Exam 06044100

Part A: 1. Organization’s commitment to social responsibility takes the form of policies or pronouncements on what the organization intends to do to address its social impact in the community where it operates, which includes its stakeholders, suppliers and the general public.As such, a key requirement in implementing an organization’s commitment to social responsibility is the buy-in from the board and the top executives which make the policies, and the support of the middle-management and employees which will implement the policies. To do this, the board and top executives must understand the firm’s effects as an organization, and everyone else must have a clear grasp of the direction where it is going.Implementation involves the day-to-day operations, processes, activities, decisions and practices which will ensure that the organization’s socially responsible commitments and policies are carried out and met The main obstacles to implementing socially re sponsible policies are ,lack of clarity in policy statements, lack of a supporting structure system, processes and organization financial constraints programs and projects must have appropriate funding,lack of coordination among activities, lack of understanding and support from implementers middle management and employees.Some specific actions that can be taken towards increased social responsibility's are. Come up with ways for the organization to integrate socially responsible policies into day-to-day operations and individual activities. This can be done by involving middle managers, employees, and other key players in brainstorming sessions. Develop a strong communication plan : Internally, focus on motivating factors such as how social responsibility can be a source of competitive advantage for the organization in terms of low production cost, improved product value, and build-up of customer loyalty.Externally, focus on making commitments public, not only to gain public attent ion, but to inform the public of what it is doing in terms of improving product value and customer service. Set measurable targets and continuously . Celebrating achievements can be a source of inspiration and increased commitment to social responsibility. 2. Departmentalization is the process of grouping activities, customers, or job functions into specialized groups of an organization to create better coordination. All large companies have multiple departments. These departments are specialized units that carryout pecific functions for a company. Most organizations have the functional departments of human resources, accounting, sales, and information technology. Types of Departmentalization 1) Functional: Groups of employees based on work performed (engineering, accounting, information systems, human resources). 2) Product: Groups of employees based on major product areas in the corporation ( woman's footwear, men's footwear, and apparel and accessories). 3) Customer: Groups of em ployees based on customer’s problem and needs (wholesale, retail, government). ) Geographic: Groups of employees based on location served North, South, Midwest, East). 5) Process: Groups of employees based on the basis of work or customers flow ( testing, payment) 3. Is a scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). SWOT analysis means analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. It is a useful strategic planning tool. It is based on the assumption that if managers carefully review internal strengths and weaknesses and external threat and opportunities, a useful s trategy for ensuring organizational success can be formulated. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. Strength. A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage.It is an important organizational resource which enhances a company, competitive position. Some of the internal strengths of an organization are Distinctive competence in key areas ,Manufacturing efficiency like exclusive access to high grade natural resources, Skilled workforce, Adequate financial resources,Superior image and reputation such as strong brand names. -Economies of scale -Superior technological skills -Insulation from strong competitive pressures -Product or service differentiation -Proprietary technology such as patents and resultant ost advantages from proprietary know-how -favorable access to distribution network. Part B: . 1. Six Sigma at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for n ear perfection. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving toward six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process – from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service. The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is performing. . The balance of trade of a nation is the difference between values of its exports and imports. When exports are greater than imports, the nation is said to have a balance of trade surplus. On the other hand, if imports are greater than exports, the nation is said to have a balance of trade deficit. Exports and imports that figure in the balance of trade concept arise in the context of trade with other countries. Exports are the value of goods and services produced in the United States and sold to other countries . 3.Perception is the process by which you become aware of objects and events in the externa l world. Perception occurs in five stages: (1) stimulation, (2) organization, (3) interpretation-evaluation, (4) memory, and (5) recall. 4. A decentralized organization is one in which decision making is not confined to a few top executives but rather is throughout the organization, with managers at various levels making key operating decisions relating to their sphere of responsibility. Decentralization is a matter of degree, since all organizations are decentralized to some extent out of necessity. . Bounded rationality is the idea that in decision-making, rationality of individuals is limited by the information they have, the cognitive limitations of their minds, and the finite amount of time they have to make a decision. It was proposed by Herbert A. Simon as an alternative basis for the mathematical modeling of decision making, as used in economics and related disciplines; it complements rationality as optimization, which views decision-making as a fully rational process of fin ding an optimal choice given the information available.Thus the decision-maker is a satisfies, one seeking a satisfactory solution rather than the optimal one. 6. Although an early study, this is still often referenced. It is notable that the two factors correlate with the people-task division that appears in other studies and also as preferences. Consideration is the people-orientation and Initiating Structure is the task orientation. Initiating Structure is the degree to which a leader defines and structures his or her role and the roles of the subordinates towards achieving the goals of the group. . Think of negative punishment as Removing Something pleasant with the goal of decreasing a behavior. Think of negative reinforcement as Removing Something unpleasant with the goal of Increasing the target behavior. 8. A system is commonly defined as a group of interacting units or elements that have a common purpose. The units or elements of a system can be cogs, wires, people, compute rs, and so on. Systems are generally classified as open systems and closed systems and they can take the form of mechanical, biological, or social systems.Open systems refer to systems that interact with other systems or the outside environment, whereas closed systems refer to systems having relatively little interaction with other systems or the outside environment such as food and air and return other substances to their environment. 9. Basic tasks and functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, motivating and controlling business and its activities. 10. Appraisals are most often used as a punitive tool, but they can be a very powerful management tool. Appraisals can help you find the areas that most motivate your employees and how to help them improve.By understanding the areas that most motivate your employees, the appraisals can provide you with the most important tool to guide your staff. 11. A group is said to be in a state of cohesion when its members pos sess bonds linking them to one another and to the group as a whole. Social norms are described by sociologists as being laws that govern society’s behaviors. Although these norms are not considered to be formal laws within society, they still work to promote a great deal of social control. Social norms can be enforced formally through sanctions or informally through body language and non-verbal communication cues.

Financial Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Financial Ratios - Essay Example o the investors because it provides an insight concerning the performance of the businesses from their financial perspectives and not what the customers perceive of them. Therefore, the recommendations made in this work will be a piece of advice to those who could be potential investors in each of the companies in the near future. The storyline of the company started in the May of 1886 and has since developed and established the company among the largest in the world presently. As by the late 1990s, the Corporation was among the most respected companies in its relation to brand building as well as the management layouts. According to the most current data, coca cola is the leading soft drinks company around the globe in terms of size and the subsequent market performance. The corporation runs stores in more than 200 nations across the world and at the same time, has the ownership of about 400 non-alcoholic drink brands. The company also enjoys one of the most valuable brands around the world. As such, the company enjoys a substantial performance in its market while facing a number of challenges especially in relation to competition, which developed from 1998. . Other challenges relate to the changes driven by the market trends, the socio-economic factors, and the challenges of regulation. The company established itself as a merger of Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola in 1965. The company grew to considerable levels of prominence and developed a number of brands that enabled it to compete the rest of the industry. The company has since grown and established itself as one of the leading multinational corporations running stores in about 150 nations of the world. It is of interest that the company has a diversified line of business because of its engagement in the snacks business. The latter business is the success of its acquisitions of a number of snacks companies such as Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. In 1984, the company was the largest in its industry and had the

Bus. Research and Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Bus. Research and Writing - Essay Example These may include the business plan, bank statements, business history and references. Most business start their operations before the owners decide to expand. This can be done by establishing new ventures or expanding. Some of the new ventures that can be explored include developing new product lines, creating and sustaining a presence in a new geographical area and establishing a new market. Each one of the ventures requires funds in order to be successful. The funds that are required by businesses, organizations or enterprises either to start up new ventures or to bolster already existing ventures may be acquired through external sources or internal sources. The sources of capital usually depend on whether the business or organization is at an early stage of rapid expansion. The first source of capital for any corporation is usually the retained profits. The corporation has to approximate the amount of money required. The retained profits are the profits that are kept by the corporation rather than being distributed as dividends to the shareholders. The profits are retained in the organization and invested in new business ventures. A business can choose to opt for debt financing. This form of financing allows the borrower to use the money borrowed for a specified period provided they repay the money with some interest. In most instances, the terms of the loan are usually outlined in the loan agreement. To ensure that the repayment of the loan is guaranteed, the loan may be backed by â€Å"collateral† for the sake of a secured loan or â€Å"cash flow† for the sake of unsecured loans. A corporation can raise capital through the sale of shares. Essentially, shares relate to public limited companies or private limited companies. â€Å"Shares† are self-explanatory and once one buys a shares form a particular company, they in turn own a share of the company. Shares are

Renewable Energy Wind Farms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Renewable Energy Wind Farms - Essay Example With the limited nature of non-renewable resources, alternate renewable energy needs to be harnessed in order to fill the energy gap made as these non-renewable resources are depleted. Renewable energy sources include geothermal, biofuel, wind, hydroelectric, wood, solar thermal as well as and photovoltaic, and biomass sources. Renewable energy production across America varies state by state (Vaseashta et al., 2005). The intent of this exploration paper is to discuss why renewable wind energy is safer, cheaper, and cleaner than cleaner than fossil fuels. In addition, renewable energy production in replacing depleting nonrenewable resources can increase energy independence (at state as well as national level) and reduce risks of climate change associated with energy pollution of fossil fuels. Thanks to advances in technology, wind is becoming the fastest growing energy resource globally. Wind power is environmentally safe and does not produce atmospheric emissions or greenhouse gases (Hau, 2012). The main salient description of wind technology is that it is renewable, free, and can be efficiently captured. Renewable energy is important and meets population needs. This refers to job creation, economic demands, and energy security (Quaschning, 2005). Regarding cost deployment, a few issues have to be taken into consideration, the cost of renewable energy, the capacity of renewable energy and lastly the impact of renewable energy. It is argued that alternative energy is not cheap. When it comes to wind energy, the renewable resources are usually located in remote areas, and it is expensive to build power lines to the various cities. The usage of renewable sources is limited in that they are not always available, for instance, solar power is reduced on cloudy days, calm days reduce wind power and drought reduces water availability for hydropower.

Water consumption research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Water consumption research - Essay Example son with Nestle).Even for white-collar workers in big cities like Beijing and Shanghaiï ¼Å'it would be a considerable cost if they choose only Evian as drinking water. Bottled water is a ubiquitous commodity and its consumption continues to increase rapidly(Wilk, 2006). It is frequently studied with comparison to tap waterï ¼Å'or be criticized for single-serve disposable containers and not sustainable (Azoulay et al 2001; Doria 2006; Ferrier 2001). In Chinaï ¼Å'I was not a consumer of Evianï ¼Å'as there were many cheaper alternatives. And I would not be surprised if some rich Chinese drink Evian every day.Howeverï ¼Å'according to my memoriesï ¼Å'some young people, who were students and did not earn money, claim that they were fans of Evian, who never forget to take one bottle of Evian when they had group activities, like taking an LV. It seems that this kind of behavior is a new way of ‘conspicuous consumption’)in everyday lifeï ¼Å'which is definitely unsustainable (Wilk, 2006). On the other hand, irrational consumers just buy a product out of pulse and some of them are not aware of the forces that drive them to buy the product. For these consumersï ¼Å'the meaning of this bottled water is far beyond Marx’s use-value is more concerned with the benefits sought from using a particular product. The customers seek different benefits from a particular and this significantly plays a major role in influencing their behaviour to buy such product (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). For those people, what kind of magic does Evian have to get them pay for it? With this in mind, I suppose researching the ways in which people consume expensive bottled water while much cheaper alternatives are abundant would provide a stimulating focus. This research aims to explore in the case of Evian consumptionï ¼Å'the kind of meanings the consumer creates and find them in Evian. Through this consumption, what information about herself does she want to communicate to others? Also, this research aims to

The scientific method Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The scientific method - Lab Report Example Then I would sow each type of grass seed in an equal number of sunny and shady grid cells. I would ensure the entire yard was watered and fertilized equally. The causal variable in the experiment would be the amount of sunlight the seed received. I would isolate this variable by controlling other potential causal variables such as fertilizer and water application. After four weeks, I would begin collecting data on the experiment. I would collect observable data on the percentage of each grid space that was sprouting grass. The response variable would be the germination of grass seed. The percentage of each grid would be combined to give me an overall germination percentage. This is how I would interpret my data and this is what I would use to make my decision on which seed I would buy. Developing this experiment has taught me several things about the scientific method. The first thing I realized is that in the implementation of the procedure, you need to account for variables if you are going to have valid results. In my experiment, I needed to make sure water and fertilizer was spread all over the year equally. If part of the yard was watered and the other was not, then the data could be misleading. Another thing I realized is that in science, you need to have a good way to collect the data. I thought of dividing the yard into a grid so I could get more specific information. Without the grid, I would have needed to look at just shady spots or sunny spots. The problem with that is as the sun travelled across the side, the shady and sunny areas would move. I could even go so far as to label or record the percentage of the day each grid was in full sun or

The American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

The American Dream - Essay Example Activists like Martin Luther King also called for freedom that was more directed at the black Americans but not the whole America population. The variations listed shows that the dream is somehow different to the people (Kelly 20). Although the American dream is unique and it means different to various individuals, achieving it is completely a hard and demanding task. One of the challenges that make achieving the dream hard is the fact that the opportunities that exist in the country are hidden and they require a combination of knowledge and wisdom to access. Like in an example, there are limited job opportunities that call for high qualifications while majority of the individuals do not meet the requirements (Horswell 43) Again, most of the Americans still have a strong believe that their problems solution lies in the hands of the government and that big businesses will boost their economic growth without personal efforts, thus making it hard to achieve the American dream (Kochan 63). Finally, the American dream tries to inspire hopes and optimism to the American people that are not accompanied by the appropriate resource to achieve. The result of this is that most of the people come up with big dreams forget ting the fact that, to meet these dreams, there are infrastructure needed, resource mobilization and improvement that needs to be put into place. To achieve the improvements, people need to be engaged in well-paying jobs, have quality education and work hard which is not the case in the country (Kelly 21). The small business ventures are the spine of the economy of the U.S because it provides employment for tens of millions of the Americans. The businesses create most of the jobs that people in the U.S are engaged in. It, therefore, gets important for the government to come up with an adequate way of financing and giving credit to the small business to spur manufacturing and the expansion of the businesses (Ringer 80). The nature