Grays Behavioral Activation System Psychology Essay

Grays Behavioral Activation System Psychology Essay Gray proposed that personality is rooted from two neuropsychological systems that control behavior and emotions. One of the two systems is the behavioral activation system (BAS), which functions on the concept of positive reinforcement. Previous research has indicated that the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways are responsible for the activation of BAS and sensitivity to the construct produces heightened reward from positive reinforcement. As such, prior studies have demonstrated similar correlations between high BAS sensitivity and low P300 amplitude as a precursor for psychopathological disorders, due to reward dependency. The present study used the Carver White (1994) questionnaire to obtain the BIS/BAS scales of 9 healthy, introductory psychology students. The event-related potential was an oddball paradigm of high frequency, low frequency and novel tones and P300 averages were extracted from an EEG. The low and high BAS scores both produced similar amplitudes, however the low sco res produced a shorter latency. The results indicate inconsistency and emphasize the need for further scientific research to expand on theoretical constructs, such as personality. Introduction Historically, the construct of personality was developed based upon philosophical principles that sought to explain the human psyche. As the theories of personality have become a major part of mainstream psychology today, the biopsychological components of personality have evolved into an innovative area of scientific research. Gray (1987) argued that personality is influenced by the two brain systems that control behavior and emotions. A component of this theory, the behavioral activation system, is portrayed as a personality construct with a neurological foundation. A neuropsychological paradigm is crucial in the deconstruction of theoretical hypotheses to influence the expansion and application of knowledge regarding human behavior. The use of electroencephalograms with event-related potentials and personality questionnaires regarding the behavioral activation system emphasize the importance for exploring theoretical constructs with scientific research. Based on research from animal learning paradigms, Grays (1993) personality theory asserts the idea that individual differences in personality traits mirror the variability in sensitivity towards stimuli affiliated with negative and positive reinforcement (Franken et al., 2006). The behavioral activation system is a neurological reward mechanism that is initiated by positive reinforcement. It mediates responses to signals of conditioned reward, non-punishment, escape from punishment and the activation influences progression toward goals (Harmon-Jones Allen, 1997). The opposite emotional system is the behavioral inhibition system; which is activated by conditioned stimuli associated with punishment or the termination of reward (Franken et al., 2006). That being said, the behavioral activation and inhibition systems are extremes of a continuum in which ones behavior is likely to be reinforced positively or negatively, depending on which part of the continuum they score. The behavioral activation system (BAS) is connected to positive feelings and approach behaviors when experiencing a reward (Gable et al., 2000). For example, an individual with high BAS sensitivity would seek out everyday type situations where they experienced positive reinforcement, or search for similar situations where they have a chance of being positively reinforced. Positive reinforcement is how people thrive in the world. From an evolutionary perspective, to go out and hunt for food when experiencing hunger, find food and bring it home to eat and share with family members so they can survive is an example of everyday positive reinforcement. The key difference between a typical situation and a situation in regards to an individual with high BAS sensitivity would be that the positive reinforcement would be differentially reinforced more so in comparison to conventional reinforcement (Franken et al., 2006). Grays (1993) theory of personality suggests that those with high behavioral activation sensitivity are predisposed to psychopathological disorders due to their perceived response from positive, differential reinforcement (Franken et al., 2006). That being said, impulsivity is a key characteristic of high BAS sensitivity and is a major variable in the susceptibility of risky behavior. Other correlations to high sensitivity are high psychoticism, neuroticism and extraversion, which demonstrates that high BAS sensitivity, could act as a precursor for delinquency among the population (Jorm et al., 1999). Neuroscience is beginning to identify strong relationships between BAS sensitivity and approach behaviors such as; conduct disorder, alcoholism, substance abuse and psychopathy. According to Gray (1993), the biological basis of BAS is associated with mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways ascending from nucleus A10 of the ventral tegmentum of the brainstem (Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Recent studies involving substance use indicate the similarity between dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and the emotional high observed in alcohol and drug users. Thus, implying that BAS sensitivity and is related to addictive behaviors and substance abusers have an increased responsiveness to stimuli associated with rewards (Franken et al., 2006). Sutton and Davidson (1997) claim that throughout various clinical and laboratory observations, the left prefrontal cortex is a biological substrate of approach behavior and positive affect; whereas the right prefrontal cortex exhibits the opposite behaviors, imposing the locality of the behavioral inhibition system. When damaged, the left prefrontal cortex influences depressive symptomatology due to the inhibition of approach behaviors (Sutton Davidson, 1997). More specifically, the reward signal begins with increased dopamine cellular activity in the ventral tegmental area, which labels environmental stimuli with appetitive value and appears to signal motivating events (Kalivas Nakamura, 1999). The glutamatergic input from the amygdala and afferents cue behavior if the stimulus is a conditioned reward. The nucleus accumbens and afferents to the nucleus accumbens serve distinct functions involving motivational circuitry, which would reinforce the behavior. The major neurotransmitters involved in the motivational circuitry are GABA, glutamate and dopamine, however; encephalin, serotonin and acetylcholine are also present. Finally, afferents from the prefrontal cortex integrate information from short-term memory into a behavioral response (Kalivas Nakamura, 1999). To explore theories of previous research regarding brain localization and processes of BAS, a method of measuring cortical activation could be initiated, such as an event-related potential with an electroencephalogram (EEG). Event-related potentials (ERPs) are a non-invasive method of measuring brain activity during cognitive processing (Johnson et al., 1987). ERPs are linked in time with a physical or mental event and are extracted from an EEG by means of signal averaging (Duncan et al., 2009). The transient electric potential shifts are time-locked to the stimulus onset; such as the presentation of a word, sound, or image. Each component reflects brain activation associated with one or more neurological operations. In contrast to behavioral measures, such as error rates and response times, ERPs are characterized by simultaneous multi-dimensional online measures of negative or positive polarity, amplitude, latency, scalp distribution and its relation to experimental variables (Dunca n et al., 2009). Thus, ERPs are beneficial and can be used to differentiate and aid in the identification of psychological and neural sub-processes involved in complex cognitive, motor or perceptual tasks (Nijs et al. 2007). An electroencephalogram (EEG) precisely measures these shifts in polarity with a distribution of electrodes placed on the participants scalp (Duncan et al., 2009). The most analyzed component of the event-related potentials is at the p300 wave. Peaking as early as 250ms or as late as 900ms, the p300 is emitted by the brain when the participant recognizes and processes and incoming stimulus (Coles Rugg, 1995). It is usually elicited using the oddball paradigm in which low-probability target items are mixed with high-probability non-target items. The latency between stimulus and response is the stimulus evaluation time and is controlled by the pace in which the subject can place the stimulus into the correct category and respond (Coles Rugg, 1995). The amplitude of the p300 depends on the probability of the target stimulus, and in an oddball paradigm, the rarer the event; the larger the amplitude will be of the p300 (Coles Rugg, 1995). The amount of information processed also influences the amplitude suggesting that the p300 reflects a process in which the incoming information modifies and updates the current model of the environment (Coles R ugg, 1995). The p300 is divided into two components: the P3a and the P3b. The P3a is elicited over the frontal regions of the scalp and is represented as a positive component. The P3a occurs when a third novel stimulus is incorporated into the simple oddball structure and has a shorter latency than the p300 (Johnson et al., 1987). The P3b is then defined as the classical p300, which is distributed over the centro-parietal area. The behavioral activation system has three subscale components: reward-responsiveness, fun seeking and drive. The reward system and brain structures hypothesized in previous studies provide a strong argument in regards to BAS. Increased levels of dopamine and high BAS scores should be significantly correlated, as the function of dopamine involves increasing the readiness to discover new experiences. As such, it should also be appreciated that norepinephrine was not included as a key player in the neurotransmitters involving the reward system. One would assume that dopamine and norepinephrine would go hand in hand in regards to reward, as norepinephrine is the major neurotransmitter involved in motivation (Franken et al., 2006). A study by Nijs et al. (2007) was conducted on 50 healthy, adult individuals using the Carver and White (1994) questionnaire and a visual oddball paradigm with averaging from an EEG. Previous studies incorporating BAS scores and extracting ERP averages from an EEG were unknown to Nijs et al. (2007), however they predicted a negative correlation between BAS scores and the p300 amplitude for their study. They did address the reoccurring theme in previous research of a low p300 amplitude and impulsivity, psychopathy and substance use disorders. The results of the study demonstrated significant positive correlations were found between BAS and p300 amplitude (Nijs et al., 2007). Therefore, the hypothesis for this study is that those with high BAS sensitivity scores will produce large p300 amplitude to the rare stimulus, because of the P3bs indication of low activity in those with psychiatric disorders. Methods Sample Participants for the study were recruited from introductory to psychology classes. They were given the option of writing a paper or volunteering for a study involving personality in the research lab and receiving credit compensation. Those who volunteered for the study were informed that if they were on medication or had medical conditions that conflicted with EEG results, then they would be discharged. This research study initially began with a total of twelve introductory to psychology students; however, adequate data was only retrieved from nine participants. Instruments An online version of the Carver and White (1994) Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Questionnaire was completed by each participant prior to the study. This questionnaire is the latest BAS/BIS updated measurement questionnaire involving the three subscales of BAS (reward responsiveness, drive and fun seeking). Upon arrival, a medical form was filled out to give an indication of health status and a consent form was distributed and signed. A type of oddball paradigm was utilized and an electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded and averaged the corresponding event-related potentials. Procedure After receiving the completed questionnaires, the total scores were then calculated. Those students participating in the study were given an outline of the regulations and procedures of the experiment. Upon entering the research laboratory, the medical and consent forms were filled out before commencing the study. Participants were then connected to the EEG using the Jasper 10-20 placement, which particularly involves the electrodes Fz, Cz, Pz and reference electrodes behind the ears. Electrodes were also placed under the right eye and the ground electrode on the forehead to identify muscle activity that might be confused with brain activity. The student was then directed into an isolated room where they received headphones and were presented with the oddball paradigm. In random sequence a rare low frequency tone, high frequency tone and a novel tone were administered. The participants were made aware that when the target low frequency tone was presented they needed to respond by cli cking a button. Once all stimuli were executed, participants were disconnected from the EEG instruments and the data obtained was explained. Any questions the participants had were answered and credit compensation was then provided. Results Those who scored high in behavioral activation system on the Carver and White (1994) questionnaire showed small P300 amplitude. P300 amplitude also highlighted a positive correlation in regards to the rare stimulus: as BAS scores increased, P3b amplitude increased. The high BAS scores produced a longer latency on the P300, in comparison to the low BAS scores. Those who scored low in behavioral activation system had similar P300 amplitudes indicating a non-significant result among averages of the two groups. Those who scored low in BAS also exhibited a significantly shorter latency, meaning they were quicker to respond and categorize the incoming stimuli. Table 1. P3 amplitude and latency scores for high and low scores on BAS personality trait. Figure 1. Average of high and low BAS scores extracted from Pz component of EEG electrode using oddball paradigm ERP.kathleen curtis Graph averages P3 High and low.jpg Discussion The present study hypothesized that higher BAS scores would produce large P300 amplitude. The results showed inconsistency, as there is not a significant difference among those who scored high and low on the behavioral activation system scale in this study. The amplitudes at Fz, Cz and Pz were all relatively small and similar among low and high BAS scores. The significant data found in the results was the latency differences between high and low scores. Each electrode produced a significantly different result with the lower scores having shorter latencies. Those who scored higher on the Carver White (1994) BAS questionnaire respond slower to the evaluation of stimuli than those who scored lower. As both low and high scores generated similar amplitudes, generalizing previous studies of high BAS sensitivity and low P300 amplitude should be cautioned. The sample size of this study was small; therefore further research should increase this to obtain a more representative sample. The age of participants is also a factor that should be taken into consideration for this study, as alterations in behavioral activation and inhibition scores have been known to occur with time. The gender of the participants is a variable that should be recognized for future research as personality and gender could be interrelated. Also, the accuracy of the participants performance on the online questionnaires is a limitation for consideration and the stimuli may also not represent a true portrait of the construct. Both theoretical and neuropsychological explanations contribute the greatest understanding of constructs in psychology, such as personality. This is evident among the research conducted that involves the behavioral activation system. These advancements allow for the expansion and application of such knowledge to situations that have the potential to better society. For example, awareness of the behavioral activation and inhibition systems could aid the education systems to develop curriculum that is more suitable to the individual. Also, more intensive BIS/BAS measurements could potentially identify children/youth at risk and induce the early on set of proactive measures. It is obvious the possibilities are endless when the latest technology brings together science and theory.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Abstract: Customer relationship management systems are used in the contemporary business environment to facilitate relationship marketing and other practices, which help firms enhance relationships between themselves, their customers, suppliers, employees, and other partners in their business processes. CRM systems provide all parties with vital information which helps make operations more efficient and enhances profitability. However, CRM systems also have drawbacks. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of CRM systems and illustrates the mentioned concepts through a case study upon Dell. Introduction: A few decades ago, customers would personally go to supermarkets or other stores where they had previously purchased products or availed a service in order to either register complaints, to inquire about other products and services, or in order to purchase the product or book the service again. Likewise, businesses would attempt to observe and manually record which items left their shelves sooner and which items were less popular with customers amongst other data such as sales figures, regular purchasing patterns of customers, and how many customers were satisfied/dissatisfied with a product/service (Reinartz, Kraft, & Hoyer, 2004). While it previously took weeks or months for businesses to attempt to gather this information, such information is now available to businesses within seconds. However, the benefit of convenience is not only limited to businesses as customers also enjoy the facility of lodging complaints, asking questions, placing orders, and getting a fully personalized c ustomer service based upon their interests and preferences. While some customers enjoy the fact that businesses are aware of everything about them including their birthdays and the number of members in their family, some customers are not as enthusiastic about this sphere of customer relationship management software systems. Accordingly, customer relationship management software systems have their respective advantages and disadvantages (Chen & Popovich, 2003). This paper will discuss the manner in which customer relationship management systems have revolutionized e-business practices and integrated people, processes, and technology both within and across organizational contexts followed by a discussion of the best practices of firms using customer relationship management systems. The paper will then continue to discuss the challenges posed by the customer relationship management system and the social implications of its use with specific emphasis upon privacy issues. A case study o f Dell will be provided further in the paper in order to illustrate the applicable concepts mentioned. The paper will conclude with a summary of the main points emphasized in the paper and recommendations for improvements in the use of customer relationship management systems. Customer Relationship Management Systems and Their Effect on E-business: â€Å"E-business is an overall strategy which enables the proper management of business functions including time cycle, speed, globalization, enhanced productivity, reaching new customers and sharing knowledge across institutions for competitive advantage† says Lou Gerstner, CEO IBM (Lecture 2). Previously, businesses were not properly aware of what their customers needed and attempted to fulfil those needs and wants through guesswork or by asking a few customers what they preferred over what they did not desire in a product. Thus, managers recorded customer complaints in registers and attempted to resolve them eventually, while this process often resulted in delays over months. However, the implementation of e-business systems and the widespread use of e-commerce have enabled the introduction of customer relationship management systems, which include the â€Å"methodologies, software, and communication capabilities, that help organizations to structure and manage their custo mer relationships and interactions with the objective to increase customer satisfaction with the organisation’s products or services† (Lecture 3). Therefore, customers are now able to access reliable, accurate, and vital information regarding the products and services that they have used with the click of a mouse (Bose, 2002). Customer relationship management systems have benefitted firms by integrating people, processes, and technology to increase the level of efficiency in organizations and enabling firms to use customer information to their advantage. The system enables the production of a customer database recording all customer details and creating a customer profile, which provides the company with details regarding the customer’s needs and frequent purchases. While previously companies would attempt to sell the same product to every customer in the same manner, customer relationship management systems allow the information regarding customer preferences to be used to differentiate and specifically target the firm’s products to a customer (Payne & Frow, 2005). Customer relationship management systems are not only used to remain in communication with customers, but are used as a tool to connect a firm’s customers, distribution channel members, suppliers, and other similar parties within the same platform and maximising all of these relationships to increase profitability in the business. This is done through the various features of the customer relationship management systems which provide vital information for all of the parties involved in the business, thus making the conduction of business more convenient, information easily accessible, and operations efficient and cost-effective (Payne & Frow, 2005). For example, the sales force automation function of customer relationship management systems provides information on customers, previous deals, and competitors to support the sales force of the team. Thus, the system hel ps the sales force of the firm perform their job more effectively and also provides the suppliers of the business information regarding customer preferences and the products in highest demand amongst different target groups. Other functions of the system include customer service and support systems, which enable customers to track their orders, monitor their requests, and enables managers to reply to customer queries promptly thus aiding both customer service personnel and customers to fulfil their functions with ease. Field service is a function that allows remote staff to quickly and effectively communicate with the customer service personnel to meet individual needs. Thus, the customer relationship management system provides information to remote staff regarding customer needs in order to enable them to meet them more adequately (Jayachandran et al, 2005). The marketing automation function of the system allows up-to-date information on customers’ buying habits to enable th e construction of effective marketing campaigns. Accordingly, the system also facilitates the marketing team of an organization to construct and design specifically targeted and effective marketing campaigns which may help increase the profitability of a firm (Bose, 2002). Therefore, the customer relationship management system provides information for several parties involved in the business process and thus integrates the use of technology with people in order to improve and enhance business processes. This is one of the main reasons that customer relationship management systems are becoming highly popular amongst firms. The use of the system enables a firm to grow revenue, provide better customer service, introduce repeatable and consistent sales processes, create new value and increase customer loyalty (Campbell, 2003). It also allows firms to implement the three phases of customer relationship management systems, which enables the acquisition of new customers, enhancement of the profitability of existing customers, and the retention of profitable customers for life. It enables the implementation of core customer relationship management processes including cross-selling and up-selling, direct marketing, customer support, and sales force automation. Thus, the use of these processes brings substantial improvements in marketing campaigns, product development, sales, and field service (Lin, Chen, & Chiu, 2010). The use of customer relationship management systems has enabled firms to communicate within their organization, with customers, and across their organization to other firms, who may be members of the distribution channel or the firm’s suppliers, by sharing and gathering vital information regarding customers and processing this information to make it useful in the business process. The best practices of customer relationship management systems include well-establishment of organizational needs, good inter-departmental communication, the integration of front-end and back-office data-mining procedures, and the establishment of an up-to-date central warehouse of data (Oztaysi, Sezgin, & Ozok, 2011). Many firms currently apply customer relationship management strategies through the implementation of social customer relationship management and the use of social media to get their message across to customers effectively. Platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are used in order to communicate with customers and advertise products/services to them (Bose, 2003). However, while the use of customer relationship management systems provides extensive advantages to a contemporary business, there are still challenges involved in the use of these systems. While many customers are now accustomed to buying products online, other customers are still highly wary of using such systems and exposing personal information on such websites. Moreover, while the people of some cultures prefer communicating via an electronic source, others a re only satisfied with personal contact (Oztaysi, Sezgin, & Ozok, 2011).These challenges will be discussed in the next part of this paper. Challenges of Customer Relationship Management Systems and Social Implications of their Use: In order to gather all of the data needed to meet customer needs and provide information to suppliers, sales force, managers, and other parties in the business process, the business needs to use the aid of cookies to track customer surfing details and to record what types of products customers purchase from other websites. The problem is that some customers regard this as an invasion of privacy and refrain from shopping online because they are aware that firms are monitoring their actions. Statistics show that 51% of shoppers are highly concerned about privacy online and 48% refrain from shopping online because of privacy issues (Lecture 3). This can pose serious problems for firms who want to efficiently use their customer relationship management systems and prevent customers from using spyware protection software, making the use of these systems redundant (Fan & Ku, 2010). Other challenges posed by the use of customer relationship management systems include the lack of appropriate executive support as some customers feel that they do not receive adequate service online while some business executives also feel that these systems are not satisfactory for use in organizations and refrain from using them. Additionally, many firms lack rationale when they decide to use customer relationship management systems (Ang, 2011). For example, a firm who has a highly personal relationship with customers and thrives upon the personal contact that it enjoys with its customers may not benefit from the adoption of a customer relationship management system as it may lose the element of being able to personally attend to customers. Other problems with the use of customer relationship management systems include an inappropriate network infrastructure, user resistance, and the lack of cultural preparation of these systems (Fan & Ku, 2010). One of the major flaws of CRM systems includes their lack of adaptability to different cultures. Contemporary business research has found that customers belonging to different cultural backgrounds tend to act differently when interacting with businesses and have varying preferences regarding the type of contact that they find suitable in business settings. While consumers belonging to masculine cultures may prefer or be comfortable with using technological solutions and communicating with customer service personnel online, customers belonging to feministic cultures may prefer more personal contact. Moreover, customers belonging to certain cultures may consider the invasion of privacy that these systems encompass highly inappropriate while customers from other cultures may believe it to be useful in helping them find the right product (Chen & Popovich, 2003). Customer relationship management systems may also be hard to use for the company’s existing management and employees and they may resist a change to the use of these systems as it may involve a change in organizational culture. The appropriate implementation of these systems requires communication, culture, and coordination which helps employees adapt to the systems more appropriately (Campbell, 2003). It may be difficult to integrate the system with other departments in the organization, which will result in the adoption of the system to be expensive. The system may not coordinate well with other accounting and finance software which may cause the organization additional unnecessary expenditure in attempting to adjust the customer relationship management software with their existing technology, existing business processes, and the people associated with the business (Campbell, 2003). It is evident that while the customer relationship management system offers numerous advantages to firms and customers, there are specific challenges that the implementation of the system faces, especially in the realms of resistance shown by customers in allowing an invasion of their privacy. The next section of this paper will outline the manner in which De ll Inc. used customer relationship management software to its advantage and how it incorporated the system within its firm. Dell Case Study: Dell is a globally renowned company offering customers leading global systems and services and the company required the aid of a customer relationship management system to integrate its customers and other global sales teams with the business. Previously, the company used multiple systems, internally designed by the company, which were used in each of the regions that the company operated in. However, the company wished for a flexible and convenient system which was globally accepted and used widely. While the company aimed to find a solution themselves, it was proving to be highly expensive. Thus, the company implemented the use of SalesForce CRM, which is a software allowing the company to integrate with technological partners, customers, employees, and other agents in their business processes. The company required a solution to gather feedback from its 80,000 employees worldwide and also wanted to begin a global partner program in the near future for which it required an appropria te communication platform enabling it to efficiently and effectively communicate with potential technological partners. Thus, the use of SalesForce CRM integrated various departments within the organisation and also allowed the organization to communicate with other organizations using the same interface (Dell Case Study, 2011). The company solved several of its problems using the customer relationship management system which included communicating with approximately 3 million customers everyday and also collaborating with 80,000 employees worldwide. The use of the system enabled the company to extract the top ideas for innovation and better understand what customers were looking forward to by gathering and processing customer feedback on the system. Moreover, employees were also required to give innovative ideas for future technological solutions and business processes and this information was also automatically sorted by the system in order to show Dell’s business executive s the most popular opinions. Top ideas were generated through comments and voting upon the posting of various opinions on the system (Dell Case Study, 2011). The company greatly benefitted from the implementation of this system as it generated over 2,500 ideas on innovation in the first week and approximately 700 ideas related to employee feedback regarding business processes. The company has been able to use vital customer feedback in order to design desktops and consumer notebooks and also left Windows XP as a pre-installed operating system in the computers because of customer demand. The technology implemented in the customer relationship management systems enabled the company to track main technological trends and develop products accordingly (Dell Case Study, 2011). Using the Salesforce CRM system enabled the company to integrate various players in its business processes via one platform and also enabled the company to design some its own software solutions which allowed the co mpany to enhance its relationship marketing strategies. However, one of the problems that the company faced with the implementation and use of the Salesforce CRM system was user adaptation of the system. Teaching users worldwide how to operate the various functions that the system offered was an obstacle that the company overcame through offering training sessions on the use of the system and teaching employees and other users worldwide how to use the system within fourteen days. Thus, because Salesforce CRM is an easy-to-use system, users were able to adapt to the new technology easily and within a short period of time. Dell significantly benefitted from the use of the system and the system proved to be cost-effective, efficient, and highly beneficial in increasing the revenue of the company. Obstacles such as adaptation were overcome through the provision of training sessions and through company focus upon implementing and using the system. While the initial installation and provi sion of training for the system was expensive, the system aided Dell in collaborating with both employees and customers and enabled the company to devise its own technology. Moreover, the company did not use the system to â€Å"spy† on customers or invade their privacy which proved to be an added advantage. The system was used in various manners by the company to solve its current problems and can be used in other ways in the future. Thus, customer relationship management systems can prove to be an addition of value for a company and an important tool used to integrate processes, people, and technology to enhance relationships within the organisation and outside the realms of the organisation as well. The next section of this paper will discuss the main points emphasized in the paper and provide recommendations regarding the use of customer relationship systems and for Dell Inc. Conclusion and Recommendations: There are various advantages associated with the use of customer relationship management systems which include the functions such as sales force automation, direct marketing, customer service, field service automation, and others. Hence, the use of such systems promotes convenience, access to information and information-processing, and enhances the efficiency of business operations. Moreover, it also allows the integration of people, processes, and technology. This has been illustrated in the case of Dell who use SalesForce CRM to integrate inter-department functions with other organizations that it wishes to partner with. However, the drawbacks of using customer relationship management systems include the issue of customer privacy, user resistance, lack of adaptability, and the inability to prepare the software for use by different cultures. Accordingly, it is recommended that customer relationship management software not be used in place of personal contact but can be used as an ad ditional resource helping keep customers and businesses connected. However, businesses should frequently encourage personal and face-to-face contact with their customers and ask customers for feedback regarding products/services or their personal preferences instead of tracking customers’ surfing data through the use of cookies. If the business deems it necessary to track customer information through cookies, the company must aim to ask customers for permission and inform them that this will enable the business to serve them better through products customized and tailored to suit their needs. Additionally, customers must attempt to adapt the system to suit people of different cultures and nationalities in order to make the system suitable for use by all. In the case of Dell Inc. it is recommended that the company use its CRM system to freely communicate with clients, enable them to customize their computers, provide feedback, and can also use it to motivate employees. This ca n be done by using it as a portal to provide hard-working employees with recognition for their contribution to the organisation. The company can also use it as a marketing tool in order to inform customers of new products based upon their recent purchases. Thus, the company can use the CRM system for multiple purposes. References Ang, L. (2011). â€Å"Community relationship management and social media.† Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management. Vol. 18(1) pp. 31-38. Bose, R. (2002). â€Å"Customer relationship management: key components for IT success.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol.102(2) pp. 89-97. Campbell, A. J. (2003). â€Å"Creating customer knowledge competence: managing customer relationship management programs strategically.† Industrial Marketing Management. Vol. 32(5) pp.375-383. Chen, I. J., & Popovich, K. (2003). â€Å"Understanding customer relationship management (CRM): People, process and technology.† Business Process Management Journal. Vol. 9(5) pp. 672-688. Dell Case Study (2011) Dell-Case Study. Accessed on: March 11, 2014 Available at: http://doblegroup.com/dell-case-study/ Fan, Y. W., & Ku, E. (2010). â€Å"Customer focus, service process fit and customer relationship management profitability: the effect of knowledge sharing.â⠂¬  The Service Industries Journal. Vol. 30(2) pp. 203-223. Jayachandran, S., Sharma, S., Kaufman, P., & Raman, P. (2005). â€Å"The role of relational information processes and technology use in customer relationship management.† Journal of Marketing. Vol. 69(4), pp.177-192. Lin, R. J., Chen, R. H., & Chiu, K. K. S. (2010). â€Å"Customer relationship management and innovation capability: an empirical study.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol.110(1) pp.111-133. Oztaysi, B., Sezgin, S., & Ozok, A. F. (2011). â€Å"A measurement tool for customer relationship management processes.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol. 111(6) pp. 943-960. Payne, A., & Frow, P. (2005). â€Å"A strategic framework for customer relationship management.† Journal of Marketing. Vol. 69(4) pp.167-176. Reinartz, W., Krafft, M., & Hoyer, W. D. (2004). â€Å"The customer relationship management process: its measurement and impact on performance.† Journal of Mark eting Research. Vol. 41(3) pp.293-305.

The Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women - 1601 Words

Why does he hit me? Why am I scared to come home to my husband after work? Why does he make me feel guilty for situations I can’t control? These are questions that women who suffer from domestic violence ask themselves everyday. Thousands of women every year face abuse from their male partners. It is estimated that three women a day are murdered in the US everyday by a current or past male partner (Huffington Post), therefore proving that an argument between two people in love can result in more than just heartbreak. Partner abuse against women is an epidemic that needs to be addressed. Domestic violence is a very serious issue that women face in modern day relationships. By definition, domestic violence is violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. There is no â€Å"typical victim†. Victims can come from all walks of life, including age, gender, nationality, religion, and race. According to the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, â€Å"White, Black, and Hispanic women all incur about the same rates of violence committed by an intimate partner.† Thus cracking the myth that domestic violence is only inflicted on certain races, and only occurs in certain areas. Domestic violence can affect anyone; Your teacher, neighbor, sister, mother, and coworkers. However, domestic violence includes so much more than physical abuse. Psychological violence and sexual violence fall under the same category. The physical aspectShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women1654 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Violence against women has been recognised internationally by the world Health Organization (WHO, 2013).Women has been facing different types of violence since the age of 15 such as physical, emotional or verbal abuse. The highest prevalence of domestic violence (DV) is from their intimate partner/perpetrator both physical emotional (WHO, 2013). It has been depicted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, 2013) that rate of domestic violence against women by their intimateRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women1652 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence is present in all regions of the world regardless of race, culture, or religion. It is not uncommon for men to experience spousal abuse. However, in reality abuse done by men towards women is a much more common occurrence. Men often abuse women as a result of negative domestic relationships experienced during childhood, the feeling of inadequacy and mental illness. However, the leading cause for this behaviour is the feeling of inferiority and the need to exert power. StereotypicallyRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Women1599 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence is a large social issue around the world that is commonly associated with the mistreatment of women. However, there are many different forms of domestic violence that affect men, women, and children (Domestic Violence 1). Victims of domestic violence may suffer not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Domestic violence is a very important social issue because it negatively affects both the abuser and the victim. In the article, â€Å"Domestic Violence and Abuse: TypesRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesaddressed the domestic violence and continue to persist as a social problem affecting a large number of Canadian Women. The authors are trying to answer this question giving some statistics, how the women are abused from their partner, such as the viole nce reported when the relationship is ended, and is some other case the violence starts after the separation. Furth more the authors mention another key answer that I think could be a question, is what are the effects of domestic violence? Alaggia, RegehrRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women1362 Words   |  6 PagesDomestic violence is a sensitive topic even though media and society are providing more information about this topic. Domestic violence not only affects women but children and family in general. This issue is a very sensitive topic and not a lot of individuals are comfortable talking about it or sharing if they have either experience or have someone in their lives that had been subjected to abuse. Sadly, domestic violence is experienced by many people and it does not matter what race, gender, socialRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women2258 Words   |  10 Pagespossible effects of witnessing domestic violence as a child. Use psychological theory to explain your answer. Research has continuously shown that men are the primary perpetrators of violence and women being the victims which has led to increased awareness of the effects of Domestic violence on women. However, what researchers have failed to acknowledge is that women too can be perpetrators of violence and abuse against their partners and children (World Health Organisation, 2012). Although women canRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Women889 Words   |  4 PagesDomestic violence can often go unnoticed, unreported and undeterred before it’s too late. Unfortunately, recent awareness efforts have gathered traction only when public outcry for high profile cases are magnified through the media. Despite this post-measured reality, a general response to domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) by the majority of the public is in line with what most consider unacceptable and also with what the law considers legally wrong. Consider by many, moreRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Women1183 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom there. Everyone in a homebound affiliation is at risk of obtaining a violent status. Domestic violence has had the grandest impact on women. It can be found all over the world, within various countries. Domestic violence has a harsh, negative, and destructive influence on women; domestic violence can lead to em otional, physical, and psychological damage. Domestic violence is defined as an act of violence within the household. The aforementioned is one of the most underestimated and underreportedRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence Towards Women2023 Words   |  9 Pages Domestic violence towards women is a problem that is often overlooked by society. Violence is defined in Webster s Dictionary as: â€Å" Physical force employed so as to damage or injure. As an instance of violent action.† (Webster) If this is the case, then why is it that so many women are beaten by loved ones each year? And little or nothing is done to correct this violent situation? A battered woman is pictured by most people as a small and flimsy person who might once have been pretty. SheRead MorePhysical and Psychological Effects of Domestic Violence on Women1593 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States† (Jones 87). Every twelve seconds, a woman is beaten by a man (Jones 6). Every nine days, a woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend (Jones 7). Statistics like these outline the severity and seriousness of the domestic violence epidemic in this country. Unfortunately, it has taken lawmakers too long to recognize domestic violence as a devastating situation that affects millions of people both physically

Essay on Corporate Social Responsibility CSR - 1353 Words

Corporate social responsibility ‘Corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) means that the firm has wider responsibilities in relation to objectives and people apart from the owners or shareholders (Beal and Goyen 2005). These responsibilities are achieved when the firm adapts all of its practices to ensure that it operates in ways that meet, or exceed, the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business. Objectives often associated with CSR include a responsibility to manage natural assets sustainably and not to pollute by chemical discharge, smell, noise, dust or other irritants; fair treatment of employees and ethical attitude towards clients. The other people include employees, customers, suppliers,†¦show more content†¦Positive CSR experiences build confidence and goodwill with stakeholders. Many organizations have developed clear CSR efforts as strategic branding and management approach in achieving a win-win outcome. ïÆ'Ëœ Increase market share CSR can improve the company’s reputation and branding and this in turn improves the prospects for the company to be more effective to attract new customers and increase market share. ïÆ'Ëœ Improve the efficiency of the operation The efficiency of a business is about productivity and effective use of resources. CSR can help to increase efficiency through environment conservation and recycling initiatives, as part of Eco-efficiency strategy. Positive management-employee relations are also crucial in bringing about good customer service, productivity and product innovation. ïÆ'Ëœ Access capital easily Access to capital enables a company to grow and make timely investment. Companies with good CSR standing are likely able to secure equity and debt capital with most ease. The growth emphasis in Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) is a clear indication of likely future trends ïÆ'Ëœ benefit from HR capital A company’s human and intellectual capital is one of its most valuable assets. Good workplace conditions and relations can help a company to attract, keep and develop human capital, keeping operations and staff morale high. Employees are more likely to be motivated, committedShow MoreRelatedCorporate Social Responsibility And Csr1566 Words   |  7 PagesSocial responsibility or also called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)- is the firm’s engagement (voluntarily initiated) in and its compliance (legally mandated) to environmental, social, and governance issues (The Foundation, 2014). Also, is based on stakeholder’s needs being financially sustainable, and CSR can come from both corporate or not-to-profit organizations. CSR has seven categories; Leadership, vision and values; Marketplace activities; Workforce activities; Supply chain activities;Read MoreCorporate Social Responsibility ( Csr )1167 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept which is also known as corporate citizenship, corporate conscience or in a simple way a responsible business. It is an integrated concept of self-regulatory business model for any organisation. Corporate Social Responsibility has been in practice for more than fifty years now, which has been adopted not only by domestic companies but also by transnational company with voluntary CSR initiativesRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Csr1232 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate social responsibility has become a buzzword within the industry in the last few years. Following the financial market crash investors and stakeholders began looking at corporations to act more socially responsible. The meaning of social responsibility differs across regions. Western countries are the ones who are pushing for corporate social responsibility -thesis-- A broad overview at corporate social responsibility (CSR) looks to corporations to make a change in the society or the environmentRead MoreCsr : Corporate Social Responsibility1598 Words   |  7 Pages CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined by many groups like, Tata steel, Coca Cola, Reliance, Videocon etc. Although they all stand for similar meanings connecting to taking responsibilities of the society as a business individual, its definition has been getting broader from a established point of view, corporate social responsibility is a type of business instruction included in a business demonstration. CSR policy functions as a self-regulatoryRead MoreCsr : Corporate Social Responsibility Essay1285 Words   |  6 PagesCSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and it is a concept with many definitions and practices and also a buzzword in the media. In general, corporate social responsibility is the policies and progra ms of business corporations which tend to benefit society while improving a corporation’s public image and profitability at the same time. The meaning of it is implemented in different countries and companies differently. Warren Buffet said that it takes 20 years to build a reputation and onlyRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility ( Csr )863 Words   |  4 Pagestechnology in the last century. The term of Corporate Social Responsibility appears more often into public’s concerned and it has become a hot issue in recent years. This essay is going to discuss and provide an overview of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by debate some key issue in this area. 1.2 What is Corporate Social Responsibility? In 1953, Bowen’s Social Responsibility of the Businessman firstly discusses the idea of corporate social responsibility. He states the relationship between societyRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility ( Csr )1314 Words   |  6 PagesSocial responsibility has become a primal interest to the humankind for the past two decades. In the earlier days, the firms and organizations concentrated only on the financial part of the business and ignored the ethical, social and moral sectors. But in the recent times, the businesses are getting a grip of the significance of the social, ecological and environmental effects on their success. This has resulted in the emerging interactions between organizations and social segments thus giving riseRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility ( Csr )1173 Words   |  5 Pages Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is highly important to Millennials. If a company is lacking a CSR plan, now it a good time to start one. Millennials are looking for ways in making a positive impact on the world and are expecting the same from companies. They are looking for companies that contribute to the betterment of communities and the environment. Millennials put great value in supporting such brands, companies and organizations that share these values. Companies without a CSR in placeRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Csr979 Words   |  4 PagesThe notion of Corporate Social Responsibility is a phenomenon globally known for many years. In spite of the fact that CSR has been neglected for quite a long time, nowadays several authors deal with this issue, as revealed by the development of theories in recent years concerning the topic. In spite of the fact that there has been a huge growth of literature it is still impossible to simply define CSR. Many definitions trying to capture the concept of CSR exist, but their content varies (MattenRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility ( Csr )1370 Words   |  6 Pagesmore attention on the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The core issue is the appropriate responsibility of business. In as much as firms ought to obey the law, but beyond complete compliance with environmental laws, the question is whether firms have extra social responsibilities to commit part of their resources to environmental preservation voluntarily. This memo provides an exploratory investigation of the link between corporate social responsibility and the benefits accruing to a