Qualitative Scholarly Article Critique How Christian...

Qualitative Scholarly Article Critique Different types of research studies form the basis of evidence-based practice among many different aspects of health care. Qualitative research studies look at the most complex issues nurses face today and there is an emphasis on the need for more studies of this type. Critiquing qualitative research studies validate the study and provides a smooth transition incorporating the findings into clinical practice. Therefore, developing and maintaining the skills for critiquing research is a core nursing skill. However, many nurse professionals do not feel fully confident in critically appraising qualitative research studies. Nurses who are not comfortable with their skills in determining the quality of research studies, can spend ample amounts of time and challenges due to the language of research. The purpose of this paper is to systematically appraise a published research article, using the critiquing framework by Polit and Beck (2012). The paper chosen to be critiqued is a descriptive qualitative article that is titled â€Å"How Christian Nurses Converse With Patients About Spirituality† by Pfeiffer, Gober and Taylor (2014) published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Title The title of this study was appropriate and correlated directly with the study. It described the key aspects of the research study and it conveyed the central topic (how Christian nurses converse with patients about spirituality). The title was less than 15 words, so the

The Effect Of The Economic Recession On Small And Medium Companies Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 19 Words: 5784 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Since the establishment of Salfordia in 1975, the company has continued to enjoy growth which has increased the capability of the company greatly. However, that growth has been affected by the emergence of the economic recession which not only hits small medium size companies such as Salfordia in the whole country, as it also affects large and small medium size companies worldwide. Therefore, amidst this economic recession Salfordia has not been an exception, as most of their market clients either private or public sectors are finding it difficult to either have access to or buy out exactly the developed properties. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Effect Of The Economic Recession On Small And Medium Companies Business Essay" essay for you Create order This scenario has urged the need for the company to moderate the consequence of the present economic climate and also to get on market relocation. In order to neutralize the effect of this adverse market environment, Salfordia has decided through its management board to acquire a 5 years plan which meets annual target. It is hoped that the acquirement of such plan could situate Salfordia in a good stead to preserve and augment its profit margin even thought this hard economic period does not help. However, integrating this 5 years plan in Salfordia would not be an easy task due to its current philosophy, organizational structure and socio cultural behavior, i.e. family business nature, and also giving contemplation to the present economic climate. As a result it is in view of this that the management has commissioned this report to analyze the critical potential issues that may result from the achievement of this strategic plan. 1.1 The critical, strategic analysis During decision making process, before propose any recommendation it is essential to analyze the scenario in order to gain the required acknowledge, therefore this section deals with the investigation on the micro-environment which consists of broad environmental factors that could impact to a greater or lesser extent on Salfordia. In order to improve market share, and be profitable, survive! It is vital to explore the Salfordia environment, as this is what gives organisations their means of survival. Being Salfordia a company which focus their business in both commercial and industrial building in an equal workload levels, the first priority for them, as stated in its mission is to keep their customer satisfied by ensuring clients expectations are met. This is mainly based on achieving quality, budget and service; therefore clients are the most significant people for any businesses, as they are the resource upon which the success of the business depends. Research reveals, that it costs five times as much to attract new clients as it does to keep an existing one. The relationship between the client and the organisation is crucial, keeping clients pleased Salfordia would gain their expectation which is the key factor to make the company always profitable and the clients first choice. Thus, in order to achieve clients expectation it is practical to bear in mind the following points: Repeat business is the spine of selling as it helps to contribute revenue and decisiveness for the business. Companies are dependent upon their clients. Without developing client fidelity and contentment, could direct business lose their clients The company would not exist without customers. The company function should be to fulfil the needs of the customers. Nevertheless, it is difficult to meet clients expectations as environmental changes are part of life and Salfordia is not exempted of such fatal changes i.e. source of threats. Example, hostiles shifts i n market demand, new regulatory requirements, revolutionary technologies or the entry of new competitors. 1.2 PESTEL Analysis As a result, this section focus on the application of PESTEL analysis, as this helps to indentify how of the different aspects such as the political, economic, social, technological and legal environments might impinge on Salfordia Company (Gerry et al., 2008). In addition, it also enables Salfordia to develop more informed strategies (i.e. long term plans), as it identifies key drivers of change; which could be used to construct scenarios of possible futures. As mentioned previously, the company had an incessant decline from (2007 to 2009) the fact is that even though Britain officially entered recession on 23 January 2008 (Guradian.co.uk), they still had made an average profit of  £233,000. However, in the current year Salfordia has had a substantial loss of - £75,000 which is assumed to be linked with diverse factors such as political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. Having England officially entered in recession, which is normally accompanied by inflation, the effects of it can ruin many Businesses including Salfordia, as this means that their expenses could raise quite a bit, even as their income is under pressure. The inflation is a chain that affects both sides i.e. companies and clients. While recession takes a choke hold on the economy, it is more likely that there are fewer new clients walking through the doors of Salfordia and the existing clients may shut their wallets tightly as they also try to control their rising expenses. Consequently, it is vital to think up ways to increase the sales as well as the profits, as the resulting loss of income and decline in profits could be detrimental to Salfordia and could ruin it. It is appropriate to emphasize that companies profit are also linked with many external factors as it could be seen previously, Therefore, the global credit crunch does not only affect companies as it also is interrelated with Politics. As Gerry et al., (2008) mentioned these key drivers are o f course interconnected: high political instability and low economic growth are likely to go together. As a result below an investigation will be conducted in order to comprehend the various reasons that may have affected the good performance of Salfordia. A couple of months ago, England had elections which led the country to change its government. A report from the insurance service network, (2009) affirms that the global credit crunch starts to have an impact on the political stability, i.e. shifting from being an economic problem to a political problem. Furthermore, suggests that when an economy is in downturn, the government has less resource available to deal with issues when they arise, potentially leading to political instability. Yet, this statement confirms that is more likely that England was another victim of the recession which led the country changes its politics i.e. government change. As a result, the new government Politics (funding and policies) and legislativ e change (new requirements) in a way arouse uneasiness on the clients and the market itself, affecting in special small medium size companies such as Salfordia in the construction industry suffering disproportionately as a result of the recession, as it is clearly demonstrated that during the economical and political stability the company has been making profit i.e. surviving. 1.3 Social It is important to understanding social influence in organisation, as it can help Salfordia in this case to appreciate what motivates their clients. By achieving that understanding, Salfordia could develop strategies to target influencers, develop relationships, and leverage their social influence in different situations (Ellwood, 2010). In this case the social influence in Salfordia is closely linked to its organisational structure which is described by Covin and Slevin (1990, cited in Altinay Altinay, 2004) as the arrangement of workflow, communication, and authority relationships within an organization. The social influence in organization as stated previously is linked to the organisational culture. Salfordia as a family nature business has its own culture. Schein,(2004) explains that culture is an integral part of human society although quite abstract, it wields a very high influence on individuals and as a group. From this fact it can be seen why culture is principally in grained in the heart of people making it very hard to change, Moreover irrespective of the size, age and complexity of an organisation, it tends to exhibit its own restricted way of process which differentiates it from every other organisation. Innovation and entrepreneurship are fundamental drivers in todays economy, as this involves the conversion of new knowledge into a new product, process or service and the putting of this new product, process or service into use, either via the marketplace or by other processes of delivery. Although Salfordia has in the past 3 years up-graded its In-house IT systems (mostly financial) based upon commercial software / hardware. The fact is that innovation is a key aspect of business-level strategy for Salfordia since it is implicated with quality, price and sustainability (Gerry et al. 2008). This fact requires Salfordia being an innovative organisation as Gerry et al. (2008) explains that working in private sector, innovation becomes often a condition of simple survival as this market is increasingly competitive. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the public sector also needs innovation due to ceaseless cost pressures and increasing public demands which are compelling constant innovation and even new kinds of entrepreneurship. 1.4 SWOT analysis Having applied the PESTEL analysis, it is also import to employ the SWOT analysis as this method is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of situations in business and organisations. Gerry et al. (2008) counter that the aim of SWOT analysis is to identify the extent to which strengths and weaknesses are relevant to, or capable of dealing with, the changes taking place in the business environment. Nevertheless, the SWOT analysis headings offer an excellent framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition. 1.5 Analysis of the Organization Structure and Culture Salfordia is one small medium-sized construction management / contracting organisation based in Salford. The company started trading in 1975 and does not employ direct labour, i.e. all work is carried out by sub-contractors whom have been working for Salfordia for several years on multiple projects.The company is of Family nature business (i.e. a conservative nature / culture) and has been obtaining 100% of its projects in the North West region; all through traditional procurement route. However, they had a substantial loss of - £ 75,000. Salfordia covers a wide range of construction projects both private and public sector clients, such as offices and industrial facilities. Salfordia being a family nature business has advantages and disadvantages. At the moment Salfordia is in its 3rd generation and according to reserchs it could means that Salfordia is experimenting one of those follow cases, example lack of creating a plan or the reduce number of family nature business survi vors, as only between 5 to 15 percent continue into the hands of third generation or descendents of the founder(s). Yet, the implementation of the SWOT analysis would provide to this research more precise information in order to review the strategy, position and direction of Salforia proposition. Moreover, the SWOT analysis carries out an investigation in the existing structure of the Company, which will allow finding remedy to the causes of poor companys performance. 1.6 Strengths Since its humble beginning in the UK construction industry, Salfordia has now acquired a 35 years old history as a family business. This becomes one of Salfordias key strengths, as its experience can meet clients expectation. In any business the experience is something very coveted, and having 35 years in the market gives reputation to the company. Entering the heavy construction industry is complicated for new companies; as a result, the long standing name that Salfordia has developed is one of its primary strengths. This reputation in both private and public projects, commercial and industrial building encourages trust to clients to invest their money. This major achievement can have a profound effect on the capital base of the company. Communication within organization is vital, in relation with speed, Salfordia is also faster than others, as communication in family business environment is much easier and as a result, decision making can be taking quicker due the family being a natural team. Time in construction is essential therefore, fast decision are time saving i.e. speed is everything. However, the fact that family business is a natural team, this can make solidarity considered as trick one, as it is necessary to find equilibrium. No company is exempt of fight which means family business also have fights, but the advantage of it is that when the goal is to help the family business win, turf battles diminish. It is common in family business to have a clan culture which is synonymous of family culture usually typified with a vastly friendly atmosphere of operation in the company. The organization operations are running like an extension of the family. This culture type offers the advantage of getting absolute contribution from every member of the organization as a friendly environment helps to ease potential communication barriers. The employees in this type of organizations also see themselves as members of the same clan which makes issue nego tiation a lot easier. Nature plus nurture, growing up in a family atmosphere makes people absorb the skills that needs in order to succeed i.e. gives awareness of the life that the relatives lead. In addition, it makes people more familiar with the trials and tribulations, and what it took them to make a living for their descendents. Another asset that family nature business has is its authenticity, this allows member of family to work in a friendly environment and in addition, to have the ability to be fearlessly and emotionally honest which in a way can help a family business thrive. As mentioned previously, trust is essential in all business. Being Salfordia a family business there is a very high level of trust among family members, so it enables people to talk to each other very freely and openly. Finally regarding to work, in family business it is more likely that family members work twice as hard as other employees. However, construction sector is undergoing for di fficult time due to the lack of available projects, which means that every company has to work that bit harder to attract the lucrative contracts. Most large contracts are offered either by the government or by multinational companies which require that certain criteria are met. Failure to meet these criteria can result in the loss of a contract, even if the company is seemingly the best for the role. The above fragments have assumed some of the strengths that Salfordia has obtained throughout the years and also due to its organization structure, however, this analysis is needed to be taken in order to address the 5 years strategic plan. As anything in life family business have advantages as it could be seen previously and also disadvantages, which are explored below. 1.7 Weaknesses The major weaknesses or disadvantage that can affect the organisational structure of Salfordia is the high propensity not to deliver as at when due, the extremely friendly environment creates an enabling platform for laxity in the workplace. In term of complexity, family nature businesses are normally more complex in terms of governance than their counterparts due to the accumulation of a new variable: the family. Adding the family emotions and issues to the business increases the complexity of issues that these businesses have to deal with. Unlike in other types of businesses, family members play different roles within their business, example; In Salfordia the family members already hold specific roles: CEO; CFO; Contracts Director; Business Planning Director; Industrial Build Director. This fact can sometimes lead to a non-alignment of incentives among all family members. The informality can also lead to much inefficiency and internal conflicts that could threaten the conti nuity of the business, as most families run their businesses themselves (at least during the first and second generations), there is usually very modest interest in setting clearly articulated business practices and procedures. Another fact that is also connected with informality is the lack of discipline. Research reveals that many family businesses do not pay sufficient attention to key strategic areas such as: CEO and other key management positions succession planning, family member employment in the company, and attracting and retaining skilled outside managers. Delaying or ignoring such important strategic decisions could lead to Salfordia failure as a business (Indalecio, 2010). 1.8 Opportunities The application of PESTEL analysis, as helped to indentify how the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environments might impinged on Salfordia. Therefore, through its implementation it was identified key drivers of change; which is going to be used to develop more informed strategies (i.e. long term plans) and constructing scenarios of possible futures. As mentioned prior a couple of months ago, England had elections which led the country to change its government. Such change has brought new regulations that are favorable to companies such salfordia. According to Business Innovation and Skills BIS (November 2010), this Government is committed to a comprehensive effort to prioritise small businesses and those that run or aspire to run them. This decisive plan is required, as it will reduce the deficit and to restore confidence in the UK economy. The reason of that, it is because small and medium sized companies such as Salfordia are vital to econo mic growth, as they are the heart of the economy, providing 60 per cent of jobs and half of GDP. As a result, Minister Mark Prisk hosted a Summit for Small Business and set out a cross government package of measures to help the five million small and medium companies in this country grow and boost enterprise across Britain (National News, 2010). Consequently, Salfordia being part of the five million small and medium companies in UK will be benefited from the already government plan action implemented as described below: committed to reduce small profits rate of corporation tax to 20% (from April 2011) helped new businesses grow in areas most needing an enterprise boost, through the introduction of an employer National Insurance Contributions holiday for new businesses in target regions asked the Office of Tax Simplification to recommend how small business tax can be simplified introduced a one year temporary increase in the level of small business rate relief (from October 2010) pledged that regulation will be the last resort not the first; and where the case for regulation has been made, any that deem SMEs to be in scope must have a compelling case for their inclusion Moreover, other further actions that ministers from Department for Business, Cabinet Office, Treasury and Communities and Local Government have announced in order to support small businesses are: Improving access to finance Opening up government procurement and ensuring prompt payment Making sure our competition framework helps new companies access existing markets Providing targeted support to those that have high-growth potential Ensuring that Government is deliberately reoriented towards their needs (BIS, 2010). 1.9 Threats Threats are part of our life, so special attention needs to be given on family nature business as they are not exempted of threats. Example: Family feuding, letting emotions run the Business, Nepotism and no succession plan. Family businesses as well as any other organisation are faced with internal conflict which usually arises from the incapability to divide business and personal lives. Being Salfordia a family business is more likely that could face this sort of problem. Occasionally the feuding is due to the varied interests of each family member, personal egos or personal rivalries that spill into the business environment. This is a negative fact for any family business as they not share common goals, therefore it is important to eradicate such sort of behaviour. However, another common threat in family business is when business is running by emotions. This aspects could be perfectly facing Salfordia, as separate emotions from the business are not an easy task; being fou r out of six from the same family becomes a complicated situation as it is difficult to receive critical feedback from families. Therefore, a balance is required in order to control emotions. On one hand, if emotions interfere with the business, it can make the organisation appear weak to clients, and severely affect the ability to make sound business decisions. On the other hand, if people in charge are insensitive, it may appear cold and unfriendly. Yet, lack of sensitivity with family employees can also cause problems at home if people in charge are not careful. Therefore, it is required to determine the right balance of emotion needed based on the dynamics of your business environment. To conclude one of the reasons that many family business fails are due to the lack of no succession Plan. For instance if someone retires, leaves, or perhaps passes away it is vital to have a plan, otherwise the business fails (Indalecio, 2010). 2. The proposal This section consists on the elaboration of a proposal for how Salfordias organisation and culture could be changed, by identifying key strategies and drivers to enable it to become a more efficient, effective and collaborative organisation. Therefore, the follow fragments address important issues to do with the structuring of organizations and the resourcing of strategies, both important in effecting strategic change. However, Gerry et al. (2008) counter that designing a structure and putting in place appropriate resources do not ensure that people will make a strategy happen as managers report indicates that major problem with managing change the tendency of organizations are towards inertia and resistance to change because people tend to hold on to existing ways of doing things. Nevertheless, Cameron and Green, (2004) argue that changes occur in an organization as no organization is static. Those changes are influenced by factors either internal or external. So in order to change the organization and culture, it is required to adjust its current management. The change management is fundamental in a decline organisation such as Salfordia, as this is the process which continually would renew the organisations direction, structure and capabilities in order to serve the ever-changing needs of external and internal customers (Moran and Brightman, 2001). On the other hand, Al-Mashari and Zairi (1999) disputed that change management does not only deal with the renewing of organizations direction as it also involves the introduction of newly-designed processes and structures into existing practice through techniques that impact changes on human and socio-cultural issues. These factors described above highlighted the significance of the people component in making changes. This confirms that a successful change management is a function of the ability to manage people through the introduced changes. However, Burnes (1991) explained that such changes should b e taken gradually as fast changes, rather than sustaining the organization, can lead to a disintegration of the common goals and ways of working which have previously existed in the organization. In addition, Buch and Wetzel (2001) concluded that most processes designed to change organisational culture are said to take 10 years or longer. In this particular case, it is clear demonstrated that Salfordia needs a radical change within the organization in order for them to react to the survival threat that it encounters in its business environment. Yet, these changes could either be facilitated or impeded by the existing culture. This demonstrates the cause why determined effort has been focussed towards managing changes in an organization (Lewin, 1951; Bullock and Batten, 1985; Kotter, 1996 cited in Cameron and Green, 2004) Due to the organization facing immediate decline in turnover or profits, a big bang approach to change might be needed on this occasion, as Salfordia faces cr isis or needs to change direction fast. However, in terms of how Salfordias organisation and culture could be changed, the key strategies and drivers to enable it should combine these two types of strategic change: On one hand, revolution is a strategic that would require rapid and major strategic change and also culture change. Usually this is applied in circumstances where the strategy has been so bounded by the existing culture that, even when environmental or competitive pressures might require fundamental change, the organization has failed to respond. This might have occurred over many years and resulted in circumstances where pressures for change are extreme-for example, a takeover threatens the continued existence of a firm. On the other hand, evolution is another approach appropriate to apply to Salfordia as this strategy requires also culture change, but over time. Since the company has pointed a Business Development Manager, this anticipates the need for transformat ional change. The organisation may then be in a position of planned evolutionary change, with time in which to achieve it (Gerry et al., 2008). 2.1 Change Management Process Establishing a Sense of Urgency is a key factor in the change management process in an organization, as Kotter (2002) counter the first key to successful execution of change in an organization is to certify that sufficient people act with adequate urgency to generate a prolonged seismic surge towards the identification of the need to make changes. Moreover, Hayes (2007) states that this is needed as culture and organization structures are occasionally unexpected which makes them ingrained in an organizations activities, making it complicated to see the need to change particularly when such ways have yielded success. When establishing the sense of urgency, the staff of Salfordia must be prepared to recognize the need for change. The capability to impress this need on the staff would dictate the rate of sense of urgency created. This would be the core driving the people through the following stages of change process. In order to achieve that Kotter (2002) suggested mediums which i mpacts on both the intellects and emotional feelings of the employees to stir up the sense of urgency. Therefore, the following methods could be adopted to establish a sense of urgency in the change management process of Salfordia. Create an awareness of the companys vision of the synergy to be created through the acquisition process. Create an awareness of the new culture and structure and how it will help to sustain the proposed strategy of the company. Stress the dependence of the company on the effort of every staff of Salfordia towards achieving this goal. The process of change management starts with the elaboration of change management portfolio which oversees the evolution from the present condition to the intentional condition. The points encountered in the first stage can be communicated through a well organized integration workshop. The adoption of multimedia helps to encourage facts and works best on emotions, as they are not easily forgotten. After establi shing a Sense of Urgency the next step is creating guiding coalition. This step becomes vital in the comprehension of the integration process as it rapidly capitalizes on the outcome of the first step. In order to achieve the course of the change, it would be required to form teams comprising of highly motivated members, because this would serve as model to others in the company of what the organization want them to be. However, the composition of the team must be such that the roles ordinary of a team are sufficiently covered and in the right proportion. According to Belbin (1993) nine main roles are essential in a team and the criteria for satisfying the role. In addition he identified the coordinator and shaper role as a significant role as the role player drives other members of the team. These role players facilitate to connect the synergy of the team member and give the team direction towards achieving its goals. 2.3 Strategic leadership The leadership role in the guiding team is very important as a leader gives motivates, coordinates and gives direction to other members of the formed team. The leader in the Salfordia organization must be appointed based on clear vision of the companys direction and ability to influence the members of the team. According to Gerry et al., (2008) leader is not necessarily someone at the top, but rather someone who is in a position to have influence in their organisation. For this scenario as the brief states the role of leader could be undertaken by one of the family board members who has recently completed a Masters degree in Business Administration and is pushing for Salfordia to conduct a review of its business strategies. This action is described by Gerry et al., (2008) as charismatic leaders, who are mainly concerned with building a vision for the organization and energizing people to achieve it. Furthermore, he states that in current situation of Salfordia, these leaders have p articularly beneficial impact on performance when the people who work for them see the organization facing uncertainty. 2.4 Developing a Vision and Strategy A strategy to conduct the course of the company is essential particularly in a post merger condition. Vision may become impractical if there are no resources presented to implement them. The guiding teams assist to divulge the faculty of the firm by tapping into the tacit awareness of the members. The progress and success of the guiding team build trust and commitment on the staff of Salfordia. 2.5 Communicating the Change Vision When companies are going through organizational changes, communication becomes a vital factor to address as it has a close tie with the companys success. The reason of it is because communication is an integral part of human society as it helps in developing and understanding peoples culture. According to Burnes (1991) poor communications is one of the factors why organizations have not been able to implement changes successfully. Since communication in an organization is frequently in a top-down direction, it is important to stress the need for the leaders and top managers to be excellent communicators. Moreover, emphasizing the connection between leadership and communication, Marbin et.al. (2001) assured that communication and strong leadership play a fundamental part in preparing any organisation for change and in guiding the organization through the upheavals that result from changes made. However, Smith (2003) argued that breakdown in leadership, in communication with em ployees and project management failures has the strongest association with failure. As a result, a leader who has the facility to spread the vision of the organizational is needed to execute a successful change. In order to achieve that Dunphy and Stace (1990, p. 154 cited in Abraham et. al 1999, p.113) counter that such leaders create a new powerful and compelling vision for the future, demonstrate personal commitment to the vision, communicate the vision through a variety of strategies and implement it by building an effective top team, reorganizing and building a new culture. Furthermore, Bechtel and Squires (2001) suggested that all disseminated communication should address three components the strategic (what and why we are implementing the change) the tactical (how are we implementing the change) and the personal (what is in it for me). This gives an idea of what the component of communication may be in an organization undergoing change. 2.6 Collaborative contractual arrangement (partnering Route) Since the establishment of Salfordia the company has been using the traditional procurement, as a procurement system. The traditional system as any other procurement provides advantages and disadvantages. However, in the midst of the global credit crunch, it is required to stress on the risk that this procurement route is presenting to Salfordia. Such risks are: The overall programme may be longer due to the need to produce a fully detailed design before the project goes out to competitive tender and work starts on site The Client must have the resources and access to the expertise necessary to administer the contracts of consultants and the main contactor The consecutive timing of design and construction results in a lack of continuity between the designer and the builder (and hence less input on buildability) Claims for delay and disruption can arise if the design is not fully detailed prior to agreeing the contract sum or if the Client varies the design afterwards Yet, in order to successful implement the Change Management Process to Salfordia, it is recommended to explore alternatives procurement. By analysing the current culture of the organisation and the market itself it is advised that Salfordia should embrace the implementation of Partnering route. The reason of that is due to the Partnering route being a collaborative approach which benefits all parties involved, as it focuses on the needs of the customer. In addition, this system would improve performance through collaborative business relationships based on best value rather than lowest cost. This management approach is usually used by two or more organisations to achieve specific business objectives by maximising the effectiveness of each participants resources. However, it requires that Salfordia and the other parties work together in an open and trusting relationship based on mutual objectives, an agreed method of problem resolution and an active search for continuous measurab le improvements. Nevertheless, in order to make this change possible it is required considerable effort to set up and hard work to maintain it. Therefore, before embarking on the search for partners, Salfordia need to understand their own readiness for the journey including: Have we determined what we want to partner and why? Is our management structure appropriate and Do we have the right skills? Have we recognised our cultural attitude? Are we communicating our intentions and listening to the concerns of our people? Is the organisation sufficiently flexible and prepared to respond to change? By answer these questions the benefits that the Partnering procurement could offer to Salfordia organization are: Increased customer satisfaction Better value for the client Recognition and protection of profit margin for contractors and suppliers Staff development and satisfaction Creation of an environment that encourages innovation and technical developme nt Better understanding between partners and driving down of real costs Design integration with specialists in the supply chain Improved buildability through early involvement of the contractors Duplication eliminated Better predictability of time and cost Shorter overall delivery period Stability which provides more confidence for better planning and investment in staff and resources Staff training Staff training development is an indispensable preliminary strategy to steer clear of problems through proactive planning. However, implementing successful behavioral interventions require that all those involved in the intervention are thoroughly knowledgeable about and competent in the use of specific intervention techniques. Advertising Advertising plays an important role in the 5 years strategy plan for Salfordia as this is the most important tool in the marketing of products and services. The expenses on advertising are considered to be a profitable  investment that reaps profits both in the long and short run. Businesses that keep on advertising regardless of rise or fall in the economic times get a reasonable advantage over those that cut their ad budgets. Advertising offers many benefits: Information to the customer Improves the sale of product Alters the attitudes of people Direct communication Increase employment Economic progress 3. Conclusion Change is an important aspect in an organization life. The change management activity is an integral part of the change strategic plan for Salfordia. This task becomes more demanding based on the socio cultural differences of the organizations. The fact that each organisation has its own culture, it affects their organizational structure. Therefore, the importance to have a leadership who plays a vital role in an organisation, as he o her can influence their staff in order to improve the good performance of organisations. With the creation of mutual trust, communication, and technology innovation, it is expected that the goal behind the strategic plan for Salfordia will be achieved.

A Brief Note On Discrimination And Racial Discrimination

Discrimination made its way to planet earth way before it could be documented. Racial discrimination happens all over the world both consciously and unconsciously, destroying lives every day. Racial discrimination can best be described as, when a person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status. There are many forms of racial discrimination even if we don’t want to face it. Among the most important is harassment, workforce related, and cultural difference. It’s very important that we are aware of the many forms of racial discrimination so that we can refrain and report this type of unjust behavior. One of the most common forms of racial discrimination that one would agree with is harassment. Still until this day people are still harassed directly and indirectly because of their race. Harassment is a really cruel way to express ones feelings. Harassment can include, for example, racial slurs, offensive or insulting remarks about a person s race or color, or the display of racially-offensive symbols. Although the law doesn’t forbid simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision such as the victim being fired or demoted. The harasser can be anyone whether its in theShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Product Knowledge Of The Coffee Shop Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pagessources and summarise the information that these references can provide to assist you developing the knowledge of select ed products or services. In providing your responses, you should also provide a brief analysis of how reliable and valid of these identified information sources. 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The Poverty Within The Caribbean - 1940 Words

This paper seeks to examine the extent to which theories on the culture of poverty, can be used to explain poverty within the Caribbean. Poverty is one of the most globally recognized social problems across the world with countries on all continents experiencing it whether they are classified as developed, developing or underdeveloped. It is characterized by a lack or deficiency of something considered vital to society. According to the World Bank (2000), poverty can be defined as â€Å"the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing and education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. A global problem such as this leads to many theories being developed about it - what causes it and how it can be rectified, as well as the accompanying criticisms and oppositions. One of the most popular theories, if not the most popular, is the theory of the culture of poverty. 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7 Things Successful Students Do Consistently Free Essays

There’s no denying it – there are certain things that successful students do which other students just don’t. That’s not to say if you don’t do them you’re a bad student, but there are a few strategies that you can take on board to enhance your studies. Today we look at the common techniques that all good, successful students utilise. We will write a custom essay sample on 7 Things Successful Students Do Consistently or any similar topic only for you Order Now If you’re struggling, keep these in mind and try to incorporate each into your life as you go. 1. Don’t leave it to the last minute It’s easy to put it off studying and end up not reading everything you are supposed to, especially when you get so many pages in each of your classes to read every night, but successful students don’t let procrastination distract them from the end goal. Instead of putting off writing hundreds of pages at the last minute, start researching and writing as soon as possible. Not only will this give you more time to develop your arguments, but it will alleviate any last minute deadline stress! 2. Ask for Help Successful students are not ashamed to ask for help. A lot of students perceive asking for help as showing that they are struggling with their course. Successful students, however, view this action as a positive one. Sometimes you have to accept that you might be struggling, and that’s natural. It’s at that point that you need to talk to your lecturer. Successful students know that their instructors are expert resources and that instructors want their students to do well. Most tutors will love to help you if you come to their office hours or make an appointment to see them. 3. Go to their Lectures! Actually attending lectures is a big distinguishing factor between successful students and the ones who don’t get such great grades. It can be very tempting to skip a few lectures now and again, especially if they are early in the morning! But don’t miss out on any opportunity to learn and get support from you tutor. After all you’re paying for a seat in the class so why not use it? 4. Get Involved in Clubs and Sports While getting too involved in extracurricular activities might hurt your grades, being involved and finding the right mix is beneficial. Just going to class and going home to do homework, study and be with your roommates is going to stress you out and burn you out. Having something to escape to in order to take your mind off of the stress in your classes can be helpful and even crucial at times. Not only that but it is a great way to make friends and strength relationships with people who might be able to help you revise and study! 5. Take Notes Whether you want to admit it or not, you do not have a perfect memory. Taking notes in your lectures will help you pay attention, stay awake and remember the lecture weeks down the road at exam time. Don’t write every word, but write enough to jog your memory when necessary. You might write something down wrong or miss a part of a lecture while writing or if you stepped out of the room. Pull out your phone, tablet, laptop or other device and quietly record your tutor. 6. Prepare to Succeed Nearly every course that requires a large essay will tell you at the beginning of the term what it is you will need to write on. That means there is no excuse for putting off writing until the week before it’s due. You don’t have to finish it right away, but by starting it, you’ll relieve a lot of stress later on when you get more end-of-term assignments thrown at you.When preparing for exams, successful students isolate themselves from friends (other than study groups) and other distractions. They start early, review the material, and reread all the important points. They rewrite their notes. They ask for help on material they still do not understand – if you feel like you need assistance in your essay writing and research, then http://our site.com services can help. 7. Take responsibility for their own success. Successful students are realistic about the amount of time they need to study and pass up temptations to procrastinate because they place a higher priority on their grades. Successful students are willing to make sacrifices in order to keep up their grades because they value the long-term rewards associated with completing their university education. They have a clear idea of why they want to earn a university degree and it is this focus that helps drive them to success. Do you have this focus? How many of these characteristics do you displayDo you agree with thesePlease leave your comments below. How to cite 7 Things Successful Students Do Consistently, Essay examples

Farenheit Novel Essay free essay sample

A thematic example Of this would be the film Pleasantries. In the film, the society is one commonly described as utopian or perfection but in reality it is quite the opposite. The members of the society or symbolically painted black and white to show their lack of individuality and creativeness. As the story progress, members of the society begin to learn about things outside of their so-called perfect life; their change is seen when they transform from black and white to living in a world of color.Similarly in the novel Fahrenheit 451, the characters live in a false reality where challenging the status quo is frowned upon to the utmost consequence. Both forms of society function in an imperfect form of Utopia; the government makes their decisions for them, their means of entertainment have no deeper meaning, and everything they experience and are apart of has surface level depth. Because of that, being a rebel in this society does not go unnoticed just as changing from black and white to full color in Pleasantries was hard to disguise. We will write a custom essay sample on Farenheit Novel Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, the rebels in both settings are the difference makers.The world is altered is by their desire to see change, even though that change differs from the situational norm that is arced upon society. By challenging the societal norm and wanting more for themselves and their families, both societies are actually transformed from a falsely utopian society to a functioning dyspepsia society. They do this by speaking out for things they believe in; such as free will and the ability to find memories or imaginative qualities in books, and not being afraid to go against the grain or to stand up for something that is clearly unjust.Although the term dyspepsia usually has a negative connotation, in this setting it is seen as more of a term of relief and rebuild. Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic yet believable mid-twentieth-century America where: the people of the society have started and won two atomic wars (73), books have been deemed unrighteous, and anyone who partak es in reading books or even having them in their households are threatened by the firemen to have both their belongings and households burned to ashes. The technological advances in the novel supports the dyspepsia genre by showing that because of the rise of new technologies books have become obsolete and with books being gone the general level of intelligence is mingle low. People are more focused on what is already available to them rather than what the outside world has to offer.The firemen own an eight- legged Mechanical Hound that hunts and chases those who escape from the firemans raid, four-wall televisions hold the entertainment for the members of the society, Seashell radios are in the ears of some as they sleep and even transmit entertainment full of commercials so the town never has to be bored. By having these advances, there is no need for people to have ingenuity or creativity in any part of their daily lives: work, school, or entertainment. These luxuries interrupt them from seeing that the way they are living is leading them into a false reality.In addition to the takeover of tech oenology, it is easy to to see that this society is generally emotionless. The families and individuals of Fahrenheit 451 are empty, loveless, suicidal, and displeased; these characteristics originate because they are truly living in a false utopian society, if everything was perfect like the government had planned it to be there would be no world Wars, no death, no crime, and a lot more emotion. On boring nights in the own, the firemen let rats, chickens, and cats loose in the streets and then release the Hound on them, creating a betting game on to which will die first.The women of the society take nightly drives out to the country, driving fast and hitting rabbits or dogs for their own entertainment. Teenagers of the society will often do the same only striking pedestrians instead of small animals. The lack of emotion across the board causes Guy Montage to come to one of the most honest realizations of the novel, when he states, We have everything we need to be happy, but we arent happy. Something missing 82). This realization is what sets him apart as a rebel in this society. He sees that there is more to life than being violent and living in a painted happiness. In agreement with this ideal is Rafael O. McGovern, Of Critical Insights, he states, yet even as they serve governments that quash thought and emotion and individuality, often in the name of some greater societal goof, they are not mere yes-men or slogan-mongers (McGovern). McGovern refers to Montage rebellious nature in saying that although he works for the government, who is ironically an organization formed to protect the good of he society, he is not a conformist or a slogan-monger rather someone who seeks originality.Eventually Montage becomes aware of this and is able to reveal his true self by finding a way that allows for the city to begin to grow again from the ashes of its past ways. This new world will be a place where reading books is accepted, freedom of speech is allowed, and individuality is praised. All of these traits represent what it is truly like to be an American in a perfectly imperfect society. Without rebels, realizations like Montage, and even the eruption Of advanced technology, there would be no change.

Enterprise Resource Planning Leading Furniture Retailers

Question: Discuss about the Enterprise Resource Planning for Leading Furniture Retailers. Answer: Introduction Contemporary Living is one of the leading furniture retailers in the country that operates 80 stores throughout the nation. The company has been very successful in all its operational activities but is planning to shift their main focus towards the development of a stronger operational and marketing plan. The basic objectives behind the change in strategy are to reduce the operational costs, improve the relationships with suppliers and customers, increase the level of customer satisfaction by increasing stock availability and to develop consistent prices of the products throughout all the stores in the country. As a result, the company has decided to acquire an ERP software, also known as enterprise resource planning software, to achieve the strategic objectives. For the whole acquisition and implementation process, the company has appointed a leader who would be assisted by a team of five members from within the organisation. Enterprise Resource Planning Software ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is a business suite or business process management software that allows the management to integrate multiple business modules into a single software and perform multiple operations using the same software (Beal, 2016). ERP business suites are designed for large business organisations that find it difficult to manage their work operations using multiple softwares as usage of multiple softwares increases the operating costs and makes it difficult for the management to track the business operations. An ERP business suite can manage the following business activities: Distribution process management Supply chain management Financial management Human resource management Customer Relation management Inventory and stock management Accounting Product planning Marketing management Sales management Enterprise Resource Planning business suites can have the following advantages for a business organisation: Increased efficiency An ERP business suite eliminates repetitive processes and makes it easier to keep a track of all the related process in an organisation. It increases the level of automation, which eliminates the need to enter information manually. An ERP business module also streamlines the processes and ultimately increases the overall efficiency of the organisation. Integration An ERP business module is able to provide an integrated system of all the work operations of an organisation rather than maintaining separate databases for every work operation. This helps in increasing the consistency, avoiding mistakes and eliminating repetitive processes. Security Enterprise Resource Planning business suites are famous because of their unmatched security measures. They are highly secure and provide excellent data backup and recovery options to save the organisation from human or natural threats (Software, 2014). High flexibility one of the greatest benefits of having an ERP business module is that it is highly flexible. Vendors offering ERP business suites are able to provide multiple platforms for the software and can also make changes in them in accordance to the operational requirements of the company (SelectHub, 2015). Therefore, business organisations are able to acquire tailored versions of ERP business suites that are developed according to their business needs. Competitive edge ERP business suites are highly beneficial as they increase the efficiency and productivity while they help in reducing the operational costs. They are powerful enough to make a company highly competitive in the market it operates in (Solutiondots.com, 2016). Therefore, it is clear that ERP software is what Contemporary Living requires to accomplish its strategies and achieve its objectives. Selection of Team The management at Contemporary Living has decided that the manager would be assisted by a team of five members, which would be selected by the manager from within the organisation. It is important that the team should consist of hard working and respectable members who have complete knowledge about the interests of the stakeholders and the change that is being planned to be implemented in the organisation. The criteria for the selection of the team members are given below: One member of the team would be a person who would have an experience of more than ten years with the company so that his or her knowledge about the operations of the company can be put to a good use. The second and third members of the team would be two people who would be a frontline leader in the human resources and would have complete knowledge about the workforce of the organisation. These persons should be well respected by the employees and should be able to lead the change when needed. The fourth member of the team would be a person who would be the head of the entire infrastructure or the information technology in the company. This person would be able to coordinate the resources that would be required for the acquisition of the ERP business suite. The fifth member of the team would be a senior level executive of the company who would have knowledge and control of the entire stores and would be in direct touch with the important stakeholders of the business. This person would direct the plans and the process according to the interests of the stakeholders and would establish a medium of communication between the management and the stakeholders. Selection Of Erp Business Suite One of the most important steps in the whole shift of focus and strategic change is the acquisition of an ERP business suite. In the present day IT scenario, millions of companies are offering their own ERP business suites and are making it tough for the business organisations to select one. Each company has something or the other to offer which makes their business suites stand different from the others. In such a case, Contemporary Living can make use of the flexibility offered by ERP business suites and can get its own business suite developed from a reputed company. The company can obviously make a choice between an open source ERP business suite and a branded ERP business suite but it is crucial that the company choses a branded ERP business suite as the company has a large scale business and it cannot afford to test ERP business suites using open source softwares. A branded or professionally developed ERP software would provide more stability, security and operational advantage s to the company. Furthermore, managing 80 stores across the nation using an open source software, which would provide no security guarantees, is obviously not possible. Therefore, the first step to acquire an ERP business module would be to get in touch with professional developers that would be able to tailor a software according to the business requirements of Contemporary living. The main features or the operations that the ERP business module would be required to handle for Contemporary living are: Inventory management to keep a record of the furniture in stock and the stock lying in any of the 80 stores. Customer relation management to manage the data and information of the customer so that the company can build better relations with them Financial management to help the finance department in managing the finances of the company Human resource management to help the human resource department in managing the workforce Pricing management to manage the prices of the products and make them consistent throughout the country, in all the stores. Sales management to manage the sales and help in sales planning, sales forecasting, etc. Accounts management to help the accounts department of the company in managing the accounts, such as bills receivable, bills payable, expenses, etc. The acquisition of the ERP business suite should be strictly according to the budget of the organisation. Some of the important factors that the team should consider before selecting an ERP business suite are: Price of software Infrastructure costs Total cost of ownership Technical fit Ease of use, etc. (Kimberling, 2008) As the company has large scale operations and is planning to establish coordination amongst all the stores, it is advisable that the company should go for an ERP business module along with a cloud storage feature. A system of cloud storage would make it easier for the company to create, store, access and manage data and information. A cloud system with centralized storage server would enhance the ability of the managers or senior level executives to maintain a greater coordination between the stores. The cloud storage system will allow them to access data or information related to any store from anywhere. It would also enable the employees to access pricing or inventory related data of every store if they would have authorization to do so. In this way, the company would be able to make the prices of its products consistent throughout the country. Furthermore, with the inventory of all the stores being available at each and every store, the employees will be able to keep a better trac k of the stock and would be able to provide better services to the customers in case they need a product which might not be available or might be out of stock in their city. Another important consideration that the company would have to keep in mind would be regarding the mobile application of the ERP business suite (Schiff, 2016). Some companies allow their employees to bring their own mobile devices and use it for office work. If contemporary living is one such company then it would also have to introduce a mobile application of the ERP business suite which would be tailored to meet the security requirements of the company. Implementation Process The implementation of ERP business suite is not an easy task and can take a lot of time for proper implementation. The implementation of ERP will require a lot of changes to be introduced in the organisation, which would only be possible if the implementation team is patient and follows the right approach towards the implementation. In the beginning, a time of one month would be allotted to the team in which they would be required to acquire the best fit ERP business suite and the related infrastructure in all the outlets. The time period of one month would also include setting up of networks and infrastructure that would facilitate sharing of information between the outlets and the centralized storage server. After the end of one month, the ERP business suite would be tested by the developers in presence of the senior level executives to demonstrate the operations that the software would be able to accomplish for the organisation. The demonstrations would be done on real life operations so that the working of the ERP software can be better assured. After the ERP software has been properly tested, the software and the infrastructure would be introduced to the employees and a period of one week would be allotted to the training and development of employees where they would be introduced to the new infrastructure and the software. The training sessions would be held on the job itself and would be conducted by the professionals who would be developing the ERP software to ensure better results. The training sessions would take place after the work hours and would last for 2 hours while the employees would be provided with refreshments and breaks to compensate for the extra time that they would be putting in to gain knowledge about the ERP business suite. The employees would also be taught about the security measures that they would be able to use to protect unauthorized access of data or information. After the completion of the employee training and development program, the employees would be allowed to use the new software according to the business needs of the company. It will also be made sure that the developers would provide all types of technical or other assistance to the company in case the employees are not comfortable or are not able to use the software properly (Pcbennett.com, 2016) . The developers would also be responsible for any types of errors or crashes that occur in the ERP business suite in the future and would provide assistance whenever required. Change Management The present day business organisations are competing in a global environment that is highly complex and is experiencing real time changes. Business organisations and operations are changing at such a fast rate that it becomes difficult to cope up with them. In such a scenario, implementation of ERP is also a dubious task and would experience a lot of resistance from the stakeholders. Therefore, is will be important to properly introduce the change so that the resistance can be minimised. The following steps would be ensured to minimise the resistance to change and implement the ERP business suite in the organisation: Communication one of the biggest reason for resistance to change is the lack of communication between the management and the stakeholders. The stakeholders generally have a fear of the unknown and if the change program is not properly communicated to them, they offer a great deal of resistance. To minimise such resistances, it has already been decided that the members of the team would be some of the most respected people in the organisation, who would be the leaders of their field and would have a great connection with the stakeholders. It will be the responsibility of these people to communicate the change program right from the beginning so that the stakeholders are well informed about the changes, the objectives behind the changes and the benefits that will occur after the changes are successfully implemented. Participation Another important strategy to minimise the resistance to change process would be participation of the stakeholder. One of the biggest mistakes that few company commit while introducing changes is when they miss out the involvement of stakeholders in the change program. The stakeholders are important people connected to the business of the company and they need to know about the changes that are being brought in it. It is also important for the company to know the viewpoints of the stakeholders about the change programs because they are the ones who would get affected by the change. To minimise the resistance, the company would try to involve the stakeholders in the change program right from the beginning. The members in the team would be given the duty to communicate with the stakeholders and gather their feedback regarding the change programs so that they also feel equally responsible towards the change process. Once the stakeholders are involved in the change program , the chances of resistance are highly reduced. Software design a great deal of resistance can be experienced if the software is not according to the requirements of the user. If the software contains complex functions, foreign languages, etc. To minimise such resistances, the management would have to ensure that the software is user friendly and is developed according to the cultural values of the employees that are going to use it in the near future. Further, the training and development programs organised by the developers would provide more help in bringing down the resistance to change (Corner, 2016). Evaluation Of Erp Software The process of ERP implementation not just stops at making the software available in all the stores. Even after the complete acquisition of the software, it is important to evaluate the success or the after effects of the implementation as the company would want to know the return on investment that it has made in the software. To evaluate the success of the ERP implementation, the team will effectively gather feedback from the employees, the customers and the senior level executives. The success would be based upon factors, such as improvement in customer services, inventory management, management of time, decrease in operational costs, increase in sales, etc. The company would also judge the success of the software by checking the difference in management of data and information before and after the acquisition of the ERP software and the level to which the employees will be satisfied with the new changes. Further, measuring the sales, repeated sales, sales conversion rates, customer retention rates and public image would provide a brief knowledge about the changes that have been achieved in terms of customer services and satisfaction. The feedback would be adopted as a continuous strategy that would help in measuring the success and effectiveness of ERP implementation as the feedback gained from the stakeholders would be true and would be helpful in judging the effect that the software would have on the work operations, performance or the efficiency of the company. References Pcbennett.com. (2016). 6 Phases of an ERP Implementation Plan | PC Bennett Solutions. [online] Available at: https://pcbennett.com/blog/6-phases-erp-implementation-plan [Accessed 25 Jun. 2016]. Beal, V. (2016). What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)? Webopedia Definition. [online] Webopedia.com. Available at: https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/ERP.html [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Columbus SC24/7 Staff, S. (2016). 7 Steps to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems Implementation Success - Supply Chain 24/7. [online] Supplychain247.com. 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