The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture :: United States History Johnny Cash Essays

The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture On his 2000 studio album, "American III," Johnny Cash sang in a resigned voice, "I got a crib full of corn, and a turnin' plow/ But the ground's to wet for the hopper now/ Got a cultivator and a double tree/ A leather line for the hull and gee/ Let the thunder roll and the lighting flash/ I'm doing alright for Country Trash."* Raised on a cotton farm in Dyess, Arkansas, Cash articulated a racialized class divide not simply among whites and African Americans, but among whites, themselves. Cash belonged to a growing class of impoverished white farmers increasingly referred to by his contemporaries as "white trash," and recast by historian Neil Foley as "The White Scourge." In his book of the same title, Foley analyzes the impact of class and race consciousness on white tenants and sharecroppers in central Texas as they competed for farm labor with both African Americans and Mexicans from 1820 to 1940. Foley asserts, "The emergence of a rural class of 'white trash' made whites consci ous of themselves as a racial group and fearful that if they fell to the bottom, they would lose the racial privileges that came with being accepted for what they were not-black, Mexican, or foreign born."(7)** "The white scourge", the masses of impoverished whites held in limbo between privilege and denial, Foley asserts, is what informs race relations today. The heart of Foley's argument rests on an analysis of the intersection of race and economics or class. Indeed the two are joined at the hip, race being created and sustained out of competition for labor. On June 23, 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed to the U.S. as a slave state. Foley notes "the annexation of Texas as a slave state†¦became the great white hope of northern expansionists anxious to emancipate the nation from blacks, who, it was hoped, would find a home among the kindred population of 'colored races' in Mexico."(20) But rather than uniting as kindred races, discord between poor whites, African Americans and Mexicans resulted from competition for farmland as either tenant farmers or sharecroppers. Foley argues that prior to the Civil War, there was a sharp line delineating tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Tenant farmers were almost always white, owned their own tools and rented land for a third of the cotton and a fourth of the grain harvested.

Manage Quality Customer Service Essay

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANISATION Telstra Corporation Limited is a Public Company that is ranked number 9 out of the top 2000 companies in Australia stated on Ibis World a Business reporting site (World, Ibis, 2011). The company generates the majority of its income from the Telecommunication Services in Australia industry. Telstra has employed 39,790 people by June, there end of Financial Year 2011. Since 2009 its current CEO, is David Thodey. (Telstra, 2011) The name â€Å"Telstra† is derived from the word Telecommunication Australia. The (TEL) is from Telecommunication and (STRA) from Australia. The creation of this name was trading under â€Å"Telecom Australia† domestically until a constant branding of â€Å"Telstra† was introduced throughout the entire organisation in 1995. (About Telstra Fast Facts,2011). Business Operations †¢ Book and Telephone Directory Publishing in Australia Telecommunications and Other Electrical and Electronic Equipment Wholesaling in Australia Telecommunication Services in Australia Wired Telecommunications Carriers in Australia Mobile Telecommunications Carriers in Australia Internet Service Providers in Australia Online Information Services in Australia Telstra’s Business Units †¢ Telstra Consumer including Country services the metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. It provides telecommunications products and services, for home and mobile phones and devices, to fixed and wireless internet as well as Pay TV services. †¢ Telstra Enterprise & Government (TE&G) is the leading provider of network solutions and services to Enterprise and Governments in Australia. †¢ Telstra Business is another division responsible for serving the needs of Australia’s small to medium enterprises (SME) with fixed phone line, mobile and broadband. Data and Internet solutions can be tailored for business. IDENTIFY THE TARGET CUSTOMER Age of Customer Age Group 55+ 35-44 25-34 45-54 8-24 Customers 2008/09 9.9% 30.6% 23.9% 25.7% 9.8% 2009/10 11.1% 30.5% 24.3% 25.9% 8.2% 2010/11 12.0% 29.9% 24.4% 26.3% 7.4% Telstra provide products and services to Home and Family (residential), Businesses, Government and Wholesale customers. This also includes a Disability Equipment Program for people with a disability and Access for everyone packages for people on a low income. The chart found in a Telstra Sustainability Report (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) shows the percentage of different aged group customers that have been connected with Telstra. Source: (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Key performance indicators (KPIs) are ways to periodically assess the performances of organisations, business units, and their departments and employees. They measure the process through a SMART criterion by Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time. Monitoring KPI as a whole and through staff performance The Call Centre Activity chart shows the percentage of customers that called and counts for each action that can occur once a call has been queued to a call centre. This is one form of measuring call centre KPI. People must learn to work together, ask for help, training etc. and understand how to relate to one another otherwise the team’s output will be less than it could be. This Call Centre chart generated a report that includes statistics relating to one call centers. The chart report provides information related to how calls are handled by call centers once they have been queued. Successful leaders care for and support colleagues and employees. Treating people with respect, demonstrating integrity, and showing empathy strengthen the development of trust and confidence in the workplace. In order to make your teamwork on their set goals, performance and meet KPI you must demonstrate that you are reliable, honest, and trustworthy and that you walk your talk. They need to see your values in action and that you have their best interests at heart. They need to see that you value openness and  honesty in offering and receiving feedback. SERVICE TARGETS As technology has grown, so has the ease by which information can be generated and presented to management and stakeholders. Today, everyone seems concerned about information overload, From my thorough investigations online I can report that service targets are reported quarterly to identify opportunities for improvement and outline progress of achievement and adjustments if needed are also made at this point. The most informative reports I found online from 2010-2012 on Telstra are: †¢ Financial Results for Half Year ended 31 December 2011 †¢ Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities and †¢ Telstra Sustainability Report 2011 They all outline the results of Telstra’s performance, goals and statistics in achieving their customer service/product commitments. When organisations constantly review their service delivery, they gather an enormous amount of data. The data collected is important and crucial to the ongoing survival of the organisation and therefore it must be recorded, maintained and be accessible. The financial report â€Å"Financial Results for Half Year ended 31 December 2011† (Laird, Jason; McKechnie, Nicole, 2012) presented by David Thodey CEO & acting CFO Mark Hall has been published and reports that Telstra announced its strategy continues to deliver financial benefits. Report Statistics & Targets for 2012 Business revenue results discussed by the Directors from Telstra’s â€Å"Financial report half year ended 31 December’ 2011† (Laird, Jason; McKechnie, Nicole ;, 2012) are as follows: †¢ Total revenue increased by -1.1% or $136 million  to $12,419 million †¢ Net Profit After Tax increased by -22.9% or $274 million to $1,468 million In relation to the 2011 Sustainability Report (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) Telstra believes that monitoring, measuring and reporting their progress helps them to improve on their service performance and lists this in figure 3. Figure 3 Telstra’s Values & Priorities For 2012 Source:(Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) FEEDBACK ON STAFF PERFORMANCE Telstra’s performance review process incorporates two informal quarterly reviews and a formal annual and half yearly review, targeting business results and leadership. Each team and section of Telstra has reward and recognition schemes in place to reward and encourage top performers. Telstra has a variety of incentive plans, tailored to different sectors of their workforce, which is designed to encourage high performance by rewarding employees for meeting and exceeding performance objectives. Another way of accessing performance is by collating data on customer’s feedback about the individual consultant. All results can be produced through a team email, meeting or coaching. Obtaining a 360-degree feedback will be most valuable in assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The 360degree should be performed and completed by their manager and up to five of their peers with whom they work. This assessment will let the business and employer know what people they work with think about their attitude, performance, and business ethics. Performance Appraisals Determines: †¢ Rewards and/or promotions for an individual who is meeting /exceeding performance †¢ Identify and discuss gaps in skills, knowledge and attitudes that impact on an individual’s performance †¢ Identify and discuss environmental or workplace weaknesses preventing the individual from meeting their goals and objectives and †¢ Identifies an individual’s future training and development needs Most staff members will expect that they will be  required to give feedback at the end of their appraisal. What is important is team members are made to feel that management will actually take notice of their feedback and use it to coach and make any improvements. Live Performance Monitoring I have provided a sample bar chart below from when I worked at Telstra. The chart displays how a team’s Adherence on calls is monitored by the sales teams. As you see the amount of calls answered is the first column which is then followed by the activities that one undertakes while on that call. The red highlighted boxes indicate improvement is required as the KPI target for AHT is 630min and Adherence is 88% while your wrap should be the lowest possible as this is when the call has ended and your phone is sitting in Not Ready status, the key here is finish what you are doing while customer is on the phone & be in READY status for the next call. This Report is also part of the scorecard paying system to calculate any sales bonus Figure 4 Activity Chart Sales Call Centre KPI Targets AHT: 630 Adherence: 88% Source:( Pusca, et al., 2012) Figure 4 shown in this report is my own collection of statistical results I obtained when working at Telstra in 2011/2012. The results are solely only for the purpose of this assignment. Names of Staff members have intentionally been removed for privacy STRATEGIES TO ADAPT CUSTOMER SERVICE The only measure that will connect a business with the relevance of the work a staff member is performing is to find out if customers are happy or not with their service. You need to measure how the customer judges the outcome of the product or service, through a phone or email survey at the end of each business discussion. Telstra have this process in place. The process is completed by asking the customer to stay on the line while at the end of the call while you transfer them through to a questioner/ survey about your performance today. The rating is from 1 (lowest) & 5 (highest) then next they will be ask to provide any feedback. Statistics can be taken via the login of the consultant’s phone that produces a per cent % on how many customers were transferred to the questioner /survey. Customer Survey Satisfaction Result Telstra’s Customer Support Services is also launching an initiative to revisit the handling and processing of customer requests for prompt reliable services and assistance. For the past few years, Telstra have proactively been monitoring the â€Å"First Contact Resolution† (FCR) metric as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of 80%. This is a ‘voice of the customer’ driven strategy – reported in a Corporate Responsibility Report (Inc, 2012) we are doing a lot more listening. We are implementing tools and processes that allow us to clearly understand and fix main points for our customers states David Thodey CEO. As well as the phone interaction customers have with staff Telstra has established a new online panel – My Telstra Experience – so that customers can regularly tell them what they think of their experiences and where they need to improve on service. 2 Figure 5 Compliance MTD1F Increase FCR Staff Must: †¢ Set the right expectation to the customer about the call (how long it takes to process the order, keep the customer in the loop) †¢ Follow the correct hold procedure (set the expectation on how long they may need to wait) †¢ To reduce repeat calls within 7 days by giving the right contact numbers to customers i.e. for any IT Support or Bigpond enquiries– please give out the correct number, that way in will not affect your FCR. †¢ When transferring, give the customer the number for the department you are transferring them to. Encourage customers to call the number provided for future reference or in case, the call drops out. SOURCE : (Dave, 2012) Remember to ask – Can you please stay on the line to answer 2 questions regarding my customer service today? FEEDBACK TO MANAGEMENT ON MEETING/EXCEEDING KPI’S Within a call center, there are common business roles. There is Centre Managers for each department, Team Leaders, and Agents. †¢ The Centre Manager will have a number of Team Leaders reporting to them. They will be responsible for the recruitment, development and coaching of those who directly report to them. The Team Leader’s role is to ensure individual agents are performing against targets, reviewing their performance and coaching/training them to do so. The Team Leaders will meet on a regular basis with the Centre Manager to provide feedback and to receive instructions or actions that need to take place. The Team Leader is responsible for keeping their agents informed of what is happening in the centre and anything that may affect the agent’s key tasks or performance targets. It is good management practice to consult and reflect on employees and other managers for feedback on a regular basis. Feedback allows one to gain input from others including, praise, criticism and suggestions for improvement. The Report Providing Performance feedback to Management when their team has achieved KPI is an extraordinary accomplishment. Feedback is backed up with reports and they can include: †¢ Documentation of expected results †¢ Standards of performance †¢ Progress toward achieving of results †¢ How well they were achieved †¢ Examples indicating achievement A report outlines the performance of team and individual staff members and how they have progressed since the last monthly/quarterly report. It will also show a comparison of whether they have improved or dropped in performance and if any training is required to fill gaps. Figure 6 shown in this report is my own collection of statistical results I obtained when working at Telstra in 2011/2012. The results are solely only for the purpose of this assignment. The names of staff members have been removed for privacy A GAP ANALYSIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE MEASURES The following performance reporting covers the 2011 financial year for Telstra Corporation Limited (Thodey, David; Hall, Mark, 2011). In 2012, Telstra continue to focus on simplifying their business and improving their processes in order to better serve its customers. Telstra’s Primary Goals: †¢ †¢Serve the needs of its customers Improving online services & support Make Telstra a great place to work Reduce Telstra’s TIO complaints Contribute resources – people, money, technology, products, and services To support the communities Strengthen the capability of the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, and providing a strong foundation for economic growth, productivity improvement, and global competitive advantage. Service Goals Figure 7 Gap Analysis Actual Performance 2011 6.8% Target as of June 2012 7.1% Gap Analysis Corrective Action 1. Customer Satisfaction 2. Improving online service 3. Telstra a great place to work 4. Reduce Telstra’s TIO complaints 5. To support the communities 6. Economic growth Success 0.3% Failed 13% Failed 0% Failed 6% Failed 21% Success 0.7% Listen to customers, undertake a cause analysis when issues arise, & fixing the areas that customers are not happy with i.e. pricing Improved online access for account enquiries on mobile phones & customers to easily manage their account online Launched a new reward & recognition program to recognise individuals & teams Conducted a review of system operations to ensure that privacy of customer information continues to be protected Provide communication technology training through grants, events, online content and DVDs They engage more with community organisations on issues impacting the lives of children and young people 22% 75% 24% 44,000 people $24.80 million 35% 76% 30% 80, 000 people $25,06 million Source: (CSG, Customer Service Guarantee) 1. Telstra reached a 3% per cent improvement in customer satisfaction. Their approach is to be able to connect with the customer, understand and exceed their expectations, respond to and solve customer complaints and fulfil expectations 2. Improving online services and encouraging customers to go online will help reduce call centre call queue and visiting Telstra stores. This should have enhanced the customer experience. Telstra failed by 13% of online customer interaction with staff. 3. In 2012 Telstra’s goal was to  Improved development performance by 1%, they failed 4. The Telecommunications industry Ombudsman (TIO) records complaint issues under several broad categories. Telstra had set a target to reduce TIO complaints by 30% in 2012 though failed by 6% 5. In 2010/11, the total value of Telstra’s social investment was $248 million. Increased numbers of people to be trained to know how to use mobile, internet etc. was set from 44,000 to 62,447. Telstra failed by 21 % 6. A key driver to the increase has also been the focus on improving customer service through investments made to improve the customer experience including improvements to the online Telstra portal and the implementation of the after hours customer service line. CONCLUSION Telstra is Australia’s leading full service telecommunications and information services company. It offers a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications, and information products and services across Australia and overseas. Telstra uses its own network infrastructure. In addition, Telstra provides wholesale services to other telecommunications retailers, who then provide services, including voice, broadband and data services, to their own end user customers. Over the past year Telstra has recorded a turnaround in operational results, with strong customer growth. While not meeting majority of their targets, this year’s 2012 achievements must demonstrate real progress against their Service Goals. Telstra still have significant improvements to make and have set targets to improve their Service. In recent years, customer satisfaction in Australian telecommunications has failed to keep up with community expectations and consumers have responded with increasing complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). Customer Service is an essential factor in maintaining an organisation’s competitive edge in the marketplace. Many organisations are placing greater emphasis on developing a customer service culture and making it a priority. At the end of the day it is the people in the center who are the real influence on customers not the technology or the processes. A company can  have great products, great services, great technology and great processes, but it’s the people that bring it together and make it happen. To establish the right service quality standards is what Telstra need to bring into place. The following points list some standards I had not come across or not been mentioned by Telstra as one of their focuses for improvement †¢ †¢Top management commitment to providing service quality Set, communicate, and reinforce customer-oriented service standards Establish challenging and realistic service quality goals Train managers to be service quality leaders Be receptive to new ways to deliver service quality Standardise repetitive tasks Telstra recorded a 3 per cent improvement in customer satisfaction in 2011/2012, with a reduction in TIO complaints however did not meet the target and failed by 6 per cent they had set out to achieve. To attract and retain customers a business needs to recognise different customers want different things, and they need to provide products, solutions and service to cater to this. To differentiate themselves from their competitors, a business will benefit if they can demonstrate that they can provide the understanding and experience customers are seeking. Overall, the company is a dominant player and for the last five fiscal (financial) years of 2007 to 2011, continued to make up around 60% of the whole Australian communications services market. The significantly improved growth in customers returning to Telstra is tribute to the value in the company’s new mobile plans as well as their network quality. Telstra will continue to roll-out new products for all our customers, from individual to Corporate and Government customers, taking into consideration the feedback of what their customers have told them. They are committed to upholding the legislated Telecommunications Customer Service Guarantee Standard 2011 (â€Å"The CSG Standard†), as amended and issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Thodey, David; Hall, Mark, 2011) The objective of the Customer Service Guarantee is to impose a minimum level of performance on telecommunications carriers and service providers, for specified services, so that the quality of that service should not deteriorate in any way but will improve significantly and should enable consumers to enjoy a reasonable level of service. (ACA, 1999)

Western Union

Western Union was founded in 1851 and started its history as a telegraph and wire services company. In 2006, Western Union discontinued its telegraph service and focused exclusively on money transfers (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Jorge Ochoa, Vice President of Finance and Raul Duany, Director of Corporate Communication joined The Western Union Company (WU) in November 2008. The primary customers for money transfers were immigrants that were seeking better opportunities in richer countries away from their home.When immigrants leave their home countries, they often leave behind family members who depend on them for financial support. This is most true in the case of poorer countries. Government regulators scrutinized the operations and fee-charging practices of money transfer businesses. Western Union is a leader in global money transfer, providing people with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send money around the world. The Western Union brand is globally recognized.Their services are available through a network of over 375,000 agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories (Western, 2009). Their consumer-to-consumer money transfer service enables people to send money around the world in minutes. Their consumer-to-business service provides consumers with flexible and convenient options for making one-time or recurring bill payments. Western Union believes that the brand strength, size, and reach of their global network, along with the convenience and reliability to their consumers have been essential in the growth of the business.As they continue to meet the needs of their consumers for fast, reliable, and convenient money transfer services, they are also working to enhance their services and provide their consumers with access to an expanding portfolio of payment and other financial services. The federal law known as the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) obligates federally insured banks and depository institutions to help meet the needs of commun ities in which they operate (Pearce, & Robinson, 2011). In March 2007, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke stated, â€Å"the CRA reaffirmed the long-standing principle that financial institutions must serve the convenience and needs of the communities in which they are charted† (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Western Union serves many of the financial needs of immigrant populations, as a bank might, with a major presence in poor and racially diverse neighborhoods. Western Union is now being held up to the same standards as banks because they are both financial institutions. Western Union’s customers are mostly urban and poor.The typical user of its remittance service is a low-wage immigrant worker who lives in Urban America, makes $15,600 annually and sends home $293 a month, almost 30% of his or her net monthly income (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Heavy charges in the money transfer industry places economic burden on low-income immigrant families in the United States and in their communities of origin while creating and increased reputation risk for Western Union (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Western Union has been facing numerous lawsuits, mainly because of their lack of social responsibility.This has affected the company’s image and could potentially increase the risk that Western Union faces in the competitive market. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility is generally perceived as a positive business ideology in the 21st century, despite some challenges. A significant expansion of basic business ethics, CSR establishes guidelines for ethical and socially responsible behavior. It addresses how companies that want to satisfy government and societal requirements should treat key stakeholder groups, including customers, suppliers, employees and the community (Mal Warwick Associates, 2008).Pros: One of the elements of CSR is that it causes companies such as Western Union to reason beyond basic ethics to consider the benefit s of active involvement in communities. In the article â€Å"The 7 Principles of Business Integrity,† business strategist Robert Moment argues that 21st-century companies must prove themselves to customers to build long-term relationships (Moment, 2004). Western Union involves itself in the community by giving back. Insinuates Western Union to the local markets in which they operate.Cons: The main reason any company would object to participating in CSR is the associated costs. With CSR, companies have to pay for environmental programs, more employee training and efficient waste management programs. Proponents of CSR agree that any expenses to businesses are ultimately covered by stronger relationships with key customers. However, David Vogel indicates in his Forbes article â€Å"CSR Doesn't Pay† that investment in CSR programs may not necessary result in measurable financial results (Vogel, 2008).* Corporate Citizenship. Western Union’s global corporate citizens hip is their commitment to enrich the lives of global citizens by expanding economic opportunity. Through initiatives like the Western Union Our World, Our Family program, they are able to put their values into action (Western Union, 2011). Western Union corporate citizenship efforts focus on three primary areas: 1. Supporting Cultural Inclusion: Western Union recognizes the importance of helping individuals and families build strong communities, in which all members can contribute their distinctive talents and feel at home. . Creating Pathways to Opportunity: Western Union help diverse individuals and communities around the world realize their tremendous potential with scholarships supporting financial literacy, entrepreneurship, job training, and other skills necessary on the journey to a better life. 3. Fostering Hope in the Developing World: Western Union support economic development and opportunities with infrastructure development, community centers and access to technology (W estern Union, 2011).Western Union’s Current Strategy. Currently, Western Union is using the free cash flow that is generated to repurchase stock and acquire rival money transfer firms in order to expand. Along with the repurchasing of stocks and acquisitions, WU has donated millions of dollars to charitable organizations and other countries. Their current strategy is concentric diversification because they are acquiring firms that are related to them in terms of products and markets. They have pursued growth of their brand through international expansion and the growth in the worldwide immigration population was also driving growth in the money transfer business.Although there is a higher risk associated with diversification, according to Pearce & Robinson (2011), the distinctive competencies of the diversifying firm are likely to facilitate a smooth expansion. Globalization There are about seven factors that make global strategic planning complex. These factors are economic factors, political factors, geographic factors, labor factors, tax factors, capital source factors, and business factors (Pearce and Robinson, 2011). When you look at the economic factors of a country, you need to look at the GNP for the country, and the foreign exchange rate.You also need to consider the size of the market and the markets potential rate of growth. As far as the political factors are concerned, you have to determine whether the country is stable, as well as, the type of political structure in the country. It is also important to understand how foreign business is perceived in the country by the government, consumers and competitors. The geographic factors that you should be concerned with is the availability of raw materials, utilities, and the proximity to export markets.Other globalization challenges you need to be aware of are the labor factors – whether you will have the necessary skills available in the people in the country, tax factors – whether there are any tax breaks for foreign investors or if there is a huge tax rate for the country, capital source factors – banking systems available in the country, and business factors – current industry information for competitors and competitive situation. Diversification There are also challenges inherent to diversification.Companies often decide to diversify so that they can acquire a new company that will potentially balance the strengths and weaknesses of the two businesses (Pearce and Robinson, 2011). Companies use diversification as a grand strategy in order to increase stock value, increase growth rate, better use of investment funds, improve stability of the company, acquire needed resources quickly, and tax savings, and increase efficiency and profitability.Trends in the Financial Services Industry. Current trends in the financial services industry is the use of a focus strategy. Focus strategy, involves concentrating on a particular customer, product line, g eographical area, channel of distribution, stage in the production process, or market niche. The underlying premise of the focus strategy is that the firm is better able to serve its limited segment than competitors serving a broader range of customers. Firms using a focus strategy simply apply a cost-leader or differentiation strategy to a segment of the larger market.Firms may be able to differentiate themselves based on meeting customer needs through differentiation or through low costs and competitive pricing for specialty goods. This strategy is often appropriate for small, aggressive businesses that do not have the ability or resources to engage in a nation-wide marketing effort. Such a strategy may also be appropriate if the target market is too small to support a large-scale operation. Many firms start small and expand into a national organization. The trend in the financial services industry is that consumers are working outside of their home countries.Many of these consume rs have families back in their home country that they periodically send money to in order to help them pay their bills. Western Union has a niche with this trend because they provide a means of easily getting the money to their family without having to have a checking account or if they have credit problems and owes the money elsewhere. Western Union guarantees that the money will be secure and delivered to the correct person. Internal Environment Financial Information In 2008, Western Union’s market share grew and delivered record levels of revenue and cash flow.Revenue was $5. 3 billion; $1. 25 billion was generated in cash flow from operations and WU handled $67 billion in cross-border consumer-to-consumer remittances. They also delivered an operating income margin of 26% for the year. Western Union and its consumers are feeling the impact of the global economic recession. They have confidence in their strategy. Their plan is to focus on what they can control and influence . They have a brand that is recognized around the world. Their business generates significant cash flow.They have created a business model that consistently delivers strong margins. They have built a distribution channel that is second to none and their global team is focused on a short list of priorities to drive growth. They provide vital services to consumers in more than 200 countries and territories. These services not only make a tremendous difference in the individual lives of their customers, but the volume of remittances sent through Western Union helps drive many national economies, paving the way for long-term growth.They also have the advantage of a globally recognized brand and unmatched worldwide distribution. Western Union plans to continue investing in their brand even in these tough times. Their brand represents speed, trust and reliability to their consumers worldwide. WU has launched a comprehensive new global brand initiative that embodies an ambitious and forwar d-looking vision for the company. Their vision is of optimism for their customers, company, agents and, employees. This vision shows their commitment to help people who are on the move, pursuing their dreams.At a time when there is so much pessimism in the world, it is believed that this Western Union message will serve as a source of positive energy in the marketplace, which should ultimately translate into mind share and market share for the company. They will increase their technology spend to further develop tools that allow them to perform deeper analysis on their customers. Western Union is sharpening their focus and directing investments to meet market share opportunities. They have demonstrated that their global team working together has helped them gain market share in 2008.These employees were using Western Union’s four key strategies—strategies that will continue to drive their business forward: * Accelerate profitable growth in the global cash money transfe r business * Expand and globalize the consumer-to-business payments business * Innovate new products and services for target customers * Improve profitability by leveraging scale, reducing costs and effectively using capital During 2009, Western Union will increase investment in technology and systems.They want to update their systems in order to move traditional and new services from virtually anywhere in the world, with exceptional speed. Western Union has a proven business model with significant financial strength. Alternatives and Recommendations Strategic Alternatives In order to publicize their commitments to social responsibility, Western Union should consistently re-evaluate their operations and look for areas of improvement. They can also look at what other companies in the industry are doing to be socially responsible and implement such procedures to their company.Because of the challenges inherent in globalization and diversification, it is important for Western Union to perform due diligence when entering foreign markets. One of the challenges when globalizing may be the exchange rate in different countries. Western Union may have to charge different fees depending on where they are and who their competition is. Recommended Strategy We believe that the company should stick with what they know and continue to repurchase shares and acquisitions. Repurchasing shares can generate a higher EPS and help use up excess cash.It can also increase the ROE and raise demand for the stock on the open market. Their current strategy seems to be working for them and as long as they continue to re-evaluate their operations and remain socially responsible, their strategy will be a success. The bottom line is that Western Union wants to pursue mergers in order to make money for the company and for shareholders.ReferencePearce, J. A, & Robinson, B. R. (2011). Strategic Management- Formulation, Implementation, and Control. (12ed) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Mal War wick Associates, Initials. (2008). The Five Dimensions of CSR. Retrieved from http://www. malwarwick. com/ Moment, R. (2004). The 7 Principles of Business Integrity . Retrieved from http://www. webpronews. com/the-principles-of-business-integrity-2004-07 Vogel, D. (2008). CSR Doesn't Pay. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/2008/10/16/csr-doesnt-pay-lead-corprespons08-cx_dv_1016vogel. html Western Union. (2011). Corporate Citizenship. Retrieved from http://corporate. westernunion. com/corporate_responsibility. html

Impact of Television essays

Impact of Television essays "I believe that television is going to be the test of the modern world, and in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our own vision, we shall discover either a new and unbearable disturbance of the general peace or a saving radiance in the sky. (Qtd. In Murray 7) This quotation, by E.B. White, was written at the dawn of the television. White was right, it would either be beneficial or detrimental to society. Ever since the first television station was licensed in 1941, our lives have been affected by the presence of television. However, this effect is not negative. Despite the selection of shows that appeal to us negatively, it is used as a simple means of entertainment that appeals to the ethical in us as well as an invaluable source of cultural enrichment. Television is also an excellent aid in preparing children for school and assisting in educating children after they have begun school. Every day millions of people turn to their televisions as a form of escape from the pressures and stress of day-to-day life. The television, to them, serves the purpose of entertaining them for a half hour or an hour at a time. What people dont realize is that some shows also deal with ethical issues. Some sitcoms, such as the popular NBC produced show Friends and CBS Everybody Loves Raymond, are meant solely for entertainment but deal with everyday ethical dilemmas. Humor is not the only approach used in television entertainment. Shows, such as ABCs NYPD Blue, use thick plot lines and heavy drama to draw the viewer in entangling them in an intricate web of law and order. Even though some shows are meant only for entertainment, some shows make it a point to dive into major ethical based plot lines, an example of this can be found in CBSs Touched by an Angel. All of these shows, no matter the target audience, somehow delve into the difficult world of e...

Using Calculus to Calculate Price Elasticity of Supply

Using Calculus to Calculate Price Elasticity of Supply In introductory economics courses, students are taught that elasticities are calculated as ratios of percent changes. Â  Specifically, they are told that price elasticity of supply is equal to the percent change in quantity supposed divided by the percent change in price. While this is a helpful measure, it is an approximation to some degree, and it calculates what can (roughly) be thought of as an average elasticity over a range of prices and quantities. To calculate a more exact measure of elasticity at a particular point on a supply or demand curve, we need to think about infinitesimally small changes in price and, as a result, incorporate mathematical derivatives into our elasticity formulas. Â  to see how this is done, lets take a look at an example. An Example Suppose youre given the following question: Demand is Q 100 - 3C - 4C2, where Q is the amount of the good supplied, and C is the production cost of the good. What is the price elasticity of supply when our per unit cost is $2? We saw that we can calculate any elasticity by the formula: Elasticity of Z with respect to Y (dZ / dY)*(Y/Z) In the case of price elasticity of supply, we are interested in the elasticity of quantity supplied with respect to our unit cost C. Thus we can use the following equation: Price elasticity of supply (dQ / dC)*(C/Q) In order to use this equation, we must have quantity alone on the left-hand side, and the right-hand side be some function of cost. That is the case in our demand equation of Q 400 - 3C - 2C2. Thus we differentiate with respect to C and get: dQ/dC -3-4C So we substitute dQ/dC -3-4C and Q 400 - 3C - 2C2 into our price elasticity of supply equation: Price elasticity of supply (dQ / dC)*(C/Q)Price elasticity of supply (-3-4C)*(C/(400 - 3C - 2C2)) Were interested in finding what the price elasticity of supply is at C 2, so we substitute these into our price elasticity of supply equation: Price elasticity of supply (-3-4C)*(C/(100 - 3C - 2C2))Price elasticity of supply (-3-8)*(2/(100 - 6 - 8))Price elasticity of supply (-11)*(2/(100 - 6 - 8))Price elasticity of supply (-11)*(2/86)Price elasticity of supply -0.256 Thus our price elasticity of supply is -0.256. Since it is less than 1 in absolute terms, we say that goods are substitutes. Other Price Elasticity Equations Using Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Income Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand

Business Plan - Euroflorida Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Plan - Euroflorida - Assignment Example In order to ensure that we have best customers, we would use internet as our marketing tool alongside estate agents and sales force, the benefits of registering and payment through internet website would be provided to the people only living in Europe. The houses would be sold on first come first serve basis, however if received so many applications then we can sell them on random basis to top class people. The team would be comprised of development department, which is of course the most important one, customer relationship department, marketing department, and finance department. If the houses would not be sold to any one and we would be failed to communicate and attract audience then there is a contingency plan that is to sell the houses on no profit no loss situation and then we would come up with some new idea, however we would reapply the construction procedure if the scheme would be successful. Also we would have all the houses insured, so that if any natural calamity destroys them, we do not face any loss. "We are making the future peaceful for you, simply not just by providing you a shelter in your dreams but also by providing you a big part of your dreams where you can go whenever you want and get whatever you want." The prevailing problem in the Europe is that people are living extremely busy and fussy life in Europe, the weather is most of the times very rainy and no body gets the chance to spend vacations and life outside the fewer European countries such as Greece and Italy. It has been identified on exploring Europe that in Italy there is a place which can become a heaven for the people of Europe facing various difficulties in life, these people are of course having a desire to visit places that are new, green and fresh forever. So there is an opportunity that we finally identified and now there would be some work to do on that idea, the idea that is simply related to providing a lifetime opportunity to people of Europe by providing them a home in a heaven in Apulia, Italy. The basic idea behind starting a housing scheme named "EuroFlorida" in Apulia, Italy is to target the people from the northern side of Europe who do not have any chance to visit somewhere within the Europe, as you can see that those people are catered as the target audience who have the buying power, who want to pass either their vacations or their life in a peaceful lush green environment which is absolutely free of pollution, also the people who are catered as target audience are not just limited to the northern Europe but any one who is having a desire to visit the most beautiful place in Italy and also who is having some buying power is recognized as the target audience. The retired people who want to spend their life in a peaceful environment are also our target audience. The competition is some how not just present in Italy but it is present in the entire Europe but the difference appears in the price and the size of the living places where EuroFlorida is having an edge on the other competitors. Porter's Five Forces -Rivalry: The rivalry is automatically

Can technology replace classroom teachers Essay

Can technology replace classroom teachers - Essay Example With the use of technology, people can obtain information very easily. Social media allows people to stay in contact with each other virtually and exchange information. However, there are many people who believe that development of technology can destroy social life of people. Traditional classroom teachers are very important in the life of children as they are role model for children. Classroom teachers help students understand about a subject in detail. Textbooks and traditional blackboard education helps students understand and learn subjective matters in an appropriate manner. Teachers believe that modern schools install projectors in class room that makes education process simple and teachers need to work less however there are some students, who pay less attention and are unable to cope-up with the teachings. This essay will discuss about the positive and negative impacts of technology and discuss whether they are a threat to classroom teachings. According to the present education system, the influx of technology means that there would be a greater need for teachers. Technology has various positive implications in the society. It is believed that with the advancement of technology people will have a comfortable and safe life whereas some people dispute the fact and imagine growth of technology can lead to extinction of human life. In the modern classrooms, teachers are expected to use technology while teaching. Almost a decade back, classroom education was mandatory and students were taught about subjective facts via textbooks only. Teachers used blackboards to explain students about subjective knowledge. In the modern classrooms most of the knowledge providing equipment is digitalized. Usage of projector instead of blackboard is one of the most common examples that students experience while they are taught in classes (Clemmitt 14). Moreover, introduction of social media