Hamza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib

Perhaps, one of the most important figure in the Islamic history aside from Prophet Mohammed is the Lion of Allah (Islamic Thinkers, 2009), or the Chief of Martyrs according to Ash-Shannâwi (2004). For some, he is the uncle of Prophet Mohammed, for some he is the master general of Islam, but for some he is just a brave man. But who truly is Hamza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib?

The Family Background

            He is born 'Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim bin 'Abd Manaf bin Qusai from the tribe of Quraysh (Ash-Shannâwi, 2004).  He is the uncle of the Prophet through the Prophet's mother Aminah bint Wahb, who is the first cousin of Hamza's mother Wuhaib bin 'Abd Manaf bin Zuhrah (Ash-Shannâwi, 2004). The relationship between the Prophet and Hamza is not only drawn by being uncle-nephew, but also by being brothers who were fed by a single woman – a slave of Hamza's father.

            It was said that Hamza was born two years earlier than the Prophet (Ash-Shannâwi, 2004). However, other historians claim that Hamza was four years older than the Prophet. But the record of two years old difference between the two is far more reliable than the four years old report. It would have been impossible for the two to share breastfeeding from a single woman if Hamza was already four years old when the Prophet was born.

            When the Prophet started to preach the message from Allah, Hamza was not the first to respond to the call.  Ash-Shannâwi noted that prior to the acceptance of Islam, Hamza would spend his hours in clubs drinking all sorts of wine possible and all other worldly pleasures. Moreover, Hamza was a man of hunting experience that it was seldom for him to stay in the tribe's abode, but he would go to the desert for to hunt.  But after two years of the Prophet's message, Hamza embraced the religion and since then have been a great part of protecting it and spreading Islam to other tribes and regions. The relationship between him and the Prophet also grew closer than ever for Hamza was considered the main guard of the Prophet and his most trusted man in times of wars.

The Story of His Return

            According to Tawfiq (2007), it had been more than two years since Prophet Mohammed had preached about the revelations of Angel Gabriel to him. It was a hard and harsh start for the Prophet because the wider community in Makkah had been negative about his message. He was ridiculed and vilified; he was even considered a madman or some sort of magician by others. One of the leading opponents of Islam was Abu Jahl.

            One day while walking near Mount As-Safa, the Prophet was met by Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl insulted the Prophet as well as the message preached by him and even the Oneness of Allah (Tawfiq, 2007). But Islamic Thinkers (2009) reported that Abu Jahl was not only contented in insulting and ridiculing the Prophet for he also hit him with stone, which caused bleeding of his head.

            Ash-Shannâwi (2004) noted that one of the servants rushed to Hamza while he was returning home recalling what had happened this way: "O Abu 'Umarah, you have seen the treatment that your nephew Muhammed received at the hands of Abul-Hakam bin Hisham [Abu Jahl]. The latter found him to be sitting down he then harmed him, cursed him, and did that which he detested (p. 34; Butta, 2013)." Upon hearing the story, Hamza was very angry and went to find Abu Jahl. And when he did, he struck him with the bow causing bleeding of his head. Then Hamza went on to say: “Do you curse Muhammad while I am upon his religion: I say as he says. Now retaliate if you are able to do so.”

            The Quraish couldn't believe that Hamza had truly embraced the religion of Mohammed. But worst, they couldn't believe that the Prophet got someone who would protect him. This means that they could no longer ridicule and vilify him without fear that Hamza would retaliate and avenge their needs toward the Prophet. After the incident, Hamza declared throughout Makkah that he believed the message of his nephew. Ever since then, Hamza remained the staunchest supporters of the Prophet and he had been used much by Allah to spread the message throughout Makkah and in our places through the region.

His Role in Islam

            After he embraced Islam, Hamza became a prominent figure in the religion. His foremost concern was the way Muslims were worshiping Allah. Ash-Shannâwi (2004) detailed how Hamza asked the Prophet why they were hiding and worshiping Allah in secret. He then created a group and encouraged the entire Muslims to march out in open and worship Allah in open. It was a turning point of Islam becoming a widely embraced religion in the region, and even until today with thousands returning to Islam after being deceived by other religions.

            Phillips (2009) noted that Hamza led the raid on Quraysh Caravan at al-Is, which is also considered as the expedition of Sif al-Bahr. The first raid was a success for other leader of the region intervened and stopped Hamza in spoiling the caravan of Quraysh led by Abu Jahl. But the next exploits of Hamza were successful, and it was the start when the Quraysh looked forward in assassinating him and thereby stopping the spread of Islam.

            It was in the day of Badr at the battle of Uhud that Hamza's valiantly became more famous. He was adorned with a feather of an ostrich and he fought as the most effective horsemen in the battle and he killed several chiefs of the Quraysh (Ash-Shannâwi,2004). In fact, he was one of the men who masterminded the death of 'Utbah bin Rabi'ah and Tu'aimah bin 'Adi bin Naufal. It was said that when one of the chiefs of the Quraysh tribe was taken captive, he referred Hamza as the man who had inflicted too much damage to their groups than any other.

            Due to his valor in the battlefield, Hamza gained too much prominence among Muslims and even the Prophet said of him as his own brother. He was considered one of the Swords of Allah, being the sword in the era of the Prophet. Hamza became an important part of the counsel for the community, and he did everything to protect the prophet from harm. It was also through him that many non-believers and polytheists were killed because they didn't want to accept the truth of Allah, as the only One God and Mohammed as the Prophet.

Death of Hamza in the Battle of Uhud

            Al-Mubarakpuri (2002) detailed that the Companions camped in Al-Madinah. The Prophet asked them to stay in Al-Madinah as Allah did not command them to meet the enemy. It must be noted that by this time, the Quraysh people were looking forward to take revenge of what had happened to their tribes and leaders. Yet, with the advice of the Prophet, several young men requested that they meet the enemies and fight them until they all die. At first, the Prophet was reluctant, but after the pleading of the army leaders such as Hamza, he allowed them to meet the enemies. In fact, it was in this pleading that Hamza said “By Allah, Who has sent the Book down unto you, I will not taste food till I fight them with my sword outside Madinah (p. 157).”

            During this battle, the Prophet donned his armor and was ready to join the battle. The plan was to crush the enemy outside the city of Uhud. When Hamza and his men met the enemies, he fought with all his energy and he even killed several Quraysh. They were winning the battle and the enemies were already retreating, but due to the disobedience of the archers, the group weakened. The Prophet was fighting as well and he was advancing. But in this battle, Hamza was killed.

            Islamic Thinkers (2009) noted that the death of Hamza was out of deception and treachery. There was a woman whose father and brothers were killed in the battle in Bader and the woman wanted revenge. She ordered a slave to kill Hamza with a spear with the reward of freedom. Washi bin Harb, the assassin of Hamza, later embraced Islam. But during the battle, Washi did not aim to kill anybody, save Hamza. He waited for a timing and an opportunity that will give him the advantage to kill a great warrior, for if Washi attacked Hamza earlier, he could had been killed by Hamza.

            In the hot spot of the battle, Hamza was able to maneuver and kill several Quraysh leaders, but he fell in a ditch. It was the timing that Washi had been waiting. With the stomach of Hamza in seen vulnerability and with the realization that Hamza won't be able to move faster in the ditch, Washi threw the spear toward Hamza. The spear pierced the navel of Hamza toward his legs. It was a tragic end for a great military general of the Prophet and the early Muslim crusades.

Legacy of  Hamza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib

            When the Prophet knew of the death of Hamza, he was struck in pain for he found the mutilation of Hamza unbearable (Phillips, 2009). In fact, Al-Mubarakpuri (2002) noted that the Prophet said: “The chief of the martyrs with Allah on the Day of Resurrection is Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib.” It was a moment of grief for the Prophet because it was loss of a brother, an uncle, and a great protector who provided him the safety and the care when the spreading of the message was still kept in secret for fear of the people of Makka.

            During the funeral, the Prophet led the prayer for Hamza. It was silent one and it was a day of mourning, but Hamza left lasting legacies that until today can still be seen. Of course, the people had been thankful for what he did for Islam, but Hamza left lessons worth to remember. First, it taught the lesson of fighting for the right cause. Hamza fought with all his might to protect the Prophet and the spreading of the message of Allah, even until his last breath. It was a testament of commitment to endure hardship and pain for the sake of what is right.

            Second, Hamza left a legacy of valor. It is time for Muslims to stand up to their religion and do what's best. The faith must not kept secret, but must be spread abroad. There is no time for a Muslim to tarry in thinking, for there are still many people who haven't heard of the message and are still kept in the bondage of other religions. Indeed, Hamza is the Lion of Allah.

References:

Al-Mubarakpuri, S. (2012). The Sealed Nectar. Ideas4islam.

Ash-Shannâwi, A. (2004). The Ministers Around the Prophet. Darussalam.

Butta, J. (2013). The Dawn of Islamic Literalism: Rise of the Crescent Moon. AuthorHouse.

Islamic Thinkers. (2009). Hamza Ibn Abdul-Mutallib, The Lion of Allah. Retrieved from             http://www.islamicthinkers.com/index/index.ph       poption=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=26  

Phillips, R. (2009). The Muslim Empire and the Land of Gold. Strategic Book Publishing.

Tawfiq, I. (2007). Hamzah: The Lion of Allah. Retrieved from http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-            islam/living-islam/personal-stories/role-models/422414.html

Advance Business Models Business Strategy of Fly Dubai

 

 

Introduction

            Dubai International Airport is always busy with flights all over the world, but at the heart of the emirate's airport stands another player that is coming into full competition with major and established airlines. Dubai Aviation Corporation or Fly Dubai focuses on its company slogan “Get Going”. Fly Dubai is changing Dubai's image in global airline industry with the intent of providing affordable or low-cost offerings to meet demands and needs of those who travel in and out of the progressive and developing business centers of Dubai.

Brief History

            Since 2009, Fly Dubai has started to fly in the skies of Dubai as the newest airline operator in the region (Lonely Planet, 2010). The company was founded by the Government of Dubai as the flagship carrier of the emirate. Fly Dubai is also supported by The Emirates Group, but the airline is not duly sanctioned by the group (Schulte-Peevers, 2010). The airline has flights across Middle Eastern destinations such as Doha, Beirut, and Amman, and other international destinations such as in Asia, Europe, and Africa with its more than 30 fleet. At the moment, the airline company flies to 61 destinations across the planet – and they are increasing their fleet and scope of travel as part of the goal of the company in making Fly Dubai the premier carrier in Dubai.

            According to Yousef (2013) of The Daily Star – Lebanon, Fly Dubai is increasing its fleet with new aircraft. To be noted, when the company started in 2009, they inked a deal with Boeing for 40 aircraft worth $3.74 million. There are still 20 373 or 800 models that should be delivered to Fly Dubai to complete the 50 fleet order of the airline company.  As part of its expansion and growth, Fly Dubai also intends to offer business class service to its consumers, aside from its regular economy seats (Al Rabiya, 2013).

            With the growing number of emerging low-cost airlines in the region, FlyDubai competes heavily with both international and local airline carriers. Parallel competitors of the company include the Air Arabia, which is from Sharjah, UAE, and the Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways (Yousef, 2013). After its launch in 2009, the airline company has enjoyed a good response from consumers and they are looking forward to both horizontal and vertical expansions and growth.

Product/Service Offerings

            Fly Dubai started out as a low-cost airline offering economy seats only, but they have also entered the business sector with the business seats offering. The combination of these offerings creates an inclusive network for the company to compete with the established airways of the region, both regional and international, and with low-cost airlines. This is a forward direction taken by the company which is complimented with the expansion of its fleet.

            The Business Class seats or offerings of the company is part of the renovation of the Boeing 737s of the company. Business class seats are exceptionally comfortable and spacious, according to www.flydubai.com. The Business Class offering is also coupled with special services such as speedy check in and security on departure to ensure that busy people are kept at best without wasting time.  In the same manner, the Business Class includes special meals with a wide selection wine and drinks. Aside from the regular ordinary and business offerings of the company, Fly Dubai also has 30% off return flight fares for special destinations. These are all-year-round offerings that encourage travelers to fly with the airline to and forth their destination. Moreover, the airline also offers entertainment packages for travelers to enjoy from while they are crossing regions.

            Together with the flying services and offerings of the company, Fly Dubai also offers services through its partners in payment, bus transportation, accommodation, travel insurance, and even in UAE visas. Nonetheless, for companies that are wanting for fast delivery of their cargoes, Fly Dubai offers the flydubai Cargo as its division that will ensure cargoes of goods are delivered properly and safely. Fly Dubai Cargo caters general, perishable, valuable, mail, and courier cargo deliveries to destinations across airports where Fly Dubai operates.

Growth of Fly Dubai

            When Fly Dubai entered the airline industry in 2009, it's future was still uncertain amidst the intense competition of the market. However, the airline company has proven that it has what it takes to ensure a good place in the industry. Today, the company is moving forward across horizontal plans of increasing the company's fleet and vertical plans of catering to other segments of the market.

            Primarily, the success of Fly Dubai can be traced to its establishment and formation. Fly Dubai is established by the Government of Dubai as the emirate's flagship airline. It is necessary to note that Fly Dubai defines the people of the emirate and the people find attachment with the airline also. In this scenario, cultural pride takes a great part of the success of Fly Dubai. It is obvious that people of Dubai would choose Fly Dubai because of their attachment to the flagship. And of course, it is also important to note that the airline is supported by The Emirates Group. This provides the airline a good advantage in capitalization and the knowledge on how to capture the market.

            Second, low-cost airlines are greatly appreciated in the region. According to the report of Ivan Gale (2010) of The National, low-cost airlines allow more people to travel across the region. This is a very important part of the growth of the company. As the company offers low-cost and affordable flights to consumers, consumers also tend to fly more often. In the value of reciprocity, Fly Dubai gets the most of its segment. Because people would want to travel with less expense, choosing a low-cost airline is the best option possible. This is the truism of Ghaith Al Ghaith (CEO) of Fly Dubai: “Our objective was to make air travel more accessible and offer real value for passengers.”

            Third, according to Gale (2010), Fly Dubai has been very aggressive and diplomatic in its “efforts to gain traffic rights in a region long considered to be protective and restrictive” to ensure that the airline can fly to these destinations, thereby increasing the total flights and passengers of the airline. Fly Dubai has been in great negotiations with restrictive and protective regions such as India. They don't want to lose opportunity in capturing a market that is booming and has great potential in adding value to the airline company.

            Fourth, the growth of Fly Dubai can be seen in the way it handles its product mixes and how it handles change in the market. The airline does not just offer convenience and entertainment to its business class seats (which is opened lately). This means that passengers of the economy seats can also enjoy the benefit of the services and offerings of the company. Fly Dubai wants to ensure that they are giving quality flying experience to consumers to ensure that they will fly back with the airline for the return flight.

Problems and Challenges Faced by Fly Dubai

            One of the major problems and challenges faced by Fly Dubai is the competition with well-established airlines. The late entry of Fly Dubai in the airline industry becomes a risk for the company. The Dubai International Airport caters more than 100 airlines that fly everyday from the airport to destinations across the planet (Schulte-Peevers, 2010). This means that Fly Dubai must cut the market share of these big airlines to ensure its place in the industry.

            Yet, Fly Dubai must also keep up with the demand of the industry. The limited fleet of the company is translated to limited and sometimes fractured flights. It is necessary for the company to increase its engagement and market penetration by increasing its flights and fleet. As the market grows in number (as noted earlier that more people are flying through airlines), Fly Dubai needs to capture the advantage to ensure a competitive point. This means that the company has to continually reinvent itself to meet demands of competition and of the changing market.

Conclusion

            Fly Dubai is still a new entrant of the industry compared to its multinational competitors with decades of experience and a reputation to boast. But right now, the airline company can be considered as one of the industry's leaders. Fly Dubai has carved out itself as a good airline company that can deliver and compete with both local and international competitors. The direction of the company is certainly forward to ensure that they can compete with new demands. This is why the company is focusing on negotiating with their new aircraft that should be added to the current fleet. This will ensure that the company captures the market and keeps their pace in it.

Recommendations

            Based on the following analysis and review of Fly Dubai, the following recommendations are provided for consideration:

Ø  Fly Dubai should increase its fleet. Although the company is still looking forward to the delivery of 20 more aircraft from Boeing, it is necessary to ink another deal that will secure the company a steady growth afterward. The company cannot just rely on its relatively small size of fleet for its steady growth in the future.

Ø  Diverse seats offerings. Aside form economy and business class seats, the company should look at other market segments. For instance, for families that are flying for vacations across the region, Fly Dubai can offer family class cabins. By looking at what market segments need, Fly Dubai will not be stagnant in just the economy and business class seats offerings.

Ø  Fly Dubai Cargo must be increased. Looking at the success of Fly Dubai, the focus will be drawn to passengers. It is time for Fly Dubai to compete with big airlines with the cargo division.

References:

Al Rabiya. (2013). Low-cost airline Flydubai plans business class seats. Retrieved from             http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/aviation-and-transport/2013/06/19/Low-cost-airline-           Flydubai-plans-business-class-seats.html

Gale, I. (2010). Fast-growing flydubai keeps up its speed. The National. Retrieved from             http://www.thenational.ae/business/fast-growing-flydubai-keeps-up-its-speed

Lonely Planet. (2010). Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula Country Regional Guides. Lonely Planet.

Schulte-Peevers, A. (2010). Dubai. Ediz. Inglese City Guide. Lonely Planet.

Yousef, D. (2013). Boeing, Airbus square off over FlyDubai deal. The Daily Star. Retrieved from             http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Middle-East/2013/Jul-05/222591-boeing-airbus-square-       off-over-flydubai-deal.ashx#axzz2YgrMj9Q9

Part 2 – Lipton Brand Positioning

Part 2 – Lipton

           As a leader in the tea market and industry, Lipton has been aggressive in its marketing strategies to ensure competitive advantage. However, there are important things that must be resolved by the organization to avoid market decline due to the current surge of new regional and multinational market players. Of course, Lipton understands the need of timely changes and reactions in the market. And these reactions must be anchored on the following important issues:

* Low Foreign Sales. As much as Lipton works to capture the global tea industry, it fails to gain traction and strength in foreign sales, as noted by the PEST analysis of this paper (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). The US market is undoubtedly one of the most important markets to gain strength, but the US market alone cannot be considered as the biggest market at par with the global market for tea products. As mentioned above, a quarter of Lipton sales comes from the US market, and other regions only contribute the rest. This means that regional market sales of Lipton are not that impressive in ratio with the US sales.

* Failure to Meet Whole Population Demand. It is important to note that Lipton's competitors are aggressive in their marketing, while Lipton is relaxed about it. Nestea targets the entire population, rather than just a segment market as done by Lipton and Snapple. Yet, Lipton is left in the middle. While Nestea targets the entire population, Snapple targets a clearer segment of the market. But Lipton does not define its real target – the whole population or a market segment of weight loss, or any other. When an organization fails to acknowledge its right market, it results to relaxed marketing strategies.

* Lack of Foreign Manufactures. With its lack of foreign factories and plants, Lipton has to import raw tea products from across different plantations around the world. This means that Lipton's prices are dependent on the economic and political stability of these nations. As a result, the marketing strategies of the company have to change in response to these factors.

Brand Positioning

            As noted in this paper, Lipton's marketing strategies have been focused on capturing the middle segments of the market [and it also tries to fight with Snapple in the upper segments]. Being a leader in the tea industry, Lipton has the right to maintain its position in these two levels of the market, with focus on the middle. However, as the market changes, it is time for Lipton to confront Nestea which captures the whole population. This inclusive brand positioning followed by Nestea is easily eroding the market for Lipton because it reaches greater number of consumers.

            It is necessary for Lipton to have a better personality because perception of consumers affect buying behavior and brand position (Demiray & Sever, 2011). Analyzing the current personality of Lipton, it can likened to as an aristocratic person who does not know how to behave in the upper class society, yet cannot find footing the middle class. This means that Lipton becomes a global eye for discrimination. And what Lipton fails to do, Nestea does, and Nestea does it too well to capture the lower stratum of the market, and even capturing the next two levels.

            Simply, Lipton must be inclusive because its competitors which also offer the same brand attributes such as health and wellness concepts are being inclusive. [The lower and middle class strata of the market are the strongest and the biggest compositions of any food company for luxury of the upper class can solely applied on luxury industries only such as cars.] This means that Lipton must include all members of the whole population as its market segments.

            However, it is important to note that this brand positioning strategy should be embraced by Lipton at the expense of its products quality, which had been its asset for several years. It only means making the Lipton product more inclusive by making them affordable through various strategies such as smaller bottles or product. This would make Lipton more appealing to foreign market, especially those in developing countries. With this new strategy, Lipton will be able to improve its marketing impact in foreign markets, and increasing its strength in these markets the same way Lipton has in the US market.

            In the same manner, by making Lipton inclusive, the company also needs to work on its foreign sales through the same strategy. It is time for Lipton to reach out to its market and resolve the problem of lack of foreign manufactures. By making Lipton more domestic [view of the foreign sales], consumers of the foreign market would find themselves acquainted with the product. It must be noted that Lipton's success in the US market can be traced to the relationship of the consumers and the product. They find themselves duly attached to the production and creation of Lipton. This is an important competency that Lipton should replicate in its other foreign markets.

            In fact, if we look closely at the strengths of Lipton in the US market, the attachment of Lipton with local cultures and tastes is undeniable. This means that Lipton understands the way the US market behaves, but it failed to adopt the same competency in its foreign markets. Nonetheless, the foreign sales of Lipton can be improved through initiatives to improve consumers' perception on health and wellness.

Marketing Mix

            This marketing mix will help Lipton to capture and realize its brand positioning goals and objectives. It is necessary to understand that the marketing mix must encapsulate the entire organization and that it can carried on some aspects of the organization.

Product Related. As much as Lipton products are known for their “healthy” features, it is time to expand the attribute of the company. Rather than just being “healthy”, Lipton products must be really for health. By stressing the ingredients behind each product, Lipton is emphasizing the need of buying the product for those who “need” it, and not just for those who “want” to enjoy the tea product. Through this, Lipton can differentiate itself from competitor brands and products that are also stressing on its “healthy” features. For instance, rather than emphasizing on the flavor of Lemon and the healthy ingredients of Lemon as added on the tea product, Lipton can stress on the health benefits of Lemon's Vitamin C. This a direct difference from the way other healthy products see it. Through this, Lipton becomes proactive in delivering to consumers what they need at the moment. As with the example, Vitamin C helps to fight off harmful elements and bacterias by improving immune system.

            In the same manner, Lipton has to work on new products that really introduce weight loss market consumers to innovative solutions. The weight loss market is a very big US market segment that still needs to be met. Of course, Snapple is already in the market segment, but Snapple is focused on the upper market. Lipton can introduce products that include Reducol or other cholesterol-fighting elements, or weight-fighting ingredients to its inclusive markets, rather than just the upper segments.

Price. As noted above, the problem with the low foreign sales can be traced to the price of Lipton products. Although Lipton products are affordable, but affordability is a relative term. In fact, even in the US market, Lipton is focused on the middle and upper class only, and the question is how much more with other markets? It is very important for Lipton to make its price tag appealing to all members of the whole market population.

            By making miniproducts, Lipton can achieve higher market penetration and reach out low-income consumers (Dayal-Gulati & Jain, 2010). Through this formulation, Lipton does not need to reduce its price and quality, but it just needs to pro-rata the miniproduct with the right prices. This way, Lipton products become more affordable to the lower stratum of the market, and this also allows the company to be more inclusive. At the same time, Lipton can compete with Nestea and other competitors that are capturing the whole market population.

Promotion/Advertising. Lipton already has a strong promotion and advertising schemes and strategies. But with the change of the product stress, the advertising of the company should also change. First, it has to stress on the health benefits of the product. It is recommended for Lipton to education consumers on the health benefits of their products as noted above with the Lipton Lemon flavored-tea. Employment of authorities in health will be good to be included in the advertising and promotions of the company. This can be a good compliment to the employment of various celebrities.

            Second, Lipton must work closely with its packaging to ensure that they correspond to the new formulation of strategies. The stress on the ingredients' health benefits must be embedded in the packaging of Lipton products. It is very important to work on the different ways to educate people within the health benefits of Lipton products.

Channels. By keeping the company's distribution channel within the company alone, Lipton is not able to reach out to the market's inner sections. It is recommended for Lipton to create better distribution networks by allowing other companies to market their products to other sections of the market. This is an important value especially with its foreign markets. This will reduce the company's expenses and this will ensure that products reach to consumers in timely manner. In foreign markets, outskirts and the sections of the market are not usually reached due to the urban market distribution strategy of Lipton. With the aid of third parties, rural markets can be penetrated.

References:

812 Foreign Commerce and Aid U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011        Table 1307. U.S. Exports and General Imports by Selected SITC Commodity Groups: 2000 to             2009. (n.d.). U.S Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2013, from          http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s1307.pdf

Dayal-Gulati, A. & Jain, D. (2010). Winning Strategies for the Indian Market. Northwestern University     Press.

Demiray, U. & Sever, S. (2011). Marketing Online Education Programs: Frameworks for Promotion         and Communication. Idea Group Inc (IGI).

HR Passport Management

HR Passport Management

Task 1. Methodology

Title of the Research: Efficiency and Establishment of the Passport HR Management System

            To test the efficiency and effectiveness of the HR Passport Management system and to develop an HR Passport Management Services section, this study uses specific methods and frameworks to achieve the objectives of the study. It is necessary to evaluate the current procedures and processes that are followed by the organization in handling the passport and visa information of its overseas employees to see how effective and advanced the system at the moment and to note what are the necessary approaches to be used in automating and creating a systematic HR Passport Services section to streamline human resources department responsibilities.

Population and Sampling
            This study seeks to review the Passport Services section of the HR department of the organization. This will also evaluate the satisfaction of employees within an organization concerning the current procedures and processes followed in its Passport Services section. For the sake of convenience of the study, random sampling will be used in choosing members of the study sample. There will be five HR departments that will be evaluated with regards to Passport Service section, and 20 employees will be tested to have an overview of the effectiveness and efficiency of the study.

Data Collection

            In order to collect necessary information from the sample, this researcher will use the following data collection methods and tools.

Personal Interviews. This will include interviews of the HR department heads and staffs to know the current system and processes used by the organization. This will also provide an overview of the satisfaction of the HR department with their current setting.

System Observation and Analysis of Written Records. For the evaluation of the system, this study seeks to review the records of the department to see how their Passport Service section works.

Survey Questionnaire. Questionnaires will be provided to employees of the organization to evaluate their satisfaction with the current Passport Services section.

Data Analysis

            The research uses past empirical studies of the subject to form logic of the study. Combination of the qualitative and quantitative research approaches will be used to achieve the specific goals and objectives of the study. Social life and context is an important part of this study and the research has to deal with this requirement through qualitative research approach. On the other hand to generate and analyze numerical information, the research works on a more objective and detached approach of quantitative research.

Task 2 Timeline/Code of Ethics

Week 1. Conceptualization of the research study to develop a schematic framework that will be followed in conducting the research study. It is necessary to create an ad hoc conceptual framework that can be easily revised and edited from time to time as new strategies and methods will be introduced to broaden this study and make it more reliable and dependable.

Week 2. Background creation will commence after the conceptualization of the study. This will involve the study of various empirical studies and past literature that will provide strength and rationale of the study. This is an important part of the study to set the tone of importance and necessity to conduct the said study.

Week 3. The next phase would be communication with the five organizations whose HR departments will be evaluated as subjects of the study. Written requests be made to these organizations with an explanation on how the study will ensure that no ethical error will be committed. In the same manner, this study will also complete the necessary tools such as interview questions and survey questionnaires that will be used in the study.

Week 4 – 6. This phase will commence with the interviews of the staffs and heads of the HR department, provided that the preceding step is completed and written permissions from the organization managements are provided. This will also include the evaluation of processes and procedures followed by the organization by looking at the written records of the Passport Service section or the HR department. Survey questionnaires will also be given to random samples of the study to complete entire data collection process.

Week 7-8. After data are collected and curated, it is time to analyze them according to their importance to the study. This will include the different approaches that will be used to analyze the data or information. To ensure that the data analysis is free from bias and erroneous results, the researcher aims to be detached of the study and to maintain transparency on the process.

Week 9. Interpretation/Recommendations. At the end of the study, the researcher will be interpreting the collected and analyzed data. It is necessary to keep into account the truthfulness of the data interpretation to the data analysis to avoid wrongful conclusions. In the same manner, this study will also focus on the different recommendations that will be made by the researcher after the data interpretation.

Ethical Considerations

            As much as study is going to deal with people, directly through interviews and indirectly through observations, this study will also deal with the ethical considerations of the study. The following requirements and considerations will be given importance in this study:

Consent Forms/Written Permits. This study will not be proceed without the written consent or permits from organizations that will be part of the study. As much as the researcher aims to complete the study, courtesy is still an important part because the study will be opening records and practices of the company into scrutiny and disclosure.

Personal Concerns of Samples. Emotional distress and the fear of reprisals from management are important considerations. Staffs and employees may have fear that if they report some errors of the organizations practices, the management may take back against them and may fire them. To avoid this, employees that will be subjected in this study will be kept in anonymity. Confidentiality is an important part of this study and the researcher aims to keep records, names, and other pertinent information on the samples of the study safe from disclosure.

Intrusion. As much as possible, the researcher aims to observe, do interviews, and questionnaires without intrusion and hindering the normal procedure and flow of the organization's day-to-day operations. This means that the researcher will only conduct the data collection at the most convenient time to avoid this disruptions.

Changes. Nonetheless, the researcher also understands that the frameworks, concepts, methods, and such other concerns may be changed, revised, or tweaked; however, the researcher seeks to be truthful to the hypothesis composition of the study to avoid any unnecessary twists and changes of the study's core components in the middle of the study to suit the convenience of the researcher or to comply with the demands of the data or information.

Task 3 Analysis/Interpretation/Recommendations

Analysis of the Study

            Based on the five organizations being studied, only four have clear Passport Services section, while the other one maintains aids to employees regarding passport renewal and visa follow-ups, but the organization does not have a clear Passport Services section that solely focuses on this task.

            Out of the 40 staffs and heads of HR departments from five organizations, it was found out that 29% are not satisfied with their current systems, processes and procedures followed for the passport services and concerns. And 81% of the staffs are satisfied with their current setting.

Satisfaction of Employees
Visa Renewal Request (notifications)	64%
Residency Visa Application Support	35%
Passport for New Employees	46%
Release of Passports	87%
Medical Support	48%

Table 1: Satisfaction of Employees

            Out of the 100 employees being interviewed, Table 1 shows the satisfaction among them. The support of the Passport Services section or the HR department for the visa renewal is deemed 64% satisfaction percentage. While for the residency visa application support, satisfaction of employees is 35%; for passport of new employees, 45% said they receive support, and for releasing of passports, organizations tend to provide 87% satisfaction rate. However, for the medical supports, the satisfaction rate is 48%.

Interpretations of the Study

            This study finds out that not all organizations have a specific Passport Services section from its HR department to work on the passports, visa renewal, and such other foreign document supports. The study reports that out of 5, there will be one organization (approx) that does not have such section. This means that organization only relies on a scattered network of supports for their Passport services. This is a statement to organization's commitment in ensuring that employees have the best means to travel or stay in the country of occupation. And this is a testament of the organization's command to secure that they retain valuable human capital or assets.

            In the same manner, the researchers sees that not all staffs and heads of HR departments are satisfied with the current system that they follow. This means that within the internal network of the HR department, staffs know that there is something wrong with the current setting or setup and it is necessary to do something to ensure that this error is properly resolved. In the same manner, with the satisfied staffs, most of them are those who are at the top positions of the HR department, and the dissatisfaction is common among the lowest members of the department.

            According to Table 1, the satisfaction of employees regarding the support of the organization on the renewal of visas, application of passports, and medical supports does not reach 100%. It is to be noted that the lowest satisfaction among employees concerns the residency visa application. This means that several organizations do not actually support their employees in obtaining a residency visa that could have made their employee's stay in the country easier and better. Yet, we see that most organizations would support their employees in getting passports for the first time. This means that they want their employees to be ready when necessary revamp or assignment in overseas would be needed.

Recommendations

            After conducting the analysis of the data and the interpretation, the researcher finds that following recommendations to be necessary in creating an effective and efficient Passport Services, and HR department.

Ø  Establishment of a Real and Functioning Passport Services Section. Most HR departments don't actually have a Passport Services section, rather they just rely on a person or two to do this task randomly and when time needs. By creating a real Passport Services section, the organization will be able to ensure that all tasks and responsibilities associated with passports and visas will be attended to avoid deportation of valuable human capital due to expired Visa or the delay of human capital transfer to another branch outside the country due to passport failure. The creation of the Passport Services section will ensure that all aspects of the organization's human capital will be attended by the HR department.

Ø  Creation of a Trusted System. While HR departments support passport and visa concerns, but they don't have a clear systematic network that automates the process. Instead of relying on a scattered network of people and tasks, HR department should outline a system that will automate the follow-ups of visa renewal, visa application, and other concerns. Installation of HR software that will automate the process will enhance the process of Passport issues.

Ø  Integral Support. The problem with most HR departments is they only support some services and concerns of the visa and support matters. Instead, the Passport Services section should ensure that the integral needs of employees are met. The organization should not be discriminatory in supporting employees regarding these concerns due to the logical rational that there are supports and services that will not be beneficial to the organization. By supporting the overall demands of employees, it is easier for organization to move them from time to time as needs be. In long-run, this will also ensure that employees are satisfied with the way the organization supports them.