You are a change consultant and Martin Stevens has contacted you to ask for your help in identifying what he needs to do in order to secure a better integrated workforce that is working to shared aims and values. He has asked you to prepare him a report that he can use to convince the senior management team that action is imperative and propose actions that can be undertaken to secure success. Based on the information that you have, provide Martin with a report that makes recommendations for improvement, which is underpinned throughout with reference to appropriate models and theories in support of your recommendations. You should prepare your report, addressed to Martin Stevens, and use up to 15 references using Harvard referencing system to demonstrate the techniques that can be applied to help analyse the situation and support any recommendations that you wish to propose.

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You are a change consultant and Martin Stevens has contacted you to ask for your help in identifying what he needs to do in order to secure a better integrated workforce that is working to shared aims and values.
He has asked you to prepare him a report that he can use to convince the senior management team that action is imperative and propose actions that can be undertaken to secure success. Based on the information that you have, provide Martin with a report that makes recommendations for improvement, which is underpinned throughout with reference to appropriate models and theories in support of your recommendations.
You should prepare your report, addressed to Martin Stevens, and use up to 15 references using Harvard referencing system to demonstrate the techniques that can be applied to help analyse the situation and support any recommendations that you wish to propose.

Assignment Details

Course: BA (Hons) Business Management

Module Title: Managing and Leading Change

Module Code BSB10178-6

Assignment Title: Partexcelton

Weighting: 60%

Assignment Title: Article Review

Weighting: 40%

Tutors: Helene Finidori and Flora Prieto

Word Guideline: Partexcelton (Case-study) 2500: Article Review, 500

Submission Date and Time: January 22nd 2015, 15.00pm

Learning Outcomes tested:

  1. Deliver and articulate a critical knowledge, understanding and analysis of change and

the management of change situations

  1. Demonstrate the ability to apply theory to practice using appropriate techniques of

enquiry.

  1. Effectively communicate an appropriate solution to a particular case under investigation.

Maximum Word Length:

State the number of words used on the assignment front sheet. You may include

diagrams, figures etc. without word penalty. A sliding scale of penalties for excess

length will be imposed according to the amount by which the limit has been exceeded.

1-10% excess no penalty

11-20% excess 10% reduction in the mark

21-30% excess 20% reduction in the mark

31%+     excess the work will be capped at a pass i.e. 40% or grade point 4.

  1. None of the above penalties will be used to change your mark which is above the

pass mark, to one that is below the pass mark. Therefore the maximum penalty for

exceeding the word limit will be a reduction to a pass grade.Assessment Brief:

Partexceltron: Case study:

TASK (60%) Word count 2,500

You are a change consultant and Martin Stevens has contacted you to ask for

your help in identifying what he needs to do in order to secure a better

integrated workforce that is working to shared aims and values.

He has asked you to prepare him a report that he can use to convince the

senior management team that action is imperative and propose actions that

can be undertaken to secure success. Based on the information that you

have, provide Martin with a report that makes recommendations for

improvement, which is underpinned throughout with reference to

appropriate models and theories in support of your recommendations.

You should prepare your report, addressed to Martin Stevens, and use up to

15 references using Harvard referencing system to demonstrate the

techniques that can be applied to help analyse the situation and support

any recommendations that you wish to propose.PARTEXCELTRON LTD, Sustaining Success or Facing Failure

©Anni Hollings 2006, 2009 & 2012

Parlexceltron Ltd is a medium-sized, family owned concern employing 106 people. Its main

manufacturing base is in the design and production of micro-chip boards for usage in the whitegoods

consumer sector. The Company was started 10 years ago by the current Managing Director,

Jack Stevens. He originally operated out of an old school but 4 and a half years ago moved to a

new, purpose built unit on the Industrial Estate just outside the town. During the early years the

Company employed 15 people with Jack and his wife Kate, acting as the managers of the

operation. Jack held responsibility for technical decisions and customer liaison. Kate held

responsibility for Finance and Personnel issues.

After 4 years the company had achieved a considerable reputation for quality work, good

delivery times and general good customer service. Orders were reaching a crisis level and the

Stevens’ took the decision to expand their operation.

A new Industrial Estate was being planned by the local council and Jack and Kate decided to

take advantage of the various Government incentives and secured units 13 and 14. Following

detailed negotiations with various contractors the company moved into the excellent facilities of

the new location 18 months later. There was an immediate expansion to 36 employees. The

impact of the delightful working environment and the reduction in pressure due to more

operatives was immediate.

Productivity rose by 15% and Jack was able to set delivery dates at times that no other

competitor could match.

Kate had spent a considerable amount of time (and expense) on ensuring that the physical

environment was as pleasant as it could possibly be. The work stations were superbly appointed,

physical comforts had been placed as a very high priority – Kate had ensured that given the

potential for job-related stress (due to the degree of accuracy needed, manipulation of minute

parts and speed of operation) the ergonomics of each person’s work area had been properly

considered.

Over the next few years the business continued to expand rapidly and the twin sons of Kate and

Jack joined the business. Simon Stevens had been through the University system and left the

London Business School 2 years earlier with a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

His speciality area was in Marketing and Sales and his father made him Commercial Director with

a specific brief to increase international sales by 50% over next 3 years. Simon had achieved the target in 12 months. The last 12 months had seen Simon attempting to secure new markets on

the basis of diversifying the product base. He had been approached by a leading European

producer of Domestic Audio Electronics who believed that the company could satisfy their

stringent requirements for high quality and fast delivery micro-chip modules. The diversification

had proved to be both highly successful and potentially very lucrative, although it had not been

without its problems.

Simon’s brother, Martin, was not like his twin. Martin had chosen not to go to University

preferring instead to spend 2 years travelling the world and then 3 years in Voluntary Service

Overseas. Rather more reticent than his brother, his forte was with handling machines and

equipment. On joining the Company his father asked him to take over the Production and

Operations Management brief. When he first took on the responsibility Martin had experienced

great difficulty in establishing a good rapport with the staff. There had been a general feeling

of resentment towards Martin, particularly from the manager of the production area, Jon Jones,

a graduate engineer and member of the Institute of Management.

Jones had considered himself to be the natural successor of Jack Stevens and made his

disappointment very clear. Unfortunately for Martin, Jones had a natural open and friendly style

with the staff and was therefore very popular. Having voiced his disappointment to anyone who

would listen, Jones was able to generate a wave of sympathy for himself and many staff

demonstrated their disapproval of the appointment of Martin by being unco-operative.

It proved to be a difficult time for the Stevens family. Kate was deeply upset by what she

described as ‘the disloyal behaviour of people she thought she could trust’. Kate had been

determined to call a staff meeting and tell them what she thought, but Martin had stopped her.

He pointed out any intervention from his mother would destroy his credibility completely, a

point Kate accepted, albeit reluctantly. Jack had been more circumspect about the problem. His

natural style was a ‘hands off’ approach. Jack’s intuition told him that Martin would probably

prefer to ‘ride the storm’ and win the approval of the staff in his own way. Simon had expressed

irritation with the situation and demanded that something be done.

His suggestion was that Jones be talked to about his behaviour, after all he had precipitated the

response from the staff and their support for him had caused some trouble with customers. To

Simon the situation was intolerable and needed prompt and decisive management action.

Whilst Jack was confident that his decision to appoint Martin had been right, and he had every

confidence in Martin’s ability, hindsight told him that he had failed to manage the situation. He

had been unfair on Jones and he should have discussed his intentions with him. However, being

‘wise after the event’ was not helpful, there were more serious problems. Whilst no-one could

be accused of ‘sabotage’ the lack of co-operation with Martin had placed some orders in

jeopardy. Delivery dates had got perilously close on several occasions and Simon had been at the

point of contacting highly valued customers to explain that the Company would not be able to

fulfil the obligation. Each time Jon Jones had stepped in and miraculously things had been done

on time.Jack was not impressed by the ploy to undermine Martin’s credibility and confidence and knew

which members of staff were responsible for the delaying tactics. It wasn’t simply Martin who

was affected. Because work was being delayed tension was rising, this was exacerbated by

Simon’s agitated behaviour because he might have to tell customers that they could not deliver.

The tension ‘fed’ on itself and during these periods the atmosphere in the Company was fairly

unpleasant. Absenteeism tended to go up and more mistakes were made. Luckily the excellent

quality monitoring system meant that the mistakes were spotted, but then Martin had to go back

to staff and point out that standards had dropped and were not acceptable.

Things had finally ‘come to a head’ 10 months ago when Simon announced discussions with a

German based company who wanted Partexceltron to supply micro-chip modules. Jon Jones had

been completely against the idea insisting that staff were already working to capacity and that

such a diversification would have a negative impact on their main product base. Martin had

supported his brother (an action which was treated with derision from Jones) but had pointed

out that the diversification was an opportunity which needed careful consideration and should

not be dismissed without due thought. Martin offered to prepare a paper for discussion which he

would present at a management meeting 2 days later.

At the meeting Martin’s paper was tabled, in it he presented his views both for and against

diversifying, concentrating very much on the benefits to be gained for the employees. Such was

the case he made that it was agreed unanimously to take on the new production opportunity. It

was also agreed that during the transition period Jon Jones would take on full responsibility for

the existing product base and Martin would manage the introduction of the new product

including new capital equipment purchases and training of a small group of staff. The target

date for product delivery was 6 months, after which time it was agreed that the production

facility would become fully integrated with all staff being trained in the new techniques.

The diversification programme went extremely smoothly with regard to the management of the

process. Martin liaised with Jon Jones throughout the period and Jones had found himself

becoming more admiring of the abilities of Martin. At first Jones had attempted to display his

supremacy by ensuring that the production of the micro-chip boards exhibited the degree of

smoothness that had been apparent before Martinis arrival, even though he was 16 operatives

short (this was the group allocated to Martin). It had not been long however, before Martin’s flair

for technical innovation and developments became obvious and Jones had found that he could

not help but get drawn into the discussions regarding the diversification programme. Martin’s

style was always to encourage Jones involvement but Jones realized very quickly that despite his

qualifications, Martin’s knowledge and skills were far more impressive than his own and that he

could learn a great deal from Martin.

After about 5 months the new team was fully operational and customer feedback was very good.

Martin and Jones had also established a very good working relationship and Jones had made

considerable efforts to put right some of his earlier misdemeanours. Certainly with the

management, group things appeared to be going very well and Simon had secured several more

contracts for the modules.Unfortunately the reconciliation between Martin and Jones had not transferred to the

operatives. Although new staff were taken on to help meet the increased demand there was a

serious motivation problem in the production department. There was a general air of malaise

about the production area which was beginning to spread to the administration and sales areas.

Whilst performance levels were satisfactory they were not reaching potential capacity. The

problem seemed to lie with those people still producing micro-chip boards, and Kate had

commented to Martin that instead of there being one team of workers there was a definite

feeling of ‘us and them’ based on ‘board operatives’ and ‘module operatives’.

Martin had agreed and pointed out that the full integration programme planned for the staffs

after the introduction programme was complete had not taken place.

Instead, Simon had secured so much in new production requirements that they needed to work

with skilled operatives and the time and opportunity to train other people had not been

available. Both had agreed that the situation was unsatisfactory and divisive and that if

something was not done soon, major problems could occur which could damage the Company’s

reputation and market credibility. That had been two weeks ago and Martin had intended to talk

to Jon Jones about his concerns. He never had the chance. Simon brought in 2 major new orders

from the Far East which needed urgent action because Simon had made promises to the

customers in order to secure the deals. The company suddenly found itself stretched to full

capacity.

What had also been very apparent to Martin for some time, was that the production area was

inadequate for both activities. Module sales were also increasing and there was a real need for a

specialist area for manufacturing the modules. In trying to ensure the production targets for the

boards were met, the storage areas for parts for modules were often cluttered with board parts

and people were getting in each others way. Three months earlier Martin had been talking to the

owner of unit 12 and found out that he was intending to move. It was Martin’s intention that he

move the manufacturing facility for modules to a separate unit and had spoken to his father

about it who had agreed in principle. Martin had already drawn up a plan for relocating the

module section and had estimated that he would need 40 people to work in the new facility.

Kate Stevens had also given thought to the workplace design and environment and she was

pleased to be able to incorporate many new features that were environmentally friendly and

carbon-footprint-positive. Although full agreement hadn’t been given to the development, it

seemed unlikely that there would be a problem with getting acceptance.

The move to new premises was an exciting venture. It would send clear messages to everyone

that Partexceltron was a successful enterprise. Despite the volatility of the market, the

company was expanding, investing in new plant and would need to take on more staff. It was a

great story to tell and Martin was looking forward to breaking the news to the module

operatives. Jones would tell the board operatives at the same time. It was agreed that the

announcement would be made as soon as the full agreement had been made after the next

Senior Management Team Meeting which was scheduled for 10 days time. Unfortunately, the

meeting had been put back on three occasions because of the pressures of production and Jones

and Martin being unable to attend, as well as Simon spending so much time abroad. However, it

was considered that it did not pose a problem because it was simply a matter of formalizing the

decision.Martin and Jones had also discussed the career opportunities for some people. It was obvious to

both men that the current management structure was inadequate and there needed to be some

roles created between the section leaders and themselves. In the general discussions that had

taken place they had thought about keeping the two sections separate and having different job

and role identities for the two units. There was also a need for a professional HR person. Too

many routine activities were getting left undone. There was a niggling suspicion that there were

some bigger issues that needed addressing too, but as neither were HR people, they were not

sure of what the agenda should be. What was evident though was that lots of things that people

were doing they were doing not because the job had been designed properly, but simply because

that was how it had evolved. In fact, the more Martin and Jones discussed the future, the more

they realized that if they didn’t take serious action about structure and job design, the company

would probably grind to a standstill. It was more by luck than judgment that the company had

managed to continue to meet targets and that it was the great support of the staff who made it

happen.

At the weekly production schedule meeting attended by Martin, Jones and the 4 section leaders,

Martin’s announcement of the new orders was met with disbelief by 1 of the section leaders with

responsibility for micro-chip board production. Her immediate response was to say that the new

work could not be done, not unless people now doing the modules were returned to board

production. Martin had explained that that would not be possible because the other order was

for modules and they needed everyone who was able to produce modules working to full

capacity. The section leader then suggested that if she was to go back to her staff with the

proposed schedule there would probably be a mutiny. The board operatives, she explained, were

sick and tired of being classed as second-raters. They worked just as hard, if not harder, than

their colleagues producing modules but they did not get any thanks for their efforts and got less

in terms of break periods and worse working conditions.

She also stunned Martin by telling him that the board operatives considered it to be very wrong

of the management to continue to pay 2 separate rates of pay. All the operatives had understood

that after the initial group of 16 had been trained, everyone would be trained and would

therefore achieve parity of pay rates. As it had worked out only the elite few had the

opportunity to do the better work and earn higher wages. She then suggested that such was the

level of disenchantment that several operatives had been looking for other jobs. Things were

about to come to a head in the production department, the new work was supposed to have

given everyone better opportunities, instead the management had managed to split the

workforce in two and just the favoured few were having a good time. It was becoming more and

more clear to the workforce that the management did not care. Parlexceltron had been a great

place to work but not anymore.

Another section leader had nodded her head in agreement at the outburst. Both Martin and

Jones were speechless. Neither man had been aware of the growing tide of resentment. Both

had assumed that everyone was satisfied with the working arrangements and pay rates (which

were some of the highest locally), although Martin had been aware of the tension between the 2

emerging factions. Of the 84 operatives, 28 had been trained to produce the micro-chip

modules, obviously Martin was going to have to act immediately but with the pressure of Simon’s aggressive sales push forcing production to capacity loading it was not going to be easy. Martin

had been thinking about taking on 12 new operatives but now wondered whether this would be

inadvisable given the poor employment relations that existed. His intuition told him that it

would be better to resolve the major problems facing the Company before throwing new staff at

the sales demands, but how were they to meet the production obligations to which Simon had

already committed them, if staff were unwilling to co-operate and were dissatisfied with their

work experience?

If that wasn’t enough, another of the section leaders stepped forward and left Martin and Jones

wondering how things could have got so bad. There they were with such a great story to tell

about the new unit and here were their staff telling them how bad things were for the workers.

But it was what the section leader told them that left Martin in no doubt at all that they had a

need for major change. The section leader said that in his time at the company he had never

had any reason to believe that the management had ever hidden anything from them or ever

told them untruths, but his mate had been told that the company was downsizing and moving

into unit 12 within 6 months. If that was the case, then it was clear that there would be

redundancies and that given the success of the modules, they were likely to be the untrained

board operatives who lost their jobs. Many of them had been with the company from the

beginning and were devastated that no-one had said anything to them, that they had found this

out from a friend of a friend. The workers could not believe that they had been so ignored, that

having trusted the management for all this time, they now felt worthless.

Martin could not believe what he was hearing. What he did know was that rather than fuel any

other rumours and misinformation he needed time to construct a proper response. He told them

that there was no truth in the company closing any part of the operation but that he needed to

talk to everyone as soon as possible. As they left the meeting Martin considered his position. The

issue of trust was serious and he had never felt before that he was a man who could not be

trusted. For many years the managers at all levels had worked hard at establishing a culture of

support and high commitment and to hear that it had been so fragile and so easily destroyed was

painful for Martin. Now not only was there the move to consider and how best to achieve that,

there was the need to restructure and the need to address the potentially damaging toxic

culture that had developed.

 

BUYER BEHAVIOR (MKTG 552) FINAL EXAM– JANUARY 2015 Name: _____________________________ Please send as a single file and label each question clearly. Final Exam—Please type all of your answers and be sure to check for typos and grammatical correctness as much as possible. Where possible, feel free to answer using bullet points. Be sure to read the questions carefully and answer them completely. There are no trick questions, but a big mistake students often make is to fail to actually answer the question that is asked.

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BUYER BEHAVIOR (MKTG 552)

FINAL EXAM– JANUARY 2015

Name: _____________________________

Please send as a single file and label each question clearly.

Final Exam—Please type all of your answers and be sure to check for typos and grammatical correctness as much as possible. Where possible, feel free to answer using bullet points. Be sure to read the questions carefully and answer them completely. There are no trick questions, but a big mistake students often make is to fail to actually answer the question that is asked.

1. Using ambient scents OR environmental music in a retail environment, explain the S-O-R model of environmental psychology. How does it work? Name at least one of the keys to making sure use of scent will work to a retailer’s benefit?

2. Briefly detail the basic information processing model discussed in class (you do not need to define each of the steps). Make sure you say what is meant by the upside down triangle regarding this model. Also, how could this model be used to justify marketing expenses?

3. What is the basic idea behind the term “mere ownership” as discussed in class?

4. What is a compensatory decision rule? What is a noncompensatory decision rule? Give a personal example of how you can use each in the decisions you make, or might make in the future.

5. Provide a brief summary of the main concepts detailed in a chapter from Cialdini (one you did not present in class). Now, describe how this influence strategy works in your own life.

6. The graph below depicts the results of the unit pricing study we talked about in class. Please describe in words the nature of this effect. (Be specific and clear).

7. Tell me more about basic consumer decision making.

• Below is the basic process a consumer follows when making a decision?

Please provide a brief description of each step.

• List and discuss 3 factors that influence the extent of problem solving.

• Discuss how a manager can use this model to influence how consumers make a decision.

Our teacher asked us to: • Write 1200-1500 words. • Must refer from 8 sources. • Make it simple (English course level). • Write the citations. For example: (Smith, 2015, p. 14) *Page number should be written. • Highlighted all the relevant sections of the sources.

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Our teacher asked us to:
• Write 1200-1500 words.
• Must refer from 8 sources.
• Make it simple (English course level).
• Write the citations. For example: (Smith, 2015, p. 14)
*Page number should be written.
• Highlighted all the relevant sections of the sources.

I have got two books and 6 articles.
The books are:
1- (INTERNATIONAL TRADE) An Introduction to Theory and Policy.
Author’s name: Richard Pomfret.1991
2- (PRODUCT-COUNTRY IMAGES) Impact and Role in International Marketing.
Author’s name: Nicolas Papadopoulos, DBA. Louise A. Heslop, PhD.

The topic of the essay is:
(What factors do companies need to consider when selling their products in other countries).

My plan for the essay that I have showed my teacher is going like this:
– Introduction.
– Body 1 (Communication)
• Different styles and languages.
• Negotiation.
• Rules for advertising.
– Body 2 (Cultural Differences)
• Understand the culture.
• What is important and valued
• What they are allowed and not allowed.
– Body 3 (Training)
• Getting used to the host country.
• Language and culture.
• Ability to manage stress.
– Conclusion

it is a Part B from the PDF that I uploaded it. and it is about an academic essay to critically analyse and evaluate different research methodological approaches applied in academic journal articles (ABS ranking 3* and above). all the details is already written on the paper.

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it is a Part B from the PDF that I uploaded it. and it is about an academic essay to critically analyse and evaluate different research methodological approaches applied in academic journal articles (ABS ranking 3* and above).
all the details is already written on the paper.

I uploaded the paper already and you can see that it is required to 2000 word and minimum 35 sources . if that help you could you can reduce it to 35.

Brunel Business School Master of Science MODULE CODE: MG5615 TITLE: Understanding Business and Management Research Methods This assignment comprises two parts: A: A group presentation weighting 40% of the grade of this module B: An individual academic essay weighing 60% of the grade of this module Part A (40%) You will be allocated to a sub-group (normally FIVE/SIX students) within the allocated seminar group to deliver a presentation on “Comparison of Research Methodologies: Qualitative Versus Quantitative Approaches”. Each group will be given 10 minutes for this group presentation. Normally the presentation will contain 10 slides. You will need to explain, compare, evaluate and criticise these two different research approaches to demonstrate thorough understandings of various research methods as a team. The group presentation will be assessed by · Effectiveness of group work · Clear and confident communication skills · Quality, logic and relevance of the content · Tightness of structure (introduction, analysis, argument, and conclusions) · Use and acknowledgement of adequate sources and referencesMG5615 Coursework Assignment 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 2 of 7 The group presentation will be taken place in Week 26 and will be assessed by your allocated academic tutor for this module. Part B (60%) This is an individual assignment. You are required to write an academic essay to critically analyse and evaluate different research methodological approaches applied in academic journal articles (ABS ranking 3* and above). Typically, your essay should have (a) an executive summary (b) Introduction (c) literature review of research methodologies (d) discussion, analysis and evaluation of different research methodological approaches (e) findings and what you have learnt from this assignment (f) references (Harvard Referencing System). In this assignment, you need to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different research methodologies including qualitative research methods, quantitative research methods, and a mixture of both. You are expected to use relevant materials from academic research books and academic journal articles (ABS ranking 3* above) in your subject area to support your analysis and arguments when formulating your assignment. Your analysis, discussion and evaluation should be backed with appropriate examples where necessary. This assignment should be presented with 12 pt. Times New Roman Text with line spacing of 1.5. The word limit is 2000 words (excluding references). Note that assignment below this word limit by more than 10% would result in decrease in the overall achieved mark by 10%. Proper referencing of all ideas, concepts, theories and quotes used in your work is essential. Normally you are required to present no less than 35 academic journal article references. The Harvard referencing system must be used, details of which are contained on your handbook. Failure to employ a clear and appropriate system of referencing will be penalised. Please include the presentation slides as appendix at the end of your report. Submission This academic essay should be Microsoft Word processed. It should be submitted Via Blackboard Learn, by 12.00 pm 25 th March, 2015. Your submission should have a title page clearly indicating the Module Code, your Registration Number, Your Allocated Tutor’s Name and the Word Count of the essay. A Cover Page is also required which should contain title, your student number, name of your programme (i.e. Management, HRM, International Business, Marketing, Corporate Brand Management), module code, module title and date of submission. Late submissions: please check with TPO / check the student handbookMG5615 Coursework Assignment 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 3 of 7 Indicative Marking Criteria SENATE REGULATION 2: (2009 ONWARDS) POSTGRADUTE new SR3.47 (2013-onwards) Assessments and assessment blocks 47. Each element of assessment (other than those assessed on a pass / fail basis) shall be assessed as follows: Indicative Mark Band Grade Grade Point 90 and above A++ 17 80-89 A+ 16 73-79 A 15 70-72 A- 14 68-69 B+ 13 63-67 B 12 60-62 B- 11 58-59 C+ 10 53-57 C 9 50-52 C- 8 48-49 D+ 7 43-47 D 6 40-42 D- 5 38-39 E+ 4 33-37 E 3 30-32 E- 2 29 and below F 1 MG5615 Coursework Paper 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 4 of 7 The marking scheme for the “PART 1 40%” is described in the table below. Each criterion outlined in the marking scheme below will be given equal weighting in terms of marks allocated (25%). Criterion Grade descriptors according to: Content appropriateness of material, relevance, feasibility, quality of solutions Presentation of report (10%) A++ to AScholarly presentation, of publishable quality B+ to BVery good presentation, demonstrating understanding and application of advanced communications skills C+ to CGood presentation, demonstrating understanding and application of effective communications skills D+ to DSatisfactory presentation, demonstrating understanding and application of acceptable communications skills E+ to EPartially satisfactory presentation, demonstrating limited understanding and application of communications skills F Unsatisfactory presentation, demonstrating weak understanding and application of communications skills Structure & writing of report (10%) Extremely well structured report, of publishable quality Very well structured report, demonstrating understanding and application of advanced communications skills Well-structured report, demonstrating understanding and application of effective communications skills Satisfactorily structured report, demonstrating understanding and application of acceptable communications skills Report has only partially satisfactory structure, demonstrating limited understanding and application of communications skills Unsatisfactorily structured report, demonstrating weak understanding and application of communications skills Analytical and evaluative skills (10%) Report provides a clear demonstration of sophisticated analytical and evaluative skills Report provides a clear demonstration of well-developed analytical and evaluative skills Report provides a clear demonstration of good analytical and evaluative skills Report provides evidence of some application of analytical and evaluative skills Report provides only limited evidence of application of analytical and evaluative skills Report does not provide evidence of application of analytical and evaluative skills Evidence of critical reflection and personal development through module (10%) Report provides a clear demonstration of sophisticated critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and Report provides a clear demonstration of well-developed critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and Report provides a clear demonstration of good critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and Report provides some evidence of good critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and the article Report provides only limited evidence of critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and the article Report does not provide evidence of critical reflection on the business planning process, personal development, and the article reviewedMG5615 Coursework Paper 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 5 of 7 the article reviewed the article reviewed the article reviewed reviewed reviewed The marking scheme for the “PART 2, individual Report 60%” is described in the table below. Each criterion outlined in the marking scheme below will be given equal weighting in terms of marks allocated (25%). Criterion Grade descriptors according to: Content appropriateness of material, relevance, feasibility, quality of solutions Knowledge (15%) Evidence of reading in the area of Research Methods and the relevant topic understudy A* to AExcellent, Comprehensive, detailed and well organised
and structured review of selected factual information on the topic understudy, with correct emphasis on the question at hand. Evidence of reading of a wide range of relevant literature sources including effective use of the reading list. Makes very good use of factual evidence to support arguments. Well sustained effective style of writing that is appropriately concise or expansive. Accurate Referencing B+ to BVery good, relevant evaluation, detailed and well organised response. Good overview of the topic understudy, and the use of factual information to address the question at hand, which is consistent and mainly error free. Evidence of effective use of the reading list with some evidence of wider reading. Competent English and fluent writing. Good referencing C+ to CFair range of information and use of terminology but not complete and/or some errors. Limited evidence of the topic understudy, from relevant reading in the area of the topic understudy, including the reading list and/or course notes. Few grammatical errors. Limited, but adequate referencing D+ to DMainly descriptive answer, satisfactory but not complete. Evidence of some reading, but little real research effort is shown. Some barely adequate references not well presented and not consistent. Lack of knowledge in some areas of the topic understudy, relevant to the question at hand and some factual errors. English is adequate E+ to EWork does not demonstrate evidence of understanding the question at hand and/or the wider general aspects of the topic understudy. Limited information and content, many factual errors, and/or little evidence of reading. F Little or no adequate content relating to the topic understudy, few relevant facts, and/or major factual errors, too short and no evidence of readingMG5615 Coursework Paper 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 6 of 7 Understanding (15%) Use of Normative literature to explain the conceptual aspects of Rsearch Methods and the relecvant topic understudy A* to ADemonstrates comprehensive grasp of concepts, theories and methods relevant to the topic understudy, and in particular the question at hand. Articulate explanation of relevant theory. Offers a largely complete answer to the question, which is consistent, cogent and expands the bounds of the question. B+ to BDemonstrates very good understanding of many of the relevant concepts, theories and methods relevant to the topic understudy, Summarises and extrapolates pertinent issues, but not always consistent or clear in explanation. C+ to CDemonstrates understanding by translating, reorganising, and/or rephrasing relevant concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, Some evidence of understanding aided by reading, not always lucid. Some areas of issues/topics presented may be weak or not complete D+ to DSatisfactory understanding, explanation and summarisation of concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy. However, mainly descriptive answer, which is not complete and offers little insight from, sources other than lecture material and the reading list. The response lacks depth and perception; variable and/or limited grasp of appropriate content and context E+ to EVague, unconvincing and inconsistent response, but sufficient to create basis for an adequate answer. Little or no real explanation, summarisation or interpretation of concepts, theories or methods relevant to the topic understudy. Little or no evidence of the use of lecture material or the reading list. F No real explanation, summarisation or interpretation of concepts, theories or methods relevant to the topic understudy. Errors of understanding and no evidence of the use of lecture material or the reading list. Analysis (15%) Synthesis of literature with practical examples to emphasise important issues A* to AVery effective identification of relevant concepts, methods and theory with evidence from a wide variety of reading and practical examples. Comprehensively breaks down arguments, theories and structures. Very good analytical B+ to BGood, relevant and comprehensive breakdown of arguments with good recognition of relevant concepts, theory and methods. Analysis is based on some evidence linked to practice. Logically C+ to CAdequate breakdown of subject but not comprehensive. Some ability to discern and discuss theory, methods and concepts pertinent to the topic understudy, but within limited boundaries of the D+ to DBasic analysis of concepts, theory and methods relevant to the question at hand. However, correctly identifies some content and context relevant to the topic understudy, with fair discussion. Some structure to E+ to EVery limited or no analysis of concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, e.g. project management and the response fails to tackle the question at hand. Inadequate structure and/or F No evidence of significant analytical ability, arguments presented is unclear or erroneous, and the response lacks proper structure and logic and offers no evidence or links to practice. MG5615 Coursework Paper 2014-15 MG5615 Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Page 7 of 7 arguments effectively based on thorough review of evidence, and effective linking of topics within the wider domain of the topic understudy. structured and links topics to make points but within clear boundaries of the question at hand. question at hand. Generally logical and clear arguments presented using a clear structure and breakdown of topics, but offer few examples or evidence from practice. argument, but shallow and not always logical and makes few or no links to practice. logic to the arguments presented and the response offers no evidence or links to practice. Evaluation (15%) Use of literature, practical examples and own opinions to draw conclusions and justify arguments A* to AExtremely effective, Relevant and comprehensive evaluation of concepts, theory and methods pertinent to the topic understudy, and the question at hand. Expresses personal perspectives, with some self-criticism where appropriate and recognises limits of own judgement and knowledge. Good critical thinking, and evaluates issues and material beyond the scope of the question. B+ to BFair judgement of relevant concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, within the scope of the question at hand. Some development of major and/or minor issues, some judgement correctly expressed but based on arguments from source material with some limitations C+ to CSome adequate evaluation based on an adequate if simple analysis. May identify some concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, but the arguments and evaluation is not well developed. Work is mainly descriptive with some analysis but not endowed with incisive judgement D+ to DAt most some minimal evaluation based on limited or simple analysis of some concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, that may be shallow, weak or vague. The response lacks critical evaluation. E+ to ELittle or no evaluation is offered of concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, or the question at hand. F No effective evaluation is offered of any concepts, theory and methods relevant to the topic understudy, or the question at hand.

ASSIGNMENTS ASSIGNMENT 1 Satisfactory Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria 1.1,1.2,1.3 1. You are required to prepare a detailed budget/financial plan for your work team. Ensure that you clearly outline how you: Plan your financial management approaches Implement financial management approaches Monitor and control finances Review and evaluate financial management processes

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ASSIGNMENTS

 

ASSIGNMENT 1 Satisfactory         Not Yet Satisfactory
Element & Performance Criteria 1.1,1.2,1.3

1. You are required to prepare a detailed budget/financial plan for your work team. Ensure that you clearly outline how you:

  • Plan your financial management approaches
  • Implement financial management approaches
  • Monitor and control finances
  • Review and evaluate financial management processes

 

Access three (3) consecutive profit and loss statements from your organisation. Using your profit and loss statements, calculate the following for each year and create graphic representations of your results using financial management software.

  1. a) gross profit as a percentage
  2. b) operating expenses as a percentage
  3. c) net sales gross
Your Answer:

 

 

ASSIGNMENT 2 Satisfactory         Not Yet Satisfactory
Element & Performance Criteria 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
  1.   Access a balance sheet from your organisation. Using your financial documents, calculate the following:
  2. a) accounts payable days on hand
  3. b) accounts receivable days on hand
  4. c) current ratio
Your Answer:

 

 

ASSIGNMENT 3 Satisfactory         Not Yet Satisfactory
Element & Performance Criteria 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
  1. Access a budget from your organisation and answer the following questions.
  2. a) Provide a budget report indicating expenditure and income.
  3. b) You have received approval to increase your budget expenditure for marketing by 10% but to reduce your expenditure on office consumables by 2% for the next financial year. Adjust your budget accordingly.
  4. c) Your new budget is now ready to go, but you are concerned that the marketing will be slashed by 4% once the Reserve Bank has met in the next month. Create a contingency plan for that budget, demonstrating how you will still achieve your outcomes within the reduced figures.
  5. d)           Consult with your team and manager/board to gain approval for the contingency plan. Record the outcomes of your consultation and make any changes necessary.

Submit this with your evidence.
Your Answer:

 

ASSIGNMENT 4 Satisfactory         Not Yet Satisfactory
Element & Performance Criteria 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
  1. Short Essay: When implementing financial management approaches in your work team:
  2. a) How and to whom do you disseminate details of agreed budget/financial plans?
  3. b) Give examples of the support you provide to team members to ensure they can competently perform their required roles associated with financial management.
  4. c) How do you determine and access resources and systems to manage financial management processes within your work team?
Your Answer:

 

ASSIGNMENT 5 Satisfactory         Not Yet Satisfactory
Element & Performance Criteria 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
  1. Do you consider that your work team/organisation’s financial management processes are effective? Consider and refer to the following when justifying your answer.
  2. a) Provide copies of data and information you have collected and collated for analysis and budget preparation.
  3. b) What improvements would you recommend to existing processes?
  4. c) How would you implement and monitor your suggested improvements?
Your Answer:

 

Critical Evidence

 

Evidence of the following is essential:

  • financial skills required to work with and interpret budgets, ageing summaries, cash flow, petty cash, GST, and profit and loss statements
  • knowledge of the record keeping requirements for the ATO and for auditing purposes.

 

 

 

hi writer as i told you we will working for this project whole this semester. i made request 81348021 few days. this request now continue 81348021. now i will upload 15 Articles each Article need summery one page each . which is mean 15 page summery. my professor wants 20 Articles which is mean i miss 5 Articles now. so, brig me 5 more articles than make them summery of them too. additional now do not forget to make high light information and idea on 20 Articles than send to me. high light is important to show professor where i bring information and idea from. as i told you my topic is SSD “Decision support system” marketing on internet.

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hi writer as i told you we will working for this project whole this semester. i made request 81348021 few days. this request now continue 81348021. now i will upload 15 Articles each Article need summery one page each . which is mean 15 page summery. my professor wants 20 Articles which is mean i miss 5 Articles now. so, brig me 5 more articles than make them summery of them too. additional now do not forget to make high light information and idea on 20 Articles than send to me. high light is important to show professor where i bring information and idea from. as i told you my topic is SSD “Decision support system” marketing on internet.

Strategic Marketing: Business Futures Assessment Year 3 Student Guidelines This work forms part of the assessment for a core module on your programme. It is worth 20% of the overall mark for the module and should be 800 words its purpose is to help you relate the academic content of the module to the workplace and prepare for the process of getting a job when you graduate.

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Strategic Marketing: Business Futures Assessment Year 3
Student Guidelines
This work forms part of the assessment for a core module on your programme. It is worth 20% of the overall mark for the module and should be 800 words its purpose is to help you relate the academic content of the module to the workplace and prepare for the process of getting a job when you graduate.
The assessment is in the form of a learning log which is a diary for students to record the progress of their learning and integrate their experience and career aspirations with academic learning. In the log you will be able to draw on your own experience of recruitment and career planning activities as well as the material covered in the module. It provides a record of the way your thinking about your future employment prospects and the work you do on your course develops as you participate in the activities organised in the Business Futures weeks and other parts of your programme. As part of the log, you will be asked to reflect on your experiences and consider your own skills and attributes and how you can develop them to improve your chances of securing a graduate job when you graduate. You will also be able to draw on your experience of a work placement or part-time job and link your writing to the content of the module. You will find resources on the Business School Core page such as the Interview Simulator, CV builder, and skills analysis which you can use to help you. The log can cover: career planning, research on an organisation of your own choice and its recruitment practices, analysis of your own skills, labour market research, work experience, relevant professional qualifications, and the use of social media to get a job.
Making log Entries
You will be required to make log entries during the year between 3rd November 2014 and 6th February 2015. You will need to attend at least 2 activities organised in each Futures week – 3rd-7th November, 12th-16th January, and write up your reflections on the experience. The word guidelines are approximate and you may go up to 10% above the number of words suggested.
Log Format
Part Log Entry
Learning Log Reflect on your own employability. What kind of career path do you wish to pursue and what do you need to do to improve your chances of attaining a graduate level job at the end of your degree? How can you relate the academic topics you cover in your module to your future employment? For example, what impact is the changing business environment having on determining the kind of attributes that companies will need in their graduate recruits? What is professionalism and what does it mean to be a professional?
Appendix 1 A social media plan to help you get a job. 100 to 150 words

Note: I will be uploading example of report and i will also upload the sessions presentations slides i have attended so to include some the things that i learned from them. As it needs to include all four session which are

1- Living with LinkedIn
2- CV Building and Social Media
3- CV Building and Using Agencies
4- Using Social Media For Job search ( show interest through blogs appeal to companies through social media interact and build your network with other people thourgh groups in linkedin and twitter.

include courses i took like consumer behaviour and talk about how it gained me the book was Solomon, M., Bamossy, (2013) Consumer Behaviour, 5th ed. Pearson
add any theories from it no need to reference
.
Intended Learning Outcomes (consumer behaviour or use the below) reword it.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. describe the principal aspects of human psychology which influence consumer behaviour and decision making;

2. identify the main social, cultural, and environmental influences on buyer behaviour; and,

3. distinguish between consumer and organizational buyer behavior;

4. evaluate critically the range of marketing techniques which can be employed to influence consumers.

other modules Retail marketing
By the end of the module, students should be able to:

1) Analyse the role of a range of retail marketing techniques;
2) Evaluate alternatives in relation to retail operations management;
3) Identify developments in retail management and appreciate the impact of these on retail operations.

and also include marketing planning

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

1. Identify and explore key elements of the marketing planning process within an organisation;
2. Differentiate between marketing strategy and tactical marketing planning;
3. Understand and use analytical marketing models to aid marketing decision making;
4. Formulate a basic marketing plan.

Also include past work experience i will upload a brief.

VALUES AUDIT EXERCISE Introduction and assessment task Actions are dictated by values. Identifying organisational values – both proclaimed and actual – will assist an organisation to ensure that most, if not all, its actions are commensurate with these values, and enable it to put in place a robust structure to support the ‘operationalisation’ of its values.

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VALUES AUDIT EXERCISE
Introduction and assessment task
Actions are dictated by values. Identifying organisational values – both proclaimed and actual –
will assist an organisation to ensure that most, if not all, its actions are commensurate with these
values, and enable it to put in place a robust structure to support the ‘operationalisation’ of its
values.
Many governance and CSR problems for multinationals and companies trading far from their
home base, for example, arise because of differing value systems. A values audit helps an
organisation to establish clear guidelines about the limits of acceptable behaviour which are
consistent world-wide, while recognising where appropriate local social differences. In other
words, a values audit articulates the core values of an organisation, and assesses the
consistency of their internal and external application: internal with respect to what the company
or organisation says about itself in its various documents, such as statements about mission and
conduct; external with respect to how they act in their host societies and internationally.
A values audit always begins internally, with a review of ‘paper’, ‘processes’ and ‘people.’ The
findings of the audit are then tested out with stakeholder groups, to ensure that the values base
is one which is shared by, or at the least acceptable to, key stakeholders. The results provide
important management information, and can (and ideally should) be used to report on the
organisation’s social and/or governance performance, either as part of the Annual Report or as a
supplementary report.
In this assessment, you are asked to conduct a values audit of an organisation with which you
have had some association. It could be a large company, a family business, a school, a hospital,
a not-for-profit organisation. It could be any organisation that provides a service or conducts any
form of social activity that involves:
• Some form of statement about what it does and its commitments. This could be a
company or organisational mission statement; or marketing material; or any document in
which the organisation defines its commitment to abiding by the law, or certain moral
codes, or specific cultural or communal commitments. In other words, anything that
articulates what the company/organisation stands for with respect to governance and
social responsibility. It might be as generic as saying, as Google does, “do no evil”, or as
specific as BHP Billiton’s commitment to observing best practice in land remediation of
spent mines;
• Some level of financial management and accountability. This can be at a very high level
for a large company, or very modest in a small family business. Either way, there has to
be some level of financial or resource accountability, and some level of responsibility for
what the organisation does in the conduct of its activities;
• A defined set of services or products. That is, the organisation’s outputs – what it offers
its client or customers;
• A customer or client base. There must be some customer or client base for the audit to
make sense, and this needs to be identified, namely, who the organisations serves or
supplies.
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• Some level of management structure or identifiable managerial accountabilities. For our
purposes, an anarchic group of people just doing things for the sake of it to help others,
or themselves, but with no formal structure, is not a suitable subject for this exercise.
There must be some specific roles and accountabilities, even if poorly defined.
First read the sections below to give you a better idea of the big picture, so to speak.
Note: you are NOT expected to conduct a full values audit with detailed interviews and indepth
analyses of organisational documents.
What you are asked to do is a ‘mini-audit’ in which you select an organisation and:
1. Give an overview of the organisation – what it does and how it promotes itself to its
shareholder (where relevant) and stakeholders, through official documents, policies,
procedures, and advertising. Provide evidence in the form of attachments, but only
important documents, or selections that make your point. Don’t go overboard with
attachments and evidence; just enough to make your point, and no more.
2. Clearly state the ‘advertised’ values of the organisation – what it says it stands for.
Where these are unclear, try to tease them out.
3. Describe the processes the organisation has in place that promote, monitor, review,
action its value commitments. Again, you can’t do everything, so be selective. In your
general overview of the organisation’s value commitments, you can state that the
organisation is committed to x, y and z, but focus only on z, for example. In other words,
don’t be too ambitious. You don’t have much time to complete what could be quite a
detailed exercise. So focus on something that is representative of the company’s values
commitment (or otherwise!).
4. Review the history of the organisation over the recent past, say, 5 years. You don’t have
to be rigid about this. If 10 years is a more appropriate frame of reference, then that’s
fine. What you are looking for here is the extent to which the company has been true to
its commitments. What evidence can you find one way or another? Remember,
corporate governance and/or CSR undertakings are major value commitments of an
organisation, and are absolutely central to this assessment.
5. If possible, interview a few key stakeholders for their views. This is not always possible,
but may be very relevant in some circumstances. This is up to you. You do NOT have to
interview anyone. But if you can, and if it is relevant, then this would be a good way to get
more data on the organisation’s fulfilment or otherwise of its value commitments.
6. Draw some conclusions about the company’s integrity (more on this below). In other
words, discuss what you have found. No need to be definite or definitive, since this is
only a mini-audit. But it can be indicative, and serve as the preliminary study for a much
deeper investigation. In other words, this is ‘audit lite’, so to speak, in which you do a
fairly quick and succinct review of an organisation to see if there is anything that would
lead you to look more deeply.
7. You need to be specific about the things you find that indicate organisational integrity,
and those that indicate organisational hypocrisy. You are not asked to solve the
problems you find, but once you have identified key issues, discuss them in light of the
key issues covered in the unit.
8. You do not have to provide heavy academic referencing, but where possible, draw on
examples from the readings and unit guide, and any other sources that you believe to be
relevant. Again, no need to go overboard. Just cite those sources and references that
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you have actually used; not a long list for the sake of impressing the marker – the
opposite will be the case. You will get good marks for authenticity and sound analysis.
It is important to note that a full-blown values audit is a comprehensive and integral approach:
integral, because it combines different approaches with different methodologies, and
comprehensive, because it takes the entire organisation (including its environment) into
consideration with all the different perspectives that prevail in different functional areas. The latter
especially finds expression in the values assessment process. The fact that values and policies
are discussed ensures that they are looked at from different angles, taking various fields of
interest into consideration. In a full-blown audit, it is particularly critical that values are checked
for economic viability as well, to balance social and values aspirations, because values policies
which are not based upon solid business economic grounds will not endure very long. In a fullblown,
large scale audit, it is essential that the social mission and the economic mission of a
company go hand in hand.
However, remember, you will not be undertaking a full-blown, comprehensive audit.
There is no specific template for the audit, because we wish to see what you come up with
as an appropriate format for the sort of organisation you are auditing.
1. Values Audit
The reasons for examining the state of an organisation’s values are many and various. They
include external social pressures, risk management, stakeholder obligations, and identifying a
baseline to measure future improvements. In some cases, organisations are driven to it by a
gross failure in ethics, which may have resulted in costly legal action or stricter government
regulation. More often, however, organisations simply want to know if they are doing the right
thing with respect to their governance commitments, the law, their shareholders and their
stakeholders.
Values auditing is a process which assesses the internal and external consistency of an
organisation’s values base. The key aspect is that it is value-linked, and that it incorporates a
stakeholder approach. Its objectives are two-fold: it is intended for accountability and
transparency towards stakeholders and it is intended for internal control, to meet the governance
objectives of the organisation.
The point of such an audit is that it enables an organisation to see itself through a variety of
lenses: it captures the organisation’s values profile. Companies recognise the importance of their
financial profile for their investors, of their service profile for their customers, and of their profile
as an employer for their current and potential employees. A values profile brings together all of
the factors which affect an organisation’s reputation, by examining the way in which it does
business. By taking a picture of the value system at a given point in time, it can:
• clarify the actual values according to which the organisation operates;
• provide a baseline by which to measure future improvement;
• learn how to meet any social or governance expectations which are not currently
being met. Importantly, these are expectations that the organisation has set for itself –
not expectations set by others;
• give stakeholders the opportunity to clarify their expectations of the organisation’s
behaviour. Importantly, it assists the organisation to better understand who its actual
stakeholders are;
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• identify specific problem areas within the organisation with respect to its stated social
and governance values;
• learn about the issues which motivate employees and managers;
• identify general areas of vulnerability, particularly related to lack of openness.
2. International business
Multinational companies face special issues in relation to values auditing. It is, though, precisely
these special issues which can make values auditing so important to multinationals. Executives
of such companies are well aware of the added complications which operating across a number
of cultures brings. But problems tend to multiply when differing value bases are permitted to take
hold within different cultures. It may have seemed acceptable for Shell to apply differing
environmental standards to their drilling in Ogoniland decades ago to those they applied in
Europe or North America – but in an era of acute global consciousness of the interdependence of
the world eco-system the same standards are rightly expected in every continent.
One of the issues which most concerns multinationals is that of corruption: how to do business in
countries where backhanders are expected in the common course of events. The United States
has brought in legislation – the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act – which forbids US companies to
engage in this when dealing with the public sector in other countries. Australian laws are also
specific with respect to corruption. This, perhaps, more than any other, is an area where
executives might like to set themselves Warren Buffet’s publicity test: how would I feel if my
behaviour were headlined in my city’s local newspaper? How would I feel if my family knew about
it?
Working practices and human rights are other major areas of concern. Some companies make a
principled withdrawal from countries where they could otherwise manufacture profitably, because
they are not prepared to work within that regime, as Levi Strauss did in China. Some companies
withdrew from South Africa because they would not cooperate with apartheid; others believed
that they could set an example and give opportunities to black people they would not otherwise
have had. Protest from outraged consumers may force companies manufacturing in India or
Thailand to sack the underage children they were previously employing as machinists – but what
if the 12 and 13 year old girls are then forced into prostitution to survive?
Companies alone cannot right all the evils of society. Many of the decisions they have to take
have no ideally right or ideally good answer. What matters is that they should have a clearly
thought out framework of values, and that these values should be consistent wherever they
operate. A multinational company must test its values across all its areas of operation if it wants
the findings of its values audit to be comprehensive and provide the greatest payback in terms of
identifying potential areas of vulnerability to consumer pressure.
3. Stakeholder power
Stakeholder power is increasingly being wielded to affect organisational behaviour. Boycotts are
called to protest against specific company actions: Nestle’s sales suffered from the boycott
protesting about their policy on selling baby milk in the third world, and Shell were forced to
change their plans for disposal of the Brent Spar oil platform when German consumers stopped
buying Shell petrol. A 1995 poll of 30,000 consumers in the UK showed that one in three had
boycotted stores or products in the previous because of concerns about values standards, and
six in ten were prepared to boycott in the future. Almost two in three of those surveyed were
more concerned about values issues at the time of interview than they had been previously.
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Pressure groups are growing more professional and more vociferous. Where in the past
unethical or hypocritical behaviour by a company might have been kept quiet by skilled public
relations people, there is now greater likelihood that someone within a company will alert the
relevant pressure group (loyalty to employers being lessened, and concern for the public good
being greater) and that the pressure group will succeed in generating significant publicity about
the incident. One of the greatest benefits of the values audit is that it assists an organisation to
scan its environment, to identify the issues that are most likely to provoke action by pressure
groups. It also gives the organisation an opportunity to encourage such groups to participate in
the decision-making process, or at the very least to inform them fully of the organisation’s
position.
In the move to total quality, suppliers become key stakeholders. The quality of components or
raw materials used is crucial. Their timely delivery is crucial; their reliability is crucial. The best
suppliers want to develop long term relationships with customers whom they can trust to deal
fairly with them and to pay on time.
The picture which develops here is of an organisation/business at the centre of a network of
relationships – relationships with employees, with customers, with shareholders, with society at
large. Each organisation may have other groups of people whom it considers to be key
stakeholders. For example, a company with particular environmental concerns may consider
future generations to be key stakeholders; other companies may see their retired employees as
being important, while still others may have strong links with pressure groups and voluntary
organisations.
Values auditing enables organisations to better comprehend these relationships. All relationships
are based on values such as trust and an expectation of fair dealing. Understanding these
dynamics and finding out where expectations and perceptions differ give an organisation a head
start on maintaining strong and stable relationships.
In contrast to social auditing, which aims primarily at measuring the social impact of a company
on its environment, the values audit from the outset is value-linked. It measures the ‘values
climate’, so to speak, of an organisation by analysing the values on which organisational actions
are based. Essentially, it is a kind of integrity or, more cynically, a ‘hypocrisy’ analysis – how
faithful is an organisation to its declared governance and/or CSR values?
A values audit is organisation-centred. It is not an audit of the values of individual managers or
employees, although clearly individual values play an enormous role in determining the values of
an organisation and the extent to which it is true to its values. In part these values are connected
with public opinion on matters such as respect, justice and responsibility and can, to some
extent, be derived from the rights and interests of stakeholders, but the bottom-line is that the
organisation ought to adhere to its publicly stated values.
4. Stakeholder perspective
The objectives of the values audit are two-fold. On the one hand, the audit is intended for
accountability and transparency towards stakeholders; on the other hand, the audit is intended
for internal control in order to meet the values objectives of the organisation. One of the aims of
the values audit is to give an organisation the opportunity to track progress through the years and
to find out where there is still some work to do with regard to its values objectives.
Accountability requires that stakeholders are provided with such information as they have a right
to. The right to information is determined by: (a) the social environment within which the
relationship between the organisation and the stakeholder is set (thus current legal standards
would represent a minimum basis for accountability); plus (b) the organisation’s own decisions
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about which stakeholders it particularly wishes to recognise and emphasise. Thus, stakeholder
groups do not have an absolute claim on businesses to provide them with information, because
the extent to which an organisation is accountable to stakeholders depends on the particular
social environment of the organisation, on its conception of relevant stakeholders and on the
social responsibility the organisation is willing to take for justifying its actions towards a particular
stakeholder group. Therefore, stakeholders’ right to information is in a large measure related to a
positive duty that the organisation has committed itself to.
It is possible and justified to assign different weights to the interests of different stakeholder
groups. Clearly not all stakeholders can ever be involved in an auditing process. For most
organisations, the external stakeholders which are included will be restricted to the minimum of:
shareholders, customers, suppliers and the wider community, although one could think of many
more groups that could be of importance to a specific organisation. The fact that the number of
stakeholder-groups taken into consideration is limited indicates that certain stakeholders are
perceived as being more important than others.
Second, stakeholder concerns will differ between groups. It is obvious that more important
stakeholders will have greater influence on an organisation’s actions, and that, in the case of
conflicting concerns, the interests of the stakeholder group with the most influence will prevail.
Dialogue with stakeholders is carried out in the external values assessment process and in this
process the interests of stakeholders are identified and balanced according to the weight the
company assigns to each stakeholder group.
The objective of accountability towards stakeholders requires information about general issues
such as product safety, the environment, employee relations, etc. An ethical bookkeeping system
collects data systematically about the organisation’s values behaviour, which is relevant for
stakeholders. This process is most likely to include ‘hard’ information, including for instance
complaints of stakeholders, business accidents or fines for unethical behaviour. A significant
quantity of this data will already be present in the organisation’s ‘normal’ accounting and
management information systems (e.g. human resources information: number and level of
female employees, payment ratios for employees of different ethnic origin, etc.). By collecting this
kind of information a company is in fact keeping some records on the social impact of its actions
and policies and therefore we might consider this social accounting.
The term ‘values accounting’ is used to refer to the process in which data is gathered with regard
to organisational values. This will include looking at the information provided by the bookkeeping
system and looking at the ‘paper’ and ethics-related processes in the organisation, in order to lay
bare the (explicit and implicit) value system of the organisation through analysis. Value-linked
corporate behaviour derived from bookkeeping records, will be tested against current guidelines
and opinions on environmental issues, hiring/firing policies, etc. A comprehensive check-list (with
regard to lines of communication, reward systems, chain of command, etc.) is used to determine
what behaviour the organisation values. This is done by looking at the formal and informal
structures and processes in the organisation.
In the internal values assessment process the prevailing values of employees are examined
through interviews, surveys, questionnaires, etc. The outcomes are then related to the value
system of the organisation, revealed by the accounting process. By doing this the values gap
(different perceptions on the organisation’s values) is identified, as well as conflicting interests
within the organisation and values that are inconsistent with each other. But internal values
assessment is not only concerned with uncovering prevailing values, it also looks at what the
organisational values should be. Since the purpose of internal auditing is to measure the
compliance of facts with norms, these norms – being the values the organisation wants to
incorporate – must be clear. This might be the case as a result of an earlier participative process
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(written down in a values statement or not), but it is important that this is an on-going process in
order to make sure that the company perseveres with these values. So, internal values
assessment is also concerned with internal audits. This is done by listening to employees (the
original meaning of the word audit being derived from the Latin word ‘audire’ means to listen).
Workshops and small group discussions often further raise values awareness and can be an
important tool for building consensus.
You will have limited time to conduct your values audit, so any interviews you may undertake will
have to be limited in time and scope.
So, the values audit will result in the identification of (actual) organisational values on the one
hand, and, on the other, the general direction of how the organisation wants to develop its value
system. The findings will therefore need to be translated into action planning for the following
year. If the values audit is performed every year or every other year, an organisation should be
able to track its progress based upon the baseline information provided by the different elements
of the values audit. Hence, the values audit provides a snapshot of the integrity of a company.
5. Important
• The purpose of the audit is to provide an analysis of the values commitment of the
organisation. You can focus on key issues, or a business unit, or, if the business is
small, the whole organisation.
• Remember to provide relevant contextual overview of the organisation/business
unit/issue and information on key personnel/groups/stakeholders.
• Where the organisation has a specific governance or CSR statement, this must be
included in your documentation.
• In effect, you are being asked to provide a gap analysis, i.e. the gap between
commitments and action. Therefore, you must provide an account of what the
commitments are, and what the organisation has done (or not done) to keep those
commitments.
• You also need to analyse why you think there is a gap, or no gap between commitments
and performance. This is where you can use the theory presented in the unit along with
case study examples.
• Indicative length: 4000 words, not including attachments, references or endnotes. Need
not be exactly this, but if you fall too far short, by more than a 100 words or so, you may
lose marks. If you fall short by a 1000 words, you will definitely lose marks.
• However, brevity will be rewarded over bloat, therefore try to be succinct and to the point.
Use appendices for the detail and present in a format appropriate to your organisation’s
context and practices.
• Use the Harvard referencing style when citing sources. You will lose marks if you fail to
do this.
• You may add links to YouTube clips or other multimedia if appropriate as evidence.
• This is an individual task and not group work.
• This assessment is worth 50% of your total unit mark.
• Due date: last day of exam week. Please consult LEO for exact date.

OSCOLLA referencing Further requirement and criteria will be attached Individual project Objectives: Select a local, regional, or international company and examine its corporate communication activities focusing on its communication functions. Recommend a communication plan to help enhance its reputation. Students will orally defend their plans.

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OSCOLLA referencing
Further requirement and criteria will be attached

Individual project

Objectives:

Select a local, regional, or international company and examine its corporate communication activities focusing on its communication functions. Recommend a communication plan to help enhance its reputation. Students will orally defend their plans.

How to do that:

  1. Each student has to choose a national, regional or international company
  2. The main goal of your research is to make a profile focusing on that company’s communications. You need to examine their communication activities based on the below standards and make your recommendations to help them to enhance their reputation in the market.
  3. At the end you need to present your research in class defending your recommended plan
  4. These are, but not limited to, the points you may address in your project:
    1. Name of the company and a short history
    2. The company’s activities
    3. The span/area of activities
    4. The size of the company (number of employees, branches …etc.)
    5. Define and analyses the company’s communication plan/strategies.
    6. In addition to the above, these are the main point to address but not limited to them:
      1. Corporate reporting
  • Annual reports (print and online)
  • Integrated reports
  • Sustainability reports
  • Messaging/theming workshops
  • Staging for annual general meetings
  • Corporate reviews and profiles
    1. Capital-raising documents
  • Scheme booklets
  • Prospectuses, rights offers, IPO advertising
  • NOMs and other information memorandums
    • Other stakeholder collateral
  • Traditional marketing communications, e.g. corporate brochures, newsletters, direct mail etc.
  • Branded content for digital platforms
    1. Internal communications supporting employee engagement and the talent brand
  • Culture-change programs, e.g. values, safety, ustainability/CSR
  • Software/technology roll-outs, e.g. SAP
  • Communications supporting the implementation of a new business strategy/plan
  • Launch of a new sub-brand or rebrand
  • Social media, blogging and thought leadership programs
  • Internal newsletters, intranets
    1. Recruitment collateral
  • Traditional advertising, brochures etc.
  • Social media for recruitment purposes, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn

 

Pricing/Supply and Demand

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Pricing/Supply and Demand

Present an analysis regarding oil prices.  Discuss the concepts of demand & pricing (ch 6) as it relates to oil.  What are the implications from recent to intermediate history.

In your analysis be sure to include the following issues regarding oil pricing:

Elasticity of demand (apply text concept to oil prices)

Supply and demand curves  (provide a supply demand curve)

Marginal revenue vs. Marginal cost

Substitutes and complements

Please conclude with a 3 month prediction of oil prices.

Paper Writing Expectations
Paper length:  about 2 – 3 pages

Single spaced,  MS Word

Professional presentation

Use section titles

Charts and graphs professional and effectively labeled.

High level of sophistication

Avoid first person conversational tone