Questions of company culture

We can divide culture in the company on 4 main groups:

· The family culture (highly personal with close face-to-face relationships, but also hierarchical. The leader is the caring father)

· The Eiffel Tower culture (has a steep hierarchy, broad at the base and narrow at the top. Impersonal. Authority comes from a person’s role and position in the hierarchy)

· The guided missile culture (egalitarian and oriented to tasks typically undertaken by teams or project groups. Impersonal)

· The incubator culture( the organization serves as an incubator for self-expression and self-fulfilment. Personal and egalitarian with almost no structure at all. Often a strong emotional commitment to the work)

Organizations should strive for what is considered a " healthy" organizational culture in order to increase productivity, growth, efficiency and reduce counterproductive behavior and turnover of employees. A variety of characteristics describe a healthy culture, including: Acceptance and appreciation for diversity; Regard for and fair treatment of each employee as well as respect for each employee’s contribution to the company; Employee pride and enthusiasm for the organization and the work performed; Equal opportunity for each employee to realize their full potential within the company; Strong communication with all employees regarding policies and company issues; Strong company leaders with a strong sense of direction and purpose

Organizational culture is the collective behaviour of people that are part of an organization, it is also formed by the organization values, visions, norms, working language, systems, and symbols, it includes beliefs and habits. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviours and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling. Organizational culture affect the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.

 

Supply and demand

Supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a market. It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers (at current price) will equal the quantity supplied by producers (at current price), resulting in an economic equilibrium of price and quantity. Supply is how much of something is available. Demand is how much of something people want. It sounds a little bit harder to measure, but it really isn't. To measure demand, we can use a very simple numbering system, just like the supply one. If something has a high price, you can usually conclude that the demand for that item is low. In the same way, if something has a low price, you can usually conclude that the demand for that item is high. So we have supply, which is how much of something you have, and demand, which is how much of something people want. Put the two together, and you have supply and demand.

The four basic laws of supply and demand are: ^[1]

1. If demand increases and supply remains unchanged, then it leads to higher equilibrium price and higher quantity.

2. If demand decreases and supply remains unchanged, then it leads to lower equilibrium price and lower quantity.

3. If supply increases and demand remains unchanged, then it leads to lower equilibrium price and higher quantity.

4. If supply decreases and demand remains unchanged, then it leads to higher equilibrium price and lower quantity.

 

N egotiation T echniques

Negotiation is the process of searching for an agreement that satisfies various parties. An agreement may be reached either through a barter or through real negotiation. A barter allows only one party - the party in a position of power - to " win"; the other party is forced to accept something of lesser value. A real negotiation implies a " win-win" situation, in which all parties are satisfied.

Let us go through some negotiation techniques in detail:

The first, for an effective negotiation is one should be well informed with everything related to the deal. Find out even the minutest detail you think is important and you might require at the time of negotiation. Be prepared for everything. Remember the second party might ask you anything.

Look confident. While speaking, don’t look around or play with things. It’s just a discussion, no one will kill you if you are not able to close the deal. Take care of your dressing as well. Don’t wear anything which is too casual. If you dress casually people will not take you seriously. Be a patient listener. Listen to others as well. Think about their interest and needs as well. Don’t ask for anything which would not benefit the second party. Don’t jump to conclusions and never interfere when the other person is speaking. Communication is also important in negotiation. Speak clearly and precisely. One should not confuse others. Playing with words is one of the biggest threats to negotiation. Don’t use derogatory or lewd remarks against anyone.

 

Dealing with customers

Good customer service plays an essential role in building a network of loyal customers who will return to your business and will recommend your business to others. A good business will try to minimize customer complaints through good customer service. However, establishing compliant handling procedures can lead to turning dissatisfied customers into loyal customers and provide feedback that can be used to improve your business.

In negotiating with customer the most important thing is to be very well prepared.

That is, understands the buyer’s expectations and also you should know how far you can go to reach a compromise both sides are happy with. If the salesman and the customer know and trust each other, the salesman can do business more quickly.

To be a good listener and a bit of psychologist is ones??? of the main skills that a good salesperson needs. He needs to de able to recognize the buy “signs”. For instance, when the buyer starts to talk about possible delivery dates? Or specific schedules, the salesman can take the initiative and close the deal.

If the customer is quiet, the salesman can put some obvious holes in his presentation which will get the customer to ask a question he cans to answer. Aggressive customers are insecure so you reassure them and make them think they are the boss. Things go better after that. Confrontation and losing your temper lead absolutely nowhere.

    But, everyone in business has to deal with an upset customer. The challenge is to handle the situation in a way that leaves the customer thinking you operate a great company. If you’re lucky, you can even encourage him or her to serve as a passionate advocate for your brand.

When it comes down to it, many customers don't even bother to complain. They simply leave and buy from your competitors. To prevent this the salesman should listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let him finish, repeat back what he is hearing to show that he has listened. Put himself in customer’s shoes. The customer needs to feel like you’re on his or her side and that you empathize with the situation. Apologize without blaming.
You [1]need to immediately answer the complaint and solve the problem. It may be to give money back, exchange a product or do some repair.

To make sure the customer is completely satisfied, some companies will provide some special service or a reduced price on another product. This is done to assure the customer will come back for more business. Many retail stores have a generous return policy to satisfy dissatisfied customers.

Corporate Mergers

One plus one makes three: this equation is the special alchemy of a merger or an acquisition. The key principle behind buying a company is to create shareholder value over and above that of the sum of the two companies. Two companies together are more valuable than two separate companies - at least, that's the reasoning behind M& A.

This rationale is particularly alluring to companies when times are tough. Strong companies will act to buy other companies to create a more competitive, cost-efficient company. The companies will come together hoping to gain a greater market share or to achieve greater efficiency. Because of these potential benefits, target companies will often agree to be purchased when they know they cannot survive alone.

In the pure sense of the term, a merger happens when two firms, often of about the same size, agree to go forward as a single new company rather than remain separately owned and operated. This kind of action is more precisely referred to as a " merger of equals." Both companies' stocks are surrendered and new company stock is issued in its place. For example, both Daimler-Benz and Chrysler ceased to exist when the two firms merged, and a new company, DaimlerChrysler, was created.

A purchase deal will also be called a merger when both CEOs agree that joining together is in the best interest of both of their companies. But when the deal is unfriendly - that is, when the target company does not want to be purchased - it is always regarded as an acquisition.

One size doesn't fit all. Many companies find that the best way to get ahead is to expand ownership boundaries through mergers and acquisitions. For others, separating the public ownership of a subsidiary or business segment offers more advantages. At least in theory, mergers create synergies and economies of scale, expanding operations and cutting costs. Investors can take comfort in the idea that a merger will deliver enhanced market power.

 

International trade

If you walk into a supermarket and are able to buy South American bananas, Brazilian coffee and a bottle of South African wine, you are experiencing the effects of international trade.

International trade allows us to expand our markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available to us. It is the reason why you can pick between a Japanese, German or American car. As a result of international trade, the market contains greater competition and therefore more competitive prices, which brings a cheaper product home to the consumer.

International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries. This type of trade gives rise to a world economy, in which prices, or supply and demand, affect and are affected by global events. Political change in Asia, for example, could result in an increase in the cost of labor, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs for an American sneaker company based in Malaysia, which would then result in an increase in the price that you have to pay to buy the tennis shoes at your local mall. A decrease in the cost of labor, on the other hand, would result in you having to pay less for your new shoes.

Trading globally gives consumers and countries the opportunity to be exposed to goods and services not available in their own countries. Almost every kind of product can be found on the international market: food, clothes, spare parts, oil, jewelry, wine, stocks, currencies and water. Services are also traded: tourism, banking, consulting and transportation. A product that is sold to the global market is an export, and a product that is bought from the global market is an import.

Global trade allows wealthy countries to use their resources - whether labor, technology or capital - more efficiently. Because countries are endowed with different assets and natural resources (land, labor, capital and technology), some countries may produce the same good more efficiently and therefore sell it more cheaply than other countries. If a country cannot efficiently produce an item, it can obtain the item by trading with another country that can. This is known as specialization in international trade.                              

 

 

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