The Business Environment Essay Example for Free

The Business Environment Essay In this assignment, I am going to be exploring the purpose of Tesco and The British Heart Foundation. I will be looking into the influence of stakeholders and how the businesses organise themselves through strategic planning and organisational structures to achieve their purpose and aims. Tesco is an international Public Limited Company. Tesco has over 500,00 employees in 12 countries. Under the Tesco Group there are a number of sister companies such as Tesco Ireland, Tesco Poland and Tesco Lotus. In addition, Tesco offers other services such as Tesco Bank which is also a part of the organisation. [1] From my research, it states that Tesco is a part of the tertiary sector as it is retailing by selling a range of products from groceries to electronics. Tesco also offers services such as loans with Tesco Bank .In my opinion it’s also is a part of the secondary sector . For example, Tesco bakes fresh bread on site and then sells in its sorts so therefore it is a part of both of these sectors. Additionally Tesco has its own Mobile Network which offers Pay as you go and Pay Monthly options. You can also buy mobile devices such as the iPhone 5C. [2] The British Heart Foundation is a national Charity (Not-for-profit organisation) in the tertiary sector. TBHF has approximately 20,00 volunteers in its 765 stores in the UK. [3] Apart of these stores are volunteers but they also have paid managers and assistant managers. The stores rely on donations from the public to sell products in its shops. They have some specialised Furniture stores that solely sell furniture. They also sell a wide range of items in its standard stores for the home such as ornaments, kitchen goods and various other items. Tesco is a Public Limited Company. This means that the stakeholders will have limited liability to the company. Therefore this separates the stakeholder’s personal assets from Tesco. For example, if Tesco became into debt and was to close, the Chief Financial Officer Alan Stewards House and car wouldn’t be taken away to clear the debt as the company has limited liability. The success of Tesco depends on how much profit is made. This then reflects the dividends that the stakeholder receives. This would then affect the operations of the business. The British Heart Foundation is a Charity. This type of organisation has unlimited liability. As a trustee, director or officer, they are in a very vulnerable  position. These individuals are liable for the outcome of all decisions and actions of The British Heart Foundation. To protect these individuals there is an indemnity which insures them if they are deemed liable.[8] Even though it’s a not for profit organisation, if limited profit was made, it would affect their operations by the charity not being able to put money back into helping and researching for The British Heart Foundation. Tesco’s Aims and objectives; †¢Offering customers the best value for money and being competitive on prices †¢Meeting the needs of customers by constantly looking for, and acting on, their opinions regarding innovation, product quality, choice, store facilities and service †¢Providing shareholders with progressive returns on their investment improving profitability through investment in resourceful stores and distribution depots, in productivity improvements and in new technology †¢Developing the talents of its employees through sound management and training practices, while rewarding them fairly with equal opportunities for all †¢Working side by side with suppliers to build long term business relationships based on strict quality and price criteria †¢Participating in the national food industry policies on issues such as health, nutrition, hygiene, safety and animal welfare †¢Supporting the community and protecting the environment [4] The British Heart Foundations Aim Objectives; †¢To develop research into the causes of heart disease and improved methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. †¢To provide vital information to help people reduce their heart health risk. †¢To urge for government policies that minimise the risk of heart and circulatory disease. †¢To help achieve the highest possible standards of care and support for heart patients. †¢To reduce the inequalities in levels of heart disease across the UK. [5] Tesco has a number of stakeholders in the company. A stakeholder is someone that has an interest in the business. A stakeholder would be interested in how the business is run and the decisions the business makes. StakeholdersBritish Heart Foundation A customer would buy from The British Heart Foundation to buy goods at cheaper prices. Customers would also shop there to support The British Heart Foundation cause. Without customers going into the store to by the products, The British Heart Foundation would not be able to meet their main objectives of researching into the causes of heart disease and providing this vital information for people to reduce the risk of their heart health as they wouldn’t have the funds to meet these objectives. Tesco Customers An individual that buys goods or services from a business.A customer would shop at Tesco to seek products of a high standard for low , competitive prices. In addition, they would shop solely for the convenience of having all there buying needs in one place. Without customers , Tesco would not be able to sell their products or services so they would fail there objectives to offer a high quality service at competitive prices and offering their shareholders competitive returns. This would mean that without profit, they would fail to meet their objectives. Employees An individual that is employed by a business for a wage or salary to provide work in exchange.At The British Heart Foundation there are employees such as management that are paid for their work but also The British Heart Foundation have Volunteers that offer to work for free to help the cause. Normally volunteers are young people that are trying to gain work experience nevertheless there are people of various ages that work as volunteers to help the cause they are passionate about. These employees and volunteers are vital in the running The British Heart Foundation as without these people, they wouldn’t be able to run stores to retail in and therefore not be able to raise money to help the cause . So this would influence the completion of their aims and objectives of developing and researching.Tesco employees are vital to the company . They  help with Tesco’s high volume of customers and providing these customers with a quality service . Tesco values its employees and offers all kinds of benefits for working for the company such as a staff discount card, health care discounts and pension plans. [6]. Tesco would not be able to run without its employees as they wouldn’t to be able to sell or provide the services Tesco offers. In addition, without its employees , Tesco would fail to meets all of its aims and objectives as they wouldn’t be able to provide the service they do , they wouldn’t be able to offer value for money, Also they wouldn’t have any shareholders as without profit; nobody would invest and they wouldn’t be able to offer training to keep up these standards they wish to upkeep. Trade Union [7] A Trade Union is an organisation formed of workers in a trade or profession to help protect the rights of employees.A Trade Union can offer support to its members for employees and volunteers. It enables these individuals to be heard and not be treated unfairly within the work place. If there wasn’t access to trade unions then some people may be treated incorrectly in the work place so it would cause people to leave or may not even work or volunteer for The British Heart Foundation at all. Even though volunteers do not get paid, trade unions can make sure that volunteers are treated as any other member of staff so there is equality in the business working environment. By giving people that the safety net of a trade union, it encourages people to apart of the organisation because if there weren’t any employees then The British Heart Foundation would fail its aims and objectives. A Trade Union can offer support for Tesco’s employees .It enables these individuals to be heard and not be treated unfairly within the work place. If there wasn’t access to trade unions then some people may be treated incorrectly in the work place so it would cause people to leave or may not even work for Tesco. Tesco employees want a secure job with an opportunity for promotion. . By giving people that the safety net of a trade union, it encourages people to apart of the organisation because if there weren’t any employees then Tesco would fail its aims and objectives as they wouldn’t to be able to provide the services they do to make a profit. Suppliers A supplier is a party that supplies goods or servicesThe Items that are sold in The British Heart Foundation shops are supplied by the public through donations. People donate to the cause so The British Heart Foundation can re-sell those items to raise money for the cause. If people didn’t donate then The British Heart Foundation wouldn’t be able to raise money to fund to develop research on finding cures for heart related health issues and to inform people on these issues and prevent those individuals. Without the funding, they would fail their aims and objectives.Tesco has various supplies for its wide range of products and services. Generally Tesco has so many stores, it can buy products in bulk at very low prices per unit so they can sell to customers to make a profit. Without the suppliers of these products, they wouldn’t have a business platform or selling point. The suppliers have a somewhat control over Tesco as if they would to put their prices up then Tesco would have to reflect that in their final retail price but one of Tesco’s aims is to provide quality products at low prices. So Tesco has to closely negotiate and monitor its products to fulfil there aims and objectives. Owners An owners is an individual that owns a business. In a company it would be the shareholders. These are the people that have a financial interest in the company. Owners want to make as much profit as they can to increase the value of their business. Employer Associations An employer association is someone what a trade union to the employers. This association has the employer’s best interests at heart. Local And National Communities The Local and national communities have a big impact on organisations. The Local people will be the people who make or break a business as some of which will be their target market. Government The government wants businesses to be successful so they will be applicable to pay tax. They also want to create jobs so people don’t go into the benefit system. Evaluation I am going to evaluate the influence that stakeholders exert on Tesco. Customers Customers have a major influence on Tesco. Customers are the source of profit from buying products and services. Even though a customer may seem loyal to Tesco, they are seeking the best bargain in the market. For these customers to remain loyal, Tesco must monitor their prices constantly and be fully aware of their competition. For Tesco to survive in the market, they focus on loyalty and somewhat depend on loyal customers. Tesco offers customers various promotions like buy one get one free and other promotions. They also offer the club card which is a loyalty card which they can receive discounts and collect points to spend in store. Tesco is a great example of relationship marketing at its finest and have flourished unlike other companies which have failed. Due to people being tight on money, there is a huge demand for cheaper products so Tesco will try to be the cheapest in all of its stores and if it is cheaper than another competitor such as Sainsbury’s, then it will encourage customers to shop with them. [9] Employees [10} Employees are very important in the overall running of Tesco. They play a very important part of the company with having over half a million worldwide employees. The main thing employee’s seek are wages and job satisfaction. When recruiting, Tesco must be careful on who they employ as it could have a big impact on the company. They will be representing the company and if they are not enjoying the job and fulfilling their position, then things could start to go wrong. They also have a huge influence as if employees  were not happy with their wages or working conditions then that would reflect on their work due to lack of motivation. Tesco uses motivation as a method to improve employees working performance. For example, if people were to be treated bad by long hours and no pay, then they would leave the work place and find another job. This would also be bad publicity for the company and could build up a bad reputation. For example, in 2009 employees in Ireland threatened to strike because workers supposedly were working for twenty five to thirty hours and this was below the minimum hours in their contracts. This strike could have put a bad reputation on the company Suppliers Suppliers are also a vital stakeholder and have a big influence on any organisation. Suppliers are mainly interested in; †¢Constant Growth of purchasing †¢Long Term Contacts †¢Prompt Payment Suppliers can influence prices of the product, the quality of the product, and the product itself. This would mean that if the supplier suddenly put their prices up then Tesco would have to raise their prices in store to cover their costs. The suppliers can affect the availability of the product by the production time and delivery time. If suppliers could provide the numbers and time slots as stated on their contract, a company like Tesco couldn’t use them as have a high demand and they always must be fully in stock. As shown on Tesco’s corporate website it is clear that Tesco serve thousands of customers every minute. Each shopping trip is based on a foundation of trust placed by Tesco’s customers, who expect them to trade responsibly. Tesco know over the last year that this trust has been tested. Tesco also know that what they offer their customers depends on how they work with their suppliers. They are aware also that the industry is changing and, as Tesco continues to grow the business, they need a strong supply chain more than ever. They need partnerships with trusted suppliers who they can work with to innovate and to deliver high quality, safe products that are responsibly produced. Tesco believes better relationships deliver both a better shopping trip for customers and sustainable businesses throughout the supply chain. Tesco regularly ask their customers and stakeholders around  the world what they think about them and where they can improve. Customers tell them that food and product safety, pricing and protecting their data are their current priority concerns. Tesco’s customers want them to give them products that are safe and honestly labelled. They also want the pricing to be fair, accurate and honest. [11]

Essay --

The American Constitution was a product of the extensive and considerable debates on theoretical argumentation. Robert Yates, assumed to be the writer of pseudonym Brutus I, represents the Anti-Federalist view of governments and the way that constitution should assert their powers on society, while Federalist 10 gives us an glimpse of the Federalist view of society. Both these documents present us with the best examples of Anti-Federalist and Federalist thought. A major topic discussion between these two documents is the size of republics, as well as each view as to why their notions are the best for the new society. Anti-federalists and Brutus asserted that the new U.S. Constitution would eventually lead to the termination of the state governments, the consolidation of the Union into â€Å"one great republic† under an unchecked national government, and as a result the loss of free, self-government. Brutus additionally thought that in such an extensive and diverse nation, nothing short of despotism â€Å"could bind so great a country under one government.† Brutus suggests that large governments give room for â€Å"absolute and uncontrollable power† which allows for a large diverse government, which would, in turn, threaten personal liberty. These large governments lead to ambitious enterprises, glory, empire building, and adventurism; all of which the Anti-Federalists agree should be prevented in a society. Brutus stresses homogeneity and virtue because these represent harmony and discordant principles. People are more likely to be civic spirited in a small republic, rather than a large one which the Federalists are supportive of. In the letter from Samuel Adams to John Scollay, we see Adam’s Anti-Federalist view of government. Adams supports... ... effects of factions, Madison argues that factions should be controlled and allowed to exist; factions are not only essential to a republic but also natural and therefore unavoidable. While a variety of factions exist, Madison asserts that the strongest factions are those dealing with economics. As such, Madison advocates a large, commercial republic to control the effects of factions: large in that the more factions exist, the less likelihood any one faction will gain absolute power as the factions will frequently form and re-form short-term coalitions; commercial in that the individual must have freedom in the market in order to preserve the creation of economic factions. A republican form of government is essential to control factions since minorities are given some protection as the representative would be more interested in the public good than self-interest.

Establishment of responsibility Essay

While at the counter, the customer can see other employees making the pizzas and the large ovens in which the pizzas are baked Instructions: Identify the six principles of internal control and give an example of each principle that you might observe when picking up your pizza. Note: It may not be possible to observe all the principles. ) 1st Principle – Establishment of responsibility * Only one person is responsible for a given task. * For example, the cashier that exchanges the pizza for cash would be the principle of establishment of responsibility. 2nd Principle – Segregation of duties. Accounting employees balances books * Another personnel has custody of cash on hand (making deposits) * In this principle- segregation of duties one cannot observe this principle in this scenario. th Principle – Documentation procedures * Pre-number documents or invoices * For example, the cashier has pre-number receipts for each order that is picked up by the customer. At the end of the clerk’s shift these invoices are forwarded to accounting to timely record each transaction. 5th Principle – Physical mechanical and electronic controls * Consist of having safes, deposit boxes, and time clocks for time worked. * The clerk has a cashier that controls and safeguards the assets to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the accounting records. th Principle – Independent internal verification * Employees review, compare, and reconcile data that was prepared by them. Three measure are recommended: * An example cannot be provided for this principle because a customer cannot identify if: * 1st – Org. should verify records periodically or on a surprise basis. * 2nd – A manager should make the verification of an employee * 3rd – Discrepancies and exceptions should be reported to mgt. to make appropriate corrective action. Chapter 7: Problem Set B: P7-2B The board of trustees of a local church is concerned about the internal accounting controls pertaining to the offering collections made at weekly services. They ask you to serve on a three-person audit team with the internal auditor of the university and a CPA who has just joined the church. At a meeting of the audit team and the board of trustees you learn the following: A) Indicate the weaknesses in internal accounting control in the handling of collections. There are a few weaknesses in internal control in the handling of collections for the church, such as there is no supervision when the ushers take money. There is a chance that the ushers can take money from the collection plate. In addition, the financial secretary manages three tasks like bank reconciliation, has control and has custody of the cash, and maintains the church records. Moreover, the financial secretary holds out cash ($150-$200) per week; different withhold amounts for cash expenditures. There is not a witness when the head usher or the financial secretary count the money. Last, checks are made payable to cash (Kimmel, Weygandt & Kieso, 2007). B) List the improvements in internal control procedures that you plan to make at the next meeting of the audit team for: Ushers: How churches handle usher operations varies from congregation to congregation, but a consistent set of controls protects the fiduciary integrity of the church, and creates confidence among donors. One problem in the collection process is that only the head usher counts the collection without any accountability to ensure his count is accurate, or that all of the funds donated are transferred to the safe. This can be resolved by having the other ushers count the donations and sign off on the report, so that more than one set of eyes have verified the donations. Additionally, volunteers will need to take a course familiarizing would-be ushers with standard operating procedures, and reporting standards before being qualified to volunteer for usher position. This will help solidify controls for the ushers. Head Usher: While the church may not be currently experiencing anything wrong with the usher selection and volunteer system at the church, some improvements might be considered. The church might consider making the head usher a year-long term, elected by church members to create continuity, but also impose term limits – possibly every 3-4 years a head usher must take a sabbatical. Additionally, because the head usher role is so pivotal in the collection process, and it is a place where mistakes or malfeasance can easily take place; it would be helpful for the ushers and the financial secretary to be present in the collection counts, the day of, so someone outside the usher department can verify tithe counts. Financial Secretary: The most glaring issue, which opens up easy access for, would be embezzlers in the congregations check policy. All checks being written to cash basically enables anyone to cash out the check, the church, a rouge employee or volunteer, or otherwise. All checks need to be made out to the church, not to cash. It would be even better if the church went the route of many churches by allowing donors to have donations processed monthly (or weekly depending on donor preference) through e-commerce, allowing debit or credit payments to be made automatically to the church account. This will add a layer to the recording process, but it also increases security for donors. The financial secretary also needs to stop pulling cash from weekly donations for cash expenditures as cash transactions are harder to track and thus are more easily abused. Instead a petty cash account needs to be started, and cash allocated as needed based on historical records of cash expenditures. Additionally, a church credit/debit card, or reimbursement policy greatly will diminish the need for high levels of cash in the petty cash account. Finance Committee: The first thing the finance committee needs to do is to follow its own policy, and conduct annual audits. The church’s 501 (C)(3) nonprofit designation demands this. Often the most â€Å"trusted† employees are the ones who are found to have committed improprieties. Regardless of trust, regular audits, and reporting is essential. The second major priority is for the financial committee to purchase a fidelity insurance policy that will protect the church in the case of financial impropriety or massive fraud on part of those who handle finances. In addition to the need for an overhaul in policy (discussed below), the financial committee needs to inculcate a culture of financial vigilance and rigor to keep the church from even the perception of financial impropriety. C) What church policies should be changed to improve internal control? The church board of trustees is responsible of make sure that the church runs smoothly, from assigning the right ministers to the right ministries and making sure that the tithes and offerings are accounted for after each service. The first and most important thing that the church needs to do is getting some fidelity insurance. This type of insurance will protect the church of losses that may result of fraudulent acts by specified individuals. Protecting the church of any dishonest employee or member who may steal money, securities, and other property that once belong to the church. The second thing is to have an audit conducted because there has not been an audit performed in 15 years. Highly recommend using an outside source of performing the audit, this way every rock and stone will be turn over. The church financial management department should be responsible for counting and recordkeeping of the tithes and offering received but in separate offices, one office for counting the money and the other office for recordkeeping purposes The head usher responsibility should be making sure that the tithes and offering plates are accounted for and immediately delivering the plates (with one member from the board of trustee) to the financial management office (the financial office manager, and one individual from the board of trustees are the only ones with keys to both offices). The financial management recordkeeping personnel and the financial secretary should first come to an agreement on how much cash is needed for the week expense. Also the two will count the money with the intention to be deposit along with a deposit slip; the financial secretary will be responsible of making the deposit and afterward returning the deposit receipt to the recordkeeping office for recording purposes.

Essay about Feminism - 1510 Words

Feminism There has been a great deal of discussion over the Feminist Gender Studies Program changing its name to Gender Sexuality. The basis of this debate is over the exclusion of the word feminist from the title. It is important to question how this modification will affect the direction of the program and the feminist movement as a whole. The categorization of this area of study must be sensitive to the complex social issues it represents. Bringing the term gender to the fore-front, and focusing less on women, is a necessary part of the attempt by contemporary feminists to stake claim to a certain definitional ground, to insist on the inadequacies of existing bodies of men (Scott, 166). This new spotlight on gender and†¦show more content†¦Men may not want to be identified as a feminist, and students who question their own gender may not think this movement really relates to their lives. This leaves a large population of the student body feeling outside the borders of the femini sm, which directly relates to their lack of participation of the movement outside of the classroom. On the surface, the exclusion of the term from the departments name is an effort to invite a more diverse group of students into the program. This change in the title also represents a change in feminism, one that seeks to focus less on women and more broadly on gender. The history of feminists challenging the constructed norm for women has pushed the movement itself to the outside of society. It is crucial for the movement to retreat from the outside by being more inclusive of all the players in society, including men. Fuss asked the important question, does one compromise oneself by working on the inside, or does one shortchange oneself by holding tenaciously to the outside? 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