Contemporary Issues in Business Management - Term Paper Example

Contemporary Issues in Business Management Introduction Within the English speaking countries such as the UK and Australia, the term Silver surfers is used to describe the older citizens of the society that are above the age of 50 years and are ardent internet users (Grigg 2014, 201). Over the years, the percentage of this age bracket that use the internet has increased with a majority of them accessing internet shopping sites while others use search engines making them not to be different users as compared to other populations. Research indicates that the increase in the number of silver surfers has resulted from their increased usage of social networking sites, which they use as a means for communicating with their loved ones that are far from. Contrary to the influence that social media has on the younger population where a majority of them isolate themselves, the silver surfer population has made them more social. The social media tools that the silver surfers use include Facebook, Skype, instant messaging, and emailing services because they are easy to use and easily available for them (Brown 2013, p. 310). Studies have also shown that a majority of the silver surfer population that use the social networking sites have lower chances of being depressed as compared to those that do not use them and are within the same age bracket (NHS 2014). In recent years, the silver surfers’ demographic group has been viewed as a possible contributor to the strategic development of businesses and commercial organization making it necessary to conduct research on them. In essence, the silver surfers continue to increase annually to which economists suggest that they should also be given the opportunity to work rather than having to depend on their pension to survive. With this overview, this essay will delve into the silver surfers as a diverse workforce and why they are relevant in strategy development for contemporary commercial organisations. Further, emphasis will be on the opportunities and threats to contemporary business organisations that seek to engage with the silver surfers demographic group. Additionally, the essay will highlight the social and ethical challenges that leaders might face when seeking to achieve workforce equality and diversity based on the research conducted on the silver surfers group. The ethical and social challenges leaders face in supporting workforce equality and diversity With the increase in the percentage of silver surfers, businesses and contemporary commercial organisations have had to design products and services that have this particular age group in mind as they have realized the potential that this age bracket has to their businesses. However, the problem that has been dominant is that a majority of the silver surfers population is unemployed, meaning that they rely on their pension in order for them to survive or meet their daily needs. According to Milligan (2015), to the notion of allowing older citizens being retained in the workforce diminishes the chances of the youth getting job opportunities is misguided. One theory suggests that when the older citizens are allowed to work, then they are likely to have more money to spend which in turn creates more job opportunities for the young. In the world of economists, this is considered as the ‘lump of labour fallacy’ where there is the perception that in an economy the number of jobs are fixed. When the citizens above the age of fifty are not allowed to work then there would be a shortage of labour and skills because the percentage of the productive demography is decreasing as they will be joining the over fifties age bracket. In the workplace, it is common knowledge that the aged population are not eligible for promotion simply because of their age, irrespective of them having the required merits that qualify them for higher positions in an organisation. Therefore, the new form of discrimination in the workplace is age discrimination to which governments should invoke stiff penalties to organisations that encourage this vice. Older women face too much discrimination, especially in the media industry, making a majority of them not to have opportunities to work in this industry as they are short changed because of their age. Allowing the older citizens to work can be connected to them becoming a possible target market because when people work, then they are highly likely to have money to spend. With a majority of the persons above fifty being silver surfers, it is important for governments such as that of the UK to influence organisations to allow them to work, making them to earn more and spend more. The implication that this will have on the economy is that the silver surfers will be able to shop online just like the young population simply because they have worked for the money that they intend to spend, making it a win-win situation for all. From this, the silver surfer population can be part of the strategy development for contemporary commercial organisations because they can form part of a target market for the same (Blyth 2008). Opportunities and threats for organisations seeking to engage with silver surfers On the contrary, internet usage for silver surfers has increased because manufacturers of internet enabled gadgets have factored in the needs of this age group by developing devices that are easy to use especially for those advanced in age. Presently, most websites contain valuable information that can even be targeting the older citizens, but it becomes difficult to access because they may lack the knowledge and skills required in order for them to use them. To a majority of the service providers, the information goes to waste as it does not reach the intended population because they could access the information that targeted them hence failing to achieve results (Choudrie, Ghinea & Songonuga 2013). Essentially, the increased urge for silver surfers to use the internet is based on their desire to conveniently access products and services that are available to the young population such as online banking, shopping, healthcare, entertainment and communication. As much as there are a great number of internet users aged above fifty especially in the UK, a significant number of this age bracket has also never used the internet in their lives, making them to be a target market for product and service providers (Shaw 2014). Based on this, it would be pertinent for business owners and organisations to ascertain why these citizens do not use the internet in order for them to know how they can reach them. Over the years, contemporary business organisations have adopted online platforms to interact with their customers and also to provide product and service delivery, which resulted from the need by their target populations to access them at their convenience (Yee 2012, p. 332). This means that a significant percentage of the people aged fifty and above miss out on these services simply because they cannot access the internet or because they do not know how to use these gadgets. Therefore, emphasis should be on how to increase the silver surfer population that they may be able to access online services and products. Gadgets such as the Breezie, which is a Samsung tablet with modified features and includes simplified applications such as Facebook that allows customers to stay online, which is what marketers to capitalize on (Curtis 2014). The idea is to have as many silver surfers as possible, to which marketers can post their products and services that their target market can easily access while they stay connected to family and friends on social networking sites (Bradbury 2013). Some of the features attached to the Breezie tablet that make it easy for the older citizens to access the internet include the remote signing in facility that allows a relative or friend of the user to set up accounts on behalf of the user through the Breezie support service. Age UK, a charity organisation based in the UK recommends the distribution of the Breezie to the elderly population in order for them to access the internet and social networking sites with ease in line with the changing times. Silver surfers should be encouraged to use online shopping and other services because it helps save them money and time, meaning this demography should be encouraged to use these facilities more rather than opt out of using the same (Hamilton 2014). Those that are reluctant to joining the silver surfers club do so may because they are not informed of how internet usage can be of help to them both health wise and in their finances. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government through its relevant agencies to ensure that the citizens above the age of fifty are informed about the importance of using the internet when seeking services such as insurance and financing because of the savings that this platform attracts. For the silver surfers that understand the need for them to sharpen their internet skills, their argument is that surfing allows them to shop wisely, which helps them to make the right decisions because they are able to compare prices (Silversurfers 2015). According to the silver surfers, people pay more for services offered at a cheaper price by other suppliers simply because they are not aware of what other suppliers in the market have to offer, making them to be disadvantaged. Some cost saving services include the comparisons of insurance sites online that provide similar services but at an affordable rate, which explains why silver surfers are able to make informed choices as compared to people within the same age bracket that do not use the internet (Silversurfers 2014). Essentially, silver surfers are considered to be the late adopters when it comes to the uptake of products and services, making them to be a relevant target market, which business organizations should focus on (Hayhurst 2014). Services such as online reading of newspapers and banking are some of the services that senior citizens engage, which is a service that also the young use on almost similar percentage (Preston 2015). This implies that generation Y has been for a far too long the focus of the internet marketing leaving the silver surfers behind whose potential is almost similar to that of the young generation (Gartner 2013). It is relatively easy for the senior citizens to access products and services while they are online catching up with friends and their adult children that are away through the clicking of links that allow them to access the same. Governments around the world are also championing for the adoption of e-government facilities rather than the conventional face to face mode of delivery, making it pertinent for the senior citizens to start familiarising themselves with these services so that they do not miss out. This means that contemporary business organisations should not discriminate against people because of their advanced age because they can also be equal beneficiaries to this process. Governments should take note of the older age group that do not access the internet to be part of those that they target their services to and develop policies that aim at including them as part of this initiative. Essentially, it is not right for one fraction of the population, the Y generation to be ahead of the elderly population in terms of service access, meaning that service delivery should be equal and not targeted at one divide. Additionally, governments should also ensure that the services that they provide through online facilities target the senior citizens as they are the highest users of public services as compared to the younger generations. The focus should be on developing a connection between the senior citizens to e-government services through the internet so as to tap into this demographic group more because of the contributions that they give to the economy. In summary, including the elderly in the workforce and influencing them to be part of the silver surfers demographic group are directly correlated when it comes to establishing them as a target population for online products and services. Much focus has been on the younger generation who are considered to be high internet users, hence leaving out the silver surfers who can form reliable target market for the products and services that marketers have to offer (The Guardian & Barclays 2015). Therefore, governments such as that of the UK should strive to ensure that the elderly are allowed to work in order for them to make money that they can use for conducting online transactions rather than having to rely on their pension (Haggerty & Whalen 2013). When they are allowed to work then more jobs will be created. In addition, the government should ensure that the senior citizens that cannot use the internet are given the skills required in doing so or ensure that they have access to simplified devices that can allow them to use the internet with ease (Singer & Agosto 2014). Once this has been achieved, then silver surfers will become a reliable target market for online marketers and business organisations, which also serves as an opportunity for growth. 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