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Introduction To Business Operations & Management Assignment
The module illustrates business operation and management in different departments of an organization. Human resources, administration, corporate governance, and supply chain activities are some of the topics that illustrate the module. The module also covers marketing and organizational strategies. There are several ways of establishing a small business which have been presented in the module. There are several marketing strategies such as the 4 P's of marketing and creating a marketing plan has also been illustrated in the module. Eventually, the module will also include a synopsis of the technological process that has allowed small businesses to establish their presence in different markets and sectors. The Module is relevant to my field of studies as I am pursuing a business management course at a university. The courses and topics included in my academic field included human resource activities, supply chain management, and other operational activities that are implemented in an organization. I have an in-depth focus on learning operational and organizational activities that are required in day-to-day operations in a particular organization. The module provides a brief knowledge of the organization's operational process which enables it to gather information and ideas about operational management. Therefore, I have assumed that the module courses and topics are relevant to me.
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Reflection of semester
There are several areas such as the operational efficiency of an organization, human resources, quality control policies, and supply chain activities which are covered in the module. Before starting this module I had limited knowledge of the operational, human resource, and supply chain areas in an organization. I knew human resources as I knew the operational activity in human resources is to recruit and select candidates based on their skills and expertise. I did not know quality control policies before starting this module (Zurich and Documentation, 2018). According to my view, quality control is improving and managing the quality of the goods and products that are manufactured in an organization.
On the other hand, I had certain knowledge about supply chain activities and operations. Various technologies and strategies are used in supply chain operations. This is one of the additional pieces of knowledge that I gathered before the initiation of this module. However, with the progress of this module, I have gathered numerous information on operations and management in an organization. The module has conveyed in-depth knowledge regarding different strategies that are used in organizations for executing their operational activity. Certain marketing analysis tools are used by organizations in analyzing their internal strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats. This is one of the strategies that I have learned from the module. The module also provides data and information about small businesses and the process they initiate in establishing their business. During the initiation stage of the module, I had limited knowledge about the types of technologies that are used by business organizations in handling their operation. There are certain technologies such as AI and automation that allow organizations to enhance their operational effectiveness (Barnes, 2018). I had limited knowledge about social media in the business field. The module has provided immense knowledge of various social media strategies that are used for marketing purposes. Content marketing, advertisement, and celebrity endorsement are some of the social media strategies that are enacted by the majority of businesses in gaining a customer base (Olsen and Tomlin, 2020). Social media strategies are some additional knowledge that I have gathered by pursuing this module. The module has also demonstrated several factors that impact customer buying behavior and the technologies that are used to analyze customer trends and buying behavior in different sectors. This is additional information I have gained apart from operation and management in an organization.
There is certain information that has surprised me as I analyzed that technologies also result in failure for the business. The module also illustrates that several businesses implement advanced and updated technology on their work floor however the lack of maintenance results in incorrect data for the business. Shortage of financial resources is one of the reasons that results in failure for certain businesses in distinct sectors (Kumar, 2022). Sustainability is one of the areas for a particular business that influences the brand image and reputation of the business. Before the module, I did not know about sustainability. This is another surprising element for me that I have pursued from the present module. Sustainability has a key role in creating business plans for several organizations (Reid and Sanders, 2019). Another surprising element that I have analyzed is sustainability not only impacts the internal operations of a business but also the external environment. Several organizations have faced criticism due to negative sustainability practices that have resulted in issues and challenges for those corporations in establishing their business (Slack and Brandon-Jones, 2018). There are certain factors that result in negative impacts if sustainability is not practiced in an organization such as carbon emissions and greenhouse gas.
Semester 2 - Reflections & Continued Development
Challenges faced while introducing the business management module
The challenges that have been noticed while the business management module was introduced were regarding various issues that are associated with the management of the organization. I found that effective communication with the employees is the biggest challenge. Thus, the leadership faces issues while communicating effectively with the employees. Confronting the employees regarding the issues that have been observed in the performance of the organizations. I have noticed that at times there are challenges that are faced by business managers while hiring the right employees for the organization. Most importantly, challenges in managing the conflicts that are arisen within the team become pretty difficult to manage in making them understand that it will harm the performance of the organization. I understood while I was going through the module of business management that these are the areas that require effort in making the employees understand that these challenges will harm the organization.
Knowledge used in developing understanding regarding business management
While I was introduced to the business management model some areas require to be developed in understanding business management. The knowledge that I have gathered from semester 1 regarding communication and negotiation requires to be made by the managers of the department with the employees and the clients that they are working with (Zhang, 2022). The knowledge that has been gained in Semester 1 has helped in semester 2 regarding the importance of leadership. This way, leadership helps in the growth of the organization and helps in the required development of the organization. The importance of networking has helped in understanding that I might get an opportunity of meeting various people at different levels who might help provide certain tips that will be beneficial for the organization. Semester 1 has taught me the importance of project management that is important in the organization as it helps every part of the organization to run efficiently without any hindrances. Moreover, it helps in guiding the team to focus on their work rather than getting distracted from their work. The most important factor that has been learned in Semester 1 that is pretty effective in semester 2 is the financial management which happens to be an important part of business management.
The knowledge helped in improving the overall understanding of business management
The knowledge that I have gained in both semesters has helped me not only to understand the subject well. It has helped me in getting the concepts clear regarding business management. Moreover, it has been observed that while I joined an SME as a business management intern, where I worked for four different weeks. The knowledge I gained while I was working with the accounts department of the organization is the best way that is adopted by the organization in acquiring and managing funds for the organization (Naim, 2022). While working with the marketing team, I have understood the way the marketing managers promote the product of the organization. The best possible way is adopted by the managers in understanding the competitive advantage of the other organizations. Thus, the nitty-gritty of marketing has been clear to me. The project management team has helped in understanding the best way that every part of the project can be used and functioned smoothly. My working experiences have helped me clear the concepts of the subjects that I have been taught in Semester 1 and semester 2.
The area of the topic that has been enjoyed most
The topics that have been taught in both semester has Were pretty interesting for me, as I had an opportunity of learning something new every day that I was not aware of. Among them, the subject that I have enjoyed the most is the operational efficiency of the organization. The importance of operational efficacy has helped in understanding the ability that the organization has in reducing waste of the organization. At the same time, I was amazed to learn the way the organization is being able to provide high-quality services (Kurbonaliyevna, 2022). Most importantly, I found the HR strategies of the organization very interesting such as it deals with the various skill sets of the employees and placing them in their required departments. They also assess the talent strategy and decide the quality that must be present within the employee to work in the organization. These two subjects have been the most interesting factors that I have learned.
Topics that require to be developed and learn more
Although the topics that have been taught in the semesters have been pretty interesting, there were certain topics that I found to be pretty challenging that required continuous understanding and more development. I need revision rather than development on the supply chain logistics of the organization (Feuerriegel et al., 2022). A few places such as the coordination between the storage and the shipping of the goods across the supply chain require to be clear which will help me in understanding the way the supply chain management of the organization works. Most importantly. I feel that the quality control policies require to be clear the way quality control sets the procedures that will ensure that the quality of the product adheres to certain standards.
The ways to develop learning and understanding of these areas
I feel that the best possible way I can learn or develop the areas where I feel that require improvement is to take guidance from an expert either in my learning areas. However, I feel that the best way I can develop my knowledge in the following areas is to join a company as an intern. The practical knowledge will help me in clearing the areas which I found to be difficult (Aggarwal, 2022). The senior or the expert in the supply chain department will help me in clearing the process from storage to transportation. Similarly, the expert in the quality control department will help in understanding the factors that are kept in mind while setting the standards for the criteria that the product has to follow.
Conclusion
I have gathered numerous experiences while writing the self-reflection report. During conducting the self-reflection report I have identified several reasons which lead to barriers for a company in establishing their business. I have gained knowledge of sustainability and different social media marketing activities. Before the module, I did not know about social media marketing activities and creating business plans. This is one of the experiences I have gained from the module. Writing self-reflection has also helped in making connections between theory and practicality. I have also experienced that I can make sense of material and experiences by reflecting on myself and others, and the circumstances that produced the material and experiences.
Through self-reflection, I can assess my strengths and limitations and create a path toward a positive self-evaluation that, crucially, includes talking about any shortcomings. This enables me to evaluate my learning, encourages ownership over certain work for improvement, and aids in tracking my accomplishments and progress. With writing self-reflection, I will be more engaged in class and will help concepts stick with me for a longer amount of time if I encourage myself to reflect on my work. In this sense, self-reflection is great for looking back on learning since it keeps my thoughts busy and helps me remember things better.
References
- Aggarwal, V., 2022. Research Journal of Economics and Business Management.
- Barnes, D., 2018. Operations management: an international perspective. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Feuerriegel, S., Shrestha, Y.R., von Krogh, G. and Zhang, C., 2022. Bringing artificial intelligence to business management. Nature Machine Intelligence, 4(7), pp.611-613.
- Kumar, R., 2022. Operations management. Jyothis Publishers.
- Kurbonaliyevna, I.G., 2022. Theoretical And Methodological Foundations Of The Formation Of The Organizational And Economic Mechanism Of Business Management. Eurasian Journal of History, Geography and Economics, 9, pp.36-41.
- Naim, A., 2022. Role of Artificial Intelligence in Business Risk Management. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking, 1, pp.55-66.
- Olsen, T.L. and Tomlin, B., 2020. Industry 4.0: Opportunities and challenges for operations management. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 22(1), pp.113-122.
- Reid, R.D. and Sanders, N.R., 2019. Operations management: an integrated approach. John Wiley & Sons.
- Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A., 2018. Operations and process management: principles and practice for strategic impact. Pearson UK.
- Zhang, C., 2022. RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TEACHING. Psychiatria Danubina, 34(suppl 1), pp.656-658.
- Zurich, B.L.L. and Documentation, X., 2018. Service operations and management. Master of Science in Engineering, p.380.