Monthly Archives: November 2014

If United Nations was fully funded, why would we need the arc or social enterprise?

Organizations are driven by an objective that defines their purpose. Although all organizations expect compensation for their services, be it profits for businesses or salaries for administration of nonprofit organizations, they do have a vision and core values that motivate them to pursue their objectives with effective strategies.

For instance, social entrepreneurs are driven by their social values, the ambition to combat societal issues, and their mission to improve systems. Similarly, the arc initiative is driven by its pursuit of economic well-being and development of business skills through internships, workshops and mentoring activities for young entrepreneurs.These visions, along with strong ambition, differentiate these organizations and their purpose of existence.

Imagine if Salem’s Ethiopia received funding and support from the UN to enhance the business. Would the UN’s support be as effective as the arc initiative’s efforts, with the same passion and dedication? Most likely, the UN would fulfil its responsibility, but it will possibly lack the ambition that drives the arc initiative towards its objective. Likewise, although the UN can have sufficient funding, it can lack the innovation and aspiration that drive social entrepreneurs to improve societies.

Conclusively, different objectives drive organizations towards different journeys. If the UN attempts to pursue all of these objectives, then the outcome could be slow and inefficient. Hence, it would be effective to let ambition and values drive organizations, rather than relying on the UN to solve all of the societal issues.

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Work Cited

“Center for the Future of Museums: Keeping up with the 2014 Trends: For Profit For Good.” Center for the Future of Museums: Keeping up with the 2014 Trends: For Profit For Good. N.p., 29 July 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

 

Air Canada Fails in its Performance Management

Performance management is expected to ensure that the labor force has the right incentive to perform efficiently and advance progression of the whole firm. The labor force requires strong motivation through rewards and incentives to enhance the organizational effectiveness of a firm. After all, how will a firm reach its goals if the employees lose their incentive to perform at their best efforts?

To illustrate, consider the example of Air Canada’s new policy that requires its customer service agents to confront passengers and ensure that their cabin bags meet the size limit. Any bag that exceeds the maximum size limit must be checked. This policy has angered many passengers, and their hostile responses have made it difficult for many agents to cope with the job.

Air Canada’s command hierarchy obliges its reluctant employees to perform the duty that they strongly disdain. So, how will Air Canada sustain its demand, after having both, unsatisfied customers and disinclined employees? In order to manage customer dissatisfaction competently, Air Canada should pursue an incentive system to maximize its staff engagement and performance in this job. They should have volunteers, such as beginners in the industry, take such duties, rather than having agents unwillingly fulfill the responsibility.

By not providing the right incentive for the agents, Air Canada can weaken its customer relationship due to its poor performance management and suboptimal costumer services.

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Work Cited

Harris, Sophia. “Air Canada Service Agents Call Carry-on Crackdown Too Unpleasant.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

Aditya. “The Notepad.” : How to Deal with Unhappy Employees? N.p., 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

Connecting Profit Maximization to Social Welfare – A Response to Rachel Chan’s Blog

Can businesses accomplish their foremost goal of profit maximization by advancing social and economic conditions in the societies in which they operate?  An interesting blog by Rachel Chan discusses the positive societal and economic impacts of the Annual Suit Drive held by Moores Clothing for Men. Moores has created shared value by collecting gently used professional attire from donors to help unemployed individuals look professional for their job interviews and beyond.

Moores has created an opportunity for individuals to help transform their society. As an incentive, Moores offers a 50% discount to its donors on all its products. This stratagem can motivate individuals to donate their professional attires and change the lives of those affected by poverty and unemployment. But how will this help Moores, as a firm, reach its goal of profit maximization?

As mentioned by Rachel, Moores can increase its demand by alluring donors, who were not its customers initially, through its attractive discounts. Also, the firm can gain a positive publicity through its socially-conscious activities.

This strategy can also give Moores a competitive advantage over its competitors, since individuals would appreciate the virtuous approach; the donors would get benefits of discounts; and the brand image of the firm would gain positive recognition. If this shared-value strategy is a success for profit maximization, then this remarkable trend could be pursued by other firms, which would then result in an efficient economic and societal progression.

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Work Cited

Chan, Rachel. “Sharing Suits.” Web log post. UBC Blogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

“Men Show Some Skin To Help Fight Joblessness.” Moores Clothing for Men. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

Tonge, Garrett. “Moores Canadian Suit Drive 2014 – GTONGE1.” GTONGE1. N.p., 2 July 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

 

Why Branding Matters – A Response to Sarah Hancock’s Blog

Why do many businesses collapse while others thrive? What is the core to protecting and extending product uniqueness to increase sales? According to an interesting blog by Sarah Hancock, the success of business marketing is positively correlated to the branding of that enterprise. The author states that a brand classifies a business while making specific promises to its customers.

In all consensuses with the author’s blog, branding is fundamental to the success of marketing and the business as a whole because it delivers the brand message and conveys its value propositions to its customers. In addition, successful branding can connect with the consumers at an emotional level and motivate them to try the brand. For instance, Walmart’s brand promise, “Save Money. Live Better.”, accentuates its cost leadership strategy and highlights the emotional benefits of shopping at Walmart. Similarly, Ernst and Young’s brand promise, “Building a Better Working World”, emphasizes on the firm’s dedication and allegiance towards its primary purpose of conscientious auditing.

In order to develop a successful brand, businesses should first select their point of difference and their best value, and then use that to create a brand message that can differentiate and symbolize that enterprise in the market.

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Work Cited

Hancock, Sarah. “Why Does Branding Matter? Because It Works.” Red Rocket. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

“Walmart.” Lippincott: Brand Strategy and Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.

“Ernst and Young.” Brand New: New Logo and Name for Ernst & Young by BrandPie. N.p., 3 July 2013. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.

Brown, Evan. “3 Steps You Must Take For Branding Your Business – Design Mantic.” Design Mantic. N.p., 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.

 

Marketing – How Effective Can an Idea Be?

Businesses aim to position their products as “first” in the consumers’ minds by composing and advertising their points of difference. However, due to competition posed by large firms, many small and medium-sized enterprises find it difficult to position and market their products. Even though smaller businesses face a competitive disadvantage from larger corporations, strong marketing stratagems and an inexpensive idea can potentially take these businesses to the next level.

To examine the effect of a strong marketing idea, consider the example of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Before the challenge, the ALS disease was unrecognized by the majority; however, strong marketing tactics, such as celebrity endorsements, viral nomination of friends, and the adventurous nature of the challenge itself, promptly increased the awareness about the ALS disease. Although the ALS only affects a very small segment of the entire population, its marketing success has enhanced its visibility, has accumulated donations of over a $100 million, and has gained worldwide phenomenal support.

A product can either be a success or a flop depending on how well it is marketed and publicized. To market a product successfully, a company often needs to connect with the consumers at an emotional level. In many instances, a distinct and interactive marketing strategy can “enter” a consumer’s mind and leave a positive image about the product and the brand.

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Work Cited

Tuchman, Robert. “How Storytelling Can Create Brand Value for Your Business.” Entrepreneur. N.p., 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

“Best Free Marketing Ideas | HomeBizIdeas4u.com.” Home Biz Ideas 4u. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.