Management comes with the responsibilities of conducting change while a leadership is characterized by the ability to inspire and direct people towards achieving specific goals. Ambler (2008) compares leadership and management on various aspects. According to Ambler (2008), a manager is an administrator while a leader is an innovative individual.
Thus, a leader has innovative skills integrated with original ideas upon which creativity is developed. In addition to that, Ambler (2008) describes a leader as one dependent upon and as a trustworthy person who focuses on the people who are led. In contrast, a manager act as a copy that relies on direction and procedures embedded in an organizations structure.
Organizations are led by executives who combine both leadership and managerial principles. Managers base their decisions on realities with short term perspectives (Ambler 2008). In addition to leaders embracing long term goals, objectives and vision, they take a keener perspective of wanting to know what could be the likely cause of a situation and why a particular outcome should be attributed to a specific issue.
To the contrary Ambler (2008) notes that a manager takes the perspective of knowing how a situation arises and when such an event could occur. While managers critically look at the basics of an issue and how an issue develops, a leader is interested on the general outcome of an event.
A managers decisions are based on previous knowledge and experience while a leader innovatively comes up with original ideas and approaches to solving a problem. Ambler (2008) asserts that a Manager is authoritative while a leader may question authority. Leaders have personal characteristics such as relying on self in decision making and influencing actions by the people under authority, while a manager obediently stays submissive to authority (Ambler 2008).
Ambler (2008) differentiates a manager and a leader by their approaches to the way they handle issues. The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing (Ambler 2008).
Managing and Leading people in organizations are complex undertakings. According to Ambler (2008) leadership and management skills play a vital role in the way organizations plan their activities with an emphasis on management functions that include planning, organizing, directing, staffing, and controlling.
Ambler (2008) agrees that both elements of management and leadership provide a clear way forward for problem solving in organizations. In addition to that, strategic management decisions that are made and aligned with an organizations vision entail a complimentary approach to decision making (Ambler 2008).
Management is seen as a way to deal with complex organizational issues (Ambler 2008). Executives with good managerial skills are able to maintain law and order in organizational functions in addition to consistently running organizational activities.
Ambler (2008) argues further that organizations can only cope with challenges they face if management and leadership qualities are integrated and reflect both strong leadership and management. Ambler (2008) affirms that leadership and management are important components which should be balanced in running an organization. In addition to that, an organization can not operate well if leadership and management qualities are not integrated in a balanced manner.
Ambler (2008) continues to argue that a leader brings into effect organizational policies while acting as a pivot in linking organizational activities. A manager on the other hand integrates the running of an organization with its vision and looks for ways to steer it to achieve its vision through the policies it has formulated.
Ambler (2008) affirms that a leader is characterized by the provision of skills and is always looked at as a problem solver, while a manager acts as a source of change. A manager is a risk taker in promoting an organizations activities while a leader takes an organization through such risks.
It is from a leader that others learn from, thus acting as a source of inspiration while a manager may create a good company image but without inherent characteristic that may inspire other individuals. Groups are well organizes and run by team leaders with leadership qualities. Therefore group members look to a team leader as the source of strength and an ideological father. A manager may not necessarily have the inherent qualities to inspire such a fatherly role.
Ambler (2008) argues that a leader enjoys the powers and ability to deal with group members who may deviate from the norms of a group in the way of punishing them in addition to a leader being susceptible to the wrath that may arise in a group. A manager issues commands against established standards. These formal standards provide the basis for punishing errant subordinates.
According to Ambler (2008), a leader integrates long term goals in steering an organization while managers may focus on both short term and long term objectives. Ambler (2008) describes leadership as an art and asserts that management is a science.
While leadership integrates elements of vision and imaginations, management integrates aspects of logical approaches to issues in addition to creativity and emotion. Further Ambler (2008) identifies leadership with peoples abilities and contends that managers rely heavily on past performance of individuals in specific areas of interest.
Ambler (2008) concludes by asserting that leadership and management work together to achieve organizational goals, where a leader identifies what should be done and a manager brings what to be done into action.
References
Ambler, G. (2008) The Practice of Leadership. Web.
Interaction in an organization have different levels of challenges. The term organizational behavior is also a study of personality and group characteristics in an organization (Nelson & Campbell, 2012). The factors that influence organizational behavior are therefore numerous. With the global village and cultural interactions that have made the world a multicultural stage, organizational behavior is a helping tool for harmonious relations.
The study of organizational behavior allows a foresight on the possible behavior of different people with different backgrounds. In an organization therefore, this assists to develop competence as a likelihood of aforementioned behavior approaches. Acknowledging the fact that personality affects ones response, the most efficient methods to understand personal behavior includes interviews, questionnaires, simulation, and survey (Nelson & Campbell, 2012).
To understand the terms properly, it is important to look at the relationship between the two. Personality is a reflection of a persons moral character and qualities that make him or her compete in the job market. It means the specific patterns of behavior and responses to specific situations. The organization is responsible for harmonizing the different personalities in an effort to achieve productive progress and competence. In an organization, motivation of employees is a vital incentive for better productivity.
A motivated employee offers better services compared to one who is not well motivated to perform their tasks. Motivational processes begin by addressing psychological and physiological needs (Nelson & Campbell, 2012). These are the very essence of human motivation. Motivation activates the human will to work towards a given incentive or a goal. This theory relies on the nature of humans that we all have basic needs that are an advantage to activate the potential energy to perform a task.
Different situations trigger different reactions while needs are varied. Employees motivation is critical in an organization and requires improvement from time to time. Some ways of improving employees motivation include job enrichment, flexible time schedules, empowerment, quality circles, and employees stock ownership plan among others. Jobs must be satisfying and progressive providing opportunities for; achievement, recognition for a job well done, responsibility, and growth (Nelson & Campbell, 2012).
The flexible time schedule is a concept that provides the employee with the authority and ability to be in control of his or her own schedules. Splitting working time is paramount for workers as it allows them to chose their schedules hence enhancing productiveness (Nelson & Campbell, 2012).
Having employees work with flexible timing is not only convenient but also advantageous to both the employee and the employer. It is a mutual benefit to both parties. Giving some authority to employees is the best way to motivate them and to influence greater achievement in the end.
In his or her area of operations, each employee must have some level of authority to inculcate a sense of ownership and activate motivation to work. For instance, employees can work better if they have the power to resolve departmental issues without having to involve the management. This gives them a sense of independence, which is a positive ingredient in self-motivation. Quality circles are independent groups in the organization who keep employees farewell in check.
This helps in dealing with specific areas where there are discrepancies hence improving the employees working conditions, which ultimately improves their level of motivation. Retaining good and competent employees is not easy. Finding an equal match for lost employees also is a heavy task for the Human resource department.
To motivate employees to stay, many organizations are using the Employee stock ownership plan as a benefit package for their services. The sense of ownership and the understanding that an increase in value in terms of performance benefits the employees promotes hard work.
As the company increase in value due to their hard work, the value of their stock also goes up (Nelson & Campbell, 2012). Communication is a vital tool for development in business. Employees feel more comfortable with leadership structures that enhance communication. However, recognition is rarely the subject of communication between the management and the employees. Recognition reinforces the efforts of the employees and has an overall influence on the performance of the organization.
Workers with good working habits work even harder through recognition and therefore motivating even the rest of the employees to put more effort. For a recognition reward to be effective, some important factors are vital.
These are fairness in recognition eligibility, clarity of the actions or behaviors rewarded an open rewarding process that focuses on the actions the organization wants to promote and not individuals. For an organization to thrive and be a success, organizational behavior, which is the foundation of social interaction within the organization, is important.
All the mentioned motivation incentives contribute greatly to the progress of an organization. With motivated employees, the need to work hard is not a problem to achieve. Employees function better with a sense of ownership and belonging. Effective motivation promotes behaviors that the organization would like to encourage and influence in the work force.
The period between the years 1975 and 1985 saw Coors enjoy a very successful business. Coors had weathered the storm that affected other competitors in the beer industry. The cost of raw materials in this period accounted for half the revenue of the beer companies, input costs had skyrocketed, and there was a decline in prices. Coors irrespective of these issues made huge profits, and began drastically expanding.
It was only in 1975 that Coors recorded its first drop in sales. The sales volume dropped by four percent. The company had never experienced drops in sales for two decades, although the company was running a large advertising company at that time. After the decrease in sales, the company sold less than twelve million barrels of beer. This exerted pressure on its profits that eventually affected the market valuation.
During this period, the company saw stagnant demand for its products. This limited its expansion because the company had to keep the production of its beer at seven million barrels yearly. Before this period, the company was going to launch projects according to which the production would average twenty million barrels annually. This problem is interconnected with another one, namely, capacity conditions.
The capacity conditions for Coors are based on small sizes. This period saw its capacity use fall to an average of eighty-four percent down from an impressive average of ninety-two percent. This was way below the industrys utilization capacity. The company was operating below the industry performance, an exact opposite of the companys performance in the decade that proceeded.
The fall in utilization capacity was also affected by competition. Coors initially enjoyed being physically close to the market. Whereas its competitors location was in Wisconsin and others were in Texas, its residence in Colorado was advantageous. Coors, therefore, filled the deficit created by the lack of the capacity by its rivals.
This changed during this period when the competitors increased their capacity barrels, which led to the elimination of the advantage, as such, Coors capacity fell. Another cause that led to the competitive deterioration of the company was the challenge brought by its poor operating practices. The company was facing frequent strikes by its workers and was involved in numerous legal suits initiated by federation unions.
The accusations ranged from forced loyalty, unjustified dismissals and discrimination based on race and sex among others. Suits from FTC and attempts to micromanage the wholesalers did more damage. FTC accused Coors of dictating the prices of their products to wholesalers, which reduced the scope of business since the criteria were strict and unacceptable to many.
Finally, Coors had a very poor marketing strategy. They relied on the beer preferences, which was unreliable when it came to increasing the volume of sales. Going forward, Coors must initiate a lot of changes to regain its lost status in the market. First, it must overhaul its operating practices.
Employees must be treated equally irrespective of their sex, race, or religious background. It should allow workers to form unions. The management and union officials can handle a crisis in a better way than the crowd. The company has to improve its marketing strategy and accommodate the modern methods; it has to reevaluate its policy that appears to be too strict for the modern market.
The XXI century is a century of globalized world undergoing rapid changes and technological development. In such conditions organizations have to seek for different ways of maintaining their competitiveness. In the 1990s people started paying significant attention to the human resources and many organizations understood that Human Resources Management can be a very powerful contributor into the organization successful development.
Since then a lot of HRM strategies are being successfully implemented, some of them are recruitment and retention, training and development, employee performance management, regulatory compliance, compensation and benefits.
HRM In Terms Of Organization Restructuring
Many enterprises and firms face the necessity to operate in a less-cost mode now, due to different factors including globalization and technology development (Mathis and Jackson, 2007, p.19). A lot of firms try to improve their condition by restructuring the firm, usually by minimizing labor costs and closing facilities, though these measures proved to be quite unsuccessful. Thus, human resources management (HRM) is gaining more popularity becoming a strategic business partner.
Sims (2007) stated that it is often described as having a seat at the table, and contributing to the strategic directions and success of the organization (Sims, 2007, p. 31). There are many examples of HRM contributing to the organization success which can be illustrated by BASF (reduced labor costs up to 30%), or Wegmans Food Markets (reduced product costs but maintained employees benefits) (Sims, 2007, p. 31).
Recruitment And Retention
There are several powerful tools of HRM, which contribute to the organization success, for instance, recruitment and retention. These are primary issues of HRM, since recruitment and retention form the staff of any organization. Recruitment should be implemented in a very thoughtful, precise and professional way.
Especially during the organization restructuring it is essential to employ talented professionals who are able to bring the major possible profit for the organization. It goes without saying that professionals should be kept in the staff, and this can be achieved not only by extra payments.
For instance, there is a lot of evidence that employees and potential employees are more interested in developmental opportunities, especially structured ones (Torrington et al., 2005, p.362). However, it is necessary to admit that recruitment and retention strategies are often underestimated in terms of HRM especially during organization restructuring.
Training And Development
Another very important strategy of HRM deals with employees training and development. Bratton and Gold (2001) suggest that they are significant if not the pivotal components of HRM (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.274). Of course, these strategies need some extra funds, which are quite restricted during restructuring.
However, Bratton and Gold (2001) point out that, first of all, it will be helpful to replace words training costs with investment , this can enable people involved to take a longer-term view, particularly with respect to the outcomes of these strategies (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.274).
Moreover, technology development, globalization and never stopping changes have brought into forefront the necessity to keep organization staff up-to-date to these constant changes. Thus, a lot of organizations pay significant attention to these strategies.
Employee Performance Management
Employee performance management is one of the most effective HRM strategies during the restructuring, since it depicts all the major goals and principle of work for each employee. Armstrong (2006) defines that the overall aim of this strategy is to establish a high performance culture in which individuals and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes (Armstrong, 2006, p.496).
Thus, each employee has the definite scope of what is being expected from him/her. Armstrong (2006) adds that performance management should be based on such basic element as agreement, measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement and dialogue (Armstrong, 2006, p.496).
These elements are especially valuable during restructuring, since organization management should not only set some overrated expectations, thus, all of the above mentioned elements should be present to enable employee be committed to following the necessary performance.
Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory compliance is another strategy which can be implemented during restructuring. This is quite effective regulatory strategy which can identify efficiency of each employee. During organization restructuring it is very important to define whether all the employees comply with the major goals of the organization and overall organization expectations.
However, this strategy implementation can meet strong opposition among the staff. Thus, Beardwell and Claydon (2007) argue that for small firms regulatory compliance may be very challenging, sometimes leading to negative results (Beardwell & Claydon, 2007, p.480). It is necessary to add that this cannot diminish the importance and value of this HRM strategy.
Compensations And Benefits.
The most popular strategies of HRM are compensations and benefits. Reportedly, these strategies can motivate employees and potential employees during recruitment and retention, though, quite insignificantly; since as mentioned above employees can be more motivated by structural development.
IT is also necessary to admit that during restructuring, implementation of these HRM strategies can be reduced. There are also some options of these strategies. Bratton and Gold (2001) suggest new models of compensations and benefits: cafeteria-style benefits, when employees can choose the appropriate benefit from the list provided by organization management (Bratton & Gold, 2006, p.263). However, during restructuring it will be more effective to motivate employees, implementing other strategies.
The Most Effective HRM Strategies
Thus, it is possible to conclude that the most effective HRM strategies which can be implemented during organization restructuring are recruitment and retention, training and development, regulatory compliance, employee performance management. At the same time such strategies as compensation and benefits can be superfluous in terms of organization restructuring.
Reference List
Armstrong, Michael. (2006). A Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Beardwell, J., Claydon, T. (2007). Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J. (2001).Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London & New York: Routledge.
The concept of organization culture refers to the code of conduct of people or groups within an organization as defined by the beliefs and ideas that guide their interaction within the organization and without the organization where they interact with other stakeholders.
These beliefs and ideas are the organizational values that stipulate the goals of the organization that are due to be pursued by the members of the organization and means of achieving them. Organizational culture has gained prominence over the past couple of years and has been accepted as mean of understanding human system from the organizational point of view. It influences all the processes that take place in an organization because it defines the behaviors acceptable in an organization.
Organizations have values and ideas as human beings have personalities that influence their behaviors (Young 19). The factors that constitute the culture of an organization are heavily borrowed from sociology and psychology of human beings. The objective of this essay is to find out the factors that constitute an organization culture and their importance to the organization.
Factors that constitute organizational culture and their importance
There are several factors that constitute organizational culture which affect the way the members of the organization behave within and without the organization. These factors shape the organizational culture to make it apt for the organizational goals and objectives.
The first factor is the working group present in the organization. An organization is a network of working groups pursuing a common goal. In all organizations, there is a formal authority that creates the working group of the organization. The formation of the working group is determined by the personal characteristics of the selected individuals that include their personalities, experience among others.
All these members have convictions, behaviors, and attitudes which are consolidated to set up an organizational culture. These personal characteristics are important as they guide the basis on which the values and the ideas of the organization are formulated (Goh 17).
The other factor is the style of leadership of the managers. This influences the culture of the group because it affects the relationship between the managers and their subordinates. For instance, managers who are distant towards other junior staffs will have a negative effect on the behavior of the whole group.
A trusted manager improves the efficacy of the whole group. Leadership styles of all managers are important as they shape the behavior of other members of the organization and influences the way goals are realized.
According to Vesta and colleagues (341), the characteristics of the organization also have an impact on the organizational culture developed. Organizations have different characteristics like size, history, level of specialization among others. All these characteristics affect the organizational culture that applies to a particular company. For instance, the organization culture of small enterprises is homogenous while large enterprises consist of sub cultures that are well defined (Ionescu 13).
The founders and the owners a company have philosophies that are shapes the basic values of the organization. The number of owners also matters a lot because it determines the profoundness of their influence. A small number of owners are thought to have a more profound influence on the organizational culture than otherwise. Many owners may exert pressure from many contradicting perspectives.
Lastly there is environment that may influence how the organizational culture is carried out (Hofstede 34). Environmental factors to an organization may include the legal system, the status of the economy, and technology among others. All these factors affect the formation of the organizational culture. For instance, technology will affect the level of operations of the organization and the type of members needed.
Conclusion
Organizational culture is of paramount importance in any organization because it determines the behavior of the members of the organization. Organizational culture differs from one organization to another depending on the owners, working group and the environment that an environment is exposed to. To some extent, organizational culture may limit the members from being innovative especially where the culture is not flexible.
Works Cited
Goh, Swee. Toward a Learning Organization: The Strategic Building Blocks, SAM Advanced Management Journal 63. (1998). 15-22. Print.
Hofstede, Geert. The management of multicultural structures. Bucharest: Publishing House Economic, 1996. Print.
Ionescu, Gheorghe. The cultural dimensions of management. Bucharest Publishing House Economic, 1996. Print.
Vesta, Katherine, Rodney, Fralix & Scott, Spreier. Organizational Culture: The Critical Link BetweenStrategy and Results, Hospital & Health ServicesAdministration, 42. (1997) 339-365. Print
Young, David. The Six Levers for Managing Organizational Culture, Business Horizons 43. (2000). 19-28. Print.
Effective listening is achieved when a listener understands and interprets information presented. There are many tools used to facilitate effective listening such as open mindedness and empathy. Effective meetings also have tools that facilitate its progression (Nadig, 2008). It is imperative to acknowledge that good project reports, effective listening and effective meeting play major roles in the planning process thus yielding returns.
Effective listening tools
The process of keeping an open mind during a conversation is an important listening tool. It not only prevents unnecessary interruptions but also gives the speaker a chance to comprehensively air his view. Maintaining an open mind entails calmness till the speaker winds up (Nadig, 2008).
In addition, an individual should never deduce concepts in the speakers mind until he/she finishes speaking. Given that in planning all views must be considered before coming up with the best approaches, keeping an open mind will give the speaker a chance to satisfactory air his view (Nadig, 2008). This minimizes misinterpretation that could have otherwise occurred. It is notable that setbacks arise when time is wasted listening to views which may not be sensible in the beginning.
Another tool is asking for explanation in the event of failure to understand. This is by either requesting the speaker to explain in different words or guessing what he/she is talking about. This minimizes misinterpretations of good ideas by getting the facts presented by the speaker. In addition, the facts will be considered when planning since the best idea is selected based on such facts.
Effective meeting tools
In order for a meeting, to be effective there must be well crafted agendas for discussion (Billikoph, 2006). This limits the likelihood of the meeting failing to achieve its objective by deviating from the agenda. In addition, it minimizes time wastage by arguing on subjects that are not related to the agenda; by crafting agendas to be discussed, issues affecting planning will be effectively discussed leading to the development of remarkable plans.
It is important to examine the meeting especially in terms of effectiveness. In engaging such strategies, areas of weakness will be pointed out and addressed. This is to improve the effectiveness of the meeting (Mind tools, 2010). The areas of weakness can also act as the basis of planning future meetings with the aim of attaining effectiveness. In addition, agendas related to planning will lead to improvements in discussions.
Tools for an effective project report
In order for a project report, to be effective, communication must be apt. This will ensure delivery of information as par current project progress. In the event, that personnel communicated appropriately when discussing the project then the objectives will be attained (Baker, 2009). Poor planning may be as a result of ineffective communication as far as project report is concerned.
Some projects are divided in different sections with different teams or individuals working on them. It is important to recognize each entity participating in the project during reporting. Any difficulties encountered as a result of individual or group underperformance should be included in the report.
This will assist in mitigating the challenges faced by the project with an intention on improving its performance. In conclusion, it is imperative adopt appropriate listening and meeting skills for the realization of the planning process; furthermore, good project reports also determine the quality of the plan since it will be based on facts.
References
Baker, N. (2009). How to write effective status report. Bright hub. Web.
The headquarters for Speedpac is at Northampton. The company has a policy of providing better-quality services in the management and distribution of products in both the local and intercontinental market. Speedpac has successfully come up with innovative approaches which have increased international market penetration.
The priority of the company is to satisfy clients by increasing flexibility and value by providing well-timed deliveries leading and increased productivity. Our employees are competent; furthermore, the required technical expertise is resourceful at work. This ensures that our clients receive superior and pleasing service (Speedpac, 2010).
Speedpacs chief responsibility is to aid in the storage and sharing of products from small and large entrepreneurship firms. The company stores goods for various companies in large warehouses dotting several cities in the world. It handles the distribution of products of hundreds of clients who sign annual contracts. The management has employed reliable members of staff who have the ability to spot new location opportunities through which it can expand (Speedpac, 2010).
The company meets the individual needs of its customers by maintaining and recruiting fresh graduates from different qualification fields. The employees employ their skills to ascertain that the products being distributed are genuine, spot new location opportunities and advise clients on where best their products can be distributed (Speedpac, 2010).
Extensive knowledge in the distribution industry coupled with experience ensures work requirements and objectives are met. This ultimately makes Speedpac the ideal business partner when it comes to storage and distribution.
Future prospects of the company
The company is presently concerned with opening a branch in Thailand. An analysis of the area shows that a distribution company being set up in the region will improve our service delivery and create a network with Thai- based organizations. Extensive PEST analysis has been done in Thailand to determine the feasibility of expanding our international markets in the region (Thamvorapol, 2004).
Thailand has been identified as an ideal location to continue with the internationalization of the companys business. The public domain resources provided the necessary information to determine whether Thailand is the ideal spot for expansion of our dominantly American-African based company.
Economic analysis of Thailand
Thailand, formally known as the kingdom of Thailand, has a population of around six million people with a 0.5% growth rate (Thamvorapol, 2004).
The country is endowed with natural resources such as fish, natural gas and timber. The economy experienced a rapid growth since the eighties before facing a recession in the late nineties. Policy reforms that opened the Thai market to international trade raised the economy growth in the eighties.
Domestic investment and savings were boosted, therefore encouraging outside investment. The industry slowly expanded motivating the populace to shift from agriculture to the manufacturing industry. Despite the decline of agricultural growth, the manufacturing sector increased the growth of service sector activities.
The new millennium saw the economy grow tremendously, making the country one of the fastest growing developing economies. Confidence in the market has gradually increased, extending beyond the exchange rate to declining rates of interests. The urban middle class has been a dominant influence in promoting the economy even though the country still holds a larger number of poor people (Thamvorapol 2004).
Social analysis of Thailand
Thailand provides an exceptionally conducive social environment for business (Thamvorapol 2004). The religious freedom of citizens is respected as long as the faith is registered. The police are responsible for the well being of citizens even though there are some powerful individuals who cannot be controlled.
Educational opportunities provided in the country are rated as the best in the Asian continent, and most job opportunities are available for the educated. The Thais respect both their culture and that of foreigners (Thamvorapol 2004).
They are truly welcoming to visitors and foreign investors in the country and tend to maintain excellent social relations. Almost 100% of the citizens speak their national language, Thai and share a common culture. It is the language which is used for teaching in schools. Most of the citizens who can afford housing live in the urban area while the poor look for alternative housing mainly out of town.
Technological analysis of Thailand
The government has promoted the use of internet technology in finalizing commerce transactions. This is aimed at supporting electronic transactions, which will eventually spur economic growth in the country. Airport, waterway and road transport are well developed in Thailand, even though remote areas do not enjoy such luxuries. Manufacture of fake products is also rampant in the region with the government doing little to stem the vice (Thamvorapol, 2004).
Political analysis of Thailand
Thailand was never colonized hence making it free to make its own political decisions without influence from other countries (Thamvorapol, 2004). The administrators have managed to solve political problems affecting the country. Unfortunately, like any other country, corruption is rampant in many organizations. The rich therefore get richer while the poor continue to languish in poverty.
The Thai and U.S government have maintained close relations, and have signed a number of business treaties which have promoted trade between the two countries.
Objectives in market expansion
The main objective of the company is to fill the void exposed in the Asian countries related to distribution and storage of products. Clear, practicable and quantifiable objectives have been set to ensure that the company achieves its goals and objectives. The 4 Ps have been examined and efficient means of implementation set out. Our strategy focuses on the 4 Ps (product, price, promotion and place) (Cheverton 2004). A value has been placed on each of the 4 Ps ensuring that objectives are met.
The 4 Ps of marketing
The 4 Ps, which are commonly recognized as the marketing mix is a central constituent in modern marketing which is interlinked. The most suitable marketing strategy can be achieved by providing a perfect mix of the four levels (Cheverton 2004). The company is considering dealing with the distribution of other products apart from food. Distribution of finished clothes and raw cloth materials are the other two possibilities that the management of the company has put to thought.
Price
Charging appropriately for the services offered should be considered in marketing. Pricing can be carefully examined using 4 Cs: competitors prices, customer value, cost to the company, strategic and pricing objectives of the company. Pricing objectives gives direction for the company during the process of pricing (Finley, Galloway & Rogers, 2001).
There are several pricing objectives the company is focused on including increasing volumes of sales, maximizing short-run and long-run profit and gaining a cutthroat edge in the market.
Pricing is the most important concern that concerns prospective customers. Clients compare prices between the available options, and while they may not necessarily go for the cheapest, it influences their decision on which storage and allotment company they will choose (Arduser & Brown, 2006).
How the organization prices its services is aligned to the costs to the organization and the willingness to pay of its customers (Finley, Galloway & Rogers, 2001). The recommended price for storage will be adjusted to 100$ per day while the distribution prices will depend on the distance that will be covered in exportation of the services.
Product
Speedpac stores products in warehouses and offers effective distribution channels for its clients. The company assures the proper packaging and guarantees secure transportation of products. Making our services look more attractive attracts more customers to the business (Ryans and Palidowa, 2008).
The historical method of thought that a quality product will sell itself has been phased out due to the stiff competition that modern companies face presently. Secure storage and reliable distribution will ensure that the company maintains its regular clients while attracting newer clients.
Place
The means of distribution are well laid out to ensure that our services satisfy a bulk of the population. Decisions on where to sell the companys services when in Thailand target a variety of markets. The desire to provide our services at the right place and time has necessitated us to expand our market to Thailand.
Promotion
Effective means of communicating and informing our prospective clients about our services are in place. The costs may be large in proportion than the price of the product and a break- even investigation was performed before making any decision in promotion. Promotional decisions include advertisement of the services offered, public relations and marketing through the media. Middlemen will effectively aid the company in sales promotions.
Challenges in market expansion
Business expansion is one of those stages where a company faces a bulk of the challenges owing to the risks involved. Market expansion causes many changes which affect both the legal, managerial and financial aspects in a company (Ryans and Palidowa, 2008). There are several minute problems which will affect the companys market expansion in Thailand. The main challenge will undoubtedly be the recruitment of new members of staff.
New members who will be hired will look at the top management for guidance. The management therefore starts becoming less centralized which raises the chances of internal politics and disagreement over which objectives the company should pursue. Market expansion will also result in growth which leads to the expansion of the market share, calling for the formulation of fresh strategies to deal with larger competitors.
Combating the challenges
Strategies structured to combat the two challenges that the company is likely to experience have been formulated. New members will have to undergo extensive training before getting into office. Alternatively, some of the established managers can start running the company in Thailand while guiding the new recruits. The company must invest in effective management and planning policies which will ensure the monitoring of the stock-market and how the market is changing.
Conclusion
Expanding the companys market to Thailand will create more business opportunities. There are some useful ways through which market expansion can be easily done. Two efficient means the management can consider are through licensing its intellectual property to a third party or through public stock offerings (Ryans and Palidowa, 2008).
References
Arduser, L. & brown, D. (2006). The professional caterers handbook: how to open and operate a successful catering business with CD-ROM. Florida: Atlantic publishing company.
Bureau of East Asian and pacific affairs (2010). Background mote: Thailand. Web.
Cheverton, P. (2004). Key marketing skills: strategies, tools and techniques for marketing successes. London: Kogan page publishers.
Chrisholm-burns, M., Vaillancourt, A., shepherd, M. (2010). Pharmacy management, leadership, marketing and finance (revised). London: Jones & Bartlett learning, 2010.
Finley, D., Galloway, G. & Rogers. (2001). Strategic planning in social service organizations: A practical guide. Ontario: Canadian scholars press.
Ryans, J. & Paliwoda, S. (2008). International marketing: volume six of international library of critical writings in economics series. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar publishing.
Speedpac (2010). Speedpac. Web.
Thamvorapol, S. (2004). Thailand: economic policy analysis. Mkeever. Web.
The company produces Lipitor which when compared to other medicines, has the power to lower the level of cholesterol in the body. The firm sells Lipitor at comparatively lower prices compared to other drugs of the same category. Lipitor is also a prescription for reducing the level of triglycerides in the body, this makes it ideal drug to be used by a range of patients.
The drug also contributes to lowering the mortality rate linked to heart diseases. The use of the drug is not as complicated as other statin; it gives physicians easy time with their patients since the prescription involved in administering Lipitor is easy and readily understood (Leafstedt et al 356-369).
Implementation
The firm needs the approval of FDA in order to start carrying out the normal sales of Lipitor to the medical industry. The firm had to carry out clinical trials through the marketers on every person to establish the level of relevance of other drugs already in the market.
This was designed so as to enable the firm to show the customers that their product was superior compared to others. The firm established a research organization which was to operate under the modern pharmaceutical development providing a strong base for future expansion.
It works with an experienced management team and at times hires talents to provide the required knowledge. The processes of regulations and clinical research were incorporated to form part of research and development; this assisted in improving the results submitted to FDA (Leafstedt et al 356-369).
The firms marketers have built a very strong relationship between them and the medical practitioners and this helps in boosting the sales. The millions of patients who lie untreated present the firm with a big consumer base that they need to attend to within the shortest duration possible.
Many sales representatives have been recruited on the ground to help in reaching out physicians; they have also been used to distribute free samples of Lipitor. The firm further obtained a manufacturing facility that operated full time; this enables the firm to supply adequate drugs to consumers (Feng et al 467-503).
Connected Activities
The company has focused on the use some basic business segments which include; providing consumers with medications over the counter, and then they also provide confectioneries and prescribing of appropriate pharmaceutical to customers.
The owner of the company is a specialist in several areas in the medical field; this makes it easier for him to diversify his research in developing drugs to suite the specified area. The firm had to conduct several tests on the Lipitor drug in order to establish its worth to patients. The test was done in three phases of which subsequent positive results were realized, and that is its strength to lower cholesterol level by higher percentage (Leafstedt et al 356-369).
The firm enjoys partnership with companies that do not offer cholesterol-based drugs like Pfizer. It gave Pfizer the rights to sell Lipitor and also provided assistance required in advertisement and promotion. Further Pfizer contributed towards the clinical trials out of which it receives some commission.
The awareness of the drug within market has been created by educating the public on the importance of fast elimination of cholesterol and this has been made possible through partnership with American Heart Association. The firm with the assistance of FDA, was able to convince the physicians that Lipitor attained the required health standards hence suitable for use within the prescribed areas (Leafstedt et al 356-369).
Works Cited
Feng, Froud, Johal, Haslam and Williams. A New Business Model? The Capital Market and the New Economy . Economy and Society, Vol. 30, No. 4, (2000): 467-503
Leafstedt, Mathew, et al. Lipitor: At the heart of Warner-Lambert . Business week (December 1999): 356-369
To be a successful leader in business perspective is one of the most challenging tasks especially in the modern dynamic world. To achieve substantial results in the current world given the many challenges that come with leadership must be handled not only strategically but also with much consideration of the prevailing market condition. A strategic leader according to Cannella (2008) is a leader capable of embracing both humanistic and analytic approach in ensuring a successful business enterprise.
The chosen business leader and his attributes
The most successful business entities in the world are normally attributed to good and strategic leadership that embraces different fields of leadership in ensuring that the business achieves its visions and missions (Leavy, 2009).
This essay is going to take a closer look at one of the most influential business leaders of our time, Bill Gates. Bill Gates is the one of the founders of Microsoft Corporation which is indisputably one of the most revolutionary software companies in the recent past.
The successes of the company cannot be questioned, the measure of the companys success can be vividly answered by one question, how many people use or own a Microsoft product? From Microsoft operating system to Microsoft office softwares among other revolutionary software products that the company has managed to design and offer to the market.
Gates contributions of the world of business leadership and strategic positioning coupled with clearly stated and achieved companys visions and missions cannot be overemphasized. Gates is one of the founders of computer programming and it is through his strategic leadership did the software industry grow to the intensity currently experienced in all the industry sectors in the world.
It is through Gates visions and leadership that we currently enjoy the experience of the computing world. His visions in the early days after dropping out of Harvard were not challenged by one of the most dynamic and inventory leader Gates to ever meet in his way, Steve Jobs.
The business direction and leadership of Gates landed him in the wrong path of the law. In 1998, Gates had a sequential and contentious court issues that accused him and his company of abuse of monopoly. His achievements despite the court decision afterwards were a great show of what a strategic leadership and strong corporate business effectiveness Gates had almost single handedly build.
It is on the shoulders of Gates that other computer programmers have developed, nobody can question the contributions of Gates to the modernity and technological innovativeness that we are experiencing. Gates visions were enshrined in his strategic and all inclusive leadership styles. Gates knew when to make decision at the right time, this made Microsoft become of the most successful software companies in the world.
Despite the challenges by Steve Jobs at the onset of software programming, the brilliance and the innovativeness of Jobs failed to meet the business leadership of Gates. Gates was all rounded and clearly understood the needs of the market and the best possible ways of meeting the market expectations worldwide.
Microsoft Corporation attributes its success to its sound and strategic leadership of Bill Gates. Bill Gates innovativeness and leaderships skills which clearly embraced the skills of a strategic leader and the inventor of market solutions that made him the world richest man is a power base and a learning point to the growing leaders and entrepreneurs of the growing world.
Conclusion
This paper has succinctly but explicitly shown the aspects of good and sound leadership skills that changes the business world. The contributions of Gates to the computing and business leadership world cannot be over-emphasized. It is the outstanding focus of the visions and missions of the company that kept Gates as the richest and the most influential business leader for the last four decades.
References
Cannella, A., & Hambrick, D. (2008). Strategic Leadership: Theory and Research on Executives, Top Management Teams, and Boards. London: Oxford University Press US. pp 120-302.
Leavy B., & Peter, M. (2009). Strategic Leadership: Governance and Renewal. New York, N,Y: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 247-289.
To evaluate how different organizations develop good business senses, three organizations of the same industry are chosen: McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Wendys. These three fast-food restaurants have different characteristics, however, all of them have the same business principles, almost the same products, and professional purposes.
Operating systems of the chosen companies are properly developed so that their customers are able to get necessary help, services, and production in time. Among the variety of proofs that may be chosen to define the quality of services provided, customers desire to visit these restaurants and their hope to get the best services and food turn out to be the most powerful.
The work of employees are organized in almost the same way, however, OMM costs and operations differ considerably. In this paper, OMM costs of McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Wendys will be evaluated to define what kind of method is the most powerful and what the reasons of their competitive power are.
McDonalds is one of the most popular and largest organizations in the whole world; its main purpose is to provide its customers with proper quality services and fast food. The chosen philosophy to make good and provide responsible business make this company recognizable and supported by many other organizations (McDonalds, 2010). Employees have to present clean food under clean conditions for people who want to get such services.
Taco Bell is the second organization under analysis that aims at distribution of such food like burritos, nachos, and tacos. The representatives of this organization have their own visions about the production offered: You say sandwich, we say tortada (Taco Bell, 2010).
The main objective of this company is to provide customers with good and fast Mexican-style food and make people enjoy this style in any part of the world. Taco Bell is not only one of those restaurants that serve people, it is the place where anyone can find a part of Mexico with its rules and features.
Wendys is a kind of native land of hamburgers. It should not be compared to McDonalds because this organization has its own strategy and is ready to share its ideas with people: We wont cut corners on anything. Not on fresh, quality ingredients. Not on how we treat people. Not on giving back. And certainly not on being the defender of good taste for people everywhere (Wendys, 2010).
On the one hand, the operations of these three companies seem to have no evident differences: quick service, tasty food, lovely staff, and comfortable places. On the other hand, the nature of their operating systems has certain differences: McDonalds employees focus on friendly communication with customers, Taco Bell tries to represent true Mexican food, and Wendys remembers about its roots and takes care about all-sided services.
These three companies need to organize the work of employees on a proper level, to inform these workers about current changes and new trends, and to follow their activities in order to enhance the best services and to attract the attention of many people. OMM costs of these organizations do not actually differ considerably because they are from the same industry and require almost the same products and technologies.
However, it is necessary to admit that evaluation of these costs influence considerably numerous operating systems and management of how each activity should be done and impose its outputs, inputs, quality, and techniques (Schlosser, 2001).
Fast-food restaurants under discussion are characterized by the following types of OMM costs: food suppliers (import of products), technological support (to prepare food under proper conditions and to present appropriate surrounding for customers), clothing (to make each worker equal and recognizable), and labor costs (to teach employees and explain how to meet expectations of customers).
These types of costs play a very important role in operations performed by companies. If there are some difficulties or unpredictable costs, managers have to be ready to solve problems and suggest several ways out.
The analysis of OMM costs should help some companies reduce these costs and choose those ways under which the same success may be achieved but cheaper demands are required. For example, it is possible to make use of cheaper labor power to create clothes for workers.
It should not reflect considerably on the quality of goods and services offered to customers, and what is more, it has to reduce costs at any organization. However, it is not the only possible way to cope with challenges and high costs. Every organization has its own methods which help to take leading position in the food industry.
McDonalds has its competitive advantage due to its fast spreading all over the world in developing and developed countries; Wendys can win its competitors due to deep care about its clients and attention to each detail, each corner of their services; and Taco Bell is the only fast-food restaurant that promotes Mexican food in any part of the world and suggests changing any food for Mexican with its own peculiarities and traditions.
Operating systems of such fast-food restaurants like McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Wendys have their own differences and similarities. Though all of them are the members of one team called food industry and try to develop good business sense, every company aims at presenting different services, different food, and different opinions of the same things.
Reference List
Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The Values We Bring to the Table. (2010). McDonalds. Web.
Think Outside the Bun. (2010). Taco Bell. Web.
We Believe You Deserve Better. (2010). Wendys. Web.