Analysis of Organizational Behavior Example

Analysis of Organizational Behavior Example Analysis of Organizational Behavior – Assignment Example ï » ¿Analysis of Organizational Behavior Introduction Teamwork  represents the mutual actions conducted by a group of workers in order to achieve a common goal. However, almost every team from time to time goes through difficult conditions, which usually result in conflict. Conflict in the work place can negatively influence an efficiency of the whole company’s activity. Usually, it’s wrong communication strategies and  inadequate teamwork arrangement  that lead to the conflict. Team members can’t come to the mutual agreement on the main goals of their work and the ways to achieve these goals. It usually happens due to the lack of the communicating skills and cross-cultural differences (Loeb 2003). The consequences of teamwork conflicts Some conflicts also can be beneficial for the company because they help personal development and sometimes result in organizational change. However, they can be beneficial only if they are successfully resolved. Left unsolved, disagreements inside of the team can lead to many problems.  The company may undergo serious looses.   The possible influence of the conflict is different and usually unwanted. In one case several workers may raise the common level of anxiety in their team and decrease work efficiency to some extend. More serious conflicts can lead to the decrease of the whole company’s productivity, and conflicts among team of leaders usually come to lack of supervision in the company that usually results in fail (Loeb 2003). The benefits of teamwork Though the conflicts inside of the team happen very often they do not usually lead to the company manager’s refusal from teamwork, because it is very beneficial for any company. Successfully resolved, the conflicts also can be beneficial for the organization in some cases. Moreover, it is managers who is responsible and can be accused of the conflict of the team. Also they hold responsibility for their successful resolution (Loeb 2003). Teamwork has a lot of benefits. The first is that teamwork makes any work more creative providing the opportunity to use the creativity of many people. The second benefit is employees’ satisfaction. People are usually more enthusiastic working in a team. The next benefit is the opportunity to use the skills of different people. The speed of project implementation is also higher in a team, because the tasks are divided. Teamwork also stimulates employees to support each other, because they have a common goal (Loeb 2003). Conclusion and recommendations As teamwork appears to be so beneficial, the conflict that arises inside can’t make employers refuse from it. Moreover, it was already mentioned that it is manages who can be accused of the appearance of conflicts due to the wrong supervision of the company. Conflicts in teams are not always unavoidable. They can and should be prevented. The different purposes and opinions lead to conflict and competition between members.  Every manager must know the tactic of conflict resolution and prevention. Efficient conflict resolution tactic concentrates on employees' cultural differences and assists the team in its main projects implementation (Loeb 2003). WORKS CITED Loeb, Sarah. (2003) â€Å"The Ways to Avoid Conflict†. New York: Nerd Press,. Effective team building and development avoids or eliminates these team conflict problems. This is central to effective conflict resolution strategies in teams.   It is a common tendency in the U.S. business world that when people come together for a project or task they immediately get to work â€Å"tackling the problem at hand." After all, "that is what they are being paid to do." Devoting time to anything else "just delays the solution." This thinking frequently leads to the problems identified above. Teams must  address three aspects of their work: Build their skills at working with people having different perspectives, ideas, approaches to doing their work, and communication styles. Decide how they will discuss issues, include everyone’s input, and make decisions. Reaching a common understanding of the issue being addressed  and the needed business outcome.

10 Facts About Chongqing, China

10 Facts About Chongqing, China Chongqing is one of Chinas four direct-controlled municipalities (the others are Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin). It is the largest of the municipalities by area and it is the only one that is located far away from the coast. Chongqing is located in southwestern China within Sichuan Province and shares borders with Shaanxi, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces. The city is known as being an important economic center along the Yangtze River as well as a historical and cultural center for the country of China. Population: 31,442,300 (2007 estimate)Land area: 31,766 square miles (82,300 sq km)Average elevation: 1,312 feet (400 m)Date of creation: March 14, 1997 10 Must-Know Facts Chongqing has a long history and historical evidence shows that the region was originally a state belonging to the Ba People and that it was established in the 11th century B.C.E. In 316 B.C.E., the area was taken over by the Qin and at that time a city called Jiang was built there and the region the city was in was known as the Chu Prefecture. The area was then renamed two more times in 581 and 1102 C.E.In 1189 C.E. Chongqing got its current name. In 1362 during Chinas Yuan Dynasty, a peasant rebel named Ming Yuzhen formed the Daxia Kingdom in the region. In 1621 Chongqing became the capital of the kingdom of Daliang (during Chinas Ming Dynasty). From 1627 to 1645, much of China was unstable as the Ming Dynasty began to lose its power and during that time, Chongqing and Sichuan Province were taken over by the rebels overthrowing the dynasty. Shortly thereafter the Qing Dynasty took control of China and immigration to the Chongqing area increased.In 1891 Chongqing became an important economic center in China as it became the first inland open to trade from outside China. In 1929 it became a municipality of the Republic of China and during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945, it was attacked heavily by the Japanese Air Force. However much of the city was protected from damage because of its rugged, mountainous terrain. As a result of this natural protection, many of Chinas factories were moved to Chongqing and it quickly grew into an important industrial city. In 1954 the city became a sub-provincial city within Sichuan Province under the Peoples Republic of China. On March 14, 1997, however, the city was merged with the neighboring districts of Fuling, Wanxian, and Qianjiang and it was separated from Sichuan to form Chongqing Municipality, one of Chinas four direct-controlled municipalities.Today Chongqing is one of the most important economic centers in western China. It also has a diversified economy with major industries in processed food, automobile manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, machinery, and electronics. The city is also the largest area for the manufacture of motorcycles in China.As of 2007, Chongqing had a total population of 31,442,300 people. 3.9 million of these people live and work in the urban areas of the city while the majority of the people are farmers working in areas outside the urban core. In addition, there is a large number of people who are registered as residents of Chongqing with Chinas National Bureau of Sta tistics of China, but they have not yet officially moved into the city. Chongqing is located in western China at the end of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The region of Chongqing also includes several mountain ranges. These are the Daba Mountains in the north, the Wu Mountains in the east, the Wuling Mountains in the southeast and the Dalou Mountains in the south. Because of all of these mountain ranges, Chongqing has a hilly, varied topography and the average elevation of the city is 1,312 feet (400 m).Part of Chongqings early development as an economic center of China is due to its geographic location on large rivers. The city is intersected by the Jialing River as well as the Yangtze River. This location allowed the city to develop into an easily accessible manufacturing and trading center.The municipality of Chongqing is divided into several different subdivisions for local administrations. There are for example 19 districts, 17 counties and four autonomous counties within Chongqing. The total area of the city is 31,766 square miles (82,300 sq km) and m ost of it consists of rural farmland outside of the urban core. The climate of Chongqing is considered humid subtropical and it has four distinct seasons. Summers are very hot and humid while winters are short and mild. The average August high temperature for Chongqing is 92.5ËšF (33.6ËšC) and the average January low temperature is 43ËšF (6ËšC). Most of the citys precipitation falls during the summer and since it is located Sichuan Basin along the Yangtze River cloudy or foggy conditions are not uncommon. The city is nicknamed the Fog Capital of China. Reference Wikipedia.org. (23 May 2011). Chongqing - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Protagoras' Denial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Protagoras' Denial - Essay Example Lee noted that Aristotle criticized that this is where the principle of non-contradiction has been used as a critical accentuation to what Protagoras imposed (57). This could be due to the observation of Aristotle that the good and bad virtues, justice and injustices of Protagoras were found to be so much relative that it would already make the learners wonder which sides could be considered as true or false. Protagoras, indeed, has a unique way of teaching his own philosophy. However, his study could have been criticized because of time before where access of information is not the same with the modern technology. This would mean that philosophers before would depend on their insights and elaborative knowledge based on experience and observational skills. With this, Protagoras could be considered as intellectually smart because his assumptions that were previously criticized are now orthodoxically used as means of how people should be virtually wise in terms of knowing how to listen and accept

Article Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Analysis - Assignment Example Constructing Conceptions of Central Banking Historically Central Banks acted as both bankers and government’s bank. As a government banker, the Central Banks helped in debt management, development programs, currency evaluation and public finances. As a private bank, it facilitated in maintaining banking stability and payment robustness etc. The role of the central banks as a government banker shows its historical links with fiscal policies. Over time, the primary role of the central bank has been confined in framing monetary policies. Previously, Keynes considered Central Banks as organs of state and instrument of government policy. Central banks role was to maintain economic and financial stability, check states control over currency and manage public finances. Prices of goods and services were fixed under the Keynesian regime. Friedman and Hayek claimed that the central banks should only try to check the powers of governments by controlling the money supply of the economy an d framing monetary policies (Marsh, 1992). ... All the nations in the EMU under this regime decided to use Euro as their common currency. The ECB was supposed to formulate the monetary policies for all these nations. The central bank of Germany, Bundesbank has seemed to highly influence the policies set by the ECB. Germany’s strong authorities in the EMU have made other nations suspect the virtues of ECB’s policies towards the economic progress of the EMU. Under this regime the governments of all these nationals had no power to control the monetary supremacies of ECB (Kolb, 2005). Both Super Strong and Extraordinarily Weak The ECB did not make direct public debts purchases and imposed high constraints in public debt financing. The member states in the EMU were instructed to maintain their budgets in balance or in surplus. If the budget deficit of a nation increased by 3% of its GDP then that nation was penalized under the regime of Excessive Deficit Procedure. Rather no implicit bail outs were offered on the failed government projects. ECB started to act as inflation tighter, while the supreme powers of the Bundesbank made other nations of the EMU hostile. Rather lack of funds started to imbibe economic crisis in the EMU. ‘The same dress does not fit everyone’, the German policies and norms introduced by ECB were highly unsuitable for many nations in EMU. The price stability and structural changes made in the labour market made income distributions inequitable between the European nations and also reduced the domestic demands (Szapary, 2000). ECB Anti-growth Bias and Pre-crisis Performance The ECB’s antigrowth biased monetary policies following the Stability and Growth Policy is actually responsible

Social Work in College Agency Essay Example for Free

Social Work in College Agency Essay From the observations that have been made, it seems the agency is very committed to excellence. This can be deduced by how they ensure that the environment is friendly and comfortable and thus enabling both the staff and the clients to feel at home and be able to work comfortably. One is happy in such an environment and is motivated to come back the next day (http://sme.osha.europa.eu). The peoples morale is high and so the students feel welcome in such an environment and this makes them work even harder thus improving their rate of output. It seems that the practices that the agency uses is to provide incentives to the students to make them come back again. The policies in place take into consideration that the students are disenfranchised in the society and need much more incentive to believe in themselves and be able to change their lives by getting quality education in an environment that is comfortable for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The place is also very clean and this means that the people work in a healthy place. The students are very happy with the cleanliness status of the college. Every student has a right to study in a clean and healthy environment. This is usually denied to the disenfranchised students in most public schools. This college strives to ensure that they provide this to the students. The building used by the agency to provide education is very professional. Inside this building, silence is maintained thus enhancing the possibility of the learning process taking place. The clients range from young ex-gang members to older non-traditional students of around 40-70 years. By ensuring that they are learning in a clean, healthy and quiet environment that is also comfortable and appealing, the agency is protecting their rights and promoting the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From its arrangement, the environment seems to be giving more care to the clients than the staff. This can be deduced from all the effort put into making sure that the place is conducive for learning. The classes are well arranged and the students are happy with how the space has been utilized. The colors used in the classes are also very student friendly and they are happy with the colors chosen for their classrooms. In the whole building people talk in whispers including the staff. This is for the benefit of the students who are reading. It however, oppresses the staff members who may want to talk but can only do so in whispers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The students are provided with food but the staff are supposed to bring their own or buy from outside. On the overall, the school benefits the students and their families most but also the general public.   This is because there is provision of good education to the students who were otherwise considered to be degenerates in the society where public schools failed. The executives also benefit from the environment because it attracts more students who will mean that more money comes to the school. However, by providing education to these people the policy makers benefit because the policies regarding education have been fulfilled. It seems that the executives and the policy makers have most authority while the social work department which is supposed to advocate for the rights of the staff seems to have failed since the staff are considered to be non-entities in the agency. The students’ needs are catered for while the staff members are given no incentives. Their rights are oppressed for the benefit of the students and this shows that the social work department has little or no authority in the agency. The staff members are not adequately represented. This means the social work department in the agency has no power at all to influence the decisions that are made nor the policies and even how they are implemented.      Ã‚   Reference: European Agency for safety and health at 2005 improving poor working conditions. Retrieved on 17th September 2007 from   http://sme.osha.europa-eu/publications/fs2002/2003/en/index-65.htm

Pros and Cons of the Euro :: Finances Money European Currency Essays

Pros and Cons of the Euro The United Kingdom will not join the single European currency with the first wave of countries on 1 January 1999. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, said in October that, although the government supported the principle of the single currency, Britain would not be ready to join at least until the second wave of countries join in 2002. He added that the UK should, however, begin to prepare for monetary union. There are many possible advantages and disadvantages that the government had to consider: Advantages: 1. A single currency should end currency instability in the participating countries (by irrevocably fixing exchange rates) and reduce it outside them. Because the Euro would have the enhanced credibility of being used in a large currency zone, it would be more stable against speculation than individual currencies are now. An end to internal currency instability and a reduction of external currency instability would enable exporters to project future markets with greater certainty. This will unleash a greater potential for growth. 2. Consumers would not have to change money when travelling and would encounter less red tape when transferring large sums of money across borders. It was estimated that a traveller visiting all twelve member states of the (then) EC would lose 40% of the value of his money in transaction charges alone. Once in a lifetime a family might make one large purchase or transaction across a European border such as buying a holiday home or a piece of furniture. A single currency would help that transaction pass smoothly. 3. Likewise, businesses would no longer have to pay hedging costs which they do today in order to insure themselves against the threat of currency fluctuations. Businesses, involved in commercial transactions in different member states, would no longer have to face administrative costs of accounting for the changes of currencies, plus the time involved. It is estimated that the currency cost of exports to small companies is 10 times the cost to the multi-nationals, who offset sales against purchases and can command the best rates. 4. A single currency should result in lower interest rates as all European countries would be locking into German monetary credibility. The stability pact (the main points of which were agreed at the Dublin summit of European heads of state or government in December 1996) will force EU countries into a system of fiscal responsibility which will enhance the Euro's international credibility.

Doe Season by David Michael Kaplan Essay

There are many minor themes presented in the short story Doe Season by David Michael Kaplan, appearing in Portable Literature Seventh Edition on pages 368 through 378, however there is only one overwhelming theme presented throughout the entirety of the short story. It is through the protagonist, Andy, a nine-year-old tomboy, which the theme of coming of age, and the struggle most children are forced to experience when faced with reality of having to grow up and leave childhood behind is presented. Before going on this hunting trip Andy has yet to realize the truth about the way she behaves, she does not find it odd that she enjoys the same activities that her father and young boys enjoy. It is only when her father made the comment â€Å"That’s what the woods are all about anyway†¦ It’s where the women don’t want to go† [Kaplan 374]. Andy is immediately embarrassed when her father makes this remark. She realizes that the three men with her on this hunting trip see her as just another one of the boys rather than a young woman when Charlie and Mac begin to pick on her, saying things like â€Å"She ain’t a woman† [Kaplan 374] and â€Å"[She’s] half a boy anyway† [Kaplan 374]. Charlie Spoon then proposes that Andy has a choice to make regarding her gender when he asks her which gender she choses to be â€Å"A boy or girl† [Kaplan 374] referring to Andy’s decision to be called a boy’s name, Andy, as op posed to her real name Andrea. She responds simply to Charlie’s question â€Å"I am a girl† [Kaplan 374] attempting to put a stop to Charlie’s teasing. In this moment Andy realizes that she is no longer a child, allowed to play in the dirt and hang out with the boys without judgment, but she is a girl who should no longer enjoy the same activities as her father. This moment in the story is very significant to revealing the theme as it illustrates the initial moment of recognition by Andy that she is no longer allowed to behave like a young boy. There are also times in the story that seem to refute the theme, depicting the image of a nine year old girl who still wants to be just like her father, hunting with the guys. â€Å"Andy held the cup like her father did, not by the handle but around the rim.† [Kaplan 370]. In this passage it is revealed that Andy was never allowed to drink coffee while at home with her mother, but on this hunting trip her father allowed her to have a cup with the rest of the guys. Although, while drinking it â€Å"She felt a little queasy† [Kaplan 370] she drank it all, trying to impress her father and their friends. This desire to impress her father, Charlie and Mac may give the impression that Andy has no desire to grow out of being â€Å"daddy’s little tomboy† but instead wishes to remain as so. However, this scene only develops the theme more deeply because it reveals to the reader Andy’s complete unawareness of the coming passage from child to young lady. I arrived at this theme after reading about the internal and external struggles that Andy experiences throughout the hunting trip she is attending with her father, his friend, Charlie Spoon, and Charlie’s son, Mac. At the beginning of the trip Andy is still â€Å"daddy’s little tomboy†, so much so that she is almost like a son to him rather than a daughter. However by the end of the hunting trip Andy has developed into â€Å"daddy’s young woman†, deciding to no longer be called Andy, a boys name, but Andrea, the name she was given at birth, the name of a lady. She is no longer intrigued by hunting, a male’s activity, but is instead disgusted by it. When Andy watches her father cut open the deer she shot she runs in the opposite direction, leaving behind daddy’s little tomboy and becoming daddy’s matured girl as she runs; â€Å"And now they we all calling out to her—Charlie Spoon and Mac and her father—crying Andy, Andy (but that wasn’t her name, she would no longer be called that); yet louder than any of them was the wind blowing through the treetops, like the ocean where her mother floated in green water, also calling Come in, come in, while all around her roared the mocking of the terrible, now inevitable sea.† [Kaplan 378]

A Case Study On Banque Accord: A Closer Look

Banque Accord is a subsidiary of financial giant the Auchan Group1. Founded in 1983, Banque Accord was established in two stages: In 1983, with the issuance of â€Å"Accord† retail cards in Auchan’s hypermarkets; and, in 1987, with Auchan’s acquisition of Banque Delort, a subsidiary and affiliate of the banking group known as Credit Commercial de France2. Auchan subsequently called its newly acquired bank as â€Å"Banque Accord 3.  Ã¢â‚¬ The newly acquired bank’s mission was to customize the rules that have proven successful in the area of retail distribution and bring it to the financial services field, by allowing consumers to avail of simple yet innovative discounted products and services. 4 Essentially, Banque Accord operates as a bank aligned with the credit and retail industries in general5. Put simply, Banque Accord brings electronic banking functions to retailers, and payment and financing options like cards and consumer credit, closer to its c onsumers.As a rule, the purchase of financial resources is backed by sound ratings from globally respected institutions like Moodys and Standard & Poor. For the year 2006, Banque Accord received higher ratings compared to the previous year6. Moody’s gave the bank an A2 grade, while S&P gave it an A or â€Å"Stable† rating7. To note, the word â€Å"Accord† suggests being able to agree on â€Å"financial solutions† for the company’s clients8. The dynamism of Banque Accord, which eventually became well-respected in international financial circles, is due to the fact that it is wholly-owned by a bank and a retail group.Since its inception, Banque Accord has noteworthy achievements, four of which are9: (1) consolidating – in the same organization – electronic banking, issuing of retail cards and providing credit to consumers; (2) creating a network of banking instruments in shopping centers; (3) an ever-widening range of goods and products available to clients (such as payment card facilities and services, revolving credit, traditional credit, and the like. 10); and (4) its takeover of Egg France in 2004, permitting direct online access under the monicker Oney.fr/ These factors, combined with the marketing genius of its Chief Executive Officer Damien Guermonprez, Banque Accord has evolved in 2006, into an international presence with operations in nine countries, and a database of 4,800,000 customers11. 1 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 2) 2 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) 3 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 4) 4 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 4) 5 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 16) 6 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 16) 7 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 16) 8 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) 9 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) 10 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) 11 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) Banque Accord: A Case Study 1In Banque Accord’s financial disclosures for 2006, the company reflected a EUR353,167,000 increase in assets in just 12 months12. Banque Accord also reported a net income of EUR34,413,000 in 2005, as compared to EUR24,206,000 in 2 00413. Despite the potential for further international growth, Banque Accord has to contend with possible areas of difficulties, which include14: (a) the use of mobile phones as potential replacement for bank cards in transactions; (b) innovations in consumer credit; and (c) the development of e-business in the retailing industry.Regardless of these trends that Banque Accord has to contend with, the bank continue to be innovative and continues to explore newer concepts to maintain its prestige and originality in the banking and retail industries. 12 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 17) 13 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 17) 14 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 17) 15 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 3) Banque Accord: A Case Study 2 I. The Auchan Group Founded in 1961 by Gerard Mulliez, the Auchan Group started out in the North area of France with one hypermarket, which, simply defined, is a commercial complex which combines a department store with a supermarket16.Currently, in 2006, the Auchan Group runs 360 hypermarkets spread across 11 cou ntries. In France, Auchan operates 654 supermarkets 17. Since the inception of Auchan, the company’s vision has remained the same. That is, to improve the purchasing power of its customers 18. Banque Accord is an Auchan subsidiary which has developed an identity of its own within the Auchan Group. Nevertheless, Banque Accord’s mission is identical to Auchan’s, and in essence, the bank has a dual vision 19:†¢ customer oriented: providing its clients with a means to purchase; and †¢ corporate oriented: assisting Auchan in maximizing turnover and revenue, therefore aiding the Group to reduce costs. Accordingly, Banque Acord’s mission, â€Å"The bank for consumers† is aimed towards Auchan’s clients at the hypermarkets 20. Banque Accord achieves its mission by making available to Auchan’s clients, certain services like discounted financial options and payments which are directly accessible to these clients.Being a part of the Auc han Group is a contributing factor to Banque Accord’s human resources practices: By training a group of responsible professionals who consider their jobs fulfilling, the company is able to achieve growth and guarantee their clients quality service21. II. Banque Accord’s Internal Strengths In studying the case of Banque Accord, one is accosted with the company’s inherent strengths. Whatever weaknesses there might be for the company, these are easily addressed based on the operating standards adopted by the Bank. Nevertheless, inherent strengths of Banque Accord include: A. European Market ShareThe modes of payment offered by Banque Accord is characterized by diverseness, regulatory and technical issues and the intricacy of the value chain of the industry22. Cash payment is predominant in 16 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 4) 17 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 4) 18 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 5) 19 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 5) 20 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 5) 21 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 5) 22 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 6) Banque Acc ord: A Case Study 3 Spain, Italy and Germany23. However, majority of Banque Accord’s clients in Great Britain and France use bank cards24. The bank card is considered a â€Å"pivotal† product for the company that issued it25.The card can be very much compared to a traditional bank’s checking or current account, which is most convenient for customers to use. Retailers or outlets that have tie-ups with bank cards are able to sell â€Å"progressively†, in coordination with various financial services like cross-selling or up-selling26. The European market where Banque Accord mainly operates was reportedly worth EUR930 billion in outstanding credit in 2005 (Source L’observateur Cetelem), and is manifesting fast growths in many countries27. Within Europe, where Banque Accord operates, there are distinct differences between countries.In Great Britain for example, the average outstanding credit per household is double that of France’s28. In simple w ords, buyers in Great Britain have greater use for bank cards than customers in France do. The differences between countries may be attributed to diverse cultural orientations, regulatory requirements and marketing procedures29. Another example is: frequently, young people are refused credit on the grounds that they do not have a stable means of paying it. On the other hand, it is quite common for a consumer to accumulate excessive credit30.A solution to this would be the use of regulatory systems and which monitor and prevent bad debts. B. Positioning and Diverse Services The business of Banque Accord is30: (a) issuing different types of payment cards like for example, retail cards, gift cards and bank cards; (b) proffering consumer credit and other related services; and (c) managing its retail partners electronic processing of monetary transactions. Electronic Banking is a technical service directly given by Banque Accord to its retailers, which is a source of pride to the bank31. Its electronic banking services is geared towards functioning as a bank –â€Å"receiving† transactions – providing the support in the retailers’ issuance of cards, managing authorization, 23 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 6) 24 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 6) 25 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 6) 27 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 6) 28 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 8) 29 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 8) 3-0 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 8) 31 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 9) Banque Accord: A Case Study 4 2005, to form a division called CardOps33. Being owned by a retailing group, Banque Accord’s aim is ATMS, payment terminals, etc 32. Banque Accord’s electronic banking services were grouped together in proximity to its customers, and minimizing costs of electronic banking.The core business of Banque Accord is the issuing of a range of cards, which have different functions. The bank’s cards may be a type of payment, a retailer’s marketing tool, a â€Å"support† product of the bank that is incorporated in its associate d services34. It is widely said that an Accord card may be likened to a Swiss Knife with flexibility in functions — credit card, payment card and loyalty card 35. Various examples of an Accord card’s use are36: (a) Sample 137: Card Type : Retail Card Function : A payment card issued or released by retailerBanque Accord: Auchan cradholders total 4,000,000 in Europe, and the card is accepted by other retailers (b) Sample 238: Card Type : Loyalty Card Function : Retailer's marketing instrument which could be used to attract and maintain a loyal base of clients Banque Accord: N/A (c) Sample 339: Card Type : Bank Card Function : A traditional card issued by banks, this card may be used overseas Banque Accord: MasterCard Accord and VisaCard Accord (d) Sample 440: Card Type : Gift Card 32 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 9) 33 (Dauchy, 2007, p.9) 34 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 9) 35 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 9) 36 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 37 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 38 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 39 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10 ) 40 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) Banque Accord: A Case Study 5 Function : This type of card may be utilized to personalize service, and enhances customer relationships. Banque Accord: Auchan Gift Card Hence a card is useful to: ? the retailer, because it can be used as a marketing instrument and promotes consumer loyalty; and ? the consumer, because it is convenient means of financing and payment41There is a distinct connection between owning a card, how the type of card benefits the customer and the retailer, and the amount of business the customer does with the retailer42. It is established that a customer who has access to credit through cards increases his or her purchasing power. A client who has no card hardly visits a retailer in a month, owning a loyalty card enables a customer to make three visits. Having a retail card allows the client to make four visits per month to the favorite retailer and having a bank card gives the client the opportunity to make at least five visits to th e retailer 42.Banque Accord boasts of an orientation which is discount-oriented and customer-oriented43. Banque Accord has two selling and pricing concepts44: — annual subscription; and — cash back, which is defined as the money paid to the customer related t his or her card use. For example in France, Banque Accord gives a 40% discount incentive to annual subscribers for a refular Visa Card, and 60% discount on a Visa Premiere Card45. Based on the spending habits of the customers, an annual subscription increases the potential for the cleints' purchasing statistics. Other Financial ProductsApart from cards, Banque Accord also offers its clients other services, lilke46: (1) in-store credit wherein the individual retailers define their own credit policies along with different formulas for achieving revenue; (2) personal loans, which are granted to customers as a come-on, at interest rates based on current market prices; (3) revolving credit, which is built up by a credi t reserve; 41 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 42 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 43 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 44 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) 45 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 12) 46 (Dauchy, 2007, p. 10) Banque Accord: A Case Study 6 (4) Auchan savings account;(5) life insurance, which is a tieup with Suravenir and offers life plans at simple and reduced costs; and (6) non-life insurance. As evidenced by the wide range of â€Å"other† services that Banque Accord offers, its value chain is distinguished by a huge number of product alliances47. Thus, Banque Accord has been known for its flexibility. As a result, the bank has largely-increased the potential spending capacity of its client-base. Sometimes, the bank's products are managed by other partners — at times their competitors — depending on which country the operation is in48.

A Review of Think Through Math

A Review of Think Through Math Think Through Math (TTM) is an interactive online mathematics program designed for students in grades 3-Algebra I. It was created in its current form in 2012 and was a spin-off of the popular Apangea Math program. The program provides users with both direct instruction and remediation. Think Through Math was developed to prepare students for the Common Core State Standards and the rigorous assessments associated with the standards.   Students are enrolled in a unique pathway based on their grade level. Students are also given an adaptive assessment that prescribes precursor activities designed to build skills needed to achieve grade-level proficiency. These activities are added to the pathway. Each lesson in a pathway is divided into six unique skill-building components including a pre-quiz, warm up, focus, guided learning, practice, and a post-quiz. Students who demonstrate proficiency on the pre-quiz for a particular subtopic are able to move ahead. Think Through Math is a revolutionary program for student learning. It combines a unique blend of adaptive assessment, skill building, student motivation, and individualized live instruction. The entire program is geared to enhance classroom learning by filling gaps that a particular student may have and prepares them to meet the rigor of the Common Core State Standards. Key Components Think Through Math makes it simple to add a single student or a whole class by uploading a data template. It has terrific reporting that makes it easy to monitor individual student or whole class progress. It also has a terrific and easy to use interface making it easy for teachers and students to monitor usage, check performance, compare accomplishments, and check goals. Think Through Math allows and encourages students to access the program at home after school and on weekends to maximize the impact of the program. Think Through Math allows teachers to send messages to directly to individual students through the messaging system. Students are only able to receive these messages. They cannot send or respond. Instructional With Diagnostic Components Think Through Math provides both direct instruction and intensive remediation within the same program. It places each student in a â€Å"pathway† containing skills needed to be successful at a particular grade level. It also provides students with an initial adaptive assessment which assigns precursor activities designed to remediate the skills needed to do the required grade level work. Think Through Math continuously monitors and adapts to the individual, adding new material, based on performance throughout the program. Think Through Math Is Motivational Think Through Math allows users to create and personalize their own unique avatar. It provides continuous contests across multiple categories for terrific prizes such as an iPod touch, gift cards, etc. It also allows teachers to set classroom goals for a pizza party or ice cream party. Students can then donate their points towards that goal, and when the class reaches the goal, the teacher will receive a gift card to help purchase the goodies for the party. Think Through Math allows students to donate their points to charity. $10,000 points $1.00. Charities that they can donate to include St. Jude’s Children Hospital, World Wildlife Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Boys and Girls Club of America, The Wounded Warrior Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, and American Red Cross. The program provides users with incentives and rewards. Each time they complete an activity, they earn points. They can use their points to purchase new features for their avatar, donate points to a charity, or they can give points towards a goal their class is trying to achieve as discussed previously. Think Through Math provides users with badges for achieving goals or reaching for milestones within the program. There are four levels of badges including bronze (easiest), silver, gold, and diamond (hardest). Students can see both the badges they have earned and those they have not earned. They can then work towards earning badges they do not have. Think Through Math provides students will printable certificates each time they pass an individual topic. Think Through Math Is Comprehensive Think Through Math is Common Core aligned in content, process, and assessment that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving development. It provides students with access to a calculator, critical math formulas, and key mathematics vocabulary terms at any time within the program. Think Through Math has an audio tool available in both English and Spanish that allows questions and answer choices to be read to struggling readers or English Language Learners. Think Through Math gives students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery by taking a pre-quiz over a particular topic. A pre-quiz consists of eight questions. A student who demonstrates mastery on the pre-quiz will immediately move on to the next lesson. It provides students with a three question â€Å"Warm Up† activity designed to activate prior knowledge by reviewing the math skills you have already mastered, but that is essential to the new skill you will be learning. The program provides you with step by step illustrations and explanations for solving each problem no matter whether you get them correct or incorrect. Think Through Math provides students with a three question â€Å"Guided Learning† activity allowing you to work through the new math. It also provides students with multiple help features within the â€Å"Guided Learning† activity. This occurs through a learning coach. To receive help simply click on the learning coach at any time. If you have not answered the question, an explanation of the concept with visuals will pop up to help you. If you answer the questions incorrectly, an explanation of the concept will pop up. If you still do not understand, you may again click on your learning coach. A box will pop up asking you if you want to work with a teacher. Click â€Å"teacher† and you are able to connect to a live certified math teacher that will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have. If you have audio and a microphone, you can have a direct conversation with them. If you do not, then you can communicate with each other in a text chat. Think Through Math provides students with a ten question â€Å"Independent Practice† activity allowing them to practice what they learned and to use the feedback to understand the concept further. Think Through Math provides the student with an eight-question â€Å"Post-Quiz† activity allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of the new concept. Students are only given one attempt per question. If they fail, they will have to retake or remediate the concept. Key Reports An overview report allows you to monitor how many lessons each student has attempted and passed and gives you pass rate percentages for both target and precursor lessons, while a student detail report provides you with a detailed progress report for each individual student. An individual pathway report provides you with a detailed overview of the progress that an individual student is making on their individual pathway, while the standards report allows you to monitor student progress based on individual state standards or the Common Core State Standards. Cost Think Through Math does not publish their overall cost for the program. However, each subscription is sold as an annual subscription cost per seat. There are several other factors that will determine the final cost of the programming including the length of the subscription and how many seats you will be purchasing.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research Think Through Math is a research-based program. Its development spans over two decades. It is grounded on the foundation of helping students analyze and solve word problems effectively. This is done through the principles of active problem solving, explicit instruction, gradual release, elaboration theory, categorization of a prototype, mastery learning, a zone of proximal development, assessment and differentiation, and worked examples. In addition, Think Through Math has been the focus of several critical field studies involving more than 30,000 students across seven different states.

8 signs your coworker is toxic

8 signs your coworker is toxic There’s nothing quite as uniquely stressful as a toxic coworker- and if you’ve been a victim of one you know precisely how difficult a situation he or she can be. They can be toxic for a wide variety of reasons, from a negative energy that they give off to a detrimental effect they have on your team, department, or entire workplace. The effects can be wide ranging- from making your work environment uncomfortable to seriously impacting productivity and workplace satisfaction. While in other parts of your life you can usually avoid a person who’s toxic, it’s not quite as easy to do so at work. And given that we typically spend a minimum of 40 hours at our jobs per week- a significant part of our waking lives- it can be a real problem, and often one without an easy solution.Are you wondering if a coworker of yours is toxic? There are signs that you can look for to know for sure, and once you know you can set up a plan for dealing with the situation. Inc. rece ntly published an article that covers 8 signs you should look for to determine if your coworker is toxic. Use this information to help you navigate this tricky situation!1. They’re â€Å"secret† know-it-alls.Do you have a coworker who’s perfectly pleasant and agreeable- even a team player- when the boss is paying attention but quickly reverts to an annoying know-it-all who can’t seem to allow room for any other opinion but they’re own? This sort of toxic coworker can be impossible to work collaboratively with and can make it really hard to function comfortably at work.2. They act as if they’ve already paid their dues.Most of us have experience with this sort of toxic coworker- they think that the sheer fact that they’ve been at the workplace longer gives them some level of superiority or special pass to behave in any way they wish (and often it’s in a terrible way). Often, they get by doing as little as possible and expect newe r employees who are currently â€Å"paying their dues† to shoulder a greater amount of the work. It’s never fun to be around this sort of coworker, and it’s certainly not a recipe for workplace efficiency.3. They like to say, â€Å"Yeah, but that’s not my job.†This type of coworker can be a real nightmare to be around. They have a very narrow and rigid view of what their jobs entail and leave little or no room for flexibility or taking one for the team. They treat everything that they don’t want to do like a â€Å"hot potato† that they quickly pass along to others. Being around this sort of person never feels good- they never truly gel with the rest of the team.4. They think experience is a tangible commodity.Some people wrap themselves in the vague notion of their perceived â€Å"experience,† without it pointing to any clearly defined skill set or measurable contribution to the team. These people often fail or refuse to learn new skills, grow, and adapt. The truth is, experience is great- but in a fast-paced, constantly evolving workplace, experience is not the sole commodity that some toxic coworkers make it out to be, and it can create clear weak links in the employee chain.5. They love gossip.Who hasn’t had a coworker who seems to spend more time gossiping than getting actual work done? They can talk endlessly about a wide range of useless subjects to any coworker who’ll listen- as long as they don’t involve actual work-related topics. Not only is their work output minimal as a result, they’re often a drain on others around them as well- a real lose-lose situation.6. They use  peer pressure to hold other people  back.To these sorts of toxic coworkers, the workplace is like a reality TV show in which they create alliances and enemies and manipulate others around them to achieve their selfish goals. Often peer pressure is their tool of choice, and they use their perceived influence with their coworkers to manipulate and hold other people back while propping themselves up.7. They’re quick  to grab the glory.Rather than view successes as the result of teamwork and collaborative effort, these coworkers like to hog the spotlight and pretend that every success is the sole result of their own influence and contributions. These toxic people somehow manage to tarnish every workplace win with their selfish behavior.8. They’re even quicker to throw others under the bus.Consider this the flip side to the previous point- as quick as these people are to grab the glory after a big win, they’ll just as quickly point the finger at others and assign blame when things go sour. These toxic coworkers keep everyone on edge and on their toes at work- and not in a good way.If you recognize any of the signs mentioned above, you might just have a toxic coworker. If so, recognizing it is the first step. Consider your options for following up- sometimes a simple talk with the coworker can make a world of difference. Be patient, be kind, and stand up for yourself in a professional manner. Aim to be the coworker you wish you had.

Capstone Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Capstone Business Plan - Assignment Example The customers can express their individual requirements to the HR consultants who can provide them with customized solutions to meet their specific needs. The clients will benefit from the specialized services of the well qualified consultants who can understand their requirements and provide prompt delivery of the tailored services on time. Capstone will be a start-up venture that will be owned and managed by 6 partners who are experienced in HR management areas and will contribute their skills and competencies to promote the above mentioned business goals. The business will initially start with an investment of US $300,000. The total capital requirement will be fulfilled by an investment of $50,000 by each of the 6 partners.Keys to success The success of the business will be based on its strategy to create its market niche through specialized and customized HR solutions for its clients. The business will not focus only on selected industry segments, but will cater to the needs of companies across all industries and operations. The targeted market segment for the business hence will comprise of small, medium and large scale organizations who seek expert HR solution. While the HR consultancy sector faces intense competition with leading global players like Capgemini, Booz, Allen and Hamilton among others, the focus will be on superior service performance and instant service approach. Capstone will offer its clients with well-researched solutions that are arrived at after a complete evaluation of the client needs and existing strategic practices in manpower management. The initial focus will be on creating word-of-mouth recommendation or market reputation to establish its market presence. Hence the pricing of the services offered during the first two to three years of operation will be competitive. Company mission The mission of Capstone Consultancy Services will be to evaluate client requirements and offer customized HR solution packages that meet and exceed customer expectations. The business will cater to the HR needs of companies across all industry sectors and extend its expertise in delivering high standards of HR services. Business goals and objectives Capstone will focus on developing its strengths and capabilities in such a manner that it provides its customers with specialized service that will help the business in generating profit and sustaining long term growth. The goals and objectives of the business will be to: Offer its clients total satisfaction in providing customized HR sol