Promoting A New Grooming Product For Men Marketing Essay

Promoting A New Grooming Product For Men Marketing EssayTo be able-bodied to reap success in the knowledge domain of business where competition is very tough, there is a growing need for organizations to pay and dedicate special maintenance in the evaluation and execution of their trade mix, specifically in the aspect of promotions which deals with measures and practices directed towards increasing the commercialisedizes awareness of the existence of the production. The elework forcet of promotion is very important especially for businesses which are just scratch line in the trade or for products which are just in the introduction stage. A good promotional campaign pass on enable the company to open a name and to establish mean since they are just new in the market. This will increase the awareness of the public regarding the existence of the product and will in turn generate revenue for the company in the long run (Kurtz et al, 2007).It is undeniable that the present tim e holds a notable growth in the success of personal care or education products for men which were introduced in the market. Vanity is no longer exclusive to women as the marketing trend at once suggests with the emergence of various grooming products which caters to the specific needs and requirements of the male market. This market holds a very strong potential for revenue generation as the market segment increased and continued its perpetual growth (Neff, 2010).To be bale to market mens grooming products, one specific aspect which needs special attention would be advertising. It has been noted in the past that advertising shows significant effect on the growth of the product in the market, especially for new products, as it instigates recall and awareness among the backside audience. For grooming products for men, one of the most effective would be tri-media advertisement wherein basic advertising medium will be employd including television, radio, and scratch ads. For televi sion, a commercial will be aired with the central news report of promoting mens grooming products, making vanity not exclusive to women, targeting the male audience as it conveys a message which assumes the growing need for the male market to better take care of themselves so that they can look and feel better. The central theme of the tri-media advertisements would be increasing the confidence of the male market by looking good through the help of new grooming products. To be able to exceed the anticipated reach of this commercial, a credible celebrity endorser will in any case be used. It essential be remembered that the grooming product is new that is why it has a significant need to be endorsed by credible and known endorsers to be able to easily make its way and tap its target market. The commercial will show the celebrity endorser using the new grooming products, as he believes in its effectiveness and efficiency, and will include his testimonial regarding the benefits whi ch men will get from using such products. Furthermore, to be able to target male who does not watch television at all, commercials will also be aired via major radio stations. The commercials which will be produced for radio will be focused on testimonials from projected users about the grooming products and endorsement of use while trying to convince more male that this new grooming product is a genus Must-try. The radio commercials will be helpful especially to target males who are always on the go and those who listen to the radio while driving their cars to work or to wherever they will be headed. Lastly, to be able to complete the dimensions of tri-media advertisements, there will also be print ads which will be scattered in major places where the market demographics reflects the target market visibleness of the new grooming products. The display of these print ads will still be helpful in generating recall and awareness especially if they are posted on places in the target m arket of the grooming products is always staying or passing by.To be able to reach more of the products target market, event sponsorship will also be taken into consideration as a means of advertising, as increasing the level of awareness of the public regarding the new grooming products for men. The events which will be targeted for promotions or sponsorship will include those in which the main participants are men. This could include events such as fashion show for mens clothing and other men products. During such events, there will be company booths which will be installed in the venue and will be manned by a set of promodizers. Leaflets regarding the product details and benefits of usage will also be distributed to be able to disseminate information. Furthermore, there will also be free product samples in trial packs so that the target market can be able to try it with the hopes that it could lead to repetitive purchases in order to gain revenue for the business. In order to ach ieve maximum results for event sponsorships, it must be assured that only events with significant attendance from the target population will be considered.Moreover, the office staff of the internet as an effective marketing tool should not be disregarded in the execution of the promotions mix for the new grooming products for men. A comparatively large number of populations in the entire market have access to the internet and literate about its usage. Therefore, marketing efforts should be also directed towards the function of internet to promote the new products. To start of, the company will build its very own corporate website. In building the website, the target market must be considered. Most male internet users want direct information and straight forward execution rather than the bubbly type of websites. Therefore, the website design should be minimalist in general and display only information which ae relevant and significant of the product. The pictures and general descri ption of the products will also be displayed to give the market an image of what they can expect from the product line. Moreover, to be able to strengthen the claims of the product, there will also be testimonials from users and endorsers in order to convince the website visitors that they mus try and use the said products. Lastly, the website shall feature an interactive feed where there could be communication between the visitors and the administrators to answer their queries and also to ad a notion of personalization and interaction in the website.Moreover, public relations must not be also taken out of the picture when considering promotion strategies for the new line of grooming products fro men. In is always very important to maintain a good relationship with the public to be bale to be assured that they will snitch the products and use them in the long run. It is always important for the company to maintain a public image to be bale to make them aware of its practice. deto nate of the public relations measure of the company will be to be more visible in the eyes of the public, specifically to it target market, by establishing a series of events and product launches which will include the endorsers and the actual samples of the products. These product launches will be able to help the company establish public relationship and at the same time will set as a means of promotion for the grooming products.

Cross Cultural Awareness in Management

Cross Cultural Aw atomic number 18ness in counseling confinement 1The FIVE just active central competencies for managing inter depicted objectl(a)y in my rural ara, Hong Kong, for these lead Ameri corporation managers of TDS argonInterpersonal Skills If this is not the most important attainment of all, it is the crucial bingle. This skill abets the oust managers to establish relationships, coordinate with another(prenominal)s, satisfying the needs for knowledge and intimacy when they are abroad. It too helps in building trust and bod relationships with the plurality around them. The expatriate managers are often experiencing uncertainties and acquire stressed when traffic things with work and personal life sentence in a impudent surround.So with safe interpersonal skills exit be able to reduce the stress flood tide from e precise angle. Referring to a new-fashi onenessd book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 190-1), the primary selection of m either companies for the expatriate managers in practice is their track records on r from each oneing their tar conveys or acquire their chores done. Companies similarly would bid to send those that are eager to climb further on their course ladders or those with technical or conceptual abilities quite of those with interpersonal skills abroad.These expatriates are often too foc utilise on their personal agenda to puddle things happen and ignore the pressure that are prone to the local staves which would produce tension at work. Moreover, intuitive feelingings of mistrust and resentment of the local staffs towards the head subprogram result as well be exacerbated. Therefore, interpersonal skills should be taken into account when the American managers are cosmos chosen to manage in a foreign country like Hong Kong.Motivation to live abroad It is a key means for the expatriate managers and their families to adapt into the local goal triumphfully (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192). Basical ly they should sire trustworthy interests in the country they will live in, in enjoin to admit the curiosity to suck up to know it better and experience it well. It is the desire that makes them easier to understand the finish with ease.Patience and respect Different countries involve opposite cultures so it is essential that the international managers commence the patience and respect when transaction with the new culture. It takes clock time to finagle and learn the differences in the midst of the culture at home and the culture of the new place so the international managers should be patient (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). They excessively need to have respect for the local of how the things happen in many(a) directions when dealing with unalike circumstances in any aspects.Cultural empathy This is a not skill that can be easily acquired because it is deeply rooted in souls character to have the mentality of empathy for others with heathen differences (Schne ider Barsoux, 2003, 193). It is required in pasture to respect the local staffs by the international managers to be a sizable listener to focus on what they have to say. Being non-judgmental is in like manner important for those managers to be able to understand others primes of views.The psychological development of a human being allows narcissism to be evolved to a point that interfere the capacity for empathy (Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. 1992). Managers that are narcissistic usually are self- centred and think that others are paltry or but the extensions of their own. They make the set of others steadfastly to be recognized, let alone appreciate, because they see others as objects or tools for them to get what they want in order to achieve their goals and they also think of others as the mirrors to reflect their own glory. This eccentric person of managers would use all their efforts to assure their worth instead of considering the needs and the brisk values of th e other staffs.Flexibility, permissiveness for uncertainty and equivocalness These managers also need to have the flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. ever-changing circumstances that are unexpected makes the managers face with thread of uncertainty and ambiguity because the reactions and the behaviors of the local staffs whitethorn be unpredictable. Managers are intended to reinforce great controls and keep back on the cultivation flow when they face this kind of tread curiously during an international assignment (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192-3).It often results in a stereotypical response and not well adapted to the bit on hands. Although it is difficult for the managers that are usually awarded by being in charged and staying on top of things, expatriates need to go with the flow and let go of control. Everyone doesnt always need to go by the book because actions are often taken base on insufficient, perfidious or/ and conflicting information.Task 2Contr olling work and Adapting model are the names and characteristics of two specific models of strategy related to pagan assumptions and approaches in adapting to external environment as discussed in the literature.The differences between controlling and adapting approaches are described belowControlling model is based on active wait that is focused and systematic. The planning system of the controlling approach is formalized and change using expert consultants to assist in devising strategy. The information being used by the controlling method is objective, quantitative and impersonal also understand information relies on formal models and methods like strategic forecasting with scenario planning. The stack subscribe to in this model are those from the top focussing or the experts of the circumstance area.The finiss for the controlling approach would be do by the top perplexity and lapse heap to be implemented. The strategic goals and action plans are clearly defined, ar ticulate and it would be explicitly measured and rewarded in this controlling method. As it assumes that the environment is cognize to reduce environmental uncertainty. This approach is usually sequential and short circuit marge (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124).Adapting model is broad, sporadic, decentralized and broadly speaking based on monitoring. It is the opposite from the controlling model, cosy and decentralized. The adapting approach is personal, subjective and qualitative the information would be interpreted by some everyday methods with discussions and debate. It would have the employees involved from all crossways the ranks. The decisions for the adapting approach would be made by the front lines staffs, neither the tidy sum from top management nor the experts. The strategic goals tend to emerge and action plans are broad, implicit and vaguely monitored. overly it assumes that the environment cannot be readily known or controlled. This approach is farsighted term and simultaneous (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124).The model of adapting approach is much appropriate in this situation with TDS because TDS is new to town and not quite familiar with the culture and environment in Hong Kong. excessively the environment cannot be controlled or readily known, it would be fresh to have the responsibilities to be diffused through let out the validation to make all the staffs from different ranks to get involved. Strategic direction tends to emerge when different raft get laid with different perspective on the telephone circuit point of view.The implementation should be locally determined to keep it within this strategic frame. Strategy can be refined on an ongoing basis and the adjustments can be made to any unexpected circumstances. TDS should be flexible in order to deal with any sort of unforeseen correctts or sudden change in any situation. A broad scan is needed in case of any clear-sighted change in the environment and also accountability should be charge to the incarnate too because everyone is involved to contribute to make things happen.Task 3The fivesome methods of discovery that I would recommend to the three American managers transferring into my country, Hong Kong, arecomputer architecture and design According to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 24-6) the most obvious artefact is the architecture and design of the building when you enter the organization. In the coupled States, most of the absentice design would be opened space with ramifyitioned off by fractional walls with each unmarried cubicles personalized by personal interested items overmuch(prenominal) as photos, plants or aphorisms. By not being able to see each other directly allows a sense of privacy to be established.Also opened doors are usually signaled as entrance feeible and available date closed(a) doors are indicated as a sign of privacy desire in the get unneurotic States. To the contrary, Japanese prefer to have som e of the walls knocked off so informal communication would not be inhibited. On the other hand, Germans experience fuss to work in an open-plan office due(p) they feel it is lack of privacy. Although Hong Kong has a majority of 95 percent Chinese people check to a website (The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 2008), and was also a British closure for over 150 years, the main contrast sector partner of its own is button up the join States as shown by the figures provided from the Business candidate Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department, (2007a) (2007b). Therefore, most of the office design in Hong Kong is followed to the same style as those in the United States.Greeting rituals In the United States, the greeting rituals are tended to be paid little attention according to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 26-7). solely for the other countries, the protocol is taken quite seriously. There are different forms of way in greetings such(prenominal) as showing respect by exchanging and inspecting fear card game in Japan, greeting individual by name, shaking hands and making mall contact by French. The degree of body contact expected in greeting hits a fair amount of confusion in another part of the rituals too.In the United States, people might greet others with a cover even when the acquaintanceship is ordinary. In some countries like France, kissing hello and good-by are common while people from countries like Hong Kong might feel uncomfortable and uneasy rough it. According to a website (The Economist red-hotspaper Limited, 2008), handshake followed by an immediate swapping of business cards is the most common form of greeting in Hong Kong.Dress Codes It is another cultural artifact varies from the degree of formality. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 29) pointed out that Anglo and Asian managers do not want to get too much attention or stand out by the way they order while the Latin managers really care about their pers onal style. Moreover, corporate dress seems to be food colour coded in some countries. For example in the United Kingdom, some women are advised not to wear suits and dresses in b by rights color to work such as red and some money boxers of a Dutch bank even avoid to wear suits in brown.It also signals task orientation. In the United States, rolled up shirt sleeves is considered as a signal of voiceless operative while in France means relaxing on the handicraft. Not to mention that some US companies have designated days to encourage people to step forward in casual clothes at work such as Fridays. According to a website (World Business Culture, 2008), dress codes differ base on the size of association and industry sector in Hong Kong. Men mostly wear dark suits, shirts and ties while women wear conservative suits and dresses. Trousers and causal wear are tended to be worn only on informal occasions or designated days.Written versus verbal mashs In different parts of the wor ld people have different definitions toward the soaked business agreements as mentioned in a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 30). In some places, ones word means more than a legal document while others need to put down all the details on a paper in black and white. Problems would appear when the contracts are expected by the head office to be signed, sealed and delivered from a place where ones reputation and honor are way more valuable than some legal documents.Figures from Schneider Barsoux (2003, 30) for the estimated numbers of lawyers per capita of some countries like United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan reflect the differences on expectations. American managers will realise it to the legal division to retrieve whenever a business deal has been cruel through while some other countries would sort things out through the relationship. Since Hong Kong is a Common Law Jurisdiction like most of the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States (Wikime dia Foundation, Inc. 2008a), people most likely to expect to have a written contract over a business deal.Criteria for success It depends on the importance of stakeholders whether it is the take in of the shareholders, the customers or the employees. Beliefs and values differ when there are different stakeholders there are different criteria for success. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 31) claimed that American companies only exist for the benefit of the shareholders. This might be disagreed in Japan or even shock the Japanese as they recollect customers have the divine rights. Some countries in Europe such as Germany or Sweden believe that the employees have the divine rights instead. Although all these factors are crucial to the business success, you still need to have a closer look to the cultural preferences in different countries like Hong Kong.Task 4In my opinion, the key kneads for managing people and human resource management are recruitment and selection, compensation and rew ards, employee relations, and occupational group development.Recruitment and selection This can be the most challenging and important function for managing people and human resource management. It is because finding the right people for the right job is essential. It is often a challenge as well particularly when the constitution of the local labor market or the available human resources is not familiar. The high society needs to understand how to access the local labor pool in order to get the equivalent people to work for the company.So finding those candidates who have the abilities and requirements to finish the task and get the job done is also hard and essential, not to mention to get those who seem to likely match with the existing corporate culture. Moreover, the standard profile of one country might be very different from another in terms of representation and the differences in nurture systems also play a part to make the selection difficult in selecting which perso n fits the profile for the job (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151).Compensation and rewards The cultural differences play a role when it comes to determine the terms of reward and who gets it. Different cultures have different type of value in relations to the reward and vary to the extent in the belief that reward should be collective or individual. Pay for surgery is assumed to be based on contribution or equity instead of the belonging to the group or e shade (Eretz and Early, 1993). In the contractual view of employment, the notions of equity, you get what you deserve, are embedded while the notions of equality, you deserve what you get, jibe to the social view (Pennings, 1993).According to Susan Barsoux (2003, 165), the current trend of linking salary payment to working performances is especially suspect to be cultural related. It has been discovered that in some countries like France, it would be shocked for the French executives to have clearly stated quantitative objective relating increased performances to increased bonus. It is because the French executives appoint that discussion about money and finance is such a turned off. It also provoked outcries when the sexual morality pay was attempted to be introduced in Japan.It created uproar as the Japanese executives were scared that it would ruin the harmony of the group and might also encourage short term thinking especially when the employees only focus on the performance in order to get the bonus. On the other hand, the dominant modulate in American managerial thinking is the principle of equity that each one should be rewarded based on the solely contribution by that particular person. at present in the view towards police squad management that demands group cooperation instead of opposition among individuals finds the merit-based pay in the United States demotivating (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). The preference between pecuniary or non financial incentives is also related to the culture.The motivating potential drop of money, status, vacation time is also affected and changed across countries. Swedish would prefer to have some time off rather than a bonus because they are more concerned with the quality of life and monetary rewards are less motivating while giving time off might seem to have not much point in Japan when most of the employees only take half of their holiday entitlement (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). So the internationally operated companies should learn to appreciate the different values and evaluate the potential impact as well because the remuneration package is a very potent indicator of the culture and the behavior expected and also can be used in order to encourage cooperation or competition, risk taking or conservatism, and information sharing or information hoarding.The remuneration package is also a very important signal when it comes to aspiring recruits. When the company wants to attract local elite, it can choose to align itself with the loc al norms or the alien one when the preference of the company changes to attract the less mainstream or adventurous or those that are frustrated with the local practices and looking to be rewarded for their efforts and success (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168).Employee relations It is important to have a good relations and mutual understanding between the management and the staffs of the company. Any staff grievances of the company should be dealt with and well listened to in order to promote a harmony environment. An open dialogue is needed to be promoted between the management and the unions of the company to eliminate any conflicts or fictions that may add up between the staffs and the management specially when there is a new implementation of company policies.Also the employees political standing should be respected and well listened to especially when it is toward the company policy and issues. Good employee relations help increasing the engagement of the employees to the company so as their commitment and involvement as well. It also helps with the staff retention which is necessary for a company setting up in a new country like TDS (CIPD, 2008).Career development National culture has an impact on career development and the natures of the managerial tasks on what management should do or be are depended on assumptions of being versus doing. The determinants for success varies across cultures when some places have it based on achieving results like the United States while in the United Kingdom having good interpersonal skills and personal connections are the keys for success at the career front. Favored career paths also differ culturally and it is form up with cultural assumptions regarding the importance of the individual versus loyalty to the company, doing versus being, and tolerance for uncertainty. So a transnational company should make sure that the perceptions of what it takes to get to the top and the patterns of career development would intromit pe ople with different skills, abilities, knowledge and perspectives (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168 -70).With the references to managing people and HRM, I feel the quadruple department managers, two from the United States and two from Hong Kong, should focus on during their first three months is selection because it is vital to get the right people for the right job in any organization (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Local talent may have different types of abilities, skills, knowledge and strength owing to the national values differences placed on the education so it is also a challenge to get the right people who fit the requirement for the particular job and also fit with the company culture.The managers should consider the differences in attitude towards the hiring practices in Hong Kong and also the cultural differences will influence on how to recruit as well. So getting access to the local labor pool to get the people that match with the job criteria is important too. Therefore, s election should be focused by four department managers for the first three months to get the right people in place and help them to adjust and fit into a new culture and way of life in order to make the launch of TDS in Hong Kong a success.The trade unions in the United Kingdom has a culture as a collective bargaining tool with management while the one in the United States has more of a hire and fire culture. In Hong Kong, there are four trade unions and the largest one among them is the Hong Kong league of Trade Unions and their main slogans are patriotism, solidarity, right, welfare and mesh (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008b).Although the unions in Hong Kong are focused on the rights and welfares of the workers as much as those in the United Kingdom and the United States but they are still at the stage of establishing as the largest unions in Hong Kong was founded in 1948 while those in United Kingdom have been existed for over 100 years like the General Federation of Trade Unio ns (UK) (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008c) and so as those in the United States like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1886 (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008d). Since the United States is the biggest trade business partners of Hong Kong, most of the companies would contain the culture of the United States to remain individual.Task 5The benefits of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are given the larger complexity and speed of change in the international business environment. It seems obvious that bringing people together from different cultures enhance the quality of decisions taken. These multinational cultures contribute a greater range of perspectives and options with even more prospering marketing strategies and ideas to attract different types of customers. It can also provide a different or new way of looking at the old or existing problems and help to promote the chances for greater innovatio n and creativity with the cultural differences as well (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 218).Combining people from different cultural backgrounds also benefits the organization integration and learning so as the managerial development. It improves lateral networks for the communication and information flow. Also when bringing the people with the different cultural backgrounds together, it can be a solution to help minimize the risk of uniformity and pressures for conformity which can appear in the company when there are too many like minded people working at the same company together at the same time (Janis, 1971). Also teams that are composed by members with different profiles are far more effective than teams that are made by the best and the brightest performers or with the members who are having the similar profiles. Teams that have included a mixture of members with profiles of different areas performed better as they have the balance of roles.Different cultures have different assump tions toward the business issues and also have different ideas about the reasons of teams. So that to share information and discuss about any problem at work with people from different cultural background would often generate greater results in a dynamic way. Furthermore to the benefit of the combination with people from different cultures background would enhance the productivity for the organization.The challenges of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are that bringing people together from different cultures is given more ambiguity and uncertainty in decision making. Also it would be much more complex in the organization from the procession to implementation due to the cultural differences in assumptions. People with different cultural backgrounds work together might create interpersonal conflict and communication problems at work.Also it would create greater potential for frustration and dissatisfactions that might lead to higher turnover rate of tea m members within the group (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 231). The choice of language using within the multicultural team might also creates friction and interpret especially when the autochthonic language for the three American managers is incline while the native language for the local managers is Chinese, there is a huge scope for misunderstandings that could hamper the cohesion and force of the team no matter how fluent the local managers could speak in English (I-change, 2008). According to the personal upbringing and values, technical background and training, and also the national backgrounds can distort and filter the messages in many layers of meaning within a multicultural team that can lead to further misunderstanding and frustrations.Barriers would also be created for the multicultural team due to the direct versus indirect communication pain in the ass with accents and fluency differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority and so as the conflicting norms for decisi on making (Brett, Behfar Kern, 2006). Direct versus indirect communication is that in western cultures, the communication is typically direct and explicit. The listener does not need to know much about the speaker in order to interpret the context because the context of the meaning of the converse is on the surface while the meaning of the conversation is embedded in the way the message is presented in many other cultures.Although the language of international business is English, the trouble with accents and fluency may lead to deep frustration and misunderstanding because of nonnative speakers accents, problems with translation or usage and lack of fluency would also influence the perceptions of status and competence.A challenge inherent in multicultural team with differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority is that by design, teams have a rather categorical structure. But team members from some cultures that people are treated differently according to their status in an organization probably are uncomfortable on flat teams. If they defer to higher status team members then their behavior will be seen as appropriate when most of the team members are came from a vertical culture but they may damage their stature and credibility and even face humiliation if most of the team members are came from an egalitarian culture. Cultures differ hugely when it comes to decision making due to the conflicting norms for decision making particularly on how much analysis is required beforehand and how quickly the decisions should be made. American managers like to make decisions very quickly and with little analysis comparatively when compared to the managers from other countries that may also be the challenge too.Task 6 heed ApproachThe four profiles areVillage MarketWell oil machineFamily or tribePyramid of peopleEthical considerationsManagers and companies need to access how different spheres of cultural influence contribute to ethnical behavior.Ethical considera tions could include such things as harsh capitalism which could include laying off workers, division of psychological contract, corruption, codes of conduct, and the Sullivan Principles. Common rationalizations in explaining unethical behavior can beIt is not really illegal or immoralIt serves the best interest of the individual or companyIt is safe because it will never be found out or publicizedThe activity helps the company and therefore it will be condoned and protectedReferencesBrett J., Behfar K. Kern M.C. (2006) Harvard Business Reviewonline. Available fromhttp//web.gsm.uci.edu/kbehfar/Behfar-HBR%202006.pdf Accessed 27 July 2008Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007a). Hong Kong Statistics Statistical Tables online. The Government of the Hong Kong Special administrative Region. Available from http//www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=133excelID=134chartID=tableID=133ID=subjectID=5 Acces sed 29 June 2008Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007b). Hong Kong Statistics Statistical Tables online. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available fromhttp//www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=134excelID=chartID=tableID=134ID=subjectID=5CIPD. (2008) Employee Relations an overview online. Available fromhttp//www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htmAccessed 13 July 2008Eretz, M. and Early, P.C. (1993) Culture, Self-identity, and Work, New York Oxford University Press.I-Change. (2008) multicultural teamwork Communicationonline. Available from (http//www.i-change.biz/multiculturalteamworkcommunication.phpAccessed 27 July 2008Janis, I.L. (1971) Victims of Groupthink, Boston, MA Houghton Mifflin.Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. (1992) Development of the global leader, in V. Pucik, N. Ticy and C.Barnett (eds) Globalizing Management, New York John Wiley, pp .194-205Pennings, J.M. (1993) Executive reward systems A cross national comparison,, Journal of Management Studies, 30(2), pp.261-80, p.264.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing crossways Cultures 2nd edition, pp.24-6, prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing crossways Cultures 2nd edition, pp.26-7, prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing crossways Cultures 2nd edition, p.29, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.30, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.31, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.124, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.151, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.165, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.167, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.168, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.168-70, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.190-1, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.192, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2ndCross Cultural Awareness in ManagementCross Cultural Awareness in ManagementTask 1The FIVE most important competencies for managing internationally in my country, Hong Kong, for these three American managers of TDS areInterpersonal Skills If this is not the most important skill of all, it is the crucial one. This skill helps the expatriate managers to establish relationships, coordinate with others, satisfying the needs for friendship and inti macy when they are abroad. It also helps in building trust and form relationships with the people around them. The expatriate managers are often experiencing uncertainties and getting stressed when dealing things with work and personal life in a new environment.So with good interpersonal skills will be able to reduce the stress coming from every angle. Referring to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 190-1), the primary selection of many companies for the expatriate managers in practice is their track records on reaching their targets or getting their jobs done. Companies also would like to send those that are eager to climb further on their career ladders or those with technical or conceptual abilities instead of those with interpersonal skills abroad.These expatriates are often too focused on their personal agenda to make things happen and ignore the pressure that are given to the local staffs which would create tension at work. Moreover, feelings of mistrust and resentment o f the local staffs towards the head office will also be exacerbated. Therefore, interpersonal skills should be taken into account when the American managers are being chosen to manage in a foreign country like Hong Kong.Motivation to live abroad It is a key factor for the expatriate managers and their families to adapt into the local culture successfully (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192). Basically they should have real interests in the country they will live in, in order to have the curiosity to get to know it better and experience it well. It is the desire that makes them easier to understand the culture with ease.Patience and respect Different countries have different cultures so it is necessary that the international managers have the patience and respect when dealing with the new culture. It takes time to cope and learn the differences between the culture at home and the culture of the new place so the international managers should be patient (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). Th ey also need to have respect for the local of how the things happen in some ways when dealing with different circumstances in any aspects.Cultural empathy This is a not skill that can be easily acquired because it is deeply rooted in someones character to have the mentality of empathy for others with cultural differences (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). It is required in order to respect the local staffs by the international managers to be a good listener to focus on what they have to say. Being non-judgmental is also important for those managers to be able to understand others points of views.The psychological development of a human being allows narcissism to be evolved to a point that interfere the capacity for empathy (Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. 1992). Managers that are narcissistic usually are self- centred and think that others are paltry or just the extensions of their own. They make the values of others hard to be recognized, let alone appreciate, because they see others as objects or tools for them to get what they want in order to achieve their goals and they also think of others as the mirrors to reflect their own glory. This type of managers would use all their efforts to prove their worth instead of considering the needs and the existing values of the other staffs.Flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity These managers also need to have the flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. Changing circumstances that are unexpected makes the managers face with thread of uncertainty and ambiguity because the reactions and the behaviors of the local staffs may be unpredictable. Managers are intended to reinforce greater controls and restrict on the information flow when they face this kind of tread especially during an international assignment (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192-3).It often results in a stereotypical response and not well adapted to the situation on hands. Although it is difficult for the managers that are usually aw arded by being in charged and staying on top of things, expatriates need to go with the flow and let go of control. Everyone doesnt always need to go by the book because actions are often taken base on insufficient, unreliable or/ and conflicting information.Task 2Controlling model and Adapting model are the names and characteristics of two specific models of strategy related to cultural assumptions and approaches in adapting to external environment as discussed in the literature.The differences between controlling and adapting approaches are described belowControlling model is based on active search that is focused and systematic. The planning system of the controlling approach is formalized and centralized using expert consultants to assist in devising strategy. The information being used by the controlling method is objective, quantitative and impersonal also interpreting information relies on formal models and methods like strategic forecasting with scenario planning. The people involve in this model are those from the top management or the experts of the particular area.The decisions for the controlling approach would be made by the top management and pass down to be implemented. The strategic goals and action plans are clearly defined, articulated and it would be explicitly measured and rewarded in this controlling method. As it assumes that the environment is known to reduce environmental uncertainty. This approach is usually sequential and short term (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124).Adapting model is broad, sporadic, decentralized and mostly based on monitoring. It is the opposite from the controlling model, informal and decentralized. The adapting approach is personal, subjective and qualitative the information would be interpreted by some informal methods with discussions and debate. It would have the employees involved from all across the ranks. The decisions for the adapting approach would be made by the front lines staffs, neither the people from t op management nor the experts. The strategic goals tend to emerge and action plans are broad, implicit and vaguely monitored. Also it assumes that the environment cannot be readily known or controlled. This approach is long term and simultaneous (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124).The model of adapting approach is more appropriate in this situation with TDS because TDS is new to town and not quite familiar with the culture and environment in Hong Kong. Also the environment cannot be controlled or readily known, it would be wise to have the responsibilities to be diffused throughout the organization to make all the staffs from different ranks to get involved. Strategic direction tends to emerge when different people come with different perspective on the business point of view.The implementation should be locally determined to keep it within this strategic frame. Strategy can be refined on an ongoing basis and the adjustments can be made to any unexpected circumstances. TDS should be fle xible in order to deal with any sort of unforeseen events or sudden change in any situation. A broad scan is needed in case of any subtle change in the environment and also accountability should be assigned to the collective too because everyone is involved to contribute to make things happen.Task 3The Five methods of discovery that I would recommend to the three American managers transferring into my country, Hong Kong, areArchitecture and design According to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 24-6) the most obvious artifact is the architecture and design of the building when you enter the organization. In the United States, most of the office design would be opened space with partitioned off by half walls with each individual cubicles personalized by personal interested items such as photos, plants or aphorisms. By not being able to see each other directly allows a sense of privacy to be established.Also opened doors are usually signaled as accessible and available while cl osed doors are indicated as a sign of privacy desire in the United States. To the contrary, Japanese prefer to have some of the walls knocked off so informal communication would not be inhibited. On the other hand, Germans experience difficulty to work in an open-plan office due they feel it is lack of privacy. Although Hong Kong has a majority of 95 percent Chinese people according to a website (The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 2008), and was also a British colony for over 150 years, the main business partner of its own is still the United States as shown by the figures provided from the Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department, (2007a) (2007b). Therefore, most of the office design in Hong Kong is followed to the same style as those in the United States.Greeting rituals In the United States, the greeting rituals are tended to be paid less attention according to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 26-7). But for the other countrie s, the protocol is taken quite seriously. There are different forms of way in greetings such as showing respect by exchanging and inspecting business cards in Japan, greeting individual by name, shaking hands and making eye contact by French. The degree of body contact expected in greeting creates a fair amount of confusion in another part of the rituals too.In the United States, people might greet others with a hug even when the acquaintanceship is ordinary. In some countries like France, kissing hello and goodbye are common while people from countries like Hong Kong might feel uncomfortable and uneasy about it. According to a website (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2008), handshaking followed by an immediate swapping of business cards is the most common form of greeting in Hong Kong.Dress Codes It is another cultural artifact varies from the degree of formality. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 29) pointed out that Anglo and Asian managers do not want to get too much attention or stan d out by the way they dress while the Latin managers really care about their personal style. Moreover, corporate dress seems to be color coded in some countries. For example in the United Kingdom, some women are advised not to wear suits and dresses in bright color to work such as red and some bankers of a Dutch bank even avoid to wear suits in brown.It also signals task orientation. In the United States, rolled up shirt sleeves is considered as a signal of hard working while in France means relaxing on the job. Not to mention that some US companies have designated days to encourage people to appear in casual clothes at work such as Fridays. According to a website (World Business Culture, 2008), dress codes differ base on the size of company and industry sector in Hong Kong. Men mostly wear dark suits, shirts and ties while women wear conservative suits and dresses. Trousers and causal wear are tended to be worn only on informal occasions or designated days.Written versus verbal con tracts In different parts of the world people have different definitions toward the sealed business agreements as mentioned in a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 30). In some places, ones word means more than a legal document while others need to put down all the details on a paper in black and white. Problems would appear when the contracts are expected by the head office to be signed, sealed and delivered from a place where ones reputation and honor are way more valuable than some legal documents.Figures from Schneider Barsoux (2003, 30) for the estimated numbers of lawyers per capita of some countries like United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan reflect the differences on expectations. American managers will bring it to the legal department to retrieve whenever a business deal has been fell through while some other countries would sort things out through the relationship. Since Hong Kong is a Common Law Jurisdiction like most of the United Kingdom, Irelan d and the United States (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008a), people most likely to expect to have a written contract over a business deal.Criteria for success It depends on the importance of stakeholders whether it is the benefit of the shareholders, the customers or the employees. Beliefs and values differ when there are different stakeholders there are different criteria for success. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 31) claimed that American companies only exist for the benefit of the shareholders. This might be disagreed in Japan or even shock the Japanese as they believe customers have the divine rights. Some countries in Europe such as Germany or Sweden believe that the employees have the divine rights instead. Although all these factors are crucial to the business success, you still need to have a closer look to the cultural preferences in different countries like Hong Kong.Task 4In my opinion, the key functions for managing people and human resource management are recruitment and se lection, compensation and rewards, employee relations, and career development.Recruitment and selection This can be the most challenging and important function for managing people and human resource management. It is because finding the right people for the right job is essential. It is often a challenge as well especially when the nature of the local labor market or the available human resources is not familiar. The company needs to understand how to access the local labor pool in order to get the equivalent people to work for the company.So finding those candidates who have the abilities and requirements to finish the task and get the job done is also hard and essential, not to mention to get those who seem to likely match with the existing corporate culture. Moreover, the standard profile of one country might be very different from another in terms of representation and the differences in education systems also play a part to make the selection difficult in selecting which perso n fits the profile for the job (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151).Compensation and rewards The cultural differences play a role when it comes to determine the terms of reward and who gets it. Different cultures have different type of value in relations to the reward and vary to the extent in the belief that reward should be collective or individual. Pay for performance is assumed to be based on contribution or equity instead of the belonging to the group or equality (Eretz and Early, 1993). In the contractual view of employment, the notions of equity, you get what you deserve, are embedded while the notions of equality, you deserve what you get, correspond to the social view (Pennings, 1993).According to Susan Barsoux (2003, 165), the current trend of linking salary payment to working performances is especially suspect to be cultural related. It has been discovered that in some countries like France, it would be shocked for the French executives to have clearly stated quantifiable ob jective relating increased performances to increased bonus. It is because the French executives found that discussion about money and finance is such a turned off. It also provoked outcries when the merit pay was attempted to be introduced in Japan.It created uproar as the Japanese executives were scared that it would ruin the harmony of the group and might also encourage short term thinking especially when the employees only focus on the performance in order to get the bonus. On the other hand, the dominant influence in American managerial thinking is the principle of equity that each one should be rewarded based on the solely contribution by that particular person. Nowadays in the view towards team management that demands group cooperation instead of competition among individuals finds the merit-based pay in the United States demotivating (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). The preference between financial or non financial incentives is also related to the culture.The motivating potentia l of money, status, vacation time is also affected and changed across countries. Swedish would prefer to have some time off rather than a bonus because they are more concerned with the quality of life and monetary rewards are less motivating while giving time off might seem to have not much point in Japan when most of the employees only take half of their holiday entitlement (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). So the internationally operated companies should learn to appreciate the different values and evaluate the potential impact as well because the remuneration package is a very strong indicator of the culture and the behavior expected and also can be used in order to encourage cooperation or competition, risk taking or conservatism, and information sharing or information hoarding.The remuneration package is also a very important signal when it comes to aspiring recruits. When the company wants to attract local elite, it can choose to align itself with the local norms or the alien one w hen the preference of the company changes to attract the less mainstream or adventurous or those that are frustrated with the local practices and looking to be rewarded for their efforts and success (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168).Employee relations It is important to have a good relations and mutual understanding between the management and the staffs of the company. Any staff grievances of the company should be dealt with and well listened to in order to promote a harmony environment. An open dialogue is needed to be promoted between the management and the unions of the company to eliminate any conflicts or fictions that may occur between the staffs and the management specially when there is a new implementation of company policies.Also the employees political standing should be respected and well listened to especially when it is toward the company policy and issues. Good employee relations help increasing the engagement of the employees to the company so as their commitment and invo lvement as well. It also helps with the staff retention which is necessary for a company setting up in a new country like TDS (CIPD, 2008).Career development National culture has an impact on career development and the natures of the managerial tasks on what management should do or be are depended on assumptions of being versus doing. The determinants for success varies across cultures when some places have it based on achieving results like the United States while in the United Kingdom having good interpersonal skills and personal connections are the keys for success at the career front. Favored career paths also differ culturally and it is bound up with cultural assumptions regarding the importance of the individual versus loyalty to the company, doing versus being, and tolerance for uncertainty. So a multinational company should make sure that the perceptions of what it takes to get to the top and the patterns of career development would include people with different skills, abi lities, knowledge and perspectives (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168 -70).With the references to managing people and HRM, I feel the four department managers, two from the United States and two from Hong Kong, should focus on during their first three months is selection because it is vital to get the right people for the right job in any organization (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Local talent may have different types of abilities, skills, knowledge and strength owing to the national values differences placed on the education so it is also a challenge to get the right people who fit the requirement for the particular job and also fit with the company culture.The managers should consider the differences in attitude towards the hiring practices in Hong Kong and also the cultural differences will influence on how to recruit as well. So getting access to the local labor pool to get the people that match with the job criteria is important too. Therefore, selection should be focused by four de partment managers for the first three months to get the right people in place and help them to adjust and fit into a new culture and way of life in order to make the launch of TDS in Hong Kong a success.The trade unions in the United Kingdom has a culture as a collective bargaining tool with management while the one in the United States has more of a hire and fire culture. In Hong Kong, there are four trade unions and the largest one among them is the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and their main slogans are patriotism, solidarity, right, welfare and participation (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008b).Although the unions in Hong Kong are focused on the rights and welfares of the workers as much as those in the United Kingdom and the United States but they are still at the stage of establishing as the largest unions in Hong Kong was founded in 1948 while those in United Kingdom have been existed for over 100 years like the General Federation of Trade Unions (UK) (Wikimedia Foundat ion, Inc. 2008c) and so as those in the United States like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1886 (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008d). Since the United States is the biggest trade business partners of Hong Kong, most of the companies would contain the culture of the United States to remain individual.Task 5The benefits of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are given the larger complexity and speed of change in the international business environment. It seems obvious that bringing people together from different cultures enhance the quality of decisions taken. These multinational cultures contribute a greater range of perspectives and options with even more successful marketing strategies and ideas to attract different types of customers. It can also provide a different or new way of looking at the old or existing problems and help to promote the chances for greater innovation and creativity with the cu ltural differences as well (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 218).Combining people from different cultural backgrounds also benefits the organization integration and learning so as the managerial development. It improves lateral networks for the communication and information flow. Also when bringing the people with the different cultural backgrounds together, it can be a solution to help minimize the risk of uniformity and pressures for conformity which can appear in the company when there are too many like minded people working at the same company together at the same time (Janis, 1971). Also teams that are composed by members with different profiles are far more effective than teams that are made by the best and the brightest performers or with the members who are having the similar profiles. Teams that have included a mixture of members with profiles of different areas performed better as they have the balance of roles.Different cultures have different assumptions toward the business is sues and also have different ideas about the reasons of teams. So that to share information and discuss about any problem at work with people from different cultural background would often generate greater results in a dynamic way. Furthermore to the benefit of the combination with people from different cultures background would enhance the productivity for the organization.The challenges of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are that bringing people together from different cultures is given more ambiguity and uncertainty in decision making. Also it would be much more complex in the organization from the procession to implementation due to the cultural differences in assumptions. People with different cultural backgrounds work together might create interpersonal conflict and communication problems at work.Also it would create greater potential for frustration and dissatisfactions that might lead to higher turnover of team members within the group (Schnei der Barsoux, 2003, 231). The choice of language using within the multicultural team might also creates friction and misunderstanding especially when the native language for the three American managers is English while the native language for the local managers is Chinese, there is a huge scope for misunderstandings that could hamper the cohesion and effectiveness of the team no matter how fluent the local managers could speak in English (I-change, 2008). According to the personal upbringing and values, technical background and training, and also the national backgrounds can distort and filter the messages in many layers of meaning within a multicultural team that can lead to further misunderstanding and frustrations.Barriers would also be created for the multicultural team due to the direct versus indirect communication trouble with accents and fluency differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority and so as the conflicting norms for decision making (Brett, Behfar Kern, 2006). Direct versus indirect communication is that in western cultures, the communication is typically direct and explicit. The listener does not need to know much about the speaker in order to interpret the context because the context of the meaning of the conversation is on the surface while the meaning of the conversation is embedded in the way the message is presented in many other cultures.Although the language of international business is English, the trouble with accents and fluency may lead to deep frustration and misunderstanding because of nonnative speakers accents, problems with translation or usage and lack of fluency would also influence the perceptions of status and competence.A challenge inherent in multicultural team with differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority is that by design, teams have a rather flat structure. But team members from some cultures that people are treated differently according to their status in an organization probably are uncomfortable on flat teams. If they defer to higher status team members then their behavior will be seen as appropriate when most of the team members are came from a hierarchical culture but they may damage their stature and credibility and even face humiliation if most of the team members are came from an egalitarian culture. Cultures differ enormously when it comes to decision making due to the conflicting norms for decision making particularly on how much analysis is required beforehand and how quickly the decisions should be made. American managers like to make decisions very quickly and with little analysis relatively when compared to the managers from other countries that may also be the challenge too.Task 6Management ApproachThe four profiles areVillage MarketWell oiled machineFamily or tribePyramid of peopleEthical considerationsManagers and companies need to access how different spheres of cultural influence contribute to ethnical behavior.Ethical considerations could include such things a s harsh capitalism which could include laying off workers, breakdown of psychological contract, corruption, codes of conduct, and the Sullivan Principles. Common rationalizations in explaining unethical behavior can beIt is not really illegal or immoralIt serves the best interest of the individual or companyIt is safe because it will never be found out or publicizedThe activity helps the company and therefore it will be condoned and protectedReferencesBrett J., Behfar K. Kern M.C. (2006) Harvard Business Reviewonline. Available fromhttp//web.gsm.uci.edu/kbehfar/Behfar-HBR%202006.pdf Accessed 27 July 2008Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007a). Hong Kong Statistics Statistical Tables online. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available from http//www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=133excelID=134chartID=tableID=133ID=subjectID=5 Accessed 29 June 2008Business Expectat ion Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007b). Hong Kong Statistics Statistical Tables online. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available fromhttp//www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=134excelID=chartID=tableID=134ID=subjectID=5CIPD. (2008) Employee Relations an overview online. Available fromhttp//www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htmAccessed 13 July 2008Eretz, M. and Early, P.C. (1993) Culture, Self-identity, and Work, New York Oxford University Press.I-Change. (2008) Multicultural teamwork Communicationonline. Available from (http//www.i-change.biz/multiculturalteamworkcommunication.phpAccessed 27 July 2008Janis, I.L. (1971) Victims of Groupthink, Boston, MA Houghton Mifflin.Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. (1992) Development of the global leader, in V. Pucik, N. Ticy and C.Barnett (eds) Globalizing Management, New York John Wiley, pp.194-205Pennings, J.M. (1993) Exe cutive reward systems A cross national comparison,, Journal of Management Studies, 30(2), pp.261-80, p.264.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.24-6, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.26-7, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.29, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.30, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.31, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.124, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.151, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.165, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.167, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.168, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.168-70, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.190-1, Prentice Hall.Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. 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Analysis Starbucks Operational Financial Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing Essay

Analysis Starbucks Operational fiscal Organisational Marketing Capabilities Marketing EssayThe organisation chosen for the task is Starbucks Corp. and the report would oppose it with two similar companies, one being costa Coffee and the different being Caff Nero.The report would gameylight the frameworks underpinning the competitive position of Starbucks and too would identify and asses the scotch and the competitive position of the besotted.A fiscal model using appropriate ratio analysis would excessively be presented in a spreadsheet format identifying the persistence trends and their impact on the performance of Starbucks vis--vis rib Coffee and Caff Nero.Both quantitative and qualitative information would be made available so as to leave an insight into Starbucks sustainable performance and prospects.Analysis of Starbucks operational, financial, organisational and marketplaceing capabilities would be made available through application of PESTEL analysis and Porters 5 forces model.The report would also hash out the issues, the chores, the opportunities and the options available to Starbucks for future logical argument growth, followed by conclusions to draw to puffher all(a) the variables identified.Recommendations would be provided for the keep company highlighting the direction it needs to take to ensure business profitability with comments on the suitability, acceptability and the feasibility of the options made available.INTRODUCTIONThe Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate Ameri hatful consumers or so the fine java drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took oer the Starbucks Group, he wanted to create the Italian espresso bar experience in the States by creating a face-to-face relationship between the customers and their hot chocolate bean bean.In 1995, the company really took off with the opening of its 676th store, and the blowup strategy t o Hawaii, Singapore and Japan being very successful. By 2000, 3,300 stores were already in operation and Starbucks had ventured into markets ranging from Eng province to Australia. As standing, Starbucks is pattern one in the indus rise, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries.Just within a couple of social classs they grew from a small java business house to a multi-million dollar player in the speciality coffee diligence by buying tho the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience.The Starbucks mission statement is To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one loving cup and one neighbourhood at a beat. Freshly brewed coffee is the main merchandise offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a some varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour.INDUSTRY TRENDS AND MARKET ANALYSISThe market right now for gourme t coffee business is hot. All the multi-national fast food for thought chains and street-corner shops want in on the boom. Many big companies be revolve abouting on the add together of specialness branded coffees and the scenario is heating up. Specialty coffee is one of the fastest growing food services markets globally. Growth in the coffee industry is continuously peaking, with some(prenominal) saucily overseas companies entering the market using policies like special discounts and perks despite the questionable quality of the coffee being used to enlarge the market sh be.A nonable trend seen is that often a signifi push asidet increase in sales occurs every time a caf starts to use branded consumables. The consensus is that these coffee drinks would be a long-term trend, with stress on elevating the customers taste for a product that they are already familiar with and then leading them to coffee houses to get it. Many companies are also tinkering with expanding the fo od menus as well including an in-store display of fresh baked goods, sandwiches and various confectionary items.The crudeest trend is the drive-thru coffee stores. Starbucks has many such stores, all of which are seeing continual growth and long lines. Another trend includes customer requests for organic coffees, which has encouraged retailers to move towards the beans growing environment. The array of products offered has never been as wide, as retailers are adding more flavours to whole beans and creating variations to the basics of espresso and steamed milk. The clever retailers develop added iced tea concoctions and coffee shakes to their menus to outdo competitors. Most specialty retailers now also retail whole beans and many such stores have added coffee grinders, espresso machines and other brewing supplies for add on sales.STARBUCKS ANALYSISThis use of the report would analyse the works of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces and the BCG Matrix. PESTEL AnalysisPOLITICALTaxation policyHigh taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to barter for the end item at a higher price.International trade regulations and tariffsTrade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading rural area imposes a tariff it would not all result in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but such large income transfers can also compose repugnant with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers.Government stabilityA change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be approached with great caution when considering new ventures.Employment practice of lawA reduct ion in licensing and permit costs in the bean producing countries would lower production costs for farmers. This saving would in turn be passed on to Starbucks when purchasing beans and finally to the consumers.ECONOMICInterest judgeHigh interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect.Economic GrowthConsumer incomes would fall in periods of negative growth leaving less(prenominal) disposable income impacting the sales for Starbucks.Inflation ratesBusiness costs result rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer.Competitors pricingCompetitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share.Exchange ratesIf the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the corresponding price, wh en importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. complaisantPopulation demographicsIdentification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The trade campaign undertaken would focus accordingly.Coffee is more of a luxury product, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted.Working PopulationA large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can notes this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet and eat, boosting the sales.LocationA good view which is easily accessible is vital to ensure that the customers visit the shop.TECHNOLOGICALIT developmentStarbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new featur es to the market in the shortest time possible.New materials and processesDevelopments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently. This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day..Rate of technological changeThe pace at which technology is advancing is astounding. Starbucks would need to invest heavily just to stand still in the ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors.ENVIRONMENTALPollution problemsStarbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully considered to tally it as biologically degradable as possible.Planning permissionsPlanning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected.Work disposalthither are strict laws in most countries pertaining to waste disposal and non-adherence to these could lead to Starbucks being sanctioned, which would affects them financially and also tarnish the reputation of the brand name.Environmental pressure groupsStarbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of wight or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups.LEGALTrade and product restrictionsStarbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the countries where they have conventional businesses. They need to ensure they are not in violation of any such laws. Certain countries impose a tariff that has to be paid when goods are imported/exported so this must(prenominal) be taken into account as well.Employment lawsEach co untry has different employment laws, like a limit on the number of hours an employee can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion.Health and Safety regulationsBy not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores.Land useStarbucks have to abide by the laws of the building authorities when constructing shops or altering purchased sites and if found in violation of land rules, it can be panalised by the local anaesthetic authorities.PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRYStarbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caff Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales.Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the note between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment.2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTSStarbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have exhibited this control over distribution channels by setting guidelines for their suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants.However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where capital is not a problem could be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going terrors of new entrants include fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dun kin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future.3. negotiate POWER OF BUYERSA big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caff Nero for a cup of coffee. Another threat to Starbucks is that their customers have the ability to brew their own coffee. Starbucks has tried to counter this threat by offering Preferred Office Coffee Providers as well as directions on how to make the perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, called the Four Fundamentals of Coffee. The perfect cup of Starbucks Coffee includes, of course, Starbucks ingredientsAlso with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, it is clear that Starbucks customers have some dicker power in the industry.4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERSCoffee is the worlds second largest traded commodity. South and Centra l America produce the majority of coffee traded in the world. Starbucks depends upon both outside brokers and direct contact with exporters for the supply of premium coffee beans.The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers who can meet Starbucks coffee standards will be able to supply the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers.However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus decrease the bargaining power of suppliers.THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTIONSubstitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, support products can be soft drin ks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks.Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items.The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat.STARBUCKS FINANCIAL ANALYSISThis part of the report would highlight the financial position of Starbucks using the annual reports and comprehensive ratio analysis for the financial years 2008, 2009 and 2010 which are enclosed in the appendix.2008In fiscal 2008, Starbucks experienced declining store sales in its stores, primarily due to lower customer traffic. The weaker traffic was caused due to number of on-going factors in the global thrift such as the higher costs of gas and food, rising levels of unemployment and personal debt along with reduced access to consumer credit.In fiscal year 2008, store sales declined a margin of 8%. Consolidated in operation(p) income was $503.9 million in fiscal 2008, and operating margin for the year was 4.9% compared with 11.2% in the prior year. Approximately 260 ass points of the decrease in operating margin was a result of restructuring charges, primarily related to the significant US store closures.EPS for fiscal 2008 was $0.43, compared to EPS of $0.87 per share earned in the prior year. Restructuring charges and costs associated with the execution of the transformation agenda impacted EPS by approximately $0.28 per share in fiscal 2008.2009Fiscal 2009 was a challenging year for Starbucks. The difficult economic environment had strained consumer discretionary spending in the US and internationally, which negatively impacted company revenues, store sales, operating income and operating margins.Starbucks responded by creating a business model that was less reliant on high revenue growth to drive profitability. The primary initiatives of the strategy included rationalizing the global company operated store portfolio and reducing the cost social system, while renewing the focus on service excellence.Starbucks closed down approximately 1000 stores. Initiatives targeting reductions in the cost structure in fiscal 2009 proceeded as planned, with full year costs of $580 million removed from the cost structure.The company maintained a solid financial foundation, with no short term debt outstanding at the end of fiscal 2009 and with cash and liquid investments totalling more than $650 million. The solid financial position and get acrossd strong cash flow generation provided Starbucks with the financial flexibility to implement its restructuring efforts.2010In fiscal 2010, revenues increased to a record $10.7 billion. Operating income increased by $857 million from scal 2009 to $1.4 billi on. The full-year operating margin of 13.3 % represented the highest full-year consolidated operating margin in Starbucks history. Fiscal 2010 ended with the highest full-year comparable store sales growth that Starbucks have seen in the recent past, while the earnings per share also grew more than double from scal 2009.BENCHMARKING WITH COSTA COFFEE AND CAFF NEROStarbucks is a US chain whereas both Costa Coffee and Caff Nero were established in the UK. Costa Coffee was setup in London in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa and acquired by Whitbread PLC in 1995. Caff Nero was established by Gerry Ford in 1997 in the UK.The comparison would be carried out using the financial information of the three firms which is available in the appendix. The comparison would majorly be establish on the UK market.There are 1,175 Costa Coffee shops in Britain as compared to 731 of Starbucks and 440 of Caff Nero. A comprehensive business analysis of Starbucks has already been supplied in the above report this part would focus on the business analysis of Caff Nero and Costa Coffee individually followed by a coherent conclusion of the findings.Costa CoffeeAccording to the financial data available operating profit grew by 59.5% to 36.2million 312 net new stores were acquired or opened and like for like sales increased by 5.5. Costa operates in 25 countries and is now the number two international coffee shop operator with 1,600 stores 1,069in the UK and 531 overseas. Sales performance improved strongly across the year, support the brands resilience, even in a recessionary environment.Caff NeroThe groups 60% equity is held by the Ford family, the rest 30% by a private equity firm Paladin and 10% with the management. Caff Nero has recently completed a successful 140m refinancing in a bid to fund the businesss future growth ambitions.The business, which has 500 outlets in the UK and internationally and has registered 54 consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like growth, is forecast t o generate 31m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 12 months to May 2011. Revenue for the same period is forecast to reach 171m, an increase of 11% on the previous year. The new financial structure would provide the Group with a financial syllabus to support its growth ambitions and expansion plans both in the UK and internationally.Nero has a lot of ups including strong brand positioning, intensive marketing campaigns and a clear differentiation point. However, thither are some weaknesses, one of them being lack of experience in going international, thus some problems could arise while penetrating foreign markets.though both the companies Costa and Nero are well established in the UK market, Starbucks is the industry leader in the world and is a major competition to them in the UK. Financial turnover of the Starbucks Group is so massive that it provides them with all the capital requirements to innovate and differentiate their product f rom the 2 competitors it already has established a sizeable market share in the UK, but still needs to take over Costa Coffee which it should be able to do in the near future, tone at the financial figures provided and the international global strategy adopted by the group which seems very promising.ISSUES FACING STARBUCKSThe major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crisis in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world.Another challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is competitors. There are numerous coffee shops all over the world and being able to stand out to generate customers is important. Their main competitors are Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caff Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is important that for Starbucks to know their competitors and what they are currently doing.Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competit ors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink. As Starbucks have many competitors, this can be a potential advantage to for such competitors.Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers.Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags.Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As corporations grow there can be a movement to focus too heavily on increasing output and locations, and less focus on quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful.Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Advantages of Starbucks franchising would be to open hundreds of new stores with less risk to the company, and make profits in doing so. In addition Starbucks would have less research and development costs because the franchisee would have greater knowledge of the local market in terms of demographics, psychographics, geographic, and local/state/country regulations.RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONStarbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to differentiate in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength.Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves.Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access undiscovered distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores.Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. It is im portant to understand this in the product development phase as they would need to focus solely on making their existing products better. The company can demonstrate product and market diversification through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation has proven an gauzy defence against threats such as bargaining power of buyers. growing new products will offset such potential risks.A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into agreements, long-term contracts, with the food service companies that they are competing against. This way their coffee would be sold at these outlets and they would gain access to new markets and increase sales while decreasing competition.Starbucks should continue to be a first mover into markets with new products and ideas. Being a first mover of new products into new international markets will be an excellent way for Starbucks to build customer loyalty and uphold its image as an innovative company.Starbucks should continue to locate their operations in high traffic areas, high visibility areas. The company should continue to take excellent care in picking locations. It is extremely important that Starbucks international stores reflect uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of locations will ensure large market exposure.

The Existence of Evil :: Philosophy Religion Ethics Essays

The Existence of EvilSix years ago a little girl from my church approached me and asked why the urticate existed, and why bad things happen. At the moment I was a little perplexed and did not know what to say. All that came to my mind was that humankind needed a scapegoat to blame for the occurrence of unfavorable incidents. Blaming adverse conditions on the rally is the easy and obvious way out of either situation. All wiz has to do is to say that the devil was the cause of the situation and wash his hands of the entire problem. At twelve years old, I thought that humanity used the devil as a way to elude responsibility and to ignore the consequences of its actions. It was not until last year that I realized the answer to the little girls question more or less the existence of evil. In English class last year I read Arthur Millers play The Crucible as required reading. According to my English teacher, one theme of The Crucible was that having evil in the world is necessary to b alance out the goodness. If either entity overpowered the other, they would throw off the entire balance. Beside maintaining balance, evilness helps humanity to prise the goodness in the world. Without ugliness, a person cannot enjoy beauty. Without misfortune, a person cannot enjoy fortune. And without evilness, a person cannot enjoy goodness. No one could enjoy goodness in the world, because there would be nothing to compare with it. Concerning religion, if there was no devil in the world to make humanity miserable, then it would not whole tone forward to heaven. There would be no difference between the two, so humankind would not confound to question its actions because there would not be any consequences such as heaven or hell. Imagine a world where everything is perfect, and there is no suffering. Natural laws are bent at the hint of impose on _or_ oppress to humanity. If a plane carrying passengers starts to plummet, gravity ceases and the plane floats down to earth like a feather. Or if a gun is shot at a person, the sluggard turns into a marshmallow so it will not harm anyone. In that world there is no pain nor suffering, just existence. The people do not have to adapt to their environment, because the environment adapts to them. I find this version of life frightening, because the people would take everything for granted.

Congenital Birth Defects Essay -- Genetic Causes, Chromosomal Abnormal

1.1Congenital Birth Defects Birth defects, congenital abnormalities be ground used to describe developmental defects that be present at experience. There are a lot of genetic and environmental interactions in the complex intonation from a fertilised ovum to a fully formed tender being. The stage of development that the interactions are affected influences the type of birth defects. Birth defect causes give the sack be divided into two types, genetic and environmental causes. There are also birth defects which are caused due to multifactorial inheritance (George, 2007). Genetic causes of birth defectsIt has been estimated that 25% of all birth defects are caused due to genetic factors and out of these 85% causes are known (Brent, 2004). Birth defects can be caused due to chromosomal aberrations, mutations in single genes and interactions of both environmental and genetic factors. Chromosomal aberrations are seen frequently as the complex mechanisms such as meiosis or mitosis a re prone to error. Another frequent causative factor of multiple birth defects is chromosomal aneuploidy (loss or gain of whole chromosome). Multiple congenital anomaly syndromes are caused due to single gene defects (Prescott, 2001).Chromosomal abnormalities They whitethorn be numerical or structural and are important causes of approximately 5-6% of all birth defects (Young, 2005). These abnormalities may arise newly or maybe inherited from a parent with same chromosomal aberration. Numerical abnormalities are caused due to any deviation from the human diploid number of 46 chromosomes which is called chromosomal aneuploidy. This leads to multiple birth defects as it disturbs the action of multiple genes. Usually, numerical chromosomal abnormalities are resu... ...Synthetic lethality does indicate that when two genes stomach the same role and mutation occurs in them both making them non-functional only then it results in lethality. Moreover when both the genes have the same functi on in the pathway, each mutation in the genes diminishes the function of the pathway.Even though genome sequencing of mouse and humans are completed the function of a major part of the genomes are still unknown. An effective way to discover the gene function is by determining the consequence of mutations in organisms. This study focuses on congenital birth defects by studying the mutations in mouse genome causing developmental abnormalities which serve as models for human congenital birth defects. In this study an attempt is made to discover the genes that cause developmental defects and lethality thus aids the study of congenital birth defects.