Change of Management at Briardene Care Home - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2241 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Introduction This study aims to help the management, staff, service users and anyone directly or indirectly linked to Briardene Care Home understand a vast range of theoretical approaches or typologies that can be applied in the event of change of management at Briardene Care Home. It is written with the notion to help the management to design a strategic approach with tools to meet the needs of Briardene care Home in work force planning. It also aims at ensuring that Briardene Care Home maintains or increases its rating by meeting the required standards of delivery of nursing care as required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Change of Management at Briardene Care Home" essay for you Create order Briardene Care Home Briardene Care Home is a privately owned nursing home belonging to the Executive Care Group. It is situated in Newbiggin on the western end of Newcastle Upon Tyne and has a maximum occupancy of 60 residences. Service users are normally people with dementia or elderly people needing nursing or residential care. It also accommodates people who need specialist care like those suffering from Alzheimer and most residences speak English apart from a few who are Polish. All rooms conform to the sizes required by the National care standards guidelines and at present employs 62 members of staff but number of staff employed normally varies as determined by the assessed needs of clients. Diagnosis There are several frameworks and theories which can be used as a tool for diagnosing business strategies but in this Study we shall focus on the Mckinsey 7s framework. Postma and Kok (1992) defines organisational diagnosis as a process of research into the organisations function in order to recommend ways in which it can improve. It is essential for organisations like Briardene care home to always consider their market position and constantly research their capabilities because of the way the health and social care industry is growing. Since the advent of the recession in 2008 a lot of companiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ specialising in Residential and Nursing care closed down and also new laws have were put into place to accommodate the higher life expectancy and revised retirement ages. This resulted in big and major companiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ to merge and absorb small companies which could not cope with both the new laws and the harsh economic conditions. Briardene Care Home has evolve d with the moving times and has managed to position itself to face any competition within the harsh conditions under its operational existence in the Executive Care group. Mckinseyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 7s Framework at Briardene Care Home. The McKinsey 7S Framework is a management model developed by well-known business consultants Waterman and Peters (who also developed the MBWAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  Management By Walking Around motif, and authored In Search of Excellence) in the 1980s.The model is most often used as a tool to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of an organisation. The model is based on the theory that for an organisation to perform well, the above seven elements need to be aligned and mutually reinforcing. The above 7S model can be used to help identify what needs to be realigned to improve performance or to maintain alignment (and performance) during other types of change. The 7S model is a good framework to help you ask the right questions but it does not give you all the answers. For that youll need to bring together the right knowledge, skills and experience. The Mckinsey framework is the management tool designed to facilitate the process of strategy implementation within the co ntext of organisational change. Successful implementation of strategy requires management of the interrelationships between seven elements. 4.1Shared Values Briardene Nursing home has operated as a nursing care home for the past 20 years. From the time of its inception till to date it has evolved in a lot of ways in order to reduce its running and administrative costs whilst maintaining excellent standards and being able to meet customer needs. It has also evolved in line with technological changes and has also faced the harsh conditions of a Care market which has been stagnant in the past decade. In the past few years it has been restructured to cater into account the population needs of the country, the lower level of sponsorship and diminishing pensions and benefits for pensioners because of the rise in life expectancy and the increase they have managed maintaining high standards despite the changes in economic climate. Maslow motivation theory believed that individuals exp erience a range of needs and will be motivated to fulfil which ever need is most powerful, self-actualisation, esteem, belongingness and love, safety and physiological .(Maslow 1970 cited in Boddy1998). 4.2Systems: Briardene Care Home has formal processes and operational procedures in place to manage the day to day running of the home. Emphasis is always placed on policies and techniques that aim to improve employee morale and job satisfaction so as to increase the employee efficiency and reduce unrest, there is need to focus on productivity, efficiency and promoting understanding between employees and clients. Management and staff understand structural development in terms of growth of the care home and also in line with adjustments pertaining to development of premises and the work and stress which they are associated with. Although there are all these procedures and policies in place there is lack of measurement for operations for example lack of accountability and no measu re of productivity. 4.3Styles Organisational structure of Briardene is a functional structure, each group knowing its structured roles, responsibilities and having a team leader within the group who coordinates with the lead manager. Although this programme is ideal for Briardene problems normally arise. Functional approach can be efficient as people with common expertise work together sharing and seeing a professional career path. The major difficulty with this line of professionalism growth is that it may be a source of conflict (Nauta and Saunders, 2000) if the separate function develop different perceptions of the organisational goals and compete for posts. The structure of an organisation is described as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the sum total of ways in which it divides labour into distinct tasks and then achieves coordination among themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (Mintzberg 1979 cited in Boddy1998). It means span of control at Briardene is narrow, meaning staff are closely supervised. It p rovides a framework for operational planning meaning increase in effectiveness. The manager at Briardene as the leader coordinates the day to day running of the home and is the single source of authority which suggests that the leadership style is of an authoritarian nature. Employees do not got have much influence on any changes to the Nursing home and are told what to do .Dundon and Rollinson (2011) argue that the authoritarian organisations often have poor communication skills there is less contact between employees and the top managers. Kotter(1998) suggests leadership has to be multiplied and shared if for change to be successful . 4.4Staff A performance driven culture has always been the hallmark of Briardeneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s atmosphere. The Management at the care home have a tendency of recruiting families or relatives of staff members. This has led to confusions on the delegation of duties and how employees may relate to each other at work because of family ties. The re is need to ensure that the line of delegation and how staff should treat each other is clarified and effected. Staff should understand the code of practise and should be able to do their jobs without any interference from other people. The work place should be kept exciting and staff should be encouraged to attend both in house training and external courses so that they can improve their work. New employees should be made to feel at home and the induction period should be extended to ensure that staff understands their jobs and that they gain the confidence which is necessary to get the best out of their potential. Briardene care home should educate its staff on the standards it expects from the employees and should also carry out regular feedbacks with clients and their families to ensure that their needs are met. In order to improve and negate above conditions the Management holds monthly staff meetings where staff are given the opportunity to raise issues of concern and areas where they want management to improve and make a safe and beneficial work environment in order to achieve set goals. 4.5Skills Briardene is an organisation in the social care industry which has structured policies and procedures in place that details staff roles, their responsibilities, their limitations and boundaries and clearly outlines as required by codes of practice set out in the Care Standard Act 2000. Management at Briardene makes sure all staff on commencement of employment are made aware of their responsibility. Briardene has a multi skilled team which contributes differently towards achieving the set goals. It relies on training and educating its employees to ensure that the Nursing home runs efficiently and functions properly. They also highlight that it is individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s responsibility as professionals to maintain and develop as a practitioner throughout to ensure that they retain the capacity to practice safely, effectively and legally within the evolvi ng scope of practice. The Chartered institute for personnel and Development (CIPD) emphasises the individual responsibility professionals must take for their on-going development within their definition, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"a combination of approaches, ideas and techniques that will help you manage you own learning and growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (CIPD, 2008). 4.6Strategy Briardene in their day to day running of the care home have adopted a range of organisation strategies while upholding standards despite the changes in economic climate. The strategies the care home has adopted provides management team at Briardene a framework for operational planning, thereby increasing organisational effectiveness and giving them clarity on the direction of organisational activities resulting in personal employee satisfaction and improve their understanding of the rapid changing environment in the Health care industry which they operate. Research has revealed that organisations that engage in strat egic management generally outperform those that do not. Wheelen and Hunger( 2005 ) states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"an organisation will perform to a high standard when there is a matching correlation between the organisational environment and the strategy, structure and processes of that organisationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Strategy provides structure as to Briardene in the health care high standard when there is a matching correlation between the organisational environment and the strategy, structure and processes of that organisationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Strategy also provides structure the health care industry in terms of the consumer which is the clients and geographical sense. The following are the organisational strategies in place at Briardene 4.7Structure The organisational structure at Briardene is of functional structure its tall meaning showing that the span of control is narrow, meaning staff are closely supervised in tall structure there is poor communication between clients and t heir families and manager clients feedback gets to the manager through the employees meaning information can be distorted or misinterpreted. Management takes place within a structured organisational setting with prescribed roles. It is directed towards the achievement of aims and objectives through influencing the efforts of others. Classical theorist Taylor, Fayol was concerned with the structure and mechanics of the organisation while human relations understandably is concerned with the human factors like motivation, group motivation, leadership. Briardene Care home has adopted and applied well the Human relations management approach in the day to day running of the care home thus providing care services to the clients and their welfare. Organisation management is an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“advance in industrial and organisational psychology and in organisational behaviour, whose general meaning was that when people are being observed by researchers, they temporarily change their behaviou r or performanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  this became known as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Hawthorne effectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (Boddy,1998). Change in Management Model. We are living in the world where business as usual has evolved in a lot of ways. The harsh economic climates have forced a lot of changes. Companies have merged and companies have been taken over. Companies have been acquired and companies have also changed the way they operate in order to compete with other companies or to adjust to changing laws. Several factors such as new initiatives, project-based working, technology improvements and staying ahead of the competition to name but a few factors have necessitated change and the way companies work. Whether one is considering a small change to one or two processes, or a system wide change to an organisation, its common to feel uneasy and intimidated by the scale of the challenge. Because of the inevitable changing characteristics of the business environment, organisations need to find creative and adaptive ways to successfully manage change to maintain a strong business position in the Health and Social care industry. The decision t o adopt change is often to improve operation performance or reduce cost associated with doing business. Dawson (2009) explains that change is important to organisations as they help improve performance and productivity. However, it is also necessary to recognize that there are different types and levels in order to properly implement change. The duty of organisations is to identify the need for change, involve all affected stakeholders and manage such change effectively to keep the organisation dynamic. Andriopoulos and Dawson (2009) explain that organisational change is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"new ways of organizing and workingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. They explain that change occur in two dimensions movement of state and scope of change. For the organisation to be able to effectively change its practices and communicate properly it should consider reducing its layers and become flat structured. This allows a few people to take control of the change process and to absorb elements that can be crit ical towards the whole process. 1

Article 92 - Why A Casino Portal Can Be A Gamblers Best...

Article 92 - Why a casino portal can be a gambler’s best friend Back in the day, anyone who wanted to find a noteworthy casino bonus had to put in some serious legwork. Hour upon hour of research would be needed to not just find an appropriate casino bonus, but to even see what’s out there. Ask any gambler who did such back in the early 2000s about this and they’ll tell you that such process was an almighty grind. As time progressed the process of locating a casino bonus moved on and thankfully casino portals were invented. These â€Å"portals† pooled information in ways that hadn’t ever been seen before. Are you eyeing up a new online casino? Are you wondering if the casino bonus being offered is up to muster? Then a casino portal can help.†¦show more content†¦Through a casino portal you won’t need to search every corner if the Internet to find out what bonuses are on offer and where a casino ranks amongst the competition. In many ways they are a one-stop shop for all online casino reviews, news, stat istics, and information. Two key features found within casino portals are comparison reviews and comparison tables. Through both these features you can cut through all the marketing material and see the true facts. Rank casino features against each other and rank bonuses against each other in order to find the very best casino for you. Simply put, casino portals provide a goldmine of information that you may not otherwise be able to see if it weren’t for someone else undertaking the research. There is absolutely no doubt that casino portals can be of great use to both novice and experienced players, but as a medium they aren’t perfect. In many cases casino portals are still run by hobbyists and online gambling enthusiasts, which means they are limited in terms of manpower. This also means that the newswire and product reviews may at times not be up to date. New games and more specifically new casinos are being launched regularly and in some cases some online casino portals can’t keep up. You must also remember that whatever you read on a casino portal is subjective. Ever evolving and ever changing, the online casino world

Related Literature-Inventory System Free Essays

Inventory control systems maintain information about activities within firms that ensure the delivery of products to customers. The subsystems that perform these functions include sales, manufacturing, warehousing, ordering, and receiving. In different firms the activities associated with each of these areas may not be strictly contained within separate subsystems, but these functions must be performed in sequence in order to have a well-run inventory control system. We will write a custom essay sample on Related Literature-Inventory System or any similar topic only for you Order Now In today’s business environment, even small and mid-sized businesses have come to rely on computerized inventory management systems. Certainly, there are plenty of small retail outlets, manufacturers, and other businesses that continue to rely on manual means of inventory tracking. Indeed, for some small businesses, like convenience stores, shoe stores, or nurseries, purchase of an electronic inventory tracking system might constitute a wasteful use of financial resources. But for other firms operating in industries that feature high volume turnover of raw materials and/or finished products, computerized tracking systems have emerged as a key component of business strategies aimed at increasing productivity and maintaining competitiveness. Moreover, the recent development of powerful computer programs capable of addressing a wide variety of record keeping needs—including inventory management—in one integrated system have also contributed to the growing popularity of electronic inventory control options.Given such developments, it is little wonder that business experts commonly cite inventory management as a vital element that can spell the difference between success and failure in today’s keenly competitive business world. Writing inProduction and Inventory Management Journal,Godwin Udo described telecommunications technology as a critical organizational asset that can help a company realize important competitive gains in the area of inventory management.He noted that companies that make good use of this technology are far better equipped to succeed than those who rely on outdated or unwieldy methods of inventory control. 1 COMPUTERS AND INVENTORY Automation can dramatically impact all phases of inventory management, including counting and monitoring of inventory items; recording and retrieval of item storage location; recording changes to inventory; and anticipating inventory needs, including inventory handling requirements.This is true even of stand-alone systems that are not integrated with other areas of the business, but many analysts indicate that productivity—and hence profitability—gains that are garnered through use of automated systems can be increased even more when a business integrates its inventory control systems with other systems such as accounting and sales to better control inventory levels. As Dennis Eskow noted inPC Week,business executives are â€Å"increasingly integrating financial data, such as accounts receivable, with sales information that includes customer histories.The goal: to control inventory quarter to quarter, so it doesn’t come back to bite the bottom line. Key components of an integrated system †¦ are general ledger, electronic data interchange, database connectivity, and connections to a range of vertical business applications. † THE FUTURE OF INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEMS In the latter part of the 1990s, many businesses invested heavily in integrated order and inventory systems designed to keep inventories at a minimum and replenish stock quickly.But business owners have a variety of system integration options from which to choose, based on their needs and financial liquidity. At the same time that these integrated systems have increased in popularity, business observers have suggested that â€Å"stand-alone† systems are falling into disfavor. A 1996 study by the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA), for example, concluded that stand alone Warehouse Management System (WMS) packages acquired to perform individual functions will soon become obsolete because they do not integrate well with other systems. Another development of which small business vendors should be aware is a recent trend wherein powerful retailers ask their suppliers to implement vendor-managed inventory systems. These arrangements place the responsibility for inventory management squarely on the shoulders of the vendors. Under such an agreement, the vendors obtain warehouse or point of sale information from the retailer and use that information to make inventory restocking decisions. 2 WAREHOUSE LAYOUT AND OPERATIONThe move toward automation in inventory management naturally has moved into the warehouse as well. Citing various warehousing experts, Sarah Bergin contended inTransportation and Distributionmagazine that â€Å"the key to getting productivity gains from inventory management †¦ is placing real-time intelligent information processing in the warehouse. This empowers employees to take actions that achieve immediate results. Real-time processing in the warehouse uses combinations of hardware including m aterial handling and data collection technologies. But according to these executives, the intelligent part of the system is sophisticated software which automates and controls all aspects of warehouse operations. † Another important component of good inventory management is creation and maintenance of a sensible, effective warehousing design. A well-organized, user-friendly warehouse layout can be of enormous benefit to small business owners, especially if they are involved in processing large volumes of goods and materials. Conversely, an inefficient warehouse system can cost businesses dearly in terms of efficiency, customer service, and, ultimately, profitability.Transportation and Distributionmagazine cited several steps that businesses utilizing warehouse storage systems can take to help ensure that they get the most out of their facilities. It recommended that companies utilize the following tools: Stock locator database—†The stock locator database required for proactive decision making will be an adjunct of the inventory file in a state-of-the-art space management system. A running record will be maintained of the stock number, lot number, and number of pallet loads in each storage location. Grid coordinates of the reserve area, including individual rack tier positions, must therefore be established, and the pallet load capacity of all storage locations must be incorporated into the database. † Grid coordinate numbering system—Warehouse numbering system should be developed in conjunction with the storage layout, and should be user-friendly so that workers can quickly locate currently stocked items and open storage spaces alike. Communication systems—Again, this can be a valuable investment if the business’s warehouse requirements are significant.Such facilities often utilize fork lift machinery that can be used more effectively if their operators are not required to periodically return to a central assignment area. Current technology makes it possible for the warehouse computer system to interact with terminal displays or other communications devices on the fork lifts themselves. â€Å"Task assignment can then be made by visual display or prin tout, and task completion can be confirmed by scanning, keyboard entry, or voice recognition, † observedTransportation and Distribution.Maximization of storage capacity—Warehouses that adhere to rigid â€Å"storage by incoming lot size† storage arrangements do not always make the best use of their space. Instead, businesses should settle on a strategy that eases traffic congestion and best eases problems associated with ongoing turnover in inventory. Some companies choose to outsource their warehouse functions. â€Å"This allows a company that isn’t as confident in running their own warehousing operations to concentrate on their core business and let the experts worry about keeping track of their inventory, † wrote Bergin.Third-party inventory control operations can provides companies with an array of valuable information, including analysis of products and spare parts, evaluations of their time sensitivity, and information on vendors. Of course, businesses weighing whether to outsource such a key component of their operation need to consider the expense of such a course of action, as well as their feelings about relinquishing that level of control.Read more:Inventory Control Systems – cost, Computers and inventory, Warehouse layout and operationhttp://www. refe renceforbusiness. com/small/Inc-Mail/Inventory-Control-Systems. html#ixzz19yNe0cgT How to cite Related Literature-Inventory System, Papers

Duties Of Auditor

Questions: 1. Would King Queen be liable to EFL? Provide Specific Case References to support your Answer. 2.Would your answer change if EFL had written to King Queen advising you that they intended to make a loan to Impulse and were relying on the 2012 audited Financial Report to assist them in making their Decision? 3.Define Actual and Perceived Independence, and Explain the importance of each. 4.For each of the above Independent situations list any Professional Standards and Regulatory Requirements Breached and Discuss possible Alternative Courses of Action the Auditor should have taken in order to properly discharge their Professional Responsibilities. Answers: 1.An auditors report is for those who are outsiders to the company such as financiers, creditors and such other suppliers. Therefore it is their duty to ensure that the audit report contains all the material facts stated in detail i.e. it should reveal the true and fair view of the said report. The present case study clearly states that the auditors of Impulse Pty. Ltd are liable to EFL for the losses they have suffered due to the loan they extended to the company basis the audit report. As on 30 June 2012, i.e. the audit period it was evident that the conduct of the company was not well and that it was suffering from liquidity crisis. Further the auditors also did not find it necessary to conduct an additional audit of the various assets or get it conducted by an expert as per ASA 240 (Auditing and Assurance Standard Board. 2013). They ended up giving a report which was unqualified free from all material misstatements. A financier will always trust the work of an auditor as he is ex pected to perform his duties with integrity and honesty. They gain confidence over the performance of an organization basis the audit report and thus they are expected to disclose all the important data relevant for the users and other decision makers. The auditing standards i.e. ASA 200 also defines the fact that independence in the conduct of an audit assignment is the key to a fair work (Auditing and Assurance Standard Board. 2009). An auditor is expected to do periodic valuation of the assets of the firm so that the balance sheet portray a true picture of the asset liability position of the company. Transparency is another key factor which the auditors should pay attention to as it is their professional duty to perform their work keeping in mind all the assurance standards and the requirements of the profession. As is rightly stated in Pacific Acceptance Corporation Ltd v Forsyth (1970), an auditor is a professional who is expected to perform his duties with care and due diligence without any kind of undue influence. Professional scepticism is what is expected out of all auditors i.e. if they have any hint with regards the performance of the company deteriorating, they should extend their scope of audit and give an opinion which is in the best interest of the investors and such other users of the financial statements. However the level of scrutiny will vary from company to company and in the said scenario the auditors performed their duties against professional standards. Therefore since EFL had extended working capital loan to Impulse Pty. Ltd basis the audit report, thus their claim against the auditors is not incorrect and they are equally liable to EFL for the losses they have incurred. 2.An auditor has immense authorities basis which they can easily detect frauds that the management is doing. As a professional they are expected to perform their work with independence without any undue influence. The said case study clearly shows that the loss incurred by EFL was due to a failure on the part of the auditor to conduct their duties professionally (Patel, 2014). Even though they were aware of the current scenario of Impulse Pty Ltd. yet they did not propose to conduct further investigations into the asset valuations of the organization. Unethical practice and lack of independence is what is proved by the conduct of King and Queen in this case study. Even if EFL had asked the auditors prior to extending loan to the company and even after the same they remained quite then also in such a situation the auditors would be liable for the losses suffered by EFL. Had they disclosed the actual position of the company even at that time , then they would have been saved from being liable to the losses, simply because then the financiers would have extended loan basis the actual scenario. However although the said scenario frees the auditors from the current litigation but it does not free him from the litigation brought in by other users of the accounting statements since they are still unaware of the facts. 3.Actual Independence: When the auditors do not have any material interest in the financials of the organization they are auditing, then it is described as a situation of actual independence. Thus real independence means that when an auditor is performing his tasks then he is maintaining the highest possible degree of honesty and professionalism. This kind of independence emphasises upon the state of mind of the auditor who is perfuming the task in the actual scenario. Its importance cannot be ignored as it confirms that the audit is conducted with full vigour and truth (CPA Australia, 2013). There is no interference of the client and the opinion stated is in the best interest of the various users of the audit report. Perceived Independence: A situation where the auditor tries to pretend to be independent is defined as perceived independence. Many a times an auditor is seen to be standing on the crossroads where one way leads to a negotiation with the audit client and the other leads to giving an independent view without any undue influences. When such a scenario arrives then the auditor is said to take a decision which is free from prejudices even though he is in a state of bargaining. The importance of perceived importance is that it helps the auditor to perform his task tactfully wherein the main motive of the profession i.e integrity, objectivity and honesty is not defeated( Dwyer, 2015). Thus pretending to be an independent auditor is equally important as is being one in the actual sense. 4.As per Section 140.1 of the APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, the principle of confidentiality states that the confidential data obtained of an organization whose accounts are being audited cannot be used for fulfilling any personal work such as completion of an assignment of university. However Section 140.7 states that disclosure of such information is permissible only if consent from the client is taken and it is permissible under relevant laws as well (APESB 2010) In the said situation Bob was auditing the accounts of Club Casino and came across data which would be relevant in his university assignment and therefore uses the same after carefully removing all the references about the company so as to maintain confidentiality. However the same is in contradiction to the relevant sections. He should have taken a written concurrence from the authorities of the company before using the data as per former Rule 301 and preferably the permission should have been in writing as per Rule 391. Thus if he takes permission then he can use the said data of Club Casino for his personal use. A company secretary is an officer of a company and as per Section 324 of the Corporations Act 2001, an auditor cannot be appointed for performing dual role of an auditor as well as a company secretary (Corporations Act 2001). For becoming the company secretary, the auditor will have to resign from his post as an auditor first before accepting the said engagement as it is against the professional criteria of independence. In the said scenario Wendy can be appointed as a company secretary for a period of six months only if he first resigns from his present post as an auditor. The main crux of an audit is independence, but in the present case the same is not in line with the said concept of independence. As per Section 290.115 of the APES 110, members of an audit team are required to determine whether a self interest is existing in the present engagement with an audit client (APESB 2010). Such an interest may be when the member who is sent to audit the accounts of the client has an employee who is related to the auditor. In the present case also Leo who was being sent to conduct the audit of he internal control of the cash system of Precision Machinery Limited is in contradiction to the theory of independence of an auditor as his father is a factory foreman there. Since such an appointment is not in line with the regulatory requirements thus such an engagement is not done appropriately. Further if the same is to be done by Leo only then a former permission of the same has to be taken from the client and the work of Leo has to be revisited and checked again by another auditor or his supervisor thoroughly so that the independence in conduct of the job does not get defeated. In the said circumstances the auditors who have still not received audit fees should not have threatened to resign, instead should have delayed the audit as there could be a chance that the client accepts such a resignation and the audit fees becomes a bad debt. However in the said case the client offers the auditor new furniture which totals to only 50 percent of the total audit fees and the auditors agree to set off the same with the entire amount. The same is also incorrect. They should set off 50 percent against the furniture and take the balance in cash from them. Further to this 25 percent shareholding is offered to a member of an unrelated listed entity should be accepted only after informing the other members of the audit firm and obtaining their due consent(Luttrull, 2012). If the same is not informed then it would take the shape of bribery in settlement of 50 percent against the total audit fees. References Luttrull, E.G., (2012), Rules for a CPA on Accepting Gifts From a client, Available at https://www.ehow.com/info_12010461_rules-cpa-accepting-gifts-client.html (Accessed on 09th December 2016) Auditing and Assurance Standard Board. (2009). Auditing standards ASA 200 Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor and the Conduct of an Audit in Accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Available at https://www.auasb.gov.au/admin/file/content102/c3/asa_200_27-10-09.pdf (Accessed 14th December 2016) Auditing and Assurance Standard Board. (2013). Auditing Standard ASA 240 The Auditors Responsibilities Relating to Fraud in an Audit of a Financial Report, Available at https://www.auasb.gov.au/admin/file/content102/c3/Nov13_Compiled_Auditing_Standard_ASA_240.pdf (Accessed 14th December 2016) Patel, Y., (2014), A Review on Role of Auditor in Corporate Governance The Auditors Perspective, International Journal of Management and Business Studies, vol.4, no. 4 CPA Australia Ltd., (2013), Independence Guide, Available at https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/~/media/corporate/allfiles/document/professional-resources/auditing-assurance/independence-guide.pdf?la=en (Accessed 09th December 2016) Dwyer, R.J., (2015), Perception or Reality : Auditor Independence and Objectivity, Available at https://thegaap.net/perception-or-reality-auditor-independence-and-objectivity-in-the-accountability-process/ (Accessed 14th December 2016) In the said scenario Wendy can be appointed as a company secretary for a period of six months only if he first resigns from his present post as an auditor.

Everywhere In The World Was Heard The Sound Of Things Essays

"Everywhere in the world was heard the sound of things breaking." Advanced European societies could not support long wars or so many thought prior to World War I. They were right in a way. The societies could not support a long war unchanged. The First World War left no aspect of European civilization untouched as pre-war governments were transformed to fight total war. The war metamorphed Europe socially, politicaly, economically, and intellectualy. European countries channeled all of their resources into total war which resulted in enormous social change. The result of working together for a common goal seemed to be unifying European societies. Death knocked down all barriers between people. All belligerents had enacted some form of a selective service which levelled classes in many ways. Wartime scarcities made luxury an impossibility and unfavorable. Reflecting this, clothing became uniform and utilitarian. Europeans would never again dress in fancy, elaborate costumes. Uniforms led the way in clothing change. The bright blue-and-red prewar French infantry uniforms had been changed after the first few months of the war, since they made whoever wore them into excellent targets for machine guns. Women's skirts rose above the ankle permanently and women became more of a part of society than ever. They undertook a variety of jobs previously held by men. They were now a part of clerical, secretarial work, and teaching. They were also more widely employed in industrial jobs. By 1918, 37.6 percent of the work force in the Krupp armaments firm in Germany was female. In England the proportion of women works rose strikingly in public transport (for example, from 18,000 to 117,000 bus conductors), banking (9,500 to 63,700), and commerce (505,000 to 934,000). Many restrictions on women disappeared during the war. It became acceptable for young, employed, single middle-class women to have their own apartments, to go out without chaperones, and to smoke in public. It was only a matter of time before women received the right to vote in many belligerent countries. Strong forces were shaping the power and legal status of labor unions, too. The right of workers to organize was relatively new, about half a century. Employers fought to keep union organizers out of their plants and armed force was often used against striking workers. The universal rallying of workers towards their flag at the beginning of the war led to wider acceptance of unions. It was more of a bureaucratic route than a parliamentary route that integrated organized labor into government, however. A long war was not possible without complete cooperation of the workers with respect to putting in longers hours and increasing productivity. Strike activity had reached its highest levels in history just before the war. There had been over 1,500 diffent work stoppages in France and 3,000 in Germany during 1910. More than a million British workers stopped at one time or another in 1912. In Britain, France, and Germany, deals were struck between unions and government to eliminate strikes and less favorable work conditions in exchange for immediate integration into the government process. This integration was at the cost of having to act more as managers of labor than as the voice of the labor. Suddenly, the strikes stopped during the first year of the war. Soon the enthusiasm died down, though. The revival of strike activity in 1916 shows that the social peace was already wearing thin. Work stoppages and the number of people on strike in France quadrupled in 1916 compared to 1915. In Germany, in May 1916, 50,000 Berlin works held a three-day walkout to protest the arrest of the pacifist Karl Liebknecht. By the end of the war most had rejected the government offer of being integrated in the beaurocracy, but not without playing an important public role and gaining some advantages such as collective bargaining. The war may have had a leveling effect in many ways, but it also sharpened some social differences and conflicts. Soldiers were revolting just like workers: They [soldiers] were no longer willing to sacrifice their lives when shirkers at home were earning all the money, tkaing, the women around in cars, cornering all the best jobs, and while so many profiteers were waxing rich. The draft was not completely fair since ot all men were sent to the trenches. Skilled workers were more important to industry and some could secure safe assignments at home. Unskilled young males and junior officers paid with their lives the most. The generation conflict was also widened by the war as Veterens' disillusionment fed off of anger towards the older generation for sending them to the trenches.. Governments took on

Th Symbolic Relationship between the Media and the Police The WritePass Journal

Th Symbolic Relationship between the Media and the Police Th Symbolic Relationship between the Media and the Police Introduction The following essay will examine the symbiotic relationship between the British police force and the British media. Over the years the relationship between the police and the media has progressed and as a result this essay will examine the following areas, the representation of both the police and the media including their symbiotic relationship. By examining the public perception of both parties the essay will highlight how public perception has changed over the years and the impact it has had as a consequence. Important areas to be defined would be the representations of the media and police within today’s society. Media can include numerous services which distribute information to provide the general public with an understanding of social values and changes within their communities and society as a whole. (Howitt, D.1998) The media has various outputs which include newspapers, television whether it be fact or fictional, radio and in addition the world-wide web. The primary aim of the media is to keep the public informed and influence the way that they accept and perceive changes within society. (Jewkes,Y. 2011) In Britain today we are absorbed by the portrayal of crime and deviance within our society. However, the attraction may leave an undesired effect on how lives are influenced by the media and alter perceptions of law enforcement and heighten the fear of crime. Stan Cohen coined the phrase ‘folk devils’ during the 1960s and 70s. He used the phrase to describe groups of individuals deemed to be a danger or nuisance to society. Misrepresentation by the media could conceivably create ‘moral panics’ within society due to the fact that individuals interpret information differently. Moral panics within society have been created by the media through labelling individuals and intensifying the specific societal issue. Through glamourizing crime it has been suggested that the media conveys information in an exaggerated and dramatized way. From a Marxist perspective the media would focus on individuals that threaten the power of the rich and the influential within societ y. (Jewkes,Y. 2011) Criminal behaviour is focused upon and portrayed as an act that would be committed from those from a middle class background. Therefore, the media are stereotyping who the public should perceive as a criminal. Post-modernists perceive the crime coverage by the media as no more than a spectacle display for the general public to witness and to be influenced by the media’s views. (Jewkes,Y. 2011:282) The police within today’s society have taken on the role of peace keeping through the act of discretion and by carrying out a negotiation process. Working proactively in conjunction with local communities the police are continuously trying to reinforce their presence and form associations with communities on an informal basis. By trying to build community policing within specific areas the police are helping to manage and educate individuals within those communities on crime and the impact it has on their local community. (Grieve,J. et al 2007) So what exactly do the police and the media do within our society as a whole? Britain’s media is theoretically existent to provide the general public with information that concerns their safety and wellbeing within society. The media may also assist individuals to make informed, knowledgeable decisions on issues that affect them directly or their local communities. The media is also responsible for providing the general public with crucial information regarding government legislation and the criminal justice system. What this endeavours to highlight is the fact that the involvement of the media is also used by the government to publicize the politician’s achievements on crime within communities to their advantage.   (Howitt, D. 1998) According to Jewkes 2011, society is no longer about class or social stature within our economy but what it does highlight are those individuals most vulnerable to media influences. It is not all about pluralism where it may be suggested that everyone’s thoughts or opinions are taken into consideration and equally represented once the information has been interpreted. These decisions are realized by individuals creating informed personal choices. The growth of the mass media and the sources readily available on the internet has made the availability of media coverage widely accessible to those from all varying social backgrounds.   (Jewkes,Y. 2011:24) Factual reporting of crime within society is often sensationalised and carefully selected by the media as to what they deem as newsworthy to aid the dramatization for the general public. The public’s interest on how crime is reported and the content of those reports influence what we both see and read in terms of media representation. Through displaying an interest in a particular area of crime the public feed this interest to the media who in return, focus on similar crimes.   (Howitt, D. 1998) Just how the media represent crime can be influential over public perceptions and their understanding of media news reports. By educating positively on the ideology of crime, and by having this knowledge, it could be used in a progressive way to assist and implement changes on how crime and punishment are dealt with within society. Media influences can go two ways, negatively or positively. Unfortunately in today’s society we have individuals who are easily influenced and take what the media says as true to its word. The misinterpretation of reports and the lack of knowledge and understanding can have a negative impact on what the individual thinks about crime and how they perceive the policing of criminals. According to Howitt 1998 ‘there is plenty of evidence that the media create dichotomies of good and evil. This applies to a range of criminal activities which, without media reinforcement, might not have resulted in such a negative response from the public.’ (Howitt, D. 1998) The media and the police have always been seen to have had an uneasy and complex relationship. According to Robert Reiner, ‘it captures the mutual dependence and reciprocal reinforcement that underlies a relationship frequently characterised by bickering and tension.’ (Cited in Newburn,T. 2003:259) Radical and liberal analyses have suggested that media representation creates unrealistic public fears by over reporting and exaggerating specific crimes. As a result of this reporting public support for policing and social laws are called into question by the general public. This can create unlawful forms of policing and vigilantism. (Reiner, R. 2003) The way in which the media portray the police can often affect the public’s perceptions on policing and how they manage law and order within society. The portrayal of policing by the media can challenge and contest the actions of the police. By challenging the police it is bringing their accountability into question. (Grieve. J, et al 2007:35) According to Jones Newburn 1998, policing is defined as ‘those organised forms of order-maintenance, peacekeeping, rule or law enforcement and other forms of investigation and information-brokering which may involve a conscious exercise of coercive power.’ (Cited in Grieve, J. et al 2007:20) We’ve seen on many occasions how media reports and investigative journalism have actually helped police in their work. These are occasions when the media can help to create encouraging images of policing today. (Grieve. J, et al 2007) For example, in the case of missing children media coverage is used to help encourage witnesses to come forward from the public. Scotland Yard was the first police department to establish a media press office in 1919. (Grieve. J, et al 2007) In 1970 commissioner Sir Robert Mark of New Scotland Yard introduced and ‘open door’ policy in regards to the media and the exchange of information. Marks main aim was to put an end to the corruption and publication of ‘exclusive’ crime stories. Mark believed that the public had a right to know what was going on in their communities. However, this has led to limited information being handed over by the police at their discretion and the media being fed information when and if seen as appropriate. (Chester, S. 2010) In the 1970s media relationships with the police were simpler than what they have developed into in today’s society. By building relationships with the local police departments media journalists would basically call their connection at the police department and ask for various information. Functioning in this way prevented the need to go through official channels to gather the information required. Front line police officers regarded the media at this time as interfering, suspicious and a public nuisance. In relation to media training for the police there was very little to advise officers as to how to respond or conduct themselves in the course of a press conference. (Trotter, A. 2010) Over the years there has been an increase in awareness and training for police officers on how to deal with media situations. There are strategies in place along with professional police media staff to take control and manage serious crimes or incidents. The relationship between the media and the police is far becoming more complex than ever before. Their symbiotic relationship is still essential to enable the public to be kept up to date with crime stories but, this is kept within limitation. By using the police department for crime stories to print the media are using the police to help sell newspapers, gain TV audiences and other accessible public news sources which highlights the mutual reliance they have for each other. Through providing the media with limited information the police department are still keeping the general public up to date with crimes in their areas and public safety. When there is a serious crime incident the police will monitor and limit the information the media are given to prevent damage to the investigation or those directly involved. The fact that this information has been given does not prevent the media from misrepresenting the facts. As citied by Yvonne Jewkes 2011:156 ‘the fact that the readers of popular newspapers (that is, those that report crime in a sensationalized and salient fashion) have the highest levels of fear of crime may simply reflect their actual risk of victimization.’ Many researchers suggest that a negative image of the police is portrayed by the use of fictional TV programmes. Through their portrayal the police are either made to look like crime fighting heroes or ineffective and incompetent. For the public to have a positive attitude towards the police they need to feel safe from the effectiveness of their crime fighting strategies and their implementation of punitive measures. (Surette, R. 1998) An incident which occurred in July 2010 was questioned by David Hayward the director of the BBC College of Journalism as to whether the police and the media used appropriate coverage in regards to the shooting of Raoul Moat in Northumberland. The incident began on the 3rd July 2010 when Raoul Moat who had recently been released from prison shot his girlfriend and killed her new boyfriend. He later shot and severely injured a local police officer. Moat avoided the police and went on the run for almost a week. He later shot himself after a long stand-off with police officers all of which was broadcast live by the media to TV audience’s. The media coverage on Raoul Moat was extensive and gained international media interest. As the incident progressed and the whereabouts of Moat became known, Moats final moments were covered by live media coverage. This has since led to many questions being raised in regards to the coverage of live incidents within communities and the behaviour of the media. An important area that was examined was the relationship between the media and the police and how it could be improved for future reference. What this highlights however, is the need for concise and the clearer exchange of important information to maintain public safety and knowledge in any given situation. It is also important to realise the consequences of media coverage and the affects it can have on public audiences and also family members witnessing these incidents first hand. (Hayward, D. 2010) The general public’s perception of the police and the media varies according to what they have read and seen from media coverage, whether it be a newspaper or on TV. Perception of both the police and the media may also be influenced by an individual’s social background within society. Different age groups have varying perceptions of what they believe the role of the police should be and how the media have influenced their overall perception of their fear of crime. According to a home office report written in 1998 young people aged between 14-25 years believe there is a distinct absence of communication and knowledge with the police which has led to a lack of respect. The socio-economic group aged between 25-40 years believe that the police have shown a lack of concern for their fears and also when it comes to a response to a specific incident. It has highlighted that older adults aged from the age of 40/45 have a respect and a favourable perception of the police as they feel that they do their best whenever possible although there is still room for improvement. (Bradley, R. 1998). The majority of research that has been carried out regarding the effects of the media is done so from a positive psychological perspective. This also brought to the forefront the continual debate regarding the causal relationship between the media representation and criminal behaviour. (Reiner, R. 2003) According to Jason Ditton 2005, when considering the perceptions of the public and their perceptions on crime there are three main dimensions to take into consideration. Firstly, the public’s belief in crime or specific kinds of crime committed. Secondly, the change in victim crime rates or the variation in the frequency of the crimes. Finally, have the public based their beliefs on local, regional, or a national crime rates and incidents? (Ditton, J. 2005) According to Jewkes, by creating false portrayals of crimes within society the media are choosing to manipulate public perceptions of crime. As a result this forms a basis for the implementation of labelling, prejudices and over-simplification of the true facts. (Jewkes,Y. 2011:155) The media are known to focus on certain types of crimes at certain periods in time, where society or the economy is in need of public support, the media increases the public’s interest which also delivers a financial gain for the media. (Jewkes,Y. 2011:59) After the Second World War the perception of the police force changed. A fictional TV portrayal of a British police force which typified the ‘Golden Age’ of police was aired and known as ‘Dixon of Dock Green.’ The community policeman reinforced the safety aspect within communities by portraying a community spirit by highlighting honesty and the fact that crime within society is punishable by law. Thus, allowing the audience to morally evaluate crime and the consequences involved. However, times change and so has individual’s perceptions. (Grieve. J, et al 2007) In conclusion it is fair to say that in today’s society the media plays an important role in relaying information and providing the general public with interpretations on crimes which our   society appear to want. Whether the public gather their information from factual or fictional aspects of the media there will always be limitations in regards to what is viewed or written. How the public interpret this information regardless of whether the media have shaped or had an influence on them will depend on the individual themselves. The more vulnerable they are, the more likely it is that the media will impact greatly on their perceptions within society. This can have an undesired effect on policing. How the public view the portrayal of crime and how the police are perceived to deal with crime issues may deem their effectiveness within their practice. The symbiotic relationship between the media and the police will continue as both need each other and depend on each other for information. Whether this information is then kept quiet or misrepresented is the issue for the media and the police to seriously think about. As both their actions in terms of public communication is having an impact on individuals whether rightly or wrongly. With increased technology developments and the freedom of information it has allowed the general public the access to information that was previously out of reach. In our society this now allows the main organisations such as the police force to be scrutinised by the public and calls into question the polices ability to control the news media. (Mawby, RC. 1999) However, further research would help determine whether the relationship between the police and the media plays an important part on individual’s views and attitudes towards crime within their society. References Grieve, J. Harfield, C. Macvean, A. 2007, Policing, Sage Publications Ltd, London Howitt, D. 1998. Crime the Media and the Law, John Wiley sons Ltd, Chichester Jewkes, Y. 2011.   Crime Media, Key approaches to criminology, 2nd edition, Sage Publications Ltd, London Mawby, R.C. 1999. Policing and Society, Visibility, transparency and police-media relations. Newburn, T. 2003. Handbook of Policing, Willan Publishing, Devon Surette, R. 1998. Media Crime Criminal Justice, Images and Realities, 2nd edition, Wadsworth Trotter, A. Media relations a new era, Policing Today, March 2010, 16(1), pp.37-39 Chester, S. (2010). The news of the world special police relationship. Available online: theguardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/06/news-of-the-world-special-police-relationship Last accessed 28th Feb 2011 Hayward, D. (2010). Was Raoul moats death a public execution was the media proportionate. Available online: journalism.co.uk/news-commentary/-039-was-raoul-moat-039-s-death-a-public-execution-was-the-media-proportionate039-/56/a539715 Last accessed 24th Feb 2011 Reiner, R.   (2002). The representation of crime in the mass media. Media made criminality Available online: sociology.org.uk/as4mm4b.pdf Last accessed March 8th 2011 Bradley, R. (1998). Public expectations and perceptions of Policing Available online: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/fprs96.pdf Last accessed March 2nd 2011

Country study (China) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Mary Barnett case - Essay Example While analyzing the testimony of Caroline Hospers, it may consider that Mary Barnett was a frequent drinker and she was not a fit mother. It is also identified that Barnett lives without a husband and she had wild parties in her apartment. However, Hospers’ testimony that Barnett had gone to California ‘just to party and have a good time’ is her speculation only (Chaffee, â€Å"thinking critically†). This statement clearly indicates that Hospers’ is not in good touch with Barnett, and therefore her testimony might be biased. Therefore, Hospers’ claim that ‘the baby was not taken care of properly’ might also be a speculation. From the policeman’s testimony, it is pretty clear that Barnett was absolutely conscious of what she was going to do. She admitted to the policeman that she was aware of the fact that she was leaving her baby unattended in the apartment and she would not be coming back soon She also said that she had to get to California at all costs. Hence, it can be assumed that getting to California immediately was the first priority of Barnett and she decided to leave her baby in the apartment for a while. Although Barnett had visited her mother before she left the city, she did not try to ensure that her mother would look after little Alison. In the professional view of Dr. Parker, Barnett is competent to stand trial because her current depression and anxiety problems were induced by the guilt she feels for what she did. Dr. Parker undoubtedly states that Barnett ‘was mentally competent on January 23, when she left her child unattended’. There is no need to suspect the testimony of Dr. Parker because he is an experienced professional psychiatrist who has been involved in many judicial hearings to comment on the mental competency of the defendant. Alice Jones’ testimony reflects that Barnett had been suffering from many life difficulties since the birth of Alison. She adds that Barnett had increasingly depended on

Just search in internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Just search in internet - Essay Example His ideas are highly imaginative and call for a deep insight on the issues that are prevalent in the society due to negligence on the impacts of our actions that others face. His ideas are, hence, not for the good of an individual but for the society as a whole. His views incorporate the broader picture of the society by focusing on individualistic actions and reactions. He emphasizes on the concept of ethics in the society and moral justifications for every aspect of life and activities involved. This paper critically analyzes the concepts of Aristotle’s civic relationships in accordance with the contemporary ethical values as proposed and implemented by the practitioners in various fields. Civic relationships are constituted on a number of elements as proposed by Aristotle. The concept of civic virtue is one of the most important concepts in this regard. Civic virtue refers to promoting habits and activities of individuals which take the community’s good in view. Acco rding to Aristotle, civic virtue is related to the concept of morality and gives rise to the righteous behavior for citizen’s contribution in the society and community matters. ... He believes that virtuous behaviors and the concept of virtues in the civic relationship context may be taught. Civic virtue opens a wide area of understanding the role of individuals in the society and their duties in relation to it. The concept of friendship, according to Aristotle is not linked with earning profits or gaining advantages but it is the relationship between the people who work in the best favor of the other. This way, the relationships between people are built stronger promoting the sense of trust and understanding. Friendship is based on the notion that each individual works and acts in way to benefit the other without any personal interest except for advantaging the friend. Aristotle clarifies that friendship is not a relationship which can be developed with every other part of the social institutions. Rather, he defines this relationship to be limited to a number of people who have the feelings of benefiting each other without any consent of acquiring some advanta ge from the other at present or future. The perfect friendship, according to him, is the one which binds the individuals in mutual tasks, activities and spending more time together. Not every person, according to this explanation, falls in the category of friend as it is impossible to some extent to spend time with every other person in a way explained by Aristotle. The notion to benefit others by one’s action is also controversial as people in the complex society today have their personal interests and benefits that seek and believe to attain using or involving with others. Such relationships are called as ‘imperfect friendships’ which lack pleasure, mutual understanding and trust in each other. Aristotle defines happiness as an

Nestle Is The Worlds Largest Food Processing Company Marketing Essay

Nestle Is The Worlds Largest Food Processing Company Marketing Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION The strategic management process is based on the belief that organization should continuously monitor internal and external events and trends so that timely change can be made as needed. An organization must be capable of wisely identifying and adapting to change. In this report, I will choose Nestlà © S.A, one of the most successful food processing company in the world to discuss its strategy management process. 2.0 COMPANY PROFILE Nestlà © S.A. is the worlds largest food processing company and is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. The company was founded by Henri Nestlà © in 1866. Nestlà © Company had made several name changes from 1866 to 1947, and finally adopted Nestlà © S.A. in 1977 as the companys name. Nestle S.A. has factories or office in almost every region of the world and markets a wide range of brands. The company is often described as the most multinational of the multinationals. in the current food industry market. Henri Nestlà ©, also know as of the main originator of condensed milk. In 1867, he developed the first milk food for infants and a baby who could not be breast-fed was rescued. Nestlà ©s invention responded to the need for a nutritionally safe alternative to breast milk. Thus, Nestlà © S.A has targeted to build a business based on sound human values and thoughts. The key to success of the company is due to its huge Research and Development network within the food processing industry. With RD as the competitive advantage, Nestlà © has become the worlds leading nutrition, health, and wellness company. The company is devoted in continuing to improve the nutritional value of their products while enhancing the flavour. Nestlà © achieves this through its brands and with initiatives like the Nutritional Compass and 60/40+. Millions of people choose to consume Nestlà © products everyday because the company sustain the quality as the fundamental ingredient in all of its brands. Consumers choose to place their trust in Nestlà © due to the companys dedication to achieve distinction and turn to Nestlà © brands to preserve nutritional balance in todays fast paced world. Switzerland-based Nestlà © S.A. has the highest ranking as the largest player throughout the entire world in the competitive position within the food industry. The rating reflects the companys competitiveness and market attractiveness. With combined sales of 110 billion (Swiss Franc) in 2008, Nestlà © states a diversified business portfolio, being the market leader in numerous product categories worldwide including bottled water, instant coffee, milk and cheese products, nutrition and baby food, ice cream, frozen foods, culinary preparations, and coco products. Nestlà ©s broad geographic coverage includes North America and Europe as well as Asian markets. The vision of Nestlà © RD is long term, it helps shape the future of foods making consumer needs into research priorities and convert new technologies into consumer benefits, and services. 3.0 STRATEGY ANALYSIS 3.1 Environmental Scanning Environmental scanning has the management scan internal environment and external environment. The factor which are the predominant factor for an organization factor is SWOT standing for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 3.1.1 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method developed by Albert Humphrey using data from Fortune 500 companies in the 1960s and 1970s. 3.1.1.1 Internal Environment Strengths Strengths include anything a company does well and its resources and capabilities for developing a competitive advantage. The greatest strength of Nestlà © is culture that is team focused and an open door policy. Nestlà © focuses on collectivism and performance orientation attitude which encourages employees to work harder. Nestlà © achieves broader range of products by improving existing and innovating new products. Consumer demands are switched to changes of taste, colours and design that have been undertaken to products such as Nestlà ©s Smarties and Kit Kats.  The launch of Kit Kat Chunky has proven that creativity and innovation can extend the life cycle of a product. Weaknesses The lack of certain strengths and things a company does not do well are viewed as weaknesses. Nestlà © is poor in targeting some of its products. Nestlà © MilkPak is a premium product targeted to upper middle and high class consumers. Most consumers in Pakistan are from lower middle and poor class. They are not afford to purchase it due to the premium price. Nestlà © has a complex supply chain configuration too and traceability is a critical issue for Nestlà © India. High standards of hygiene, quality of edible inputs and workforce are required in the food industry. Fragmented nature of the Indian market will cause more problems. 3.1.1.2 External Environment Opportunities The external environmental analysis a firms new opportunities for profit and growth. Nestlà © in Pakistan has a great opportunity for expanding its milk products because Pakistan is the seventh major milk producer in the world with annual output more than 22 billion litres. Threats Adjustments in the external environment present threats to a firm. For an example, shifts in consumers preferences. The major threats to Nestlà ©s products is Unilevers Walls, a famous ice-cream brand. It is distributed nationwide and has total control within the local market. Besides, economic slowdown can reduce demand, and inflation is getting higher and higher causing the purchasing power of consumers is decreasing day by day. 3.1.1.3 General Environment PEST Analysis Pest Analysis is used to illustrate a structure for the analysis of macro-environmental factors. Political Political factors include a country or governments regulations and legal issues and rules which a firm must follow. For example, Nestlà ©s famous brand Milo. The product stay within the law in all countries including being aware of legislation health and safety, commercial standards, consumer protection and trade description. Economical Economic factors such like economic growth, exchange rate and inflation rate will influence potential customers purchasing power and the firms cash flow. During recession, customers have less disposable income, demand for Milo might drop in the market. Social Social factors comprise the cultural aspects and demographic of the external macro-environment. These factors influence customer needs and potential markets size. The society are more aware of health conscious nowadays, Nestlà © can build up Milo as a new fashionable drink like 100 plus in the fitness industry. Technological Technological factors can reduce barriers to entry, improve products quality and influence outsourcing decisions. Advance in science allows Nestlà © to improve its product such as Milo, the company can add energy and healthier formula to Milo. 3.2 Porters Five Forces Analysis Michael E. Porter developed Porters five forces in 1979. It is a framework that helps marketer to differentiate a competitive environment. Threat of substitute products An analysis of the threat of substitute products will identify the consumers of a company might switch their purchasing alternative. There is a tendency for food and beverages manufacturers to produce broad range of products. These products may compete with one another to gain market share and become substitute for each other. Nestlà © Koko Krunch Cereal can be the substitute for Nestlà © Nesvita cereal drink since both of them are intended for breakfast consumption. Nestlà © is not offering all kinds of food and beverages, those unoffered kinds may act as the substitutes for the Nestlà ©s products. For example, Nestlà © has coffee in its product lines which is Nescafà ©, the substitute for it can be the soft drinks which are not in the portfolio of Nestlà ©. In this case the substitutes are very broad. Bargaining power of suppliers An analysis of the bargaining power of suppliers  will identify the changing price, quality and service of suppliers without consequence. Supplier power can be different due to seasonal or economic cycles. Supplier power is increasing as many of the food processing companies are not producing their own raw materials. Nestlà © itself gets material in the form of raw or semi-processed directly from farmers and trade channels. By considering the number of suppliers in the industry and the switching cost, the dependency to a particular supplier can be reduced. Nestlà © has operations in many countries throughout the world, if one supplier unable to offer good price for Nestlà ©, it can switch to other suppliers. The bargaining power of supplier depends heavily on the strength of the companys brand. Big companies such as Nestlà © can take advantage in bargaining. Bargaining power of buyers Food processing industry is very broad and rivals can come out with numerous product selections. When the companies step into the maturity stage, they will have even more products provided to strengthen the companys brand. Nestlà © Milo has strong market share and remains a constant favourite amongst Malaysia consumers. In order to further strengthening the brands image, the company added Milo Gold to its product range to keep the consumers loyalty towards the product. Threats of new entrants An analysis of the threat of new entrants will identify entry barriers within an industry. Industries with high barriers to entry will face low risk from new competitors than an industries with low barriers to entry. The competition of ice cream business in Pakistan is very small. This could create chances for other international ice cream brand to penetrate their products to compete with Nestlà © in Pakistan. The major substitutes of Nestlà ©s ice cream would be Walls ice cream and Hico ice cream. Competitive rivalry within an industry Rivalry among competing firms is the utmost of the five competitive forces. Firms within the same industry are competing with one another to gain customer share to increase profitability. The competitors are of roughly equal size which can make the competition even stiffer. They will attempt to gain dominance over another. Nestlà © and General Mills have joint ventured for breakfast cereal market. By having such joint venture these two companies can achieve better success instead of competing with each other. 3.3 Value Chain Analysis Value chain analysis is a development for understanding the general factors and conditions under which a value chain and its firms can achieve higher levels of performance. Manufacturing and the environmental footprint Nestlà © has a great commitment to the environment. They put in great efforts to protect the access of water and ensure everyones responsibilities as water users. Nestlà © moves to different fuel types to produce their products to improve the environmental performance. One of the significant steps in the  value chain is transport. Nestlà © initiated an experiment with  Schenker, to  evaluate the effect  of  different types of  transport, distances  driven and fuel type used to create a better environment. Nestlà ©s employees The company determined by skilled and motivated workforce for continued success. Nestlà © includes many nationalities, religions, and ethnic groups working together in one single unifying corporate culture. Farmers and Agriculture Nestlà © always assist farmers to be successful suppliers. This great effort is helping the entire region to develop a positive long-term impact to boost economic performance. Nestlà © share good environmental and water management practices with farmers by carrying out agricultural programs. Nestlà © insist code of ethics to maintain good and long-term relationship with their suppliers. Products and consumers Nestlà © strengthens its brands and customers loyalty to respond to consumers changing preferences. Nestlà © preserves the nutritious in its products while enhancing the flavour and improve the quality of their products. According to Julio Frenk, former Secretary of Health Mexico, from his experience in Mexico, he believes that Nestlà © is delivering genuine shared value through its products in the society. 3.4 Benchmarking A company should has its benchmark to improve quality of its products. In June 4, 2009, Nestlà © started make use of ASSET4 to benchmark its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. ASSET4 is the top supplier of idea, comparable, and auditable extra-financial information. According to Nestlà ©s head of Investor Relations, Roddy Child-Villiers said that Nestlà © is committed to improve its ESG performance via Creating Shared Value, which build continuous business triumph and the establishment of shareholder value to the creation of value for society at large. 4.0 STRATEGY FORMULATION Strategy formulation is the second stage in the strategic management process. In the aspect of corporate strategy, the current objectives and strategies of Nestlà © will be discussed as well as suggestions given on how Nestlà © to be more successful in the food processing industry. For example, what amendments should be made to achieve the development objectives and strategies of Nestlà ©, the lines of business that Nestlà © is in now, and how these lines of business fit mutually. There are three main components fall under corporate strategy. These components include directional strategy, portfolio analysis and parenting strategy. 4.1 Directional strategy Directional strategy refers to a firms overall orientation towards growth, stability and retrenchment. 4.1.1 Growth strategy Growth strategy has two fundamental categories, concentration within existing industries and diversification into other lines of business or industries. In this report, I will choose to discuss the concentration strategy of Nestlà ©. Concentration strategy can be achieved via merger and acquisition (MA). MA have emerged and are widely used in many industries today. Nestlà © has been using these form of strategic alliances to link technology gaps and resources, to recruit expertise and obtain market positions. MA are essential and potentially useful for a company that wishes to enter a new industry and new markets. Merger Merger is defined as the combination of companies. In 1905, Nestlà © S.A was formed by the merger called the Nestlà © and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company. Nestlà © stepped outside the food industry for the first time and diversify its business in the cosmetic industry. In 1974, Nestlà © became a major shareholder in LOrà ©al, one of the worlds leading makers of cosmetics. Acquisition Acquisition is the act of purchase or takeover of a company that is completely absorbed by the subsidiary or division of the acquiring corporation. Since 1985, Nestlà © has made over 50 acquisitions. Nestlà ©s growth strategy began with acquisitions to diversify its product offering. In the early 1990s, it used acquisitions to expand geographically. More recently, Nestlà © has focused its acquisitions on growing a select number of very attractive businesses in markets where it can achieve leadership positions. For example, Nestlà © has acquired Frozen Food in 2010. The factors of the acquisition are due to Frozen Foods number one position in United Stated and Canada as well as strong growth profile in North America by proving fast recovery in times of economic downturn. Meanwhile, concentration strategy includes two strategies which are vertical growth and horizontal growth. I will choose horizontal growth of Nestlà ©s for further discussion. Horizontal growth refers to the expansion of operations into other geographic locations and enlarging the variety of products and services offered to current markets. Horizontal growth can be achieved via joint venture. As an example, in 2001, Coca-Cola Company and Nestlà © S.A. continue their existing joint venture business, Coca-Cola and Nestlà © Refreshments. This co-operation will be renamed Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) to emerge their beverage segments, especially ready-to-drink tea. 4.1.2 Portfolio Analysis Portfolio analysis is basically a product portfolio in which a company rank their products and where their products are stands in the market. There are two popular portfolio analysis techniques that will be used to analyse Nestlà ©s portfolio. There techniques include BCG Matrix (Boston Contingency Group) and GE Business Screen. For this report, BCG Matrix is selected to explain the current standing of Nestlà ©s brand in India. BCG Matrix In 1960, Bruce Henderson, president of the Boston Consulting Group design BCG Matrix to develop business strategy. There are four categories of product position which are stars, cash cows, dogs, and question marks. Stars When an industry is growing and the share of a firm is high as well, then the firm is the leader in business. Nestlà ©s Nescafà © is one of the leading coffee brands in the Indian market. It has the strong position in the market which is incomparable by other brand within the country. Nescafà © has high market share in the industry as well as the growth rate is significantly high. In addition, the name of Nescafà © has become generic with coffee. Cash Cows When the industry growth is low but the firm has high market share, then the firms products are considered Cash Cows. Nestlà ©s Maggie Noodles has more households of consumption in India and has become the first preference of Indian children in terms of instant food, yet it is still considered as Cash Cows, not a star. It has a significantly high market growth rate in the Noodles market in India, but the market growth rate of Noodle consumption is not very high. Question marks Question marks refer to products with the potential to penetrate into the market and succeed but will require a lot of cash for development. Maggie Pickles has limited variety especially in this taste crazy country, India. Maggie Pickles is doubted for two main reasons. The first reason price and packing of the product is high, which seems to target customer from upper class. The second reason is it lack of significant number of alternative, therefore it is a challenge to maintain itself in the market. Thus, it is suggested that Maggie Pickles to review its packaging and price so every citizen in India can afford to purchase the product. Dogs If the industry growth is low and a firms share is instability or low, then the products of the firm is considered dog. Nestlà ©s Dahi is considered Dog because people in India was unaware that Nestlà © offers a Dahi. The product is facing competition from Amuls Masti Dahi. The concept of Dahis packaging is not favourable by the consumer who prefer to play it safe with the local manufacturer. Nestlà © Dahi is placed in as a Dog due to lack of growing market. It is recommended that Nestlà © has to think on what it can do to make everyone in India recognize Nestlà © Dahi. 4.1.3 Corporate Parenting Strategy Corporate parenting strategy is developed to examine each business unit in terms of its strategic factors, areas in which performance can be improved, and analyze how well the parent company fits with the business unit. Horizontal strategy To expand a business to another geographic location, extra cost such as import duties, logistics and other packaging requirements will weigh down a products launch in the targeted region. Hence building an overseas plant or subcontract the manufacture of the product to a licensed local manufacturer. Nestlà ©s has many manufacturer in almost every country in the world to manufacture its products. This strategy has helped Nestlà © to cut down the extra costs as I have mentioned above. Multipoint competition Multipoint competition refers to a multinational organization compete against other multinational organizations in a number of markets. Nestlà © competes in a wide range of geographic areas in addition of broad range of product categories. Therefore it faces competition from multinational companies such as Unilever and Philip Morris with similar product lines that cross regional bounds. Since Nestlà © is facing this type of competition, it is suggested that Nestlà © must compete briskly across its worldwide customer base. 5.0 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION Strategy implementation is the third stage in strategy management. In order to carry out the formulated strategies, Nestlà © needs to establish annual objectives, planning policies, motivation employees and allocate resources. This stage is also known as the action stage of strategic management and it is often considered to be the most complicated stage. It needs the collaboration from all the employees at all levels in Nestlà © in terms of personal discipline, commitment, and sacrifice. In this stage, I will discuss several issues that will affect to Nestlà © during the process of strategy is being implemented. 5.1 Management Issues Management changes are essentially more extensive when strategies to be implemented move a firm in a major new direction. I will select several factors from the management issue to discuss how are they going to affect Nestlà ©s organizational performance. Annual Objectives Annual objectives are especially important in strategy implementation, whereas long-term objectives are particularly important in strategy formulation. Annual objectives represent the basis for allocating resources. Resources Nestlà © need at least four types of resources in order to achieve desired objectives. Financial resources. One of the major strengths of Nestlà © is its RD which contribute a lot in supporting the companys strategy implementation. In 2006, Nestlà © invested CHF 1.73 billion in RD and over CHF 1.5 billion in Venture Capital. Thus, the company needs sufficient financial resources in order to continue its RD. Physical resources. Nestlà © has a committed sales force which is the major resource strength in terms of physical resources. It is very important as part of the companys success particularly after the strategy is implemented, and the employees able to develop markets and sell its products. Human resources. Human resources is one the significant concern while implementing strategy because it is the backbone of any organization. The fact that Nestlà © is more people and product than system oriented reflected in the way HR is functioning and is organized. Technological resources. RD at Nestlà © is an international group of science and technology centres of excellence. Its RD has a long tradition of building its own machines based on extensive in-house engineering experience. Proprietary technological claims in all products categories assist Nestlà © to maintain and improve its position as market leader. Rewards and Incentives The Real Rewards in Nestlà © USAs investment in you is a comprehensive package for waged employees. Compensation is a key part reward of Nestlà © USAs Real Rewards package to help to attract, motivate, and retain a workforce of top performance. There are three types of compensation of the Real Rewards package. Base Pay. Based Salaries are designed to be competitive which based on data specific to different position as measure in marketplace. High performance over time is recognized by base pay that is higher than the market. Short-Term Incentives. Short-Term Incentives Pay is designed to reward employees (typically yearly) for their accomplishments and contribution to Nestlà © USAs success. Long-Term Incentives. Nestlà © USAs Long-Term Incentives Plan are designed to motivate and reward those in eligible leadership position for the companys sustained success for a longer period, often three years or more. Human Resources Nestlà © Human Resources Policy encompasses those guidelines which represent a sound basis for effective and efficient HR management in the Nestlà © Group around the world. Learning is part of the company culture in Nestlà ©. Employees at all levels is conscious of the need to upgrade constantly his or her skills and knowledge to achieve personal and organizational goal. 5.2 Marketing Issues Marketing variables can determine the success and failure of strategy implementation. Market Segmentation Marketing segmentation is the process in marketing of grouping a market to identify different groups of customers with different needs or responses to marketing activity. Consumer can be segmented on the following characteristics. I will use Nestlà © Juices to discuss how Nestlà ©s marketing team is going to target the market segmentation. Geographic Segmentation, Region. People would prefer to drink juices during the hot weather or summer season. The marketing team can segment the market on the basis of high temperature zones. To boost the demand of its juices products, they can focus more in the region where the consumption remains almost the same all the year around. Demographic Segmentation, Gender. Women will be the best targeted customers as they usually shop for their family. When they are convinced that the juices will be good for the health for their family, they will eventually purchase. Psychographic Segmentation, Life style. People belonging to luxury life style tend to spend more on luxuries as compared to people in the lower class. In strategy implementation, market segmentation is an important variable. It allows Nestlà © to operate with limited resources due to unnecessary of mass production, mass advertising and mass distribution. The market segmentation decision directly affect the marketing mix variables. Marketing Mix Product strategy. Nestlà © juices main competitive advantage is its quality leadership. The company aim provide the original and best quality to their customers and fulfill their need. Place strategy. In Pakistan, Nestlà © established the distribution channels for its juices products in famous cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Gujranwala. Then they acquired maximum two to three suitable distributors in these cities to hinder from their own competition. Promotion strategy. The marketing team of Nestlà © use various sources to promote their target marketing. Sources used such like TV, Newspaper and Billboard to advertise their products. When Nestlà © launches new juice, the marketing team will use the promotion strategy that are mentioned to spread the awareness of their brand. Price Strategy. Nestlà © juices are available six flavored and two size. The packing of 200ml size is targeted for individual customer while 100ml packing is targeted for whole family. They charge price premium since they provided high quality and 100% clear juices other than competing low cost with their competitors. Nestlà © juices contain maximum profit margin compared to their rivals. Product Positioning After segmenting markets, Nestlà © can target particular customer groups, the next step is to find out what customers wants and needs. In 2009, Nestlà © launched two fortified juice drinks for children, Juicy Juice Brain Development and Juicy Juice Immunity. Customer wants. Children are targeted easily targeted for these two juice drinks because they can choose three flavours that are available including apple, berry and grape flavours in these two juice drinks. Customer needs. Parents are very concerned with their kids development. Therefore, these two juice drinks are specifically targeting brain and immune development in under five age group. 5.3 Research Development Issues RD is an investigative activities that a business choose to conduct with the purpose of discovering new products and to improve the existing products. Nestlà © is the global leader in the food processing industry with regard to RD. The RD expert team in Nestlà © have provided best practices and help in the companys implementation. For example, the RD structure offers the flexibility to use the huge sources of local ideas, bring them back and develop them for the global implementation. The major advantages of Nestlà © RD include: The company attract the best scientist and engineers from top-level universities who want to work and partner with them. To build plants, expand, grow, and market products and services more efficiently. 6.0 CONCLUSION In a nutshell, it is not easy to maintain the position as the world leader in food processing industry like Nestlà ©. A company must be able cope with any unexpected changes in order to survive and compete in the world of business. (Word Counts: 4435 words)