Why Copying Your Competitions Content Marketing Doesnt Actually Work

What are my competitors writing about? Why did their new blog post get so many shares? What are they doing that we’re not? As a content marketer, it’s natural to be curious about your competition. However, copying their tactics in the hope of replicating their success is a common mistake among content marketers. Here, we’ll look at why imitation is a bad idea and explain what you should do instead. Free Actionable Bonus: Looking to elevate your content strategy? Get our our complete guide to creating a content strategy, plus a free content planning template and a list of 30+ places to distribute content Your Competitors Don’t Know What They’re Doing Okay, maybe not all the competition is totally clueless, but in terms of content marketing, many of them are as in the dark as you are. Some will also be copying their competitors, who are copying their competitors. So if you copy anyone, you could simply be copying an imitation of an imitation. According to research from the Content Marketing Institute, 63 percent of businesses don’t have a documented content marketing strategy. So if your competitors don’t have a real plan, how can their strategy have any relevance to your business? Tip: Don’t waste your limited resources on untested strategies. Instead, trust your own judgement. By developing your own ideas and analyzing the results of your own efforts, you’ll find out what actually works. And this approach is crucial to developing an authentic brand voice. Authenticity is the New Marketing Currency Modern consumers are tired of being lied to. To succeed as a business today, you need to be authentic. If you sound like every other brand, you’re unlikely to be remembered. In a Pardot report, 80 percent of people cite â€Å"authenticity of content† as the most influential factor in their decision to follow a brand. Tip: Whatever your niche, stay true to who you are; it’s the best way to stand out from the crowd. Think about what makes your brand unique. Tell personal stories and use testimonials to build trust. Be transparent and don’t be afraid to be different. Your Audience is Unique You may be in the same industry as a competitor, but your audience may prefer different types of content. Perhaps they respond more to short blog posts or love sharing visual content. Your competitors don’t know your audience like you do, so copying their style of content may not work. Tip: Deliver a variety of content formats and analyze the results. Get genuine feedback from your followers on social media. Ask your audience directly what content they prefer. Your Goals Are Unique Your competitors may be running a paid advertising campaign for a limited period. They may have gated content that’s only available to certain email subscribers. It’s virtually impossible to identify their content marketing successes, because you don’t have access to their analytics. Tip:Focus on what works for you.Start by defining your marketing goals. Do you want to build your email list, or drive website traffic? When you know your goals, you can measure the results and then form a content strategy that is built on past successes. You Don’t Have the Same Resources Even if a competitor’s content marketing tactics seem to be working for them, it’s probably because they have enough resources to make it work. Do you have the same amount of staff, the same access to software, and a vast marketing budget? According to Chris Von Wilpert, Sumo’s chief content strategist, they spend around $40,000 a month on writers, editing, and promotion. If you’re a small business, it’s unlikely you can replicate what they’re doing, even if you wanted to. Tip: You can only make the best use of the resources you have. However, building an effective content marketing team doesn’t have to break the bank. Hire quality writers that know your industry, and treat them well. When you offer competitive rates of pay, they’re more likely to produce high-quality content that can outshine the content of your biggest competitors. The Bottom Line: Don’t Imitate, Innovate It’s only natural to want to emulate the best, but copying your competition’s content marketing is ultimately a road to nowhere. Developing a content strategy to meet the needs of your own audience will be more effective in the long run and help to differentiate your business from the competition. In summary: Focus on what makes your brand unique. Find out what topics your audience cares about. Test different content formats. Hire the best writers and treat them well. Define your goals, define your target audience, and define what content success looks like. Track everything you do so you can discover what works and what doesn’t. Be consistent, and be patient. Successful content marketing is a long-term game. If you follow these suggestions, you can develop a content strategy that suits your unique business, doesn’t stretch your resources too far, and plays to the strengths of your team. This way, you’ll be more memorable and distinctive, and give your target audience a reason to believe in your brand. Do you need unique content for your business? Constant Content’s is a content creation service that connects you with thousands of talented freelance content writers.

7 You Know What I Meant Mistakes

7 You Know What I Meant Mistakes 7 â€Å"You Know What I Meant† Mistakes 7 â€Å"You Know What I Meant† Mistakes By Mark Nichol One can often stumble through a sentence that isn’t quite right and then backtrack to make sense of it and then, reasonably confident of its meaning, slog out again and continue on one’s way. Or one can waltz right through a sentence and keep right on dancing. Which technique do you prefer your readers to follow? (Hint: What would you, as a reader, rather do?) Don’t let â€Å"You know what I meant† be your byword for stringing trains of words together avoid these almost-right constructions. (Links to related posts follow each example.) 1. â€Å"The agency acquired the parcel in 1931, but at that time in the heart of the Great Depression public acquisition of the adjacent property was not feasible even though it grove was offered at a bargain price.† A sentence is allowed one em dash, which sets off one part of the sentence from another with a sudden break to indicate an abrupt change in direction or a surprising statement, or a pair of em dashes to serve as a more emphatic replacement for two commas or a brace of parentheses. If you find yourself with three em dashes, convert a singleton to a comma or use parenthetical alternatives for the pair; two’s company, but three’s a crowd: â€Å"The agency acquired the parcel in 1931, but at that time in the heart of the Great Depression public acquisition of the adjacent property was not feasible, even though the grove was offered at a bargain price.† (em dashes). 2. â€Å"Those who opt for military service would only serve as military police, truck drivers or in homeland-security posts.† In a list of items, use one preposition to serve the entire list, or pair each item up with its own preposition; opting for something in between violates the requirement of parallel structure. My revision makes â€Å"military police or truck drivers† a single compound list item. Note, too, the inversion of only and serve (and the resulting change of meaning): â€Å"Those who opt for military service would serve only as military police or truck drivers or in homeland-security posts.† (parallel list structure in a sentence) 3. â€Å"The film is less concerned with naval warfare than close-ups of the star’s face.† The lack of a parallel marker in the sentence makes the reader stumble, as if one has reached the top of a stairway before one expects to. (The statement appears to mean that the film is less concerned with naval warfare than close-ups of the star’s face are concerned about naval warfare, and the sentence should end with are no, wait, that’s not what it means.) The insertion of a second with to more clearly identify the juxtaposed parallel phrases â€Å"naval warfare† and â€Å"close-ups of the star’s face† guides the reader’s steps: â€Å"The film is less concerned with naval warfare than with close-ups of the star’s face.† (parallel phrase structure within a sentence) 4. â€Å"As an entrepreneur, name recognition is important and the new name is more recognizable.† The implication of this sentence is that name recognition is an entrepreneur. However, the intent is to communicate that the writer is an entrepreneur and that for that reason, it is important that the name of the person’s business stand out. To express this idea effectively, the introductory clause requires a personal pronoun; I have also inserted a comma before the beginning of the final clause to set it off more distinctly: â€Å"Because I am an entrepreneur, name recognition is important, and the new name is more recognizable.† (dangling modifier) 5. â€Å"The agency cites strong evidence linking a cold virus to the mysterious SARS that has killed seventeen people worldwide.† This sentence implies that more than one mysterious SARS exists, and the one in question is responsible for seventeen deaths. However, the writer is referring to the one and only SARS, which is mysterious and which has killed seventeen people. That reading is effected by the simple insertion of a comma and the change of the restrictive that to the nonrestrictive which: â€Å"The agency cites strong evidence linking a cold virus to the mysterious SARS, which has killed seventeen people worldwide.† (restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses) 6. â€Å"It would be something analogous to a YMCA (which stands for ‘Young Men’s Christian Association’).† This sentence indicates that a YMCA a building stands in for a spelled-out name. It is the initials, however, that substitute for the full name: â€Å"It would be something analogous to a YMCA (the initials of which stand for ‘Young Men’s Christian Association’).† (mistaking a name for an entity) 7. â€Å"Smith himself could not do the job because he had angered many supporters through his support of the reservoir project.† As (not) punctuated, this sentence implies that Smith could do the job, but not for the reason stated; another (unstated) reason explains his suitability. But what the writer means is that Smith could not do the job, and the dependent clause (the one beginning with because) explains why. A comma inserted before the clause clarifies that this latter interpretation is correct: â€Å"Smith himself could not do the job, because he had angered many supporters through his support of the reservoir project.† Better yet, invert the clauses, but trade the pronoun in the dependent clause for the person’s name: â€Å"Because Smith had angered many supporters through his support of the reservoir project, he himself could not do the job.† (punctuating before a dependent clause) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco Essay

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco - Essay Example Two senior executives were given the assignment to prepare for the changes, resulting in a plan labeled â€Å"Next Generation.† To generate a supply of potential leaders, technical professionals, and others, NOV had to broaden its recruiting process beyond the normal oil-based states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Miller also demanded that foreign candidates be considered, because of the expanding global oil market.   A specific focus of NOV recruiting efforts included foreign students at U.S. universities who had high English communication skills and other relevant capabilities. Up to 40 individuals at 10 universities were interviewed, and then the primary candidates went through two more interviews by NOV middle managers. Those candidates who â€Å"passed† this phase spent two days in Houston going through additional interviews and selection means. Finally, the individuals selected were offered jobs at NOV. This process has continued during the past several years.   Once the selected individuals go to work at NOV, they spend one year in job rotation, with four assignments of three months for each in different business areas. This rotation provides the individuals with a broader view of NOV and its operations. During the rotation, candidates participate in various efforts, including development programs and mentoring by various division managers.   A unique part of NOV’s talent management process is that after the individuals complete their one-year job rotation, they become â€Å"draft candidates.† Modeled after the NFL draft, each business unit identifies which individuals they want on their â€Å"team.† After completing the draft, individuals get jobs in the different business units.   NOV’s â€Å"Next Generation† program has been successful. The retention rate for the drafted candidates is over 90%, higher than normal in the industry.

Cars Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cars Safety - Essay Example Insurance companies sell their policies on the commitment towards "hassle-free claims". However, when approached in case of accidents, they take advantage of customers ignorance and get away with meager reimbursements. In that case a little knowledge and know-hows of insurance laws takes care of under-estimation of our loss in accidents. Most likely, the insurance company gives first party coverage, under which both properties are insured, and third party coverage, which covers other people and their property involved in car accidents with you. It is advisable to go through the policy papers thoroughly to understand the extent of cover-up of loss [1]. Regardless of your initial research, there will always be confusion and ignorance about certain rights, hence it is very important to follow the guidelines set by insurance firms (such as reporting to them about accident in a given set of time) and do some estimation of the loss incurred by you. This estimation will help get approximate picture of amount that should be covered by insurance company. Most people accept whatever the agents assert as the compensation money and do not give it a second thought. However, the insurance agents try to finalize the claim at a much less amount. Therefore, a prior working knowledge of insurance claims greatly helps towards the cause. And as a last minute advice, please do not give an autograph on any paper given by agents, without having complete account of what it means. Trust me; the signatures are not for a scrapbook entry. Be on the safer side, drive carefully. 2. Did you know that many car accidents are caused due to drivers playing with the radio while driving The next time you try doing multi-tasking while driving, keep the facts and statistics on car accident in mind: Every 12 minutes, one person dies because of a car accident. Every 14 seconds, a car accident results in an injured victim. So in order to ensure we are not the ones contributing towards such facts, it becomes important to follow some safety instructions that ensure safety of driver as well as the passengers travelling with driver. The driver is a responsible person since life of everyone sitting inside a car is in drivers hands. In every accident case, it comes to light that one or the other safety step was not taken/considered or even ignored in some extreme cases. Simple preventive measures like wearing seat belts, acknowledging speed limits and using horn/lights effectively go a long way in ensuring safe traveling experience. As an extreme step, car manufacturers should start installing features like computerized announcements to wear seat belts, the reason being the el evated extent of damage in accidents in which seat belt was not worn by drivers [2]. According to the car accident statistics released by the United States Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were almost 43,000 deaths in 2002 because of car accidents, and the car accident fatalities for the year 2003 stand at 42,643 [2]. Not using safety belts increased the likelihood of injury by 119 percent for young women, 164 percent for middle-aged women and 187 percent for older women [3]. The

Business based analysis of Nestle

Business based analysis of Nestle Nestle, the largest FMSG Company is working all over the world with more than 500 factories in 86 countries making up of most of the continents. Henri Nestle set up Nestle in Switzerland customers are provided with more than 500 products by Nestle. Nestle was entitled by Henri Nestle. The logo of the company consists of his family coat of arms, the nest with a mother bird protecting her young. The symbol of the company is associated with its care and attitude to lifelong nutrition. The Nestle nest bears the meaning of nourishment, security and sense of family that are important to life. Hr activities at Nestle Recruitment: The current report is that innumerable employees are engaged in Nestle,. Nestle hires most of the employees through a method. An opportunity of employment comes when some employees want to resign or there is an urgent need. But in case of these three situations the head of the department must have to obtain consent of the managing Director (MD). The Divisional Head fills up a Recruitment and Budgeted Form if the request is approved. Performance Appraisal: The corresponding manager or supervisor evaluate or Judge the Job performance of an employee by a method like performance appraisal, employee appraisal, and performance review or development discussion. The employees are given importance at their work place as the Nestle Company is absolutely dependent on the quality of its employees performance. The company pays incentives to its employees to encourage them to give better performance. Compensation Benefit: Compensation is a main thing of Nestle Real Rewards package, which forces the top performers to give their best. The philosophy of Nestle is to afford and keep up disciplined compensation programs that keep up a long term relationship with employees at the time of judging their performance. Nestle promise to offer compensation packages including base pay, short and long term incentives and benefits,. Nowadays they are competitive in market. P2. Objective of the Organization HRM The protection of its employees is Nestle first priority because employees are the asset of this company. To maintain the global corporate standard Nestle focuses on the need for safe working environments. Nestle has resolved to provide a safe working environment for all their employees, contractors and visitors and they are trying to implement Health and safety practices and programs at all working places objectives of the organization are We provide a safe work place to owe employees. We lessen risks of our employees and contractors and visitors and take care of their injury or illness. We meet all requirements like health, safety, legislative etc. We establish and monitor new purposes to decrease work related injury or illness. We develop an efficient injury management system which helps the affected employees return to work. We supply information, provide training to employees and contractors to make them aware of their roles and responsibilities in decreasing the risk of work place injury or illness. We are encouraged a safety and Health management from our suppliers and contractors. We discuss on Health and safety matters with employees and other stakeholders. Method of HRM at Nestle: The Nestle group in the area of interpersonal relations and its management style and the corporation values of those areas are stated by the Nestle. Their respect demands specific attitude that is worthy to be highlighted in the present policy. For taking any advice and decision Nestle depends on its employees. So Nestle has a Democratic Leadership Style. If the company is able to attract employees and develop its growth continually, they will easily achieve a long term success. This is a primary duty of all managers. The principle of the Nestle policy is to hire staff with personal attitude and professional skills because it will make them able to consolidate a long term relationship with the company. Hence the potential for professional advancement is an important standard for recruitment. So a clear communication of these principles and values are necessary for beginning the recruitment process. In Nestle people are dealt with respect and faith. There is not intolerance, harassment or discrimination in the management and this principle is applied and maintained at every stage and situation. Nestle management does not work in complexity and they are honest in behaving with customers and employees for excellent communication. The Nestle is improving continuously for their sincerity in work, dialogue and transparency. No effective delegation and improvement of knowledge are possible if all information is not conveyed to those who need to do their work properly. To communicate means not only to inform but to listen and to engage also in dialogue and all employees are given right to communicate with their superiors or co-workers. If there is any difference of opinion or any dispute between employee and the superiors the possibility must be offered for a fair hearing. The HR staff of Nestle will help to remove disharmony impartially and give them opportunity to express their opinion freely. P3. HRM Models The source approach to HRM gives importance on an employee to be resourceful who increases performance by using motivation, communication, leadership to increase commitment and loyalty. The soft model considers that if satisfaction is increased it will be the only way to go about in the management against various estimated methods possibly used in the hard model. Best Practices approach of HRM: The approach, inspired partly by Jeffrey Pfeffer (1998) is based on the idea of a set of best, universal HRM practices as per their situation that adopting them lead to superior organizational performances. Some of the best practices Pfeffer (1998) are employment security, selective hiring, self manager teams, High compensation contingent performances training to afford a skilled and motivated workforce, reduction of status differentials and sharing information. P4. THE OBJECTIVE OF HR/MANPOWER PLANNING: Manpower planning is done to balance and develop the organizations ability to meet its goal by developing Strategies that will contribute its optimum contribution of human resource. The line manager and staff manager take the responsibility of Manpower planning. The line management gives the estimate of manpower requirements and staff manager works on selection and recruitment related to line manager to whom man power is vital. Organizations HR Planning and development: What the employee requires can be understood by an effective mechanism called HR planning. HR planning can manage the changes in the organization like growing decrease in requirements of employees. HR planning implements new recruitment and hold skilled and efficient staff by understanding easily the needs of future Workforce Planning Workforce planning is a process which is designed to foretell what, when how much can bring about in talent management. It is an integrated and forward looking process. It provides action plans to the managers to work in a prescribed way. This process helps the managers to avoid or decrease problems of people to take advantage of talent opportunities and to develop the talent pipeline. It builds a competitive advantage over other firms. Goals of Workforce Planning: Workforce planning cuts down labor costs quickly and does not impact on productivity negatively. It makes the leaders and managers prepared for future openings. It fills up sudden vacancy immediately and keeps up a flexible contingent workforce. It moves talent proactively to increase the return on talent. It has target retention activities on talent. It has target retention activities on key talent. Man Power Planning: According to Steiner, manpower planning is a strategy for the acquisition, utilization, improvement and preservation of an enterprises human resources. It refers to setting up job specifications or the quantitative requirements of jobs determining the number of personnel required and improving sources of manpower. The diagnostic approach: Source: www.wikipedia.org This approach helps to understand why manpower problems cause. It is possible by using the combination of qualitative planning techniques and qualitative techniques. Manpower planning is mixed into the total process of management of the employment relationship by identifying the more complex factors. Organizational structure, job design and work practices can be damaged by the effect of the diagnostic approach. Links between strategy, structure and people can be made by Human Resource planning HRP Forms and develops the rationalized and diagnostic approaches to manpower planning. Training and development of Nestle: It must be admitted that the company culture has learning. All employees try to upgrade their skills and knowledge continuously. So employees are willing to learn to be recruited by Nestle. Training and development is done on-the-job. Every manager has a duty to guide and train employees for their progress. Formal training programs are arranged with purpose of improving pertinent skills and competencies. Besides, these programs perform individual development. As a result one cannot get reward by attending programs. Manager of Nestle measures progress which can be achieved by training programs. The purpose behind this is to motivate employees by providing attractive but realistic career that helps them develop their skills over a long-term period within the area of economic reality and a changing environment. The act of mentor is done by each manager for his employees. Formal assessment of Nestle is done once a year on a standard basis. It gives feedback on past performance and future potential. Other related aspects concerning a staff members performance are provided feedback. P5. Objective Evaluation of the Organization Human resource function has significance with the onset of global competition. Human resource managers and corporate planning managers think more strategically and step by step. How intense competition impacts upon employment stability can be addressed by them. Implementing cost savings policies regarding employment and thinking with executives on the process of supporting corporate activities are not the same things. To stop downside of global competition the human resource managers should be more active and recruit and keep up efficient workforce. Planning should be done from the very beginning to stop bloating of organization. Human resource managers should identify human resource strategies like flexible dynamic employees are attracted, selected and then trained and motivated to be more productive than the competition. Human resource managers are not administrators but strategic partners. None but they can act will to help top management particularly in a climate of economic uncertainty. Inspire of being Human Company Nestle has most of the above mentioned qualities seen in the managers of present time. The role of HR at Nestle is changing for certain factors. The HR managers at Nestle focus on following qualities along with professional skills and practical experience. The HR managers should develop and motivate employees by addressing the issues that help others to improve in their work and their ability. The managers should be curious and broadminded and interested in other culture and lifestyles including continuous learning and sharing knowledge and ideas freely with others. P6. Performance Management: The function of performance management is to ensure the fulfillment of goals in an effective and efficient manner. Moreover, it watches performance of organization and process of production, employees etc. Performance Management at Nestle: Line managers and HR assess formally once in a year and get feedback. Subordinate managers can interrogate for an unfair evaluation. The HR department has enlisted specific key performance indicators. Remuneration structure and promotion criteria consider individual performance. HR staff must help the management in elaborating training programs. Sufficient training programs are developed at the level of every working company that capitalizes on the availability of local regional or global resources of the group. Some training programs improve the language skills of the employees. These programs also try to consolidate corporate cohesion as well as to promote networking throughout the group. They develop and share best practices of the different management disciplines practiced in the group. E-learning programs are alternative to formal training programs. Competency profile mapping: Competencies are accumulated by totalizing success factors important for obtaining good results in a particular job or in a particular company at nestle. Success factors are made up of knowledge, skills and attributes that are stated in case of particular behaviors and are exhibited by efficient performers in those works. Attributes include personal characteristics, features, motives, values or ways of thinking affecting an individuals behavior. Competencies in organization can be divided into two categories- personal functioning competencies that include broad success factors untied to a specific work function or industry. These competencies often notice leadership or emotional intelligence behavior. Functional/Technical competencies involve specific success factors within a given work function at nestle. P7. Critical Analysis of HR PERFORMANCE The performance of an organization must be analyzed for the development. This analysis makes revaluation of existing strategy possible and easy to understand the faults so that organization can rectify them at once. Recruitment, training and development of employees caliber have been done with high standards. HR Management provides best working conditions with suitable growth opportunities. Employees must maintain rules and regulation of the country. HR Management keeps the record of the best performing employees and gives them opportunities for growth. This analysis proves the best performance standard of HR dept. in the present market. It is clear that Nestle emphasizes on personal achievement and the pay structure HR has planned for its employees and the company also mixes practices like Job Enrichment and Job enlargement, to motivate employees and to break the monotony of their Job tasks. An example of Job enlargement is the correspondent who acts both in sales and brand manageme nt department. Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs: In the year 1950 people accepted the theories of motivation by Maslow. These theories state the process of satisfying peoples requirements in the workplace. The theory explains that dissatisfaction can be created by unsatisfied needs. The hierarchy generally appears to be a pyramid with each level consisting of a certain class of needs. According to Maslow bottom needs of the pyramid are basic needs which are concerned with existence their needs must be met before a persons moving to the next level. Physiological needs: Food, shelter and clothing are the three elementary things essential for man to live on this earth. Only the workplace can satisfy these needs. Safety needs: These needs are concerned with physical survival. Some security needs are high standards of health and safety in the workplace. Job security absence of bullying sufficient rest period pension and sick schemes these needs are fulfilled at Sainsburys. Love and belonging: The work together in a group means to give and receive affection and friendship. The working part of a team, social Facilities and working friendship can satisfy the needs in the workplace. The employees at Sainsburys work together and feel part of a team. Self Esteem: In the workplace all the members should respect each other and feel valued. They should have confidence and self respect. Businesses can offer rewards for achievement or promotion. Self Actualization: All people are offered training challenges and opportunities to develop each individual needs. They should achieve their full potential. Performance related pay (PRP) Performance related pay in an extra payment system added to the base pay. The employees get this payment according to the standard of their performance. Besides, this payment is given to a company after considering how it is performing in financial context. Some forms of PRP are strategic pay, flexible pay, and variable pay. Strategic pay is a pay design process starting with business strategy and organizational design. It disputes against an assumption that certain best practices must be mixed with a companys approach to pay. (Lawler 1995) Flexible pay is that kind of payment system where the pay of the employee is tied to the market situation. In this system the pay of an employee depends on customer satisfaction, customer retention and repeat revenue. The employees will be paid according to their skills and experience rather than job based. This will deploy employees to any projects where their particular skill is required. Variable pay is offered to the employees with financial incentives after they whom their favorable behavior to the business strategy of a company. Heery (1996) recommended importantly that the proportion of pay which is contingent on performance should go up as a proportion of total remuneration. Suggestion for Nestle Communication strategy: There must be an effective communication strategy in Nestle and the employees should be educated and trained about the changes occurring in the organization. Through open to use meetings and bulletins can help to do this. Effective Training and Development: Training and development play a huge role in the practices followed by Nestle. It is an inseparable part of the corporate strategies. In house, trainers conduct most of the training programs. External trainers are required for some specialized training programs., All the employee get the scope of going abroad for training and having an idea of global markets. Entrepreneurship strategy: Every employee should be an entrepreneur who can think ideas independently and realize them by using existing resources and support of the organization to build new kind of product and service. Recruit purposefully: The reason of the expected global shortage of workers is that the baby boomers are choosing to act for short time as their retirement savings have been decreased. If the market comes back fully there can be a mass exodus as the boomers leave the workforce. Company making severe staffing cuts and do not keep their HR people connected to potential hires will be caught severely short staffed. Now savvy companies can hire talented people who have been downsized by other organizations. High HR operation cost should be reduced. The decision making process could be enhanced by leverage of real time information for HR decisions.

Chapter 5 Homework

Jazzlynn Ben Chapter 5 Problems Dr. Ennis 5. 1. You were asked to investigate extremely high, unexplained merchandise shortages at a department store chain. You found the following: a. The receiving department supervisor owns and operates a boutique carrying many of the same labels as the chain store. The general manager is unaware of the ownership interest. — It is a red flag warning so it is a fraud because there is a conflict of interest situation which should have alerted the auditor to the possibility of fraud. b.The receiving supervisor signs receiving reports showing that the total quantity shipped by a supplier was received and then diverts 5% to 10% of each shipment to the boutique. –There is a false representation so this is a fraudulent act. c. The store is unaware of the short shipments because the receiving report accompanying the merchandise to the sales areas shows that everything was received. –There is intent to deceive as indicated by the effort s to conceal the act so this is also a fraudulent act by the supervisor of receiving. It is not due to an act by the buyers. d.Accounts Payable paid vendors for the total quantity shown on the receiving report. –It is unrelated to the investigation so this is a weakness in the system of internal control. e. Based on the receiving department supervisor’s instructions, quantities on the receiving reports were not counted by sales personnel. –The receiving supervisor is advocating a system of a weak internal control so this is an indicator of fraud. Required Classify each of the five situations as a fraudulent act, a fraud symptom, an internal control weakness, or an event unrelated to the investigation.Justify your answers. 5. 2. A client heard through its hot line that John, the purchases journal clerk, periodically enters fictitious acquisitions. After John creates a fictitious purchase, he notifies Alice, the accounts payable ledger clerk, so she can enter them in her ledger. When the payables are processed, the payment is mailed to the nonexistent supplier’s address, a post office box rented by John. John deposits the check in an account he opened in the nonexistent supplier’s name. Required a. Define fraud, fraud deterrence, fraud detection, and fraud investigation. Fraud- Any and all means a person uses to gain an unfair advantage over another person. †¢ Fraud Deterrence- Actions that are taken to discourage the perpetration of fraud. †¢ Fraud Detection- Identifying the indicators of fraud sufficient to warrant recommending an investigation †¢ Fraud investigation- Performing the extended procedures needed to determine whether fraud has occurred, as suggested by the indicators. b. List four personal (as opposed to organizational) fraud symptoms, or red flags, that indicate the possibility of fraud.Do not confine your answer to this example. o High personal debts or great financial losses o Bragging about exp loits o Collectors and creditors appearing at the place of the business o Strong desire to beat the business c. List two procedures you could follow to uncover John’s fraudulent behavior. 1) Trace all of the payments back to the supporting documentation. No record of the receipt of the goods would be listed in the receiving department, as well as the purchasing department. 2) Inspect the documentation supporting the release of a check to a vendor. . 6. An auditor found that Rent-A-Wreck management does not always comply with its stated policy that sealed bids be used to sell obsolete cars. Records indicated that several vehicles with recent major repairs were sold at negotiated prices. Management vigorously assured the auditor that performing limited repairs and negotiating with knowledgeable buyers resulted in better sales prices than the sealed-bid procedures. Further investigation revealed that the vehicles were sold to employees at prices well below Market value. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3Three managers and five other employees pleaded guilty to criminal charges and made restitution. Required a. List the fraud symptoms that should have aroused the auditor’s suspicion. ? Management’s justification for departing from established policy. ? Departure from the established policy of requiring sealed bids to dispose of vehicles being salvaged. ? Vehicles, in fact, have been repaired before they were sold for salvage. b. What audit procedures would show that fraud had in fact occurred? ? Review thoroughly of sales documentation, identifying persons to whom sales were made at â€Å"negotiated prices. ? Evaluate the adequacy of proceeds obtained in negotiated sales. ? Review maintenance records for charges associated with salvaged vehicles. Case 5-1 1. How does Miller fit the profile of the average fraud perpetrator? How does he differ? How did these characteristics make him difficult to detect? 2. Explain the thr ee elements of the opportunity triangle (commit, conceal, convert), and discuss how Miller accomplished each when embezzling funds from Associated Communications. What specific concealment techniques did Miller use? 3.What pressures motivated Miller to embezzle? How did Miller rationalize his actions? 4. Miller had a framed T-shirt in his office that said, â€Å"He who dies with the most toys wins. † What does this tell you about Miller? What lifestyle red flags could have tipped off the company to the possibility of fraud? 5. Why do companies hesitate to prosecute white-collar criminals? What are the consequences of not prosecuting? How could law enforcement officials encourage more prosecution? 6. What could the victimized companies have done to prevent Miller’s embezzlement?

The “Boundaryless” Career

The â€Å"Boundaryless† career serves as the status quo for 21st century career literature. (Dany,Francoise 2011) Based on the development of information and technology, researchers see the requirement to develop a more useful employment model for the â€Å"new organization era†.Contrasting with the previous career concept, now workers are more independent and more responsible for their own future. Although the definitions of the â€Å"Boundaryless† concept seek to explain modern career concepts, some researchers do criticize the theory as being difficult to operationalize (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) due to its ambiguity, and multiple definitions. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)In this paper I will critically analyze the theory of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and some of its criticisms, and at the same time attempt to cross reference the essay along with my own career development plans. Today labor market changed greatly and careers are becoming more complex and uncertai n. (Walton, P.304)The strengthening economics, forces organization to become more flexible with employment policy while the definition of career slowly changes to a lifelong learning process (Arnold, John1997), and the concept of the traditional job or job security are becoming obsolete. (Arthur&Rosseau,1994 Sommerland,Julie2007) Career can be understood differently by people from different back ground, culture or country.For those differences, still most individuals share a similar drive for a career. At any point in life we associate with career, example my education aim to master in business management studies is part my career. For an established definition, career is a sequence of work experiences over time-unfold (Arthur, Rousseau P.3).The notion of career offers a vantage point from which to understand the evolution of relationship between organization structure and strategy, as well as the relationship between individual and his/her behavior. (Inkson,Kerr 2012) Career can al so be described in two different ways.The subjective career or the psychological dimension and the objective career or also can be understand as the physical dimension of career. (Arthur,MB 2005) Since I started my career my focus is to work in an environment that I am comfortable to learn and continually seeking for new challenges.In the 21st century â€Å"new career† theory, these two aspects act as an important factor for worker’s decision about their own career. (Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) Most my transition between companies I made  were made to get closer to my career objective and in the same time being able keep my life style as much as possible, which really help me to balance out my physical and psychological demand for my career path.The â€Å"new career† literature has become a hot topic for researchers, and two concepts particularly grab the attention. The two modern career concepts are â€Å"Boundaryless† career and â€Å"Protean† career. Protean theory focus on achieving subjective success through self-directed vocational behavior while â€Å"Boundaryless† focuses on crossing both objective and subjective dimension of career at multiple levels of analysis including organizational position, mobility, flexibility, the work environment. (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006, Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) As the present backdrop, â€Å"Boundaryless† career became an uncontroversial description of the way things are. (Arnold,John 2011)In 2011, â€Å"Boundaryless† career is one of the leading â€Å"new career† theories, in terms of published scholarly articles. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) Although, according to some recent research and criticism, scholars emphasized physical mobility across organizational boundaries at the cost of neglecting psychological mobility and its relationship to physical relationship. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) That is simply because Physical mobility is easier to measure than psychologic al mobility.However, despite the assumption of increasing mobility across organizations boundaries have rarely been analyzed in the career literature (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010). Contrary to much of the rhetoric mobility between employers has not been increasing during the 1990s and 2000s. (Arnold,John 2011)Evidence from several countries suggests that most people still have long term employment setting and significant increase in mobility across organization boundaries (Inkson,2012) also in patterns of career mobility in the U.S.A and that key workers can still count on organizations for their career (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010)The evidence also suggest that the type of career mobility commonly associated with â€Å"Boundaryless† has been present in the U.S.A and other countries in period considered to be dominated by hierarchical careers with organization. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) From evidences and my own experience, I am certain that modern day worker still do seek for a secure job and a traditional like culture for the future.Other criticisms found on Arthur and Rousseau’s â€Å"Boundaryless†Ã‚  career as being problematic (Arnold,John 2011, Rodrigues 2010) as well as inaccurate labeling, loose definition, over emphasis on personal agency, normalization of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and poor empirical support for the claim dominance of â€Å"Boundarlyless† career. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)My experience during the economic recession, many people including myself needed to be mobile and act for own interest to get the best opportunity out in the competitive market. Then again in normal economic situation it seems to underestimates the degree of stability and the desire for stability in industry and employment.In conclusion as the new social contract between employers and employees seems to be propelled by the globalization process and by rapidly improving information technology (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006). Research and theory on â€Å"Boundaryless† career has been responsive to changes in the economic and organizational context of the past 25 years (Inkson,Kerr 2012)The author argues for the need for a new career concept to grab the suitable policies for the modern workers who are changing in technologies and security disorder caused by the dynamic change. (Arthur&Rousseau P.4) Criticism suggest that the â€Å"Boundaryless† career offers confusion and ambiguity regarding whether the concepts provide description of how career are these days, especially concerning which particular boundaries are crossed.