Saturday, January 25, 2020

A L Oreal Case Study Management Essay

A L Oreal Case Study Management Essay Nowadays companies try to be more and more efficient. This concerns not only product quality or production processes but also the quality of the workforce. On that respect, employee management is key in achieving challenging productivity improvement objectives and simply to have the company to perform better. Before talking about the different processes used by companies to train their employees and develop competencies, lets remind ourselves that many constraints have to be taken into account such as local regulations. In France for example there is the DIF, Droit Individuel à   la Formation. Its a law passed in 2004, which allows employees to follow training programs. This to show that the social policy of a state can also affect the training process of employees in a company. In the following paragraph well ignore political aspects and focus on the different processes implemented by LOreal and American Express. LOreal case study Talent management To begin lets take the example of LOreal, the worlds largest cosmetics and beauty company. This company is well-known to employ Good Practices in Training and personal Development. To illustrate our proposal, we refer to an interview of a Latin American talent managing director of LOreal, Judith Ruiz De Esquide. Her role is to take a look at the different teams based in Latin America. She has to have a good knowledge of the employee motivations, skills, strengths or expectations and she has to match these with the external environment both economic and cultural. LOreal uses the Talent Management Directors network for sharing talent, improve processes and promote international mobility of the employees. Each employee is personally monitored: skills, motivation, achievements and even his sensibility to the environment (very important in the world of Beauty) are assessed on a regular basis. To identify potential talent and thus to manage them, Judith spends most of her time with employees in the Latin America operations of LOreal. The career development is a key factor of success according to Judith. She organizes formal meetings several times per year associated to daily and individual follow-up. Talent management is a process which enables the identification of the employees strengths and weaknesses as well. Given the task the employee has to fulfil or will fulfil in the future, a training plan is derived to close the gap with the targeted competencies that have to be acquired by the employee. In a context of globalization, important companies are composed of thousand of employees. Thus talent management becomes an important contributor to the performance of the company. I think a good talent management system can be very effective in raising the motivation level of the employees. If employees are motivated and they feel as good at work as at home, they will work better and harder for the company. Training programs LOreal also use internal training program to boost their employee skills and motivation. These kinds of programs are designed for managers from several countries. To be efficient they are run several times a year and are organized by companies who are specialist in the field, e.g. Rosinski Company. These programs are offered in several languages such as English, French or Italian. We chose to work with Rosinski Company for multiple reasons: we appreciate this excellent team of experienced and diverse Trainers, the business-oriented learning approach, and the consistently positive feedback after the seminars. Yvonne von de Finn Project Manager Learning for development MDC Europe LOreal Like talent management, training programs are useful in many different ways. They help in motivating employees and giving them the opportunity to improve their skills. Particularly when employees are managers like in the case above, they lead to new professional perspective. I think this kind of programs do bring benefits to the company and can be seen as investments (costs) despite government help in the form of subsidies sometimes. Like any material investment, the return has to be evaluated and thus the impacts of the training have to be quantified and monitored for the sake of efficacy. Talent management shall be focused and targeted at bringing up the competencies of the employees to match the requirements of the organization they belong to. Source: EduChoices.org Learning by doing Companies like LOreal also use practices such as learning by doing to develop skills of their employees. They help them to perform better in their daily tasks and activity. This way of acquiring competencies is built around action and job everyday life rather than formal training programs. Lets see below a brief description of the process according to a professional:  «Ã‚  Instead of a theoretical discussion about strategic planning or project management, for instance, participants develop a usable strategic plan or create deliverables for their project. Employees learn in their own way and at their own pace through assignments that get real work done.  Ã‚ » In my opinion, this method is more than a way to train employees and rather an example that every company should adopt in their daily management scheme. This strategy can be very efficient because it allows for a focus on problems of real interest to the company, on which each employee can find solutions. Its very concrete and precise because it directly applies to the job himself. American Express Case study The concept of diversity management American Express received recently the tittle of  «Ã‚  Top Company for Employee-Resource Groups  Ã‚ ». American Express is a good example of how the concept of diversity management is implemented in large companies.  «Ã‚  Diversity management must begin with visible leadership. This means that the CEO and executive team must lead by example and be visible supporters of diversity as a business driver while holding their direct reports accountable for results  ». The management of diversity can be very useful for the development of employees in several ways. When you work with people from different countries and different cultures, you may learn more than working with people from the same country as yours. I think this climate of diversity allows for the development of new working methods and new ways of seeing things. Yet I think that valid metrics are needed to see the positive impact of diversity management. Management should in this case set up clear objectives and preserve middle management. This rather new concept has to be well managed in order to perform better than classical work model. A diverse and inclusive culture is a corporate asset for American Express. Kenneth Chenault, Chairman Chief Executive Officer. Transferability of knowledge and skills back to the job On this last part, Id like to comment on the transferability of knowledge. I think each employee or manager has to keep in mind that the transfer of training, i.e. knowledge capitalization, is the key in terms of value for a company in the long run. The knowledge of each employee should be easily transferable to other new employee and this should be handled through a complete and thorough process. This is good for the integration of new employees. They always perform and feel better after a good training on the task they are supposed to perform. Another important element is the fact that new skill or knowledge should be maintained once they have been completed. My current experience as an intern on a trading desk at HSBC Paris is in my opinion a very relevant example. Before really starting I had a 3-week training with the past intern. Then I learnt how to use the IT system, how to work in a specific environment, how to deal with the daily tasks I was supposed to fulfil. These 3 weeks taught me also how to behave not only with my colleagues but also with the clients of HSBC. It was for my integration. It gave me confidence but provided me with a significant increase in efficiency and well-being. Conclusion

Friday, January 17, 2020

Information System in Global Business Today Essay

1. What are the inputs, processing, and outputs of UPS’s package tracking system? Inputs: firstly, the scannable bar-coded should be pasted to the package, there are some information on the scannable bar-coded, like the sender, the destination, and the time of the package arrive. And then, customer could get own labels by UPS. For example, people could go to the UPS web site and use special software to download this information. The data off labels would be delivered to the UPS’s computer centre that nearest final destination, before the package pick up. Furthermore, workers should download these labels information by using UPS software and establish some special delivery route for every driver; people should consider some factors that affect package transmission, like traffic, weather conditions, and the location of every stop. Processing: there are some points that through from the sender and the receiver. Bar code equipment could scan labels to get some package information and send these data to the centre computer. By this way, customer also could check package information from web site, customer could check the data that extreme detailed, it contains delivery routes, calculates hipping route, determining time in transit, and so on. Outputs: first of all, the data that collected from web site are transported to the centre computer and back to the customers. Moreover, UPS also provides some tools that convenient customer to visit own web site, like Cisco system, it can be embed UPS function.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Story Of Lean Production Toyota s Secret Weapon

Book Summary In the book â€Å"The Story of Lean Production – Toyota’s Secret Weapon in the Global Car Wars That is Revolutionizing World Industry†, published in 2007, James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos generally introduce and discuss about three worldwide industrial manufacturing methods from the very first approach to the most current one, which are craft production, mass production, and lean production respectively. The Industry of Industries in Transition. they look through the history of the automobile manufacturing by spelling out Henry Ford and Alfred Sloan, who left behind the old-fashioned type of production, craft production, and began a new age of the world manufacture with mass production. Also, they mention about Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno, who initially started the conception, â€Å"lean production†, which, nowadays, has been seeking by manufacturers of all kinds of industries on over the world. In addition, the writers provide a quick view in the comparison among craft production, mass production, and lean production in which they point out the drawbacks of craft production, the obstacles of mass production, and the advantages of lean production. The authors emphasize that no lean manufacturer has ever reached the ideal target of lean production, but they will continuously attempt to gain the perfections of lean production. This section, additionally, represents the impact o f lean production on the professional careers and the working conditions ofShow MoreRelatedLean Operations - Dell2583 Words   |  11 PagesLean Operations Today - Case of Dell Computers Co. - [pic] Instructor: C. Liassides Thessaloniki, 18/5/10 City College, Business 2ab Spring Semester Lean Operations Today - Case of Dell Computers Co. - A corporation is a living organism; it has to continue to shed its skin.   Methods have to change.   Focus has to change.   Values have to change.   The sum total of those changes is transformation.   ~Andrew Grove There is nothing so useless as doingRead MoreToyota Supply Chain78751 Words   |  316 PagesAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. Toyota Learning Principles and the v4L Framework Chapter 2. Comprehensive Overview of Supply Chain Chapter 3. Mix Planning Chapter 4. Sales and Operations Planning Chapter 5. Production Scheduling and Operations Chapter 6. Parts Ordering Chapter 7. Managing Suppliers Chapter 8. Logistics Chapter 9. Dealer and Demand Fulfillment Chapter 10. Crisis Management Chapter 11. The Toyota Way of Managing Supply Chains Chapter 12. How to Apply Toyota Way Principles to NonautomotiveRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesglobal management accounting community. Alnoor Bhimani London School of Economics December 2005 CONTENTS ‘ FOREWORD Anthony Hopwood PREFACE Alnoor Bhimani CONTRIBUTORS 1. New measures in performance management Thomas Ahrens and Christopher S Chapman 2. Contract theory analysis of managerial accounting issues Stanley Baiman 3. Reframing management accounting practice: a diversity of perspectives Jane Baxter and Wai Fong Chua 4. Management accounting and digitization Alnoor Bhimani 5. TheRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesmanaging, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from theRead MoreGeneral Electric60506 Words   |à ‚  243 Pagesdiversify broadly or narrowly. 3. Markets are usually diverse enough to offer competitors sufficient latitude to avoid look-alike strategies. 4. At companies intent on gaining sales and market share at the expense of competitors, managers lean toward most offensive strategies while conservative risk-avoiding companies prefer a sound defense to an aggressive offense. 5. There is no shortage of opportunity to fashion a strategy that tightly fits a company’s own particular situation andRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesfundamental factor in managing profit maintenance and growth during fluctuations in the economy, have taken on additional management dimensions, especially for technology products, in which variable costs become low. An example is software, for which production costs can be minimal. When customers may suddenly cut Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum: The Power of Management Capitol 1. New Management for Business Growth in a Demanding Economy Text  © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 5 CHAPTER 1 NEWRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesa product? The dimensions of product policy Brand strategies The development of new products Pricing policies and strategies Approaches to price setting Methods of pricing 12.10 Deciding on the pricing objectives 12.12 Using price as a tactical weapon 12.13 Promotion and marketing communications 12.14 Distribution strategies and the distribution plan 12.15 Channel management 12.16 The ‘soft’ elements of the marketing mix CONTENTS ix 12.17 Integrating the elements of the marketing mixRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pages ELEVENTH EDITION MARKETING MISTAKES AND SUCCESSES 30TH ANNIVERSARY Robert F. Hartley Cleveland State University JOHN WILEY SONS, INC. VICE PRESIDENT PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE MARKETING MANAGER ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesAyana Jones Senior Managing Editor: Judy Leale Production Project Manager: Becca Groves Senior Operations Supervisor: Arnold Vila Operations Specialist: Cathleen Petersen Senior Art Director: Janet Slowik Art Director: Kenny Beck Text and Cover Designer: Wanda Espana OB Poll Graphics: Electra Graphics Cover Art: honey comb and a bee working / Shutterstock / LilKar Sr. Media Project Manager, Editorial: Denise Vaughn Media Project Manager, Production: Lisa Rinaldi Full-Service Project Management:Read MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesbudget airline industry. IKEA – quality and low prices at the Swedish furniture giant News Corporation – corporate logic and corporate management in a worldwide media business. CRH – impressive international growth of an Irish company driven from a ‘lean’ corporate centre. Numico – difficulties with diversification for a Dutch nutritional products company. AIB – competing in the global banking industry: the challenges for a mid-size bank. SABMiller – an African brewer takes on the world: learning to

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Is Happiness the Purpose of Life - 1317 Words

In the play Three Sisters the character Vershinin says, â€Å"We’re not happy and we can’t be happy; we only want happiness.† So, what’s the purpose of life? Is it to be happy? Everyone has that desire, to have happiness. We even base our decision we by how it will affect our happiness. In our life we experience happiness and unhappiness, but we are oblivious as to what happiness is. What comes to mind when thinking of happiness? Is it pleasure, the thought of the good life, prosperity, or is it something else? We won’t be able to have a response to that question until we have a notion of happiness. When reading this quote, I connected it to a few philosophical ideas. The first connection I made to was hedonism then epicureanism, stoicism, free will and existentialism. The quote made me question, are we truly happy or do we adapt to our life and think we are happy. There are two accounts of happiness: hedonism and life satisfaction theory. Life satisfaction theorist suggest that although we say we are happy, our behavior says different. In philosophy hedonism says the pursuit of one’s own pleasure should be the aim of all happiness. You must put yourself first and believe that pleasure and happiness are your main goals in life. But, what If killing makes you happy, is that right? Hedonist would say yes it is right if that’s what makes them happy because they believe that doing so might lead to long-term happiness and pleasure can be achieved that way. But what about drug addictsShow MoreRelatedHappiness and the Purpose of Life1087 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.† -Aristotle What is the purpose of life? This question has had a lot of controversy from ancient philosophers and even people today. Many people may ask this question, but few know the answer. Everyone is different and yet we all ask the same question. In my class right now there are twenty-three students. Students that have grown up together and long-time friends and some are newer than othersRead MoreArgument Analysis Of Aristotles Happiness As An Essential Purpose Of Human Life1219 Words   |  5 PagesArgument Analysis More than anybody else, Aristotle treasures happiness as an essential purpose of human life and a goal in itself. Aristotle was convinced that a sincerely happy life required the fulfillment of an extensive range of conditions, including physical and mental well-being. Essentially, Aristotle argues that virtue is achieved by maintaining the mean. For Aristotle the mean was a method of achieving virtue. What is the ultimate purpose of human existence? What is the end goal for which we shouldRead MoreAristotle s Happiness As A Central Purpose Of Human Life And A Goal868 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. As a result his constant work on the topic has brought light on the subject than any other philosopher in history. Aristotle was convinced that a genuinely happy life required the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, in conjunction with physical as well as mental well-being. Aristotle believed virtues led to happiness and virtues meant the act of achieving balance and moderation. More importantly, AristotleRead MoreThe Well Being Aristotle And Human Happiness1000 Words   |  4 PagesOur Well-Being: Aristotle and Human Happiness What is the purpose of a human being? â€Å"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence† (Nicomachean Ethics). When one thinks about happiness, these words said by Aristotle allow us to understand its significance. Through Aristotle’s teachings, he made it clear that the point of life is to be happy. Aristotle uses the word happiness as having to do with a person’s life as a whole, and not as the constant desireRead MoreSocrates, Plato, and Aristotels View on Happiness1529 Words   |  7 PagesWhat Is Happiness What is happiness, and how can one achieve true happiness? This is the ultimate question of life and what every person is seeking an answer to. Many feel that they have found their answer in belonging to the faith of their choice, but what is it that their faith teaches them that brings them happiness? The Philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all have a similar view on what happiness is and how to achieve it. Aristotles view is based on Platos and Platos is based on SocratesRead MoreThe Human Function as It Pertains to Happiness Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesThe Human Function as it Pertains to Happiness Humans have a function, according to Aristotle, and so it would follow that fulfilling that function makes us happy. Before we can establish that fulfilment of purpose results in happiness, we must first establish what the human function actually is, and also what constitutes good and happiness for humans. Aristotle’s arguments for happiness and human purpose help to provide answers to these questions, though as with all philosophical topics there areRead MoreHappiness : Is It Just A Thing?757 Words   |  4 PagesHappiness seems familiar with many of people. It is not measurable, touchable, profitable, nor tradable. Yet, by describing through those word above, happiness is what human seek. Definitely, every people want to be happy and no one wants to be sad. They do not only want to have happiness, but also they want to have a lot of it. However, happiness, like an untouchable thing, is an impossible thing to grasp in one’s hand. It is intangible. So how does one know if they have it? Is it just a feelingRead MoreThe Pursuit of Meaning Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesStampede! Before you know it, people are running, pushing, grabbing items off the nearest shelf, just for the sheer fact that it’s on sale. Happiness can obviously be bought, right? Wrong. Contrary to popular belief, the idea of acceptance, or in other words, the ability to be vulnerable towards other, is taking over this culture because of the search for happiness that Americans pride themselves in taking, and sooner or later, something needs to change. As defined by the online dictionary, vulnerableRead MoreAristotle s Argument For The Function Of Man1585 Words   |  7 PagesNicomachean Ethics I.7, defined happiness as the central good that motivates all of man’s endeavors (function), in that happiness â€Å"is in itself worthy of pursuit more final than that which is worthy of pursuit for the sake of something else†¦ is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else.† (NE 1.7, 1097a 32-34) What is interesting to note here, is that in this sense, happiness, rather than a mental state of the mind, is perceived as a good; happiness is something that serves anRead MoreEssay on Summer Reading756 Words   |  4 PagesTo follow a life of success, happiness, and fulfillment will always begin by observing ourselves, from finding inner peace, figuring out your purpose, and pursuing it through hard work with the passion to commit in to our goal that will shape up our life. Without persistence and h ard work it is impossible to succeed. A life without direction could lead to a path of uncertainty and without contentment. Also a life without inner peace is a life without true happiness. To follow a life of success, happiness