Help write my essay – Write an essay about Organizational Leadership versus Management

Help write my essay – Write an essay about Organizational Leadership versus Management. Use examples, peer-reviewed journals to support your answer. This essay must be at least 800-words in length.

Course Learning Outcome: Ability to communicate and share information within the team and organization in professional manner. (Lo 4.4).

Directions:

These assignments are an individual assignment.
All students are encouraged to use their own words.
Be three to five pages in length (800-1000 words), which does not include the title page, abstract or required reference page, which are never a part of the content minimum requirements.
Use proper referencing (APA style) to reference, other style will not be accepted.
Support your submission with course material concepts, principles, and theories from the textbook and at least two scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles unless the assignment calls for more.
It is strongly encouraged that you submit all assignments into the safe assignment Originality Check prior to submitting it to your instructor for grading.
Write a three-part essay (i.e., an essay that includes an introduction paragraph, the essay’s body, and a conclusion paragraph) that address the questions using a question and answer format

Assignment II
 

 

1. Business Question 1: Marketing……………………………………………. 1
   • Introduction…………………………………………………………… 1
   • Part 1………………………………………………………………….. 2
   • Part 2…………………………………………………………………. 5
   • Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 11
2. Business Question 2: Human Resource Management……………………. 13
   • Introduction …………………………………………………………. 13
   • Part 1………………………………………………………………… 14
   • Part 2………………………………………………………………… 17
   • Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 22
3. Business Question 3: Organizational Development………….………….… 24
   • Introduction …………………………………………………………. 24
   • Part 1………………………………………………………………… 25
   • Part 2………………………………………………………………… 30
   • Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 33
4. Business Question 4: Management………..………………………………… 35
   • Introduction…………………………………………………………. 35
   • Part 1…………………….…………………………………………… 35
   • Part 2………………………………………………………………… 38
   • Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 44
5. Business Question 5: International Business……………………………… 46
   • Introduction…………………………………………………………… 46
   • Part 1…………………………………………………………………. 46
   • Part 2…………………………………………………………………. 48
   • Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 55
6. Business Question 6: Production and Operations Management….……. 57
   • Introduction…………………………………………………………. 57
   • Part 1…………………………………………………………………. 57
   • Part 2…………………………………………………………………. 62
   • Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 66

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Business Question 1: Marketing

How does a company strategically change from a traditional marketing approach to customer targeted marketing

As Vice President of Marketing, please explain to your sales team why it is necessary that your company change from a traditional marketing approach to customer targeted marketing. Also, explain how you will change your company from a traditional marketing approach to customer targeted marketing.

Since organizational change is always difficult, provide a rationale to your team for the need to change. Include a description of the most important differences between traditional marketing to customer targeted marketing, and explain why those differences are importance.

 

1.1.      Introduction

In transforming the marketing approach of the company, it is first necessary to ensure that the people under my supervision are well-informed about the difference between traditional marketing and customer-based marketing. As the Vice President of Marketing, I will introduce and utilize a strategy which I will call marketing systematization. Marketing systematization will allow the company to read and respond to the digital body language, so to speak, of the customers. In this way, conversations with the customers can be tailored in line with the person’s online behaviors. Technology has provided a better way to have a deeper understanding of the customer. Strategically, this technology-based marketing strategy will establish a dividing line between traditional and customer-targeted marketing. This strategy, nonetheless, will operate under the basis of theoretical principles and practical concepts which have evolved over the years, as discussed in the proceeding sections.

1.2.      Part 1

Many people confuse marketing with selling. In fact, marketing is really an ethos, a type of thinking that must flow throughout an organization in order for it to be successful. Marketing does not mean selling. Selling is all about making a sale; it is focused on the actual transition of exchanging the product or service for money. Marketing is all about understanding the customer so that you provide what is needed. A good analogy is that marketing is everything you do to make the phone ring; to make a potential customer place a call and make an order. Selling is everything you do once you pick up the phone and answer. Whether you have a service, a product, or both, marketing is about giving the customer what he or she wants. It can be stated that marketing is a subset of organizational strategy. As such, it assists in meeting the objectives of an organization by ensuring that products or services are sold to the right market at a price that will ensure a profit. To do this, in a business you must (Patel & Oakley, 2009 p.96):

• Offer the right product
• To your target customers
• At a price that is acceptable to them
• Based on their perception of the value
• At a cost that gives you a profit

This is what is known as the Customer Value Proposition, or CVP. Traditionally, a market was a physical place where buyers and sellers met to buy and sell products. Nowadays, market refers to different groups of customers and buyers. The sellers constitute the industry and the buyers constitute the market. Sellers and buyers are connected by four flows (Backer & King, p.69). The sellers send products and services as well as communications, for example advertisements, to the market. In return, they receive money and information [i.e. customer feedback]. Most of the public see marketing as a combination of advertising and selling. This definition is incorrect. More accurate is the definition of the Chartered Institute of Marketing which describes marketing as “getting the right goods, to the right people, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price, with the right level of communication profitably” (Russel-Jones & Jones, 2014 p.10). That is a good definition but a better one comes from management guru Peter Drucker (2012) who states that “the aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary” (p.56). What he means is that you understand your customer well and so you communicate the benefits of your product or service very well that the product or service sells itself. Rather than going to customers and trying to persuade them to buy your product, they find out about it and they come to you. Another important factor to understand is that marketing works in a continuous cycle. We can break this process down in three parts: Planning and preparation; Testing and trying out, and; Reporting and reviewing (Jalote, 2000 p.231).

Traditionally, the Marketing Mix is said to consist of four levels of marketing control. These levels are product, place, promotion, and price (Lamb et al., 2008 p.46). Today, we can include three more that address the shift in the modern-day business model. Those three are people, process, and physical evidence or proof (Phillips, 2013 p.11). There has been a fundamental shift in marketing, particularly hospitality marketing, away from traditional property-focused messaging over to a more customer-focused strategy (Stareva, 2014 p.28). Hotel marketers are now using their customer profile data in using digital activity in real-life behavioral cues to tailor the hotel experience around guests’ particular needs and desires in order to deliver the best service possible.

Customer surveys have shown that delivery of performance is one of the most important criteria when choosing a supplier; place also means ways of displaying your product to customer groups (Strathman, 2008 p.35). Promotion is another way for a company to communicate what it does and what it can offer its customers. It includes activities such as branding, advertising, PR, corporate identity, sales management, special offers, and exhibitions (Cromwell, 2015 p.95). In line with the effort to promote the company, search engine optimization can ensure that a hotel is at the forefront of search results in the Internet, making it easy to find the hotel through any digital avenue (Jones, 2013 p.38). This would improve the chances of the hotel being included in any customer’s booking decision.

Search retargeting is also a vital approach to modern marketing (Carrol, 2015 p.89). When a customer visits your website and afterward leaves, the visitor is presented with display advertisement on other sites they might visit such as Youtube of Facebook. These ads pop up to try and bring back the visitor to the hotel website by giving discount offers and other attractive strategies to influence the customer into making a favorable decision. It is important to deliver a message in a right context and to continue the conversation in a cohesive flow all throughout. One good way to do this would be through hypertargeting (Akdeniz, 2013 p.70). This refers to the ability to deliver advertising content to specific interest-based segments in a network. Facebook was the first company to take the concept of hypertargeting to the next level. Through Facebook, one is able to see common demographic information that advertisers have always needed. This includes age, gender, interests, likes, dislikes, and other personal information that can be useful in giving a potential client a fully-customized experience.

It is also important to leverage guest data in order to effectively impact the ability to target guests. In regard to this, it should be understood that there are different types of segmentation that should be used, namely: demographic attributes and behaviors. The demographic attributes refer to gender, age, origin or location, marital status, and the industry that they are in. Those are the things that are going to influence the unique needs of the customers. However, modern marketing techniques now involve behavioral segmentation; there are several components to this (Lantos, 2015 p.35). For instance, is the guest is a first-time visitor or a repeat guest What is the average spending of this particular guest What are some of his or her interests and passion Have they told you that they have a preference for a quiet room Feathered pillows Have they written reviews about the hotel service These are all information that the hotelier can start to collect or gather about the guest and it can be useful in determining how marketing should speak to them.

1.3.      Part 2

As the Vice President of Marketing, the team has to understand that it is necessary to shift the company’s marketing strategy from a traditional to a customer-centered approach in order to remain competitive in today’s global economy where customer prioritization should be at the forefront of any meaningful business planning. At the planning stage, one should have an idea of who is going to buy the product or service, where, and at what price. In order to build businesses and brands, it is important for marketers to move from merely sending promotional emails to targeting and interacting with people who are actually ready to hear what the company has to offer. In line with this, there is always a need to emotionally connect with the customers, and having the technology to know which customers are most likely to respond to such a personal connection can be invaluable for the company.

The degree of the emotional aspect of marketing would largely depend on the demographic status of the customer, such as his persona and/or what motivates him. For instance, a customer may reach a certain stage in his buying journey where he may get a little nervous. In this case, it would be role of the marketing representative to justify the decision that the customer wants to make by helping him overcome the fear that he may have. The process would involve not only an intellectual conversation but also an emotional interaction between the two parties.

As Vice President of Marketing, I will ensure that online marketing is systematized. Four main elements will be included in this systematization: 1) Managing contacts; 2) Creating highly-targeted campaigns; 3) Enabling sales, and; 4) Measuring the impact of the marketing strategy.

In managing contacts, it should be understood that, in essence, systematization revolves around a database that stores two types of information: who and what. The ‘who’ information is sort of a business-card-level of information reflecting a customer’s demographics. The ‘what’ information is more important because it reveals what actions a customer has been taking; when combined, the ‘who’ and ‘what’ can be used to create targeted lists with the help of filters. In this manner, the second element, or the next step, is to create highly-targeted campaigns. It is then possible to build and deploy emails, build and host landing pages and forms, and build systematized workflows. The third element of marketing systematization is to ‘enable sales’. This can be accomplished in different ways. One is through a marketing method called lead scoring where a corresponding value is assigned to a customer’s profile, engagement level, etc. in order to score leads.

With this approach, the most interested leads can be prioritized by the marketing people, saving time and money for the company. In following leads, the marketing people will be provided with appropriate insight in order to have interesting conversations with the leads. Examples of such insight may be recent business interactions the customers have had with the company, website visits, email opens, etc. The fourth element of the marketing systematization involves measuring the impact of the marketing strategy on the company. In this aspect, the impact of the strategy on the customer can be measured in terms of email activities, website visits, clicks, opening rates, etc. More importantly, this is the part where the impact of the strategy on the company is measured.

There is no point in developing a product or service that no one wants to buy, yet many businesses decide what to offer first and then hope to find a market for it afterwards. In contrast, successful companies find out what customers need or want and then develop the right product to meet those needs. A product is only worth what customers are prepared to pay for it. The price also needs to be competitive but this does not necessarily mean the cheapest. The small businesses may be able to compete with larger rivals by adding extra services or details that will offer customers better value for their money. The pricing must provide a profit; it is the only element of the Marketing Mix that generates revenue. Price positions the business in the marketplace. The more that the business charges, the more value or quality the customers will expect in return for their money.

The promotion of products or services must attract attention, be appealing, tell a consistent message, and above all else, give the customer a reason to choose your product rather than somebody else’s. Promotion should communicate the benefits that a customer obtains from a product and not just features of that product. Whether the promotional material is a single sheet or a complex brochure, folder or catalogue, it must grab the attention of the customers. It should be easy to identify why they should buy our product. The promotional material should be customized by varying them to suit the target customers and/or changing them as required.

Anyone who comes in contact with our customers will make an impression, and that can have a profound effect, whether positive or negative, on a customer’s satisfaction. The reputation of our brand rests in our people’s hands. They must therefore be appropriately trained, well-motivated, and have the right attitude. Many customers cannot separate the product or service from the staff members who provide it. This shows the importance of our people. The process of giving a service and the behavior of those who deliver it are crucial to customer satisfaction issues such as waiting times, the information given to customers, and the helpfulness of staff. These are all vital to keep customers happy. Common sense dictates that customers are not interested in the details of how our business runs. What matters to them is that the system works. Do customers have to wait Are they kept informed Are the staffs helpful Are our services carried out efficiently Do our people interact in a manner appropriate to our service

Process is often overlooked. For instance, a customer trying to reach our company by phone is a vital source of income and returning value. However, too often, customers sit on hold for several minutes listening to a recorded message (Atkinson, 2007 p.51). Many of them give up, go elsewhere, and tell their friends about their bad experience. Processes often fail the customer because they are built for the company’s needs and not designed with the customer in mind. In the same light, our hotel should set up its website with the correct schema and its site rank should be very high in search engines like Google. We should also resort to paid advertising to capture web traffic, with everything pointing towards the hotel’s website and getting more visitors there as possible.

Nowadays, we should also make sure that the marketing system is optimized for mobile phones. More and more people are using their mobile devices to make booking decisions. In today’s fast-paced world, more people spend more time using their cellular phones than their laptops or desktops. In regard to this, it was cited in 2014 by the magazine The Economist that by 2017, over 30 percent of all online bookings will be made on mobile devices. Hoteliers who have made sure that their websites are mobile-optimized are now reaping the benefits of taking the first step toward this approach.

Hotel advertising is starting to sound the same for everyone because the same things are being said over and over again: Good location, top-class amenities, etc. It has already gotten to the point where advertising is no longer a differentiator. The question that needs to be answered is: What does a hotel need to do to set itself apart from the competition Unless we are targeting the right people at the right time, and those people are likely to get a booking, our advertisements are basically worthless. It is wasted advertising and the money spent for it could have been spent better elsewhere, delivering a more targeted message to the right audience. The combination of rich data and smart marketing is what drives successful hypertargeting and in the end, a strong Return of Investment [ROI] for the hotelier. Based on social profile, our hotel should flag those that have a lot of followers on Twitter or a lot of friends on Facebook because those people are social and extremely influential.

Every employee must understand what the needs of the customers are. As we start to think about our process for hypertargeting, one of the first things we want to do is to target through all the engagement points that we have with our guests; from pre-stay to when they make the booking, to what they are doing on the property, to what they do after they check out. Those are all of our opportunities to have a communication with that customer; it is about continuous conversation. It is important to continue having a dialogue with the customer through their experience.

1.4.      Conclusion

The traditional form of marketing has been a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and it can be stated that this method is outdated. Now, every channel needs to be customized. The way that you talk to somebody on Twitter should be different from the way that you talk to somebody on an email communication or a survey. How you talk to somebody before they get a booking should be different from how you talk to the same person after a booking. Customer-centered marketing is a valuable platform that defines all of these.

References

Akdeniz, C. (2013). MBA 2.0: Things You Won’t Learn in Business School. Bonn, Germany: CBE.

Atkinson, P. (2007). A Study of Marketing Decline. New Jersey: Pearson.

Backer, E. & king, B. (2015). VFR Travel Research: International Perspectives. Bristol: Channel View Publications.

Carrol, W. (2015). Web-based Techniques for Optimization. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Cromwell, R. (2015). Marketing Techniques in the Modern World. New Jersey: Pearson.

Drucker, P. (2012). Managing the Non-Profit Organization. London: Routledge.

Jalote, P. (2000). CMM in Practice: Processes for Executing Software Projects at Infosys. Boston: Addison-Wesley.

Jones, K. (2013). Search Engine Optimization. IN: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lamb, C., Hair, J. & McDaniel, C. (2008). Essentials of Marketing. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Lantos, G. (2015). Consumer Behavior in Action: Real-Life Applications for Marketing Managers. New York: Routledge.

Patel, A. & Oakley, R. (2009). The Good Guide to Trading: Getting Ready for Enterprise. London: NCVO.

Phillips, J. (2013). Building a Digital Analytics Organization. New Jersey: Pearson.

Russel-Jones, N. & Jones, L. (2014). Marketing Pocketbook: 4^th Edition. Hants, UK: Management Pocketbooks Ltd.

Stareva, I. (2014). Social Media and the Rebirth of PR. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing.

Strathman, J. (2008). Leveraging ITS Data for Transit Market Research: A Practitioner’s Guidebook. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board.

 

 

2. Business Question 2: Human Resource Management

You are interviewing with the CEO of a major corporation for the position of Human Resource Manager. Describe your vision of the role of human resources in the organization and describe how you would manage workplace diversity and employee motivation (including gain-sharing and compensation), and continue merit-based promotions.

 

2.1.      Introduction

In the business world of today, it is vital for an organization to define its purpose to the members of its workforce. For an organization to be able to define a purpose that individuals can align with, the employees should sense that what they are doing matters. The key to the future in a world of overwhelming demand is to invest more in a workforce that is more diverse than it has ever been in the history of the world. Management has to empower and motivate them to bring more of themselves to work. It should be recognized that there is an enormous value in the simplest kinds of kindness, appreciation, and respect. When employees do not feel these, when their value is at risk, they cannot produce value. It is for this reason that building a values-based culture is vital to the success of the modern-day organization. Giving importance to values is what drives positive behavior; they are the keys to passion and engagement, and the source of innovation; this is often untapped in organizations. People do not want to talk about values; they would rather talk about skills and other technical kinds of focus when they look for motivation and productivity. Companies tend to pay attention to creating opportunities for employees to connect their individual values to the organizational purpose.

2.1.      Part 1

Values alignment is essential for success. It is important to understand what values an organization has and how they were created (Henry, 2011 p.86). Shared values give people a common language and this is often underestimated. It may sound simple but it is very hard to do. If you have an organization with no convening place, no water fountain, no coffee pot, no cafeteria, break room, etc., then it is very hard to build a shared language. A shared language cannot be created merely through a virtual platform; there is something about the human element that is still very important in building a way that people can talk to each other (Gregory, 2010 p.74). It is important to give people a chance to express their own values. People admire those who believe strongly in something and in any workplace, everybody believes strongly in something but they are just not often asked. People whose personal values match those of their company would feel significantly attached to their work.

Leaders share their values their subordinates. The personal discovery and/or identification of values should be a foundational part of any leadership development program (Branson & Gross, 2014 p.307). It is not about talking about the company’s values but about the person’s values. Where did they get those values Why do they believe those values In coaching executives, it is very important to help them discover and explore the values that they hold dearest. In training programs, values can be used as a focus for conversation and leaders must recognize what their personal values are so that they can match them with the organization’s values. In leadership programs, by putting values in the center of the conversation, this creates a level of conversation where there is candidness and clarity. It is from this launching pad, so to so speak, that values can be incorporated into their strategic planning. Loyalty grows in an organization that allows and fosters conversations about values. Values are the foundation of behavior and of the choices that are made by leaders as they build their organization.

The role of HR managers has evolved over the years into a strategic one since talent is the most important asset of any business organization. Good HR practices need to be continually reviewed and adjusted to meet the changing demands of today’s fast-paced business environment. To win in the marketplace, the company must first win in the workplace. More than ever, the Human Resource Department plays an increasingly central role in the managing of companies. More companies are expanding abroad in order to increase their sales, reduce labor costs, and seek new foreign products and services to sell (Albright, 2014 p.138). This means that both workers and company have to work harder and smarter than they did before the arrival of globalization. Human resource managers can help both workers and companies do this.

It is readily evident that technology has had a huge impact on how people work as more and more traditional factory jobs are going high-tech. For example, new technologies such as automation systems mean that even manufacturing jobs require more reading, mathematics, and communication skills than before. Because it’s the human resource function that traditionally recruits, selects, trains, and compensates employees, changes like these make employers highly reliant on human resource management, especially with the arrival and application of new technology which requires the hiring of people with specialized skills. Managers must select, train, and pay these people in a way that focuses on improving their skills and knowledge. Along with globalization and technology, trends in workforce demographics are making it hard to find good employees. Most notably, the United States workforce is becoming older and more multi-ethnic. As the baby boomers born between 1946 and 1960 start retiring in the next few years, employers will face a severe labor shortage (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007 p.15). Also, the labor force participation rates of women and minorities have continued to increase, creating a more diverse workforce. This means that in the coming years, employers will be faced with an aging workforce and with growing numbers of workers having elder care responsibilities, not to mention an increasingly multi-cultural workplace.

There is no question that today’s globalized world is seeing a more diverse workplace. The real question is whether businesses can use and leverage that diversity to be a more effective and productive organization. There is a body of research that says greater workforce diversity will lead to higher organizational performance (Smart, 2010 p.372). When you have demographic diversity, you also have diversity in values, perspectives, and ideas, and that makes organizations more creative and more innovative. The other thing is that when you have demographic diversity in an organization, it means that more employees have very diverse networks outside of the organization. As a result, the organization is better connected with diverse communities, customers, and clients. All of these things lead to higher performance.

However, it can also be assumed that a more diverse demographic workforce make organizations less cohesive or connected. As such, people who work in a diverse workforce would be likely to report more instances of conflict with their co-workers. Because it would be harder to communicate with one another, people would feel less-attached and less-committed. This would result in organizations having greater turn-over. All of this suggests that it is really important not to assume that diversity is automatically going to lead to better organizational performance. We have to pay attention to how we manage it.

As a Human Resource Manager, I understand that my job involves the process of hiring and developing a diverse workforce so that the employees become more valuable assets of the organization. I recognize that Human Resource Departments face different challenges ranging from a constantly changing workforce to ever-present government regulations, technology changes, and economic conditions. In view of this, it should be recognized that the mishandling of a company’s Human Resource Department can easily lead to employee demotivation. What are the warning signs of demotivated employees There are three key areas to watch out for (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007 p.168): 1) poor workplace atmosphere; 2) slipping job standards, and; 3) decreased employee productivity. If any or all of these are trending downwards, there is a good chance that the company is dealing with demotivated employees.

2.3.      Part 2

All generations at all levels are more likely to trust their organization less than they do the people they work with directly, and the less that people trust, the more likely they are to leave. Trust in the workplace, as a foundational value, is very important. Another issue that should be given emphasis is respect. Basically, everyone wants respect; they just don’t define it in the same way. In a company, people who have worked longer basically want their experience and their wisdom respected; younger people would like to see their fresh ideas heard. One thing that is important for people in the workplace to understand is that questions do not necessarily demonstrate disrespect. Nobody really likes change; human beings are animals of habit and our brain is very contented when we have something that is ‘hard-wired’ and figured out. When we change things, we basically disrupt the brain and the neural processes of its neural pathways, so nobody likes change.

People who have the greatest clarity about their personal and organizational values have the highest degree of commitment to the organization. Employees should know what values they have and uphold those values in the context of the values of the organization. This is the key to unlocking engagement. Personal values drive commitment and they are the route to loyalty and commitment, not organizational values.

As the human resource manager, I will not only motivate the employees but also help them to motivate themselves. Ultimately, my goal will be to help create an environment that allows the employees to meet or exceed expectations, do their best, and feel valued. Understanding what motivates employees comes down to knowing the staff as individuals. It should be recognized that in a diverse workforce, these people have different needs, aspirations, and values. Therefore, what motivates one employee may not necessarily motivate another. In this case, the best option is to offer a range of motivators that can improve performance, enthusiasm, and retention.

Of course, most employees can be motivated by tangible rewards such as higher salary and promotion. This is particularly effective when the company utilizes gain-sharing, which is a compensation scheme whereby the company shares the value of performance gains, savings in costs, and other gains of financial value with the employees (Smart, 2010 p.89). This motivates the workforce to achieve and maintain higher levels of performance because they know that it benefits not only the company but themselves as well. There can also be many intangible motivators such as mentoring, personal and professional growth opportunities, and the ability to work independently that can also get the job done (Madison, 2015 p.55). Indeed, offering employees the chance to work with minimal supervision will show the management’s faith and trust in them, as well as allowing a flexible work schedule that enables them to attend to their personal needs.

It is also important to recognize an employee for a job well done. This may be via a financial reward such as a bonus, but it can also take the form of a new job title that reflects higher status within the company, or company-wide public recognition and appreciation. No matter what you do publicly, it is also a good idea for the employer to offer his or her personal thanks for a job well done. It is also important to keep employees challenged and well-engaged. Where promotion is not possible, perhaps it is time for a lateral move. This is a great way to help an employee build his or her skill set. Also, providing more opportunities for employees to engage with the clients and customers can be highly rewarding. All in all, motivating employees comes down to knowing them as individuals. In order to do this, there must be an open line of communication and a mutual understanding of both professional and personal goals (Harvey, 2014 p.54). Another method that I may employ to provide motivation to the workforce is through merit-based promotions. In this approach, career advancements will not be based on tenure but on how well an employee performs the tasks given to him; in line with this, performance-based incentive pay will simply be a mechanism for trying to achieve a particular result (Albright, 2014 p.123).

The traditional workforce has changed a lot in the past several decades. What used to motivate the workforce fifty or one hundred years ago is not working any more (ibid). As a result, companies need to find different ways of motivating people. In light of this, it is evident that current trends focus on engaging people and looking at their attitude. Some of the key things that we need to be looking at is: Do people have a choice in what they do and how they do it Another thing is: Is there enough challenge for them It seems like a small thing but managers should be constantly giving feedback to their subordinates and should work with them to improve organizational performance.

Engaging with the workforce on more personal issues and in a more personal basis is really an effective method. As human beings, we love a challenge. Why does people cycle, run, jog, dive, and do whatever they do during weekends It is because of the challenge; it is because an activity is engaging. If there is no challenge in the workplace, what would people come to work to do Negative attitude in the workplace is usually because workers do not have enough challenge and they do not have any choice in how they go about achieving what they need to achieve; that really comes down to how we manage people. For managers to engage properly with their staff is a valuable thing for a company. It is from this context that teamwork begins to take shape. In a crisis situation, humans respond really well. We know how to respond to a crisis; we immediately come together, we brainstorm and are able to work as a team. When we have a deadline, we work toward a solution. Motivating today’s employee takes more than just money. With the younger generations that represent the modern workforce, management has to do more than giving holiday breaks, raising the salary, and the other traditional forms of motivation that used to work for the older generations of workers.

It is critical for a company to have a clear engagement strategy, knowing the employees and their needs, and knowing what engages them. It is important to develop interventions that can address their concerns and issues and help them to be engaged and motivated in order to achieve performance targets. It should be noted that in today’s world where job security can be a problematic issue during economically trying times, the job of human resource managers can be more difficult in terms of the motivational aspect. An employee may question why he or she should invest so much of his/her efforts on a job that may no longer be present in the very near future Management needs to listen to their work staff. If the employees feel that they have a voice and the management can hear their views and opinions, they will be contributing more because the management is listening.

Especially in trying times, people go to work to escape realities at home. These realities may range from debts that cannot be paid, difficulties in sending their children to school, and numerous other reasons that make an unhappy, angry workforce. If management simply sees its staff as a number, these people are not going t be incentivized to deliver for you. It is critical for management to bring back the fun into work, the need to enjoy the job. There are so many other opportunities of bringing back the fun, interesting ways of making people enjoy their work. It is important for management to work with the employees as a team and find solutions as a team. The team can support the goals and objectives of the company and as such, they should be utilized productively. Management needs to be visible, especially in difficult times, and ensure the workforce that together, they can work towards a better future.

2.4.      Conclusion

Learning about human resource management will help one to avoid critical mistakes and, more importantly, will help to ensure that favorable results are achieved through the efforts of productive people. Today, there is a lot of competing interests for today’s younger workforce who are more computer-oriented and feel comfortable with multi-tasking as opposed to the traditional workplace environment during the past decades. If management takes great pains to explain the job functions to the new generation of employees, to cross-train, to empower today’s generation to do more than just one process so that they know that they are making a difference, that can make them more effective even more than just by the mere motivational aspect of compensation. All of this will benefit and sustain the needs of the company for a highly-productive workforce.

 

 

References

Albright, R. (2014). The Import and Export Sector in the Modern-Day World: An Examination of the Impact of Globalization. NJ: Cengage Learning.

Branson, C. & Gross, S. (2014). Handbook of Ethical Educational Leadership. New York: Routledge.

DeCenzo, D. & Robbins, S. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. New York: Wiley.

Gregory, D. (2010). The Human Element: A Guide to Human Behavior in the Shipping Industry. London: Stationery Office.

Henry, A. (2011). Understanding Strategic Management. New York: Oxford University Press.

Smart, J. (2010). Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. TN: Springer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Business Question 3: Organizational Development

The real challenge of organizational behavior and development lies in the opportunity to manage uncertainty, change, conflict, and other complexities of organizational life that we each experience as a participant in a contemporary organization.

As the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company, describe the organizational tools that you have available to you to attune your organization, such as the use of the contingency approach, content and process theories, participative management, building effective groups, organizational structure, etc. Provide concrete examples of how you would use these organizational tools.

 

3.1.      Introduction

As the new Chief Executive Officer, I need to identify what the company truly wants to do and where it needs to go. In this aspect, issues such as team goals, functional goals, organizational goals, and individual goals need to be clearly defined. As those goals are identified, management can proceed to do a better job at aligning individuals with the organizational goals. In aligning employees’ goals, the company as a whole will start to have a clearer direction once the employees understand what their roles are in the achievement of those goals and objectives. People develop passion when they see that what they are doing is making a bigger difference. As the employees understand the role that they are playing to help the organization achieve its goals, there will be increase in morale, motivation; the employees will develop the passion to be part of the bigger picture.

 

 

3.2.      Part 1

As a Chief Executive Officer, one of the challenges that I will prioritize is to make sure that every employee has a high level of job satisfaction. There are certain job characteristics that management can influence. In designing the specifications of a job in close coordination with the Human Resource Manager, I will see to it that the nature of jobs will allow for the professional development of every employee so that it can have a positive impact on the satisfaction level of the workforce. As the CEO, my primary task is to achieve the goals and objectives of the company and this can only be accomplished by getting the work done through the performance of others. Paving the way to job satisfaction maximizes the probability of productivity. Ideally, a satisfying job would have a high level of task variety. This is a job that is not monotonous or boring, requiring a worker to do the same tasks over and over again. It may initially appear that job specialization makes sense as an employee is assigned at a specific position and his or her skill sets are developed toward becoming a specialist at the job position. However, a monotonous job can become a less-desirable position for any employee after years of doing it. The sense of challenge will no longer be present in the daily tasks, the individual gets bored, and productivity wanes.

As the CEO, I will also make sure that task identity will be another significant element that will be prioritized in order to impact the level of motivation of employees. A lot of times, people need to have a sense of achievement or accomplishment in completing a task. For instance, if there are ten steps required to complete a task, people are challenged to complete all ten steps and later enjoy that sense of satisfaction and achievement that the invested effort brings. This is what is known as task identity, and for many people, it is a valuable motivator. Instead of completing just one part of the project, which is very common in cross-functional teams, it can sometimes be beneficial to assign more than one part of the project to a single employee. If the employee has a positive outlook and possesses the skill sets to do the job, the task will be accomplished. It is my job as a CEO to treat everyone the same while simultaneously managing them differently because different things motivate different people. For instance, some people want a promotion while others prefer a bonus; others may prefer to have personal office space even without a bonus or other compensatory benefits. It is very common for people in offices to work in cubicles and the ability to have an enclosed office space with privacy can be very motivating.

For others, diversity can be utilized as a competitive advantage while other managers may view this as an impediment to success because disparities and differences may very well lead to conflict and counter-productive competition. A positive or a negative outcome can very well result from diversity and because my success as CEO will depend on the productivity of my team, professional management of diversity in the company will be one of my priorities. When a manager has a team with different ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and other aspects of culture that vary, it can be difficult to spearhead the team without understanding the culture of others. It should be stated that culture can dictate how people are going to feel about responsibilities that they have associated with a particular job. For example, in certain cultures, it is more about the group than it is about the individual; it is more ‘us’ than ‘me’. Some cultures are more individualistic while some are more collective (Durai, 2010 p.271).

Participative management, also called collaborative leadership, is a style that involves really engaging the team members so that they take ownership of the mission and goals that the team has (Dwyer, 2014 p.96). This creates a bond among the team members and serves as a motivation for success. Collaborative management is more of a leadership style for managing a group or a team. Therefore, the goal is to pick the brain of the team members so that the leader is using that intellectual capital in a knowledge-based economy and workforce and getting all the best ideas (ibid). Participative management would also ensure that good communication is happening between the people. Pairing their input allows them to buy into the ultimate goal of the team, getting everyone invested into the result (Dwyer, 2014 p.79).

Organizational structure is critical in allowing a company to respond as best as it can to its marketplace and its customers. There is clear significant influence from the context of the business environment in an organizational structure, and in regard to this, there are some key things to consider. For instance, the manager should ask (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2013 p.42): 1) how complex is the business operation and how complex it is likely to be; 2) what is the degree of stability of the business as compared to the degree of stability in the marketplace, as the two are correlated; 3) what is your strategic focus and where are you heading, and; 4) who do you see yourself as an organization.

Organizations have been increasingly moving away from bureaucracy and one of the driving forces of this has been globalization. The phenomenal diversity and different cultures that organizations now have to contend and engage with has resulted in the decentralization of bureaucracy; the two polarities around organizational design pulsate between centralization and decentralization (ibid). This is a concept about who makes decisions and controls resources and at what level in the organization these considerations should be made. Centralization tends to suggest a concentration of authority in the hands of top executives; decentralization is devolving powers and decisions closer to the customers.

The organizational structure of a company defines how resources are allocated throughout the organization (Stanford, 2011a p.253). It tells the employees who reports to, what the level of priorities are, and how resources are going to be allocated. Resource, in this case, is people, as people are the most important resources of a company. This should help define among the employees how the company operates through established duties and responsibilities. In terms of the expected responsibilities of every employee, it should be mentioned that autonomy can also impact the level of job satisfaction in a company (ibid).

How much flexibility do people have and are they able to work independently with minimal supervision Generally, the more autonomy people have, the higher the level of job satisfaction. People want to make their own decisions and not have somebody always looking over their shoulder. Sometimes, however, this approach can result in a level of stress when there is a lack of clarity about what an employee is supposed to do. As the CEO, I will also make sure that people are getting feedback because they need to know if they are doing a good job or not. It is not enough for a manager to tell people that he or she is not doing a good job; the manager needs to explain why and tell them what they can do to improve. Through feedback, people have a chance to grow and do things better in the future.

There are two levels of concern in a conversation, especially in an argument. As an example, ‘content’ is what two persons are arguing about; ‘process’ is how the two persons are arguing about it (Wyer & Srull, 2014 p.89). Are they screaming at each other Are they debating politely Are they passive or aggressive How are they doing it That is the process of the argument versus the content. In a workplace environment for instance, a conflict may be about an angry employee arguing with a coworker who constantly forgets to switch off the lights after office hours. The way that they are screaming at one another is the ‘process’ and the ‘content’ is about forgetting to turn off the lights. One person may continuously be nagging while the other person may be ignoring the other and this goes on and on every day. People may wonder why the two are having the same fight over and over again. In such cases, the problem is not really about the content [switching off the lights] but about respect, about honoring what the other person has requested. The problem, therefore, is about something else entirely [how the other person is being asked to do it, or who is doing more work, etc.]. As such, the ‘content’, or the lights is not what the problem is all about, the problem is about how a person feels he is being treated in a relationship.

In the same light, sometimes there can be ambiguity which causes stress. This happens when people are unsure about their roles and what they are supposed to do (ibid). There may be a number of reasons for this: they may not know what they are supposed to do, or they do not know how they are supposed to do it. Since it is the responsibility of the manager to make sure that the employees are properly trained to do their jobs, it is the manager that is usually at fault. As such, I will see to it that managers are very familiar with the skill sets of their subordinates. Another circumstance that may cause stress is when an employee does not know why a task given to him or her by the superior is important (Stanford, 2011b p.365).

Numerous challenges can impact the performance of a Chief Executive Officer for the better or for the worse. I understand the implications of the different cultural dimensions that can exist within highly-diverse teams and organizations. I acknowledge the fact that a culturally diverse group of people have different levels and backgrounds of education, listen to different music, have different religions, and have different personalities. The combination of all these dissimilarities impacts harmony and productivity in the workplace, and this is where my presence and visibility will be crucial in appropriately managing diversity in the company.

3.3.      Part 2

It is my firm belief that the utilization of a Performance Appraisal System is paramount to the development and growth of the company. However, a performance appraisal will not work if it is the only tool that is used to manage performance. Performance appraisals need to be part of a bigger system where performance is managed throughout the year. If the performance appraisal period is conducted annually and it is the only time that management looks at individual and overall performances, such a once-a-year appraisal is not going to work. However, if it is combined with a year-round management system, it can be ensured that it will work effectively.

For the employees, a performance appraisal tied in to a year-round performance management system can really give them the direction that they need. It creates a sense of job security because employees can know that what they are doing and how they are performing it is meeting the expectations. It also provides the opportunity to recognize the employees for their good performance. This is something that employees thrive on; they need recognition for their work.

Career development is essential. People are either going forward or going backward; people do not simply stand still. When we take a look a look at performance management, this is an opportunity to identify what needs to be done, where the employee wants to go, and what management can do to help employees reach their personal goals through internal training, external training, job opportunities, or some other kind of development opportunities. This also serves as an early recognition system for problems that might come up. And so if management can catch things early on, the issues are addressed before they become problems.

Most performance problems can be dealt with just by simply talking with the individual. Most employees who are poor performers or behaving incorrectly are doing the things they are doing because they are unaware that what they are doing is not acceptable. This means that if the manager or supervisor is silent about such things, the employees are just guessing about how the company wants them to act. Through active performance management, as we share things with others through the conversation process, this allows management to confront existing and potential problems within the ranks.

From the manager’s perspective, performance management as a year-round system helps to change the behavior of the employees. It helps to clarify what is expected by giving them feedback along the way so that together, the employee and the management can work together toward the goals that have been set. Management can increase the motivational factor for the employees because they are clear in terms of their understanding of what the management’s expectations are and they know whether or not their performance are meeting those expectations. This lowered frustration typically results in reduced turnover and increased promotional opportunities too as people advance and move ahead.

Some supervisors may ask: Why should I invest all this time and energy to all these employees if all they are going to do is to get another job in another department It should be understood by the supervisors that the employees are going to go somewhere whether they are provided with the resources or not. Giving or not giving them support is going to determine how long they will stay with the department or the organization itself. These employees are going to leave at some point in time. The more opportunities that they are given, and the greater emphasis that is provided in terms of training and development opportunities, the longer they are going to stay with the company. But even if they do leave, at least they are leaving somewhere inside the organization rather than taking all their skill sets to competitors.

Management should ask itself what it is trying to accomplish with the performance appraisal system. If the only reason is to document performance and to be compliant with current HR practices, then it is not going to be an effective management tool to help motivate individual performance and take people to another level. If instead, management shifts the focus on the employees, then it should identify how behavior and capabilities can be improved, and how performance can be increased, it starts to change the nature of how performance management works. By taking an employee-centric approach, the process will take the form of a coaching approach rather than the strict supervisor-subordinate relationship.

3.4.      Conclusion

As the CEO, I understand that my task – my role – is meaningful and the role of each employee in a company with a diverse workforce should also be personally meaningful for every individual. The recognition/realization of task significance is crucial for every member of the group. It is important that as a CEO, I understand that realization among the employees is not going to happen by itself and I should take responsibility for the recognition/realization to occur. The initiative has to come from me in making my people realize on a personal level that what they do is important. This can have a substantial motivational effect on the employees and I take responsibility for the employees’ realization of their tasks’ significance in the company.

References

Boella, M., and Goss-Turner, S. (2013). Human resource management in the hospitality industry: A guide to best practice. Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

Dwyer, P. (2014). Management Fundamentals in the Workplace. Mason, OH: Pearson Learning.

Durai, P. (2010). Human resource management. New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd.

Stanford, N. (2013). Organizational Health: An integrated approach to building optimum performance. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Stanford, N. (2011a). Corporate culture: Getting it right. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Stanford, N. (2011b). Organization design: The collaborative approach. New York, NY: Routledge.

Wyer, R. & Srull, T. (2014). Content and Process Specificity in the Effects of Prior Experiences. New York: Psychology Press.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Business Question 4: Management

Management has formulated a company-wide strategic plan defining specific objectives for the new information systems being introduced. Describe how you would develop the operational basis for meeting these strategic objectives. Homework help – Discuss both the means to maximize the potential of the new systems and also the means to minimize the negative impact of the technology.

 

4.1.      Introduction

Every firm can benefit from the latest technological advances whether it is an established multinational company, a small business or a start-up, or whether it is a high-tech industry or not. The reality is that about two-thirds of IT projects fail based on studies of academics and consultants either because they are not completed, only partially-completed, or because they go over budget (Sengstack & Boicey, 2015 p.183). Before implementing an IT solution, the processes in the business should be completely understood; only then should management determine how IT can improve each process, thinking about IT as an enabler of a business operation where the focus will be on gaining efficiencies, that is, a faster and leaner operation.

In developing the new information system, it is important to keep in mind the actual needs and requirements of the hands-on users by collecting data and generally involving them in the overall development process. This can be done by talking with the people on-site and learning about the nature of their work, particularly its technical demands. What the hands-on users want to do, what they need, how they do it, what they are able to do, and what they are willing to do are crucial elements in developing a new system. In regard to this, what they want and what they need might be two different things because the hands-on users may be unable to precisely identify the best type of system that will address their collective technical needs in the real world. As such, communication between the developers and every hands-on user at every stage of the development process is very important. Otherwise, errors or insufficiencies resulting from lack of information and/or input would ultimately require systems modifications before an ideal system can be perfected, and this would cost more money.

4.2.      Part 1

End-user development plays a major role in the design and development process of the new information system. End–user development requires close coordination between the developer and the hands-on users who may not necessarily be trained in programming. As a field, end-user development may involve creating a new program or taking an existing program and changing the way it operates. The hands-on users help the developers by providing relevant information that the developers need. In this way, they help create the software that they are going to use. Arguably, they are in the best position to provide information because they know a huge amount of detail about the context of the use than a professional programmer would know.

The first thing to do would be to see if there are flaws in the business processes that can be improved; but even if there is no good process in place, there are IT solutions that allow the right information to flow within the organization and also to record milestones until the right outcomes are achieved. There are world-developed IT solutions that integrate processes and business functions, known as Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, and there are affordable products out there for small businesses (Ferreira, 2013 p.3).

What do we need to know in order for our business to succeed By answering this question, we will be able to identify the core processes that we need to pay more attention to and the information necessary to support these processes. It is important to identify critical success factors for the success of the business. Once these factors are identified, we will realize that there may be things that we don’t know about the business. This will mean that there must be a redesigning of the business process and a corresponding implementation of an IT solution to bring the necessary information. In this aspect, the business can benefit from IT-Enabled Business Intelligence; it is the use of IT to make accurate information available to the right audience at the right time for decision-making (El Sheikh & Abdel, 2011 p.x). The focus will be on using information to make the right business decisions in addition to making the operation leaner and faster.

Once we identify the processes and information required to support them, we need to find the right IT solution. There are many IT solutions available for most standard processes of business operations; some are even tailored to specific industries or businesses. However, the business firm needs to ask the IT vendor for a Proof of Concept through demos or visits to companies that have implemented such solutions (Scholten, 2009 p.74). In this regard, an important emerging trend is cloud computing and it reflects the underlying reality that many IT solutions can be found online and can be provided via an Internet connection (Menken, 2012 p.35). Even small or start-up businesses can be up and running with sophisticated IT infrastructure by paying a subscription fee for an IT solution that is provided online. There can be tools to develop the application if that is what the firm wants to do; whether the business develops an IT solution in-house or purchase it from a vendor or rent it online via a subscription fee, it should be ensured that the system is tested before bringing it live.

In designing and implementing an appropriate system, failure is a possibility as a lot of time and money can be wasted. In order to mitigate this, it is possible to gather information in one repository that covers all phases of the design cycle. It is important to assist the people involved to collaborate more effectively through the design cycle. Information gathered in the early stages can be referenced right through, it can be reused in later stages of the cycle, and people can collaborate to get a better understanding of how the system works today and how the system can work more effectively in the future. This allows for the creation of a comprehensive model of the organization. Through that model, it is possible to cater to the different views that people have. Information is gathered at each stage of the design cycle, and that information is built upon in order to build a better representation and a consistent and complete understanding of how the organization works. The design process may also be assisted by the presentation of sample frameworks to the company. The frameworks may represent best practices for a particular business industry, presented as models or optional starting points for the organization. The frameworks can also be referenced and built upon to be specially-customized to the specific needs of the company.

Having a single collaborative engine translates into an asset for the business, as opposed to the highly-redundant method of singularly going through the stages of the design process before understanding the real needs of the company. The said asset is a result of the investments through the various stages of the design cycle whereby a more complete understanding of how things work in the business is acquired. Furthermore, with a single repository which incorporates all the processes, the organization is able to continually improve by referencing information in that asset, collaborating more effectively on the way the business might improve, and implementing incremental or transformational change for the business.

All of these will help increase the success rate of IT systems implementation and business transformation projects. Through a single repository that represents corporate DNA of the organization, the following benefits can be achieved: 1) risk can be reduced through the elimination of unnecessary translation between the different phases of the project; 2) effectiveness can be increased through collaboration; 3) cost can be reduced through the use and reuse of information through the various phases of the project, and; 4) time frame for completion can be reduced through the elimination of unnecessary reworking in a cycle.

4.3.      Part 2

The business strategy must differentiate the business from its competitors by providing top customer service. This helps to determine what the information system strategy should be. What information should be deployed to provide the best customer service What information should be provided to sales agents and customer service representatives and what information will customers demand about the service The answers to those questions will constitute the nature of the information systems strategy. This is also where the consideration of the processes in the organization should fall into place. What are the core processes that must be developed to provide that quality service How can the business use technology to implement the information systems strategy that it has devised How will the technology support the business processes that will support the system

For example, if one finds that a key demand for customers is to see information about the product offerings in a tailored manner, then the business will need to deploy the right technology to provide the information via the Internet in a reliable manner and in a way that users can customize it to their own needs. In this, one should think about technology in the context of competition. Is Information Technology purely an enabler of the process, or is it also a component of the strategy such that it can provide competitive advantage

The application of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats [SWOT] Analysis is a vital key to determining the likelihood of success of a company’s strategic plan (Mathis et al., 2015 p.13). In regard to this, it is important to know how each of the four aspects mentioned relates to the business. For strengths, it can be helpful to know what the company does well. What resources does it offer to the public and how is it using information technology to promote its business for its benefit With weaknesses, what services could the company improve In what areas does the competition have the technological edge and what technology should the business actually try to avoid In terms of opportunities, the company should think about how technology is always changing. Are there any interesting trends in technology that the company would like to use Is there a need in the market that no one else is currently filling With threats, the company should consider what the competition is doing well. What information security threats should the company be most concerned about and what new innovations are others bringing into the market

Nowadays, it is common knowledge that information technology has become the operational cornerstone of government agencies, non-profit enterprises, and commercial companies of all sizes. Success or failure of these enterprises is often dependent upon the strength and flexibility of their information technology infrastructure. A guiding principle is that business vision is the platform for all information technology strategic planning. Technology without business application has no value. In a properly functioning enterprise, the executive leadership team will have established a clear business vision for the entire organization; this business vision drives the design of the business infrastructure. It is the responsibility of the Information Technology team to use this business vision as a basis for the development of a technical vision that supports the enterprise.

The combination of the technical vision and the business infrastructure should determine the design of the information technology infrastructure. In an organization with a highly-respected IT leader and technology team, there should be some feedback to the business vision from the technical vision and infrastructure. This feedback will include information about how information technology might be used to not only support the business vision but actually enhance it, thereby improving the future ability of the enterprise to deliver its product or perform its mission. The Information Technology team should maintain a strong focus on the strategic vision rather than on the operational vision.

Strategic vision should be the basis for the design of the infrastructure and the enterprise and technical infrastructures should be fully integrated as possible. An organization that follows this process of creating a strategic vision and integrated infrastructure is well-positioned to move along a tactical path toward a strategic target. Vision is provided by the leadership and determines the composition of all infrastructure elements. A properly designed strategic planning process can be repeated at well-chosen intervals of perhaps two to five years for each new planning cycle.

In our company, the Information Technology team has historically been operating as an overhead function that only provided back-office support to administrative activities. However, the Chief Executive Officer has a vision to increase revenue and he knows that he needs to recruit an IT team to his plan if he is going to succeed. The vision is to move Information Technology from a costly overhead to a revenue-enhancing sales accelerator which can boost company productivity. This vision requires that IT become fully embedded in all parts of the organizational infrastructure so that IT can become a catalytic business tool.

This is just for planning Year 1. Overtime, the business vision and infrastructure will evolve and the IT vision and infrastructure will become even more fully supportive of the organization in a variety of ways. The vision is to move the IT system from being a set of discreet technical tools to a sales acceleration system that generates more revenue. In time, the Information Technology team will move even more deeply into the enterprise infrastructure. Hands-on users will be fully knowledgeable of the system and will be capable to harmonize their work processes to the overall company goal.

For an organization, a Management Information System [MIS] is like a nervous system; it delivers or carries information throughout the organization and it is very crucial and critical to the well-being of the company, allowing it to be more responsive to arising needs dictated by the business and/or the market (Warier, 2003 p.10). Since it is the nervous system of the organization, it must support the organizational strategy in every way possible; it should be designed to be aligned with the strategy. It is common knowledge that typically, large organizations are structured like pyramids with the top management occupying the smallest layer, the middle management at the center, and at the bottom are the front-liners which represent the widest layer of the pyramid. The kind of MIS that is designed for each of those layers should be different based on strategy.

A necessary starting point to be able to get a system correctly configured is by identifying the requirements of the company. What does the business do and what does it need The answers to these questions will determine the kind of specialist IT tool that it will need. The required tool may be a means of gathering information, categorizing the information, sorting it, filtering it, and providing it to different people who are involved in the project so they can build the system. After the requirement stage, the design phase should follow. In this stage, the requirements need to be elaborated in order to determine how the said requirements are going to be satisfied. This can only be done by getting more details about how things are going to be specified, and this requires some description of the needs in a form that external parties can understand. The next stage is the configuration phase of the system, or the actual construction of the system. It is important to translate information that has been gathered in the requirements stage, to the information required in the design, down to the configuration stage of the design system.

All of these, in turn, are translated down to the testing stage. At this phase, it is likely that the current system developed may not yet meet the requirements of the business. When requirements are defined, this should be done in a fashion that allows the IT people to design and configure systems according to those requirements; so they are systems requirements rather than business needs. However, at every phase, it is important to get confirmation from the business personnel if the system being developed is an accurate representation of what the business requires to perform more effectively. In the event that the testing stage fails, the entire process needs to be reworked until a satisfactory system which is a ‘right fit’ for the business has been developed. In the implementation stage, the design team should look at the training needs of the people who will be using the system, ultimately resulting in a new operational state. Training is vital to the success of the new system because through this, the people are going to be able to apply new processes, new systems, and new responsibility sets to the work they perform.

4.4.      Conclusion

Within any stage of the design cycle, unexpected circumstances can impact the process. In the business world, constant changes may simultaneously require changes in the design of the system while it is yet being developed. The scope of the project may change, it may increase or decrease; economic circumstances which are outside the influence of the organization [such as increased regulatory compliance obligations, for instance] may change; there may also be other additional business changes that may need to be incorporated into the new system. The design process must allow for the incorporation of change in any of the stages of the design cycle while also allowing for the updating of documentations in order to meet and satisfy the expectations and requirements of the business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

El Sheikh, R. & Abdel, A. (2011). Business Intelligence and Agile Methodologies for Knowledge-Based Organizations: Cross-Disciplinary Applications. PA: Business Science Reference.

Ferreira, D. (2013). Enterprise Systems Integration: A Process-Integrated Approach. Heidelberg: Springer.

Mathis, R., Jackson, J. & Valentine, S. (2015). Human Resource Management: Essential Perspectives. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Menken, I. (2012). Cloud Computing: Managing Services in the Cloud. Queensland: Emereo Publishing.

Scholten, B. (2009). MES Guide for Executives: Why and How to Select, Implement, and Maintain a Manufacturing Execution System. NC: International Society of Automation.

Sengstack, P. & Boicey, C. (2015). Mastering Informatics: A Healthcare Handbook for Success. IN: Sigma Theta Tau.

Warier, S. (2003). Knowledge Management. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Business Question 5: International Business

As “citizens” of the world, multinational corporations have an obligation to abide by the local laws of the host culture and meet or exceed overall ethical standards. As an international consultant you have thirty minutes to talk to the CEO of a company preparing to do business in developing countries. Outline the most important “facts-of-life” you would explain to the CEO and the rationale for your selection of the specific facts you decided to emphasize.

 

5.1.      Introduction

Our world has changed rapidly in a very short period of time. As readily manifested and evident in the globalized economy of today, geo-political orientation has created vast new markets which, twenty-five years ago, did not exist for all practical intents and purposes. As the international consultant for this multinational company, the following facts-of-life in the international business arena will be presented in Part 2 to the Chief Executive Officer: 1) Laws on Acceptable Working Conditions; 2) Human Rights Laws; 3) Environmental Pollution; 4) Corruption; 5) Moral Obligations, and; 6) Cultural Conformity.

5.2.      Part 1

Russia, The People’s Republic of 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China, and Vietnam were all closed markets twenty-five years ago and because of a variety of reasons, they are now open markets which actively participate in the global economy. Mass migration has played a big part in the globalization of the world, giving rise to greater cultural awareness within and among societies (Murray & Overton, 2014 p.4). Sophisticated communications like the Internet have facilitated instantaneous communications around the world, further emphasizing the impact of cultural diversity and awareness. It should be recognized that culture has a significant impact on buyer behavior, making it absolutely essential for organizations to understand culture in order to be successful in the global economy (Lantos, 2015 p.167). In view of this, organizations need to develop separate customized marketing programs if they want their message to reach their intended audience.

According to the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. global companies exported US$ 2.3 trillion worth of goods in 2013 and that does not count the hundreds of billions of dollars in services that U.S. companies have exported (International Trade Administration, 2014). It also estimates that 95 percent of America’s consumers live outside of the borders of the U.S., and for every additional billion dollars of trade that the country has, it supports an additional five thousand U.S. jobs so the stakes are very high indeed (ibid).

The due diligence process that companies have to go through need to include cultural awareness along with political, legal, economic, and other considerations; this is required in order for an organization to formulate a successful marketing strategy (Heineman, 2013 p.273). It must take into consideration the values, etiquettes, and attitudes of its target audience. What happens if it is not successful If the company fails to reach the target audience and to engage them, the company will fail.

Language is the best indicator and most visible form of culture: Spanish formulates a Hispanic culture; Japanese, Korean, or Chinese formulate an Asian culture. Religion defines many cultures as well: Many مساعدة التعيين – خدمة كتابة المقالات من قبل كبار الكتاب العرب, Arabic-speaking countries are identified with Islam whereas Italy, France, and Spain, are associated with Roman Catholicism. Values make up an important part of culture; some cultures highly value individualistic thinking, whereas other cultures admire conformity to a group (Theiss-Morse, 2009 p.68).

The mention of sushi, tempura, and sake evokes a specific culture and a specific country. The mention of sauerkraut puts to mind another culture and country. People around the world know who introduced hamburgers, Big Macs, and Twinkies to the world. Another component of culture involves value; In 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China, for example, people do not tolerate advertising that is not truthful (Luo, 2001 p.176). In Germany, it is against the law to imply that the product of the competition is inferior (Jones, 2015 p.13). Goodyear wanted to advertise that its tires were stronger than chains and showed chains breaking in its advertisement; the German government would not allow it because it inferred that the quality of German chains were sub-par (Salera, 1969 p.164). Understandably, this was after the company spent huge sums of money in campaigns; had they conducted some research on the existing business culture, they would have had a better understanding of the business scenario and would have done things differently.

5.3.      Part 2

5.3.1.   Laws on Acceptable Working Conditions

When it comes to international business and ethics, issues arise due to differences in political systems, law, economic development, and culture. It is common in developing countries for employees to work long hours, receive low pay, and not have protection against exposure to toxins in their workplace. Nike is an example of a business where protestors revealed the working conditions of its subcontractors. Reports were made that young women were working long hours in poor conditions surrounded by toxins six days a week and receiving a minimum salary of twenty cents an hour (Beder, 2002). This was not illegal but due to the exposure and the fact that this was unethical, Nike was forced to re-examine their policies (ibid). Making sure that businesses in other countries are ethical is difficult due to the cultural differences in business practices. Monitoring subsidiaries and subcontractors, setting policies that they must follow, and taking action if those policies are not followed may not be a way to banish unethical behavior but it is a way to minimize it.

5.3.2.   Human Rights Laws

In many nations today, basic human rights are not respected. Examples of these rights denials are on freedom of speech, assembly, movement, political repression, and many others. Because these rights are not usually granted, foreign businesses need to be careful and need to look at the laws in the countries that they have their businesses in. South Africa, for example, had apartheid laws which imposed segregation and discrimination on the basis of race. General Motors was a company that was doing business in South Africa. Although they were in a nation where segregation and discrimination were culturally accepted, GM adopted policies which required them to fulfill two conditions (McGraw-Hill, 2013): 1) they were not to obey apartheid laws in South Africa, and; 2) the company should do everything in its power to promote the abolition of apartheid laws. Although there was apartheid law in South Africa, GM did what they believed to be ethically correct and this led to other companies following in their footsteps (ibid). Going against local laws the way GM did may bring positive results where the nation may change the rights of people and improve their laws in the way they are treated.

5.3.4.   Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is an ethical issue which harms people, animals, and natural resources surrounding the area. Developed countries have strict regulations which only allow a certain amount of emission of pollution, prohibit dumping of toxins, and the use of toxins in the workplace, as opposed to less-developed counties where there are no such strict regulations (Shapira & Tabory, 1999 p.393). In the modern world, corporations contribute to pollution by moving their businesses to locations where they indiscriminately dump their toxic wastes into oceans and rivers, emitting an unlimited amount of pollution (Okafor, 2011 p.249). Today, it is a well-known fact that nations are regulating the pollution more and more due to human-induced global warming and the increase of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere but still, these regulations differ between nations.

5.3.5.   Corruption

Corruption has always been an issue within governments. Many government officials have been proven to be corrupt and it is common knowledge that international businesses have gained economic advantages by paying these corrupt officials. After Carl Kotchian, president of Lockheed, paid US$ 12.5 million to Japanese agents so that he could set up a transaction for the purchase of TriStar jets, America implemented the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which effectively countered the practice of bribery in exchange for business, particularly among foreign government officials (Mercosurteam, 2013). In 1997, the convention of combatting bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions was adopted. This made any bribery of foreign public officials a criminal offense; now, businesses need to think twice before bribing a government official.

5.3.6.   Moral Obligations

Moral obligations are another issue with international businesses. Corporations have control and power due their ability to produce from country to country. Although that power is limited by the laws and regulations, it is the moral obligation of these corporations to give something back to the society where they have become successful. This concept is called social responsibility. The power of a corporation can be used in a good way to help the society in which they have succeeded; however, other corporations can abuse this power and use the circumstances in order to self-servingly profit from the situation.

5.3.7.   Cultural Conformity

The first important consideration that must be recognized by a foreign firm intending to establish business in another country is an understanding of the local market in the context of its local culture. This knowledge is important in the articulation of how to service the said market. More important is an understanding of the rules. How does one play by the rules What are the regulations involved when a foreign company enters the business scene in terms of the legal side, the best practices, and the HR.

In terms of business ethics, the following guidelines are vital: 1) the foreign firm must have a passion to learn how the local business operates under the local culture, and; 2) there must be an absolute standard of ethics. For the latter, this has to do with the business maturity of the economy. In regard to this, the United States has been the capitalist head office of the world, so to speak, with centuries of business experience. Historically, modern 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China just opened its doors to capitalism in the late seventies.

In today’s globalized economy, more and more people from different countries are travelling and doing business with each other. As a result, there must be a lot of learning on how to engage with a different market so that fruitful collaborations may develop. A foreign investor must have a very open mindset. One challenge facing foreign firms is the need to localize their products as they are introduced to the local market (Hill & Jones, 2008 p.150). In this aspect, products often need to be redesigned to fit the preferences of the local customers.

In conducting business in other countries, it is also good to speak a few words of the local language, even if it is no more than a greeting; it can be even more greatly appreciated if the foreigner is fluent in the local tongue or at least conversant (Blacharski, 2008 p.63). More importantly, the foreigner must have sensitivity to people’s religions; in this aspect, knowledge can be acquired by reading about it prior to arrival at the foreign land (Boone & Kurtz, 2002 p.135). Acknowledging and respecting the demographic differences in culture and belief systems is crucial to achieving success when conducting business in other countries. As mentioned earlier, it is important to be very knowledgeable in the laws of the country, especially when it comes to the business aspect because they can be vastly different in other countries. In the United States, there is what is called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act [FCPA] (Murphy, 2011 p.1). A business person is allowed to give small gifts but if it becomes much more expensive, it is then perceived as a bribe when doing business and can lead to legal consequences. In view of this, it is not advisable to rely on the opinion of other people who say that this or that way is the normal way of doing things in this country; one should do his or her own research on the prevailing laws of the land.

In the Middle East these days, there are a lot of changes going on as there is more dislike of Westerners (Perry, 2012 p.186). As such, personal safety should be a concern of any Western individual conducting business in the region. In relation to this, Westerners should be especially sensitive to their religion and should be conscious of the way that they dress. Moreover, it would be advisable not to go to places which are known to be unsafe for Westerners. In many places, genders are separated; women should be careful that what they wear does not offend local beliefs and practices (Chaney & Martin, 2007 p.164). It does not mean that women cannot conduct business there but they should be aware that they are treated differently than men.

In 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China, a foreign business person should adjust appropriately to the Chinese environment because of the substantial cultural difference as compared to what has been accustomed to in their home country. It is important to engage the Chinese in a way that adheres to established cultural processes. In terms of ethical processes, the substance is basically the same in all countries; however, it must be acknowledged that 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China has a gift-giving culture, whether it is in the form of material gifts or some form of entertainment (Gesteland, 2012 p.148). Chinese hosts normally want to give their guests a warm welcome. In this aspect, what may be perceived as a bribe in other countries because of their ‘zero tolerance’ policies on gift-giving does not apply in 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China. This means that it is advisable – in fact it is expected – for a business person to show up with a number of gifts, especially ones that are geared toward seniority in a very hierarchical society. However, it should be understood that there are gifts that are allowed and ones that are not; highly expensive gifts can clearly suggest a bribe. In terms of business ethics, the Chinese are less confrontational in the conduct of their business. This means that what may be perceived as grounds for argumentative confrontation in other countries, especially in the West, does not apply in 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China (Mei, 2012 p.48). If they dislike something, they leave the bargaining table rather than engage in an argument.

One of the things that can be really difficult for people who are non-English speakers is that people who use English use a lot of slang expressions about many things. For instance, the meaning of the expression ‘a piece of cake’ would easily confuse a non-native English speaker when all it means is doing something that is very easy. Because English is not a pure language and has parts in French, Latin, Italian, German, Scandinavian, and Celtic languages, there are many slang expressions (Algeo & Butcher, 2013 p.257). If one is doing business with people and they have a different culture, slang expressions have to be used carefully in order to avoid confusion. Some languages are very old; certain words contain certain meanings far beyond the dictionary meaning. This means that a foreigner should not be too eager to say words in a new language unless a translator advises about proper contexts; there may even be proper body language associated with different words or expressions, just like in the English language.

Another thing that is important is that a businessperson must be trustworthy on all occasions. When meeting somebody, especially for business, one must be at the specified place at the agreed upon time and not later. A typical dining utensil in 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China is the chopstick, and a business person should have no problem with using chopsticks during luncheon meetings. It is also crucial to always show respect; one of the things that North Americans tend to do is to be overly-familiar. This is evident even in colleges and universities where students are eager to call their professors by their first name, like Gary or Bill (Hannawa & Spitzberg, 2015 p.509). This can be disconcerting to people with European, Latin American, or Asian culture which places more respect in ranking or titles during conversations.

5.4.      Conclusion

Awareness of the local business environment of the target market is vital to the success of a multinational corporation. Diversity continues to play a major role in the globalized economy and this has prompted international organizations to think in a new way. This shows that our thinking is evolving as a result of our interconnected world. Companies need to conduct prior research before venturing into the local business environment of the target market. There is enough failure in business relationships between the same cultures and when a foreign business firm enters the local scene, the possibility for failure is magnified if a foreign firm fails to adapt to the new business landscape.

References

Algeo, J. & Butcher, C. (2013). The Origins and Developments of the English Language. Mason, OH: Wadsworth.

Beder, S. (2002). ‘Putting the Boot In’, The Ecologist 32(3), April 2002, pp. 24-28, 66-7.

Blacharski, D. (2008). The Savvy Business Traveler’s Guide to Customs and Practices in Other Countries. Florida: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

Boone, L. & Kurtz, D. (2002). Contemporary Businesses 2003. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western.

Chaney, L. & Martin, J. (2007). The Essential Guide to Business Etiquette. CT: Praeger Publishers.

Gesteland, R. (2012). Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: A Guide for Global Management. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press.

Heineman, B. (2013). High Performance with High Integrity. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Hill, C. & Jones, G. (2008). Essentials of Strategic Management. Mason, OH: South-Western.

International Trade Administration. (2014). U.S. trade overview, 2013. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Jones, D. (2015). Censorship: A World Encyclopedia. New York: Fttzroy Dearborn Publishers.

Lantos, G. (2015). Consumer Behavior in Action: Real-Life Applications for Marketing Managers. London: Routledge.

Luo, Y. (2001). 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China’s Service Sector: A New Battlefield for International Corporations. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press.

McGraw-Hill. (2013). ‘Ethics in international business’. McGraw-Hill Education. Retrieved from: <highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/…/Hill6e_IB_Sample_Chapter04.pdf>.

Mei, L. (2012). Conducting Business in 论文帮助/论文写作服务/负担得起我及时提交我最好的质量 – China: An Intellectual Property Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mercosurteam. (2013). ‘Ethical issues in international business. Mercosurteam.com. Retrieved from: https://mercosurteam.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/ethical-issues-in-international-business/.

Murphy, A. (2011). Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: A Practical Resource for Managers and Executives. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Murray, W. & Overton, J. (2014). Geographies of Globalization. New York: Routledge.

Hannawa, A. & Spitzberg, B. (2015). Communication Competence. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH.

Okafor, N. (2011). Environmental Microbiology of Aquatic and Waste Systems. New York: Springer.

Perry, B. (2012). Hate and Bias Crime: A Reader. New York: Routledge.

Shapira, A. & Tabory, M. (1999). New Political Entities in Public and Private International Law. Boston: Kluwer Law International.

Theiss-Morse, E. (2009). Who Counts as an American: The Boundaries of National Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

6. Business Question 6: Production and Operations Management

You are the CEO of a manufacturing company that has just won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. What were the two most significant management criteria in the award that challenged your company the most and why What lessons did your organization learn from your decision to enter the competition and the process of competing

 

6.1.      Introduction

The two most significant management criteria in the award that challenged my company the most were: 1) Customer-focused Results, and; 2) Workforce-focused Results. As Chief Executive Officer of my company in the hotel industry, I recognize that these two critical aspects of the business dictate the success or failure of the company. The people under me recognize this as well. In failing on either of these two business aspects, other business aspects would not matter much because the entire organization would falter. It is for this reason that all of the company policies that are formulated at the management level revolve around these two crucial elements.

6.2.      Part 1

How would businesses know what the customer really wants We live today in a world that is always looking for a quick fix, for the simple panacea that makes it all right. What businesses need to do is to go back to basics and really think about defining clearly what customers are really looking for. What are they buying from us The fact is that the business landscape of today has transformed into one that requires the building of closer relationships with customers. It is all about removing the barriers in order to form strong and enduring relationships.

The application of a customer-centric approach in this modern age is appropriate because there are fundamental changes happening in the economy where customers have access to more information and thus, more choices (Gupta, 2009 p.247). Competitors are increasingly becoming global and competing with each other for the same wallet, so to speak; in an intensely competitive marketplace, companies need to understand that they need to operate differently or they are going to have a very hard time (Trout & Rivkin, 2010 p.43). Re-organized businesses which are now applying the customer-centric approach should realize that this should not merely be a marketing idea but a deeply-embedded operational concept. It can be easy for any company to claim that their business is customer-centric. In this modern age, the timing is right not so much as for reorganizing as it is for re-orienting business.

Nowadays, no company will admit that they do not want to be customer-centric; otherwise, no customers will come to them. As a result, there is a lot of sloganeering in this aspect and such trend can create uncertainty among customers on what customer-centricity may really be all about. One important consideration for this approach is that customers tend to underestimate how hard it actually is to apply a customer-driven business. This is not just some kind of cosmetic sales re-orientation or marketing re-organization. If taken seriously, it is about the essential operational and structural framework of an enterprise.

For any company, customer-centricity should start with a shifting mindset. It requires curiosity about what customers really want, as well as a sense of humility and acceptance that customers know better about the quality of the products and services they want to receive in return for their money (Lowy, 2004 p.127). From the curiosity and humility, the business enterprise has to make a creative leap because the market may not tell exactly what it wants. Nobody told Steve Jobs that he or she wanted an iPhone. It is first important to have a deep understanding of what the needs of the market are and then make a creative leap by aligning all the elements of the organization to try and make that happen.

Customer-centricity is primarily all about the business model, its eco-system, so to speak. It is the operating model within the business which enables capabilities to be brought together such that the business can design and deliver a unique customer experience. In this aspect, organizational culture is very important because the culture is lived by the people. Nowadays, products and services do not have sufficient power to differentiate a brand from its competition. Brands themselves are inanimate entities and it is entirely up to the company to bring the brand to life. It can be stated that a brand is a promise made real by the experience; it is the people who communicate and bring alive the promises that brands make to the market itself. It is therefore very important to transform a business model into one which is able to create, deliver, and capture value through the lens of the customer rather than through the lens of the current business model.

In order to be a successful business in today’s world, you have to be a ‘customer-first’ company. You have to build your systems and processes around customer retention. This is as important as customer acquisition and unless both elements are correctly balanced, it would be difficult for a company to grow (Allen et al., 2001 p.24). More and more small businesses are actually taking control and taking advantage of this revolutionary change in the way that businesses should be run. Through the Internet, small businesses are able to get more data from customers; when combined with relevant data from social media, it becomes possible to develop a deeper view and understanding of who the customer is and what the market wants (Craig, 2013 p.187). It allows them to get insight, collaborate, make faster decisions, and ultimately develop company differentiation very quickly.

If a company has a customer, that customer has to be served. It does not matter what size the company is for as long as it has invested in the right technology to provide the service and experience that a customer demands. The one constant that should be present is that the customer should be at the heart of the operations and everybody in the company should have such focus; customer advocacy is really an end-to-end look at the customer across the company. Most businesses find it hard to try to embed new processes into their organizations when the idea is simply to engage with the customers and establish a continuous relationship with them. Therefore, it is beneficial for any company to get closer to the customer as much as it can. It has actually been a traditional scenario for businesses like small groceries to develop closer relationships with its limited number of patrons. However, as time passes and the company gets bigger and bigger, it usually loses track of what the customers really wants; it gets diverted from having a more personal attachment to its customers.

It is crucial for all employees to work toward the company’s vision. In the same manner, it should be a primary goal of a modern-day company to work with the employees, help them achieve their personal, professional and financial goals. It is the task of management to ultimately have an impact on the lives of employees on a professional and financial basis. In helping the workforce, the employees work harder, get better results, and are more engaged.

For a company to thrive, the people in it must thrive. This can be more easily accomplished if management is more conscious of the emotional intelligence aspect of it; this in turn produces outcome-focused employees. Outcome-focused employees are driven to succeed and work very hard to outperform the competition. As mentioned earlier, management aligns the goals of the company with the personal goals of the employees. In this manner, performance does not only drive the business but also creates engagement with the employees as they enjoy what they are doing; overall, the business grows because of it.

In regard to the fostering of employee focus, the Human Resources Department becomes a strategic partner for the business as it paves the way for an organizational culture that wants to learn better and more efficient ways of doing things. The dividing line between good companies and great companies is the culture: how people interact with each other and how they connect with the outside world. In a company with a great culture, it is not about the personal goals of the department heads but how they can work with the people in order to make sure that their respective departments win. In this way, people go beyond and above the call of duty to help each other out. When a company has great culture, everyone has a compelling vision and everybody works out differences to make that vision happen.

6.3.      Part 2

As an organization, entering the competition and competing with other organizations have further emphasized the importance of working harder through the network of relationships that we have within our company and with our customers who keep us in business. These relationships are the lifeblood of our organization and to take it for granted would be tantamount to failure. It is from this perspective that we now have greater regard for our mission and vision to provide the best possible service to our clientele. Great service is service that is delivered consistently through the network of relationships which starts right at the very beginning and all the way to the end. My company maps – at every point – what is happening with the relationships of the company with its customers. It is crucial for the company to ask: What can I give, what do I get back and how can we make it better In order to arrive at answers, it is good business practice to talk things over with each and every employee in the organization, especially those that are at the forefront of the business (Hitt et al., 2008 p.143).

As the CEO of the company, the competition has further strengthened my resolve to focus upon the needs of the customers as much as the needs of the employees whose efforts sustain the company. For this reason, I make sure that the company maintains a balance between customer focus and workforce focus because without such a balance, either the customers would feel ignored or the employees would feel unimportant. This would be counter-productive because in order to achieve our organizational goals, it is important for the employees to feel that their individual contributions raise the bar of excellence in our quality of service with every effort, whether big or small. Employee satisfaction and the sense of personal fulfillment play a very big role in what we do; it is something that we live and breathe every day, so to speak.

Since joining the competition, management has learned to spend more time working on employee engagement because the competition has further opened our eyes to the significance of our relationship with the workforce. In order to hear what our employees have to say, we have annual surveys to solicit feedback, and following the heels of these surveys, we have formed internal groups that really drill into the essentials of the feedback that we regularly collect. Although we want to know where we are doing things well, we want to know even more where we can be doing things even better. As such, management spends a lot of time pulling that information out and changing action plans in accordance with the results of these surveys and the feedbacks generated from them every year. Because we are looking at feedback from the annual surveys, it does not mean that it is the only time we are soliciting feedback. Like many organizations out there, we have an open door policy. This means that we are constantly getting feedback, processing it, and adjusting our game plan, so to speak. As the Chief Executive Officer, I take employee satisfaction seriously and so I hired a Human Resource Strategist. A big part of the work comes from looking at our alignment all throughout the organization. We spend a lot of time on strategic plans.

The competition has also highlighted the relevance of making the workforce see the intensity of my dedication to the company as the Chief Executive Officer. As such, I make sure that I am always visible to the people from morning until night. In regard to this, one of the major roles that I perform is to personally command and facilitate strategic planning for the organization. A positive message trickles down to the employees so that they can better understand how they can make a difference when it comes to performing our mission, vision, and values. When we say we want to achieve a goal, we ask what we are doing at each stage of the operation in order to achieve such goal. Winning the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award is really like icing on top of it but underneath it all is a lot of hard work by each and every employee in the company who makes sure that customers get the best hotel experience that they expect from our facility.

Because of the attention provided by the management to the concerns of the workforce, we now have a highly-productive and competent organizational culture (Holbeche, 2015 p.190). It is very easy for us to have fun at work when we are successful and so we have the right talent, the right people on board, and the right management team that can continually challenge every employee and push that bar higher and higher. Transparency is also one of the major drivers of employee satisfaction (Turner, 2011 p.579). As the CEO, I am the first to put myself on the microscope, in a manner of speaking. Part of the process that I apply for my personal and professional development includes doing my own internal assessment of my work performance, the result of which is made available to everyone. The transparency has a positive impact on the people as the trust of the workforce on the management increases. Part of our mission in strategy is to be the best place to work in and so the leadership team has taken that to heart. If one looks at the management styles and practices utilized in the company, we have built in specific items to tailor to that.

Part of that includes annual development planning which is strictly geared for our leadership team so when they have takeaways, it ties into things like performance management which also link up to the strategic plan process. Other aspects of the management process overlap. It has been observed that in increasing engagement with employees, learning how to communicate beyond just emails or texts, or whatever the personal preference is for our employees, these approaches have become instrumental in bringing success to the organization (Dickson, 2011 p.40). A lot of our tasks are not based around just doing but how we do what we do, and I believe that is what sets us apart from the competition. Even some of the programs for our Corporate Social Responsibility are employee-led; when one looks at philanthropy across the organization, a lot of those have a personal meaning for our satisfied employees (Levitt, 2012 p.81). Satisfaction within the workforce results in higher revenues for the company.

The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award competition has taught me to intensify my focus on four core objectives targeted by the organization. These include: 1) superior customer service; 2) employee focused management; 3) company growth, and; 4) performance retention and further growth. Every decision we make, we try and impact these four core objectives in a positive way. They act as a check-and-balance system, and we need all of these four systems in place to be effective and remain as a top-notch service provider. The third part of our culture is focused on a performance management system where we essentially measure everything related to performance. The assessment processes and results are available for everyone to view as transparency plays a major part in the evaluation process. In addition to this, management helps teams identify the most important measures that they should be working on. When accomplished, these are things that can help teams become successful in achieving their goals from an individual basis, a team basis, or a company basis. The teams set goals toward their achievement and the management tracks their results on a monthly basis. The important thing is for every employee to establish what his or her key priorities are and what should be focused on.

6.4.      Conclusion

It seems such a simple equation: Good customer service equals good business, and yet this apparently is not so. What does it take for a business firm to be customer-focused and employee-centered at the same time The problem with other companies who fail in this respect is that they lose focus along the way; one of the biggest issues is that businesses tend to focus on outputs rather than outcomes. In other words, businesses tend to focus on what they do rather than focusing on what it means for the customers as well as the employees. Even though the business may mean well, sometimes it doesn’t come out quite right for many stakeholders. There are times when a business loses focus on the essence of what the customers really want and what the employees truly need, focusing instead on what the management believes to be the best for everyone.

References

Allen, C., Kania, D. & Yaeckel, B. (2001). One-to-One Web Marketing: Build a Relationship Marketing Strategy One Customer at a Time. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Craig, R. (2013). The Everything Guide to Starting an Online Business: The Latest Strategies and Advice on How to Start A Profitable Internet Business. MA: Adams Media.

Dickson, D. (2011). Fostering Employee Engagement: Practical Tools and Best Practice Techniques. MA: HRD Press, Inc.

Gupta, S. (2009). Sales and Distribution Management. New Delhi: Excel Books.

Hitt, M., Ireland, R. & Hoskisson, R. (2008). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Holbeche, L. (2015). The Agile Organization: How to Build an Innovative, Sustainable and Resilient Business. London: Kogan Page.

Levitt, T. (2012). Partners for Good: Business, Government and the Third Sector. Surrey: Gower Publishing Limited.

Lowy, D. (2004). The Millionaire Brain: Real Secrets of Millionaires. New York: iUniverse, Inc.

Trout, J. & Rivkin, S. (2010). Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Turner, G. (2011). Proceedings of the 3^rd European Conference on Intellectual Capital. London: Academic Publishing International Limited.