil change on an automobile that takes place every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. While this is a broadly practiced technique in many manufacturing organizations, it does possess some distinct disadvantages. The scheduled maintenance may take place too soon, while the machine still operates well (15-20 percent of all components fail after a predictable time), or it may come too late if the machine fails before the scheduled maintenance time. In some cases, the machine may still be running but producing unacceptable parts. Scheduled maintenance can be considered a part of preventive maintenance known as fixed-time maintenance (FTM). Preventive maintenance is discussed later. Predictive Maintenance Predictive maintenance involves performing maintenance on a machine in advance of the time a failure would occur if the maintenance were not performed. Of course, this means that one must calculate when a machine is predicted to fail. In order to do this, the firm must collect data on variables that can be used to indicate an impending failure (vibration, temperature, sound, color, etc.). This data is then analyzed to approximate when a failure will occur and maintenance is then scheduled to take place prior to this time. By seeking the correct level of maintenance required, unplanned downtime is minimized. Preventive Maintenance Preventive maintenance encompasses activities, including adjustments, replacement, and basic cleanliness, that forestall machine breakdowns. Preventive activities are primarily condition based. The condition of a component, measured when the equipment is operating, governs planned/scheduled maintenance. Typical preventive maintenance activities include periodic inspections, condition monitoring, critical item replacements, and calibrations. In order to accomplish this, blocks of time are incorporated into the operations schedule. One can easily see that this is the beginning of a proactive mode rather than a reactive one. The purpose of preventive maintenance is to ensure that production quality is maintained and that delivery schedules are met. In addition, a machine that is well cared for will last longer and cause fewer problems. Current trends in management philosophy such as just-in-time (JIT) and total quality management (TQM) incorporate preventive maintenance as key fact ors in their success. JIT requires high machine availability, which in turn requires preventive maintenance. Also, TQM requires equipment that is well maintained in order to meet required process capability. Preventive maintenance is also seen as a measure of management excellence. It requires a long-term commitment, constant monitoring of new technology, a constant assessment of the financial and organizational tradeoffs in contracting out versus in-house maintenance, and an awareness of the impact of the regulatory and legal environment. The resulting benefits of preventive maintenance are many. Some of them are listed below: Safety. Machinery that is not well-maintained can become a safety hazard. Preventive maintenance increases the margin of safety by keeping equipment in top running condition. Lower cost. A modern and cost-effective approach to preventive maintenance shows that there is no maintenance cost optimum. However, maintenance costs will decrease as the costs for production losses decreases. Obviously, no preventive maintenance action is performed unless it is less costly that the resulting failure. Reduction in failures and breakdowns. Preventive maintenance aims at reducing or eliminating unplanned downtime, thereby increasing machine efficiency. Downtime is also reduced when the preventive maintenance process gives maintenance personnel sufficient warning so repairs can be scheduled during normal outages. Extension of equipment life. Obviously, equipment that is cared for will last longer than equipment that is abused and neglected. Improved trade-in/resale value of equipment. If the equipment is to be sold or traded in, a preventive maintenance program will help keep the machine in the best possible condition, thereby maximizing its used value. Increased equipment reliability. By performing preventive maintenance on equipment, a firm begins to build reliability into the equipment by removing routine and avoidable breakdo wns. Increased plant productivity. Productivity is enhanced by the decrease in unexpected machine breakdown. Also, forecast shutdown time can allow the firm to utilize alternate routings and scheduling alternatives that will minimize the negative effect of downtime. Fewer surprises. Preventive maintenance enables users to avoid the unexpected. Preventive maintenance does not guarantee elimination of all unexpected downtime, but empirically it has proven to eliminate most of it caused by mechanical failure. Reduced cycle time. If process equipment is incapable of running the product, then the time it takes to move the product through the factory will suffer. Taninecz found, from an Industry Week survey, that there is a strong correlation between preventive maintenance and cycle-time reductions as well as near-perfect on-time delivery rates. Also, approximately 35 percent of the surveyed plants who widely adopted preventive maintenance achieved on-time delivery rates of 98 pe rcent, compared to only 19.5 percent for non-adopters. Increased service level for the customer and reduction in the number of defective parts. These have a positive direct effect on stock-outs, backlog, and delivery time to the customer. Reduced overall maintenance. By not allowing machinery to fall into a state of disrepair, overall maintenance requirements are greatly decreased. Total Productive Maintenance Total productive maintenance (TPM) is preventive maintenance plus continuing efforts to adapt, modify, and refine equipment to increase flexibility, reduce material handling, and promote continuous flows. It is operator-oriented maintenance with the involvement of all qualified employees in all maintenance activities. TPM has been described as preventive maintenance with these three factors added: (1) involving machine operators in preliminary maintenance activities by encouraging them to keep machines clean and well lubricated; (2) encouraging operators to report indications of incipient distress to the maintenance department; and (3) establishing a maintenance education and training program. Developed in Japan, TPM places a high value on teamwork, consensus building, and continuous improvement. It is a partnership approach among organizational functions, especially production and maintenance. TPM means total employee involvement, total equipment effectiveness, and a t otal maintenance delivery system. In order to achieve this, machine operators must share the preventive maintenance efforts, assist mechanics with repairs when equipment is down, and work on equipment and process improvements within team activities. Tennessee Eastman found that another employee, such as an equipment operator, with minimal training, could do 40 percent of the traditional maintenance mechanics work. Another 40 percent could be performed with additional training, but still below the certified level. Only 20 percent of the maintenance tasks actually required a certified mechanics skills. They also reported that as much as 75 percent of maintenance problems can be prevented by operators at an early stage. This frees maintenance personnel to be responsible for the tasks that require their critical skills, such as breakdown analysis, overhaul, corrective maintenance and root cause analysis. Beneficial results of TPM include: Overall equipment effectiveness and overal l efficiency are maximized. It takes the guesswork out of determining which machine needs major repairs or rebuilding. It provides objectivity by converting the operators intuition into quantifiable values. It pinpoints exact maintenance requirement. The operator carries out only the needed corrective actions so no unnecessary work, beyond routine maintenance, is done. It rapidly verifies the effectiveness of major corrective work. Operators improve their job skills. Operators are motivated by involvement in maintaining their own machines and by involvement in team-based concepts. Operator involvement in the process gives them ownership of making the project a success. A preventive maintenance program for the lifecycle of the equipment is developed. By getting everyone involved in equipment design and selection, a better understanding of why certain decisions and trade-offs are necessary results. Equipment and maintenance management (inherent in a relia bility strategy) result. Capacity is maximized. Costs are minimized. Product quality is improved. Improved safety. The manufacturing process is continually improved. As a final note on TPM, another school of thought holds that TPM can be adopted by continuous diagnostic monitoring of a machines conditions and establishing a trend line for it. Trend lines approaching or veering into the domain that identifies poor operating conditions will trigger maintenance action. Reliability-Centered Maintenance It has been assumed that preventive maintenance programs help to ensure reliability and safety of equipment and machinery. However, tests performed by airlines in the mid-1960s showed that scheduled overhaul of complex equipment had little or no positive effect on the reliability of the equipment in service. These tests revealed the need for a new concept of preventive maintenance, which later became known as reliability-centered maintenance (RCM). The concept of RCM is rooted in a 1968 working paper prepared by the Boeing 747 Maintenance Steering Group. A refined version appeared in 1970. Continued studies at the Department of Defense led to the 1986 publication of the Reliability Centered Maintenance Requirements for Naval Aircraft, Weapons Systems and Support Equipment, a set of maintenance standards and procedures that certain military maintenance personnel were expected to follow. The RCM methodology was further developed and found application not only in the military and a viation, but also in the energy, manufacturing, foundry, and transport industries. According to Bulmer, the RCM process can be considered as three separate but associated analyses: failure mode and effects analysis, consequence analysis, and task analysis. These analyses consider the specific characteristics and consequences of a failure and attempt to arrive at the optimal solution based on this information. Models For Monitoring Recommended Strategy The tools which are discussed above are the same we recommend to Aone Company to use for its new business which will control the actions and maintain the position of the business in the market. Bureaucratic Control As the Aone company has a very short organizational structure which retains most of the authority with the head of the company. The steps in opening a new business all the procedures will be clearly mentioned. After the setup has established, different forms will be available which needs to be filled at the right time. The daily operation form should be filled with all the details of daily activities. Then there would be employee forms. Their attendance, time of entry and time of exit will be entered on daily bases. Financial Control Forms will be available for the new business that will note down the transaction of money whether inflow or outflow on the daily bases, and also the cause and purpose of that transaction. At the end of each day the financial records will be shown to the head of the company. Quality Control A proper quality check will be kept on regular bases whether the products which are received from the supplier are up to the mark or not. Aone will not compromise on quality. There are different qualities of Chinese UPS systems that are available. But Aone will only take the best quality product as decided in the policy. Team and Organizational Norms In order to assure a peaceful environment in the organization which is very important for any business to carry out, the head of the company will pay especial attention to the needs of the employees. Their basic needs, personal needs and social needs will be given due consideration so that they are motivated to work and show their loyalty for the benefit of the company. Scheduled Maintenance As mentioned before the time limit of every activity will be mentioned before it is carried out in the written form. Whether its employees entry time or product delivery time, installation time or any other. Total Productive Maintenance The new business does not have the only purpose of providing with the products. But it provides after sales services too. Therefore, the overall process will be examined in order to ensure the smooth running of the business. Machinery Maintenance There will be many tools in the workshop that will repair the products. But there own maintenance is also very important. All such machinery will be checked regularly in order to prolong their life.

Comparing Rowlandson’s Captivity Narrative with Jacobs’...

Mini-Research Essay i) Mary Rowlandsons A Narrative of the Captivity and A Restoration is a captivity narrative. Harriet Jacobss Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a slave narrative. While they are considered distinctive genres, they share some characteristics. Look at the excerpts you have from them in your reading. How are they similar? How are they different? Be sure to provide evidence from the texts to support your conclusions. Answer the above questions in a 1,000-1,250-word essay. ii) Prepare this assignment according to the MLA guidelines found in the GCU MLA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. iii) Include three outside sources. These sources may†¦show more content†¦Another example is when Linda moves to Boston, she has mixed feelings of joining the church’s worship ceremony. She asks herself: â€Å"should they preach from their text, ‘Proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of prison doors t o them that are bound’? (Isaiah 61.1) or will they preach from my text, ‘ Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you’? (Mathew 7.12)† (1827). Linda feels lost and not sure what to do. She asks God to forgive her and relief herself saying: â€Å"the scripture says ‘ Oppression makes even a wise man mad’; (Ecclesiasters)† (1827). It looks like Linda was a good believer but she was not sure how to act in such a contradicting world. On the other hand, Rowlandon’s narrative is even richer than Jacob’s with religious tendency and Biblical quotes. Rowlandson’s narrative has Christian references at least once in almost every paragraph. Unlike Jacobs who’s main purpose for her narrative is not religious but to portray the miserable life of slaves, Rowlandson’s purpose of her narrative is basically about Christian believes. She wanted to show that â€Å"redemption is both release from captivity and assur ance of salvation† (Reagan). Her narrative is full of examples that show her strong believe in God during very tough situations

Golden Retrievals free essay sample

The elements of poetry in Golden Retrievals help Mark Doty bring the reader to seeing through the dogs view. The poem is overall a happy poem but there is more than what meets the eye in this poem. The theme of this poem has a lot to do with the overall meaning of the poem. Which is to never waste time thinking about the past or future and just live in the present. The reader must be thinking about all the time they have wasted thinking about the past not realizing theyre thinking about the past. Mark Doty opens the poem with Fetch? and Catch? which is what captures the attention of a dog and by this the reader can tell we are reading through the eyes of the dog. Mark Doty goes on to talk through the dogs eyes but talking about the owner of the dogs activities and you, either youre sunk in the past, half our walk, thinking of what you never can bring back. We will write a custom essay sample on Golden Retrievals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The reader can tell that the dog is happy with the easily things that can distract you when one is alone or waiting for their partner. The way Mark Doty uses words to bring images to the readers mind is making you live in that moment.Mark Doty also uses telling through the Golden Retriever eyes to make the poem cheerful but have an overall meaning to it. The dogs way of talking is used into four stanzas. The first stanza was mostly cheerful about doing things that make the dog happy then the second stanza gets more serious. The way Doty shifts between the first and second stanza by talking about the dogs activities to saying something about the haziness of his owner. In the second stanza he says Im off again: muck, pond, residue of any thrillingly dead thing. This is more of the dark part of the poem where he uses implication. He says dead thing which means the dog is talking about something that has lived previously something that was once alive which is dark. Which brings to the conclusion that dogs do not pay much attention to the past or do not hold on to it at least. This is being the poem gets more serious. This is the dog talking about the companion and what they spend their day and what he/she might be doing. The dog just wants more attention from his companion.Mark Doty uses many elements of poetry, but he uses words that capture the readers attention as if they were living the life of the dog. The golden retriever states Either youre sunk in the past, half our walk thinking of what you never can bring back, or else youre off in some fog concerning tomorrow. This brought the idea of that the dog is having an image of a walk they had in the past and is an idea of where his companion could be. He also has Onomatopoeia in the also in the third stanza of the poem woof this is portraying the bark of the dog. The dog is using little things to distract itself while it is waiting for its owner. In the third stanza the reader can put together that the dog is tired of his owner dwelling in the past and wants more attention of its companion. The dog also says My work to unsnare times warp, this is the dog telling his companion he can help him. This helps insure the theme of the overall poem being to never waste time thinking of the past or future. The last two lines of the poem a Zen masters bronzy gong, calls you here entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow. This is the dog coming back to talk about the happy things of the poem. These two lines of the poem also play a big role in the wrap up of this poem. This is ironic because this is saying that the dog is itself master, and usually the are being owned by their companion. This helps with the moral of the story because it goes with the theme that Golden Retrievers are living in the present and having the most fun in their lives.Mark Doty used Golden Retrievers for this poem to help with the overall theme. Now realizing how much time people do actually waste thinking of what could happen and what has already happened that adds up to a lot of wasted time. Dogs can keep people happy and distracted from dwelling on things and just thinking to much. He is trying to get the reader to understand that life is only so long so why think of the past when it has already happened or think of the future which can not always be predicted.

Organizational training design

Introduction Organization training design is an activity that involves six key steps, namely, organization analysis, laying out training program objectives, creating a detailed lesson plan, creating a before, during and after matrix, evaluation rating and doing cost benefit calculations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Organizational training design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The outcome of the design process is a training program whose integration into an organization facilitates the realization of the organization’s mission as it is outlined in its mission statement. According to WebFinance, a formal definition of an organization is a social unit made up of people who systematically work together with unity of purpose to achieve collective goals that reflect the mission of the organization (2010, 3). For the synthesis project, the process of organization training design is applied to Netsoft, a pr ivate sector company. Netsoft is a global telecommunications company that has it’s headquarter in the United States. It has one of its branches in Kenya, Netsoft Kenya, where a submarine fiber optic communications cable is to be installed that will link Africa with the rest of the world. The fiber optic cable is to bring a world of opportunities not only to the country but to the continent as well. Netsoft wants to seize this opportunity and increase its dominance in Africa’s internet market as a strategic move towards increasing its earnings. However, its five-telecommunication engineers in Kenya are not conversant with fiber optic technology that is already in use in the rest of the world (Kenya is a third-world country). The engineers are, however, individuals with high academic qualifications and with vast experience in telecommunication and its related fields. Thus, considering these facts the top management of the company has commissioned a one-day training progr am to teach the Kenyan engineers on fiber optic technology. Discussion Organization analysis According to Miller and Osinski, organization analysis is one among the three levels of the needs assessment phase of designing an organization’s training and development program (2002, 2).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The other two levels as given by the authors are task analysis and individual analysis whereas the other phases of designing an organization’s training and development program are instructional objectives (2nd phase), design (3rd phase), implementation (4th phase) and evaluation (5th phase) (Miller and Osinski, 2002, 1-2). The purpose of the needs assessment phase is to aid a training manager set the objectives of the organization’s training program. Therefore, by the end of the needs assessment phase the training manager has to have establishe d if the training program is necessary and if it is, what is it on and who are the participants. It is the idea that a properly conducted needs assessment phase reveals no conflicts between the interests of stakeholders and the objectives of the organization’s training program. The objective as to why organizational analysis is undertaken is to improve the efficiency, performance and output of an organization (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2011, 1). To achieve this objective the analysis procedure assesses the organization’s systems, capacity and performance in an aim to create an understanding of the behavioral relationships, structures and technology in place and in use in an organization (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2011, 1). In organizational training design, the theory and models underlying organizational analysis are customized so that the outcome of the procedure is concepts that form a strong basis on which to successfully implement an organizational training pro gram. At the end of an organizational analysis procedure that is part of an organization training design, it is fundamental that 10 things be known.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Organizational training design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first is how the content of the training program affects the relationship between the organization’s employees and its clients. The second is the degree to which the organization’s suppliers, partners and clients need to be informed about the contents of the training program. The third thing is how well the training programs augment with the strategic needs of the organization. The fourth thing is whether to devote the organization’s resources to the training program. The fifth thing is what input is necessary from the organization’s mangers and peers in order for the training program to succeed. The sixth thing that needs to be known is t he features of the organization’s internal environment that can hamper the success of the training program. The seventh thing that needs to be known is whether experts can be found who can aid in the formulation of the training program and who enlighten on the correlation between it and the business needs of the organization. The eighth thing that has to be known at the end of the organization analysis procedure that is part of an organization training design is the perception that employees have towards the training program. The perception should be described either as a waste of time, an opportunity, a reward, a punishment or even a combination of these. The ninth thing that has to be known is the section of people in the organization who are interested in the success of the training program. The tenth thing that needs to be known is whose support is critical to the success of the training program. In addition to these 10 things, Miller and Osinski point out that an organiz ation analysis procedure should also identify global markets that are growing and economy state and its impacts on organization’s operating costs and (2002, 3). How training program aligns with Netsoft’s strategic needs There is a need for the company to seize the opportunity presented by the submarine fiber optic cable as this is essential in aiding the company realize its mission which is to become a global leader in telecommunications.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The training program equips Netsoft’s Kenyan engineers with the knowledge and skills for designing, implementing and administering fiber optic networks. This paves the way for the company to assert its dominance on Africa’s internet market. Thus in this way the training program aligns with Netsoft’s strategic needs. Features of work environment that might interfere with the training A feature of the work environment that may interfere with Netsoft’s training program is lack of up-to-date training facilities. Considering that the training is to take place in third-world country getting state-of-the-art facilities to conduct the training can be a challenge. Another feature of the work environment that may interfere with the training is poor organizational culture at the branch. It is possible that the organizational culture in place at the company’s Kenyan branch does not encourage or motivate its employees to learn new things and thus this might be a considerable hindrance. How employees will perceive training program The engineers and the other employees in Netsoft’s Kenyan branch should perceive the training program as an opportunity. If the training program is a success it is the green light for the company to make strategic moves that will enable it assert its dominance in the African Internet market. This means more earnings for the company, which in turns means likely salary increases for the engineers and other employees in Netsoft Kenya. Persons or groups interested in the success of the project The top management of Netsoft is interested in the success of the training program. This is because from it they can take hold of the opportunities presented by the submarine cable and make huge profits for the company at minimal costs. Training objectives The second key activity in organizational training design is setting the objectives of the training program, which can be thought of as sub-goals (SIL International, 1 999, 1). The objectives of the training program are a byproduct of the needs assessment phase. To create a learning atmosphere it is very helpful that the participants of an organization’s training program understand the program’s objectives. The objectives of an organization’s training program capture for each individual training activity in the program its purpose and expected outcome. Depending on a number of factors that include the structure of the organization’s training program objectives can be set for the various training sessions and the overall program. It is imperative that trainees not only understand but as well accept and commit to realizing the training objectives set for a given organization’s training program especially when the objectives double up too as the organization’s goals. A training needs analysis is undertaken so that an organization’s employees can appreciate the need for a training program as well as why they need to learn. Thus, this is why it is a sound recommendation that the training objectives be a derivative of a training needs analysis. In addition to streamlining the learning process, training objectives facilitate the identification of certain outcome types that when measured evaluate the effectiveness of an organization’s training program. The first of the three components of a training objective is a statement, which clearly describes to an employee what he or she is expected to do. The second of the three components of a training objective is a statement, which describes to the trainees the acceptable performance quality or level. The third of the three components of a training objective is a statement that describes to an employee for a given outcome the conditions under which he or she has to perform in to achieve it. It is important that a training objective always describe performances that are observable and measurable. Donald Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Evaluation Model is a useful procedure for judging an organization’s training program (Big Dog Little Dog’s performance Juxtaposition, 2010, 1). The constituents of the model are four levels, namely, reaction, learning, behavior and results. In the reaction, level of the evaluation procedure a measurement is done of how the participants of an organization’s training program react to the process of learning, that is, their perception towards the program. The measurement is done with the aid of attitude questionnaires that are filled by the participants. In the reaction level of the evaluation procedure measurement of three aspects is done. The first is the extent to which participants change their attitude resulting from the organization’s training program. The second is the extent to which participants have improved their knowledge resulting from the organization’s training program. The third is the extent to which participants have increased the ir knowledge because of the organization’s training program. In the performance level of the evaluation procedure testing is done to determine the participant’s capabilities to utilize the skills they have acquired on the job place. In some cases, performance evaluation is done through observation only. In the results, level of the evaluation procedure the effectiveness of the organization’s training program is measured. Objectives of Netsoft’s training program Using Kirkpatrick’s four level evaluation framework two reaction level objectives for Netsoft’s training program are: Create an understanding of what fiber optic technology is Enable participants appreciate its importance in realizing company’s strategic needs and mission The three behaviors are: Understanding Appreciation Pro-activeness The three criteria are: Verbal quiz Paper quiz Observation The three conditions are: Teaching facilities are sufficient Participants ag ree that they have understood course material Quiz is the same for everyone Using Kirkpatrick’s four level evaluation framework two learning objectives for Nestsoft’s training program are: Participants are able to explain the underlying concepts of fiber optic technology Participants can outline the strengths and weaknesses of the technology The three behaviors are: Competency Understanding Mastering The three criterions are: Verbal quiz Paper quiz Observation The three conditions are: Teaching facilities are sufficient Participants agree that they have understood course material Quizzes are the same for everyone Using Kirkpatrick’s four level evaluation framework two performance objectives for Netsoft’s training program are: Participants are able to successfully design, implement and administer fiber optic networks Participants are able to troubleshoot faulty fiber optic networks The three behaviors are: Competency Understanding Mastering Th e three criterions are: Practical test Verbal quiz Observation The three conditions are Teaching facilities are sufficient Participants agree that they have understood course material Quiz and test is the same for everyone Using Kirkpatrick’s four level evaluation framework two results objectives for Netsoft’s training program are: Training program yields an acceptable ROI Training program yields an acceptable CBR Detailed Lesson Plan A detailed lesson plan contains a variety of components. These include course title, lesson title, lesson length, learning objectives, target audience, room arrangement, materials and equipment needed, evaluation and assignments as well as comments from the trainer (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2011, 1). The course title is the subject heading of the field the trainer intends to teach. The course is derived from wide field of knowledge or specialization. The degree of extend of the content of a subject vary from one course to another . The inclusion of course title is important to the lesson plan because it communicates to the trainee the overall scope of knowledge to be covered by the different lesson sessions in that course. Lesson title states the scope of content to be covered in a single lesson session. The contents of a lesson title are a subset of course title. Lesson sessions act as building blocks of a course. Depending on the scope and complexity of title it can be divided into several lessons which are convenient to both the trainer and trainee. One of the main importances of having a lesson title is to delineate the content to be covered during the lesson. This avoids the chances of veering of from the intended content. Lesson length in a lesson plan details the duration which a single lesson will last. The lesson length will be determined by a number of factors: availability of time, complexity and scope of the subject and cost of executing the lesson. When deciding on the lesson length, there is ne ed to determine when trainers are to avail themselves while the program is on course, the time constraints on the trainees, program breaks for snacks, lunch and dinner as well as opportunities for practice and feedback. Some lessons may last full day while others are part time. Learning objectives are the thematic areas within a lesson the trainer intends to communicate and be grasped by the trainees. It is important to factor in the lesson plan the genre of the target audience. The target audience determines the level of communication and interaction between the trainer and trainees. The prerequisites encompass trainee and instructor. Trainee prerequisites refers to possible preparation requirements, necessary skills or the scope of knowledge needed to be trained on prior training sessions or successful completion of tests or certificate or degree programs. Instructor prerequisites points towards what is needed to be done to prepare for the session as well as other educational qual ification necessary for the trainer. Before the lesson execution the room arrangement of the trainees is another important component to consider. For instance, the room could be arranged in fan-shape so that the trainees can clearly see the trainer as well as their peers. Fan-shape is also suitable for role play exercises that entail working and organization into groups of two or three. In the lesson plan the trainer ought to include the materials and equipments required. These materials and equipments act as aids to training and enhance the ability of the trainer to relay information effectively. The assortment of materials and equipments in any given set up vary, but, they may include a video cassette recorder (VCR), pens, overhead projector, transparencies, and VCR tapes with titles of the lesson. In the case of evaluation and assignments, role plays could be instituted. Comments imply on the overall appraisal of lesson outcomes and remarks on the way forward. Detailed lesson pla n for Netsoft’s training program The detailed one-day lesson plan for Netsoft’s training program is shown in appendix A. Before, during and after matrix The before, during and after training matrix is a table-like structure that serves two purposes. The first purpose is that it facilitates the diagnosis of problems that are associated with transfer of training. The second purpose is that it serves as an assurance that the transfer of training activity was done to completion. The constituent elements of the matrix are the training manager’s, trainer’s and the trainee’s responsibilities before, during and after learning has been transferred. Each of these elements is entered into its appropriate cell in the before, during and after training matrix. Figure 1 in appendix B shows an empty before, during and after training matrix. Before, during and after matrix for Netsoft’s training program The before, during and after matrix for Netsoft’ s training program is shown in appendix C Evaluation rating By doing evaluation rating, a rating form is useful in measuring the behavior of individual participants in an organization’s training program. The rating form is usually accompanied with a corresponding rating scale. The rating form usually has a number of items for which the participants of the organization’s training program get graded for. The measuring process of the evaluation rating activity usually has its designated period in which to measure the behaviors of the participants. In an example of an evaluation rating procedure it may be required that the sensitivity (which is the behavior) of a manager be measured using data collected for 3 months. Sensitivity in this case may be defined as the manager’s perception of the personal problems, needs and concerns of others. The rating scale may be 1 to represent always, 2 to represent usually, 3 to represent sometimes, 4 to represent seldom and 5 to r epresent never. To measure the behavior (sensitivity) a question can be put forward as to how many times in the three months the manager has elicited the perceptions, feelings and concerns of other individuals? Using the rating scale the answer to this question can be 1 to imply that the manager over the past 3 months always elicited the perceptions, feelings and concerns of other individuals. Evaluation rating for Netsfoft’s training program The evaluation rating done here for Netsoft’s training program follows a 60 days assessment of level 3 (performance) objectives. In this rating, the behaviors to be measured are competency, understanding and mastering. Competency is how well vast a participant is with fiber optic technology. Understanding is how well a participant synthesizes the various concepts of fiber optic technology. Mastering is how well a participant retains the knowledge he or she as acquired on fiber optic technology. These three behaviors are measured o n a scale of 1 to 3 such that 1 represents poorly, 2 represents fairly and 3 represents well. Depending on how a question is answered, a participant can only score one of these ratings. After answering all the questions, the average is taken and the participant’s level of competency, understanding and mastering determined. For competency the questions to be asked are: What is fiber optic? What is fiber optic technology? Which are the concepts that underlie the technology? For understanding the questions to be asked are: Explain the fundamental concepts underlying fiber optic technology Explain are the advantages of the technology? Explain are the disadvantages of the technology? Explain the standards that govern fiber optic technology For mastering, the questions to be asked are: Name the advantages of the fiber optic technology Name the disadvantages of the technology Name the networking standards that govern the technology Cost benefit calculation In the doing cost be nefit calculations stage of the organizational training design two important values are determined which are the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and the return On Investment (ROI). These two values are calculated from the costs that an organization as incurred to successfully complete the training program and the benefits it has yielded. The BCR is a ratio that gives the magnitude of correlation between the costs an organization as incurred to the successfully complete the training program and the benefits it has yielded (Investopedia, ULC, 2011, 1). It is given as the quotient of the total benefits and total costs of an organization’s training program. The ROI, sometimes given as a percentage, is a performance measure that evaluates the efficiency of an organization’s investment, which in this case is the training program (Investopedia, ULC, 2011, 1). The ROI is given as the quotient of the net total benefits realized from an investment and the total costs of the investment. If the ROI is to be given as a percentage, 100 multiply the quotient. Cost Benefit calculations for Netsoft’s training program From the data given in part F of the synthesis project, the BCR for Netsoft’s training program is, BCR = Total benefits/Total costs = 329,201 / 164,863 = 1.9968. From the data given in part F of the synthesis project, the ROI for Netsoft’s training program is, ROI = ( Net total benefits/ total costs) 100 = ((329,201 – 164,863) / 164,863) 100 = 99.6816%. Conclusion The report’s main conclusion is that organization training is important in helping a company achieve its mission and goals and thus each stage of the organization training design process should be carried out properly. The goals to be attained as a result of an organization’s training program should be in line with the strategic needs of the organization in which the program is implemented. References Big Dog Little Dog’s performance Juxtaposition. (2010). Kirkpatrick’s four-level training evaluation model. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/isd/kirkpatrick.html Investopedia, ULC. Benefit cost ratio. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bcr.asp#axzz1dWAsa79S Investopedia, ULC. Return on investment-roi. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bcr.asp#axzz1dWAsa79S Miller, J. A. and Osinski, D. M. Training needs assessment. Retrieved from http://www.ispi.org/pdf/suggestedReading/Miller_Osinski.pdf SIL International. (1999) What is an objective. Retrieved from http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/literacy/ReferenceMaterials/glossaryofliteracyterms/WhatIsAnObjective.htm WebFinance. (2010). Organization. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organization.html Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.(2011) Organizational analysis. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_analysis Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.(2011) Lesson plan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Organizational_analysis This report on Organizational training design was written and submitted by user Akemi to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.