Functional Areas of Organization

Functional Areas of Organization INTRODUCTION: Organisations are built about a group of functions, each of which provides support for the operations of the business. Functional departments each serve a specific purpose with an organisation to achieve its objectives. The most common functional areas of an organisation discussed below. Information need is an individual or groups desire to locate and obtain information to satisfy a conscious or unconscious need. The information and need in information need are inseparable interconnection. Information needs are related to, but distinct from information requirements. An example is that a need is hunger, the requirement is food. In large organizations, each of the functional departments may be separate, whereas smaller organizations may have integrated departments. Different functional areas of an organization are: Sales Purchase Manufacturing Marketing Finance Human resource Administration Comparison Contrasting Sales The sales team deal with customers and generate orders. The technioques used to generate sales varies between organisation,but some of the most common are telephone,door-to-door sales,advertising,and direct sales through representatives. Purchase The purchasing department is responsible for monitoring how many products or stock is required at any one time and buying accordingly. Manufacturing Depending on the type of organisation, one of the functional departments may be manufacturing, who would deal with all of the processing of product service. Marketing The marketing department advertise and promote the products or service of the organisation. In some case, it may be integrated with the sales function. Finance The primary function of the finance department is to ensure that there is financial stability within an organisation and a steady cash flow to support day-to-day transactions. Human resource The role of human resources is to provide support to the employees of an organisation. The primary function is to ensure the welfare of staff, by giving advice, guidance and motivation to enable them to work productively. Administration The administration function is integral to almost all organisations. Administrative staff works in all departments within organisations. Purchase: The purchasing department may also be responsible for buying in consumable products, such as stationery, to support the other functional departments within the organisation. Sales: the sales department may also provide supporting functions to other departments, particularly if the organisation does not have a dedeicated marketing or customer service department. Manufacturing : Large national or multi-national organisations offering a diverse range of products or services would certainly need a manufacturing department to spearhead product developments. Marketing: The marketing department will be involved in the few activities. Such as designing developing promotional materials, organising marketing events, likely launches and campaigns. Developing websites Finance: The finance department is responsible for payment and transaction, investments, accounting procedures, budges and forecasting Human resource: Human resource departments are also responsible for overseeing the recruitment of staff and the payroll as well as resignations and redundancies. Administration: Organising meetings, taking minutes, audio and touch typing and letter writing are some of the day to day tasks an office administrator undertakes.

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Essay

1.Define presidential doctrine and summarize the regional or global events during the Cold War leading up to the formation of the presidential doctrine you wrote about in Assignment 1. 2.Select one country you wrote about in Assignment 1 and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between the country you selected and the U.S. before the presidential doctrine was announced. 3.Describe the relationship that currently exists between the U.S. and the country you selected in section (2) above. 4.Describe the effect that the presidential doctrine has had on regional or global affairs since it was announced during the Cold War. 5.Assess whether or not the presidential doctrine you wrote about in Assignment 1 doctrine had had the intended effect of altering the behavior of the country you selected in section (2) above since the doctrine was first announced. 6.Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources. To help you understand this assignment further, the following description and examples may be useful. Step 1: Define doctrine and identify why a president would want to announce one. A doctrine is an ideological platform that a president uses to advance a policy towards a country or region in order to accomplish foreign policy goals for the United States, so you will need to expand on this theme. Refer back to Assignment 1, and build on whatever doctrine you wrote about then. Say, for example, you selected the Truman Doctrine. Therefore, this is the only thing you will write about in Assignment 2 step 1. Step 2: Select one country you wrote about in Assignment 1 and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between it and the U.S. Before the presidential doctrine was announced. In the case of Truman, you would pick either the Soviet Union, Greece, or Iran, since all three were affected by his doctrine. If you are writing about the Eisenhower Doctrine, you would choose Lebanon or Egypt; if you wrote about the Kennedy Doctrine, you would have write about Cuba or Vietnam; if your wrote about the Nixon Doctrine,  you would choose either Vietnam, Saudi Arabia or Iran; if you chose Carter, you would select either Iran or Afghanistan; and if you wrote about the Reagan Doctrine, you would select Nicaragua, Angola, Russia or Afghanistan (although there were several others). Step 3: Describe what effect the presidential doctrine you chose has had on regional or global affairs since it was announced during the Cold War. That is, how did the doctrine change the status quo regionally or globally after it was announced by the U.S.? What happened in Western Europe after the Truman Doctrine was announced? What happened in the Middle East after the Eisenhower Doctrine was announced? What happened with Cuba or Vietnam after Kennedy offered up his doctrine of flexible response? What happened in Southeast Asia or the Persian Gulf after the Nixon Doctrine went in effect? What happened in the Middle East after the Carter Doctrine was announced? What happened in Central America or Africa or the Middle East after Reagan announced his doctrine? Step 4: Refer back to the country you selected in step two and describe the relationship that currently exists between the U.S. and that country. How has the relationship changed between the U.S. and that country since the doctrine was announced? Step 5: Evaluate whether or not the presidential doctrine had had the intended effect of altering the behavior of the one country you selected in section (2) above since the doctrine was first announced. Your assignment must: †¢Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. †¢Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: †¢Identify the cultural, economic, and political context of information resources, and interpret information in light of that context. †¢Use technology and information resources to research issues in international problems. †¢Write clearly and concisely about international problems using proper writing mechanics.

Reflection Paper - 1242 Words

REFLECTION PAPER It is extremely difficult to estimate the amount of knowledge in existence today. While knowledge is flowing in incredible pace, extraction and application of the relevant information from the bulk of knowledge is vital for many aspect of our lives. As an IMBA student in Florida International University, I have never thought that there was such a strict distinction between the information and the knowledge in today’s technology driven world. However, after taken this course, it is quite clear to me that gathering the beneficial information is not an easy task as it seems before. There are crucial elements to obtain valuable information for the businesses. Every business is unique so the strategies for them too. To†¦show more content†¦This metaphorical approach changed my perception of seeking out the hidden possibilities that would be beneficial for continual improvement. On the other hand, Information Systems has its own challenges when it comes to the application of the businesses. It is a complex task to find the proper answers of the questions such as ‘how the information systems can change my business through technology?’ it is clear that such systems offer many options to the businesses but the decision process for the right option can be problematic. Thus, the changes have to be chosen carefully to maximize the potential of the businesses. For instance, the beer game which I involved, as an IMBA student, represents a great example of the collecting and applying the relevant data that reveals the importance of the integration of our goals and our capabilities. It was probably the first time that the students as the future managers, CEO’s, CFO’s were able to experience such a realistic trial of business world with its constraints. The main goal of the game was minimizing the bulk effect which comes with the fluctuations of demand and the prices. it can be claimed that in theory, the bulk effect can be minimized with the opportunities of Information Technology. However, in practice, as in the beer game, it is unlikely to achieve the desired level of that type of minimization. Yet, it is still indisputable that information systems offerShow MoreRelatedReflection Paper1317 Words   |  6 Pagesused to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. 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The Evolution of an 18th Century Farmhouse

Escaping the Chains of Slavery Essay - 626 Words

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass writes about his life in slavery. Douglass portrays how he overcame being separated from his mother, of witnessing a slave being whipped for the first time and enduring his servitude for multiple masters. However, his major triumphs in life were moving to Baltimore, overcoming illiteracy and gaining his freedom. Douglass was between the age of seven or eight when he was sent to live in Baltimore, a move that would forever change his life. He was introduced to a different way of living for a slave. For example, on the plantation slaves were subject to merciless beatings, hunger, and cold. Clothing was provided, but if slaves did not†¦show more content†¦To further his reading and writing abilities, he had to resort to a number of different methods. For instance, he would give bread to poor boys in his neighborhood in exchange for reading lessons. Taking his book with him when sent on errands, he would quickly finish his errands and would use the remaining time for lessons and reading the newspaper. Second, in order to achieve writing skills he observed how the carpenters in the shipyard wrote. For example, if a piece of wood were meant for the larboard side they would write thus--L. Furthermore, when he encountered any boy that could write he would trick them by stating he co uld write better than they could and using the letters that he learned in the shipyard he would tell them to beat that. He would carefully observe what they wrote and every chance he got; he practiced on the walls, pavement and wooden fences with chalk. In addition, his masters son, Thomas, brought home copybooks from school, Douglass would write over what Thomas wrote. Within a couple of years Douglass was able to read and write. Finally, in 1835 Douglass made his first attempt to obtain freedom while living with Master Freeland. He did not wish to achieve freedom alone, therefore, he approached slaves that lived in the house, and they all agreed to escape together. However, the authorities and his master foiled this attempt because someone betrayed them. This setback did not stop Douglass; he was still determined toShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Slave Owners1419 Words   |  6 PagesSlaves; people who are the property of and wholly subject to another. Why did it begin in the first place? It was not until December 6th of 1865 when congress finally ratified a law to abolish slavery. However, words of the law still had not spread and it would take around a year for the slave owners to finally set the slaves free. The process of freeing the slaves was full of misery, pain, and constant insults by the majority of the white population. 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These Quakers, otherwise known as â€Å"friends† and members of The Religious SocietyRead MoreIncidents Of The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs924 Words   |  4 Pageslife as she overcomes slavery and the many obstacles in her path in doing so. Not only does she discuss her struggles within her journey of becoming a free black person, but she also gives the readers insight to what the daily life was like as a women, apposed to the daily hardships of a black man. Within the narrative she discusses several different issues while she challenges our traditional beliefs on what may have happened during the process of the abolition of slavery and how we have graduallyRead MoreThe Underground Railroad : A Successful Way For Slavery Essay1813 Words   |  8 Pageshad extra rooms for hiding. The se locations were provided by the freed African Americans and whites that were against slavery. Numerous of fugitives failed to escape due to the search dogs and the townspeople searching for them because they were considered â€Å"dangerous†. The slaves that did escape went to Canada, Mexico, or anywhere else where they could be free and not live in slavery. A great number of people were involved with the underground railroad; concluding some whites and Native Americans.Read MoreIt. Has Been Said That â€Å"The Engendering Impulse Of African1547 Words   |  7 Pagessongs that traveled held secret meanings and expressed more than the need to reach heaven. The songs and stories sounded like one thing but they served a greater message, and it was the possibility of one day escaping the horrific lives they were given. For instance, â€Å"Flying away† meant escaping traveling north or the small window of opportunity to escape at night while their master paid no attention to them. The investigation of human flight in the folklore of enslaved men and women throughout plantationsRead MoreThe Slavery Of The United States1649 Words   |  7 Pagesnot treated as normal human beings. On the voyage over to America, they were crammed into the lower level of the ship. They were forbidden to move and had to remain lying down. For those on the ship to be sure that this was happening they had put chains on the large group of slaves or indented servants, historians are unsure. If anyone had become ill on the journey they went overboard. Due to all of the treachery the Africans had to go through, millions of them died. Those who made it, were immediatelyRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Pecola And Frieda Admire Shirley Temple s Beauty872 Words   |  4 Pagesclearly demonstrates that beauty is on the exterior rather than the interior making ones value inferior such as characters like Pecola who believes that her ugliness defines who she is and her role in society, which is still similar to the time where slavery was around as the American society is still restricting them without having to own them. Although in Martin’s novel, Manon is also oppressed, she has more control than the characters in the Bluest Eye as she fits into the standards of what is considered

The current business environment Free Essays

The current business environment is characterized by a considerable level of competitive rivalry and as a result businesses have to constantly reengineer their internal processes in order to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. This is the situation in the airline industry and as a result Air Asia has to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. It is believed that the installation of the e-commerce application will facilitate the implementation of the most important strategy: maximizing access to information. We will write a custom essay sample on The current business environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is one of the most important strengths for the company not only because the company will be in a position to collect more information about its customers, but also because the customers will be able to get more information as well. As a result, this will serve as an advertising tool for the company. In this respect, the company will not be facing any problem because the strategy is being implemented through a joint venture with Microsoft. The airline industry is characterized by a high level of competitive intensity and therefore Air Asia has to constantly reengineer its internal operations in order to build and maintain a competitive edge. In this respect, the strategic focus of the company is cost minimization. uAccording to Michael Porter’s framework for strategy formulation, a business organization has three strategies at its disposal in order to build and maintain a competitive advantage. These are differentiation, cost minimization and focus (cited in Fred, 2006). Although Air Asia might be said to be implementing all three strategies, its focus is on minimizing costs. The company is implementing the strategy of focus by targeting underserved markets while it is implementing the strategy of differentiation by adding value-added services to its repertoire. However the reasoning behind choosing to adopt these strategies has been to locate opportunities for ensuring customer satisfaction through focusing on areas of the market which have not been targeted by competitors. As a result, Air Asia manages to charge lower prices than many of its competitors while maintaining comparable standards of quality. Mobile commerce is an extension of e-commerce according to which computer systems can be accessed through the internet on mobile devices such as PDA, smartphone or a cell phone (cited in Hitt, 2007). Mobil commerce has greater flexibility than e-commerce because it has satellite connectivity. As a result, devices which do not have internet connectivity but which have satellite connectivity can conduct transactions via m-commerce. In this respect, it must be mentioned that m-commerce can conduct video and audio conferencing. Therefore the application of m-commerce leads to greater scope for business-to-business and business-to consumer exchanges. This has become the crucial business model in the current business environment which is characterized by a high level of competitive rivalry. This means that businesses must focus on the process of cost minimization. This is facilitated through both e-commerce and m-commerce applications as they facilitate the development of B2B and B2C frameworks. However m-commerce is more convenient because of its greater accessibility. Air Asia’s application of Windows Vista can be extended to m-commerce because Microsoft has already developed operating systems for mobile phones. Therefore Microsoft will be in a position to create interoperability between e-commerce and m-commerce through the Air Asia gadget. Although m-commerce is wirelessly connected, it has the flexibility of being connected through e-commerce as well. This means that any solutions developed for e-commerce can be accessible through m-commerce. This will benefit the consumers because they will not have to be connected to the internet once the Windows Vista application is made compatible in the m-commerce platform. In this respect, the costs of conducting e-commerce applications are higher than m-commerce applications. E-commerce requires connectivity via a personal computer. With m-commerce the same amount of information can be processed through a cell phone. How to cite The current business environment, Papers

Fiona Apple free essay sample

I hadnt even stepped out of the taxibefore scalpers asked if I had a ticket. The line stretched outside New YorkCitys Roseland Ballroom as hundreds of people of all ages awaited Fiona Applessold-out performance. Celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow and MandyMoore were among the masses. When I entered the dark, smoky ballroom itwas packed. People pushed to the stage, not caring who got crushed as long asthey were as close to Fiona as possible. I was surprised that rap groupJurassic 5 opened, but then again, I would have sat through MC Hammer to see herperform. Some people got into it but most were restless. After Jurassicsperformance everyone was full of anticipation for what we thought would be agreat show of raw angst and pure talent. As we awaited Fionas entrancethere was a surprise guest. Jimmy Falon of Saturday Night Live came outwith a hot-pink troll and sang eight short, funny versions of songs about thetroll. We will write a custom essay sample on Fiona Apple or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The audience loved it. Then the lights dimmed. As Fiona ranon-stage, she began On the Bound, the first song off her second album,When the Pawn She angrily pounded the piano keys wearing a long blackskirt and a red tank top with her trademark long, straight hair flying everywherewith each note. Things were going fine, but then suddenly the showchanged. We watched as Fiona became angry and screamed, I cant hearmyself, and began to cry. As she danced she jerked her body around as ifinvisible forces were guiding her. It was clear she was becoming very angry, andreminded me of a line from On the Bound that proclaims, Hell dontknow my fury. Technical problems were keeping Fiona from hearingherself. It became harder and harder for her to stay composed and soon she wassobbing through songs, barely able to keep up. The audience yelled encouragment -Youre beautiful, We love you, Youre doing great but thewords fell on deaf ears. Fiona yelled at concert reviewers to put awaytheir notebooks, bashed Roselands sound system and apologized to the crowd forher performance. She yelled lyrics of songs and had to stop and restartCarrion before she finally gave up. The crowd felt for her as shetearfully apologized again and again. The sad part is, she really sounded good,despite the technical problems. She just didnt know. At one point shetold the crowd she was going off-stage for five minutes while they tried to fixthe monitors, but she never returned. We were told Fiona could not continue, butto keep our ticket stubs for a free concert to make up for this one. The crowdwas upset, but slowly filed out. Many expressed sympathy for her, some wereannoyed. However you look at it, I am glad I was there. I knew it would be noordinary show, and I was right.