Primark s Corporate Social Responsibility - 954 Words

Summarize the Ways in Which PRIMARK have Lived Up to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policies and Ways in Which They could or should have Done Better. Primark, an Irish clothing retailer company was set up and headquartered in Dublin in 1969. Nowadays, there are over 250 stores across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and the United States. Moreover, Primark operates with about 700 suppliers in China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Eastern Europe. Primark takes corporate social responsibility for the shareholders, owners, customers, suppliers as well as employees. Corporate social responsibility is that a company not only creates profits for the shareholders, but also undertakes the social responsibility for customers, employees and environment, including complying with business ethics, rights of workers and the rules of environmental protection. In order to develop continuously, corporate social responsibility plays an significant role in a company, which drives stakeholders have reliance on the company. This essay focuses on the ways in which Primark taking its duty to society and the ways in which the company should have done b etter. Primark meets the corporate social responsibility to environment at large. Firstly, Primark establishes a partnership with CottonConnect aiming to improve the farming technique that growing cotton with fewer resources. In this way, the farmers can earn more money for themselves. Secondly, in order to promote a green productionShow MoreRelatedEthical And Socially Responsible Business Practice1662 Words   |  7 Pagescorporations and the strengths that are drawn from their ethical and socially responsible business practice. In today s business world, it is difficult for corporations to define what is regarded as a responsible business practice in the areas of ethical and social responsibilities. The hallmark of a good company is to maintain a strong ethical practice, values, policies and social responsibilities that guides its conducts as well as the activities of its employees. Taylor (1975), defined ethics as the inquiryRead MoreTaking a Look at Primark1488 Words   |  6 PagesPrimark is an Irish retailing company that is widely established in the value fashion sector. The company is a subsidiary of ABF plc (Associated British Foods) and its main headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, where the first store opened on Mary Street in 1969 under the trading name Penneys. Primark now operates in 9 countries, 268 stores, in Ireland (branded as Penneys), the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Austria and France. The company employs more than 48Read MoreSocial Compliance And Environmental Concerns1691 Words   |  7 PagesSOCIAL COMPLIANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS Social compliance refers to how a business or an organisation treat its employees, the workforce and the environment on social responsibility. It refers to a code of conduct that directs how employees should be treated in regard to wages, work hours and work conditions. To ensure that the company meets with the standards of various environmental laws, it may be necessary to conduct a compliance audit. The various codes of conduct now available are:Read MoreCorporate Environmental and Social Management7337 Words   |  30 PagesCORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT Unit 46 Assignment Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2 I. The development of global, European and national policies relating to sustainability. 2 1. Changing attitudes of public, politicians and businesses to the environment since 1945 ..........................................................................................Read MorePrimark Corporate Social Responsibility5880 Words   |  24 PagesUK: Primark cuts three suppliers following child labour claims A News item from Business Respect, Issue Number 130, dated 17 Jun 2008 UK clothing retailer Primark has ended its contracts with three suppliers in India following allegations channelled through a BBC documentary that they used child labour to finish garments with embroidery and sequin work. The company said that the work had been improperly sub-contracted against the companys code of conduct, and it had taken action accordinglyRead MoreWhy Do People Shop at PRIMARK Regularly? 1337 Words   |  6 PagesBefore I came to the UK, I had never heard of Primark before. Some students from last year recommended me to buy socks, stockings and accessories there and they used â€Å"cost-effective† to describe it, but this â€Å"word-of-mouth† still not persuasive enough to motivate me to take an action. The first time I went to Primark was last September. I passed by the Primark flagship store on Oxford Street, I was extremely surprised at the crowd in front of the outlet because almost everyone bought loads of thingsRead MoreThe Social Reporting Methods And Activities Of 2 Fashion Companies2522 Words   |  11 Pagesthat Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a top priority in the business world. It is no longer enough for a business to measure its high performan ce against key business ethics that includes profitability, level of sales and operational efficiency. â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility is a commitment to improve community well being through voluntary business practices and corporate resources† (Kotler and Lee, 2015). The prominence of CSR is reflected when a search of the phrase ‘Corporate SocialRead MoreImpact Of Corporate Social Responsibility On A Companys Performance1127 Words   |  5 Pagesextent is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) beneficial to a company’s performance? Sub-prompt: Evaluate how CSR can be beneficial to company’s financial performance. 1. Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become more influential when making company’s decisions. 53% of the SP, an index based on market capitalizations of 500 U.S. companies, has published CSR reports in 2012 as compared to 19% in 2011. An approach, suggested by Business for Social Responsibility, considersRead MoreExplain the ethical issues a business needs to consider in its operational activities3515 Words   |  15 Pagesfrom the beginning to work ethically and ethics from a part of its strategic aims. What Is Business Ethics? Business ethics is an organisation which works to achieve corporate aims. The aims are dictated by the kind of organisation itself. A public service organisation, for instance, must deliver government services such as social services. A private business seeks profit for the benefits of its owners. Business managers in these organisations are paid to make decisions that will help the businessRead MorePest, Swot And Porter s Five Forces Model Of Competitive Advantage1646 Words   |  7 Pagesoverview of the renewable energy industry and some other background, a critical environmental analysis of the industry will be examined using PEST, SWOT and Porter s Five forces model of competitive advantage. 3.1 Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) Analysis 3.1.1 Political Factors The continuing decline in the UK s oil and gas industries has led to an increasing need to import oil and gas (Keynote, 2010). Resulting in the UK competing in the world markets for its oil and gas requirements

Source Critique The Most Important Part Of A Yoga Pose

Source Critique: The Most Important Part of a Yoga Pose At the age of fourteen I started to practice yoga, and because of what it has been able to do for me I continue to practice almost daily. It all began as I wanted a way to relieve everyday stresses with a form of exercise that I could do at home on my own schedule. I started my journey by purchasing a yoga mat and VHS showing the basic poses and technique to practice at home, while the mat is used to keep sure footing during practice. Although, I have to admit initially following along with the pleasant woman on the TV screen, I felt the poses she asked of the viewer were just like regular stretching. The positions seemed almost too simple to being doing any major changes.†¦show more content†¦Subsequently, with continued practice for about two years, there came a time that I was able to obtain that calmness whenever and where ever I needed it. Which brings me to present day when life’s stresses only seem to grow in stature as we â€Å"grow up† and we take on more and more in life, it begins to weigh us down. With this in mind, my own curiosity about how yoga was able to let me free myself from our over stressed world. Coupled with the staying power it has had in my life over an extended period of time has lead me to further my research on the subject of yoga. More specifically though I wanted to see how yoga can relieve stress and therefore assist in overall health and wellbeing. During many interesting readings that I have encountered in my research, I read a particular article that I chose for my source critique, The Most Important Part of a Yoga Pose, written by Jill Miller. I chose this article because Jill answers some of the original questions I had when I started yoga years ago. In this article, Jill presents information to help answer the question that often comes up during the practice of yoga. That question is, what’s the most important part of this yoga pose? Her main thesis is that there are several detailed ways prior to and during the practice of yoga to get the full effect out of each pose, during each and every session. She focuses on how we need to saturate our minds with relaxation prior to posing. Stating

The Dutch Health Care System Free Essays

string(49) " that it is totally managed by private insurers\." Introduction Providing equitable access to quality healthcare is a basic obligation of the state. However, the implementation of this obligation is far from easy for countries across the world that are struggling with raising healthcare costs and the budgetary constraints associated with recession. Policies are the key driving forces in delivering quality healthcare. We will write a custom essay sample on The Dutch Health Care System or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Naidoo Wills, 2005) Even developed countries with powerful infrastructure in place are struggling with issues such as administrative overhead costs, accessibility and equitable distribution of healthcare services. With government sponsored healthcare becoming an unsustainable solution in the long run, most countries are switching over to private insurance based health care provision. Healthcare is not a commodity and hence it cannot be managed as any other business with a pure profit oriented focus. There is also a mismatch between the need for service and the ability to pay for the same. Developing a model that is both sustainable and providing equitable access to all citizens is therefore a critical national agenda. This paper focuses on one of the widely touted health care reforms of the millennia. The Dutch Healthcare reforms and in particular the ‘Health insurance act’ of 2006 is the subject of this paper. Rationale for Choice The choice of Netherlands as the country of study was due to the fact that the country was consistently among the top three nations in the European heath consumer index (EHCI). Notably, Netherlands topped the 2012 EHCI rankings (Arne BJornberg, 2012). Analysts report that this consistent performance is mainly due to the policy reforms and the introduction of the ‘Health Insurance act’ of 2006. Not only did the Netherlands top the EHCI which is generally regarded as measure of ‘consumer friendliness’ of the national health care policy, but it also ranked among the top three nations when measured for outcomes related to critical and chronic conditions such as cardiac problems, diabetes, HIV and Hepatitis (Arne BJornberg, 2012). The appendix A includes graphical figures showing the performance of Netherlands in some of the important healthcare metrics such as infant mortality levels, elective surgery waiting time, etc. Reports suggest that though there is s ome scope for improvement in terms of reducing the waiting time and the overall accessibility of services, the Dutch healthcare system has hardly any weakspots (Arne BJornberg, 2012) The success of the Dutch model has bought increasing global focus on its model of care delivery. This paper therefore explores the vital aspects of the Dutch health care system. Methodology This is a secondary research and involved searching for national reports and health policy documents and journal articles pertaining to the health care policy of Netherlands. Pubmed database was searched for a combination of keywords such as Dutch Healthcare system, health insurance, structural reforms, etc. Google search was also conducted on these keywords and this provided access to comprehensive national reports. Since the search resulted in a wide array of documents only those reports and articles which were authentic sources such as the Dutch ministry of health and articles from peer reviewed journals and magazines were selected for use in this report. The Dutch Health Care system (The problems that existed) The healthcare system in the Netherlands was totally different before 2006, when it was restructured with the introduction of the ‘Health insurance act’ (Zorgverzekeringswet, Zvw). A brief overview of the earlier system would help us better understand the evolutionary response and the introduction of the much touted ‘health insurance act’ of 2006. Earlier, universal health coverage was achieved by a combination of government funded and privately funded insurance systems. Social health insurance (ZFW) funded by the government provided coverage for all those who were under the prescribed income limit. The vast majority of the Dutch population was under the ZFW coverage. Another government funded program known as the AWBZ (exceptional medical insurance act) provided coverage for long term care and other exceptional medical treatments. Around 30% of the Dutch population who were above the prescribed low income level to qualify for the ZFW were encouraged to purc hase coverage from private health insurance services (PHI) (David, 2008). These private health insurance schemes were mostly funded by the employers or in some instances directly by the individuals. While the Dutch system was working good in providing universal access to coverage there were systemic problems. Sustainability of the system was one of the pressing issues. For instance, the aging population and the growing health care needs implied that the majority government- funded health coverage would consume a significant portion of the national GDP. (14% and above). Secondly the model did not provide sufficient quality incentives for the care providing organizations and there were also growing concerns about the accessibility to some services. Particularly, there was a tendency to postpone elective procedures at the end of the year for pure accounting purposes. Thirdly, insurance premiums under the PHI or private providers were rising considerably for those with chronic conditions and this, in fact, discouraged many from the PHI schemes and such people went without insurance. Last but not the least, was the problem of insurance portability(David, 2008). Owing to participation of numerous small insurance companies in the PHI scheme, there were significant coverage limitations. To eradicate all these problems the Dutch government came up with fundamental changes in the delivery model with the majority government funded social insurance system giving way to a privately insured, yet government regulated, model of care delivery. This has greatly improved the healthcare system by addressing the above mentioned problems. The Health care Act (2006) (A sustainable solution) This act structurally redesigned the Dutch healthcare system by introducing private social insurance (ZVW) as a mandatory coverage for all citizens above 18 years of age while the government covers all those below 18 years of age. The important feature of the ZVW scheme is that it provides universal coverage for all citizens without any restrictions based on their age, health status, pre existing conditions, etc. Also the distinguishing feature between the ZVW and the earlier ZFW is that it is totally managed by private insurers. You read "The Dutch Health Care System" in category "Essay examples" This act is a significant move towards the private free market. However, it is regulated by the government and the price for the basic benefit package under the ZVW is stipulated based on annual projections. The ZVW covers all routine checkups, hospitalizations, medication and doctor’s fees. Other services that do not come under the ZVW such as dentistry, cosmetic services, physiothe rapy, etc could be optionally covered through supplementary policies (Maarsse, 2011). The following illustration depicts the prevailing health care insurance system in Netherlands Fig : Health Insurance system after the 2006 Health Insurance act (Maarsse, 2011) The ZVW (A hybrid system) Health care as a market service is not recommendable as governments do not see health care as a business but as a social provision. Under these circumstances the introduction of the private ‘for –profit’ business entities to provide insurance coverage creates undesirable consequences that might affect the equitable distribution of health care. Such discrepancies in service provision by private insurance entities in the US offer a clear case that confirm the fears that markets are not the ideal way to deliver health. (Angell, 2008) However, one of the highlights of the Dutch healthcare system is the uniformness of coverage that it allows. Dutch lawmakers have incorporated several legal features that protect the consumers and ensure that the ZVW is a hybrid form of the social insurance and the private insurance (VWS, 2012). Since the Dutch government compensates the insurers for high risk patients in the form of the risk equalization fund the system avoids â€Å"cherry picking† which is a pressing problem in countries such as the US where private insurers are very selective in covering high risk patients. (Angell, 2008). The Dutch model on the other hand, by compensating insurers for enrollees with a higher risk prediction, encourages them to provide coverage for everyone without a risk bias. The concept of risk equalization therefore helps to achieve universal coverage even under a ‘for –profit’ private insurer based system. As Michael Borowitz, a senior health policy analyst with OECD says, this system provides insurance companies â€Å"no incentive to pick people who are only healthy†. (PBS, 2009) This is a key policy control mechanism that aids with the success of the universal coverage and the absence of such a policy control in the US created a pure business like approach where the goal of profit maximization naturally discourages private insurers from providing coverage for people under a higher risk category (Angell, 2008). Insurer Competition and Consumer Freedom Another aspect of the thoroughly regulated Dutch private insurance system is that it creates healthy competition between insurers. The government permits health consumers to switch between insurers once every year. Thus the privately administered and government regulated insurance model provides choice to the consumer and serves to improve the quality of services by the insurance providers. The health insurance act also provides sufficient freedom of choice to the consumer. For instance, enrollees can opt for policy in- kind or a restitution policy. In the first instance, the insurance company itself takes care of all the details including finding the appropriate health providers and the payments etc. In the restitution option the enrollee can choose his/her own providers, at their own time, and also pay up for the services. The cost of such services is then reimbursed by the insurance provider. The later option is referred to as the personal care budget (pgb or persoonsgebonden bu dget) (Daley Gubb, 2013). On top of this flexibility, the Dutch ZVW insurance scheme also provides for compensatory features such as deductibles. Deductibles apply to any enrollee that has not utilized the health services beyond a minimum cost during the year and these are automatically applied to the premium in the next year (David , 2008). This feature adds to the solidarity of the Dutch insurance system. GP’s as Gatekeepers As in the UK, the Dutch also adopt the gatekeeper approach when it comes to availing specialist care. The General Practitioner (GP) is the primary care provider of the patient and is usually the family physician. Any consultations with specialist service providers operating in secondary and tertiary care units is made possible only through a referral from theGP. This method is applied in order to contain health care costs associated with unnecessary specialist consultations (Daley Gubb, 2013). Quality of care is a high priority in the national health policy. The policy allows insurers to select hospitals or care providers based on the quality of their service. If any providers are found wanting in quality, insurers have the option not to contract such providers. Furthermore feedback from patients are considered and promptly attended to. The General administrative law act makes it a priority for the AWBZ implementing body to promptly assess and address any customer grievance. If the customer is not satisfied with the response from the AWBZ body then he/she could lodge a complaint with the national ombudsman which would not only assess the provider for upholding contractual provisions, but also verify if the patient was meted out equal treatment, reasonableness and proper care. Furthermore, if the Ombudsman received many complaints of similar nature the problem is referred to the health ministry which would take it into consideration for further changes to the health care policy(VWS, 2012). These feedback systems ensure that the experience for the patient at the point of care delivery is motivating and positive. Conclusion The health insurance act of 2006 bought a significant reform to the way healthcare is delivered in the Netherlands. Widely praised as a successful evolutionary response, the health insurance act created a move away from the segmented structure of insurance towards a mandatory single scheme for all citizens. Equity of access, quality of health services and financial risk protection are the key aspects that govern universal coverage. The inclusion of social preconditions such as the provision of equitable coverage for all citizens, as well as insurer and consumer friendly components such as ‘risk equalization fund’ and ‘deductibles’ have made private insurance based universal coverage a reality. In Netherlands, strict government regulation of private insurance has created a level playing field, stimulating healthy competition among the insurers while at the same time providing freedom of choice for the health consumer. References Claire Daley James Gubb (2013) , Healthcare Systems : The Netherlands , viewed March 26th 2013, www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/download/netherlands.pdf Arne BJornberg (2012), Euro health consumer Index, 2012 report, published by Health Consumer Powerhouse Maarse, H (2011), Dutch Health Care Reform at the Crossroads, The Hastings Centre, viewed March 26th 2013, http://healthcarecostmonitor.thehastingscenter.org/files/2011/06/Maarse-Dutch-health-care-reform-at-the-crossroads-long-version1.pdf Marcia Angell (2008), Privatizing healthcare is not the answer: Lessons from the United States, CMAJ 179 (9), 916-919. Naidoo J Wills J (2005), Public health and health promotion: Developing practice, London, Elsevier. PBS (2009), Comparing international health care systems, viewed March 27th, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/health/july-dec09/insurance_10-06.html Perott, David, (2008), The Dutch Health care system: Possible model for AmericaPhysician Executive, 34(6), 16- 8 20-3 VWS (2012), Health insurance in the Netherlands, Ministry of health and sports publication, viewed March 26th 2012, www.government.nl/†¦/health-insurance-in-the-netherlands.pdf How to cite The Dutch Health Care System, Essay examples

The King of Pop- Michael Jackson free essay sample

You say you understand Michael Jackson. Maybe you do not as well as you think you do. As a child, Michael was forced into the music career by his father into the Jackson Five and forced out of his childhood. He would be home schooled and then after that he would not watch the TV or go outside with the other kids, but go to practice for hours on end until he went to bed. There in practice his dad would sit and when one of five boys would make a little mistake, they would be smacked. Then Michael in adolescence would be teased about his large nose and he had terrible acne. People did not like the grown Jackson. He began to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable with his new look. He left The Jacksons and made his first album off the wall. Then he was not known as just the cute singer for The Jackson Five but him self, Michael Jackson. We will write a custom essay sample on The King of Pop- Michael Jackson or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He made several great songs and then fell face first one a stage and broke his nose and had a nose job preformed to get it fixed. He also later on had another nose job to be able to hit high notes while singing. Then in 1982, he sold the biggest-selling album, Thriller. He was then known, with his instantly identifiable voice, astonishing dance moves and his wardrobe. The red leather jacket with all the crazy zippers, the white sparkle glove, and the socks. The album had many great songs that showed his great talent such as Billy Jean, Thriller, â€Å"Beat it† and so many more. With his videos, Michael broke the color barrier by having his videos played on MTV. Then on May 16, 1983, he sealed his talent by performing the â€Å"moonwalkâ€Å". The move became as much as a signature as his white glove or his vocal hiccups. Then he came out with the anthemia song We Are the World for the all-star famine-relief effort USA for Africa. 1987 Bad was released; with much anticipation, the fans were not expecting the album to be any less great than Thriller although it was. 1991 Dangerous was release and Black or White shot up to the top of the charts. 1995 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 came out. It was to be of all his great songs but the album never made it that well because everyone already had those hits. 2001 Invincible was released. However, this whole time making music, Michael was going through some trouble with his image and the press. He was a bizarre man who never had a childhood and was never loved as a child by his family. He bought Neverland Ranch witch was filled with amusement rides and pets such as Bubbles the chimp. He surrounded himself with children and invited them to come to Neverland Ranch. Michael would even let the children sleep with him, because they needed love. He would tuck them in and put some music on, even give them warm milk. This was not a good image to be making although it was harmless the press and world did not see it as him just showing the children that they are loved but more than that. Michael had this reputation with him for the rest of his life until his dieing day. No one will truly understand the man completely, but hopefully now the world can look at him for all the great memorable things he did and not the little mistakes he made. 2009 we lost a legend, an icon, and a king. We lost Michael Jackson.

Misunderstanding in Organization

Over a period of months, several organizations collaborated to identify why some minority demographic groups were not accessing certain community services. This involved many meetings and focus groups, both large and small. The staff members of the participating organizations saw each other at least once a week. However, this was not a social milieu.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Misunderstanding in Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One day, one staffer was trying to leave the office, taking personal leave to go to receive a volunteer recognition award. Because this was a personal matter, the staffer had pushed the departure time until the very last minute, in order to get as much work done as possible before being out of the office. By the time she was exiting, the staffer was nearly late. Entering the office at just that moment was one of the representatives of one of the collaborating organizati ons, arriving for a meeting. This individual hailed the staffer and indicated that she had been trying to reach her. The staffer, conscious of the cramped space of the reception area of her office, tried to sidle out without impinging on her space, while simultaneously signaling with words and gestures that she knew that they had something to discuss sooner rather than later. When she returned to the office, her supervisor was waiting to meet her, in a fury. The representative of the collaborating organization had taken deep offense at being â€Å"blown off†, and had demanded an apology. She had interpreted the physical avoidance as an attempt to avoid interaction. A phone call apology indicating that no offense was intended was duly made, and duly rejected. A face to face apology was demanded. During this deeply embarrassing conversation, the staffer was compelled to reveal how uncomfortable she was at the thought of looming over the other person in the cramped office hallwa y, and how she had intended to give her respect by giving her space. Her credibility was always thereafter a bit suspect. This was a case of mutual misunderstanding of body language and personal space.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Back in the days of secretarial â€Å"pools†, one word processing supervisor had everyone intimidated. If a document was sent back more than twice for revisions or corrections, she would question why; even high level managers were terrified of her. They would handwrite rather than deal with her displeasure. One document bounced back more times than she thought necessary, and she grumbled. However, right there, as glaringly wrong as could be, was the word ‘impotent’ where it should have been typed as ‘important’. It had slipped by the rudimentary spell checking software. In a desperate attempt to avert a confront ation with this unpleasant person, managers from three different levels of the organization huddled together, trying to puzzle out what their superior could possibly have meant that could have resulted in the use of the word ‘impotent’ (the original handwritten draft was long since in the trash can). They argued and proposed different readings of the text as though they were rabbinical scholars. In the process, they burned up literally three person hours of work time – far more than would have been used if they had simply sent it back to be corrected and reprinted, and at a pay grade that was easily double that of the word processing worker who had made the error. This is an example of a misunderstanding on the part of both the word processing supervisor and the whole staff of the role of a support function in an organization; where the tail wags the dog rather than the other way around. This report on Misunderstanding in Organization was written and submitted by user Ember Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social Media Marketing (SMM) Introduction The business realm across the world has been undergoing enormous transformations and one of the foremost changes in the entrepreneurship sector is the emergence of technological advancements (Evans McKee, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Marketing (SMM) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Modern technologies have been integral in supporting the growth and development of rapturous networking activities and Social Media (SM) has presently become one of the main issues in the business paradigm. Social media platforms, which comprise the actively consumed websites that are enhanced by the advent of the net 2.0 technologies, have been significantly influential in major business undertakings. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a modern marketing technique that uses social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Google+ among other social networks (Neti, 2011). The use of social media marketing strategies is increasingly becoming viral across the world, thus becoming renowned as viral marketing. This study examines the overall impact of SMM on modern entrepreneurship. Reasons behind the popularity of SMM Marketing as a business strategy entails activities such as advertisement, announcement, promotion, and these marketing components require effective communication. As one of the best contemporary innovations, social networks are exceedingly becoming the focal point of human social interaction, thus presenting unique entrepreneurial experiences (Evans McKee, 2010). Social media is one of the modern communication tools that have recently proven to be powerful in influencing both informal and formal communication where millions of potential consumers interact freely. Having the ability to engage consumers in an active interaction where sharing of information is effectual through powerful technological devices, social media is gradually receiving att ention from businesses of all sizes. Social media platforms currently tend to associate with flexibility, effectiveness, convenience, and efficiency in business communication where investors are capable of sharing important information with their stakeholders, who include potential business clients (Bailyn, 2012). By using social networks in business communication, flexibility is achievable via devices that support these platforms, which mainly include accessible technological devices like mobile phones, computers, and tablets (Pradiptarini, 2011). Users access these social networks at their convenient time, hence communication consistency.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Businesspersons consider social networks as convenient communication and information-sharing tools for they involve instant feedback ability where messages reach users expediently. Most recently, researchers have found a great correlation between the use of social networks in businesses with enhanced sales output following increased connection between consumers and entrepreneurs (Pradiptarini, 2011). Communities, which form the greatest composure of active consumers of products and services of businesses, are the main cause of rapid growth of social media marketing. Since social media involves engaging in diverse online social networking communities, it potentially has substantial influence on attracting enormous consumer population (Pradiptarini, 2011). More specific, as all modern businesses in the markets are targeting the youthful consumers, vibrant youths in social networks offer business boom. Advantages and disadvantages of SMM to entrepreneurs Social media marketing emerged with numerous experiences and brought several opportunities as well as challenges that entrepreneurs have encountered. Being a hotly business contested subject, social networks seem to have presen ted some potential benefits that have encouraged businesses in their performance (Evans McKee, 2010). Social media platforms are important facets of exposing the business to the competent markets and reaching out potential consumers. The foremost advantage of social networks in businesses is the enhancement of communication, information exchange, and knowledge sharing. This aspect of social networks enhances a mutual connection between consumers and entrepreneurs that subsequently boosts the productivity of the businesses. During promotion, advertising, and announcement of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are progressively becoming essential communication tools (Bailyn, 2012). These social media networks play a pivotal role in boosting marketing campaigns for organization’s products and services, which subsequently influences positive business outcomes. Modern consumers currently rely more on social networks to access important information concerning new p roducts and services offered by companies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Marketing (SMM) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marketing also involves procedures of unveiling and introducing new products to the market in a process commonly known as product launching. Research considers social media as a great platform useful in creating the accurate market buzz prior to launching a new product or service (Vries et al., 2012). As consumers are currently demanding exemplary services, social media enhances marketing campaigns, which are becoming useful in strengthening product and service information within the markets. Consumers tend to concentrate and associate with famous market products and since social media are assisting in communication of information pertaining to product and service, they help in building brand reputation. Companies using social networks are capable of attracting public attention mor e easily and marketing effectiveness of these networks becomes eminent when business performance enhances through increased market share and revenue performance (Vries et al., 2012). Using powerful videos, photographs, audio streaming, widgets, and other social media features, companies create and share quality content to communicate their services and products to the business community. Notwithstanding its ability to transform almost every aspect of modern business activity through sophisticated technologies, social media has also received criticism from entrepreneurs (Pradiptarini, 2011). The foremost challenge that comes with the modern technologies and the social media networks is the presence of insecurity within these platforms. Entrepreneurs have little potency to control the growing cyberspace and Internet security, possess little control over the entire conservation, and can barely manipulate the pessimistic perceptions of clients expressed in public social websites (Vries et al., 2012). There is a high possibility of getting negative feedback from ill-motivated clients due to bad opinions from competitors expressed on social media.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The vibrant cyber activities that engage genuine civilians and illegitimate users across networks with little control strategies placed by the organizations, places companies at high risk of encountering fraud (Bailyn, 2012). Tracing the route of negative conversation and fraudulent activities is a challenge and as many companies continually engage in social media marketing, the fears about losing billions of finances in fraud cases remain unsettled. How SMM helps Pepsi gain more customer insight Since its inception as a potential marketing tool, social media marketing has been the most anticipated practice among several small, medium, and even multinational corporations. As Neti (2011) postulates, â€Å"Adult beverage companies, exotic automobile manufacturers, pastry shops have been using social media tool† (p.8). Alongside other major multinational companies, PepsiCo is one of the world leading international companies famous for producing carbonated Pepsi soft drinks, and currently its Pepsi Refresh project has provided a new breakthrough in its marketing strategies. Pepsi Refresh project is responsible for turning individuals’ dreams into realities by producing and researching about marketing possibilities of PepsiCo and funding amazing ideas that support the notion of Pepsi as a soft drink that refreshes the world. Being responsible for managing resources of the billion dollars worth corporation PepsiCo, Pepsi Refresh project has recently associated with social media marketing as one of its major strategy to make Pepsi a world refreshing drink. In marketing their major business, going to the market, unveiling, and launching new brands from the company, Pepsi undertook an online consumer-based study in which it concluded that social media was important in creating and sharing ideas. Results on the investigations from the 2009 Pepsi Optimism Project about the means of communication of the research impelled PepsiCo to develop off and online for ums where social innovation could help in marketing the Pepsi Refresh project. According to Neti (2011), â€Å"Pepsi Coke, Nokia and many of the top brands have effectively used social media for achieving their business objectives† (p.8). During the process of establishing and informing people about the Pepsi Refresh project, PepsiCo consistently used social media tactics to access multitudes of people. PepsiCo used Facebook, Twitter, and refresheverything.com to market its idea, and this viral marketing through text messages and video clips captured a huge public attention successfully. In using social media in marketing the Pepsi Refresh project, the company spent less money. Through refresheverthing.com, Pepsi became the most publicly renowned Super Bowl brands. In its impact, approximately 37% of Americans familiarized with Pepsi compared to 12% for the same marketing program. Over eighteen million exceptional consumer-oriented visitors engaged in activities of the refres heverthing.com website. In online brand rating and voting, more than 12,000 projects received consumer votes, with approximately 2 million online comments from 76 million votes cast. Benefiting from the newly developed refresheverthing.com website, brand attributes increased exponentially with products receiving favorability, trust, and attention among other important public interests. Online communities and consumers’ fan pages concerning the Pepsi products started developing following the initial influence. Two businesses that have used SMM to their advantage Demonstrated by a continuum of studies, investigations on the marketing rivalry among the major U.S corporations have continuously identified Pepsi and Coke as the biggest rivalries. However, most American companies including those in the fortune 500 have already integrated social media marketing. Apart from the beverage companies, exotic automobile manufacturers are using social media marketing. Retail companies as we ll as other major corporations have noticed the positive impact of social media in marketing. Microsoft and Wal-Mart are two major fortune 500 companies that have demonstrated exemplary approach towards social media marketing, with Facebook, twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn being the most used social websites in marketing their products. The two companies have established social media as one of the most effectual communication and interaction tool where millions of active potential consumers made of optimistic youthful population meet freely. Pradiptarini (2011) acknowledges a substantial influence of these social networks in enhancing marketing strategies, boosting sales revenues, and subsequently influencing financial growth. As social media gives marketers opportunities to communicate to the public and more specifically, the vibrant peers, consumers and potential customers, both Coke and Pepsi have been lively in promoting their brands through major social networks renowned in the US. Microsoft and Wal-Mart have been using social media marketing as a strategy in building brand awareness, launching new products from the company, and generating leads. As Vries et al. (2012) affirm, â€Å"Companies can place brand posts (containing videos, messages, quizzes, information, and other material) on these brand fan pages† (p.83). Wal-Mart and Microsoft have engaged their potential consumers in advertisements, promotional activities, and other marketing activities that reveal product information to the consumers. Regarding their involvement in brands and companies on the social media, Pradiptarini (2011), noticed that approximately 71.14% of the Facebook users proved to be fans of brands produced by the two companies. In addition, 38.63% of their Twitter fans and followers, followed brands advertised by the two companies. Future expectations of SM on marketing People have awakened towards a contemporary business world that requires present and forthcoming technologi es to improve their overall effectiveness and social media is the probable marketing tool whose influence may never cease (Vries et al., 2012). The world is currently experiencing a shortage of youth employment and social interactions have been one of the leisure activities that keep youths engaged. With the emergence of powerful technological devices like tablets, upgraded laptops, and the Smartphone technologies, social media continue to be a trendy business and social tool. The number of Facebook accounts, Twitter users, and other social media users following new brands and products online is rapidly increasing (Neti, 2011). Coupled with unique and captivating experiences that social networks provide to the active youths and businesspersons, online working opportunities like brand advertising, social media may continue influencing social and business life for millions of decades to come (Pradiptarini, 2011). Social media is an all-inclusive advancing technology where all age grou ps have their portion and as the present population gets weary, new generating still admire these experiences. Notwithstanding its great potential in influencing millions of users, emerging issues in the cybercrime and related cyberspace insecurity may continue posing significant challenges to the social network users. Internet hacking activities, cyber bullying, and several other unethical practices associated with social networking are subjecting users to frustrations (Evans McKee, 2010). Since few policies and rules are currently present in curbing cyberspace insecurity and users are becoming used to social networks unaware of the mushrooming dangers, use of social media may face drastic collapse in the occurrence of a major concern (Evans McKee, 2010). Organizations themselves do not have governance and processes for controlling the use of social media within and outside the company. Both Facebook and Twitter have reported criminal challenges and even in their privacy terms, a buse related concerns are not addressed appropriately (Bailyn, 2012). In other websites, cases pertaining to social media crime remain undermined, go unreported, or even lack enough evidence to capture and prosecute the offenders. Conclusion The US is among the nations experiencing a rapid influx of social networking activities with this rise in social media networking providing companies and consumers a gateway to enhanced communication. Advanced beverage companies, exotic automobile companies, and even pastry shops have recognized social media as a powerful marketing tool that connects companies with consumers. Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Nokia technologies are among the American multinational companies that have embraced the use of social media in marketing and successfully witnessed impressive results. They have reported increased brand positive reputation, increased product attention, enhanced customer relationship, and boosted sales turnover. Although most likely to continue facing high risks related to cybercrime, social media marketing may continue influencing marketing strategies of companies as present and maybe future generations will still continue anticipating for these experiences. References Bailyn, E. (2012). Outsmarting Social Media: Profiting in the Age of Friendship  Marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Evans, D., McKee, J. (2010). Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement. New York, NY: Wiley Publishing Inc. Neti, S. (2011). Social media and its role in marketing. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, 1(2), 1-15. Pradiptarini, C. (2011). Social Media Marketing: Measuring Its Effectiveness and Identifying the Target Market. Journal of Undergraduate Research, 14, 1-11. Vries, L., Gensler, S., Leeflang, P. (2012). Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(1), 83–91.

Qualitative critique predictors or success for NCLEX in nursing Essay

Qualitative critique predictors or success for NCLEX in nursing students - Essay Example Second, there are Associate Degrees in Nursing (ADN) programs that also require two years of full-time study. In addition to the nursing curriculum, they require general education courses to obtain an ADN. Third, there are Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs that mandate four years of full time study. The BSN programs are university based programs and require general education courses in addition to the nursing classes. After the nursing program is successfully completed, the candidate is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX or NCLEX-RN). Since it was first administered in July of 1982 [1], the NCLEX has undergone many changes. It started as a two-day paper-and-pencil exam that tested each specialty area, such as medical, surgical, pediatrics, mental health, and women's health, separately. Next, the exam format was changed so that the specialties were blended together. However, it still was a two-day paper-and-pencil test. The most recent change occurred in 1994. At that time, the test was extended into a Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) version. It is now given on computer and lasts an average of 3 to 4 hours. The CAT version has presented new challenges for nursing school graduates and faculty. Nursing graduaNursing graduates must be successful on NCLEX in order to practice nursing. There are three major reasons for higher education administrators and educators to be concerned about failure on NCLEX. A lower regional, state or national failure rate has an impact on the health care profession for two reasons: it decreases the number of graduates available to the workforce, and it increases the amount of time until the graduate is licensed and can actually contribute to the workforce and the profession [2]. The second reason is that lower pass rates reflect poorly on the nursing program at institutions of higher education and may ultimately mean budgetary cutbacks or program closure and waning nursing student enrollments. Students often choose programs accredited by the National League for Nursing [4] and programs with a reputation for high NCLEX pass rates. Nursing education programs in some USA states were reported to have a pass rate of at least 92.5% of the national average (National Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, 1999) during the period of 1991 to 2000. Faculty may experience frustration and concerns about the reputation of their programs based on licensure exam success or failure [5]. This has motivated faculty to identify factors related to the program, teaching or students contributing to NCLEX success or failure. A third reason for studying factors predicting NCLEX performance is the impact of failure on the self-esteem of the graduate and the implications for decreased professional self-confidence [2, 5] described feelings experienced by graduates who failed the NCLEX as anger, shame and despair. A review of the literature over the past 20 years reveals many studies relating to performance of graduates on the NCLEX. These studies fall into two categories: student characteristics and performance on the licensure examination and

Fashion marketing - target customer- stravarious brand research Essay

Fashion marketing - target customer- stravarious brand research - Essay Example The essay "Fashion marketing - target customer- stravarious brand research" discovers the marketing of Stradivarius brand. With this concern, the essay intends to research the current retail environment as well as market competition prevailing in the UK business and also the campaign surrounding the launch of Stradivarius. Apart from this, an evaluation of the scale of the launch of the brand, assessment of how the brand will attract the existing along with new customers of Inditex and ideas about generating greater awareness about the brand, will also be highlighted in the essay. Thus, based on this research, a pre-framed questionnaire will be compiled, which will help in building a complete picture of the customers and their expectations in the market sector of retailing. It is quite essential to evaluate the current retail environment prevailing in the business markets of the UK, as Inditex is planning to launch its another globally renowned brand Stradivarius in this region. Acco rding to the report published by Crown (n.d.), it can be apparently observed that the current retail environment prevailing in the UK largely contributes in developing the economy of the nation through employing huge figure of skilled workforce and generating approximately  £17.5 billion taxes among others. The report also highlighted the fact that the retail sector of the UK is viewed to be a foremost leader in the arena of innovation. The international retail brands operating in the business markets of the UK.

Promoting Genesis fitness through youtube Research Paper

Promoting Genesis fitness through youtube - Research Paper Example The maximum amount to pay when one potential customer clicks an ad is 1 USD. Upon completing a set budget, the promotion page becomes inactive pending the following day. In this regard, it is possible for the Company to kick start the promotion strategy with any agreed budget and increase the budget with time. This is done by signing into the Company’s YouTube account, click on the account name located on the right side corner and select the preferred settings. Click on promote video link on the settings page. The company will achieve many benefits by promoting on YouTube which includes the following: it will reach out to new target audiences that the Company did not have or could not reach organically. The Company will also achieve its set goals of selling its services to the target customer. Above all, the Company will also turn the existing audiences to be subscribers and increase

The Four Frames of an Organization

The Four Frames of an Organization Warren Bennis(2003), notices that good observation of the situations is the core competency of leadership and it is a important tool in developing successful organizations. Bolman and Deal (2007) highlights four major areas of organizational theory namely structure, people, political dynamics and culture. Each frame has its own logic, focus, assumptions and path to success of organization. Structural frame views an organization as a factory or machine and gives more importance to goals, formal relationships and specific roles. It also emphasizes on policies, procedures, creating rules to merge the focus of diverse group towards achieving the organization goal. The people frame perceives an organization as a unit with each individual having their own ideas, energy, needs, talent, limitations and feelings. Individuals in an organization should be given the liberty to operate on their own to display their talent but at the same care should be taken to get their job done. As per the view of Thomas (2006), the political frame perceives an organization as an arena with competition, power, conflict and policies as core where beliefs, skills, values, conflicts and interests among the staff are evident organizational realities. Finally, the cultural frame views organizational life as a festival where individuals join together to form culture, context and meaning as they engage themselves in their specific roles and bring creativity and inspiration into their work. Each frame plays an important role in an organization, but any frame alone is deficient. Gallos(2008), views modern organizations as complex beast and the fast growing technology and competitive world only adds more to their complication. Structural Frame: The structural frame as discussed before is concerned with rules and goals of the organization. So, the frame concentrates on the goal directions, structural clarity, and task accomplishment in an organization.(Harris Nelson, 2008).The main values of this frame are: The best approach is rational approach ; Dividing labor based on their specialization leads to improved performance and individual expertise; synchronization and control are best achieved through the authority and impersonal rules; and Based on an organizations nature structures can be systematically designed and applied. These principles suggest that problems in organization usually are signs of structural issues and it can be solved by streamlining and restructuring. But these are just one of the many problems that an organization is facing. Rationality is another important concept that an organization deals with. As per the view of Brunsson (2009), organizations are intentional, in other words organization works towards a definite reason. In many companies, it is a hypothesis that behaviors are governed by decisions under a norm of rationality. Usually this norm is difficult to satisfy in reality. Like two sides of coin, the concept of differentiation and integration are the reason for it being viewed as a rational approach. Differentiation in when tasks are done among individuals and integration is the link between the roles that make the interdependence. These roles and interdependencies are synchronized vertically by power and laterally by teams, meeting etc. There are six main assumptions in structural frame: Existence of organization is to attain established objective and goals. Efficiency of organization is increased and performance is enhanced through clear division of employees and specialization. Proper co-ordination and control ensures that diverse effort of individuals and units engage. For an organization to work at its best rationality should prevail over personal choice and external pressure. The structure of an organization should be designed in such a way that it fits to the circumstance of the organization. Structural deficiencies lead to performance gap and in this situation and can be solved through proper analysis and restructuring. Two design issues are how to allocate work and how to coordinate roles between them or unit. A job prescription is in form of job description, procedures where it is clear document on what an employee should do and what he should not to accomplish a task. Once work is allocated to individuals the managers/leaders face next important decision as how they should group people into working units. There are several basic operations (Mintzberg, 1979): Groups are partitioned on the basis of skill set and knowledge. For example Java team, Visual Basic team and so on. Groups based on working time, as by shift. Units formed on basis of product. Telecommunication software, accounting software and so on. Groups around client or customer. Groups around place or geography. Say for example team in Australia, team in India Groups by process. For example development, testing and support. In an IT firm like this, it is important to form groups and it can be best formed when they are grouped based on skill set, time, geography and process. The real problem here is problem of co-ordination. Units try to focus on their own priority rather than organizations. For an organization to be successful it has to employ an effective method of coordinating between the units to work towards the organizational goal. This can be achieved by either vertical coordination or lateral coordination. Vertical Coordination: In vertical coordination higher management has the authority. They decide as what should happen through authority, policies, rules and control system. Authority means designating a boss. He integrates the effort of individuals and units. They take control by resolving conflicts, making decisions, solving problems and distributing rewards. Rules and policies ensure informality among the employees. This helps to reduce particularism (Perrow, 1986) reacting to a particular situation on personal bias or political forces rather than towards the goal of organization. In order to make sure that a level of quality is maintained, standards are set. So a measurement against standard helps in finding the performance and makes it possible to fix a problem. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) reduce difference in performance for tasks that requires high level of predictability and not allowing more margins for error. Standard operating procedures can fail how ever more often only in case of situations that is not foreseen. Mintzberg (1979) distinguishes performance control and action planning. Performance control imposes outcome objectives. F or example increase the teams productivity by 5%. This is good way when the goals are clear but not successful when goals are hard to measure. Action planning specifies action as well as time frame. It works well when it is easier to access how the job is done. Lateral Coordination: Sometimes vertical coordination cannot be effective. Behavior of people is usually untouched by rules and command. Lateral techniques such as meetings (both formal and informal), network organization, matrix structure, coordinating roles and task force helps in filling the void. In our organization in order to fill the void there will be continuous meeting. There will be wide range of meetings like project management meeting to make sure that project can be delivered on time as promised with high quality. In a high technology company that is under consideration, we will have task forces also. High-technology firms have high degree of reliance on project teams or task forces to synchronize development of new service or product. Being a high technology company it is important to have networks as knowledge will be spread all cross the organization and it cant be at a particular place. Ghoshal and Barlett (1990) argued that many organizations have evolved into inter organization network. Initiatives arise from many places as it is a multi centric structure. Structural imperatives: Organizations architecture depends on following factors: size and age, core process, environment, strategy and goals, information technology and nature of the workforce. Let us see how these factors play a role in shaping an organization. Size and age: An organizations size and age plays a key role in architecture. A small company can have informal structural arrangements. Whereas the same organization, as it grows, it will be difficult to get a hold of the process if things are not formalized. As a startup IT company it can be informal but since it is high technology organization it is very much essential to formalize process say for example documenting everything as the work done is not repetitive and knowledge needs to be shared. Core Process: The core product is taxation software for tax agents. Henderson and Clark (1990) said that it is difficult to cope with the change in a technology for an established company than a startup firm. Being a startup firm there is an edge, in an aspect to get into the business with latest technology. Also care should be taken and structure should be in such as way that firm should be flexible enough to adapt to latest technology without much of hassle and complexity. If the start up organization fail to build a flexible structure then it will also fall in the same pit as other established company and the new comers will take over the lead. Environment: Environment plays a major role. In a high technology industry there is always high degree of uncertainty. This demands sophisticated architecture. New roles and specialties are often required in order to cope up with the emerging problems. High level of adaptability and flexibility are required in an uncertain industry like high technology industry. Strategy and goals: Strategic decisions are inclined towards long term goal and are concerned with the future (Chandler, 1962). Goals that are stated are the ones that an organization follows most of the time. We need to look beyond formal statement of purpose to understand the link that exists between strategy, goals and structure. Information Technology: New technologies and computers continue to revolutionize the amount of information available and the speed at which it can be shared. Information is central structural determinant. Galbraith (1973) defines uncertainty as difference between what information is in hand and what information is needed. As the gap increases, the complexity of making a decision also increases. In this situation organization has two choices: Firstly, reduced the need for information. Secondly, increase the capacity to process it. In a high technology organization it is better to choose the second option as high technology organization need as much as information possible to stay in the race. Information technology plays an important role in high technology firms. Innovations in information technology make flatter structure unavoidable. Drucker (1989) pointed out that information-based organizations need fewer management levels when compared to other industries. Similarly, this applie s to high technology firm and will follow more of flat structure than vertical structure. Nature of workforce: In a high technology industry, even a lower level workforce need to have high knowledge. Sometimes lower level workforce has more technical knowledge than their supervisors. There is increasing need to specialization of areas. Drucker (1989), makes an observation that work will be moved to place where people are rather than moving people where work is. Similarly there is need to design the structure such that there are different centers based on availability of work force. This again increases dependency on network as work has to be coordinated between different geographic locations. Boundary less organization: Prahalad and Lawrence (1995) insisted about the importance of boundary less organization. In a boundary less organization ideas flow through different layers easily and hence the productivity will be high. The organization as a whole functions far better. In the startup high technology organization the number of layers between top and bottom is less so that there is free flow of ideas. Care should be taken on diluting the number of layers as too much autonomy leads to chaos. The following factors should be considered when designing a structure. They are gap versus overlap, underuse versus overload, lack of clarity versus lack of creativity, excessive autonomy versus excessive interdependence, too loose versus too tight, goalless versus goal bound, irresponsible versus unresponsive. In our organization care should be taken such that there is no inclination towards any of the character discussed above. Right balance should be maintained. Structural configurations: Structural design starting from scratch does not happen most of the times. Usually supervisors copy an existing structure from their experience or some existing popular theory. Let us look at Mintzbergs fives and see how it is applicable in our organization. Mintzberg model has five components. First component is operating core. Core consists of employees who make the product to the customer or clients. Layer above this is administrative. They are managers who provide and control resource for the operation. Above this is strategic apex. It comprises of top level management, who are responsible for strategic decisions. Usually they are board of directors and equivalent. Two more components in the sides are techno structure which comprises of specialists who measure and inspect the output of the process. Last component is support staff whose work is to facilitate other workers and ensure smooth running of office. Mintzberg derived five structural configurations from this blueprint. Simple structure: This structure has only two level, strategic apex and operating core. Usually it has direct supervision. It works well in family business. The positives of simple structure are adaptability and flexibility. It also has negative side as boss too close to day today operation lose focus and gets distracted easily and they dont take into account the long range strategic issues. Machine bureaucracy: In machine bureaucracy, strategic apex makes all strategic decision, managers supervises all day today operation. And procedures are standardized. Machine bureaucracy has lots of support staff and few technostructures. Key issue is how to keep employees motivated as it is routine work. Professional bureaucracy: In this structure, majority of people are from operating core and very less number of managers. Technostructre is comparatively very less. Professional bureaucracy stumbles when they try to get a greater control over operating core. Divisionalized form: Work is done in the form of quasi-autonomous units. Each division serves different market. For example a MNC might have financial service, IT, manufacturing etc. It creates ample resource and responsiveness without much risk. But it has other tensions like cat and mouse game between the headquarters and the division. The other potential problem is the gap that widens between head quarters and the divisions. Adhocracy: Adhocracy is loose, flexible structure mostly tied together by lateral means. This kind of structure is more often found in condition of turbulence and rapid change such as advertising industry. After looking at these five structures its professional bureaucracy and divisionalized form that suits our organization. In high technology industry, there is need for more people with technical skill than managerial skill. Hence professional bureaucracy works well in high technology organization. Restructuring: Every organization has to restructure at some point in time. Restructuring is time consuming and more over it does not even guarantee success. Restructuring happens due to various pressures such as environment shifts, technology change, organizational growth and leadership changes. Miller and Friesen(1984) found that companies in trouble usually fall in the following three categories. Impulsive firm: It is a fast growing organization with rapid changes usually lead by one or very few managers. This will lead organization to run out of control. Many onetime successful owners fail to recover from this stage and they stumble. Stagnant bureaucracy: These are organizations that follow old tradition. They often become too stagnant. They dont make up to market speed and lower level managers often feel left out. Headless giants: These are loosely coupled organizations where the administration is weak. Most of the decisions are made by the division and does not have any real strategy at the top. Decision making is not proactive whereas it is reactive. Organizations are reluctant to make changes in structure because it creates uncertainty and confusion. Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Ethics: Corporate Social Responsibility is the most accepted and credible form to prevent societies from social unrest and save the planet and environment from destruction through corporate behaviour. The relationship between corporation and the society is interdependent. Any organisation is largely dependent on social stability and economic condition. In case of international organisation like the high technology organization, it is important to operate in a responsible manner particularly in local community to avoid conflicts and avoid boycotts. However Multi National Companies face problem when respect for local community clash with core value. For example when a company has its core value as equal opportunity for all, this will collide with job for locals. Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility strategies makes good business sense. Profit maximization is not the mantra of start up hight technology firm as it can equally hurt. Only a long-term rather than short term, balanced v iew on profit maximization will be reasonable, and responsible. This makes it evident that Corporate Social Responsibility can provide an opportunity for organisation to improve their long term profit and at the same time benefit wide range of people apart from managers and owners. This ensures sustainability. Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Ethics: Corporate Social Responsibility is a major source of competitive advantage. One reason for doing good is to create a good opinion about the company among the society. This creates an intangible asset that is impossible for a competitor to reproduce. Thus we can say Corporate Social Responsibility is a major player in value creation. Another source of competitive advantage is by reducing operating cost. In high technology business, the costs associated with dumping of hardware can be avoided by giving it to the charity. Researchers have found that certain consumers are interested in buying product that adds value to the society. Also there are bunch of investors who prefer investing in companies that has high social responsibility. The High technology start up firm can tap this market by maintaining high level of Corporate Social Responsibility. 75% of consumers declare that they would not buy a product that doesnt have good ethical value or goods produced under bad circumstances. So it is important for the firm to act ethically as major customers consider ethical value. Research has found that certain consumers are even ready to pay a premium for sustainable products. We have seen the benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility but the real problem is the implementation phase and the practical feasibility with such measures. Major decisions needs to be taken not only on what the corporation should engage in but also should measure whether the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative will fail or succeed. A prerequisite for corporate responsibility is availability of resource. This would explain why survey among 1000 companies have shown that 94% believe Corporate Social Responsibility will lead to profit but only 11% were able to implement it. So in the high technology firm that is discussed, care should be taken that we are not falling short of resource as this is a major road block in implementation phase. For a new firm it can be difficult implement CSR because there wont be well established formal structure. Further more they will be in a phase of survival. Corporate climate tells how things are and corporate culture tells as why things are as they are. Both climate and culture are key factors for corporate social responsibility. Conclusion: Corporate Social Responsibility brings sustainability in business. This works well in long run. Also Corporate Social Responsibility provides competitive advantage over the competitors. For a start up high technology firm, structure plays an important role. Without structure, energy and time of resources are often misdirected. Often we fail to find the real cause if the problem. For example sometimes we spend more time and money on training but the real problem is with social architecture rather than peoples attitude and skill. There is no perfect structure. It depends on circumstances and factors like technology, goal, strategy and environment. A structural design might be apt for a particular time and circumstance but more often than not there will be need to change the structure depending on the changes in goal, strategy and environment. Restructuring is important but at the same time it is high risk. In short term it creates more confusion and anxiety. In long run it depends on h ow well it gels with the organisation goal, environment and strategy.

The Forgotten: Uninsured Children Essays -- Health Care

This paper is going to define oppression, describe an oppressed group and a framework. Oppression is defined as â€Å"unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power or a sense of being weighed down in body or mind† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2010) The oppressed population that I am going to describe is uninsured children with a disability. Typically, children obtain health insurance coverage through their parents. If parents lack health insurance, so will their children. This paper will discuss the social problem of the inability of children with a disability to obtain health insurance. The primary social welfare issue to be addressed is the absence of affordable, comprehensive health insurance for children from birth to eighteen. When a child is uninsured it often means that people will postpone necessary care and forego preventive care - such as childhood immunizations and routine check-ups-completely. Because the uninsured usually have no regular doctor and limited access to prescription medications, they are more likely to be hospitalized for health conditions that could be avoided. One example, regarding this was told by a medical student. American Medical Student Association told a story of a young boy with a heart defect which made him vulnerable to infections. His mother, a janitor, couldn't afford to take him to the dentist when he developed a tooth infection. By the time his pain grew intolerable; his heart was infected with bacteria from the tooth infection. Spiking fevers, fatigue and chest pain developed a few weeks later. He arrived at the ER wit h sub acute bacterial endocarditic, which required six weeks of preventable hospitalization. Damage to the boy's heart was irreversible. The conceptual framework... ..., H. J., & Stoesz, D. (2005). American social welfare policy: a pluralistic approach. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, (2010). Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Missouri Foundation for Health. (2004). Economic and health benefits of Missouri Medicaid. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from http://www.mffh.org National Coalition of Healthcare. (2004). Facts on health insurance coverage. Retrieved April19, 2005, from http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.pdf National Coalition of Healthcare. (2004). Health insurance cost. Retrieved February 3, 2005, from http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml National Health Policy Forum. (2005). The basics: Medicaid. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www.nhpf.org United States Department of Labor. (2010) Retrieved June 4, 2010 from http://www.dol.gov/