IM in the Workplace Harnessing the Power of the Virtual Hallway

Abstract The technology convergence witnessed in the 21st century has heralded a new technological communication frontier for organizations. This report specifically aims to delineate how instant messaging (IM) could be harnessed to drive the business and organizational strategies of MM’s into the future.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IM in the Workplace: Harnessing the Power of the Virtual Hallway specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The success of MM’s has been attributed to many factors, including eye-catching and distinctive advertisements and promotions, effective employee and consumer participation and feedback, extensive marketing strategies, affordable pricing, and a broad assortment of customized product possibilities. Through a critical evaluation of existing literature, it has been demonstrated that the real-time functionality of IM, simplicity of use, unique affordances, collaboration cap ability, and rich presence has endeared many organizations to adopt the technology. Other factors such as presence awareness, visual alerting, and capability to support multiple synchronous conversations have been highlighted as strong points for IM. Among the disadvantages, it has been noted that IM can not only turn into a productivity drain if misused, but it can open a can of worms in terms of security risks and legal issues if it is ineffectually used. IM represents one of the most rapidly proliferating communications tools that are swiftly being adopted by global organizations. A critical review of literature contained in this report demonstrates that corporate IM use is substantial and growing. Consequently, the most fundamental thing for MM’s to do is to swing into action and ensure that policies and frameworks are put in place with the aim to holistically harness the power and communication capabilities offered by IM. Introduction The technology convergence witnessed in the 21st century has heralded a new technological communication frontier for organizations as unprecedented discoveries and innovations continue to bombard the global business scene with a panorama of communication technologies aimed at establishing and sustaining the groundwork for organizations to meet their business goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Business leaders are taking notice of the advantages offered by new and emerging technologies such as email, videoconferencing, mobile telephony, teleconferencing, and in recent times, instant messaging (Primeaux Flint, 2004; Cameron Webster, 2005), and many organizations have adopted either one or several of these communication platforms depending on their business needs and objective of use (Symon, 2000). While consecutive studies have been published to demonstrate the efficacy and productive capab ilities of the emerging communication technologies, the knowledge of their weak links and perceived disadvantages is also in the public domain. This report specifically aims to delineate how instant messaging (IM) could be harnessed to drive the business and organizational strategies of MM’s into the future. A Synopsis of MM’s Company For the over 60 years that it has been in existence, MM’s has created a market share that is yet to be matched by the company’s close competitors. In 2004, the company was on record for realizing an impressive $201 million in candy sales in the United States alone, a feat that propelled it into the top spot in the market for boxed and bagged chocolates in the country (Wax, 2010). The success of MM’s has been attributed to many factors, including eye-catching and distinctive advertisements and promotions, effective employee and consumer participation and feedback, extensive marketing strategies, affordable pricing, and a broad assortment of customized product possibilities(MM Website, 2010). According to Nash (2000), for contemporary businesses to remain competitive and be profitable, they must develop the right communication tools aimed at eliciting maximum employee and customer satisfaction. Although MM’s has a hierarchical organizational structure to allow for efficient leadership through the rank and file of the company, the management takes cognizance of the fact that its corporate culture must emphasize the brand essence, promise, and unique personality (Rehoboth, 2004). The concept that the company’s products, services, and experiences are a major constituent of its personification has been well enshrined in the company’s strategies geared towards fulfilling the needs and expectations of an expanding market base.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IM in the Workplace: Harnessing the Power of the Virtual Hallway specifically for you for on ly $16.05 $11/page Learn More MM’s take cognizance of the fact that employees are the organization’s most valued asset and, as such, it exercises an open-door communication strategy aimed at availing to employees the leverage to be flexible, creative and innovative as long as products meets or surpasses customer expectations (Wax, 2010). MM’s has been in the frontline in adopting computer-based technologies with the view to integrate them into the frameworks and platforms that guide the day-to-day running of the company, especially in terms of management-employee interactions, management-customer interactions (feedback), and sales improvement (Rehoboth, 2004). The organizational culture in MM’s is aligned to the basic principles of enhancing employee value preposition, provision of unmatched products and services, and improving efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity through continuous uptake of relevant technologies. According to Keyto n (2005), â€Å"†¦organizational culture is the set of artifacts, values, and assumptions that emerge from the interactions of organizational members† (p. 1). At MM’s, the management is aptly aware that creating an enabling environment for free and effective management-employee communication is the cornerstone to a prosperous and resilient organizational culture. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Impact of IM in the Workplace According to Cameron Webster (2005), â€Å"†¦Instant Messaging (IM) represents a communication technology that allows employees to send and receive short text-based messages in real time and to see who else is on line and currently available to receive messages† (p. 86). Intrinsically grounded on a previous technology known as the Internet Relay Chat, IM was initially intended to offer home internet users a platform through which they could socialize with friends and family members. However, as the efficient and cost-effective capa bilities in supporting informal communications came into the public limelight in the 1990s (Huang Yen, 2003), conscientious and assiduous managers grabbed the opportunity and started to experiment with the technology, especially on how it could be applied to solve or lessen workplace communication challenges.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The discovery and adoption heralded a new form of communication medium that is today known as instant messaging. The uptake of IM by organizations has been unprecedented, with available statistics demonstrating that 26 percent of organizations operating in the U.S. were already using the technology as an official communication service by 2004, and an additional 44 percent of organizations had employees who used the technology on their own (Primeaux Flint, 2004). Market analysts’ projections for corporate IM stood at 229 million users worldwide in the first quarter of 2005 (Cameron Webster, 2005), and IBM (2008) â€Å"†¦estimates are that by 2011 business use of IM will have risen to about 400 million accounts – with applications designed for businesses used in 150 million of those instances† (p. 4). The statistics demonstrates the scope of IM adoption by organizations across a span of less than 10 years, with all indications showing the adoption is on an upward trend. The factors assessed below clearly demonstrate why such a trend in IM adoption is in the offing. IM and Employees Communication Patterns Collaboration is primarily perceived as the initiator of innovation (IBM, 2008), and innovation is key to achieving organizational efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. In today’s competitive business environment, sharing information and experiences can be decisive in driving organizational success and set outcomes, and the IM protocol guarantees an outstanding framework through which employee communication patterns can be molded to enhance information sharing and collaboration within the organization as well as across geographical locations (Quan-Haase et al., 2005). Traditional communication patterns may fail to strike a cord with today’s business requirements especially with the realization that many organizations have switched into virtual workplaces (IBM, 2008), and that employees are expected to have timely i nformation to make sound judgments relating to the daily operations of the organization. As such, IM proactively influences their communication capacities and patterns by not only extending a framework through which relevant knowledge can be tapped from the relationships established with other stakeholders, but also ensuring that the needed information is immediately available when it is needed due to IM’s aspect of immediacy (Symon, 2000). According to Cameroon Webster (2005), IM systems contain a presence or peripheral awareness capacity, implying that the management or employees will have a general sense of who is around what they are currently engaged on at specific times in the workplace. The authors further suggest this type of â€Å"†¦presence awareness represents a type of peer monitoring designed to enhance communication between colleagues† (p. 86). As such, IM greatly influences employee communication patterns by virtue of the fact that users can active ly see the status indicators of other subscribed users who are online, and who are presently available to perform certain functions as may be deemed fit by the organization. This function greatly reduces time wastage, and enables the organization to focus on the available manpower resources to perform tasks that may have great ramifications in terms of enhancing its competitive advantage. Time usage, according to IBM (2008), is critical to the attainment of productive capacities. Huang Yen (2003) observes that the solid and reliant communication patterns extended to employees by IM systems has enhanced workflow processes within organizations and across locations. It is also imperative to note that IM influences employees’ communication patterns by extending to them the capability to engage in multiple, concurrent, and synchronized conversations to influence consensus or decisions made in meetings or other corporate gatherings (Rennecker, 2005). For instance, an employee enga ged in a meeting convened by stakeholders may text his boss to request for advice or clarification while still actively engaged in the normal face-to-face conversation with the stakeholders. Lastly, it is true that the nature of communication in work-settings has dramatically changed and that â€Å"†¦managers and professionals often communicate in fluid, multiple social networks rather than being sorely embedded in a single work group† (Quan-Haase, 2005, para. 1). IM certainly influences the communication patterns in the social networks. Potential Impact of IM to the Organization Many researchers and business analysts have demonstrated a clear interest in evaluating the possible impact of IM as an emerging tool for business communication. The real-time functionality, simplicity of use, unique affordances, and rich presence has been noted by Greengard (2003), Cameroon Webster (2005), Primeaux Flint (2004), and Rennecker et al (2003) as some of the foremost factors why m any organizations are using IM systems for communication purposes. According to Rennecker et al (2003), IM provides the ability to not only detect when other employees are available for communication via the network (presence awareness), but the system makes use of visual prompts to notify recipients of an impending message (visual alerting). In the workplace, these capacities are fundamentally important to drive efficiency, productivity, and ensure that critical time is sparingly used to drive the organization’s agenda forward. The real-time function enables users to get immediate responses, thus are able to act and make decisions based on knowledge and collaboration. This, according to IBM (2008), is a plus in today’s knowledge-based economy. According to Rennecker et al (2005), â€Å"†¦IM is unique in its capability to support multiple, simultaneous, synchronous conversations† (p. 199). This capability, known as polychromic interactivity, is essentially needed in today’s business environment, especially in organizations dealing with offering a wide array of services to multiple clients. In such an arrangement, IM can be used by employees to communicate privately with other employees and request for clarifications or instructions while still engaged in another coordinated interaction, preferably with the customer. When employed in this manner, IM has the capacity to essentially alter the â€Å"†¦temporal ordering of meeting-related interactions, including fact-finding, consensus formation, and decision-making† (Rennecker, 2005, p. 199). This implies that IM does not only saves time, but also enables organizations to enhance their productive capacities by virtue of the fact that the interactions, consensus reached, and the decisions taken will have either positive or negative ramifications on the organization. IBM (2008) underscores the fact that some emerging communication technologies such IM boosts an organizati on’s collaborative capacities, hence its productive acumen. Collaboration, more than anything else, institutes the innovation needed to enable organizations achieve an edge over their competitors. Employees in a virtual workplace are now collaborating using IM, either as a complimentary platform to email communication or as its substitute. According to Quan-Haase et al (2005), IM is also popular among workers since â€Å"†¦it adds speed and ease to workplace communication, and eliminates the time typically lost to ‘telephone tag’ or wasted trips of a coworker who is absent or otherwise occupied† (p. 2). This has obvious time and productivity implications for the organization, not mentioning the fact that it acts as a bridging tool between departments, therefore saving more time and ensuring efficient coordination. Below, some of the disadvantages of IM are evaluated. Disadvantages of IM There has been some weak links and disadvantages associated with emerging technologies, and IM is no exception. Greengard (2003) acknowledges that â€Å"†¦while the goal of staying in touch with employees, customers, and business partners is noble enough, today’s technology can create more than a few diversions and even devastations along the way† (p. 84). According to the author, IM can not only turn into a productivity drain if misused, but it can open a can of worms in terms of security risks and legal issues if it is ineffectually used. The above sentiments are also shared by Chudoba et al (2005) and Primeaux Flint (2004), who argue that most employees take advantage of the communication technology to chat with each other on issues unrelated to business, and to friends and family members outside the organization. Available statistics reveal that â€Å"†¦30 to 40 percent of internet use in the workplace isn’t related to business, and employee misuse of the internet is a $63 billion problem for cooperate America † (Greengard, 2003, p. 85). While IM is only a small component of the enormous internet universe, there is no guarantee that such systems will not be abused by employees in the absence of a strict regulatory framework. Harmful computer viruses can be transmitted via IM protocols, with some having the capacity to sabotage critical business processes. Indeed, hackers and data thieves can easily penetrate the security settings of some free IM services such as Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger due to the fact that the texts sent through IM are not encrypted. Legal challenges can also be potentially dangerous. By virtue of the fact that IM communications are not electronically recorded at the organizational level, â€Å"†¦companies can find themselves in a netherworld where it’s one party’s word against another’s† (Greengard, 2003, p. 84). There are concerns that IM, due to its easy usability, may be a source of interruption of workplace ta sks (Garrett Danziger, 2008). A recent ethnographic study extensively quoted by these authors â€Å"†¦revealed that workers spent an average of just 11 minutes on a task before being interrupted or moving on to a new task, and more than half the interruptions (57%) were unrelated to the task at hand† (p. 1). While it is known that the most common types of workplace interruptions revolves around receiving calls and conversations, some computer-mediated communication platforms such as IM and email can actually exacerbate the problem. In many workplace scenarios, IM supplements other existing forms of communication, resulting in an increase in the overall volume of communications taking place during work hours, thus the disruption of workflow processes (Garrett Danzinger, 2008). In addition, most IM communications are neither initiated nor scheduled by the recipient, and therefore often results in disruption of current activity or workflow processes on the part of the rec ipient. What’s more, companies using the IM protocol to dismiss employees may find themselves being accused of wrong termination in the absence of necessary precautions (Greengard, 2003). Communications Best Suited for IM Due to security concerns, highly sensitive communications should be reserved for other communication channels rather than IM unless the organization has the capacity to encrypt the texts or use a secure IM platform (Greengard, 2003). However, other forms of communications such as customer feedback, employee sensitization and awareness, company notices, strategies and advice, sales and order requests, advertisements, employee collaboration, and human resource decisions can be communicated via IM (Huang Yen, 2003). This is in line with the numerous activities supported by IM such as multi-tasking, informal communications for effective collaboration in the workplace, coordination and scheduling of work-related tasks, organizing short-notice meetings, and socia l networking with friends and family (Nardi et al., 2000). Recommendations MM’s takes cognizance of the fact that enhanced communication between management and employees on the one hand and between management and customers on the other is of fundamental importance in assisting the company to drive its success story into the 21st century (MM Website, 2010). As such, it is recommended that the organization takes a bold step towards formalization of IM as a preferred communication platform especially in communicating general organizational policies to employees and receiving feedback from customers. Available literature has revealed that the communication technology’s real-time functionality, simplicity of use, unique affordances, and rich presence (Greengard, 2003; Cameroon Webster, 2005; Primeaux Flint, 2004; Rennecker et al., 2003) are key ingredients that are destined to drive MM’s success story forward. MM’s greatly depend on its innovative employees to come up with new and enticing candies. To further drive the urge for employees to remain innovative, it is highly recommended for the company to fully adopt IM technology in the workplace so as to enhance interdepartmental collaboration and the development of new ideas. Such a platform will indeed extend frameworks through which the management collaborates with customers to evaluate feedback, and hence develop mechanisms for improvement. According to IBM (2008), IM enhances informal and formal collaboration in the workplace. Lastly, MM’s should come up with ways of utilizing the interactive and immediacy capabilities of IM (Cameroon Webster, 2005) by channeling its advertisements through the platform in efforts aimed at complimenting other mainstream media used by the company for advertisement purposes. At MM’s, it is not difficult to manage IM for optimal deployment since the company exercises an open door communication style that encourages open and independent decision making and responsibility at the individual level. The organizational culture reverberates well with the wishes and aspirations of employees (MM Website, 2010), and as such, it is almost a guarantee that employees will utilize the new technology for the betterment of the organization as well as for their own collaboration. Chudoba et al (2005) argues that many organizations employ several communication technologies to ensure their communication needs are sufficiently met. This internet-based communication technology fits well within MM’s existing frameworks of communication, which are also technology-based. The company mostly utilizes email and telephone communications in the workplace, and satellite communications across geographical locations (Rehoboth, 2004). IM will not only serve in complimentary roles with email in inter-departmental communications, but can also substitute the use of telephones to communicate company policies and strategies to employees. IM can be used to replace satellite communications in areas with network connectivity, further bringing down operational costs and enhancing both efficiency and productive capacities (IBM, 2008). The successful implementation of IM technology in MM’s can only be hindered by security and productivity concerns. As such, the CEO is allowed to introduce austerity measures aimed at curtailing the improper use of the technology by employees. It is also the duty of the chief executive to develop a solid ICT team which will constantly look into ways through which the IM technology can be optimally used by the company and its employees without causing security vulnerabilities as demonstrated by Greegard (2003). As such, end-user security regulations must be introduced to successfully harness the power of IM. The company should also introduce regulations aimed at informing the employees about the complimentary or substitute roles of IM vis-à  -vis other existing platforms so that it is used for the purposes it is intended. This will go a long way in ensuring its success, while curtailing the potential drawbacks already discussed comprehensively in this report. To submit the concluding remarks, it is a well known fact that the pursuit for instantaneous connections and enhanced communication has occasioned the adoption of a wide array of technologies purposely designed to speed up organizational activities (Cameroon Webster, 2005). IM represents one of the most rapidly proliferating communications tools that are swiftly being adopted by global organizations. A critical review of literature contained in this report demonstrates that corporate IM use is substantial and growing. Consequently, the most fundamental thing for MM’s is to swing into action towards ensuring that policies and frameworks are put in place with the aim to holistically harness the power and communication capabilities offered by IM. Reference List Cameroon, A.F., Webster, J. (2005). Unintende d consequences of emerging communication technologies: Instant messaging in the workplace. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(2), 81-103. Chudoba, K.M., Wynne, L.V. M., Watson-Manheim, M.B. (2005). How virtual are we? Measuring virtuality and understanding its impact in the global organization. Information Systems Journal, 15(4), 279-306. Retrieved from Business Source Database. Garrett, R.K., Danziger, J.N. (2008). IM = Interruption management? Instant messaging and disruption in the workplace. Journal of computer-mediated communication, 13, 23-42. Greengard, S. (2003). IM speeds workplace communication, but it can also spell trouble: Workforce Management, 82(7), 84-86. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database. Huang, A.H., Yen, D.C. (2003). Usefulness of instant messaging among users: Social vs. work perspective. Human Systems Management, 22(2), 63-65. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database. IBM. (2008). The new collaboration: enabling innovation, changing the workplace . Web. Keyton, J. (2005). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experiences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. MM Website. (2010). History. Web. Nardi, B.A., Whittaker, S., Bradner, E. (2000). Interaction and outeraction: Instant messaging in action. Proceedings of Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), Philadelphia PA, 70-88. Nash, E.L. (2000). Direct Marketing: Strategy, Planning Execution, 4th ED. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Quan-Haase, A., Cothrel, J., Wellman, B. (2005). Instant messaging for collaboration: A case study of a high-tech firm. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(4). Web. Primeaux, R.O., Flint, D. (2004). Instant messaging: Does it belong in the workplace. Intellectual Property Technology Law Journal, 16(11), 5-7. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database. Rehoboth, W.G. (2004). Dandy Candy. Convenience Store News, 40(13), 28-31. Rennecker, J., Dennis, A.R., Hansen, S. (2005). Invisib le whispering: Instant messaging in meetings. Sprouts: Working Papers on Information Systems, 5(24). Web. Symon, G. (2000). Information and communication technologies and the new network organization: A critical analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(4), 389-414. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database. Wax, B (2010). Target Marketing Thrives on the Web. Property Causality Risk Benefit Management, 114(14), 32-36. This report on IM in the Workplace: Harnessing the Power of the Virtual Hallway was written and submitted by user Jovani S. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Managing Priorities in Volkswagen of America

Managing Priorities in Volkswagen of America Introduction Volkswagen is an international motor vehicle company that has subsidiaries across the world. Volkswagen of America is the company’s subsidiary in the North American region that oversees the regional operations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Priorities in Volkswagen of America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to review the new process for managing priorities of the subsidiary. The paper will carry out an assessment of the new management priorities, review criticisms for the new priorities and compare the new process with the subsidiary’s old process. Review of the Subsidiary’s New Process The Volkswagen Company is an old company that realized it automobile model in the second quarter of the twentieth century. The company then started its operations but was to wait till the years of 1960s for a boom in the market for its market products. The company’ s productivity however was then startled with an up and down trend in its sales and revenues after the boom period. The introduction of a new brand in the year 1977 witnessed an improvement in the company’s performance that again fell later on. This led to the perception that the company’s management was only relying on new products as a solution to the company’s problems. This trend was continued with the diversification of product brands after the year 2000, a move that made the Volkswagen of America to institute strategies into adjusting to the changes. The management of the group’s American subsidiary also based their operation management on marketing and sales of products. Information technology was overlooked and its expenditure and personnel even cut down. This however relayed a long term effect as the impact of insufficient knowledge in IT was evident in the company. The company then resorted to the development of its IT which was then established to be the basis of managing its priorities. In the new strategy, established IT departments would collaborate with consultants prioritizing projects for the group. Under this approach, questions such as why, who, what, where and when would be employed by the experts to establish ground for prioritizing the projects.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The new development ensured a comprehensive consideration of the entire group with respect to opinions, functions and information in departments. The established IT teams were the major players in the use of the new system for prioritization of the subsidiary’s projects that included invitation for projects presentation and identification of dependencies of various projects, the formal presentation of projects by departments and the final work by the IT teams over the submitted projects. The team would then work out the proposals to give them an organizational perspective contrary to departmental ones before prioritization were made to the funding of projects. This process however led to poor funding of projects that were critical to the groups operations calling for adjustments for their funding. Assessment of the New Process The integration of information technology into the management system of an organization is very instrumental to the operational processes. One of the primary benefits of information technology is the developed level of efficiency in processes. This is coupled with a significant level of information that the management is offered from the application of technology. The process of decision making with respect to prioritizing projects of the Volkswagen Company of America would thus provide the management with more information that relates the projects together so as to establish a base for informed decision making process. The use of information technology is also benefi cial in the sense that it aids planning. By bringing the organization’s departmental proposals together and running a review into their relationships, a better understanding into the correlation of the processes is established for a final decision making (Joia, 2003). Application of information technology into a management’s system is also characterized with an increased level of productivity of processes. Whether in the production processes or in decision making process, information technology will improve the productivity level.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Priorities in Volkswagen of America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Better knowledge of processes through analysis and monitoring of information is another tool to accurate decision making. Better information models can also be achieved through the capacities of information technology. The efficiency as realized in the use of the tec hnologies also reflects on the time taken to attain required analysis into decision making (DuBrin, 2008). The use of information technology is however identified to be more applicable in service oriented organizations than in manufacturing industries. Its application in such commodity based organization as Volkswagen of America is therefore expected to at least face a few challenges. Justification of application of information technology in such is also a challenge to manufacturing organizations (Akpan, 2007). Discussion and conclusion The new management process at the Volkswagen of America is satisfactory in terms of the analysis that proposals are accorded with respect to the objectives of the organization. This ensures that projects geared to the attainment of the organizations objectives such as increasing sales are prioritized. Criticisms to the systems are justified due to its inability to prioritize all projects. This is however not significant because the benefits of the sy stem outweighs its failure and shortcomings. The new system which incorporates analytical approaches is in general terms better than the old system in which regards were only made to marketing and sales initiatives that actually had not proved successful to the firm. References Akpan, E. (2007). Strategic Alignment: The Business Imperative for Leading Organizations. Mustang: Tate Publishing. DuBrin, A. (2008). Essentials of Management. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Joia, L. (2003). IT-based management: challenges and solutions. London, UK: Idea Group Inc (IGI).

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk8 Essay

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk8 - Essay Example In reality, however, internet markets are more similar to traditional markets than they are different. Hence, successful e-marketing strategies, such as traditional ones, rely on the creation, distribution, promotion and pricing products that are required by the customers and not just developing a brand name or lowering the costs associated with online transactions (Morley & Parker, 2009). Electronic commerce is believed to have developed from three main stages: Innovation, consolidation and reinvention (Pyle, 1996). The innovation of electronic commerce is the phase that occurred in the period lasting 1995-2000. This era was typified with a great excitement in both the traders and their customers particularly due to anticipations that electronic commerce would increase the ease at which quality information on business systems as well as commercial goods and both parties (Pyle, 1996) could attain services. The phase of consolidation began in 200 and was characterized by an increased number of classical business organizations utilizing the Web for purposes of enhancing their business transactions. The last phase, reinvention, of electronic commerce had its advent in the year 2006 when there was a bolstered utilization of social networking and Web 2.0 applications in electronic commerce. This led to an increase in the number of new models of business being created. Whol e during the innovation stage the emphasis of commercial organizations was on attaining market shares and visibility, the consolidation stage was characterized by an increased desire to establish commercial ventures that were successful (Whinston, 1997). The emphasis in the present day is placed on the ability of electronic commerce to encounter a growth of audience and social network. Morley and Parker (2009) claim that this model comprises of the

International Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Operations Management - Essay Example In the process different business strategies are also learnt and shared by the companies (Plenert, 2002, pp.35-38). The present study focuses on the international operations management and the related theories and considering the Unilever Company and studying the motivation, benefits, process and form of internationalization. Internationalization: Its Motivation, Benefit, Process and Form: The primary motive of a company trying to be global or become internationalized is to earn competitive advantage over other companies playing in the same industry but in other countries, with the help of the advancements in their knowledge and expertise. Motivations can be proactive or reactive that leads a company towards internationalization. Proactive motivations generally result from the company’s intentions to gain competitive advantage over others. A reactive motivation arises when a company plans to internationalize on requirement in a particular economic status of the country or the business. In many cases, expansion of a business to other countries proves to be beneficial in handling the pressures of competition from other companies. The several benefits that underlie the process of internationalization include the company’s being able to spread across the world thus reaching out to greater number of customer and shareholders. Moreover, the company gets to learn the new technologies and processes prevailing or used in the other countries and businesses (United Nations, 2009, p.9). Thus it can be understood that some companies follow the process for the enhanced results for their businesses, while others indulge in expansion as a result of the need for the company. Now in order to process the internationalization of a business, proper method needs to be followed such that the company does not experience a failure. This requires management committees to get involved and decide efficiently on the utilization of resources available to the company. The inves tment requiring finances is an essential factor that needs sufficient decision making. Also, since internationalization would involve expanding the businesses to other countries, several difficulties or problems might arise that the company should be able to encounter and handle effectively (United Nations, 2009, p.10). As far as the process and form of internationalization is concerned, the process would depend on the motivation of the company, its internal and external handling of operations, its similarity with the foreign market, the locations where the company already has its operations, as well as the mode that the company follows in performing its functions (United Nations, 2009, p.11). Considering these motivations, benefits, processes and forms of internationalization of a company can be understood. In the following section, the study would focus on the Unilever Company and its internationalization and try to associate the company’s state with the theories of interna tionalization. Unilever Company and its Internationalization: The Unilever Company is an extremely popular company and has its presence felt internationally. The company has always

Phase Contrast Imaging Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Phase Contrast Imaging - Thesis Example The traditional approach is reliant on X-ray absorption as a mere source of contrast, and also outlines chiefly on ray optics to define and interpret the formation of image. As suggested by Yacobi et al, Phase contrast is the most challenging and complicated mechanism for a beginner to imagine, however, at the same time, it is the most powerful mechanism for generating images with ultra-high resolution (Yacobi et al, 1994). Phase Contrast imaging, which is informally known as High Resolution or HR imaging, is a process of imaging in Transmission Electron Microscopy, and is one of the chief components that discriminates Transmission Electron Microscopy from traditional optical microscopy. Nevertheless, phase contrast imaging is often interpreted as synonymous to high-resolution TEM (Williams and Carter, 1996). Moreover, phase contrast microscopy produces high-contrast images of transparent samples such as cells or micro-organisms (Murphy, 2002). This ability commences from the fact that the atoms in a substance disseminate electrons as they pass through them, thereby, giving rise to diffraction in contrast, along with the distinction that is already prese nt in the transmitted beam. Phase-contrast imaging contributes to the maximum imaging technology that has ever developed, and can also enable for resolutions ranging less than one angstrom, thus, allowing the straight viewing of lines of atoms in a crystalline substance. As suggested by Wilkinson and Schut, in phase contrast microscopy, the differences in refractive index are converted into differences in the image intensity (Wilkinson and Schut, 1998). The explanation of phase-contrast images is usually not a clear-cut task by any means. As viewed by Zhang, phase contrast images usually exhibit periodic contrast transformations or reversals (Zhang, 2001). The uncoiling of the differences viewed in the High Resolution image in order to identify the features as a result of which the atoms in the substance can hardly be performed with the naked eye. As an alternative, for the reason that the merger of contrasts as a reason of the multiple diffracting constituents as well as planes and the transmitted beam is diverse, the computer replications are brought in to use so as to identify what kind of distinct disparate structures may create in a phase-contrast image. As a point in fact, a sensible amount of information regarding the sample is required to be comprehended prior to the interpretation of a phase contrast image, for example a speculation about the constituents of the

Progression of economic value for coffee

Progression of economic value for coffee Chapter 3: The origin of the idea Progression of Economic Value for Coffee â€Å"Goods and services are no longer enough. To be successful in todays increasingly competitive environment, companies must learn to stage experiences for each one of their individual customers. We have entered the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which all businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers that engage each one of them in an inherently personal way.† Pine Gilmore, 1999 This is undoubtedly also true for the coffee industry. The economic value of coffee begins with extracting the commodity. Companies that harvest or trade coffee, receive about a 1 euro per pound. When a manufacturer grinds, packages, and sells those same beans to a grocery store, turning them into goods, the price to the consumer is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8 per pound, or about 7 ¢ to 18 ¢ a cup, depending on the brand and package size. When the coffee is brewed in a diner it will sell for about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 per cup. Businesses offer the coffee in an experience such as a fine restaurant orStarbucks get à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 a cup. This means that atStarbucks, the customer is not only paying for the coffee, but also for theStarbucks experience. Interestingly, when you move a product up the progression of economic value to an experience, as can be seen in figure 1, you rarely see discounting.This is because Starbucksdoes not need to offer price cuts in order to generate business. Consumers expect better quality when willing to pay a higher price. Retailing is therefore facing an increased challenge from the experience economy. The problem being that there is a great amount of shops in the world, all basically selling the same things, causing only stores that sell values and experiences to stand out. According to Pine and Gilmore (1999), Starbucks has succeeded precisely because it is not limited to only selling a good, being coffee beans, or a service, such as a cup of coffee to-go. Instead, as a Third Place, being not the home or the office but the place between, Starbucks strives to sell a one-of-a-kind experience, which it hopes to keep its customers satisfied enough to want to keep coming back for more. Karababa Ger (2011) argue that pleasure and leisure are two important characteristics of todays consumer culture. Masses of consumers enjoy leisure away from home and work in these so-called â€Å"third places†. Nowadays there are many different cafà ©s, all with different styles. Some are global-branded like Starbucks, while some are more local. Most local coffee houses are defined as either being anti-corporate, or are a hybrid of multiple local and global traditions, such as our own business case example, the Dutch coffee house Doppio-Espresso. The origin of Starbucks Several factors contributed to the opportunity for Starbucks to develop a new, successful retail chain, with the most important one being the fact that founder Howard Schultz had an insight that the other players in the coffee market did not. He realized that Americans were lacking a relaxed, social atmosphere where they could savor a good cup of coffee. After a trip to Italy in 1987 he purchased Starbucks, because he was convinced that Americans were ready to embrace the Italian coffee house culture. Prior to that time, coffee consumption in the US was gradually declining, while the three major coffee manufacturers, Proctor Gamble, Nestle, and Kraft, fought for market share in a saturated market, all the while decreasing the quality of the beans in their blends in order to maintain profits (Berry et al., 2006). The Starbucks brand has since then become ever-present, so much so that it may be hard to remember a time when coffee houses were not part of every major city in the world. Even though coffee houses existed in abundance before Starbucks came along, the quality of both the coffee and the customer experience has never been as consistent as today. Since the beginning, the company aimed at offering a better experience for coffee lovers. They did this by brewing coffee of uniform quality and developed the idea of charging premium prices for coffee drinks. But most importantly, they focused on creating a relaxing atmosphere for the customer. Tables were purposely spaced apart in order to ensure the customers their privacy. More specifically, round tables were used since research indicated that a person can sit alone at a round table without having to feel secluded or awkward. Furthermore, Starbucks aimed at opening as many stores as possible as a way to make each new store just a few steps more convenient for new customers. The stock value of Starbucks has since then increased by more than 3,000% (Berry et al., 2006). The origin of Doppio Chapter 5: Experiential Services Incremental improvements are added to services all the time, but few companies succeed in creating service innovation that create new markets or convert existing ones. To move in that direction, it is important for companies to embody the capacity to successfully implement the nine drivers of successful service innovations as can be seen in figure 2. In the case Starbucks, one of the most important success factors, which aided in creating a new service market, is their comprehensive customer-experience management. According to Zomerdijk Voss (2010), services differ from manufactured goods, because they generally offer many more distinct experiences to the customer. These experiences are called â€Å"touchpoints†, and they depend on three â€Å"experience clues†. The first one are functional clues, which point to the technical quality of the offering; the second being mechanical clues, which relate to nonhuman elements such as the design of the store; and the third being human clues, which come from the behavior and appearance of employees.When these three clues are combined, a total experience is created that has direct influence on how the customer will assess quality and value. The reason that Customer Experience Management is so crucial to the success of inseparable services, is due to the fact that with these kinds of services the customer is directly exposed to the production as well as the delivery of the service, and can thus experience everything that occurs there (Berry et al., 2006). Therefore, the success of Starbucks has to depend the quality of the product (functional clues), a relaxing atmosphere in the store (mechanical clues), and service-oriented employees (human clues). To implement its core strategy, Starbucks must therefore excel in managing all of these customer experience clues. In addition to serving sit-down coffee drinkers, Starbucks also serves another big market segment, namely, takeout customers who want fast service. In order to cater to both consumer groups Starbucks is constantly trying to find new ways to reduce the average waiting time without reducing quality. Some of the companys timesaving innovations are providing customers with special paying cards for fast transactions, more efficient coffee machines, and creating a way for employees to able to shift through the store to wherever he or she is needed at that time (Berry et al., 2006). Some Starbucks shops are also strategically located in areas where there are a lot of potential takeout customers. When Starbucks first started out in The Netherlands they focused solely on placing small shops located near public transportation areas, such as train stations, to cater almost exclusively to these takeout customers. Customers visiting a Starbucks store, however, do not only buy coffee, but they also buy the company brand. The way they experience the service has direct influence on how they perceive the brand. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz quickly realized that in order to achieve brand power in a service business, the employees must take center stage. When a product is sold in a supermarket, there is no personal interaction, but in a Starbucks store, you are presented with real people who produce and deliver the product as a service in a friendly and exclusive manner. As was explained in Chapter 4 with the Zomerdijk Voss (2010) model, employees are thus utilized at the frontstage of the experience. Starbucks success proves that a multimillion-dollar advertising program isnt a prerequisite for building a national brand; it can be done one customer at a time, one store at a time, one market at a time (Berry, 2000). Values-based Service Quality The four dimensions of the Values-based Service Quality model proposed by Enquist et al. (2007) are the technical, functional, experiential, and the human resources (HR) corporate climate dimension. According to the model Starbucks is a values-based company becomes it encompasses a strong commitment to all its stakeholders; customers, shareholders, employees, its suppliers, strategic partners, local communities and global society in general. The four dimensions can also be seen through the strong Starbucks concept, which relies on the premium coffee, and the â€Å"Starbucks experience†. More specifically, the first two dimensions technical and functional quality relate to the quality of processing and producing the coffee bean. High-quality coffee beans are purchased, roasted, and sold as fresh, richly-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages. Starbucks also offer a variety of foods, and coffee-related accessories in its stores. They also ensure that all parties in their value chain are operating at optimal quality, and sometimes even take over some of the manufacturing duties, such as roasting plants (Enquist et al., 2007). With Starbucks expanding throughout Europe and Asia, the company has strategically chosen Amsterdam for building a roasting plant, since the industrial area is relatively small and self-contained, providing specialized service. The facility houses equipment and operations to receive, roast, package and ship Starbucks coffee to retail stores in current and emerging markets. As with all Starbucks roasting plants, the Port of Amsterdam Roasting Pla nt also has a tasting room, which serves as the main center where Starbucks coffee experts taste and test the Starbucks coffee (Burnson, 2002). This further stresses the importance and commitment Starbucks places on innovating and improving its products and services throughout the value chain. The experiential quality dimension can be symbolized by the concept of the Starbucks experience, which amounts to more than just the store. It provides the customer with a â€Å"Third Place†, where he or she can relax away from home and work, and enjoy the services offered. The fourth and final values-based quality dimension HR corporate climate is related to workplace and society. One of the main goals of Starbucks management is to maintain a safe, productive and diverse work environment for its employees, and to provide them with opportunities for training and career growth. Starbucks also provides incentives for its employees to become shareholders of the company, and thus introduced the title of ‘partner instead of employee. Starbucks has also ventured into the sustainable service business by introducing a code of conduct in 2001, labeled C. A. F. E. Practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices), which promises to â€Å"deliver a premium coffee farmed, distributed and cultivated in an ethical, social and environmental way† (Enquist et al., 2007). The Future of Starbucks Starbucks led by the visions of Howard Schultz, has revolutionized the coffee industry and the perception of coffee when they first introduced their coffee experience concept, and has since then been setting industry standards. However, this radical way of offering coffee has in general become so widely accessible and common to consumers, that it no longer seems special. Furthermore, some strategic decisions made by Starbucks have caused the brand to become less flexible, and more standardized, compared to smaller, local and independent competitors. Aggressive expansions, and attempts to deal with intensified competition from the fast-food sector, have created negative associations with the Starbucks brand. This has caused Starbucks to be perceived by some as a mainstream and standardized brand, which no longer possesses the distinct character of a local authentic coffeehouse.

Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers

1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚