Idealistic Politics Essay

â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles,† said Karl Marx, who is considered to be one of the world’s most seminal thinkers. Marx categorized these classes in two broad categories; the bourgeoisie versus the proletariats, the upper class opposed to the lower class and the caste that have access to the factors of production against everybody else who are compelled to sell their labor. In political terms the bourgeois were the â€Å"†¦committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie† (Marx, 20) and in order to reduce any friction, tension or resistance towards their supremacy they then laid down a set of ideals and values for all classes and citizens. The ultimate goal of having a monotonous set of principles was to disintegrate existing ideals and values by instigating the proletariats to fully accept the bourgeois’ set of principles by suspending their own. History, however, has yet to see such an outcome where the bourgeois triumph in instigating such circumstances successfully. What occurs in such circumstances instead is a conflict due to inconsistency that occurs between the dogmas of both classes; whereby the reality based ideals of the proletariats clashes with the idealistic values of the bourgeoisie. These conflicts in turn affect the political ideologies and actions since the politics is the arena where the battle of principles occurs, primarily due to two reasons. The first being that these conflicts will not surface in the first place except in the political arena due to the austere nature and secondly the outcomes will not be accepted unless at a level were they are made public and irreversible. Evidence of these conflicts exists in our texts and films, however in differing contexts. In Antigone, Creon represents the bourgeoisie and Antigone the proletariats; in A Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences the arts and sciences were the corrupting vales instigated by the intellectuals whilst the savage being was the unlearned and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve proletariat, and finally in Marx’s Communist Manifesto where the distinctions are extremely clear among the two classes. In the course of my paper I wish to examine the strength and weakness of each of these ideal societies and their implications to political ideology and action. The values of Karl Marx’s idealist communist society â€Å"may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property† (Marx, 34). He believed that once private ownership was abolished people would change, and this would finally end the history of all class struggles. Communism to Marx was an extension or a purer form of socialism, whereby the people owned everything and everybody worked for the system, hence no form of personal interests was vested in the system. This assumption was made by placing a gamble on human behavior, probably the most unpredictable factor to place any form of wager on. Marx was assuming that among a whole class of people â€Å"no interests [were] separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole† (Marx, 33). The society that Marx visualized was one where all the citizens desired only the interests of the society by not desiring to satisfy their personal interests. History, however, does not have a basis for pure communism where a group of people have ceased to exist without any possessions and have lived only by the idea; the closest analogy one could give would be of hunter-gatherer societies. These societies, however, existed during the prehistoric times where human attitudes and behaviours were not being constantly reshaped by the changing economic systems in which people find themselves nowadays, which Marx himself mentions as there being no such thing as fixed â€Å"human nature.† Therefore, communism could never work because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative. Moreover, the possibility for revolution to occur where the bourgeoisie were to come down in their social status to the level of the proletariats and the proletariats rise to eminence of the bourgeoisies could only occur if human nature were to be dismantled, self memories be wiped out and in other words for the revolution to occur successfully in needs to be self induced. Marx in an indirect manner implies how one’s self worth has decreased with the current system when he discusses the dynamics of wage labour and whether it creates property for the laborer. He states that the system is self-defeating for the laborers, â€Å"which cannot increase except upon condition of begetting a new supply of wage-laborer for fresh exploitation† (Marx 34). If we were to refer back to the analogy hunter-gatherer societies the fruits of one’s labour were immediate; when an individual hunted his reward was immediate and did not wait for his fruits or â€Å"live only in so far as the interest of the ruling class requires it† (Marx. 35). In short man’s worth and dignity has been demoralized and â€Å"every individual has been converted in paid wage laborers†¦and has reduced†¦relations[s] to a mere money relations† (Marx, 21). Individuals were not bounded by the â€Å"social status† hunter-gatherer since everyone shared and everyone knew their worth. The advantage of this system is that it does not create any room for friction to occur because it does not include the idea of individuals desiring to wish to control the environment or vest any personal interests into the system. This can primarily be attributed to the value the system advocates of not wishing to differentiate people under any circumstances; the system does not know race, ethnicity and differences of age and sex no longer [have] any distinctive social validity (Marx, 26), a trait of hunter-gatherer societies, which Marx so dearly desires. These values would in turn affect the political ideologies of a system trying to covert to communism by picking on the one â€Å"essential condition for the existence†¦of the bourgeois class, the formation and the augmentation of capital: the condition for capital is wage labour† (Marx, 32). Therefore, the conflicts that would arise would be those that regarding wage labour and its supply; the bourgeoisie would advocate any action that would enhance the â€Å"competition between laborers† the key behind keeping a continuous supply of wage labour opposed to the proletariat’s immediate aim of cutting off this supply and by doing so ensuring its immediate aim of overthrowing the bourgeois supremacy. Any decline in wage labour would threaten the bourgeoisies’ capital by reducing its turnover, hence weakening their foothold in the marketplace in turn inhibiting their ability to â€Å"constantly revolutionize the instruments of production in order to exist and survive† (Marx, 21). The bourgeoisie quest to seek a continuous wage labour would see a shift in their political ideology; they would seek to manipulate cities, provinces and other nations that are weak cause them to become dependent on them. The consequence of such political centralization would lead to the â€Å"epidemic of overproduction,† whereby the only manner in which the crises can be overcome is â€Å"by the conquest of new markets, and by the and by the more through exploitation of the old ones† (Marx, 25). However, such exploitation of markets can occur only to a certain limit, until other nations impose regulations confiding the system to resort to desperate measures and turmoil, which occurred with China. Chinese products flooded the world market until recently and now they have been rejected entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and do not enjoy the benefits of free trade. Therefore, China have used â€Å"enforced destruction of a mass of productive forces† (Marx, 25) to decrease their output, which has lead to a lot of turmoil inside the country with dogmas of the government – political stability and international recognition – and the working class – subsistence and a better life – clashing against each other further depressing the situation. Like Karl Marx, J.J. Rousseau also painted a picture of ideal society. In his Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences he condemns how societies have succumbed to arts and sciences that have â€Å"molded our behavior, and taught our passions to speak an artificial language† (Rousseau, 6) † with the desire to please one another with performances worthy of their mutual approbation (Rousseau, 4). He believed that individuals were imprisoned in the values and ideals of society that the arts and sciences strengthened, whereby everyone followed and nobody dared to be prompted by their inner selves in order not be seen as outcasts, resulting in man losing his individuality. In a nutshell, Rousseau believed that the arts and sciences had tainted origins and they reinforced our crimes by fostering our desire for comfort by transforming individuals into sugar coated pills, whereby â€Å"jealousy, suspicion, fear, coldness, reserve, hate and fraud lie constantly concealed under the uniform and deceitful veil of politeness† (Rousseau, 7). He in turn pictured a society were he believed man was innately pious was not restrained by society’s decorum therefore abandoning the possibilities o the vices that evolve in modern societies are nonexistent. He understood virtue in terms of bravery, courage and strength in other words he saw it in raw military power. The weaknesses in Rousseau’s painting of the ideal society are the assumptions that are embedded in the question that he was addressing – â€Å"Whether the restoration of the arts and sciences has had the effect of purifying or corrupting morals?† Rousseau has to assume that there has been a revival in the arts as well as assume a relationship between abstract and applied knowledge with morality that being the human behavior and customs a society embraces. Such assumptions lead Rousseau to base his argument on a set of contradictions. He idealized the values of the Persians, Germans and Spartans who had an unusual social structure where there was no study of abstract education, no accumulation of property and military virtues were emphasized. The idealizations of such societies contradicted his resentment for etiquette or what he referred to as the â€Å"veil of politeness†, since there exists no organization whereby more discipline, etiquette or order to our â€Å"rude but natural† morals is required than military organizations. Throughout the discourse the theme of man becoming corrupt once he enters society and losing his individuality because they â€Å"all act the same under the same circumstances alike† (Rousseau, 6) is repeatedly emphasized. This argument in itself is self-defeating because if it is the grouping of people that induces people to conceal themselves and live among uncertainty, Rousseau’s ideal society would truly only function for isolated individuals since such a level of purity could not occur in the â€Å"natural† dynamics of human societies. When individuals interact, the views and ideals of others will indeed affect the way the individual will live his life, since it is part of human nature to conform to the rules and regulations of others, which are a collection of ideals and values that compromise the principles of society. For a society to function in harmony there has to be some common ground whereby all the different members of that society must conform to and must sacrifice some of their individual ideals for the betterment of the society. Rousseau argues that man would not have to sacrifice his own ideals if he was not placed in the blasphemies of modern societies since he assumes humans are sincerely good and everyone would approve of the actions of others. This in itself breaks Rousseau’s argument since there is exists no yardstick to measure good and even if there were to exist such a measure, differences on which â€Å"good† is appropriate would in turn cause conflicts. The simplicity of the society Rousseau describes is its initial strength; the simpler ones life, the palette on which he is to express his bad perspectives becomes less like the â€Å"American savages†¦who live entirely on the products of the chase†¦[and] yoke, indeed, [cannot] be imposed on men who stand in need of nothing† (Rousseau,5). In a society where the needs do not exceed the basic physiological, safety and social needs and are readily satisfied the room for corruption becomes minimal. Therefore, I believe Rousseau’s attack on the arts and sciences is not so much on their origins or sources but more so on how it manages to widen our needs to include self-actualization and self-realization needs, which are needs that are satisfied by luxuries and how we appear in relation to the people surrounding us; a need where the veil and corruption required to have those needs satisfied. Rousseau’s painting of such an ideal society would not require a political system, however if all his assumptions were suspended the political implications would be drastic. In politics rarely is something said literally – and in a society where the members innately believe that everyone is sincerely good, would not be capable of reading between the lines and would end up in turmoil since other nations would manipulate their naivety. Furthermore, in a society where abstract knowledge such a geometry and economics is not taught the politicians will be incapable of drawing upon actions that will be favour their society, since politics is the evil of all sciences and without a good base in its basic terminology that being the abstract sciences one will be incapable of mastering it and using it to his advantage. Speak from their heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦offend someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.do not take care In Antigone the Greek tragedy, morals, egos, and gender issues were the epics around which principles were based upon. Follow one man Harun Al Rashid†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Mamluks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..they use to be all loyal Lower class has less say in the political era in order to stop the formation of proletariats which is so important for the revolution to occur. Political laws that protect private property Enhance competitiveness (p.21) Dependence of poor countries on rich ([.23) Eradicate opposition immediately Strength of prletarits p.28 trade unions p.32 existence remains on capital 1) Basecaus they lay down ideals that seem utopian only to them, they forget 2) Might have noticed that there are more cons than pros Several of our texts paint images of ideal human society. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these imagined societies. How do these imagined ideal societies interact with political ideology and political action. Bibliography Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Bantam, 1992. Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays Antigone, Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1977. Communism Could Never work Because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative. http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/nature.html

Church Planting

TEMPLE BAPTIST SEMINARY A PLAN FOR CHURCH PLANTING IN BARREIRAS, BRAZIL A CHURCH PLANTING PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF TEMPLE BAPTIST SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE INTRODUCTION TO CHURCH PLANTING AND GROWTH (ICST 6423) BY Barron Mason JULY 27, 2011 INTRODUCTION Beginning a new church-planting project is a task that requires much responsibility and effort. It is not a light-hearted venture. Nor is it a task that has a one-size-fits-all model or method.Each church plant has unique elements because it reaches unique people in unique places throughout the world. It is a humbling yet exhilarating experience to be called by God to this task of planting a church among a specific group of people. This paper will discuss the work of planting a church among the poor in the city of Barreiras, in the country of Brazil. Included in this paper are demographic data that influence the strategies and methods chosen for planting the church. Also included are var ious factors of strategy and methods to be implemented in this church-planting endeavor.May God be glorified in this work and may the local body of Christ in Barreiras, Brazil one day be a shining light that reaches people with the gospel of Christ and reproduces itself in other church plants throughout the region and the world. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF BARREIRAS The city of Barreiras is situated in the Northeastern part of Brazil, in the state of Bahia. The region is a plains region where farmland is abundant. The climate of Barreiras is arid and hot. There is a rainy season from November to January. The rest of the year has little to no rainfall.Even though there is little rainfall during most of the year the region makes it’s living by agricultural farming and cattle farming. Some of the crops produced in the region include sugar cane, corn, soybeans, cotton, and coffee. Irrigation is used in most farms and is a process that was introduced to the region in the 1990s, which aide d in the population explosion of the city and region. [1] According to the 2007 Brazilian Census there is a population of 137,427 people in Barreiras. This census also reports that the size of the city is 7,859 square kilometers (3,034 square miles). 2] The city lies between natural geographical barriers. It is located in a valley between higher elevations, with various rivers surrounding and running through it. The rivers that make up part of the city include the Rio Sao Francisco (Sao Francisco River), Rio de Janeiro (Janeiro River), Rio das Femeas (Females River), and the Rio Boa Sorte (Good Luck River). [3] Based on personal visits to the city there is a clearly visible contrast in the financial classes of the people. The farming industry has led to the wealth of many people in the area.Yet, there is a large gap between the rich and poor. Albeit a rich city, a majority of the population of Barreiras is poor. The common citizen of the city struggles with providing basic needs for their family. Most of the poor women are the ones who provide many of the public services to the city, such as maids, custodial work in stores and hotels and market vendors. The men work as builders and farmers. Often the men work in the fields for weeks at a time, coming home on the weekends every two weeks for a couple of days rest.The average family income for the poor population is approximately R$800. 00 per month. That is the equivalent of US$500. 00 monthly. This figure is based on two working adults in each household. Because of this low income most people do not own a car and live in a very small house made of wood or block. Often the homes are unfinished. As families can afford to complete construction on the home they will. Because it is common for men to work in fields for days or weeks at a time, their absence in the home creates many obstacles to ministry and church growth.One of the common situations in a church in the region is that it is full of women and children and greatly lacking in male leadership and example. This, along with the other factors mentioned above will have an impact on the strategy to planting a church among the poor of this city. FACTORS OF STRATEGY AND METHOD Before the work begins, a strategy must be put in place and methods must be decided. This section will outline and describe how the church plant will begin and unfold. The beginning stages and the factors most important to it will be described in this section as well.The plan will serve as a guideline to the work that will be done to see that the church is carefully given over to national leadership so that it may continue reproducing itself in the region and throughout the world. The Prayer Factor The first factor that will be implemented in the church plant in Barreiras is prayer. As Jesus demonstrated in his earthly ministry, prayer is a vital part of a successful communion with God. In Matthew 14 Jesus had just finished performing the miracle of feeding 5,000 men plus women and children. In verse 23 he â€Å"went up into a mountain apart to pray. Jesus also spent special time in prayer before his suffering and death. â€Å"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Matthew 26:39). In The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles, Thom S. Rainer confirms the importance of prayer in the life of the local church. He stated, â€Å"There is simply no more important principle on Church Growth than prayer. †[4] Reflecting on the early church, it is clear that prayer was fundamental to their Christian life. Acts 1:14 speaks of this truth, â€Å"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. In the church plant personal and corporate prayer will be emphasized. Along with motivating prayer times personally and corporately, sharing responses to prayer will also be vital. As the church body is gathered for worship there will be time for prayer requests and praises for answered prayers. It will be important for the believers to have those times because they will be encouraging to those who are still waiting on answers to prayer. Perhaps the best way to encourage believers in the church to pray will be the personal example of the leadership.The church planter will need to record and report on his personal prayer life, for example, with a list of requests and their answers. By relating this personal devotion to prayer the church will be motivated to incorporate it into their daily lives. The Vision Factor The second factor to be incorporated into the church planting effort is vision. According to Tom A. Steffen, the vision statement is a tool that is useful for allowing the church planting team to see their final destination and how to get there. [5] The vision statement can be likened to a road map.Before taking a trip the driver acquires a map that outlines the destination and route to arrive there. In the church plant the vision statement will serve as t hat map. The statement will be the destination – what the church should look like. Using the vision statement, the church plant team members can effectively plan the trip – how to arrive at the destination. The vision statement for the church in Barreiras is: â€Å"This church exists as a local body of saved and baptized believers in Jesus Christ to bring glory to God Almighty through its worship, witness, walk, and work.This church is to reproduce in this region as well as throughout the world. This church will fulfill its vision by practicing the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). † Fulfilling the Vision With the Great Commission The Great Commission involves both reaching people with the gospel and teaching them the Word of God. M. David Sills thoroughly treated this subject in his book, Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience. He argued the importance of both evangelizing the target group as well as spending the necessary and often difficult time to teach them, as s clearly mandated in the Great Commission. Sills highlights the missionary ministry of the Apostle Paul, showing that he spent a great deal of time and energy in teaching the churches that he founded. â€Å"Paul stated that he longed to preach Christ in the unreached areas so that he would not be building on another man’s foundation, but his ministry reveals that this was balanced with staying to preach and teach, writing letters, or sending disciples in his place to continue the essential ministry that remained. [6] The church will have set times for evangelism as well as training to equip the believers to evangelize on their own. Fulfilling the Vision With the Great Commandment The church will be involved in the discipleship process. This will be vital to the life and growth of the church as the believers are challenged and taught to live a life pleasing to God. Through teaching believers to love Go d completely and to love their neighbors as themselves, the vision will be fulfilled. The Accurate Gospel FactorOne existing danger in a church-planting project is preaching an inaccurate gospel. When the gospel message is not presented accurately to the target group the resulting church will be negatively effected. Perhaps the target group will believe the gospel in hopes of it bringing health or good crops. Or perhaps they will accept it as just another belief system to add to their list. If this is carried on from generation to generation then the church will continue preaching an inaccurate gospel. Therefore, the gospel presented to the target group must be accurate.Steffen points out that the gospel presented to the target group has a direct relation to the type of church that is planted and their understanding of the Bible. â€Å"The fundamental key to understanding the whole Bible is a correct understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ. †[7] The accurate gospel mes sage that will be presented to the people of Barreiras will be based on and include four primary elements. They are: 1) God is holy, 2) man is sinful, 3) Christ is sufficient, and 4) man must have faith. These are simple and concise statements.However, each has a basis on God’s Word and is important for understanding the accurate gospel message. Unfortunately, many gospel presentations include the following two elements: Christ died to forgive sin and unless one wants to go to Hell he must be saved. Although those are included in the gospel message, it is not a complete, nor accurate, gospel message. The above four essential elements will be explained below. God is Holy Because God is holy he is completely separate from evil and sin. God does not allow sin to be around him.It is recorded in Isaiah 6:1-3 that Isaiah saw the throne of the Lord and heard seraphims saying to him, â€Å"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. † It is al so recorded in 1 Peter 1:15, â€Å"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. † When considering the holiness of God man understands that he has a problem. Man does not meet God’s standard and cannot have a relationship with him in his present state of sin. Man is Sinful Man’s condition is destitute. Man has erred and has chosen to disobey God and go his own way.In Genesis 3 the first sin of mankind is recorded when Adam disobeyed God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. Because of Adam’s sin all men are now born sinners. It is recorded in Romans 3:23, â€Å"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. † Romans 5:12 also shows that all men are sinners, â€Å"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. † The gospel must present this truth. The gospel does not exist to solve the health problems or vocational problems of man.It exists because mankind is sinful and cannot go to God as a sinner. However, the gospel is the good news that provides sinners with a solution. Christ is Sufficient When someone understands that God is holy and that man is sinful then he is going to be in need of some good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the price for man’s sin and his work is sufficient to bring salvation to man and reconcile him to God. The good news is presented in Romans 5:8 – â€Å"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. † Other verses of Scripture relate the good news of Jesus Christ as well.Romans 3:24-25, â€Å"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of God. † 1 Timothy 2:5, â€Å"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. † This good news of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection must be taught as the only sufficient plan for the salvation of mankind. But how does man get this salvation? Must he work for it? What does the Bible say?The final element of an accurate gospel is the necessity of personal faith. Man Must Have Faith For many American Christians, there are famous words recorded in Ephesians 2:8-9: â€Å"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. † These verses are clear that man cannot earn salvation. Salvation is a gift. Salvation is personal through faith. Faith is the key to an individual’s salvation. Believe is another term used in the Bible to describe man’s acceptance of the gospel message. This personal faith or belief is explained in 1 John 5:11-13.And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. The accurate gospel must include all four elements when presented to the people of Barreiras. The holy God who loves the sinful man and sent his only Son to pay the price for man’s sin provides salvation to those who have faith in Christ.This is the accurate gospel message. The National Leadership Factor Steffen pointed out that the church plant must involve national leadership early on, if not from the beginning. He also noted the importance of beginning the church plant with a strategic plan for completely leaving the work in national leaders’ hands. He commented on a mission leader who attested to the fact that the church cannot keep up with the world’s population growth and continue planting new churches if they are â€Å"reluctant to release power swiftly to those they have come to reach. [8] These two principles will be important to the church-planting project in Barreiras, Brazil. Brazil is not a pioneer mission field. One of the striking things concerning the life of the church in Brazil is that the past two decades have shown a dramatic growth among evangelical Christians. One result of that growth has been the founding of Bible Institutes and seminaries. The function of these institutions is to train workers for ministry throughout Brazil and the world. Because these institutions already exist there is really no need to establish more training institutions.Also, it is not difficult to find trained leaders for the newly planted churches. A reality for many of the seminary graduates is that upon completion of their seminary program there are few or n o ministry positions available in churches for them to fill. Therefore, there should not be difficulty in finding a qualified leader for the church plant. The search for leadership will begin with the existing seminaries and Bible Institutes. The Exit Factor The exit plan for this church plant will be modeled after Steffen’s explanation of and emphasis on role changes.Using these role changes, the church can systematically and successfully be given over to Brazilian leadership. The following roles will be filled by the church planter and replaced with the national leadership. The first role is â€Å"learner. † The learner role will be occupied the entire time the church planter serves the target group. The second role is â€Å"evangelist. † During this role, the church planter will have as his goal â€Å"winning key members of the target people to Christ. †[9] The next role is â€Å"teacher. † The teacher role focuses on modeling ministry with a na tional believer accompanying him.In the fourth role, â€Å"resident advisor,† the church planter becomes a â€Å"coach on the sideline† and joys with the team when they win and sorrows with the team when they lose. [10] The fifth role is that of â€Å"itinerant advisor. † During this role the national leadership will be responsible for the church’s administration while the church planter takes leaves of absence from the target group. The final role is the â€Å"absent advisor. † This will take place when the church planter is completely removed from the target group and maintains contact and instruction as needed through visits and correspondence.During the resident advisor and itinerant advisor stages the church planter will make survey trips to other areas that are potential locations for new church plants. In order to maintain a vision for expansion, it will be necessary to make regular trips such as these. The purpose is to increase awareness o f areas that are in need of a church plant. It will also be important to take along some of the national leadership. In doing so, the nationals will develop a vision for other areas and for reproducing themselves there.This will enable the church plant to become mission minded and encourage them to take on personal responsibility for fulfilling the Great Commission. CONCLUSION After years of struggles and victories the church plant be administrated fully by national believers. For God’s glory there will be a local body of believers fulfilling God’s plan on earth. When the church plant begins to personally and responsibly fulfill the Great Commission then the job has been completed – sort of. In the completion of one church plant another must automatically begin among the next target group.Thus, the cycle of church planting continues, never really completing. By God’s grace and for his glory the church plant in Barreiras will not complete, but keep going. BIBLIOGRAPHY IBGE [email  protected] http://www. ibge. gov. br/cidadesat/painel/painel. php? codmun=290320# (accessed July 24, 2011). Prefeiutra Municipal de Barreiras. Economia. http://www. barreiras. ba. gov. br/site/index. html (accessed July 24, 2011). Rainer, Thom S. The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993. Sills, M. David.Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2010. Steffen, Tom A. Passing the Baton: Church Planting that Empowers. LaHabra, California: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development, 1997. Wikipedia. Barreiras. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Barreiras (accessed July 24, 2011). ———————– [1] Prefeitura Municipal de Barreiras, â€Å"Economia,† http://www. barreiras. ba. gov. br/site/index. html (accessed July 24, 2011). [2] IBGE: [email  protected], http://w ww. ibge. gov. br/cidadesat/painel/painel. php? codmun=290320# (accessed July 24, 2011). 3] Wikipedia, â€Å"Barreiras,† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Barreiras (accessed July 24, 2011). [4] Thom S. Rainer, The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles, (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993), 183. [5] Tom A. Steffen, Passing the Baton: Church Planting that Empowers, (La Habra, California: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development, 1997), 78. [6] M. David Sills, Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience, (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), 99. [7] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 134. [8] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 14. [9] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 22. [10] Ibid. , 23.

Public Affairs relations project revised Essay

Bisker PLC Company is a well established company which deals basically with manufacture of vanish and different polymers. It has created job opportunities within that region. The only problem that it faces is a lot of complains from the local people and authority over the pollutants which it emits to the environment. A lot of money has been spent by this company in trying to solve this issue. Bisker want to expand its company to meet market demand but it fears the risk of pollution since it will expand the company next to a recreational centre. Through strict regulations, the company has been able to maintain safety standard within the area. So during their three months planning period, they want to come up with public relations programs which will help them to manage their strategies in order to meet the standards of operation in the best way. Therefore, the company should assume that, through proper management of public affair relations, the company can operate to the best without complains from the local community or politicians since their waste and pollutants will be well managed. Identification of problems. The major problems that the company face are that of smell pollution and noise. This has lead to management receiving a number of complains from the local politicians and residents. Through, their management skills the management has fitted the company with fitters which will help in filtering all the pollutants and this can hence reduce the risk of environmental pollution within the area. In fixing up this problem, the company has resulted to substantial use of money so that the problem can be fixed. Another problem that the company face is the issue of expansion of their company which they anticipate that they will receive mixed reaction from the people within and also the local politicians since they fear the risk of bad smell and noise from the company. This can be experienced since the extension of company will be near woodland which is secured for the local community recreation. This has created fear of investing large amount of money which is meant to be inverted in this extension and in environmental improvement to reduce the risk of pollution. Pollution problems need to be addressed since the area is usually inspected regularly to determine pollution rate and in case the inspectors come up with a high figure of rate of pollution it can lead to closure of the company despite the large amount of money that they spend. All these problems are brought about by their plans being designed and implemented by small management team. If the company’s problems are managed by the public relations team better solutions can be sought which will enable the company to manage most of its issues publicly and more also it can be at a better position of solving its problems in a better manner through public relation. When these problems are identified, various public relations strategies can be employed by the company so that it can come up with distinct measures which can be addressed these problems and solving them. Quite a number of public relations strategies need to be employing so that the management will deal with the problems at reduced cost. The cost incurred in these management strategies can hence be reduced through proper establishment of public relations strategies. The company is also faced with emission of excessive noise which the local residents have always complained about. To deal with this problem, the company can use noise proof materials which can trap some of the noise that comes from the industry. Through this the company can enhance its extension which will lead to increase in market shares since they would not be facing a lot of objection from the local community. With the problem of pollution from the company local people who are the main workers in the industry are faced with great risk of acquiring infectious from the aerosols which are emitted from industry. Safety measures should be taken within the industry which ensures that the welfare of employees is taken care of so that the company will not be faced with the problem of lack of staff. After extension of plants life, the 12 jobs which will be created means that the company need to spend extra money in ensuring that the welfare of the added employees is taken care of so that they can be safe at work. Public Relations.  The public relations and public communication plans aims at developing aims and objectives of the company which they can operate on. These strategies helps in getting the solution of problems that are faced by the company. In solving the problems that the company face, public relations manager should ensure that they involve professionals who are quite conversant with way forward of dealing with these problems. Experienced personnel who are aware of the most problems that the company face can come up with relative measures that the company can apply so that they can be at a point of dealing with their issue. Their strategies should be focused on the way forward to reduce the problem of pollution so that the local residents will be free with the expansion of company to create enough opportunity of the company to maximize its profit and at the same time to take care of the interest of the local community so that they risk of pollution can be reduced. Therefore, personnel who deal with the issue of making plans for companies, once hired they should ensure all the problems are addressed including that of safety standard which are usually inspected regularly so that they can meet the safety standards which are needed by the inspecting body. These safety measures when well employed can result to good standards of the company which will hence help it in retaining its market shares. During their public plans implementation, the company should ensure that they involve local residents and politicians in their plans implementation since with the views of the people who are affected; they can understand the major problem and put into consideration their view in regard on how to eliminate the problems. People who are adversely affected by the problems are in a batter position of coming up with the solutions in regard to the problem. By involving the society, the social aspect of the company will be boosted since it will have incorporated a social way of dealing with issues. The management of the company in their effort to involve the society, they should make them to understand the benefits of the company i. e. the way the company is contributing to economical and social growth in the region. They can also view the benefits that they experience from the products of the company. Apart from this, community need to be made aware of the measures that the company need to put in place of dealing with problems which the local community are facing as a result of pollution and noise. Problems with the company can be dealt with them fully when the company need to shift from small management team to public so that they can deal with the issue at public level because the problem need to be fully addressed. With a bigger management, the company can hence increase its market share and expand greatly which will increase its marketability. The company acquire good reputation when it ensures that all the strategies that it applies are considerable to everyone and that they are not carrying out their practices against the wish of the local people and the leaders. Minimum resources can be used by the company when they use proper public relations scheme and experienced employees in dealing with the management problem. By establishing proper committee for managing the company expansion strategies, less expense can be experienced. Noise being another major problem in the region need to be addressed by the company. The management should use their public relations skill to deal with the problem. They should first carry out research from the local residents so that they can advise them on way forward of dealing with the issue of pollution. Local residents can give their relative views which the company can hence implement to reduce the risks of noise pollution. Plan Tactics. In company’s plan tactics the company need to address all the problems that they are currently facing before expansion of the company, how they have tried to solve them and how successful they were. Therefore, in company’s plan tactics, they should aim at coming up with various strategies to ensure that the problems are fully solved. Some of the tactics which need to be implemented include: solving the problem of pollution and noise so that the public recreation place remain safe and the industry can continue with its operations. This can be solved by use of filters and noise proof materials which will prevent interference in the environment. The tactic to deal with the claims from the public relations should be two way and responsive this will implementations which need to be put in place. Implementations are best carried out when they are carried out in two perspectives since measures will be taken in regard to both sides. Both management and the local community should be open and honest to one another so that they can share information freely so that all the problems can be addressed fairly without any side being humiliated. The local residents should receive letters from the company which usually alert them of the way forward that the company want to employ their tactics in dealing with pollution. By doing this the local resident will recognize the efforts of the company and therefore they can try in assisting them on how to deal with the issue. The management can also come up with bill board whereby they can notify the community on their strategies of dealing with various issues of pollution. In questionnaire, the company get the views of the community in regard to what they want to be implemented so that they can feel safe. Questionnaire can be very helpful also to the general public which is affected by the risk of pollution the public can give their views in regard to the way they view the management strategies so that after assessing their views they can determine implementations which are needed so that the life of community is not at risk of any form of pollution. The company can reduce the risk of environmental and noise pollution by having double windows which will ensure that the amount of pollutants emitted from the company does not interfere with the environment but rather the pollutant are controlled within the company setup. Therefore, the company should ensure that all measures required are implemented so that the issues which are put forward for the interest of the community. Letters should be sent to the local residents so that they can be notified on ways that the company is trying to come up with so that they can reduce the risk of pollution within the environment which has been the major threat to the community. The community can hence realize that the company is doing its best to safeguard the welfare of employees. Time Consideration In time consideration, it should be entirely done according to the above tactics. The first thing which should be done is sending the letter to the local residents notifying them on their plans to expand the company and the efforts that they are putting in place to ensure that the issue of pollution will be minimized. The management should come up with various ways of ensuring that management strategies are carried out at the right time and taking into consideration the number of people who will benefit from these strategies. After taking care of tactics, then public relations plans should be initiated immediately after the plans for expanding the company are drafted and the public relations manager have come up with various ways of dealing with the needs of the company. Time is very crucial in public relations because it ensure that all the management strategies are carried out at the right time which will contribute greatly in planning. Proper timing of these management strategies will ensure that the managerial strategies on the way to expand the company are carried out in the right way. Time is quite crucial in public relations because it can be used to rate how fast or slow the implementations are taking place. Implementations which need to be considered are those of dealing with the problem that the company face. When these implementations are carried out is very crucial since proper timing will ensure that all the aspects which need to be incorporated in the plan are addressed. Before the three months time which the management need in order to get permission for planning, they should have organized various methods that they need to apply in their public relations skills which will enable their plans to be known by the public within a short time. According to the case of Bisker industry implementation of the public relations plan will take a short time since to start with they have to apply to the local authority to be allowed to continue with their plans for expanding their company. This will take place after a short duration of three months time. After permission is granted, more time will be spent in ensuring that the objectives of company expansion are known to the general public. Since the company hired public relations firm to carry on with public relations strategies is a good idea and since the firm is experienced it will handled so many public relations strategies initially, the project is anticipated to take a short time to be fully completed. After implementation of public relations strategies for public relations, the company will be able to reach out to a big number of individuals through public awareness since after implementation of these strategies it will be able to move from small management team to public. After this awareness of public, move individuals can be reached through media. Media awareness will be created by advertising for their commodities. Advertisements are meant to reach a big number of individuals. Therefore, public relations and communication plans will ensure that all the problems that are facing company are addressed and solutions sought by qualified personnel. Plans will be carried through at appropriate time and since the strategies are well managed. These strategies can hence be used to plan for the management progress of the company including plans undertaken which are meant for expanding the company and its operations fully. Duration of time that the plans takes determines the affectivity of plans since planning need to be given enough time which will ensure that all strategies and plans are fully taken care of within a considerable time period.

Managerial accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Managerial accounting - Essay Example ad mainly formed strategic partnerships with major players in the Chinese dairy, beverage and food industries gaining rights to major Chinese dairy and beverage brands. China was an important market for Group Danone owing to which the company along with Peregrine formed a Singapore registered company to invest in Joint Venture keeping 51% shares while Wahaha and employees had 49% of the shares. However the main motive of the Joint Venture is mentioned below: Yanni Yan (2000) mentions that control is a multidimensional factor which plays an important role in the capacity of a firm to achieve its goals which refers to the process by which one person or group influences to varying degrees, the behavior of another through the use of power and authority. However the main purpose of control and influence in joint ventures is to ensure that the benefits are realized and objectives are achieved. Further it is mentioned by Aimin Yan and Yadong Luo (2001) that the extent of control refers to the degree to which each party in the venture exercises its control in the management of the joint venture. Schaan (Aimin Yan and Yodan Luo, 2001) during his study identified wide range of control mechanisms available to parent firms including the ventures board of directors, formal agreements, appointments of key personnel, planning process, and reporting relationships. It is also further stated that variety of informal mechanisms are also effective for exer cising parent control through setting up integrative structures between the venture and the parent, running training programs for personnel’s and inviting managers to attend the corporate business meetings. It is pertinent to mention that according to a study, higher performance occurred when the multinational parents assumed a more relaxed attitude toward control otherwise in case of tight control by foreign partner; the ventures performance is likely to be suffering (Aimin Yan and Yodan Luo, 2001). However in case of Wahaha and

Do you believe photography of public places is an inherently Essay

Do you believe photography of public places is an inherently suspicious act that police should investigate when observed - Essay Example These raised concerns regarding photography in public places. However, these should not be enough to make the capture of photographs in public places an inherently suspicious act. This is supported by several legitimate arguments. First and foremost, there is the basic photographer’s right. Dannemann (2009) emphasized this when he pointed out that in most free society, the right to take pictures within the public sphere is inviolate and is guaranteed by fundamental laws (p.99). If a photographer cannot take photo in a public space, how could he create the desired composition and exposure of people, things and places if he is barred from doing so on account of being viewed as suspicious? The space is not owned by anyone and shooting pictures is part of a citizen’s freedom to do as he desires, without interference and certainly without prejudice from other people and the authorities. It is also helpful to determine why photography arouses suspicion. According to Mark Meyer (2013) this can be largely attributed to the impact of the what he called as movie plot threats: that we like to anticipate and predict attacks and threats and since we do not have anything to base such predictions from, we are driven by materials read in thriller books or seen in the movies where the bad guy does his photo surveillance. So viewing photography as suspicious is a manifestation of a society that is getting paranoid. People should just as well bury their heads in the sand or live under a rock if they are afraid of being seen in public. And it is not good to live in such environment where people instinctively view others and their actions in a negative way. Besides what could photographers possibly do with an image of an individual in public? Not all people are perverts, criminals or terrorists and the public recognizes this. Each of us must have used a camera in public at some po int in our lives so we understand the logic behind photography in public spaces. If there

Opportunity for Expansion - the Case of Wal-Mart Essay

Opportunity for Expansion - the Case of Wal-Mart - Essay Example The expansion of a firm in the international market is often considered as the most effective method for increasing organizational competitiveness and ensuring a long – term growth. In practice, this strategy can be risky, especially if it is not carefully planned. The level at which opportunities for expansion need to be used by organizations for improving their market position is reviewed in this paper. Reference is made to a specific organization, Wal-Mart, a major competitor in the global retail industry. Currently the firm operates in about 27 countries (Wal-Mart 2012, corporate website). Despite its success, the firm tries to secure its market position through continuous expansion; in US market, where the firm is based, the chances for further growth seems to be limited. The expansion in the international market seems to be the firm’s only chance for achieving a long – term growth. 2. Expansion in new markets – Wal-Mart 2.1 Background Wal-Mart is a l eading firm in the international retail market. The firm’s stores are dispersed globally, making Wal-Mart one of the most powerful competitors in its industry. The firm was first established in 1962, in USA (Wal-Mart 2012, corporate website). ... In 2010, the firm planned to increase their international stores, approximately by ‘600 stores worldwide’ (Tice 2010). For the US market, the establishment of just 160 new stores was considered as sufficient for responding to customers’ needs (Tice 2010). In 2012, the firm plans to invest a high amount of money, about $750 million (CBC News 2012), for expanding its operations in Canada. The above investment involves in the ‘renovation and expansion of the firm’s existing stores creating 14,000 new jobs across Canada’ (CBC News 2012). It should be noted that in 2011, the firm had developed a major plan of expansion in the US market, adding ‘hundreds of small stores across US under the name Wal-Mart Express’ (Bustillo 2011). This is an effort for expansion in the internal market, as combined with the expansion internationally, which is considered as quite important for standardizing the firm’s performance in USA. The opportuni ties of expansion given to Wal-Mart, as described above, are analyzed below; reference is made to appropriate theory but also to the practical implications of the particular initiatives. Also, the potential effects of these strategies on the organization’s performance are discussed, as they can be estimated by using the figures presented in the firm’s financial reports for the last 5 years, a period during which the firm’s efforts for expanding internationally have become intensive. 2.2 Evaluation of the firm’s current expansion strategies 2.2.1 Organizational expansion in theory The decision of organizations to expand their activities internationally can be based on different criteria. According to the ‘monopolistic advantage theory’ (Luo 1999, p.27), organizations may decide to expand in the global

Dealing with Problem Employees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dealing with Problem Employees - Research Paper Example Dealing with Problem Employees Problem employees are considered to be those employees who are consistently reluctant or incapable to follow the guidelines or meet the performance standards that set by the organizations. In this similar context, it has been apparently observed that there generally exist two forms of problem employees such as employees causing problem and the employees with problem. Employees causing problem might cause difficulties for other employees of an organization. Conversely, the employees with problems might be those whose personal problems can lead towards distraction from work. If the managers of an organization are capable of handling problem employees in a proper manner, then they can resolve the issues without hurting the morale of such employees. In case, a supervisor views poor performance of the problem employees, then in such circumstances they tend to accuse the employees due to their lack of capability or effort. The supervisors in an organization shall be capable of dealing with the problem employees only to the degree when they can make undesirable behavior of such employees ineffective. It has been apparent that such problem employees tend to hamper the productivity of an organization by a greater extent. ... Moreover, the paper intends to detail the necessary steps that a supervisor needs to adopt in order to deal with the problem employees. Details The initial and primary step that the supervisor of an organization needs to follow in order to handle problem employees is enquiring whether such employees actually possess any problem or not. In general, it can be affirmed that treating the employees within an organization in a different manner ultimately encourages the aspect of problem behavior. In such cases, the behavior of other employees can also get influenced by taking into concern the aforementioned fact that ultimately hampers their work performance by a considerable level. It is quite imperative for a supervisor when dealing with problem employees to act quickly along with a responsive manner. In case, the problem is not resolved with the help of simple approach, it becomes vital for the supervisors to counsel the employees by exercising progressive discipline based approach (Tri ce & Belasco, 2012). It is to be remembered that the problem employees require much time as well as practice regarding the adoption of acceptable behavior. In the training program, supervisor would be required to specify the problems in clear terms and also remind the employees about the objectives of the company. A supervisor is further required to communicate the employees effectively regarding the behavior that is expected from them in the near future. One of the imperative roles of a supervisor in dealing with the problem employees is to persuade the problem employees about the organizational policies. Furthermore, a supervisor is also required to frequently scrutinize the individual behavior as well as the attitude and job performance of the problem employees. In addition,

Technology in an ERP Implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Technology in an ERP Implementation - Essay Example The company also shows interest in its overall progress as the management wants to implement ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for increasing the efficacy of its processing. Previously, the company made use of MRPII (Materials Resource Planning) system, however, in 2000, the management acquired ERP system (Edwards and Humphries 2005, 144). The new system proved to be a failure because of a number of problems identified by the investigative team. Organizational and technical changes are required to be implemented so that the newly developed system is according to the needs of the users. Training must also be given. This paper evaluates the case study in terms of change management and implementation of ERP successfully. PowerIT’s Acquisition Strategy of ERP The company consisted of an IT department but that department lacked the expertise required for the development of a software of that scale for which, the company required a software (Edwards and Humphries 2005, 147). ... This solution opts because software development expertise is high, application domain expertise is high, however, local company knowledge is low (Edwards and Humphries 2005, 147). The third-party vendor is the most suitable choice for the company as the company does not have to rely on its own IT staff that is good at local company knowledge but lack the other two expertise. Company’s local knowledge can be attained but the expertise of software development and application domain must be there in order to get the software developed according to the requirements of the company. The case writers assert that the "areas of relative strength" of this option rank as "High", "High", and "Low" because the third party vendor is expert for the first two fields, so high is ranked and lack local knowledge to a certain extent, so low is ranked. Major Problems before and after Implementation PowerIT faced many problems before and after the implementation of ERP system. During the selection and implementation phases of the project of ERP, the management of PowerIT showed concern towards inefficient working of the old system that was MRPII. The management also identified a problem with the MRPII system, which was that it was an antique system and because of its usage, they were left behind as compared to their competitors (Edwards and Humphries 2005, 148). Therefore, they showed unwillingness for the old system’s further improvement. When the management accepted the system, they evaluated the system’s inadequacies to fulfill all the requirements of the business. In addition, the newly developed system and its requirements asked for an additional budget that was not previously set by the company (Edwards and Humphries 2005, 149).  

Humor and madness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humor and madness - Essay Example Seriously, what are the odds of someone who faked insanity to escape his punishment suddenly taking on messianic attributes en route to â€Å"liberating† a group of mentally ill patients? In a fictional setting of course its viable. This happenstance borders on the fantastic, and it is highly remote that people could just walk into asylums on the pretext of chicanery and â€Å"heal† the insane with the power of laughter. The novel shows us the great divide between humor and madness as a form of symbolism in connoting sanity vis-à  -vis insanity. In the dour, oppressive wards of the asylum people are so rooted in madness that they have completely forgotten how it is to legitimately feel happiness and appreciate humor. And then comes McMurphy, whose witty, cheery approach enlivens up a ward which hadn’t heard true laughter in years. The novel highlights the fact that those embroiled in madness no longer have the capability to experience real joy. Thus, humor serves as a virtual shield for the protagonist, lest he fall into the same trap that the patients have found themselves in. He utilizes humor so that it would serve as insulation from the madness around him, but in the process he inspires the rest of the occupants of the ward. The relationship between humor and madness go hand in hand as the story unfolds, with humor standing as a unique symbol for free-thinking, fully functional human bei ngs and the absence thereof showing a descent into the recesses of madness. Once Mcmurphy has gradually empowered the patients with his own brand of rebellious humor, the reader would get a distinct notion that the patients had actually improved and that they were slowly entering the realm of reason again. This was clearly manifested in the scene where Harding, Scanlon, Sefelt and Doctor Spivey all could truly laugh at the end of their bending-the-rules fishing expedition. It is quite obvious that a reasonable understanding of the

Theories of Late Capitalism in the World System Essay

Theories of Late Capitalism in the World System - Essay Example The global market was significantly expanding in the late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting to rivalry on both the US labor and capital. Moreover, the post-war long cycles of expansion saw the US manufacturers investing enormously in fixed capital and capacity building such that by late 1960s, profits margins for these investors were beginning to decline due to the significantly high capital-labor ratio of operations. Rephrasing this, the huge amounts of â€Å"sunk costs† especially in the form of plant, equipment, or fixed capital, had enormous eroding impacts on their profit rates. These changes in the realignment of the global market and the actual production conditions led to the abandonment of Keynesian economics, contrary to what Keynesian and liberal partisan claims. Actually, it was globalization of capital and then labor, making the New Deal-type and Keynesian economic policies loose their favor to capitalist profitability, paving way for Neoliberal and Ronald Reagan a usterity economics (Wallerstein 132). This is according to the theory of capitalist crisis, globalization, and theory of falling profit rates emphasized by Harvey and Frieden. The integral dynamics of capitalism lies at the center of the theory of falling profit rates. ... Part 2 With the falling profit rates, political leaders sought to make some amendments to capital accumulation laws and regulation with an objective of increasing or maintaining rates of profits. These changes came in as state policies seeking to regulate capitalism, essentially raising the living standards of the working class and their working conditions and increase capitalist profits (Harvey 168). Consequently, capitalist states introduced social welfare cuts, geographic expansion of capitalist production, and a series of mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcy. These policies brought together led to the revival of profitability, particularly in the US beginning early 1980s. Lean production generalization through service and industry significantly increased the rate of exploitation (labor productivity). The series of mergers, bankruptcies, and acquisitions was the primary source of the financial sector growth, leading to desertion of old and inefficient operations. Political leader s also enacted regulations to reduce production capacity in some industries such as steel production, leading to a shift of investment to other fields of production (diversification of steel production into oil exploration). The boundaries of the world economy expanded due to the construction of global production chains, enabling labor-intensive operations shift to low-wage regions in the global south (Postone, 15). The economic policies of neoliberal capitalist states encouraged capital restructuring. The deregulation of labor and capital markets, together fiscal policies that focused on disinflation, enabled capitalist firms to respond to rising profits with more equipment and plant investment (majorly inventory systems

IKEA Essay Example for Free

IKEA Essay IKEA, the Swedish retailer, is known for its good-quality, inexpensive products, which are typically sold at prices 30–50% below those of its competitors. While the price of products from other companies continues to rise over time, IKEA’s retail prices have been reduced by a total of 20% over the last four years. At IKEA, the process of cost reduction starts at product conception and continues throughout the process of design, sourcing of materials and components, production, and distribution. For example, the â€Å"Bang† mug has been redesigned many times to realize shipping cost savings. Originally, 864 mugs would fit into a pallet. After redesign a pallet held 1,280 mugs, and with a further redesign 2,024 mugs could be squeezed into a pallet, reducing shipping costs by 60%. IKEA strives to deliver the right number of goods to the right stores at the right time to make sure that the deliveries are efficient. IKEA’s mantra in shipping has always been the same stating â€Å"We don’t want to pay to ship air†. IKEA’s products are shipped in flat boxes by not only reducing shipping for IKEA, but making it easier for customers to be able to slip it in the cargo hatch of a station wagon. New Product Process: Product Price The process of developing a new product at IKEA starts with a team of designers, product developer and purchasers who get together to discuss design, materials, suppliers and pricing. Everyone contributes and purchasers use their contacts with suppliers all over the world to find who can make this product at best quality for the right price at the right time. Manufacturer IKEA’s products are often developed in close cooperation with suppliers. IKEA has introduced a code of conduct governing working conditions and environmental awareness among suppliers. This deals with matters of health and safety at workplace that forbids use of child labor. IKEA implements quality control with external audits who check IKEA and external suppliers. The manufacturer is chosen based on several factors and kinds of materials used for the product. Design The team works with existing pool of manufacturers and suppliers with a price point to identify the best designer and select a design for production. This is a continuous process that involves designer submitting a brief about the product’s price, it’s function, materials used and fabricator’s capabilities. This design is reviewed by IKEA’S staff designers and freelances until the design is refined to be the best. Shipping IKEA has pioneered the concept of flat. This flat package enables IKEA to lower shipping costs by maximizing the use of space inside shipping containers. There is no storage waste. The company has estimated that if the products are assembled and shipped, then the transport volume would be six times it’s original. IKEA has created a global network of distribution centers, most of which are near container ports and major truck and rail routes for efficient distribution. Sales IKEA designs its stores – a kind of theme park traversing as a furniture outlet. The layout of an IKEA store guides shoppers through a predetermined path of several model homes. Customers can sit in, try it out. The emphasis is always on low priced products with yellow price tag. The IKEA centers have day care as well as dine in options. The biggest selling point is on price tag. Additional Features – Value for Customer IKEA contributes to adding value to the customer includes its relationship with suppliers, distribution and logistics, and customer service in their stores. IKEA keeps costs low and offers good quality products. IKEA tries to reduce their prices every year. Going green is the mantra adopted by the company along with ethics which believe in no child labor. The logistics and the way their products are packed to the way they are stored is remarkable. Providing an on-site day care and a cafà © makes the shopping experience good for children and their parents, to the way they display their products. The products are packed in such a way that customers can load them in the cars or u-hauls and transport them to their homes or offices. A customer is satisfied after viewing the product they have assembled.

How To Manage Conflict Essay Example for Free

How To Manage Conflict Essay Managing conflict is never easy, whether youre trying to resolve a conflict of your own or trying to help two people settle a dispute. The most important thing to know is that the longer you let the situation continue, the worse itll be when its time to resolve it. So take a deep breath, maintain your cool, and get ready to find a solution that can make everyone (reasonably) happy. 1. Make a plan for meeting. If two people are genuinely in conflict and you want to help them or they need your help then you should plan a time to meet that would make everybody happy. Of course, you may just walk into a conflict and have to solve it on the spur of the moment, but hopefully you have some time to plan in advance. If so, pick a time and place that works for both people, and make sure that they are both invested in solving the conflict. If theres real trouble, then the sooner you can get together, the better. Ad 2. Let each person state his or her side of the story. If you are in charge of managing a conflict, whether its because youre a manager or because youre helping two people figure out their issues, you have to be an active listener. Let each person express his or her position and listen with compassion and care until each person has stated his or her feelings and desires. Dont let the people interrupt each other and make it clear that each person will take turns fully explaining him or her self.[1] Make sure that both people are really listening to each other instead of just waiting until their turn to have their say. If necessary, have one person repeat some of the main points the other person made, so its clear that they both have an understanding of how each person is feeling. 3. 3 Make it clear that you are there to help resolve, not solve. The people who are in conflict must figure out how to move past their problems on their own, not look to you for a magical solution that will make all of their problems go away. You should make this clear from the start so both parties know that they have to work hard and listen actively before they can move  forward. You are there to mediate so the conflict doesnt get out of control and so that both parties can look at the situation with more objectivity and control, but that doesnt mean you will provide them with an answer. 4 Maintain your objectivity. Even if you think that Lucy is obviously in the right and Mary is 100% wrong, it is not your position to say so. If you jump in on Lucys side, then Mary will feel like youre both ganging up against her and the conflict will be even further from a resolution. Instead, keep your own personal opinions and ideas out of it and treat each persons perspective with compassion and respect. Even if one person is more right than the other, they both still have to reach a solution that can reasonably please both of them. If youre mediating a conflict, then you should pay equal attention to both people. Let each person spend about the same amount of time speaking and make points that support both people instead of just focusing on one person or the other. Maintain a neutral expression, and try not to look put off or skeptical if one person is stating something you dont agree with at all. 5. 5 Be a calming force. One of your primary tasks is to help both people keep their cool. Manage their stress levels, their anger, and their emotions to the best of your ability. If someone is getting too heated, raising his or her voice, and getting visibly angry or upset, take a five-minute break or ask that person to take a few deep breaths and wait until he or she can speak calmly. You can only find a solution if both people stay calm and can see clearly.[2] If the conversation is not going down a constructive path, and both people have resorted to name calling and cursing and just criticizing each other back and forth without getting anywhere, then you should intervene and get the conversation back on track. You can say something like, Lets focus on whats important here, or Were just not getting anywhere with this kind of talk. 6 Figure out the source of the tension. Once both people have stated their  cases, you can help them figure out what is really at stake. They may think that they are really angry at each other because of financial tension, but they may really be upset because of a lack of communication. Be as specific. Have each person discuss all of the things that are troubling him or her and see if you can really find the root of the problem. Be patient. It may take a bit of digging and some pain to get there. If you can put it in simple terms, something like, Bob feels that Mary is micromanaging his project or Sara feels like Jim doesnt spend enough quality time with her, then you can begin to tackle the problem better than if you just knew that the two people were angry with each other. 7 Work together to find a solution. Once you have all agreed on the source of the tension and the problem that is at hand, you can begin to find a solution. Remember that both people do have to agree about the nature of the real problem to be able to find an effective solution. It may not be readily apparent, and you may need some perseverance and creativity to get there, but eventually, you should be able to find a way to make both people (reasonably) happy. Here are some potential solutions you may find and ways to state them gracefully: It seems like both of you are having trouble living together. Sara may be a bit too focused on being neat, while Mary may be a bit careless when it comes to doing chores. To solve the problem, you should set out a list of guidelines for how you can both keep the house clean without running into trouble. If you both agree to do the things on the list, then you can stay happy in your living space. It seems that Bob has been managing Clark a little too closely. To avoid this in the future, Bob and Clark can discuss the objectives of a project in great detail and can decide on times when they can both check in about the status of the project; this will make Bob feel at ease about where the project is going, while giving Clark a little bit of breathing room. 8 Make a plan. Once youve found a resolution for the problem, you can set out specific guidelines for making it happen. Remember that both people have to be invested in finding this solution. You can set a timeline for achieving  these goals and have both people put it in writing so they feel that it will actually happen. Here are some ways it can happen: Mary and Sara should sit down and discuss which things in the house have to stay clean at all times, and which parts should be cleaned occasionally for an extra nice touch. Once you agree on the daily chores that really need to be done, you can make a chart of rotating tasks. Bob and Clark should meet for an hour before every new project, taking at least two detailed pages of notes so that Clark has enough direction to go off on his own. They should meet every three days for half an hour to discuss the progress of the project. 9 If both parties agree to disagree, help them part amicably. Maybe neither person, or one of the people, is unwilling to budge, and after much discussion, you havent moved past square one. If thats the case, then you should still make it so that one person understands where the other is coming from and that they can leave the situation without extra hostility or tension. Maybe Bob cant help but breathe down Clarks neck or Sara will always be messy no matter what; if thats the case, then they have to find a way to coexist or make a smart plan for parting ways. Consider the fact that maybe both people just arent ready to resolve the conflict and need more time to cool off. If you feel like the argument is getting nowhere because both people are too heated and emotional, not because they refuse to budge from their positions, then consider asking both people reschedule your meeting for a time when both parties can think more clearly. 10 End the conversation on a positive note. Whether both parties have reached a healthy conclusion or have agreed to disagree, you should end the situation on an optimistic note so neither person feels defeated. If both parties are feeling friendly, go out for a coffee or a beer; if both parties are still very angry, try to diffuse the situation with a bit of humor and see if theyll at least shake hands and stay cordial. If emotions are too heated, then its time for everyone to back off for a bit, but if the vibe is positive, make the people feel good about having the conversation. Remind both parties that, however unpleasant it may be to discuss a conflict, that  they have been mature and done the right thing by deciding to resolve the situation instead of staying angry or avoiding the tension. Method 2 of 2: Managing Your Own Conflicts 1. Face the conflict head-on. If youre dealing with a conflict of your own, then the worst thing you can do is run and hide, waiting for the conflict to get bigger and bigger until its almost impossible to resolve it. Sure, conflict is no fun, whether youre butting heads with a co-worker or your long-term boyfriend, but remind yourself that if you brush your problems under the rug, then they are guaranteed to get worse. So take a deep breath and accept that you have to deal with it.[3] That being said, pick your battles. If you feel like your boyfriend has been neglecting you, then speak up; but if you feel like you dont like the way he loads the dishwater, maybe its better to hold off. 2 Dont tell everyone about it. Its okay to seek advice from a close friend or another co-worker if you genuinely dont know what to do. But if you feel the urge to complain to every person in sight about the conflict just so you can gossip or get some anger off your chest, then youre only getting yourself worked up and possibly putting your relationship in jeopardy if the other person finds out about what youve been saying. If you do need advice, then talk to just one or two people whom you really trust so you can have some meaningful direction.[4] Think about it; how would you feel if you heard your co-worker was telling everyone in the office about your problems without talking to you about it? That kind of behavior is guaranteed to make you feel worse. 3 Use I statements. I statements are crucial for solving a conflict as objectively as possible. I statements make your feelings and motives clear and can help the other person see your side of the story without feeling accused or persecuted; You statements make the other party feel like he or  she is on the chopping block and will make him or her feel much more defensive. Here are some ways to make useful I statements: I feel like we havent been spending enough time together is more effective than You are always neglecting me. I feel like Ive been picking up the majority of the work on the project, is more effective than You have been making me do all of the work on this project. 4 Be specific. This doesnt mean you have to list the 90 things that the person has done to hurt you or to cause the conflict. In fact, this kind of behavior will only make the person feel worse, like hes being picked apart. Instead, stick to two or three concrete scenarios that can illustrate what you mean to make the person see the situation from your perspective. Here are some examples: I was really hurt when you left my birthday party early to hang out with your friends instead of spending more time with me. I spent ten hours on the Roberts report while you only worked on the cover page.

A Casestudy Of First Bank Nigeria Marketing Essay

A Casestudy Of First Bank Nigeria Marketing Essay Nigeria is among the developing countries in the World today. In the 1980s, several developing countries pursued some form of financial liberalization program or other, in order to boost the development of their countries. (Ayadi and Hyman, 2006). In achieving this financial liberalization, the First Bank of Nigeria Plc played a major role since the development and maintenance of the Nigerian economy. Being the first of its kind in Nigeria. The Nigerian Banking system started its history as far back as 1892 with the establishment of the African Banking in Lagos, the Capital of Nigeria as at then; it was taken over by the Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) in 1894 and was later acquired by Standard Bank of West Africa in 1965. In 1969, Standard Bank of West Africa incorporated its Nigerian operations under the name Standard Bank of Nigeria. In 1971, Standard Bank of Nigeria listed its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and placed 13% of its share capital with Nigerian investors. The bank changed its name to First Bank of Nigeria in 1979. (The journalof African society). Now, First Bank is the biggest bank in Nigeria out of the 25 banks, it has been rated as the largest RETAIL lender in the country. FBN has a subsidiary in London, UK which started its operation in year 2002 having a branch in Paris. The bank as at 2009 December had a total asset of N2,172 billion (USD14,718 million). (First Bank Financial Highlights 2009). Being the first of its kind in Nigeria, it has made a large clientele base and this has given the management so much confidence and a sense of satisfaction which has led to the neglect of customers satisfaction maximizations and feelings. There are 25 banks in Nigeria, although FBN Plc has been rated has the largest retailer bank, other banks are improving on the loop holes of their products and services and using that medium to sap their customers. The Nigerian populace has come to realise that they own the money (capital) of the bank and because of that; they should get the best products and services possible. Doole et al, (2005) says In the fast moving competitive environment it is vital for organisations to provide customer satisfaction otherwise they risk losing their customers to competitors. The penalty for not providing customer satisfaction can be a steep decline in the organisations performance, as Marks Spencer, McDonalds and British Airways (BA) have recently found. Integrated marketing communication consists of varieties of medium of communication all in the name of satisfying customers in order to get new customer and to retain existing customers. Zeithaml et al (2006) says, marketing communication is more complex today than it used to be. In the past customers received marketing information about goods and services from a limited number of sources, usually mass communication sources such as network television and news papers. With a limited number of sources, marketers could easily convey a uniform brand image and coordinate promises. However, todays consumer of both goods and services receive communications from a far richer variety of advertising vehicles- targeted magazines, websites, direct mail, movie theatre advertising, e-mail socialisation and a host of sales promotion. Consumers of services receive additional communication from services capes, customer service departments, and everyday service encounter with employees. FBN Plc is the biggest bank in Nigeria in terms of asset and clientele base but lacks a proper integrated marketing communication system. It has so much relied on the facts that it is the first bank ever in the country and the Nigerian populace believe strongly in the bank because of its strong asset base and because it has stood the test of times. Despite their strong clientele base, FBN can single handled own 90% of the customer population in the country if it adopts IMC. Chris Fill (2009) IMC has emerged partially as a reaction to this inadequacy and to the realisation by clients that their communication needs can (and should) be achieved more efficiently and effectively than previously. The FBN customers are yearning for qualitative and uniform information about their funds and interest. The Nigerian government created a monetary policy reform that was geared to stabilize the economy in short-run and to introduce a market system for effective allocation of resources. The efforts were directed at promoting financial savings, reducing distortions in investment decisions and inducing an effective intermediation between savers, investors and their financial institutions. (Ayadi and Hyman, 2006). Integrated marketing communication build a strong brand identity in the market place by tying together and reinforcing all your images and messages. IMC means that all your corporate messages, positioning and images, and identity are coordinated across all venues. It means that your PR materials say the same things as your direct mail campaign and advertising has the same look and feel as your website. (Zeithaml et al 2006). Thus this research work aims to explore the opportunities awaiting FBN Plc after adopting a well integrated marketing communications system to boost its customer satisfaction. Research Questions and Objectives: Identify the need, want and demand of the market. Identify the causes of lack of customer satisfaction Identify and evaluate the market opportunities for FBN Plc. Analyse the FBNs competitive advantage over its rivals Develop a well qualitative and quantitative integrated marketing communication system for FBN Plc. Methodology: Conceptual Framework and Design Fisher (2010) says conceptual framework is formed of patterns of concepts and their interconnections. It is usually based on cause and effect relationships which are often the basis of hypotheses that such research seeks to test. It has also been noted by Easterby- smith et al (2002) that conceptual framework helps to take a more informed decision about the research approach, decide which method(s) are appropriate for the piece of research, and also to think about constraints which may impinge on the research. FBN Plc being a bank and with diverse staff and customers spread all over the country, it is therefore advisable from the understanding of methodology (conceptual framework) to go by positivism approach which is linked to quantitative method. Yates (2004) states that other approaches (quantitative methods) within the social sciences may come from the fact that natural science methods appear to be successful in their field of use. Most research texts have categorised research into two parts; quantitative and qualitative approaches. (Knox 2004) notes that this is mostly done for ease of explanation or to reflect differences in style or marketing, (for structural reasons or for addressing alternative research disciplines) or simply differences in approach is in hindsight for the research. It is said by Yates (2004) that from research texts, the relationship between positivism and quantitative method is almost a law or truth. He then further highlights (with other authors) that quantitat ive methods can be used with other areas of examples within the social sciences. Also that one can argue clearly that positivist thinking has influenced quantitative or numeric research. This could be as a result from the justification that quantitative methods are just as appropriate within an interpretivist piece of research. Ticehurst and Veal (2000, p15) support this linkage between quantitative and positivism by stating that the quantitative approach to research is also known as management science or operations research. Therefore linking discipline with philosophy. Saunders et al (2003) sees research process as an onion. Adapted from Knox (2004, P.123) Within this onion the second layer refers to the subject of the research approach that flows from ones research philosophy. Therefore linking the philosophy of positivism with different approaches. This onion has now explained that ones research could make do with Deductive Approach: develop a theory and hypothesis or hypotheses and design a research strategy to test the hypothesis. Inductive Approach: in which data will be collected and a theory will be developed as a result of data analysis. (Saunders et al (2003). Deductive approach is a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is validly inferred from some premises and must be true if those premises are true. And Induction is a form of reasoning that usually involves the inference that an instance or repeated combination of events may be universally generalised. (Malhotra, 2003). From the above, I as a researcher in the case of FBN Plc have chosen to use from the Onion; Positivism approach which will lead me to deductive approach (quantitative method). I am expected to use this approach to identify an area of enquiry which is the customers and members of staff of FBN Plc to be able to have a good background of developed theory, which is seen as crucial for, guide me. The issues to focus an enquiry upon emerge from the established theoretical framework i.e., the customer service procedure, products and services and information given to customers about their funds. Specific variables are identified that the researchers deem should be measured, i.e., hypotheses are set. An instrument to measure specific variables is developed. Respondents give answers to set and specific questions with a consistent language and logic. The response to the set questions are analysed in terms of a prior established theoretical framework. The researcher tests theory according to whether their hypotheses are accepted or rejected. (Malhotra,2003). Knox (2004) concludes that positivist paradigm is majorly used by marketing researchers (positivism = deduction =quantitative methods); in aligning methods with philosophical stances. It also helps to form the nature of techniques that are applicable by researchers. Alternative Paradigm Names Positivist Interpretivist Quantitative Objectivist Scientific Experimentalist Traditionalist Qualitative Subjectivist Humanistic Phenomenological Revolutionist Adapted from Malhotra(2003 p.138). Easterby-Smith et al (2002 p28) argue that the key idea of positivism is that the World exists externally, and that its properties should be measured through objective methods. This infers that only knowledge, which is observable, is in fact valid. This then brings together the epistemology of positivism with quantitative methods i.e. methods which are essentially numerical evidence, following a very natural science approach to the research in hand. In reference to the Onion diagram, the third layers consists of six Research Strategies which include; Experiment, Survey, Case study, Grounded theory, Ethnography and Action result. This research is to make use of all these strategies to know the expectation of customers and what the management and staff are ready to deliver to their customers. Saunders et al (2003) further expatiated on data collection to be by the following which will be the means of my gathering of information; Case study (questionnaires, interviews, observations) and Documentary analysis. Expected data collection: Collection of primary data will be conducted majorly in Nigeria through personal interviews (observations), questionnaires for customers and staff of FBN Plc, and customers and staff of other banks. A major interview will be conducted with the Head of Department of the following units; Retail, Human Capital and Social and Welfare (customer service) at the Regional office. Secondary data will be collected through the customer and staff complaint boxes, financial news and reports and other related websites. Resources: This deals with how to find things out by research than discovering things by reading literature. Fisher et al., (2010). In gathering information for the research work, survey research will be adopted to have accurate and generalised views. In having a successful research work, one needs to make use of several resources in the survey approach which includes the following: Questionnaire: a question is a method of obtaining specific information about a defined problem so that the data, after analysis and interpretation, result in a better appreciation of the problem. In this research work, the questionnaire must have these set of information inclusive Facts and knowledge Opinions Past behaviour Future behaviour (chisnall 2005). Pilot testing questionnaire: chinall (2005) notes that, it is vitally important to make sure that questionnaire are piloted through all the stages of development. He further explains that it contains question which are specific, clearly understandable, capable of being answered by particular population sampled and free from bias. Webb (2002) confirms that piloting of questionnaire helps to evade participants biased answer. Personal interviews: helps with structured questions like rating question in self-response instruments and open-ended questions. These are orally presented, with the advantage that there is the opportunity for the interviewer to interpret questions, clear up misunderstanding, or gather data from those not fully literate from the designers language. (Black, 1999). It also helps observe and quantify the respondents attitude when interviewed. Documentary analysis: this is analysing the news originating from the financial sector of the country, news about the general views of customers and staff and complaints of staff and customers. Ethical issues: this poses as a problem in gathering information from staff and customers when there is a restriction on privacy, customers and staff that believe they should be loyal to their bank and employer and this can be done by keeping some things secret. Research bias: Saunders et al.,(2009) says to avoid research being bias, questionnaires and interviews must be designed and tested before being put to use. Time: a time frame must be set to achieve the expected result for the research. Literature Review To appreciate the importance of integrated marketing communication (IMC) it is useful to understand its origin and the major elements that have helped in its development. For many years agencies and clients believed that to deliver messages to particular audiences it was necessary to use specific tools of the communication mix. At the time it was a common belief that to achieve specific communication effects on buyers it was necessary to use particular tools. (Chris Fill,2009). Schultz et al.,(1993) says the practice of integrated marketing communication is emerging as one of the most valuable magic bullets companies can use to gain competitive advantage. Advertising, sales promotion, direct response marketing, and public relations practitioners are busy finding common ground to meet the coming challenge of selling to customers rather than market. This explains that integrated marketing is not out to increase profitability alone but also to achieve maximum customer satisfaction. IMC has now emerged as the response to this structural shortfall and the realisation by customers that their communication needs can (and should) be achieved more efficiently and effectively than the way it was in the past. IMC develops and extends the notion and value as a communications process targeting a firms external market. By directing Internal Integrated Marketing Communications (IIMC) towards their employees, firms are able to promote employee satisfaction, trust and commitment, thereby strengthening the firm-employee relationship and ultimately affecting profitability by enhancing customer satisfaction (Herington, Johnson and Scott 2006). By achieving employees satisfaction, trust and commitment, it results in employees dedication and putting in their best at their duties and this helps increase customer satisfaction. Gummenson (2002) confirms this, that previous studies have shown that employees who are familiar with and committed to an organisations market orientation and brand values play a critical role as part-time marketers. All customer oriented employees, not just those associated with marketing, help to deliver the brand promise. They can influence relations, increase customer satisfaction, customer perceived quality and ultimately revenue. Therefore, directing integrated marketing communications towards a firms internal market is itself a critical part of achieving sustainability and profitability. (Ferdous, 2006). Schultz et al., (1993) have produces a lively, no-nonsense critique of this fast moving marketing trend in integrated marketing communications. Taken alone, the early chapters documenting the shift from mass production to mass marketing are worth the price of the book. Yet the real meat of the text is revealed as the authors analyze the emerging reality of true one-on-one marketing to individuals, a reality made possible by the power of information technology to develop this ultimate consumer segmentation approach. The fundamental reasons offered for the popularity of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) among marketers is that it is good for the bottom line and a necessity in todays fractured market place. Nonetheless, despite the evolution and increased critical evaluation of IMC, it remains neither universally understood nor universally accepted as a useful construct. Furthermore, IMC is not consistently applied as a marketing principle and according to Hutton à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has resulted in superficiality, ambiguity and blurred focusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Hutton 1997, p. 8). It is high time financial institutions realised that they all offer the same products and services and the only thing that can put a major distinctive difference to their services and product is by going extra mile to adopt IMC. Financial products are controlled by regulatory authorities in an economy. It includes administrative tinkering by governments with financial prices such as interest rates and exchange rates. McKinnon and Shaw (1973) further agrees that financial institutions are generally offering the same services and are controlled by government, and this is hindered in a repressed financial system by the low level of savings, it responds in a positive way to real rates of interest on deposits as well as the real rate of growth in output. Moreover, investment is negatively related to the effective real rate of interest on loans, but positively related to the growth rate of the economy. However, if it is proven that the basic financial practices of a bank is solely dependent of government policies, it is only a good thing for the bank(s) to look for best opportunities to improve on their services to survive and sustain their stand in the highly competitive market. This is further proven by Ferdous (2008) that the fundamental reasons offered for the popularity of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) among marketers is that it is good for the bottom line and a necessity in todays fractured market place. IMC has been able to achieve what other marketing processes have not been able to by breaking down corporate, geographic, and political borders to reach into customers homes and offices in a matter of weeks or days through the use of worldwide networks created by computer and communications technology that have been inculcated into the process of IMC. (Schultz et al., 1993). Integrated Marketing Communication Integrated marketing communication plan. PLACE Distribution strategy CHANNEL/MEDIUM CHOICE C OTHERS (PR, POS, etc.) Objectives Strategy ELECTRONIC Objectives Strategy PERSONAL CONTACT Objectives Strategy TELEPHONE Objectives Strategy DIRECT MAIL Objectives Strategy MASS MEDIA Objectives Message strategy Media strategy Adapted from McDonald and Dunbar (2004, p.19). Ferdous (2006) describes IMC to have been variously described in terms of a process, a marketing orientation, an organisational structure, a set of marketing tools, a basis for accountability and a philosophy. In fact it is all of these. However according to Robert Lauterborn who helped coin the IMC label, What IMC has come to mean to too many people is little more than two-from-column A, one-from-column B media selection process (Lauterborn 2003, p.14). Schultz (1997) agrees that the focus has been one of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Trying to integrate discipline rather than customer or prospects communications. In addition, focusing IMC efforts on the integration of a firms external marketing communications disciplines ignores the gains in competitive advantage to be had from a horizontal integration across a firms total communications effort including that of its internal market. The need for integration is the notion that some aspects of marketing communication should be integrated. The origin of IMC can be found in the prevailing structural conditions and the needs of particular industry participants, an understanding of what elements should be integrated in order to achieve IMC needs to be established. The elements to be integrated are; relationships, structures, brands, communication tools, messages, employees, technology, agencies and IMC strategy. (Chris Fill, 2009). The integrated elements are applicable to understanding IMC as a customer oriented process in creating a common understanding of its principles and core values. It is known that the primary aim of any business is profitability which can only be achieved when customers are satisfied. Profitability as defined by Ferdous (2006) is the function of customer behaviour, and then customer orientation is not only logical but essential. IMC integrates everything that impacts customer behaviour, not just the organisations conscious outgoing marketing messages. It begins with product development and includes packaging (branding), selection of distribution channels (communication tools), channel management (agencies), customer behaviour (relationship), customer relationship management and total quality management. It involves the multi-dimensional, interactive, continuously measured communication that connects brands or products and the customer. Lauterborn (2003 p. 15). Furthermore, Cravens et al. (2003) identifies four attributes that set IMC apart from traditional promotional strategies. They are comprehensive, drawing on all of the media, tools and technologies available to affect behaviour; unified execution of all the components of the organisation; and IMC programs em phasise productivity in reaching the designated targets when selecting communication channels and allocating resources to marketing media. Before considering the delivery of values of IMC, the communication channels will be given further attention, the channels are generally complex, and they involve various media for different communication with the same set of target market or customers. Ferdous (2006), these views about IMC values share three key attributes which are fundamental to its values as a marketing concept. They recognise that IMC is about the connection between the brand and the customer and that communication in all its forms facilitates this relationship. Implicit is the understanding that marketing is the whole business from the point of view of its final result, which is from the customers point of view, marketing today is not a function, but a way of doing business; marketing is everything and everything is marketing. (Harris 1993,p.13). Most importantly in this approach is the recognition that purposeful and coordinated management of customers and their relationship with the organisation is at the heart of building brand equity, which at a time of brand proliferation is critical to success. (Ferdous 2006). The Role of Communication. Communication is the greatest use of language. John Locke has seen the use of communication as the clue to an analysis of the notion of linguistic meaning. Customer communication completes the marketing cycle, linking customer with product, service and availability. At a societal level, in order to connect to mass production and consumption there simply must be mass communications. At its best, commercial communication engages in real dialogue, transmitting value and meaning, while responding to feedback and remaining close to the external customer. Communication has the role to announce, inform, promise, persuade and influence customers to buy in by communicating and delivering customer satisfaction. ( Doole et al.,2005). Communication is the best instrument for sustaining a good relationship between a business and its customers if well understood. In as much as communication is essential between a business and its customers, so also a communication feedback is also very crucial. This because; if a wrong interpretation has been gotten from the information passed by an organisation and a feed back is not received from the customer, the customer retains the wrong information , the organisation might be repeating the same information again at great expense. But when a feedback is in place, the organisation has an opportunity to correct the misinterpreted information and pass the right information across which makes the customer a happy one. Communication when used in the right context strengthens relationships. Doole et al.,(2005) recognising that employees deliver quality, internal communication encourages affiliation with organisational values as well as providing everyday working information. He further explains that communication to both external and internal customers is central to both marketing transactions and relationships. LEVEL OF COMMUNIVATION CORPORATE BUSINESS UNIT MARKETING DEPARTMENT Product Price Promotion Place Price packaging BRAND MANAGEMENT People Sales Advertising Public relations Merchandising Direct Adapted from Doole et al., (2005p.249) This explains the level of communication and how uniquely they have their level of importance to the whole communication process of an organisation. If one malfunctions, it invariably affects the whole system. This helps to increase the value and credibility of brand communication. At this stage, it should be clearly noted that commercial communication should be based on clear intent as noted by Doole et al., (2005), a communication campaign generally seeks to both push product on to and pull products off the shelf and position the offer competitively in the mind of the consumer. Its components parts need to hang together as a cohesive whole and remain consistent with core brand values. It is further noted that during the process of product life cycle, communications have very different roles to play; Introducing new products: the role to play at this initial stage is getting target market attention, also getting the market to test the product or service and the major task at this initial stage is acceptance of the product or service. Product maturity: at this stage, the product has been accepted and needs to proceed to the next stage, the task here includes sustaining the brand identity, maintaining the loyalty, defending the market share and adding value to the product or service is the major task at this level. In a situation where the products or services face rejection or losing market share, the need to improve on the product is essential (revitalise and reposition) or direct customers towards alternative, perhaps reducing communications to bare bones dominates. With the aid of product or service campaign, messages can be charged with differentiating, reminding, informing or persuading (DRIP) or sequentially securing attention, arousing interest, building desire and promoting action (AIDA) and moving a customer from unawareness through purchase to brand loyalty. The Communication Process. The communication process of IMC is between internal external customers. This research work is based on the evaluation of IMC between the employees (internal) of FBN Plc. and its customers (external). Groonroos (1985) explained internal marketing as an instrumental behavioural strategy for developing the state of mind that allows customer service effectiveness and building of relationship marketing. Ferdous (2006), in recent times, marketing professional and scholars have given considerable importance and attention to Internl Marketing (IM). According to Lings (2004) much of the literature on internal marketing, contains a variety of interpretations of the domain of internal marketing, it aim and focus. This means, treating employees as customers, understanding and attending to their wants and views which will help achieve a positive change in employees attitudes and on the long run affecting customer (external) satisfaction positively. Chernatony ( 2001 as cited in Ferdous 2006) suggested that in order to coherently transfer brand values to the companys stakeholders, employees must develop a shared understanding of what the brand stands for, through implementation of a unified communication approach. Today, the way organisations communicate with their internal markets, better known as internal communication (IC) (Tansuhaj et al., 1998; Thompson and Hecker 2000; Ahmed and Rafiq 2003; Kong 2007) is considered one of the most essential internal marketing considerations. Ahmed and Rafiq (2003) attempted to give a more acceptable and holistic explanation of internal marketing through the use of internal communication as a cultural framework and instrument for achieving strategic alignment while building customer service competence. This is reveals the importance attached to internal (employees) communication in operationalising internal marketing concepts/activities and achieving organisational competitive advantage and success. (Ferdous 2006). External customers are the major component of a business or an organisation. Customers determine the existence and longevity of a business. It is therefore important to understand how to carefully communicate information across such that it would not be misinterpreted. Organisations should understand how they receive, process and respond to the feedbacks gotten from customers. (Doole et al., 2005). If quality is meeting and influencing customer expectation (Doole et al., 2005) and even delighting clients, then managing expectations matters. It is very crucial that employees (internal customers) do not promise more than what they can deliver. Communicating with customers regularly is critical, keeping in touch with them, comprehending their expectations, apologising and explaining the limits of service possibilities can influence their expectations and may expand their zone of tolerance. Ferdous (2006) emphasises on viewing IMC as a process that focuses on both internal and external customers is the first step to developing a c