Friday, November 15, 2019
Implications of change management on organizational behavior
Implications of change management on organizational behavior Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have-and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up. (James et al 1994) Change Management is the process, tools and techniques to manage the people-side of change to achieve the required business outcome (Prosci 2009). This report outlines a massive Change Management exercise rolled out at Infosys Technologies Ltd (ITL), India. ITL is a NASDAQ listed fortune 500, Indian IT company with 63 offices across the globe with an employee base of 1, 22,468 (Infosys 2010). Pre-recession scenario in Indian IT companies witnessed employee promotions in every 2-3 years. As a result, a person works on technology for 4-5 years and then moves up to management. This has resulted in clients complaining about the lack of technically strong people. To urgency to meet the client expectations triggered the launch of iRACE (Infosys Role and Career Enhancement) change management exercise in October 2009 amidst peak recession climate (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 563). iRACE, implemented by global HR services firm Mercer Consulting, was a career transformation exercise with 24 career streams to ensure the growth will no longer be defined by movement up due to frequent promotions. This review sights the analysis of the nature of iRACE transformation using Scale Of Change and Change Leadership Style plot (Stace and Dunphy, 2001), change agents approach, communication strategy and implications of iRACE change and compares it with theory. Also suggestions that could have led to effective change management at Infosys with minimum resistance and impact on the employees have been proposed. Change characteristics Scale, Leadership style Context Analysis: With approx. 1, 00,000 employees getting affected by the iRACE change rollout the analysis of the scale, leadership style context of the change becomes very significant. Stance and Dunphy (2001) defined that the change of scale using four characteristics: fine Tuning, incremental adjustment, modular transformation and corporate transformation. Stance and Dunphy (2001) also defined the categories of change leadership style: collaborative, consultative, directive and coercive. Plotting Scale Of Change against Change Leadership Style and Dunphy Stace contingency approach to change implementation helps to analyze the scale of change, leadership style and evaluate the approach of iRACE change whether it fits in the right context or not . (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 574). Fig1 : Scale of change and leadership style Scale of change Style of change leadership Fine Tuning Incremental Adjustment Modular Transformation Corporate Transformation Collaborative Type 1 Type 2 Consultative Participative evolution Charismatic transformation Directive Type 3 Type 4 iRACE Change was a necessity for survival. Had to rely on external support for doing the change. Coercive Forced evolution Dictatorial transformation Source: Adopted from (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 574). This matrix analysis categorizes iRACE into a Corporate Change with Coercive leadership style and fits iRACE into a Dictatorial corporate transformation context. Role and approach of Change Agents in fostering the change: Effective management of change is necessary to sustain the competition. Balogun and Hope Hailey (2004) report a failure rate of around 70% of all change programmes initiated. The facts thus suggest that there is no well-defined framework across domains that outlines the management and implementation of change. What is available is a wide range of confusing theories and approaches (Burnes, 2004). Guimaraes and Armstrong (1998) support this by saying that mostly superficial analyses have been published in this basic area. With the lack of a fundamental framework of change, the role of change agents becomes exceedingly crucial. A change agent is defined as a manager who seeks to reconfigure an organizations roles, responsibilities, structures, outputs, processes, systems, technology or other resources in the light of improving organizational effectiveness (Buchanan and Badham 1999). Buchanan and Boddy (1992) list competencies of effective change agents: clarity of specifying goals, team building activities, communication skills, negotiation skills and influencing skills to gain commitment to goals. Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) sight that distribution of change agency means that more people need to have the skills required. Also contrary to Gronn (2002) and Bennett et all (2003) sighting, iRACE change agency was not distributed as major part of the change was formulated by Mercer Consulting (external change agent) and a committee of only 65 top level managers (internal change agents) Fig2 : iRACE Change Management and Communication (Phases and Timelines) Source: Self-understanding of knowledge of iRACE gained at Infosys (2009) Kanter (1989) speaks of superhuman change agents, with wide-ranging expertise, as a business athlete. Although the change agents seemed to be effective in Phase I but contrary to Kanter (1989) argument, change agents in Phase II couldnt perform effective organizational diagnosis and Phase III IV were ineffective because of the lack of expertise the change agents took much longer time than expected in dealing with the design complexities. This resulted in excessive delay in (Phase V) and thus delayed communication led to mismatch with the stakeholders expectations of the change resulting in resentment of the stakeholders (Kubler Ross, 1969). Importance of Communication- An underestimated picture An effective communication smoothens the delivery of the change. Bovee and Thill (2000, p.4) believe that effective communication only takes place when participants achieve a shared understanding, stimulate others to take actions and encourage people to think in new ways. Opposite to Bovee and Thills (2000) saying iRACE change communication lacked shared understanding at the managerial level. Gibb (1961) argues the importance of Communication Climate. Contrary to Gibb (1961) argument the climate was not favorable for iRace change with global recession cloud, layoffs and other stringent policy amendments (e.g. 9.15 work hour policy, ISTAFF policy) and communications taking place simultaneously. The communication process also lacked effective communication strategy. The communication was merely based on tactical analysis. Even though communication involved just tactical analysis, It failed to cater to all the areas of tactical analysis i.e. it lacked right channels for communication flow, timeliness and efficient monitoring. Communication was made highly complex. The delay in design phase worsened the communication by percolating the delay in delivery phase and as a result of shrinked timelines, communication process lacked two-way communication, dialogue and feedback, review exercise for the communication delivered and last but not the least the employee discomfort went un heard during the entire communication phase (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 226-27). Fall out of the Change Impact on Organizational Behavior : Role Restructuring Demotions: Over 4,500 people got demoted because of the iRACE implementation. This created a furor. Loss of Loyalty of Employees: The employees criticized iRACE and the HR leadership through use of social media to express their resentment and the fading out loyalty. Unprecedented Attrition- A key failure indicator: In the initial half of 2010- Infosys lost 4000 employees in the month of February 2010 alone accounting for 3% of its total strength (Dexter 2010). Over 10,000 that have quit since October 2009, 4,000 left in February10 alone. About 1,000 e-separations were filed on the intranet on a single day: December 31st (Current IT Market 2010). Fig3 : Attrition Rate at Infosys Pre and Post iRACE change implementation Source: (Infosys Reports Filings 2010) Pre iRACE Implementation- Q3-09 to Q2-10 relate to Peak recession scenario iRACE design phase. iRACE Implementation- Q4-10 iRACE Implementation phase Post iRACE Implementation- Q1-11 to Q2-11- iRACE fall out phase. Refurbishing process- The Resolution : Unitarist frame of reference views organization as fundamentally harmonious, co-operative structures, consisting of committed, loyal, worker-management teams that promote harmony of purpose (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 662-63). Ackroyd et al (1999) and Johnston (2000) identified the key features of unitarist frame of reference which use communication failures between management and employees to explain the workplace conflict. To overcome the communication failures continuous impacts, management must re-structure the communication process so that the objective of the change is communicated to the employees clearly. Firstly, using Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) theory of distribution of change agency management must involve more skilled persons in the communication thus distribute the change agency. Secondly, iRACE change agents should restructure the communication process by using a Strategic Planning- Iceberg which outlines the strategic approach to communicating change based o n four levels of planning outlined below (Clampitt et all N.D.). Fig3 : Strategic Planning Iceberg Source: (Clampitt et all N.D.) The Ice Berg strategic planning will benefit iRACE change agents in focusing on all four strategic approaches contextual analysis (anticipate possible resistance points), audience analysis (isolate key groups of employees that may be directly or indirectly impacted by the change) and strategic design (development of a sustainable strategy based on the outcomes of contextual and audience analysis) unlike the previous approach which focused on Tactics (how to s?) only. As the market is stabilizing after the recession, substantial rewards (salary hikes, exceptional performance promotions, role progressions if not role change) can be given to the employees which will be beneficial for the employees and the organization as a whole. Conclusion: The Scale Of Change against Change Leadership Style and Dunphy Stace contingency approach helped in accessing the characteristics of the change. The analysis also uses Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) change agency distribution theory to analyze the importance of distribution of the change agency viz a viz emphasizes on competencies of effective change agents. These strategies, if used, strategically, would have led to the involvement of more competent people into the change process as change agents. Diversification of change agency if ignored like in case of ITL leads to inefficient change strategy. The unitarist frame of reference helped to identify the causes of conflict in ITL. This analysis further highlights the (Clampitt et all N.D.) Ice Berg strategic planning approach to understand the significance of strategic communication of the change and communication climate Gibb (1961) and its benefits in communicating the objective of the change. Value of the strategic communic ation in fostering the change, if undermined, wreaks serious threats to the organizational behavior. The solutions suggested may involve extra manpower, extra effort and time in restructuring the communication process and communicating the essence of change. Given solution may also incur cost to give wage hikes initially but are competent enough to solve the problem and lead to a smoothened and sustainable organization change viz a viz improvement in organization behavior. References Ackroyd, S. and Thompson, P. (1999) Organizational Misbehavior. London: Sage Publications. Balogun, J. and Hope Hailey, V. (2004) Exploring Strategic Change, 2nd edition (London: Prentice Hall). Bennett, N., Wise, C. and Woods, P. (2003) Distributed Leadership. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership. Bovee, C.L. and Thill, J.V. (2000), Business Communication Today, 6th edition., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Buchanan, D.A. and Badham, R. (1999), Politics and organizational change: the lived experience, Human Relations, Vol. 52 No. 5, pp. 609-29. Buchanan, D.A. and Boddy, D. (1992), The Expertise of the Change Agent, Prentice-Hall, London. Burnes, B. (2004) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics, 4th edition (Harlow: Prentice Hall). Clampitt, Phillip, G. and Berk, Laurey, R. (N.D.) Strategically Communicating Organization Change. http://www.imetacomm.com/otherpubs/pdf_doc_downloads/strat_commg_org_change_v5.pdf [Accessed 28/10/2010]. Current IT Market (2010). Most Viewed Posts Today: Infosys to give unheard of increments. http://www.currentitmarket.net/2010/03/infosys-to-give-unheard-of-increments.html [Accessed 27/10/2010]. Dexternights (2010). Daily dose of Technology and Reviews: Infosys iRace makes employees say I QUIT. http://www.dexternights.com/2010/03/20/infosys-irace-makes-employees-say-i-quit/ [Accessed 27/10/2010]. Gibb, J.R. (1961) Defensive Communication, Journal of Communication, 11(3): 141-48. Gronn, P. (2002) Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis, Leadership Quarterly, 13(4):423-51. Guimaraes, T. and Armstrong, C. (1998) Empirically testing the impact of change management effectiveness on company performance, European Journal of Innovation Management, 1(2), pp. 74-84. Huczynski, A., and Buchanan, A. (2010) Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition. Harlow: Pearson Education, pp. 563-575, 662-663. Infosys (2010). About us: What We Do http://www.infosys.com/about/what-we-do/pages/index.aspx [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Infosys Reports Filings (2010). Quarterly Reports, FY 09-11: Fact Sheet: Consolidated financial data: Attrition. http://www.infosys.com/investors/reports-filings/quarterly-results/2010-2011/Q1/Pages/index.aspx [Accessed 26/10/2010 ] James, A., Belasco and Ralph, C., Stayer (1994). Flight Of The Buffalo http://www.leadershipnow.com/changequotes.html [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Johnston, R. (2000) Hidden capital. In J. Barry, J.Chandler, H. Clark, R. Johnston and D. Needle (eds), Organization and Management: A Critical Text. London: International Thomson Business Press, pp. 16-35. Kanter, R.M. (1989) When Giants Learn to Dance: Mastering the Challenge of Strategy. Management and Careers in the 1990s. London: Simon Schuster. Kubler-Ross, E. (1969) On Death and Dying. Toronto: McMillan. Prosci (2009). Proscis Change Management Webinar Series http://www.change-management.com/Prosci-Webinar-Prereading-2009.pdf [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Stace, D., and Dunphy, D., 2001 The strategic management of corporate change, Human Relations, 46(8), pp. 905-918.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Code of Sexual Ethics
Human Sexuality Due: April 24, 2009 The value of a sexual code of ethics is very high in this day and age. It is extremely important to have a code of sexual ethics right now as the youth of this country and even the world more so, need to make sure that they know where they stand in this subject matter. My sexual ethics are influenced by my faith and family mostly but my ethics are also influenced by my friends and the different media around me. It is important that all people have some sort of code of ethics because sometimes we need to know what it is we stand for. When you do not sit down and evaluate what your standards are when it comes to sex and your sexual ethics, it is very easy to be swayed into doing things that you do not believe in doing or that are unsafe for you as an individual. So know who you are and what you are comfortable with, otherwise you can find yourself in some tight situations. I hope that by writing my own sexual ethics it gives insight to help you and the next generations decide where they stand on these important matters. Firstly, I want to tell you what I think sex is. I would define sex as the penetration of a maleââ¬â¢s penis into a womanââ¬â¢s vagina by heterosexual definition. Sex is a big deal. It is the most appealing, common and acceptable sexual behavior among heterosexuals. My belief is that sex should be used in the context of marriage exclusively by a man and a woman. I also believe that in order to have sex with someone it requires full trust, communication, and the ultimate commitment, marriage because when you choose to have sex with someone you also choose to give them a part of yourself as well. If you have these factors in your sexual interactions with your significant other than you do not have to worry about the stress and unhappiness that comes along with relationship that do not have commitment. Sex is enjoyable and a pleasurable experience and when you find that one person that you want to share yourself with it is one of the most emotionally, physically, and mentally connecting moments to your partner. I myself have never had sex but from my experience, I have seen too many friends think they are ready and find out that they are not. After the fact of sharing themselves with someone, a lot of them want to take that one moment back. But it can never be taken back. Disadvantages of being abstinent are that it requires a lot of restraint and self- discipline, clear communication with your significant ther and the risk of having unprotected sex if by chance the commitment you made with your significant other falls through. From my experience being abstintent is hard because you want to show your significant other some type of affection and let them know that you care but those things lead to others and you can find yourself struggling to remain abstinent as you promised. Advan tages are that there is no cost, no risk of pregnancy, and protection from STIs. I hope that you as my child choose to take abstinence. It would give you a chance to live life without the complications of what sex has to offer. My last sexual ethic is that oral sex (cunnilingus, fellatio) and anal sex (anilingus) are also forms of sex. A lot of people do not consider it to be so. Some couples use anal sex as a substitute for intercourse. Some couples who have made a decision to avoid intercourse either due to personal moral beliefs, not wanting to worry about getting pregnant, or the desire to wait until a later point in time for intercourse will decide to use oral/anal sex as a way of exploring sexual intimacy without actually having intercourse. But one thing that many people forget is that STIs are more easily spread through having sex in these methods. When it comes to oral sex especially, people run into the problem of the transmission of almost all STIs, including HIV, hepatitis B, and human papilloma virus. One can also damage the rectal walls allowing contact of the inserting partnerââ¬â¢s semen with the receiving partners bloodstream. So I hope if you are trying to find an alternative for sex if you are not going to have you think twice because all these things are sex and they can still give you STIs. I am very lucky to have parents that are open and talk about all types of issues. Things that they were not afraid to talk about were about the issues of sex and much needed information I needed to know. I learned a lot of what I know about sexuality from them. I learned about dating and the importance of sex after marriage from them. They instilled the fact that I should wait for my soul mate and husband before I decided that I was going to engage in sexual intercourse. They also were open with the option of telling me that if I was to have sex before marriage I could use protection to keep me safe and they also discussed what kinds of protection there are. What has been helpful in helping me decide what I wanted as my sexual ethics is that I was always able to openly ask my parents questions and if they did not know the answer to my question they would research for me or buy me a book on the subject so that we could talk and discuss the subject. It was kind of difficult to write this paper because if I could just have one sexual ethic to write about it would be abstinence because you do not have to worry about pregnancy or STIs if you are not engaging in things of the sexual nature. Even though staying abstinent is hard and very difficult I definitely stand by it one hundred percent. I already knew where I stood when it came to my sexual ethics and what I believed you can and cannot do with an individual or significant other. But this paper gave me even more reason to believe what I believe because I got to see the pros and cons of everything and it further confirmed my decision to be the way I am. I do live by the principles I wrote for my children and I hope that they are not afraid to live by them in the future. I do not think my code will ever need revisions in the future because I am firm in what I believe in and I hope that my kids will believe in it too.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Parle Ivey Case Study
|[pic] | |Parle-G | |[A case study] | | | | | |Date:10/25/2011 | Group members: 1. Divya Gupta 2. Rishabh Deo 3 . Shikha Rastogi 4 . Sonam Agrawal 5 . Swati Anoop 6 .Vrittika Srivastava: 7. Yogesh Joshi |[The case discusses about the Parle-G challenges regarding the manufacturing cost and profit margin. Mr. Kulkarniââ¬â¢s dilemma to increase | |the revenue shares. ] | | | |SNO |TOPIC |PAGE NO | |1. |Present case Situation 3 | |2. |Is Mr Kulkarniââ¬â¢s decision complex or a simple decision? |4 | |3. |Advantages and disadvantages of VFM product. |5 | |4. |Marketing plan to overcome problem. |6 | | | CONTENTS THE PRESENT CASE SITUATION: Parle Products has been India's largest manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery for almost 80 years. Makers of the world's largest selling biscuit, Parle-G, and a host of other very popular brands, the Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition and great taste.With a reach spanning even to the remotest villages of India, the company has de finitely come a very long way. Many of the Parle products ââ¬â biscuits or confectioneries, are market leaders in their category.. With a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15% share of the total confectionary market in India, Parle has grown to become a multi-million dollar company. While to the consumers it's a beacon of faith and trust, competitors look upon Parle as an example of marketing brilliance.The case is all about the flagship product of the Parle group Parle- G, Parle G is a glucose biscuit and has a market share of 76% in its category, it contributes 10-15 % of the total revenue of Parle. The problem which Mr Kulkarni ,general manager Parle Products Pvt limited, is concerned about, is the complex situation emerged out of the growing input prices. The growing input prices have led the Parle to think on the pricing strategy of Parle G. The brand name ââ¬Å"Parle Gâ⬠is a Value For Money product. In January in the first attempt to offset rising prices p arley hiked the price of 16 biscuit packet from INR 4. 0 to INR 4. 50. the idea failed and the sales came down by 40% within six months and hence the price rise was rolled back. Four years later management took remedial step to deal again with rising prices and this time focus was on reducing weight of the packet and number of biscuits was also decreased from 16 to 15. Although consumers noticed it but decided to go along with it as far as the company does not tingles with prices. So ultimately company adopted alternate thinking of cutting prices involved and these measures were buying of manufacturing units near to the wholesalers and by franchising the production.Forward contracts were introduced to reduce supply chain costs and addition to all this wax coated paper had been replaced by BOPP paper to reduce cost. With entry of competitors like Britania, HUL and ITC Ltd the situation is getting more complex day by day for the Parle G. Any wrong decision from Parle can have daring c onsequences for their flagship product Parle G. The dilemma of December 2009: A price hike seemed like a necessity to restore the margins; a hike in the price had the potential to increase the margin by 50% and to restore the previous level of 15%.But the previous experience of price hike had already given a bad experience to Parle. The problem with Parle is its VFM image, companies build brand equity in order to deflect the focus of customers from the price. They donââ¬â¢t mind loosening their wallets for a brand which delivers a value on a dimension perceived by them. Parley needs to come out of its perilous VFM image and secondly the dependence on a single brand and a single SKU. Parley G contributes 68% of the annual sales revenue of Parley and the INR 4. 00 SKU was contributing to 50 % of Parley Gââ¬â¢s annual sales revenue.The dilemma in which troubles Mr Kulkarni is: 1. Should he launch new SKUââ¬â¢s and new price points. Or 2. Should he continue to tinker with the G rammage. IS Mr. Kulkarni's decision complex or simple? What are the various issues & considerations? Mr. P. Kulkarni, general manager, Parle Products Pvt. Ltd. (Parle) is faced with the dilemma of increasing the price of the biscuit or decreasing the grammage of its SKU. The Indian consumer holds strong brand equity with Parle G biscuit on account of its low cost and value for money (VFM) proposition. The company started as a value for money brand in 1939.This was a marketing perception which has remained intact for last sixty year. But in last sixty years Indian market has opened up and MNC companies are new competitor. Now the same value for money strategy is gnawing at the profit margin of Parle G. Essentially brand is something that create a niche segment for itself and consumers do not mind loosening up their pockets a bit more every next year to associate with that brand and buy it. But here in India, the consumer are very price sensitive and increasing the price leads to the risk of losing the existing and prospective customer. Thus the question that Mr.Kulkarni is faced with is a very serious dilemma and involves complex thinking and decision making strategy. For example in 2004, Parle has increased the price by 50 paisa from 4Rs. to 4. 5 Rs. and sales dropped by 40 per cent within six months. Hence the company has to roll back the price increment. The brand has a strong dependence on the single brand â⬠Parle Gâ⬠and on its single SKU of 100 gram, which contributes to 50 per cent in sales revenue. The companyââ¬â¢s share of domestic biscuit market is at 40 per cent and Parle Gââ¬â¢s share of the domestic glucose category is at 74 per cent.This has made the company more dependent on that particular brand which is not healthy. The focus is so much to maintain the low price strategy that other issues such as quality and taste are ignored. Raw material prices of sugar and wheat, which constitute 55 per cent of have increased in the last 18 months. Consequently the margin of Parle G had decreased from 15 per cent to 10 per cent. The price consciousness of customer depends on the household income. The lower and middle class people are most sensitive to price change. In past whenever the price was increased the company lost its sales revenue. Thus Mr.Kulkarni decision is a complex one as what seems a simple solution to increase the price does not go well with the Indian middle class consumers. 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Value for Money Position: VALUE FOR MONEY POSITION (VPM) is the most common positioning category. Most firms position their products to offer great value for their customers. Companies can choose either ââ¬Å"Same (as premium product) for fewer pricesâ⬠or ââ¬Å"More (of the product) for the same priceâ⬠pricing strategy. More for the same price is often used at high end products which have superior product attributes but is priced on par with competition.ADVANTAGES of V FM: 1. The company initial product is Parle-G which provides major profit to the company. Value for Money positioning helps generate large sales volume for products. 2. Value for money was the consumer perception that had led Parle-G to become largest selling biscuit brand by volume in the world in 2002 as validated by a study by global market research firm A C Nielsen. Market share is highest for Parle-G because of value to money it revolves to the customers. 3. Parle-G has adopted the market penetration strategy that is low price along with capturing of a large market .The value for money positioning helps generate large sales volumes for the products. 4. VFM is the only value dimension consumers seem to be plugged into with Parle-G . it is also value dimensions they are plugged into with glucose category which ParleG- leads. 5. Due to VMP which has advantage for Parle-G create problem for new entrants like Tiger Glucose brand of biscuits of Britannia ,Sun feast Glucose of ITC Ltd . These new entrants were under compulsion to keep prices low. DISADVANTAGES- 1. It is a very price sensitive market owing to VFM. These being the weakness hold competition as its main weakness. . It could further lead to profit erosion and entry of un-brand players into the market notwithstanding these threats; the company beholds many opportunities each as exports and affluence. 3. Consumer perception was rooted so strongly in Parle- Gââ¬â¢S low price that it was undermining other product attributes such as quality and taste. 4. The value for money product is highly elastic in nature and hence the price cannot be increased even to a single unit as it will affect the demand drastically. 5. Parle-G had generally refrained from increasing the price of Parle- G, even when it had no competition .In holding to the price line, Parle had brought disciplining factors to the Indian market. 6. A hike in price had the potential to increase the margin of Parle-G by 50 per cent and to perhap s restore it to the earlier level of 15 per cent. But, if the experience of 2004 was any indication, consumer would be extremely sensitive to a price hike. Marketing plan to overcome this problem: ââ¬Å"Reducing the gram mage is the only way outâ⬠: Owing to its VFM image and the valuable brand which Parle G has grown into for the middle class and lower middle class society, playing with prices is like playing with fire for Parle G.Middle class and lower lower middle class constitute the major purchasers in the Indian biscuits industry. Not only Parle G even brands like Nestleââ¬â¢s Maggi and Hajmola have also adopted the same policy of weight reduction. Growing input prices is beyond our control and hence we have to go ahead with weight reduction of current SKUââ¬â¢s. Cost control measures have to follow strictly and obediently to keep margins at par. Parle G for ââ¬Å"specialsâ⬠category: Parle G is market leader in its category (glucose) with market share of 74% and penetration rate of 84%. The glucose category of biscuits forms a market of 42% of Indian biscuit industry.With increasing income levels in country the choice is showing a shift into premium category. Premium category is the future market to repeat history which Parle G has created in glucose category Parle G should be established also as a premium brand. New varieties can be launched focusing niche customers eg: 1. Parle G chocolate : kids from 6-14 2. Parle G diet :teenagers 3. Parle G protein : for lactating mother and pregnant women 4. Parle G sugar free : for health conscious people. These varieties will fetch totally new segments for Parle G (augmentation) without cannibalising the existing Parle G VFM image.Similar trends are followed by Nestleââ¬â¢s Maggi by introducing Maggi Soupy Noodles and Maggi Pasta. Parle G for institutional ââ¬Å"in bigger SKUââ¬â¢sâ⬠: This initiative aims at institutional sales by introducing bigger SKUââ¬â¢s, these SKUââ¬â¢s c an also be used to target the local posh and successful tea stalls. This step will help to counter the unorganised sector which prevails in local areas. Bigger SKUââ¬Ës will be used as refilling units. Big plastic containers will provided and hence it wonââ¬â¢t be required to repurchase SKUââ¬â¢s instead of only refilling it. These SKUââ¬â¢ will reduce packaging cost and the plastics containers will require only refilling.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Flaws of Contagion Essays
Flaws of Contagion Essays Flaws of Contagion Essay Flaws of Contagion Essay In 2011 , the blockbuster, Contagion, was released, featuring several prominent actors. In summary, the movie is the story of a father who loses his wife and son to a completely brand new virus. This new virus, dubbed MOVE-I, originated from a bat in Hong Kong. The bat bit a fruit then dropped it into a pigpen infecting the pig that consumed the fruit with the bats virus. While pig was prepped to be cooked, the chef touched the pigs mouth, getting virus on his hand and shakes the hands of woman, Beth, making her patient zero for MOVE-I . The disease then spread to others who mom In contact with Beth or Beets belongings. After the CDC realized the existence of this virus, they promptly started researching It. After several days of research, clients were able to determine that the virus was 15 to 19 kielbasas In length and containing six to ten genes, typical of a paramours containing genes from bats and pigs, which attach to receptors found on cells In the respiratory and the central nervous system. The virus is seemingly able to be contracted through the respiratory tract, but kills the host by making its way to the brain and causing encephalitis. The vaccine for the virus was developed by first growing the virus in fetal bat cells in culture, propagating and isolating, and finally inoculating rhesus monkeys with attenuated and dead forms of the virus. Out of desperation for working vaccine, after observing one monkey surviving during the vaccination trials, one of the researchers injected herself with the tested vaccine given to the surviving chimp. By doing so, she skipped the entire clinical trials portion of developing vaccines and had the vaccine abstracted to be mass-produced. : While this movie was more scientifically accurate then most other movies, there are still several aspects of the movie that seem incorrect. One aspect of the movie that stood out to me as incorrect was what the virus was considered to be. According to one of the researchers, the virus was described to have the physical qualities of a ovoviviparous. This statement itself is already inaccurate since a virus genome should not defer so much between the viruses infects a host. Though there may be a wide range of genomic size across the entire ovoviviparous family, the strain of virus hat Infects a host should not differ as much. In addition, while physically the virus may resemble a ovoviviparous, it seems to have the pathological effects of a ovoviviparous, oblivious, and influenza combined. The virus Is highly contagious (a trait of avariciousness), yet kills the host quickly (common for oblivious), has a short Incubation period (traits of Influenza), and seems to cause encephalitis from entering through the respiratory tract (as seen by Influenza associated encephalitis). It Is extremely unlikely for a virus to exalt pathological effects of three different mammals of viruses at the same time. For a virus to have the traits of three different families viruses, they virus can no longer be considered a paramours. In fact this virus seems to relate more to oblivious because of the high lethality and transmissible of the virus. In addition to the unlikely identity of the virus, the origin of virus seems just as spread to a pig and then to humans, which mimic the transmission route of the Hander virus, which is part of the ovoviviparous family. While the route of transmission seems credible, it is who is infected first that isnt. According to the movie, the first person to be infected is the wife, Beth. However, in reality she would not be the first become infected. If contracting the virus is as simple as touching the pigs mouth, the farmer raising the pigs or the butcher the operators of the slaughterhouse that kills the pig should be infected first. The farmers are dealing with the pigs much more closely and the operators at the slaughterhouse are constantly being exposed to blood and other bodily fluids of the pig and so they should have a bigger change of becoming infected first as opposed to Beth. This is similar to the case of Hander virus, where the farmers were the first ones to become infected. However, if the virus has a high mutation rate, designing a possible vaccine for, it is extremely difficult. For example, designing the yearly flu shots can be somewhat of a guessing game. Scientists look at the global strains of influenza and make a prediction as to which strains will be prevalent the coming winter and then create a vaccine for those strains. Sometimes they are able to predict it well, other time they are not. This vaccine must constantly be updated or changed because the virus itself mutates so past vaccinations are no longer effective. Obtaining the perfect vaccination for highly immutable virus, like in the movie, is nearly impossible. In addition, the researcher would have to test the vaccine that she created more times before even thinking about injecting it in a human. The only basis that the researcher had that the vaccine worked was that one monkey survived with that vaccine. Normally, a vaccine needs to be tested on many more monkeys to see if it is truly viable. In addition, clinical trials are necessary to see how the general populace will react to the vaccination. Just because the vaccine works in animals does not mean that it will work the same in humans. Thus more tests are needed to ensure the quality of the vaccine. Lastly, after the Cutter Laboratories Incident, during which the vaccine made for polio actually caused polio itself, more stringent laws would have passed to require researchers to find the possible side effects of the vaccine. It would be terrible to have a repeat of the Cutter Laboratories incident for a lethal virus like MOVE-I.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
The Design and Limits of Company Website
The Design and Limits of Company Website Introduction Background of the study Often, emerging businesses demands information flow and dimensional communication systems modeled in websites. Websites are an essential tool for marketing, purchase, recruitment, customer services, and communication.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Design and Limits of Company Website specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Across the globe, small, median and large business organizations have embraced the essence of owning a website from which all its activities are centralized. From a website, depending on its design, it is possible for a potential customer, employee, and the general public to have a quick access of services offered by a company and even trade or purchase goods online without necessarily having to appear physically. Purpose of the study The design and limits of accompany website depends mainly on the cost of maintenance and design, relevance, and sustainability (C haffey, 2009). In relation to this, analysis of websites will include tools laid down for support, governance, and paradigm shift as communication technology experience metamorphosis. Website use depends on the magnitude of information processing, decision faculty, and collocation efficiency especially in marketing, identity, recruitment, and departmental control (Chaffey, 2009). In retrospect, it is necessary to address interacting facets of information marketing management and efficiency in communication via use of a customized website. This research treatise examines the various uses and design of company websites for orders, information, storefront, communication, job recruitment, and marketing. Besides, quantifiable website progress and interpretation for successful, efficient, and modern communication system management are addressed as constituents of organization management framework. In addition, the treatise aims at reviewing an efficient, successful, cost effective and sec ure website system to ensure competitive service provision. Problem statement Overtime, companies are faced with the need to develop an all round and comprehensive websites which are secure, reliable and relevant to their line of operation. In the process, there is need to align management goals vertically on the operating processors affordable in the value market chain. Unfortunately, sometimes this is not the case especially when vertical arrangement is erased by coalitions of competence and structural operations. To achieve the desired outcomes such as comprehensive information efficiency, security, and optimal information presentation, there is an immediate need to establish the most reliable website design for appropriate system administration and functionality within optimal Pareto efficiency.Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research Hypothesis Often connected to a network system, examples of websites include simple and complex models depending on the quantity of information available in it. Thus, the hypothesis if this research study is to review design and appropriate use of business websites as a form of information sharing within business environment in the twenty first century. Literature Review Theoretical frameworks According to Swart and Kinnie (2003), websites are essential in processing, retrieving, storing and distribution information about a companyââ¬â¢s products, services, human resource, management systems and marketing for competitive existence and relevance (Swart and Kinnie, 2003). The main components of a business website include the company profile, announcements, online trade, blackboard, and information update buttons. These buttons are designed in a way that can monitor and detect alterations. From a software control system, websites have security systems, operation programs, utility support, and management systems (Swart and Kinnie, 2003). Websites can be customized to perform information processing requirements within a security monitoring range. Website system facilitates information sharing and marketing. Methodology Data Collection Business managers often have sole responsibility of managing information systems and marketing. Every year, the management set goals and flexible development plans aimed at facilitating growth in formation sharing and advertising products offered in the company website. For efficient information sharing, it must be viable and fall within the brackets of Pareto efficiency bundles. Website design is the focal point of its operation and inclusivity. By employing open-ended questionnaires in direct interviews, the research targets information managers of medium business companies. Due to the small sample size, this method suits the goal of this research. The questions to ask revolves around information, communication, recruitment, advertisement, and store front ma nagement as part of information available in a website. In addition, issues on reliability, efficiency, and security of this form of information sharing system are also asked. After data collection, simple swot analysis inclusive of quantitative correlation analysis of responses given is included on the inference. The findings revealed that company websites are essential in sharing information, management, and advertisement as a mean for maintaining a competitive edge and relevancy in service provision.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Design and Limits of Company Website specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Discussion and Analysis Explanations on relevance and use of company websites in information sharing clearly indicate a complete paradigm shift in marketing and information management. Websites has enabled customers to do their shopping online from order, request for delivery, to making payments. In the websites , recruitment has been made easier as potential employees can apply for vacant positions online. Moreover, customers are given an opportunity to air their compliment and complaints for services offered to them. Besides, dissatisfied customer may type suggestions for future improvement in service provision. As companies make alterations t factor in the comments provided, differentiation and brand growth is likely to improve as communication enhances. As an advertising tool, websites offer opportunity to customers to purchase goods from the comfort of their homes and make the company have a competitive edge above other players Conclusion and Recommendation As the social media grows, companies have embraced online marketing methodology in the form of social media websites where they can interact with clients and potential customers. Social medias are marketing tools that when well used can give a company a competitive advantage over its competitors. References Chaffey, A. (2009) ââ¬Å "Business Information Managementâ⬠. Web. Swart, J. Kinnie,N. (2003). ââ¬Å"Sharing knowledge in knowledge intensive firmsâ⬠, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol 13, No2, pp 60-75.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Spartan Warriors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Spartan Warriors - Essay Example Spartan warriors' military fitness, as mentioned began specifically at birth. One of the immediate tests was when the mother of the child literally bathed in wine. This test already claimed its effectiveness in selecting who were the children fitted to be warriors through their survival (Schrader 2007). The test though didn't end there. Upon the survival of the child from the test, the decision about the child's future will be subject under the elders' judgment, if the child was to be reared as warrior or not. A child who survived but had founded with defective or weak was also considered useless. This child will be subject under the abandonment in the wild slopes of Mount Taygetos or Apothethae. The place was already known as a place of rejection (Schrader 2007). This practice was believed by the Spartans as way to preserve and maintain the high physical standard in their race. Spartan warriors were expected in absoluteness regarding physical strength and capability (Stark 1997). Another Spartan custom to eliminate the weak in their race was the throwing into a pit of the defective child. A cloak and nothing else would be the only clothing that provided for boys 12 years of age and below, was also a test for their physical health that was essential for fitness. Another test for their living condition was through hunger. ... Growing up in Spartan society was tougher for the Spartan boys than the girls. Officials assembled the young boys for primary fighting orientation. Spartan boys were expected to be grouped by age. They would then fight with each other, and the toughest boy would be the leader. (Connoly 1979) Another test for their living condition was through hunger. Spartan boys were being purposely underfed. This condition was to test them their hunting skills, up to the extent of motivating them to steal purposely the food in the supplies. Along with the test of hunger, they were also commanded to sleep in the bare ground. In fact, during the earliest days of Sparta, a citizen's life was completely and strictly submitted under the Spartan state. One of the moral trainings of Spartan warriors was the obedience to their laws (Connoly 1979). At this early stage, Spartan boys were already being exposed in the ruthlessness of killing. This was to set them prepared for the future military life that awaits them. They were being taught handling of arms and armor. They were also encouraged to develop their own guile and savage skill necessary for fighting. They were even enforced to experience actual murdering and slaughtering once they were being sent to hunt for declining slaves. Strict discipline in fighting was also enforced to them. (Paparykarious 2000) During boyhood, the young citizen was required to leave home for military boarding school. It was in their law that young Spartan was required to serve in the army, from age seven up to thirty years of age (Connoly 1979). In the army, their education put emphasis on physical toughness, faithful in military ranks, and absolute obedience to orders. They are identified as hoplite or a
Friday, November 1, 2019
Hemophilia Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Hemophilia Disease - Essay Example The oral condition of the human being is characterized by episodes of tooth loss and damage of the gums which leads to bleeding. Keeping the gums and the teeth healthy usually requires procedures that are invasive ( prone to injury). One can just imagine the gravity of the situation to people with hemophilia. That is why one can find numerous studies and researches about the People with hemophilia or congenital bleeding tendencies are a priority group for dental and oral health care, since bleeding after dental treatment may cause severe or even fatal complications. Maintenance of a healthy mouth and prevention of dental problems is of great importance, not only to quality of life and nutrition but also to avoid the dangers of surgery. . Plaque accumulation causes inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) due to the action of bacteria. This may progress to the damage of the attachment of the teeth to the jawbone (periodontal membrane) resulting to inflammation and damage to this membrane (chronic periodontitis). Ultimately, this leads to the loosening of a tooth and then tooth loss. With the plaque allowed to calcify, tartar develops above and/or below the gum-line making further accretion of plaque result to Fig 2. The Parts of A Tooth Gingivitis is painless but leads to the ... Thru the process of prophylaxis or cleaning of the teeth and gums by the doctor, gingivitis can be prevented thereby limiting bleeding of the gums and eliminating the need for surgery. This can be seen as a pro-active step rather than waiting for the gums to bleed and make use of factor concentrates to stop the bleeding. The treatment of hemophilia has been undergoing significant innovations since the development of factor VIII concentrates. The current trend of thinking is that prophylaxis is a beneficial therapy for patients with hemophilia A as compared to on-demand treatment. The observed benefits include reduced number of bleeding episodes, improved joint function and a relatively healthier patient. Hoots et al reviewed the literature about the topic and weighed the value of these benefits against the increased expense due to increased factor use. (Hoots et al, 2006) How Is Dental Surgery Performed To A Hemophiliac Performing dental surgery on a hemophiliac patient, even for a simple dental extraction, must be thoroughly planned such that the risk of bleeding, hematoma formation or excessive bruising is minimized. To prevent any problems or complications, the two following points must be realized: Rarely will emergency dental surgical intervention be required as control of pain can be registered without resorting to an unplanned treatment. Discussions with Hemophilia patients requiring prophylactic cover concerning the treatment plans must be done For those suffering from severe hemophilia, factor replacement is a necessary pre-surgery procedure along with regional block injections or scaling. Those suffering from hemophilia A usually require a dose of 50 iu/kg of factor VIII and a dose of 100 iu/kg of factor IX in hemophilia
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