management

Compare and contrast KM applications that are driven by an objective of reuse versus those driven by an objective of innovation

Unlike KM applications that are driven by an objective of reuse, the ones powered by the objective of innovation pursue the goal of fluidity. The former, however, are much more apt to institutionalization, which makes the structure too formal. However, both types of KM applications are aimed at improving company knowledge management. Therefore, it is crucial to find a way to combine both.

What are the major steps involved in developing a KM strategy? What sorts of information are needed to recommend a KM strategy to an organization? List the major categories of stakeholders who should be involved in the strategy formulation process

According to Dalkir, the key steps towards developing an efficient KM structure are: determine the benchmark elements, forming a benchmarking team, creating a benchmarking shortlist, gathering data for analysis, collect and analyze data and outline the expected results (Dalkir, 2005, 274). As for the sources of information that are largely required for recommending a knowledge management strategy to an organization, questionnaires can be used to distill the key problems with the company’s knowledge management process. Finally, in the course of the strategy formulation process, such types of stakeholders as “senior managers, human resources, information technology, and major business unit managers” (Dalkir, 2005, 252) should be involved.

What are some of the key challenges in developing and managing an organizational memory system? Outline some of the key obstacles that may be encountered and how you would address each one

Used to store the company’s most valuable information, i.e., the key facts that allow the company to take the leading position in the charts, organizational memory is an important segment of the company knowledge management system. The concept of an organizational memory system has been shaped greatly over the past few years. Speaking of the most significant change, one must mention that the present-day organizational memory system aims at “capturing, organizing, disseminating, and

reusing the knowledge created by its employees” (Dalkir, 2005, 260). Among the key obstacles on the way of organizing the knowledge that the employees have created, the fact of intellectual property theft should be mentioned. As long as employees are afraid that someone else will take credit for their ideas, there will be no knowledge sharing and, therefore, no efficient knowledge management. The problem can be solved with the help of direct communication between the manager and the employees.

What does the term corporate amnesia mean? How would you characterize the costs involved in corporate amnesia? Provide some examples to illustrate your points

According to the definition that Kimiz Dalkir provides, corporate amnesia is the lack of any concern about the company information management: “Corporate amnesia is a risk when no systematic approach has been applied in creating organizational memory systems” (Dalkir 279). While the term “amnesia,” which usually implies the loss of memory, might make one think about the company losing its valuable information, it, means the inability to organize the corporate information.

There is no surprise that the inability to manage corporate information is likely to lead to the most drastic effects. The costs involved in corporate amnesia can be characterized as the loss of track of the corporate information. The latter riggers the loss of a leading position in the business charts, which, in its turn, results in a mini-crisis within the company and, in the most unfortunate cases, bankruptcy.

Reference List

Dalkir, K. (2005). Knowledge management in theory and practice. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth–Heinemann.

Introduction

Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementation by J.Jeston and J.Nelis provides a comprehensive view of business process management within an organization. Important aspects of BPM implementation are analyzed in the book. This review will describe the critical factors of BMP success, business maturity process, phases of BMP implementation, and the role of communication in the 7FE model.

Critical Success Factors

Although every BPM project is unique, ten fundamental factors, critical for BPM projects’ success, can be identified. The first factor is leadership, which means having the support, funding, and commitment of the project’s leader. The second success factor is a BPM experienced business project manager. Process architecture, the linkage to organizational strategy, and a structured approach to BPM implementation are crucial, as the maximum benefit can be achieved only through consistency. Other important aspects are people change management and people empowerment. Project initiation and completion are also essential as BPM initiatives in one organization have to align with one another. Sustainable performance means that the efficiency of all processes is maintained after the project completion. Finally, realizing value is vital as projects are commenced to create value contributing to the organization’s strategy.

Business Maturity Process

Maturity models were designed as a tool to assess the sophistication and capability of a selected domain in an organization. The Capability Maturity Model comprises five stages of BPM from the initial attempts towards BPM to BPM becoming a core part of the strategic and operational management of a company. The Business Process Management Maturity model provides a multi-dimensional outlook, including factors, stages, and scope. Factors reflect fundamental BPM characteristics, such as strategic alignment, governance, methods, people, information technology, and culture. The maturity stages range from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The scope is defined by an organizational entity to which the model is applied and by the time the model is applied.

7FE Framework Phases

BPM implementation involves ten phases, starting with the Organization strategy. The input includes a documented version of an organization’s vision and goals, a business model, and key differentiators. The steps are analyzing internal and external aspects of an organization, making strategic choices, establishing strategic measurements, completing the plan, and sign-off. The phase’s output provides a valuable contribution to the following stages, aligning every phase with the goals of the organization.

The Process architecture phase ensures that all the processes meet the organizational objectives and strategy. The steps begin with obtaining strategy, process guidelines, and IT principles. The information should be consolidated and validated before the architecture is applied. The output of the phase will include process architecture, project start architecture, an organization process view, and a list of end-to-end processes.

The Launchpad phase provides input in the form of a process selection matrix, a list of initial metrics, and an initial implementation strategy. Also, the initial project plan draft, risk analysis, and the initial business case will be presented. The steps are stakeholder interviews, high-level process walkthroughs, stakeholder engagement, and workshops followed by developing an implementation plan. The phase outputs will have a contribution to the Understand and the Innovate phases.

The Understand phase results in models of the current processes, metrics for process measurement, measurement of current performance, documentation for process improvement, and ‘quick wins’ identification. The steps include revalidating scope, completing metrics analysis, and completing capability matrix, followed by identifying innovative priorities and presenting a phase report. The outputs contribute to the other stages of implementation, such as the Innovate and the People phases.

The Innovate phase input includes redesigned process models, a process gap analysis report, a detailed project plan and cost-benefit analysis, and an updated business case. The phase consists of the project set-up, followed by innovative workshops, metrics projections, and simulation. Then, solutions are proposed and validated, and process gap analysis is performed before presenting a report. The phase output is the contribution to the Develop phase.

The People phase will provide the dissection and amalgamation of the new processes, redesigned role descriptions and goals, and a new process-based organization structure for the business area. The steps include designing people strategy, activity defining, role designing, people capabilities gap analysis, designing the organizational structure, resulting in updating HR policies and training development. The output in the management systems will impact their sustainability.

The Develop phase input includes the overview of the solution, detailed business requirements, final software documentation, specification, development, and test script results, as well as hardware specification, availability, and test script results. The phase consists of determining BPM components, deciding on re-use, making, or outsource, updating technical specifications, and software and hardware development and testing. The output is improved functionality and sustainable performance.

The Implement phase results in trained and motivated staff and enhanced processes. The steps are updating the implementation plan, preparing for user testing, staff training, developing rollout, back out, and contingency plans. Also, it is important to adjust the processes and provide feedback to users and stakeholders. The Implement phase output has an impact on the realization of the project value, sustainable performance, and the People and Develop phases.

The Realize value phase provides a benefits summary plan, a benefits milestone network as well a benefits delivery matrix, and a benefits realization register. The process begins on the earlier phases with benefits management framework, establishing a baseline, optimizing benefits mix, and finishes at this phase with benefits delivery and tracking. The phase output includes maximizing the benefits and ensuring sustainability.

The input of the Sustainable performance phase is the mechanisms to manage business processes and realize opportunities for improvements. The steps are evaluating project results, developing and embedding sustainability, embedding performance measures in management, rewarding and monitor sustainability, and maintaining the process models. The main outputs are to the Organization strategy and Process architecture phases, with gained knowledge for subsequent projects.

Role of Communication in 7FE Model

Efficient communication at all phases of the BPM project implementation is critical to its success. During the initial phases, communication of the organizational strategy and the architecture creates a basis for the decision-making within the organization. Communication continues throughout the Launchpad phase and includes continual updates. During the Innovate phase, the stakeholders must be informed about the scope of the project and their input. In the Develop phase, it is necessary to communicate the scope of the automation to all stakeholders. Implementation requires effective communication as well, inviting users’ participation and feedback. At the final stage, communication focuses on the realized benefits and how they will be sustained in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, BPM projects are complex business activities requiring consideration of many factors to order to succeed. To assess the level of BMP sophistication, maturity models have been developed, providing a multi-dimensional outlook of the BMP within an organization. Ten phases are identified in the effective implementation of BPM, with continual and explicit communication being the necessary condition at all phases.

Organizational culture is influenced and depended upon leadership style and personal characteristics of a leader. The strategy of an organization involves how it plans to achieve its mission and goals and is partly determined by its culture. However, strategy can also become one of the factors that influence the evolution of culture. Given that leadership becomes particularly important, it is crucial to understand the role and influence of leaders in the acculturation process and healthy organizational culture (Robbins, 2004). Leaders with different styles may have different preferences for values, morals and culture.

Following Foster-Fishman and Keys (1997): “Organizational culture refers to the shared system of meaning that guides organizational members’ believing, thinking, perceiving, and feeling, ultimately directing their behavior”. One of the major factors in the creation and development of culture is the influence of the leaders on an organization. Leaders leave an almost indelible mark on the assumptions passed down from one generation to the next. As a matter of fact, an organization often comes to mirror its leader’s personality. If the leader is control oriented and autocratic, the organization will be centralized and managed in a top-down fashion. If the leader is participative and team oriented, the organization will be decentralized and open. “Leaders and managers must be willing and able to expand their structuring of power to provide staff greater access to resources and increased discretion” (Foster-Fishman and Keys, 1997, p. 345).

The leaders are role models for organizational members. Stories are told about them, and myths are created about their courage, creativity, and physical prowess. Such stories help perpetuate leaders’ influence on their organizations and therefore safeguard the culture. The roles of leaders are that they establish and grant many of the status symbols that are the main artifacts of culture. They grant special awards within the organization that again set up role models for other employees. These role models are more often than not individuals who are excellent representatives of the culture of the organization. For instance, many executives are avid athletes. By setting themselves up as role models, they send the signal to their organizations that physical fitness is a key to success. Other means through which the leader shapes culture are by making decisions regarding the reward system and by controlling decision standards. What types of accomplishments will be rewarded is a major aspect of the culture of an organization (Robbins, 2004). The top managers decide which behaviors will be rewarded. In one organization, rewards (both financial and non-financial) go only to the highest contributors to the bottom line. In another, other accomplishments such as contributions to cultural diversity and degree of social responsibility are also valued and rewarded. By controlling the reward system, leaders can help maintain or change the culture of their organization. The responsibility of a leader is to establish core values and high morale among employees. “Core values and core purposes in enduring great organizations remain stable, while their operating values, practices, strategies, tactics, processes, structures, and methods, change continually” (Tannenbaum, 2003, p. 19). The power of the leader to make decisions for the organization regarding morale and strategy is another significant means of shaping healthy culture. By determining the hierarchy, the span of control, the reporting relationship, and the degree of formalization and specialization, the leader molds culture (Robbins, 2004). A highly decentralized and organic structure is likely to be the result of an open and participative culture, whereas a highly centralized structure will go hand in hand with a mechanistic/bureaucratic culture.

To create a healthy organizational culture leaders can maintain internal health. “Top leaders should encourage all managers to adopt a more participatory management style, providing autonomy and delegating decision-making responsibility to their employees” (Foster-Fishman and Keys, 1997, p. 345)..One of the functions of organizational culture is to help the organization function smoothly by providing the bond that keeps people together. The strength of the bond varies from one organization to the next and even within subgroups inside a single organization. However, regardless of the strength, culture provides the identity and collective commitment that are central to encouraging stability in an organization. A healthy culture is essential for the health of the organization. It can be achieved through string personal image and effective communication (Sass, 2000).

Another strategy which helps to maintain a healthy culture is giving identity and creating commitment. Culture makes every organization unique. Culture allows one group to set itself apart from others. Therefore, one of the essential aspects of culture is to provide a clear and unique identity to members of an organization. By demonstrating and communicating its culture, an organization can attract and retain employees. The unique identity can also become a source of competitive differentiation in the development of strategy (Robbins, 2004). The presence of an identity leads to higher employee commitment. Belonging to a company with a strong identity provides employees with a sense of family and belonging, which are essential factors in employee morale and satisfaction. Much has been written about the positive aspects of such an identity.

Taking into account me personal experience, I can say that the leader’s openness led to the creation of the healthy organizational culture. The leaders make most, if not all, of the decisions regarding the various factors that will shape culture (unique values, morals, communication). Once they are in place, they in turn influence the culture that contributed to their creation. “The focus becomes directed toward changing everyone and everything else rather than focusing on leader behavior and decision making as the real mechanisms for forging culture and creating desired changes” (Tannenbaum, 2003, p. 19). Trying to decide whether culture comes before the various organizational elements or whether they come first is only relevant in the early stages of the organizational life cycle. Once the organization is created, culture becomes one of the highly interdependent elements that influence decision making and affect performance. The structure of an organization limits or encourages interaction and, by doing so, affects, as well as is affected by, the assumptions shared by members of the organization. Similarly, the strategy selected by the leader or the top management team will be determined by, as well as help shape, the culture of the organization. A proactive differentiation strategy that requires innovation and risk taking will engender a very different culture than a strategy of retrenchment. Similarly, it may be very difficult for an inflexible leader to implement a highly innovative strategy that requires quick adaptation to the external environment and a healthy organizational culture.

References

1. Foster-Fishman, P.G., Keys, Ch. B. (1997). The Person/environment Dynamics of Employee Empowerment: An Organizational Culture Analysis. American Journal of Community Psychology 25 (3), 345.
2. Robbins, S. (2004). Organizational Behavior. Prentice Hall. 11 Ed.
3. Sass, J.S. (2000). Characterizing Organizational Spirituality: An Organizational Communication Culture Approach. Communication Studies 51 (3), 195.
4. Tannenbaum, M.A. (2003). Organizational Values and Leadership. The Public Manager, 32 (2), 19.

Introduction

The current economic development witnessed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is attributable to the abilities and willingness of organizational leaders to embrace the power of different managerial concepts. One such attribute is that of business excellence models. The Roads Transport Authority (RTA) and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MOID) use these two frameworks to achieve their objectives: the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). The discussion below gives a detailed literature review of the proposed research topic.

Literature Review

Within the past three decades, theorists have borrowed numerous ideas from the business and scientific fields to present evidence-based models for improving organizational performance. With many companies operating in turbulent or chaotic sectors, there has been a need for managers to embrace and implement different business excellence models. In the year 1988, the American government launched the MBNQA to revolutionize business culture and encourage organizations to embrace sustainable practices (Asif and Gouthier 524). This tool has become a benchmark for promoting desirable action plans, including continuous improvement. Today, over 60 countries have awards that are based on the Baldrige criteria.

The EFQM is another powerful model for guiding leaders to manage their organizations and deliver targeted results in a timely manner. The framework focuses on these eight key concepts: customer satisfaction results in orientation, the constancy of purpose and leadership, people involvement, management using evidence-based processes, innovation, public responsibility, and continuous learning (Jankalová and Jankal 3798). Managers who embrace this model find it easier to formulate appropriate strategies, create the best visions, and focus on the final outcomes. Many organizations in the UAE use it to drive performance.

The implementation of different excellence models promotes powerful practices that can eventually deliver targeted goals. The concept of self-assessment plays a critical role in ensuring that weak areas within the realm of management are identified. Managers can apply such attributes as powerful aspects of benchmarking (Lasrado and Pereira 72). This practice informs superior initiatives that can result in continuous improvement. The results gained from such models can become effective guidelines for business improvement.

Business excellence models present similar problems or challenges. The first one is that all frameworks have hundreds of questions for leaders and workers to answer. This practice is done to identify the right direction for every organization. Companies that lack proper models are usually unable to interpret emerging situations or circumstances effectively (Lasrado and Pereira 98). The second one is that such frameworks fail to provide meaningful solutions to most of the issues many firms encounter. This means that they cannot give wrong or right procedures for maximizing productivity.

On top of the above similarities or attributes associated with these excellence models, there are unique differences that organizational leaders should take seriously. Firstly, the Baldrige model is mainly a basis of offering different awards, while the EFQM presents powerful concepts for self-assessment. Secondly, the Baldrige model is a concept for awarding companies or organizations that meet specific requirements (Jankalová and Jackal 3802). On the other hand, the EFQM becomes a critical attribute for implementing appropriate action plans to increase profitability.

Conclusion

The above literature has presented a summarized analysis, comparison, and contrast of the EFQM and Baldrige business excellence models. Despite the outlined differences, the effective implementation of such frameworks can deliver numerous benefits, including idea generation, organizational growth, employee satisfaction, and enhanced innovation. The final paper will offer a detailed contrast and comparison of the models utilized by the RTA and the MOID.

Works Cited

Asif, Muhammad, and Mathias H. Gouthier. “What Service Excellence Can Learn from Business Excellence Models.” Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, vol. 25, no. 5-6, 2014, pp. 511-531.

Jankalová, Miriam, and Radoslav Jankal. “Sustainability Assessment According to the Selected Business Models.” Sustainability, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 3784-3807.

Lasrado, Flevy, and Vijay Pereira. Achieving Sustainable Business Excellence: The Role of Human Capital. Springer Shop, 2018.

Suppose you are a senior manager in a global management consulting company. Which conflict management style do you think is the best and would you adopt? Justify your answer.

Conflicts are always common in different working environments. A company that operates globally will encounter numerous conflicts. This fact explains why the organizational leaders in such a firm should be aware of the most desirable conflict management approaches. My role as a senior manager encourages me to embrace the power of accommodating conflict management style (Thomas 3). This style makes it easier for managers to cooperate with all the affected parties. This approach preserves the best relations while at the same time producing positive results. This conflict management style increases the level of cooperation between the manager and his or her followers (Schein 76). Experts have shown conclusively that the accommodating style can deliver positive results within a short duration.

Several factors explain why this is the best style to adopt. To begin with, senior managers should not focus on their personal goals. Instead, they should be ready to compromise and promote the best organizational relationships. The future performance of the consulting company depends on the manner in which conflicts are addressed. This conflict resolution approach will also make it easier for me to address the unique needs of more clients from diverse backgrounds (Adewale and Anthonia 121). This is the case because the company provides quality consulting services to the global consumer. The style will also make it easier for me to monitor and address the issues raised by every involved party. This conflict management style will eventually support the company’s goals. It will also make me a successful senior manager. The most important goal is to ensure the consulting company becomes a global leader.

Assimilation is one of the main strategies that can be used in merging organizational cultures. Based on your study answer the following sub-questions:

In which situations do companies tend to adopt assimilation strategy normally?

Mergers have become common in the recent past. This process brings together different employees who have diverse organizational skills and cultural orientations. Assimilation strategy is widely used to support the performance and success of such mergers. However, the assimilation strategy is only applicable in specific situations. For instance, a company that lacks a strong organizational culture can embrace that of the acquirer (Gelfand, Erez, and Aycan 503). As well, the method is useful when the acquiring company has a superior organizational culture. The employees of the other company should also be willing to embrace the culture of the acquirer. Many giant firms use this strategy in order to ensure the merger succeeds. Conflicts, challenges, and problems reduce significantly thus producing positive results.

Suppose that an organization desires to develop its own organizational culture. As a consultant what are the main elements of organizational culture would you recommend to be nurtured? Support your answer by a clarifying example for each.

Consultants possess desirable competencies in organizational management. As a consultant, I will outline the most appropriate elements that can help an organization develop the best organizational culture. The first element is the establishment of a powerful mission. This mission will communicate the company’s objectives to different stakeholders. The vision and model of the business should also be founded on the targeted organizational culture (Thomas 4). The second issue to consider is the promotion of positive workplace practices. For instance, employees should be encouraged “to work as teams, support one another, and focus on the best results” (Treven, Mulej, and Lynn 30).

Communication and problem-solving strategies should also be implemented. The company can also “embrace the power of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to fulfill the expectations of every employee” (Sulkowski 67). Conflict resolution should be a priority in order to address every problem at the workplace. A code of ethics should also be recommended in order to guide the actions undertaken by different employees. The company can also use effective leadership to produce the most desirable culture. These attributes will eventually make the firm successful.

Works Cited

Adewale, Osibanjo and Adeniji Anthonia. “Impact of Organizational Culture on Human Resource Practices: A Study of Selected Nigerian Private Universities.” Journal of Competitiveness 5.4 (2013): 115-133. Print.

Gelfand, Michele, Miriam Erez and Zeynep Aycan. “Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior.” Annual Review of Psychology 58.1 (2007): 479-514. Print.

Schein, Edgar. Organizational Culture and Leadership. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 2004. Print.

Sulkowski, Lukasz. “Elements of Organizational Culture: Theoretical and Methodological Problems.” Management 16.2 (2012): 63-71. Print.

Thomas, Kenneth. “Making Conflict Management a Strategic Advantage.” White Paper 1.1 (2014): 1-9. Print.

Treven, Sonja, Matjaz Mulej and Monty Lynn. “The Impact of Culture on Organizational Behavior.” Management 13.2 (2008): 27-39. Print.

In general, the planning function of management can be described as a process for setting future direction; a means to reduce risk, and a vehicle for training managers (Coyle, 2003). It is also a process for making decisions, a way to develop consensus among top managers, and a means to develop a written long-range plan. Strategic situations are complex and involve uncertainty. Because planning is directed toward the future, predictions of changes in the environment are indispensable components of it. In today’s quest for managers who are more leaders than conciliators, any interest in scenarios on the part of the strategist or executive should be welcomed.

The planning process used by senior management differs from front-line management. Senior managers mostly use strategic plans and long-term plans in their activities. The purpose of strategic planning is to provide management with a framework in which decisions can be made which will have an impact on the organization (Coyle, 2003). A conscious effort to systematize the effort and to manage its evolution is preferable to an unmanaged and haphazard evolution. The basic planning problem is how to allocate the organization’s limited resources. The major benefits to be expected from planning include an improved sense of direction for the organization, better performance, increased understanding of the organization and its purpose, earlier awareness of problems, and more effective decisions. The need for organizational development came about as organization leaders came to realize that piecemeal effort to patch up an organization problem here, fix a procedure there, or change a job description elsewhere were inadequate (Eden and Ackermann, 1998). Modern managers saw a need for a long-range, coordinated strategy to develop organizational climates, ways of work, relationships, communication systems, and information systems in order to deal with both predictable and unpredictable occurrences. Organizational development involves a systematic analysis of the organization and recognition of the need to understand and effectively deal with change (Upton, 2004).

Front-line management uses long-range planning, which most often an extrapolation of the present. It answers the question of how to get the job done. Planning at this level can be described as a decision process that meets the goals and objectives of the organization and identifies the opportunities and constraints which face that organization as it attempts to be successful, and lays out a plan of action for goal attainment. Planning entails operational (tactical) planning, the planning of those actions to be taken to put strategies into effect. This type of planning answers the question of how to get the job done. It often consists of specific objectives accompanied by short narrative action plans (Eden and Ackermann, 1998)

For every organization, it is important to integrate different finds of plans in order to respond to changing environment and foresee possible changes in the structure of business and workforce. Different kinds of plans can help managers view change as an opportunity instead of a threat. In this way, they can realize their full potential, their power to create a firm’s future. These plans involve strategic, operational, and contingency plans for organizational development and transformations. Plans allow the company to create a systematic approach to an increasingly important responsibility of general management: positioning today’s business firm in a rapidly changing and complex global environment. For instance, strategic planning concerns itself with establishing the major directions for the organization, such as its purpose/mission, major clients to serve, major problems to pursue, and major delivery approaches (Coyle, 2003). Operational plans allow the organization to introduce these changes into practice. Various kinds of plans allow decision-makers to view directional alternatives and scenarios. A one-time, all-encompassing plan does not recognize the reality of the political process and that economic sector; for this reason, organizations need to continually reexamine their strategic options. For instance, “The majority of the firms describe their business strategy as a high-quality producer strategy rather than as a low-cost or time-based strategy” (Upton et al. 2004, p. 60). Conventional forecasting techniques provide no cohesive way of understanding the effect of changes that will occur in the future. Scenarios provide corporate intelligence and a link from traditional forecasting methods to modern interactive planning systems (Coyle, 2003). A clearer delineation of planning is needed to make it a potentially rich field of application and research. A piecemeal approach will not be adequate when changes in the environment and in strategy occur together. Dealing with such changes (both internal and external) calls for a radical rethinking of strategy design and methods. Organization development is an effort that is planned, organization-wide, and managed from the top. Its primary purpose is to increase organizational effectiveness and health through planned interventions in the organization’s process, using behavioral science knowledge (Coyle, 2003).

For instance, one of the recent examples of pollution is a UK-based company, County Tyrone. It was found that “scum and foam were found escaping from a concrete pipe at the plant into the stream on 5 June 2006” (Food Company Fined for Pollution, 2007). In order to meet social responsibility policy and ethical principles, County Tyrone should base its plans on ethical and legal rules. The principal responsibility of senior management and policymakers is to evaluate the economies and the environment in which the organization operates, noting existing and potential opportunities and threats confronting the organization and the community. At the same time, the community and organization should be examined to ascertain strengths and weaknesses in such areas as organizational structure, finance, productivity, service delivery capability, community involvement and understanding, and overall management capacity (Eden and Ackermann, 1998). The new strategic planning will help this company to reduce the number of unfair and illegal actions of employees and force the staff to follow strict ethical and social responsibility rules.

Through a systematic meshing of external opportunities and perceived threats with institutional strengths and weaknesses, senior management can establish specific directions for the organization and then develop the strategies, policies, and control mechanisms that are most likely to contribute to the achievement of community goals (Eden and Ackermann, 1998). To do so successfully, corporate leaders should install organizational processes that can help them understand how the environment might be changing and what the effect of likely consequences will be. Otherwise, despite their current strengths, business firms are unlikely to be able to meet the challenges of the emerging high-technology and deregulated global economy without strategic plans and decision-making techniques.

References

1. Coyle, G. (2003). Practical Strategy: Structured Tools and Techniques. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall.
2. Eden, C., Ackermann, F. (1998). Making Strategy: The Journey of Strategic Management. Sage Publications.
3. Food Company Fined for Pollution (2007). BBC News. Web.
4. Upton, N. et al (2004). Strategic and Business Planning Practices of Fast Growth Family Firms. Journal of Small Business Management 39 (1), 60.

There are varied reasons that can make business people to contact their customers following the completion of the sales process. Such a case is called After Sales, and it entails seeking of information from the customers (Lane 111). For this case, the information sought has the potential of improving customer orientation to the company. One such effect is the existence of a chance that a business may collect information on the levels of satisfaction of the customers with the product or service they obtained from the company (Still, Edward & Norman 45).

This type of data has the effect of enabling the company to adjust the quality of its products proportionately to suit its market. The company may also obtain information from the customers concerning the perceptions of the customers regarding it. It means that the company will learn from such experiences, the best approaches to managing its relationship with the customers.

There are several tools that a business may use to identify new clients. For instance, the company can use market segmentation, which entails the categorization of the market according to the needs of the various categories within it. The method allows the company to determine what the potential customers require and producing just that. Using such a tool makes the company have the appeal of clients in the market and create an impression that it caters for their needs (Still, Edward & Norman 65).

In this way, the company creates a pull on a new pool of its clients. Segmentation of the market entails the collection of relevant information concerning the demographic characteristics, socio-economic features, the geographic features, and the psychographic features of the population. Such data helps the business to understand the needs of its potential market and incline the production of its products to meet the market gap. In this case, the company will strategize on the methods of addressing the needs identified through support measures such as product promotion. The methods of product promotion chosen by the corporation should be such that they meet the needs of the target market because they are based on the data collected.

A business may utilize the sense of feeling in sales as a way of improving its appeal to customers. There are many ways that the company can employ to give such an outcome. For instance, the business can have in place a customer service policy, which will drive the staff towards giving their best to customer satisfaction. In this case, the customers will develop feelings that the company cares for their needs because they will be a part of the reason why the business exists (Lane 117).

Another way of doing so is through the establishment of support systems, which have the responsibility of giving the customers a point-of-sale satisfaction. The two principles mentioned will ensure that the passion for customer satisfaction is the thematic approach of the company and in the eventual process, result in the love for customers. The company may also conduct regular checks on the customers on how they feel about the mode of services that they receive (Lane 117).

A properly crafted and resolved product design is a fundamental tool for the creation of perception about the products of a business. For instance, on a trade fair, a business may use product design as a critical element of attracting its customers. One such element involves the use of packaging and branding of its products. Such an approach is a way of helping the company to improve its brand in the market, which has the potential of making it popular among the customers. In so doing, the business improves its chances of maximization of sales in the future (Dalrymple, William & Thomas, 95).

There is a difference between sales and marketing though both are essential elements of the success of a business. In this case, there can never be sales without marketing, which means that how much a company will sell depends on the suitability of its marketing strategies. Marketing refers to the preliminary procedures undertaken by a business to ensure that it notifies its clients of the existence of its products or services in the market (Lane 114).

Therefore, the process entails all the steps that the business may use to attract potential customers, for example, such as product promotion. On the other hand, Lane proposes that the sales process entails the final step that results in the completion of a contract between a business and its clients involving the transfer of ownership of a product or the usage of the company’ services (114). The two elements are compliments of each other in ensuring the success of a business. For instance, the marketing process of the business determines the level of sales that the company makes. A business entity that invests critically in its marketing department ends up realizing a lot of success in its sales. In this way, therefore, it means that sales are dependent of the marketing proves.

The distribution mix is a critical stage of the marketing processes because it entails the geographic transfer of products and services to the points that avail them to their customers. For this case, sales entail the provision of the right products and services in their expected places and at the right time. The distribution mix will, therefore, highlight the channels of distribution of the product and the location of the business relative to the location of customers (Lane 100).

The distribution channels are those avenues that the products follow to reach their consumers. The channels may involve the all the middlemen in between the production of the products and their consumption by the customers. A longer chain of distribution has the process of slowing the process of selling because of the transportation and the storage of the products in the middlemen’s warehouses. A shorter distribution chain makes the process of selling faster because of its proximate location to the customers (Lane 100).

Works Cited

Dalrymple, Douglas J., William L. Cron, and Thomas E. DeCarlo. Sales management. Wiley, 2004. Print.

Lane, Nikala. Strategic Sales and Strategic Marketing. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.

Still, Richard Ralph, Edward W. Cundiff, and Norman AP Govoni. Sales management: decisions, strategies, and cases. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1988. Print.