Operator In A Call Centre In India

Suppose you are working as an operator in a call centre in India and receiving calls from Americans and Londoners. How would you handle such calls? Ans: As an operator first thing which I would try and ask politely would be that what is the route cause of the problem of the customer and would try and give time for explaining or removing out the frustration after which the customer would then have patience in listening to what we would try and explain.As an operator I would rectify the problem by all the better means and try to explain the customer in a better way that he would get convinced completely with the solution which could rectify the same. I would also make sure that the customer has any doubts or clarifications regarding the same and reconfirm the same from the customer about the solution explained to him was clear. As an operator I would co-operate with the customer to completely resolve the problem which ultimately satisfy the customer.I would also thank the customer for having the patience and giving us an opportunity to troubleshooting the issue and getting it rectified. I don?t want to speak to you. Connect me to your boss in the US,† hissed the American on the phone. The young girl at a Bangalore call centre tried to be as polite as she could. At another call centre, another day, another young girl had a Londoner unleashing himself on her, â€Å"Young lady, do you know that because of you Indians we are losing jobs? † The outsourcing backlash is getting ugly.Handling irate callers is the new brief for the young men and women taking calls at these outsourced job centres. Supervisors tell them to be „cool?. Avinash Vashistha, managing partner of NEOIT, a leading US-based consultancy firm says, â€Å"Companies involved in outsourcing both in the US and India are already getting a lot of hate mail against outsourcing and it is hardly surprising that some people should behave like this on the telephone. † Vashistha says Indi an call centre?s should train their operators how to handle such calls. Indeed, the furor raised by the Western media over job losses because of outsourcing

Character and his relationships Essay

Describe Pip’s encounters with Miss Havisham and Estella, and show how the meetings affect his character and his relationships. Puneet Khandelwal At the start of the novel, Pip is an innocent boy who has been brought up to respect his elders and betters. He is a kind-hearted child as is seen in the episode in which he brings the convict the file and the food. He is also rather gullible and really believes that a terrible man will tear his liver out while he sleeps unless he does as he has been told. This gullibility can be seen again when he visits Miss Havisham’s house, for the first time, and is taken in by the charms of Estella. Pip first meets Miss Havisham when he goes to Satis House, to play. He sees her sitting in the candle lit room in her wedding dress and jewelry, sitting next to her dressing table. His first impression of her was that â€Å"she was the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see. † He is shocked by what he sees and thinks of her as a â€Å"ghastly waxwork. † He was â€Å"half afraid† and in an â€Å"uncomfortable state,† during this meeting. Pip is told to play, by Miss Havisham, but Pip finds this rather difficult in the gloomy surroundings. Estella is sent for to play with Pip. Estella plays a game of cards with Pip, and during this she humiliates him. Estella insults Pip by calling him â€Å"a boy† when in actual fact they are both the same ages. Estella does this time and time again and Pip felt very stupid and clumsy after he dropped the cards while dealing them. While playing at cards, she comments on Pip being â€Å"common† and that he â€Å"calls Knaves, Jacks, this boy. † Pip feels very nervous after this humiliation. Pip meets both Miss Havisham and Estella, again, six days later when he is told to explore the grounds of Satis House. Pip feels himself inferior of the lower status because Estella orders him, â€Å"you are to stand there, boy, till you are wanted. † Then Estella makes him say that she is â€Å"very pretty† and then she asks him if she is insulting but suddenly slaps him around the face and calls him a â€Å"little coarse monster,† which adds further insult to Pip. She then calls him â€Å"a boy† again in front of the other people who are also in the room. By this time Pip can no longer stand up for himself. After a few years, when Pip is a little older, he is apprenticed to Joe. Pip’s sister and Joe’s wife, Mrs. Joe, is attacked by an unknown person, and so due to her disability, Biddy joins the household to help out. He visits Miss Havisham as usual but on one of these visits he finds that Estella has gone abroad to be educated. Pip is upset at this news because he started to like Estella quite a lot but he also thinks that Biddy is growing up into a â€Å"rather attractive woman,† and is quite fond of her. When he is told, by Jaggers, that Pip has inherited a â€Å"handsome property,† Pip immediately thinks that the â€Å"handsome property† is Satis House. He is also told that he must begin his education in London right away. Pip’s attitude to Joe and Biddy completely changes now and he begins to think himself as being a gentleman, something that he is not. He begins to speak highly of himself and talks down at Joe and Biddy. He is insulting to Biddy because he says; â€Å"you are envious, Biddy, and grudging. You are dissatisfied on account of my rise in fortune and can’t help showing it†¦ † Biddy takes as a huge insult. He is rude to Biddy because he compares her to Estella. He also talks down to Joe, â€Å"It’s a pity now, Joe,† said I, † that you did not get a little more when we had our lessons here; isn’t it? † He doesn’t approve of other people’s manners, especially Joe. He talks to Biddy about Joe when he says, â€Å"but he is rather backward in some things. For instance, Biddy, in his learning and his manners,† and has clearly been influenced by Estella. He has become ashamed of Joe and no longer wants to talk to him. He thinks that Joe and Biddy are just commoners and he sees himself as a gentleman. He has become rather bid headed. Now that he has got some of the money, it starts to go to his head and he sees himself as a person with a higher status than the people of the village. He is, in a way, desperate to be rich. The scene in Mr. Trabb’s tailor shop shows Pip having the measurements for a new suit being taken. In the shop, Pip boasts his new status by saying, â€Å"I wish to pay for them†¦ with ready money,† and gets a few coins and shakes them in his hand. He also orders Mr. Trabb’s boy around even though they were previously equal. He begins to despise the village, in which he has stayed all his life, and now he just wants to get away from it all. Everything that he used to admire he now despises, such as Joe, the Forge, his upbringing, his apprenticeship and where he lives. He only has one thing on his mind, and that is to be rich. However, he does become a little unhappy because he has seen the upper lass lifestyle and he doesn’t find it as exciting and he can’t do the things that he used to do, like play in the streets. He doesn’t have any friends and now he becomes even lonelier. But he prepared to give all this up, as he is desperate to win Estella and desperate to obtain all the money. He doesn’t see that some people are trying to take advantage of his new wealth, such as Mr. Pumblechook. Pip is invited over for dinner by Mr. Pumblechook, who gives him the best wine and the best meat to eat and at the end he asks Pip if he would like to invest some of his money in Mr. Pumblechook’s corn business. Mr. Pumblechook never ever used to be this nice to Pip, when he was a commoner, but now that Pip has a lot of money, Mr. Pumblechook treats Pip just like the upper class. So overall Pip went from being just a normal, common boy who loved Joe, and his own sister, and was respectful of everyone that was elder than him and turned into someone who didn’t care about anyone else besides those of the upper class. He became disrespectful, snobbish, very insulting and bid headed.

Promotion Strategies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Promotion Strategies - Case Study Example Another important factor which affects the respondent's interest is because their inclination towards performance, it is very common for them to completely neglect the other programs in the general newsletter. Many a time they just have a glance and most of the time the other programs get completely neglected. The general newsletter is perhaps the most effective way of communication; it has been successful in marketing almost anything. All most all the donors recall getting a newsletter and this goes to show that it is very effective. The lapsed donors were unsuccessful and this goes to show that the donations received by Bell aren't quite utilized the way it is meant to be utilized. Bell can undoubtedly improve on its communication, their financial report can be provided to the donors if not on a monthly basis but at least on a quarterly basis. The donors stop contributing towards the organization because of two main reasons, they either run out of money or they lose the desire to help the same organization over and over again. If they run out of money then it is still acceptable because upon recuperating, they will again start helping the organization. If they stop because of lost interest in the organization, then they can be retained by improving the communication system at Bell.

Technology Improves Transportations Research Paper

Technology Improves Transportations - Research Paper Example The researcher states that transportation today is one of the most crucial and basic ingredient of all the field of human life, especially of international trade e.g. shipping, agriculture, food industry, construction, traveling, tourism, and number of other business fields, that simply cannot go ahead even a single step without the support of transportation. The safe and secure carrying of passengers, speedy deliverance of products, and preservation of quality of different commodities are most important issues for the success of transportation companies. Due to this reason, users consult reliable companies which utilize the latest modes of transportation and technologies for efficient delivery. The use of latest technologies has introduced new trends in transportation industry and put certain direct implications on different actors associated with this field. These actors include infrastructure (e.g. roads, highways, bridges, railways, subways, tramways, airports, seaports etc), mod es of transportation (e.g. buses, cars, rails, trams, planes, freights etc), and functions pertaining to of transportation industry. Since users keep themselves continuously engage with new innovative services in all facets of life, therefore, by focusing on transportation industry, this research paper describes the development of modern technologies and their ultimate impact on the improvement of different aspects of transportation as well as enhancing easiness in transportation today and increasing it's flow capacity.... But its drawback is that it is much time consuming than other modes of transportations. It is basically the blessing of modern technology which enabled the construction of roads, airports, railways, subways, and trams. Asphalt compactors are used for speedy compaction and finishing of roads. Hydraulic Trucks have the capacity to lift 200 to 250 tons of loads due to having a swing-away lattice jib extension which provides it additional 30’ to 40’ of length. Besides these equipment, excavators, fork lifter, pavers, trenchers, crawler loaders, and some other miscellaneous machinery is used throughout the world to construct and repair the roads and highways in speedy way (Vehicle Valuation Services, Inc). Air transportation is one of the leading services in transportation industry. Heavy constructing technology is operated for the construction and re-carpeting of runways. Auto sweeper transports are being used to prevent the air traffic from Field Object Damages which may p roduce very serious outcomes for planes. The application of advanced crash tenders on airports, for rescue and firefighting services, have increased the transportation safety manifold. FLF Panther, Alvis Salamander, E-1, and MB are some most modern crash tenders presently in use at numbers of airports. Installation of Doppler Radars and Automated Weather Observation Systems, have also increased the safety of aircraft from any environmental effect (CopRadar.com). Improvement in Transportation Modes The world had never such huge numbers of transportation modes as today it has. In ancient times, human used to travel on animals. Today, it has automobiles, buses, rails, trams, subways, ships, and aircraft to go from one place to other or to cargo its products anywhere

Nursing experiential learning paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing experiential learning paper - Essay Example m a visit to the grammar school point to the effect that basic knowledge about communities is of paramount importance to community health agencies with regards to the provision of care which increases autonomy to the individuals, families and communities as well. In this particular case, gaining knowledge about the religious and cultural beliefs of a certain group of people would greatly help especially in demystifying the myth that traditional rites and prayers are effective remedies to illnesses than conventional health care. It would give the local people a sense of independence and self sufficiency in primary health care issues. For instance, immunization against killer diseases in infancy such as tetanus or diphtheria is the most effective remedy in the prevention of such diseases. This knowledge would enlighten the families especially on the essence of primary health care. On the other hand, this visit was also enlightening in that gathering information about communities made up of a diverse population would enable effective communication between client populations and other health care providers in the management of healthcare. This would also enable practises in established roles to provide cost effective, quality heath care in both structured and unstructured settings. This would be based on the notion that prevention is better than cure since it would be cost effective to prevent a disease at grassroots level before its outbreak. This visit was also effective in building a sense of personal and professional development as part of the life-long learning process in the nursing fraternity. Getting first hand information about aggregates and communities enables a health practitioner to be objective especially when dealing with a diverse population with diversified needs as well. The main objective would be the provision of quality health care regardless of creed or belief system. Another visit to the town health department also found that the population

Community outreach project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Community outreach project - Essay Example The mission of initiating a new service is to evaluate community-based library outreach programs using various components that are paired with relevant alternative strategies. In order to achieve its mission, there are various strategies that have to put into consideration to facilitate the process of community outreach program in the field of nursing. However, this paper intend to discuss two of those strategies and these encompasses directional strategy and market strategy. From research, a directional strategy is frequently developed focusing on different components such as, progress, steadiness, as well as cost cutting (Addis & Gamble, 2004). Therefore, for an organization intending to introduce a new service for patients, before establishing a directional strategy, it is vital to define the main objective of such an action. For instance, the main intention of this new service is to increase profits and cut costs at the same time, while improving the lives of patients through the community outreach program. By identifying the objective of introducing the new service, it becomes easier to choose the best type of directional strategy that suits the outreach program (Kreuter, Lezin & Young, 2000). For example, by using cost-cutting strategy, it will be easy to carry out rationalizations, eradicating particular products from the line before introducing the new one, or even file for impoverishment or selling out. The significance of a directional strategy is to play as a control to direct an organization through both peaceful and unsettled times (Berwick, 2003). Directional strategy helps in maintaining the objective of the new service to be introduced in the market; it also stabilizes and helps in the expansion of profits as well as makes it possible for the business to move forward with its activities without losing tract of the intended project. The key objective of a directional strategy is to keep the business focused in the planned manner probable while pr oceeding to expand both returns and services provided to patients in the community outreach program. In most cases, directional strategies enable the introduction or the initiation of the new service to develop in one of the two paths. These include either perpendicular or straight expansion. In this case, vertical expansion implies that introducing the new service will focus on present clients and clients increase their spending on the new service or establishing new clients with the new service. On the other hand, horizontal expansion encompasses pursuing new customers and those clients in the immediate location to enjoy the new service that is being offered. It also involves enlarging the outreach to other areas in order to expand the client base of the new service. Another strategy that will be used in this process includes the market strategy. As it is known, a strategy is always a long-term plan that is established to attain particular objectives. Thus, a market strategy is a plan developed to attain marketing goals for the new service intended to be introduced in the nursing field (Whitney, Dutcher& Keselman, 2013). For instance, marketing goal may be to initiate a new service by appreciating clients or patients. The strategic plan thus is the complete planning that includes marketing research, and then establishing a marketing mix to appreciate clients. It is essential for every business or organization

Chem 1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chem 1 - Coursework Example What would be the danger of exposure to the contents of this car? Would the vapor hug the ground? 7. If someone left the valve open on a 15 L cylinder of carbon monoxide gas at 23 oC and 750 psig and the tank emptied into a room that was 25 feet by 15 feet by 8.5 feet high, what would the final concentration of carbon monoxide be in the room in ppm? Will you die if you stay in the room? The severity of symptoms of CO exposure is influenced by three main factors: (1) the concentration of CO in the environment; (2) how long the exposure lasts, and (3) work-load and breathing rate. In general, assuming that users of gasoline-powered engines are engaged in at least a moderate level of activity, exposure to CO concentrations of 80 to100 parts per million (ppm) for 1 to 2 hours can result in decreased exercise tolerance and, in persons who are at risk, may bring on chest pain and cause irregular heartbeat [EPA 1991a]. Symptoms associated with CO exposure concentrations of 100 to 200 ppm include headache, nausea, and mental impairment. More serious central nervous system effects, coma, and death are associated with CO exposure concentrations of 700 ppm or greater for an hour or more . Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area. Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and material safety data sheets. Answer: Flammable and combustible liquids are liquids that can burn. They are classified, or grouped, as either flammable or combustible by their flashpoints. Generally speaking, flammable liquids will ignite (catch on

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Sustainable Supply Chain Management - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that effective and efficient association puts a business in a better position to maximize on its profits; a business needs to put in place effective methods of managing its chains so that it reduces any wastage that may result and at the same time, being friendly to the environment. Currently, the concept of environmental management has become a thorny issue across the globe, this has translated to heavy fines and penalties to those businesses and other entities found violating environmental management practices. For this reason, a business ought to rely on effective use and management of its vehicles so that they do not release most of them to places where effective planning can see the use of only few of them. This is the idea that has led t the establishment of ideas into sustainable chain management. At the same time, it is important to realize the critical need for suppliers in the business and the importance of esta blishing more links. The work of the production and sales department should be to look for better opportunities for cheaper inputs while trying to sustain those suppliers that the business already has. In doing this, the business is able to remain in operation just in case there is a change in the supply environment, prompting the exit of some important suppliers in the business. the need to ensure sustainability and consistency in terms of product delivery into the market has been the ultimate aim of most businesses.

The Reasons for the Popularity of Plastic Surgery in Recent Years Essay Example for Free

The Reasons for the Popularity of Plastic Surgery in Recent Years Essay Outline: a. Children Should /Should Not Be Left Fortunes Nowadays, whether children should be left fortunes has been a controversial issue. As far as I am concerned, children should not be left fortunes for the following reasons. First of all, children may be extravagant with the money that is left to them. Secondly, children were too small to have a right value of money. Finally, children can really experience life from pressure. All in all, it’s more wise that children should not be left fortunes, which may make children really experience all aspects of life. b. Books or Films should be censored As our society become increasingly complicated, books and films also have been affected in their contents. Because of the existence of some harmful information, books or films should be censored. In the first place, people in reality will be affected in their conducts by the violence in books and films. Besides, censorship is a necessary step to protect children from those harmful things. In addition, censorship also do good to our society. To sum up, many people will benefit from censorship. Therefore, books or films should be censored. c. People’s Worth Is Shown in the Reward they Earn Different people vary in the points of view on people’s worth. For me, people’s worth isn’t only shown in the reward they earn. First, there is no doubt that the reward they earn is a part of their worth. Besides, what they have made to contribute to society is the important part to show their worth. All in all, people’s worth is shown not only in the reward they earn but also in the contribution they make to our society. d. Opportunity and Resolution Is the Key to Success As we all know, success depends on various factors. Among them, I think opportunity and resolution is the key to success. First at start, opportunity can lead you to success because opportunity always waits for people who have prepared well. Then resolution will promote you to put into practice, which can make you become closer to success. In a word, although there are many other factors would affect success, opportunity and resolution still is the key to success. e. Yuanming Yuan (the Round Bright Garden)Should or Should Not Be Restored Yuanming Yuan, as our great historical relics, has been destroyed many years ago. I strongly hold that it should be restored. First, it should be restored in order to remember the humiliation we have suffered. Second, we should educate our descents though this. What’s the most important, it’s the great masterpieces of our ancestors and bears our cultural relieves. All in all, we should definitely rebuild our Yuanming Yuan. f. Clothes Make a Man or Cosmetics Make a Woman People are not always perfect. But to some extent, clothes make a man or cosmetics make a woman. First, people can cover their weaks through proper clothing and make-up. Then what they wear and look like can embody their inside. In a word, appropriate clothing and make- up make people. Composition: g. In recent years, plastic surgery has been very fashionable, especially among young people. They think it is important for their sense of self-confidence regarding their appearance, or in getting a job. What is your opinion about plastic surgery? Please write an essay on the following topic. The Reasons for the Popularity of Plastic Surgery in Recent Years In recent years, plastic surgery has become very popular especially among young people. The motive of people who accept plastic surgery varied. But in my opinion, there are two main reasons for the popularity of plastic surgery in recent years. In the first place, it can enhance their sense of self-confidence regarding their appearance. Because we all know that people who will do plastic surgery are often not satisfied with their own appearances. The effect of plastic surgery cannot be underestimated, which would really improve one’s thought to their appearance. A good appearance will make people feel confident to everything. Besides, plastic surgery can help in getting a job. In such a crucial society, a good appearance can help in some kind of work. Although we thought it is unfair, this phenomenon still exist in our society. We can’t deny it but to enhance ourselves. From what have been listed above, we may reasonably arrive at the conclusion that plastic surgery really dose help in many aspects. But I hold that beauty is only skin-deep, and we should try our best to become a competent and well-trained person.

Impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance

Impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance Acknowledgement Apart from the efforts put by me, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of my Thesis. I am heartily thankful to my Thesis Guide- Prof. Robin Thomas, whose encouragement, guidance and support from the initial to the final level enabled me to develop an understanding of this subject. The guidance and support received from all the members who contributed and who are contributing to this research, was vital for the success of this Thesis. I am grateful for their constant support and help. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance in the organizations in todays scenario. Also, to study the impact of effective Employer Branding on perceptual and objective areas of Performance Management. ABSTRACT Employer branding is the development and communication of an organizations culture as an employer in the marketplace. It conveys the organizations value proposition the totality of the organizations culture, systems, attitudes, and employee relationship along with encouraging its people to embrace and share goals for success, productivity, and satisfaction both on personal and professional levels. Employer branding represents a firms efforts to promote, both within and outside the firm, a clear view of what makes it different and desirable as an employer. In recent years employer branding has gained popularity among practicing managers. The importance of managing employee perceptions has given rise to the contemporary notion of Employer Brand. This is essentially the brand the employer projects to existing and potential employees via the chain of communication touch points ranging from recruitment intermediaries through to line managers. However one of the major issues in Employer Branding is how to measure an employer brand, what value does the employer brand have? Ultimately, a strong employer brand should contribute to the performance and success of the organization. The workforce is the real driver of profits in todays business world. Employer Branding helps in recruitment and retention of the best of talents. It has its impact in many areas of Human Resource Management like Employee Loyalty, Employee commitment, Employee retention and one of these areas which should get highly affected by this concept is Employee Performance. The strength of an organizations brand has a significant impact on the performance of its employees. A strong Employer Brand has a significant influence in the employees performance and that a strong product brand can essentially support the development of the employment brand. These days companies make a lot of investments in this concept of Employer Branding, thus studying the extent of its impact on Employees Performance in these organizations has become a vital need in todays scenario. THE SCOPE/COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF THE STUDY * To study the concept of Employer Branding and its evolution over a period of time. * To study what it takes for an organization to build a magnetic Employer Brand. * To study the causes that lead organizations to focus more on this concept of Employer Branding. * To study the extent to which this process of Employer Branding helps the organizations to improve Employee Performance and what impact it has on other areas like Employee Loyalty and Employee Retention. * To study Employees Brand Based Equity and its impact on Employee Performance. * To study the benefits gained by the organizations as well as the obstacles faced by the organizations in the development and implementation of this process of Employer Branding. * To study the ways by which the impact of Employer Branding Process can be measured with Employee Performance being a major area of focus. METHODOLOGY The conceptual study of the thesis will be done through literature reviews. Descriptive research design will be used to get an idea of the implementation of this concept. Also, Causal research design will be used to understand the relationship between the variables under study to reach reliable and valid conclusions. The method of Probability sampling will be used to carry out the required surveys. Hereby, the method of Stratified Random Sampling will be used. The use of these methods and Research Designs would make the study more concrete and reliable. SOURCES OF INFORMATION  · Secondary data collection will be done through websites, literature study, journals, magazines and articles.  · Primary data collection will be done through interviews of professionals and subject experts. Also, the questionnaires will be used to carry out the surveys of the Target Audience. * The target audience would be the H.R [Senior Level] and Subject Experts. Study would be conducted across sectors and around Five Industries would be taken under study. Five Firms would be taken for survey purpose under each Industry. So in all, 25 H.R [Senior Level] across sectors and Five Subject Experts would be surveyed. Sample size would be 30. Note: The thesis has to be divided in three parts. The first part would talk about the following: * The meaning and background of Employer Branding, the dimensions of Employer Branding, etc. * The meaning and background of Employee Performance and how it is defined. * How are Employer Branding and Employee Performance related. The second part would be of Industry research which would include study of various industries taking into consideration various units under various industries. It would include data analysis and data interpretation. The third part would include the derivations of the study. It would include key findings and learning and suggestions. Chapter 1. Introduction to Branding 1.1 Defining a Brand Branding has been around for centuries as a means to distinguish the goods of one producer from those of another. In fact, the word brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr, which means â€Å"to burn, as brands are the means by which owners of livestock mark their animals to identify them. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA) a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition.† Technically speaking, then, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand. Thus, the key to creating a brand, according to the AMA definition, is to be able to choose a name, logo, symbol, package design, or other attribute that identifies a prod ­uct and distinguishes it from others. These different components of a brand that iden ­tify and differentiate it can be called brand elements. A brand is therefore a product, but one that adds other dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same need. These differences may be rational and tangible—related to product performance of the brand—or more symbolic, emotional, and intangible—related to what the brand represents. One mar ­keting Observer put it this way. More specifically, what distinguishes a brand from its unbranded commodity counterpart and gives it equity is the sum total of consumers perceptions and feelings about the products attributes and how they perform, about the brand name and what it stands for, and about the company associated with the brand? 1.2 Why Brand? More and more firms and other organizations have come to the realization that one of their most valuable assets is the brand names associated with their products or services. In an increasingly complex world, individuals and businesses are faced with more and more choices but seemingly have less and less time to make those choices. The ability of a strong brand to simplify consumer decision making, reduce risk, and set expectations is thus invaluable. Creating strong brands that deliver on that promise, and maintaining and enhancing the strength of those brands over time, is thus a management imperative. Emile Durkheim in Elementary Forms of The Religious Life explains the religion of the Australian Aborigines. The concept of a church as Durkheim defines it is ‘a shared feeling of a special kind. It is group dynamics, the act of assembling for a common purpose, that creates the feeling of being in the presence of a spirit greater than the individual, a sacred feeling of being in the presence of a spirit greater than the individual, a sacred feeling that strikes a chord with our deepest longings. Brands, too, strike chords. However, striking the right chord is both difficult and often costly. There are no guarantees of the result, although there is a clear difference in the growth of financial value if we compare companies that have done at least a little branding and those that havent branded themselves at all. 1.3 Why do Brands matter? Creating a successful brand entails blending all these various elements to ­gether in a unique way—the product or service has to be of high quality and appropriate to consumer needs, the brand name must be appealing and in tune with the consumers perceptions of the product, the packaging, promo ­tion, pricing and all other elements must similarly meet the tests of appropri ­ateness, appeal, and differentiation. An obvious question is why are brands important? What functions do they per ­form that make them so valuable to marketers? One can take a couple of per ­spectives to uncover the value of brands to both consumers and firms themselves. 1.3.1 To Consumers As with the term product, this book uses the term consumer broadly to encompass all types of customers, including individuals as well as organizations. To consumers, brands provide important functions. Brands identify the source or maker of a product and allow consumers to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. Most important, brands take on special meaning to consumers. Because of past experi ­ences with the product and its marketing program over the years, consumers learn about brands. They find out which brands satisfy their needs and which ones do not. As a result, brands provide a shorthand device or means of simplification for their product decisions. If consumers recognize a brand and have some knowledge about it, then they do not have to engage in a lot of additional thought or processing of information to make a product decision. Thus, from an economic perspective, brands allow consumers to lour search costs for products both internally (in terms of how much they have to think) and externally (in terms of how much they have to look around). Based on what they already know about the brand—its quality, product characteristics, and so forth— consumers can make assumptions and form reasonable expectations about what they may not know about the brand. Brands can also play a significant role in signaling certain product characteristics to consumers. Researchers have classified products and their associated attributes or benefits into three major categories: search goods, experience goods, and credence goods. With search goods, product attributes can be evaluated by visual inspection (e.g., the sturdiness, size, color, style, weight, and ingredient composition of a product). With experience goods, product attributes—potentially equally important—cannot be assessed so easily by inspection, and actual product trial and experience is necessary (e.g., as with durability, service quality, safety, and ease of handling or use). With cre ­dence goods, product attributes may be rarely learned (e.g., insurance coverage). Because of the difficulty in assessing and interpreting product attributes and benefits with experience and credence goods, brands may be particularly important signals of quality and other characteristics to consumers for these types of products. Brands can reduce the risks in product decisions. Consumers may perceive many different types of risks in buying and consuming a product: *Functional risk: The product does not perform up to expectations *Physical risk: The product poses a threat to the physical well-being or health of the user or others *Financial risk: The product is not worth the price paid *Social risk: The product results in embarrassment from others *Psychological risk: The product affects the mental well-being of the user *Time risk: The failure of the product results in an opportunity cost of finding another satis ­factory product Although there are a number of different means by which consumers handle these risks, certainly one way in which consumers cope is to buy well-known brands, espe ­cially those brands with which consumers have had favorable past experiences. Thus, brands can be a very important risk-handling device, especially in business to business settings where these risks can sometimes have quite profound implications. 1.3.2 To Firms Brands also provide a number of valuable functions to firms. Fundamentally, they serve an identification purpose to simplify product handling or tracing for the firm. Operationally, brands help to organize inventory and accounting records. A brand also offers the firm legal protection for unique features or aspects of the product. A brand can retain intellectual property rights, giving legal title to the brand owner. The brand name can be protected through registered trademarks, manufacturing processes can be protected through patents, and packaging can be protected through copyrights and designs. These intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can safely invest in the brand and reap the benefits of a valuable asset. As noted earlier, these investments in the brand can endow a product with unique associations and meanings that differentiate it from other products. Brands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product again. This brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and cre ­ates barriers of entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. Although manufacturing processes and product designs may be easily duplicated, last ­ing impressions in the minds of individuals and organizations from years of marketing activity and product experience may not be so easily reproduced. In this sense, brand ­ing can be seen as a powerful means of securing a competitive advantage. 1.4 Can anything be branded? [Can organizations be branded?] Brands clearly provide important benefits to both consumers and firms. An obvious question, then, is, How are brands created? How do we brand a product? Although firms provide the impetus for brand creation through their marketing programs and other activities, ultimately a brand is something that resides in the minds of consumers. A brand is a perceptual entity that is rooted in reality, but it is also more than that, reflecting the perceptions and perhaps even the idiosyncrasies of consumers. To brand a product it is necessary to teach consumers who the product is by giving it a name and using other brand elements to help identify it—as well as what the product does and why consumers should care. In other words, to brand a product or ser ­vice, it is necessary to give consumers a label for the product (i.e., heres how we can identify the product) and to provide meaning for the brand to consumers (i.e., heres what this particular product can do for we and why it is special and different from other brand name products). Branding involves creating mental structures and helping con ­sumers organize their knowledge about products and services in a way that clarifies their decision making and, in the process, provides value to the firm. The key to brand ­ing is that consumers perceive differences among brands in a product category. As noted earlier, brand differences often are related to attributes or benefits of the product itself. In other cases, however, brand d ifferences may be related to more intangible image considerations. The universality of branding can be recognized by looking at some different product applications. As noted previously, products can be defined broadly to include phys ­ical-goods, services, retail stores, online businesses, people, organizations, places, or ideas. Brands extend beyond products and services. People and organizations also can be viewed as brands. The naming aspect of the brand is generally straightforward in this case, and people and organizations also often have well-defined images understood and liked or disliked by others. This fact becomes particularly true when considering public figures such as politicians, entertainers, and professional athletes. All of these different public figures compete in some sense for public approval and acceptance and benefit from conveying a strong and desirable image. 2: Introduction to Employer Branding 2.1 Defining an Employer Brand Like a consumer brand, it is an emotional relationship, but between an employer and employee, one that radiates out from this core to other stakeholders, to the community at large, and obviously to potential employees. Employer branding is the development and communication of an organizations culture as an employer in the marketplace. It conveys a value proposition the totality of a culture, systems, attitudes, and employee relationship along with encouraging a people to embrace and share goals for success, productivity, and satisfaction both on personal and professional levels. Employer branding is the essence of the employment experience, providing points that commence with initial employer brand awareness, and continuing throughout the tenure of employment, even extending into retirement. Employer branding is a distinguishing and relevant opportunity for a company to differentiate itself from the competition creating its branded factors as its USP for employee satisfaction and happiness resulting in retention, productivity and efficiency. 2.2 Elements/ Essentials of an Employer Brand Few things that form an Employer Brand are:  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST ARTICULATE A PROMISE TO EMPLOYEES. Just as every business has a customer brand, every business has an employer brand, too. Whether or not a business has ever spent any time developing it. Thats because every business needs employees. And as it recruits and retains and motivates, a business needs to clarify what it stands for. Why it must exist. What difference it can make. What it believes in. How its offerings align with its values. And if a business doesnt define an employer brand, just ask the recruiters. They will tell the story based on their own experience. In fact, more than 90 percent of people on line looking for jobs say they must very closely or closely understand the value of working for a company, according to the 2005 poll by Yahoo! Hot Jobs. An employer brand is a promise to employees to provide an experience that, in return, will motivate their commitment to deliver a customer brand. The real spirit of a employer brand is a combination of what a business may promise and deliver, inside and outside. Essentially, its about a relationship, between a business and a people. How business generally approaches people, or talent, has actually changed a bit over the years. We can remember when business viewed employees as followers in a campaign—people who simply did as they were told. Then, as time passed, business progressed to considering employees as partners in the implementation of strategies. This led, in recent years, to a consideration of the exchange between employees and business—sort of a we do this in exchange for this—to express the relationship. But that was primarily a financial transaction. And over time the old ways of framing the relationship functionally became outdated. Employees began to demand a relationship that reached for something more: an emotional connection. Thats where employer brand makes a difference. An employer brand can be a magical combination of what a business values, offers, and rewards—marrying what a brand promises outside with what a experience demands inside; what a business believes in and how we fundamentally respect the people who deliver a brand.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST SUPPORT A BUSINESS STRATEGY. But one cant just build an employer brand because everyone else does. Its too important. Theres too much it must accomplish. The need must come from a business strategy. The key to a successful employer brand is alignment with the business strategy, says Yvonne Larkin of Diageo. Together the business and organization strategies give the employer brand a reason for being. The power of employer brand is how it connects the internal experience to the external business need. How it grounds the necessity for this internal experience in the economic realities of the buying decisions a customers make. For example, is a business in a phase of rapid growth? An employer brand is essential to a growth strategy. Thats because growth will demand that a business continue to hire the right people in the right jobs at the right time. And keep the people we currently have. This constant effort to recruit and re recruit demands that a business enjoy a reputation in the marketplace that will support am bitions for growth. An employer brand can help a business clarify what will and will not change as we grow. And what growth means to the people who choose to work for we. Or is a business shrinking? An employer brand is essential to a strategy for stability. It can, simply, give employees something to hold on to during periods of significant turbulence. An emotional connection with employees will be tested as a business faces challenges, such as reducing a size without cutting out a heart, or shifting a direction from what employees may consider sacred. And is a business changing? Considering or pursuing new strategies? An employer brand is essential to any change strategy simply because it provides a focal point for employees. An employer brand is a touchstone for a employees, as their willingness to emotionally connect may be tested with each action each day. The essence of effective change management is effective stability management, giving people things to protect as they adjust to things that change. An employer brand can give people that emotional anchor as they may emotionally react to how they are expected to change. It can help people sing off the same page and embrace a common vision.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE, FOR EMPLOYEES, WHAT A CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE. An employer brand will never thrive if its only an HR thing or a Communications thing. If its only purpose is to make people feel better. It will only thrive if it makes a difference in results by making a difference to customers. If it supports every touch point a customers have with a business. Such importance is a key reason why Hallmark, as part of its internal efforts to excite employees about its consumer brand, annually gives each employee a card pack as a friendly way to tell others of sending greeting cards. The card pack is just that—an attractive folder with three greeting cards inside, along with a note to the employee suggesting that they share this pack with someone outside Hallmark and their immediate family, such as a new neighbor, the person sitting next to them on an airplane or bus, or the helpful sacker at the grocery store.† The approach clearly connects employees to consumer touch points to help share Hallmarks mission of enriching lives. A customer who has a positive experience will be more likely to return. But that positive experience doesnt simply happen. People make it happen. And most of these are employees of a business. A customers experience, regardless of the product or service a business offers, is a series of reactions and observ ations at each touch point: how people notice, observe, hear, experience, and talk. Every brand experience has a defining moment. An authentic brand experience will be consistent from one person to the next because employees internalize what they must accomplish at each customer touch point. And ultimately they will tell others what they think based on what their experience. Commitment to the brand is just as important for an employee who touches customers as for an employee who never sees a customer. People who work with customers must live the brand in every interaction they conduct. Others, at the same time, work behind the scenes to make sure customer-facing employees have the tools and support they need for a positive interaction. Any business has people who never see a customer but who, in every interaction, represent the brand. Regardless of where an employee works, the commitment to deliver the brand involves internalizing the promise the brand makes, developing the skills necessary to deliver the promise, and displaying the behavior necessary when implementing those skills. At every touch point.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE WHAT A BUSINESS NEEDS FROM AN EMPLOYEES. All the magical things that can happen when a brand connects with customers dont simply happen. Employees make them happen. An employer brand is more than simply articulating what the customer brand is all about. A employer brand must define what a business needs from employees to deliver the brand Two things must happen for any employee of any business— from the smallest gas station on the corner to the largest global business—to live the brand. First, the employee must understand what the brand is all about. The employee must understand and internalize the essence of what a business is about—how that essence authentically applies to the products and services and experiences a business offers, and how the customer brand articulates this essence. What customers expect. To successfully deliver the brand promise to customers, the employee must understand the difference a business makes to customers—through its brands as well as what employees are expected to deliver. Which is the difference between doing the job and delivering the brand? Second, the employee must believe how the brand differentiates from what else is available on the market. Its not enough for the employee to believe the product, service, or business is a better choice. The employee must seriously believe it is the only choice. How the brand is aspirational. The employee must believe in the authenticity of the pictures the brand can create. The idea the brand promotes. How the brand reaches beyond a single product or service to articulate the cumulative purpose of a business behind the brand and how it connects to what people aspire to be. How the brand is inspirational. The employee must believe in the authenticity of the brand. What a business stands for. How it differentiates from others, not just in products and services, but in fundamental integrity. How its business proposition stands apart. What is unique in how a business inspires people to connect? How the brand is emotional. The employee must feel a sense of ownership in the brand, how the brand represents a business and anyone who works for a business. As if each employee wears the brand on his or her sleeve. And it certainly involves more than wearing a logo on a shirt. This has everything to do with the values of a business. Its as if, to strongly believe in the brand, the employee must believe there is something at this business they simply cannot find anywhere else. This has everything to do with how the employees values align with the values of a business. And if everyone in a business shares and aligns with these values, the brand will grow stronger. How the brand is functional. Finally, the employee must believe the products and services a business produces will actually work. They must believe in the functional integrity of what a business delivers.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE ON-BRAND BEHAVIOR. On-brand behavior is what brand is all about. Any business needs specific behaviors from employees to deliver its brand promise to customers. This on-brand behavior occurs when an employee acts (or delivers) in a way that is consistent with what the brand is all about. And its important because customers experience the brand only when employees deliver the characteristics the brand promises—when the behavior of employees supports the promise of the brand. The key to delivery of the brand is the on-brand behavior of employees at each touch point. PG carefully outlines the principles for creating exciting, memorable PG experiences—in short, a summary of on-brand behavior. In materials distributed to employees, the company says, â€Å"To make the experience personal for a consumer, the employee is encouraged, for example, to anticipate, appreciate, and respond to diverse styles, needs, and motivations. To put the guest in the center of the experience, the employee is encouraged to be genuine and authentic in actions and behavior. To deliberately build a consistent delightful experience for the consumer, the employee is encouraged to define and execute a total experience from the very first moment the guest is made aware through the final follow-up. To make the guests experience comfortable and seemingly simple, the employee is suggested to put the guest at ease. And to respond generously and selflessly to delight, and go beyond what is expected, the employee is encouraged to always look for ways to improve an experience .† The role of the employee to deliver the brand will differ from one business to another, simply because of the differences in what businesses offer. On-brand behavior is just as important in businesses whose employees never see a customer. Employees create what a business sells to customers. And customers experience the brand.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST CONNECT WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE TO WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE. A business has a customer brand as a place to buy—and an employer brand as a place to work. While a customer brand focuses on specific products or services available externally, an employer brand may highlight distinct experiences or opportunities available internally. An employer brand, on the inside, frames the experience a business creates for employees, so they in turn deliver the brand promises to customers. In fact, the only way an employer brand can authentically reflect a business is if it articulates an identity, mission and values. That can happen only if an employer brand builds from the inside—to incorporate an essential identity, mission, and values. But its not just about what happens inside a business. To fully picture the potential of an employer brand, we must focus on what happens outside—and what an employees must deliver.  § A EMPLOYER BRAND MUST FOCUS ON EMPLOYEE CHOICE Every day, employees make choices about where and how to work. They view each stage of their relationship with a business as a brand experience that a business delivers. Some may consider new opportunities they believe may better meet their personal expectations. Some may wonder Whats in it for me? if they contribute to the demands of the job and a business. Some may decide to depart a business about which they hold memories of what they experience—and they likely will share those experiences with others still actively connected to or certainly considering a business as an employer. Thats why a business needs to use its employer brand no matter what it is doing or w Impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance Impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance Acknowledgement Apart from the efforts put by me, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of my Thesis. I am heartily thankful to my Thesis Guide- Prof. Robin Thomas, whose encouragement, guidance and support from the initial to the final level enabled me to develop an understanding of this subject. The guidance and support received from all the members who contributed and who are contributing to this research, was vital for the success of this Thesis. I am grateful for their constant support and help. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of Employer Branding on Employee Performance in the organizations in todays scenario. Also, to study the impact of effective Employer Branding on perceptual and objective areas of Performance Management. ABSTRACT Employer branding is the development and communication of an organizations culture as an employer in the marketplace. It conveys the organizations value proposition the totality of the organizations culture, systems, attitudes, and employee relationship along with encouraging its people to embrace and share goals for success, productivity, and satisfaction both on personal and professional levels. Employer branding represents a firms efforts to promote, both within and outside the firm, a clear view of what makes it different and desirable as an employer. In recent years employer branding has gained popularity among practicing managers. The importance of managing employee perceptions has given rise to the contemporary notion of Employer Brand. This is essentially the brand the employer projects to existing and potential employees via the chain of communication touch points ranging from recruitment intermediaries through to line managers. However one of the major issues in Employer Branding is how to measure an employer brand, what value does the employer brand have? Ultimately, a strong employer brand should contribute to the performance and success of the organization. The workforce is the real driver of profits in todays business world. Employer Branding helps in recruitment and retention of the best of talents. It has its impact in many areas of Human Resource Management like Employee Loyalty, Employee commitment, Employee retention and one of these areas which should get highly affected by this concept is Employee Performance. The strength of an organizations brand has a significant impact on the performance of its employees. A strong Employer Brand has a significant influence in the employees performance and that a strong product brand can essentially support the development of the employment brand. These days companies make a lot of investments in this concept of Employer Branding, thus studying the extent of its impact on Employees Performance in these organizations has become a vital need in todays scenario. THE SCOPE/COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF THE STUDY * To study the concept of Employer Branding and its evolution over a period of time. * To study what it takes for an organization to build a magnetic Employer Brand. * To study the causes that lead organizations to focus more on this concept of Employer Branding. * To study the extent to which this process of Employer Branding helps the organizations to improve Employee Performance and what impact it has on other areas like Employee Loyalty and Employee Retention. * To study Employees Brand Based Equity and its impact on Employee Performance. * To study the benefits gained by the organizations as well as the obstacles faced by the organizations in the development and implementation of this process of Employer Branding. * To study the ways by which the impact of Employer Branding Process can be measured with Employee Performance being a major area of focus. METHODOLOGY The conceptual study of the thesis will be done through literature reviews. Descriptive research design will be used to get an idea of the implementation of this concept. Also, Causal research design will be used to understand the relationship between the variables under study to reach reliable and valid conclusions. The method of Probability sampling will be used to carry out the required surveys. Hereby, the method of Stratified Random Sampling will be used. The use of these methods and Research Designs would make the study more concrete and reliable. SOURCES OF INFORMATION  · Secondary data collection will be done through websites, literature study, journals, magazines and articles.  · Primary data collection will be done through interviews of professionals and subject experts. Also, the questionnaires will be used to carry out the surveys of the Target Audience. * The target audience would be the H.R [Senior Level] and Subject Experts. Study would be conducted across sectors and around Five Industries would be taken under study. Five Firms would be taken for survey purpose under each Industry. So in all, 25 H.R [Senior Level] across sectors and Five Subject Experts would be surveyed. Sample size would be 30. Note: The thesis has to be divided in three parts. The first part would talk about the following: * The meaning and background of Employer Branding, the dimensions of Employer Branding, etc. * The meaning and background of Employee Performance and how it is defined. * How are Employer Branding and Employee Performance related. The second part would be of Industry research which would include study of various industries taking into consideration various units under various industries. It would include data analysis and data interpretation. The third part would include the derivations of the study. It would include key findings and learning and suggestions. Chapter 1. Introduction to Branding 1.1 Defining a Brand Branding has been around for centuries as a means to distinguish the goods of one producer from those of another. In fact, the word brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr, which means â€Å"to burn, as brands are the means by which owners of livestock mark their animals to identify them. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA) a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition.† Technically speaking, then, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand. Thus, the key to creating a brand, according to the AMA definition, is to be able to choose a name, logo, symbol, package design, or other attribute that identifies a prod ­uct and distinguishes it from others. These different components of a brand that iden ­tify and differentiate it can be called brand elements. A brand is therefore a product, but one that adds other dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same need. These differences may be rational and tangible—related to product performance of the brand—or more symbolic, emotional, and intangible—related to what the brand represents. One mar ­keting Observer put it this way. More specifically, what distinguishes a brand from its unbranded commodity counterpart and gives it equity is the sum total of consumers perceptions and feelings about the products attributes and how they perform, about the brand name and what it stands for, and about the company associated with the brand? 1.2 Why Brand? More and more firms and other organizations have come to the realization that one of their most valuable assets is the brand names associated with their products or services. In an increasingly complex world, individuals and businesses are faced with more and more choices but seemingly have less and less time to make those choices. The ability of a strong brand to simplify consumer decision making, reduce risk, and set expectations is thus invaluable. Creating strong brands that deliver on that promise, and maintaining and enhancing the strength of those brands over time, is thus a management imperative. Emile Durkheim in Elementary Forms of The Religious Life explains the religion of the Australian Aborigines. The concept of a church as Durkheim defines it is ‘a shared feeling of a special kind. It is group dynamics, the act of assembling for a common purpose, that creates the feeling of being in the presence of a spirit greater than the individual, a sacred feeling of being in the presence of a spirit greater than the individual, a sacred feeling that strikes a chord with our deepest longings. Brands, too, strike chords. However, striking the right chord is both difficult and often costly. There are no guarantees of the result, although there is a clear difference in the growth of financial value if we compare companies that have done at least a little branding and those that havent branded themselves at all. 1.3 Why do Brands matter? Creating a successful brand entails blending all these various elements to ­gether in a unique way—the product or service has to be of high quality and appropriate to consumer needs, the brand name must be appealing and in tune with the consumers perceptions of the product, the packaging, promo ­tion, pricing and all other elements must similarly meet the tests of appropri ­ateness, appeal, and differentiation. An obvious question is why are brands important? What functions do they per ­form that make them so valuable to marketers? One can take a couple of per ­spectives to uncover the value of brands to both consumers and firms themselves. 1.3.1 To Consumers As with the term product, this book uses the term consumer broadly to encompass all types of customers, including individuals as well as organizations. To consumers, brands provide important functions. Brands identify the source or maker of a product and allow consumers to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. Most important, brands take on special meaning to consumers. Because of past experi ­ences with the product and its marketing program over the years, consumers learn about brands. They find out which brands satisfy their needs and which ones do not. As a result, brands provide a shorthand device or means of simplification for their product decisions. If consumers recognize a brand and have some knowledge about it, then they do not have to engage in a lot of additional thought or processing of information to make a product decision. Thus, from an economic perspective, brands allow consumers to lour search costs for products both internally (in terms of how much they have to think) and externally (in terms of how much they have to look around). Based on what they already know about the brand—its quality, product characteristics, and so forth— consumers can make assumptions and form reasonable expectations about what they may not know about the brand. Brands can also play a significant role in signaling certain product characteristics to consumers. Researchers have classified products and their associated attributes or benefits into three major categories: search goods, experience goods, and credence goods. With search goods, product attributes can be evaluated by visual inspection (e.g., the sturdiness, size, color, style, weight, and ingredient composition of a product). With experience goods, product attributes—potentially equally important—cannot be assessed so easily by inspection, and actual product trial and experience is necessary (e.g., as with durability, service quality, safety, and ease of handling or use). With cre ­dence goods, product attributes may be rarely learned (e.g., insurance coverage). Because of the difficulty in assessing and interpreting product attributes and benefits with experience and credence goods, brands may be particularly important signals of quality and other characteristics to consumers for these types of products. Brands can reduce the risks in product decisions. Consumers may perceive many different types of risks in buying and consuming a product: *Functional risk: The product does not perform up to expectations *Physical risk: The product poses a threat to the physical well-being or health of the user or others *Financial risk: The product is not worth the price paid *Social risk: The product results in embarrassment from others *Psychological risk: The product affects the mental well-being of the user *Time risk: The failure of the product results in an opportunity cost of finding another satis ­factory product Although there are a number of different means by which consumers handle these risks, certainly one way in which consumers cope is to buy well-known brands, espe ­cially those brands with which consumers have had favorable past experiences. Thus, brands can be a very important risk-handling device, especially in business to business settings where these risks can sometimes have quite profound implications. 1.3.2 To Firms Brands also provide a number of valuable functions to firms. Fundamentally, they serve an identification purpose to simplify product handling or tracing for the firm. Operationally, brands help to organize inventory and accounting records. A brand also offers the firm legal protection for unique features or aspects of the product. A brand can retain intellectual property rights, giving legal title to the brand owner. The brand name can be protected through registered trademarks, manufacturing processes can be protected through patents, and packaging can be protected through copyrights and designs. These intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can safely invest in the brand and reap the benefits of a valuable asset. As noted earlier, these investments in the brand can endow a product with unique associations and meanings that differentiate it from other products. Brands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product again. This brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and cre ­ates barriers of entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. Although manufacturing processes and product designs may be easily duplicated, last ­ing impressions in the minds of individuals and organizations from years of marketing activity and product experience may not be so easily reproduced. In this sense, brand ­ing can be seen as a powerful means of securing a competitive advantage. 1.4 Can anything be branded? [Can organizations be branded?] Brands clearly provide important benefits to both consumers and firms. An obvious question, then, is, How are brands created? How do we brand a product? Although firms provide the impetus for brand creation through their marketing programs and other activities, ultimately a brand is something that resides in the minds of consumers. A brand is a perceptual entity that is rooted in reality, but it is also more than that, reflecting the perceptions and perhaps even the idiosyncrasies of consumers. To brand a product it is necessary to teach consumers who the product is by giving it a name and using other brand elements to help identify it—as well as what the product does and why consumers should care. In other words, to brand a product or ser ­vice, it is necessary to give consumers a label for the product (i.e., heres how we can identify the product) and to provide meaning for the brand to consumers (i.e., heres what this particular product can do for we and why it is special and different from other brand name products). Branding involves creating mental structures and helping con ­sumers organize their knowledge about products and services in a way that clarifies their decision making and, in the process, provides value to the firm. The key to brand ­ing is that consumers perceive differences among brands in a product category. As noted earlier, brand differences often are related to attributes or benefits of the product itself. In other cases, however, brand d ifferences may be related to more intangible image considerations. The universality of branding can be recognized by looking at some different product applications. As noted previously, products can be defined broadly to include phys ­ical-goods, services, retail stores, online businesses, people, organizations, places, or ideas. Brands extend beyond products and services. People and organizations also can be viewed as brands. The naming aspect of the brand is generally straightforward in this case, and people and organizations also often have well-defined images understood and liked or disliked by others. This fact becomes particularly true when considering public figures such as politicians, entertainers, and professional athletes. All of these different public figures compete in some sense for public approval and acceptance and benefit from conveying a strong and desirable image. 2: Introduction to Employer Branding 2.1 Defining an Employer Brand Like a consumer brand, it is an emotional relationship, but between an employer and employee, one that radiates out from this core to other stakeholders, to the community at large, and obviously to potential employees. Employer branding is the development and communication of an organizations culture as an employer in the marketplace. It conveys a value proposition the totality of a culture, systems, attitudes, and employee relationship along with encouraging a people to embrace and share goals for success, productivity, and satisfaction both on personal and professional levels. Employer branding is the essence of the employment experience, providing points that commence with initial employer brand awareness, and continuing throughout the tenure of employment, even extending into retirement. Employer branding is a distinguishing and relevant opportunity for a company to differentiate itself from the competition creating its branded factors as its USP for employee satisfaction and happiness resulting in retention, productivity and efficiency. 2.2 Elements/ Essentials of an Employer Brand Few things that form an Employer Brand are:  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST ARTICULATE A PROMISE TO EMPLOYEES. Just as every business has a customer brand, every business has an employer brand, too. Whether or not a business has ever spent any time developing it. Thats because every business needs employees. And as it recruits and retains and motivates, a business needs to clarify what it stands for. Why it must exist. What difference it can make. What it believes in. How its offerings align with its values. And if a business doesnt define an employer brand, just ask the recruiters. They will tell the story based on their own experience. In fact, more than 90 percent of people on line looking for jobs say they must very closely or closely understand the value of working for a company, according to the 2005 poll by Yahoo! Hot Jobs. An employer brand is a promise to employees to provide an experience that, in return, will motivate their commitment to deliver a customer brand. The real spirit of a employer brand is a combination of what a business may promise and deliver, inside and outside. Essentially, its about a relationship, between a business and a people. How business generally approaches people, or talent, has actually changed a bit over the years. We can remember when business viewed employees as followers in a campaign—people who simply did as they were told. Then, as time passed, business progressed to considering employees as partners in the implementation of strategies. This led, in recent years, to a consideration of the exchange between employees and business—sort of a we do this in exchange for this—to express the relationship. But that was primarily a financial transaction. And over time the old ways of framing the relationship functionally became outdated. Employees began to demand a relationship that reached for something more: an emotional connection. Thats where employer brand makes a difference. An employer brand can be a magical combination of what a business values, offers, and rewards—marrying what a brand promises outside with what a experience demands inside; what a business believes in and how we fundamentally respect the people who deliver a brand.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST SUPPORT A BUSINESS STRATEGY. But one cant just build an employer brand because everyone else does. Its too important. Theres too much it must accomplish. The need must come from a business strategy. The key to a successful employer brand is alignment with the business strategy, says Yvonne Larkin of Diageo. Together the business and organization strategies give the employer brand a reason for being. The power of employer brand is how it connects the internal experience to the external business need. How it grounds the necessity for this internal experience in the economic realities of the buying decisions a customers make. For example, is a business in a phase of rapid growth? An employer brand is essential to a growth strategy. Thats because growth will demand that a business continue to hire the right people in the right jobs at the right time. And keep the people we currently have. This constant effort to recruit and re recruit demands that a business enjoy a reputation in the marketplace that will support am bitions for growth. An employer brand can help a business clarify what will and will not change as we grow. And what growth means to the people who choose to work for we. Or is a business shrinking? An employer brand is essential to a strategy for stability. It can, simply, give employees something to hold on to during periods of significant turbulence. An emotional connection with employees will be tested as a business faces challenges, such as reducing a size without cutting out a heart, or shifting a direction from what employees may consider sacred. And is a business changing? Considering or pursuing new strategies? An employer brand is essential to any change strategy simply because it provides a focal point for employees. An employer brand is a touchstone for a employees, as their willingness to emotionally connect may be tested with each action each day. The essence of effective change management is effective stability management, giving people things to protect as they adjust to things that change. An employer brand can give people that emotional anchor as they may emotionally react to how they are expected to change. It can help people sing off the same page and embrace a common vision.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE, FOR EMPLOYEES, WHAT A CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE. An employer brand will never thrive if its only an HR thing or a Communications thing. If its only purpose is to make people feel better. It will only thrive if it makes a difference in results by making a difference to customers. If it supports every touch point a customers have with a business. Such importance is a key reason why Hallmark, as part of its internal efforts to excite employees about its consumer brand, annually gives each employee a card pack as a friendly way to tell others of sending greeting cards. The card pack is just that—an attractive folder with three greeting cards inside, along with a note to the employee suggesting that they share this pack with someone outside Hallmark and their immediate family, such as a new neighbor, the person sitting next to them on an airplane or bus, or the helpful sacker at the grocery store.† The approach clearly connects employees to consumer touch points to help share Hallmarks mission of enriching lives. A customer who has a positive experience will be more likely to return. But that positive experience doesnt simply happen. People make it happen. And most of these are employees of a business. A customers experience, regardless of the product or service a business offers, is a series of reactions and observ ations at each touch point: how people notice, observe, hear, experience, and talk. Every brand experience has a defining moment. An authentic brand experience will be consistent from one person to the next because employees internalize what they must accomplish at each customer touch point. And ultimately they will tell others what they think based on what their experience. Commitment to the brand is just as important for an employee who touches customers as for an employee who never sees a customer. People who work with customers must live the brand in every interaction they conduct. Others, at the same time, work behind the scenes to make sure customer-facing employees have the tools and support they need for a positive interaction. Any business has people who never see a customer but who, in every interaction, represent the brand. Regardless of where an employee works, the commitment to deliver the brand involves internalizing the promise the brand makes, developing the skills necessary to deliver the promise, and displaying the behavior necessary when implementing those skills. At every touch point.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE WHAT A BUSINESS NEEDS FROM AN EMPLOYEES. All the magical things that can happen when a brand connects with customers dont simply happen. Employees make them happen. An employer brand is more than simply articulating what the customer brand is all about. A employer brand must define what a business needs from employees to deliver the brand Two things must happen for any employee of any business— from the smallest gas station on the corner to the largest global business—to live the brand. First, the employee must understand what the brand is all about. The employee must understand and internalize the essence of what a business is about—how that essence authentically applies to the products and services and experiences a business offers, and how the customer brand articulates this essence. What customers expect. To successfully deliver the brand promise to customers, the employee must understand the difference a business makes to customers—through its brands as well as what employees are expected to deliver. Which is the difference between doing the job and delivering the brand? Second, the employee must believe how the brand differentiates from what else is available on the market. Its not enough for the employee to believe the product, service, or business is a better choice. The employee must seriously believe it is the only choice. How the brand is aspirational. The employee must believe in the authenticity of the pictures the brand can create. The idea the brand promotes. How the brand reaches beyond a single product or service to articulate the cumulative purpose of a business behind the brand and how it connects to what people aspire to be. How the brand is inspirational. The employee must believe in the authenticity of the brand. What a business stands for. How it differentiates from others, not just in products and services, but in fundamental integrity. How its business proposition stands apart. What is unique in how a business inspires people to connect? How the brand is emotional. The employee must feel a sense of ownership in the brand, how the brand represents a business and anyone who works for a business. As if each employee wears the brand on his or her sleeve. And it certainly involves more than wearing a logo on a shirt. This has everything to do with the values of a business. Its as if, to strongly believe in the brand, the employee must believe there is something at this business they simply cannot find anywhere else. This has everything to do with how the employees values align with the values of a business. And if everyone in a business shares and aligns with these values, the brand will grow stronger. How the brand is functional. Finally, the employee must believe the products and services a business produces will actually work. They must believe in the functional integrity of what a business delivers.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST DEFINE ON-BRAND BEHAVIOR. On-brand behavior is what brand is all about. Any business needs specific behaviors from employees to deliver its brand promise to customers. This on-brand behavior occurs when an employee acts (or delivers) in a way that is consistent with what the brand is all about. And its important because customers experience the brand only when employees deliver the characteristics the brand promises—when the behavior of employees supports the promise of the brand. The key to delivery of the brand is the on-brand behavior of employees at each touch point. PG carefully outlines the principles for creating exciting, memorable PG experiences—in short, a summary of on-brand behavior. In materials distributed to employees, the company says, â€Å"To make the experience personal for a consumer, the employee is encouraged, for example, to anticipate, appreciate, and respond to diverse styles, needs, and motivations. To put the guest in the center of the experience, the employee is encouraged to be genuine and authentic in actions and behavior. To deliberately build a consistent delightful experience for the consumer, the employee is encouraged to define and execute a total experience from the very first moment the guest is made aware through the final follow-up. To make the guests experience comfortable and seemingly simple, the employee is suggested to put the guest at ease. And to respond generously and selflessly to delight, and go beyond what is expected, the employee is encouraged to always look for ways to improve an experience .† The role of the employee to deliver the brand will differ from one business to another, simply because of the differences in what businesses offer. On-brand behavior is just as important in businesses whose employees never see a customer. Employees create what a business sells to customers. And customers experience the brand.  § AN EMPLOYER BRAND MUST CONNECT WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE TO WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE. A business has a customer brand as a place to buy—and an employer brand as a place to work. While a customer brand focuses on specific products or services available externally, an employer brand may highlight distinct experiences or opportunities available internally. An employer brand, on the inside, frames the experience a business creates for employees, so they in turn deliver the brand promises to customers. In fact, the only way an employer brand can authentically reflect a business is if it articulates an identity, mission and values. That can happen only if an employer brand builds from the inside—to incorporate an essential identity, mission, and values. But its not just about what happens inside a business. To fully picture the potential of an employer brand, we must focus on what happens outside—and what an employees must deliver.  § A EMPLOYER BRAND MUST FOCUS ON EMPLOYEE CHOICE Every day, employees make choices about where and how to work. They view each stage of their relationship with a business as a brand experience that a business delivers. Some may consider new opportunities they believe may better meet their personal expectations. Some may wonder Whats in it for me? if they contribute to the demands of the job and a business. Some may decide to depart a business about which they hold memories of what they experience—and they likely will share those experiences with others still actively connected to or certainly considering a business as an employer. Thats why a business needs to use its employer brand no matter what it is doing or w

Evaluating Nutrition Information on the Internet

Evaluating Nutrition Information on the Internet Critiquing Instructions Found on the Web: Choose one nutrition-related website from the list under Website A and one nutrition-related website from the Website B list (see page 3). Evaluate each of these sites by completing the chart below.   Website A Website B Complete URL address http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/021313p38.shtml http://www.weightloss.com/WeightLoss/index.html Title of website Today’s Dietitian Weightloss.com What is the source of the website? Who is responsible for the site (.gov, .edu, .com, .net)? Great Valley Publishing Company, Inc. It is a .com Genentech USA, inc It is also a .com Comment on the sites authority – what are the author’s credentials? Aglaà ©e Jacob, MS, RD is a freelance writer who specializes in diabetes education and digestive health, and is currently studying naturopathic medicine in Toronto. The website does not state who the author is. Genentech describes their work as, they â€Å"use human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions.† How current is the website? Provide the publication or copyright date. The websites copyright date is 2014 The articles issue date is Feb 2013 The websites copyright date is 2014 What is the websites main purpose: commercial (to sell), informational, educational, persuasive, entertainment or a hoax? I would put it in more of an informative/persuasive website with a little bit of a commercial undertone. Even though it doesn’t have third party advertisements to sell you products it is still trying to promote the sales of the magazine. Todays Dietitianis a magazine for nutrition professionals to inform them about changes in the nutrition world. To help an individual lose weight. I would put it in more of an educational/persuasive/commercial website. Even though it doesn’t have third party advertisements to sell you products it is still trying to promote its own weight loss medication. It isn’t entertaining or a hoax. The first 5 tabs the website is just trying to help a person start the process of losing weight. It gives you step by step directions on how to talk to your doctor about losing weight; it teaches you how to read a food label. It even quizzes you about fat facts. On the very last tab â€Å"helpful tools† it does tell you to talk to your doctor about their weight loss medication Xenical. Are there advertisements? Is the site selling any products? If so, what is it? There are no outside advertisements but the website does promote its own subscription. No products are being actually sold on the weightloss.com website but it does suggest that you talk to your doctor about their weight loss medication. Interestingly enough if you go to the parent company’s website and look under â€Å"product information† the weight loss medication isn’t listed. Only under the â€Å"for patients† â€Å"our medication† tab does it show Xenical as a product they manufacture. Summarize the main point(s) of the website. The main point of this article is that there is a possible connection between autoimmune diseases and the over absorption of incompletely digested protein and antigens in the intestinal lining. The first tab is how to talk to your doctor. The second tab is all about eating healthy and how to do so. The third tab is about exercise how to create a plan and get started. The fourth tab is to be positive and how to stay positive. The fifth tab â€Å"helpful tools† has the sales pitch for Xenical. Who is the target audience? Registered dietitians, athletes, medical doctors, moms, students, etc. Clinical dietitians, consultant dietitians, clinical nutrition counselors, foodservice managers, certified diabetes educators, primary health coaches, and pharmaceutical professionals. Also distributed to hospitals, educational facilities, nursing homes, government agencies, food companies, and correctional facilities. Overweight individuals. Comment on the overall visual appearance of the website. (Is there any pictures or illustrations?) The webpage is bright and colorful. On the top it has a bright green color with images of droplets of water and a ghost image of a fern leaf, to me making it look fresh. In the actual article we see the magazine’s cover of the issue when the article was published. It’s a very boring website in the way of appearance. The actual interactive portion of the website doesn’t even take up a whole page. There are total of 4 pictures of happy â€Å"normal healthy† people and they change when you go through the different tabs. Comment on the writing style. Is there any persuasion? What kind of language is used? Is it poorly written? Provide an example. It is very informative and detailed. There is a scientific base with the studies and theories. At one point it does go into more of a persuasive article when it states that â€Å"according to the theory† â€Å"Once gluten is removed from the diet, serum zonulin levels decrease, the intestine resumes its baseline barrier function, the autoantibody titers are normalized, the autoimmune process shuts off and, consequently, the intestinal damage heals completely.† As that is someone’s opinion and not a fact, as of yet. It’s an easy to read website, no big words. It explains each somewhat technical word so anyone can understand. It does put a lot of emphasis on getting the information from your doctor. It is definitely pushing you to go to your doctor’s office to work up your weight loss plan and goals. â€Å"When it comes to your weight and your health, your doctor is there to advise you that losing excess weight should be an important priority. So talk to your doctor. Together you can find ways to manage your weight successfully.† Are there links to other reliable sites such as a bibliography and /or references? If so, how many references are listed? Yes there are references. There are a total of 5 references. No references, but under the â€Å"nutritional guidelines† tab they do mention that they got the information form 6 reputable websites. Here is a set of common dietary guidelines offered by six national health organizations* *The American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition Summarize: Comment on the overall differences you observed between the two websites. Would you utilize either of the site’s nutrition information personally or recommend it to another person? Explain using at least one specific example from each site. Refer to Table C1-3 in the textbook . The overall differences that jump out to me is that the webpage â€Å"Today’s Dietitian† seems more put together and I feel that someone has actually put effort into it so people will take it seriously. It looks more professional, it has better colors, it’s brighter, and way more open about who is responsible for it. I would recommend the website Today’s Dietitian because it is the more reputable of the 2 websites. â€Å"Weightloss.com† does seem like it has correct information and great recipes for a low-fat diet, but it just doesn’t have the references and sources to back up its information, whereas, â€Å"Today’s Dietitian† shows where and how it got its information at the end of the article. Plus â€Å"Weightloss.com† puts a lot of the information onto your doctor, it pushes you too see your doctor because that’s the only way to get their medication is by prescription. Website A http://www.gssiweb.com/ Choose one article under the Sports Science Library to review. http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/EatHealthyGetActive/index?ssSourceSiteId=null Review one article under Eat Healthy and Get Active http://www.jissn.com/ Review any open access article http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/021313p38.shtml Article on Gut Health and Autoimmune Diseases http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/pdf/1479-5868-10-20.pdf Research on time spent sitting related to chronic diseases Website B http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/main.html Choose one article to review that is related to health and nutrition http://www.weightloss.com/ http://www.kriskris.com/how-to-lose-weight-fast/ http://www.mothernature.com/library/ency/index.cfm/id/1033009 http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-obesity-cancer-20100322,0,2957276.story http://www.proteinpowder.net/