Benefits for Mondelez International to Expand to Myanmar - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3292 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Case study Level High school Did you like this example? 1.0  INTRODUCTION This is a report that studies the potential reasons and benefits for Mondelez International to expand to Myanmar. Mondelez International Inc. is a multinational company that revolves around selling well-known snack food brands around the world. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Benefits for Mondelez International to Expand to Myanmar" essay for you Create order Some of these food brands include Oreos, Tiger, Cadburry, Milka, Toberone, Jacobs as well as Halls which are commonly available even within Malaysia. The company has a market presence in every region of the world although it still has markets not yet expanded to. Take for example, in Southeast Asia the company has yet to have a direct presence in Brunei, Laos, Cambodia and including Myanmar either for reasons of lack of foreseeable profits or discouraging political risks. Myanmar, at one point in time, was a reclusive country with nearly 50 years of political and economic isolation. Today, it is a developing country that is currently undergoing reforms aimed at encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) (Wong, 2014)[1]. The international community has recognised the reform efforts taken by the Myanmar government and has resulted in the ease of decades-old sanctions towards it particularly by the US (United States) government, European Union (EU), and the Canada (Burke, 2012)[2]. The ease of business entry into the country due to the reforms and removal of sanctions has meant that now is a good time to enter the market and tap into opportunities once untouchable in the country. In fact, many multinational companies have not wasted any time in entering what they see as a gold mine for FDI. Microsoft, Coca-cola, Nissan, and Baker Mckenzie along with Mondelezs direct competitors Unilever and Nestle are but some of these MNCs to participate in the gold rush for opportunities. Although still behind countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, its growth economically has been staggering in the past few years due to the massive amounts of FDI. The growth in FDI brings in an increase in the purchasing power of the average Myanmar citizen which means that there is still a growing market base that is fresh for brand establishment and plenty of undeveloped land for low-cost production facilities. Company Background Mondelez Internationals headquarters ar e in Illinois, United States and its current CEO is Irene Rosenfeld who was also the CEO for Kraft Foods Inc. A very intriguing aspect of this company is the fact that despite being in an age where mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures are common, this company was the result of a demerger that took place in 2011. Based on the Forbes (2013)[3] rankings, the demerger seemed to have paid off since the company in 2013 had a market capitalisation of US$50.1 billion along with being 182nd in the Forbes Global 2000 but most of all the company moved up to 52nd from 63rd last year in the Forbes Innovative Companies. Mondelez International was originally part of Kraft Foods Inc. which had a wider focus that also sold grocery products (Schaefer, 2011)[4]. The demerger split Kraft Foods into two companies, one (Kraft Foods Group that handles grocery manufacturing and processing in North America while the other, renamed Mondelez International, revolved around selling every snack food brand the original held prior to the demerger. This allowed Mondelez International to adopt a more central focus to its strategy that revolved around a more narrow line of products. Employees prior to the demerger settled on the word Mondelez for the snack food company which combines the words monde (world in Latin) and delez (delicious in short form) as mentioned by Toole (2012)[5]. Tooles article further goes on to mention that the name will not be used in making new products but will instead act as an idea that the companys own snack product brands can be associated with. Since it officially is a part of the original company that existed since 1923, Mondelez International thus inherits all resources and rights to assets and snack food brands that Kraft Foods possessed worldwide even though it has officially only existed since 2012. Objectives The objectives of this report are to: Assess Mondelez Internationals capabilities in expanding to developing countries Evaluate Myanmars environment to determine feasibility of expansion Determine a feasible method to enter the market Identify methods to handle risk effectively Scope of Report To achieve the stated objectives, the report will cover an environmental analysis of Myanmar through the use of external analysis frameworks such as PESTEL and Porters Five Forces. An internal analysis of Mondelez International strengths and weaknesses is the second half of the circle that will be compared with the environment analysis. This will determine the feasibility of market expansion and filter out the most suitable mode of entry for the company. Last, but not least, risk management practices will also be recommended within the report as a means of reducing Mondelezs exposure to risk in the country. 2.0Literature Review Transition Economy Factors affecting the overall performance of a multinational company (MNCs) are vastly different when comparing transition economies to developed and developing economies. For one, a transition economy is a market that entirely relies on the recent opening its economy to generate growth through foreign direct in vestment (FDI). Transition economy will eventually grow into a developing economy but until then it is a market characterised by prevailing levels of hostility, dynamism and complexity that surpass developing ones. Luo and Peng (1999)[6] indicates that transition economies often still have weak regulatory systems, underdeveloped factor markets as well as poor property rights protection by current standards and this contributes to the market characteristics mentioned earlier. Therefore, environmental factors of a transition economy can greatly affect the MNCs performance in that economy. Take for example, back in 1989 China experienced the Tiananmen Square incident that triggered the mass evacuation of expatriate personnel for many MNCs. This incident shows how transition economies such as China back then are filled with uncertainties that MNCs have to deal with. Bribery Due to that uncertainty and weak regulations as well, bribery is also commonplace within the transition e conomy and that MNCs must be willing to engage in these activities in order to gain traction in performance. Zhou and Peng (2011)[7] affirmed that the downfalls of bribery will not affect large firms such as MNCs. This seems to attribute to the findings that large MNCs are less likely to get caught conducting bribery compared to small firms. Thus, large MNCs, who have little risk in the practice, will have the incentive to engage in bribery in order to improve its performance in the transition economy. Furthermore, in doing business in transition economies, MNCs (agents) must also deal with its government (principal) in a principle-agent kind of relationship. Peng (2000)[8] mentions in comparison to domestic firms, MNCs have greater bargaining power in setting the control levels of the government. The study refers to the time China turned into a transitional economy from the 1970s and had to manage the flow of FDI by MNCs typically by joint ventures. Its government encouraged FDI to gain MNC resources while the MNCs conducted FDI to tap into the market potential of China resulting in conflicts of interest. Therefore, the level of control transition economies attempt to impose will affect MNCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance significantly. Organisational Learning From the past few paragraphs, we have concluded that in transition economies, multinational companies face greater levels of environmental turbulence stemming from organisational structures, regulations and markets that are unfamiliar, inconsistent and fragmented respectively. In this case, a multinational companys ability to learn and adapt to the ever-changing market will also contribute to boosting that MNCs market performance. This concept is known as organisational learning and research over the years recognises it as a critical component that influences the performance of international expansions. Luo and Pengs (1999)[9] research state that experience is the primary contributor to organ isational learning. Experience in this case is referred to as the intensity and diversity of exposure to particular market environment. Their research further goes on to mention that MNCs engaging in a diverse range of activities and for lengthy periods of time gain greater experience effects and that such experience are more significant when operating in transition economies. Overall, greater levels of organisational learning gained from the experience of operating in a transition economy will inevitably facilitate the rise of the MNCs performance in that economy. Speaking of which, experience from a particular economy is typically gained from being in that economy for a long period of time. The period of exposure gained by being in a marketplace the earliest can be considered as an intangible competitive advantage that cannot be imitated by rival firms. The longer the experience effect is in the market, the better the MNC can evaluate its risk and reduce its uncertainties as we ll as develop valuable ties with local partners in that economy while effectively establishing the rules of competition. In order to be the longest player in the game, you have to be the first to enter it, and that brings us to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“First Mover Advantages. Advantages MNCs gain for being pre-emptive to enter the market, Luo and Peng (1998) the benefits to the MNC as being able to dictate the entry barriers for following firms, obtain scarce assets within the economy and effectively gain technological leadership. They further elaborate those MNCs that pursue first mover advantages are not in the market for short-term profits, but instead seek to establish long-term gains through secured and large market-share dominance of the economy. Whether the first-mover succeeds or fails is another story, but in the case of transition economies, the opportunity to securely establish brand recognition in a brand-fresh market is one that is hard to pass up. Conclusively, these stud ies show the key importance the environment of a transition economy plays in addition to the usual capabilities the multinational company has in the prospect of performance within that economy. Both the environment of the country and the state of the industry are to be included within the transition economys environment. These factors all eventually beg the question of How can a firm take in all of these variables in order to arrive at a suitable strategy that can directly translate into greater performance in transition economies? Perspectives of the Strategy Tripod Due to the depth of research covered in industry-based views and resource-based views, it is most definite that MNCs expanding to foreign markets will have to consider the effects of competition and the firms own capabilities in formulating feasible strategies. To elaborate, the industry-based view is a perspective that considers the effects of industry conditions on a firms strategic performance. This of course r efers to competition levels within the particular industry of a country the MNC is intent on participating in. The effects are noticeable when market entry barriers set by the first-movers of an industry can force a change in market entry strategy. Looking from a resource-based perspective, this view justifies that the internal conditions of a firm will affect its strategy and performance. No one firm is similar to another and hence why strategies employed by one firm will not necessarily work out the same way for another. Overall, strategic management dictates that a firms strengths and weaknesses in relation to market circumstances will eventually decide the final strategy to be executed. Kogut (2003)[10] criticized both perspectives for leaving institutional factors of a market, both formal and informal, in the background when it is these factors that set the context of competition and the nature of the firms that operate in an industry. Peng and Jiang (2008)[11] state that the institution-based view of strategy formulation is crucial when it comes to operating within emerging economies as the nature of institutions both formal and informal affect the context of competition as well as the nature of firms operating within a market. This perspective views the environmental conditions of a market that affects the strategy chosen by MNCs such as political risks, nature of policies set by nation states as well as the changing cultural values of the local population. Understanding of these factors can lead to proper understanding of the marketplace and thus proper strategy evaluation as well as selection. Strategy Tripod Framework Figure 2.1 The Strategy Tripod Concept by Mike Peng Combining the three perspectives together brings forth the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Strategy Tripod concept as shown in Figure 2.1. This is a concept helps to address how firms behave in foreign markets. By assessing these perspectives of a market, MNCs can precisely determin e the success factors that influence the final strategy as well as the nature of those factors in order to achieve competitive advantage. Indeed, the institution-based perspective is the third leg that helps sustains the strategy tripod together with the industry-based perspective and resource-based perspective. This framework is vital for penetrating transition economies since its uncertain conditions can alter the industry playing field and affect how well MNCs can use its resources at hand. Frameworks Applicable to Strategy Tripod In order to sufficiently evaluate the various factors from the three different perspectives, frameworks that are tailored to evaluate each different perspective of the Strategy Tripod will be utilised. This therefore causes the necessity to explain the frameworks to be utilised for this report. Industry-Based Competition To properly assess the industry of an economy, the frameworks of Porters Five Forces and the Generic Strategies will be us ed here. These frameworks help determine the Porters Five Forces This framework was created by Michael E. Porter in 1979 with the purpose of determining factors that affect the profitability of a particular industry. The framework revolves around five forces as shown in Figure 2.2 (hence, the name of the theory) that assess a market in terms of both competitive intensity and its attractiveness (CGMA, 2014)[12] . When combined with the internal analysis of an organisation, the Five Forces can be used to understand where is the MNCs strengths in an industry lie currently as well as where it can go to develop new strengths or enhance current positions. Figure 2.2Porters Five Forces Starting with the threat of new entrants, this force refers to the likelihood of new firms entering an industry. Markets that are profitable with inevitable attract newcomers who will attempt to steal market share and thus reduce the profitability of the various existing firms in an industry. Unless there are significant entry barriers arising from either policies, economies of scale, or capital requirements to protect incumbents, there is very little to impede the entrance of these newcomers and thus cause high levels of threat which reduces market attractiveness. Besides that, threat of substitute products or services also affects how the industry functions. This force refers to the magnitude of alternatives to a product or service that affect how likely customers will switch between substitutes when factors such as price change. For example, customers can easily switch between different brands when alternatives are nearly or equally similar to one another which represent a high level of substitute product threat. In this instance, firms cannot easily charge higher prices for a product customers know to have cheaper and equivalent alternatives. Bargaining power of buyers in an industry also plays a key role in assessing the circumstances of an industry. This ref ers to how influencing buyers can be in pushing down prices. Usually determinant of several factors such as the number of buyers in the industry, value of each buyer to a firm as well as switching costs buyers face when deciding to switch. When buyers are few and concentrated while switching costs for them are low, the buyers bargaining power is considerably high and selling prices will fall. Furthermore, similar to the buyers bargaining power, the suppliers bargaining power plays are key role in the overall competitiveness of the industry. When suppliers to an industry can drive up prices, costs of goods sold will increase which reduces the overall competitiveness of firms within that industry. The power of suppliers to do this is reliant on whether the suppliers are in concentrated numbers, of large size and strength with high switching costs. The opposite of these three variables signal low bargaining power of suppliers. The final force of this model looks into the rivalry among existing competitors. As the intensity between existing rivals in an industry heightens, returns become lower due to increased costs in competing with one another and thus leading to lower profitability for each firm. Intensity is usually determined from size and number of existing competitors, life cycle stage of the industry and also the level of differentiation between products of different firms. Higher intensity occurs when there is no leading firm in an industry, products do not outstand from one another or the industry reaches its peak leading to a lack of growth in the customer base. Porters Generic Strategy Another framework developed by Porter that describes how firms within an industry can position itself in order to achieve competitive advantage by using 3 types of generic strategies based around the dimensions of market scope and competitive advantage. These three strategies are referred to as cost leadership, differentiation and focus and will strengthen th e position of the firm in regards to the Five Forces. Figure 2.3Porters Generic Strategy Starting with cost leadership as shown in Figure 2.3, this focus of strategy is attributed to broad scope and cost-based competitive advantage. It suggests that a firm should focus on low costs and prices in order to successfully compete within its industry. With little differentiation but a wide target market, a firm would attract a massive number of customers by offering greater value for price compared to its rivals in the industry. The firm would generate profits mainly through savings gains from productions and logistics efficiency. Wal-Mart is a prominent practitioner of the cost-leadership strategy which is basically sell cheap to nearly everyone. Moving on to differentiation, this aspect of generic strategy suggests that a firm should focus on distinguishing itself effectively from its competitors in order to compete successfully. [1] Wong, M 2014, Myanmar aims to increase foreign direct investment by 10% to US$3b, media release, 22 January, Channel News Asia, viewed 14 February 2014, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/myanmar-aims-to-increase/963526.html. [2] Burke, J 2012, MNCs enter Myanmars door, media release, 5 February, Hindustantimes, viewed 14 February, https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/mncs-enter-myanmar-s-door/article1-806920.aspx. [3] Forbes 2013, MondelÃÆ'„à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“z International, viewed 14 February 2014, https://www.forbes.com/companies/mondelez-international/. [4] Schaefer 2011, Kraft Foods Latest To Split In Year Of Breakups, media release, 4 August, Forbes, viewed 14 February 2014, https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveschaefer/2011/08/04/kraft-foods-latest-to-split-in-year-of-breakups/. [5] Toole, JO 2012, Kraft to rename snack unit Mondelez, media release, 21 March, CNNMoney, viewed 19 February 2014, https://money.cnn.com/2012/03/21/news/compani es/kraft-name-change/. [6] Luo, JQ and Peng, MW 1999, Learning to compete in a transition economy: Experience, environment, and performance, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 30, no. 2, viewed 22 February 2014. [7] Zhou, JQ and Peng, MW 2011, Does bribery help or hurt firm growth around the world?, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, vol. 29, viewed 22 February 2014, https://www.utdallas.edu/~mxp059000/documents/Peng12APJM_Zhou_29_4_Dec__907_921.pdf. [8] Peng, MW 2000, Controlling the Foreign Agent: How Governments Deal with Multinationals in a Transition Economy, Management International Review, vol. 40, no. 2, viewed 22 February 2014, https://www.utdallas.edu/~mxp059000/pdf/Peng00MIRauto.pdf. [9] Luo, JQ and Peng, MW 1999, Learning to compete in a transition economy: Experience, environment, and performance, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 30, no. 2, viewed 22 February 2014 https://www.utdallas.edu/~mxp059000/pdf/Peng99JIBS.pdf. [10] Ko gut, B. 2003. Globalization and context. Keynote Address at the First Annual Conference on Emerging Research Frontiers in International Business, Duke University. [11] Peng, MW, Wang, DYL, Jiang, Y 2008, An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 39, no. 5, viewed 23 February 2014, https://www.utdallas.edu/~mxp059000/pdf/Peng08JIBSWangJiang39(5)pp920-936.pdf. [12] CGMA 2014, Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis, viewed 23 February 2014, https://www.cgma.org/Resources/Tools/essential-tools/Pages/porters-five-forces.aspx.

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Question: Describe about the Business Intercultural Communication for Marketing Field. Answer: Introduction The skill, art or activity which helps us convey messages, learning and lessons across other people is what communication is all about. Communication is used since the oldest era of time in various ways for making sense of something. Learning how to communicate involves reading, studying how to express ones views to others, to observe how others express themselves and adapt all these learning to the present work. Whether it is texting a friend for a lunch date or making an office presentation or creating a business report, everywhere communication is needed. Effective communication is the key determinant of the success of any business and needs practice, preparation and persistence to develop it (LardBucket.org, 2012). Being in the marketing field makes me realize the role of effective business communication in promotion of products and services. There are many forms of business communication. Using these forms organizations communicate in between their employees and managers in an internal environment and develop strategies for business operations and marketing. On the external frontier once again business communication tools are used to make consumers aware about the benefits of the products and services offered. For every business the most important activity is marketing. The role of business communication is vast in the marketing activities of the economic marketplace (Vitez, 2013). The role of business communication is vast in the marketing activities of the economic marketplace (Vitez, 2013). Article 1: Definition: Principles which helps us making a judgement about whether a thing is right or wrong is considered to be ethics. Ethical communication is the practice where people are treated in a fair manner, honest communication is made and any kind of unethical or immoral behavior is avoided. Paralanguage are the non phonemic parts present in a speech which communicates unsaid things. These are the tempo, pitch and contours made intentionally in our verbal expressions while communicating. The following two communication techniques are used by me in my marketing communications:- Journal Article: Non-verbal communication - It is believed that when a communication occurs hearing out what is not being said is actually the most crucial element of communication (Drucker, 2011). Another author A.Barbour who has written a book named Louder than Words: Nonverbal Communication explains that any important message is made up of three crucial elements. An ideal communication constitutes of 7% of verbal words, 38% of vocal pitch, rhythm and tone and 55% of facial expressions and body gestures (Mujezinovic, 2011). Communication competence - Communicative competence is the practice, knowledge or the ability for using communicative skills efficiently. This is technically termed as communication competence. There are four parts to it. These are linguistic, discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic. Linguistic form of communicative competence is the knowledge of how to use syntax, grammar and vocabulary in the language spoken so that communication happens effectively. Sociolinguistic competence is the skill of understanding how to use and transport or respond words spoken and how using language one can appropriately convey messages in a given topic or setting. Discourse competence is interpretation of communicative languages in a broader concept and how one can construct language in longer stretches thus making a meaning of the entire coherent whole. Strategic competence of communication is realizing and repair breakdowns in communication to fill gaps in between communication, language spoken or us ed and understanding.(Nordquist, 2016) Analyse and Explain: In my current job as the marketing manager of a lifestyle cosmetic product for men the above concepts are used in real time. It helps me improve my ability to understand communications which is subtle. Application: Such genres of communication is used while we pitch product ideas and campaigns to our customers. Not only does effective communication help communicate with the subordinates but also with the management and consumers (GMAT, 2016). Article 2: Definition: The second article is about how with effective presentations sales can b e generated effectively in an organization. Presentation skills are of extremely important in an organization. Especially when pitching a new idea, product or a service. However, the quality of such a presentation will make or break an offer or a buying decision of the customer. Hence, this article really helped me be aware of the need of presentation skills. As a method to win more business following two presentation methodologies and communicational apprehensions are used by firms: Journal Article: Communication Apprehension - The anxiety or fear related emotions associated with a real communication or a perceived communication in between people, team or an individual is termed as communication apprehension. Basically it is a psychological interpretation or assumption of an evaluation made during a communication. It happens within a fraction of a second. For the mind such an instant apprehension is a threat. An overdrive situation is experienced by the circulatory system of the body and the adrenal system. It is a situation of fight or flight in such cases and in most cases people stand and start talking. Communication apprehension is deep installed in our minds. It helps us respond better to stress and develop a smart mechanism for the body. (McCroskey, 2011) Types of organizational presentations - In the world of business presentations form a crucial part. These are sales presentations, motivational, informational, interviews, first encounters, status reports, briefings, training sessions and a lot more. Every presentation has a purpose associated with it. These are informing a message, persuading and building up of goodwill (Businesstown, 2016). Organizational presentations, Importance and Types The skill and practice of showcasing or explaining a particular content or a subject to the learner or an audience are what are known as presentation. A good well structured presentation is an absolute must in the internal and external communications in an organization. A presentation if it is made well it becomes very easy for the listener to listen it and perceive it. Presentation skills can be improved in any organization if the know-how of presentation is learnt or taught. A great focus if given nowadays in my company to presentation skills . Analyse and Explain: As a marketing manager of my company which deals in online clothing line for men, women and kids, I go through a lot of meetings and product pitching. However, such elaborate meetings cannot be just verbal. Presenting the minutes of the meeting in the form of a well designed and interesting presentation becomes absolutely necessary. The entire presentation and documentation is logical in nature. And hence it is in absolute details. Thus it helps the person being addressed have the entire meeting summarized into few slides. Company meetings now a days do not bind itself to conference rooms only. For me, we undergo many meetings over the web and use communication tools like Skype. When reaching out to the world audience we often use advertisements, events, and video presentations. In all these organizational presentation plays a big role. These techniques are taught to the entire team even to the junior levels (Swathi, 2015). That way one gains a lot of confidence and competence when presenting an idea. Application: I will be able to use the ideas in the following manner. Ideas backed up with powerful presentation helps understanding occur fast and precise. Some of the ideas include, architectural framework of presentations which include chronological aspect i.e. everything should be in perfect order, sequential aspect, spatial aspect, climactic aspect, problem-solution attitude, compare-contrast attitude, cause-effect aspect and advantage-disadvantage aspects (Duarte, 2016). Article 3: Definition: The third article discusses the effectiveness of team meetings on the effective performance of teams in organizations. I can myself sync with this idea as in my organization as a marketing manager I am aware of the effectiveness of team meetings.Interpersonal and assertive communications are the two most ignored but crucial communication strategies of all times:- Journal Article: Interpersonal Communication When information is send in between two or more than two people it is interpersonal communication. In a workplace it can be communication happening over events, situations, projects etc in between a superior and a subordinate. Basically it is exchanging information related to the benefit of the organization. Here there is a sender who sends the message, the message itself, channels using which the message is send and a receiver to such messages. (Study, 2016) Assertive communication- Being assertive in the style of communication means conveying of the message firmly and clearly but yet in a respectful manner. Sometimes assertive communication is confused with aggressive form of communication. Aggressive way of communications are rudeness, hostility, threatening, sarcastic or demanding style and is totally different from assertive, Assertive way of communication is to take a stand on ones viewpoint. It has no way any trespassing actions involved or disrespect involved for others. It is just being clear about your own opinion about something (RMIT, 2013). Analyse and Explain: Team meetings help discuss team goals, discuss doubts, problems and track progress. It is an open platform welcoming new ideas and concerns of team members. It helps achieving organizational goals better (Kauffeld Lehmann-Willenbrock, 2011). Application: I will be use these concepts in the internal team meetings and while undergoing meeting with sponsors and investors. Article 4: Definition: The fourth article deals in the effectiveness of interpersonal communication in the achievement of organizational goals. Research and studies made in this article helped me understand that there are some factors associated with internal communication. These are employee commitment, thoughtful work, dedication, discretionary work efforts and all means of employee engagement. Such means of effective communication system helps combine channels inside the organization better and bring out extraordinary results (Hayase, 2016). These are as follows:- Journal Article: Internal Organizational Communication: An internal form of communication aids in the transmission of messages, data and information in between various members or divisions in an organization. It can take place in varied levels of an organization as well. For an instance in every organization a broad range of strategies are employed for the purpose of communication. Such interpersonal communication strategies can be vertical, horizontal, informal and formal means of communication (Study, 2016). Communication Environment-Under communication environment there are two parts environment and communication. Communication is when there is an exchange of ideas, views, messages, news and information. Now, communication environment signifies that all the elements which are surrounding us and their influence over communication. Such environmental communication can be formal as well as informal. It can be business related or non business related. (Environment, 2016) Analyse and Explain: It is true that for work to happen one have to understand the team and vice versa. This article is highly interesting as it points out the primary factors using which one can develop strong inter personal skills in their day to day works. This area is a highly unexplored region. Application: Internal communication helps me on a daily basis to communicate with members of my team. The better we make our internal communication the faster is work done. Article 5: The role of technology in our daily lives is different these days. The article gave me a deep insight in the various technologies available today with which network between employees can be maintained and made better. Journal Article: Understand the differences between groups and teams- In business and marketing it is important to understand the differences in between teams and groups. Every team consists of groups of individuals. However all groups cannot be considered as teams. Members of teams who work together and have the same objectives and goals and work for achieving same responsibilities can be known as a team. A group can have multiple individuals who have same internet and characteristics. They range in size and scope (Boundless, 2016). Differentiate amongst the different stages of groups development- A business team undergoes primary five stages of development. These are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. a) Forming Stage - In the Forming stage, the team meets with each other and the introduction session takes place. Here basic information is shared and one learns about the project they will be working on. Project goals are discussed and individual roles are discussed and finalised. b) Storming Stage As the stage progress there is the Storming stage. This stage is mandatory for every team who is working for the first time or is evolving as a team first time. Here members accept each other ideas. Here members also compete with the status of each other. All the differences are discussed, argued and sorted out at this stage itself. c) Norming In the norming stage the team is working effectively in overall goals and not on individual goals. Team rules have been agreed upon here and work begins. d) Performing This stage is where work is being done by the team with full effect. The main objective is to reach the end result as soon as possible. Decisions are taken and problems are solved in this stage fast. e) Adjourning Adjourning is the stage where all the goals are achieved and the project reaches completion. Teams move onto other projects.(Abudi, 2010) Analyse and Explain: The article has an interesting idea about various employee work performances. It showed me ways of various online and offline networks used at workplace for better work communications and performance. Application: To know the customer's, team and sponsors better such type of effective communication skills are used. It helps develop better interpersonal relationships in the team. Article 6: The sixth one aroused internet in me in making complete meaning out of it so I can make use of it in the real life. It deals in the cultural general competence or working in between multiple cultures. There are basically many advantages of this and many ways to do this. When work occurs in between different cultures a lot of factors are taken into account. One has to check out the management culture, work ethics, authority differences, etiquette, delegation and other distinctive factors of the new culture. For example in the culture of one country there is the liberty to call managers by their names while in some culture it is not. The awareness and knowledge about the differences in these cultures is important so employees can maintain the usual norms (Lambert, 2016). For teams working in various cultures knowledge of the following is needed for the good performance:- Journal Article: Understand the Importance of Intercultural Communication - This type of communication is fast becoming popular as globalization is raising high in the multicultural work ambience. Such intercultural communication helps business with foreign countries is possible effectively. For employees trying to break into foreign industries such communication skills can be highly beneficial (Ability, 2013). Many times we are required to do translations. While translating content of our website or creating presentations for reaching out to people of other countries we have to use our skills of intercultural communications. Carefully we design content interpreting messages signs, introductions or controversial documents (Kurbalija, 2002). Transmission of messages has become more effective. We prioritize the cultural background of the people to whom our products cater. Analyse and Explain: Whether the team is working on academicals documents, business, management, and team or for the consumer it is important to know and implement techniques aiding understanding of such forms of communication. This aids to economic globalization as well. a) Be aware Self awareness is the first skill one needs for learning inter cultural knows how. So for communicating others one must know their very own culture first. So, before stepping ahead to communicate in an intercultural environment, steps a bit bats. And first realize how you will communicate in your own culture. Hence, by developing an ideal communication style one can respect other cultures. b)LearnThere is nothing better than learning. Our team constantly researches and learns about new cultures. c)Be curious-Without curiosity one cannot be good in intercultural communication. It is important specially when dealing with different cultures. d)Observe and listen-Our team observes the countries and their people and their preferences. Only if one can listen and observe one can learn how well one can communicate. e) Regular experience The best way to keep learning is to regularly experience this. Catering to people of various countries is not easy, It needs a lot of know how about different cultures (Services, 2016). f) Become interculturally competent-Every business today strives to work on the global environment. For this one has to learn the importance of intercultural communication and be intercultural competent as the second habit. By culture it is meant about the entire way of a life, beliefs, values, languages and preferences. Every culture has some in built implicit or explicit nature of rules present. The ability using which one can develop a skill set for effective interactions in between different cultures are known as intercultural competence (McKinnon, 2006). There are five stages undergoing which one can develop intercultural competence:- a) Denial stage The characteristics of this stage is a lack of interest and awareness for other cultures. Hence the name denial stage. Here one does not have a care for other cultures existing around them. b) Polarization Stage This stage has two parts defense and reversal stages. Both showcase cultural differences. People when they begin interacting with others belonging to different other cultures they often judge the mental status of other cultures to be of a lesser value than themselves. It can be said to be a defensive state of mind and understanding. There occurs another situation when people consider their own culture as inferior to others. This is known as reversal stage or thought process. c) Minimization Here in this stage differences in between different cultures are leveled out. By respecting the fact that we all are human beings and work and efforts have the same significance to all people, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds the intercultural competence is developed. Minimization is distinctive in nature from polarization as here people begin to think beyond judgments. d) Acceptance stage In the acceptance stage people know about their own cultural identity and accept it. They even embrace the fact that other also has their own cultural identities and no one is less or more in value. Mental models can be different but confrontational thoughts are useless. e) Adaptation stage The last stage is the adaptation stage. It is here one becomes totally intercultural competence favored. Here people understand and adapt values they consider as necessary irrespective of the culture it originates from (Gevrey, 2013). Application: Working with a product which has market overseas, such type of communication skills gives a deep understanding of how to communicate with the foreign members of the organisation and external individuals as well. Conclusion Any business todays needs to communicate. The user base and the stakeholders genre are varied in todays world. New technologies are needed for effective business communication to happen. With the global scenario in place, today traditional means of communication are overpowered by new innovative simplified methods and technologies. If communication is ineffective then it is bound to fetch poor results for an organization. It can be the breeding arena for mistrust, conflict, misunderstandings and chaos. Hence, for speeding up decision making, building great business relationship and enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction effective business communication is a must. References Ability,. (2013). The Importance of Intercultural Communication | ABILITY English. Ability.edu.au. Retrieved from :https://www.ability.edu.au/latest-news/the-importance-of-intercultural-communication/ Abudi, G. (2010). The Five Stages of Team Development: A Case Study. Project Smart. Retrieved from :https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.php Boundless,. (2016). 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