Stefanie Hoffmann – författare

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: over 70% - A, Cardiff University, language: English, abstract: Nowadays nearly all companies have to develop their own ideas and personalities. As we are living in a fast moving society the company's corporate identity plays a huge role. This term comprises corporate culture, corporate branding, corporate communication and corporate design. It is essential to make use of all these elements in order to be able to define a company to itself as well as to the outside world, to find out how customers and employees should be treated and how to respond to interactions with the external environment and culture. The external environment is defined as factors which are not under the direct control or influence of the organisation, such as demographic, economic, political or technological factors. (http://www.fiu.edu/~pie/environmentform.htm accessed on 05.11.2005) The corporate identity of a company can be expressed in company's communications, architectural style, by how people address each other and of course by what people wear, for example cabin attendants representing their airline outwardly through the same uniforms. In order to answer the question How do motivation and leadership affect the corporate culture of multinational firms? it is essential to clarify the different terms. Corporate culture, also called organisational culture, deals with the beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations and rules of an organisation. These values are used by all company members and are given from one generation of employees to another. (http://www.quintcareers.com/jobseeker_glossary.html accessed on 05.11.2005) To summarise, these characteristics should help to define and illustrate the nature of the corporate or organisational culture. If newly hired individuals enter a company, especially a multinational one, they bring their own national culture with their own values and beliefs, and in return they must adopt and respect the organisational culture of the company they work for. Of course, companies want their employees to fit in. At Pepsi for example workforce is expected to be cheerful and positive whereas at Ford, it is expected to show self-confidence and assertiveness. (Hodgett and Luthans, 1997)

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: B-, Cardiff University, language: English, abstract: Are the 4 P´s of international marketing of equal importance to all firms? What factors might cause some to be more or less important than others? by Stefanie Hoffmann Nowadays marketing should be an indispensable part of all companies. Therefore many organisations and companies have marketing departments made up of marketing managers and specialists who have to coordinate the different areas of the marketing mix. Marketing has to be understood as a concept which stands at the beginning of the production process and which has to be integrated in all company areas. It describes the exact organisation, planning, execution and control of all company activities which should help to define customers´ wishes and expectations. (Lecture, Tourism Marketing, Bentele, Dr. B., Merkur Academy, 2004/2005) Nevertheless it is difficult to find an exact definition of marketing. Often it means different things to different people. As we are living in a fast-moving society, situations develop and change. The accepted UK definition is the one given by the Chartered Institute of Marketing: “Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably.” (Lancaster and Massingham, 1999, p. 4)In general, marketing is divided into strategic and operative marketing. In principle, the strategic marketing deals with the aims of the company, for example which competitors should be observed which markets are important or which target groups should be served with which products. The chosen strategies describe the way in which the company wants to reach their focused aims. The operative marketing deals with the planning and execution of these strategies. With this aim in view, the company combines different marketing instruments which are known as the marketing mix. The most important marketing instruments are product, price, place and promotion, also known as the 4 P´s. This notion of the marketing mix is attributed to Neil H. Borden (1965) and refers to the set of marketing ingredients a company can use to achieve its objectives. (Lancaster and Massingham, 1995) [...]

Essay from the year 2006 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: B+, Cardiff University (University), language: English, abstract: Just a few years ago Ryanair was a tiny, impoverished Irish airline trying unsuccessfully to compete with Aer Lingus using a handful of elderly turboprop planes. In 2003 its share price is so high the company is worth more than British Airways, and with the unlikely business model of selling seats for as little as 99 Pence for the privilege of flying to airports perhaps fifty miles outside the cities they purport to serve, Ryanair has become the most profitable airline in Europe. It is also an airline whose phenomenal success has never been too far from controversy, whether it is its militant lack of sympathy for its passengers when their flight is delayed or cancelled, its robust approach to industrial relations, or indeed the industrial language favoured by its charismatic and buccaneering chief executive, Michael O'Leary. (Creaton, 2005) The following questions will critically evaluate the Ryanair phenomenon and its future prospects with taking the European airline industry into consideration.

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous, grade: 63% - B, Cardiff University, language: English, abstract: Companies all over the world have always tried to create and capitalise on competitiveadvantages, ensuring profitability and long term survival. Due to the increasing competitionin most markets, mainly caused by globalization, liberalisation and better information of thecustomers, the need to gain advantages in competition is now more essential than ever. This essay, labelled Cultural diversity is a source of international competitive advantage. Critically evaluate , shall point out the complexity of this topic. What business strategy is all about; what distinguishes it from all other kinds of businessplanning - is, in a word, competitive advantage. Without competitors there would be noneed for strategy, for the sole purpose of strategic planning is to enable the company togain, as effectively as possible, a sustainable edge over its competitors. Keniche Ohnae(http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/8183.html: accessed on 30.11.2005)Michael Porter, professor at the Harvard Business School, stated that competitiveadvantages depend on different factors like the availability of resources, the size andsophistication of the market or the type of strategic networks. (Schneider and Barsoux,1997) He also said that choosing the right strategies make the company unique, buildbrand reputation or set the right goal. (Porter, 2005)In general, competitive advantage is often associated with specific business operationslike mentioned above. Little people think that also cultural diversity provides a source of competitive advantage. [...]

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2006 in the subject Psychology - Work, Business, Organisation, grade: B+, Cardiff University, language: English, abstract: Introduction We always do what we MOST WANT to do, whether or not we like what we are doing at each instant of our lives. Wanting and liking many times are not the same thing. Many people have done what they say they didn t want to do at a particular moment. And that may be true until one looks deeper into the motivation behind the doing. What they are really saying is the price they will have to pay or the consequences they will have to endure, for not doing that something may be too high or onerous for them not to do it. Such as going to work. Many people say they don t want to go to work and yet they do. Which means they don t want to risk losing their jobs and the negative hurting emotions associated with not having a job. It has been estimated about 90% to 95% of all people work at jobs which are unfulfilling and which they dislike and would leave in a minute if they only knew what they really wanted to do. Sidney Madwed (http://www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?homesearch=motivation accessed on 15.02.2006)The quotation defines that nowadays motivation should be an indispensable part of every company. It is a complex and difficult topic and therefore management also has to take historical theories into account. Furthermore, it has to be figured out what employees designate as attractive for defining an effective motivation programme within the organisation. This dissertation will critically evaluate what motivation is and illustrate the different kinds of motivation theories of Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg and Clayton P. Alderfer by explaining the key concepts for managing and motivating people. Due to the fact that motivation, especially employee motivation, is such a broad topic the dissertation will put a specific focus on the similarities and differences between the classical motivation theories.