The more you know about a customer the better.

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Introduction

Listening to the voice of the customer is a fundamental of marketing. Needs and value assessment provides valuable inputs to product development, customer support services, logistics, and marketing communications. Customers will not only tell you what products and services they need, but which aspects of those products and services are most important in the supplier selection process and how well you perform on those attributes relative to your direct competitors. Customers can also tell you if they receive good value for those products and services, given their cost. Competitive suppliers may offer varying levels of service and/or product quality, and yet offer equal value to the customer, due to differences in cost. Understanding which product features and service attributes are most important to customers, and how your company performs relative to competitors on those factors, allows for better allocation of resources for improvement efforts and development activities.

With these in mind, the successful company will be the one that meets and exceeds the expectations of its target customers. To this end, it listens continually to its target customers to find out what products and services they want to meet their needs, and the way in which they want the products or services delivered. However, due consideration must be given to the fact that customers are moving targets and their expectations constantly change. Hence, companies need as many opportunities to hear and respond to customer feedback as they can find.

The business environment is experiencing a shift from a focus on the cost of servicing customers to the value of the customer's total relationship. The contrast between customer service and customer relationship can be explained as follows customer service is usually a reactive activity with a goal of efficiency, while customer relationship is a powerful, continuous series of proactive customer interactions based on providing effective and flexible interactions supported by empowered employees. Customer service typically has its root in the complaint activity or as a transaction-based function. In both cases, the underlying premise is that the business has a product focus, whether it sells products, services or a combination. The typical customer interaction is a transaction. It has been generally assumed that a low number of customer complaints meant that customers were mostly content with the particular product. The following report endeavours to harmoniously unite the concepts introduced above. At the conclusion of this report, the reader will understand the value of the customer and the need for customer retention, from how well the company knows about its customer. Effectively assess his needs and know the importance of making every effort to satisfy those needs. Develop customer communications to open up channels of interaction. Assess the value of a complaint and treat it as a strategic tool to improve on either the product or service or both. Differentiate between reactive and proactive marketing practices, their value, and how to successfully implement them. This report also includes real world case studies of how proactive marketing strategies improved business turnaround as well as an interview with the client care manager of a leading telecommunications company in South Africa. The primary focus of the interview was to ascertain the marketing strategy (reactive or proactive) of the company, evaluate this strategy and make recommendations for improvements.

Know your Customer

The strategic connection between the customer and the company comes from the demand-side perspective, the customer (rather than a project, product, or physical asset) is regarded as the source of cash inflows or revenues (Wayland and Cole, 175). The primary focus of company should be on its most important constituency i.e. its customers (Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1175). Harley-Davidson, producer of America's most venerated motorcycle, almost went out of business in the 180s. The company lost touch with its customers, produced expensive yet low-quality bikes for which customers had to wait. Near bankruptcy in 186, the company's new management committed itself to rekindling the Harley-Davidson spirit by getting closer to the customers and revitalising the quality of the core product. In the words of Frank Cimermancic, Harley-Davidson director of business planning ' we had to remove the reasons for people to not buy a Harley." Over the next few years, Harley-Davidson regained market share and increased output by 50 percent. Revenue grew by 85 percent and profits skyrocketed a whopping 10 percent. A close-to-the-customer philosophy with distributors, dealers and customers was one of the underlying operating strategies that contributed to the Harley-Davidson turnaround (Wayland and Cole, 177).

The preceding case was a typical example of reactive marketing practice and was based on observational knowledge. Although this approach has its merits, if Harley-Davidson had taken a more predictive or proactive marketing practice, it could have avoided being near bankruptcy. AT&T Consumer Services is an example of a business using proactive marketing strategy. When the telecommunications industry was deregulated in the USA, a competitive landscape was created within which AT&T had to survive. Given this new environment, AT&T committed itself to having the needs of its customers drive the shape of its future business. AT&T first looks at customer needs then devises ways to outperform the competition. Its focus is now on building relationships with customers and retaining them over time, as opposed to selling products. South Africa is on the verge of deregulating the telecommunications industry. Telkom and indeed the second fixed line operator can learn from and perhaps use AT&T's proactive customer marketing practice as a benchmark to gain a competitive advantage in SA.

Most marketing theory and practice focus on the art of attracting new customers rather than on retaining existing ones. The key to customer retention is customer satisfaction. A highly satisfied customer

1.Stays loyal longer

.Talks favourably about the company and its products.

.Buys more as the company introduces new products and upgrades.

4.Pays less attention to competing brands and price.

5.Routine transactions cost less than with new customers.

Thus a prudent company would measure customer satisfaction regularly (Kotler, 00048)

Today, more and more companies are recognising the importance of satisfying and retaining current customers. Here are some interesting facts on customer retention (Reichheld, 16)

1.New customers can cost five times more.

.The average company loses ten percent of its customers annually.

.A five-percent reduction in defection rate can increase profits by twenty five percent.

4.The customer profit rate increases over the life of the retained customer.

There are five different levels of investment in customer-relationship building

1.Basic marketing simply sells

.Reactive marketing sells and encourages response

.Accountable marketing salesperson calls to check on product satisfaction

4.Proactive marketing salesperson often calls with new product information

5.Partnership marketing the company works closely with clients to discover ways to perform better

The likely level of relationship marketing depends on the number of customers and the profit margin level as illustrated below (Kotler, 00050)

HIGH MARGIN MEDIUM MARGINLOW MARGIN

Many customers/ Distributors

Accountable

Reactive

Basic or reactive

Medium number of customers / distributors

Proactive

Accountable

Reactive

Few customers / distributors

Partnership

Proactive

Accountable

Customer Needs Assessment and Customer Communications

One of the best strategies to assess the needs of the customer is to spend a 'day in the life' of the customer (online). The following table provides a handy checklist for marketers who are interested in implementing this strategy.

I. Strategy and logistics

Selection should you visit a customer that is loyal, prospective, dissatisfied, etc.?

Visitors will marketing, sales, technical, and/or other staff participate in the visit?

Timing will you observe your customer during normal/peak/low activity time, etc?

Length do you want to spend an hour, a day, multiple visits?

II. Internal/ Customer Relationships

Internal organisation acceptance have you established objectives and benefits to all key parties within your organisation, and co-ordinated with relevant customer contacts?

Customer acceptance have you established win-win understanding for your visit, and gained an understanding of any relevant sensitivities, limitations, etc.?

III. Execution

Sources of information will you include workflow observation, interviews, and observation of working environment?

Motivators can you assess the customer's relevant incentive systems, personnel attitudes towards stakeholders, etc.?

Data capture will you take notes, photos, video, etc.?

Recognition of customer investment in your visit will you compensate with fees, information sharing, etc.?

Maintenance of customer relationship

Good customer communications are a vital part of customer care (Wood, 00018). The communication can be in writing, face to face or on the telephone. Irrespective of the method, it should be clear, concise, and courteous, creates the right impression and conveys the correct message. There is no doubt that thousands of companies implement customer care programmes and yet still have customers who receive poor service and complain about it. The problem often lies in allocating a specific department for customer care instead of training and empowering all staff to deal with customer care issues. Another common problem is that companies impose customer care programmes without explaining the reasons behind them, or do not allow staff who deal with customers everyday to influence how customer care is implemented.

Listening skills are also a vital part of customer care. By using effective listening skills, all the necessary and relevant information pertaining to customer wants and needs can be obtained. Listening is an active and not a passive activity. Listening is also a proactive marketing strategy because a potential problem can be averted because of some useful information that was received (Wood, 000). The following table lists some tools that can assist the marketer in listening to the customer and ascertain what needs to be done in order to improve the product or service that is being offered (online). This approach, which seeks to identify the customer needs and what they require in service delivery, is one of the cornerstones in marketing and the marketing firm must pay close attention to it. Relationship marketing as a strategic mechanism can not only deliver satisfaction, but can actually 'redefine' what satisfaction is for the customer and actively employ the co-creation process of satisfaction (Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1814)

TOOL

NATURE AND PURPOSE

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Focus groups

Small groups of customers meet with a facilitator to answer open-ended questions.

Provides an intimate view of customers; obtains deeper comments and ideas than surveys.

Small groups may not be totally representative of entire customer base.

Customer panels

Similar to focus groups, but panels meets on a regular basis.

Regular meetings provide even more intimacy than focus groups. Customers who think about your problems over the long-term may come up with especially valuable ideas.

Customer panels require considerable management effort.

Face-to-face individual interviews

Personal interviews provide nuances of different customers thoughts.

In groups, customers influence one anothers responses. Individual interviews may enable customers to articulate more idiosyncratic thoughts.

In groups, customers help each other to articulate thoughts that may not be clear at first. This isnt possible with individual interviews.

Visits to customers and observation of their service use

Thoughtful study of customers in the setting in which they actually use your service provides the most intimacy.

Probably the most under-utilised method. When people who design the service see it in use they get ideas for improvement that customers themselves may never propose.

Customers often like to be visited, but planning and systematic preparation are required to insure maximum utility.

Customer tours

Invite customers to tour your facilities and discuss how you can serve them better.

Customers offer excellent ideas while at your site.

Customer tours wont provide comprehensive understanding of customer views

Meeting trade shows

Setting up a booth where customers congregate is a cost-effective and time-honoured method of hearing the customer.

You can meet more customers per dollar expended than with other methods.

There is little time to talk; the atmosphere is artificial.

Toll-free numbers

Companies attach toll-free telephone numbers to services collateral or Web sites.

An effective method of gathering data from customers whilst problems are being experienced; it also improves satisfaction and generates add-on sales.

Can be expensive.

Telephone, mail, or e-mail surveys

Surveys ask a fixed menu of questions to a large number of people; can be most useful to gather opinions on closed-ended questions, the importance of which you have already established by other means.

If well managed, can provide scientifically valid information on the thinking of the entire customer base (compared with smaller group meetings or individual interviews).

Information will be limited to the specific questions you ask, while worthwhile, it seldom produces extensive responses.

Mystery shoppers

Professionals visit your business posing as customers and report on how they were treated.

Can give accurate that information on services you provide.

May cause employees to feel they are not trusted.

Customer Complaints A Blessing or a Curse?

The effective handling of complaints and good service recovery are, for many companies, the best opportunities to show how far they are prepared to go for their customers in terms of service delivery (Barlow and Moller, 161). When customers are dissatisfied with a product or service, they have two options they can complain or walk away. If they choose the latter, the organisation has no opportunity to mend their dissatisfaction. Thus, companies need a paradigm shift. Complaints must be welcomed and treated as a gift because customers who take the time to complain still have some confidence in the organisation (Barlow and Moller, 161). It is less of a hassle for the customer to take the business elsewhere than to complain.

In 1, the Savings Bank of Manchester, Connecticut identified an area where a concentration of fraudulent activity was taking place. Criminals were using false automated teller machines to get customer account numbers and then emptying their accounts. These criminals were caught only because customers complained (Barthel, 14).

Wayne-Dalton, manufacturer of doors and security grilles, switched to a new packaging system after their customers complained about damaged doors. The new, more expensive packaging reduced the complaints and also ultimately resulted in a net reduction of costs (Wayne-Dalton, 17-7).

By paying attention to customer complaints, Quick-Park Inc, a US company that manages parking lots, instituted several changes that expedited the processing of exiting cars. This pleased the customers and saved Quick-Park nearly $500000 annually (Luehlfing, 1-6).

The above cases are examples of reactive marketing practice. However, because the customers took the time to complain, and the companies listened, potential losses were averted. In fact complaints led to improvements in turnaround and service. Following are some proactive strategies, which can be implemented to avoid customer dissatisfaction (online). However, they do not dismiss the value of complaints.

Desired merchandise must not be out of place, out of stock, or on order

Help should be always available when it is needed

Employees must be highly trained, informed and focussed

Get rid of bureaucratic processes and red tape which leads to delays

Waiting in line, on the phone or anytime should be discouraged in the company policy

Prices clearly marked

Advertising must not be misleading

Value commensurate with price paid

Quality that lives up to expectations

Stand behind your products or services

Customers value some combination of the following

Genuine courtesy

Quality people, product, process

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Service has to be forethought, not an afterthought. Build service into all parts of your operations from the beginning, rather than frustrating yourself, your people, and your customers by trying to engineer it along the way.

REACTIVE OR PROACTIVE MARKETING PRACTICE? WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE?

Kotler (00050) describes reactive marketing as the selling of products or services. The customers are encouraged to call if they have any questions, comments or complaints. Proactive marketing, on the other hand, occurs when the salesperson contacts the customer from time to time with suggestions about improved product uses or helpful new products. It is clear that proactive marketing tends to be more customer-focussed and as such builds bonds between customers and companies. A recent interview with a product manager of a leading telecommunications company revealed the following

Before Transnet began privatising the various divisions, Transtel enjoyed a monopoly. Company policy prohibited the other divisions from dealing with other companies. Transtel had exclusive rights to provide products and services to the organisation. Following the privatisation of the divisions, profitability became a driving force. They now had to be leaner. Costs had to be kept to a minimum. The same applied for the Transtel. Because of the restructuring of Transnet, Transtel could not afford to be complacent anymore or else they would lose the business to its competitors. The customers began to demand better and cheaper service. Transtel could no longer be just reactive if it wanted to remain competitive. Therefore, the client care division streamlined itself and began implementing this paradigm shift. Clients are visited on a regular basis and kept abreast of new technologies that would help them remain competitive. Because of this change in strategy from being reactive to being proactive, Transtel has not lost any of its customers but have actually gained more because of their reputation of being a customer-orientated company. Now the company is preparing itself for the second fixed line operator licence. They are preparing business and marketing plans with the main focus on its customers and how they can best serve the public with what they have to offer.

Another case where the proactive approach was beneficial was that of Advanced Communications (Ainga, 17). The company effectively reduced the number of incoming calls to its customer service department by eighty percent through a proactive approach to client handling. The business has since grown by ninety two percent. This was achieved by constant analysis of clients' needs. They implemented a regular programme of mail-outs and Web information that addresses common queries, thereby reducing the need for customers to telephone the support department. The company also developed Freetalk Plus, a service that enables customers to have quarterly checks on their mobile tariffs built into their accounts. This in effect guarantees customers of the validity of their accounts. They also require all staff to complete internal and external product, sales and service training courses. Their customers have come to expect that they stay one step ahead of the game.

These and other numerous cases of successful implementation of proactive marketing practice which lead to increased turnover and reduced costs. Clearly a company that wants to remain competitive needs to seriously consider its marketing practices.

CONCLUSION

In keeping to the topic, this report has focussed on the value of a customer, the need for customer retention and the importance of knowing your customer. Also, the effective assessment of customer needs and the satisfaction thereof, customer communication channels for interaction and the value of complaints as a strategic tool was investigated. Encompassing all of these was the reactive verses proactive approach to marketing using case studies and an interview. It is clear that companies need to shift from reactive service to proactive service (The Business Journal of Portland, 17). Companies need to beat customers to the punch, be there before they need you, anticipate their needs and make customers feel that you care about them personally.

Please note that this sample paper on The more you know about a customer the better. is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on The more you know about a customer the better., we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on The more you know about a customer the better. will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Getting Accepted into College

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I would really like to be accepted.Enclosed please find 1 Tax Resale Deed for Lot 8, Holiday Hill Subdivision, which was bid in trust to the County on March 4, 00 at the Courthouse. Would you please forward this document to the appropriate member of the school board to obtain the signature of the Board President. Please obtain the signature, and have them notarized, then returned to me in the enclosed, self-addressed stamped envelope.

Should you or the Board President have any questions, feel free to contact me personally.

Thanks for your help.You have previously been served a citation in the suit styled LaPoynor Independent School District vs. Jesus M. Trevino, Jr. et al. We are in the process of trying to recover a judgment against Mr. & Mrs. Jesus M. Trevino, Jr. For the 5.671 Acre Tract out of Abstract 50 of the J. T. Martin Survey for delinquent tax years of 1 00. The post office was unable to serve Mr. & Mrs. Trevino, Jr. at P.O. Box 1517 in Palestine. Would you please provide us with their correct address to where a citation may be brought to their attention. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. Should you have any questions feel free to call Anna Fontana or Christina Whitehead at the above number.

TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT

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Now comes Plaintiff, County of Henderson, the above numbered and entitled cause and would respectfully show the Court that the Plaintiff no longer desires to pursue this cause of action and that all costs of court have been paid. Therefore, pursuant to Rule 16, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Plaintiff does hereby dismiss this cause of action against the Defendants without prejudice to the rights of the Plaintiff to refile the same cause of action at a later date or to the rights of the Impleaded Defendant taxing units, if any, to further prosecute this action.

McCREARY, VESELKA, BRAGG & ALLEN, P.C.

Attorneys for Plaintiff

5 Balcones Drive, Second Floor

P.O. Box 60

Austin, Texas 78755

(51) 451-000

By ________________________________________

Harvey M. Allen

State Bar No. 0104500

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

It is ordered that this case is dismissed without prejudice. Costs collected pursuant to TEX. PROP. TAX CODE, Sec. .48 are to be distributed as shown on the records of the District Clerk, including but not limited to the Sheriff for service of citation, to the Clerk for docketing and issuance of citation, and to Plaintiff's attorney for abstract costs.

Signed this _______ day of ______________________, 00.

_________________________________

JUDGE PRES

CHRISTINA WHITEHEAD

McCREARY, VESELKA, BRAGG & ALLEN

101 E. Tyler Street

Athens, Texas 75751

(0) 675-618

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USSR vs Russia

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For half a century two of the world's greatest superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, were locked in bitter rivalry, which became known as the Cold War. When the Cold War was over, the Soviet Union no longer existed, even though the war never turned hot. What emerged were several republics broken apart, the main being Russia, to form independent states. Therefore we will examine the cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and compare it with the current Russian state.

The Soviet Union was a Federal system on paper, made of republics that supposedly joined voluntarily. There was a Politburo, twelve to fifteen members with another five to six nonvoting candidate members, which acted like a cabinet in a parliamentary system. Also, there was the Secretariat, twenty-five members who oversaw the work of the entire party. The General Secretary served as both the head of the Secretariat and chair of the Politburo, equivalent to a Prime Minister. This made up the main pieces of the formal government.

The functioning of the government in reality was much different. The party controlled everything inside the government and also much in the personal lives of the people. Positions inside the party were filled by the Nomenklatura, a list of names of those determined by the party hierarchy to be able to fulfill certain positions. The totalitarian nature of the party provided for a command economy, one where the government decides what goods and services will be produced, how much will be produced, and the cost.

When Gorbachev came to power he knew that the Soviet Union needed to change. Gorbachev was, "convinced that they could not breathe new life into Soviet institutions without changing the country's political culture." (Hauss 65) Therefore, according to Gorbachev, in order to reform the economy, they must first reform the political system. This reform of the political system was known as Glasnost.

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Glasnost was intended by Gorbachev to bring about a Western-style political culture by giving the people more freedoms and bigger say in what took place in the government. This was the main focus of Gorbachev so that he could lay the foundation for further reforms in other aspects of the Soviet system. However Glasnost backfired for Gorbachev because the people vented their frustrations caused by the government, rather than feel better about it. Added to this the fact that most people felt that economic reforms were taking place too slowly, and very few people approved of the job Gorbachev was doing.

Perestroika, total restructuring of the economy, is what Gorbachev felt was needed to revitalize the Soviet economy. Gorbachev was able to bring about a few initiatives in his attempt at perestroika including introducing market mechanisms, privatizing certain small businesses, agricultural reforms, and easing restrictions on foreign firms. However, these attempts at economic reform were too little too late.

With the loosening of the government's control over the people and a more educated population, the unrest became too much. On August 1, 11 eight hard-liners, which were concerned over the decaying power of the party, executed a coup attempt. The coup failed, but the union was not restored. Thus, the political pressures unleashed by Gorbachev's Glasnost were too much and caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought the birth of the Russian Federation.

Russia is new country, very different from the Soviet Union. Russia has made real attempts at establishing a true democracy with a parliamentary form of government. There are two houses that make up the parliament, the Federation Council, and the State Duma. Most of the power however lies with the president and the executive branch, but the power is much more dispersed than compared with the Soviet Union.

One problem that the new Russia has faced is that many of the same Soviet officials run the bureaucracy today simply because there is no one else qualified to do so. This feeds into the political culture in Russia, where the people do not have much trust for authorities because of seventy years of oppression. Although there is now a choice between political parties in Russia, open and voluntary political participation is a new phenomenon for the people.

Though there has been a long history of oppressive rule in that part of the world, there is hope for the new Russia. With a foundation of democracy in place, there is reason to believe that Russia will have a better outcome than the Soviet Union. I believe that as Russia's economy grows, so to will the spirit and principles of democracy. The quirks will be worked out, and the people of Russia will lead themselves to a great future.

Works Cited

Hauss, Charles. Comparative Politics; Domestic Responses to Global Challenges 4th ed. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Belmont, CA 00

Parenthetical citations (Hauss 65)

USSR

Head of stateGeneral Secretary

Head of governmentGeneral Secretary

Political cultureDeclining view of governments legitimacy in late 80's

Political partiesCommunist Party of Soviet Union had all control

Russia

Head of statePresident

Head of governmentPresident

Political cultureDistrust for people of authority

Political partiesVarying parties, no major continuous parties

Works Cited

Hauss, Charles. Comparative Politics; Domestic Responses to Global Challenges 4th ed. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Belmont, CA 00

Parenthetical citations (Hauss 65)

Please note that this sample paper on USSR vs Russia is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on USSR vs Russia, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on USSR vs Russia will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Total quality management in secondary school

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OVERVIEW OF Barataria Secondary Comprehensive School (BSCS)

vA public secondary comprehensive school.

vManaged by the Ministry of Education.

vEnrollment 1500 students

vStaff Teaching 100 teachers.

Administrative Principal, Vice-Principal, 7 Deans, 7 HODs, 1Bursar

Auxiliary Staff persons (Clerical Staff 8; Lab Assistants & Workshopattendants 15

vNo of Departments 7 (Business Studies, Maths & Science, Languages, History, Mechanical, Electrical, Drafting, Building Craft.

vNo. of Classrooms 45

vTypes of Programmes Ordinary & Advanced Levels

vNo. of Subject Clusters 15

Group A General Studies, Accounts, Science, Typewriting, General Electricity

Group B Music, Visual Arts, Food & Nutrition, Woodwork, Mechanical Craft, Technical Drawing.

Group B Dressmaking, Tailoring, Metalwork, Building Craft, Beauty Culture.

Insert Org str

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND KEY ISSUES

DIAGNOSIS List of Competing Problems

Process Problems

Structural and Systemic Ministry of Education. The absence of a strategic focus, pro-active modus operandi, inefficient and ineffective processes.

-BSCS lack of an official management structure.

-lack of clinical supervision of staff

-lack of professional development opportunities

-

Recruitment and Selection No training in pedagogy is required.

This results in poor classroom instruction.

Curriculum that is not learner-centered nor tailored to the needs of a changing society.

Lack of programmes to facilitate the teaching / learning process. (Orientation, extra and co-curricula)

Lack of involvement and coordination between the key stakeholders.

Data Collection

Culture of lethargy

Financial Lack of adequate funding for purchase of resources and other supplies not to mention a descent infrastructure (leaky roofs).

Inadequate compensation packages for teachers

Symptomatic problems

·Demotivated teachers

·Overworked teachers

·Absenteeism and Unpunctuality

·Crowed classrooms

·Poor academic performance

·Delinquent Behaviour

Mission Statement of BSCS

"To provide quality education to students of varying abilities, to enhance personal development, to prepare them for the world of work, further education, good citizenship and to enable them to adapt to the needs of a changing environment."

How can this mission be accomplished?

The following statement holds true "It is virtually impossible for any organization to successfully accomplish its mission without the effective management of operations".

Some of the key operations management (OM) areas applicable to my organization are as follows

·Service Design As a school its incumbent to design and deliver educational programs with outstanding quality and inherent customer value.

·Process Design The Ms of men, materials and machines must be in the right place at the right time.

·Layout This can be applied to the actual allocation of groups to specific classrooms. For example Would you place a Form 6 class adjacent to a Form1 Class?

How can I layout my classroom for effective delivery? Would a circular /semi-circular format be more appropriate than the traditional linear style?

·Scheduling What criteria am I going to use to allocate staff members to classes?

Am I going to assign the new teachers to the most difficult classes? Can I design the time- table to facilitate team teaching?

·Quality is a feature that should permeate all aspects of the school operations.

As such, the management of operations is just as important to this service oriented, not-for-profit organizations as it is for a manufacturing, profit-based firm.

One thing is for certain, the school and for that matter the education system as a whole is plagued with numerous problems. Its definitely is difficult to decide where to start, however it is critical that all stakeholders be involved so that there is 'buy in' of the paradigm shift. However as an educational institution, one cannot sit back and wait for change to occur, one has to make that change a reality, thus as a school we have to look within and devise solutions to existing problems. Of course, that does not discount the fact that we have to lobby the Ministry, so that they can also start thinking 'out of the box'.

Key Processes to be Improved

Curriculum Development

Problems

§Too long a time frame before curriculum updated.

§Little input from people involved in the process - subject teachers.

§Produces an output that can be irrelevant to the environment in which it operates

§Inadequate numbers involved in the process at any time due to time and space constraints

§Little or no input from bodies particularly corporate bodies that are external to the school system.

Recommendations

§Liaise with Curriculum Officers at the Learning Resource Center at Couva in order to adapt the subjects to the changing market needs.

§Source input data from all the key stakeholders.

Curriculum Delivery

Problems

ØLack of synergies between various schools and even between teachers within the same school in order for there to be excellence in delivery.

New teachers are left on their own to either 'sink or swim'.

Staff Development

Objectives To ensure that all member are professionally competent in order to deliver a quality programmes to students.

Programmes to be implemented

ØInduction programmes for new staff members

ØMentoring programmes so that new entrants into the profession can benefit from the expertise of existing successful teachers.

ØInstitute a Team Based approach for delivery of the content of the syllabus. According to Professor Miller 'The teaching profession is highly individualistic vs. team-based'. Teachers within a department need to get together and share ideas and strategies on the most creative ways to impart the information to the students. For example would a project approach be more appropriate for specific topics? I am forced to quote from another excellent article by Professor Miller 'Use a variety of pedagogical tools to maximize the involvement of the class in the learning process. The use of role plays, videos, group projects, presentations, research exercises, class discussions, real-life cases, on-the-job assignments, and term papers will greatly enhance a students ability not only to manifest their intellect, but also to better function in society.'

Teachers need to remember a simple credo that I try my utmost best to apply "Proper prior planning prevents poor performance."

For example research indicates that in Japan a teacher does not teach for more than three hours per day. The remaining time is spent preparing for the lessons. This is indeed critical in order to avoid unprepared teacher entering the classroom, resulting in 'breaking down' instead of 'building up' of the students. Teacher needs to be masters of the subject area in which they are tutoring. This is a big issue, especially since in many instances, this is not the case. This results in the delivery of a lesson that lacks depth, far less for it even being interesting or creative for the students.

ØNetworking This collaborative approach can be extended to include schools within a particular district. For example, in the GCE Advance Level Business Studies subject which I teach, there are 7 key areas Business and the Environment, People in Organizations, Marketing, Production, Finance, Accounts and Information for Decision-Making, as you will well appreciate its extremely difficult for an individual teacher to design approximately 400 quality lesson plans to cover the entire syllabus. Hence, if there is division of labour and specialization simple concepts promugulated by Adam Smith some 400 years ago, I'm sure everyone would benefit, most of all the students. Teachers really need to work smarter, not harder.

ØIntroduction of new technologies equipment, labs, workshops.

Over the past few years several Caribbean countries have been undertaking education reform exercises geared at preparing their citizens for the 1st century and competition in the global workplace. The main characteristics of the process include curriculum reform, changes to the teaching methodology and assessment processes, with technology serving as a catalyst for change.

In an article entitled 'The impact of technology on the Teaching-Learning process in the Caribbean Experiences from Barbados and Jamaica', the writer believes that there should be a focus on Integrated Learning Systems- i.e. the use of computer aided instruction and the use of technology in the development of cognitive and higher-level skills by students and the associated strategies to promote a more constructivist (child-centered) vs. instructionist (teacher-centered) approach to education. Technology certainly has a tremendous capacity to change the entire culture of a school and hence the modus operandi of teaching and learning.

In line with the 'work smarter not harder' philosophy, indeed the use of multi-media projectors, will definitely enrich teacher delivery and reduce the planning workload. At present, teachers are required to prepare daily notes of lessons, barring annual syllabus reviews, these same plans can be easily adjusted electronically to suit the particular class, instead of having to manually re-write more or less the same information over and over. This will go a long way in reducing or even preventing teacher burnout.

Additionally, information's systems can provide an efficient system of receiving, storing and disseminating information.

School Organization

The effectiveness and efficiency of the entire organization can be improved via

vDecentralized administration

vFunctional Committees e.g. Public Relations

vPastoral structure (Deans, Students)

vCommunication network (including the Ministry of Education)

vPersonnel integration

vParental input

vCommunity / Support groups (establish meaningful linkages)

vExplore options for the cafeteria

vPast student alumnae

Funding

How can we become self-sufficient?

Sources of funding

1.Government Funding

.Internal Funding

§Cafeteria

§Committee funding

§Sell our services e.g. Craft area, Agricultural Science, Beauty Culture, Home Economics, Music and Culture (entertainment)

§One major fund raising activity per term, with PTA (Parent Teachers Association) involvement

§Contributions by students

§Payment for all breakage of equipment

Physical Plant

How can we improve and maintain the physical infrastructure and the environment?

§Liaise with MTS (Maintenance, Training and Security Co. of Trinidad & Tobago)

§Student involvement in house-keeping

§Improvement of overall security burglar proof, lights, locks

§Improvement of drainage,

§Institute an Anti-Litter campaign

§Beautification of the premises

§Greater role for Deans and Prefects

Total Quality Management in the Education process

According to Heizer and Render Total Quality Management (TQM) refers to "the management of an entire organization so that it excels in all aspects of products and services that are important to the customer." TQM has implications for all of the key areas in the production of an educational service.

The Juran Institute in 16 published ten clear trends for quality management over the next ten years.

These are as follow

1.Expansion of quality management concepts, methods and tools to all industries and all company functions.

.Quality improvements at a revolutionary pace. (Continuous Improvements)

.Partnering forming relationships with all stakeholders, even with competitors.

4.Education and training for all members of the team management, professionals, workforce, suppliers and customers.

5.Self-directing workteams (Employee Empowerment)

6.Information systems for quality

7.Process management and process engineering

8.Customer focus

.Benchmarking

10.Strategic Quality Management

Heizer and Render adds to this list Just-in-Time (JIT), Taguchi concepts and TQM tools

With respect to Education and Training according to Peter Senge 'The ability to learn faster than your competitors is the only sustainable competitive advantage.' As an educator, we need to recognize that the skills of the workforce are going to be the key competitive weapon in the 1st century. Brainpower will create new technologies, but skilled labour will be the arms and legs that allow one to employ the new product and process technologies in order to be a low cost producer. The investment in education and training is high, but the rewards are great.

This necessary investment in our people may have been best expressed by George Guilder 'The central event of the 0th century is the overthrow of matter. In technology, economics, and the politics of nations, wealth in the form of physical resources is steadily declining in value and significance. Today, the ascendant nations and corporations are masters not of land and material resources, but of ideas and technologies. Wealth comes not to the rulers of land but to the emancipation of mind.'

Quality Leadership

Applying quality leadership principles throughout the operations is also of extreme importance. Process improvement can only occur via a proactive rather than a reactive approach to management. The following guidelines are should be quite helpful

RESULTS Mgt vs. PROCESS Mgt

·Motivate the individual Remove barriers

·Who is wrong?What is wrong

·Allocate responsibilityStudy process to improve

·Focus on the bottom lineFocus on process improvement

·Individual achievementGroup achievement

·Give crisp marching orders Establish well defined processes

·Do your jobHow can I help you to do your job

·Decisions driven by opinions Decisions driven by data

·React (short-term)Prevent (long-term)

·Crisis management Pro-active management

Additionally, Deming offered the following advice on leadership

·A leader has theory that is, he has knowledge and a willingness to learn.

·A leader feels compelled to accomplish the transformation that is, he has vision.

·A leader is practical he has a plan, step-by-step, and can explain it in practical terms.

·A leader must convince and change enough people in power to make it happen.

Clearly, the pursuit of quality is a journey and not a destination. Quality is excellence continuously reinventing itself. There is the need to manage change constantly. It is said that at AT&T quality is almost a religion. They believe that you must serve your customer, value and respect people, set measurable and actionable goals, find change before it finds you, and take risks and learn from failure.

The role of leadership must be valued, we need to recognize and celebrate success. It's important for us to do what's right, always make timely decisions and prepare ourselves to make peace with the fact that our work is never truly over. As Winston Churchill once said, 'Success is never final'.

Some Strategies For Achieving Total Quality in Education

·Planning The plan and the approach must address all the parts of the whole organization.

·Develop an Internal Approach, based on simplicity, flexibility and organizational ownership.

·Follow the principles of Delighting the customer, in this case the student, the parent and society.

·Remember quality is an enabler, not a substitute for a product or service strategy

·The key issue is Total Organizational Change

·More specific strategies include

-Providing visible leadership This is the single most important factor. It has to be first. It is different from management. All levels of leadership must be addressed. In the final analysis leadership is a predictor of success.

How can this be done?

vBuild a Vision

vSet Goals

vCommunicate

vCoach others

vSet an Example

vAssign responsibility and assess results

-Focus on student results and Behaviour Results - What is the minimum level of performance? For example Passes in five CXC subjects, or two Advanced Levels and General Paper. Are these being met? How do you know?

Behaviour Is their student indiscipline? What are the root causes?

The following issues in terms of student development should also be considered - Remedial programmes, streamlining, Re-examination of the Prefect and Block system, Open day programmes etc.

-Train all teachers Mastery of content and pedagogy. Lawrence Cremin referred to it as 'infinitely skilled teacher- requires teachers who understand their subject matter and know how to connect it to the different experiences and understandings that children bring with them. It requires teachers who understand how people learn, and how differently people learn. It requires teacher who can perform the creative act of integrating that understanding into curriculum that is engaging and powerful, that deals with central concept and that develops high levels of skills.

-Recognize teachers' participation and successes and reward them both financially and non-financially. Employ seasoned teachers as Master Teachers, so that veteran teachers can benefit from their wealth of experience, instead of having to learn by doing. Mentorship, coaching and collaboration are some tools which can be utilized for improved teacher and hence student performance.

Peer recognition is said to be one of the best strategies. Additionally, small, unit recognition is better than big affair for a selected few.

-Define and improve processes

Some key areas to be covered here include-

ØTeacher Planning and Preparation i.e. Scheme of Work and teaching plans. Lessons Plans should reflect Objectives, Content of Topics, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Individual Student needs and Lesson evaluation.

ØInstructional Skills i.e.

1.Practical teaching/ Implementation of plans. This includes Organization of instruction, Use of resources, Questioning techniques, Lesson summary and closure.

.Monitoring and Assessment in terms of student participation, feedback and adjustment to lessons based on feedback.

ØClassroom management and control including time management, classroom atmosphere, classroom discipline, sensitivity to students as persons.

ØAdministrative Duties such as maintenance of student record and the provision of information on students' progress.

ØProfessional interactions and relationships such as the sharing of knowledge / experiences with colleagues, the ability to accept constructive criticism and support of colleagues / school.

ØProfessionalism in terms of interest in professional advancement / lifelong learning, contributions to professional workshops /papers/ seminars.

ØCo-curricula activities must be supported by all teachers for them toreally get off the ground.

-Communication This starts with Listening. It should be with both internal and external stakeholders. It is indeed a tough task that requires a lot of patience and wit so that the intended message gets across in the manner intended.

-Measure results Collect data and assess performance. For each specific goal there should be a corresponding performance measure.

-

Conclusion

According to Mrs. Hazel Manning, the Minister of Education "education is the way and the light to a better today and all the best possible tomorrow's." In this rapidly changing global environment the educational enhancement of our population is a must. In order for the government of Trinidad & Tobago to achieve its Vision 0 0 , there needs to be quantum change. This quality secondary education involves

·Having well planned, carefully developed systems with realistic time frames.

·Provision of a wide range of subjects and activities to cater for the many skills, talents and interests of students.

·The provision of suitably qualified well trained and well paid teachers, administrators and support staff.

· Properly constructed, safe, secure and well ventilated schools.

·A wide range of facilities, such as libraries, laboratories, workshops, music, and art rooms and suitable equipment to aid student learning.

·Small, manageable classes that cater for individual needs.

·Increased and adequate funding to ensure that all education goals are achieved.

Indeed, the problems at the individual schools are not isolated and relate directly to the administrative structure by which it is guided. As the old saying goes 'it takes two hands to clap', hence all stakeholders need to put aside their differences and attempt to devise a workable plan so that the flowers of our nation and the future generation can benefit.

Bibliography

Article - The Quantum Revolution in Economics and Technology

Heizer and Render, Principles of Operations Management 5th ed., Prentice Hall, New

Jersey, 00.

Miller Harvey, Internet Article 'Improving the Educational Performance of St. Lucian Learners'

Miller Harvey, Internet Article 'Improving our Education System Through Total Quality'

Internet Article www.aft.com

Trinidad & Tobago Bureau of Standards National Quality Forum '6 In Pursuit of Global Markets

Trinidad Express, Friday 8th March 00 Address to the Nation

Please note that this sample paper on total quality management in secondary school is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on total quality management in secondary school, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on total quality management in secondary school will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Home-based Workstyle

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It is 10 o'clock in the morning. After having a leisurely breakfast with his family, Jack sits at the computer desk and begins his work. He turns on the computer and logs onto the Internet. With just a few mouse clicks, he gets the latest news and all the information about today's tasks and objectives. Quickly, Jack makes a clear arrangement for today's job. Due to this type of flexible working, Jack managed to deal with different pieces of work at a time and he is still able to find time to play sports and join clubs in the neighborhood. Jack enjoys this lifestyle, and his company enjoys it too. In this information age, a home-based work style is beneficial for companies that use IT and Internet, because it can cut costs for the company, improve employees' efficiency and make it easier to communicate with customers face-to-face.

Implementing flexible working may mean the extra cost of setting up employees IT needs at home, but overall, people working at home will reduce costs. For example, less office space is needed, other employment overheads are saved and sometimes retaining experienced staff reduces the cost of recruitment and training. British Telecommunication is one of Europe's leading providers of telecommunications services and has around 108000 employees. The company began implementing teleworker schemes in 10 and now probably has the largest number of teleworkers of any UK organization. BT has already announced benefits from savings on property costs of 180 million pounds a year (a 50% reduction versus pre work style). Xerox benefits by saving 5% on call costs and fixed costs. These savings for the company can often translate to benefits for employees as well.

The benefits for the employees who work from home are many reduced disruption, reduced traveling and stress, flexible time and location, greater availability of information, greater freedom to balance work and home demands. Thus, their productivity is efficiently improved. Surveys show that in BT, productivity had increased up to 0% and 78% of teleworkers considered themselves to be more productive. One employee at BT said" I'd forgotten what it was like to read documents without my fingers in my ears. There is total peace here, no noisy individuals with headsets. No constant banter and distraction. I love it!" Another said" Standing on a crowded platform in the rain, followed by being herded into a sweaty carriage for over an hour, doesn't put people in a good mind set for work. From home you can get up later but still be at your desk earlier and in a much better refreshed." According to what they said, the home-based work style has an advantage that the office-based work style cannot compete with. Employees tend to finish a job at home, while there would be a far more chance that they would leave the work to be completed the next day if they had to travel home. Employees are more in control about when and how they work, so they have more freedom in achieving objectives.

A good relationship with its customers is another essential factor for a successful company. Employee who work from home are likely to join the local activities, so that they can get closer to their customers, making it easier to communicate with customers face-to face. Approximately a third of 1874 BT employees who work from home reported that they are involved in community and volunteering activities. 14%(67) of 1874 respondents stated that it made involvement easier and only respondents stated that it made involvement more difficult. 118(6%) reported an increase in the amount of time spent on such activities as a result of teleworking, and only 1 a decrease. It appears therefore that BT teleworking does support community involvement at least in the areas where employees live. BTs customer satisfaction in the area of service provision achieved 0 per cent - the strongest performance of all participating operators. Their business customers are amongst the most satisfied with their performance in providing service, complaint handling and billing. BT's customers also benefit from improved customer service because of increased availability of better-motivated account and technical supplier staff. BT has also found that it can faster responses to queries and complaints-both individually and by teams put together quickly by audio conference.

Improved customer relations, increased worker efficiency and reduced costs are three benefits that companies using the Internet and IT resources can reap from a home-based work environment. The world has now come to a stage where it is possible to change the traditional work style in a fixed company office or factory location, which had been the norm for most of the population for at least the last 100 years. Employees should ask themselves "do we really have to work in the same office all our lives?"

"How will it work in practice?" DTI, nd may, 00

http//www.dti.gov.uk/work-lifebalance/faqs.html

"Results of the first SUSTEL Survey-Assessing and Optimizing the Ecological and Social Benefits of Teleworking", WCG, 14/10/00,nd may, 00

http//www.wfh.co.uk/wfh/teleworking%0report_00.pdf

"Consultancy Case studies-Cost Reduction", WCG, nd may, 00

http//www.wfh.co.uk/wfh/consultancy/casestudies/case_btstory.htm

"Consultancy Case studies-Re-engineering", WCG, nd may, 00

http//www.wfh.co.uk/wfh/consultancy/casestudies/case_xeroxstory.htm

"Comparable Performance Indicators", BT Group, 10th may, 00 http//www.btplc.com/Betterworld/Customers/Customersatisfaction/ComparablePerformanceIndicators.htm

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The Kiss

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The painting 'The Kiss' was produced by an Austrian artist by the name of Gustav Klimt. This original painting was first made in 107 to 108 in Vienna. A paint palette with a variety of colours and a few different sized paintbrushes were used to create this painting. The size of this painting is quite large because of Gustav's long work with large murals. An erotic moment of passion between two people is represented in this painting. The two figures are blended by the colour of their clothing making it seem like they are wrapped in a blanket to be tied together eternally in love.

Different shades of brown, orange and yellow were mixed and used as the main colours. Red, pink, blue and green are the colours that also appear in the painting. 'The painting does not show any forms of shadow or light appearing. Gustav seemed to have used the same soft and smooth brush stroke texture flowing throughout the whole painting. A colourful mosaic design appears on the brown pastel coloured clothing along with patterned curling lines in the background. A large amount of squares and circles are also used as a pattern on the ground and on the clothing. The colourful flowers that resemble small circles on the ground, show evidence that the painter used a fine brush to achieve the wanted affect.

The painting is in a vertical format and appears asymmetric. The two figures in the painting are two dimensional and have no feeling of space or depth. The two figures wrapped in the blanket appear close up but showed that the painter preferred simple colour techniques and limited colour change achieving a more subtle and unshadowed affect. The focal point in this painting appears to be the two faces of the man and woman wrapped together. The colourful mosaic shapes also stand out against the pastel brown. The colourful spotted ground underneath the man and woman contrasts well with the dark coloured foreground and make the two figures stand out immediately.

I dislike the inconsistency of the male in the painting and believe the head and hands show lack of understanding of the human anatomy and movement. I like every other aspect of this painting very much, for example, the interesting mosaic patterns, the contrasting and curling colours and the human figures which seem blended together. The man's neck appears disproportioned and two large while his hands are too small. The man and woman's facial expression show passion and desperation as the woman is kneeling down with her head tilted back while the man is embracing her. While looking at this painting it gave me a slight feeling of reflection upon my own personal life and relationships as the two figures expressed eroticism, romance and closeness. I believe Gustav Klimt's painting 'The Kiss' is a highly beautiful painting that represents human emotion in a decorative style. It shows paintings don't require nudity or sex to represent romanticism.

Cheap College Papers on The Kiss

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Hrm-1

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Describe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the HR/Personnel function within an organisation with which you are familiar. On the basis of your analysis identify the main HR challenges currently facing this organisation. Relate your analysis to appropriate literature.

Introduction People are an important and expensive resource to a business. This asset has the capacity to be highly productive and generate revenue for the firm, but it also requires much attention and maintenance. When the direct costs of employment are added to the indirect costs of recruitment and selection, training and development, the organisations investment in an average full-time employee can exceed ?00,000 in a short space of time. Therefore one of the fundamental factors is how to attract the right employee and retain their services, gaining efficiency throughout. Before answering the first part of the question ¡°Describe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the HR/Personnel function within an organisation with which you are familiar¡±, the differences between HRM and the older style ¡®Personnel Management' requires defining. Human Resource Management HRM can be defined as any part of the management structure that relates to people at work. It involves everything from recruitment to training to performance appraisal and overall employee welfare. HRM is originally an American management term that has taken over from the more restrictive Personnel Management, and denotes a more proactive and business-focused role, with an emphasis on good communication and staff commitment, more flexible work practices, and performance-related reward systems. http//www.leavingcert.net/. Once considered a more peripheral activity, HRM has now moved to the core of the business.

The author's own perspective of this assignment is delivered from within the steel industry. An employee in middle management with a history of working from grass roots to Manufacturing Manager over a 10 year period within the Basic Oxygen Steel making plant (BOS). A plant where the iron from the Blast furnace iron is refined and then re-alloyed to be supplied at the correct time temperature and specification to the Continuously Cast plant (CONCAST) where semi-finished products are supplied to the mills for rolling.

Current Economic Climate Due to the current economic climate that is affecting the trading situation, both within the home and world export market there has been immense pressure on the business to reduce operating costs to achieve business objectives. Many areas of the business especially within the carbon steels section are, and have been making a loss for an extended period. Not just since the tragic events of 11th September 001, the events of which that have been blamed for losses in many other businesses. This event has merely compounded an underlying trend of difficult trading conditions in steel. We have as a business been implementing strategies to cut costs and increase efficiency, not just in operational performance terms but also changes in managements structures, team working implementation and further changes in manning levels (based on under utilisation of plant due to the low output).

HR Role Many of the recent objectives set by the business at ¡®Board Level' to reduce costs have required the need for the HRM function to take a role in the business, to be able to achieve the required levels. Some specific areas that the HR Department manage include Policies; such as Drugs and Alcohol and Equal Opportunities, as well as implementation of Company policy and Strategy, both long-term and medium-term. But these are day to say issues; the following headings are other fundamental areas that the HR function has played a part in during the recent cost cutting exercise. Manpower Planning This topic involves charting the future needs of the organisation with regard to numbers, skills profile, age and experience. This enables the firm to have the right people in the right numbers at the right time. http//www.leavingcert.net/ There have been some major changes within the organisation over recent years; the implementation of Team Working has been key to reducing costs. It brings about some major benefits, not least a reduction in employee numbers through more efficient use of the resource. Through this implementation at Scunthorpe, a 15% reduction of manpower has been achieved. The challenge that the HR function was faced with was how to achieve this kind of figure? In reality the HRM department had a minor role to play. From Board level through to Senior Management came the directive that a percentage manning reduction was required across the board, and that it would be fulfilled. Each individual department had to carry out Key Task Analysis (KTA) to determine what sort of levels of manning could be utilised based on ¡®time and task' process. From this analysis came a set of numbers that indicated how many persons could manage an area. The dwindling numbers within the HR function meant that they hade no alternative but to take an lesser role and stand back to allow the production departments themselves to manage certain tasks. Many of the manning reductions have been found through voluntary redundancy and early retirement. Having had the departmental managers find the numbers the HR function has now stepped in to undertake the interviewing process that details the package available for early departure. Recruitment and Selection This process is by which the organisation gets the best people to do the jobs necessary to achieve its goals. Preparation is the key to effectiveness in this area, by clearly establishing the jobs to be done and the type of people needed to do them, the construction of an accurate Job Description and Person Specification will save time and money. http//www.leavingcert.net/ Recruitment within corus has been very low for many years, 188 was the last time anyone was taken from the outside environment; the only current source of new employees into the business is through Graduate recruitment. Since privatisation in 188, apart from graduates, nearly all (blue collar) vacancies have been fulfilled though internal cross matching, and recruitment from the in-house ¡®cleaning contractors'. This source of employee recruitment is seriously flawed with many disadvantages, not least that the type of person employed for cleaning is not necessarily the right person for operation of technically based operating systems, education levels required for cleaning are significantly lower, and the nature of the work is totally different. The reason that this source has been used is due to the ease of the selection process, the lack of cost involved and the minimal time required to interview etc. Most are employed on the basis that their Contract Manager says ¡®they are good eggs! The other benefit is that they are hired on a 6-month trial, if they do not size up then they are easily transferred back into the contract gang. An easy recruitment process but by far the right person for the job. Graduates are the main source of external recruitment. The HR Function carries out visits to colleges and universities to entice budding youngsters into the industry with the knowledge that they are joining a company that is renowned for being the most efficient steel producer in the world, and that they will gains skills to promote themselves within the industry. The corus website is seriously directed towards graduate recruitment and is a main source of applicants. Unfortunately at present there are not many wanting to join what is seen as an ailing industry, a challenge for the HR Department to continue to recruit from a reducing market. Training and Development This in most organisations is a major growth area, with firms realising that skills development and flexibility are now key to business success. Unfortunately within corus over the last few years the amount spent on ¡®external' training has been kept to an absolute minimum and has had an effect on plant operating performance, initiatives such as I.I.P, T.Q.P. and the likes have been dropped by the wayside due to the cost and lack of resources to implement and apply. The significant changes in manning have affected this. The main source of training at present is ¡®sitting with Nellie', the disadvantages of this being that the trainee is getting a level of training that the trainer has been trained to give. Unfortunately Plant Trainers are non-existent and therefore the training given is from someone who has little experience of training people and very often not a lot of knowledge of plant and the process. The latter is inherent of the loss of knowledge due to the departure of experienced individuals. This has now been identified and new measures have been put in place that will be discussed under ¡®Challenges'. Performance Appraisal This involves a formal system of regularly collecting, recording, and sharing information between the employee and the appraiser about the employees work performance and potential. Conducted in the correct manner, it can enhance motivation, contribute to achieving organisational goals, and assist the process of rewarding good performance. http//www.leavingcert.net/ One would like to think that this is carried out, in reality there again is insufficient time for the line manager to implement as the role of ¡®fire fighting' other issues on a daily basis is consuming time, and the fundamentals of managing people are not being addressed. Reward Management This involves designing the most appropriate methods of remuneration and increasingly incorporates broader, performance-related items such as bonuses and employee share option schemes. http//www.leavingcert.net/ These have been implemented alongside the new Team Working and Management structures and are based on Payment for Performance (PFP) on an individual basis, and Bonus related schemes for achieving operational performance. Pay bands and application of the same is an element of the reward scheme that the HR function carries out. This is a broad based application, easy to maintain and implement, but unfortunately as experienced from a personal viewpoint it has been implemented poorly with little or no communication between Pay Departments, the HR function and the employee.

Industrial Relations

The process of collective bargaining based on employees terms & conditions, resolving disputes that may arise, and adhering to the whole range of laws governing the relationship between employers and employees in the workplace. In reality the first line manager deals with any grievance or dispute that may occur locally and the HR department is only called upon for advice or when the dispute escalates. The Collective Agreements are through multi-union negotiations and may include Pay, Hours of work, Bonus payments, Sick Pay scheme and Holidays. There is also the Works Rules, application of, updating of and any changes of legislation affecting works rules to consider. Much of this is on an annual basis with most carried out at national level with minimal amounts at local level. CHALLENGES Skills and Knowledge The increase in voluntary and early retirements has had an effect on the organisation that relates to age, experience and knowledge. The reduction of people has mainly been achieved from those that can afford to take early retirement, those with minimal or no mortgages, have a level of savings and a lifestyle that could be led with minimal supplementation. Thus the late 40's and early 50's are the target group. These are the people who have vast experience and knowledge in the steel making industry, gained over many years and they have now been removed. The challenge is to replace this knowledge in a short space of time. The average age has been lowered by 10-1 years since the implementation of team working, this reduction in age has highlighted the reduction in knowledge and experience of the remainder posing a further and future problem that the age range of those employed is such that they will all leave the industry at or around the same time. The cycle will start again unless there is intervention to bring about change. Training Training of the individuals that are left needs to be urgently considered. As stated previously the lack of training over the last few years and the changes that have taken place have led to a deterioration in plant operational performance. This poor performance is unsatisfactory and is incurring costs to the process. The cost of training is not quantifiable, is seen by other organisations as a benefit but at present to corus it is a burden to costs and as such has not been pursued. This ¡®benefit' has now been realised by senior management and the re-instatement of a Training Owner for plant and the re-launch of the Investor's In People initiative should be the start of an increase in performance. The HR function for their part are required to implement and continuously apply the new recording system required to follow this scheme up. This is not just for plant requirements but also for legislation such as COMAH, (Control of Management and Change) where there is a requirement to be able to identify an individual's competency in the job that he is doing. Critically, we as an organisation should be looking at the theoretical side of how to implement training programmes, studying the likes of ¡®Kolb's learning cycle' to ensure thorough understanding of the subject and correct implementation of the training received. But this is theory and unfortunately the current culture is that we are ¡®fire fighting', living for the present and just attempting to survive the current climate. Thus there is no commitment to provide resource that has no quantifiable financial gain. Graduate Retention This is an issue whereby in the current climate a high number of graduates are leaving the industry due to its poor outlook; safety and security are important factors to achieve motivation but unfortunately valued employees are leaving in droves. Employment packages are poor in relation to other organisations similar in size, graduates are drawn by the better working environment and benefits provided to organisations that practice

HRM rather than Personnel Management

As a business we are very much in the old style of PM whereby we utilise the resource for the benefit of the organisation rather than nurture the person to provide a service that benefits the company for the good! The HR personnel can do little for the graduate financially to be an incentive for them to stay within the industry where environmental conditions are poor and achievement of goals is stifled.

Manpower Reductions/Plant Closures

Continuing with the theme of efficiency and cost reduction there have, and there will be more manpower reductions caused by plant closures and contracting out of services. Since the age profile is reducing there will be less chance of finding early and voluntary retirement from the younger average age of the existing employees, therefore individuals are not as willing to leave due to economic reasons. The decisions will be more difficult to make about who stays and who goes.

Improve Morale

One of the HR objectives is to improve morale. This at present is at a low, it is a difficult one for the HR function to achieve because the lack of numbers does not allow them sufficient time to address individual issues and as stated, first level management now carries out most of this. Their presence is rarely seen on plant and as such they cannot use the personal affect to improving moral. There is a need for them to relate the likes of Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation (Figure 1) and Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Figure ) through Team Working initiatives, personal objectives and manipulation of the reward scheme and use this to drive moral. With most though, this is an individual element and certain factors will affect certain individuals differently, thus the need for a one to one basis to find out what drives or motivates each person. Most motivation is driven through line managers and thus the HR objective is somewhat misplaced for the current situation.

Business Service

One of the challenges facing the HRM function itself is the move towards being a Business Service, not supplying just to corus but also supplying a service outside of the industry. This has already been achieved with part of the Engineering function that supplies its services to outside organisations and has thus made an extra ?.M this year alone. This has been an initiative throughout the firm to generate more income and reduce the burden of a department on the business. Compilation of services business wide has been managed partly by the HR function, it is part of their objectives to identify further areas for this type of development and quantify the benefits of disadvantages of such a move. For those within the HR Department the move towards a Business Service has seen a step backwards away from generalisation and towards specialisation, a return in some ways to old style management. HR Managers were given skills for them to cope with general issues, but the move back towards specialisation sees them dealing with specifics and having a better working knowledge of one particular area rather than being a ¡®Jack of all trades'.

Trade Union

An interesting point made by the local HR Manager ¨C Not enough is done to train the TU representative to be made aware of the Business needs, the reasons for why such actions are needed and the manner in which they should be carried out. There is nothing sinister in supplying such a service to what has inherently been seen as an aggressor to the management. The wider the perspective that the trade union official has, the better he will be equipped to make more appropriate decisions on behalf of the employees that he represents, and the better his understanding of why it is being implemented. The role of Trade Unionism within Human Resource Management poses somewhat of a threat, Legge, p.7, states that Trade Unionism in HRM organisations was being bypassed through the development of Human Resource Management initiatives. Organisations are ¡®soft' models of HRM; and can pose a threat to the TU. Another consideration may be, that if the employee is happy and committed in their job, that the need for union representation may not be required. To the organisation there is the need for the T.U. for multi-union bargaining purposes, therefore the HRM department must balance the need of HRM against the need of the Trade Union.

Conclusion

The increasing competitive pressures, expanding globalisation and a generally harder business environment has brought about a move to a more enhanced view of HRM as opposed to Personnel Management. Unfortunately as a business, corus are very much in the old style of Personnel Management whereby we utilise the resource for the benefit of the organisation rather than nurture the person to provide a service that benefits the company for the good. Numbers have reduced significantly since the implementation of Team Working; the structure has been cut to bare bones. The reduced operating cost set out at board level has been achieved, but at a cost to the business through a reduction in operational performance. Unfortunately the current culture is that we are ¡®fire fighting', living for the present and just attempting to survive the economic climate to make it through, there is no commitment to provide any resource that has no quantifiable financial gain. The HR Department has a role to play in modelling the objectives set by the Board, but their problems are much the same as that of plant management in that the resources are not available to support the fundamental ideas. There are many issues facing the company, short, medium and long term that require addressing, unfortunately it is a service and any gains made through expenditure are not readily quantifiable, therefore no capital is guaranteed whereby there is no return seen. Without an injection of cash or commitment to provide extra services for HRM then there will be no advancement towards achieving better results from the employee through HRM philosophies. HRM, as previously stated denotes a more proactive and business-focused role, with an emphasis on good communication and staff commitment, more flexible work practices, and performance-related reward systems as opposed to Personnel Management These philosophies are carried out by the first line management, which begs the question, ¡°Have the lesser experienced plant personnel carried out a process that has inherently been carried out by trained professional HR managers and got the numbers wrong, furthermore, was it implemented correctly? Overall because of the reduction in numbers within the HR department, Plant managers and Line managers are now carrying out many tasks and the HR department have a significantly lesser role in the organisation. With no forecast of any change in philosophy and increase in expenditure then the situation is unlikely to change. The input of an active Trade Union and informed official needs to be considered, there is a definite need for both and the HRM department must ensure that a relationship continues.

Bibliography

Human resource Management, A Contemporary Perspective, nd Edition, 17. Ian Beardwell and Len Holden. Human Resource Management, ¡®Rhetoric' and Realities'. Karen Legge http//www.leavingcert.net/

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