Hamlet’s Deception Essay

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play full of dishonesty and betrayal. Deception is the central theme in this play. Hamlet, in a state of emotional turmoil, deceives everyone by acting insane for a number of reasons. First, because he is deeply angry at his mother and at Ophelia. Second, because the opinions of his peers will need to be influenced. The last reason is so no one will notice he is trying to avenge his father’s murder. While some believe he fell victim, deception ultimately leads to the fulfillment of Prince Hamlet’s death wish. Not only is Hamlet deceptive, but so are the other characters. Horatio, Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Fortinbras, and Laertes are all simultaneously manipulating each other as well as Hamlet. Deception is evident in the opening act of the play. Hamlet portrays himself as someone who detests lies, corruption, and deceit. He explains that his grief is real and not simply a facade to feign his madness. He is adamant that his feelings are genuine. Throughout the entire play, Hamlet is manipulative, wise with his words and actions, and convinces everyone he is insane. He does these things because he is obviously grief-stricken with the news of his father’s murder and is angry at the person who did it, his uncle and his father’s murderer. He is also confused and hurt that his mother would marry his uncle, especially in such a short time after King Hamlet’s death. Not to mention he feels it is incestuous that his uncle is now his step father. He refers to his mother as the â€Å"good mother,† or step mother. He lies about his mental state to refrain from arousing suspicion and to create a distraction. While Hamlet gathers evidence against Claudius, he reveals to Horatio his plan to feign insanity: Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself, As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on, That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, With arms encumber’d thus, or this head-shake, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, As ‘Well, well, we know’; or ‘We could, an if we would’; Or ‘If we list to speak’; or ‘There be, an if they might’; Or such ambiguous giving out, to note That you know aught of me: this is not to do, So grace and mercy at your most need help you. (187-199) Hamlet tells this to Horatio in confidence. He tells him nothing specific, but he does let him in on the fact that he’s trying to deceive everyone so they won’t know he’s trying to gather evidence against Claudius. Horatio swore his allegiance to Hamlet. A rational person would not be able to exlpain this to someone. He understands every situation and knows there will be consequences for his actions. These reasons further prove that Hamlet was being deceitful. When Hamlet meets his mother, Gertrude, in her chamber, his plan is to â€Å"speak daggers† to her for what she has done, but has no intention of being physically violent. If Hamlet were actually insane, he would have murdered his mother without a second thought. Irrational people cannot control their actions. They do not know right from wrong. Gertrude blames Hamlet’s behavior on the fact that he is obviously insane and feels a great amount of pity for him. An act of deception takes place when Hamlet stages the murder of Gonzago in the re-enactment of the Mousetrap play at the suggestion of the ghost. This re-enactment is to try to manipulate Claudius into feeling guilty about murdering the king. It worked. Claudius did feel guilty. This was a signal to Hamlet, but he unfortunately did not act immediately to avenge his father’s murder. In one of the events he concocted to discover the truth, Hamlet unknowingly kills Polonius, thinking it was Claudius. Because of Polonius’ death, Claudius is now afraid of Hamlet. Losing her father at the hands of her lover caused Ophelia to go mad. It only made Laertes seek revenge. Because of Hamlet murdering Polonius, he is exiled to England. I believe it was more so for Claudius’ safety than an actual punishment. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany Hamlet to make sure he arrives where he’s supposed to. King Claudius ordered Hamlet’s death, but he does not know it. Hamlet is being deceived until he figures it out and turns the tables. He switched his name on the death warrant with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s name. They die in his place. Without deception, the plot would be at a standstill. Hamlet would not have his â€Å"antic disposition.† Claudius would be a flat character. Hamlet’s â€Å"to be or not to be† soliloquoy probably would not exist. If Hamlet had killed Claudius without debating it and weighing the pros and cons, I would not have enjoyed this play. Ultimately, deceit caused many unnecessary deaths. Polonius should not have died, but did because of a simple mistake. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern died because of Hamlet’s trickery. Ophelia kills herself because she cannot live with the dilemma of making everyone else unhappy. I am sure Hamlet telling Ophelia he never loved her (even though he did) also played a huge part in her suicide. Gertrude and Laertes unknowingly drink the poisoned wine that was meant for Hamlet. Claudius dies because he was stabbed by Hamlet with a poisonous sword. And finally, Hamlet dies because Laertes stabs him with a blade that has also been poisoned. Throughout Hamlet’s emotional turmoil, he remained sane. Outside forces influenced his behavior. His father’s murder set up a domino effect for Hamlet to lie, betray, and become filled with murderous rage. Hamlet got his revenge by killing Claudius, which is what he set out to do, but it came with a price. Hamlet fell victim to the deception he created.

Task B Tpp 101

Hoffman and Elwin’s (2003) article examines ’The Relationship Between Critical Thinking and Confidence in Decision Making’ for new graduate nurses. The authors aim to prove that no correlation exists between higher order reasoning of new graduates and their ability to make sound clinical choices in relation to patient management. Critical thinking in the nursing field is defined as decision making based on the analysis of clinical problems through reflection and reasoning to ensure optimum patient outcomes.US and UK studies found no link between critical thinking and clinical decision making while Korean research identifies a positive correlation. Underlying the significance of Hoffman and Elwin’s study is the lack of evidence supporting a link between the two. The hypothesis states no relationship exists between confidence in decision making and critical thinking for graduate nurses. The sample population comprised 83 graduates from 11 universities across metropolitan and regional NSW, Australia.Using correlation design over twelve months, responses from two groups were collected using the 80 question Watson & Glaser Critical thinking assessment tool (WGCTA), a ‘Confidence in decision making scale,' 0-5 range, and demographic questionnaires. Data was collected and analysed using SPSS spreadsheet and database respectively. Results demonstrate a weak negative correlation between critical thinking and decision making for new nursing graduates. As scores for critical thinking increased a reduction in confident decision making was observed.Therefore graduates can be grouped as those who think too critically and those who think less critically. The first group of individuals may reach accurate clinical conclusions but time taken may adversely affect patient outcomes. Conversely, a graduate who thinks less critically may be overconfident taking less time to consider clinical variables, ultimately placing patients at risk. The hypothe sis is therefore rejected. Recommendations are made to encourage a future clinical environment supportive of practitioners who question decision making.Firstly, a need exists for postgraduate training opportunities which reinforce the study findings. Secondly, research addressing the shortfalls of sampling design in this particular study should be conducted. Criteria | Evaluation | Author Credentials ; Bias| Strength: Analysis of Hoffman ; Elwins paper shows the authors are well positioned to research and report on the link between critical thinking and decision making in the nursing field. Both parties’ posses their masters degree in nursing and are registered for practice with Hoffman holding an additional Bsc.In addition to academic qualifications both parties are employed as nursing educators. Weakness: Bias may exist in the authors findings. As both Hoffman and Elwin are nursing professionals and educators the papers scope ; objectivity can be questioned. Recommendations for future training and research may be seen as self-serving. The inclusion of a third party professional from outside the nursing field may provide a complimentary perspective. | Accuracy and Consistency of Data| Strength: Data has been gathered using recognised reporting tools that are based on established criterion.The use of these tools may encourage future researchers to employ the same methods to promote accuracy and consistency when comparing existing data with that collected during future research. Weakness: The accuracy and consistency of data within the research paper can be questioned. Variations in reported sample size exist in the report and will lead readers to doubt the validity of additional data. | Data Collection/Analysis| Strength: The set of instruments used in data collection can be considered sound.The combination of graduate background information and recognised tools such as the WGCTA and ‘Confidence in decision making scale’ allows for consiste ncy in comparison with previous research findings. Correlations found in the data can therefore be considered significant. Weakness: As the authors acknowledge the use of a ‘convenience sample’, the reader should conclude that study results are generalised and not representative of regional, state, or national populations.Increased sample size, equal number of rural and metropolitan graduates, and more detail on individual’s age, gender, and learning institution would increase data credibility. Graduate IQ or GPA may also play a role in critical thinking and/or decision making and be included as an additional variable. | Analysis Methods and Relevance of Data| Strength: The author’s reference list cites 16 papers from various countries around the world. This indicates that widespread and applicable investigation into the relationship between critical thinking and decision making in graduate nurses has been conducted. Methods of analysis such as he WCGTA an d ‘Confidence in Decision-making Scale’ employed in earlier research allows for comparison of findings. Weakness: Despite the relevance of resources and suitability of analysis tools, some may be considered out of date. Although studies cited in the literature review are as recent as 2000, Watson ; Glasers’ critical thinking appraisal tool dates to 1980. In addition Rhodes’ work from 1985 gave rise to the ‘Confidence in Decision-making Scale’. The use of these tools in an environment as dynamic and ever changing as nursing could suggest lack of research on behalf of the authors, or a desire to reach preferred conclusions. Sample Size| Strength: The small sample size of 83 graduates participating in the twelve month study allows for close communication between researcher and subject. This may result in improved data quality highlighting local trends and issues specific to the region. It should also be noted that participants contributed to the study over the twelve month period as there is no mention of withdrawal. Weakness: The use of a ‘convenience sample’ comprising such small numbers cannot be considered representative of target populations at regional, state, or national levels.An increase in the number of participants to represent a greater proportion of the local graduate population would improve both integrity and usability of study findings. | Criteria| Evaluative comments| 1. What difficulties did you encounter completing this task? | Initial comprehension of the paper was difficult and time consuming but central to the task. When evaluating the paper many of my selected criteria specifically sample size, data collection, and data analysis contained elements which overlapped. This made it difficult to stay on track. | 2.What did you find challenging, but interesting about this task? | Separating the content from the exercise itself. I’m really not interested in details relating to the nursing profession but skilled summarising and critical thinking/evaluation are academic fundamentals. | 3. Why would TPP 101 have set this type of a task? What are the learning outcomes of this task? (See your course outline). | To establish academic skills that can be built on. Skills developed here will assist in completing Task 2. Learning outcomes for participants are to understand, think, learn, communicate, and value. 4. How will you be able to use the skills formed in this task in your future studies? | These skills will be applied not only to Task 2, but to most if not all future assessment pieces. Active critical thinking/assessment outside of university is also of value. | 5. Define three new words that were new to you in this journal article. | 1. Meta-Cognitive – awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. 2. Negative Correlation – as the values for one variable inrease, the values of the second variable decreases. 3.? |

Application of Critical Management Studies for Organisational Analysis

Application of Critical Management Studies for Organisational Analysis This report aims to use Critical Management Studies (CMS) concepts and ideas to explore specific aspects of organisational working and analyse the working of a specific business firm. CMS provides a variety of alternatives to conventional management theory that offer radically diverse perspectives and aim to transform traditional management approaches. It is essentially rooted in strong scepticism on the moral defensibility and standing, as well as on the ecological and social sustainability, of prevalent types of organisational and management structures (Adler, 2006, p 1). CMS, it is important to understand, does not focus either on the inadequate or poor management practices of specific business firms or on the personal feelings of individual organisational executives and managers (Adler, 2006, p 1). It essentially deals with the widespread social injustice and the extreme environmental negativity of mainstream economic and social structures and systems that are served and replica ted by traditional managers and conventional business organisations (Adler, 2006, p 1). In the contemporary context, CMS deals with a broad range of management issues like strategy, accounting, marketing, international relations, information systems and international business (Lazonick & Sullivan, 2000, p 13). Whilst its approach is based in broad scepticism of existing management theories, practices and structures, it focuses on pivotal, rather than marginal issues. It aims to illustrate how conventional management beliefs and practices are not just nourished by, but also serve to support and sustain disruptive, troublesome, conflict ridden, and essentially destructive contemporary structures and patterns (Sim & Van Loon, 2005, p 9). It goes on to provide alternative solutions and illustrates that the replication of such systems is not inevitable, necessary or unavoidable, but is actually dependent upon managerial thoughts and processes and therefore essentially changeable (Sim & V an Loon, 2005, p 9). Influenced by the work of numerous thinkers like Weber, Hegel and Foucault, CMS has also been shaped by a number of contemporary developments that stretch beyond the realm of academic theory and philosophical or social thought (Adler, 2006, p 5) Many established critiques of the essential aspects of modern day capitalism have been marginalised by the fall and disintegration of the left from the 1970s (Hassard, et al, 2001, p 339). The growth and development of fresh social movements has provided different critical perspectives on the function of modern day business enterprise (Alvarez, et al, 1998, p 17). The growth of the European community and the astonishing rise of China and India, as well as other emerging economies, have helped in placing dominant Anglo-American business values and models in relative positions for purposes of comparison and assessment (Ibarra-Colado, 2006, p 463). CMS is a very broad area of thought, theory and practice. The report takes u p (a) the application of CMS to a Call Centre in India, (b) Weber’s exposition of bureaucracy and (c) Transformational Leadership, with reference to Weber’s work on leadership, for study and analysis. 2.0. Application of CMS to Indian Call Centre The phenomenon of workplace bullying has for long attracted significant attention in mainstream management literature and is looked upon with concern by HR managers and organisational experts. This report deals with the application of CMS to the case study on Indian Call Centres, prepared by D’Cruz and Noronha in 2010. The two researchers conducted a phenomenological inquiry of working experiences of employees in international call centres in Bangalore and Mumbai in India and uncovered new ground in organisational etiological roles in workplace bullying. The case is considered as read and is thus not described in greater detail here.

Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Walmart - Essay Example Additionally, the shop also maintains its current clients. For that reason, in a retail shop such as Nice N Easy, broader merchandise selection contributes to 3.4 percent increase in sales. The store manager says that it has a high rate of customer inflow due to the strategy (Soverinsky 96). The broad merchandise selection elevates the number of sales; thus, leading to growth in the shop. With an increase in the number of products for sale, which also target a diverse range of customers, sales levels increase in the firm. Instead of targeting a specific section of the market population, a retailer with more products targets different people with different needs. Therefore, the number of sales increases in the firm leading to growth. For example, in Nice N Easy the number of sales increased by 3.4 percent, as a result of applying the strategy (Soverinsky 96). Broader merchandise selection acts as a form of advertisement. Advertisement and promotion of products is an essential aspect of marketing, which aids in growth of the firm. When a consumer enters to purchase a specific item, another product may attract them. When a customer identifies that a certain product exists in the same shop, there is a likelihood that he or she returns to the same shop to purchase that item or items. At Nice N Easy, regular customers come in to purchase different items due to the fact that they realize they can get that product in the same shop (Soverinsky 96). In conclusion, Walmart needs to broaden its selection of merchandise in order to increase sales, number of customers and also create product promotion. That way, the US discount unit can target a large number of customers enhancing company

The Analysis of SONY Corporation Research Paper

The Analysis of SONY Corporation - Research Paper Example The parent company and the electronic business unit of the Sony Group are SONY Corporation. The company is majorly operating in the entertainment and electronic products segment. The success and expansion in terms of market share have made the company one of the comprehensive companies in the entertainment sector. The Japanese based company focuses on products such as TV, computers, audio, gaming devices, movies and music. The company over the years has been witnessed to develop its in-house standards for various storage techniques and new recording measures. The company did not adopt any of the standards that were set forth by other manufacturers or other organizations. The company either individually or in collaboration with other partners has developed many new forms of recording formats such as a blue-ray disc, floppy disc and compact disc. The company has a wide range of products that it offers to the global markets and it has incorporated the best of technologies in its devices so that the company is at par with the competition. The company has established its position as the highest revenue generation company in Japan. In the year 2013, the overall revenue that was generated by the company was over  ¥6.493 trillion and it maintains positive cash flow in the system. The major objective of the corporate social responsibility activities of the company is to enhance its corporate value that it performs through sound practices in its business operations and innovation. The CSR activities of the company highlight the innovation through its services and products that excites as well as inspires, extending support so as to develop a sustainable as well as better society, and providing assistance to those communities in which they operate. The company believes that the activities that they perform enhance their corporate value and at the same time is beneficial for the society (Sony Corporation, 2014). The expectations of the society of the company constantly emerge with the product line diversification of customer lifestyles and markets, and also along with the changing concerns of the stakeholders in the industry.

Replay Sports Bar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Replay Sports Bar - Essay Example The researcher affirms that Replay Sports Bar will be offering private and public lounges where people can enjoy the game. Private lounges can be booked by people for a particular time so that they can enjoy any match with their friends and family. The idea of this business is to make sports more thrilling and exciting to watch with the help of advanced technology like LCD and Plasma Screens, Home theatre systems etc. In addition to this, Replay Sports Bar will be building relationships with the client so that they become long term customers of the company. Analysts predict that the industry would grow as the economy recovers from recession. The sales of the industry have been highly influenced because of recession and people have been highly conscious during recession about where they should spent money and this reduced the overall sales of the industry. Though, as the economy recovers, the sales of the industry would grow. Although there are competitors operating in the industry bu t they do not offer such exciting environment and atmosphere as the management of Replay Sports Bar will be offering and thus it will be the main point to attract customers. Also competitors do not focus on offering personalised services and building relationships with the client, therefore it will be another additional advantage to Replay Sports Bar. Replay Sports Bar will also focus on maintaining quality of food and offering foods at a quick time so that people do not have to wait a long to get their meal. According to projections, Replay Sports Bar expects to make profits from the first year. Financial statements show that Replay Sports Bar would make a profit of ?3,500 in the first year which is expected to increase with the passage of time. It has been estimated that the sales of Replay Sports Bar would increase in 2013 and also it will also expand in some other city as well. Profit margin of Replay Sports Bar is expected to be 7%, 13% and 18% in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respective ly. 2.0. mission, vision & culture 2.1. Mission Statement â€Å"To be the leading bar that offers exceptional environment for sport lovers to watch every single match at Replay Sports Bar† 2.2. Vision Statement â€Å"To become the leader in the Sports Bar Industry of UK† 2.3. Culture: Replay Sports Bar will be having a friendly culture and environment where employees will be trained to greet customers and ensure that customers are highly satisfied. The environment created at the Replay Sports Bar will make even non-sports lover enjoy the sports and enjoy the thrill and excitement of watching variety of sports. The company will also

Currency Depreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Currency Depreciation - Essay Example Dollar would be worth less relative to other world currencies. Thus, demand for U.S. goods in the international market would increase, and demand for foreign goods in the U.S. would decrease. Thereby, benefiting the balance of payments and improving the U.S. trade imbalance. In wake of losing comparative advantage with the U.S. in terms of exchange rate, other countries can protect their local firms through protectionist policies, higher tariffs, and duties etc. This would make U.S. goods expensive for foreign consumers and equate the depreciating dollar advantage of the U.S. Furthermore, the U.S. economy can benefit a lot if depreciation in dollar helps to increase exports and decrease imports. An increase in exports could stimulate demands and push firms to hire more people. This would be a good sign for the U.S. economy which is facing an unemployment rate of around 10%. Furthermore, the U.S. companies would get more revenue from selling abroad, and thus, would be obliged to pay more taxes to the government. However, a depreciated dollar can have negative consequences both for itself and the world. Oil is traded in U.S. Dollars on the international market, and oil and dollar share an indirect relationship. That is; a rise in dollar value decreases the price of oil, whereas a fall in the U.S. Dollar increases the price of oil.

Film review in mythic and propagandistic aspects Essay

Film review in mythic and propagandistic aspects - Essay Example This was a period of incertitude for the Russians, during which communism was still unstable and so was the new Russia, hence the profound motivation for the Russian government’s use of propaganda to instill its political ethos in the Russian population. The film’s director Eisenstein takes great liberty and makes significant alterations to this historical record of events thus controlling the narrative structure and pacing of the film (Severson). This was Eisenstein’s attempt to create an effective and well-structured film that is not bound to the nuances of the historical record, but his key shots and scenes are in fact actual depictions of what took place in the Potemkin mutiny. The titular Battleship Potemkin was a true Russian navy ship and its crew that rebelled against their tsarist captain siding with the Bolshevics was a real record of the prototypical communist struggle before its eventual triumph in 1917 (Yahner). The sailors, who were the proletariats , are portrayed as the heroic everyman of the movie while the captain and the Tsarist soldiers, who were bourgeois, are scorned as the villains of the film. The film leverages on its fiery rhetoric and violent scenes to evoke anti-capitalism feelings in the audiences, while glorifying the communism philosophy. The film establishes its strong communist ethos through the character of Vakulinchuk, an Ukranian sailor in the Russian Navy who prior to his death in 1905 had served on the Russian battleship Potemkin and witnessed the events that had occurred. Similarly, the director further embellishes the films’ ethos through masterful editing skills rather than shooting the movie in a single scene-by-scene fashion as was the norm in the 1920s; Eisenstein pioneered most of the modern film editing techniques by flashing several characters and settings across the screen despite the limitation of technology at his time (Oheir). The fourth chapter of the film, the Odessa Staircase, beca me Eisenstein’s

The Renowned Case of Marbury vs Madison Assignment

The Renowned Case of Marbury vs Madison - Assignment Example Moreover, it also evaluates the decision of John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court regarding the case. The evaluation of this would lead to an understanding of the loopholes in the US Judicial System and improve the US Judicial System. In the case of Marbury v. Madison, there were certain issues that were presented to the court. In this regard, it is observed that the major issue raised was the right of Marbury to serve as the Justice of Peace after being appointed to the same post. Moreover, in this regard, further issues are also presented regarding the infringement of Marbury’s right. Alongside, issues relevant to deal with such circumstances are also illustrated (FindLaw, 2015). The case of Marbury v. Madison had led to the establishment of the Article III of the US constitution. The Article III suggests of the establishment of the Judicial Branches in the US Judicial System. Moreover, the case also suggests of the presence of James Madison, who had been the Secretary of State of the United States. Moreover, it is also important to note that the judgement of the case was drawn under John Marshall. John Marshall had been the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court during the period of the case (FindLaw, 2015). The case of Marbury v. Madison began when William Marbury on 2nd March 1801was appointed as the Justice of the Peace in Columbia District in the US. During that period, it was the last days of John Adam as the President of the nation. Several others were also appointed in different posts, but their commission was not provided. The discontented candidates in this regard filed a case against the Congress (FindLaw, 2015). Marbury v. Madison case is based on the Judicial Review of the Article III of the US constitution. The decision of the Supreme Court regarding the case distinguished and defined the boundary between the executives and the judiciary branches (FindLaw, 2015). The case of Marbury v. Madison began when William Marbury on 2nd March 1801was appointed as the Justice of the Peace in Columbia District in the US.     

Human Resource Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example Human Resource Management Unionization can be defined as the act of forming groups among the workers and staff members. Originally the concept of unionization within the organization initiated during the early 18th century. But with the course of time the system became prominent in different parts of the world. Historically the concept of unionization was welcomed by several eminent scholars around the globe, but scholars such as Paul Smith an economist of the 18th century stated that labor union has been an illegal practice. A union is an agency of personnel’s that have collaborated together to improve the condition of its members in context with pay packages and other benefits (Libcom, n.d.). The organization can be made up of individual professional, past working staffs, trainees, students and unemployed persons. The common aims are generally demands for higher pay packages, increase in the number of employees for a particular job, to improve the condition of working, demand for various facilities, rules and regulations pertaining to hiring and firing, promotion of workers, procedures of lodging complaints, safety within the workplace and about the different policies of the organization. A union also relies on the fact that joint efforts are superior to individual effort and also aid in achieving the goals more flexibly. This has also led to the concept of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining can be defined as the process by which a group of employee’s demands for something from the employers regarding different issues related to the job.

Leadership Principles Essay Example for Free

Leadership Principles Essay Abstract This paper explores the definition of leadership, and how applying the principles of leadership can yield more success for teams in the workplace. It also serves to further explore personality self-evaluation and how personality traits help to define an individual’s leadership likely traits and strengths. Reference will be made to personality assessments such as the â€Å"Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator† (MBTI) and the â€Å"Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment†, and what those assessments imply about an individual. While individuals tend to demonstrate particular trends and traits in relation to the personality assessments, the results are not absolute, and in no way offer definitive information about an individual’s specific characteristics (Scholl 2002). Detailed exploration of particular aspects and principles will yield a more refined working knowledge of leadership and practical applications in the workplace, specifically self-awareness and personal recognition of individual characteristics and learning styles. A summary with findings and conclusions will conclude the paper. Leadership Leadership is the ability to get a group to achieve greater accomplishments and achievements than the sum of individuals’ actions. Leadership means taking advantage of opportunities and finding ways to improve upon a situation, whether or not someone else gave you the empowerment to accomplish those goals (Blanchard, Fowler, and Hawkins, 2005, p. 15). Leaders have the innate ability to observe a scenario, realize what needs to happen to realize results, seize the moment and guide others to work together to accomplish a common goal. Ultimately, â€Å"a leader is anyone who can give you the support and direction you need to achieve your goal.† (Blanchard et al, 2005, 133). Self-Evaluation Every person is an individual, and as individuals they naturally have unique personality traits that affect how they interact and interact with others in the world. Personal assessment is a valuable tool that allows an individual to realize their own unique traits and tendencies, allowing them to be aware of precognitive tendencies that they might demonstrate in given situations. For me personally, I was assessed using the MBTI method to be an introvert, who tends to be slightly sensing, somewhat thinking, and strongly judging (https://www.typefocus.com). At first, I took some offence to being categorized in this method, but after researching the general description of my personality, as well as specific definitions of the preference categories, I came to realize that this information would ultimately empower me to become a stronger and more capable leader in the future. A summary of careers suggest that I could become a strong manager that would enjoy a workplace where I could use m y knowledge and organizational skills. I am likely to enjoy occupations that involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. (https://www.typefocus.com). I am able to ascertain that my personality traits suggest I am a person who is capable of teaching others my knowledge and other applicable skills. I am a leader who possesses both information power as well as expert power (Yukl, 2011, p. 193) Another assessment that helped me to understand about my character was the Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment (Scholl, 2002). The Big-Five assessment provided five factors, along with several more specific traits and facets that help individuals understand and recognize concerning their personality. The five factors, or domains, are neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. My low scoring on the neuroticism portion suggests that I am a confident, optimistic individual who is even tempered and relaxed; able to face stressful situations without becoming upset (Scholl, 2002). I had a low extraversion score, suggesting that I am reserved and interpersonally formal; an independent thinker rather than a follower (Scholl, 2002). In the domain of openness, my score was almost dead center, suggesting that I do not have strong tendencies one way or the other (Scholl, 2002). I believe that this suggests that my reaction depends on the situation and the environment surrounding it. I can be curious and imaginative about certain situations, but cautious and conservative for others. Personal morals and ethics strongly influence my openness, whereas I am open to new ideas and thinking about scenarios, as long as they do not violate my personal ethical standards. For agreeableness, my slightly higher than center score suggests that I am for the most part a generous, trusting person who is sympathetic to others. At the same time, I can be suspicious and impatient with those who have disappointed me in the past. This is one aspect that I need to be aware of my past, and how it influences my present and future. I once had an assistant who I trusted complicity attempt to stage a mutiny to attempt to remove me from my position. Thankfully, my employees had enough ethical standards to make me aware of the decision, so that I could deal with the situation through the proper channels. However, as a result of that situation I have found it much more difficult to trust subordinates, and I tend to be suspicious of actions that could be viewed as disloyal and insubordinate to me as a manager and leader. For the final domain, conscientiousness, my score was again dead center, but the results for this particular section made me think more deeply about myself. I had always thought that I demonstrated the traits associated with someone who scores high for conscientiousness, but I must accept the fact that I may have tendencies that are normally for those scoring low. For me to be successful, I must constantly be aware of these traits, and be able to recognize and adjust my actions when I act in a way that is not conscientious. The guidelines representing how to promote emotional intelligence in the workplace (https://www.eiconsortium.org) suggested twenty-two steps to assess the situation, instigate change, then transfer power and evaluate how everything worked. The company I formerly worked for must have been influenced by these guidelines, as I had been introduced to the process years ago, and was a continual body of work for me as a retail manager. For every employee that was hired, whether full or part time, I had to assess them as an employee, and implement a training program that would yield the best results for the company. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and I enjoyed showing how every employee had an impact on our store, and their effort and personal pride could have far reaching impact on our daily success, both for sales and customer satisfaction. The process of encouraging transfer and maintenance of  change was mainly designated for the management team, but that was an essential process for our team. I simply could not do it alone: I needed every member of the management to perform to their potential, so that we could function as a team, and each member of management would learn and better their skills for the next advancement opportunity that might come along. It was through this process that I was able to train and advance several members of management, many of whom are now store managers with their own stores to run. Leadership Style My personal leadership style is supportive leadership. I will always try to empower others around me to be aware of their potential, and support them when they need assistance. As Yukl suggests, I use my interpersonal skills to be supportive and compassionate with others as they try to get their work done (Yukl, 2011, p. 64). I attempt to learn more about an individual’s personality, so that I can find a way to best assist them in their own growth and leadership potential. That requires a being a coach who is sometimes there to boost their confidence, and at other times kick them in the rear when they are not putting forth their best effort. At the same time, I realize that it is not possible to provide the motivation for everyone. Every individual has different motivations, and ultimately must take responsibility for creating their own work environment (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.29). I am aware that to be a successful leader, I need to be able to not only empower others, but to show them how to be leaders unto themselves. Every individual needs to be aware of their own strengths and powers before they can lead themselves (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.62), and I plan help others find their way to lead themselves, and ultimately lead others to success. References Blanchard, K., Fowler, S., Hawkins, L. (2005). Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing, Inc. Buckingham, Marcus (2005). The One Thing You Need to Know†¦About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success. New York, NY: Free Press. Lencioni, Patrick (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Scholl, Richard (2002). Dispositions: The Big 5 Personality Assessment. Retrieved from University of Rhode Island, Labor Research Center Web site: http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Dispositions_Big_5.htm Yukl, Gary (2011). Leadership In Organizations, Eighth Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Foundations of Western Civilization Essay Example for Free

Foundations of Western Civilization Essay Essay 1: Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade when the Byzantine emperor Alexios I asked for help to fight against the Muslims. In 1095, Pope Urban II made a speech at the council of Clermont to persuade the people and nobility who attended the council to wage war for their Holy Land against the Seljuk Turks. His speech was considered as one of the most effective speeches given in European history. Because of this speech, he was able to reconcile their fight against the Muslims by telling them that they have to fight together because it is the will of God. In turn, the Crusaders were Christians formed to wage fights against Muslims, pagans and other political enemies of the popes. The First Crusade’s major purpose was to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslims. Major motivations for any Crusader at that time were the promise of deliverance from their sins, exemption from tax and protection from the church. Another motivation was that if any Crusader died, they will certainly go to heaven. The First Crusades was successful in getting back their Holy Land. Four new kingdoms were established and the First Crusades were followed with more conquests to gain territories against their enemies. The First Crusades was able to help the pope expand his power and authority of the church among the people of those times. Essay 2: (Aztec, Egyptian and Mayan Civilization) One common thing about these three civilizations is that they have many gods that people worship. Religion in these civilizations influenced political life because leaders associated them closely with their gods. In the Egyptian civilization, some pharaohs considered themselves as son of the sun-god while some leaders in the mentioned civilizations considered themselves as reincarnations of their gods. Rulers during this time were also the high priests themselves and led many religious ceremonies. Religion greatly influenced political conquests in these ancient civilizations because captives from foreign conquests were mainly used as human sacrifices for religious rituals and ceremonies. In Mayan and Aztec civilizations, a number of their religious rituals included human sacrifices to their major gods. These rituals were used to send messages across their enemies how powerful they are. References The First Crusades, http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/cru2. htm. , 2002-2008 Aztec Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/ Egyptian Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/ Mayan Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/

Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank

Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to it, to assess the awareness of the bank employees to the concept of CRM and its benefits for the organization, to determine the extent of customer satisfaction level by conducting interviews, distributing questionnaire and carrying out a survey in HDFC Bank, to gather relevant data and critically analyzing it using a vast variety of sources and research tools. The chapter encompass the analysis and evaluation of the data collected via different research methods and includes both quantitative and qualitative measures taken into account and discussed upon. The researcher presented much of the quantitative data into graphs so tha t it could easily be understood. As discussed in the last chapter, interviews were conducted from branch manager and two of the middle line managers. Survey was conducted from randomly selected 80 (+3 later) customers to gain their views; along with it, short questionnaires were also distributed to randomly chosen 30 bank employees to take into account their perspectives about the adaption and use of CRM in the bank. Interviews were purposely kept informal and qualitative data was collected about the banks strategy, plan, objectives and actions taken regarding the adaption and use of CRM system and applications. In the interviews, the researcher inquired about many other things which are discussed in the qualitative analysis below. The survey from employees was mainly concerning the effects of CRM on their performance and how it affected their day to day bank functions and operations. Questionnaires from customers included their perceptions about the bank services and whether those improved. The data gathered by interviews provided helpful information about the bank strategic plans and policies and gave insight into the banking operations. It also provided information on customer relation management systems, infrastructure of information and technology, and its effects on the employee performance, customer satisfaction, increased sales targeting, and over all culture of the organization, etc. The objective of the interviews was to have the complete picture of what the aims of the management were and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the CRM systems. The researcher analysed the current situation of the CRM and how effective it was and in line with the IT services and if it supported the business strategy keeping in view the future developments and enhancements in IT. The rate of response from employees and customers was 100% though some customers and employees left very few questions unanswered. The researcher realized the weakness of research validity because it was hard to grasp real feeling of respondents in terms of such contrasts as satisfied/dissatisfied, agree/disagree, etc. Nonetheless, an effort was made to ensure the questions appear to be measuring all important aspects of the construct and results of questionnaires are consistent with results of established measures. In order to gather more reliable and valid data, the researcher also conducted short interviews from some of the employees and customers. These were not pre-planned but helped a lot in explaining the answers in details. The researcher also ensured that interviews and questionnaires follow a specific pattern. The findings are reported below and separate analysis is provided for managers interviews, employees questionnaire and customers questionnaire. Appendix is provided on a separate sheet which contains copies of employees questionnaire, customers questionnaire, and the copy of questions that were asked during the interviews with the manager. It is very important to mention here that the researcher undertook pilot study before the actual commencement of the research. It was a feasibly a very small experiment to test logistics and collect data prior to the greater research in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the questions asked in the interviews and questionnaires. It was important to test the questions designed in the questionnaires before they are actually used in the research in order to determine whether they are conducive towards the research and would pose no problems for the respondent and experts should be consulted to comment on the suitability of the questions and this is regarded as pilot study. The branch manager was approached and informal meeting was held. The researcher asked few short questions (similar to the questions asked in later study but in details). The manager also helped me ask few simple questions from 5 of the employees to test my questionnaire and reveal any deficiency in the desi gn of the proposed experiment. Although it provided limited information but it proved vital for the severity of the proposed procedures. All the information gathered in addition to review of banks own research questions were incorporated into the main study design. However pilot study did not lead to modification of any pre-planned research process. The differences of results from main research were discussed in summary in following sections. 4.2. Qualitative Research Discussion The researcher conducted one pilot interview with branch manager first. After finalising the questions, another formal interview was taken. There were almost same responses in both occasions. Two of the middle line managers were asked for their time for interviews and luckily single interview was taken from both managers. Interview 1 is from branch manager and interview 2 is from line/operational managers. Senior manager was asked questions about overall bank performance and importance of CRM while managers at mid-level were enquired on matters regarding operational functions. Questions asked from senior managers include: How does CRM impact companys performance both directly and indirectly? What is the evidence that CRM improves customer services? What type of CRM software and applications does the bank use? Do you have any CRM implementation policy? How important is CRM requirement in strategic planning? What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? What role does manageme nt and employees play in successful implementation of CRM? Please discuss on future CRM plans? Questions put forward to operational managers include: What are the factors influencing and encouraging the use of CRM? What are the benefits and limitations of CRM for the company? What are the problems encountered by the company in adapting and implementing CRM systems? How do employees respond to CRM? How do customers respond to CRM? What are the operational planning activities CRM provide the bank? How do CRM systems add value on financial packages and services? How CRM does contribute to customer satisfaction and retention? Is CRM proven way of managing customer information? Does CRM assure customer responses? In what ways do CRM contribute to customers loyalty? Does the implementation of CRM affect the company-customer relationship? What are the most important factors influencing CRM in company? Are you satisfied with the adaption and use of CRM? Interview 1: The bank manager in his interview explained that the changing banking environment has affected the way Indian banks used to operate and function. Intense competition, environmental factors such as legal and social, and the ever updating norms of the financial institutions has and impact on the banks to adapt and adjust accordingly and to amend their policies and procedures. He believes that marketing and technology play crucial role for banks as they are the institutions that provide direct services to its clients, therefore HDFC Bank recognises this as stated by branchs managers own words, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Bank understands the significance of the role of technology and marketing for improving customer relations and services especially in the intensely competitive and changing Indian banking sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. When enquired about the need for CRM, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needs to maintain data and information about its clients, and must have a system t hat could help the bank improve its customer services; therefore it must have basic CRM technology to track and serve the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. This led to adaption of latest CRM technologies and processes. Bank manager, in the interview explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needed to adapt CRM in order to increase profitability by reducing operational costs in serving the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. According to his belief, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank had been facing traditional problems of lack of modern delivery and marketing techniques in current fast emerging digital economyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The Bank constantly searched for means to improve their service and to increase customer base. CRM provided the opportunity for the bank as it brought together relationship of IT and marketing strategies to create profitable and long term relationships with clients. When further questioned about why the bank adapted the CRM policy and procedures, the managers replied, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Satisfying our clients needs was our major focus and was an important factor in implementing our CRM initiative. Some customers demanded the improvement in our approach to managing customer relationships which assisted us deciding to adopt and implement CRM programs capabilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. To meet the needs of the customers, HDFC Bank timely started to focus on developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Realizing the significance of customer information availability, the project was undertaken by the bank with the spirit that has characterized the whole CRM development. The project has promoted a massive involvement of suggestions from clients, employees and other stakeholders. Strategic plan was developed and targets were set. The management developed the CRM infrastructure and adapted latest CRM procedures. When asked if the bank has any CRM implementation policy, the management answered that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank has a central policy of using CRM within all its branches which controls all the CRM procedures. The Bank has incorporated the CRM policies into its strategic vision and mission statementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Although the manager didnt give exact figures on how the bank specifically the main branch has spent on CRM implementation and introduction of new systems but they agree that the bank devote considerable amount of resources to manage CRM. The bank realizes that it is vital that its CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced managers. For this reason, all the managers are trained and experienced to bring together professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team work and instructing ways in quality service and ensure that CRM systems work efficiently. When enquired whether the bank has any evaluation and appraisal in place, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank has developed a mechanism to check whether CRM is effectively in good useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The managers ensure that regular feedback system to consider perspective of the management, employee participation perspective and customer experience perspective. According to the branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank generated better than expected outcomes. CRM has positively influenced every banking function and operationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The manager believes that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. Its operating efficiently and management and employees work more effectively. The speed of the work has improved due to CRM adaption. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. Interview 2: Both the middle line managers were questioned about the operational activities of the bank and how the adaption of CRM technology and implementation of CRM processes and procedures has influenced the banking activities. The managers were in charge of the implementation after the senior manager set the strategic plan. They were very much aware of the involvement of bank staff if the CRM adaption was to be successful. One of the managers during the interview discussed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The major decision they tool to successfully adapt the CRM within the bank environment was to empower its employees in decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management realized that CRM adaption requires the well trained, educated and experienced staff to work on it. They are theoretically and practically trained on how to utilize latest CRM system and applications. The managers explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Employees are given access to customer database so that they can make on the spot and efficien t decisions. They are also empowered to resolve small customer issues themselves, though major complaints are still dealt centrally by the senior management. Employees are also involved in searching, adapting and evaluating CRM needs for the bank. The management emphasises greatly on availability of latest and advanced information and communication technology to its staff and takes extra measures to ensure this happensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The managers were also responsible for planning, sorting, reviewing and monitoring work of the employees. The managers believe that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. According to their belief, employees work more enthusiastically, are well motivated and are satisfied with their roles and responsibilities. The managers think that bank processes such as sales and marketing works more efficiently. Due to CRM, the bank can access a wide variety of sources for required information, ideas and experiences. Employees work more effectively by reducing repetitive tasks, decreasing costs, and minimizing risks. They can deal with customer enquiries without any difficulty and resolve many issues on the spot. Another benefit that the bank has received is increase in speed and reliability of banking functions/transactions. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. The managers also stated that operational inefficiencies have reduced and few resources are being wasted. CRM also helped developed new incentives for clients by searching their data and records which are collected by latest systems and applications. The most important impact of CRM on bank as felt by managers is the creation of climate of trust that helped in customer loyalty and retention. The management is completely satisfied with the results of CRM use in the bank. Their future plan is simple and that is continuing with the current policy. They understand that CRM technologies rapidly change. It is hard to forecast where CRM technology will be in the next few years. According to the words of the Branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We are often one of the first in our industry to detect technological developments that may potentially affect our business. We generally respond very quickly to technological changes in our environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management ensure that staff maintains close relations with bank clients. The managers recognise the basic value of the bank and that includes learning as a key to improvement. They believe that they have common language to deal with CRM issues and have a clear division of roles and responsibilities to implement or update CRM. They also think that they have necessary skills and technical competence to absorb the new CRM systems processes, tools and applications. The management agrees unanimously that bank uses CRM to drives profitability, cut costs, reduces risks and improves customer service. The management finds it challenging to ensure clients prefer their services over that of others. The managers believe that the key to develop a close customer relationship and nurture it is to appreciate the needs and cater the requirements of the customers. The bank uses CRM technology to analyze the customer needs and to ensure customer satisfaction. The use of CRM in the bank has become crucial with aggressive strategies employed to gain and retain customers, which has resulted in the adoption of various CRM initiatives to enable the bank to achieve its objectives. The management realized to build a close relationship between IT and marketing aspects of CRM to develop lasting client retention. In summary by introducing and adapting the latest CRM methods, techniques, applications and systems, banks can provide be tter customer service, increase customer revenues, discover new customers, sell products more effectively, help sales staff close deals faster, make call centres more efficient, simplify marketing and sales processes. 4.3.1. Quantitative Findings (Employees) What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Enables cost reduction 7% 28% 48% 17% Improves efficiency 22% 29% 26% 23% Reduces time 43% 25% 22% 10% Improves communication 65% 16% 16% 3% Avoids redundancy 62% 24% 10% 4% Better customer relationship 81% 15% 3% 1% Enables market research 38% 33% 20% 9% Provides customer information 89% 7% 4% 0% A huge majority (89%) agree that by using CRM, employees can have access to customer information. Majority of the employees (71%) believe that CRM system and applications help in carrying out market research easily. Almost all (96%) of employees agree that CRM help in improving and maintaining better customer relationship management. 81% of them agree that communication among employees and with customers improve due to use of CRM. 86% agree to the notion that it reduces the work to be repeated and minimizes mistakes. Half of the employees (51%) said that CRM improves bank efficiency and only 38% answered positively that it enables in cost reduction. Half of the employees stayed neutral to this question. Please comment on the importance of CRM for employees? 64% of the employees strongly believe that adaption and use of CRM for bank is very important. Other 27% also agree and consider it important while only 9% consider its importance average. None responded negatively. Are you satisfied with the use of CRM in the bank? 60% of the respondents stated that they are satisfied with the use of CRM in their bank, 21% are on the view that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 19% showed their dissatisfaction. Please express your views on the reliability of CRM software and applications? Only 41% of the employees consider the CRM system and applications used in the bank as reliable. 50% are neutral and remaining 9% consider CRM unreliable. 4.3.2. Quantitative Findings (Customers) Please tell if you are you satisfied with the service quality? 87% of the customers are satisfied with the bank services and approved the quality of services provided by the bank. Only a small minority of 3% noted their dissatisfaction. Do you agree that there is sufficient staff-customer communication? 36% of customers believe that there is sufficient communication between employees and customers, 46% are neutral and remaining 18% hinted their disagreement. How do you find the communication between bank staff and customers? 3/4th of the customers asked find the communication good and better and only 12% think that it still can be improved. The other 12% stated the poor communication between bank and them. How do you find friendliness and helpfulness of the staff service? Majority (79%) of the customers consider the staff friendliness and helpfulness as good and excellent. 10% rated it as average and 11% rated it as poor. Please rate your satisfaction level in regards to steps taken by the bank in delivering the services? Third fourth (76%) of the surveyed customers responded positively to this question and agree that bank has improved its services very well. On a scale of 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (satisfied), how would you rate your level of satisfaction in regards to service value? Only 14% of the customers are placed in the dissatisfaction zone 2/3rd are satisfied with the value of the bank service they receive. Are you satisfied with the banks response to your queries? 1/3rd of the customers pointed out their dissatisfaction with the bank response to their issues and 60% answered their satisfaction to this matter. How do you view timeliness and quality of response? 71% of the customers positively view the timeliness and quality of steps taken by bank to resolve their queries. 1/4th consider it as lacking in quality. Do you agree that customer service has improved? 100% Agree How would you rate the overall quality of your relationship with bank, considering all of your experiences with them? 76% responses are positive and only 6% answers are negative on rating the overall quality of their relationship with the bank. 4.4.1. Employees Questionnaire Discussion Adaption and use of CRM by HDFC could have been effective only with the support and cooperation of bank staff. Management recognised this and took the appropriate steps as explained in the interview analysis. Even the bank employees realized that their support was crucial if the new system and application had to work because they are the persons that interact with customers directly and this interaction greatly influences the relationship of the bank with customers. Successful adaption was only possible in HDFC Bank if employees were motivated and enthusiastic to cooperate with the CRM processes. The employees were properly trained to use the system and CRM tools to improve the bank services. It was very important for the researcher to take employees views in this dissertation, because their perceptions, perspectives morale, skills, experience and satisfaction all influence the work performance and consequently bank performance. These factors are affected by sudden change in the organization specifically if it is technology related. In the survey results, bank employees in general showed satisfaction towards the CRM use within the bank environment. Majority of them agree that new ICT tools for CRM system and applications have helped improve their communication within the bank with colleagues and managers, and externally with customers. When asked by the researcher about the problem of repeating tasks, they collectively replied that this issue has been reduced to minimum due to CRM in bank. Employees can access the database where all the information of specific client is provided, just enter the reference or other details, and the information comes in front of them. This h as helped a lot in risk reduction, quality work in less time and effective performance. Employees believe that customers feel satisfied with the service they provide. Two third of the surveyed employees believe that CRM utilities are very important for their performance and they are completely satisfied with the use of CRM technology and procedures. However many employees have concerns for its reliability and they feel that they have to constantly update their knowledge of its use as the technology changes rapidly. Overall the employees responses were positive as they expect more benefits with little or no limitations in the use of CRM to improve bank performance and services. They have used the new technology, process, procedures, tools and systems related to CRM and they believe that CRM is essential for Bank for current and future use as it directly and/or indirectly affects their performance that in turn improves bank performance as employees provide quality services. 4.4.2. Customers Questionnaire Discussion Banks understand that customer satisfaction is an important variable in order to retain the existing clients or gain the new ones. Poor customer satisfaction leads to a decline in customer loyalty, and given the extended offerings from the competitors, customers easily switch banks. HDFC understands the importance of customer satisfaction and value the customer relationships. CRM was introduced to improve customer services and relationships with customers. The information gathered by the bank management reveals that customers are generally satisfied with the services provided by the bank. The following analysis is the assessment and measurement by the researcher. This research is directed to find the perceptions of the customers towards services provided by HDFC bank and whether these are improved. The researcher tried to describe the research motives behind the findings through this questionnaire. The main aim was to gain the customers impression and assess the efficiency of the CRM system, technology, processes and applications applied by the bank. The researcher attempted to gauge how well CRM influenced the services. Vast majority of the customers disclosed their satisfaction on the bank services. Although the figure remained the same if compared with the survey conducted by the bank few months ago but almost all the customers agreed that the bank service has improved ever since. When asked about the communication process between them and the bank, the reply was not encouraging as many customers feel that this area still needs to be improved. Most customers want face to face interaction and require the bank to provide services for longer hours. If compared with the previous data collected, this survey suggests that communication has improved mainly due to telephone service for minor complaints and information. Although it is good but cannot be considered sufficient. When enquired about the friendliness and helpfulness of the bank staff, many customers respo nded that employees provide good service with better attitude than before. They tend to their issues with sympathy and try to resolve the queries professionally and effectively. They admire that the bank is working hard to train its employees in skills for improved customer service. They also appreciate the introduction of CRM processes that led to improvement in all areas. 4.5. Importance of CRM for Bank in Summary The results generated from the interviews and surveys conclude that CRM has had a very positive effect on the bank performance. It not only helped employees learn and improve but also influenced their morale and motivation. This has an indirect effect on the way bank serve its customers. By adapting CRM processes, the bank has provided its customers with satisfactory services which increased customer loyalty and helped build better relations. CRM has an impact on every bank operation and function. CRM has guided bank to induct latest technological system and application to collect, analyse and use customer information effectively and efficiently run the day to day operations of the bank. CRM has provided a means to better communication and coordination of employees with customers. Other benefits that have been gained include reduction in cost, speedy transactions, reliable flow of information. The bank has achieved the overall objectives of using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes with the implementation of CRM and has been successful in finding, attracting, and wining new clients, and reducing the costs of marketing and client service. The bank realizes the importance of CRM todays competitive environment that it considers it as an integral part of its strategic business plan. CRM integrated approach makes all the difference to satisfying customers, retaining their loyalty, providing added value and generating growth. In fact, CRM might be the difference between the bank to flourish and failure to survive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5: Conclusion Recommendations 5.1. Research Summary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an organizational strategy that can assist a bank to build lasting relationship with its clients and improve its performance by increasing revenue and productivity. CRM in the banking industry is of great importance. Today, banking is more customer-centric, unlike the yester when it was transaction-centric. CRM is essential and vital function of customer oriented marketing. However there is more to CRM than just client management. CRM is a broad approach to create, maintain, and expand relationship with customers. It is a strategic plan that aims in understanding, anticipating, managing and personalizing the organizational needs of current as well as potential customers. The idea behind this is that it would help the bank to effectively utilize technology and other resources to gain insight into the clients behaviour and customers values. If adapted and implemented successfully, CRM can help banks provide better customer service, make banking operations more efficient and simplify selling and marketing processes. CRM is a comprehensive approach to cater, maintain and expand customer relationships. It is important for banks to use CRM strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and personalize the needs of banks current and potential customers. CRM applications deliver many benefits across organizational processes and functions. It reshapes the workplace environment and influences the ways business being carried. Successful integration or adaption of CRM system in the banks may not be as easy as it looks. Every concept has limitations such as limitation of finance, resistance to change, government regulations, etc.; so does the CRM in banks. Banks can overcome many of the limitations by efficiency managing CRM and adapting some comprehensive CRM model along with effective CRM software. Managers play an important role to minimize risks. CRM manager is a key factor who can effectively manage the issues related to CRM. It is vital for banks that their CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced manager. Bringing together trained and professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team working and instructing ways in quality service, are some of the duties managers have to perform in order for CRM to work efficiently and harvest benefits. The banks need CRM to survive as it is impossible nowadays not to focus upon the customer expectations. CRM is needed because of ever changing technology and highly competitive banking sector in India. The importance of CRM can be assessed by evaluating CRM that provides enhanced opportunities to use data and information to both understand customers and create value. The ultimate purpose of the CRM is to improve performance and to assess how well the bank needs are met by CRM adaption and implementation. 5.2. Conclusion The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank Importance Of CRM For HDFC Bank The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to it, to assess the awareness of the bank employees to the concept of CRM and its benefits for the organization, to determine the extent of customer satisfaction level by conducting interviews, distributing questionnaire and carrying out a survey in HDFC Bank, to gather relevant data and critically analyzing it using a vast variety of sources and research tools. The chapter encompass the analysis and evaluation of the data collected via different research methods and includes both quantitative and qualitative measures taken into account and discussed upon. The researcher presented much of the quantitative data into graphs so tha t it could easily be understood. As discussed in the last chapter, interviews were conducted from branch manager and two of the middle line managers. Survey was conducted from randomly selected 80 (+3 later) customers to gain their views; along with it, short questionnaires were also distributed to randomly chosen 30 bank employees to take into account their perspectives about the adaption and use of CRM in the bank. Interviews were purposely kept informal and qualitative data was collected about the banks strategy, plan, objectives and actions taken regarding the adaption and use of CRM system and applications. In the interviews, the researcher inquired about many other things which are discussed in the qualitative analysis below. The survey from employees was mainly concerning the effects of CRM on their performance and how it affected their day to day bank functions and operations. Questionnaires from customers included their perceptions about the bank services and whether those improved. The data gathered by interviews provided helpful information about the bank strategic plans and policies and gave insight into the banking operations. It also provided information on customer relation management systems, infrastructure of information and technology, and its effects on the employee performance, customer satisfaction, increased sales targeting, and over all culture of the organization, etc. The objective of the interviews was to have the complete picture of what the aims of the management were and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the CRM systems. The researcher analysed the current situation of the CRM and how effective it was and in line with the IT services and if it supported the business strategy keeping in view the future developments and enhancements in IT. The rate of response from employees and customers was 100% though some customers and employees left very few questions unanswered. The researcher realized the weakness of research validity because it was hard to grasp real feeling of respondents in terms of such contrasts as satisfied/dissatisfied, agree/disagree, etc. Nonetheless, an effort was made to ensure the questions appear to be measuring all important aspects of the construct and results of questionnaires are consistent with results of established measures. In order to gather more reliable and valid data, the researcher also conducted short interviews from some of the employees and customers. These were not pre-planned but helped a lot in explaining the answers in details. The researcher also ensured that interviews and questionnaires follow a specific pattern. The findings are reported below and separate analysis is provided for managers interviews, employees questionnaire and customers questionnaire. Appendix is provided on a separate sheet which contains copies of employees questionnaire, customers questionnaire, and the copy of questions that were asked during the interviews with the manager. It is very important to mention here that the researcher undertook pilot study before the actual commencement of the research. It was a feasibly a very small experiment to test logistics and collect data prior to the greater research in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the questions asked in the interviews and questionnaires. It was important to test the questions designed in the questionnaires before they are actually used in the research in order to determine whether they are conducive towards the research and would pose no problems for the respondent and experts should be consulted to comment on the suitability of the questions and this is regarded as pilot study. The branch manager was approached and informal meeting was held. The researcher asked few short questions (similar to the questions asked in later study but in details). The manager also helped me ask few simple questions from 5 of the employees to test my questionnaire and reveal any deficiency in the desi gn of the proposed experiment. Although it provided limited information but it proved vital for the severity of the proposed procedures. All the information gathered in addition to review of banks own research questions were incorporated into the main study design. However pilot study did not lead to modification of any pre-planned research process. The differences of results from main research were discussed in summary in following sections. 4.2. Qualitative Research Discussion The researcher conducted one pilot interview with branch manager first. After finalising the questions, another formal interview was taken. There were almost same responses in both occasions. Two of the middle line managers were asked for their time for interviews and luckily single interview was taken from both managers. Interview 1 is from branch manager and interview 2 is from line/operational managers. Senior manager was asked questions about overall bank performance and importance of CRM while managers at mid-level were enquired on matters regarding operational functions. Questions asked from senior managers include: How does CRM impact companys performance both directly and indirectly? What is the evidence that CRM improves customer services? What type of CRM software and applications does the bank use? Do you have any CRM implementation policy? How important is CRM requirement in strategic planning? What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? What role does manageme nt and employees play in successful implementation of CRM? Please discuss on future CRM plans? Questions put forward to operational managers include: What are the factors influencing and encouraging the use of CRM? What are the benefits and limitations of CRM for the company? What are the problems encountered by the company in adapting and implementing CRM systems? How do employees respond to CRM? How do customers respond to CRM? What are the operational planning activities CRM provide the bank? How do CRM systems add value on financial packages and services? How CRM does contribute to customer satisfaction and retention? Is CRM proven way of managing customer information? Does CRM assure customer responses? In what ways do CRM contribute to customers loyalty? Does the implementation of CRM affect the company-customer relationship? What are the most important factors influencing CRM in company? Are you satisfied with the adaption and use of CRM? Interview 1: The bank manager in his interview explained that the changing banking environment has affected the way Indian banks used to operate and function. Intense competition, environmental factors such as legal and social, and the ever updating norms of the financial institutions has and impact on the banks to adapt and adjust accordingly and to amend their policies and procedures. He believes that marketing and technology play crucial role for banks as they are the institutions that provide direct services to its clients, therefore HDFC Bank recognises this as stated by branchs managers own words, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Bank understands the significance of the role of technology and marketing for improving customer relations and services especially in the intensely competitive and changing Indian banking sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. When enquired about the need for CRM, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needs to maintain data and information about its clients, and must have a system t hat could help the bank improve its customer services; therefore it must have basic CRM technology to track and serve the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. This led to adaption of latest CRM technologies and processes. Bank manager, in the interview explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank needed to adapt CRM in order to increase profitability by reducing operational costs in serving the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. According to his belief, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank had been facing traditional problems of lack of modern delivery and marketing techniques in current fast emerging digital economyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The Bank constantly searched for means to improve their service and to increase customer base. CRM provided the opportunity for the bank as it brought together relationship of IT and marketing strategies to create profitable and long term relationships with clients. When further questioned about why the bank adapted the CRM policy and procedures, the managers replied, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Satisfying our clients needs was our major focus and was an important factor in implementing our CRM initiative. Some customers demanded the improvement in our approach to managing customer relationships which assisted us deciding to adopt and implement CRM programs capabilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. To meet the needs of the customers, HDFC Bank timely started to focus on developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Realizing the significance of customer information availability, the project was undertaken by the bank with the spirit that has characterized the whole CRM development. The project has promoted a massive involvement of suggestions from clients, employees and other stakeholders. Strategic plan was developed and targets were set. The management developed the CRM infrastructure and adapted latest CRM procedures. When asked if the bank has any CRM implementation policy, the management answered that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“HDFC Bank has a central policy of using CRM within all its branches which controls all the CRM procedures. The Bank has incorporated the CRM policies into its strategic vision and mission statementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Although the manager didnt give exact figures on how the bank specifically the main branch has spent on CRM implementation and introduction of new systems but they agree that the bank devote considerable amount of resources to manage CRM. The bank realizes that it is vital that its CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced managers. For this reason, all the managers are trained and experienced to bring together professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team work and instructing ways in quality service and ensure that CRM systems work efficiently. When enquired whether the bank has any evaluation and appraisal in place, the manager responded that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank has developed a mechanism to check whether CRM is effectively in good useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The managers ensure that regular feedback system to consider perspective of the management, employee participation perspective and customer experience perspective. According to the branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The bank generated better than expected outcomes. CRM has positively influenced every banking function and operationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The manager believes that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. Its operating efficiently and management and employees work more effectively. The speed of the work has improved due to CRM adaption. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. Interview 2: Both the middle line managers were questioned about the operational activities of the bank and how the adaption of CRM technology and implementation of CRM processes and procedures has influenced the banking activities. The managers were in charge of the implementation after the senior manager set the strategic plan. They were very much aware of the involvement of bank staff if the CRM adaption was to be successful. One of the managers during the interview discussed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The major decision they tool to successfully adapt the CRM within the bank environment was to empower its employees in decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management realized that CRM adaption requires the well trained, educated and experienced staff to work on it. They are theoretically and practically trained on how to utilize latest CRM system and applications. The managers explained that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Employees are given access to customer database so that they can make on the spot and efficien t decisions. They are also empowered to resolve small customer issues themselves, though major complaints are still dealt centrally by the senior management. Employees are also involved in searching, adapting and evaluating CRM needs for the bank. The management emphasises greatly on availability of latest and advanced information and communication technology to its staff and takes extra measures to ensure this happensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The managers were also responsible for planning, sorting, reviewing and monitoring work of the employees. The managers believe that the bank now provides better and improved banking services. According to their belief, employees work more enthusiastically, are well motivated and are satisfied with their roles and responsibilities. The managers think that bank processes such as sales and marketing works more efficiently. Due to CRM, the bank can access a wide variety of sources for required information, ideas and experiences. Employees work more effectively by reducing repetitive tasks, decreasing costs, and minimizing risks. They can deal with customer enquiries without any difficulty and resolve many issues on the spot. Another benefit that the bank has received is increase in speed and reliability of banking functions/transactions. CRM has helped the bank to target the strategies for better customer services. It has also assisted in facilitating customer service which resulted in satisfied customers and profitable business. The adaption and implementation of CRM by the bank has resulted in improved performance and profitability. The managers also stated that operational inefficiencies have reduced and few resources are being wasted. CRM also helped developed new incentives for clients by searching their data and records which are collected by latest systems and applications. The most important impact of CRM on bank as felt by managers is the creation of climate of trust that helped in customer loyalty and retention. The management is completely satisfied with the results of CRM use in the bank. Their future plan is simple and that is continuing with the current policy. They understand that CRM technologies rapidly change. It is hard to forecast where CRM technology will be in the next few years. According to the words of the Branch manager, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We are often one of the first in our industry to detect technological developments that may potentially affect our business. We generally respond very quickly to technological changes in our environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The management ensure that staff maintains close relations with bank clients. The managers recognise the basic value of the bank and that includes learning as a key to improvement. They believe that they have common language to deal with CRM issues and have a clear division of roles and responsibilities to implement or update CRM. They also think that they have necessary skills and technical competence to absorb the new CRM systems processes, tools and applications. The management agrees unanimously that bank uses CRM to drives profitability, cut costs, reduces risks and improves customer service. The management finds it challenging to ensure clients prefer their services over that of others. The managers believe that the key to develop a close customer relationship and nurture it is to appreciate the needs and cater the requirements of the customers. The bank uses CRM technology to analyze the customer needs and to ensure customer satisfaction. The use of CRM in the bank has become crucial with aggressive strategies employed to gain and retain customers, which has resulted in the adoption of various CRM initiatives to enable the bank to achieve its objectives. The management realized to build a close relationship between IT and marketing aspects of CRM to develop lasting client retention. In summary by introducing and adapting the latest CRM methods, techniques, applications and systems, banks can provide be tter customer service, increase customer revenues, discover new customers, sell products more effectively, help sales staff close deals faster, make call centres more efficient, simplify marketing and sales processes. 4.3.1. Quantitative Findings (Employees) What is your opinion about the use of CRM in the bank? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Enables cost reduction 7% 28% 48% 17% Improves efficiency 22% 29% 26% 23% Reduces time 43% 25% 22% 10% Improves communication 65% 16% 16% 3% Avoids redundancy 62% 24% 10% 4% Better customer relationship 81% 15% 3% 1% Enables market research 38% 33% 20% 9% Provides customer information 89% 7% 4% 0% A huge majority (89%) agree that by using CRM, employees can have access to customer information. Majority of the employees (71%) believe that CRM system and applications help in carrying out market research easily. Almost all (96%) of employees agree that CRM help in improving and maintaining better customer relationship management. 81% of them agree that communication among employees and with customers improve due to use of CRM. 86% agree to the notion that it reduces the work to be repeated and minimizes mistakes. Half of the employees (51%) said that CRM improves bank efficiency and only 38% answered positively that it enables in cost reduction. Half of the employees stayed neutral to this question. Please comment on the importance of CRM for employees? 64% of the employees strongly believe that adaption and use of CRM for bank is very important. Other 27% also agree and consider it important while only 9% consider its importance average. None responded negatively. Are you satisfied with the use of CRM in the bank? 60% of the respondents stated that they are satisfied with the use of CRM in their bank, 21% are on the view that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 19% showed their dissatisfaction. Please express your views on the reliability of CRM software and applications? Only 41% of the employees consider the CRM system and applications used in the bank as reliable. 50% are neutral and remaining 9% consider CRM unreliable. 4.3.2. Quantitative Findings (Customers) Please tell if you are you satisfied with the service quality? 87% of the customers are satisfied with the bank services and approved the quality of services provided by the bank. Only a small minority of 3% noted their dissatisfaction. Do you agree that there is sufficient staff-customer communication? 36% of customers believe that there is sufficient communication between employees and customers, 46% are neutral and remaining 18% hinted their disagreement. How do you find the communication between bank staff and customers? 3/4th of the customers asked find the communication good and better and only 12% think that it still can be improved. The other 12% stated the poor communication between bank and them. How do you find friendliness and helpfulness of the staff service? Majority (79%) of the customers consider the staff friendliness and helpfulness as good and excellent. 10% rated it as average and 11% rated it as poor. Please rate your satisfaction level in regards to steps taken by the bank in delivering the services? Third fourth (76%) of the surveyed customers responded positively to this question and agree that bank has improved its services very well. On a scale of 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (satisfied), how would you rate your level of satisfaction in regards to service value? Only 14% of the customers are placed in the dissatisfaction zone 2/3rd are satisfied with the value of the bank service they receive. Are you satisfied with the banks response to your queries? 1/3rd of the customers pointed out their dissatisfaction with the bank response to their issues and 60% answered their satisfaction to this matter. How do you view timeliness and quality of response? 71% of the customers positively view the timeliness and quality of steps taken by bank to resolve their queries. 1/4th consider it as lacking in quality. Do you agree that customer service has improved? 100% Agree How would you rate the overall quality of your relationship with bank, considering all of your experiences with them? 76% responses are positive and only 6% answers are negative on rating the overall quality of their relationship with the bank. 4.4.1. Employees Questionnaire Discussion Adaption and use of CRM by HDFC could have been effective only with the support and cooperation of bank staff. Management recognised this and took the appropriate steps as explained in the interview analysis. Even the bank employees realized that their support was crucial if the new system and application had to work because they are the persons that interact with customers directly and this interaction greatly influences the relationship of the bank with customers. Successful adaption was only possible in HDFC Bank if employees were motivated and enthusiastic to cooperate with the CRM processes. The employees were properly trained to use the system and CRM tools to improve the bank services. It was very important for the researcher to take employees views in this dissertation, because their perceptions, perspectives morale, skills, experience and satisfaction all influence the work performance and consequently bank performance. These factors are affected by sudden change in the organization specifically if it is technology related. In the survey results, bank employees in general showed satisfaction towards the CRM use within the bank environment. Majority of them agree that new ICT tools for CRM system and applications have helped improve their communication within the bank with colleagues and managers, and externally with customers. When asked by the researcher about the problem of repeating tasks, they collectively replied that this issue has been reduced to minimum due to CRM in bank. Employees can access the database where all the information of specific client is provided, just enter the reference or other details, and the information comes in front of them. This h as helped a lot in risk reduction, quality work in less time and effective performance. Employees believe that customers feel satisfied with the service they provide. Two third of the surveyed employees believe that CRM utilities are very important for their performance and they are completely satisfied with the use of CRM technology and procedures. However many employees have concerns for its reliability and they feel that they have to constantly update their knowledge of its use as the technology changes rapidly. Overall the employees responses were positive as they expect more benefits with little or no limitations in the use of CRM to improve bank performance and services. They have used the new technology, process, procedures, tools and systems related to CRM and they believe that CRM is essential for Bank for current and future use as it directly and/or indirectly affects their performance that in turn improves bank performance as employees provide quality services. 4.4.2. Customers Questionnaire Discussion Banks understand that customer satisfaction is an important variable in order to retain the existing clients or gain the new ones. Poor customer satisfaction leads to a decline in customer loyalty, and given the extended offerings from the competitors, customers easily switch banks. HDFC understands the importance of customer satisfaction and value the customer relationships. CRM was introduced to improve customer services and relationships with customers. The information gathered by the bank management reveals that customers are generally satisfied with the services provided by the bank. The following analysis is the assessment and measurement by the researcher. This research is directed to find the perceptions of the customers towards services provided by HDFC bank and whether these are improved. The researcher tried to describe the research motives behind the findings through this questionnaire. The main aim was to gain the customers impression and assess the efficiency of the CRM system, technology, processes and applications applied by the bank. The researcher attempted to gauge how well CRM influenced the services. Vast majority of the customers disclosed their satisfaction on the bank services. Although the figure remained the same if compared with the survey conducted by the bank few months ago but almost all the customers agreed that the bank service has improved ever since. When asked about the communication process between them and the bank, the reply was not encouraging as many customers feel that this area still needs to be improved. Most customers want face to face interaction and require the bank to provide services for longer hours. If compared with the previous data collected, this survey suggests that communication has improved mainly due to telephone service for minor complaints and information. Although it is good but cannot be considered sufficient. When enquired about the friendliness and helpfulness of the bank staff, many customers respo nded that employees provide good service with better attitude than before. They tend to their issues with sympathy and try to resolve the queries professionally and effectively. They admire that the bank is working hard to train its employees in skills for improved customer service. They also appreciate the introduction of CRM processes that led to improvement in all areas. 4.5. Importance of CRM for Bank in Summary The results generated from the interviews and surveys conclude that CRM has had a very positive effect on the bank performance. It not only helped employees learn and improve but also influenced their morale and motivation. This has an indirect effect on the way bank serve its customers. By adapting CRM processes, the bank has provided its customers with satisfactory services which increased customer loyalty and helped build better relations. CRM has an impact on every bank operation and function. CRM has guided bank to induct latest technological system and application to collect, analyse and use customer information effectively and efficiently run the day to day operations of the bank. CRM has provided a means to better communication and coordination of employees with customers. Other benefits that have been gained include reduction in cost, speedy transactions, reliable flow of information. The bank has achieved the overall objectives of using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes with the implementation of CRM and has been successful in finding, attracting, and wining new clients, and reducing the costs of marketing and client service. The bank realizes the importance of CRM todays competitive environment that it considers it as an integral part of its strategic business plan. CRM integrated approach makes all the difference to satisfying customers, retaining their loyalty, providing added value and generating growth. In fact, CRM might be the difference between the bank to flourish and failure to survive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5: Conclusion Recommendations 5.1. Research Summary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an organizational strategy that can assist a bank to build lasting relationship with its clients and improve its performance by increasing revenue and productivity. CRM in the banking industry is of great importance. Today, banking is more customer-centric, unlike the yester when it was transaction-centric. CRM is essential and vital function of customer oriented marketing. However there is more to CRM than just client management. CRM is a broad approach to create, maintain, and expand relationship with customers. It is a strategic plan that aims in understanding, anticipating, managing and personalizing the organizational needs of current as well as potential customers. The idea behind this is that it would help the bank to effectively utilize technology and other resources to gain insight into the clients behaviour and customers values. If adapted and implemented successfully, CRM can help banks provide better customer service, make banking operations more efficient and simplify selling and marketing processes. CRM is a comprehensive approach to cater, maintain and expand customer relationships. It is important for banks to use CRM strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and personalize the needs of banks current and potential customers. CRM applications deliver many benefits across organizational processes and functions. It reshapes the workplace environment and influences the ways business being carried. Successful integration or adaption of CRM system in the banks may not be as easy as it looks. Every concept has limitations such as limitation of finance, resistance to change, government regulations, etc.; so does the CRM in banks. Banks can overcome many of the limitations by efficiency managing CRM and adapting some comprehensive CRM model along with effective CRM software. Managers play an important role to minimize risks. CRM manager is a key factor who can effectively manage the issues related to CRM. It is vital for banks that their CRM applications and systems are supported and controlled by qualified and experienced manager. Bringing together trained and professional staff, encouraging communication and coordination among them, promoting team working and instructing ways in quality service, are some of the duties managers have to perform in order for CRM to work efficiently and harvest benefits. The banks need CRM to survive as it is impossible nowadays not to focus upon the customer expectations. CRM is needed because of ever changing technology and highly competitive banking sector in India. The importance of CRM can be assessed by evaluating CRM that provides enhanced opportunities to use data and information to both understand customers and create value. The ultimate purpose of the CRM is to improve performance and to assess how well the bank needs are met by CRM adaption and implementation. 5.2. Conclusion The aim of this dissertation was to examine the importance of CRM for HDFC Bank. To achieve this aim, following objectives were set: To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of CRM services provided by the HDFC Bank, to examine the effects of CRM on business performance and operational effectiveness and to evaluate the improvements in customer service due to