Business profile of Sir Terry Leahy - Free Essay Example

Any alteration in the senior management of a company is a significant experience in the life of that company. This level of executive leadership often headed by the CEO, is inevitably crucial to the overall performance of the business. The ability, preferences, and ultimate decisions of incumbent leaders of these establishments affect businesses through projects or initiatives undertaken, financial policies, and the corporate culture. Thus, contingent upon the variability of these attributes amongst those chief executives and the impact of their resulting decisions, changes at this hierarchy can negatively or positively alter the course of the company as well as its performance. Therefore, this paper investigates potentially important consequences of Tescos CEO Sir Terry Leahys resignation in June 2010. It shall examine the impact of this announcement on the companys equity performance in the stock market, staff morale and anticipate the challenges of the subsequent administration. In this investigation, the paper shall also briefly reflect on Sir Terrys leadership style and the effect it had on his administration. PROFILE OF SIR TERRY LEAHY In addressing the impact of Sir Terrys resignation from Tesco, let us start by reviewing his tenure in leadership 1997 2010. Prior to his ascendance, Sir Terry upon graduating from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1979 joine d the retail chain as a marketing executive. It however important to note at this point that; he previously worked part time for the supermarket as a shelf stacker whilst he was attending university. In spite of his humble beginning, thirteen years later, Sir Terry was appointed to Tescos board of directors in 1992 (Marketing Manager in 1981, Marketing Director 1984 -1986, Commercial Director 1986), and in1997 he attained the position of CEO as a 40yrs old. A remarkable achievement in his generation. Under his stewardship Tesco UK market increased to 24% by 2004 making it the market leader. At this point it was estimated that at least one in every eight pounds spent with a UK retailer ended up in Tescos coffers (BBC Archives). Sir Terry has metamorphosed this supermarket into a retail giant with dramatic expansion into new markets, both geographically and in terms of products and segments. Tescos international expansion has given it a presence in 11 markets in Ireland, Eastern Eu rope and Asia. The company branched out into new markets such as home telephony and insurance or finance deals, to name but a few. Sir Terrys many initiatives impressed investors and Tesco share price grew. In one year alone (2003/2004) Tescos share price outperformed the market by 13% (BBC news). Experts credit his success at Tesco to his hands-on style leadership and marketing prowess. Although Sir Terry Leahy places focus on experience and low-key leadership his achievements have not gone unnoticed. This modest retail guru has received several accolades from different magazines and establishment. These include Most Outstanding Individual Retailer (1998-2003) and Retail Leader of the Year (2008) by Retail Week, Knighted for services to food retailing in the 2002 New Year Honours, named European Businessman of the Year by Fortune Magazine in 2004, recognized by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC as European Business Leader of the Year 2005, voted as Britains Most Admired Leader 20 05 and 2006 by Management Today, and a Guardian Unlimited Politics panel found him to be the most influential non-elected person in Britain in 2007. In addition to these he has received the honour of the Freedom of the City of Liverpool. This accomplished CEO believed in the marketing dictate, the customer must come first. A principle he had live by. As a testament to this and a legacy of his creativity and marketing talent, he successfully devised and implemented the Tesco Club Card loyalty program. He takes pride in knowing what customers are buying or want and regularly visits those owned by the competition. Sir Terry also believes in employee motivation; hence, introduced several staff welfare schemes such as the save as you earn scheme. One day a week, he walks the floor of one of Tescos numerous stores, to understand first hand what the different jobs entail, what consumers are buying and what people want. However, Sir Terrys reign and business methods were not universal ly popular. Although the companys financial performance was outstanding, he was criticized on several counts, especially for the companys HR policies. The average wages paid by Tesco were among the lowest in the retailing industry in the UK. The salaries were paid on an hourly basis and the time taken off for tea breaks was not considered while calculating the total working hours. Tescos staff were not given any sick pay for the first three days they were off work. Tesco was further accused of disrupting the businesses of its smaller competitors and suppliers. In February 2004, the small supermarket chain Proudfoot complained Tesco through the Office of Fair Trading of predator pricing (https://www.telegraph.co.uk). In the same year, Tescos  £54 million acquisition of Adminstore was also referred to the Office of Fair Trading, with both supermarket and convenience store rivals urging the complaints authority to scrap the distinction between supermarkets and convenience stores. They accused Tesco of using its tremendous buying power to off cheaper prices than many traditional convenience stores. (Ref: profile: Tesco Chief Sir Terry Leahy by: Jorn Madslien (bbc news online business reporter) https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3624645.stm Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 April, 2004, 07:17 GMT 08:17 UK Below is a graphical representation of Sir Terry 13yrs reign at Tesco and provides comparison with the other major supermarkets in the UK. EXAMINING THE IMPACT To both internal and external stakeholders of Tesco, Sir Terry was exemplary. The fact that he had risen through the ranks from a shelf stacker to CEO, was significant for the Tesco Empire as it greatly helped towards projecting an image of the company as a responsible employer, one which recognises the hard work of employees and rewards them adequately. It is for this reason that he was much appraised as being a key source of inspiration for Tesco employees, with much emphasis placed on where his humble beginnings within the organisation. Furthermore, Sir Terrys very own democratic leadership style greatly contributed to his popularity. His leadership success can further be attributed to four principles; clarity of purpose, consumer focused, delegation and simplicity. In his words; we have been clear about what we wanted to achieve, we have listened to what our customers have told us, we have given responsibility to our managers and staff, and we have kept things simple. Thus o n 8th June 2010 when he announced his resignation, the entire industry was in total awe and shock. In post comments, He maintained he had achieved his two main ambitions of making Tesco Britains biggest supermarket chain and taking the business overseas. He aspired to develop a purpose and set of values that could sustain Tesco through its challenges as well as nurture future leaders. It took 14 years to see that strategy become a firm and complete reality. Conscientiousness Therefore, there was much speculation on the ripple effects of his resignation, with most experts envisaging a hit on share prices as investors react to this momentous change. Many feared for the impact it would on staff morale and the succeeding regime as is common in transitions and times of uncertainty. The anxiety of his resignation was further exacerbated by the economic climate and the global economic downturn. The market was nervous because his resignation coincided with supermarkets facing the toughe st trading environment for many years, as inflation which grocers benefit from, disappeared in the food business (e.g. rising prices had provided a crutch during the recession, consumer confidence is expected to be hit by the spending cuts anticipated in the emergency budget, rising cost of importing goods from the Far East and the expected rise in VAT will hit sales). The state of British retailing was compounded and equally worrisome by the wave other significant movements throughout the industry, with Dalton Phillips replacing Marc Bolland at Morrisons, Bolland moving to Marks Spencer and Andy Clarke being newly appointed as CEO of Asda. Many studies that had examined administrative transitions warned that change in administration can have significant impact on shareholders income as well as the companys operations if not managed properly. The impact this decision has on shareholders wealth is as a result of what is referred to as the signalling effect. Markets interpretation of such occurrence can be good or bad. In some cases the change depicts a performance worse than previously believed whilst others are more concern with the successors ability to improve performance. Furtado and Karan (1990) in their estimation of the signalling effect of CEO change over observed an abnormal downward variation of 25 -50 points on market value of the share prices of the companies engaged in such overhauling. Their finding came a year later after Bonnier and Bruner (1989) found a stronger positive return of about 2.5% when they isolated the effect administrative change overs at distressed companies. In the case of Tesco, share price on the London Stock Exchange dipped by 3% at the early hours of trading on the day Sir Terry Leahy announced his resignation. The table below shows the performance of Tescos share price at the London Stock Exchange since the announcement. The daily performance highlights the markets reaction to the news for the entire week in which the announcement was declared. There was an immediate 10p drop in price by the close of trading from the previous day (see 07/06/10 and 08/06/10 figures). However, though it the recovered in the next two days, the recover lived as share prices generally declined as seen in the weekly and monthly closing figures. TESCO PLC SHARE PRICE PERFORMANCE Monthly Performance Date Open High Low Close Avg Vol Adj Close Jul-10 377.4 407.2 368.4 390.65 20,540,100 390.65 Jun-10 409.6 420.9 379.2 380.05 26,323,400 380.05 May-10 439.4 441.75 389.4 411.6 30,442,100 411.6 Weekly Performance Date Open High Low Close Avg Vol Adj Close 28-Jun-10 398.3 400.1 368.4 381.56 29,833,500 381.56 21-Jun-10 394 402.75 379.5 398.65 30,752,100 398.65 14-Jun-10 398 400.15 387.6 390.75 29,080,900 390.75 07-Jun-10 406.2 413.4 392.25 394.2 25,255,400 394.2 01-Jun-10 409.6 420.9 402.7 412.25 16,352,700 412.25 Daily Performance Date Open High Low Close Avg Vol Adj Close 11-Jun-10 403.55 403.6 393.4 394.2 22,979,600 394.2 10-Jun-10 401.35 403 397.1 401.55 22,754,300 401.55 09-Jun-10 400 402.9 395 399.41 29,705,700 399.41 08-Jun-10 400 402.75 392.25 397.4 39,165,300 397.4 07-Jun-10 406.2 413.4 404.1 407.03 11,672,300 407.03 Source: Yahoo Finance The overall volatility in share prices cannot be limited to that executive decision but it fair to argue that the immediate market shock was reflected by the dip in share prices on the day of broadcast. It important to note at this point that increased volatility can alter a companys investment in the long run through an increased cost of capital, or by a reduction in the attractiveness of the companys shares as a medium for acquisitions or compensation. It can also affect the various agency relationships in the company; exacerbating conflicts between stockholders and bondholders, and hindering resolution of shareholder-management problems. (Hallman and Hartzell, 2003, Zhang and Nandini 2006) It is apparent in Sir Terry Leahys decision that he was mindful of these threats as he planned his succession strategy. The immediate appointment of Philip Clarke as his successor and the authority demonstrated by Sir Terry watered down markets suspicion that the change might have resulted by shareholders uneasiness about his strategy or ability to lead the company through this period of austerity in the UK economy. It was evident that he was not a scapegoat as Tesco financial performance is in a stronger shape coming through the recession. The markets reaction to Tescos internal state of operations would have been worse had he been forced to resign the post. The anxiety of the market often heightens and become intolerant to the change if a good leader is forced due to internal manipulations and corporate politics. Similarly, the market is sensitive to inside and outside successions. It is observed by Zhang and Nandini 2006 in cases of voluntary departures, volatility increases for outside than for inside succession. Hence, Tesco was able to swiftly recover from the initial dip in its share prices. So far the market reaction is sympathetic to Sir Terrys replacement. This is partly due to Tesco internal promotion culture. Philip Clarke, like his predecessor joined T esco from grass root position and worked his way upward. He became part of the board in 1998 and has worked wit Sir Terry since 1981. He currently heads the Asian and European operations, as well as IT department. However, Grinstein noted that the effects such a change is long-lived and can take up to two years after the event for the full impact to be realised. Another test of Sir Terrys remarkable decision is the effect it will have on staff moral. For long Sir Terry democratic and low key demeanour has served as a major source of inspiration for many employees. Despite the sporadic staff upheaval such as in 2006 which led to the resignation of two senior executives (Dido Harding and John Browett) to resign and the accusation of underpaying employees Tesco remained an excellent employer with over twenty thousand employees world wide. His personality and charisma made him approachable and got along with staff. He built around him a staff of disciples and enthusiasts. The conc ern for many now including the chairman of Tesco board who reckon that Sir Terry and given an unrivalled contribution to the progress of Tesco is can Philip Clarke adequately fill this void. Only time will tell. However, as the new administration unfolds next year, the role of corporate governance remains crucial. The new chief executive will need every support he can get to implement his plans and aspirations. At the moment he assumes office on a firm foundation as staff morale is high and Tesco leads the market share. In the eyes of the market and the media the companys operation is solid and its prospects lucrative. He needs to maintain if not improve on this enthusiasm and home grown motivation. Many employees are general loyal to the brand because of its internal recruitment policies of which the appointments of Sir Terry and Philip Clarke to the top job are testimonies. Tescos philosophy is in line with the theories of two American researchers Likert at Michigan and Stodgil l at Ohio (Arnold and Randall 2005) who argued that rather than selecting people with leadership traits, leaders could be trained in the form and style of their behaviours and relationship wit their followers or subordinates. Hence, with the appointment of Philip Clarke came a management reshuffle which experts believed was the right thing to do. It kept the tension and expectations of aspirants to the position at bay and enlisted their support for the new administration. CONCLUSION Career related issues are contentious and can be very stressful for the individual and company. For many employees career progression is of overriding importance. Employees are considered the companys most valued asset, as it is they who drive the business up or down. Thus administrative transition is crucial to the sustainability and image of the company. Therefore an excellent management of this change is essential to the future of the company. Against this premise, the sudden resignation of Sir Terry Leahy from Tesco presented the company with a huge challenge. A challenge of such magnitude needed to be managed with accuracy and precision as the stakes are high. This cosmic shift of power had the potential to make or break the company. Crucial to the entire change process and impact mitigation is the healthy financial performance and prevalent corporate culture of Tesco. These two factors have helped managed any damage to its sales turnover and corporate value. CEO transition s are a rare occurrence in the retail business unlike sports and entertainment. Hence, when these changes occur there is usually a high level of expectation on the new leader. There is normally great optimism if the market perceives the replacement as an excellent job. Even though the credentials of the new are sterling, the improvements that are supposed to come with a change in the CEO are greatly influenced by corporate governance within the company. It can be concluded that Tescos management of the change process was exemplary. Finally, away from the impacts on share price and staff motivation discussed, what seem to be omitted in the post mortem of Sir Terry Leahy decision is the psychological impact it had on staff and the market. The extent of this will be determined over time, however, the new administration must mobilise the commitment of managers to buy into ideologies of control and infuse motivation and support from employees. REFERENCES Arnold, J and R, Randall etal 2005, Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour In the Work Place, 5th edition, Pearson Education Bonnier, K. A. and R. F. Bruner, 1989, An analysis of stock price reaction to management change in distressed firms, Journal of Accounting and Economics 11,pp. 95-106. Furtado, E.P.H, and V. Karan, 1990, Causes, Consequences and Shareholders Wealth Effect of Management Turnover: A Review of the Empirical Evidence Financial Management Hallman, G.J, C, Hartzell, 2005, Carrot and Sticks: The Threat of Dismissal and Incentive, University of Texas at Austin, Working Paper Zhang, Yan and Rajagopalan, Nandini, 2006, Grooming for the Top and Ending the CEO Succession Crisis, Organizational Dynamics, VOl25, No. 1

Disease and Native American Demise During the European...

Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the New World The European conquest of the new world was most commonly attributed to the superiority of the Europeans in all the facets of their confrontation. They had the superior weaponry, and were thought to have a superior intellect. After all, they were just bringing civilization to the new world, right? It sounds nice when you are learning about Columbus in grade school, but the traditional story is pretty far from the truth. The truth is that the Europeans, when they discovered this was a brand new world and not the spice islands, sought to rape the land for its gold and natural resources and enslave the Amerindians (native Americans), who were regarded to†¦show more content†¦It is the type of disease you contract as a child, fight off, and develop an immunity for in adulthood. An example of this is chicken pox. Most Americans have suffered, or will suffer, from chicken pox as a child. One becomes sick for a little while, recovers, and never suffers from the disease again. Now wi th the differences between epidemic and endemic clarified, I will move on to the origins of disease. The origin of disease is a relatively easy idea to understand. Human beings on the planet went through a transition from nomadic, hunter-gatherers to the sedentary lifestyle by utilizing agriculture. This brought relatively small bands of people together into villages, which eventually became towns and cities. In Europe, the people not only used agriculture to feed their growing population, they also domesticated animals for a food source. As the population grew, the size of the herds of animals needed to feed the people grew as well. All animals carry disease and parasites, both in the wild and when they are domesticated. However, domesticated animals proved to be a breeding ground for disease. These domesticated animals were in close contact with the growing population of Europeans and it was not long before the disease was transferred to humans. The microbe, virus, or parasite only had to adapt to living in a human host. The process was relatively quick, and thus the epidemic dise ase was born in Europe. This was not true forShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of Disease on Native American Culture1086 Words   |  5 PagesThe Impact of Disease on Native American Culture Though warfare and attacks on entire villages took a definite toll on the populations of Native Americans, disease was by far the biggest killer. We’ve all heard the stories of smallpox infected blankets being given to the Native Americans, and other such atrocities, but I was simply dumbfounded at the actual numbers of dead due to Old World diseases being introduced to the New World, North America. While it has been somewhat difficult for scholarsRead MoreHistory Is Written By The Victors Essay1382 Words   |  6 Pagesthe indigenous people’ and the European newcomers’ recounts of the American settler-colonialism period from the 16th to 19th century. To the Spanish and other European powers their presence in the New World had transformed the ecology and social dynamics for the better. However, through the lens of the Native Americans, there lies a different portrayal of the European influence: the foreigners brought a wave of negative events. Even though the co lonists introduced new technology for warfare, huntingRead MoreThe Age Of Exploration : John Winthrop1546 Words   |  7 Pagesyield their place to new peoples.† (Crosby, Alfred W.) The Age of Exploration, (and Exploitation) brought an era of racism, nationalism, and ideals of superiority to the New World. Initially a beneficial concept, promoting trade and discovery quickly took a turn for the worst following Columbus’ arrival to Hispaà ±ola. The arrival of Europeans brought the ideas of conquest and greed, rather than cultural diffusion and peace between the newly discovered Empires and the Old World. Conquistadors killedRead MoreThe Control of England in North America and Demise of the Spanish Power in the Atlantic1490 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica and Demise of the Spanish Power in the Atlantic The year 1942 marked a division in the contemporary world history. There were a number of developments that would bring enormous effects for the Old and the New World Wars. The discovery of these developments changed the diets of both the western and eastern regions, assisted in initiating the Atlantic slave trade, and spread illnesses that had a destructive effect on populations in India, and resulted in the creation of European colonies acrossRead MoreLatin Americ The Era Of Colonization2711 Words   |  11 Pagesthe land. Some are ancestors of the indigenous people to the land, some are African Americans whose ancestors were brought over during the slave trade, others are of European descent, specifically Spanish and Portuguese who’s ancestors came to Latin America during the late 1400’s to either acquire land through the encomienda, capitancy or intendancy system; or to follow the â€Å"Spanish Dream† of coming to the New World and creating a life with prest ige and wealth. Latin America was developed through imperialismRead MoreEssay on Change Analysis Chart Postclassical (600-1450 C.E.)8730 Words   |  35 Pagesthe Pax  Mongolica? | * Trade was very international. * Silk roads linked Eurasia, and goods traded hands many times along the roads. | * There was still international trade. * The silk roads were still in use as major trade routes. | * New trade routes were made, such as the Indian Ocean routes, and old routes were expanded upon, like the silk roads. * Trade routes became more safe under the pax romana. | * Trade was still very global. * The Silk roads bcame even more developedRead MoreColombian Folklore5889 Words   |  24 PagesColombia  has many traditional  folk tales  and stories about  legendary creatures  which are transmitted orally and kept for next  generations  to come. Some of them are common with other  Latin American  countries. The Colombian folklore has strong influenc es from  Spanish culture, with elements of  African  and  native American cultures. ------------------------------------------------- [edit]Relevancy This folkloric entities are present in the  carnivals and festivals  countrywide. The â€Å"Desfiles de Mitos y Leyendas†Read MoreA Critical Review of â€Å"the Ambiguities of Football, Politics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin America† by Tamir Bar-on.14147 Words   |  57 PagesTamir Bar-On. Introduction: In Latin America, soccer is not a game; it is a way of life. It is mixed in with politics and nationalism. It defines social classes. How politically influential is soccer in Latin America? It is used by â€Å"various Latin American socio-economic elites in order to retard the acceleration of working class and popular discontent† (Bar-On 1997:1.8). Is it then not intriguing that women play no part in the scheme of things? I can immediately off the top of my head name at leastRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesVan Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, HistoricalRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 PagesDESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Alana Filipovich Jeof Vita Arthur Medina Allison Morris This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara ®, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Westford. The cover was printed by Courier/Westford. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright  © 2009, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1995, 1992, 1989, 1986, 1981, 1976 John Wiley Sons

Essay Being Culturally Responsive While Teaching Dance

Dance the vision and make it plain, Habakkuk 2: 23, Ezekiel 33:7. Equal educational opportunity to all students means that teachers and schools promote the full development of students as individuals, without regard for race, ethnicity, gender, abilities, and disabilities. (Parkay Stanford, Chapter 2) According to the article Educating/Fostering Culturally Responsive Teachers, it addresses issues of concern in the preparation of teachers, who will be expected to teach students from diverse backgrounds in a culturally responsive and educationally healthy way. The use of Standards as a framework provided specific indicators for determining the enhanced knowledge and skills those culturally responsive teachers needs in order to†¦show more content†¦On the contrary, Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, informs us about the teacher-student relationship in/outside of school; relationship of subject (teacher) and patient and listening objects (student). Culturally Responsive Teaching is Empowering- enables students to be better human beings and more successful learners. Empowerment can be described as academic competence, self-efficacy, and initiative. Culturally Responsive Teaching is Transformative- respecting the cultures and experiences of various groups and then uses these as resources for teaching and learning. In contrast, Freire repeatedly, speaks about transformations- transforming structure, the world, the way language is used, and the relations between people. Thus, Becoming A Teacher, by Forrest Parkay and Beverly Stanford connects to being culturally responsive teachers through basic knowledge. In chapter 2, Learning to Teach, is based on the knowledge. Teachers need three kinds of knowledge: (1) knowledge of self and students- the ability to understand themselves students, and know students aptitudes, talents, learning styles, stage of development, and readiness to learn material, (2) knowledge of subject- is to modify strategies based upon students perception of content. In teaching a subject area, teachers should use analogies, metaphors, experiments, demonstrations and illustrations. (3) Knowledge of educational theory and research- enables teachers toShow MoreRelatedMore Zumba, Less Childhood Obesity1489 Words   |  6 Pagesof daily physical activity, and even culture. Zumba is a dance fitness class that was designed to combine fun and energy to help people feel amazing. Zumba has progressed into a worldwide phenomenon (Classes). This lively workout â€Å"teaches children to lead active lives [by] combating childhood obesity, teaching body coordination, helping you ngsters develop healthy friendships with other kids, and encouraging kids to explore the world of dance and fitness† (Benefits Of Zumba for Kids). Zumba is theRead MoreIntroduction . Dance And Creative Movement In The Classroom4608 Words   |  19 PagesIntroduction Dance and creative movement in the classroom are robust teaching tools that ensure students retain and think critically about academic content. â€Å"Creative dance has the potential to open up new worlds for†¦students† (Gilbert p. 3). Incorporating movement into the classroom is simple. First, movement comes naturally to every child born in every culture, according to Jennings (2017). Jennings stated that children naturally move when they hear movement and rhythm. As a mother, I feltRead MoreIntegration Of Creative Movement And Dance Into The General Education Classroom4523 Words   |  19 PagesIntegration of Creative Movement and Dance into the General Education Classroom: A Robust Approach Jessica Stabler Lesley University Graduate School of Education EARARTS Professor May 16, 2017 INTEGRATION OF CREATIVE MOVEMENT 2 Introduction Dance and creative movement in the classroom are robust teaching tools that ensure students retain and think critically about academic content. â€Å"Creative dance has the potential to open up new worlds for†¦students† (Gilbert p. 3). Incorporating movementRead MoreCultural Competency Definitions8081 Words   |  33 Pagesand what are the implications for nursing practice with Aboriginal peoples? They note that in today s political context, the concept of democratic racism helps to explain how Canadians can hold negative, racialized views of Aboriginal peoples while at the same time espousing liberal principles of equality, tolerance, fairness and justice (Henry et al, 2000). Democratic racism refers to an ideology in which two sets of values coexist yet fundamentally conflict - that is, members of the dominantRead MoreGraduation Speech : My Heart Swelled With Delight Essay2119 Words   |  9 Pagesrequirement of Orientation to Education 206 would ensue an opportun ity to conduct field experience — my heart swelled with delight. I am genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to have gained veritable experience of teacher-student interaction and teaching in an actual classroom. Expressly, I primarily conducted my research and experience at the newly opened Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy in Ms. Brewer and paraprofessional, Ms. Byrd’s pre-kindergarten class. I attended the school with an openRead MoreIndigenous Education in the Philippines4646 Words   |  19 Pagesdifferent sector in addressing the needs of the IPs. II. DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS Indigenous. An adjective referring to originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native. Indigenous Education. Specifically focuses on teaching indigenous knowledge, models, methods, and content within formal or non-formal educational systems. The growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge through the processesRead MoreSMSC12647 Words   |  51 Pagesthe report ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ for primary schools, further underpinned the need for schools to be concerned with the education of the whole child. ‘†¦.primary education is about children experiencing the joy of discovery, solving problems, being creative in writing, art, music, developing their self‑confidence as learners and maturing socially and emotionally.’ (Excellence and Enjoyment) This same report encouraged primary schools to develop their distinctive character in meeting the needsRead MoreHigh School Student Essay20272 Words   |  82 PagesDifferences in Today’s Students Chapter 4 Changes in American Society: Their Influences on Today’s Schools ISBN: 0-536-29980-3 Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright  © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 0-536-29980-3 Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright  © 2005 by Pearson EducationRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pagespreschool teaching contributes to children’s longrange social and academic success, as well as their ability to express themselves creatively through the arts, their capacity to engage in physically challenging activities, and their development of lifelong health habits. Children who attend high-quality preschools benefit from rich opportunities to learn through play. They also benefit from curriculum that integrates all the developmental domains in a way that is developmentally, culturally, andRead MoreThe Music Industrys Digital Revolution4674 Words   |  19 Pagespercent increase in music sales. In addition, data show that the relationship between album and track sales and exposure to music on local radio varies by genre. Country music sales appear to be the most responsive, with radio airplay resulting in a 3.2 percent increase in music sales. However, while this benefit is widely acknowledged, until this study was conducted its subsequent value had not been adequately quantified using rigorously applied econometric research methods. The primary question this

American Journal Of Industrial And Business -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The American Journal Of Industrial And Business? Answer: Introduction The current business scenario in every business sectors is challenging and competitive. Moreover, in the current era of the globalization, the strategies being inherited by the business organizations are much different that they had initiated in the past. In addition, some business sectors are more competitive in nature compared to others due to the presence of more players and other external factors. One of these intensely competitive sectors is the banking sector in Australia (Beatty and Liao, 2014). This is due to the reason that, Australia is having number of banking institutions currently operating including the big fours. Thus, the competition is intense, which further lead to the initiation of the various corporate strategies by the organizations. Westpac is one of the leading banking institutions from Australia with having their market presence in different locations around the world. Moreover, they are being considered as one of the leading banks among the big four of Australia (Westpac, 2018). Westpac is also having the history of being the oldest bank of Australia situated in 1851. In all these years, they have initiated different corporate and business approaches in order to effectively cater and operate in the market. This report will discuss about the strategic approach of Westpac through all these years along with identifying and evaluating the change in the approaches and strategies. The mission and vision statement of Westpac will also be discussed in this report. In the recent times, Westpac faced various criticisms in relation to their business policies and for the unethical business practices initiated by them. This report will discuss about the criticisms being faced by them in the recent time. Lastly, the opportunities and the challenges being faced by them in their business will be discussed in this report along with determining the organizational culture and leadership style being practiced by them. Vision statement of Westpac The vision statement of Westpac stated their aim of achieving the market leadership position in the coming years. Moreover, it is also being stated that, sustainable development is one of the key target areas and they want to be an environment responsive company in the market (Westpac, 2018). The interest of the employees is also being stated in the vision statement by discussing the importance of the effective human resource management for their employees. Thus, the vision statement of them covers all the basic aspects of their organization and it clearly states their future goals and objectives. Mission statement of Westpac The mission statement of Westpac discussed about the activities that they are currently driving. The statement states that, Westpac is having their market presence in different locations around the world with having millions of customers (Westpac, 2018). The diverse product portfolio of them is also being stated and discussed in their mission statement. Corporate strategies of Westpac Westpac has initiated different corporate strategies in different time according to the business need and requirements. However, they have mainly initiated the strategy of strategic relationship. Thus, in order to discuss about their corporate strategies, it is important to divide their approaches in different time frame. It will help to identify the changes in the corporate strategies being initiated by them. Corporate strategy in nineteenth century Westpac initiated their business journey in the nineteenth century and thus in the initial years of their operation, the objective of them is to increase their market coverage area in order to cater to more number of customers. Thus, the strategy that they initiated in their initial years is the network level strategy. Initiation of the network level strategy enables them to increase their operational areas along with enhancing their brand identify and equity (Drnevich and Croson, 2013). This is due to the reason that, the more will be the market coverage area of the company, the more will be the brand value and exposure. Thus, it is important for them to gain the required market presence in the initial time. Corporate strategy in twentieth century Twentieth century is more challenging for Westpac due to the reason that, during this time, the competition was rapidly increased along with origination of different organizational challenges. One of the key challenges being faced by them in this century is the economic downturn. This caused negative impact on their business operation. Thus, in order to cut off the challenges, they initiated the corporate level strategies (Zaefarian, Henneberg and Naude, 2013). Corporate level strategies include initiation of the strategic relationship with other business organizations in the market. This strategy also helped them to initiate the process of horizontal growth in the market. During this time, they went for acquisitions and mergers with similar players in the market. For instance, Westpac went on to acquire the commercial bank of Australia in 1982, acquiring the trust bank of New Zealand in 1996 and some other organizations. This helped them to cut off the competition in the market along with positioning them as the market leader. Corporate strategy in twenty first century This century is the most challenging for Westpac due to the reason that, more business organizations have entered the market along with the emergence of different external factors such as the advancement of the technologies. In accordance to this situation, Westpac has initiated the combination of different level strategies. One of the key strategies being initiated by them is the business level strategy (Ghezzi, 2013). This helped them to offer different products to different customers located in different locations around the world. Moreover, the current era is of globalization and thus, Westpac is having their market presence in different countries around the world. In accordance to that, the market requirement for them is also different. Thus, initiation of the business level strategy helped them to cater to the diversified requirement in the global market effectively. Another strategy being initiated by them is the corporate level strategy. This is due to the reason that, with time, the competition is rapidly increasing and it is important for Westpac to have favorable market presence in the market. This century saw the acquisition of BT financial group and merger of St. George Bank Limited by Westpac. Thus, initiation of different strategies helped to have holistic impact on their business operation. Criticisms faced by Westpac As discussed earlier, here are various criticisms being faced by Westpac in the recent time due to their unethical business practices. This report will discuss about the top two criticisms being faced by them. Supporting organizations with unethical approaches One of the biggest criticisms being faced by Westpac in the recent time is having the corporate client of them with having accusation of unethical business practices. Though, Westpac is not directly involved in initiation of the unethical practices, but the businesses with having unethical approaches are having the access of fund for them. This issue emerged when it was reported that, Westpac is funding the business activities of Wilmar (Schwarten, 2018). It is to be noted that, Wilmar is least environment friendly organization in the world. Moreover, they are also accused for land grabbing issue. Thus, funding their activities attracted negative impression for Westpac also. It caused depreciation in the goodwill and reputation for Westpac. However, they were prompt in managing the issue and tendered a public apology stating that, they will be concentrate on determining the customer profile and will not support or fund any unethical business activities of any of their clients. Breaching consumer protection repossession law Another criticism that they faced due to their subsidiary company Capital finance Australia limited. The issue is being emerged due to the reason that, capital finance failed to provide the customers who are unable to repay the loan or the defaulters with specific customer information about the customers (Asic.gov.au, 2018). Thus, it is a breach to the consumer protection repossession law. This is due to the fact that, according to this law, it is mandatory for the insurance organizations to maintain the specific information regarding what the borrowers are proposing to do. Due to this issue, they are being fined with USD 493, 000 under the national credit act. On the other hand, due to this breach, customers also faced the issue of not receiving the information regarding the less time available to repay the loan. This caused generation of the negative word of mouth among their customers and also de-motivated the potential customers to avail their services. This is another major criticism being faced by Westpac in the recent time. In this case, they have initiated the process of contacting the affected customers and communicated the helpline in case of any customer queries. Environmental analysis of Westpac The previous sections discussed about the operational factors that are having negative impact on their business profile. However, in the current business scenario, there are various factors to be determined in terms of the internal environment of Westpac. SWOT analysis will be used to determine the opportunities and threats of them. SWOT analysis Strengths The brand value of Westpac is huge and enormous. It is beneficial for them to further penetrate in the existing market along with entering in the new market. The rich history associated with Westpac enhances the trustworthiness of them among the customers. Thus, this helps them to attract more customers compared to their competitors (Hasan, 2013). They are having their market presence in different locations around the world. Thus, the market coverage is more along with segregated customer segments. Weaknesses The recent issues being discussed in the previous sections are leading to negative word of mouth in the market. Majority of their competitors are having higher and more market presence than Westpac. Thus, they are trailing behind their competitors in terms of market coverage (Kopel and Lambertini, 2013). Risk involved with the providence of the banking facilities including attachment of huge capital as default. Opportunities Entering in more foreign countries will increase the market opportunity for them along with increase in the brand exposure. As discussed earlier, the horizontal growth strategies initiated by them is helping in cutting off the competition. Developing countries are still untapped for the banking sector and thus it is a huge opportunity for Westpac to tap these markets (Doss, 2013). Threats Threats of new entrants in the market will reduce the profitability of them (Frei, Mbachu and Phipps, 2013). Generation of negative word of mouth will further reduce their profitability. Increase in defaulters will increase the financial risk for them (Foley-Fisher and Guimaraes, 2013). Organizational culture of Westpac According to the information being available on their official website, Westpac maintains the inclusive workplace for their employees. One of the key characteristics being identified is the initiation of the diversity among the employees. They promote recruitment and selection of the employees from different social and cultural areas (Chrobot-Mason and Aramovich, 2013). This is having dual advantages for them including the enhancement of the social impression of the brand and generating diverse and different ideas from the employees. Moreover, they also maintain various initiatives such as ABLE, Asian Leadership Group, Brothers and Sisters Indigenous Group and FLEX (flexible work practices). All these initiatives are having distinctive utilities in the workplace. For instance, initiation of the FLEX enables the employees to have flexible work timing in their workplace (Shagvaliyeva and Yazdanifard, 2014). Employees are having the options of selecting their work timing at their convenience. It will eventually enhance the level of motivation of the employees. Along with these strategies, gender equality is also being promoted in the organization in order to have equal representation of the female employees. Leadership style of Westpac Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac maintains charismatic and transformational style of leadership in the organization (Zhu et al., 2013). This is the reason behind the initiation of employee oriented initiatives in the organization. She maintains that, having the engaged and motivated employees in place is the key source of gaining competitive advantages for the organization. Thus, initiation of transformational leadership in the organization helps in having effective internal stakeholders to deal with the organizational challenges. Moreover, another advantage that is being gained from the initiation of the transformational leadership is the providence of effective customer service. This is due to the reason that, transformational style of leadership by their CEO enables the employees to have effective working environment in their workplace. Thus, having the effective working environment will motivate the employees to perform better. Moreover, having the motivated employees in place also enable to provide effective customer service. Thus, the more effective will be the customer service, the more will be the level of customer satisfaction and loyalty for the brand (Choudhary, Akhter and Zaheer, 2013). This is the key motive and objective for the leadership style being followed by their CEO. In addition, transformational leadership also includes gathering the feedback of the employees. Hence, involvement of feedback of the employees helps the organization to meet the requirement and expectation of the employees ef fectively. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that, Westpac is having huge brand equity and value in the Australian market due to their rich history. This is one of the core competitive advantages being identified. In addition, the differences in the approaches of initiation of corporate strategies are being identified in this report. It is being identified that, the strategies of Westpac in their initial stage is quite different than what they are now following. It is also being concluded that, they are facing some ethical issues in the recent time and are facing negative impact for them. Moreover, the internal environment of them is also being analyzed and various threats and opportunities for them are being identified. Lastly, the organizational culture and the leadership style being followed in the organization are also being discussed in this report. It is being concluded that, they are having effective and efficient organizational culture and leadership style for their employe es. Reference Asic.gov.au. 2018 [online] Asic.gov.au. Available at: https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/media-centre/find-a-media-release/2016-releases/16-106mr-westpac-car-financier-pays-493-000-for-breaching-consumer-protection-repossession-laws/ [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018]. Beatty, A. and Liao, S., 2014. Financial accounting in the banking industry: A review of the empirical literature.Journal of Accounting and Economics,58(2), pp.339-383. Choudhary, A.I., Akhtar, S.A. and Zaheer, A., 2013. Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis.Journal of Business Ethics,116(2), pp.433-440. Chrobot-Mason, D. and Aramovich, N.P., 2013. The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity.Group Organization Management,38(6), pp.659-689. Doss, C., 2013. Intrahousehold bargaining and resource allocation in developing countries.The World Bank Research Observer,28(1), pp.52-78. Drnevich, P.L. and Croson, D.C., 2013. Information technology and business-level strategy: Toward an integrated theoretical perspective.Mis Quarterly,37(2). Flexibilty | Westpac. 2018.Westpac.com.au. Retrieved 12 January 2018, from https://www.westpac.com.au/about-westpac/careers/westpac-difference/flexibility/ Foley?Fisher, N. and Guimaraes, B., 2013. US real interest rates and default risk in emerging economies.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,45(5), pp.967-975. Frei, M., Mbachu, J. and Phipps, R., 2013. Critical success factors, opportunities and threats of the cost management profession: the case of Australasian quantity surveying firms.International Journal of Project Organisation and Management 7,5(1-2), pp.4-24. Ghezzi, A., 2013. Revisiting business strategy under discontinuity.Management Decision,51(7), pp.1326-1358. Hasan, M., 2013. Sustainable supply chain management practices and operational performance.American Journal of Industrial and Business Management,3(1), p.42. Kopel, M. and Lambertini, L., 2013. On price competition with market share delegation contracts.Managerial and Decision Economics,34(1), pp.40-43. Schwarten, E., 2018.NewsComAu. [online] NewsComAu. Available at: https://www.news.com.au/national/oxfam-accuses-anz-nab-westpac-and-commonwealth-of-loaning-to-firms-engaged-in-unethical-practices/news-story/f132bcc29f27b5a301354aa9e6c558c0 [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018]. Shagvaliyeva, S. and Yazdanifard, R., 2014. Impact of flexible working hours on work-life balance.American Journal of Industrial and Business Management,4(1), p.20. Westpac., 2018.Mission Australia | Westpac. [online] Westpac.com.au. Available at: https://www.westpac.com.au/about-westpac/sustainability/initiatives-for-you/social-enterprises-mission-australia/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2018]. Westpac.,2018Our strategy and vision | Westpac.Westpac.com.au. Retrieved 12 January 2018, from https://www.westpac.com.au/about-westpac/westpac-group/company-overview/our-strategy-vision/ Zaefarian, G., Henneberg, S.C. and Naud, P., 2013. Assessing the strategic fit between business strategies and business relationships in knowledge-intensive business services.Industrial Marketing Management,42(2), pp.260-272. Zhu, W., Newman, A., Miao, Q. and Hooke, A., 2013. Revisiting the mediating role of trust in transformational leadership effects: Do different types of trust make a difference?.The Leadership Quarterly,24(1), pp.94-105.