Within organizations, the human resources department is considered an ally by some managers and a barrier by others. The legal requirements of managing HR require you to be the dispenser of policies, procedures, and rules at times and a trusted counselor and guide at other times. There are varying perspectives on the value HR policies bring to an organization. In other words, the policies, procedures, or rules may be viewed as tools that help or hinder leaders from managing their people and will either detract from or enhance company performance. When not properly aligned with the company’s goals, they can negatively affect the success of the organization. You know that you need to review the current HR policies, procedures, and rules and anticipate that you may be recommending changes, additions, or deletions. Because you are still new and solidifying your position within the company, you are concerned that missteps now will cost you your “place at the table.” 

You decide to consult with your mentor-an experienced, powerful HR executive at another company. She presents the following for you to consider: 

• What steps will you take in your policy, procedure, and HR rules review with the jewelry company? 
• What will that involve? As you consider their HR policies, how will you ensure they are effectively aligned with what you see as the company’s goals? 
• If you find areas where policy revision is needed, how will you present your recommendations? 
• How do you feel your recommendations will be viewed? 
• Do you anticipate resistance? If so, what plan do you have to overcome that? 
• What do you see as the possible outcome from policy revision in terms of impact on the company’s performance? 
• Write her an e-mail addressing these issues.

The demographic site analysis provides a summary of a specific market area. For this paper component, your team will choose a specific geographic area (locality, ZIP code, or census tract) and prepare a demographic profile of the people who live in that area from data available at the website of the U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov (Links to an external site.)) or another reputable demographic sources (for example, the local Chamber of Commerce, a state hospital association, or another government source). For online courses, teams will agree upon a specific market to analyze and prepare a profile of that market. For blended courses, teams will analyze and prepare a profile of the local market. This profile should provide specific demographic information about the population, including relevant facts and figures. For example, your team might include information on population growth, gender, race and ethnicity, education level, marital status, age ranges, or income ranges. If available, your team might also include data regarding health characteristics of the market’s population. Data are sometimes available from local or state health departments or from national health registries (such as the CDC). Your team is encouraged to include graphs or charts that help describe the demographics of the geographic area (at least one is required). Be sure to keep track as you go of the sources for any graphs, charts or images used in the the paper and later in the presentation. You will need to cite them in your paper and on your presentation slides, and keeping a list now will save you the work of recreating the information later.

Your team will also include a market profile – a brief overview of the healthcare organizations currently serving this market. Briefly identify and describe the hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare service providers in this area.

After preparing the demographic and market profile, your team will then analyze potential healthcare needs that one might anticipate in this geographic area. The analysis should address the following questions.

1. What does this demographic profile tell your team about potential healthcare utilization and health behaviors?
2. What does the profile tell your team about the needed healthcare services or products?
3. Are all of these needs currently being met by the existing healthcare organizations? If not, which needs represent a market opportunity?

Use Google Docs (https://www.google.com/docs/about/) (Links to an external site.) to collaboratively write the paper and as a team, and invite your instructor as a contributor so she/he can view the progress of the paper online. The length of the demographic site analysis should be 600 to 800 words. Your team should cite all sources in APA style, both in-text and at the end of the document. Your team is required to have at least three sources to support this component of the Course Paper. Each member of the team must download a copy of the Google Doc and save it in MS Word for submission to their own Dropbox for grading.

This assignment is due in Week 3. The Course Paper assignments build upon each other and are compiled into the complete Course Project paper, due in Week 7.

Written Assignment Requirements:

1. 12 pt. Times New Roman
2. Double Space
3. All margins must be one inch each

Instructions: Read the case study below. In two pages summary [essay style], make recommendations to resolve the issue. Pay close attention to mission, strategy, and the differences in the value of marketing among the physicians. 

An important part of your answer is to identify the issues/actions in the case which may be problematic. The following questions may help you to do this:

What actions were taken in the case?

Were these actions the most appropriate and why?

Were there any consequences of the action taken?

Was anything omitted or not considered?

Were actions/procedures in line with existing codes of practice, policy or theories?

Do you see any challenges?

What kind of marketing strategy is the best fit (niche/mass marketing) ? Why? 

Case studies are exercises to help you apply the concepts from your reading.  Don’t skip your chapter reading!

The Strategic Challenge

The Johnson City Medical Group began in 1932 as a solo specialty, two-person cardiology practice by Timothy and Robert Johnson, two brothers who were born in Johnson City. Over the years, the practice had grown to be one of the largest group practices in the region. Exhibit 1 shows a brief history of the practice.

Exhibit 1

History of Johnson City Medical Group

1932 Founding of the Group

1938 Group adds first partner

1948 Group expands into second city

1956 Group grows to fifteen cardiologists and adds a professional administrator

1965 Group has six satellite offices and 40 staff

1977 Group adds two cardiovascular surgeons and associated support staff

In 2012, the group had grown to over 45 partners and was one of the largest in their specialty of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery. Their mission statement, which the group had developed, was to be “premier heart services for the tri-state region.” Over the past 5 years, however, the group had begun to see referrals shift or be constrained with the increasing growth of multi-specialty practices in their secondary and tertiary services areas. These larger groups had begun to not refer to Johnson City, but rather have kept their cardiology and cardiovascular surgery referrals in-house. The challenge to the group was a long-term issue as the partners entered their annual strategic planning retreat.

Donna Harris was the senior administrator of the medical group. A well-respected person, Donna had worked for these physicians and had helped them grow significantly for the past 15 years. She was seen not only as a strong individual operationally and fiscally, but as having good strategic sense. Two years ago, Donna had hired a Director of Marketing. Some partners in the group were not enamored with this hire, believing it was unnecessary. As the meeting got underway, Donna reviewed the group’s financials. The end-of-the-year partnership distribution was 1 percent less than the preceding fiscal year because of a decline in referrals and a slight change in reimbursement in Medicare. “We need to address the referral issue,” Donna said, “reimbursement changes are less in our control. I have asked Michael, our marketing person, to discuss strategic options for you to consider.”

Michael had been with the group for 2 years. Until this point in time he had primarily been calling on physician offices with the goal of trying to build referrals. He was aware of the fact that some of the physicians in the group questioned the value of his role and the function of marketing. “The drop in referrals is disconcerting,” said Michael. “The trend suggests that the formation of multi-specialty practices on the fringes is eating into our referral business and may only continue. We need to dramatically change our strategy.

“I disagree,” said Dr. Vinod, a cardiovascular surgeon who had been trained at Mayo and was well respected in the group; it possibly just speaks to your ineffectiveness. We are good at what we do, and there is no reason to change anything. We have been and always should be the premier group for heart care.”

“Should we and can we?” said Dr. Carrolton. She was a young cardiologist that had recently received partnership level. She also had received her MBA from a well-known business school. “Will staying the same course change the market trends?”

 Please answer the following Question:

Unilever is working toward full sustainability when it comes to palm oil production. The process of extracting palm oil has gained global attention because of unsustainable practices such as deforestation. Since Unilever is a large company that works with an extensive supply chain, maintaining ethical sourcing practices can be extremely hard to manage and track. Yet as a buyer, Unilever is responsible for any unethical sourcing practices in its supply chain. In order to ensure responsible practices, Unilever has built a palm oil processing plant in Indonesia. Also, Unilever has purchased GreenPalm certificates from the roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) when it purchases palm oil from other processing plants. However, this method is not entirely dependable because the processing of all the palm oil is not completely traceable. The following link includes more information on Unilever’s sustainable palm oil practices:

https://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/what-matters-to-you/transforming-the-palm-oil-industry.html (Links to an external site.)

1. Why is it so difficult for large firms to monitor their supply chain?
2. What are some ways that Unilever is attempting to improve the sustainability of its supply chain?
3. What are some problems with relying on GreenPalm certificates? Do you think Unilever should do more to ensure the sustainability of its palm oil sourcing?

Then once answered respond to two other classmates

Student 1: 

It is hard for large firms to monitor their supply chain, because they are typically all at different stages of progress towards sustainability. Every customer has different needs. We are currently living in the era of customer satisfaction, and large firms, since they have such a large supply chain, most likely struggle to keep every supplier satisfied.

Unilever first focuses on their own supply chain, and then working to transform the wider industry. They work closely with their suppliers. To do this, they were a founding member of the RSPO. Part of the reasoning they joined the RSPO, is because they realized that not one business can ‘turn the industry around,’ but it will take a collection of businesses striving for the same goal to help improve sustainability for palm oil.The RSPO’s objective is to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through global standards and multistakeholder governance. They also work with the TFA, which is a global private-public partnership where people take voluntary actions to reduce tropical deforestation associated with palm oil. Their current target is to purchase 100% certified/traceable palm oil products by the end of 2019.

GreenPalm certification doesn’t guarantee on its own solutions to every social and environmental issue facing the sector. Only about 20% of the total industry volume was certified by 2019. I think that Unilever is doing enough to ensure sustainability.  They have a commitment to increase traceability. I think that they do a good job with showing their suppliers where their palm oil comes from.

Student 2: 

1. Why is it so difficult for large firms to monitor their supply chain?

Supply chain management is a collaboration between a retailer and its wholesale and manufacturing distribution channel partners. Many of the facets of managing supply chains are similar for small businesses, the scope and steps involved are less complicated than with large organizations. Large organizations often have employees dedicated solely to the supply chain management function. A large wholesaler usually has an SCM manager and staff, or separate logistics and distribution managers. A small business often can’t afford a dedicated supply chain team. One key advantage for a small business is that the scope of the supply chain is often smaller. Thus, you don’t have as many chain partner relationships to manage. A small business may source its inventory from just a handful of suppliers, for instance. Keeping track of contacts, pricing and distribution systems with a small number of partners is much simpler than in large organizations where hundreds of relationships may exist.

1. What are some ways that Unilever is attempting to improve the sustainability of its supply chain?

In June of 2020, Unilever set a goal for zero emissions from all their products by 2039. They want to communicate the carbon footprint of every product they sell. They will work with a new generation of farmers to drive programs to restore and protect forest, soil and biodiversity. Unilever will work with governments and other organizations to improve access to water for communities in water shortage areas.

All of Unilever’s suppliers adhere to People and Nature cross commodity policy. They are increasing traceability and transparency to enable cleaver visibility of issues in the supply chain. This is done by assisting suppliers in appropriate ways to deliver a positive impact. Also, being inclusive of smallholder farms.  

Unilever’s People and Nature Cross Commodity Policy is a very detailed company policy that states (in part):

For In-Scope Materials in Unilever’s supply chain, we require that Direct Suppliers protect natural ecosystems from deforestation and conversion, based on the applicable cut-off date.

These Direct Suppliers must:

• ensure there is no deforestation or
• conversion of natural ecosystems, and
• protect the natural ecosystems, and
• have no burning policies in place,
• implement best management practices and
• toolkits, including but not limited to RSPO
• peat best management practices, the High
• Carbon Stock Approach toolkit, and best practices to prevent burning

These requirements are irrespective of whether the materials are sourced from the Direct Supplier’s corporate group or their third-party supply chain.

1. What are some problems with relying on GreenPalm certificates? Do you think Unilever should do more to ensure the sustainability of its palm oil sourcing?

• Little is known about what RSPO plantations and palm oil producers are doing with the money that is returned to them from GreenPalm Certificates.  For example, to date about 53,000 GreenPalm certificates have been sold, amounting to about $1 million in revenue to RSPO certified palm oil producers and plantations. However, no information on what these producers / plantations are doing with that money, and how it is being reinvested to “help tackle the environmental and social issues created by the production of palm oil” is available on the GreenPalm website. 
• While growers may be “sustainable”, that doesn’t guarantee that others in the supply chain are! In fact, transporters, other plantations owned by the same company, refiners, and manufacturers of food products often do not use sustainable practices, yet companies remain RSPO members because the grower is using Green Palm certificates.
• These overall company processes are neither controlled nor traceable.
• Only 5% of sustainable material is required for the product to be labeled “sustainable.” Further, it is unclear what constitutes “sustainable material”, as we were unable to find a real definition for this anywhere. 
• Further, companies paying for GreenPalm Certificates do not address unsustainable practices in their own palm oil supply chains, nor do they help create a demand for sustainable palm oil that is traceable to the source. 

So, it seems that Green Palm certificates actually aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, as they do not promote or guarantee sustainable practices! 

Unilever can work with other groups, such as Rainforest Action Network, Forest Trust, and Green Peace. These organizations are putting pressure on the RSPO to become more than just another cog in the palm oil wheel. Real pressure needs to be put on the members as well to encourage real change. Activities should be rewarded and punished, respectively. Most large corporations have a hard time being a leader and making changes. Their first priority is to their stockholders to show a profit. Much of the sustainability gets lost. The plan is in place and Unilever means well, they need to be an advocate of change and put pressure on RSPO to make better changes and have more transparency.

References: 

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/supplier-relationships-management-strategy-14405.html (Links to an external site.)

“How ‘Sustainable’ Is the RSPO?” Palm Oil Awareness Initiative, whatispalmoil.weebly.com/blog/how-sustainable-is-the-rspo.

TITLE: Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom _ NAEYC

Introduction: This article provides information on providing different types of text for children’s reading and learning.

The Assignment:

Summarize the attached article, in your own words, by answering the three questions listed below. Each question should have an answer that has a minimum of 7 sentences. Please make sure you read the statement on Plagiarism. Also, do not copy and paste the article – that is plagiarism. 

1.    What is the main focus of the article?

2.    What are three strategies that are discussed in the article?

3.    How will you implement the strategies/ideas (from the article) when working with children? 

Grading Criteria

20 points – Three paragraphs are included, each paragraph has a minimum of seven sentences

20 points – First paragraph summarizes the main focus of the article

30 points – Second paragraph summarizes three strategies from the article 

20 points – Third paragraph gives specific strategies/ideas you will use when working with young children.

10 points – correct grammar and spelling are used.

Resources

Summarize this article from NAEYC’s Teaching Young Children journal, May 2016, Vol 71 No 2, “Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom” by Shannon V Wanless and Patricia A Crawford.

https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com/blackboard.learn.xythos.prod/589b581008438/8462879?X-Blackboard-Expiration=1612828800000&X-Blackboard-Signature=shEpl%2FXJY7VnvBNKCb%2B81mFFSlLm2zJUvOV3kt4Q5Jg%3D&X-Blackboard-Client-Id=100474&response-cache-control=private%2C%20max-age%3D21600&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Reading%2520Your%2520Way%2520to%2520a%2520Culturally%2520Responsive%2520Classroom%2520_%2520NAEYC-Module%2520Five.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20210208T180000Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAYDKQORRYTKBSBE4S%2F20210208%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=1b6247da842523d0603ce6f91e668f2775a41a761808843daeae3f63a0b9305c