Reflective on Customer Relationship Management Strategy Case Study

Reflective on Customer Relationship Management Strategy - Case Study Example Specifically, the report attempts to narrate the background of the necessity of a CRM plan from the company's perspective and objectives for which CRM plan was developed. Furthermore, I have tried to portray the challenges that the company has faced and the prescribed the ways to overcome those challenges. The essay is concluded with my experience of doing an informative project and the lessons I learned out of my experience. Now, I feel that if I had been given little more time for completion, the project would have been much better. The CRM project has bee done as a part of my curriculum in the Business System Integration Coursework for the week 5-10. The project has been completed in association with other students who have been selected for the group to which I belong. The assigned project was to prepare a CRM plan and Implementation strategy for a big company- Alcatel Company, which has been in telecom and entertainment industry for last several years. The main aim of the project was to provide a practical exposure to the students as to how integrating business system works and how effectively CRM strategies can be framed and implemented. Apart from that, it attempts to equip the students with the knowledge and experience about teamwork and communication skills. The work starts with situation analysis of the company to know about where it stands and where it wants to reach and what is the difference between the two states. After analyzing the background of the company, the next task was to propose a CRM plan and implementation strategy so that the company can overcome its present problems and challenges. The work has touched almost all functional areas, which have a bearing upon the CRM plan and its implementation. The project was concluded with suggestions and recommendations to further improve the CRM plan effectiveness and reach the goal of customer loyalty and sustainability. All efforts have been put to make the work most efficiently and contributing prosperity to the company.Aims and Objectives 1. To enhance the knowledge about Business System Integration To get acquainted with how to formulate and implement CRM strategies Apply CRM concepts to real-life business situations 2. To realize the effectiveness of teamwork in contrast to working in isolation and develop team working skill The group emphasized on teamwork and every decision was taken in consultation with all team members Held meetings regularly to discuss difficulties, solutions, plans, and processes3. To undertake the assignment in a professional manner and complete it successfully Devote enough time to come up with the best CRM strategy appropriate for the company Extensive research of books, articles and other secondary sources on CRM implementation.

Unit 5 & 6 - POL 2000 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Unit 5 & 6 - POL 2000 - Research Paper Example With each country enjoying its leverage in different sectors. Secondly the threat of impact on one would lead to impact on all which has been seen in the case of European Union. Therefore each of these three nations would object to this idea. Other challenges include the rate difference in the currencies of the three states. The possible solution can be found in form of domestic currency versus international currency as a common currency. However it is still far from practical implementation. In personal capacity, having seen the challenges faced by the European states and especially with the relatively meager states in Europe such as Greece, Portugal and Spain that have been time and again bailed out and despite that they have found it difficult to continue with the common currency, therefore a common concept prevails that the common currency may not go too well in the favor of the weaker economic states such as Mexico in

Motivational Theorists Essay Example for Free

Motivational Theorists Essay Team work is majorly important when organising, setting up or running a business. If employees and employers can’t organise themselves it causes conflicted between each other and the business might be affected by this. This could be because of disagreements of a topic, for example choosing a name for a product. This could cause tension between employees and put pressure on the manager. Team work is when a group of people come together to either discus or develop ideas. The groups can either be informal or formal. The main differences between these groups are that formal groups are more main stream businesses, for example Microsoft. Whereas team groups that are informal could be based upon close friends that are going on a Duke of Edinburg walk. However, because there are different organisations that have either formal or informal teams, this makes different structures depending on the different organisations involved. Informal groups are formed because the people involved feel the need for either: †¢Social interaction (sport events, birthdays) †¢To discuss different aspects of their business and the management skills †¢To discuss ideas regarding interests such as sports One of the main aims of the informal groups is to improve social needs, this will create motivation for the employees because they will feel more secure at work and they will have better communication skills. Although these informal groups are not set up by the management, they still have motivation as a useful factor. However, the aims of a formal group are different, this is because they seem more sophisticated and organised. This is because they are often organised because the group want to commit to long term and short term goals, therefore they have to be more committed and serious. Some of the groups are formed because the employees are working with similar goals, including: †¢Members feel committed and have a sense of ownership and respect for each other, including their other talents †¢The members almost always have a clear idea of their goals and aims †¢The members are motivated and egger to improve their businesses and their skills The members of the formal groups are not randomly selected, they are assessed because they need to have the same commitment and social skills as the other members in order not to bring the group down and cause it to be less organised. Teams are formed in organisations to help develop ideas that could potentially improve businesses. If teams are made then that means that there are more ideas involved and the business will be open to more options rather than one person putting in their opinions that could be based around the same thing. Teams are also formed to improve the contact and communication skills around the work place; it helps employees feel more comfortable with their surroundings and improves motivation for the staff. Year 13 applied team The year 13 applied class has organised a group in order to keep the organisation under control and more formal. Having this group in applied will help the year 13’s to become closer as a community. It will also improve social skills to a high extent which will gain valuable skills in the future when dealing with clients and customers. It will improve social skills because the students will have first-hand experience on what it is like exchanging ideas with their peers and team leader. It will force the students to get along with each other despite any social issues which prepare them for a future in business, making each student more professional. Having to discuss their opinions will also widen the students mind into exploring the different techniques that different people choose which means they will become more educated rather than keeping with the same technique that a student would use if they were to be working alone. The main aims of the DBS applied are: Usually organisations have similar objectives and aims, this is because profit related organisations want to make a profit and they want to event to be a success. However the aims will adjust to fit the event, for example one of the aims of a team building event might be to improve staff morale, whereas the aim of a product launch may be to raise awareness of a new product and attract new buyers. Every organisation and event will have an aim, either to make profit, be successful or be organised. The main aims of the DBS talent show are: †¢Raise awareness of the applied team †¢Make a profit to give to a local charity †¢To provide an enjoyable event for all participants and audience †¢To improve the school profile amongst the community †¢To ensure a smooth running event It is highly important for the DBS applied 13’s to have appropriate and SMART aims and objectives, this is because they help structure and organise the event making the chances of success greater than if they didn’t have aims and objectives. Benefits and limitations of team work Advantages Working with other students and employees can have benefits as well as limitations. The advantages and disadvantages of teams also need to be considered before deciding to transition to teams. The following table of team advantages and disadvantages is an adaptation of work by Medsker and Campion (1992).* This list can also be used by existing teams to self-evaluate their efficacy. (source /www.hf.faa.gov/) Having teams in a business can enhance the amount of work that is being submitted by the employees, this means that the business will benefit because they will have more work completed by a shorted dead line which saves time and money for new projects. An example of this is giving out leaflets to promote a product. If 10 people distribute the leaflets then it will take up less time than if it were one person giving out the information. Not only do teams benefit business and organisations, it also benefits individuals. This is because it improves communication levels and boosts confidence because the team members are working together and discussing their ideas. These are some team advantages and explanations: Team advantages Explanations Team members have the opportunity to learn from each other. This gives the employees the opportunity to embrace new ideas from different people; it also gives the opportunity to people to express ideas which mean other people can gather different information from difference aspects of the topic which will widen their mind frame. It gives chance to others to communicate with others. This will give the team members confidence in the work place because they will have better communication skills amongst themselves which also means that in the future they will be more likely to be able to get along with others in team work and amongst office hours. New approaches to tasks may be discovered. For any team, this is a benefit because different areas are looked at from the business plan. Because different people are working in the team there are many different ideas and tactics used which means new skills will be learnt and appreciated. Teams membership can provide social facilitation and support for difficult tasks and situations. This means that each team member is supported by their team mates, not only does this give confidence but it allows the plan to almost become bullet proof because if one of the team members are failing at a task there will be others involved to help. Disadvantages Although teams give both businesses and individuals they also have some limitations that come with them. For organisations there might be conflict between the team members therefore some team members might leave the company completely which will cost the business money because they will have to recruit new staff and pay for training and hold meetings about the event/program they are organising. This can also effect the views that team members have of each other, for example the completion rates might become too high (many members want to take leadership or the team) which might cause conflict between friends and colleges. Below is a table of some limitations the team work brings into a working environment: Disadvantages Explanations Some individuals are not compatible with team work.some individuals see team work as demotivating because it doesn’t fit into the way that they work, this might cause confusion amongst these types of people and it might cause them to lag behind and become over loaded with work they have to complete, this could cause the team to slip and cause problems. Some members may experience less motivating jobs as part of a team.There is almost a hierarchy in a team for example, there is the team leader that has the most responsibilities in the team and then the work load becomes less. Some workers are highly motivated by heavy workloads and high responsibility (theory X and Y), if a team member who works like this has little responsibilities then they are likely to become demotivated. However it could become the opposite way and a work member could be pressured by the amount of work they have to complete and they might feel unappreciated and stressed which could cause the team to fall. Teams may be time-consuming due to need for coordination and consensus.This could cause conflict with the team member’s social life because of the workloads that they are being given. It is important for a business to allow their team members to have a good amount of social life in order for them to work to a high standard. If the workloads given are highly time consuming then it might take over time and run into the employees leisure time which will affect the levels of happiness and could cause them to become demotivated and their working levels will drop. Impact of leadership In every business and organisation there are different ways of leaderships. Leadership is the way that the managers and team leaders motivate and control their employees, without them then it workers would not know what to do and the businesses will lose money and staff rapidly because of the lack of motivation and skills their employees have. There are five main management styles in business are organisations, these are made up of: †¢Autocratic †¢Democratic †¢Laissez-faire †¢Proactive †¢Reactive Autocratic Each one of the above are differently structured in order to fit the employee’s needs. They all can be related to the theories of Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor. Autocratic style workers are clear on their tasks that they need to complete, however these workers need a controlling environment to become motivated the workers are not quite focused. The manager of an autocratic worker gives the employees a set of tasks to do and they expect the workers to do exactly what they are told and when they are told to do it. There is hardly no opportunity for the autocratic workers to give their opinions to the manager and there is no discussions about the tasks that they have been given, it is a very controlled environment. Autocratic workers can be related to the theory X and Y (however the autocratic workers are only applied to X not Y) An example of an autocratic management style could be a bakery store, as the business became more popular and the demands became higher, the manager decided to become more forceful with the employees to make sure deadlines were complete on time and there was no money lost. Because it was a small business with such high demands then the manager would decide that there would be no room for discussion on the tasks the manager gave them. There are some limitations of an autocratic ran business, autocrats could lead to little motivation. This is because the employees have no say in the business that they are working on which could make the employees feel like they have little importance in the they are working in and they could feel highly pressured into doing some things that they really disagree on. This gives a sense of poor ownership and commitment to the business. Another limitation could be that, if a business is at a peak season and the demands are higher than usual there will be more pressure put on the employees and the manager might find that it is hard to cut the deadlines back even shorter than usual because there is already so much work that are on strict deadlines. Being an autocratic manager could also affect the business over all, this is because new ideas that employees have would not get across to the manager which means new improvements that could enhance the businesses income will not be acted upon. Having an autocratic based business could give some benefits towards not only the staff but the customer’s and consumers. Some examples of organisations that benefit from an autocratic based business are: †¢The armed forces and the police †¢Medical areas like hospitals and sergeants †¢Fire fighters †¢Managers of internships These are all organisations that are almost always under pressure and have little time to discuss the different options available. For example, where there are health and safety issues going on, surgeons can’t afford to spend their time on consulting other people first, they must act fast. This works out well for them because this means that more lives are saved and the business profile is high and caries a good reputation. Managers of internships often use the autocratic way of managing staff because they are often inexperienced, shy and have little confidence. Having a forceful manager controlling them will allow the workers to because confident at work because they will be able to get on with their work. It will also prepare them for the future work because the manager will let them know what is expected from them in other business. One other thing is that the workers will have less time to communicate because the work levels and demands are high. This means less time for d istractions and more motivation for work. Democratic Democratic management is much more lenient than the autocratic style of management this is because the employees have a chance to get their opinions across. They also have an opinion on how the business is run. However, this doesn’t mean that their opinions will change the company or organisation. There are still similarities between democratic and autocratic leaders because there is still a leader that makes the overall decision despite what the employees say. The democratic leaders often set a date in which they take time to talk to all of the employees who have an input about the business; this could be a positive or negative approach. The reason why the manager carefully set a date for this is because it takes a lot of time and patience to listen and take in all the different opinions of people. It doesn’t just take time to listen and observe to the employees, it also takes careful analysing to decide to take action and change the businesses ways because of the empl oyees’ choice. This is also because the manager has to go through the different levels of the hierarchy, therefore this can become very time consuming. Another disadvantage of having a democratic manager is that there will always be either a winner or a loser in some sense. This is because the employees point either gets across and there are significant changes made in the business for the employees benefit, or the managers chooses not to change anything which leaves the employees feeling ignored and demotivated. This can give the employees low motivation because the employees who wanted a change in the work place would have worked relatively hard and spent time planning and prepping for the meeting and the employees would feel like they wasted their valuable time for no reason. However, having a democratic manager is not all negative, having this type of working area can mean the workers are highly motivated for the fact that they feel valued because the managers take part in what they think about the business, and their opinions. Where as if they are not listened to many of the workers would feel like they are just there to work and have little contribution to the company and have no control over anything. Another positive aspect of democratic workers is that when the managers do listen to them, and there is a change made the workers feel proud and they feel like they have made commitments to the work place. This also means that a good relationship is made between the manager and the employees. The employees have more respect for the manager because they took the time to listen to them; in return the employees are likely to work harder. An example of this is, when new initiatives are considered at recruitment consultancy, Longbridge international, they are discussed and agreed collectively, almost 89% of the staff believes they make a valuable contribution to the company and 88% feel that they have/make a difference. (source: applied business text book) This example supports the fact that the employees are motivated by a democratic leader because they are listened to and respected, rather than a manager that doesn’t let them have any control over the work area or themselves. Laissez-faire Laissez-faire management program is a hand off approach, this means that the employees are free to work as they like and they are not put under pressure by their managers like other motivation and management theories. The managers who work like this will potentially give the employees the materials they need to complete the tasks that have been set for them. Laissez-faire workers have their own goals and are self-motivated. However, these workers must be highly experienced and motivated and who have a need for achievement to work because there is no manager pressuring for work. If an inexperienced worker comes into an atmosphere like this it is highly likely that the company will suffer with poor communication and lack of work on deadlines. This could happen because employees are not used to have a very free environment and they might take advantage of this. This type of management styles is highly popular within more creative businesses, this is because they are allowed to make up d ifferent styles and work by themselves. Some examples of Laissez-faire companies could be: †¢Graphic designer †¢Magazine editor motivational theorists †¢Decorator The work that is more artistic and creative is supposed to reflect of the employee themselves therefore this is why Laissez-faire management style is better because they are allowed this freedom whereas in autocratic and democratic environments they are not which means every ones work will almost be the same. However, the businesses that recruit these types of workers need to carefully think about whom they choose, in interviews they will commonly ask questions relating to their work techniques and they will analyse if the workers can work freely and don’t rely on the managers for advice, help and pressure. By asking these questions they are saving money and time for the business. If they were to recruit a worker that is cauterised as an X theory worker then they will slack off and not complete work on time. An advantage of working like this is that most people dont like having someone looking over their shoulder constantly, so a laissez-faire management style promotes trust i n the workers. The workers also have a feel of importance at work because they aren’t constantly being looked after and they have control of their work life as well as their social and leisure time. Another advantage is that this kind of style is positive only in the case when the employees are very responsible and in case of creative jobs where a person is guided by his own aspirations. In these cases, less direction is required so this style can be good. However there are some limitations to have such a free flowing environment, these can be because an laissez-faire management style makes it easy for workers to do a substandard job or to slack off entirely, and it usually takes a very high-visibility problem to bring such workers to light. This style has more disadvantages because usually it is the result of the lack of interest of the leader that leads to his adopting this style. It proves poor management and makes the employees lose their sense of direction and focus. The disinterest of the management and leadership causes the employees to become less interested in their job and their dissatisfaction increases.

Barriers and solutions to international trade

Barriers and solutions to international trade INTRODUCION This essay provides an overview of the barriers to international trade faced by economies today with examples of barriers faced in various countries, and their solutions. International trade promotes high standard of living for trading nations and hence, despite its various ill effects, it is best to practice international trade as it provides economic and social benefits to economies bringing about an upturn in global economy. This essay attempts to bring to light, the general barriers international trade faces presently and its solutions with recent examples. INTERNATIONAL TRADE: AN INTRODUCTION Trade among countries has existed for a long period now. The trade between Asia and Europe marks this fact as Morrison (2006, pp.314-315) examines that these two continents have engaged in Trade since a long period. He also suggests that with time, international trade has come a long way as far as volume and patterns of trade between nations is concerned. Morrison (2006) has referred to figures by the World Trade Organisation (2004, cited in International Trade Statistics 2003, World Trade Developments 2002) from the official website of the WTO that Asias share of global merchandise exports has gradually increased, Northern Americas share has slightly decreased and Western Europes share has recovered from a downfall in 2001, but not as much as it did in 1990. Morrison further suggests, from 2000 to 2002, Chinas exports and imports rose by 30 per cent and today, China is one of the worlds largest traders. Therefore, we may note that International trade plays a very essential role in g lobalization trends in the world economy. UNDERSTANDING TRADE PROTECTIONISM Protectionism is The deliberate use or encouragement of restrictions on imports to enable relatively inefficient domestic producers to compete successfully with foreign producers, or to protect and preserve those industries and producers considered of critical national interest. (McCracken, 2005) Coughlin et al (1988) state that Protectionist Trade Policies are meant to improve the position of domestic products as compared to its foreign equivalents, and that this may be done through various policies by increment of the market price of the foreign product or by barring access of foreign products to the domestic market. They explain that protectionist trade policies aim to expand domestic production in the protected industries for the benefit of the owners, suppliers and workers of the protected industry. However this may lead to a downturn in the consumption of protected goods due to either associated rise in its price or consumers start using less of other goods as a result of the decline in outputs and increase in prices. Coughlin et al hence, argue that domestic consumers are said to be impaired as the price of the protected goods keep increasing. Hence, imposing of tariffs lead to domestic producers and the governments gain, while domestic consumers and other domestic producers loss. These trade policies also affect foreign interests. FREE TRADE ITS THEORIES Free Trade is trade between nations that is unhampered by Government constraints such as tariffs, restrictions, and other barriers. (Financial Times Limited, 2009) Theory of Absolute Advantage Barnat (2005) highlighted certain points from Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations 1776 that explain what this theory talks about. He mentioned that the countrys practicing or willing to practice free trade should work towards maximising the efficiency of the goods and products they deal in, and that this theory is based on the assumption that the nation producing a certain good is absolutely better at production of that good or commodity than the rest of its trading partners, hence calling this the absolute advantage of the nation over the other nations. The theory of Absolute Advantage suggests specialization through free trade as it benefits the consumers if they can afford foreign-made products at a comparatively cheaper price than domestic products. (Warhurst, 2009) Theory of Comparative Advantage Barnat (2005, cited in Ricardo, 1817) had postulated that in Ricardos theory of comparative advantage even if a certain nation is able to produce all its goods at a comparatively lower cost than another country then it benefits the trade of both the countries, based on the comparative costs. Coughlin et al (1998, cited in Ricardos Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, 1817) demonstrated that two countries viz. England and Portugal were shown to produce the same two goods wine and cloth and the only production costs were labour costs. It was shown that England was comparatively less efficient to produce both goods as it was comparatively costlier to produce those goods in England. Therefore, it was said in this demonstration that Portugal had an absolute advantage in these two goods. According to this example, labour was the only resource considered to produce these goods when labour is among the many resources used to produce these goods. Also, the production costs of the additional units have been taken to be constant in this demonstration, but unit production as mentioned by Coughlin et al here, is subject to decrease or increase depending on the production. Elwell (2005) suggests that the gains from trade are mutual despite either nations absolute advantage or disadvantage in the efficiency with which they produce all tradable goods. The difference in rate of production of one good must be limited for the expansion of another good among countries such that there is a comparative advantage among the two nations such that both benefit efficiently from trade. A nation is not to compete but look at the mutual benefits from trade. Therefore, each country must produce what they do best relatively. Comparative advantage is evident in activities that make use of profuse productive resource. Elwell explains this statement with the help of an example of the U.S. and China. He states that China, with a relative abundance of low skilled labor would find it beneficial to engage in production that requires low skilled labor, in trade. On the other hand, the U.S. specializes in production of goods that require high skilled labor. Also, the production of goods can be practiced such that a part of the good is produced in one country while another country can deal in producing another part required for the production of the good hence practicing the theory of comparative advantage. For example American hardware companies send their products to China since it is much more cost effective due to low waged labor in China. This acts as a comparative advantage for both countries. Due to political motives, various governments still try to obstruct the system of free trade in spite of its acceptance globally, in Hendersons view. BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE Tariff Barriers Tariffs according to Coughlin et al (2009) are taxes imposed on goods entering a country from another country. They suggest that tariff revenues are paid to the government of the country that allows the goods to enter its nation and this revenue is used to finance government services. Therefore, as Sumner et al (2002?) state, Tariffs are among the oldest form of government intervention and are implemented for the purpose of providing revenue to the government and they also provide economic returns to firms and suppliers of resources of the domestic industry that face competition from imported products. Sumner et al further suggest that in 1948, when average tariff on manufactured goods increased by 30 percent in many developed countries, these economies negotiated for the reduction of tariff on manufactured goods under the General Agreement on Tariff Trade (GATT), however, only in the most recent negotiations on this issue in Uruguay, the trade and tariff restrictions were addressed. Tariffs are capable of hampering nation-to-nation trade, or as Sumner et al add, if tariffs set are very high then it can block international trade and hence, act like import bans. Quota System Henderson (2009), states, in the quota system, there is a lot more bureaucracy involved and in this case, the government is not the source from where the revenue is generated. Under the quota system as suggested by Coughlin et al (2009), the prices increase in the home market and this enables domestic producers to increase production and consumers to reduce consumption. Coughlin et al further state that the quota generates a revenue gain to the owner of import licenses. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) The Non-tariff barriers can be classified further as the regulatory barriers, subsidies and exchange controls. Subsidizing domestic producers is one way to restrict terms under which foreigners can compete in the home market as suggested by Coughlin et al (2009). They also state that restricting access to foreign money to buy foreign goods is known as Exchange Control. Example Karugia et al (2009) state that the main type of non tariff barriers faced in East Africa during Maize and Beef trade were customs documentation and administrative procedures, quality inspection, transiting procedures and immigration, which are all cumbersome and expensive. He states that these barriers reduce the possible benefits of trade preferences, lead to huge welfare loss as cost of business activities increase. As a result of this, trade among the East African nations, in beef and maize was found to be very low as Karugia et al suggest. Tariff-Rate Quota Sumner et al (2002) have also discussed what is called a Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ). It is said to be the combination of the ideas of tariff and quota. The implementation of a TRQ is a very good idea for the benefit of both countries that importing and the one exporting, and the concerned governments. Policies like the Tariff-Rate Quota help implement trade practice between countries in a healthy manner as it not only implements low tariff prices but also keeps a check on the quantity of products being imported. According to TRQ, a low tariff is set against imports of a fixed quantity and if the quantity of the imports increases, a higher tariff is set against the goods. Sumner et al have given the example of United States that follows this policy for various products like beef, sugar, peanuts and other dairy products. In these cases, the initial tariff is said to be low but the over-quota tariff is very highly priced and in some cases, even unaffordable. GLOBAL TRADE IN PRESENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE Post the economic crisis, the general belief of countries is to be very careful as far as dealing with international trade is concerned and to protect their economies, nations are practicing protectionism, however, free trade is in the interest of most countries, but it is not in the economic interest of the nations to practice free trade in times of crisis. There are some basic solutions for the removal of trade barriers put forward by Crean (2009, ed. Baldwin and Evenett, 2009) one of which is G20 leadership such that countries lift each other up rather than pull each other down through protectionism. He adds that the G20 can play an important role in encouraging open trade flows between countries. Here is a notable example as proposed by Crean To help open markets in Washington, Australia helped build support to execute considerable measures last year with the agreement of G20 leaders by putting forward an Action Plan for the purpose of restoring growth, addressing the progress of the WTO Doha negotiations and to put a halt to protectionism. He proposes, it is important to avoid inefficient incentives while crafting the fiscal and industry support packages and also, huge subsidies will give rise to competitive response. Crean further suggests, it is of utmost importance especially in these times post economic crisis to preserve open trade flow among nations. He adds growth and prosperity are transmitted within countries through trade. He mentioned, according to Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analysis, a 10 percent increase in trade is associated with a 4% rise in per capita income, however, the crisis has now brought about a slowdown in trade. World Bank has predicted that 2009 will be the first year in over a quarter century in which international trade is forecast to fall, Crean sites. He has spoken of the export statistics of China and Japan and certain other countries and noted how drastically the crisis has affected the trade of these countries. He argues that protectionism gradually only lessens competitiveness, growth, employment and real incomes. I am now going to focus on the barriers to international trade in businesses in the U.S. and EU and talk about the measures they have decided on taking to attain a healthier global trading system bearing in mind the current economic climate. Also, I will further add what steps Canada and EU have decided on taking to address the trade barriers. Trade Barriers and Solutions: US EU The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) 2009, states, the National Trade Estimate Report 2009 describes significant barriers to trade in the US. The barriers, as cited in the report, according to USTR, obstruct access to markets for the products of American workers, irrespective of the workers employment status self or employed by company. The various tariff and non tariff barriers by foreign governments that need to be addressed are highlighted in the report difficulty in testing and requirements of certification on thousands of consumer goods, inspection and registration of a wide range of import products by new means, ineffective enforcement against counterfeiting and copyright piracy; subsidies being exported illegally was another issue of concern, onerous import requirements or bans not based in science and also said to not be competitive internationally; approval processes for biotech products were said to be cumbersome and ineffective; imported products are made to pay rates 10 to 43 times higher than before as according to discriminatory excise taxes; foreign participation in the telecom market is very limited, and many other such issues were raised. The USTR states that exports contribute about 13 per cent to the US Economy; therefore, measures by the USTR and the Government for the sake of the economy of the country, is necessary. The report, as USTR suggests, states what measures could be taken by the United States Trade Representative to embark upon these barriers. After reading this article, I have tried to pull together the matter in brief. The article suggests that the USTR is reviewing the functioning of the existing trade agreements, including enforcement of labour and environment provisions. The USTR is going to prioritize the trade barriers put forward by the report, in order of importance and hence, deal with each barrier according to relevance tackling the most vital barrier at first. They are planning on handling these cases by multilateral and bilateral dispute resolution. The USTR is also working with the Congress to improve the trading system in the country. The US Trade Representative Ron Kirk (2009) proposed the opening of new markets around the world. The USTR suggests that manufacturers and service providers and the American workers should make use of the benefits of previous trade agreement s through strong enforcement. Kirk, in 2009, as cited in the USTR (2009) suggests that the proposals made will also help in the economic recovery procedure and incremental gains in market access and in reduction of trade barriers and thus, will help Americans attain good salary jobs. Castle (2009) states that European exporters have faced many new trade barriers since the global economic crisis however, measures to prevent protectionism have been taken by the EU. He adds that global trade volumes in August 2009 were 18 per cent below its peak in 2008 due to the economic crisis. Castle (2009, cited in Ashton, 2009) states that classical tariff increases, import and export bans or ceilings, non-tariff barriers and government procurement and investment measures are the major trade barriers faced in the EU with classical barriers alone affecting about 5 per cent of the EU exports. Another trade restricting measure according to the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009 in the US that states that it aims to protect US customers and businesses from defective products manufactured abroad, is, another barrier between EU and US trade as Castle (cited in Ashton, 2009) has mentioned. Castle further cites, one of the bills state that it is unsafe to grant unfair tax disadvantages to subsidiaries of the EU companies in the US in the insurance sector. The EU and U.S. are each others most important trading and investment partners and hence it is important for these two sides to work towards the reduction of these barriers. As cited by Palmer (2009), the two sides have agreed on meeting for identification of labeling, energy efficiency and nanotechnology for increased cooperation on regulation; and that these two sides have plans for a new US-EU Energy Council and also to set up a dialogue dealing in creating jobs in various sectors such as IT and energy. Addressing Trade Barriers: Canada EU Another notable example of nations that have pledged to remove trade barriers is that of Canada and The EU. Czech Trade (2009) suggests, these two nations have signed a summit to remove trade barriers and that the Canadian Government is trying their best to remove trade barriers for Canadian exporters and open Canadas market to foreign companies such as the EU. Canada is one of EUs main trading partners and the fact that Canada has maintained a healthy economy despite the global economic crisis, has helped EU promote its business and trade relations with Canada. It has been said to be believed that both countries will benefit largely in terms of economy post this summit in the next couple of years. Cohen (2009) suggests that there is a Canada-EU Free Trade deal expected by 2011 as intended by Former Quebec premier Pierre Marc Johnson. CONCLUSION Trade should satisfy the theory of comparative advantage benefitting both nations engaged in trading activities. It has a positive effect on economies, both economically and socially, but it also has its ill effects for example, as Elwell (2005) suggests, while it helps benefit the economic condition of relatively efficient activities, it hampers the relatively less competent activities. However, impressing barriers prevent nations from economic gain. Elwell further suggests that tariffs, quotas and non tariff barriers result in a loss of the exporting sector and gain of the importing sector. But, it is also important to note that this may lead to an increase in prices and reduced goods available to the consumer, thereby, leading to the downfall of the economy. It is true that it is important for the domestic industry to protect, improve and sell their products but it is also important to note the profits foreign goods bring to both economies and thus, it is important for the benefit of every economy to work towards addressing the barriers they face today. Trade, either in the form of import or export contributes largely to the economy of the country. Just like the U.S. Government and the U.S. Trade Representatives are working hand in hand to fight the barriers hence working towards the security of the countrys economy, other economies should also address their respective barriers. The G 20 must also help trade flow in developing countries. Developed countries should aim to remove all trade barriers and try giving up on protectionist measures like The EU and The U.S. have pledged to do for the economic benefits of either country. Also, ideas like the free trade deal between Canada and the EU should be encouraged and worked upon by other nations as well, hence, encouraging trade among nations which in turn, shall benefit the global economy. Reference: Books Morrison, J. (2006) International Business Environment: Global and Local market places in the changing world, Second Edition, Palgrave. E-books Crean, S. (2009) The collapse of global trade, murky protectionism and the crisis [pdf] London, Center for Economic Policy Research Available at http://www.voxeu.org/reports/Murky_Protectionism.pdf [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Elwell, C. K., 2005 Trade, trade barriers and trade deficits: Implications for U.S. economic welfare [e-book] Available at www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32059.pdf [Last Accessed 06 December 2009] E-Journals and Online Articles Barnat R. (1998-2007) Theory of Absolute Advantage [Online] Available at http://applications-of-strategic-management.24xls.com/en110 [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Castle, S. (2009) EU finds Trade Barriers Rising since Global Crisis, New York Times [Online] 06 Nov., Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/business/global/06trade.html?_r=1 [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Cohen, T. (2009) Canada-EU free trade deal expected by 2011, CB Online, Source The Canadian Press [Online] 17 Nov., Available at: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b172534122page=1 Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Coughlin C., Chrystal K., Wood G (1988) Protectionist Trade Policies: A Survey of Theory, Evidence and Rationale [pdf] Available at http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/88/01/Protectionist_Jan_Feb1988.pdf [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Czech Trade (2009) Canada and EU pledge to remove barriers [Online] 20 May, Available at http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b172534122page=1 Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Henderson, R. (2009) Trade Barriers A Guide to International Trade Barriers [Online] Available at http://ezinearticles.com/?Trade-BarriersA-Guide-to-International-Trade-Barriersid=3247030 [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Karugia et al (2009) The Impact of Non Tariff Barriers on Maize and Beef Trade in Africa [Online] Available at www.resakss.org/index.php?pdf=42386 [Last Accessed 06 December 2009] Palmer D., (2009) U.S., EU pledge work on regulatory trade barriers Thomas Reuters 2009 [Online] 27 Oct., Available at http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE59Q53K20091027?pageNumber=1virtualBrandChannel=11617 [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Sumner et al (2002?) Tariff and Non Tariff Barriers to Trade [pdf] Available at http://www.farmfoundation.org/news/articlefiles/816-sumner.pdf [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Websites Financial Times Limited (2009) Free Trade, Financial Times Lexiton [Online] Available at: http://lexicon.ft.com/term.asp?t=free-trade [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] McCracken, M. (2009) Explain Protectionism [Online] Available at: http://www.teachmefinance.com/Financial_Terms/protectionism.html [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] USTR Official Website (2009) USTR Identifies International Trade Barriers, Outlines Efforts to Open Markets for U.S. [Online] Available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2009/march/ustr-announces-delay-trade-action-beef-hormones-dis-0 [Last Accessed 01 December 2009]

Equity in Human Resource Management Essay -- Equity Theory, Need-Hiera

Equity in Human Resource Management Introduction The effective Human Resource Management in an organization requires an exceptional standard set for motivation, job design, reward system and equity. Nowadays, people are more willing to avoid unfair treatment in the workplace than any other aspect. The fundamental concept behind Equity is an attempt to balance what has been put in and taken out at the workplace with a feeling of justice being served. Unconsciously, values are assigned to many various contributions made to the organization, hence causing an air of misbalance in the environment. There has always been a disparity in the view on the desirability or the cost effectiveness of policy measures. The importance of equity or reducing discrimination has gained a lot of attention in the labour market (Milkovich, Newman & Ratnam, 2009). History The importance of Human Resource management is associated with the beginning of mankind. As the knowledge of survival had begun including safety, health, hunting and gathering, tribal leaders passed on the knowledge to their youth. However more advanced HRM functions were developed as early as 1000 B.C and 2000 B.C. Since the modern management theory took over, the working environment was transformed into a more friendly and safe work place. The workers were termed as most valuable resources. While some companies took the human side of employment seriously, there were others who did not find it mandatory. Hence they faced huge labor unions and factory shut downs (Henning, 2001). The first ever corporate employment department formed for labor concern was created by the B.F. Goodrich Company during 1900. In the 1960s and 1970s the federal government enforced fair treatment of... ...ir conflicts resolutions and motivations. Some measures which can help a human resource management department to impart equity would include but not limited to competitive salary, fringe benefits, career progression, gender, personal development, promotion etc are few variables which HRM require to look after to keep employees motivated. Through such measures, the companies can reduce the probability of employee dissatisfaction, non compliance with the standards and regulations and hence reduced chances of legal actions. It is essential that if organizations need to keep their employees motivated through managing equity, they are required to constantly monitor their employees through various surveys and research tools. Latest techniques emerging from the research may be applied on human resource so that they have direction and motivation for the organization. 

Religious and Architectural Sites of Florence Essay examples -- Archit

Religious and Architectural Sites of Florence According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Italy is home to some 60 percent of the world?s most famous works of art.? Of these, one-half are found in Florence (19).? Florence gained most of this collection during the fifteenth century, when the Florentines decided to move back from Gothic fashion to the more Romanesque style of art and architecture.? This return to the Classic style is known as the Renaissance, and Florence was its birthplace.? Renaissance artists prospered greatly on account of the financial support they received from wealthy citizens (such as the Medici family) and the church, which purchased numerous works of art (6).? Further, the Florentines were a people of great civic pride, and found a means of expressing that pride through awe-inspiring monuments and statues of their patron saints (13).? With the will and the means, Florence became the home of many impressive works that have lasted to-date.? In regards to its architecture, Florence was built over many years, being founded as a Roman colony in the first century BC (4).? It is therefore home to many buildings of Romanesque and Gothic style (6).? With the arrival of the Renaissance, buildings were made again in the classic style, which leads to the city?s diversity in architecture.? Similarly, ?many Florentine structures that outwardly exemplify architecture from earlier times also house interiors, typical of the renaissance? (6).? Illustrations of such changes can be seen among those buildings whose construction spanned the time when Florentines shifted from Gothic back to the Classical style. Santa Maria Del Fiore: One such example is Florenc... ...om/eb/article?eu=67262> 15.?The Baptistry?.? Vivifirenze.? 15 Nov. 2003 ? 16.?The Cathedral?.? Vivifirenze.? 15 Nov. 2003 17.?The Duomo and the Baptistry.? Vivifirenze.? 22 Nov. 2003 18.Weinberger, Martin.? Michelangelo the Sculptor.? New York: Columbia University Press, 1967. 19.Wright-Martin, Linda.? ?Florence ? Art Capital of Italy?.? Italy for Visitors.? 2 Nov. 2003 Sienna, original? Final Bell Tower.? Terrace by Francesco Talenti drawing of the Bell Tower. Source (8) Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi (http://www.bellaumbria.net/Assisi/san_francesco.htm) Giotto?s Tower at the Duomo (Furman, Spring 2000). Source:? (7)

About Love Essay

Overpopulation[edit source | editbeta] Further information: Family planning in India and Demographics of India India suffers from the problem of overpopulation. The population of India is very high at an estimated 1.27 billion.[1][2][3] Though India ranks second in population, it ranks 33 in population density. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had implemented a forced sterilization programme in the early 1970s but the programme failed. Officially, men with two children or more were required to be sterilised, but many unmarried young men, political opponents and ignorant, poor men were also believed to have been affected by this pogramme. This program is still remembered and regretted in India, and is blamed for creating a public aversion to family planning, which hampered Government programmes for decades.[4] See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Definition of ‘Social Economics’ Problems Socio Economics Problems focuses on the relationship between social behavior and economics. Social economics examines how social norms, ethics and other social philosophies that influence consumer behavior shape an economy, and uses history, politics and other social sciences to examine potential results from changes to society or the economy. 1. Overpopulation : India suffers from the problem of overpopulation. Though India ranks second in population, it ranks 33 in terms of population density below countries such as The Netherlands, South Korea and Japan. To cure this problem, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had implemented a forced sterilization programme in the early 1970s but failed. Officially, men with two children or more had to submit to sterilization, but many unmarried young men, political opponents and ignorant, poor men were also believed to have been sterilized. This program is still remembered and criticized in India, and is blamed for creating a wrong public a version to family planning, which hampered Government programmes for decades. Overpopulation Overpopulation is becoming one of the most preeminent problems facing human civilization. This complicated, pervasive issue will come to be a problem of the utmost importance for people of all races, religions, and nationalities. Our planet now provides for approximately 5.8 billion people, with projections of around 10 billion by the year 2050. Two billion of these are extremely poor, the poorest of which live in absolute poverty and misery. One very serious effect of the population explosion is its detrimental effects on the global environment. Increasing amounts of food, energy, water, and shelter are required to fulfill the needs of human society. Much of our energy is derived from the burning of fossil fuels-releasing millions of metric tons of toxins into the atmosphere annually. The amount of land required for food production will grow increasingly larger, while the amount of available land will grow increasingly smaller. The affects of overpopulation on human society are many. Suffering from a lack of resources, people are often driven to war when they become too numerous for their available resources. Ethnic and racial differences will grow increasingly frequent and unresolvable. Increasing numbers in urban areas will lower quality of life in cities around the world. The precipitators of this complex issue are unlimited. Factors such as poverty, food distribution, and government corruption are all important aspects. No one will be unaffected by the repercussions of an overpopulated world. This highly sensitive and complex issue demands the attention of all who reside upon this planet, particularly those who have the ability to work for change.