Comparing the Organizational Culture of The Microsoft...

Organizational comparisons The Microsoft Corporation versus Apple Inc. The IT industry is the fastest developing one in the modern day society and it sets the pace for development in all of the personal and professional sectors of life. And the advancement of the IT industry cannot be imagined any other way than having been driven by the two global giants Apple and Microsoft. The two companies have been competing in the industry ever since they were first created and began to operate. The competition between the two firms has been complex due to the fact that the two companies have created and sold different products, yet substitutable items. Apple and Microsoft as such came to compete in virtually all fields, including the attraction of customers, the consolidation of the market share, the attraction of investors, the consolidation on the stock market or the retention of the best skilled and talented staff members. 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Behavioral Psychology and BF Skinner - 916 Words

There was never a man more influential to Behavioral psychology than B.F. Skinner. He was well-acknowledged for his theories in behaviorism and remains as one of the best and most controversial figures in the world of psychology. Most of his work throughout his lifetime dealt with both positive and negative reinforcements and the after-effects it had on behavior. B.F. Skinner understood that as humans, everything that we do or become is through the methods of rewards and punishments. Though his time has long since passed, his ideology and his written works such as Walden II and About Behaviorism have applied behavioral theories to society and are still studied today. Burrhus Frederic Skinner – more commonly known as B.F. Skinner, was born on March 20th, 1904 in a Pennsylvanian town named Susquehanna. As a young boy, Skinner was very out-going who enjoyed tinkering and building contraptions (Burrhus Frederic Skinner, 2014). 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Strategic IT Plan for BMW Group

Question: Explain about the Case Study for Strategic IT Plan for BMW Group? Answer: Introduction In this particular report, it provides a strategic IT plan of BMW to meet with and aligns to the business strategy of the organization. It also summarizes the current IT department and its project structure, IT governance, and committees those are operating with BMW. Apart from all this, identification of the organizational mission and its values with the internal and external environmental factors needed to identify the IT risks within BMW using SWOT and PESTAL analysis. When the IT system implements in BMW, then identification of risks are required and mitigate it using the IT strategies. After implementing the IT strategy, it reviewed to implement the best possible IT solutions within the business operations of BMW. Finally, a cost summary is given to create a suitable balance between costs, volume and price to create a sustainable profit, whilst continually staying in positive cash flow. Background of the Company BMW is the largest car manufacturer in Germany and was founded in the year 1917. The company has a strong market position in the automobile sector (BMW, 2015). The company aims to generate a strategic IT plan by focusing on the premium segments in the international automobile markets. The current situation of the Information Technology at BMW is complex due to the poor long-term planning of the organization, limited resourcing as well as uncoordinated efforts. The strategic IT plan of BMW brings light on both strength and weakness of the IT at BMW and it enhances the services and products of IT offered by the BMW Group. Figure 1: Company logo of BMW (Source: BMW, 2015) Business Operation The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of cars as well as motorcycles globally and the largest industrial companies operated in Germany. It also has operated in aircraft engine production, hardware production, finance as well as service and electronic systems. Business Strategy BMW group provides its particular significance in its own brand through the functioning of its brand strategy (Wren, 2012). Deeply inclined by the high technology of Germany, the manufactured technology of BMW can compete with Mercedes-Benz. As the current situation of the Information Technology at BMW is complex, therefore forming a good image in the automobile sector is a big challenge for BMW to achieve their brand strategy. Current IT Department at BMW The strategic IT plan of BMW reviews the current IT department to view the situational review of the company. The IT department serves the entire requirements of BMW (Alafi, 2014). The current IT department works on highlighting the technology in the company for its future automobile such as vehicle technology, clean energy, Connected Drive as well as IT drive. It is also required to integrate labs as well as workshops that ensures for rapid implementation of technologies developed within the car (Austen, 2014). The purpose of increasing the transparency as well as accountability of the department, the reporting structure changes its dual reporting structure. The roles and responsibilities of the current IT department of BMW Group are as follows: It advances over the flow of interior information as well as developments in the IT division (Elser, 2014). It assists in allocating the resources of IT in the company It also tends to decrease the time as well as cost of the IT life cycles based on review of vendor, selection and authorization of vendor and execution of the IT plan It maintains the security of information as well as availability It also supplies the guidance and its infrastructure in order to deliver a meaningful information to the company (Feldman, 2015). The IT department improves the technique they design as well as handle the customer relationships (Toma, 2012). The department is able to control as well as store a large quantity of historical data efficiently Current Project Structure, IT Governance and Committees Project Structure As depicted in the diagram below, the business departments of BMW and the internal IT department function together for achieving certain goals: such activities include managing the sales and purchase of the project, managing the finances, marketing, production and HR personnel associated with the project (Furth, 2012). The centralized IT department is again grouped into certain teams that are responsible for the following activities: The development of the strategy plans, and the control mechanisms to be used in the project. Providing the IT solutions Providing the IT services Managing the IT infrastructure and Managing the risks and security issues of the project Figure 2: IT Structure of the BMW Group (Source: Furth, 2012, pp-546) IT governance and committees The integrated IT governance operations have to connect with the existing IT management process that is established in the group of BMW (Pasher and Ronen, 2011). These procedures together with coordinated IT governance have the objective to document the entire IT landscape, plan to further improvement over the landscape, identify the shortcomings in the landscape as well as adjust the business and IT. The existing frameworks in order to establish an IT management processes concern on the architecture of BMW and its governance models (Hartman and Werhane, 2013). It does not consider the existing processes such as TOGAF from The Open Group, Cobit from the IT governance institute etc. The committee such as Core Data Stewards is the functional team who design, monitor as well as evolve the flow of the company data, recommends policies, supports the requirements for documentation and gives training to the employees to handle the data (Joanette, 2013). The committee allows all the decentralized IT support at BMW to get a centralized forum in order to improve the communication as well as increase awareness of the issues related to IT. Identification of Organizational Mission and Values (Value Proposition Model) Mission of BMW The group of BMW is the leading provider of premium services as well as products for individual mobility. The values of the BMW are embedded in the golden history with innovative thinking. BMW always preferred to get value in the market during understanding both internal as well as the external business environment of the company (Mackey, 2014). BMW functions based on the following principles to achieve value in their organization: To the employees, the company strives to enhance their experience To provide necessary tools as well as services to enhance the software used in the car To support their strategic IT plans for efficiency as well as enhanced services Value Proposition Model (Refer to Appendix 2) Identification of Organizational Internal and External Environments SWOT Analysis At the time of formulation of IT strategy of the BMW, SWOT is analyzed and it is identified through analysis of the IT team. The following is the SWOT Analysis of BMW (Refer to appendix): Strengths: The IT team members are credited with good interpersonal skills and gives better services. The IT team has good relationships with the vendors and it keeps them supported to implement the IT system (Jones, Li and Cannella, 2013). The IT team has great steps towards the IT governance in the previous number of years. BMW also has advanced technology for its product designing. Weakness: The weakness of the IT teams is the lack of long-term planning that makes their IT system more complex. Due to this reason, the IT investment does not provide measurable value to the organization in order to gain a high level of profitability (Klochko, 2015). The weaknesses of the team are due to poor IT infrastructure of BMW, software as well as integration. Opportunities: One of the largest opportunities in the IT team is that innovation of new technology in their business operations leads to utilization of the information technology. BMW focuses to implement strategic IT plan to improve the data breach in the automobile industry. This plan will translate into best possible actions as well as changes. Threats: The availability of the financial resources on implementing the plan is one of the threats. The availability of the perfect skills for implementing the plan among the IT team members are less, therefore they are not taking the best actions for overcoming the data security issues (Kreitlein, Spreng and Franke, 2015). There is no sufficient time to schedule changes in the plan due to lack of financial sources. PESTLE Analysis Factors Description Political factors Political factors emphasize the governmental laws as well as regulations, actions of security that are applied to BMW. The factors that influence the automobile industry are: Laws and policies related to security of information Introduction of new technology in the industry Taxes and governmental foreign policies Economic factors Economic factors related to the economic growth of the company globally by improving over its security breach. The factors are: There is an implementation of new technology for manufacturing of car. It helps to grow a large amount of revenue in designing of a new product. Total increase in the GDP of the company Economic recession in the marketplace of US Social factors It is related to the change in both culture and its demographics apart from the modification in the buying techniques of the customers. Change in buying patterns due to downturn in the grown markets Environmental problems as well as awareness of risky emissions throughout the automobiles Technological factors Enhance in the use of technology in order to increase a competitive advantage Use of sophisticated design in order to overcome the decrease in profit margin of BMW Modification in the technology due to cause environmental pollution Environmental factors Transferring the taste of the customers towards eco-friendly cars as well as hybrid cars Severe application of the standards of EURO set up the curb pollution within the developing countries Awareness of the global warming Legal factors Information is gathered about the likes and dislikes of the customers using the business intelligence system. This information is the part of the legal authority of the website of the company. Table 1: PESTAL Analysis of BMW (Source: Liao and Hsu, 2012, pp-82) Risk Analysis of Current IT system at BMW Serial No. Identification of IT risks Mitigation of the risks Estimated cost to mitigate the risk (in ) Time taken to mitigate risk 1. Security risk due to storing of information of the customers In the automotive industry, it is required to keep the vital documents of the company and its prototypes of design safe from the hackers (Mackey, 2014). It is done through communications control, firewalls and encryption programs. The issue in the BMW is the data safety. BMW utilizes the e-commerce to obtain the information about the consumers likes and dislikes. This information attracts the customers more towards their automotive industry (Magdanov, 2015). This information is gathered using business intelligence system. This information is the part of the legal authority of the website of the company. Digital forensic investigation is required to identify the risks and its impacts on the industry. Timely forensic analysis helps to include the damage, conclude the scope of the breach as well as plan for a complaint response. This investigation helps to store the information of their customers and keeps the customers data secured from the third party persons. 2567 3 weeks 2. Issue in the software used inside the car of BMW The external security of BMW is breached as the hackers get free access to the onboard vehicle computer system that manages the engines and brakes of the car. The hackers might break the wireless networks on the cars in order to exploit the software glitches and vulnerabilities to attempt to hurt the drivers. The car software information should be kept secured and they should encrypt the communications in the car by using HTTP standard used in the web browsers for securing the e-commerce. 3892 4 weeks Issue due to use of public server for exchanging information The exchange of information with other factories as well as offices is done through the public server (Magdanov, 2015). Using of the public server for the exchanging of information is one of the key issues in breaching of data. BMW should use the private server for exchanging information such as cable or WiFi (Moran, 2015). It keeps the constant flow of the information as well as the innovation of new technology gives the competitive advantage for excellent communication with the factories all over the world. 2789 3 weeks Issue due to use of electronic surveillance system The issues are raised due to utilizing of electronic surveillance. BMW uses it to protect their bad utilizes (Mangram, 2012). In this case, throughout agreements prepared with the administration in corporations possessed, the construction of BMW has the accurate to contain an electronic surveillance system but it must enclose a sing notify the people in going the building regarding the CCTV. The electronic surveillance system is used for the identifying the hacker in the office. The CCTV should be kept secret and the employees should not know about the presence of CCTV in the office building. 4580 2 weeks Formulation of IT strategies to manage the Identified Risks Initiatives Based on the review of IT at BMW, its visions and values established in the plan, some initiatives are taken such as basic service, expansion of their service and service renewal. Initiatives IT strategies to manage the risk Base services The base services of BMW are initiated by increasing the security visibility of the organization (Mosavi, 2014). Theirs data are secured by two-factor authentication, secured by passwords, monitored the system and trusted employees should have access to the computer system. Service Expansion BMW should good at tracking as well as presenting the security operations through using technical metrics. The securities are measured using security KPI. It makes expansion of their service (Rodrigues, Nappi and Rozenfeld, 2014). Security KPI measures the level of risk and understands the acceptable risk thresholds from the business units. This initiative focuses on the delivery of the survey tool that is available to the staffs (Hussey and Ong, 2012). It allows the researchers in order to standardize the tool and it assures that the data collection outcomes are both secured as well as backed up (Santora and Bozer, 2015). The manager harnesses the tool that allows to collect data from the customers and employees as well as their communities. Service Renewal The network infrastructure of BMW is renewed and its aging network is renewed over a three-year period (Sassa, 2012). This renewal makes their service easier and faster than previous. Implementation of Strategic IT plan In the above section of the report, the initiatives that are being taken to mitigate the security risks of BMW have been discussed (Sassa, 2012). It has been observed that the recurrent data breaches and unauthorized access to enterprise data have occurred in the recent past, thus being indicative of the fact that the current status of the system being used to store and manage the enterprise is not up to the desirable security levels. The total time taken to implement the strategic IT plan within the business operations of BMW is around 3 months. Under such circumstances, increasing the security levels of the database system should be considered as the primary objective of the IT strategic planning. Ay the lower levels, the inclusion of the following strategic plans would be helpful in meeting the objectives of the IT strategic plan: Implementation of two way secured password systems to restrict the utilization of the database to the employees of the organization only. The IT administrators associated with the organization should have full control over all the systems being utilized to increase the security of the computer network used by the BMW: considering certain sections of the network to be restricted, based on the importance and the sensitivity of the data stored in those sections of the network (Shiva, 2015). The access to these restricted sections would be available to only those employees who are authorized to review such data. Implementation of intrusion detection and prevention systems would also reduce the chances of data intrusion or attacks on the said computer network remain noticed (Siefers, 2014). Review and Adoption of IT strategic Plan Impact of the Business of BMW Before implementing the new security solutions, BMW struggles to control over its business operations and unable to mitigate the financial risks associated with the failure of security and data breach (Magdanov, 2015). It gives threats to their customer retention. 46% of the business of BMW suffers due to failure to implement the encryption solution of their data. The percentage of causes of data breaches is shown in (Appendix 5). The IT strategic plan has a great impact on the company. It helps to increase the security visibility of BMW. By using the security KPI, it uses to measure the security operations and its customer based services increases as they are assured that their personal information is secured. The business operations of BMW are improved due to implementing security solutions. The improved area are the customers data are more secured and it is not hacked by third party. The design of their cars is kept secured with two-factor authentication password. Impact of the IT department at BMW The IT department works on highlighting the technology in the company for its future automobile such as vehicle technology. This plan, the company should us the best-secured software in their car such that their car designs are secured (Wils, Wils and Tremblay, 2014). They are increasing their security visibility so that the hackers are not getting access to the onboard vehicle computer system that manages the engines as well as brakes of the car. Therefore, this two-factor authentication is the better IT solutions for the company. Reassess strategies and the strategic planning process The principle of the concluding step is to assessment of the implemented strategies as well as the process of planned (Woodhouse, 2013). Most of the part of the implementation step occurred at the ongoing IT part of BMW. However, BMW is not engaged in the strategic planning for sometimes, therefore it is required to mark off the step as an individual one. The implementation of the two-factor authentication helps the organization to restrict the authorization of the personal data from the company (Khachidze, 2012). Therefore, the data are secured and the customers are assured of their data. The management also controlled over the security data and they should focus on the security of their car designs. The implementation of the detection system is planned to detect the attacks of the computer network. Therefore, the company should be aware of the hackers outside the company and within the company. BMW uses are new security standard for securing its e-commerce site that is used to secure the personal information of their customers. The design of the cars is stored in the company database that is secured by the password (Mackey, 2014). The password standard set out the rules for complexity of password as well as their windows standard sets out rules for hardening the clients of windows. The company uses the electronic surveillance system within the company to protect their bad employs. The strategy is made regarding that; the employees entering the building should not be notified of the security camera (Lake, 2012). The security cameras are fitted in the data storage room and trusted person should control it. The Wi-Fi password should be kept secured and it should not be shared with others. The exchange of information with other offices is done through the public server. It is the most vital issue as it is easier for the hackers to hack the computer network (Lee, 2013). Therefore, the company plans to use the private network for sharing of information. Figure 3: BMW Strategic Planning Process (Source: Woodhouse, 2013, pp-575) Costing Summary Profit and Loss for BMW Assumptions of profit and loss Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Increase in yearly cumulative price - 1.00% 3.00% 5.00% 7.00% Increase in annual cumulative inflation - 1.00% 3.00% 5.00% 6.00% The rate of interest at the finale cash balance 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Revenue Gross income $500,000 $520,000 $550,000 $577,500 $658,900 Cost of IT strategic plan 200,000 200,000 206,000 216,300 240,000 Gross margin $300,000 $320,000 $344,000 $361,200 $418,900 Additional revenue $0 $0 $10,000 $0 $0 Income for interest $2,000 $2,000 $0 $0 $0 total of the revenue $302,000 $322,000 $354,000 $361,200 $418,900 Expenses for operating Plan for the strategic IT $50,000 $52,000 $53,560 $56,902 $65,000 Payroll with taxes 62,000 $63,908 $54,000 $890,245 $943,660 Depreciation 41,000 40,000 24,890 56,000 45,000 Insurance 41,000 $56,000 $56,902 $54,000 $78,906 Maintenance of the system 17,000 13,000 14,000 15,750 15,908 Utilities 32,890 $23,489 $25,000 $26,000 $28,000 Taxes for property 14,000 $14,590 $15,098 $15,853 $17,000 Administrative fees 20,000 $23,000 $23,890 $25,689 $26,000 Additional 5,000 $7,000 $8,000 $9,000 $9,540 Sum of the operating expenses $282,890 $292,987 $275,340 $1,149,439 $1,229,014 Operating income $19,110 $29,013 $78,660 ($788,239) ($810,114) Interest expense on the debt for long-term 3,600 2,789 2,190 1,290 500 Operating income before other items $15,510 $26,224 $76,470 ($789,529) ($810,614) Loss or gain on the asset sale 0 0 1,000 0 0 Additional remarkable operating cost 0 0 0 0 0 Earnings before taxes $15,510 $26,224 $77,470 ($789,529) ($810,614) Taxes on income 30% 4,653 7,867 23,241 0 0 Net income (loss) $10,857 $18,357 $54,229 ($789,529) ($810,614) Balance Sheet Assets Initial balance Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Cash by means of short-range savings $49,000 $200,000 $248,900 $287,148 $459,087 $467,890 Receivable amounts 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 Sum of inventory 26,000 26,000 26,000 26,000 26,000 26,000 Prepaid fixed cost 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 Tax for income 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional existing property 5,900 5,900 5,900 5,900 5,900 5,900 Sum of existing assets $84,200 $235,200 $284,100 $322,348 $494,287 $503,090 Security of the company $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 Plan of securing the risk 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 Improvements over capital 0 0 0 0 0 0 equipment 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 Less: Accumulated depreciation expense 0 41,000 81,000 105,890 161,890 206,890 Net property/equipment $390,000 $349,000 $309,000 $284,110 $228,110 $183,110 Plan for goodwill $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Delayed in tax of income 0 0 0 0 0 0 Reserves 0 0 0 0 0 0 Deposit 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional long-range resources 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sum of property $474,200 $584,200 $593,100 $606,458 $722,397 $686,200 Liabilities preliminary balance Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Accounts owed $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $1,500 $1,500 Accrue operating cost 0 0 0 0 0 0 Short-range liability 0 0 0 0 0 0 Assets lease 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional existing accountability 200 200 200 200 200 200 Sum of current liabilities $3,200 $3,200 $3,200 $3,200 $1,700 $1,700 Long-term liability from loan expense $78,000 $65,522 $50,000 $34,358 $17,598 $0 Additional long-term debt $100,000 $200,000 $150,000 $175,000 $225,000 $150,000 Sum of debt $181,200 $268,722 $203,200 $212,558 $244,298 $151,700 Additional liabilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sum of liabilities $81,200 $68,722 $53,200 $37,558 $19,298 $1,700 Equity Initial balance Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Equity of proprietor $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 Paid-in capital 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 Favored equity 0 0 0 0 0 0 Retain in earnings 0 10,857 29,214 83,443 (709,236) (1,519,850) Total equity $255,000 $265,857 $284,214 $338,443 ($454,236) ($1,264,850) Total liabilities and equity $336,200 $334,579 $337,414 $376,001 ($434,938) ($1,263,150) Cash Flow Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total Operating actions Net income $25,000 $37,000 $50,000 $53,890 $77,000 $242,890 Depreciation 30,000 40,900 24,890 45,000 45,000 185,790 Financial records receivable 0 0 0 0 0 0 Equipments required 0 0 0 0 0 0 Financial records payable 0 0 0 (1,500) 0 (1,500) Paying back 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional accountability 0 0 0 0 0 0 In commission cash flow 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total operating actions $55,000 $77,900 $74,890 $97,390 $122,000 $427,180 Investing actions Expenditures $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Gaining of commerce 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sale for the constant assets $0 $0 ($1,000) $0 $0 (1,000) Additional spending cash flow 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sum of investing actions $0 $0 ($1,000) $0 $0 ($1,000) Financing activities Long-range liability $87,522 ($65,522) $9,358 $33,240 ($92,598) ($28,000) Favored supply 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sum of the cash dividend compensated 0 0 0 0 0 0 General stock 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional financing cash flow 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total financing actions $87,522 ($65,522) $9,358 $33,240 ($92,598) ($28,000) Increasing cash flow $142,522 $12,378 $83,248 $130,630 $29,402 $398,180 Beginning cash balance $49,000 $191,522 $203,900 $287,148 $417,778 Ending cash balance $191,522 $203,900 $287,148 $417,778 $447,180 Timeline IT Strategic Plan Weekly Timeline Week 1 - 3 Week 4 - 6 Week 7- 8 Week 9 - 10 Week 11 - 12 Preliminary planning Identification of the organizational goals and values Identification of the risks and issues related to security Plan to implement a strategic IT plan Implementation of the IT strategic plan Review and adoption of strategic IT plan Conclusion It is concluded that the IT strategic plan for BMW focuses to overcome the security breach of the company. BMW utilizes the e-commerce to obtain the information about the consumers likes and dislikes, but their data are being hacked by others. The implementation of the two-factor authentication helps the organization to restrict the authorization of the personal data from the company. Besides this, the IT department of BMW should also develop specific IT risk mitigation plans that would be utilized in case any threat or attack is launched against the security system of the computer network, from internal or external sources. It should be noted that the regular up-gradation of the security system would be required to avoid further cases of data breaches. Reference List Books Hussey, R. and Ong, A. (2012).Strategic cost analysis. [New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017): Business Expert Press. Khachidze, V. (2012).Contemporary research on E-business technology and strategy. Berlin: Springer. Lake, N. (2012).The strategic planning workbook. London: Kogan Page. Lee, M. (2013).Risk Assessment and Evaluation of Predictions. New York: Springer. Pasher, E. and Ronen, T. (2011).The complete guide to knowledge management. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Toma, M. (2012).The risk of trading. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Wren, C. (2012).Risk assessment and environmental management. Leiden, Netherlands: Maralte. Journals Alafi, K. (2014). Developing World: Increasing Jordanian Tourism: A Strategic Plan.jmr, 6(1), p.192. Austen, D. (2014). The Value Proposition Challenge of AFS.Fisheries, 39(4), pp.149-149. Elser, J. (2014). STRATEGICALLY PLAN TO CHECK IN ON THE ASLO STRATEGIC PLAN.Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, 23(1), pp.13-14. Feldman, G. (2015). American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics: revised scope of practice and strategic plan.Genetics in Medicine, 17(9), pp.713-713. Furth, S. (2012). Society for Pediatric Research 2012 Presidential Address: SPR strategic plan priorities 2012.Pediatr Res, 72(5), pp.545-547. Hartman, L. and Werhane, P. (2013). Proposition: Shared Value as an Incomplete Mental Model.BEJR. Joanette, Y. (2013). Living Longer, Living Better: Preview of CIHR Institute of Aging 20132018 Strategic Plan.Can. J. Aging, 32(02), pp.209-213. Jones, C., Li, M. and Cannella, A. (2013). Responses to a Governance Mandate: The Adoption of Governance Committees by NYSE Firms.Journal of Management, 41(7), pp.1873-1897. Klochko, O. (2015). PECULIARITIES OF STRATEGIC PLANNING DURING THE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT.Business Strategies, (9), p.4. Kreitlein, S., Spreng, S. and Franke, J. (2015). E|Benchmark A Pioneering Method for Process Planning and Sustainable Manufacturing Strategies.Procedia CIRP, 26, pp.150-155. Liao, C. and Hsu, A. (2012). Common Membership and Effective Corporate Governance: Evidence from Audit and Compensation Committees.Corporate Governance: An International Review, 21(1), pp.79-92. Mackey, S. (2014). National Pain Strategy Task Force: The Strategic Plan for the IOM Pain Report.Pain Med, 15(7), pp.1070-1071. Magdanov, P. (2015). THE GENESIS OF THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC PLANNING IN THE CONTEXT OF CHANGING TECHNOLOGICAL STRUCTURES.Business Strategies, (6), p.3. Magdanov, P. (2015). THE MODELS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WITHIN A CORPORATION.Business Strategies, (1), p.4. Mangram, M. (2012). The globalization of Tesla Motors: a strategic marketing plan analysis.Journal of Strategic Marketing, 20(4), pp.289-312. Moran, M. (2015). Board Acts on Strategic Plan, Certification, Other Issues.PN, 50(8), pp.1-1. Mosavi, A. (2014). Exploring the roles of portfolio steering committees in project portfolio governance.International Journal of Project Management, 32(3), pp.388-399. Rodrigues, K., Nappi, V. and Rozenfeld, H. (2014). A Proposal to Support the Value Proposition in Product Oriented Service Business Model of Product Service Systems.Procedia CIRP, 16, pp.211-216. Santora, J. and Bozer, G. (2015). How nonprofit organizations can ensure stability and sustainability through succession planning: make HR a strategic partner in the process.Strategic HR Review, 14(6). Sassa, K. (2012). ICL strategic plan 20122021To create a safer geo-environment.Landslides, 9(2), pp.155-164. SHIVA, V. (2015). Limiting Corporate Power and Cultivating Interdependence: A Strategic Plan for the Environment.Tikkun, 30(2), pp.26-27. Siefers, H. (2014). The ISBER Strategic Planning Process and 2014 Operating Plan.Biopreservation and Biobanking, 12(3), pp.220-221. Wils, T., Wils, L. and Tremblay, M. (2014). Revisiting the Career Anchor Model: A Proposition and an Empirical Investigation of a New Model of Career Value Structure.Relations industrielles, 69(4), p.813. Woodhouse, J. (2013). A strategic plan.br j gen pract, 63(616), pp.575-575. Website BMW, (2015).BMW | Company Profile. [online] Innovationleaders.org. 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Effective Business Communication for Literacy- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theEffective Business Communication for Literacy Diagnostic. Answer: Introduction Good communication is a key aspect in all walks of life. The ability to communicate well with others such as colleagues ,managers and others at the place of work is very vital irrespective of the kind of industry that one is working in.Effective communication is more than just exchanging information.It goes deeper to the ability for one tounderstand intentions and the emotions attached to the message that is being communicated.In connection to good communication therefore,it is required that individuals should periodically carry out diagnosis and reflection on their communication skills.Communication diagnosis in this case refers to subjecting an individuals different communication tools to some tests to find out the extent to which one is good in communicating. (Burgoon, Hunsaker Dawson, 2011)Communication reflection is all about tracing back different communications that one has been involved in and assessing them.Therefore,to carry out communication diagnosis on various areas suc h as non verbal communication,active listening and many others,diagnostic tools i.e. writing ,monitoring progress tools ,reading and viewing tools ,speaking and listening tools and finally early literacy tools will be used in the exercise.Under literature review ,both theoretical approaches and different models will be used to address the aspects arising from diagnosis and reflection .An action plan meant for the next six months intended to improve communication skills in areas that were found to be wanting will be created. (Friedman Miyake, 2011) Diagnosis and reflection Each diagnostic tool will be subjected in various communication areas as follows: Early literacy diagnostic tool This refers to the ability of an individual to comprehend a text, listen and recall, be able to use oral language, read and write. This tool intends to investigate communication ability of an individual on the basis of the early literacy fundamental skills. Verbal communication is simply the use of sound words to communicate. It is the most common type of oral communication that is used. My use of verbal communication can be said to be perfect or excellent since it is a technique that I have been exposed to and I have had many avenues to use. I have used verbal communication in both class and business presentation and the audience have always been satisfied with the communication.Listening refers to the ability to rightly interpret information in a communication.Whenever I am listening ,its always easy for me tounderstand the message be it a question or a comment from my audience.Under tis tool also,the ability to comprehend and recall is also tested.Analyzing my communication,it is true that I have a challenge in recalling an information from the previous communication.I find challenging. (Sitlington, 2008) Speaking and listening diagnostic tool It is the second diagnostic tool in communication.These tools are meant for comprehensive understanding of the uttered word;oral language retell, comprehension and oral language retell conversation. Listening and speaking to me has never posed any challenge .This is rated from the response of my audience .They are always positive to me whenever we communicate and a high level of satisfaction is demonstrated Reading and viewing diagnostic tool This is all about reading texts and linking information, understanding the main questions and relevant points in a context. Under this assessment I dont have any problem because I am always able to understand texts written in different contexts .The only challenge that I am yet to overcome is the viewing of texts. I either skip some information or fix words that are not included in the text. Writing diagnostic tool This tool is used in assessing the non-verbal type of communication it focuses on determining ones ability to produce sensible complete writings of various contexts including editing and spelling. I have no problem with this since my writings are always clear and easily understood by my audience. There has never be any complain concerning the clarity and relevance of my texts concerning the use of words, punctuation and word construction in general. (Gudykunst Mody, 2011). Oral language diagnostic tool This purely refers to the word of mouth as communication tool .In some way; it refers to the use of sound words to communicate. This assessment tool is aimed at examining the choice of words when communicating in different contexts. This is because communication is not just the passing of words but these words must have a meaning that are relevant to different context for example communication in business ,legal matters ,ceremonies and classwork presentations differ because of the choice of words. This tool also aims at testing on how someone is clearly audible to his or her audience. Two key communication issues that need development From the above diagnosis and analysis on my communication skills, the two issues that still require me to improve on them are my recall or comprehension skills and viewing skills. This is because whenever communicating with my audience, they demonstrate dissatisfaction on my communication skills on these two areas Recent professional interactions that demonstrate need for development in my poor areas of communication The first avenue was the presentation of a business idea that I had as a consultant to a company.The audience was calm and attentive when I was presenting the ideas off-head(not reading from anywhere) but the atmosphere changed when I started reading the presentation from my note book. This is because of the skipping of some information and therefore my audience could clearly understand what I was presenting. This showed that my viewing of written content needs some development. The second avenue was a continuation of the same presentation from the previous time .Many questions from the audience arose .This is because the information that I was presenting was a bit contradicting with the previous one despite of the fact that the presentations were of the same business idea and the questions that I had previously answered.I had forgotten what i had prioritized during the last presentation .This made me realize that I have a problem with recalling the past information .I still have to work and develop on my memory.Therefore, from these two avenues, it was clear that some development on communication concerning recalling and viewing were still needed. This is because they are among the most crucial communication skills that one has to perfect since they are inevitable in day to day communication. (McAlenney Coyne, 2011) Conclusion In conclusion therefore, communication diagnosis and reflection is a good exercise for good communication.It is through this exercise that I have been able to subject my various skills to assessment and came up with faults that need to be corrected.It is not only useful to individual but also to professionals that are mostly involved in social communication .Diagnosis and reflection of communication will help these professionals develop and build upon their communication skills .This is also vital since any relationship formal or non-formal is determined by the kind of communication that is used and how good and relevant is it to different context Literature Review Good communication is the key to good relationship among people particularly in a work place (Vorderer, 2015).Communication does not only refer to the exchange of information between people or groups .It also refers to the level to which the recipient is able to understand the message that the communication intended to deliver. This paper will therefore discuss the two issues that need development that I was able to identify through communication diagnosis and reflection. The literature review will also discuss theories relating to the issues and how to develop them .Lastly, the focus will be on my personal efforts to improve on those communication areas Discussion on the two issues Memory or comprehension. This is the most vital element of communication because without it, communication becomes valueless or meaningless. An individual is considered to be good in communication if he or she has the ability to comprehend readings and memorize any conversation that has taken place in different contexts. Memory is a linkage to flow of information from time to time .From the above diagnosis on my communication skills, comprehension and memory came out as one of the areas that I need to improve on. Basing on theories related to this and my personal practices, is a discussion on how memory can be developed. (Perry Ziegler, 2013) Spaced repetition theory, ( Hermann Ebbinghaus1885) Hermann came up with a theory that tries to examine how memories work and how they can be enhanced .To illustrate this; he usedwhat he called the forgetting curve. This is a form of curve that tries how our memories in relation to time. According to this theory, as time goes by, the strength of a memory decays. He said that when one learns about something, he or she is able to remember for a couple of days .In most cases after a week, thememory will get distorted and information will be lost but if repetition is done within the first few days before the information is lost, the information will be retained .Too early repetition of information will not significantly add to the memory. On the other hand, when repetition is done too late, a few traces of the previous information learnt will be re-learnt rather than learning anything new. This process is called recalling. In his theory therefore, Hermann emphasizes on the repetition of the information while it is still fresh in the memor y. This will ensure that there is optimal remembrance of the information. (Perry Ziegler, 2013) Relevance of the theory to my situation After carrying out diagnosis ,memory was one of the challenges that I face in my day to day communication.Therefore,according to the above theory,the only way to enhance my memory by repeatedly going through my previous presentations so that I can recall on what I had previously said to avoid contradicting myself and the audience as well. This can be done by ensuring that I go through my previous presentation before I start presenting the one. (de Vries, Bakker-Pieper, Konings Schouten, 2011) Behavioral (Personal skills) to improve my comprehension and memory According to research, the foundation of a good memory is to have a healthy body and mind. The brain cannot function well if some behavioral practices are harmful to the body and the mind. The following issues are the ones that need to be addressed in order to have a good memory. The first one is eating well. Eating well means that one has to take vital vitamins like folic acid, vitamin B12 and antioxidants. These elements help improve the sharpness of the mind .It also to supplement these vitamins .The second behavioral development is water intake. Failure to drink the required amount of water weakens both the body and the mind .Water is able to make the red blood cells very active hence more energy. The third aspect is about sleep.Adequate sleep is the key to a good memory .This is because when one sleeps, the brain is able to recharge itself .According to medical research ,the brain needs sleep for it to convert new memories into long-term memories. The last behavioral determinant of a good memory is effective stress management. It is the most common memory destroyer. Stress should be managed so that it does not cause body harm that may affect the memory. Stress can be relieved in many ways such as sports and counseling. (Strickland Morrow, 2014) Viewing (in reading) Reader response theory This theory was developed by Fish, 1980.According to the theory, readers tend to derive meaning of text from their interaction with the content. Therefore, a reader gives meaning to a text using their prior knowledge about the text .That is why when reading ,people may see different words on the same text and also perceive the same text differently depending on the knowledge they have about the text they are reading. (de Vries, Bakker-Pieper, Konings Schouten, 2011) Relevance of the theory It may mean that when reading texts, I might be unknowingly skipping some texts assuming that they are not relevant depending on the perception and the knowledge that I have about the content from my previous experience. Behavioral (Personal skills) to improve The first step is to learn to take the literalmeaning of the text and stop assigning meaning to it according to my knowledge.This technique will help me develop good reading skills so as to fluently and systematically be able to read what is written. The second step is to set time apart where I can practice without necessarily having an audience. I can read as many texts as possible so as to improve on my reading skills.Another technique that I can employ to improve on my reading skills is by requesting a group of friends to act as my audience as I practice on my reading skills. This will give them a room to listen to me critically and correct me where necessary. (Strickland Morrow, 2014) Conclusion Application of the theoretical concepts and determination to commit myself on the above personal skills will definitely help to improve on my weak areas on communication Action plan The intention of my action plan is to enhance my communication skills especially on my weak areas. This is intended to be done within a period of six months.The whole period is divided into segments of one month so that in each month I can be able to get involved in different activities that will help to generally improve on my reading skills and also find better ways to boost my memory. (Bhatt, 2011) Action step Time Materials /resources Person responsible 1.Undertaking an advance course on communication particularly reading and memory development 10th October to 10thNovember -Communication lecturer -books in the school library -acquire books from a national and public libraries -internet materials such as information on you tube articles and journals published by different people Me 2. Attending a communication class on oral communication 11th November to 11th December -Taking class notes -forming group discussions with my colleagues -using the materials recommended by the lecturer -video samples used in class presentations Me Other students 3.Taking part in public business discussion events January 2018 to February -business magazines -articles and journals on business -self prepared notes for business presentations Me 4.Participating in reading competitions February to march -provided materials for the competition -other participants writings used in the competition -articles and journals Me 5.Personally scheduled practice March to April -books in the school library -acquire books from a national and public libraries -internet materials such as information on you tube articles and journals published by different people Me Friends who act as my audience 6.Continuing with my studies on communication April to May Taking class notes -forming group discussions with my colleagues -using the materials recommended by the lecturer -video samples used in class presentations Me References Bhatt, R. (2011). Tips for Effective Communication Skills.Indian Journal Of Applied Research,3(1), 83-84. https://dx.doi.org/10.15373/2249555x/jan2013/33 Burgoon, M., Hunsaker, F., Dawson, E. (2011).Human communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. de Vries, R., Bakker-Pieper, A., Konings, F., Schouten, B. (2011). The Communication Styles Inventory (CSI).Communication Research,40(4), 506-532. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650211413571 Friedman, N., Miyake, A. (2011). The reading span test and its predictive power for reading comprehension ability.Journal Of Memory And Language,51(1), 136-158. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2004.03.008 Gopal, N. (2009).Business communication. New Delhi: New Age International. Gudykunst, W., Mody, B. (2011).Handbook of international and intercultural communication. Thousand Oaks [u.a.]: Sage. Hampton, S., Resnick, L. (2009).Reading and writing with understanding. [Newark, Del.]: New Standards/International Reading Association. Kommers, J., Venbrux, E. (2009).Cultural styles of knowledge transmission. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. McAlenney, A., Coyne, M. (2011). Identifying At-Risk Students for Early Reading Intervention: Challenges and Possible Solutions.Reading Writing Quarterly,27(4), 306-323. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2011.596100 Perry, C., Ziegler, J. (2013). Linguistic difficulties in language and reading development constrain skilled adult reading.Memory Cognition,28(5), 739-745. https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/bf03198408 Sitlington, P. (2008). Students with Reading and Writing Challenges: Using Informal Assessment to Assist in Planning for the Transition to Adult Life.Reading Writing Quarterly,24(1), 77-100. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10573560701753153 Strickland, D., Morrow, L. (2014).Beginning reading and writing(1st ed.). New York [etc.]: Teachers College Press.