Research Korner: Management System and Strategy

Strategic Branding Management

Brand Management Strategy of AQCAPS.com   TABLE OF CONTENTS   I.      Introduction.. 3 II.     Background of the Company.. 3 III.        Justifications of the Brand Development Decisions.. 5 A.    Segmentation. 5 B.    Targeting.. 5 C.    Positioning.. 6 IV.       Strategic Brand Management Theories Applied.. 7 V.    Brand Design for the Company.. 7 VI.       Brand Equity Management and Sustainability.. 8 VII.      International Implications of the Brand.. 9 VIII.     Critical Success Factors and the Endorsement and Extension Strategy   10 A.    Critical Success Factors. 10 B.    Endorsement  Strategy. 11 C.    Extension Strategy. 12 IX.       Summary.. 12   I.     Introduction The World Wide Web has become one of the major conduits for businesses to vend their goods in a far greater market range. Major dot.com companies like Amazon.com has used the internet to build an empire focusing on a basic niche of consumers. Banks and other financial institutions have similarly been employing the net as a means of getting in touch with their core clients. It is in this context that this company, AQCAPS.com, intends to build its commercial identity and reach a range of customers from the four corners of the world. The following presentation is a discussion of the marketing and branding strategy that AQCAPS.com will employ as it launches its business to the public. The following contents of the report will be focusing on the branding and other justifications of the decisions made by the company on its business operations. In the same regard, these discussions will also be supported by theoretical works on branding and business along with consultation with recent studies regarding online businesses and the management of such organisations that use the internet as a platform for vending their goods and services.         II.   Brief Description of the Selected Company The company, AQCAPS.com, is a personal venture made by Cau Dee, a fashion enthusiast and entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. This is one of his many business ventures that deal with the apparel industry. This shows that the head of the company is rather commercially-inclined and possess some remarkable experience on business operations. However, this is merely his first time venturing in the online business marketing. The company concentrates on street fashion and accessories based on the current trends in the market. Specifically, AQCAPS.com intends to focus its attention on headgears and caps for both the male and female demographic. The major products includes traditional caps like flex fit caps, trucker caps, hats, army caps, and visors to name a few. The company founder and CEO do not have any issues on capital for operations and manufacturing as he has set aside a considerable amount to support the venture. Moreover,  is also in the process of closing deals with major brands from specific niches from Lacoste to Nike to provide the company the rights to distribute their headgears online. The website of the company will be launched in approximately six moths displaying the major products that the company sells. Basically, those in display are products that the company has manufactured themselves. Other distributors and other major brands have yet to be sold as the negotiations are not yet complete. In any case, the orders have been piling in since the company has launched its website. However, the response to the products has been below par as the Dee expected to meet his return of investments within a year. This report will attempt to help Dee and AQCAPS.com to meet his goal and increase the market share of the company. Thus, marketing and brand development initiatives will be presented in the following parts of the paper.           III. Justifications of the Brand Development Decisions The following discussions will present the segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies of the company. In the same manner, the justifications on the decisions on employing these strategies will also be given.   A.  Segmentation  (2004) defined the segmentation activity as “the act of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers.” This indicates the process have to deal with the general market and possible buyers of the products of AQCAPS.com. In looking at the market, it seems that it could be identified and considerably large to acquire some level of profit for the company. With the platform used by the company, i.e. the internet, the consumers could easily reach the company provided that they have ready access to the web. In the same manner, those who intend to purchase the products of the company are easily reached by the company given that an account will be made on their name. However, given that the company is rather new in the market, the potential consumers may yet display some responsiveness on the site of the company. B.  Targeting In the same account,  (2004) defined targeting as “the act of developing measures of segment attractiveness and selecting one or more market segments to enter.” The company is targeting the male and female demographic in the age brackets 12-19 and 20-25 who have access to the internet. These segments are targeted given that these individuals have more time to access the web and are more inclined to purchase head gears as a part of their fashion statement. Based on the market, there is no particularly strong competitor that holds most of the market share. However, there are a considerable number of sites that offer the same services and products as those offered by the company. Being an online company, the consumers are able to substitute the services and products forwarded by the company with those in malls and other specialty shops within their community. However, it must be emphasised that the designs, artworks, and quality of the products of the company are exclusively distributed by the company. This means that there is some equal footing in the context of power with the suppliers and buyers in the market.     C.  Positioning The act of positioning is characterised as “the act of designing a set of meaningful differences to distinguish the company's offer from competitors' offers.” (2004) Given that there is a considerable number of players in the industry and possible competitors in the web, the company has to position itself in terms of high quality items and well designed works along with a prompt service delivery. Along with these, the company will also attempt to sell the items in a slightly lower price as compared to its other competitors in the web.  On this manner, the consumers will be able to find more value for their money. On the same account, the company will be using marketing techniques such as word-of-mouth and product endorsements such that the public may become aware of the brand and products of the organisation. IV.Strategic Brand Management Theories Applied The strategic brand management theory used by the company is based on the models formulated by Kapferer, particularly the company uses his claims of brand identity prism. (1999) Specifically, a consideration of the external and internal elements will be applied in the issue of brand development of AQCAPS.com. In the context of the external elements, the “physique” of the product is represented in the distinct designs and the logo of the company discretely infused in the product. The “relationship” displayed by the product shows self-expression and fashion-worthiness on the part of the consumers. The “reflection” imposed by the product shows casual youthfulness and stylish expression of young adults. In the context of external elements, the “personality” the products of the company intend to display an impressive yet understated nature. The “culture” of the brand shows individualism and independence with a blithe consideration of the world. V.  Brand Design for the Company The brand design of the company tends to emulate the mission of AQCAPS.com: “to offer high quality merchandise to the public.” The platform of the website runs on a flash programme that highlights the interactivity and hip nature of the product.   Figure 1. AQCAPS.com Logo   The image above represents the logo of the company. It shows an outline of cap, particularly a military cap which is one of the key product designs of the company. Unlike the other brands in the market, the logo will be discreetly located in the product. This is because the designs of the caps and hats will be the distinguishing feature of the company’s major products.     VI.Brand Equity Management and Sustainability Brand equity is defined as “the differential consumer response from knowing the brand.” (2005) This means it is a measure on how the market is aware of the existence of the brand. Since the company is a new entrant in the market, it is important to initially build a considerably strong brand name. Since the company is online based, the company have to take the measures in making the site known to the web-surfing public. Using search engines like Google and Yahoo to increase the traffic to the site will be one of the major objectives of the brand equity management and sustainability of the organisation. The company will be developing keywords and other targeted doorway pages such that when web surfers key-in specific words, then the name of the site comes up within the top finds of the search engine. Other courses of action that the company could implement are by using webgroups and other newsgroups that are normally accessed by a set of people close to the profile of the target market. Advertising campaigns could also be used by the company. Possibilities could be available for the company in using banner ad space and other space from other top sites. However, the sustainability of the brand equity of the company still rests on the capability of the organisation to maintain the website and keep it from being unfriendly and un-interactive for the users. In the same way, the delivery of the products and the quality of the product themselves should also be ensured such that the company could build a strong set of core customers.     VII.       International Implications of the Brand Since the company is online-based, the international implications of being a global brand tend to become non-applicable to the company. (2003) However, one of the major drawbacks of operating on an international scale through the use of e-commerce is that the market tends to depend on the capability of the country’s infrastructure. A country with a less than capable infrastructure will essentially become part of the company’s loss. (2000) However, one must also realise that if the issue of infrastructure capability is concerned, major countries all over the world will be able to support any platform in the internet. (2000) This means that the company could access the market in major countries in Europe, United States, and the rest of the Asian Region. Thus, the site of the company should also be able to accommodate other nationalities who may not be able to understand English. The interface of the company should be able to allow the consumers to choose which language the site should use. Though it is highly likely that the target market will be able to understand Basic English, it would be a plus factor for AQCAPS.com if they offer interactions in Mandarin and French, to name a few, for their customers.      VIII.     The impact of the Internet on the brand development Given that the company is online based, there is a great possibility that the brand would encounter consumerist behaviour. (2000) This is because the platform used by the company tends to establish rather expanded brand equity and brand knowledge. (2000) This means that with the brand of used of the company along with the ability of the net to reach buyers from all over the globe, added value from the brand image and brand awareness is given to the products of AQCAPS.com. IX.        Co-branding and its impact the selected brand/company At this point, co-branding procedures may not be in the near future of the company. This does not mean that any possibility of co-branding is rather impossible. It only means that the company intends to build on its brand name first and establish a strong presence in the industry. Once these have taken effect, then the possibility of co-branding would be imminent.   X.  Critical Success Factors and the Endorsement and Extension Strategy A.  Critical Success Factors The critical success factors that the AQCAPS.com brand needs to achieve its mission includes customer satisfaction, quality, positive cash flow, and new customers. If company keeps a high quality of the products it markets, there is a high possibility that customer satisfaction may ensue. In the same line, these satisfied customers could make up the company’s core clients. This means that they could pose as a major source of income for the company which may essentially spell a positive cash flow. At the same time, aside from the nature of marketing adhered to by the company, there is the possibility that these core customers could refer other individuals to purchase the products offered by AQCAPS.com. Upon the completion of these critical success factors, the company is aware that it could sustain its survival in the industry.      B.  Endorsement         Strategy The company is also looking for celebrity endorsement to add value to the brand. Studies have indicated that the market responds positively on celebrity endorsements. (2001) However, it is also mentioned in the same study that appropriate choosing of a fitting celebrity should also be on the discretion of the company. For instance, the company intends to give free samples of the product, particularly the trendy military caps to famous bands both locally (Hong Kong) and internationally. Bands take on a lot of following as well as their taste in fashion and accessories. On a later stage of the company’s development, celebrity endorsements will be turned to actors and actresses in the local and the international scene. In the same way, the other designs of the company, particularly the closed fitted caps, will be issued to sports celebrities in the local level initially. However, it must be emphasised that the company will be focusing on web advertising as its primary means of building the name of the brand.         C.  Extension Strategy The possibility of brand extension for the company will possibly be in the future, but not in the immediate one. The company will only undertake such actions once the brand has successfully satisfied and even exceeded the critical success factors. Studies have shown that premature extension of brands shows a rather grim outcome from other organisations. (1998) In this manner, proper planning and building on the capabilities of the brand comes on the top of the priorities of the company. XI.        Coherence of argument The discussions above have established the intention of maintaining a rather competent and competitive brand management strategy among AQCAPS.com. The arguments above have established the capabilities of the company to put theory into application. This indicates coherence in such a way that the principles of brand management are seen as a complementary element to the actual operations of the company. Though the primary base of the organisation is online, the dynamics provided for the application of these theories and realisation of the organisational objectives tend to manifest itself as a conduit to make these possible for AQCAPS.com   XII.      Summary The company, AQCAPS.com, intends to implement the following actions to build and subsequently sustain the strength of their brand: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> Targets the age brackets 12-19 and 20-25 who have access to the internet. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> Its main differentiation will be the quality of the products and the price. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> The strategic brand management techniques are based on the brand identity prism of Kapferer. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> The company intends to sustain its brand though exploiting internet conduits like web groups and search engines and utilise web advertising through the use of banner ad space. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> The critical success factors of the company include customer satisfaction, quality, positive cash flow, and new customers.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> Celebrity endorsement is secondary to actual web advertisement.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-autospace: none; margin-top: 5.0pt; margin-bottom: 5.0pt"> Brand extension will not be on the immediate future of the company.</li> </ul>

Strategic Branding Management

Brand Management Strategy of AQCAPS.com TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction .. 3 II. Backgroun...

Strategic Human Resource Management in Subway Sandwich Restaurant

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN A SUBWAY SANDWICH RESTAURANT   The world’s famous subway sandwich restaurant franchise system in the world that is independently owned and operated by various entrepreneurs.  Franchisees established their own human resources strategies and policies and implement their own employment rules and policies.  The Subway sandwich restaurant chain is increasing tremendously, and still continues to boom with new marketing opportunities in shopping center, mall and free standing  locations.  Other franchisees locate their own Subway chain to hospitals, colleges, sports arenas and airports.  The Subway chain has been in every part of the globe.  And, most of these franchise stores are located in the United States and others are located in other parts of the globe. The company has innovative and efficient Subway developers, field staff and leasing specialists from different parts of North America.  The Subway chain has an effective marketing and operational system that helps in promoting their products as well as in increasing its wide range of consumer base.  Subway restaurants have unique restaurant concepts, and do not need a wide and spacious location.  The Subway restaurants are flexibly operating anywhere.  In addition to that, Subway restaurants have different marketing concepts and designs as well as various strategic locations such as Jeep assembly plant in Ohio; you can also find it in a new car showroom in California.  In the same manner, there is also a Subway sandwich restaurant in a church in New York.  Other consumers can also eat healthy sandwiches while inside the laundry and tanning salon in Wisconsin.  There is also a chain store inside the High School compound in Detroit, and the best thing is, the students can earn college credits for operating a Subway sandwich restaurant inside the university.  You can also find a floating Subway sandwich restaurant aboard on a river boat in Germany.   And, there is still a plan to try to put a Subway sandwich café to satisfy the food needs of the employees in the office buildings and large establishment and huge commercial buildings.  The menu will include the baked goods and frozen coffee drinks.  The Subway café concept will be designed as a combination of sandwich shop and coffee bar that is located in a cozier environment for coffee break.  (http://www.hr.com/en/communities/subway%C2%AE-world-headquarters-selects-ultimate-softwa_g5rg5kop.html)   The Subway restaurant chain is presently the world’s leading submarine sandwich store franchise that has 32, 200 locations in 90 countries worldwide.  It started our in Milford, Connecticut.  At the same time it has also regional operation in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, Singapore, India, and in the United Kingdom.  And, because of its excellent performance worldwide, it has been recognized as number one Global Franchise sandwich restaurant in the globe.  More than that, the Subway restaurant has been providing its employees an outstanding strategic human resources management, recruitment, strict compliance to attendance management as well as performance supervision among its employees.  Payroll and talent and performance solutions have been also in the company’s top priority.  These are all the strong evidences that Subway restaurant has been recognized as having excellent human capital management solution for over the years now.  In fact, Subway‘s headquarters uses payroll service bureau in its US-based chains. All its human resources capital will be centralized already through the help of UltiPro; this is a most complete solution that meets all the human resources management system of Subway sandwich restaurants worldwide.  Currently, Subway has its outstanding strategic and systematic transactional human resources management system for the most advantageous workforce performance and productivity among its employees.  (http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/human-resources-management-h-r/215128-organisational-structure-subway.html) Furthermore, Subway sandwich restaurants are a fast food franchise, but they prepare and serve healthy and fresh food for their customers but in a reasonable price that everyone can afford to buy and eat.  In fact Subway has its new great “Five dollar foot long” campaign in a very affordable cost.  They have sandwiches that are loaded with fresh veggies.  They really make great sandwiches, they are generous with toppings, and the employees are keen to details.  The employees are really giving excellent customer service.  After all, Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily caters submarine sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas.  The specialty sandwich that the restaurant has is the Chicken Pizziola sandwich; this is a 6-inch sandwich that made of nine-grain wheat bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers and cheese.  In Subway, the customers may choose the bread, toppings and condiments for the sandwich they order.  And, healthy sandwiches are being prepared in front of the customers. This restaurant chain has been dominating in the world market since 1995 through its employees’ hard work and high quality food products.  (http://renegadehr.net/case-study-hr-practices-subway/)  References: (http://www.hr.com/en/communities/subway%C2%AE-world-headquarters-selects-ultimate-softwa_g5rg5kop.html) (http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/human-resources-management-h-r/215128-organisational-structure-subway.html) (http://renegadehr.net/case-study-hr-practices-subway/)

Strategic Human Resource Management in Subway Sandwich Restaurant

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN A SUBWAY SANDWICH RESTAURANT The world’s famous subway sandwich restaurant franchise system in the wo...

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Management Information Systems Case Study   Introduction SAM Bakery makes commercial breading foe sale to various businesses. Commercial breading is sold to fish packing plants ( to make breaded fish sticks ) and major fast food suppliers such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and MacDonald. Commercial breading is baked in huge ovens, with a continuous steel belt that carries bread from dough through the baking process. The baked loaves are then ground up and bagged. Most sales for breading are for truckloads (一貨車之量) or even rail cars of breading. People in England eat a lot of fried chicken.   The main ingredient (烹調的原料) of breading in flour. Most breading actually use a blend of flours, to which are added the spices (香料,調味品) and flavorings (調料,香料) that make the breading taste just the way the customer wants it, and some preservatives (防腐劑). SAM keeps a number of recipes (烹飪法,食譜) for various kinds of beadings for each of its customers.   When the customer places an order, SAM checks its inventory to decide whether it can satisfy the order from inventory, or must produce a new batch of breading. Each batch of breading is date stamped, so SAM will know when it is no longer saleable. SAM schedules production several days in advance. Sometimes SAM knows that orders will come in for certain beadings, and it keeps up production to meet the predictable demand. Sometimes customers place extra orders. Fish packing plants, for instance, are likely to put in extra orders at certain times as more fish are caught at those times.   SAM keeps considerable information about its business. At the moment, all information about the manufacture and sale of breading is kept in paper records. SAM keeps the following kinds of information: ª  Manufacturing information – the recipe for each kind of breading, which consists of a list of ingredients, any special baking and bagging instructions, and the shelf life of a batch. There is also data for quality testing each batch – the tests to be performed and the standards the breading from that batch is to achieve. ª  Information about raw materials – which ingredients are maintained in stock, where they come from, how much they cost and what quality standards they meet. Most of the raw materials are different flours, which are purchased in bulk. ª  Inventory of finished product – how many kilograms of each kind of breading is stored, and where it is kept. The inventory does age, so the age of each batch is also recorded. ª        List of clients – the names and addresses of clients. Reports about the amount and type of breading purchased are stored in each client file. ª        Invoices and accounts – all the invoices for breading deliveries and all accounts sent to clients are kept. Ledgers foe each client are also maintained. Similarly, accounts are kept for each purchase or raw materials.   SAM have come to you help them get this information into electronic form. The company would like to design a database that will allow them to generate an invoice for each sale, a monthly account for each client and a full inventory of raw materials and finished breading.   Your task is to create a schematic (概要的) design for the database that will store the information for SAM. What you should produce is a basic set of forms for inputting the data, editing the data and searching for the data. These may all be one form, or you may create a different form for each action. You may create multiple forms as well, so you could create different search forms for different kinds of data. In this assignment we are looking only at the information you think you need on the form.   To guide you in creating these forms, you should answer the following questions: Questions 1: How is SAM going to use this information? What does it want to accomplish by storing the information in this database? The use of the information will determine what to collect and how to link the information. Question 2: What information must be included in the database to provide the functions it is to achieve? Which items of information should be in separate fields because users will want to access them separately, and which items can be grouped with other information? Question 3: How much information should be kept, and how should the information be organized? Remember that SAM will have to keep information up to date, so the more it keeps, the more it has to edit and update. As well, the more information in any one data collection, the more the storage requirements and the slower the database performs.   Your paper should consist of answers to these questions and an introduction to your design. You can put the design pages as an appendix. The purpose of the assignment is to have to struggle with information design. Your design is the first general overview of the information needs. A database programmer will take it and create the actual database. You need to specify what information is needed and how it will be organized.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Management Information Systems Case Study Introduction SAM Bakery makes commercial breading foe sale to various businesses. Commerci...

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK   Leadership is a requirement for the success of any quality program.  Heads of organizations must acquire a quality program and start implementing it from the very top tier and throughout the entire organization.  Quality, therefore, is an organization-wide effort.  The philosophy must be woven in to the very fabric of the organization and be a part of the organizational culture. The prevailing corporate problem in Cameroon is thus- leadership.  This creates a big problem for any multinational corporation to set up company in Cameroon.  The culture in Cameroon is such that ‘defects’ are acceptable.  “We accept that it is normal if things do not work first time around and like a mechanic in Douala ‘regale’ seems to be the way quality is delivered, after an initial cock-up.  Traditionally managers in Cameroon tend to shy away from sending staff on courses.  Their emblazoned mentality is “you don’t get trained here, but get here trained!”  It is well acknowledged that a chasm exists between industry and the formal education meted in the local colleges and universities. Monono, Lloney.  Doing Business in Cameroon; Problems Delivering Quality,  9 February, 2007.  The Sun. http://the-news-from-cameroon.com/article.php?category_id=1&article_id=252.  21 April, 2011.)” Organizations define a Quality Policy on how they handle issues with quality.   The Quality Policy is usually supported by a Quality Management System which embodies a set of standards which the company adopts towards the provision of goods and services for its customers.  The company’s structure which ensures that the organization’s quality policy is followed to the tee is another support of the quality policy.  Human Resources Management develops and implements human resources management policies and strategies which attracts recruits, develops, retains and maintains a high quality, performing and productive workforce; as well as a healthy and safe working environment for the organizations’ employees.  Responsibilities include attending to all matters concerning employment terms and conditions of staff and providing consultancy services to complexes on the management of their human resources.  “The department takes a lead in developing human resources best practices through partnerships with similar organizations and providing leadership and being innovative in the management of organizational and cultural change so as to enable the company achieves its strategic objectives. (Corporate Human Resources Management Department.  http://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/structure/complexes/corporate-services/corporate-human-resources-management-department-chrm/. 21 April, 2011.)  The HR department is also involved in influencing and coming up with resolutions for differences across organizational boundaries and treating the staff with equality and impartiality while being sensitive to cultural and gender differences.    “HR takes the leadership to provide programs and policies that are responsive to the diverse needs of the company.  It also plays a role in developing and implementing communication channels within the company as a reliable resource to managers and employees who have questions or issues relating to workplace policies and procedures, particularly in the areas of procedures, rules and regulations, entitlements, discipline and grievances.  (Corporate Human Resources Management Department.  http://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/structure/complexes/corporate-services/corporate-human-resources-management-department-chrm/.  21 April, 2011.)”  According to the Structural Adjustment Programmes II (SAP II) of Cameron, the Bank’s performance was barely satisfactory, given that the Bank did not create value-added in the formulation and implementation of the Programme, which comprised too many procedures and components.  (Cameroon:  Structural Adjustment Programme II.  https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afdb.org%2Ffileadmin%2Fuploads%2Fafdb%2FDocuments%2FEvaluation-Reports%2F00682830-EN-CAMEROON-SAP-II.PDF.   21 April, 2011.)”  Cameroon restored its economic growth, after a decade of economic crisis and subsequently the devaluation of the CFA Franc, as a result of the efforts undertaken by the Government within the framework of the various economic reform programmes agreed upon the Bretton Institutions and the Bank Group.  The execution of SAP II enabled Cameroon to reinstate the key macroeconomic balances, return to the growth path and stop the decline in the purchasing power of the population.  The programme also made possible the institutional competence building of the administration especially in the areas of resource mobilization, modernization of the tax administration, and improvement in the programming of the monitoring and implementation of the public investment programme.  “Despite these performances, several key measures of the programme were not implemented by the date of the loan closure in May 1999, and some of them have still not been introduced, such as the establishment of a tax register, social security reform or the privatization of some state-owned enterprises.  Nevertheless, the implementation of the Programme enabled Cameroon to prepare satisfactory I-PRSP, reach the decision point for the HIPC Initiative, and reduce by ten points the incidence of poverty.  (Cameroon:  Structural Adjustment Program II.  https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afdb.org%2Ffileadmin%2Fuploads%2Fafdb%2FDocuments%2FEvaluation-Reports%2F00682830-EN-CAMEROON-SAP-II.PDF.  21 April, 2011. 7.)”

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK Leadership is a requirement f...

Sample Essay Dissertation of Safety Management Strategy and Understanding on How Construction Safety Management Policies Enable Hongkong to Compete Effectively and Profitably

OBJECTIVES As a person with knowledge of safety management in construction, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy formation regarding safety management and at times fails to understand the reasons or logic behind certain strategic implementations imposed on it. By delving into this project paper, the author intends to have better insights into how construction safety legislation policies are thought up, formulated and then imparted down into the key stakeholders. The author hopes to have an in-depth understanding as to how the construction safety management policies enables Hong Kong to compete effectively and profitably in this era of internationalization where competition is extremely intense. In order to reinforce the learning objectives, two key focal issues were focused upon, i.e. innovation and diversity. Innovation was discussed with regards to construction safety management within Hong Kong where it was renowned for its developmental capabilities to constantly innovate. Diversity came under strategic thinking and formation as the author considered the diverse culture, political climate, economic surroundings, social environment, technological settings, government policies and legal systems in order to have a better understanding of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong.   EXECUTIVE BRIEF     This essay utilized the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong as the model legislative policy to review its present construction site safety management and how it dealt with critical situations. From the analysis, key trends in its construction site safety management were identified, how it worked and its effectiveness in dealing with critical situations was ascertained. The paper then moved on to assess its component construction site safety management strategies with regard to its suitability to critical situations, during which the internal capabilities of these safety management strategies in relation to the strategy being followed by most construction firms in Hong Kong was determined also. An overall analysis of the performance and effectiveness of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong was also conducted to assess and compare the capabilities of its construction site safety management strategies with those of others. Gaps in its construction site safety management capabilities were then identified. Finally, several choices of strategies to improve the construction site safety management of most Hong Kong construction firms as effective means in critical situations were recommended and evaluated in terms of appropriateness to the issues reviewed, feasibility in carrying out the options and acceptability within the key stakeholders and decision makers. Several key implementation issues related to managing strategic change were also addressed as well.   INTRODUCTION Construction site safety management can be defined as the efficient and effective implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the safety of a construction firm's employees and management. Construction safety management focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services within construction sites (Bernold et al. 1993). More often than not, small companies don't really have the capabilities to implement construction site safety management. Instead, these companies engage in activities that various schools of management typically associate with construction safety management. These activities include the inspection of construction sites, construction materials assessment, production and distribution. However, construction site safety management deals with all operations done within construction firms and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with construction site safety management. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, construction site safety management includes the analysis and management of internal processes (Blackmon et al. 1995). The Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong will be the model legislative policy that will be used in this research based on its good background in construction safety management. Elements of the Code of Practice for Site Safety Supervision Safety Management Structure and Responsibilities of Relevant Personnel A. Technically Competent Persons (TCPs) Technically Competent Persons (TCPs) identified in the Code include four (4) different individuals: the Authorized Signatory (AS), the Authorized Person (AP), the Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) and the Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE). They have responsibilities in communications, recordkeeping as well as construction safety operations scheduling. The Code of Hong Kong empowers these personnel to apply their technical knowledge in their respective fields of expertise for the safety of the construction sites. By doing so, the government of Hong Kong maintains a high level of standard regarding the safety and security of all construction sites within Hong Kong. However, certain criteria for qualifications in accordance with the Code of Hong Kong will have to be followed so as to make sure that the best and only the highly qualified ones are selected. This process will also allow the process of training to be unified, which will significantly bring down training costs.   It is interesting to know the basic innate characteristics of the TCPs involved in construction site safety management which contribute towards the development of their effective image. ·        Mental Stability Mental stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of the correct decision as well as in the construction site safety management and development of the processes accompanying it. It is important for the TCPs to remain updated with the latest developments in the construction sites to be able to stay aware and knowledgeable in all safety management issues. ·         Performance and Credibility The production of their best construction site safety management outputs comes as a result of well-funded construction site safety management and development activities. The strong performance of their safety and security measures in the construction sites could also be linked to the effective strategic planning and human resource mobilization of the TCPs. Thus, the TCPs’ credibility increases as their performance becomes better.     ·        Construction Site Safety Planning and Strategy Formation Capabilities Construction site safety management planning and strategy formation nowadays has created the need for TCPs to become aggressive especially in the area of marketing themselves. This is because the access to strong distribution channels is critical for their continued existence. ·        Decision-making abilities. Upon arriving at the correct decision or choice, the TCPs now gains confidence in their ability to make critical construction site safety decisions or choices especially when their integrity is on the line. Thus, the TCPs will now search for even more challenges and opportunities where they could further enhance their decision-making abilities regarding construction site safety management issues. ·        Holistic Mindset of Construction Site Safety Management Issues Through the exposure to various puzzling construction site safety management issues, the TCPs along the process are able to develop a holistic mindset regarding the construction site safety management issues surrounding them. The TCPs now become a keen observer of the truths and lies surrounding the issue being tackled, instead of relying on mere hearsays. The continuous pursuit of the truth behind the puzzling construction site safety management issues enables the TCPs to consistently practice and enhance a healthy and holistic mindset which makes it difficult for detractors to give influence. Because of this holistic approach, the TCPs are able to effectively select the right choice and continue to maximize this potential for future use. The four (4) TCPs are the following: The Authorized Signatory (AS) refers to the individual designated by the registered contractor to perform his / her duties and functions for the purposes of the Buildings Ordinance, and given power by the contractor to act on his behalf to gain total control of the contractor’s construction site safety management structure for the project. The Authorized Personnel (AP) refers to the individual designated by the Code to routinely inspect and satisfy, in accordance with the supervision plan, that the contractor’s construction site safety management system is congruent with the part of the supervision plan prepared by the Authorized Signatory. The Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) refers to the individual empowered by the Code to perform construction site structural engineering data assessment, evaluations and design calculations, concrete and steel structure design, confirmation of construction site frameworks, and even construction site cost evaluations. They will also perform the revising of construction site drawings, preparation of analyzed calculations as well as report preparation, technical reports and other documents. They will sometimes become the leader of individual construction site teams, where they will be tasked to mobilize their project staff. Together with other TCPs, they conduct ocular construction site inspection and observation. The Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE) refers to the individual tasked by the Code to do the routine task of applying geotechnical engineering techniques, procedures & principles on a wide variety of construction site safety management projects. This TCP typically has an excellent background in construction site mechanics, shallow and deep construction site foundations, earth structures, construction site materials calibration, construction site monitoring and evaluation. B. Purchasing and Buying of Safe and High Quality Construction Materials  Buyers and purchasing agents are tasked to evaluate construction material suppliers on the basis of price, quality and service support. They review catalogs as well as the construction industry and company publications in order to help them in their search for the right construction material suppliers. Fortunately for them, a majority of this information can be easily accessed in the Internet. They also do some researching about the reputation and background of the construction material suppliers and may also do some advertisements regarding the foreseen purchase actions in the hope of soliciting bids. At meetings and conferences, they perform the examination of construction material products as a safety precaution, the evaluation of the productive and distributive capabilities of the construction material suppliers, and the discussion of business considerations that have the possibility of influencing the construction material purchasing decision. As soon as all valuable information about the construction material suppliers is gathered, the placement of construction material orders and contracts are started to be awarded to those construction material suppliers who are able to meet the needs of the purchasers. The typical contracts range for several years and may even have the stipulations of the range of construction material prices, which would allow the purchasers to reorder whenever necessary (Dulaimi et al. 1999). In the Code of Hong Kong, however, there is a clear distinction between the work of a buyer and that of a purchasing manager. Purchasing agents and buyers focus mainly on the daily purchasing tasks. They specialize in construction materials. Purchasing agents perform the tracking of the conditions of the construction materials for safety, trends in their prices, as well as the future of the markets. Purchasing managers, on the other hand, are in charge of the more complex and critical construction material purchases and handles a team of purchasing agents. C. Production Safety Planning Production safety planning is a necessary function indicated in the Code. In most construction companies this process is often very difficult because of the fast rate of change and the occurrences of unplanned events. Most companies also use several methodologies depending on what the situation demands and the price of the construction materials. Nevertheless, the objectives of the production safety planning do not change: efficiency, effectiveness and safety (Everett, 1999). Production safety planning is being implemented by the Code in order for its activities and resources to be coordinated over time. This enables the construction firm to achieve overall safety in all of its operations with minimal resource utilization. Production safety planning also enables the construction firm to monitor the progress of their safety plans at regular intervals and maintain their control over operations. Production safety planning according to the Code involves four elements: scheduling, labor safety planning, equipment safety planning, and cost planning. <ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in"> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> 	Scheduling involves the specification of 	the beginning, the length or the duration, and end of the planned activities 	geared towards achieving overall safety within the construction site.</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> 	Labor safety planning involves allocating 	the necessary personnel and delegation of responsibilities and resources to 	ensure the overall safety of all construction workforces.</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> 	Equipment safety planning involves 	identifying the types and needs in terms of safety of the equipments being 	used in the construction site. </li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> 	Cost planning involves determining the 	costs and the possibility of their occurrence in terms of achieving the 	overall safety within the construction site.</li> </ul> D. Construction Site Safety Analysis The occurrence of construction site safety analysis within the construction sites of Hong Kong reflects the growing difficulty in the management of most Hong Kong construction firms that require the safe use of valuable construction resources such as money, materials, equipments, and people. This is perhaps the reason why construction site safety analysis is being emphasized in the Code in order to determine the most effective ways to coordinate these resources through the application of analytical methods derived from fields of studies such as mathematics, science, and engineering in order to create the safest construction site possible. Through this process, safety concerns and problems within construction sites are solved in different ways and alternative solutions are then relayed to the construction firm’s management concerned. The management then selects the appropriate course of action in line with their goals. More often than not, construction site safety analysis is concerned with complicated issues such as top-level construction safety strategy, construction safety resource allocation, and designing of production facilities and systems for construction site safety (Gans, 1981). Construction site safety analysis actually may vary according to the structures and philosophy of the construction firm. But according to the Code, it centralizes construction site safety analysis in one department. Construction site safety analysis may also have the possibility of working closely with top level construction site managers in order to identify and solve a variety of safety problems. No matter what the type or structure of the construction company is, construction site safety analysis operates under similar sets of methodologies in order to carry out the analysis to support the construction company’s goal to improve the overall safety of its construction sites. The process is started by the description of the symptoms of a construction safety problem, followed by the formal definition of the problem. For example, a construction site safety analyst might be questioned regarding the most effective safety precaution for every needed part on a production line. Also, the analyst might be asked to determine the optimal number of emergency tools needed to be kept in inventory (Garza et al. 1998). E. Construction Site Engineering The Engineering Department of the construction site determines the best ways to utilize its basic factors of production in the safest ways possible. These resources include the construction site’s people, materials, information, and energy needed in the production. Engineering is the bridge that links the goals of management and safe operational performance. They are concerned with the increase in productivity through the proper management of people and choosing the appropriate methods of construction site organization while maintaining a high level of safety (Hammer, 1989). According to the Code, the construction site’s engineers perform the careful analysis of the construction site’s materials and their requirements as a safety precaution. In this process, they make use of various mathematical methods in its operations research to meet the requirements. They also develop systems of management control in order to aid in the planning of safety precautions and measures in cases of emergency situations. These systems are eventually subjected to improvements for the effective implementation of the safety plans of the construction site. The construction site’s engineers perform the tedious task of selecting which among the various construction site locations have the best combination of raw construction materials availability and safe environment. This time, engineers make use of computers for simulations and robots for controlling various activities and devices. They also are in charge of the development of systems and programs for safety. Critical Construction Site Safety Management Improvement Factors For Hong Kong construction sites to become effectively safe, the following construction site safety management improvement factors are critical: ·        Financial Stability Financial stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of construction site safety management and development activities. In the construction industry, it is important to remain updated with the latest construction site safety management developments to be able to stay competitive in the market. ·        Construction Materials Performance and Price The safety of the construction sites is dependent on well-funded construction safety management and development activities. The safety of the construction sites could also be linked to their cost-effectiveness. However, the construction firm has to be aware of the positioning in terms of process so as to maintain satisfactory profits margin and remain competitive in the market. ·        Safety Strategy and Implementation High construction site safety awareness among the clients has created the need for aggressive lobbying of safety policies, and access to strong distribution channels is critical for the introduction of new safety precautions. Benefits of Efficient Construction Site Safety Management ·        Economies of Scale and Scope in manufacturing and construction site management and development. ·        Unique Quality Construction Sites owing to heavy emphasis on Construction Site Safety Management A construction company’s commitment to construction site safety management & development activities has always been one of the top strategies to remain competitive in the construction market (Hinze et al. 1995)       ·        Differentiated Construction Site Safety Strategies Through the production and establishment of different safety strategies originating from the construction site safety management and development activities, the construction company is able to create its own firm-specific advantages. The continuous pursuit of construction site management and development processes enables the company to produce a steady stream of originally different construction site safety strategies which makes it difficult for competitors to find substitutes. Because of this differentiated approach, the construction company is able to strengthen their construction sites, which enables them in turn to maximize the returns on construction site safety management and development expenditures.     SYNTHESIS Deriving from the analysis between the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong, operations management and capabilities of the winery involved, many strategic options would become imperative. It is therefore essential to evaluate these strategic options as to whether they are appropriate to the issues addressed, whether they are feasible enough to be implemented and their acceptability to key stakeholders. There is definitely a need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in capabilities of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong. While the code’s construction site safety management involves focusing on its core competencies with construction site position following its resource base, the construction firms of Hong Kong that will follow this will be put into a disadvantageous position should they choose to neglect both the macro as well as the construction environment. Therefore, construction firms in Hong Kong have to be aware of the latest construction site safety management changes, as well as changes in political, economic, legal and even demographic trends in order to develop the outside-in capabilities, such as market sensing, customer linking, channel bonding and technology monitoring (Kartman, 1997). The advantages enjoyed by most Hong Kong construction firms may come in the form of increased revenues. Knowing what the market demands and the latest construction site safety trends could help these construction firms fully exploit their research and development capabilities to come out with construction site safety strategies and measures which are not only cost-effective but also high in quality. The strategic option can even be used as marketing tool where the focus is on staying close to the construction firm’s clients and listening to their feedbacks. On the flip side of the coin, there will be huge mobilization of resources involved, and the associated risks bestowed on the construction firms of Hong Kong. Nevertheless, the mentioned strategic option seems the most practical in the wake of globalization, since there is a sudden shift towards a more integrated and independent construction industry in Hong Kong. The key stakeholders too should not have any objections so long as the construction firm’s core business and construction site safety strategies are not threatened. By virtue of most Hong Kong construction firms’ centralized control of their construction site safety strategies, it is being expected that major barriers should not exist in carrying out such an option except additional time may be required given the scope and span of the construction firm’s operations. Understanding the strategic importance of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong is something that all construction firms have to be familiar with. Construction firms in Hong Kong normally practice a centralized and globally scaled configuration of construction site safety operations and capabilities. This allows information dissemination to be retained.     RECOMMENDATIONS A tie-up or merger with various local construction firms in Hong Kong offers tremendous benefits in terms of access to their construction site safety management policies, infrastructure and even their resources. However, every independent construction firm must not lose sight of their core competencies while pursuing these tie-ups. Otherwise, the image of every construction firm in Hong Kong might be put in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the collaboration of construction firms in Hong Kong with their major competitors can be seen as a ridiculous move at first.  However, upon close examination, this move could pave the way for Hong Kong construction firms to improve even more their construction site safety management policies and strategies. The bottom line is both sides would be able significantly gain in such an alliance. Hong Kong construction firms’ strengths in construction site development combined with the construction site safety management capabilities of their competitors can transform them suddenly into an unbeatable force to reckon with. One possible setback, however, is the differences in the cultures of the construction firms involved. Another possible setback could be whether any of Hong Kong construction firm’s competitors has the need to form alliances. The third option also focuses on alliances, but this time with either one of the leading organizations specializing in construction site safety management. The benefits of these alliances should outweigh the costs in the long run. In terms of appropriateness, all three options are able to directly address the current issues mentioned. However, the question remains whether construction firms in Hong Kong could be able to implement any of these options, and whether these options can be acceptable to the key stakeholders. Any merger or alliances may also involve the sharing of expertise. Hong Kong construction firms have traditionally relied on the inside-out approach. It is important to note that any merger transactions would have many implications on the construction firm’s values and culture as well as the resources. The key stakeholders definitely would be concerned with such options and need to be convinced of the positive aspects. Somehow, Hong Kong construction firms will be able to overcome this barrier in managing strategic changes in the process of implementing any of the above mentioned strategic options. CONCLUSION The results of the analysis carried out on the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong indicated very significant effects, even amidst the threats of unrest. Therefore, we could conclude that this Code could still be expected to improve faster than average. The review of the Code’s construction site safety management capabilities and resources revealed very little inconsistencies regarding the strategies of most Hong Kong construction firms. This is coherent with their traditional inside-out approach. However, the need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in approaches becomes imperative now for these construction firms. The analysis among the Hong Kong construction industry environment as well as the construction site safety management and capabilities of their construction firms revealed certain gaps, most of which are biased towards the environment. However, these gaps paved the way towards determining a number of recommended strategic options to secure the competitiveness of these construction firms. Also, the construction firms of Hong Kong have to find a balance between adherence to internal forces within the management and to the changing forces of the environment in order to implement such strategic construction site safety options.

Sample Essay Dissertation of Safety Management Strategy and Understanding on How Construction Safety Management Policies Enable Hongkong to Compete Effectively and Profitably

OBJECTIVES As a person with knowledge of safety management in construction, the author has always brought up to his superiors the vi...