Sunday, August 18, 2019
Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness essays
Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness à à à à à Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the "voice" of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtz's demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlow's initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrad's use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlow's two opposing points of view: one of naà ¯vetà ©, which comes before Marlow's eventual epiphany after having met Kurtz, and the matured perspective he takes on after all of the events leading up to his and Kurtz's encounter. à à à à à à à à à à à à Almost immediately after the start of the passage, the reader is exposed to the prejudices of the white inhibitors. The indigenous people of the area are repeatedly compared to animals, dehumanizing them and depriving them of the common respect that all people deserve, regardless of race or creed. On page 24, Marlow says "A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants." Reinforcing this idea, he lends them other animal-like qualities, calling the sickly ones "creatures" and describing their movements as being "off on all fours...to drink," and even the act of drinking is described as the native having "lapped out of his hand," reminiscent of something a dog would do (28). à à à à à à à à à à à à Another interesting employment of language used by... ...s of the jungle, which sought to swallow him whole like the snake devouring its prey, sending it deeper within its body digesting it by stripping it of its layers one by one, paralleling the snake-like qualities of the river that drew Marlow deeper and deeper into its dark nothingness. And just like the Ancient Mariner, who is doomed to tell his tale for the rest of his life for the sake of penitence, Marlow, too, seems to retell his story of the tragic loss of innocence, of death and rebirth. Regardless of how many times the story had been told before it got to the narrator who eventually transcribed the events, it is one of great importance. It tells us that we must not judge a book by its cover, regardless of how convinced we may be of what is inside. à Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994. à Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness essays Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness à à à à à Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the "voice" of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtz's demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlow's initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrad's use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlow's two opposing points of view: one of naà ¯vetà ©, which comes before Marlow's eventual epiphany after having met Kurtz, and the matured perspective he takes on after all of the events leading up to his and Kurtz's encounter. à à à à à à à à à à à à Almost immediately after the start of the passage, the reader is exposed to the prejudices of the white inhibitors. The indigenous people of the area are repeatedly compared to animals, dehumanizing them and depriving them of the common respect that all people deserve, regardless of race or creed. On page 24, Marlow says "A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants." Reinforcing this idea, he lends them other animal-like qualities, calling the sickly ones "creatures" and describing their movements as being "off on all fours...to drink," and even the act of drinking is described as the native having "lapped out of his hand," reminiscent of something a dog would do (28). à à à à à à à à à à à à Another interesting employment of language used by... ...s of the jungle, which sought to swallow him whole like the snake devouring its prey, sending it deeper within its body digesting it by stripping it of its layers one by one, paralleling the snake-like qualities of the river that drew Marlow deeper and deeper into its dark nothingness. And just like the Ancient Mariner, who is doomed to tell his tale for the rest of his life for the sake of penitence, Marlow, too, seems to retell his story of the tragic loss of innocence, of death and rebirth. Regardless of how many times the story had been told before it got to the narrator who eventually transcribed the events, it is one of great importance. It tells us that we must not judge a book by its cover, regardless of how convinced we may be of what is inside. à Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994. Ã
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Two-Wheeler Automobile Industry in India
TWO-WHEELER AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA By group IX, MBA ââ¬ËSec Aââ¬â¢ Submitted to : Submitted by : Mrs. Smitha Nayak Anooj Balachandra Chandrakanti Shatrudra Saurabh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThe satisfaction and joy that accompanies the successful completion of a task is incomplete without mentioning the name of the person who extended her help and support in making it a success. We are greatly indebted to Mrs. Smitha Nayak , our Project Guide and Mentor for devoting her valuable time and efforts towards our project. We thank her for being a constant source of knowledge, inspiration and help during this period of making project.GROUP IX Anooj Balachandra Chandrakanti Shatrudra Saurabh TABLE OF CONTENT * Objective of the project * Introduction to Indian automobile industry * BCG matrix representation of automobile sector among various sectors * Overview of two-wheeler sector Fleet composition of all vehicles * Two-wheeler fleet composition in India * Structure of two-wheeler indus try * Usage pattern of two-wheeler in India * Key players in two wheeler industry * Introduction & Product mix Hero Honda & Bajaj (competitor) * 4 Pââ¬â¢s of marketing of Hero Honda * Market segmentation, Targeting and Positioning of Hero Honda. * Porters five force model for Hero Honda * SWOT analysis of Hero Honda (Karizma) * SWOT analysis of Bajaj (Pulsar) * Comparison of advertising strategy of Hero Honda and Bajaj * Future challenges ,Plans and SuggestionsOBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT:- The main objectives of the Project study are: * Detailed analysis of Automobile industry which is gearing towards international standards. * To conduct market research with regard to two-wheeler automobile industry and understand its marketing strategies. * Analyze the impact of qualitative factors on industryââ¬â¢s and companyââ¬â¢s prospects * Comparative analysis of major tough competitor. * To understand the current trends in two-wheeler automobile industry. INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN AUTOMO BILE INDUSTRY Automobile is one of the largest industries in global market.Being the leader in product and process technologies in the manufacturing sector, it has been recognized as one of the drivers of economic growth. During the last decade, well directed efforts have been made to provide a new look to the automobile policy for realizing the sector's full potential for the economy. Aggressive marketing by the auto finance companies have also played a significant role in boosting automobile demand, especially from the population in the middle income group. A Nations economy is well known from its transport system.For instant and rapid growth in economy, a well-developed and well-networked transportation system is essential. As India's transport network is developing at a fast pace, Indian Automobile Industry is growing too. Also, the Automobile industry has strong backward and forward linkages and hence provides employment to a large section of the population. Thus the role of Au tomobile Industry is very essential in Indian economy. Various types of vehicles are manufactured by the Automobile Industry. Indian Automobile Industry includes the manufacturing of trucks, buses, passenger cars, defence vehicles, two-wheelers.The two-wheeler manufacturing is dominated by companies like TVS, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (Pvt. ) Ltd. , Hero Honda, Yamaha, Bajaj, etc. The automobile industry in the country is one of the key sectors of the economy in terms of the employment opportunities that it offers. The industry directly employs close to around 0. 2 million people and indirectly employs around 10 million people. The prospects of the industry also has a bearing on the auto-component industry which is also a major sector in the Indian economy directly employing 0. 25 million people.BCG Matrix Representation of Automobile Sector among various Sectors:- In an economy, different industries are present and different industries have different growth rate as compared to the growth of the economy. In an economy, there are a number of major industries and they all occupy different positions in the BCG matrix according to their growth and contribution towards the economy. In the Indian economy, some of the major sectors are FMCG, automobiles, banking and insurance, steel, telecom, software, pharmacology and retail sectors and these can be placed in the different positions in the matrix as shown below:INDUSTRY BCG MATRIX AUTOMOBILES Market Growth Rate High Banking & Insurance Software STARS | QUESTION MARKS Retail Telecom | CASH COWS Low FMCG | DOGS | High Low Relative market share BCG matrix is used to determine the relative position of the companies of an industry or different SBUââ¬â¢s of any institution, in terms of the market growth rate and the market share of the company in the industry. In the Indian automobile sector, the major players are Maruti Suzuki Limited, General motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Hero Honda and Bajaj aut o.In the BCG matrix, the companies are placed in one of the following four categories: Star, Cash Cows, Dogs and Question marks. In the Stars we place the companies with high market growth and high market share, cash cows are the companies who have low market growth rate and high relative market share, the category of the question marks include the companies with low relative market share and high market growth rate and dogs include the companies who have low relative market share and low market growth rate. OVERVIEW OF TWO WHEELER SECTOR Two Wheeler IndustryIndian two -wheeler contributes the largest volumes amongst all the segments in automobile industry. This segment can be broadly categorized into 3 sub-segments viz. ; scooters, motorcycles and mopeds. In the last four to five years, the two-wheeler market has witnessed a marked shift towards motorcycles at the expense of scooters. In the rural areas, consumers have come to prefer sturdier bikes to withstand the bad road conditi ons. In the process the share of motorcycle segment has grown from 48% to 58%, the share of scooters declined drastically from 33% to 25%, while that of mopeds declined by 2% from 19% to 17% during the year 2008-09.The Euro emission norms effective from April 2000 led to the existing players in the two- stroke segment to install catalytic converters. All the new models are now being replaced by 4-stroke motorcycles. Excise duty on motorcycles has been reduced from 32% to 24%, resulting in price reduction, which has aided in propelling the demand for motorcycles. Within the two-wheeler industry, motorcycle segment grew at a phenomenally high rate of 35% as against a deceleration of 3% for scooters and 27% for mopeds. In fact, motorcycle has been taking away the share of scooters and mopeds in a 4. million two-wheeler market and surging ahead with its market share of 68%. The increasing demand from semi-urban and rural segments may have caused this positive shift towards motorcycles. Also, easy credit coupled with low interest rate regime, constrained personal transport, increasing income levels in middle class and higher aspirations of young people all seem to be the factors responsible for such high growth in two-wheelers. The growth in two-wheelers has been robust enough to counter the slowdown and other factors constraining the overall business activity in the country.Also, rationalization of excise duty in the Union Budget 2002-03 had a positive impact on the demand for motorcycles. We also expect the motorcycles to continue to lead the two-wheeler segment like in all other Asian countries. Available forecasts suggest that this trend would continue for another couple of years and the industry would record nearly double-digit average annual growth up to 2006. During the year, there have been important developments in two-wheeler industry. The competition has strengthened though there are hardly any new entrants into the industry.There is an increasing emphas is on price and this has led to cost cutting efforts all across the industry, thereby, making the customer an ultimate beneficiary. The trend also saw introduction of new motorcycles with capacity ranging from 100 to 180cc bikes. We anticipate that many more new models will be launched during the year and provide customers plenty of choice at competitive prices. Businesses cannot consistently grow at 25-30 per cent. Each business has a tendency to taper and plateau after attaining a particular size. An annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent over a period of time is extremely healthy.The TCS study rankings are conducted at the motorcycle segment-level to provide comparisons among similar groups of motorcycles. Motorcycles ranking highest in their respective segments for TCS are: Hero Honda CD100 SS (best standard motorcycle segment); Hero Honda Splendor (best executive motorcycle segment); Bajaj Pulsar (best premium motorcycle segment); and Royal Enfield Bullet Electra (best cruiser mo torcycle segment). The feeling of freedom and being one with the Nature comes only from riding a two wheeler. Indians prefer the two wheelers because of their small manageable size, low maintenance, and pricing and easy loan repayments.Indian streets are full of people of all age groups riding a two wheeler. Motorized two wheelers are seen as a symbol of status by the populace. Two wheelers in India are the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. It stands next only to Japan and China in terms of the number of two-wheelers produced and domestic sales respectively. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. Indian two-wheeler industry had a small beginning in the early 50's. The Automobile Products of India (API) started manufacturing scooters in the country.Bikes are a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry, the other two being scooters and mopeds. Indian companies are among the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world. In the initial stages, the scooter segment was dominated by API; it was later overtaken by Bajaj Auto. Although various government and private enterprises entered the fray for scooters, the only new player that has lasted till today is LML. The motorcycle segment was initially dominated by Enfield 350cc bikes and Escorts 175cc bike. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign competition in the mid-80s.And the then market leaders ââ¬â Escorts and Enfield ââ¬â were caught unaware by the onslaught of the 100cc bikes of the four Indo-Japanese joint ventures. With the availability of fuel efficient low power bikes, demand swelled, resulting in Hero Honda ââ¬â then the only producer of four stroke bikes (100cc category), gaining a top slot. The first Japanese motorcycles were introduced in the early eighties. TVS Suzuki and Hero Honda brought in the first two-stroke and four-stroke engine motorcycles respectively. These two players initially started with assem bly of CKD kits, and later on progressed to indigenous manufacturing.In the 90s the major growth for motorcycle segment was brought in by Japanese motorcycles, which grew at a rate of nearly 25% CAGR in the last five years. The industry had a smooth ride in the 50s, 60s and 70s when the Government prohibited new entries and strictly controlled capacity expansion. The industry saw a sudden growth in the 80s. The industry witnessed a steady growth of 14% leading to a peak volume of 1. 9mn vehicles in 1990. In 1990, the entire automobile industry saw a drastic fall in demand. This resulted in a decline of 15% in 1991 and 8% in 1992, resulting in a production loss of 0. mn vehicles. Barring Hero Honda, all the major producers suffered from recession in FY93 and FY94. Hero Honda showed a marginal decline in 1992. The reasons for recession in the sector were the incessant rise in fuel prices, high input costs and reduced purchasing power due to significant rise in general price level and credit crunch in consumer financing. Factors like increased production in 1992, due to new entrants coupled with the recession in the industry resulted in company either reporting losses or a fall in profits. Two wheeler fleet composition in India:- STRUCTURE OF TWO WHEELER INDUSTRY Mopeds:- Over the last 15 years, mopedââ¬â¢s contribution in overall 2-wheelers has declined significantly and now it remains a marginal category with just one manufacturer for the product. Its contribution in the 2-wheelers industry now stands at 5% and we expect that this segment will continue to be marginalised. The only player in this segment is TVS Motor. * Scooters:- Advent of fuel efficient motorcycles in the Indian 2-wheelers industry led to decline of Scooters. However, over the last five years, it has made a recovery and is emerging as a niche segment targeted towards women commuters.One of the reasons for this is the increasing need of mobility for the women commuters especially in the urba n areas is due to higher number of college going girls and greater participation of women in urban work force. The product itself has gone for a complete revamp and now this category mainly consists of gearless products. This segment is now dominated by Japanese manufacturers with HMSI having the leadership. HH, which is a late entrant in this segment, has also cornered a sizeable market share in the scooter segment. Another development in this segment is the launch of battery operated scooters.However, given the high replacement cost for the batteries, this has remained a marginal segment. * Motor cycles and bikes:- * Executive Segment Executive segment is the largest motorcycle segment and this is the stronghold of market leader HH. Competitors have tried to challenge HH in this segment, however all such challenges have fizzled out over time. With higher growth in economy segment, the contribution of this segment had come below 50% in FY06. However over the last three years, it ha s made a strong come back and now accounts for almost 60% of the motorcycle share. * Premium SegmentThis segment was creation of HH with ââ¬ËCBZ' And ââ¬ËKARIZMAââ¬â¢; however major boost to the segment was given by BAJAJ through ââ¬ËPulsar' which has dominated the segment. HH has remained a marginal player in this segment and one of the reasons for this is presence of HMSI in this segment. This segment remains a small segment in the Indian market with contribution of around 23% to the motorcycle industry. This is the performance segment and customers pay a premium for the novelty. Hence constant upgradation in the product is a requisite for success in this segment. Usage Pattern of two-wheelers in IndiaIs quite different from other countries * Initial cost and fuel economy are highest priority. * Low maintenance costs are desired. * Small entrepreneurs and farmers conduct their business carrying loads. * Very limited usage for sports bike. * Indians prefer the two wheel ers because of their small manageable size, low maintenance, and pricing and easy loan repayments. Key players in the Two-wheeler industry: * Hero Honda motors ltd. * Bajaj auto ltd. * TVS motors company ltd. * Yamaha motors India * Honda motorcycle and scooters India Motorcycles in India: Bikes comprise a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry.Companies : Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML ) Hero Honda Motors Limited was established in 1984, as a joint venture between India's Hero Group (world's largest bicycle manufacturers) and Japan's Honda Motor Company. And created the world's single largest two wheeler company and also one of the most successful joint ventures worldwide. During the 80s, Hero Honda became the first company in India. Over 19 million Hero Honda two wheelers running on Indian roads today. * Hero Honda CD Dawn * Hero Honda CD Deluxe * Hero Honda Glamour * Hero Honda Glamour-Fi * Hero Honda Karizma * Hero Honda Passion Plus Hero Honda Pleasure * Hero Honda Super Spl endor * Hero Honda Splendor NXG * Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme Bajaj Auto Ltd Company : Bajaj is the first Indian two wheeler automobile company in the market since 1945 with the name M/s Bacharj trading corporation private limited. In 1959 M/s Bacharj trading corporation private limited change its name as Bajaj Auto Ltd. Bajaj Auto obtains license from the Government of India to manufacture two- and three-wheelers vehicles in 1959. * Bajaj Avenger * Bajaj CT 100 * Bajaj Platina * Bajaj Discover DTSi * Bajaj Pulsar DTSi * Bajaj Wave * Bajaj Wind 125 * Sonic DTSiTVS Motor Company : TVS Motors is the third largest company in the two-wheeler industry with a market share of 16%. Infect, it is the only Indian company without a foreign collaboration in the two-wheeler industry. When the company opted out of the collaboration with Suzuki in 2002, many believed that TVS was headed towards extinction. But the company proved the doomsayers wrong and came out with a very successful `TVS Victor'. TVS Motors Ltd. originally incorporated in 1982 to manufacture two-wheelers in collaboration with Suzuki Motors of Japan, TVS was one of the leaders in two-wheeler industry. TVS Apache * TVS Centra * TVS Fiero * TVS Star * TVS Victor Yamaha Motor India: Yamaha Motor Corporation is the auto mobile company of Japan (1953) which works in India since 1955 and providing latest technology in India from last two decades. Yamaha Motor India was incorporated in august 2001 as a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha motor corporation, Japan * Yamaha CruxS * Yamaha G5 * Yamaha Gladiator * Yamaha FZ 16 * Yamaha R15 * Yamaha Fazer Honda motor: Honda motors of Japan is not a new name in the two wheeler scenario in the country, they were in a tie up with the Firodias owned Kinetic group.However in the late 90s they parted ways after problems arose over issues like introduction of new models, advertising expenditure, marketing strategies and other related issues. In the mid 80 Honda motors of Japan joined hands w ith the largest bicycle maker of India the Hero cycles to create Hero Honda which in a couple of decades or so have gone on to become the single largest motorcycle company in the world. Though Honda has come on its own on the Indian market yet it will be providing technological support to Hero Honda for the next ten years.Thus presenting a unique situation in which the company will be in direct competition with the company which it has been associated for nearly two decades. Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India limited, a 100% subsidiary of Honda motor company Japan eventually entered the Indian market with Honda Unicorn in 2004. * Honda Unicorn * Honda activa Now further the marketing strategies of HERO HONDA and its competitor BAJAJ will be analyzed. HERO HONDA * The Company was Incorporated on 19th January,1984 at New Delhi as a joint venture. Today Hero Honda is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world producing more than 3 million units of two-wheeler per year. * The c ompany's most popular model is the Hero Honda Splendour, which is the world's largest-selling motorcycle. * Over 19 million Hero Honda two wheelers are on Indian roads today. * Hero Honda CD-100 is the first four stroke motorcycle to be introduced in India in 100cc range. * During the fiscal year 2008-09, the company has sold 3. 28 million bikes. PRODUCT MIX SCOOTER| BIKE 100CC| 125CC| 150CC| 220CC| PLEASURE| CD 100SPLENDORSPLENDOR+PASSIONPASSION+| AMBITIONGLAMOR| CBZCBZ XTREME| KARIZMA|BAJAJ (COMPETITOR) * Established in 1945. * Started production of scooters in 1961 and became first two wheeler manufacturing company of India. * Bajaj Auto, is ranked as the world's fourth largest two and three- wheeler manufacturer. * Bajaj Auto is Indiaââ¬â¢s largest exporter of two wheelers. * During 2008-09, the company exported 772,519 two and three-wheelers recording a growth of 25 percent over 2007-08. * Exports now constitute 37 per cent in volume terms and 35 per cent IN value of net sal es. PRODUCT MIX 100CC| 125CC| 135CC| 150CC| 180CC| 200CC| 220CC| BAJAJ CT 100, BAJAJ PLTINIA, BAJAJ WAVE DISCOVER,BAJAJ WIND,BAJAJ XCD| PULSAR-135| PULSAR-150| PULSAR-180,AVENGER| PULSAR-200| PULSAR-220| 4 Pââ¬â¢s OF MARKETING OF HERO HONDA :- PRODUCT Hero Honda, which has a technology tie-up with Japan's Honda Motors, was currently discussing the feasibility of manufacturing scooters for the Indian market, Mr. Munjal said. However, the company has a binding clause with Honda's scooter manufacturing Indian subsidiary, preventing it from making scooters till 2004. Hero Honda Motors, India's largest motorcycle company, has launched the premium segment 223cc motorcycle Karizma priced at Rs 79,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi).Many of the products which the company has started with have been phased off. Now the existing products are Karizma, Ambition, CBZ, Splendor, Splendor+, Passion, Passion Plus, CD 100 SS, CD 100 and CD Dawn. The TCS study examines customer evaluations at three distinct o wnership periods: 1 to 6 months, 7 to 18 months, and 25 to 36 months. This helps in understanding the differences in satisfaction during initial ownership, in-warranty and post-warranty ownership periods. Satisfaction ratings decline as the length of vehicle ownership increases.However, Hero Honda Splendor is among the few models to maintain consistency across the three ownership periods. PRICING Pricing is a important component of marketing mix of the firm. Determining the prices of different products of a firm is very difficult task of the marketing manager. Price denotes money value of a product. If represent the amount of money for which a product can be exchange. In other words, prices represents the money which the buyer pays to the seller for a product price represent the exchange value of goods and services in terms of money. Price is all around.Price factor has very well been touched by the manufacturers. The pricing strategy of the company is very set. They price their pro duct according to the cost of production and also by keeping an eye on the price of the competitors of that segment and demand of the product in the market. A pricing strategy that ensured an average manufacturer margin that game dealer an adequate return and created a reputation with consumers like ââ¬Å"a company selling a good quality product at a reasonable price. Industry focus themselves the low cost producer with good quality and aimed to maintain the price advantage in every market of two wheelers.Hero Honda group ensures an easily affordable pricing through excellent transportation to common man. It fixes customer centric pricing that provide customer total satisfaction. Hero Hondaââ¬â¢s pricing objectives are: List price, Discount, Financing schemes, Credit terms, and Maximize profits Hero Honda group ensures an easily affordable pricing through excellent transportation to common man. It fixes customer centric pricing that provides the customer with total satisfaction. PLACE CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION: As a company, dealers play a major role in serving customers, while growing and sustaining markets.Hero Honda has a network of more than 3500 strong and dedicated Authorized dealers. A network that has helped Hero Hondaââ¬â¢s name and its promise of reliable quality to every part of the country. The power of this highly efficient and motivated network goes a long way to create goodwill for Hero Honda brand among countless consumers besides creating availability and after sales services. The channel of distribution is a direct dealer network. A direct dealer is a dealer who is authorized to purchase the product directly from the company and sell. PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION: Hero Honda has more than 3500 showrooms in India.Some of the Authorized dealers of Hero Honda Karizma, in and around Bombay, are: â⬠¢ Max Motors (Bombay) â⬠¢ F. P. Motors (Bombay) â⬠¢ Axis Motors (Thane) â⬠¢ Ranjeet Motors (Thane) â⬠¢ Ahir Motors (Kalyan) â⬠¢ Spectra Motors (New Bombay) â⬠¢ H. M. Motors (Panvel) PROMOTION Promotional tools 1. ADVERTISING: It is defined as a paid non-personal communication with a target (usually mass) market. It is cost effective and can reach a large number of people. It can also be used for long term or short term objectives. There are various forms or mediums through which can advertise. A. Broadcast Media: * Television * Radio * Cinema B. Print media: Newspapers * Magazines * Leaflets C. Outdoor media: * Posters and billboards. 2. PUBLIC RELATIONS AN PUBLICITY: Public relations are an umbrella term and refer to the totality of the organizationââ¬â¢s behavior with respect to the society in which it operates. The maybe regarded as good or bad and is reflected in the companyââ¬â¢s reputation and image. 3. SPONSORSHIP: Sponsorship can be seen as a part of public relations and it is certainly the case that some sponsorship goes on to generate positive publicity for the organization. The company h as not left any stone untamed in sponsoring the major events both globally and domestically.The biggest of all is the sponsorship of the ââ¬Å"WORLD CUPâ⬠for which Hero Honda has the credit of being the only two-wheeler company in the world to do so. Recently they are sponsoring the Hockey World cup. Besides this, the company has also sponsored events like ââ¬Å"Master Golfâ⬠, television academy awards, etc, Thus the company has gained a lot of reputation by doing so. 4. DISCOUNTS/OFFERS: The company has started giving discounts and other offers to the customers on the purchase of a new bike, for instance, with the World Cup offer, in which the consumer was to get a 1 gm gold coin with every purchase.But after all these schemes and benefits may be because of cut-throat competition in the segment with heavyweight competition such as Bajaj, kinetic, Yamaha, and TVS the company (HERO HONDA) officially says: ââ¬Å"Our aim is to proactively and consistently deliver value to the customer. We are giving back to the customer after becoming successful. Most companies give discounts only when their products are not doing well in the market. There is lost of competition in the segment, especially from Bajaj.But the reason for Hero Hondaââ¬â¢s success it that we are consumer-focused while other companies such as Bajaj tends to be more competitor-focused. 5. Test ride and Road show PROMOTION POLICY: * Company gives advertisement in different media vehicles time to time. Like in TV. Magazines, newspaper, etc. * Hero Honda also organizes free service camps every year. * Hero Honda also takes art in trade fair. * Hero Honda with the help of ICICI Bank provides loan to the customers & also provide easy monthly installment scheme to customers. * Hero Honda gives huge commission to their dealers.Advertisement, local events sponsorship and promotions and inviting a prominent personality for the inaugural or first like delivery function would contribute effectivel y in generating a wider local interest and attention. Hero Hondaââ¬â¢s latest DKD ââ¬â2 commercial its two brand starring its Ambassador and Indiaââ¬â¢s heart throbs, Hritik Roshan and Sourav Ganguly, truly reflects the multi fact roles that todayââ¬â¢s new generation plays. The commercial reflecting the charisma and vibrancy of these two stars, takes Desh Ki Dhadkan to dazzling new heights. It is young, colorful and vibrant and represents the icons of contemporary times.And it will go a long way in strengthening the leadership status of the product by the mile. The new commercial is powerful film repeat with an impressive storyline. The effort to pack the story, drama and impact in just 60 seconds was phenomenal challenge itself. The idea was born itself. The idea was born out of the very essence of ââ¬Å"Hero and Starsâ⬠. Keeping in mind would cause on the drama and impact it would cause on the audience. It is a commercial packed with action where todayââ¬â¢s heart throbs, Hritik and saurav, are seen tackling new roles.The story being in a field adjoining a hill with two cool men, Hritik and Sourav on Hero Honda bikes and Passion respectively. Both Sameer and Aditya win lifetime opportunity act with Hritik and Sourav, the two star heartthrobs of millions in India and all four will be seen in action in the new commercial DKD-2. These are some of the Slogan for every product (Bike) and these are following:- CD-100:Fill it, shut it, Forget it. CD100SS:Tough and Rugged. Splendor :Designed to Excel. Street Smart:License to enjoy. Passion:When style matters, Bike born in studio not in factory.CBZ:Motorcycling Unplugged. MARKET SEGMENTATION OF HERO HONDA * Demographic Segmentation * Income: HERO HONDA products are offered to the public taking into consideration all the income groups in the society. * Age: The main segmented group for the motorcycle are 18 years and above. * Occupation: All kinds of people are taken into account. Students, prof essionals, Govt. Servants, etc. * Geographic Segmentation: The potential customers are basically from every regions of India. * Psychographic segmentation:People purchasing bikes are very economical, quality, brand conscious and loyality. Behavioral segmentation:This segmentation is done considering user status, benefit wise. TARGETING AND POSITIONING OF HERO HONDA TARGETING The proposed targeting people in the age group of 18 years and above with a average monthly income of approximately Rs. 10,000 and above, who are brand loyal and who are either students or retired individuals or may be employed as professionals, government servants or having their own business, but mostly male i. e on the different stratas of the population. POSITIONING The image that Hero Honda creates in the mind of the customers is the faith. The add shown by it says ââ¬Å"Desh ki Dhadkanâ⬠.That means itââ¬â¢s a member of the Indian family. It represents the Indian culture and society. The objectives can be achieved through the implementation of suitable marketing strategy by the organisation. It is the marketing logic that is formulated keeping in mind the needs of the consumers and also strategies of the competitors. Porters five force model for Hero Honda:- Bargaining Power of suppliers: Suppliers of auto components are fragmented and are extremely critical for this industry since most of the component work is outsourced. Proper supply chain management is a costly yet critical need. Bargaining Power of Buyer:Buyers in automobile market have more choice to choose from and the increasing competition is driving the bargaining power of customers uphill. With more models to choose from in almost all categories, the market forces have empowered the buyers to a large extent. Competitive rivalry: The industry rivalry is extremely high with any product being matched in a few months by competitor. This instinct of the industry is primarily driven by the technical capabilities acquired over years of gestation under the technical collaboration with international players. Threat of substitute Products: There is no perfect substitute to this industry.Also, if there is any substitute to a two-wheeler, Bajaj has presence in it. Cars, which again are a mode of transport, do never directly compete or come in consideration while selecting a two-wheeler, cycles do never even compete with the low entry level moped for even this choice comes at a comparatively higher economic potential. Threat of new entrantsHere the threat of new depends on the economies of scale of the cost of production, and customer switching costs, access to industry distribution channels. | | S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS OF HERO HONDA (KARIZMA):- STRENGTH: â⬠¢ It has a good speed and sporty look Karizma is the First bike in India launched under Sports Bike Segment. â⬠¢ Loyal Customer Base: In the past four years, Karizma has been successful in building up a good and loyal base among its customers. â⠬ ¢ After Sales Service: Till today, customers are satisfied with the after sales service provided by Hero Honda for this particular product. â⬠¢ Refinement, comfort, great handling and that much-sought-after big bike feel are all available on the Karizma. â⬠¢ Brand Recall: the name Karizma itself is a metaphor to its success. The brand Karizma has given a good platform to this product in the Sports Bike Segment. WEAKNESS: High Maintenance: The maintenance of Karizma is high as compared to its biggest competitor Bajaj Pulsar 200cc and 220cc. â⬠¢ Fuel Efficiency: The pulsar 200cc offers an impressive mileage of 38. 3kpl in city and 42. 4kpl in highway against the Karizma offers only 30kpl in city and a decent figure of 45kpl in highway. â⬠¢ Less Promotion: the promotions and ads of Karizma are very less as compared to its competitors. OPPORTUNITIES: â⬠¢ If Hero Honda comes up with the idea of changing some features of Karizma, like self cancelling indicators, sof t touch handle bar and digital speedometer, it will help them to boost up the sales of Karizma. If they are able to improvise the fuel efficiency of Karizma, it will be a golden opportunity to take over the market. THREATS: â⬠¢ The major threat faced by Hero Honda Karizma is from Bajaj Pulsar, who has always been the market leader in the 150 plus segment with 60% market share. â⬠¢ Karizmaââ¬â¢s strong competitors Bajaj and TVS, in 150 cc plus segment, already posses certain features like self-controlling indicators, soft touch handle bar which Karizma lacks. â⬠¢ The competitor Pulsar 200cc has already come up with oil cooled engine which delivers maximum power.This is again a major threat to Karizma. S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS OF BAJAJ (PULSAR 220cc) STRENGTHS: â⬠¢ Pulsar 220cc features Indiaââ¬â¢s First Oil Cooled Engine which delivers maximum power making it most powerful engine offered by Bajaj. â⬠¢ New Pulsar also provides Digital Speedometer, Self Canceling Indicators which is for the First time in this segment in India. â⬠¢ Fuel efficiency: Pulsar 220cc delivers an impressive mileage of 38. 2 kmpl in city as compared to Karizma which delivers 30 kmpl in city. â⬠¢ Customer Base: In past decade Bajaj has established a strong base amongst its customers.WEAKNESS: â⬠¢ Style and Design: PULSAR 200cc and 220cc derives their styling from there previous version Pulsar 150 Dts-i and 180 Dts-i. â⬠¢ Pricing; Bajaj 220cc (Rs 82449 basic price) is costlier than karizma(Rs 78000 basic price) OPPORTUNITIES: â⬠¢ If they derive new styling, shape, design for pulsar 200cc and 220cc then they can attract more customers. â⬠¢ Taking into consideration the reviews of the customers regarding the ââ¬Å"fairingâ⬠of 220cc and making the needful changes will be an opportunity to capture an even larger share of the 200cc+ segment THREATS: The biggest threat is faced from the goodwill of Karizma in this segment who is the ââ¬Å"Four -Stroke Two Wheeler Rulerâ⬠of the Indian bike market. â⬠¢ Certain technical faults in the bike design which are potentially dangerous to the riderââ¬â¢s safety can be disastrous to the image of the bike. COMPARISION OF ADVERTISING STRATEY OF HERO HONDA AND BAJAJ ADVERTISING STRATEGY OF HERO HONDA:- Currently the number one company in terms of sales and has been dominant in the two-wheeler segment since the past decade. Since the inception of hero Honda, the company has been using television as a major role for its publicity.Though hero Honda was dominant in sales it lacked the skills of creating a spectacular ad till now. Though it had a vast range of mobiles, its advertising strategy was not up to the mark. For its publicity hero Honda has been using many famous celebrities like Saurav Ganguly, the captain of Indian cricket team, Hritik Roshan and other famous personalities as their brand ambassadors. Thus, hero Honda has been spending huge amounts on its publicity. Th e biggest of all is the sponsorship of the ââ¬Å"WORLD CUPâ⬠for which Hero Honda has the credit of being the only two-wheeler company in the world to do so.Presently they have tried to gain publicity by sponsoring the hockey world cup event which is the national game of India. There by creating a sense oneness and Nationalism through providing publicity and encouragement to the game by various adââ¬â¢s. | By sponsoring the hockey wprld cup event ,which is a national game of india| | | ADVERTISING STRATEGY OF BAJAJ:- Bajaj is always known for its outstanding ads over the period of time. Since its inception, Bajaj has come out with variety of ads and were always successful in their advertisements. Scooters were well known by the brand name of Bajaj.Be it any scooter, one used to recognize it by the brand name Bajaj. This was the identity a decade ago which the Bajaj has still maintained. Bajaj is always known for its ads without well-known brand ambassadors which is again a plus point to its cart as it saves a huge cost in terms of brand ambassadors unlike Hero Honda and TVS. Prior, Bajaj used to convey the feeling of ââ¬ËIndiannessââ¬â¢ in its ads. With a punch line ââ¬ËHamara Bajajââ¬â¢ Bajaj drove into everybodyââ¬â¢s hearts and the title song of ââ¬ËNaye Bharat Ki Naye Tasveerââ¬â¢ added a great value to its mobikes and scooters.A couple of years back, Bajaj had introduced an advertisement which promoted all the different ranges it had, wherein they had shown each product they had with a feeling of Indianness. Example: Eliminator passes-by a rangoli and drives slowly sideways without disturbing it. People on boxer pass-by a temple and bend their head to give a little offering. Such ads had revealing Indian culture had a great effect on Indians and Bajaj was successful in most of its ads. But recently, Bajaj had changed its brand logo along with its punch line i. e. ââ¬ËHamara Bajajââ¬â¢ got converted to ââ¬ËInspiring C onfidenceââ¬â¢.The reason for this change as told by the company officials was to keep pace with the new technologies in the fast moving world. Even though it had changed its punch line, it didnââ¬â¢t have much effect on its brand image. A year back, Bajaj introduced DTSi technology upgrading its always successful PULSAR 150cc and 180cc. Though Bajaj had changed its identity it still dominates for its creativity in ads. Future Challenges and Plans:- * Sustaining the growth rate. * Need for innovation ââ¬â low cost/ hybrid vehicles. * Upgrading Indian two-wheeler products. * Taking the products to the global market. * Capturing Indian as well as global market.Suggestions:- * Encourage exports. * Provide various two-wheeler financing schemes among manufacturers. * Open R&D centers. * Pressurize government to reduce taxes and duties. * Collaborate with global players. Conclusion :- The outlook for Indiaââ¬â¢s automotive sector is highly promising. In view of current growth trends and prospect of continuous economic growth of over 6 per cent, all segments of the auto industry are likely to see continued growth. Large infrastructure development projects underway in India combined with favourable government policies will also drive automotive growth in the next few years.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research
Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Answers to Review Questions 2. 1. Describe the key features of quantitative and qualitative research. Just look at Table 2. 1, which shows the key characteristics of these two approaches in their pure or extreme forms as well as the characteristics of mixed research. I will mention a few of these here. Quantitative research uses the deductive or confirmatory or ââ¬Å"top downâ⬠scientific method; it is used primarily for description, explanation, and prediction. It is based on quantitative data, in particular on the analysis of variables.The results are statistical and a goal is to generalize the results. In qualitative research, in contrast, the ââ¬Å"bottom upâ⬠or inductive exploratory method is used; it is used primarily for the purposes of description and exploration and to gain an understanding of how people think and experience their lives. It is based on qualitative data which during analysis are examined fo r patterns, themes, and holistic features. A narrative report is presented and generalization is usually not a goal because the focus is on the local, the personal, the subjective. 2. 2. Describe the key features of mixed research.Mixed research is the third and newest research methodology paradigm. As you can see in Table 2. 1 it tries to mix the best of qualitative and quantitative research into research studies. Philosophically, mixed research takes an eclectic, pragmatic, and commonsense approach, suggesting that the researcher mix quantitative and qualitative in a way that works best for the given research question being studied in a particular context. Mixed research uses both deductive and inductive methods, obtains both quantitative and qualitative data, attempts to corroborate and complement findings, and takes a balanced approach to research.Later in the chapter you will learn about the fundamental principle of mixed research which states that when planning mixed research, the researcher should mix methods or procedures in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and nonoverlapping weaknesses. 2. 3. What is the difference between a categorical variable and a quantitative variable? Think of an example of each. A categorical variable varies in type or kind and a quantitative variable varies in degree or amount. An example of the former is gender, and an example of the latter is class size. . 4. Why is experimental research more effective than nonexperimental research when a researcher is interested in studying cause and effect? Strong experimental research designs (i. e. , the best experiments) include both manipulation and random assignment; nonexperimental has neither of these. ââ¬Å"Manipulationâ⬠is an action taken by the researcher in the world (e. g. , providing a treatment to one group and a control condition to another group); manipulation allows us to see a manipulation first, and then observe the outco me or result of the manipulation. Random assignmentâ⬠makes the groups similar on ALL extraneous variables at the beginning of the experiment; hence, the only difference between the groups will be the level of independent variable received, allowing the differences observed after the experiment is completed to be attributed to the manipulated independent variable. 2. 5. What are the main problems with the simple cases of causal-comparative and correlational research? The problem with BOTH of these simple cases is that the researcher has no manipulation, no random assignment, and is only able to determine whether a statistical relationship is present.Observing a relationship is NOT enough information to attribute causation. To make a causal attribution, you need to meet three conditions: 1) show that there is a relationship, 2) show that you have the correct time ordering of your variables, that is, if A causes B then A must precede B in time, and 3) all alternative explanations must be ruled out. Again, all the simple cases give us is a relationship (i. e. , condition 1). (On the other hand, a well conducted strong experiment satisfies all three conditions. ) 2. 6 What are two variables that you believe are positively correlated?Study time the night before an exam and test grades (i. e. , the greater the study time, the higher the grades). 2. 7. What are two variables that you believe are negatively correlated? Amount of time spent partying the night before a test and test grades (i. e. , the greater the time spent partying, the lower the grades).. 2. 8. What are the different types of qualitative research, and what is the defining feature of each of these? The types are phenomenology, ethnography, case study research, grounded theory, and historical research.Here are the definitions, with the key ideas underlined: (a) Phenomenology: a form of qualitative research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phen omenon. (b) Ethnography: a form of qualitative research focused on describing the culture of a group of people. (c) Case study research: a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases. (d) Grounded theory research: a qualitative approach to generating a theory from the data that the researcher collects. e) Historical research: research about events in the past. 2. 9. What is mixed research, and what is an example of this kind of research? Mixed research (also commonly called mixed methods research) is research in which the researcher uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in a single research study. Example: study the members of the snake handling churches in the Southern Tennessee/West Georgia using participant observation and using quantitative measurement instruments to profile the participants on variables of interest.Both sorts of data will likely provide useful information. 2. 10. What are the three re search paradigms in education and what are the major types of research in each of these paradigms? (Hint: See Figure 2. 3 in your textbook. ) They are quantitative research, qualitative research, and mixed research. Quantitative research has two major subtypes: experimental and nonexperimental research; qualitative research has five major subtypes: phenomenology, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, and historical research. Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Answers to Review Questions 2. 1. Describe the key features of quantitative and qualitative research. Just look at Table 2. 1, which shows the key characteristics of these two approaches in their pure or extreme forms as well as the characteristics of mixed research. I will mention a few of these here. Quantitative research uses the deductive or confirmatory or ââ¬Å"top downâ⬠scientific method; it is used primarily for description, explanation, and prediction. It is based on quantitative data, in particular on the analysis of variables.The results are statistical and a goal is to generalize the results. In qualitative research, in contrast, the ââ¬Å"bottom upâ⬠or inductive exploratory method is used; it is used primarily for the purposes of description and exploration and to gain an understanding of how people think and experience their lives. It is based on qualitative data which during analysis are examined fo r patterns, themes, and holistic features. A narrative report is presented and generalization is usually not a goal because the focus is on the local, the personal, the subjective. 2. 2. Describe the key features of mixed research.Mixed research is the third and newest research methodology paradigm. As you can see in Table 2. 1 it tries to mix the best of qualitative and quantitative research into research studies. Philosophically, mixed research takes an eclectic, pragmatic, and commonsense approach, suggesting that the researcher mix quantitative and qualitative in a way that works best for the given research question being studied in a particular context. Mixed research uses both deductive and inductive methods, obtains both quantitative and qualitative data, attempts to corroborate and complement findings, and takes a balanced approach to research.Later in the chapter you will learn about the fundamental principle of mixed research which states that when planning mixed research, the researcher should mix methods or procedures in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and nonoverlapping weaknesses. 2. 3. What is the difference between a categorical variable and a quantitative variable? Think of an example of each. A categorical variable varies in type or kind and a quantitative variable varies in degree or amount. An example of the former is gender, and an example of the latter is class size. . 4. Why is experimental research more effective than nonexperimental research when a researcher is interested in studying cause and effect? Strong experimental research designs (i. e. , the best experiments) include both manipulation and random assignment; nonexperimental has neither of these. ââ¬Å"Manipulationâ⬠is an action taken by the researcher in the world (e. g. , providing a treatment to one group and a control condition to another group); manipulation allows us to see a manipulation first, and then observe the outco me or result of the manipulation. Random assignmentâ⬠makes the groups similar on ALL extraneous variables at the beginning of the experiment; hence, the only difference between the groups will be the level of independent variable received, allowing the differences observed after the experiment is completed to be attributed to the manipulated independent variable. 2. 5. What are the main problems with the simple cases of causal-comparative and correlational research? The problem with BOTH of these simple cases is that the researcher has no manipulation, no random assignment, and is only able to determine whether a statistical relationship is present.Observing a relationship is NOT enough information to attribute causation. To make a causal attribution, you need to meet three conditions: 1) show that there is a relationship, 2) show that you have the correct time ordering of your variables, that is, if A causes B then A must precede B in time, and 3) all alternative explanations must be ruled out. Again, all the simple cases give us is a relationship (i. e. , condition 1). (On the other hand, a well conducted strong experiment satisfies all three conditions. ) 2. 6 What are two variables that you believe are positively correlated?Study time the night before an exam and test grades (i. e. , the greater the study time, the higher the grades). 2. 7. What are two variables that you believe are negatively correlated? Amount of time spent partying the night before a test and test grades (i. e. , the greater the time spent partying, the lower the grades).. 2. 8. What are the different types of qualitative research, and what is the defining feature of each of these? The types are phenomenology, ethnography, case study research, grounded theory, and historical research.Here are the definitions, with the key ideas underlined: (a) Phenomenology: a form of qualitative research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phen omenon. (b) Ethnography: a form of qualitative research focused on describing the culture of a group of people. (c) Case study research: a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases. (d) Grounded theory research: a qualitative approach to generating a theory from the data that the researcher collects. e) Historical research: research about events in the past. 2. 9. What is mixed research, and what is an example of this kind of research? Mixed research (also commonly called mixed methods research) is research in which the researcher uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in a single research study. Example: study the members of the snake handling churches in the Southern Tennessee/West Georgia using participant observation and using quantitative measurement instruments to profile the participants on variables of interest.Both sorts of data will likely provide useful information. 2. 10. What are the three re search paradigms in education and what are the major types of research in each of these paradigms? (Hint: See Figure 2. 3 in your textbook. ) They are quantitative research, qualitative research, and mixed research. Quantitative research has two major subtypes: experimental and nonexperimental research; qualitative research has five major subtypes: phenomenology, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, and historical research.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Enlish Methods Of Writing For Junior Cert Essay
Junior Cert English ââ¬Å"Functional Writingâ⬠Introduction and Overview The Functional Writing section of Paper I asks the student, in as close as possible, to write in the style of somebody who either uses language for a living, or is conducting business or important matters through writing or speech. This part of Paper I strays away from fiction, but is not entirely devoid of opportunities to use language in a creative or dramatic fashion. In some cases the student may have to use their imagination to provide detail to make their work seem realistic and give it the authentic feel. The marks in Functional Writing are given for the knowledge of the style and tone required for the task, and for the understanding of the format required. Awareness of Audience and Task In all cases in this section, your choice of language, and your use of tone and register will be dictated to you by Ãâà · The intended recipient and/or audience. Ãâà · Your means of delivery. In short, you can either use a formal or informal style of address. You should take into account the age, status, and size of the audience you are dealing with. Your language should always be trying to create the appropriate impression of both who you are and what youââ¬â¢re trying to do. For example, you would use a formal style of address if you were writing a letter to your bank manager asking for a loan to start your own business. Your language would be confident, but not aggressive: informative, but not laboriously so: enthusiastic but not overzealous. The impression created on the bank manager is that you are reliable, competent and trustworthy, and your business will be a huge success. For your own entertainment you might want to write the worst possible letter of application for the same loan- you would be over-familiar, disrespectful, vague, repetitive, and riddled with inaccuracies about yourself and what you want to do. You can then guess what response this would get from the same bank manager going through their morning mail. This then is the key to Functional writing; awareness of the tone you are to take, and the choice of language to use to reinforce that tone. An example of a task that you would be asked to complete with an informal style is to imagine that you have been asked by a club that you are involved with to make a presentation to a class of twelve year old primary school children to encourage them to join. You would be presenting this verbally, so when you would prepare your material beforehand, you would stress key information on several occasions, to avoid having the same basic question repeated infinitely. As your audience would be unlikely to have firsthand experience of what you are taking about, you would use the simplest language possible, and use short, sequential, informative language. You would also use an informal tone, as you would want your audience to think your group would be welcoming and fun, not preoccupied with taking everything too seriously. Here is an example of a completely made-up extract from my very busy diary. Consider the language and tone I would use for each of the following tasks in just one day: 10:00 ââ¬â Book holiday tickets over phone from travel agency. 11:00 ââ¬â Complete and edit report for Boss on efficiency of new sys. 12:00 ââ¬â Address fundraising lunch for Kidney Dialysis unit for Childrenââ¬â¢s Hospital. 2:00 ââ¬â Write congratulations card for birth of secretaryââ¬â¢s daughterââ¬â¢s first child. 3:00 ââ¬â Deliver presentation to investors on Company performance. 4:00 ââ¬â Talk to business journalist about new product range. 6:00 ââ¬â Attend parent-teacher meeting at sonââ¬â¢s new school. 8:00 ââ¬â Coach under 12 team ââ¬â introduce new training drills. 10:00 Convince very unsympathetic wife that Iââ¬â¢ve had a long day. At both 12:00 and 3:00 I will be addressing a group of businesspeople. However, there are differences. People will not want to be overly serious at lunch, so I will be able to use a respectful but informal tone. I may even be able to use language that will influence my audience emotionally. However, at 3:00 I will have to be very formal and very structured in my use of language and terminology for the business meeting. Look at the way my 11:00 task is written. Will I get away with that use of shorthand and slang in the report itself? Of course not; what is acceptable as a note for your own use is not acceptable for a report for someone elseââ¬â¢s reading. Will it be easier to present information to my 3:00 or 8:00 appointment? In the afternoon everybody will be fresh. Will they be as sharp in the evening? Should my card for my secretaryââ¬â¢s daughter be written with the same tone and language as my report for my employer? All of these questions are central to the idea of functional writing. Make sure what you are doing is appropriate to your task and your audience. Reports. A report can be written for a newspaper, radio programme, or television broadcast. No matter whether itââ¬â¢s to be read or spoken, start with the most important details first. You should deal with the following sequence of facts; 1) what has happened; 2) how it happened; 3) why it happened. The first section, what, will also include where, who and when. A report doesnââ¬â¢t only have to include the facts, it can also include opinions, in the form of quotations from the relevant experts and authorities, and also some degree of speculation as to what will happen next, and what consequences there will be. Unlike a review, the writer is there to convey the truth and facts of the matter. They are to be unbiased, non-judgemental, and let the facts speak for themselves. A good reporter will trust their audience to make up its mind in the right way once it has all the facts. The Tabloid Unlike the Broadsheet, the Tabloid newspaper makes no bones aboutà choosing sides in a story, and actively tries to persuade its readers to share its opinion. They very much like to take a light hearted approach to news material if at all possible, and frequently use puns in headlines. They also avoid putting in too many views or opinions on any given subject. They like first-hand accounts from people involved in making the news, and will avoid analysis, as they prefer to be very direct in their focus on the story. The tabloid journalist likes to gain an emotional response from their reader, and will not shy away from showing where their sympathies lie in any given story. They will sometimes choose to present deliberately one-sided reports on what may sometimes be very complicated issues. They like stories that involve celebrities or famous people, and avoid serious treatment of political or economic issues as much as possible. They thrive on scandal, and what they believe is the publicââ¬â¢s insatiable appetite to see what goes on behind closed doors. Tabloids pride themselves on their extremely in-depth sports coverage. The average reading age (age at which a reader would be expected to understand all contents without difficulty) for a Tabloid newspaper is just nine years. Tabloids like simple and short sentences. They use puns and wordplay to highlight and make memorable the key thrust of their story. They avoid using complicated terminology, and long sentences. They also highlight key-points by having several sub-captions to stories, and by using several illustrations to put across the message visually as well. Tabloids have always been traditionally strong on visual information and colour pictures. In recent years tabloids have abandoned over-reliance on the ââ¬Å"page-three girlâ⬠feature as they are trying to encourage more women readers. The Broadsheet A broadsheet newspaper is characterised, not only by its large size, but by the attitude it takes towards journalism, and the presentation of news stories. Primarily, a broadsheet will focus on political, economic and lifestyle features. It will present its main stories in a very in-depth and detailed format. They will take a very serious tone with the reader, and will avoid anything that might seem to be trivialising an issue, for example, a pun in a headline. They prefer a serious, sombre, and oftenà complex approach to news-stories. Broadsheet newspapers examine not only what happened, but how it happened, why it happened, if it happens frequently, what can be done about it, and they will also mention when similar events occurred. They like to find many individuals related to the event, and experts to give quotations and opinions on what has happened. The broadsheet journalist likes to appear impartial and unbiased, and avoids any sense that their emotions might be affecting what they write in any way. They like to convey the impression that they give you the whole truth. Some broadsheet newspapers are physically huge. The average reading age (level of difficulty) for reading a broadsheet and understanding everything in it would be fourteen years, which means you would be able to follow everything. Broadsheets are only now beginning to embrace the possibilities for the use of colour in their papers. Traditionally they have been very black and white affairs, but are increasing the amount of photographs they publish. Reviews. The art of the reviewer is to give the reader just enough a suggestion of what it is youââ¬â¢re talking about, just enough to whet their appetite. If you check a Sunday newspaper, you can find reviews of motorcars, concerts, films, restaurants, even hotels! Nothing is too small, or too large to avoid being reviewed. You could be required to write a review of a favourite film of yours, or to write a blurb for the back of a novel. Unlike a report, which is essentially factual, a review gives you far more scope to let your opinions and feelings known. You can say what you liked or disliked about what youââ¬â¢re reviewing, and that is almost important as a factual description of what youââ¬â¢re reviewing. You can create either a very positive or negative impression on your reader by the tone and language you use. You should assume that your reader has a general interest in the area, but may not be familiar with exactly what youââ¬â¢re going to tell them about. It is easy to criticise something, and often after saying how bad something is, you will find yourself repeating your verdict without informing the reader of why, how or what was bad about it. If you are still looking to fill space, try constructive criticism. Any reviewer can pronounce whether something is good or bad; only the inspired reviewer can point out what was done well, and conversely, what opportunities were lost. For example, if you are reviewing the sitcom Friends, then you should fill in the background first for the reader. It is advisable to go into some detail about the characters, and then finally to attempt some analysis of why it is you like or dislike it. Interviews. Q: Whatââ¬â¢s the difference between an interview and writing dialogue? A: Interviews are essentially pieces of dialogue, but without the qualifying ââ¬Å"he saids / she saidsâ⬠at the end of each piece of speech. The different parts of the conversation can be put as question and answer exchanges (ââ¬Å"Q:â⬠and ââ¬Å"A:â⬠), or if it is a more informal interview which is very similar to a conversation, then you can call yourself ââ¬Å"Interviewerâ⬠, but refer to your subject by their Surname. Keep your questions short, and let your interviewee expand on them. Q: What are the things I should try to do, and what are the most common problems? A: A bad question to ask is anything that would encourage your interviewee to give a monosyllabic answer, of the ââ¬Å"yes/noâ⬠variety. A good question is one which gives the interviewee a chance to illustrate with examples from their life, work, or to ponder on events important to their work, lives, and past or future. A good interviewer gets to the point quickly, and their questions will never be longer than the answers they receive. I once interviewed Seamus Heaney while in college, and committed all of the above mistakes. The Sample Answer below I have had to invent to cover my embarrassment! As well as bearing in mind your interviewee, bear in mind the audience who will be reading this interview. You want somethingà that is informative, but not technical, and which allows the person or subject to come across well to the reader. There was a fashion recently in newspapers for interviews in which you discovered more about the interviewer than the interviewee, but thankfully, this has now passed. Q: So, I basically just make the entire thing up then? But how do I structure it? A: If you are stuck as to where to start, pick an example of an interviewee who would be appropriate, and write out the list of questions you would like to ask them. Then all you need to do is invent their answers, going by what you know of them. If youââ¬â¢re still stuck, then ask what theyââ¬â¢re doing now, what they were doing previously, and what they hope to be doing in six months time. You can also ask if they have achieved all they want to do, or if they think other peopleââ¬â¢s impressions of them are important. Bear in mind though that your questions will ultimately depend on who the intended audience for the interview is. If they are your age, then ask questions you think your friends would like to know the answers to. Within reason, of course. Speech Writing The skill of speech writing could be relevant to Personal Writing or Functional Writing. How to write, deliver and appreciate a good speech. The key to writing and delivering a good speech is to remember at all times that the speaker is dealing with an audience. The writer/speaker must also bear in mind at what occasion the speech is to be delivered. A speech to be given at an EGM of a company faced with bankruptcy will be drastically different in its structure, tone, and technique than a speech to be given by the same speaker at a wedding later that week! How to write a speech. (For this section, we will consider a speech as that which a speaker would be called upon to prepare for a debate, or public speaking competition.) First, read your motion carefully. In the Junior Certificate, you will be invited to speak either for or against the topic. In deciding whether to speak for or against the motion, donââ¬â¢t necessarily choose the side of the motion whichà you support; choose instead the side of the argument that will give you the most arguments to use in your speech. A good idea is to brainstorm all the possible arguments both for and against, and when you see which side gives you more avenues of thought to pursue, choose it. Second, having chosen your side of the debate, decide that the motion is a good or bad idea becauseâ⬠à ¦This then will become the argument of your speech. The argument is the central theme which you will introduce, build upon and then summarise. Often it is best to have to have three reasons; Example For Capital Punishment is a good idea becauseâ⬠à ¦ 1. It deters other criminals from committing serious crimes 2. It is cheap, efficient, and labour saving 3. It eliminates the possibility of repeat offences Against Capital Punishment is a bad idea becauseâ⬠à ¦ 1. Miscarriages of justice cannot be rectified 2. It makes killing right for some yet wrong for others, thus introducing a double standard when there should be a simple statement that ââ¬Å"murder is a crimeâ⬠3. Prisons should be for rehabilitating offenders, not for revenge All of the above statements should then be supported by example, but remember, in a debate, your argument is more important than your examples. A good speaker is always restating their argument; a bad speaker is always lost in a fog of example. This is how your argument becomes informative and clear. Third, decide on the structure and tone you want to use in your speech. Some speakers may like to start their speech with a story, anecdote or quotation that will then illustrate their arguments to follow. This gives the speaker a chance to make the speech unique, and make it more relevant than a theoretical discussion of some issue that has never had, or will never have any affect on the speaker. What tone are you going to use? Avoid making sweeping statements, such as ââ¬Å"we all know what this is going to lead to.â⬠Instead, pitch such ideas to the audience in the form of rhetorical questions: ââ¬Å"Do we want our society to be like this?â⬠Avoid the use of too much jargon, and if you are forced to, make sure to define the term immediately after you first mention it, so the audience will be informed for when they will next hear the term. Do not believe that your audience are already experts on this issue ââ¬â you may need to fill them in on the basicsà first. Do not do this in a patronising way, but instead say that you want to focus their attention on the key issues. In this way you will be more persuasive, and less arrogant. Too much arrogance and you will end up alienating your audience from your point of view. Opening comments. Depending on the occasion that the speech is to be delivered, start with the most important dignitaries present, and proceed through your list to the end, which is usually your fellow speakers. A standard opening for a school debate would be Chairperson, Principal, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Students, Fellow Speakers, I have come before you today to speak on the motion thatâ⬠à ¦(insert motion here)â⬠à ¦ Continue to refer directly to the audience at intervals throughout your speech, and conclude with a summary of all your arguments, and by thanking the audience for their time and attention. Ladies and Gentlemen, having put forward the facts, I beg you to support/oppose this motion, thatâ⬠à ¦(insert motion here)â⬠à ¦ How do you know if you have written a good speech? Imagine you are listening to that speech from the audience. To a member of an audience, no matter where, a good speech will always have the following qualities. 1. It will be suited to the tone of the occasion, whether solemn, or celebratory. 2. It will be informative, but not so technical that it either confuses or loses you. 3. You will be clear at the end of the speech as to why the speaker feels in the way they do about the topic they have spoken on. 4. The speech will emphasise why the issue is important to everyday life, rather that some abstract worry that may never affect you. 5. You will have been given a definition of the issue, and more importantly, a series of suggestions or steps as to how this issue should be dealt with. 6. You will have developed a sympathy for both the speaker and the issue that they spoke upon.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay
Register for this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/0262-1711. htm Managing diversity using a strategic planned change approach Earnest Friday Management in the College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA, and Managing diversity 863 Received October 2002 Revised February 2003 Accepted February 2003 Shawnta S. Friday School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA Keywords Diversity management, Strategic management, Change management Abstract Many organizations have implemented various types of initiatives within the last few decades in an effort to deal with diversity. A possible missing vinculum (link) between how an organization deals with diversity and its impact on the bottomline is a corporate diversity strategy that is executed using a planned change approach to systemically manage diversity. While many organizations have implemented a corporate diversity strategy, most have not used a ââ¬Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategyâ⬠. The lack of a ââ¬Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategyâ⬠is quite likely to inhibit managing diversity from becoming systemic to an organizationââ¬â¢s culture and its way of doing business, thus tending to disallow the potential bene? ts of diversity to be maximized. Hence, this paper offers a framework for using a ââ¬Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategyâ⬠to: progress along the ââ¬Å"diversity continuumâ⬠starting with acknowledging to valuing, and ultimately to managing diversity; and systemically managing diversity using a eight-step ââ¬Å"managing diversity processâ⬠. Introduction Over the past few decades, academicians, practitioners and organizational researchers have recognized that diversity is a phenomenon that has a wide array of affects within the workplace, and society in general (Koonce, 2001; Stark, 2001; Williams and Oââ¬â¢Reilly, 1997). In this paper, diversity refers to any attribute that happens to be salient to an individual that makes him/her perceive that he/she is different from another individual (Williams and Oââ¬â¢Reilly, 1997). Some widely accepted differentiating attributes include racioethnicity (which encompasses race and ethnicity), gender, nationality, religion, functional expertise, and age. Even though racioethnic and gender diversity tend to receive the majority of the attention in the organizational diversity literature (Stark, 2001; Williams and Oââ¬â¢Reilly, 1997), this de? ition allows for the frameworks offered to be applied to any type of organizational diversity salient to members. Diversity programs have been implemented in many multinational organizations, primarily, in an effort to improve working relationships Journal of Management Development Vol. 22 No. 10, 2003 pp. 863-880 q MCB UP Limited 0262-1711 DOI 10. 1108/02621710310505467 JMD 22,10 864 between white males, whose relative numbers continue to decrease, and demographically different individuals, whose numbers continue to increase in the workplace (Friedman and DiTomaso, 1996). While many multinational organizations have a corporate diversity strategy, most have not implemented it using the suggested planned changed approach posited in this paper. Given the intensifying ââ¬Å"war for talentâ⬠in todayââ¬â¢s competitive, global business environment, it is imperative that the execution and evaluation of a corporate diversity strategy use a planned changed approach to not only acknowledge and value diversity, but to also systemically manage and inculcate diversity into an organizationââ¬â¢s corporate culture. This type of approach can contribute immensely to an organizationââ¬â¢s ability to use all of its human capital as a strategic means to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in todayââ¬â¢s dynamic, global marketplace (Richard, 2000). It has been purported that if diversity can be effectively managed in an organization, some potential bene? ts to the organization include greater creativity and innovation, and improved decision-making (Cox, 1991). Conversely, if diversity is not managed effectively, some potential major costs to the organization include, at a minimum, breakdowns in communication, interpersonal con? ict, and higher turnover (Cox, 1991). While there may not be much empirical evidence to substantiate claims that effectively managed diversity directly leads to bottomline increases (Chatman et al. , 1998; Richard, 2000; Stark, 2001), there is real-world evidence (e. g. Coca-Cola, Dennyââ¬â¢s, Publix, and Texaco settlements) to suggest that not effectively managing gender and racioethnic diversity has been, and can be, detrimental to organizations and their bottomlines. Thus, it is a logical extrapolation that an organizationââ¬â¢s ability or inability to create a culture in which diversity is systemically acknowledged, valued, and effectively managed is more likely to determine the affects diversity will have on itââ¬â¢s bottomline. Many organizations have implemented various diversity initiatives as a part of their corporate diversity strategy (Koonce, 2001), but most have not used a planned change approach to strategically align their initiatives with their long-term objectives and strategic positioning. It is highly probable that this lack of planned strategic alignment contributes immensely to the purported ineffectiveness of many diversity initiatives (Stark, 2001). Consequently, an organization that seeks to maximize the potential bene? s of diversity should devise a ââ¬Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategyâ⬠prior to implementing diversity initiatives. The purpose of the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is to align the organizationââ¬â¢s diversity initiatives (designed to manage diversity) with the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic goals, and ultimately make managing diversity an integral part of the organizationââ¬â¢s culture. An aligned planned change-corporate diversity st rategy will contribute immensely to the long-term effectiveness of diversity initiatives aimed at better managing all of he organizationââ¬â¢s human resources. This is especially signi? cant for organizations with a highly diversi? ed workforce. With a planned change-corporate diversity strategy, diversity initiatives are aligned with organizational policies, procedures, and systems. Such alignment is desired to systemically reinforce an organizational culture that encourages the effective management of all employees in order to garner diversityââ¬â¢s purported bene? ts, including the end goal of increasing the bottomline. Thus, frameworks are presented for using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy to: advance from the initial passive states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the ? nal active state of managing diversity on the ââ¬Å"diversity continuumâ⬠; and systemically manage diversity using the speci? c eight-step ââ¬Å"managing diversity processâ⬠. The diversity continuum and the planned change approach Valuing diversity and managing diversity as distinct phenomena Over the last few decades, a myriad of articles have been written on the subjects of valuing diversity and managing diversity (Wanguri, 1996). In some cases, valuing diversity and managing diversity have been considered, and sometimes used, interchangeable when, in fact, they are two different phenomena (Jenner, 1994). By the very nature of their de? nitions, valuing and managing diversity are distinctly different. Valuing refers to the relative worth, importance, or signi? cance of something, whereas managing refers to taking charge or coordinating and supervising situations. Given these de? nitions, valuing diversity should be considered a more passive phenomenon, where importance or signi? ance is given to individualsââ¬â¢ differences, which does not automatically lead to visible actions or reactions on the part of the individuals valuing the diversity or differences. Managing diversity, on the other hand, should be considered an active phenomenon, which involves supervising or coordinating and directing the diversity or differences individuals bring to the organization to ensure the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic go als are being fully and effectively met. In other words, it refers to successfully organizing the organizational inputs of individuals with diverse backgrounds. This de? nition is consistent with the managing diversity de? nition given by Thomasââ¬â¢ (1991): ââ¬Å"a ââ¬Ëway of thinkingââ¬â¢ toward the objective of creating an environment that will enable all employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of organizational objectivesâ⬠. The diversity continuum As a result of the confusion in the literature between the two phenomena, valuing diversity and managing diversity, it is not dif? cult to understand why consensus does not exist on the claims of bottomline bene? s as a result of the attempts organizations have made to value and/or manage diversity. In addition to the confusion, lack of consensus could also be a function of the Managing diversity 865 JMD 22,10 866 complexity of the diversity concept in the organizational context. Given the complexity of diversity within an organizational setting, it is possible that perceiving it in terms of a set of three elements that delineates what to do with diversity may serve t o simplify or clarify the confusion in the diversity literature. Therefore, a diversity continuum is offered to guide researchers and practitioners in moving from the more passive states of acknowledging diversity and valuing diversity, on through to the more active state of managing diversity. As individuals ? nd themselves in situations with diverse individuals, they are likely to take one of two courses of action: avoid dealing with the diversity, or recognize that the diversity exists. In the case where individuals avoid diversity, they do not face the fact that diversity is an issue. It is likely that these individuals do not accept the idea that they are likely to be biased in their interactions with others that they perceive to be different from themselves. Although avoiding diversity is viewed as a possible response to diversity, it is not included in the diversity continuum. The diversity continuum is based on the assumption that individuals take the second course of action and recognize diversity. Once diversity is recognized, as previously stated, the diversity continuum serves as a framework to delineate the three potential states of dealing with diversity: acknowledging, valuing, and managing diversity. The three sequential components of the diversity continuum are: acknowledging diversity; valuing diversity; and managing diversity (see Figure 1). Acknowledging diversity, the ? rst component, refers to recognizing the existence of diversity or the individual differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. In order for individuals to truly acknowledge diversity, they must be exposed to it, experience it, acquire knowledge about it, and they must develop an understanding of diversity. The second component of the diversity continuum is valuing diversity. Valuing diversity, as de? ed above, refers to the signi? cance or importance being given to the diversity or differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. Having an appreciation for, as well as respect for, the differences that diverse individuals bring with them to the work setting can lead to the last component. The last component of the diversity continuum is managing diversity. As stated above, m anaging diversity refers to the planning, organizing, leading of individuals with differences or diversity in a particular setting, such that their inputs are used to accomplish the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic goals. Even in racioethnically homogeneous organizational settings, organizations make large investments to ensure an appropriate organizational culture is fostered. An appropriate organizational culture is desirous, such that individuals are systemically managed to perform and accomplish its goals, not just hoping that their performance will somehow lead to the accomplishment of the organizationsââ¬â¢ desired goals. Thus, similar systemic efforts are necessary in order to manage Managing diversity 867 Figure 1. The strategic management process emographically diverse individuals such that the organization can gain the maximum synergistic bene? ts from their contributions as well. The planned change approach Rather than being reactive and waiting for a ââ¬Å"diversity crisisâ⬠to take place before a change is made (i. e. Coca-Cola, Dennyââ¬â¢s, Publix, and Texaco settlements), an organization should be proactive in systemically Managing Diversity. Hence, an organization and its m embers should make the necessary changes to proactively move from just settling for the ? rst stage of acknowledging diversity to the ? al stage of managing diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model is offered as the theoretical framework to proactively and systemically facilitate the management of diversity in organizations. This planned change model is based on the premise that the organizational forces propelling change must subdue the forces resisting change for highly effective change to occur. Therefore, it is posited in this paper that the Lewin-Schein change model is a framework that can assist organizations and individuals in moving through the sequential elements of the diversity continuum. It is also posited that this model can be applicable at JMD 22,10 868 both the organizational and individual level for managing diversity. While Allen and Montgomery (2001) offered the Lewin-Schein change model as a framework for creating diversity, the model is offered in this paper as a framework for Managing Diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model involves three stages: unfreezing, change (moving), and refreezing (Lewin, 1951; Schein, 1992). For the organization or individual to experience successful change, the three stages need to be addressed in succession. Unfreezing using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy In the unfreezing stage, the organizationââ¬â¢s or individualââ¬â¢s present culture (which includes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors) toward diversity, needs to be unfrozen. This means there needs to be enough motivation within the organization or individual to want to change from its present state to the new desired state. Thus, in moving from one end of the diversity continuum to the other end, with managing diversity being the desired outcome, management must desire that its members move from just acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. As presented previously, managing diversity refers to systemically organizing and directing the inputs of all organizational members (including diverse individuals) to ensure the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic goals are met. Likewise, the individual must want to move from just acknowledging and/or valuing diversity to the ? nal phase of managing diversity. At the individual level, this movement involves governing oneââ¬â¢s actions toward diverse individuals in a way that allows for healthy, productive interaction with those diverse others. Therefore, to unfreeze the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and its membersââ¬â¢ current state of mind toward diversity, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised and aligned with the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic positioning to reduce the forces that are striving to maintain the status quo (Dobbs, 1998). A ? rmââ¬â¢s strategic positioning The strategic management process is employed by many organizations in order to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the marketplace (David, 2001; Porter, 1985; Steiner, 1997). Although there are several schools of thought in the strategic management ? ld, the generally accepted components of the strategic management process are: strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation as explained in Figure 2 (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Strategy formulation is comprised of developing or reviewing the organizationââ¬â¢s mission, vision, and long-term goals; conducting internal and exte rnal assessments to identify the organizationââ¬â¢s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); setting selection criteria and selecting the strategies that will afford the organization the best strategic positioning relative to its competitors (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy implementation entails allocating the appropriate resources to ensure the Managing diversity 869 Figure 2. The three levels of organizational strategy selected strategies are properly executed (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy evaluation involves setting control processes to continuously review, evaluate, and provide feedback concerning the implemented strategies to determine if the desired results are being accomplished, such that corrective measures may be taken if warranted (Hill and Jones, 1998; Steiner, 1997). As illustrated in Figure 3, there are usually three levels of strategy associated with large-scale organizations. The corporate level strategy de? nes the organizationââ¬â¢s purpose and the lines of businesses in which it plans to operate, thereby providing the overarching direction for the organization. If an organization only operates in one line of business, its corporate level strategy and business level strategy are effectively one in the same (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). A business level strategy is the blueprint that should enable an organization to leverage its resources in order to differentiate itself from the competition within a particular line of business (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). The functional-level strategies serve to support the organizationââ¬â¢s business-level strategy by providing direction for the appropriate short-term activities required by each functional area to meet the goals established in the business-level strategy (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Consequently, having properly aligned corporate, business, and functional level strategies aid an organization in its efforts to accomplish its goals, thereby strategically positioning itself to successfully compete within the marketplace (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998; Porter, 1985). Combining highly differentiated and ef? cient human capital with clearly delineated corporate, business, and functional level strategies can prove to be a competitive advantage for an organization (Barney, 1991, 1997; Wright et al. , 1995). An organization must view strategies for developing and managing its employees JMD 22,10 870 Figure 3. Alignment between corporate strategy and planned change-corporate diversity strategy as a part of its overarching corporate level strategy if it desires to have highly differentiated and ef? ient human capital in todayââ¬â¢s competitive, global environment. Therefore, one argument of this paper is that any organization seeking to realize the maximum bene? t from having a diversi? ed workforce should have a planned change-corporate diversity strategy that is aligned with the organizationââ¬â¢s overall strategic positioning. Developing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy The organization ââ¬Å"wishing to create an environment that enables all employees to reach their full potential will have to . . . change organizational practices as necessaryâ⬠(Thomas, 1991). However, prior to changing any organizational practice, a comprehensive strategy for how to accomplish that change should be devised based on an in-depth understanding of relevant organizational dynamics (i. e. culture, structure, ? nancial position, strategic initiatives, etc). Theoretically, a strategy should precede the structure of an organization. Consequently, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised to align with the organizationââ¬â¢s corporate strategy before structuring diversity initiatives (as illustrated in Figure 4), and reinforced using a planned change approach. Organizations that have elevated their diversity strategist to executive-level management are likely to have an overarching corporate diversity strategy in place. But, it is not as likely that the diversity strategist is using a corporate-wide planned change approach to systemically reinforce the proposed changes in the corporate diversity strategy throughout all of the Managing diversity 871 Figure 4. The diversity continuum organizationââ¬â¢s policies, procedures, and systems. Regardless of whether an organization has a corporate diversity strategy or not, it may be necessary to superimpose a planned change-corporate diversity strategy over existing disjointed diversity strategies and initiatives. At the onset of such an endeavor or superimposition, corporate diversity mission statement, vision, and goals must be formulated to articulate the purpose diversity initiatives will serve within the organization and the desired outcomes to be achieved from such initiatives. The delineated desired outcome should be designed to systemically manage diversity. Conducting internal and external assessments are essential steps in devising a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. An internal assessment will allow the diversity strategist to decide how to position diversity strategies and initiatives within the organizationââ¬â¢s structure, and to align them with all of the organizationââ¬â¢s policies, procedures, and systems. To assess the external environment, the diversity strategist should use environmental scanning tools to extract best practices based on benchmarked diversity strategies and initiatives at other leading organizations. Through the internal assessment, the diversity strategist should become intimately familiar with the organizationââ¬â¢s values, vision, mission, strategies, goals, and initiatives, all of which constitute a sound basis for understanding the organizationââ¬â¢s culture, policies, procedures, systems, and overall strategic positioning. The diversity strategist must become equally familiar with the bene? ts and shortfalls of various diversity initiatives. The strategist must conduct an analysis to determine the most appropriate linkages between the organizationââ¬â¢s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, and its diversity initiatives. Before proceeding, the diversity strategist must recognize and effectively articulate a clear strategic ? t and alignment amongst the organizationââ¬â¢s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, JMD 22,10 872 and diversity. Both strategic ? t and strategic alignment are necessary to strengthen the business case for allocating resources to support the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. In order to realize the maximum bene? ts from diversity, the planned change-corporate diversity strategy needs to be properly executed, evaluated and refrozen to ensure that the stated goals are being met, and that the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and members are moving toward and sustaining the desired state of systemically managing diversity. Moving to systemically managing diversity Once the present state is unfrozen, the move that will allow the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and members to advance to the desired state should be put in place. In this case, the move is to culturally reengineer the organization and its members to the true state of managing diversity by implementing the managing diversity process. The social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) is offered as the theoretical framework for the managing diversity process. It has also been offered as the theoretical framework for developing training programs in the cross-cultural and expatriate literature (Black and Mendenhall, 1989; Harrison, 1994). There are four major tenets of social learning theory: motivation, attention, retention, and reproduction (Bandura, 1977). These tenets are re? ected in the eight steps of the managing diversity process. In an effort to truly manage diversity, a change in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, and in organizationsââ¬â¢ systemic and institutional ways of doing business is required. Therefore, it is posited that utilizing the tenets of social learning theory can aid in the acquisition of the learning that is necessary for organizations to maximize the inputs of all of its diverse members. The planned change-corporate diversity strategy serves as the motivation for the learning of new behaviors and attitudes. Hence, once the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is articulated, the move through the eight steps of the managing diversity process should be instituted to assist individuals and organizations in culturally reengineering and moving to the desired state of managing diversity. The eight sequential steps of the managing diversity process include: (1) exposure; (2) experience; (3) knowledge; (4) understanding; (5) appreciate; (6) respect; (7) modify attitudes and behavior; and (8) healthy interaction. All of these are undergirded by tolerance (see Figure 5). The acknowledging diversity component of the diversity continuum is composed of steps (1)-(4), and they re? ect the ââ¬Å"attention tenetâ⬠of social learning theory. The valuing diversity component of the diversity continuum is comprised of steps (5) and (6), and is re? ective of the ââ¬Å"retention tenetâ⬠of social learning theory. Steps (7) and (8) constitute the managing diversity component of the diversity continuum and the ââ¬Å"reproduction tenetâ⬠of social learning theory. The movement through each of the eight steps requires individuals to progressively develop appropriate skills to enable them to manage how they deal with individuals whom they consider different from themselves. Therefore, executing the eight steps in the managing diversity process serve as the necessary movement required to progress from acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. The true movement through the eight steps from acknowledging diversity to managing diversity is a paradigm shift, in that it entails a change in the treatment of diverse individuals (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Managing diversity 873 Diversity training In order for an organization to realize the potential bene? ts that can be afforded by employing diverse individuals, there needs to be a paradigm shift in which the inputs of diverse individuals are systemically managed within an organization to enable the successful accomplishment of its strategic goals. Training of individuals is viewed as a necessary tool to facilitate the organization in achieving its goals. Diversity training should be viewed no differently than any other type of training in which an organization invests. Therefore, it should also be viewed as a necessary tool to manage membersââ¬â¢ behaviors and their ability to work productively with diverse individuals. After canvassing the literature, it has been noted that most diversity training programs merely raise individualsââ¬â¢ awareness of or sensitivity to diversity (Grubb, 1995; Jenner, 1994). Some few diversity training programs go as far as attempting to change individualsââ¬â¢ perceptions of diversity and how they communicate with people different from themselves (Grubb, 1995). However, these programs tend to be offered to only select employees, and they tend to be short in duration, ranging from a one-hour session to a series of one-day sessions several times a year (Koonce, 2001). The major drawbacks to most existing diversity training programs are that: . they do not build skills to facilitate individualsââ¬â¢ ability to actually manage their interactions with individuals different from themselves; . they are not rigorous nor time-intensive enough to create a paradigm shift in individualsââ¬â¢ treatment toward individuals different from themselves; and JMD 22,10 874 Figure 5. The continuous managing diversity process . there are no enduring reinforcement mechanisms embedded in the organizationââ¬â¢s culture to ensure all individualsââ¬â¢ inputs are successfully managed to met the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic goals. Managing diversity As a result, most (if not all) existing diversity programs have not been successful in creating enduring change in the way individuals interact with individuals different from themselves, nor have they been successful in changing their organizationââ¬â¢s culture to one that systemically manages diversity. In order to create enduring change in individuals and the organizationââ¬â¢s culture, members of the organization at all levels need to participate in diversity training that encapsulates the comprehensive managing diversity process. The outcomes that should be expected from participation include, but are not limited to, skill building in the following areas: the ability to clearly articulate their ideas and feelings; con? ict management skills; effective giving and receiving of feedback; effective listening; group observation skills; and group decision-making skills, all of which will facilitate modi? d attitudes and behaviors, and healthy interaction with diverse individuals. Individuals have to come to grips with their feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors toward diversity and others with whom they are different. In the ? rst step of Exposure, individuals provide public notice of where they are at that point. They do this by: laying open who they are; divulging where the y are; unmasking themselves; and receiving othersââ¬â¢ culture. Step (2), experience, involves gathering information through personal involvement, encountering, seeing ? rst-hand, and living through events. In the third step of Knowledge, individuals become well informed, thus able to be conversant because they become familiar or acquainted with the culture of others. Knowledge serves as the basis for step (4), understanding. Because of their grasp of cultural realities, individuals are able to comprehend (understanding) relevant cultural dynamics, which leads them to be sensitive, and enables them to share unique insights and perceptions. In step (5), appreciate, individualsââ¬â¢ acceptance of the worth of a personââ¬â¢s culture and values makes it easier for them to welcome and ââ¬Å"justlyâ⬠estimate diverse individuals. Resultantly, individuals are able to respect (step (6)) diverse individuals; thus, they are able to pay attention, pay deference, and pay tribute to the values, worth, and culture of diverse others, as well as give personal consideration to the diverse individuals. Successful movement through the ? rst six steps, along with tolerance underpinning each step, should lead to modi? cations in individualsââ¬â¢ attitudes and behaviors toward diverse individuals, which is step (7), modify attitudes and behaviors. This change in attitudes and behaviors, again, along with tolerance should lead to healthy interaction (step (8)) with and amongst diverse individuals. Step (8) is a function of continuous acceptance and execution of steps (1)-(7). Therefore, this is a ? uid (not static) process that must be recognized for its ever-changing and 875 JMD 22,10 876 evolving nature. The requirements for successful execution of the managing diversity process are strenuous and time intensive because it requires individuals to modify their attitudes and behaviors. Thus, they must modify the way they interact with individuals different from themselves, and not just expect that they either avoid, acknowledge, or value those individuals that are different. Given that all individuals in todayââ¬â¢s global business environment are likely to encounter others that are different from themselves on a frequent basis, the managing diversity process should be viewed as analogous to the open systems approach ââ¬â it is a continuous process that maintains a constant reciprocal relationship with the environment. Refreezing the systemic management of diversity Successful movement through the managing diversity process requires individuals to change. Resistance to change is inherent in any change process, and it will be no different in this process (Harrison, 1994). Therefore, the managing diversity process is a ? uid, continuous process that needs to be systematically reinforced and embedded in the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and individualsââ¬â¢ interactions, such that the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and its members do not revert back to just acknowledging or valuing diversity. Hence, refreezing the desired state of managing diversity requires reinforcing the new perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors with emphasis on the modi? ed behaviors and healthy interactions individuals have adopted as a result of going through the managing diversity process. In order for individuals and organizations not to revert back to their previous states, the new desired state must go through the refreezing stage to be institutionalized. This should be accomplished through systemic, on-going training and daily interactions at the individual level, and through revised policies, procedures, and systems at the organizational level. At the individual level, the systemic, on-going training should not be just periodic training that merely exposes individuals to diversity. A great deal of time is necessary to cement these newly adopted attitudes, behaviors, and skills for healthy interaction. This kind of cementation is required for these newly acquired attitudes, behaviors, and skills to become totally embedded in the individualsââ¬â¢ natural way of interacting with diverse individuals. The systemic, on-going training needs to be skill-based and experiential in nature to promote long-term changes in the way individuals work with individuals different from themselves. This type of reinforcement at the individual level will contribute to the cultural reengineering that also must take place at the organizational level. To reinforce the desired state of managing diversity at the organizational level, revised recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems, as well as an enforceable diversity policy need to be implemented (Allen and Montgomery, 2001; Hemphill and Haines, 1998; Miller, 1998). The revised policies, procedures, and recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems need to re? ct the organizationââ¬â¢s position on how the inputs of diverse individuals will be managed, such that their contributions fully aid the organization in meeting its strategic goals. A written, enforceable diversity policy, stating the systemic action steps and behaviors expected by all employees is a must as it relates to effectively managing the organizational inputs of all individuals. Everyoneââ¬â¢s inputs should be effectively managed to contri bute to the achievement of the organizationââ¬â¢s strategic goals. The revised policies, procedures, and systems should also align with the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Given the resources and time required to revise and initiate implementation of the revised organizational policies, procedures, and systems, individuals are likely to resist these changes initially. Therefore, it is quite likely to be a dif? cult and time-consuming process to make the appropriate and necessary revisions to the organizationââ¬â¢s policies, procedures, and systems. This is an essential and critical step necessary to ensure the organization and its members do not revert back to their previous attitudinal and behavioral states. It is paramount that revised policies, procedures, systems, and planned change-corporate diversity strategy are clearly communicated to all members of the organization to ensure that it can be appropriately recognized, executed, evaluated, and reinforced. To reinforce this cultural reengineering effort, management needs to initiate and actively participate in the refreezing stage, the same as they must genuinely participate at the unfreezing and moving stages. Potential limitations As with any theoretical model, there are limitations. One potential limitation of this notional model is that no matter how well it is implemented, there are likely to be some individuals whose attitudes may never change or they may continue to consciously or unconsciously show favoritism toward those whom they consider to be similar to themselves (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000; Miller, 1998). Another potential limitation is that subtle forms of biases against diverse individuals may still exist informally within the organization and/or outside of the work environment; thus, highly impacting individuals within the organization. Backlash is also a potential limitation; members of the majority are likely to perceived that they are being excluded at the expense of including diverse individuals (Hemphill and Haines, 1998). Additionally, if the training initiated to implement the managing diversity process is perceived as a bad experience, the organizationââ¬â¢s leadership may abandon the initial implementation, hence dooming all future diversity efforts. However, by using the suggested planned change approach along with well enforced diversity policies and disciplinary procedures for violations of the diversity policy, it is more likely that individualsââ¬â¢ behaviors can be altered to be more tolerant of others whom they consider to be Managing diversity 877 JMD 22,10 different (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000). This will allow the talents, skills, and abilities of all individuals in the work setting to be used to meet organizational objectives. Conclusion Given that individuals are less willing to leave their differences outside the doors of the workplace (Thomas, 1991), an organizationââ¬â¢s ability to systemically manage diversity will become more important, in years yet to come, if it wants to ensure its ability to compete successfully in the global marketplace. This paper suggests that, ? rst, a planned change approach should be used to systemically manage diversity, by developing and implementing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Second, organizations should execute their cultural reengineering efforts to move individuals and the organizational culture along the diversity continuum from the states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the desired state of managing diversity. Movement to the desired state of managing diversity can be achieved by using the managing diversity process. It is also suggested that the organization needs to provide on-going training, and needs to institute new policies and procedures. Additionally, it must engage in appropriately different recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems that systemically reinforce the cultural reengineering of moving to the state of managing diversity. These new undertakings will ensure that the newly reengineered culture of managing diversity is inculcated into the organizationââ¬â¢s culture, and its way of conducting business domestically and abroad. By adopting and executing the frameworks offered in this paper for ystemically managing diversity through a strategic planned change approach, managers will have created an organizational environment where they will be able to enjoy healthy, innovative, and productive interactions amongst diverse members of the organization. The following is a list of other potential bene? ts that may be derived from using the offered frameworks: . in general, individuals will develop an increased knowledge of and appreciation for other cultures; . individuals will learn to value and respect the cultural norms, behaviors, and attitudes of others; . here is likely to be a greater receptivity to necessary organizational changes; . there is likely to be a lessening of workplace anxieties; . a reduction in organizational con? ict; . a more pleasant work environment; and . increased performance and productivity. 878 In conclusion, the proactive management of diverse human resources will aid organizations in gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in todayââ¬â¢s dynamic global marketplace.
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