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Although the film was successful, its filming took twice as long as
originally scheduled. The delay was due to a lot of managerial
problems that Spielberg had to solve.
One of the first problems was the location for shooting the film.
Martha's Vineyard, a small island, was chosen because it looked very
much like the fictional town. However the choice was made in the
winter. What Spielberg did not know then was that in summer, when
the filming was actually to take place, Martha's Vineyard is one of the
most popular places on the Atlantic Coast Hundreds of boats enter and
leave the harbor each day. The filming had to be frequently interrupted.
How do you maintain suspense if a family of four is picnicking only
fifty feet away from a «dramatic struggle»?
Another managerial problem was Bruce, the mechanical shark.
Actually there were three sharks. Each weighed 1.5 tons and cost
about $150,000 and each was used for different movements (right-toleft, left-to-right) and different scenes. Thirteen technicians controlled
the shark by means of a long cable from a special platform. The first
time out Bruce sank, the second time, the hydraulic system exploded.
Only constant repairs kept Bruce in action.
Planning and coordination were major managerial problems. Each
day, several ships started out to sea. One ship was for Bruce. Another
for the technicians. Still others were for the camera crews and actors.
The travel was made six days a week from May to October. Some days
they came back with no film at all. The failures were caused by Bruce,
the weather and a variety of other problems.
Real sharks were hard to find; a dead one, needed for the finale,
was finally brought by plane from Florida. It hung on the dock for four
days creating a powerful stench. Local people in return left dead fish at
the doors of the houses where the members of the cast were living.
Almost everything that could go wrong did. Nevertheless, the daily
trips continued until the last scenes were filmed.
Spielberg never left the island. He was afraid that if he did leave,
he would never come back. Finally, the job was done and he left the
island saying firmly that he would never return.
He has since directed several more films.
b) Say what you have learned about:
1. the American film «Jaws»; 2. Steven Spielberg; 3. the managerial
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problems Steven Spielberg faced during the shooting of the film; 4. the
problems caused by the shark.
d)Think and answer.
1. Was Steven Spielberg an effective manager? Why do you think so?
2. Did he like his job? What information can you use to prove that he
did?
3. What would you find attractive in being a manager?
Ex. 20. a) Read the following extract
Some of the Rules for the Manager
1. Try to look very important.
2. Try to be seen or important people.
3. Speak with authority.
4. Don't engage in arguments.
5. Always keep the office door closed. This makes it look as if you are
always in an important conference.
b) Answer the questions.
1. Which of the rules should be observed, from your point of view?
2. Which of them are senseless? Why?
d)Make a list of rules a manager should follow.
Ex. 21. Give extensive answers.
1. What is management?
2. What does the concept of marketing management cover?
3. What is a manager?
4. Why is the concept of the product life cycle important in marketing
problems?
5. What is a marketing mix?
Ex. 22. Give your viewpoints.
1. Product planning and market selection are integrally related.
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2. The size and profitability of any business depend on the product life
cycles that make it up.
Ex.23. Read, translate and discuss.
It's Rationalization Time Again
In the immediate aftermath of its privatization in 1984, British
Telecom embarked 2 on a major campaign to cut costs — mainly by
reducing its staff numbers. Costs did start to come under control, but at
the same time the quality of its services deteriorated alarmingly.
From 1987, therefore, ВТ largely abandoned its campaign against
costs as the emphasis shifted to combating poor quality. Now, with
quality on an upward path, ВТ has resumed the battle against costs and
the drive to greater efficiency.
The increasing attention to costs is one of the factors behind BT's
good third-quarter results, which showed pre-tax profits increasing
11.06 per cent.
The drive towards greater efficiency has become apparent in
several ways over the past year. One of them — staff costs reduction.
In the third quarter to the end of December the number of employees
in BT's core business fell by 1,400. Overtime was also reduced. An
attitude of economizing on staff is spreading throughout the
organization.
The cost-cutting campaign is still only in its infancy. It is clear that
it has so far reaped only a small proportion of the benefits.
Ex. 24. Read and reproduce.
Policy & Procedure Manuals - Tools For Greater Productivity
and Efficiency
In today's tough retail environment the retailer needs all the
tools he can get to help improve efficiency, productivity, and the
bottom line. Two of these tools are the company's Policy Manual and
Procedure Manual.
In working with independent retailers throughout the country we
have found that the majority do not have written policies and
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procedures. When questions or problems arise concerning the store's
policies or procedures the store owner/manager handles them on an
individual basis. The problem with this approach is that it takes too
much of management's time and can lead to inconsistency in dealing
with company policy and procedures.
Employees respond well to an environment in which company
policies are well defined and equitably and consistently enforced.
Therefore, having a written Policy Manual and Procedure Manual can
make a store a better employer and a stronger profit maker. The Policy
Manual will give the employees the information they need concerning
company regulations and policies and will support management in
enforcing them. A Procedure Manual will give the employees
instructions on HOW to do their job. It can be used both as a training
manual and an on-going reference manual.
If your store does not have both a Policy Manual and a Procedure
Manual, make a commitment to begin this important project
immediately. If you do have these manuals, take some time to review
them and verify that they are up-to-date and include all the
information your employees need to be more productive and efficient.
POLICY MANUAL There is much information concerning the
company that employees need to know and management is obligated
to tell them. The best method for disseminating this information is by
providing it to the employees in the form of a written Policy Manual.
A written store policy manual is also an important management
tool. It details for your employees what you expect of them. Personnel
problems are avoided because ideas of conduct, job performance and
general store policy are spelled out in writing. The excuse "You didn't
tell me" can not be used when employee problems arise.
A Policy Manual is needed for companies of all sizes. The manual
should be expanded to cover any new situations that arise. A growing
company especially needs a continuously updated policy manual to
keep its employees fully informed of all the changes occurring in
company philosophy as well as policy.
In writing the Policy Manual, keep in mind that it will be used by
supervisors to resolve any disputes or initiate disciplinary action, and
should, therefore, be written in such a way that it supports them in this
endeavor.
A Policy Manual should answer some of the most important
questions employees ask. For example, prohibitions against drinking
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and drug use on the job, performance review, holidays, vacations,
benefits, leave of absence, work hours, personal hygiene grooming as
well as dress codes and other critical policies that often affect morale.
However, don't put anything down as policy if you are not going to
enforce it as this just confuses employees and creates dissention. Also,
a Policy Manual may be considered legally binding so it would be best
to consult with your lawyer regarding local, state and federal statutes
before you issue the Policy Manual to employees.
The company Policy Manual is usually divided into sections
covering the following areas:
1. Introduction to the Company
2. Orientation
3. Working Conditions
4. Wages
5. Benefits
6. Evaluations
7. Employee's Termination
8. Store Services
The introduction gives a brief history of the store and welcomes
the new employee.
The orientation section includes general information on what is
expected of the employee, job descriptions, personal appearance and
grooming guidelines, and how he is expected to handle the customer.
The section on working conditions includes such things as store
hours, employee scheduling, overtime policies, breaks, personal use of
the telephone and causes for termination.
The wages section includes a statement or two about the wage and
hour laws, payroll record keeping requirements, when employees are
paid and how pay is computed.
The employee benefits section covers such items as holidays,
vacations, sick leave, jury duty, employee discounts, insurance and
pension plans.
The section on employee evaluation details what the evaluation
will be based on, shows the printed forms used in the evaluation
process and gives a schedule of when evaluations are made.
The section on employee termination tells the amount of advance
notice required and outlines the options available regarding the
employee's insurance, pension plan and settlement of his charge
account.
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The last section, store services, gives a general overview of the
services provided for customers such as charge accounts, layaways,
gift certificates, alterations and delivery.
The Policy Manual is a good vehicle for a company to use to
indoctrinate new employees and to keep all employees informed as to
any changes in company policy and philosophy. It should tell
employees all they NEED to know as well as what the company
WANTS them to know. To be used effectively, the company's Policy
Manual must be continuously updated, must be enforced at all times
and must ALWAYS be supported by top management.
PROCEDURE MANUAL
For a retailer to survive and prosper in today's retail climate, he
must be alert to any and every possible way to streamline his
operation. The development of a Procedure Manual forces the retailer
to take an in-depth look at the total operation and can, therefore, be
very enlightening. It can help the retailer to identify:
* Recurring problem areas
* Areas where internal controls are weak or non-existent
* Where work is being duplicated
* Where unnecessary work is being done - so busy work can be
eliminated
* How the organization can be improved so all areas of the
business work together efficiently and economically toward the
common goal of store profitability
A Procedure Manual provides detailed instructions for all the
company's standard work routines. The manual should be written in an
easy-to-read, detailed, step-by-step manner so all employees will be
able to use it for guidance in handling new or unfamiliar transactions
or procedures. The benefits of a Procedure Manual are many. For
example:
* People know what to do and what is expected of them
* The company is no longer tied to an "indispensable" employee
* Minimizes dislocation and loss of time and energy due to
personnel turnover
* Helps new employees quickly learn and achieve a productive
status
* Reduces management time spent in training
* Facilitates growth of your business
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* Can free the retailer from an in-depth involvement in all the
details of daily operations
* Standardizes the way identical tasks are performed by different
employees, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing errors
The Procedure Manual must be as detailed as possible so it can be
used as a training manual for new employees as well as a resource
manual for existing employees. A set of standard procedures should
be developed for every activity in the store from alterations to store
maintenance. All of these areas of activity can contribute to or detract
from your store, either directly or indirectly. Some activities need
step-by-step instructions. Examples of these would be activities
involving record keeping and merchandise handling. Other activities
by their nature will need only general guidelines within which to
operate. One of these areas might be housekeeping, with guidelines
for carpet care, lighting, window washing and pest extermination.
As an example of the level of detail needed for the
Receiving/Checking/Marking department we have listed below a
portion of the table of contents of a Procedure Manual we helped a
client develop:
I. Purchase Orders
A. General Discussion
B. Purchase Order Maintenance
C. Use of the Purchase Order in Receiving
D. Filing Partially Complete, Completed and Canceled
Purchase Orders
II. Receiving
A. General Procedures
B. Source Documents & instructions for completion
C. Receiving Merchandise
D. Checking and Marking
E. Supervisor's Responsibilities
III. Refused Shipments
A. General Discussion
B. Source documents & instructions for completion
C. Checking for and Refusing Delivery of Late
Merchandise
D. Retention period for Purchase Order Cancellation and
Change Reports
IV. Returns-To-Vendor and Claims
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A. General Discussion
B. Source documents & instructions for completion
C. Processing a Charge Back
D. Shipping return merchandise to the vendor
E. Supervisor's Responsibilities
The Procedure Manual should be developed around the logical
divisions of your business, such as receiving and marking, office,
store and buying. Then each division will be further divided into
specific job responsibilities.
The section on receiving and marking should detail the standard
routines for handling purchase orders, receiving, checking and
marking merchandise and returning merchandise to vendors.
The office procedures section should explain the routines for such
areas as sales audit, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory
control, payroll and data entry.
The store section would explain the forms and procedures used in
handling the different types of sales such as cash, layaway, gift
certificates or charge. It should also detail how to handle returns of
merchandise, due bills, interstore transfers, the receipt of new
merchandise on the sales floor, price changes, how to take a physical
inventory count, and opening and closing procedures.
The buyers section would cover the items for which the buyer is
responsible, namely purchase orders and price changes.
A well planned and maintained procedure manual will greatly
facilitate the growth of your business. It is your foundation on which
to build. New stores can adopt the tried and proven procedures used
by the original store and begin operating smoothly and efficiently
from the very beginning.
IN CONCLUSION, it is the retailer's responsibility to provide
employees the tools they need to do their job in an efficient and
productive manner; a Policy Manual letting them know what the
company expects of them and what they can expect of the company
and a Procedure Manual giving them instructions on how to do their
work correctly.
Once the Policy Manual and Procedure Manual have been written
and are in place, they will free up the owner/manager's time so they
can more effectively use their time to help the company become more
profitable.
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Most retailers or their staff, not being authors or as attentive to
details as necessary, or even lacking the time, will find it helpful or
necessary to get professional help from a consultant knowledgeable
about retail industry practices. It would be a wise investment, to be
returned many times over.
Linda Carter
(Internal) Solutions and (External) Results
Some companies have a set of keywords they focus on when
organizing activities. CLIENT, could be such a keyword, meaning to
always focus on the client. RESULT and SOLUTION are two other
examples. They seem clear, but carry a lot of difficulties with them.
Result is meant to be tangible and measurable. A project that is
finished on time meets that criterion. A solution is like an answer to a
question; It is an answer to a problem or set of problems. What
problems are there? Lets have a look at a few:
• There is a (relative) decline in the demand for products
• Management information is not sufficient. It is not clear what the
effect of a marketing campaign is
• Current systems can not handle cooperative actions with third
parties
• Etc, etc...
Now, to solve this, you need a solution:
• Hire an extra sales force
• Build or maintain a system that solves the information leak and
run more campaigns
• Invest in new infrastructure that makes cooperation with third
parties possible
• Etc, etc…
The first solution is rather simple. It is a temporary demand on
resources, which is manageable. The second one is already more
challenging. Here you have many options. The third solution requires
a familiar amount of attention.
If you stress "Result" more than (the type) of "Solution" you may
end up with a very short term solution that will benefit for only a
limited period of time. Besides you may overlook long term effects
(compare with overexposure of sun and long term effects) New or
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different problems will occur and you have to redo the same actions.
You can have a rapid solution. If you reserve too much time for
figuring out a (perfect)solution you finally might come up with one,
but that took too long. You cannot foresee all market movements and
changes.
Result orientation is externally focused. It is measured by the
sales of goods and services. By clients. Finding solutions is an internal
focused activity. Within the different periods both should level
themselves out. The best thing is to constantly level them as a constant
point on the agenda; What kind of solutions do we normally choose in
our organization.
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Follow that line and you have a strategy
.
Hans Bool
Ex. 25. VOCABULARY
activity
e.g. They take an active part in cultural activities.
broad
river broad
concept view
consumer
goods requirements
to evaluate
e.g. The experts evaluated the quality of the new material as very
high.
objective
primary
economic
long-range
to achieve an objective
e.g. The organization's objectives should be clearly expressed in
planning programmes.
profitability
innovation
design
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