Thursday, August 15, 2019

Ethical Perspective on Assisted Suicide Essay

Moral and ethical debates attempted to resolves controversial issues but never seem to end with everyone agreeing. Often these ethical and moral debates are complex and involve opinions persuaded by religion or customs and have legal implications to consider. Physician assisted death is one of these very complex and controversial issues that all people will never agree on. Many questions arise in the debate of physician assisted death such as patients’ rights, physicians controlling the right if someone lives or dies, a patience’s mental state, a family member’s rights, religious beliefs of the parties involved and the law. Philosophers attempt to explain the different theories that people will use to argue their belief systems in terms of logic and reasoning. For example, some people may take the position of a deontologist who would argue that it is our moral duty to support and sustain life therefore assisted suicide should not be allowed. Unfortunately, this very emotional thought provoking debate is not a â€Å"black and white issue,† as most ethical arguments are not. In the situation of physician assisted death I disagree with the deontologist point of view that it is immoral for a physician to assist a patient in suicide. I believe as some relativist due, that as long as the patient is fully capable of making this decision and the patient is in a constant state of agony, then the patient has the right to make the choice to live or die. A relativist believes that morals are only relative to that particular society and if physician assisted death was considered moral in that group then it would be considered a moral act. Neither theory is without flaws as some deontologist even share my point of view and some relativist can be very extreme in what they feel is relative to being morally right or wrong. The bottom line is that people will probably never completely agree on this subject. Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Physician assisted death is also referred to as PAD. Physician assisted death is the more politically and ethical term versus physician assisted suicide. There is also a difference that should be made known between euthanasia and PAD. In a situation of euthanasia the physician administers the lethal does by injection to the patient ending the patient’s life. In physician assisted death the doctor write a prescription for a pill that the patient oluntarily administers themselves that will end their own life. Physician assisted death is now legal in two states, where Organ passed the law in 1994 and Washington state passed the law in 2008. That means in forty eight states it is against the law to assist the patient either directly or indirectly in ending the patient’s life. If a physician even provides information to the patient that would f acilitate their death the doctor can face criminal charges and lose their medical license. Many people are familiar with the radical doctor Dr. Jack Kevorkian who used the method of euthanasia. Dr. Kevorkian is responsible for euthanatizing over 130 people some of which were either clinically depressed or terminally ill. Dr. Kevorkian created a huge debate across the United States that gave rise to many questions such as to the legality of the constitutional laws and ethical perspectives. Laws that are passed don’t not always represent a societies ethical views and vice versus a, some ethical standards are against the law. If everyone had the perspective of relativists, then the laws would vary from city to city. For example, every other city could be for physician assisted death or against it creating a checkered board effect of laws that very from city to city. This because the relativist believes that morals are only relative to what the society believes. Dr. Kevorkian was tried in a Michigan court on four of assisting suicide and was convicted of one count which has videotaped and released to the popular television show â€Å"60 Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Minutes. † Another doctor by the name of Derek Humphry’s whose wife died a slow agonizing death by cancer started a foundation in his wife’s memory, called the Hemlock Society to provide information to dying patients on how to take the â€Å"final exit. † (Howard Ball 2012) Medical technology has advanced over the years and has allowed us to live healthier and more active life styles. However, with medical advancement came the ability to prolong life and at times keeping patients alive beyond what I feel God has called them to live. At the point in life when a person is being kept alive by a machine breathing for them and intravenous nutrition being given, one has to ask themselves is this â€Å"has medical treatment gone too far by interfering with a natural part of dying. † It seems medical technology has crossed the line at times because it is no longer a matter of improving the quality of life but prolong a natural death. There is a moral dilemma that is taken place where doctors are making billions of dollars by providing long term health care to patients beyond what nature has called for. During the twenty century medical technology advance to point of creating an epidemic where people could live longer lives but it didn’t always guarantee a quality life. Without being able to take care of oneself or enjoy the life they worked hard to create many people feel they don’t want to live a life of suffering. Many people feel they have lost their dignity and don’t want their friends and family to remember them in a feeble state of being. This brings up the question of what is happiness and considered quality of life. I believe the deontologist perspective takes away a human beings right to choose how a person wants to live. A deontologist will argue that life must be sustained because it is our moral duty but isn’t it our moral duty to end a human beings suffering or to let people die a natural Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death death? In fact some deontologists do believe that morals are obligations based on religious beliefs and they don’t support sustaining life in every situation. For example, if a woman was pregnant and the baby was going to cause the death of the mother then they may believe it is acceptable to terminate the pregnancy to sustain the life of the mother. Yet others could argue â€Å"who is to say what is natural,† and when someone should die. Many people who support legalizing patient assisted suicide believe it is the patient’s right to die with dignity but other would insist that society has a moral obligation to preserve life. The relativist would state if the society believes it is moral to condone patient assisted suicide then for the society it is morally correct. â€Å"The view of ethical relativism regards values as determined by one’s own ethical standards, often those provided by one’s own culture and background. Rather than insisting that there are moral absolutes, moral claims must be interpreted in terms of how they reflect a person’s viewpoint; moral claims are then said to be â€Å"right in a given culture† or â€Å"wrong for a given society. (Mosser, K 2010) Those that argue against physician assisted death will argue it is our duty to protect and preserve all life. People will argue their points of views using logic, reasoning and provide supporting evidence. However, in the case of ethical debates there often is not any evidence to support a claim on either side of the issue. Consequently, as much as people will try to argue their point of view with reasoning an d logic their emotions can get in the way and make it difficult to persuade the other person. Many times the family is involved in the case of physician assisted death and each family member may have different ethical beliefs then the patient. This can make the decision even more painful as we taken into consideration the effects our decisions Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death have on other people. Philosophers attempt to explain how people will argue their point of view by providing different ethical theories as with relativism and deontology. The deontologist believes that it is our moral duty to protect and preserve life and that physician assisted suicide is an immoral act. Rather than looking at the consequences of an act, deontology looks at the reason for which an act is done, and the rule according to which one choose to act. Deontology doesn’t deny that acts have consequences; rather, insists that those consequences should not play a role in our moral evaluation of such acts. †(Mosser K 2010) Under the deontology theory a person would claim that it is wrong for a physician to assist a patient in committing suicide because the result is death and we are to preserve life not assisting in taking their life. Deontology and Ethics 2013) This theory would provide that there is no reason good enough to go against ones moral and civic duty even if it means allowing someone to suffer in pain, which ignores the patients’ rights. The terminally ill patient not only wants to live with having their quality of life and having dignity but they also want to die with dignity. The terminally ill patient has few options such as suicide or living in extreme pain. Some patients are too ill to even get out of bed to be able to commit suicide. Terminally ill patients that are suffering should not be made to feel demoralized for wanting to end their suffering. If the patient has paid into a life insurance fund all their life the company mostly likely will not pay their loved ones death benefits if they commit such an act. The problem is patient assisted death is not recognized as a medically necessary procedure. There is also a great stigma that comes along with committing suicide that the families have to live with after their loved one has died. I belief in the individual autonomy Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Many family members feel disgraced that their loved one acted against their religious beliefs. (Lois Snyder, JD, and Daniel P. Sulmasy 2001) Family members can find themselves in court fighting again other members of their family to keep their loved ones alive. Going to court can be an emotionally painful process and doing so puts the patient through more emotional agony. Many families will break apartment because their ethical views differ so greatly. Roman Catholic Church has been the one biggest contesters of physician assisted death. Ethical arguments are based on beliefs systems that are learned through culture and religion therefore are only relative to that person or society. The One of the issues with relativism is that is a person’s beliefs can be too extreme and farfetched. Under the law of relativism any belief system relevant to that person would be considered ethical even murdering someone. Many doctors and nurses struggle with their feeling on patient assisted death because their morals and ethical views tell them it is wrong to assist a patient in death but they have great sympathy seeing their patients in pain and they want to help. Also, doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which states that doctors will never harm their patients but I argue the facts that prolonging death is harming the patient and takes away their constitutional right to choose death. Many religions believe as deontologist do in that is against their religion to assist someone in procuring their own death but that is exactly it the issue that it their belief system and not everyone’s. The constitutional represents the Liberty Due process clause that says it is a fundamental right for terminally ill patients to die with dignity by the assistance of a medical professional. Lawyers have argued the fourteenth amendment which allows a doctor to remove life support as the last dying will and testament of the patient yet a physician cannot medically assist a patient in ending the life of a terminally ill person who is verbally requesting it. (Howard Ball 2012) Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Moral and ethical debates spark heated debates and cause controversial issues and never seem to end with everyone agreeing. These ethical and moral debates are complex and involve opinions persuaded by religion or customs nd have legal implications that must be consider. Physician assisted death a very complex and controversial issues that all people will never agree on. There are a lot questions that arise in the debate over physician assisted death such as patients’ rights, physicians controlling the right if someone lives or dies, a patience’s mental state, a family member’s rights, religious beliefs of the parties involved and th e law. It seems that both theories have their flaws. The relativist can be too extreme in their view points because anything can be considered moral if the society feels it is relative. While the deontologist view point is too constrictive and only takes into consideration that a person’s morals are their obligation and a duty to others. The deontologist would ignore the right of the patients even if they were suffering to conform to their obligations and moral duties. I am partial to believing that the patient has a right to choose if they want to live or die under certain circumstances. I believe that morals and ethics are not built on one theory alone but on many parts of theories that consist of logic and reasoning. People will continue to understand the different ethical theories that explain why certain societies believe the way they do. Some people may take the position of a deontologist who would argue that it is our moral duty to support and sustain life therefore assisted suicide should not be allowed. Unfortunately, this very emotional debate has many dynamics, as most ethical arguments do. In the situation of physician assisted death I disagree with the deontologist point of view and feel it is immoral to take away a patients right to end their own suffering. I believe to a certain extent as some relativist believe, that as long as the patient is fully capable of making Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death this decision and the patient is in a constant state of agony, then the patient has the right to make the choice to live or die. The relativist believes that morals are only relative to that particular society and if physician assisted death was considered moral in that group then it would be considered a moral act. Each theory has flaws. Some deontologist share my point of view and some relativist can be very extreme in what they feel is relative to being morally right or wrong. The bottom line is people will probably never completely agree on this subject. As our society evolves and continues to become more liberal in their ethical views on controversial topics such as gay marriage, abortion and personal liberties more states will continue to pass laws support physician assisted death.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Employee retention Essay

1. INTRODUCTION In these changing times both the employee & employer are under tremendous pressure to perform. There is fierce competition not only in the industry but also across categories. This new liberalized cutting edge technology driven environment has made employee retention mind-boggling. The fast pacing change across the globe has made the new employee & employer relationship irreversible. However all corporations not only in IT sector but also traditional manufacturing sector are attempting to stem attrition. This paper attempts to unravel this paradox & study the various facts that surround this burning issue. There are many tactics and strategies used to retain employees in organizations. The basic purpose of these strategies is to increase employee’s satisfaction, boost employee morale, and achieve retention. Sometimes, retention strategies are not used properly and wrong retention strategies are used. As a result of this, these strategies fail to achieve the desired results. There are costs associated with employee turnover. The impact of employee turnover on organizations is that it often engenders far-reaching consequences and may jeopardize efforts to attain organizational objectives (Hill and Jones, 2001). In addition, Hill and Jones (2001) indicated that when an organization loses a critical employee, there is a negative impact on innovation, consistency in providing service may be jeopardized, and major delays in the delivery of services to customers may occur. A decline in the standard of service could also adversely affect the satisfaction of internal and external customers and consequently, the profitability of the organization. It is for these reasons that the paper sought to assess retention strategies in organizations and how they affect workers‟ performance. Let us see what â€Å"Employee Retention† used to mean This entails understanding just a little history. The term â€Å"employee retention† first began to appear with regularity on the business scene in the 1970s and early ’80s. Until then, during the early and mid-1900s, the essence of the relationship between employer and employee had been (by and large) a statement of the status quo: You come work for me, do a good job, and, so long as economic conditions allow, I will continue to employ you. It  was not unusual for people who entered the job market as late as the 1950s and ’60s to remain with one employer for a very long time—sometimes for the duration of their working life. If they changed jobs, it was usually a major career and life decision, and someone who made many and frequent job changes was seen as somewhat out of the ordinary. What is Employee Retention? Employee retention refers to the various policies and practices which let the employees stick to an organization for a longer period of time. Every organization invests time and money to groom a new joinee, make him a corporate ready material and bring him at par with the existing employees. The organization is completely at loss when the employees leave their job once they are fully trained. Employee retention takes into account the various measures taken so that an individual stays in an organization for the maximum period of time. The human resource of an organization consists of management and employees. Human resources are key assets to organizations. Employees have to be motivated to stay in an organization. When employee retention strategies function properly, they increase the commitment of employees towards organizational goals. Thus, if the commitment of employees is won by management through employee retention strategies, it increases job satisfaction, motivates employees to work hard as well as encourages workers to stay in their organization. Hence, employees will be satisfied with their job and be motivated to work hard, thereby leading to improved employee performance. Improvement in employee performance leads to achievement of organizational goals. 1.1. LITERATURE REVIEW Williams and Dreher (1992), wages is the key factor influence in the employee attraction and retention, and play important role in the recruitment process. Highhouse et al, (1999) recommend that only pay is not sufficient to retain the employees. He argues that low pay package will drive workers out the organization but it is not necessary that high pay package bring and keep the workers in the organization. Ultimately, the workers stay in the  organization due to others factors i.e. work environment, co-workers behaviour and supervisor support etc. which compel the employee to retain in the organization. According to Osteraker (1999), the employee satisfaction and retention are considered the Cornerstone for success of organization. Past study divided it into social, mental or physical Dimension. The grouping is based on social contacts at works, characteristics of the work task or the physical and material circumstances associated with work. The retention factors of the mental dimension are work characteristics, employees are retaining by flexible tasks where they can use their knowledge and see the results of their efforts. The social dimension refers to the contact employees have with other people, both internal and external. The physical dimension consists of working conditions and pay. order to retain employees the organization need to gain information about the dynamics that characterized the motivation to work. According to Smith (2001) money bring the workers in the organization but not necessary to keep them. According to Ashby and Pell money satisfies the employee but it is not sufficient to retain the employee means it is insufficient factor. Money is not considered as primary retention factor (Brannick, 1999). Many organization implement very good employees retention strategy without offering high compensation or pay based retention strategy (Pfeffer, 1998). In such circumstances a wide number of factors are seems for successful retention of employees. The existence of other retention factors cannot be ignored. Kehr (2004), explains that the implicit retention factors in spontaneous, expressive and pleasurable behaviour and can be divided into three variables; power, achievement and affiliation. Power refers to dominance and social control. Achievement is when personal standards of excellence are to be met or exceeded and affiliation refers to social relationships which are established and intensified. Implicit and explicit retention factors relate to different aspects of the person, but both are important determinants of behaviour Thompson and Prottas (2005) examined the relationship between employee turnover intention and organization support such as supervisor support, flex time work family culture and co-worker support etc, and they conclude that organization support reduced the employee turnover intention. Pasewark and Viator (2006) places flexible work arrangement as an very important part of work family support that plays pivotal rule in the retention of employees. Ihsan and Naeem (2009), indicated that Pharmaceutical sales force rated pay and fringe benefits as the most important retention factor which is supported by the findings of past studies In addition, it indicate that pay and fringe benefits is highly valued by the sales force of all demographic Backgrounds. It’s possible explanation could be that pays and fringe benefits enable salespersons to fulfil their physiological as well as esteem needs. Thus, critical review of the current incentive schemes is required to make them more effective to cater to needs of the sales in both multinational and local pharmaceutical companies to retain their talent workers. Yanadoria and Katob (2010) investigated the family support effects at workplace and concluded the statistical importance of relationship between work family support and employee retention, the recent research recognize that existence of family support within the organization reduce the turnover intention and help the retention of talented employees in the organization. According to BC Jobs, in a survey commissioned by their company, only two percent of executives said employees leave because of lifestyle changes, such as relocation. When top performers start jumping ship, it’s most often for professional, not personal, reasons. In another survey commissioned by the same company, executives said that good employees leave primarily because of limited opportunities for advancement (39 percent), unhappiness with management (23 percent) and lack of recognition (17 percent) (BJ JOBS, 2012). Employee retention techniques go a long way in motivating the employees for them to enjoy their work and avoid changing jobs frequently. Why do Employees Leave? Research says that most of the employees leave an organization out of frustration and constant friction with their superiors or other team members. In some cases low salary, lack of growth prospects and motivation compel an employee to look for a change. The management must try its level best to retain those employees who are really important for the system and are known to be effective contributors. It is the responsibility of the line managers as well as the management to ensure that the employees are satisfied with their roles and responsibilities and the job is offering them a new challenge and learning every day. Let us understand the concept of employee retention with the help of an example: Manisha was a talented employee who delivered her best and completed all her work within the desired time frame. Her work lacked errors and was always found to be innovative and thought provoking. She never interfered in anybody else’s work and stayed away from unnecessary gossips and rumours. She avoided loitering around at the workplace, was serious about her work and no doubts her performance was always appreciable. Kumar, her immediate boss never really liked Manisha and considered her as his biggest threat at the workplace. He left no stone unturned to insult and demotivate Manisha. Soon, Manisha got fed up with Kumar and decided to move on. Situation 1 – The HR did not make any efforts to retain Manisha and accepted her resignation. Situation 2 – The HR immediately intervened and discussed the several issues which prompted Manisha to think for a change. They tried their level best to convince Manisha and even appointed a new boss to make the things better for her. Situation 1 would most likely leave the organization in the lurch. It is not easy to find an employee who gels well with the system and understands the work. Hiring an employee, training him and making him fit to work in an organization incur huge costs and thus sincere efforts must be made to retain the employee. Every problem has a  solution and the management must probe into the exact reasons of an employee’s displeasure. Employees sticking to an organization for a longer time tend to know the organization better and develop a feeling of attachment towards it. The employees who stay for a longer duration are familiar with the company policies, guidelines as well as rules and regulations and thus can contribute more effectively than individuals who come and go. 10 important factors that can impact employee retention in the organization Shorten the feedback loop- Do not wait for an annual performance review or evaluation to come due to give feedback on how an employee is performing. Most team members enjoy frequent feedback about how they are performing. Shortening the feedback loop will help to keep performance levels high and will reinforce positive behavior. Feedback does not necessarily need to be scheduled or highly structured; simply stopping by a team member’s desk and letting them know they are doing a good job on a current project can do wonders for employee morale and help to increase retention. Offer a competitive compensation package- Any team member wants to feel that he or she is being paid appropriately and fairly for the work he or she does. Be sure to research what other companies and organizations are offering in terms of salary and benefits. It is also important to research what the regional and national compensation averages are for that particular position. You can be sure that if your co mpensation package is not competitive, team members will find this out and look for employers who are willing to offer more competitive compensation packages. Balance work and personal life- family is incredibly important to team members. When work begins to put a significant strain on one’s family no amount of money will keep an employee around. Stress the importance of balancing work and one’s personal life. Small gestures such as allowing a team member to take an extended lunch once a week to watch his son’s baseball game will likely be repaid with loyalty and extended employment with an organization. Beware of burnout- staff adequately to reduce the amount of unwanted overtime a team member must work. Some employees enjoy the extra money that accompanies overtime hours, while others would rather spend their time with their  families or doing other activities they enjoy. Burnout can be a leading cause of turnover. Recognize the warning signs and give employees a break when they need it. Provide opportunities for professional development and growth – offer opportunities for team members to acquire new skills and knowledge useful to the organization. If an employee appears to be bored or burned out in a current position offer to train this individual in another facet of the organization where he or she would be a good fit. Nobody wants to feel stuck in their position will no possibility for advancement or new opportunities. The ability to provide input and be taken seriously – everybody has opinions and ideas, some are better than others. However every team member wants to feel that their input is welcome and will be taken seriously without ridicule or condescension. Some of the greatest ideas can come from the most unlikely of places and people. Creating a culture where input is welcome from all level of the organizational chart will help your organization grow and encourage long term employee retention. Management must take the time to get to know team members- it’s not a big surprise that one of the greatest complaints that employees express in exit interviews is a feeling that management didn’t know they existed. Nobody wants to feel like just another spoke in a big wheel. Managers are very busy – everybody is busy, but it is crucial that managers and supervisors take the time get to know the team members who work under them. Learn and remember a team member’s name , what skills and talents they bring to the table, and what their business interests are. The time spent by management getting to know team members is well invested and can eliminate the headaches caused by having to continually hire and re-train new employees. Provide the tools and training an employee needs to succeed- nothing can be more frustrating to an employee than a lack of training or the proper tools to successfully complete his or her duties. You wouldn’t try to build a house without a hammer, so why should an office job be any different? Providing a team member with the tools and training she needs to be successful shows a commitment and investment in that employee and will encourage the team member to stay with the organization. Make use of a team member’s talents, skills, and abilities- all team members have knowledge, skills, and abilities that  aren’t directly related to their job description, but are still useful to an organization. Utilizing a team member’s talents in areas other than their current position will indicate to an employee that management appreciates and recognizes all that an employee has to offer to the organization. This can also provide work variety and helps to break up the everyday grind of work. Never threaten a team member’s job or income – While threatening an employee with termination or demotion might seem like a surefire way to get the results needed from him or her, doing so will likely cause the employee to leave the organization. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes, what is the first thing you would do if your job was threatened? Odds are you would probably update your resume and start checking for open job postings expecting the worst. If a team member’s performance is not what you had hoped it would be, work with that team member on ways to improve his performance, saving termination only as a last resort. The Advantages of Employee Retention Acquiring Talent When organizations retain their employees, they avoid hiring costs. These are often hidden costs. The cost to post on job boards can be annual or a one-time expense. Agencies charge a percentage of an employee’s annual wages. Larger companies may have staffing departments whose sole responsibility is screening and interviewing talent. Other companies may assign this task to department heads or other individuals in the organization. The time an individual spends screening and reviewing resumes takes him away from his main job responsibilities. The hiring process is risky. Background checks, personality testing and aptitude testing can predict a candidate’s capability, but there is still a risk. Training and Development Retaining workers reduces training costs. Recruits need to be trained in business practices specific to the employer’s software, culture and office practices. Training requires one or more current employees to take time away  from their job responsibilities to educate the new employee on the organization’s way of doing business. Two or more people are on the company payroll producing the results of one person. In the first 90 days, a new hire costs the company money. When companies retain employees, training dollars can be used to further develop the work force. Long-term associates have the experience to review what has worked before and apply that knowledge to future situations. Skilled Labour Force Employment retention develops a strong staff. Working individually or in teams these individuals share knowledge and expertise. The future managers of an organization come from this work pool. These employees are the historians of an organization’s successes and challenges, and provide mentoring to new hires They are committed to the continued growth of the origination and its work force. These individuals have finessed the inner workings of an organization. As they continue to develop their skills, the organization benefits. Impact on Customer Service Employee retention has a positive impact on customer service. Turnover brings disruption in customer service, loss of business and possible negative business impacts. An organization’s customer base expects consistent and reliable service. There is a learning curve with new hires and thus the potential for error or poor communication with a client. This can impact business relationships. Long-term employees develop relationships with customers. They know the clients’ preferences and can anticipate future needs. This knowledge develops over time. 1.2. COMPANY PROFILE Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, is a pharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The company was founded by Anji Reddy, who had previously worked in the publicly owned Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited, of Hyderabad, India. Dr. Reddy’s originally launched in 1984 producing active pharmaceutical ingredients. In 1986, Reddy’s started operations on branded formulations. Within a year Reddy’s had launched Norilet, the company’s first recognized brand in India. Soon, Dr. Reddy’s obtained another success with Omez, its branded omeprazole – ulcer and reflux oesophagi is medication – launched at half the price of other brands on the Indian market at that time. Within a year, Reddy’s became the first Indian company to export the active ingredients for pharmaceuticals to Europe. In 1987, Reddy’s started to transform itself from a supplier of pharmaceutical ingredients to other manufacturers into a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products. Dr. Reddy’s manufactures and markets a wide range of pharmaceuticals in India and overseas. The company has over 190 medications, 60 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for drug manufacture, diagnostic kits, critical care, and biotechnology products. Dr. Reddy’s began as a supplier to Indian drug manufacturers, but it soon started exporting to other less-regulated markets that had the advantage of not having to spend time and money on a manufacturing plant that would gain approval from a drug licensing body such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By the early 1990s, the expanded scale and profitability from these unregulated markets enabled the company to begin focusing on getting approval from drug regulators for their formulations and bulk drug manufacturing plants in more-developed economies. This allowed their movement into regulated markets such as the US and Europe. By 2007, Dr. Reddy’s had six FDA plants producing active pharmaceutical ingredients in India and seven FDA-inspected and ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) certified plants making patient-ready medications – five of them in India and two in the UK. In 2010, the family-controlled Dr Reddy’s denied that it was in talks to sell its generics business in India to US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which had been suing the company for alleged patent infringement after Dr Reddy’s announced that it intended to produce a generic version of Atorvastatin, marketed by Pfizer as Lipitor, an anti-cholesterol medication. Reddy’s was already linked to UK pharmaceuticals multinational Glaxo Smithkline. VISION: To become a discovery ruled global pharmaceutical company with a core purpose of helping people lead healthier lives MISSION: To be first Indian pharmaceutical company that successfully takes its products from discovery to commercial launch globally VALUES: In pursuit of purpose of providing affordable and innovative medicines for healthier lives, Dr. Reddy’s will create an environment of innovation and learning while continually reaching for higher levels of excellence. Integrity and Transparency: Dr. Reddy’s will uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all their interactions. Safety: Dr. Reddy’s are committed to providing safe working environments through continuous improvement of their infrastructure, work practices and behaviors. Quality: Dr. Reddy’s are dedicated to designing quality into their products and processes to delight their stakeholders. Productivity: Dr. Reddy’s strive to achieve more with less through a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and a sustained focus on elimination of waste. Respect for the Individual: Dr. Reddy’s are committed to creating a work environment that encourages diverse perspectives and upholds the dignity of work and of individuals. Collaboration and Teamwork: Dr. Reddy’s will leverage expertise and resources from across their global network to create greater value for their stakeholders. Sustainability: Dr. Reddy’s will create value for all their stakeholders in a manner that respects their natural environment and serves the best interests of the communities in which they live and work. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Dr. Reddy’s board of directors are experts in the diverse fields of medicine, chemistry and medical research, human resource development, business strategy, finance, and economics. They review all significant business decisions and committees appointed by the board focus on specific areas. WHOLE-TIME DIRECTORS: G.V. Prasad – Chairman and chief executive officer Satish Reddy – vice chairman and managing director INDEPENDENT AND NON-WHOLE TIME DIRECTORS: 1. Dr. Omkar Goswami 2. Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam 3. Mr. Anupam Puri 4. Dr. J. P.Moreau 5. Ms. Kalpana Morparia 6. Dr. Bruce LA Carter 7. Dr. Ashok Ganguly 8. Mr. Sridhar Iyengar BOARD COMMITTEES: There are seven board- level committees at Dr. Reddy’s, namely 1. Audit Committee 2. Nomination, Governance & Compensation Committee 3. Risk Management Committee 4. Science, Technology and Operations Committee 5. Shareholders’ Grievance Committee 6. Investment Committee 7. Management Committee The Management Council is the top tier of Dr. Reddy’s company’s management structure. The management of Dr. Reddy’s has developed and implemented policies, procedures and practices that attempt to translate our company’s vision, mission and purpose into reality. The management also identifies, measures, monitors and controls the risks factors in the business and ensures safe, sound and efficient operation. The Management Council meets every quarter under the chairmanship of the CEO. Global employee strength of DR. REDDY’S Fig 1.2.1 Employee turnover Turnover Rate 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Overall India 16.20% 16.30% 14.30% 12.70% 18.20% 18.00% 0.70% 20.80% Fig 1.2.2 1.3. EMPLOYEE RETENTION AT DR. REDDY’S: Dr. Reddy’s has dozens of individual and team-based awards that recognizes teamwork, innovation, institution-building, and social Dr. Reddy’s uses extensive structured coaching to encourage continual dialogue between managers and employees to enhance employee engagement. As well, the company has a formal system in which senior managers mentor employees and job mentors serve as mentors in plants. Respect for the Individual: They are committed to creating a work environment that encourages diverse perspectives and upholds the dignity of work and of individuals.They have begun to have more presence at campuses, they have announced higher rewards for team members on successful referrals of women or differently able professionals to the organisation and they continue to encourage employees to shift within the organisation to different domains and functions through internal job posting opportunities. One of the key attempts of the leadership at Dr. Reddy’s is to enable each one of their talented employees to see the cathedral they are helping to raise, and give  them a hand if they run into rough spots. Building this environment to inspire are several elements drawn from global HR experiences and the best of management intuition. Exit interviews: Exit interviews are conducted with departing employees just before they leave. From the employer’s perspective, the primary aim of the exit interview is to know the reasons for the person’s departure, on the basis that criticism is a helpful driver for organizational improvement. Good exit interviews should also yield useful information about the employer organization, to assess and improve all aspects of the working environment, culture, processes and systems, management and development, etc. 2. OBJECTIVES To find out the Factors that make employees retain in the organization for a long period of time. To know the reasons why employees move out of the organization How is Dr. Reddy’s putting efforts in understanding employees? What are the steps taken by the company to retain their employees? What are the important elements that an employee looks in an organization to work? 3. SCOPE The scope of this project was to focus on employee retention in DR. Reddy’s Laboratories CTO1 Bollaram, Hyderabad , India (pharmaceutical company). The scope is limited to R0 and R1 employees in the organization. The approx. number is 100. The sample size is 40 employees out of 100 R0 and R1 employees. LIMITATIONS No proper inputs were provided by Dr. Reddy’s laboratories CTO1 management. Dr. Reddy’s has instead to limit the questions in a questionnaire to 10. Duration for of the project was just two months. 4. Research Methodology 4.1. Research Design In this study where we translate a research problem into questionnaires, and then use the questionnaires to create data and also indicated that survey is a process of asking many people the same questions and examining their answers. Hence, respondents were asked the same questions. The aim of a survey is to obtain information which can be analyzed and comparisons made 4.2. Sample Selection The target population for the study was all employees working in DR. Reddy’s. The list of all the workers in the organizations served as the sampling frame. Out of the sampling frame, the sampling units were identified. The individual persons in the organizations such as R0 and R1 categories of employees were used as sampling units for the study. The study population was junior and senior staffs DR. Reddy’s. The total number of employees in these categories is approximately 100. Out of the 100, 40 respondents were selected to specifically provide information that would be relevant to the study. The sample size was obtained by calculating 40% on the total population. 4.3. Data Collection Methods for Collecting Primary Data Questionnaires were the tools used for collecting the primary data for the study. The questionnaires contained closed-ended questions. The questions focused on employee’s work satisfaction in the organization. Questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were effective methods used in collecting the primary data. Questionnaires were useful for the research since I could reach many respondents within a short time. Moreover, the face-to-face interview also enabled me to observe the surroundings and nonverbal communication of respondents. The language that was used for the face-to-face interview was English, Hindi and Telugu. 5. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: 1. How long have you been employed at Dr. Reddy’s? Graph 5.1 Interpretation: As per the respondents 0% of employees mentioned that they have been employed at Dr. Reddy’s for less than 1 year, 15% of employees mentioned that they have been employed at Dr. Reddy’s from 1-3 years, 30% of employees mentioned that they have been employed at Dr. Reddy’s from 3-5 years, 35% of employees mentioned that they have been employed at Dr. Reddy’s from 5-10 years and 20% of employees mentioned that they have been employed at Dr. Reddy’s for more than 10 years. 2. What factors have influenced you to remain with Dr. Reddy’s? SCORE 3 as most preferred, 2 as second preferred and 1 s last preferred) Graph 5.2 Interpretation: As we can see in the above graph, leadership (brand) has got majority score, which is actually retaining the employees in the organization. Benefit packages, working conditions and shift works are also motivate employees in a large scale to retain in DR. Reddy’s. Pay has got the lowest score as per the respondents i.e. 8.75% 3. How satisfied are you with your career development within Dr. Reddy’s? Graph 5.3 Interpretation: As per the respondents 0% of employees mentioned that they are dissatisfied with the career development at Dr. Reddy’s, 17.5% of employees mentioned that they are somewhat dissatisfied with the career development at Dr. Reddy’s, 27.5% of employees mentioned that they are neutral with the career development at Dr. Reddy’s, 70% of employees mentioned that they are satisfied with the career development at Dr. Reddy’s, 10% of employees  mentioned that they are very satisfied with the career development at Dr. Reddy’s Regarding the promotions and hikes within the organization, majority of the employees seem to be satisfied. This is a good sign, but still Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd management need to work on this issue as this plays a vital role in retaing employees in the organization for a longer period of time 4. What is your level of satisfaction with the attitude of teamwork within Dr. Reddy’s? Graph 5.4 Interpretation: As per the respondents 32.5% of employees mentioned that they are neutral towards the level of satisfaction with the attitude of teamwork at Dr. Reddy’s, 67.5% of employees mentioned that they are satisfied with the level of satisfaction with the attitude of teamwork at Dr. Reddy’s and none of the employees choose the rest of the options i.e; dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied and very satisfied. Most of the employees seem to be satisfied with their colleagues which will in turn reduces the internal conflicts between the employees. 5. I feel that my contribution is respected and appreciated by the department. Graph 5.5 Interpretation: As per the respondents 0% of employees mentioned that they strongly disagree that their contribution is respected and appreciated by the department, 0.05% of employees mentioned that they disagree that their contribution is respected and appreciated by the department, 42.5% of employees mentioned that they are neutral that their contribution is respected and appreciated by the department, 47.5% of employees mentioned that they agree that their  contribution is respected and appreciated by the department and 0.05% of employees mentioned that they strongly agree that their contribution is respected and appreciated by the department. Approximately 50% here agree that their work is appreciated by the department which is a good sign. But Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd needs to work more in this area to increase these figures in a positive way. 6. I have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s. Graph 5.6 Interpretation: As per the respondents 0% of employees strongly disagree that they have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s, 20% of employees disagree that they have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s, 57.5% of employees are neutral that they have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s, 22.5% of employees agree that they have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s and 0% of employees strongly agree that they have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s Coming to career development within the organization employees are not much satisfied and they are on a diplomatic side by answering neutral. 7. The workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic. Graph 5.7 Interpretation: As per the respondents 0% of employees strongly disagree that the workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic, 7.5% of employees disagree that the workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic, 17.5% of employees are neutral that the workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic, 52.5% of employees agree that the workload placed on personnel is fair and  realistic and 22.5% of employees strongly agree that the workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic. These figures tell us that Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd is a friendly environment to work with, where there is no work pressure. 8. Have you ever considered leaving Dr. Reddy’s? Graph 5.8 Interpretation: As per the respondents 32.5% of employees mentioned that they considered leaving Dr. Reddy’s and 67.5% of employees mentioned that they never considered leaving Dr. Reddy’s. It’s a good sign were approximately 70% of the employees are not considering to leave Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd. 9. If your answer was yes to the previous question; what would be the reasons? Previous question (Have you ever considered leaving Dr. Reddy’s?) Graph 5.9 Interpretation: We can notice as majority of the employees i.e. 48.75% of employees want to leave the organization for better pay and benefits. Better opportunities and relocation are also playing a vital role in employees leaving the organization. Only 6% of employees feel there is no proper communication in the organization. 6. FINDINGS Retention is all about managing people. If an organization manages people well, employee retention will take care of itself. Organization should focus on managing the work environment to make a better use of human resources. As per the survey, Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd employees like to work where these are present. Appreciation for the work done by the employee. More opportunities to grow within in the organization. A friendly and cooperative environment between the employees. A feeling that the organization is second home to the employees. Findings regarding Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Effective leadership is also motivating them to work with Dr. Reddy’s. Salaries are not up to the expectations of the employees in Dr. Reddy’s. Dr. Reddy’s is having an employee friendly environment. Where employees feel more comfortable while working. Dr. Reddy’s has cross-functional project teams, encourage employees to shift within the organization to different domains and internal job posting opportunities. Dr. Reddy’s SPEAK OUT program is a communication channel open to all employees. The program is conducted every month by the Senior Managers of the respective locations encourages the employees to open up and discuss any issues be it professional or personal. Dr. Reddy’s REACH OUT program similar to speak out, which encourages employees to use drop boxes to convey their suggestions, raise or highlight any issue which they may not be comfortable to come forward or if they wish to maintain anonymity. Dr. Reddy’s has a team-based award that recognizes teamwork which in turn motivates employees. 7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusion Retention has emerged as one of the dominant themes in management studies during the past decade. The goal of this report was to understand the reasons behind employee’s retention in the organization. The report attempts to provide the facts with a better understanding of employees and their needs. The employee demands such as good working conditions and having development opportunities are just two factors to be mentioned. Dr. Reddy’s laboratories should have good communication, hiring management with strong  human relation skills, providing growth opportunities and consulting with employees, formally and informally, will strengthen the bond with the organization, but will not guarantee their loyalty. Herzberg, through his motivation-hygiene theory suggests that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are produced by different work factors. What makes people unhappy is not what they do but how well they are treated. Recommendations Though Dr Reddy’s laboratories ltd is doing a great job it can still improve its working conditions to have work satisfaction in the employees and to retain them for a longer period of time. Dr. Reddy’s management can provide support in the form of work-life balance. Work life balance includes Flexible hours Alternate work schedules Vacations Dr. Reddy’s management should give little more importance to the Career growth and development of the employee within the organization. A manager plays a role of a mentor, they are the ones who involve employees in the work. So they need to hire managers who can make and maintain good relations with their subordinates. Promoting team work will improve the relationship between employees. This can lead to good and healthy competition and relation between the employees. Management of Dr. Reddy’s can support employees by providing them recognition and appreciation. 8. ANNEXURE 1. How long have you been employed at DR.Reddy’s? 1. Less than 1 year 2. 1-3 years 3. 3-5 years 4. 5-10 years 5. More than 10 years 2. What factors have influenced you to remain with Dr. Reddy’s? ( SCORE 3 as most preferred, 2 as second preferred and 1 s last preferred) 1. ___ Pay 2. ___ Benefit Package (Health Insurance, ect.) 3. ___ Promotional Opportunities 4. ___ Work hours/Shift work 5. ___ Loyalty to community 6. ___ Team culture/peer relations 7. ___ Working conditions( i.e. Safety) 8. ___ Leadership (Dr. Reddy’s only) 9. ___ Training 10. ___ Retirement plan 11. ___ Contribution to the Organization 3. How Satisfied are you with your career development within Dr. Reddy’s? 1. Dissatisfied 2. Somewhat Dissatisfied 3. Neutral 4. Satisfied 5. Very Satisfied 4. What is your level of satisfaction with the attitude of teamwork within Dr. Reddy’s? 1. Dissatisfied 2. Somewhat Dissatisfied 3. Neutral 4. Satisfied 5. Very Satisfied 5. I feel that my contribution is respected and appreciated by the department. 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Neutral 4. Agree 5. Strongly Agree 6. I have a comprehensible course for career advancement inside Dr. Reddy’s. 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Neutral 4. Agree 5. Strongly Agree 7. The workload placed on personnel is fair and realistic. 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Neutral 4. Agree 5. Strongly Agree 8. Have you ever considered leaving Dr. Reddy’s? 1. Yes 2. No 9. If your answer was yes to the previous question; what would be the reasons? (SCORE 3 as most preferred, 2 as second preferred and 1 s last preferred) 1. Pay and benefits ____ 2. Better opportunity ____ 3. Family reasons ____ 4. New challenges ____ 5. Relocation ____ 6. Leadership ____ 7. Poor or no communication ____ 8. Job security ____

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Philosophical Skepticism, Existence of God, Knowledge and Metaphysics Essay

Philosophical Skepticism, Existence of God, Knowledge and Metaphysics - Essay Example Descartes made it evident to the scientific researchers that the basis of finding the truth is doubt. Within the context of skepticism and doubting for finding the truth, the phrase becomes easy to understand. It shows that Descartes doubted his thinking ability which is the proof of his presence and existence. In other words, it could be said that if one is longing to find out about his own existence then it is the proof that he is alive because he is skeptical of his existence. In addition to the understanding of the phrase, it is important to understand the way Descartes has implied his philosophical statement on himself. Descartes makes a clear supposition that he has different biological senses including his sight, his touch, his ability to smell, his ability to hear and to think. These senses connect him to the logical world where he yearns to find out the truth in science. In this way, Rene Descartes proved his existence to be truth of science. Thinking is the basis of Rene De scartes belief on existence of humans. In simpler words, Rene Descartes claims every human to be conscious who is able to think. 2. Hume and Kant: A dogmatic Awakening: Immanuel Kant, being a philosopher who raised the curiosity regarding the relationship of cause and effect and scientific laws based his final publication on the analysis of David Hume’s skepticism towards reason. Kant referred that David Hume has â€Å"awakened him from his dogmatic slumber† (Kant). In literal meanings, David Hume basically raised awareness regarding future metaphysics. He claimed that experiences that one would go through in the past are less likely to repeat in the future. It is basically the conscience of humans to categorize their experiences. The beliefs of cause and effect regarding experiences and past had prevailed over the years merely because of the supposition of their occurrence in the future. In other words, it could be said that Hume made it clear that there is no justifi ed ground in metaphysics that shows relation between cause and effect. It is merely a human’s habit or conscience that stresses on him to believe that there is a cause and effect to every experience that has undertaken in the past and is likely to happen in the future. Most of the critics believed that Immanuel Kant challenged by David Hume. But the real context to the statement was that justification by Hume provided a logical ground to the metaphysics knowledge where the dogmatic slumber is referred to the idea of uncertainty. 3. World through the lens of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibnitz: The world and its creation is a truth in itself which has influenced many skeptics such as Descartes, Spinoza and Leibnitz. In the flair of pursuit of truth, Rene Descartes believed that world was a home to physical bodies, God and mind. This may also refer to substance pluralism that he believed in more than one material. The world through the lens of Descartes is supposedly based upon the understanding of one’s mind. The curiosity to know beyond one thinking is only possible for the God. Second to the thought of Descartes, it can be said that Baruch Spinoza claimed that world was a setting of God who is present philosophically. It is the belief of a person to think that there is such a setting of God. Gottfried Leibniz claimed his notion regarding the world and the rational belief on knowledge. He mentioned that

Monday, August 12, 2019

New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance Essay

New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance - Essay Example Today, communication to a great extent occurs through technological means. The existence of the mobile phone and social networking websites has made the world smaller and communications easier. However, the question remains as to whether there has actually been an increase in the amount that people talk to each other because of such inventions. Has communication between people increased as a result of the improvement in systems of communications? On the other hand, one also needs to look into the question as to whether the modern methods of communication that are present today have actually improved communication between people or whether the whole affair is a misconception or a mirage. This paper shall look into these questions and attempt to facilitate a discussion of the matter. With the introduction of the telephone, it became possible for people to communicate events and activities over long distances. Due to high costs and limited availability, the use of the telephone was limi ted during its initial stages but later, its use became widespread. The use of the letter reduced and there were many feelings and emotions that were left uncommunicated as a result. The written word could carry a lot of nuances in passages that a conversation on the telephone could not. Letters were written with deliberation and time was consumed during the composition of letters, unlike the conversations that are heard on telephones. The lack of speed in the delivery of letters had its own charm that the telephone could not replicate. There are often representations of people who are unable to communicate over the telephone in popular culture that indicate that the speed of communication in some cases kills the thought that goes behind communication. It is with the introduction of newer methods of communication all over the world that theories regarding the inadequacy of language and methods of communication came to be proposed by many thinkers. While this may seem like a paradox, proximity between the communicants can lead to an alienation between them. On the other hand, conversations on the telephone and especially on the mobile phone have a certain spontaneity associated with them that is natural to the manner in which it is used. While it may obviously not have the polish of a conversation carried on through letters, one is allowed to scream and lisp over the phone in a manner that is quite unimaginable in a conversation of letters. It also enables people to know where the other is, immediately, if one has made a plan to go to a certain place with other people. The opportunity to vent one’s anger is infinitely more effectively employable over a phone conversation that any other means of communication. Thus, one can see that with the invention of newer methods of communication, there are newer forms of information that are created and newer content that is modified so as to be placed in the framework of the new forms. Thus, it is not as if people do not communicate more, but both the forms and the content of communication has changed in the world of today. This is owing to the proliferation of newer methods of communication, the mobile phone being one of them. In many situations,

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Application of PPP in the Short Run Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Application of PPP in the Short Run - Essay Example International trade has then been seen to lead to an equalization of purchasing power which economist describe as parity. However, this theory has been seen to have many shortcomings (Wallace, 2007: 34). For instances, the prices of different goods cannot be the same in all countries. This is because there are barriers to trade which lead to the prices increasing gradually as they pass from one country to the next. These include the tariffs, taxes and shipment costs. For instance, a car in America may cost only $5000 but when it is shipped a country such as South Africa, its final cost is $2000 higher than the price it is sold at in America. Other commodities of trade because of their nature cannot be imported to another country. These include services such giving haircuts or other products such as real estate. Moreover, a person in a rural village in Brazil may not have the luxury of choosing different goods or services on the international market and may just end up buying good on the prices offered in their country. Moreover, not all types of goods and services have demand in every country. For instance, America may not have a specific price for a rice harvester because it does not grow rice. The price of a rice harvester would thus only be determined by the countries which have a demand for it such as Vietnam. The cost of living in different countries is different and this definitely affects their purchasing power. For instance, the cost of living in China is way low compared to the cost of living in America (Ullrich, 2009: 78). China applies the strategy of reducing the cost of living in her country so that it can pay her workers lower wages reducing the production cost. This makes her exports cheaper compared to that of other players in the global market giving it a competitive edge. In some instances, PPP has been used to position the exchange rates of new countries or even predict expectations on future exchange rates. There are two versions of PPP that have been used by economist all over the globe. These are relative and absolute PPP. Absolute PPP is the equalization of good’s prices in different countries. Relative PPP on the other hand asserts that the change of exchange rates over time between different countries is relative to the change in prices of standards goods in these countries (Obstfeld &Taylor, 2004: 318).PPP has been seen to prove to hold true in its assumptions in the long run. This is because as a result of removal of trade barriers and enhancement of free trade in the globe, the price of standard goods without the inclusion of costs such as shipment costs, tariffs and taxes is similar around the globe. It would take years for prices of products to be equalized in the globe. However, various economists have argued that PPP do not hold true in the short run. This is because the exchange rates are controlled by the news in the short run. News regarding change in the perceptions of the development of exchange rates in the future has an immediate effect on the current exchange rate. The rates are also influenced by other announcement such as interest rate changes. This paper studies PPP and exchange rates in EU and US to show how PPP cannot hold in the short-term. In the developing countries, PPP is measures using a comparison of the official

Saturday, August 10, 2019

M4A1 PART A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M4A1 PART A - Essay Example Schein (2010) has rightly affirmed that a common pattern of basic assumptions should be shared among the group members so that they can effectively solve the problems; when everyone has the same set of values and norms, then internal integration and external adaptation becomes easier and it has worked positively for the overall organization. The new members of an organization should be taught the same way of perceiving, thinking and feeling about the problems so that the conflicts are avoided. Hence, it is stated by Schein that an effective manager has to ensure that he/she advances in the organizational studies by observing the real behavior of the workforce which are labeled as values, assumptions and artifacts (Bohlander & Snell, 2007). According to Jung et al. (2009), Schein categorized the signals of cultures and subcultures in three stages; the first stage is known as ‘artifacts’ which are the attributes that are evident as they can be heard, felt and seen such as dressing style, communication medium, tone of voice, stories and etc. Artifacts are in the form of company’s mission, slogans, written communication mediums and slogans; all of them are easy for observation but challenging for deciphering (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). The second stage is known as ‘values’ which is slightly complicated in nature but are observable to a certain extent. For instance, during the interview process, a manager can make some judgment about the candidate’s values by observing him/her. Finally, in the third stage which is known as ‘basic assumptions’ are the most difficult ones to be observed as they are deeply embedded in the person’s behavior. They behavior becomes evident when the person starts working in the organization. Hence, all of these stages combine to define the attention aspect for the HR manager because it

Internaional Business Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internaional Business - Article Example Normally, it is the last stage of the distribution process. Understanding the customer perceptions will help retailers to know about the nuances of marketing. Every retailer has to primarily identify his target market and the needs and expectations of that market and subsequently try to meet those expectations with efficient service. This is what exactly Costco is doing. Promotional strategies that are adopted by a retailer include different forms of communication to attract customer to the retail outlet. For example, in the case of Costco, the 'buy-in' strategy that the company adopted is a promotional strategy. The company bought as much inventory as possible after Procter and Gamble announced a price hike of 6%. This would help the company to hold stock for the future when other players would buy the same stock at a higher price. The face of the retailing industry has undergone significant global changes over the past two decades. Retailing has always focused on offering the best quality products to customers. Every retailer wants to offer the customers the right products at the right time at the right place and at the right price. Pricing the products and services might be a routine hob for most producers and retailers, but it involves a thorough and a deep understanding of the principles and practices governing the business environment. Adopting the right pricing strategy helps a company achieve its objective. To sustain and achieve its objectives in the competitive market, a company should adopt the most effective pricing mechanism. Thus, pricing is very important to a marketer. Before adopting a pricing strategy, certain factors like the demand for the product or service in the market, customers' perception, the sustainable margin, the image of the company in the market etc. Pricing is a very important aspect of the firms' existence and hence, firms must develop proper pricing strategies and convert them into effective competitive advantages. Pricing is the biggest challenge that marketers face, and quite often, they may feel that they have not set the right price. This may be due to several reasons. One of the most important is that prices are dependent on market factors. The sales of a product have an impact on the pricing mechanism. However, the sales of a product can increase because it has been priced too low and not because it has been priced right. Setting the right price can have a substantial impact on the profits of the firm. Costco is using the market penetration pricing strategy to attract customers. It is only a few products that can be called truly innovative products. Such products come into the market infrequently. Most of the times products introduced are copies of existing products with slight modifications. /firms try new approaches to attract customers who have many similar products to choose from. They employ sales promotions, membership cards, sponsorships, etc. to attract customers. Costco admits that more than half of its revenue is form membership fees. Firms resort to price cuts, and offer products below their competitors' prices to take away a large number of customers form their competitors. This is the strategy that Costco has adopted. The expectation in offering products at low prices is that one customers use the product, they will develop an interest in the product