Research Korner

CASE ANALYSIS OF MARKS AND SPENCER

CASE ANALYSIS OF MARKS AND SPENCER Table of Contents I.     Introduction.. 3 II.    External Analysis.. 4 a.    PEST Analysis. 4 i.      Political Factors. 5 ii.     Economic Factors. 5 iii.    Socio-Cultural Factors. 5 b.    Analysis of the External Environment of Marks and Spencer. 6 III.       Internal Analysis.. 7 a.    Value Chain. 7 i.      Primary Activities. 7 ii.     Support Activities. 8 IV.      Current Program Diagnosis.. 8 V.    Generation of Strategic Options.. 9 a.    SWOT Analysis. 9 i.      Strength. 9 ii.     Weaknesses. 10 iii.    Opportunities. 10 iv.       Threats. 11 b.    Analysis of the Macroenvironment and Microenvironment. 11 VI.      Evaluation of Strategic Options.. 12 a.    Consistency. 12 b.    Consonance. 13 c.    Feasibility. 13 VII.     Description of Selected Strategy.. 14 VIII.    Action Plan for Implementation.. 14 IX.      Conclusion.. 15   I.        Introduction Marks and Spencer is included in the long line of UK companies that has acquired a reputation of greatness and quality. Armed with experience, the company has been seasoned with its battles with both its internal and external environments. Since the 1880s, it adhered to a strict tradition involving its processes and trading practices which essentially spelled fairly well on the part of Marks and Spencer. To date, the company is considered as one of the most recognisable names in the area of retail. From apparel to even food services, the Marks and Spencer has ubiquitously hounding the top players in the UK market and the rest of the world. The case study provided by Collier (2004) provided several descriptions on the basic elements of the company. It has been described as a company that adheres to top-down management approach compounded by the close supervision provided by its former CEO. This has worked well with the company for several decades, however in the latter part of the 1990s a noticeable decline in the sales as well as in the overall performance of the company was observed. Various revolutionary and evolutionary changes have been implemented in the Marks and Spencer with the numerous changes in its leadership. To date, though there have been numerous changes in the strategies invoked by the company, its operations, to a certain extent, is still based on several principles: to offer a selective range of high-quality, well designed and attractive merchandise at reasonable prices; to encourage suppliers to use the most modern and efficient production techniques; to work with the highest quality control; to provide friendly and helpful service to their customers; to improve the efficacy of the business; and foster good human relations to its stakeholders. However, along the way they might have neglected to deal with the changes in the external environment as they focused on addressing the inner workings of their operations. This paper will look into the conditions surrounding that phenomenon. II.        External Analysis The external environment is basically comprised of all the elements that determine what the company needs to compete in its respective industry. In this part of the paper, a presentation of the external environment and consequent analysis will be carried out employing the PEST analysis.   a.    PEST Analysis The PEST Analysis is called by many names (STEP, PESTEL etc) yet it still uses the same principles of examination. Specifically, it looks at the political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological elements of the environment. This too essentially places importance on how these elements influence the organisation. (Blair and Hitchcock, 2001, 99) Usually, the use of this analytical tool is for planning and strategy creation of the company specifically to find a way to complement these plans with the findings of this analysis. More importantly, it allows the company the volition to exercise flexibility on the company and to serve as a safeguard in instances where major shifts in the trading environment take place. The primary source of this discussion is the case study provided by Collier (2004).                                   i.    Political Factors The UK political environment basically encourages trade in its territory. It is generally accepted that any trade is allowed in the said region provided that it does not oppose public policy, public order, or any existing law in the land. This is reinforced with the inclusion of UK in the European Union and the World Trade Organisation. However, in the case of Marks and Spencer, one of the more troublesome political elements that they have to contend to deals with the issue of labour laws and industrial relationship. In the past decades, the development efforts sought by the company have been constrained by several infringements in labour laws not only in their local operations but also in their international initiatives. This is especially true in their operations in France where the company is charged of grave abuse and breaking of expressed labour laws.                                    ii.    Economic Factors The United Kingdom is one of the hubs of commerce in Europe. Consumers are not limited to the locals as a considerable number of tourists flock the streets on a regular basis. This is similarly true in the context of the retail business, particularly in the area of fashion and apparel. The consumer base tends to require numerous types of clothing based on the existing climate of the region.                                iii.    Socio-Cultural Factors In the context of social and cultural aspects of the environment, the common UK consumer tends to be loyal to a particular brand. Quality of the product is a must in every transaction but could easily be defeated by a fairly competitive pricing strategy from a competing brand. Recent observations also indicate that preference on trendy styles over the classics tend to manifest among the UK consumer. This is seen in the case of Marks and Spencer over the years as it struggled to gain a greater market share. This shows that the UK consumer places high value on their money.                                  iv.    Technological Factors In the area of technology, a good number of the population is able to access in the internet. This means that some of the trading organisations are able to make the most of their operations and widen their scope with the use of e-commerce. This is seen in leading retail companies like Tesco and Sainsbury. Thus, online marketing and purchases made through the net is becoming one of the competitive advantages held by the leading retail companies in UK. b.    Analysis of the External Environment of Marks and Spencer The environment in UK, specifically its retail environment, appears to be highly attractive. Companies have the support of the government with minimal barriers of entry. The problem in this regard is the fact that there is some level of difficulty in penetrating the retail market, especially for new entrants, as there are existing monoliths that are willing to drive them out of business as quickly as they entered. This is similarly true in the case of companies with lush histories like Marks and Spencer. Seeing that their environment is essentially welcoming, neglecting the cutthroat nature of the competition would point to the imminent demise of any company. III.        Internal Analysis In support of the external analysis of the environment of the organisation, the internal environment should also be taken into consideration. For this part of the study, the value chain of Marks and Spencer will be examined. a.    Value Chain The value chain of the organisation is coined primarily by Porter as a tool to recognise the inherent capabilities of the organisation to realise its competitive advantage. The following will describe the primary activities and support activities of the company.                                   i.    Primary Activities As indicated in the value chain theories of the primary activities take in hand several specific functions of the company: inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and service. In the area of inbound logistics, Marks and Spencer receives inventories coming from its suppliers. Initially, the management of the company held strictly on the exclusive use of English suppliers. Eventually, they have already taken the prerogative to receive materials from suppliers from other countries. In terms of operations, Marks and Spencer is involved in the direct selling of apparel, foodstuff, and even home furnishings. In the same manner, they are also involved in the distribution of these items to all the Marks and Spencer stores in UK. This essentially covers the outbound logistics of the organisation. Moreover, sales and marketing of the company seems to be one of the more prioritised elements in the organisation. With the intense competition present in the industry, vying for consumer favour and adding value to the brand takes a step above the rest of these primary activities. In the area of service, the company also have to deal with the maintenance of their respective stores. The case study provided by Collier (2004) provided that the company has acquired stores that also require maintenance. This is where the primary activity of service takes place.                                 ii.    Support Activities In the area of support activities, the company holds     of the areas of human resource and technology. In the context of human resource, minimal training is required as the skills needed to fulfil the duties of the common employee of the company involves knowledge of the product and the awareness of the processes of selling. On the other hand, the use of technology is significantly infused in the operations of Marks and Spencer. Basically, every store uses a computerised cash register not only to deal with payments but also to take into consideration the use of loyalty cards recognised by the company. Other areas involving technology covers e-commerce and other online transactions. IV.        Current Program Diagnosis Based on the case study of Collier (2004), despite the long history of Marks and Spencer, it has yet currently takes on a larger market share and continues to suffer in its profits and other financial aspects of their operations. This implies weakness in a rather cutthroat world of retail. This then spells possible acquisition from much larger companies. On the other hand, the brand of the company appears to stay in a particular era. The management failed to display any form of awareness on the part of the market as they focused initially on the production process. As seen in the case study, the company is lagging behind the leading retail organisations in UK like Tesco and Sainsbury. V.        Generation of Strategic Options In order to generate sound strategic options for the company, one must first establish the faculties and flaws of Marks and Spencer. In this manner, one will know what areas to work on and what lot to maximise. In this part of the study, the SWOT analysis will be used as an analytical tool. a.    SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is one of the traditional and dependable tools in looking at the existing conditions of the company and how it fits with the current conditions in the external environment. The following will focus on the situation of Marks and Spencer as covered by the case study of Collier (2004)                                   i.    Strength Looking at the case study, Marks and Spencer possess a very potent weapon in business: very high brand name recognition. In this manner, their brand is connected with the elements of class and quality. Another strength that the company possess is seen in its rich history of trade. Throughout the years of its operations, it has acquired a lot of facilities at double as moneymaking centres. Along with this history is the existence of longstanding partners and alliances that has been acquired through over a century of operations.                                 ii.    Weaknesses Among the major weaknesses of the company are primarily seen its management. Specifically, a fit between the structure of the company, the nature of its trade, and the actual management styles has yet to be found. In the same regard, being a player in the cutthroat industry of retail, a company must possess dynamic marketing skills. Based on the case study, Marks and Spencer has been left behind in terms of marketing innovations like loyalty cards and implementation of customer-focused operations.                                iii.    Opportunities One of the seen opportunities in the retail market is the encouraging legislation present in the political environment. This shows that the company is able to maximise its operations provided that it is within the bounds of the law. In the same manner, the dynamic nature of the market also shows that the major consumers are placing value on their money. This means that they lay preference on issues of price over quality. Furthermore, the current marketing campaigns of the company appear to be highly promising as they are now employed icons of UK to help them convey the message of the Marks and Spencer brands.                                  iv.    Threats As mentioned earlier, the competitors in this industry works 24/7 and they move like sharks. Every chance they have in acquiring a portion of the overall market share, they will take. This is a threat as the Marks and Spencer continues to hold that reputation of having boring and non-trendy designs that appeal to the much younger age brackets. Moreover, as Collier (2004) pointed out in her work, the company is for some reason always susceptible to imprudence, lack of skill, and lack of foresight of the management.   b.    Analysis of the Macroenvironment and Microenvironment Looking at the discussions above, there appears several strategic options that Marks and Spencer could focus on to refurbish their operations. For instance, the company should look into a partnership with the more current and competitive players in the retail industry. This is to broaden the overall outlook of Marks and Spencer regarding their standing in the market. This also reduces the possibility of the company being acquired by the larger competitors. Another possible course of action for the company is to further improve its brand by using repositioning initiatives. It is undisputed that Marks and Spencer has a strong name recall and significantly strong brand name. However, the company have to consider the constant repositioning of their brand so as to keep the public’s respect on their products. This has been the one of the innumerable mistakes held by the previous management of the organisation.   The company should look also in the possibility of improving the management of their resources. As stated in the SWOT analysis above, the company has a lot of resources yet they have yet to find a proper fit on how to manage these resources to their advantage. The maximisation may take on changes in restructuring the processes and the infusion of technology as well as other knowledge based processes. And lastly, the change may well start with the internal structure of the organisation, specifically the human resource element of the company. Finding potential leaders and managers could spell a shift from stagnation to a culture of innovation and constant development. VI.        Evaluation of Strategic Options The following discussion will evaluate the proposed strategic options mentioned above. For the purposes of this study, Rumelt’s criteria will be used to examine these options. a.    Consistency In the first option, the idea of selling an organisation full of history or at the very least tie up with other retail players is not consistent with the culture of the organisation as well as in the general strategies of the company. As seen in the case study, Marks and Spencer appears to be a company full of pride, too proud perhaps.    With reference to the option of brand repositioning, the case study shows that the company is taking on brand repositioning initiatives constantly and yet they still find their performance wanting. Possibly this option may not be consistent with the management strategies of the organisation. As the case study presented, the problem of the company is in its core. Thus, it would be very beneficial for the company to look at this option. The case study also mentioned that the changes made by the management of Marks and Spencer appear to be superficial and merely serves as a remedy. b.    Consonance Looking at the strategic options above, it appears that each and every one is implemented in the industry. Thus, these constitutes to a trend in operations. The issue in this regard is whether or not Marks and Spencer is able to handle the consequences of employing all the strategies. The more logical thing to do for the company is to choose one specific strategy that they could immediately implement and reap the results as timely.   c.    Feasibility The more logical thing to do for the company is to choose one specific strategy that they could immediately implement and reap the results as timely. The company has a capable management but does not have the luxury of money or capital and time is even not on their side. Thus, alliance and repositioning are out of the question as they take too much time to take care of and cost mounds of money to implement. VII.        Description of Selected Strategy The strategy involves an analysis on what modern models of quality would be effective for the company. The overall goal of the strategy is to maximise the existing assets of the company and look at ways to improve the performance in the market. VIII.        Action Plan for Implementation The strategy is done in two stages. The first one takes on pinpointing the what, where, when and how of change management. Plainly, it points to the area of improvement needed by the company. In this stage, streamlining the operations would be among the end results. For instance, the structure of the company as said in the case study is rather complicated; simplifying it by turning it into a flat structure would be advisable. In the same manner, the superfluous processes in the company should be done away with as it adds up to the overall costs of the organisation. The second stage is the creation or development of a culture closely appended with knowledge management initiatives. Basically, this points to the flow of important data in the organisation. Information like receipts or sales documents is covered in this area.  Moreover, this strategy could help in the planning process and meeting of the company’s economy of scale.   IX.        Conclusion The case of Marks and Spencer provides for a clear and present manifestation of the need for awareness of the demands of the external environment. In addition, it also serves a lesson on having the need of a decisive strategy and opportune reaction to the changes in the business environment. Based on the case study, Marks and Spencer is slowly levelling up with its competitors. The proposed strategic options above present an opportunity for the company to gain more market share and compete more actively in the retail sector of UK.

CASE ANALYSIS OF MARKS AND SPENCER

CASE ANALYSIS OF MARKS AND SPENCER Table of Contents I. Introduction .. 3 II. External Analysis .. 4 a. P...

The Concept of Utilitarianism : Jeremy Bentham

Seeking Pleasure   “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell” -          Oscar Wilde   Introduction             Life is such a journey for every human. Every day, they are faced with different obstacles that will test their capacity on how well they can survive this cruel world. This place may not be the ideal one for most of them but despite of that truth, they are still eager to search for any possibilities that will make them contented and satisfied whether it will be against the others will.             The fight between the good and the bad is endless. In this life, we are always bound to make some choices regarding this two opposing ideas, the good and the bad, the right and the wrong the wicked and the righteous. We are fortunate because we have the capacity to choose between the two; however the criteria that we use on how we choose depend on how these things affect our happiness. In short, we chose the one that will make us happy and not the supposedly that is better for us.  It may seem that it’s hard to deal with happiness nowadays. In fact, there are a lot of factors that affects how humans define the idea of happiness. As long as it gives them the right satisfaction and pleasure that they needed, that’s what happiness is for them.             Aside from the satisfactions that they receive from each pleasant experience, happiness for them is more of a consolation that they need to have in exchange with all the tragic experience that they have encountered. Of course, if there is pleasure, pain is just on the other side.  The peoples search for happiness is more like finding a cure for a disease. In this case, pain is the disease and happiness is the medication for it. In order to overcome pain, they tend to seek for some relieves that sometimes adds more burdens to them.             Although it is said that happiness is immeasurable, its degree will merely depend on a person’s perception about satisfaction.     The Concept of Utilitarianism             It was an English philosopher Jeremy Bentham that submits the idea of utilitarianism. His ambition in life is to create a “Pannomion” – a complete code of law of utilitarianism. The philosophy of utilitarianism argues that each human being, all throughout his existence, is subjected to the governance of two sovereign masters, the pain and pleasure. Because of this, he derived the rule of utility, which states that the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. Apparently, he notices the two conflicting ideas of the rule so he simplifies it as “the greatest happiness principle”.             The Utilitarianism is a modern form of Hedonistic Ethical Theory, which is a concept of the Hedonism, a group of ethical system that believes that happiness is the final and highest aim of conduct. Being an ethical hedonist, Bentham claims that the only good is pleasure and pleasure will therefore bring happiness. He then formulated an algorithm called Felicific Calculus that tends to calculate the degree or amount of pleasure produced by a specific action which also determines the moral status of any considered act. In this algorithm, Bentham points out the key determinants of pleasure and pain which he called the “divisions” or “elements”. The said elements were intensity, duration, certainty and uncertainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity and extent. All these elements are factors which affects the calculation of pleasure and pain.              Bentham’s ethical theory of Utilitarianism was adapted by John Stuart Mill, also an English Philosopher whose father is foremost proponent of Bentham. Mill believes that the intellectual, cultural and spiritual pleasures are of greater value than the mere physical pleasure because the former would be valued more highly by competent judges than the latter. According to Mill, a competent judge, is anyone who has experienced both the lower pleasures and the higher. And just like Bentham's theory, Mill's utilitarianism also deals with pleasure or happiness.             The idea of the Bentham and Mill has influenced more philosophers to also come with such developments regarding the utilitarianism. And with that, the theory of consequentialism was later introduced. The consequentialism on the other hand, refers to the ethical theories that locate the source of moral value in desirable states of affairs that result as a direct consequence of an action. These results to the existence of many different accounts of the good and therefore many different types of consequentialism and utilitarianism have also been introduced.             Both Bentham and Mill is hedonist. They tend to define happiness as a balance of pain and pleasure. They also believe that these feelings alone are intrinsic value and disvalue. Utilitarianism relies upon on the some theories of intrinsic values. And Utilitarian assumes that it is possible to compare the intrinsic values produced by two alternative actions and to estimate which would have better consequences.             Bentham’s theory is an Act-Utilitarian. He relies more on the value of the consequences of the actions to be able to determine whether the act is right or wrong. This kind of point of view has urged a lot of grave objections to the Utilitarianism.             Later on, John Stuart Mill’s classical expression of the system takes utilitarianism into a higher plane. Mill took Bentham’s principle as a challenge and claims that the utilitarianism notes that the pleasures differ in quality and in quantity. He also enlists the association theory; as the result of experience, actions that have been approved or condemned on account of their pleasurable or disagreeable consequences at length come to be looked upon by us as good or bad, without our actually adverting to their pleasant or painful result. He saw motivation as the basis of the argument since happiness is the sole end of the human conduct and not all pleasure are of the same value. The quality of pleasure is also as important as the quantity of it. Nonetheless, the pleasure of the mind is better than the pleasure of the body. Same with a small amount of moral pleasure with a virtue is just the same of a large amount of sensual pleasure.             Mill have changed one thing about Benthams principles, he believes that the real way to measure utility of the results of action is to calculate the amount of happiness each activity might produce to a certain person. The action that produces the greatest happiness for a large number of people are the morally action required. As a result, Mill comes up with the Rule-Utilitarianism as his defense with the criticisms to Benthams theory. His theory suggests that instead of looking at the consequences of the act, the theory determines the rightness of the particular act.                       In the late 19th century, one of the leading utilitarian, Henry Sidgwick rejected Mills theory of motivation as well as Benthams theory of the meaning of the moral terms and sought to support utilitarianisms by showing that it follows from systematic reflection of morality of “common sense”. In addition with his concept, he reasoned that utilitarianism can solve the difficulties and perplexities that arise from the vagueness and inconsistencies of common sense doctrines.   Negative Utilitarianism             The idea of the negative utilitarianism requires us to prevent the greatest amount of suffering to the greatest number. Most utilitarian proponent agrees with the ethical formula it implies because the lesser the harm and evil the lesser the amount of suffering which intends to give pain to human beings. The negative utilitarians focuses only in minimizing the bad and that we ought to alleviate suffering as far as we can. In other words these Utilitarians are more inclined to the activity that will help lessen the suffering of an individual than to promote pleasure.             Of course the concept of the negative utilitarianism appears to have its own casualties because it would only allow the destruction of the world as its promotion continues. Many argue that the world is place that is full of sufferings; therefore in order to reduce these sufferings the world should be destroyed. Doing so, will cause many people to suffer death but we all know that everyone of us will reach that stage so this act will not increase the suffering in the world. Instead it will decline the people from such sufferings that the world incorporated to them. According to negative utilitarianism, this is what they ought to do to lessen all the sufferings; however this theory is totally irrational and meaningless.   The Grave Objections             A lot of arguments are laid over the past centuries about the concept of utilitarianism. Aside from the influences that they have established in the field of philosophy, many also criticize their principle. The definition of happiness may differ from what values each persons has. It is also impossible to compare the level of satisfaction of each human being. And lastly the method of computing the degree or level of pleasure is quite a big question to many.             One of the most discussed flaw on the concept of utilitarianism is the actions have no moral value. They have been criticized for only looking at the results of the action and not at the desires and intentions that motivates the person to do it. What if an action is intended to cause harm on others? Would it still be considered equally to the action done with a good intention? The moral issue regarding the utilitarianism is a complicated matter to handle for many utilitarians. However, many utilitarian saw the morality as a personal guide rather than a means to judge an action of other people which have already been performed. In short, morality for them is something to be looked at when deciding what to do.             The next grave objection with Utilitarianism is the degree of quality and quantity of pleasure. The sadist and masochist are people inclined of having pleasure in an odd way. Sadists enjoy inflicting pain to others while masochists enjoy receiving pain. Both receive gratifications while being hurt at the same time. This is one of the problems that have been encountered by the ulititarians but according to Mill, this type of dilemma is reprehensible under the utilitarian custom. Mill argues that the practices of the sadist as well as the masochist don’t take into account the value of happiness and this content should not be considered. The utilitarianisms followers also noted that the pleasure of a sadist and masochist almost never has any significant weight in a utilitarian calculation.                           Another thing is that Utilitarianism has no scientific basis as said by its opponents. Their concepts are not been proven by science or logic to be the correct ethical system. However, most Utilitarians claim that this is a usual circumstance among the ethical schools unless the problem of regress argument is satisfactorily solved. In fact, they are the one who first encounter this type of problem but they stick to their beliefs that the future society may claim that their propose solution is the one that increases human happiness the most.         Conclusion             Jeremy Bentham is considered a genius with this concept of measuring the degree of pleasure and with that idea also he is considered the strangest individual in the history of philosophy. However without his theories and ideas, we were not be able to be more observant on how such particular acts affects us as a human being and our entire life. His proposals have met a lot of objections but to consider all of these, still we find out that most of us address our pleasure to the acts which still aims righteousness.             A frivolous enjoyment is what most people seek for in their entire life. Although, it can denied the fact the pleasure is always accompanied by pain. Nonetheless the existence of these both will help each person utilize a more reasonable way of living. It is not enough to just have or seek for enjoyment just because it is what you think is good for you. It is not enough to find enjoyment among the activities that intentionally harm others. It is not enough to let yourself be in the situation where you are in the height of the blissfulness. Still, we must take into consideration the benefit of others.             The true happiness doesn’t lie only on the material things as well as the success that one can achieve. It is more of the satisfaction that we can get among the things that we usually thought is meaningless in our life. Our world is full of material things, this tangible things easy attracts our senses that makes us eager to have them as possessions. We, human beings are very much inclined with that. Most of us, measure our happiness in terms of wealth and power. We tend to create obsessions with these things, nonetheless, our hungry to capture these possessions sometimes leads us to do things that maybe cause harm to others. Our greediness leads us to evil doings that we usually ignore because we’ve become too busy accumulating things that will give us pleasure.             It is true that we have only but one aim in this life time, happiness. As the principle of hedoism and utilitarianism have engage in providing us the real pursuit of happiness in the end it still depends on us. The degree of pleasure will not be measured as long as each individual has their own perception on what activity will provide them the pleasure that will make them satisfied.

The Concept of Utilitarianism : Jeremy Bentham

Seeking Pleasure “ We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell ” - Oscar Wilde Introduction ...

Respiratory Support in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

THE PROCESS OF EDUCATION PROJECT             The process of this education project will have to focus amicably on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit dealing towards such respiratory support in such brochure form as the education brochure in itself will then focus on different types of ventilators as well as the different modes of ventilations like for instance, the endo-tracheal tube, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which involves high-flow nasal prong, low-flow nasal prong. There will also appropriate discussions for certain potential complications of artificial ventilation along with such basic terms in order for the parents mostly, the families as well as the care support group such as health care providers, physicians and nurses to understand fully how respiratory support usually occur in NICU and in turn, have the possibility to be aware of such issues and challenges regarding such matters when it comes to quality life and utmost care services and support that must be given to the new born babies mostly, those premature ones.   TOPIC CHOICE, RESEARCH DONE AND IMPLEMENTATION             The above topic has been chosen due to such cases of neonate mortality and sometimes not and immediate concern of the families involved and the parents may lack proper knowledge of how to make good choices when it comes to NICU support processes and the objective to bring in fully knowledgeable health and family community groups respectively. Thus, in order to allow professionalism in such medical practices to communicate as well as intervene properly of such situations arising from the NICU as it is a case to case basis. The topic was researched through collaboration of research knowledge and evidences in a well presented literature studies as found in related books, peer reviewed journals and articles from reliable resources and libraries such as as well as other supporting research materials and resources. Thus, explanation, analysis and evaluation of such collated data and information is very much evident in this brochure. Then, the execution of the education project integrates such plan of distribution through such awareness programs and campaigns for the parents and the society involved therein. The realization of such symposiums, panel discussions and related support seminars is imperative and an essential factor for inculcating the right knowledge to parents and families and the community involved and it is just appropriate to provide them copies of the brochures and whatsoever campaigns related to the core and essence of the topic as truly needed.  True, physicians and nurses take better interest in ensuring that every neonate is receiving the proper medications, with the focal point that is, to care of medically delicate infants. Another is to help families make transition from illness to wellness and help them overcome fear of baby's condition when they are preparing for discharge as support group of parents is available to provide families with advice and support throughout baby's health condition.   BACKGROUND             Neonatal intensive care has become leader in provision of family-centered care, which recognize unique and individual needs of each infant and family. Family-centered care, philosophy of care which the pivotal role of family is acknowledged and respected the lives of children. Within the philosophy, parents and professionals are equal in partnership committed to the child and development of optimal quality in delivery of health care levels. Then, the nurse is responsible for monitoring the alarms and baby’s respiratory status and responsible for notifying the respiratory therapist when mechanical problems occur with the ventilator and when there physician orders requiring changes in the setting parameters. Meanwhile, the physician is responsible for keeping track of patient's status on ventilator settings and changing it if deemed necessary (2005 ; 2005).               The ability to better support vulnerable infants and families has changed because of substantial increase in knowledge and understanding of physiologic, psychosocial and neurobehavioral capabilities of high risk infants. In addition to growth in knowledge, there were advancements in technology, such as development of surfactants and the refinement of mechanical ventilation, that have influenced the ability of medical personnel to physiologically support infants. For example, although there is mystery to the underlying patho-physiology of retinopathy of prematurity, refined management of progression of disease often minimizes long-term problems for infants. The expert nursing care requires artful use of technology and integration of developmentally supportive and family-centered concepts into routine medical practices (2001 ; 2004 ; 2004).   TYPES OF VENTILATORS AND ITS MODES             Generally, there are kinds of technology including different types of infant ventilators and supportive devices, such as infusion pumps, oxygen hoods and incubators. Although equipment has become more responsive to the needs of the infants, there is still much the scientific and medical communities can learn about the use of technology to support neonates. The benefits of machines are often coupled with iatrogenic hazards that may lead to long-term complications and increased numbers of chronic patients. Although equipment is intended to support infants, many times all it does is increase the time infants spend in the NICU with little improvement in long-term outcomes. Technology must be used sensibly with outcomes and cost-benefit as part of decision-making process. Even with the technological advances and interventions available to the premature infant, nothing can substitute for normal environment of mother’s womb ( 2003;2005).             Amicably, ventilator is device used to provide assisted respiration and positive-pressure breathing and provide mechanical ventilation for neonate with respiratory problems, cannot breathe effectively on their own. These ventilators are then used to decrease myocardial gas consumption and or intracranial pressure, in providing stability of the chest wall when being sedated or paralyzed. Different types of ventilators were programmed to provide modes of ventilation as follows: Thus, positive pressure ventilators require artificial airway like, endo-tracheal tube and use positive pressure to force gas into infant’s lungs as inspiration can be triggered either by the baby or the machine as mode refers how the machine will ventilate the neonate in relation to baby’s own respiratory efforts ( 2005; 2004 ). There is mode for such NICU situation such as: ( 2005 ;2004 ) -       CONTROL VENTILATION as this delivers the preset pressure regardless of neonate’s own inspiratory efforts -       ASSIST-CONTROL VENTILATION this convey the preset volume in response to the inspiratory effort, but will initiate the breath if the patient does not do so within preset amount of time. This mode is used for patients who can initiate breath but who have weakened respiratory muscles. The patient may need to be sedated to limit the number of spontaneous breaths -       SYNCHRONOUS INTERMITTENT MANDATORY VENTILATION as the vent initiates each breath in synchrony with the patient's breaths and used as a primary mode of ventilation as well as a weaning mode -       POSITIVE-END EXPIRATORY PRESSURE involves positive pressure that is applied by the ventilator at end of expiration. This mode does not deliver breaths but is used as an adjunct to other modes in improving oxygenation. Thus, complications from increased pressure can be in decreased cardiac output and increased intracranial pressure -       CONSTANT POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE (CPAP). CPAP works only for patients who are breathing spontaneously. The effect is compared to inflating balloon but not letting it completely deflate before inflating it again. The second inflation is easier to perform because resistance is decreased. CPAP can be administered using mask and CPAP machine for patients who do not require mechanical ventilation but who need respiratory support -       PRESSURE SUPPORT VENTILATION refers to preset pressure which augments the patient's spontaneous inspiration effort and decreases the work of breathing. The patient completely controls the respiratory rate and tidal volume.     UNDERSTANDING OF NASAL PRONGS             There has to be evaluation of amount of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) gas flow required to generate an equivalent positive distending pressure as that provided by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), assess the relationships between positive distending pressure, gas flow, oxygen requirement, and patient weight and develop appropriate protocol to be used in the NICU for transitioning patients from NCPAP to an equivalent amount of HFNC. The infant will subsequently be placed on humidified HFNC at 6 liters per minute of gas flow. A standardized neonatal high flow nasal cannula will be used in all patients.  The use of non-invasive ventilator strategies, such as nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), in the treatment of RDS is thought to provide positive distending pressure while minimize lung inflammation and injury associated with mechanical ventilation (2001 ; 2001).             Avoidance of intubation and increased use of NCPAP to treat respiratory distress syndrome has been shown to decrease the incidence of chronic lung disease. However, NCPAP have clinical limitations. First, the administration of NCPAP has inherent mechanical difficulties in appropriately maintaining the nasal prong apparatus within the small neonatal nose. Secondly, the nasal prongs used to deliver NCPAP can cause nasal septal trauma. Lastly, some premature infants do not tolerate the NCPAP apparatus which must be tightly affixed to their nose and face. Although NCPAP continues to be used in most neonatal intensive care units, due to its aforementioned drawbacks, there will continue to look for effective, non-invasive modes of ventilation to provide support to premature infants with respiratory distress.  Humidified high flow nasal cannula has been introduced into neonatal respiratory care as means of providing positive distending pressure to the neonate with respiratory distress. There aims to maximize patient tolerance by employing heated, humidified gas flow through the standard neonatal nasal cannula that is used routinely in neonatal intensive care units (2001 ; 2001 ). Until recently, NCPAP was mainstay of non-invasive ventilator support for premature babies but, HFNC is better tolerated and uses nasal cannula that is less prone to mechanical mishaps than NCPAP, it is clear that there is ample need for extra information to accurately treat babies with HFNC and will help guide the use of HFNC in preterm babies with respiratory insufficiency within knowledge of positive distending pressures derived from the HFNC system crucial in minimizing trauma to fragile, premature lung. ( 2001).             Furthermore, nasal supply systems provide an advantage in that they are generally more convenient and less intrusive than mouth based or mouth covering devices. Despite their convenience, nasal based devices are deemed uncomfortable in light of secure straps placed across the face and/or around the head and used to secure the device to an individuals breathing cavity. Moreover, conventional cannulas do not provide proper seal around the nares to inhibit apnea and to provide a high flow system to stimulate the patient's breathing. Henceforth, even with such secure straps, these nasal devices often dislodge from the breathing cavity. This is particular concern with children, infants, or the elderly who do not understand the importance of keeping the nasal breathing device in place, whether it is nasal CPAP ( 2001 ; 2001 ).                 Henceforth, the application of such sufficient pressure, called continuous positive airway pressure has been found to be advantageous in maintaining minimum air volume or lung pressure when an individual is spontaneously breathing. CPAP can be supplied through nasal attachment devices such as nasal cannula or endo-tracheal devices. In care facility setting, it is not uncommon for an attendant to discover that the CPAP device has been disconnected from patient's nose, which can lead to hypoxia which is dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood. In practice, the tubing for CPAP's is draped around both sides of the patient's cheek which means that the most comfortable lying down position is on the patient's back. Pressure on patient's cheeks caused by the secure device can make other position comfortable ( 2001 ;2001). Accordingly, what is needed is security device having comfortable secure apparatus and method and which eliminates placement of supply tubes which wrap around the head to secure the CPAP device. The secure device should be easy to use and still provide steadfast attachment of nasal CPAP device in position directly under an individual's nose. The device provides port for assessment of the mean airway pressure in the device so that CPAP can be monitored or controlled. The combination of cone shaped prongs and adjustable secure tape will facilitate creation of a secure seal about the nares of the individual which enhances the effectiveness of the NCC device ( 2006 ; 2003 ).   Figure One:  NC flow required to generate positive distending pressure in preterm neonates     POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS OF VENTILATION             There describes unusual complication of nasal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation in preterm low birth weight neonate being weaned from respiratory support. The tube used to administer nasal CPAP became dislodged from its metal connector whilst in the nasopharynx and slipped into the stomach. After waiting eight days the tube showed no signs of passing spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract and retrieval was then successfully achieved by means of a 3.5 mm pediatric fibreoptic bronchoscope without complication. The use of continuous positive airway pressure using nasal prongs and an underwater system for the management of premature babies with acute respiratory disease has gained popularity but remain controversial while the more common practice of surfactant replacement in the context of conventional approaches to intubation and ventilation with research-based evidence from clinical trials (2005;  2005). Nevertheless, the use of nasal prong bubble CPAP is used by neonatal intensive care units for acute management of respiratory disease to facilitate extubation and in non-NICU centers for early management of older gestational aged babies with respiratory distress. The decision as to whether baby had failed to respond to CPAP and required intubation was made by the attending neonatologist based on the consideration of respiratory or metabolic acidoses, rising oxygen requirement and the decision to wean off CPAP to low-flow oxygen was made by attending neonatologist (2005; 2005)               Mechanically ventilated patients are at high risk for nosocomial pneumonia along with the term infection such, early onset pneumonia as result of aspiration during the intubation process as these infections are often caused by antibiotic-sensitive organisms like, oxacillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia. Also, cultures obtained by suctioning secretions through the endo-tracheal tube do not reliably differentiate pneumonia and bacterial colonization of the trachea. The use of fiberoptic bronchoscope to obtain specimens with quantitative cultures of bronchial lavage fluid may be helpful in excluding a pulmonary source of infection in intubated patients who have new clinical signs that may be caused by noninfectious process. Thus, also atelectasis is common cause of severe hypoxemia that develops during mechanical ventilation, left lung atelectasis may result from intubation of the right main stem bronchus, problem that also may lead to over distention of the right lung signaled by increased inflation pressures. Massive pleural effusion should cause the trachea to deviate away from the involved lung (Walsh et al., 2005 p. 804; Weiss et al., 2004 p. 79). Moreover, worsening respiratory distress may develop as result of changes in the patient's cardiopulmonary status into mechanical malfunction. The first priority is to ensure patency and correct positioning of the patient's airway so that adequate oxygenation and ventilation can be administered during the ensuing evaluation. Briefly, note ventilator alarms, airway pressures and tidal volume. Low-pressure alarms with decreased exhaled tidal volumes may suggest a leak in the ventilator circuit. There implies understanding of complications of neonatal illnesses as well as of their treatments can enhance the effectiveness of early intervention services, devising creative approaches aimed at promoting the optimal development of medically vulnerable infants and supporting families during prolonged periods of intense stress. Community intervention professionals such as infant educators and physical, occupational, and speech therapists can improve these children's long-term outcomes by being knowledgeable about these health problems and devising creative family-centered early intervention strategies. The purpose is to provide early intervention professionals with a basic familiarity and understanding of newest technologies employed in NICU. The goal is to give early intervention professionals information about the types of medical problems facing infants to enhance the developmental care and the support for their families. Therefore, care should be taken to avoid exposing these babies to other people who are sick, and at the first sign of increased breathing effort visit to the infant's doctor should be considered. The particular importance is the emphasis on the behavior organization of infants. Some infants that leave NICU still lack a well-organized central nervous system, which result in less control of sleep, arousal, alerting, attention, fussing and feeding. Traditional hands on interventions may be contraindicated because many of the infants are not stabilized at neurophysiologic level that would allow them to effectively process the sensory input of therapies offered (2003 ; 2005 ).

Respiratory Support in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

THE PROCESS OF EDUCATION PROJECT The process of this education project will have to focus amicably on the Neonatal Intensive...

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

International Human Resource Management   Introduction             The successful management of human resources as well as organisational performance is increasingly being considered as one of the major determinants of the success or downturn of international organisation (, 1984). In practice, several companies are still trying to adopt a strategies international human resource management (, 1986). Since it is observed that the quality of human resource management seems to be more complex in international level than domestic operations, many organisations are having problems in effectively managing their employees. The significance of people in international entrepreneurial operations has been able to generate linkages between human resource aspects and international management. Herein, the international management of the human resources is imposed so as to create a framework suitable for establishing employees which has the ability to handle cultural diversity and surpassed the strategic issues involved in international business functions. In the international human resource management, the company must be able to identify some specialised techniques and programmes in recruiting, selecting, and employing international managers.             In this regard, the goal of this paper is to provide a specialised techniques and programmes regarding recruitment and selection of international managers. For this particular issue, the company that would be given emphasis is the human resource management undertaken by Dell Computer. International HRM in Dell Computer             One of the main responsibilities of an organisation’s human resource department is the recruitment and selection of the right manager that would be able to manage different issues and diversities in an international organisation. These primary activities are the first steps done in hiring people. In selecting the right employee in the managerial position, international organisations take note of several factors; however, positive work attitudes and technical skills appear to be the most prioritised qualities needed from employees in general (, 2002). The following discussion provides the outline of the specialised techniques and programmes for recruiting and selective managers in an international organisation. This specialised technique has been drawn from what Dell has been using in their international human resource management.   Outline of Specialised Techniques and Programmes Typically, the initial operations of transnational companies are made of informal recruitment and selection processes. However, as the Transnational corporation becomes more mature, the need for a well-established international human resource practice becomes realised. In addition, the use of various selection methods and more objective qualifications became a part of developing hiring decisions; these practices had been observed frequently in global organisations (., 1999).             Dell Computer is noted to be one of the largest organisations operating in the computer and electronics industry. In order to ensure the company’s success, international human resource managements of Dell see to it that proper recruitment and selection processes are utilised. In Dell Computer for instance, the company utilised online services for its recruitment process to find the most suitable manager for international functions and practice. The company has signed in a contract with Monster.com, one of the leading global careers site. The site allows the worldwide access to Dell’s company profile and offered job opportunities. The company’s human resource professionals on the other gain access to a larger pool of online applicants (, 2000).             The site’s global network and content can also be displayed in different languages, making it accessible to almost every potential employee all over the world. Paul McKinnon, the company’s senior vice president for human resource, noted that the use of online services is a unique method of recruitment and facilitates Dell’s goal of obtaining world-class talents (, 2000). The recruitment medium selected by Dell is actually a good method as compared to conventional recruitment processes. One of the reasons is that Dell itself is a global company; as it needs to employ people to manage its international operations; online recruitment allows Dell to reach out to foreign applicant in the easiest, fastest, and inexpensive manner. Being a large organisation, online submission of resumes is also helpful for the company’s human resource staff since storing and organising applications become easier with the help of an information system. For the applicants, using the online recruitment process is also an advantageous method as they could easily send their applications to the company; there is a greater chance that the application or resume will be received by the company as compared to sending it by post. If the company regularly checks the resume database, applicants can receive the results of the screening rapidly. Most importantly, this process is less tedious and more economical for the applicants as they do not have to personally submit their resumes to the company’s HR department. Using online services for the recruitment procedure also has certain drawbacks. For example, down systems can delay the hiring process and could even affect the files stored. Internet security problems may also be considered a risk. The use of online recruitment procedure may also be disadvantageous for the applicants; since submitting applications is easier with this recruitment medium, the chance of getting the job is decreased significantly. As more and more applicants find online job application easier and very accessible, competition becomes stricter. The company on the other hand is flooded with many applications, slowing down the screening process.  In addition, the use of the online feature for the recruitment process is advantageous as the company can post multiple job openings and useful job information without any cost. Aside from the company website, Dell can also post job opportunities in cyberspace. Not only does this methods allows the company to offer jobs for applicants from all over the world, but it can also obtain other valuable recruitment information such as the number of visitors who access the site. The company also employs an unusual recruitment process where a recruiting team is used by Dell to track down people with the most potential. The recruiting team is trained and skilled in identifying individuals that will greatly contribute to the company as a manager. Knowing the fact that most skilled employees are happily hired by others and are not browsing the advertisements, the recruiting team then used various methods to lure them. One of which is the friends program; here, over a thousand employees of the company join the program in order to entice others to join the Dell team. This is done by matching the employees’ skills and backgrounds to the prospects; the employees on the other hand try to convince the targets by telling them about their work at Dell and how the company has helped them to develop. Naturally, a referral fee and even raffled free trip is given to employees who had successfully referred target individuals. As this is not a usual recruitment procedure applied by organisations, the efficacy of the method cannot be determined. While this method may help the company recruit the best people, it is quite costly. Aside from paying the recruiting team to do the recruitment job, paying thousands of employees to befriend others with potential add up to hiring costs. Moreover, the friend program can be considered as underhanded since the employees are not aware that they are just being befriended so they could work for the company. Although Dell may provide better job and compensation offers, a less complicated and more honest recruitment procedure could have made the acquisition of talented professionals more rewarding. Line managers go through a difficult responsibility in the department as they have to process piles and piles of resumes for the recruitment process. Dell, in addition tried to resolve this matter by hiring in-house professionals or head hunters. These individuals are trained and skilled to identify qualified candidates for manager positions. The company reasoned that while paying the head hunters is an additional expense, faster hiring process is far more beneficial. Faster hiring process can also save the company valuable resources as new employees can start and contribute immediately. In selecting the employees, Dell applies the interview process. For Dell, the company employs rotational recruiters. If the company is searching for employees to fill in certain IT jobs, Dell gathers recruiters from its IT department. The company believes that these recruiters will input better perspectives to the selection process since they know the specific demands of the jobs being offered. Once the hiring starts, the recruiters will spend about three to four months in the human resource department to assist the interviews; once the applicants had been selected, they will return to their posts (, 1999). It has been stated that in the company’s interviews, the interviewer looks at two vital points: the performance and the people skills. The skills, knowledge, and attributes are the focus of the performance aspect. Questions in this aspect may identify the person’s ability to decide, lead, and control. The people skills aspect on the other hand focuses on questions that will measure the person’s values, motivations, and style. Here, the interviewer tries to match the applicant’s personality or work attitude with the nature of the job he or she is applying for. This is an important aspect since this will determine the applicant’s ability to interact with colleagues. Chambers noted that the interview procedure uses situational and behavioral-based questions for selecting applicants. Situational questions are given to assess the applicants’ abilities, judgments, and knowledge. On the other hand, behavioral-based question are more on the evaluation of the applicants’ values and attitude (, 2006). The interview is perhaps one of the most common selection method used by organisations. This is an effective selection technique as it helps identify the communication capabilities of the applicant, which may be helpful for the job, specifically in international operations. An interview is also a highly flexible selection tool as the interviewer can modify or add in questions in order to gather more information about the applicant. How the applicant expresses himself or herself is also a good indication on how well the person deals with other employees. While interview for selection purposes is effective, the method also has downsides. For instance, since the outcome of the interview will only be based on the personal assessment of the interviewer, the process tends to be too subjective (, 2001). Moreover, interviewers tend to develop initial impression about the applicant, and the remaining time of the interview is only spent on validating these impressions. In addition, due to its subjective nature, stereotypes can greatly affect the chances of the applicants to pass the interview (, 2001). Although, it was not mentioned whether interview biases are observed within the selection process of the two cited organisations, it is possible for these observations to occur as the companies depend solely on this selection method. The main error then of both companies in their selection process is that only a single method is used. Without the use of other selection methods, the disadvantages of the interview process become more pronounced. It is then important that the companies employ other selection methods to offset the downsides of the interview method. According to  &  (1997), most employees are selected by means of one on one interview; however, along with this technique, written examinations and panel interviews are also used for the selection process. The use of multiple selection techniques will help prevent applicant selection errors. The use of application tests in the selection process is perhaps the most effective method that could be used in combination of the interview method. This is because the characteristics of this technique are in direct contrast to the interview process. One example of these tests is the work sample tests; in this type of selection method, the applicants perform tasks that are similar to the actual job they are applying for. A good feature of this selection method is its reliability factor. Through this method, assessors can easily determine whether the applicant is truly skilful or not; in addition, it is difficult to fake ones’ work abilities (, 2001). This is in direct contrast to interview results where the truthfulness and validity of the applicants’ responses is difficult to verify. Cognitive ability tests or the paper and pencil assessment, which is made up of general intelligence and aptitude tests questions, may also be used along with the interview process. In this technique, the applicants are tested on their numerical and verbal abilities; similar to the interview method, this test is very flexible since test questions can be modified depending on the complexity of the job being offered. However, the characteristic that makes this test different from the interview is that it is highly reliable. Specifically, the results of the test are obtained through definite scores. These scores represent a definite value, thus, biases can be prevented. Aside from being objective, obtaining the results is also easy as computer scanning equipment can be used. This method is then useful as it is effective, fast, and reliable (, 2001). Aside from these tests, the behavior or psychological background of the applicant may also be assessed through examinations. Through psychology or personality tests, the human resource department can easily determine the behavior or attitude of the applicant based on definite ratings. In general, the use of tests is helpful mainly because of their high reliability. Aside form helping in making the selection process more objective, the assessors will be able to decide quickly with these test scores. Interpretation of the application results will also be easier with the use of application tests. Due to the diversity and flexibility of the tests, companies can easily choose which technique is more appropriate for their employment needs. From this comparison, it becomes clear that it is best for companies to employ a variety of selection techniques so as to ensure that the employees they will be hiring are truly appropriate for the job and the company’s standards. This selection practice is probably the most appropriate for an instance when a human resource team member is needed for a grocery chain’s HR department. In deciding the right selection methods to use, it is important that the responsibilities of the needed employee are clearly identified. As the needed team member will be asked to conduct trainings for junior and trainee managers, it is important that the applicant is willing and efficient in dealing with people. Moreover, the applicant must have high levels of oral and written proficiency; in particular, the applicant must be capable of doing good seminar presentations. With these important skills, both personal and intellectual attributes must be assessed. For the personal aspect, a panel interview may be appropriate. This will help determine whether the applicant has sufficient confidence in discussing matters in front of an audience. Work sample test may also be appropriate; this can be done by means of a letting the applicant perform a training or teaching demo to an audience. The applicant will be given the materials he or she needs; time will be provided in order for him or her to prepare a 30 minute discussion about a particular topic. Here, the creativity and skill of the applicant to conduct actual training classes can easily be assessed. For this type of test, a checklist of important features of the demo should be made fore grading purposes.     Conclusion             If an organisation wants to operate in international level, the company must be able to use an effective international human resource management. In addition, the company must also ensure that all elements of IHRM are given importance, specifically in terms of recruiting and selecting the most appropriate managers for the international operations. In doing so, the Transnational Company must implement specialised approaches and programmes that adhere to an effective recruitment and selection of employees. Like what has been shown in Dell’s IHRM, the company has been able to use recruitment and selection approaches so as to hire skilful and efficient managers to ensure competitiveness of the business in the global business environment.   References:

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

International Human Resource Management Introduction The successful management of human resources as well as organisa...