Brand Equity Restoration and Advertising Evolution free essay sample

This case was written by Professor Michele Greenwald, Visiting Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris, for use with Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective – 7th edition by George E. Belch and Michael A. Belch. It is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources and interviews with executives at IBM and Ogilvy Mather. Introduction During the 1970s and ‘80s, IBM was one of the most successful companies in the world. The company had experienced strong growth in both revenue and profits and had a virtual stranglehold on the market for mainframe computers. In fact the company was often referred to as â€Å"Big Blue,† a nickname derived from its massive blue mainframe computers. For four consecutive years in the 1980s, IBM held the top spot in Fortune magazine’s annual list of the most admired companies in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Equity Restoration and Advertising Evolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, by 1993 the quintessential â€Å"Blue Chip† company had reached its nadir. Over the three previous years, IBM had lost a total of $15 billion and its stock price was at an 18-year low. The brand had fallen below number 250 in Interbrand’s annual survey of the most valued brands with a brand value, estimated at a negative $50 million dollars. The explosive growth of personal computer networks threatened IBM’s lucrative mainframe and minicomputer business and the company was struggling to turn the situation around. In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, the drivers of innovation nd change in information technology were smaller, nimble companies like Microsoft, Compaq, Dell, Oracle and others who offered less expensive systems than IBM that could basically accomplish the same tasks. IBM had fallen behind in technology as its top management stubbornly clung to the notion that traditional mainframes, which had been the company’s primary strength, would maintain their dominant position in the marketplace. Compounding the problem was the fact that IBM had become a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy that had lost touch with its customers and had a risk-averse culture relative to its competitors. An image on the cover of Fortune magazine in the early 1990’s depicted IBM as a dinosaur. The situation had become so serious that the board of directors considered breaking up IBM into several companies that would be better able to compete in emerging technology markets against the smaller, more nimble players that were gaining ground at IBM’s expense. In April 1993, Lou Gerstner became the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IBM and was given the task of turning around the company. Gerstner was a former McKinsey consultant who had built his reputation through senior assignments at American Express and RJR Nabisco. Although not known as a technophile, he started by speaking with customers, large and small, around the world to gain an understanding of their needs and how they perceived IBM. Based on their feedback, Gerstner came to the conclusion that IBM was worth more in the long run as a whole, rather than as disparate pieces. He envisioned a three-legged company that, with offerings of software, hardware and consulting services, could synergistically leverage its strengths to solve specific problems that would improve their customers’ performance and business results. Gerstner brought on board Abby Kohnstamm who had worked well with him at American Express. Together, they made a radical move by consolidating all IBM advertising creative work worldwide with one agency – Oglivy Mather. Prior to the consolidation, IBM’s advertising was handled by a network of approximately 40 different agencies around the globe. However, IBM’s top management felt the company was projecting too many images with its advertising divided among so many agencies. They decided that by consolidating all of its advertising with one agency, IBM would be able to present a single brand identity around the world. Chris Wall, worldwide creative head of the IBM account for Ogilvy Mather, noted that: â€Å"It was a massive consolidation job of a very complex brand in a very complex category. The challenge for Ogilvy was to take a brand with heritage from the past and bring it to the present: taking what was good and truthful, and infusing it with a modern voice. We have taken a very complex topic in an environment of constant change, in which the products evolve but are not quite new products you cant show and often cant demonstrate. Our challenge has been to keep the IBM brand fresh, interesting and topical because at the end of the day what youre selling is trust. † The consolidation followed a reorganization and change in IBM’s business and communications strategy that was initiated by Gerstner. Prior to the reorganization, IBM had at its core 13 semiautonomous business units, each of which could develop its own independent business strategy with a concomitant marketing communications strategy. These businesses overlapped and inherent in the mix were potential communications conflicts. Under Gerstner, the 13 units were reintegrated into a more cohesive whole. The strategy emphasized the integration of the units and the key role IBM played in technology around the world, while reinforcing the heritage of the company. Central to the implementation of the new worldwide strategy was the global articulation of this vision in a single voice. â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet† The first step taken by IBM to project a single brand identity around the world was the launching of a new advertising campaign in January 1995 with a contemporary tone known as â€Å"Subtitles. The goal of the campaign was to communicate the message that IBM delivers solutions that are simple and powerful enough to manage information anywhere, anytime, and for anyone. The tagline for the campaign was â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet. † It originated from a focus group in Paris where a participant made the observation that: â€Å"It’s as if technology is making the world smaller and bringing everyone closer together because we all share the same problems. † The commercials developed for the campaign used the same imagery but were varied for each country by the use of subtitles in the local language. The campaign targeted â€Å"C-level† executives, such as CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs, rather than the previous target audience of procurement and information technology executives. The goal of the advertising was to convey that IBM was capable of solving business problems, not just hardware and software issues. The campaign was effective in communicating that technology affects even average people around the world and IBM is there with solutions for smaller as well as larger, more complex technology needs. This new campaign was in line with Lou Gerstner’s strategic vision for the company which was for IBM to be recognized as â€Å"a provider of solutions. † The campaign also communicated an important message that IBM remained vigorous, innovative, and a purveyor of technology and solutions while retaining its latent strengths of global scope, leadership, and reliability. Several of the print ads from the â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet† campaign as well as a photo board of the â€Å"Nuns† TV commercial are shown in the power point file that accompanies the case. While the â€Å"Subtitles† campaign was a step in the right direction, IBM needed to go further creatively by showing prospective customers that the company was hip to new technologies, understood their needs and issues, and had the solutions to make a difference. Key to developing this kind of advertising was the need to build a creative group that had a deep understanding of business and technology issues. In 1997, IBM published a 3,000-word manifesto in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, using copy written in business terms a CEO or CIO would use, rather than tech-heavy terminology. It illustrated to potential customers that IBM understood their business, spoke their language and had the expertise to help them solve their problems so they could perform better. The photography was very â€Å"street level,† providing the perspective that IBM was out of the ivory tower and in the trenches working with its clients to help them solve their business problems. The â€Å"E-business† Campaign The â€Å"Subtitles† campaign had one of the most successful runs of any image-oriented advertising campaign ever done by IBM. However, by the late ‘90s, the Internet was growing as more companies were using it to conduct business and IBM was working with them to support their electronic business processes such as advertising, merchandising, inventory management, order fulfillment and customer service. Thus, IBM decided to position itself as the most comprehensive provider of end-to-end solutions for e-business. This led to the introduction of the â€Å"e-business campaign,† which had several sub-campaigns to support different pieces of IBM’s business. These included e-culture† which focused on helping companies adapt to doing business on the web, â€Å"e-business people† which focused on IBM’s global consulting services and â€Å"e-business tools† which included IBM’s products such as the ThinkPad personal computer and servers. The umbrella campaign recast all IBM communications in relation to doing business online and helped the company come to own the â€Å"e-business† label. The campaign was give a contemporary look by producing television spots in black and white with a horizontal, oblong frame that created a screen with movie-type dimensions. The visual was framed in IBM’s blue logo color, which evoked the brand’s longtime equity, but at the same time, portrayed IBM in a fresh, new way. The spots were â€Å"slice of business† scenes in which business people experienced technology problems that IBM was able to solve. The commercials were witty and displayed a sense of humor (traits that were not previously associated with IBM), thereby projecting a much hipper, â€Å"with it†, and in-tune image onto the brand. A female voice-over was used, which was another symbolic departure from its previous staid imagery, and different from most other business technology advertising. The print ads were also done in black and white with only the @ appearing in color (red). As part of the E-business campaign, IBM utilized testimonials around the theme of â€Å"XYZ Company is an IBM e-business. † Large, well-known firms such as Mercedes Benz and Motorola, as well as others that were smaller and less known, were featured in the testimonials. A pool of print ads, illustrating the diversity of e-business customers, appeared in magazines, wild postings, outdoor billboards, and at airports. The campaign communicated the message that IBM worked with companies of all sizes across a wide range of industries and its broad expertise made them the most knowledgeable advisers for almost any business. Companies started approaching IBM asking to be included in the campaign as being portrayed as an â€Å"e-business† enhanced the way they were perceived by their customers. Great synergy accrued to IBM from putting all their communications behind a unified and relevant message. At the end of 1998, IBM did something formerly unheard of in newspaper advertising. Ogilvy Mather created a 32-page color insert on heavy stock paper with a compilation of the e-business print executions. It included some surprising new content sprinkled throughout to create interest, a specific explanation of what e-business was all about, and a call to action for those interested in finding out more about IBM solutions for e-business. The timing for the campaign was right, as e-commerce and all things â€Å"e† were starting to explode. Moreover, IBM’s association of e-business with their brand in a big way at the outset of this explosion resulted in the company pre-emptively owning the term. Chris Wall of Ogilvy Mather noted that: â€Å"The effect of this simple decision was that IBM became one of the definers of how the world would talk about internet-based business, and this became a competitive advantage. By association, IBM became known as being at the forefront of developing ideas and recognizing technology trends: in short, it became a brand that â€Å"got it†. Prior to this campaign, IBM was constantly in the position of living down their â€Å"stodgy† past, making it harder to compete against Microsoft and other hot, young tech brands. But after e-business, IBM became one of the leaders of the pack. The crash of the dot-coms made everyone skeptical of 20 something change-architects. † IBM’s combination of steadfastness, depth, and its new, hipper, more cutting edge, and more â€Å"in the trenches,† image helped the company once again be viewed as a stalwart, in contrast to so many other fly-by-night high tech operations. Within 18 months of running the e-business campaign, the IBM brand had turned the corner and was on its way back up. In 1998 IBM’s sales topped $80 billion for the first time ever and earnings were $6. billion. Even more impressive was the growth in IBM’s stock price which had risen from a low of $41 in the dark days of early 1993 to nearly $125 by the summer of 1999. Fortune ran another cover story on IBM in 1999. However, this time the headline read â€Å"From Dinosaur to e-business animal. † The â€Å"ON Demand† Campaign The â€Å"e-business† campaign ran for several years and was followed by â€Å"ON Demand,† which was the first advertising campaign under Samuel Palmisano, IBM’s new Chief Executive who took over the leadership of the company when Lou Gerstner retired in 2002. Palmisano’s vision was to transform IBM by dramatically increasing its focus on the fast-growing Business Services market. Palmisano accelerated the shift in focus from â€Å"component value† (PCs and machines) to business value which involved providing end-to-end integrated solutions. This expanded vision of â€Å"ON Demand† business was based on the idea of how the world would work when businesses were fully wired with broadband, all systems were integrated, consumers had infinite choice, trends happened faster, companies provided better service and were more responsive to customer needs and business opportunities on a global scale. Richard Ryan, of Ogilvy Mather, noted that: â€Å"At its simplest level, ON is about getting your company to run better. ON means your company runs like clockwork. Business is smoother. Life is good. But people have heard all that before, so our first step was to create customer testimonials – China is ON, Napster is ON- to let people know that ON Demand is real and making a difference right now. Other executions-Fighting cancer is ON. Flying Phones are ON-speak to innovation and strategic expertise. Long copy executions let us get to the meat and potatoes of specific business issues. ON works across all of IBM’s product divisions. It’s a rallying cry for IBM’s 300,000 employees. It’s the marketing spearhead for Sam Palmisano’s vision. † Being ON means you’re responsive and flexible. It means being on your game: on budget, on track, on schedule. We wanted people to associate IBM with that new, ON Demand way of doing business. † Deirdre Bigley, Vice President, Worldwide Advertising Interactive at IBM noted that â€Å"while ‘e-business’ was all about e-commerce and the Internet, ON Demand was all about the technology and movements such as supply chain optimization. The red ON button used in the ads, combined with the words DEMAND BUSINESS became the brand signature in all marketing materials. The slogan also became the rallying cry for all company divisions that cross-sell various IBM’s products and services in an attempt to improve their customers’ business performance. All of IBMâ⠂¬â„¢s sales representatives from its server division, to software, to outsourcing – were selling the on-demand concept along with their own products. ON Demand’s task was to drive the development of all of IBM’s software and hardware, to make them capable of mixing with and managing applications from other vendors. Over time, IBM began to define themselves less and less through their specific hardware and software products, and more as a total business solutions company in which consulting services was the key part of the â€Å"3-legged stool† and a means to sell the company’s hardware and software. E-business was all about the Internet and became too limiting for IBM as the they needed to broaden their positioning. An IBM executive noted: â€Å"Business automation has blurred the customary demarcation between business and information technology, put IT at the heart of corporate strategy, and elevated the understanding of the possibilities. As a result, companies increasingly look for partners who can skillfully combine business insight with technology expertise. † IBM purchased the consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers in 2002 to enhance their expertise in consulting services, their credibility, and to increase their client base. IBM felt it was now uniquely positioned to provide the combination of IT and business consulting expertise that firms of nearly every size and in virtually every industry need in order to grow market share and revenue. They believed that no other firm in the world could deliver better on the combination of IT and business consulting to companies all over the world. As Wall Street analyst, David Cearley described it: â€Å"IBM is morphing from a computer company into a business expert, selling well-connected experts. IBM is changing its definition from International Business Machines, to international business models. † A major challenge for Ogilvy Mather in evolving the advertising for IBM was communicating the expanding scope of what the IBM brand stands for and the breadth of its business. The creative group had been given the task of describing IBM’s offerings in a way that sounds proprietary, but at the same time was understandable, to an ever-larger group of business professionals. With the acquisition of Price Waterhouse Coopers and the increased focus on business services consulting, IBM no longer was targeting primarily IT users. Rather it was marketing a broad line of products and services to top-level decision makers at companies and organizations of all sizes. â€Å"The Other IBM† and â€Å"Help Desk† Campaigns Since its inception, the name IBM has signified technology. However as the information technology consulting industry matured and web services were being built on open standards, organizations were shifting their definition of business value to include processes and enterprise optimization. In analyzing this new trend, IBM found itself faced with one of the biggest opportunities in its history: the $1. 2 trillion Business Process Transformation Services (BPTS) market. Demand for BPTS had escalated as companies increasingly realized the value of teaming with a strategic partner to help redesign their functions and processes to become more profitable, efficient and competitive. In 2005, IBM set upon a mission to position itself as the leader of the BPTS market by increasing awareness of and consideration for its capabilities in this area to senior business executives. IBM looked to Ogilvy Mather to develop an integrated marketing communications campaign to help establish awareness, credibility, and ultimately preference for IBM as a provider of business consulting services. Achieving this objective was not an easy task as it required maintaining IBM’s equity of superior technology and adding to it an equally strong perception that IBM offers superior business consulting services as well. Chris Wall noted that â€Å"IBM has a strong heritage as a technology company. A lot of people don’t realize they also do business consulting and not just technology consulting. † Thus, a major challenge for the IMC campaign was to get C-level executives to recognize that there is another â€Å"side† to IBM that provides business transformation services. In April 2005 a campaign was launched using the tagline â€Å"The Other IBM† which was designed to position the company as a provider of business consulting services and communicate its expertise in areas not typically associated with IBM. The creative used in the television commercials for the new campaign used imagery that alternated between scenes of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table wrangling with age-old business problems with counterparts at a contemporary business conference table doing the same. The metaphor of Sir Arthur’s Business Roundtable allowed for real issues to be discussed in a manner that was both informative and entertaining and to show how IBM Business Consulting could help businesses solve problems in specific areas. â€Å"The Other IBM† campaign was unveiled during television coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament on CBS. The Masters was the ideal platform for the launch due to the large number of senior business executives tuning in for the event. Also, since the Masters only allowed advertising from three sponsors, IBM was able to deliver its message with high frequency and without the clutter that typically hinders breakthrough during normal programming. The TV launch was followed by an eight-page manifesto in The Wall Street Journal which was used to set the premise of â€Å"The Other IBM† and define it in the context of business consulting services. Additional print executions were used to elaborate on the King Arthur metaphor as well as to focus on specific areas in the BPTS such as human resources, finance and accounting, supply chain and procurement, sales and marketing, and strategy and change management. All of the advertising directed prospects to a micro web site where users could explore content in areas such as leadership and innovation, learn more about IBM’s specific capabilities in functional areas, read case studies and locate additional contact information. In addition to advertising promoting â€Å"The Other IBM†, another integrated campaign called â€Å"Help Desk† was run concurrently to show how IBM’s on demand computing solves real problems and touches real people. The first phase of the integrated campaign focused on how IBM helps the world at large, while the second phase focused on more industry and customer-specific solutions. To underscore IBM’s ability to deliver value-added services to a customer, the advertising used the quick-problem solution metaphor of a â€Å"help desk† across television, print and online executions. For example, in the TV spots, the â€Å"help desk† appears in improbable places such as a golf course where a group of scientists needs help after its solar-powered golf cart runs amok or in the middle of a busy freeway where a motorcycle policeman stops to learn how IBM can assist with traffic control. The print ads featured beautiful photographs of landscapes with stylized help desk stickers attached to show a problem-solution scenario. The online execution used an interactive component featuring a large white room with classical columns where visitors would encounter a number of industry-specific scenarios for which the IBM help desk representative devised a solution. The â€Å"Help Desk† campaign received a â€Å"BtoB Best Award† from BtoB magazine, a leading trade publication, as the outstanding integrated business-to-business campaign of 2005. The â€Å"Innovation That Matters† Campaign IBM was pleased with the results from â€Å"The Other IBM† and â€Å"Help Desk† campaigns as they demonstrated the company’s expertise in the area of Business Consulting Services and gained credibility for IBM among business executives without negatively impacting its strong technology heritage. However, in March 2006 the advertising moved in a new direction with the launch of the â€Å"Innovation That Matters† campaign that is designed to position IBM as a means for companies to significantly change how they do business when seeking ways to grow. The campaign was developed in response to a major research study IBM had conducted which showed that after years of retrenchment, corporations were embracing change and planned to radically transform themselves over the next several years. The new campaign uses the tagline â€Å"What makes you special? † and its objective is to start a business conversation and to open the door to exploring how IBM can help individual companies innovate, capitalize on their inherent strengths and redefine their business processes to differentiate themselves versus their competitors. The value proposition is that IBM can help companies innovate by changing their processes and technology. The advertising features companies that have developed new ways of doing business with IBM’s help and how this has given them a competitive advantage. The â€Å"What makes you special? † message also communicates customization and that there is no one size fits all prescription, as solutions are based on each firm’s unique capabilities and possibilities. The creative used for the campaign is very different from previous IBM ads and from other high tech, business-to-business advertising. It uses bold, saturated colors and simple images from everyday life (a radish, a pill, a car, a house) in a two-page print spread. The layout shows an item by itself on the left page of the spread and a â€Å"special† item on the right so that readers are drawn in to find out what’s special about it. Rather than using â€Å"high-tech† language, the copy describes business applications in terms that are relatively easy to understand. The choice of lower case letters in the headlines and tagline conveys a lack of pretension and shows that IBM wants to communicate that discussions with clients will be â€Å"down-to-earth† and not intimidating. Above all, the campaign speaks to customizing business solutions and improving processes based on the uniqueness of each individual firm. The message is that with the combination of IBM’s unparalleled consulting and technology expertise, customers can leverage their capabilities and strengths to gain a competitive advantage in their industries. IBM launched the new campaign, as they did with others by running a multi-page manifesto in The Wall Street Journal, the print media vehicle with the highest reach among C-level executives. The newspaper advertising broke a few days before the TV ads, which began airing the following weekend, and magazine ads appeared two to three weeks later. Additional eight page manifestos were run to allow IBM to explain the new campaign more completely and also provide examples of how their products and services apply to a range of different size companies and different industries. The television commercials for the new campaign include a spot called â€Å"Anthem† in which flower petals seem to inspire groups of men and women to sing along with an obscure song by the Kinks, â€Å"I’m not like everybody else,† that speaks to the new positioning. The spot ends with a series of questions that appear on the screen in white type such as â€Å"What makes you different? What makes you unique? What makes you special? † Another spot takes a fairy tale approach by showing a stream of office plants fleeing commoditized companies after realizing that they will only be watered at companies that are growing. In addition to television and print advertising, the global campaign includes 15 out-of-home executions, a dedicated web site (www. ibm. com/innovation), Internet banner ads and huge decals placed on the tarmacs of two Manhattan helipads which Chris Wall describes as â€Å"metaphorical illustrations† designed to target corporate decision makers. The goal for the integrated campaign is to convey a sense of imagination and possibility as well as to communicate IBM’s ability to help companies do special things. Internet Marketing As with most high tech marketers of business-to-business products and services, the Internet is an ideal, cost-effective, targeted marketing tool used by IBM to help identify prospects and provide information about its products and services. IBM’s website is designed to move prospects through the buying cycle from generating awareness and initial interest, to providing information such as case studies and testimonials, to converting interest into a purchase decision. Some of the online tools IBM uses include webcasts, podcasts, virtual meetings, and sending customized e-mails, as well as e-catalogs, and e-newsletters. Interested customers opt-in to receive relevant information. IBM’s website includes in-depth articles, reports written by technology experts, blogs from people inside and outside the company and press releases. Topics covered include the range of IBM products, services and business processes that can be improved or transformed, such as innovation, growth, operations, customer loyalty, team performance, and corporate governance. The products and services IBM provides that relate to each topic are elaborated on in the site. Great care has gone into developing a site that is easy to navigate so customers can focus on areas of interest or where they are most likely to be seeking help. Prospects answer questions online to provide IBM’s salespeople with data and information that can be used to address each customer’s specific needs. IBM’s internet marketing also includes paid search for keywords that relate to specific topics and issues of relevance to their customers on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! nd MSN. IBM also has developed web sites to support its integrated marketing communications campaigns which have included making commercials available for viewing by visitors to the site as well as relevant case studies and testimonials. For example the web site created to support the â€Å"Innovation That Matters† campaign included a section where visitors could view commercials, a Global CEO Study that could be downloaded, and a report on IBM’s Global Innovation Outlook. Moving Forward The transformation of IBM from a computer hardware company to a services and business solutions provider is one of the great comeback stories in the history of corporate America. In 2005 IBM had more than $91 billion in sales and a profit of nearly $8 billion. In the 2006 Interbrand Study, IBM ranked was ranked as the third most valuable brand in the world with an estimated brand value of over $56 billion. CEO Palmisano notes that IBM is not defending the past anymore as the company is off and running into a new world of business, beyond computers. In January 2005 IBM announced that was selling its personal computer business, best known for its ThinkPad lap tops, to Lenovo which is the leading computer company in China. The sale of its personal computer business was part of IBM’s strategy to move away from the confines of the slow-growing and highly competitive computer industry and to continue to transform itself into a company that helps other firms run their business in areas such as accounting, human resources, procurement and customer service. In the process of doing so, however, IBM and Ogilvy Mather have successfully balanced the company’s brand heritage as it has undergone changes in its business strategy. IBM is not saying good bye to its image as â€Å"Big Blue. † However the image of IBM has evolved and the brand clearly stands for much more than mainframe computers. Examples of IBM’s advertising from the campaigns are available in the Power Point file that accompanies the case. Discussion Questions 1. What is the primary objective of IBM’s advertising? How have the objectives of its advertising changed over the years? Evaluate each of the campaigns described in the case and the accompanying ads shown in the Power Point file. Are the intended branding messages being communicated clearly and do the ads speak equally well to users, as well as non-users, of IBM products and services? 3. What were the pros and cons of staying with the â€Å"e-business† campaign? Could it have been updated and retained or did it lose it relevance? 4. How was the â€Å"ON Demand† campaign adapted to keep the umbrella tagline while providing the specifics needed to communicate the â€Å"sub-business† component details? Do you think IBM’s advertising campaigns changed too often over the past 11 years? Were the changes made because the campaigns were not working well or was it an intentional evolution in the advertising and branding message IBM wanted to communicate? 6. Is there value to business-to-business marketers such as IBM in advertising through mass media that also reach the general consumer market? Evaluate the media choices used by IBM such as advertising on golf tournaments, on Sunday morning news shows, in airports, and even on the Super Bowl. Since IBM divested its personnel computer business, should they continue to advertise in mass media, such as on the Super Bowl? 7. How has the target audience for IBM’s products and services evolved over time? How have the type of business problems that IBM addresses in their advertising changed? 8. What were the advantages and disadvantages of using a creative tactic such as the metaphorical King Arthur’s Round Table commercial and print ads that were part of â€Å"The Other IBM† campaign? What is the value of using testimonials or mini-case studies across a variety of business and industries in IBM’s integrated marketing communications campaigns? 10. Does IBM’s advertising provide enough information to decision makers and does it matter that no reference to the prices of its products and/or services are made in the ads? 11. Evaluate the decision by IBM to consolidate all of its worldwide advertising with the Ogilvy Mather agency. What are the pros and cons of using one agency to handle all of its advertising?

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East Introduction A decade into the 21st century, women in nearly all progressive countries across the world continue to be disadvantaged in their careers relative to men. Despite sustained efforts by governments and industry to promote gender equality in the workplace, women persist to experience occupational segregation, wage disparities, fewer promotions, and less significant wage increases (Schweitzer et al., 2011).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This view is reinforced by Schreuders et al. (2009), who observes that occupational segregation, particularly in science and engineering fields, has been a matter of concern for governments and scholars worldwide. Available statistics demonstrate that in spite of their talent, ability, and opportunity, women continue to be underrepresented in these critica l sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011), with Bhatia Amati (2010) suggesting that the segregation is the direct consequence of social, political, and economic systems that continue to reinforce gender stereotyping and role expectations. On her part, Bystydzienski (2004) posits that it is the lack of encouragement, mentorship, support and appropriate socialization to enter and remain in the sciences, engineering, or technology-related fields that is entirely to blame for the few number of women exhibiting interest in these fields. Although many research studies (e.g., Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010; Coder et al., 2009; Franzway et al., 2009; Morganson et al., 2010) have been initiated in a focused attempt to understand the reasons behind the noted occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, only a handful (e.g., Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) have attempted to evaluate the trajectories of these dynamics from an industry-specific perspective. Furthermore, the se studies do not attempt to place the findings in a broader, historical, and institutional context, not mentioning that they lack the comparators necessary to understand the problem within a wider social and geographical context. It is these gaps in knowledge that provide the impetus to undertake the present study, which aims to understand why there are few women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Background of the Study Schreuders et al. (2009) observe that â€Å"†¦unlike other historically male-dominated occupations that have seen gains in achieving gender equity, many sciences, math, and engineering fields have remained peculiarly unbalanced in terms of gender† (p. 97). Other research studies (e.g., Kusku et al.; 2007; Coder et al., 2009; Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) demonstrate that underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-related fields continue to widen as women engineers and technicians find themselves swimming against the tide of prejudice intrinsically reinforced by the social, cultural, psychological and economic realities of life. These assertions are supported by well-documented data. A survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and cited in Coder et al (2009) indicates that while women made up an estimated 43% of the information technology (I.T.) workforce in 1983, the female percentage dropped to a paltry 26 % in 2008 in spite of the fact that the total I.T. workforce had more than doubled for the indicated period. Of course many research studies have been progressed to understand the dynamics involved in this type of occupational segregation, but it still remains unclear exactly why women remain a minority in engineering and technology-related fields (Coder et al, 2009). Indeed, extant literature demonstrates that many women hold the necessary educational background and resources to venture into these technical fields, but end experiencing impediments for reasons not fully under their control (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). This notwithstanding, various theoretical orientations have been advanced to explain the perceived lack of gender representation in engineering and technical fields, and what could be done to contain the situation from further deterioration. The present paper will heavily rely on two of such theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist theory and the pipeline theory. In considering how women view their abilities and position themselves in relation to their male counterparts, this Research is profoundly influenced by social constructionist doctrines as the experiences and characteristics accredited to women, portrayed by academia and industry as contributing to their current occupational segregation in engineering and technology-related fields, are not timeless and universal b ut are socially, historically, psychologically, and politically located (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To deduce that all women judge, think, or relate in distinctive and universal ways when making career choices, particularly in fields traditionally considered as male-dominated, inarguably denies the contextuality that frames behavior (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). Consequently, this study attempts to understand the reasons why there are few women in telecommunication industry by comparing experiences of women in two continents, Europe and the Middle East, with a view to comprehensively cover the differences that may arise from the diverse contextual and geographical backgrounds. The present study will also draw upon the pipeline theory to analyze why women are yet to ac hieve equal representation in engineering and technology-related fields, with specific reference to the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. As highlighted by Schweitzer et al. (2011), â€Å"†¦the pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields should lead to more equality in the labor market†¦ This presumes that women and men in the pipeline expect comparable career outcomes† (p. 422). However, as has been demonstrated in a number of research studies concerned with evaluating the reasons behind gender-based underrepresentation in the labor market, the movement of more women into the pipeline has not resulted in enviable treads for women careers, particularly when it comes to engineering and technology-related disciplines (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Coder Rosenbloom, 2009). Much attention will, therefore, be focused on understanding why women are yet to achieve comparable career outcomes with their male count erparts in the telecommunications sector, and the various alternatives that could be implemented to remedy the disparity.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Issues of meritocracy and social-cultural orientations will be comprehensively discussed and evaluated with a view to synthesizing the obstacles that come into play to hamper more women representation in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East. Advocates of meritocracy are of the opinion that â€Å"†¦in true meritocratic systems everyone has an equal chance to advance and obtain rewards based on their individual merits and efforts, regardless of their gender, race, class, or other non-merit factors† (Castilla Bernard, 2010 p. 543). Inside organizations, a fundamental strand of this study will concern how organizational policies and strategies affect employees’ opportunities and careers, particularly those policies and strategies designed to reduce discrepancies for women working in technical-oriented disciplines. In equal measure, previous studies have identified aspects of entrenched masculine culture, social-cultural dynamics, and weak copin g mechanisms as major reasons for lower representation of women in technical disciplines such as telecommunications engineering (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004; Morganson et al., 2010). Indeed, Franzway et al (2009) posit that â€Å"†¦although women are as competent as their male colleagues in the technical dimensions of engineering, the gendered expectations and processes within engineering organizations are an entrenched problem for women’s careers† (p. 91). The rationale of the Research This study arises from the need for organizations and governments to develop policies, plans, and strategies that can be used to inform effective policy-making with regard to inclusion of more women into career fields traditionally considered as male-dominated. The paucity of statistical data on the underrepresentation of women in technical fields in other countries, with the exception of the United States (Blau Kahn, 2007), have often served as a reinforcing agent for ineffective and undirected policies that continue to be developed by organizations and governments in their bid to reverse the gendered disadvantage. Second, the study is informed by the need to develop tangible alternatives that can be used by organizations to not only encourage more women into engineering and technical fields but also to retain them. Extant Research demonstrates that women have unique capabilities and talents that could be used by organizations to attain optimal productivity and competitiveness (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). Equally, evidence has been adduced to the fact that more women than men are likely to leave employment in technology field (Franzway et al, 2009), due to a myriad of reasons which will be covered comprehensively in this study. Moreover, the results of this study can be used by educational institutions to develop academic and career paradigms that will encourage more women into the technical disciplines, with the hope that a high uptake of women will transl ate into equal representation in the labor market. Aim Objectives of the Study The general aim of this study is to critically evaluate the reasons why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. The following forms the specific objectives of the study: To critically analyze how women are impacted negatively as a result of employment discrimination in the telecommunications industry; To critically evaluate the interplay between meritocracy and social-cultural and psychological variables in entrenching occupation discrimination along with gender, and; To analyze and report on probable alternatives that could be used to alleviate gendered occupation discrimination in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Research Questions Based on the above objectives, this study aims to address the following research questions: What are the current practices and polices used by telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle Eas t to ensure gendered occupation equality in the field? What issues within the meritocratic and social-cultural, psychological, geographical and political contexts could be serving as obstacles to gendered occupation equality for telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle East? What are the current trends in occupation discrimination in telecommunications organizations in Europe and the Middle East? What are the alternatives being sought by organizations and governments in the two continents towards addressing the women underrepresentation in telecommunications industry? Scope of the Study Although the study makes frequent mention of women in science, engineering and technology-related fields, its analysis excludes all the other women working in the above-mentioned fields apart from those specifically working in telecommunications and information technology (I.T.) fields. The study does not deal with the position of the management of the selected organizations regarding occup ational segregation but focuses attention to understanding the dynamics involved from the female worker’s perspective and the official policies and strategies relating to occupational segregation of women in telecommunications industry within a wider continental context. This implies that the results gravitate more towards attempting to understand why there are few women in the field within a specific social, geographical and political context. Structure of the Dissertation The above forms the introduction section of this study, which has laid the groundwork for the subsequent sections. This section, among other things, have demonstrated the direction that this study takes by discussing the problem, stating the research aim and objectives, and discussing the rationale of the study. The following section will revolve around critically discussing the available literature on occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, with particular reference accorded t o Europe and the Middle East. The methodology, the third section, focuses on discussing the study design, population and sample, data collection techniques, and how the data for this study has been analyzed. The results are presented in section four, under findings, analysis and discussion. This study concludes by outlining some conclusions, recommendations and future research areas in section five. Conclusion The present study aims to analyze why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Towards this purpose, the study relies on two theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist perspective and the pipeline theory, to evaluate the impact of occupational segregation in this critical sector, and the alternatives that could be developed to reverse the trend. Consequently, the deliverables include, but not limited to: understanding how women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East view their abilities and p osition themselves in relation to men; understanding why women are yet to achieve equal representation in technology-related fields; understanding how issues of meritocracy and social-cultural, political, psychological, and geographical orientations impacts women representation in these fields, understanding how organizational policies and strategies within the wider continental context could be modified to encourage more women into science, engineering and technical-related fields. List of References Baron, J.D., Cobb-Clark, D.A (2010). Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis. Economic Record, 86 (273), pp. 227-246. Benson, J., Yukongdi, V (2005). Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects. Asian Pacific Business Review, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bhatia, S., Amati, J (2010). ‘If these Women can do it, I can do it, Too’: Building Women Engineering Leaders through Graduate Peer Mentoring. Leadership Management in Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 174-184. Blau, F.D., Kahn, L.M (2007). The Gender Pay Gap: Have Women gone as Far as they Can? Academy of Management Perspectives, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bystydzienski, J.M (2004). (Re)Gendering Science Fields: Transforming Academic Science and Engineering. NWSA Journal, 16 (1), pp. 8-12. Castilla, E.J., Bernard, S (2010). The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (4), pp. 543-576. Coder, L., Rosenbloom, J.L., Ash, R.A., DuPont, B.R. (2009). Economic and Business Dimensions: Increasing Gender Diversity in the I.T. Workforce. Communications of the ACM, 52 (5), pp. 25-27. Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J.E., Gill, J (2009). Engineering Ignorance. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 30 (1), pp. 89-106. Kotsilieri, F., Marshall, J (2004). Hellenic Women Managers in the Telecommunications Sector: Living in Transition. New Technology, Work Employment, 19 (3), pp. 177-191. Mo rganson, V.J., Jones, M.P., Major, D.A (2010). Understanding Women’s Underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The Role of Social Coping. Career Development Quarterly, 59 (2), pp. 169-179. Schreuders, P. D., Mannon, S.E., Rutherford, B (2009). Pipeline or Personal Preference: Women in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (1), pp. 97-112. Schweitzer, L., Ng, E., Lyons, S., Kuron, L (2011). Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations. Industrial Relations, 66 (3), pp. 422-444.

The Relationship between Culture and Technology Research Paper

The Relationship between Culture and Technology - Research Paper Example The topic is based on the development and forms of old media which indicates the technological development in the old era. This will be compared with the temporary social network technologies such as the Facebook. This will be developed with the intention to observe the technological development along the time and the cultural change relied on the technological development. Furthermore, this paper will provide the understanding of cultural changes such as what individual’s daily life changes along with the technological development. This will examine the individual’s lifestyle in today’s world and what has changed and their relations with technologies. Thus, this current study will summarize the media development and the relationship between technological and cultural change. Overall, this present study is based on the relationship between old and new media technologies and their associated cultural practices. According to Mesch (2009), new media shapes many ways to communicate and interact with each other. It is identified that interactivity is considered as central to new media which include letters to the editor, radio and television talk shows, computer and technological programme and listener participation in such programs. In accordance of Pinchot, Paullet, and Rota (2010), it is identified that old media interactivity was less as radios, television and newspapers did not measure the preferences and opinions of people as communication was considered as conversation. Grossman (2008) argues that people were provided what the media idea and thought is right for them but in today’s world, the interactivity degree has enhanced that does not necessarily mean. This means that every media has few interactivity components or elements which mostly do as it is examined by computers which can converse back these days.

U.S. Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. Law - Essay Example In business agreements, it is generally presumed by courts that there is an intention to create legal relations unless the parties insert a clause that their agreement shall not be binding in law but shall be binding in honor only. A contract is an agreement between two or more persons which is intended to create legally binding obligations. The word 'binding' is used for there are some contract which are valid but are not enforceable contract, certain basic requirements must be present. There must be an agreement based upon genuine consent of parties, supported by consideration and unable for a lawful object between competent parties. (Hussain, 2002).An offer may be made to a specific person or to any member of a group of persons or to the world at large, but it can not form the basis of a contract until it has been accepted an ascertained person or group of persons.For this case, the owner of happy acres made an offer to sell his property on March 15th to an interesting buyer. He o ffered to sell his property for $200,000, closing to take place 18 days of acceptance, time being of essence. The offeror added that if the offeree sent him a non refundable $4000, the offer would remain open for 30 days from the date thereof. This meant that if the offeree paid a non-refundable $4000, the offer would remain open for 30 days.The owner of Happyacres was told by a business acquaintance that he thought that would pay up to $275,000 for Happyacres on March 25th and he changed his mind and wrote a letter on March 26th. The offeror was actually revoking the original offer

Critical Thinking on Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Thinking on Global Warming - Essay Example It is therefore global warming is alarming for the planet ("Global Warming"). Studies reveal that the temperature of the Earth has increased by 1Â °F ever since 1900 and it is increasing at much rapid pace since 1970. This augmentation in the temperature of the planet is called Global Warming. Normal greenhouse gases allow only sunlight and impede other hazardous radiations from reaching the Earth’s surface. An increase in temperature is due to emancipation of various gases called as green house gases encompassing smokestacks, vehicles, fossil fuels, appending to the standard Earth’s greenhouse effect. Researchers have estimated that if this rise in temperature will continue it is going to have devastating impact on climate patterns resulting in drifts, melting of glaciers and elevation in the sea level ("Climate changes"). Recent studies show that tundra is in threat along with Greenland where 32 glacial earthquakes occurred at Richter scale of 4.6 to 5.1, a mark of d estabilization of the planet. Recently, Indonesia faced earthquake of Richter scale 8.4. Catastrophes are on rise, red dust was witnessed by people of Australia and USA, hurricane Katrina is an example! Human race is witnessing a global emergency and climate emergency making global warming an International issue of concern ("Global Warming Is An International Issue"). Such reports from scientist keep on pondering human beings but still no concrete measure could be formulated to prevent global warming. An analysis is required to understand the ignorance towards the environment. With the advent of industrialization and to meet the escalating demands of growing population, more industries are being set up for the production of finished goods and job opportunities. For all these set ups and for residential requirements; forests are constantly depreciating. Deforestation is on the rise to create space for these set ups. Plants are depreciating and therefore lesser number of plants are av ailable to take up carbon-di-oxide, again contributing to Global Warming. Approval for construction is obtained through the politicians. In the name of development and progress, politicians are endorsing majority of the developmental projects without giving a thought and concern about the environmental hazard inhabitants are going to witness due to the construction process. In most of the developing nations there is no control over the escalating population as politicians are concerned about their 'votes'. Had they been concerned, the population of the world would not have escalated. Politicians are the ruling bodies of any nation, and it is highly imperative that they must be aware about the happenings going around and should be judgmental in their thoughts and actions to formulate the policies that can promote growth and development in an environmental friendly manner. The present article deals with the political concern about the global warming and what leaders have to say, how c oncern and aware they are about this serious issue. International Concern for Global Warming The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is one of the foremost international organizations working for the evaluation of climatic change. It is developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to offer the world with a clear scientific view about the state of the

The Saying Actions Speak Louder Than Words English Language Essay

The Saying Actions Speak Louder Than Words English Language Essay Multicultural education programme is aimed to develop the knowledge about diverse cultures, therefore the author of this Bachelor thesis focuses her attention on this subject. Non-verbal communication should be understood not only with the language of hand or facial expressions but also when a person speaks: eye contact, smile, pauses in speech and the distance between interlocutors as well as other factors are important. Sen argues that in the context of multicultural communication, it becomes imperative that we train ourselves in decoding the non-verbal signs in a communication progress (2004: 163). Clayton suggests that non-verbal communication should be discussed in three areas, related to the individual, to language, and to the context (2003: 115). Non-verbal communication related to an individual involves eye contact, touching, posture, gestures and facial expressions (ibid.: 115-118). Non-verbal communication related to language includes vocal qualities, intonation, and the use of silence (ibid.: 119). The last one, non-verbal communication related to the context is discussed by olfaction, clothing, sonal appearance, artifacts as well as feeling about space and attitudes toward time (ibid.: 120-123). Some people believe that words are most important in speech because sometimes they do not notice how important non-verbal communication could be and that it can say more about someone than words. The person can lie when he is speaking but his behavior as for instance, embarrassment, always tells the truth. The principles of non-verbal communication between representatives of different cultures can help to overcome the incomprehension even without the knowledge of language. Discussing eye contact one should notice that it is the tool for contact establishment. In business field the direct eye contact means a sense of confidence. Nevertheless, the author of the research believes that Russians do not prefer to fix eye contact for a long time. In American culture vice versa it is the way how people usually behave. According to Clayton, direct eye-contact implies truth and honesty in the dominant Anglo-American culture (ibid.: 115). Another significant aspect of non-verbal communication is gestures. Feyereisen and de Lannoy quote Kendon (1986) and McNeill (1985), [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] gestures and words both relate to the mental representations that constitute thinking (Feyereisen and de Lannoy, 1991: 2). Individuals of diverse cultures can interpret some universal gestures differently. When one thinks about the word yes or no it means nodding and shaking the head. (Clayton, 2003: 117) Still in some countries, for instance in India or Bulgaria, the gesture no means the agreement (ibid.: 117). From these examples of gestures use it can be seen how differently communities can interpret the meaning. Further, within a multicultural environment, every culture forms a single notion of established manners, greetings, gestures and handshakes use. It is very often considered that a certain nation can use gestures more frequently than others. The author of the present research provides an example from the respondents answers (see Appendix 2; question nr. 11), one Latvian student wrote, usually Russian people within talking use many gestures. This type of behavior can confuse diverse cultures representatives where the active use of gestures is not welcome. Latvians, for instance, do not prefer to use a lot of gestures in their oral discourse, especially with strangers. A direct eye contact and outwardly restrained behavior are the most characteristic features for them. They also do not prefer to smile quickly greeting other persons. It is important to analyze how representatives of different cultures behave being in one group. Some foreigners, for instance, Americans or Italians being in Latvia could be confused with the type of unfriendly behavior of native people. Americans and Italians always smile greeting others but this could be atypical for the natives of other countries. The author knows from her own experience that Russians in Latvia differ from Russians in Russia especially by use of gestures. This signals that being in one group or living together in one country [Russians in Latvia] affects all those natives not only adopting the choice of words or sentence patterns from the Latvian culture, but also behavior, gestures and attitudes. To sum up, Russians in Latvia are more composed in behavior than Russians in Russia. It is typical for them in Russia to use a lot of gestures that are accompanied sometimes by a loud voice and very fast talking. Russians in Latvia were being socialized to the typical cultural behavior of Latvians. The process of adaptation of some features of non-verbal communication is developed since representatives of cultures always cooperate and affect each other being in one group. Feyereisen and de Lannoy quote Halliday (1973) and Levinson (1983) pragmatics also draws attention to the social conditions in which gestures occur (Feyereisen and de Lannoy, 1991: 24). The context of the verbal emission, gestures included, must be taken into account to understand the meaning of utterance (ibid.). Thus, every gesture occurs in appropriate context and conditions. As an example, Asians always smile when they are embarrassed. They usually demonstrate a neutral expression when angry, that makes impossible to understand their emotional condition. American people always keep smiling in order to show that everything is going well. The awareness of cultural differences in non-verbal communication leads to understanding the behavior of other people. Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult to find a way how it is better to act. The above-mentioned suggestions are considered to be very important and everyone should understand that if someone behaves differently and sometimes incomprehensibly this can mean that he/she is coming from another culture. Clayton arguing about students nonverbal communication differences in the classroom, asserts that [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the loudness of a students response may be a sign of sincerity; the belligerent-sounding comment may be awkward intonation; [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the quest for more personal interaction may indicate an unconscious need for closer contact with authority; the wince under our affectionate pat on the back may mean discomfort with physical touch; [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] an inappropriate smile may mask shame, embarrassment, or fear [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (2003: 128). Finally, everyone should be more attentive to others in order to communicate successfully; especially it is important during the process of education. Clayton adds that teachers cannot know all nonverbal languages of other cultures but she assumes that what we can do is [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] to lay aside our own cultural blinders, be sensitive to a variety of responses, be open to and affirming of different interpretations, and hopefully learn from our students [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (ibid.). To conclude the author of the research would like to emphasize that: the awareness of cross-cultural differences leads to acceptance over cultures; the individual becomes more open-minded; the ability to interpret cross-cultural differences and use this knowledge in practice helps to act in a positive way;

The Trail of Tears :: essays research papers

The Trail Of Tears Gloria Jahoda, the author of The Trail of Tears talks about how Indian populations dropped and how white people are the ones responsible for the drop of their population. The white men are not responsible for the drop of the Indian population. Johoda makes all Indians sound like defenseless children. Johoda is making excuses for Indians because Indians let the white man take over their lives and life style. Indians would do everything that was asked of them by the white man instead of standing up for themselves. The Choctaws were granted citizenship in the exception of them not living their everyday life style. Under citizenship, the tribal government of the Choctaws was abolished. Choctaws was given heavy fines and even jail time if the Choctaws dishonored the demands of the white man for their citizenship. Chief Moshulatubbee was shocked so he decided to run for congress. Mississippians took Moshulatubbee wanting to run for congress as a joke. Moshulatubbee lost. The lost started a civil war among the Choctaws. No matter what the Choctaws did they did not get their way. When leaving Mississippi some of the Choctaws died of diseases and of hunger. So the Choctaws gave in and again let the white man take control of them. One of the presidents of the United States, Andrew Jackson went to war with Indians hopping to get rid of the Indians. Black Hawk was a 62-year-old Indian who hated Americans. Black Hawk says that American promises are empty. When ever Americans told Black Hawk that they would do something for the Indians the Americans would never do what they promised. Black Hawk decided to take the side of the British. When ever the British said they would do something for the Indians the British would always do what they promised. Black Hawk always carried a British medal around his neck he respected the British a great deal. Andrew Jackson the president of the United States at the time came face to face with Black Hawk. The president asked Black Hawk, â€Å"why did you go to war,† Black Hawk did not answer. It was said that maybe the sac chief did not understand the question, but I say it’s just another excuse for Indians being naà ¯ve and letting the Americans do what they would l ike with the Indians. This book educates the audience on how there were brave Indians.

3m Optical

3M Optical Systems: Managing Corporate Entrepreneurship MST550 – Capstone Professor Jack Raiton HBSP Case #395-017 Discussion Questions 1. What practices make 3M such an innovative company? 2. What is Any Wong’s role as the OS Unit’s general manager? How effective has he been? 3. What is Paul Guehler’s role as division vicepresident? How effective has he been? 4. What should Andy Wong do with the computer screen AFE? If he gets the AFE, should Guehler fund it? Case Outline †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The Situation Background of 3M Corporation Internal Context at 3M Corporation Background of Optical Systems (OS) The Product is Born The Product is Reborn Wong’s Options Guehler’s Options Wong’s Role/Effectiveness Guehler’s Role/Effectiveness Desimone’s Role The Situation The 3M Corporation’s Optical Systems (OS) business unit needs to decide if they should proceed wi th the deployment of a new computer privacy screen despite two previous marketing failures. Background of 3M Corporation 100 Years of Innovation Highly Diversified Global Company †¢ â€Å"High-Tech†: Spends twice the U. S. Industry Average on R&D (6-7% of sales) †¢ Strong emphasis on new products and technologies †¢ Fosters individual’s innovation within the workforce (â€Å"15% rule†) Internal Context at 3M Corporation †¢ Respect for the individual – â€Å"Stimulate ordinary people to produce extraordinary performance† †¢ Supportive policies/practices – 15% bootleg rule – â€Å"Make a little, sell a little† †¢ High standards, stretch objectives – 10% sales growth, 20% PBT, 27% ROCE – 30% sales from new products Internal Context at 3M Corporation†¦cont. †¢ Acceptance of â€Å"well-intentioned failure† †¢ Share/leverage resources – â€Å"Technology belongs to company† Background of Optical Systems (OS) †¢ OS Track Record (1979-1990) – Formed in 1979 through consolidation of several 3M optical technologies – Experienced 11 year microlouver development effort with minimal products – Lost between 3 to 5 million dollars per year – â€Å"Technology in Search of a Market† †¢ OS Changes Focus (1991-1992) – In 1990 new top management appointed – Focus on applications for technology The Product is Born †¢ In late 1990, the OS Team launched the computer privacy screen †¢ Product used â€Å"microlouver† technology to offer privacy of screen information †¢ By early 1991 the OS Team saw poor market reaction due to the large number of sizes needed and high purchase price †¢ Product was modified and re-launched in late 1991 with minor changes, but to no avail The Product is Re-Born †¢ Through prior-product analysis, market research, and harnessing some of 3Ms other technologies, a 3rd generation was created and readied for market in 1992. It combined features of competitor’s such as anti-glare, anti-static and anti-radiation †¢ Was ready for decision on â€Å"Authority to Proceed† Wong’s Options Go †¢Learning from two previous launches †¢Met rigorous threephase process †¢Team closest to market, competition, technology (trust them, don’t second-guess) †¢Committed team (motivational imp act) †¢Last chance for OS †¢Wong must be the champion Postpone/Cancel †¢Poor market research †¢Poor product concept †¢Price too high †¢Unrealistic market share forecasts †¢Unrealistic risk assessment †¢Needs more data, further study Other Options †¢Self fund †¢Mentor’s support †¢Outsource Guehler’s Options Approve †¢ Project passed three-phase review – Shouldn’t second-guess now Reject/Send Back †¢ Recognize as â€Å"well intentional failure† †¢ Has other high-profile â€Å"Pacing Projects† †¢ Problems with product, price, marketing strategy †¢ Lacks internal support †¢ Cost relatively low ($750K) †¢ OS unit believes, committed †¢ Don’t want to kill OS unit – Big project in pipeline (Needs 30% new products) Wong’s Role/Effectiveness †¢ Attracting good people – Noirjean, Melby Developing/motivating his team, building unit’s capabilities †¢ Creating, pursuing growth opportunities †¢ Keeping management â€Å"in the boat† Guehler’s Role/Effectiveness †¢ Empower frontline manager to find/develop attractive opportunities †¢ Coach/nurture/support fron tline managers to develop confidence and capabilities †¢ Set standards/goals for and develop selfdiscipline among frontline †¢ Balance between discipline and support Desimone’s Role †¢ Sets, communicates, monitors standards and objectives †¢ Protects, reinforces norms and values – Respect for individual Primary focus on organizational context more than strategic content

Stanislaus Military Academy developmental model and plan

Stanislaus Military Academy developmental model and plan Problem Identification In organizations, development of models and plans facilitates the achievement of objectives through scientific approaches. Stanislaus Military Academy seeks to roll out a plan that will oversee the training of Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC). Through the plan, the institution aspires to develop informed and outstanding citizens in cadets.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Stanislaus Military Academy developmental model and plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The program also seeks to develop the trainee’s leadership skills by strengthening their character and comprehending the fundamental aspects of the national security. Through the training, the military academy will help in the formation of self-disciplined individuals who will not only be in a position to develop respect for the authority in a liberal society but also understand the factors that under pin the constituted authority in the American society. Stanislaus Military Academy faces challenges in implementing the program that will see the cadets receive the training in line with the articulations of the constitution. With its main objectives being to instill virtues of discipline, respect, courage, commitment and honor among the cadets, the organization has apparent challenges in the achievement of these ends. The institution should be in a position to conduct impeccable training by identifying the challenges and implement the proposed changes in the organization (Michael, DiPaola Wayne, 2008). Notwithstanding the problems that the organization is facing, it has been in a position to solve real problems affecting the youth by developing their skills and forming their character in line with the needs of the country and dynamic American society. Nonetheless, identification process and lack of consent by parents has been in the forefront in impeding the organization’s ability to adopt necessary changes. Therefore, the main problem affecting the organization is the apparent lack of responsiveness to the needs of the young people and society. Addressing the needs will lead to improvement in the training process and achievement of desirable outcomes. Research theories related to the problem From the outset, Stanislaus Military Academy is categorical that it does not aim at training the young people as an entry point to a military career. It recruits young people in 9th grade through 12th grade. The young people stand a chance to learn in an environment that has high-level discipline and that which emphasizes on character modeling and high academic performance. While we consider that that the institution is able to train cadets, it is a necessity that the academy be in a position to engage cadets in matters relating to training and have them understand the content and ways that the training can address their pertinent issues. To that end, it is imper ative to consider the cadets as active learners and not just mere recipients of the training content (Michael et al., 2008).Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Involvement of young people and cadets in the training activities facilitates the achievement of objectives since they comprehend the expectations of the society, institution and the community. According to cognitive and learning theorists, it is of fundamental importance to ensure that learners comprehend what the trainers expect from them (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). This draws them closer to the main theme of the learning, which in turn arouses curiosity for them to perform to the expectations of the training. Therefore, the institute ought to equip the potential cadets with information on the content of the program instead of introducing new methodologies to them upon enrollment. To equip the cadets with the information prior to the enrollment procedure, the organization ought to ensure it embraces changes to meet this demand. According to Buchanan Huczynski (2007), there is the need to enhance institutional responsiveness to the process of change. The rationale is that numerous people rarely accept changes and is upon the change agents to convince the stakeholders on the necessity of changes. In this respect, the staff at the military academy should be in a position to explain to all people that the changes that it is implementing are long overdue and are aimed at increasing the organization’s ability to achieve its goals (Michael et al., 2008). In addition, it is important for the change agents to expect resistance to change since many people have emotional attachment with the status quo. During the recruitment process of the cadets, the institute ought to be aware that the youths require cognitive development. This will enable them to attain professional progression and self-development. Michael et al. (2008) say that cadets’ skills development is largely dependent on the amount of time that the trainers use to develop the cadets’ academic needs. This allows them the ability to bring out innovation and creativity in dealing with life situations and particularly, in military academy. To achieve these ends, the academy should have measurable results and monitor the progress of the changes and objectives. Hoy Hoy (2009) argue that evaluation and monitoring approaches that assess the skills development among the cadets are appropriate in highlighting the ‘real’ achievement rather than theoretical comprehension of the skills. This will enhance the ability to make important real life decisions and attain problem-solving skills. Better still, the academy will be in a position to nurture a holistic individual who will not only suit the military but also in other careers.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Stanislaus Military Academy developmental model and plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is essential to design a learning context that depicts the aspirations and expectations of the society. The society constitutes a high-level stakeholder of the military academy and as such, it should influence the learning environment of the cadets. To achieve this ends, the institute ought to ensure that the content and the environment it designs should be in a position to solve problems and address community needs. Indeed, cognitive theorists argue that any learning experience ought to have the objective of solving problems and imparting suffice knowledge on the trainees (Hoy Hoy, 2009). Stanislaus Military Academy will therefore be in a position to have many community members of the county seeking to get training from the institute owing to improved ability of graduate cadets to solve community, social and personal problems. Stanislaus Militar y Academy should focus on challenges and embrace the appropriate corrections. This should start right from the recruitment and selection of potential cadets. Theorists assert that recruitment process is vital for identifying the right candidates for the position (Hoy Hoy, 2009). It should transcend the few aspects that are mandatory for qualification and pay focus to social background of the cadets. The rationale is that socialization process influence people differently and affects the patterns of interaction and knowledge acquisition. The Senior Military Instructor (SMI) ought to utilize the skills of recruitment in order to have a cohesive and an objective group of trainees who also share same goals and expectations. This should begin by informing them on what the program entails and what it may be able to solve both in the short term and in the long term. This will be a good start that the cadets can evaluate the importance of the program and consequently be able to manage thei r expectations. Measurable objectives related to the problem For a development plan to be effective, it ought to have measurable goals that will act as indicators of the progress or failure that organization has made. To assess the problems, there is also the need to assume empirical approaches to have the information on the current problems that the institute faces. First, the implementation of MCJROTC should be measurable through the responsiveness of the organization to the program. The instructors should be in a position to observe the differences that the students have made in terms of improving their leadership skills, respect, honor, courage, discipline and commitment.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Michael et al. (2008) point out that the comprehension of the content of the training is an indicator of the goals that the organization seeks to achieve. Hence, a needs analysis, implementation and evaluation of the program should be backed by sound research and problem identification process. Second, the organization should have a consistent method of measuring the achievement of its goal of enhancing responsiveness to the community needs and expectations. Through the implementation of the changes, the military academy should be in a position to assess the expectations of the community and design its training in line with the community needs (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). This starts with assessing the community needs, which should reflect the training objectives. The rationale is that Stanislaus County has expectations of the academy to form characters within the society who will be able to steer development within the context of the community. It is imperative to ensure that the o rganization has a scientific method of measuring the levels to which the program has met the needs of the community and their expectations. Third, the organization ought to enhance its measurable objectives of ensuring that the organization is in line with its aspirations of recruiting young, motivated and informed cadets. The recruited cadets should meet the set criterion and ensure that the organization is able to achieve its goals of equipping them with the requisite leadership skills to mention but one aspect. ability to recruit cadets from secondary schools having the right attitude and basic requirement procedure should be a measurable indicator of the progress that the organization has made (Hoy Hoy, 2009). Besides, the level of suspensions of cadets also serves as an indicator of the underlying problem of recruitment. This is imperative in ensuring that the changes that the organization will be implementing will be evaluated in comparison with the goal. Participants and cha nge agents Any success in the process of change comes about owing to the ability of involving all stakeholders of the military academy. Buchanan Huczynski (2007) pinpoint that the most important participant in the process of organizational change will be the community. The community ought to provide the institute with a framework of the training program shaped by their expectations. This is in lieu of the fact the society will be in a position to evaluate the cadets after their graduation. The individual they see from the institute ought to be able to solve community problems and address the apparent needs in the community. The graduates should add value to the lives of other societal members after the training. They should also be in a position to take up leadership roles available in the community and exercise their skills to inspire change and development within the community. Second, the military academy should be able to involve all the internal stakeholders of the organizatio n in rallying them to embrace change. Organizations are able to achieve success by ensuring that the employees, instructors and the heads of the academy comprehend the need for organizational development that is only achievable through the change process. According to Hoy Hoy (2009), the internal stakeholders of an organization make up a group that has high influence on the implementation of changes. The ability to reduce the ever-present resistance to change reflects high skills of the change agents to institute new ways of operating. Further, it is important to involve all the cadets who are the primary beneficiaries of the military training. The organization should adopt alternative methods of imparting leadership skills on an individual and involve the trainees in the development of the content with an aim of achieving even more improved outcomes (Michael et al., 2008). The cadets ought to have full information regarding the objectives of the training and expectations of the in structors and the community. Lack of involvement of the cadets could result to impaired skills development and shift in the organization’s goals. Other stakeholders include both the federal and state governments whose influence is apparent. The military academy operates with the laws entrenched in the constitution and adopted by state authorities. Implementing far-reaching changes will therefore imply that the organization ought to be in line with the laws that govern the military training. Besides, the state and federal government remain the major oversight bodies mandated to ensure that the process of MCJROTC achieves the national goals and is in line with the government’s expectations. In addition, it is important to notice that the government formulates policies and rules that provides the schools with a framework to offer military training. Hoy Hoy (2009) say that the change agents should be wary of a plan that distances the academy from the goals of the federal and state governments. Finally, the change agents will include the instructors and heads of departments who have the mandate to inspire the process of change and improvement. Chester Thomson (2003) explain that the change agents should motivate others to work together to improve the outcomes of the academy. They should also be in a position to employ their leadership skills and styles to achieve the objective with success. Problem Diagnosis The current problem within the academy should draw inspiration from continuous process of evaluation and assessment. This implies that the organization should evaluate the achievement regularly and possibly after very semester. This is important since it provides a platform through which the change agents are able to make necessary changes and draw the academy closer to achievement of the goals. This is in terms of the implementation of training problem that helps the cadets to solve real life problems and improve the community welfare. The asse ssment process for the entire four years since the recruitment of the cadets should draw comparison from the current situation. The disparity that exists between the aspired position and the current situation ought to reduce as the implementation of the changes gains momentum. This is in terms of recruitment procedures, content development and adherence to regulatory bodies and frameworks (Chester Thomson, 2003). This will lead to amicable solutions to the apparent organizational needs and enhance improved outcomes. Another aspect of the problem deals with designing the objectives of the military academy to match the expectations of the community. The expectations of the community are that the military will be in a position to train young people and equip them with the necessary skills to become responsible, respectful and knowledgeable citizens. Deviation from these objectives should be a cause of alarm and should call for review of the outcomes envisaged by the academy. There sho uld be a distinction in character and behavior of the graduates of the military academy and conventional graduates. The graduates of the school ought to exercise their acquired skills for personal and community development (Michael et al., 2008). This should be the yardstick of evaluating other underlying problems exhibited in the organization. To that end, Stanislaus military academy ought to ensure that it strives to achieve this end to not only increase its reputation but also to provide the correct learning context that produces the desired behavior and character of the cadets. Procedure of solving problem At the outset, the organization should have a systematic way of resolving its outstanding issues. It ought to begin by getting a basic framework of understanding the expectations of the cadets and the community. Chester Thomson (2003) articulate that this is important since it helps the organization to design a change management process that addresses the issues raised by the stakeholders. If the stakeholders accent to the proposed move, Stanislaus should assume a strategy that coincides with the opinions, expectations and the desires of all stakeholders. Secondly, the explication of the ways in which the proposed changes will affect the employees should be a mandatory process for the plan to achieve its goals. This helps the change agents to explain the idea behind any change process and ways that the organization stands to benefit from it. This also reduces the risk of resistance to change which could challenge the implementation of the program. This is in light of the view that organization’s internal stakeholders such as the employees and instructors have familiarized themselves with the routine of operating and it may take time for them to internalize the proposed changes (Chester Thomson, 2003). Throughout this process, the change agents and leader should adopt appropriate leadership style typical of support and honesty. This is in additio n to keeping all the stakeholders informed on progress that the organization has made regarding the changes. Third, the organization should begin the implementation process where the review of the training content and manuals ought to begin. The academy should also upgrade the skills of the existing employees and instructors to suit the current training needs exhibited by the cadets. The implementation phase may seem to be the most difficult stage of initiating change since practical changes begins to appear within the processes of the academy (Hoy Hoy, 2009). Besides, it may lead to changes in skills development and other aspects of the employees who had familiarized themselves with the conventional routines, roles and duties. Monitoring and evaluation is important to enhance the measurement of the objectives and the outcomes of the process of change (Michael et al., 2008). This continuous process utilizes scientific models and approach to analyze and interpret the change outcomes . Evaluating the gains and losses that the organization may have made is critical to appraise the change. This way, the organization is able to understand the effect of the changes and make possible changes where necessary. References Buchanan, D. Huczynski, A. (2007). Organizational Behavior. London: Prentice Hall. Chester, B. Thomson, K. (2003). Organization and Management. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. Hoy, A., Hoy, W. (2009). Instructional Leadership: A Research-Based Guide to Learning in Schools. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Michael, F., DiPaola, M. Wayne K. (2008). Principals improving instruction: supervision, evaluation, and professional development. Mason OH: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Happy Valentines Day Quotes for Your Love

Happy Valentine's Day Quotes for Your Love There is no such thing as a perfect occasion to say I love you. The right moment is now. If your dearest is away at work, surprise him or her with a text message on Valentines Day. Or meet your sweetie for a quick lunch with some awesome chocolate cupcakes for dessert. Send two dozen roses to the office with a beautiful note attached. These quotes can help you find just the right words to make Valentines Day special. Quotes About Love VoltaireLove is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. John LennonAll you need is love. Erica JongAnd the trouble is if you dont risk anything, you risk even more. Charles DickensHave a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. Charles Hanson TowneI need the star shine of your heavenly eyes, after the days great sun. Lao-TzeKindness in words creates confidence, kindness in thinking creates profoundness, kindness in giving creates love. William ShakespeareLove is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Who ever loved that loved not at first sight? Thomas Robert DewarLove is an ocean of emotions entirely surrounded by expenses. AristotleLove is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Honore de BalzacLove is the poetry of the senses. Zora Neale HurstonLove makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. Lee Iacocca My father always used to say that when you die, if youve got five real friends, then youve had a great life. Wu TiNot loving is but a long dying. Romain RollandOne makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved. Antoine de Saint-ExuperyThe arms of love encompass you with your present, your past, your future; the arms of love gather you together. True love begins when nothing is looked for in return. Eden AhbezThe greatest thing youll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. J. KrishnamurtiThe moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed. Henry MillerThe only thing we never get enough of is love, and the only thing we never give enough of is love. Victor HugoThe reduction of the universe to a single being, the expansion of a single being even to God, this is love.George Sand There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. Dr. SeussYou know youre in love when you cant fall asleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams. Barbara DeAngelisYou never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. Sarah  BernhardtYour words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me.

Contemporary management issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary management issues - Essay Example Taylor’s Scientific Management theory became popular not only in USA but also all over the world. But historians have shown the reaction of British engineers to the Scientific Management Theory in a wrong light (i.e. British engineers resented Taylor’s theory). In reality, British engineers did not completely disregard the theory and Taylor’s theory received praise and attention in Britain just like it had in America. This theory provided learning to British engineers and they greatly benefitted from it (Whitston, 1997). The crux of Taylor’s theory of Scientific Management is efficiency, which serves to be beneficial for the entrepreneur and the workers both. The logic behind this is quite simple as increased efficiency brings in more profits and the entrepreneur can give more wages to workers and will be left with a handsome amount after that. He also clarifies that the solution to inefficiency lies in systematic management, and searching for an extraordi nary man will not solve this problem. It was also claimed by him that management is a science confined within rules, laws and fundamentals (Jordan, 1994). But considering only the profits and wages dimensions of the benefits of efficiency is quite a narrow approach. Efficiency is far beyond both and it is achieved when each business unit is performing in the most efficient way possible and the workers are performing at the highest level of efficiency. Since efficiency has advantages to owners and workers both, it is also necessary that the goals of the two are in the same direction. There should be cooperation from the businessman’s end as well as the worker’s end. Taylor was ahead of his time and encouraged owners of businesses to have a democratic style, as opposed to an autocratic style. When owners let their employees voice their workplace problems, conflicts and opinions, a sense of belonging is instilled in employees and they work hard and own the organization. F rom the workers end, they should show diligence and honesty in work and negate the exaggerated notions of exploitation. Sometimes workers get the feeling that they are working hard so that the owner can make huge profits. What they fail to see is that their wages are linked to owner’s high profits. Efficiency in the production industry is not limited to the efficiency of workers only. In economics, productive efficiency is defined as producing a given output at the lowest cost possible or producing more output with the limited amount of resources. Taylor’s efficiency also incorporates minimum cost of machines, overheads, raw materials etc. When there is room for efficiency and an organization is not making use of it then it is only missing a profitable opportunity because higher efficiency leads to higher profits. Workers need to grow in order to attain efficiency. Workers grow and develop when owners invest in human capital through training, workshops and mentoring. T his empowers the workers and they are in a better position to be efficient. If Taylor’s Scientific Management is applied at macro level, then investment in human capital can increase the productive capacity of a nation because of higher overall efficiency. Sometimes efficiency does not increase even though a firm is investing in training. This is because workers deliberately loiter and there are hold-ups in the production process due to this. This term is known as ‘