Research Korner

E60s

Table of Contents   1          Table of Contents                                                                              1 2          Introduction                                                                                       2 3          Content                                                                                                           3.1   Task 1                                                                                                3             3.1.1    Possible IS Requirements                                                      3            3.1.2   Constraints                                                                               4     3.2   Task 2                                                                                                          3.2.1    Resource Allocation and Its Importance                                6            3.2.2     Importance of Timescales                                                     7            3.2.3     Project Activities with Timescales (table)                            8     3.3   Task 3                                                                                                 3.3.1    Leadership Styles                                                                10             3.3.2    Overcoming Problems through Leadership Styles             11        3.4   Task 4                                                                                                 3.4.1    Types of Problems                                                              12             3.4.2    Help of Effective Communication                                      14                                  3.5   Task 5                                                                                                  3.5.1    Difference of Mentoring and Coaching                              15             3.5.2    Solving Problems based on the Two Roles                        16 4          Conclusion                                                                                      17 5          Reference List                                                                                 18 Project Management and IS Development in E-60s Company   Introduction             During the early days of computer systems, software development consisted of a programmer writing code to solve a problem or automate a procedure ( 2002). This type of system development is said to be poorly planned, leading to inadequately designed systems, which are not user-friendly and not meeting the requirements of the organization. Due to this problem, a myriad of changes have already taken place to accommodate the transformations being experienced by business organizations. To accommodate and manage these changes, a number of system development life cycle (SDLC) models have been created, including the waterfall, fountain, spiral, build and fix, rapid prototyping, incremental, and synchronize and stabilize, with the waterfall being the most popular (2002). These division or stages include project planning or feasibility study, systems analysis or requirements definition, systems design, implementation, integration and testing, acceptance, installation and deployment and maintenance ( 2002). By following these stages, the changes in the organization can be accommodated properly, including its desire to implement and develop a new information system. This paper aims to accomplish five different tasks in relation to information systems and project management, as applied for the E-60s company. It intends to evaluate the case study of E-60s and propose a project plan for the implementation and development of its new information system.   Content Task 1             Due to the existing operational problems of E-60s, the company would want to propose developing a new IS system. With this, it is essential to determine the technical and non-technical issues of the possible information systems requirements of the company. One of the possible information systems requirements is for the company to design a website. An important element is the website is the list of the products and services of E-60s. Because the company specializes in music memorabilia, the website should include the list of the company’s products, including the price of each item, the illustration of the item and its specifications. These aspects are needed because the clients or customers must see the actual appearance of the item before purchasing them. This is for the clients to make sure that what they are ordering from the E-60s, are the items or products they really need. Another needed element in the website is the modes of payment of the customers. This could be in a form of a cheque or with the use of a credit card. The client can choose his or her modes of payment for the client’s own convenience. In addition, the website should also contain the information page or form, where the client can indicate his contact information including his name, address, contact numbers and delivery date. This is needed so the delivery personnel can assure the on-time delivery of the items in the location specified by the client. Lastly, the website should also include the contact information of the customer service of E-60s, so that customers can easily locate the company office or be able to speak to an E-60s representative.             Another possible requirement for E-60s is the implementation of a new information systems database or software in all computer systems of the company. If this will be done, then all employees from all departments will have access regarding the sales and product list of the company, the names of the clients, the update of orders, and the availability of stocks or inventory results. This would be easy for the evaluation and inventory of items, and for organization and delegation of responsibilities in the company. In addition, aside from word-processing and spreadsheet package software the company is using, their software must also include additional programs that can be used for an organized and detailed presentation of reports, with the use of graphs, tables and figures. In this way, managers can be easily be updated on the reports for assessment.              Lastly, another possible requirement would be a way to transfer music tones, images or wallpaper to mobile phones through the Internet or the website. This strategy or requirement would help E-60s to cope with the trends and changes in technology at present. This would also help the company attract consumers from the younger generation, who are setting the trend in the latest technology.             In relation to the possible information systems requirements of E-60s, are the constraints affecting the technical issues concerning the company. In conceptualizing a project, the company must be able to assess the amount of money they would be spending or needing to accomplish the project. With this, it is also essential to assess the amount of money that the company holds or possesses. These steps are crucial, for when company resources are limited, the Finance committee can make some adjustments on the budget and can even seek external help from other organizations for additional funding. During the actual running of the project, the project manager must make sure that proper allocation of the budget will be provided for the project. With this, proper accounting of resources must be done, taking note of the quality of materials to be used, and using graphs to monitor the progression of the project ( 2001). Another aspect is time, which determines the period in accomplishing the project. This is important to take note of because time is dependent on the amount of money the company will be spending to accomplish its projects. The length of time to complete the project is directly proportional to the amount of money to be spent, so the increase in the time frame, would result to the increase in the amount of money spent. Every company wishes to lessen expenditures, so identifying the project’s specific time frame would enable the company to allocate enough resources for the project. In addition, time must be set on the deadline of payment of the clients, so the Finance department will not have problems regarding the company’s budget. E-60s must also shorten the time for the delivery of items, and the time to respond to customer complaints, such as repair, changing products and warranty. Lastly, the company must set their priorities, such as investing on people, by training and employee development to implement changes in the company. These aspects become constraints to the discussed requirements because if money, time and people become limited, then project conceptualization and implementation will be delayed, and will surely cause dilemma in the company. These constraints are interdependent from one another, and must be given adequate importance and attention when implementing projects, including information systems implementation. Planning how to provide solutions to these constraints can give advantages.   Task 2             It has been reported that in strategic planning, a resource allocation decision is a plan for using available resources to achieve goals for the future, and the process of allocating resources among the various projects of business units (‘Resource Allocation’ 2006). With this definition, it is important to recognize resource allocation as an essential element in project planning and implementation. Resource allocation is important for different parts of the organizations are assigned particular goals, and resources are needed for them to meet their objectives. This ranges from providing the employees with the right supplies to enacting systems by which employees receive the necessary training, all work processes are tested, and all information data generated is documented ( 1999). To effectively manage the business strategically, every inch of the company must have its needs met in these ways, so all parts can work together as a seamless, highly functioning whole ( 1999). From these, it is crucial to allocate specific resources for the project being planned by E-60s. Resources needed by E-60s include physical, human and capital resources, where physical and human resources are the requirements associated with the cost of the project. Physical resources include the premises, such as the service costs of the projects, like heating, lighting, cleaning, security, and structural alterations (2004). E-60s’ premises must include the alterations or renovation of the office, as a way of making it more presentable and conducive for employee interaction. This must be able to accommodate the changes that will be implemented in the company because an improved workplace is an effective motivator for the improvement of work and productivity. Another physical resource of E-60s is the equipments to be used by the company. New equipments include the addition of telephones for Internet connection, and even new computer units having more advanced programs. In this way, the new IS program will be compatible with the new computer units for a more effective and efficient function. Lastly are the vehicles that can be used to transfer the equipments and other materials to the office. This is also included in the costs of the company to be computed and budgeted. Human resources needed by E-60s refer to the additional staffs or employees who will be rendering their services to be able to push through with the implementation of the project. This includes the budget for the training of the employees, which will be facilitated by the mentors or coaches who are experts about the new IS program. In addition, delivery of new equipments or materials would not be possible without the help of deliverymen, so a budget must also be set aside for them for refreshments or snacks. Most importantly, the company needs budget or capital resources to allocate for the purchase of human and physical resources for the project. Allocating the proper amount of financial resources to cover the staff time required for developing, implementing, maintaining and reviewing strategy, and to acquire the necessary equipment and build the capacity in-house for the use of different communication tools that will fulfill the company’s goals (2001). A good budget can provide for an appropriate IT system and software program for the company. With a good budget, E-60s can afford the services of software companies, to provide them the most suitable IT system. It has been mentioned earlier that time is one of the constraints in implementing a project. Similarly, it is considered also as an important aspect in doing a project, for time management, timescales and time allocation are essential to evaluate for allocation of resources. Timescales and time allocation allows the company to eliminate wastage and allocate resources appropriate to tasks importance (2006). With setting the appropriate timescale, the company can focus and prioritize the activities in accomplishing the project. Timescales also allows the persons involved in the project become prepared for meetings, monitor project progress, and plan each day and week efficiently (2006). This would enable the company assess the progression of their project and make certain improvements when necessary. Proper time allocation also allows the company to reject excessive workloads and ensure that long-term projects are not neglected (2006). With proper monitoring of projects, short-term goals can be easily completed and long-term goals can be given priority. Shown below is the proposed project plan by E-60s, which covers the implementation of the new IS program, training and employee development, and evaluation of the IS program upon integration in the system with its timescales.     Proposed Project Plan and Timescales of E-60s Task Name Duration Project Research <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Meetings to determine problems and possible solutions</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">Company survey to provide solutions </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Research regarding the IS program </li>   Weekly, possible every Friday   After the last company meeting   1 to 2 months Project Planning <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Determine suitable program for E-60s</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">Finding stakeholders for the project</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Schedule of trainings and seminars for employees</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">Budget report for the project</li>   1 to 2 weeks   2 weeks to 1 month Will last for 2 to 3 months   3 weeks to 1 month Project Initiation <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Purchase of resources</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">  Installment of the new program to PCs</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Simulation of the project (trial of employees)</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Employee performance evaluation</li>   1 to 2 weeks 2 weeks to 1 month   2 weeks to 1 month   Every week during simulation Project Delivery – actual application of project After successful employee evaluation Project Monitoring <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Monitoring of application of new IS program</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Employee evaluation</li>   During implementation   During implementation Project Evaluation <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Assessment of performance of program</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Assessment of employee performance</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> Determination of profit, efficiency and productivity</li>   To be determined   To be determined   To be determined   Task 3             (2000) reports six styles of leadership, namely, authoritative/charismatic, affiliative, democratic, coaching, pacesetting, and coercive leadership. Each leadership styles have its advantages and proper application in certain situations and its implementation greatly affects the flexibility, responsibility, clarity, commitment, and performance of the employees. In discussion, the Coercive Leadership demands compliance from the team, but is most effective if used to change the immediate direction of an organization or in time of crisis when decisive action is needed. The Authoritative Leadership motivates and mobilizes staff toward shared vision and states the goal, but generally, gives the team plenty of leeway to devise own means. The Affiliative Leadership shows empathy towards people and their emotions, builds team harmony, improve communication, repair broken trust, and boosts morale, but can also harm the climate of the team if not used with other leadership styles. The Democratic Leadership gives importance to consensus, but in having endless meetings, making a decision can be prolonged in providing solutions. The Coaching Leadership understands strengths and weaknesses of the team and helps tie them into personal and teaching goals for future development, but its drawback could be the employees’ resistance to learning or the leader’s lack of expertise. The last leadership style is the Pacesetting Leadership, where the leader is fanatical about extremely high performance level at all times, and leads the team through his or her performance. The leader also prefers the line work to managing, which harms the team’s climate as the employees feel overwhelmed by the demands for excellence. Moreover, it has been reported that effective leadership is necessary for molding a group of people into a team and shaping them into a force that serves as a competitive business advantage (2006). Leaders are said to be effective if they know how to make people function in a collaborative fashion, how to motivate them to excel in their performance, and know how to balance the individual team member’s quest with the goal of producing synergy, an outcome that exceeds the sum of individual outputs (2006). With effective leadership, the company can overcome problems in implementation, such as lack of communication, lack of teamwork, lack of motivation and lack of sense of direction.             In relation to E-60s, the identified problems are the delay of delivered orders, the lack of online facilities, the lack of IT skills of the employees, lack of communication between departments, and the fear of changes in the company. Each problem, when neglected would give the company a chance to lose profit and even lose their market. With this, a change in the leadership style in management is appropriate. The appropriate leadership style for E-60s is the Affiliative Leadership Style, because with this style of leadership, communication can be enhanced among the different departments of the company. With this style of leadership, the employees can develop teamwork, and can be taken advantage by the team leader to inform of his or her employees regarding the implementation of new information systems in the company, which would be helpful for E-60s operation and productivity. It was mentioned earlier that the Affiliative leadership style would be most effective when combined with other leadership styles. Along with this type of leadership, the Coaching and the Coercive Leadership Styles can also be applied. The Coaching Style would be effective for the employees of E-60s because with this leadership style, the team leader or manager can teach his colleagues regarding the new information systems, through employee trainings and seminars. Given the lack of IT knowledge of the company’s employees, the team leader or manager must find time to coach or teach the employees regarding the system, and must make sure that they understand it. If the two type of leadership is still not effective, then the Coercive Leadership Style must be used. This is to reinstate and reinforce to the employees that a new information systems is needed in the company, despite their resistance to changes. This style must be used to insist changes in the company, and to somehow push the employees to work more efficiently, such as not delaying the delivery of orders, improving the sales literature of products, and making the invoices accurate. The Coercive leadership style can instill to the employees that the company must make some strict changes in its management to develop discipline and work ethics of the employees and improve their efficiency and productivity. The combination of these three different leadership styles should be used effectively and properly to effect changes in the company, such as to improve communication, implement a new information system program, and develop the work ethics of the employees.   Task 4             In implementing the new IS development for the E-60s company, several problems will be encountered. However, despite the presence of these problems, they can be solved by effective communication. One of the problems to be encountered is dealing with the impetus for change, for all organizations are resistant to change. An organization will only undertake change when it can no longer meet the demands placed on it in the current mode of operation, and these demands come from customers, the problems the organization is attempting to solve, and by the threat of competition from other companies (2006). Similarly, E-60s also has this problem, for many employees in the company are afraid of the changes that will be happening in the company if the new information systems program will be implemented. Due to their lack of IT skills to use the new system, most employees are resistant and afraid of the changes that will take place in relation to their job roles and responsibilities. They are afraid that they would be trying to learn something new that they are not good at, and would want to just stick to what they know. However, their current knowledge and skills are not anymore competent with the changes happening in the society and the industry. If E-60s would insist on not applying new information systems program in their company, then their productivity will decrease, it would be hard for the company to compete with other companies offering the same products and services, not reducing their workload, and their possible closing down. Changes in the business organization are inevitable, and with the fast-changing technology nowadays, it would be hard for traditional companies to cope with the competition and customer demands if they would not take advantage of the inclination of many consumers with advanced technology. Several difficulties can also be encountered, such as the management may lack understanding of other ways of managing the information systems function, and dealing with the invisibility of their own culture (2006). The lack of communication and integration between the different departments of E-60s identifies with the mentioned difficulties. The departments are not competitive enough to develop teamwork and coordination to improve their work, due to their underdeveloped technology and management. Being used to their traditional system, the employees are now afraid to undergo changes in technology and management, not realizing that this change will improve their communication and integration with other departments, reduce their workloads and even generate increase in profit for the company. From these difficulties, carefully planning the project and continuously communicating with the company’s suppliers and management to monitor their actions can be done. Maintaining constant internal and external communication is essential to make good relationships with the persons working in and for the company.             Moreover, errors can also be encountered and are sources of problems. There are only two reasons for errors that result in poor quality, namely, lack of knowledge and lack of attention (2006). Lack of proper tools is a lack of knowledge or attention to someone’s part, and failure to provide adequate training and direction is one of the most common signs of lack of management commitment to “Total Quality” (2006). The lack of knowledge regarding new technologies becomes a problem to E-60s, because with this, the company remains to be underdeveloped in terms of efficient service and lack of advancement. The lack of attention affects E-60s in terms of not focusing on the needs of their customers by not providing them the most efficient service the company can provide. The customers demand online services from the company, efficient delivery, and improved product features and list, and with the employees’ lack of knowledge, these needs cannot be effectively provided. These problems can be solved with the means of effective communication and new IS implementation, by providing the employees with adequate training to supply them with information regarding IS development. Lack of attention leads to lack of knowledge, and in turn, leads to a decrease in productivity and sales. This is why effective leadership, good speaking, writing and listening abilities are important to solve this problem. Moreover, E-60s must be able to allocate adequate resources for the dissemination of knowledge and for obtaining information regarding the system. For with the lack of management understanding, commitment and involvement, the entire system and its implementation will only lead to failure.   Task 5             In the everyday language, the terms “mentoring” and “coaching” are being used interchangeably. This is because a coach and a mentor often perform their work using similar skills tests, such as strong interpersonal and communication skills (2002). Although similar, in management, these two terms are defined differently and used independently. In terms of focus, mentors focus on the person, their career and support for individual growth, while the coach is job-focused and performance oriented, tries to direct a person to some result, strategically assesses and monitors the progress and gives advice for effectiveness and efficiency. In terms of role, mentoring is a power-free, two-way mutually beneficial relationship, while a coach has a set agenda to reinforce or change skills and behaviors. In terms of relationship, even in formal mentoring programs, the protégé and mentor have choices to continue, how long to meet for, how often, and the focus of meetings, while a coach will be hired for the person in an organization. The coach has an implied level of authority by nature of their position and can insist compliance, while a mentor’s influence is proportionate to the perceived value they can bring to the relationship. The coach’s return is in the form of more team harmony, and job performance, while the mentoring relationship is reciprocal ( 2006).                   The problems of E-60s, such as the delay of delivered orders, the lack of online facilities, the lack of IT skills of the employees, lack of communication between departments, and the fear of changes in the company, can somehow be helped with the concepts related to mentoring and coaching. As discussed earlier, one possible solution for these problems is the use of the Coaching Leadership Style, where the team leader can share and teach his skills and knowledge to his or her employees regarding the use of the new IS program. The employees can use a mentor first to focus on improving the individual skills of employees, and then the job of a coach will then be useful to change and improve the skills and performance of employees. In this way, the employees can be taught of regarding the new IS program of the company efficiently, which would give the employees the chance to grasp the applications of technology and obtain additional knowledge. Coaching can be done either by classroom-discussion-type activities, or through one-on-one session, depending on the need of the employees to be lectured upon the use of the new IS program. In addition, through mentors and coaches, the communication of the employees belonging to different departments can be improved and enhanced through the trainings and seminars. These can serve not only to impart knowledge and learning to the employees regarding the system, but to give them the opportunity to interact with one another. The trainings and seminars would also serve as a refresher to remind them of their roles and responsibilities in the company. This is in response to the problems of E-60s regarding the delay of delivery and efficiency. The characteristics of a coach and a mentor can help individuals achieve personal, mental, and professional learning and development and they can be used to help solve the technical problems in plan implementation. Conclusion              The changes in technology and management underwent by E-60s allowed them to adopt serious changes in strategy and development. From their desire to cope with the technological advancements of the century, the company is making plans of implementing a new Information Systems technology. To be able to cope with competition against other companies, E-60s must therefore plan their actions properly and implement their plan immediately. However, given their intention for change, the company must not also forget the presence of technical and non-technical problems that they can encounter, such as choosing the software program itself, its compatibility with the organization’s system, budget, time and people. This is why, the adequate allocation of resources, including time and money must be planned accordingly to achieve success. In relation to this, effective leadership must be practiced to encourage teamwork and motivation of employees. This can be done through effective communication, with good interpersonal, speaking, writing and listening skills. Aside from these, the organization can also seek professional help from mentors or coaches for additional guidance.

E60s

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Interpersonal Communication

The purpose of this paper is to review and to evaluate five scholarly papers that deal with the topic of self disclosures. It will try to examine each of the five scholarly articles and how they particularly address the issue of gender and self disclosure. These journal entries and articles were carefully selected from a list different compilation of journals regarding the topic. Careful selection and reading of various articles were done to facilitate thoroughly selecting the articles that would best suite the issue presented in this paper.             There are five articles that were scrutinized and reviewed. The first article is entitled Self Disclosure and Listener Verbal Support in the Same-Gender and Cross Gender Friends Conversation written by . Other articles are  Close Emotional Relationship With Women Versus Men written by , Gender, Religion and Adolescent Patterns of Self Disclosure in the Divided society of Northern Ireland by  Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Self-Disclosure Within Dating Relationship written by . The last journal article read is a work by  entitled Sibling Self Disclosure in Early Adolescent. These articles were acquired from different journals that would be appropriately mentioned in the Work Cited Page.             The first article written by  discussed the relationship between gender and self disclosure with regards to the gender. It looked at interaction and self disclosure that exist between friends using same gender and cross gender references. The article also argued about the examination with regards to the process of self disclosure by inspecting both the discloser and the listener’s conversational behavior (). At first the article predicted that women would demonstrate both more self disclosure and more active listening when compared to men. The findings of the study confirmed that the gender of the speaker and the partner has affected conversational behavior during self disclosure sessions. Unlike other authors and researchers in this line of topic, it was found out that men had more self disclosures regardless of the gender of the partner although Leaper and she further claimed that this fact is plausible because of the structure of the questions wherein they are only asked to talk about their family and friends (). The study also concluded that men are more likely to self disclose and respond to assigned topics when compared to women while women are more at ease when self disclosing about family and personal matters.             The second article by  is about self disclosure and examination of the difference and similarities that exist in a number of heterosexual men’s close emotional relationship correlated with other men women. It attempts to see if self disclosure, close emotional and sexual relationship is affected by the gender of an individual while hoping to identify reasons and demographical factors that tend to affect the outcome of the study (). The study found out that generally men feel more emotionally close to the opposite sex. Most of the respondents feel closer to women because they see that they have a greater ability to disclose to men, it gives them emotional and physiological comfort when talking to women and they also feel that they are understood by women (). The respondents also added that sexual intimacy is shared with the women that they are talking to and that age, ethnicity, educational level, occupation and relationship status do not have any bearing on the nature and level of self disclosure between men and women ().             Another article written about self disclosure is made by  in his study regarding self disclosure in the adolescent stage and the influence of religion in self disclosure activities. Northern Ireland was chosen because of the polarity and divisiveness that exist between the Catholic and Protestant populace of that place (). The study specifically look at the effect of gender and religious affiliation on the level of self-disclosure of adolescents using same-sex friend, opposite-sex friend, same-sex stranger and opposite-sex stranger category ().             In this study, it was found out that female adolescents disclose more when they are speaking to individuals with the same sex when compared to male individuals. It was also found out that the adolescent female also discloses more when to the same-sex stranger individuals compared to their male counterparts ().  It was also noted that men and women prefer to self-disclose with females than male friends and strangers. With regards to the aspect of religion it was noted by the researchers that Catholic adolescents engage more in self disclosure in relation to strangers when statistics are compared to their Protestant counterparts ().             A study made by  regarding self disclosure within a dating relationship was also studied. The specific focus of the study in this case is the examination of the association between sexual and nonsexual self disclosure and sexual satisfaction. It also examined the association between sexual and nonsexual self disclosure to relationship satisfaction. The research also studied if whether sexually self-disclosing reported greater relationship satisfaction ().             The study found out that self disclosure is closely linked with the length of the relationship, frequency of affection and relationship satisfaction (). The ability to self disclose is also directly affected various factors such as commitment, relationship satisfaction and level of affection (). The sample population as noted by the researcher feel most free to self discloses their sexual likes and dislikes if they perceive that the relationship can be positive and if the sexual self disclosure can be reciprocal. Sexual self disclosure meanwhile did not have any effect on the relationship and sexual satisfaction of an individual in a dating relationship and the study suggested that within dating relationships, the communication and disclosure of sexual likes and dislikes are not the primary factors in building a long lasting relationship ().             The last article reviewed is the study made by  wherein she investigated on the frequency of self disclosure using three different sets of recipients namely closest-in-age sibling, parents and friends. The study also focused on the self disclosure of the siblings and it examined the association of self disclosure with factors such as the topic of sibling disclosure, quality of sibling relationship and the frequency of these self disclosure activities ().             Based on the study it was surmised that the respondents discloses more frequently to their siblings of the same sex than to their parents or friends and that the level of self disclosure reflects the warmth, affection and the love that the siblings had for each other (). As stated in the paper, this is due to the nature and the environment that surrounds the sample population which was a closely knit English speaking community. Ordinary activities that is jointly participated by the siblings inside and outside the home also increases trust, mutual concerns and love that enables frequent self disclosure between them (). The study also found out that a positive and a direct relationship between the attitude of the respondents to their siblings and the level of self disclosure that they are experiencing ().             In reading and analyzing the text of the five articles, we can see that self disclosure can be affected by different factor, both external and internal. Internal factor such as the closeness and affection that a family member receives from other members of the family have a significant impact on the way he/she handles him/herself and how he/she tries to let other people know him/her. In one of the studies discussed in was found out that the closer bond between family members facilitates greater self disclosure and that these self disclosures are usually between siblings. In a relationship, self disclosure is affected by the level of intimacy between partners and the level of commitment that is contributed by each person. External factors can refer to the location and environment and orientation of the society that can directly and indirectly affect self disclosure activities. Issues such as sex, religion and personal preferences plays a significant role in shaping how a person views himself and how other view him/her. For example, in the study conducted in Northern Ireland, Protestant adolescents had a lower tendency to disclose herself/himself with a stranger.             With regards to gender, men as stated by the articles mentioned above have a higher tendency to self disclose to the opposite sex because of emotional, physical and sexual needs. But in the case of women of all age brackets they are more likely to self disclose with people who are emotionally close to them like their parents, friends and siblings.             Although in the above mentioned cases, it is clear that the studies and research were done using different and varied number of respondents and sample population not to mention each study is distinct and unique because each of them focus on an aspect of self disclosure, it is safe to assume that each study reiterates the dynamics that influences the process of self disclosure.

Interpersonal Communication

The purpose of this paper is to review and to evaluate five scholarly papers that deal with the topic of self disclosures. It ...

Organizational Decision Making Essay

Organizational Decision Making Essay   The advances in technology and the fast modernization of the world, in general, opened new and very promising avenues of business opportunities not just in an individual’s locale but also abroad. A lot of business-minded individuals from different countries with different nationalities and cultural orientation have and continuously defied the geographic boundaries that exist between continents. This is evident in the growing number of internationally-operating business firms all over the world run by entrepreneurs of varying race and culture. The information man has successfully rebelled against intercontinental borders and the challenge that confronts him the most, deals with how to fit and blend in the new cultural environment in which their businesses are situated. How are decisions made in an organization? Decision making is a cognitive process in which one selects a choice from among many. It is considered a psychological construct because even though it is not physically tangible, the results can be observed if a decision has been done. It is basically an activity which calls for a subsequent action to be done. Management involves the skillful planning and execution of business strategies.  It is concerned with creating important decisions that affect the long-term goals of an organization (1996). Normally, organizations focus on the external characteristic of the business environment. Top management usually focuses on their aggressive competitors and the constant change in supply and demand. However, the internal area in the organization should be taken into account since it is where they get the services or products for the consumers. Areas such as human resource planning, quality assurance and operations management are some of the essential fields an organization should be taken into account during the decision-making process. The process can be best understood in the diagram below with emphasis on the importance of communication and information within the organization.   Figure 1. Role of information in the decision process. (1998)   What are the organizational barriers and environmental barriers in an organization that impact the decision-making process? Financial resources. As the nature of financial management become more and more complex in this information and efficient communication era of international business, finance managers face a wide array of challenges, opportunities and options for him or her to enhance the investing and financing activities of the firm as well as the inherent risks and circumstances of the decisions that will be made. The challenge now for the financial manger is to explore the options and take advantage of the opportunities while taking caution in managing the risks. Communication and work relationships. In government, business, and other occupational arenas, professionals often need to communicate assertively and effectively outside the social boundaries of their own organization or organizational unit (such as outside their own department, division, or project group). Unfortunately, professionals might discover that engaging in cross-boundary communication can be a baffling and stressful experience that does not always result in a desirable outcome. Although many practitioners need to draw on an array of social and rhetorical strategies to succeed in cross-boundary communication and to avoid or overcome its associative risks, sacrifices, and problems, relatively little is known about how to interact and negotiate across organizational boundaries. Ethics. In a given culture at a given time, there is a broad agreement on major values. Several people agree on what is good and what is bad. Not all hold the same values, but those of the majority will affect the beliefs and behaviors of society (1987). Public awareness of ethics in general and unethical behavior in organizations has increased in recent years. Part of this increased emphasis on business ethics can be attributed to the continued tension between the business world and the public at large. Such tension over the past century has often resulted in calls, by the public at large, for increased deterrence and stricter regulation of the business world (1994). What actions might be taken to address organizational and environmental constraints on decision-making? Finance issues. The dramatic changes and advances in communications and information technology facilitated the way towards a sustained progress in the international business and finance environment. The low cost and the efficiency as well as the attractiveness of conducting and entering an international business venture were made available by these technological advances which characterize the global marketplace. Today, greater challenges are faced by financial managers as opportunities for growth as well as possibilities of risks increase in the current and more attractive business world. Defined goals and objectives of the company. Some commonly held organizational values are the importance of resources, return on investment, the welfare and well-being of employees, service to customers and clients, and loyalty to the organization. Although the goals and values of an organization may be implicit or explicit, to a growing extent they are being placed in writing. Many companies have adopted codes of ethics or include sections in their policy statements that relate explicitly to the ethical realm. They address such issues as leadership, integrity, equity, employee rights, employee development, and participation in policy formulation, nondiscrimination, quality of work life, and the like. Communication and good working relationships. Communication is the process on which the initiation and maintenance of an organizational change depends. Successful strategies are those that elicit cooperative interaction among people as individuals, work group members, and community stakeholders. Such strategies promote collaborative and united change efforts throughout all levels of the organization (1995). There should be weekly or monthly consultancy meeting between the management and the employees. Not that every single decision should be consulted to the employees but the suggestion is before making a big decision especially if the decision will have a radical change to the organization it must be consulted to the employees first. Establishing a distinctive ethical position in an organization would result in harmony within the organization, free from chaos and conflict and thus making the work and operation smooth and efficient. There will be no grudge between employees, employers, etc. Through ethics, everybody in the organization is in understanding, patient with one another, and creates a harmonious relationship. Leadership skills. If the staffs are required to be competent for their jobs, supervisors and managers should also be qualified and competent in their prospective positions (2003). Competency in business leadership, functional leadership, team leadership and personal leadership are all key elements of a successful business leader's skill set. The requirement for well-developed competencies in team leadership and personal leadership, however, is particularly important in the international context. What techniques can be used for improving the decision making process? For coming up with more creative solutions?  There are many decision strategies that can be used in choosing which of the alternatives to execute. These strategies help the decision maker in terms of making the task of decision-making more organized, easier and faster as the needs of many decision makers such as doctors and businessmen demand.  (1987) have named quite a few examples of decision-making strategies. The optimizing strategy helps an individual determine the expected cost which is not necessarily the financial cost along with the benefit of the result associated with all solutions. The cost/benefit analysis would then produce the optimal solution. This technique is very time consuming and costly because it involves technology and other enhancements. Examples of this strategy are linear programming, decision analysis and other forecasting techniques. There is also a satisfying strategy wherein the decision-maker comes up with alternative solutions until he generates a solution which can satisfy a minimal set of criteria. This strategy doesn’t compare the alternative decisions because it executes the first reasonable action that comes to mind ( 2005). It is less time consuming and costly than the first strategy; however, this would often result to a less optimal decision. The next strategy is the heuristic strategy wherein the decision-maker chooses from a selection of alternatives. It is used to simplify complex problems through increasing the probability that a solution will be found within a reasonable amount of time. An individual may use a compensatory decision rule which will permit a high value on one dimension of the decision to compensate for the low value of another dimension.

Organizational Decision Making Essay

Organizational Decision Making Essay The advances in technology and the fast modernization of the world, in general, opened new and ...

TEAM WORK IS VITAL IF HIGH LEVELS OF PATIENT CARE AND SATISFACTION ARE TO BE ATTAINED

TEAM WORK IS VITAL IF HIGH LEVELS OF PATIENT CARE AND SATISFACTION ARE TO BE ATTAINED           Contents: Introduction ----- page 1 Body of the essay ----- page 1 Conclusion ----- page 2   Number of words: 484                   My name is , 25 years old, and has a BSC in nursing from the PSG . I am currently doing my adaptation programme in order to become a registered nurse in the United Kingdom according to the rules and regulations set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Prior to this, I had three years work experience in the field of nursing pediatrics back in India. I am doing my adaptation programme at  Nursing Home in Sheffield. This is a 42 bedded nursing home with 24 hours nursing care. There are 2 nurses and 6 care assistants on the morning shift where team work plays an important role for the proper and smooth running of shift. At night, there is 1 nurse and 3 carers on duty. The nursing home has a matron who is fully incharge of the nursing home and a deputy matron who will be assisting her. I have noticed in my current place of work that team work has significantly affected the level and quality of client care. Because of this, I have decided to do a paper on this particular issue of team work and its relationship to the level of patient care and satisfaction. Thus, the title of my essay is “Team Work is Vital if High Levels of Patient Care and Satisfaction are to be Attained.”             The main body of the essay will discuss about healthcare teams. Health care teams have been described as multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, polydisciplinary, pandisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and virtual. The main body of the essay will discuss of healthcare teams more specifically as it is applied to nursing care teams. To be included also are the advantages of team work not only for the nurses but on the quality of patient care. How a team can be effective in the care of a patient will also be discussed. Effective team work requires good communication in order for nurses to be able to provide the best quality of care. Other important factors for effective team work will also be discussed. Some setbacks of having teams will also be discussed as well as problems encountered in the team. This would include inadequate management or leadership, frustrated team members and relationship between team members. Frustrated team members often express concerns about its quality and extent. In my current place of employment, there is proper collaboration of health workers. Because of this, the shifts are run smoothly and the patients cared well. It is thus recommended that there is cooperation within the team in order for hospital shifts to run smoothly and for nurses to be able to provide high levels of quality of care for the patients. Nurses and health care workers must work together and find ways to improve patient health and satisfaction. As the old saying goes, “two heads is better than one.” How much more a team? Each member of a team can contribute ideas for the care of the client. This could definitely give the team options and chose what is best for the client and his situation. Having a team to take care of a patient can significantly increase the quality of care offered to the patients. Aside from that, team work can enhance relationships between nurses and also provide many options for the care of the patient.

TEAM WORK IS VITAL IF HIGH LEVELS OF PATIENT CARE AND SATISFACTION ARE TO BE ATTAINED

TEAM WORK IS VITAL IF HIGH LEVELS OF PATIENT CARE AND SATISFACTION ARE TO BE ATTAINED Contents:...

IS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING A WASTE OF TIME IN TODAY'S FAST-MOVING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

Strategic Planning and Its Importance in the Current Business World                 It cannot be denied that there have been several great changes during the previous century, especially considering the technological changes that have affected not only culture but also the norms that are being followed by the people. These changes have also inadvertently affected organizational strategies and, of course, the business world.               As such, it is thus safe to say that there have been several factors that allowed for the shaping of the current plans and strategies used by organizations today. Communication, in particular, has been one of the most helpful factors for the outcome of the current condition of the economical world; innovations in this area has allowed for wider expanse of business despite the presence of geographical hindrances. Most of all, it has also managed to extend towards understanding not only for the decision-making methods of a particular organization but also with regards to the reasons that have led to these. Cultures are now more easily understood with the variety of societal interaction that occur everyday.               Because of the struggle towards ideas of the people and the continued changes that are occurring even now, there are also legitimate questions being asked concerning the future of the corporations. Fast-paced situations, especially in the regard for the direction in which the multinational enterprises (MNEs) and how this will translate to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will go, has been scrutinized and analyzed over the years. Indeed, is there still the need for strategic planning for the corporations, which requires longer periods of building and has the possibility of being outdated even before its implementation?               Indeed, it has been questioned whether there is also the need for the implementation of strategic planning and the advantages that it would bring to the corporation especially with the rate of the demands that need to be fulfilled immediately. With the competition between organizations becoming more fierce and creative, organizations are turning to employing more factors that may be needed for the insurance of their success, such as a thriving human resource department, the possible manipulation of path dependencies, and others, all of which can affect the outcome of their work.               This paper outlines the advantages of strategic planning and management for the business administration, the effects that it has had on the economic world, the advantages and disadvantages, and the direction in which the economic world will be taking regarding the use of strategic planning. Here, the paper will also take the discussion on the different strategies that can be used and how corporations use strategic planning as a way to ensure their success in the business world. Moreover, there is also the analysis on the possible direction in which corporations can take and how strategic planning will be able to help—or, indeed, also how strategic management as a plan will evolve and be used for the corporation’s outcome.     Definition of Strategic Planning               There are two ways of making a decision: the impromptu or spontaneous method in which a quick decision is done based on presented facts and possible without review, while the second is based on carefully calculated outcomes based on the information that were received. The latter involves quite more time before its implementation, as it mostly focuses on the possible affects and directions that can be the outcome, and the possible actions that can be done once the situations have occurred. It is an act of cautiousness and is often associated with the idea of remembering how to dissuade the possibilities that can affect the situation.               In the business world, the term also focuses on the study on how firms are able to improve their marketing abilities, especially when faced with various competitions in the form of other organizations. The factors that may be involved in these also includes the analysis of the demands of the clients and also the employers themselves; the changes that the corporation has brought about to the corporation is based on the decisions that they make due to the enforcement of the advantageous actions. Management issues are also very likely to include strategic planning as part of their training to find ways that they can continue with the methods in which they can go; their responsibility lies on the ideas that they can offer to their organization and the methods that they can choose to ensure the security of their success.               In all, strategic management of an organization is based on the advantages that the members can use for the success ( 2005). These can be categorized based on their ideas that the organizations can use for their advantages. Moreover, these theories are all important due to the focus that they have given, especially based on the factors that may be involved with the formation of the organization and the actions that are to be done; more importantly, there is also the focus on the different features that may affect the on-goings within the organization. Some of the most prominently practiced strategic management methods are briefly discussed to show the corporations continue with their ideas.     Strategic Planning and the Role of Information               There are several stages that the company must associate themselves with in order to build a more strategic plan for the development of their purposes. At this point, there is a need for the developers to have extensive knowledge concerning the company in order to be able to achieve their needs. Several factors have to be considered when setting up the development stage, especially since the company must also associate itself with the company that needs the software.               At this, the following factors must be analyzed:               First, there is the purpose of the software that the organization needs. In order to be able to create the program or information system that the organization desires, it is necessary to be able to have a clear idea of their goal concerning what they are creating. In this, they will know what to include, what are the specific necessities they must incorporate within the system in order to have knowledge of what they will expect of the system, especially since the organization that they are working might have some specifics that they may want to add.               Second, there is a need for the creator of the system to have a clear understanding of the background and culture of the organization that needs the software. This includes knowing what kind of business the organization is involved in, and thus the system may be molded to their business. Although there are some organizations that offer the same products and target the same consumers, it is possible that their business cultures may vary differently, thus resulting to very different ways in which they would wish for their organizations to be run; this may also apply to how they believe their information systems must be managed and operated, and even down to the programs that they may use ( 1999).               Most of all, the organization must also know the vision of the organization wishes to have; technology may be the key to unlocking the competitive futures of the companies that they work in however if manipulated wrongly, it may result to problems that will affect the whole structure of the organization ( 1993). Knowing the goals of the company will also allow the plans for IMS to be molded based on these visions and thus allow for them to have almost similar goals. Although this may also be part of the culture of the organization, especially since the objective of the company is most likely also the basis for the development of the company culture, vision is one of the most important as it puts both the organization and the system being created in the same wavelength and lets the two combine in order to achieve a better outcome.               Finally, in order to make an effective and strategic organization, there is a need for the organization that knows and has been able to analyze the previous system, if there was, before implementing such plans.  With this, there will be an analysis on might have been the defects, what were the possible solutions, its strengths and weaknesses, and what should be avoided in the future. This will not only entitle the group’s strategic plan to improve the previous system and produce a better one, it also gives a background on what to expect from those who have already become accustomed to the previous system and thus may make it hard for them to adjust. This will then ensure that there is a chance for the company to achieve higher standards that have previously been set and thus also be able to improve itself. Knowing the previous technology will also be advantageous as it will then be learned how much the members of the organizations will have to adjust and shift, as well as have to relearn the basics of a program in order to continue with the changes, and if they were willing to continue. A thorough investigation of the technology being used before the systems change will also yield more knowledge on the capabilities that the organization has had with the previous system.               With these factors, it is then possible for the organization to improve and achieve better status and reputation than before. At the same time, information will become more freely available to those who are in need and at a faster rate in the case that technology is upgraded; however, irresponsible planning in the part of the company will result to slower use as the employers themselves will have to get used to the new system as well as the software and technologies that they will have to use from now on. With strategic planning and the help of technology, companies may achieve higher growth and more production, as well as have faster obtainment, processing, and distribution of the data.     Resource-Advantage Theory               Competition between organizations and companies are brought about by several results that ill also affect the ways in which the corporation is able to function. The focus on these various features holds that there is the need to establish a point in which these can be regarded as a part of the strength-building for the corporation. One of the factors that are involved in the discussion is the need for the resources.               In this theory,  (1996) pointed out that resources is not only limited to the description that is given to the products, but also involve the clients’ ideas and their demands as well as the employers’ needs and the benefits that they can receive. Because of the different ideas that they are receiving, there is also the question on how exactly the corporation will be able to accommodate such demands. However, the resource-advantage theory focuses on the understanding of the culture of both the clients and the employers in order to establish their advantages according to the delegations of the corporations. One of the important structures that was discussed in this idea is that there is also the question on how these will be stabilized based on the conditions that the corporations have brought.               The idea of competitive advantage is also discussed here wherein the organization focuses on the relationship of the people itself. By ensuring that there is a the relative rapport built even with the slightest affiliation, then these may also relatively affect the decision-making and, eventually, the culture itself within the organization, that in turn also affects the cycle of their decision-making in the future.     Core Competence               Meanwhile,  (1990) pointed out that the core competence of the corporation, while can also focus on the resources of the organization, also focuses on the different regard on the ways that the people can include their assessment. This focus is based on the different arrangements that are included in the theory. Core competence focuses on the culture of the organization and how they believe they are able to finish a particular project based on their abilities. These take root not only on the strategies used by the corporation but also include the different understanding that they have with regards to the culture. The authors (79) pointed out particular differences as based on the core culture of the corporations and also the sense of responsibilities as based on the determination of the culture, especially comparing the Japanese and the American finishing for the automobiles.               This does not only facilitate with the decisions of the organizational head based on the human resources and also their interaction but also includes the different ways in which the makings of the people are held. There is also the inclusion of the different assessment that they can do and how these factors can be established based on the real-time needs of the people. Such understanding will help with the facilitation of the inclusion of parts that may be overlooked, such as the information and technological changes, their effects on people within the company, the goals of the company itself, and also the outcome.     Advantages of Strategic Management             In explaining the possible outcomes of strategic management, the advantages are also based on the different identifications that they are finding. It has to be noted that strategic management is highly viewed in a dynamic environment and therefore can also be advantageous for the different systems that they may have. Moreover, it is thus more inclined to being open to changes, which is an important factor in the demands that are being brought out in this stage. The dynamic system of strategic management is brought about by the different decision-making factors that allow for changes, and thus also differentiates it from long-term planning (which can, in contrast, be advantageous when in a static environment). Moreover, the mould in which the organization can mould itself will thus be helpful for the entirey.               In a profit making business the firm obviously has to try and achieve this level of customer satisfaction as a way of staying ahead of the competition and making a profit. Traditionally, marketing strategy has been utilized by the private sector in decisively increasing the capabilities of an organization. Marketing can be considered as one of the most important element underpinning successful business creation (, 1994). Perhaps because of its complex applications, marketing have been defined in a variety of ways, based on their purpose, their goals, and others (   1988). The marketing strategy concept was first promulgated in the late 1950’s (1990). The importance of marketing strategy incorporates oft-repeated elements such as: customer orientation; integrated marketing strategic efforts; and resultant profitability (, 1990).               Undoubtedly organizational innovations will cause some level of change but the extent and effect of this change is no longer a given. In Schumpeter’s original sense of this term, an innovation by definition had a substantial economic impact. An innovation was something that changed the market place in a profound way. The innovating organization was, thus, likely to become the new market leader and to gain an immense advantage over its competitors. With the broadening of the term to include small to radical innovations, sustaining as well as discontinuous innovations and the capacity to create as well as to quickly adopt new technologies, the impact of innovation is no longer a definitional issue. The impact of innovations has become an empirical question. Innovations are likely to cause various organizational impacts such as organizational changes, challenges and issues. However, they may or may not bring about the desired performance results, such as effectiveness, efficiency, cost savings, customer value or a transformation of the market place. Although it is easy to find successful innovations that have increased a company’s efficiency, improved its products, contributed to customer loyalty and even transformed the market place, there are also many cases where innovating organizations fail to reap such benefits.               All corporations may have different strategies in which they allow their organization to operate, which all depend on the different factors that the leaders believe affect their operations, ranging from the environment that their employers are in, the products or services that they are releasing and the dates in which they will be released, and also concerning their human resources that involve the employment, especially regarding their actions that affect the decisions within the departments of the company. With all these factors, it is easier to understand and to visualize that indeed in running a company, there are different features that affect the outcome of the company as well as the way in which the operations within it are being followed. However, emphasis must also be given on the clients of whom the companies are serving, of whom many businesses regard as the source of their operations.     Effects of Strategic Planning to Marketing               Strategies that include the complete assessment of the products’ advantage and the behavior patterns of the consumers based on how they will be able to affect the company through the successful promotion of products are all part of the methods that must be regarded for marketing. Since marketing particularly involves several aspects which include the conceptualizing of the product which is tangible and can be handled by the client, the assessment for its possible distribution and target consumers, and finally its creation, which includes not only the search for parts but also involving background research on its possible problems or side-effects that the consumers and the creators must be aware of. Technology may contribute to the changes that may occur within the business and therefore may also be the reason for the improvements being done for the corporation. It is undeniable that technology has become far reaching over the years of its development as it continues to contribute to the changes and the abilities of the corporation, from the methods in which they are able to gather information, their ways of assessing their services and abilities, and also leaves them with some free time to assess other strategies in which their methods will be improved.               Because of the complexity in which he marketing system operates, those who belong in the system—or the actors—may find that the marketing system may seem different for all those involved in the system; thus, the definition may be different for the consumers, those who are providing the products, as well as those who are managing the system. At the same time, groups are more likely to form while under the marketing system in order to ensure the smooth management of the distribution and receiving of the products. Thus, the organizations formed to keep the marketing systems are important. At the same time, these organizations make use of several equipments that are needed per departments to ensure the continuous flow of the system, and there may also be times when the system calls for these separate organizations to become more cohesive and thus more centralized ( 1971).     Placement of Strategic Management in the Fast-Paced World               In business, there is always the question of caution and how such plans will work in the current environment. Several factors that need to be included are not limited to the cultural and the beliefs of the people, but may even also include the geographical and the physical environment, if only to name a few. Effective organization, as it is being called, can be based on the setting of the corporation and the matter of taking the time to produce answers that will help the outcome: will the people find it easier to simply manage according to their instincts, or is planning ahead and strategic reading of the factors and incorporating them in the business still included in the establishment?               One of the things that should be understood about strategic management is that, while it anticipates the possible situations that may happen, it nevertheless does not in any way dictate the entirety of the corporation’s direction. It also means that situations will be able to provide the different ways that the corporation will head towards even though it will be helpful for the corporation to know how they believe they will be able to determine such.  (2000) pointed out that there has always been an indeterminate assessment of the current condition of the situation, and that society—even though fast to change based on the current situation and is thus very much dynamic—can provide more insights on the direction that the corporation is going.               One of the most important factors that have to be remembered is the goal. Implementation of the various strategic processes are all well and good, yet it is important for the organization heads to ensure that their goals are general but also firmly encroached in their culture to provide a necessary direction that the others can follow. The advantages of strategic planning should be played out, yet as a suggestion it can also be helpful for the members to have various directional analysis, more understanding of not only their products and the financial information, but also include the demands, the needs, and the possibilities as provided by their clients. Moreover, the shareholders and the providers are also helpful in the understanding of the growth of the organization; by including that in their entire analysis, then the corporation may show that there is the continued need of their analysis and theories.               With these concerns, companies have then also begun to acknowledge that there is a need for systems evaluation before and after the implementation ( 1999). Several researchers, business scholars, and companies have debated on the forms in which evaluation of the system and the advantages that these will bring to several businesses. Most of all, evaluation has taken in the form of finding out ways in which the chosen IS of the company will benefit and damage them and in what forms.               Thus, in evaluating the system, companies must first see if the current IS is benefiting them based on the hard cost, which includes not only the profits of the company based on hard cash but also on their gains based on their employees and skills. Risks, meanwhile, involves the uncertainties that the company might involve with, including the possible problems that the system may make in a scenario that makes the company unable to cope with their output. However, this may also include problems or situations either controlled or uncontrolled that may cause problems for the system itself, and thus are also included in the uncertainties that they hold. Finally, the total worth of the system must also be included in the evaluation, considering not only the end results of the system but also based on how the system was first set up. Both the costs and the benefits must be assessed at an equal level in order to be able to review if the system does indeed bring advantages and disadvantages for the company.               This way, the company will also be able to assess if there are limitations and drawbacks within the system which they may be able to fix. Such will help with fixing and organizing of the systems. In this case, there too is a need for tactical analysis and planning for the changes the minimal changes that must be done in order to relieve the vulnerability that the system may hold, especially as the company actions mostly relies on the information that they receive and the distribute the information. Most of all, organizations will be able to assess if the plan will and is working based on their set goals and plans. In such, by continuing to profit largely despite some weaknesses, and by being able to deal with these weaknesses, the organizations will most probably have had evaluated the IS strategically.               Because the core of strategic management and planning is not only to understand the financial gains that can be done, but also include the effects that these will have on the culture of the people, advantages can be drawn from the understanding of the consumer-based oriented goals. Moreover, it is also possible to provide employer-based oriented goals and thus allows for the involvement of the workers with the outcome. As such, strategic marketing is also involved with the basic management methods used by the corporation.               Strategic marketing involves not only the planning of the company’s growth but also the analysis on the products and services that the company will offer, the markets in which the company will serve or the target people, and includes the environmental effects the industry will have, as well as intense research on the possible finance and organizational elements needed for the success (Henderson, 2000). Simply said, this process involves the following steps: 1) analyzing the present and possible future situation that the company may find itself in, 2) developing objectives or targets for the marketing course, 3) determining the possible hindrances to the project as well as the standing or current position that the company has, as well as how the position can be changed or used as an advantage, 4) finding the target consumers for the products or services, and 5) designing the project and implementing it to the consumers (, 1992). The process of strategic marketing may be very difficult for the company, especially since it involves several research and data analysis that may take years to gather; the researchers may also not be able to predict the courses in which products and prices may take as time changes. Because of this difficulty, many companies may also decide to merge with other industries to be able to share the data and products that they have, as well as cushion the blow of a failed market analysis in case it happens.               One of the difficulties with strategic marketing is that the planning takes up more time than the actual implementation of the product. This is a great drawback as it may take another company as fast as three months or less to compete with the strategies that the company is taking. In being able to come up with a unique and distinctive plan, the company will be able to carve their reliability and availability to their consumers’ minds. Being one of the first or the only one to introduce the product or service to the public gives the company a lot of credibility when it comes to their services and their research work.               The corporate strategies used by the companies may contribute to the company’s possible success rate especially in the face of crisis that involves the financial aspect of the corporation.  The presence of a these strategies may give the company a competitive advantage over their rival corporations through their scheme on how the organizations or departments that make up the industry are able to work together, and at the same time how they establish their reputation in order to continue giving their services to their clients. Here, the corporate strategies that companies use involve the corporate responsibilities and the brands that contribute to the performance of the company.              (2001) stated that corporations should have economic and legal responsibilities to the public at large due to the influence that they bestow upon the public. Because of their services and products which they distribute to their clients, the public have now irresolutely put their trust upon the   (1996) enumerated seven economic responsibilities of firms, which are: satisfy customers with goods and services of real value; earn a fair return on the funds entrusted to the corporation by its investors; create new wealth, which helps lift the poor out of poverty as their wages rise; create (and the writer would add, maintain) new jobs; defeat envy through generating upward mobility and giving people the sense that their economic conditions can improve; promote innovation; and diversify the economic interests of citizens so as to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Legal responsibilities, on the other hand, should be to follow the law or the rules that govern firms.               It is logical that those responsibilities, if exercised by the firm, can affect the firm’s operation in general, which includes marketing. The way firms handle and meet those responsibilities can be basically considered as corporate strategy, which can have numerous implications with the firms marketing strategy. Legal aspects of the firm is viewed as a part of its corporate governance and such rules will prevent them from exploring certain marketing strategies that are in conflict with their economic and legal responsibilities. These responsibilities can also be called as corporate citizenship, and be related with consumer marketing. A number of industry surveys suggest that consumers are willing to make an effort to support proactive corporate citizens. For instance, a study shows that 76 percent of consumers are prepared to switch to brands or stores that seem concerned about the community (1997). Similarly, a Walker Information national survey showed that 14 percent of US households actively seek “do-gooders” when making purchases, while similarly, 40 percent judge corporate citizenship as a tie-breaking activity ( 1997). On the contrary,  (1997) demonstrate that negative corporate social responsibility associations can have a detrimental effect on overall product evaluation, whereas positive associations can enhance product image and value. Strategies derived from the consumers will be able to help with the corporation improvement. And it is with the legal understanding of the information that the people will be able to find that they can implement their strategies for their own organizations.     Conclusions               With this paper, the role of strategic management has been clarified and shown, especially when it comes to its evolution over the years; the theories that took advantage of the different situations and factors that may involve the outcome are the information technology, the marketing culture, the culture of the people itself, and thus also includes the workers and the clients in their mix. It has also been established that while such decision-making may also take some time, there is also the conclusion that strategic management, in itself, is actually more focused on the development of possible outcomes and the actions that can be done. The goals of the corporations are what keep the purpose of the organization leveled and remembered, especially in a time of crisis. These establish the firm resolution on what or what may not be entirety of the corporation. No matter how fast the business world is, there is always the need to keep one step ahead.               With this, it can be understood that despite the fast-paced community and the visions of the business world, it is still imperative to have a strategic management. In fact, it will be more advantageous for the corporation, especially with the establishment of global marketing and the possible problems that may arise with the establishment of partnership despite culture and societies; such actions would help with the determination of the outcome and also give a more structured argument on the way in which the entire situation is being directed from thereon.               As such, the importance of strategic management has thus been established with the factors that are being included as part of the building of the organization. The decision of the organizations are, of course, part of their own growth and it might be necessary for the corporation to hit some snags along their development, yet with careful planning and learning from their mistakes, it is highly possible that a corporation will then be able to establish a firm ground from which their success can be built on.   References:

IS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING A WASTE OF TIME IN TODAY'S FAST-MOVING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

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