How technology advancements impact our lives we live and businesses we do:

1. Provide a comparative - disadvantages and advantages - of in-person and on-line modes of learning and academic progress.

2. For businesses, how Corona Pandemic has fast-forwarded the evolution to adopt to virtual/online business models to cater to increasing demands of their customers.

How might the barriers / lack of managerial skills relate to / impact on the managerial roles? Discuss

Managerial skills are as follows: Managerial skills In addition to fulfilling numerous roles, managers also need a number of specific skills if they are to succeed.

The most fundamental management skills are :

Technical, interpersonal, conceptual, diagnostic, communication, decision-making, and time-management skills

MANAGERIAL ROLES

Henry Mintzberg offers a number of interesting insights into the nature of managerial roles.12 He closely observed the day-to-day activities of a group of CEOs by literally following them around and taking notes on what they did. From his observations, Mintzberg concluded that managers play ten different roles, as summarized in Table 1.2, and that these roles fall into three basic categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional.
Interpersonal Roles There are three interpersonal roles inherent in the manager’s job. First, the manager is often expected to serve as a figurehead—taking visitors to dinner, attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and the like. These activities are typically more ceremonial and symbolic than substantive. The manager is also expected to serve as a leader—hiring, training, and motivating employees. A manager who formally or informally shows subordinates how to do things and how to perform under pressure is leading. Finally, managers can have a liaison role. This role often involves serving as a coordinator or link among people, groups, or organizations. For example, companies in the computer industry may use liaisons to keep other companies informed about their plans. This enables Microsoft, for example, to create software for interfacing with new Hewlett-Packard printers at the same time those printers are being developed. And, at the same time, managers at Hewlett-Packard can incorporate new Microsoft features into the printers they introduce.
Informational Roles The three informational roles flow naturally from the interpersonal roles just discussed. The process of carrying out the interpersonal roles places the manager at a strategic point to gather and disseminate information. The first informational role is that of monitor, one who actively seeks information that may be of value. The manager questions subordinates, is receptive to unsolicited information, and attempts to be as well informed as possible. The manager is also a disseminator of information, transmitting relevant information back to others in the workplace. When the roles of monitor and disseminator are viewed together, the manager emerges as a vital link in the organization’s chain of communication. The third informational role focuses on external communication. The spokesperson formally relays information to people outside the unit or outside the organization. For example, a plant manager at Union Carbide may transmit information to top-level managers so that they will be better informed about the plant’s activities. The manager may also represent the organization before a chamber of commerce or consumer group. Although the roles of spokesperson and figurehead are similar, there is one basic difference between them. When a manager acts as a figurehead, the manager’s presence as a symbol of the organization is what is of interest. In the spokesperson role, however, the manager carries information and communicates it to others in a formal sense.
Decisional Roles The manager’s informational roles typically lead to the decisional roles. The information acquired by the manager as a result of performing the informational roles has a major bearing on important decisions that he or she makes. Mintzberg identified four decisional roles. First, the manager has the role of entrepreneur, the voluntary initiator of change. A manager at 3M Company developed the idea for the Post-it note pad but had to “sell” it to other skeptical managers inside the company. A second decisional role is initiated not by the manager but by some other individual or group. The manager responds to her role as disturbance handler by handling such problems as strikes, copyright infringements, or problems in public relations or corporate image. The third decisional role is that of resource allocator. As resource allocator, the manager decides how resources are distributed and with whom he or she will work most closely. For example, a manager typically allocates the funds in the unit’s operating budget among the unit’s members and projects. A fourth decisional role is that of negotiator. In this role the manager enters into negotiations with other groups or organizations as a representative of the company. For example, managers may negotiate a union contract, an agreement with a consultant, or a long-term relationship with a supplier. Negotiations may also be internal to the organization. The manager may, for instance, mediate a dispute between two subordinates or negotiate with another department for additional support.

Category Role Sample Activities
Interpersonal Figurehead Attending ribbon-cutting ceremony for new plant

   Leader Encouraging employees to improve productivity
   Liaison Coordinating activities of two project groups

Informational Monitor Scanning industry reports to stay abreast of developments

   Disseminator Sending memos outlining new organizational initiatives
Spokesperson Making a speech to discuss growth plans

Decisional Entrepreneur Developing new ideas for innovation

Disturbance handler Resolving conflict between two subordinates
Resource allocator Reviewing and revising budget requests
Negotiator Reaching agreement with a key supplier or labor union

Abby Saavedra works in Thorton Corporation Manila a media empire with more than 45,000
employees worldwide operating in more than a hundred countries. The company provides critical
information to business and professionals on financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific,
healthcare and media markets which are keys to quality decision making. For faster, efficient, timely
delivery of services to its clients, Thorton Corporation uses the latest technologies in information
and communication.
In Manila, majority of its more than 1,500 employees are millennials. They provide knowledge-based
support for content, customer and consulting services to clients around the world. Its employees
have strong backgrounds in banking and finance, economics, accounting, business, media,
communications, law, marketing and some of them possess multi-language proficiency.
One fine day, Abby was looking forward to her day in the office. While on her way to work, she
already had her day planned, nothing new or unusual or so she thought. Just a few hours in the
office, Abby was called by her immediate boss. As she made her way to the office of her boss, she
was wondering what additional work will be assigned to her. But she was wrong. Abby was called for
a different reason.
Days ago, Abby had a problem meeting the deadline for a book which they need to send to their
publisher. They were running after the production time which was critical for the book to be
published as scheduled. She attributed the delay to unclear instructions from Joy who is her US
counterpart. Considering that the problem does not only involve their team but will also affect
manufacturing, she decided to inform her immediate boss about it. In turn, her boss informed the
manager in the US who is his counterpart.
In the US, Joy was called by her boss to be clarified on the matter. However, she obviously did not
like what Abby did. She did not take it lightly as she felt offended. Joy believed that Abby should
have talked to her first and not bring the issue to her boss. Joy’s reaction reached Abby through her
boss.
During the discussion, Joy told Abby that she should have clarified matters with her only as the
problem can still be threshed out at their level. Abby explained that as it is their practice, she also
sent an email to her to inform her what happened but at the same time she also told her manager
about it. She said that it is common practice in their team to let their boss know whatever work-
related problems they have so that he will be able to address and solve them together with his US
counterpart.
According to Abby, her decision to tell her boss was perceived by Joy as kind of complaining. Abby’s
understanding is that it seems that in the US, employees do not usually escalate problems to their
boss as they settle the matter by themselves first. But in their office, she said that the norm is to
inform the managers because it is their job to solve problems within the team. Abby said that it was never her intention to put Joy in a bad light. She was just concerned with the production deadline so
she deemed it necessary to inform her boss which she didn’t know would bring the matter to his US
counterpart in the first place. She also believed that what she did was nothing unusual as it was for
her the normal thing to do.
Because of this incident, Abby realized how culture can serve as a major barrier in effective
communication. To better understand what happened, she also checked a tool in their office called
culture calculator. Based on the tool, Abby learned how different cultures work. She found that
Americans are egalitarian at work while Filipinos are hierarchical. The different ways of working
based on one’s culture explains the behaviour of both Joy and Abby. Moreover, Abby also realized
that sometimes email is not enough to fully convey one’s message as there are no emotions to it.
She said that when she finally had a teleconference with Joy, everything was settled as their face-to-
face interaction cleared her of any ill motive. According to Abby, her sincerity as shown in her facial
expression and her manner of speaking were keys to being able to fully impart her intentions. Lastly,
since then, whenever she tells her boss of any issue or concern at the office, she would ask him not
to tell his US counterpart for the meantime. *This case is based on actual events, but the institution’s
name and some of its characteristics have been changed.

Discussion Questions
1) Was Abby right in informing her immediate boss about the problem she had?
2) In this case, how does culture affect the reaction of both Abby and Joy?
3) How do communication technologies affect behaviour?
4) What is the role of communication in ensuring smooth interpersonal relations at work?
5) Cultural differences in communication is difficult to deal with in a global organisation. What
should organisations do to lessen if not avoid conflict that will arise from it?

Prepare a technical report based on Alibaba Group

Report should follow the given structure:

Chapter 1 – Introduction of Alibaba Organization (Focus on Strategic Evaluation, Business Ethics and Global Issues)
Chapter 2 – a. Analyze the difficulties in strategic evaluation of Alibaba
b. Examine the reasons for Alibaba organizations to ‘go green
c. Compare the advantages & disadvantages of international operations of Alibaba
Chapter 3 – Conclusion and Recommendations (Focus on Strategic Evaluation, Business Ethics and Global Issues)

Risk Event	Likelihood	Impact	Detection Difficulty	When
Wedding invitations	2	4	1	1 month prior to wedding
Wedding cake get damaged during transportation	2	4	3	Driving form the bakery to the ceremony
Bridemaids dresses comes late	3	5	1	During the wedding ceremony
Bad weather	3	4	4	On the day of the wedding
undertake the risk assessment of the identified risk using the table provided

Describe the problems to be encountered in a legal proceeding because of incomplete or non-existent employment documentation.

In what ways can a manager’s personal anecdotal note files exert a negative influence in a legal proceeding?

Many of Australia's largest and most successful superannuation funds have significant investments in coal production and in other polluting industries. These funds are now coming under sustained pressure through both traditional and social media for supporting these polluting industries. Here is a great example of one such campaign. The funds often reply that they are required to provide the best possible return on fund member investments and are not in the business of passing judgements on the worthiness of one industry over another.

Even allowing that the narrow view of corporate social responsibility justifies the investment perspectives of the superannuation funds, those same fund managers are quite prepared to pull investments out of other industries, such as tobacco, if community standards demand that they do so. So who is right? As usual there is no simple answer. However, you should be able to assess both sides of the argument and come to your own conclusion. Therefore, to give you practice in this vital skill, this assignment will require that you research and report on the CSR issues at hand for UniSuper. This page will be of particular interest, where UniSuper sets out its investment strategies for sustainability.

What you have to do

1. Research and report on UniSuper and its importance in the Australian superannuation industry.
2. Review and report on UniSuper's investment strategies concerning corporate social responsibility. Do this using both:
   1. The narrow view of corporate social responsibility, and
   2. The broad view of corporate social responsibility. Make sure that you provide a brief overview of what each of these views mean.
3. Conclude your report with a recommendation for UniSuper management, where you either confirm their approach or whether you recommend another. Make sure that you base your recommendation on your research.

Discuss the global and international challenges facing firms and why this is a strategic issue.

A good example of “level-of-effort (LOE)” is

a)budget forecast

b)budget control

c)contract management

d) cost analysis

Describe the nature and role of internal assessment in strategy formulation.

MY QUESTION IS SUMMARIZE ACCURATELY PLEASE AVOID SUMMARIZING TOOL,

Analyzing your industry

In every industry, no matter what product or service it provides, there are five basic forces of competition. Taken together they determine the industry's attractiveness and its long-term profitability.

First, and maybe most obvious, is the character of the rivalry among the competitors. Competition can be gentlemanly and subdued, or it can be vicious and warlike. If competition in your industry is like a guerrilla war, if someone is always attacking your position, that makes the industry less attractive and less profitable. If the competition is more focused on image and service than on price cutting, the whole industry will be more profitable.

Then there is the threat of new entrants. If it is easy for someone else to get into the business, to add new capacity and erode prices, that too will cut into profits. But if there are effective barriers to entry, all the companies in the business will do better.

Another factor: the threat of substitute products or services. Whatever your business does, customers nearly always have other ways of satisfying their needs. If you make aluminum windows, you have to worry about makers of vinyl windows. If you are a traditional full-service stockbroker, you have to worry about discount brokers. If customers have plenty of alternatives to choose from, that too will eat into your profitability.

Then too, your profits may be constrained by suppliers, on the one hand, or by customers, on the other.

The bargaining power of suppliers determines how much they can force up the price of what you have to buy. If you are buying mostly commodities and can switch suppliers easily, they will not have much leverage. But if you are dependent on specialty suppliers or on one or two dominant vendors, you will have to pay whatever they ask.

The bargaining power of buyers similarly determines how much leeway you have in your own pricing. If your customers are a lot more powerful than you, they may beat you down on price, force you to provide many free services, or make you hold inventory and thus bear cost and risk. That can drive the return right out of your business.

The fundamental profit potential in any industry is determined by the balance of those five forces. At one end of the spectrum is an enormously attractive industry such as pharmaceuticals. It is hard for new companies to get into this business. The product -- effective therapeutic drugs -- has no real substitute. Most of the raw materials are commodities, so the suppliers are unimportant. Customers historically have not exercised much bargaining power -- indeed, they have been willing to pay top dollar for anything that made patients feel better. Finally, the rivalry has been extremely gentlemanly. Nobody competes on price, because every company knows it does not have to. That is why major pharmaceutical companies make a 20% return on investment every year.

At the other end of the spectrum is a business such as aluminum-window manufacturing. It is an industry that new competitors can easily enter. There are plenty of substitute products, such as wood and plastic windows. The suppliers are giant aluminum companies with a great deal of clout; the buyers are likely to be big retail or wholesale chains that beat up companies on price. And the rivalry is cutthroat because everyone is always trying to shave a little on price to cover overhead. If the pharmaceutical business gets five stars as an industry, aluminum windows gets zero. If you make a 10% return in any year, you're a hero.

To be sure, those are extreme cases. But your industry fits somewhere; it has a structure, and you can analyze it in terms of the five forces.

Reshaping your industry

If this were the end of the story, it would be a bit depressing: your success would depend on how well you had chosen your industry. But the story does not end here. In fact, the real insight for strategy is that industry structure can be changed. You, by the way you choose to compete, can influence every one of the five forces.

Some companies, for example, get around customers' bargaining power by giving them computer terminals and letting them order directly on-line. Suddenly, it's harder for the customer to order from another supplier. Similarly, companies can raise barriers to entry. A manufacturer might forge exclusive relationships with its retailers, preventing them from taking on competing lines. A company could offer speedier delivery to its customers, requiring more inventory and overhead, which would-be competitors would be hard-pressed to match. The point here is simple: if you think strategically, you can influence the structure of your industry in a positive way.

Once in a great while companies can effectively reshape an entire industry. American Airlines has done it, for example, in air transportation. After deregulation, air travel was a pretty unattractive business. It was easy to get into -- all you needed was a couple of planes, which could be heavily financed. Buyers had a lot of bargaining power because they viewed airline seats as commodities. And the rivalry was cutthroat. Airlines had high fixed costs and would do anything to fill their empty seats. So there were massive price wars, and the industry as a whole lost money.

American effectively changed the industry's structure. The company introduced a computer reservations system that cost more than $1 billion. Pretty soon anyone who wanted to be a serious competitor needed such a system -- and suddenly an upstart airline with a few planes could not play the game the same way anymore. American also aggressively pursued the hub-and-spoke concept, meaning that it had dozens of flights going in and out of one city. Now would-be competitors needed 10 or 20 flights going to a city, not just 2 or 3. And American set up the first frequent-flyer program. Even though it was quickly imitated, the program created brand loyalty, giving customers a big incentive to stick with the airline they flew on most. Taken together, those moves fundamentally changed the airline business. Except during the Gulf crisis and its aftermath, the industry's profitability has soared, and American has done better than most.

Positioning strategically

Most small companies, of course, cannot change an industry's structure. What they can do, however, is establish a good position in the industry -- a position based on sustainable competitive advantage.

What constitutes a competitive advantage? Well, advantage comes in only two basic varieties. You can have consistently lower costs than your rivals. As long as your product maintains an acceptable quality level, that will lead to higher margins. Alternatively, you can differentiate your product or service from your competitors', in effect making yourself unique at delivering something your customers think is important. That allows you to command a premium price. And provided you keep your costs under control, the premium price will translate into a superior return.

There is one other crucial variable in strategic positioning: what I call competitive scope. Some companies seek advantage in what might be called a broad scope: they serve more or less all types of customers in an industry, offering a wide product line and operating in many geographic areas. Companies with a narrow scope, alternatively, focus on a narrow range of customers or product varieties, or in one geographic region, and dedicate all their efforts to that one small niche or market segment.

These crucial choices in strategy lead to some different combinations, depending on the breadth of the target and the type of advantage sought. In cars, for example, Toyota is the broad, low-cost competitor, BMW and Mercedes-Benz the differentiators in the premium segment, and Hyundai the low-cost player in the price-sensitive segment.

There is room for several successful strategies, as long as each company makes a different choice from its rivals'. The worst error, however, is not to choose, to try a little bit of everything and therefore not have any advantage at all. That is what I call ``stuck in the middle.'' It does not work, because all good strategies involve trade-offs. You cannot be both low cost and differentiated at the same time, because being unique at quality or service usually involves higher costs. A sustainable competitive advantage comes from choosing an appropriate strategy and appropriate scope. For small companies, the operable choice is normally what is known as focus: narrowing the strategic target and dedicating every action to serving that target. Take the hotel business as an example. Nationally, it is dominated by big, full-service chains -- Marriott, Hilton, and so on. Each of them seems to offer everything a traveler could want: Comfortable accommodations. Bars, restaurants, room service. Meeting rooms, suites, health clubs, game rooms for the kids. You might think an upstart company would have no chance of finding, let alone defending, a profitable niche in the industry.

How, then, to explain the success of La Quinta Motor Inns, a company that grew from $61.8 million in 1980 revenues to $226.5 million in 1990?

La Quinta's success lies in strategy: in narrowing its target to the regular, middle-level business customer, the kind of traveler who visits a city over and over, and who does not have an unlimited expense account at his or her disposal.

What do those particular customers want? Mostly, a nice, comfortable room to sleep in. They do not want suites -- they cannot afford them. They do not want a lounge -- if they are going to drink, they know the city and have a car; they will go out. They do not even need a restaurant. La Quintas are always built next door to a Denny's or a Howard Johnson's, something open 24 hours a day, so guests can go get breakfast anytime.

The list goes on. Meeting rooms? No need. Room service? Too expensive. Recreation facilities? No time. Transportation? Already have it.

By not providing all those extras -- extras the La Quinta customer does not want anyway -- the hotel chain is able to lower dramatically the cost of providing a room. So even if it sells the rooms for $38 a night, as compared with $80 or $100 or even $120 at a Marriott, it can make a lot of money. That is focus.

Note one thing, however: if the typical hotel customer wandered into a La Quinta, there would be a lot of dissatisfaction. Room service? ``Sorry, we don't have it.'' How about a playground for the kids? ``Sorry.'' A good focused strategy inevitably makes many customers unhappy. But it is going to make a certain group of customers very, very happy, and that is the logic. You target all your efforts on those customers, and you achieve either lower costs or uniqueness in meeting their needs.

Write an essay on '' How students spend reasonably and economically for their future''.

The essay must not exceed 2,000 Characters in length.

What are some benefits of using a computer program to plan a project? Do we still need to know the basics of planning when there are so many programs available?