Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to engage your team with better writing - Emphasis

How to engage your team with better writing How to engage your team with better writing If youve ever put off DIY, youll know that a dripping tap or peeling skirting board eventually just becomes one of lifes tolerations. If you put off the task long enough, it gets pushed to the dusty recesses of your mind. But it still chips away at your contentment, leaving you feeling uninspired and slightly uncomfortable in your own home. Our relationship with work is often the same. Unless issues are nipped in the bud, small upsets can lead to apathy. For instance, it can be disconcerting if your firm introduces a debt-collection method that goes against your current client-centred approach. And if this new approach subsequently harms the relationships youve already built with a client, its likely that youll feel conflicted between your roles. You might start to dread dealing with clients you previously enjoyed working with. Your relationships with colleagues can also become strained. If there are no structures in place to fix the issue, it will be hard for you to feel motivated and passionate about your job. After a while, you may begin to accept the new status quo. But youre not as productive because the environment doesnt allow you to perform to your highest ability. These types of work worries are common. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has drawn together academic studies on employee engagement. One study of a cross-section of UK workers from various industries showed that only 35 per cent of people feel they are engaged in their work. Other studies suggest that 22 per cent of workers (6.4 million people) feel discontented and unproductive. Yet the solutions to workplace disgruntlement can be surprisingly simple. Research sponsored by the O.C. Tanner Company found that saying thank you to staff increases engagement by 20-30 per cent. And with such large results from a simple statement, its clear that communication is a powerful weapon in feeling productive and inspired at work. Engagement isnt something that can be demanded from someone, nor can it be part of a job description. Its the willingness to do that little bit extra, simply because you care, or because you feel that it will be appreciated. Its vital that your organisation creates an entrepreneurial-style culture, where employees have the drive and ambition to succeed. So, whether or not youre not part of the senior management team, you need to drive initiatives that enable managers to directly listen to employee views. And by communicating clearly you can help to set clear management objectives. Tools for engagement The first step to engagement is finding ways for you and your colleagues to share your views. Hopefully, your firm will have an internal newsletter or intranet site that welcomes contributions from employees. Reports are also great tools for communicating your thoughts and ideas. This can help you to hone your recommendations so that your internal documents are clear and concise. Taking the write steps The following tips will help you to create a high-impact writing style so that you can express your ideas and recommendations clearly. Engage your reader Before you touch your computer keyboard, spend a few minutes focusing on your reader. Dont assume, for example, that everyone in your organisation will understand detailed aspects of the human resources process. Ask yourself the following questions: What is the document about? Who will read it? How much do they already know about the subject? What do they absolutely need to know? How important is the subject to them? How interested are they in the subject? Focus on your main message Whether youre writing a short newsletter article or a lengthy report, make sure youre crystal clear on what you really want to say. Take a pencil and a piece of paper and create a spidergram of all your ideas. Keep writing until youve exhausted every possibility. Then group together the ideas that have elements in common. Next, decide what you think is most important. This idea needs to come right at the top of your document. Then you present the other points in order of importance, making sure to leave out any unessential points. Apply this same technique when youre writing the executive summary of a report. Managers have competing priorities and many other documents to read. So if your summary isnt compelling they may decide just to skim read the rest of the report. This could mean that the gems in your report are lost. Remember, your task is to create a more engaging working environment. Youve got to connect with your reader first. Create powerful sentences Using verbs instead of nouns makes your sentences more powerful. Consider the sentence, I expect the software to create a 15 per cent increase in productivity. It is much more powerful than, My expectation is that there will be a creation in productivity of 15 per cent when using the software. Using the verbs expect and create over the nouns expectation and creation makes the sentence punchier. And try to limit the length of your sentences to 20 words. This makes them easier to read. (You could shorten this example still further to: I expect the software to increase productivity by 15 per cent.) Use headings, subheadings and bullet points Break up your documents into digestible chunks and keep your paragraphs short. Use subheads and make sure that they highlight your main points. If your reader only reads the subheads they should still be left with the gist of your document. Bullet points are another great tool for making your documents readable. They help to grab attention; reduce word count and help your readers to scan for the important information. Be persuasive Speaking directly to your readers can help them to take action. So dont be afraid to use the words I, you, we and us. Similarly, always opt for the active voice over the passive voice. For example, write, We hold employee forums every Wednesday, instead of Employee forums will be held every Wednesday. The first sentence has more movement and life its also more likely to make someone want to attend a forum. Avoid management speak Aim to make your writing as plain and simple as possible; dont fall into the trap of using management speak. Terms such as raising the bar and low hanging fruit are best left to David Brent from The Office. Your writing will have far more impact if you use simple terms to express your ideas. Create a call to action Know what action you want your reader to take, and then ask them to take it. If appropriate, you could even offer an incentive. (Email us at info@company.com with all your great ideas for improving internal communication. The best ideas will win a 50 MS gift voucher.) This may be a step too far, but at least make sure that theres something in it for the reader. Always keep your readers needs in mind when writing your call to action. Use a fine tooth comb Once youve completed your document, print out a copy and proofread it slowly by stopping a pencil at every word. Look out for typos and spelling mistakes, but also see where you can prune out unnecessary words. For example, terms such as pre-prepare and forward planning contain redundant words. All planning goes forward and preparation is preparation: you cant pre-prepare. Dont be afraid to delete whole sentences if they dont add much to the document, or repeat something that was said earlier. Email made easy Most of us have fired off an email in haste and regretted it at leisure. Hopefully, you didnt do so at work. But if you did, its a lesson that email and emotion dont mix. If youre feeling particularly fired up about a particular workplace issue, by all means type it out on an email. But dont even consider typing in an address or pressing the send button until youve had time to reflect. The rule of thumb is that if you wouldnt want it broadcast on the 10 o clock news, dont send it on an email. The SCRAP formula below will help you to write emails that grab your readers attention for all the right reasons. Situation Begin by explaining the situation (where you or your department are now). Complication Introduce the idea that theres a problem (why you or your department cant stay where you are). Resolution State your resolution to the problem. The reader will perceive you as an expert because you have a ready-made way of fixing things. Action Suggest what action the reader can or should take. Offer a viewpoint that is new and intriguing. Politeness Finally, end with a polite, but thought provoking sign-off. When it comes to email, usually the fewer people you put in the carbon copy box, the better. But distributing important ideas and recommendations isnt spamming. So make sure that important documents are forwarded to the wider organisation. Whether you want to highlight a brand new piece of bookkeeping software or demonstrate an innovative approach to credit control, its important to look beyond your administrative role. So, investigate areas of your work where you can make real improvements. Remember, if a workforce isnt engaged, its likely that the staff turnover will be high. But even if you see colleagues becoming disenchanted and leaving, that doesnt mean you need to join them. The techniques youve learnt such as focusing on your reader and clarifying your main message can also be used in verbal communication and can help you stand your ground. Improving productivity isnt just about working harder. Its also about improving your knowledge so that your work has greater impact. By honing your written communication skills, you make other parts of your job easier. But whatever issues you face at work, dont let them put you off your path. When you take responsibility for driving your own career success and happiness, you set the stage for clear communication. And that ultimately helps you and your colleagues to be more engaged and productive. Robert Ashton is the Chief Executive of Emphasis. Want to write more engagingly? See our courses for individuals or our courses for groups. Alternatively, send us a message or call one of our friendly advisors on +44 (0)1273 961 810

Friday, November 22, 2019

How Many Years a President Can Serve

How Many Years a President Can Serve U.S. presidents are limited to serving two elected four-year terms in the White House and as many as two years of another presidents term. That means the longest any president could serve is 10 years, though no one has been in the White House that long since Congress passed the constitutional amendment on term limits. How many years a president can serve in the White House is spelled out in the 22nd amendment  to the  U.S. Constitution, which states no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. However, if an individual becomes president through the  order of succession they are allowed to serve an additional two years. Why Limited to 2 Terms The amendment defining limits on how many terms can a president serve was approved by Congress on March 21, 1947, during the administration of President Harry S. Truman. It was ratified by the states on Feb. 27, 1951. Before the 22nd Amendment, the Constitution did not limit the number of presidential terms to two, though many early presidents including George Washington imposed such a limit on themselves. Many argue that the 22nd Amendment merely put on paper the unwritten tradition held by presidents of retiring after two terms. Before the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to four terms in the White House in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944. Roosevelt died less than a year into his fourth term, but he is the only president to have served more than two terms. Congressional Republicans proposed the 22nd Amendment in response to Roosevelts four election victories. Historians have written that the party felt such a move was the best way to invalidate and discredit the popular progressives legacy. Defined In 22nd Amendment The relevant section of the 22nd Amendment defining presidential terms  reads: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. American presidents are elected for four-year terms. While the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two full terms in office, it also allows them to serve two years at most of another presidents term. That means the most any president can serve in the White House is 10 years. History The framers of the Constitution originally considered a lifetime appointment by Congress for the president. When this proposal failed, they discussed whether the president should be elected by either the Congress, the people, or something in between, such as the Electoral College (which was eventually chosen) and whether term limits should be imposed. The idea of an appointment by Congress, with the option for re-appointment, failed on the fear that a president could make an underhanded deal with Congress to get re-appointed. Cant Serve a 3rd Term Conspiracy theorists have through the years perpetuated the notion that power-hungry presidents try to find ways to win a third election. A few people even point to the wording of the 22nd Amendment, noting that it says no person shall be eligible to be elected to the office more than twice. Would this disqualify a former president from being elected vice president, then serving as president if the president died or resigned? Its unlikely any former president would run for the lower office of vice president to test the theory. Over the years, several lawmakers have proposed repealing the 22nd Amendment. Congressional opponents of the 22nd Amendment argue that it restricts voters from exercising their will. As Democratic U.S. Rep. John McCormack of Massachusetts proclaimed during a debate over the proposal: The framers of the Constitution considered the question and did not think they should tie the hands of future generations. I dont think we should. Although Thomas Jefferson favored only two terms, he specifically recognized the fact that situations could arise where a longer tenure would be necessary. One of the most high-profile opponents of the two-term limit for presidents was Republican President Ronald Reagan, who was elected to and served two terms in office. In a 1986 interview with The Washington Post, Reagan lamented the lack of focus on important issues and lame-duck presidents. I have come to the conclusion that the 22nd Amendment was a mistake, Reagan said. Shouldnt the people have the right to vote for someone as many times as they want to vote for him? They send senators up there for 30 or 40 years, congressmen the same. Sources Buckley, F.H. and Metzer, Gillian. â€Å"The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.†Ã‚  National Constitution CenterCannon, Lou. â€Å"Short-Sighted Amendment.†Ã‚  The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 June 1986

Thursday, November 21, 2019

All the Light we cannot see Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

All the Light we cannot see - Research Paper Example As a matter of fact, that as the essential reason why the then global leaders saw it suitable to establish the League of Nations, which has developed into the United Nations Organization. In his novel titled All the Light We Cannot See, distinguished American author and literature fanatic Anthony Doerr uses the book’s setting to open the eyes of the World to some of the unfortunate events that took place during the World War. Doerr employs various literary charms such as characterization and tone, to demonstrate the devastating consequences of war and the approaches an individual can employ to bring the best out of the situation amidst the myriad of challenges (Anthony Doerr Book Website). This research paper therefore aims to provide further insight on how Anthony Doerr has employed setting, plot and tone to take us through one of the darkest periods in World history; World War Two. Literary scholars have overtime reaffirmed the fact that the setting of any work of art is important, particularly because it plays a significant role in determining whether the author is successful in driving his or her message home. All the light we cannot see is set in both France and Germany with several events taking place between 1930s and 1940s. Whereas the events in Germany revolve around the life of Warner Pfenning and his sister Jutta who are both orphaned, it is imperative to note that the Doerr is in essence trying to shed more light on the Nazi culture, and some of the principles they cohere to so profoundly. At the same time, the decision of the author to focus Marie-Laure’s undertakings in the city of Paris is essentially aimed at helping the vast audience make sense of the cultures and beliefs of the French in the period leading to and after World War Two. Going through the text, it is apparent that the setting within which all the lights we cannot see is documented is in line with the historical events of the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

More Than One Child In One Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

More Than One Child In One Family - Essay Example In order to implement the policy, government ensured that families especially in urban areas do not have more than one child. Further, a fee was applied to the families who have more than one child in order to penalize the families for having more than one kid in the family. The intended aims of this policy were to improve the healthcare services for the society so that better care and services could be provided. Further, in order to enforce the improvements in the saving rates, government considered the reduction of the size of the family. In actuality, Chinese economy as a whole has been able to register higher saving rates since the policy was implemented in 1978. (Naughton, 2007)Probably the most important policy reason behind the implementation of this policy was to achieve the economic growth and relieve pressure on the resources of the country. By reducing the size of the population, the overall wealth distribution could have been better allocated in order to achieve better ec onomic progress. (Feng Wang, 2010)China during recent times has made enormous economic progress with significant average economic growth. China has achieved the same in its manufacturing sector by providing cheap manufacturing facilities to the customers around the world. Further, China is the leading exporter also thus relying mostly on its labor force as vital for the economic progress. However, the overall process of manufacturing requires young and skilled labor force which can endure the physical strain spent in the manufacturing process. What is critical however is the fact that China’s population is ageing fast and due to the one child policy, it is fast approaching a position where it may not have adequate young population to support its economic progress through manufacturing activities?

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Anita Roddick (The Body Shop) Essay Example for Free

Anita Roddick (The Body Shop) Essay Inspiring profiles and best practices for entrepreneurs Twenty-six years ago the Brighton Evening Argus ran a story on a dispute between two funeral parlour owners who were upset about a new cosmetics boutique which had opened up next door. It wasnt the nature of the business they were getting hot under the collar about, but its name. They thought the green shop front emblazoned with the words Body Shop in gold leaf might put off prospective customers. They wanted me to change my shop front which I had just spent  £870 of my  £4,000 loan on, recalls Roddick. My smart move was to call the Argus and tell them I was being threatened by Mafia undertakers who wanted to close me down. The press loved it. The story of the beleaguered single mum with the house in hock trying to support her two kids with a bootstrapping start-up worked a treat. The small splash made Body Shop a cause celebre, won plenty of local support and won an important battle to get the business off the ground. The anecdote is a small aside, recounted with a chuckle and a hint of outrage in a long interview. But although the battles got much bigger as Roddick grew her business into the multinational retailer it is today, anyone with even a passing familiarity with the Body Shop story will instantly recognise the defining characteristics of its fiery feisty founder in those early days of the business: Ethical Anita versus the big bad world. There has never been any compromise in Roddicks views on how business should be done: this is why her husband Gordon was tasked with handling the City suits (they didnt like me talking about sexual tension at work) and why she stepped away from the business in 1998 when the shareholders said a campaigning chief executive was not what they wanted for Body Shop. You might think after thirty years of business and the comfort of a healthy shareholding and a wedge of cash in the bank Roddicks hunger for campaigning might have diminished. But little has changed since 1976. Her latest venture, a publishing start-up, produces books on ethical matters. It promotes her on the speaking circuit and all the profits going into campaigning. The only difference is now she occupies the position of an icon for women and female entrepreneurs: something I dont take lightly And there is still plenty to shout about when it comes to what she sees as an ethical vacuum in business today. Suffocation She rails against the suffocation of UK businesses as we outsource to cheaper countries; the failure to preserve the needs of shareholders in public companies; the lack of respect for the responsibility of business to the community at large; the ongoing need for women to conform to a male template in order to succeed; the lack of recognition of the value that employees bring to a business. Being ethical in business is not about giving stuff away Roddick is emphatic about what this means in practice: not sandals, beards and group hugs in the boardroom but the adoption of simple moral values. People use the excuse of business to leave their morals at the front door and I dont know how they get away with it. But can ethical business really fit in with the cut-throat world of today? Her business, she says, is living proof. She describes Body Shop as a great business experiment which is still proving a point: you can run an entrepreneurial business, provide a return to shareholders while campaigning on ethical issues and placing a high value on human capital. Being ethical in business is not about giving stuff away. Its about your relationship with your employees, its about the aesthetics of the workplace and its about communication, says Roddick. There is no reason why the workplace cant be a genuine creative place, why there cant be flexitime, why there cant be transparency and even good manners. If Roddick doesnt sound like a business woman its because she has never claimed to be one. She puts her success down to a need for a livelihood and sees herself as the accidental entrepreneur.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

Taylor Heisler A Soldier’s Life A soldier’s journey throughout the Civil War began with them entering the war. At the start of the war, both sides had many men who volunteered to fight for their side. Many volunteered to fight because of patriotism, state pride, to be paid, for their religion, or even for the thrill of an adventure. Although towards the middle and end of the Civil War, volunteers were no longer as common. Both sides began to have a problem with the lack of soldiers. The Confederacy ending up creating a draft that first began drafting men ages eighteen to thirty-five, but by the end of the war the age was men forty-five to fifty. Although the Union wasn’t as in a short supply of men as the Confederacy, they also started a draft but it only made up about 6 percent of their army. While having the draft, both sides allowed the wealthy to pay $300.00 to buy their way out of serving in the Civil War. This meant most of the men who were drafted tended to be poor. This angered civilian s from both sides and riots broke out which were quieted by the armies. The Union also began accepting escaped Confederate slaves and African Americans to fight as soldiers. Becoming desperate, the Confederacy also began drafting slaves to fight in their army. After soldier’s joined the army they experienced training for the war. At the beginning of the war, neither side had a great amount of trained soldiers considering most soldiers had been farmers. A majority of officers and trainers also lacked fighting skills. Neither side had much time to train their armies but they trained the best they could. Drills were conducted to train the soldiers. The drills became a daily routine and taught their soldiers discipline and battle... ... limbs, because of the poor sanitation of the medical equipment used to remove their limbs. One of the least dangerous struggles soldiers faced was boredom. Soldiers waited at camps for action. While waiting for orders, soldiers passed time with varies methods. Soldiers would cook food, write letters to their loved ones, clean their clothes and even play games. Common games played were: baseball, dominoes, cards, chess, and checkers. A soldier experienced many hard ships beginning with being brought into the war, training, and surviving the war. Soldiers fought for their side whether they wanted to be in the war or not. They endured many long days of training and struggled to become better soldiers. A soldier not only struggled to survive a battle but also a normal day at camp. Although the armies faced the same struggles, the soldiers continued to fight.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Role of Financial Institutions and Markets

Technology, globalization, competition, and deregulation all have contributed to the revolution of worldwide financial markets and the creation of an efficient, internationally linked market. However, these developments have created potential problems (Brigham 1995: 111). As the worldwide financial crisis, which started in the early summer of 2007 in America and spread globally, still shapes the headlines of newspapers and the political agenda of developed countries. These recent economic developments drew back societies’ attention to the importance of the world economy and financial markets. A financial market is considered as â€Å"a market in which financial assets [..] can be purchased or sold† (Madura 2012: 3).Here, any kind of marketplace, where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of financial assets such as equities, bonds, currencies and derivatives, is meant. Mostly financial markets have transparent pricing, basic regulations on trading, costs and fees , and market forces that determine prices of securities that are traded. There are three relevant classifications of financial markets in the context of the financial crisis: money versus capital markets, primary versus secondary markets, and organized versus over-the counter markets (Madura 2012). The money versus capital market distinguishes in various points: The money market is only short- term oriented, a maturity of less than one year, and the trading objects are referred to as money market securities, which are debt securities.These have a â€Å"high degree of liquidity† and therefore offer a low return; however, they are less risky (Madura 2012: 5). In contrast, capital markets promote the sale of long-term securities, called capital market securities, which are most often bonds, mortgages and stocks. These are often bought with the intention of financing the purchase of capital assets such as buildings, equipment, or machinery. Capital market is composed of primary m arkets and secondary markets: In the primary market only the trade of newly issues securities occurs, whereas in the secondary market previously issued – so existing – securities are traded (Madura 2012). The organized versus over-the counter markets differentiate in the location factor.Whereas the organized markets represent true visible marketplaces, where member meet to trade and securities are listed like the New York Stock Exchange, the over-the-counter markets are a wired network of dealer, which do not need a central and physical location to trade, because it is a direct trade between the two participants (Madura 2012). Telecommunication and Internet allowed businesses to trade all over the world in every financial market. However, this global interconnection of financial markets also has its side effects as the fall of the Lehmann  Brothers and following economic developments have shown.In 2008 and 2009 there has been a worldwide crisis in the international f inancial markets, which has lead to an extreme high number of credit defaults and amortizations on speculative assets of banks and financial institutions. The financial crisis has been triggered by the lending practice, the insufficient collateralisation of mortgages and securitization of credits in the real estate market in the United States of America. The speculation on rising real estate prices bursted and risky bonds lost their value dramatically.The financial crisis developed to a liquidity crisis, because the credit lending of banks, which are equipped with liquidity, to banks, which need cash and cash equivalents in form of credits, stopped despite the fact that the most important national banks decreased the discount rate under 1 %. Due to lack of trust between the banks, the interbank credit lending decreased dramatically, so that the liquidity crisis turned to a bank crisis. Henceforth, this crisis covered the goods market, in result unemployment rates increased, internat ional trade decreased and the recession settled. Due to the dimensions the economic slump took it is considered as the new world economic crisis (bpb 2013).2. Financial InstitutionsFinancial Institutions are firms that provide access to the financial markets, both to savers, who wish to purchase financial instruments directly, and to borrowers, who want to issue them (Cecchetti/ Schoenholtz 2010). In fact, financial institutions – also referred to as financial intermediaries – are like most other businesses: the primary business is to generate profit by minimizing the costs and maximizing the revenues. Additionally, financial intermediaries design and sell financial products and services in accordance to customers demand at a reasonable profit level (Pilbeam 2010: 46). A financial intermediary interacts with savers or lenders and borrowers simultaneously; thereby it produces a set of services, which facilitate the transformation of its liabilities into assets such as l oans, which is referred to as intermediation (Madura 2012: 12).2.1 Types of Financial InstitutionsGenerally, there are three classifications of financial institutions: depository institutions, contractual saving institutions, and investment institutions. Firstly, depository institutions such as commercial banks and savings banks accept and manage cash deposits as well as make loans (Pilbeam 2010: 46). Furthermore, deposit-taking institutions strive to make a profit in the way of ‘spread income’ between the cost of the deposits that they accept and other sources of funding, and the return that they receive on their investment portfolio in the way of loans, equity stakes and other investments (Pilbeam 2010: 46).Depository institutions underlie default risks, regulatory risks as well as liquidity risks (Pilbeam 2010: 46). Secondly, contractual savings Institutions attain funds under long-term contractual arrangements and invest them largely in the capital market especially in long-term equity and debt instruments such as life insurances, private pension funds, and funded social pension insurance systems. Due to the agreement’s requirement of regular payments from for example policyholder and pension fund participant, contractual savings institutions have relatively stable inflows of funds.The stable cash flows – both inflows and outflows – are relatively stable as well as predictable, so that liquidity is not a predominant factor in the asset management of these institutions (Impavido/ Musalem 2000: 3-5). Thirdly, investment institutions are commonly known as investment companies, corporations, or trusts. An investment company issues securities and is predominantly engaged in the business of investing in securities.Hereby, it aggregates funds of a large number of investors into a specific investment in compliance with the objectives of the investors. Individuals invest in diversified, professionally managed portfolios of securiti es, whereby they have access to a wider range of securities and a guaranteed spread of risk than without the investing company as intermediary (Pilbeam 2010: 53-54).2. 2 Role of Financial Institutions in the Financial MarketAs previously described in reference to the financial crisis, financial markets are imperfect; participants in the market do not have full access to information (Madura 2012: 10). For example, an investor is not able to verify the creditworthiness of potential borrowers and there is a lack of expertise to assess this creditworthiness. Here financial institutions’  function is to resolve the limitations caused by market imperfections.Therefore, financial institutions are involved in the information processing (Madura 2012). Thereby, they investigate the financial conditions of the potential customers to figure out which have the best investment opportunities (Cecchetti/ Schoenholtz 2010). Consequently, financial intermediaries are saving information costs as well as transaction costs, because financial institutions â€Å"assist in the transfer of funds from surplus to deficit units in the economy† (Pilbeam 2010: 63). For example, there are many lenders/ surplus units, who all strive to lend various low value money market securities for different periods of time, or there few borrowers/ deficit units, who wish to borrow capital market securities for a fixed period of time – here financial institutions are useful as an intermediary.Lenders do not have to search the markets for suitable borrowers and vice versa. Financial institutions borrow various amounts of money from surplus units, reform these into an amount suitable for the final deficit unit, and transform them into a maturity suitable for the final borrower. Thereby financial institutions serve the special needs of the deficit units and surplus units (Madura 2012: 10-11). Overall, flexibility is existent for all participants, because lenders can change the terms a nd conditions of lending to the intermediary without the intermediary or final borrower being at disadvantage.While financial institution act as intermediary, they bear the risk and in result, the risk is reduced. By diversification meaning offering various bundles of financial assets, financial intermediaries spread the risk and thereby, transform risky assets to less risky ones (Madura 2012: 10-11). In fact, individual investors are capable of diversification, however, they may not do it as cost efficient as financial institutions and therefore, they possess a crucial role in financial markets.In conclusion, financial institutions â€Å"ensure that the costs and risk are lower than if the surplus and deficit agents dealt directly with each other, and thereby ensure that there is greater flow than in the absence of financial intermediaries† (Pilbeam 2010: 63). Pilbeam means with greater flow that intermediaries increase investment as well as economic growth (Cecchetti/ Schoe nholtz 2010).2.3 Role of Financial Institutions in the Financial CrisisFinancial crises mainly manifest themselves at the level of financial institutions; especially, the role of banking institutions in the occurrence and transmitting of financial crises is a deciding one for the recent financial crisis (Andries 2009: 151). Financial Institution such as banks can facilitate the financial crises through their activities in the financial markets. Their activities can influence the interest rates, the uncertainty on the market and the price of assets (Andries 2009: 152).The worldwide financial crisis of 2008 was subject to several developments of banks’ practices: Financial innovations and risky speculations such as in subprime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations have been practiced, loans have been expanded and the prices of assets increased without economic basis and unexpectedly decreased, so the orientation changed towards liquidity (Andries 2009: 149). Overall, ba nking institutions have overdone diversification and practiced financial innovations meaning structured finance, which were new complex products, whose risk could not be assessed by the rating agencies (Fratianni/ Marchionne 2009: 8-9).While the crisis there has been uncertainty among market participants and default risk increased, so that borrowers increased the interest rates to all borrowers (Fratianni/ Marchionne 2009: 13). Simultaneously, â€Å"banks reacted by selling assets to reduce leverage, setting in motion a vicious circle of asset liquidation and price declines across a vast range of assets. Financial integration and made possible for the crisis to spread virtually worldwideâ€Å"(Fratianni/ Marchionne 2009: 21).3. ConclusionIn conclusion, financial institutions possess a vibrant role in the financial markets and accelerate the development of financial crises, because of their activities. Furthermore, financial institutions act as an intermediary, thereby they decreas e transaction costs and risk, and simultaneously increase efficiency through information processing. However, besides economic growth financial institutions encourage side effects: Especially the banking institutions’ practices are responsible for the development of the recent financial crisis. Their striving for more profit with practices under the theme of no risk, no reward lead to the downturn of  the worldwide economy. In the future, governments and international institutions meet certain requirements and establish regulations, in order that such practices and activities are restrained.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Bmw Management

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Table of Contents 1. Introduction3 2. Discussion4 3. BMW area of improvement6 4. BMW Solutions7 5. Recommendations9 6. Conclusion11 References13 1. Introduction Operations management is a process where system direction and control of the processes transforms inputs into finished goods and services. It is also the way organization do produce goods and their services. It’s a process of transforming and oversetting set of resources that is inputs in to services and goods which is output. Operations Functions of B. M. W comprises of a significant number of employees and their physical assets in various organizations (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). Its also determins the equipments which are used and some information should go in an operation system and also how this equipments can be able to market the place. Managers they are the one who are supposed to be responsible on their activities such as quality management and control in their business. The Importance of operation have increased in recent years. Managers they do play a big role in satisfying their customer’s needs and making their business to be firm and strong. Inputs recourses might be raw materials or information or customers. Some examples of inputs in the B. M. W Company which include:-customers – this is a process where you are involved in processing your ticket and baggage. Raw Materials this is where some plastics product they are melted and they do form a mold. Information; a divisor do gather some information to clients and assist in developing in financial plans. Output it’s a product or services required by customers and its broadest sense of the word. Overview functions they involves a lot of different disciplines. Productions do have service which operations have (U. S Departments of Education Institute of Education Sciences, 2009). Discussion Operation management is the way products and goods and services are concerned with organizing the process of getting thing which are been done. The operation is also used for transforming process and converting a set of resources into services and goods. Operations management’s functions of the B. M. W involve different disciplines, production and services. Operation management functions do have a central role in most firms. The functions which are defined to select this determine which product or services will be produced and by which process (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). Designing in the B. M. W sector involve creation method, whereby the operation involves actual process and meeting of schedules and also do certify production and standards. Operations functions here manager is supposed to be responsible for the success of the products units. This person need knowledge which is base in technology of products which are been processed . In customers participation it leads to storage ,transporting and stocking, and at the same time customer supplies with some of the products. Using customers as labor, enables them to do self service and this require customers to physically and mentally able to help themselves (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). Retaining an existing customer at the B. M. W Company is much cheaper costs of winning new customers. The designing of a poorly product or service can fail to market needs and expectations. It’s more important to make products are well delivered and processed and closely linked. The designer must work together with the product so that he or she can make it to me more successful introduction of a new product or services. Products they are experience through materials, equipments and people, People they do know what can be done so as to solve problems (Chase & Jacobs et al, 2001). The right quality it’s not best but it’s determined by the cost of the products and the technical characteristics and the requirements. Manufacturers should procedure the best products in the right numbers and if they are produced in excess of the demands the capital will lower the inventory but if the quality is in short of demand its leads to shortage of products. The advantages of operation management in job shop production, the operator will become more skilled and its will compete other jobs and its will give the other business the opportunities. The Opportunities of B. M. W exists to create methods and innovates some ideas. Batch productions it’s defined by American Production and Inventory Control Society. The characterizes includes, whenever there is shorter productions to run the business, when machines and plant are flexible, when the manufacturer lead time and the cost at lower as compared to job order productions. The Advantages of Batch production are when there is better utilization of plants; the cot per item is lower as compared to job orders production (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). Objectives of the operation management of the B. M. W Company should ensure its products are being produced at more clear and attractive services of right quality and quantity at the right time and at right manufacturing costs. The products are supposed to be of right quality and the right quantity. The quality is established based upon the customers and their needs Mondy & Premeaux (1992), the manager defines objectives for the operations of the organization and its polices, The operation manager provide the role and the flow of information within the operations . They determine activities which are required so as to achieve the goals and assign them responsibility for carrying them out. Operation manager must exercise to control by measuring outputs and comparing their plans in managements. Managers they are the one who are supposed to be concerned with how efforts to plan, organize and to control the behavior of human (Ames, 1995). Manager plan, organize and control the conversation process within the organization. Operation management is concern with achieving of both satisfactory customers and services, the B. M. W company should be tacked with these two objectives in mind, and many of the problems will favor the operations manager this is because of the conflicts hence operations manager must attempt to the balanced their basics objectives (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). BMW AREA OF IMPROVEMENT (SUPPLY CHAIN AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS) The services operations at the B. M. W Company are not immune to some problems associated in making services of operations to meet its objectives (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992, pg 3). The designing of the something do limits for existing equipments, capacity and facilities, the product upgrades with the new features do have some significant effects on the operations. With the fixed of the process is highly repeatable and the process can be easily be monitored and varied. The importance of the aspect of the designed concentrates on utilizing and efficiency in addressing the demands valuables and the customer participations. King the customer out do the processes whether it’s possible and adopt the industrial process which is designed the processes which are not involving the customers. Mondy & Premeaux (1992), the production/operations management this is the process in which combines and transforms various resources which are being used in productions. It’s the part of organization which it’s been concerned with the transformation or the range of some inputs into the required field. Operations management strategies at the B. M. W Company is to improve the efficiency and effective of transportation through low cost and management to improve and to program (Megginsion, 1992, pg8). To associates with problems and their limits of current process techniques. Management is a process whereby an essential business functions take place and manager is some who is responsible for people and project together. The two topics includes the general manager’s job this is where manager take his or her ole in leading and managing an enterprise and to be responsible on the company the other one role to determine the long run of all enterprises. The most important role of a manager is to rule the business this is where business need different ways of thinking and way of acting in the business (U. S Departments of Education Institute of Education Sciences, 2009). What makes a manager to organize and also manage his or her he should be competent and he is organized in his dutie s. There are travel demands, these are transporting system management and intelligent transporting systems which improves strategies that do improve mobility. Management quality can certify and help Manufacture Company and put systems and control to ensure few and more profitable business (Megginsion, 1992, pg12). The company that do approach the certification at the end it’s the one whose succeed; effective quality management system its standard of quality (Megginsion, 1992). The standards involve overtime which reelects aspects of the industry. When businesses gets standards quality that when it becomes certified and these show the customers that it’s well practiced and the product they are of high qualities (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). BMW Solutions Business which certifies doesn’t always go on by certification practices which are need to increase their quality. The short-term thinking leads a business in some problem . One particular do challenge the quality management. The old standby quality approach they are six sigma and they change your organization culture to drive strategy and business transformation. This deserves much intensity to all other initiatives that can operate in big companies. The strategic six sigma principles and practices which can help companies they include. This is formulating and new existing business strategies. They also deal with changing and they increase complex of customer requirements, they also facilitate merge and acquisitions. The growing of number of companies beginning to realize the implications caused by six sigma’s; especially engine to accelerate corporate strategies and organizations (U. S Departments of Education Institute of Education Sciences, 2009). The BMW ought to entail below solutions to cub their problems: †¢ To help the company’s top leadership team by implement six sigma and developing a committed team of leader to support. †¢ Thinking and practicing into some strategies and planning. Establishing connections with customer and their large market place where the companies do operates. †¢ Ensures leaders view the companies not as a set of isolated functions or independent. †¢ To develops measures and demands which are tangible results from people in their works. †¢ To be committed in fulltime to the business, aspects of grogram to ensure that work is progressing toward achieving goals and objectives. †¢ Megginsion (1992), the BMW company should avoid to introduce new work processing and product without have relied with your customers through design and development processes. Recommendations By choosing some issues good manager should know that he can able to bring some talents within his organization and he do choose those which have the greatest and which are long term and those one which can make his talents to be more productive. Under ordinary time he will have three or four major objectives during any single period of time. Megginsion (1992). Management is one role that is fast of growing the security market while continuing security to enable to increase attention to identify issues. All managers they perform some same basics functions to make sure the business runs well. Manager is supposed to strive hard to reach al objectives in an organization. As a manager it’s good to make use of your time and the functions of managements are to control in devising way to ensure all plans are being achieved well. As a manager you are responsible to ensure thing of yourself they are running well and they are all correct and measure are being taken (Chase, 2004). Person whose proficiency has applied the competency repeatedly and successfully in their performances of his or her jobs but has much to the advance (Megginsion, 1992). Aspects and behaivior which is associated with the B. M. W Company and operation managements. Person with high level can have knowledge and experience with competency and can apply well on job with any assistance. In this stage one is expert and has experience many careers in his or her own work. To share list of keys people organizes and resources so as to help solving Problems College to have trained or mentor you on how to effectively schedule this skill will lead to the best learned from job which is trained. In informal interview, the manager is involved in with scheduling and attending of meetings with him if it’s possible. To have relations with your customers in your business you can be able to understand their needs and their concerns. Making you available its will direct you to contact with your clients. To rotate your job and assignments of various employees so that you many know how your employee interacts with their customers. As a manager you should be asking assignment in workforce planning. It’s good to spend time observing your work operation so that you may know processes and problems that needs to be solved. As a manager it’s good to have a meeting with your employees so that you can be able to solve tasks with schedules. To make work to be organized and activities to run smoothly and efficiency manager is supposed to be responsible (Chase & Jacobs et al, 2001). Whenever manager of the B. M. W Company move to many places, he develop a network for some information in many different departments. He do keeps the sources and keep them open no matter how high they will be. Skillful manager usually leave members of his organization so that they can judge them and decide which level to inform him. Managers are supposed to respond immediately with a reasonable in various problems and how to overcome them. Another skill is to save time and energy for various issues. For keeping someone informed. About a wide range operation and decisions which are been made in different steps in a company (Chase & Jacobs et al, 2001). The importance of operation management in the B. M. W Company has highly increased the function to enable to increase and improve productivity while providing a broader high quality of the products. The benefits of establishing the standards includes decision making. It’s also requiring thinking outside the organization and use of new technologies and also resolving of the provided mechanisms. A customer is an individual or a group and he can be the process in the organization, this is by providing of some law materials. In Operation management expectations includes cost, time and delivery, the enviroment, level of services, and the quality of the product or services (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). In designing of the products can fail to meet the market expectations in the market. Organization functions they entails addition to setting of the department structures. To compare productions and the services in an operations most services have elements which are based operations integrated with service delivery. The situations which are faced by a service operation manager may be less significant and less encountered by the production and manufacturing manager. The depth of planing and preparation which enable products to be consumed, Customers they see only the delivery of the products and services they are given and some customers may not mind the time that they will take to wait. Some customers will not wait and wait for the responds. The difficulties in stocking a service they include the capacity wasted if not in use. The isolation of the customers is less for services than for goods and when personal services if offered the customers they are more involved. Customers immediate are more less such that the systems are more sensitive and more personal to control (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). Conclusion If the managers do operations of business or organization smoothly and in right order, he will get the benefits in the organization. But if they do not cooperate with his organization well, it will have fewer benefits. In my view point, it will have conclusion on how I can believe my experiences of the operations managements and it’s could be one of my benefits. Also for the B. M. W business to run well it’s should have some inputs and outputs and to make an organization to be successful it’s supposed to have objectives of operations managements of how is speed when doing your work and cost of your varieties and goods (Mondy & Premeaux, 1992). The quality of your goods matters a lot in your organization and your goods it’s good to have better qualities so as to attract more of your customers in your organizations. For a manager is required he or she to be focused in his daily duties and also he should be capable to make the organization to be organized and it’s been operating well (Ames, 1995). In a company foundation it is also more important that is when business have a good start its can enable it to learn well. Manager is responsible to make sure every department its learning well and everybody is well located in his or her own departments. The operations function of B. M. W is responsible in producing the services of goods and managing the supply that would provide the incoming resources. Manager is required to innovate and ensure successful of new products in the market (Ames, 1995). It is the responsibility of the management concerning Operations management strategies at the B. M. W Company to improve the efficiency and effective of transportation through low cost and management to improve its productivity and to program its services world wide. Lastly, the B. M. W Company should try and incorporate the use of internet and e-commerce to market its products to the customers (Chase, 2004). References Ames M. Wilson. (1995). An historical perspective on Operations Management, Production and Inventory Management Journal Chase F. (2004). Operations managements for competitive advantage: Inventory management Journal Chase, F. & Jacobs, N et al. (2001). Operations Management for Competitive Advantage: New York, HarperCollins Megginsion, L. (1992). Management 4th Edition Concepts and Applications: New York, HarperCollins Mondy, R Wayne & Premeaux,Shane R. (1992). Management Concepts, Practices and Skills Seveth Edition. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall U. S Departments of Education Institute of Education Sciences. 2009). Clarifications of Instructional programs (CIP). US, California University Clark, G. and Johnston, R. (2005) BMW, Service Operations Management: Improving Service Delivery, Harlow: Pearson Education. Ohno, T. (1995) Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-scale Production, New York: Productivity Press. Slack, N. , Chambers, S. and Johnston, R. (2004) BMW, Operations Management (4th Edition), Har low: Pearson Education. Chase, R. , Jacobs, R. and Aquilano, N. (2005) Operations Management for Competitive Advantage (11th Edition) New York: McGraw-Hill. Ackerman, K. B. 1997, Practical Handbook of Warehousing, 4th Ed. , Chapman & Hall. (ISBN 0412125110). Ballou, R. H. , 1998, Business Logistics Management: Planning, Organizing, and Controlling the Supply Chain, 4th Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0137956592). Blanchard, B. S. , 1998, BMW, Logistics Engineering and Management, 5th Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0139053166). Bowersox, D. J. and D. J. Closs, 1996, Logistical Management: The Integrated Supply Chain Process, McGraw Hill, (ISBN 0070068836). Christopher, M. and H. Peck, 1997, Marketing Logistics, Butterworth-Heinemann, (ISBN 0750622091). Council of Logistics Management (CLM), 1998 Bibliography of Logistics Training Aids, prepared by R. L. Cook (Central Michigan University), CLM, 2805 Butterfield Rd. , Suite 200, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Copacino, W. C. , 1997, BMW, Supply Chain Management: The Basics and Beyond, The St. Lucie Press/Apics Series on Resource Management. Coyle, J. J. and E. J. Bardi, 1998, Transportation, South-Western Pub. , (ISBN 0538881801). Coyle, J. J. , E. J. Bardi, and C. J. Langley, 1996, The Management of Business Logistics, 6th Ed. , West/Wadsworth, (ISBN 0314065075). Coyle, J. J. , E. J. Bardi, and R. A. 1994,Novack, Transportation, 4th Ed. ,West/Wadsworth (ISBN 0314028536). Glaskowsky, N. A. , D. R. Hudson, and R. M. Ivie, 1992, Business Logistics, 3rd Ed. , Wadsworth Pub, (ISBN 0534510353). Handfield, R. B. and E. Z. Nichols, 1998, Introduction to Supply Chain Management, Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0136216161). Kasilingam, 1999, R. G. , Logistics and Transportation: Design and Planning, Kluwer Academic Pub. , (ISBN 0412802902). Lambert, D. M. , J. R. Stock, L. M. Ellram, and J. Stockdale, 1997, Fundamentals of Logistics Management, McGraw Hill, (ISBN 0256141177). Langford, J. W. , 1994, Logistics: Principles and Applications, McGraw Hill, (ISBN 007036415X). Leenders, M. R. , Purchasing and Materials Management, 10th Ed. , McGraw Hill, 1992 (ISBN 0256103348). Nerseian, R. L. and G. B. Swartz, 1996, Computer Simulation in Logistics, Quorum Books, (ISBN 0899309852). Orsburn, D. K. , 1991, BMW, Spares Management Handbook, Tab Books, (ISBN 0830676260). Patton, J. D. , 1986, Logistics Technology and Management: The New Approach- A Comprehensive Handbook for Commerce, Industry, Government, Solomon Press, (ISBN 0934623023). Pooler, V. H. and D. Pooler, 1997, Purchasing and Supply Management: Creating the Vision, Chapman & Hall, (ISBN 0412106019). Robeson, J. F. (Preface) and W. C. Copacino (Editor), 1994, The Logistics Handbook, Free Press, (ISBN 0029265959). Kidd, P. T. and W. Karwowski (Editors), 1995, Advances in Agile Manufacturing: Integrating Technology, Organization and People, IOS Press, (ISBN 9051991762). McMahon, C. and J. Browne, 1998, CADCAM: , Principles, Practice and Manufacturing Management, 2nd Ed. , Addison-Wesley, (ISBN 0201178192). Ross, P. J. 1995, Taguchi Techniques for Quality Engineering: Loss Function, Orthogonal Experiments, Parameter and Tolerance Design, 2nd Ed. , McGraw Hill, (ISBN 0070539588). Tompkins, J. A. , Y. A. Bozer, E. Frazelle, J. Tanchoco, and J. White, 1996, Facilities Planning, 2nd Ed. , John Wiley & Sons, (ISBN 0471002526). Eppen, G. D. , 1998, Introductory Management Science, Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0536012024). Evans, J. R. , 1996, Production/Operations Managemen t: Quality, Performance, and Value, 5th Ed. , West/Wadsworth, (ISBN 0314062475). Hillier, F. S. and G. J. Lieberman, 1995, Introduction to Operations Research, 6th Ed. McGraw Hill, (ISBN 0078414474). Krajewski, L. J. and L. P. Ritzman, Operations Management: Strategy and Analysis, 5th Ed. , Addison-Wesley, 1998 (ISBN 0201331187). Taha, H. A. , 1996, BMW, Operations Research: An Introduction, 6th Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0132729156). Canada, J. R. , W. G. Sullivan, and J. A. White, 1996, Capital Investment Analysis for Engineering and Management, 2nd Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0133110362). Fabrycky, W. J. and B. S. Blanchard, 1991, Life-Cycle Cost and Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0135383234). Fabrycky, W. J. , G. J. Thuesen, and D. Verma, 1997, Economic Decision Analysis, Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0133702499). Grant, E. L. , W. G. Ireson, and R. S. Leavenworth, 1990, Principles of Engineering Economy, 8th Ed. , John Wiley & Sons, (ISBN 047163526X). Ostwald, P. F. , 1992, BMW, Engineering Cost Estimating, 3rd Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0132766272). Stewart, R. D. , 1991, Cost Estimating, 2nd Ed. , John Wiley & Sons, (ISBN 0471857076). Thuesen G. J. and W. J. Fabrycky, 1993, BMW, Engineering Economy, 8th Ed. , Prentice Hall, (ISBN 0132799286).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Economic Ramifications of Stringent Tort Laws

Economic Ramifications of Stringent Tort Laws Part 1. Executive SummaryWe look at the progressive stringent interpretation of tort laws. We observe the starvation of the economic engines and commanding heights of the economy. This effect is all the more evident in tobacco, pharmaceutical and automobile industries in the US. This has resulted in stifled innovation and risk averse behavior on the part of industries in these sectors. We draw parallels from history, where we look at the evolution of tort law, with the beginning of the industrial revolution, and how it has maintained a harmony between the capitalist, the worker and the consumer. The history in this field had gone through the successive processes of integration and disintegration, and at this point it was going through a process of reintegration along new lines. The conflict between the justice culture and the market culture underlies our tort wars.The precarious balance between the capitalist, worker and consumer is currently being threatened by excessive damages awa rded by courts in various cases.Strawberry TortAdditionally, courts fail to take into account the resources available at the disposal of the defendant, while awarding damages; resulting in large-scale bankruptcies. This could lead to a vicious cycle of bankruptcies of industrial and financial institutions, resulting in economic catastrophe. We specifically study the impact of these fallouts on the medical insurance industry.We see a breakdown of law in this case, and propose that law has overstepped its boundaries and threatens to destroy the very society it seeks to protect. Unless this situation is urgently rectified, we predict a breakdown of free market capitalism and its benefits of freedom of expression and action.Part 2. Introduction?The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience?The objective of the project is to look at the Economic Ramifications of the circumvention...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How To Be A Successful Blogger In 12 Steps From Popular Bloggers

How To Be A Successful Blogger In 12 Steps From Popular Bloggers What do they know that you don’t? Those top bloggers, with their armies of fans, making waves  across the Internet. What do they have that you don’t? Well, in this research article, you’re about to learn the top 12 secrets of eight of the world’s top bloggers so you can learn how to be a successful blogger, just like them How To Be A Successful Blogger In 12 Steps From Popular Bloggers What Makes Them A Top Blogger? This list isn’t an official Top 8 like you hear on the radio. Nobody, not even Google or Alexa, has  enough traffic information to create a real ranking. The bloggers on this list are the top bloggers in their niche, or incredibly up-and-coming bloggers, based on  detailed research (and lots of coffee drinking). But what they did have to do was meet a certain criteria that looks like this: These folks are frequently featured on top ten and/or top blogger lists for their niche. They didn’t buy an established blog; they grew it from nothing. They have a mailing list or social media following of 10,000 or more people. They're actively producing content. A Look Behind The Research We care about content here at . And how you can create better content:  This research aims to reflect that. I’ve used BuzzSumo’s content analysis tool, as well as my own research, to focus on the content these bloggers have  produced and how it’s made them a success. This covers, but isn’t limited to: Content length Their content (and if their readers are content with it) Visuals Social media All with the goal of showing you what they do and how you can do it, too. Each section breaks down a blog, their content, and what they’ve done to become successful- and how to be a successful blogger all by yourself. If you’re ready, let’s get into it, shall we? How To Be A Successful Blogger With 12 Lessons From The ProsJon Morrow: Publish  Consistent Content To Build An Audience Of Loyal Fans Jon's blog,  Boost Blog Traffic, is a powerhouse in the blogging niche. It covers all the tools and skills a blogger needs to become a success in the least amount of time possible. And, Jon is reportedly making $100,000 per month from this blog alone, which is testament to his abilities as a blogger. Let’s look at how he’s done it... #1. Consistency Is Key Jon has a strict posting schedule of only one post per week, maximum. And, more often than not, that post is released on a Thursday. While that isn’t concrete- the blog occasionally posts on other days- that’s when he achieves the most success. Which shows his audience knows when to expect content, and is flocking there as soon as it’s released. That consistency doesn’t just apply to when he posts his content. It’s also in how he writes his content. For example, the introductions to all of the blog's posts (even the guest ones) follow the exact same style. Take a look at this from one of their first ever posts back in 2012: And this one from December 2015: The process may have been refined, but it’s still the same. That’s over three years of consistency just in their introductions. Heck, even the same opening sentences show up from time to time! What That Means For You... Be consistent with your content. And, not just when you post it, but the style you write it in, too. Give your audience something to expect, and a style that feels like ‘home’ when they read it. The more familiar and consistent it is, the more likely they are to return. Recommended Reading: How To Publish More Consistent Content That Will Help You Grow A Successful Blog Chiara Ferragni: Blog Frequently And Focus Your Energy On One Social Network Chiara Ferragni, or The Blonde Salad, is a prolific fashion blogger. And, thankfully, you don’t need to know your Jimmy Choo’s from your Louboutins to understand how she became one. Admittedly, she was employed as a Guess model which gave her some platform to build from. But that doesn’t make what she’s done with this blog any less impressive. Because to consistently get over 2,000 shares per blog post means that your content has to be good. From my research, this comes down to two easy-to-replicate steps: #2. Maintain A Predictable Frequency Between Monday and Friday, she posts content of different lengths at least once a day. As Matt Cutts from Google notes says, publishing content frequently can help you build an audience who checks in often to catch the latest information from your blog. #3. Build One Clear Distribution Channel While it’s definitely beneficial to get yourself out there on every form of media, it can be  more effective to focus on fewer, or as is the case here, just one channel: Facebook. By focusing on building her Facebook presence, Chiara's  able to predict and manipulate a large source of her traffic. Plus it’s much easier to build a following on one channel than on multiple. Which is why her blog's Facebook page has over 1,192,000 likes and counting. Post valuable #content frequently to build a loyal audience. #bloggingWhat That Means For You... If it suits the style of your blog, post content more frequently to drive more traffic back to your site. It doesn’t have to be long; it just has to be valuable and informative. Narrow down your social media focus instead of trying to cover all of them. Build up an authority standing on Facebook or Twitter and then expand. Recommended Reading: How To Promote Your Blog With Social Media Matthew Woodward: Know Your Audience And Dream Bigger I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Matt on a number of projects. And, in the world of effective SEO, he’s one of the go to guys. From working alongside him, I know three things to be true: He spends a painstaking amount of time getting to know his audience. He is extremely particular about his content. He’s a ferocious networker. So let’s see how that impacts his blog, and how he’s turned it into a success. #4. Understanding Your Audience, And Engaging Them, Is Crucial... Matt’s content doesn’t really go viral. In fact, his social shares are some of the lowest here: But what he lacks in social shares, he makes up for in comments and engagements. Matt goes out of his way to talk to, and get to know, his audience on a different level. It’s not blogger to audience, it’s friend to friend. And that's why his posts regularly exceed 60 comments. He constantly surveys and asks his audience what they want, how they want it, and when they want it. There is no such thing as filler content either. He doesn’t have any fluff that just fills a posting schedule. He only provides long-form, actionable, or insightful content that his audience will benefit from. This level of control for him- and his readers- makes sure that there’s a consistent flow of traffic, and that Boost Blog Traffic style of brand-standard-ness throughout his content. #5. ...But Not As Important As Outreach. What has truly helped Matt get this blog to such heights is getting out there and networking with other people in the niche. You just need to look at his ‘As Seen On’ page to see just how hard he worked at that: And, all of that exposure has given his site thousands of backlinks from high quality, authority sites: Which helps him bring in over 30,000 sessions a month from Google and organic sources alone. What That Means For You... While social shares are important as a metric, they can sometimes cloud your measurement for success with vanity. And, it’s possible to have lots of success without ever going viral. Instead, take the time to get to know your audience- through surveys and emails and polls- to find out what they want and give it to them. While you’re finding out what your audience wants, be sure to reach out  and find opportunities to write for other blogs in your niche, too. Not only does this help for SEO, but it helps for your overall branding and drives traffic to your content from other authorities, too. Recommended Reading: 3 Hidden Google Analytics Reports To Help You Understand Your Audience 25 Lessons From Guest Blogging For The Top Blogs In The World Benny Lewis: Build A Personalized User Experience Benny Lewis is a language specialist from Ireland. His blog, Fluent In 3 Months, has rocketed him to Internet stardom in recent years. It’s led him to become a published author, and to even give a TEDx talk in Poland. Aside from speaking 11 different languages, he’s managed to build a mailing list of more than  150,000 people. While the BuzzSumo data on Fluent In 3 Months is a little fuzzy, a deeper look into the blog gives you simple insights into how he’s become so successful. #6. It Starts With Personalization... Benny’s blog is not about him. It’s not a way to boast about how many languages he speaks or about how good he is at teaching. Instead, it’s all about you and what you want to achieve. When you first come to his site, he asks you what language you want to learn, and provides a tailored email course for you right away: That means  he’s never sending junk content to his list. And, he’s getting all the benefits of email list segmentation, like the ones MailChimp found here: So not only is he providing consistent, valuable content to his readers directly to their inbox- he’s laser-targeting them and increasing his opens, and eventual social shares, by doing so, too. An average post gets 780 shares. That's quite an achievement. #7. ...And It Ends With User Experience. The rest of the site is built around what you want, too. Instead of wading through blog posts trying to find the one you want, Benny has set his site up to be: Tailored to you Easy to navigate And, because it’s an endless resource with instantly actionable content, that means you stay on the site much longer. It’s simple, but it’s effective. You need to give people a reason to stay on your site, because they’ll easily find a reason to leave. Does your #blog #UX  taylor to personalization? It can help you grow...What It Means For You... Where you can, personalize your experience. Segment your email list to fit different sections of your audience and their interests. Whether you’re a retailer, a blogger, or anything else in between, there are different reasons everyone visits your blog. So, do your research to find them. And, make sure your blog is easy to navigate. There is nothing worse than a blog site that’s clunky and hard to find your way around. If not for user experience, do it for SEO. Because the cleaner your site structure, the easier it is for Google to crawl it. John Romaniello:  People Crave  A Personal And Likable Brand John’s blog and site, Roman Fitness Systems, is personal branding perfection. He’s taken what could have been another drab, boring fitness site, and turned it into something spectacular. To give you a little feel of that, take a look at this excerpt from the About section on his blog: Love it or hate it, it’s unique and attention grabbing. And, he also does everything you’ve seen so far in this article, too: He focuses on one  social network:  Facebook. Remember that this is the social platform that he's found to work best for him. Play around with your social networks and test them. His site can be personalized to the fitness goals of the user: And, he consistently turns out long-form, valuable articles. #8. Use Your Blog To Build A Personal, Likable Brand But the real takeaway from John’s blogging success isn’t just in how well he does all these things. It’s the personal brand he’s built. Because people don’t just come for the knowledge bombs- they come for him. With a close look at the blog, you can see not all of the content is to do with health and fitness. Instead, he focuses on the attached subjects to it that he, and his readers, care about. Things like: Confidence Life skills Cooking Sex And, not only is this done in an informative way, it’s also done in a charming, funny, sometimes controversial way. Whether that’s through a Facebook post or the headlines he chooses for all the articles on his blog (even the guest posts). He always makes decisions, and chooses content, that builds his personal brand. By creating such a strong, audience splitting tone of voice, he rallies people towards him (or pushes them away from him). Which is exactly what makes his blog remarkable. Want to be a successful #blogger? Your audience craves personality.What It Means For You†¦ Building a personal brand- or a clear brand identity- is a must. It doesn’t have to be as quirky or controversial as John’s, but it needs to be a little more than the usual beige personality that brands go for. Pick a side or a stance on your niche and run with it. Hammer it into all of your content, from the small pieces on your site, through to your blog posts and social media updates. It’ll galvanize people around you and create an aura people want to associate with (or get the hell away from). Recommended Reading: How To Make Personal Branding Work For You How To Write Exciting Content Even If You’re In A Boring Industry Stuart Walker: Focus On Providing Value Rather Than Virality Stuart’s site, NicheHacks, has seen rapid success over the course of the last few years. In fact, in 2 years alone, he’s managed to build this site to generate more than  $80,000 a year. Now, as a disclaimer, I’m part of his writing team, so I’m a little bias to the charm of this blog. But the following he’s built over the last few years, and the critical acclaim the blog has started to receive, goes above and beyond any of the nice feelings I get in my belly when I think about it. For example, his Mastermind Group on Facebook alone has more than  10,000 members. So, how has he managed to build such a successful blog? #9. Give  Away More Than Just The Milk You’ve heard the saying, â€Å"Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?† before, right? Lots of bloggers and marketers believe this to be true. That you need to save your best, and most valuable content for your paid content, because it’s stupid to give away your knowledge for free. But, that’s not a belief he shares. The average length of content there is around 3,000 words (I used to write him a 5,000-word epic each month), and he covers any topic a niche marketer might ever need. Just look at this list of his most popular content. Any of these could easily become a downloadable product to sell to people: #10: Shooting For Virality Is A Waste Of Resources While this might not equate to a lot of social shares (his average is only 85 per post) what it does equate to is massive engagement, email subscriptions, and conversions into sales: Like Matthew Woodward, Stuart Walker doesn't focus his energy on creating tons of social shares for his content. Instead, he focuses on providing valuable information he knows his audience will seriously dig. What It Means For You... As odd as it sounds, give away your best content for free. Let people see that you can guide them to success and you have their best interests at heart. And, do it all as frequently and often as possible. By doing this, you build more trust, boost engagement and create a feeling of authority around yourself (or your brand). The more trust you have, the better your bottom line will be. Recommended Reading: 5 Things That Will Change Your Mind About Long Form Content Marketing Jeff Goins:  Authenticity Is An Audience Magnet Jeff’s blog is all about the art, craft, and lifestyle of being a writer. And, as you know as a writer yourself, good blogs about that are few and far between. Understanding how he’s built his blog doesn’t require a lot of stats and figures and fancy data breakdowns, either. Even though his stats are impressive- an average post gets 423 shares. What truly makes Jeff successful is how he approaches his content. Because all of it is aimed at empowering you- yes you, sitting there, right now- to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. #11. Authentic, Transparent, And Personal... He grabs your attention with stories, both personal and of others, to maintain  your attention and keep you on the page: His stories are  insanely powerful because they give  authenticity to everything he does. That also  taps a deep psychological need of people. There’s a high level of transparency in what he does, too. He’s open and honest with his readers about everything, and even makes open commitments to his readers. And, he even goes out of his way to nurture relationships with people away from his blog, by communicating with followers, friends, and fans on their own Facebook feeds: So, where a lot of bloggers go for stardom and distance from their audience- like a performer on a stage or screen- Jeff aims to connect and become a friend with them and to get involved with them beyond his blog. What It Means For You... Break the fourth wall. Connect with your audience on a different, more personal level beyond the realm of your blog and its posts. But when you are writing your posts, aim to put yourself into your posts. Share stories and events and emotions that come from deep within you, or your brand, too. Gretchen Rubin: Create Content That Stands Out From The Noise If you don’t know Gretchen from her blog, you might know her from her book, The Happiness Project. A lot of blogs out there tackle to topics of happiness, habits, and personal development. But few of them do it as successfully and enthusiastically as Gretchen has over the last few years. She has frequency and consistency down to a T  by posting every day of the week. But what really makes her content special is the content of her content. She  treats herself as a case study all of the time†¦ #12. Breaking The Content Mould Where most blogs churn out content like, 5 Ways To Be Happier Today, and the yawn-inducing, 10 Habits Of Happy People, Gretchen grabs the topic by the scruff of the neck and creates content you can use. A few examples of her recent headlines are: Agree, Disagree? â€Å"Forming New Habits Can Actually Be Fun.† Always Late? 9 Tips for Overcoming Chronic Lateness. Do You Ever Get a Huge Pleasure Just From Looking at a Particular Object? What? She case studies herself, and others, to create actionable real world advice that’s proven. Not nice-to-knows or the occasional motivation booster. These posts work, and have been proven to work. And that’s why those articles get the most traction and shares. What she’s done, remarkably, is break the mould of her niche and create content of a different kind. As Seth Godin would term it, she’s created a ‘Purple Cow’ in her niche. What That Means For You... Look at your competitors and what they’re doing. Then, make it better. Improve on it. Break the mould and give them more than they’re getting elsewhere. It’s the only way to stand out in a more and more cluttered blogosphere. Recommended Reading:  How To Use The ‘Skyscraper Technique’ To Improve Your Content Marketing How To Be A Successful Blogger (In Short, So You Don’t Forget) That was a monster post, wasn’t it? I hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was for me to research and write. Let’s look at the key points of how to be a successful blogger one last time, so you don’t have to go through the whole post again: #1. Be Consistent: With your tone and with your schedule. When people know what to expect from your blog, they’ll be dying to come back every week. #2. Share Your Advice Frequently: Your audience will come back if they can expect new content often. Plan a blog posting schedule that shares great advice frequently to build a loyal following. #3. Focus On One Social Media Channel: Don’t spread yourself too thin, get a foothold on one channel, and then grow from there. #4. Engage Your Audience: Get to know them. Understand them. And, ask them what they want. It’s better to create a small army that loves you then try and please everyone. #5. Outreach: Get out there and network. Guest blog, comment and share. Make your name known by relevant people with similar audiences. Your next big hit may only be a conversation away. #6.  Personalize: Make the experience as tailored to your reader as you can. And, segment your mailing list accordingly. #7. Focus On User Experience: Make your blog easy to navigate and find information. Use blog categories and tags to group similar content. #8.  Create A Clear Brand Identity: Take a stance, find your tone and create something unique. Let people flock to you (or run away from you) based on how they feel about it. But always be unmistakably you. #9. Give Away As Much As Possible: Value will never die. And, you need to give it to your audience. The more you’re willing to share with them, the more they’ll trust you. #1o. Going Viral Really Doesn’t Matter: Most of the bloggers, from the biggest to the smallest, don’t have viral hits every time. Their average shares per post are always under 900. So don’t fret about it too much. As long as the number is going up over time, you’re okay. #11.  Be Authentic And Transparent: You’re not a movie star. You can connect with your audience on a more personal level. So, get beyond the computer screen and reach out to them and become a bigger part of their lives. #12. Break The Mould: Go above and beyond your competitors. Live and breath what you do and go to a level of depth that nobody else is willing to. It might be harder, but it’s definitely worth it. Now, where are you going to start? Let me know in the comments...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Human Resource Management - Essay Example They have therefore devised innovative human resource management practices that empower workers to make decisions on matters that affect them. As a result, employee involvement and participation has become the central pillar of HRM. Employee participation and involvement (EIP) are often used interchangeably but as Hyman and Mason (1995) puts it; the two concepts have different meanings. Participation efforts are achieved through a legal framework designed by the government to enable employees to have a voice although at times they may exist in absence of such legislations like in Japan. On the other hand, involvement mechanisms are initiated by the management to enable them cope with the challenges of today’s economic climate. For the sake of this paper the two concepts will be used interchangeably since there is a very thin line between involvement and participation. The choice of the mechanism is determined by the political, social and economic conditions of the country and organization for which it is designed. Recently, there have been changes in the legal climate due to European Union initiatives aimed at improving working conditions and standards of living thereby initiating various participation mechanisms such as consultations (Knudsen, 1995). The paper will discuss the extent to which EIP initiatives have been a success. Definitions Employee involvement and participation can be defined as efforts geared towards empowering employees to influence decisions on matters that affect them by pushing responsibility for decisions down the organization hierarchy. The role of the employer in decision making process thus declines while that of the employee increases (Heathfield, 2011). This is done with the belief that by empowering employees, they will have a sense of ownership and hence gain morale, job satisfaction and commitment to organization goals. It is also believed that job satisfaction and commitment lead to improved retention as well attraction of the best talent in the labour market thereby achieving a sustained competitive advantage. Furthermore, the management requires to make quality decisions and this is enhanced by input from the workforce (Gennard & Judge, 2005). Participatory activities are also aimed at complying with legal requirements and in Europe it has led to increased role for trade unions. Historical Background Management efforts to improve productivity and efficiency began decades ago with the advent of scientific management systems advanced by Taylor and Ford. They believed that division of labour was the key to organization effectiveness and efficiency. Taylor thus concentrated on how to get most work done by analysing all tasks and designing jobs to eliminate wasted time. He ensured maximum job fragmentation and minimisation of skill requirements; employees were considered as stupid hence not able to make decisions (Bratton & Gold, 2001). Ford on the other hand, introduced assembly line method of produc tion which entailed short-cycles and standardization of commodities and processes. The division of labour led to monotony and boredom, job dissatisfaction, high absenteeism and turnover as well as increased costs in terms of monitoring and cooperation costs. This led to pressure for better methods of management by the human relations movement. The human