Nordstrom Retailing Management Answers

Retailing Management – Case 31 Customer Service and Relationship Management at Nordstrom 1. What steps does Nordstrom take to implement its strategy of providing outstanding customer service? To begin with, Nordstrom employees treat customers like royalty. Customers are even at the top of Nordstrom’s so-called organization chart. All lower levels work towards supporting the salespeople, who in turn work to serve the customers. Salespeople are given personalized business cards to help them build relationships with customers.They are not tied to their respective departments but to the customers, this turns their salesperson a â€Å"personal shopper† of the customers. This opportunity to sell departments enables salespeople to maximize sales and commissions while providing superior customer service. Despite all the efforts in making sure customer satisfaction is met, it starts from the employees. Nordstrom employees are treated almost like the extended family. They are treated like businesspeople and empowered to make independent decisions. Overall, Nordstrom delivers good quality product with good service. 2.How do these activities enable Nordstrom to reduce the gaps between perceived service and customer expectations, as described in Chapter 18? Nordstrom’s policies focus on the concept of the â€Å"Life –time Value of the Customer. † Their service goes above and beyond what other retail stores can offer. Even if little money is made from the first sale, the lifetime value of a customer is calculated, and the positive dollar amount of a loyal customer is staggering. A customer can expect equal level of respect from all departments from each employee. They will also experience a â€Å"personal shopper† who can help them with which product to purchase. . What are the pros and cons of Nordstrom’s approach to developing a competitive advantage through customer service? The number one pro is customer loyalty, be cause of Nordstrom’s above and beyond customer service; customers come back for the good quality products and to the experience of good salesperson. Because of customer loyalty, Nordstrom realizes huge revenue from repeat customers. And another pro is having a great employee; Nordstrom empowers their employees to be individual businesspeople who can make their own decisions within the stores. Because of this, Nordstrom’s hrinkage or loss due to theft and record-keeping errors is under 1. 5% of sales—roughly half the industry average. The only con is the loss money from returns or refunds. Nordstrom’s policy concept of â€Å"Life-time Value of Customers,† sometimes brings them to loss revenue or even negative revenue. Some customers may even abuse the fact of how easy it is to return merchandise even if it was heavily used. But the weight of a positive dollar amount of loyal customer versus loss revenue is heavier. And therefore there isn’t r eally a con to how Nordstrom caters to their customers and as well as employees.

P1 Outline the responsibilities of the levels of government in the UK Essay

Government Department Responsibilities Ministry Of defence This department has responsibility for the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. This department is regulated by the Secretary of state for defence and three other junior Ministers, specifically the Minister of State for the armed forces, the under-secretary of state for defence and Minster for Veterans. The Ministry of defence’s job is to decide the policies and earning for all three armed services and decide budgets to. Ministry Of Justice From charge to release the ministry of Justice is responsible for the courts, prisons and Probation Services. The Home Office The Home office has a prime responsibility; they are responsible for civilian services such as the passport and Immigration service, drug policies and the Police. Department Of Communities and Local Government This department is responsible for The Uk’s fire and Rescue service. It is regulated by the secretary of state for communities and local Government and Numerous junior Ministers. The departments job is to allocate the local Government with supply’s to fund the Fire and rescue Service. The Department also improves the Rescue national policies and priorities. On the other hand this department is also responsible for local government although it’s non-uniformed it is still a necessary service. Department For Health This department has responsibility for the national Health Service. They are responsible for the Ambulance service to. Independent Police Complaints commission This department deals with complaints within the Police service. There responsibility is to carry out investigations on serious matters. Some of the complaints made might be related to incidents involving death or injury, police corruption, police racism or perverting the course of justice. HM Revenue and Customs This department is responsible for collecting taxes it also has responsibility for the customs and exercise service. Inspectorates and HM inspectorates To ensure the even running of particular public services the government has given this responsibility to the HMI The defence Vetting Agency This agency carries out national security checks its responsible for checking anyone who joins the Armed services, civilians who work with the Ministry of Defence, civilian contractors or any other checks in government departments. Quality Care Commission This department’s responsibility is to make sure all health care and social care including private healthcare in England is met to the quality standards required and that patients are getting the care they expect.

Monet’s Waterlilies Essay

For as long as I can remember, water lilies have always been a sign of peacefulness to me. This is one of the reasons I have always been drawn to Claude Monet’s Bridge over the Water-lily Pond (1905). The green hues in this piece bring me a feeling of happiness. The Bridge over the Water-lily Pond has a sense of calmness and tranquility. There exists such expression and emotions from the impasto in this piece as well. The foreground is filled with beautiful water lilies floating atop a peaceful pond. In the middle ground is the famous Japanese bridge with some green shrubbery. In the background there are tall droopy trees somewhat like willows. Monet uses color to create his tranquil mood throughout the painting. He uses cool colors such as green and purple. He also uses black, brown, white, yellow, and pink. There utilizes his limitless color range. Monet’s choice of colors is expressive and symbolic for the mood. For example, the green emphasizes peacefulness and the yellow adds the warm calm feeling. Texture is a significant element used in this piece. The piece shows the rough, thickness of the paint. Monet uses the effect of actual texture so, for example, if you were to go up and touch the painting you would be able to feel the impasto. Another important element used in this piece is value/light within the atmosphere. There are highlights present on the pond, using white and yellow, where the light is shining. Also, there are shadows, using black and brown, where the trees are blocking the light. It is apparent where the emphasis in this piece is centered. The bridge is the only one focal point in this painting. The lines from the trees and shrubbery lead your eye toward the center where the bridge is centered. These lines are imperative to create movement toward the focal point. Unity is the principle that holds this piece together. The color in this artwork has the cohesion needed to make everything similar. Also, the  texture helps to bring unity into the piece by giving everything another similarity along with the color. In addition, unity allows the piece to be aesthetically pleasing. Monet uses oil on canvas for the bridge over the Water-lily Pond. Due to the fact that Monet used oil paint, he had the ability to create a thickness of paint, layering it on the canvas. Monet used the technique of impasto, which also gives the painting that rough looking quality on the canvas. If Monet had chosen a different type of medium he would not have been able to create the layered look as he did in this piece. It is that rough, layered, impasto look which assists in the emotion and feeling of this painting. This piece would not be the same without the expressionism created from that particular medium. Monet’s piece is displayed in the West Pavilion Impressionist Gallery at The Getty Center in Los Angeles. It is in an extravagant, gold color frame covered in intricate designs and the walls are of a dark, earthy brown color. The color of the walls gives the gallery a warm sense. There is a skylight overhead, which has a cover that automatically changes with the lighting outside of the gallery. Also, there is overhead spotlighting at the top of the ceiling, around the skylight, which is pointed toward each piece. The painting on the left is ‘The Rue Mosnier’ with Flags by Edouard Manet. It is oil on canvas and it was done in 1878. The painting on the right is After the Bath by Edgar Degas. It is oil on canvas as well and was done approximately 1895. I believe these pieces detract from The Bridge over the Water-lily Pond due to the fact that many people tend to walk right by landscapes and atmospheric pieces. They go straight towards pieces with humans as the focal point because we as humans relate better to those pieces. However, I myself love Monet so I was drawn to his piece. Claude Monet’s Bridge over the Water-lily Pond (1905) gives you a place where you would want to be alone. It gives you the calmness that you perhaps might be looking for in your life. It is not just any ordinary landscape it is a sanctuary; it is a place of safety. This piece holds so much emotion just in its color and expressionism. No one should just casually walk past this  piece, but should look deep within the emotion and see the tranquility of the pond and how still the water lilies are resting. They should see peace as if they were looking at it through Monet’s eyes.

Coley's toxins and alternative medicine in cancer treatment Article

Coley's toxins and alternative medicine in cancer treatment - Article Example Coley’s toxins are also referred to as Coley’s vaccine and mixed bacterial vaccine. William Coley’s contribution toward bacterial immunotherapy of tumors and cancers can never be overlooked; however, the myths associated with use of Coley’s toxins have hindered the path towards understanding the exact phenomenon that Coley claimed to have observed (Nauts et al., 1953). One of the supporting claims for using the Coley’s toxins is that they activate the defense mode of macrophages (Starnes, 1992). Naturally the tumor cells in the body are not considered as antigen, and therefore, macrophages predominantly exist in repair mode (Coley and Higinbotham, 1936). Thus the injection of foreign particles or foreign agents into the body instigates an immune response, due to which macrophages target the tumor (Bickels et al., 2002). One must not overlook the success rate of Coley’s treatment; perhaps his method was more efficient than the modern day immunotherapy trials. Coley injected 104 cancer patients with his toxins, out of which 50% survived was for more than 5 years, while 20% of the patients survived longer than 20 years(Tsung and Norton, 2006). The question to ponder is what are the causes that lead to the variation in outcomes of immunotherapy? Why some patients perform better with immunotherapies, and why some struggle to cope with it? Therefore, there is a dire need for understanding the mechanism of action of Coley’s toxins. Another component of the Coley’s toxins is lipopolysaccharide, which is a component of a bacterial cell; initially it was considered that the presence of these molecules activated the tumor necrosis factor or TNF(Wiemann and Starnes, 1994). TNF is a molecule that is naturally present in the body of an organism, and it is reported to play a crucial role in i nitiating necrotic activity

Swire Pacific Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Swire Pacific - Case Study Example Through its development it has nearly 4000 permanently employed staff and over 9000 cockpit and cabin crew, which enables the company offer unrivalled services, with this numbers its one of the highest employer in Honk Kong's economy. Cathy pacific services limited won the bid in the first quarter of 2008 to set up a new cargo handling facility at the Hong Kong International Airport in the which would be built at a cost of HK$4.8 billion, with this it would be able to handle the largest air cargo in world within the year 2011 upon its completion (Steger, 2003). The airline has partnered with other major global airlines in the oneworld global alliance, which serves in 150 countries with more than 700 destinations. It also has interest in airline catering services with one of the largest flight kitchens in the world, with wholly owned subsidiaries servicing other international carriers across Hong Kong. With Swire owning 40% of Cathy Pacific Airways it has interest in aviation engineering through Hong Kong Engineering Company Limited after a merger was sealed between the companies. Being listed on the Hong Kong stock market, it has 4,600 employees in Hong Kong. It is the largest maintenance service provider in Hong Kong International Airport and in Asia's aeronautical maintenance industry. With the construction of the third and fourth maintenance hangar it provides Hong Kong extra employment and income generating opportunities. With 2000 employees in its ground services company in Hong Kong, as well as its Vogue Laundry Unit serving over 20 airlines, it has an edge over Hong Kong's economic prospects on its hospitality industry than any other aviation company around (Murray, 2006). Beverages With Swire Pacific being an anchor bottler with coca-cola, it is the main distributor and product developer for coca-cola brands in Hong Kong and mainland China, under the brand name Swire coca-cola Hong Kong Limited where Pacific owns 87.5% in shareholding. This clearly makes Swire Pacific the highest employer in Hong Kong beverage industry through its high operations base and more than 15 distribution and sales centers to serve a market base of more than 47million in Hong Kong and 400nillion around the globe. Apart from the coca-cola products it also produces mineral water and ready to drink milk tea either with Nescaf'e or Nestl ingredients (Steger, 2003). Hospitality Swire also has interests in the hospitality industry through the completion of its boutique hotels in Hong Kong by its wholly owned subsidiary Swire Hotels, which would be luxurious hotels offering lifestyle to travellers in search of personalized and individual services. This would make Hong Kong one of the major tourist and business travel destinations in the larger Asia. With promotion of the tourism industry it would earn Hong Kong the much needed foreign cash flow and high employment opportunities in its economy (Bastardas-Boada, 2002). Economic Assessment of Asia-Pacific Tourism sector in this

Traditional Therapy resetting itself to Spiritual Therapy in the Essay

Traditional Therapy resetting itself to Spiritual Therapy in the present - Essay Example Professionals find ways to deal with these pains and emerge stronger. (Rogers, Cynthia : 2004) The challenges faced by psychotherapists from work and personal life can enrich their professional lives as every case opens a new window of learning, which enables experienced psychotherapists to apply their skills laterally enlarging the scope of their professional expertise being sought in diverse fields. During the course of their work, psycho therapists come across a large number of traumatic cases such as depression, pre and post divorce trauma, a suicide, bad debt or personal bereavement. Every individual has a unique personality, emotional and mental make up which dictates his response to a situation. Each case is thus exclusive in circumstances, construct and the result. A psychologist has to study each case in great detail and apply past experience with caution in respect to its relevance and develop prescriptions which can provide succor to a person on the verge of despair. At ti mes there may be a tendency for the personal and the professional to be mixed us as a therapist may see images of the patient being reflected in his personal life. (Rogers Carl : 1951). Thus each case offers a new window of learning to a perceptive psychotherapist, enlarging his vistas.

Globalization and Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Globalization and Environment - Essay Example The culture, trade, business, ethics and conduct of one group in one part of the world can influence others may or may not be of same nation. It is irrespective of the time and space and language bindings as these communications are in terms of trade, social internet forums. The process of globalization is therefore, an amalgamation of interaction and integration among different groups of people, various organizations and governments of different nations. This communication is supported by information technology (What is globalization). The interaction not only influences people and their welfare in terms of civilization, traditions, political structure, financial growth and affluences but also affects the environment as a whole (What is globalization). Gradually globalization has defined its terminologies in all aspects of human civilization by making the countries formulate to the policies for open economies both, domestically and internationally (What is globalization). With the implementation of free market economic systems, path is paved for mounting their own industrious potentials and creating multitude openings for international trade and investment. This served as an opportunity for the foreign markets, factories, production and marketing measures with people belonging to different parts of the world (What is globalization). These ... 2. Political Interaction 3. Information and Information Technology (IT) 4. Culture These are the various magnitudes of globalization affecting the natural, local, national and finally the global environment. It directly influences human development (Panayotou, 2000). An outline is drawn to study the globalization and the environment encompassing economic proportions of trade, investment and capital flows (Panayotou, 2000). It is evident that regardless of its mounting strength, the side-effects of globalization and economic trends are inadequately understood as these effects are not straight but are indirect. The growing concern for the environment and its protection has given least emphasis on the prevalence of inexorable globalization (Ehrenfeld, 2003). Globalization is multiplying with such a rapid pace that its consequences are being experienced by the smallest and secluded communities and natural areas may it be a developed or an undeveloped nation. It is evident that despite its insightful impact on the environment, globalization is going to have its say (Ehrenfeld, 2003). The present article therefore signifies the impact of globalization on the environment as a whole may it be natural, social, local, national and lastly global. Globalization has tremendously affected world in various different aspects 1. Industrial- it has provided the surface to the production market with an enhanced access to a wide variety of foreign products and therefore globalization has increased large number of customers for itself. This has helped in the movement of goods and materials between and within the national boundaries. 2. Financial- Globalization has opened the way to procure external financing opportunities to the

Amended Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Assignment

Amended Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Assignment Example The New England Journal of Medicine published a survey study conducted by Dr. David Eisenberg, of Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School, which showed that 85 million Americans are using alternative methods for their health care needs, most of which is not covered by their insurance, and furthermore, the number of times they used alternative medicine practitioners was considerably more than the number of times they used allopathic doctors (Eisenberg, Kesler, Foster, Norlock, Calkins, & Delbanco, 1993). Why isn’t the new health reform program taking this preference into account? Exploring who the 8% uninsured will be, I am led to understand that Native Americans, people with financial hardship, and those with religious objections make up at least part of this group, and that everyone else will be required to have insurance or they will be fined, and the fines are fairly high (Galwitz, 2010).

Describe the methods used to calculate value added. How does value Essay - 5

Describe the methods used to calculate value added. How does value added contribute towards understanding the connections betwee - Essay Example This paper will describe the methods used by Ford at Highland Park and Toyota during 1980s and 1990s to improve productivity. Methods used by Henry Ford at Highland Park to improve productivity The Ford plant at Highland Park is thought to have been the main automaker that transformed the lives of a majority of American people in the 20th century. It is at the Highland Park that Henry Ford with the assistance of his designers formulated the current principle of bulk assembly; an example being the endlessly moving assembly line, introduced in 1913 thereby reducing the assembling duration of the Model T to 93 minutes down from 728 minutes. It is noted that the companies continued to grow very fast to the extent that the plant was able to produce a vehicle every minute. The high production led to a scenario in which one in every two cars in the streets all over the world was a Model T (Batchelor 1994, P.22-24). The increase in the production of the Model T by Henry Ford was attributed t o two main principles, namely division of labor and specialization on the assembly line, and the company’s investment in capital. ... With regard to investment in capital as a way of improving productivity, Ford Motor Company built one of Michigan’s largest buildings under one roof known as the Highland Park Plant in 1903. The building was spacious and large thereby allowing for effective arrangement of machineries. The building also had massive windows to enhance natural lights and ventilation. It is also reported that the walls of the building were 75% made of glass with skylights also made available. The nature of the building allows for efficiency in the operation of machines and other tasks thereby leading to improved productivity (Batchelor 1994, P.22-24). Ford Motors also used vertical integration strategy to improve the production of Model T. To ensure that this became a reality, Ford acquired a Brazilian rubber plantation, large chunks of timberland and iron-ores in Minnesota and Michigan, coalmines, ships, and railroads. The acquisitions ensured that Ford do not fall short of materials and parts du ring the manufacturing and assembling thereby guaranteeing the continuity of the operation. Since materials and parts were readily available at any time they were needed, this improved the production of cars manufactured by the company (Brooke 2008, p.68-70). To improve productivity, Henry Ford also created a single-purpose tools and machines at different steps in the manufacturing processes. This was done by using electricity to run the machines used for manufacturing his Model T. The use of electricity did improve the efficiency compared to other methods such as the human operations, which had proved less efficient. In addition, Ford Motors ensured that

Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Example for Free

Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Changes in the Land by William Cronon offers countless intimate observations and gatherings regarding the ecology of New England and the encounters between the colonists and the native americans. Cronon interprets and analyzes the different happenings in New Englands plant and animal environments that occurred with the shift from Indian to European dominance. As the distant world and inhabitants of Europe were introduced to North Americas ecosystem, the boundaries between the two were blurred. Cronon uses an arsenal of evidence to discuss the circumstances that brought upon drastic ecological consequences following European contact with New England. Cronon made use of reports and records in addition to scientific data as evidence for his arguments. Court records, town hall records, descriptions by travelers, surveyor records, etc. proved invaluable to Cronons arguments. Europeans saw the land from an economic standpoint and tended to focus upon merchantable commodities, ignoring economically insignificant aspects of nature. Cronon stated that the environment the Europeans first encountered in New England stunned them. Early descriptions were restricted to the coastline, but the accounts all agreed on the astounding level of animal and plant life in New England. The european settlers were not used to so much untamed land, as landscape for hunting in England was reserved to large landowners and the Crown. Heavy forests covered the New England terrain, which was also new to the settlers, as England had exhausted most of its timber as fuel. European settlers were struck by the absence of domesticated animals, which played a vital role in European agriculture. The European settlers and the Indians had different values on life and had differing opinions on how they should use the land around them. According to Cronon, Many  European visitors were struck by what seemed to them the poverty of Indians who lived in the midst of a landscape endowed so astonishingly with  abundance The Europeans often criticized the Indian way of life. They failed to understand why the Indians willingly went hungry during the winter months when they knew food scarcity was impending. The settlers were impressed by the frequent burnings the Indians performed in the f orest, which allowed for better hunting grounds and planting fields. However, the settlers criticized the division of labor between the Indian males and females. The Europeans practiced land ownership, while most Indians believed merely in territorial rights. To the Indians, people owned what they made with their own hands. Agricultural fields, gathering areas, and fishing sites could be owned, but unique patterns were formed for the hunting of different animals. The settlers were either granted their land by the crown, or they purchased it from the natives. This very act by the crown of granting land with no consideration of prior ownership demonstrates both the views of Europeans towards land-use and their disregard for the Indians claims to it. Instead of the seasonal migration that the Indians practiced, European settlers strove to improve the land. This meant a greater use of agriculture than the Indians. The use of livestock such as cattle, hogs, and sheep to the environment was also introduced. The Europeans destroyed large swaths of forest in order to provide space for crops and pasture. Forests were used for fences, ships masts, potash, and fuel. Deforestation killed Indian hunting grounds, forever changing their way of life. Deforestation altered microclimates, hydrology, and soil mechanics. Swamps developed in previously dry places, promoting disease in those areas. Trade had a profound affect on the area, forcing Indians to put prices on certain items for the first time. Europeans traded wampum from the Long Island Sound up  into New England in exchange for products such as furs. Indian economies were now tied to international markets, and they had an incentive to produce more than just self-sufficient numbers of products. Technology also made hunting increasingly easier. Animal populations in New England were strained, and in several instances were overhunted. The fur trade in the north dried up by the end of the 17th century, and even the deer populations were diminishing. As trade goods dried up, Indians were forced to give up their only remaining  commodity-land. By far the most dangerous organisms that the Europeans carried to America were diseases. The first recorded epidemic in New England took place in the south in 1616. Depopulation promoted conditions of turmoil while also justifying the European seizure of Indian lands. As the Indian populations diminished, edges returned to the forest, further harming the local animal populations. Attacks by colonists and intertribal warfare concentrated Indians into denser, more permanent settlements, which promoted the spread of disease. Invasions by European animals required that the Indians build fences to protect their crops. Now living in permanent, fenced-in, and densely populated settlements, the Indian way of life was more similar to that of Europe than to their original way of life.

Effective Appraisal Methods Undertaken By Companies Commerce Essay

Effective Appraisal Methods Undertaken By Companies Commerce Essay With the increase of globalisation and new technologies of information and communication, businesses are facing more challenges than before. Furthermore, people are moving from their own country to relocate elsewhere. This give more difficulties to businesses to understand not only their customers, but also their workforces as they are coming from different part of the world and might have different way of thinking and acting. An organisation is a group of people working together in order to achieve the goals and objective that have been set. Therefore managing those people effectively and efficiency must be a company primary focus. This research is based on the type of performance appraisal that a company should be used in order to evaluate correctly its workforce. In order words, there are many different methods such as: 360 degree feedback systems, critical incidents, forced distribution, self-evaluation, essay evaluation, behavioural observation scales and management by objectives. These methods can be divided into two categories: past-oriented methods and future-oriented methods Statement of the problem Human Resource Management is the management of the human capital, workforce within an organisation. It has many functions which are: recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisals and employees promotion. M. Armstrong define it as: a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most values assets- the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives (G. Armstrong, 2006, P.3). As people make an organisation, it is important for managers to deal with their personnel enquiries effectively. Evaluate or conducting performance appraisal on employee is also very important and it is one of Human Resource Management functions. There are no standard performance evaluation methods; companies chose the method that satisfies their needs and requirement. A method is chosen according the nature and the culture of the business. Also it is important to say that each method have both advantages and disadvantages and must be analysed carefully before taken into practice. Aims and objectives of the study In order to carry out properly, accurately and normally this research, it is crucial and important to point out it aims and objectives. The research aims are: The first objective of this research is to underline the importance of performance appraisal within an organization. Why Human Resource Managers conduct or evaluate their employees. What is the reason why employees should be evaluated after a certain period of time? What is the main purpose of employee evaluation? Is employee performance related to his/her pay? Or is it because the company just want to know who is performing very well and who is not? Also has the business notice that performance appraisal lead to a kind of motivation factor for its workforce? Because some employees would like to be rewarded whenever they think they are doing a good job. The second objective of this research is to find out which performance appraisal method is undertaken by PEABODY and why have they chosen that particular method Thirdly, it is also essential to notice that performance appraisal do not only matter for the organization but also influence employees. Therefore whenever a company evaluate their employees how do they do it? Which evaluation process to do take to appraise them? Are employees getting feedback on their performance? Finally, what strategy is used by human resource manager for employees with good and poor performance appraisal? LITERATURE REVIEW According to G. Dessler, performance appraisal can be defined as: the process of evaluating an employees current and/or past performance relative to his or her performance standards. (G. Dessler, 2008, P.336). In other words, performance appraisal helps the management to identify and evaluate their employees strengths and weaknesses. As result of conducting performance appraisal by an organization, managers will be able to adopt the best suitable motivation method. For example: if an employee feedback is positive, managers should motivate or reward him because they want him to keep having good performance in the future. M. Foot C. Hook added: Managers conduct performance appraisal for variety of reason such as: improve current performance, identify training needs, to award salary increases, to increase motivation [] (M. Foot C. Hook, 2005 P.268). It can also be seen as a motivation factors when employees have the feedback on their appraisal. Managers should take different strategies with employees who have poor performance. For example they can b e sent for training and development. But before doing so, the Human resource manager should identify the reason why they have poor performance. Figure 2 explains the steps and procedures to follow when dealing with poor performance. (S. Gilmore S. William, 2009, P.247). Performance appraisal is directly link with employees training and development because when it has been conducted that an employer might be able to identify whether if their employees have to go for a training program or not. Additionally, some employees are paid depending on their performance especially those who work in the marketing department. Therefore, the company must carry out performance appraisal after a certain period of time. (G. Dessler, 2008, P.339). Furthermore, for a company to achieve their goals and objectives, each and every worker in the organization should achieve their own target. DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL There many different types of performance appraisal such as 360 degree appraisal, forced distribution method, self-appraisal, rating scales method, critical incident method, ranking method, essay method and management by objective. 360-Degree Feedback Systems Armstrong stated: 360-degree feedback is also known as multi source assessment, is a process in which someones performance is assessed and feedback is given by number of people who may include their manager, subordinates, colleagues and customers (Armstrong, 2009, P.644). This assessment method is done by different persons in order to reduce or eliminate judgmental decision and bias. As an employee performance needs to be looked in a wider aspect, internal assessment done by managers only will not be as accurate as possible. This method is useful when appraising employees who work in call centres, receptionists and customer service. Where pass the majority of their working time dealing the customer enquiries. It is also a combination of different sources of performance appraisal information to create many different evaluator or 360-degree appraisal and feedback system. Jobs are multifaceted, and different people see different things. As the name implies, 360-Degree feedback is intended to provide employees with as accurate a view of their perf ormance. As all others methods of appraising workers performance, this method has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages 360-degree feedback has many advantages such as: firstly, it looks at the employee performance from different point of view. It includes collecting multiple perspective of managers performance by allowing employees to compare their own personal evaluation with others people point of view. (R. Noe et al, 2003, P.388). Secondly, Armstrong argued that it increases awareness by senior management that they too have development needs. Sometimes managers and board director believe that they know everything and therefore do not need to be appraised on their performance. (Armstrong, 2009, P.646). This frequently happens in organization where autocratic management style is adopted which stipule that managers are always right employees should always follow without any suggestions. Finally, feedback receive are more reliable and objective, therefore adequate actions can be undertaken. (Armstrong, 2009, P.646) Disadvantages According to Armstrong, people are not always honest and therefore wrong analysis can be made by managers. Also, people mind can change time to time. J. Ivancevich added that: providing constructive feedback require a plan and well-trained rater. And this is not typically found in organization. (J. Ivancevich, 2007, P.260). However some has strategies to make sure that 360 work as effectively as possible. For instance: to encourage participation in its customer performance appraisal process, Xerox business services plant a tree for each customer who return a completed form. (Jackson et al, 2009 P. 334). The introduction of 360-degree feedback in place where pre-evaluation had not been conducted can be very dangerous. For instance: in place where there is low level of trust and high level of competition. When conducting your 360-degree, customers might not give their real opinion about an employee performance. Furthermore, this can also lead to an increase in bias. If an employee is assessed by customers who are friends and/or family, t hey might rate the employee according to their personal feeling rather than the employees performance. Another disadvantage of 360-degree feedback is that, it does involve too much bureaucracy as everyone will be asked to assess the particular employee. Therefore this may require lots of time. Additionally, conducted performance appraisal is not enough but taking effective decision after having performance appraisal result is very important. Lack of feedback may de-motivate employees to take another one next time. Moreover, they need to know what are their strengths and weakness. This is the reason why some companies conduct self-assessment method of performance appraisal. Forced Distribution G. Dessler says: The forced distribution method is similar to grading on a curve; predetermined percentages of rates are placed in various performance categories. (G. Dessler, 2008, P.345). Most of the time, companies divide it into three where there is the first category w here companys best employees are placed, then the second category where the second best in located and finally the last category where usually poor performance is found.(Jackson et al, 2009 P. 335). Those who fall in the first group are encouraged continuing with great performance with some options available. Employees in the second group category are also encouraged to increase their potentiality in order to reach the top first group and can get some bonuses or promotion relative to their performance. But those in the group are not given any kind of bonuses. This is where the management will look at the various reasons why there is poor performance and may decide whether training needs to be undertaken or not. Some managers will give a warning if poor performance continues and others may even be harsher and fired. Jackson et al added: In this method, the appraiser distributes employees across several categories of performance following a set rule about the distribution of rating that are permitted. (Jackson et al, P. 335) Self-Appraisal Self-appraisal method is the form of performance appraisal technique where employees appraise their own performance. Before adopting this method, HR manager should make sure that their employees understand their objectives and the criteria used for evaluation. (Mondy, 2008, P.251). This method prone the fact that only the employee is able to know what he/she does well and what he/she is lacking and need to be improved. J. Beardwell and T. Claydon added: self-assessment is the only way to give a complete picture of the performance of the employees and to avoid a criticise-defend scenario (J. Beardwell T. Claydon, 2007, P.512). Furthermore, this method require the employee to have a good knowledge of the job requirement and role so that he/she will easily identify the gap between what he is doing and what he is require to do. METHODOLOGY In order to carry out the aim of this project, it is essential to build a very good research methodology. This will include the framework that will be used in order to answer the question. Knowing what the different types of performance appraisal are, research methodology will elaborate all the different methods that will be used to collect as much information as possible relating to the topic Research Methods The aim of the project is to find out what performance appraisal method should be undertaken by company to evaluate with effectiveness and accuracy their workforce, therefore qualitative and quantitative research will be useful to conduct the project efficiently. Quantitative research is mostly used when question beginning by how many are often used. Quantitative analysis deals with the numbers and uses mathematical operations to investigate the properties of data. (N. Walliman, 2006, P.113). As compared to qualitative research, quantitative researches develop technique that produce quantitative data and which can be classified easily. Qualitative research on the other hand is a method which leads to the collection of qualitative data which are data that cannot be quantified. Qualitative research usually answer question such as: what do think about? What is your opinion about one particular product? Qualitative research deals with feeling, attitudes, opinions and ideas. It is very difficult to analyse as people might change mind or opinion time to time. J. Creswell added by saying that: qualitative research begins with assumptions. A worldview, the possible use of a theoretical lens, and the study of research problem inquiring into the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. (J. Creswell, 2007, P.37) Data collection The data will be collected using many sources of data collection. Secondary data collection such as: books, magazine, articles and academic journals will be used to gather much information as far as performance appraisal is concerned. Although secondary data are often books and journals, it is important to note that this source also entails non-written materials such as: voice and video recordings, pictures, drawings, films and television programmes. (M. Saunders et al, 2007, P.248). Any kind of secondary materials on performance appraisal and human resource management related to the research question will be used for the project. Primary data collection such as: questionnaire, interviews and observation will be adopted to collect information. Those data are not available on books and are more reliable than secondary data. In order to collect primary data, questionnaire will be designed and given to one HR manager and two assistant at PEABODY. The questionnaire will carry some useful questions such as: are you conducting performance appraisal on your employees? What is the importance of doing it? Which performance appraisal method have you used or are you using at the moment? What are the reasons why that method was chosen? After appraising your employees do you give them feedback on their performance? What step or strategy do you adopt with poor performance and good performance employees? Interviews will also be done to some workers in order to have an overall picture of the topic. Data analysis Data will be analysed by looking at the findings from all those different sources of data collection. Primary data analysis will be compared to the literature review in order to know if what is written in the books is followed by organisations. Findings might be presented as graph, diagrams or charts. GANTT CHART Time Activities April May June July 15th 30th 15th 30th 15th 30th 15th Introduction Literature review Research Methodology Primary Data collection Data analysis Conclusion