Friday, November 29, 2019

Sales planning, telemarketing and customer relationship management

Sales Planning A sale planning is the key component of any sales activities. Sales plan consists of two major components: the sales strategy and the sales tactics (Everett 47). The sales strategy refers to the acts of letting the community know about the company and its products. The sales tactics may refer to activities, such as putting adverts on local dailies, knocking door to door, setting up events at the work place and attending seminars and chamber of commerce meetings (Everett 49).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales planning, telemarketing and customer relationship management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prior to making sales plan, managers should consider the sales quota, the product line, the sales territory and the line of products and services. However, revising the sales from time to time is also very important. This applies to the best plans developed by sales group. Sales managers often make mistakes not preparing sales plan or developing sales plan, which are practically impossible to execute. They leave out important requirements during sales plan development. This includes sales rep development, where managers develop sales plan for the actual sales people without involving them. Secondly, sales plan should have provision for regular reporting, may be on weekly basis to provide flexibility in the planning cycle. Finally, sales metrics should focus on results and activities (Zahorsky 2011). Sale force motivation involves making the sales people feel accepted and their efforts recognized as a crucial part of the company’s development. There are three major determinants of motivation. This includes environmental conditions, the firm’s management policies, such as compensation, supervision and task and personal characteristics of the sales person (Zahorsky 2011). Positive motivators include recognition, acceptance, respect, trust, achievement, and pride wh ile the negative motivators include intimidation, fear, revenge, obligation and social comparison (Everett 51). One of the biggest blunders made by sales manager is to confuse appreciation with training whereby the management congratulates on the sales force for a good job, and at the same time dilute this feeling by immediately shifting to areas of improvement (Zahorsky 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sales people can consider it as lack of appreciation from the management. Therefore, to avoid such confusion, performance improvement areas should be saved for coaching sessions, and success stories should be appropriately celebrated even in small parties as these little gestures portrays respect and recognition of efforts. A person who understands the overall goal and inspires others to make individual commitments towards achieving these goals is a good motivator. Seve ral ways to provide motivating environment include participation, whereby decisions affecting a team is made collectively, recognition in form of giving credit rewards and praise. it is also necessary to be aware of the company’s products and services and be able to communicate them well. The use of appropriate style for each situation, warm climate and creativity are crucial. A key asset for any company is a formidable sales force, which ensures that the services and products of the company reach the intended customer. To recruit the sales people, the manager should know the required number based on sales projections and goals. Special emphasis on experience is important as this would reduce training cost. Qualities such as hardworking, people with a positive outlook on life and good attitude as well as dedication to work are vital for sales people (Everett 51). People who are resilient to discouragement and challenges that arise along the way, make good sales persons (Zahor sky 2011). To get such people, the recruiting team should engage existing sales persons and chose the best method of advertising, such as a use of local newspapers that covers a wide region. It is necessary to focus on the right attitude and personality during interviews. Telemarketing Telemarketing is defined as marketing operations which are done directly to sale some goods, gather marketing information, make meetings, and generate sales over the phone (Rank 2009). For any sale to take place by telemarketing, a first step is to identify potential customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales planning, telemarketing and customer relationship management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This can be obtained from customer survey reports which explain various types of customers and their products and service needs. Past purchase records, telephone directories and customer databases from other companies are also good reference points (Louis 52). There are two types of telemarketing: in-bound and out-bound. In-bound telemarketing includes handling of the customer responses generated by advertisements, direct mails and catalogs and taking orders for a variety of goods. Customers use toll free 800 numbers, and call a company’s telephone service to place orders for goods and services (Rank 2009). Out-bound telemarketing is hands-on with the telemarketing company calling the end customers. The sales representative required for this requires more training than those for in-bound telemarketing. Telemarketing has several advantages. It is cost effective and time saving when compared to personal selling. Small-scale businesses and big companies therefore prefer it. It only costs one fifth of the actual amount used through personal selling, when using telemarketing. Compared to direct mails, telemarketing is more expensive but it is more effective in closing deals than direct mails. Telemarket ing alone is an effective method of selling, but it is most profitable as a part of a general market endeavor. For telemarketing to bring positive change in any marketing strategy, managers should consider qualifying the type of products and services to be effectively sold over the telephone; the means of generating new business using telemarketing; the possibility of expanding sales volume using telemarketing and how the practice can help qualify forecast, characterize the markets and service existing customers. Telemarketing applications includes selling, gathering information, creating new leads and improving customer services (McHatton 1988). Products readily identifiable in the market and those whose purchases are repetitive can effectively be marketed using telemarketing. (Louis 52). Maintaining the existing customer of the company is important, as it is from this base that most of the business generates. Use of telemarketing enhances customer follow-up.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Telemarketing also acts a resourceful activity of obtaining future customers and sales leads, since the information of all prospective consumers gathered is store in a unique database. To determine the effectiveness of advertisement used by companies, telemarketing is a resourceful tool (McHatton 1988). However, telemarketing faces many challenges such as swindles and fraudulent practices. This has contributed to great loses among people, making this practice less popular. As a result, the government has proposed several laws that deal with the practices of telemarketing. Advancement in technology has also slowed the telemarketing industry (Briones 33). With the advent of a telephone screener, the privacy manager in 1998, telemarketers no longer have the freedom of calling all their prospective customers, since some of their calls do not go through because of screening by this system (Beatty 19). This has contributed negatively for the industry. However, newer methods of handling th ese challenges to sustain telemarketing as a leading sales strategy are available. Customer Relationship Management Customer relationship management (CRM) is a company-wide business strategy intended to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer loyalty (Chapman 2009). â€Å"It is the methodologies, software, and usually internet capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way† (Taylor 2009). CRM system has many benefits to any business. Using CRM the company can govern their client contact information, follow patterns in their buying, and present value added services (Chapman 2009). CRM has major effects in an organization such as shifting focus from product to customer and responding to customers’ needs rather than making what the company can produce, and also stress on competencies that valuable customer relationship management require. Customers will often buy products that meet their various needs than bu y inferior products regardless of the price. An effective CRM program takes a holistic method and emphasizes on delivering products and services of high quality, which creates pleasant experiences for the customers (Rank 2009). This enables the enterprise to get repeat businesses and increased referrals. The CRM system is important as it helps enterprises to identify and target its best customers as well as provide the best service to this group, manage marketing campaigns and create quality leads for the sales force (Jones 2007). It also helps in the improvement of telemarketing sales, accounts and sales organization by information distribution among the staff and streamlining on hand processes (Jones 2007). CRM also allows individualization of customer relationship and therefore a better understanding of the actual customer needs. CRM systems also equip the staff with the right information to know and understand their customers’ needs as well as build good relationship betw een the company, its client base and distribution associates (Jones 2007). Nevertheless the ultimate purpose for CRM is to increase the profit in an organization. CRM achieves this result by making sure that the company offers better services than its competitors, by improving customer service, reducing costs and wastage and possible complaints (Chapman 2009). Companies can use the CRM system to improve and build customer relationship. CRM is a strong market research tool which gives instant feedback, and also opens avenues of communication with the customers (Chapman 2009). This makes it possible to receive direct market reactions on products and services feat. Using this approach, the company is able to identify its customers and the obstacles that make it hard for the two to do business (Rank 2009). With this first hand information, the company should work to ensure that the products they deliver always solve the problems of the customer. This will help improve customer loyalty a nd builds the company brands. The products developed by the company should always speak to the customer’s needs (Chapman 2009). In conclusion, a good CRM approach should be the one that address the exact need of the customer and also one that explains how to produce and deliver the coveted products to the customers. Therefore, CRM entails all aspects of dealings a business has with its clientele, and is therefore the basis of liaison marketing. Works Cited Beatty, Sally. â€Å"Ameritech’s New Phone Service Aims to Keep Telemarketers at Bay.† Wall Street Journal 23 Sept. 1998. Print. Briones, Maricris. â€Å"IT, Privacy Issues Will Challenge Direct Marketers.† Marketing News 7 Dec. 1998: 32(8). Print. Chapman, Alan. Customer Relationship Management. New York: Wiley, 2009. Print. Everett, Martin. â€Å"It’s Jerry Hale on the Line.† Sales Marketing Management. Dec. 1993: 75-79. Print. Jones, Sonya. The Real Purpose of CRM. Kansas: Jantsch Comm unications.2007. Print. McHatton, Robert. Total Telemarketing. New York: Wiley, 1988. Print. Rank, J. â€Å"Reference for Business.† Encyclopedia of Business. 2nd ed. 2011. Print. Taylor, Steven. â€Å"The Importance of CRM.† Ezine articles. Jan. 2007. 6 Oct. 2011 https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-CRM-Customer-Relationship-Managementid=425303 Zahorsky, Darrell. The Five Biggest Sales Management Blunders. New York: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print. This essay on Sales planning, telemarketing and customer relationship management was written and submitted by user Joy Hansen to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Pendulum essays

The Pendulum essays Galileo Galilee has expansively performed experiments on pendulums throughout his life, and has researched the parameters and characteristics of their motion. Through further investigation of the Parameters of the Pendulums, he was able to use them as time measurement devices later in his career. These Parameters included how the period of the pendulum is independent from its bob weight, how the period of the pendulum is independent of the amplitude or angle, and how the length of the pendulum varies with the period. Furthermore, through my experiments, I attempted to investigate these parameters, and delve into how the equation of the period in a pendulum functions. Moreover, these experiments too examine Galileo's trials on the conservation of energy and gravity in a pendulum. In Galileo's "Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences", he conducts experiments on how the period is independent of the bob weight. Moreover, In my experiment on how mass affects the period of the pendulum, different weights were placed on a string of the same length and amplitude. They were both suspended and dropped from an angle of 90 degrees and found to have approximately the same period. Galileo also performed this experiment in his "Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences", by using Cork and Lead pendulums of the same length and hung them from his ceiling and measured the periods. For five of his trials, the cork was allowed to travel through ten oscillations and further compared to the number of oscillations of the leader during that time, and then this process was reversed for the two weights. Galileo further confirms his conclusion on how the mass affects his period " If two balls, one of lead and one of cork, the former more than a hundred times heavier than the latter, and suspended them by means of two equal fine threads, each four to five cubits long. This free vibration repeated many times showed clearly that the heavi...

Friday, November 22, 2019

European Convention of Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Convention of Human Rights - Essay Example This was regarded as a breach of the UK's obligations under the Human Rights Convention2. But the Government asserted its right on bringing about such limitations on human rights and civil liberties, as the whole issue was borne out of a desperate situation and keeping in mind the national security. National security concerns thus have become an intrinsic reason for curbing fundamental Human Rights that seek to restore greater danger to the well being of world citizens and that which is not only threatened by terrorism but also the erosion of basic human rights, and freedoms upon which delicate democracy is based. Rights of people, as per ECHR, are put above the rights of states out of a realization, borne out of harsh reality, that states acted in self-interest to the detriment of humanity throughout history. From time immemorial, the concept of States always shares a sense of being threatened: a cause and effect relation of dominating and trying to offer resistance. It is generally believed that though there are peaceful and controlled environments existing within states, the international arena is anarchical and prone to uncontrollable violence. What these motifs do is put the focus of national security on the protection of one's territorial boundaries and sovereignty. Power comes to be measured through military capability, where everybody starts sharing a sense of being marginalized. The world begins to have an absurd dynamism and begins to operate on a zero-sum game in which, according to Peter Stoett, "security is obtained at the expense of others."3 Thus, is the issue of human rights i s being traded off for more security, or whether security concerns, as Blair argued, should trump over human rights In this regard, it is important to realize that Theodore Roosevelt's discourse on four freedoms is often cited as the nucleus of the development of the post-1945 human rights system. It was a model where freedom from fear and freedom from want were seen as being translated into the concept of civil and political rights and economic and social rights. Yet, when talking about the freedom from fear, Roosevelt referred to arms control, and not to human rights or individual security!4 Interestingly, nobody can deny that freedom from fear is an easily understood and tangible idea and a powerful wish which all of us share. However, if we study the matter closely, we find that that its promontory is definitely beyond the simplistic idea of human rights. For example, if we take Canada, we find that the country has taken up the idea of human security and has started to formulate it as a foreign policy priority.5 And following the initiative of Canada, other countries have come together to form the Human Security Network. The organization has been created as an amalgamation of the like-minded nations and aims to advance human security globally6. It also has a high level Commission on Human Security, which is co-chaired by Amartya Sen and Sadako Ogato.7 Yet, some view Human Rights as a paradigm, which has made a dramatic departure of traditional foreign policy concepts. Critics have accused the concept of being far to universalistic with conceptual flaws and have argued that it does not serve the victims of insecurity, but rather creates

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Changes in National Security Policy with Iran in the Bush and Obama Research Paper

Changes in National Security Policy with Iran in the Bush and Obama Administration - Research Paper Example The US government has changed the foreign policy after the incident of 9/11 2001. Before 9/11 the US policy aimed at creating a protective shield for the prevention of terror attacks on the US soil or people by organized terror groups such as al-Qaeda which has been notorious for being a creation of the CIA and other mass propagandized organizations having origins in the Middle East. After 9/11 the US has changed its foreign policy aiming for active pre emptive military intervention in the targeted nations and pursued a war having no end. The war on terror drama is now set to targeting Iran on the accusation, yet to be proven, that the Theocracy has nuclear ambitions despite the assurances given by Tehran that the country has no ambitions to possess nuclear weapons and only pursues nuclear power for productive purposes. Iran has been considered a hostile state by the US since the last three decades. Ever since the Islamic revolution took place in Iran in 1979 the foreign and national security policies issued by all the presidents of the US till today contained plans and strategies for tackling with Iran as threat to the security of the USA. The security policy of the US government of Iran has been more or less consistent for the last ten years and continues to be so. The national security policy under Bush administration and Obama administration is reviewed in this article and analyzed to reach a reliable conclusion indicating clearly the intent and plan of action of the US government towards Iran which is subject to international sanctions and pressure from the international community including the political and economic powers of modern day. The audience for this work of research includes students of politics, international relations, and other related fields of study along with many other individuals who happen to have interest in

Monday, November 18, 2019

Rwanda Genocide Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Rwanda Genocide - Coursework Example The next aspect of this paper studies the possibilities for averting genocide based on recognition of its conditions and the factors driving its achievement. Potential preventive measures were present on a time-continuum, with mediations being possible during the phase prior to real genocide; more direct courses of action existing in the months leading up to and during the genocide; and possible ways for prevention of further/future genocide that happen in the aftermath. Prevention can take place at various levels, in relation to the impact that may be applied on individual, organizational or structural aspects. There have been many endeavors to describe genocide since the term was coined. First in 1944 Raphael Lemkin, defined genocide as "the coordinated and planned annihilation of a national, religious, or racial group by a variety of actions aimed at undermining the foundations essential to the survival of a group as a group" (Lemkin, 1944). Lemkin also asserted that genocide is a "form of one-sided killing" in which the offender aimed to get rid of their victims who by contrast have no similar intention. Lemkin's definition was followed by many others such as the 1946 UN Resolution that defined genocide as "the denial of the right to exist of entire human groups, as homicide is denial of the right to live of individual" (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). On December 9, 1948, the United Nations ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This convention delineates "genocide" as an international crime, which participant nations "undertake to prevent and punish." It defines genocide as: '[G] enocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: a. Killing members of the group; b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.' Regardless of the fact that many cases of group-targeted violence have taken place throughout the history and even since the Convention came into effect, the legal and international development of the term is focused into two diverse historical periods: the time from the defining of the term until its approval as international law (1944-1948) and the time of its

Saturday, November 16, 2019

SWOT analysis of ananda himalayas

SWOT analysis of ananda himalayas Ananda Himalayas is a trend setting concept in both business and luxurious spa.ananda Himalayas is a part of IHHR Hospitality owened by Mr Ashok Khanna.It is a luxurious spa situated in the tranquil Himalayan foothills,nested on a 100 acres estate surrounded by graceful Sal forests overlooking the river Ganges,close to the towns of Rishikesh Haridwar. Ananda Himalayas was established in 2000 its Indias first destination spa.it is a pathway to the ultimate,discovered through the union of body,mind soul.it provides a breathless redefine lifestyles with the well-known traditional Indian wellness regime of Ayurveda,yoga and Vedanta. IT is considered to be one of the best spa in the world and also rated no.1 destination spa in the world by most of the travel agent as well as newspapers magazines(Travel and leisure). Ranked by top new hotels of 2008by Conde nest traveller,76 hot spasacross globe by travel leisure and 26 best business hotels in South ASIA. Swot analysis Strengths:- Location- situated in the green lush of Himalayas with natural flora and fauna. Heritage property Spa- the only hotel with 21,000sq feet spa and first spa hotel in the country. Cuisine-food prepared is different from routine preparation and individually designed as per the body type and cooked without oil. Weakness:- Cost- rooms are extremely expensive and not suited to domestic traveller. Limitations-hotel mainly offers spa and wellness packages ,limited to a less part of the society. Opportunities:- Govt support- attract tourists with new promotional schemes which results in higher outbound tourists. Common wealth games- as games to be held in 2010,will be a boom for the industry. Aviation hospitality- both with joint venture helps in increasing travellers by offering cheap packages. Threats:- Recession Competitors-many small hotels opened near about with cheap yoga n spa packages and it can reduce the rate of visitors to ananda. Natural hazards-like fire,flood etc. Cheap airlines packages-customer want to go international after international air fair falls down. Political issues-like service tax,labour union policies etc. Key-findings for Ananda Himalayas:- biggest strength of Ananda Himalayas right now is its brand reputation being only spa in India(which is 50%)although it has to improve on weaknesses and less productivity than its competitors. At the same time,can increase the sale or mkt share with an increase in number of people who want relaxation and better health(as it is health and wellness industry). Mission and Vision Statement Mission:- to create a unique design product offer world class hospitality with a distinctive warmth and humility improve and innovate constantly to crate exceptional value for people,their individuality and to their growth VISION:- to be a world-class hospitality chain in India benchmark in spa industry to have a world-class spa institute in India expending capacity of existing property as well as expending with more new properties. Ethos:- E-empathy T-teamwork H-honesty O-ownership S-selflessness Corporate objectives:- Increasing revenue from 500 m to 550.75 m. Reaching to 100% customer satisfaction instead of 8.3 to 9.3%. Targeting profit from 45.64 to 58.42 Taking gross profit ratio to 12-15%. Mktg Objectives :- Increasing revenue from 50% to 100% Achieving customer satisfaction and quality standards to 100% Increasing profit from 80% to 100% Increasing growth profit ratio from 12% to 15%(CIRRUS 01 SEP 2008). Mkt segmentation:- Market Segmentation broadly identifies the potential markets from a general population for further refining and targeting. The market segmentation for ananda Himalayas will be done on the two bases. 1.geographic segmentation (it will contain both international and domestic markets) 2.demographic segmentation. Geographical Segmentation Country of Origin of Guests in Rishikesh star hotels COMPOSITION Five Star Deluxe and Five Star hotel % ASEAN 2.4 Australia 2.1 Canada 1.6 Carribbean 0.6 China 3.4 France 2.0 Germany 6.6 Japan 3.2 Middle East 2.5 Other European 1.4 Russia 1.2 SAARC 1.0 South Africa 1.4 UK 8.4 USA 24.8 Other 37.4 Total 100 (FHRAI, Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2008-2009) The table above shows the percentages of people from different origin that prefer staying in the five star deluxe and five star hotels in Rishikesh. According to this survey done by FHRAI, the number of tourists from US(24.8%) is the maximum which is followed by UK(8.4%) and Germany(6.6%) which have a marginal difference between them. These statistics clearly show us that there is a decent amount of tourists from The US for which we already have a good market. Therefore, there is a scope for targeting more people from UK and Germany. Though, we still cannot target a specific market with these statistics alone which will be done in the later parts Demographic Segmentation Foreign tourist arrival in India on the bases of gender (FHRAI, Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2008-2009) For the year 2006, the percentage of foreign male tourists was 57% against the female tourists which comprises of 36%. Whereas, there are 7% of the tourists which did not report and are missing from the stats. Similar is the case for the domestic tourists as well. The percentage of men travelling is slightly high than that of females all over India. Therefore, by evaluating all the data given above, we have chosen a differentiation market segment method to specify the target markets. Our specific target market will be; Foreign business travellers from UK and Germany Domestic tourists- leisure with high income (4.9% in all of India) Meeting Participants Target Market:- Corporate:- as this hotel is situated in a religious tourist place. Leisure:- this can be the major target market as it is basically a health and wellness spa. it attracts tourists who wants to rejuvenate. Groups:- groups improves sales as well as provides hotels a good market reputation and also capture major share of market. Positioning:- Market Positionining Perceptual Mapping; Foreign Business Travellers Expensive High Moderate Service Ista . Less Expensive (naresh k.malhotra(marketing research p-700) Domestic Tourists Expensive High Moderate Service Service Ista . Less Expensive (naresh k.malhotra(marketing research p-700) Key-findings for market positioning:- If we take price and customer satisfaction ratio into consideration, Ananda has lower price than its competitors and a good customer satisfaction but not the highest. If factors like brand reputation and value for money is considered than it has got the highest brand name. Corporate marketing strategy:- objectives Strategic tactics Implementation period revenue 500 m to 550.75m Tie-up with the travel agencies. Air-line packages Corporate rates Group rates Should start from april Should start through out the year Customer relationship 8.3m to 9.3m Set-up of various information centres Start from april and should continue through out the year. Total profit 45.64m to 58.42m Cutting down all unnecessary spendings Through out the years Profit percentage 12-15% Add-on services with packages Start from april Marketing strategy:- As per the product our hotel is offering,most of the facilities are delivered directly.to make it more successful we need to promote our product in market to increase market share.this can be done through various channels of advertising(travel agency,media advertising). As our target market is corporate and foreign clients so for this we need to tie up with prospective business to enhance the sale.hotel is in the growth level as per product life cycle,but due to recession the market share percentage has gone down.to come out of this,we are going to use the differentiationmarketing strategy.in this,the focus will be on different market segment with competitive price and product with quality service. Another reason is our target market is divided into small segmentations so,can easily increase our market share through these segmentations.our brand strategy is to provide high level of services and customer satisfaction with low rates and first objective is to increase the market share. The marketing mix strategy is based upon the two ps factors.we consider price and product.our aim is to provide different experience than other hotels and increase market share by establishing the brand value with in the customers. Markets Ansoffs Matrix Existing New Products Products 3.product development 1.Market Penetration Existing Markets 4.diversification 2. Market Development New The Ansoffs Matrix shows four different ways of marketing. It is basically a combination of four similar but different things. Existing Products and new products ,and, existing markets and new markets. In the case of the hotel ananda, we are going to follow the two methods that are Market Penetration and Market Development as shown in the figure above. We already have a product with us and we do not plan to create or add something new to our product line. Our plan is to enter further into the markets that we are already in. As explained earlier, we plan to increase our market share within the same market and try to reach the customers who fall in the same category but different profiles. The second plan is to create new markets with our existing product to offer the customers. In this case we have planned to create a new target market in the form of the domestic tourist which comes for purpose of leisure and holidaying. This is being done because according to the research that we have done in the beginning it shows us the scope of the domestic tourists. Another reason that supports this strategy is that we also have the right kind of product offering for this market. Budget:- Financial Report Percentage of Revenue (2008-2009): Hotels ananda Grand hyatt sheratons Vivanta(taj) Occupied Rooms Hotel 33,699 22,206 38,729 39,828 Occupancy percentage 55.4% 63.4% 66.7% 65.7% Rate per room $209.59 $220.09 $203 $186.59 Room Revenue 65.20% 66.8% 63.9% 55.7% F B Revenue 23.5% 20.8% 26.3% 31.4% Banquet conferences 6.6% 9.2% 2.0% 9.7% other 4% 2% 7% 3% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% Imp:- subject to further research Evaluation of marketing plan for ananda Himalayas:- Objective: Increasing customer satisfaction level from 6.2 7.5 Key Performance Indicator: Customer Satisfaction Surveys Frequency of Evaluation: Monthly Objective: Increasing Revenue from 500m 550.75m. Escalating profit from 45.64m 58.42m Key Performance Indicator: Revenue Report, Financial Audit Frequency of Evaluation: Annually Objective: Growing profit ratio 12.00% 15% Key Performance Indicator: Monthly Revenue reports, Cash flow Frequency of Evaluation: Monthly Note: (subject to further research) Contingency plan:- In the event that suggested marketing plan measures prove to be ineffective or below threshold following measures are suggestedency plan:- 1. PRICE+PROMOTION: Cruise liners+ vacations for students. 2. PRODUCT +PLACE : cant change the product services. 3. PROCESS+PEOPLE: Can stick to same old training methods) only to 10% of stock per store. 4. Cost cutting and cost management regards to budgeting and investment plans. The product offer: Ananda, Himalayas offers a comfortable and contemporary rooms with a beautiful view of landscape grounds.this hotel has 21,000 square feet spa(only one in India).all rooms are designed with a high level of comfort and as per the need of guests. Along with rooms this hotel offers a range of packages that includes scheduled aerobics,hiking trips in the foothills of Himalayas,meditation and yoga classes,wellness and treatment packages,cooking classes etc.this hotel has 75 deluxe rooms,5 suites and 3 villas.all rooms are equipped with all modern amenities. Pricing strategies:- Pricing needs to be decided as plays a very vital role in hotel growth.every hotel has a set target and goal,due to recession prices have come down. rate rationalization is the biggest change after recession. Penetrating pricing strategies: following this strategies would help ananda hotel to capture more portion of market share. In this strategy ananda hotel would be offering guests competitive rates with best standards of service which could be given in same class of hotel. Following penetrating pricing strategies would help ananda strengthening its position in market and establishing its brand name among customers. Penetrating pricing strategies would give elasticity to demand. Competition based pricing strategies: Keeping an close eye on every step of your competitor is very essential, specially pricing strategies. Price is the only factor which would play prime role in attracting customers. Competition based pricing basically means pricing according to your competitors and try giving better or something unique to them which would be our unique selling point of business. Competition based pricing will help ananda to fight competition and establish its market. Promotion:- Corporate and commercial rates Air-lines packages Corporate packages Group discounted rates Off-season special packages On-line deals Promotional spa packages Ananda place in tourism system:- Ananda is a hospitality service provider in destination. Destination is composed of different elements that together make up a destination mix. Basic components of destination mix are facilities, attraction, infrastructure, transportation and hospitality service provider commonly used as acronym FAITH (Weaver Lauton 2005). Ananda is an established name in hospitality service sector, just because of rescission it lost its market share and profit started declining. To revive from the situation of rescission ananda need to establish cordial relation with other component of Destination Mix. It has seen that hospitality service provider cant alone make tourist experience better of visiting place. The hospitality service provider needs to work in coordination with other component so that tourist can get better services and he is satisfied with hospitality given to him. For example:- Guest comes from united kinghdom to attend seminar or companys meeting when he would arrive airport first thing he would require would be transportation to hotel, after reaching hotel he would require facilities that would support his travel purpose. If guest would be getting all these facilities without hassle he would be a satisfied guest and repeat guest in future or guest commercially important person for hotel(CIP) for hotel who could give more business to hotel in near future. We would suggest ananda to apply push strategy. This strategy involves pushing the product through distribution channel to final consumer. Push strategy will induce distribution channel to put more effort for selling the hotels room and service as they would be having personal motive or interest that is profit or commission from hotel by doing so. Using push strategy will help ananda hotel to increase scope of capturing more market because by choosing distribution channel we could widen scope of advertisement and promotion of our products. For example hotel ananda could give lucrative offers to travel agent like 10% of room cost as commission in addition to their normal commission for booking. A push strategy provides an incentive for channel member to promote product to their customer or push product through distribution channel (Kotler, Bowen., Makens2006 pg 561). People:- Orientation Culture Change Internal marketing Process:- Process ananda hotel is using is based on technology and e-marketing. Physical evidence:- Brand image related to vision position. Environment:- The situation analysis that can be done for the hotel will include all the external factors which have an effect on the working of the hotel. These external factors can be studied by the help of PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal) analysis and how these factors affect the working of the hotel. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analyzing the environmental pressures on a team or an organization. (Edmonstone, Havergal, 1999). Political Environment: this includes all the government policies, the laws in which the hotel has to deal and the pressure groups which affect the hotel performance. The Political instability such as tax rates and other matters like the policies and rules with which the hotel is concerned. The hotel has to be in the parameters of govt policies and have to follow all the rules and regulations. Economic Environment: This environment mainly deals with the money capacity of the consumer.this plays a vital role in deciding the promotion or downfall of the hotel business.The economic meltdowns lead to a downfall in the tourism sector, leading to a drop in the business of the hotel. The economy has started to improve and the international corporate travelers who form the major part of the target market of the hotel have once again started to come to the hotel. The economy will need some time to improve and this time can be utilized to make new marketing strategies which will attract more such travelers and suits their needs as well. Socio-Cultural Environment: It includes behaviors, perceptions, choices and the values of various individuals who constitute the society. This part includes both the employees and the society in which the hotel is working. The hotel needs to keep proper care of its employees and their needs in order to achieve high standards of work. The hotel also has some social responsibilities. The hotel can social events, the earnings of which can go for charity, it can also have an effective disposal system for garbage, water and gases which may help in maintaining a healthy environment for the society around it. Technological Environment: These factors act as the facilities in the hotels and are also the main aspects which help in the differentiation of one property to another. The ananda hotel has all the modern technologies being used forthe spas compared to other hotels. The hotel can always come up with some innovative ideas to place itself at a better position than its competitors. Natural Environment: The natural environment does not have much effect on the business of the hotel as anada,Himalayas situated in the beautiful landscape of Himalayas with natural and pollution free environment. This factor effects only when the marketers can use it for the promotion of the hotel. Legal Environment: This part includes the various rules and the policies that the hotel needs to follow in order to run the operations efficiently. These legal issues include the payment of taxes, giving proper remuneration to the staff, following of the legal government policies and others. Tax paid by tourists in India is the highest in the world, Indian hotels charge about 40% taxes compared to other Asian countries where it varies between 3% and 6%. (World travel and tourism council, 2010). Such factors as mentioned above shows the different legal requirements that are expected to be fulfilled by the hotel. Proposed Environmental Scanning System for anada,Himalayas hotel: Environmental Factor Source of Information Person Responsible Frequency Competitors Newspapers Staff/ Management Daily Guests Staff Daily Magazines Management Weekly Internet Staff/ Management Weekly Annual Reports Management Yearly Customers Customer feedback Staff Daily Staff Management Weekly Travel agents Management Monthly Regular guests Staff/ Management Monthly Internet Staff/ Management Weekly Economic Economic newsletters Management Weekly News papers Management Weekly Internet Management Weekly Average room rates Accountant/ Management Daily Balance sheets Accountant/ Management Yearly Internet Management Monthly Technologies Trade magazines Management/ Department heads Monthly Trade shows Accountant/ Management Yearly Internet Management Monthly Newspapers Management Weekly Television Management Daily The above mentioned three key areas need to be followed for the purpose of the environmental scanning. The hotel became one of the top rated hotels in the rishikesh, but due to the recession in late 2008 most of the business was lost. The above mentioned SWOT and PESTEL analysis, if followed properly, will help the business to reach high levels of business and market share. Service Concept/productivity:- Anada,Himalayas could get competitive advantage if, they properly plan and implement their supporting products. They must meet customers needs and expectation, to overbeat their competitors (Hertneneky, B,P.2006. p.g 281). In this critical stage of reviving from rescission, ananda hotel should not only concentrate on providing core product or basic product that would be food, shelter, and safety of guest. They should look upon providing augmented or supporting products, which are very important for delivering quality service and meeting expectation of guest. The augmented product includes accessibility, atmosphere, customer interaction with service organization, customers participation and customer interaction with each other (Kotler, Bowen., Makens2006 pg 307). Augmented product is important to be understood because it tells what is delivered and how is to be delivered. ananda hotel have to work seriously upon this service concept of augmented product because these product have huge impact on guest and will help to capture major portion of markets, by customer satisfaction which is key element in hospitality industry. Facilities we are providing are:- Wi-Fi internet access   ananda hotel can provide Wi-Fi anytime anywhere, whether in-room, by the pool or in other public areas sleep comfort   ananda hotel can provide ergonomically designed beds and a pillow menu with a wide range of comfort pillows. Business Centre   High speed internet access and board room style meeting rooms. Spa   21,000 square feet spa with all the required equipments. Pool Fitness Centre   ananda hotel is giving temperature controlled swimming pool for all seasons, state of the art gymnasium with personal trainers. Tailor-made food-ananda provides food as per the customer body type and famous for cooking without oil.food is inspired by ancient times and prepared with natural ingredients. Organisation:- The best part about anand,Himalayas is its staff as all staff is between the age of 21 to 35,customer oriented,friendly,well versed with the knowledge of therapies.they should have this kind of staff only as customer should feel at home and comfortable only than they will be able to enjoy the treatment. strategy:- Advertisement: it is one of the major promotional tools which can be used by hotel anada,Himalayas for promotion of their products and services. Advertisement could be one the very successful tool which can be used for increasing market share. If advertisement is well positioned and planned it could help to overcome competition and help to revive from recession (Jhon,L.2009.p.g 6). Various form of advertisement which is used for promoting its products and services could be: 1.Internet: This is one of the most widely used medium through which hotels can promote its product and services. It could be very effective in promoting products and services. 2.Printed Media: For example: magazine, journals and news papers. This is very useful because it would help promoting product among corporate clients and corporate employee. 3.Visual Media: For example: television, this is said to be very effective as it gives both visual and audio effect to guest. They can actually feel the product or services. 4.Sales promotion: They attract consumer attention and provide information that may lead the consumer to buy the product. Ananda can use sales promotion tool as to get quicker and stronger response from consumer. Various sales promotion tools which can be used could be: 5.Promotional letters to existing guests: ananda hotel can send promotional letter which includes lucrative discount offers, and various packages at discounted rates. This strategy would help ananda from recovering from recession and capturing more shares in market. Distributional Strategy: Distributional strategies which can be used by hotel ananda for capturing market share and overcome competitors could be:- 1.Trade Show: This could be very effective in distributing of products and service because trade shows are being attended by various travel agents and travel tour operator. This would help them to build cordial relation with them, in return of that we could business from them. 2.Exhibitions: these are very important in distribution of the hotels product and services as during exhibition hotel managers could get chance to interact with other hotel managers and managers of other companies to whom they could explain their product or service which could help in increasing sales revenue. 3.Airlines: magazines in airlines and airline companies could be important source for distribution of product and services of hotel. 4.Corporate Companies: Relation with corporate companies and advertisement in corporate magazine could help in promoting hotels product services.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

film Essays -- essays research papers

The film, El Norte, is a believable portrayal of a Guatemalan family’s struggles in the 1980s. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the story takes place in a village in Guatemala. The Xuncax family is in danger when the father, an activist leader, helps organize the local workers. Because of the father’s activism and his attempt to preserve what rightfully belongs to them, he is murdered. The mother is then taken away by the army, never to be seen again. The brother, Enrique, and the sister, Rosa, are left behind in the village. They fear for their lives and share the hope of a better life in â€Å"the north.† They recall the stories told to them by their godmother. They viewed pictures and stories in an American magazine, Good Housekeeping, portraying images of the â€Å"American Dream.† So often, this image is presented in such a manner that many readers in the U.S. and in other countries get the message that this dream is easily attainable and close at hand. Rosa and Enrique are also seduced by this false presentation of the U.S. They believed this myth about life in the north, so they fled from their violent situation, only to trade their present set of problems for another kind of intensified conflict as undocumented immigrants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The director was careful to present a fictional story based on the real life struggles of undocumented immigrants. The authentic portrayal of the people and their story is powerful. The characters are no...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Helios Essay

The author makes a point that the corporations should look to the city of Helios for new business opportunities or a new location. Author makes this point on the evidence that the unemployment in the city has been lower when compared to the regional average and that it has historically provided more manufacturing jobs than its share of the region. Further, the author says that Helios is attemption to expand its economic base by attracting companies to focus on Research an developmen of innovative technologies. However, the evidence provided by the author does not straight away lead to the conclusion that the corporations should consider Helios as a new location for seeking business opportunity. The following paragraphs explains how the evidence is not sufficient and the assumption incorrect. Firstly, the author states that the unemployment rate was lower in Helios when compared to the regional average. However, Helios being a industrial center of a particular region, its unemployement rate can’t be compared with the region, but shall be compared with other developed cities. Further, author states that Helios has provide more than its share of region’s manufacturing jobs. It fails to provide the information regarding its share of jobs in other sectors. The author wrongly assumes that the high share of jobs in manufacturing sector as a representative of its share of total jobs. Further, unemployment rate and high share of manufacturing jobs are not the criterions that corporations look for when investing in a new location. The author should have provided some other information which corporations look for in order to make a more logical conclusion. Further, author states that Helios is attempting to expand its economic base by attracting companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies. Author fails to state what is being offered by Helios to attract the corporations. Author once again fails to provide complete information. Author must have stated the various schemes, stimulus packages, tax exemptions, land allocation etc which could be offered to the companies if they invest in Helios. Thus, the author does not provide valid evidences and complete information in order to evaluate the argument putforth. Author should provide additional specific and relvant information so that corporation can evaluate whether to invest in Helios or not.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Jacksonian Democracy essays

Jacksonian Democracy essays In the 1820's and 1830's Jacksonian Democrats showed that they were the guardians of the United Stated Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. Andrew Jackson's opposition to the nullification laws displayed his honor for the Constitution and his belief in a strong union. Jacksonians were the intense democrats of this time, his reforms and political views showed his commitment to the common man. Jacksonian democracy advocated liberty of the white male working class. They also showed a firm belief in equal economic opportunity. Andrew Jackson was in extreme opposition to the nullification laws. At the annual Democratic party banquet, John C. Calhoun's toast to individual liberty and states rights above preservation of the Union made Jackson oppose the laws even more. He fought nullification laws and even threatened to hang the first to secede. His veto of modifications to the bank charter stated that it would wield it incompatible with the U.S. Constitution; this shows that he was concerned with the constitutionality of it. In the first paragraph of the Constitution it is stated, We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,...' Andrew Jackson's top priority seemed to be to hold to these words and to maintain the Union. Any bill he thought might betray some part of the Union or create a breach in it's ties, he vetoed. He was often referred to as "King Andrew the I" because of the large number of bills he vetoed and the extreme power he exerted. Jackson and his followers were strong believers in democracy; Jackson made many democratic reforms of the government that he could control through appointments of his supporters to office and firings of his enemies. His wild party after his inauguration showed how he held the common man in respect and displayed his democratic views. The John Eaton scandal is ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Profile of Women in the United States in 2000

Profile of Women in the United States in 2000 In March 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau observed Womens History Month by releasing a detailed set of statistics on women in the United States. The data came from the 2000 Decennial Census, the Current Population Survey of the year 2000, and the year 2000 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Education Equality 84% The percentage of women age 25 and over with a high school diploma or more, which equals the percentage for men. The college degree attainment gap between the sexes had not closed completely, but it was closing. In 2000, 24% of women age 25 and over had a bachelors degree or higher, compared with 28% of men. 30% The percentage of young women, ages 25 to 29, who had completed college as of 2000, which exceeded the 28% of their male counterparts who had done so. Young women also had higher high school completion rates than young men: 89% versus 87%. 56% The proportion of all college students in 1998 who were women. By2015, the U.S. Department of Education reported that more women than men were completing college. 57% The proportion of masters degrees awarded to women in 1997. Women also represented 56% of the people awarded bachelors degrees, 44% of the law degrees, 41% of the medical degrees and 41% of the doctorates. 49% The percentage of bachelors degrees awarded in business and management in 1997 that went to women. Women also received 54% of the biological and life sciences degrees. But Income Inequality Remains   In 1998, the median yearly earnings of women 25 years and over who worked fulltime, year-round was $26,711, or just 73% of the $36,679 earned by their male counterparts. While both men and women with college degrees realize higher lifetime earnings,   men working fulltime, year-round consistently earned more than comparable women in each of the education levels: The median earnings of women with a high school diploma were $21,963, compared with $30,868 for their male counterparts.The median earnings of women with a bachelor’s degree were $35,408, compared with $49,982 for their male counterparts.The median earnings of women with a professional degree was $55,460, compared with $90,653 for their male counterparts. Earnings, Income, and Poverty $26,324 The 1999 median earnings of women working full-time, year-round. In March 2015, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that while the gap was closing, women still made less than men doing similar work. 4.9% The increase between 1998 and 1999 in the median income of family households maintained by women with no spouse present ($24,932 to $26,164). 27.8% The record-low poverty rate in 1999 for families made up of a female householder with no husband present. Jobs 61% The percentage of women age 16 and over in the civilian labor force in March 2000. The percentage for men was 74%. 57% The percentage of the 70 million women age 15 and over who worked at some point in 1999 that were full-time year-round workers. 72% The percentage of women age 16 and over in 2000 who worked in one of four occupational groups: administrative support, including clerical (24%); professional specialty (18%); service workers, except private household (16%); and executive, administrative and managerial (14%). Population Distribution 106.7 million The estimated number of women age 18 and over living in the United States as of Nov. 1, 2000. The number of men 18 and over was 98.9 million. Women outnumbered men in every age group, from ages 25 and over and up. There were 141.1 million females of all ages. 80 years The projected life expectancy for women in 2000, which was higher than the life expectancy for men (74 years.). Motherhood 59% The record-high percentage of women with infants under the age of 1 in 1998 who were in the labor force, almost double the 31% rate of 1976. This compares with 73% of mothers ages 15 to 44 in the labor force that same year who did not have infants. 51% The 1998 percentage of married-couple families with children in which both spouses worked. This is the first time since the Census Bureau started recording fertility information that these families were the majority of all married-couple families. The rate in 1976 was 33%. 1.9 The average number of children women 40 to 44 years old in 1998 had by the end of their childbearing years. This contrasts sharply with women in 1976, who averaged 3.1 births. 19% The proportion of all women ages 40 to 44 who were childless in 1998, up from 10 percent in 1976. During the same time, those with four or more children declined from 36 percent to 10 percent. Marriage and Family 51% The percentage of women 15 years old and over in 2000 who were married and living with their spouse. Of the rest, 25 percent had never married, 10%t were divorced, 2% were separated and 10 percent were widowed. 25.0 years The median age at first marriage for women in 1998, more than four years older than the 20.8 years just a generation ago (1970). 22% The proportion in 1998 of 30- to 34-year-old women who had never married triple the rate in 1970 (6 percent). Similarly, the proportion of never-married women increased from 5 percent to 14 percent for 35-to-39-year-olds over the period. 15.3 million The number of women living alone in 1998, double the number in 1970 7.3 million.The percentage of women who lived alone rose for almost every age group. The exception was those aged 65 to 74, where the percentage was statistically unchanged. 9.8 million The number of single mothers in 1998, an increase of 6.4 million since 1970. 30.2 million The number of households in 1998 about 3 in 10 maintained by women with no husband present. In 1970, there were 13.4 million such households, about 2 in 10. Sports and Recreation 135,000 The number of women taking part in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned sports during the 1997-98 school year; women constituted 4 in 10 participants in NCAA-sanctioned sports. The 7,859 NCAA-sanctioned womens teams exceeded the number of mens teams. Soccer had the most female athletes; basketball, the most womens teams. 2.7 million The number of girls taking part in high school athletic programs during the 1998-99 school year triple the number in 1972-73. Participation levels by boys remained about the same during this time frame, about 3.8 million in 1998-99. Computer Use 70% The percentage of women with access to a computer at home in 1997 who used it; the rate for men was 72%. The home computer-use gender gap between men and women has shrunk considerably since 1984 when mens home computer use was 20 percentage points higher than that of women. 57% The percentage of women who used a computer on the job in 1997, 13 percentage points higher than the percentage of men who did so. Voting 46% Among citizens, the percentage of women who voted in the 1998 mid-term congressional elections; that was better than the 45% of men who cast their ballots. This continued a trend that had started in 1986. The preceding facts came from the 2000 Current Population Survey, population estimates, and the 2000 Statistical Abstract of the United States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Develop an Export Strategy for an Organisation Essay - 4

Develop an Export Strategy for an Organisation - Essay Example The Board of Directors should be cognizant of the recent economic crisis that destroyed the financial platforms for many countries in EU. However, Sweden avoided financial crisis through watertight and strong economic foothold. According to OECD Economic Surveys (2013), the country GDP is expected to grow by 2.5 percent by the end 2015, which is a great mileage that any economic giant in EU could achieve. The country aims at reducing the levels of unemployment though the current rate averages at 8.5 percent. The organization targets to concentrate on manufacturing and engineering services. Schön, (2012) argues that the Swedish economy has grown over the years to become one of the advanced nations in the engineering manufacturing. The organization also aims at participating in the efforts to eliminate unemployment rates in Sweden. Will not only the export-entry strategy feature provision of employment for the locals but also match with the increasing need for services that are in tandem with advanced information communications technology. The exportation will feature a direct strategy for products in the manufacturing and engineering sector. The country has a high demand for the services and a long-standing tradition in mining, shipbuilding and IT products. The products must be in keeping with the sustainability and earth-friendly innovations and competitive in terms of price and quality (Schön, 2012). Additionally, the export strategy recognizes the international trade theories. The process of developing an export strategy for Sweden was informed by the international trading theory, which includes country similarity and product life cycle theories. Being an Asian form calls for a strategy that features expansion to the competitive global market. The strategy also acknowledges the trade flows that include customer loyalty, advanced technology, and quality. Country similarity theory is

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Mommy Track Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mommy Track - Essay Example Compliance with laws such as these entails additional costs to businesses. At first impression, it would seem that corporate policy should be that employment of women is better avoided than encouraged. However, a study by Cohen & Blanchi (1999) shows a steadily increasing trend of women's labor force participation for the period 1971 to 1997. This leads to the conclusion that although it may cost more to employ women than men, there is relatively no negative impact on the profitability of businesses. Therefore, the higher costs of employing women will have no implications on corporate policy as long as the business benefits derived from women employees offset the costs. Schwartz definition of two types of working women as those who are career-primary and those who are career-and-family is quite accurate. It is therefore desirable for companies to distinguish the different types of career paths followed by female employees. According to Schwartz, career-primary women should be recognized early and accepted so that artificial barriers in their career path to the top may be cleared. In a similar way, career-and-family women should also be recognized and accepted and not be made to choose between career and family. Losing such women from the organization means losing a valuable resource and a competitive advantage. I 3. Do you think there already is such a thing as a mommy track Is the idea of a mommy track a good one Is it somehow discriminatory against women Against men I think there already is such a thing as a mommy track, especially in societies where the traditional roles of male as breadwinner and female as homemaker have been ingrained through centuries. The idea of a mommy track may actually be a good one. According to Quinn in a Newsweek article (2000), a rising proportion of women are choosing motherhood over career. Quinn says that this choice is a result of prosperity. When couples needed two incomes to survive, women had to find jobs. But when couples were able to manage with just one income, women can make the choice of staying at home. In this author's opinion, a mommy track is not discriminatory both for women and men. It is simply another alternative option to choose from. Quinn's article quotes a 32-year old mother of two who says that she does not feel a big need to work because she knows she can if she wants to. 4. Should special organizational arrangements be made for workers who wish to combine careers and child-raising Identify the steps that companies can take to accommodate parental needs more effectively. A company that specifically targets women workers must indeed, make special arrangements to address the needs of such workers, including child-raising concerns. Some steps that companies can take to accommodate parental needs more effectively are: Granting parental leave to increase the ability of families to balance the needs of the workplace and home. According to a study by Ruhm (2002), the first years of life is a critical period for a child and parents