Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist - Essay Example The priest may give a short homily to explain about the reading and to remind the parents and godparents of their responsibilities to the child being baptized. Then the priest announces, â€Å"I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit†. These words relate to the words spoken by Jesus Christ before he ascended into heaven when he commanded the disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the â€Å"Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit† (Matthew 28:19). The indelible mark of baptism is the â€Å"end of sin and the beginning of goodness† (â€Å"The Catholic Liturgical Library† par. 27). The Significance of the Sign of the Cross, the use of water, the use of oil, the prayers of exorcism, and the white garment in the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism. The sign of the cross reminds us of Christ’s passion and death on the cross and prepares the baptism candidate to partake o f that sacrifice for God and the church. Water becomes â€Å"a rich symbol of grace,† to signify cleansing and being reborn away from a sinful past (â€Å"The Catholic Liturgical Library† par. 19). Oil is for anointing – to heal us from anything that prevents our right relationship with God. The exorcism prayer protects the baptized from evil spirits while preparing him or her to be a part of the church or the People of God. The priest exorcises the candidate from the evil spirit and prepares that physical body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.  

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity?

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? As the whole world market changed into globalization, the diversity management becomes a major issue to manage. So diversity management plays an important role in the successful running of the operation in an organization. Basically the diversity term refers to the difference in the peoples value which makes them unique. These differences includes their gender, race, religion, culture, physical or cognitive ability, national origin, age or family structure. Diversity is defined as an aggregate team-level construct that represents differences among members of an interdependent work group with respect to a specific personal attribute. (Joshi, A., Roh, H.(2009)) In a diverse environment people can benefit and learn more from others ideas. Many organizations found that recognition of these differences as prerequisites for high performance and continuous improvement, and this could lead towards the effectiveness and creativity of the organization. So these companies always encourage a culture that supports and inspires personal growth both within the workplace and beyond. Mentoring, training, career mobility, and work-life balance programs are just a little of the initiatives that bring to life the forward-thinking approach. On the other hand there might be some drawback of the diverse environments like having much disorganization between different groups could cause lack of productivity and promote few well-built relationships. Diversity Management: Diversity Management is the key issue especially for HR department of an organization because if they run it very well they can increase the profitability of the organization or the vice versa. Actually differences between people persuade about how they feel or behave on an action. And of course these differences also influence the way people work. If the organization takes these differences into account, it helps them to make optimal use of all capacities or capabilities in their employees, and thus have an optimistic influence on both the quality and amount of work that gets done. This is the utmost aim of Diversity Management. In the text book, Beyond Race and Gender, R. Roosevelt Thomas defines managing diversity as a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees. A successful strategic diversity plan also directs to increased profits and lowered operating cost. In an organization, we have to be aware and sensitive to the differences among employees. What can be unpleasant to one group may be fine for another. For example, showing the base of shoes is not a massive deal in the United States. However, in other countries its an unlikable gesture. If youre aware of that, you might not want to offend someone by allowing the bottom of your shoes to show while in his presence. Thats a minor example, but when these kinds of offends occurs at larger, may caused significant problems. Productivity can also be suffered, people could get hurt and a toxic work atmosphere may result. A process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued, so that all can reach their potential and maximize their contributions to an organizations strategic goals and objectives. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion) How diversity management program runs in an organization through HR department could be well explained through below diagram Europe has an increasingly diverse working population, with people of many different backgrounds playing a greater role in the European labour market. This diversity reflects not only population changes due to immigration and mobility between regions and EU member states, but also an increasing recognition of the problems and issues facing a range of marginalised groups in the labour force, such as women, people with disabilities and older workers. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 At conclusion Diversity management means recognizing that people are different and using that difference to enhance the profitability and/or effectiveness of your organization. The successful management diversity allows organizations to: Attract and retain talent Increase productivity by reducing the hours wasted on dealing with internal disputes Develop a competitive edge. Encourage creative thinking by valuing the diversity within teams. What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? By Neal Litherland, eHow Contributor .I want to do this! Whats This? .. Ever since John Kennedy was the president of the United States, the concept of workplace discrimination, and the flip side of that coin which is workplace diversity, has been a common issue. However, workplace diversity offers many positives for employers and employees. .Perspectives Having a mix of cultures, ethnicities and ages in the workplace can bring a variety of points of view to any project. As such, problems can be thought out and viewed from fresh eyes. Tolerance Working with people who come from different backgrounds and walks of life enhances the personal tolerance levels of every individual employee. Fairness A more diverse workplace is viewed, from an outside perspective, as being more open to accepting qualified applicants. Often an employer is seen as color blind, hiring purely on the merit of its employees. Skill Set When a workplace has a number of different demographics it gives the company a much broader skill set to draw upon, including cultural understanding and foreign language. Legal Protection One of the clearest, though not as often quoted, benefits of a diverse workplace is that it is less likely that an employer will be the subject of discrimination claims. Building the Case Since the early 1990s evidence has been mounting to suggest that there are numerous benefits associated with the adoption of sound diversity management programmes by employers. You will need to understand the benefits for adopting such an approach, if and when you decide to start building the case for implementing a diversity management programme within your organisation. Over the last number of years, a variety of researchers have detailed the benefits of adopting a diversity management approach such as: Improved performance/productivity (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Richard, 2000) Increased creativity/flexibility (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Higher quality problem-solving (Cox and Blake, 1991; Hubbard, 1999) Improved understanding/penetration of markets (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Increased staff morale and job satisfaction (Agocs and Burr, 1996) Improvements in staff retention/less absenteeism (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Less law suits (Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Human Resource associations have also identified benefits of diversity management. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the following are five key factors that make diversity initiatives important to businesses: Diversity initiatives can: Improve the quality of your organisations workforce and can be a catalyst for a better return on your investment in human capital. Capitalize on new markets since customer bases are becoming more diverse. Attract the best and the brightest employees to a company. Increase creativity. Increase flexibility, ensuring survival. Source:  http://www.shrm.org/diversity/businesscase.asp In 2000 and 2001, Mi.st [ Diversity Consulting conducted a survey of business leaders throughout Europe and found that the four benefits of diversity most often mentioned were: Improved team effectiveness and cooperation (interpersonal) Increased productivity (individual) Improved customer intimacy (consumers and markets) Broader access to labour markets (recruitment) Results from this survey were analysed and all the benefits of Diversity and Diversity Management were summarised in the following table: Results Externally Internally Consumers/Markets Increased market share Ease of entry into new markets Improved customer intimacy Individual Increased productivity Improved morale and commitment Shareholders Enhanced rating Improved attractiveness Interpersonal Improved team effectiveness and cooperation Easier integration of new staff Labour markets Broader access to labour markets Improved employer image Organisational More openness to change Enhanced effectiveness of complex organization Community Improved public image Source: Michael Stubor (2002): Corporate Best Practice: What some European Organizations are Doing Well to Manage Culture and Diversity. In G. Simmons (Ed.), Eurodiversity: A Business Guide to Managing Difference, Butterworth-Heinemann, London Alongside the benefits outlined above there are other background forces that drive the adoption of a diversity management approach by employers. Two common forces are described below: Labour Force Supply Issues The composition of the labour force in the EU is changing on an ongoing basis. Two of the most important changes in recent years are: The ageing of the workforce The enlargement of the EU giving rise to a larger presence of ethnic minorities As a result, employers need to be able to successfully accommodate a more diverse range of employees.   Costs of Discrimination Cases Although, anti-discrimination legislation has now been introduced in a number of European countries, employees are still facing prejudices that circulate in the workplace. This gives rise to employees taking discrimination cases against their employer, which can be damaging for the employer in terms of negative public opinion and high costs. An effective diversity management approach should give rise to an environment that benefits all employees, where they feel valued and empowered and are enabled to reach their full potential. In such a positive environment it is highly unlikely that an employee would bring a discrimination case against their employer. Footnote: References   Agocs C. and Burr C. (1996):  Employment equity, affirmative action and managing diversity: assessing the differences, International Journal of manpower, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp30-45. Cox T. and Blake S. (1991);  Managing Cultural Diversity: implications for organizational competitivenes  s, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp45-56. Hubbard E. (1999):  Diversity and the Bottom Line: Facts, Figures and Financials, Diversity Factor, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp29-33. Richard O. (2000):  Racial diversity, business strategy, and firm performance: A resource-based view,  Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, pp164-177. Robinson G. and Dechant K. (1997):  Building a Business Case for Diversity, Academy of management Executive, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp21-31. Implementing Diversity Management A major aim of this website is to support the development and implementation of diversity management programmes in the workplace. This is achieved in two main ways: Providing general information to users about diversity management issues, policy and practice   this is achieved through the main areas of website which provide information on: What is diversity management Building the case Policy and legislation Diversity management themes Case studies Awards Links to useful websites   Providing support to the process of design and implementation of diversity management in enterprises   this is achieved through two main applications:   The diversity management toolkit The e-learning course on diversity management If you wish to implement a diversity management programme, the diversity management toolkit provides support in two main ways: It describes a  5 stage process  of how to implement a diversity management programme in your workplace It provides  tool support  for each of the activities you must undertake when implementing a diversity management programme in your workplace The e-learning course on diversity management is designed to raise awareness of diversity management amongst the participants in a diversity management programme. A major task in implementing diversity management is to ensure that all employees affected by the programme are fully aware of diversity issues and the approach which is being taken to them. The e-learning course is designed to inform employees of the basic issues and approaches to diversity management and to justify the need for an active diversity management policy in your organisation. Madison Co. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Fortune Small Business Magazine recently had an article about a small company in Connecticut, Madison Co., that had an employee go through a major change. Over the course of time, one of its supervisors, Ann Ferraiolo had altered her look, and, then one day, came to work after an operation and was now Tony, a male. As a manufacturing company, the company president, Steve Schickler, understood what could happen. Instead, he decided to intercede early to make things more comfortable for his supervisor, and let other employees know the company position. He and his human resources director made sure every employee knew to treat Ferraiolo with respect, both before and after the operation. They decided to support the supervisors sex change, and the company has never missed a beat. Xerox Mentoring Programs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Xerox was ranked No. 35 in 2009 by DiversityInc. It was one of the first international organizations to publicly make diversity a center of their mission back in the 1970s. This led to many mentoring and fast-track programs, and now minorities make up around 20 percent of its management staff, women make up nearly one-third, and black women, a group Xerox has worked with the most, recognizing their disadvantage in many organizations, makes up 20 percent of that group. This is a case where a subgroup of an already disadvantaged group might need to be addressed more thoroughly when looking at diversity issues overall. Why the Toolkit is important It is best to view the development and implementation of diversity management policy in your organisation as a project. This means that it should be treated in the same way as you would any other project. You will need to build support for the project, analyse the needs and opportunities, develop your own solutions and then implement and monitor the project as it progresses. This implies the need for effective project management tools and techniques. The DiManT toolkit provides you with a set of information, methods and techniques, which have been specifically designed to ease the process of implementing a diversity management project. The way that you use the toolkit is up to you. You may pick and choose only what is relevant for your purposes. You will find a search facility to help you locate the tools that you need. However, if you want to begin the process of diversity management programme implementation from the beginning, you are advised to use the follow the process outlined in the toolkit. There you will find a complete guide to the activities you should undertake. The process is described in terms of a set of phases of activities, each of which has specific aims and each of which is supported by a number of tools. Click on the diagram for more information. Policy and Legislation There is an increasing amount of policy and legislation initiatives in relation to diversity management at both EU and national levels. In this section you will find short descriptions of and reference to the main legislative and policy actions at both of these levels. Initiatives in the area of equality, disability, employment, ageing, gender and others are relevant here. They provide the backdrop for the development of diversity management programmes at workplace level. EU Legislation National Legislation Themes Age Disability Ethnicity and Race Gender Religion Case Studies This section provides a set of real life case studies of a range of diversity management issues. Two types of cases are presented: Company case studies Legal case studies The legal case studies section gives brief overviews of a range of legal cases which relate to diversity management. In the main, they relate to court judgements taken under antidiscrimination, disability and employment law, and they illustrate the ways in which violations of these laws are treated. The company case studies present a best practice view of how a range of organizations have developed and implemented diversity management programmes. They provide insight into what are the elements of good practice and into how diversity management programmes evolve in practice. Diversity management has become one of the primary challenges for HRM as organizations become diversity worldwide. (Benshchop, 2001: 1166; DNetto Sohal, 1999: 530) Resistance to  diversity programs may not only come from the majority but also minority groups. Diversity planners may be failing to include or consider the majority groups in their strategies and this is one of the reasons of backlash and discrimination. (Frase-Blunt, 2003: 138) Ireland Degraded Employee Wins Case Mr Gabriele Piazza had claimed that the Clarion Hotel had directly discriminated against him due to the fact that he was gay. He said he was harassed in relation to his conditions of employment, in particular on three occasions. He said that there had been a number of incidents when reference was made to his sexual orientation in a degrading manner. The incidents had happened in front of various staff members who had found the situation funny, however he had not, he said. Mr Piazza said that in one incident, it came to his attention that emails from his manager were being sent to the human resources manager. He found the mails personally offensive and degrading. In one, he was referred to as just a bloody woman and a spoilt child. When he challenged the HR manager about the emails, she ripped them up dismissively in front of him. In another incident, an employee made a comment of a sexual nature which Mr Piazza found offensive and degrading. He asked the person in question to stop making the comments, however the level of harassment increased. Mr Piazza insisted that in the six months of his employment, he received no help or assistance from his manager or any member of the hotels management team. Following an investigation by the Equality Tribunal, Mr Piazza was found to have been discriminated against by the hotel on the grounds of his sexual orientation. He was awarded à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10,000 compensation for harassment, distress and a breach of his rights under the Employment Equality Act, 1998. The hotel was also ordered to provide an equality training seminar to all staff, including management, within three months. Source: http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159 Council Employee Wins Race Case A council housing department worker has been awarded more than  £44,000 after winning a racial discrimination case. Surveyor Lakhbir Rihal complained four years ago that less-qualified white colleagues were promoted over him at the London Borough of Ealing. The council lost an employment tribunal case but appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision. The tribunal found a glass ceiling prevented ethnic minority staff from securing senior management roles. Paul Kenny, a senior official of the GMB union, which supported Mr Rihal, said: The leader of the council should do the decent thing and resign. Because the council failed to act, they have cost Ealing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. The union said it wanted the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to conduct an investigation into race relations in the councils housing department. Ealing Councils interim head of legal services, Chris Hughes, described the Court of Appeals decision as disappointing. He said: We pursued this case because we believed the original employment tribunal had erred in law in its decision. The council remains committed to equal opportunities for all its staff, a fact which is reflected in the current statistics of black and ethnic minority staff in the housing department. At present 38% of senior staff working in the housing department are black or ethnic minority, which clearly reflects the population trends in the borough as a whole, a fact which was not before the Court of Appeal. Culture of White Elitism Tom Dent, director of Housing and Environmental Health, added: The background to this case is now over four years old. Since then we have been improving our services in housing and were encouraged by last years external auditors report which found that we were compliant with the Commission for Racial Equalitys code of practice in the rented housing sector in both service delivery and employment. But Lord Justice Sedley said the lack of ethnic minority managers suggested a clear possibility there was a culture of white elitism in the upper echelon of the housing department. Mr Rihal, who has worked for Ealing Council for 12 years, told BBC London: I would like the council to take notice of these things and to at least give a fair chance to Sikh people like myself who are highly qualified. He still works for the council and is applying for promotion. Source: BBC NEWS http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3771403.stm Business Case for Diversity and Equality Todays business environment is changing. The average age of the workforce is rising steadily and women now make up nearly half the workforce in the UK, double the numbers of 25 years ago. Projections show that in less than ten years time there will be two million more jobs in the economy 80% of which will be filled by women. McJobs for all the Family 05-02-2005 McDonalds is pioneering a scheme that allows employees to share their job with family members. The Family Contract allows husbands, wives, grandparents and children over 16 to job-share and swap shifts without notifying management. The concept of diversity not only values and respects individuals, but recognises that everyone has different needs. Under the contract, which is the first of its kind in Britain, each worker clocks on and is paid separately through his or her own bank account. It is being tried in six cities around Britain. Co-habiting partners and same-sex partners can apply and, if it proves successful, McDonalds said it would expand it to include friends and extended family such as cousins. David Fairhurst, the head of McDonalds UK human resources operation, said: A lot of our staff wanted more flexibility. Many are youngsters at college who have very different term hours and holiday hours. Many older staff have children, with all the demands that entails; many look after relatives. So we decided to offer them the flexibility in a family context. McDonalds, which has 67,000 staff in 1,250 British restaurants, said flexible working reduced the number of sick days. It said the scheme was supported by the Department of Trade and Industry. The first family to sign up for a Family Contract were Rita Cross, 42, and her two daughters Laura, 18, and Natalie, 16, in Cardiff. Laura said the main advantage of the arrangement was its flexibility. We get up in the morning and decide which of us really wants to go to work, she said. Mrs Cross said it helped the whole family. We get a better work and life balance. Id love my husband to join up too, so that we can all plan our work and family life as one unit. BIBILIOGRAPHY Mor Barak, Michalle E. : Managing diversity: towards a globally inclusive workplace 2nd edition ( Sage Publication ) page 140. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. (n.d.). Diversity management. In Glossary. Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www.diversity.hr.va.gov/glossary.htm http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159

Mark Twain :: essays research papers

Mark Twain Mark Twain's works are some of the best I've ever read. I love the way he brings you into the story, especially with the dialogue used, like in Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain is my favorite dead author. Mark Twain was never "Mark Twain" at all. That was only his pen name. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Samuel was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835. He accomplished worldwide fame during his lifetime for being a great author, lecturer, satirist, and humorist. Since his death on April 21, 1910, his great literary reputation has further increased. Many writers such as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner have declared his work-especially Huckleberry Finn- a major influence on 20th-century American fiction. Twain was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, a town on the Mississippi river. After the death of his father in 1847, Twain joined his brother Orion's newspaper, the Hannibal Journal. During this time he became accustomed with much of the frontier humor of the time. From 1853 to 1857, Twain worked in many cities as a printer, and wrote articles for his brother's newspapers under various nicknames. After a visit to New Orleans, he learned how to pilot a steamboat. That became his job until the Civil War closed the Mississippi River, and it set him up for "Old Times on the Mississippi" and "Life on the Mississippi." In 1861, Twain traveled to Carson City, Nevada, with his brother Orion. After attempts for silver and gold mining had failed, he continued to write for newspapers. It was in 1863 when Samuel Clemens adopted the name "Mark Twain", a riverman's term for "two fathoms" deep. In 1884 Twain went to San Francisco and reached national fame with his story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." He then took a trip to Hawaii which started him on a very successful career as a public speaker. His trips to the Mediterranean and the Holy Land were recorded in letters to a San Francisco newspaper, and later formed into The Innocents Abroad, which was popular all over the world. In 1870 Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon. He then abandoned journalism to focus on serious literature. From 1870-1875, Twain produced many novels, including the famous tale, Tom Sawyer. A European vacation in 1878-1879, inspired novels like The Prince and the Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Meanwhile, he established his own firm, Charles L. Webster and Co., and after that, completed his masterpiece, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in 1884. In 1891, Twain was forced to move to Europe because of financial problems. In 1894, because of the failure of his firm and other reasons, he had to declare

Essentials of Planning Study Guide

CHAPTER 4—ESSENTIALS OF PLANNING MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Planning is a. a complex and comprehensive process involving interrelated stages. b. organizing, implementing, and controlling. c. finding the best person for a job. d. communicating effectively with stakeholders. 2. Strategic plans are designed to a. implement operational plans. b. establish day-by-day procedures. c. shape the destiny of the firm. d. carrying out the functions of management. 3. The purpose of tactical planning is to a. establish a general purpose for the organization. b. translate strategic plans into specific goals and plans for organizational units. . tell entry level workers what to do on a daily basis. d. compensate for past mistakes. 4. Branch manager Hector establishes recycling goals for his branch to support the company's strategic goal of being a good environmental partner. What is Hector doing? a. tactical planning b. strategic planning c. long-range planning d. vision formulation 5. A study of CEO failure indicated that 70 percent of the time their failures were attributed to a. poorly developed plans. b. poor execution, not poor planning. c. over-ambitious plans. d. lack of adequate cost controls. 6.A manager controls the plan when he or she a. creates a vision statement. b. creates a mission statement. c. establishes a budget to pay for the action plan. d. checks to see how well goals are being attained. 7. A contingency plan is implemented if the a. strategic plan is too modest. b. control processes do not work. c. original plan cannot be implemented. d. action plan succeeds. 8. Which one of the following is a component of true business strategy? a. a high level of operational effectiveness b. a set of activities common to other firms c. giving customers trade-offs d. aving quite different activities to make similar products for different markets 9. A key difference between a vision and a mission is that a. b. c. d. the mission relates more to today's realities. a mission is set farther into the future. a vision does not deal with products or services. a vision deals more with operations. 10. A recommended procedure for formulating strategy is for top-level managers to a. form a small committee to do most of the work. b. gather inputs from large numbers of people. c. perform the task themselves during a retreat. d. base strategy on fixing customer complaints. 1. The purpose of the strategic inventory is to help the manager a. size up the environment accurately. b. determine how much inventory is on hand. c. involve workers at all levels in formulating strategy. d. develop operating plans. 12. Which one of the following strategies should be classified as a business-level strategy? a. strategic alliances b. diversification of goods and services c. product differentiation d. sticking to core competencies 13. The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to assess a. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. b. strategy, weaknesses, options, and time. . sa tisfactions, worst options, and trade-offs. d. successes, winners, and ominous threats. 14. Which one of the following is not one of the five competitive forces that business strategists are supposed to take into account? a. competition among business units within the firm b. the power of customers to affect pricing and reduce profit margins c. the threat of similar or substitute products d. the power of suppliers to influence the company's pricing 15. The firm's purpose and where it fits into the world is identified by the a. strategy. b. policy. c. mission. d. objective. 16.McDonald's states that it would like â€Å"to satisfy the world's appetite for good food, well-served, at a price people can afford. † The preceding reflects McDonald's a. cost-leadership strategy. b. mission. c. annual goal statement. d. advertising campaign. 17. Krispy Kreme donuts, a well-known donut retailer (but much smaller than Dunkin Donuts), most likely emphasizes which one of the following busi ness strategies? a. cost leadership b. product differentiation c. strategic alliances d. high speed 18. When two pharmaceutical firms get together to market a drug, their strategy is referred to as a. igh speed. b. cost leadership. c. product differentiation. d. a strategic alliance. 19. Suppose that Starbucks opens a nation-wide chain of carwashes, called Starbucks Car Wash. After two years, the executive team sells of the car washes, and invests the cash back into building more Starbucks stores. The strategy illustrated is referred to as a. high speed. b. sticking to core competencies. c. product diversification. d. a strategic alliance. 20. A functional strategy for becoming and remaining a successful organization is to a. form a strategic alliance. b. ind and retain competent people. c. get to market faster than others. d. export products. 21. Assume that Motorola developed a cell and camera phone so small it comes with a strap to wear on the wrist like a watch. Which strategy d oes this product launch most likely fit? a. cost leadership b. product differentiation c. focus d. high speed 22. Save-A-Lot has become one of the most successful grocery chains by serving the poor and offering low prices. This is an example of a. focus strategy. b. premium pricing. c. product differentiation d. cost leadership 23.Policies serve as guidelines to action a. that still allow for some interpretation. b. that must be followed quite strictly. c. for workers below the top-management level. d. mostly in the areas of finance and human resources. 24. Management by objectives (MBO) includes a. reviewing group members’ proposals. b. creating action plans to achieve objectives. c. establishing unit objectives. d. all of the choices. 25. Part of Domino’s Pizza’s original success was based on getting pizzas delivered more quickly than competitors. This strategy is called a. strategic planning b. cost leadership c. ocus. d. high speed TRUE/FALSE 1. T The first step in the planning process is defining the present situation. 2. T In planning, measuring external threats is part of defining the present situation. 3. F The major thrust of business strategy is to achieve a high level of operational effectiveness and efficiency. 4. T An exit strategy might be part of the contingency plan. 5. T A firm's strategy is a master plan for achieving its goals and objectives. 6. T A major aspect of the nature of business strategy is to choose a unique set of activities to deliver a unique value. 7.T The mission of the Grand Union supermarket chain is probably to provide food, beverages, and related merchandise (all of high quality) to the general public. 8. T The purpose of crowdcasting is to obtain widespread input into the development of business strategy. 9. T To bring about a successful SWOT analysis, it is important to be clear about what you are doing and why. 10. T Firms must constantly change in order to be aligned with their key environments. 11 . T The major purpose of the strategic inventory is to help the manager size up the competition, the customers, and the technology necessary to compete effectively. 2. T Corporate-level strategy is concerned with the total direction of the enterprise and the selection of specific businesses. 13. F A SWOT analysis is often used to decide upon which weapons and tactics will be used to deal with a corporate crisis such as a contaminated food product. 14. T One of the five competitive forces is the power of customers to affect pricing and reduce profit margins. 15. F Corporate-level strategy helps answer the question, â€Å"Which businesses should we enter? † 16. F One of the competitive forces identified by Michael Porter is the power of charities to extract money from a corporation. 7. F The experience of General Motors in diversifying into financial services illustrates how sticking to core competencies is the most effective business strategy. 18. F The Rolls Royce and Mercede s Benz automobiles are examples of a cost leadership strategy. 19. F Nike and Apple get together to produce a soccer ball that plays tunes when in motion, illustrating a functional-level business strategy. 20. T An example of the business strategy of sticking to core competencies is for a company like Papa John's Pizza to concentrate on selling pizza and related food and beverage items to the public. 1. T A medical products firm specializes in the manufacture of prosthetic arms and legs, thereby illustrating a focus strategy. 22. T A rule is a specific course of action or conduct that must be followed;. 23. T Operational planning often focuses on the short term. 24. T An MBO program involves people setting many objectives for themselves. 25. F In management by objectives, the objectives start at the bottom of the organization and move upward. ESSAY 1. Explain the nature of business strategy, including its four major components.Use a real or hypothetical company in at least two place s in your answer. ANS: A strategy is an integrated overall concept and plan of how the organization will achieve its goals and objectives. According to Porter, business strategy has four components: Strategy involves more than operational effectiveness; Strategy rests on unique activities (Southwest Airlines’activities focus on low-cost, convenient service); A sustainable strategic position requires trade-offs (Dollar General has low prices but lacks an inviting store atmosphere); and Fit drives both competitive advantage and sustainability.PTS: 1 DIF: M REF: pp. 123-125 NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Strategy 2. Several laptops were stolen from an office by a group of people pretending to be part of the cleaning company. Every laptop stolen contained sensitive client data. After the theft, all clients had to be notified that their personal information may have been compromised. The breach of security prompted 25 percent of the company’s clients to close their accoun ts. 1. What are policies and rules? 2. Could policies and rules have prevented this situation? Explain ANS: 1.Policies are general guidelines to follow when making decisions and taking action; they are plans. A rule is a specific course of action or conduct that must be followed; it is the simplest type of plan. Ideally, each rule fits a strategic plan. 2. If the company had policies and rules on how computer ID and passwords should be stored, and how laptops should be secured, these problems would most likely have been avoided. PTS: 1 DIF: D REF: pp. 140-141 NAT: AACSB: Technology, Information Technology 3. Write a memo to managers in your company, explaining an MBO program that your company intends to implement.ANS: An MBO program involves sequential steps: Establishing organizational goals; Establishing unit objectives; Reviewing group members’ proposals; Negotiating or agreeing; Creating action plans to achieve objectives; and Reviewing performance. PTS: 1 DIF: M REF: p. 143 NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, HRM 4. Using the planning model, how would you plan an event for 500 people. ANS: The steps of the planning model include: 1. Define the situation (a birthday); 2. Establish the goals and objectives (good food, good music, good setting, 500 friends); 3.Analyze the environment in terms of aids and barriers to goals and objectives (aids: many people to help, ballroom with a nice atmosphere available–barriers: high costs); 4. Develop action plans to reach goals and objectives (list calls to be made to florist, restaurant, musicians); 5. Develop budgets (establish cost per person for food and beverage, cost for centerpieces, cost for musicians); 6. Implement the plans (reserve the ballroom, musicians, send out invitations); 7. Control the plans (oversee the food service, the music, the seating. ) PTS: 1 DIF: M REF: p. 119 NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Strategy

Customer Service Policies Essay

Research has indicated that there are a number of areas of customer service that are a priority for people. In particular, delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude are deemed important. Aspects of these key areas include a prompt initial contact with the customer and the ability to keep to agreed timescales, provision of accurate and detailed information with regular development updates, keeping promises and dealing with problems and issues in a professional and timely manner. Throughout all contact with customers, staff should aim to meet their needs through professional, courteous and efficient service. Staff will: * treat all customers with respect and courtesy; * listen to what customers have to say; * personalise service to the needs and circumstances of each service user where practical; * always do what they say they are going to do, or update the appropriate people promptly if things change, offering an explanation for the change; * respond to enquiries promptly and efficiently; * consult customers about their service needs Customer service is an organization’s ability to supply their customers’ wants and needs. Excellent customer service is the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently exceed the customer’s expectations. Accepting this definition means expanding our thinking about customer service; if we’re going to consistently exceed customers’ expectations, we have to recognize that every aspect of our business has an impact on customer service, not just those aspects of our business that involve face-to-face customer contact. Improving customer service involves making a commitment to learning what our customers’ needs and wants are, and developing action plans that implement customer friendly processes. Talmac delay policy| If your aircraft remains on the tarmac no later than two hours after leaving the gate for a departure, or touches down after an arrival, we will provide food and potable water from the normal on board catering. Whilst the aircraft remains on the tarmac, medical attention will be given if needed.| Customer service plan| Our staff is dedicated to ensure always a safe and enjoyable journey.| Flights delays| Will provide customers at the airport and onboard a delayed aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding the delay, beginning 30 minutes after we become aware of such a delay.| Essential customer needs during extraordinary delays| On very rare occasions ,extraordinary events may result in lengthy onboard delays ;in this case we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that your essential needs, such as food, water, restroom facilities, and basic medical assistance are met.| Cancelling reservation policy| A reservation may be cancelled online or through the c ompany call centre within 24 hours of ticketing, for a full refund.| Assistance in case of delayed flights policy | Our company will take all the reasonable measures necessary to avoid delays on carrying you and your baggage. If a flight is being cancelled, or delayed by five hours or more, fail to stop at your place of stopover or destination, you can choose one of the three remedies set up below:1. We will carry you as soon as we can to the destination shown on your ticket, without charging you extra.2. Giving you or obtain for you an involuntary fare refund , without charging you extra.3. Giving you additional assistance , such as compensation ,refreshments and other care .| Baggage delivery| In the event that your checked bags do not arrive on your flight ,we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the bag is returned to you within 24 hours.| Baggage liability| Liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage is 1,131 Special Drawing Rights(SDR) per passenger.| Ticket refunds| Foe all tickets and services purchased from our company with a credit card or cash, refunds will be provided withi n 7 business days of receipt of the required refund information. | Accommodation of customers with special needs| We provide passengers with disabilities and all other special needs dignified, professional and courteous service and proper accommodation at all times ,including during lengthy tarmac delays.| Flights with oversales| If at departure time more customers with confirmed reservations are present than there are seats available, gate agents will first ask for volunteers who are willing to give up their seats in exchange for compensation and a confirmed seat on a later flight.| Lowest fare availability | Customers calling our reservation office or visiting our ticket offices or counters to purchase a ticket for a specific day and time will be offered the lowest fare available through our company, exclusive of Internet only fares.| Reasons for Customer Service Policy Developing customer service policies are the life blood of any business. Although customer policies are unique to each business ,there are still some guiding principles that all corporations should adopt. Successful customer service policies are guided by the following principle: knowing what your customers want and delivering on it .Having only a vague idea of what customers want means there can be no concrete policy in place for when problems or misunderstanding arise. Knowing what customers want will also lead to correct business decisions. In order to be competitive ,all businesses must have outstanding customer service practices and policies. Customer policies and relationship standards should be part of your mission statement, neither receiving substandard or preferential treatment over employees, contractors ,or even stakeholders. Providing great customer service is a great step in building a relationship with your clients. The greater the relationship you develop ,the more likely it is that your client will become an evangelist for your brand and your organization. Customer service department need way to measure their success. Employees can’t expect to provide your idea of great service if they don’t know what that means. In the book Award-Winning Customer Service, Renee Evenson writes ‘’Before you can expect the people in your organization to provide outstanding customer service ,they have to know how to give outstanding customer service.’’ Policies set service guidelines and train employees. Customers demand to be treated like their money matters .Having a policy is a pre-requisite to business. Just providing a body in a store to answer questions or having enough staff in a call centre to answer calls quickly will go unnoticed. A customer service policy is a way to design a standard to go beyond expectations. A customer service policy is a tool to give guidance to employees on how to solicit information from customers to improve products. Train your staff to be problem-solvers and to incorporate up-sell tactics to capitalize on the doors they’ve open by providing great service.