CPA or a Contract Specialist Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Employment of CPAs and related financial professionals was predicted to grow by 18% between 2006 and 2016 (http: //degreedirectory. org/articles/CPA_-_Accountant_ Career_Summary_Job_Outlook_and_Educational_Requirements. html). This means the demand for CPAs in the US will still persist in the next few years. The reason for this is the continually growing quantity of businesses which have flourished in most areas of the country. Despite recent negative economic cycles, accounting employment remains strong throughout the nation ( http: //www. ihireaccounting. com/accountingemployment ggact. asp), further reinforcing the statement that the current need for finance people will continue to rise. Current salaries for CPAs range from 30K up to 60K annually. Accountants median annual earnings were $57,060 in 2007 (http: //degreedirectory. org /articles/CPA_-_Accountant_Career_Summary_Job_Outlook_and_Educational _Requirements. html), which just goes to show that the career trends for CPAs are getting more favorable and is predicted to be better in the coming years. As mentioned earlier, CPAs have the option to either be employed in a company or to be part of an accounting firm. Some specific Accounting Firms in Alabama are Aldridge, Borden & Company, DiPiazza, LaRocca, Heeter & Company and Bern, Butler, Capilouto & Massey. We will write a custom essay sample on CPA or a Contract Specialist or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now I have a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and two associate degrees, namely: Business and Accounting. My educational background obviously shows my interest in numbers and the financial side of business. Previous work experiences have accorded me the chance to learn about selling real estate and car dealership. I’ve had the opportunity to take some personality tests and I found out that I am more of the realistic and conventional type, hence, the practical and mechanical areas of the job come easy to me. I can say that I am also proficient with numbers and computers, and I prefer a structured organized environment with a definite set of goals. Contract Specialist A Contract Specialist is the point person for administration of contracts and dealing with contractors and is expected to perform responsibilities related to such contracted activities. He / she also acts as the liaison officer between contractors and the head of a company/locality. The contract specialist deals with suppliers to â€Å"solicit, negotiates, administers, closes-out and terminates purchase orders and contracts† (http: //www. cbp. gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_careers/contract_specialist. xml), as the case may be.

Motivation and Conflict Resolution Essay - 753 Words

Motivation and Conflict Resolution Conflict in the workplace is detrimental to employee motivation. An essential part of motivating employees is fostering trust and providing job satisfaction. Effectively resolving conflict is critical to the success of the organization, but is only one aspect of employee motivation. There are motivational theories that help organizations understand workplace relationships, organizational behavior, and their effects on employee motivation. Improved knowledge of employee motivation and workplace conflict help organizations develop effective strategies for conflict resolution. Motivational Theories Maslow recognized†¦show more content†¦111). Some organizations apply content theories, identifying motivating behavior, and others use process theories, identifying the thought processes that motivate people. Organizations use a combination of the two types of theories to motivate employees. Some examples of how organizations apply content theory to meet employee’s needs and motivate them are when organizations offer additional benefits or compensation to motivate employees to improve performance. Performance-based pay raises motivate employees to excel by fulfilling their need for income. Commission-based pay motivation prompts employees to increase sales or production goals. Identifying thought processes that motivate employees is less straightforward than identifying needs. Process theory approaches rely on cognitive methods like positive reinforcement and conditioning, encouragement and recognition of employees when exhibiting positive behaviors increases chances for continual behavior. Conflict Management Strategies Occasionally, conflicts arise and the organization must devise ways to effectively manage the conflict. Conflicts arise as individual opinions, thought processes, attitudes, interests and needs differ (Management Study Guide, 2012). Management and employees need to work together to implement conflict management strategies and communication, an imperativeShow MoreRelated Motivation and Conflict Management Essay1023 Words   |  5 PagesMotivation and Conflict Management Organizations strive for creative ways to enhance employee motivation and resolve conflicts with the desire to have employees perform better within the workplace. To motivate one has to be motivated. Motivation within the workplace has to be constant and requiring a goal. Motivation, if not repeated will not last. 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To expand our own emotional awareness, only one element stands to be essential in the dealing with conflict and that is Empathy. Empathy is critical to our relationships because it is what essentially ties us together on a global scale. Showing empathy in ourRead MoreRoles Of Actors Should Be Considered Effective For A Number Of Reasons Essay918 Words   |  4 Pageswork, different parties in the dispute, i.e. the workers and management should consider using rights-based approaches such as mediation, and arbitration. Furthermore, the power-based approaches such as strikes should only be resolved for the few conflicts that cannot be resolved through either the rights-based or interest-based approaches. As such, the recommended system should resolve most of the disputes and issues at the interest level, least at the right level, and the least through the use ofRead MoreGroup Behavior and Process947 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelopment tasks. However, the lack of face to face contact can be a challenge in building agreement. For decision-making teams, having the right team composition can help to overcome this. Collectivistic teams have higher levels of collaborative conflict management than individualistic teams, and are motivated more by outcomes which benefit the entire team. Research has also shown that highly diverse or heterogeneous teams outperform homogenous teams in many performance measures, though theyRead MoreMgt 3111255 Words   |  6 Pagesplays  an important part in the success it will be fun to treat the employees out to lunch or a vacation trip. Part II. Conflict Management Plan Conflict resolution is a good plan for getting a group of people to work together. This resolution will always be the best for times when the going gets rough and differences come out in the open. When developing a conflict resolution it helps to know techniques such as, problem solving, avoidance, compromising, and communication. This will help your  teamRead MoreSolving The Conflict Resolution : Active Listening And Good Communication821 Words   |  4 Pageshelp them resolve their conflict. â€Å"Arbitration is a time-tested, cost-effective alternative to ligation. Arbitration is the submission of a dispute to one or more impartial persons for a final and binding decision, known as an ‘award’. Awards are made in writing and generally final and binding on the parties in the case† (American Arbitration Association). The Communication Process Communication is one of the key elements of the conflict resolution process. The most of the conflicting situations

Marketing Management For Markets Segments And Decision Making

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Management for Markets Segments and Decision Making. Answer: Introduction: Marketing audit can be referred as systematic examination of marketing environment of a business organization to identify the major areas of opportunities and threats. It is a strategic tool of an organization used for identifying the market segments and developing effective marketing strategies to reach the target audiences by an organization (Beamish, 2006). The present report aims to carry out the market audit of Nike for identifying the target market segment and examining the opportunities and threats present in the external environment. The report, in this context, provides a detailed analysis of the growth, profitability and macro-environmental factors of Nike. The major primary and secondary market segments are identified in the report with the discussion of the level of involvement of primary segment in decision-making of the company. Also, it includes competitor analysis and demonstrates the positioning map for the company depicting its competitive position in the marketplac e. Marketing Audit for Nike Industry Market for Nike Nike, Inc.s (NKE) is involved in designing, developing, marketing and selling of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment globally. The company presently operates its business operations mainly in North America, Western Europe, Greater China, Central and Eastern Europe, Japan and emerging markets in less developed countries (Soni, 2014). The current trends in the industry market of the company are examines as follows: Growth: Nike is regarded as one of the best recognized brands in athletic and apparel industry across the globe and is considered a market leader. The growth and popularity of the brand internationally is responsible for its dominant position as a market leader worldwide. The significant increase in the sales and revenue of the company since its establishment has caused its unprecedented market growth worldwide (Hill Jones, 2008). Profitability: The Company is believed to have large market capitalization and is believed to sell about $ 12 billion worth shoes in $35 billion worth sports apparel and equipment industry (Hill Jones, 2008). The company has largest market segment in North America that contributes to about half of its sales and revenue. The aim of the company is to enhance its annual revenue through increase in the direct sales for sustaining its position of market leader in the sports equipment and apparel industry (Soni, 2014). Macro environment PESTLE Analysis: The impact of external environmental factors on companys performance can be examined through PESTLE analysis as follows: Political: Nike operates in a global environment and thus its growth and profitability is mainly impacted by the governmental policies and regulations. The company has to comply with taxes and manufacturing laws operating in varying countries. As such, the company has extensive support from the US government that has maintained low interest rates and currency exchange stability (Bush, 2016). Economic: The Company sells medium range products and hence is less impacted by the economic conditions of the countries where it operates its business functions. However, its operations can be impacted by the cost of labor and switching to cheaper products by the consumers in less developed economies (Bush, 2016). Social: The growth of the company also depends on social factors such as lifestyle habits of the people in different countries. The people worldwide are emphasizing on staying healthy and fit through adoption of better lifestyle habits such as practicing exercise and going to gyms. This has increased the demand of sports apparel and equipment in the countries worldwide thus enhancing the revenue generation for the company (Bush, 2016). Technological: Nike has incorporated latest technological advancements in its business model for increasing its sales and profitability. The company utilizes latest technologies such as social media for strengthening their brand image by reaching to the customers globally instantly (Bush, 2016). Legal: The Company has to abide by all the legal laws of the varying countries where it operates its business functions in order to support its international expansion plan. The most critical challenge that exists before the company in this regard is complying with various types of labor laws in developing countries (Bush, 2016). Environmental: Nike has also to abide by the environmental laws such as related to emission of green-house gases to ensure protection of environment. The company has to protect the environment from any of the adverse impacts of its operational activities for its sustainable growth and development (Bush, 2016). Major Market Segments of Nike The major market segment for Nike comprises of athletes that are mainly involved in purchasing of companys products. The company has identified appropriately its primary and secondary target market segment. The primary market of the company is referred to as target market where the company is currently focusing to deliver its products and services (Soni, 2014). The other brands of the company such as Jordan and Hurley targets market segments of golfers and young people involved in skateboarding and surfing. The primary target audience of the main Nike brand is professional athletes. Nike brand design and manufactures its products such as shoes, sporting equipment and clothes as per the needs and demands of its primary target market. The Nike Golf brand mainly targets golfers while its Hurley International LLC brand mainly targets surfers. The company serves its customers with huge passion by meeting their needs and requirements appropriately. Thus, these all constitutes the major pri mary market segments of the company (Soni, 2014). The secondary target market of the company mainly includes women customers, young athletes and runners. The secondary market of an organization is referred as the target market that it is aiming to focus in the future period of time (Lutz, 2015). Nike is emphasizing on designing training and running sports apparels for womens. The company believes that inclusion of women apparels in its product line would cause an increase of about $ 2 billion of its annual sales in the future period of time. The next secondary target segment of Nike are young athletes involved in playing sports such as soccer and basketball. The company aims to target this market segment through sponsoring of local leagues, clubs and federations and demanding the young athletes to wear the companys products. The company also aims to target distance runners in the future context and thus it also constitutes its important secondary market segment. The company is designing its new shoes in accordance with the needs and demands of distance runners. Also, it is actively involved in sponsoring of running events for gaining attention of its secondary target market towards the companys products (Lutz, 2015). Level of Involvement of Primary Segment Towards the Decision Making of Nike Nike is recognized all over the world as engaging its customers in each and every type of its business activity. The company gains a proper understanding of the changing needs and expectations of its customer through encouraging the feedback from them (Tierney, 2015). The target market segment of Nike is the professional athletes and the company has implemented effective strategies for enhancing the level of involvement of athletes at all levels of its decision-making process. This helps the company to develop proper insights into the changing needs of customers for driving innovation in its sports products. Nike aims to enhance customer value by engaging them in all their business processes involved in the designing of its products. Customer value is defined as the difference between the actual products received by customers to that demanded by them (Tierney, 2015). The website of the company provides a platform to the sport athletes to upload data about their performance; incoming events and can easily connect with their friends. Also, the website of the company provides useful information to the customers regarding their fitness regime and the benefits that they can gain through utilizing Nikes sports products. Thus, Nike website provides an active platform to the company to interact with its customers so that they can deliver innovative and quality products in accordance with the consumers desire. In addition to this, the company involves its consumers through introduction of various health campaigns. The campaigns facilities company to gain a proper understanding of the health needs of its target market so that they can bring new and innovative products for them (Petro, 2016).. The company also incorporates the use of social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for interacting with its target audiences. The company makes us e of all these social media platforms to connect with people worldwide and strengthen its brand image. The establishment of such communicating platforms has facilitated Nike to engage with all its consumers through implementing their views and opinions in manufacturing its products (How Nike Uses Social Media, 2016). For example, Nike has established a social networking site Joga.com during the world cup of the year 2006 to upload videos displaying soccer skills and inviting the comments of professionals for generating user-generated content. The development of such social media channels enables the company to connect with millions of soccer fans quickly and instantly (Ramaswamy, 2008). The active involvement of consumer in the decision-making process of the company has proved that customers are no longer a passive recipient of value propositions of the organizations. The company has also launched effective communication platforms through the use of latest technology devices for interacting with its consumers. Nike Plus platform of the company is a collaboration between Nike and Apple that involves iPod of Apple and a wireless device that established connection between music player and the running shoes. Thus, the adoption of such innovative and creative measures by the company to enhance the inv olvement with its primary market demonstrates the best practices of co-creation value with customers (Ramaswamy, 2008). Nature of Competition in the Sports Apparel Equipment Industry The athletic apparel and equipment industry is highly competitive in nature involving large number of global players. Nike is a market leader in its industry but faces stiff competition from international players such as Adidas, Reebok, V.F. Corp, Puma and Under Armour (Nike Incs Competitiveness, 2016). The high competition in the industry among large global giants poses a significant risk on long-term growth and development of Nike. Nike is recognizes as largest seller of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment globally but need to gain a proper understanding of the business operations of its competitors for ensuring its sustainability. The leaders in the industry are very well-established such as Reebok and Adidas and thus there is high entry barrier in the industry (The Business Of Sportswear: NIKE Vs. ADIDAS, 2014). The main competitor of Nike can be regarded as Adidas, involved in designing and manufacturing of sports shoes, apparels and accessories headquartered in Germany. Adidas also owns the brands such as Reebok and TaylorMade, widely recognized player in the sports apparel and equipment industry. Adidas has good brand loyalty in European markets and also has large market share in the sports apparel industry. The company is actively involved in manufacturing of accessories sports products such as bags, watches and shirts that have made it second largest sportswear manufacturer behind Nike (Joseph, 2016). The enhanced revenue generation of Adidas in recent years is posing a threat to the dominant position of Nike in recent years. Nike, still dominant to Adidas, needs to enhance its strengths and overcome its weaknesses for sustaining its market leader position in the sports apparel and equipment industry (Haig, 2006). The main strength of the company lies in its product differentiation that sets apart its sports products from other global players in the industry. Nike is known worldwide for designing and manufacturing technologically advanced products through incorporation of all the needs and wants of the consumers. The active involvement of the consumers in the strategic decision-making process of the company at all levels enables it to meet effectively the customer expectations (Galbraith, 2014). On the other hand, Adidas still lacks behind from Nike in developing technologically advanced products. Adidas is also recently emphasizing on implementing innovative technologies for designing new products and processes for overcoming the competition level in the industry (Leach, 2015). The level of customer involvement in the decision-making process of the organization is also lower in Adidas as compared to that of Nike. The main competitive weakness of Nike as compared to that of Adidas are relative higher prices of its products. However, the company is currently emphasizing on maintaining a low price strategy so that its products are readily available to all the economic sections of a country. The company always strives to offer best quality products to the customers through incorporation of all the consumer wants and desires. This causes a relative increase in the price of its products as compared to that of Adidas (Lussier Kimball, 2013). Nike is a dominant player in the global footwear market. However, the company needs to continually monitor and review its business practices and procedures for maintaining its competitive position in the industry. It needs to implement latest technologies in designing of its products for meeting effectively the preferences of the consumers (Dalavagas, 2015). The demand of the companys products mainly depends on the increasing popularity of various sports and fitness activities and thus major changes in the consumer trends towards utilizing these products can negatively impact its performance. The success of competitors in attracting more customers through incorporating latest technological advances ahead of the company can negatively impact Nikes sustainable growth (Dalavagas,2015). Positioning Map for the Market Place of Nike On the basis of level of involvement of primary segment and competitive position of the company, its positioning map is depicted as follows: Low Quality Nike is positioned as topmost in the positioning map on the basis of its high level of consumer involvement and designing high quality products. The company has sustained its dominant position in the sports apparel and equipment industry. The level of consumer involvement and quality of products is lower in case of Adidas as compared to that of Nike. Puma, on the other hand, is ranked lower than Nike and Adidas on the terms of consumer involvement and quality of products. Under Armour is positioned as lowermost in terms of quality and level of consumer involvement as compared to that of Puma (Wong, (2012). Thus, Nike produces relatively high technology products through incorporation of all the needs and wants of the consumers that is responsible for high value delivered to the customers by the company. Conclusion Thus, it can be inferred from the overall discussion held in the report that Nike is a market leader in the global sports apparel and equipment industry. The company mainly operates its business operations in developed countries such as United States. However, it is also presently emphasizing on carrying out its business operations in developing countries. The primary target segment of the company is professional athletes that have a major demand of its sports apparels and equipment. The level of involvement of primary targets segment in decision-making process of the company is high responsible for its huge growth and success. The company faces stiff competition from other established global players such as Adidas but has till now sustained its dominant competitive position in the market place. References Beamish, K. (2006). Marketing Planning. Routledge. Bush, T. 2016. A Pestle Analysis of Nike. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-of-nike/ Dalavagas, J. (2015). Nike: Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://www.gurufocus.com/news/325905/nike-analysis-of-strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing Organizations: Strategy, Structure, and Process at the Business Unit and Enterprise Levels. John Wiley Sons. Haig, M. (2006). Brand Royalty: How the World's Top 100 Brands Thrive Survive. Kogan Page Publishers. Hill, C. Jones, G. R. (2008). Strategic Management Series. Cengage Learning. How Nike Uses Social Media. (2016). Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://linkhumans.com/case-study/nike Joseph, U. A. (2016). The 'Made in Germany' Champion Brands: Nation Branding, Innovation and World Export Leadership. Routledge. Leach, A. (2015). Nike vs. adidas: Who Owns the Market? Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/11/09/nike-adidas-market-shares/ Lussier, R. Kimball, D. (2013). Applied Sport Management Skills 2nd Edition With Web Study Guide. Human Kinetics. Lutz, A. (2015). Nike is going after 3 kinds of customers. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://www.businessinsider.in/Nike-is-going-after-3-kinds-of-customers/articleshow/46844244.cms Nike Incs Competitiveness. (2016). Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://csimarket.com/stocks/compet_glance.php?code=NKE Petro, G. (2016). Nike Just Does It - Keeping An Eye On The Customer. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2016/07/08/nike-just-does-it-keeping-an-eye-on-the-customer/#4687ccb86ecf Ramaswamy, V. (2008). Co-creating value through customers experiences: the Nike case. Strategy Leadership 36 (5), 9-14. Soni, P. (2014). An Overview of NIKES Brand Stable. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://marketrealist.com/2014/12/an-overview-of-nikes-brand-stable/ The Business Of Sportswear: NIKE Vs. ADIDAS. (2014). Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://fashionbi.com/insights/marketing-analysis/the-business-of-sportswear-nike-vs-adidas Tierney, J. (2015). Brand Loyalty for Nike Starts with Placing the Customer First. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://loyalty360.org/content-gallery/daily-news/brand-loyalty-for-nike-starts-with-placing-the-cus Wong, G. M. (2012). The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports. Jones Bartlett Publishers.