Matching Dell Case Analysis Essay

The PC industry can be analyzed using Porter’s Five Forces. The first force is threat or barriers of entry. Here, the threat is high and barriers are low. Although certain brands own the majority of the market, the costs to manufacture are extremely low, and the prices of these components are declining yearly at 25% to 30%. The capital required is relatively inexpensive, as well. Also, unbranded â€Å"white box† PC makers have become prevalent overseas; showing anyone who can make a PC could make sales. In Buying Power, consumers have great power. There are a high number of users but consumers have a wide variety of brands to choose from and have put much pressure on companies to make satisfactory products at good prices. Customers also have low switching costs. This force along with high demand was also partly responsible for the â€Å"vigorous price war† as many companies cut prices to match one another and satisfy consumers. Supplier power was also high. Intel and Microsoft ran near-monopolies in supplying microprocessors and operating systems, respectively. By 1998, 96% of all PC’s ran on â€Å"Wintel.† These two suppliers drew profits from all PC companies and minimized differentiation, as there were few substitutes and little options of switching to another supplier. The industry’s degree of rivalry reflected its fierce competition. As computers became more common, demand rose, prices decreased, and demand grew stronger, boosting competition between manufacturers. This rivalry is essentially what sparked Dell’s competitors to try to emulate their business model and attempt to gain a competitive advantage for the future. Lastly, the threat of substitutes was low but growing. Consumers were becoming reliant on PC’s as they became commodities but new technologies such as laptops, PDA’s, and smartphones among others were slowly emerging. Business Model Although Dell sold to a diverse range of customer segments, they generally targeted the â€Å"educated consumer,† people knowledgeable about computers. Dell targeted them and wanted to avoid the â€Å"inexperienced Transaction buyer.† Because Dell sold customized PC’s directly to the customer, they needed to know each computer’s specifications, thus making it difficult for inexperienced users to specify their needs. Dell’s close location to its suppliers served as a large advantage. Dell arranged for suppliers to  locate their production facilities close to Dell’s to maximize the efficiency of operations. This allowed Dell and suppliers to work closely with one another, integrating the organization and minimizing buffers. Dell’s unique production process is the part of the model that may deter most imitators. Dell had the advantage of handling fast and large orders and even having suppliers send shipments straight to customers in som e cases. Performance Dell’s success with the Direct Model led to rankings among the top of its competition in user ratings (Exhibit A), a ranking first in ratings for high-end PC’s, and allowed them to obtain the second and third spots for market share in the US and world, respectively. The financial statements that best measure Dell’s advantage are their inventory level ratios. Specifically, Dell’s days of inventory is significantly lower than competitors. Their low days of inventory ratio correlates to a very high return on invested capital and return on equity. Comparisons with competitors can be seen in the appendix (Exhibit B). Principal Issue Dell’s success in financial returns and rapid growth has caused rivals to try to emulate their Direct Model in attempt to gain a competitive advantage and similar success. What is difficult to emulate in Dell’s model and how can they keep itself in this position and leverage sustained growth for the future using this model? Alternatives Dell is the originator of the direct model and knows the formula for success. Dell’s integrated production process with suppliers on a global scale, sole focus on distributing directly to customers, ability to effectively serve a diverse customer base, and ability to provide high quality PC’s at relatively low prices, has put them in a strong position ahead of competitors. Dell knows their capabilities, their customers, and knows exactly to focus on direct distribution. IBM ranks alongside Dell in domestic and worldwide market share. As the first to recognize Dell’s threat of distribution, they took initiative immediately, responding with a joint operation with distributors and resellers called AAP. Many major distributors and resellers each invested tens of millions of dollars into  this program, which could result in powerful partnerships if successful. Compaq owned the largest market share in the industry for some time and are reliable to a number of segment s. They also responded with their own model, ODM, which is also in conjunction with distributors and resellers similar to IBM’s, and DirectPlus, selling directly to small and midsize companies. The company also recently acquired DEC, in which they would leverage their relationships to sell directly to DEC customers and accounts. HP created their own direct model with ESPP. Although their model was similar to IBM and Compaq’s involving distributors and resellers, they specifically aimed to please these partners. HP offered incentives and would make resellers and distributors a larger part of the process. In result, 59% of resellers reported they were more willing to promote HP products than IBM and Compaq. Gateway may have been Dell’s largest threat as the world’s second largest direct seller behind Dell. They even briefly surpassed Dell in sales in 1994 and their days of inventory was at 10 days, only 3 behind Dell’s 7 in 1998. Gateway served mostly pe rsonal users but began serving large corporate accounts with Gateway Major Accounts, Inc. in 1997. But in 1998, the company scaled this operation back as they could not afford to keep it up. Criteria Dell’s Direct Model had a competitive advantage rivals could not easily emulate through their relationship with large enterprise customers and their unique production process that involves a close relationship and location with suppliers. Recommendation Dell is in a strong competitive position against its rivals because of the criteria of advantages in their model. Dell’s production process and close location and collaboration with suppliers on a global scale is a standard that is very difficult to emulate. IBM, Compaq, and HP tried their own versions of direct distribution models but failed to produce anywhere near the same efficiency with financial returns as Dell (Exhibit B). Also, these companies attempted to branch into Dell’s lane while continuing retail sales, which showed it is difficult to focus on both methods and see the same success. Gateway was arguably their biggest threat but could not compete due to their inability to serve large enterprise customers similar  to Dell. Plan of Action Dell should continue to focus on relatively low cost, quality customized products through direct distribution. As technology and computers evolve with more computer alternatives, they should adapt to producing a more diverse product line but continue the same production and distribution process that has brought the firm so much success thus far.

Examining The Aviation Industry Engineering Essay

Aviation Industry is critical and built-in portion of enormous system for supplying benefits to the populace. Aviation Industry provides many types of services. By these services Aviation Industry fulfils the demands that are most necessary for the universe ‘s economic system. In this industry many people are working to convey the alterations in Aviation Industry. Aviation industry affects all facets of human life. Aviation Industry constitutes million occupations, the growing of legion metropoliss, big sum of money in gross, fabrication installations, concern and services throughout the universe. ( Aviation Industry ) Aviation Industry is responsible for planing, fabrication, usage or operation of aircraft. Aviation Industry makes capable of flight to any vehicle. These aircrafts may be lighter than air or heavier than air. Balloons and dirigibles are the aircraft that comes into â€Å" lighter than air † class and heavier than air trade includes choppers, sailplanes, aeroplanes and orthopters. ( Introduction )Airport Stake HoldersAirport is a topographic point where all types of aircrafts take off and land. Airport may hold storage country for aircrafts. Aircraft may be maintained at an airdrome. Fixed base operator services, air traffic control, inclines, hydroplane, etc these are the installation those are provided by big airdromes. Large airdromes besides provide passenger installations such as exigency services, sofas and eating houses. Airport stack holds different type of services. These stack holders are:Airport ManagementIf you have the cognition about airdrome so you may see that airdromes are huge concerns. You can see these huge concerns by few illustrations such as big airdromes have hundred or thousand estates in the terminuss, many staffing installation and track made from immense sum of concrete. Commercial airdromes financed by municipal bonds hence airdromes are publically owned. Airports have an ownership of all their installations. By supplying these installations to air hoses, retail stores, services, air-freight Company so airport direction earns money. Airport direction charges for parking and services like fuel through revenue enhancements and fees on air hoses ticket. Airport direction wages to municipal section for covering the operating costs. Many times Airport requires the financess those come from the different beginnings. These beginnings are airport bonds and authorities costs. Once Airport become operational so many airdromes transform to self-sufficient concerns. Largely employees who work under airdrome direction those employees work for the private companies. And staying staff straight work for the airdrome direction. These staff works in different Fieldss such as forces and safety crew, decision makers, air traffic accountants, terminal and ground -maintenance. These are the employees of federal authorities. Airport direction includes fiscal section, forces section, disposal and public dealingss. Regulations of scheduled flights are governed by FAA and must follow local and province authorities regulations. ( Airport Management )EngineeringMany Fieldss of Engineering provide legion engineerings by those engineerings airport direction can overhaul the airdrome system. These are some illustrations of technology those are used in Airport System:Runway Length AnalysisEngineering provides many installations to Runway length analysis. By technology engineering aircraft takeoff weights are determined. This weight tells the needed track length. Similarly Engineering engineering helps in measuring of airdrome lift, ru nway incline, obstruction, tyre velocity, temperature, etc.Airport Safety and Operational AssessmentEngineering engineerings are besides used in airdrome safety. Human organic structure scanner and metal sensor are the illustrations of engineerings. Engineering facets besides help in analysis of an airdrome for safety intent.Runway AnalysisRunway analysis completed by utilizing different technology techniques. Airport direction can find the analyzed values of track that those are fiting to international criterions or non. Runway Analysis includes technology in following Fieldss: Research & A ; ocular review. Testing of track raggedness and strength. Soil testing. Field information analysis.Information TechnologyInformation engineering ever plays major function in every industry. Information engineering is ever an of import consideration for any industry or organisation. Airport besides needs information engineering because all operations of an airdrome depend on the immense sum of information. The web must be Quality of Service enabled so that it can reassign informations, voice, signalling information and picture. The web substructure must be good documented, utilizing keeping updated databases and drawings. Any Airport can pull off their database by utilizing web direction. Network direction is a critical map. It may be reactive or proactive. In Reactive web a user reports a error or mistake and so an expert technician is dispatched. In Proactive web the IT plus is supervised and the observation agent interferes without a client or user naming in the mistake.OperationssAirport operation can be categorized into two ways. Airside operation system and Landside operation system are two class of Airport operation. Each operation has different functionality. Now we will discourse in brief about these operations:Airside Airport OperationsIn Airside operation it handles aircraft, riders and luggage. These all operations are airdrome ‘s airside. Airline & A ; Airside Operations Systems include all IT & A ; S required to treat riders, luggage, and aircraft, chiefly through the airdrome ‘s airside. The followers is an Airside Operations Systems: Operational Database of Airport. Gate Management System. Ticket Counter Management System. Luggage Carousel Management System. Ocular Paging. Flight Information Display System. Gate Information Display System. Ramp Information Display System. Tug thrust Information System. Passenger Boarding and Check in. Baggage Managing System. Cargo Processing system. Passenger Loading Bridge System. Air Traffic Control System. Flight Tracking System. Noise Monitoring System. Weather Tracking System. Aircraft Refuelling System. Aircraft Servicing. Runway Lighting.Airport Landside OperationsAirport Landside Operations include the land transit, parking control. The followers is a Landside Operations Systems: Parking System. Automated Vehicle Identification. Taxi Dispatch System. Surface Vehicle Monitoring System. Fuel Management. Lightning Detection System. ( Information Technology )Air Traffic ControlAir Traffic Control governs by FAA ( Stands for Federal Aviation Administration ) . This engineering provides efficiency and safety to Airspace system. FAA gives low runing cost to Air Traffic Control. There are two most of import engineerings that are really utile for ATC: Advanced Computers: When computing machine embedded with advanced and new engineering so decidedly Air traffic control system will better. This computing machine system ever have oculus on struggle free, fuel efficient and expeditious flight waies. Sequence for put ining computing machine in ATC Centres are foremost installed in Route ATC Centre, so in terminuss, and at last in a cardinal flow control. Computers are besides provided mechanization for safety and capacity that reduces the human attempts. Bipartisan digital informations nexus among aircraft and the land: It allows interchanging of information and instructions quickly. Example of this system is transmittal clearances and information of conditions. FAA besides provides this installation. ( Air Traffic Control )ImmigrationImmigration procedure means long waiting line for many. Immigration procedure is done if the in-migration officer happen some leery. Immigration officer is attend for placing people who is leery, they identifies them by their organic structure linguistic communication. If they find anyone leery so they check passport and other cogent evidence to confirmation. In many states developing is given to single.If you are migrating in any state so do n't bury to look into in-migration regulations of peculiar state. You can be leery by your activity like if you are standing entirely out of crowd so you can be noticed by in-migration officer. If you have many tattoos on your organic structures so you besides figu re out. So if you get caught by in-migration officers so certain inquiries may be asked to you- What was your intent to be here? How long you will be here? This sort of inquiries by and large asked in developed state or first they check the passport and visa and farther proceed. It might be possible they go for farther inside informations if they are non satisfied. ( Immigration )Custom on airdromeDifferent -different state have different usage regulations. There are some general regulations of imposts you need to follow: – It is prohibited to transport narcotics and intoxicant in each state. Weapons etc. is besides prohibited. ( usa-customs-regulations-at-usa-airports )Land animal trainersLand animal trainers are staff or you can state employee who load and unload. Ground animal trainer besides loads and unloads fear. It is besides responsibility of land animal trainers that client board safely from stairway. Land animal trainers besides fuel up the planes. They besides wash the planes besides helps in get oning stuffs from lading. They besides keep safety while droping of metric dozenss. They play an of import function on airdrome and for that personal preparation is besides provided. ( duties-ground-handling.html )Compare between two air power organic structures and security ( ECAC, ICAO ) :During the past few old ages the Air riders are increased a batch in Numberss. The ordinance of this work in all facet is by a safety bureau of UNO named The International civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) . All states are joined to ICAO to keep its criterion and recommended prac tises. This is besides taken attention of all ordinances of air powers with safety deductions. An another organisation The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) is responsible for fining trade to clients, So Aviation is the mass conveyance for which international accepted criterion have been followed. ( Two Aviation Bodies ) Main responsibilities of ECAC is review, following are the five countries in which reviews to be focused. Specific province of operator. Specific aircraft type. Nature of operations. Foreign operator. Specific aircraft designation by its single enrollment grade. In the last few old ages the per centum of reviews on aircraft ECAC operators has steadily increased. Concluding consequence is increased volume if ECAC traffic. However notice ordinances the population of these CIS built aircraft is bit by bit diminishing. ICAO requires aircraft to be equipped with a land propinquity build uping system. ( Inspections Area )MenacesNew menaces are for air power industry are aerosols, liquid explosives and gels. We are discoursing chief menaces: Hi-hack: this is one of the major togss that affect air power industry. Many terrorist state ‘s people want to destruct subject system of any state. Solution of this job is security must be to the full effectual. Public must hold to believe on the air power industry. Government must place that terrorist because it the inquiry of state security. Sabotage: Some unwanted elements of terrorist state want sabotage air power or airdrome system. For forestalling this thread major security is required. Fraud: It is besides a yarn. Many people are there who wants to fraud to airport system. Any major credence may be harmful for air power industry. During reaching and going rider should be cognizant from fraud individuals. These fraud people can alter their baggage. ( Threats )FailingsA safe and unafraid polite air power system is a major undertaking or constituent for the state ‘s overall security, economic foundation, and physical substructure. Everyone knows that there are many serious failings lies in the air power security system. Impacts of these failings are so harmful and destructive in nature. There are few securities discuss about: Airport entree controls Passenger and luggage showing ( Failings )

Patient Advocacy Concept Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Patient Advocacy Concept - Research Paper Example Advocates act as informers to the decision making process of the patient, support their patients and allow the patient to make her independent decisions. A nurse advocacy can include acting for a patient, defending, speaking and supporting the patient. In addition, an advocate can be a linkage that reduces the communication breach between the patient, the system of health care and other professionals. Various people think they understand the concept of patient advocacy (De, 2006), but they, sometimes do not recognize the origin of the concept. Patient advocacy concerns any task that directly favors the sick. Patient advocacy can apply to care provision for an individual victim, to teams that make policies and directions that assist the patients, to groups of government that make Legislations enhance patient processes and systems. The patient advocacy concept refers to various efforts to help sick people and their interests in the health care system context, (Kohnke, 1987). The discus sion aims at expounding the patient advocacy concept as defined by various prominent experts in practice of advocacy. This will provide a better understanding of the concept as used in nursing. Additionally, analysis of the concept will offer an intensive understanding of personal and specialized functions related to patient advocacy and its main goals, methodologies, benefits and limitations, (Galow, 1980). Similarly, the analysis will clarify, highlight, define and summarize the perception of patient advocacy in the nursing context. The discussion will explore various definitions of the concept from existing literature and case studies, and break them down into critical features. Aims and purpose of patient advocacy Patient advocacy has always been the focus in the nursing community, but with the intensifying health care dynamics, the need is more intensified. Patient advocacy roles range from helping patients and their families with shifts from clinics to home care, to influencin g government departments for issues of health care. Patient advocacy as a concept entails analyzing, reacting, counseling and whistle blowing to help and enhance health care quality for patients, (Bu & Jezewsky, 2006). Doctors promote transit and strive to safeguard the security, health, liberty and rights of their patients. Patient advocacy denotes that role of policymakers, legitimate professionals and advocates who work to enhance health care for patients marginalized and oppressed by social and cultural stigmatizing diseases like HIV. Similarly, given the multiple contexts in which patient advocacy concept is applied, studies can aid advocates better explore the concept, a task vital for enhancing both applied and professional efforts to enhance the quality of health care, (Berns & Newberry 2000). Patient advocacy ensures that issues and concerns of patients and their families are communicated and addressed appropriately and at the right time. Patients are intensively sensitive to diseases, (McDonald, 2007). Clinicians, in most cases, decide the best practices for the patients regardless of the patient interests and wishes but sometimes out of necessity, (Curtin & Thomas, 2006). Similarly, when the patient or caregiver is afraid to provide information, the doctor must speak for the family. Sometimes it implies death or life. Sometimes, it can offer help for the family, and their patient

Technical Writing-Document Design Newsletter Assignment Essay

Technical Writing-Document Design Newsletter Assignment - Essay Example the marketing department are required to come up with innovative marketing campaign for the upcoming year and submit it to their marketing manager by the end of this month. As the manager, I have held a meeting with the manufacturing department to discuss our ever increasing manufacturing costs. It was decided that the leather we import has heavy taxes levied on it which keep increasing. To keep our customers satisfied we are in need of another cheaper source of leather to make our shoes. Hence, I have undertaken an initiative to use the best leather available in our country. Three months testing period will be decided to check the quality of our shoes. All employees are notified that the sales management department office has been shifted to a new locality for ease of vicinity to promote better communication with other departments. Your respective managers will give you the detailed address in this regard. I am sure all employees are eager to know where we will hold our end of month activity. This month we have taken notice of one of our employee’s suggestion in this regard and planned a movie outing for all our departments to get together to. Your department managers will give you all the details in this regard. The human resource department has initiated a monthly survey program which will serve to keep check of the progress since recruitment of all the employees regardless of their departments. It will also oversee the satisfaction level of our employees so we can help you serve better. Your suggestions regarding our improvement will be highly welcomed in the survey. I am the manager of Shoe It Company’s limited. It deals with the manufacture of shoes for ladies and men. Recently we have started the manufacture of children’s shoes as well. We also deal with the retail sales of our shoes under the same brand. We are a well established company however due to the increase of competition in our area we have a reduced sales outcome for the previous month.

Applications of the Scientific Method Assignment - 1

Applications of the Scientific Method - Assignment Example s, a business introducing its product to the market for the first time need to develop passion and care of the customers’ feelings with a special focus on the anticipated value and benefits. This special focuses will help the competitor build up a strong foundation that will later become the competitive edge and assure the competitor of continued survivor. A number of steps have been used in decision making and information input, more so when it comes to the successful developments of new products as discussed here below (Mital, 2008). The first step is to evaluate whether the product to be designed fits in the mission, vision, and overall strategy of the business. To get this information, brainstorming is done internally with the conclusions to be done by the purchasing personnel. The information can also be sought externally through an external market research where secondary research and competitor analysis are done. Second is the screening of ideas which later paves way for the initial design of the idea by the development teams (Mital, 2008). The third step will be the formulation of a marketing plan where market researcher may go a step further to seek external input and also come across the real products in addition to other various elements of the product including; pricing, optioning, and advertising (Fleisher, & Bensoussan, 2007). To come up with a solid decision, a marketer may opt to observe the reactions of a customer before he even introduces his products to the market. Observing customers’ reactions will also provide important information related to understanding the product and estimated purchase prices as well as the value that the product has to its customers. If the feedback from the customer is negative, adjustments will be made directly and if positive, the products will be ready to be launched (Fleisher, & Bensoussan, 2007). Lessons from concept testing and market testing will greatly help in the launching of the product. The best

Business Finance - SOURC ES OF FUNDS AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE Research Paper

Business Finance - SOURC ES OF FUNDS AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE - Research Paper Example In this type of funding, the hire purchaser or hirer receives the property or good instantaneously after signing the purchase agreement. However, the ownership gets transferred fully after finishing the last instalment payment. Leasing The procedure of lease financing includes procurement of various assets by means of taking lease. Lease means one contract in which the ownership, the funding linked with the asset or the equipment and the risk taking are totally separated and shared by two or greater than two parties. In case of lease financing the lessor finances and the lessee accepts the risk, involved by utilization of the asset or equipment taken on lease, whereas a third party actually owns it. Another alternative way is that the lessor would own as well as finance the asset or equipment, whereas the lessee would enjoy using it along with bearing certain amount of risk. This type of transaction includes commercial arrangement in which the equipment owner possesses the right to t he asset or equipment user for utilising it in return of fixed rental. Long term sources of funds Long term sources of raising funds mainly include those sources which are needed for longer span of time. These types of financing activities are mainly associated with fund expansion projects. These projects are complex in nature and need huge sources for the funding activities. It is because of this reason that the organizations use long term sources for raising the funds. In many cases, the organizations do not make use of one single source of financing. The main long term sources of raising funds are: Equity Shares The equity shares form an essential part while considering the ownership of any particular company (Walter 3). When any business decides to expand its operation, it issues high number of shares, in order to raise the fund needed for effective implementation of the desired plan. This type of investment is an important source of raising the funds and it provides the investo rs with a certain portion of company’s profit along with taking part in taking company’s decisions (Hafer and Hein 15). This strategy of rising the funding by an organization out-performs all other strategies (Fontanills and Gentile 1; Rosen 8). When the earnings of a company are high, the stock prices increase resulting in higher profitability for the company as well as the investors. If the company originates from growing market then raising of fund by issuing its equity shares turns out to be highly profitable. However, when there is economic downturn the shares of the companies remain at high risk in spite of their high brand value and strong management. Preference shares Issue of preference shares is another way of raising fund where the dividends are payable on the shares at the fixed rate and paid only in case of earning of profit by them. Thus, there remains no obligatory burden for the company (â€Å"Methods of Raising Capital†). But these shares do not possess voting rights. Debentures The companies have power of

Direct Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Direct Analysis - Coursework Example 3. Pertaining the research method, the authors use a primary and a secondary review of literature. In the primary literature review, the authors begin by examining 18 bibliographic search training articles, where they find that search training is effective for residents and medical students and that the effects of training were robust with time (Goodman, Gary, & Wood, 2014, p. 336). However, due to lack of actionable recommendations from the primary review, the authors embark on a secondary review where they examine 2 articles and a pilot study they conducted. The second review reveals the types of training that improve bibliographic search skills hence recommendations for bibliographic search training (Goodman, Gary, & Wood, 2014, p. 342). The method is effective in producing data to answer the research question identified in question 1. The primary review of literature shows that the training is valid though with a room for improvement, while the second review shows the specific me asures by which the training could be improved. Macedo-Rouet, M., Rouet, J. F., Ros, C., & Vibert, N. (2012}. How do scientists select articles in the PubMed database? An empirical study of criteria and strategies. European Review of Applied Psychology, 62, 63-72. 5. The three thorough search strings that I would use to search the relationship between telework success and an organizations leadership style are: telework success AND organization’s leadership; (telework AND success) AND (organization AND leadership); and (telework OR communication) AND (success OR achievement) AND (organization OR company OR business) AND (leadership OR management). 6. The symbol represents the mean of a number of values. In this instance, it is used to represent the mean of the ages of the participants. The implication is that members of one participant group had about 11.8 years’ extensive experience performing general bibliographic search engines on

NURSNG ROLE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NURSNG ROLE - Research Paper Example The outline also focuses on the two main roles of the nurses, which are a helping role and a teaching and coaching role. These are further composed of various aspects that facilitate the running of the profession. The helping role encompasses the roles of a nurturer, and a direct caregiver. On the other hand, the teaching and coaching role is wider and encompasses aspects such as nurses as agents of change, managers, teachers, counselors and researchers. Further, the outline also brings into focus the aspect the nurse being a champion of the patients’ rights and needs. The nurse becomes the principal care provider for the patient in the hospital. Further, the nurses inform patients of their rights and helps in enforcing and safeguarding those rights. Introductory Paragraph In the past, around the mid-1800s, nurses used to be viewed as the subordinates, or handmaiden, to the doctors. Their roles were remarkably few and majorly involved doing what the physician ordered. Such inc luded looking after patients in the hospitals, straightening beds, feeding the patients, aiding the patients with the bandages and helping the patients find their way around hospitals. Nevertheless, a lot has changed since the mid-1800s. Today, nurses are professionals who have their own roles; separate and different professional roles from doctors. Doctors still write the orders as they did before. However, a nurse gets expected to know when such an order, dosage or a medication are wrong so as to follow the necessary procedures to indulge the physicians on such orders. Further, a nurse has nursing duties that involve assessment, coming up with a nursing plan, family and patient education, medication teaching, dressing changes among others. All these nursing roles fall under two main categories, which are a helping role and a teaching and coaching role. The Helping Role This is the most essential role of the nursing profession and is considered the traditional role. A number of thi ngs fall under this role and collectively facilitate the functioning of the nursing professionals. This role gets manifested in two distinct ways. These are the roles of nurses as nurtures and direct care givers. This care is directed to the human body. The Biblical reference to this role is 1 Cor. 6:19. This scripture reference talks about the body being the temple of God and thus, taking care of it is an imperative. Text Description The helping role is one of the most prominent roles of the nurses in the hospital set up. This role is patient-oriented. The nurse serves as a nurturer of the patient. Further, the nurse is responsible for providing all the necessities of the patients throughout their stay at the hospital. In addition to this, due the extensive interaction of the nurse and the patients, the nurse comforts the patient during their hospitalization. The nurses offer direct care to the patient. Further, they promote the comfort of the client, who is the patient. This role is best made manifested by the mothering actions relevant from the nurses. Such activities involve the knowledge and sensitivity to the matters that are relevant to the clients. In essence, the nursing roles are meant to show concern for the patient welfare. Further, the nursing roles take into account the need for the acceptance of the patient as a person. References Journal of Advanced Nursing,Volume 68,

Historical Development of Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Historical Development of Policing - Essay Example American officers conveyed weapons and has been under summon of politically named neighborhood area skippers. Remiss order prompted plenteous union. Significantly, police work has crucially grown from what it was hundreds of years prior. Nowadays, casual foundations of socialization and social control, such as the family, schools, and the congregation, diminished in viability, police turned out to be progressively vital (Schaible & Gecas, 2010). Policing in a free society is not a simple assignment. The discussion in the middle of opportunity and protection from one perspective and social control and disorder on the other is likely a standout amongst the most troublesome issues that face a socialized society. It is important to point out a number of challenges the police officers are bound to face at work. Essentially, police work keeps on being required for upkeep of proper order, and considerably even more so in present day society in view of the nations differences. Yet, not everyone preferences the work of police and their officers. People often see them even from a pessimistic standpoint times and they are used to such a situation (Schaible & Gecas, 2010). In any case, it causes police officers to feel the need to watch out so that someone cannot take a swing, punch, kick, or hit them with anything. Another thing that is a great challenge of a policing job is issues connected with health, both physical and mental. Employment issues supercede family matters, which regularly has extreme outcomes, as the police officer thinks about saving people in danger firsthand, even before thinking about own health and the wellbeing of the family. Huge anxiety can be caused by the way police officers work - shifts. Officers encounter a sort of plane slack with continually evolving movements. The human body takes roughly one full 24-hour day to conform to each hour of time change (Sanders, 2003).

Is there a legitimacy of IMF duties and did IMF fulfill its promises Essay

Is there a legitimacy of IMF duties and did IMF fulfill its promises - Essay Example The fund was also charged with the responsibility of availing its resources to member states facing hardships in their balance of payments, and lessening as well as shortening the degree of imbalance in the global balance of payments to its member states (Soros, 2002: pp 116). The IMF has contributed to positive change in numerous member countries since its establishment. At its inception, it undertook the daunting task of restoring economic growth and stability, especially after the world war, and the aftermath of the great global depression. The IMF adopted a simple working principle that all countries share some fundamental economic goals; that include achievement of high income and employment levels, and that countries can achieve these goals by adopting solid macroeconomic policies, collaborating to make international monetary systems work efficiently and making their economies accessible to trade (Camdessus, 1998). It has not been easy for IMF since the global economy has had its successes and challenges, especially during the fund's initial years. For all the countries that adopted the IMF principles, their employment rates rose, their national incomes grew, and their trade expanded immensely, ushering in almost fifty years of global prosperity. The global economy is much more com... Also, there are now various exchange rate arrangements which have replaced the initial fixed exchange rate system, with IMF member states increasing from just forty in 1947 to 182 currently (Camdessus, 1998). During these developments, the fund has also had to change and develop itself in order to remain relevant and address the changing needs and demands. The fund now temporarily provides and advices members undergoing wide ranging circumstances and problems. The fund has also expanded its scope to incorporate other elements contributing to stability in the financial systems and economic growth. The fund now advocates for its members deregulating their domestic economies to boost private sector activities. Moreover, it has called for the member governments to reduce unfruitful government spending, spend more on basic human needs, ensure accountability in corporate and government affairs and a more efficient dialogue on economic policies with the civil society and labor (Camdessus, 1998). The IMF has helped its members in dealing with various problems and issues that were not anticipated at the institution's establishment. For instance, the fund helped in creating a mechanism to recycle the surpluses of oil exporters and helped in financing oil-related deficits in some countries during the 1970s energy crisis. In the 1980s, the fund helped the Latin American countries in overcoming a debt crisis (Camdessus, 1998). In 1989, IMF helped in designing and financing substantial global efforts required to help the 26 transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former USSR to abandon the legacy of centralized planning. Between 1994 and 1995, IMF helped Mexico out

Biodegradable Plastics Essay Example for Free

Biodegradable Plastics Essay The properties of plastics are determined by the polymers that constitute the unit. Based on this, plastics can be modified into biodegradable products by varying the constituents synthetically. Their chemical structures vary due to the substituting polyesters in the polymer chain. Let’s study about the chemical differences and structure of green plastics; PHA and PLA. Amylose and Amylopectin are the major polymer components of starch. In the link structure, all identical chain points are connected to –CH2OH group. The oxygen in the ring structure chain facilitates degradation when reacted with water. Any hybrid variety can be produced with two components: renewable natural polymer (starch) and petroleum based synthetic polymer (PCL). †¢ Polylactide (PLA) is a bioplastic basically made from starch, the basic building material. Here lactic acid (CH3CHOHCOOH) is produced through fermentation where microorganisms convert sugar feedstock into lactic acid. The lactic acid thus isolated is depolymerized to lactide and by Ring-opening polymerization with catalysts it is converted into Polylactide polymer of high molecular weight. Based on the particle size, the rate of biodegradability and transparency varies. They find use in soluble fibers, compose bags and renewable products. †¢ Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) polymers are produced naturally by microorganisms directly from sugar feedstock. The polymer is isolated, purified and processed. These components can be controlled by varying the ratio of sugar feedstock. Synthesized PHA is copolyester composed of 3-hydroxy fatty acids hydroxybuterate, hydroxyvalerate and hydroxyhexanoate. In all PHAs the hydroxyl substituted carbon atom is steriochemical -R configuration. Since they are composed of short chain and long chain length –R groups, they are used for a variety of commercial applications. References Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2007, Pp 1437-1449 Stevens, E. S. , Green Plastics: An introduction to the New Science of Biodegradable Plastics, Princeton University Press, 2003

Maggi Brand Extension And Repositioning

Maggi Brand Extension And Repositioning This research paper deals with the study of Maggi brand which made its footprint in India in the year 1983. Maggi is a brand originated in India by Nestle India Limited. It has over the years become synonymous with noodles. This research paper tries to find out the new areas and the market where Maggi can enter. Also, Maggi has always tried to play on the platform of a Healthy Product. This paper analyses its success and the gives a picture of Maggi as in the eyes of the consumer. The introduction provides the company background, operational other important information provided by the company which would assist in taking the decision for the right brand extension strategy for Maggi. The industrial revolution in Switzerland in the late 1800s created factory jobs for women, who were therefore left with very little time to prepare meals. This wide spread problem grew to be an object of intense study by the Swiss Public Welfare Society. As a part of its activities, the Society asked Julius Maggi miller to create a vegetable food product that would be quick to prepare and easy to digest. Born on October 9, 1846 in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, Julius Michael Johannes Maggi was the oldest son of an immigrant from Italy who took Swiss citizenship. Julius Maggi became a miller and took on the reputation as an inventive and capable businessman. In 1863, Julius Maggi came up with a formula to bring added taste to meals. Soon after he was commissioned by the Swiss Public Welfare Society, he came up with two instant pea soups and a bean soup the first launch of the Maggi brand of instant foods in 1882 83. Towards the end of the century, Maggi Company was producing not just po wdered soups, but bouillon cubes, sauces and other flavorings. The Maggi Company merged with Nestlà © in 1947. Today, Maggi is a leading culinary brand and part of the NESTLÉ family of fine foods and beverages. Under the Maggi brand, which is today known worldwide for quality and innovation, Nestle offers a whole range of products, such as packaged soups, frozen meals, prepared sauces and flavorings. MAGGI BRAND IN INDIA Maggi Comes to India teething troubles Maggi noodles was launched in India in the early1980s. Carlo M. Donati, the present Chairman and Managing Director of Nestle India Ltd, brought the instant noodle brand to India during his short stint here in the early eighties. At that time, there was no direct competition. The first competition came from the ready-to-eat snack segment which included snacks like samosas, biscuits or maybe peanuts, that were usually the bought out type. The second competition came from the homemade snacks like pakoras or sandwiches. So there were no specific buy and make snack! Moreover both competitors had certain drawbacks in comparison. Snacks like samosas are usually bought out, and outside food is generally considered unhygienic and unhealthy. The other competitor, homemade snacks overcame both these problems but had the disadvantage of extended preparation time at home. Maggi was positioned as the only hygienic homemade snack! Despite this, Nestlà © face d difficulties with their sales after the initial phase. The reason being, the positioning of the product with the wrong target group. Nestle had positioned Maggi as a convenience food product aimed at the target group of working women who hardly found any time for cooking. Unfortunately this could not hold the product for very long. In the course of many market researches and surveys, the firm found that children were the biggest consumers of Maggi noodles. Quickly they repositioned it towards the kids segment with various tools of sales promotion like color pencils, sketch pens, fun books, Maggi clubs which worked wonders for the brand. Why the specific Brand positioning? Maggi was positioned as 2-minute noodles with a punch line that said Fast to cook! Good to eat! And this gave the implied understanding to the consumer that it was a between meals snack. The company could have easily positioned the product as a meal, either lunch or dinner. But, it chose not to do so, because the Indian consumer mindset did not accept anything other than rice or roti as a meal. Hence trying to substitute it with noodles would have been futile. The firm did not position it as a ready-to-eat meal either, as the housewife prefers to make a meal for her kids rather than buy it for them. And if she can make it in two minutes with very little effort, then obviously its a hit with her! Whats more, if kids also love the taste, the product is as good as sold! So the 2-minute funda coupled with the yummy taste worked! BRAND STORY Launched in 5 flavors initially Masala, chicken, Capsicum, sweet sour, and Lasagna Maggi had to fight hard to be accepted by Indian consumers with their hard-to-change eating habits. The packaged food market was very small at this time, Nestle had to promote noodles as a concept, before it could promote Maggi as a brand. It therefore devised a two-pronged strategy to attract mothers on the convenience plank and lure kids on the fun plank. Gradually, the market for instant noodles began to grow. The company also decided to focus on promotions to increase the brand awareness. In the initial years, Nestle promotional activities for Maggi included schemes offering gifts (such as toys and utensils) in return for empty noodles pack. According to analysts, the focus on promotion turned out to be the single largest factor responsible for Maggis rapid acceptance. Nestlà ©s managers utilized promotions as measured to meet their sales target. Gradually, sales promotion became a crutch for Maggi noodles sales. Later many of the Maggis extensions also made considerable use of promotional schemes. The focus of all Maggis extensions was more on below the line activities rather than direct communication. In addition to promotional activities, Maggi associated itself with main stream television programs and advertised heavily on kids program and channels. After its advertisements with taglines like mummi bhookh lagi hai, bas do minute and fast to cook good to eat Maggis popularity became highly attributed to its extremely high appeal to children. As a result, Maggis annual growth reportedly touched 15% during its initial years. Maggis Brand Extension In 1998, Nestle launched Maggis first brand extension, Maggi soup. At this stage, there was no organized packaged soup market in India. Nestle planned to create a market for packaged soup as it felt the category had a lot of potential. However, according to analyst, the company had introduced soups only to cash in on the Maggis brand name, and was never very serious about the segment. In 1993, Sweet Maggi, the first variant of Maggi noodles was launched. The company supported the launch with a huge advertisement outlay that amounted to 75% of the total yearly expenditure on the Maggi brand. However, the product failed to generate the desired sales volume and Nestle was forced to withdraw it. At the end of the year, Maggi noodles was generating sales volume of around 5000 tons and remained a loss making proposition for Nestle. To boost sales, Nestle decided to reduce the price of Maggi noodles. This was made possible by using thinner and cheaper packaging material, the company also introduced money saver multi packs in the form of 2-in-1 pack and 4-in-1 packs. As a result volume increases phenomenally to 9700 tonnes in 1994 and further to 13000 tonnes in 1995. Maggis euphoria was, however, short lived, as sales stagnated in 1995 at the previous years level. With soup business being threatened by a new entrant Knorr soups launched in 1995, offering 10 flavors against Maggis 4 the company started rethinking its strategies towards the soup market. In order to stretch Maggis brand to include Indian ethenic foods the company tied up with a Pune based Chordia foods to launch pickles under the year 1995. The company also tied up with Indian foods fermentation (IFF), a Chennai based Food Company to market popular south Indian food preparation such as sambher, dosa, vada and spices in consumer packs in Dec 1995. The company reportedly saw a lot of untapped potential in the market for ready to use south Indian market. In 1996, products from these two ventures received lukewarm response from the market; sales were rather poor in the regions in which they were launched. Analysts attributed the failure of these Maggi extensions to the fact that Nestlà © seemed to be particularly bad at dealing with traditional Indian product categories. Maggi noodles performed badly in 1996. Despite slow sales in the previous two years, Nestlà © had set a sales target of 25,000 tonnes for the year. However, Maggi couldnt cross even 14,000 tonnes. Adding to the company woes was the failure of Maggi Tonites Special, a range of cooking sauces aimed at providing restaurant-like-taste to food cooked at home. The range included offerings such as Butter Chicken gravy and tomato sauce for pizzas. Understanding these failures, and buoyed by the fact that the Maggi brand finally broke even in 1997, Nestlà © continued to explore new options for leveraging on the brand equity of Maggi noodles. The company realized that the kids who had grown up on Maggi noodles had become teenagers by the late 1990s. As they associated the product with their childhood, they seemed to be moving away from it. To lure back these customers and to explore new product avenues, Nestlà © launched Maggi Macaroni in July 1997. According to analysts, Maggi Macaroni was launched partly to deal with the growing popularity of competing noodles brand Top Ramen. Maggi Macaroni was made available in three flavors, Tomato, Chicken, and Masala. The company expected to repeat the success of Maggi noodles with Maggi Macaroni. As with most of its product launches, Maggi Macaronis launch was backed by a multi-media advertisement campaign including radio, television, outdoors and print media. The products pricing, however, proved to be a major hurdle. A 75-gm Maggi Macaroni pack was priced at Rs 11, while a 100-gm noodles pack was available at Rs 9. According to analysts, Nestlà © failed to justify this price-value anomaly to customers, who failed to see any noted value addition in Maggi Macaroni (packaging and flavor variants were similar to those of Maggi noodles). In addition, customers failed to see any significant difference between Maggi Macaroni and the much cheaper macaroni that was sold by the unorganized sector players. The biggest problem however was the taste of the new product. Since macaroni is thicker than noodles, Maggi Macaroni did not absorb the tastemaker well and consequently did not taste very good. The interest generated by the novelty of the product soon died out and sales began tapering off. Eventually, Nestlà © had to withdraw Maggi Macaroni completely from the market. Nestlà © had not even recovered from Macaronis dismal performance, when it learnt to its horror that Knorr had dethroned Maggi as the leader in the soup segment (end of 1997). The only saving grace for Maggi seemed to its ketchups and sauces, which were turning out to the rare successful extensions of Maggi. These products were supported by a popular advertisement campaign for the Maggi Hot Sweet sauce brand. These humorous advertisements, featuring actors Pankaj Kapoor and Javed Jafri, used the tagline, Its different. However, during mid-1997, HUL began promoting its Kissan range of sauces aggressively and launched various innovative variants in the category. Nestlà © responded with a higher thrust on advertising and different size packs at different price points. Though Kissan gained market share over the next few years, Maggi was able to hold on to its own market share. Meanwhile the operational costs of Maggi noodles had increased considerably, forcing the company to increase the retail price. By early 1997, the price of a single pack had reached Rs 10. Volumes were still languishing between 13,000-14,000 tonnes. Pricing and Product Development It was at this point in time that Nestlà © decided to change the formulation of Maggi noodles. The purpose was not only to infuse fresh life into the brand, but also to save money through this new formulation. The company used new noodle-processing technology, so that it could air-dry instead of oil-fry the noodles. The tastemakers manufacturing process was also altered. As a result of the above initiatives, costs reportedly came down by 12-14%. To cook the new product, consumers had to add two cups of water instead of one-and-a-half cups. The taste of the noodles was significantly different from what it used to be. The customer backlash that followed the launch of the new noodles took Nestlà © by surprise. With volumes declining and customer complaints increasing, the company began to work on plans to relaunch old Maggi to win back customers. In addition, in 1998, Nestlà © began working out a strategy to regain Maggis position in the soup segment. To counter the Knorr threat, the company relaunched Maggi soups under the Maggi Rich brand in May 1998. The soups were not only thicker in consistency than those produced earlier, the pricing was also kept competitive and the packaging was made much more attractive. However, Knorr took Nestlà © by surprise by launching one-serving soup sachets priced as low as Rs 4. HLL too launched two-serving sachets of Kissan soup priced at Rs 7. As Maggi did not have any offerings in this price-range, it lost a huge portion of its market share to Knorr. The relaunch prompted market observers to compare Nestlà ©s move with US soft drinks major Coca-Colas New Coke fiasco. However, the company disagreed, Its a hard-5 nosed strategy, that mixes nostalgia with the consumers voiced preference for the product it has been bred and rought up on. The reintroduction is Nestlà ©s acknowledgement of the loyalty of the Indian mother and the child to the original product. By May 1999, Nestlà ©s decision to bring back the old Maggi seemed to have paid off. Two months after the relaunch, the monthly average sales of Maggi noodles n the northern region rose 50% in comparison to the previous year. In July 1999, Maggi the brand, was promoted as the biggest brand in Nestlà ©s portfolio of brands in India, overtaking brands such as Nestum and Cerelac. Nestlà © believed that Maggi had immense potential as it was a very flexible brand under which regional variants could be introduced to meet various market needs. Company sources claimed that with reas onable price points and innovative products, Maggi could emerge as a top brand and a major growth driver for the company. To further support the brand, Nestlà © carried out various promotional activities as well. These included the August 1999 Fun-Dooz campaign and Jungle Jackpot campaigns. 6 As a result of the above initiatives, Nestlà © claimed to have cornered an 81% market share of the 20,000 tonnes noodles market by the end of 1999. Nestlà © sources claimed that Maggi noodles outsold the competition four times over and that more than four Maggi noodle cakes were consumed every second in the country. PRODUCT VARIENTS The product mix of Maggi is divided into various categories defined below. The company has launched various products under each category as mentioned below. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY OBJECTIVES à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ To understand the influence of Maggi as a brand on consumers mind set. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Sources of Brand equity of Maggi like Brand awareness, Brand image, Brand association, Brand recall à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ To understand the Brand performance of Maggi products. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ To understand Brand Imagery, Brand Quality perceived by customers, Brand credibility, consideration, superiority and feelings. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Brand Extension of Maggi in terms of product diversity. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Analyse the repositioning of Maggi brand as a Healthy product and the consumers perseverance towards the same. RESEARCH PLAN Research Design: The research will be carried out in the form of a survey which will be done in areas near to Delhi (NCR region). The population has been segmented on the basis of salary Group and Age Group. Sample Design: The target population for our study is households. The sample will be selected by a simple random sampling method . Sample Size: The sampling unit is 150 which are divided as follows: |Number of respondents |150 | |Age-group |10 45 | |Monthly Household Income |25000 75000 INR | |Survey Locations |Delhi, Faridabad,Gurgoan,Noida,Greater Noida | |Salary Group |No income |25K 40K |40K 60K |60K 75K | |Number of Respondents |30 |50 |70 | |Age Group |10 25 |25 35 |35 45 | |Number of Respondents |50 |50 |50 | DATA COLLECTION PLAN Data Gathering: This study involves data collection (primary research) from different households in four different areas Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgoan, and Noida. Literature Review The research conducted as a part of our study would include Primary as well as Secondary research. Primary research would include a survey that would be conducted in selected localities of Delhi and nearby areas where the responses of consumers would be recorded through a designed questionair.Secondary research would include various aspects of Brand management through Internet , Journals, company reports , expert views etc. METHOLODOGY The research will be carried out in the form of a survey. This will include primary research in addition to secondary research as stated below. The survey research method will be descriptive research design. Each respondent will be interviewed through a Questionnaire. The sample will be selected by a simple random sampling method. The survey will address the following information area: Information Areas: The objective as spelt out can be elaborated into specific information areas to be studied. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ How do customers perceive Maggi as a stable brand, their perception of noodles and how do they associate themselves with Maggi? à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Are the consumers aware of Maggi Brand or they associate noodles with some other brand? à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Do they consider noodle as a healthy product or they are aware of the companys strategy of repositioning it to a healthy product by the launch of some of the new products? à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Which product from the entire basket of Maggi products do the consumers consider as the best selling product for Maggi and to which the consumers frequently buy? à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Are the consumers willing to accept Maggi brand extensions to some other products like chocolate, juices, chips etc? SURVEY RESULTS: 1. Brand Associations: Sources of Brand equity like brand association of Maggi as a Brand was found highest with the age group of 10-25 and the product category associated with it was the noodles category ( see exhibit 1). Consumers in the age segment of 10-25 could easily relate Maggi to noodles. In the income wise category the brand association was highest with the income group of 25k-40k were more than 40 respondents associated Maggi with noodles ( see exhibit 2). The implications from the findings discussed above seem that Maggi has good brand association in terms of noodles. Consumers presume Maggi as Noodles and the companys philosophy of projecting the brand as noodles brand seem to be viable in this regard. 2. Brand Recall: From the Exhibit 3 4 given below it seems a clear trend that Maggi has a good brand recall as compared to its competitors like Top Ramen, Surya noodles etc. Consumers could easily associate Maggi with noodles. In the Age wise category, the respondents of the age group of 25-45 were highly cautious of Maggi brand and seemed to be consuming Maggi more as compared to other age segments. In the gender wise category the companys strategy of positioning of Maggi brand for working women seems to be adaptive and gaining shape as women respondents had a brand recall more than male. 3. Brand Awareness: From the responses of the respondents in the conducted survey it was evident than Maggis Brand awareness was very high in terms of noodles were around 65 %of the respondents associated maggi as noodles and only 20 % of the respondents knew ,Maggi as a Ketchup, 9% as soup etc. The trend indicated that Maggis brand extension strategy to increase its basket has not been quite successful in other food segments .This might be because of the larger share of market captured by the competitors hence Maggi has a high potential in markets like ketchup, soups etc. 4. Repositioning Maggi as a healthy product: The companys strategy to reposition Maggi as a Healthy product was not found conducive as per the survey results. The survey showed that consumers did not perceived Maggi as a healthy product with 53% of them consumed Maggis traditional products as compared to the rest who consumed other variants of Maggis brand that were positioned as Healthy products. From the pie chart given below it can be clearly seen that Maggi is still perceived as a non healthy products by the consumers and in spite of the efforts to position Maggi as a healthy product by the company the brand is still perceived as a ready to eat food brand that has a high market share in the noodle category in India. SWOT ANALYSIS OF MAGGI BRAND The SWOT analysis of Maggi brand clearly indicates the strengths of Maggi as a Brand in Indian market. The Brand was found to be a leader in its category of Noodles, with strong customer loyalty. Intensive distribution of Maggi as a Brand was seen in urban areas of the country. The major threats of the brand as shown in the figure below indicates that Maggi has made several attempts to revamp itself as a Healthy Product but till date its perseverance towards the tag line is low by the consumers. The brand is in the growth stage of product life cycle with a strong inclination towards the maturity stage. [pic] STPD ANALYSIS OF MAGGI BRAND Segmentation: Market Segmentation divides the heterogenous market into homogenous groups of customers who share a similar set of needs/wants and could be satisfied by specific products. Maggi Brand have segmented the market on the basis of lifestyle and habits of URBAN FAMILIES. Target: Market Targeting refers to evaluating and deciding from amongst the various alternatives, which segment can be satisfied best by the company. The Maggi Brand have mainly targeted the Kids, Youth, Office Goers Working Woman which falls into the category of convenience-savvy time misers who would like to get something instant and be over with it quickly. Positioning: Market Positioning is the act of designing the companys offerings and image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target market. The goal of positioning is to locate the brand in the minds of consumers to maximise the potential benefit to the firm. Maggi has positioned itself in the SNACKS category and not in the meal category since Indians do not consider noodles as a proper food item. Therefore Maggi have developed its brand image of instant food products with positioning statements such as 2 minutes noodles and Easy to cook, good to eat. Differentiations: Points-of-difference (PODs) are attributes or benefits consumers strongly associate with a brand, positively evaluate and believe they could not find to the same extent with a competitive brand. The Maggi Brand have also differentiated its brand image from its competitors in terms of taste, flavours and packaging. Maggi have launched wide varieties of products in different flavours which can attract larger set of customers. Maggi products are also available in different sizes catering to different customer needs. CUSTOMER BASED BRAND EQUITY PYRAMID (CBBE) Maggis customer based brand equity pyramid seems to be equally strong on left hand side and right hand side, it is also strong from bottom to top enjoying the highest brand awareness of any fast food noodle brand in India as well as repeat purchase rate and high customer loyality. BRAND PRISM OF MAGGI CONCLUSION The food processing business in India is at a nascent stage. Currently, only about 10% of the output is processed and consumed in packaged form thus highlighting huge potential for expansion and growth. Traditionally, Indians believe in consuming fresh stuff rather then packaged or frozen, but the trend is changing and the new fast food generation is slowly changing. Riding on the success of noodles, Nestle India, tried to make extensions of the Maggi brand to a number of products like, sauces, ketchups, pickles, soups, tastemakers and macaroni in the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, the macaroni and pickles didnt pick up as expected. The soups and sauces did somewhat fine, gathering considerable sales volumes and have a satisfactory presence even today. Maggi Noodles itself faced a bit of difficulty with respect to taste, and nearly lost its position in the minds of Indian consumers in the late 1990s. When Nestle changed the formulation of its tastemaker, the ominous packet that came along with Maggi Noodles, a major chunk of consumers were put-off and sales started dropping. Also, Maggis competitor TopRamen took advantage of the situation and started a parallel aggressive campaign to eat into Maggis market share. But the company quickly realised this and went back into making the original formula coupled with a free sampling campaign. This helped Magg i to win back its lost consumers and pushed up its sales volumes again! Maggi Today The year 2008 saw India leading in world wide Maggi sales. The brand has grown to an estimated value of Rs 160-170 crore and contributes at least 8-9% to Nestle Indias top line. All the same, some FMCG analysts feel that the brand has not done much to expand the noodles category. Even after 25 years of its launch, the size of the instant noodles market is yet quite small at Rs 300 crore. But yes, the parent company, Nestle India Limited has certainly encouraged the brand to enter into other culinary products. RECOMMENDATION After the conducted study following recommendations could be sited for Maggi Brand. To gain maximum leverage in terms of profit the company should pay emphasis on segments with age groups 25-35 and above .Advertising is the key to success. Targeting these segments will not only enhance the companys profit margins but also it will leverage the brand image of Maggi. The company should advertise its products by depicting attributes related to Health like Nutrition values, % of Vitamins, Proteins etc.This would help in customers perceiving the product as Healthy. Foray into other food products like chips, chocolates etc under its sole brand name would not only help in Brand extension but will also enhance Maggis market share. FUTURE PLANS Nestlà © Indias objective is to manufacture and market the companys products in such a way so as to create value that can be sustained over the long term for consumers, shareholders, employees and business partners. Maggis aims to create value for consumers that can be sustained over the long term by offering a wide variety of high quality, safe food products at affordable prices. The company continuously focuses its efforts to better understand the changing lifestyles of modern India and anticipate consumer needs in order to provide convenience, taste, nutrition and wellness through its product offerings. LIMITATIONS: The present study is confined to a minimal sample size and may not reflect the opinion or response of the entire population in general. The results of our study are entirely confined to the responses of the Delhi consumers and might deviate in terms of actual population as a whole.Recomendations given after the study are entirely dependent on the survey and the secondary analysis done in the report.

Designing a Successful Multi-Generational Workplace

Designing a Successful Multi-Generational Workplace Introduction Significant characteristics including values, internal and external motivators, and communication styles vary greatly among employees. This diversity is a result of the variety of genders, ethnicities, economic situations, educations levels and ages represented in the workplace. We chose to review how age, or generational diversity, impacts the workplace today. Specifically, we wanted to look at how similarities or differences regarding the generational personalities of employees may affect the work environment and employee satisfaction. A generation is defined as a group that shares specific birth years and a common set of historical and social events. Each generation is defined by common tastes, attitudes, and experiences; a generational cohort is a product of its times and tastes (Zemke, Raines, Filipczak, 2000, p. 16). Most studies focus on the following groupings: the Matures or Traditionalists those born before 1946, the Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X born between 1965 and 1980, and the Millennials or Generation Y born after 1980. Today, members of each of these generations are often represented in the workplace, especially as the Matures and Baby Boomers delay retirement due to economic circumstances. The Baby Boomers and Generation X are the most prevalent groups; however, the number of Millennials is continuing to increase. This poses a unique challenge to managers as they attempt to balance the unique perspectives and needs of the four generations, while creating a unified corporate culture. While this generational diversity, much like any other type of diversity, can cause conflict and breed stereotypes, we will outline recommendations for managers to adapt to the differences and leverage the similarities in order to use them as a source of creative strength and a source of opportunity (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 17). Historical Social Context Each of the aforementioned generations has a distinctive set of historical and social events that has shaped their development. Globalization of business has increased the breadth of nationalities that may be represented in an organization; however, for our study we will focus on the unique context of employees born in the United States. The Traditionalists or Matures were influenced by World War II and the Great Depression. They felt a strong sense of commitment to their families and country. They endured financial challenges and thus had to learn to work hard and sacrifice (Ballone, 2007, p. 10). These individuals also held onto the notion of a nuclear family with traditional roles. Ultimately, their commitment, foresight and hard work created the United States we know today from the infrastructure, to the space program and scientific advancements, to social programs such as Social Security (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 31). The Baby Boomers are the children of the Matures and were raised in the prosperity and expansion of post-World War II America. Their parents had sacrificed throughout the Great Depression and the war and wanted their childrens lives to be better. They were afforded opportunities to pursue their passions often without boundaries, causing them to be more optimistic and idealistic than the generation before. Since they were the largest generation of Americans, these individuals had to learn to work together from school-age on, while also maintaining a competitive attitude. Based on their upbringing and formative events, they often felt that the purpose of world they lived in was to actively serve their needs, wants, and whims (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 67). At the same time, societys status quo changed, affected by the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement, which made individuals wary of authority and feel a need to gain power by challenging it. Generation X grew up in the shadow of the Baby Boomers. They are often characterized by a survivor mentality, as they grew up in the wake of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and massive layoffs by U.S. corporations (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 95). Not only that, but the U.S. divorce rate nearly tripled during their birth years, so they became distrustful of the permanence of institutional and personal relationships (Lancaster Stillman, 2002, p. 25). The instability in economic structure, political affairs, and even home life created a strong desire to become self-reliant and learn to thrive in the midst of constant change. The final group in our study, the Millennials or Generation Y, was raised in the era of soccer moms who were extremely involved in the numerous activities of their children. Family life was usually centered on them and they were often involved in the decision making. They are the first generation to have access to technology since birth. Considerable exposure to various cultures, races, and religions through the internet and even their own classrooms, has given this group the opportunity to accept diversity as a norm in daily life, which is unique to that of the views of previous generations. Major events of conflict, including the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have also influenced this generations perspective, while their upbringing has caused them to feel empowered to take positive action when things go wrong (Lancaster Stillman, 2002, p. 29). Work Values Attitudes Work values shape employees perceptions of preferences in the workplace, exerting direct influence on employee attitudes and behaviors (Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman, Lance, 2010, p. 1121). The historical and social context in which generations were raised and entered the workforce may have an impact on values, attitudes and behaviors. It is essential for organizations to be aware of both common and differentiating traits between generations and also individual preferences, in order to adapt their management techniques for the combination of employees represented. The Matures tend to be very loyal to their employers and it is not uncommon for them to have a long tenure with one company. They believe in the idea of sweat equity and that hard work earns one leadership positions. This is most often the result of a soldiers mentality created through their experience with the military and its tiered system of rank and authority and is often reflected in the management hierarchy that exists in many corporations today where its best to have the brains at the top, in executive ranks, and the brawn on the bottom, on the front lines (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 41). This mentality is also evident in their discipline and unwillingness to buck the system or disagree with authority. Each person does his or her own part to achieve a goal, as determined by an identifiable leadership figure. Ambiguity and change are difficult for them and if forced to adapt, logic and facts are the elements that will make them the most comfortable. Ultimately, they want to leave a meaningful legacy and in the workplace this often means that they enjoy mentoring younger employees and sharing their extensive knowledge (Crumpacker Crumpacker, 2007, p. 353). The sheer size of the Baby Boomer generation created an understanding that competition was tough and that they would ultimately be responsible for their relative success (Hill, 2002, p. 62). Despite this competition, they understand that teamwork is important and often prefer a consensual leadership style (Ballone, 2007, p. 11). At the same time, the historical events which occurred during their formative years also lead them question authority and not always accept the status quo. They are comfortable with change and optimistic about what the future holds. However, since they are accustomed to being successful and pursuing their passions, they can be overly sensitive to criticism and feedback. Generation X-ers are extremely self-reliant and often seek autonomy and self-direction in their jobs. They witnessed their parents be downsized by large businesses and are distrustful of corporations and the validity of the established hierarchies. These individuals are also much more skeptical than the generations before, choosing to put faith in themselves and their abilities rather than putting it in others, being careful with their loyalty and commitments, for fear of getting burned (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 101). They are more casual in their approach to authority, appreciate a more informal atmosphere in the workplace, and are impatient with needless bureaucracy and slow decision making. Millennials value autonomy and the opportunity to learn, yet enjoy engaging with leaders and coworkers. These individuals are used to multi-tasking and being involved in numerous activities, so challenge and change is nothing new. They want feedback on performance, but sometimes have difficulty accepting criticism (Welsh Brazina, 2010, p. 3). Since they were heavily involved in decision making in their families from childhood on, the lines of authority are blurry and they prefer flat organizational structures. However, they do respect those in leadership positions and enjoy mentorship relationships. At the same time, they have high expectations and desire to start at the top. Millennials want to be invested in the vision of the company and make substantial contributions to that mission. They want to make suggestions right away and expect to be promoted quicklyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and expect fulfillment and meaning in their work (Twenge Campbell, 2008, p. 865). If these expectations are n ot met, they do not shy away from seeking out other opportunities as their loyalty is to their work and coworkers, rather than the organization itself (Welsh Brazina, 2010, p. 3). Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman and Lance emphasize that these generational differences in work values can affect the perceived fit of employees within an organization. The vision and ideals of the companys founders, which today is often the Baby Boomers, can be reflected in todays organizational structure and culture. If new employees from any generation hold values that are different from those of the leaders of the company, they may experience person-organization misfit which could yield more negative attitudes toward work, decreased performance, and greater likelihood of turnover (2010, p. 1137). Work-Life Balance Work Ethic Ones work ethic and requirement for a work-life balance can be influenced by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors, yet ones generation has an impact as it relates to the aforementioned work values. The Matures work ethic was molded in an era of economic difficulty, so hard work and sacrifice are the rule rather than the exception. They also learned to not take a job for granted and are often thankful for the position they have earned. In their view, work is noble and ennobling; it is something to be revered (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 47). Their attitude is that its essential to get the job done and to do it well. The Baby Boomers have been characterized as workaholics who are accustomed to 80-hour work weeks. They often validate their worth through their careers, feeling strongly that work should be one of the most import parts of a persons life (Smola Sutton, 2002, p. 376). However, as some approach retirement, they are seeking more balance between their personal and professional lives. They have put in the hard work thus far in their careers; consequently they now feel entitled to more time to pursue lifelong ambitions and recreational activities. They may also have family obligations such as caring for their aging parents that make this balance a necessity. Generation X-ers are often described as slackers. This is not because they dont get the work done, but rather because they have a non-traditional view of how it gets done compared to the previous two generations. Flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, appeal to them. They desire a work-life balance, as they saw how much time, energy, and self-worth their parents invested in their jobs. These individuals value flexibility in their work and many would refuse a promotion if they feel the quality of their home life will be compromised (Ballone, 2007, p. 11). The Millennials grew up shuffling between numerous extra-curricular activities, so multi-tasking and multiple deadlines are not foreign concepts. They are also used to having information constantly at their fingertips and expect to have the tools necessary to perform their jobs efficiently. These individuals are willing to put in the extra effort, as they are optimistic and resilient in reaching for their goals and aspirations and know that the job is a means to an end (Ballone, 2007, p. 11). They expect to work more than forty hours a week to achieve the lifestyle they want (Zemke, et. al, 2000, p. 144). At the same time, they want the flexibility to work when and where they want so they can pursue their outside interests. The differences in work ethic and work-life balance expectations often cause the most disagreement between generations. Assumptions can be made about ones productivity and loyalty to the company based on these two factors, so managers must develop policies that offer options for the differing needs of employees. They could do so by implementing options such as telecommuting, job sharing, varying starting and ending times, or condensed work weeks. However, managers must recognize that the current culture and norms might not support such a shift, so communication of expectations and training are essential. Crumpacker and Crumpacker suggest training managers on a performance management focus that measures not whether the employee is present at work each day, but whether project deadlines are being met and/or whether work products are being delivered in a timely manner (2007, p. 359). Motivation The uniqueness of each generation may cause individuals to react to different sets of motivators and rewards, while seeking to obtain varying experiences and benefits from their job (McDonald, 2008, p. 62). Thus it is essential for managers to understand those potential motivators in order to design jobs and empower employees for maximum motivation. The Matures, Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millenials motivators may vary with respect McClellands acquired needs theory. McClelland maintains that the need for achievement, affiliation, and power are acquired as a result of ones life experiences. Those who have a high need for achievement desire to be successful, while the high need for affiliation drives individuals to be liked by others and those who have a high need for power want to influence others (Bauer Erdogan, 2010, p. 103). The Matures tend to be motivated when their experience is recognized and utilized by the organization. This is an example of their need for achievement, as they have worked hard throughout their career to be successful and want their actions and knowledge be connected to the overall good of the organization. Contrary to many stereotypes, these individuals rated recognition as the most important value in their work life an attribute most often associated to Millennial workers (Laff, 2009, p. 20). In addition, their status and the loyalty they have had over the years to the organization may translate into their need for power. As stated previously, they have a very traditional view of management hierarchies and how age and gender fit into them. They may be uncomfortable, which in turn could affect their motivation, when that structure is compromised with the implementation of a flatter, more egalitarian, environment. The Baby Boomers are motivated when organizations value their competencies, reward productivity rather than longevity, and create a sense of community (Kupperschmidt, 2000, p. 70). These motivators reflect these individuals need for achievement, power and affiliation. The Baby Boomers need for power is most evident in their desire to have freedom from supervision and control over their own destiny. These individuals have a high need for achievement, apparent in their workaholic tendencies and the value they place on extrinsic rewards such promotions, titles, corner offices, and reserved parking spaces (Kupperschmidt, 2000, p. 68). At the same time, they have a need for affiliation, as they value team-based environments and building consensus in decision-making. According to a study by Jurkiewicz and Brown, the Matures and Baby Boomers did not differ significantly on any of the fifteen work-related motivational factors measured, including learning, leadership, advancement and salary ( 1998, p. 27). Individuals from Generation X differ more significantly from the previous generations in terms of motivation. They are motivated by the opportunity to learn new things, leadership responsibilities, and making a contribution using their unique skills. These individuals want to be challenged and have a chance to try a variety of tasks, demonstrating their need for achievement. According to a study by Harris Interactive, 52% of Generation X employees want pathways to personal growth, compared with 41% for Boomers and 29% for Mature workers (Huff, 2006, p. 28). Generation Xs need for power is illustrated in their need to control their environment, as they do not want to conform to organizational norms, but would rather have the flexibility to decide how and where to get their work done (Jurkiewicz Brown, 1998, p. 26). Generation X-ers are more extraverted, but place less importance on social approval than Boomers did (Twenge, et. al, 2010, p. 1125), thus their need for affiliation is no t as high as the previous generations. Millennials are confident, assertive, and achievement-oriented (Ballone, 2007, p. 11). They are looking for a flexible work environment where they can learn, while also having fun. However, their need for affiliation is not high, as they do not want to conform or seek social approval (Welsh Brazina, 2010, p. 3). These individuals expect that the organizations should provide for their needs and offer freedom to succeed, and in turn they will produce results. According to Ronald Paul Hill, Millenials are more likely to be motivated by individual development plans and evaluation criteria that allow them to personally measure and judge their successesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Motivation has increasingly turned inward, and work is more about personal fulfillment and less about external rewards (2002, p. 63). Millenials are ultimately motivated by seeing a connection between their personal growth and the growth of the organization. Team formation, rewards, and types of feedback are also influenced by the generational differences in motivators. For instance, Matures prefer long-term teams with long-term goals, while Generation X enjoys short term teams with short term goals. Managers should also understand the generations expectations regarding feedback and adapt ones approach accordingly so miscommunication and misunderstanding do not occur. Boomers require little feedback to do their jobs well, whereas Millennials like and expect constant feedbackà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦likely a result of heavy parental direction and involvement in their formative years (Glass, 2007, p. 101). In regards to rewards, there are also varying expectations. Matures seek personal recognition, while Baby Boomers want not just public recognition, but also tangible rewards such as raises and promotions. Generation X appreciates being rewarded with additional flexibility and Millenials want more opportunities to learn. We have seen this in our workplaces, as Baby Boomers often desire individual, public recognition for an accomplishment, while Millennials would rather be rewarded with a more challenging assignment. Understanding these generational differences in motivation is beneficial for managers as they seek to align policies and incentives with individuals values. Companies such as Deloitte, Sodexho, and Cisco have recognized this need and specifically trained their managers on developing and managing a diverse and multi-generational workforce. For example, Deloitte provides a series of internal executive briefings that aim to help leaders understand, and capitalize on, the generational diversity of its U.S. workers. These briefings include an overview of common motivators and rewards for the generations, including learning and development opportunities, role models and work/life balance for Millennials, skill development, real-time performance feedback, immediate, tangible recognition rewards, flexible work arrangements, and positive work environments for Generation X, and retirement planning assistance, flexible retirement options, training, and time off, including sabbaticals for the Ba by Boomers (Deloitte, 2010). Technology Communication channels have changed extensively over the decades and continue to evolve rapidly. As new technologies emerge, workplaces face a challenge in accommodating the comfort level and styles of the various generations. The Matures lived through the Great Depression and the production of the television while the Millennials have lived and breathed the Internet since they were born. Generation X-ers typically fall just short of the Millennials knowledge of technology and Baby Boomers often have a hard time embracing new technologies. In business, it is important to understand the different views that generations have on technology. Moreover, it is important to understand that technology affects everything from how generations communicate to how they learn. Understanding the diversity of technological capabilities and views of different generations can create a positive work environment, can attract the best and brightest of the younger generations and can create a team culture. Edward Cone explains in Bridging the Generational Gap that managers must recognize generational differences to head off potential conflicts and leverage the benefits (2007, p. 5). He further explains that best managers need to think about ways that involve everyone doing their best work, recognizing that one group cant be successful without the other (2007, p. 4). The Matures, now 64 years old or older, had very little exposure to the technologies that are used today. To put this in perspective, the first regularly scheduled television service in the United States began at which time the early part of the Mature generation was born. While most of these individuals are currently or will be retired within the next few years, technology has come a long way during their careers. A common misconception about employees from this generation is that they cant learn technology and refuse to give up the reins (Lancaster Cox, 2004, p. 3). However, many people from this generation are open to new technology, they just may not have the experience that some of the younger generations have. The Baby Boomers grew up in a time when technology was evolving and more advanced than the previous generation. Although these individuals are less likely to accept new technology compared to Millennials, the youngest generation (Waxer, 2009, p. 18), they are typically more tech savvy than the Matures. The Baby Boomer generations biggest downfall relating to technology is its inability to rapidly accept and embrace technology. In Leveraging Generational Work Styles to Meet Business Objectives Neil Simons writes, Boomers tend to have a limited view of technologys role in optimizing workplace efficiency; they tend to look at business systems as discrete integrated solutions designed to meet a specific need. Simons further explains, As technology systems continue to evolve, this generation must be open-minded about exploring the latest technology solutions (2010, p. 32). In such cases, it may be beneficial to team Baby Boomers up with Millennials to try to overcome the technology gap. Generation X tends to use technology more frequently than the Baby Boomers. Generation X-ers grew up during the rise of video games, the inception of the home computer and saw the Internet become used as a tool for social and commercial purposes (Simons, 2010, p. 32). This generation is typically more advanced than the Baby Boomers; however, they may still lag behind the Millenials in proficiency and acceptance of new technology. Generation Y, or the Millennials, is the youngest of generations in the workforce today and is the most savvy and knowledgeable as it relates to technology. During technological advancements during previous generations, images had simply transferred from the TV to the computer screen. A major shift did not occur until the widespread advent of the Internet in the mid to late 90s (Proserpio, 2007, p. 70). The learning style of the generation essentially changed from verbal to virtual. This is an important aspect of the Millennials as their learning styles differ from the previous generations. Managers that understand this trait of Millennials can more effectively teach them by understanding that, for example, the old training videos or manuals may no longer be sufficient. In Blending Technology and Tradition, Amato-McCoy suggests delivering training through MP3 downloads (2008, p. 50). Having grown up in a time with constant exposure to the internet, Generation Y workers also have a hi gh expectation of instant access to information and records. Unlike a time when communication was done via the US Postal Service, Millennials grew up communicating with instantaneous feedback and results. Text messages, social networks and emails all contribute to this expectation of transparency and immediate access to information and may cause these individuals to be impatient with generations who do not keep up. It is important for managers to understand the technological viewpoints and capabilities of different generations in order to share information more effectively and efficiently. An example of overcoming these differences is seen in the Suwannee River Managements record keeping system. Dianne Bell, records coordinator for the Suwannee River Management District, explains that, Engineers like paper, especially the older ones (Boomers). They want something they can hold in their hands when they go out into the field. But once some of the younger ones find out they can access documents from their PCs, they fall in love with our automated record management system and use it every opportunity they can get (Simons, 2010, p. 32). Another example of implementing new practices for younger generations, but allowing older generations to keep their same practices is how Virgin Entertainments employees communicate. Virgins employees communicate via text messages with younger generations, but via em ails and phone calls with the older generations (Amato-McCoy, 2008, p. 50). These types of practices are important because it allows the company to be at ease knowing their employees received important information in a manner that is the most comfortable to them. If, for example, the younger generation is more comfortable receiving text messages, they will check their cell phones more often. On the other hand, if the older generation is more comfortable receiving emails, chances are that they will be checking their email more often. Either way, organizations are getting information out to employees and customers in a timely manner, increasing productivity. One thing is certain; technology is not going away. In order for organizations to attract and retain young talent, they will need to continue to implement new technologies into their businesses. On the other hand, they also need to provide training tools and a culture of learning in order to increase previous generations comfort with technology. For example, Urban Outfitters uses instant messaging instead of emailing (Amato-McCoy, 2008, p. 50). Not only is this form of communication quicker, but it cut down on storage needs, allowing record archives to decrease. Zappos uses Twitter to run new ideas by its fan base as well as alerts to internal issues like outages (Amato-McCoy, 2008, p. 50). Conclusion: Designing a Successful Multi-Generational Workplace It is imperative for organizations to evaluate their current culture and policies in order to ensure they meet the needs and values of their multi-generational employees. If necessary, the generational differences in work values, desire for work-life balance, motivators, and use of technology which we have identified create opportunities for organizations to design various human resources policies and adapt their management styles to increase workplace satisfaction. These polices can encompass numerous areas including communication mechanisms, training and learning opportunities, rewards, and other benefits. To ease the implementation of such workplace modifications, it would be beneficial for organizations to train both managers and employees on the background and work attitudes of their diverse and multi-generational workforce. Betty Kupperschmidt encourages aggressive communication by managers: They must foster open discussions of what different cohorts are looking for in a job, what makes work rewarding, and what organizational factors attract and retain multigeneration employees (2000, p. 71). Since each individual sees their work values and experiences through their own framework, educating the workforce on the generational similarities and differences will aid in the recognition of these characteristics and development of a united corporate culture, rather than promotion of negative attitudes and stereotypes. As indicated previously, each generations use of and comfort with technology varies, so organizations should consider communicating important messages through multiple channels to ensure it reaches all workers. For example, an organization may use blogs, social networks, or instant messages to communicate to Millenials, whereas face-to-face meetings or memos may work better for Baby Boomers or Matures. We have seen this in our own companies with the communication of health insurance information via online tutorials, in-person classes, and distribution of hard copies. An organization should consider adapting training methods for each generation, as their learning styles also differ. Mangers should personally delivering information and education, possibly in lecture format, for the Matures, while Baby Boomers prefer team and consensus-derived information and technology is the best avenue for teaching Generation X and Millennials (Kupperschmidt, 2000, p. 72). Our companies accommodate these differences by providing both in-person and online training, so that individuals have the flexibility to choose. Most Baby Boomers and Matures take advantage of in-person training, while Gen X-ers and Millennials prefer the online training. Employees within each generation also have different preferences for the type and amount of guidance and feedback they receive; therefore managers may need to adjust their leadership and communication styles when interacting with and evaluating the performance of different generations. For instance, performance feedback at an annual review is often sufficient for both the Matures and the Baby Boomers, while more continuous feedback is appreciated by Millennials. In terms of leadership and guidance, the Matures prefer consistent, respectful and direct leadership, while Baby Boomers prefer a more democratic approach. Generation X wants more informal, yet results-oriented leaders, and Millennials seek collaborative, achievement-oriented and coaching type leadership. An example of tailoring ones style to such differences is given in our textbook, where a regional manager at Novo Nordisk Inc. would start each performance feedback e-mail with recognition of team performance, which was late r followed by feedback on individual performance (Bauer Erdogan, 2010, p. 35). A culture of learning could also be fostered by offering job sharing opportunities or possibilities for lateral movement. This would give employees from any generation an opp