Leadership Empowerment Principle Free Essays

The leader manifests an important role in each group or organization. He has the main objective of directing and leading the group towards the effective and efficient accomplishment and achievement of their tasks and common interest. He acts as the mediator and the source of power or command inside the group or organization for the management aspect of the diversity, individuality, and unity of each member for the processing and delegation of their different tasks and responsibilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Empowerment Principle or any similar topic only for you Order Now In general, the leader manifest as the core and central unit of the group making his the head element towards the realization and achievement of their common interest. In the contemporary perspective of group management, the aspect of leadership can be achieve and realize inside the group through different approaches each focusing on a certain aspect in the said aspect. Each leader is uniquely characterized by their specific style and nature of approach towards their purpose inside the group or organization. Every particular leader particularly focuses on a specific element on his leadership style which he views to be important and beneficial to the agenda of managing his group. This certain leadership style can be acknowledged through the realization of the elements he employs in managing his group and its influence to the effectiveness of their organization. In the aspect of realizing the leadership style for self-assessment, the author of this paper particularly examined specific points and elements for the assessment of his leadership style and the effectiveness of his approach. Based form the specific element highlighted in his approach, the author of this paper has realized the certain qualities in his leadership approach and the specific aspect he needs further development for greater effectiveness. From this assessment, the author of this paper has particularly learned the certain strength in his qualities namely the Chain of Command approach in leadership. In this quality, the author of this paper acknowledges that he finds certain strength in developing a sole authority for decision making and setting himself apart from the group for the chain of command. Through which that he is able to effectively manage his member and delegate the specific tasks necessary in their process. As also viewed in this assessment, the author of this paper also expresses interest in developing on the qualities of the centralized leadership particularly on developing group communication elements necessary for this approach. This leader particularly sees an opening for improvement in this aspect to develop an organization environment wherein he is a member but also the leader that directs everyone’s activities. Further on assessment, the author of this paper realizes that his style is best characterized as a partnership approach towards group management wherein aside from being the one with sole authority, he is also the supporter, coach and facilitator for each member’s activities. His style is to communicate and coordinate the activity of the group through imposing several tasks and responsibilities for each member particularly on the decision-making aspect. Thus, each member has their own tasks, responsibility, and specific decision taking part as co-leaders and members in the group. In particular, the author of this paper has the style of sharing the responsibility with the members and acting out as the supporter and facilitator for them. This style is also manifested by the author of this paper as part of his interest of developing a highly empowered leadership style in the group wherein the members are self-directed and has the full ownership of their tasks and most aspect of their jobs. The current approach of the author of this paper is mainly included as the initial step in developing the said approach wherein he is training the member to become independent on their responsibilities with the leader acting as the supporter and the coordinator for the organization tasks. This is mainly implemented on the interest of focusing more attention to the external forces and elements in the group as the members have already became self-directed and responsible for their group activity. Indeed, the leadership style and approach of each person is important as the effectiveness and efficiency of this aspect and the entire group process relies on the management and directing approach of their leader. Each style or approach has its respective element which is highlighted in the process towards the development of its effective application in the group. The effectiveness of this style relies on the characterizing factors and elements of the group, the issues that the organization must face, and the application approach of the leader which must be inclined towards the achievement and realization of the common good and interest of the entire organization. Bibliography Ohio Literacy Resources Center. Transformative Leadership: Leadership Development. http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Leadership/over2.htm#lead. November 30, 2007. Â   How to cite Leadership Empowerment Principle, Essay examples

Role of Effective Communication And Interpersonal Interaction

Question: Describe about The Role Of Effective Communication And Interpersonal Interaction As A Children's Nurse? Answer: Introduction to effective communication and interpersonal interaction in Childcare process The nursing practice works on different principles at different life-stages of their client that are childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The nursing care of children involves different aspects of caring, communicating, interactions and treatment processes. The children care to occur in the range of settings that involves hospitals, day care centres, childs home or child health clinics but the baseline of nursing care for children depends on the communication and interaction developed with children. Childhood is the developmental stage of life and any illness in this age leads to more drastic psychological and mental defects rather than physical, therefore, nurse caring for children need to have special skills to rescue this distress phase of childs life (Blais, 2015). The exceptional communication skills are the most essential attribute of nursing care involving effective ways to communicate with patients, co-workers, supervisors, subordinates, families and friends of children to build a strong interpersonal interaction as a health care professional. This strong interpersonal interaction at personal and professional level helps to reduce stress, promote wellness, enhance quality treatment and therefore, delivering best nursing care for children (Jones, 2012). Effective communication between nurse and patient is essential for the outcome of individual nursing care competency from the prospect of nurses as well as for the fulfilment of overall patient treatment requirements. Effective communication works as a tool for building interpersonal relationships when performing childcare (Brinkert, 2010). As per Dyadic Interpersonal Communication Model the two people involved in an interaction process work as sender and recipient or encoder and decoder. The models state that interpersonal interaction is a result of encoding and decoding process that is established by communication. Similarly effective nursing communication works as a tool for interaction between the nurse and patient leading to interpersonal interaction (Peate et al. 2014). Role of communication in Nurse-Children Interaction There is a fine line difference between telling and communicating because communication also involves listening process. Hence, effective communication in nursing care is a skill build to fill the communication gap between care center and patient. Being at the hospital is a crucial phase of childs life because they get psychologically disturbed while being at such place in life leading to anger, impatient, and stressful behavioural response. Here the effective communication works more than medication to control these psychological and mental modifications in childs attitude. The nurse should politely and patiently communicate to make children feel homely, comfortable and satisfied at care centers that will enhance the treatment process (Riesenberg et al. 2010). Children generally are not able to express their needs and suffering when compared to adults in the care process. But, it is observed that children share their feelings with nurses who communicate with them in a proper manner. As per Habermas critical theory, understanding the patient will surely help in understanding the treatment and nursing communication is a proper tool for this process. As children nurse the skills of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) also play a very importance role in understanding children with complex communication needs (CCN) (Mullan and Kothe, 2010). The effective nurse-children interaction also depends on the interpersonal interaction development with others like patient family, co-workers and supervisors as a professional nurse. If the nurse is not able to establish this interaction than there will be no effect of effective communication on the treatment process. For Example- If the children transmit his needs to nurse but the nurse is not able to interact and communicate this information to concerned healthcare provider than it automatically looses its effect on treatment (Peate et al. 2014). Role of interpersonal interaction as childrens Nurse The sensitive and responsive nursing interaction with children helps to fulfil the neurophysiological, psychological and physical development needs of children. Across different cultures, the caregiver and children relationship is always nurtured by warm, responsive, rich, positive and protective interaction because children cannot handle the environments that do not show competency with their threshold characteristics (Stewart, 2012). As per studies of the neurobiology of interpersonal development, the caregivers architects the human connections that lead to the brain development of the child because human connections construct neuronal connections (Peate et al. 2014). The establishment of interpersonal relationship not only helps in improving attachment with the patient but also with other people involved in caregiving process that involves co-workers, supervisor, doctors and family of the patient. The interpersonal interaction also works for children with disabilities by establishing the socio-emotional development of children. The parent-medicated developmental process is the most successful interpersonal interaction for treatment of the disabled child. In this interaction, the adults are indirectly involved to promote childs development and they are instructed by nurses on the activities to perform in the development process (Stewart, 2012). Along with this interpersonal interaction of nurses with Doctors and supervisor involved in the treatment of disabled child helps to understand and analyse the psychological, physical and emotional needs of such children. The nurse establishing an effective communication with children and further transmitting this information to higher care providers as well as their parents establishes an interpersonal interaction and better treatment processes (Jones, 2012). Conclusion The effective communication and interpersonal interaction performed by nurses work as key elements for better childrens development as well as treatment process to deliver quality care. The effective communication working as a tool for interpersonal interaction helps to build a strong, genuine, meaningful and hopeful relationships between nurse, patient, parents and other healthcare professionals. References Books Blais, K., (2015).Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives. USA: Prentice Hall. Peate, I., Wild, K. and Nair, M., (2014).Nursing Practice: Knowledge and Care. John Wiley Sons. Journals Brinkert, R., (2010). A literature review of conflict communication causes, costs, benefits and interventions in nursing.Journal of Nursing Management,18(2), pp.145-156. Jones, A., (2012). The foundation of good nursing practice: effective communication.Journal of Renal Nursing,4(1), pp.37-41. Mullan, B.A. and Kothe, E.J., (2010). Evaluating a nursing communication skills training course: The relationships between self-rated ability, satisfaction, and actual performance.Nurse education in practice,10(6), pp.374-378. Riesenberg, L.A., Leisch, J. and Cunningham, J.M., (2010). Nursing handoffs: a systematic review of the literature.AJN The American Journal of Nursing,110 (4), pp.24-34. Stewart, M. (2012). Communication, Children, and Cortisol. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 27(3), pp.214-215.

How to Use WordPress Geo Location Targeting 2 Plugins + Some Tips

Interested in using WordPress geo location data to personalize your website based on a users physical location?Geo location or geo targeting is very commonplace. It can be used for advertising, or to get highly-targeted content in front of the right audience. In other words, it enables you to target your websites experience, which can lead to more conversions.In this article, were going to dig deeper into how geo targeting works and how you can use it to your benefit on a website. Then well talk about WordPress geo location plugins and some best practices. Lets get to work! your IP address or information about nearby wireless networks.The point is, there are a ton of ways by which you can geo locate users, and you can use the data to great effect. For example, you can:Display ads to users in a specific cityShow highly-targeted posts to visitors depending on where they liveDisplay information about nearby events by pulling location dataOverall, the main advantage that geo location inf ormation gives you is its ability to show highly targeted content to users of interest. This means they get content thats more likely to engage them, and you might improve conversion rates along the way – a win-win!Two helpful WordPress geo location pluginsThere are a lot of ways to implement geo location on your website. However, since were talking about WordPress, the easiest approach is to use plugins to get the job done. Lets talk about two of our favorites and how they work.1. GEO my WordPress GEO my WordPress Author(s): Eyal FitoussiCurrent Version: 3.3Last Updated: May 31, 2019geo-my-wp.3.3.zip 90%Ratings 161,118Downloads WP 4.3+Requires The GEO my WordPress  plugin combines several functionalities related to locations. For one, it lets you add location tags to your content, whether its pages, posts, or custom post types. It can also identify your users locations and use this information to help them find the content they need.For example – imagine you re working on a real estate website and you want to add location tags to the properties youre showcasing. With GEO my WordPress you can do so, and create search forms to help users find properties based on their own location:This is just one application, though and since the plugin supports custom post types, you can add location tags to almost any type of content you can imagine.Key Features:Add location data to your pages, posts, and custom post types.Integrate WordPress with Google Maps or OpenStreetMap.Find the location of your users (with their consent!).Create location-based search forms.Overall, GEO my WordPress is an excellent pick if you want to publish content thats targeted for specific locations. It even works with WooCommerce, which opens up a lot of possibilities for your online store. If you want to read more about how to use the plugin, check out its documentation.2. GeoIP Detection GeoIP Detection Author(s): Yellow Tree (Benjamin Pick)Current Version: 2.12.0Last Updated: September 11, 2019geoip-detect.zip 98%Ratings 153,405Downloads WP 4.0+Requires GeoIP Detection works similarly to our previous pick in that it enables you to find your visitors location and target content specifically towards them. However, this particular plugin is much more targeted towards developers.What the plugin does is add a handful of functions and shortcodes you can use throughout your website to pull visitors IP addresses and show or hide content depending on the exact data.If you dont mind digging into your websites files and fiddling with code, this plugin can give you a lot of flexibility as to how you want to implement geo targeting. For example, you could configure your online store to automatically choose a currency based on your visitors location, and more.Key Features:Adds five unique geo location functions to WordPress.You can display or hide any type of content depending on a users location.However, its worth noting that if youre not somewhat exper ienced with PHP, using this plugin may induce a headache or two. Even so, you can easily  check out the functions the plugin adds to WordPress and what they do.When to use geo location (and how to do it effectively)Geo location can be incredibly useful, but its also not the kind of functionality every website needs. For example, if youre running a blog, there arent a lot of situations where pulling your visitors location makes sense (unless its for marketing purposes).In general, people can be kind of skittish about sharing location data online. Its an incredibly common practice nowadays, but it still pays to be respectful about the way you use geo location.Weve already explored some examples of websites where implementing geo location makes sense, such as:Online storesReal estate websitesLocal business listingsIn those cases, you can improve your websites functionality by refining the results you show based on location. A great starting point is to use an analytics tool to get a comprehensive breakdown of where your sites audience is located.Armed with this data, you can figure out local search trends for the specific geographic regions where you want to improve conversions. This is important because creating highly targeted content for a broad audience is time intensive. What you need to do is think about where your efforts can have the largest impact, and focus there!ConclusionThe idea of geo targeting can be intimidating. However, this technology presents you with a lot of benefits. The more targeted your content is, the better your chances of engaging your audience and getting them to convert.As for how to implement geo location in WordPress, the easiest way is to use plugins, and here are two top options:GEO my WordPress:  With this plugin, you can add location tags to your content using the editor.GeoIP Detection:  If youd rather get your hands dirty, this plugin adds several geo location functions to WordPress. Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

The Effects of War on the Environment

The Effects of War on the Environment The natural environment has been a strategic element of war since the first rock was thrown by the first cave dweller. The armies of ancient Rome and Assyria, to ensure the total capitulation of their enemies, reportedly sowed salt into the cropland of their foes, making the soil useless for farming- an early use of military herbicide, and one of the most devastating environmental effects of war. But history also provides lessons in eco-sensitive warfare. The Bible, in Deuteronomy 20:19, stays the hand of the warrior to minimize wars impact on nature and men alike: When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? War and the Environment: Weve Been Lucky so Far War is waged differently today, of course, and has widespread environmental impacts that last far longer. The technology has changed, and the potential effects of the technology are very different, says Carl Bruch, co-director of international programs at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C. Bruch, who is also the co-author of The Environmental Consequences of War: Legal, Economic, and Scientific Perspectives, notes that modern chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare has the potential to wreak unprecedented environmental havoc that, fortunately, we havent seen- yet. This is a great threat, Bruch says. But in some cases, precision weapons and other technological advances can shield the environment by targeting key facilities, leaving other areas relatively unscathed. You could make the argument that these weapons have the ability to minimize collateral damage, says Geoffrey Dabelko, director of the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Its Local: the Impact of War Today Warfare today also occurs infrequently between independent nations; more often, armed conflict breaks out between rival factions within a nation. These localized civil wars, according to Bruch, are usually beyond the reach of international treaties and bodies of law. Internal conflict is viewed as a matter of sovereignty- an internal matter, he says. As a result, environmental damage, like human rights violations, occurs unchecked by outside organizations. Though skirmishes, armed conflicts, and open warfare vary tremendously by region and by weapons used, the effects of war on the environment usually involve the following broad categories. Habitat Destruction and Refugees Perhaps the most famous example of habitat devastation occurred during the Vietnam War  when U.S. forces sprayed herbicides like Agent Orange on the forests and mangrove swamps that provided cover to guerrilla soldiers. An estimated 20 million gallons of herbicide were used, decimating about 4.5 million acres in the countryside. Some regions are not expected to recover for several decades. Additionally, when warfare causes the mass movement of people, the resulting impacts on the environment can be catastrophic. Widespread deforestation, unchecked hunting, soil erosion, and contamination of land and water by human waste occur when thousands of humans are forced to settle in a new area. During the Rwandan conflict in 1994, much of that countrys Akagera National Park was opened to refugees; as a result, local populations of animals like the roan antelope and the eland became extinct. Invasive Species Military ships, cargo airplanes, and trucks often carry more than soldiers and munitions; non-native plants and animals can also ride along, invading new areas and wiping out native species in the process. Laysan Island in the Pacific Ocean was once home to a number of rare plants and animals, but troop movements during and after World War II introduced rats that nearly wiped out the Laysan finch and the Laysan rail, as well as bringing in sandbur, an invasive plant that crowds out the native bunchgrass that local birds depend on for habitat. Infrastructure Collapse Among the first and most vulnerable targets of attack in a military campaign are the enemys roads, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure. While these dont form part of the natural environment, the destruction of wastewater treatment plants, for example, severely degrades regional water quality. During the 1990s fighting in Croatia, chemical manufacturing plants were bombed; because treatment facilities for chemical spills werent functioning, toxins flowed downstream unchecked until the conflict ended. Increased Production Even in regions not directly affected by warfare, increased production in manufacturing, agriculture and other industries that support a war effort can wreak havoc on the natural environment. During World War I, former wilderness areas of the United States came under cultivation for wheat, cotton, and other crops, while vast stands of timber were clear-cut to meet wartime demand for wood products. Timber in Liberia, oil in Sudan, and diamonds in Sierra Leone are all exploited by military factions. These provide a revenue stream that is used to buy weapons, says Bruch. Scorched Earth Practices, Hunting, and Poaching The destruction of your own homeland is a time-honored, albeit tragic, wartime custom. The term scorched earth originally applied to the burning of crops and buildings that might feed and shelter the enemy, but its now applied to any environmentally destructive strategy. To thwart invading Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), Chinese authorities dynamited a dike on the Yellow River, drowning thousands of Japanese soldiers- and thousands of Chinese peasants- while also flooding millions of square miles of land. Similarly, if an army crawls on its stomach, as is often says, then feeding an army often requires hunting local animals, especially larger mammals that often have lower rates of reproduction. In the ongoing war in Sudan, poachers seeking meat for soldiers and civilians have had a tragic effect on bush animal populations in Garamba National Park, just across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At one point, the number of elephants shrunk from 22,000 to 5,000, and there were only 15 white rhinos left alive. Biological, Chemical, and Nuclear Weapons The production, testing, transport and use of these advanced weapons is perhaps the single most destructive effects of war on the environment. Though their use has been strictly limited since the bombing of Japan by the U.S. military at the end of World War II, military analysts have grave concerns about the proliferation of nuclear material and chemical and biological weaponry. Weve been very fortunate that we have not seen the devastation that we might see, says Bruch. Researchers point to the use of depleted uranium (DU) as one particularly dangerous military trend. DU is a byproduct of the uranium-enrichment process. Almost twice as dense as lead, its valued in weapons for its ability to penetrate tank armor and other defenses. An estimated 320 tons of DU were used in the Gulf War in 1991; in addition to soil contamination, experts are concerned that soldiers and civilians may have been exposed to dangerous levels of the compound. How Environmental Problems Lead to War While the effects of war on the environment may be obvious, whats less clear are the ways that environmental damage itself leads to conflict. Factions in resource-poor countries like those in Africa, the Mideast, and Southeast Asia have historically used military force for material gain; they have few other options. Bruch explains that once armed conflict begins, soldiers and populations under siege must find immediate sources of food, water, and shelter, so theyre forced to adapt their thinking to short-term solutions, not long-term sustainability. This short-term desperation leads to a vicious cycle of conflict, followed by people who meet their immediate needs in unsustainable ways, bringing deprivation and disillusionment, which then leads to more conflict. One of the chief challenges is to break that cycle, Bruch says. Can Warfare Protect Nature? It seems counterintuitive, but some have argued that military conflicts often end up preserving the natural environment. Its one of the findings thats utterly contrary to expectations, says Jurgen Brauer, Ph.D., professor of economics at Augusta State University in Augusta, Ga. The most preserved area in all of Korea is the demilitarized zone because you have the exclusion of human activity, he says. Other researchers have noted that despite the massive amounts of herbicide use during the Vietnam War, more forests have been lost in that country since the war ended than during it, due to peacetime commerce and Vietnams quest for prosperity. The coal-black skies caused by the Kuwaiti oil fires in 1991 provided dramatic visual evidence of war-related environmental damage. However, these oil fires burned in one month roughly the amount of oil burned by the United States in a single day. Peace can be damaging, too, says Dabelko. You have some of these ironic twists. But experts are quick to emphasize that this is not an argument in favor of armed conflict. War is not good for the environment, adds Brauer, who is also an author of War and Nature: The Environmental Consequences of War in a Globalized World. And Bruch notes that warfare only delays the environmental damage of peaceful human activity and commerce. It may provide a respite, but the long-term effects of war arent that different from what happens under commercial development, he says. Winning the Peace As military planning evolves, it becomes apparent that the environment now plays a greater role in successful combat, especially after an armed conflict ends. At the end of the day, if youre trying to occupy an area, you have a strong incentive not to ruin it, Dabelko says. The aforementioned biblical quote from Deuteronomy about preserving trees is, perhaps, good advice for the ages. And some warriors are learning that theres more to be gained from preserving the environment than in destroying it. In war-torn Mozambique, former military combatants have been hired to work together as park rangers protecting the wildlife and natural habitats that they once sought to destroy. That built bridges between the military and the park service. It has worked, Bruch says. Natural resources can be very important in providing jobs and opportunities in post-conflict societies.

LAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LAN - Essay Example The justification of the selected computing devices and the network equipment is required. The second step includes the network design. The design will clearly identify, floor connections, office connections, servers, workstations, printers, scanners and cable types. The third step is to implement a Wide Area Network (WAN) to connect other locations or Internet connectivity. 2 Network Pre requisites 2.1 First Floor The first floor includes Administration, Staff Office and the technical staff. The staff office will access the file server which is the ‘Students notes distribution server’ for uploading notes. Students are facilitated at the same time for downloading the notes. The lecturers will connect their laptops with the wireless access points installed equipped with the new 802.11n technology. Since the requirement of high bandwidth multimedia transmission is increasing, improving the (QoS) (Quality of service) is essential. A comprehensive illustration of Quality of services is available on network dictionary as â€Å"Quality of Service (QoS) refers to the ability of a network to provide higher priority services, including dedicated bandwidth, controlled jitter and latency (required by some real-time and interactive traffic), and improved loss characteristics, to selected network traffic over various WAN, LAN and MAN technologies.†.Keeping this in mind a new technology 8.2.11n is introduced by the IEEE (Kuo 2008). For keeping the network robust and efficient 802.11n protocol provides comprehensive support for voice and video services (Cai, Ling et al. 2009). These wireless access points are connected with a Cisco switch. For providing security, Virtual local area network (VLAN) is the best match for this scenario. The VLAN will split all domains for better administration, management and security. VLAN uses encryption techniques for transmitting data over the network. Access policy list is configured in the router for defining the rou tes. The router processes the data packets based on parameters. Internet protocol and subnet is the composition of the router to handle the routes on the destination. The policy for lecturers is to access to the file server, printers and email server. In this way, data transmission from the educational domain is secured. No one can determine the wireless network because only lecturer Internet protocol pool is allowed to communicate. If anyone tries to access the wireless network from outside, he or she is prompted to enter the Wired Equivalent Privacy key (WEP). A good illustration of WEP is available in the network dictionary which says † Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security protocol, specified in the IEEE Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) standard, 802.11b, that is designed to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a level of security and privacy comparable to what is usually expected of a wired LAN.† WEP provides security by an encryption algorithm. No one in the school can access the wireless network or the lecturers system. An additional Cisco switch installation has been proposed. Although one access point within a range of approximately 200 feet is enough for connecting 253 laptops. The staff can access the printer on the network. The printer is shared on the network and is visible at â€Å"My network places† in case of Microsoft operating systems. The requirement for the administrative staff is to access the email server,

Evaluation of CRM Contribution Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 20250 words

Evaluation of CRM Contribution - Dissertation Example Like for every other industry, CRM can prove to be an effective strategy for UK banks which will not only help them build and survive in tough competition and harsh economic scenarios but will also help them grow and enjoy customer life time value only if implemented carefully and properly. Evaluation of CRM contribution in order to gain customer retention in the UK banking industry – A case study of Barclays Bank Richmond branch 1 INTRODUCTION Approaching customers and selling company’s offerings is not a new concept; what is new is the change in focus. Previously, companies tend to focus on selling their products and services to the customers irrespective of the fact that whether the solutions offered are required or not and honestly there was no need either because there were quite a few alternatives available which makes the sales of any product easier. However, with the change in time where markets became tight and competition became tough there comes the need to r emodel selling techniques. Now the modern marketing concept, as stated by Jobber & Fahy (2009, p. 3), suggests â€Å"achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than the competition†. Another necessity which aroused with time is the need to retain existing customers than to attract new ones. Research shows that attracting new customers is more expensive than retaining old ones (Jobber & Fahy 2009) and this changed the focus even further. Among several strategies adopted by companies, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a focal point. According to Nili & Keramati (2011, p. 527) CRM â€Å"is a business philosophy that provides the organization a vision to deal with customers better†. It helps enhance customer’s experience by offering them real business benefits which not only enhance customer loyalty but also promise increased revenues and profitability for the businesses (Russ 2006). CRM has become an important strategy for all industries and financial markets are no exception. According to Russ (2006) â€Å"Retail banks are facing greater challenges than ever before in executing their customer management strategies. Intensifying competition, proliferating customer contact channels, escalating attacks on customer information, rising customer expectations and capitalizing on new market opportunities are at the top of every bank executive’s agenda.† Given the importance of Customer Relationship Management in financial markets, this research aims to critically evaluate the contribution of CRM towards customer retention in the UK Banking industry. Barclays Bank Richmond branch has been selected as a case to fulfill the purpose of this study. 1.1 Background and Context Customer satisfaction is the main aim of every business as the businessmen know that it is easy to do business with a satisfied customer because it requires fewer resources and less time. The success of a business relies mainly on one factor â€Å"customer retention† and to retain customers it is very important to make sure they are satisfied. Customer retention can increase profits and productivity and forms long term relationships which are beneficial to both parties. Customer Relationship Management is found to be one of the key factors in retaining customers which further ensures company maintains a strong and loyal customer base. With the help of CRM, the customer service personnel can create, allocate and manage any request for service made by the

What is churn? An overview

What is churn? An overview Churn is the phenomenon where a customer switches from one service to a competitors service (Tsai Chen, 2009:2). There are two main types of churn, namely voluntary churn and involuntary churn. Voluntary churn is when the customer initiated the service termination. Involuntary churn means the company suspended the customers service and this is usually because of non-payment or service abuse. Companies, in various industries, have recently started to realise that their client set is their most valuable asset. Retaining the existing clients is the best marketing strategy. Numerous studies have confirmed this by showing that it is more profitable to keep your existing clients satisfied than to constantly attract new clients (Van Den Poel Larivià ¨re, 2004:197; Coussement Van Den Poel, 2008:313). According to Van Den Poel and Larivià ¨re (2004:197) successful customer retention has more than just financial benefits: Successful customer retention programs free the organisation to focus on existing customers needs and the building of relationships. It lowers the need to find new customers with uncertain levels of risk. Long term customers tend to buy more and provide positive advertising through word-of-mouth. The company has better knowledge of long term customers and they are less expensive with lower uncertainty and risk. Customers with longer tenures are less likely to be influenced by competitive marketing strategies. Sales may decrease if customers churn, due to lost opportunities. These customers also need to be replaced, which can cost five to six times more than simply retaining the customer. 1.1.Growth in Fixed-line Markets According to Agrawal (2009) the high growth phase in the telecommunications market is over. In the future, wealth in the industry will be split between the companies. Revenues (of telecommunication companies) are declining around the world. Figure 2 shows Telkoms fixed-line customer base and customer growth rate for the previous seven years. The number of lines is used as an estimate for the number of fixed-line customers. Figure 2-Telkoms fixed-line annual customer base (Idea adopted from Ahn, Han Lee (2006:554)) With the lower customer growth worldwide, it is becoming vital to prevent customers from churning. 1.2.Preventing Customer Churn The two basic approaches to churn management are divided into untargeted and targeted approaches. Untargeted approaches rely on superior products and mass advertising to decrease churn (Neslin, Gupta, Kamakura, Lu Mason, 2004:3). Targeted approaches rely on identifying customers who are likely to churn and then customising a service plan or incentive to prevent it from happening. Targeted approaches can be further divided into proactive and reactive approaches. With a proactive approach the company identifies customers who are likely to churn at a future date. These customers are then targeted with incentives or special programs to attempt to retain them. In a reactive targeted approach the company waits until the customer cancels the account and then offers the customer an incentive (Neslin et al., 2004:4). A proactive targeted approach has the advantage of lower incentive costs (because the customer is not â€Å"bribed† at the last minute to stay with the company). It also prevents a culture where customers threaten to churn in order to negotiate a better deal with the company (Neslin et al., 2004:4). The proactive, targeted approach is dependent on a predictive statistical technique to predict churners with a high accuracy. Otherwise the companys funds may be wasted on unnecessary programs that incorrectly identified customers. 1.3.Main Churn Predictors According to Chu, Tsai and Ho (2007:704) the main contributors to churn in the telecommunications industry are; price, coverage, quality and customer service. Their contributions to churn can be seen from Figure 3. Figure 3 indicates that the primary reason for churn is price related (47% of the sample). The customer churns because a cheaper service or product is available, through no fault of the company. This means that a perfect retention strategy, based on customer satisfaction, can only prevent 53% of the churners (Chu et al., 2007:704). 1.4.Churn Management Framework Datta, Masand, Mani and Li (2001:486) proposed a five stage framework for customer churn management (Figure 4). The first stage is to identify suitable data for the modelling process. The quality of this data is extremely important. Poor data quality can cause large losses in money, time and opportunities (Olson, 2003:1). It is also important to determine if all the available historical data, or only the most recent data, is going to be used. The second stage consists of the data semantics problem. It has a direct link with the first stage. In order to complete the first stage successfully, a complete understanding of the data and the variables information are required. Data quality issues are linked to data semantics because it often influences data interpretation directly. It frequently leads to data misinterpretation (Dasu Johnson, 2003:100). Stage three handles feature selection. Cios, Pedrycz, Swiniarski and Kurgan (2007:207) define feature selection as â€Å"a process of finding a subset of features, from the original set of features forming patterns in a given data set†. It is important to select a sufficient number of diverse features for the modelling phase. Section 5.5.3 discusses some of the most important features found in the literature. Stage four is the predictive model development stage. There are many alternative methods available. Figure 5 shows the number of times a statistical technique was mentioned in the papers the author read. These methods are discussed in detail in Section 6. The final stage is the model validation process. The goal of this stage is to ensure that the model delivers accurate predictions. 5.5.1Stage one Identify data Usually a churn indicator flag must be derived in order to define churners. Currently, there exists no standard accepted definition for churn (Attaa, 2009). One of the popular definitions state that a customer is considered churned if the customer had no active products for three consecutive months (Attaa, 2009; Virgin Media, 2009; Orascom Telecom, 2008). Once a target variable is derived, the set of best features (variables) can be determined. 5.5.2Stage two Data semantics Data semantics is the process of understanding the context of the data. Certain variables are difficult to interpret and must be carefully studied. It is also important to use consistent data definitions in the database. Datta, et al. (2001) claims that this phase is extremely important. 5.5.3Stage three Feature selection Feature selection is another important stage. The variables selected here are used in the modelling stage. It consists of two phases. Firstly, an initial feature subset is determined. Secondly, the subset is evaluated based on a certain criterion. Ahn et al. (2006:554) describe four main types of determinants in churn. These determinants should be included in the initial feature subset. Customer dissatisfaction is the first determinant of churn mentioned. It is driven by network and call quality. Service failures have also been identified as â€Å"triggers† that accelerate churn. Customers who are unhappy can have an extended negative influence on a company. They can spread negative word-of-month and also appeal to third-party consumer affair bodies (Ahn et al., 2006:555). Cost of switching is the second main determinant. Customers maintain their relationships with a company based on one of two reasons: they â€Å"have to† stay (constraint) or they â€Å"want to† stay (loyalty). Companies can use loyalty programs or membership cards to encourage their customers to â€Å"want to† stay (Ahn et al., 2006:556). Service usage is the third main determinant. A customers service usage can broadly be described with minutes of use, frequency of use and total number of distinct numbers used. Service usage is one of the most popular predictors in churn models. It is still unclear if the correlation between churn and service usage is positive or negative (Ahn et al., 2006:556). The final main determinant is customer status. According to Ahn et al. (2006:556), customers seldom churn suddenly from a service provider. Customers are usually suspended for a while due to payment issues, or they decide not to use the service for a while, before they churn. Wei and Chiu (2002:105) use length of service and payment method as further possible predictors of churn. Customers with a longer service history are less likely to churn. Customers who authorise direct payment from their bank accounts are also expected to be less likely to churn. Qi, Zhang, Shu, Li and Ge (2004?:2) derived different growth rates and number of abnormal fluctuation variables to model churn. Customers with growing usage are less likely to churn and customers with a high abnormal fluctuation are more likely to churn. 5.5.4Stage four Model development It is clear from Figure 5 that decision tree models are the most frequently used models. The second most popular technique is logistic regression, followed closely by neural networks and survival analysis. The technique that featured in the least number of papers is discriminant analysis. Discriminant analysis is a multivariate technique that classifies observations into existing categories. A mathematical function is derived from a set of continuous variables that best discriminates among the set of categories (Meilgaard, Civille Carr, 1999:323). According to Cohen and Cohen (2002:485) discriminant analysis makes stronger modelling assumptions than logistic regression. These include that the predictor variables must be multivariate normally distributed and the within-group covariance matrix must be homogeneous. These assumptions are rarely met in practice. According to Harrell (2001:217) even if these assumptions are met, the results obtained from logistic regression are still as accurate as those obtained from discrimination analysis. Discriminant analysis will, therefore, not be considered. A neural network is a parallel data processing structure that possesses the ability to learn. The concept is roughly based on the human brain (Hadden, Tiwari, Roy Ruta, 2006:2). Most neural networks are based on the perceptron architecture where a weighted linear combination of inputs is sent through a nonlinear function. According to de Waal and du Toit (2006:1) neural networks have been known to offer accurate predictions with difficult interpretations. Understanding the drivers of churn is one of the main goals of churn modelling and, unfortunately, traditional neural networks provide limited understanding of the model. Yang and Chiu (2007:319) confirm this by stating that neural networks use an internal weight scheme that doesnt provide any insight into why the solution is valid. It is often called a black-box methodology and neural networks are, therefore, also not considered in this study. The statistical methodologies used in this study are decision trees, logistic regression and survival analysis. Decision tree modelling is discussed in Section 6.1, logistic regression in Sections 6.2 and 6.3 and survival analysis is discussed in Section 6.4. 5.5.5Stage five Validation of results Each modelling technique has its own, specific validation method. To compare the models, accuracy will be used. However, a high accuracy on the training and validation data sets does not automatically result in accurate predictions on the population dataset. It is important to take the impact of oversampling into account. Section 5.6 discusses oversampling and the adjustments that need to be made. 1.5.Adjustments for Target Level Imbalances From Telkoms data it is clear that churn is a rare event of great interest and great value (Gupta, Hanssens, Hardie, Kahn, Kumar, Lin Sriram, 2006:152). If the event is rare, using a sample with the same proportion of events and non-events as the population is not ideal. Assume a decision tree is developed from such a sample and the event rate (x%) is very low. A prediction model could obtain a high accuracy (1-x%) by simply assigning all the cases to the majority level (e.g. predict all customers are non-churners) (Wei Chiu, 2002:106). A sample with more balanced levels of the target is required. Basic sampling methods to decrease the level of class imbalances include under-sampling and over-sampling. Under-sampling eliminates some of the majority-class cases by randomly selecting a lower percentage of them for the sample. Over-sampling duplicates minority-class cases by including a randomly selected case more than once (Burez Van Den Poel, 2009:4630). Under-sampling has the drawback that potentially useful information is unused. Over-sampling has the drawback that it might lead to over-fitting because cases are duplicated. Studies have shown that over-sampling is ineffective at improving the recognition of the minority class (Drummond Holte, 2003:8). According to Chen, Liaw Breiman, (2004:2) under-sampling has an edge over over-sampling. However, if the probability of an event (target variable equals one) in the population differs from the probability of an event in the sample, it is necessary to make adjustments for the prior probabilities. Otherwise the probability of the event will be overestimated. This will lead to score graphs and statistics that are inaccurate or misleading (Georges, 2007:456). Therefore, decision-based statistics based on accuracy (or misclassification) misrepresent the model performance on the population. A model developed on this sample will identify more churners than there actually are (high false alarm rate). Without an adjustment for prior probabilities, the estimates for the event will be overestimated. According to Potts (2001:72) the accuracy can be adjusted with equation 1. It takes prior probabilities into account. With: : the population proportion of non-churners : the population proportion of churners : the sample proportion of non-churners : the sample proportion of churners : the number of true negatives (number of correctly predicted non- churners) : the number of true positives (number of correctly predicted churners) : the number of instances in the sample However, accuracy as a model efficiency measure trained on an under-sampled dataset is dependent on the threshold. This threshold is influenced by the class imbalance between the sample and the population (Burez Van Den Poel, 2009:4626).