IMC plan of Lays Seaweed Flavor Snack Essay

1.1 Purpose The purposes of this creative platform are to understand the product and target market, to aware of the current promotional mix, to develop the IMC objectives and to discuss a creative strategy and major selling idea that suitable the best with this product. To expand and develop the promotions of the current product so that it increases the sales and has better image for the consumer to consume the product. 1.2 Limitations This creative platform have the limitations of time and limitations of information of the writer can gain since we can not contact the company and only can access from the public materials, therefore it may contains some errors due to the limitations of the writer as well. 1.3 Authorization This report is created for Indofood company to discuss about the current product of Lays as well as to improve the promotion and creative strategy in order to maintain its competitive advantage in the market. This report is commissioned by Thomas Thjie, CEO of Indofood Fritolay Makmur 1.4 Scope of operations The scope of the operations would be in discussing the specific snack product from Indofood which is Lays potato chips seaweed flavor in various elements of company background, product description, competitor analysis, and target  market in Indonesia region. The informations of this report is gathered from public materials, corporate website, web articles and text book. This report also contains current description of promotional mix, IMC objectives and response hierarchy as well as creating a new promotional tool and suitable creative strategy that would suit best to sell this product to the target market. 2. Background of Company PT Indofood Fritolay Makmur started commercial operations since 1990. The company hold the brand of Lays, Cheetos, Chitato, Chiki, and JetZ brands manufactures and markets snack food. (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2014) The company also offers cassava chips under Qtela brand. PT Indofood is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since March 17, 2010, PT Indofood Fritolay Makmur has been a joint venture with PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk and Pepsico, Inc. PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (â€Å"ICBP† )is an established market-leading producer of packaged food products with a diverse range of products providing everyday food solutions for consumers of all ages. According to PT Indofood (2010) Many of its products brands are among the strongest brands with significant Top-of-Mind status in Indonesia and have gained the trust and loyalty of millions of consumers in Indonesia for decades. (PT Indofood , 2010) ICBP was established as a separate entity in September 2009 and listed on the IDX on 7 October 2010. It was established by means of internal restructuring of the CBP Group of Indofood, the parent company, listed on the IDX since 1994. Following the listing, Indofood remains the majority shareholder of ICBP with 80% ownership. Hence, ICBP continues to enjoy synergies with other Indofood Group companies to maintain its competitive advantages. Most of ICBP’s business operations and product brands have been well-established for many years, with many of them enjoying leading positions in their respective market segments. Its various business operations are noodles (Indomie, Supermi, Sarimi, Sakura, Pop Mie, Mi Telur Cap 3 Ayam and Pop Bihun), dairy (Indomilk, Cap Enaak, Indoeskrim and Orchid Butter), food seasonings (Sambal Indofood, Sirup Indofood Freiss and Bumbu  Racik Indofood) , nutrition & special foods (Promina, SUN, Govit and Provita) , and snack foods (Chitato, Lays, Qte la, Cheetos and Trenz) which produces and markets a range of western and modernized traditional snacks which will be focus on this report. Here is the vision, mission and values of Indofood Company. VISION A Total Food Solutions Company MISSION To provide sustainable solutions for food needs To continuously improve our people, processes and technologies To contribute to the welfare of the society To continuously improve stakeholders’ values Values â€Å"With discipline as the basis of our way of life; We conduct our business with integrity; We treat our stakeholders with respect; and together we unite to strive for excellence and continuous innovation.† 2.1. Product Description Brief History of Lays, it all started when chip was found by C.E. Doolin in 1932. Tanenbaum (2014,) Doolin loved those corn chips so much that he purchased the recipe and began to sell bags of the crunchy snacks. While Doolin was making his corn chips, Lay was busy producing his potato chips. Lay purchased Atlanta’s Barrett Food Company in 1938 and then formed H.W. Lay & Company. FritoLay (2014) Years later, in 1961, the Frito Company and the H.W. Lay company merged to become Frito-Lay, Inc. Today, Frito-Lay brands account for 59% of the U.S. snack chip industry. Lays started selling products in Indonesia around mid year of 2009. Lays (2013), Before Lay’s entry into the Indonesian market, the brand had already gained worldwide recognition. In Indonesia, Lay’s is marketed and produced as a joint venture between Indofood and Fritolay International, and becoming PT Indofood Fritolay Makmur. Fritolay International itself is also being owned by Pepsico Inc. Lays present their products in 6 flavors, there are  Pizza, BBQ Fiesta, Classic Salty, Grilled Chicken Paprica, Salmon Teriyaki and Seaweed Flavor. In this report, the focus will be Lays Seaweed flavor which contains natural fresh potato with seaweed seasonings. 2.2. Target Market Even though Snack Lays is categorized as undifferentiated marketing, it still needs target market so that it can build the best way to advertise to its perspective costumers. The segmentations of Lays are divided into Geographical, Demographical, Psychographic and behavioral segmentation. The geographical segmentation is about the region or area of the target market. Lays choose Indonesia region especially in Java Islands with the area of City, Urban, Suburban accross Indonesia the size of population: 250,585,668 people (World Population Review, 2014). The Demographic Segmentation is about to targeted the people with both gender whose age between 10 – 25 years old with any family size, but especially a family consists of parents and children. Because It is targeted more to young people or in school age, therefore the education background is children from elementary school to students in the university with any ethnic or racial background in Indonesia . On the other hand, the P sychographic Segmentation which based on the lifestyle preferences will using VALS framework (VALS, 2014). There are 4 types of people Lays want to target. They are first, Experiencers, with the personality of young, excitement, still open to the new, and have a lot social activities. They are potential because they are tend to be an impulsive consumers. Second, is Achievers, they have many needs and wants, goal oriented, like prestige products, predictability. Thy are active self-discovery in consumer marketplace. Third, Believers, people who are idealist, have concrete beliefs, religious, community. They are potential because they are predictable consumers, choose familiar product,and loyal customers.Fourth, Makers are motivated by self-expression, organized, practical people who have constructive skills and value self-sufficiency. They prefer a practical or functional purpose, and buy basic products. Furthermore, Behavioral Segmentation is about the behavior of the target market. Behavioral consists of the occasions of special and regular occasions such as hang out with friends, watch movies, snacks time with The Degree of use in Light use and medium use. The Brand Loyalty of target  market vary into Not loyal, loyal to very loyal . The Benefits target market can have is Lays serve as snacks, good quality, crispy and delicious, convenience, easy to access, enjoyable. Whereas, the Readiness stage is All people who know Lays and the attitudes toward product are neutral, positive attitude toward Lays. 2.3. Positioning Strategy Based on Foote, Cone &Belding (FCB) model, Lays Seaweed Flavo is positioned as Habit Formation (the doer) which in the thinking grid and considered as low involvement. It is habitual purchase and marketers does not have to market the product, yet creating an advertisement to act as a reminder about the product According to Belch& Belch (2009) Positioning can be defined as the art and science of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from competition. Market positioning is the most important factor in establishing a brand in marketplace. Positioning strategy that would suit best with Snack Lays is Positioning by Product Attributes and Benefits. This strategy is to set the brand apart from competitors on specific characteristic or benefit offered. In this case, out of other competitors, Lays offer a unique quality of characteristic of potato chip with seaweed flavor. Lays has been very strategically posit ioned within the snack food industry, the salient attributes which important to consumers and are the basis for making a purchase decision. One of the salient attributes is its international recognition and worldwide brand makes Lays trusted and worthy in the mind of consumers. Moreover, the taste, the brand prestige, and communicating a fun delicious snack brand to the consumers makes the Lays has positive positioned in the mind of target market. 3. Promotional Mix Elements Lays has been using several promotional mix, there are: 3.1. Advertising â€Å"Advertising is any paid form of non-personal communication about an organization, product, service, or idea by an identified sponsor and usually being used by companies whose products and services are targeted at mass consumer markets† (Belch&Belch, 2009). Lays was using TV advertisement to  promote its product, the advertising was about the deliciousness and irressistible Lays Seaweed flavor. The advertisement can be seen widely in youtube It was an effective nonpersonal communication because it can transmit a message to large number of groups of individuals (mass coverage) at the same time efficiently. It shows an immediate popularity from consumers who tried this new product and most people admit that they are satisfied with Lays Seaweed flavor. Moreover, Lays also had done print advertising in several female indonesian magazine such as citacinta and gogirl (Sulung, 2010) Print media play an important role, in earning the right to carry the Lays’s message of enjoyable and delicious potato chip. Haight (2005) Advertised in Print media can make consumers go backward to consume an advertisement, so it is an amazing alignment between advertiser transmission of Lays message and consumer consumption. 3.2. Sales Promotions Sales promotion provides extra values or incentives to the sales force, the distributors, or the ultimate consumer and can stimulate immediate sales (Belch & Belch 2012). Lays had done sales promotion in several local supermarkets in carrefour, hypermart, indomaret and alfamart by giving consumers discount, buy1get1 event, and bundles promotion. Recent sales promotion from Lays was related to price promotions in Circle K where consumers can buy two Lays seaweed flavor and additional drink with cheaper price which only IDR 12000 (Circle K, 2014). Lays also had a promotional event in several public holiday event in big supermarkets periodically such as (Lays, 2013) in christmas event when the discount and buy 1 get 1 available widely for consumers. Last, but not least, Lays also created competitions for consumers to win the prize. For instance, last year on March 2013 Lays held Lays Taste Adventure which is a competitions for consumers to post their photo eating lays, in order to win iphone 5, ipod nano, exclusive vouchers and hampers exclusive lays. In 2012, Lays Irressistible Moments Indonesia, (2012), on December 2012 also a contest which offer the opportunity to win exciting prizes by submitting their moments with lays. (Lays Indonesia, 2014)The competitions held in social media by Lays Indonesia, called Harpitdays where the winner can win voucher gift valued of IDR 200,000 for six winners. 3.3. Interactive or Internet Marketing â€Å"It allows for a back and forth flow of information whereby users can participate in and modify the form and content of the information they receive in real time† (Belch&Belch, 2009,p. 12) Lays Indonesia connect and relate with their consumers through internet media with social media sites which is facebook. It is the only official page of Lays Indonesia where directly speaks to Indonesian consumers about the products and promotions and create a platform where people can communicate to Lays. The social media page allows the brand to pay attention or care to the consumers mind by asking their opinions, encouraging their life, giving fun status, games, and more. Compliment and complaing about the brand also can handle well with the use of social media. In addition Lays Indonesia also create website contains basic informations to provide some information about Lays. 4. IMC Objectives According to (Reid, 2001) â€Å"Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) has been promoted both as an emerging communications philosophy and as a strategic management process for creating and managing the development of strong brands.† â€Å"It is also considered as the planning and execution of all types of marketing communication needed for a product, brand, idea, company or place in order to satisfy a common set of objectives and support the positioning of promotion† (Zimuto, 2013, p. 95). The DAGMAR approach suggest a logical process for advertising and promotion planning. Using DAGMAR approach in IMC objectives would focues the advertisers’attention on the value of using communications based objectives to measure advertising effectinveness and encouraged the measurement of stages in response hierarchy to asses a campaign’s impact (Belch & Belch, 2012). Therefore, the element of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rational, Time-Limit) must be considered in order to create an effective communication with consumers. The advertisement can be done in small space ads, point of sale, and short spots For the IMC Objective, Lays Seaweed Flavor use print or media advertising therefore hierarchy of effects model would fit the best to show the work process. Here is the IMC Objective for Lays: 1. To create brand awareness of Lays Seaweed Flavor among non user young people of the  target market in Indonesia region to 75% by next year. 2. Create a positive feelings toward Lays Seaweed Flavor to 55% and preference of choosing this product to 45% especially by young people age between 12-20 years old who are still in studying in school by next year. 3. To increase sales of Lays Seaweed Flavor by 20% in next year and maintain customers to repurchase and regularly consume the product, to become consumers favorite seaweed snack. New Promotional Tool 5.1. Public Relations In order to reach the objectives and gain more competitive advantage in the market, a new promotional tool is created to able target the market. A new promotional tool that Lays Seaweed have not done before is using public relations. Public Relations defined as â€Å"the management function which evaluater public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of a organization with the public interest, and executes a program o action and communication to earn public understanding and acceptance† (Belch&Belch, 2009, p.559). The public relation activity that Lays seaweed will go through is sponsorship. It is strenghten by the opinion of Riley (2012) that Sponsorship is a specialised kind of public relations and increasingly popular, particularly with larger businesses. A business will sponsor an event, team or individual in order to build brand awareness. Because the target is young people especially those who are still in school, so Lays will sponsor a school events at several schools and universities in Indonesia. In the event, Lays will place a fun-catchy advertisement in the place of event to gather attention of the students and create interests and positive feelings to people who see. In the event, Lays can participate by creating some fun games for students to do to create more positive feelings toward Lays. There also may be opportunity to sell products, so Lays can use this opportunity to give free trials to student, young people, it is a good way to grab young non user consumer. The period of doing this public relation suggests in 3 – 6 months. 5.2. Sales Promotions The sales promotions is given to the consumers in the public area, such as  supermarket retailer, shop groceries and also can be given while doing the public relations. This will attract buyers to buy more and consuming Lays Seaweed. Because most people attract to any sales promotions in the market, highly effective if there is any event of the moment such as Public Holiday or Weekend days. The type of sales promotions would be discounts, giving 10% discounts for students who buy Lays Seaweed, buy 1 get 1 free promotion and bundles promotion such as it is cheaper if consumers buy 3 Lays at once and valied with multiple purchases. Vouchers and Gifts also can be given if consumer buy certain numbers of Lays Seaweed, for example 3 and they will be given a gift or if they buy 6 they will be given vouchers. This sales promotions should have limitations of time 1 – 3 months of availability. 5.3. Print Advertising To gain an effective promotional campaign, Lays will also do print media advertising to gain awareness and attention from the urban city people. Although print advertising looks a passive advertising yet it considered effective. Lays Seaweed will do the print advertising in the popular magazines like females magazine such as gogirl!, citacinta, gadis, femina. Food magazine such as sedap, selera,and nova. 5.4. Point of Purchase Moreover, for the other months of not doing sponsorship, Lays can advertise in outdoor advertising to gain mass coverage of attention and point of purchase (pop) by display largely in supermarket retailer, groceries shop and supermarket mall to attract young people who live in urban city. Traffic flows in the grocery store greatly influence grocery shopping behavior. In fact, consumers often buy products that are placed on display simply because they are on display. Retailers use the â€Å"brand-lift index† to measure the incremental sales that occur when a product is on display. In fact, one study indicated that POP displays in convenience stores can increase product sales by nearly 10% (Babin & Harris, 2012). The trials and sales promotions also are provided to ensure effective communication with consumers. 5.5 Internet/Interactive Marketing To develop and maintain current social media promotion with facebook and to  make a new internet or interactive marketing for consumers to persuade them to be active and engaged more with Lays brand from their own place and time. Lays can be updated more informations in the Website as it is considered as inactive and has uninterested layout website. The website should be updated at least once in a month to give audience the new information about Lays activities in sponsorship and promotions. Moreover, giving others useful information such as facts, opinions and ideas will become more interesting and attractive website to let young people experience with Lays from their gadgets and phones. 6. Major Selling Idea Major selling idea is the basis for the central theme or message idea in an advertising campaign (Belch & Belch, 2012). Major selling idea is important part in creative strategy. The competitive advantage Lays have over other competitors are differential advantages, it is created when a company’s products or services differ from its competitors and are seen as better than a competitor’s products by customers. Lays Seaweed have differential advantage in which it has an international recognition and worldwide coverage, with historical background of creating the potato chips and excellent leadership over the years, made it possible for the leaders to work their way up the corporate ladder. More advantages are being owned by a larger corporation like PepsiCo has advantages in its own like mass advertising and an established name. One word to describe the key characteristic that can be used as competitive advantage for Lays Seaweed is â€Å"happiness† because eating the crispy and crunch potato chip would make the consumers feel joy and happy to taste the delicious seaweed potato chip which is unique as a snack. This â€Å"happiness† is strong and meaningful to appeal the target audience. It has positive and good meaning in many ways and all people wants to be happy. Therefore, The selling idea with theme of happiness will be interesting and draw people to know more about Lays Seaweed by consuming it. This major help positioning the brand and creating a brand image because it creates unique selling position in promoting a happiness product. 6. Creative Strategy 7.1. Advertising Appeal Lays Seaweed advertisement is emotional appeal with happines and joy. The idea of the advertisement comes from the magic tree that can produce fresh potato. It called the magic tree because it has sparkles of firework to create delicious potato to become a fresh-cut- crispy potato chip that Lays use to the consumers. 7.2. Execution Style The execution style of this advertisement is dramatisation, because it is dramatized the pictured with a tree and form a firework and potato which burst out to become the potato chip with seaweed seasonings. 7.3. Creative Tactics Headline The headline of this advertising is â€Å"Happiness is closer than you think † This headline is leading position of the ad therefore it placed in the center of the advertisement with a portion of bigger writings than others. The purpose is to gain attention with the happiness in the capital size as it is the main word of the advertisement. It is considered as indirect headline because it provokes curiosity and motivates involvement of people to consume this Lays Seaweed. The headline is indirectly persuade people to eat Lays because it can create happiness, and happiness is easy to get as closer to the local groceries to buy Lays Seaweed. Subheadline The subheadline is placed under the headline with the yellow banner to support the headline. It is smaller the headline and larger than a copy And telling the product of the advertisement. Body Copy Body copy is the main text portion of a print ad. The body copy support the headline and subheadline to perform a good and effective advertisement. The body copy is persuading people to buy the product now and promise they will not regret to taste the Lays Seaweed. Visual Elements The visual elements of this advertisement is considered as colorful and fun with the elements of the potatoes tree and firework sparkle. The lays seaweed is placed on the down right of the advertisement to make consumers focus on the advertisement as much as the product. The visual elements compliment to each other with the background of a sunny day with green grass. The visuals convey a strong meaningful image and compliment the headline, subheadline and body copy. Layout Layout is the physical arrangement of the various parts of the ad – headline, copy and visual The layout of the advertisement is blended together to perform a finished advertisement. The layout is centered to enhance the focus of the people, so as the people see they will focus on the headline, the products image, the subheadline and the body copy as all of them are complimenting each other elements. The layout if full image and has no white space to let people focus on visual and enhance the use of effective advertisement. 7.4. Media Vehicle Media vehicle is the specific carrier, publication or promotional piece used to carry an advertising mesage (Belch & Belch, 2012). The advertisement will be exposed in a print media of popular magazine in Indonesia, in the big mall as an advertisement and as the point of purchase in groceries retailer. In the magazine, the advertisement will be placed on the back cover of magazine as it has more exposure rather than inside the pages of magazine. The reach of potential buyers exposed to the message are expected to be 60% of audiences who see the advertisement. The audience will be exposed to the message for several times, but not too much to ensure the customer attention and not as a disturbing advertisement. So, the frequency of being exposed to the media is from 3 – 10 exposures. While the coverage of the advertisement is people who live in urban city where the advertisement is placed, especially in the public places where people are passing by. The advantages of using this strategy are it is surely will gather consumer’s  attention about the advertisement as it is unique, colorful and interesting. The placement of this advertisement in public spaces where people move a lot and passed by will increase the brand awareness and store the brand advertising in their memory so that when they go to groceries shop, they want to buy and try the Lays Seaweed Flavor. The disadvantages is it is a passive advertising and some people may feel disturbed or dislike towards the advertisement because it did not match their perception. The company’s financial position is strong enough and capable to make this advertisement campaign works because it is a top company in Indonesian which are place in the top as the one of the company which having high gross profits and income in Indonesia 8. Conclusion & Recommendation Lays as one of brand under the PT Indofood company has been known as an international potato chip brand that is sold in many countries, especially in Indonesia. Lays comes in many flavors but the focus of the promotional campaign is the product of Lays Seaweed Flavor because it is a potential product to gain consumers interests and consumption. To create a creative IMC Plan, the target markets are divided into demographic, geographic, behavioral and psychographic. The IMC objectives of Lays Seaweed are determined through the response hierarchy and DAGMAR approach and focus urban and suburban market area with people aged between 10 -25 years old. The positioning strategy is product attributes and benefits with a new IMC mix of Public relations, and Point of Purchase which will strengthen the product position in the market. The creative strategy and the advertisement is created to enhance the creative platform in order to develop Lays Seaweed in new and different ways. Furthermore it i s recommended for the company to develop the public relations activities that benefits the development of young people physically and emotionally by creating an event such for teenagers such as bike for fun, competitions and contests other than sponsorships in order to create stronger values in the eyes of the target market. List of References Belch, B. &., 2009. Advertising and Promotion. 8th penyunt. New York: McGraw-Hill. Bloomberg Businessweek, 2014. Bloomberg Businessweek, viewed 6 May 2014 Circle K, 2014. Circle K Indonesia, viewed 6 May 2014 FritoLay, 2014. History., viewed 8 May 2014 Haight, D., 2005. Advertising and the future of print media. Pulp & Paper, 79(2), p. 64. Insights, S. B., 2014. US Framework and VALSâ„ ¢ Types. , viewed 8 May 2014 Lays Indonesia, 2014. Lays Indonesia Facebook, viewed 10 May 2014 Lays, 2013. Lays., viewed 5 May 2014 PT Indofood , 2010. Indofood CBP. , viewed 6 May 2014 Reid, D. M., 2001. Building Strong Brands through the Management of Integrated Marketing Communication. International Journal of Wine Marketing, vol. 14, no.3, pp. 37-50. Review, W. P., 2014. Indonesia World Population Review., viewed 8 May 2014 < http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/indonesia-population/> Riley, J., 2012. Promotion – public relations & sponsorship, viewed 10 May 2014 Strategic Business Insights, 2014. Stragegic Business Insights, viewed 10 May 2014 Sulung, A., 2010. Julie for Lay’s. , viewed 10 May 2014 Tanenbaum, K., 2014. Snack Food Rewind: A History of Our Favorite Treats. , viewed 8 May 2014 Zimuto, J., 2013. The Perception Of Small And Medium Enterprises (SMES) Marketing Managers on IMC Strategy in Zimbabwe. Journals of Arts, Science & Commerce, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 95-100.

Belief in God a basic belief

  From the most ancient known history of mankind, as well as from the oldest relics of antiquity that we have been able to obtain, it appears that in every age man had recognized some form of deity. Even in the present age, every nation on the face of the earth, from the most primitive to the most civilized, does believe in and worship some deity. Many philosophers argue that the idea of having a deity and of worshipping him is ingrained in human nature. Such philosophers contend that there is something within a man’s soul which forces him to do so.For many a philosopher, the belief in God has its origins in the very nature of man. Man is not self-sufficient and his powers are limited. He is weak, frail and helpless in front of the powers of nature. It is this sense of vulnerability and powerlessness which has compelled philosophers to seek the assistance of a superior being. By worshipping and seeking the pleasure of such a supreme being, human beings can conquer their fear s and suppress their apprehensions.â€Å"The craving for religious faith being largely an outcome of fear† (Russell, 1975, p. 43). It is in the realm of morality and ethics that philosophers have found religion and belief in God the most indispensable. Such philosophers are of the view that the moral and ethical structure in existence would fall down if this belief is eliminated. Thus, in this regard, Bertrand Russell contends that â€Å"if people solve their social problems Religion will die out† (Russell, 1975, p. 136).Being a classical proponent of natural theology, Thomas Aquinas believed that the existence of God is neither self-evident nor beyond proof. Therefore, while placing his belief in God, he proposed a different approach to understand the divine nature. This approach, commonly known as the ‘via negative’ is to consider what God is not. This helped him to elaborate the divine qualities. References Nichols, A. (2002). Discovering Aquinas. Michi gan: Eerdmans Publishing Company. Russell, B. (1975). Bertrand Russell’s Best. Chicago: Mentor Publishing Company.

Accenture Social Media Analysis

Accenture Social Media Analysis MKT 436 Ian Cartmill Zach Crawford Edwin Huang Tyler Whitsett Introduction Accenture PLC is one of the leading consulting firms in the country and has developed an extensive social media platform to expand its reach in the business world. Accenture currently has a network of social media across many platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Through Facebook and Twitter, Accenture segments its markets by region, type of service, and career options by making a Facebook page or Twitter account exclusively for that market. With Accenture’s YouTube page, a wide variety of videos ranging from video blogs to educational content on company growth. Finally, through LinkedIn, Accenture profiles its different services as well as connects with professionals who would be looking for their services. In addition to the traditional social media sites, Accenture operates many different applications through Facebook, iTunes, Google Play as well as its own online publication, Outlook. After a description, an analysis will be given to measure the performance of Accenture’s social media’s efforts. Finally, recommendations will be given on how Accenture can improve their efforts to reach a wider audience. Social Media Description Accenture’s Facebook and Twitter presence is extremely large which is shown by the numerous pages on these sites. Currently, Accenture has over â€Å"40 different pages on Facebook and 30 different Twitter handles† (A1), each catering to a particular market. About half of these pages are targeted based on the region or country in order to provide information exactly aimed a country’s business environment. Within each of the country’s pages, discussions and interactions occur with customers and users through contests, interviews, philanthropic endeavors in the region done by Accenture, and information the company provides on different industries. Usually the country’s page will display resume opportunity linksin order to keep acquiring new talent for the company. If career opportunities are not listed on this page, an individual career page is listed to provide information on career opportunities at Accenture in that region. On Accenture’s main Facebook and Twitter pages, different examples of management, operations, marketing, and other strategies are presented so all customers can see the level of analysis they will receive from an Accenture team. Also, articles written by Accenture are shown on the pages that range from work events to in depth stories on industry trends constantly are posted weekly. Finally, the last sets of pages on Facebook and Twitter are used to provide customers with an in-depth look into the different services provided by Accenture. For example, the Sustainability Services Facebook page provides links to articles and case studies on sustainability in a business in order to reduce cost and create efficiencies (http://www. facebook. com/accenturesustainabilityservices). They also engage their customers and users through surveys, games and other actions that keep users coming back to their page. In addition to Accenture’s Facebook and Twitter pages, YouTube and LinkedIn provide a unique and different way to reach out to their customers. Through their YouTube account, Accenture is able to provide different types of new information to both current and potential new customers with its â€Å"251 videos† (A1). For example, a Capital Markets video blog is used to describe different topics related to capital markets and the process of managing the risks with them. In another set of videos, a video podcast shows different traits of a high performance business model that can be emulated by other companies. All content that is put up on the YouTube account is used to attract new customers to what Accenture does and provide existing clientele insights as to how Accenture’s strategies can better their companies. This is a more casual look at Accenture’s customer attraction actions. For a more formal approach to gaining new customers and staying connected with current clients, LinkedIn is utilized. With LinkedIn, Accenture can professionally show their â€Å"core competencies as well as present customer recommendations and feedback† (LinkedIn). They also demonstrate their corporate culture through employee reviews and insight. To go along with Facebook and Twitter, they also have a careers page to continue acquiring talent in every medium possible. Beyond the typical social media realms in which most companies are involved in, Accenture has also grown into new areas that differentiate themselves in the social media marketing. This is done through Accenture’s online journal, Outlook, and the development of apps to further their marketing efforts. Outlook provides a unique connection to existing and potential customers by giving articles that can be anything from industry specific trends or news to skill and service actions. This demonstrates the level of expertise Accenture can provide to new customers, and assist in providing additional offerings to their current customers. Finally, after all traditional online forms of social media are exhausted; Accenture also provides many of the same marketing sites in the form of mobile apps for the iTunes and Google Play markets. This gives customers the ability to see all content and information on the go as most business people are. These applications include a mobile version of Outlook and other service specific applications (Google Play). Social Media Analysis Although Accenture has tapped into the most popular social networks, they don’t utilize them to their full potential. Their main strength across the social networking platforms is the ability to reach current and potential customers, employees, future hires, students, and anyone who might be interested in what Accenture has to offer. An example is their applications through iTunes and Google play. On iTunes they â€Å"have 14 mobile apps and on Google Play they have 11 apps compared to Ernst amp; Young’s 6 apps on iTunes and 3 apps on Google Play† (A1). Some apps are duplicates; some are strictly for employees, while others are for the public. The apps range from a National Postal Forum to Financial Services to Lux in Arcana. Since it is available on iPhone and Android platform, they are targeting the most popular smartphone users. Another metric to consider how large their social network presence is their main Facebook page, Accenture has over â€Å"145,000 likes compared to E amp; Y with 15,000 likes† (A1). With these many options and a well-known presence, they are able to increase their brand awareness and position themselves as knowledge experts in that field. Another strength Accenture has with their social platforms is that they are continuously adding content to them. On their Twitter feed, they â€Å"tweet an average of 66 times a week along with additional links in the message compared to E amp; Y’s 20 tweets a week† (A1). On their Facebook , they post â€Å"39 times a week compared to E amp; Y’s 2 times a week† (A1). More tweets and posts, enables them the opportunity to be noticed more by the market. This is shown through how many Facebook users are talking about them. Accenture has over â€Å"2,000 users posting about them compared to E amp; Y’s 390 users talking about them† (A1). A weakness of their social networks is the lack of integration across the different platforms. An example is their YouTube and Twitter page. In their description, it only provides a link to their home page instead of including their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes store, and Google Play. (About Accenture). After an analysis of their YouTube channel, we determined that they could include more in their descriptions by including a summary of the video, tags, and follow up information. They need to make it easier for users to dive further into Accenture if necessary. Another weakness of their social networking strategy is that it does not incorporate a form of a push/pull strategy. Their current push strategy is not creating an atmosphere of a two way interaction. On their pages, they do not engage or follow up with the users to keep them coming back. Although they ask questions in their tweets, they are not going out of their way to search for potential topics they could enlighten a user about. From comparing Accenture’s social media networks to Ernst and Young’s networks, they both use the same platforms but Accenture has a larger social media presence with more content. In Twitter, Accenture has over 62,000 followers with over 5500 tweets compared to E amp; Y’s 37,000 followers and 2,600 tweets. On LinkedIn, Accenture has over 600,000 followers with 179,000 employees on it compared to E amp; Y’s 364,000 followers and 114,000 employees on LinkedIn. Accenture has the most presence and content in every category except for the amount of YouTube videos they have. Accenture has 251 compared to E amp; Y’s 485. Managerial Recommendations The heart of a successful e-commerce strategy is the ability to attract and engage a potential customer by offering easy access to a variety of different information channels about your company. Although Accenture offers many different informational channels that explain who they are and what services they can offer to potential clients, these channels are not easily accessible. When doing a simple search of Accenture on Google, you initially see a link to Accenture’s website along with a few key words with vague descriptions. In order for Accenture to attract and gain new clients they need to have access points to all of their different social networks. These social media access points will allow Accenture to promote its marketing message to a larger business demographic who will feel more comfortable operating in one of these social media domains. Accenture also needs to do a better job at educating its customer base by explaining who Accenture is as a company and what kind of services they offer to potential clients. As it stands now customers who go on Accenture’s company website have to navigate through web page after web page to find a simple description on which the company is and what services they offer. Accenture’s homepage is full of key words and links to other parts of the company’s website. I would recommend that the include information on value added services that would differentiate itself for competitors. Accenture should elaborate on its many value added services that it has done in the past on projects that reduced cost, improved performance, innovative features, speed responsiveness and customization. These value added services will not only attract and sustain customers it will also help Accenture’s bottom line by causing customers to pay a higher premium for services rendered. Since most of the services that Accenture offers to its customers are intangible they need to do a better job at trying to make their services feel more tangible, instead of just offering detailed, long worded business plans and short, non-descriptive statements on services provided. Accenture could further demonstrate services that they provided to past customers through cost savings graphs, efficiency improvement charts, and customer testimonials. Also, to reduce customer uncertainty and address any questions a potential customer might have I would recommend that Accenture have a live web assistant messaging service on their home page. This service would allow the customers to speak in real time to a customer service representative. These simple tweaks to Accenture’s homepage will reduce some of the unknowns and risk that all customers undoubtedly face when searching for a new company to do business with. In order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of B2B marketing Accenture should adopt a CRM system like its lead competitor Ernst amp; Young did to manage its client customer base. Ernst amp; Young adopted a CRM software called Aprimo to perform the following functions: targeted direct e-mails, ongoing lead management, inbound interactions via Web form submission, Webcast registration and follow-up, and project management (task assignment and follow-up) for their national and regional marketing teams (Shadick, 2012). Many of the components of the information within Ernst amp; Youngs Aprimo CRM system are shared with customer relationship departments within the firm. For example, opportunities are collected from events, tradeshows, sponsorships, webcast and direct communications, which are then distributed to the appropriate individuals for follow-up (Shadick, 2012). With the adoption of CRM systems like Aprimo, Accenture would have real-time access to client’s interest and inquires allowing them to tailor their response to new and existing client’s needs. Conclusion In Conclusion Accenture is a very dynamic B2B company that utilizes virtually all of the media outlets available to educate and attract new customers. Accenture’s B2B marketing campaign is unique in the fact that it leverages its current ongoing business initiatives with its own customer base through an online Journal called: Outlook. This journal boldly talks about what Accenture is doing now and in the future for its client base. This and many other creative marketing/informational channels that Accenture has created brings assurance and a sense of trust to customers who are uncertain with partaking in a service that really doesn’t produce a tangible outcome and cost thousands, if not millions, of dollars to perform. Works Cited Shadick, David (2011). Ernst amp; Young Better Manages B2B Marketing with Aprimo Marketing, Sun. 17 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. information-management. com/issues/20030301/6410-1. htmlgt;. Services. Linkedin n. pag. LinkedIn. Web. 17 Nov 2012. lt;http://www. linkedin. com/company/accenture/products? trk=tabs_biz_productgt;. Apps by Accenture. Google play n. pag. Google play. Web. 17 Nov 2012. lt;https://play. google. com/store/apps/developer? id=Accentureamp;hl=engt;. Accenture. About Accenture n. pag. YouTube. Web. 17 Nov 2012. lt;https://www. youtube. com/user/Accenturegt;. Appendix A1 – Social Network Metrics

Business Research Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Research Methodology - Essay Example The objective of this research proposal is to understand and analyse factors affecting behaviour of consumers while purchasing products of Apple Company. In order to obtain essential research data related to the company and various strategies implemented by the company, extensive secondary research has been done. The study will try to figure out the relationship between factors affecting consumer behaviour and its relationship with purchasing decisions made by the consumers. The overall aim of the study has been divided into smaller objective and each objective has been studies thoroughly. The study has used both qualitative and quantitative method for data collection as well as data analysis. Primary data is collected through questionnaire as well as focus group methods. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 Research Questions 5 Literature Review 5 Research Methodology 6 Justification 6 Research Methods 6 Research Philosophy 6 Research Approach 7 Research Strategy 8 Data Collection Met hod 8 Data Analysis 9 Reference List 10 Introduction The use of computer tablets and smartphone has seen a dramatic increase in the recent past. Also, mobile applications have taken up the last spot in various gossips around mobile industry. Latest mobile applications companies such as Apple have revolutionalised the distribution of technologically advanced products. They have also become extremely visible and one of the most profitable part of the company. For decades, consumers have been the most puzzling and complex factor for the marketing and business professionals. Consumer behaviour, decision making processes, reasons for various choices etc, have always been the topic of interest as well as awe for these marketers (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2006). However, with the help of technology as well as various business analysis tools, marketers have been able to crack many of these puzzles. That is why the study of consumer behaviour is one of the critical factors in every busin ess strategy (Pride and Ferrell, 2012). The study of consumer behaviour considers various reasons such as situational, personal, social and psychological, reason for shopping products and services, buying and using them, becoming loyal customers and disposing them. Mobile communications have hugely impacted the way individuals and communities interact with each other and perform business. Smart phones have become a must have item for executives and business professionals because the offering of smartphone are more advances and versatile compared to regular mobile phones. Several factors can be attributed to customers getting attracted to a particular product or service as well as switching from one product to another. These can be product quality, design and style and support services offered by the products (Hoyer and Macinnis, 2008). In case of mobile and technological products, competition is more intense. Availability of technology has made the competition tough and decreases th e overall life of mobile products. Thus, companies now require to be constantly innovating in order to survive in the market. Consumer behaviour can also be affected by various other factors such as situational, psychological, personal, family and culture. Marketers try to find out the various trends so that they are able to reach their target customers in the most convenient and cost-effective way. Marketers also try

Journal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal - Article Example He interrupts the reader’s train of thought unexpectedly and suggests the exact opposite of what they might be thinking. For example, he mentions that a few empty shampoo bottles fall in the tub that have been accumulated over time. The reader expects him to request to throw them away; on the contrary, he instructs them to put them back in order. Similarly, the instructions regarding mending the shower curtain and calling for help when none of his techniques work is hilarious. Thus Frazier points to an everyday incident which rather proves to be quirky and troublesome in an amusing way. Journal Writing This article reminds me of something really annoying, particularly when one is in a rush. Purses, wallets, hand bags and all other types of bags sometimes become a nuisance, if anything goes wrong with the straps, or zippers, or the safety locks. Even the inside pockets of bags and purses are either so tiny or so huge that our belongings get either stuck or lost, respectively. L ooking for a bunch of keys, or a receipt/ token/ ticket/ cash can become a hassled task. Fumbling for our belongings in the bags/ purses that we carry everyday is rather an annoying thing; but when looked at in retrospection, we might laugh at such incidents. Once I had to return a scarf to the sales girl in which I had found a defect.

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Criminology - Essay Example Wade. Romney overtly expressed his distaste for abortion and was proud of his Pro-Life views. He actively sought the support of people who wished to overturn the Roe vs. Wade and further established that his presidency would discontinue the Federal funding provided to organization that supported abortion. On the other hand, democratic nominee Obama had openly criticized Romney for his lack of consistency over the matter, as he had expressed an inclination towards the Pro-choice stance on the matter; Obama campaign was quick to criticize this move on Romney’s part and accused him of ‘playing politics’. (CNN, 2012) It was indeed ostensible that Romney, a former proponent of the Pro-choice stance on the matter had quickly molded his views according to the Republican point of view. This was a questionable move on part of the Romney campaign that may have lead to the loss of support, however Obama campaign had not only promised to preserve the Roe vs. Wade ruling but also gave people the hope that they would actively work to reduce the need for abortion in the society (CNN, 2012). He believed in maintaining the federal funding provided to family planning agencies, but he had elucidated on the fact that he wished to protect women’s interest without infringing upon their rights and wanted to embolden the efficacy of other methods that would prevent an unwanted conception. From a sociological perspective, Abortion represents a symbolic interactionist social issue, because it is an issue that entails multiple facets that has to be taken into account and rouses several different interpretations that leads to a disparity in public opinion. In other words, individuals may regulate their opinion on an issue according to their interpretation of the matter, which is subjected to change. Abortion is a multifaceted issue, it legalization and

School uniform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School uniform - Research Paper Example Furthermore, Wiseman and Hunt also cite an example on the successful program brought out by the imposition of school uniform to students in Long Beach, California where a dramatic decrease of student violence had occurred after a year it was imposed (200). Former U.S President Bill Clinton also suggests the use of school uniforms for public schools in order to lessen the cases of violence and gang wars to happen (qtd. in Brunsma). This initiated the introduction of school uniforms in the public schools in the U.S.   Ebert and Culyer note that the imposition of school uniforms lessens the unequivocal existence of financial disparity among students (213). Since the wealthy students will wear the same clothes as with the less privileged, the latter will not feel inferior, and thus, increasing their self esteem. Bullying cases will be lessened and prevented since the rich can no longer make fun of their classmates who cannot afford to buy branded and signature clothes.  The implement ation of school uniforms diminishes distractions of students from unnecessary contemplation of what to wear every day, thus, focusing their attention more to school academics (Ebert and Culyer 213). This would greatly improve the students’ academic performance since their attention will be focused more on their subjects rather than on the effort in looking good and being on fashion all the time. Peer pressure to be wearing what is in for fashion and to dress expensively will also lessen; thus, students focus their efforts. more in learning and studying (Larson 180). Performance at school will greatly improve, since they look good and smart in a school uniform; they tend to perform better at school. Oneil implies that when students put on a school uniform every day, this will give them a connotation that they have to take their education seriously (61). When they see their parents going to work wearing their business suits and attires every day, students will also get motivated to practice a business-like approach in dealing with their studies since they are wearing a uniform themselves to school. Not only that they look smart in a uniform, they also look proper and neat in a uniform. School uniforms are economical and practical as compared with buying fashionable clothes since students will just have to repeatedly wear their uniforms everyday (Oneil 61). Parents favor school uniforms more than not wearing one because they will not be pressured with their children to buy designer clothes for them to fit in the ostracizing crowd (Oneil 62). They will just have to buy a set of

Women's Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women's Work - Essay Example For an example how cultured a Romanian woman is depends on her personality and her attitude. She does not want to stagnate in the boredom of daily life, but is always trying out new things, learning about new ideas and acquiring new information to augment her knowledge. (Halsall, 1998) A cultural woman will never forget who she really is. The three main roles a women plays in her whole life time is of a daughter, wife and a mother. But a cultured daughter, wife and mother show different duties to society. (UNESCO) The initial stage of a women hood is where she is some one's daughter. Its there a women develops the strength of character, tolerance unconditional love and culture. But as time passes she moves on, her out look changes but the inner qualities of a cultured women remains the same. That is why she can be called cultural in contrast of men whose images of super power, some one who not bend but will be willing to guide. (About, 2008) According to almost every culture a woman leaves her family and goes to her husband's place once she is married. A cultured woman follows this tradition. She will maintain a balance between the culture she came from and the culture she went into and will follow it. She will respect the values and norms of her in laws and will prove herself to be the best for adjusting in that family. (About, 2008) A woman'

New Labour as Thatcherism with a Human Face Essay

New Labour as Thatcherism with a Human Face - Essay Example The move was said partly elicit greater support from the middle class and to support more liberal market policies, afford greater access to welfare and government services and to increase leverage for workers' rights and compensation equity initiatives not by prescribed or direct political intervention but through free market frameworks (Webber, 2009). Evaluation and Analysis There are key differences that have to be recognized by the two sets of policies. To achieve her political objectives, Hill points out that Thatcher essentially had to centralize power. In contrast, New Labour policies revived local governance and accountability including the restoration of the Greater London Authority. Both sought to address bureaucratic issues that were deemed as a deterrent to the effectiveness of governance (Talshir, 2005). Both sets of policies migrated away from the traditional politics of both of their respective parties to adapt approaches most associated more commonly with other political parties (Needham and Nou, 2005). Thatcher adapted liberal policies in contrast with her conservative background and Blair adapted free market policies that diverged from the socialist roots of the Labour party. The most often referred to contrast of the two policies has been in their policies on welfare (Hill, 2001). The Thatcher administration reduced welfare allocations a nd place more stringent criteria to its access. On the other hand, the Blair administration increased welfare funding and expanded services and coverage (Howard, 2004). Comparing the two policies their main similarities lies in their espousing free market principles: both Thatcher and Blair emphasized the need for market driven economies... Both sought to address bureaucratic issues that were deemed as a deterrent to the effectiveness of governance (Talshir, 2005). Both sets of policies migrated away from the traditional politics of both of their respective parties to adapt approaches most associated more commonly with other political parties (Needham   and Nou, 2005). Thatcher adapted liberal policies in contrast with her conservative background and Blair adapted free market policies that diverged from the socialist roots of the Labour party. The most often referred to contrast of the two policies has been in their policies on welfare (Hill, 2001). The Thatcher administration reduced welfare allocations and place more stringent criteria to its access. On the other hand, the Blair administration increased welfare funding and expanded services and coverage (Howard, 2004). Comparing the two policies their main similarities lies in their espousing free market principles: both Thatcher and Blair emphasized the need for ma rket driven economies that encourage productivity and efficiency.   Areas that they had contrasting policies, such as in their perspectives regarding welfare states, had similar consequences (Hills, 1998). Thatcher’s reduction of the welfare state emphasized the need to diminish the dependence on welfare state programs and reserved services to the most socially disadvantaged to reduce cost. In the case of New Labour policies on the same issue, though there was an increase of access pre-Thatcher reforms (Brown,   2004).

Catholic Areas of Europe before 1570 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Catholic Areas of Europe before 1570 - Essay Example The process is still viewed by many European observers as favourable.4 Aside from increasing wealth through world trade and bartered products, ties between the Old World and the new world were discovered. They also believed it introduced Christianity. The conquest of the Americas and expansion to the rest of the world were said to have brought about the best as well as the worst of European civilization. Resources were greedily plundered and the natives were brutally repressed and enslaved in attempts to create news institutions and convert the natives to Christianity. In any case, the Europeans had begun to change the face of the world in an effort to export their religion, culture, and language to all corners of the earth.5 "Christianising" brought in wealth for Spain's new colonies in Latin America mainly from silver. In 1545 silver was discovered at Potos, in modern Bolivia. After delivering European goods needed in the colonies, convoys of Spanish caravels would carry back to Sp ain gold and silver together with a 20% share of the Spanish crown.6 But the rise of the Reformation (1517) had inflicted serious wounds on the Church, when so many priests defected.7 II. Religious allegiance Massive campaign to Christianise. Catholic Europe had been confined to one geographical area for almost a thousand years. The Crusades which saw them beyond frontiers had largely failed.8 The religious orders early on, had obtained broad powers in the colonies so that the Franciscans, the Dominicans and the Augustinians carried out a massive campaign to Christianize the natives, especially in New Spain. Lands outside Europe provided a strong attraction, and desire for wealth was the main motivation of the early explorers, though spreading Christianity was also an important factor.9 Mixed motives. All with "God, glory, and gold" as the primary motives of the voyages, several were carried out in the first two decades of the sixteenth century exploring the eastern coasts of both North and South America. Vasco Nuez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer, led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panam, reaching the Pacific Ocean in 1513, and Ferdinand Magellan in 1519 sailed through the Pacific Ocean and reached the Philippines, where he was killed by the natives.10 III. Economic Development Beginning a new era. European adventurers like Magellan were hardly aware that they were beginning a new era, not only for Europe but for the peoples of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. They marked the beginning of a process leading to radical changes in the political, economic and cultural life of the entire world.11 More wars. The imperial age saw that the population of the lands of the united monarchy amounted to 8,500,000 in the 1590s, a level which was not surpassed for two hundred years. Emigration to the Indies averaged to about 2,000 people a year. The European wars were fought almost entirely outside Spanish soil, and the proportion of European mercenaries in 50,000 to 70,000 troops being maintained by the crown increased steadily, especially in the closing decades of the

Loan Management System Essay Example for Free

Loan Management System Essay The Traditional way of maintaining details of a user in a bank was to enter the details and record them. Every time the user need to perform some transactions he has to go to bank and perform the necessary actions, which may not be so feasible all the time. It may be a hard-hitting task for the users and the bankers too. The project gives real life understanding of Online Banking System and activities performed by various roles in the supply chain. Here, we provide an automation for banking system through Internet. Online Banking System project captures activities performed by different roles in real life banking which provides enhanced techniques for maintaining the required information upto-date, which results in efficiency. The project gives real life understanding of Online Banking System and activities performed by various roles in the supply chain. Scope of the Project This Project investigates the entry threshold for providing a new transaction service channel via the real options approach, where the entry threshold is established by using an Internet banking system designed for the use of normal users(individuals), Industrialists, Entrepreneurs, Educational Institutions(Financial sections), Organizations and Academicians under transaction rate uncertainty. Customer must have a valid User Id and password to login to the system If a wrong password is given thrice in succession, that account will be locked and the customer will not be able to use it. When an invalid password is entered a warning is given to the user that his account is going to get locked. After the valid user logs in he is shown the list of accounts he has with the bank. On selecting the desired account he is taken to a page which shows the present balance in that particular account number. User can request for the details of the last ‘n’ number of transactions that he has performed. A report can also be taken of this. User can make a funds transfer to another account in the same bank. User is provided with a transaction password which is different from the login password. User can transfer funds from his account to any other account with this bank. If the transaction is successful a notification should appear to the customer, in case it is unsuccessful, a proper message should be given to the customer as to why it failed. User can request for cheque book/change of address/stop payment of cheque’s User can view his monthly as well as annual statements. He can also take print out of the same. Generate reports at every section Administrator can take a back up of the database for every instance that is happening, periodically. All users are authenticated to avail the services FAQ section is also included for end users benefit.

Leadership and Management in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Management in Nursing Essay Nursing is a very demanding and dedicated profession and the current shortage is a serious problem at all levels of nursing and is the dearth of leaders among nurses. Leadership and management are essential skills for all qualified healthcare professionals and have a pivotal role in ensuring a delivery of high standards of care. Developing future nurse leaders is one of the greatest challenges faced by the nursing profession, (Mahoney, 2001). The author is currently working as a midwife in one of the big hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The average deliveries per month are 500-600. There are 22 midwives in this unit and there are eight vacant posts for midwives . Due to the shortage of midwives, these professional staffs are subjected to personal and work related stress. Preston et, al. (1981) defined stress as an adaptive response, mediated by individual characteristics or psychological processes. The negative effects of stress could be evident in staff absenteeism, hostility, and aggression. This will impair the provision of quality care and the effective functioning of the organization. (Healy amp; McKay, 1999). The adverse effect of workload and stress in the author’s placement has lead to an alarming high staff turnover. Apparently, the increased workload has affected the staff performances and the quality of nursing care. When the staff feel that they are not cared for, then they find it difficult to care for patients ( Atwater amp; Bass 1994, Lancaster 1999). In this assignment, the author will explore the various leadership styles and their theories and also distinguish the functions between leadership and management. The author will also critically explore the manager’s leadership practice in labor and delivery suite, thus creating a culture of reducing stress. The link of leadership style from the aspect of work, environment, communication, empowerment, delegation, implications, conclusion and recommendations will be discussed further. Leaders are not someone who holds top position but also able to give assistance to others, (Mahoney, 2001). Whereas in my placement, the head nurse, who is the leader, never gives a helping hand during the deliveries. She anticipates the midwives to conduct and manage the deliveries, even though there’s shortage of staff. The nurse manager has to prepare the correct number of staff on each shift with the credentials to do the job and must be aware of the policies regarding overtime, floating from one unit to another. She must form a competent team and manage them to carry out the plan for reaching the goal of excellent patient care. Effective leaders are not merely someone who is skillful but they must acquire good attitudes, (Cook, 2001). The nurse manager must understand the factors surrounding the current situation in the unit and have the knowledge of various approaches to leadership that will help to understand and determine the best leadership approach to create a positive work environment to reduce stress. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence, inspire and motivate a group of people towards the achievement of its goal, (Yuki, 2002). Management is a process of getting things done effectively through planning and organization of services which is one of the basic function of management whereas the leader is an intermediary between work group and the top management, (Marquis and Huston, 2006). The manager uses a formal and rational method whilst the leader uses passions and stirs emotions. Without enabling and empowering nursing leadership, efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare will be limited and short-lived, as said by Kelly (2008). For a leader to achieve the goal, she must have the three essential things which are power, authority and influence to act in a way that will stimulate a positive respond from the staff (Tomey, 2009). Leaders will emerge when nurses feel valued and inspired to strive for excellence. They aim to improve patient care via a cohesive work force by focusing on interpersonal relationships between leaders and subordinates, (Malby 1997). A nursing leader should have a distinctive set of personal qualities, integrity, courage, initiative, ability to handle stress, think critically, able to resolve problems without conflicts, skillful communication and must be empathetic. They are not those who control others but they act as visionaries who help staff to plan, lead, control and organize their activities, (Jooste,2004). There are many types of leadership. Autocratic type of leaders are those who make all decisions and expect others to follow without questioning and never seek advice from others, (Sullivan amp; Decker 2005). This situation had made some of the midwives to leave for greener pastures. The current health system has advanced in technology and improved in care giving services (Cook, 2001). The author feels that this leadership style is no longer tenable and fits into the contemporary nursing practice and a consumer responsive culture. Democratic leaders encourage the participant of staff and use a consensus for decision making, (Sullivan amp; Decker 2005) whereas bureaucratic leadership occurs when a leader rigidly adheres to rules, regulations and policies of the organization, (Jenkins and Henderson, 1984). Instead of providing sufficient support and consideration, my nurse manager demonstrates these leadership qualities because she uses rules and policies thus expecting strict compliance from the midwives. . By following the organizational hierarchy’s influence, she puts herself in a high position but never use her power constructively (Masquis amp; Huston, 2006). Due to top management instructions, she adheres to the current policies, making no changes in them but gives verbal instruction and changing policies to her likes and dislikes. This swifts away trust and open communications between the manager and the midwives. Due to unvented stress and high expectations from the nurse manager, the midwives burnout level have been exacerbated . Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment, as said by Maslach amp;Jackson (1981). Reports have proved that in this kind of environment, patient’s safety is at risk (Institute of Medicine, 2004). Participative leadership allows staff to participate in decision making and actively seek out the participation of those involved. This type of leadership allows staff to feel more committed to the goals they were involved (Faugier amp; Woolnough, 2002). The author feels that the head nurse should have these qualities so that the unit will run smoothly, and the staff will be appreciated and acknowledged so that good nursing care can be rendered. Transformational leadership is especially well suited for today’s fast changing healthcare environment where adaptation is extremely important (Welford,2002). It starts with the development of a vision that will excite and convert potential followers, (Outhwaite, 2003). To achieve organizational success, this style advocates for strong leadership qualities and these leaders use motivation in their approach than use rewards and punishment as said by Kouzes amp; Posner (2002). In the author’s point of view, this leadership is proposed as empowering leadership style which well suits in my unit and to be recognized by the nurse manager. According to Bowles amp; Bowels (2002), transformational leaders create a leadership culture for all team members nurturing empowerment, increase their autonomy and open communication for inclusive decision making. The nurse manager takes responsibilities for discussing care related matters with the midwives which makes them to be motivated and work more effectively to contribute to the development and provision of the unit, (Murphy. 2005). The ability of the leader to articulate a shared vision is an important aspect of transformational leadership (Faugier amp; Woolnough, 2002). Another leadership style is transactional leadership which focuses on providing day to day care between leaders and their employee. It aims to maintain equilibrium and harmony by using incentives to enhance staff loyalty and performance (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Laissez faire leadership is another style that leaves the staff alone to work with no directions or facilitations and is a highly risky form of leadership, (Sullivan amp; Decker 2005). Since the author’s placement is labor and delivery, it’s not advisable to have this kind of leader in this unit as it will increase the mortality rate. The high level of burnout and increased workload due to shortage of midwives and less rest days has resulted them to leave. This disequilibrium may trigger the risk of physical and mental health of these midwives. The manager has depleted the nurses basic psychological needs which are rest and sleep and at the same time reducing their self- esteem, as said in Maslow’s theory of human motivation. The leader should explore barriers and identify conflicts when they arise and collaborate with the team and be able to understand the employee’s perspective (Outhwaite,2003). A more effective form of leadership maybe situational leadership where the leader switches the style depending upon the situation at hand and upon the competence of the staff, (Faugier amp; Woolnough, 2002). The nurse manager must be good clinician and have judgment skills to handle any problem that cannot be handled by the staff. By doing so, the staff will listen to her as she guides them. Communication also plays a vital role as this can prevent conflict and smoothes the progress of team building in the unit Calpin-Davies, (2000). A good communicator gives the staff detailed instructions to perform tasks that are necessary to reach the goal. The nurse manager uses a communication book to provide important information to all the staff in the unit, as supported by Sullivan amp; Decker (2005). By reading and acknowledging with a signature, she assures the message has been reached effectively. As a leader, the nurse manager has to be a good listener. It provides the opportunity to receive valuable feedback that is used to avert some problems and resolve others and also giving greater understanding of the issues being discussed. When there are incidences in the unit, the nurse manager gives a listening ear to the staff and tries to solve the problems. She puts aside preconceived ideas or prejudices when listening to staff. Being a leader, the nurse manager delegates some of the tasks to the staff to focus on more complex aspects of running the unit. She delegates the right task to the right person, for example sending and collecting of narcotics by the midwife as these drugs used are cautioned in Saudi Arabia. A good leader fosters a congenial work environment by coaching, praising and training the staff to perform an excellent job and also by conducting continuous nursing education. Supervision goes in the observation of staff and to evaluate in the yearly performance appraisal. The author would recommend that the nurse manager in this unit has to change her leadership style to She should resources for proper quality care Conclusion Today, healthcare environment requires leaders to be skillful and knowledgeable and have strong inspirational leadership qualities across the health care organization. In this millennium, nursing must make a dedicated effort to nurture its young nurses to grow into effective and motivating leaders.

Urban Areas: Population, Land Use and Health

Urban Areas: Population, Land Use and Health Urban Areas Arun Persaud Discuss land use, population, health and sanitation in urban areas. Introduction According to Ramsawak and Umraw (2001), â€Å"all the people residing within a specific geographic area, for example, within a nation, a geographic region, a state, or a city is called its population†. The population density of an area can be defined as the number of people living in a particular area of land at a particular time. Population density can be influenced by a variety of factors which include physical factors such as relief or height of land, climatic and natural vegetation, influence of agriculture, industrial influence and also urban influence (Ramsawak and Umraw, 2001). An urban area is an area that has a dense population of people and has a density of structures such as roads, railways, housing and commercial buildings. The area usual functions as a marketing town, commercial hub, administration, manufacturing and industrial sites and also tourism. Examples of urban areas include cities, towns and suburbs. Urbanization is the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas. This results in negative impacts for both areas. The rural area often suffers from brain-drain while a lot of physical pressure is placed on the receiving urban area. The urban area usually becomes overcrowded and there is a shortage of housing and other facilities. There is also usually a rise in pollution level and low level of sanitation (Ramsawak and Umraw, 2001). Sanitation is simply the provision of facilities and services to get rid of waste products such as sewage and garbage. This is very important because it promotes a healthy environment and also protects the population from any health threats which may be connected to exposure to these wastes. Land use in urban areas Land use can be defined as the use of land by human. This involves the management of land and also the modification of land into built environment so as to meet the need of the present population or the population which will utilize the land (Dickinson and Shaw, 1977). The effects of land use may include deforestation, soil erosion, soil degradation, salinization and urban sprawl. Urban sprawl can be defined as the expansion of the urban area population into area that was once classified as rural area. There are six major types of land uses in urban areas. These include:- Residential land use- The use of land for people to live. This usually makes up about 40% of an urban area. The type of housing in an area is based on the residential density which is the number of houses per hectare. Residential density may be low density (thirty units per hectare), medium density (thirty to a hundred units per hectare) or high density (exceeds a hundred units per hectare). Transportation land use- Land which is used for transporting people and goods from one place to another. This is influenced by the amount of people residing in the urban settlement, the more people the more vehicles the road infrastructure has to support and the more parking spaces will be needed. Transportation land usually makes up about 32% of the urban area. Transportation land includes land spaces which are utilized for roads, subways, railroad tracks and airports. Commercial land use- Commercial areas in an urban settlement can take up about 5% of the land. These commercial areas are used business activities such as restaurants, shopping malls and service stations which are very important in maintaining a healthy economy in the community. Industrial land use- Industrial land spaces within urban areas usually take up about 6% of the urban land and are usually found along railways or water ways. Industrial land use is the use of land for the establishment of industries factories such as power plants. Institutional land use- Land which is used for schools, hospitals, government offices, churches and other places of religious offering. Institutional land uses usually take up about 10% of an urban area land. Recreational land use- Land which is used for leisure activities example playgrounds and parks. Population Urban areas are usually very densely populated. This is so because of a variety of reasons which may include rural migration and over-population, industrialization, natural increase, lack of public and social services in rural areas and commercial sector. Rural migration is the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas. This is resulted from persons chasing after an improvement of their standard of living through employment and a better life, which may be available in urban areas. Over-population causes pressure on the land and this encourages persons to migrate to urban areas. A continuing movement of persons will eventually lead to rural depopulation and a gradual increase in urban population. There are a few industries and employment opportunities in rural area so people from here usually go seek jobs in urban areas where they could earn a livelihood. Increasing industrialization in urban areas attracts new rural migrants. Industrialization creates job opportunities. The transfer of such large numbers of people is partly as a result of the concentration of economic activities is in the urban areas. Natural increase occurs when the crude birth rate is more than the crude death rate. This simply means when there are a greater number of births over deaths in a given population The lack of basic public and social services in rural areas result in migration to urban areas where facilities such as adequate schools, transportation facilities, health facilities and telephone services are made available to the population. Even the roads in the rural areas are in poor conditions and farming areas are often inaccessible, hence the quality services in the urban areas attract the rural population. An urban area can be classified as the commercial sector in that large amount of whole sale and retail activities are undertaken here. The central business district (C.B.D) provides varied commercialized services and rural migrants are attracted to the urban areas because of these services. There is a greater opportunity for them to gain employment and also some may become involved in street vending or even self-employed since there will be market available for their services which they can provide. Urban areas face problems as a result of dense population. These include unemployment problem, traffic congestion, shortage of housing facilities and public services. A high rate of unemployment still exists within urban areas even though there are industrial and commercial activities present. This is so because rural migrants keep moving to urban areas and also there is a natural growth of the urban population, hence there is a greater demand for jobs. The unavailability of jobs for the younger population especially can result in an increase crime rate. This heavy increase of population over time leads to a shortage of housing facilities since there is a greater demand of housing. Many persons cannot afford the high cost of living and facilities since they may not be gainfully employed or they are unemployed. This leads to the development of slums/ghettoes or shanty towns and also squatting becomes a large social problem (WHO, 2014). Squatting can be defined as occupying a piece of that that is abandoned or unoccupied. Squatters do not own or rent the land nor do they have any legal rights to use the land. A shanty town consists of houses which a re poorly built from scavenged materials such as cardboard boxes, plywood, metal sheets and plastic sheets. Traffic congestion is a major issue within urban areas. This is so because as the population grows the road infrastructures have to support more day-to-day traveling of people, goods and materials within the urban area and also in and out. Therefore, inadequate road networks and parking spaces for the dense population of urban areas result in daily traffic congestions. There is a lack of public services and inadequate facilities such as educational and recreational facilities with an increased population. With an increased population, educational facilities are stretched to their limits and this result in a demand for more educational facilities and also educational improvements. The recreational facilities would have been established to be used by the past population but with a gradually increase of population these facilities may become inadequate. There is also a lack of sanitary facilities due to urban population growth and pressure is placed on the existing facilities. Health and Sanitation With a rapid increase of urban population there is a lack of sanitation, a shortage of water supplies and also a lack of facilities for the disposal of the large amounts of garbage produced. This all leads to the pollution o the environment (Water supply and Collaborative Council, 2010). Pollution can be defined as the accumulation of any unwanted substance within the environment. Some causes of poor sanitation of urban areas include:- Since urban areas are usually densely populated, there are a large amount of solid waste being produced and also waste water being produced. These solid waste materials are usually not collected regularly or there maybe restrictions on the amount of solid refuse which will be collected by authorities per household. This may lead to persons finding alternative ways to dispose refuse or a gradual buildup of refuse which results in an unaesthetic sight and an unhealthy environment. Waste water being produced is not usually being treated right or not being treated at all. When this water mixes with fresh water it contaminates it and makes it unhealthy to drink and even use for domestic purposes such as washing clothes or bathing (Water supply and Collaborative Council, 2010). The leakage of sewers, waste and latrine contents result in the pollution of underground water. Underground water as the name suggests, is water that flows below the surface. It is also referred to as subsurface groundwater. Underground water is often used by dwellers of the slum population as a drinking source or for domestic uses such as bathing and washing. This could result in health threats (Water supply and Collaborative Council, 2010). There is also a lack of Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) systems. This allows the buildup of sludge in poorly built pits which causes the sludge to mix with the underground water and illegal dumping of waste from private pit emptier in the sea/river. This causes health risks to the environment and all the components of it (Water supply and Collaborative Council, 2010). Urban areas usually contain industries and factories which may result in pollution of the environment. This pollution can occur in the form of smoke into the atmosphere, waste water being drained out into the water ways and also solid waste materials maybe disposed poorly. As seen above, there is a relationship and interconnection with sanitation and the health of the environment and all biotic life within it. In order to obtain or maintain a good sanitation level the waste and sanitation management has to keep up to pace with the growing population since the more people the more waste and physical pressure on the environment, services and facilities from them. In urban areas there is a greater demand for social services such as health programs since a greater population has to be catered for. A densely populated region results in a low ratio of doctors and nurses to patients with in the health system. Therefore, there is an increase requirement of finance to to establish adequate health facilities with treatment and medication for all and also more money will be needed to employ new staffs and personnel to attend to these patients (Gabriel, 1989). References Ramsawak, R. and Umraw, R. (2001) Modules in Social Studies with SBA Guide CXC Questions, Caribbean Educational Publishers. Dickson, G.C. Shaw. M.G (1977) What is ‘land use’?, http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/20001161?uid=3738168uid=2129uid=2uid=70uid=4sid=21104345935161, 12th Aug 2014. Dr. Sadik, N. (1996) State of the world population 1996: Changing Places: Population, Development and Urban Future, https://www.unfpa.org/swp/1996/index.htm, 12th Aug 2014. Water supply and Collaborative Council. (2010) Sanitation/Urban Sanitation, http://www.wsscc.org/topics/sanitation/urban-sanitation, 12th Aug 2014. Unite For Sight (n.d.) Urban Versus Rural Health, http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/urban-rural-health, 12th Aug 2014. Gabriel, B. (1989) Access to Health Care in Urban Areas of Developing Societies, http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2136988?uid=3738168uid=2129uid=2uid=70uid=4sid=21104912929123, 13th Aug 2014. Smart Development Stories. (n.d.) Urban Faecal Sludge Management Program, http://www.snvworld.org/en/countries/bangladesh/our-work/urban-faecal-sludge-management-programme, 12th Aug 2014. Internet Geography. (n.d.) Population, http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/popn1.html, 15th Aug 2014. World Health Organization. (2014) Global Health Observatory, http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/en/, 15th Aug 2014. Farooq, U. (2012) Characteristics of Rural and Urban Community, http://www.studylecturenotes.com/social-sciences/sociology/360-characteristics-of-rural-and-urban-community, 14th Aug 2014. Global Warming: Causes and Effects Global Warming: Causes and Effects Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts and floods are getting more frequent. It is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years, though, say scientists. Tier data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer now than it has been for at least a thousand years. Out of the 20 warmest years on record, 19 have occurred since 1980. There have always been natural climate hangs Ice Ages and the warm intermediate times between them but those even, a temperature rise as fast as the one we have seen over the last 30 years has never happened before, as far as scientists can ascertain. Moreover, normally the Earth should now be in a cool-down-period, according to natural effects like solar cycles and volcano activity, not in a heating-up phase. What Is The Greenhouse Effect? Seen from space, our atmosphere is but a tiny layer of gas around a huge bulky planet. But it is this gaseous outer ring and its misleadingly called greenhouse effect that makes life on Earth possible and that could destroy life as we know it. The sun is the Earths primary energy source, a burning star so hot that we can feel its heat from over 150 million kilometres away. Its rays enter our atmosphere and shower upon on our planet. About one third of this solar energy is reflected back into the universe by shimmering glaciers, water and other bright surfaces. Two thirds, however, are absorbed by the Earth, thus warming land, oceans, and atmosphere much of this heat radiates back out into space, but some of it is stored in the atmosphere. This process is called the greenhouse effect. Without it, the Earths average temperature would be a chilling -18 degrees Celsius, even despite the suns constant energy supply. In a world like this, life on Earth would probably have never emerged fr om the sea.  Our planet, however, has no glass walls; the only thing that comes close to acting as such is our atmosphere. But in here, processes are way more complicated than in a real greenhouse. Like a radiator in space only about half of all solar energy that reaches the Earth is infrared radiation and causes immediate warming when passing the atmosphere. The other half is of a higher frequency, and only translates into heat once it hits Earth and is later reflected back into space as waves of infrared radiation. This transformation of solar radiation in to infrared radiation is crucial, because infrared radiation can be absorbed by the atmosphere. So, on a cold and clear night for example, parts of this infrared radiation that would normally dissipate into space get caught up in the Earths atmosphere. And like a radiator in the middle of a room, our atmosphere radiates this heat into all directions. Parts of this heat are finally sent out in the frozen nothingness of space, parts of it are sent back to Earth where they step up global temperatures. Just how much warmer it gets down here depends on how much energy is absorbed up there- and this, in turn, depends on the atmospheres composition. How do these things happen Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up 98 percent of the Earths atmosphere. But they do not absorb significant amounts of infrared radiation, and thus do not contribute to the greenhouse effect. It is the more exotic components like water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons that absorb heat and thus increase atmospheric temperatures. Studies indicate that until some 2.7 billion years ago, there was so much carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane in our atmosphere that average temperatures on Earth were as high as 70 degrees. But bacteria and plants slowly turned CO2 into oxygen and the concentration of CO2 in our current atmosphere dropped to just about 0.038 percent or 383 parts per million (PPM), a unit of measurement used for very low concentrations of gases that has become a kind of currency in climate change debates. Can we control global warming? Yes we can control global warm by creating jobs, saving consumers money, and protecting our national security. By investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and increasing the efficiency of the cars we drive, we can take essential steps toward reducing our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels that cause global warming. Using energy more efficiently and moving to renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and bio energy) would significantly reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases. Since the burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide-the leading cause of global warming-but renewable energy does not, increasing the share of our electricity generated from renewable resources is one of the most effective ways to reduce global warming emissions. Cars and trucks are another significant source (45 percent) of carbon dioxide emissions. A serious effort to address global warming must therefore reduce emissions from cars and trucks.We know that the earth is very sensitive to small changes in the amount of incoming sunlight. What about launching relatively small amounts of Mylar foil into low earth orbit? By picking the right orbits, we control how much sunlight they reflect and how long they stay up. We even could use a more complex idea of Mylar balloons with a few millbars of a specially formulated gas.  As soon as sun light strikes it, the balloon fully expands reflecting sunlight, but on the night side of the planet, the balloon collapses to allow heat to flow past it into space from earth.  We could use EM accelerator launch tubes to place them into orbit, bypassing the need for chemical rockets.   All this method can help to control global warming Maybe use lasers at a frequency that Mylar doesnt reflec t, to burn up any extra balloons that our real-time calculations say we dont need for that year.

Alternate Ways of Measuring Performance Essay -- Essays Papers

Balanced Scorecard Alternate Ways of Measuring Performance Abstract Many organizations are usefully viewed as a web of relationships between and among various stakeholder groups. An organization may be defined as a "nexus of contracts," where said "contracts" are relationships that are marked by contributions from the various stakeholders in return for inducements provided by the organization. Over the long haul, the success of an organization is a function of the extent to which the needs and requirements of its various stakeholders can be integrated and balanced, without sacrificing any one to the other. There is, in this arrangement, mutual influence and accountability. It is the main thesis of this paper that many organizations would be well served by making use of the Balanced Scorecard as an alternate way of evaluating a company’s performance. Introduction Since its introduction in the Harvard Business Review in 1992, many corporate executives and information technology (IT) professionals have found the concept of Balanced Scorecard it to be a key strategic measuring stick of corporate success. Robert Kaplan and David Norton created balanced Scorecard, often referred to as BSC, in the early 1990’s. Today many large consulting firms like Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Earnst and Young have adopted the balanced scorecard concept. A balanced scorecard is a framework for translating strategic goals and visions into measurable results for the entire enterprise. The balanced scorecard starts with corporate strategies and objectives, and then uses financial and non-financial measures from across the company to create positive and negative indicators of corporate success for all levels of the organization (Kaplan and Norton, 1992). These indicators provide an in depth snap shot of corporate performance that managers and executives can use to clearly manage the company for success on a daily basis. Since the scorecard is based on key performance indicators (KPIs) that are directly linked to corporate goals, it provides a true measure of corporate success. These KPIs consist not just of financial indicators, but also of performance measures in customer satisfaction, internal process, and innovation and improvement (Kaplan Norton, 1992). The breadth and diversity provided by all four perspectives give managers an ideal cross-func... ...to a system of performance measurements that effectively communicate a powerful, forward-looking, strategic focus to the entire organization. This balanced concept allows an organization to evaluate its performance in different aspects other than financially acceptable balance sheets or income statements. Bibliography 1.) Atkinson A. A., Waterhouse, J.H., and Wells, R.B. (1997). â€Å"A Stakeholder Approach to Strategic Performance Measurement.† Sloan Management Review (Spring, 1997, pp25- 37): Cambridge. 2.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1992). â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance.† Harvard Business Review (January-February 1992): 71-79. 3.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1996a). â€Å"Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy.† California Management Review (Vol. 39 No.1, Fall, 1996): 53-77. 4.) Kaplan, Robert S. and Norton, David P., (1996b). â€Å"Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System.† Harvard Business Review (January-February 1996): 75- 85. 5.) 5.) Nickols, Fred (1999). â€Å"Reconciling and Integrating Stakeholder Needs and Requirements.† COG News (Spring 1999)