To: Dr.

James Melton
From: Jason Robson
Date: November 18, 2017
Re: Canadian Culture

Canada is a land of vast distances, rich natural resources, and a country built on multiculturalism.
The name Canada derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word meaning “village” or
“settlement” (Weihs, 1995), and the name of Canada's capital city Ottawa comes from the
Algonquin language term "adawe" meaning "to trade". (Rayburn, 2001) Multiculturalism forms
the backbone of Canada.

Achieving business success in Canada requires understanding the different cultures and
possessing the skills needed to navigate through cultural differences. To better understand the
multiculturalism of Canada I conducted an interview with a Canadian citizen, and I conducted
research on the multiculturalism of Canada. This memo details what I have gathered, and it
concludes with my understanding of multiculturalism in Canada and the communication skills
needed to interact with its citizens.

I will begin by discussing the multiculturalism of Canada and move into the interview I
conducted with a Canadian citizen living in Fort Saint John, British Columbia:

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a source of pride for Canada. A collection of various surveys from the period
of 2001 to 2005 reveals a pattern of positive attitudes towards multiculturalism. The surveys
found: 82% of Canadians agree their multicultural society is a source of pride, 83% feel the
different racial and cultural groups are enriching the cultural life of Canada, 96% agree that
younger Canadians are fortunate to grow up surrounded by friends from different races and
religion, and 74% approve of the Federal policies concerning multiculturalism. (Berry, 2013) The
data shows Canadians are very tolerant of the different cultures living within their country, and
many view multiculturalism as a backbone of Canada.

Canada’s population is 35, 623, 680, and the multiculturalism of Canada consists of various
ethnicities, religions, and languages. The ethnic groups that make up Canada include: Canadian,
English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, Italian, Chinese, North American Indian, and
individuals who identify as other. The languages of Canada consist of: English (official), French
(official), Punjabi, Italian, Spanish, German, Cantonese, Tagalog, Arabic, and other. Finally, the
religious sectors of Canada consist of: Catholic (includes Roman Catholic, other Catholic),
Protestant (includes United Church, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, other
Protestant), Orthodox, other Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist Jewish, other, and none.
(CIA, 2017)
Interview

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Much like the United States, Canada is a low-context communication culture. In low-context
cultures, effective communication must be simple, clear, and explicit to effectively pass the
message. Messages are understood at face value and repetition is appreciated if it clarifies the
communication. (Meyer, 2014) But are Canada cultural traditions and social customs similar to
the United States? To further my understanding, I sat down and interviewed an Canadian
currently living in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada.

What are some popular Canadian pastimes?

“Sports. Hockey is Canada's favorite sport to watch and play. Skiing, snowboarding, swimming,
and curling are also popular sporting activities in Canada. Activities like camping and hiking are
a testament to Canadians' love of the outdoors. The arts also play a major role in Canadian
society, from stage plays to art exhibitions to the Billboard charts.” (Anonymous, 2017) The
Canadians Arts Coalition found 87% of Canadians believe arts and culture expresses and defines
what it means to be Canadian.

What national holidays do Canadians celebrate?

“Statutory holidays are New Year's Day, Good Friday (Easter), Canada Day, Labor Day, and
Christmas Day. These days are celebrated nationwide and are paid days off for employees.”
(Anonymous, 2017) Canada shares many similarities with the United States in holidays. A major
difference is Canada Day. Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of the Constitution Act, which
untied the three separate colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single
Dominion within the British Empire called Canada. It is Canada version of our Independence
Day.

In your region of Canada, are there any social customs? Business, dining,
household etc.?

“British Columbia is particularly known for its hunting and fishing. Hunting and fishing is a large
economic factor of our region. It is often of interest to many British Columbians and is discussed
amongst friends and colleagues.” (Anonymous, 2017)

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Julien, F. (Artist) (2015, November 15). Means to Be Canadian [digital image]. Retrieved November 14,
2017, from http://www.canadianartscoalition.com/see-for-yourself-how-arts-and-culture-contribute-to-
canadian-society/

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“The people of British Columbia are generally polite, tolerant, and informal. It’s common for
strangers to talk to you, and many will smile and greet you when you pass them on the street. In a
business environment, handshakes are standard and maintaining eye contact is considered
respectful. Business cards are usually exchanged and often consist of English and French
translations.” (Anonymous, 2017)

“Dining among British Columbians is informal, but “please” and “thank you” to servers is
important. If you’re invited to someone’s home for a meal, it’s considered polite to bring a bottle
of wine or other small gift (chocolate, cookies, etc.). Many homeowners will ask you to remove
your shoes. British Columbia can see heavy snow fall, and tracking snow throughout the house is
considered inconsiderate and rude.” (Anonymous, 2017) British Columbia customs are similar to
customs seen in the United States.

In conclusion, Canada is very accepting of its multiculturalism. It’s a source of pride to

Canadians and defines what it means to be Canadian. The interview and information I researched
helped me develop a better understanding of Canada’s multiculturalism and social
communication. Canada diverse ethnicities, religions, and languages are crucial to its identity;
and the time I spent interviewing a British Columbian gave me a better understanding of what it
means to be Canadian.

Works Cited

Anonymous. (2017, November 11). Canadian citizen. (J. Robson, Interviewer) Fort Saint John,
British Columbia, Canada.

Berry, J. W. (2013). Research on multiculturalism in Canada. In International Journal of

Intercultural Relations, 37(6), 663-675. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147176713001077

CIA. (2017, November 06). The World Factbook: Canada. Retrieved from CIA:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

Meyer, E. (2014). The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global
Business. New York, NY: PublicAffairs. Retrieved November 16, 2017

Rayburn, A. (2001). Naming Canada: Stories About Canadian Place Names. Toronto, Canada:
University of Toronto Press. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=aiUZMOypNB4C&pg=PA231#v=onepage&q&f=false

Weihs, J. (1995). Fact about Canada, its provinces and territories. New York: H.W. Wilson Co.
Retrieved November 13, 2017

3
To: Dr. James Melton
From: Jason Robson
Date: December 4, 2017
Re: Meijer Pricing Clerk Proposal
Meijer Item Location Code (ILC) identifies where an item is located by department, aisle, aisle
shelf, and shelf tag. ILC’s can be found on a shelf tag, shipping case label, and appears when
scanned with a Symbol (hand-held scanner). Figure 1, below, shows a typical ILC. It consists of
four main parts.

Figure 1. Item Location Code.

The first part of an ILC lists the department. Common abbreviations are Elec (electronics), Seas
(seasonal), Groc (grocery), HBC (health, beauty, and care), etc. The department is followed by
two numbers identifying the aisle where the item can be found. The next two digits state which
shelf the item is located. The remaining three digits (usually ending with “A”) specify the shelf
tag.
ILC’s are important for pricing clerks to be efficient at their job. This proposal focuses on a
department where efficiency is impacted. The ILC’s of the electronics department are incomplete,
missing, or inaccurate. I have researched the problem, come up with a possible solution, and
included opposition and alternative methods.

Problem
The ILC’s in the electronics department make it difficult to find the location of items. It is
common to find ILC’s consisting of Elec 0100000A. The pricing team interprets these ILC’s as
electronics department, aisle one, and the remainder is guess work. These are often seen when
making price changes on media (Blu-ray’s, DVD’s, and CD’s). Incomplete, missing, or
inaccurate ILC’s make it difficult for the pricing team to find the item.
Price changes are a major job task for pricing clerks. Figure 2, below, shows the everyday tasks
of a pricing clerk. These tasks include: price changes, inventory control, ad signs, and customer
service. The percentage estimates are based on my personal experience working as a pricing
clerk.

1
Figure 2. Pricing Clerk Tasks.

Meijer: Pricing Clerk Tasks

15%
50%
20%

15%

Price Changes Inventory Control

Ad Signs Customer Service

Figure 2 shows that 50% of a pricing clerk job consists of price changes (includes permanent and
clearance). Ad signs make up 20% of a pricing clerk job. Ad signs require an ILC to find the
location of the item on sale. The remaining 30% is split between inventory control and customer
service. Problems with ILC’s impacts the pricing clerk job immensely.
The usual pay for a pricing clerk is $9.00 per hour. Figure 3, below, shows the cost per hour of
each task a pricing clerk performs.

Figure 3. Cost per Hour of Pricing Clerk Tasks.

Cost per Hour of Pricing Clerk Tasks

($9.00 per hour)
Dollars Per Task

$6.00 $4.50
$4.00 $1.35 $1.80 $1.35
$2.00
$0.00
Price Inventory Ad Signs Customer
Changes Control Service
Pricing Clerk Tasks

Figure 3 shows that price changes have the greatest cost for the company. At $4.50 per hour, it
uses more resources and is the most problematic when it’s not efficient. The inaccurate or
incomplete ILC’s of electronics results in more time being spent locating items. This in turn
results in a greater cost for the electronics department and less time utilized in other departments.

Solution
The solution is better ILC implementation. The shelf tags in the electronics department are often
non-existent, inaccurate, incomplete, or improperly located. The shelf tags should be current,

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accurate, and updated on a weekly basis. The resources to perform these tasks are available
through the information system Meijer utilizes.
Improving ILC management requires cooperation from the electronics team leader. The team
leader should monitor and motivate their employees to stay consistent on ILC implementation.
ILC’s should be accurate and locatable. When new media arrives, the team leader should
designate an ILC and print new shelf tags for the item. When the location is easily verifiable, the
cost per hour of price changes is reduced significantly.

Opposition and Alternatives

The electronics department employees may disagree. They may argue that they don’t have the
time to better manage their ILC’s. With new media coming in daily and having to operate the
photo department, it’s difficult to perform additional tasks. Their alternative will be to leave it
untouched and continue with the current ILC management.
The alternative method doesn’t fix the problem. The ILC’s will continue to be non-existent,
inaccurate, incomplete, or improperly located. Pricing clerks will continue to spend more time
trying to find items in the electronics department. The media aisle could cost the company $9.00
if the pricing clerk takes two hours to find the items. It could cost the company $2.25 if it only
takes the pricing clerk thirty minutes to find the items. The alternative isn’t time to cost efficient.

Conclusions and Recommendations

In conclusion, improving ILC’s in the electronics department reduces time wasted finding items.
It improves time to cost management and helps pricing clerks be more efficient at their job. When
pricing clerks can find items quickly and perform the price change, the hourly cost per
department is reduced.
My recommendation is to require the team leader of the electronics department to better manage
their ILC’s.

Total # Words Number of Sentences Avg. # Number of Commas

(600-800) Words/Sentence
(must be <20)
749 62 12 44

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TO: Dr. James Melton

FROM: Jason Robson

DATE: November 5, 2017

SUBJECT: System analyst communication role

A system analyst will typically consult with management and users to determine the needs of the
system, design a system to meet business goals, use statistics and accounting to ensure the system
is efficient, cost-effective, and financially feasible, and oversee implementation of the
information system. (Bisk, 2017) Performing these tasks require interpersonal and professional
communicative skills.

System analysts need to understand the range and scope of communication in the system analyst
field, possess the communication skills required to better achieve company goals, and must meet
the needs of the individuals involved in the information system development process. To become
successful in the system analyst role, I will need to understand the communication range and
scope of a system analyst and the communication skills needed to be successful as a system
analyst.

To begin this process, I will discuss the range and scope of system analyst communication,
followed by communication skills:

Range and Scope

Understanding the range and scope of communication in the system analyst field, results in a
more in-depth understanding of the skills needed to be a system analyst. To better understand the
range and scope of the system analyst field, I contacted a system analyst currently working at GE
Aviation and interviewed him. He stressed consistent communication is crucial to the overall
success of the project.

“System analysts work with a team, individual, or a department to understand the specific details
of a system that needs to be built. Communication is crucial to designing and building the system,
so that it meets the needs of the company. At least 75-80% of the time will be spent interacting
face to face, and the remaining percent being emails and telephone calls. Collaboration is crucial
to the success of the system and weekly meetings are common. The success of the project
depends entirely on the understanding of the business itself, the processes involved, and
following the paper trail (dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s).” (Anonymous, 2017)

The high emphasis on communication means there’s risk and rewards at play. Developing and
implementing an information system is a challenging task. Nearly two-thirds of projects face
setbacks or failures. Inaccurate or incomplete information system requirements severely alter, or
impact the direction of the information system. (Shuraida & Barki, 2013) Miscommunication or
lack of communication prevents the information system from being effective and efficient. When
system analysts obtain accurate information system requirements, they will develop high-quality
systems. (Shuraida & Barki, 2013)

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From this, I can gather the importance of team work and consistent communication among all
parties involved. The range and scope of the system analyst field requires understanding all
aspects of the business involved, the processes involved, and ensuring everything is documented.
My future skill set will require me to be vigilant, knowledgeable in all business aspects and
processes, and consistent with my interactions through meetings, emails, and telephone calls.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are crucial to the success of the project. Research shows that Fortune 500
firms look for system analysts to be multi-skilled in database, functional business,
communication, interpersonal, and all phases of information system development-planning,
analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. (Karanja, Grant, Freeman, & Anyiwo, 2016)
Three non-technical skills IS professionals agree are needed for system analysts are oral
communication, problem solving, and attention to detail. System analysts must work closely with
users, other IS personnel, project or group teams, as well as individually and good interpersonal
and communication skills are needed for these interactions. (Karanja, Grant, Freeman, & Anyiwo,
2016)

The ability to effectively work with teams and end-users is vital to the success of the project. To
be successful at the system analyst role, I will need strong interpersonal and communicative skills
and have a solid understanding of all phases of the information system developmental cycle. I
will also have to be effective in my ability to communicate, problem solve, and be vigilant to
detail.

In gathering the information for this memo, I have a better understanding of what is required of a
system analyst. I recognize my strengths in research, attention to detail, and development of a
project. My greatest weakness is public speaking, and the system analyst field will require
speaking in front of a group of people. Communication is crucial to the gathering of data and
designing an information system that meets the needs of the company. I will need to work on
handling my anxiety when speaking in front of a large audience.

In conclusion, the system analyst field is a rewarding career that has many challenges. These
challenges can be overcome by understanding the range and scope of communication required in
the field and understanding the communication skills needed to be effective in designing and
developing an information system. The range and scope of the system analyst field requires
working closely with users, other IS personnel, project or group teams, as well as individuals. The
top communication skills considered crucial for a system analyst are oral communication,
problem solving, and attention to detail.

My recommendation to myself is to better work on managing my anxiety and to work on building

relationships in my future system analyst role.

Works Cited

Anonymous. (2017, October 31). System analyst at GE Aviation. (J. Robson, Interviewer)

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Bisk. (2017). Business Analyst vs. System Analyst: Differences and Similarities. Retrieved from
Villanova University: https://www.villanovau.com/resources/business-
analysis/business-analyst-vs-system-analyst/#.Wf36BdNSyM9

Karanja, E., Grant, D. M., Freeman, S., & Anyiwo, D. (2016). Entry level systems analysts: What
does the industry want?. Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging
Transdiscipline, 19, 141-161.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/878f/8f46d3b4b65e8be75bb45eaa8217b7e174a9.pdf

Shuraida, S., & Barki, H. (2013). The influence of analyst communication in IS projects. Journal of
the Association for Information Systems, 14 (9), 482-520.
http://cmich.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.cmich.idm.oclc.org/docview/1470087374?accountid=10181