Maureen Frye Essay Example for Free

Maureen Frye Essay Marureen Frye made numerous mistakes in trying to implement her plan, a plan that was going to directly affect the salespeople of Quaker Steel Company as well as the District Sales Managers (DSMs), among other departments in the company. Her major mistake was sending a short-descriptive memo to the sales representatives. Why was this a major mistake? For one, Frye is trying to change the way the sales people allocate their time between big and small accounts, and yet she has not spend enough time in the field and with these salespeople. Although her simulations to optimize sales efforts might be correct, they are based on cold numbers and computations, sitting behind a computer, without taking into account the human factor that goes into those sales efforts. She does not have a feel for how they operate, where does their current success come from, what do they think and feel about how they are doing their job, and above what do they think it can be improved. Not only did Frye ignore the salespeople but she did not make good use of the relationship she thought she had with the DSMs. In fact, she had discussed her project with the Chicago DSM and he had seems to like to idea, with indicates that if more effort was put to introducing her plan to the other DSMs, using her good relationships with them, they could possibly perceive the idea well too idea of using the middle man. If she had no time to spend on the field and get to know the salespeople better, she made the mistake of not taking advantage of the relationship between the DSMs and the salespeople. Due to the hierarchical level of the DSMs, she is probably closer to them. As it is mentioned in the article, the DSMs leave a lot of free space to the salespeople which means that they are used to making their own decisions. This fact shows that the DSMs and the Salespeople have a special communication to understating each-other and to get the work done well. Thus, if a new project needs to be implemented, the DSMs are the most probable people to get through the salespeople and having them on board about this project is significantly important. This powerful link should have been taken advantage by Frye. Not having considered the above-mentioned steps, thus working in person with the salespeople or/and lobbying with the DSMs, Frye should have at least used the power of her superiors, Israel and Bethancourt, not only by  approving it but also as means of enforcement. For example, have them sign the memo she sent or give a direct order to the DSMs for its application. However, needs to be emphasized that this solution used on its own, is a last resort one just because she didn’t make use of the other options. This option would definitely be interpreted as a scare tactic, however it might have worked. As a manager or as the leader of her project, Frye first needs to find the authority from within and then also use the power given to her from her bosses. This option could be best used in collaboration with the previous options.

Training in Diversity Essay Example for Free

Training in Diversity Essay Skills and expertise in a specific type of job is necessary in order for a person to be selected in positions in certain companies. Nowadays, having the financial and economic crisis, companies tend to choose personnel with the highest or best expertise from the pool of apprentices in the desired field of work. It will be a waste of time and money if the companies will no t be able to get a quality and efficient personnel. In observing the business world, the recession has not greatly affected the food industries except for the breakout of melamine and Salmonella for some cases, and I can say telecommunication services still have its place unmoved. I observed that companies with the aim of hiring and getting professionals in the job or places of the representatives are conducting trainings that might bring out their potentials offer degrees, say a 6 month review and hands on training with the supervisors and other professionals. Since the job needs skilled people, the requirement to become a certified customer care representative is at least a Bachelors Degree and a proficiency in English. Bishop and Company in Waipahu Hawaii, for instance opens a number of position for customer care representatives but provides a temporary contract with the workers, thus only have 8 hours work at day time. On the other hand, in the Philippines, particularly BPO Training Academy caters a number of trainings that will aid the call center agents or representatives to deal with the problems and the sole nature of the work. The company provides an outlook of a job thus giving its student quality education that in turn is a tool in overcoming the struts and frustrations of a call center agent. Moreover, even if the company requires fees for the training, the students have assurance for employment for the company has a number of partners that are in line with providing best service and assistance on line. References Customer Care Representatives. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008 – 09 Edition. Retrieved 26 February 2009 from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos280. htm#training

A Study On British Airways And Iberia Management Essay

A Study On British Airways And Iberia Management Essay The learning point behind this assignment is to assess the financial consequences of the merger of British Airways and Iberia. In this activity I have studied the importance of Merger activities and how does the merger of BA Iberia will benefit the stakeholders. In short words I have execute a strategic analysis of the merger plan between the two organisations with the help of various strategic tools and models. 2. Introduction: 2.1 Merger and Acquisition In the contemporary world Merger and Acquisition is an inevitable tool for the organisations willing to expand and make a mark in the highly globalised market. In the first half of 2007, there appeared no end in vision to the unprecedented global boom in Merger and Acquisition, it even outstripped the dot.com era of the late 90s. But things appeared rather difficult with the so-called sub-prime credit crunch making credit availability scarce and expensive towards the end of 2007. There is no suspicion to the fact that at the multi-billion dollar deal end of the market, credit crunch did build a brick wall to the Merger Acquisition activity for the financial buyers. There are still plenty of strategic investors looking to expand in spite of the doom and gloom of the credit market. Merger and acquisition will still be required to fill up the growth gaps that organic growth cannot fill. [The European Consulting MA Report 2008, Equiteq p12] 2.2 History of British Airways British Airways was formed in 1974 by the merger of two British government owned airlines the BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corp.) and the BEA (British European Airways). BOAC operated long hauled international routes whereas; BEA operated Short hauled European routes. BA was floated on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in 1987, when it acquired the competitor British Caledonian. In 1992 BA acquired Dan-Air. In the drive to make itself more competitive BA introduced the oneworld alliance in the 1990s. BA airways acquired 9% share in Iberia in March 2000 for  £155m (Ptas 41 billion). Today, BA is the UKs largest international airline flying to 148 destinations and fleet of 245 aircrafts in service. [www.ba.com/history] 2.3 History of Iberia Iberia was founded on June 28, 1927 by Horacio Echeberrieta. It was not only Spains first airline, but also the first to fly between Europe and South America (as of 1946), the first to establish a walk-on air shuttle service (between Madrid and Barcelona), and the first in Europe to offer an international frequent flyers customer loyalty programme (Iberia Plus).Today Iberia is an international transport group operating in around 100 airports. It is a member of one of the most important airline alliances, oneworld, and is renowned for its corporate social responsibility. Iberia is a Leader in Spain and in the Europe Latin America market. It flies to more than 100  destinations  all over the world. It has Europes most modern fleets. [www.iberia.com/uk] 2.4 Research objectives As the title of my Research and Analysis project suggests the main objective of research was to study the drivers and the financial and operational consequences of a merger between the renowned BA and Iberia. Research Questions and Objectives: Strategic analysis of the Merger decision The first objective of this assignment was to analyse the strategic decision of merger. How did the Environmental Variables affect the decision of the merger and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the decision? What would be the effect of the culture of both the organisations on the decision? How would the resultant organisation benefit from the merger? How will the decision fulfil the expectations and aspirations of the stakeholders? Identify the stakeholders and analyse how will the merger affect them? What are the views of the stakeholders on the merger decision? How will the fears and resistance of the employees and other stakeholders resolved? What were the Financial and Operational Consequences of the merger? After the above questions were answered, I wanted to find out what will be the financial and operational consequences of the merger, to what extent will these organizations be successful to maintain and acquire their merger objectives. What will be the ultimate effect of the whole event on the resultant organisations constitution, its management and the financial report? 2.5 Research Approach/Methodology: The Research was started with the collection of background information on Merger and Acquisition and the basic information on BA and Iberia. The main objective of this was to gain the understanding of the topic area and the acquaintance with the organizations in concern. After the general background information the preliminary research was conducted to outline the research methods to be used, and the sources for information to be collected. The research is mainly based on the qualitative and quantitative information collected from the secondary data sources like books, case study materials, annual reports, magazines, news paper articles and online search engines. The information gathered is analyzed using The Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (JSW) model of strategic management. It consists of three elements Analysis, Choice and Implementation as explained below: The Strategic position/analysis Strategic Choices Strategy into action (implementation). [ACCA Paper P3 Business Analysis The Complete Text 2007/08 p10] 3. Literature Review 3.1 Merger and its types A merger is a complete absorption of one company by another, wherein the acquiring firm retains its identity and the acquired firm ceases to exist as a separate entity. [Corporate Finance Fundamentals by Ross, Westerfield Jordan, Eighth Edition Chapter 25 p816] Acquisition by merger results in a combination of assets and liabilities of the acquired and acquiring firms. 3.1.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of using a merger to acquire a firm: Advantages A primary advantage is that a merger is legally simple and does not cost as much as other forms of acquisition. The reason is that the firms simply agree to combine their entire operations. Revenue Enhancement is one of the important reasons for an acquisition. The combined firm may generate greater revenues than two separate firms. Increased revenue come from marketing gains, strategic benefits and increase in the market share and reduced competition. The driving force behind many mergers is the concept of synergy. The synergy of two like companies joining forces can often increase revenues drastically. One of the other important reasons to merge is that a combined firm may operate more efficiently than two separate firms. Operational efficiency increases through economies of scale and complementary resources (missing ingredient of success). All firms must invest in working capital and fixed assets to sustain an efficient level of operating activity. A merger may reduce the combined investment needed by the two firms. Disadvantages A primary disadvantage is that a merger must be approved by a vote of the shareholders of each firm. Obtaining necessary votes can be time-consuming and difficult. Furthermore the cooperation of target firms existing management is almost a necessity for a merger. This cooperation may not be easily or cheaply obtained. 3.1.2 Types of merger Mergers may be broadly classified in Congeneric Merger Congeneric merger occur where two merging firms are in the same general industry, but they have no mutual buyer/customer or supplier relationship. Congeneric mergers are of two types (a) Horizontal merger: In this case both the companies are in the same stage of production and also in the same industry e.g., a car manufacturer merger with a car manufacturer (b) Vertical merger: Two companies selling different but related products in the same market e.g., a cone supplier merging with an ice cream maker. Conglomerate. A conglomerate is a combination of two companies engaged in entirely different businesses together into one overarching company. There are two types of mergers that are distinguished by how the merger is financed. Purchase mergers As the name suggests, this kind of merger occurs when one company purchases another. The purchase is made with cash or through the issue of some kind of debt instrument. Consolidation mergers With this merger, a brand new company is formed and both companies are bought and combined under the new entity. 4. Analysis 4.1 Strategic Analysis of the merger decision The study of the Environmental Variables using the PESTEL and SWOT analysis was conducted at this stage of the research to evaluate the points for the merger of the BA and Iberia. The Analysis of these factors affecting the decision is detailed as follows: 4.1.1 PESTEL Analysis Political Factors: One of the preconditions for the merger deal is getting appropriate confirmations from the UK and Spanish Civil Aviation Authorities as to the suitability of the UK and Spanish bodies and as to the implementation of the structure. Economic Factors: Merger is expected to generate annual synergies of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400 million. The new group will combine the leading positions of both the companies, attain EOS and substantially increase the market share, thus enhancing their presence in international longhaul markets. Social Factors: Merger is expected to bring significant customer benefit. BA customers will gain access to 59 and Iberia customers will gain access to 98 new destinations with better frequencies, connections and reduced prices. Technological Factors: BA customers will benefit from modern fleet of aircrafts of Iberia airlines. Legal Factors: Merger cannot go ahead without appropriate antitrust and other regulations clearance. Iberia reserves the right to terminate the agreement if the outcome between BAand its pension trustees on the deficit is not satisfactory. 4.1.2 SWOT Analysis Strengths The new group will save some à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400m annually by cutting overlapping routes, and by combining maintenance, office functions and business-class lounges. The pair may also have more muscle when it comes to negotiations to buy new planes from Boeing and Airbus.   The BA/Iberia merger will increase BAs dominance at Heathrow with 44% of take-off and landing slots this winter. It is impossible for any other airline to replicate their scale. There is a compelling strategic rationale for the transaction, which is expected to generate annual synergies of approximately 400 million Euros, and benefit both companies shareholders, customers and employees, Weaknesses Iberias cabin crew have just finished one round of strikes and are promising more in a dispute over changes to their jobs. BAs attempts to cut cabin crew and freeze pay could also result in strikes. Ground staff and pilots are equally willing to use industrial action to get their way. The attempt to keep two separate brands alive, with separate corporate operations could eat into some of the advantages of the merger and even prove to be a potential diseconomy of scale. Opportunities This enhanced scale and ability to compete with other major airlines and will enable BA-Iberia to participate in future industry consolidation opening the door for BAs long-held ambition to forge a partnership with American Airlines. The merger will create a strong European airline well able to compete in the 21st century. Threats The credit crunch has hammered ticket sales (especially of premium priced Business class tickets) and fuel has been expensive.  The International Air Transport Association, an industry body, estimates that total losses for the worlds airlines this year will be some $11 billion. 4.2 Expectations and Aspirations of the Stakeholders of the organisations A stakeholder can be defined as someone who has an interest in the well-being of the organisation ACCA course notes from Kaplan financial for Paper P3 Business Analysis In this context, the stakeholders can be identified as the shareholders, managers, employees and suppliers of BA and Iberia and the customers, government, locality and society at large. Success in the strategic decisions can not be achieved without regard to the stakeholders. Shareholders: Shareholders are the owners of the organisations; it is the duty of the organisations to act in the best interest of its shareholders and to maximise their wealth. The benefits of the merger to the SHs can be listed as follows: The anticipated annual revenue of the combined group estimated to be 15 billion euros. Expected cost saving of about 400 million euros a year. The combined group will be the third largest airline. Increased market share and dominance. Suppliers: The merger is set to create the third largest airline and hence bound to reduce the bargaining power of the suppliers. Managers employees: Employees play a vital role in the success of the organisation. Thus the organisation has a duty towards its workforce. According to the recent updates merger is unlikely to bring any benefits to its staff, on the contrary both the organisations have ambitious plans to cut costs by way of redundancy and pay cuts. The unite union has asked for assurances to avoid compulsory redundancies. Customers: According to the sources, the customers of the combined grouped are said to benefit from; Better frequencies More connections Competitive prices Access to more VIP lounges Enhance frequent flyer benefits Government: The government are interested in taxes from the revenue, higher the revenue more the tax. Furthermore it is interested in maintaining healthy competition and abiding of the antitrust law. The deal is expected to improve the future revenue and requires clearance from antitrust and other regulatory organisations, thus it is not threat to the governments interests. Locality and society at large: Locality and society expect the combined group to maintain and improve its CSR policies. The organisations are responsible to the surroundings and the environment in which they operate. 4.3 Financial Consequences The graph reflects the loss making position on BA. There has been an increase in revenue for the year 2009 as compared to 2008. The loss thus can be attributed to the high operating expenses which increased to  £9,212 million in 2009 from  £7,880 million in 2008. However the Operating income increased just to  £8,992 million in 2009 from  £8,758 million in 2008. Key Performance Indicators/Key Growth Indicators The KPIs and KGIs can be used to compare the performance of the organisations. Kpis indicate the improvement in performance, while Kgis indicate the growth of the organisation. The KPI in this scenario can be noted as: Liquidity Ratio The liquidity ratio shows the companys ability to pay its debt. Hence higher the ratio better the performance of the organisation. Earnings per Share (EPS) The performance can be measured based on the return to the shareholders. The increase in EPS reflects the efficiency in performance Number of passengers per year The figures show that the number of passenger carried per year will substantially increase after the merger and thus making TopCo a leading airline in terms of passenger. This is reflected in the figures shown below. Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 5. Conclusion Objective 1 The strategic analysis showed that the merger is bound to bring various benefits to the consolidated group. The merger will help the companies to reduce the costs and hence reduce the loss to a certain extent. The merger will increase the market share of TopCo and make it the third largest airline company given benefits to its customers and shareholders. There are certain weaknesses which can be overcome and the merger opens up various opportunities and synergies for the future growth. Objective 2 The analysis shows that the shareholders and customers are bound to benefit from the merger decision. However, there is a considerable amount of risk of redundancies and pay cuts due to heavy cost cuts by both the organisations. Objective 3 The financial analysis reflects the need to substantially reduce the operating costs. The merger plan is set to set to save 400 million euro a year from reduced costs. Hence the merger decision can be beneficial in driving the organisations through the economic crisis.

Thank You for Smoking? Essay -- Peter Brimelow Tobacco Essays

â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† Peter Brimelow brings to light an interesting idea in his essay â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† Brimelow’s purpose of his essay is to defend smoking. He provides the audience with information that is worthy of their consideration and valid enough to make them think twice about how they stand on the issue of smoking. Unfortunately, some flaws in Brimelow’s technique distract the audience from his message that smoking is not as unhealthy as it appears. A few mistakes transform his work from a well-written argumentative essay to an unsuccessful attempt to spread his beliefs. What started as an essay to rouse new views on the issue of smoking swiftly lost all merit and became a means to assail the people in opposition of the author’s views. Brimelow makes a gallant effort to prove his major claim, or main idea (McFadden). He wants to get the audience to concur with him that smoking is not an altogether unhealthy habit (Brimelow 141). However, mistakes in his essay begin with his major claim statement. When Brimelow writes that â€Å"smoking might be, in some ways, good for you† (141), he already puts doubts in the minds of the audience. Instead of feeling that the author is confident about his position on the subject, the audience picks up on the skepticism hidden in the words â€Å"might† and â€Å"some small ways.† Those qualifiers, or words and phrases that exclude some situations from his major claim (McFadden), leave the audience questioning who it is beneficial for and in what situations. Brimelow uses warrants, or peoples’ values (McFadden), to get them to coincide with his beliefs. Because Brimelow’s main claim is very disputable, he needs to find some way to catch the attention of the audience a... ... the mistakes he has made. When his audience looks back on the essay they have just read, his examples and facts about smoking that have been so keenly expressed will be unseen, because the focus will be on the unprofessional fallacies present in his work. In future works, it would be advantageous for Brimelow to be aware of these fallacies and to find a different means of approaching his rebuttal so that another strenuous effort will not be diminished into an unsuccessful attempt to disperse his beliefs. Works Cited Brimelow, Peter. â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† The Genre of Argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thomson Heinle, 1998. 141-143. Clark, Irene L. The Genre of Argument. Boston: Thomson Heinle, 1998. McFadden, James. Introduction to Toulmin Method. Lecture. Sept. 13 & 14, 2003. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA.

The University Health System Should Distribute the Morning After Pill E

The University Health System Should Distribute the Morning After Pill The United States of America is known for many of its outlandish and outrageous statistics in comparison to other countries. Statistics regarding obesity, homicide rates, and political issues have displayed many of the nation?s weak points. However, the amount of teen pregnancy has become so excessive that it is becoming a cry for help and a statistic that is greatly standing out and can no longer be ignored. In 1999 about one million teenagers experienced a pregnancy. This rate was twice the amount in England, Wales, and Canada and nine times greater than that of the Netherlands and Japan. About 78% of these American teenage pregnancies were said to be unplanned. (The Alan Guttmacher Institute home page) The country has come up with many solutions to this problem, yet nearly every solution has caused ethical debate. The use of contraception is rejected by many religions and groups of people; while the option of abortion, is even more widely rejected. Many Christian religions stand firm on preventing the use of either contraception or abortion as well as sex outside wedlock. Other religions such as Judiasm, Muslims, and Hinduisms also stand against it. Politicians are also known for taken a stand on the issue, as those running on a conservative platform (Republicans) are more likely to go against. The liberals (Democrats) stress the need for womens? right to chose and consistently fight for the continuation of the practice of abortion. Although, the younger generations are more accepting of these options, does that mean it is the right decision? One quick fix to pregnancy began years ago with the introduction of the condom. This method of contraception h... ... at an early age is a fear for many young women in high school and college. About 70% of the high school age students that become pregnant will finish high school but fail to continue there education in college. (The Alan Guttmacher Institute facts and statistics on teen pregnancy home page). Many young women have goals and dreams that are sometimes shattered due to an unexpected visitor. One night can change the lives of these students and they should have an option if a mistake is made or an accident happens. If women on the James Madison University campus had the choice to receive the morning-after pill from the Health Center and take it, then there would be a lot less stress in the lives of these young women. Knowing that if something unexpected where to happen, that there is a solution, is a good feeling to have for the woman of this college university campus.

Operation Just Cause Essay -- Foreign Policy

Observing the political path of Manuel Noriega from being a paid CIA operative and ally of the American government, to military governor of Panama, to ousted dictator, to convicted American prisoner, exposes a series of political interactions that culminated in Operation Just Cause on December 20, 1989. Coming in the shadow of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and preceding Operation Desert Storm, this brief military action is often overshadowed by the other world conflicts of the time. How does a county the size of America justify invasion of the tiny Panamanian isthmus? How does a dictator such as Manuel Noriega justify declaring war on the United States. Given the great disparity between these two nations, understanding these questions can help interpret their nature. In order to answer these questions, the events leading up to the violent confrontation help establish each nations’ political position and offer insight into their own justifications to engage in military acti on. The realist and Marxist political perspective theories can be used by analyzing and different levels the justification of armed action involving these two nations. Throughout the 1970s and early 80s, Manuel Noriega was an asset to the United States as he worked closely with the Central Intelligence Agency (The Associated Press). As Noriega’s political strength increased in the early 80s, so did the tensions with the Reagan Administration. These increased tensions led to increasing encounters between Noriega’s Panama Defense Forces and American servicemen and civilians stationed in Panama (Phillips). According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, â€Å"there were over 300 incidences of U.S. military personnel and family members' having experienced... ...including removing Noriega and his regime from power and re-establishing a democratic government, which may be justifiable from an American perspective, however the 20,000 displaced Panamanian citizens may not concur (Phillips). So justification is subjective only to one’s perspective. Works Cited Mingst, Karen A. Essentials of International Relations. New York : W.W. Norton & Co., 2008. Operation Just Cause. 06 April 2012 . Phillips, R. Cody. "Operation Just Cause: The Incursion into Panama." 1990. Rosenthal, Andrew. "The Attack: U.S. Troops Gain Wide Control in Panama." The New York Times 21 December 1989. The Associated Press. Key dates for ex-Panama dictator Manuel Noriega. 27 April 2010. 7 April 2012 .

How Television Shapes Our Mind Essay

The television has displaced reading and thus inhibits the growth of reading skills. Watching TV requires less mental effort than reading. Television makes things tangible, while reading demands symbolic representation of language. While television maximizes the use of saliency(bright colors, loud noise, zoom) that appeals more to the right-brain hemisphere, reading depends on the understanding of syntax and the relatively slower, sequential processing of information-the of the left-hemisphere. There is an alarming increase in cases of dyslexia-the inability to read. Reading is a laborious task compared to watching TV. Recognizing the differences in letters, combining to words, distinguishing the order, comprehending the sentence, connecting to the next one etc. If a kid is raised on a TV diet, who finds reading or schooling attractive? Children who never learn to process language without pictures attached will have difficulty in school. Furthermore, writing ability correlates positively with the number of books read.TV viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 21, 2000) Questions based on the above paragraphs must have been formulated in mind after the survey. Write your questions that vary as to 5 W’s and H. The first sample question is already provided. 1. What two ideas are contrasted in the first paragraph? 2. How does television displace the reading and communication skills? 3. What are the advantage and disadvantage of television in reading and communications skills? 4. Why reading is become a laborious task compared to watching TV? 5. How watching TV requires less mental effort than reading? 6. Why television viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output? Read the two excerpts now completely, and highlight key ideas. Write below five important concepts in the left column then, describe each briefly in the right column. Highlighted Ideas Brief description 1. TV makes things tangible while reading. Through television we can easily see things we want to know while reading needs deep understanding on what we are reading to comprehend it. 2. Reading is a laborious. When we read, it requires time and effort to understand it compared when we are watching, it is easy to understand because we can visualize the idea. 3. TV viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output. It means that by TV viewing it decreases the quality of learning and skills to be developed. In addition it weakens the mental abilities of a person to continue on the quest of learning. 4. Writing ability correlates positively with the number of books read. As long as the person understand what he is reading he can come up on writing a purposeful piece that will benefit readers 5. Watching TV requires less mental effort than reading†¦ It is a mere fact because the aid of TV viewing it provides definite description of the characters and other things by its feature, color, dynamic, audio-associated and the like, thus it results on negligence to explore and strengthen the true essence of learning. 6. An alarming increase in cases of dyslexia-the inability to read. Children who expose more on learning through watching TV had difficulties in oral and reading communication because they are more known with visual presentation.