A Day in the Life of Alex Sander Essay

I had to plunge in and make a lot of snap decisions in these areas. Looking back, I can see one poor strategy decision, but on the whole my judgment has been right on target. And if being pushy and commanding is the only way to get the job done—to get two new products out in one year—then it’s worth it to me. Even if I have to steamroll over someone’s feelings, or ignore the way a colleague would like to handle a project. Sander: Well, I get ticked off pretty easily. For example, I can’t stand explaining something more than a couple of times. But what really bothers me is lack of commitment—for example, if a long-time employee isn’t willing to put in extra hours to meet an important deadline. But you know what? After I really become angry, there are people at Landon whose output will jump for at least a couple of weeks afterwards. My temper is actually an effective management tool. 9:00 A. M. Leong nodded apologetically to Garrison as she left and said, â€Å"The interviewer from your alumni magazine is here. † The magazine was interviewing Sander for an article on â€Å"high-potential† product managers as part of a career development issue. He did not want to further embarrass Garrison, a 20-year veteran of the company, by interrupting; still, he needed to talk to Sander. op yo Neighbor: I remember you mentioning some sparks with your assistant when you first started at Landon. rP os t A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products | 2177 and so on. But you’re never in charge of your own creation. That’s the main reason I accepted a job at Landon. Landon is a pretty small shop, and I’ve been involved in every detail of my product launches. I’ve really enjoyed the strategy piece—gathering data about market share, figuring out the most profitable positioning for my brands. As a product manager, you have to talk to R&D, then work with market research to see whether you have a feasible idea that will attract consumers. Then you work with advertising. You partner with all the departments to synchronize the program’s details. A product manager must ensure a targeted, quality product, whose distinctive features will be clear to the target consumer. Then you have to make the product right and get it to market. At that moment, Sander’s BlackBerry buzzed and, with a quick apology, Alex picked up the call. â€Å"I need to get a piece of data from this market researcher before my team meeting this afternoon,† Sander explained. While waiting for Sander to finish, the interviewer glanced around Alex’s office. It was large for so new a product manager, and the interviewer noted the award plaques on the credenza behind Sander’s desk. Sander finished the brief phone call, and the two continued talking. For the last question, the interviewer asked, â€Å"Alex, in your opinion, which type of person is best suited to being a product manager?

Performance in a Business Environment Essay

The purpose and benefits of continuously improving my own performance at work is to move one step forward and exceed my limitations, achieve further goals, self-motivation, not to be the same person and on the same position after a certain of time, to exceed my performance at work and doing work, improving my own performance helps me to progress on my career and give me a job satisfaction. However this leads me to evaluate my own work by looking at the work that takes the most time, and what actions can I take to do this task in a less time, however at the same time I look at the best part of the job that I do and also look for areas where I can improve. I normally speak to my colleagues that are more experience than me regarding this and take advice as well as guidance to do so. It is so important for me to get feedback and to accept it from others as this will help me to learn from my mistakes and be more confident in the work I am doing. Receiving feedback also helps me see myself from the perspective of others and how other people see me I always accept feedback whether positive or negative, as positive will help me to work harder and keep the good work I’m doing, as well as negative will help me to learn from my past failures and mistakes so I can correct them. In every organisation it is so important to provide a Good quality piece of work, as a very challenging person I always try new ways, different ways to do my work with a good quality and within less time scale. I always learn new things either in the office as my day to day tasks or at home for my long term career goals. My own learning and development does not only improve my work and productivity, it improves and benefits the team I work with as well as the whole organisation. The more I learn, the more I can do. This benefits the organisation by increasing productivity. It helps me to identify gaps between my job requirements or future work roles and the existing knowledge, understanding and skills. This is one of the reasons that we have in our organisation a private website that provides different short courses for self-development. The progression route from my current role will be towards a Management Information Analysts role, and then eventually a Business Analyst role as my long term role. This will also help me work towards my career I wish to pursue in the educational field, where I will have to also demonstrate data management tasks on my day to day tasks at work. After completing my Apprenticeship in Business and Admin L3, I am looking forward to starting an Apprenticeship L4 with a hard working to  develop my career to the next level as Management Information Analysts towards my long term career as a Business Analysts. I already have experie nce working in education, retail and IT. I will be working harder to meet my above career development with a good salary package and job description, where I can best use my skills, talents and capabilities. So by developing my skills I can look at possible interesting careers and sectors that I might be interested in and develop my opportunities in securing a good job. A learning plan is a way for everyone to set personal targets and record achievements. It helps me as a person to keep on track towards where I want to be in my life and my work. The reason for making a plan is, it simply helps me to take more control of my future, by reminding me what I have learned, achieved and enjoyed. Creating my plan can help me develop more confidence in my ability to tackle new things, become more employable, and get more out of life.

Lifestyle Choices Essay

The article â€Å"Lifestyle Choices† is a researched article that talks about the economy and how changes affect the people within it. The Starter research article contains informative information on daily lives about health care, in today’s modern society we go through various choices in life and different walks in situations weather it financial situations, family issues or even work related problems. This article shows how to outweigh the bad to good and exercise good habits to create a better lifestyle. This research goes back and covers the last thirty years dating back when technology was the grounds of being formed. Something’s I enjoy about life is the fact that grounds for technology were being formed when I as a baby had no knowledge or use of it, such as the children(s) today. Social class determines your lifestyle form of living; it’s the group you belong to based upon your financial situations. This is one research that cannot be control or determined you can be an upper class person or a lower class person and sometime due to the luck of a draw it can flip anytime. That’s what I like about the topic â€Å"Assessing Class† because their no way unless you have no improvements to access another class. What I learned from this article is that hasn’t shy away from any topics considering our lifestyle issues and situations. It clearly states the factors of social classes a great overview of information. This article very much fits into sociology as it apart of our daily lives which includes the study of human society and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions. The major findings come from the data or series of surveys that has been done over decades of study’s which mostly includes volunteers to complete most studies. Lifestyle studies can be best examined through ethnicity our race, age, and suburban areas of residency and sexual preferences. This information was supported and document by Michael Sobel (1983) which he states, acknowledges, and compares sociology to our daily lifestyle as a â€Å"Mode of living.† He also presents the concept of â€Å"stylistic unity† by which he means â€Å"the patterns of behavior which constitute that lifestyle are empirically common; i.e., similar patterns are shared by a sufficient number of others, relative to all others. This article fits well with chapter 1 (Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life) under â€Å"Marginality and Crisis. I believe it fits here because it’s bringing the recipe for looking at the world’s society from a sociological perspective. What is used to reshape the economy and separate them though classes. The difference between this article that sets it apart from non-scholarly periodicals, such as newspaper and magazine is the fact that non-scholarly periodicals are mainly used to entertain. This journal has an abstract, a descriptive summary, and properly cited. Non-Scholarly are not completely from a known source it can be made up and the timing of the report can be inaccurate at times. They serve a different audience. What I find similar of the two is they can be found in the same place or setting it is up to the reader to select the one needed as far as common within there is none they are two completely different types of sources and everything must be documented or researched differently. From the introduction, word fonts to work cited they are done accordingly to source or audience. Work Cited: Research Starters – Sociology https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rst&AN=37219700&site=ehost-live&scope=site John J Macionis, Sociology, The thirteenth Edition, The Sociological Perspective, 2010, 2008, 2007 (Pg.5-6)

Response Sheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Response Sheet - Essay Example The watch house is crusty with peeling paint and is filled with clustered tools, fishing books and kerosene lanterns. She is only provided with little amenities that she appreciates. Their tour guide plans their days visit and prepares for them a wonderful lunch. Later in the day, they visit the white sand bitches of Cobb Island. Her photographer and the tour guide opt to enjoy a ride on a speed powerboat, and she enjoys the rhythm of the salt marsh and the soft splash by the boat paddles as they cut into the muddy water (Burnett, Retrieved from ). She also describes other sounds around the place. The writer says that Bill shows them the diamond terrapins and the beautiful scenery carries her away. They later return to the island, and they walk around the shore looking for shells. Dave explains to them the geography behind the shape of the island. They enjoy the scenery at the end of the shore as they listen to the sounds from the breaking waves and shells. The writer asks about the presence of sharks, and the guide assures the that they are rare on the island They return to their boat and being afraid of the coming tides they paddle back to the watch house. They enjoy a delicious dinner cooked by a local caterer. By this time, the writer and her photographer have collected many times from the shores. Evening comes, and the writer enjoys the glow from the planets and stars. The  next  morning they wake up to a set of beautiful sunrays, which reflects the water surface prompting them to take photographs (Burnett, retrieved from ). Later, they pack up their belongings and take a boat to the mainland. She still enjoys the views of the island and does not want to leave  the place. The writer enjoys her visit and promises herself to come back

Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Racism - Essay Example Therefore, in order to keep that from happening, the indigenous people make use of racism and ethnic discrimination to scare the foreigners away. In order to eliminate racism and ethnic discrimination from our society, it is imperative that anti racism notions are cultivated in children in schools. Concepts developed in the schools play a fundamental role in determining the way a child would behave as an adult. Therefore, subjects as sociology and religion must be made necessary part of the curriculum in order to inculcate the sense of equality and harmony in the children so that they become responsible citizens as adults. In the workplace, employers should enforce rules that openly discourage the display of any sort of racism on the part of the employees. Employees showing racism should be expelled. Likewise, government should arrange lectures to convince the elderly against racism. I do not think that we would ever be able to completely rid the world of prejudice. Irrespective of t he education or grooming, people fundamentally behave as their nature dictates them to, though if the aforementioned measures are taken, people can be at least influenced to change their attitude towards people from other races.

The Financing and management of risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Financing and management of risk - Essay Example The company has major business activities in countries like Canada, Japan, China, UK, Mexico, Taiwan, Philippines, India, etc. Apart from coffee, Starbucks also sells ice cream, cold and hot beverages, snacks, beer, etc. The products offered by Starbucks are specific to the location of the store and are seasonal and customized to the target market segment. Starbucks employs around 149000 employees in its coffee stores and operations all over the world. Through its massive chain of coffee houses all over the world, Starbucks generated revenue of $13.29 billion in 2012 with a net income of $1.36 billion for the company. The strong performance of Starbucks’ coffee business across the world is highly dependent on its business model which has been well established by the company. The business model of Starbucks lays its success story for attracting customers into its stores for a cup of coffee day after day all over the world. The coffee selling stores of Starbucks present a status symbol for the customers of coffee. Although the coffee sold in the stores of Starbucks are priced highly, it the ambience that the stores of Starbucks offer to the customers that makes a difference. The coffee selling stores are supported by friendly and helpful staffs who address the problems, queries and grievances of customers who walk in to take coffee. The customers taking coffee are largely valued in the stores which in turn help the stores to hold their customers (Starbucks Corporation, 2013, p.1). The over business model of Starbucks which is applicable to its national as well as international presence is described below. Starbucks have a transnational model of business in which it has a universal product that is customized to fit the requirements of the local market. Starbucks follows a business model whereby the coffee and other products like beverages, beer, ice cream, snacks, etc. are sold through the coffee house chains in the international markets. Starbucks products under brand names are also sold in the grocery shops and retail market chains across the world. The coffee business of Starbucks has to be responsive to the markets and fits the taste and culture of the local people who walks in to take coffee. The strong business model of Starbucks has helped them to build international relationships and achieve their targets. Starbucks original business model was based on marketing of coffee by providing enriched customer experience in an upbeat environment inside the coffee stores. In order to cope up with the competitive market, Starbucks have now adopted advertising strategies by media like newspapers, television, offering cheaper prices, etc (Kazmi, 2010, p.21). As depicted above in the diagram for business model of Starbucks, the business model takes into consideration a range of factors that includes product strategy, customer economic, marketing of coffee, cost of capital of the business, economic sale, assessing value of the business, pro duction costs, revenue mechanism, growth of assets and competitive barriers, etc. The product strategy is framed by looking at the emerging demands of the market. Apart from offering a single product of coffee, Starbucks took into consideration

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Existentialism - Essay Example Furthermore, the essence of incorporating the concepts of existentialism has adverse effects in life especially when there is less understanding of the mitigating beliefs of deaths. Moreover, it should be noted that the use of concepts helps in understanding the goals and aspirations of people and the state to attain happiness. There are several interesting issues pertaining to existentialism in the context of ethics and morality. Therefore, ethics in the view of existentialism includes the recommendation of concepts of wrong conduct and its succeeding concepts. On that account, there are different operational areas of ethics in the way that they apply in existentialism. This is in the form of the individual choices that people make especially in their conducts and rights in life. Morality on the other hand deals with the differentiation of actions, decisions and actions that determine whether something is either right or wrong. Similarly, it also reflects on the ethics of doing well in society that has varied choices in life (Earnshaw 177). Therefore, existentialism as noted by Jean Sartre on responsibility is based on the concepts such as the absurd, facticity and authenticity among others. This means that people are expected to live in accordance with the individual self without compromising on others rights and freedoms. Furthermore, there is also the aspect of the absurd that deals with deriving meaning from the structures of life especially in the maintenance of morality and ethics. There is also the perspective nihilism that explores the philosophical doctrines of life’s meanings and its objective meaning. On that account, there is existential nihilism that makes attempts at deducing meaning of life in terms of purpose, intrinsic value and meaning. Additionally, there is also the voice of moral nihilists who affirm the absence of morality in the realms of existence. They also insist that knowledge of what is wrong and right remains with the moral decisions of the individual especially on the given conditions of life. Therefore, according to Nietzsche, nihilism is the complete definition of emptying the world in order to find its meaning, essential value and comprehensible value (Earnshaw 174). By saying God is Dead; Nietzsche meant that there was over-reliance on religion to gain a moral understanding for the western world. On that account, in relation to absurdity as described by Camus, life is devoid of meaning and is defined by meaninglessness. Camus believes that life is characterized by absurdity that should not be defined by an over-reliance on God. However, there is also authenticity that pertains with discovering the self and living to those standards. This means people should avoid the acts of imitation in going about their duties on the grounds of finding a purpose in life. However, it differs from sincerity and honesty in the sense that there is no compatibility of goals in life. In other words, these two goals hi ghlight the case of finding for an authentic life that is closer to self-freedom. Freedom in this sense is defined in context of determining a uniqueness that is paramount in existing with others. Alternatively, it is not crucial to be a crowd-follower as espoused by Heidegger in the quest for a strong individuality. Instead, one should create his own path that is not controlled by the conventions of life such as normal morals and ethics (Earnshaw 173). Additionally, authenticity

The Nexus between agency theory and corporate governance Essay

The Nexus between agency theory and corporate governance - Essay Example This essay tries to explain the agency theory and corporate governance in the present day environment. Economists recently are more diverted to the phenomenon of organisation. The recently formulated organisation theory agency theory is different from the ones which existed in the past. Fama (1980) focused at the possible managerial labour market to restrain and guide individual decision-making expedience. In essence all these various statements are construed based on a few simple assumptions. These assumptions according to Donaldson (1990) are construed as a 'theory of interest, motivation and compliance'."Specifically, agency theory is directed at the ubiquitous relationship, in which one party (the principal) delegates work to another (the agent), who performs that work. Agency theory attempts to describe this relationship using the metaphor of a contract" (Eisenhardt, 1989: p58).The neoclassical school analyses the individual who tries to maximise or in the least to satisfy their utility between work and time off. This combination of assumed independence and selfish enthusiasm that is problematic within the relationship of agent and principal. In terms of corporate governance the shareholder is the principal. The problem arises due to the separation of ownership and control.According to Jill Solomon (2007) the failure to corporate governance and corporate crumple can take place in the firmest company. It is possible to seduce the Investors, creditors and employees through a company's repute and achievement. This can even throw caution to the wind. If the agents of economic accountability were intellectuals, as it is a must based on the economic and finance theory, this form of sightlessness could never occur. But the problem is that it does happen, investors behave rationally not always, and the factors of human behaviour and psychology are tricky to fit in a finance framework or an economic hypothesis. Cases of irrational behaviour in the UK during the 198 0s were that of Polly Peck and Coloroll. This was a case when the capitalist found very important information relating to contingent liabilities were missing from the accounts of these companies (Smith et all, 1992). Differences between managers and shareowners Agency theory brings up a basic problem in organizations and that is self-interested conduct. The managers of a corporation normally have their own goals which often cross roads with the proprietor's goal of maximising shareholder wealth. As it is the shareholders who give power to the managers to manage the firm's wealth, a prospective difference of opinion arises between the two groups. Agency Cost How does the agent that is the company directors serve the principal that is the shareholders is the question. The solution lies in accepting certain agency costs. These costs involve either in producing incentives or approve which adjust executive egoism with the concerns of shareholders. Or else they may be involved in supervising executive behaviour in order to restrain their self-interest. This led to the development of the number of non-executives on the company boards. Also it resulted in augmented arrangement of their function and considerations of freedom, leading to reforms all over the world. The separation of the part played by the chief executive and that played by the non-executive has been made a part of this reform. The establishment of audit, compensation, and recommendations committees is actually independent non-executives appointed to assure the proper use of the incentives and also to check the performance of the executives. These internal controls

Ethical Dilemmas Managers Face Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethical Dilemmas Managers Face - Research Paper Example Thereby it helps to take the decisions by maintaining the ethical point of view. Employees of an organization may have varied responses towards the most ethically appropriate or inappropriate action for a particular situation. In such cases managers of the organizations often face with problems to identify what is right and what is wrong. And to add to that they also sometime gets ragged between qualms and their duties towards the organizations. Even sometimes when the managers feel that something is unethical they want to take a stand on that but prevent themselves by the fear of losing their job (Lane & Daft, 2009, p.130). Ethical standards are always not codified therefore divergences and dilemmas often occurs about the correct behavior. Principally Ethical dilemmas occur in a situation which is concerned about the correct and incorrect, when moral values and principles are in conflict. The reason for existence of these dilemmas occurs because every time acknowledgement of right a nd wrong cannot be done evidently. The report will highlight on the areas such as the ethical dilemmas faced by manages of organizations. The report is also principally focused to highlight the approaches by which ethical behavior can be evaluated. In order to this the report will also explain the concepts of utilitarian, individualism, moral-rights, and justice approaches. And at the end of it all the report will try to put a conclusion on how these ethical dilemmas can be overpowered. The approach for dealing with conflict situation and overcome the same will be studied in this report. It will also highlight the advantages of ethical behavior for the organization. Ethical dilemmas faced by managers In the everyday operations, almost all managers of different field are faced with some principled and ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas can arise due to many reasons. Efforts made by the management to achieve the organizational objectives may clash with employee’s endeavor of fu lfilling their personal goals. There can be a conflict of interest where an action promoting or benefitting one group has all the likelihood to harm another group. As such, there can be a violation of honesty and integrity which may lead to conflict and one example for this could be the misuse of internet in office. There might be a clash between loyalty and truth. This happens when reality about the company does not seem approving and individuals have to choose between honesty and loyalty. (Boone, & Kurtz, 2011, p. 41-42). Ethical dilemmas are a situation that occurs when the state of affairs demands an individual or a group to choose between several options that might be right or wrong. It is a situation in which two or more options get equally strong support. For example a manger might be faced with a situation when they have to choose between reductions in salaries of local staff versus outsourcing of functions. Another typical example could be the case of the hiring manager who is face with a situation when asked to choose between a qualified female candidate and a disabled person who is equally qualified. In such situations chances of making decision that are absolutely correct is very low. Also managers have to make decisions starting from hiring of the employee till the termination and they are faced with unusual ethical dilemmas at all stages (Morally right, n.d.). Managers are entrusted with the duty of

Critically review the situation at RestaurantCo and identify the Essay

Critically review the situation at RestaurantCo and identify the strengths and weaknesses of its approach to managing human reso - Essay Example Theoretically, the dimension of Human Resource Management (HRM) helps in linking the functions of human resource with the determined organisational objectives in order to improve the performance of the organisation on the whole. Apart from linking the human resource functions with the strategic objectives of the firm, it further assists the organization in establishing a proper understanding amidst the superiors and the supervisors working within it. HRM further helps in maintaining a coordinated relation between the external factors that contribute substantially to the organizational development and success (Bratton, n.d.). With the continually growing significance and complexities in the HRM dimension, the adaption of Employees Involvement and Participation (EIP) is often argued to contribute in differentiating a company’s internal strengths by enhancing the flexibility of the workforce to adjust with the external business environmental changes. The notion behind the concept of EIP concentrates on the fact that effective involvement and participation of the workforce would lead towards the achievement of the organizational goals and efficiencies. The concept of measuring the formal and informal EIP link further can be regarded as an important part of any organization, as it helps in evaluating the employees performances over a certain standard of time, in comparison with pre-set standards or goals. Formal EIP is further considered to be those practises, where the managers of a department consult with the employees before implementing a new work practice within the set working environment; whereas, informal EIP signifies that decision-making process, where the managers do not follow any formal procedure to gather suggestions from the subordinates (Storey, 2007). In this essay, the discussion henceforth will intend to critically evaluate the situation of RestaurantCo and to identify the strengths and weakness of its approaches thereon. The discussion wil l further aim at assessing links between corporate strategies, culture, HR policy and management practices at the workplace level of RestaurantCo with EIP. Corporate Strategies and Culture In corporate strategies, authority is considered to be highly important to practice an effective decision making procedure. Authority is generally considered as an obligation to act on behalf of a department or agency or any higher level of authority within an organization. Furthermore, authority is the key to the managerial job; they endure the right of indulging into the decision-making process being in the top level management. Delegation of authority is basically the process of allocating the work and transferring the rights from the higher authority to the lower level employees within an organizational context that inculcates EIP related aspects to a considerable extent. This form of strategy is usually adapted by the top level management when there is an over load of work or is viewed in lar ge industries where assigning managers for a single department is very essential maintaining a linkage between the organisation’s short-term or long-term objectives and the workforce performances. Correspondingly, it has been viewed that today’

Comparing two or more religions from your personal point of view Essay

Comparing two or more religions from your personal point of view - Essay Example Of course, one would not be correct, suggesting that one religion is better than another one; nevertheless, it might be the case that one of them might suit a particular person or a particular nation better. If one takes a close look at Islam, one can not help noticing that it is a religion that has a rather detailed explanation for various aspects of the reality. Furthermore, it contains a set of norms that were later developed into a legal system (Peters, 2014, p. 263). What is more important is that other than showing a person an effective way to develop one’s soul, it helps people to deal with realistic problems. For example in the Quran there are the so called Sword verses that set guidelines for the Muslims when they fight to protect their faith: this part of the sacred text encourages people to fight, but also show mercy when needed. In addition to that, Islam contains many provisions about daily life which significantly improve it. Contrary to that, Jainism is a religion that is primarily occupied with abstract concepts. Of course, it provides those who follow this path of spiritual development with helpful guidelines; however, the true believers often neglect the world with its realistic issues and try to focus on their personal development (Smith, 2012, p. 219). Thus, both Islam and Jainism present their explanation of the structure of the Universe; however, the former does not pay much attention to it, putting emphasis on issues that the believers might face on a daily basis while the latter has a quite develop cosmological system. This can hardly be called a disadvantage of Jainism; nevertheless, it shows that the doctrine is more concerned with abstract notions rather then everyday ones. Indeed, this religion encourages people to think more about spiritual values and contrasts them with material ones. The differences between Islam and Jainism are easily visible when it comes to projecting the each teaching on the social environment. As it has

Describe the Role and Status of Women in the 1940s and 1950s Essay Example for Free

Describe the Role and Status of Women in the 1940s and 1950s Essay After the First World War women had gained a huge step towards having equality with men. In 1918 married women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote. During the war women had proved themselves as capable as men, not only as nurses near the front lines working in very dangerous positions but also back in Britain working to help the war effort in jobs that before the war they could never have even had a chance of getting. However women were still a long way of having any vague equality with men, and when the men returned from war things changed as men were still considered far above women. Although it had got worse since the end of the war it should be recognised that womens role in society had been greatly improved since the days before the First World War. During the Second World War many of the men were conscripted to go away to war. This meant that their jobs now needed to be filled in order for the country to work., women got jobs in all areas of employment from working in manual labour to working in banks. They also managed to prove that they could do the jobs just as well as men and were able to work in jobs that had previously been for men only. Gaining all these new jobs had been a huge leap towards women gaining equality with men, however when the men returned from war most if the women lost their war time jobs. This happened because of a number of reasons. Firstly, public opinion in general believed that the soldiers who had been fighting deserved to come back to jobs and not have to struggle with unemployment. Also some bosses of small and large companies felt that men were still better and didnt want to employ women over men. A women who had worked as a welder during the war years was told, Oh my goodness, youve got the best qualifications that we ever had apply for the job, but your a woman, and I wonder what the boys would say if I employed a woman A newspaper editor was told when she was dismissed,Oh its nothing wrong with your work, but we have to safeguard the succession and the successor has to be a man. Bosses who were taking this line, and most of them were were infact taking and supporting the governments line. The governments official line said it is doubtless true that there are many jobs done during the war by women for which men are better suited, both mentally and physically. And, if there is to be a nation in the future, there must be children and children mean homes and endless chores. So that there must naturally be a drift back from the services and the factories to domestic work. I believe that this is showing that men and the government (dominated by men) were showing an incompetence to realise that women were able to do the jobs that men traditionally did. So although women had again gained a further step towards equality after the war they had again lost some of that newly gained freedom when the war ended in 1945. However not all women were displeased at societys attitude as after the war many women wanted to start families and now the men had come back from the war they were able to do this. The evidence for this lies in an area known as the baby boom, when the birth rate soared dramatically after the war. Even after the war when women were gaining more equality with men they did not have equal pay rates as men. A woman doing the same amount of work as a man would be paid two thirds of what a man would be paid. Women didnt, understandably find this fair and in August 1943 them women who worked at a Rolls Royce factory went on strike and after a week on strike they were given equal pay. However all over the rest of the country women continued be exploited by societies views. Even the government were not willing to even think about women being equal to men. When female school teachers asked for equal pay with men, Churchill dismissed their demand with one word. Even though now he was falling out of favour with the people and was soon to lose the general election, it showed that some men and in incredibly important positions within society, had no respect still for womens role in society. This meant that their status remained below a mans status even though in some cases they had become more equal, such as the right it do certain types of jobs. Before 1948 the government offered no medical assistance to women or their children only a small amount to men. In 1942 the Beveridge report was published which illustrated the importance of setting up a Welfare State which would look after all citizens equally. In July 1948 the National Health Service Act and the National Insurance Act were introduced for a weekly payment by all people earning wages. This was a huge advance for womens equality and their place in society as it now made them equal. In the first few months thousands of women went to the NHS to be treated of illnesses that they had previously had to suffer in silence. The introduction of the Welfare State also brought about the Butler Education Act. This meant that the minimum age to leave school was now raised to fifteen for all children. This was another huge advance for girls in school as it meant that there was now not only had free secondary education, and therefor this meant that the government recognised girls ability to thrive within a working and intellectual environment. It also meant that they were being put on the same level platform and being given equal opportunities in schools as boys, which would then go onto to effect the whole generations and its way of dealing with women as equals. However the system was slightly corrupt and it was not entirely equal. When pupils went up into secondary schools they had to take an 11+ exam to determine which type of school they would go in to. There were three different types, grammar for the most academic, secondary modern and technical for pupils who would be more suited to manual and primary sector jobs. Although the system seemed to give equal opportunities for both girls and boys there were infact more grammar schools for boys than there were for girls. The Welfare State also introduced family allowances to try and deal with poverty among families with a large numbers of children. It meant that for each child a small payment was paid to the women to help keep the child. This meant that the women now had some control over the finances within the household and that the man could not just go out and spend the money needed for the children. I believe that in the 1940s and 50s womens role in society improved greatly and that there were huge leaps made towards equality. However there were still some major issues that still had not been resolved and needed to be if there was going to get equality between men and women

The war for talent Attracting and retaining organisational commitment

The war for talent Attracting and retaining organisational commitment Time has changed the way organisations operate today. Contemporary organisations not only need to compete for reputation and tangible organisational resources, but also need to participate in the war for talent (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002). Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002) described the war for talent as competing for talented and skilled workers by attracting them to work for the organisation as well as retaining their loyalty. Hence, this paper will centre around three human resource management (HRM) strategies, that is, attraction, motivation, and retention. These strategies are important because they help organisations to gain competitive advantage (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002; Global Reporting Initiative 2002; Jensen 2005). Competitive advantage refers to an organisation maximising its strengths as a method to compete in the marketplace (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002) which consists of cost leadership and differentiation in products and services (Global Reporting Initiative 2002). Organisations can win the war for talent and hence increase their competitive advantage by creating and maintaining loyalty within organisations, albeit sometimes requiring considerable investment, effort, and commitment to overcome obstacles. This discussion will demonstrate that HRM performs more than administrative duties and plays a vital role in determining an organisations success. Examples of organisations successes in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees will be illustrated throughout the discussion. This essay concludes with an analysis of the skills HR managers need to become an organisations strategic partner. Attracting staff into an organisation is one of the main HR activities and is usually the first step towards acquiring skilled employees or talent to build competitive advantage (Holland, Sheehan De Cieri 2007). The relationship between employee attraction and organisational factors can be perceived through the workplace attraction model developed by Amundson (2007). In developing his model, Amundson (2007, p. 161) reviewed different approaches and identified ten attractors that appeared to heavily influence workplace attraction; security, location, relationships, recognition, contribution, work fit, flexibility, learning, responsibility, and innovation. Amundson (2007) drew meaning of attractors from Bright and Pryors (2005) chaos theory of careers whereby career behaviour needs are mostly understood in relation to uncertainty, adaptability, possibility, ongoing change, and predictability (p. 156). Amundson (2007) also espoused that the impact of each attractor differs for everyone and can change with time. In addition, there are basic guides that encourage behaviour on one hand and limits on the other (Bright Pryor 2005). Consequently, it is important for organisations to actively motivate and retain employees once they become part of the organisation since attracting factors vary according to individuals needs, desires, and circumstances. Kimberly-Clark runs on the values of care and innovation from its brands to the way it treats its employees, customers, community, and the environment (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). This is demonstrated with its Employee Participation Program in which it enables and supports the contributions of employees to any cause or community organisation of their choice (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). For example, all employees are allowed to take a paid working day off in a year to volunteer at the charity of their choice (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). Furthermore, the employees contributions are acknowledged with an award (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). Kimberly-Clark also emphasises its dedication towards employee training and development, as well as safety and wellbeing. This commitment has led to the reduction of reported injuries by 30 per cent in 2008 (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). Overall, it appears that Kimberly-Clark corresponds to Amundsons (2007) attractors which would in t urn invite skilled workers to be part of the organisation. Kimberly-Clarks motto of care would also attract people who hold the same values and consequently, be motivated to strengthen and maintain its reputation as a company that cares. Accordingly, organisations can win the war for talent with investment, effort, and commitment and thus, increase its competitive advantage. In order to gain competitive advantage, organisations need to attract intellectual capital to ensure sustainability (Earle 2003). Sustainability refers to the capacity for organisations to survive and be successful in a dynamic and competitive environment (Global Reporting Initiative 2002). It also includes policies and practices of attracting, motivating, and retaining employees (Earle 2003; Global Reporting Initiative 2002; Holland, Sheehan De Cieri 2007). Sustainability is significant as people are unique. They create growth in the organisation by bringing distinctive knowledge, skills, and experience into the organisation (Amundson 2007; Harell Daim 2010; Ramlall 2004) which further contributes to organisational value and enhanced performance. To illustrate the argument above, St. George Bank, as part of the members of Australias leading Retail and Business Banking brands (St. George Bank n.d.) has proved its sustainability by winning numerous awards and recognition, including participating in the 2008 Family Friendly Employer of Choice program to appreciate family friendly practices and diversity; as well as being the winner of the Australian HR Awards 2007 Employer of Choice (St. George Bank n.d.). These awards also resemble Amundsons (2007) relationships, recognition, and contribution attractors which could then serve as an encouragement for people to work at St. George Bank. Furthermore, these attractors have the ability to create and maintain loyalty towards the bank. Organisations are required to actively seek talented employees due to the challenge of globalisation. This is because in order to survive, more markets are internationalised to compete both locally and internationally (De Cieri et al. 2008; Jorgensen Taylor 2008; Ma Trigo 2008). Besides this, multinational enterprises face the challenge of managing the global workforce mobility due to the international assignments of its employees (De Cieri et al. 2008), which usually involves a significant amount of investment (Dowling, Festing Allen D. Engle 2008). Subsequently, the result of having an increased global human capital movement increases competition for skilled employees (Earle 2003; Jorgensen Taylor 2008; Ramlall 2004). Therefore, there is a need for organisations to actively implement strategies to attract and retain skilled employees. Organisations are also competing to attract skilled employees because of critical skill shortages (Amundson 2007; Holland, Sheehan Cieri 2006; Holland, Sheehan De Cieri 2007; Hunt Rasmussen 2007; Jorgensen Taylor 2008; Ma Trigo 2008). Skill shortages are intensified due to an increase in the ageing population, which is characterised by increased longevity and lower birth rates (Australian Bureau Of Statistics 2007; De Cieri et al. 2008; Jorgensen Taylor 2008; Office for an ageing Australia 2001). Hence, the issue of skill shortages becomes more prominent as the ageing population retire (Ruch 2000). Subsequently, organisations that also attempt to attract the ageing population indirectly create a diverse workforce (Erickson 2010; Jorgensen Taylor 2008). As a result, organisations can win the war for talent as numerous research suggests that diversity within organisations leads to competitive advantage (e.g., Henry Evans 2007; Kochan et al. 2003; Riach 2009). This is because di fferent groups bring different knowledge and experience into the organisation, which consecutively creates richer intellectual resources. Three complementary employee retention models are briefly mentioned. The first is the matching model; a form of employee selection approach where both the company and applicant tries to mirror the requirements, interests, and principles of the other (March Simon 1958, cited in Samson Daft 2005). Second is the goodness-of-fit model that concurrently considers individual and contextual factors (Latham Pinder 2005). Finally, the career decision-making model considers internal and external factors that impact upon peoples career decisions (Parsons 1909, cited in Hartung Blustein 2002). These models also complement Amundsons (2007) attraction model that was previously discussed. Consequently, it is advantageous that organisations recognise individuals appealing factors so that HRM can devise attracting strategies and policies to invite and maintain talent in the workplace. Organisations need to proactively retain its employees to prevent voluntary turnover because significant expenses are associated with its loss (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Garger 1999). The Diversity Dividend (2002, cited in Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.) reported that each employees departure costs organisations between 90 and 2000 per cent of an employees yearly salary. Moreover, recruiting and retraining new employees costs money and time (Brundage Koziel 2010; Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Peterson 2005). Furthermore, losing talent equates to losing knowledge since employees have unique talent (Amundson 2007; Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Ramlall 2004), as previously discussed. Additionally, company targets are not achieved (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Garger 1999), the remaining employees productivity and morale are affected (Equal Oppor tunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Garger 1999; Hunt Rasmussen 2007), and the organisations reputation might be jeopardised (Garger 1999). Wal-Mart has successfully demonstrated effective retention strategies through its beliefs of getting, keeping, and growing good people, amongst other HR strategies (Peterson 2005). Value is placed upon knowing a person during the recruiting process so that the applicant and organisation can determine a match of needs, interests, and values. This corresponds to the matching model (March Simon 1958, cited in Samson Daft 2005) and goodness-of-fit model (Latham Pinder 2005). Managers are involved in the orientation programs so that a good working relationship is built (Garger 1999; Peterson 2005). Successively, employees can feel connected towards the organisation and feel secure in voicing out grievances (Peterson 2005). Besides that, clarification of goals and paths within the organisation are established from the beginning (Garger 1999; Peterson 2005). Furthermore, strong leadership is emphasised in Wal-Mart since leaders become a role model for the employees (Garger 1999; Peterson 2005). With these, Wal-Mart has illustrated organisational commitment towards its employees, and is likewise rewarded with loyalty from its staff. While there are various strategies available for organisations to improve employee motivation, it is valuable for HR managers to ground them from motivation theories so that they can be more efficient (Ramlall 2004). Since numerous motivation theories can be applied to employee attraction and retention; and since theories of attraction, motivation, and retention complement each other in winning the war for talent, this essay will mention a synthesised model; Jeffries and Huntes (2004) extension of Lockes motivational sequence (1991). This is because the model connects key motivation theories into a successive structure to illustrate individuals motivational drivers (1991, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004). Amongst the theories included are Maslows (1970) Hierarchy of Needs to represent the antecedents of values and desires (Locke 1991, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004); Adams (1963) Equity Theory to illustrate individuals value-driven choices and actions (Locke 1991, cited in Jeffries Hun te 2004); Banduras (1986) Social Cognitive Theory that states performance is determined by direct, immediate purposes and a sense of efficiency (Locke 1991, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004); and Hackman and Oldhams (1980) Job Characteristics Theory where work performance determines job satisfaction (Locke 1991, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004). Jeffries and Hunte (2004) introduced the role of intermediaries in which appropriate interventions can have influential factors on individuals. A synthesised motivational model is also relevant because organisations usually use more than one approach in motivating and retaining employees (e.g., Wal-Mart, in Peterson 2005), although they may not be grounded on theory (Ramlall 2004). Additionally, researchers have warned of the dangers for managers to generalise a theory because this could jeopardise their employees motivation aside from their career (Harell Daim 2010). As mentioned earlier, one of the consequences of staff turnover is the loss of motivation and productivity amongst the remaining employees (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency n.d.; Garger 1999; Hunt Rasmussen 2007). In addition, overall productivity decreases with the use of new, inexperienced staff (Smith et al. 2004). Therefore, motivating employees could prevent or at least reduce turnover intention (Ma Trigo 2008) and simultaneously improve productivity (Hunt Rasmussen 2007). In turn, organisations can prevent major expenses related to innovation, production, and quality (Harell Daim 2010) and create a high-performance workforce (Jensen 2005). A classical strategy to attract, motivate, and retain talent is by offering financial rewards, such as high wages and profit sharing (e.g., Ma Trigo 2008; Ramlall 2004; Smith et al. 2004). Besides that, some organisations also practice salary increments whereby wage increases according to tenure (Ramlall 2004; Smith et al. 2004). An extensive study conducted by Chew and Girardi (2008) particularly draws attention to the suggestion that wage is one of three strategic methods of motivating and retaining employees. The researchers believe that financial rewards are one of the most important factors that lead to organisational commitment, which subsequently, results in retention (Chew Girardi 2008). Other forms of financial incentives include loyalty bonuses (Smith et al. 2004) and performance-based bonuses that is determined by the employees financial objectives and individual accomplishments, as well as the organisations performance (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002; Brundage Koziel 2010; Gullickson Gunn 2003; Smith et al. 2004; Ma Trigo 2008). Thorough investigations conducted revealed that these strategies aid employee motivation because they are regarded as the managements form of recognition and appreciation (Chew Girardi 2008; Harell Daim 2010). Thus, organisations can succeed in motivating and retaining employees, although it involves great financial investments. While financial rewards seem to be an evident strategy of attracting, motivating, and retaining talent, the use of non-financial rewards succeed equally well. Organisations can recognise employees efforts by honouring them with reputation and awards (Hunt Rasmussen 2007), such as commonly practiced in the advertising field (Medcalf 2008) and as demonstrated by Kimberly-Clark. Therefore, as Adams (1963) Equity Theory suggests, when employees feel that their management recognises their efforts, they would feel more motivated and hence remain in the organisation. Financial and non-financial rewards can also be associated together such as during an awards-giving ceremony. Aside from those, organisations can attract, motivate, and retain employees with the use of perks such as employment benefit packages (e.g., car, phone, insurance, and holidays) and the physical environment (Earle 2003). Earle (2003) noted that organisations that usually gain recognition in Fortune Magazines 100 Best Companies to work for (p. 252) are the ones that offers perks to improve employees quality of life. She noted that the top ten listed companies offered practical facilities, such as health-related and family friendly amenities. Therefore, while organisations can win the war for talent by investing in various tangible and non-tangible perks, investing in perks that directly improves employees well-being is more effective. Moreover, when an individuals well-being is increased, turnover due to poor health is likely to decrease (Jorgensen Taylor 2008). Organisations that strive to create a corporate identity are often well rewarded with talented employees (Earle 2003; Hunt Rasmussen 2007). This is because the brand or reputation of the organisation tends to reflect employees sense of identity (Earle 2003). Successively, organisations can work towards achieving the title Employer of Choice that further attracts, motivates, and retains employees (Ruch 2000). Kimberly-Clark has won the Federal Governments Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA)s Employer of Choice for Women award several times (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). It is necessary for organisations to fulfil stringent criteria in order to receive this recognition (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). Kimberly-Clark was recognised because it offered mothers paid maternity leave and flexibility in arranging work (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). For instance, they could work from home or work on a part-time schedule (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). Flexible work arrangements are significant especially for females who may be caring for others or want to coincide work with school hours (Wrekin Council 1997, cited in Smith et al. 2004). Additionally, flexible working arrangements can draw females into employment (Earle 2003; Wrekin Council 1997, cited in Smith et al. 2004) while retaining valuable employees (Earle 2003). As demonstrated, flexible work arrangements appear to be an important factor in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees. Recent research suggests that employees prefer flexibility (Jorgensen Taylor 2008) because it can contribute to work-life balance (Earle 2003; Hunt Rasmussen 2007; Holland, Sheehan De Cieri 2007). Furthermore, this practice promotes the retention and re-engagement of the more experienced, older workers (Holland, Sheehan De Cieri 2007). Earle (2003) noted that Baby Boomers who are offered more flexibility and autonomy to balance their professional and private lives are more open to work in a different and possibly, less comfortable environment. Consequently, as diversity, knowledge, and experience are maintained, organisations can win the war for talent and increase its competitive advantage. Organisations can also provide other variations of flexibility and work-life balance such as flexi time, job sharing, unpaid leave, and the ability to telecommute (Earle 2003). Earle (2003) notes that there are people who highly value the ability to control their own work schedule. Therefore, they would determine their own work datelines or even only work on certain days (Earle 2003). She also notes that some employees prefer to telecommute because it is more convenient and they can save on travelling time (Earle 2003). Thus, organisations can win the war for talent by attracting skilled workers who may happen to live a distance away or find travelling difficult. Meanwhile, these strategies can motivate and retain existing employees because there is less organisational pressure and demand. Organisations can increase its competitive advantage by being familiar with generational differences because their formative years shape much of their values, needs, and expectations (Earle 2003; Erickson 2010). Nevertheless, each generation would also require different needs and wants according to their stages of life (Earle 2003). This reflects Amundsons (2007) attraction theory, Bright and Pryors (2005) chaos theory of careers, as well as Jeffries and Huntes (2004) extension of Lockes motivational sequence (1991). Therefore, different attractors and motivators apply when recruiting, motivating, and retaining them (Jeffries Hunte 2004; Lancaster Stillman 2002, cited in Jorgensen Taylor 2008). It is useful for HR managers to consider that they are also hiring attitudes besides expertise (Ruch 2000). It is documented that Baby Boomers generally favour a stable and peaceful working environment (Earle 2003), appreciate longer time lines to complete the assignment, prefer to be involved in consensus building, and participate in management activities (Jeffries Hunte 2004). Nevertheless, they are willing to endure less than optimal conditions if they are highly compensated and are provided with good health plans (Earle 2003). Besides that, organisations could make necessary adjustments and involve Baby Boomers in management. These benefits the organisations since older workers tend to have more knowledge, skills, and experience, and are aware of the organisations goals and processes (Earle 2003). While Baby Boomers tend to be loyal towards their employer (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004), adjusting to their needs further strengthens their commitment. On the other hand, Generation X are comfortable with ongoing changes surrounding their job and environment (Earle 2003). They prefer to work in empowered teams, but will only put in as much effort to what is appreciated by the organisation (Earle 2003; Ruch 2000). This corresponds to Adams (1963) Equity Theory. In addition, Generation X places a lot of emphasis on work-life balance (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004; Ruch 2000). Therefore, flexibility and recognition plays an even bigger role in attracting, motivating, and retaining them (Earle 2003; Ruch 2000). In fact, they are willing to receive lower wages in exchange for flexible work arrangements (Earle 2003). Therefore, in order to gain competitive advantage, organisations need to adapt to the working styles of Generation X as the older generation retires (Ruch 2000). Finally, Generation Y are more ethically diverse (Howe Strauss 2000, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004). Consequently, they tend to be more selective with their work places and are more apt to leave the organisation if they perceive it as meaningless (Earle 2003). They value factors such as training and development, recognition, innovation, relations, consistent and timely feedback, and a positive working environment (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004). Generation Y also welcomes new challenges in their work (Earle 2003). Hence, in order to attract, motivate, and retain Generation Y, organisations need to invest a considerable amount of time, effort, and commitment to comply to the factors above as well as to establish their company image as one that is worth working for. A good example of this is Kimberly-Clark, which this essay has illustrated several times. Moreover, Generation Y grew up in a time of technology advancement (Jeffries Hunte 2004) which enables anyone to research a part icular employer at any given time. Henceforth, upon winning the war for Generation Y talent, organisations can increase its competitive advantage since Generation Y will create the bulk of the workforce in the near future (Earle 2003). This essay has discussed some strategies organisations can implement to attract, motivate, and retain skilled workers. Organisations can be successful in winning the war for talent through the role of its HRM to devise strategies that will contribute to employee satisfaction (Jeffries Hunte 2004). Nonetheless, in order to achieve this, organisations need to regard HR managers as strategic partners (De Cieri et al. 2008). This is because employees are less likely to resign if the management system is good (Ma Trigo 2008). Consecutively, an increase in job satisfaction will lead to an increase in affective commitment and hence, more success in talent retention (Ma Trigo 2008). Despite HRMs recognition of the importance of attracting, motivating, and retaining skilled employees, many fail to focus on these, focusing instead on administrative tasks (Jensen 2005). Furthermore, whilst HR managers may recognise the different strategies available to win the war for talent, it is futile if they are not utilised appropriately. One way of overcoming this is by using information technology (IT; Jensen 2005). For example, Delaware Investments outsources administrative work via technology to alleviate administrative time in order to focus on strategic human resource management (SHRM; Jensen 2005). Besides that, to maintain employee relations, Delaware Investments uses IT to help deliver messages efficiently and in a timely manner, especially those that would have a big impact on employees such as major organisational changes (Jensen 2005). Effective SHRM needs to be based on research, theoretical models, and information received from exit interviews (Garger 1999). It also needs to begin from the stages of selection and orientation so that organisations can determine the right people to hire (Garger 1999). Wal-Mart (Peterson 2005) demonstrated this with the practice of getting to know applicants before hiring. As cited, this relates to the matching model (March Simon 1958, cited in Samson Daft 2005) and goodness-of-fit model (Latham Pinder 2005). It is important for organisations to provide offers and values that are consistent with their advertisements during recruitment. Otherwise, motivating and retaining talent will be more challenging, if not failed, because the employees would leave for other organisations that provide better compensation and matching principles (Terjesen Frey 2008). This reflects Parsons (1909, cited in Hartung Blustein 2002) career-decision making model. Another method of achieving SHRM is by tailoring strategies according to the factors that each generation favours more, such as training and development, motivational factors, and compensation. For example, Generations X and Y appreciate constant feedback and evaluation (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004). Therefore, a strategic method to motivate and retain them would be to develop a comprehensive learning and development module that fulfils their learning goals (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004). Nonetheless, Jeffries and Hunte (2004) noted the irony that the additional skills would prepare the employees to leave the organisation for a different one. Therefore, an approach to overcome this effect is by developing a personal retention plan for individual employees such as flexible work arrangements, as discussed earlier, as well as developing goals surrounding approaching organisational opportunities (such as Wal-Mart). Targeted retention policies that are relevant include setting ma nageable jobs and expectations, providing career management, promoting good communication within the organisation, offering flexibility to achieve work-life balance, stating clear goals, and mentoring (Ruch 2000). In addition, since Generations X and Y seek challenges and prefer to work in teams (Earle 2003; Jeffries Hunte 2004), management could develop projects which requires an amalgamation of knowledge, skills, and experience of the generations. Organisations that maximises its employees resources tend to achieve competitive advantage (Jeffries Hunte 2004). An exemplary organisation previously cited is again, Kimberly-Clark. It is also worth noting that Kimberly-Clark has a dedicated HR team that works towards informing organisational strategy (Kimberly-Clark Worldwide 2009). This essay acknowledges Jeffries and Huntes (2004) extension of Lockes motivational sequence (1991) because the model connects key motivation theories into a successive structure to illustrate individuals motivational drivers (1991, cited in Jeffries Hunte 2004). In addition, the authors considered generational differences as one of the intermediaries that can influence interventions (Jeffries Hunte 2004). Thus, HRM can carefully formulate attracting, motivating, and retaining strategies following this synthesis. For example, HRM needs to consider the provision of recognition and health-related benefits to Baby Boomers (Jeffries Hunte 2004) while focusing more on learning and development for Generations X and Y (Jeffries Hunte 2004). Besides being highly proficient in the business strategy and being able to lead, HR managers need to be skilled in networking to obtain and share knowledge in order to be an efficient strategic partner in the organisation (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002). Thus, HR executives need to be able to communicate with the employees and be on the same wavelength in order to meet the employees needs (Harell Daim 2010). Subsequently, it is imperative that HR executives follow up on the feedback in a timely manner (Harell Daim 2010) to prevent the loss of employee confidence in the organisation. Additionally, HR managers need to understand that a wide combination of strategies is involved when attracting, motivating, and retaining talent. It is insufficient to only utilise a few convenient strategies and anticipate employee retention. It is also vital that HR managers regard employees as partners of the organisation and compensate them alike other stakeholders (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002). Smith et al. (2004) documented two transnational Japanese manufacturing plants in Britain that consistently experienced high employee turnover. They attributed this to company paternalism while acknowledging its HRMs role in minimising production disruption. Nevertheless, the strategies only focused on wage, careful employee selection, and job routinisation (Smith et al. 2004). Therefore, motivating and retaining employees greatly depends on the factors that employees value, as well as the organisations response to them (Dolea, Stormont Braichet 2010). Furthermore, HR managers need to understand that financial incentives programmes alone are not the basis of attracting, motivating, and retaining employees since employees who were initially drawn by an offer that pays well will usually leave for a different organisation that pays better (Bartlett Ghoshal 2002). It is important that HR managers understand this phenomena because it is common for policy-makers to use finance as an immediate boost when faced with a lack of human capital (Dolea, Stormont Braichet 2010). Clearly, competitive challenges like globalisation and skill shortages have contributed to a spirited war for talent. Adding to these is the challenge of satisfying the demands of different generations. Various literatures have documented the trend that parallels the views presented by Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002). This essay has explored strategies that HRM can adopt to attract, motivate, and retain talent in order to gain competitive advantage. Nonetheless, there is recognition that some strategies would require considerable investment, effort, and commitment to surmount the competitive challenges. This essay has also highlighted that HRM is an integral part to an organisations success. A review of selected models has been presented to guide organisational strategic planning to win the war for talent. In addition, this essay has identified several organisations accomplishments in attracting, motivating, and retaining skilled workers. Finally, this essay indicated the competencies HR executives require to become an organisations strategic partner. This essay closes with a reiteration that organisations can create and maintain commitment.

Spirit Of Enquiry Is Vital To Human Fulfilment Philosophy Essay

Spirit Of Enquiry Is Vital To Human Fulfilment Philosophy Essay The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. Albert Einstein Humans are by nature curious and enquiring beings. We are also rarely able to be content in the state in which we find ourselves, as there is always something not possessed or obtainable, something we are not fully aware of that we still desire. As we go about our daily lives we experience and actively seek the unknown. Indeed it is generally accepted that enquiry and curiosity generally leads to overwhelmingly positive experiences as opposed to continuing blindly with the mundane nature of everyday life. There is indeed much to be said for searching out new and exciting experiences, giving us a fuller perspective and a greater insight into the world around us. Scientists identify the spirit of enquiry as being synonymous to scientific temper most scientific discoveries, after all, were conceived in the spirit of enquiry. However, is this mental attitude crucial for human satisfaction and fulfilment? The quest for human fulfilment is one which to this day remains largely unsolved; there is of course no correct way to live ones life, otherwise we would all be satisfied. Human fulfilment is difficult to define but for me it represents, at its core, a basic feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Three things which I believe are absolutely paramount to this feeling of fulfilment are: successful relationships, achieving ones aims, and discovery self-discovery or otherwise. These are all inter-linked without venturing into some realm of the unknown, how can we ever have new experiences, achieve ones desires or meet other like-minded people? Enquiry is absolutely essential in leading us to the most fulfilling experiences of our lives, whether it is discovering and reading a book which inspires you to change your life, visiting an entirely new country and immersing yourself in its cultures and traditions or making an important scientific discovery. Whilst some scientific advances have been achieved purely by chance (e.g. the discovery of Penicillin) most require a questioning, seeking mind and perseverance at the highest level. Today science does not tend to advance by chance humans are at such a level of understanding (through our continuation of efforts) that we must in general use a trial and error basis for research, which is where intelligence and our basic feelings of curiosity are hugely important. In a similar way, it is generally accepted that in todays economic climate, a good education is of paramount importance. In a world where places for further education and where jobs are scarce, universities and prospective employers are increasingly looking for individuals who demonstrate this very spirit of enquiry. People who throw themselves into lots of different things are far more appealing than those who do not take advantage of their situation and do not actively seek new experiences; this is because an active and enquiring mind is present in an adaptable, versatile and intelligent individual. Thus, it is conducive to human fulfilment in the sense that it facilitates transition into the working world. Equally vital however is the ability to focus the mind, and not fall into the trap of becoming a jack of all trades, as leaving quests or pursuits unfinished can be the least fulfilling and most tragic thing of all. As well as its rather superficial economic benefits (ease of finding a job etc), an enquiring and curious mind is in my opinion a lot more content than an intellectually apathetic one however, according to various polls, only a small proportion of Americans own passports (the Guardian estimates the number at 22%). Although this is not a definitive sign that they are not mentally inquisitive, it does suggest some of them have little interest in leaving the safety and comfort of their country. However this does not apparently adversely affect their happiness according to a survey from gallup.com, 84% of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life at this time, while 14% are dissatisfied. In this case, those surveyed feel fulfilled without having to take the leap of leaving their country. There is obviously a significant defence to the argument that only through intellectual curiosity we can be truly fulfilled. However I believe that the more basic intelligence one has, the more one will naturally feel the instinct to explore and to enquire. Those who do will often become enriched by the wealth of knowledge and personal experience gained, and those who dont will either continue unaware of what the world holds and not mind while the rest will undoubtedly feel unfulfilled. There is of course an argument that in some cases, ignorance is bliss. I strongly believe that todays current state of general hysteria (particularly with regard to health and crime) is in some part caused the media whether its claims be misinformed or otherwise, I believe that (warnings about genuine and formidable dangers aside) some things are better left unsaid. Scaremongering the public about the possible carcinogenic properties of everyday foods or the pervasiveness of violent crime is not particularly constructive; it is hard to focus on the things which really matter in life and seek fulfilment in an atmosphere of chronic paranoia in some ways, a more relaxed approach to daily life would be more beneficial to the human spirit. However, I strongly believe that on a more basic level, humans must continue to search spiritually, scientifically and personally if there is any hope for happiness and fulfilment. There is a danger that if we let the important aspects of our lives be pushed aside by apathy and ignorance, we run the risk of losing sight of these things entirely, which would be a tragedy as friendship, love and discovery are the sole paths to human fulfilment and being happy, which in the end is arguably the most important thing we can ever hope to be.

Thematic Issues in Nine Muses by Wim Coleman Essay -- essays research

Many thematic issues are found in modern plays from classic myths in the book Nine Muses by Wim Coleman. Long ago, when life was full of mysteries, myths, or explanations, helped people make sense of a perplexing world. Myths also explain deeper questions. Such as, how did the world itself come to be? How did life begin? How were human beings created and why? And why is there suffering and death in the world? People of ancient cultures all over the world puzzled over such questions, and they created stories to answer them. One of the main thematic issues in Nine Muses is the tragic effect of engaging in actions which are forbidden. Some plays which express this thematic issue are â€Å"Pandora†, â€Å"Phaeton and the Sun Chariot†, and â€Å"Eros and Psyche†. One of the plays found in Nine Muses is â€Å"Pandora†. This play is about Hesoid, a Greek poet, who describes the creation of the universe of gods and humankind. He shares a story about â€Å"a gift for humankind† (P.22) or in other words, the first woman Pandora. As she enters the mortal world, she becomes the wife of Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus, a titan. Epimetheus’s brother told him he is not to have anything to do with the gods, and when he found out that Pandora was a gift from the gods, he told her he told her that he could not accept her- a gift from the gods. Pandora finds a beautiful clay jar hidden behind a curtain, while searching for the â€Å"wife† of Epimetheus. Pandora reaches to open the jar assuming it has Epimetheus’s wife in it but Epimetheus stops her explaining that there are terrible things in the jar. Being a curious girl, as soon as Epimetheus leaves the room to attend his daily chores, Pandora walks over t o the jar and opens the lid letting the terrible thi... ...s talk and the two sisters become awfully jealous of her. After they try to find out the truth of Psyche and her husband, they leave with some jewels. The night after the two sisters leave, Psyche can’t sleep at night and order her servants to bring her a lamp. She sneaks into her husband’s room, to find a beautiful creature with great, white folded, feathered wings. He is the son of Aphrodite’s, Eros – she says. As she quietly moves away, her oil lamp drops oil on Eros burning him and waking him up. He explains to Psyche that â€Å"mortals and gods are forbidden to marry† (p.137) that’s why she couldn’t see him and now he must go away from her. In this play we see that Pandora should’ve listened to her husband, Eros, and it caused herself bad in not listening to Eros, but we see that things can work out after something terrible occurs, such as the birth of a child.

Conflict is a Major Issue in Othello Essays -- shakespeare, Literary An

Conflict is a major issue in Othello, the source for all the problems in the story all lead back to love and jealousy. Love can be an extremely powerful thing in life. It can easily draw two people closer together or simply destroy something that could have been great. Ironically similar, jealousy can tear something apart just as fast as love can. This timeless tragedy starts out in Venice, with a plot to attain revenge on Othello. Iago and Roderigo are simply jealous with the fact that Othello has promoted Cassio to his lieutenant instead of Iago, along with the bitterness they both shared towards Othello to begin with (Shakespeare for Students, Othello). Together, Iago and Roderigo have come up with a plan to ultimately push Othello over the edge. For starters, Cassio unwillingly has told Iago that he is capable to be easily intoxicated and well obviously Iago uses this information against Cassio. Long story short, Cassio has stirred up a brawl to which in the long run costs him his new status as lieutenant. After all of this goes down Iago, trying to seem like the concerning friend, convinces Cassio to speak with Desdemona, Othello’s new bride, about the situation. Luckily, so Cassio thinks, Desdemona does such and tries to talk with Othello to have his dear friend reinstated. It is possible for people to make mistake. Once again Iago uses Cassio’s ignorance against him. All through the story almost every little detail and event all leads back to the scheme of Iago. Iago is thinking this could not work out better for me, so his next thought of process is that this conversation between Othello and his dear wife Desdemona will make Othello’s mind play tricks on him. Soon there after Othello is advised to keep closer watch of hi... ...or example when she asked him to tell her how much he loved her, â€Å"If it be love indeed, tell me how much†. Her maids add a little to Cleopatra’s characteristics. Also she had a messenger go to Antony saying she was dead, which she was not.Cleopatra’s character is so exotic and proud to be able to manipulate men but Desdemona is a complete opposite. Betrayal is the other ultimate theme of both of these tragedies. In Othello, he betrays Desdemona by believing the evil Iago and not communicating with his wife. He instead assumes Iago’s statements are of truth. We see Iago’s slyness and cleverness grow and a vapid rate, Desdemona’s innoncence becomes more apparent and Othello’s character galls from a noble warrior into a jealous fool. Iago is the source of the problems in Othello. He has motivation to ruin dear Othello because of the promotion Cassio gets instead of Iago.

American Society for Training & Development: A Closer Look

Organizations exist for different purposes. There have been countless successful organizations but there were also equal numbers of unsuccessful ones. The American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) is clearly a successful organization. It is considered as the world’s largest association that is committed in workplace learning and performance professionals. Its members originate from different countries worldwide. ASTD is a committee organization which consists of a group of people who usually lead the whole organization. This type of organization, though it has a broad decision making, has a limited functional authority.The good thing on committee authority is that there is harmony between executives and co-workers. Even executives who have lesser experience can broaden their perspectives through active participation. Moreover, there is an assurance of continuity of committee functions. On the other hand, this type of organization is time consuming. Others also say tha t â€Å"committee is made up of the unfit selected by the unwilling to do the unnecessary. † There are also instances when the chairman is forced to make a decision when the committee members have difficulty arriving at a unified agreement.The responsibility is divided among the members and it seeks unanimous decisions. Committee organization is best used to represent interest groups, training, innovation and coordination of planning. The ASTD have the following services: they provide resources for the professionals, which are helpful for researches and publications. They also conduct conferences and expositions in different locations and facilitate the online communities. Aside from these, the ASTD offers programs and choices for careers. ASTD seeks to create a world that works better through exceptional learning and performance.They envision a world-wide leader in workplace learning and performance. Harrison says that leadership is really all about performance. In this case , wherein a 16-member team leads the members, the ASTD is spearheaded by designated leadership. The 16-member team takes responsibility for the whole members and drives them towards their goals. The designated leaders also think of how they will achieve these goals. One of the best things about what ASTD offers to its members is the wide array of resources from the marketplace that they can have access to.They have online environments where the members can gain access to resources such as articles, book summaries and reviews on topics ranging from management to trainings. Aside from these, there are also magazines, newsletters, research reports, Webpages and blogs. The organization also made way for the Training Fundamentals Community where the members can have access on different resources available and connect them to their peers who can help in developing training solutions for a particular organization.The ASTD also conduct conferences and expositions with world-renowned leaders as speakers. The members learn a lot of new things, whether theories or models, that they can adapt to their organization. This facilitates a better workplace learning and performance. The organization also offers exhibit and sponsorship opportunities for their training suppliers. It also offers many choices of certificates from education programs. ASTD also holds the Benchmarking Forum which offers opportunities to benchmark the practices and processes of the members.ASTD is clearly a place where a professional can be more professional. Their resources and programs will be the vehicle for an organization to achieve its success. Being a good leader or a professional means you follow principles that are good for the organization. You have to find ways on how to improve your skills and competencies. There will always be room for improvement to be able to lead the organization to that sweet success. REFERENCES http://www. astd. org/ASTD

Marketing Plan for a Premium (Branded) Product

Table of Contents No| Tittle| Pages| 1. 0| Executive Summary| 5| 1. 1~1. 2| Objectives ~ vision and mission| 5| 2. 0| Company Summary| 6| 2. 1| Background| 6| 2. 2| Company Locations and Facilities| 6| 3. 0| Products and Services| 7| 3. 1| Products Description| 7| 3. 2| Competitive Comparison| 8| 3. 3| Supply and Demand Details| 9| 3. 4| Technology Needs| 10| 4. 0| Market Analysis| 11| 4. 1| Target Market| 11| 4. 1. 1| Target Market Segment Strategy| 11| 4. 1. 2| Market Needs| 11| 4. 1. 3| Market Trends| 11| 4. 1. 4| Market Growth| 12| 4. 2| Industry Analysis| 13| 4. 2. 1| Industry Participants/Key Players| 13| 4. 2. | Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis| 13| 5. 0| Strategy and Implementation Summary| 14| 5. 1| Marketing Strategy| 14| 5. 2| Pricing Strategy| 15| 5. 3| Promotion Strategy| 15| 5. 4| Distribution Patterns| 15| 5. 6| Sales Strategy| 16| 5. 7| Sales Forecast| 16| 5. 8| Sales Programs| 16| 6. 0| Web Plan Summary| 17| 6. 1| Website Marketing Strategy| 17| 6. 2| Developmen t Requirements| 17| 7. 0| References| 18-20| 1. 0 Executive Summary 1. 1 Objectives My objective is to collect and research information to understand Audi Company better in terms of their company background, product and services and their marketing strategy.Examples are like their technology, competitors pricing, sales figures market growth and many more. 1. 2 Vision and Mission Vision: â€Å"Audi – the premium brand† Mission: â€Å"We delight customers worldwide† 2. 0 Company Summary 2. 1 Background Audi is under a parent company named Volkswagen Group which is a German automobile manufacturing company. Audi is a manufacturer of exquisite cars – beautiful, sophisticated machines that embody technological perfection. Audi is the Premium brand growing most rapidly and on course to become the world’s most successful Premium manufacturer.Audi has been recognised by the European Union for outstanding environmental protection, based on its long traditio n of minimising and reusing production waste. 2. 2 Company Locations and Facilities The worldwide network of Audi sites comprises the two German plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, as well as seven production facilities in Gyor (Hungary), Brussels (Belgium), Changchun (China), Aurangabad (India), Bratislave (Slovakia), Martorell (Spain) and Indonesia. 3. 0 Products and Services 3. 1 Products Description Type| Audi Q5 2. 0 TFSI Quattro (225PS)| Vehicle Type| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)|Transmission| 6-speed manual| Year| 2011| Price(RM)| 328,000| Engines| 1,984  cc (1. 984  L; 121. 1  cu in) I4 turbo| Acceleration(0-60mph)| 7. 0 sec| Maximum Speed| 130 mph| Tank Capacity| 75| Weight| 1850| Audi Q5 2. 0 TFSI Quattro (225PS) is a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The transmission for the car is 6-speed manual. Not only that, the Audi Q5 engine is 2. 0 litre engines comes with a turbo system which boost its engine capability, the acceleration from 0-60mph is 7. 0 per second and the ma ximum speed is 130mph which is approximately 233kmh while the tank capacity is 75 litres and the weight is 1850kg. 3. Competitive Comparison Type| Range Rover Evoque| Porsche Cayenne| Vehicle Type| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)| Transmission| Six-speed Automatic| Eight-speed Tiptronic S with Auto start/stop function| Year| 2012| 2012| Price(RM)| 363,888| 570,000| Engines| 2. 0L Si4 4-cylinder petrol engine| 3. 6L V6| Acceleration(0-100km/h)| 7. 6 sec| 7. 5 sec| Maximum Speed| 217 km/h| 230 km/h| Tank Capacity| 70| 100| Weight| From 1640| 2030| 3. 3 Supply and Demand Details Audi Q series Annual Sales in all countries Production (unit)| Year| Year| Vehicles (Audi)| 2011| 2010| Q5| 183,678| 154,604|Q7| 53,703| 48,937| Q3| 19,613| -| Total Audi Q series| 256,994| 203,541| Based on the table above, Audi Q series annual sales for the model Q5 had increase from 154,604 for the year 2010 to 183,678 for the year 2011. The different of annual sales between year 201 0 and 2011 is 29,074 which means the supply and demand for year 2011 had increase. The total annual sales of Audi Company for 2010 are 203,541 whereas for the year 2011 is 256,994. The table above show that the total annual sales of the company had also increase 53,453 which mean the supply and demand of the cars increase from the year 2010 to 2011. . 4 Technology Needs As technology needs for the model of Audi Q5 is the engine. The engine Audi Company use for Q5 is 2. 0 litre engines comes with a turbo system which boost its engine capability and turbocharging for more power and greater efficiency   is a development of the engine that powers the likes of the current Audi TT and Volkswagen Golf GTI. The engine’s power and performance will be from 0-60mph is 7 seconds and the top speed will be 130mph or 209km/h. The horsepower can up to 211hp or 4300rpm and the torque will be 258 Ib-ft. or 1500rpm. 4. 0 Market Analysis 4. 1 Target MarketThe following are the strategy for tar get market. 4. 1. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy Market segmentation for Audi Q5 will be psychographic segmentation which means Audi Company divide the buyers into different categories based on social class, lifestyles or personality characteristics. For the target market segment will be differentiated marketing strategy which means Audi Company produces several types of car such as SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), Sedan and Sport each targeting its own segment of consumers. As for the product I choose Q5 target market is towards consumer’s lifestyles from higher level income.The target market will be consumers who finding for more comfortable, powerful and luxury option. 4. 1. 2 Market Needs Audi Company is providing customer comfort and luxury cars. Audi have a very good warranty and aftersales services for the customers. Now for all the new Audi models, the customers can choose whether you want to have three, four or five years warranty. So with the few years warranty you ca n enjoy your driving and also no need to worry about the unexpected repair bills. 4. 1. 3 Market Trends Market trends for Audi Q5 is the technology its use for the engine. Audi Q5 has automatic start and stop function for greater fuel.Audi Q5 comes with the Driver’s Information System (DIS) can help consumer to save fuel. Not only that, the market trends for Audi Q5 is because comfort and luxury. 4. 1. 4 Market Growth Production (unit) Production (unit) Year Year Figure: Production of vehicles Audi Q5 Figure above shows the Audi Q5 pass four years production from 2008 to 2011. The models of Q5 have a production of 20,320 in year 2008. Then the production increase from 20,320 to 105,074 in year 2009. The different of both years are 84,754. The productions still continue increase from 2009 to 2010 which mean from 105,074 to 154,604.Lastly for year 2011, the production for the year is 183,678. Compare to the pass four years the production of Audi Q5 is continues increase. 4. 2 I ndustry Analysis 4. 2. 1 Industry Participants/Key Players The industry participant for Audi Q5 is Stefan Sielaff. He is the head of design in Audi Company. He joins the company in year 2006. The key player for Audi Q5 is towards the consumers with high level of income and age above 40. Not only that, Audi Q5 can also be for family uses because it is 7 seaters car. 4. 2. 2 Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis The main competitors for Audi Q5 are Range Rover Evoque and Porsche CayenneRange Rover Evoque: * The main strength of Range Rover Evoque is that it is the sport utility vehicle (SUV) with the engine turbocharged inline four-cylinder which can boost up to 240 horsepower, six-speed automatic transmission and impressive acceleration which is 7. 6 per second. Porsche Cayenne * The main strength of Porsche Cayenne is that it is also sport utility vehicle (SUV) with the engine 8-speed Tiptronic S which can boost up to 380 horsepower, Eight-speed Tiptronic S with Auto start and stop function and impressive acceleration which is 7. 5 per second. 5. Strategy and Implementation Summary 5. 1 Marketing Strategy Marketing strategy for the Audi Company is to hit the annual sales target or increase sales and profitable get back. Audi Company will choose the best strategy to gain profit in order to create customers value. Audi Company market segmentation will be psychographic segmentation which means for the model Q5, the segmentation will base on the individual lifestyles. Audi Company market target will be age above 40 and consumers with high level of income. The target market segment will be differentiated marketing strategy.This is because the Audi Company is going to target on few market segments and provide few models such as A4, TT and Q5. By setting the market targeting, company hope can get higher sales. The market position for Audi Q5 is to combine both aspect in terms of luxury and performance in order to make the Audi Q5 to become a perfect sport utility veh icle. With high quality and luxury car and have also good performance with high tech engine, better interior and exterior are more attract the consumers compare to others competitors. 5. 2 Pricing StrategyIn terms of pricing strategy, marketers have to look into competitors’ strategies and prices to make comparison. The pricing strategy for Audi Company is by cost-based pricing which is convincing consumers of the vehicles value. The company profit will be the most important issue in pricing strategy. Audi Company is using psychological pricing which means it is consider about the pricing but not the world economics. The higher the price of car is, the higher quality of the car is. 5. 3 Promotion Strategy The promotion strategies for Audi Q5 are advertising and public relation.In terms of advertising, Audi Company has to make decisions when setting the advertising budget which is objective, budget decisions, message and media decisions and advertising evaluation. The marketer had chosen the advertising budget by using competitive-parity method in order to prevent promotion war and know what the competitors plans. Public relation is that Audi Company builds a strong relationship with the customers. The public relation company will organise a special event for example car show to promote the cars. By organising the car show public relation people can introduce the benefit of Audi Q5 and the specifications. . 4 Distribution Patterns The distribution patterns for Audi Company will be wholesaling. Audi Company is the wholesaler and the Audi Company will hire selling agents to help the company to gain the sales. The selling agents will sell the cars direct to last consumers. The wholesaler will set the segmentation and targeting consumers in order to identify the consumers and build a strong relationship with them. Selling agents have to explain about the cars specification and pricing to the customers in details to make the customers understand about the car concept. 5. Sales Strategy Sales strategy for Audi Company for model of Q5 is Audi Company have a very good aftersales services and warranty. Each of Audi cars has a warranty of at least 3years. Then, consumers no need to worry about the high repairing cost. Let’s say a customer with an Audi car model of Q5 send his or her car to service and he or she is busying with the job he needs a car to go work while the car repairing. In this case, Audi Company will decide to give the particular customer a same model of car to use while the car is doing services. 5. 6 Sales ForecastThe annual sales for Audi Q5 in year 2011 are 183,678 units so the marketers aim that the next annual sales in year 2012 for Audi Q5 will be 500,000 units. The reason why the marketers aim for more annual sales is because the Audi Company objective is to get benefits. To gain more annual sales the marketing strategy have to be improve in order to have more supply and demand of Audi Q5. 5. 7 Sales Programs T he sales program for Audi Q5 is the marketers will set market segmentation, market targeting, market position and market differentiation to concentrate on a market to increase the annual sales.In terms of pricing, the marketers will consider the target market income level and needs to get an Audi Q5. The marketers also will consider about the consumer judgement on the product. The marketers have to do some promotion in order to introduce the product to the target market. In this case, the product is Audi Q5 so the marketers have to consider the suitable premium product promotion strategy. After all, the marketers have to set a distributer to sell out the product. The distributer is by wholesale which means the Audi Company has to hire a selling agent to distribute the product to the last consumer. 6. 0 Web Plan Summary 6. Website Marketing Strategy Website marketing strategy is something similar to marketing strategy but is only available in online business. First of all, the market ers have to select the target market for Audi Q5. The target market for Audi Q5 is basically on consumers which is with high level of household income and with age 40 above. Audi Q5 is a premium product so for online marketing the consumers have to look into more about details of the company and also the car. Furthermore, the marketers have to look into the competitor’s online advertisement make sure the competitor’s online marketing did not reduces the confident of the consumers.Then, the marketers have to improve the Audi Company advertising skills. In terms of pricing, the marketers have to look into the market target needs. By using psychological pricing which means the consumers thought that the higher price of the car means the higher quality of the car. The consumers buying Audi Q5 is to show status and personal characteristic. The marketers have to create an advertisement either create by own or by hiring the graphic designer. For Audi Company normally the mark eters will hire the famous graphic designer to create a fabulous website page.And the graphic designer will helps to create the content of the advertising which is the slogan of the Audi Company by giving consumers message about the car comfort and luxury. In addition, the marketers have to monitor the advertising in terms of maintaining the latest news of the website. 6. 2 Development Requirements The marketers have to make sure the budget of the advertising did not over the cost so that the company did not lose any profit. The costing by hiring a famous graphic designer are very high so the marketers have to make sure that the online marketing are successful and hit the target of sales.List of References Audi. com (n. d. ) Corporate strategy > Audi at a glance > Investor Relations > Audi Worldwide. [online] Available at: http://www. audi. com/com/brand/en/company/investor_relations/audi_at_a_glance/corporate_strategy. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012] En. wikipedia. org (1937) Volkswag en Group – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Fleetdirectory. co. uk (2012) Audi profile and Audi company details. [online] Available at: http://www. fleetdirectory. co. k/audi/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Audi. com (n. d. ) Careers > Audi Worldwide. [online] Available at: http://www. audi. com/com/brand/en/company/careers. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. 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