10 March

Topic: Revision

     This is the last week of this term's studying. Through these lessons and lectures of the whole term, I learnt a lot of professional knowledge about business management and mastered some detailed technological methods to deal with business problems. In this blog, I will give a list of key points and the major structure about this subject. It likes review notes to help me remember  all the knowledge and get some further understandings.

      First of all, from this subject, I knew lots of definitions of professional words in the business, such as organisations, globalisation, strategy and so on. Also, there are many specific vocabularies which I must master the purposes of them and what they stand for. For instance, the purpose of porter's five forces is identifying competitiveness and profitability, and meanings of these five forces are threat of substitute products, intensity of rivalry within the industry, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers. In addition, SWOT and PSETLE are another two significant parts. SWOT stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities as well as threatens, and PESTLE represents political, economical, social, technological, legal and environmental. Expect these, there also have many important business words need to be understood.

       Secondly, combining with the detailed knowledge, I can analyse some real business cases and find out measures to solve problems. Established cases like tools to help me understand vital points deeply and teach me to know the ways which are used to compare the similar case in different conditions. For example, in the trend of globalisation, Tesco in USA and Starbucks are two international Coffee Shop industries, but they got different results in the processes of their development. This is a very important case studying should be learnt. According to characteristics of each of them, I have to do some further surveys about themselves and get a clear understanding about their domestic markets and international markets. To sum up, focus on the studying of this part, I mastered how to make correct strategies which can let organisations find new ways to fit for the modern society and have rapid improvement.

       Moreover, I also got many useful professional knowledge about business management which taught me to become an eligible manager. In order to master every part, I knew that setting up a total structure about each main content is very necessary for studying.

        In conclusion, business management is one of vital subjects in my studying, it is a guide which leads me to become better. Through the total revision of this passage, I master the knowledge clearly.

       

3 March

Topic: Globalisation

       As an important part of  international business, globalisation needs to be paid more attention to study. This week, I have a further understanding and master a lot of fresh knowledge about it.

       Firstly, I would like to introduce the definition of globalisation. Globalisation refers to the increasing integration of internationally dispersed economic activities. It includes some different factors about societies, cultures, politics and economics. As the development of globalisation, there are lots of concerns appearing and become challenges. They are divided into many aspects, such as trade in goods and services, investment, labour force movement, intellectual property and so on. Because of all of them, the instability of globalisation increases.

        Secondly, focus on the drivers behind globalisation, the necessary of its development need to be understood clearly. In order to reduce the possibility of concerns to become true, there has some useful methods should be taken. In the aspect of political, taking preferential trading agreements and removal of border is significant, EU and NAFTA are two important examples about this measure. Also, increasing the advantages of technologies, likes the development of the internet which makes small companies to compete globally, can be regarded as another driver to go global. In addition, managers should pay more attention to different levels of markets and costs to let saturated domestic markets force business to move markets. Moreover, enhancing standards of the public's real lives increases the need of goods and services. It can progress the speed of globalisation, even make it reach a high level. The last factor is the competition. The competition among many companies gives them a lot of motive power to reclaim more markets as well as develop the competitive power. Companies have to go global and do trades in international markets to ensure their positions in the total markets.  Starbucks which is an international company, is a successful example about going global with right methods. By contrast, Tesco in USA is failing. It did not have a clear structure in the process of development. The managers also did not realize the growth of vital markets and can not enter the trend of globalisation with its own advantages. Expect these, Tesco in USA and its management model could not fit for today's modern society.

        Thirdly, globalisation is a helpful way to develop in the competitive market, but how to go global successfully is a difficult problem for lots of organisation. Combining with the whole environment of international markets and characteristics of globalisation, I master some detailed methods and internal strategies which need be considered and  undertook by organisations. Having a deep understanding about advantages and disadvantages also can help companies take further ways to go global.

        To sum up,  making organisations compete globalisation is not easy to succeed. And organisations have to achieve their aims and get further developments. There are lot of factors pushing forward the globalisation and improving the necessary of it.

24 February

Topic: International Business

     Through the study of this week, I master not only the whole structure of international business, but also some detailed points, such as the globalisation and international trade. These detailed knowledge help me have a further understanding about international business more clearly, and let me know a lot of useful methods to deal with business cases.  

      First of all, through a successful business example--an international company named Starbucks, I know its major management ways and the important successful reason. The managers of Starbucks have correct analysis about domestic markets and international markets, according to different environments, they use different ways to develop themselves and expand overseas. Besides these, they also focus on the sources of the coffee and insist on fair trades, ensuring buyers can get fair prices. All of these let Starbucks becomes more and more successful and gets more opportunities to face in operating internationally.Thus, because of this case, I know that creating ways which fit for themselves is the most important factor for companies, specially for the international business.

       Secondly, the international environment is not very simple, sometimes it gets lots of challenges and opportunities. So, finding and following useful methods have become big issues for companies. There are many ways helping the business go international, such as outsource, exporting and importing, foreign direct investment, licensing, joint ventures as well as wholly owned subsidiary.These different ways can make companies enter the total international environment quickly and easily.

       Thirdly, focusing on the context of international trade, I master to analyse the international business from different angles. It is significant to understand itself's advantages and disadvantages. In addition, developing the international trade successfully is not easy, managers should know many rules of the international environment clearly and put them into actions flexibly. In my opinion, international trades not only have vital impacts for companies, also influence the whole international markets. Moreover, it is a duty for companies which have international trades to obey the rules to develop and make their management systems better and better.

        In conclusion, international business as an important topic in business management needs paying more attention to be mastered. Expect these detailed knowledge, I should learn some other cases to understand this part deeply .

17 February
Topic:Organisational strategy (PESTEL) and stakeholders
     As the further studying of our business and management course, I have understood lots of theories about organisations deeply. Through this week's study,I mastered some fresh professional knowledge and got the continuous learning to last week.Now,I will talk about some important points about the organisational strategy and stakeholders in detail.     

     Firstly, I want to talk about the general environment---PESTEL.It is a technique which includes six factors---political,economic,social,technological,environment and legal.Each of them is consisted of many different points and all of them are relevant to an organisation. The theory of PESREL provides different angels to help managers analyse organisations' pressure and problems from the external environment,ensuring they can solve these problems exactly as well as formulate feasible development strategy.For example,I was taught a case which is analysed with PESTEL---university of Sussex.Through the analysis of six aspects,let me have a clear understanding for the general environment of the university.Thus, PESTEL likes a tool to make organisations progress.

      Secondly,I focus on the strategy.Strategy is about how people decide to organise major resources to enhance performance of an enterprise.It is significant for organisations and divided into different types,like competitive strategy,emergent strategy and so on.Moreover,I know some methods which managers use to develop strategies,such as shifting from formalised to less formal,decreasing documentations and increasing the flexibility in plans.

      Finally,let me talk some important points about stakeholders.Stakeholders refer to any individual or group or organisation that is vital to the surveil or success of the organisation.A wider definition includes any of above that affects or is affected by the organisation.The power of stakeholders have strong influence.It can bring lots of advantages and disadvantages for organisations,even affecting the overall interests.In addition,according to sources of power for internal stakeholders and external stakeholders,managers can analyse business cases and work easily and correctly.In fact,equal levels of power and impacts for all stakeholders are nonexistent.The analysis of British Airways as an important negative example,showing the importance of these theories.Due to its shortcomings and huge losses,British Airways have to change its original management strategy to get development.These measures make stakeholders get new benefits and more powerful position in the market.

      All of these are fresh knowledge for me,although some of them are quite difficult to be mastered,I am still interested in this course.After classes,I will research some typical business cases to read and expert the further studying. 

3 February

Topic:Placing organisations in context part 1-internal environment,micro environment

      This week, we concentrate on another vital context about organisations. Environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person,animal,or plant lives or operates.The organisations' environment as one of important parts, including a lot of different factors which effect or decide the development of organisations. Now I will talk about two parts of this context in detail,one is internal environment and the other is micro environment.

       The internal environment is regarded as a major contextual feature,which consists of elements within the organisation such as its  technology,structure or business processes.This kind of environment should be pay attention because of its importance.The world's leading manufacturer of mobile phones,named Nokia,is one of very important examples to prove this opinion.It success depends on many factors like its abilities,but its advantageous internal environment,such as extensive consumers in the mobile phone market,experienced managers,professional technology and so on,also provides a positive support for its development.Obviously,beneficial and steady internal environment can offer many platforms for developing and ensure the organisation has strong power to be supported.

        On the other hand,the competitive environment,sometimes known as the micro-environment,is the industry-specific environment comprising the organisation's customers,suppliers and competitors.Organisations and managers should have a correct attitude to treat it.It gives them not only challenge but also opportunity.There is a useful tool,which is divided into five points,helping people analyse the micro environment clearly.Buyers,competitors, potential entrants,substitutes and suppliers are regarded as five significant forces.All of them influence organisations commonly,expect the pressure,the micro environment also can make organisations become better and have stronger competitive power.In addition,let us talk about the most important force among them.In fact,it depends on the industry.Different industry has different important force need to be focused on and also has its own way to manage.

         Although the internal environment and competitive environment are not the whole environment which have important influences for organisations,they are essential and inevitable. To sum up,master these environments clearly and have a positive attitude to treat as well as deal with,really can help organisations get better development and further perfection.
        

20 January

Topic:Organisational design and structure

       This week,we have a further studying of organisation. Though a successful example of a company named Oticon, which was changed from an industrial organisation into a service organisation with a physical product, let me know a significant principle clearly,the better your processes are defined, the more flexible you can be.After this studying case,I want to talk about some professional knowledge about organisational design and structure in detail.

        On the one hand, understanding the meaning of some frequently-used definitions is very necessary,these can help me master and distinguish different cases accurately and easily. Organisation structure as a basic concept, its definition is the sum total of the ways in which it divides its labour into distinct tasks and then achieves co-ordination among them.Basing on it, from organisation chart,I know that the main departments and job titles. It also shows who people report to, and clarified four features of the formal structure.Then through the work specialisantion,I know how to manage in order ways,divide different strong power and lead the staff and companies go on objective ways.All of these can help managers change these rules into actions and encourage them to act consistently with their careers.For example,most medium and large-sized firms set up line-and-staff organisations structures.Managers realize the characteristics of organisations and take corresponding measures to manage.This method put these theories into actions and get success.

        On the other hand,I need to focus on centralisation and decentralisation. In order to get an excellent management way and realize the maximization of interests,all the staff and managers need a common leader to lead them.It likes a huge machine,needing a core component to control,through this method to ensure every part can achieve its value in the whole environment.In addition,chain of command as well as span of control have lots of common expects and relations with this theory. Managers who have formal authority must give people the right to make decisions and respect each person' right.This way can reduce the differences of opinions and increase decisions' executive force.As the business grows,the hierarchy are more complex,but three levels,such as RBS,are still possible to see.And the span of control becomes wider than before.Besides these,matrix structures,combining functional and divisional structures, as one part of organisantional design and structure,its benefits reflects in the allocation and integration of actual tasks.

        Totally speaking,organisational design and structure really make sense in managing usefully.Excellent organisational design and structure can bring much positive energy to each division and support companies continue their work.

13 January

Topic:Introduction to organisations and management 

      This is the first week we study in year one, and from this week we start to learn professional courses.Business and

management as one of important subjects for us,let we know lots of knowledge about organisations and management clearly.

       Firstly, the class gave me a general introduction about organisations and set up a series of examples about them,such as supermarkets,Google,international committee of the Red Cross and so on.The definition of an organisation shows that it is a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance towards goals that create value. It let me have a total impression and preliminary understanding of it. According to common features in organisations,ways of seeing them and the basic parts about them,I have a further understanding. Also,I know that our society cannot live without them and lots of people work for them,so I realize the importance of organisations in detail.

      Secondly,I was told that management as an universal human activity,occurring whenever people take responsibility for an activity and consciously try to shape its progress and outcome.In addition, management as a distinct role develops when activities previously embedded in the work itself become the responsibility not of the employee but of owners or their agents.Except these,managerial levels ,management functions and factors influencing larger span of management also let me know the necessity and the strong power of the management.For example,as a famous American fast food chain enterprise,KFC has specification and detailed management system and development plan.All different levels of staff has strict requirements and training.KFC implements technical and normalised production and management system all the time,its successful management measures make it has strong competitive advantages.

       In addition,focus on the relationship between organisations and management,such as a pictorial representation about managing transformation processes and organisations,I master lots of professional knowledge about them.Moreover,many useful examples,which put theories into actions,make me know practicing is very necessary of this subject.

       To sum up,both organisations and management are important,each of them is a part of the society.Organisations are essential,and management likes a power to support them and make sure organisations can have normal operations as well as development. Through this week's studying,I just have a general knowledge structure and instruction about them,but these can provide an important base for the further study in the future.