Stakeholders Of Marks And Spencer Commerce Essay

Stakeholders Of Marks And Spencer Commerce Essay Marks and Spencer is an international retailer headquartered in London. It was formed in the year 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in partnership. It mainly specializes in cloth lines and high end food products. The major product lines of the organization are womens wear, children wear, sportswear, baby wear, perfumes and cosmetics, food and beverages, home appliances and etc. The brand has over 703 stores in UK and around 361 stores throughout the globe. The company recorded an annual turnover of  £9,934.3 billion by the end of year 2011. The firms profit for the year 2012 was projected to be  £489.6 million (Aaker, 2007). A wide range of information is required by the key stakeholder groups, for instance, customers want to know about the various products that the company is offering them, discount options available, information about the after sales services and etc. Likewise, the shareholders are interested in getting details regarding their dividends plus companys financial reports (Kisielnicki, 2011). Similarly, the community wants to know the operational style of the retailer to ensure that it is not violating any law of the land like employee exploitation, any threat to the environment and etc. Its competitors like Tesco, ASDA wish to know about the sales figure of the company, its position in the market, to analyze their competitive positioning. Information required by stakeholders in different organizations Monitoring and evaluation comprises of analysis and collection of data. All the relevant parties at every level need information for their respective subjects. Project managers require information about the consequences of a specific project to plan control the projects in a better way. Almost every organization publishes reports to give information to its stakeholders (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). Systems used for communicating with the Marks Spencer stakeholders In Marks Spencer, communication is all about the transmission of information. The company has both internal as well as external communication. Internal communication exists within the business of the retail giant, whereas external communication is present outside the boundaries of business. Both internal and external communications have witnessed great transformation owing to the rapid developments in communication and information technology. The company boasts of: An interconnected system of internal communication- internal network. An e-commerce system for B2C connections. An e-commerce system for B2B connections. When all these links are integrated with each other, a networked economy is created, which has greatly increased the potential of the company to associate with its workforce, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. The internal communication, i.e. communication with employees, shareholders is carried out in three ways i.e. oral, written and electronic. Information is transmitted verbally via face to face interactions, voice mails and etc. Information is communicated in written form by issuing letters, memos, and annual reports. Electronic communication is quickly overtaking other forms. The company has integrated this system in effectively. For instance, the stock list is now easily transmitted electronically from the supermarket to the main office. Transmission of all documents also takes place via emails only (Report on the Business of Marks and Spencer, n.d). Marks and Spencer communicates with its external stakeholders like customers, community, government and etc. using external modes of communication. Its public relation function is a tool to effectively communicate its nice image to the concerned people. Websites, advertisements, promotional campaigns, business letters are some other methods through which the company communicates with its outside key stakeholders (Electronic Shareholder Communication, 2012). Barriers in workplace communication There are several barriers to effective communication in the organization. Some of them are listed below: Inefficient listening skills Poor listening results from: Passive and not active listening and involvement when a person is speaking. No involvement with the subject matter or the other person. Material distractions like excessive noise in the environment, bad network. Disparity in the opinion with the person who is speaking, which results in mentally shutting off the other person. Biasness also creeps in, when a person chooses to listen to only some part and ignore the rest of the part (Perry, 2009). Information overload Receiving a message that contains too much information also acts as a barrier to effective communication. The receiver is not able to correctly interpret or decipher the information because of too many facts. For instance, if the company has put up an advertisement regarding its new product or offer, and too much information has been put into it, then the customer wont be able to digest all of it (4 Barriers to Effective Communication What to Do About Them, 2011). Non-Verbal Gestures At times, it might happen that what a person is speaking is contradicted by his body language and gestures. When this happens, the other person is likely to remember what he saw and not what he heard. Assumptions Postulating literally sabotages effective communication. For example, when the marketing head of Marks Spencer sees that his subordinates are nodding, he assumes that they understand what he is trying to convey, but the case may be totally opposite as well (4 Barriers to Effective Communication What to Do About Them, 2011). Influence of culture and values on communication Every culture and every behavior involves the use of communication. Thus, communication can be said to be a transmitting medium for the ideas and values of different culture. Personalities of people, their respective values and understanding levels also influence communication (Hyde and Williamson, 2000). Cultural Individualism- Collectivism affects communication through cultural norms and values which are beneath the broad culture. This directly impacts communication by way of the characteristics that an individual learns when he/she socializes. For instance, the Americans display individualism, whereas, Asians display collectivism. As Marks Spencer offers its products to both these regions, the cultural differences in the two areas are to be thoroughly considered and accordingly plan its communication strategies (Abubaker, n.d). High as well as low context communication is followed in every culture throughout the globe. People following collectivism culture use high context communication while fostering group cohesion and communicate in a straightforward manner. People belonging to individualistic culture use low context messages and communicate in an indirect manner. Cultures which are of high uncertainty avoidance nature follow unambiguous customs and norms to direct behavior for all kinds of situations. On the other hand, cultures with low uncertainty avoidance tendency are quite ambiguous and lack formal strictness. Face negotiation theory is a theory concerning the behavior and discussion in conflicting situations of people following collectivism and individualism. This theory is very popular for cross culture communication (Stubbs, n.d). Marks Spencer gives a lot of emphasis to cultural disparities and tries to comprehend plus eliminate all such gaps. Some of the initiatives started by the company are- Cross Cultural exposure The Company sends its employees to other countries for a definite period of time to acquaint them with other cultures. The employees stay there, work in other retail outlets of Marks Spencer and learn about the cultures and values of that place (Alon, 2000). Training and Workshops The company provides training and conducts workshops to train its executives in handling of various cultural issues and problems. Hiring multinational and multi cultural employees The organizations aims at hiring people from different cultures and nationality to create a synthesis of various cultures. Cognitive Dissonance This theory states that people are highly motivated to avoid differences in opinions arising out cultural disparities. People generally ignore listening to perspectives that contradict their own, in order to avoid conflicts and disharmony (Morton, 2005). The use of technology- how it fosters and hinders communication It is an obvious fact that communication is the foundation of our society. The commencement of communication technology and its several benefits has made the conducting of business easier internationally. Cost Savings- Cost savings is the biggest advantage of the improvement of technology in business communication. Activities that once involved huge capital can now be finished off easily and in less time. For instance, prior to the commencement of Voice of Internet Protocol technology, making a long distance call was very costly. But, owing to VoIP and cellular telephone technology making calls has become very cheap. Similarly, earlier the only way to send letters from one place to another was to take the services of a messenger or postal service. The email, however, has eliminated the need to transport hard copies (Esmailzadeh, 2006). Speed- The new technology has also increased the speed at which business operations take place. This is especially beneficial to retail companies that have interaction with suppliers in far-away locations. For instance, previously they had to plan meetings for individuals who are in different locations. Now, they can contact one another, sitting at their respective places owing to the video conferencing techniques (Derr, 2002). Hiring of Qualified employees- Several jobs that never existed before have now been created. Skilled professionals are required to maintain, install and operate new information and communication technology tools. On the other hand, the same technology can also act as an impediment to the business communication: Impersonal Attitude Employees might view electronic communication as impersonal if they only receive messages from managers through email. It also creates confusion as this requires more feedback in comparison to personal communication methods. Security Issues The new technology also raises several security concerns. Emails, text messages and other website communication are often vulnerable to be hacked by hackers or other individuals who should not have any rightful access to information (Hoof and et.al., 2005). High tech Equipment Expense The Company has to acquire new equipments to implement business communication technology in its operations. It also requires hiring a person who is capable of handling maintenance issues. This is an additional cost to the company (Wood, 2010). Difficulty Training Employees Retail companies face difficulty training employees about how to make use of the latest technology. They may have a difficult time making them understand the technology and how it work. The company might require shelling out a large sum of money on employee training (Miller, 2011). The procedure of communication from sender to receiver: Encoder: There should be a sender who wants s to communicate the idea. Message: A message can be in various forms verbal, non verbal, written, and electronic. Channel:Messages  are  conveyed  through  channels,  with  non ­verbal  Ã‚  verbal  social  interactions like televisions, telephone, meetings, conferences etc. Decoder: A decoder is the person who receives the message from the sender and decodes it to get the real meaning. Feedback: The receiver will give feedback as per his understanding of the message. Context: The  situation  in  which  your  message  is  delivered  is  the  context (Guffe and Loewy, 2010). Recommendations for the improvement of the Marks Spencer communication   To improve cultural communication between superiors subordinates, the following are the actions that can be taken: Implementation of more Intensive Information System: Technology plays an essential role in the activities of business, Therefore it is essential to improve the Information system of the organization by making sure that all of the employees will be connected to the latest updated communication system. It is also significant to focus on the various coaching and training procedures, where the recruits can apply for and get online class and seminars about different knowledge and skills, which will be supportive in order to fully motivate them to develop and improve, also leaders will have their thoughts about the demands and needs of the staff, which will be helpful in the process of implementing and planning programs and measures that will help to improve the motivation and spirit of the staff (Datamonitor Report, 2011). Focus more on the Culture influence on Communication: It is important for the company to stress on the variety of cultures, and how it can influence their communication. Therefore the below mentioned things can be done to enhance communication in cultural differences: Cross cultural training Intercultural management training Translation services (Miller, 2011) Measures that should be taken to have an effective Communication Plan Minimizing barriers to effective communication. Rendering proper communication an integral part of the overall plan. To bring out the untapped opportunities for improved communication, have effective systems in place. Conduct an assessment to evaluate the communication skills the retailer and find out areas which require polishing. Regular provision for training employees in improving their interpersonal skills communication skills and. Employ team in charge of the overall Communication of the company. Positive indicators that communication is more likely to be handled daily: Visible actions indicators A culture that endorses direct yet non-threatening dialogue in interpersonal relations. A culture that comprehends non-verbal communications (Aaker, 2007). CONCLUSION Thus it can be concluded that information is required by all stakeholder groups of an organization, though their information requirement varies. In Marks Spencer both internal as well as external communication exists. Internal communication exists within the business of the retail giant, whereas external communication is present outside the boundaries of business. The company has an interconnected system of internal communication- internal network, an e-commerce system for B2C connections and an e-commerce system for B2B connections. Marks Spencer also gives a lot of emphasis to cultural disparities and tries to comprehend plus eliminate all such gaps (Alon, 2000).

Frida Kahlo Essay -- Papers

Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo's life was one marked by extreme suffering, extreme heroism, and extreme genius. Stricken with polio as a child then nearly crippled in a bus accident at the age of eighteen, Kahlo defied the odds not only by learnng to walk again (twice) but by taking the world by storm with her unique artistic vision. Frida Kahlo was born July 6, 1907 near Mexico City. However, she always claimed to be born in the year of the Mexican Revolution, 1910, in order to link her own birth to that of modern Mexico. It was just one of the many half-truths Kahlo told about her life, some say, in order to create a myth through which she would always be remembered. The desire to be remembered was always a central theme of Kahlo's art, as reflected in the many self-portraits she painted (the images for which she is best known). Once she embroidered a pillow for her husband, the muralist Diego Rivera, which read, "Remember me, my love." Kahlo's obsession with mortality is no mystery as illness, severe pain and the threat of death repeatedly imposed themselves on her young life. At age six, Kahlo contracted polio and had to spend 9 months confined to her room. During that time, she created an imaginary friend who would later be reflected in a painting called "The Two Fridas." Explaining the painting in her diary she wrote, "I experienced intensely an imaginary friendship with a little girl more or less the same age as me ... I followed her in all her movements and while she danced, I told her my secret problems." Once over the polio, Kahlo seemed determined to live life to the fullest. She became a tomboy at school and the le... ...e couple did divorce, in 1939, they reunited in less than a year. For all their troubles, they remained one another's greatest loves and greatest fans. That same year Kahlo suffered another blow. Her right leg had to be amputated below the knee due to a gangrene infection. On July 13, 1954, at the age of 47, Frida Kahlo died. The cause was never officially determined. The last entry in Kahlo's diary read, "I hope the leaving is joyful and I hope never to return." Little known outside of the art world until the 1990's, Frida Kahlo has recently become a cultural icon. Numerous books and articles have been written about her. She has been the subject of three documentaries, and a feature film about her life was released October 25, 2002. For a woman who wished to be remembered, it seems, her wish has come true.

Define Love

When it comes to love in needs a few thing and some of them are passion, intimacy and commitment. However depending the type of love or relationship varies. Passion is a form of an emotion that is how you feel someone, and intimacy is a measurement of how close you are to someone or familiar with them. Finally commitment is the act of being committed or committing yourself, to someone a measurement of loyalty. Now for each of love or relationship these three things are provided in different ways. Such as in a relationship with a friend the loyalty is strong and a form of passion and intimacy happens on a low enough level that most do not become physically engaged with each other. Now a family relationship these three things happen a slightly higher level with an extremely low level of physical of engagement such a hug or a kiss on the chick. Now a mutual relationship between two people unrelated in anyway, may have been friends at one point and time; but the level have increase in a way that there may or may not been some kind of physical engagement , a form of loyalty (commitment), passion and intimacy on a high level. All three of these form of relationship meaning and purpose are very different but the thing they have in common is very much the just in different intervals. It all boiling down to who, what, where, when, and how; But to try define something based emotion and the human mind is to try and define why most water runs south or why the wind blows or how the earth is the only inhabited planet. Each one of these is related because all relationships need these three things to function. To be hones this is all I can write about this, but if I must write more, I strongly believe that love is what really makes the world go round and develop people on a mysterious ways. Explaining how you believe an individual’s attachment style can affect the types of love relationships he or she has. An individual’s attachment style can greatly affect the type of love of relationships he or she has because, the attachment is define on the type of relationship as well the relationship, define one the attachment. This can also cause trouble among a relationship because one person’s level of attachment maybe stronger than the others. Or someone who is attached to someone who is not; this is how in some cases stalking happens or heart break. An attachment affects someone relationship because there is a need for attachment, where there is a need, there is a want as well as a requirement. Basically what I mean is the attachment defines a relationship because the attachment is based on the emotionally as well as the physical that is geared towards the person the attachment is for. An attachment is a bases as well as glue for a relationship defining it in a way for it to grow and be prosperous. And as a relationship grows so does the relationship, thou I still warn of an over attachment, in some instances it can become dangerous. Different level of attachment is how you are attached or feel towards your, sister, your mother, father, mother, daughter, son, friend and neighbors. Its how you are and feel towards each person you meet on your day to day life. as well as the people who come and go in your life. Building attachment and relationship as your grow old. It is the nesseccary good and evil of a relationship because attachments don’t always stay as they sometimes go and fade away. How can you ask someone to define an attachment, because no one really know except from their own experience, to define something from their own experience show the truth of their deferment and so the true color of what is meant in their words. Can it be expanded it a certain amount of words, maybe or maybe not; because people do run out of things to say. What I want to say is this, if you are not attached to the person whom you have a relationship with; no matter what level it is, and then you do not have a relationship. What is that you do have I cannot say, but it is best not spend time on it and is will benefit both if you simply walk away from it. So you have to view attachment from a certain view point and frankly it goes to a point of how the heart feels. An attachment is based on the relationship and affects the relationship because the attachment is based on the relationship, the level of love (sounding a little repeating because of the unessacery word count needed) . the attachment brings some together and some apart. The attachment is the defining moment in some cases when it is discovered. For an example when I discovered the attachment that I had to the women who later becomes my wife, I was overjoyed and pursued the attachment so I could keep the filling of happiness. We have now been married for five years and I couldn’t be even more happier. The attachment started our relationship and has defined it for these last five year and that is my point on how attachment affects relationships. If there where was anything else I could say about this then I would but I have ran out of words.

Gun control will not effect violent crime rates - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 547 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Gun control are policies meant to control the manufacture, sale, ownership or use of firearms by the civilians. The debate on gun control has been hitting the headlines in our media due to the current rise in crime rates in the United States. Most criminal activities are carried out with the help of firearm for instance, robbery and rape (Lott, 25). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gun control will not effect violent crime rates" essay for you Create order Gun-related violence has inflicted much harm on the American society including the death of innocent people caught in the crossfire during mass shootings, gang-related shootout and incidences of armed robbery. We cannot ignore the harm done by these armed criminals, and we must take actions to stop this horror. With this regard, some legislators have pushed for policies that eliminate legal ownership of firearms with a view to controlling the rising crime rates. Gun control does not address the real problem at hand and will not reduce the violent crime rates. Gun control policies will take away guns from the hands of law abiding citizens leaving them vulnerable and defenseless. Under the second amendment of the US Constitution, every American citizen has a right to own a firearm (Rosen, 17). Guns are meant for self-defense in case of life-threatening incidences like robbery, rape and to stop mass shootings. Taking firearms from Americans would leave them unprotected and vulnerable to robbery and attacks by armed criminals. Gun control will only motivate criminal to carry out crimes since they know that their victims are unarmed (Zimring, 725). For this reason, putting restrictions on gun ownership does not address the real problem of crime. Even with Gun controls measure, criminal will still find ways to acquire arms. This is because most criminal acquire their firearms through the black market. This is confirmed by the fact that criminals always use illegal firearms such as sawed-off shotguns, homemade zip guns, and machine guns which are not around to be sold to civilians. This shows that criminals will not be affected by these restrictions on guns since they will still acquire firearms illegally and continue terrorizing people (Jones, 7). Instead of implementing policies that will make the American citizens more vulnerable, legislators should focus on the root causes of rising crime rates and address them. Despite the above arguments against gun control, putting restrictions on firearm ownership may in a way reduce the rising crimes rates in the country. Gun control may prevent some gun related violence that occurs as a result of irresponsible gun handling. Gun control policies do not deny the American citizens their Second Amendment rights since it does not eliminate the ownership of guns but put restrictions on it. Gun control puts strict background checks on those who have applied for guns to prevent terrorists and criminals from acquiring firearms (Kleck Britt, 271). These policies will definitely reduce the gun-related violence. In conclusion, I believe that making ownership of firearms illegal to civilians will not prevent criminal from acquiring guns and committing crimes. If anything, gun control will only encourage criminals to commit crimes because their victims are unarmed. The paper established that regulation of firearm acquisition by the government will not reduce gun-related violence in the country. Taking away guns from law abiding citizens does not address the actual problem of crime but makes these citizens defenseless and vulnerable to attacks.