Individual report and reflection
Table of Contents
Analysis of business environment 3
Exploration of business problem 4
Impact of Potential Strategic solutions 5
References 6
Part 2 Reflective report 8
Introduction
The investigation stated below highlights the performance of McGraw Hill. It is an American math learning activity and is considered among the big three publishers in the education sector. The major emphasis is on operating various techniques of innovation in the business culture. It majorly focuses on sustaining the brand value, marketing its products and services to a large part of the audience for the growth of business, and a sustainable approach for the management of business operations (McGraw-Hill. 2020).
The report further states the business case and exploration of the business in different segments by generating the potential impact of different strategies and obtaining a cohesive way to manage such operations by an effective way of business communication.
Analysis of the business environment
SWOT analysis of McGraw hill explains the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and the opportunities. It is a proven management framework that manages business operations and has conducted an extensive measure.
The strengths of McGraw Hill Company includes excellent distribution of books as it one of the top branches that has reached to the audience globally and managed its business operation. It has a strong financial position in the market with a leading information provider. It has also been a leading educational company that derives its major focus on learning and educational services. It has a global presence with the operational sector with over 40 countries. However, the company’s major drawback is over-dependency of the US market, which may lead to high prices and affect the market structure. The selected company’s core concentration is mainly in the educational sector, which is a weakness to the overall business.
On the other hand, the major area of improvement for McGraw hill companies includes commercial and business printing, which will enhance profitability. The company has also been focusing on expanding its operations in Europe and Asia for a better result. In attaining the new opportunities, the major threat is competition with the global players and potential increase in the online data and the other supplement operations.
PESTEL framework refers to the environmental factors that affect the organization. It produces different dimensions for measuring the value and enhancing its performance. Therefore, analyzing these dimensions is essential for concluding. The political factors include the government decision making process for the educational sector. Government interventions impact the positioning of an enterprise and lead to affect the management functions. The economic factors are the determinants of the economy’s performance and directly impact the purchasing power of the customer. Therefore, the selected organization focuses on the cost of scholarly communication and obtaining productive growth in the business segment (Aithal, 2017).
However, the social factor includes the demographics characteristic that impacts the organization’s growth rate and population. McGraw hill has certain disagreement on the subscription fee, business model, the reading attitude, and behavior, which greatly impacted the structural growth. On the other hand, the technological factor pertains to the innovation in a company’s technological department, which majorly affects the operation of the industry and the favorable and unfavourable market. The environmental factors include the ecological and additional environmental aspects that include climate change that has led to a drastic change in the selected organization. However, the legal factors more specific laws about employees’ safety and security and ensuring a productive approach in the system.
Porter’s five force model is a business analysis model that explains the different profitability levels of a company and helps in strategically shaping the market. The competition in the industry is increasing continuously due to a large number of producers producing similar products that may affect the reputation of the selected organization in the market. The power of the company is also affected by the entrance of new business into the market. An industry with strong barriers leads to managing the business operations in a scalable manner, which helps to obtain the market culture and understand the customers’ requirements. The next factor is suppliers’ power to obtain the potential of the customers and determine the key input and good for the services to manage the business operation for deriving the costs and push to manage the trade transactions. The selected organization has a potential threat of substitute to its competitors as the different company’s systematically produces goods and services for the management of its functions and operates close substitute for the increase in price and lock in a favorable manner (Bridgman, McLaughlin, and Cummings, 2018).
Exploration of business problem
The business problem faced by McGraw Hill it was lacking in providing valuable directions to its employees, which led to misbalance in the achievement of the desired objective. However, poor communication impacts the company’s performance and generates uncertainty in the global economy (Januschowski, and Kolassa, 2019).
The selected organization has also faced issues related to content style and writing, which has led to an incredible increase in the culture and impacted the market growth in the economy. It has led to an increase in the market prices and operated the business with much greater uncertainty. Innovation practices implemented must be taken full care of as the new interventions must be as per the organization’s desired objectives.
Impact of Potential Strategic solutions
The selected organization’s major focus was examining the root cause analysis of the problem and provide and suitable approach for the management of business functions. The decisions made included statements and facts for an effective determination of the plan and ensuring productive growth in the market segment. However, it is essential to break the problem into manageable parts and understand the basis of the analysis. McGraw grill has attained a strategic operation to choose an effective manuscript and content writing style to generate its business growth by planning the sources accurately and measuring the performance. It is essential to obtain an effective publishing entity for managing a corrective measure to associate different business activities and engage a scalable business growth (Slade, et.al 2017).
Recommendations
It is recommended for the selected organization to adopt new strategies for protecting its employees’ interest. The company must choose new tools and ideas for the operation and management of the business. It must ensure that the book reaches the readers by successfully planning and organizing the source plan and reaching the customer.
However, in the long run, the chosen organization has created a vital influence in managing the online publication and the digital layouts for associating the change in the management. . Additionally, it is also suggested to McGraw hill education to embrace the new changes in the system and plan its process accordingly to capitalizes the economic opportunity and engage its operations for reaching to the customer by gaining customer experience.
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the above analysis that McGraw Hill’s education major focus is to deliver potential support to the suppliers and the educators and strategically manage its business performance to attain profitability and ensure that the students attain the desired objective. The company focuses on using innovative tools and techniques to manage the problems and ensure sustainable growth in the business plan.
References
Aithal, P.S., 2017. An Effective Method of Developing Business Case Studies based on Company Analysis. International Journal of Engineering Research and Modern Education (IJERME), ISSN (Online), pp.2455-4200.
Bridgman, T., McLaughlin, C., and Cummings, S., 2018. Overcoming the problem with solving business problems: Using theory differently to rejuvenate the case method for turbulent times. Journal of Management Education, 42(4), pp.441-460.
Januschowski, T., and Kolassa, S., 2019. Classification of business forecasting problems. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting, (52), pp.36-43.
McGraw-Hill. 2020. About us. [online] available through<https://www.mheducation.com/. [accessed on 5th November 2020]
Slade, M., McDaid, D., Shepherd, G., Williams, S., and Repper, J., 2017. 14. Recovery: the Business case.
Part 2 Reflective report
Introduction
Writing down reflection is one of the most important practices for the students because it contributes a lot in carrying out self-analysis and identifying the gaps linked with the skill set and knowledge base. In the present report, reflection on the learning experience I have acquired during the journal entry has been provided. In addition to this, a description of the key skills I have obtained because of the journal entries has also been provided in this report.
Main Body
I believe that the learning acquired during the week 1-5 will be playing a significant role in my personal and professional growth. For example, I have been able to develop my presentation and communication skills because of the module. In the modern era, the role of communication skills is considered as significant as the skills directly contribute in providing opportunities for growth. The classroom discussion, presentation, and report writing process are the three activities that have contributed a lot in improving my skills associated with communication (Ratheeswari, 2018).
Even the module has helped in acquiring several opportunities associated with carrying out improvements in my skill set related to information and communication technology (ICT). I think that after completion of this module, I have been able to develop adequate knowledge and understanding of the ways in the use of ICT can be done for various purposes. The statement can be justified by the fact that I was required to use of different types of Microsoft Office programs which have further supported me in improving my skills associated with ICT (Pee, et.al 2017).
I was also required to carry out in-depth research on various topics and the result of this was that I have been able to develop and enhance my research skills. Apart from this, it can also be expressed that I was required to complete various tasks and activities within the provided deadlines during the module. The result of this was I was able to carry out a significant level of improvement in my skills related to time management.
Problem-solving has also been identified as a key skill that I have improved because of the module and the journal entries carried out. It can be expressed that during the module, I have faced several challenges or problems in the form of researching and carrying out analysis of the data or information. Therefore, I have emphasized a lot on enhancing my skills related to problem-solving to easily deal with the main issues and challenges faced (Almerich, et.al 2016).
Team working is also considered as one of the most important factors which support a person in the development and growth.
The application of model such as Belbin team role has helped me in understanding the value of team working in context of accomplishing the common goals and objectives. From this model, I have also learned that reflection of diverse mix of behaviours in the team is a factor which directly aids to the development of successful teams. I have gained knowledge about the fact that team worker, resources investigator, coordinator, specialist etc. are some team roles which are being performed by individuals. During the module, I have performed the role of team-worker during the module as I have helped the other members in the team to gel up properly and identify the key requirements related with work.
I have also carried out the use of VARK Questionnaire so that I can develop adequate knowledge and information about my learning preference. From the questionnaire completed, it has been evaluated that multimodal is my learning preference and according to this preference, I am more interested in using different diagrams, maps, various layouts. In addition to this, the results of VARK test also highlights the fact that discussion talking, questioning and taking notes at regular intervals are the key strategies which I prefer to employ in order to learn new things and concepts (MacCallum, and Casey, 2017).
The self assessment exercise has also supported me in understanding the fact that I am required to work a lot on some of my skills. For example, I am required to develop and implement strategies linked with team working. The reason behind this is that the improvement in my skills associated with team working will be further providing me with support and assistance in context of acquiring better professional and personal growth.
Kolb’s learning cycle is also a very useful model which can be taken into account for the purpose of getting insight into one’s learning. The application of model has been carried out below as:
Concrete experience – In this stage, I have encountered a complete new experience in the form of completing the module. I have gained an experience of managing the cultural growth in the business segment and have attained a scalable way of performing the business function. It has helped me to grow exponentially and involved a structured growth in the operations encountered by the business for enhancing the business culture and managing the sources in an effective manner.
Reflection observation of the new experience – It has been observed that the new experience has provided me with an opportunity to identify gaps associated with my skills and knowledge.
Abstract conceptualization – I have gained information about the fact that I need to work a lot on areas such time management and creative thinking. I have to develop professional skills for managing the business operations and ensure to produce a profitable growth in the business segment (Waseem-Ul-Hameed, et.al 2018).
Active experimentation – The learning acquired from the module will be implemented in the real life with an objective to carry out smooth flow of all operations.
Thus, I believe that the module has carried out drastic level of improvement in my skill set and knowledge base. However, I believe that time management along with team working are the two important areas where I need to emphasize a lot. The below mentioned SMART action plan indicates the ways through which I am going to enhance my time management and team working skills.
| Skills | Strategies | Timeframe | Monitoring |
| Time management | I will be attending different seminars and workshops with an objective to enhance my skills associated with time management | 6 months | In every one week |
| Team working | I will be using self learning as a strategy to improve team working skills | 12 months | In every 15 days |
Conclusion
From the above reflective report, it can be concluded that the module has helped me in enhancing my skills related with team working, communication, ICT and problem solving. The application of VARK questionnaire has helped me in gaining data about my own learning preference and it has been evaluated that my preference is directed toward multimodal learning. I believe that in future, I will be required to focus a lot on areas such as carrying out improvements in my skills associated with time management and team working. I have to work efficiently for the association of business function and ensure to build the growth in the segment to develop an extensive measure of the business function. Also I will be more careful for attaining business growth and profitability in the management. I assure to manage the business growth through expansion and growth of the process and enhance the performance by implementing creative plans.
References
Almerich, G., Orellana, N., Suárez-Rodríguez, J. and Díaz-García, I., 2016. Teachers’ information and communication technology competences: A structural approach. Computers & Education, 100, pp.110-125.
MacCallum, J. and Casey, S.C., 2017. Enhancing skills development and reflective practise in students during their programme of study. New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences, (12).
Pee, B., Woodman, T., Fry, H. and Davenport, E.S., 2017. Practice‐based learning: views on the development of a reflective learning tool. Medical education, 34(9), pp.754-761.
Ratheeswari, K., 2018. Information communication technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(1), pp.S45-S47.
Waseem-Ul-Hameed, S.N., Azeem, M., Aljumah, A.I. and Adeyemi, R.A., 2018. Determinants of e-logistic customer satisfaction: A mediating role of information and communication technology (ICT). International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 7(1), p.105.
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