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Case Study: Statistical Thinking in HealthCare

Student’s name

affiliation

course

Date

Any Pharmacies in the world can encounter problems during their day-to-day operations. In the case study provided, Ben Davis is a pharmacist assistant in an irregular problem. His manager, Juan de Pacotilla, fears to lose his job in case an improvement is not done to the day-to-day operations. Juan asks Ben to help him find an opportunity for improvement in the process of filling prescriptions. This case study will provide an explanation to the issue of medication errors that are dispensed in HMO pharmacy. Despite the dispensing error rates being low, more enhancements in pharmacy distribution systems are vital since the pharmacies dispense large volumes of medicines that even a low error can render into a huge number of error which in return may equate to great amounts of lawsuits equaling even bigger sums of money. Advanced research is needed into dispensing errors in and out- patient health care settings, such and community pharmacies worldwide (Salmasi, Long & Khan, 2016).

There are six types of errors that can take place within the pharmacological chain and pharmaceutical patient care thus: dispensing errors, transcription errors, prescribing faults, administration errors, across setting errors and prescription errors. A dispensing error can be described as a discrepancy between the prescription and the medication that the pharmacy distributes to the patient or to the ward on the root of this prescription, such as the dispensing a medicine with substandard pharmaceutical or informational quality (Chua & et.al, 2003).

When dispensing, errors are well-thought-out from the viewpoint that the quality of all pharmacy care on goings should be guaranteed by the pharmacist, this list can be prolonged by the addition of three other groupings: lack of detecting and correcting a prescribed error before dispensing; lack of detecting a manufactured error before dispensing; and lack of providing satisfactory patient counseling so as to prevent administration errors (Teagarden & et.al 2005). These error groupings occur in other sections of the pharmaceutical patient care chain however; they are nonetheless significant when one attempts to do a full assessment of the performance of the pharmacy.

The classifications of dispensing errors are as follows: When medicine is dispensed to the wrong patient, when wrong the medicine is dispensing, When a poor or stronger drug is dispensed, when medicine is dispensed at the wrong time, When wrong quantity of medicine is dispensed as well as the wrong dosage form, when an expired or almost to expiry medicine has been dispensed, if there has been a failure or an omission to dispense, inferior quality of medicine being dispensed an inaccurately compounded medicine being dispensed, wrongly labeling information when dispensing (Anacleto & et. Al, 2007).

Below is a process map describing the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, that specifies the major problems that the HMO’s pharmacy experiences

.

Suppliers

Inputs

Process

Output

Customers

Doctors

Patient

Prescription

Telephone

Computer

Printer

Drug directory

Medication

Dosage advice

bill

Patient

Suppliers

Inputs

Process

Output

Customers

Doctors

Patient

Prescription

Telephone

Computer

Printer

Drug directory

Medication

Dosage advice

bill

Patient

Below, is a diagram showing the use of the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.

Process Map for filling a Prescription at HMO Pharmacy

The Causes of dispensing errors can be outlined by making inquiries from the practicing pharmacists through means of a survey or through root-cause analysis. A survey will measure the opinions and perceptions of the pharmacists while the root-cause analysis may come closer to reality. An example is a study done in a UK hospital in which the researchers uses semi structured interviews of pharmacy staff about self-reported dispensing (Anacleto & et. Al, 2007). Totally there were 106 error-producing conditions mentioned in these interviews. The most common causes of error that were mentioned from the most to the least included: being busy (21%), less operating staff members (12%), time limited (11%), tiredness of healthcare providers (11%), disruptions during dispensing (9.4%), and medicines that look-alike/sound-alike (8.5%) (Rickrode & et.al, 2007).

The process has been broken down into various groupings Based on the process map and research done on the subject of errors in medication dispensing cycle. Thus, Ordering, Transcribing, Dispensing, and Administering. In each of these four steps, there are a lot of probable areas for errors to take place. To begin with the ordering process, one can see, a wrong drug, a wrong dose, wrong route/form, an allergy or drug interaction. Secondly, the transcribing process, one can see a wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong route, wrong time, and wrong drug errors occurring (Knudsen et.al, 2007). Dispensing can have errors in wrong patient, wrong dose, wrong time, wrong route, incorrect labeling/drug ID, and allergy/drug interaction. Lastly, administering errors can entails, wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong drug, wrong route, wrong time/omitted and often consists of infusion pumps. Pharmacies have brought about various methods and strategies to reduce dispensing errors, depending on the various working stages of the pharmacies in the medication procedures and the progress of information technologies over the years (Beso, Franklin &Barber, 2005).

In a certain study, a research team investigated self-reports of community pharmacies to find the causes of dispensing errors. The research team recognized four causes: unreadable/ poor handwriting; look-alike and sound-alike medications; lack of operative controls; and lack of attentiveness caused by interruptions (Chua & et.al, 2003).

Medication dispensing has several effective alternatives that can reduce error rates. The use of bar code system which has helped reduce the dispensing error in US hospitals. The use of semi-automated medication cabinets from the use of carousel fill process help reduce rate of dispensing errors from (0.25 to 0.08) % as opposed to the 2 day manually shelving process.

Medication orders which were not automated and not readily available on patient care units are ordered as prescription requests and are faxed by pharmacists. The rate of dispensing error increases because once orders are filled they have to be verified and then transported. The rate of incorrectly filled orders would also increase from an average (2.1 to 2.3) %.

The interdepartmental request fill is a process where medication orders come from departments or clinics associated with the hospital such as cancer center, pain, neurology and others. The dispensing error was noted to be a minimum without the automated system. Despite the zero-margin error when an automated pharmacy carousel system was implemented in the clinics a quantity discrepancy was identified. This was caused by requests which only documented the dispensing errors because of the interdepartmental fills (Salmasi, Long & Khan, 2016). The automated pharmacy carousel system can also consist of bar code scanner, label printer, barcoded medication bins that allow an interface between both in the hospitals pharmacy information system. To finalize the study implementation of a computerized drug interaction system was used and measured in three periods. The first period the pharmacies implemented system but not physicians, second period pharmacies used the system and an average number of physicians, third period the pharmacies and the physician practices used the system. The interaction rate between the second and the third were the highest as compared to the first period and was reduced by an average percentage (Rickrode & et.al, 2007).

In conclusion, the rates of dispensing errors can only be reduced by implementation of an automated system. Most HMO pharmacies have various processing systems for pharmacy distribution but the need for improvement is very important. The checking of prescriptions has to be implemented to reduce the prescription errors and strategies should be implemented and correctly communicated to prevent administrative errors (Beso, Franklin &Barber, 2005).

References

Anacleto, T. A., Perini, E., Rosa, M. B., & César, C. C. (2007). Drug-dispensing errors in the

hospital pharmacy. Clinics, 62(3), 243-250. doi:10.1590/s1807-59322007000300007

Beso, A., Franklin, B. D., & Barber, N. (2005). The Frequency and Potential Causes of

Dispensing Errors in a Hospital Pharmacy. Pharmacy World & Science, 27(3), 182-190. doi:10.1007/s11096-004-2270-8

Chua, S., Wong, I. C., Edmondson, H., Allen, C., Chow, J., Peacham, J., . . . Grantham, J.

(2003). A Feasibility Study for Recording of Dispensing Errors and ???Near Misses??? in Four UK Primary Care Pharmacies. Drug Safety, 26(11), 803-813. doi:10.2165/00002018-200326110-00005

Costa, L. A., Valli, C., & Alvarenga, A. P. (2008). Medication dispensing errors at a public

pediatric hospital. Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem Rev. Latino-Am. Enfermagem, 16(5), 812-817. doi:10.1590/s0104-11692008000500003

Knudsen, P., Herborg, H., Mortensen, A. R., Knudsen, M., & Hellebek, A. (2007). Preventing

medication errors in community pharmacy: Frequency and seriousness of medication errors. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 16(4), 291-296. doi:10.1136/qshc.2006.018770

Rickrode, G. A., Williams-Lowe, M. E., Rippe, J. L., & Theriault, R. H. (2007). Internal

reporting system to improve a pharmacy’s medication distribution process. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 64(11), 1197-1202. doi:10.2146/ajhp060166

Salmasi, S., Long, C. M., & Khan, T. M. (2016). Interplay of medication errors and the

separation of dispensing. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 12(1), 171-172. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2015.07.004

Olivier surveying company

Case study: Olivier surveying company

Students Name

Corse title; course code

Instructor’s name

Date

Case study: Olivier surveying company

Introduction

Olivier Surveying Company (henceforth OSC) is a private entity dealing with surveying work for building and construction. Surveying work essentially deals with measuring land, elevation, and angles. It is the responsibility of the surveyors to provide precise information about the land like the topographical information before the construction begins. The surveyors need to be proficient in using precision tools.

OSC, based in Prahran, in Melbourne’s inner south-east, was founded in 1995 by Larry Olivier who is also the owner and the managing director of the company. Larry and his wife Vivien work as the directors in the company, a major source of decision-making. The company started with a single employee and it has managed to grow into a business with 19 employees. OSC’s success is based on its culture and reputation for high-quality work and reliability. ( ) found that it is essential for the growth of any company from its inception to offer quality and be reliable and have an organized structure of working, decision making, and control mechanisms that ensure all the qualities needed by the client. The high standards that have been set by OSC have already made it possible for the company to bid and acquire other larger contracts, something a majority of firms in the construction industry are unable to achieve. As a direct consequence of the performance of the company in the construction industry, the management through its founder is able to charge a premium for its services.

The objective of this case study is to apply theories to analyze the company’s organizational structure, its decision-making processes, and control mechanisms applied. Specifically, the report is interested in comparing both the pre-2015 and the post-2015 organization, looking at the reorganization that led to company-wide changes. The changes will then be observed against theories relating to the company’s organizational structure, its decision-making processes, and control mechanisms applied.

Overview of Roles

Larry Olivier is a competent surveyor, one whose name is well known in the construction sector. His skills in the field have made the company grow gradually from a startup to a well reputable firm. His main work policy and culture are built on a culture of reliability and high-quality work. These qualities have now emerged as the main competitive advantages of OSC in its industry against rival organizations. Larry handles almost every aspect of the organization, including client relationships to contractual negotiations, staffing, work assessment, employee performance reviews, pay allocation, discretionary bonus decisions, administrative arrangements, frequent site visits, and almost every other aspect of the company.

Organizational Structure

Organizational structures are one of the most important elements of an organization in its quest to achieve its objectives and goals. ( ) defines an organizational structure as a framework outlining the way different activities are directed so as to attain the organizational goals including responsibilities, rules, and roles, and the reporting format. Essentially, an organizational structure enables the flow of information between various levels of the company. OSC, by 2015, had 19 employees. ( ) found that an organizational structure is put in place to ensure that an organization retains focus and efficiency. Successful structures define the job of every employee and describe how it fits within the whole organization’s system.

Organizational structure basically takes either a centralized or a decentralized overall structure. Conventionally, organizations use a centralized leadership system that defines the chain of command ( ), for example the military as an organization where every role is clearly stipulated and a hierarchy of subordinates and superiors being very specific and well enforced. The roles of each organizational member is clearly defined and the subordinates responsibilities default to a guiding structure from the superiors ( ). In contrast, a decentralized system delegates decision-making and daily operations decisions amongst the top, middle, and lower-level management. The role of such a structure is to help an organization’s top executive to focus on major decisions.

Organizational Structure Pre-2015

Except for the administration assistant, every other employee (including the senior registered surveyor, two senior project surveyors, CAD specialist, three junior surveyors) reported directly to Larry. Ideally, the company was run as a small company. According to ( ), the organizational structure chosen by a business creates a reporting hierarchy that aids in the increasing of effectiveness and efficiency of business operations, including decision-making, daily running, customer relations, and every other job related to an organization. While different small organizations operate in variant methods, research conducted by ( ) found that there is no one-size-fit-all strategy that can be applied to create efficiency and effectiveness. OSC’s organizational structure runs through Larry as the focal point of every activity, decision making, and includes some technical aspects that would traditionally be left out to niche experts.

OSC’s structure aligns with a centralized functional organizational structure. In this structure, ( ) mentions that a more bureaucratic framework is employed to break up an organization based on the workforce and its specialization. This system applies to a majority of the small and medium sized companies. The firm, in the functional/bureaucratic framework, is divided into small departments based on specialization. The functional structure is intended to create focus for employees since they have a common goal to work towards. Larry’s leadership uses a centralized and bureaucratic system of decision making that divides employees according to their specialization and role. Due to the small size of the company with a total of 19 employees, the structure is yet to be fully defined. However, it is already clear that every decision is run through Larry, including issues that could easily be solved by senior surveyors in the firm.

Post-2015 Reorganized Structure

After the 2015 reorganization, Larry changed from having all the 19 employees directly reporting to him to have on 5 direct reports. As part of the reorganization, two new roles of supervising surveyors were formed in order to assist in overseeing daily surveying work. All surveyors in the field reported directly to the supervising surveyors. Additionally, each supervising surveyor had a responsibility to schedule junior surveyors to projects, handling emerging enquiries from the staff and liaising with clients. They also continued with their technical work on their projects. Noel, a senior licensed surveyor’s role was shifted to the provision of technical support to the supervising surveyors and the junior surveyors. He also gained a new advisory role with Larry in decision making regarding the new markets. The new structure chosen by OSC is as presented in the chart below.

After the reorganization, OSC employed a hierarchical organizational structure. In this structure, employees were grouped and assigned to a supervisor. OSC’s new structure grouped employees together using their functions and roles and the services they provided. ( ) terms this structure as a pyramid because of the multiple levels it has and the authority levels displayed. The pyramid thins the higher it goes as more employees report to only a few managers at various levels. The benefits of this structure to the top management is that authority was more clearly defined, enabled Larry to free up more time to work on other projects, and solved the issue of reduced delegation caused by Larry’s involvement in every major firm activity. The new structure changed the reporting format at OSC leading to better teamwork and increasing trust on employees to do the right thing. The reorganized structure changed how employees handled problems, reducing the need to always consult Larry in every situation to foster the development of other employees and increased promotion opportunities.

Introduction and Primary Plan of Action

Case Study 2: Credit Card Payment System

Insert Name

CSIA 412

Introduction and Primary Plan of Action

Creating a credit card payment system that is compliant with federal standards is not something that a physician should enter into lightly as there are various standards and requirements with which they must comply. This compliance ensures privacy of consumer data, consumer protection, as well as protection for the business from unauthorized access. In addressing the needs of the physician who has once again hired my services, I would first educate them on the various advantages and disadvantages of such a system, walk through the system requirements as outlined by the federal government, and then provide him with recommendations that would make the network compliant. All of this would be discussed before any action is taken and I would also provide a report written in laymen’s terms describing the needs, the process, price points, and a page for signed consent to move forward with the process.

Payment Card Industry (PCI) and Data Security Standards (DSS) advisement

As provided for the physician

The payment card industry (PCI) data security standards (DSS) were developed in order to enhance the security of cardholder data while also creating a standard level of security globally (PCI, 2010). When used in a PCI-compliant environment, payments made by debit and/or credit cards face much less risk at exposing private consumer data than when used in a non-PCI compliant environment while simultaneously offering security to the company processing the payment. There is a lot to take into consideration, however, when deciding to implement a credit card payment system (CCPS).

The first consideration is whether or not the payment data will be stored in-house or if a third party will manage it. Each method requires a different mode and level of security. In light of the fact that your business would be considered a Level 4 merchant under PCI Compliance because you complete fewer than 1 million single card transactions annually and/or fewer than 20,000 online transactions, I would recommend using a third-part to manage your data (PRWeb Newswire, 2009). In the present moment, you do not have the manpower or the resources to ensure compliance of data security and compliance with PCI/DSS and so it would be beneficial to use a service such as TrustKeeper 3.0 in order to perform daily inspections of stored data, firewalls, anti-virus software, and file integrity (PRWeb Newswire, 2009). By employing the use of such software, you provide an added sense of peace to your business and are better able to focus on servicing your patients without the added threat of their confidential information being attacked at any moment. My first recommendation would be to look over and strongly consider the benefits TrustKeeper 3.0 has to offer and make a decision on whether or not you would like to use it (I highly recommend going this route). Your other option would be to host the data in-house. This method requires hiring a trained, in-house, technology specialist who is not only versed in the area of network management but also in the area of financial point of sale systems, PCI/DSS compliance, and how to configure and maintain a system that is in compliance with federal standards. This can become costly as this individual would need to be full time and may require a team of additional individuals in order to ensure around-the-clock monitoring of your system.

The second consideration to undertake is the use of firewalls and data encryption. Even though an outside company will be handling the storage of your data, you will want to ensure that the transmission of the data from your office to the third party is secure and undetected by an outside party. In addition, you want to ensure that even if an unauthorized party is able to gain access to the information that they will not be able to use it. The first step to ensuring that this information is not intercepted is by creating and maintaining a secure network firewall that filters and monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. These firewalls should limit inbound traffic to the payment card system, should not permit unauthorized outbound traffic, should deny direct connection between the internet and the cardholder data system, should not disclose personal IP addresses, and should be installed on any personal/private devices used by any employee of the organization (PCI, 2010). In conjunction with all of the above, the encryption used to protect consumer data should employ the use of resilient cryptography and security protocols, should ensure that wireless networks through which data is sent is encrypted according to industry best practices, and that permanent account numbers (PAN) are never sent unprotected through email, text messages, etc. These security measures ensure that consumer data is protected and unauthorized access to your payment network is not granted to outside parties.

The third, and final, initial consideration to undertake is that of the antivirus program you plan to use. While the program currently in place is great for scanning every day correspondence, and ensuring that your system is not overtaken by malware, you will want to purchase and anti-virus software that detects not only Trojans, worms, and malware but also that identifies and removes adware, spyware, and rootkits, while also detecting breach attempts and attempts at unauthorized access (PCI, 2010). Also, as with the firewalls and encryption methods, you will want to ensure that this software is installed and activated on any private system that is used by an employee to perform company business. An inexpensive, yet efficient effective, anti-virus program that can be used is Trend Micro Titanium. This software not only detects for the aforementioned threats but also hosts a running log of scans, detections, and removals (which is needed for audit) and provides a web filter which makes it much more different to happen upon harmful websites (Rietta, 2014). This type of anti-virus software is sufficient for your small business but powerful enough to keep you out of harm’s way while providing added protection for your clients’ data.

Security Considerations

Even with all of the above in place, there are various other security standards that must be adhered to in order to be in compliance with PCI/DSS according to PCI (2010). Those standards include, but are not limited to, the following:

Guarantee a current and secure system by installing all software patches and upgrades

Establish an identification and ranking system for network vulnerabilities and threats.

Restrict cardholder data on a need to know businesses basis

This includes employees and third parties

Assign rights and authorization access according to user IDs

Ensure removal of authorization and account upon termination of employment/contract

Ensure authenticity of authorized parties

Create and maintain unique user IDs

Enforce strong password combinations through the use of an 7+ character password that includes all of the following:

1 number

1 capital letter

1 symbol (such as &, #, =, or +)

Does not include any portion of the users name

Require a change of password every 60-90 days

Require reentry of password after an idle phase (15 minutes or less)

Require two-step authentication processes for remote access

Restrict physical access to cardholder data

All of these security requirements allow for an optimal environment in which to host a payment card system, but only if it is actively monitored. The enforcement of a few simple procedures can lead to the securement of a significant amount of data and the savings of a significant amount of money for any company. By ensuring these standards are in place on the front end, as well as hosting monthly staff trainings on required tasks, duties, and expectations, you are not only setting yourself up for compliance but are also creating a culture of responsibility, efficiency, and client safety.

Conclusion

A payment card system has the potential to provide ease and efficiency in completing business transactions to both you and your customers if implemented correctly. PCI-compliance is a great place to start in terms of providing a safe and secure mode of payment for your customers, but it should not be the place that you stop in order to provide your customers with the highest standard of service, as it is just the starting place. It is my recommendation that you seriously considering hiring an outside company and incorporating the use of a third-party software to host secure cardholder data, employ the use of strong firewalls and encryption, and install a comprehensive, automatic anti-virus software that detects issues within the system as well as potential threats on the web. In addition to all of this, I recommend a solid security plan that outlines the expectations of employees as it pertains to passwords, user IDs, data security, confidentiality, and required authentication processes. Though seemingly time consuming on the front end, the time and money saved in the long run is well worth the up-front effort.

References

PCI Security Standards Council, LLC. (2010). PCI DSS requirements and security assessments procedures (2.0). Retrieved from: https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/47852/viewContent/2363939/View

PRWeb Newswire. (18 December 2009). Element payment services partners with trustwave for level 4 PCI DSS compliance program. Business Insights: Essentials. Retrieved from: http://bi.galegroup.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA222821771/fba5f6a2d2e80822af5a8451c548af53?u=umd_umuc

Rietta, F. (2014). Anti-virus for mac PCI compliance. The Rietta Blog [Weblog]. Retrieved from: https://rietta.com/blog/2014/01/23/anti-virus-for-mac-for-pci-compliance/

The Broadway Cafe Competitive advantage

Case Overview

The Broadway Cafe was recently inherited from a family member. The cafe is strategically located in downtown, and it offers a wide variety of foods from different kinds of tea, coffee, sandwiches, salads, soups, and different products from the bakery. Once, the cafe was a local hotspot. It was opened in 1952. However, since the café was passed on from its first owner, it has been performing poorly. It seems that the approaches being applied to run the cafe are outdated as they are the ones that the former owner used since the 1950s.as it follows, the store does not have any form of technology including computers. The former owner had an excellent memory and, as a result new all of his customers by first name. It is unfortunate that this information was not recorded anywhere including the recipes, inventory, marketing coupons and the payroll of employees. The cafe probably has been dropping its sales because of the fact that it does not have any website, or any form of effective marketing other than word of mouth, and because it is essentially run in the same way as it was in the 1950s.

This paper, thereby, will show how the cafe can be operated and owned successfully through the use of some beneficial business practices that can be used to increase the profitability of the cafe. Some of these practices include; the use of technology to enhance the competitive advantage of the business, to create an e- business strategy, to establish a collaborative online community, implement a customer’s wireless network, to utilize CRM for the implementation of sales strategies and campaigns for marketing, address challenges resulting from different information and ethical problem. Establishing management activities for projects, and understanding how technology can be useful in running a business.

Competitive Advantage

The Five Forces Model by Michael Porter is an essential tool that can be used by organizations to come up with effective strategies and decisions when entering a new industry segment. These Five Forces can be used to determine the attractiveness or profitability of an industry or company, and they include; buyer power, threat provided by new entrant, threat produced by substitute services or products, supplier power, and rivalry among existing business (Porter, 1979). There are a number of aspects that are making the Broadway Cafe unsuccessful. These are despite the facts that the café has existed since the 1950s and that the business remained a hot spot for an extremely long time. Some challenges that the company has been facing include; sales have been declining, the system used to run the cafe is outdated, things are done manually, systems are not computerized, prices have not been reviewed for years, the business does not offer any reward program to its customers, and there are no hot spot or website connections for the business’s customers. By using the Five Forces Model by Porter, one can analyze the performance of Broadway Cafe.

When it comes to supplier power, the café has been increasing the number of suppliers leading to an increase in cost. The business can reduce the number of suppliers and still maintain quality, and reduce operating costs. To address the challenges brought about by threat of substitute services and products, the cafe will have to change its products such as teas, coffees and soups, and the prices of these foods so as to match with the needs of the changing market (Porter, 1979).

The buyer power of the company has been declining for the last five years. To deal with this challenge, the cafe has to engage in numerous promotions and campaigns so as to attract new customers, as well as, old ones. New entrants are also giving the café a substantial amount of competition. The business has to reinvent itself and offer its market new services and products so as to increase its business. To solve challenges brought about by the rivalry that exists between competitors, the business has to update its systems like computerizing its ordering systems, inventory, and the payroll system to make the operations of the business efficient, and eventually reduce operation costs and increase sales (Porter, 1979).

Of the Three Generic Strategies by Porter, differentiation can be used to rebuild the café and improve its performance and profitability. It is essential to differentiate businesses from other similar businesses since prices of the offered services and foods must reflect competitiveness (Porter, 1979). The customers of the cafe started decreasing because the business practices practiced by the business are outdated. Today, people need to meet, relax and conduct business with wireless devices, services that the café cannot offer for the moment. So as to rebuild the café, the business has to remain competitive while at the same time offering value for its customers.

E-business

Broadway Cafe must take advantage if strategies in e-business for it to remain competitive in the market. B2B is an e-business strategy the café can deploy. This strategy can allow the business to buy supplies and access shipping and delivery data. It will increase the efficiency of the business in the company. An e-business strategy can have other numerous benefits. It can increase the innovativeness of a business, increase its value and provide essential information to existing and potential customers. Conversion is another benefit which can help the cafe track its sales, track payment and employee information, and store data. These are things that can increase the efficiency of a business. The above advantages can also attract new customers and increase sales (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009).

E-business strategies can also allow a business to establish a website that can allow customers to interact online, that can also enable existing and potential customers to access information about the cafe, and allow the cafe to review the feedback of its customers about the service. The business should, therefore, put such metrics on its websites as the services and foods offered, the prices of these foods, the location of the cafe, pictures of the cafe, and other essential features that can attract customers to the business. E-business strategies can also be essential in partnering with suppliers. This is because it will allow the café to stay in touch with its suppliers through Extranet. Through this feature, it will be possible for suppliers to view what orders are required without having to contact the cafe physically. This can save a lot of money and time (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009).

Portals are also other features of e-business that can be used by employees to monitor and manage discussion boards the cafe is planning to implement. This will act as an added advantage which will help the business measure the views and opinions of potential, younger customers. A kiosk will also be useful in the cafe. A kiosk will be established with two or more laptops for use by employees and customers. This is an extremely beneficial e-business strategy as it will differentiate the café from its competitors. The cafe will be current and trendy. It is assumed that many customers and employees will get the word out that the café has become a fashionable, trendy and current spot. This will attract more customers, and increase sales (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009).

Networks, Telecommunications, and Wireless Computing

Broadway cafe can entice and attract the younger customers through the use of mobile phones. They can try offering them coupons for free meals or coffee by use of mobiles. One of the advantages why mobile coupons are more effective than normal coupons is that they have a higher redemption rate as they cannot be forgotten. Their use can, therefore, reduce costs associated with delivery and redemption, and they can also be a good trigger of impulse buying. The café can, hence, benefit immensely from such coupons. There are, however, several risks associated with mobile coupons. The coupons are based on the internet, and their concept is new. As a result, certain restrictions can affect the usability of mobile coupons like privacy policies, protocols and disclosures. Privacy issues might also arise as a result of the wireless technologies the system is based on. Some of these issues include the increased ability for the café to gather information that is personal, the ability to track and find out who visited to the site, and the ability to identify the locations of the customers (ACP, n.d).

There are several advantages the cafe can get from tracking and gathering rates of responses from mobile coupons as such activities can provide the business with information that can be analyzed about the performance of the business and the performance of the cafe. Such analysis could assist a business in correcting mistakes and enforcing positive activities. Tracking a mobile coupon that has been forwarded to another customer can be as beneficial as tracking other mobile coupons. This is because forwarded coupons still increase the customer base of the café (ACP, n.d).

Customer Relationship Management

Customer relations management can be advantageous for Broadway especially because it has implemented new espresso machines that the customers do not seem too familiar with. In addition to this, the café also has four new employees who are not experienced and are causing delays during peak hours. It has been noticed that this frustrates the customers. YouTube can be used to communicate the customers and address their concerns. The manager of the café can attach clips of videos and pictures on YouTube showing customers how the new espresso machines are used. The new employees can also access these videos and use them to sharpen their skills and to serve the customers efficiently without causing unnecessary skills. The manager can also attach a video explaining about the new employees and explain that they will be trained as soon as possible to improve efficiency. Though this feature can be extremely beneficial, it also has a number of cons. Some have to do with education. Technology needs some substantial amount of training and education. If customers do not have these basic tools then they cannot access what you are trying to tell them. Other disadvantages have to do with permissions and privacy. There are several alternatives to YouTube incase the café feels that it is not an effective tool. These include facebook, twitter, blogs and other social networks (Nichols, 2008).

Systems Development

There are various advantages and disadvantages of using an employee to build your business a custom system. One advantage is that they possess the basic information about the operations of the cafe, its customers, and employees. So if there is anyone better to develop the café a system it would be someone who works there. A disadvantage is that the employee might not possess the best skills and education to develop such a technological system. The café can opt to buy a COTS application, outsource custom development, and buy an attendance application. One of the advantages of doing this is that these developments are designed by professionals, and therefore the chances of them being correct and appropriate, and making the café efficient and productive are high. A disadvantage is that they can be awfully expensive for a café that is strained like Broadway. The new system would not be readily accepted especially by the old employees. Change is always hard and it would be beneficial for the older employees to be engaged in training to ensure that they know what benefits the new system can bring, and to make the transition easier through offering them knowledge about what the new system is about (Beynon-Davies, 2009).

References

ACP. (n.d). Internet coupons guidelines and overview from the Association of Coupons professionals (ACP). Retrieved from http://www.couponpros.org/resources/Internet_Coupon_Guidelines_and_overview.pdf

Baltzan, P. & Phillips, A. (2009). Business driven information systems. USA: McGraw Hill Companies Inc.

Beynon-Davies, P. (2009). Business Information Systems. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Nichols, S. (2008). YouTube as a corporate communications tool. Go Articles. Retrieved from http://goarticles.com/article/YouTube-as-a-corporate-communications-tool/1267054/

Porter, M.E. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard business Review.

Organizational Development (OD) and Open Systems Theory (OST)

Case 1

Name

Professor

Institution

Course

Date

Case 1

Organizational Development (OD) and Open Systems Theory (OST)

Decker outdoor corporation

Introduction

Decker outdoor corporation is a design company that is deeply entrenched into the provision of foot wear and clothing’s for all occasions and seasons, the world over. The company is also into designing and production of gears of all designs, the company major brands include sanuk shoes pairs of tevas montara boots, tsubo style shoes UGG boots, mozo signature chef lines

While Decker outdoor corporation is an organization of repute in their field of operation, the organization is an open system with so many components which are interdependent. However, the social system in organizations is very complex due to the variability of the components. The concept of organizations as open system is important n the analysis of the organizations as it intrudes use in the analysis and diagnosis of organization by looking at the impact of the environment permeating the organizations in terms of their behaviors and structures. There are a number of schools of thoughts that can be used to diagnose Decker outdoor corporation (D. O. CORP)

The major schools for this analysis are the contingency theory, the system design and the Weick’s Theory or organizing. However, I would like to state that though this system is varied, they tend to produce the same results with variation on specificity.

Selected Schools

Contingency Theory — this theory states that the organization structure is dependent on the environment in which they exist. This is t say that, as an organization continue to exist, it develops some characteristics that suit the actual environment in which it exists. On the other hand, the environmental pressure that the organization aligns itself to is key factors that shape the structure of the organization.

Systems Design — As a systems theory m, organizations can model and simulate its operations in a computer to determine the total sum of reactions that the organization might have to stay in line with in order to survive, this is feedback mechanism. Organizations carry out these activities in order to determine the best way to achieve and maintain optimality in all seasons.

Weick’s Theory of Organizing – this theory states hat most organizations exist by maintaining information flow within the organization, thereby reducing the complexity in its environment. However, it is also imperative to note that all organizations are just coalition of groups with varying interest, whereby each groups tries hard to achieve some goal from the assemblage by interacting with others and each group has its own preference. The loose cpipling is essential in improving the adaptability and sustainability of the e organization

Organization diagnostic model

Model are representation of the real world situation, in organization, it is the representation of the actual organization as it interest with other environmental factors. It is imperative to understand that all organizations have ways of respondent to the impact of the environmental factors both internal and external. Our company of choice form this case study is the Decker outdoor corporation which has been introduced above.

Force Field Analysis

This concept was developed by one Kurt lewin in 1951. Kurt was interested in analyzing and controlling the organizations variables and problems. The system used by Kurt Lewin has its strengths and weaknesses, but the main factors inconsideration while using this method is the relative ease at which this model is used to solving organization problems.

This method is also relatively instrumental in the analysis of the organizational problems in that it helps in the identification of all the major factor forces that act upon the organization. Decker outdoor corporation, is having hard time dealing with it external environment, the driving forces that the company has to deal with include the falling economy, then environmental trends, fashion and the general expectation in the environment from all stakeholders. These may be pushing the company to its limits. On the other hand, the company is also under the influence of the forces within the organization as the organization is looking for financiers and investors to keep pace with the increasing demand of its products. The company’s expansion plans is stretching its resources.

While then identification of the forces both driving forces and the restraining forces within the organization, it is also important to scan the environment for any other forces and define the goals and strategies for achieving these goals. The organizations working on reestablishing its equilibrium by inviting investors

Criticism

Burke, & Litwin, (1992 argues that this model is too simple and fails to consider a number of variables that impact the organization, it only looks at the problem and the goals without giving consideration to how these goals will be met by the organization. It only focus on the driving forces and not the factors and particular variable in the system

Levitt’s model

This model tries to outline the major weaknesses of the force filed model by giving consideration to the variable in the business environment and how they affect the organization as a whole. By specificity, it helps in the identification of the key factors that the organization should look into; this includes the impact of the organizational task, structures, people and technology on the organization. Some of the challenges that Decker is facing is competitive advantage that most companies have managed to garner from the technological advancements. The company is mainly underfunded giving the major competitors such as Nike and adidas head start before. This competitive advantage is what the company seems to lack. On the other hand, the company is also understaffed as the main brands are managed by only a one person per brand, this could be done better by giving this to the main players (Cummings, & Worley, 1993).

The structures variable is also affected in the company as the authority system within the organization is seem to be less structured. Some managers as leading in more than two accounts and the work flow within the organization is very random. The organization need to analyze the impact of moving or intervening with the interest of helping one brand.

Criticism, the main premise of this model is that a change in one variable will Impact another variable, but this premise is wrong as the variable are interacted and the impact of one variable in the environment may not affect another variable in the same manner. Another criticism to this model is that it fails to consider the impact of the external environment on the company. It assumes that the company operates in a stable environment

Likert System Analysis

Likert system is more focused on the organization dimensions like motivation, interactions decision making, goal setting, control and performance. The system cannot be diagrammatically depicted but the system is instrumental in determining his kind of management system in operation in any organization structure. The key variable that this system uses is the employee or the people variable in determining the key problems that ail the company, the employees of Decker outdoor corporation are the only people who know the problems within the company. Their complaints can be very instrumental in the analysis and determination of the corporate problems.

According to Fuqua, & Kurpius, (1993), the system uses grading system to determine the response or opinions of the employees of the organization according to same statement about the organization. This system categorizes organization system onto three main ones, Vis a vis- the reactive organization (System 1), the responsive organization (System 2), the proactive organization (System 3), and the high performing organization (System 4).

Based on the framework, the most relevant category that Decker outdoor corporation belongs to is the responsive organization. The company is more into managing its variables according to how they occur. The management designs shoes and solution according to the changes and market trends. This is replicated in the way the organization handles the employees and the customers alike.

Open Systems Theory

The open system theory may be the main theory in this line, but its assumption is not strong to be applicable in the case of Decker outdoor corporation.

Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1: input output model of various companies

Dept. Inputs to Department/Process Department/Process Output/Input to next process Department/Process Target & Output

Graduate nursing Applications, transcripts and instructions Follow instructions to process applications and transcripts Applications ready for review Application review Acceptance/Rejection of student

Consumer Banking Goals, product information, consumer information, rules Setup training. Set individual goals. Conduct monthly reviews of policies Staff implements rules and reaches product goals Compile separate results of different departments CEO gets report on progress.

Women’s basketball team Films on other teams Analyze and breakdown films Teach the team how to neutralize the opposition Play the game Win

Market integration department Scientific information, doctors’ names, surveys Conduct education seminars and make calls on doctors Create awareness among doctors of the disease and its medical treatment Doctors review information Doctor prescribes the drug in the appropriate way.

In line with this, I am imperative for the management to analyze their organization according to what inputs are required for every phase of the gears and footwear’s. In the same way the organization can analyze their output with the view of determining what could have been done. It is also a way by which companies can analyze the procedure or approach that lead to the kind of output that it has realized. The system is very basic as it fails to consider the environmental factors just the input and the output of the process (Denison, 1990)

Weisbord’s Six-Box Model

Weisbord (1976) proposed a model based on six broad categories. He postulated that an organization life is asicaly about purposes, structures, relationships, leadership, rewards, and helpful mechanisms. According to Campbell, Campbell, & Associates (1988), the organizations purpose are the mission that the organization has set out to achieve, if an organization cannot achieve its mission, then the organization’s ailing and need immediate medication in terms of intervention, consultation, analysis, evaluation or just injection of more cash. However, the company does not seem to have problem with its goals, the only thing that Decker outdoor should consider is enough funding to help in pushing sales (Bollen, 1989).

On the other hand, organization structures are basically the managerial system within the organization. In Decker outdoor corporation, the company has a well-defined reporting structure in which the CEO is the President and Chairman of the Board, the company’s management is designed along the product line, the company has a multi-skilled team who work together for the success of a single brand. The interpersonal relation between the teams is perfect and the level of techn9logy acceptance within the company s also good. On the other hand, the company also has a number of reward schemes for it employees which are given to the outstanding achiever is the company. The company also makes use of the helping mechanism to ensure that the organizations resources are used well. The company’s management function are executed with abandon save for a few hitches that are inherent in system with similar characteristics. The planning mechanism in the company is implemented in all departments within the organization; this is done in all departments in the organization especially to forecast production, sales and profitability

Criticism

This model may be optimal in its approach to problem within the organization, but it does not focus enough on the external environment. The model views the external environment as a remote factor while in fact the external environment may have a big impact on the organization performance. For example, technology, econonomic and political legal environment, these are major forces that if not given due consideration, the company might come to a grinding halt. Internal efficiencies within the company cannot be translated to profitability and sustainability…sustainability or profitability without then external environment. Both the external and the internal environment must have some level of interaction for an organization to be profitable (Joyce, & Slocum, 1984).

The Congruence Model for Organization Analysis

The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model is a more comprehensive model, specifying inputs, throughputs, and outputs, which is consistent with open systems theory. This model is very similar to Leavitt’s model; it also retains the formal and informal systems of the Weisbord six-box model.

The congruence model focus on a number of assumptions, this assumption is the fundamental the key assumption are as stated bellow:

Organizations are open social systems

Organization operate within a very large environment

Organization behaviors do occur at various levels and between various components such as the group level, the systems and the individual levels

Organization very dynamic and are likely to change

All the above assumption also underlies the other models for organization diagnosis. As a start, Decker is an open system, which operates in a social environment making it an open social system.

Nadler and Tushman (1980) apply the concept of congruence to their model. They describe Congruence, or fit, as “the degree to which the needs, demands, goals, objectives, and/or Structures of one component are consistent with the needs, demands, goals, objectives, and/or structures of another component

The major inputs that affect Decker Company are likely to fall under environmental resources, history of the organization. While the resource that the comany has at its disposal are the human resources such as goodwill, capital resources, and information there are other non tangible resource. Such as g on the other hand, the organization also has an organization strategy

Gable, & Wolf (1993) argue that, while the organizations strategy seems to be perfect, the company seems to struggling to expand, this is a sign of an ambitious company without enough resources to back it up.

Reference

Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York, NY: John Wiley &

Sons.

Burke, W. W. & Litwin, G. H. (1992). A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18 (3), 523-545.

Campbell, J. P., Campbell, R. J., & Associates (Eds.) (1988). Productivity in organizations. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cummings, T. G. & Worley, C. G. (1993). Organization development and change. Fifth Edition.

New York, NY: West Publishing.

Denison, D. R. (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Fuqua, D. R. & Kurpius, D. J. (1993). Conceptual models in organizational consultation. Journal

of Counseling and Development, 71, 607-618.

Gable, R. & Wolf . B. (1993). Instrument development in the affective domain: Measuring

attitudes and values in corporate and school settings. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic

Publishers.

Joyce, W. F. & Slocum, J. W. (1984). Collective climate: Agreement as a basis for defining

aggregate climates in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 721-742

Nadler, D. A. & Tushman, M. L. (1980). A model for diagnosing organizational behavior.

Organizational Dynamics, Autumn, 35-51.

Appendix

The management of Decker outdoor corporations:

Angel R. Martinez

CURRENT

CEO, President and Chairman of the Board

EXPERIENCE

Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman, Keen LLCExecutive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Reebok International Ltd.Chief Executive Officer and President, The Rockport Company

Read More

Zohar Ziv

CURRENT

Chief Operating Officer

EXPERIENCE

Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration, Deckers Outdoor CorporationChief Financial Officer, EMAK Worldwide, Inc.Chief Financial Officer, Stravina Operating Company, LLCChief Financial Officer, Joico Laboratories, Inc.Chief Financial Officer, Intellisys Group, Inc.Chief Financial Officer, Inovison Holding, L.P

Read More

Thomas A. George

CURRENT

Chief Financial Officer

EXPERIENCE

Chief Financial Officer, Ophthonix, Inc.Chief Financial Officer, Oakley, Inc.

Constance X. Rishwain

CURRENT

President, UGG Australia

EXPERIENCE

Vice President/Brand Manager, UGG AustraliaVice President/Brand Manager, SimpleVice President of Domestic Sales, Teva, UGG Australia and SimpleVice President of Sales, Western Division, Teva, UGG Australia and SimpleVice President of Merchandising, Teva, UGG Australia and SimpleVice President of Merchandising and Marketing, Impo International Shoe

Read More

Joel Heath

CURRENT

President, Teva

EXPERIENCE

Global Marketing Director, TevaPresident & CEO, Untraditional Marketing, Inc.

Read More

Jake Brandman

CURRENT

President, Sanuk

EXPERIENCE

Vice President of North American Sales, TevaDirector of Operations, Ahnu FootwearDirector of Sales, Keen FootwearDirector of Sales, VansNational Sales Manager, Pro-tec

Jim Van Dine

CURRENT

President, Ahnu and TSUBO

EXPERIENCE

Founder, Ahnu FootwearPresident, Keen FootwearVice President of Sales, VansSenior Vice President of Sales/Marketing, DeckersVice President of Sales/Marketing, Zildjian, Inc.

Jessica Buttimer

CURRENT

Chief Brand Officer

EXPERIENCE

General Manager, Green Works, Clorox CompanyMarketing Manager, Procter & GambleConsultant, National Economic Research Associates

Read More

Stephen Murray

CURRENT

President of Europe, Middle East and Africa

EXPERIENCE

Global President, Urban OutfittersPresident, VF Action Sports CoalitionPresident, VansSenioir Vice President, Vans EuropeVice President, Reebok International

Peter K. Worley


CURRENT

President, Deckers Asia-Pacific

EXPERIENCE

President, TevaVice President of U.S. Sales, K-Swiss, Inc.Vice President of Product Design and Development, K-SwissManager, Reebok International Ltd.

Read More

Graciela Montgomery

CURRENT

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

EXPERIENCE

Chief Human Resources Leader, AECOMVice President of Human Resources, Nortel NetworksVice President of Human Resources, Disney/ABC Network

George Troy

CURRENT

Vice President, Retail Operations

EXPERIENCE

Vice President of Retail, Williams-Sonoma, Inc

Read More

John A. Kalinich

CURRENT

Vice President, Consumer Direct

EXPERIENCE

Director of Corporate Licensing, DeckersChief Operations Officer, TevaAudit Senior Associate, Coopers & Lybrand LLP

Mark N. Fegley

CURRENT

Senior Vice President, Supply Chain

EXPERIENCE

Vice President of Business Improvement, Agility Logistics CorpNew Business/Development Manager, TNT Express Worldwide

Read More

Yul Vanek

CURRENT

Vice President, Information Technology

EXPERIENCE

Consultant, CIO Advisory ServicesVice President IT, Charlotte RusseVice President IT, K-SwissDirector IT, OakleyTechnology Manager, Andersen Consulting (now Accenture)

Read More

DECK (NASDAQ GS): $83.75

OPEN: 83.65

CHANGE: 0.20

VOLUME: 428,593

(20 MIN. DELAY)

v

Issue of Racism in United States of America

Carolyn Miller

Professor Wade

Sociology 101

20 July 2018

Issue of Racism in United States of America

Racism is regarding a particular race inferior or superior as compared to another race. According to Grosfoguel 2016, Journal of World-Systems Research, racism is a belief that the social, as well as the moral traits of a specific person, is determined by the biological characteristics which the person is born with. Racism separates people according to the races they come from for example whether black and whites are hence providing a belief that this races two should remain separated far apart from one another. In the history of human beings, racism has been a profound belief making people hate one another according to the skin color of that person. Racism also is extended to dividing people as per the different languages people speak, where a person is born as well as customs of a particular person or a group of people.

In recent days, people have practiced racism in most places for example in offices favoring a person from their race while dealing unfairly to a person of a different race. In most cases, racism has led to wars amongst people of different races. Also, racism has resulted in slavery where a race which is regarded as inferior becomes slaves to the race that seems superior. Additionally, racism has also led to the creation of legal codes as per the different races to different people in a particular nation.

A report by Blank, Louis & Kenneth 1970, Institutional Racism in America shows that, racism has been evident in most states such as the USA where black people are seen as inferior while the white is regarded as superior. A US police officer, for example, is more likely to shot black people as compared to him or her shooting white people. A research conducted by Walker, Samuel 1977″A critical history of police reform.” revealed that, the death of black people who were victims of police brutality accounted for about thirty percent of the total deaths while that of the white people only accounted for only thirteen percent. This reveals how the US police excessively use force against the black people. The black people despite being killed by the white police officers; they also face other forms of physical injuries such as injury to the spinal cord by a police officer who may also result to the death of the victims.

Moreover, it is evident that the police officers act as the defender body of the communities of the white while they work ruthlessly to the black communities (Williams 173-188). The police act as conservers of the white community while acting contrary to the black community. In situations where the black community wants to investigate the doings of the white community, the police are called out immediately to deal with the black people. When the black people protest on brutalities performed to them, they are ruthlessly dealt with by the police. The people of Northern America view themselves as ‘good-hearted’ hence the black people have no say in their settlements. They consider the black as always looking for trouble when they protest against the evils performed to them. The USA police in most cases act as agents of what the white communities want while acting contrary to the black communities living in the USA. 

As discussed above, racism provides a belief that some races are superior while others are inferior hence separating people apart. All the arguments brought forward concerning the superiority of a particular race or inferiority of a specific race has no truth behind it. Different scientists have never regarded whether races should be one of the criteria for classifying people. What is viewed as differences amongst people such as the skin color, the color of hair, as well as the facial makeup of an individual, are only phenotypic characteristics that exist among people, but have the same genetic make-up. Racism has led to more violence in different countries such as wars which in most cases hinders development. All people in the world; whether black or white is equal hence both should be treated fairly in all fields and should enjoy the same human rights on the planet. 

Works Cited

Blank, Owen, Louis L. Knowles, and Kenneth Prewitt. Institutional racism in America. Prentice Hall, 1970.

Grosfoguel, Ramon. “What is Racism?.” Journal of World-Systems Research 22.1 (2016): 9.

Walker, Samuel. “A critical history of police reform.” Lexington, MA: Lexington Books (1977).

Williams, David R. “Race, socioeconomic status, and health the added effects of racism

and discrimination.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 896.1 (1999): 173 -188.

letter to turn downan event invitation

Canceling a keynote speaker

Firms Name

Postal Address

City, Zip Code

Date (July 26, 2013)

Vice Embry

Postal Address

City, Zip Code

Dear Mr. Vice

We were very delighted when you accepted our invitation to be the main speaker during our company retreat. We hope you can relate with how sad we are to cancel it. The company is undergoing some hard economic times and has taken some measures to reduce on spending. We had not anticipated canceling this event and we regret doing so.

We understand that you had cancelled other plans so that you could attend our retreat; we highly regard your commitment and good will to our company. We understand that you spent your money to buy an airline ticket to come for the retreat. We are glad to inform you that all the money you had spent in preparation for our event will be refunded.

Again, we regret all inconveniences that canceling this event has caused, kindly understand that we are undergoing tough economic times. However, we are changing our strategy to ensure that such situations do not happen in the future. Thank you for your continued support in all our activities, we highly appreciate it.

We will plan another company retreat when these hard economic times are gone and we look forward to having you there. We hope to have another opportunity to have you in our company retreat.Up to that time, we express our regret for the inconvenience and look forward to better times and having you speak in our event.

Thank you and continue with your good work.

Yours Sincerely,

(Writers Name)

literature review of issues regarding the effective management of call centers

Call Centre Management

(Author’s name)

(Institutional Affiliation)

Date

Literature Review

This section presents a literature review of issues regarding the effective management of call centers. Specifically, the section examines call center management in the context of effective and efficient service delivery, as well as, human resources. Some of the topics to be covered will include work design, staff motivation, recruitment and training, and performance management as issues in call center management.

The last few decades have seen an increase in the number of call centers established especially in the retail and financial industries. As Wegge et al. (2006) explain, call centers serve the function of acting as a service delivery channel through which customers can interact with organizations and institutions. Call centers are, therefore, considered as having support functions for organizations with relation to customer service delivery, as well as, cross selling opportunities, which in turn increase business for these organizations. Call centers have been primarily designed to serve the function of supporting customer enquiries and allowing interaction between the company and the people they call their clients or customers. However, the recent years have seen the evolvement of the function of call centers to include the customer relationship management, as well as, additional marketing initiatives for companies.

Butler (2004). confirm this in his elucidation of the ways through which modern companies have used call centers to push for the movement of other services to the clients. Most of the existing literature regarding call center management emphasizes call center management issues such as capacity planning, call forecasting, as well as, queuing. This paper, however, seeks to identify literature on call center management in the context of effective service delivery and proper human resource management. As research studies explain, these two components of call center management are crucial for the success of call centers, as they assure companies of an increase in sales, as well as, the achievement of all organizational targets and objectives. Accordingly, identifying the issues related to service delivery and human resources is key to understanding the right methods and approaches of call center management. Research studies and literature related to service delivery emphasize on the various ways through which customer service can be optimized in call centers for the successful attainment of organizational goals and objectives. As Cusack (2006) and Cleveland (2000) explain in their research studies, ensuring service delivery responsiveness during interaction with customers in call center management allows organizations to reach their targets with relation to effective service delivery.

Woods (2005), on the other hand, elucidate the importance of effective and efficient human resource management in call centers. As he explain in his study, human resources in call centers is examined from the benefits efficient human resource management grants call centers. In essence, they explain that productivity in call centers can only be achieved through empowering the workers and employees so as to ensure the success of call centers. Fundamentally, researchers and academicians have presented various analyses regarding call center management with relation to effective service delivery and efficient human resource practices. Accordingly, their analyses provide information regarding the monetary benefits that have been associated with improved service delivery and human resources in call centers.

Effective Service Delivery

Most organization are equipped with proper tools and instruments that can be used for an exhaustive evaluation of service quality and performance in the organization. These tools and equipment can be both external and internal and those in management use them as ways of identifying the different problems and issues in organizations for change. External tools of measurement are primarily focused on identifying the different perceptions that customers to the organization have regarding the quality of service that the respective organization offers them. These can be obtained through surveys and focus groups, and as Dorf (1997) explains, they are highly effective in identifying an organization’s failure an success regarding customer service delivery. Internal measurement tools, on the other hand, emphasize on identifying the various ways through which employees in the organization are intent on delivering good quality service to their clients. These tools of measurement are primarily focused on ensuring that all employees to an organization have familiarized themselves to the principles of excellent service delivery for their customers. However, a study carried out by Hamblem (1997). illustrates that not all of these tools are effective in measuring customers service delivery in companies and organizations. They may be effective in driving companies to the fulfillment of customer needs and requirements, but they do not effectively provide a good measurement across institutions. This, in turn, draws attention to the importance of call centers in organizations. In their study on customer satisfaction and service delivery Dunscombe et al. (1996) explain that customer perception regarding service delivery in organizations is not founded on a customer’s past experience with the organization.

A customer’s perception on service delivery is based on their experience with the company’s call center. Customers value their phone experience with an organization, as they believe it is the only way that they can experience good quality service delivery form the company. For that reason, call centers are seen as the best tool of ensuring effective service delivery to customers. Call center management can also be measured across industries, thus making it the best tool of measurement for effective service delivery in organizations. According to American Bankers Association (1995) call centers can be used for effective service delivery in two main ways including ensuing proper efficiency and promoting customer focus.

Call Center Efficiency

Call centers have been used as tools of increasing organizational efficiency during business operations in a number of ways. At the outset, the time spent by the customer waiting to speak to a call center agent is directly translated to signify the company’s efficiency. In their study of Cases in Call Center Management, Feinberg, Richard et al. (2005) explain that waiting for a long period to speak to a call center agent gives the company a low core with regards to service delivery. This is primarily based on the customers perception, as most customers believe that taking a short time to answer a customer’s call illustrates an organization’s ability to handle the customer call volume that it faces. However, organizations whose call centers are unable to respond to their customers within a short period are said to have low efficiency, as customers do not believe that such organizations are well equipped to respond to their needs effectively and efficiently.

Customer Focus

Call centers are also considered as the best tools for efficient service delivery because of their customer focus and emphasis on the ensuring customer satisfaction at all times. Call centers allow organizations to gain immediate response from their customers regarding the company’s products and services. Receiving a high number of calls from customers implies that the company is increasingly aggressive in relation to obtaining more customer input, thus the company’s ability to meet the needs of the customers. As Cusack (2000) explains, unlike other methods of customer interaction, call centers have been designed in such a way that ensures efficient communication between the customer and the organization. This, in turn, allows the organization to improve their service delivery to the customers, hence increasing business operations.

Efficient Human Resources

The primary crossing point between the customers of the organization and the organization itself is the employees to the organization. Company employees provide the link between the customers and the organization because they are responsible for all company activities aimed at ensuring customer satisfaction. Specifically, the call center agent serves as the immediate contact between the customer and the organization, hence making human resources an important factor in call center management. As Cleveland (2006) explains, efficient human resource management especially in relation to call center operations, influences a company’s ability to deliver good quality services to their customers. In essence, an organization’s human resource procedures and practices determine how well the call center successfully operates for the overall success of the organization.

Specifically, human resource practices related to call center operations encourages employees to work towards gaining more knowledge on the products and services offered by the organization. Sequentially, this allows company employees to gain the necessary empowerment to resolve the issues presented by customers effectively and efficiently. Effective and efficient human resource management for call centers is essential for assuring the success of call center operations in any organizations. Accordingly, the ability to develop and maintain service quality at the organizational level can only be ensured through the employment of well performing call center agents. This allows effective and efficient management of customer service hence achieving complete customer satisfaction. As Sharp (2003) explains, finding the right balance of employees in the organization drives sales in the organization, as well as, contributing to the assurance of customer loyalty for the organization. For that reason, researchers have argued for the need for empowering call center agents so as to allow these agents to have the ability to make proper decision regarding how to resolve customers’ problems and queries. Studies in this subject have also illustrated a link between employee performance and high involvement in call centers by employees.

Encouraging employees and empowering them to perform their duties in their respective call center stations build up and develop human capital in the organization. However, as Woods (2005) explains, human resources activities related to call center operations have faced a number of problems, which in turn affect business operations in the organization. These problems range from minor issues such as staff motivation to higher issues like work design. Fundamentally, research studies have identified four key areas in call centers that have faced a number of problems, thus affecting the activities in the call center management. These areas include work design, staffing and motivation, recruitment and training, as well as, performance management.

Work Design

With relation to work design, Luhby (1998) explains that poor planning of work in call centers is the number one cause of call center failure. Call center employees need to have their duties and responsibilities properly designed and planned so as to ensure that they carry put their duties as expected. Specifically, maintaining a proper work design allows call center agents to perform their duties with accordance to ensuring maximum customer satisfaction at all times. Providing a well-defined work design for call center employees encourages these employees to fulfill their duties and responsibilities by empowering them towards their duties and responsibilities. Proper work designs also provide call center employees with the information they require regarding company products and services, which in turn allows them to provide accurate information to customers during their enquiries. Without a proper work design, call center management will be a complete failure, which in turn affects the company’s overall business operations.

Staffing and Motivation

Staffing and motivation has also been identified as one of the human resource components that may face problems with relation to call center management. As Woods further explains, the issue of staffing and motivation has troubled many organizations, and call centers have not been left out in this. The nature of call center duties are in such a way that call center agents have limited mobility and physical activity. This, in turn, provokes possible boredom and monotony on the job, thus the need for motivating and encouraging call center agents to work as effectively and efficiently as possible.

As studies explain, the likelihood of call center agents to get de-motivated is higher than other employees especially because call center agents perform their duties on telephone. They have limited outside connections, and for that reason, managers and those in top level positions need to formulate policies and procedures that encourage these employees to perform their duties with minimal disruptions owing to monotony. Without proper staffing and motivation, the probability of call center management failing in its operations is high. This is because call center employees will not be motivated to perform their duties and responsibilities accordingly. A lack of proper staffing and motivation in call centers also risks the possibility of losing customers as employees will not respond as effectively and efficiently to customer needs as expected.

Recruitment and Training

In their study, Measuring the bottom line impact of inbound call centers: a financial services Example, Goodman, J. et al. (1995) explain that recruitment and training is another area of human resources that has been faced with various problems, especially in call center management. Arguably, the characteristics and qualification of call center agents is much different from other employees in the organizations. Most employees in the organizations do not have direct contact with company clients, and for that reason, there are hired based on their qualifications, as opposed to, their characters and temperaments. Call center agents, on their other hand, need to be of a specific temperament and characteristic as they have to deal with difficult customers at all times.

They also have to be pleasant enough to engage company customers, hence, ensuring customer satisfaction at all times. A company’s inability to conduct proper recruitment and training of call center agents risks the possibility of failure with issues regarding call center management. As Wegge et al. (2006) explain, improper recruitment and staffing directly affects customer satisfaction, as it affects the ways through which customers relate to the organization. It also affects business sales, as customers are likely to be put off by unfriendly and unhelpful call center agents. For that reason, there is a need for those in management to ensure that their respective companies conduct proper recruitment and training for the success of call center management.

Performance Management

The last area of human resources that has been identified as having the possibility of having issues with relation to call center management is performance management. Performance management is an area of human resources that focuses on ensuring proper performance by employees in an organization. Specifically, this area of human resources emphasizes the need for having a balanced performance by employees in an organizations.

As Cleveland (2006) explains, all employees, especially in call centers, need to perform equally in their duties and responsibilities. Employees need to perform their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the goals and targets of the organization if they are to ensure proper service delivery and customer satisfaction. For that reason, managers need to formulate policies and procedures which promote proper performance of call center agents. Companies that do not properly conduct performance management activities have been identified as the most likely to fail in their call center management functions. This is because such companies do not ensure consistency of performance in their organizations, which may result in customer dissatisfaction with the company’s service delivery. This, in turn, forces such companies to lose their business as they will not be assured of customer loyalty due to dissatisfaction by customers.

As research explains various negative effects arise from a mismanagement of these areas in call centers, which result in overworking, stressing, as well as, worked out call center agents. Workers who are exposed to working environments that bring about psychological stress, resulting from the mismanagement of the above named areas of human resources are highly susceptible to failure in their service delivery. This is because such employees are more likely to suffer from emotional dissonance, thus failing in the proper application of their duties and responsibilities. As Dunlap and Volpe explain in their study, maintaining a healthy work environment for employees is crucial for the assurance of a successful call center management program. Failure to do this, also leads to a failure of the company in relation to the business operations and activities. Accordingly, the call center working environment should be maintained at healthy and satisfactory standards. This is because such an environment will assure the company of having highly motivated employees who will perform their duties accordingly with minimal disruptions. Without this, companies are highly likely to experience a high turnover of employees during to stress at work, and the inability to perform their duties as required for the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Wegge et al. (2006) confirm this by explaining that maintaining a proper human resource balance is crucial for reducing the turnover of employees in organizations.

Further research illustrates that over management, in other words, tightly controlling and monitoring employee activities also contributes to the failure of call center management in relation to human resources. In their study, Holman et al. explain that proper call center management involves balanced monitoring and control of human resources, and a reduction of excessive control over human resource activities in all centers. They suggest various models and approaches that allows increased participation by call center agents, hence building a more positive work environment. This, sequentially, promotes an effective and efficient work environment thus improving business activities in call centers.

Bibliography

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example. Working paper, TARP, 1997.

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Nominal interest rate is the rate of interest applicable before adjustment for inflation

BUSINESS

Name:

Institutional affiliation:

Date

Nominal interest rate is the rate of interest applicable before adjustment for inflation. If the compounding frequency of an interest rate, say monthly or yearly, is not the same as the time unit, this interest rate is referred to as nominal. Therefore, the real interest rate applicable during trade activity is obtained by subtracting inflationary pressure.

In instances where traders plan to exploit the interest-rate differential between two countries based on their nominal interest rates, they should first account for the influences these respective countries currency exchange rates could have on their business activity. The “interest rate differential is essentially what such prospecting traders obtain as profit” during such trading activity but it relies heavily on the currency exchange rates remaining constant (Fabozzi 2008). Given the unpredictability of currency exchange rates, this carry trades could result in huge losses.

Different countries may have slightly different interest rates since the rates quoted are based on nominal and not effective interest rates. Doing this understates the interest rates and when compared to the equivalent effective interest rates, it exposes prospecting traders to losses and liability arising from the differences. The two traders would not only be exposing themselves to the risks associated with exchange rate unpredictability, but also differences in their target markets effective interest rates as stated and as is.

Aggregate demand is “the summation of all the demands within a country at any given instance” (Tucker 2010). It has a direct impact on the economy and can be manipulated as a tool to alter economic position of a country. As a sum of the products that will be bought at all price levels, it is demand of the GDP of a country.

During the Great Depression as reported by Spulber (1989), “President Roosevelt tried many tactics to introduce remedial action into his country’s economic system” (pg 104). One of the many he tried was to manipulate public spending using the aggregate demand. By extending Thanksgiving by a week, he increased the rate of consumer spending moving the AD curve to the right – an increase. This exogenous increase lead to an increase in real output and slowly introduced inflationary pressure to counter the effects of the depression.

Aggregate supply on the other hand is the sum total of all the supply in a country at any given instance. Arnold (2010) shows that “the interplay of aggregate demand and aggregate supply forms an important indicator of the country’s economic state and offers an opportunity to correct any anomalies” (pg 352). When the aggregate demand is increased, the aggregate supply increases too resulting in increased real output, employment and GDP of the country. Such manipulations afforded the United States under President Roosevelt the chance to recover from the Great Depression.

References

Arnold, R. A. (2010). Expectations theory and the Economy. In Economics (p. 352). Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Fabozzi, F. J. (2008). Foreign Exchange. In Handbook of Finance: Financial Markets and Instruments (p. 695). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Spulber, N. (1989). Antistagflation Policies. In Managing the American economy, from Roosevelt to Reagan (p. 104). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Tucker, I. B. (2010). Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply. In Microeconomics for today (p. 258). United Kingdom: South Western Educational Pub.