Part 1 (a) (Must be between 100-200 words, and use references that are websites and based in the United States, and also use in text citations).

Continuous improvement is imperative to a business’s success. Continuously improving a company allows for increased efficiency and higher customer satisfaction. Efficiency allows for things to be completed in less time, using less money. This allows for even more growth within a company. Technology is always changing and for a company to take advantage of all the great things that are evolving, they must improve along with technology. Along with greater efficiency comes higher customer satisfaction. Customers like things to be done in an efficient, cost friendly way.

Some drawbacks that may be faced with constant improvement of a company are the technological glitches. When new technology hits the market, we all know that it has many bugs initially. This can cause frustration for both customers and employees and cause them to resent the evolution of the technology because it occurred too quickly.

Part 1 (B) (Must be between 100-200 words, and use references that are websites and based in the United States, and also use in text citations).

Continuous Improvement can be difficult to manage. In order for Continuous Improvement to thrive, leadership and upper management has to support all employees in the organization. A committed vision to see change is how the organization becomes most effective. Some companies fall short of their real goals because they lack commitment to change and don’t have very effective communicative skills. When there is no particular focus for the vision of continuous improvement disagreements in strategies can happen, making it difficult to progress. A prioritization process is key for identifying strategies significant to operational change.

The right communication will offer opportunities for improvement all throughout the organization. If the improvement process is recognized by both the management and employee levels, then organizational improvement can possibly be achieved. Engage in an employee’s change processes to develop the individual’s skills in a way that will promote growth in the business. Encourage and empower your employees to seek changes that the manager envisions for the company to find better paths of success. These are some benefits as well as potential drawbacks of applying the continuous improvement process.

Successful improvement programs’ barriers – change management tools. The Change Management Blog. (2021, July 29). Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://change.walkme.com/common-barriers-to-successful-continuous-improvement-programs/.

3 reasons why continuous improvement projects fail. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://blog.triaster.co.uk/blog/reasons-continuous-improvement-fails.

Part 2(a) (Must be between 100-200 words, and use references that are websites and based in the United States, and also use in text citations).

I disagree with the statement cultures around the world are becoming increasingly similar. The reason being products are adapted to fit local needs and expectations. A strong product adaptation strategy allows the company to make the core product available in many markets. This helps the company to expand globally because it allows it to target different countries and consumer markets. (welpmagazine, 2020) Factors such as marketing strategies, and packaging affect how successful a product will sell. Local consumers will be more likely to purchase a product if the said company ensures that the product comply with local cultural norms.

There are companies such as McDonalds, who adapt to cultural needs. McDonalds sell and shrimp burgers with mayo in Japan. There are some companies that standardize their products and global marketing efforts such as Coca Cola. The Coca-Cola Company uses global standardization in marketing by keeping the appearance of the product relatively unchanged between different markets. The company uses the same design theme even when different languages are presented on the products. (Grant, James, 2021)

References:

A Complete Guide to Product Adaptation Strategy – Welp Magazine. (2020, September 07). Retrieved from https://welpmagazine.com/a-complete-guide-to-product-adaptation-strategy/

Grant, M. (2021, May 19). Understanding Standardization. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/standardization.asp

Part 2(b) (Must be between 100-200 words, and use references that are websites and based in the United States, and also use in text citations).

While cultures are becoming similar more and more, there are still distinct differences that companies must recognize. An example would be the August shutdown that occurs in European Union nations. EU standards require 4 weeks of vacation be provided to employees, and business mostly shuts down in the month of August. (Kampf-Lassin, 2021) United States businesses must plan accordingly, as though Western Europe and the US have many cultural similarities, business does not stop in August. While there are still differences that exist, for some industries, cultures may be becoming more similar, and product standardization occurs. Automobiles (with the exceptions of countries like the United Kingdom and Australia), generally appear and function in the same way despite being made in multiple countries. A Mexican citizen could purchase a German made vehicle and know how to operate it with out any special instruction. Electronics are generally standardized as well. While the keyboard layout may be different, anyone familiar with a computer would generally know how to use it no matter what country they were in.

Kampf-Lassin, M. (2021, July 30). Give everybody the month of August off. Jacobin. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/07/vacation-europe-leisure-time-united-states.