Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 26
Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Being a disease with no certified medication, every state/ nation of the world feared the penetration of the virus into its territories. At the time, the governments placed all possible measures to prevent the spread of the disease into their countries. Despite all these efforts, the fear of Ebola could not be eliminated from not only the ordinary nationals, but also the medical practitioners. Responding to the vigorous spread of the disease, the author decided to write a journal that would explain various measures that can be put in place for preparedness and prevention of Ebola. The main purpose of the paper therefore was to enlighten every the different stakeholder and possible victims of the Ebola disease, on how the disease could be prevented. For instance, the journal was aimed at the health service providers (e.g. nurses), to be careful when handling the suspected of confirmed Ebola patients. The author achieves this goal by advising them to wear protective attires when handling such cases. The journal also enlightened the ordinary people, on the various ways through which the Ebola virus could be contracted. For instance, the author stresses that the main way through which Ebola is contracted is through direct contact with the infected person. The author also had a goal to advise governments on how Ebola virus spread could be prevented. In his article, he points out that, since there is no effective treatment for Ebola disease, the only method that can help in controlling the spread of the disease is by quarantine. This advice to the government would assist in isolating the suspected or confirmed Ebola patients, and specialized attention given to them. This prevents unnecessary spread of the disease. The journal targets any person, who needs to get information about the prevention of Ebola disease. Looking at the time during which the article was written, ideally,
Internet Marketing Essay Example for Free
Internet Marketing Essay This is perhaps the biggest threat gained from the internet as standardised products have become easier to compare throughout online intermediaries like kelkoo(Chaffney 2006) However business have to view it as an opportunity rather than a threat. (Chaffney 2006)states the bargaining power of its suppliers is reduced since there is a wider choice and increased commoditisation due to e-procurement and e-marketplace. Companies can demand that supplier uses ââ¬Å"Internet use of electronic data interchangeâ⬠(Strauss et al 2006), in order to increase supply chain sufficiency and reduce costs. Substitution is on the increase since digital products can be introduced faster making it a steady threat as consumers have broader choices online. The replacing of online channels mean existing services are now on the net, I. e. online banking. The barriers to entry have declined, enabling new competitors that have previously required a high street presence to trade online, along with foreign competitors. All these factors must be monitored to avoid deterioration of market share. The microenvironment is defined as ââ¬Å"all stakeholder, organizations, and forces external to the organisationâ⬠(Strauss,2006) . Social Factors are one of the key trends effecting businesses, to date a vast majority of the population obtain access to the internet, however firms need to take into account when forecasting future demands that groups do not wish to have access and the shortage of demand for online services. Moreover firms need to think how to avoid social exclusion (Chaffney 2006) defined as social exclusion as part of society that is excluded from the facilities available to the remainder and so becomes isolated (Strauss, 2006) Digital inequality matters due to those without access and skills are loosing out on the benefits of the digital world and research shows a clear correlation between social and digital exclusion.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Tata Motors A Business Strategy Report Marketing Essay
Tata Motors A Business Strategy Report Marketing Essay Tata Motors Limited, Indias largest automobile company, is the leader by far in commercial vehicles, and the second largest in the passenger vehicles market with winning products in the compact, mid-size car and utility vehicle segments. The purpose of this report is to study and analyze the internal and external environments of the automobile industry in India. The analysis should enable us to assess the current as well as previous strategies of the company and redesign new strategies for further optimization. Key Findings The research shows that Tata Motors has successfully implemented Low-Cost Strategy by providing unmatched value for its customers money. With 50 years of experience, the company has successfully served varied needs of its customers by providing an extensive range of products. Tata Motors is a pioneer in RD department which allows it to constantly innovate and discover new technologies. Recommendations Considering the emerging economy and changing consumers spending, implementation of Low-Cost Strategy might not benefit in the long run. Consequently, it is recommended that the company should follow differentiation strategy and focus on providing unique goods and services to win over the market from the rivalry players. By bringing revolutionary changes in the market, it would not be unrealistic to think of a future where customers would willingly pay for the added value to the product. Introduction Outline of Business under study Tata Motors, a subsidiary of the Tata group, was formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company). The group takes its name from the founder Jamsedji Tata and has its headquarters at the Bombay House in Mumbai, India. Established in 1945, Tata Motors has more than 4 million vehicles driving on the Indian roads. It was the first Indian company from the engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange. It made its place amongst the worlds top three passenger vehicle makers and is currently the leader in commercial vehicle. It also stands as the fourth largest truck and second largest bus manufacturer. The company employs 23,000 workers, who are directed by the vision to become the best in its operations and product while staying intact with the business ethics and value system. The multinational often hits the headlines because of its takeovers and mergers, especially with the recent acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover (Tata Motors 2011). External Analysis of the Automobile Industry Ever growing Indian population and hence the workforce, has increased the number of independent earners. This favourable trend provides a greater scope for the development of automobile industry in India. During 2008 the industry had a share of up to 3.9% in countrys GDP, which is expected to rise to 10% by 2016 (India Retail Report Q1 2011). Consumer spending on transport is also expected to experience an upward trend and advance by 73.2% in 2007-2015. Also, increased investment by the government for improved road infrastructure has further led to a growth in multi-axle vehicles (Euromonitor International 2008). Reason for studying Tata Motors Tata Motors is lately the most talked about company. Over the years it has emerged as a low cost vehicle manufacturer with prime focus on innovation. In divergence to its strategy, it would be interesting to learn about its new ventures in the luxury market. The study therefore focuses on closely scrutinising and reviewing its current tactics and verifying for any scope for improvement. Strategic Analysis Methods Techniques for Data Collection For the execution of this research, we conducted an in-depth study of the available secondary data. The gathered information was verified with the online company records, reports and official websites. Tata Motors Internal Records and Annual Reports Companies internal records helped us analyzed its current position by revealing its earnings until 2010 and understanding its past strategies and actions. Online Databases Data retrieved from EBSCOhost database, Factiva database and e-books available online at Deakin library and google scholar proved to be extremely beneficial. Online Websites and Other Resources Reliable articles, magazines, statistical trends, government websites and other relevant online sources like financial express, further enlightened our knowledge about the company. Text Book and Lecture Notes The textbook Exploring Corporate Strategy by Gerry Johnson provided us with the framework to go about this project. Study guide and lecture notes were also valuable source for information. Business Strategy Statement Tata Motors aims to emerge as the world-class automobile leader with the remarkable price-performance ratio in combination with hyper-efficient engines to acquire the large market share internationally. Tata Motors mission is to create an organisation that people enjoy working for, doing business with and investing in. It focuses on customer needs to provide them a range of innovative products and maintain long-term relations, by working closely with its workforce and business partners. The companys purpose is to consistently create shareholder value by generating greater returns and to foster long lasting ties with the vendors and channel partners (Global Reporting Initiative 2010). The companys objective is to invest INR28.8billion over the next few years for increasing its production and INR60billion for the expansion of the existing manufacturing plants and in setting up vehicle testing facilities (Automotive Manufacturing Solutions 2010). Tata Motors unmatchable ability to manufacture low cost vehicles provides the company with a greater scope of earning high profit margins and enjoys a greater market share. Economic slowdown has hyped the competition to provide low priced but the best quality vehicles. Understanding rural Indian economy and growing incomes of the farmers, Tata Motors view increased opportunities for its commercial sector (Thakkar 2010). Nevertheless Tata Motors have a range of upcoming Jaguar and Land rover cars for the luxury brand buyers to capture the higher-income/premium customer segment. This could create a greater success for the company in near future. Tata Motors have remarkable advantages of manufacturing in India when compared to other MNC competitors. It benefits from the low labour cost, extensively skilled and interwoven backward and forward linkages, boosting IT engineering, strong auxiliary industry, substantial knowledge of the market, improving infrastructure and increasing domestic demand. Tata Motors aspires to be a world-class maker of quality vehicles by striking balance between the needs of its customers, employee, suppliers, investors and the community as a whole. Analysis of External Environment of the Business Macro Environment analysis Economic Factors: The Indian economy has experienced constant growth due to the increasing per capita income, which grew by 14.2% in 2006-07. The total consumer spending increased by 73.9% during 1995-2007 this is expected to reach 58.2% in 2007-2015 (Euromonitor International 2008). According to the World Factbook (2011), Indias inflation rate rose to 11.7% in 2010 driven by increasing food and fuel prices. Moreover, rising commodity prices and hardening interest rate has posed immense pressure on costs and margins of Indian manufacturers (Mitra Sen 2011). Figure 1: India GDP Source: Index Mundi 2011 Demographic Factors: Indias total population of 1.19 billion constitutes 70% potential buyers, which are below 35 years. It is seen that 130 million people had been added to the working population between 2003 and 2009. This indicates an increase in number of people with lesser dependency. The trend is likely to add value to vehicle demand with a shift toward high end cars (Automotive Mission Plan 2006). Figure 2: Vehicle Sales in India Source: India Retail Report Q2 2011 Political-Legal Factors: Indian government has taken several incentives under the current 11th five year plan (2007-2012) to boost the automobile sector. The Finance bill 2006 has reduced the excise duty on the small cars and duty on raw material which is now 5-7.5% as compared to the previous level of 10%. The Ministry of Finance announced 150% weighted deduction under the income Tax Act for in- house RD expenditure for all sectors (Anand 2009). The government has introduced a National Automotive testing and RD Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) which is based on building world class testing and RD infrastructure for vehicles in the country for automotive safety, emission and performance standards in India. Moreover, the Government has allocated a part of its budget for the improvement of road infrastructure (Planning Commission 2006). Environmental Factors: Increasing consciousness about global warming requires production of fuel efficient vehicles. Moreover, diesel fuelled locomotives pose greater threat to the environment as compared to the CNG vehicle (Centre for Science and Environment 2011). Furthermore, Recent disclosure of Euro V standard by the European commission requires India to revise its emission standards (Automotive Mission Plan 2006). Recently legislated carbon tax on coal producers has provided a source of financing clean energy research and development (Building Green Business 2010). Technological Factors: The automobile industrys spending on RD has increased from US$54.58 million to US$214.26 million in last four years which is 0.8% of the total nations GDP (The Financial Express 2008) (Ramanathan 2011). Furthermore, NATRIP is aiming to integrate the strengths of IT and electronics with the automobile engineering sector (Planning Commission 2006). Impact of Macro Environment on Business: Overall, developing economy with growing working population and consumer spending indicates an increase in the consumer demand, subsequently a growth in the automobile industry. Other prime factors contributing to this trend are improved expenditure on RD, boosting IT and reduced duty on raw materials. However, the escalating fuel and commodity prices and rising interest rates can obstruct industrys progress. Thus PESTEL analysis shows that mainly the economic and demographic factors are likely to be the main drivers for the advancement of automobile industry in future. Industry Analysis Threat of new entrant: Emerging Indian market is attracting automobile companies from all over the world. International car rental firms are posing a greater threat with nearly twelve brands, expected to enter the market (Gupta Shekhar 2010). However, Tata Motors enjoys economies of scale and level of experience, thus challenging for the new entrants. Figure 1: Five force framework Source: Johnson, Whittington Scholes 2011 Bargaining power of buyers: Increasing disposable income and availability of better alternatives have raised the customer expectations and array of choice. This has led to a decline in consumer loyalty towards particular vehicle brand. Indian consumers are now enjoying the greater bargaining power (Gupta Shekhar 2010). Bargaining power of Suppliers: The Indian auto component industry has witnessed a strong growth during 1995-2005, subsequently making automobile one of the fastest growing Industry. Increased availability of supply sources has lowered suppliers bargaining power. This can be seen in Tata Motors extended forward and backward vertical integration of its value chain through acquisition or creation of steel, manufacturing and retail operations (Zahrai 2009). Rivalry between Competitors: Indian automobile industry is highly competitive with three major players, namely Maruti Suzuki, Tata and Hyundai. Tata Motors and Hyundai Motors have nearly equal percentage of market share, although less than Maruti Suzuki. An important factor, which adds fuel to the competition, is that all major vehicle providers are highly competent to pursue opportunities with aggressive strategies. Figure: Market Share of Passenger Vehicle Providers (2010-2011) Source: Adapted from The Economic Times 2011 Threat of Substitutes: Automobile industry in India may fear the rapid development of public transport, most economical and speedy being metros. The analysis infers that four forces are strong enough to make this industry less attractive. However, to survive Tata Motors need to closely monitor the competitor actions and respond quickly to the changes in customer needs and expectations. Strategy Canvas Source: Adapted from Taylor 2011 Critical Success Factors The Critical Success Factors will enable Tata Motors to gain competitive advantage over the competitors to enter the blue ocean. Economies of Scale: Reaping the benefits of economies of scale, Tata Motors has been able to establish itself as a successful low cost provider (Business India Intelligence, 2008). Diversification: Tata Motors product line ranges from worlds cheapest car to expensive models such as Jaguar and Land Rover to trucks passing the million unit output mark reaping the benefits of economies of scale (Maekawa 2008). Innovation: Today the company employs over 2000 engineers and scientists, providing a leading edge in RD. This endowed technological capability has allowed constant innovations, thus serving the unique needs of the customers (IBEF 2010). Analysis of Internal Environment of the Business Companys Capabilities and Strengths Tata Motors have distinctive capability due to its comparative advantage in producing low cost cars, which is out of the reach of competitors. The value chain for Tata Motors starts with the IT teams innovation as a tool for business growth. Primary Activities Inbound logistics such as Tata Power Co., Tata Steel help them gain economics of scale. RD, designing, manufacturing, assembling, Kaizen TPM teams for testing and packaging to improve its operating efficiency. To capture significant market, it provides variety of light and heavy commercial, utility vehicles, and passenger cars. Tata distribution Company limited (TDCL) provides logistics support for distribution. The company optimized its cost on sales and marketing to ensure awareness about their latest launches. Easily reachable service centres, 24 hours IT Service desk and Tata AIG insurance finance facilities provide an ease to the customers (Tata Motors 2011). Support activities Tata constantly strives on innovation by providing its employees with a room for development through vocational and cross-functional training programs. Its HR process has been automated for far reaching profits. Competitive Strength of Business Tata Motors give tough competition to other players in automobile industry with its strong low cost strategies like production of Tata Nano. These schemes provide value for service to customers. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong domestic player with a turnover of approximately $15,771.6 million in 2009. Extensive range of commercial and passenger vehicles with several variants to suit customer preferences. INR50,154million expenditure on robust research and development (RD) capability with Strong engineering skills in designing. Enjoys Low labour cost by manufacturing in India. Ultra cheap Nano, which was designed to replace the two wheelers with an affordable four-wheeler, was their greatest achievement. Tata Motors had debt of INR435, 815 million at the end March 2009, which unable cash inflow and degrades creditworthiness. General public associate Tata as low price and hence low quality, however this image may not do well in the premium sector. Inferior labour productivity and lean production. . . Opportunities Threats Technical know-how may transfer from Jaguar Land Rover and also the premium brand can benefit from reduced cost. Emerging market of India with increasing income levels. Infrastructure development in India will further increase the vehicle demand. Fuel efficient and eco friendly cars may find its way into the market. The price of raw materials is increasing and the company cannot pass the burden to its non-affluent customers. Rising fuel prices may have an adverse effect. Cost of meeting environmental regulations. Global financial crisis of 2007-08 has lead to financial crunch thereby rising the interest rates. Developing markets has attracted severe competition which could jeopardise Tatas position. Source: Datamonitor 2010 Strategy and Culture Tata Motors have a distinct way of doing business, more profoundly known as, The TATA way. The most deeply engraved value in the company is trust. The companys logo, leadership with trust personifies peoples belief in the brand. Thus the company respects the trust embedded in it by many and strives to honour its commitments. Other five core values that underpin the Tata way of doing business include integrity, responsibility, unity, understanding and excellence (Tata Motors 2011). The corporate governance of the company originates from its rich legacy of ethical, fair and transparent governance practices followed since ages, even before they were made mandatory by fostering highest standards of professionalism, integrity, honesty and ethical conduct (Corporate Sustainability Report 2008). Information and power passes through a vertical hierarchy with CEO being the foremost authority. The vice chairman of Tata Motors, Ravi Kant, attaches greater importance to communication. He strongly believes oral communication helps one understand the behavioural pattern. As a leader, the body language, communication style and the way of treating employees matter the most because the followers observes and take their own cues. Friendly relations with workers allow easy flow of ideas, thereby encouraging greater yield. Further, Code of Corporation Disclosure Practices confirms transparent declaration of its operations (Business Strategy Review 2010). Company successfully integrates advanced international HR management processes by retaining local managers in recent acquisition and transferring few senior managers from India. This makes exchange and adaption to new expertise easier while maintaining the companys core values. Quality has always remained the cornerstone of the Tata way of business; as such a formal system to scale the performance of different companies was introduced. TQMS help companies under the Tata group to conduct and enhance its business endeavours especially in relation to business excellence and ethics. Further, JRD Quality Value Awards named after the late chairman of the group, JRD Tata where incorporated for ensuring and encouraging quality consciousness. The award acknowledges the company within the group that achieves highest level of quality and excels quality management (Tata Motors 2011). Such practices entrench a learning environment that would consequently help achieve leadership in the marketplace by constantly striving to become the best. Strict fellowship of companys culture has allowed it to smoothly adhere to its strategy. Business Strategy Choice Tata Motors has constantly strived to be a low cost leader in the automobile market. Thus by employing Low cost strategy, it has made its presence felt especially in the untapped and developing markets like India. The most evident example is that of the ultra-low cost Nano. However, with increasing interest rates, raw material and fuel prices the company may not be able to sustain this strategy in the long run. Nevertheless, macro environment analysis suggests that economic growth and rising disposable incomes may increase the potential luxury vehicle buyers. Thus, TATAs acquisitions of Jaguar Land Rover seem to be a sound decision. Also, the ever-increasing competition in the industry requires Tata to implement Differentiation strategy. In accordance to this strategy, the company must focus on providing unique goods and services to win over the market from the rivalry players. This would allow the company to enjoy a premium price that the customers would willingly pay for the added value to the product. Implementation of this strategy can be a piece of cake for Tata Motors if it duly considers the following- Strategy execution Indulge in aggressive RD to ensure innovations that can add value to the product at minimum cost. This will include designing sophisticated eye-catching models. Adopt sustainable practices and maintain healthy relations with all the members of the value chain and constantly upgrade their knowledge by encouraging a learning environment. Conduct surveys to keep the company updated with the current demands of the buyers and meet them much before the rivals. Rising awareness about global warming and ever increasing fuel prices will see a growth in the green car sector. Thus adding super efficient engine and eco friendly vehicles to the companys portfolio will win a greater market. Improving the budget Regardless of the growing profits, the company must focus on getting rid of the substantial debts and avoid deals that may degrade their creditworthiness. Focus on improving global sales for speedy recovery of fixed cost. Outsourcing Outsourcing of trivial operations is worth the expenditure as it allows the company to concentrate on vital jobs required to stimulate differentiation. Ensuring Improvement The company must encourage interaction between the supply chain members for constant up gradation of the market demand and quicker delivery, thereby directing efforts towards the improvement of production time cycle. Promoting customization, where buyers can customize their vehicles as per their desire, can be an attraction for experimenters. Capturing greater chunk of market by launching altered models with varied prices for each segment. Conclusion The study shows a brighter future for the automobile industry in India. However, vigorous scope for the development of this market has attracted many players. Availability of numerous alternatives and substitutes has further increased customers expectations. Also, the growing youth market comprises of the experimenters, who desire up gradations and new innovations in their possessions. All these analyses provide Tata Motors to become more sensitive to the needs of the buyers and ensure is execution much before the rivals. The company must constantly explore new markets and ensure new innovations because the risk takers are the profit makers. Over and above the company can segment the market and have something for everyone in order to capture a major proportion of the market. Understanding the immense competition where every automobile company is fighting to become the best, Tata Motors is required to build additional competencies. The brand must stabilise its position as a leader in the commercial vehicle market and set new trends in the passenger. The recommended differentiation strategy will give the company a leading edge through its careful implementation and execution.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Americas War on Drugs: Policy and Problems :: America Drug War Politics Narcotics Essays
America's War on Drugs: Policy and Problems In this paper I will evaluate America's War on Drugs. More specifically, I will outline our nation's general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed. Additionally, I will highlight and evaluate the influences acting on individual legislators' decisions to continue support for these ineffective policies as a more general demonstration of Congress' role in the formation of our nation's drug policy strategy. Finally, I will conclude this analysis by outlining the changes I feel necessary for future progress to be made. Primary among these changes are a general promotion of drug education and the elimination of our current system's many de-legitimating hypocrisies. However, before the specific outcomes of Congressional influence and policy impact can be evaluated it becomes important to first review the general history and current situation of drugs today. Our present drug laws were first enacted at the beginning of the century. At the time, recreational use of narcotics was not a major social issue. The first regulatory legislation was for the purpose of standardizing the manufacturing and purity of pharmaceutical products. Shortly after, the first criminal laws were enacted which addressed opium products and cocaine. Although some states had prohibited the recreational use of marijuana, there was no federal criminal legislation until 1937. By contrast, the use of alcohol and its legality was a major social issue in United States in the early 20th century. This temperance movement culminated in the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Recreational drug use, particularly heroin, became more prevalent among the urban poor during the early ?60s. Because of the high cost of heroin and its uncertain purity, its use was associated with crime and frequent overdoses. A drug subculture involving the use of marijuana and other hallucinogenic drugs began to emerge in mainstream American society in the late ?60s and was loosely associated with an overall atmosphere of political protest concerning the Vietnam War and civil rights. Drug use, including heroin use, was prevalent among soldiers during the Vietnam War and many of them returned addicted. Since that time, the recreational use of drugs, particularly marijuana, has been a constant aspect of youth culture in all social classes.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Prenatal Diagnostic Tests and the Social, Legal, and Ethical Implicatio
Prenatal Diagnostic Tests and the Social, Legal, and Ethical Implications Introduction Jackie and Michael are expecting their first baby. Jackie is 32 years old and is in good health. She is 15 weeks pregnant and wants to do everything possible to ensure a healthy baby. Even though they do not have risk factors within their families, she and Michael decide to have an amniocentesis. The results indicate that their baby is a female with Turner Syndrome. This condition is caused by a missing X chromosome and results in short stature, ovarian failure, and medical problems involving the heart, thyroid glands, and kidneys. Some of these conditions can be treated and managed with great success. The question that arises after diagnoses is whether or not they will choose to terminate the pregnancy with an abortion or carry the child to full term. The availability of methods that determine the genetic predisposition of a fetus gives rise to a whole array of questions and issues that must be confronted as we develop policies to deal with genetic testing. In this essay, I will present current and future methods for prenatal diagnosis, ethical concerns and related problems dealing with this new technology, my personal opinion on the issue, and finally, future goals in the science of genetics. All of us are potential carriers of several deleterious recessive genes that could be lethal to our offspring if combined with another recessive allele carrying the same fate (IOM 1994). The chances of a genetic disease being passed on are 1 in 100 Americans born today (March of Dimes 1997). Because of the risks involved, many people are having prenatal tests to examine the genetic makeup of their fetuses. For many couples, this option... ...able to cure diseases we never dreamed possible, and the lives of humans will be improved eminently. References Cited Arc. Genetic Discrimination. Obtained from WWW 10/09/97: http://www.the.arc.org/depts/gbr03.html Botkin, Jeffrey R. Fetal Privacy and Confidentiality. Hastings Center Report, Sept.-Oct. 1995:32-39. Institute of Medicine. Assessing Genetic Risks. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1994. March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. Genetic Testing and Gene Therapy: What They Mean to You and Your Family. Obtained from WWW 10/09/97: http://ubeclu.unibe.ch/insel/GENETEST.HTML Mattei, Jean-Francois. Prenatal Diagnosis. World Health, No. 5, Sept.-Oct. 1996:22-23. Morejon, Diana Punales. Commentary. Hastings Center Report, May-June 1996:21-22. Weatherall, D.J. The New Genetics and Clinical Practice. Oxford University Press, 1991.
Friday, October 11, 2019
School of Rock Review
You and your whole family will love the brand new film about to hit the big screen.. School of Rock! The lead role, Dewey Finn, is played by the legendary Jack Black (and I must admit, nobody could do any better) and direction is done by Richard Linklater, who appears to do an amazing job. After being kicked out of his garage band for the latest 10 minute long guitar solos, wannabe rock star, Dewey Finn must find a way to earn some money to pay his rent. Living in his best friend Ned's spare room with the constant furious temper of Ned's fiancà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½, Patti, Dewey is desperate to find a way to put a new band together better than any other, in order to fulfil Dewey's dream of winning Battle of the Bands. Teaching children would not be the most obvious of solutions, but when Dewey sees his chance to earn some extra money, he can't get to the chalkboard quick enough! After a day of Dewey putting his feet up and listening to children endlessly begging for learning and education, he soon comes to realise that the children have a very special talent for music. Suddenly, Dewey's enthusiasm for his teaching job no longer is the centre of attention in his mind; spotting a peculiar way to put a band together, he then replaces curriculum lessons with a schedule based around rock, consisting of homework involving listening to Dewey's collection of rock CD's. With the Battle of the Bands contest getting even closer, Dewey has to match his snobby school children to his hard-rocking competition. School of rock has everything a successful rock band needs, from lead guitarist to groupies, just inside the classroom. There's a feel good feel to the film, changing Dewey for the better, he learns to genuinely see the talent in the children. What impressed me most about School of rock is the hilarious comedy enough to make you wet your pants. Not everyone will enjoy School of Rock, and it's one of those films that'll require you to be in a good mood to enjoy, but if you are ââ¬â you definitely will.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Compensation Practice
Wall-Mart applies the compensation strategy of offering the workers the lower limit of wages allowed by the law, but misstating for the same through offering its employees with an insurance scheme (Wilkes, 2013). In this respect, while the employees may not be benefiting greatly in financial terms, the future of such employees is well covered, due to the fact that they have been provided with an insurance cover that addresses their needs beyond the monthly pay checks (Wilkes, 2013).However, the Wall-Mart strategy has been termed as unsuitable both for the employees and the economy, since it is a strategy that seeks to categorize the workforce of the organization as an expense that needs to be minimized Wilkes, 2013). This concept is harmful both to the employee motivation and to the public perception, owing to the fact that treating the workforce as an expense that must be kept under control does not work well either with the employees or the public perception, which in turn adversel y affects the sales of the organization directly (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).Thus, while the Wall-Mart compensation strategy has enabled it to keep its expenses low and thus maximize its profitability, it might have even been more damaging than already thought, if the strategy is analyzed from the employee nutrition and the customer perception point of view.Further, the Wall- Mart compensation strategy has emerged to be damaging to the reputation and the goodwill of the company amongst the public and the customers, owing to the fact that it is perceived to transfer the burden of changing hard economic times directly to the employees, by causing them to suffer low wages, so that the company can maintain its profitability levels, as they were during the good economic times (Wilkes, 2013).How Wall-Mart applies compensation practice to determine the positive or negative impact to the many and its stakeholders The effect of the negative perceptions of the customers and the genera l public is to make the organization owners and the top leadership and management to come out as greedy and unethical, which in turn is a turn off for many potential customers of the organization (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).Most importantly is the distinction between the concept of low wages and low labor costs. The fact that an organization offers low wages to Its workforce does not mean that such an organization will in turn incur low labor costs (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 013). This is because, while the low wages may be an alternative for reducing expenses, the costs associated with the labor turnover might exceed the benefit derived from offering low wages (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).Thus, Wall-Mart is an organization that is being faced by the challenge of high employee turn-over, owing to the fact that most of its employees are dissatisfied with the conditions of work and the low wages offered by the organization, such that they tend to quit the job at the rise of any other viable alternative, forcing the organization to engage in a continuous cycle of hiring and employment recruitment, which in turn drives the costs of labor higher (Wilkes, 2013).A recent study has shown that while Wall-Mart offers low wages compared to Cost, Quick Trip and Trader Joey's, the organization incurs an overall high cost of labor compared to these organizations, thus in turn earning low profitability margin (Alter, 2013). The study has indicated that the cost of labor turnover at Cost is 17%, compared to the cost of labor turnover at Wall-Mart, which stands at 44% (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).The overall effect of this study is to show that the compensation strategy for Wall- Mart might be considered to deliver positive results by lowering the expenses associated with the employee wages, but the overall effect is that the company continues to incur very high cost than it would be incurring, if it paid good wages for its employees (Alter, 2013). The other important aspect to consider in the Wall-Mart's compensation strategy is its effect on the employees' productivity.A well paid employee is a productive employee, since such an employee is enthusiastic and motivated about his work, and thus applies extra effort to ensure that the employer will also benefit from the show of goodwill and appreciation of the employee services. In this respect, the study indicated that the productivity of the employees at Wall- Mart was much lower compared to that of Cost, owing to the fact that the profit per employee in Wall-Mart was $11 ,039 compared to that of Cost, which was $13, 647 per employee (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).Thus, the compensation strategy of Wall-Mart is wanting, and as a result needs to be changed so that it can enable both the organization and the workforce to reap higher benefits from their relationship. The ways in which laws, labor unions, and market factors impact the Wall-Mart compensation practices Wall-Mart c ompensation practices have been affected greatly by laws, labor unions and market factors, such that for example, in 2005, labor unions created organizations and launched internet and social media campaign to criticize Wall-Mart for its poor treatment of employees in wages and conditions of work (Atchison, Belcher & Thomson, 2013).The law has also been on collision course in several occasions with Wall-Mart, where it has been investigated for possible prosecution for both monopolistic tendencies and unlawful treatment of its workforce (Green, 2003). The market forces have also been of great influence to the Wall-Mart business, through causing the organization to earn low profitability as a result of economic recession, thus in turn paying low wages for its workforce (Wilkes, 2013). The effectiveness of traditional bases for pay at the Wall-Mart The rotational bases for pay are still applicable for Wall-Mart, although selectively.
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