Academic Essay on the Impact of Cloud Computing On It Department

Highlighted Cases:

Case-1: A Study on Cloud Database

Case-2: Managing IT Operations in a Cloud-driven Enterprise (Selected)

INTRODUCTION

In the current technology based globalized world, organizations structures, operations and management are being changed according to the change of technology. The high competition in business world has intensified the need of proper management and use of their data and information. The organization which is highly capable in information in managing information technology is highly successful in competition. To manage the information, the organizations has introduced Information Technology (IT) department to ensure proper management and application of the related data and information. Previously, the IT departments within organizations have used traditional database systems. By the passes of time, the traditional database system has been replaced by the cloud database concept. The reason behind it is that the traditional database system is unable to ensure proper management of highly increasing huge bulk of data within the organizations whereas the cloud database system is highly effective and efficient to ensure proper management of data and information. In this report, a literature review has been detailed based on “Impact of cloud computing on IT departments”.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review is the stage of a research work where standards though collected from different previous works regarding an issue which is highlighted to evaluate in the current piece of work. For preparing the current literature review, two case studies, first case named “A study on cloud database” has been provided academically and second one “Managing IT Operations in a Cloud-driven Enterprise” collected personally, is used. As the report preparation is instructed to follow PROMT, additional information is also included in it. 

ADDITIONAL SECTION

Information about database

In the traditional filing system an organization has to face different problems like lack of centralization, difficulty to access, wastage of paper and time and ease of duplication. To remove the problems, database systems is used which is organized electric mechanism for storing, managing and retrieving information (Beynon-Davies, 2004).  It’s traditional in-house database system but has lost its appeal to cope with the changing necessity of the information management. For ensuring the effective and efficient data and information management, organizations are rushing through the cloud database systems.

Cloud computing

The development of concept of cloud computing can be traced in 1950s when large scale mainframe computers became available in academia and corporations. The modern day cloud computing characteristics can be explored mostly in the book of Douglas Parkils named “Challenge of the Computer Utility, 1966” (Lavington, 1998)

The application of traditional supercomputing and high performance computing power which are used in military and research facility to perform tens of trillions computations per second in the customer oriented applications  (Oestreich, 2010) like financial portfolios to deliver personalized information, to provide data storage or to power large, immersive computer games is the main aim of cloud computing (Sullivan, 2014).

SECTION-1

Analysis of cloud computing models

In the current world, the data management problems have been raised in case of exponential growth of internet, multiplication of data and explosion of data sources. The traditional and relational database management system is not capable to support this hyper growing trend of data. To solve the problem the large companies and communities has been forced to use new database management tool NoSQL or “Key-Value-Store” system by escaping from traditional data management system as this has ensured the sharing of a common goal of massive scale “On Demand” and simplified application development.  Based on the database management tool the cloud database management system has been developed which is the newest concept data management to support the exponential growth and higher of multiple semi-structured data of community and corporations.

Cloud computing is the internet based computing or data management system which helps data sharing without having any local server or personal application handling devices. In this system different systems like server, storage and applications are supported through internet to an organization an organization computer. Cloud computing system is such a database management system where users enjoy the full availability and access with being blocked. It makes the database management system free from dependence on number of users, size and any added computing /communication constraint as well as burden of taking back up. By the use of cloud computing system the majority of headache for data management within an organization is transferred to the outside cloud service provider.

The networks of large group of servers typically running low-cost consumer PC technology in clouding specialized connection to spread data processing chores across them is used by cloud computing. The IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems which are connected together are shared by the cloud computing system and virtualization techniques to maximise the power of cloud computing are used in cloud computing system.

Source: https://devcentral.f5.com/articles/cloud-computing-its-the-destination-not-the-journey-that-is-important

There are different models of cloud computing with different characteristics like PNUTS, CouchDB, Big Table, Voldermort, HBase, MongoDb, Hypertable, Infinispan, Azure, Doynomite, Redis, Xeroundm ClearDB, SimpleDB, GoodgeApp Engine Data Store and Bynamo. These databases can be dived into two segments according to the elasticity level of them. The first type of cloud database systems do not require any downtime for adding a new node in a cluster but the second type of cloud database systems  require observable downtime for adding a new node in a cluster. PNUTS, SimpleDB and Big Table are   proprietary cloud database system whereas CouchDB, Voldermort, HBase, MongoDb, Hypertable, Infinispan, Azure, Doynomite, Redis, Xeroundm ClearDB, GoodgeApp Engine Data Store and Dynamo are open source cloud database

 Cassandra and HBase are made based on Big Table systems where updating systems follows sequential I/O where records are never overwritten. In this system the sequential writing is optimized but reading is de-optimized. Dynomite provides integrate storage and distribution system to ensure scalability and advantage. Cassandra allows client to specify on a per-call basis whether the write is durably persisted. Dynamo, Voldemort and Cassandra use eventual consistency to balance replication and availability. On the other hand, in PNUTS model based database system updating systems follows random I/O where records are overwritten. But this is not as faster as Big Table database models like Cassandra and HBase. Infinispan database system is Java based open source data grid platform that provides extreme scalability and availability through mufti-processor, multi-core architectures and distributed cache capabilities. Redis is open source advanced database system that contains strings, hashes, lists, sets and sorted seats where MongoDB is a schema fee, document oriented highly scalable and fault tolerable database system. Amazon SimpleDB and Microsoft Azure are hosted cloud serving stores providing transactional functions not found in other serving stores. BigTable, Hypertable and Google App Engine are GFS compatible database product while PNUTS is Yahoo! Product.

In the recent time the open sources database software are threatening the business of the power of data industry HP and IBM. They are creating public data centre model through ensuring maximum use if resource and power. 

SECTION-2

IT departments

There are different departments within an organization to carry out the operations of the organization. In a business the tree main departments are finance management and marketing. In the recent time a more important department has been required by the organization for the proper operation of organization functions which is Information Technology (IT) department. The department which provides technological and information management support to an organization, it will be called as the IT department of the organization. Within an IT department different IT applications are used to support payroll, travel and expense reimbursement, customer relationship and supply chain management customer. The applications are decomposed in three: front-end tires, business-logic tier and a back-end tire. The applications used by the organization are internal and external applications. Internal IT Applications (Example SCM Oracle Apps, CRM Oracle Apps, ERP SAP etc.) and Cloud Applications (Private/Public/Hybrid): Example Google Apps, Amazon EC2 and Salesforce.com etc.

Relation between cloud computing and IT department

In an IT department within an organization different database is used. The enterprises use the internal and traditional database for storing, sharing and managing data has to face different problems as the business is more and more expending, to store the data the organization are being technology reliant and the traditional database management system is inefficient and complex.  To support the exponentially growing data, the IT department of an organization requires huge data storage and data management capacity including high scalability and flexibility. But traditional database cannot support the firstly growing necessity. On the other hand, to manage huge in-house database requires high costs as it requires highly paid and highly costing infrastructure. This is why the IT department becomes dependant for information management on an outside professional database management organization which is called as the cloud computing. In it believed that the IT departments of an organization are being migrated to the cloud platforms. So, day by day, the more the IT department of organizations are being reliant on cloud database, the more the cloud platforms are becoming a major part of organizational IT department.  In current technology based global world, for large organizations cloud computing is being fundamental part or heart of their IT departments.

Factors to be considered for migrating IT department to Cloud environment

To have the cloud services, IT department of an organization should be migrated to the cloud platform. This will provide various advantages to the organization and it will remove the inefficiencies of traditional database management process of the organization. But before migration of IT department of an organization to the cloud platform, the organization should consider some crucial issues like: security capacity of the application, regulations, community protocol, resource provision, application, application complexity level and processing requirement and memory lock.

Migration process of IT department to cloud environment

The migration of organizational IT department to a cloud environment, an organization will go through a well-organized process. For example: The process of migration of an IT System to MICROSOFT SAAS Cloud contains the sequential activities: conducting technical preplanning and current system analysis, making employees fit with the new system, deployment of active directory services, testing the process and mail flow and moving all users mailbox to cloud.

Advantages for adopting cloud service in IT department

By transforming IT department to a cloud environment, the organizations enjoy different data management and database management advantages. The major advantages generated from transforming IT department of an organization to a cloud platform are like: it simples the IT infrastructures, reduces IT cost and enhances IT capabilities, reduce IT admin tasks, strengthen security and reliability of data and system, flexible mobile access, easy integration, ongoing upgrades, high speed of data processing, helps to focus on core business, helps to make focus on core business and dynamic workload allocation, system agility, proper utilization of human resources, helps enhance scalability, customization, lower barrier to entry and efficient disaster recovery.

Challenges for adopting cloud service in IT department

Some challenges arise for the organization when an organization is making migration of their IT department to a cloud platform. Challenges are like lower data security level, latency, bandwidth cost, loss of control, service level agreement for downtime, difficulty in application migration, problems for distance of server, high reliance on internet and its performance and maximum reliance on  outsider for valuable data management.

CONCLUSION

Current technology based business world is highly dependent on the cloud computing to manage their database effectively and efficiently. From the economic purpose, the significance of cloud computing is highly important. To be sustained in the global market an organization has to achieve maximum cost efficiencies. In this case to reduce organizational operation cost, the organizations are helped by the cloud computing through transforming IT department of an organization to cloud service providers as it helps to reduce infrastructural, maintenance and expertise cost of database management in an IT department. On the other hand, the system efficiency helps to ensure the business performance based on which the organizations can achieve additional performance and efficiencies. So, cloud computing is a concept which is migrating the IT department of modern organizations to outside platforms which ensured the organizational IT efficiencies and performance.

REFERENCE

1.      Beynon-Davies, P. (2004). Database Systems. 3rd Edition. Palgrave, Houndmills: Basingstoke.

2.      Connolly, T., and Carolyn Begg , (2002). Database Systems. New York: Harlow.

3.      Lavington, S., (1998). A History of Manchester Computers (2nd ed.). London: The British Computer Society.

4.      Oestreich, K., (2010). "Converged Infrastructure". CTO Forum. Thectoforum.com. Retrieved 2011-12-02.

5.      Sullivan, D., (2014). "Cost of the Cloud: A Developer's Guide to Reducing Your AWS Bill". PragTech Publishing.

Academic Essay: Four Burning Contemporary Debates in Business Management

There different controversial in business world. These issues have created two different poles as some of the people of the society are in favour of these issues and some are in opposite views. As the requirement to fulfil the module, I am here to evaluate some controversial issues as the business debate. The issues are: marketing adds more value to share holders than to customers, Organizational goal should supersede individual goals, Government should not intervene into financial operations and Entrepreneurs are born not bred. In the following session, I will go for the presentations of the logics regarding to my position about the focussed issues.

One: Marketing adds more value to share holders than to customers

From the very beginning of the civilization, we can see the existences of the business.  The main and foremost important aim of the business is to produce interest for the owners. For that reason, the main purpose of all types of business activities likes marketing, management and financing mainly functioned for the betterment of the owners (Baker, 2008). So, I support the comment ‘Marketing adds more value to share holders than to customers’. Before presenting my logics regarding my position I will first clarity the marketing, shareholders’ value addition and customer value briefly for the assistance of my logics.

Marketing is the management activities and processes which delivers products or services from the producers to the consumers to satisfy the needs of the customers by removing the knowledge barriers regarding products or services. It includes product design and production, pricing, distribution and promoting.  The ultimate aim of marketing is to generate profit through satisfying the customers’ needs (Baker, 2008).

The shareholders’ value addition is the process of the management of the business to maximise the equity of the share holders within a business through maximization of profit, market value of shares and maximizing the dividends against the investments of the shareholders (Homburg, Sabine & Harley, 2009).

Customers are the buyers of the products of the organizations in exchange of money. They spend money for consuming the utility of the product. The utility or satisfaction which a consumer gets from a product by spending a certain amount of money is the customer value and marketing activities helps to maximise the customer values through its activities (Aaker, 2008).

Now come to the point. The resources all over the world are not equally distributed. Business is the means of human society to ensure the proper distribution of the resources. Business designs the products based on the resources for satisfying the needs of human. To do this business do major functions like: Management, financing, manufacturing, and marketing. Without marketing the all other functions of business is not complete (Homburg, Sabine & Harley, 2009). By the marketing, business presents the product to the prospected customers and makes them buy. By buying this product, customers get value. The marketing shows that which spending will create the maximum value to the customers. The more the marketing better, the more the value addition to the consumers generates. The reason behind it is that by the marketing the consumers can chose the best product from the several options (Homburg, Sabine & Harley, 2009). For example: From the market, a customer can buy the reasonable cell phone by analysing the grace of marketing. But the burning question here that why business do the marketing to satisfy the customer’s needs. Yes! The ultimate aim of the marketing and selling product to the customers to provide them value is to generate profit for the business against the investment to produce and deliver the products to the consumers. The better marketing of the organization develop the large group of customers to deliver values for the purpose to maximise profit (Baker, 2008). The profit comes to the account of organization which creates the additional value to the organizational wealth. The shareholders of the organization are the actual owners of the resources or wealth of the organization. So, maximization of profit by delivering value to the consumers though marketing ultimately maximizes the shareholder’s value. On the other hand, the value marketing activities generates to the customers is lesser than the shareholders (Aaker, 2008). The reason behind it is that the business tries to sale product in a profitable price. To make profit, the business earns more value than they give to the customers. The surplus value goes to the share holders of the organization (Baker, 2008). So, it is clear that marketing adds more value to the shareholders than customers.

Two: Organizational goal should supersede individual goals

Goals are the desired state to achieve. Within the organization, the goals are the important tasks to achieve. Within the organizational work place, there are two types of goals are available. The first one is the goal to achieve the organizational interest and other is to achieve the individual interest (Michel, 2008). The personal desires to achieve within the organization will be declared as the personal and individual goal and the organizational and collaborative desires to achieve are the organizational goals. To the all organizational individuals the organizational goals must be important than the personal goals (Jesson, 2005).

In the previous time the business were mainly based on the domestic market. But in the current time, business has crossed the national borders. By the grace of technology, the organizations within the business world perform their operation globally. Now, the domestic organizations are not domestic organizations as were the part of the global village. For that reason, the all organizations in all countries all over the world within a specific industry compete with each other (Jesson, 2005).  For example: The garments manufacturers of Bangladesh compete with the garments manufacturers all over the world. So, the competition is no more local. It is completely global. That’s why it is very tough to the organizations to consider and cope with the cutthroat competitive global market.

To cope with the highly competitive market environment, it is crucial for every organization to make them fit to sustain in the market. For being successful in that market, the business organizations must be highly concern about the use of the best use of the organizational resources, specially the human resources of the organization. In this way, the organization must produce the group efforts for the achievement of the organizational goals and objectives (Collings, 2004). If the organizations are unable to produce the group efforts to achieve the organizational goals, the organization will no more exist. If the organizations doesn’t exist the individuals will no more used in the organization and the personal goals achievement will be impossible. On the other hand, by the more focus on the management of the organizational goals achievement than the personal or individual goal achievement will provide different opportunities for the organizational people to enrich their personal career (Collings, 2004).  By the focus on the organizational goal, the employees within the organization create group efforts. This group effort helps them to enrich their personal skills and capacities by exchanging experiences and knowledge. This team effort creates the better communication among them to achieve their personal goals (Collings, 2004).

I strongly support that the personal goal without having the organizational goal achieve will not create no value. I will go for an example to make vivid my position. Mr. Jonson I very much personal goal oriented and not interested to produce group effort and co-operation. He works in shop of Tesco. The store is facing the losing growth of sales in case of the inefficiency of the employees. But here, he always touches the personal goals of selling. Other employees within the store are inefficient in case of co-operation. He has the ability to make them improved but he always focus on his goals. Ultimately the store’s goal to sale is missed. The authority decided to shutdown the store. With all other workers, Mr. Johnson lost his Job. So, it is evident that the organizational goal will supersede the organizational goal.

Three: Government should not intervene into financial operations

In the market where the shares, bonds, bills of exchange and other products are sold. It is one of the most important parts of the economy of a country. The good heath of the financial market will provide the better indication to the strong economic position of a country (Joseph, 2000).

I strongly support that the government of country must intervene in the financial market as when the investors will be fully informed and will be free from all the types of fraud and manipulations. If there is no opportunity to breakdown of the management control of a company and no threat to collapse one financial institution lead the possible collapse of the entire market, the financial market work better (Greene, 2011).  These are the problems which are probable to arise from the market but cannot be solved by the individual’s self interest working things out in the market place. To continue the growth and prosperity of a country the growth in the financial market is must. If the market becomes unstable, the investors will be disappeared from the market. On the other hand, the stable market attracts the investors and growth is achieved which significantly impact on the economic growth of the country. For the larger interest of the country, the government must make stable the market as only the interventions from the government can stable the market (Joseph, 2000). That’s why the government interventions in the financial market are necessary. On the other hand, when government does not intervene or regulate the market, the investors will not get the proper information. This is why their decision will not be based on the accurate information but based on rumour and hearsay. This will cause the great loss to the investors. By the regulation of the government, the information will be fully disclosed for the security of the money of the general investors (Greene, 2011).

In the in regulated market, fraud and manipulation rob the money of the investors. This is why the investors become highly discouraged in investment. When they restrain them from investing it harms the entire economy of the country. In this market the destructive activities continues by the development of the miss management (Joseph, 2000). To protect the economy by the protection of the investors’ money, government must make the strict intervention and regulations over the financial market within a country. The risk taking of one brokerage house can harm all the companies within the market which can be protected by the government strict rules and regulations (Greene, 2011). The harmed organization endangers the interests of the clients, employees, vendors, creditors. So, by regulation of the reckless risk taking behaviour of the firm through the intervention, the government can protect the interest of all the stakeholders of the company. For minimizing the harms to others, the better regulations are needed by the financial markets. That’s why the government through the proper intervention must make the different steps for the financial market (Jenkins, 1978).

So, the strong and stable financial market makes the strong economic base and standard position of the country in financial strength. But this stability can be only achieved by the proper regulation of the government. This is why; government should intervene in the financial markets.

Four: Entrepreneurs are born not bred

It is not possible to train a person to be an entrepreneur as it is a spirit which is gifted by born. Through the nurture entrepreneurs cannot be made as it is a by bon nature. Normally, people who are not with the spirit of entrepreneurships give up trying after a couple of failure. But the person with the spirit of entrepreneurship takes dedication, passion and the drive to never give up. When the normal people want to do a business, he/she tries one, two or three times. If he/she fails, they find the new ways to get in. But the entrepreneur is such a personality who never gives up (inspiresme, 2013).

So it is a certain type of personality people have by born. Some people are very much fond of stress free lifestyles. Here, they know what they are going to have in the future. But the entrepreneurs always strive for more in exchange of gruelling journey.  According to Allen Gannett, (2012), for the years we are trying to make the generation of entrepreneurs, but we are not successful. The reason behind it is that the spirit entrepreneurs are not just about understanding business plans and inventory management. It is one type of madness which takes a person to seemingly impossible heights, dictation the law of nature and practically can be broken. According to their research about the matter, he exposed that a survey statistics shows that only one percent of the entrepreneurs believe that education played important role for their entrepreneur development.  On the other hand, 61% believed that the development entrepreneurship is not taught (Gannett,   2012).

At last, I will conclude by saying that, if the entrepreneurs would be created, Bill Gets, Warren Buffet and stave jobs would be duplicated in the recent time. It is not possible. So, it is clear that the entrepreneur’s are not made, they are born.

Conclusion

In the above sections, I have critically discussed the highlighted issues in the business debate. I support that marketing adds more value to share holders than to customers as the ultimate aim of marketing to produce value to the customers for the profit maximization which creates the additional value to the owners or shareholder’s interest. To be survived in current competitive global market, the organizations must focus on the group effort than the personal interests and this is why organizational goal should supersede individual goals. On the other hand, the government should not intervene into financial operations and Entrepreneurs are born not bred.

References

1)     Baker, Michael, (2008). The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit. London: Pearson

2)     Homburg, C., Sabine, K., & Harley, K., (2009). Marketing Management - A Contemporary Perspective. London: Pearson

3)     Aaker, David(2008). Strategic Market Management. London: Pearson

4)     Collings, (2004). Organizational change and management of change. Oxford: Oxford University press

5)     Jesson, (2005). Leadership strategies and application of appropriate leadership strategy to the organization, 3^rd edition. NY: Kangon press

6)     Michel, A., (2008). Impact of organizational culture on change assesses the impact of stakeholder’s ort the change process, 5^th edition.  London, Tomson press.

7)     Jenkins, W., (1978). Policy Analysis: A Political and Organizational Perspective. London: Martin Robertson.

8)     Greene, J. E., (2011). Public Finance: An International Perspective. New Jersey: World Scientific. p. 500.

9)     Joseph E. S., (2000). Economics of the Public Sector, 3rd ed. Norton. London: Pearson

10) Gannett,   Allen, (2012). Entrepreneurs are born. [Available at: http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2012/03/10/entrepreneurs-are-born/]. Accessed: 20-10-1012

11) inspiresme, (2013).  Entrepreneurship: Born or bred? [Available at: http://www.inspiresme.co.uk/starting-a-business/business-ideas/entrepreneurship--born-or-bred-/]. Accessed: 20-10-2013

Academic Assistance for Business Students in UK: Academic Research Proposal- Sample and Structure :...

Academic Assistance for Business Students in UK: Academic Research Proposal- Sample and Structure :...: CHAPTER-ONE: INTRODUCTION Introduction The current business world is a globalized business world. Previously, the business worl...

Academic Research Proposal- Sample and Structure : A critical review on the marketing strategies of an organization: a case study of Hilton Hotels and Resorts

CHAPTER-ONE: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The current business world is a globalized business world. Previously, the business world was highly confined within the national borders of the countries. But in the current times, the business world has crossed the national borders (Kotler & Keller, 2012. When the business was restricted within the national boundary, the global business market was highly production oriented and the more an organization would produce the more they achieved their revenues and profits as the competition within the national boarder was very limited. But the age of globalization has created a unified global business floor where there is no national border and all the business all over the world can enter into any market all over the world (Goldstein & Lee, 2005). This is why the competition has become cutthroat. In this situation, no customer is bound to buy a product from a specific company as the sceptre of power has transferred on the hand of the customers (Dev & Don, 2005). In this customer oriented market, the organization which has the maximum customer segment and their satisfaction, the more the organization is successful. If any company fails to manage the high customer segment, growth and customer satisfaction, the organization will lose the profit and growth and in a day it will be extinct from the market. To be sustain, in the market an organization should manage the best marketing, marketing strategies and marketing process to achieve growth and survival in the highly competitive market (Kerin, 2012). So, it is highly essential for an organization to formulate and apply the best strategy to manage the current customer demand and attract new customer segment and to achieve their satisfaction to be grown and sustain in the market. Current proposed research will mainly focus on and critically analyse the marketing strategies. To conduct the research, the proposed research will be conducted on the context of Hilton Hotel and Resorts, one of the renowned and luxurious hotel chains all over the world (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014).

Organizational Background: Hilton Hotel and Resorts

In the global tourism and hospitality business one of the most significant names is Hilton Hotel and Resorts (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014). It is one of the most renowned hotel chains which were established in Texas in USA in 1919. Now it has become one of the leading hotel chain has spread its business all over the world. It is a flagship brand which is operated by individual operators all over the world.  The hotel has become the coast to coast hotel chain in USA in 1943 (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014). According to the report in 2010, the organization was operating their business in 78 countries. The organization has about the 530 hotels all over the world. In 2013, the organization has expanded its business in Myanmar. 

The organization has emphasized on the business travel and leisure travel with the location in the major city centres, near airports, convention centres and vacation resorts to make them on the current successful position (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014). The organization has introduced the best guest loyalty programs among their kinds. Additionally, to make their business successful the organization made different partnerships with the assisting business like airlines and car rental companies (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014). 

Problem statement

An organization which is highly successful in the current competitive business world has the strongest marketing strategies. The more an organization is efficient to make and apply efficient marketing strategies, the more the organization will earn profit and growth (Kotler & Keller, 2012. Hilton hotel and resort is one of the leading marketers in hotel business all over the world which has different marketing strategies which is highly related to their growth and profitability (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2014). In the recent time the organization is facing the lower growth trend which has diminished their service sales all over the world and it has reduced their revenue and profitability. Different market specialist and management people within the organization have commented that the main problem is that the marketing strategies within the organization are not working effectively (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2013). Additionally, the global sales have reduced in the recent years especially in the emerging market like Asia where Hilton hotel is being beaten by the both local and international low cost service providers. This is why they are losing their profitability and desired growth in this market. The major problem is that they are losing their customers and they are unable have the new customers as required to achieve their desired marketing goals and objectives (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2013). So, the major problem relies on their marketing strategies which are not working efficiently. To have desired growth in the developed and growing market the organization must have to identify the problems within their marketing strategies and the ways to solve the problems.

Significance of the topic

In the customer oriented globalized and highly competitive business, efficient and effective marketing strategy is highly essential to be sustained and achieving growth. If an organization fails to produce and apply the proper and efficient marketing strategies it will fail to achieve the goals and objectives (Goldstein & Lee, 2005). The current proposed research is highly crucial for the organizations within the global hotel industry as it will analyse different marketing strategic issues within the industry which may help them as the guidelines for future marketing strategies (Kotler & Keller, 2012).

For Hilton Hotels and Resort, the proposed research is highly important as it is losing its market growth, profitability and expansion opportunities and the research will guide the organization to identify the problems of its marketing strategies by reviewing these and recommend solving the problems (Kerin, 2012). This will help the organization to formulate the best marketing strategies and it will help the organization to achieve desired growth and profitability. In this way, the proposed research is highly significant for the organization (Hilton Hotel and Resorts, 2013).

For me, the proposed research is highly important. The reason behind it is that the research will help to understand more on marketing and marketing strategies. Additionally it will help to apply the theoretical knowledge regarding marketing strategies which has been gathered from the academic programs in the practical organizational situation. Furthermore, it is an opportune ground for enriching research skills and capacities.

Research questions

Based on the identified problems in the marketing strategies within Hilton Hotel and Resort, the following research questions have been developed to conduct the proposed research:

ð       What are the current marketing strategies of Hilton Hotel and Resorts?

ð       What are the major problems of Hilton Hotel and Resorts?

Research Aim and Objective 

Aim

The aim of the proposed research is to review critically the marketing strategies of Hilton Hotels and Resorts.

Objectives

The objectives of the research to achieve the aim are like following:

Ä  To investigate the current marketing strategies of Hilton Hotels and Resorts

Ä  To investigate the problems within the marketing strategies of Hilton Hotels and Resorts

Ä  To recommend for removing the problems of marketing strategies of Hilton Hotels and Resorts

CHAPTER-TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

 For producing a research work, it is necessary for developing the theoretical benchmark or standard to analyse the primary data collected for generating the research result. For developing the standard, different previous literatures are reviewed and arranged in the literature chapter of a research. In this chapter, different previous literatures regarding the marketing strategies are indicated for the proposed research.   

Marketing

Marketing is one of the most common words in the current business world as it is highly linked with the market where a business runs their business. Normally, the marketing is the approaches to offer products and services to the potential customers (Dev & Don, 2005). More specifically, marketing is the process for communicating values of a product or service to customers with a view to sell the product is recognized as marketing. Marketing is the process which links between the social material requirements and its economic pattern of response (Goldstein & Lee, 2005). The needs and wants of the customers are satisfied by marketing based on a long term relationships. More broadly, the a set of process of creating, delivering, communicating values to the customers and managing the customer relationships in ways that also benefit the organization and its shareholders (Aaker, 2008).

Marketing strategy

For making successful marketing of an organizational products and services, marketing strategies are one of the most crucial issues. Marketing strategy is the technique used by the business organization for choosing the target market through target market analysis and market segmentation as well as understanding the customer buying behaviours and providing them superior customer values (Kotler & Keller, 2012). More clearly, the marketing strategies of an organization are the strategies which combine all of its marketing goals in one comprehensive plan. A marketing strategy will be developed based on the market research and focus on the right product mix in order to achieve the maximum profit potential and sustain in the market and it will be major fundament of the marketing plan of an organization (Goldstein & Lee, 2005).

Benefits of marketing strategy

Marketing strategies are the most important part of the business to be successful in the competitive market. The reason behind it is that the successful marketing strategy ensures the efficient focus on the real customer segment (Goldstein & Lee, 2005). Based on the proper marketing strategies, a business can efficiently define the market segment which is profitable for targeting by them. By the marketing strategies the organization can understand the actual needs of the targeted market segment can design the best products and services for the organization to satisfy them (ILR, 2014). In this way; the organization can easily satisfy the customers and in the current customer oriented business world a customer can be successful with the satisfaction of the customers (Forbes, 2014). By the proper marketing strategy an organization can define the market gap where they will place their business. An efficient marketing strategy will help an organization to analyse the market competition and find out the position where the competitors are not successful or has not entered (Dev & Don, 2005). This will be recognised as the market gap organization place itself in this gape and success comes easily. Different successful steps are possible by the use of the proper marketing strategies. It helps an organization to achieve the organization goals and objectives through the proper product design, pricing directions, efficient promotional activities and location suggestion to be highly successful in the market (Aaker, 2008).

If any organization has no proper marketing strategy, the organization will be unable define the actual market segment which will be their target market. In this way; the organization will be failed to have the proper identification of the needs and wants of the customers and their product or service design will be wrong (Forbes, 2014). It will not satisfy the customers and the customers will not be attracted. In this way the customers will be lessened. As the consequence the organization will lose profit and existence within the market (Kerin, 2012). 

Different marketing strategies

Within an organization mainly four types of basic marketing strategies are used to deliver values to the customers through the proper products and services (ILR, 2014). For the successful market, an organization will be highly efficient to formulate, apply and execute the strategies.

Product or service strategies

An organization delivers values to the customer through the products. For producing the best product an organization for the first time define their target customers and analyse the needs and wants of the customers and according to the needs and wants the organization designs their products to satisfy the customer demand to be successful in the market (Goldstein & Lee, 2005).

Price strategy

Price is the value collected from the customers in exchange to the utility of the product provided to them. The organization to be successful in the customer oriented market must be efficient to fix their product or service prices (ILR, 2014). There are major four strategies of pricing according to Porter which are cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, focused differentiation and cost leadership strategies. If any organization fails to chose the best pricing strategy it will be failed to sell their product or services which will generate loss and productivity for them (Aaker, 2008).

Place strategy

If any organization fails to locate their products and services within the proper location which is reachable to the target customer, the organization will lose the customers. If any organization can locate the best product in best location it will be highly successful as if a customer get a product in the shop close to him/her with lower quality, he/she will buy it is the high quality product is not available to him/her (Goldstein & Lee, 2005).

Promotional strategy

The marketing strategy which helps an organization to remove the knowledge lacking of the customers regarding their product or services is called as the promotional strategy. Different promotional strategies like advertisement, personal selling, social marketing etc. are used to introduce product and services with the target customers (Kerin, 2012). 

Theories regarding marketing strategies

Marketing strategy development process

The basic process to develop an effective marketing strategy includes different steps which are understanding customers, analysing market analysing completion, research distribution, defining marketing mix, financial analysis, revise and reviews (Kotler & Keller, 2012).

Source: http://www.easy-marketing-strategies.com/marketing-strategy-process.html

Strategic tools

Different strategic tools are used to develop marketing strategies which are SWOT and PESTLE for environmental analysis, Porter’s five forces for completion analysis, Value chain, BCG matrix and Ansoff’s Matrix analysis tools for marketing strategy development (Aaker, 2008). 

Characteristics of efficient marketing strategies

The best marketing strategy must be designed and based on the organizational goals and wants to achieve the business success. If a marketing strategy is not aligned with the organization objectives it will not be able to achieve the success of the organization.

The best marketing strategy will include the maximum innovation. Through the innovation an organization will be able to define the best and ongoing opportunities for the organization. It will help the organizational growth and efficiency. If any organizational marketing strategy lacks of it, it will not be able to satisfy the highly changing demand of the customers (Forbes, 2014).

The best marketing strategies will help the organization to make better marketing decisions to design products or services, product prices, promotion and placing. It will help to select the best people to continue the business growth and profitability (Goldstein & Lee, 2005).

A successful marketing strategy will be efficient to beat the competitors, flexible to adopt with the changing situation, consistent, proper resource allocation and create competitive advantage for an organization. It will help the organization to create effective and successful USP to attract customer and to give them reason to buy a product or services from an organization (Dev & Don, 2005).

CHAPTER-THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A research should be conducted based on a recognized and appropriate method as it provides the credibility and validity of the research and the research result. The research methodology is the chapter where all methods used in a research is declared and detailed (Creswell, 2012).

There are three main research methods can be used in a research which are qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid research method (Gray & Guppy, 2007).  For the current proposed research a mixed structured research method will be used. The reasons behind it are that the qualitative research method will produce the in-depth research data but the data are tough to measure and in some situation the method is inappropriate to use (Creswell, 2012). The quantitative research method produces measurable data but in some situation research issues requires in-depth research data which cannot be produced in this method (Mertens & McLaughlin, 2004). But hybrid method will help to produce the desired and appropriate research data where both the research method is appropriate. This is why the hybrid research method will be used which is the combination of both the qualitative and quantitative research method (Gray & Guppy, 2007).

For the current proposed research both the primary and secondary type of data will be used. The primary data will be collected through a well-designed survey questionnaire with open ended and close ended questions. For investigating by the questionnaire, a sample population of 50 people will be selected from the related positions and place (Gray & Guppy, 2007). In this research some ethical issues will be carefully maintained like avoidance of plagiarism, data protection, privacy of the interviewees and ethical data use, protection and storage. The major weakness of the research will be the limited time constraint to conduct the research (Creswell, 2012).

TIME SCALE FOR THE RESEARCH

CHAPTER	DETAIL	TIME
One	Introduction	22-03-2014 to 31-03-2014
Two	Literature review	01-04-2014 to 10-04-2014
Three	Methodology	11-04-2014 to 15-04-2014
Four	Data collection and analysis	16-04-2014 to 30-04-2014
Five	Discussion	01-05-2014 to 10-05-2014
Six	Conclusion and recommendation	11-05-2014 to 20-05-2014
	Documentation and submission	21-05-2014 to 27-05-2014

REFERENCE

1.      Hilton Hotel and Resorts, (2014). Globally motivated. Individually focused. [Available at: http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/development/performance-advantage/hilton-worldwide-sales/]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

2.      Hilton Hotel and Resorts, (2014). Hilton Performance Advantage Benefits. [Available at: http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/development/performance-advantage/]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

3.      Hilton Hotel and Resorts, (2014). Development: For every opportunity, there's a Hilton Worldwide brand. [Available at: http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/development/]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

4.      Hilton Hotel and Resorts, (2013). Annual report: 2012. [Available at: http://www.millenniumhotels.com/content/dam/Millennium/CIR/Finance/c107358CCL_2012.pdf]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

5.      Kotler, P. & Keller, L. K., (2012). Marketing Management 14e. London: Pearson Education Limited

6.      Dev, C.S. & Don, E.S., (2005). "In the Mix: A Customer-Focused Approach Can Bring the Current Marketing Mix into the 21st Century". Marketing Management 14 (1)

7.      Kerin, R.A., (2012). Marketing: The Core. Ryerson: McGaw-Hill

8.      Goldstein, D. & Lee, Y., (2005). "The rise of right-time marketing". The Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management 12 (3): 212–225

9.      Dacko, S.G., (2008). The advanced dictionary of marketing. London: Prentice Hall

10.   Baker, M., (2008). The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit. London: Pearson

11.   Aaker, D., (2008). Strategic Market Management. London: McGaw-Hill

12.   Forbes, (2014).  4 Principles of Marketing Strategy in the Digital Age. [Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/16/4-principles-of-marketing-strategy-in-the-digital-age/]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

13.   ILR, (2014). 5 Benefits of a Great Marketing Strategy. [Available at: http://ilgresults.com/5-benefits-of-a-great-marketing-strategy/#axzz2xZFtGrYz]. Accessed: 01-04-2014

14.   Creswell, J. W., (2012). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

15.   Gray, G., & Guppy, N., (2007). Successful surveys: Research methods and practice (4th ed.). Toronto: Harcourt Canada.

16.   Mertens, D. M. & McLaughlin, J. A., (2004). Research and evaluation methods in special education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.