Business Information and Communication - Assignment Example

Business Communication Place P1 In order to conduct their activities, be able to understand their stakeholders and shareholders needs and also to be able to compete within certain market of products or services, companies search for different types of information (Abels, Pisetzner Klein, Boyce, 2008). These are the source of general surveys, data, articles, books, references, search-engines, records that organizations usually use for planning of their operations (A guide to sources of business information, 2010). Besides, companies can obtain information from the market researches and statistics results. Published sources include newspapers, financial, trade and magazines, directories and technical manuals. Defined by different context business information it helps a business to know its environment better. In the modern world much business information comes from online usiness networking, such as weblogs, message boards and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook (Business information sources, n.d.). Depending on how companies or individuals interact with Nestle, it determines the way how the company collects various types of information. Thus, personal information can be used to identify someone, aggregate information, however, does not allow for such identification. The company stores one’s information for a longer period of time with regard to legal and regulatory obligations. The purpose of personal information is in connection with a variety of activities, such as website registration, newsletter sign-up or website community features. Demographic information enables the company to describe one’s psychographic characteristic. For instance, it may include date of birth, age range, gender and geographic location. Technical computer information is stored to enable the company to use the access to one of the websites or applications that user has. Consumer feedback as another source of information is a voluntarily share about one’s experience and it may be important for the company’s ability to analyze certain objectives (Nestlé USA Consumer Privacy Notice, 2014). P2 According to the full- year result information, Nestle’s operations grew in all business and regions, the brand have increased its competitive advantage, the company has showed the discipline in the portfolio of its products and cash management, it also improved its margins and enhanced the underlying EPS in the constant currency (Full year result conference for Nestle, 2014). P3 Nestle portfolio covers almost every food and beverage category. It provides the same level of commitment to the quality, taste and nutrition of all its products. The most popular brands are Nescafé, KitKat, Nespresso, Maggi, Toll House, Milo, Coffee-mate, Purina Friskies. All brands include text, sound or visual representation, including taste, size and content. It also complies with legislation and regulations reflecting local legislation requirements. Food advertising depicts moderation in food consumption and includes portion sizes appropriate to the target audience. Environmental impact and social benefit is indicated on each package of Nestle products. It is applicable to the legislation and regulations and is easily understood by consumers. The nutrient content information, such as fortification and nutrition claims, is made in the way that reflects the nutrition composition of the product that company presents. (Nestle consumer communication principles, 2011). P4 The external corporate communications include media relations, image building, reputation management, investor relations, B2B relations and financial PR and change management. A well-thought communications strategy helps to define the target audience and focuse on how the organization should reach consumers effectively. The goal of external communications is to promote the product or service that organization presents and to enhance its revenue. That is why external communications are the important part of an company’s marketing plan (Nation, n.d.). There are many companies nowadays that pay more attention to sales as a measure of their business success and public perception is viewed as its bottom line. Such external communications as relations with media define and help to shape corporations image to the socierty, consumers and potential shareholders. That is why such way of promoting of the existing products as media stories or press releases help the companies to give public know about the company workplace, its philanthropic and environmental efforts and other image-related activities. The company brands that people trust enable organization to build positive image. Such external communication plays at hand of the business without active participation of that company into that process. Once organization realizes the influence it commits toward community, it receives certain reputation, the level of which is managed by the organization. Some parts of reputation are associated with the company’s ethical behavior. Organizations are able to deal with such images depending on the level of influence of it on the company’s performance. The external corporate communications of investor relations enable company to manage marketing and securities compliance integrating finance and communication. P5 In the modern world of business, more and more concerns arise as to the ways organizations keep sensitive information which they collect and store. While the aim of business organizations is maximization of profits, they use different types of valuable information to contribute this purpose. However, incorrect or illegal uses of certain data, personal information of employees, technical or consumer feedback causes breaking of laws and regulations and negatively influence the organization’s image and status (Himma & Herman, 2008). In question of ethical issues, there is certain impact that business commit toward employees’ privacy. Here companies may touch the relational privacy of employees that refers to their freedom from observations and interference. That is an ethical issue of employees surveillance, while organization influences employees’ activities on work and outside it. However, many researchers consider that there is a connection between different types of privacy, mental, physical, decisional and informational. Violating individual privacy is an ethical issue as it touches development and maintenance of a personality and identity. Another big issue is the impact of business on intellectual property. Since intellectual property rights are not absolute but limited by the competing rights, there is a need in protection of that type of personal information that may be misused by the third parties. The legal issues that relate to the use of business information concern the data protection breach. In addition, some legal issue relate to the disgruntled employees. That refers to the employees’ right, such as termination form, the absence of which guarantees the company open door for the legal actions. Discrimination and harassment cases are revealed more often in the recent times and they create huge problems for the company or their particular employees who perform the acts of discrimination of others toward their gender, race and ethnical belonging. With the more opportunities for the employers to hire people from around the world, there also appeared cases of hiring illegal workers. The U.S. government conducts usual immigration audits to diminish the illegal labor. The legal issues also touch the customers who are dissatisfied with the quality of goods or services. Sometimes, class action lawsuits can do more damage to the company that any other legal issue. Speaking about Nestle Company, its ethical issues include the Code of Business Conduct, its numerous policies that protect employees and all other stakeholders from the violations from the organizational side. Its business practices are ruled by integrity, honesty, fair dealing and full compliance with the applicable laws. Thus, the Code of Business Conduct specifies and assists in continuing of implementation of the Corporate Business Principles that establish certain nonnegotiable standards of behavior in the key areas of the organization performance. The Code tries to cover all possible situations that may occur. The company respects the law at all times and performs its activities in compliance with rules and regulations in all the markets it operates in. Nestle calls its employees to avoid the Conflicts of interests in every possible way. It is also important for the company to sustain its reputation. That is why the company considers its best interest in its outside activities. In order to avoid ethical issues the company hires and develops people in fair and objective manner. Moreover, such principle refers to all aspects of employment, compensation and promotions policies, transfers and development of relationships between the employee and the company. The personal information that Nestle collects depends on the desire of the individual to leave that information for the company or not. It takes all the necessary measures to keep the personal information private and secure. It is accessible only to the authorized people within the company and may not be passed to others. Nestle forbids the purchase and sale its shares on the basis of share price relevant information, while it is not known to public. Any non-compliance leads to the disciplinary sanctions or even criminal charges. The company conducts the policy of protecting of company assets and avoiding of fraud. Employees should never take part in any fraud activities because such dishonest conduct involving property and assets or any financial reporting can lead to the criminal charges of the particular employee (Code of business conduct, 2007). P6 With the main aim of each business to make profit, each of the organization sets goals to create and deliver the value to their customers and stakeholders. However, facing certain operational issues can ruin the perfect picture of achieving of goals. Operational problems affect business performance and make it less profitable. The main pillars of each business are its mission, vision and strategy, investment, resources, management, structure and systems, policies and execution of work. All of the pillars give business what it needs. However each of them may face operational problems. These are the wastage, delay, quality, control and management issues and also of work culture. Here the operational issues and problems framework assists business in identifying and understanding of the main operational issues and helps to analyze them and resolve (Addressing Operational Issues and Problems in Business, 2010). The U.S. government establishes a legal framework for health and safety policies that involve rules and administrative burdens for protection of employees at work. Each organization should ensure the health and safety of its employees so they could work in safe and healthy conditions. Together with the protection agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency, the government makes all its possible to ensure the protection of rights for healthy and safe work environment for all its participants. The Nestle Company has worked out the policy of safety and health at work. With the statement that one accident is one too many, the company believes that safety is the nonnegotiable question for the company employees, its customers and stakeholders. The best practice of the company in this area is the prevention of potential situations. That is why the company implements the mandatory Nestle Occupational Safety and Health Management System to meet and exceed the requirements of the health and safety laws that are applicable on each territory where the company operates (The Nestle Policy on Safety and Health at Work, n.d.). P7 Electronic communication of business information means the use of technology that assists in distributing of the particular message. These may be the use of mobile devices, video conferencing, social networks and different websites that promote the effective way of communicating in the business environment. The non- electronic communication involves the delivering of message through means of reports, flow charts, invoices and verbal communication between employees and other stakeholders. The information received by these means differs from that obtained from the electronic communications types. For businesses newspapers, websites, books and databases are the main sources of information. Depending on the purpose for which the information is needed and what market it operates, the business chooses the appropriate type of information for itself (Conducting Business Non-Electronically, n.d.). References Abels, Pisetzner, Klein, Boyce, 2008, Business Information: Needs and Strategies, Emerald Group Publishing Addressing Operational Issues and Problems in Business, 2010, Leading and managing business, Available from http://enablingbusiness.blogspot.com/2010/04/addressing-operational-issues-and_29.html A guide to sources of business information, 2010, Enterprise network Europe, London, Available from http://www.londonchamber.co.uk/docimages/8006.pdf Business information sources, n.d., Available from http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/business-information-sources.html Code of business conduct, 2007, Nestle official document, Available from http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/documents/corporate_governance/code_of_business_conduct_en.pdf Conducting Business Non-Electronically, n.d., Available from http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/Forms/Consent_Conduct_Bus_Non-Elec.pdf Full year result conference for Nestle, 2014, Available from http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/presentations/sales_and_results/2013_fyresults_conference.pdf Himma, K. & Herman, T. 2008, The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics Edited, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Nation, C., n.d., Importance of External Business Communication, The Houston Chronicle, Available form http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-external-business-communication-19304.html Nestlé USA Consumer Privacy Notice, 2014, Available from http://www.nestlenido.com/en/privacy-notice#Top Nestle consumer communication principles, 2011, Available from http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/documents/about_us/communication-principles.pdf The Nestle Policy on Safety and Health at Work, n.d, Available from http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/documents/about_us/policy-on-safety-and-health-at-work.pdf Read More