Organizational Structure Essay Example for Free

Organizational Structure Essay In this paper, I will analyze the elements of a job analysis and discuss its significance to the hiring and employee development aspects of human resource management. I will describe the importance of a PAQ, proposing two ways the results can be used to redesign a customer service job for efficiency. I will develop two strategies that HR professionals can in the selection for a customer service position using a Fleishman Job Analysis System. I will examine the challenges for designing this job for efficiency and suggest two ways to redesign it. Finally, I will propose three ways a HR manager can use the information from a job analysis to measure the performance of customer service representatives. One of the most important aspects of human resources is recruiting. In order to recruit the best applicants, job recruiters have to be knowledgeable in all aspects of the position. The best source of information about a position comes from a job analysis. A job analysis is the process of getting detailed information about jobs. A job analysis helps recruiters to match job requirements with the best applicants. It is also essential in employee development, performance appraisals and compensation. A job analysis includes many steps but only three elements. Those elements are the sources of job information, the job specification and the job description. The first element of the job analysis is the source of information used. In doing the analysis, human resource professionals gather information about jobs through interviewing employees, observing performance of certain tasks, asking employees to fill out questionnaires and worksheets, and collecting information about a job from secondary sources. Other sources within the company include existing job descriptions and supervisors. Some of those  secondary sources include existing job analysis information from a competitor and O*NET. Next, the job specification includes the tasks that make up the job, the conditions under which the job is performed and what the job requires in terms of aptitude, knowledge, skills and abilities (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2014). This will provide a lot of data. It measures the amount of time the employee spends on major duties. It provides a description of the major duties in order of importance. It determines whether any licensures, certificates or security clearances are needed to perform the job, as well as the physical, environmental and mental demands of a position. This information is essential in creating a job description. The last element is the job description. â€Å"A job description is a list the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2014).† A well-written job description can sell jobs to perspective employees and develop training programs as a job position evolves. Sometimes the needs of business changes and therefore some duties may change within a position. â€Å"For the employer, the job description is often used as a recruiting tool and by supervisors to outline position expectations. The job description may be used to indicate salary or reporting structure and as a reference during performance evaluations (Richards, 2014).† Once all the information has been assembled for a job analysis, it can be further analyzed by using a position analysis questionnaire (PAQ). â€Å"A PAQ is a standardized job analysis questionnaire containing 194 questions about work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics that apply to a wide variety of jobs (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2014).† The purpose of the questionnaire is to measure the job characteristics and its relation to the human characteristics. The PAQ can be used for a few different things. Common uses include developing a compensation model, selection criteria for a specific job and to study the nature of work (PAQ.com, 2014). A PAQ can be used to redesign a customer service job to be more efficient and improve quality. â€Å"Using the PAQ provides an organization with information that helps in comparing jobs, even when they are dissimilar (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2014).† In making those comparisons, analyzers might find ways to be more efficient. The collected data from this approach helps in developing or revising a job description. In the customer service business the needs of each customer can vary. Therefore, responsibilities of a customer service representative can vary to meet those needs. Those things might not be listed in the job description but will need to be added in order to keep the job description updated. Furthermore, information learned from the PAQ helps in evaluating the position for appropriate classification. A good source to use for worker requirements is the Fleishman Job Analysis system. The Fleishman Job Analysis system (F-JAS) is a job analysis technique that asks subject-matter experts to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform the job (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2014).† Because the results of a F-JAS, provides a picture of the ability requirements of a job, than recruiters know what abilities to scan for when reviewing resumes. Typing skills might be a skill that is important in a customer service position. The F-JAS can give us an idea of just how important typing is to a job so that we would be able to make reasonable accommodations for an applicant with disabilities. Human resource professionals can also use F-JAS to update job descriptions. As processes change the need for some abilities change as things may become automated, therefore job responsibilities change. â€Å"Kannisto adds, â€Å"With the compliance environment and legal implicati ons, the stakes are a lot higher for job descriptions to be crystal clear with essential responsibilities. If you have a measure of performance that doesn’t appear on the job description and you have a case brought against you, depending on the agency [involved], there could be punishment,† he explains (Tyler, 2013).† When considering the job of a customer service representative (CSR) who handles consumer inquiries for a company that sells items online and by catalog, a few challenges of designing this job for efficiency, come to  mind. The first challenge that comes to mind is monotony. Over time, employees will be bored of doing the same job over and over. Even more so if the job is divided into departments, such as sales, returns and customer service, employees will lose interest. A suggestion for redesigning the customer service representative position is job enlargement. Employees might find the job more engaging if all the calls came through on department. We could cross-train employees to be able to handle all the calls that come through the queue. Another suggestion is job rotation. Maybe every week, we could rotate the tasks. We could also make some customer services responses automated for customers. So if a customer wanted to check status on an order, we could generate a system automa ted response so that those calls don’t come into the call center. Another challenge for designing a customer service representative job is defining authority. Sometimes, customer service requires problem solving and quick decisions. Waiting to speak to a manager can be frustrating for the customer and it makes the employee look incompetent, because it increases hold time. The employee probably feels impotent having to get permission to make a decision, especially when they know what to do. A suggestion for redesigning the CSR’s position is job enrichment. CSR’s need a certain amount of authority when it comes to resolving customer service issues. This is a way to raise productivity levels and employee satisfaction from a sense of personal achievement in taking ownership of problems and meeting the challenge of increased responsibility. A human resource manager (HRM) can use the information obtained from job analysis to measure the performance of a customer service representative. Job analysis is a set of procedures or methods for determining what workers actually do on the job and for describing which aspects of worker knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics are needed for job performance. This process defines a productive employee and gives human resource managers a place to start for measuring performance. One way HRM can use this information is in making personnel decisions. This tool can help determine whether an employee should receive a promotion, transfer, pay increase or be fired. It can also be used for employee development. A performance  appraisal will determine the strengths and weaknesses of employees. This is key to helping our CSR’s grow, because we can create training programs to increase their skills levels. Taking the time to strengthen their weaknesses will make them perform better, which is great for the company. Finally, the performance appraisal can be used as documentation to protect a company from lawsuits, because it is used as the basis for personnel decisions. In conclusion, the job analysis is the foundation of most human resource functions. With its use, job descriptions are created and updated which standardizes recruiting. It is a perfect outline for measuring performance of new and existing employees. Job analysis provides training and employee growth opportunities. Personnel decisions are also validated by job analysis, because it creates a system of checks and balances for hiring, performance appraisals, promotion and demotion and/or firing. Works Cited Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 103). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 107). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 108). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. PAQ.com. (2014). The paq program. Retrieved from http://www.paq.com/?FuseAction=Main.PAQProgram Richards, F. (2014). Key parts to job descriptions. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/key-parts-job-descriptions-12366.html Tyler, K. (2013, Jan. 01). Job worth doing: Update descriptions. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/2013/0113/pages/0113-job-descriptions.aspx

Ethical Issues in the UK Government

Ethical Issues in the UK Government Part 1: Case study analysis[D1] Question 1:  Describe the main activities pursued by government. The UK government is a democratically elected entity that has jurisdictional rule over Great Britain and Northern Ireland forming what is commonly known at the United Kingdom. This government is led by the Prime Minister and consists of a tripartite system of a legislative, executive and judicial branches in order to rule consistently and fairly. In the case of the UK government, the legislative branch consists of the Cabinet, which is made up of government ministers who are responsible for making and deciding laws. The executive and legal branches represents the two Houses of Parliament; The House of Commons and The House of Lords respectively. The House of Commons carries out laws and represents peoples (constituencies) interests and the House of Lords scrutinise, amends and evaluates laws. There is also the Supreme Court, which also deals with judicial matters. The UK government also has a monarch figure head in the form of the Queen, who reads out decisions made in her speech. The UK government is responsible for protecting and providing both the economic and social systems of UK society by implementing decent laws for financial stability in UK markets and for providing public services including health care, education and transport for all members of society and including decent legislation to safeguard the quality of jobs and the welfare of citizens. Housing could be incorporated into that list as housing issues are a current concern in the UK. (Jonn Elledge 2017). Some say housing should be top priority for the government. (DCLG priority objectives, 2015 to 2020). The debates around housing vary between demands for the government to build more homes to combat the housing deficiencies around the country, due to densely populated towns and cities. Arguments around redeveloping inner cities and building new social housing on existing brown field sites, or capping private rental fees are all feasible with some ingenuity and forward planning by a willing gove rnment. Discuss the role of government in the case study provided. On the other side of the spectrum are the super-rich who, over many years, have been able to spend small fortunes on acquiring houses in London and other parts of the UK. The case study analysis (Booth, 2016) shows that the UK government has woken up to the fact that some rich millionaires are taking liberties by buying up properties in the UK, using money from questionable sources. The article shows the government has acted proactively and quite boldly to establish a legal framework to put new anti-corruption rules cracking down on offshore secrecy (Booth, 2016) in place to allow for a more transparent process when wealthy investors buy up expensive UK properties. This action by the government to ensure overseas investors and offshore companies have to join a public register of beneficial ownership (Booth, 2016) will reduce corruption in the housing industry. Implementing this legal framework will act as a precedent in safeguarding the UK housing market. It is a bold move by the gov ernment because the article points out many extremely affluent people may sell up their homes and relocate elsewhere as they will lose their anonymity in the UK once this new legislation becomes law. Question 2:  Describe how supply and demand interact to shape prices and  discuss how this applies to Londons property market. The property market is extremely unique in regards to supply and demand concepts. In the property market demand outstrips supply and some of the determinants of this is due to the increases in population, the obtainability of available property and stamp duty costs. There is a lack of Ceteris paribus meaning that all is not equal or held constant in the UK property market at the moment. (Alessandro Sancino, 2015) Before the economic crisis in 2008, house prices continued to soar at unprecedented levels allowing the equilibrium of supply and demand in the property industry to go off track. The economic crash brought with it opportunities for regulating the property market, and allows the elasticity of demand to fall back in line with supply and bring the levels of equilibrium back to an level playing field for the UK property market. Question 3:  Using one theory of ethics, describe the key ethical issues in the case and what you think the Prime Minister should do. A theory of ethics that is relevant for this discussion would be the ethics around justice in organisations and societies. Justice is an ethical perspective that takes account of how benefits and resources are distributed in a society, or even within an organisation. It asks one to think about how one might design just opportunities and the distribution of wealth. (Owain SmoloviĆ¡-Jones, 2015). This theory of ethics would be ideal for the UK government to consider when implementing regulation of the housing market. Ideas around the distributive justice is imperative for a democratic government. I think that this type of ethics is important in regulating the property market because it gives young people a better chance to own their own home and not be priced out the housing market for the foreseeable future. The government that was in power when the case study was written was run by the Conservative Party and led by David Cameron. That government has overtones of having a ca pitalist perspective, which holds that justice is determined by the benefits generated through work which should be distributed according to contribution. In order to apply to a greater demographic of society, that particular government incorporated elements of justice through a socialist perspective to gain greater appeal. This may have been the thinking behind regulating the housing market in the fashion they chose as highlighted in the case study. (Booth, 2016) So that not only the super-rich would benefit from future home ownership in London. This thinking was right in order for the government to show that they are listening to the concerns about the need for regulation in the property sector being generated by MPs, who have been speaking on behalf of their constituents. Question 4:  Identified two human rights that are important in the case.  Explain why these are important and how the Prime Minister should respond. There are two human rights from the Declaration of Human Rights charter (1948) that are relevant for discussion here. The first, Article 12, states that No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). The UK government should factor in this human rights article in regards to the implications of regulating the London housing market because the case study (Booth, 2016) shows that the super-rich could abandon plans to buy homes in Britain, as they would lose their anonymity once they join the public register for foreign home ownership in the UK. The government should respond to these concerns by putting plans in place, maybe through an advisory board, to make sure the public register, although public, is not used as a tool by the media to scapegoat the super-rich and scaremonger the wider public with tales of unfair home ownership by foreign investors. As undoubtable, the super-rich do make substantial contributions to the UK economy that the government would not want to lose. The second, Article 17 states that everyone should be able to purchase property in their home country (Human Rights Declaration, 1948). This is self-explanatory and affords the government leverage to act on behalf of the interests of British citizens without breaking any discriminatory laws. Currently house prices are soaring at an increasing extent and arguments widely heard include that buying homes are becoming increasingly difficult for first time buyers, and young people to purchase. Due in part to the huge deposits needed to secure a mortgage and the ominous increases in the private rental market. The UK government could use this article to their advantage by stating that this regulatory measure will be used as a stepping stone for further regulation of the housing market and look to tackle these other issues as the next priority. Activities could include working with private sector businesses through Public Private Partnerships to build more homes on existing brownfield sites and factor in through further legislation that only a third of those homes can be sold to foreign investors, whilst two-thirds are ring-fenced for British citizens using, on this occasion, the controversial concept of positive discrimination in regards to British citizens seen as priority over foreign investors. References Sancino, A, Readings 37-45 (2015), Open University. Booth (2016) Super-rich may quit London homes under new anti-corruption rules Open University. Department for Communities and Local Governments (DCLG) single departmental plan. Priority objectives for 2015 to 2020. [online] (Updated 2 September 2016). Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dclg-single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020/single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020. Elledge, J (2017) Britains housing crisis could be solved if only the government wanted to. The Guardian, 30 January 2017 [online]. Available at https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/30/britain-housing-crisis-solved-social-housing. SmoloviĆ¡-Jones, O (2015), Readings 46-55, Open University. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) [online] Available at http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/. [D1]I note straiught awqay that you have not used the full word count. You appear to be short by several hundred words. Please ensure you use the full allowance in your EMA. While quantity doies not guarantee quality, by missing out on so many words there will be an effect on the quality fo your work.

Impact of Social Media on Business Marketing

Impact of Social Media on Business Marketing The subject of this report is the impact of social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing technologies on business marketing. The purpose of this report is to provide research for these three technologies and recommend how each one of them can be applied to our firms marketing efforts. Nine out of ten companies indicate that their social media activity has led to increased exposure, and according to research, half of them recognize improved sales (Holmes, 2015). Further, 92% of marketers conclude that the use of social media is critical to their business (Demer, 2015). Per Kevin Akeroyd of Oracle Marketing Cloud, cloud technologies require minimal capital outlay since servers and other hardware do not need to be purchased, updated, or maintained, cloud vendors update their software often, which improves adaptability, and integration with other cloud-based applications is usually streamlined (Springer, 2016). Findings from a 2015 Aberdeen survey confirm the advantages of video conferencing, as technology users were deemed to have 74% more success in engaging current sales prospects and were able to collect more new leads than non-users. The survey also found that those companies who employ video conferencing technologies as part of their overall marketing strategy e njoy 30% greater efficiency (as cited in Chang, 2016). I recommend that our firm establish a presence on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. In todays day and age, with the incredible number of consumers using social media, and the time that they dedicate to interacting on the platform, I believe it makes perfect sense for our firm to utilize the marketing capabilities of this medium. Research has shown that most companies already employ social media in their overall business strategies, and those that do, have made gains in exposure, improved sales, and enhanced customer loyalty and conversion rates. These facts dictate that our business use social media as well to remain competitive. I recommend our company use an e-mail marketing application provider. It is my belief that we should approach this technology conservatively, beginning one application, so we do not commit too much of our marketing efforts or capital to marketing cloud applications. The e-mail service will prove beneficial, as it offers us an avenue to directly market to our current customers and leads, drive traffic to our website, and will save the firm in terms of print and mailing costs. The ability to automate this function will save our staff time, and the capacity to directly track the success from our e-mail advertisement will provide our marketers relevant information and help in determining if further marketing cloud application expenditures could be necessary and beneficial. I recommend that our company provide all marketing and sales personnel with video conferencing capabilities, including any necessary hardware and software. With this technology, marketers will be able to facilitate a face-to-face meeting with clients, prospects, each other, and sales staff from any location, and from nearly any internet capable device. This will save the company in the form of travel expenditures, as well reduce the amount of unproductive time spent traveling to meeting locations. More people will be able to be involved in key meetings and productivity of these meetings will improve, as an important aspect of communication, non-verbal cues, will be displayed. It is my belief that this technology is an important offering to our current and prospective clientele in terms of convenience. For instance, a client or prospect will be able to clearly view a product demonstration and ask any necessary follow-up questions from his or her home computer, as opposed to traveling to our office or some other meeting site. This may lead to improved customer relations. Further, as studies indicate, the employment of video conferencing technology in our marketing strategy can increase success in current and new lead engagement. The subject of this report is the impact of social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing technologies on business marketing. The purpose of this report is to provide research for these three technologies and recommend how each one of them can be applied to our firms marketing efforts. Social media utilization has provided increased exposure to firms, which has positively affected marketing efforts and correlated with improved sales. Also, social media marketing has also shown to improve customer conversion rates. Cloud marketing technologies are vast and companies are employing them for cost-effective, customizable advertising. Many providers are offering cloud-based applications to manage each facet of a companys digit marketing efforts. Finally, video conferencing technology is valuable when used as part of the marketing strategy. Research is showing that face-to-face interaction increases marketing productivity, decreases associated travel costs, and helps to more effectively engage customer leads. Social Media Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are being used by businesses as modern-day tools to network with and target consumers. Per a Pew Internet Project, seventy-five percent of adults in the United States, with access to the internet, are on some form of social media. Additionally, according to the Global Web Index, social media users log in an average of about 12 hours per week (as cited in Holmes, 2015). As detailed by Ryan Holmes (2015), these statistics are driving nine out of ten businesses in the U.S. to engage in social media marketing. Holmes (2015) notes, 90 % of businesses see increased exposure and more than half report improved sales from social media. In 2014, more than nine out of ten marketers said that using social media for marketing was critical in their business and eight out of ten believed their efforts on social media enhanced traffic to their websites. According to DeMer (2015), social media marketing has exhibited the ability to incre ase brand recognition and loyalty, facilitate additional opportunities to attract new customers, and improve customer conversion rates. In fact, according to some studies, social medias conversion rate, is 100% greater than that of traditional marketing (DeMers, 2015). Further, the barrier to entry in social media marketing is insignificant, as it is normally free to create an account, and social media affords marketers the chance to monitor consumer behavior, such as user comments, which may yield very precious feedback about their business. In a controlled, systematic study performed by Kumar, Bezawada, Rishika, Janakiraman, and Kannan (2016), the effect of firm-generated content, that is firm-initiated marketing communication of a select company, was tested in relation to consumer buying behaviors and profitability. In it, two test groups were established. The treatment group, which consisted of individuals who chose to receive the selected firms social media marketing content, and the control group, which consisted of those who chose not to. According to Kumar, et al., prior to the firms social media marketing engagement, both groups participants and their spending and cross-buying habits were statistically similar. Weekly overall spending for both groups was within $0.17 and the number of different products purchased (cross-buying) was within .13. The study concluded that, after the firm had embarked on its social media marketing campaign, overall spending for the treatment group rose to $15.96 per week. This figure was now $1.43 more than the control groups weekly spending. Additionally, the treatment group purchased an average of .59 more products per week than the control group. Last, the study also presented that those customers who partook in the firms social media contributed $1.02 more overall to the companys net profit (Kumar, Bezawada, Rishika, Janakiraman, and Kannan, 2016). There are a few negatives to marketing with social media. One is that users are able to post whatever they want about your business, so marketers can lose control of their messaging very quickly. This can be disastrous if a group of angry, dissatisfied customers begin posting negative reviews about the company. Also, while the cost of entry to social media platforms is insignificant, time does need to be invested to properly nurture the marketing campaign. Depending on resources, this may prove problematic for some firms (The Advantages and Disadvantages,n.d.). Analysis: It is apparent that social media is a powerful, contemporary, multi-faceted tool for our marketing department to employ. Based on the sheer number of individuals utilizing the platform and the time they spend being logged in, social media activity can expand our firms market through improved exposure. Also, as evidenced by the academic studies, social media marketing efforts can increase overall sales, profitability, customer loyalty, and the barriers to entry are insignificant. While there are a few potential pitfalls, it is clear that the advantages of social media marketing outweigh the disadvantages. Cloud Computing Cloud computing is the process of storing and accessing data and programs via the internet. The term cloud, in essence, is another word for internet. Cloud computing takes programs that are run on either a local PC or network server and migrates them to the internet (Griffith, 2016). The term marketing cloud refers to the combination of internet-based, digital marketing tool used to advertise to consumers and collect and manage their data. These tools range from a firms official website and social media pages to powerful, online software suites that, in real-time, track consumer data, such as website traffic, and integrate these analytics with the companys website, social media, and e-mail management. Providers, such as Salesforce and Adobe, offer individual cloud-based applications and program bundles (suites), which can manage each piece of a companys digital media. When employed in unison, these suites provide marketers a place to access integrated customer profiles and present co ordinated messaging across all digital marketing platforms (Kantrowitz, 2014). There are thought to be several key advantages to cloud marketing. First, cloud marketing can be more cost-effective than traditional marketing, as the company message is delivered digitally, rather than by a printed medium, such as a brochure or newspaper ad. This saves money on ad placement, as well as mailing costs. Further, according Kevin Akeroyd of Oracle Marketing Cloud, cloud technologies require minimal capital outlay since servers and other hardware do not need to be purchased, updated, or maintained, cloud vendors update their software often, which improves adaptability, and integration with other cloud-based applications is usually efficient (Springer, 2016). Cloud marketing software is also scalable and customizable, so small businesses, who may not want or be able to afford a full suite of programs like those provided by Salesforce or Oracle, can choose an application that directly fits their needs, such as an e-mail marketing provider, which can automate e-mails to cus tomers and leads and directly track conversion rates (Springer, 2016). Further, cloud marketing applications are convenient for employees who do a lot of traveling, as they can be accessed from nearly any device with internet capability (Kantrowitz, 2014). Still, as some cloud marketing analysts note, there are issues with moving marketing efforts to the cloud. Depending on the amount of existing data that may need to be migrated, the time and monetary costs can be substantial. For instance, some companies have millions of customer records that may need to be moved (Kantrowitz, 2014). Also, the safety of data that is stored in the cloud is a concern, as customer data breaches have become a major issue in the digital age. This could subject sensitive customer data, such as credit card numbers and e-mail addresses, to theft. By some, on-site data storage is thought to be more secure. Also, companies need to have quality customer data and enough content to maximize the usefulness of these platforms. As analysts note, without specific content for the target demographic, the effectiveness of this powerful software diminishes (Springer, 2016). Analysis: Marketing cloud technology offers an innovative set of tools for our marketers to use in expanding and solidifying the customer base. The scalability of cloud-based marketing applications is attractive us as a new business, as use can grow and expand as our company develops. Further, the reduction in physical marketing materials and associated costs and reduced need for large capital expenditures, such as servers, makes the marketing cloud a cost-effective option for our marketing efforts. There are a few legitimate risks that require examination before fully diving into cloud marketing, as data security is of extreme importance. Research of the different application providers and any history of past breaches should be performed. Video Conferencing Video conferencing is a technology that allows two or more individuals the ability to communicate, both visually and audibly, in real-time and from separate locations. The technology ranges from the broadcasting of static images and text between just two locations, to the transmitting of high-quality audio and video between a series of locations. With the greater availability of PCs and mobile devices with built-in cameras, and services which facilitate live video chat, the use of video conferencing has become pervasive in personal and business interactions (Rouse, n.d.). According to May Chang (2016), marketers are leveraging the advantages of video conferencing technologies in many ways. Video conferencing is being used by marketers to reach clientele and team members who are on the other side of the country and possibly world. Some of the premier modes of marketing utilization include live product demonstrations for prospects, web-based educational seminars, and on-demand marketin g presentations. This enhanced form of communication results in boosted productivity and can translate into more success by the sales team. Findings from a 2015 Aberdeen survey confirm some the advantages of video conferencing, as technology users were deemed to have 74% more success in engaging current sales prospects and were able to collect more new leads than non-users. The survey also found that those companies who employ video conferencing technologies as part of their overall marketing strategy enjoy 30% greater efficiency (as cited in Chang, 2016). Further, the face-to-face nature of video conferencing, with introduction of non-verbal cues, provides for richer communication between teams that cannot be in the same physical location. This is key, per Chang, as meetings where marketing strategy is discussed can be very intricate and passionate. This type of productive communication allows marketers to more quickly advance, comprehensibly define, and carry out their strategy (C hang, 2016). Finally, video conferencing technology can save marketers in terms of travel and other associated expenses, as meetings are able to be held from any internet-enabled location. While there are plenty of advantages to video conferencing technology, according to Loveleena Rajeev (2016), there are a few negatives for marketers to consider. One of the main drawbacks is technical difficulties that conference participants may experience. This can be the result of low-internet bandwidth, power outages, or software or hardware failure by any of the parties involved in the communication. Further, while communication is technically face-to-face, the lack of physical, personal interaction may hamper the effectiveness with which marketers can connect with their prospects or team members. As Rajeev notes, A handshake and an eye contact are essential aspects of many business meetings. Finally, depending on the extent of features required or desired by a firm, cost may be prohibitive, especially for small businesses and start-ups. Analysis: Video conferencing technology is a resource that our marketers can utilize on multiple levels. As research indicated, live, face-to-face communication can help our marketers more successfully pursue contacts and leads, as well as develop new prospects without having to travel. This saves our firm in terms of a host of marketing travel expenses. Furthermore, because video conferencing can provide deeper, clearer levels of communication, I believe that the technology can help our firms marketing department to more proficiently and successfully interact with each other, current customers, and leads. This, in turn, can positively affect our productivity and sales. While there are a few noted negatives to the technology, I believe, overall, it can prove as an advantage in our marketing efforts. Recommendation for Social Media: I recommend that our firm establish a presence on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To implement this recommendation, a committee will be formed to better define our overall social media strategy and goals. Once clear goals are in place, the partners will interview current staff to determine if any individual has the knowledge and desire to undertake creating and managing each account or if a consultant may need to be contracted. Finally, an assessment of the firms current technology will be performed to confirm that we have all technical capabilities in place to move forward with the social media plan. Justification: As the number of consumers using social media has soared, and the amount of time that they spend on the platform increased, it has become necessary for businesses to develop a social media presence. As researched, many of the companies that market to consumers through social media recognize an upsurge in exposure, improved sales, and enhanced customer loyalty and conversion rates. Furthermore, the initial cost of social media marketing is minimal, as it is free to create accounts on most platforms. Finally, because we know that much of our competition will be using social media to develop and maintain their market, it is imperative that we do so as well. Recommendation for Cloud Computing: I recommend our company use an e-mail marketing provider. To implement, the partners will contract with an IT specialist to review the various application providers and their costs. The firms marketing department will consolidate all client and lead e-mail addresses on an Excel spreadsheet and present the partners with advertising content conceptualizations. Once a platform has been selected, webinars will be scheduled to train our marketing staff on how to properly set-up and utilize the application. Justification: While there are a myriad of cloud marketing options available to our company, and certainly research to indicate their advantages, at this point we are in the growing stage, and it is my belief that we should operate conservatively, begin with one application, and not commit too much of our marketing efforts or money to the marketing cloud applications. The e-mail service will provide us an avenue to directly market to our current customers and leads, drive traffic to our website, and will save the firm in terms of print and mailing costs. The application can be accessed from any internet-enabled location, which makes for convenient access to our staff. Further, the purchase can serve as a stepping stone to other marketing cloud applications. As our business continues to grow and stabilize, we can analyze the success of the e-mail service provider and determine if more cloud marketing applications might be beneficial to operations. Recommendation for Video Conferencing: I recommend that our company provide all key marketing and sales personnel with video conferencing capabilities, including any necessary hardware and software. To facilitate this process, the partners will determine who, in the marketing and sales departments, it will be critical to supply with access to video conferencing capacities. An IT specialist will be consulted to determine the most cost effective pairing of available hardware and software. Once this has been determined, we will contract to have all components properly installed and tested. Justification: I believe the use of video conferencing technologies will be beneficial to our firm in many ways. First, our marketers will be able to facilitate a face-to-face meeting with clients, prospects, each other, and sales staff from any location, and from nearly any internet capable device. This will save the company in the form of travel expenditures, as well reduce the amount of unproductive time spent traveling to meeting locations. More people will be able to be involved in key meetings and productivity of these meetings will improve, as an important aspect of communication, non-verbal cues, will be displayed. Finally, it is my belief that this technology is an important offering to our current and prospective clientele in terms of convenience. For instance, a client or prospect will be able to clearly view a product demonstration and ask any necessary follow-up questions from his or her home or office computer, as opposed to traveling to our office or some other meeting site. Further, as studies indicate, the employment of video conferencing technology in our marketing strategy can increase success in current and new lead engagement. As evidenced by my research, social media, cloud computing, and video conferencing are all technological tools that can be employed in some form to aid our marketing staff. Social media has proven to be a powerful outlet for company marketing efforts, with many business recognizing an uptick in overall exposure and customer conversion rates. Further, studies suggest those customers engaged in company generated social media content provide increased sales. Cloud computing has also become a popular technology for businesses looking to modernize their marketing function. The use of marketing cloud platforms is pervasive because internet-based promotional efforts are thought to be cost-effective, as physical marketing materials and expensive hardware are not required. The scalability of cloud-based application offerings is also attractive to small businesses, as programs and services can be purchased on an a la carte basis. Last, video conferencing applications have shown to be useful in firm marketing. Marketers have found, and studies have shown, that the face-to-face nature of meetings conducted via video conferencing allow for more productive communication and correlate to an increase in ability to court sales prospects as well as develop new ones. I believe each of my recommendations will benefit the firm and our marketing efforts in meaningful ways. At the very least, the creation of a social media presence will provide exposure to consumers that we may not reach otherwise. Research has shown the ability to leverage that exposure into elevated brand loyalty, new customers and improved sales. No doubt, many of our competitors are already using the platform, and to maintain competition, we should as well. Our firm can benefit from the e-mail service provider, as the costs of physically distributed materials will decrease substantially. More, the ability to automate this function and track its success will provide our marketers relevant information, save our staff time, and help in determining if further marketing cloud applications expenditures may be necessary and beneficial. Finally, video conferencing technology will provide our marketing team with the ability to hold face-to-face meetings with each other, or clientele, from any internet capable PC or mobile device. This will save the firm in travel costs and curb unproductive time spent traveling to and from meetings. The use of video conferencing technology will also provide for more meaningful, constructive communication, which research has shown to translate into greater success in engaging current sales prospects, an increase in the capacity to generate new prospects, and a boost in our internal productivity. References    Chang, M. (2016, May 13). Why Best-in Class Marketing Requires Web/Video Conferencing. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://theworkspacetoday.com/2016/05/13/best-in-class-marketing-requires-webvideo-conferencing-to-drive-more-meaningful-results/ DeMers, J. (2015, September 20). The Top 10 Benefits of Social Media Marketing. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/#2da0fda91f80 Griffith, E. (2016, May 03). What Is Cloud Computing? Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372163,00.asp Holmes, R. (2015). Why Businesses Cant Survive Without Social Media. Fortune.Com, N.PAG Kantrowitz, A. (2014). Pros and Cons of the Marketing Cloud. Advertising Age, 85(12), 30. Kumar, A., Bezawada, R., Rishika, R., Janakiraman, R., Kannan, P. (2016). From Social to Sale: The Effects of Firm-Generated Content in Social Media on Customer Behavior. Journal of Marketing,80(1), 7-25. doi:10.1509/jm.14.0249 Rajeev, L. (2016, August 13). The Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Conferencing. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-video-conferencing.html Rouse, M. (n.d.). What is video conference (video conferencing)? Definition from WhatIs.com. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/definition/video-conference Springer, R. R. (2016). Is the Marketing Cloud Right for You?. Econtent, 39(5), 20-24. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2017, from https://www.webpagefx.com/internet-marketing/social-media-marketing-advantages-and-disadvantages.html

The Coral Ecosystem And How It Is Changing :: essays research papers

Coral reefs are one of nature’s most magnificent creations, filled with thousands of unique and valuable plants and animals. More than one quarter of all marine animals is dependent on coral reefs. Coral reefs are also a source of food and income for millions of people too. The coral reef ecosystems benefit humans commercially, recreationally and environmentally. Because of the complex interconnections between coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea grass beds, and many other different plants and animals, coral is very susceptible to destruction. One small change in any of these things can affect mass quantities of coral. That is why it is important to educate people about coral and how complex of a species they really are. That is the purpose of this report, to educate you and make you aware of that complexity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coral is often mistakenly identified as a rock, but in all actuality, it is an animal. The actual coral is composed of small animals called coral polyps. Most polyps are very small, although rare species can grow quite large. One coral branch or mound is composed of thousands of polyps. These thousands of polyps are called a coral colony. Polyps are nocturnal and stay inside their skeletons during the day. However, at night they can be seen when they stick their tentacles out to feed. Corals reproduce in many different ways. Some species are hermaphrodites, and produce both sperm and eggs, and some are single sexed organisms. They can reproduce both sexually or asexually. In most species, the egg and sperm are released into the water and random fertilization occurs. This is called coral spawning. The larva is attracted to the light and swims to the surface of the water where it remains for weeks. If the larva can survive without being eaten by predators, it will sink back to the bottom of the ocean floor. Hear it will attach itself to a hard substrate and will grow into a coral polyp. At this point, the coral polyp begins to reproduce asexually. As new polyps are built and added a colony develops. Eventually the coral colony matures and begins to reproduce sexually again, adding to the ever-continual cycle of life. One of the most amazing aspects of coral reproduction is that of mass coral spawning. In many parts of the world, on the same night of the year, every coral will spawn at the same time.

Lizabeths Experiences in Marigolds by Eugenia Collier Essay -- essays

'Marigolds' is a story written by the author Eugenia Collier. It is considered a 'coming of age story.' A coming of age story is a story where the protagonist becomes an adult through experiences, knowledge, or an adventure. Throughout the story the main character, Lizabeth, goes through experiences that upset her. These experiences teach her to have compassion and not to be afraid of hope and beauty. 'For all the smoldering emotions of that summer swelled up in me and burst-the great need for my mother who was never there, the hopelessness of our poverty and degradation, the bewilderment of being neither child nor woman and both at once, the fear unleashed by my father's tears.' This quote from the story explains what was troubling Lizabeth. As a child her mother wasn't around often...

Moral Degradation Essay

I think all would consider this fact to be tenable that nowadays more youth and youngsters are involved in crime and hence an extreme phase of social illness is undeniable and inescapable. You can’t just deny this fact. It’s all in the statistics. I mean it is facts and figures that we are talking about; black and white. Nothing remains to hide and no where to run. We are in a reality to face it. Some would debate before they say it moral degradation. However, if they do so you have enough reason to ask them about what morality constitutes and how he or she would label this new unexpected development. Moreover, the increase in juvenile cases recent months is shocking and the news of students killing one another can be seen a chronic disease. Young generation with whom we are used to dream for the future of the country is having a great contribution to this new specter. From ogling, winking, passing comments in the form of sexual innuendos, to touching, groping, ‘eveteasing’, stalking, sending lewd text messages, ‘prank’ calls, display of pornography, threatening and intimidation, acid attacks, and unwanted ‘love’ proposals. Compared to back then, things do not happen like this. Is there any doubt that more youngsters nowadays are involved in social crimes and problems? The disrespectful attitude carried out by youths and students is very much common nowadays if you were to compare again to the last couple of years. I mean what is wrong with youngsters and youths nowadays? Why are they acting in such a way? There is no fear and tear to say it is kind of social moral breakdown and it is taking its shape through such abnormal and undesired manner. Government and society has nothing to do with it or unwilling to do it? May be the last one is closer to the truth than the former one. However, it is the failure of the state to ensure the moral growth of the young girls

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography Virtues Essay

In his late 20’s, President Benjamin Franklin listed 13 virtues that he felt were an important guide for living. The following virtues can be divided in personal and social behavior: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility. Despite the fact that he tried to follow these guides in his life and went away, consider this being worthwhile in your own life. Temperance, eat not to dullness. Franklin states some associate temperance with eating and drinking, but wasn’t his intentions. My reasoning for why I feel this is one of the most important virtues is because one should always keep cool no matter what situation. Conquering your primal urges for food and drink, you’ll have the confidence to start making improvements in other areas of your life. As being taught in different ways in today’s time, order is another important virtue. Let all your things have their places. A man must fight against these natural laws if he wishes to do well in the world. I feel that it’s most important because being organized and properly creates a well rounded individual. Cleanliness, Sincerity, Fragility and Resolution is what influence the children’s childhood. Having the confidence to allow your actions speak for themselves, Franklin considered humility to be something worth acquiring and I agree with him. Men have pride in themselves showing the sign of strength and courage to mark a true person. They think of their abilities than they really are and honesty. The majority of the list of virtues is also valuable. Benjamin Franklins issues weren’t important but society has changed and that’s mainly are cause in the 20th century. Learning about Franklin’s experience, I find him as an intelligent man who has influenced the immature process of children before and today.