Three Major Sources of Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict

Three Major Sources of Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict Introduction Interpersonal and intergroup conflicts have varying sources. Interpersonal conflicts arise from different sources key among them which include incompatibility, personalization and cognition, and behavior. In that context, the elements identifies above have varying implications on interpersonal and group conflicts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Three Major Sources of Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Incompatibility Incompatibility can either be due to communication or group structure. Here, communication is a key component for conveying meaning and eliciting action in response to a message. Incompatibility because of communication results from misunderstandings, sematic difficulties, and noise in communication channels. Semantic difficulties results from phrases, words, symbols, and signs and the express meaning communicated using the signifiers. That is in addition to selective perceptions, differences in training, and lack of adequate information. In this case, messages should be communicated succinctly to ensure the correct meaning is conveyed. When messages are not communicated clearly, the meaning is obliterated causing the intended audience not to get the precise meaning. Other sources of conflicts because of communication problems include use of jargon that deprives a message its true and precise meaning and different word connotations and noise which adds external elements to a message in a communication channel. In addition to that, structure is an additional element that influences the level of conflicts, acting as a source of conflict in a group or individual. Here, structure is defined in the context of the level of leadership style, member goal compatibility, the degree of dependence enjoyed by team members, the degree of specialization, and the size of a group. In that context, the group turnover increases with young members, the potential for conflicts increases when the messages are communicated ambiguously, and when group members have diverse goals. In that case, leadership increases conflict when it is of the close style nature, and when one group depends on another group. Here, personal variables such as personal characteristics and individual value systems which results in differing opinions with varying perspective. On the other hand, personalization and cognition are additional sources of conflicts.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cognition and Personalization Conflicts can be generated in a group by antecedent conditions if group members are aware and affected. On the other hand, it is possible to personalize conflicts in the event group members develop emotional involvement. With emotions contributing to the level of conflicts in a team, it becomes possible to produce oversimplif ied issues that lead to emotions. Emotion related conflicts lead to lower levels of trust and negative interpretations of the behavioral characteristics of individuals in a group. It is possible to understand the fact that conflicts generate influence on the perceptions of group member, leading to the deficiency of the lack of innovation and other positive actions within a group. In that case, cognition and personalization underlies the influence due to behavior. Behavior Conflict can be initiated because of behavioral characteristics of group members based on statements made by group members resulting in negative behavior. In this case, negative behavior leads to dynamic group process interactions into lower levels of continuum. In the process of rising up the continuum, conflict is seen to rise significantly. Conclusion In conclusion, the source of conflict, which includes incompatibility, personalization and cognition, and behavior provide the core sources of conflict. In this ca se, the functional and dysfunctional outcomes can be overcome by introducing measures which include conflict resolution into the groups which includes the win-win approach, the lose-lose approach, or the win-lose approach.

Space in the Future essays

Space in the Future essays From the beginning of time humans have tried to explore and to conquer new assets. The future looks promising to this human characteristic. Humans have lived on this planet for a long time and they are destined to move onto another planet or into another galaxy. We have explored this planet and find no excitement when a family takes a vacation to Hawaii, and does that every year round. In the near future people will travel into space to explore new planets in order for humans to live and replace their vacation spots. People will, however, have to find new ways of getting to these distant dreams, and discover new means of transportation. Once these places are found and reached a number of humans will migrate into that new area and live on. In the future people will explore space with the means of new and sophisticated transportation methods in search of new areas to live and to vacation in. (TS)In the future the planet will become so overcrowded that humans will have to find new residences elsewhere but the earth. (PS)The population is growing rapidly, certain countries try to prevent that from occurring, however nothing can be done. (SS)India for example has set up a law that a family can have no more then a certain number of kids. (SS)Indias attempt to control the population growth will never be a success, for that country is not able to enforce that law. (PS)Some people like change and some think that it is bad, however the future will be a great change for all people that live on new planets, as well as on the earth. (SS)Soon people will travel into space and find new planets that humans could live on, people will move to that planet and start all over again in a new and untraditional way of life. (SS)Life on earth will be also changed for now there is twice the territory to occupy, meaning that houses and cities will become more spread out and the earth will becom e even more spread out then it ever wa ...

Synthesis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Synthesis paper - Essay Example Thus, it is offering adequate training to the managers on how to motivate employees, that forms the core of establishing a culture of employee motivation (Musselwhite, 2011). This article simply focuses on the role of managers as the ultimate siource of employee motivation within a firm. Similarly, A Dose of Positive Reinforcement Can Go a Long Way by Nelson; is another article that focus on the fundamentals of employee motivation, but from a different approach of applying praise and recognition as the main tools for realizing employee motivation. However, while praise and recognition are powerful tools used for employee motivation, the essential elements that must be applied to reinforce these tools include sincerity, specification and personalization of praise, so that the tools become fully effective in inspiring the employees (Nelson, 2013). Nevertheless, the effective tools of employee motivation cannot deliver any results, whenever the management team does not have sufficient s kills to motivate the employees. Therefore, the management should always operate on the basis of the principle that; â€Å"you get what you reward† (Nelson, 2013) p41. ... The application of this rule entails complementing the employees for all the good things that they have done for several times, before suggesting some improvement or even offering positive criticism, and most fundamentally, ensuring that both praise and criticism are not done in a single session. However, the most important thing is to realize that giving praise should be done as soon as the achievement has been made, or immediately â€Å"the desired behavior is displayed† (Nelson, 2013) p42. The application of positive reinforcement should always be treated as a matter of urgency, even necessitating the interruption of a meeting to give a complement where it is due, while reserving the discussion in great length, of the positive behavior or the achievement made, for a later date (Nelson, 2013). Another fundamental aspect of motivating employees through giving praise, is ensuring that the manager talks in specifics and addresses the accomplished employee directly, instead of a pplying generalities, while also drawing references on how the accomplishment or the positive behavior can help others (Musselwhite, 2011). Specifics give credibility to the praise given by the manager, while also going to great lengths to state, â€Å"exactly what was good about an employee’s behavior or achievement† (Nelson, 2013) p42. Humanizing and personalizing the complement is an essential step towards ensuring that the praise and recognition is received positively, while ensuring that it works towards boosting the morale of the employee involved. Considering that different employees respond differently to complements and praise, it is essential for the manager to take time to analyze the

Tesco and Sainsbury Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tesco and Sainsbury - Case Study Example He has been reduced to working from home most of the times. After deliberations with the family members, Howard has opted to retire from the company completely at the end of this year. He will relocate to Kenya, due to warm climate here. This will be good for his health. Having graduated recently with an undergraduate degree in business management, Howard has selected me, as his eldest child, to take over the running of the business. I plan to make radical changes to Stellion Convenient Stores. This is to make sure that it grows, instead of the current stagnation. To this end, am carrying out a research on Tesco and Sainsbury stores. The results of this research will help me in making the decisions that are necessary for this company. Tesco has a unique form of organizational structure. It is devolved and decentralized. This means that rather decisions been made by the top tier managers and passed down the hierarchy, the managers at the lower levels can make decisions (Crowther & McNiff: 2004). What the top tier managers at Tesco do is just to arm the lower cadre managers with general terms like price list and terms and conditions. But the rest of the decisions, like determining which staffs work where are determined by the lower managers (Crowther & McNiff: 2004). Each branch of this chain of supermarkets has its own manager. This is the one who decides on matters to do with the store, and then he makes a report to the regional manager. The hierarchy of Tesco supermarkets can be looked at as been flat. There are six tiers of hierarchy between the highest official, who is the C.E.O, and the lowest staff, who is the checkout cashier. Since the organisation has several branches, there exist two separate but interrelated forms of structures (Crowther & McNiff: 2004). The first is for the whole company, while the second is for each of the branches, which can also be referred to as regional or internal organisation structure. Every company has norms and values that are common amongst the employees. This is what is referred to as the organisational culture (Mullins: 2008). There are weekly meetings for the employees, where they get the opportunity to share ideas and suggestions about the running of Tesco. During these meetings, the management gets the feedback from their staff on how the business is running, since the workers are the ones who are in direct contact with the customers (Mullins: 2008). It is also the culture of Tesco to inform the employees of new developments in the company, for example change in terms and conditions, during these meetings. The chain of supermarkets has adopted a slogan "every little helps", which shows how they value their employees and customers. Every little input from these employees and customers aimed at improving the business of this company is appreciated. The culture adopted by Tesco helps both the employees and the customers. For example the weekly meetings and update from the company makes the employees feel that they are part of the company, they are not alienated (Crowther & McNiff: 2004). The employees are allowed to make suggestions as to the best way of running the company, they become a part in the decision making process. They feel that they have control over their work, which is really good for morale (Crowther & McNiff: 2004). The customers get their feelings and suggestions relayed to

Ambassadors Essay Example for Free

Ambassadors Essay Mavromati Panayiotis Karafotias IREL-480-9 For my paper I decided to write about the ambassadors of Denmark, The United States of America and Uruguay. His Excellency Mr. Tom Norring, the ambassador of Denmark, was one of the ambassador’s to come this semester. He decided to focus his speech not on his country but more on the global financial crisis and how it affected Greek economy. He said that even without the crisis the situation in Greece would have been messy. Despite the fact that Maastricht Treaty allows the GDP deficit in European countries not more than 3% Greece had deficit 6-7%. Ambassador said that in 2006-2007 the government of Kostas Karamanlis managed to restrain the deficit to the acceptable level, but later in 2008 they failed. Karamanlis hoped that he would be reelected and he promised to restrain the deficit, but people lost faith in him. Later George Papandreou revealed the new information about the deficit. The deficit for that time was not 8% but 12%. And thus the rescue program was established by the European Union. So Greece took course to the EU and the IMF. They wanted a hard cash and the EU and IMF tried to help with it. Then the restructuring fund was established. The public expenses had to be cut. As ambassador said â€Å"Greece has one of the biggest public administrations† and the cutting of public sector expenses will help to decrease the deficit. He also pointed out that 25% of Greek economy is black economy. The only one thing which he said about his country was that the Denmark is not the part of Eurozone. One of the reasons I enjoyed the speech of Danish ambassador was because he seemed very honest when talking about the topic. When giving his speech, he gave personal examples and continuously referred to the audience. The second ambassador was the ambassador of Uruguay, his Excellency Mr. Jose Luis Pombo Morales. He decided to focus his speech on his country and its relations with Greece and other European countries. Mr. Jose Luis Pombo Morales, talked about political system in Uruguay, that it is a  representative democratic  republic with a  presidential system. Also, he told us that, the members of government are elected for a five-year terms by a  universal suffrage  system. Uruguay is a  unitary state: justice, education, health, security, foreign policy, defence are all administered nationwide. The Executive Power is exercised by the  president  and a  cabinet  of 13 ministers. Plus to that, Mr. Ambassador talked about Uruguay as one of the biggest wool and meat exporter to the EU countries. Mr. Jose Luis Pombo, told the audience, that Uruguay is one of the most economically developed countries in South America, with a high  GDP  per capita and the 52nd highest  quality of life index  in the world. Uruguay is rated as the 2nd least corrupt country in  Latin America  (behind  Chile), although Uruguay scores considerably better than Chile on domestic polls of corruption perception. Its political and labour conditions are the highest level of freedom on the continent. The third ambassador, I want to talk about, is the ambassador of the United States of America, his Excellency Mr. Daniel Smith. Ambassador focused his speech on Greek- Turkish relations and financial crisis. His speech was very diplomatic, and tried to keep neutrality, when some students asked him questions about problems in Libya and Greek-Turkish conflicts. But, Mr. Smith, gave very clear idea, about the USA and its foreign relations. Also

leadership Essay -- essays research papers

Performance appraisals are conducted yearly for each staff employee. Semiannual or quarterly reviews are recommended to foster better communication between supervisors and employees in assessing progress, jointly developing new plans and objectives, and clarifying expectations for the coming year. This process is designed to improve job understanding, promote more effective job performance, and establish future goals for career growth. Some goals of the performance appraisals are to provide staff members with feedback on their performance and accomplishments for the previous year. This program should also assist staff members in understanding their job responsibilities and supervisor's performance expectations. Performance goals for the upcoming year and specific plans to help staff members meet those goals should also be established through this process. During each annual appraisal conference the employee and supervisor review the employee's performance during the previous year measured against standards set at the start of the year. Both successes and failures are reviewed. It is constructive to take the time to understand why certain objectives were successfully achieved and what prevented the successful achievement of other objectives. This review helps to set and achieve new objectives in the year ahead. A key part of the appraisal process is a self-review by the employee, which will allow the employee to review his or her own performance. This can enhance two-way comm... leadership Essay -- essays research papers Performance appraisals are conducted yearly for each staff employee. Semiannual or quarterly reviews are recommended to foster better communication between supervisors and employees in assessing progress, jointly developing new plans and objectives, and clarifying expectations for the coming year. This process is designed to improve job understanding, promote more effective job performance, and establish future goals for career growth. Some goals of the performance appraisals are to provide staff members with feedback on their performance and accomplishments for the previous year. This program should also assist staff members in understanding their job responsibilities and supervisor's performance expectations. Performance goals for the upcoming year and specific plans to help staff members meet those goals should also be established through this process. During each annual appraisal conference the employee and supervisor review the employee's performance during the previous year measured against standards set at the start of the year. Both successes and failures are reviewed. It is constructive to take the time to understand why certain objectives were successfully achieved and what prevented the successful achievement of other objectives. This review helps to set and achieve new objectives in the year ahead. A key part of the appraisal process is a self-review by the employee, which will allow the employee to review his or her own performance. This can enhance two-way comm...

Ethics Paper Essay

Ethics is essentially what a person believes is good or bad. By definition ethics is â€Å"rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good or bad† (Merriam-Webster, 2013). There are different theories of ethics which include virtue ethics, utilitarianism ethics, and the deontology theory. Virtue ethics is the theory that basically says that a person throughout their life should strive for moral excellence through life experiences. This theory looks at a person over a period of time to determine if they have good morals and considered an ethical person versus basing it off of one incident or â€Å"slip-up†. These â€Å"slip-ups† can be forgiven taking in account past deeds of moral turpitude and ethical acts. The utilitarianism theory is acting morally for the good of a group or society. This theory is very popular in the United States and other Western capitalistic democracies. Utilitarianism works when the people in that particular group or society a gree on what is considered moral and what would be deemed good for them as a whole. The utilitarianism theory can also be seen as social responsibility with the actual definition being the â€Å"obligation of an organization’s management towards the welfare and interests of the society in which it operates† (BusinessDictionary.com, 2013). The deontology theory states that someone’s actions are based on that is inherently right with no other calculations being taken into consideration such as consequences of the action. Deontology is based simply on principle and is justified through the structure of action, nature of reason, and the operation of the will (Boylan, 2009). Ethics and social responsibility play a significant role in the development of a strategic plan especially when considering stakeholders needs and agendas. Company’s primary mission is to make money and turn a profit for their stakeholders. This is done in many different ways and are outlined in the strategic plan. The company however needs to ensure that their operations  are ethical and not harmful to society or the community surrounding. Many companies walk a fine line between ethical and unethical when making efforts to perform for their stakeholders. Stakeholders primary objective is to make as much profit as possible and in most cases in the shortest amount of time possible. This is where companies are sometimes found crossing the line of ethics and social responsibility. This may include cutting corners to have a better competitive edge within the industry thus veering away from the company’s original strategic plan. In years past some companies have been caught conducting unethical operations in the name of profit (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). The government has enacted legislation to make these activities less appealing to companies. Companies are now tasked with developing strategic agendas to accommodate their stakeholders needs and agendas while still considering ethics and soc ial responsibility. Essentially a company has to make it clear to stakeholders that their best interests are foremost but ethics and social responsibility will take precedence when developing a strategic plan to lead the company to success. The most popular and remembered company for overstepping ethical boundaries for stakeholders agendas would be Enron. Enron who began as a struggling energy provider climbed its way to the top of the food chain in the industry to essentially become a broker of energy. The company appeared to have a great deal of ethics and social responsibility from the outside looking in but things were not as they appeared after the company unraveled. It was found that top executives of the company were falsifying documents about earnings and essentially bleeding the company of all of its assets over the years until its inevitable fall. This included making not so ethical business partnerships and making attempts to hide its debt through clever accounting tricks to avoid recording the information on balance sheets (Sims & Brinkmann, 2003). This all in an attempt to keep stock prices climbing to pad the pockets of the executives and stakeholders alike. Many steps could have been taken within Enron to avoid this situation while still staying successful. The first step would have been to develop a strategic plan that not only provided direction for the company but set milestones for the company to succeed. Other steps to avoid this type of activity is to develop checks and balances within the company and not allowing a select few top executives to control everything without any accountability. The  executives of the company set the tone for the company and when employees see them acting unethically then it is believed this acceptable within the company. Executives should be setting a positive example and encouraging their employees to take the same approach. Conclusion Ethics and social responsibility come hand in hand when dealing with the world of business. When developing a strategic plan a company needs to ensure these areas are addressed and balanced when considering the needs and agendas of its stakeholders. This can as simple as keeping stakeholders informed that it is essential to act ethically for the long term health of the company. Enron is a prime example of the hardships a company as well as its employees and stakeholders can face when a company puts ethics and social responsibility to the side. This also reinforces the fact that companies should develop their strategic plan with these in mind and then sticking to the plan then taking appropriate steps to keep the plan updated to continue on the road to success. References Boylan, M. (2009). Basic ethics: Basic ethics in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. BusinessDictionary.com. (2013). Social responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/social-responsibility.html Merriam-Webster. (2013). Ethic. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic Sims, R. R., & Brinkmann, J. (2003, July). Enron ethics: Culture matters more than codes. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(3), 243. Retrieved from http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/dunnweb/rprnts.enronethics.html Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2010). Concepts in strategic management and business policy (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Charles Dickens and Curley’s Wife Essay

A comparison of Nancy from ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens and Curley’s Wife from ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck. In the two books both characters can be compared with each other but in many ways they are different in looks, language and personality, but the reasons for which the authors created them is much the same. I believe that Steinbeck created Curley’s wife, so that the reader feels sorry for her because most of the other characters in the book try to stay clear of her and do not get to know her, and in a sense, judge her by the way she dresses. On the other hand Steinbeck is trying to express to the reader that looks do not count for everything. The main reason for Curley’s wife’s creation in my personal opinion is because all of the characters in the book are misfits for example; Lennie is not clever and acts like a child when he is with George by the riverbank and threatens to leave because George becomes annoyed with him. Also Crooks the Negro is crippled and cannot walk very well, but in his own way he is special and well educated. In the same way Dickens creates Nancy as the type of character that the reader feels sorry for but at the same time accuse her for the mistakes she has made, such as running away from Bill Sikes but returning to him because she loves him and cannot bring herself to leave. As the book progresses the reader begins to gain more respect for Nancy but I believe that there is a reason for Nancy’s death, which is brought about by Oliver and this, is that doing the right thing does not always mean that it is not dangerous to yourself. The two characters have different opinions on their partners and are not treated in the same way, but neither of them is happy with her life. Curley’s wife is unhappy with her life and this is most likely because Curly is over possessive of her and all he ever talks about is fighting which makes her a little scared of what he may do to her if he is in a mood. She is always flirting with other men on the ranch like when she is alone with Lennie she says, ‘What you got there sonny boy. ‘ We are also given the impression that she is a ‘tart’ by the way Steinbeck describes what she wears, ‘She wore her bright cotton dress and the mules with red ostrich feathers. Her face was made up and the little sausage curls were all in place. ‘ Curley’s wife married Curley to get back at her mother after her dreams had been broken because the letter, which she had been promised from Hollywood never, arrived. On the other hand the only reason Curley married her was for his reputation and we know that he is vein due to the way he keeps one hand in a glove in order to keep it soft for her. Curley is also worried about what she may be up to when he is absent and therefore is always snooping around after her, which makes his wife feel trapped. Nancy in much the same way is not loved either but she does really care about Bill Sikes. Unlike Curley’s wife, Nancy is assaulted by Bill on many different occasions and is eventually killed by him. The main difference between the two characters is that Sikes is not overprotective of Nancy in the same way Curley is and will let her go out as long as he knows where she is going, the reason for this is that Sikes knows that Nancy is loyal to him. When Nancy meets up with Rose and helps to save Oliver she also offers Nancy a new start but the offer is declined because Nancy does not want to leave Bill Sikes and she says, The main contrast between the two characters is that Nancy loves Bill, but Curley’s wife does not love her husband but she cannot leave him because she lives on the ranch and has no other place to stay. The characters partner’s opinions compare because neither of them really care for their lover. Sikes treats Nancy like a ‘punch bag’ and she is scared of Curley because he has hit many other people and she is suspense waiting to see if he will lash out at her. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Curley’s wife is known to some of the other characters such as Crooks, George and Candy as a ‘tart’ or a ‘bitch’ and a good example of this is when she walks into the bunkhouse and George says, ‘Jesus what a tramp, so that’s what Curly picked for a wife. ‘ As George is saying this Lennie is admiringly staring at her saying’ ‘She’s purty’ in response to Georges insult. Most of the men on the ranch try to stay clear of her and George warns Lennie about her too, ‘ Listen to me you crazy bastard, don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I seen ’em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jailbait worse than her. You leave her be. ‘ Lennie refuses not to listen and ends up not taking any real notice of what George has says to him. Oliver respects Nancy, like Lennie is fond of Curley’s wife and both of them seem to have child like qualities that judge the characters for who they are and not how they dress or look. In the same way as Curley’s wife is despised by the ranch workers, Nancy is looked down on by the upper class people of the nineteenth century. The main reason the upper class residents do not respect Nancy is because she is a prostitute and in the time of Dickens this occupation was the lowest of the low for a woman. When Nancy goes to visit Rose, who is the adopted daughter of the women whose house Oliver broke in to, she is looked down on by the servants and thrown out of the hotel because of the way she looks. ‘Come! ‘ said the man taking her to the door, ‘None of this, take yourself off. ‘ The servants are not the only characters that look down on Nancy, Fagin and Sikes treat her badly and Dickens describes Sikes as using Nancy as his punch bag. Bill Sikes persists this behaviour even though Nancy looks after him when she is ill and says that she would even walk around the jail if he was arrested, just to be with him, but Sikes replies that she would be useless to him unless she brought a file to help him escape. On the whole I feel that neither of the character are loved and they are judged by the way they look, not by the people they really are inside. Each of the characters is special to one person, in Curley’s wife’s case Lennie and in Nancy’s, Oliver. I feel that the biggest difference between the two books is the language and the reason for this difference is the time at which they were written. In John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ the language is simple but strong, the reason Steinbeck’s characters speak in this way is because that’s the way 1930s Americans would have spoken, for example, when George, Crooks and Slim are talking about Lennie, George says, ‘If that crazy bastard foolin’ around too much, jus’ kick him out, Slim. ‘ There is also a large amount of slang used between the characters, like when George and Curly are talking and George replies, ‘He was ‘gunna’ put some tar on a split roof. ‘

Vodafone Group Plc

Vodafone Group Plc Vodafone Group Plc is a telecommunication company with most of its branches in Europe, Africa, United States of America, and the Middle East. In Australia, it is under Vodafone Hutchison Australia with a 50% share by Vodafone Group Plc and 50% share by Hutchison (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Vodafone Group Plc specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This company now provides 3G coverage services to 94% of Australians; these services are affordable and accessible by consumers. However, Vodafone operates in an environment where competition is high; there are other companies such as Optus, which provide similar products and services. Therefore, Vodafone should improve in the way it delivers its services to customers. Telecommunication industry operates in a challenging economic background and despite this, and the rising unemployment, the industry has continued to offer attractive services. T his industry has remained resilient; however, it is not immune to changes in the economy because it renders services that are essential for work and social use. Despite the ups and downs of this industry, companies such as Vodafone and Optus remain innovative in their products and services, and still make reasonable profits (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). Vodafone experiences slow growth in its voice and messaging market following competition from other companies such as Optus, and regulatory pressure. However, there are still opportunities for Vodafone in broadband markets and enterprising. This is because of the increasing demand for integrated solutions in Australia. Vodafone offers varieties of devices, which include handsets mobile USB modems, as well as data cards. The handsets take care of customers with different tastes and preferences and offers handsets with different price points and designs. The devices launched by this company include Blackberry Storm touch screen and iPhon e (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). Vodafone also offer mobile broadband, which enables customers to access the internet, the broadband has speeds of up to 2.0 Mbps uplink and 7.2 Mbps downlink. The company offers laptops of different models integrated with a 3G broadband and SIM cards. This is fit at the point of manufacture.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The USB modems together with their stick are designed to use â€Å"plug and play† software. Netbooks are also available in a small and lighter design; this includes Dell mini 9 netbook (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). Customers who would like to use broadband fixed services are provided with DSL routers in wireless and wired designed. Vodafone also offers voice services, which constitutes the largest part of the company’s revenue; this service ensures that customers make and receive calls from the same network and the other network. The fees paid for outgoing calls are at termination rate, which is regulated by the local regulators. The coverage of this service has been expanded internationally; therefore, customers can make and receive calls from the other operator’s mobile networks when they are abroad. There are also messaging services, which allow customers to receive and send messages, video, music, sounds and pictures using their handsets (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). Vodafone has other services, which help customers to access data services such as television, games, music and Internet. This is made possible through laptops, mobile phones and use of broadband modems. Customers also enjoy fixed services such as fixed line voice, fixed broadband and office phone solutions. All this services are delivered through a well established network infrastructure where mobile and fixed voice, as well as data and message services, are delivered to customers. Customers are linked to the core network through the access network, and it is through the core network that calls are routed, messages transferred, and data connections made (Vodafail.com, 2011). The mobile networks use 2G networks which operate through ‘GSM’ networks, this allows messaging, voice and data services. Vodafone also utilizes ‘GPRS’ network for receiving and sending data using an IP network and access to services such as email and internet access. This company also has GPRS advanced version, which offers speeds above 200 kilobits per second to their customers. Vodafone continues to expand its coverage in Australia and upgrade its transmission infrastructure; this is to ensure that all its customers receive quality services.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Vodafone Group Plc specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vodafone distributes its devices through stores located in various points, in Australia, t hese stores are reviewed constantly to make sure that they meet market expectations (Vodafail.com, 2011). Products are sold through dealers and franchise, and their promotions are done through the Internet, which reduces promotion costs for Vodafone. Vodafone still need to pursue growth in Australia, and its target is in the provision of mobile data, broadband as well as enterprise. Most businesses in Australia require integrated solutions, therefore, the demand for devices such as broadband is rising; this would boost its revenues because it is a customer base that needs regular use of data services (Vodafail.com, 2011). When compared to other companies Vodafone is well established in core mobile services, it can use this advantage to broaden its market by offering fixed and mobile services and products to small and medium size businesses in Australia. Vodafone has been losing its customers because of poor service delivery; this is a weak point that might have come to open up the c ompany’s eye and make it realize the standard of service demanded by the Australian people. The company should capitalize on customers’ complaints and come up with a strong and reliable service delivery system than that of its competitors, and this will bring back customers it had lost and retain as well as attract more from the other companies. Vodafone is a foreign company based in Australia, this means that it could have problems with the local people adapting to its way of service delivery and adopting the products they offer. To solve this problem Vodafone has increased its strength by partnering with Hutchison Australia, a local operator in Australia. This move has enabled Vodafone to market its products and services in the territory of Hutchison Australia and under the cooperation of the two companies’ development and marketing of products and services is easy (Vodafail.com, 2011).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The partnership has also helped Vodafone to gain loyalty in Australia and create additional franchise fees without any requirement for equity investment. This put Vodafone on the same level as the local companies such as Optus Vodafone faces threats in Australia and these threats are initiated by intensifying competition from other companies offering similar products and services. In the recent times, Vodafone in Australia has faced problems with the network quality, quality of customer service, quality of products they sell and their distribution channels (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). These problems have reduced the rate at which Vodafone has been adding customers, lead to loss of customers to other competing companies offering the same products and services, and reduced its market size. This is a massive threat for Vodafone because all it has worked for in Australia might go to drain if drastic measures are not taken to restore the quality of service and products offered to their cu stomer or even improve them more (Vodafail.com, 2011). This might turn up to be costly for Vodafone because after improving its transmission infrastructure and quality of products, it has to re-advertise the products and services. This might take up much of its funds set aside for innovation, and research and development; the company might lose its competitiveness in the Australian market without the aspect of research and development. Therefore, Vodafone should be careful in the way it handles the situation. The messaging and data revenue for Vodafone is declining because of frequent changes in mobile phone technology; changes in technology delay adoption of new services because of availability of new mobile phones and new content services. Instability in this service affects the profit margin of Vodafone (Vodafone Group Plc, 2010). Optus is a telecommunication company in Australia with large fleets on domestic satellites. This company offers services such as internet, radio, satel lite based TV and voice mail and data services. Optus has D2 satellite which expands the existing satellite fleet; this helps Optus to provide communication services that do not much any company in Australia (Optus, 2008). The company also provides broadcasting, broadband services as well as giving wholesale access to customers who deliver internet and subscription TV services to others. Optus have stayed in the telecommunication industry for more than twenty years, and despite its continuous success, the company still continues to invest in Australia to improve its services to customers. Optus has also faced competition in the telecommunication industry especially in the mobile market; however, it still added 150,000 new mobile customers and increased its customers of smartphone and wireless broadband during the second quarter of the year 2010. All this is owed to differentiation of mobile offerings, strong network coverage and focus on customer experience. The network coverage of Optus was enhanced to reach close to 97% of Australian population who use voice and data services (Optus, 2008). Optus still experienced a devastating problem caused by floods in Queensland and Cyclone Yasi, however, Optus network was strong enough to go through unaffected. This shows that Optus has a strong network and people who work tirelessly to make sure that services are restored back to normal within a short time. This is as opposed to Vodafone which takes time to restore its services; this is an issue that has made them lose its customers to its competitors (Optus, 2010). This is a weakness Optus can capitalize on to defeat Vodafone. Optus registered another increase in its customer in the quarter that followed; 4.8 million customers joined Optus with 1.2 million using broadband subscribers. Optus has continued to differentiate its products in the market by launching different innovative services; these products include enhanced TV together with video application, which give Australians a free live streaming on their mobile phones (Optus, 2008). Optus has also partnered with TrueLocal.com.au, which allows the company to advertise its business online. Optus has also shown its commitment by supporting corporate customers through launching Optus Cloud Solution. This service offers scalable and flexible approach of managing IT resources and at the same time reduces costs incurred in infrastructure (Optus, 2010). Optus Cloud Solutions is a virtual computer with a storage capacity available on demand through a secure network connection. The company has also recorded a growth in on-net revenue from consumer and SMB fixed, and by the end of December 2010, on-net broadband customers increased to 946,000. Optus receives a customer’s experience as a measure of their performance against their competitors, which can be measured in seven dimensions: customer service, price, billing, network, point of sale and reputation. They analyze qualitative and quantitat ive data from customers and other customers as well as from their expertise in these dimensions. Optus has also developed their own KPIs, which they use to measure their performance against their competitors. When it comes to fixing performance problems as well as improving customer experience, Optus has initiated 40 significant projects with 20 already completed, and 20 are under construction (Optus, 2010). According to Optus management understanding customers’ expectations and experience should be given a priority, and with close to 8 million customers, they have designed survey programs used to capture views and requirements and forward the information to the company. This is done through regular interviews with customers and focus groups with the following aims: to find out whether their services are up to their customers expectations, their level of customer service when compared to their main competitors. Optus acknowledges that customers cannot always have a satisfacto ry experience with the company, which results in a complaint, and since their objective is to fulfill customers’ experience, they have to handle the complaints efficiently and effectively. Optus focuses on business operations in handling of customer complaints. They also consider the need to maintain productive relations with TIO and a feedback loop for continuous improvement of services (Optus, 2010). Their operations are directed to identifying the causes of complaints, managing it and ensure that the process has achieved their customer experience objectives. Complaints should be resolved at first contact with the customer, it not the complaint is referred to a team leader or TIO. Fig1. Service delivery process for Optus Company Vodafone has its own way of dealing with customers and handle their complaints. The company has received several complaints concerning the amount charged for services which was found to be incorrect by customers (Vodafail.com, 2011). These problems were blamed on unreliable Vodafone’s billing system; this system has had outages from December 2010 to January 2011. After reporting the problem, the person concerned checked the bills and confirmed the mistakes and customers were refunded. However, the source of the problem was not investigated; therefore, it was not solved. This means that there is a possibility of the problem recurring and every now and then, and if the trend continues some customers will get tired and shift to a more service efficient company. Sometimes customers experience dropping of calls and are charged a flag fall and every time they retrieve their calls they charged a minimum charge for it (Vodafail.com, 2011). This has resulted in high monthly bills and after monitoring the bandwidth it was realized that there was a higher usage than that of Huawei software. This issue required that the billing services be investigated to ensure that the billing was done fairly, however, according to some customer s Vodafone staff suggested to them to shift to a plan that was more expensive, and did not inform them about the new 24-month contracts (Vodafail.com, 2011). There are other customers who signed up for three months free service, but according to others, the three months were not free because they were counted the fourth, fifth and sixth contract. This experience was not appealing to customers, and if such complaints are not well taken care of customers would not hesitate to move away from the company. There are some cases where customers experience reception and are unable to make calls; this issue distress customers because they cannot make urgent and emergence calls and some cannot contact their families. Those who use such a service for doing business have to deal with the financial impacts associated with the technical problem (Vodafail.com, 2011). When customers try to conduct the customer care using the given number they congest lines making it difficult for some of them to re port their problem to the company. Some Vodafone employees have not been able to solve reported problems with others denying the existence of network issues while others dismissed the problems as handset related; employees in the customer care department should report any problem that is beyond their capacity (Vodafail.com, 2011). All this problems recurring and experienced by several customers show that Vodafone does not attend to customers complaints with the urgency, efficiency and effectiveness they deserve, and yet the problems can be easily solved through better communication between customers and company’s staff (Vodafail.com, 2011). If the company realizes any technical problem that might disrupt their service to their customers, the first thing is to inform customers earlier through their handsets, they should handle the problem within the shortest time possible assuming that customers depend on their service alone. After the problem has been solved entirely, they sh ould inform customers about returned normalcy as they try to monitor the systems. Vodafone staffs seemed unaware of the steps to follow to solve a problem in a service system; therefore, each one feels not responsible for problems in the service system and again no one feels responsible for solving the problems (Vodafail.com, 2011). The two companies should understand that effective service delivery requires constant interaction with customers; this will help them to understand the experiences of customers and their expectations, as well as their level of satisfaction. After collecting information about customers’ experiences and expectations, these companies should be able to adjust the way they deliver their services, and services they offer to their customers so as to meet their expectations (Vodafail.com, 2011). The companies should also understand that their customers cannot be satisfied all the time; therefore, they should expect complaints from time to time, and, in fa ct, these companies should treasure complaints because they give them a chance to improve on services they offer and how they offer them (Singtel, 2005). Complaints also help them assess how efficient they are in offering their services, compared to other companies offering the same services. The companies, therefore, should include feedback to customers in their service delivery systems any time they are handling a complaint. This is to ensure that the problem has been solved fully, and the customer is satisfied. Fig, 2. The recommended blueprint After the customer has reported a problem with the service he or she is receiving, the customer care should review the case to see if he or she have a capacity to solve the problem or offer assistance to the customer, if there is any technicality involved that is beyond his or her ability then the case should be forwarded to the team leader for solving problems or the TIO (Optus, 2008). As this team work hard to solve the problem, they sh ould maintain a feedback loop to ensure that the problem is solved effectively. Additionally, the customer should not be left in the dark regarding the problem because he or she feels the effect the most, constant feedback should be given to the customer to assure him or her that the problem is being taken care of, and the service will return to normalcy soon. The companies should also realize that it is not only the customer to report anomalies in their service delivery, but also the technical team. Therefore, in case of a technical problem or a forecasted problem, the company should take an initiative of informing the customer before he or she notices any problem, this would help the customer plan for an alternative or use the service before it is disrupted (Hoffman, 2010). This will reduce the inconveniences caused by the company and maintain customer relations. The customer should be informed of any interruptions of service prior to the actual interruption. Reference List Hoffma n, D. (2010). Services Marketing: Concepts, Strategies and Cases. New York: Cengage Learning. Optus. (2010). Australian Communications and Media Authority public inquiry: Reconnecting the Customer. Web. Optus. (2008). Business. Web. Singtel. (2005). News Release: Strongrevenue growth of 6% across Singapore and Australia. Web. Vodafail.com. (2011). Vodafones situation: yesterday, today and tomorrow. Web. Vodafone Group Plc. (2010). Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2009. Web.

25 Synonyms for Delete

25 Synonyms for Delete 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Delete† 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Delete† By Mark Nichol The word delete did not loom large in the general vocabulary until the personal-computer revolution exposed us all to the keyboard key labeled with the word based on the Latin term delÄ“re, meaning â€Å"to wipe out† or â€Å"destroy.† Modern usage is not so vivid; the term is usually neutral in connotation. But many of its synonyms come with a more potent and portentous sense of removal. 1. Bowdlerize: This word, derived from the surname of an editor notorious for removing words and passages he considered vulgar, connotes puritanical pruning. 2. Censor: The connotation of this word, originally a Latin term for an official charged with approving literary works, is of removal of content considered subversive or dangerous to the stability of the state and society. 3. Efface: This term, from an Anglo-French word literally meaning â€Å"un-face,† refers to the physical act of removal, but in the context of content, it suggests removing content so as to eliminate it from memory. The verb also refers to wearing away or making inconspicuous. 4. Eradicate: The Latin progenitor of this word, eradicatus, literally means â€Å"pull up from roots,† but the contemporary sense is similar to that of efface. However, the idea is that the content is destroyed from the roots up rather than from the surface down. 5. Erase: The Latin predecessor, erasus, which means â€Å"to scratch or scrape,† refers to the removal of ink from parchment or paper or of incisions in clay by literally abrading the surface, which a modern rubber eraser does more gently. The sense, however, is of an action just as definitive. 6. Excise: Excise literally means â€Å"to cut out,† as if referring to an element lifted out from the whole. 7. Expunge: The literal translation of the Latin term expungere is â€Å"to dot out,† from when words were marked for deletion by making dots underneath them. An idiom employing this word, â€Å"expunge from the record,† indicates the modern sense of elimination from documentation. 8. Expurgate: The meaning of this word is clear from its central element it means â€Å"to purge,† to remove objectionable material. An unexpurgated version of a document retains the original content. 9. Launder: To launder language is to clean it by removing objectionable material. 10. Obliterate: The root of obliterate is disguised by the pronunciation of the first two consonants as a blend; its elements are ob and literate. The Latin term from which the word is derived, oblitteratus, literally means â€Å"against letters.† The sense of obliterate is of definitive destruction. 11. Omit: This word’s Latin forbear originally had the same prefix as obliterate. The other element, found in admit, remit, and submit, means â€Å"to let go or send.† Now, omit means â€Å"to leave out.† 12. Redact: Redact means â€Å"to select for removal.† It is also a synonym for edit, but the primary sense is of removing sensitive information in documents, usually by superimposing blocks of black marks over the text. 13. Repress: This is perhaps the most figurative of the synonyms for delete, in that it refers to preventing expression. 14. Silence: Though this word is normally associated with speaking and hearing, rather than writing and reading, it has a figurative connotation of removing the means of communication. 15. Suppress: Suppress differs only slightly in form and meaning from repress (â€Å"hold down,† as compared to â€Å"hold back†); the connotation is of authoritarian action to block publication. 16-25: Idiomatic expressions for delete include â€Å"black out,† â€Å"blot out,† â€Å"rub out,† and â€Å"wipe out.† Informal single-word synonyms are bleep, blip, clip, cut, and crop. (The first two derive from acoustic deletion but are sometimes applied to writing.) The most colorful of terms stems from the nearly obsolete tradition of using a brightly colored writing instrument to make deletions stand out on a page: red-pencil. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Hang, Hung, Hanged50 Tips on How to Write Good

Role of Creative Management in the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Essay

Role of Creative Management in the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Activities - Essay Example Current research focuses – as already explained above – on creative management and its role in the improvement of entrepreneurial activities around the world. However, in order for the above issue to be appropriately explored it is necessary to examine a series of supplementary (or else secondary) issues like the following ones: a) is there a specific mode of creative management applied internationally? b) which is the role of innovation in the whole effort? c) which are the strategies adopted by the firms regarding the other entrepreneurial sectors (e.g. the HR department) when creative management is applied in all organizational activities? and d) are there specific methods for the measurement of the effectiveness of the creative management mode chosen by a particular firm? All these issues should be addressed appropriately in order to formulate a complete assumption regarding the role of creative management in the development of entrepreneurial performance and its in teraction with innovation. Current study can face certain obstacles especially regarding the measurement of effectiveness of creative management in firms around the world. More specifically, because creative management belongs in the firm’s strategic decisions, it is rather difficult to retrieve accurate info for its effectiveness when applied in a particular organization – severe weaknesses of the above strategy are very likely not to be published trying to protect the firm’s position in its market. Towards this direction, all data and views presented regarding the particular issue have to be carefully chosen in order to represent the actual position of creative management and its effectiveness in the international market (at least as estimated by the majority of firms globally). The research method used in current paper will be a combination of qualitative and quantitative one.

Write proposal (in memo format) for Instruction Kit Essay

Write proposal (in memo format) for Instruction Kit - Essay Example In stage two, the center link should be located because it serves as a point of attachment for the jumpring used. This should be done by properly measuring the chain. In stage three, the center butterfly pedant should be created. These should be properly made to produce a desirable and identical loop on the bead. In stage five, 2 more butterflies need to be made using the same procedure outlined in the previous stage. Lastly, in stage six, a 4mm line bead should be created on the back side of the chain so as to help in making the necklace. Actually, this is the right procedure that needs to be followed by anyone who wants to make an attractive necklace. I believe that this is exactly what these employees should know. Once they are rigorously coached, they will definitely do a great job to the expectation of the company’s management. Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to be part of this transformative