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This is a basic, yet very effective picture which I chose from module one's learning units. In this module we learned about the different types of management roles there can be within a company. It starts with the top management, which is upper management. The responsibilities are then delegated between the top level, followed by the lower management.

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This picture provides a good example of what good managers should show when leading people. We learned in this module that managers should have good human skills. This picture pretty much shows all of the good traits great leaders have.

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In this module, we learned about some of the roles of those who participle in corporate social responsibility. This short YouTube video is a great example of providing some the responsibilities of corporate social responsibility. I chose this video because it highlights the main responsibilities and duties of CSR.

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What is Corporate social responsibility (#CSR) ?

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This is an article which I found interesting. It relates to some of the ethical issues companies can face when running their business. In this article, it mentions one of the more modern issues companies can face. Misinformation through social media is a huge issue in today's world. Many news articles will oftentimes twist information around, causing confusion. this article describes just that.

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Anyone with an internet connection can watch breaking news unfold in real time, or at least some version of it. Across social media, posts can fly up faster than most fact-checkers and moderators can handle, and they are often an unpredictable mix of true, fake, out of context and straight propaganda.

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How to avoid falling for misinformation, AI images on social media

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Breaking news moves fast online, and it can be difficult to tell what's real and what's purposefully misleading or fake. Here's how to sort through it all.

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I chose this article/test. This is an emotional intelligence test which we learned about in module 3. It basically tests for how well you can handle your emotions in different situations with different people.

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Test adapted from the 33-item emotional intelligence scale by Schutte and colleagues (1998) that was based on the model developed by Salovey and Mayer published in 1990.

Are you one of those people who can remain calm under pressure? Do you handle awkward situations with grace?

If you answered yes to those questions, you may have high emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence, aka emotional quotient (EQ), is the ability to understand, interpret, and manage your emotions, as well as those of other people. If you have high EQ, you're able to communicate with others, show empathy when needed, and overcome emotionally-charged situations.

The concept of emotional intelligence was first introduced by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman in the 1990s. He referenced 5 components of emotional intelligence:

While some people naturally have emotional intelligence, others may have to practice improving their emotional skills. According to research from 2018, emotional intelligence can be strengthened and improved with targeted work.

This may include learning how to regulate your emotions during difficult situations or learning how to build empathy. If you're ready to strengthen your emotional intelligence, consider seeking out emotional intelligence training either through your workplace or an online course.

If you're having trouble regulating your emotions or it begins to interfere with your daily life, consider reaching out to a healthcare or mental health professional. They can guide you on the next steps.

This brief, time-saving questionnaire is designed for anyone looking to find out how emotionally intelligent they are.

The items below will help you determine whether you might benefit from boosting your emotional intelligence.

A mental health professional can help if you're having trouble regulating your emotions and recommend tools and strategies if needed.

This online screening is not a diagnosis or an official evaluation of your emotional intelligence.

It's a fun tool to help you better understand your emotional intelligence. Remember that no matter how high you score, you can often find new opportunities to improve your emotional intelligence.

You can also use this test as a self-screening tool to track your emotional intelligence and find out where you can improve and grow.

If you're having trouble regulating your emotions or it begins to interfere with your daily life, you may benefit from an evaluation by a mental health professional.

Only a trained medical professional, such as a healthcare or mental health professional, can help you determine the next best steps for you.

What are the 7 signs of emotional intelligence?

There are 7 signs that your emotional intelligence (EQ) is strong. You likely: 1. have a strong sense of self-awareness, 2. are able to embrace change, 3. can manage your emotions in difficult situations, 4. have a thirst for personal development, 5. are able to show empathy and compassion for others, 6. get along well with others, and 7. can diffuse tense situations and manage conflict.

What are the 5 elements of emotional intelligence?

The 5 components of emotional intelligence (EQ) are self-awareness, motivation, empathy, self-regulation, and social skills.

What are the 4 types of emotional intelligence?

The 4 types of emotional intelligence (EQ) are similar to the 5 components. It includes being socially aware and knowing how to react to various situations, being able to manage your emotions and understanding how to deal with situations in a helpful way, having the ability to connect with others and build healthy relationships, and being aware of your emotions and what you're feeling.

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EQ Test: How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

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What is your emotional intelligence (EQ) score? You can take our test and find out.

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This is a Ted Talk which I watched which explains some of the important reasons why global organizations are needed. Gabriel Duque is an expert in economic diplomacy. He's a former ambassador of Columbia to Japan. Most of his concerns are with technological advancements, social, and environmental change and he believes that countries should make efforts to manage otherwise he states, "it will manage us."

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Why we need global institutions | Gabriel Duque | TEDxKyoto

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This module we also talked about some of the strategies use in global business.

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I chose this video off of YouTube because it did a simple yet great job of explaining the 4 functions of management. This an informative video that gives tips on improving in these areas as well.

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Four Functions of Management Planning, Organizing, Leading Controlling Video Lesson and Example   Yo

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Back in module 4, we discussed the value completive edge brings to a company. I found this article pretty interesting because it falls in line with some of what I'm trying to accomplish in the future. I would like to own my own trucking business one day, and this article kind of explained to me some of the things business owners must sometimes do in order to keep their business competitive.

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When Api Dogan, owner of the Chicago-area Infinity Transportation, bought his first ECoach 45 from Executive Coach Builders for his fleet, he never imagined that it would lead him to divesting himself of his entire motorcoach fleet and transitioning to the Supercoach XL.

Dogan's company opened in 2006 as a limousine and sedan service provider, but client requests led to the addition of small buses in 2010. By 2017, he had to think even bigger, so he added several 51 passenger ECoach 45's.

Business continued to grow, so he bought 10 motorcoaches.

"We had no choice but to buy these to keep the accounts happy, because they needed a bus that fits more than 55 people with a bathroom and luggage space," Dogan said.

Initially, it appeared the addition of motorcoaches was a good financial move, but he later realized the costs of operating the ECoach 45 was significantly less. This prompted him to thoroughly examine his motorcoach operations, and he concluded that because of the initial capital outlay and continued operating costs for a motorcoach, he needed to look for an alternative.

Meeting customer needs

He worked with David Bakare, owner of Executive Coach Builders, to create a larger version of the ECoach 45 that checked all the boxes for his business needs. He wanted the same Freightliner chassis used for the ECoach 45 but with 54 seats, a restroom and a belly luggage area that was comparable in size to that of a motorcoach. The result was the Supercoach XL. He ordered 25 of them prior to the pandemic .

In some ways, the pandemic slowed down the implementation of his Supercoach XL fleet, but in another way it expedited it by forcing Dogan to take a deep look at his return on investment on his motorcoaches. By the end of 2022, he ordered more supercoaches and totally divested himself of his motorcoach fleet. He now operates 45 Supercoach XL's built by Executive Coach Builder, with plans to add 18 more within the next 12 months.

Dogan said Infinity primarily provides transportation for large events such as school activities, sports teams, weddings and conventions.

"We have never had one customer complain about the comfort of the Supercoach XL," he said. "These buses are able to handle every single job more effectively than traditional motorcoaches can handle."

He has worked with clients to change the language in the RFPs, or requests for proposals, so the Supercoach XLs are an acceptable option along with traditional motorcoach models.

"They want 57 passenger seats. They want luggage space. They do not care if the engine is the front or the back. They do not care if it's an MCI, Prevost or Supercoach XL," he said.

Executive Coach Builders began using the Freightliner chassis in 2015 with the debut of the ECoach 45, followed by the 57-passenger Supercoach XL in 2018.

Bakare credits the company's innovation to listening to customers like Dogan, who had been talking to manufacturers for years about his vision for a more cost-effective vehicle built on a conventional front engine chassis.

Cost advantage

Dogan said that not only is the acquisition cost of the vehicle much less, but the operational expense is half of that of a motorcoach. Mechanical maintenance such as oil changes, tires, brakes and batteries cost less because parts are widely available.

"We were saving 50 to 60% on fuel because of the increased mileage," said Dogan, noting the Super Coach XL gets 10-12 miles per gallon, which can be three times the mileage of motorcoaches. "We're also saving on maintenance parts and mechanics salaries."

A significant portion of the savings is going back into the business - and employees' pockets.

"We are making way more than what we were making before, and we've been able to increase our drivers' pay," Dogan said. "We are paying our drivers more than anyone else can pay. Not only that, we are offering them benefits such as health insurance and giving a 4% match on their 401(k)s."

He says that because of the lower expenses, Infinity has an advantage over his competitors when bidding on contracts.

Also, for the first time, this year the fleet is uniform, producing even more maintenance savings.

"Every single bus has the same engine, same AC system," Dogan said. "It's a dream come true for our mechanic and operations manager.

"We used to have our fleet manager running crazy because of the maintenance and running around with the downtime of the motorcoaches. Now, we no longer need a fleet manager because our operation manager can easily handle the fleet of Supercoach XLs with two mechanics."

Dogan said the supercoaches are very reliable, and when they do break down, they are easy to repair.

"There's so many places where our supercoaches can be fixed, unlike motorcoaches, because they're built on the Freightliner chassis," he said, noting that there are multiple Freightliner dealers in the Chicagoland area, and hundreds of service centers across the country for the U.S. truck manufacturer, a division of Daimler Trucks North America.

The insurance on the vehicles is also less expensive because repairs cost significantly less. Because repairs often are simple, they often can be done in-house without resorting to insurance claims.

Design cuts operating costs

The engine is in the front, unlike rectangular rear-engine motorcoaches. This design eliminates the need for having a third axle to support the weight in the back. The bus weighs a third less than traditional motorcoaches, a 20,000-pound difference. Additionally, when looking at the body lines of the Supercoach XL, it is obvious that the aerodynamics lends itself to greater fuel efficiencies than the flat windshield design of the traditional motorcoach.

The vehicle's main entrance, which features a motorcoach-style door, is in the very front of the cab, allowing for more coach-style seating.

Rick Fugitt, General Manager for Executive Coach Builders, appreciates how Dogan has built his fleet. He is one of our many success stories and is a great example because he has tried the Supercoach XL and it has proven to be a viable alternative for him.

"He's a big asset for our company and believes in the product," Fugitt said. "We use his name a lot when we sell a product because he has tried the product, and it has proven to be a viable alternative."

Dogan says he created Facebook group devoted to Supercoach XLs, that has grown to 1,200 members who either have the vehicles or are considering buying them.

"I created the page so people can reach out to me and ask questions. There is a huge interest in this product right now," Dogan said.

"As a business owner, what is exciting is that thinking outside the traditional business model has afforded us the opportunity to create new avenues to make money, provide a better service to our clients, expand our affiliate network and take care of our biggest asset, our employees. What a win, win, win, win!"

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Chicago-area operator says his ECB fleet gives him a competitive edge - Bus & Motorcoach News

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Api Dogan, owner of Infinity Transportation, says he has raised the wages and benefits of his drivers thanks to reduced fleet costs.

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Back in Module 4, we also discussed what E commerce was and how important it is to be able to utilize it in today's world of business. As someone who wants to own their business, thus article does a good job of highlighting some of the important thing's e-commerce can do for a business.

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MSN | Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos

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Your customizable and curated collection of the best in trusted news plus coverage of sports, entertainment, money, weather, travel, health and lifestyle, combined with Outlook/Hotmail, Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Skype and more.

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This may seem like an ordinary photo of a basketball in a huddle, but I find it to have much more meaning than that. This photo shows one of the NBA's (and my favorite) most consistent, and successful teams. Back in module 5, we learned about organizations, and how they set a standard of having a goal and a mission. The reason organizations have these missions is to be able to achieve a standard. The Miami Heat are a perfect example of having a goal in mind, and consistently achieving it. The Miami Heat's common purpose has always been excellence, and they've seemed to always show that.

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Back in Module 5, we also learned about what it takes to be a high performing team. It takes a plethora of things to make a team successful, and I believe the current Jacksonville Jaguars team is a great example of this. Coach Dough Pederson has completely turned this team into one of the hottest and has created a positive, free flowing environment for the team to flourish in.

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I chose this article, again because I found it interesting in helping me understand the importance of Human Resources. In my current job, I can say we have a pretty good human resources department as they take pretty good care of our employees. This article does a good job of highlighting some of the important things a human resources department does to a company.

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The world of marketing is constantly changing, and the success of an agency hinges not just on strategies and campaigns but also on the people behind these efforts.

This is where the Human Resources (HR) department plays a crucial role. When it comes to a field such as marketing, HR rises above traditional functions, embedding itself deeply in nurturing the agency's most valuable asset - its people.

In this article, we will highlight why HR plays a crucial role in every marketing agency.

Talent Acquisition and Retention

While creativity is important for marketing, talent cannot be overlooked. HR are skilled in not only finding people to fit the role, but finding the individuals who align with the agency's culture and values.

HRs are proficient at scouting talents who can bring fresh and new ideas to the team. Thinking out-of-the-box is one of the vital skills for marketing campaigns. WIth BusinessExplained you can learn more about HR, project management, leadership strategies, and much more!
In addition, retaining talent in a competitive landscape is another significant role of the HR department.
With the high turnover rates HR becomes even more important. There are many ways and strategies HRs meet this goal, some of them are competitive compensations, reward programs, and career development opportunities. These will not only attract the right people for your marketing agency, but also retain them!

Training and Development - Empowering Tools
Marketing keeps evolving, so we must keep learning.
The marketing landscape quickly changes with new trends and technologies. HR's role is to ensure the team stays ahead of the curve through continuous learning and development programs. The ongoing education helps in keeping the agency's work innovative and relevant.

Besides this, HRs are in charge of career progression, ensuring that employees' growth path aligns with the agency's strategic goals. They create pathways for employees to evolve from individual contributors to team leaders, fostering a sense of achievement and belonging.

A Dynamic Workflow - HR's job
HRs can shape the culture of your agency to nurture creativity and innovation.
The best way to do this is creating an environment where new ideas are appreciated, risks are encouraged, and failures are seen as learning opportunities. The dynamics of the team is also an HR's job to enhance. In order for a team to work cohesively, HR needs to bring together individuals with diverse skills and perspectives to produce compelling marketing campaigns.

Navigating Market Changes and Challenges
Market changes can make or break your campaigns and strategies.
Your agility as a marketing agency should be to respond to these changes and make best decisions. HR's come in focus on managing these changes. They can think of reskilling, restructuring teams, or revising policies.

In addition, times of crisis are inevitable. External pressures or internal conflicts makes the HR's role even more pivotal. Managing crises, maintaining morale, and ensuring continuity is necessary for the stability and sustainability of the marketing agency.

Business Planning - The Strategic role of HR

HR's participation in strategic planning guarantees that the agency's commercial goals are in line with its human capital. HR can effectively plan workforce needs, forecast skills needed for future initiatives, and cultivate a culture that supports these goals by having a clear awareness of the larger company goals.

The effectiveness of the agency's management system, which HR uses to assess and improve employee performance, has a direct impact on productivity. HR's toolkit includes performance reviews, regular feedback, and recognition initiatives to inspire staff members and promote agency success.

Driving Diversity and Inclusion

In the field of marketing diversity goes beyond being a trendy term and has become an essential requirement for any successful business.

Human Resources plays a role in this domain by implementing strategies that prioritize diversity and inclusion. These initiatives bring together a range of perspectives, which greatly enhances creativity and innovation.

This diversity encompasses not only different cultural or ethnic backgrounds but also varied experiences, viewpoints and ideas. By nurturing such a workforce marketing teams develop a deeper understanding of their equally diverse customer base. This understanding is crucial for creating marketing campaigns that resonate widely and establish connections with diverse audiences.

Human Resources is more than a supportive function; it serves as a strategic partner on the path to success for any marketing agency.

By managing an agency's talent pool, fostering a culture and promoting continuous learning and adaptability to change HR plays a pivotal role in shaping an agency's future.

In the challenging world of marketing HR truly acts as an unsung hero - working diligently behind the scenes to ensure that agencies not only survive but thrive in the competitive environment.

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Why Human Resources is Important for the Success of a Marketing Agency

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The world of marketing is constantly changing, and the success of an agency hinges not just on strategies and campaigns but also on the people behind these efforts. This is where the Human Resources (HR) department plays a crucial role. When it comes to a field such as marketing, HR rises above traditional functions, embedding itself deeply [...]

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This a simple, yet important picture of one of the most important and prominent federal agencies that ensures in areas of safety, health, administration, and occupational. I think it is very important to make sure you establish safety within an organization. Depending on the business, accidents can always occur, and I think OSHA is a great way in helping preventing those accidents from happening.

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In module 6, we learned a bit about the difference between part-time and full-time workers. This picture is a good example of what many companies nowadays have to deal with. Depending on the job, there's pros and cons to hiring part time and full-time workers. Companies have to be very sure of who they choose because each has its own things.

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This photo gives a visual of the trickle-down effect good communication has on a business. It is very important a business establishes great communication because that is how everyone will be understood.

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In module 7, we learned about the importance of leading and managing. The two are closely related as seen in this chart. This chart shows the distinct differences and similarities between the two. Leading is more establishing a vison, while managing is more on the maintaining side.

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In module 7, we learned about motivation and how it relates to leadership. Being motivated is a huge part of being a great leader. In this photo, I chose famous basketball player Lebron James. He's been in the league for a long time and has proven time to time how much of a leader he is. He's always motivated and seems to make his teammates around him better. Winning three different championships with three different teams goes to show, there's no question of motivation when it comes to LeBron James.

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In module 8, we learned about some of the issues that come with the control process. It is important and crucial for a company to be able to master this concept. Being able to identify the source of a problem and be able to fix that issue. Om the other hand, as seen in the model, things such as feedback control, concept controls, etc., they all make the control process up.

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Audits are something we also learned about in module 8. This video is a simple yet, descriptive one which explains info on internal financial audits.

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Financial Services - Understanding the importance of Internal audit