The Doctrine of Precedent can be considered both a Blessing and a Essay

The Doctrine of Precedent can be considered both a Blessing and a Curse - Essay Example At the beginning of the thirteenth century, the concept of common law began to emerge. An internal system of courts was set up, with each community sharing the same laws. Judges traveled to the communities and followed the same rules, therefore making the laws enforced throughout common to all. To provide consistency between the communities, if a judge was making a decision about a case, and there was a case of the same nature that had been decided by a judge before it, they would be resolved in the same way, with the same ruling. That meant that the first judge to make a ruling on a particular case had made a law that judges in following cases (which were of the same nature) were obliged to follow. This still applies within the Australian legal system today. Courts are bound (within prescribed limits) by prior decisions of superior courts within the same State or Federal hierarchy. This is collectively known as the 'Doctrine of Precedent'. Judicial law is a large part of the Doctrine of Precedent. It is named judicial law because it is a law made by judges, which is to be followed by judges in subsequent cases. Whether or not a case is binding, is determined by two things; whether the preceding decision comes from a judge that is in an equal or higher rank than the judge deciding the case (this given the Latin term stare decisis, which means 'stand by decided'), and whether the relevant legal principles of the preceding case are the same or similar to the case in question. When dealing with precedent, judges and lawyers have to be able to break previous judicial decisions into two parts; the relevant legal principles that are binding, and the rest that is not binding. The part that is binding is given the Latin term ratio decidendi, which means 'reason for deciding' and the part of a judges decision that is not binding is given the Latin term the obiter dicta, which means 'incidental things said' and only has an incidental bearing on the case. The Doctrine of Precedent gives judges the power both to reuse past decisions and rephrase past decisions. As a consequence of these powers, new laws can be made. An example of a judicial precedent is the case Donoghue v Stevenson (1932). (Tufal, 1996) In which a decomposing snail was found in the bottom of a ginger beer bottle. The House of Lords found that a manufacturer owes a duty of care to the consumer to provide products that are safe. This case set a huge precedent for common law that is still relevant today, and the context of the word 'product' has been used not only in food products but also in cases including motorcycles and underwear. There have always been, and still, are many critics who do not believe that judges should have the power to make laws. There are many convincing arguments both for and against the use of the Doctrine of Precedent in Australia.

CASE 1 HRM 402 - TD - Determining Training and Development Essay

CASE 1 HRM 402 - TD - Determining Training and Development - Essay Example hould be taught to achieve optimal performance.† The job or task will be analyzed which includes the requirements for performing the task by specifying the main duties or level of the skills needed. When conducting the task analysis, the following should be evaluated: performance of task, frequency of task performed, importance of each task, knowledge needed to perform the task, difficulty of the task and trainings available for each task. It is very important to organize the task in sequence or by importance. The employee should be observed while performing the task and the observation should be documented properly. The performance of the employee should be evaluated based on the job description such as taking note if the employee missed important part of the task or deviated from what are listed on the job description. It is important to check if there are differences between the top and bottom performers. This would lead to the question of what are the suitable trainings needed to improve productivity and overall performance of the

Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank

Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to it, to assess the awareness of the bank employees to the concept of CRM and its benefits for the organization, to determine the extent of customer satisfaction level by conducting interviews, distributing questionnaire and carrying out a survey in HDFC Bank, to gather relevant data and critically analyzing it using a vast variety of sources and research tools. The chapter encompass the analysis and evaluation of the data collected via different research methods and includes both quantitative and qualitative measures taken into account and discussed upon. The researcher presented much of the quantitative data into graphs so tha t it could easily be understood. As discussed in the last chapter, interviews were conducted from branch manager and two of the middle line managers. Survey was conducted from randomly selected 80 (+3 later) customers to gain their views; along with it, short questionnaires were also distributed to randomly chosen 30 bank employees to take into account their perspectives about the adaption and use of CRM in the bank. Interviews were purposely kept informal and qualitative data was collected about the banks strategy, plan, objectives and actions taken regarding the adaption and use of CRM system and applications. In the interviews, the researcher inquired about many other things which are discussed in the qualitative analysis below. The survey from employees was mainly concerning the effects of CRM on their performance and how it affected their day to day bank functions and operations. Questionnaires from customers included their perceptions about the bank services and whether those improved. The data gathered by interviews provided helpful information about the bank strategic plans and policies and gave insight into the banking operations. It also provided information on customer relation management systems, infrastructure of information and technology, and its effects on the employee performance, customer satisfaction, increased sales targeting, and over all culture of the organization, etc. The objective of the interviews was to have the complete picture of what the aims of the management were and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the CRM systems. The researcher analysed the current situation of the CRM and how effective it was and in line with the IT services and if it supported the business strategy keeping in view the future developments and enhancements in IT. The rate of response from employees and customers was 100% though some customers and employees left very few questions unanswered. The researcher realized the weakness of research validity because it was hard to grasp real feeling of respondents in terms of such contrasts as satisfied/dissatisfied, agree/disagree, etc. Nonetheless, an effort was made to ensure the questions appear to be measuring all important aspects of the construct and results of questionnaires are consistent with results of established measures. In order to gather more reliable and valid data, the researcher also conducted short interviews from some of the employees and customers. These were not pre-planned but helped a lot in explaining the answers in details. The researcher also ensured that interviews and questionnaires follow a specific pattern. The findings are reported below and separate analysis is provided for managers interviews, employees questionnaire and customers questionnaire. Appendix is provided on a separate sheet which contains copies of employees questionnaire, customers questionnaire, and the copy of questions that were asked during the interviews with the manager. It is very important to mention here that the researcher undertook pilot study before the actual commencement of the research. It was a feasibly a very small experiment to test logistics and collect data prior to the greater research in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the questions asked in the interviews and questionnaires. It was important to test the questions designed in the questionnaires before they are actually used in the research in order to determine whether they are conducive towards the research and would pose no problems for the respondent and experts should be consulted to comment on the suitability of the questions and this is regarded as pilot study. The branch manager was approached and informal meeting was held. The researcher asked few short questions (similar to the questions asked in later study but in details). The manager also helped me ask few simple questions from 5 of the employees to test my questionnaire and reveal any deficiency in the desi gn of the proposed experiment. Although it provided limited information but it proved vital for the severity of the proposed procedures. All the information gathered in addition to review of banks own research questions were incorporated into the main study design. However pilot study did not lead to modification of any pre-planned research process. The differences of results from main research were discussed in summary in following sections. 4.2. Qualitative Research Discussion The researcher conducted one pilot interview with branch manager first. After finalising the questions, another formal interview was taken. There were almost same responses in both occasions. Two of the middle line managers were asked for their time for interviews and luckily single interview was taken from both managers. Interview 1 is from branch manager and interview 2 is from line/operational managers. Senior manager was asked questions about overall bank performance and importance of CRM while managers at mid-level were enquired on matters regarding operational functions. Questions asked from senior managers include: How does CRM impact companys performance both directly and indirectly? What is the evidence that CRM improves customer services? What type of CRM software and applications does the bank use? Do you have any CRM implementation policy? How important is CRM requirement in strategic planning? What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? What role does manageme nt and employees play in successful implementation of CRM? Please discuss on future CRM plans? Questions put forward to operational managers include: What are the factors influencing and encouraging the use of CRM? What are the benefits and limitations of CRM for the company? What are the problems encountered by the company in adapting and implementing CRM systems? How do employees respond to CRM? How do customers respond to CRM? What are the operational planning activities CRM provide the bank? How do CRM systems add value on financial packages and services? How CRM does contribute to customer satisfaction and retention? Is CRM proven way of managing customer information? Does CRM assure customer responses? In what ways do CRM contribute to customers loyalty? Does the implementation of CRM affect the company-customer relationship? What are the most important factors influencing CRM in company? Are you satisfied with the adaption and use of CRM? Interview 1: The bank manager in his interview explained that the changing banking environment has affected the way Indian banks used to operate and function. Intense competition, environmental factors such as legal and social, and the ever updating norms of the financial institutions has and impact on the banks to adapt and adjust accordingly and to amend their policies and procedures. He believes that marketing and technology play crucial role for banks as they are the institutions that provide direct services to its clients, therefore HDFC Bank recognises this as stated by branchs managers own words, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Bank understands the significance of the role of technology and marketing for improving customer relations and services especially in the intensely competitive and changing Indian banking sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. When enquired about the need for CRM, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needs to maintain data and information about its clients, and must have a system t hat could help the bank improve its customer services; therefore it must have basic CRM technology to track and serve the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. This led to adaption of latest CRM technologies and processes. Bank manager, in the interview explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needed to adapt CRM in order to increase profitability by reducing operational costs in serving the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. According to his belief, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank had been facing traditional problems of lack of modern delivery and marketing techniques in current fast emerging digital economyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The Bank constantly searched for means to improve their service and to increase customer base. CRM provided the opportunity for the bank as it brought together relationship of IT and marketing strategies to create profitable and long term relationships with clients. When further questioned about why the bank adapted the CRM policy and procedures, the managers replied, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Satisfying our clients needs was our major focus and was an important factor in implementing our CRM initiative. Some customers demanded the improvement in our approach to managing customer relationships which assisted us deciding to adopt and implement CRM programs capabilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. To meet the needs of the customers, HDFC Bank timely started to focus on developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Realizing the significance of customer information availability, the project was undertaken by the bank with the spirit that has characterized the whole CRM development. The project has promoted a massive involvement of suggestions from clients, employees and other stakeholders. Strategic plan was developed and targets were set. The management developed the CRM infrastructure and adapted latest CRM procedures. When asked if the bank has any CRM implementation policy, the management answered that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank has a central policy of using CRM within all its branches which controls all the CRM procedures. The Bank has incorporated the CRM policies into its strategic vision and mission statementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Although the manager didnt give exact figures on how the bank specifically the main branch has spent on CRM implementation and introduction of new systems but they agree that the bank devote considerable amount of resources to manage CRM. The bank realizes that it is vital that its CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced managers. For this reason, all the managers are trained and experienced to bring together professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team work and instructing ways in quality service and ensure that CRM systems work efficiently. When enquired whether the bank has any evaluation and appraisal in place, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank has developed a mechanism to check whether CRM is effectively in good useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The managers ensure that regular feedback system to consider perspective of the management, employee participation perspective and customer experience perspective. According to the branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank generated better than expected outcomes. CRM has positively influenced every banking function and operationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The manager believes that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. Its operating efficiently and management and employees work more effectively. The speed of the work has improved due to CRM adaption. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. Interview 2: Both the middle line managers were questioned about the operational activities of the bank and how the adaption of CRM technology and implementation of CRM processes and procedures has influenced the banking activities. The managers were in charge of the implementation after the senior manager set the strategic plan. They were very much aware of the involvement of bank staff if the CRM adaption was to be successful. One of the managers during the interview discussed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The major decision they tool to successfully adapt the CRM within the bank environment was to empower its employees in decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management realized that CRM adaption requires the well trained, educated and experienced staff to work on it. They are theoretically and practically trained on how to utilize latest CRM system and applications. The managers explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Employees are given access to customer database so that they can make on the spot and efficien t decisions. They are also empowered to resolve small customer issues themselves, though major complaints are still dealt centrally by the senior management. Employees are also involved in searching, adapting and evaluating CRM needs for the bank. The management emphasises greatly on availability of latest and advanced information and communication technology to its staff and takes extra measures to ensure this happensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The managers were also responsible for planning, sorting, reviewing and monitoring work of the employees. The managers believe that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. According to their belief, employees work more enthusiastically, are well motivated and are satisfied with their roles and responsibilities. The managers think that bank processes such as sales and marketing works more efficiently. Due to CRM, the bank can access a wide variety of sources for required information, ideas and experiences. Employees work more effectively by reducing repetitive tasks, decreasing costs, and minimizing risks. They can deal with customer enquiries without any difficulty and resolve many issues on the spot. Another benefit that the bank has received is increase in speed and reliability of banking functions/transactions. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. The managers also stated that operational inefficiencies have reduced and few resources are being wasted. CRM also helped developed new incentives for clients by searching their data and records which are collected by latest systems and applications. The most important impact of CRM on bank as felt by managers is the creation of climate of trust that helped in customer loyalty and retention. The management is completely satisfied with the results of CRM use in the bank. Their future plan is simple and that is continuing with the current policy. They understand that CRM technologies rapidly change. It is hard to forecast where CRM technology will be in the next few years. According to the words of the Branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We are often one of the first in our industry to detect technological developments that may potentially affect our business. We generally respond very quickly to technological changes in our environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management ensure that staff maintains close relations with bank clients. The managers recognise the basic value of the bank and that includes learning as a key to improvement. They believe that they have common language to deal with CRM issues and have a clear division of roles and responsibilities to implement or update CRM. They also think that they have necessary skills and technical competence to absorb the new CRM systems processes, tools and applications. The management agrees unanimously that bank uses CRM to drives profitability, cut costs, reduces risks and improves customer service. The management finds it challenging to ensure clients prefer their services over that of others. The managers believe that the key to develop a close customer relationship and nurture it is to appreciate the needs and cater the requirements of the customers. The bank uses CRM technology to analyze the customer needs and to ensure customer satisfaction. The use of CRM in the bank has become crucial with aggressive strategies employed to gain and retain customers, which has resulted in the adoption of various CRM initiatives to enable the bank to achieve its objectives. The management realized to build a close relationship between IT and marketing aspects of CRM to develop lasting client retention. In summary by introducing and adapting the latest CRM methods, techniques, applications and systems, banks can provide be tter customer service, increase customer revenues, discover new customers, sell products more effectively, help sales staff close deals faster, make call centres more efficient, simplify marketing and sales processes. 4.3.1. Quantitative Findings (Employees) What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Enables cost reduction 7% 28% 48% 17% Improves efficiency 22% 29% 26% 23% Reduces time 43% 25% 22% 10% Improves communication 65% 16% 16% 3% Avoids redundancy 62% 24% 10% 4% Better customer relationship 81% 15% 3% 1% Enables market research 38% 33% 20% 9% Provides customer information 89% 7% 4% 0% A huge majority (89%) agree that by using CRM, employees can have access to customer information. Majority of the employees (71%) believe that CRM system and applications help in carrying out market research easily. Almost all (96%) of employees agree that CRM help in improving and maintaining better customer relationship management. 81% of them agree that communication among employees and with customers improve due to use of CRM. 86% agree to the notion that it reduces the work to be repeated and minimizes mistakes. Half of the employees (51%) said that CRM improves bank efficiency and only 38% answered positively that it enables in cost reduction. Half of the employees stayed neutral to this question. Please comment on the importance of CRM for employees? 64% of the employees strongly believe that adaption and use of CRM for bank is very important. Other 27% also agree and consider it important while only 9% consider its importance average. None responded negatively. Are you satisfied with the use of CRM in the bank? 60% of the respondents stated that they are satisfied with the use of CRM in their bank, 21% are on the view that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 19% showed their dissatisfaction. Please express your views on the reliability of CRM software and applications? Only 41% of the employees consider the CRM system and applications used in the bank as reliable. 50% are neutral and remaining 9% consider CRM unreliable. 4.3.2. Quantitative Findings (Customers) Please tell if you are you satisfied with the service quality? 87% of the customers are satisfied with the bank services and approved the quality of services provided by the bank. Only a small minority of 3% noted their dissatisfaction. Do you agree that there is sufficient staff-customer communication? 36% of customers believe that there is sufficient communication between employees and customers, 46% are neutral and remaining 18% hinted their disagreement. How do you find the communication between bank staff and customers? 3/4th of the customers asked find the communication good and better and only 12% think that it still can be improved. The other 12% stated the poor communication between bank and them. How do you find friendliness and helpfulness of the staff service? Majority (79%) of the customers consider the staff friendliness and helpfulness as good and excellent. 10% rated it as average and 11% rated it as poor. Please rate your satisfaction level in regards to steps taken by the bank in delivering the services? Third fourth (76%) of the surveyed customers responded positively to this question and agree that bank has improved its services very well. On a scale of 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (satisfied), how would you rate your level of satisfaction in regards to service value? Only 14% of the customers are placed in the dissatisfaction zone 2/3rd are satisfied with the value of the bank service they receive. Are you satisfied with the banks response to your queries? 1/3rd of the customers pointed out their dissatisfaction with the bank response to their issues and 60% answered their satisfaction to this matter. How do you view timeliness and quality of response? 71% of the customers positively view the timeliness and quality of steps taken by bank to resolve their queries. 1/4th consider it as lacking in quality. Do you agree that customer service has improved? 100% Agree How would you rate the overall quality of your relationship with bank, considering all of your experiences with them? 76% responses are positive and only 6% answers are negative on rating the overall quality of their relationship with the bank. 4.4.1. Employees Questionnaire Discussion Adaption and use of CRM by HDFC could have been effective only with the support and cooperation of bank staff. Management recognised this and took the appropriate steps as explained in the interview analysis. Even the bank employees realized that their support was crucial if the new system and application had to work because they are the persons that interact with customers directly and this interaction greatly influences the relationship of the bank with customers. Successful adaption was only possible in HDFC Bank if employees were motivated and enthusiastic to cooperate with the CRM processes. The employees were properly trained to use the system and CRM tools to improve the bank services. It was very important for the researcher to take employees views in this dissertation, because their perceptions, perspectives morale, skills, experience and satisfaction all influence the work performance and consequently bank performance. These factors are affected by sudden change in the organization specifically if it is technology related. In the survey results, bank employees in general showed satisfaction towards the CRM use within the bank environment. Majority of them agree that new ICT tools for CRM system and applications have helped improve their communication within the bank with colleagues and managers, and externally with customers. When asked by the researcher about the problem of repeating tasks, they collectively replied that this issue has been reduced to minimum due to CRM in bank. Employees can access the database where all the information of specific client is provided, just enter the reference or other details, and the information comes in front of them. This h as helped a lot in risk reduction, quality work in less time and effective performance. Employees believe that customers feel satisfied with the service they provide. Two third of the surveyed employees believe that CRM utilities are very important for their performance and they are completely satisfied with the use of CRM technology and procedures. However many employees have concerns for its reliability and they feel that they have to constantly update their knowledge of its use as the technology changes rapidly. Overall the employees responses were positive as they expect more benefits with little or no limitations in the use of CRM to improve bank performance and services. They have used the new technology, process, procedures, tools and systems related to CRM and they believe that CRM is essential for Bank for current and future use as it directly and/or indirectly affects their performance that in turn improves bank performance as employees provide quality services. 4.4.2. Customers Questionnaire Discussion Banks understand that customer satisfaction is an important variable in order to retain the existing clients or gain the new ones. Poor customer satisfaction leads to a decline in customer loyalty, and given the extended offerings from the competitors, customers easily switch banks. HDFC understands the importance of customer satisfaction and value the customer relationships. CRM was introduced to improve customer services and relationships with customers. The information gathered by the bank management reveals that customers are generally satisfied with the services provided by the bank. The following analysis is the assessment and measurement by the researcher. This research is directed to find the perceptions of the customers towards services provided by HDFC bank and whether these are improved. The researcher tried to describe the research motives behind the findings through this questionnaire. The main aim was to gain the customers impression and assess the efficiency of the CRM system, technology, processes and applications applied by the bank. The researcher attempted to gauge how well CRM influenced the services. Vast majority of the customers disclosed their satisfaction on the bank services. Although the figure remained the same if compared with the survey conducted by the bank few months ago but almost all the customers agreed that the bank service has improved ever since. When asked about the communication process between them and the bank, the reply was not encouraging as many customers feel that this area still needs to be improved. Most customers want face to face interaction and require the bank to provide services for longer hours. If compared with the previous data collected, this survey suggests that communication has improved mainly due to telephone service for minor complaints and information. Although it is good but cannot be considered sufficient. When enquired about the friendliness and helpfulness of the bank staff, many customers respo nded that employees provide good service with better attitude than before. They tend to their issues with sympathy and try to resolve the queries professionally and effectively. They admire that the bank is working hard to train its employees in skills for improved customer service. They also appreciate the introduction of CRM processes that led to improvement in all areas. 4.5. Importance of CRM for Bank in Summary The results generated from the interviews and surveys conclude that CRM has had a very positive effect on the bank performance. It not only helped employees learn and improve but also influenced their morale and motivation. This has an indirect effect on the way bank serve its customers. By adapting CRM processes, the bank has provided its customers with satisfactory services which increased customer loyalty and helped build better relations. CRM has an impact on every bank operation and function. CRM has guided bank to induct latest technological system and application to collect, analyse and use customer information effectively and efficiently run the day to day operations of the bank. CRM has provided a means to better communication and coordination of employees with customers. Other benefits that have been gained include reduction in cost, speedy transactions, reliable flow of information. The bank has achieved the overall objectives of using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes with the implementation of CRM and has been successful in finding, attracting, and wining new clients, and reducing the costs of marketing and client service. The bank realizes the importance of CRM todays competitive environment that it considers it as an integral part of its strategic business plan. CRM integrated approach makes all the difference to satisfying customers, retaining their loyalty, providing added value and generating growth. In fact, CRM might be the difference between the bank to flourish and failure to survive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5: Conclusion Recommendations 5.1. Research Summary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an organizational strategy that can assist a bank to build lasting relationship with its clients and improve its performance by increasing revenue and productivity. CRM in the banking industry is of great importance. Today, banking is more customer-centric, unlike the yester when it was transaction-centric. CRM is essential and vital function of customer oriented marketing. However there is more to CRM than just client management. CRM is a broad approach to create, maintain, and expand relationship with customers. It is a strategic plan that aims in understanding, anticipating, managing and personalizing the organizational needs of current as well as potential customers. The idea behind this is that it would help the bank to effectively utilize technology and other resources to gain insight into the clients behaviour and customers values. If adapted and implemented successfully, CRM can help banks provide better customer service, make banking operations more efficient and simplify selling and marketing processes. CRM is a comprehensive approach to cater, maintain and expand customer relationships. It is important for banks to use CRM strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and personalize the needs of banks current and potential customers. CRM applications deliver many benefits across organizational processes and functions. It reshapes the workplace environment and influences the ways business being carried. Successful integration or adaption of CRM system in the banks may not be as easy as it looks. Every concept has limitations such as limitation of finance, resistance to change, government regulations, etc.; so does the CRM in banks. Banks can overcome many of the limitations by efficiency managing CRM and adapting some comprehensive CRM model along with effective CRM software. Managers play an important role to minimize risks. CRM manager is a key factor who can effectively manage the issues related to CRM. It is vital for banks that their CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced manager. Bringing together trained and professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team working and instructing ways in quality service, are some of the duties managers have to perform in order for CRM to work efficiently and harvest benefits. The banks need CRM to survive as it is impossible nowadays not to focus upon the customer expectations. CRM is needed because of ever changing technology and highly competitive banking sector in India. The importance of CRM can be assessed by evaluating CRM that provides enhanced opportunities to use data and information to both understand customers and create value. The ultimate purpose of the CRM is to improve performance and to assess how well the bank needs are met by CRM adaption and implementation. 5.2. Conclusion The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to it, to assess the awareness of the bank employees to the concept of CRM and its benefits for the organization, to determine the extent of customer satisfaction level by conducting interviews, distributing questionnaire and carrying out a survey in HDFC Bank, to gather relevant data and critically analyzing it using a vast variety of sources and research tools. The chapter encompass the analysis and evaluation of the data collected via different research methods and includes both quantitative and qualitative measures taken into account and discussed upon. The researcher presented much of the quantitative data into graphs so tha t it could easily be understood. As discussed in the last chapter, interviews were conducted from branch manager and two of the middle line managers. Survey was conducted from randomly selected 80 (+3 later) customers to gain their views; along with it, short questionnaires were also distributed to randomly chosen 30 bank employees to take into account their perspectives about the adaption and use of CRM in the bank. Interviews were purposely kept informal and qualitative data was collected about the banks strategy, plan, objectives and actions taken regarding the adaption and use of CRM system and applications. In the interviews, the researcher inquired about many other things which are discussed in the qualitative analysis below. The survey from employees was mainly concerning the effects of CRM on their performance and how it affected their day to day bank functions and operations. Questionnaires from customers included their perceptions about the bank services and whether those improved. The data gathered by interviews provided helpful information about the bank strategic plans and policies and gave insight into the banking operations. It also provided information on customer relation management systems, infrastructure of information and technology, and its effects on the employee performance, customer satisfaction, increased sales targeting, and over all culture of the organization, etc. The objective of the interviews was to have the complete picture of what the aims of the management were and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the CRM systems. The researcher analysed the current situation of the CRM and how effective it was and in line with the IT services and if it supported the business strategy keeping in view the future developments and enhancements in IT. The rate of response from employees and customers was 100% though some customers and employees left very few questions unanswered. The researcher realized the weakness of research validity because it was hard to grasp real feeling of respondents in terms of such contrasts as satisfied/dissatisfied, agree/disagree, etc. Nonetheless, an effort was made to ensure the questions appear to be measuring all important aspects of the construct and results of questionnaires are consistent with results of established measures. In order to gather more reliable and valid data, the researcher also conducted short interviews from some of the employees and customers. These were not pre-planned but helped a lot in explaining the answers in details. The researcher also ensured that interviews and questionnaires follow a specific pattern. The findings are reported below and separate analysis is provided for managers interviews, employees questionnaire and customers questionnaire. Appendix is provided on a separate sheet which contains copies of employees questionnaire, customers questionnaire, and the copy of questions that were asked during the interviews with the manager. It is very important to mention here that the researcher undertook pilot study before the actual commencement of the research. It was a feasibly a very small experiment to test logistics and collect data prior to the greater research in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the questions asked in the interviews and questionnaires. It was important to test the questions designed in the questionnaires before they are actually used in the research in order to determine whether they are conducive towards the research and would pose no problems for the respondent and experts should be consulted to comment on the suitability of the questions and this is regarded as pilot study. The branch manager was approached and informal meeting was held. The researcher asked few short questions (similar to the questions asked in later study but in details). The manager also helped me ask few simple questions from 5 of the employees to test my questionnaire and reveal any deficiency in the desi gn of the proposed experiment. Although it provided limited information but it proved vital for the severity of the proposed procedures. All the information gathered in addition to review of banks own research questions were incorporated into the main study design. However pilot study did not lead to modification of any pre-planned research process. The differences of results from main research were discussed in summary in following sections. 4.2. Qualitative Research Discussion The researcher conducted one pilot interview with branch manager first. After finalising the questions, another formal interview was taken. There were almost same responses in both occasions. Two of the middle line managers were asked for their time for interviews and luckily single interview was taken from both managers. Interview 1 is from branch manager and interview 2 is from line/operational managers. Senior manager was asked questions about overall bank performance and importance of CRM while managers at mid-level were enquired on matters regarding operational functions. Questions asked from senior managers include: How does CRM impact companys performance both directly and indirectly? What is the evidence that CRM improves customer services? What type of CRM software and applications does the bank use? Do you have any CRM implementation policy? How important is CRM requirement in strategic planning? What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? What role does manageme nt and employees play in successful implementation of CRM? Please discuss on future CRM plans? Questions put forward to operational managers include: What are the factors influencing and encouraging the use of CRM? What are the benefits and limitations of CRM for the company? What are the problems encountered by the company in adapting and implementing CRM systems? How do employees respond to CRM? How do customers respond to CRM? What are the operational planning activities CRM provide the bank? How do CRM systems add value on financial packages and services? How CRM does contribute to customer satisfaction and retention? Is CRM proven way of managing customer information? Does CRM assure customer responses? In what ways do CRM contribute to customers loyalty? Does the implementation of CRM affect the company-customer relationship? What are the most important factors influencing CRM in company? Are you satisfied with the adaption and use of CRM? Interview 1: The bank manager in his interview explained that the changing banking environment has affected the way Indian banks used to operate and function. Intense competition, environmental factors such as legal and social, and the ever updating norms of the financial institutions has and impact on the banks to adapt and adjust accordingly and to amend their policies and procedures. He believes that marketing and technology play crucial role for banks as they are the institutions that provide direct services to its clients, therefore HDFC Bank recognises this as stated by branchs managers own words, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Bank understands the significance of the role of technology and marketing for improving customer relations and services especially in the intensely competitive and changing Indian banking sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. When enquired about the need for CRM, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needs to maintain data and information about its clients, and must have a system t hat could help the bank improve its customer services; therefore it must have basic CRM technology to track and serve the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. This led to adaption of latest CRM technologies and processes. Bank manager, in the interview explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needed to adapt CRM in order to increase profitability by reducing operational costs in serving the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. According to his belief, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank had been facing traditional problems of lack of modern delivery and marketing techniques in current fast emerging digital economyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The Bank constantly searched for means to improve their service and to increase customer base. CRM provided the opportunity for the bank as it brought together relationship of IT and marketing strategies to create profitable and long term relationships with clients. When further questioned about why the bank adapted the CRM policy and procedures, the managers replied, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Satisfying our clients needs was our major focus and was an important factor in implementing our CRM initiative. Some customers demanded the improvement in our approach to managing customer relationships which assisted us deciding to adopt and implement CRM programs capabilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. To meet the needs of the customers, HDFC Bank timely started to focus on developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Realizing the significance of customer information availability, the project was undertaken by the bank with the spirit that has characterized the whole CRM development. The project has promoted a massive involvement of suggestions from clients, employees and other stakeholders. Strategic plan was developed and targets were set. The management developed the CRM infrastructure and adapted latest CRM procedures. When asked if the bank has any CRM implementation policy, the management answered that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank has a central policy of using CRM within all its branches which controls all the CRM procedures. The Bank has incorporated the CRM policies into its strategic vision and mission statementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Although the manager didnt give exact figures on how the bank specifically the main branch has spent on CRM implementation and introduction of new systems but they agree that the bank devote considerable amount of resources to manage CRM. The bank realizes that it is vital that its CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced managers. For this reason, all the managers are trained and experienced to bring together professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team work and instructing ways in quality service and ensure that CRM systems work efficiently. When enquired whether the bank has any evaluation and appraisal in place, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank has developed a mechanism to check whether CRM is effectively in good useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The managers ensure that regular feedback system to consider perspective of the management, employee participation perspective and customer experience perspective. According to the branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank generated better than expected outcomes. CRM has positively influenced every banking function and operationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The manager believes that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. Its operating efficiently and management and employees work more effectively. The speed of the work has improved due to CRM adaption. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. Interview 2: Both the middle line managers were questioned about the operational activities of the bank and how the adaption of CRM technology and implementation of CRM processes and procedures has influenced the banking activities. The managers were in charge of the implementation after the senior manager set the strategic plan. They were very much aware of the involvement of bank staff if the CRM adaption was to be successful. One of the managers during the interview discussed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The major decision they tool to successfully adapt the CRM within the bank environment was to empower its employees in decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management realized that CRM adaption requires the well trained, educated and experienced staff to work on it. They are theoretically and practically trained on how to utilize latest CRM system and applications. The managers explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Employees are given access to customer database so that they can make on the spot and efficien t decisions. They are also empowered to resolve small customer issues themselves, though major complaints are still dealt centrally by the senior management. Employees are also involved in searching, adapting and evaluating CRM needs for the bank. The management emphasises greatly on availability of latest and advanced information and communication technology to its staff and takes extra measures to ensure this happensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The managers were also responsible for planning, sorting, reviewing and monitoring work of the employees. The managers believe that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. According to their belief, employees work more enthusiastically, are well motivated and are satisfied with their roles and responsibilities. The managers think that bank processes such as sales and marketing works more efficiently. Due to CRM, the bank can access a wide variety of sources for required information, ideas and experiences. Employees work more effectively by reducing repetitive tasks, decreasing costs, and minimizing risks. They can deal with customer enquiries without any difficulty and resolve many issues on the spot. Another benefit that the bank has received is increase in speed and reliability of banking functions/transactions. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. The managers also stated that operational inefficiencies have reduced and few resources are being wasted. CRM also helped developed new incentives for clients by searching their data and records which are collected by latest systems and applications. The most important impact of CRM on bank as felt by managers is the creation of climate of trust that helped in customer loyalty and retention. The management is completely satisfied with the results of CRM use in the bank. Their future plan is simple and that is continuing with the current policy. They understand that CRM technologies rapidly change. It is hard to forecast where CRM technology will be in the next few years. According to the words of the Branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We are often one of the first in our industry to detect technological developments that may potentially affect our business. We generally respond very quickly to technological changes in our environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management ensure that staff maintains close relations with bank clients. The managers recognise the basic value of the bank and that includes learning as a key to improvement. They believe that they have common language to deal with CRM issues and have a clear division of roles and responsibilities to implement or update CRM. They also think that they have necessary skills and technical competence to absorb the new CRM systems processes, tools and applications. The management agrees unanimously that bank uses CRM to drives profitability, cut costs, reduces risks and improves customer service. The management finds it challenging to ensure clients prefer their services over that of others. The managers believe that the key to develop a close customer relationship and nurture it is to appreciate the needs and cater the requirements of the customers. The bank uses CRM technology to analyze the customer needs and to ensure customer satisfaction. The use of CRM in the bank has become crucial with aggressive strategies employed to gain and retain customers, which has resulted in the adoption of various CRM initiatives to enable the bank to achieve its objectives. The management realized to build a close relationship between IT and marketing aspects of CRM to develop lasting client retention. In summary by introducing and adapting the latest CRM methods, techniques, applications and systems, banks can provide be tter customer service, increase customer revenues, discover new customers, sell products more effectively, help sales staff close deals faster, make call centres more efficient, simplify marketing and sales processes. 4.3.1. Quantitative Findings (Employees) What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Enables cost reduction 7% 28% 48% 17% Improves efficiency 22% 29% 26% 23% Reduces time 43% 25% 22% 10% Improves communication 65% 16% 16% 3% Avoids redundancy 62% 24% 10% 4% Better customer relationship 81% 15% 3% 1% Enables market research 38% 33% 20% 9% Provides customer information 89% 7% 4% 0% A huge majority (89%) agree that by using CRM, employees can have access to customer information. Majority of the employees (71%) believe that CRM system and applications help in carrying out market research easily. Almost all (96%) of employees agree that CRM help in improving and maintaining better customer relationship management. 81% of them agree that communication among employees and with customers improve due to use of CRM. 86% agree to the notion that it reduces the work to be repeated and minimizes mistakes. Half of the employees (51%) said that CRM improves bank efficiency and only 38% answered positively that it enables in cost reduction. Half of the employees stayed neutral to this question. Please comment on the importance of CRM for employees? 64% of the employees strongly believe that adaption and use of CRM for bank is very important. Other 27% also agree and consider it important while only 9% consider its importance average. None responded negatively. Are you satisfied with the use of CRM in the bank? 60% of the respondents stated that they are satisfied with the use of CRM in their bank, 21% are on the view that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 19% showed their dissatisfaction. Please express your views on the reliability of CRM software and applications? Only 41% of the employees consider the CRM system and applications used in the bank as reliable. 50% are neutral and remaining 9% consider CRM unreliable. 4.3.2. Quantitative Findings (Customers) Please tell if you are you satisfied with the service quality? 87% of the customers are satisfied with the bank services and approved the quality of services provided by the bank. Only a small minority of 3% noted their dissatisfaction. Do you agree that there is sufficient staff-customer communication? 36% of customers believe that there is sufficient communication between employees and customers, 46% are neutral and remaining 18% hinted their disagreement. How do you find the communication between bank staff and customers? 3/4th of the customers asked find the communication good and better and only 12% think that it still can be improved. The other 12% stated the poor communication between bank and them. How do you find friendliness and helpfulness of the staff service? Majority (79%) of the customers consider the staff friendliness and helpfulness as good and excellent. 10% rated it as average and 11% rated it as poor. Please rate your satisfaction level in regards to steps taken by the bank in delivering the services? Third fourth (76%) of the surveyed customers responded positively to this question and agree that bank has improved its services very well. On a scale of 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (satisfied), how would you rate your level of satisfaction in regards to service value? Only 14% of the customers are placed in the dissatisfaction zone 2/3rd are satisfied with the value of the bank service they receive. Are you satisfied with the banks response to your queries? 1/3rd of the customers pointed out their dissatisfaction with the bank response to their issues and 60% answered their satisfaction to this matter. How do you view timeliness and quality of response? 71% of the customers positively view the timeliness and quality of steps taken by bank to resolve their queries. 1/4th consider it as lacking in quality. Do you agree that customer service has improved? 100% Agree How would you rate the overall quality of your relationship with bank, considering all of your experiences with them? 76% responses are positive and only 6% answers are negative on rating the overall quality of their relationship with the bank. 4.4.1. Employees Questionnaire Discussion Adaption and use of CRM by HDFC could have been effective only with the support and cooperation of bank staff. Management recognised this and took the appropriate steps as explained in the interview analysis. Even the bank employees realized that their support was crucial if the new system and application had to work because they are the persons that interact with customers directly and this interaction greatly influences the relationship of the bank with customers. Successful adaption was only possible in HDFC Bank if employees were motivated and enthusiastic to cooperate with the CRM processes. The employees were properly trained to use the system and CRM tools to improve the bank services. It was very important for the researcher to take employees views in this dissertation, because their perceptions, perspectives morale, skills, experience and satisfaction all influence the work performance and consequently bank performance. These factors are affected by sudden change in the organization specifically if it is technology related. In the survey results, bank employees in general showed satisfaction towards the CRM use within the bank environment. Majority of them agree that new ICT tools for CRM system and applications have helped improve their communication within the bank with colleagues and managers, and externally with customers. When asked by the researcher about the problem of repeating tasks, they collectively replied that this issue has been reduced to minimum due to CRM in bank. Employees can access the database where all the information of specific client is provided, just enter the reference or other details, and the information comes in front of them. This h as helped a lot in risk reduction, quality work in less time and effective performance. Employees believe that customers feel satisfied with the service they provide. Two third of the surveyed employees believe that CRM utilities are very important for their performance and they are completely satisfied with the use of CRM technology and procedures. However many employees have concerns for its reliability and they feel that they have to constantly update their knowledge of its use as the technology changes rapidly. Overall the employees responses were positive as they expect more benefits with little or no limitations in the use of CRM to improve bank performance and services. They have used the new technology, process, procedures, tools and systems related to CRM and they believe that CRM is essential for Bank for current and future use as it directly and/or indirectly affects their performance that in turn improves bank performance as employees provide quality services. 4.4.2. Customers Questionnaire Discussion Banks understand that customer satisfaction is an important variable in order to retain the existing clients or gain the new ones. Poor customer satisfaction leads to a decline in customer loyalty, and given the extended offerings from the competitors, customers easily switch banks. HDFC understands the importance of customer satisfaction and value the customer relationships. CRM was introduced to improve customer services and relationships with customers. The information gathered by the bank management reveals that customers are generally satisfied with the services provided by the bank. The following analysis is the assessment and measurement by the researcher. This research is directed to find the perceptions of the customers towards services provided by HDFC bank and whether these are improved. The researcher tried to describe the research motives behind the findings through this questionnaire. The main aim was to gain the customers impression and assess the efficiency of the CRM system, technology, processes and applications applied by the bank. The researcher attempted to gauge how well CRM influenced the services. Vast majority of the customers disclosed their satisfaction on the bank services. Although the figure remained the same if compared with the survey conducted by the bank few months ago but almost all the customers agreed that the bank service has improved ever since. When asked about the communication process between them and the bank, the reply was not encouraging as many customers feel that this area still needs to be improved. Most customers want face to face interaction and require the bank to provide services for longer hours. If compared with the previous data collected, this survey suggests that communication has improved mainly due to telephone service for minor complaints and information. Although it is good but cannot be considered sufficient. When enquired about the friendliness and helpfulness of the bank staff, many customers respo nded that employees provide good service with better attitude than before. They tend to their issues with sympathy and try to resolve the queries professionally and effectively. They admire that the bank is working hard to train its employees in skills for improved customer service. They also appreciate the introduction of CRM processes that led to improvement in all areas. 4.5. Importance of CRM for Bank in Summary The results generated from the interviews and surveys conclude that CRM has had a very positive effect on the bank performance. It not only helped employees learn and improve but also influenced their morale and motivation. This has an indirect effect on the way bank serve its customers. By adapting CRM processes, the bank has provided its customers with satisfactory services which increased customer loyalty and helped build better relations. CRM has an impact on every bank operation and function. CRM has guided bank to induct latest technological system and application to collect, analyse and use customer information effectively and efficiently run the day to day operations of the bank. CRM has provided a means to better communication and coordination of employees with customers. Other benefits that have been gained include reduction in cost, speedy transactions, reliable flow of information. The bank has achieved the overall objectives of using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes with the implementation of CRM and has been successful in finding, attracting, and wining new clients, and reducing the costs of marketing and client service. The bank realizes the importance of CRM todays competitive environment that it considers it as an integral part of its strategic business plan. CRM integrated approach makes all the difference to satisfying customers, retaining their loyalty, providing added value and generating growth. In fact, CRM might be the difference between the bank to flourish and failure to survive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5: Conclusion Recommendations 5.1. Research Summary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an organizational strategy that can assist a bank to build lasting relationship with its clients and improve its performance by increasing revenue and productivity. CRM in the banking industry is of great importance. Today, banking is more customer-centric, unlike the yester when it was transaction-centric. CRM is essential and vital function of customer oriented marketing. However there is more to CRM than just client management. CRM is a broad approach to create, maintain, and expand relationship with customers. It is a strategic plan that aims in understanding, anticipating, managing and personalizing the organizational needs of current as well as potential customers. The idea behind this is that it would help the bank to effectively utilize technology and other resources to gain insight into the clients behaviour and customers values. If adapted and implemented successfully, CRM can help banks provide better customer service, make banking operations more efficient and simplify selling and marketing processes. CRM is a comprehensive approach to cater, maintain and expand customer relationships. It is important for banks to use CRM strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and personalize the needs of banks current and potential customers. CRM applications deliver many benefits across organizational processes and functions. It reshapes the workplace environment and influences the ways business being carried. Successful integration or adaption of CRM system in the banks may not be as easy as it looks. Every concept has limitations such as limitation of finance, resistance to change, government regulations, etc.; so does the CRM in banks. Banks can overcome many of the limitations by efficiency managing CRM and adapting some comprehensive CRM model along with effective CRM software. Managers play an important role to minimize risks. CRM manager is a key factor who can effectively manage the issues related to CRM. It is vital for banks that their CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced manager. Bringing together trained and professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team working and instructing ways in quality service, are some of the duties managers have to perform in order for CRM to work efficiently and harvest benefits. The banks need CRM to survive as it is impossible nowadays not to focus upon the customer expectations. CRM is needed because of ever changing technology and highly competitive banking sector in India. The importance of CRM can be assessed by evaluating CRM that provides enhanced opportunities to use data and information to both understand customers and create value. The ultimate purpose of the CRM is to improve performance and to assess how well the bank needs are met by CRM adaption and implementation. 5.2. Conclusion The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to

Choose Or Lose :: Voting Vote Politics Political Essays

Choose Or Lose The election of 2004 is being talked about all over the country. It is one of the most publicized elections I can remember, and yet I still do not feel that involved. My decision to vote this November depends on how informed I am at the time. I think you need to be an informed voter to be a good voter. Voting for someone you think speaks well or looks good is wrong. What is it that causes so many young voters like me to not vote? A lot of people think it is a lack of concern that causes young people not to go to the voting booth that first Tuesday in November, but I think it's something more. Our government is based on participation and being apathetic about voting is no excuse. Without active involvement from the people democracy will fail. The 26th Amendment granted those who are 18 years of age the right to vote. This privilege has long been abused by those ages 18-24. Since the Amendment was passed in 1972, the percentage of eligible voters ages 18-24 who actually vote has dropped 13%. The article by Carrie Donovan and Mark Lopez, "Youth and Adult Voter Turnout From 1972-2002," states that in 1972, 55% of youths voted and in 2000, 42% of youths voted. This is appalling compared to the 70% of citizens that are 25 + and voted in the 2000 election. This dramatic drop in voting among the young adult population is eating away at democracy. The election affects everyone, but unfortunately, not everyone recognizes that fact. Those who do not vote have no right to complain about the outcome of an election, and nor the right to protest the decisions made by those elected to office. If this is true then why doesn't every eligible citizen vote? Politics affect EVERYONE. Those who are currently going to school most likely have a student loan. The student loan interest rate is controlled by the government, and I'm sure there isn't one student who is looking forward to paying more interest. Anyone who votes most likely has a job and is therefore paying taxes.

Cultural safety in nursing Essay

The meaning of the term culture in nursing has changed significantly in recent decades. Culture may be seen as the learned, shared value and beliefs of a particular group (Spence, 2001). Cultural expression assumes many forms, including language, traditions, stress, pain, anger, sorrow, spirituality, decision making and even world philosophy (Catalano, 2006).Cultural safety is a process that involves the individual knowing of their self and their own culture, becoming aware of, respectful of, and sensitive to different cultures, asking who is at risk, preventing unsafe situations, and creating a culturally safe environment (Wood and Schwass, 1993). During my first night shift at clinical placement, I provided care for Anna (pseudonym), an 85- year old Maori lady, who was admitted to the ward following suicide attempt, which was related to the second anniversary of her husband’s death. She had a 20 year history of depression. On admission Anna was agitated and fearful, stating that she could not do almost anything that was requested of her. She had some disorganized ideas. For example, she thought she would be scalded by meals, or accidentally fall out of a window. We had just finished our handover when Anna rang the bell. I went to her room and found her sitting on the chair.†Good evening Anna,† I said.† My name is Parisa. I am your nurse tonight†. Anna looked worried and replied: â€Å"I am not sure if I have enough clothes!!!. † From the handover briefing I had understood that she was worrying about not having enough clothes. So I opened the door of the wardrobe and reassured her that she had plenty of clothes. Then I told her she needed to come back to her bed and have a rest. I helped her get back into the bed. Twenty minutes later, while I was doing the ward check, I heard someone crying. The sound of crying came from Anna’s room. I went to her room. It was midnight. Anna was lying alone; fearful, sad, and depressed. Left isolated, she wanted to call a nurse for help but she didn’t know how to explain what she needed. † Anna, what happened?† I asked. â€Å"Are you crying?† She didn’t reply. In this situation, it came into my mind that good therapeutic communication through the use of touch was very appropriate to  calm her. I held her hand, looked into her eyes, and asked her if she wanted to tell me what she was thinking at the time. She replied:† I feel I am a horrible person, can’t you see that? â€Å"I said, â€Å"A horrible person!!, what I see is a frightened person. You are scared, aren’t you?† She replied, â€Å"I am so scared of losing everything and everyone I love. Nurse, I am not a good person, I tried to commit suicide. I took an overdose of my pills, and I made my family worry about me†. She started to cry again. I listened to Anna and let her speak out all her feelings. I said,† I understand you feel it was the wrong thing to do† She replied: â€Å"Do you think God will forgive me? I need to cry, I need to pray†. With my eyes full of tears I asked her,† Would you like it if we prayed together?† She looked at me kindly and said â€Å"Yes, I would like to pray†. We held hands, and both of us started to pray in our own languages†¦ Learning and then not acting on what you learn is like ploughing and then never planting (Unknown). When I was in unit 4, we had a Maori Health paper where I gained lot of knowledge about the Maori view of health. This incident with Anna was an occasion in which I put the knowledge I had learned at university into practice. According to Durie (1998) the traditional Maori attitude toward health is one of holism. Health from a Maori perspective has always acknowledged the unity of: spiritual, emotional, physical, and family aspects. The spiritual perspective is the most necessary perspective for Maori wellbeing. It is defined as â€Å"attachment to religious values,† but does not have the same meaning as â€Å"religious beliefs†. When spiritual needs are met, an individual can function with a meaningful identity and purpose and can relate to reality with hope (Durie, 1998). Nursing is a discipline that professes to address the human person in a holistic manner, focusing on all dimensions of the person: body, mind and spirit (Lemmer, 2005). Care of the spirit is a professional nursing responsibility and an intrinsic part of holistic nursing. The holistic nursing perspective requires nurses to view each person as a biopsychosocial being with a spiritual core. Thus, nurses must be sure to address the spirit  along with the other dimensions to provide holistic care (Calatona, 2006, p.403). In my situation, I had to support Anna’s desire to pray and practise meaningful rituals. To confirm my assumptions about an underlying cultural issue, I asked Anna in a very respectful way about her cultural beliefs. I realized that Anna’s religious beliefs could be a vital way in which she expresses her spirituality. I asked her if she would like the service of a Maori Chaplain, and she accepted. Therefore, during the morning handover I informed Anna’s primary nurse that Anna wish to be referred to the Maori Chaplain Service. Fourie, Mcdonald, Connor and Bartlett (2005) clearly state that handover is a critical time where staff share information from which to base important decisions about patient care and management, particularly clients who appear unsettled and /or those who require extra intervention. Spiritual interventions have been demonstrated to be significant in the client’s recovery from disorder. The dimensions of religious ceremony, prayer and the client, relationship with God have been shown to have positive associations with mental health (Catalano, 2006). Reflecting on this experience I found that my therapeutic communication techniques of presence, and active listening, were very useful. â€Å"The affective aspects of nursing are related to emotional interchange between nurse and patient which includes presentation, active listening, therapeutic communication and discussion of spiritual issues† (Wichowski, Kubsch, Ladwig & Torres, 2003, p.1122). I used touch to help comfort her distress. Touch is a therapeutic tool which can provide sensory stimulation, induce relaxation, physical and emotional comfort, orient people to reality, improve level of awareness, convey warmth, respect, sensitivity and a powerful expression of a trusting relationship (Crisp & Taylor, 2003). I listened attentively to every single word that Anna said to show that I have a genuine interest in knowing more about her beliefs. Listening attentively and reflectively can help the client feel valued, understood and supported (Mohr, 2003). I have found out that through my active listening to her story, I displayed a caring attitude, and she is already participating in a culturally competent care. A nurse who is ready to listen to his/her patients, respects their  cultural and social backgrounds and does not make any stereotypical assumptions delivers a culturally safe practice (Bunker, 2001). My experience of nursing Anna, and learning how her cultural beliefs affected her mood helped me achieve and develop the skills to be culturally competent in my nursing practice. Culturally competent care involves the integration of knowledge, attitude and skills to provide culturally appropriate health care (Mohr, 2003). As I want to be a mental health nurse, my practice should be culturally appropriate through the sensitive and supportive identification of cultural issues (Australia & New Zealand College of Mental health nursing, 1995). I also learned that one of the skills that a mental health nurse should possess is the ability to integrate cultural perspectives within the delivery of appropriate interventions. This experience also gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my skill in communicating Anna’s problem to the primary nurse effectively. It also enhanced my critical thinking skills for I was able to find the link between her beliefs and her illness, and that led to p rovision of a culturally competent care.

Gran Torino Film Review

Gran Torino Gran Torino is an American drama film, released in 2008 film directed and produced by and also starring Clint Eastwood. Set in Detroit, Michigan it was the first mainstream U. S. film to feature Hmong Americans. Gran Torino was a critical and commercial success, grossing nearly $270 million worldwide and is also said to be Clint Eastwood’s most successful film, but as like many films Gran Torino received both praise and criticism. Gran Torino† tells the story of Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a grizzled Korean War veteran whose wife recently passed away. Walt lives alone with his dog in a Detroit, the neighborhood he’s lived in for well over 30 years in no longer populated as he would say ‘lower middle class white folks’, but has turned into an Asian neighborhood. A Hmong family lives next door, a grandmother, single mother and her two teenagers Thao (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her).Thao is quiet and intelligent but very shy, where as Sue i s very outgoing and fearless. The local Asian gang led by Thao’s cousin tries to recruit Thao. Thao does not have a choice because you cannot say no to a gang, they talk him into trying to steal Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino, Walt Stops it from happening but Thao gets away unrecognized. Then Thao is forced by his sister and mother to work for Walt in an effort for the attempted to steal his car.The two become very close as Walt see’s the good and potential in Thao and teaches him how to be a man and steer clear of the gang. Walt vows to protect Thao, setting the stage for a showdown with the gang. Clint Eastwood is really great to watch in this movie, his acting throughout Gran Torino really convinces you that he is a retired old war veteran, who has seen it all and is afraid of nothing. The way he confronts trouble throughout the film is impressive especially in the one scene where he comes up against three men harassing Sue on her walk.From my point of view there ar e a few camera angles portrayed throughout the scenes of the film, but there is hardly and visual effects or anything else, I think what makes this movie a good hit is Clint Eastwood’s attitude showed in his acting and the rest of the actors as well, and yes of course during the film Walt is very racists and says lots of different ethnic comments but the point is, well the point that I noticed was that Walt starts to look past and see the people for who they really are not just look at their race or where they come from.This movie is perfect for Clint Eastwood fans or young adults and older, I wouldn’t really say it is for teenagers because they might not fully understand the film and just think that Walt is a grumpy old man who just gets fired up over nothing. I rate it a 4 out of 5.