FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice ThreadIt's that time of year again! Please feel free to post the full versions of any of the various report exercises that we've written bits and pieces of over the last few weeks.
In order to post, you will have to register an account (click on the link that says "registrieren" somewhere on your page). This is free and takes approximately two minutes. Choose either your own name or an anonymous name as a username - both variants are fine.
FIRST 2010 DAY students: Since your exam date is April 30, please don't start posting your exercises before April 16.
Recently, many firms have a big problem – they have to reduce staff. While some companies want to reduce costs by cutting personnel others have to reduce it due to overstaffing. This report focuses on an Austrian company, Forest AG, which also has to lay off employees after a hostile takeover.
To begin with, the author wants to define the terms replacement chart and contingent worker. Subsequently, the report will illustrate some incentive tools in order to improve productivity. Afterwards, the author intents to pay attention to the below mentioned pie chart, which represents the age structure of Forest AG.
A company always has to deal with hiring and firing. In order to get an overview of the company’s job situation, it should introduce a replacement chart. This chart illustrates each management position, who occupies it, how long is this manager likely to stay and who will be a good replacement for this job.
Currently, it has become quite popular to employ contingent workers. These employees work part time. In general such workers do not work more than twenty hours a week. Especially women like to be part-time workers in order to combine family and job. Generally such employees are less committed to the organization. Therefore contingent workers are they first who are laid off.
In order to improve motivation and therefore productivity a company should introduce incentive tools.
In the case of Forest AG the management should implement such tools. In order to motivate the workforce itself Forest AG should introduce a gain-sharing profit. If costs can be reduced due to higher productivity staff members would receive an incentive. This is a company-wide incentive which tries to stimulate the staff itself to work more productive. In contrast to this tool Forest AG should also establish pay-for-knowledge plans. These plans encourage individual workers to learn new skills and to become proficient at different jobs. Workers would receive additional pay for each new skill and knowledge.
This pie chart is divided in to eight segments. It shows that the majority of the staff falls in to the category of 30 to 50 aged people. The smallest sector of the chart shows the 65+ people. This segment is very small due to the fact that at this age most employees already have retired.
The segment of the 30-39 aged people is fairly big because in this sector many contingent workers are employed.
Bearing these two segments in mind the author suggests making part of the contingent worker and all 65+ redundant in order to reduce staff. Contingent workers are very likely to be laid off in an organization, as the author mentioned before. The 65+ should receive a severance package in order to leave the company.
If Forest AG would follow this suggestion it really can reduce their staff. One of the biggest drawback of lay offs could be a decreased motivation. Hence the company should improve its incentive tools in order to increase motivation and productivity.
It is proven that employees are more motivated at their work if they get special attention from the management.
In a nutshell it can be said, that Forster AG has to reduce its staff but it really has to pay special attention to the remaining employees in order not to lose their trust.
Re: Pie Chart Report
Mergers stand for growth. However, in order to manage a “grown“ company efficiently, workforce may have to shrink. The following report will identify ways to downsize a company.
First, the terms replacement chart and contingent workers will be explained. Secondly, tools to enhance motivation among employees will be described. Finally, suggestions for how to downsize Forest’s and Wald’s manpower will be made on the basis of an analysis of the companys’ age structure.
To begin with, a useful tool that can simplify staffing decisions is replacement charts. These show every management position, who occupies it and who is qualified to succeed. Another issue that might come up when considering downsizing is contingent workers who are employees employed on another basis than permanent workers. Frankly speaking, these contingent workers are the first to get laid off in case of mergers and takeovers. At first glance this measure may seem sound since it is easy to terminate contingent workers’ contracts. Nevertheless it has to be considered that these employees may possess particularly important skills or add value because of their flexibility.
However, downsizing steps always have to be accompanied by incentive tools in order to ensure that employees who stay with the company remain motivated. One effective motivation measure are profitsharing plans since employees recognise that their efforts are valued and contribute to their company’s success. Additionally, performance would be increased by rewarding staff that is open and flexible to learn new skills. This incentive is called pay for knowledge. If the prementioned incentives are combined, they will guarantee that high potentials stay with the company.
Yet, as stated at the beginning, lay-offs are an essential step in downsizing to maintain Forest’s efficiency. The pie chart depicts the age structure of the combined staff of Forest Ltd and Wald Ltd following the takeover. As can be seen, more than six percent of staff are over sixty years old. The reason for the relatively small percentage of older workers is that people aged over sixty years tend to leave the company because of health problems. As a consequence, the most obvious measure is to give these employees a golden handshake as they are less likely to be as productive as younger personnel. It is recommended to retain the employees aged between forty and ninety-five years. This quite sizable portion of staff can be traced back to the fact that these employees have a long experience in the paper industry and are valuable for the company due to their familiarity with the corporate culture. Therefore they should be given the chance to benefit from the above-mentioned incentive tools. The pie chart shows that over one third of the workforce is aged between eighteen and thirty-nine years. As these people are young and flexible, it is advisable to modify their contract and employee them as contingent workers. If they prove to be highly productive workers, they will be offered a permanent position. Those who are less productive will be provided with the opportunity to terminate their contract and start working for another company.
To sum up, the experienced workforce should be retained and offered incentives to remain motivated. Older employees and younger ones who are less productive than others should be laid off to guarantee an efficient personnel structure.
Report 5 - Globalization and International Trade
Internationality has become a very essential business factor. If a company wants to keep up with its competitors it has to compete internationally.
This report is going to look at the different factors which influence an international business.
First, the report will discuss some advantages and disadvantages of globalization. Subsequently, the author intends to present four international structures a company can choose between when going abroad. Finally, the author will suggest a plan for Starkbaum GmbH when going abroad.
To begin with it would be essential to explain the term globalization. It stands for the process by with the world economy is becoming a single interdependent system. These days everyone is in contact with international products. This is a result of international trading. Supporters of globalization believe that globalization only leads to benefits. These benefits include the potential for higher standards of living and improved business profitability. In contrast to this belief, opponents charge that it allows companies to exploit workers in less developed companies. It is a real fact that many firms source out their production in order to cut costs to compete efficiently.
Additionally some critics blame that globalization leads to the loss of culture due to the fact that nearly everyone around the globe can purchase the same products.
Beside these facts a company has to decide in which organization structure it wants to do business when going abroad. There are several structures between it can choose.
The term independent agent refers to a foreign individual or organization that represents an exporter in foreign markets. This agent acts as a sales representative. It only sells the products and receives a commission in return.
Additionally a company can conclude a licensing agreement with a foreign company. This firm is allowed to manufacture or market its products. The foreign company has to pay fees and royalties to the exporter.
If a company wants to operate in foreign businesses on their own it has to open a branch office. This foreign office can only be set up by an international or multinational company. This firm benefits from a more direct control in the foreign market.
Furthermore, a company can also build and open a new plant in the foreign country in order to produce its products abroad.
Bearing these choices in mind Starkbaum GmbH has to choose a structure which is not affected by quotas and tariffs implemented by the New Zealand’s government.
The author suggests building up a new plant in order to produce abroad. If the government is going to introduce tariffs or quotas Starkbaum GmbH has to deal with trading barriers. It can lead to a shortage of products demanded in New Zealand. In order to fulfill customers needs in New Zealand it would be the best choice to produce abroad.
In a nutshell it can be said that it is essential to analyze the foreign market before going abroad. An accurate analysis of the market can reveal economic factors which can influence business.
pie chart report
The number of failed takeovers is increasing. Management faces the challenge of maintaining an effective workforce. The following report will give an insight into efficient workforce management and will provide a specific downsizing strategy.
To begin with, the report will define the terms “replacement chart” and “contingent workers”. Afterwards, the author focuses on special incentive tools a business can offer its employees to improve productivity. Finally, a downsizing strategy for Forest plc will be given.
Planning and managing a business’ workforce is essential in order to maintain a high level of productivity combined with highly motivated employees. Replacement charts are important tools to plan for likely future replacements. More specifically, they contain each position within a company, who occupies it and for how long this person is likely to stay in this job. Furthermore, it identifies qualified employees who are appropriate for replacing leaving persons. Managing an organization’s human resources to combat shortfalls or overstaffing is becoming increasingly important as they are valuable assets. Besides hiring and firing, managers can use contingent workers. They supplement the current workforce at something other than a full-time basis, including temporary or leased workers.
Because an organization’s workforce affects its success, keeping highly motivated, skilled employees is a vital factor. Thus, incentives have to be offered. In addition to individual bonuses, companies can offer a wide range of individual and group incentives. Employees can be encouraged to learn new skills by pay-for-knowledge plans. Furthermore, with a profit-sharing plan, the whole staff is rewarded if a certain profit level is reached.
The pie chart illustrates the age structure of the combined staff of Forest plc and Wald plc. Most importantly, the chart shows that the majority of workers fall in the 50-59 area. The 31-39 area accounts for 25 percent. From the author’s point of view, the reason for the high number of employees in this segment is that they offer work experience in conjunction with a contemporary education. The 18-24 segment makes up only 3 percent. The reason for this small percentage is that nowadays, the young generation goes to college instead of working.
In conclusion, the pie chart shows that the company is overstaffed, especially in the 50-59 segment. As five percent of the 50-59 group are employed as contingent workers, the author suggests making these employees redundant. Downsizing this segment is useful, as it contributes the largest part. Furthermore, the company should give older aged employees a golden handshake. In contrast, it is recommended not to lay off young, dynamic employees. First, they represent a particularly valuable workforce. Second, supporting young people is regarded well by society. Finally, the author wants to stress that beyond all downsizing considerations, the management should be aware of the importance of keeping the remaining staff motivated. Therefore, incentive possibilities mentioned above are crucial factors.
In conclusion, takeovers challenge an organization’s management. Especially when it comes to an overstaffed workforce, carefully planned downsizing strategies are necessary, while keeping the motivational aspect in mind.
Re: pie chart report
Staff is one of the most expensive resource within a company. Many manager tend to overstaff their companies, because they are convinced that this results in high profits. In truth, it proves otherwise, the costs of overstaffing exceeds the extra turnover made by this measure. This report will focus on the perfect staffing- and downsizing strategy, in order to maximize the profits of the combined companies.
The report is structured along the following lines. First, the author will give a definition of the term “replacement chart”. Furthermore, he introduces the concept of a “contingent worker”. Next, the report will provide two different incentive tools a company might offer to improve productivity. Last but not least, the author will analyze the pie-chart of the age structure of the combined staff of Forest AG and Wald AG following the takeover.
First of all, a replacement chart is a list of each management position, who occupies it, how long this person will likely stay in the job, and who is qualified as a replacement. The replacement chart is a very important tool of HR-planning. HR-planning and it’s tools (i.e. replacement chart and skills inventory) are necessary for a company, to prevent unpredictable situations. Another quite common solution in order to prevent unpredictable situations is the employment of contingent workers. Contingent workers are employees hired on something other than a full-time basis to supplement an organization’s permanent workforce.
Next, the author is going to introduce two different incentive tools a company might offer to improve productivity. First of all, the differentiation between individual incentives and companywide incentives is possible. The author will now focus on two companywide incentives, profit-sharing-plan and gain sharing plan. The profit-sharing plan is a plan for distributing bonuses to employees when company profits rise above a certain level. In contrast to that, a gain-sharing plan is an incentive plan that rewards groups for productivity.
As these tools above are very theoretical, the author will suggest how to put that into practice. The piechart provided by Forest AG represents the proportion of the total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly the chart shows that the 31-39 year old age group contributed 25 % to the total employee figure. The reason for why members of this age group should be downsized is that it is the second to largest segment. Downsizing the largest segment, which are the 50-59 year old age group, would be very brutal, as the members of this age group are not very likely to find a new job, due to the fact of their age. If we downsized this group, it would also involves a very poor publicity.
If Forest AG decides to make 31-39 year old age group redundant, it would be a good idea to offer them some extra severance payments. This would probably have a positive effect on publicity for economy.
In conclusion, the author wants to refer to the proverb “To many cooks spoil the broth”.
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice Thread
When two companies which are in the same line of business merge, there usually are some synergies. While that might be exactly the reason why the responsible managements took the necessary steps, forming a new, more competitive firm, it also means that in most cases there will have to be a cut down on staff. First the following report will define the terms “replacement chart” and contingent worker. Subsequently the author will focus on introducing two ways to increase productivity by offering incentives. Finally there will be advice on how to optimize Forest AG and Wald AG’s workforce, paying special attention to the age structure of its current staff.
The replacement chart is a very useful tool to analyze, how to find the person who is best suited to take a position that will soon be vacant. It lists important management positions, who currently fills it, and also who is best qualified to replace that person.
Another important fact that a company has to consider when it is trying to cut down on its manpower is the number of contingent workers it employs. These are staff members who are not employed on a full-time basis, and are therefore often the first to be made redundant.
It has to be considered, that downsizing measures might be bad for staff morale. There are several ways of increasing the willingness to perform among the remaining workforce: According to renowned experts Ebert&Griffin, there are two different levels of distributing incentives. While individual incentives are rewards for excellent performance by a single employee, companywide incentives apply to a firm’s whole staff. A profit sharing plan, for example will distribute bonuses among employees when company profits excel a certain level, whereas a pay for performance plan rewards one manager for especially productive output.
The pie chart displays the proportion of total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly the chart shows that the 18-25 year olds only contributed to 2.4 percent to the total employee figures. In contrast to this, employees over 50 contribute to 28.9% of the staff. In conclusion, therefore the pie chart shows a strong influence of older age groups in this company. This structure suggests that Forest AG’s staff is too old. While older employees tend to have a tighter bond to the company and might have valuable contacts to business associates, their contracts make them rather costly. In contrast, younger employees might be more dynamic and willing to put even more effort into their work in order to receive a bonus or to get promoted. Additionally a step like this might inject some fresh, new ideas and perspectives into the company.
Admittedly the aforementioned steps would make employees redundant that are at a critical point of their career, due to their age. Therefore a decent severance payment plan might seem fundamental in order to keep the working climate intact, as well as to fulfill the company’s ethical responsibilities.
Whilst such a harsh cut in staff is not an easy step for a company, the author is confident, that this will help Forest AG to remain a highly competitive and successful company for years to come. Bearbeitet von: valiG am: 4/3/08 17:58
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice Thread
A business without any structures is very likely to end up in total chaos. A structureless business incurs many problems. First of all, nobody knows who is responsible for what. Furthermore, employees do not know, whom they report to and whom they are allowed to delegate. But how to fight these problems. Which measures must be taken to best implement a coherent strategy? The report will consider these issues along the following lines.
First of all, the author will distinguish between three lines of authority and will briefly discuss each of them. Next, the report gives a definition of the term “divisional structure” and introduces its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Last but not least, the author will give a suggestion for how Bundnetz AG could restructure its organization in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency within twelve months.
A major part of organizational structure is authority. Experts refer to authority as the power to make decisions and the power to delegate. It is necessary for employees to know who has authority over whom. A differentiation between three main form of authority is possible: line authority, staff authority and last but not least, team authority. To begin with, staff authority is based on a flow of authority in a direct chain of command from the top of the company to the bottom. The result of a line authority is that every single employee does exactly know who are the person he or she is accountable to, and who are the person he or she is allowed to delegate. In addition to that, line departments are departments, which are directly related to the production of a specific product. Next, staff authority is based on expertise that usually involves advising a line manager. In contrast to line authority, there is no direct chain of command. Staff members usually do not have a decision making power, they are only helping in choosing the right decision. Last but not least, a committee and team authority is a special authority granted to committees and teams. A committee consists of various specialists, who have a lot of decision making freedom.
These authorities play in different organizational structures different roles. The author will now focus on a divisional organizational structure. A divisional structure is based on product departmentalization. In other words, the company is divided according to various product or product groups. The big advantage of this structure is that every department can be treated as a profit center, which is a separated union responsible for its own profits and costs. The main disadvantage is that the single departments may lose the focus of the common benefits of the company.
But how can the Bundnetz AG turn these very theoretical tools into practice? The process of structuring a company involves three steps. First of all, the Bundnetz AG has to specialize the specific jobs that need to be done and determine who is responsible for that. The next step, is to group these specified jobs into logical units. This step is called departmentalization. Last but not least, the Bundnetz AG has to establish a decision making hierarchy. In order to that, a flat, decentralized structure would be recommendable, as the Bundnetz AG is a quite big company.
In conclusion, a clear coherent structure is one of the most important factors of success.
pie chart report
As multifaceted and diverse today’s business world may be, each and every company has to focus on the same factors of production: its resources for producing goods or services. Concerning Forest AG’s recent situation, the most crucial factor is, without any doubt, labor – the mental, but primarily physical capabilities of people contributing to the company’s overall performance. Here, Forest AG depicts no exception: overstaffing is a common consequence of mergers and acquisitions. Hence, this report is going to bring a few ways to deal with it to light.
In order to gain more insight into vital strategies of human resource management, the terms replacement chart and contingent workers will be explained first. Following that, a couple of methods to fight low productivity are going to be illuminated. Subsequently, a downsizing strategy for Forest AG is going to be presented along the lines of the pie chart stated below, which portrays the company’s age structure.
In the field of human resource management, structure and organization are absolutely necessary to maintain a lean, productive and healthy company. In doing so, a replacement chart comes in quite handy: it includes all current positions at the company with additional information about how long the person will be in that position, who can or is going to replace him or her and what kind of main tasks this position contains.
But unfortunately, even having a very accurate and up-to-date replacement chart does not prevent a company from major staff problems; here, contingent workers can help a lot. A company’s management can rely on them if short-timed additional workforce is needed. They also appear extremely helpful if, for example, fifty percent of a company’s staff is on strike. Basically, contingent workers can solve any problem that leads to a high increase of needed labor.
On the other hand, contingent workers are not always needed: if a company is facing an extensive drop in productivity, there are several ways to introduce methods in order to solve this problem. For instance, worker’s performance can be combined with various incentives, e.g. additional payments or short getaways with their families. Lots of big companies have experienced a successful rise in productivity after starting this performance-related pay scheme.
As it is scientifically proved, happy people are more productive. Therefore, it might be a possibility to impose job rotation on the company’s workforce. There, workers are not forced to do the same procedures every day and this alternation then results in a rise regarding productivity.
The pie chart showing Forest AG’s age structure reveals the following major points: On the other hand, people from 18 to 39 represent over a third of Forest AG. Besides that, quite a considerable part of the workforce is older than 60, leaving the majority of people between 40 and 59. Taking these facts into account, the author would recommend the following downsizing strategy: Laying off all workers above 60 years appears to be the best possible solution to reduce staff within the company. Moreover, by offering a golden handshake, leaving is made easier.
Eventually, it can only be repeated: Forest AG is by no means an exception. As mergers and acquisitions continue to gain more and more importance throughout the business world, the company, like all the others, has to concentrate on only two things: re-structure and re-organization.
Re: Pie Chart ReportOriginal
Recently, many firms have a big problem – they have to reduce staff. While some companies want to reduce costs by cutting personnel others have to reduce it due to overstaffing. This report focuses on an Austrian company, Forest AG, which also has to lay off employees after a hostile takeover.
To begin with, the author wants to define the terms replacement chart and contingent worker. Subsequently, the report will illustrate some incentive tools in order to improve productivity. Afterwards, the author intents to pay attention to the below mentioned pie chart, which represents the age structure of Forest AG.
A company always has to deal with hiring and firing. In order to get an overview of the company’s job situation, it should introduce a replacement chart. This chart illustrates each management position, who occupies it, how long is this manager likely to stay and who will be a good replacement for this job.
Currently, it has become quite popular to employ contingent workers. These employees work part time. In general such workers do not work more than twenty hours a week. Especially women like to be part-time workers in order to combine family and job. Generally such employees are less committed to the organization. Therefore contingent workers are they first who are laid off.
In order to improve motivation and therefore productivity a company should introduce incentive tools.
In the case of Forest AG the management should implement such tools. In order to motivate the workforce itself Forest AG should introduce a gain-sharing profit. If costs can be reduced due to higher productivity staff members would receive an incentive. This is a company-wide incentive which tries to stimulate the staff itself to work more productive. In contrast to this tool Forest AG should also establish pay-for-knowledge plans. These plans encourage individual workers to learn new skills and to become proficient at different jobs. Workers would receive additional pay for each new skill and knowledge.
This pie chart is divided in to eight segments. It shows that the majority of the staff falls in to the category of 30 to 50 aged people. The smallest sector of the chart shows the 65+ people. This segment is very small due to the fact that at this age most employees already have retired.
The segment of the 30-39 aged people is fairly big because in this sector many contingent workers are employed.
Bearing these two segments in mind the author suggests making part of the contingent worker and all 65+ redundant in order to reduce staff. Contingent workers are very likely to be laid off in an organization, as the author mentioned before. The 65+ should receive a severance package in order to leave the company.
If Forest AG would follow this suggestion it really can reduce their staff. One of the biggest drawback of lay offs could be a decreased motivation. Hence the company should improve its incentive tools in order to increase motivation and productivity.
It is proven that employees are more motivated at their work if they get special attention from the management.
In a nutshell it can be said, that Forster AG has to reduce its staff but it really has to pay special attention to the remaining employees in order not to lose their trust.
Korrektur
Recently, many firms have faced/been facing a big problem – they have to reduce staff. While some companies want to reduce costs by cutting personnel, others have to reduce it due to overstaffing. This report focuses on an Austrian company, Forest AG, which also has to lay off 15% of its group's employees after it acquired a subsidiary in a hostile takeover.
To begin with, the author wants to define the terms "replacement chart" and "contingent worker". Subsequently, the report will illustrate some incentive tools through which to improve productivity. Afterwards, the author will consider the age structure of Forest AG in context of a downsizing strategy.
A company always has to deal with hiring and firing. In order to get an overview of the company’s job situation, it should introduce a replacement chart. This chart illustrates each management position, who occupies it, how long __ this manager is likely to stay and who will be a good replacement for this job.
Currently, it has become quite popular to employ contingent workers. These are all employees that are not employed on a long, term full-time basis. For example, this could include workers that do not work more than twenty hours a week, but also workers that are employed on a one month project basis. Especially women like to be part-time workers in order to combine family and job. Generally such employees are less committed to the organization. Therefore, contingent workers are the first that are laid off.
In order to improve motivation and therefore productivity, a company like Forest AG should introduce incentive tools.
In order to motivate the workforce itself, Forest AG should introduce a gain-sharing profit. If costs can be reduced due to higher productivity, staff members would receive an incentive. This is a company-wide incentive which tries to stimulate the staff itself to work more productively. In contrast to this tool, Forest AG should also establish pay-for-knowledge plans. These plans encourage individual workers to learn new skills and to become proficient at different jobs. Workers would receive additional pay for each new skill and knowledge.
This pie chart is divided into eight segments. It shows that the majority of the staff falls in to the category of 30 to 50 aged people. The smallest sector of the chart shows the 65+ aged people. This segment is very small due to the fact that at this age, most employees have already retired.
The segment of the 30-39 aged people is fairly large because many contingent workers are employed in this sector.
Bearing these two segments in mind, the author suggests making part of the contingent worker and all employees ofer 65 redundant in order to reduce staff. Contingent workers are very likely to be laid off in an organization, as the author mentioned before. The 65+ age group should receive a severance package in order to leave the company.
If Forest AG would follow this suggestion, it could really __ reduce its staff. One of the biggest drawback of lay offs could be a decreased level of motivation. Hence the company should improve its incentive tools in order to increase motivation and productivity.
It is proven that employees are more motivated at their work if they get special attention from the management.
In a nutshell, it can be said__ that Forster AG has to reduce its staff but it really has to pay special attention to the remaining employees in order not to lose their trust.
Tolle Arbeit. Superstruktur, schön formuliert und solide Grammatik. Inhaltlich würde ich mir noch ein bisserl mehr Info zur Unternehmenssituation (z.B. dass 15% abgestockt werden müssen), Fragen wurden aber perfekt beantwortet. Viele der Ausbesserungen sind stilistischer Natur, der Report wäre aber jedenfalls ein starker 2er. Ein paar Tipps:
1) "To begin with, the author wants to define the terms": Bei einer Übersicht eher "will", "is going to" oder Present Simple. "Wants to" passt grammatikalisch, wirkt aber irgendwie unsicher.
2) "the report will illustrate some incentive tools in order to improve productivity.": Meine Gruppenhälften kennen das schon: Ich empfehle, wann immer im ersten Teil eines Satzes etwas genannt wird, dessen Funktion im zweiten Teil des Satzes erläutert wird, "through which" statt "to" oder "in order to" zu verwenden. Es ist eindeutiger und meistens eleganter.
3) "Afterwards, the author intents to pay attention to the below mentioned pie chart, which represents the age structure of Forest AG.": wäre "intends". Darüber hinaus: Um den Satz zu vereinfachen/präzisieren würde ich hier noch nicht erwähnen, dass die Altersstruktur von einem Pie Chart stammt (ist dem Leser egal), dafür aber betonen, dass man auf Basis des Alters eine Mitarbeiterkürzungsstrategie vorschlagen wird.
4) "In order to improve motivation and therefore productivity, a company should introduce incentive tools.
In the case of Forest AG the management should implement such tools.": Das ist irgendwie doppelt, d.h. habe ich auf einen Satz zusammengefasst.
5) "In a nutshell it can be said, that": Achtung: Wenn wir "that" als Übersetzung für "dass/daß" verwenden, dann kommt davor nie ein Komma (genau umgekehrt zur deutschen Regel).
Re: Pie Chart ReportOriginal
Mergers stand for growth. However, in order to manage a “grown“ company efficiently, workforce may have to shrink. The following report will identify ways to downsize a company.
First, the terms replacement chart and contingent workers will be explained. Secondly, tools to enhance motivation among employees will be described. Finally, suggestions for how to downsize Forest’s and Wald’s manpower will be made on the basis of an analysis of the companys’ age structure.
To begin with, a useful tool that can simplify staffing decisions is replacement charts. These show every management position, who occupies it and who is qualified to succeed. Another issue that might come up when considering downsizing is contingent workers who are employees employed on another basis than permanent workers. Frankly speaking, these contingent workers are the first to get laid off in case of mergers and takeovers. At first glance this measure may seem sound since it is easy to terminate contingent workers’ contracts. Nevertheless it has to be considered that these employees may possess particularly important skills or add value because of their flexibility.
However, downsizing steps always have to be accompanied by incentive tools in order to ensure that employees who stay with the company remain motivated. One effective motivation measure are profitsharing plans since employees recognise that their efforts are valued and contribute to their company’s success. Additionally, performance would be increased by rewarding staff that is open and flexible to learn new skills. This incentive is called pay for knowledge. If the prementioned incentives are combined, they will guarantee that high potentials stay with the company.
Yet, as stated at the beginning, lay-offs are an essential step in downsizing to maintain Forest’s efficiency. The pie chart depicts the age structure of the combined staff of Forest Ltd and Wald Ltd following the takeover. As can be seen, more than six percent of staff are over sixty years old. The reason for the relatively small percentage of older workers is that people aged over sixty years tend to leave the company because of health problems. As a consequence, the most obvious measure is to give these employees a golden handshake as they are less likely to be as productive as younger personnel. It is recommended to retain the employees aged between forty and ninety-five years. This quite sizable portion of staff can be traced back to the fact that these employees have a long experience in the paper industry and are valuable for the company due to their familiarity with the corporate culture. Therefore they should be given the chance to benefit from the above-mentioned incentive tools. The pie chart shows that over one third of the workforce is aged between eighteen and thirty-nine years. As these people are young and flexible, it is advisable to modify their contract and employee them as contingent workers. If they prove to be highly productive workers, they will be offered a permanent position. Those who are less productive will be provided with the opportunity to terminate their contract and start working for another company.
To sum up, the experienced workforce should be retained and offered incentives to remain motivated. Older employees and younger ones who are less productive than others should be laid off to guarantee an efficient personnel structure.
Korrektur
Mergers stand for growth. However, in order to manage a “grown“ company efficiently, its workforce may have to shrink/be shrunk/ reduced/cut. The following report will identify ways to downsize a company. Specifically, it will address Austrian paper manufacturer Forest AG's plans to cut 15% of its group staff following a takeover of its previous competitor Wald AG.
First, the terms "replacement chart" and "contingent workers" will be explained. Secondly, tools to enhance motivation among employees will be described. Finally, suggestions for how to downsize Forest’s and Wald’s manpower will be made on the basis of an analysis of the companys’ age structure.
To begin with, a useful tool that can simplify staffing decisions are replacement charts. These show every management position, who occupies it and who is qualified to succeed in case of a vacancy. Another issue that might come up when considering downsizing are contingent workers, who are employees employed on any another basis than full-time. Frankly speaking, these contingent workers are the first to be laid off in case of mergers and takeovers. At first glance, this measure may appear attractive since it is easy to terminate contingent workers’ contracts. Nevertheless, it has to be considered that these employees may possess particularly important skills or add value because of their flexibility.
However, downsizing steps always have to be accompanied by incentive tools in order to ensure that employees who stay with the company remain motivated. One effective motivation measure are profitsharing plans, since employees recognise that their efforts are valued and contribute to their company’s success. In the case of profitsharing, any company profit above a certain benchmark is distributed among the employees.
Additionally, performance would be increased by rewarding staff that is __ flexible and open to learning new skills. This incentive is called pay for knowledge. If the abovementioned incentives are combined, they will guarantee that high potentials stay with the company.
Yet, as stated at the beginning, lay-offs are an essential step in the restructuring measures that will maintain Forest’s efficiency. The pie chart depicts the age structure of the combined staff of Forest Ltd and Wald Ltd following the takeover. As can be seen, more than six percent of their staff is over sixty years old. The reason for the relatively small percentage of older workers is that people aged over sixty years tend to leave the company because of health problems. As a consequence, the most obvious measure would be to give these employees a golden handshake as they are less likely to be as productive as younger personnel. It is recommended to retain the employees aged between forty and ninety-five years. This quite sizable portion of staff can be traced back to the fact that these employees have a long experience in the paper industry and are valuable for the company due to their familiarity with the corporate culture. Therefore, they should be given the chance to benefit from the above-mentioned incentive tools. The pie chart shows that over one third of the workforce is aged between eighteen and thirty-nine years. As these people are young and flexible, it is advisable to modify their contracts and employ them as contingent workers. If they prove to be highly productive workers, they will be offered a permanent position. Those who are less productive will be provided with the opportunity to terminate their contract and start working for another company.
To sum up, the experienced workforce should be retained and offered incentives in order to remain motivated. Older employees EzCode Parsing Error: color=orange]as well as EzCode Parsing Error: color=orange]comparat less productive[/font] younger colleagues/ counterparts___ should be laid off to guarantee an efficient personnel structure.
Wieder ein ausgezeichneter Einstieg - der 1er ist absolut in Reichweite. Inhaltlich gäbe es zwei kleine Abzüge: (1) wieder keinerlei Zusammenfassung der Ausgangssituation und (2) die Profitsharing Definition war mir etwas zu vage. Demgegenüber aber ein beeindruckender Stil und kreative Lösungsansätze (auch wenn nicht ganz konform mit österreichischem Arbeitsrecht). Ein paar Punkte:
1) "To begin with, a useful tool that can simplify staffing decisions is replacement charts.": In solchen (zugegeben kniffligen) Fällen bezieht sich Singular/Plural auf das angeführte Hauptobjekt (d.h. "Replacement charts are useful tools...")
2) " to get laid off ": Wenn es Euch (schriftlich) leicht möglich ist, ein Synonym für "get" zu verwenden, dann macht das. "Get" wird umgangssprachlich (und d.h. mündlich) sehr oft verwendet, wo es schriftlich eher verpöhnt wird. D.h:: falls Euch eine Alternative einfällt, dann weg mit "get".
3) "However, downsizing steps always have to be accompanied by incentive tools in order to ensure that employees who stay with the company remain motivated.": Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen: Mit diesem Satz bringst Du zwei Aufgabenstellungen in einen logischen Zusammenhang, den sich der Verfasser (ich) gar nicht wirklich vorgestellt. Liest sich um vieles logischer.
4) "lay-offs are an essential step in downsizing": Lay-offs sind dasselbe wie Downsizing
5) "As can be seen, more than six percent of staff is over sixty years old.": Hier habe ICH im Unterricht leider einen Quatsch verzapft. Ich habe inzwischen mit John diskutiert und er hat mir eindeutig bewiesen, dass sich das "is/are" by Prozenten auf die Variable (hier d.h. "Staff") bezieht. Ich werde das im Unterricht nächste Woche nochmals ganz klar ansprechen.
Re: Report 5 - Globalization and International Trade
Original
Internationality has become a very essential business factor. If a company wants to keep up with its competitors it has to compete internationally.
This report is going to look at the different factors which influence an international business.
First, the report will discuss some advantages and disadvantages of globalization. Subsequently, the author intends to present four international structures a company can choose between when going abroad. Finally, the author will suggest a plan for Starkbaum GmbH when going abroad.
To begin with it would be essential to explain the term globalization. It stands for the process by with the world economy is becoming a single interdependent system. These days everyone is in contact with international products. This is a result of international trading. Supporters of globalization believe that globalization only leads to benefits. These benefits include the potential for higher standards of living and improved business profitability. In contrast to this belief, opponents charge that it allows companies to exploit workers in less developed companies. It is a real fact that many firms source out their production in order to cut costs to compete efficiently.
Additionally some critics blame that globalization leads to the loss of culture due to the fact that nearly everyone around the globe can purchase the same products.
Beside these facts a company has to decide in which organization structure it wants to do business when going abroad. There are several structures between it can choose.
The term independent agent refers to a foreign individual or organization that represents an exporter in foreign markets. This agent acts as a sales representative. It only sells the products and receives a commission in return.
Additionally a company can conclude a licensing agreement with a foreign company. This firm is allowed to manufacture or market its products. The foreign company has to pay fees and royalties to the exporter.
If a company wants to operate in foreign businesses on their own it has to open a branch office. This foreign office can only be set up by an international or multinational company. This firm benefits from a more direct control in the foreign market.
Furthermore, a company can also build and open a new plant in the foreign country in order to produce its products abroad.
Bearing these choices in mind Starkbaum GmbH has to choose a structure which is not affected by quotas and tariffs implemented by the New Zealand’s government.
The author suggests building up a new plant in order to produce abroad. If the government is going to introduce tariffs or quotas Starkbaum GmbH has to deal with trading barriers. It can lead to a shortage of products demanded in New Zealand. In order to fulfill customers needs in New Zealand it would be the best choice to produce abroad.
In a nutshell it can be said that it is essential to analyze the foreign market before going abroad. An accurate analysis of the market can reveal economic factors which can influence business.
Korrektur
Internationality has become a crucial business factor. If a company wants to keep up with its competitors, it has to compete internationally.
This report is going to look at the different factors which influence an international business. Specifically, it will address Austrian silverware producer Starkbaum GmbH's plans to begin exporting its products to New Zealand in light of possible trade barriers.
First, the report will discuss specific advantages and disadvantages of globalization. Subsequently, the author will present four international structures a company can choose between when going abroad. Finally, the author will suggest a plan for Starkbaum GmbH when going abroad.
To begin with, it is essential to explain the term "globalization". It stands for the process by with the world economy is becoming a single interdependent system. These days, everyone is in contact with international products. This is a result of international trade. Supporters of globalization believe that globalization only leads to benefits. These benefits include the potential for higher standards of living and improved business profitability. In contrast to this belief, opponents charge that globalization allows companies to exploit workers in less developed companies. It is a __ fact that many firms source out their production in order to cut costs to compete efficiently.
Additionally, some critics blame ___ globalization for leading to the loss of culture due to the fact that nearly everyone around the globe can purchase the same products.
Beside these considerations, a company has to decide on which organization structure it wants to do business through when going abroad. There are several structures ___ it can choose between.
The term "independent agent" refers to a foreign individual or organization that represents an exporter in foreign markets. This agent acts as a sales representative. He/She/The agent only sells the products and receives a commission in return. An agent never takes title to the products he sells.
Additionally, a company can conclude a licensing agreement with a foreign company. In such a case, the foreign firm is allowed to manufacture or market the products of the domestic licensor. The foreign company (i.e. the licensee) has to pay fees and royalties to the exporter.
If a company wants to operate a foreign business on its own,one option it has is to open a branch office. This foreign office can only be set up by an international or multinational company. This firm benefits from a more direct control of its business in the foreign market.
Furthermore, a company can also build and open a new plant in the foreign country in order to produce its products abroad.
Bearing these choices in mind, Starkbaum GmbH has to choose a structure which is not affected by quotas and tariffs implemented by the New Zealand’s government.
The author suggests building up a new plant in order to produce abroad. If the government is going to introduce tariffs or quotas, Starkbaum GmbH has to deal with trade barriers. These could lead to a shortage of products demanded in New Zealand. In order to fulfill customers' needs in New Zealand, it would be the best choice for Starkbaum to produce abroad.
In a nutshell, it can be said that it is essential to analyze the foreign market before going abroad. An accurate analysis of the market can reveal economic factors which can influence business.
Ein zweiter, guter Aufsatz von Frau (Herr?) vroniF. Punkto Inhalt würde mir wieder eine Kurzzusammenfassung fehlen, ansonsten bestens. Ich habe in meinem Zusammenfassungssatz übrigens angenommen, dass Starkbaum Silberhersteller ist. Da ich hier keine Angabe habe, bin ich mir nicht mehr sicher, ob das stimmt, also nicht verwirren lassen.
1) "very essential": "crucial" bedeutet dasselbe, ist aber viel eleganter
2) "some advantages and disadvantages": Auch hier kein Fehler, aber "selected" wirkt in solchen Fällen immer exakter und d.h. kompetenter.
3) "the author intends to present": "will present" wirkt selbstsicherer.
4) "In contrast to this belief, opponents charge that it allows": Das "it" muss auf "globalization" geändert werden, da sich "it" immer auf das letztgenannte Objekt im Singular (d.h. "belief") bezieht.
5) "some critics blame that globalization leads to ": Bei "blame" muss man folgende Strukture verwenden: "to blame X for GERUND..."
Re: pie chart reportOriginal
The number of failed takeovers is increasing. Management faces the challenge of maintaining an effective workforce. The following report will give an insight into efficient workforce management and will provide a specific downsizing strategy.
To begin with, the report will define the terms “replacement chart” and “contingent workers”. Afterwards, the author focuses on special incentive tools a business can offer its employees to improve productivity. Finally, a downsizing strategy for Forest plc will be given.
Planning and managing a business’ workforce is essential in order to maintain a high level of productivity combined with highly motivated employees. Replacement charts are important tools to plan for likely future replacements. More specifically, they contain each position within a company, who occupies it and for how long this person is likely to stay in this job. Furthermore, it identifies qualified employees who are appropriate for replacing leaving persons. Managing an organization’s human resources to combat shortfalls or overstaffing is becoming increasingly important as they are valuable assets. Besides hiring and firing, managers can use contingent workers. They supplement the current workforce at something other than a full-time basis, including temporary or leased workers.
Because an organization’s workforce affects its success, keeping highly motivated, skilled employees is a vital factor. Thus, incentives have to be offered. In addition to individual bonuses, companies can offer a wide range of individual and group incentives. Employees can be encouraged to learn new skills by pay-for-knowledge plans. Furthermore, with a profit-sharing plan, the whole staff is rewarded if a certain profit level is reached.
The pie chart illustrates the age structure of the combined staff of Forest plc and Wald plc. Most importantly, the chart shows that the majority of workers fall in the 50-59 area. The 31-39 area accounts for 25 percent. From the author’s point of view, the reason for the high number of employees in this segment is that they offer work experience in conjunction with a contemporary education. The 18-24 segment makes up only 3 percent. The reason for this small percentage is that nowadays, the young generation goes to college instead of working.
In conclusion, the pie chart shows that the company is overstaffed, especially in the 50-59 segment. As five percent of the 50-59 group are employed as contingent workers, the author suggests making these employees redundant. Downsizing this segment is useful, as it contributes the largest part. Furthermore, the company should give older aged employees a golden handshake. In contrast, it is recommended not to lay off young, dynamic employees. First, they represent a particularly valuable workforce. Second, supporting young people is regarded well by society. Finally, the author wants to stress that beyond all downsizing considerations, the management should be aware of the importance of keeping the remaining staff motivated. Therefore, incentive possibilities mentioned above are crucial factors.
In conclusion, takeovers challenge an organization’s management. Especially when it comes to an overstaffed workforce, carefully planned downsizing strategies are necessary, while keeping the motivational aspect in mind.
Korrektur
The number of failed takeovers is increasing. A company's management faces the challenge of maintaining an effective workforce. The following report will give an insight into efficient workforce management and will provide a specific downsizing strategy. Specifically, it will consider the current situation of Austrian paper producer Forest AG, a company which is overstaffed by 15% following the takeover of its previous competitor Wald AG.
To begin with, the report will define the terms “replacement chart” and “contingent workers”. Afterwards, the author focuses on special incentive tools a business can offer its employees to improve productivity. Finally, a downsizing strategy for Forest plc will be given.
Planning and managing a business’ workforce is essential in order to maintain a high level of productivity combined with highly motivated employees. Replacement charts are important tools through which to plan for likely future replacements. More specifically, they specify/list each position within a company, who occupies it and for how long this person is likely to stay in this job. Furthermore, they identify__employees that are qualified replacements in case of future vacancies.
Managing an organization’s human resources to combat shortfalls or overstaffing is becoming increasingly important as they are valuable assets. Besides hiring and firing, managers can use contingent workers. They supplement the current workforce on something other than a full-time basis, including temporary or leased workers.
Because an organization’s workforce affects its success, keeping highly motivated, skilled employees is a vital factor. Thus, incentives have to be offered. In addition to individual bonuses, companies can offer a wide range of individual and group incentives. Employees can be encouraged to learn new skills by pay-for-knowledge plans. In context of such plans, employees receive additional compensation in return for attending courses and/or seminars. Furthermore, with a profit-sharing plan, the entire staff is rewarded if a certain profit level is reached. Usually, the excess profit is distributed among the staff.
The pie chart provided by Forest AG illustrates the age structure of the combined staff of Forest AG and Wald AG. Most importantly, the chart shows that the majority of workers fall in the 50-59 year old age area. The 31-39 year old age area accounts for 25 percent. From the author’s point of view, the reason for the high number of employees in this segment is that they offer work experience in conjunction with a contemporary education. The 18-24 year old age segment makes up only 3 percent. The reason for this low percentage is that nowadays, the young generation goes to college instead of working.
In conclusion, the pie chart shows that the company is overstaffed, especially in the 50-59 year old age segment. As five percent of the 50-59 year old age group are employed as contingent workers, the author suggests making these employees redundant. Downsizing this segment is useful, as it contributes the largest part. Furthermore, the company should give older aged employees a golden handshake. In contrast, it is recommended not to lay off young, dynamic employees. First, they represent a particularly valuable element of the workforce. Second, supporting young people is regarded well by society. Finally, the author wants to stress that beyond all downsizing considerations, the management should be aware of the importance of keeping the remaining staff motivated. Therefore, incentive possibilities mentioned above are crucial factors.
In conclusion, takeovers challenge an organization’s management. Especially when it comes to an overstaffed workforce, carefully planned downsizing strategies are necessary, while keeping the motivational aspect in mind.
Sehr gut gemacht. Inhaltlich wäre noch (1) eine Kurzzusammenfassung der Ausgangssituation und (2) etwas genauere Definitionen der beiden Incentives wichtig.
1) "Furthermore, it identifies": Wäre grundsätzlich richtig, aber da Du vorher im Plural begonnen hast, must Du dabei bleiben.
2) "Forest plc and Wald plc": Achtung: Coca Cola Inc. wird auch nicht zu Coca Cola AG, nur weil wir auf Deutsch schreiben.
Re: pie chart reportOriginal
Staff is one of the most expensive resource within a company. Many manager tend to overstaff their companies, because they are convinced that this results in high profits. In truth, it proves otherwise, the costs of overstaffing exceeds the extra turnover made by this measure. This report will focus on the perfect staffing- and downsizing strategy, in order to maximize the profits of the combined companies.
The report is structured along the following lines. First, the author will give a definition of the term “replacement chart”. Furthermore, he introduces the concept of a “contingent worker”. Next, the report will provide two different incentive tools a company might offer to improve productivity. Last but not least, the author will analyze the pie-chart of the age structure of the combined staff of Forest AG and Wald AG following the takeover.
First of all, a replacement chart is a list of each management position, who occupies it, how long this person will likely stay in the job, and who is qualified as a replacement. The replacement chart is a very important tool of HR-planning. HR-planning and it’s tools (i.e. replacement chart and skills inventory) are necessary for a company, to prevent unpredictable situations. Another quite common solution in order to prevent unpredictable situations is the employment of contingent workers. Contingent workers are employees hired on something other than a full-time basis to supplement an organization’s permanent workforce.
Next, the author is going to introduce two different incentive tools a company might offer to improve productivity. First of all, the differentiation between individual incentives and companywide incentives is possible. The author will now focus on two companywide incentives, profit-sharing-plan and gain sharing plan. The profit-sharing plan is a plan for distributing bonuses to employees when company profits rise above a certain level. In contrast to that, a gain-sharing plan is an incentive plan that rewards groups for productivity.
As these tools above are very theoretical, the author will suggest how to put that into practice. The piechart provided by Forest AG represents the proportion of the total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly the chart shows that the 31-39 year old age group contributed 25 % to the total employee figure. The reason for why members of this age group should be downsized is that it is the second to largest segment. Downsizing the largest segment, which are the 50-59 year old age group, would be very brutal, as the members of this age group are not very likely to find a new job, due to the fact of their age. If we downsized this group, it would also involves a very poor publicity.
If Forest AG decides to make 31-39 year old age group redundant, it would be a good idea to offer them some extra severance payments. This would probably have a positive effect on publicity for economy.
In conclusion, the author wants to refer to the proverb “To many cooks spoil the broth”.
Korrektur A company's staff is one of its most expensive resource___. Many managers tend to overstaff their companies because they are convinced that this results in high profits. The opposite is usually the case. The costs of overstaffing usuallyexceed the extra turnover made/generated/gained by this measure. This report will focus on the perfect/an ideal staffing- and downsizing strategy through which to maximize the profits of the merged companies. Specifically, it will address the plans of Austrian paper manufacturer Forest AG to reduce its group staff number by 15% following the takeover of previous rival Wald AG.
The report is structured along the following lines. First, the author will give a definition of the term “replacement chart”. Furthermore, he introduces the concept of a “contingent worker”. Next, the report will provide two different incentive tools a company might offer through which to improve productivity. Last but not least, the author will analyze ___ the age structure of the combined staff of Forest AG and Wald AG following the takeover.
First of all, a replacement chart is a list of each management position, who occupies it, how long this person will likely stay in the job, and who is qualified as a replacement. The replacement chart is a very important tool of HR-planning. HR-planning and its tools (e.g. replacement chart and skills inventory) are necessary for a company to prevent unpredictable situations. Another quite common solution in order to prevent unpredictable situations is the employment of contingent workers. Contingent workers are employees hired on something other than a full-time basis to supplement an organization’s permanent workforce.
Next, the author is going to introduce two different incentive tools a company might offer to improve productivity. First of all, a differentiation between individual incentives and companywide incentives is possible. The author will now focus on two companywide incentives, (namely)a profit-sharing-plan and a gain sharing plan. The profit-sharing plan is a plan for distributing bonuses to employees when company profits rise above a certain level. In contrast to that/this, a gain-sharing plan is an incentive plan that rewards groups for increased productivity (i.e. cost reductions).
As these tools above are very theoretical, the author will suggest how to put them into practice. The pie chart provided by Forest AG represents the proportion of the total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly the chart shows that the 31-39 year old age group contributed 25 % to the total employee figure. The reason for why members of this age group should be downsized is that it is the second to largest segment. Downsizing the largest segment, which is the 50-59 year old age group, would be quite severe as the members of this age group are not very likely to find a new job due to ____ their age. If we downsized this group, it would also generate very poor/bad/negative publicity.
If Forest AG decides to make members of the 31-39 year old age group redundant, it would be a good idea to offer them some extra severance payments. This would probably have a positive effect on publicity for the company.
In conclusion, the author wants to refer to the proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth”.
In der Mitte ist mir eingefallen, dass wir den Text ja schon im Unterricht hatten ('Griffin' machte mich auch darauf aufmerksam, dass er gepostet wurde, aber am Sonntagvormittag braucht mein Hirn manchmal länger). Wie schon besprochen wäre er im ganz hohen 2er-Bereich. Punkteabzüge gäbe es wegen fehlender Lagezusammenfassung und den Grammatikfehlern, Stil ist hingegen sehr stark.
1) "Staff is one of the": Es ist eher unüblich, "staff" ohne Possessive (z.B. "My/Your/A company's") zu verwenden.
2) "Many manager tend to overstaff": Ein sehr häufiger Fehler, den man in der Schnelligkeit macht, wenn die Muttersprache Deutsch ist, ist auf Englisch "Manager" zu schreiben, obwohl man das Plural ("Managers") meint. Ein guter 'Durchchecktipp' nach einem Text ist d.h. überall nachsehen, wo "manager" steht und sich überliegen, ob man wirklich nur einen Manager oder doch mehrere meinte.
3) "of the combined companies.": Fusionierte Unternehmen sind "merged companies" (übrigensNIE"fusioned companies)
4) "(i.e. replacement chart and skills inventory)": "i.e." wird dann verwendet, wenn ALLE Ausprägungen einer Gruppe aufgezählt werden (bzw. wenn eine Definition/Präzisierung folgt), während "e.g." verwendet wird, wenn nur ein paar BEISPIELE der Gesamtgruppe aufgezählt werden.
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice ThreadOriginal
When two companies which are in the same line of business merge, there usually are some synergies. While that might be exactly the reason why the responsible managements took the necessary steps, forming a new, more competitive firm, it also means that in most cases there will have to be a cut down on staff. First the following report will define the terms “replacement chart” and contingent worker. Subsequently the author will focus on introducing two ways to increase productivity by offering incentives. Finally there will be advice on how to optimize Forest AG and Wald AG’s workforce, paying special attention to the age structure of its current staff.
The replacement chart is a very useful tool to analyze, how to find the person who is best suited to take a position that will soon be vacant. It lists important management positions, who currently fills it, and also who is best qualified to replace that person.
Another important fact that a company has to consider when it is trying to cut down on its manpower is the number of contingent workers it employs. These are staff members who are not employed on a full-time basis, and are therefore often the first to be made redundant.
It has to be considered, that downsizing measures might be bad for staff morale. There are several ways of increasing the willingness to perform among the remaining workforce: According to renowned experts Ebert&Griffin, there are two different levels of distributing incentives. While individual incentives are rewards for excellent performance by a single employee, companywide incentives apply to a firm’s whole staff. A profit sharing plan, for example will distribute bonuses among employees when company profits excel a certain level, whereas a pay for performance plan rewards one manager for especially productive output.
The pie chart displays the proportion of total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly the chart shows that the 18-25 year olds only contributed to 2.4 percent to the total employee figures. In contrast to this, employees over 50 contribute to 28.9% of the staff. In conclusion, therefore the pie chart shows a strong influence of older age groups in this company. This structure suggests that Forest AG’s staff is too old. While older employees tend to have a tighter bond to the company and might have valuable contacts to business associates, their contracts make them rather costly. In contrast, younger employees might be more dynamic and willing to put even more effort into their work in order to receive a bonus or to get promoted. Additionally a step like this might inject some fresh, new ideas and perspectives into the company.
Admittedly the aforementioned steps would make employees redundant that are at a critical point of their career, due to their age. Therefore a decent severance payment plan might seem fundamental in order to keep the working climate intact, as well as to fulfill the company’s ethical responsibilities.
Whilst such a harsh cut in staff is not an easy step for a company, the author is confident, that this will help Forest AG to remain a highly competitive and successful company for years to come.
Korrektur
When two companies which are in the same line of business merge, there are usually some synergies. While that might be exactly the reason why the responsible managements took the necessary step of forming a new, more competitive firm, it also means that in most cases there will have to be a cut in staff. This report will consider such points in light of Austrian paper manufacturer Forst AG's plans to cut its group staff numbers by 15% following its takeover of Wald AG.
First the following report will define the terms “replacement chart” and contingent worker. Subsequently, the author will focus on introducing two ways to increase productivity by offering incentives. Finally, there will be advice on how to optimize Forest AG and Wald AG’s workforce, paying special attention to the age structure of its current staff.
The replacement chart is a very useful tool through which to determine the person who is best suited to take a position that will soon be vacant. It lists important management positions, who currently fills them, and also who is best qualified to replace that person.
Another important fact that a company has to consider when it is trying to cut down on its manpower is the number of contingent workers it employs. These are staff members who are not employed on a full-time basis, and are therefore often the first to be made redundant.
It has to be considered___ that downsizing measures might be bad for staff morale. There are several methods of increasing the willingness to perform among the remaining workforce: According to renowned experts Ebert&Griffin, there are two different levels of distributing incentives. While individual incentives are rewards for excellent performance by a single employee, companywide incentives apply to a firm’s whole/entire staff. A profit sharing plan, for example, will distribute bonuses among employees when company profits exceed a certain level, whereas a pay for performance plan rewards one manager for especially productive output.
The pie chart provided by Forest AG displays the proportion of total company staff in 2007 according to age structure. Most importantly, the chart shows that the 18-25 year olds only contributed __2.4 percent to the total employee figures. In contrast to this, employees over 50 contribute __ 28.9% of the staff. In conclusion, therefore the pie chart shows a strong influence of older age groups in this company. This structure suggests that Forest AG’s staff is too old. While older employees tend to have a tighter bond to the company and might have valuable contacts to business associates, their contracts make them rather costly. In contrast, younger employees might be more dynamic and willing to put even more effort into their work in order to receive a bonus or to be promoted. Additionally, a step like this might inject some fresh, new ideas and perspectives into the company.
Admittedly, the aforementioned steps would make employees redundant that are at a critical point of their career, due to their age. Therefore, a decent severance payment plan might seem fundamental in order to keep the working climate intact, as well as to fulfill the company’s ethical responsibilities.
Whilst such a harsh cut in staff is not an easy step for a company, the author is confident___ that this will help Forest AG to remain a highly competitive and successful company for years to come.
Klassischer 1er. Einziger nennenswerter Punkteabzug käme wieder von einer fehlenden Situationszusammenfassung. Einziger sonstige Tipp:
1) Achtung: wenn "that" als Übersetzung für "dass" verwendet wird, steht davor nie ein Komma.Bearbeitet von: GerhardFenkart am: 4/6/08 10:08
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice ThreadOriginal
A business without any structures is very likely to end up in total chaos. A structureless business incurs many problems. First of all, nobody knows who is responsible for what. Furthermore, employees do not know, whom they report to and whom they are allowed to delegate. But how to fight these problems. Which measures must be taken to best implement a coherent strategy? The report will consider these issues along the following lines.
First of all, the author will distinguish between three lines of authority and will briefly discuss each of them. Next, the report gives a definition of the term “divisional structure” and introduces its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Last but not least, the author will give a suggestion for how Bundnetz AG could restructure its organization in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency within twelve months.
A major part of organizational structure is authority. Experts refer to authority as the power to make decisions and the power to delegate. It is necessary for employees to know who has authority over whom. A differentiation between three main form of authority is possible: line authority, staff authority and last but not least, team authority. To begin with, staff authority is based on a flow of authority in a direct chain of command from the top of the company to the bottom. The result of a line authority is that every single employee does exactly know who are the person he or she is accountable to, and who are the person he or she is allowed to delegate. In addition to that, line departments are departments, which are directly related to the production of a specific product. Next, staff authority is based on expertise that usually involves advising a line manager. In contrast to line authority, there is no direct chain of command. Staff members usually do not have a decision making power, they are only helping in choosing the right decision. Last but not least, a committee and team authority is a special authority granted to committees and teams. A committee consists of various specialists, who have a lot of decision making freedom.
These authorities play in different organizational structures different roles. The author will now focus on a divisional organizational structure. A divisional structure is based on product departmentalization. In other words, the company is divided according to various product or product groups. The big advantage of this structure is that every department can be treated as a profit center, which is a separated union responsible for its own profits and costs. The main disadvantage is that the single departments may lose the focus of the common benefits of the company.
But how can the Bundnetz AG turn these very theoretical tools into practice? The process of structuring a company involves three steps. First of all, the Bundnetz AG has to specialize the specific jobs that need to be done and determine who is responsible for that. The next step, is to group these specified jobs into logical units. This step is called departmentalization. Last but not least, the Bundnetz AG has to establish a decision making hierarchy. In order to that, a flat, decentralized structure would be recommendable, as the Bundnetz AG is a quite big company.
In conclusion, a clear coherent structure is one of the most important factors of success.
Korrektur
A business without any structures is very likely to end up in total chaos. A structureless business incurs many problems. First of all, nobody knows who is responsible for what. Furthermore, employees do not know__ whom they report to and who they are allowed to delegate. But how can these problems be overcome? Which measures must be taken to best implement a coherent strategy? The report will consider these issues along the following lines.
First of all, the author will distinguish between three lines of authority and will briefly discuss each of them. Next, the report gives a definition of the term “divisional structure” and introduces its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Last but not least, the author will give a suggestion for how Bundnetz AG could restructure its organization in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency within twelve months.
A major part of organizational structure is authority. Experts refer to authority as the power to make decisions and the power to delegate. It is necessary for employees to know who has authority over whom. A differentiation between three main forms of authority is possible: line authority, staff authority and last but not least, team authority. To begin with, staff authority is based on a flow of authority in a direct chain of command from the top of the company to the bottom. The result of a line authority is that every single employee knows exactly ___ who __ the person he or she is accountable to is, and who are the people he or she is allowed to delegate. In addition to that, line departments are departments___ which are directly related to the production of a specific product. Next, staff authority is based on expertise that usually involves advising a line manager. In contrast to line authority, there is no direct chain of command. Staff members usually do not have __ decision making power, they __ only help in choosing the right decision. Last but not least, a committee and team authority is a special authority granted to committees and teams. A committee consists of various specialists that have a lot of decision making freedom.
These authorities play ___ different roles in different organizational structures. The author will now focus on a divisional organizational structure. A divisional structure is based on product departmentalization. In other words, the company is divided according to various product or product groups. The significant advantage of this structure is that every department can be treated as a profit center, which is a separated union responsible for its own profits and costs. The main disadvantage is that the single departments may lose ___ focus on the mutual goals of the company.
But how can the Bundnetz AG implement these very theoretical tools in practice? The process of structuring a company involves three steps. First of all, the Bundnetz AG has to specialize the specific jobs that need to be done and determine who is responsible for what. The next step, is to group these specified jobs into logical units. This step is called departmentalization. Last but not least, the Bundnetz AG has to establish a decision making hierarchy. In order to do so, a flat, decentralized structure would be recommendable, as the Bundnetz AG is __ quite a large company.
In conclusion, a clear coherent structure is one of the most important factors of success.
Sehr gut geschrieben. Inhaltlich könnte ich mir noch eine winzige Spur mehr Ausgangssituationszusammenfassung vorstellen, ansonsten aber alles ideal beantwortet. Sprachlich sehr guter Stil.
1) "employees do not know, whom they report to and whom they are allowed to delegate.": "whom" ="wem" (z.B. "wem sie Bericht erstatten müssen") und "who"= "wen" (z.B. "wen sie herumkommandieren dürfen")
2) "But how to fight these problems." Da Frage, auf jeden Fall mit Fragezeichen. Darüber hinaus müsste ein Modal Verb eingebaut werden (z.B. "How can these problems be...?") und besser als "fight" sind bei "problem" z.B. "overcome", "master" oder "face".
3) "The result of a line authority is that every single employee does exactly know": Vorsicht bei "does". Man verwendet das eigentlich nur dann in Kombination mit einem anderen Zeitwort, wenn man eine Frage stellt (z.B. "Does she eat pizza?"), wenn man etwas verneint (z.B. "She does not eat pizza.") oder wenn man klarstellt, das etwas DOCH stimmt (z.B. "She does not eat pizza." "Yes she DOES.")
4) "line departments are departments, which are directly related to the production of a specific product.": Durch das Komma vor "which" bedeutet der Satz, dass ALLE Abteilungen direkt mit der Herstellung verbunden sind. Der Grund, weshalb Dir Word vermutlich einen Grammatikfehler ohne Komma anzeigt, ist weil "that" theoretisch passender wäre ("which" ist aber völlig ok, nur eben auch ohne Komma).
5) "can be treated as a profit center, which is a separated union responsible for its own profits and costs.": HIER passt das Komma vor "which" hingegen bestens, weil es sich danach wirklich um eine für ALLE Profit Centers gültige Aussage handelt.
Re: pie chart reportOriginal
As multifaceted and diverse today’s business world may be, each and every company has to focus on the same factors of production: its resources for producing goods or services. Concerning Forest AG’s recent situation, the most crucial factor is, without any doubt, labor – the mental, but primarily physical capabilities of people contributing to the company’s overall performance. Here, Forest AG depicts no exception: overstaffing is a common consequence of mergers and acquisitions. Hence, this report is going to bring a few ways to deal with it to light.
In order to gain more insight into vital strategies of human resource management, the terms replacement chart and contingent workers will be explained first. Following that, a couple of methods to fight low productivity are going to be illuminated. Subsequently, a downsizing strategy for Forest AG is going to be presented along the lines of the pie chart stated below, which portrays the company’s age structure.
In the field of human resource management, structure and organization are absolutely necessary to maintain a lean, productive and healthy company. In doing so, a replacement chart comes in quite handy: it includes all current positions at the company with additional information about how long the person will be in that position, who can or is going to replace him or her and what kind of main tasks this position contains.
But unfortunately, even having a very accurate and up-to-date replacement chart does not prevent a company from major staff problems; here, contingent workers can help a lot. A company’s management can rely on them if short-timed additional workforce is needed. They also appear extremely helpful if, for example, fifty percent of a company’s staff is on strike. Basically, contingent workers can solve any problem that leads to a high increase of needed labor.
On the other hand, contingent workers are not always needed: if a company is facing an extensive drop in productivity, there are several ways to introduce methods in order to solve this problem. For instance, worker’s performance can be combined with various incentives, e.g. additional payments or short getaways with their families. Lots of big companies have experienced a successful rise in productivity after starting this performance-related pay scheme.
As it is scientifically proved, happy people are more productive. Therefore, it might be a possibility to impose job rotation on the company’s workforce. There, workers are not forced to do the same procedures every day and this alternation then results in a rise regarding productivity.
The pie chart showing Forest AG’s age structure reveals the following major points: On the other hand, people from 18 to 39 represent over a third of Forest AG. Besides that, quite a considerable part of the workforce is older than 60, leaving the majority of people between 40 and 59. Taking these facts into account, the author would recommend the following downsizing strategy: Laying off all workers above 60 years appears to be the best possible solution to reduce staff within the company. Moreover, by offering a golden handshake, leaving is made easier.
Eventually, it can only be repeated: Forest AG is by no means an exception. As mergers and acquisitions continue to gain more and more importance throughout the business world, the company, like all the others, has to concentrate on only two things: re-structure and re-organization.
Korrektur
As multifaceted and diverse today’s business world may be, each and every company has to focus on the same factors of production: its resources for producing goods or services. Concerning Forest AG’s recent situation, the most crucial factor is, without any doubt, labor – the mental, but primarily physical capabilities of people contributing to the company’s overall performance. Here, Forest AG is no exception: overstaffing is a common consequence of mergers and acquisitions. Hence, this report is going to bring a few ways to deal with it to light.
In order to gain more insight into vital strategies of human resource management, the terms "replacement chart" and "contingent workers" will be explained first. Following that, a few methods to increase low productivity are going to be illuminated. Subsequently, a downsizing strategy for Forest AG is going to be presented along the lines of the pie chart discussed below, which portrays the company’s age structure.
In the field of human resource management, structure and organization are absolutely necessary to maintain a lean, productive and healthy company. In doing so, a replacement chart comes in quite handy: it includes all current positions in the company with additional information about how long the current job occupant will probably remain in that position, who can or is going to replace him or her and what kind of main tasks this position contains.
But unfortunately, even having a very accurate and up-to-date replacement chart does not prevent a company from facing major staff problems; here, contingent workers can help significantly. A company’s management can rely on them if short-term additional labor is needed. They also appear extremely helpful if, for example, fifty percent of a company’s staff is on strike. Basically, contingent workers can solve any problem that leads to a high increase of needed labor.
On the other hand, contingent workers are not always needed: if a company is facing an extensive drop in productivity, there are several ___ methods ofsolving this problem. For instance, a worker’s performance can be linked to various incentives, e.g. additional payments or short getaways with his/her families. Lots of large companies have experienced a successful rise in productivity after starting such a performance-related pay scheme.
As has been scientifically proven, happy/satisfied people are more productive. Therefore, it might be a possibility to impose job rotation on the company’s workforce. In the case of job rotation, workers are not forced to follow the same procedures every day and this alternation then results in a rise regarding productivity.
The pie chart showing Forest AG’s age structure reveals the following major points: On the one hand, people aged between 18 and 39 represent over a third of Forest AG's staff. Besides that, quite a considerable part of the workforce is older than 60, leaving the majority of people between 40 and 59. Taking these facts into account, the author would recommend the following downsizing strategy: Laying off all workers above 60 years appears to be the best possible solution to reduce staff within the company. Moreover, by offering a golden handshake, leaving is made easier.
Essentially, it can only be repeated: Forest AG is by no means an exception. As mergers and acquisitions continue to gain more and more importance throughout the business world, the company, like all the others, has to concentrate on only two things: re-structuring and re-organization.
Das ist ein Aufsatz, bei dem es auf jeden Fall die Bonuspunkte für Superstil geben würde. Vor allem die Einleitung ist auf ganz hohem sprachlichen Niveau geschrieben. Dadurch entstehen natürlich auch häufiger kleine Fehler, aber insgesamt wäre der Text sprachlich ein klarer 1er. Inhaltlich fehlt mir wieder etwas mehr zur Ausgangssituation (z.B. 15% Zielsetzung). Interessant ist darüber hinaus, dass als einer der Incentives "Job Rotation" angeführt wird. Das ist im Ebert/Griffin in dem spezifischen Teil nicht drinnen, wäre aber absolut akzeptabel, da die Antwort ja stimmt. Wäre bei der DP also auch ok, außer es steht spezifisch "What 3 Incentives do Ebert/Griffin list in the are of group compensation incentives?" oder ähnliches.
1) "Eventually, it can only be repeated:": Ich glaube, Du meintest "Letztendlich" und das wäre "Essentially". "Eventually" bedeutet "Irgendwann einmal in der Zukunft"
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice ThreadOriginal
Dear Sirs/Madams,
Change is a chance. Is structure a precondition for successful businesses? The following letter will show how efficiency can be boosted through clear structures.
First, the three classic forms of authority will be defined. Subsequently, we intend to discuss the divisional organizational structure as well as its benefits and drawbacks. Finally, propositions for how a restructuring of Bundnetz’s organization can improve efficiency within twelve months will be made.
To begin with, authority is indispensable to guarantee that decisions are made when it is necessary. Furthermore, it is essential that these decisions are made by persons who are experienced in the specific field that is affected. Line authority means that authority follows the chain of command. This form is particularly suitable for line departments which are directly associated with production and sales. Whereas line managers have the authority to make final decisions, staff authority involves staff members helping other employees in making decisions. They offer counseling and advice services such as legal advice. Lately, the third form, committee and team authority, has gained in importance. Committees and teams that are a key factor for daily business are granted authority that often exceeds the individuals’ authority.
In addition to authority, a company has to decide what organizational structure best matches with the corporate strategy. One possible form is divisional structure that is based on product departmentalization. This means that the organization is divided according to specific products. These products are produced and marketed by various departments which are managed like separate enterprises. Naturally, these independent divisions foster competition among themselves and their performance is easy to measure. Nevertheless, the divisions’ autonomy may also pose a possible threat if corporate managers lose track of day-to-day business as well as if competition creates a detrimental atmosphere.
Bearing these structural approaches in mind, a solution to Bundnetz’s inefficient organizational structure would be to split the company up into separate product divisions. As a consequence the company would be capable of selling and disbanding divisions that perform poorly. This structure may provide further benefits for Bundnetz since divisions are managed like enterprises and therefore demand more staff than traditionally structured companies. Thus no employees would have to be laid off.
In addition, it is particularly important to increase the efficiency of this formerly state-owned telecommunications provider. This goal will be attained if healthy competition among divisions is fostered as competition will inspire ambition in Bundnetz’s employees.
State-owned companies tend to have tall hierarchies and therefore are quite bureaucratic in their dealings. The introduction of a flat hierarchy will allow Bundnetz’s divisions to react quickly to market forces and changing customer needs.
Frankly speaking, there are many starting points for improvement. However, we regard competition among the various divisions as the greatest chance for increasing Bundnetz’s efficiency since employees would be highly motivated. Nevertheless, it is of particular significance that this major restructuring has the support of every employee.
Yours truly,
Bettina Duft
External consultant
Korrektur
Dear Sirs/Madams,
Change is an opportunity. Is structure a precondition for successful businesses? The following letter will show how efficiency can be boosted through clear structures.
First, the three classic forms of authority will be defined. Subsequently, we intend to discuss the divisional organizational structure as well as its benefits and drawbacks. Finally, propositions for how a restructuring of Bundnetz’s organization can improve efficiency within twelve months will be made.
To begin with, authority is indispensable in order to guarantee that decisions are made when they are necessary. Furthermore, it is essential that these decisions be made by persons who are experienced in the specific field that is affected. In the case of line authority,___ authority follows the chain of command. This form is particularly suitable for line departments which are directly associated with production and sales. Whereas line managers have the authority to make final decisions, staff authority involves staff members helping other employees in making decisions. They offer counseling and advisory services such as legal advice. Lately, the third form, committee and team authority, has gained in importance. Committees and teams that are a key factor for daily business are granted authority that often exceeds the individuals’ authority.
In addition to authority, a company has to decide what organizational structure best matches ___ the corporate strategy. One possible form is divisional structure, which is based on product departmentalization. This means that the organization is divided according to specific products. These products are produced and marketed by various departments which are managed like separate enterprises. Naturally, these independent divisions foster competition among themselves and their performance is easy to measure. Nevertheless, the divisions’ autonomy may also pose a possible threat if corporate managers lose track of day-to-day business as well as if competition creates a detrimental atmosphere.
Bearing these structural approaches in mind, a solution to Bundnetz’s inefficient organizational structure would be to split the company up into separate product divisions. As a consequence, the company would be capable of selling and disbanding divisions that perform poorly. This structure may provide further benefits for Bundnetz since divisions would be managed like enterprises and therefore would demand more staff than traditionally structured companies. Thus no employees would have to be laid off.
In addition, it is particularly important to increase the efficiency of this formerly state-owned telecommunications provider. This goal will be attained if healthy competition among divisions is fostered as competition will inspire ambition in Bundnetz’s employees.
State-owned companies tend to have tall hierarchies and therefore are quite bureaucratic in their dealings. The introduction of a flat hierarchy would allow Bundnetz’s divisions to react quickly to market forces and changing customer needs.
Frankly speaking, there are many starting points for improvement. However, we regard competition among the various divisions as the greatest opportunity for increasing Bundnetz’s efficiency since employees would be highly motivated. Nevertheless, it is of particular significance that this major restructuring have the support of every employee.
Yours truly,
Bettina Duft
External consultant
Habe hier keinen Ebert/Griffin liegen (habe, ehrlich gesagt, nirgendwo mehr einen Ebert/Griffin liegen, da ich ihn inzwischen auswendig kann!). D.h. bin ich mir nicht sicher, ob der mittlere Text direkt von dort kommt. Wenn nicht, dann hast Du einen Schreibstil, der jenen von 95% der Native Speaker übertrifft.
Zum Thema Letter: Natürlich ist es wichtig, Letters/Presentations auch zu beherrschen. Mein informeller Tipp in Richtung Diplomprüfung wäre aber, sich weitgehend auf Reports zu konzentrieren.
1) "Change is a chance.": Achtung: Das deutsche Wort "Chance" im Sinne von "positive Möglichkeit" übersetzt man meistens besser als "opportunity". Das englische "Chance" bedeutet zwar AUCH "Möglichkeit" ist aber eher neutral besetzt. D.h. kein Fehler, aber "opportunity" stilistisch besser.
2) "Furthermore, it is essential that these decisions are made by persons": Bei der Struktur "It is essential/necessary that X" muss das Zeitwort im Infinitive ohne "to" folgen.
3) "Whereas line managers have the authority to make final decisions, staff authority involves staff members helping other employees in making decisions.": Das ist ein Beispiel dafür, wie "whereas" ("während") zu Beginn eines Satzes RICHTIG eingesetzt wurde. Es funktioniert nur, wenn zwei Möglichkeiten/Situationen miteinander verglichen werden. Einer der häufigsten Fehlerquellen in 7 Jahren Englischkorrekturen liegt aber darin, dass Studenten einen Satz mit "whereas" beginnen, ohne aber dann die zweite Möglichkeit/Situation im gleichen Satz zu nennen. Also auf der Prüfung VORSICHT mit "whereas" Sätzen.
3) "it is of particular significance that this major restructuring has the": Gleich wie bei Punkt 1: "It is of significance that X" und dann Zeitwort im Infinitive.
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice Thread
Pie Chart report
Due to the recent acquisition of the Wald AG, the Forest AG is overstaffed and forced to lay off 15% of its workforce. Through giving notice to employees, remaining staff might get demotivated and anxious to lose their jobs and as a result productivity will suffer. The following report will develop a downsizing s strategy that should be implemented in order to guarantee Forest AG’s future success.
To begin with, the author will define the terms “replacement chart” and “contingent workers”. Thereafter, the text will give examples how a company can motivate employees with incentives other than bonuses. Next, it will describe two segments of the pie chart showing employees’ age structure. Last but not least, the report will elaborate on the downsizing strategy fitting the needs and wants of the Forest AG.
Nowadays more and more companies are forced to lay off employees. Therefore, it is important to plan for positions and people with the technique of the replacement chart. By definition, it is a list of each management position, who holds it, how long he or she is likely to stay and who is qualified as replacement.
To support permanent workforce many companies rely on contingent workers who are also called “temps”. They are hired on something other than full-time basis.
In order to motivate workforce managers have various possibilities. First, a profit-sharing plan could be introduced. When applying to this method, bonuses are distributed to employees when profits exceed a certain level. Additionally, it would be possible to offer variable pay that rewards individuals for especially productive output.
To develop a successful downsizing strategy, it is important to analyse the employees’ age structure shown by the pie chart. Staff of 60 to 65+ years account for totally 6.3%. The segments of the 18 to 30-year-old make up 12.5% altogether including 9% contingent workers. The author would suggest giving the 60 to 65+ year-old the golden handshake as it is a question of time that these employees leave the company. In addition, the company would rejuvenate. In order to make it easier for them to leave the Forest AG should offer a severance pay that ensures that they do not suffer from poverty during their pension and can fully enjoy their retirement. Furthermore, the Forest AG could lay off all contingent workers as they are just hired on a temporary basis. Therefore they must anticipate being laid off first when downsizing in the company is necessary. Moreover, these employees are quite young and thus would not face as much difficulties finding a new job than the forty plus generation. Through conducting both suggested measures the overstaffing of the Forest AG would be completely eliminated. To make sure, that remaining staff does not get demotivated it is recommendable to introduce variable pay and profit- sharing plans so that employees see that their work is still appreciated.
To conclude, the author would recommend implementing the suggested downsizing strategy above. Admittedly, laying off workforce always involves anxiety and rumours about further job cuts among remaining staff and may cause demotivation and decreasing productivity. However, considering that keeping overstaffed includes huge costs and less productivity, downsizing is the only way to stay competitive.
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice Thread
International success asks for a global business understanding. Due to different cultures as well as diverse business practices it is crucial to deal with these differences in order to compete successfully.
This report will look at several points which must be considered when going abroad.
To begin with, the author will give a short overview of the present situation of Werner GmbH.
Secondly, she will explain the terms “absolute” and “comparative advantage”. Subsequently, the report will take a look at the differences between “local content laws” and “business practices laws”. Finally, the author plans to give some suggestions through which to make sure Werner GmbH´s products meet the demands of local content laws.
Werner GmbH is an Austrian silverware manufacturer who plans to export his products to Cambodia. In order to be informed about foreign business laws the company tries to search out as much as possible about such laws in Cambodia.
Economists traditionally focus on absolute and comparative advantages to explain international trade. An absolute advantage refers to the term that a company is able to produce something more efficiently and cheaper than any other company. For example experts say that the vineyards in France produce the world’s finest wine. This example shows that “absolute” advantage is always relative.
In contrast to absolute advantage, a comparative advantage is the ability to produce some goods more efficiently than others. If companies in a given country are able to make computers more efficiently than they can produce other goods, than the nation has a comparative advantage in producing computers.
Every country has different business laws. A widely common law is the local content law which indicates that products sold in the home country have to be at least partly made there. If a company wants to sell its products in countries with such laws it either has to invest in such countries directly or take a local partner.
Beside this law governments can also implement a business practice law which refers to different business practices which must be considered when going abroad.
Bearing these laws in mind it is crucial for Werner GmbH to analyse the Cambodian market. First of all the company has to find out if it is able produce their products more cheaply or more efficient than any foreign company. If Werner GmbH has an absolute advantage in producing silver goods it would be a good idea to export these products.
Furthermore Werner GmbH has to analyse the Cambodian business laws through which to be informed about different business practices and so on. It would be a good idea to get in contact with a Cambodian business consultant in order to get the right information.
Thereafter Werner GmbH should decide if going abroad would be a good idea.
In a summary it can be side that it is crucial to analyse the foreign market before going abroad. This analysis can reveal different business practices which must be considered. Bearbeitet von: vroniF am: 4/7/08 11:58
Re: FIRST/MARS 2010 Diploma Exam Practice Thread
A clear structure provides the basis for successful operations. On the one hand, managers know exactly what tasks they have to control. On the other hand, a clear structure helps employees to understand the relationships of different positions and to whom they are accountable. Bundnetz AG, a telecommunications provider, has problems in this area, as there is no identifiable hierarchical structure and additionally the company is overstaffed.
First of all, the author is going to discuss the three classic forms of authority in a company. Next, the report is going to provide an explanation of what a divisional organizational structure is. In this context, the author is going to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of this structure. Last but not least, the report is going to make a suggestion for how Bundnetz AG could restructure its organization in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency.
According to Ebert/Griffin there are three classic forms of authority in a company. A line authority refers to a direct chain of command from the top to the bottom. In contrast to a line authority, a staff authority is granted to employees because of the expertise they possess. Staff members advise and help line managers in making decisions. However, they do not have the authority to make final decisions. The last form of authority called “team and committee authority” is granted to teams so that they can perform different tasks with a minimum of supervision.
Companies have to consider beside the type of authority, which type of structure they want to adopt. Many companies prefer a divisional structure, which is based on product departmentalization. Each department operates as an autonomous unit under the large corporate umbrella. Therefore, companies are free to buy and sell without disrupting the rest of their operations. Another advantage involves the fact that each unit can develop high specialization. Furthermore, accountability is more easily as managers can evaluate the performance of each employee in a better way. However, one disadvantage of a divisional structure is that tasks may be duplicated because of the poor communication between different departments.
Now this theoretical knowledge has to be put into a proper professional context. Bundnetz AG is currently overstaffed and is looking for possibilities to solve this problem. One possibility to reduce the number of employees involves encouraging early retirement. Furthermore, the company should not replace employees who quit. As a last option, Bundnetz AG could lay off people. However, this option represents quite a delicate issue as it can work quite disruptively. Therefore, layoffs should only be adopted if the other options do not work successfully. In addition, the author would recommend for Bundnetz AG to conduct a SWOT analysis, because this would help it to identify the strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats of this situation. The outcome of this research will provide a basis for the decision which organizational structure to implement.
In a nutshell, Bundnetz AG should be aware of the fact, that restructuring the company might involve resistance and insecurity by the employees. Therefore, it is important that Bundnetz AG analyses the company and its environment carefully so that it can implement the most suitable structure for both, the company as well as the employees.
Per Email an einen Freund
Topic Commands
Anklicken, um Email-Benachrichtigung bei neuen Antworten zu bekommen 
Anklicken, um Email-Benachrichtigung bei neuen Antworten einzustellen