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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: The hotpot is a dish with origins in China, East Asia. It is a mixture of different types of stew prepared in tradition metal pots. The hotpot keeps simmering while waiting for the cook to add different meat, vegetable, or other food pieces to the arrangement in the dining table. Cross cultural integration in the 21st century leads to idea sharing, making it possible for different communities to come up with an almost similar hotpot stew dish.
The hotpot is a dish with origins in China, East Asia. It is a mixture of different types of stew prepared in tradition metal pots. The hotpot keeps simmering while waiting for the cook to add different meat, vegetable, or other food pieces to the arrangement in the dining table. Cross cultural integration in the 21st century leads to idea sharing, making it possible for different communities to come up with an almost similar hotpot stew dish.
Hotpot Concept and Cultural Value Report Executive Summary Hotpot refers to a meal whose origin is in China, East Asia. This paper will introduce the food by providing its definition and later discussing its history. The historical perspective covers the changes that occurred in the industry making hotpot reach the European markets in the past few years. Its role and value follows the discussion by mentioning the significance of the food in brand positioning various East Asian countries in the world. Another area of focus is the importance of hotpot supply chains in the world with a particular focus on legal, environmental, and physical issues. In addition, the technological improvement over the years seems to have a direct impact on the food and the subsequent section provides an in-depth discussion of the same. Finally, the submission discusses gastronomic elements revolving around the issues. This explains the biological influences on the marketing strategy for hotpot across the world. Introduction Hotpot is a delicacy mostly enjoyed in parts of East Asia; the Thai people refer to it as Suki. Most Asian States known to enjoy the hotpot include the Chinese, Singapore residents, the Malaise, the residents of Brunei, and Philippines (Tan 1989). Besides the Thai, other communities equally refer to the hotpot as the steamboat. This food consists of different types of stew options prepared in tradition metal pots explaining the different names it has across the Asian countries. The Vietnamese also prepare the hotpot from a variety of different ingredients used in making stew. At the centre of a nearly ready meal is the hotpot that keeps simmering while waiting for the cook to add different meat, vegetable, or other food pieces to the arrangement in the dining table (Ehrlich 1997). Depending on the culture involved, the outcome of the entire set-up differs. However, cross cultural integration in the 21 st century leads to idea sharing enabling different communities to come up with an almost similar hotpot stew dish (Triggs 1986). This explains the rationale of this submission because it intends to provide socio-economic, political, environmental, technological, and gastronomic elements surrounding the culture of hotpot preparation. Historical and Current Developments The hotpot culture shows significant improvement since its inception creating a balance between its history, the present, and the future. Its role keeps changing through history making it possible for people to name food storage equipment after the delicacy and even eateries. The intention is to create a correlation between the stew mixture and the equipment or food outlet (Goodman 2008). Hospitality industries across the world are the greatest embracers of the eatery art helping it improve tourism, retail, and event sectors in East Asia and across the world in general. Currently, East Asia enjoys an undisputable global presence because of such culinary habits and appreciation of unique eating cultures. This makes it possible for people from different countries to relate with East Asia by adapting the cooking styles embraced by the communities. Hotpot preparation cuts across cultures enabling people from Japan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand to engage in the culinary habit in attracting tourists from different countries (Tannahill 1973). The preparation style is almost the same, but the outcome slightly differs because of the ingredients used for the hotpot. The history of the Chinese hotpot goes back to the past 1000 years even though the roots of the delicacy are in Mongolia. The principal component of the meal was meat, while different ingredients only helped in improving its taste. The taste of the hotpot varies depending on the meat used and this explains why hotpot made from beef, seafood, horse, pork, ham, or chicken would automatically differ in taste (Slack 2001). The Chinese mostly used seafood during the Tang Dynasty because it was the most readily available main dish for the hotpot. Preparation improved under different leadership structures and it was until the 16 th to 18 th century that China incorporated other meat samples into the hotpot (Newman 2004). This happened under the Qing Dynasty in which the Chinese became one of the most popular countries in the world before the Japanese attacked the Manchuria (Francis 1880). In the 21 st century, there is a slight difference in preparation considering that few people use fresh herbs due to a high demand for products, which have a long shelf life in the market. As such, the spices are in packed portions and preserved in order to enable easy export of the same to other countries. In addition, most East Asian States no longer used the coal heated metallic coal because induction or infrared cookers exist for a similar purpose. The Chinese and people can also gas cookers as a replacement for the traditional hotpot (Needham and Wang 2008). The hotpot cooking technique accords its name to the pot used in preparation, the style incorporated, and the cultural influences to the same. As such, the cultures are bound to change in order to satisfy the demands of emerging markets and to make the culture sustainable over time. Role and Value of Hotpot The role of hotpot varies across cultures even though intercultural interaction is an ambassador of change to the involved communities. Today, it is normal for communities to combine hotpot and barbecue even though the two have different origins (Feldner 2012). In China alone, different cities and communities have diverse varieties of hotpot. In Beijing, many Chinese cultures meet enabling them create a cocktail of the hotpot. In modern food outlets, the hotpot cooks incorporate diverse flavours in order to meet the demands of consumers. However, there are a section of the same population that require traditionally prepared hotpot in the coal pots because in the 21 st century, people display more concerns for health as opposed to taste and preference (Hulin 2006). They believe that traditionally prepared hotpot has no processed spices, cooks prepare it under low heat, and its mildness restores its value content. In China, the most preferred hotpot variety is the spicy chili with beef instead of seafood. This happens in China because the country has a history of integration with different countries over the past few years enabling it to learn many things from Western, Arabic, and African States. In Manchuria, China, people prefer the sour version of the hotpot, but in the Hainan Island, beef is the main ingredient. Notably, Hainan hosts the Chinese Hawaii (Sanya). This represents the most visited part of China because of the beautiful islands existing in the part of the land explaining why meat hotpot gains popularity in the region occasioned by tourists from different parts of the world. Restricting them to vegetable or seafood hotpot would reduce consumer attention in the cuisine. The Japanese and the Tai mostly prefer egg hotpot even though they incorporate different spices and flavours to improve the taste of each hotpot variety (Buck, Dawson, and Wu 1966). The inclusion of different tastes is to attract the consumer base while taking into consideration the fact that visitors would want something new and edible. This explains the incorporation of different cultures in the preparation and presentation of the hotpot across different cultures in East Asia and beyond. In Thailand, the cooks are likely to use seafood or beef while incorporating lime, chili, or coriander ( Terrific teaching: a hotpot of tried and tested classroom activities 1990). On the other hand, Vietnamese are likely to use seafood and pickled vegetables as the main ingredients. Importance of Hotpot Supply Chains Fish markets including Tsukiji in Japan enjoy a global presence because of its supply of fresh fish used for different purposes. Hotpot supply chains have great socio-economic importance to East Asia and other parts of the world that adopted the same culinary culture. Legal Eateries are overly careful about the foods they supply to the target populations because failure to observe ethics might cause lawsuits and the legal measures faced for food poisoning might be detrimental to the survival of such food outlets. Safety is very important even before considering other things. Safety in terms of using the best meat or seafood pieces is paramount and the same applies to the spices and vegetables because they should not contain toxins. In East Asia, there are also legal concerns about extinction, which also takes an environmental perspective. Japan takes centre stage for such discussions because of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo that is the avenue of purchasing both mature and immature fish for the preparation of different delicacies. The Japanese government intervened in the case of the endangered Bluefin Tuna by imposing stringent legal measures on fish vendors that violate the principle of not selling immature fish (Allen, Joseph, and Squires 2010). Such restrictions often limit supply chains from providing the main ingredient for the Japanese and Vietnamese hotpot, but the intention is to create a sustainable culture for the future of the community. Clearly, legal supply chains are important for environmental and ethical conservation. Environmental Supply chains equally show concerns for environmental issues revolving around this subject. There is an extensive use of spices even though the production levels of the same are low. Most consumers complain that hotpot varieties are less spicy lately because of the diminishing levels of the supplies over the past few years. There are replacements for spices that initially helped in the preparation of excellent hotpot varieties including chili that most eateries replace with processed black pepper. In addition, extinction is a major concern for hotpot producers who use fish and mutton products (Young 2011). The vegan community uses such avenues to blame meat consumers of degradation of the ecosystem. This explains why suppliers of the food prefer using vegetables lately because of growing cultural, religious, and culinary concerns for such diets. Physical Influences The West is a likely consumer of beef, pork, vegetables, and less spicy hotpot, thus explaining why it contributes towards such discussions at a global platform. Through such supply chains, it becomes easy to market the hotpot at a global level. Many eateries advertise products through social media and hotpot companies equally achieve their objectives through such socialisation avenues. Like other avenues of income generation, such culinary habits earn East Asia the greatest number of tourists across the world, hence enabling the countries to develop mutually beneficial relationships with the west and other continents (Prittie 1949). At the global level, there is an opportunity for different countries to identify mistakes in East Asia and to correct the involved countries, especially when such issues revolve around environmental conservation (Shibuya and Rolfe 2003). Technological Appraisal Technology is the core aspect of improvement in various industries, including tourism and hospitality among others. Technological appraisal plays significant roles in improving preparation and consumption of the hotpot. At the Hainan Island in China, many people use chopsticks because the country adores its culture. However, in terms of preparation of hotpot, there are many changes. For instance, instead of using coal in heating the metal pot, the Chinese and the Japanese use solar-powered infrared cookers, gas cookers, and electric cookers; this helps in reducing energy consumption. In addition, it reduces environment degradation because many people cut down trees in order to make charcoal to act as a source of fire. Outside East Asia, there are communities that equally enjoy hotpot, but they cannot use chopsticks and traditional techniques of consumption; they use forks. Another improvement is in terms of packaging. The spices were initially very fresh, tasty, and were in abundance. Through technological appraisal, it became important to increase their lives by drying most of them through different preservation techniques. Spices might retain the flavours for a limited period and later lose the taste after a long time (Taylor 2012). There are even companies that package cooked hotpot and preserve the same for export purposes. Therefore, technology is responsible for the improvement in storage, eating techniques, preparation, and marketing of hotpot and the scenario is likely to change in the future. In essence, the world is volatile and technology keeps improving daily. Gastronomic Knowledge Gastronomy concentrates on linking different fields of science. In biological studies, it provides an avenue through which people can understand the way the human brain makes different choices within the controlled and natural environments. In the food industry, gastronomy mostly creates a connection between psychology, biology, and chemistry. There is an ardent need to provide consumers with edible products that have not biological effects on their bodies. In order to achieve the same, manufacturers influence consumer decisions by convincing them that the products under discussion have various health benefits (Hunt and Ruttle 2011). In Sichuan, China, the Chongqing hotpot is famous for various health benefits. It has the ability to treat cold because of the fresh herbs used in its preparation. In addition, it controls human weight by increasing metabolism. This reduces the chances of getting high blood pressure and ailments related to obesity and lifestyle change. The Chongqing hotpot is just one variety that marketers have in store. For packaged hotpot dishes, the health benefits follow the inscription of ingredients indicated behind the package (Brereton 1993). Different hotpot varieties target diverse consumers and this explains the different biological appeals used to convince the markets (Klever and Klever 1984). Conclusion In summary, hotpot keeps improving over the centuries because of the cross-cultural integration. However, it maintains originality since many East Asian communities have eateries that use fresh spices for the food. Prices of dishes differ depending on cooking techniques incorporated, the health benefits of the hotpot, and the ingredients used in the cooking process. References Allen, R. L., Joseph, J., and Squires, D 2010, Conservation and management of transnational tuna fisheries , Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, Iowa. Brereton, B. G 1993, HOTPOT: Analysis of output variability due to uncertainty in lithology composition: British Geological Survey, Onshore Geology Series, Technical Eeport WA/93/83 , Oxford University Press, Oxford. Buck, J. L., Dawson, O. L., and Wu, Y 1966, Food and agriculture in Communist China, Wiley and Sons, New York. Ehrlich, G 1997, Questions of heaven the Chinese journeys of an American Buddhist , Beacon Press, Boston. Feldner, S. M 2012, A cook’s journey to Japan fish tales and rice paddies: 100 homestyle recipes from Japanese kitchens , Tuttle Publishers, New York. Francis, F 1880, Hotpot; or, miscellaneous papers, “The Field” Office, London. Goodman, P 2008, Food in China , PowerKids Press, New York. Hulin, B 2006, The everything fondue party book: cooking tips, decorating ideas, and over 250 crowd-pleasing recipes , Adams Media, Avon, Mass. Hunt, R., and Ruttle, K 2011, Leek hotpot , Oxford University Press, Oxford. Klever, E., and Klever, U 1984, Fondues from around the world: nearly 200 recipes for fish, cheese and meat fondues, oriental hotpots, tempura, sukiyaki, dessert fondues , Barron’s, Woodbury, N.Y. Needham, J., and Wang, L. 2008, Science and civilisation in China , Cambridge University Press, London. Newman, J. M 2004, Food culture in China , Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn. Prittie, T. C 1949, Lancashire hotpot , McGraw-Hill, Chicago. Shibuya, E., and Rolfe, J 2003, Security in Oceania: in the 21st Century, Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii. Slack, S. F 2001, Fondues & hotpots: from appetizers to desserts– a complete guide to preparing fondues, hotpots, and Asian one-pot dishes, right at the table , HP Books, New York, NY. Tan, J 1989, Food in China , Rourke, Vero Beach, Florida. Tannahill, R 1973, Food in history , Stein and Day, New York. Taylor, G 2012, Stew! 100 splendidly simple recipes, Bloomsbury Publishing, London. Terrific teaching: a hotpot of tried and tested classroom activities 1990, Ministry of Education, Melbourne. Triggs, T. D 1986, Inside story , Wright Group, Bothell, Washington. Young, M. A 2011, Trading fish, saving fish: the interaction between regimes in international law , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The text discusses the need for a code of ethics for the information technology industry, and how such a code could be developed. It also looks at some of the challenges that face the industry in developing such a code, such as the dynamic pace of technology development and the need for policies that can keep up with that pace.
The text discusses the need for a code of ethics for the information technology industry, and how such a code could be developed. It also looks at some of the challenges that face the industry in developing such a code, such as the dynamic pace of technology development and the need for policies that can keep up with that pace.
Forbidden and Dangerous Information Technology Essay Introduction Due to the dynamic pace with which technology keeps popping up in the information and communication sector, developing codes of conduct for regulating ethics in the industry continues to face a difficult task. Markedly, the moral codes of conduct help in regulating the culture of information dissemination and sharing. The moral codes play a critical role in nurturing a morally upright society. Unchecked information within the internet and other social network forums jeopardise the ability of controlling information that require discretion (Drahos & Braithwaite, 2003). Therefore, developing an information technology code of ethics require close analysis of the ethical theories and attributes that regulate other professional disciplines. Since different technological advancement touch on different sets of regulatory frameworks, it is vital to solve computing dilemmas based on ethical theories in each of the specific case in question. Ethics and intellectual property Technology, especially in the military and communication arena remain vulnerable to unethical use and exploitation. From development of weapons such as drones to introduction of malware in enemies’ systems, the unethical use of technological advancement jeopardises proper employment of technological advancements. With rising rates of computer literacy across major economies in the world, unchecked use of technology does not only present an awkward position to economic development, but also to progressive use of force in times of war and other conflicts. Collateral damage and other mass destruction initiatives becomes easy when technological developments override the human aspects of ethics and moral codes of conduct (Allen, 2008). What we should build Adequate policy elaboration to control ethics Access control Access to certain critical and easily misused technological resources needs restriction to appropriate functional unit heads. In such as setting, the functional unit head ensures proper control and management of the technology to regulate the chances of such technological resources landing on wrong hands (Freeman, 2005). Correspondingly, such a confined system of access ensure functional unit head takes the unit members through adequate orientation on the use and management of such resources before the team members take over responsibilities. Insufficient mastery of technology advancements can be fatal. For example, a simple mistake in test launching of atomic weapons presents the risk of millions of death. In the process of defining access codes of conduct, inclusion of proper measures for prosecution in cases of violation remains necessary (Doyle, 2009). Practical and content-based control Institutions with sensitive technological resources need to develop rights to impose technical restrictions on the access to their networks, especially in cases that such access compromises the ability to use certain devices, programmes, and protocols. In teleology, ethics assume that the moral standing of an action relies on the consequences of such action. In order to control the consequences of exposing sensitive technological resources to unwarranted individuals, institutions require controlled content systems that regulate resource availability and use. Likewise, institutions must develop warnings on the repercussions that come with infringing on the limited content use to ensure that such culprits face the law. Availing technological resources such as pornographic and violent videos within an institution’s website need confinement to the rules and regulations that govern such resources. Uncontrolled accessibility and content-use of such resources compromise ethics and societal morals (Vaidhyanathan, 2003). What we should not know Access and security codes Security access codes and personal passwords help in controlling use and dissemination of technological resources. In such a setting, institutions with sensitive technological resources accord each employee a personal identification accounts. In case of unauthorised access and use of any device or resource, users of the accounts take full responsibility. Negligence in the protection of such access code comes with dire consequences. Even though codes offer protection from unwarranted access, hackers continue to access information and technological resources with ease from institutional websites and networks. Proper layers of password with complicated security nature help in controlling access through hacking. Users of such institutional account must respect the privacy of other users. Institutions must define policies against installation of spywares that can snoop around individual privacies (Doyle, 2009). What are we not allowed to do? Close to the concept of access and security codes, lies the issue of privacy. With advancement in technology and online storage of personal data, people have their personal information lying in various social networks sites. Despite placing such information on the social internet at will, electronic databases enable easy transfer and storage of such data. The quantity of personal data available within an information system includes financial, medical, educational, and employment statements. Such an avalanche of personal information within the reach of administrators and hackers require adequately controlled access for privacy and security reasons. Individuals, governments, and employment institutions have detailed systems of personal information. Even though several laws like the 1986 Electronic Communication Privacy Act of the United States aims at controlling the use and access to such personal information, there exists a wide range of gaps that need proper legislative control. Most unstable technology Genetic engineering presents plausible prospects for the technological ambition. With the abilities of the future parents to dictate the genes of their children, the financially stable members of the society will have the power to determine their children’s sex, height, eye colour, hair, and even skin colour (Sandel, 2007). Equally, they will dictate the type of traits in their offspring depending on their likes and preferences. Despite these developments, it is vital to note that the choice of preferences chosen come with relatively unknown consequences. Genetic modification of genes coupled with the consumption of genetically modified foods further cripple the natural state of human existence. Just as the discovery of DDT in the 1950s presented a great step towards the control of insects and insect-related illnesses, genetic engineering comes with a wide array of negative consequences. Intrusion into the natural settings of plants and organisms through genetic modification in plants, animals, insects, bacteria, and viruses compromises the ability of the human body to react to the illnesses (Drahos & Braithwaite, 2003). Similarly, several bacteria and viruses causing human and animal illness continue to mutate while others recombine to effectively deal with human defence systems. Use of genetically modified organism raises questions on the importance of environmental and human ethics in the use of technology. For example, scientists touted invention of DDT as a breakthrough in the fight against invasive insects and their related illness. However, a few years later, results showed that the negative impacts of the use of DDT outweighed the positive impacts. Scientists require moral standing in exploring both the positive impacts and negative implications associated with any technological advancement (Dumas, 1999). Conclusion Technology plays an important role in making work easier for human beings. For instance, the speed at which individuals can send bulk messages to multiple recipients across the world remains high due to the internet and other technological advancements. However, there exists a thin line between positive and negative impacts of the technological advancement. As it is easy to send texts to multiple recipients, intrusion into such mails and messages remains relatively easy. This calls for ethical management systems within technology management systems to control the misuse of such advancements. References Allen, A.L. (2008). The Virtuous Spy: Privacy as an Ethical Limit. The Monist, 91(1), 3-22. Doyle, T. (2009). Privacy and Perfect Voyeurism. Ethics and Information Technology, 11(4), 181-189. Drahos, P., & Braithwaite, J. (2003). Information feudalism: Who owns the knowledge economy? London: Earthscan. Dumas, L. J. (1999). Lethal arrogance: Human fallibility and dangerous technologies . New York: St. Martin’s Press. Freeman, L. (2005). Information ethics privacy and intellectual property . Hershey, PA: Information Science Pub. Sandel, M. (2007). The case against perfection: Ethics in the age of genetic engineering . Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Vaidhyanathan, S. (2003). Copyrights and copywrongs: The rise of intellectual property and how it threatens creativity . New York: New York University Press.
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: Ford's Acquisition and Disposal of Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover Analytical Essay In the 1990s, Ford planned the creation of the luxury car division that could involve the car brands similar to Volvo. The division known as the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) was established in 1999. During the period of 1999-2008, the PAG included such brands of luxury cars as Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover acquired and then sold by Ford because of their non-profitability.
Ford's Acquisition and Disposal of Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover Analytical Essay In the 1990s, Ford planned the creation of the luxury car division that could involve the car brands similar to Volvo. The division known as the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) was established in 1999. During the period of 1999-2008, the PAG included such brands of luxury cars as Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover acquired and then sold by Ford because of their non-profitability.
Ford’s Acquisition and Disposal of Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover Analytical Essay In the 1990s, Ford planned the creation of the luxury car division that could involve the car brands similar to Volvo. The division known as the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) was established in 1999 (“Ford Buys Land Rover”). During the period of 1999-2008, the PAG included such brands of luxury cars as Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover acquired and then sold by Ford because of their non-profitability (Table 1). Table 1. Ford’s Acquisitions and Sales Brand Date Acquisition Cost Date Sale Cost Jaguar 1989 $2.38 billion 2008 $2.3 billion (with Land Rover) Volvo 1999 $6.45 billion 2010 $1.5 billion Land Rover 2000 $2.9 billion 2008 $2.3 billion (with Jaguar) Referring to the table, it is important to conduct the VRIO analysis in order to state why Ford made decisions regarding the acquisitions and following sales. The VRIO Analysis The competitive advantage can be gained by Ford when the company utilizes ‘valuable’ (V), ‘rare’ (R), ‘inimitable’ (I), and ‘organized’ (O) resources. Jaguar In case of Jaguar, Ford planned to cover the niche of prestigious cars with high driving dynamics, and during a long period of time, the development of the brand addressed the requirements of value, rarity, inimitability, and organized exploitation. However, the situation changed in 1999, when the PAG was established, and Ford planned to use the centralized approach to managing the operations within the division. Jaguar cars became set on the common vehicle platforms as other cars of Ford, the sales decreased, and the company chose to buy the brand to the Indian corporation in 2008 (Prokesch par. 2). Volvo The acquisition of Volvo in 1999 was a result of Ford’s strategy to expand the market share in Europe and widen the niche of premium brands. In terms of value, Volvo was discussed as a profitable brand. Rarity and inimitability depended on the high quality and exceptional safety. Organization depended on the synergy approach within the PAG (James par. 3). However, Volvo became less valuable brand in the 2010s, when Ford focused on uniting the engineering departments within the PAG to decrease associated costs. As a result, the measures related to rarity and inimitability were also decreased. Ford needed to sell Volvo in 2010 while losing more than 70% of the brand cost (“Ford Sells Volvo”). Land Rover Land Rover was acquired in 2000 as one more luxury brand to expand the PAG. The decision was discussed as good for Ford because of the opportunity to focus on the prestigious cars with the high off-road capability. This aspect added to the rarity and inimitability of available resources (Hill and Jones 312). In terms of value, the acquisition of Land Rover was important for Ford to expand the market share in the area of four-wheel-drive cars. The aspect of organization was addressed ineffectively because Ford could not rely on synergies in the PAG, but the company continued to use the principle of common vehicle platforms to produce Land Rover cars. Thus, the brand was sold in 2008 along with the Jaguar brand because cars decreased in their value and inimitability (“Ford Sells Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata”). Focusing on the VRIO analysis, it is possible to state that the competitive advantage of Ford decreased significantly after establishing the PAG because the company aimed to reduce costs of production instead of adding to the brands’ uniqueness in terms of rarity and inimitability in order increase their value. Works Cited Ford Buys Land Rover . 2000. Web. Ford Sells Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata . 2008. Web. Ford Sells Volvo to Chinese Carmaker Geely for $1.5 Billion . 2010. Web. Hill, Charles, and Gareth Jones. Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach . New York: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. James, S. Ford Acquires Volvo Car Operations . 1999. Web. Prokesch, S. Ford to Buy Jaguar for $2.38 Billion . 1989. Web.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and it has grown into a multinational company with operations in different nations. One of its most significant markets outside America is the Chinese population. In America, the Ford Motor Company's Headquarters is in Dearborn. This essay seeks to discuss the external influences that impacts Ford's operation in the global market in relations to Competition, Cultural, Legal/political, Economic, and Geographical factors.
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and it has grown into a multinational company with operations in different nations. One of its most significant markets outside America is the Chinese population. In America, the Ford Motor Company's Headquarters is in Dearborn. This essay seeks to discuss the external influences that impacts Ford's operation in the global market in relations to Competition, Cultural, Legal/political, Economic, and Geographical factors.
Ford’s Operation in the Global Market Essay Introduction The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and it has grown into a multinational company with operations in different nations. One of its most significant markets outside America is the Chinese population. In America, the Ford Motor Company’s Headquarters is in Dearborn. This essay seeks to discuss the external influences that impacts Ford’s operation in the global market in relations to Competition, Cultural, Legal/political, Economic, and Geographical factors. External factors affecting a company’s operation in the global market There are several factors that influence the operations of a business both locally and internationally. Such factors include cultural differences, competition, legal and political issues, economic environments, as well as geographical factors. All these factors emanate from outside the business which means the company has no control over them. The Ford Motor Company has been successful in the business and its years of existence have enabled it to establish foreign operations. China is one of the biggest Ford’s markets in the East. Cultural factors Unlike Americans, the Chinese are slightly conservative. The Chinese use small vehicles with sophisticated technology. On the contrary, Ford specializes in SUV’s and their vehicles are simple in design and technology. This may prove to be a challenge in a culture that is used to complex technology in a car. In addition to this, the Chinese are very loyal to their own products hence penetrating this market will affect the strategies used by Ford in their normal operations. Setting up a company in a foreign land requires a clear understanding of the cultural differences between the home and the foreign market. Ford’s management will have to compromise some aspects of leadership in order to appeal for China’s cooperation in trade. In china, for a foreign company to establish a business it must establish a relationship first. In other regions, a business starts its operations then it builds a relationship there after. In China, hierarchy is an important cultural aspect. Therefore, setting a business in the country Ford has to pay attention to hierarchy. Another cultural aspect that is important and will change Fords operations is the culture of Guanxi (Pradhan, 2012). This means that actions are reciprocal in nature. When someone grants you a favor, you are indebted to grant a favor back as well. Legal /political factors Currently, Ford has not recorded any interference from the ongoing political changes in China. There have been major changes in the leadership structure and this was influenced by a recent scandal that exposed China’s political elite’s underground indecency. However, the Ford Motor Company has not been affected by the political tension in and party wrangles in the country. However, in China there are laws that govern the entrance of a foreign investor, one of these legislations include the mandatory requirement for an investor to obtain an approval license from the Commerce Committee (Lanteigne, 2012). Another legal and political restriction that the Ford Motor Company has to endure is the joint ventures law. Joint ventures are not allowed to hold shareholders’ meetings as the ultimate decision-making authority (Daniels, Radebaugh, & Sullivan, 2015). The government has also passed a law that requires all the foreign investors such as the Ford Motor Company to operate under the corporate governance rules as stipulated in the Company Laws. Economic factors Majority of the Chinese people are middle-class individuals and the economic environment in the country is friendly to foreign business. China is one of the greatest economies of the world and the financial market in the country is very stable. Therefore, the Ford Motor Company is safe to invest in the country. Another economic factor that can influence Fords operation in the country is the population. China is the most populated country in the world. This creates a large market for Ford’s products in the country. Therefore, the company has to come up with the right strategy to satisfy the vast market. Competition The main competitors in the Chinese market include General Motors and Volkswagen. The Chinese market is the world’s fastest growing automobile market and the major industry players are moving in speed to cease the opportunities presented by this market. Comparing GM and Ford’s sales, the difference is quite evident. GM’s sales increased by 21% while Ford’s sales rose by 23% (Ramasamy, Yeung, & Laforet, 2012). However, this is a close range meaning that the competition is very high. Geographical location China is the most accessible platform to launch products in the bigger Asian region. The country is surrounded by international seaways making it easy for companies to export their products by sea. From china, it is easier to supply products to other regions like India, Dubai, Africa and other economically viable regions (Ramasamy, Yeung, & Laforet, 2012). Therefore, Ford’s opportunities are unlimited. Nonetheless, the geographical location of the target market is very humid which may force the company to change its production processes to address the climatic conditions in the country. References Daniels, J. D., Radebaugh, L.H., & Sullivan, D. P. (2015). International business: Environments and operations (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pea. Lanteigne, M. (2012). Chinese foreign policy: an introduction . New York, NY: Routledge. Pradhan, J. P. (2012). Emerging multinationals: A comparison of Chinese and Indian outward foreign direct investment. Institutions and Economies, 3 (1): 10. Ramasamy, B., Yeung, M., & Laforet, S. (2012). China’s outward foreign direct investment: Location choice and firm ownership. Journal of World Business, 47 (1): 17-25.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The franchising business model is increasingly gaining recognition amongst investors due to its numerous benefits. Over 3,000 franchise systems have been established in the US, which represents over 901,093 franchisees. These franchisees have created employment to over 18 million citizens.
The franchising business model is increasingly gaining recognition amongst investors due to its numerous benefits. Over 3,000 franchise systems have been established in the US, which represents over 901,093 franchisees. These franchisees have created employment to over 18 million citizens.
Standardisation and Adaptation in Franchising Report Abstract Franchising is one of the most effective strategies through which businesses can attain the desired level of growth and competitive advantage. Its effectiveness emanates from the view that it is based on a tested business model. Despite its effectiveness in promoting financial sustainability, the franchising business model has been criticised extensively by various scholars due to its standardisation requirements, which demand the adoption of similar business practices across different markets. The standardisation requirement may hinder the ability of franchises to align their operations with the prevailing market conditions, especially in geographically dispersed markets. Therefore, it is imperative for franchises to adapt to the prevailing market conditions. This report highlights the various issues associated with the standardisation and adaptation of franchises. The report emphasises the importance of establishing a balance between standardisation and adaptation. Thus, the report argues that franchisors should not limit the franchisees’ decision-making capability. Introduction The contemporary business environment is experiencing a significant evolution arising from diverse macro and micro environmental forces. These forces may affect an organisation’s long-term survival (Truitt 2006). Therefore, achieving competitive advantage is one of the fundamental aspects that organisational leaders should emphasise in their pursuit for sustainable business operations. Investors and organisational leaders must ensure that their firms have incorporated effective strategic and operational management practices. One of the issues that should be taken into account relates to the integration of effective business format (Rundh 2003). Previous studies conducted by researchers and business experts have led to the development of different retail formats that organisations could adopt. One of the examples of business format is franchising, which entails a contractual business relationship between two legally independent businesses [the franchisor and the franchisee] (Tuunanen & Hyrsky 2001). Cox and Mason (2007, p.1053) emphasise that the ‘contractual agreement gives the right to trade under the franchisor’s name and use the franchisor’s products or services’. However, the franchisee must adhere to operational regulations and procedures stipulated by the franchisor. Moreover, the franchisee accesses different forms of support from the franchisor such as training and marketing support in order to enhance business success. The franchising business format is increasingly gaining recognition amongst investors due to its numerous benefits. Over 3,000 franchise systems have been established in the US, which represents over 901,093 franchisees. These franchisees have created employment to over 18 million citizens (Dant, Grunhagen & Windsperger 2011). Franchising is associated with a higher rate of success as compared to green field start-ups. Businesses benefit from franchising due to the established business name. Moreover, franchising leads to the attainment of competitive advantage as the franchisee becomes a part of an extensive network. Franchisees receive a constant flow of business ideas, which enhance their ability to attain competitiveness. Stanworth et al. (2004) assert that franchising benefits are not only limited to financial capital, but also an extensive knowledge of the labour markets and geographic locations within which the firms operate. It is projected that franchising, as a business format, will experience remarkable growth into the future. A study conducted by the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2011) shows that franchisors in Australia are projecting a 37% growth in revenue over the next 3 years. Despite the aforementioned benefits associated with franchising and the projected growth, the concept is not free from challenges. Stanworth et al. (2004) emphasise that the retailing industry is characterised by an increment in the number of firms exiting the franchising business concept after few years of trying it out. Subsequently, the industry is experiencing a high rate of failure. One of the major criticisms associated with the high rate of failure amongst franchises relates to the concept of standardisation and adaptation. Previous studies have identified standardisation and adaptation as one of the core aspects in franchising. Sidhpuria (2009) argues that the franchisees’ operations are based on well-defined procedures, which define the product and service design, product offering, store location, tools and equipment, interiors, and space. Furthermore, the concept of standardisation also entails specification of the strategies that the franchisee must adopt. An example of such strategies include employee training. Biethahn et al. (2013) are of the opinion that standardisation is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency with which franchisors and franchisees achieve the desired level of market growth due to the well-known business procedures. The success of franchising is subject to the nature of relationship established between the franchisor and the franchisee. However, the concept of standardisation and adaptation stifles the franchisees’ creativity and innovation, which is contrary to the level of independence that franchising claims to offer. The franchisee has a duty to adhere to the standards set by the franchisor. Under the franchising system, the franchisor has the power to influence the franchisees’ operating decisions (Biethahn et al. 2013). On the other hand, Cox and Mason (2007, p.1054) contend that some ‘franchisee have developed the perception that owning a franchise unit gives them the right to exercise entrepreneurial initiatives rather than conform to the franchise norms’. The strategy advocated by the franchisor may lead to operational inefficiency, hence affecting the contractual agreement. For example, the agreement may be based on the sales revenue. Consequently, the franchisee will be focused to maximising the sales revenue. However, following the strategy advocated by the franchisor may hinder attainment of profit maximisation objective. Cox and Mason (2007) are of the view that the tension between the franchisor and franchisee may be increased by the existence of geographically differentiated markets, which may force the franchisee to deviate from the set operational standards. Rationale of the study The modern retail industry is characterised by remarkable changes, which are driven by diverse macro-environmental factors such as the increment in the rate of globalisation and economic changes. Despite this aspect, firms in the retaining industry have a responsibility to accomplish their profit and wealth maximisation objectives. Consequently, organisations are under intense pressure to develop substantial competitive advantage. Therefore, the importance of adopting optimal strategic management practices has increased substantially. In an effort to achieve the desired competitiveness, organisations are increasingly venturing into the international market through the adoption of various internationalisation strategies (Hoy & Stanworth 2014). Some of the internationalisation strategies being adopted include the non-equity modes of entry such as export and contractual agreements. Franchising is one of the contractual agreements that firms in the retail industry are increasingly adopting due to its effectiveness in stimulating business growth (Twarowska & Kakol 2013). Twarowska and Kakol (2013, p.1006) further argue that firms ‘that venture into the international and global markets have an obligation to adapt to the local business environment’. The operational strategies adopted in the local market may not be effective if replicated in the international market. Therefore, the overemphasis of standardisation as one of the core aspects in franchising might not be effective if applied in geographically dispersed markets. Objective This report intends to evaluate the concept of franchising as one of the business formats that are gaining significant market recognition. The study focuses on the elements of standardisation and adaptation as some of the core elements in franchising. The report intends to achieve a number of objectives, which include 1. To assess how geographical factors affect the implementation of franchising business format. 2. To analyse the extent to which franchisors allow franchisees to adapt to the prevailing environmental conditions. 3. To evaluate how the franchisees integrate the concept of adaptation in their effort to carry out the franchising system. Scope of the report In order to achieve the above objectives, the report has taken into account a number of issues. First, a review of existing literature is conducted in order to illustrate some of the core issues that have been evaluated by various scholars on the concepts of standardisation and adaptation in franchising. Some of the issues evaluated in this section include the factors that motivate companies to adopt the franchising strategy. Additionally, the various types of franchising that organisations can adopt are evaluated. The report also details the various factors that companies should take into account in determining whether to adopt the franchising strategy. Additionally, the report details a review on the concepts of standardisation and adaptation amongst franchises. An effective methodology is used in conducting the study by employing the qualitative research design due to the exploratory nature of the study. Furthermore, data is collected from credible secondary sources, which include peer-reviewed journals and company websites. The data obtained is analysed and presented using charts and graphs. This study has adopted a theoretical perspective by taking into account two main theories of franchising, which include the agency and the resource scarcity theories. Furthermore, the study seeks to provide franchisors and franchisees with insight on how to manage the franchising system. Literature review The business format adopted has a remarkable impact on the organisations’ ability to succeed in their respective industries. The choice of the legal format is subject to diverse factors, for example, the desired level of market growth, capital requirements, and the prevailing business environment (Dant, Grunhagen & Windsperger 2011). Franchising is one of the internationally proven business models. The decision to adopt the franchising business model varies amongst companies and individuals. Buchan (2013) argues that diverse factors motivate companies to adopt franchising. One of the core reasons entails the need to overcome the monitoring and financing challenges encountered in business operations. Standardisation is one of the strategies used in attaining cost minimisation by the franchisee and the franchisor. Cost minimisation is achieved through various strategies such as reduction in the amount of time required to monitor the firms’ operations. Additionally, franchising leads to the development of economies of scale. Secondly, companies franchise in an effort to leverage on the support system associated with franchising. For example, the franchisees gain different entrepreneurial skills. On the other hand, Dant, Grunhagen, and Windsperger (2011, p.258) assert that individuals ‘become franchisees because of the perceived lower risk and greater rewards’. The standardisation requirement of the franchising enhances the effectiveness and efficiency with which an organisation formulates and implements its marketing strategies. For example, standardisation enhances the franchises’ public image due to consistency in communicating the business concept. Consequently, customers develop the perception that they can access the same product in different markets (Chary 2009). Therefore, consumers seeking a common consumption experience develop a high level of loyalty towards the franchise. Dant, Grunhagen, and Windsperger (2011) emphasise that standardisation is paramount in sustaining brand integrity. Types of franchising Organisations and individuals can adopt two main sub-categories of franchising. These formats include 1. Traditional format franchising 2. Business format franchising Traditional format franchising The traditional format franchising is the oldest franchising model, which entails establishing a contractual relationship between a franchisee and a company. The contractual agreement gives the franchisee exclusive rights to distribute or deal with the company’s products. The franchisee benefits from the distribution network established by the franchisor. Yudoko (2012) asserts that traditional franchising format is mainly common amongst firms that deal with finished or semi-finished products. The franchisees’ operations entail reselling the company’s product to other firms or the final consumer. The franchisor receives a certain percentage of the sales made by the franchisor. Some of the companies that have adopted traditional format franchising include the British Petroleum service stations, Avon Cosmetics, and the Coca-Cola Company. Business format franchising This format entails licensing a tested business model to the franchisee. The franchisee is required to pay a certain fee for using the business model. Abell (2009) asserts that business format franchising is more complex as compared to the traditional format franchising. Abell (2009, p.16) notes that business format franchising ‘encompasses the right to adopt an entire business model, with predefined roles and responsibilities, operational standards and procedures, quality control, and product distribution’. The franchisor’s revenue is based on the total sales. Business format franchising is mainly common in the restaurant and hospitality sector. Factors considered in franchising Developing a franchising system is a challenging undertaking. Therefore, firms planning to adopt franchising as their expansion and growth strategy must assess the ‘franchisability’ of their business. The assessment criteria should be based on a number of issues, which include the level of profitability, flexibility, transferability of the business model, and standardisation. Profitability Franchisors must assure the franchisees that adopt the franchising model will enhance the firm’s level of profitability. Therefore, the franchisor must prove that its franchising system is based on a proven business model. Sidhpuria (2009, p.54) asserts that the ‘business model should be profitable and not in the concept stage’. Transferability of the business model Firms intending to attain the desired level of market growth through franchising must ensure that the model adopted can be transferred to the franchisee, which is dependent on the complexity associated with the franchising system. Simpler franchising systems take relatively shorter duration to transfer the required knowledge to the franchisee as compared to complex franchising systems. Dant, Grunhagen, and Windsperger (2011) assert that the acceptability of the franchising system depends on the duration required to transfer the necessary skills and knowledge. Flexibility One of the common practices in franchising entails standardising various aspects such as the product offering, store ambience, pricing and promotional strategies, and policies. However, standardisation increases the level of rigidity in the franchising system, which limits the franchisees ability to offer products that align with the local market requirements. Lack of flexibility has adverse effects on the franchisees’ growth potential, which might eventually make the franchising strategy an unviable business proposition. The franchising model should provide the franchisee with an opportunity to accommodate the consumers’ tastes and preferences. Despite the product standardisation requirement, franchising should be characterised by a substantial level of product customisation. Sidhpuria (2009, p.55) asserts that the ‘flexibility of the franchising system should allow the franchisors to tailor all their marketing efforts to meet not only the legal requirements of the local market in case of internationalisation of the franchise system, but also the cultural and behavioural aspects of the local market’. In an effort to align its operations with the prevailing market conditions, the McDonald’s, which is a renowned fast food multinational company, introduced a vegetarian burger in order to penetrate the Indian market through franchising. Consequently, the firm was in a position to align its operations with the prevailing behavioural and cultural market requirements. Moreover, the McDonald’s has also adjusted its promotional strategies to align with the local market requirements. Standardisation Franchisors must develop an effective and well-defined procedure outlining how it intends to conduct its business operations. Standardisation plays a fundamental role in enhancing consistency and uniformity of operations within the franchising system. Prototype Franchising should be based on a well-developed and tested prototype. Findings of a study involving 40 franchises conducted in the UK shows only 27 of the firms were based on a tested business format (Stanworth et al. 2004). Prospective franchisors should undertake a comprehensive test on the applicability of their franchising system in different locations before inviting franchisees. The objective of franchise system piloting is to ascertain whether the system can be replicated in different locations. However, Stanworth et al. (2004, p.553) assert that many ‘franchise systems are far from being ‘tried-and-tested’ in their early days and thus they still have much to learn’. Management competency The growth of organisations irrespective of their area of operation is influenced by the managerial competency of the organisational leaders. Managerial competency has an impact on an organisation’s ability to develop and introduce new products into its existing and new markets. Managing inorganic organisational growth strategies for example franchising is relatively more complex as compared to managing inorganic growth. Franchising; standardisation versus adaptation Franchising has gained recognition by different researchers. Combs, Michael, and Castrogiovanni (2004) argue that the significance of franchising varies across different stakeholders. Entrepreneurs are of the opinion that franchising is one of the most effective ways of achieving business ownership. On the other hand, marketers perceive franchising as one of the most effective ways of attaining competitive advantage with regard to product distribution. The strategic management perspective considers franchising as one of the most effective organisational form (Combs, Michael & Castrogiovanni 2004). The available literature on franchising cites autonomy and operational independence of franchisees as one of the issues that have been researched on extensively. The interest on the area has emanated from the inherent contradiction on the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisees (Cox & Mason 2007). Some scholars argue that independence is one of the fundamental elements of franchising. Consequently, Cox and Mason (2007, p. 1054) posit that franchising ‘is promoted as a means of being your own boss’. Despite this assertion, the provision of standardised products and services across different locations is considered as one of the fundamental elements in the franchising system. However, Hoy and Stanworth (2014) assert that franchisors may not endure the franchisees’ decision to deviate from the set operational standards. Thus, franchisees do not have an opportunity to develop their business ideas. Franchisors have the exclusive right with regard to decisions associated with the system’s operating procedures, supply of inputs, promotion activities, and trademarks. The standardisation requirement restricts the franchisees’ decision-making autonomy to issues associated with the firm’s local operating policies, for example, working hours, product pricing, store location, and how to recruit employees (Combs, Michael & Castrogiovanni 2004). Cox and Mason (2007, p.1054) accentuate that the ‘existence of misalignment of incentive structures creates a further source of tension between franchisors and franchisees’. For example, the contractual agreement between the franchisor and the franchisee may require the latter to pay the former a certain proportion of the total sales revenue. However, following the marketing strategy stipulated by the franchisor may hamper the effectiveness with which the firm attains profit maximisation. This situation may occur if the franchise operates in an area characterised by a low rate of market growth. However, the firm may increase the level of profitability by adopting different strategies rather than what is stipulated by the franchisor (Michael 2000). The tension between the franchisor and the franchisee is augmented by the existence of geographically differentiated markets (Cox 2002). Moreover, Cox and Mason (2007) assert that resource availability increases the pressure on franchisees to diverge from the concept of standardisation. Franchising is considered as one of the most effective ways of entering geographically dispersed markets. Geographical dispersion exposes organisations to varied market conditions, which can lead to the attainment of the desired level of competitiveness. Hence, the importance of adapting an organisation’s operational policies and procedures to the local market environment in order to maximise performance cannot be underestimated (Sorenson & Sorensen 2001). However, contradiction exists with regard to the uniformity of the operational strategies and adaptation. Some of the studies conducted show that the uniformity and consistency associated with the franchising system enable organisations to increase their customer base. Additionally, Sorenson and Sorensen (2001, p.320) posit that some ‘customers transfer goodwill they associate with the quality of one outlet to others operating under the same trademark’. The various franchise units, which constitute the franchising system, should operate interdependently. Thus, developing a consistent reflection is fundamental in the success of the authorisation structure due to the potential effect of one of the units on the other firms in the charter scheme. Some studies show that the uniformity requirement of franchising systems increases the likelihood of free riding due to the spill over effects (Michael 2002),. For example, the existence of shared brand name amongst franchise outlets leads to the transfer of benefits amongst the various outlets (Combs, Michael & Castrogiovanni 2004). Deviating from the standardisation requirement can erode the franchise’s trademark. Additionally, deviating from the set operational standards can adversely affect the quality of product and service offered. Another criticism of accommodating the franchise system is illustrated by the view that adapting to the local market conditions may have a negative impact on the franchise system’s ability to innovate (Sorenson & Sorensen 2001). The inability to innovate arises from the view that the knowledge generated by the various franchise units may be of less value in different geographical locations. Coping with the local market circumstances minimises the chances of benefiting from cross-fertilisation of information due to lack of operational practices across the franchising scheme (Cox & Mason 2007). On the contrary, some studies show that the uniformity of operational strategies as advocated by the standardisation requirement in franchising cannot lead to the optimisation of organisational performance in geographically dispersed markets (Dada 2013). Organisations are gradually adopting the franchising strategy in their pursuit for competitive advantage in the international market. This trend is mainly evident in the retailing sector (Levy & Weitz 2007). Franchise systems penetrate the international market through two main phases. The first phase involves entering into neighbouring countries characterised by similar culture, for example, the expansion by US-based firms into Mexico and Canada or by Japanese firms into neighbouring Asian countries. The second phase entails venturing into countries characterised by different political systems and national culture. In a bid to succeed in such markets, it is essential for franchisors to take into account the various cultural components such as customs, language, and tastes (Pisant & Lerner 2003). According to Dant, Grunhagen, and Windsperger (2011), developing franchise units in geographically dispersed locations is one of the major avenues that franchise firms are adopting. Multi-unit franchising is increasingly being adopted by franchising system in an effort to achieve the desired level of growth. However, the success of franchise units in the domestic market is not a guarantee of succeeding in the foreign market (Megan 2010). Some of the factors that might affect the international operation relate to the variation in the degree of economic and political risk and high cost of operation. Furthermore, the firm may experience challenges arising from the existence of communication problems, which are increased by geographic, cultural, and language differences (Ryans, Grittith & While 2003). According to Cox and Mason (2007), market dimensions vary from one market to another such as the consumers’ tastes and preferences, intensity of competition, and income levels. Additionally, geographically dispersed markets are characterised by variations arising from the factors of production. Findings of previous studies conducted by Cox and Mason (2007) show that most small and medium sized enterprises do not remain passive towards the constraints and pressures originating from the external business environment. However, they formulate operational strategies that are intended to overcome the market constraints (Cox & Mason 2007). Theories of franchising Most studies conducted on franchising are based on two main theories, which include the agency and the resource scarcity theories. Agency theory This theory explains the relationship between two parties [the principal and the agent]. The concept of franchising is based on a well-designed contractual agreement between the franchisor and the franchisee. The contract outlines the rights and responsibilities of the franchisee and the franchisor. Moreover, the contract is aimed at protecting the franchisors’ and the franchisees’ financial interests (Combs, Michael & Castrogiovanni 2004). The agency theory is one of the extensively applied theories of franchising due to its effectiveness in undertaking theoretical examination on the impact of hybrid organisational arrangements on organisations’ growth and long-term survival. According to Pisant and Lerner (2003, p.910), ‘the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisees results in the creation of an agency problem for the franchisor delegates local decision making to outlet managers whose interests are not perfectly aligned with the franchisors’. However, adopting the franchising strategy is considered as one of the most effective ways of dealing with the agency problem. The concept of franchising offers ownership allocation to the franchisee rather than salary compensation. First, the franchisor avoids the complexity associated with monitoring the franchisees’ activities. Franchisee may misrepresent his/her abilities. Secondly, the principal [franchisor] minimises the moral hazard associated with the agency problem. Allocation of ownership also fosters the franchisor’s ability to achieve cost minimisation. The franchisee is charged with the responsibility of undertaking the various activities associated with improving human capital such as employee recruitment, selection, and training in order to achieve the desired level of growth (Michael 2003). Franchising is based on a contractual agreement, which the franchisee is required to follow. Thus, franchisees have a duty to meet the stipulated operational criteria. Despite the increased application of the agency theory in explaining franchisor-franchisee relationship, critics claim that the theory does not take into account the relational complexity. The theory assumes that the contractual agreement is long-term in nature. However, there is a high probability of the relationship undergoing short-term changes (Croonen & Brand 2012). Resource scarcity theory This theory suggests that the adoption of the franchising strategy is motivated by the need to deal with resource scarcity. The theory mainly emphasises the managerial and financial resources (Stanworth et al. 2004). Achieving growth is one of the major challenges faced by businesses especially for start-ups. One of the main sources of challenges arises from the inability to access the required financial capital from the traditional markets such as banks and the capital market (Stanworth, Healeas & Purdy 2002). Moreover, start-up businesses experience challenges in developing the necessary market knowledge and managerial talent. Nonetheless, achieving rapid market expansion is one of the essential elements in businesses’ efforts to achieve economies of scale, and hence their competitiveness (Combs, Michael & Castrogiovanni 2004). According to Combs, Michael, and Castrogiovanni (2004, p. 910), the theory contents that firms ‘seek to access the capital and managerial resources that franchises provide when they build and manage outlets, even though returns might be higher among firm-owned outlets’. Firms adopt franchising in order to achieve economies of scale. The above literature review on the concepts of standardisation and adaptation amongst franchises shows the existence of a significant gap. For example, the existing theoretical framework shows that the concept of franchising is based on an agency relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee. The relationship should result into mutual benefits between the two parties. However, there is a high probability of the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee experiencing difficulties, which might lead to an ineffective performance by the franchisee due to constrains arising from the standardisation requirements. Thus, the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee may be affected by the existence of the agency problem between two parties. On the other hand, the resource scarcity theory argues that franchising enables franchisees to access various managerial and financial resources, which enhance their competitiveness. However, franchisors may be hesitant to offer the requisite resource assistance if the franchisees do not adhere to the standardisation requirement as stipulated in the franchising contract. Methodology Research design This study aims at exploring the choice on whether franchise firms should adapt to the local market conditions or standardise their operations across geographically dispersed markets. The study is based on qualitative research design due to its exploratory nature. Adopting qualitative research design provides the researcher with an opportunity to gather substantial amount of data from the field hence making the study extensive (Maxwell 2005). The data used in conducting this study is obtained from secondary sources such as company websites. Furthermore, the study will rely on the data documented in various reports and studies on standardisation and adaptation amongst franchise firms. However, the researcher will ensure that only credible reports are utilised. Subsequently, the study will rely on peer reviewed journals and other literature available from credible online sources in order to enhance the credibility of the study’s findings. Using secondary sources provides the researcher with an opportunity to gather substantial data. One of the studies used in compiling this report relates to survey conducted by Dr. Colin Mason and Dr. Juliet Cox, who are renowned experts with regard to franchising on firms operating in the fast food, industrial, commercial distribution, personal services, and the retail sectors. In the process of conducting the study, the authors relied on interviews as their primary methods of collecting data. Furthermore, their study was comprised of a sample of 40 franchisors operating in the UK. The franchisors were obtained from the United Kingdom Franchise Directory. In order to illustrate the choice of standardisation and adaptation amongst franchise firms, the study evaluates literature on the operation of the McDonald’s, which is a renowned multinational franchise company across the world. The data collected from the secondary sources will be analysed using Microsoft Excel to enable the researcher condense the voluminous data collected. Data collected from company website will be presented and analysed using tables and charts. Findings Firms operating in different economic sectors in the UK have integrated the concept of franchising. Furthermore, most firms that have integrated the concept of franchising have been in existence for over five years, which underscores the importance of developing adequate managerial competence. However, the number of franchise firms reduces with age. The reduction in the number of franchises might indicate an increment in the rate at which firms that previously operated as franchise units are adopting other formats of operation. Graph 1 below illustrates the trend in the number of franchises over time. Franchise age [years] Number of franchises 0-5 years 0 6-10 years 13 11-15 years 10 16-20 years 8 21-25 years 4 over 26 years 5 Table 1 (Cox & Mason 2007) Furthermore, the study shows that the franchising strategy is mainly common in the distribution and personal services sectors as opposed to the retail, fast food, business-to-business, industrial, and commercial sectors as illustrated by graph 2. Sector of Operation Number of Franchises Personal services 10 Distribution 10 Business to business 5 Fast food 5 Retail 5 Industrial and commercial 5 Table 2 (Cox & Mason 2007) Furthermore, most franchise firms considered have adopted the concept of multi-unit franchising, which is evidenced by the number of outlets that have been established as illustrated by graph 3 below. Number of franchise units established Number of franchisors 10-49 outlets 15 50-99 outlets 14 100-149 outlets 4 150-199 outlets 3 Over 200 4 (Cox & Mason 2007) In an effort to optimise their performance, most franchisors evaluated had established outlets in different geographical regions. However, most firms had entered the South East and South West regions of the UK as illustrated by table 3 below. Location Number of franchisors East Anglia 1 Midlands 2 South West 5 South East 30 North 2 Table 3 (Cox & Mason 2007) An analysis of available literature from the McDonald’s company website shows that the firm has adapted its products [hamburgers] across the different markets in which it operates. Furthermore, the firm has standardised its marketing activities across the various international markets in which it operates. The McDonald’s has adjusted its hamburgers in order to meet the prevailing market demands. Analysis All the franchise firms considered in this study were required to adhere to the franchising contract. Subsequently, the firms were under pressure to standardise and maintain uniformity in their operations. Despite this aspect, the franchisors experienced intense pressure to deviate from the contractual requirements due to their inability to respond to the prevailing market conditions. According to the franchisors, firms that have expanded their operations into different regions in the UK experience challenges arising from the geographical market variations. Firstly, the various geographical regions in the UK are characterised by different socio-economic composition, with regard to the consumers’ level of income, lifestyle, and status. Moreover, consumers in different regions in the UK have different tastes, culture, and preferences. In addition to the above issues, the intensity of competition varies from one region to another. In order to succeed in these markets, the franchisors have appreciated the importance of adjusting their operational strategies. Subsequently, the firms have observed a high level of flexibility in implementing their strategies. However, the franchisors are required to adhere to some issues associated with the franchising business format such as the company image. Product mix variation The McDonald’s operates as one of the largest fast food companies in the world. The firm’s headquarters are located in the US. Currently, the firm operates over 33,000 retail outlets in over 120 countries. It is estimated that the firm sells hamburgers to over 68 million customers daily. The firm has adopted the concept of franchising in an effort to enter the international market. The firm has developed a broad product portfolio, which is comprised of shakes, cheeseburgers, snacks, soft drinks, French fries, and various breakfast items. The firm’s operations are based on a number of core values, which include quality, customer focus, cleanliness, and service. Moreover, the firm’s operations are based on an effective philosophy, which entails providing customers with high quality fast foods and ensuring consistency in the preparation of all the fast foods. Some of the markets that the McDonald’s has entered through the establishment of multi-unit franchises include India, South Africa, Australia, and Canada. In an effort to succeed in its respective markets, the McDonald’s has adapted its operational strategy to the prevailing market conditions. This move has been facilitated by the need to align its operations with the prevailing market conditions and culture. For example, in its Indian market, the McDonald’s does not offer beef burgers. This decision arose from the appreciation of the view that Indians do not consume beef. On the contrary, the firm markets burgers, which are made of vegetables, fish, and chicken meat. Additionally, the firm ensures that the burgers are fortified using local cuisine, for example, the McAloo Tikki. Through such adaptation, the firm has been in a position to align its products with the prevailing market needs (Fock 2001). The McDonald’s has also adopted the concept of standardisation in its international marketing. One of the main areas in which the firm has adopted this strategy relates to product packaging. The firm’s products are packaged using the same logo across the different markets in which it operates. The significance of adapting the product or services offered to the prevailing market conditions is further illustrated by the findings of the 40 franchisors in the UK. The franchisors granted the franchisees the autonomy to vary their product mix in order to meet the customers’ tastes and preferences. Subsequently, the franchisors have considered adaptation as a tactical strategy through which franchisors can succeed in geographically dispersed markets. The need to adjust to the local market conditions underscores the view that companies intending to venture into geographically dispersed markets must think globally, but act locally in their operation. Thus, franchisees should exploit the benefits associated with franchising in exploiting the market opportunities available in their local markets. Moreover, franchisors should prevent occurrence of agency problem by relaxing the contractual agreement between the franchisor and franchisees. For example, franchisors should be given the autonomy to adjust their product mix in order to meet the local market demands. Such autonomy will enhance the likelihood of exploiting the local market conditions, hence optimising performance (Dada 2013). Human capital The franchisors considered in the study argue that the franchises operating in different regions of the UK operate as independent businesses. Consequently, they have the capacity to make decisions associated with various human capital issues such as the reward system to be adopted [salaries and wages], working hours, and recruitment strategies. However, in the event of having trouble in formulating either of the human relations policies, the franchisees can adopt the strategies stipulated by the franchisor. Pricing requirements Product pricing is one of the major elements that influence the success of an organisation in the market. Consequently, the importance of adopting effective pricing strategy cannot be underestimated. In accordance with the standardisation requirement, franchisees are constrained to adopt pricing strategies similar to those of the franchisors. This strategy may adversely affect the franchisees’ ability to generate sales, and thus influence the franchise’s level of profitability. However, some franchisees may benefit from the existence of policies governing the operation of franchisors. For example, franchisors in the European Union, which the UK is a member, are restricted from stipulating the pricing structure to be adopted by the franchisees. On the contrary, they can only make recommendations on their preferred pricing structure. Therefore, franchisees have the power to determine the pricing strategy to adopt in marketing their products and services in the local market. Marketing strategies The existence of market variations in different geographical locations calls for limited standardisation in the franchisors’ marketing activities. For example, in an effort to succeed in its Indian, Canadian, and South African markets, the McDonald’s, which has adopted the concept of multi-unit franchising, ensures that its product strategy varies across the various markets. Similarly, the 40 UK franchisors considered in the study have also provided the franchisees with the discretion to adopt the most effective marketing strategies. However, the firms have maintained a significant degree of rigidity with regard to some issues, which differentiate the franchise from the competitors. Some of the major system identifiers include the trade name and branding of the outlets. Despite this aspect, the franchisees have the discretion of deciding the most effective strategy to adopt in creating market awareness. This assertion arises from the view that the effectiveness of a particular market communication strategy may not be applicable in other markets due to various factors such as infrastructural developments. In order to improve the performance of newly established franchises, the well-established franchisors may assist franchisees in the formative stages in formulating and implementing aggressive competitive strategies. Such assistance plays a fundamental role in fostering the success of franchisees. Conclusion Firms, especially business start-ups, can achieve numerous benefits through franchising. Some of these benefits include accessing managerial and financial resources. Furthermore, the contractual agreement between the franchisor and the franchisee allows the latter to deal in the franchisors’ products. Subsequently, the franchisor benefits from well-established brand name. Additionally, the franchisee becomes a part of an extensive network, which increases the likelihood of benefiting from spill over effects. Thus, the likelihood of achieving competitive advantage is increased. The franchising strategy gives franchisees and franchisors an option on the franchising format to adopt. Some of the two common formats include the business format and the traditional format. The traditional format involves offering franchisees the right to deal in the franchisors’ products. Examples of firms that have adopted this format include BP and Coca Cola. On the other hand, business format franchising involves obtaining the right to adopt the ‘tested-and-tried’ business model of the franchisor. Consequently, the franchisee has a responsibility to adhere to the stipulated operational procedures, policies, and control measures. Before making the decision to adopt the franchising strategy, it is imperative for organisations to assess the ‘franchisability’ of their business. This goal can be achieved by evaluating different aspects, which include the standardisation requirement and the level of profitability that can be accrued through franchising. Moreover, an effective franchising system should lead to the attainment of high level of profitability or return on investment. Subsequently, it should be based on the operations of a prototype. In addition to the above factors, it is essential for a firm to assess the extent of flexibility associated with adopting the franchising system. Another major factor that should be considered related to the effectiveness with which the business model can be transferred to different regions. The success of franchises is also influenced by the managerial capability of the entrepreneur due to changing market conditions. The study cites agency theory as one of the core issues in franchising. However, the theory has largely ignored the importance of providing the franchisees’ with a certain degree of autonomy in managing their firms. On the other hand, the resource scarcity theory underscores the importance of adopting the franchising strategy in order to achieve growth. This aspect arises from the view that franchising exposes the franchisee to diverse managerial and financial benefits. The study has also identified standardisation and adaptation as some of the core aspects in franchising. Standardisation emphasises the importance of adhering to the contractual agreement between the franchisor and the franchisee. Ordinarily, the franchisors outline a number of issues that the franchisees should follow in their operations. Some of these issues relate to marketing strategies, employee recruitment and development, store location, working hours, and store design. On the other hand, the concept of adaptation emphasise the importance of providing the franchisees with the discretion to make decisions that suit the local market conditions. The literature review conducted shows that markets are characterised by varied market conditions. Thus, standardisation has negative impact on the ability of franchisees to optimise their performance. For example, the product strategies stipulated by the franchisor may be ineffective in some markets, hence limiting the franchisees’ ability to maximise sales revenue. However, adapting to the local market enhances the performance of franchises in geographically dispersed markets, which is evidenced by the high rate at which some franchisors, such as the 40 franchisors in the UK and the McDonald’s, have successfully ventured into different regions and the international market. Recommendations Franchising is one of the most effective strategies that organisations can adopt in their quest to achieve growth by venturing into the international market. However, the standardisation requirement of franchising leads to rigidity in the franchisees’ operations. In order to enhance the relationship developed between the franchisor and the franchisee, it is imperative for franchisors to provide franchisees with the autonomy to formulate their own strategic decisions with regard to marketing and human resource management issues. For example, franchisors should allow the franchisees to develop products that align with the local market tastes and preferences. Moreover, franchisees should have the capacity to make decisions affecting their service delivery such as how to train their workforce. Providing such operational autonomy will enhance the success of firms in geographically dispersed markets due to their ability to respond to the local market through product innovation and development. Consequently, the relationship between franchisors and franchisees will be improved. In addition to the above issues, it is essential for franchisors to establish a balance between the concept of standardisation and adaptation as they are both valuable in the operation of franchises despite their geographical operations. Reference List Abell, M 2009, The law of regulation of franchising in the EU, Edward Elgar, London. Biethahn, N, Kolke, R, Sucky, E & Werner, J 2013, Mobility in a globalised world, University of Bamberg Press, Bamberg. Buchan, J 2013, Franchisees as consumers; benchmarks, perspectives and consequences , Springer, New York. Chary, S 2009, Production and operations management , Tata McGraw, New Delhi. Combs, J, Michael, S & Castrogiovanni, G 2004, ‘Franchising; a review and avenues to greater theoretical diversity’, Journal of Management , vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 907-931. Cox, J 2002, Geographical dimensions of business format franchising, University of Southampton, Southampton. Cox, J & Masson, C 2007, ‘Standardisation versus adaptation; geographical pressures to deviate from franchise formats’, The Service Industries Journal , vol. 27 no. 8, pp. 1053-1072. Croonen, E & Brand, M 2012, ‘Antecedents of franchisee responses to franchisor initiated strategic change’, International Small Business Journal, vol. 69, no. 172, pp.114-126. Dada, O 2013, ‘Entrepreneurial organisation and the franchise system; Organisational antecedents and performance outcomes’, European Journal of Marketing , vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 790-812. Dant, R, Grunhagen, M & Windsperger, J 2011, ‘Franchising research frontiers for the twenty first century’, Journal of Retailing, vol. 87, no. 3, pp. 253-268. Fock, H 2001, ‘Retail outlet location decision-maker: franchisor or franchisee’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning , vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 171-178. Hoy, F & Stanworth, J 2014, Franchising; an international perspective , Routledge, New York. Levy, M & Weitz, B 2007, Retailing management, McGraw-Hill, New York. Maxwell, J 2005, Qualitative research design: an interactive approach , Sage, New Jersey. Megan, T 2010, ‘A framework for implementing retail franchises internationally’, Marketing Intelligence & Planning , vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 689-705. Michael, S 2000, ‘Investments to create bargaining power: the case of franchising’, Strategic Management Journal , vol.21, no.4, pp. 497-514. Michael, S 2002, ‘Can a franchise chain coordinate’, Journal of Business Venturing , vol. 17, no.2, pp. 325-341. Michael, S 2003, ‘First mover advantage through franchising’, Journal of Business Venturing , vol.18, no.8, pp. 61-80. Pisant, I & Lerner, M 2003, ‘Examining control and autonomy in the franchisor franchisee relationship’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 21, no. 2, pp.131- 38. PriceWaterhouseCoopers: How is franchising driving business growth 2011, Rundh, B 2003, ‘Rethinking the international marketing strategy; new dimensions in a competitive market,’ Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 249-257. Ryans, J, Grittith, D & While, D 2003, ‘Standardisation versus adaptation of International marketing strategy; necessary conditions for advancements’, International Marketing Review , vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 588-603. Sidhpuria, 2009, Retail franchising, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Sorenson, O & Sorensen, J 2001, ‘Finding the right mix: franchising, organisational learning and chain performance’, Strategic Management Journal , vol. 22, no.16, pp. 713-724. Stanworth, J, Healeas, S & Purdy, D 2002, ‘Intellectual capital acquisition and knowledge management – new perspectives on franchising as a small business growth strategy’, ISBA National Small Firms Policy and Research Conference Proceedings , vol. 2, no.5, pp. 1507-1534. Stanworth, J, Stanworth, C, Watson, A, Purdy, D & Heleas, S 2004, ‘Franchising as a small business growth strategy: a resource-based view of organisational development’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 22, no.3, pp. 539-559. Truitt, W 2006, The corporation, Greenwood Press, Westport. Tuunanen, M & Hyrsky, K 2001, ‘Entrepreneurial paradoxes in business format franchising: an empirical survey of Finnish franchisees’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 47-62. Twarowska, K & Kakol, M 2013, ‘International business strategy ; reasons and forms of expansion into foreign markets’, Management Knowledge Learning , vol. 3, no. 21, pp. 1-7. Yudoko, G 2012, Sustainable operations strategy; a conceptual framework , ICTOM, Bandung.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The history of free zones in the UAE dates back 29 years ago, when the first free zone was established in Jebel Ali area in Dubai. The main reason behind these developments was to increase the region's economy by attracting investors possessing experience in different sectors from all over the world to invest in the region.
The history of free zones in the UAE dates back 29 years ago, when the first free zone was established in Jebel Ali area in Dubai. The main reason behind these developments was to increase the region's economy by attracting investors possessing experience in different sectors from all over the world to invest in the region.
Free Zones in UAE Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Objectives of the study 3. Current scenario in general 4. Current scenario in the UAE 5. Challenges associated with free zones 6. Solution to the problems 7. Conclusion 8. Works Cited Introduction United Arab Emirates is built on a trading history, and business has always been at the centre of the entire region for many years. The region enjoys abundant benefits and opportunities meant for a contemporary age when it comes to commercial matters. Even though it is scarcely populated apart from having most of its area being very dry, the region boasts of a perfect business positioning that enables it to collaborate easily with financial markets in various parts of the world. UAE has significant oil deposits and is among the top global leaders in the production of oil in the world today. According to recent government reports, the oil reserves in the region are about 98 billion barrels. Abu Dhabi claims the largest portion of this amount with about 92 billion barrels. The remaining percentage is shared among the other emirates, with Dubai and Sharjah taking considerable portions. More importantly, the region harbors Dubai city which has been a major attraction of foreign investment at a period of heightening economic development. As a matter of fact, these expansive opportunities have made the region an ideal hub for modern day commercial activities. Dubai city is a unique destination that offers dynamic business opportunities for both local and foreign investors, thus connecting UAE with the rest of the world (Strong and Robert 38). Apart from offering vast business opportunities, Dubai boasts of a variety of other aspects that provide more attractions to people from other regions of the world. Some of these attractions would include sports events, tourism, and innovative construction projects that manifest all sorts of architectural magic. However, no matter the many resources within the UAE region in addition to the advantage of being in a strategic point, the region is lacking in an expansive economy that can fully utilize these opportunities. In order to address this need, governments in the region have embarked in the idea of establishing free zones all over the entire UAE. These are geographically placed business establishments within which business organizations operate under special conditions. The history of free zones in the UAE dates back 29 years ago, when the first free zone was established in Jebel Ali area in Dubai. Jebel Ali Free Zone harbors over 6400 business organizations from allover the world, and this makes it one of the biggest free zones today. The main reason behind these developments was to increase the region’s economy by attracting investors possessing experience in different sectors from allover the world to invest in the region. So far, the free zones have proved to be successful in their mission of promoting business in the region. Objectives of the study This study analyses the idea of Free Zones as it applies in the UAE and other regions of the world. These zones are meant to draw investors from foreign countries to help in building the economic power of a certain country or region. The study will also examine the current scenario of free zones in United Arab Emirates with the aim of showing how these establishments have helped to promote economic activities in the region. More importantly, the study also focuses on some of the common challenges associated with free zones in the UAE. Finally, the study provides a personal opinion about the possible solutions to some of those problems. Current scenario in general The idea of free zones comes with immense economic benefits to countries intending to reduce barriers to economic success and excellence, through effective investment policies. The establishments promote economic freedom through fair and specialized trading, among other aspects that are significant in enhancing business success. As a matter of fact, free zones offer an alternative avenue through which foreign investors can become free citizens of the countries they are intending to invest in. Free zones are based on real experiences, and are intended to bring together entrepreneurs having similar business intentions or aspirations. This way, the establishments offer more independence and flexibility to players in today’s dynamic business world. Normally, a free zone authority gives business licenses to organizations that are owned by foreign investors. Each free zone is build around businesses belonging to the same industry category, and in that case, it provides licenses and other relevant business permits to organizations within those classifications. Free zones are established in regions possessing vast geographic advantages and promising opportunities for commercial activities. National frontiers and other entry points to a country are some of the common areas that would provide suitable platforms for these economic establishments. One notable aspect of free zones is that they are exempted from certain taxations, and for that reason, businesses within the zones have the freedom of operating without the worry of being interrupted by custom authorities. This special exemption from certain customs provides businesses within free zones with the freedom needed to increase their efficiency in the manner by which they carry out business operations in the global market. Another outstanding advantage associated with the idea of free zones is that it satisfies entrepreneurs, thus helping them to achieve their business goals more easily. More importantly, the establishments play a significant role in promoting new business opportunities. There is no doubt that these establishments also aid in the creation of employment opportunities across the world, thus helping to lessen the big burden of unemployment facing governments today. Current scenario in the UAE UAE is one of the regions that are leading in the establishment of free zones in the world today. Over the past few years, UAE has managed to establish various free zones in its plans to attract more business opportunities to its bulging economy. Currently, there are 40 active free zones across the region, with more others expected to be launched in the near future. Ever since the first free zone was established in Dubai in 1985, UAE has realized a significant and remarkable achievement in matters involving both domestic and international trade affairs. For instance, these establishments have played a key role in promoting the export and imports business in the region, due to diversified business opportunities as well as ready market for products. More importantly, the establishments have been a veritable opportunity for the region’s development in business matters. As a matter of fact, these business establishments have proven to be more successful in drawing a large number of foreign business organizations into the region. Free zones in the UAE, just like in other regions of the world, are classified under three main categories that include industrial zones, export processing, free trade zones, and special economic zones (Rao 249). Industrial zones comprise of establishments that specialize in economic activities, such as media and textiles. Export processing zone, as the name suggests, is associated with those business organizations that specialize mainly on exports. The main goal of these types of zones is to provide exemptions of some specific taxation on re-exported goods. Finally, special economic zones are actively involved in both local and international business affairs where they tend to apply specific strategies to develop businesses in multiple sectors. Free zones in the UAE are governed and managed by Free Zone Authorities. Apart from helping companies to establish their businesses in Free Trade Zones in the UAE, the authorities have the responsibility of providing operating licenses to free zones. Foreign entrepreneurs planning to establish businesses in UAE through Free Zones can either register their businesses as Free Zone Companies or put up branches of their parent organizations that have been in existence within the region. Free Zone Companies or Free Zone Establishments in UAE are governed by the legal terms of the Free Zone in which they are established. As it would be observed, free zones come with a number of incentives to the owners of free zone companies and other businesses within the establishments. These incentives include, but are not limited to, full foreign possession of businesses, full relief from custom duties, prolonged lease periods, abundant and less costly energy resources, excellent storage facilities and fast approval of procedures. Other benefits associated with free zones in the UAE include things such as exceptional operating facilities, confidentiality of business, special assistance for labor recruitment, and the opportunity to engage in more than one activity within the free zones. These incentives provide foreign investors with a promising business platform that enables them to benefit from the vast business opportunities in the region. Challenges associated with free zones Free zones experience many challenges in the course of their establishment and operation. One of the biggest problems facing these establishments in the UAE is the heightening competition in the market. Even though free zones operate under a particular industry or business category, organizations within these establishments usually face great challenges from competitors who are fighting for equal opportunities and position in the market. There is also the challenge of strict operating conditions of free zones in the UAE. The idea of exempting free zones from customs is said to have encouraged unethical business practices such as smuggling of goods, customs fraud, and money laundering, among other vices (Wong and Bo-sin 312). In order to take full control of such vices, the UAE government has responded by enforcing strict operating conditions for the free zones. Another common problem with the Free Zones in the UAE is the law of restraint which limits investors in a particular free zone within the operations of that zone. This would have the meaning that investors contained in free zones can only operate within the zones in which they are established, and therefore cannot expand their business operations to reach other external markets within or even outside the region. Another common problem with free zones is that people cannot put up any type of business in the zones because they are only meant for businesses falling within a particular industry. Cultural problems also form part of the many challenges facing free zones in the UAE, thus limiting their success and development. For instance, the Middle East has been in the global limelight for all wrong reasons as far as terrorism is concerned. This negative perception, however, has triggered serious contempt against the Arabs from various communities around the world. For these reasons, some foreign investors would not think of investing in the UAE, since it is part of the Arab world. Solution to the problems While it is not possible to come up with long term solutions to all the challenges facing free zones in the UAE, there are some effective approaches that can be applied in combating some of the problems associated with free zones in the region. Regarding the issue of heightening competition in the developing global market, free zones and free zone companies can embrace the strategies used by other businesses in the market to address this big challenge (Kim and Renée 79). For example, free zone companies should adapt effective business management strategies that will enable them stay ahead of their competitors in the market. Such approaches may include offering excellent consumer services, manufacturing high quality products, and embracing the power of technology to improve business operations within the zones. Moreover players within free zones can easily beat competition by repositioning themselves in the main areas of excellent business performance such as market know-how, timely response, innovative and creativity, and price/quality factors, among other aspects. In regard with the cultural problems, free zones in the UAE should establish strategies aimed at educating the rest of the world about the vast business opportunities that can be explored in the region. This approach can also be used to inform the global community that, even though many terrorists are of the Arabic origin, there is no direct connection between the UAE business environment and the several acts of terror that have been witnessed in the world recently. In order to achieve these goals, free zones in the UAE can embrace modern technologies such as the internet to build good reputation about themselves. On the same note, interactive social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can also play a significant role in selling UAE free zones to the outside world. Conclusion As it is shown in this report, free zones play a significant role in promoting economic bases of countries. The use of free zones for the purpose of enhancing international trade has become increasingly common in the modern world. There is no doubt that free zones come with immense benefits to businesses, and for that reason, their contribution to the global economy can never be overestimated. As it is shown in this paper, UAE is one of those regions that have benefitted a lot from the use of free zones as attractions for foreign investments that will play a crucial role in shaping its business operations. Moreover, free zones create avenues that foreign investors can use to gain access of a country’s economic ground without having to undergo various registration procedures. This must explain the reason why free zones are associated with rapid growth of businesses in all the places where they have been applied. As a matter of fact, the benefits of free zones far outweigh the disadvantages, and for that reason, the idea of free zones is what developing countries should embrace in their plans of building strong economies. Works Cited Kim, Chan, and Renée Mauborgne. “How strategy shapes structure.” Harvard Business Review 87.9 (2009): 72-80. Print. Rao, Kishore. “Free zones in the Middle East: Development patterns and future potential.” Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa 2.8 (2000): 245-249. Print. Strong, Michael, and Robert Himber. “The Legal Autonomy of the Dubai International Financial Centre: A Scalable Strategy for Global Free‐Market Reforms.” Economic Affairs 29.2 (2009): 36-41. Print. Wong, Siu-Wai, and Bo-sin Tang. “Challenges to the sustainability of ‘development zones’: a case study of Guangzhou Development District, China.” Cities 22.4 (2005): 303-316. Print.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The US market of snacks is highly competitive. It is possible to identify three categories of competitors that operate on different levels: national, regional and private.The company made certain attempts to introduce a similar product in the 1970s and early 1980s, but they failed.The company has implemented a profound research. According to the research, Frito-Lay could generate more than $100 million during the first year of sales if the company invests $22 million to produce and
The US market of snacks is highly competitive. It is possible to identify three categories of competitors that operate on different levels: national, regional and private. The company made certain attempts to introduce a similar product in the 1970s and early 1980s, but they failed. The company has implemented a profound research. According to the research, Frito-Lay could generate more than $100 million during the first year of sales if the company invests $22 million to produce and
Frito Lay Sun Chips Case Analysis Case Study Table of Contents 1. Overview 2. Diagnosis 3. Analysis 4. Recommendations 5. Works Cited Overview The US market of snacks is highly competitive. It is possible to identify three categories of competitors that operate on different levels: national, regional and private. Introduction of a new product is a challenging process as it requires significant investment and it has been estimated that only 1% of new items generate over $25 million during the first year of sales. The company made certain attempts to introduce a similar product in the 1970s and early 1980s, but they failed. The company has implemented a profound research. According to the research, Frito-Lay could generate more than $100 million during the first year of sales if the company invests $22 million to produce and market the product nationwide. Diagnosis It is possible to state that the company’s vice-president, Dwight R. Riskey, faces a number of issues. First, the new product showed good results and a significant potential, but the results are still confined to one state only. There are chances that the product will perform much worse in other areas. Of course, the investment of $20 million is rather significant and top executives always try to be sure in the success of the campaign. At the same time, as it is mentioned in the case, the decisions should be made quickly as the test-market could trigger production of similar products by the company’s competitors (on all the three levels). In that case, the company will not come up with a new product but will simply provide a similar item, which may lead to lower sales. Another issue to address is quite a high risk of product cannibalization (30%). Clearly, this figure can be different if the product is marketed nationwide and the company has to be ready to deal with that as well. Analysis It is necessary to note that the company faces issues, which are quite common for competitive markets. Companies are always trying to increase the range of products provided introducing new items or new flavors and shapes. This process is often associated with certain losses, as even though extensive research is held, some products are not as successful as it was predicted or desired. For instance, Coca Cola’s New Coke is regarded as a conventional example of a new product’s failure (“5 Products That Failed and Why” par. 3). Customers may dislike the idea of changing the constituents of the product. It is noteworthy that this happened to the company in question during their attempts to introduce new blends. Recommendations In view of the above said, the company should consider the following steps. The research implemented is quite extensive and informative. Even though it is confined to quite a limited area, it is seen as representative of the USA. More so, Riskey implemented additional research involving similar products. The chances to lose are quite low and the risks to become followers not innovators are rather high as competitors (especially regional and private firms that are more flexible) can introduce the new product under their brands. Of course, it is necessary to stick to the flavor that shows the most appropriate results (as to repurchase and product cannibalism). Introduction of new flavors may need additional funds and the success of the new (unchecked) flavors is quite doubtful. It is also important to develop a strategic plan in case the rate of product cannibalism is significant. The company has to be ready to remove less competitive products with minimum losses. Works Cited “5 Products That Failed and Why.” Forbes 13 January 2011. Web.
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Write an essay about: The essay examines the transformation of organizations, especially how the attribute of organizational behavior has changed since the 18th century through the 21st century. It focuses on the evolving roles of individuals in organizations and the shift from real estate to modern organizations.
The essay examines the transformation of organizations, especially how the attribute of organizational behavior has changed since the 18th century through the 21st century. It focuses on the evolving roles of individuals in organizations and the shift from real estate to modern organizations.
“From freemasons to industrious patriots. Organizing and disciplining in 18th century Germany” by Kieser, A Essay (Article) Main arguments in the article Overview of the article An assessment of the modern organisations reveals that contemporary organisations have slowly adopted different practices. These practices are viewed as organisational rationalisation where people within organisations adjust their behaviours in a certain manner to align their behaviours to the goals and objectives of organisations. In the article, Kieser (1998) takes a look at the transformation of organisations, especially how the attribute of organisational behaviour has changed since the 18 th century through the 21 st century. Giving the example of estates in the early times, it is apparent that unlike in the early organisations where organisational behaviour was largely determined by coercive forces, contemporary organisations embrace behaviour by avoiding the use of coercive forces. Instead, there is the creation of an understanding where members are given space to develop skills and competencies that determine their actions and behaviours. The orientation behaviour in organizations as embedded in organisational theory and practice Taking a comparative perspective between estates in the 18 th and 19 th century and contemporary organisations, Kieser (1998) brings up a number of differences between estates and organisations in the modern times. Most of the differences that are brought out show that the changes in organisational behaviour as evidenced in the move from real estate to modern organisations often revolves around the evolving roles of individuals in organisations. A focus on the attribute of organisations’ behaviour of discipline by Kieser (1998) further reveals that discipline is something that is being personalized as organisations move from the centralized and complex systems of command to simple systems of command and control where individuals are empowered to discharge their roles and responsibilities with minimal supervision. According to Kieser (1998), rationalisation is a concept that is gaining momentum in the orientation of modern organisations. Modern organisations seek for mechanisms of ensuring that they are oriented in a way that it becomes easier for individual employees to deliver. There is no better way to achieving this than to increase rationalisation. A number of theories and theorists and their arguments are also brought up to aid in elaborating on the elements of change between traditional and modern organisations. There is the attribute of discipline as seen from the lenses of organisational behaviour and positioning in terms of performance. The other interesting thing that warrants attention here is that Kieser (1998) focuses on change in organisational behaviour from a broad perspective; that is, the lenses of change in organisational management as reflected in the forces of management from a political perspective, especially in the 20 th century because most of the reforms that have resulted in the modern structures of organisations and their influence on organisational behaviour are largely derived from the 20 th century political developments. These developments have had resounding effects on organisational management. Here, it is worth asserting that, “horrible punishments which were inflicted on the body became therefore increasingly substituted by forms of permanent surveillance, correction and training, for which Bentham’s ‘Panopticon’ provided a template” (Kieser 1998, p.51). This assertion points at the fact that the modes of discipline are revolutionizing as discipline in now determined and shaped by scientific mechanisms, rather than the stiff control systems in estates or traditional organisations. Kieser (1998) also brings up the move towards modernizing organisations, which he does by revisiting the issue of interaction as a problem in attaining the goals of organisations. Here, it is easy to note that the explosion of associations in the 18 th century is a reason enough to justify the weaknesses in estates, particularly the difficulties regarding interaction and moulding of behaviour among the members belonging to estates. It is worth noting the fact that freemasons are brought out as the indicators of formalization of organisations in the 18 th century. Kieser (1998) asserted that “the freemasons were to educate each other in temperance, perseverance, politeness, intrepidity, and secrecy. Their aim, in short, was to produce enlightened human beings able to bring reason to triumph over passion” (p. 54). The aim of the creation of such organisations was to reduce the aspect of constraint as far as the smooth functioning of organisations was concerned. The setting in of the era of industrialisation resulted in further transformation of organisations as the success of factories largely relied on the way the employees conducted themselves. Weckert (2005) observed that a lot of changes have been seen in organisations from the industrial revolution period to date. Among the changes that are most visible is the change from explicit disciplinarian as a way of shaping the behaviours of employees to the embrace of rationalised systems and approaches to employee mobilisation as ways of promoting discipline in organisations. Differences between early freemason organisations and modern organisations Kieser (1998) observed that there are a lot of changes between early freemason organisations and the modern organisations. The first and, perhaps, most visible difference between freemason and modern organisations is the emphasis on rationalisation of discipline in modern organisations. This is evident in the observation by Weber, who noted that “science came to replace belief, and scientific as well as technical knowledge replaced tradition” (Kieser 1998, p. 50). The implication here is that freemason organisations emphasized on rigid systems of enforcing discipline, which is negated in modern organisations because modern organisations pay attention to science and knowledge in synthesizing the attributes of discipline among organisational members. According to Clegg (2009), modern organisations embrace the development and sustenance of what is referred to as corporate culture. Freemason organisations, on the other hand, were possessed with the promotion of organisational strengths devoid of embracing change in the behaviours of employees in relation to organisational goals and objectives. Kieser (1998) observed that “later associations rationally planned and adapted organisational rules with regard to the achievement of goals” (p. 66). Another notable difference is that modern organisations focus on people, processes and objectives, while the freemason organisations only paid attention to people and rules. In modern organisations, rules are derived from the goals and objectives that are laid down; thus, the enforcement of discipline is aimed at helping to propel the employees towards meeting the goals of the organisation (Kieser, 1998). In freemason organisations, there was emphasis of ritual forms of behaviour, rather than behaviours that were based on rationality like in modern organisations. The rationale informing this difference is that modern organisations keep realizing the value of actors in promoting the ability to meet organisational goals (Kieser 1998). Modern organisations are working towards transformation from bureaucratic and complex processes to simple processes of management that have a strong basis on scientific findings. The simplicity of modern organisations is evident in the culture of modern organisations where the issue of class is eliminated from organisational processes. According to Engholm (2001), modern organisations are more unified because employees are left with the space to foster collaborations for the sake of enhancing causes that result in the attainment of organisational objectives. Reference List Clegg, S. R. 2010, SAGE directions in organization studies , SAGE, Los Angeles, CA. Engholm, P. 2001, The controversy between modernist and postmodernist views of management science: Is a synergy possible? Web. Kieser, A. 1998, ‘From freemasons to industrious patriots. Organizing and disciplining in 18 th century Germany’, Organization Studies , vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 47-71. Weckert, J. 2005, Electronic monitoring in the workplace: Controversies and solutions, Idea Group Pub., Hershey, P. A.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The roles of a manager within the functional areas of a business are critical towards the success of their organizations. Managers make businesses successful through continued management and allocation of organizational resources. They also take every managerial practice in their organizations to achieve the targeted objectives.
The roles of a manager within the functional areas of a business are critical towards the success of their organizations. Managers make businesses successful through continued management and allocation of organizational resources. They also take every managerial practice in their organizations to achieve the targeted objectives.
Functional Areas of a Business Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Role of a Manager within the Functional Areas of a Business 3. Conclusion 4. Reference List Introduction Managers play a significant role towards supporting the performance of their organizations. They make businesses successful through continued management and allocation of organizational resources. They undertake every managerial practice in their organizations to achieve the targeted objectives. According to Robbins and Coulter (2012, p. 64), “managers oversee and coordinate the activities of their employees in order to accomplish the targeted organizational goals”. Managers should always be ready to address the challenges and problems affecting their companies. Managers have many duties and roles depending on the nature and goals of their organizations. This paper analyzes the roles of a manager within every functional area of an organization. The Role of a Manager within the Functional Areas of a Business Managers have a role to play in every functional area of their respective businesses. Such roles are critical towards realizing every business goal. One of these functional areas is the Human Resource (HR). The HR department “handles different activities such as hiring employees, firing workers, and ensuring every person follows the company’s policies” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 308). Managers should provide the best leadership and administrative concepts to their HR departments. They should also support and mentor every HR manager. Managers also use this functional area to “take the best disciplinary measures and offer compensations for different activities” (Kraut, Pedigo, McKenna, and Dunnette, 2005, p. 124). Business managers present the best leadership practices in their organizations. Leadership is a critical aspect because it makes every employee successful. Managers use “various theoretical concepts to deal with the conflicts and challenges encountered by their employees” (Kraut et al., 2005, p. 125). Managers should also be ready to train and mentor their employees. Some “managers will hire, train, and support new employees in order to remain productive” (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 64). Such roles are critical towards the performance of every HR department. Accounting is another relevant functional area in an organization. This “functional area deals with the auditing, monitoring, and maintenance of every financial aspect of an organization” (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 83). Some companies formulate new accounting units in order to achieve their goals. Such units “include managerial and financial accounting departments” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 312). Financial accounting “focuses on the examination and creation of financial documents such balance sheets and income statements” (Kraut et al., 2005, p. 125). Managers should always examine income statement and balance sheet before making the best business decisions. Managers also monitor the roles and goals of every accountant. Managers use the best leadership practices in order to empower their employees. Managers should also make appropriate budgetary allocations for future expenditures and projects. Such roles will be critical towards improving the level of business performance. Managers should also use the best strategies to finance the functions of their organizations. Another “important functional area in many businesses is economics” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 319). This functional area supports the best activities in order to support the organization’s performance. Some of the activities include “distribution, production, consumption, and marketing of services and products” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 319). This functional area is relevant because it transforms raw materials into marketable products. This department also studies the distribution of services and products within different firms. Managers have a huge role to play in this functional area. Managers should analyze the changing market trends in order to maximize products. Economics is also an important functional area because it helps managers identify new markets and partnerships (Kraut et al., 2005). Managers should also merge different functional areas in order to make the best business decisions. The approach will make their businesses profitable. Managers should mentor every employee within this functional area. The practice will be necessary towards improving the level of business performance and profitability. Research and Statistics (R&S) is another important functional area in many firms. This department collects and interprets in order to make the best investment decisions. Managers “should use these data to make appropriate marketing, production, and promotional decisions” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 319). Managers should liaise with individuals in the department to understand the current and future business expectations. Business leaders and managers use such information to support the best organizational practices. Managers should “identify the practices that can support or modify in their businesses’ future practices” (Feldman & Khademian, 2007, p. 319). Such managerial practices will play a critical role towards the performance of the targeted firm. Operations Management (OM) is a necessary function in every successful organization. This department uses statistical tools to interpret every organizational data. Managers should use such interpretations to examine the performance of their firms. Such practices will guide these managers throughout their decision-making processes. This functional area determines the performance of every department in an organization. Managers should encourage every employee in this department. Business organizations cannot achieve their profits without managing their marketing units in a proper manner. These functional areas focus on the needs and expectations of every targeted customer. This department uses the best marketing and promotional strategies to attract more consumers. The main goal of this department is “to ensure every consumer is happy” (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 74). The functional area should always work hard to address the needs of its consumers. Managers “should empower their marketing managers and coordinators to embrace the best business practices” (Kraut et al., 2005, p. 128). Managers can obtain useful data from this department in order to make the best marketing decisions. Managers have a duty to mentor, train, and support their marketers. Such practices will ensure every organization addresses the changing expectations its consumers. Managers can use the collected information to create strong brands. Strategic planning determines the success of a business firm. This functional area deals with the plans and activities that support the goals of an organization. Managers should “use their implementation and strategic planning departments to initiate new organizational policies” (Kraut et al., 2005, p. 124). Managers should also use their skills to bring different departments together. This practice will increase the level of participation and interaction. The approach plays a major towards making every firm successful. Managers have always used strategic planning and operations management (OM) to support the functions of their respective firms. Conclusion The above discussion explains how every manager plays a critical role towards the success of his or her organization. Managers should motivate their employees in every functional area. This discussion also explains why “companies should establish different functional areas depending on their size, goals, and available resources” (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 103). The success of many every firm depends on the commitment and performance of its manager. Organizations require a dedicated manager in order to support the activities of every functional area. Reference List Feldman, M., & Khademian, A. (2007). The Role of the Public Manager in Inclusion: Creating Communities of Participation. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, 20 (2), 305-324. Kraut, A., Pedigo, P., McKenna, D., & Dunnette, M. (2005). The role of the manager: What’s really important in different management jobs. Academy of Management Executive, 19 (4), 122-129. Robbins, S., & Coulter, M. (2012). Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The text discusses the potential challenges facing the intelligence community in the future and how they could be mitigated.The text discusses the potential challenges facing the intelligence community in the future and how they could be mitigated.
The text discusses the potential challenges facing the intelligence community in the future and how they could be mitigated. The text discusses the potential challenges facing the intelligence community in the future and how they could be mitigated.
Future Challenges within the Intelligence Community Evaluation Essay Future limitations on intelligence have become a key issue being subjected to debate and discussion by scholars. As it stands now, it is obvious that there are potential challenges facing the intelligence community (Agrell 2012, 130). On the same note, the community will still be vulnerable to other numerous challenges in future is drastic actions are not put in place. Research studies on intelligence matters reveal that the conduct of intelligence has been transforming dramatically since the advent of the 20 th century. However, there are still a number of misconceptions and social ignorance on the importance of information. Due to the immense expansion of intelligence collection, researchers have pointed out that technological hitch might pose a major challenge to the community in future. In other words, technology has been misused and regarded as a universal tool that can be employed in handling every aspect of intelligence (Agrell 2012, 130). As a matter of fact, overreliance on technology may not be a pragmatic approach of addressing issues related to intelligence. Even as the Intelligence Community stresses the invaluable role played by technology, the future of the community mighty is bleak if a robust human resource pool is not put in place. At the moment, the entire design of intelligence cycle is quite wanting bearing in mind that public participation continues to pose a major threat to national intelligence (Omand 2012, 155). According to the past performance of the Intelligence Community, there is minimal effort being put in place in order to develop viable scientific methods that can aid collection of intelligence information. The future operations of the community will still suffer due to poor comprehension of case-specific problems and how they can be handled in case they arise (Omand 2012, 154). Agrell (2012, 130) laments that “there has been only limited and scattered development of the field since the publication of Sherman Kent’s classical book on strategic intelligence in 1949”. From this assertion, it is evident that the current ignorance of the operations of the Intelligence Community may stretch into the future and cause subsequent challenges. Omand (2012, 156) predicts that lack of appropriate scientific approaches on intelligence will be a striking feature throughout the 21 st century era. It might be impossible to examine how non-development of scientific approaches can lead to unsatisfactory state of intelligence. However, potential challenges will eventually become visible and explicit (Omand 2012, 155). It is crucial to note that the relevance of intelligence in society will never dissipate (Agrell 2012, 132). The intelligence platform will continually undergo transformations and proliferation. For instance, intelligence will eventually become a social activity. Due to such transformations, it is irrefutable that the scientific strategies embraced in intelligence affairs will be able to handle the much-anticipated upheavals and equally meet the expectations of the society. In spite of the growth prospects of the community, the challenge of dealing with bioterrorism is still a glaring reality. The IC has not been bale to manage the threats posed by acts of terror. While discussing the future challenges of the community, bioterrorism tops the list. If bubonic plague can be used to clear a large population after a short while, then the community still faces a cumbersome task ahead of curtailing all forms of terror. Moreover, threats leveled against governments by anarchists will continue to affect the Intelligence Community in future. Additional challenges within the IC teams include competition for scarce resources and an exploding population growth beyond the capacity of the Intelligence Community. References Agrell, Wilhelm. 2012. “The Next 100 Years? Reflections on the Future of Intelligence.” Intelligence and National Security l27, no1 (February): 118-132. Omand, David. 2012. “Into the Future: A Comment on Agrell and Warner.” Intelligence and National Security 27, no. 1 (February): 154-156.
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Write an essay about: The essay discusses the importance of diversity in the learning environment and how it can be used to develop skills in an equally efficient manner. The teacher must be aware of the learners' cultural specificities, but should not oversimplify these specifics to the point where the educator succumbs to the typical stereotypes.
The essay discusses the importance of diversity in the learning environment and how it can be used to develop skills in an equally efficient manner. The teacher must be aware of the learners' cultural specificities, but should not oversimplify these specifics to the point where the educator succumbs to the typical stereotypes.
Gaining a Deeper Perspective through the Analysis of Learners’ Backgrounds Expository Essay Of all the issues of the 21 st century, diversity is clearly among the most complex ones. It has the top priority on the agenda of the U.S. cultural issues, it is said to have the utmost importance for the modern society, and it barely has a distinct definition (Garcia, n. d., 00:01:14). Despite its vagueness, diversity is an essential component of any learning environment, which a teacher must enhance and use so that the learners with different cultural backgrounds could develop skills in an equally efficient manner. As long as a teacher is capable of learning about the student’s culture, they are able to find a unique approach towards any learner and enhance motivation even among the least enthusiastic students (Kyle, & McIntyre, 2000). Indeed, the globalization and industrialization processes that have been going on all over the world over the past few decades have triggered massive changes in the U.S. education landscape. As Eugene Garcia explains, nowadays, “higher percentage of children in those locales, now come from populations that we might have called one time ‘minorities’” (Garcia, n. d., 00:15:40:–00:15:44). Therefore, it is obvious that a teacher must be aware of the learners’ cultural specifics, and yet a teacher must not oversimplify these specifics to the point where the educator succumbs to the typical stereotypes. The ability to balance between lack of cultural awareness and common stereotyping is what makes a good educator; this ability can be trained in a variety of way, they key one being the willingness to discover pone’s own diversity. As Garcia explains, “There is as much diversity within us as there is across us” (Garcia, n. d., 00:00:55). The problem is that there is a very fine line between being aware of cultural specific of a particular ethnic group and stereotyping people based on the common prejudice concerning their culture. The situation gets even more complicated as it turns out that not all stereotypes are necessarily negative; some of them allow for building a very positive idea of a specific ethnic group; however, these prejudices are still harmful for the evolution of a learner, since they make a teacher set the expectations that a student cannot meet (Taylor, 1990). Cultural stereotypes are not the only issue that may hinder the process of a student’s academic development; apart from race and nationality based bias, the so-called gender issue persists even in the 21 st century. The given phenomenon traditionally leads to major complexities in the learning process. One must keep in mind, though, that the difference between two genders exists, and not only on the biological level. The task of the teacher, however, is not to limit the amount of skills and knowledge that a student may get, based on these differences, but, on the contrary, to expand the opportunities for their learners. In other words, the learner’s gender must inform, but not define, the strategies that a teacher should use and the tasks that a learner must perform. Therefore, an educator must be flexible enough to not only adopt unique strategies towards every single learner in order to motivate students for being self-sufficient in their academic life. In other words, the ultimate goal of any educator is to promote lifelong learning among students and to enhance the latter to be independent in their academic life. To achieve this goal, teachers must be active learners themselves and be able to explore their diversity, as well as the diversity of their students, in order to motivate the latter. Reference List Garcia, E. E. (n. d.). Cultural and linguistic diversity . Berkeley, CA: University of California. Kyle, D., & McIntyre, E. (2000). Family visits benefit teachers and families – and students most of all . Retrieved from https://gse.berkeley.edu/ Taylor, O. L. (1990). Discovering characteristics of other cultures. In Cross-cultural communication: An essential dimension of effective education . Bethesda, MD: Mid-Atlantic Center.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer caused by the buildup of gallstones in the gall bladder. One of the common risk factors of gallbladder cancer is age. It mainly affects older people because of their reduced body immunity.
Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer caused by the buildup of gallstones in the gall bladder. One of the common risk factors of gallbladder cancer is age. It mainly affects older people because of their reduced body immunity.
Gallbladder Cancer, its Causes and Rates Coursework Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer caused by the buildup of gallstones in the gall bladder (Rosenthal, Zenilman, & Katlic, 2001). One of the common risk factors of gallbladder cancer is age. It mainly affects older people because of their reduced body immunity. This is evident from the small number of cases reported among people below the age of 70. Research has found out that gallstone disease is common among people with gallbladder cancer. Age escalates the progression of gallstones into gallbladder cancer because of the time it takes for symptoms of the latter to appear. Symptoms appear after the cancer has reached advanced stages, which could take a long time. According to medical experts, the risk of developing gallbladder cancer from gallstones is very high. Patients with large gallstones are at a higher risk of cancer compared to those with small gallstones. Large gallstones grow over long periods, thus increase the risk of cancer for the elderly (Rosenthal, et. al, 2001). Old people are at higher risk because it takes longer for gallstones to enlarge and progress into gallbladder cancer. Moreover, cancer-causing mutations take time to occur and reach critical levels that cause gallbladder cancer. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES), 14.2 million women had gallstone disease in the United States in the year 2000 (Rosenthal, et. al, 2001). In addition, 6.3 million men had the disease. The rate of incidence of gallstone disease is 60% among American Indians. It has an incidence rate of 20% in northern Europe and 10% in Europe (Shaffer, 2006). The disease has the lowest rates of occurrence among African Americans. Gallstone disease is most prevalent in North American Indians. It affects 73% of the female population. In the U.S., the prevalence rate is 64.1% among women and 29.5% among men (Shaffer, 2006). Among white Americans, the prevalence is 16.6 among women and 7.9% among men (Shaffer, 2006). The incidence rates of gallstone disease are lower in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. Disease control methods include management of body weight and embracement of a healthy diet (Andren-Sandberg, 2012). Patients are encouraged to take diets rich in fiber, caffeine, vitamin C, and calcium. Nuts and vegetable proteins are encouraged. Diets that contain high calorie foods and reined carbohydrates are discouraged. Research has shown that intake of polyunsaturated fats aid in the reduction of gallstone disease. Challenges that developing countries face when treating gallbladder cancer include internal infections and bleeding, injuries, lack of experienced medical personnel. Infections and bleeding are mainly caused by lack of advanced technologies and qualified medical practitioners. Other challenges include injuries to internal organs and blood vessels. Lack of qualified medical practitioners leads to medical errors such as internal bleeding, infection of incisions, and anesthesia. In addition, gallstones might not be completely removed and cause further complications after surgery (Chandra, 2004). The treatment of cancer is costly and many people in developing countries cannot afford it. Therefore, patients usually seek treatment from foreign countries thus making treatment expensive. Cancer can be successfully treated if diagnosed early. These problems can be solved through public awareness and intensive education. In addition, governments should consider investing in advanced technologies in order to reduce the cost of treatment. In addition, governments should create and implement education programs to teach people about the diseases. Finally, governments should hire qualified medical practitioners that are not likely to cause errors during treatment of the disease. References Andren-Sandberg, A. (2012). Diagnosis and Management of Gallbladder Cancer. North American Journal of Medical Sciences, 4 (7), 293-299. Chandra, P. S. (2004). Gallbladder Cancer . New York: Jaypee Brothers Publishers. Rosenthal, R. A., Zenilman, M. E., & Katlic, M. R. (2001). Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery . New York: Springer. Shaffer, E. (2006). Epidemiology of Gallbladder Stone disease. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology , 20(6), 981-996.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the effectiveness of gang injunctions and how they can be improved. It also talks about the consequences of mass incarceration on children and families.
The essay discusses the effectiveness of gang injunctions and how they can be improved. It also talks about the consequences of mass incarceration on children and families.
Ganging Up on Gang Violence Analytical Essay Effectiveness of Gang Injunctions Street gang injunctions are useful laws or orders aimed at prohibiting members of gangs from participating in every social activity. Street gang injunctions do not work in the OC because of certain malpractices. These street gang injunctions are critical towards discouraging criminal activities. There are many gang injunctions in this country. These gang injunctions have not worked properly because they are either poorly implemented or monitored. The relevant agencies have not managed these street gang injunctions properly. Some malpractices such as racial-profiling and stereotyping affect the effectiveness of these gang injunctions. The government should implement the best plans and strategies for effective gang injunctions. A proper monitoring and framework system will be essential towards having successful gang injunctions. How Mass Incarceration Affects Children and Families Mass incarceration of criminals and suspects remains a common practice in many societies. This practice has numerous consequences on many children and their families. Most of the incarcerated parents leave their children behind. Most of the incarcerated persons are usually from the minority racial groups. Mass incarceration is one of the leading causes of inequality in the United States. The affected families fail to realize their potentials and goals. The other parent is supposed to take care of the children. Most of these parents are financially unstable. This practice affects the effectiveness of every affected family. This situation explains why most of these families are unable to achieve their goals. Most of the affected children will have various disciplinary problems. Most of the affected children will drop out of their respective schools. Some children will also engage in criminal activities. These poor families are incapable of supporting the needs of every child. This situation also affects the economic position of the wider community. The incarceration of a father will affect the lives of his children. The affected children will lack every basic need such as shelter and food. The children will also engage themselves in criminal behaviors. Studies also explain why the incarceration of a father is not always bad for the family. The individual might also embrace a better lifestyle. The person will be ready to support his family. The family will also ensure every child attains his or her goals. The practice will also address most of the issues affecting the society. Every institution should employ the best practices and skills in order to help these criminals. Some of the Best Practices Every county and state should come up with new laws to support the needs of every child. A good practice is promoting parent-child support. This practice will ensure every child focuses on his or her goals. The child will also cooperate with his or her parents. Another good practice is reducing the period of incarceration. The state should implement better policies and procedures in order to support the needs of these individuals. The government should allow every child to visit his or her incarcerated parent. Every re-entry program should support the emotional and spiritual needs of these people. The society should use efficient support programs and policies in order to help every affected child. Every street gang injunction should be ethical in order to achieve its goals. The state should support the affected families and children. This practice will help every incarcerated person. Researchers should conduct more studies in order to address the issues affecting every incarcerated criminal and his or her family.
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Write an essay about: GASCO was formed as a way of boosting the capacity of the four companies in the production of gas. The company has since grown to become one of the leading companies in the world.
GASCO was formed as a way of boosting the capacity of the four companies in the production of gas. The company has since grown to become one of the leading companies in the world.
GASCO Operation Management Report Introduction GASCO, also known as the Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Limited, is a large natural gas company which is has its headquarters in the industrial complex in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. Started in the year 1978 through a partnership of Total, ADNOC, Partex, and Shell, GASCO was specifically developed to help the three companies extract onshore natural gas production. The firm identified four plants where gas was to be extracted. The four plants are closely managed by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company which has other plants within the country. These four plants were strategically located in the desert and had the capacity to produce enough gas for commercialization. After extraction, the natural gas, in liquid form, is transported to Ruwais Fractionation Plant in Abu Dhabi where they are treated and then fractionated into different products. Propane, Paraffinic naphtha, Ethane, and Butane, are some of the main products out of the fractional distillation process. The Abu Dhabi Polymers Company is responsible for the exportation of ethane and propane to different global markets, while paraffinic naphtha and butane are directly exported to the global market. According to Schneider (87), one of the biggest challenges that many of the companies in the oil industry face is the dangers associated with transporting their products to the market. The supply chain in this industry is always shaky, and it requires advanced mechanisms and use of modern technologies in order to achieve the desired success. This is what has been affecting GASCO as it struggles to become one of the leading companies in the world. With the management emphasizing on creativity and innovation in this industry, it is set to offer serious competition to the top companies in this industry such as Gazprom of Russia. It is clear that this firm needs an effective operational management in order to be able to meet the expectations of various stakeholders. Upon extraction of the raw products from the onshore sources, they are always transported to Ruwais NGL Fractionation Plant where the processing takes place. With a processing capacity of 17 million metric tons in a year, the operational strategies at this plant must be at its top notch to ensure that every stage in the processes is a success. Currently, the firm has four fractionation trains, a loading jetty, and storage tanks to ensure that the supply chain at this plant is successfully managed. The figure below shows GASCO plants and products overview. Plant overview GASCO was founded on December 1978 by four companies that shared a common vision in the market. Shell, Total, ADNOC, and Partex agreed to come together to form this company as a way of boosting their capacity in the production of gas. ADNOC had the largest share in the partnership of 68%. Shell and Total had a share of 15% each, while Partex was the junior shareholder with about 2% of the market share. The four companies committed financial resources and with the help of the government of Abu Dhabi, GESCO was founded. The new company was getting into a field that already had strong competitors such as Gazprom, and this meant that to be successful, it had to align its operational strategies with the market needs and the industry’s dynamism. This was not a simple task for the young organization that was just coming into the market. The operational management had to be focused on cutting the cost, improving effectiveness of the entire system, and shortening the time taken in the production and delivery of the products to the customers. This would not only help in maintaining a regular flow of products to the market, but also cut the costs of operation. The Ruwais refinery, fully owned by GASCO, has been responsible for the refinery, storage and supply of the products to various channels used to reach the market. The refinery receives raw products from the four fields through two pipelines which act as trunk lines. The first pipeline is 24 inch, while the second pipeline is 30 inch. These two pipelines have been very effective in the delivery of the products to the customers. The products are distributed from the refinery using four trains. The four pipelines have been very instrumental in delivering products to various destinations. The table below shows LPG and NPL feedstock supply in the month of October 2012 when an insurance survey was done at the facility. Train Nameplate Capacity Throughput (t/d) (t/d) Train 1 11,750 9,596 Train 2 11,750 8,548 Train 3 24,400 20,063 Train 4 29,400 25,068 As shown in the table above, the first two trains have the same capacity, but in the month of October, the output of the first train was higher than that of the second train. This means that train 2 was not optimized in this particular month. The operation management unit should be able to identify the reasons why the train failed to give the maximum output within this particular month. It is important to mention that GASCO is currently using Continuous Process Strategy as a way of lowering the cost of production. Given the fact that its standardized products are needed in large volumes, the production process has been operating 24 hours in a day. The objective of the strategy is to maximize on fixed costs as a way of minimizing the unit cost of every product. Process Units The refinery plant at Ruwais has the primary responsibility to fractionate the LPG and NGL that is received from the four plants discussed above. This is done with the help of the four trains. NGP at Train 1 and 2 Constructed in 1981, these two trains at Ruwais are fed by pipelines which run from the desert fields to the plant, a distance of about 67 kilometers. The LPG and NGL from the fields are fractionated at these two trains to give ethane, butane, propane, and pentane products. They have a capacity of processing 11750 tones of NGL feed in a day each. The products are then shipped to the international market using marine tankers. It is approximated that these two trains have the capacity to export about 2500 tones of ethane in a day. The surplus gas is used within the firm as fuel. Below is a diagrammatic representation of the processes which takes place at the two plants. Simplified Process Flow of Train 1 and 2 It is important to note that when the NGL is received, it is split into two streams and then fed into the two trains. NGL Feed Surge Drum is used to collect NGL that flows in the trains, while LPG Feed Surge Drum helps in collection of LPG feedstock in the system. The fractionated distillation takes place in three columns which are De-propaniser, De-ethaniser, and De-butaniser. There is also a Sponge Recovery Unit which is responsible for the recovery of LPG products flared in the process of regeneration. NPG Train 3 and 4 Constructed in 2009, train 3 also supports the fractionated distillation, just as the first two trains. The major difference between these two trains and the first two trains is that these two are more advanced technologically and have a higher capacity. Below is a simplified process flow schematic at train 3 which also located in Ruwais. The principle used in this train is the same as that of the first two trains discussed in the section above. Location GASCO is located in the coastal strip of the Arabian Gulf, east of the Industrial Complex in Ruwais, South Western part of Abu Dhabi. It is about 240 kilometers from the city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The location was very appropriate because of the onshore extraction of the products. It is important to note that this is the location of the refinery plant where the products are distilled into final products before they are exported to the international products. However, the extraction of NPG and LPG takes place in the high seas. The map below shows the refinery plants at Ruwais complex and the high seas where extraction of oil takes place. This strategic location shortened the distance between the point of extraction of the raw materials, and the refinery plants. It was also appropriate for exporting the materials using marine tankers. The facilities of ADNOC within the city of Dubai have also acted as other sites for the products of GASCO, especially for the purpose of storage before they are transported to various markets in the region and internationally. This has helped improve the efficiency of the facility. Management and Systems According to Mahadevan (53), an organization can only be as successful as its management system. This scholar says that the leadership is responsible for developing policies that are followed when running the company. The policies must be based on the market conditions and should be customer-centric in order to achieve the desired results. The management must also understand its workforce to ensure that they have the capacity to deliver results which are desirable in the market. When making policies, it may be necessary for the policy makers to involve the junior employees who are involved with operational activities in order to identify some of the areas that may need adjustments in the company’s strategic objectives. It is only through this that it can be able to remain effective in the production process and competitive in the market. When analyzing the management system, it is important to start by understanding the hierarchies that are involved and the offices which are responsible for various tasks. At the helm of this firm is a board of directors that is headed by the chairman. The board is responsible for making strategic decisions about the firm. The board has delegated daily management responsibilities to its secretary, who is the chief executive officer of the firm. There are senior vice presidents who head various departments. They include the marketing head, the finance head, the technical head, the productions head, the supplies and logistic heads. These officers report directly to the chief executive of the firm. In 2012, the firm created the office of senior Vice President Projects Functions who report directly to the firm’s chief executive. Below are the vice presidents are the senior management officials in charge of various departments. The figure below shows the hierarchies of the management unit at this firm. Each of the departments has the sub departments which are responsible for various operational activities within the firm. The firm has been focused on achieving ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 accreditations as a sign of the improved service delivery to its customers. It has also been determined to inculcate the culture of creativity and innovativeness among its employees in the market. This is meant to propel the management into higher heights of success in the market and efficiency in service delivery. Some departments have also been created within the firm to ensure that the quality of products that is released into the market is of the right standards. The management introduced Operation Excellence Division that was meant to ensure that the products from this firm are of high quality. This unit is expected to operate under the Operations Support Group within the firm. Other departments which are specifically focused on improving the quality of the products and operations include Integrity Assurance division, Product Excellence, Maintenance Excellence, Asset Life Extension, and Reliability Divisions. Enterprise Risk Management Group is also active in this firm. Inventory management Inventory management is one of the most important tasks within an organization in the current competitive market environment. Murthy (34) defines inventory management as “The process of efficiently overseeing the constant flow of units into and out of an existing inventory.” At GASCO, there has been a concerted effort by the management to ensure that it has an effective inventory management system. It would be important to give a brief analysis of the performance of the four trains mentioned in the section above. Although the first train’s output was slightly higher than that of the second train, it is clear that it was unable to give 100% of its capacity. The third train has a higher capacity than the first two trains, while the fourth train has the highest capacity. However, it is evident that train 3 and 4 also failed to realize 100% output within the month of October in 2012. This means that this plant’s operational plan is failing in one way or the other, and this could be the reason why there is a gap between the trains’ capacities and what they delivered within that particular month. According to Kamauff (76), the current competitive environment demands for a near 100% efficiency if a firm expects to achieve success in the market. This means that any failure in the operation system may not be tolerated because it shall open an avenue for other firms to penetrate the market. In this particular survey, it was determined that propane, butane, and pentane are primarily exported to the plant market via jetty, while ethane is transported using marine tankers to the plant in Ruwais. At this stage, the focus will be put on the specific operational activities which take place when handling the products within the warehouse of the firm. Processes at GASCO Warehouse There are a number of activities which take place within GASCO warehouse. The process of managing the inventory within the warehouse involved a number of activities. This can be classified into three main Receiving Process The first process involves receiving the products into the warehouse from the refinery plant. This involves a number of activities. It is important to mention that there are some challenges that the company has to overcome in this process. They include the massive paper work that takes place at this stage when the products are received. Another problem has been the time taken to determine the quantity of the products received from the refinery into the warehouse. However, these problems are being addressed by automating the process. Issuing and Returning Process The second process involves managing the inventory within the warehouse. It is at this stage that various orders placed will be analyzed with the view of determining their availability within the firm. According to Mahadevan (45), this would involve a physical check into the stores to determine the amount of products, and their quality. The quality assurance team must be careful to ensure that only the standard quality products pass through this stage. This is to help eliminate any complaints from the customers about the quality of the products. At GASCO, this problem has been riddled with a number of challenges because it is always done manually. The problem can be addressed by automating the system. Stock Count Process The last stage involves the stock counting process. It involves the physical count of the products then issuing a print sheet about the stock within the warehouse. At this stage, the quality and quantity of the products will be clearly defined. This is the last stage before the products can be dispatched to the market. This process, just like the first two processes, can be improved using the technology. Works Cited Kamauff, John W. Manager’s Guide to Operations Management . New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Mahadevan, B. Operations Management: Theory and Practice . Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2010. Print. Murthy, P R. Production and Operations Management . New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd. Publishers, 2005. Print. Schneider, Mitch. Operations Management . Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2003. Print.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The text discusses the Gemasolar power plant located in Fuentes de Andalucía in Seville province of Spain. The plant uses a central receiver technology with molten heat storage system. The plant started working mid 2011. Technical feasibility of Central receiver technology was first proved during the 1980s by operation of six research power plants ranging from one to five MWe capacities and by one to ten MWe. A demonstration plant with a steam receiver was connected to the southern California grid.
The text discusses the Gemasolar power plant located in Fuentes de Andalucía in Seville province of Spain. The plant uses a central receiver technology with molten heat storage system. The plant started working mid 2011. Technical feasibility of Central receiver technology was first proved during the 1980s by operation of six research power plants ranging from one to five MWe capacities and by one to ten MWe. A demonstration plant with a steam receiver was connected to the southern California grid.
Solar Technology in Gemasolar Technology Report Table of Contents 1. How It Works 2. Cost of the project 3. Energy output 4. Advantages of the Gemasolar Technology 5. Conclusion 6. Works Cited The world today requires energy for quite a number of things. Without energy the world will come to a standstill. For many years, the demand for power has been fulfilled through the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and products derived from oil. Kulichenko and Jens claim that there was need to find new sources of energy after a while because of; high cost of traditional sources, difficulty of guaranteeing supply of traditional sources, global economic growth that has brought about a growing demand for more energy and increased global warming (52). Solar power is inexhaustible, plentiful and clean energy. Solar technology is used to convert solar radiation to other forms of useful power. Solar thermal power plants are mainly located in extremely dry and uncultivated areas not used for agricultural activities. Such areas provide the ideal or appropriate conditions for solar energy radiation absorption. This report is about the Gemasolar energy plant located in Fuentes de Andalucía in Seville province of Spain. Gemasolar energy plant is a concentrated solar power plant which uses a central receiver technology with molten heat storage system. The plant started working mid 2011.Technical feasibility of Central receiver technology was first proved during the 1980s by operation of six research power plants ranging from one to five MWe capacities and by one to ten MWe. A demonstration plant with a steam receiver was connected to the southern California grid. The Spain Central tower receiver power plant was the pioneer commercial scale power plant globally that used this kind of technology. (Jayasimha 10) Without a doubt, solar power towers are to be the backbone of the entire power generation scheme. The plant has the ability to take in sun rays and provide energy at night and also during cloudy days (Rirdan 102). Central receiver towers are large scale power plants.It is made up of two axis tracking mirrors or heliostats which reflect solar radiation at the very top of the tower where the receiver is placed. The main goal of the Gemasolar project is to demonstrate the technical and economical viability of molten salt solar thermal power technologies to deliver clean cost competitive bulk electricity (Negewo 93). The plant is owned by Torresol energy investments. Originally it was known as Solar Tres before the name was changed to Gemasolar. Torresol energy investment is owned 40% by Masdar, a company based in Abu Dhabi. 60% is owned by Sener from Spain (Hanna 45). The Gemasolar power plant is made up of 185 hectares of solar field. The high tower receiver is 140 meters high. It also has 2,650 heliostats each having 120 square meters “distributed in concentric rings around the tower” (Negewo 92). Sodium and potassium nitrates make up the molten salt which is usually stored in tanks made of steel. The biggest tank at the plant has a diameter of 23 meters and a height of 14 meters. The molten salt is used as heat transfer fluid and energy storage medium. It is easy to manage the solar power due to the storage capacity of the steel tanks. It is supplied on demand. Connected to the tower at ground level are the hot and cold storage tanks. The tanks can store salts which provide energy for up to 15 hours without the sun. Molten salts in the cold tanks are stored at 290°c and 565°c in the hot storage tank (“Cleantechchnica”:Spain Gemasolar). The implementation of the molten salt heat storage system allows creation and appearing of electricity when there is any solar radiation. How It Works Solar radiation first falls on mirrors known as heliostats. It is then reflected on to the receiver situated at the top of a supporting tower. Solar radiation is concentrated by the heliostats at 1000:1 ratio. This is controlled by a network of communication with 26 fiber optic rings present in it. The orientation of the heliostats is automatically turned towards the sun by geared motors so that they reflect beam radiation on the receiver all day. A fluid flowing through the receiver absorbs the concentrated radiation and transports the heat to the ground level where it is used to operate a thermodynamic cycle. “The receiver is capable of absorbing 95% of the radiation transmitted to the molten salts in the central receiver” (You tube: The World’s first Base load). Cold salt is pumped up to the top of the tower at the central receiver where it is heated up. The liquid salt is brought back to the hot storage tanks being kept there at the temperature of 565°c. After leaving the storage tank, the heated salt is moved to the heat exchanger chamber via steam pipes and steam is formed as a result of condensation. By means of this steam the turbines are turned; they generate electricity. According to Rirdan, any extra heat generated is kept in the molten storage tank and is used to produce electricity when the sun’s heat and radiation is absent. Power generated is transferred to a substation located in Villanueva Del Rey, Andalucía, and further transmitted to the National grid system (102). Cost of the project Estimated cost of project was €171 million. It was financed by several financial institutions including European Investment Bank, Banco popular and Banesto ICO. Engineering, procurement and construction were done by Sense Company. This was inclusive of the development of a molten salt receiver and the manufacturing of heliostats. A company called SGS was tasked with provision of assistance in the civil works for example construction progress audit, power limit substantiation, commissioning and initial operation of the power plant. Outukumpu was charged with the task of constructing hot and cold storage tanks. The Nord block gear motors were manufactured by Nord drive systems. Working together, Schneider electronics and Hirscham electronics were the companies that built the communication network. It took 29 months to construct the power plant. Energy output Electric power is up to 19.9 MW. Net electric production expected per year is 110Ghw.The electricity generated of approximately 110 MWe per year is the highest electrical generation in the world for solar plants. Advantages of the Gemasolar Technology These are the reasons why the Central receiver tower technology is preferred to other renewable energy production methods. It has a prolonged operating time without solar radiation. This means that it can work through the night or on cloudy days using energy from the stored heated salt. Energy output from this power plant is higher than that of other technologies in a facility with the same power. It has guaranteed electrical production for 6500 hours per year which is approximately two to three times higher than that of renewable energies. It is more scalable to any application both large and small thus it has significance to utilities. It is more consistent energy supply with centralized and dispatch able generation model (Negewo 101). Its potential in MENA significantly exceeds any foreseeable regional demand even when quite onerous site conditions are required. It has significant potential for future development thereby reducing cost. It works well with current large scale desalination technologies (Negewo 101).Other benefits of the central receiver power plant include: It provides clean and safe power to approximately 25,000 homes. There is less carbon dioxide emission by more than 30,000 tonnes a year (Enviromission Solar Tower 13). In addition, the turbines do not have to be shut down quite often and hence the plant has a longer lifespan. The plants electrical generation can also be controlled to suit the demand for electricity. Breaks or leakages are greatly reduced since there are no tubes or heat exchange fluids that spread out across the solar field and hence leads to low operational and maintenance costs (Rapier). Conclusion Solar is improving its cost and performance by 20 % each year and is expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future (Seba 17).Concentrating solar thermal electricity is rapidly expanding in Spain and globally. In the USA, a first generation solar power thermal station of 354 MWe has been operating for more than 20 years. As of mid 2011 about, 1100MWe of CST was installed globally. In principle, given sufficient land, 24 hours storage is feasible and solar thermal power can be operated either as base load, intermediate load or peak load depending on amount of storage installed and electricity prices. Works Cited Enviromission Solar Tower . Web. Hanna, Nick. The Green Investing Handbook : .A Guide to Profiting from the Sustainability Revolution . London, UK. Harriman house limited, 2010. Print. Jayasimha, Balakrishna. 2006. Application of Scheffler Reflectors for process industry : International Solar Cooker Conference, Granada, Spain. Web. Kulichenko, Natalia, and Wirth Jens. Concentrating Solar Power in Developing Countries . Washington, DC., World Bank, 2012. Print. Negewo, Bekele. Renewable Energy Desalination: An Emerging Solution to Close the Water Gap . New York. World Bank publications, 2012. Print. Rapier, Robert. Power Plays: Energy Options in the Age of Peak Oil . New York. Apress, 2012. Print. Rirdan, Daniel. The Blue Print: Averting Global Collapse .Louisville. Corinno Press, 2012. Print. Seba, Tony. Solar Trillions: 7 Market and Investment Opportunities in the Emerging Clean-Energy Economies . Madrid. IMF Publications, 2010. Print. Spain’s Gemasolar 24/7 Power Plant (VIDEO) 2011 . Web. The World’s First Baseload (24/7) Solar Power Plant . Web.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The essay discusses the link between education and economy in modern industrial societies, and how it produces variation patterns in these societies. The author also talks about how economic sociologists can profitably derive from the detailed practical work conducted by labor economists and the theoretical exploration of the wage-setting arrangements by both the labor economists and the supporters of the varieties of the capital approach.
The essay discusses the link between education and economy in modern industrial societies, and how it produces variation patterns in these societies. The author also talks about how economic sociologists can profitably derive from the detailed practical work conducted by labor economists and the theoretical exploration of the wage-setting arrangements by both the labor economists and the supporters of the varieties of the capital approach.
“Gender and Economic Sociology” by England and Folbre Essay The author has averred on the idea that education and economy linkage structures do produce variation patterns in the modern or industrial societies. The author conceptualized two education-economy linkages to theoretically examine how the inter-schools, labor division and firms for personal human capital development as well as the recruitment mechanisms structuring people’s movement out of schools and into employment together with those structuring changes across jobs. Economic sociologists have anchored much of their aversion significantly to the originality on the careful examination of how the organization or rather the institutional arrangement creates the context within which personal economic demeanors do happen. With these strengths, the extrapolation of economic, sociological investigation into the research of comparative inequality regimes or periods based on different education-economy linkage would be potentially promising. The bulk of the theoretical and empirical studies to the present date on the link between institutional arrangement and inequality patterns across the industrial societies have been conducted out of the side of sociology. The disciplines of political science and labor economics have centered on a significant attention on cross-national variation in wage compression across the skill boundaries. In my opinion, economic sociologists can profitably derive from the detailed practical work conducted by labor economists and the theoretical exploration of the wage-setting arrangements by both the labor economists and the supporters of the varieties of the capital approach. Building upon the theoretical formulations of educational and stratification researchers, economic-sociologists can design a comparative study agenda fashioned to specify further how skill and gender wage gaps are impacted by the different institutional arrangements of capitalism. The majority of these institutional arrangements precisely stand’s at the point of intersection of the economy and the education. The three outstanding perspectives of economic sociology stress on networks, rational choice and social norms or rather cultural norms that are some of the times entrenched in organizations or institutions. Each of the perspectives above is critical in comprehending gender. Every ten empirical patterns are consistent with at least two of the perspectives. For instance, returns to experience that work against women due to the time they spend on child rearing may be institutionalized by the employers. This is out of the fact that workers with experience tend to have increased levels of productivity. The other reason may be since the turnover is less expensive, more so where the employers invest heavily in training. This may too well be an institutionalized norm bearing a disparate impact against women, despite lack of link to productivity. Going by the statistical discrimination, this may be put in place to get better employees notwithstanding the fact that it is illegal as well as unfair to those the members of groups with lower average qualifications. In a nutshell, this is the rational choice theory. Patterns of ethnic or gender discrimination may too well be explained by the beliefs and sex disparities that are exaggerated in terms of magnitude or by worker network recruitment or wholly erroneous racist or sexist cultural beliefs. Rational choice explanations that feature material interests can be tested easily with the existing or available information. The only drawback to this is the fact that most of the economists do not take their paradigms seriously. Furthermore, they lack interest in testing the predictions against competing claims from the perspectives that are outside the rational choice model. For instance, women are synonymous with the work of care whether for free or paid. The emerging study of care depicts it to fit most of the standard assumptions as well as challenging many dichotomies. The work seems to generate externalities and public goods. Furthermore, economists agree that such factors make up their usual assumptions that markets attain efficiency. This work is performed for a blend of pecuniary and intrinsic motives. The fundamental purpose in question, altruism is at longer heads with the standard assumptions of the market players. Care workers build emotional relations with the clients of the services they provide. As such, intrinsic motives make it hard to figure out or rather to predict how they will negotiate self-interestedly for wages but at times, they do. The reaction to such self-centered negotiations is that they do violet norms that some things should be done solely out of love reasons. One remains to wonder whether many types of work generate positive or negative externalities. Another puzzle is whether many jobs attract workers with proper intrinsic motives and develop those motives as well. Furthermore, are not employees in numerous jobs often connected emotionally to fellow workers as well as the customers or clients? The ways in which the care work challenges the economic model and design may apply widely. This position is wholly supported by the Contra economics or economic sociologists. Economic sociology discusses networks and institutions. They tend to shy away from considerations of emotional commitments and connections. The studies relating to gender take one to realms such as the family where emotional ties and norm-based commitments are made with the slightest degree of seriousness. We ought to make households as part of the larger economy. Even if one elects to inculcate the household as part of the economy, then certain questions are more than likely to emerge. Firstly, what determines which spheres of human activity are characterized by long time commitments? Furthermore, which are more characterized by each party self-interestedly treating others in the textbook market or exchange models? According to economists, norms and institutions evolve out of the fact that they are efficient. It is efficient to have altruism govern the family economy, and self-interest dictates the market economy. Going by the views of the economic sociologists who focus on markets, efficiency does not always rein. By this, it is evident that economic sociologists often tend to ignore questions or issues related to efficiency. They too tend to ignore the household. The pending puzzles that are to pass to many generations are what blend of commitment and market-like incentives generate efficient results? Secondly, what are the distributional effects of the duo dogmas in various impacts? Conclusion In summary, the author has averred on the idea that education and economy linkage structures do produce variation patterns in the modern or industrial societies. The author conceptualized two education-economy linkages to theoretically examine how the inter-schools, labor division and firms for personal human capital development as well as the recruitment mechanisms structuring people’s movement out of schools and into employment together with those structuring changes across jobs. Economic sociologists have anchored much of their aversion significantly to the originality on the careful examination of how the organization or rather the institutional arrangement creates the context within which personal economic demeanors do happen. References England, P., & Folbre, N. (2005). Gender And Economic Sociology. The Handbook of Economic Sociology, 2 , 627-649. Mary, C., Briton. Education And the Economy.
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: A table displaying the E process for conducting a swot analysisThe process below shows the steps for conducting a swot analysis:1. Define the problem or opportunity you are trying to address.2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses.3. Conduct a literature review to explore what is already known about your your topic.4. Develop a research proposal outlining your methodology.5. Collect data that supports your claim.
A table displaying the E process for conducting a swot analysis The process below shows the steps for conducting a swot analysis: 1. Define the problem or opportunity you are trying to address. 2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. 3. Conduct a literature review to explore what is already known about your your topic. 4. Develop a research proposal outlining your methodology. 5. Collect data that supports your claim.
General Electric SWOT Analysis Summary Case Study SWOT analysis A summary GE’s SWOT analysis is as follows: Strengths Weaknesses * Extensive distribution network (nationwide) * High cost of operation expansion through the advanced technology * Good corporate governance * It employs insufficient research and development level * Competitively priced products * Vulnerable to increasing material cost * Influence of patriotism as Apple is national mobile phone-maker * Low reputation on product functionality and performance * Extensive support from government * Short history in communication industry Opportunities * After-sales services Threats * R&D Development * Competitors – international and local brands * Products’ high demand * Economic downturn – decrease of hand-held device sales * Opportunity of global business growth * Plenty of substitute products in the market * Government support * Advanced and fast changing engineering technology * Collaborations within communications industry Figure 1. A table displaying the SWOT analysis of GE. Most countries focused on free trade policies that affected the performance approaches by GE. Some of the policies sought to eliminate the existing tariff barriers within various trade blocks (Bartlett & Wozne, 2004). The plan was to reduce tariffs to 5% within a two-decade period among the various nations based on common preferential tariffs. With reference to the high prices of the GE products because of the high-production costs as well as minimal vendor efficiency, there was a big possibility for local markets being dominated by imported hand held devices. Welch’s prices were comparatively higher for the foreign manufacturers based on elements of protectionism. Protectionist policies could be largely blamed for GE’s stagnating performance. The GE product sales within the country were expected to decrease annually because of the different economic aspects. Primarily, this was in connection with the global financial crisis that affected the country’s local financial status. In fact, many governments were expecting slow economic growth trends, which affected the customers’ buying behavior. In addition, the economic policies increased the competition that also influenced the performance of Apple (Bartlett & Wozny, 2004). The growing global population was part of the aspects affecting the mobile industry. Further, the existing ratio of electronic device ownership was high, standing at 1:4. This signified that more people considered electrical devices as important components of their lives. Individuals also settled on the big-ticket items while expecting consumers to slow with regard to buying various electronic products due to the consideration of market uncertainties on the grounds of the global and local crises in financial standings. With an increase in competition, there were developments of technology. The developments were aimed at influencing the position and performance of every company in the communications mobile industry. This affected the innovation process of the GE Company (Bartlett & Wozny, 2004). While adopting market targets and segments, GE focused more on global countries than local markets. Welch released GE products in areas that were characterized by provider coverage, which supported certain forms of electronic devices and respective technology. Under such positioning elements, Welch aimed at ensuring high levels of product flexibility, value addition and convenience with regard to devices for any form of professional use (Bartlett & Wozny, 2004). The firm established strong brand across the market where all its products focused on acquiring new technologies. This was aimed at not only making the business establishment focus on the brand, but also concentrate on the best ways to promote its presence. The pricing objectives of the firm needed proper identification as a way of determining the optimal levels of pricing. For this reason, the pricing objectives involved the company’s profit maximization objective. This was an attempt of maximizing the profit while taking into consideration revenue and cost aspects. GE used the penetration pricing strategy by charging minimal for products that gained market easily (Porter, 1996). The organization has continued to gain from Welch’s change management approaches that have positively impacted it (Collis & Montgomery, 1995; Porter, 1996). It can be asserted that Welch was instrumental in adopting practices that could enable the firm to achieve excellent performance outcomes. These approaches include employee recognition, training programs and organizational behavior modification. Organization behavior modification is one of the learning principles that Welch used to ensure that a positive culture was established in GE (Porter, 1996). Specifically, such a model provides a rigid framework for analyzing, measuring, identifying, evaluating and intervening with regard to employees’ the related job behaviors, which are aimed at improving work performance. Research shows that its crucial effects include improving productivity, for example, sales performance, safety, attendance and punctuality (Collis & Montgomery, 1995). The effects of Welch as a leader in work performance and behavior variation is due to the reinforcement principle on behavior modification. Replacing the leader would have negative implications for the company. References Bartlett, C., & Wozny, M., (2004). GE’s Two Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s Leadership . New York: Harvard Business School Press. Collis, D. J., & Montgomery, C. A. (1995). Competing on resources: Strategy in the 1990s. Harvard Business Review, 73 (4), 118–128 Porter, M. E. (1996). What is Strategy ? Harvard Business Review, 74, 61-78.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The paper examines the role of the leadership of General Motors in managing the geo-political turmoil in the Arab world.The paper notes that despite the hostile environment, the management of General Motors was able to penetrate the global market. The paper also examines the impact of the events in the Arab world on the business community in Egypt.
The paper examines the role of the leadership of General Motors in managing the geo-political turmoil in the Arab world. The paper notes that despite the hostile environment, the management of General Motors was able to penetrate the global market. The paper also examines the impact of the events in the Arab world on the business community in Egypt.
General Motors and Global Market Evaluation Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Geo-Political Events in the Arab World 3. The Impact on Business 4. The Approach Taken by the Leaders to Address the Problem 5. The Performance of the Leadership in Addressing the Problem 6. Conclusion 7. Reference List Introduction General Motors is one of the most successful automobile firms in the global market. According to Bolman and Deal (1), the management of General Motors has exhibited unique capacity to penetrate the global market despite the hostile environmental conditions. The scholar notes that at a time when American firms were winding their operations in the Arab world due to the growing anti-American sentiments in the region, the General Motors was able to withstand the storm and even expand its operations. Egypt was one of the most attractive markets, and the firm established its production plant in the city of Cairo to serve the local population. The plant served the regional market of North Africa and Middle East. The Arab revolution that was forced by Hosni Mubarak, the long serving Egyptian strongman, led to instability in the country. The political turmoil in the neighboring markets of Tunisia, Libya, South Sudan and part of the Middle East worsened the situation. In this paper, the researcher will analyze the role of the leadership of this firm in managing this geo-political turmoil in the region. Geo-Political Events in the Arab World The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and forced the President Ben Ali to run out of the country to Saudi Arabia. This event inspired the Egyptians that were uncomfortable with the leadership of Hosni Mubarak. The unrest started in various cities in the country following the massive civilian protest. Business operations were brought to a standstill as the rowdy youth pelted cars and business premises with stones. The situation went on for 18 days. This forced the President Hosni Mubarak to resign his post. The military took over the leadership, but it did not stop the unrest. In Libya, another attractive market for General Motors, a new revolution started. The city of Tripoli became a battle field as the government forces clashed with the rebel fighters. The events in Libya were worse than what was taking place in Egypt. Unlike Egypt, where the civilians engaging the government forces were unarmed, in Libya the rebel forces had effective arsenal to engage the government military forces. The rebels managed to take over power after gunning down the then President Muhamar Gaddafi. In Egypt, things were not getting better even after the democratic election that saw Mohammed Mursi come to power as a new Egyptian president. He was accused of high-handedness. He was soon sent out of power and the military took over the leadership of the country once again. The Impact on Business These events had devastating impacts on the business community in Egypt. For four years, there was no political stability in a country that had been seen as an oasis of peace in a troubled Arab World. It was almost impossible to conduct businesses in such environments. The roads were impassible because of the activities of people trying to bring change to the government. They were barricaded using burning tyres and stones. The rowdy youth would pelt cars and business premises with stones, especially the business premises that were perceived to be owned by the government sympathizers. Many investors were considering other regions away from Egypt and the neighboring countries that were politically unstable. Security was not guaranteed as criminals took advantage of the unrest to loot from various premises. Some of the customers of General Motors, especially the organizational buyers, had frozen their activities due to the ongoing turmoil. They were also scared of the events and feared that their businesses could be destroyed. For almost one year, General Motors majorly relied on the government as the main organizational buyer of its products. The export to Tunisia, Libya and Sudan also dropped. The Approach Taken by the Leaders to Address the Problem General Motors has a long history of operation in Egypt since 1920s. That is why when it became apparent that the business environment in the country was getting worse, the top management unit had to act very swiftly. The chief executive officer of the firm, Dan Akerson, travelled to Egypt to assess the situation in February 2011 following the resignation of Hosni Mubarak. The top management did not expect such a serious twist in the country’s political structure. Akerson was met by the regional managers in Egypt, led by Rajeev Chaba. The team wanted to find a way of maneuvering in this important market that was facing serious security challenges. Before travelling back to the United States, Akerson, with the helpof Rajeev Chaba’s team, drew a plan on how to deal with the prevailing environmental conditions. The plan was the least expected move of the General Motors. The company announced that it would open its stores and continue with the operations despite the raging storm in almost all the major urban centers in the country. However, the production capacity was reduced because the local market was not very attractive. As Howard and Hussain (3) mention, Rajaav, with the blessings of the directors in Egypt, doubled its security at the production plants and the show rooms in order to facilitate the production and sale of its products. However, the management knew that it had to avoid being seen as a government sympathizer that did not care about the concerns of the public. As Prashad (4) notes, it was during this political turmoil that General Motors spent the highest amount of its profits in corporate social responsibility. It was one of the firms that were actively involved in giving aid to the protesting youths. They donated money to buy food and medicine in case someone was injured during the violent protest. One dilemma that the leadership faced was how to handle the rival groups. The government was at war with the rebels. The firm had first approached the government and requested for a security beef-up, a request that was gladly accepted by the military rulers. However, the locals were also very important in enhancing security because in most of the cases they are the causes of insecurity. It had to associate with these two warring groups without being seen as a sympathizer of either side. To do this, Mr. Akerson had to come up with a unique way of addressing the problem. Mr. Rajeev Chaba was instructed to focus on how to offer any humanitarian help to the locals as long as it did not facilitate them in any way in their fight against the government. On its side, the management in the United States maintained a close relationship with the government. It was very important as the firm reopened the production plant. The fact that most of the shares of the firm are owned by Egyptian and Saudi investors also gave it the impression that it is a local firm. It gave it the image of an Islamic firm even among the radicalized Muslim youths that were against the presence of large corporations from the West. The Performance of the Leadership in Addressing the Problem The performance of the leadership of General Motors in addressing this problem can be described as impressive. According to Grasso (2), GM is one of the few multinational corporations that were able to withstand the storm arising from the political revolution in the country. One area that expresses this impressive performance very clearly was the ability to relate well with both sides of the warring parties. This was done in a way that none of the parties considered the firm to betray their relationships or to be sympathizing with the opposing groups. The firm was always ready to offer help to the people affected in the streets during the protest. This made it to be seen as a firm that is in touch with the locals. At the corporate level, the relationship between the firm and the Egyptian leadership never deteriorated. The firm is steadily making progress in the Egyptian market at a time when other firms are restructuring following the relative peace witnessed in the recent past. Conclusion The geo-political environment in the Northern Africa following the Arab Spring affected many businesses in the region. General Motors was one of the affected firms in this turmoil. However, the leadership of the firm came up with a unique strategy that helped the firm to overcome the security threats posed by the rebellion. The firm is currently enjoying huge profits at a time when other multinationals are to get back on track following the relative calm that has been witnessed in the recent past. References 1. Bolman LG, Deal TE. Reframing leadership. In: Gallos JV, editor. Business leadership: a Jossey-Bass reader. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2014. p 35-49. 2. Grasso D. High-performance GM LS-series cylinder head guide. North Branch, MN: CarTech; 2014. 144 p. 3. Howard PN, Hussain MM. Democracy’s fourth wave? Digital media and the Arab Spring. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2013. 144 p. 4. Prashad V. Arab spring, Libyan winter. Oakland, CA: AK Press; 2012. 272 p.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The text discusses how the franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees.The franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees. The text discusses how the franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees.
The text discusses how the franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees. The franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees. The text discusses how the franchise model has been criticized for being too standardized and how this can be a problem for franchisees.
Geographical Pressures to Deviate from Franchise Formats Proposal Introduction Background to the study Cox and Masson (2007, p.1054) define franchising as ‘contractual business relationships involving the franchisor and the franchisee, which operate as legally independent business entities’. Through such relationships, franchisees have the legal right to use the franchisors’ business name, products and services, blueprint, or specialised aspects in their trading process. Cox and Masson (2007, p.1055) add that the ‘franchisor offers the franchisee the necessary support systems necessary to establish the business’. By 2010, the presence of franchises was evident in approximately 75% of all countries in the world (Truitt 2006). Subsequently, franchises have significantly contributed to the economic growth of the global economy by stimulating the retail sector, creation of employment, and contribution to country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Stanworth, Stanworth, Watson, Purdy, & Heleas 2004). Therefore, franchising is a proven business concept. Many investors are of the opinion that adopting the franchise format can improve the effectiveness with which an organisation maximises its profit as opposed to independent start-ups. The concept of franchising business has experienced significant challenges in different parts of the world. For example, the number of franchises declined from 1100 to 1025 during the period ranging between 2008 and 2010 (Buchan 2013). Despite this aspect, a report by the Franchise Council of Australia indicates that the franchise format has played a remarkable role in the growth of small businesses in the country (Buchan 2013). Problem statement Despite the contribution of franchising in promoting businesses’ capability to achieve high profitability, this business format has come under intense criticism due to its standardisation concept. Previous franchising literature has cited the level of autonomy and independence associated with franchising as major concerns. Tuunanen and Hyrsky (2001) argue that standardisation is one of the key components of franchising. This assertion means that business format franchising is based on the model of ‘cloning’, whereby a business deals with standardised products and services. Therefore, the products are sold under similar trademark or trade name. Under the concept of standardisation, the franchisee is required to adhere to the operational parameters set by the franchisor (Hoy & Stanworth 2014). Some of the standards include trademark, suppliers of inputs, promotion methods, the nature of the product, and the trademarks to be adopted. Consequently, according to Fock (2001, p.173), the ‘franchisees are not given the opportunity to incorporate their own initiative in the operation of the franchise’. For example, the franchisor cannot make decision on diverse operating procedures such as operating hours, pricing, hiring of employees, and business location. Failure to comply with the contractual agreement is a major source of conflict between the franchisee and the franchisor. For example, the contract may require the franchisee to pay the franchisor based on sales revenue. This aspect might pose a challenge to the franchisees in their quest to maximise their profits, especially if the geographical area in which they operate is characterised by minimal growth. Such geographical limitations may pressurize franchisee to diverge from the set operational standards. Cox and Masson (2007, p.1054) assert that geographical dispersion ‘exposes the chain to varied local market conditions that require adaptation to maximise performance’. Adopting uniform operating procedures and standards such as franchising is an ineffective strategy in some geographical locations in businesses’ effort to maximise their sales revenue and net income. Subsequently, franchising is experiencing a challenge arising from the franchisors’ demand to comply with the concept of standardisation and the franchisees need to adapt their business operations in accordance with the geographical market needs (Levy & Weitz 2007). Rationale of the study Franchising has gained significance in the global business environment. Subsequently, most entrepreneurs and practising managers are inclining towards integrating the concept of franchising in their strategic management processes. The prominence of the franchising business format has arisen from the recognition of its role in stimulating business growth. However, entrepreneurs and business managers have an obligation to ensure that firms achieve their profit maximisation. This goal can only be achieved if the most effective business format is adopted. However, the concept of franchising has some gaps emanating from its overemphasis of the concept of standardisation as its cornerstone. Research aims and objectives The study aims at developing a comprehensive understanding on the importance of understanding the standardisation and adaptation concepts of franchising. In a bid to achieve this aim, the researcher will follow a number of objectives, which include 1. To assess how geographical factors affect the implementation of franchising business format. 2. To analyse the extent to which franchisors allow franchisees to adapt to the prevailing environmental conditions. 3. To evaluate the franchisees integrate the concept of adaptation in their effort to carry out the franchising system. Research questions A number of research questions based on the research objectives will guide the study. The research questions are outlined below. 1. What is the impact of geographical factors affecting the implementation of franchising business format? 2. To what degree do franchisors allow franchisees to adapt their businesses to the prevailing environmental conditions? 3. How does a franchisee integrate the concept of adaptation in their effort to establish the franchising system? Significance of the study This study will be of great significance to practising managers and academicians. For example, the study will provide business managers and entrepreneurs with insight on the challenges associated with the standardisation concept of franchising especially in business operating in diverse geographical areas. Subsequently, business managers will be in a position to make a decision on whether to adopt standardisation or adaptation in their effort to achieve profit maximisation. Furthermore, the study will enable academicians to appreciate the gap associated with the concept of franchising in their review of the subject. Research hypothesis This study will aim at verifying the null hypothesis (H 0 ) or refuting the alternate (H 1 ) hypothesis, which include 1. Null hypothesis H 0 – Geographical pressures have a significant impact on franchisees decision to deviate from the standardisation concept of franchising and adapt to the prevailing environmental conditions. 2. Alternate hypothesis H 1 – Geographical pressures do not have an impact on franchisees decision to deviate from standardisation and adapting to the prevailing environmental conditions. Literature review Franchising Entrepreneurs must make a decision on the legal structure that they will adopt in the course of establishing their business. Truitt (2006) argues that the format selected has significant tax, regulatory, legal, and business consequences. The choice of business format is determined by different factors such as capital requirements, liability risk involved, tax, and marketing requirements (Sorenson & Sorensen 2001). Some business structures are characterised by high capital requirements, liability risk, and marketing requirements (Croonen & Brand 2012). The main types of business format in much legislation include partnerships, sole proprietorships, limited liability companies, and franchises. Buchan (2013, p.3) emphasises that franchising ‘has become a significant part of the global commercial landscape’. Components of franchising formats Dada (2013) asserts that the franchise business format is comprised of four main components, which include the nature of the product or service, format facilitators, system identifiers, and benefit communicators. Franchises specialise in offering customers unique products or service, which acts as its competitive niche. On the other hand, benefit communicators refer to the intangible benefits associated with the product or service being offered. Examples of such benefits include high level of professionalism in the service delivery process and reliability. Format facilitators refer to the procedures and policies that should be followed by the franchisee, while system identifiers refer to the visual elements that associate a firm or product to a particular chain, for example trademarks, uniforms and architectural features (Yudoko 2012). Franchising; standardisation versus adaptation Cox (2002) argues that standardisation is the foundation of franchising due to its contribution in the franchisees and franchisors’ efforts to achieve its cost minimisation objective. For example, standardisation minimises the cost incurred in monitoring the franchisee. Moreover, standardisation allows businesses to develop and maintain a unique brand image amongst its customers (Michael 2002). Subsequently, an organisation nurtures a high degree of customer loyalty arising from trusting in the uniformity of the product’s quality across outlets in different locations. Therefore, standardisation in franchising enables entrepreneurs to sustain the unique customer experience. Longenecker (2012) asserts that the franchisees’ efforts to deviate from the set standards by adapting their own operational procedures may lead to erosion of the benefits associated with franchising, for example due to a decline in product quality and loss of the brand image (Rundh 2003). Furthermore, critics argue that adaptation in franchising format may influence the franchisees’ ability to innovate adversely (Chary 2009). This assertion arises from the view that the franchisee might not have sufficient knowledge to innovate the product or service offered in order to fit the geographical needs (Stanworth, Healeas & Purdy 2002). Cox and Masson (2007, p.1056) argue that adapting ‘to local conditions reduces the potential for cross-fertilisation of ideas for identifying and implementing new offerings’. Despite the significance of standardisation, Megan (2010) argues that franchises operate in diverse geographical areas, which are characterised by different factors such as intensity of competition, customer tastes, and preferences. Therefore, the effectiveness of standardisation amongst franchisees operating in geographically diverse area is limited. Michael (2000) argues that franchisees have substantial knowledge of their local geographical market compared to the franchisor. Consequently, the likelihood of succeeding in their innovation effort is high (Michael 2003). Despite their commitment to standardisation, franchisors depend on the market knowledge and information gathered by franchisees in undertaking product or system innovation (Ryans, Grittith & While 2003). However, the need to maintain a strong brand image restricts franchisees from adapting their operations to the local market situation (Pizanti & Lerner 2003). From the above review, a significant gap needs to be addressed on whether franchisors should give franchisees the opportunity to deviate from the set operational standards and procedures and adapting their operations to the prevailing market situations. Through adaptation, there is a high probability of franchising business formats gaining better significance compared to the prevailing situation. Methodology Research design The purpose of this study is to explore the decision of franchisees to incorporate the standardisation versus the adaptation strategies in their operation. The study will adopt qualitative research design. The decision to adopt this research design is informed by the exploratory nature of the study. Moreover, qualitative research design will provide the researcher with an opportunity to gather substantial amount of data to aid in making extensive and conclusive research findings. Maxwell (2005) further asserts that qualitative research design is a multi-method research strategy, which is interpretive in nature. Subsequently, the study will be of great significance to the target audience. Data collection The researcher will source data from secondary sources. The researcher will review previous studies and literature on standardisation and adaptation amongst franchises. Some of the main secondary sources of data that the researcher will consider include reports peer-reviewed journals and other literature. Numerous studies on franchising have been conducted previously. Therefore, the use of secondary sources will provide the researcher with an opportunity to gather substantial data. However, the researcher will ensure that the secondary data selected is from credible sources. This move will improve the reliability of the data collected. Data analysis and presentation The data gathered will be analysed using Microsoft Excel, which will enable the researcher to condense the voluminous data collected. Creswell (2003) asserts that qualitative research design enables a researcher to gather diverse data. Evaluating the data collected can overwhelm the researcher if it is not condensed effectively. By using Microsoft Excel, the researcher will be in a position to condense the data successfully by incorporating tables, graphs, range, and graphs. Subsequently, the researcher will assess different aspects associated with the subject under investigation. Furthermore, using Microsoft Excel will provide the researcher with an opportunity to present the data effectively using graphs. Subsequently, the target audience will be in a position to understand the research findings easily. Reference List Buchan, J 2013, Franchisees as consumers; benchmarks, perspectives and consequences , Springer, New York. Chary, S 2009, Production and operations management , Tata McGraw, New Delhi. Cox, J 2002, Geographical dimensions of business format franchising, University of Southampton, Southampton. Cox, J & Masson, C 2007, ‘Standardisation versus adaptation; geographical pressures to deviate from franchise formats’, The Service Industries Journal , vol. 27 no. 8, pp. 1053-1072. Creswell, J 2003, Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method Approaches , Sage Publications, New York. Croonen, E & Brand, M 2012, ‘Antecedents of franchisee responses to franchisor initiated strategic change’, International Small Business Journal, vol. 69 no. 172, pp.114-126. Dada, O 2013, ‘Entrepreneurial organisation and the franchise system; Organisational antecedents and performance outcomes’, European Journal of Marketing , vol. 47 no. 5, pp. 790-812. Fock, H 2001, ‘Retail outlet location decision-maker: franchisor or franchisee’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning , vol. 19 no. 3, pp. 171-178. Hoy, F & Stanworth, J 2014, Franchising; an international perspective , Routledge, New York. Levy, M & Weitz, B 2007, Retailing management, McGraw-Hill, New York. Longenecker, J 2012, Small business management; launching and growing entrepreneurial ventures , Cengage Learning, Mason. Maxwell, J 2005, Qualitative research design: an interactive approach , Sage Publication, New Jersey. Megan, T 2010, ‘A framework for implementing retail franchises internationally’, Marketing Intelligence & Planning , vol. 28 no. 6, pp. 689-705. Michael, S 2000, ‘Investments to create bargaining power: the case of franchising’, Strategic Management Journal , vol.21, pp. 497-514. Michael, S 2002, ‘Can a franchise chain coordinate’, Journal of Business Venturing , vol. 17, pp. 325-341. Michael, S 2003, ‘First mover advantage through franchising’, Journal of Business Venturing , vol.18, pp. 61-80. Pizanti, I & Lerner, M 2003, ‘Examining control and autonomy in the franchisor franchisee relationship’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 21 no. 2, pp.131- 38. Rundh, B 2003, ‘Rethinking the international marketing strategy; new dimensions in a competitive market,’ Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 21 no. 4, pp. 249-257. Ryans, J, Grittith, D & While, D 2003, ‘Standardisation versus adaptation of International marketing strategy; necessary conditions for advancements’, International Marketing Review , vol. 20 no. 6, pp. 588-603. Sorenson, O & Sorensen, J 2001, ‘Finding the right mix: franchising, organisational learning and chain performance’, Strategic Management Journal , vol. 22 no.16, pp. 713-724. Stanworth, J, Healeas, S & Purdy, D 2002, ‘Intellectual capital acquisition and knowledge management – new perspectives on franchising as a small business growth strategy’, ISBA National Small Firms Policy and Research Conference Proceedings , vol. 2 no.5, pp. 1507-1534. Stanworth, J, Stanworth, C, Watson, A, Purdy, D & Heleas, S 2004, ‘Franchising as a small business growth strategy: a resource-based view of organisational development’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 22 no.3, pp. 539-559. Truitt, W 2006, The corporation, Greenwood Press, Westport. Tuunanen, M & Hyrsky, K 2001, ‘Entrepreneurial paradoxes in business format franchising: an empirical survey of Finnish franchisees’, International Small Business Journal , vol. 19 no. 4, pp. 47-62. Yudoko, G 2012, Sustainable operations strategy; a conceptual framework , ICTOM, Bandung.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The German automotive industry is one of the oldest in the world with over a century of operation.The industry is renowned for the invention of the four-stroke engine (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). The earliest vehicle to be powered by gas was developed by Karl Benz. Thereafter, the copyrighting of the vehicle gave rise to the famous Benz line of automobiles. The automotive industry around the world has borrowed a lot from the German automotive industry in terms of engineering and architecture of automobiles.
The German automotive industry is one of the oldest in the world with over a century of operation. The industry is renowned for the invention of the four-stroke engine (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). The earliest vehicle to be powered by gas was developed by Karl Benz. Thereafter, the copyrighting of the vehicle gave rise to the famous Benz line of automobiles. The automotive industry around the world has borrowed a lot from the German automotive industry in terms of engineering and architecture of automobiles.
German Automotive Industry Report The German automotive industry is one of the oldest in the world with over a century of operation. The industry is renowned for the invention of the four-stroke engine (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). The earliest vehicle to be powered by gas was developed by Karl Benz. Thereafter, the copyrighting of the vehicle gave rise to the famous Benz line of automobiles. The automotive industry around the world has borrowed a lot from the German automotive industry in terms of engineering and architecture of automobiles. Being the forerunners in the automotive industry gives the country a unique and considerable position in the international automotive market. The German vehicle industry is propelled by ten main automobile brands namely Audi, BMW, Daimler, Iveco, Opel, MAN, Neoplan, Porsche, and Volkswagen (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). The automotive business is the largest sector in the German economy that contributes to about 20 percent of Germany’s industry revenue (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). The industry is thus a major employer in the country’s economy. Consequently, the industry employed approximately 712,500 workers as per the 2011 statistics (Ernst &Young 2011). The industry’s contribution to the economy is clear as evidenced by the German government’s commitment to fund research in the sector. In the year 2011, 19.6 billion Euros were committed to the industry’s research and development (Ernst &Young 2011). Consequently, the numerous innovations and inventions that take place regularly in the industry elucidate the magnitude and intensity of the research. The research focuses mainly on the creation of environmentally friendly expertise for old and new technologies in the automotive industry. More than ten new patents on the same are made daily, which has made the country be the most innovative automotive industry worldwide (Germany Trade & Invest 2013). According to Ernst and Young’s European Automotive Survey of senior automobile manufacturer and supplier decision makers, the company led to the ranking of Germany as the most competitive automobile production location globally (2011). The Application of Heckscher and Ohlin Theory to the German Economy The Heckscher and Ohlin theory provides an explanation of international trading patterns, which take into account three factors of production namely land, labour and capital (Gerber 2010). The model thus treats the commodities produced in an economy as products of the three factors. The model assumes that trade often takes part between two countries with different resource endowments (Melitz 2012). As a result, a country imports items that use up too much of its resources and exports those items that it can produce comfortably without using up too many resources. According to the Heckscher and Ohlin theory, Germany has adequate skilled labour especially in the automotive industry. Consequently, the German automotive industry is the most competitive in the world due to the accessibility to factors of production thereby enabling the country to compete favourably with other countries in the international market (Stiftung 2012). Therefore, the country intensifies in the manufacture and export of vehicles to other countries. In addition, there is adequate labour and expertise in the German research industry. As a result, the American automotive industry has established research centres in Germany due to the excellence of the research in the industry. On the other hand, Germany imports labour-intensive items such as crops and other raw materials from countries such as China and Estonia (Leamer 1996). How Germany has Reacted to the Economic Crisis The 2008/2009 global economic crisis left several countries such as Greece economically unstable. During that time of economic downturn, Germany was severely affected by the recession though it recovered rapidly due to an increase in current account surpluses (Carr 2011). The policy styles adopted by Germany are not in line with the European Union policies hence creating complications. These policies are not sustainable in the European Union, which has to review them. Germany’s ownership of a surplus ballooned current account under the Euro is one of the policies that contradict the European Union (World Trade Report 2008). By international standards, the surplus is very high at seven percent of its gross domestic product, which is the highest ever since Germans post-war reconstruction phase (German Council of Economic Experts 2012). Effects of the Crisis on German Economic Policies and Welfare Economic policies are constantly changing to suit dynamic challenges in different countries. After the 2008/2009, crisis German economic policies were altered to ensure the country remained stable. The labour market had to go through changes because a huge population was unemployed. Additionally, the country experienced a decrease in aggregate demand during that period due to unemployment (Burda & Hunt 2011). The federal government at that time had to introduce economic stimulus programs to stabilize the economy (Bibow 2013). The stimulus programs offered employment opportunities as they were mainly related to infrastructure projects, new investments and car-scrap bonus programs (Moravcsik 2012). The policy helped in easing the effects of the recession on the economy as well as protecting the welfare of the citizens. The resulting stability of the labour market assisted in the recovery from the financial crisis. Germany pursued a supply-side biased measure in trading to increase its surplus on current account in order to avoid debts (German Council of Economic Experts 2012). References Bibow, J. 2013, Germany and the euro land crisis: the making of a vulnerable haven . Web. Burda, M. & Hunt, J. 2011, What explains the German labour market miracle in the Great Recession? Web. Carr, E. 2011, The causes: a very short history of the crisis . Web. Ernst & Young 2011, European automotive survey . Web. Gerber, J. 2010, International economics, 5th edn, London, Pearson. German Council of Economic Experts 2012 , Euro area in crisis . Web. Germany Trade & Invest 2013, The automotive industry in Germany . Web. Leamer, E. E. 1996, The Heckscher-Ohlin model in theory and practice . Web. Melitz, K. O. 2012, International economics, 9th edn, Pearson, New Jersey. Moravcsik, A. 2012, “Europe after the crisis: how to sustain a common currency,” Foreign Affairs vol.9 no.3, pp. 54-69. Stiftung, K. A. 2012, The German economy during financial and economic crisis since 2008/2009 . Web. World Trade Report 2008, The causes of trade . Web.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The text discusses how Gillette has been able in marketing its products to men around the world using celebrities.The text discusses how Gillette has been successful in marketing its products to men around the world using celebrities.
The text discusses how Gillette has been able in marketing its products to men around the world using celebrities. The text discusses how Gillette has been successful in marketing its products to men around the world using celebrities.
Gillette Marketing Strategies Analytical Essay Gillette is one of the most successful firms among men’s products, especially in the manufacture and sale of the shavers. This has been attributed to its superior marketing strategies (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 534). The firm has been able to convince its customers that more razorblades are better for them. Its marketing strategies have been focused on its superior double and triple razorblades. This has worked for the company because of a number of reasons. The first reason is the emotional appeal that Ottman (2011, p. 38) says is very important in a market that is very competitive. This firm has been able to achieve emotional appeal to its customers making it a unique product to different people based on the emotions it evokes (Eddie, 2010, p. 480). To a section of its customers, Gillette symbolizes efficiency in shaving because of their argument that their triple blade shavers are three times more efficient than a standard shaver. To another section, Gillette is the ultimate product that can be used when one has limited time. A process that would take six minutes with a standard shaver takes only two minutes. This is so because of the double or triple blades in the shavers as explained in the commercials of this product. As shown in the case study, the marketing unit of Gillette knew that they had to convince their customers that their double blades and triple blades were more effective than the standard products in the market (Roedy & Fisher, 2011, p. 68). The commercial for the triple blade shows a scenario where the three blades work closely in a single shave to ensure that there is no need for a repeat. As mentioned in the case study, Gillette has been able to convince customers that more razorblades are good. However, it is now time to focus on the future of the firm. The firm must be ready to determine the path that will be taken towards achieving future success. For this reason, there is need to determine the best approach that can keep this firm active in the market. The dynamism in the market shows that a firm must be able to change its marketing strategies to remain competitive. The most probable focus should be an emphasis on the efficiency of a single blade. The marketing team should find a way of convincing the customers that although more is still good, each of the blades in the shavers have improved quality, making them more appropriate in shaving. This may help the firm to retain its competitiveness. Gillette has used some of the top celebrities in the world to endorse the brand, making it one of the most popular brands in male products. In fact, this brand has been considered one of the best brands in the market for several years among men’s product. It is important to note that the success of this firm in marketing men around the world using the celebrities is that it seeks to appeal to the emotions of the viewers. The marketing team has been engaged in extensive researches to identify some of the emotional appeals that the firm can use to attract the customers, and one such way of achieving this is to use celebrities (Ryan & Jones, 2012, p. 89). When these celebrities engage in controversies that may tarnish their reputation, then it is important to note that the brand shall also be affected. This is so because the customers associate the celebrity with the products. Their admiration of the celebrity makes them admire the products that he or she endorses. When the celebrity’s fame turns into public hate, then that would be of negative consequences to the firm. Any time the name of the celebrity is mentioned will remind them of the product (Richards & Jones, 2010, p. 310). The hatred that they develop towards the celebrity will also be reflected in the brand. It may be easy to assume that the impact may not be significant enough, but Kotler and Keller (2012, p. 532) warn that this may have devastating impact on a firm’s marketing message. A good example is the case of Tiger Woods and Gillette. For a very long time, Gillette has been using Tiger Woods to endorse its products. Tiger Woods was a respected family man and a top golfer known all over the world. His popularity did not just come out of his skills in golfing. People admired him as one of the top athletes who had stable families and respected their wives. It was on this basis that Gillette considered him an appropriate celebrity to endorse this product. As McLeish (2011, p. 59) says, it is always necessary to choose the best celebrity with as minimal controversies as possible, and this was what this firm was looking for when they settled on Tiger Woods. However, the recent controversy that led to the divorce between Woods and his wife over allegations of extramarital affairs has affected the message the firm was passing using this brand. People no longer see Woods as a perfect family man who is always determined to care for the family. The message that Gillette was trying to bring out using this celebrity was that a caring wife would buy her caring husband a Gillette 3. When it comes out that the ideal husband used in the advert is a cheat, then the message will be lost. Gillette has been successful in marketing for men, but it has always ignored the potential of marketing to women. Narrowing down the market focus is always important when defining the market segment that is the most appropriate to attract (Norzalita & Norjaya, 2010, p. 81). However, many have been asking whether this firm may be in a position to market successfully to women. This is a question that may not have a direct answer because no one can have a precise determination of the future market forces, and how the forces will affect the firm in the market. This means that it is not possible to specify whether Gillette will ever be able to market to the women or not. However, it is important to appreciate that in the current dynamic market, Gillette has not considered women as a potential target for its products. To this company, its products are still focused on offering maximum satisfaction to men in the market. This is the segment that Gillette still feels it can offer maximum satisfaction. As at now, the strategies of Gillette are still focused on appealing to men in the market. However, this may change if it realizes that women can also be part of the important market that its products should attract. To achieve success, there are a number of issues that this firm will need to embrace. It must develop superior marketing strategies that would help it retain the male customers as it seeks to attract female customers. It should ensure that its strategies are in line with the market needs. It must ensure that its adverts are constantly entertaining its audience as it has always been the case. Above all, it must be able to understand the changing marketing trends in the market and find ways of changing its marketing strategies in order to remain relevant in the market (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 533). If the firm fails to achieve this, then it may not be possible to appeal to female customers. The stiff competition and the changing tastes and preferences among the female consumers in the market may pose a serious challenge to Gillette in its efforts to attract female customers. Some of the female consumers strongly believe that this product is meant for men that it may not be easy to convince them to believe that women also stand to benefit from superior of the products. However, the marketing team has the responsibility of ensuring that these female customers are convinced that they too have a share in this firm. However, Ottman (2011, p. 77) warns that in the process of attracting women, care should be taken to avoid a scenario where male customers may feel that their products or brand have been invaded by women. If this happens, they may consider switching allegiance to other brands. References Eddie, J. (2010). Usage, Self-Brand Connection, and Dilution, Journal of Marketing Research, 50 (4), 477-488. Kotler, P. & Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. McLeish, B. (2011). Successful marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations: Winning in the age of the elusive donor . Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Norzalita, A. & Norjaya, M. (2010). Analyzing the Brand Equity and Resonance of Banking Services: Malaysian Consumer Perspective, International Journal of Marketing Studies, 2 (2), 180-185. Ottman, J. A. (2011). The new rules of green marketing: Strategies, tools, and inspiration for sustainable branding . Sheffield: Greenleaf Pub. Richards, K. & Jones, E. (2010). Key Account Management: Adding Elements of Account Fit to an Integrative Theoretical Framework, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 29 (4), 305-320. Roedy, B. & Fisher, D. (2011). What makes business rock: Building the world’s largest global networks . Hoboken Wiley. Ryan, D., & Jones, C. (2012). Understanding digital marketing: Marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation . Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The glass ceiling effect is a phenomenon that occurs when minorities and women are unable to rise to the upper levels of an organization, regardless of their qualifications or achievements. This paper focuses on the gap in literature on the glass ceiling effect and discusses how it may be affecting the overall quality and productivity in the workplace.
The glass ceiling effect is a phenomenon that occurs when minorities and women are unable to rise to the upper levels of an organization, regardless of their qualifications or achievements. This paper focuses on the gap in literature on the glass ceiling effect and discusses how it may be affecting the overall quality and productivity in the workplace.
Glass Ceiling in a Workplace Report Abstract Recognizing the implication of failure to manage organizational diversity, many organizations endeavor to provide equal job opportunities and career development through upward mobility practices that do not segregate employees based on their demographic and psychographic differences. However, cases of glass ceiling are still common in corporations across the globe. The current research discusses the concept of glass ceiling. It identifies its potential relationship with the overall quality and productivity in the workplace. Although the research findings are backed by qualitative data, they indicate that low overall quality and productivity in organizations that employ high number of minorities and women may be attributed to the glass ceiling effect. Introduction Despite their well-designed policies for managing diversity, organizations continue to experience the glass ceiling effect. Buckalew, Konstantinopoulos, Russell, and El-Sherbini (2012) define glass ceiling as “the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper ranks of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” (p.145). Management literature contends that embracing the concept of effective management of organizational diversity, including ensuring equality and equity, may help to curtail the glass ceiling effect. However, it is not yet known why women and some minorities continue to have a low upward mobility in corporate ladder across the globe, despite the effective deployment of principles of equity and equality in organizations that employ people from diverse backgrounds (Wilson, 2014). This paper focuses on this gap in literature on the glass ceiling effect. The rest of the paper is divided into three main sections. The first section presents the foundational framework, including a statement of research objectives and research framework or methodology. The second section presents a literature review on glass ceiling effect in organizations by referring to the latest peer reviewed journal articles. Section three offers the implication of the research for managers. It also incorporates recommendations for organizations that are experiencing the glass ceiling effect. Research objectives Research objectives specify the purpose of conducting a research. The objective of the current research is to discuss how the glass ceiling may exist in a workplace. It also objects to discuss the significance of glass ceiling on the overall quality of an organization. Research framework Research can be designed to deploy primary or secondary resources. The current research relies on secondary data to discuss the concept of glass ceiling in modern organizations. The search is conducted through online credible libraries. Various scholars prescribe certain characteristics that a qualitative research must meet for its results and recommendations to arrive at effective resolution of the stated problem. For this reason, the methodology that is deployed in the current research needs to have some specific characteristics, which include credibility, reliability, use of rigorous methods and verification, validity and clarity, and coherence in reporting. The current research needs to portray a high degree of internal and external validity for the recommendations and implications to hold substance in organizations. Internal validity implies the degree of truth of various claims that are raised in the research and the existing variables. On the other hand, external validity implies the degree to which the findings can be generalized. The method that is utilized in a qualitative research needs to aid researchers to attain optimal levels of validity of their study for their work to add a significant knowledge to the body of knowledge they seek to amplify, which in this case is the status of the glass ceiling in organizations. Since this research is designed to be a secondary research, validity encompasses a significant issue given that secondary materials are adopted from researches that were done in the past whose findings may be outdated. However, this challenge is dealt with by careful selection of the secondary materials for analysis. The research only draws from researches that have been done in the past three years. To enhance reliability of the secondary materials in making recommendations and research implications, only peer reviewed articles are used in the research. Literature review Multinational organizations employ people from diverse backgrounds. This observation implies that organizational diversity is a key characteristic of such organizations. One of critical aspects to consider in addressing the challenges of diversity management entails resolution of the issues of glass ceiling (Wilson, 2014). Organizational diversity refers to the myriads of differences that exist among people who work in an organization with regard to parameters such as sexual characteristics, race, societal principles, maturity, income levels, work experience, parental status, spiritual viewpoints, civilization, religion, and physical abilities among others (Wilson, 2014). Given that failure to manage organizational workforce diversity may lead to a negative impairment of its performance in the short and long run, the challenge of workforce diversity management is a critical problem that every organization that seeks to go global needs to address proactively. Cook and Glass (2014) define various elements that fuel the existence of glass ceiling inequality within a corporation. An organization needs to uphold racial and/or gender differences (Cook & Glass, 2014). This claim suggests that employee professional qualifications fail to explain the policies that are deployed in the promotion and allocation of job responsibilities in a corporation. Glass ceiling is also characterized by the existence of “a gender or racial difference that is greater at higher levels than the lower levels of an outcome” (Cook & Glass, 2014, p.1081). This situation destroys organizational quality of workforce output, and in this extent the productivity of an organization. Glass ceiling also manifests itself in severer ways in corporations when inequality rises when people advance in their careers. Hence, irrespective of employee efforts whose upward mobility is restricted by promotion inequalities, they still find themselves in one hierarchical position in the career development ladder. Russo and Hassink (2012) contend with this position by adding that glass ceiling is also characterized by “a gender or racial inequality in the chances of advancement into higher levels, not merely the proportions of each gender or race that is currently at such higher levels” (p.892). Glass ceiling is positively linked with gender. Russo and Hassink’s (2012) expositions indicate that irrespective of their qualification levels, minorities and women who form part of organizational diversity still experience challenges in advancing their career ladder in corporate settings in comparison with other groups of people. In the US, the Equal Pay Act finished the behavior of giving male workers higher salaries relative to what female workers get for parallel employment positions. However, amid such efforts, some women and minorities still feel that they are discriminated in the workplace. In Australia, a research by the Australian Human Rights Commission indicated about 49 percent of women claimed they were discriminated in terms of parental leaves, upon returning to work from leaves and/or pregnancy period (Xiu & Gunderson, 2014). More of this discrimination (35%) was likely when returning to work (Xiu & Gunderson, 2014). Common discriminations include denial of flexible working schedule to take care of familial responsibilities and unfair treatment on returning to work from parental leaves. The level of upward mobility in careers is also lower among minorities and women in the US (Cook & Glass, 2014). This situation may create the perception among minorities and women that they are less important in organizational processes compared to groups whose probability of upward mobility in their careers in corporate settings is higher. Consistent with the above assertion, an increasing number of scholarly studies reveal that a direct correlation exists between worker turnout, career performance, devotion, and discernment of being valuable resources of an organization. For instance, according to Cook and Glass (2014), “if the management and team members fail to value women and minorities, company productivity will likely suffer as a consequence” (p.1086). This finding infers that low perception of the significance of minorities and women in an organization due to the glass-ceiling element influences organizational productivity and quality of work. How does the glass-ceiling element occur? Glass ceiling comprises various indistinguishable obstructions (the glass) via which minorities and female potential workers are capable of identifying prestigious positions in corporations, but have a low probability of accessing them. Cook and Glass (2014) describe the reduced chances as the ceiling effect. The barriers ensure that women and minorities do not have access to any prestigious or highly paying job within an organization. This situation has the effect of developing the perception that women and minorities do not possess the necessary attributes of taking up such jobs. The feeling of worthiness that comes with perception has negative ramifications of their productivity and keenness, which are essential for quality production of goods and services (Russo & Hassink, 2012). These negative results have the implication of influencing the level of job satisfaction for employees who experience the glass ceiling. Several factors contribute to job dissatisfaction. For instance, personal dissatisfaction occurs due to “compensation issues, job security, job autonomy, and relationships with supervisors among other reasons” (Jones, 2012, p.78). Job satisfaction concerns within organizations have traditionally been approached from the theoretical paradigm that work approval and performance are related. The implication is that if employees are happy about their working situations, they portray higher efficiency and effectiveness levels. In this context, Jones (2012) asserts, “Over the years, many employers and employees alike have held to this belief, and placed a great deal of emphasis on making sure that employees are satisfied with their jobs to trigger the desired outcome” (p.79). The preferred result is dependent on the goals and objectives of an organization. In the service sector industry, preferred results may include service rate and service quality. In organizations that deal essentially with production, preferred results encompass an increase in productivity levels accruing from quality products and/or production capacity. The general contention in the research on job satisfaction and organizational success is that satisfied employees have the capacity to produce and deliver higher-quality products and services. When the performance of an organization is measured from the context of productivity levels, it implies that job satisfaction has a direct correlation with quality and the overall organizational productivity. According to Buckalew et al., (2012), glass ceiling has the effect of lowering the level of job fulfillment amongst women and minorities who experience the inequality. Theoretically, a correlation may exist between glass ceiling and the overall organizational quality. Job satisfaction depends on whether workers like or hate what they do. With the perception that a corporation is reluctant to consider one for a position that he or she is most suited in terms of prestige, it is unlikely that one will be contended with what he or she does. Workers may love their jobs, but not their organizational work environment. Qualification and expertise levels influence the perception of the best-suited environment for any individual. This observation suggests that glass ceiling fails to match the qualification and expertise levels of people with some jobs and the environment in which they are done. For the nature of job to satisfy the workers, Wilson (2014) holds that employees evaluate the role they are expected to play, the amount they earn, how they relate internally, and the mechanisms of control and endorsements. Since glass ceiling has the effect of placing some minorities and women in low-ranking jobs, they experience inequality in the amount of pay and denial of an opportunity to form relationships with people who belong to their educational and expatriate caliber (Xiu & Gunderson, 2014). From the perspectives of the pay levels, satisfaction with salary and wages depends on the amount that employees feel they deserve to earn in relation to their present pay and/or in the context of their educational and experience levels. Xiu and Gunderson (2014) illustrate that earning lower than one expects leads to automatic dissatisfaction as opposed to earning higher than what one anticipates. The dimension in which people look at the nature of jobs may influence their performance. As revealed before, job satisfaction is realizable differently based on individual worker’s interest in a certain component of a job. Inequality that is brought about by glass ceiling constitutes one of such factors that have negative ramifications on the quality and overall job productivity. Organizations, which still have high prevalence for glass ceiling in their workplaces, are likely to plunge into expensive lawsuits and out-of-court settlements that are largely contributed by poor management of various talent tools. Additionally, such organizations are susceptible to costs that are linked to replacement of employees due to turnover and poor promotion practices (Russo & Hassink, 2012). In case an organization comprises people of varying ethnicities and/or higher proportions of women as compared to the average general industry, a question comes up concerning how reconciliation of differences among employees can be achieved without causing undue friction during every day employee interactions. Friction may occur due to conflicts that arise when a less qualified person is promoted at the expense of a more qualified woman or any person from the minority group. This observation implies that the perception of discrimination in promotion policies may lower the productivity or quality of work that is delivered due to reduced work morale. Implications for management Productivity and quality of services and goods that are offered for sale in the global marketplace are incredibly important for an organization that seeks to gain a competitive advantage in a market of excessive production and increasing competition. This research identifies glass ceiling as one of factors that lower the overall quality and employee productivity, especially where an organization may possess talented women and people from minority communities. Such people may be holding the necessary organizational vision, although they do not gain access to upward mobility in their career ladder. In this extent, this research has some significant implications for management. In any organization, it needs to consider reviewing policies that influence glass ceiling to eliminate inequalities as way of encouraging the deployment of employees as sources of competitive advantage. Glass ceiling constitutes one of the factors that hinder an organization from taking full advantage of all employees’ talent potential and managerial capabilities by segregating women and minorities from competing equally with others for prestigious job positions. Wilson (2014) asserts that many of the issues that cause friction in the organization are mainly attributed to perspectives of minority and majority workforce differences. Thus, the management has the responsibility of establishing policies with the intention of implementing them to prohibit glass ceiling. Indeed, some organizations that experience glass ceiling have policies that prohibit it. However, the intention to implement them in practice constitutes the main challenge. Implications for research The current research reviews scholarly works on the overall quality and productivity of an organization and glass ceiling in an effort to establish a likely relationship between the two. Although the discussions of the research ascertain the possibility of correlation between the two, it is not backed up by empirical data. Consequently, a room exists for measuring the degree of the correlation between the two variables by conducting a primary research using empirical data from organizations that encounter cases of glass ceiling. Any empirical research begins by conducting a study on the existence of a research problem. The current research has sought to identify and evidence the likelihood of experiencing low overall quality and productivity in corporations due to the glass ceiling effect. Additional research can help in establishing a significant level of the effects of glass ceiling on the overall quality and productivity of organizations in different industries and subsectors. Recommendations Upon considering that organizations need to build their competitive advantage by deploying people as the most important resources, it is important to utilize every talent potential and employee expertise in building a success story. In this extent, it is recommended that organizations consider evaluating their policies to identify cases of glass ceiling and/or adopt appropriate strategies for their elimination. A recommended standard practice to achieve this goal entails setting up a leadership upward mobility evaluation program for the employees within the HR department. Their success in eliminating inequalities that are attributed to glass ceiling can help in increasing the overall quality of an organization through increased effort by women and minorities in a bid to acquire promotions such programs develop benchmarks for low-ranking minority and talented women workers. Conclusion Development of a plausible knowledge on glass ceiling and its effects by today’s management professionals is crucial in the redefinition of new strategic direction for organizations that experience low overall quality and productivity. Many issues that are encountered in the work environment prompt intolerance concerning the differences that characterize workers. However, this problem can be solved using the approach of workforce diversity management. Embracing workforce diversity also means providing equal opportunities for upward mobility for all employees, despite their gender, racial, or ethnic backgrounds, by putting in place policies, which are backed up by clear intention of implementing them to prevent glass ceiling. Reference List Buckalew, E., Konstantinopoulos, A., Russell, J., & El-Sherbini, S. (2012). The Future of Female CEOs and their Glass Ceiling. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 3 (4), 145-153. Cook, A., & Glass, C. (2014). Above The Glass Ceiling: When Women and Racial/ Ethnic Minorities Promoted to CEO. Strategic Management Journal, 35 (7), 1080-1089. Jones, D. (2012). Which is a better predictor of job performance: Job satisfaction or life satisfaction? Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 15 (6), 77-97. Russo, G., & Hassink, W. (2012). Multiple Glass Ceiling. Industrial Relations, 51 (4), 892-915. Wilson, E. (2014). Diversity, Culture and the Glass Ceiling. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 21 (3), 83-89. Xiu, L., & Gunderson, M. (2014). Glass Ceiling or Sticky Floor? Quintile Regression Decomposition of the Gender Pay Gap in China . International Labor, 35 (3), 306-326.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The text compares and contrasts the cultural elements and dimensions of Chile and the US, highlighting how they affect business. It discusses the choice of a country and why the author chose Chile. It also talks about the major elements and dimensions of culture in the region and how they are integrated by locals conducting business in the nation.
The text compares and contrasts the cultural elements and dimensions of Chile and the US, highlighting how they affect business. It discusses the choice of a country and why the author chose Chile. It also talks about the major elements and dimensions of culture in the region and how they are integrated by locals conducting business in the nation.
Global Business Cultural Analysis: Chile Analytical Essay The Choice of a Country Chile My choice of a country is Chile. Today the Chilean government is oriented to search for foreign investment providing capital for the economic development of the country (Doing Business in Chile 2008). What I wish to learn This is why I am interested to learn about the business climate in Chile, the cultural and social lifestyle, its impact on business, the kind of people that inhabit Chile and business manners and etiquette there. What Are the Major Elements and Dimensions of Culture in the Region? Culture A social research conducted in Chile designed to collect information about the local culture in its relation to business making process showed very high level of uncertainty avoidance in the Chilean society (Chile Business Etiquette, Culture & Manners 2012). This dimension stands for the social desire to reduce the level of probability of unexpected outcomes. Chileans do not like facing uncertain future; this is why their state is based on strict and clear policies, laws and rules. All of these regulations are adopted and carefully followed. Besides, the research has pointed out the low level of individualism in the Chilean society, which makes Chilean people collectivists fond of being parts of their groups. Religion Another highly important element of culture in Chile is religion. The majority of citizens there are Catholic. Religion is an immense part of the Chilean lifestyle. How Are These Elements and Dimensions Integrated by Locals Conducting Business in the Nation? The Chilean collectivism is very noticeable in the connections and the status of an “insider” all businessmen there are so proud of (Doing Business in Chile 2014). Whenever someone has an issue, there always will be a friend, who knows a person who can help with that issue. Besides, a western businessman attending business meetings in Chile should not be surprised that the negotiators may stand very close to each other and touch each other’s arms, shoulders or elbows while talking (Doing Business in Chile 2013). These are the ways Chilean collectivism penetrates business relations. Chile has strong social security levels for all employees. Besides, Chile has signed social security agreements with many countries of Europe, North and South America and Australia (Doing Business in Chile 2011). This is the reflection of the high level of Chilean uncertainty avoidance. Chilean Cultural Elements and Dimensions Compared with US Business and Culture First of all, the US is a multicultural state. Its main difference from Chile is the absence of majorly homogenous society practicing the same religion and belonging to the same culture. Besides, American people since childhood are raised to be individualistic (Koch 2013). They are taught to follow their own goals and walk their own special ways, whereas Chileans enjoy sticking to collectivist values and work in groups. At the same time people of the United States are similar to the Chilean citizens in their high social level of uncertainty avoidance. Social security in business and at the workplace is highly important to the American employees and managers. Business organizations in the US encourage their workers with the benefits of social security creating comfortable and reliable workplaces. What Are the Implications for US Businesses That Wish to Conduct Business in That Region? The businessmen from the US doing business in Chile must be aware of all the cultural differences waiting for them at the meetings and negotiations with the Chileans. People of Chile like to follow rules and regulations, which should be respected by the foreigners. Before coming to Chile the negotiators have to learn the important etiquette norms and manners thoroughly. A business built in a collectivist society must be based on group work and collaboration, because these are the things Chilean people are naturally good at. Reference List Chile Business Etiquette , Culture & Manners (2012). Web. Doing Business in Chile (2008). PWC . Web. Doing Business in Chile (2011). Opportunidades . Web. Doing Business in Chile (2013). Kwintessential . Web. Doing Business in Chile (2014). South America . Web. Koch, R. (2013). Is Individualism Good or Bad? Web.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The text discusses the expansion of Beyond Bank Australia into Doha, Qatar as part of its strategy to achieve growth and profit maximisation. The bank's management team believes that internationalisation will enable the firm to achieve its growth and profit targets as it has a wide range of opportunities available in the foreign market.
The text discusses the expansion of Beyond Bank Australia into Doha, Qatar as part of its strategy to achieve growth and profit maximisation. The bank's management team believes that internationalisation will enable the firm to achieve its growth and profit targets as it has a wide range of opportunities available in the foreign market.
Global Expansion of Beyond Bank Australia into Doha, Qatar, Asia Report Introduction Background information Beyond Bank is a firm that operates in the Australian banking industry. The bank ranks as one of the largest customer-owned banks in Australia. The bank’s headquartered are located at the Australian Capital Territory in South Australia. The bank has undergone significant changes with regard to its operations and structure. Initially, the bank operated as a credit union under the name Community CPS Australia. However, the firm transformed its structure into a mutual bank in 2013 through a merger between CPS Credit Union Cooperative Limited and Commonwealth Public Servants Credit Union. In an effort to provide its banking services to a large number of customers in Australia, Beyond Bank has established a number of branches in different territories in Australia such as New South Wales. Currently, Beyond Bank has established 49 branches and it has a total human resource base of 600 employees. Beyond Bank is committed to increasing its customer base in order to achieve a high level of financial stability. It is estimated that the bank had a total customer base of 195,000 by the end of 2013. Subsequently, the bank has managed to improve its financial stability with its total assets estimated to amount to $4 billion. Furthermore, the bank has increased its shareholding to 202,000. In an effort to meet the customers’ needs, Beyond Bank has diversified its product and service portfolio. The bank offers diverse services such as business banking and personal banking. Other financial services that the firm offers to its customers include term deposits, accounting and tax services, insurance, and loans. Furthermore, Beyond Bank provides customers with financial planning services. In the course of its operations, Beyond Bank is committed towards achieving a high level of prosperity. Subsequently, the bank has developed an effective distribution network by developing a comprehensive network of over 3,000 automated teller machines. Moreover, the bank has developed a strong working relationship with various community groups in an effort to achieve social sustainability through corporate social responsibility ( Beyond Bank Australia 2014). The firm seeks to achieve its growth and profit maximisation targets. In a bid to achieve this goal, the firm’s management team appreciates the importance of integrating the concept of internationalisation in its strategic management practices. Pride and Ferrell (2006) argue that internationalisation enables a firm to achieve its profit maximisation and growth objective. This assertion emanates from the view that venturing into the international market presents an organisation with a wide range of opportunities. Sandhusen (2008) asserts that the intensity of competition in the foreign market might be lower as compared to the local market. Therefore, there is a high probability of a firm maximising its profits by exploiting the prevailing market opportunities is relatively high. This goal can be achieved by adopting diverse growth strategies in the international market such as new product development. Moreover, an organisation may decide to market its existing products in the new market. Currently, the Beyond Bank’s operations are mainly based in Australia. The firm has identified Qatar as one of the most viable investment destinations in its market expansion efforts. Currently, Beyond Bank has not established its presence in Asia. Qatar is ranked amongst the fastest growing economies in the Gulf region. The growth has arisen from the adoption of effective economic policies such as liberalisation of various economic sectors. Additionally, Qatar has adopted effective economic policies such as formation of free zones. This move has played a remarkable role in enhancing trade with other countries. Moreover, Qatar has entered various free trading agreements with other GCC countries. Qatar is experiencing a high rate of economic growth in most of its economic sectors. The financial services sector is ranked amongst the fastest growing economic sectors in the country. A report released by the Qatar National Bank (2013) ranked the Qatar banking industry as the fastest growing amongst the GCC banking sector and the growth rate was estimated to be 18.4% by June 2013. Furthermore, the report asserts that the industry will experience a high rate of growth arising from the government’s efforts to stimulate economic growth in an effort to restore the country’s economic status, which was affected adversely by the 2008 global economic recession ( Qatar National Bank 2013). Objective This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the internationalisation strategies that Beyond Bank should adopt in its effort to improve its market presence in Asia. The report specifically focuses on Qatar as the potential foreign expansion destination. During its initial market entry phase, Beyond Bank intends to establish its physical presence in Doha before expanding to other regions of Qatar. The report is intended to illustrate how Beyond Bank’s management team can successfully penetrate the Qatar banking industry. The report is organised into a number of sections, which include an illustration of company situation, an analysis of the target market, and evaluation of the market entry strategies that the firm should adopt. Finally, a number of recommendations that the firm should consider in its operations in the host country are outlined. Analysis of the target market [Qatar] The decision to target Qatar arises from the high potential for growth as illustrated by the industry structure. Currently, Qatar has 18 banks, which are located in different parts of the country. The chart below illustrates the constitution of Qatar banking industry. Type of Bank Number Commercial banks 6 Islamic banks 4 Foreign banks 7 Government owned bank [Qatar Development Bank] 1 Table 1 – number of banks in Australia Source: (Austrade 2011) The Qatar banking industry has experienced significant increment in the volume of deposits over the past few years. For example in 2012, total deposits increased by a 26% margin and this trend further continued in 2013 whereby deposits increased by a further 17% total ( Qatar National Bank 2013). This growth was largely associated with growth in the public sector. Moreover, the private sector has also contributed significantly to the industry’s growth. For example, the volume of deposits from the private sector increased by 16% in 2012 ( Qatar National Bank 2013). Qatar banks have experienced a significant improvement in their ratings over the past few years. This aspect illustrates the effectiveness with which the banks have implemented corporate governance concepts. Furthermore, the high rating is an illustration of the Qatar government’s commitment in creating an environment conducive for investment in the banking industry. The rating by major rating agencies such as Standard’s & Poors, Capital Intel, Fitch and Moody’s has improved their ability to access the international bond markets. The chart below illustrates the rating of the top 5 banks in Qatar ( Qatar National Bank 2013). Standard & Poors Moody’s Fitch Capital Intel Doha Bank A- A2 A A Masraf Al Rayan A2 Qatar Investment Bank A Qatar National Bank A+ Aa3 A+ AA- Commercial Bank A- A1 A A Table 2 – rating of major banks in Qatar Source; ( Qatar National Bank 2013). The Qatar banking industry has also been characterised by significant increment in the level of profitability. For example, during the first half of 2013, the industry experienced an 8.9% increment in the level of profits. The industry is expected to sustain its profitability in 2014 due to the high infrastructure spending by the national government. Subsequently, there is a high probability of banks in the industry experiencing significant opportunity with regard to credit growth. The table below illustrates the trend in the industry’s profitability during the period ranging between 2008 and June 2013 ( Qatar National Bank 2013). Year Growth rate % 2008 2.8 2009 2.8 2010 3.5 2011 4.3 2012 4.6 2013 (H1) 2.4 Table 3: profit growth amongst banks in Qatar Graph 1 Source- ( Qatar National Bank 2013) SWOT analysis Kazmi (2008) argues that businesses are subject to the environment in which they operate. Subsequently, it is imperative for organisational managers to develop a broad understanding of the prevailing environments. Since its inception, Beyond Bank has been committed to managing its internal and external environments. The chart below illustrates the degree to which Beyond Bank has managed its internal and external environments by illustrating the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths Financial stability: Beyond Bank Australia has achieved financial stability by focusing on profit maximisation and growth. By the end of 2013, the total assets under its management amounted to $4 billion ( Beyond BankAustralia 2014) Weaknesses Networks: Beyond Bank has adopted an effective distribution strategy by establishing over 3,000 Automated Teller Machines, and 49 branches in different parts of Australia. This has played a significant role in improving the bank’s ability to access a large number of customers in the local market. Competition; the bank is facing intense competition in both its local and international markets. Some of the top competitors in the local market include National Australia Bank Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Australia New Zealand Banking Group Limited. Human resource base: the bank has developed a well-qualified and efficient workforce, which increases the firm’s effectiveness in offering quality customer services. The firm has a total human resource base of over 600 employees. Distribution – the bank’s outlets and ATMs are still fewer as compared to those of its competitors. Customer base : Beyond Bank enjoys a relatively high customer base of over 195,000 customers. These customers have played a fundamental role in enhancing the firm’s level of profitability and market expansion. Corporate social responsibility – Beyond Bank Australia is ranked as the leading customer-owned banks in Australia. The bank has integrated the concept of corporate social responsibility by developing a strong working relationship with community-based organisations. Subsequently, the bank has achieved a high level of sustainability with regard to the social dimension. Opportunities Threats Global expansion; the firm can deal with this challenge by expanding into the international market. The bank should target emerging economies in order to leverage on the economic growth of these countries. Economic environment ; the worsening economic environment in New Zealand and Australia presents a major challenge in the firm’s ability to achieve its profit maximisation objective. Technology : the banking industry has experienced significant changes due to the high rate of technological changes. Subsequently, the bank should consider improving its operational efficiency and level of customer service by investing in new banking technologies. This aspect will enhance Beyond Bank ability to develop new banking products. Legal environment; regulatory changes such as the imposition of credit limits can affect the bank’s ability to offer efficient financial services to customers. Customer focus ; Beyond Bank Australia can achieve a high level of market growth by adopting effective customer focus strategies in its service delivery. Fraud: the bank’s credibility might be affected by occurrence of fraud and money laundering, which are on the increase in the banking industry (Mitchell & Satter 2013) Table 4- Beyond Bank Australia SWOT analysis Company situation analysis Company strategies Strategy formulation is vital in organisations’ efforts to achieve long-term success (Carroll & Buchholtz 2014). Subsequently, failure to implement effective strategies can affect an organisation’s ability to achieve its goals. Carroll and Buchholtz (2014, p.129) further assert, ‘Firms have several levels at which strategic decisions are made, or the strategy process occurs’. These strategies range from formulation of goals, vision, and mission to high risk strategies involving high degree of uncertainty. Organisational managers should consider different levels of strategy in their strategic management practices and they include corporate, business, and functional level strategies. The functional-level strategies aim at improving an organisation’s operations at different levels of operation. On the other hand, corporate level strategies are concerned with developing a comprehensive definition of how a firm intends to achieve long-term business sustainability, and thus they enhance an organisation’s ability to achieve business growth and long-term profitability (Saee 2007). Some of the main corporate level strategies adopted by businesses include formation of mergers, divestitures, and acquisitions (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt 2008). Business level strategies aim at ensuring that an organisation achieves the desired market position and competitive advantage. Additionally, business-level strategies focus at ensuring that an organisation is effective in responding to market changes. Subsequently, business level strategies enable organisations to achieve a high degree of operational efficiency in coordinating and uniting the functional level strategies. Beyond Bank Australia has integrated the aforementioned levels in its strategy formulation process. In its functional level, Beyond Bank Australia has integrated three main departments, which include personal banking, corporate banking, and business banking departments. By integrating these functional levels, Beyond Bank has achieved a high degree of operational efficiency and effectiveness. Business level strategies In its pursuit for competitive advantage, Beyond Bank has adopted two main business level strategies, which include differentiation and focus strategies. Customer focus The firm’s focus strategy is illustrated by its commitment to serve a large number of customer groups. Subsequently, it must develop a broad product portfolio in order to meet the customers’ needs. Moreover, the broad range of products provides the firm with a high degree of flexibility to serve the target customer groups efficiently. Beyond Bank Australia intends to increase and sustain its customer base by offering a broad range of financial products per customer group. The firm mainly focuses on three main products, which include insurance, wealth, and deposits. In an effort to develop a strong customer base, Beyond Bank Australia has adopted a comprehensive sustainability strategy, which entails assisting its customers to attain sustainable financial future in an environment that is characterised by a high rate of economic changes. For example, the bank assists its customers in managing their wealth by offering different asset management services ( Beyond Bank Australia 2014). In an effort to achieve a high level of efficiency in its operation, Beyond Bank Australia has established a number of subsidiaries, which include: 1. Beyond Bank Australia Wealth Management 2. Beyond Taxation Services 3. Beyond Business and Accounting Services Each of the above subsidiaries specialises in a specific area of operation. For example, Eastwoods Wealth Management Pty Limited specialises in provision of financial planning services. On the other hand, Eastwood Accounting and Taxation Pty Limited specialises in provision of accounting and taxation services. The bank has established three main divisions, which offer financial services to specific customer groups in its New Zealand, Australian, and near pacific markets. The first group includes the Australian Financial Services, which is responsible for offering business and retail financial services. Differentiation strategy Schermerhorn (2010) asserts that differentiation is achieved by offering customers’ unique products and services. In an effort to attract and retain a large number of customers, Beyond Bank Australia has also integrated the concept of differentiation, as evidenced by its digital innovation projects. The projects aim at ensuring that the customers’ personal information is adequately protected. This has been achieved by implementing an ePayment Code, whose purpose is to regular electronic payment. The ePayment Code ensures that the customers’ transactions through mobile, ATMs, internet and eftpos platforms are protected ( Beyond Bank Australia 2014) Corporate level strategies In an effort to achieve its desired level of growth and competitiveness, Beyond Bank has integrated the concept of mergers and acquisition in its strategic management practices. In 2013, CPS Credit Union Cooperative Limited merged with Commonwealth Public Servants Credit Union leading to formation of Beyond Bank Australia. The Australian banking industry is characterised by a relatively high degree of rivalry arising from the large number of competitors. Currently, there are 56 banks [both local and foreign] established in Australia. The chart below illustrates the intensity of competition in the Australian banking industry. Figure 1 – summary of Porter’s five forces; Australian banking industry Source: (Austrade 2011) Internationalisation and global expansion Internationalisation strategy into Qatar The above analysis shows that there is a high potential for growth in the Qatar banking industry. In a bid to exploit this market opportunity, Beyond Bank should consider adopting the most effective market entry strategy. Levi (2006) argues that selection of the mode of entry is subject to a number of factors, which include 1. The level of competition in the foreign market 2. The company size with regard to its financial and asset base. 3. Nature of the product or service being offered by the firm 4. Goal of the company in the international market 5. The prevailing trade barriers The above analysis identifies Qatar as a potential investment destination as illustrated by the intensity of competition and lack of trade barriers. Furthermore, an analysis of Beyond Bank Australia shows that the bank has developed a substantial asset and financial base. Furthermore, the firm intends to increase its profitability by venturing into new markets. Below is an analysis of the internationalisation strategies that the firm should consider. Direct investment Beyond Bank Australia should consider adopting the concept of foreign direct investment in its market entry. This strategy will entail establishing new branches in Doha, Qatar. One of the major benefits of adopting this strategy is that the firm will have total control of the operations of the new branch. Through direct acquisition, the bank will be in a position to develop quick access in Qatar due to the already established market network. Furthermore, direct acquisition will present the firm with a high probability of success due to the low degree of risk involved compared to Greenfield investment. Klug (2006) argues that Greenfield investment in a foreign country is risky because of the high costs involved despite the view that the firm has full control of the firm. Furthermore, gaining free enterprise in the host country through Greenfield market entry method will take a substantial amount of time. This assertion arises from the view that the firm will be required to establish its own distribution networks and setup operations from the scratch. Therefore, the firm might experience competitive challenges during its initial market entry phase from the already established firms. Joint ventures and strategic alliances Beyond Bank Australia should also consider investing in joint ventures in order to improve the effectiveness with which it penetrates the Qatar banking industry. The firm should identify a potential local bank in Qatar whereby it can purchase major shares, which will lead to the establishment of a new entity. Through the joint venture, Beyond Bank Australia will have substantial control power. Subsequently, the bank will make operation and investment decisions. In addition to control, joint ventures will provide the bank with an opportunity to access sufficient knowledge of the local market. Moreover, Beyond Bank Australia will improve its competitive advantage by enhancing the prevailing network of relationships ( KPMG 2013). Furthermore, the firm should consider integrating the concept of a strategic alliance by identifying a potential local firm with whom the alliance should be made. For example, the firm should identify a potential firm offering Islamic banking products in Qatar to increase its product portfolio by developing a new Islamic financial product (Hossain 2009). Conclusion and recommendations The report shows that Beyond Bank has managed to develop a strong market presence in Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, the firm has entered some Asian markets such as China and Asia. However, the firm has not fully penetrated the Asian market. Subsequently, it is imperative for the firm to conduct a comprehensive market research in order to identify potential markets to enter. One of the markets that the firm should consider entering is Qatar, which is one of the emerging economies in the GCC region. The Qatar banking industry has experienced significant growth over the past few years. The growth has arisen from increment in the rate of government spending on infrastructural projects. The appropriateness of the Qatar banking industry is further enhanced by the view that the intensity of competition is relatively low. Subsequently, the firm should consider investing in Qatar in an effort to achieve its growth and profit maximisation goals. However, the firm’s success in Qatar will be determined by the effectiveness with which it undertakes the internationalisation process. The firm’s management team should consider the following aspects. Merger and acquisition To improve the likelihood of succeeding, the firm should identify a local bank in the host country that it can acquire. However, the firm should conduct a comprehensive analysis of the targeted firm for acquisition in order to determine its efficacy. For example, the bank should conduct a cultural analysis of the identified firm in order to determine the degree of cultural fit between the two firms. Previous studies show that most mergers and acquisitions fail due to lack of effective cultural analysis in order to determine the degree of cultural fit. Beyond Bank Australia should compare its organisational culture with that of the targeted firm to aid in determining the degree of congruence between the two firm’s cultures. A high degree of cultural fit will minimise the likelihood of the firm experiencing conflict amongst employees after the merger. Consequently, the likelihood of Beyond Bank succeeding in its integration phase will improve significantly. Strategic partnerships It is imperative for the firm’s management team to consider entering strategic alliance with already established an already established bank in Qatar. This move will provide the bank with an opportunity to penetrate the host market effectively and efficiently by leveraging on the strategic partners’ distribution network. Subsequently, it is imperative for the Beyond Bank’s management team to identify the most effective strategic partners. Some of the aspects that the firm should identify relates to the target firm’s distribution network, corporate governance, and quality of products. New product development To succeed in Qatar, Beyond Bank should identify the prevailing market opportunity that it can easily exploit in order to maximise its profitability. The analysis shows that Beyond Bank has managed to develop a substantial competitive advantage due to its strong financial base. However, it is important for the firm’s management team to consider leveraging on its financial capability in the international market. Subsequently, the firm should invest in a comprehensive consumer and competitor market research. Consumer market research will aid in understanding the customers’ needs and expectations. On the other hand, competitor market research will aid in identifying market gaps that the firm can exploit. One of the areas the areas that the firm should consider relates to the types of Islamic products offered by local banks. Subsequently, the firm will attract new customer groups hence increasing its profitability. Organisational culture The success of Beyond Bank in its target market will be subject to the organisational culture developed. Therefore, it is imperative for the firm’s management team to nurture an efficient and effective organisational culture. Some of the aspects that the management team should take into account include adopting a flatter organisational structure. This move will improve the effectiveness with which decisions are made and hence the likelihood of the firm exploiting the prevailing market opportunities. Distribution network The report shows that the bank has established over 1,400 outlets globally. Upon entering the Qatar banking industry, Beyond Bank Australia should consider increasing its market presence by establishing additional retail outlets. This move will improve the effectiveness with which the firm offers financial services to a large number of customer groups. Customer service The bank’s ability to attract and retain customers in the host country and hence its long-term survival will be determined by the quality of services’ profits. Subsequently, it is imperative for Beyond Bank Australia to invest in a comprehensive customer service program by developing an employee training and development program in order to improve the level of their skills and knowledge on how to serve customers. One of the aspects that the firm should focus on relates to the host country’s culture. Furthermore, the firm should focus on developing a strong customer relationship in order to improve the level of loyalty. Previous studies conducted show that the quality of banking services provided has a significant influence on the level of customer loyalty developed. Reference List Austrade: Australia banking industry 2011. Web. Beyond Bank Australia: At Beyond Bank Australia, we’re the other way to bank 2014. Web. Carroll, A. & Buchholtz, A. 2014, Business and society; ethics, sustainability and stakeholder management , Cengage Learning, New York. Hossain, M. 2009, ‘Customer perception on service quality in retail banking in Middle East; the case of Qatar’, International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management , vol. 2 no. 4, pp. 338-350. Ireland, D., Hoskisson, R. & Hitt, M. 2008, Understanding business strategy; concepts and cases , South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason. Kazmi, E. 2008, Strategic management and business policy , McGraw-Hill, New York. Klug, M. 2006, Marketing entry strategies in Eastern Europe in the context of the European Union; an empirical research into German firms entering the polish market, Deutscher Universitats-Verlag, Wiesbaden. KPMG: Conquering global markets 2013. Web. Levi, K. 2006, Market entry strategies of foreign telecom companies in India, Deutscher Universitats-Verlag, Wiesbaden. Mitchell, P. & Satter, R. 2013, Westpac caught up in world’s biggest money laundering sting . Web. Pride, W. & Ferrell, O. 2006, Marketing: concepts and strategies , Houghton, Boston. Saee, J. 2007, Contemporary corporate strategy: global perspective, Routledge, New Jersey. Sandhusen, R. 2008, Marketing, Barron’s Educational Series, Hauppauge. Qatar National Bank: Qatar economic insight 2013. Web. Schermerhorn, J. 2010, Management, John Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the global financial crisis and how corruption and transparency are linked to it.The global financial crisis was caused by a lack of regulation or poor regulation of the financial services sector.
The essay discusses the global financial crisis and how corruption and transparency are linked to it. The global financial crisis was caused by a lack of regulation or poor regulation of the financial services sector.
Global Financial Crisis: Corruption and Transparency Report Financial regulation The financial crisis that hit the world cannot be dissociated from the banking operations. Although some scholars have described the just-concluded economic meltdown as a “Minsky” moment, there are a number of key factors that indeed influenced the financial crisis. This explains why adequate regulation of the financial sector cannot be ignored by concerned government authorities. Perhaps, the New Deal offered a better framework for regulating the financial system. As it stands now, it might not be very clear on how financial regulation can be undertaken to minimize or even eliminate the possibilities of economic downturn (Kregel par. 5). The successful banking reforms that took place in the 1930s can be largely attributed to the attributes of the New Deal. The theory put forward by Minsky could not be dismissed as a momentous theory. It is crucial to mention that this theory offered the most comprehensive approach for controlling the activities of financial institutions. In a global environment which is highly liberalized, it might not be an easy task to streamline the operations of financial services. Nonetheless, the regulatory conditions can be adopted in advance so that all players in the financial sector are aligned to the operational requirements. Most of the changes executed by the proposals of the New Deal were highly structured and systematic. Long-term chronological changes should first be understood before the adoption of a particular framework for regulation. The Financial Services Modernization Act also injected many changes in the financial system. Scholars in the financial sector have attempted to explore major changes that took place since the New Deal era. The sources of these changes are also instrumental in discussing the global financial crisis. To some extent, internal processes eroded the New Deal reforms bearing in mind that protectionist measures were generally interfered with by commercial banks. The latter had express rights to take deposits from customers. In other words, commercial banks operated solely in the process of taking deposits. On the other hand, substitute instruments were provided by unregulated financial institutions. Growth of the financial sector The rapid growth of the financial sector in the contemporary economies cannot be doubted. Some critics argue that the financial sector has extremely grown to a level that regulators are no longer able to manage it (Smaghi par. 4). After the 2007/2008 financial crisis, some key players in the financial services sector saw the need to take a paradigm shift in order to avoid a similar occurrence and also cushion the affected business organizations. In a speech by Lorenzo, it is evident that monetary policies should be tightened across the board. Lack of regulation or poor regulation of the financial services sector was perhaps the main cause of financial crisis experienced across the world. In order to fast track sound monetary policies, it is crucial for commercial banks to adhere to three main factors. These include when to begin tightening the policies, the pace at which the tightening process should be carried and when to stop the entire strict regulation process (Scannella 37). However, it is not recommended to wait for a very long time before the regulation process begins. Proper timing is necessary. In particular, low interest rates should be a pointer that regulation is necessary. Inflation should not go beyond the raising rates. In addition, a wide set of indicators should be employed in the regulatory approach. Strengthening financial architecture should be a priority of regulators in this sector owing to the fact that myriads of risks face financial markets on a daily basis. As much as the key market players were largely aware of the latent risks in financial markets, little was done to control the situation. The emerging markets heavily contributed towards economic slow-down (Semenova 245). Due to the large number of the emerging markets (that are also largely unregulated), the global financial regulators lacked a proper mechanism to handle the situation. When a financial crisis is left to thrive for too long, it becomes extremely difficult to address it after some time. Although most of the emerging markets are not controlled, they present a major impact in the global financial development. This implies that when resources are pulled together by emerging markets, it directly impacts the global financial system. Any element of indecisiveness by the financial markets is quickly taken advantage of by the robust emerging markets. Contrary to the popular belief, not all democracies are in a position to offer logical and efficient solutions when it comes to financial services. Expediting the process of making decisions can enormously save governments from engaging in risky or wasteful financial operations. Needless to say, market trends tend to enforce themselves especially when democracies fail to make crucial decisions at the right time. As financial markets continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, democracies are proving the fact that they are unable to cope with the emerging financial markets. It is also crucial to mention that not all incentives lead to distortions in the financial market. Some incentives are helpful both as regulating mechanisms and Shadow banking system The economic journey of Hyman Minsky vividly illuminates the shadow banking system in the contemporary financial environment. Creative financing facilitated both positive and negative performance of the financial markets. Nevertheless, it has never been understood how creative financing can take place. This type of financing took place away from the controlled financial services sector. In other words, creative financing occurred in the absence of regulated banking system. One of the ways to comprehend creative financing is shadow banking system. Although shadow banks operated within the law, they were hardly under any regulation. Consequently, lending boom rapidly grew out of proportion. This was especially witnessed in the mortgage industry (Helder, Mendon, José and Falci 385). Hyman P. Minsky attempts to offer a lucid explanation of how shadow-banking system led to the worst financial crisis ever experienced in history (McCulley 7). Rating agencies and regulators were supposedly on the forefront in regulating banking operations. While real banks can readily access governmental safety nets, shadow banks do not enjoy the same advantage. This implies that the minimum regulatory constraints faced by the real banks are not applicable to shadow banks. One of the most sensitive areas worth exploring is the size of liquidity at any given time. While the latter is a crucial and mandatory requirement imposed to regular banking systems, shadow banks are free from such constraints. Minsky explored the hypothesis of financial instability by comparing conventional and shadow banks. Through the hypothesis, it is possible to appreciate why shadow banks were exclusively blamed for the gross magnitude of the global financial crisis (Nidhiprabha 116). Explanations and discussions It is prudent to take advantage of the international financial and monetary regulations of the financial sector. Regulation can be defined as the presence, in a system like the global of stabilization mechanisms that ensure proper operation. For example, when the exchange rates of major currencies tend to diverge excessively, central banks intervene in order to stabilize the exchange rate. This action is called “regulatory” as opposed to an act of coercion, such as the prohibition of currency conversion, or total inaction. From the readings, it is clear that the purpose of regulation is to ensure harmonious development of a given system (Pakravan 24). This implies the existence of ‘rules of the game’ allowed in a common interest. Enforceability of the rules is also part of regulation. First, what is the significance of international financial regulation? The answer is deceptively simple: regulation assists in economic and financial globalization. The latter is the source of economic progress (Bhattacharya 42). However, it may be accompanied by major failures whose effects are devastating especially in developing and poor countries. However, this response is not adequate because it is necessary to use regulation rather than other solutions such as full laissez-faire or implementation constraints imposed globally to all stakeholders. Second, what are the current systems for crisis prevention and stabilization of the global financial system? It is vital to analyze the operation of existing systems and to highlight their shortcomings if any. How can governments improve financial regulation? These are some of the pertinent questions that possibly emerge from the readings and which are explained and discussed in the remaining part of the essay. The importance of regulating international finance and cash-flow cannot be overemphasized. There are explicit merits of regulating financial system (Ryder and Chambers 79). As much as a number of contrasting effects emerge when financial systems are regulated, it does not refute the fact that the process is fundamental. The idea of ​​financial and monetary regulation is not obvious. In pure economic theory, strict market forces should lead to an equilibrium corresponding to the optimum level. However, the need for regulation appears in the light of two facts. First, financial flows and changed monetary volume. Second, the recent crises have shown that the markets could not independently ensure a rapid return to equilibrium (Bancel and Mittoo 211). The development of financial markets The liberalization of financial markets began with the collapse of the international monetary system based on a generalized system of fixed exchange rates adjustable in the early seventies. The dismantling of national controls on capital movements in the eighties (especially in developed countries) increased liquidity in financial markets. This trend increased with the opening of emerging markets to foreign capital in the early eighties. Financial globalization has been marked by the emergence of new markets and new major players in the international financial game (Kemme, Schoors and Vennet 213). On the same note, deregulation of financial markets allowed, but also encouraged the rise of innovation and financial engineering as well as the diversification of financial products. The operations of shadow banks and the poorly regulated traditional banks have attracted the attention of monetary authorities in different countries on the risk that the development of products could pose to the international financial system (Liapis 309). The rapid growth of derivative markets can be explained by structural and cyclical factors. Derivatives are born of market reaction to the volatility of interest rates, uncertainty and risk for investors. They make it possible to cover all or part of the risk associated with this uncertainty by providing arbitrage opportunities and sophisticated and inexpensive management. The expansion of products has been highly favored by the increasing volatility of exchange rates and interest rates during the last decade (Mohamed 16). The introduction of new products and the development of financial engineering have also fostered the growth of derivatives and provision of increasingly complex products. Besides, the development of information technology has led to a significant decrease in transaction costs. The role of derivatives in the development of financial crises and price volatility has been disputed by a number of economic theorists. Indeed, it is undeniable that the products have a significant influence on the process of price formation in financial markets, due to the ties that bind, through arbitrage, spot markets and derivative markets. Nevertheless, economic theories concur that derivatives improve the consideration of information and thus enhance the efficiency of global financial markets. In addition, decentralization and diversification of international funding spread risks and reduce losses. Hence, the risk of a systemic crisis in the creditor countries can be minimized considerably in regulated financial markets (Mohsen, Abdulla, and Jalal 105). The complexity of derivatives does not often allow precise measurement and control of risks. Derivatives are nevertheless likely to lead to excessive risk-taking. Bankruptcies of financial institutions that marked the last decade are thus linked to excessive risk on derivatives markets. These markets are the main tools of investment hedge fund investment. They can provide considerable leverage effects with a very low capital requirement. Institutional investors involved in these markets (pension funds, collective investment funds and insurance companies in particular) have become major players in the financial markets and led to a profound change in the management of assets worldwide. The development of financial markets and derivatives in particular, is of great significance for the definition of economic policies by individual jurisdictions. Deregulation and lowering transaction costs have greatly facilitated the mobility of capital and led to an opening up and integration of all global financial markets (Buga, Gherghinescu and Vânatoru 59). The masses of capital traded daily on the financial markets are now well above the intervention capacities of states. Therefore, any government can find the hostage markets since its policy is perceived negatively. Derivatives also delay the effect of monetary policy on the real economy since actors can limit the impact of changes in interest rates by altering the characteristics of debt. The development of the international financial and monetary activities meets a growing need for risk coverage by helping to reduce investor uncertainty. Regulation has led to a better risk coverage The market economy is characterized by risk, consideration of profit, and liberalization of capital movement. Two main categories of risks can be distinguished at this point namely those attached to the operators of a transaction (credit risk or risk of default of the operator) and those attached to variables transactions (market risks such as price , exchange rates and interest rates). Financial products should initially be developed based on the aforementioned risks in order to boost certainty levels of stakeholders. The latter can reduce risk factors of uncertainty and create a favorable environment for investment and trade (Baber 240). Derivatives make it possible to manage all potential risks markets, and open the possibility to calibrate the balance offered by a given market. When derivatives are handled well, it can assist in lowering the risk of financial crisis from the local level. Of course, financial instruments do not entirely eliminate these risks. Regulation has fostered the growth of world trade The gradual reduction of barriers to trade in goods and services has taken many forms in the global financial market. The development of world trade since the end of World War II is a reality; the scale is different in various states. In 1948, world exports accounted for an equivalent of $ 23 billion; in 1968, they amounted to $ 238 billion; the early 1970s and the 1980s marked two periods of stagnation of world trade which, however, experienced a strong recovery in 1983. Between 1983 and 1990, world merchandise trade increased by 6% per year on average against 34% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The development of cross-border financial circuits facilitates and enhances the development of criminal financial circuits which are cross-border in nature. The low tax territories The origin of the phenomenon is a pursuit that is not criminal in itself. However, it may swiftly lead to criminal dimensions. For example, the desire to escape tax levies on lawful activities elsewhere is a common practice among several multinational corporations. This scenario is common in the case of funds or highly leveraged hedge funds. Sophisticated investors, high net worth individuals or companies often pursue profit margins that are higher than those of other financial players (Jovovic 69). Some of the funds are overwhelmingly located offshore. Some major operators in the global platform argue that offshore activities are essentially meant to avoid tax, and are not related to attempts to escape prudential regulation or control of operations. With more than $ 100 billion in assets (about $ 400 billion for all funds leveraged in the world), most hedge funds managed from the United States are established in a tax haven. They have nothing mischievous about them because there is a lot of information disseminated to the public and in particular a business directory detailing their methods of intervention and all contact information (Ramskogler 284). In spite of this argument, most of the low tax territories are believed to have massively contributed towards the recent global financial crisis. Holders tend to attract criminal funds Criminal financial channels usually create a haven for mass of financial flows that accompany the internationalization of capital markets. Liberalization of capital movements and removal of exchange controls to facilitate legal flow also promote illegal flows. For instance, the single currency encourages discretion of intra-continental transactions involving funds from dubious origins. Criminal financial circuits are likely to promote financial crises The development of criminal financial circuits is harmful in itself. Do these financial flows affect proper functioning of the legal financial channels? Are they likely to play a role in the international financial crises? The amounts involved and progress of their activities are inherently poorly known from the systematic economic studies conducted on this area. It is therefore very difficult to assess the possible effects of financial illegality in the economic and financial systems of the world (Amri, Prabha and Wihlborg 325). Summary Two conclusions can be drawn from the above discussion on global financial crisis. To begin with, emerging markets that were affected by the crisis generally suffer from high levels of corruption while the least corrupt states were not grossly affected. Second, the transparency of financial flows is required for better risk management and sound asset allocation. A high level of corruption is associated with vulnerability to major financial crises. Besides, proper regulation of all financial markets including conventional and shadow banking systems should be given priority in the management of balanced global cash flows. Works Cited Amri, Puspa, Apanard Prabha and Clas Wihlborg. “International Comparisons of Bank Regulation, Liberalization, and Banking Crises.” Journal of Financial Economic Policy 3.4 (2011): 322-339. Print. Baber, Graeme. “A Critical Examination of the Legislative Response in Banking and Financial Regulation to Issues Related to Misconduct in the Context of the Crisis of 2007-2009.” Journal of Financial Crime 20.2 (2013): 237-252. Print. Bancel, Franck, and Usha R. Mittoo. “Financial Flexibility and the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis.” International Journal of Managerial Finance 7.2 (2011): 179- 216. Print. Bhattacharya, Hrishikes. “Capital Regulation and Rising Risk of Banking Industry: A Financial Accounting Perspective.” Academy of Banking Studies Journal 12.1 (2013): 31-59. Print. Buga, Monica, Oana Gherghinescu, and Sorin Vânatoru. “The Global Financial Crisis as Incentive for Enhancing Assurance for Financial Reporting.” Annales Universitatis Apulensis : Series Oeconomica 12.1 (2010): 56-63. Print. Helder Ferreira, de Mendon, Cordeiro Galv Délio José, and Villela Loures Renato Falci. “Financial Regulation and Transparency of Information: Evidence from Banking Industry.” Journal of Economic Studies 39.4 (2012): 380-397. Print. Jovovic, Radislav. “Global Financial Crisis: Role of International Institutional Framework, and Lessons for Transitional Countries.” Montenegrin Journal of Economics 8.3 (2012): 65-73. Print. Kemme, David M., Koen Schoors, and Rudi Vander Vennet. “Risk, Regulation and Competition in Banking and Finance in Transition Economies.” Comparative Economic Studies 50.2 (2008): 210-216. Print. Kregel, Jan. Working Paper No. 586 Is This the Minsky Moment for Reform of Financial Regulation? 2010. Web. Liapis, Konstantinos. “The Regulation Framework for the Banking Sector: The EMU, European Banks and Rating Agencies before and during the Recent Financial and Debt Crisis.” International Journal of Disclosure and Governance 9.4 (2012): 301-330. Print. McCulley, Paul. The Shadow Banking System and Hyman Minsky’s Economic Journey . 2009. Web. Mohamed, Ali Trabelsi. “The Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Global Economy: Can the Islamic Financial System Help?” The Journal of Risk Finance 12.1 (2011): 15-25. Print. Mohsen, Amina, Mooza Abdulla, and Akram Jalal. “How Financial Organizations can Overcome the Global Business Crisis.” International Journal of Business and Management 6.2 (2011): 101-111. Print. Nidhiprabha, Bhanupong. “The Global Financial Crisis and Resilience of the Thai Banking Sector.” Asian Development Review 28.2 (2011): 110-132. Print. Pakravan, Karim. “Global Financial Architecture, Global Imbalances and the Future of the Dollar in a Post-Crisis World.” Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance 19.1 (2011): 18-32. Print. Ramskogler, Paul. “Banking on Basel: The Future of International Financial Regulation.” Journal of Economic Issues 44.1 (2010): 284-285. Print. Ryder, Nicholas, and Clare Chambers. “The Credit Crunch – are Credit Unions Able to Ride out the Storm?” Journal of Banking Regulation 11.1 (2009): 76-86. Print. Scannella, Enzo. “Capital Regulation and Italian Banking System: Theory and Empirical Evidence.” International Journal of Economics and Finance 4.2 (2012): 31- 43.Print. Semenova, Maria. “Market Discipline and Banking System Transparency: Do we Need More Information?” Journal of Banking Regulation 13.3 (2012): 241-248. Print. Smaghi, Lorenzo Bini. Has the financial sector grown too big? 15 April 2010. Web.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay discusses whether embryos should be used to grow organs, and argues that the practice is not only unethical but also dangerous.The essay discusses whether embryos should be used to grow organs, and argues that the practice is not only unethical but also dangerous.
The essay discusses whether embryos should be used to grow organs, and argues that the practice is not only unethical but also dangerous. The essay discusses whether embryos should be used to grow organs, and argues that the practice is not only unethical but also dangerous.
The Global Definition of Health Coursework Whether Leaders could Achieve Consensus on Global Health Values Health values are diverse in terms of what is being prioritized by institutions and countries. However, greater efforts towards normalizing the global health values have been put in place. The main reason for the normalization of values is to provide universal health. In fact, various attempts by stakeholders to find a common ground on the ethical issues concerning health have not resulted in positive outcomes. The variations in ideas, practices, disciplines, ethical issues as well as philosophies have prevented the establishment of common values in health despite efforts made by various stakeholders and governments (Holtz, 2013). The consensus on common values is far from being achieved given the divided nature of the health profession and practice. Various global institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have not emphasized on the advocacy of the common values. Indeed, such organizations rely greatly on institutional values and universal ethical considerations (Holtz, 2013). Unless global health organizations emphasize on developing a framework on how such common values can be attained, leaders cannot easily reach the consensus. The reason is that the leaders are diverse in terms of their views and understanding of global health. The Global Definition of Health The definition of health varies invariably across the globe. While others tend to define health in terms of public health, others emphasize on the international health definition. However, there exist commonalities in all the definitions. The commonalities in the definition include application of data and laboratory evidence in decision-making, emphasis on the larger population, social justice and equity as the main objective and focus on deterrence instead of therapy (Koplan, Bond, Merson, Reddy, Rodriguez, Sewankambo & Wasserheit, 2009). As such, universal definition of health can be derived from these commonalities. Therefore, health is the art and science, an area for study, research and practice that prioritize the improvement of wellbeing as well as attaining equity in the health provision for all people around the globe (Koplan et al., 2009). Besides, health focuses on the universal determinant and providing solutions to all health problems worldwide. Besides, health involves various areas of study both within health sciences and areas related to the health sciences as well as emphasizes on partnerships across the disciplines. Within the definition, health focuses on the fusion of population-based prevention in addition to individual care. Therefore, the universal definition of health should focus on the provision of health services to all people. Whether Embryos should be used to Grow Organs Stem cell technology has been widely applied despite objection from various fields and governments. While the application of embryonic cells has been strongly rejected by ethicists, stem cells should morally be used in various areas including the treatment of chronic diseases. In fact, studies indicate that embryonic cells have wide applications in the treatment of various neurodegenerative maladies including cancer (Panno, 2009). Besides, various diseases such as diabetes, spinal cord injuries and most of the pulmonary as well as arterial diseases are well-treated using stem cells. However, the ethical considerations in the applications of the stem cells have prevented research and development of embryonic cells for medical purposes (Panno, 2009). Besides ethical considerations, hurdles such as the safety of the treatments and use of the stem cells in various organs have also slowed down the development of the stem cell technology for medical purposes (Panno, 2009). However, researches indicate increased safety in stem cell therapies. In fact, embryonic stem cell therapies exceed a mere cell transplant. Essentially, embryonic cell therapies could be used to identify new cures, study diseases as well as other applications such as screening drugs for side effects (Panno, 2009). Therefore, embryonic cells should be applied in morally acceptable therapies. Strategies that can be applied in Equalizing Technology Distribution Globally Inequality in the distribution of technology is widely experienced in its function and availability. While new technological advances are extensively applied in rich countries, developing economies are lagging behind in terms of both application and availability (Rooksby & Weckert, 2007). Unequal distribution of technology is majorly caused by deficiency of resources as well as awareness of its availability and usage. Therefore, strategies aimed at equalizing the technology distribution must focus on the resource availability and increased awareness. Resources Distribution The development, availability and use of technology require resources. In fact, the availability of resources determines the availability and use of technology. In other words, there is a direct correlation between the resource distribution and the technological spread. Therefore, resources geared towards the development of technology should be shared equally around the globe in order to have equal distribution of technology (Rooksby & Weckert, 2007). Increased Awareness Increasing awareness of the availability and use of technology is another way through which equal distribution of technology can be attained. Focusing on education, commercial advertisements and media channels are critical in raising technological awareness (De Ferranti, 2003). Studies indicate that lack of technological awareness in terms of usage and availability contributes hugely to its unequal distribution around the globe. References De Ferranti, D. M. (2003). Closing the gap in education and technology . Washington, D.C: World Bank Publications. Holtz, C. (2013). Global health care: Issues and policies . Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Koplan, J., Bond, C. Merson, M., Reddy , K. S., Rodriguez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K. & Wasserheit, J. N. (2009). Towards a common definition of health. The Lancet, 373 (9679), 1993 – 1995 Panno, J. (2009). Stem cell research: medical applications and ethical controversy . New York, NY: Infobase Publishing. Rooksby, E. & Weckert, J. (2007). Information technology and social justice . Hershey, PA: Idea Group Inc (IGI).
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: In the light of the above question, the paper explores the topic of GIMC in order to establish whether international marketers should standardise or adapt their communication in overseas markets. It is argued that while there is a need for some level of standardisation, it is also important for international marketers to adapt their communication to suit the needs of target markets in each country.
In the light of the above question, the paper explores the topic of GIMC in order to establish whether international marketers should standardise or adapt their communication in overseas markets. It is argued that while there is a need for some level of standardisation, it is also important for international marketers to adapt their communication to suit the needs of target markets in each country.
Global Integrated Marketing Communication Coursework Should International Marketers Standardise or adapt their Communication in Overseas Markets? Introduction The global marketing arena continues to be characterised by different competing contents and voices from marketers. Factors such as customer awareness, increased product varieties, and technological advancement have diversified marketing communication. This competitive and dynamic international business environment has made businesses realise that customer needs cannot be met using a single communication approach. In this light, the need for Global Integrated Marketing Communication (GIMC) comes in handy. Global integrated marketing communication referrers to the application of varied methods of well-organised brand promotion to achieve optimal marketing objectives across international borders. However, as companies of the 21 st century compete to achieve optimum global integrated marketing communication value, the question of whether international marketers should standardise or adapt their communication in overseas markets arises. Therefore, it is the interest of this paper to explore the topic of GIMC in the light of the above question. Development of Global International Marketing Communication According to Lee and Park (2007), one of the factors that led to the development of GIMC was reduced credibility and impact of marketing messages in the global markets. With the increase in marketing messages in the international media and other communication channels, the intended impression and effect on the customer began to decline. Customers of the 20 th century were bombarded with multiplicity of marketing messages to a point where paying attention to all of them became impossible. Lee and Park (2007) confirm that the use of one-sided message in marketing could not achieve the intended impact on the target markets. There was a need for both local and international companies to adopt a more integrative approach to marketing communication. For example, companies needed to use a multiplicity of marketing approaches such as public relations, sales promotion, and advertising to maximise their appeal to all target markets. This move ensured increased frequency of demand amidst a sea of other competing messages. According to Shafiulla and Babu (2014), another factor that has necessitated the adoption of global integrated marketing communication is the reduced cost of accessing market databases. With the advent of global information communication technology, it has become cheap to access, store, and retrieve important markets databases. For example, one can access the name of a specific target market, for example all teachers in a particular country. This accessibility makes it possible to use customised marketing messages through mediums that appeal best to a particular market. The approach and access are also made easy. For example, one can use public relations techniques to appeal to a particular sector of the market and/or follow it up through social media messages. Increase in client market knowledge has also enhanced global integrated marketing communication. The world literacy levels have continued to raise customer knowledge about marketing approaches such as advertising, public relations, and sales promotion. Customers in the modern global society understand policies, strategies, and guidelines of advertising, public relations, and other marketing methods (Gould, Lerman, and Grein 1999). Such customers have also realised that companies can use their methods of marketing, rather than advertising to reach them. With this knowledge, markets in the global arena have no choice but to carry out market research concerning their target markets’ status using different communication approaches. Global customers can now distinguish between make-belief, true, or informative marketing messages. Chen (2011) asserts that customers also watch or listen to marketing communication that interests them, depending on their tastes and preferences. Another factor that has necessitated global integrated marketing communication is the witnessed increase in mergers and acquisitions in the global markets. According to Kliatchko and Schultz (2014), international marketing-oriented agencies that deal with public relations, advertising, and sales promotion have merged or partnered to offer inclusive marketing services. This move has enhanced competition in the global marketing arena since companies that specialise in particular aspects of marketing are co-opted as a way of making the results of marketing processes more effective. For example, a public relations firm can bring the services of a specialised events manager, a public speaker, or an advertiser in its marketing programme. Shafiulla and Babu (2014) further assert that companies that want to appeal to an international market need to link with established marketing companies in the land and/or seek partnership while venturing into the market. Therefore, partnerships among marketing companies have drawn more interest in the global integrated marketing. Competition in the global market has also necessitated international integrated marketing communication. With the advent of communication technology, the world has become a global village. Therefore, business companies are focusing their messages on a global market, rather than their nations. Advertising companies have also gone past international borders. The influence of a company in one continent is felt across the globe (Chen 2011). This situation calls for marketers in the world to consider integration of varied communication strategies in their countries of residence and in the global market. Cohen (2011) further asserts that people of different nations have a particular set of cultures that derive their interest in some marketing approaches. The development levels of one country may be completely different from that of another. The method of marketing, technology, and media that a company uses to persuade such markets may be completely different. Lee and Park (2007) confirm that fragmentation of international audience and media has also necessitated global international marketing communication. The need to expand a company’s products and services beyond the national borders is a great driving force among many companies. Therefore, global markets are fragmented along national, racial, religious, educational, and economic lines. Integrated marketing methods maximise the appeal of marketing communication in a multicultural environment. According to Wilken and Sinclair (2011), cultural differences may result in disparities in media preference at the global market. For example, a nomadic community may prefer promotional messages being relayed through folk media, while a farming community in New Zealand may prefer the use of television advertisements. The global media has also become fragmented in terms of international radios, televisions, social media, and transit media. The choice of media is as important as the message in it. Finally, an increase in the number of products that are released into the market by manufacturers has also necessitated global integrated marketing communication. Wilken and Sinclair (2011) affirm that duplication of production technology, products, and services in the global market means that for a company’s products and services to stand out as the preference for global markets, better strategies of communication must be adopted. Therefore, international integrated marketing communication has become important in attracting, retaining global customers, and increasing the sale of products and services. Stages of Global Integrated Marketing Communication Global integrated marketing communication takes various stages that are not organised in a hierarchical order. Every stage in this process is aimed at combining different marketing approaches with a view of optimising client experience. These stages may be implemented simultaneously or one after the other, depending on the market needs. The initial stage of this process involves strategic planning of marketing communication. To optimise the impact of integrated global communication, Latunji (2011) reveals how the communicator plans on tactics that have to be adopted in coordinating various marketing approaches such as promotion, public relations, advertising, sales promotion, and events management. These messages are structured in a way that they all appeal to the customer. Coordination of approaches is important in ensuring that the messages that customers are exposed to through one tactic such as sales promotion are congruent with what they access through billboards about the same product or service. Arrangement of how every tactic will assist the other or offset the gaps left behind by the other is also made. However, such arrangements in a global market arena require the adoption of clear lines of communication with varied markets. Kliatchko and Schultz (2014) advise that it is important to understand the methods of communication that the people of a particular nation appreciate relative to the other. This appreciation will benefit the communicator in organising the approach to adopt when relaying the market communication. The other stage in global integrated marketing communication involves the approval of the scope of the involved global marketing communication. At this point, GIMC evaluates the communication needs of the market from the perspective of the customer. The marketer seeks to understand the product or services from the point of view of the customer, for example, the previous customer experience with a product or service from the company. The third level in global integrated marketing communication is embracing information communication technology. Information technology has changed the way international marketing was conducted in the 19 th and 20 th centuries (Latunji 2011). Today, a person can send marketing messages to a variety of marketing tools while sited in an office in a different country. This situation means that customers are experiencing a variety of marketing platforms in the global market. Reliance on different approaches of marketing communication has therefore become the norm to success. A customer may be receiving thousands of advertisements of a certain product through the television with no communication through direct marketing. Einwiller and Boenigk (2012) confirm that the desire to be inclusive, persuasive, and directed towards customers’ requirements is imperative in IGMC. Therefore, the level of technological development of a country should be well evaluated before a marketing communication programme is rolled out. It is important to understand the communication infrastructure, for example the internet and mobile telephony reach and mass communication channels, to know how they are regulated. According to Wilken and Sinclair (2011), the marketing team of a global company that intends to reach this market should plan its multiplicity of communication approaches to fit the new market. Application of information communication technology is seen as an integral point in ensuring efficiency of communication. Finally, integration of a strategic financial plan is incorporated in the process. The company that is venturing into the global market then evaluates its budget and its feasibility in the foreign market. Wilken and Sinclair (2011) assert that the necessary skills that are required for different marketing communication approaches such as public relations, sales promotion, advertising, and social media marketing should be weighed against the available financial resources. In some countries, the cost of advertising, public relations services, and media may be higher than that of other countries. Einwiller and Boenigk (2012) assert that it is important to stick within the available marketing budget than to embark on a huge marketing process that will collapse in the middle of the process. However, with a good budget and content for integration in different marketing communication, efficiency is easily achieved. Reasons for Adapting Communication in Overseas Markets According to Ozsomer (2008), in the current age of information communication technology, changes in the approaches and techniques of reaching, appealing, and persuading markets are witnessed every second. Marketing approaches change with variations in communication technology, specifically multimedia communication. It is at this premise that global integrated marketing officers should appreciate and integrate their marketing communication with that of the target country. In integrated marketing communication approach, no single marketing approach can solely appeal and/or satisfy customers to drive sales. Accessibility and expediency constitute another reason for foreign marketers to adapt their communication in overseas markets. In every other country, there exist communication infrastructures that the resident population depends on. Such a market is familiar with the media for communication and the approaches that communicators use. Therefore, it is important for a new marketer in such an environment to begin by studying the communication lines in such a country to know how they function. According to Latunji (2011), since the major goal of GIMC is to reach the target markets with the intended message and persuade them, the marketer should integrate the most effective tool of communication into this marketing plan. For example, if the people of a certain country have a wide or free access to the internet, they are able to access and respond to online marketing in a better way. If a particular target market lives in a marginalised area, its chances of accessing a public relations exhibition that is staged at the national theatre are very low. Hence, communication experts should not impose their methods, tactics, and approaches on a foreign market without prior research. Integrating the existing marketing communication lines will also save on the cost of marketing (Ozsomer 2008). For example, instead of establishing new infrastructure to ensure marketing through mobile telephony that costs a company billions of money, it will be cost effective to adopt the already established infrastructure to reach customers. The existing communication systems may also have a better database indicating the composition of the population. This plan may be of profound help to a new marketer. Moreover, adapting the existing lines of marketing and/or seeking their assistance may enhance the visibility of the new company in the foreign land. Kliatchko and Schultz (2014) affirm that customer confidence in the existing marketing communication lines and approaches is likely to be better than the newly established ones that customers are encountering at the discovery stage. According to Reid, Luxton, and Mavond (2005), some of the media platforms in different countries enjoy the confidence and trust of a considerable percentage of the citizenly. Marketing messages that are relayed through such media are likely to enjoy more acceptance than those that are delivered through an unfamiliar channel. In addition, Reid, Luxton, and Mavond (2005) point out that people in some markets may not understand some public relations marketing strategies such as exhibitions and media relations. This situation may delay the intended impact of the whole process of marketing. Adapting to the already existing methods such as the use of comedies in marketing, use of road shows, and giveaways may serve the marketing objectives in a better way. According to Jankovic (2012), it is also important to adapt and integrate the existing marketing strategies into a foreign market because cultural diversity may impede marketing efforts in new nations. People have their systems of beliefs that guide their conduct and relationships with others. Such differences influence how different marketing approaches fit into the new system. The manner in which messages are crafted should depend on the type of culture that they are meant to address (Jankovic 2012). For example, in a high system culture that is witnessed in most African countries, high reliance on nonverbal communication and use of indirect language are evident while low-system cultures that are common in America demonstrate heavy dependence on words. These variations may affect the marketing messages, approaches, and efficiency of a new marketer. Conclusion Conclusively, GIMC is aimed at achieving optimum customer exposure to a company’s brand and its persuasion to make sales. This marketing model takes a multidimensional approach under the premise that one method will offset the weakness of the other. GIMC is specifically effective in a new market. In this discussion, it is clear that international marketers need to adapt their communication tactics in overseas markets since the existing communication lines already enjoy people’s confidence, have more databases, are cost effective, and/or independent on culture. References Chen, C 2011, ‘Integrated marketing communication and new product performance in international markets’, Journal of global marketing , vol. 24 no. 5, pp. 397-416. Einwiller, A & Boenigk, M 2012, ‘Examining the link between integrated communication management and communication effectiveness in medium sized enterprise’, Journal of marketing communication, vol. 18 no. 5, pp. 335-361. Gould, J, Lerman, D & Grein, F 1999, ‘Agency perceptions and practices on global IMC’, Journal of advertising research , vol. 39 no. 1, pp.7-20. Jankovic, M 2012, ‘Integrated marketing communications and brand identity development’, Management , vol. 1 no. 63, pp.91-100. Kliatchko, G & Schultz, E 2014, ‘Twenty years of IMC’, International Journal of Advertising vol. 33 no. 2, pp. 373-390. Latunji, W 2011, ‘An exploratory study of level of adoption of integrated marketing communications by advertising agencies in Nigeria’, Journal of integrated marketing communications , vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 25-32. Lee, H & Park, W 2007, ‘Conceptualisation and measurement of multidimensionality of integrated marketing communication’, Journal of advertising research , vol. 47 no. 47, pp. 22-236. Ozsomer, A 2008, ‘Global brand purchase likelihood: A critical synthesis and an integrated conceptual framework’, Journal of international marketing , vol. 16 no. 4, pp. 1-28. Reid, M, Luxton, S & Mavond, F 2005, ‘The relationship between integrated marketing communication, marketing orientation and brand orientation’, Journal of advertising , vol. 34 no. 4, pp. 11-23. Shafiulla, B & Babu, P 2014, ‘Innovative integrated marketing communication strategies to market Ra.ne: a critical analysis’, Premchand.IUP Journal of marketing management , vol. 13 no. 2, pp. 19-39. Wilken, R & Sinclair, J 2011, ‘Global marketing communication and strategic regionalism’, Globalisations , vol. 8 no.1, pp. 1-15.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The article examines the trends of collective bargaining, contemporary management of labor relations, and changes in laws that have enhanced collective labor relations at the global level.Globalization of the unions enhances collective bargaining power to promote fair treatment and competition amongst international businesses.
The article examines the trends of collective bargaining, contemporary management of labor relations, and changes in laws that have enhanced collective labor relations at the global level. Globalization of the unions enhances collective bargaining power to promote fair treatment and competition amongst international businesses.
Global Collective Labor Relations Essay (Article) Introduction Labor relations are management practices that focus on the unity of employers and their workforce. These practices incorporate areas such as labor laws, contracts, organization of unions, and laws of the civil service that govern both public and private sectors. Globalization of labor relations has significantly enhanced the transactions amongst employers and employees worldwide. Many employers retain their workers based on good relations and levels of motivation. Global labor relations encompass collective bargaining with international trade unions in aspects such as law consultation, payments, workplace rights, and employee empowerment. This essay summarizes the article ‘Reframing public service employment relations: The impact of economic crisis and the new EU economic governance’ with a view of examining the trends of collective bargaining, contemporary management of labor relations, and changes in laws that have enhanced collective labor relations at the global level. Collective Bargaining as a Motive to Strengthen Unions Many businesses experience decreased production due to negligence of labor laws that operate within their own countries. The relationship that exists between local and international labor laws has a significant influence on business. International harmonization of labor laws enables companies to manage demands on equity and fairness in the workplace (Albin, 2010). Programs such as the Global Labor Certification Program enhance the coexistence of unions by studying the roles, challenges, and tactics of each union that are used by multi-lateral companies to manage employees. These programs also ensure that all the global labor unions have a common ground for fairness and management of employers and the workforce (Budd, 2012). Most programs cover areas such as fairness of competition amongst international businesses and management of their relations with new economies such as China and Brazil. In the context of collective bargaining, these programs ensure that businesses abide by labor laws of industrialized nations such as Japan and the United Stated of America. In addition, they promote management of the challenges and matters of concern that are raised by the unions (Donaghey, Reinecke, Niforou, & Lawson, 2014). Feasible global relations should have well laid strategies that entail sound law architecture. The laws should address the meaning of work procedures and their accompanying influential capabilities, structural features, aims, and objectives. They should also feature the latest course actions that pertain to strike methods and remedies to curb potential disasters that can destroy labor relations. Globalization of the unions enhances collective bargaining power to promote fair treatment and competition amongst international businesses (Budd, 2012). Current Trends in Managing Labor Relations Several issues that pertain to labor relations have been realized. These issues include change of productivity, fluctuation of costs, and closure of unions due to mismanagement. Contemporary globalization trends assume prudent approaches to address the aforementioned issues. The strategies take into consideration the relevance of a union in global labor relations, union property, and identification of threats, achievable objectives, and proactive ability to control crises that can arise in the course of a business (Donaghey et al., 2014). Changes on Laws that Enhance Collective Relations Reluctance of labor movements and global abolition of regulations have enabled labor relations to remain strong at the enterprise level. There is a need to globalize laws that regulate enterprise conditions to ensure relevant and standardized work conditions that enhance global collective relations (Budd, 2012). Formation of legal laws on relations should take into account the representation systems of employees. The intervention of representatives can minimize problems that arise in certain situations due to direct involvement. An enterprise level provides double duty to a representative. In collective bargaining, the representatives perform their duties as a party. They also play a crucial role in negotiating with the employers (Bach & Bordogna, 2013). A collective negotiation framework addresses the types of employment techniques that are used by employers to evade labor regulations. However, some employers take advantage of flexible employment patterns to employ part-time workers who can easily accept meagre employment terms and conditions. This situation raises a need to standardize global relations laws to address issues of permanent and non-permanent workers (Donaghey et al., 2014). Developing a Win-Win Strategy The win-win strategy is a theory that is implemented by many organizations worldwide. Most successful organizations structure their labor relations to benefit both employers and employees. The relevancy of this scenario is evident in businesses where employers understand the needs and demands of their employees. Dialogue enables organizations to combat strikes that arise from payment problems, shifting management, and dissatisfactory compensation criteria among others. Companies that bring workers on board to deliberate on relevant salary conditions achieve higher goals and objectives (Bach & Bordogna, 2013). Conclusion Global labour relations are important management practices in contemporary business environments. There is a need to ensure collective bargaining, sound management of labor relations, and implementation of global laws that create uniform operational standards for international businesses. Laws that address matters that pertain to economic stability and fairness in the world market should be prioritized. For instance, the All-China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU), a trade union that has strived to accommodate labor relations issues in a global spectrum, prioritizes strengthening of the relationship between employees and employers in various businesses. Therefore, there is a need to sensitize unions to strengthen international labor relations to enhance the conditions of contemporary business settings. Reference List Albin, E. (2010). Labour Law in a Service World. The Modern Law Review, 73 (6), 959-84. Bach, S., & Bordogna, L. (2013). Reframing public service employment relations: The impact of economic crisis and the new EU economic governance. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 19 (4), 279-94. Budd, John. (2012). Labor Relations: Striking a Balance . Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill. Donaghey, J., Reinecke, J., Niforou, C., & Lawson, B. (2014). From Employment Relations to Consumption Relations: Balancing Labor Governance in Global Supply Chains. Human Resource Management, 53 (2), 229-52.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: Pricing is important in marketing mix. It attracts potential buyers and inspire them to purchase goods. Fast food companies use pricing to retain a desirable business relationship with their clients. When going global, fast food companies should consider price as a measure of readiness to face competition not only from local markets, but also from global markets.
Pricing is important in marketing mix. It attracts potential buyers and inspire them to purchase goods. Fast food companies use pricing to retain a desirable business relationship with their clients. When going global, fast food companies should consider price as a measure of readiness to face competition not only from local markets, but also from global markets.
Pricing Strategies in International Markets Analytical Essay Introduction The theory of marketing establishes pricing as one of the major contributors of the marketing mix. Pricing attracts potential buyers and inspire them to purchase goods. Fast food companies distribute and advertise their products using the marketing strategy; they also apply the strategy to retain a desirable business relationship with their clients. Pricing is important in marketing mix. It is however one of the hard decisions experienced by fast food industries because of high competition rates (Myers 1997,p.20), local trading blocks, counter market requirements (Cavusgil & Zou 1994,p.18) and harsh exchange rates (Knetter 1994,p.14). Fast food customers have different opinions about the products produced by different fast food restaurants depending on their pricing. For that reason, setting product price to satisfy different customers is a hard task. The price of a product may have an effect on consumer’s feelings about the quality of the product. Fast food companies have to come up with pricing strategies for their products in order to fit into global markets. Fast food industries are faced with a hard task of setting prices for global markets. Different countries have different decisions concerning products, their pricing and distribution in global markets and local markets (Jain 1998, p.71). In addition, other factors like trade penetration, product demand and competition, control over competition entry, market and environmental factors, fast cash recovery, political, social-cultural and economic factors should be considered when making pricing decisions for global markets. Pricing strategies Price is the value charged for goods and services in monetary terms. The price of a product takes into account the cost of producing the item, the cost involved in providing the item to the customer and the amount expected in profit to avoid being eliminated from the business. In order for the fast food companies to stay in international markets, they should try to maintain best quality at lowest price. Price can be direct indication of quality of goods and services. Fast food companies should therefore consider different factors before pricing their products when venturing into global markets. Reasons for selling globally Companies opt to sell globally following the pull factors attracting them to foreign markets, and the push factors that make local markets unattractive. Some of factors that have led fast food companies to go international include: production of goods for international export only, congestion of local market thus goes globally to enjoy large economies of scale, the type of products that call for companies to operate globally and saturation of local markets. Fast food companies should consider pricing as a measure of readiness to face competition not only from local markets, but also from global markets. Being globally competitive is important for the success of fast food companies’ exports. It also strengthens the domestic companies to counter foreign imports. Success in exports is important to a nation’s economy, not only at macroeconomic level, but also at micro economic level. Fast food companies that are involved in global markets have an additional advantage to those at domestic market levels. These advantages includes: high levels of sales and opportunities, reduced production cost due to large sales volume, high profits due to low production cost , high competitive power increases the companies status at global market levels and taking advantage over large economies of scale. Fluctuations in prices of fast foods help the fast food companies to set prices both domestically and globally. Discovery of new markets for their products with low local prices assists these companies in setting the prices of these products internationally. This helps in extending the life cycle of the product in the market. Fast food companies that operate internationally have the advantage of finding untapped markets for their products; therefore, they have a choice of fixing prices for their products. Pitfalls of international markets Knowing the pitfalls associated with international markets is a strategy that is applied by fast food companies when setting the prices for their products. Some of these pitfalls include: a lot of time is required by the management in decision making process and neglect of domestic industries as a result of a lot of devotion to international companies by the key staff. Additional industry facilities maybe required and advertising and sales promotion might be needed to translate into overseas languages. The products might require more modification to cater for global market requirements and the companies may be required to offer credit facilities to curb competition and domestic custom transactions, which consumes lot of time. Considering these pitfalls is an important strategy that fast food companies should use when setting the prices for their products globally. Global markets vs. domestic markets Before making decision about setting prices for their products in global markets, fast food companies have a task of determining the factors that influence the environment in which the international market takes place. They should take precautions like making comparison between the natures of local market with that of international market. Basically, there are added complications associated with making sales across international borders. These challenges may be associated with environmental, economical, legal and cultural factors of the new global market. The company may be required to follow some regulations, both political and monetary; this may affect the initial stages of global pricing and marketing (Diamantopoulos 1995,p.6). Fast food companies that operate in international markets face more competition as compared to those operating locally. International markets are comprised of extra markets as well as new environments and parameters. This means that companies have to take more marketing and administration functions. Therefore, when pricing for global markets, these companies should consider the change in attitudes of the targeted clients. It is imperative to carry out a survey to get accustomed with the consumers’ culture, religion and language (Douglass & Wind 1987, p.24). For fast food companies to survive and to be established in international markets, they have to think ahead of their local markets. The duty associated with global markets is similar to that of local markets. In both cases, consumers are the driving powers towards marketing, and therefore, companies need consistency in production. The pricing should match the market needs and their distribution channels. This can however be different in the domestic markets. Therefore, companies get used to the requirements of these domestic consumers. However, at global levels, economic, social, political and technological factors have been used to examine international market opportunities in pricing products. Social factors Different people from different cultures have diversity in tastes of products. When setting the prices for their products, fast food industries should put into consideration the population structure of the international market they are targeting. Most major international markets of western culture are comprised of an aging population. The demographic trends associated with countries like China and India indicate a high rise in global marketing. Social factors will incorporate the emergence of young people as a new market segment. New global markets, like Africa, are growing and becoming a significant part of international trade. Fast food companies have to consider the local languages, education and religion, values and attitudes, material culture and aesthetics. Fast food companies have the responsibility of cautiously studying the target group in the market, customer’s behaviors and their purchasing power. According to Douglass and Wind (1987, p.27), the level of pricing is a significant criteria applied by customers in determining the competitiveness of a product. In addition, other criteria like the quality of goods and their performance are also vital to customers. Therefore, when pricing, fast food companies must have information concerning perceptions, tastes, preferences and purchasing power of consumers in regard to the prices of the products (Theodosiou 2000, p.247). Technological factors In order to come up with good pricing strategies, fast food companies should examine the technological nature of the global market. Advancement in communication and infrastructure is a significant step in satisfying the needs of customers. Most international companies depend on already established local infrastructural networks for distribution of goods to their customers. This is cost effective and may have a great impact on price and profits. Technological advancements are dynamic phenomena. An ideal example is the Internet; it facilitates online transactions between companies’ suppliers, partners, customers and subsidiaries worldwide. However, it can also create an increase in competition, and therefore, technological advancements create both challenges and opportunities. Pricing is affected by environmental factors; by considering the fundamentals of cost and self interests of the companies, fast food industries should take advantage when there is a fluctuation in environmental factors (Williamson 1975, p.34). Due to technological improvements, environmental factors such as monetary and competitive forces affect the global performance. Economic factors The economic stability of any international market is measured using its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). An increase in GDP means an increase in demand for products and services. Fast food companies should put into consideration the flow and distribution of profits within the country which they want to invest. In this way, they are capable of determining their pricing following the GDP of that country. It is important for the companies to look not only the current economic development of a country, but also the future development. This can be determined by the overlook of country’s demographic trends, the trends on economic development and inflation, income distribution and age, the state of urban growth as well as activities that will influence markets and pricing. The nature of the economy of a host nation affects the decisions concerning pricing. It affects the company’s costs; influences demand power of a particular product in the market and the will to purchase a product by the consumers (Whitelock & Pimblett, 1997, p.48). Political factors According to Theodosiou (2000, p.249), pricing is determined by rules and laws which facilitate modifications of goods, compliance with the hygienic standards, environmental policies, and production procedures that exists in global markets. Policies set by the government of foreign countries are vital in lawmaking and establishment monetary frameworks. For fast food companies to carry out their businesses in global markets, they should abide by these rules and regulations when setting prices for their products. Policy environment For fast food companies to make decisions about pricing their products in foreign markets, they should put into consideration the environmental factors of such markets. These factors are put in place to determine whether such decisions are opportunities or constraints in that market. The social and cultural structure of such a market is the determining factor that is first put into consideration. By accepting bilateral market agreements and other fiscal and policy interactions, companies should also abide by the country’s marketing standards and rules. Therefore, companies must obey the law; know government policies and the way they are created. This is vital for their decision making concerning the product pricing (Myers & Harvey 2001,p.4) Conclusion Pricing can be considered as one of the greatest challenges faced by fast food companies. Making decisions concerning the price in global marketing is a complicated task. It may comprise the cost of production, cost of distributing the goods and the outcome of goods in terms of profits in order to remain in the market. Appropriate pricing considers the costs, competition and demand for the product in the market. In local markets fast food companies have a freedom to price their products without taking into account the pricing policies of their competitors. This also applies to international markets where the market is dominated by many competitors. Fast food companies are left with no choice but to follow the existing price, or sometimes lower their prices to sell more and win more customers. Refrences Cavusgil, T & Zou, S 1994, “Marketing Strategy-Performance Relationship: An Investigation of the Empirical Link in Export Market Ventures”. Journal of Marketing , vol. 58 no. 1, pp.1-21. Diamantopoulos, A 1995, Making Pricing Decisions: a Study of Managerial Practice, London, Uk, Chapman and Hall. Douglass, P & Wind, Y 1987, “The Myth of Globalization”. Columbia Journal of World Business , vol. 22 no. 1, pp.19-29. Jain, S 1989, “Standardization of International Marketing Strategy: Some Research Hypotheses”. Journal of Marketing , vol. 53 no. 1, pp.70-79. Knetter, M 1994, “Is Export Price Adjustment Asymmetric? Evaluating the Market Share and Marketing Bottleneck Hypothesis”. Journal of International Money and Finance , vol. 13 no. 1, pp.13-68. Myers, M 1997, “The Pricing of Export Products: Why Aren’t Managers Satisfied with the Results”. Journal of World Business , vol. 32 no. 3, pp. 277-289. Myers, M & Harvey, M 2001, “The Value of Pricing Control in Export Channels: A Governance Perspective”. Journal of International Marketing , vol. 9 no. 4, pp.1-29. Theodosiou, M 2000, “Factors Influencing Degree of International Pricing Strategy : An Empirical Investigation”. Marketing in a Global Economy Proceeding , vol. 36 no. 3, pp. 246-530. Whitelock, J & Pimblett, C 1997, “The Standardization Debate in International Marketing”. Journal of Global Marketing , vol. 10 no. 3, pp.45-66. Williamson, O 1975, Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Anti-trust Implications, New York, The Free Press.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The WHO video on chronic illness acts as a revelation, for the reason that it provides the audience with a view of the chronic health conditions in the developing countries. It serves to dispel numerous myths and misconceptions about the suffering of people in the third world countries from what have traditionally been viewed as lifestyle diseases, mostly affecting residents of the developing countries.
The WHO video on chronic illness acts as a revelation, for the reason that it provides the audience with a view of the chronic health conditions in the developing countries. It serves to dispel numerous myths and misconceptions about the suffering of people in the third world countries from what have traditionally been viewed as lifestyle diseases, mostly affecting residents of the developing countries.
Global Misconceptions in The WHO Video Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Are individual behaviors to blame? 3. Developed vs. developing countries 4. Reference Introduction The WHO video on chronic illness acts as a revelation, for the reason that it provides the audience with a view of the chronic health conditions in the developing countries. It serves to dispel numerous myths and misconceptions about the suffering of people in the third world countries from what have traditionally been viewed as lifestyle diseases, mostly affecting residents of the developing countries. People have tended to assume that the third world countries were immune or at least not prone to conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks, among others (WHO, 2014). Despite the assumptions, the video dismisses this information by indicating that 80% of the people who die come from low and middle-income nations. In addition, they are likely to affect women and children as they would affect men. The video contains several personal stories of victims from developing countries, most of whom are living in poverty and have been severely affected by chronic diseases. The stories focused on people living with chronic diseases and the underlying risks, given that today millions of people are dying, and many others are becoming disabled because of chronic diseases (WHO, 2014). The stories are aimed at raising the awareness. They demonstrate the very deep and personal impact of the diseases on individuals, their families, and communities. Are individual behaviors to blame? Individuals are not necessarily responsible for getting chronic conditions since, although the causes are known, many people often suffer from them even when they have not been exposed. In addition, some of them are genetic and/or environmental, which limits the extent to which potential victims can take actions. However, in some cases, individuals’ lifestyles significantly contribute to their vulnerability. For example, someone who consumes excess amounts of junk food or alcohol would have relatively high chances of suffering from diabetes. Similarly, a heavy smoker would also be at a high risk of suffering from cancer because of his or her lifestyle (WHO, 2014). Nonetheless, the idea that nothing can be done is fallacious, since there are numerous measures that an individual can take to protect himself or herself. These include regular exercises, a healthy diet, and frequent medical checkups. While they might not eliminate the risks of getting a condition, such as cancer or diabetes, risks would be significantly reduced. Developed vs. developing countries While chronic diseases are for the most part preventable, governments and health organizations in many third world countries have found it very difficult to address them due to several factors. In developing nations, the education levels are very low, which result in ignorance that complicates efforts to provide citizens with health education. In some societies, people refuse to accept the connection between lifestyle and illness, and blame supernatural powers or witchcraft. In addition, owing to insufficient funds and/or research data in relation to the scope of the problem, efforts to address these problems are often disorganized. Hence, they tend not to be very effective. Conversely, on the West, an educated population takes the issue very seriously, and many studies have been carried out on it, which makes it comparatively easy to address the matter (WHO, 2014). However, in the developed nations, there is a unique challenge because, despite the awareness of the risk factors, people often ignore them. In low-income nations, the main challenge is to get sufficient resources to fight the diseases, while, in the high-income ones, it is to educate people about the risks of chronic diseases. Reference WHO. (Executive producer). (2014). Face to face with chronic disease . Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: Global warming was a bogeyman story in the first part of the twentieth century but it has become a reality for people of the twenty-first century. People have acknowledged changes which have been taking place and are trying to react accordingly. Thus, it has become estimated that 150-200 million people will become refugees due to climate warming.
Global warming was a bogeyman story in the first part of the twentieth century but it has become a reality for people of the twenty-first century. People have acknowledged changes which have been taking place and are trying to react accordingly. Thus, it has become estimated that 150-200 million people will become refugees due to climate warming.
Global Warming Refugees: A Reality of the Twenty-First Century Essay Global warming was a bogeyman story in the first part of the twentieth century but it has become a reality for people of the twenty-first century. People have acknowledged changes which have been taking place and are trying to react accordingly. Thus, it has become estimated that 150-200 million people will become refugees due to climate warming (Afifi and Jäger 101). It is noteworthy that researchers stress that the number of forced migrants is quite rough as further research is required. Nonetheless, it is clear that a lot of people will have to leave their homelands trying to escape from unfavorable climate conditions. It is necessary to understand particular causes of migration to be able to develop efficient measures to help people. In the first place it is necessary to note that climate change is associated with extreme weathers. Numerous tornadoes, storms, floods, droughts and so on damage vast areas and make them uninhabitable: people’s dwellings are destroyed, ecosystems are damaged, lands turn into marshes, cultivated land deteriorates and so on (Miller and Spoolman 513). It is especially true for coastal areas which are affected by these natural disasters as well as ocean rise. Global warming often damages farming and vast areas become unsuitable for cultivation. This leads to famine. Clearly, urban areas are also becoming less comfortable. Global warming leads to spread of numerous diseases which were not common or were typical of African or Asian areas. Higher temperatures also speed up a variety of chemical reactions producing dangerous chemicals “in photochemical smog in urban areas” (Miller and Spoolman 513). Finally, people also predict numerous wars for resources such as water, food, oil, wood, and so on. Obviously, all these events will force millions of people leave their homelands as this is already happening since refugees from African countries are trying to escape to European or other developed countries. Admittedly, the most effective way to diminish the effect of global warming is to reduce climate change or, at least, slow it down. However, people are yet to find the solution to this problem. Meanwhile, they have to start developing strategies to avoid events mentioned above. Of course, the most effective way to solve this problem would be creation of a global government which would distribute natural resources among people of the world. This will require construction of systems which could transport resources across countries. It may seem a costly project but it will be cost-effective compared to numerous programs to tackle issues concerning refugees. However, the global government is unlikely to exist as national interests often (or rather always) overweigh. Though, it is clear that governments of developing countries will not try to solve such issues as famine due to lack of funds and monetary assistance from other countries is not enough. Therefore, it is clear that people are unlikely to come up with an efficient solution and lots of people will become forced migrants. Of course, it is hard to predict the number of people who will leave their homelands but it is apparent that the number will be large. Scientists as well as all stakeholders seem unable to forget about personal/national interests and really focus on issues concerning global warming. However, it is still necessary to discuss the issue and raise awareness among people. This will draw more attention to the problem and may contribute to development of the effective solution. Works Cited Afifi, Tamer, and Jill Jäger. Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media, 2010. Print. Miller, G., and Scott Spoolman. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The paper highlights the shifts in demand and supply that occurred in the Global Wine-War between the new and the old wine case study.The paper highlights the shifts in demand and supply that occurred in the Global Wine-War between the new and the old wine case study. The response to effects and changes by demand and supply determined the organizations' competitive edge in business.
The paper highlights the shifts in demand and supply that occurred in the Global Wine-War between the new and the old wine case study. The paper highlights the shifts in demand and supply that occurred in the Global Wine-War between the new and the old wine case study. The response to effects and changes by demand and supply determined the organizations' competitive edge in business.
Global-Wine War: New versus Old Case Study Introduction Demand and supply are important elements in determining the competitiveness of a business. The response to effects and changes by demand and supply determines the organizations’ competitive edge in business. This paper will highlight the shifts in demand and supply that prevailed in the Global Wine-War between the new and the old wine case study. Demand determinants in the Wine industry During the middle time era, wine competition erupted between the Old (Italy, Spain, and France) and New wine producers (the United States, Australia, and Chile). Some prevailing factors between the new and the old wine producers changed who purchased and what type of wine as desired by the consumers. The factors that affected the type of wine together with who purchased it were the following ones. Tastes and preferences The change of the quality and the type of wine greatly influenced the wine market for both old and new producers. From the case study, a blind-tasting activity was carried in France on wines (Bartlett, 2009). The old producers’ wine dropped by 20% in the international consumption rates. Consumers preferred quality wine produced in the United States, hence high supply. Due to preference and tastes in wine, there was a shift in the market demand for exports in the old producers’ wine. Therefore, the new producers’ wine was highly preferred by consumers. This aspect boosted he wine’s demand in the global market. Technology New world producers embraced new technology in grape growing. Drip irrigation systems were installed, thus reducing vintage variability. In addition, large vineyards used specialized equipments in grape growing that lowered the production cost. New wine producers were in a position to produce quality, cheap, and quantity wines. In addition, the new producers had the best-preferred packaging and marketing (Bartlett, 2009). The Australians invented the “wine-in-a-box” package that became the most preferred as it saved costs and eased storage. Additionally, the new producers replaced the cork stoppers with screw caps, which were more susceptible to spoilage, in case of defective corks Unfortunately, the old wine producers were forbidden to use drip irrigation like in France under the AOC regulations (Bartlett, 2009). Their production was labor-intensive and more expensive as compared to the new wine producers. Therefore, the old wine producers incurred high production costs. This factor granted the new producers competitiveness and high productivity in the wine production industry. Cost of production The new wine producers used highly efficient and novel innovations in their production process. The economic impact of all these innovations in the agricultural industry led to low costs of production. According to Bartlett (2009), French costs per tonne were 74 % higher than Australian costs, while South American grape growing costs were much lower. The cost of a bottle of wine by the new producers was priced lower than that of the old producers. Consequently, the new producers’ wine was of high quality and cheap in pricing. Therefore, the demand for the new producers’ wine was higher than that of the old producers (Bartlett, 2009). Traditions and culture Traditions and culture affected the demand for wine as depicted in the case study. The new producers incorporated labs for scientific analysis for better wine production. New producers produced a deep-colored and richer-tasting wine. On the contrary, the rules were different in France under the guidance of the AOC policies. For the new producers, the innovation boosted their market demand in the industry. Unfortunately, Spain was faced with strict industry regulations and complex European Community regulations. The new producers took the advantage and came up with more innovations that out-competed the old producers. For instance, the old producers used fragmented lands that were scarce, whereas the new producers used large estates with technology, and thus thy ended harvesting twice as their old counterparts. Subsequently, the demand for the new producers remained high and dominant in the wine industry. Supply determinants in the wine industry In respect to the case study on the global wine war, factors that affected supply were the following ones. Technology The new producers embraced high technology that boosted their quality, quantity, and efficient production. Evidently, the new producers’ wine was high in demand. On the contrary, the old producers’ wine was of low quality, and thus demand declined when the new producers’ wine gained more market acceptance. The new producers wine kept high consistency in supply due to the good quality/price ratio, which was achieved through technology in production. Meanwhile, the French (old producers) tried to reduce the demand gap through frequent promotions, but they lacked the right knowledge and marketing skills. Since their production cost was high, the price per bottle was higher than that of the new producers. In contrast, the new producers’ wine was of high quality and affordable, and thus it supplied high volumes to meet the demand. Government regulations The old producers faced a challenge arising from the government. For instance, the government set restrictions on the sugar content of the wine. In addition, the rules regarding the entire winemaking process were drafted in the AOC regulations. The regulations hindered innovations and technology in the winemaking industry, which was embraced by the new producers to out-compete them in the production process. For the new producers, technology was a thriving tool through drip irrigation, thus making sweeter wine and fertilizer applications. This aspect contributed to quality wine at a much lower costs that kept high demand for their wines in the market. Production costs With technology, the new producers incurred fewer costs in production as compared to the old producers. Moreover, the new producers’ prices were much lower with high quality wines. This aspect enabled the new producers’ wines to remain competitive and highly productive in the industry. However, for the old producers, the production cost was relatively high, hence high prices. Unfortunately, the government forbade technology in irrigation and sugar content in winemaking, which lowered their demand and supply at the same time. Analysis The factors affecting demand in this case study include the consumers’ tastes and preferences, government policies, technology, the cost of production, culture, and traditions. These factors affected business entities in different dimensions. Similarly, the factors affecting supply included production costs, government policies, technology, and competition. For any business entity to survive in the global competitive market, the management should incorporate a quick response mechanism system. Conclusion The wine industry has grown due to the competition that existed in its growth stages. A healthy competition contributes to high quality and affordable commodities as seen in the wine war case study. Assuming there was no competition in the wine business, the industry would not have gained popularity in the global market. The competition in the wine industry led to many agricultural and packaging inventions, which are widely used in the contemporary times. Reference Bartlett, C. (2009). Global Wine War 2009: New World versus Old. Harvard Business Review. Web.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The globalisation debate has created two opposing groups who either advocate or oppose the practice. Proponents of globalisation support one hand of the debate when they say that we live in a globalised world (already) and an attempt to limit globalisation is futile. The other side of the divide is comprised of people who oppose globalisation, based on the presumption that the world is not globalised yet, and attempts to forestall this development should be improved.
The globalisation debate has created two opposing groups who either advocate or oppose the practice. Proponents of globalisation support one hand of the debate when they say that we live in a globalised world (already) and an attempt to limit globalisation is futile. The other side of the divide is comprised of people who oppose globalisation, based on the presumption that the world is not globalised yet, and attempts to forestall this development should be improved.
Globalisation Phenomenon: Political and Social Debates Essay Introduction Since the beginning of the 20 th century, globalisation has been the main driver for international trade. Even though the interaction of communities is not a new phenomenon, globalisation has stirred many debates, both politically and socially, about its potential ramifications to human societies. To this extent, it is difficult to analyse the dynamics surrounding globalisation in one perspective because there are many views surrounding its existence (Study Mode 2013, p. 1). Besides basing its principles on a broad division of labour, globalisation has evolved into a sophisticated international wealth distribution system that transcends traditional structures of trade and economic development. The globalisation debate has created two opposing groups who either advocate or oppose the practice. Proponents of globalisation support one hand of the debate when they say that we live in a globalised world (already) and an attempt to limit globalisation is futile. The other side of the divide is comprised of people who oppose globalisation, based on the presumption that the world is not globalised yet, and attempts to forestall this development should be improved (Volkman 2006). The varied views of these opposing groups trace to the differences in the definition of globalisation that both groups have. Differences in opinions regarding whether it is right to embrace globalisation or not spreads to different companies which also consider whether to embrace globalisation as part of their core business practices, or not. This paper focuses on one such company in California, which focuses on producing personal computers and other communication devices. One group of consultants say the telecommunication company should keep all its activities within California, but another group of consultants say the company should distribute its activities equally in Asia, Europe, and America. This paper explores both arguments by evaluating the impact of currency value, customer behaviour, value addition, competitive advantage, cooperative advantage, outsourcing, foreign direct investments, and the debates for globalisation and against globalisation. Anti-Globalism Perspective Supporters of the anti-globalism movement often highlight the excessive wield of political power by a few multinational companies as a criticism for globalisation. This excessive political power partly thrives from the deregulated financial market and the numerous trade agreements that support international trade. Mainly, people who support the anti-globalism movement say the willingness to make supernormal profits by multinational companies mainly drives their quest to engage in international trade, such that, they overlook the well-being of their workers and other social and environmental concerns (Goodman 2005). Some anti-globalism crusaders have also said multinational companies ignore the sovereignty and legitimacy of independent governments as they go about their business, globally. Such concerns have convinced many people to believe that globalisation is a bad thing. Some people also believe that a few multinationals have turned globalisation to be an opportunity for a few individuals and interested parties to exercise some privileges that ordinary people cannot (Zanfei 2005). Such privileges include the free movement of people across borders, the exploitation of natural resources, and the exploitation of human resources. One argument that stands out in this debate is the role of globalisation to cement the authority of industrialised nations over poor nations. For example, Sintonen (2002) believes that globalisation is unfair to developing nations because there is an unequal interaction between developed and developing nations. Indeed, most developed nations wield a lot of power in both economic and political fronts. Therefore, developing nations always find themselves disadvantaged against most of the major world powers. Comprehensively, anti-globalism crusaders say globalisation is not healthy for the developing world. Political Debate The political debate surrounding globalisation has mainly centred on conservative and liberal sentiments towards the issue. A common argument advanced by conservatives is the protection of nationalistic sentiments (Akisik 2009). Indeed, politically, globalisation erodes the social fabric that characterises different societies. This happens because politicians base their principles on the differentiation of basic social ideologies. The fact that nationalism outlines the foundation of modern society and social cohesion further exacerbates these fears (MrGlobalization 2011). Therefore, some people fear that the elimination of these social and political structures may threaten national unity and patriotism. This is the main fear characterising the arguments against globalisation in the political front. This argument closely resembles similar arguments, which preserve cultural identities because some people fear that globalisation erodes unique cultural and nationalistic values. To this extent, anti-globalisation sentiments try to protect nationalism and individualism. The concept of individualism has also spread to corporate governance because some companies fear that going global erodes some of their core corporate values (Akisik 2009). This may be the main idea informing the hesitation by the California-based technology company to distribute its activities to Asia, Europe, and America. Why Economists Resist Anti-Globalism Analysts have a very different concept of globalisation when they review the same argument economically. By most measures, globalisation makes a lot of economic sense because it uplifts the economic well-being of societies (though unequally). Indeed, globalisation creates several economic benefits, such as, capital mobility, development of infrastructure, development of sophisticated financial products, liberalisation of economies, and the growth of companies. These reasons have prompted many economists to resist the anti-globalism movement. Why the Californian-Based Company Should Remain Local Changing Customer Behaviour The introduction of globalisation has brought new challenges regarding transcending social and cultural differences. Indeed, different societies around the world have unique differences in their social and cultural compositions, which affect their customer behaviours (McLaughlin 1996). Therefore, for instance, there is bound to be significant differences in the customer behaviours of European, Asian, and American shoppers. These differences pose a challenge to companies that intend to market their products across different geographic regions. This challenge manifests because different customer groups respond to the same product differently. Therefore, while a product may report higher sales in America and Europe, it may report poor sales in Asia. This difference has forced many companies to tailor-make their products to meet the social and cultural dynamics of their target market (Iqbal 2006). However, this process requires additional resources in manufacturing and marketing. Therefore, companies that experience these challenges face rising production and manufacturing costs, which erode their profitability. Therefore, in the context of this study, different consumer behaviours (brought by differences in social and cultural dynamics) impede the market opportunities for the California-based technology company to transcend its traditional market. Therefore, the difference in consumer behaviour hampers the distribution of the company’s activities across Asia, Europe, and America. To this extent, limiting the company’s activities within California seems like a safer option. Nevertheless, researchers have explored the concerns regarding globalisation and cultural differences. Even though there may be a popular perception that cultural differences impede globalisation, many people ignore the power of globalization to overcome this challenge. Bobek (2005) contends that globalisation has the power to disrupt fragile societies and traditional identities to create a more “globalised” system of multiculturalism. People who support the anti-globalisation movement have used this power to say globalisation threatens the existence of unique cultural identities (Alvarez 2010). The fear that consumer cultural differences may slowly disappear and traditional customs and practices eliminated by the spread of globalisation informs their fear. Economically, the elimination of cultural differences may be a good thing because it also means the elimination of different consumer behaviours. In a highly globalised society, it is easy to sell one product to a large consumer group without having to embrace different cultural dynamics. Nonetheless, this fact does not mean globalisation does not tolerate cultural dynamics because it does. For example, it is easy to find different cultural cuisines (such as Mexican, Thai, or Indian food) in an urban restaurant. Similarly, even in a globalised system, cultural differences in education, media and finance are still upheld (Harney 2006). Therefore, even though cultural differences may lead to differences in consumer behaviour, it still does not dampen the prospects of a flourishing global society because globalisation has the power to overcome differences in customer behaviour to create a multicultural system where people consume goods and services with minimal behavioural limitations. Therefore, through this analogy, differences in customer behaviours may not necessarily inhibit the spread of company activities beyond California. Why the Californian-Based Company Should be Global Fluctuations of Currency Value Different factors affect currency values. However, the principle factor affecting a currency’s value is the currency’s demand. Currency value determination is important in international trade because different countries (or regions) trade in different currencies. For example, the exchange of dollars and Euros characterises the trade between Europe and America (a trader may exchange one Euro for one and a half dollars). The impact of currency values in international trade cannot be underestimated because the value of a currency normally determines a country’s import and export volume (Hamel 2012, p. 1). For example, when the British sterling pound has a high value, Britons are likely to demand more goods and services from the international market. The high demand for goods and services may increase their volume of imports. Similarly, if the U.S. dollar decreases in value, foreign goods are likely to be more expensive for Americans and this may reduce America’s import volume in the future (Mraovic 2010). Conversely, a poor dollar value is likely to make U.S. goods more attractive to the international market. Therefore, a low dollar value is likely to improve the attractiveness of U.S. exports. The influence of international currency values on the activity of international companies also takes the same form as the examples described above. The main difference between local companies and international companies stem from the influence of currency fluctuations on company activities. Therefore, depending on the activities of these companies in the international market, currency fluctuations may erode profitability or reduce the production costs of these companies. By focusing on the case study in this paper, if the California-based technology company distributes its activities across three continents, it may take advantage of the lowest currency values to reduce some of its production costs. For example, low currency values in developing countries are attractive to international companies because they reduce their wage bill (Pakravan 2011). Therefore, the Californian technology company may reduce its wage bill by using relatively cheaper labour in developing countries to reduce its overall production costs. Indeed, limiting its activities within California means the company will pay higher wages to its workers because of the high value of the U.S. dollar (compared to some developing markets abroad). Therefore, exporting some of its production processes abroad reduces the company’s wage bill. Such cheap labour may come from Asia or certain parts of Europe. Many technology companies have taken advantage of such opportunities to reduce their production costs. Apple Inc. is one such company, which has exported some of its production processes to overseas markets (notably China) (Prestowitz 2012, p. 1). Even though the company has come under intense criticism from Americans for exporting American jobs to overseas markets, Apple Inc. has said that bringing the jobs back to America will increase its wage bill so high that it will make the company less competitive in the end (Prestowitz 2012). Apple is however, not the only company that takes advantage of the difference in currency value to increase its competitiveness, European carmakers have also exported some of their production processes overseas to reduce their wage bills. For example, Mercedes Benz and BMW have exported some of their manufacturing activities to Asia and Africa, then re-exported back the finished products to Europe to exploit the differences in currency value as a measure of reducing their production costs. Many more companies are following this example because globalisation has opened new opportunities for companies to reduce their production costs by taking advantage of differences in currency values. The California-based company also needs to exploit this opportunity by distributing some of its activities overseas to increase its market competitiveness. Value Addition Globalisation complements a company’s value addition process. Value addition mainly occurs through the trade of intermediary inputs. As Johnson (2011), observes, this market segment (trade of intermediary inputs) accounts for about two-thirds of all international trade. Intermediary trade supports value addition through globalisation because globalisation thrives on the principle that one location does not have all the competencies and positive attributes needed to make a product or deliver a service (Steingard 1995). The absolute advantage theory explains this principle. Adam Smith (the founder of the theory) explains that a company can realise business success in another country if it establishes its absolute advantage. For example, countries that have natural advantages like a better geographic location, cheap labour, fertile land, and production resources (like human resources) have a strong business advantage over other companies that do not have these resources. For example, the California-based technology company may use some of its core competencies to gain a strong business advantage over its main competitors (David 2010). These advantages define its absolute advantages to use over its competitors. The main weakness of the absolute advantage theory is its failure to analyse countries that have no absolute advantage (at all). In the same regard, this theory does not give any provision to countries that have all absolute advantages (this has been its primary basis of criticism) (David 2010, p. 11). Therefore, international trade thrives on the basis that one country (or company) may demonstrate key weaknesses and competencies in providing a product or service. Consequently, through international trade, consumers may combine the advantages of different countries in producing one product (McPhee 2006). Therefore, instead of limiting a company’s production process to the key competencies of one region, it is better to incorporate the key competencies of different countries in producing the same product. When applying the same concept in the context of this paper, it is vital to point out that limiting all company activities within California prevents the possibility of the company to add value to its products. In fact, by limiting all its activities within California, the company would not enjoy the key competencies of other locations, such as, Asia or Europe. This way, the company would not enjoy value addition opportunities. Countries that enjoy value addition services also enjoy the increased fragmentation of production processes across different geographic regions, thereby taking advantage of the opportunity to add value to their products. For example, a technology company that has fragmented its production processes to incorporate Korean production processes enjoy the embodiment of Korean value processes as it exports its products to Europe. Therefore, a fragmented production chain means there is a hidden structure of value addition, which companies and countries enjoy through international trade. A careful analysis of this value addition process is often vital to understand how different countries link in the international trade system. Cooperative Advantage Globalisation has changed the dynamics of the way businesses operate. It is, therefore, unsurprising that many companies fear the impact of globalisation. Indeed, globalisation has introduced a new business environment that thrives on efficiency, supply chain optimisation, and cooperative advantages. With the new rules of business engagement, Britt (2007) says, businesses need to collaborate with one another to gain some cooperative advantage. Globalisation offers businesses this opportunity. For example, European car automakers are seeking new partners to help them improve their core business advantages. Even though some European car automakers have a high engineering precision and top-notch manufacturing, they are still exploring new opportunities for improving their business processes through collaborating with other companies around the continent. Through these partnerships, a Finland-based company assembles the Porsche Boxter (which is a German product), while a company based in Austria assembles some BMW car brands (also a German product). This way, German car automakers improve their cooperative advantages. The California-based technology company may equally exploit such market opportunities to improve its cooperative advantage. Indeed, some overseas technology companies may improve the company’s core business processes by polishing its production processes. This way, the company may improve its cooperative advantage and join the league of other international companies in exploiting such opportunities. Competitive Advantage Competitive advantage refers to the ability of a company (or country) to position itself well within its environment. The competitive advantage theory best explains this phenomenon because it supports the best use of resources at a local, domestic, and global level (Goel 2009, p. 1). For example, from the diagram below, two different companies show different competencies – distribution advantage and quality advantage. Figure One : Sustained Competitive Advantage (Shaw 2005) Assuming that letter ‘B’ represented the California-based company and the letter ‘A’ represented its main competition, the above diagram shows that the technology company has a better distribution and quality advantage over its main competitor. Therefore, company ‘B’ would have a stronger competitive advantage over its competition. Therefore, the company should receive most manufacturing opportunities. The competitive advantage theory, therefore, supports the idea of a globalised manufacturing process, which also complements the idea of the diversification of company processes across different geographic regions (Vaccaro 2009). Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) Global companies are the main drivers of international trade through their high foreign direct investments. In fact, Estrin (2012) says foreign direct investments are the main drivers of a globalised society. Recently, researchers have explored the impact of FDIs on different economies and the impact of such investments on the local economy and the investing companies. These literatures show that most multinational companies that invest in overseas markets do so, not because of the political or economic advancement of their target markets, but because of their internal strategies. However, the literatures also show that FDIs expand the outreach of such multinational companies, for instance, by expanding their markets. This way, companies improve their profitability and market networks (Murphy 2008). The California-based technology company may similarly take advantage of such opportunities to expand its core market base and eventually improve its operations by expanding its activities beyond California. According to Akhter (2011), limiting the company’s activities within California is an old strategy that past companies adopted to maintain a strong market position in their home markets. For example, companies used to establish semi-autonomous positions in several industries within their home markets to maintain strong market dominance over similar companies operating in the same market. For a long time, America has been the greatest beneficiary of the global FDI. However, with the changing economic policies of different countries, and the persistent economic problems facing developed nations, China has overtaken America as the biggest recipient of global FDI. Globally, FDI is decreasing. In fact, the U.N. conference on trade and development recently said it reduced its forecast for FDI in 2012 by about $1.6 trillion (The Economist 2012). FDI into wealthy countries decrease annually, but FDI into developing countries increases every year. The Economist (2012) says that currently, developing countries account for more than half of the world’s FDI. The chart below shows the changing trends of FDI worldwide. Figure Two: FDI investments (The Economist 2012) As observed from the above diagram, China leads in foreign direct investment worldwide. Through these FDIs, companies may increase their markets and expand their operations worldwide. These investments improve their operational efficiencies and increase their profitability. Outsourcing “More than 75% of the world’s 2,000 largest companies are engaged in offshore outsourcing” (Weier 2007, p. 1). This is a statement made by Weier (2007) to show the extent of off shoring activities in the global marketplace. He also believes that the number of companies engaged in outsourcing activities may rise to about 40% in the next decade. The main driver pushing multinational companies to engage in outsourcing is the opportunity to save costs. However, as companies continue to rely on their overseas markets for revenue growth, many managers are re-evaluating where they think it is economically sustainable to place their employees (Flatworld Solutions 2012, p. 1). Many I.T. companies are expanding their information technology operations into overseas markets (notably India, China, and other parts of Asia). The California-based technology company similarly needs to follow the same trend because there are several advantages that the company could derive from this strategy. Besides the cost advantages associated with outsourcing, the company may similarly obtain high-quality services to improve its core operations. Complementarily, as the company expands its operations, it may benefit from outsourcing by focusing on its core business activities (Bucki 2012, p. 1). For example, in a rapidly expanding growth period, the company may experience an increase in its back-office operations, which may compromise the core business services that helped the business rise in the first place. It is, therefore, wise to outsource some of these back-office operations in overseas markets so that the company concentrates on its core business services. This way, the company may maintain its profitability and competitive advantage in the future. Comparative Advantage If the California-based Technology Company intends to distribute its activities across the globe, it may face stiff competition from other companies in the international market. The importance of the comparative advantage theory surfaces in this regard. The comparative advantage theory complements the need to have a robust global technology strategy to elevate the company to global competitiveness. Specifically, the theory explains why the company needs to re-invent itself in the global market. The comparative advantage theory refers to a country’s ability to produce goods and services at relatively lower costs than its competitors do (Goel 2009). Usually, marginal and opportunity costs establish the level of comparative advantage that an organisation (or country) has over another. This theory largely explains the differences in international trade by demonstrating how different countries benefit from trade (even if one country produces a bulk of the goods or services). Usually, the gains derived from such international transactions become the ‘gains of the trade’ (Maneschi 1998). The law of comparative advantage, which stipulates the importance of countries to sustain their comparative advantage by re-inventing themselves in the global market, demonstrates the importance of the comparative advantage theory (Goel 2009). P articularly, this understanding closely refers to the need for the California-based technology company to distribute its activities in the international market because the company may easily sustain its comparative advantage by re-inventing itself in the international market. This relationship explains the association between the comparative advantage theory and globalisation because globalisation also encourages companies to penetrate new markets through globalisation. Analysts draw close similarities between globalisation and the comparative advantage theory because companies sustain their comparative advantages by re-inventing themselves on the global map (Goel 2009). Furthermore, experts draw a strong link between globalisation and its ability to increase a company’s operational efficiencies. After carefully scrutinising the structure and concepts of the comparative advantage theory, we see that the theory encourages companies to operate as if there were no international barriers to trade (Maneschi 1998). Conversely, if this theory applied to the California-based technology company, the comparative advantage theory would stipulate that the Californian Company should expand without succumbing to the barriers of trade. Practically, it is difficult to defend this philosophy because there are substantial barriers to trade on the international market. For example, some countries still have protectionist policies that act as impediments to international trade. These impediments highlight the difficulties that the company may face as it ventures into the international market (for instance, the dominance of other technology companies pose a barrier to the entry of foreign companies). Furthermore, different countries have different economic environments that pose varied dynamics of international trade. Some of these dynamics are unfavourable to international trade (Goel, 2009). Besides the challenges of having a complementary economic environment, critics of the comparative advantage theory say that even if the theory is applied effortlessly, so companies that have a stronger comparative advantage produce goods and services (instead of companies that do not share this advantage), the flow of capital is not going to be equitable (Maneschi 1998). This observation contradicts suggestions advanced by proponents of globalisation who show that international trade is a zero-sum game where everybody benefits equally. Equitable capital distribution only occurs in perfect markets, but perfect markets do not exist. This criticism forms part of the challenges of distributing the company’s activities across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Conclusion Like many social and economic issues, globalisation may polarise societies. Indeed, globalisation has its pros and cons. The suitability of globalisation to different company contexts, however, forms the basis for this study and as many successful technology companies do, this paper proposes that embracing globalisation is the best strategy for the Californian-based company. The company may enjoy the many advantages of this strategy, including comparative advantages, cooperative advantages, competitive advantages, and value addition (Khilji 2005). Maintaining the company operations in California helps to avoid some of the pitfalls of globalisation (like the depreciation of currency value, loss of corporate values, and changing consumer behaviours), but the benefits derived from globalisation transcend some of these key challenges. In fact, this paper demonstrates that globalisation accommodates some of society’s different dynamics, such as, cultural differences. There are, therefore, minimal arguments that oppose the decision to distribute the company’s operations across different geographic regions. Through this understanding, this paper proposes that the California-based company should embrace globalisation by distributing its activities across Europe, Asia, and America. References Akhter, S. 2011, ‘An empirical note on regionalization and globalization’, Multinational Business Review , vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 26 – 35. Akisik, O. 2009, ‘Globalization, US foreign investments and accounting standards’, Review of Accounting and Finance , vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 5 – 37. Alvarez, M. 2010, ‘Istanbul as a world city: a cultural perspective’, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research , vol. 4 no. 3, pp. 266 – 276. Bobek, V. 2005, ‘The signification and the feasibility of measuring globalization of economy’, Industrial Management & Data Systems , vol. 105 no. 5, pp. 596 – 612. Britt, D. 2007, Impact of Globalization in Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage . Web. Bucki, J. 2012, Top 7 Outsourcing Advantages . Web. David, P. 2010, International Logistics the Management of International Trade Operations , Cengage Learning, London. Estrin, S .2012, Foreign direct investment in transition economies: Strengthening the gains from integration. Web. Flatworld Solutions 2012, Benefits of Outsourcing . Web. Goel, D. 2009, Theory of Competitive Advantage . Web. Goodman, M. 2005, ‘Restoring trust in American business: the struggle to change perception’, Journal of Business Strategy , vol. 26 no. 4, pp. 29 – 37. Hamel, G. 2012, How Do Currency Rates Affect the Markets? . Web. Harney, S. 2006, ‘Regulation and freedom in global business education’, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy , vol. 26 no. 3/4, pp. 97 – 109. Iqbal M. 2006, ‘Globalization at crossroads of warfare, revolution, and universalization: The Islamic panacea, stratagem and policy instruments’, Humanomics , vol. 22 no. 3, pp. 162 – 177. Johnson, R. 2011, The value-added content of trade . Web. Khilji, T. 2005, ‘Why Globalization Works’, Journal of Economic Studies , vol. 32 no. 3, pp. 294 – 296. Maneschi, A. 1998, Comparative Advantage in International Trade: A Historical Perspective Edward , Elgar Publishing, London. McLaughlin, C. 1996, ‘Strategies for globalizing service operations’, International Journal of Service Industry Management , vol. 7 no. 4, pp. 43 – 57. McPhee, W. 2006, ‘Making the case for the added-value chain’, Strategy & Leadership , vol. 34 no. 4, pp. 39 – 46. Mraovic, B. 2010, ‘The geopolitics of currencies and the issue of monetary sovereignty’, Social Responsibility Journal , vol. 6 no. 2, pp. 183 – 196. Mr Globalization 2011, Nationalism and globalization . Web. Murphy, J. 2008, ‘Management in emerging economies: modern but not too modern’, Critical perspectives on international business , vol. 4 no. 4, pp. 410 – 421. Pakravan, K. 2011, ‘Global financial architecture, global imbalances and the future of the dollar in a post-crisis world’, Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance , vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 18 – 32. Prestowitz, C. 2012, Apple has an obligation to help solve America’s problems . Web. Shaw, C. 2005, Building Great Customer Experiences , Palgrave Macmillan, London. Sintonen, T. 2002, ‘Racism and ethics in the globalized business world’, International Journal of Social Economics , vol. 29 no. 11, pp. 849 – 860. Steingard, D. 1995, ‘Challenging the juggernaut of globalization: a manifesto for academic praxis’, Journal of Organizational Change Management , vol. 8 no. 4, pp. 30 – 54. Study Mode 2013, Extent of Globalisation . Web. The Economist 2012, Foreign direct investment . Web. Vaccaro, V. 2009, ‘B2B green marketing and innovation theory for competitive advantage’, Journal of Systems and Information Technology , vol. 11 no. 4, pp. 315 – 330. Volkman, R. 2006, ‘Dynamic traditions: why globalization does not mean homogenization’, Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society , vol. 4 no. 3, pp. 145 – 154. Weier, M. 2007, The Second Decade Of Offshore Outsourcing: Where We’re Headed . Web. Zanfei, A. 2005, ‘Globalization at bay? Multinational growth and technology spillover’, Critical perspectives on international business , vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 5 – 17.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The paper discusses the topic of globalisation of logistics and supply chains. It seeks to establish whether Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) can operate an integrated global business strategy in more than one country.It is argued that operating such a strategy is a reality for MNEs which are able to match their globalisation potentials with their globalisation strategies. To organisations which are not able to do so, operating such a strategy is more of a myth than a reality.
The paper discusses the topic of globalisation of logistics and supply chains. It seeks to establish whether Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) can operate an integrated global business strategy in more than one country. It is argued that operating such a strategy is a reality for MNEs which are able to match their globalisation potentials with their globalisation strategies. To organisations which are not able to do so, operating such a strategy is more of a myth than a reality.
Globalisation of Logistics and Supply Chains Analytical Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Globalisation Explained 3. Globalisation Trends 4. The Nature of Multinational Business 5. Benefits of an Integrated Business Strategy 6. Drawbacks of Globalisation 7. Conclusion 8. Reference List Introduction This paper is based on the topic of globalisation of logistics and supply chains. It seeks to establish whether Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) can operate an integrated global business strategy in more than one country. It is argued that operating such a strategy is a reality for MNEs which are able to match their globalisation potentials with their globalisation strategies. To organisations which are not able to do so, operating such a strategy is more of a myth than a reality. Examples which are discussed include Tesco and Toyota. The paper is based on the backdrop of the increasing number of organisations which are going global. Such an increase is fueled by the need to increase competitiveness, reliance on advanced technology, and the desire to venture into particular markets. Globalisation Explained Globalisation is the attempt to eliminate the differences between people of the world through interaction and communication. The period before the two World Wars was characterised by minimal interaction, communication, and cross-border movements. That situation however changed after the World Wars due to the realisation by nations that there was need of working together in various spheres of development such as education, economy, employment, environment, and governance (Beck 2000). Globalisation is mainly driven by advancement in information and communication technology, improvement of transport infrastructure, and liberalisation of trade and immigration policies. Through globalisation, people are able to work anywhere in the world irrespective of their cultural orientation. Globalisation has also enabled people to study, marry, and stay in any part of the world (Cole 2005). In terms of culture, globalisation has enabled different cultures to coexist peacefully without cultural prejudice. The interaction of people in different spheres of life has made them to appreciate their cultural differences, a situation which has greatly reduced instances of racism and ethnicity (Chrysanthopoulos 2010). Globalisation Trends The history of globalisation has been a subject of heated debate between different scholars. Some have argued that globalisation started during the time of Greek civilisation while others have stated that globalisation is a concept which belongs to the modern era. Despite these differences about the history of globalisation, many scholars tend to agree that globalisation was triggered by the conquest of America by the Europeans (Fiske 2007). According to Clark, globalisation started early before the industrial revolution of 1600 (Clark 2008). On his part, Spielvogel traces the earliest form of globalisation to the Hellenistic Age, during which many urban centres came up in Europe. Through the early form of globalisation, there emerged popular cities such as Athens, Antioch, and Alexandria (Spielvogel 2010). According to Kendall and Cole, the integration of trade between the famous Roman Empire and other empires such as the Han dynasty and the Parthian Empire was still another pointer of early form of globalisation (Kendall & Cole 2006). Kendall and Cole attribute the integration of trade between the Roman Empire and other empires to the establishment of the Silk Road. The road was very famous because it stretched from China all the way to Rome and as a result, it was seen as a major achievement as far as cross-border movement and trade were concerned (Baily, Farmer, Crocker, Jessop & Jones 2008). Other scholars further argue that apart from trade, agriculture was also associated with the early form of globalisation, where crops like cotton and sugar started being grown by non-Muslim countries across the globe. When the two World Wars came to an end, there emerged a new form of globalisation which was characterised by the desire to integrate the world through cooperation is social, political, and economic development. The leaders of many countries attributed the World Wars to the poor integration of the world’s social, economic, and political spheres, where countries considered harming and exploiting others as strategies of gaining popularity and influence across the globe (Harrison & Van-Hoek 2005). From 1960s onwards, the new form of globalisation evolved to contemporary globalisation. Some major characteristics of contemporary globalisation include increased rates of immigration, liberalisation of education, technology transfer, and liberalisation of trade. The Nature of Multinational Business Multinational business involves MNEs, which establish businesses in different countries of the world. As a result of globalisation, corporations of different types and sizes have become multinational. The corporations have relied heavily on the advancement in information and communication technology and improvement of transport infrastructure to coordinate their businesses in different countries (Rugman & Collinson 2006). Many MNEs prefer investing in developing countries because such countries have unexploited markets as well as low or no competition. But before doing any investment, it is important for MNEs to do an environmental analysis and come up with strategies of ensuring that they are cushioned from incurring losses which may result either from man-made or natural causes (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan 2011). One risk which MNEs face is that of foreign exchange exposure. This risk is explained as the possibility that a corporation may suffer losses or make huge profits due to the fluctuation of exchange rates for foreign currencies (Wild, Wild & Han 2008). Due to the risks which come with fluctuation of exchange rates, MNEs come up with strategies of managing foreign exchange exposure. One such strategy is the foreign exposure management. This strategy entails five steps namely doing a forecast of the stability of the currency of the home country, putting in place a reporting system for monitoring the exchange rates, putting in place an hedging exposure, centralising or decentralising the management of the exposure, and having the right tools for exposure management (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan 2011). For example, Dell’s exposure management strategy involves the forecasting of the rates of foreign exchange. It has a team which is responsible for monitoring the exchange rates and let the company know the best time to import or export its products in the Mercosur region. Dell also relies on hedging as a strategy of managing its foreign exposure. Through hedging, the company is able to enter into contracts with financial institutions to cushion itself from the fluctuating exchange rates. Dell’s exposure management strategy has been successful to a great extent. The success is attributed to a team which is responsible for managing the exposure. This team, led by Mr. Pickett has been able to manage the exposure effectively for a long time. However, the team has been unable to harmonise its strategy by putting into consideration the views of other corporate players, who are usually of the view that it should use hedges instead of entering into contracts with financial institutions. Some of the strategies which Dell should implement so as to enhance its exposure management include the decentralisation of its exposure management, exposure netting, and the use of balance sheet hedging (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan 2011). MNEs usually operate in diverse environments in terms of culture. In many cases, it is difficult to separate the culture of countries with organisational culture. The reason is that many MNEs employ many locals so that their businesses may appeal to customers in those counties. As a result, the culture of many MNEs is a true reflection of the culture of specific countries. However, since MNEs cannot give all jobs to local employees, they face the challenge of conflict of cultures at the workplace (Steers, Sánchez-Runde & Nardon 2010). Consequently, the success of MNEs in internationalising their operations largely depends on their ability to be proactive. They should have a good understanding of the cultures of different countries to avoid culturally based conflicts at the workplace (Lysons & Farrington 2012). MNEs should also prepare the ground for their businesses by establishing relationships and networks with local business stakeholders and governments. They should also insure their businesses against different types of risks. MNEs which do not take these precautionary measures are usually faced with many challenges, some of which culminate in the closure of businesses. MNEs should also consider political risks which may come after the establishment of the businesses. Political risks may be firm specific or country specific. Firm specific risks are those which are directed to a specific firm as a discriminatory treatment by governments or other competitors. Country specific risks are those which affect the country as a whole and may include things like political violence, national strikes, high taxes, or policies which may be unfair to all MNEs operating in a particular country (Hill 2006). If the risks are more than the anticipated profits, then the MNEs should consider exporting their products instead of doing foreign direct investments. However, if there are minimal or manageable risks in the host countries, the MNEs should consider doing foreign direct investments. The reason is that foreign direct investments are efficient and effective in maximising profits and exploiting the new markets (Hill 2006). Benefits of an Integrated Business Strategy An integrated global business strategy has the advantage of reducing costs with huge margins using what economists refer to as economies of scale. If for example a MNE has operations in four countries which are close to each other, that MNE may reduce the cost of production by pooling the production of the four countries in one country. By so doing, the MNE is able to cut huge costs of setting up production plants in all the four countries. If the cost of production goes up in one country, the MNE may easily shift the production activities in the neighboring country where the cost of production is low. By so doing, the MNE is able to achieve flexibility in its production, which in tun increases its efficiency and effectiveness (Scholte 2005). Having an integrated global business strategy also has the benefit of enabling MNEs to exploit cheap factors of production such as raw materials, capital, land, and labour. It happens because the supply and demand of the factors of production mentioned above vary from one country to another. As a result, MNEs prefer doing their production in countries where the cost of the factors of production is low (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 2010). A good example to demonstrate this argument is Japan, which is renowned for its vibrant manufacturing sector. The sector has been a major force behind Japan’s economic growth for many years and as a result, Japan has retained its manufacturing culture. Consequently, it leads in the manufacture of various goods such as machine tools, electrical appliances, chemicals, ships, electronics, optical equipment, steal, and automobiles ( Australian government, department of foreign affairs and trade: Japan country brief overview 2014). However, there has been increased competition from China and South Korea, which are manufacturing some of the goods mentioned above. The competition has been occasioned by an increase in manufacturing cost in Japan due to increased cost of labour, especially due to its highly educated workforce. In an effort to counter the increased cost of labour, Japan has transferred some of its manufacturing activities to low-cost countries in Asia and Africa ( Yamaha: local offices 2015). An integrated global business strategy also has the potential of improving the quality of products and services offered by a particular MNE. The reason is that through integrated global business strategy, the MNE is able to focus on particular products or services and invest its innovation on those products or services. As a result, the MNE becomes a global leader in those products or services. This strategy is able to give the MNE a competitive advantage because it invests immensely in making those products or services as unique as possible, and by so doing, the MNE is able to create a market niche for itself (Van-Weele 2009). For example, Toyota is known for its lean strategy, where it manufactures few but high-quality automobiles compared to general motors, which deals with a wide range of automobiles. Through its lean strategy, Toyota has been able to increase its competitiveness in the automobile industry. The reason is that there are customers who prefer expensive high-quality cars to cheap low-quality cars (Mangan, Lalwani & Butcher 2008). According to Porter’s competitive strategy, Toyota’s scenario is referred to as differentiation. In the field of strategic management, the concept of differentiation refers to the process of making a product or a service popular among customers. It is achieved through description of the unique characteristics of the product or service being differentiated. The whole idea behind differentiation is to create a market niche for that particular product or service. When customers are made to understand the unique characteristics of different products and services, they are able to make informed decisions regarding different products and services. If done well, differentiation enables customers to purchase specific products or services in a market flooded with many varieties of products and services (Thompson & Martin 2010). Tesco is another example of a MNE which has embraced the concept of differentiation. It is a multinational organisation dealing with grocery and general retail merchandise. Its headquarters are at Cheshunt, United Kingdom (Tesco 2014). According to information posted on its website, it is the third largest retail merchandise in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Its main market is in the United Kingdom but it has grocery stores in more than 13 countries across the globe (Tesco 2014). Through differentiation and positioning of its products, goods, services, and operations, Tesco has managed to place itself in a strategic position as far as competitiveness in concerned. It has also penetrated several markets across the globe through mergers and acquisitions. However, the organisation has some gaps, which if properly addressed can enhance its competitiveness in the retail industry. I would advise the organisation to invest more resources in differentiation and positioning so as to improve its future strategic position. Instead of differentiating a single product at a time, it should differentiate several products at the same time. Doing so would enable it to have a pool of loyal and dedicated customers for its goods and services. I would also advise Tesco to change its market entry strategy. The reason is that its current strategy for entering new markets focuses on opening new stores in different countries. Even though it is a good strategy, it has not helped the organisation a lot. The reason is that opening new stores is more expensive than working with agents. The organisation should therefore consider entering into partnership with organisations which are not in the retail industry and start selling its products through those organisations. This strategy would enable the organisation to save the costs associated with setting up new stores in other countries. In order to realise a substantive growth, I would advise the organisation to consider establishing more stores in the United Kingdom than in other countries. Drawbacks of Globalisation The current global supply chains are faced with various challenges, which bring about various risks to MNEs. These challenges and risks are based on the changing nature of customers’ preferences. As opposed to a few decades ago, it is becoming increasingly difficult for MNEs to meet the needs and preferences of their customers, especially due to increased transparency in the free market economy. There are also increased levels of awareness among the customers on the current global market trends, and as such, customers are constantly looking for the ‘next big thing’ from different MNEs (Lan & Bhuvan 2006). Globalisation has enabled many companies to expand into new markets in foreign countries so as to increase competitiveness and profitability. Even though globalisation is viewed as a strategy for increasing companies’ profit margins, it comes with increased costs due to complexity of the supply chains. Different countries have different taxation and business regulation policies. In many countries, it is expensive to manufacture goods due to prohibitive taxation policies. As a result, many MNEs opt to manufacture their goods in low-cost countries and transport them to the countries where they have businesses. The end result is increased cost of production, reduced efficiency, and a decline of customers’ loyalty. If not managed properly, these issues pose the risk of reduced profitability and ultimate closure of businesses (Flynn, Morita & Jose 2011). The other significant challenge in the current global supply chains is volatility of markets. For a supply chain to function effectively, there is need to have a relatively stable market in terms of customer preferences, cost of production, supply of goods and inputs, and business regulation policies. There has also been fluctuation of the major currencies like the United States dollar. The fluctuation not only affects supply chains but it also makes it hard for investors to make crucial investment decisions. The instability of the major currencies also exposes the supply chains to poor market forecasting, which leads to poor harmonisation of manufacturing, processing, and pricing strategies. Conclusion Globalisation has made it possible for organisations of different sizes and complexities to become global and operate integrated global business strategies. However, operating integrated global business strategies is not an easy task, especially for organisations which are not able to match their globalisation potentials with their globalisation strategies. Examples of MNEs which operate integrated global business strategies include Toyota and Tesco. Reference List Australian government, department of foreign affairs and trade: Japan country brief overview 2014. Web. Baily, P, Farmer, D, Crocker, B, Jessop, D & Jones, D 2008, Purchasing principles and management , Prentice Hall, FT. Beck, U 2000, What is globalisation?, Wiley-Blackwell, Malden, MA. Chrysanthopoulos, M 2010, Cultural diversity and education, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing, New York, NY. Clark, G 2008, A farewell to alms: a brief economic history of the world princeton economic history of the western world , Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Cole, S 2005, Applied transport economics , Kogan Page, London. Daniels,J.D, Radebaugh, L.H & Sullivan, D.P 2011, International business: environments and operations, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, N.J. Fiske, J 2007, The discovery of America: with some account of ancient America and the Spanish conquest v2, volume 2, Kessinger Pub Co, New York, NY. Flynn, B, Morita, M & Machuca, J 2011, Managing global supply chain relationships: operations, strategies and practices, Business Science Reference, Hershey PA. Harrison, A & Van-Hoek, R 2005, Logistics management and strategy , Prentice Hall, FT. Hill, W.L 2006, Global business today , McGraw Hill/Irwin, Boston, MA. Johnson, G, Scholes, K & Whittington, R 2010, Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases , Prentice Hall, FT. Kendall, S & Cole, S 2006, Wales and the Atlantic arc: developing ports, wales transport research centre , Kogan Page, London. Lan, Y & Unhelkar, B 2006, Global integrated supply chain systems, Idea Group Publ, cop, Hershey, PA. Lysons, K & Farrington, B 2012, Purchasing and supply chain management , Pearson Education Limited, Prentice Hall. Mangan, J, Lalwani, C & Butcher, T 2008, Global logistics and supply chain management, Wiley, Malden, MA. Rugman, A.M &Collinson, S 2006, International business , Prentice Hall, FT. Scholte, J.A 2005, Globalisation: A critical introduction , Palgrave Macmillan, Great Yarmouth. Spielvogel, J.J 2010, Western civilisation: a brief history, volume 1 , Cengage Learning, New York, NY. Steers, R, Sánchez-Runde, C & Nardon, L 2010, Management across cultures: challenges and strategies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Tesco 2014, Mission, vision and values . Web. Thompson, J & Martin, F 2010, Strategic management: awareness and change , Cengage Learning, South Western. Van-Weele, A 2009, Purchasing and supply chain management: analysis, strategy, planning and practice , Cengage Learning, Farmington, MI. Wild, J.J, Wild, K.L & Han, C.Y 2008, International business: the challenges of globalisation , Pearson, Prentice Hall. Yamaha: local offices 2015. Web.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The essay discusses the globalization of racism and how it has led to the unleashing of new racism. It also talks about how each period has a particular type of racism.
The essay discusses the globalization of racism and how it has led to the unleashing of new racism. It also talks about how each period has a particular type of racism.
“Globalization and the Unleashing of New Racism: an Introduction” by Macedo and Gounari Essay Racism continues to manifest in the world in different ways, such that anyone who proclaims the end of racism appears as completely blind to his or her surroundings. The identification of all Muslims as terrorists, the classification of all blacks as inferior people, the labeling of people from a particular ethnicity, religion or other groups as merely a compound characteristic is widespread. In their book, Macedo and Gounari (2006) explain the manifestation of racism throughout historical times, with a key characteristic being that each period has a particular type of racism. Therefore, it is not correct to just identify one characteristic and use it as an overall definition and understanding of the racially discriminated and the racists. While the argument by the Macedo and Gounari (2006, p. 22) is convincing, especially when they incorporate the thoughts of Paulo Freire on oppression, it still leaves the reader confused on whether pluralism or individualism is the best mechanism for understanding racist manifestations and tackling the scourge. It is true that there is no generic racism, but there could be a generic source of racism, whose effect goes beyond the rationalization of social arrangements and institutions (Macedo & Gounari 2006, pp. 6-7). This generic source defines how societies and individuals relate to each other. It is championed by a capitalist ideology that promotes self-interest above all else. Although the text does not mention it, it is the self-interest basis of capitalism responsible for failed revolutions and easy labeling of uprisings as threats, which end up justifying more oppressive conduct by elites over the oppressed. Here, the oppressed refer to the victims of racism. However, in the text, readers could be forgiven to think of racism as only a white versus black problem, given that the reference of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim are quickly glanced over in the introductory parts, even before the real racism discussion commences. Nevertheless, it is probably relevant to resort to the plight of the blacks, given that they have been historically oppressed due to racism and continue to face the same racist treatment from their “masters”. Understanding their situation as it matches various discourses by different scholars would help the reader extrapolate the situation to other racist contexts not affecting the blacks. Still, the reader is left to wonder what would explain the racist tendencies of the oppressed when they interact with their oppressors in circumstances that give them power. What would a black custodian of capital do in the Westernized culture of capitalism, where the pursuit of profit permits capitalists to look first after their kind and their property? The text appears to answer this question by explaining the deferred revolution. Whether it is intellectuals, revolutionists, or just activists, the acquisition of social power, which today is obtainable by capital and it is available in the market, transforms many individuals into new oppressors and collaborators with previous oppressors (Macedo & Gounari 2006, pp. 17-25). Indeed, picking individuals to fight for the masses in a setting that favors individual pursuit (capitalism) is ill-advised. This is why racism persists, because it puts people resisting it into the middle of the privileged and the oppressed, forcing them to pick a side, with the majority opting to turn into racists for personalized benefits. There is a need to understand the reason behind the facts, especially the reason why people looking after their own kind would appear as racist and oppressors. Only then can solutions be identified (Macedo & Gounari 2006, p. 33) Reference Macedo, D & Gounari, P 2006, ‘Globalization and the unleashing of new racism: an introduction’, in D Macedo & P Gounari (eds), The globalization of racism , Paradigm Publishers, Boulder, pp. 3-34.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The Good Hotel is a socially conscious business that uses the best business concept in order to emerge successful. The hotel's business strategy supports the changing needs of every customer. This essay discusses the three alternatives considered by Pam Janusz after the hotel changes ownership. The paper also explores the effectiveness of JdV's marketing strategy for Good Hotel. The discussion also offers the best strategies for positioning Good Hotel.
The Good Hotel is a socially conscious business that uses the best business concept in order to emerge successful. The hotel's business strategy supports the changing needs of every customer. This essay discusses the three alternatives considered by Pam Janusz after the hotel changes ownership. The paper also explores the effectiveness of JdV's marketing strategy for Good Hotel. The discussion also offers the best strategies for positioning Good Hotel.
Good Hotel: Doing Good, Doing Well? Essay Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. The Mission/Vision behind the Good Hotel Concept 3. Three Alternatives for Pam Janusz 4. Good Hotel’s Target Customers 5. JdV’s Marketing Strategy for Good Hotel 6. Positioning Good Hotel 7. Reference List Abstract Good Hotel uses the best business concept in order to emerge successful. The hotel’s business strategy supports the changing needs of every customer. This essay discusses the three alternatives considered by Pam Janusz after the hotel changes ownership. The paper also explores the effectiveness of JdV’s marketing strategy for Good Hotel. The discussion also offers the best strategies for positioning Good Hotel. The Mission/Vision behind the Good Hotel Concept Good Hotel has been “a politically correct business” (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010, p. 3). The hotel has embraced one of the best concepts in order to realize its potentials. According to the authors, Good Hotel’s vision has been to become an outstanding business that inspires its customers and stakeholders. The hotel’s strategy always focuses on the experience of every customer. Good Hotel’s positive approach “is designed to empower and inspire the good will in every customer” (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010, p. 2). The managers at the hotel also use the best ideas and practices in order to support its immediate community. The hotel is always socially conscious. The hotel also offers quality and affordable services to its customers. The approach explains why the hotel attracts and retains more customers from different parts of the world. The hotel’s concept ensures every stakeholder is contented with every service or business practice. Three Alternatives for Pam Janusz The new ownership of Good Hotel was something unexpected because Pam had worked hard in order to make the firm successful. Pam is considering three alternatives for the hotel. The first alternative is continuing the good concept of the hotel. This approach will ensure the hotel continues to attract more customers. The approach will also empower every employee in order to promote the hotel’s performance. This alternative might also affect the hotel’s future. The new owner of the hotel might not support its current concept. The second option is expanding Good Hotel’s concept. This strategy has several advantages. It will make the company profitable and successful. The hotel will also achieve its goals within a short period. The only disadvantage is that the new group might not support the strategy. This situation will affect the performance of Good Hotel. Pam might also do away with the hotel’s current concept (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010). The decision to discontinue the concept will ensure the new owner develops a new mission or vision for the hotel. The approach can produce a better business strategy for the new group. However, this approach can threaten the future of Good Hotel. It might also discourage the hotel’s customers and eventually make the new group less profitable. Good Hotel’s Target Customers The case study explains why Good Hotel has become a leading player in the American hotel industry. The hotel has always focused on the changing needs and expectations of its customers. The customers are sensitive about the environment. This situation explains why the hotel has uses environmentally friendly practices. The hotel uses recycled materials in order to support its environmental protection policy (Pearce & Robinson, 2013). The customers are also sensitive about the services availed to them. Such customers also come from diverse backgrounds. According to the case study, Good Hotel has been attracting many customers from different parts of the world (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010). The customers also expect quality products and services from the hotel. This explains why the business has become a boutique hotel. Good Hotel also attracts tourists from different parts of the world. The hotel also attracts citizens from every part of the country. JdV’s Marketing Strategy for Good Hotel JdV has been using the best marketing strategies for its hotels. For instance, JdV Company has embraced the concept of boutique hotels. Boutique hotels offer personalized services and facilities to their customers. This approach has played a critical role towards making Good Hotel successful. The company uses the concept of consciousness in order to achieve its business goals. This approach has continued to attract more customers to the company (Melicher & Norton, 2014). The use of the internet and social media promotion has continued to attract more business partners. JdV’s environmentally friendly strategies and green programs have made it easier for Good Hotel to achieve its business objectives. The marketing strategy is sufficient because it has provided the relevant incentives towards better performance. Pam’s efforts at the hotel have continued to make it profitable and successful (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010). This case study explains why the new company should use similar strategies in order to emerge successful. Positioning Good Hotel Good Hotel should position itself in a competitive manner. The approach will make the hotel a competitive player in the industry. The first strategy is embracing the best concepts. The approach will ensure the hotel addresses the issues affecting our environment. The hotel should “use the most appropriate marketing practices” (Melicher & Norton, 2014, p. 67). The practices at the hotel have made it a leading competitor. The decision to introduce new products and services will support Good Hotel’s competitive position. The company needs to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of its immediate competitors. This idea will make it easier for the hotel to come up with better competitive advantages (Gilinsky & Inamdar, 2010). The hotel should employ competent managers and supervisors in order to improve the level of job satisfaction. Good Hotel should also use social media websites such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com to inform more consumers about its services. Every employee should be part of the hotel’s decision-making process. The managers should create new teams in order to support the changing needs and expectations of its customers. The above strategies will ensure the hotel competes successfully in the industry. Reference List Gilinsky, A., & Inamdar, S. (2010). Good Hotel: Doing Good, Doing Well? Harvard Business Review, 1 (1), 1-14. Melicher, R., & Norton, E. (2014). Introduction to Finance: Markets, Investments, and Financial Management. New York, NY: Wiley. Pearce, J., & Robinson, R. (2013). Strategic Management: Planning for Domestic and Global Competition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: A legally enforceable contract should be devoid of inadequacies and legal incompetence. All the legal elements must be present in an agreement that the parties enter into with an intention to be legally bound by the contract. Part 1: Offer and acceptanceIn the case study of Goodscan and Hospitex contract, the paper examines the presence or otherwise of each element of the contract as stated above from the fact pattern in the case study of Goodscan and Hospitex contract.
A legally enforceable contract should be devoid of inadequacies and legal incompetence. All the legal elements must be present in an agreement that the parties enter into with an intention to be legally bound by the contract. Part 1: Offer and acceptance In the case study of Goodscan and Hospitex contract, the paper examines the presence or otherwise of each element of the contract as stated above from the fact pattern in the case study of Goodscan and Hospitex contract.
Goodscan and Hospitex Contract Elements Report Table of Contents 1. Offer and acceptance 2. Mutual agreement 3. Consideration 4. Competent parties 5. Legality of purposes 6. Proper form 7. Works Cited A legally enforceable contract should be devoid of inadequacies and legal incompetence. All the legal elements must be present in an agreement that the parties enter into with an intention to be legally bound by the contract. Parties enter into contracts that are bound by law to gain an advantage of being remedied in case the contract fails to materialize (Kröll 42). Parties also seek to be secured by the law in case of misrepresentation or other unforeseeable issues. In that respect, there are six fundamental requirements of an enforceable contract that, which include an offer and acceptance, mutual agreement, consideration, competent parties, legality, and proper form of contract (Ferrari 21). This paper will establish the presence or otherwise of each element of the contract as stated above from the fact pattern in the case study of Goodscan and Hospitex contract. Offer and acceptance Goodscan is a manufacturing company that has been in negotiations with Hospitex in a bid to sell the 5 x-ray machines to Hospitex. This amounts to an offer made by Goodscan to Hospitex, especially where the company proposes to sell the machines at a quoted price of two hundred thousand Canadian dollars. A representative from Goodscan travelled to negotiate a deal with Hospitex, an indication of intention to sell or enter into a contract of transaction. On the other hand, Hospitex took part in the discussions to the extent that it proposed its own mechanisms of transaction, such as the law that will bind it and the channel to use in case of a dispute. It is important to note that to this extent, there is no acceptance by Hospitex and the additional clause or any other aspect of the contract is subject to confirmation by Goodscan. Notwithstanding the agreement by Hospitex to buy the said X-ray machines at a price as quoted, Goodscan is still entitled to disagree on the additional terms of the contract. Nevertheless, it qualifies that there is an offer. Acceptance in this scenario is by expression and implication of Hospitex to purchase the x-ray machines only if Goodscan accepts to be bound by the convention for contracts for the international sale of goods, as well the clause stating that any dispute arising should be arbitrated using the laws of Ontario. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Hospitex accepted the offer by implication of engaging in talks and transacting payments for that purpose. This qualifies as a valid acceptance. Mutual agreement There are two parties in the scenario, Goodscan and Hospitex, both being companies that have representatives who have conclusively entered into a contract. The parties have come together to enter into the contract willingly and in their own legitimate and legal capacities for purposes of transacting. In this respect, the parties are not enticed or lured into the contract. Consequently, it is safe to say the agreement between the parties is a mutual one. Consideration The Goodscan Company made an offer, including a price for the offer to Hospitex. The two parties negotiated and agreed to a price for the X-ray machines. They further agreed on the mode of payment, which was additional proof of consideration. The said amount was not disputed at the point of entering into the contract, thus it passed as a sufficient consideration for purposes of the contract. Competent parties The parties to the contract are two limited companies engaged legally in how they carry their own business. They have a legal capacity to enter into a contract through their assignees, agents, or authorized personalities. This qualifies Goodscan and Hospitex as competent parties to enter into a contract. Legality of purposes A contract that is not within the confines of the law is an illegal contract. A contract is determined whether it is legal based on the engagements and the purpose for which the contract is entered. The purposes for entering into the contract must, therefore, be in good in law, legally acceptable, and conducted in a legal manner. The court has the mandate to determine whether a contract is lawful if there is a dispute. Consequently, the court has the power to enforce a legal contract. In the present scenario, Goodscan and Hospitex are entities that are presumably in business for purposes of what they seek to enter into a contract for. Therefore, the purpose is legal and within the confines of the law. Proper form The contract must be in the right and proper format that is indicative of every integral aspect of the contract to prevent a future breach of contract. All the obligations of the parties must be stated or implied. In addition, the prices quoted, dates of payment, and any other necessary information that may be necessary for the parties to be aware of must be stated. From the fact pattern in the instant case, there is a sequential flow of the format that the contract is being drawn. The contract process moves sequentially to include the offer, acceptance, consideration, mode, and date of payment, mode and form of the transaction, among other implied factors to the contract. Therefore, it is correct to say that the contract is in proper form. After the two parties entered into the contract, it is observed that the Goodscan suppliers went on strike before it was the 1 st of March, the date of supplying the machines. Resultantly, there is a disruption that forces the company to outsource the raw materials, which is among the reasons why there was a contract in the first place as the strike was unforeseeable. The consequences were unforeseeable as well and the parties can only remedy the situation to facilitate the performance of the obligated party. The additional 10 percent of the cost of procuring the materials to facilitate the contract should be the responsibility of the undertaking party. Hospitex, however, waived its right by agreeing to meet the costs, mainly because it was under pressure to install the new presses. The additional 100,000 Canadian dollars should not have been paid by Hospitex. Consequently, Hospitex may recover the amount, considering the situation and circumstances. Upon the completion of payment, the goods were placed on a ship and a bill of lading was received among other necessary documents. There was a transfer of property from Goodscan to Hospitex, thus the ownership was passed. The bill of lading is an indication that the goods have been placed on the ship in a good condition certified by the captain of the ship. This is a memorandum of acknowledgement that confirms that the goods are received in good order (Ferrari 28). The insurance certificate also confirms that the goods are insured from any risk that may occur on the ship. The delay in the shipment came after the bill of lading had been signed and the properties passed for shipment. This exempts the Goodscan Company from any mistakes that occurred after the bill of lading had been signed. The responsibility of the shipment of goods was upon the captain or its agents to ensure that the goods arrived in time and in good condition as signed on the bill of lading. The goods arrived with one of the shipped machines badly damaged, presumably from the boat journey. The state of the goods as verified on shipment and indicated in the bill of lading ought to be the condition that the goods arrive to the owner. However, it is anticipated that anything may happen during the shipment of the goods. The insurance of the goods before they are shipped is specifically meant to ensure the goods are compensated if a risk occurs during the shipment (Vorobey 137). In the present case, the goods were passed from Goodscan to Hospitex and the documents, such as the bill of lading and the insurance documents, had been sent to Hospitex. The Goodscan Company was, therefore, free from any responsibility as far as the delay or the state of the goods as they arrived was concerned. The error in the name of the Goodscan Company that impaired the payment by the bank can be remedied to ensure that the company is paid. Goodscan’s responsibility had been completed upon the shipment of the goods, thus it was entitled to payment as agreed in the contract. Hospitex can also recover from the insurance company in respect of the machine that broke down. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for International Sale of Goods is beneficial to two parties transacting from different countries in many ways. First, the Convention provides a uniform and fair assessment of a contract (Viscasillas 735). Consequently, it acts as a specific law that governs two parties in two different jurisdictions. The situation would have been riskier if parties contracted with their own domestic laws applying to the contract of engagement. In case of any dispute, the parties would likely be unfairly adjudicated because of the conflict of laws or the inadequacies in the law. The CISG, therefore, provides a balance between the interests of the parties entering into a contract. The main disadvantage of the CISG is that parties in different jurisdictions may enter into a contract, but one or more parties may belong to countries that are not signatories to the legislation. This makes it hard to adjudicate upon any issues that may arise during or after the transaction. Also, the parties may exempt themselves from the provisions of the CISG based on the sovereignty of their state, considering that their laws will apply first before the international law is applied (Kröll 39). This may be detrimental to other transacting parties. The process of seeking redress from international tribunals and courts may also be tedious, expensive, and lengthy. From the fact pattern in the instant case, both Goodscan and Hospitex are aggrieved in one way or another. Consequently, they are entitled to seek remedies from the international tribunal or any other authority, according to the CISG legislation. Goodscan may seek to compel the bank to pay or Hospitex to correct the name in the credit letter and complete the payment transaction. Hospitex, on the flip side, may only seek compensation from the insurance company to recover from the damaged machine. Hospitex may also seek to be remedied by the shipping company for the delay occasioned by the shipping company. Dispute resolution under the CISG can be made through litigation, mediation, or arbitration. The parties can resolve their dispute in their optional preference of the available channels of dispute resolution. This can be made in the International Council for Commercial Arbitration. The decision of the tribunal is final (Kröll 40). Works Cited Ferrari, Franco (Ed.). Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: Applicability and Applications of the 1980 United Nations Sales Convention . Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2012. Print. Kröll, Stefan. “Selected Problems Concerning the CISG’s Scope of Application.” Journal of Law and Commerce 25 (2006) 39-57. Print. Viscasillas, Pilar Perales. “Applicable Law, the CISG, and the Future Convention on International Commercial Contracts.” Villanova Law Review 58 (2013): 733-760. Print. Vorobey, Dmytro V. “CISG and Arbitration Clauses: Issues of Intent and Validity.” Journal of Law & Commerce 31 (2013): 135-161. Print.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: With the recent and quite radical changes in the IT sphere, major companies specializing in providing the related services were forced to reconsider a range of their strategies and shift to new and improved techniques of expansion into the world market. Google, Inc and Twitter, Inc must be mentioned among such publicly traded organizations. Both companies seem to have embraced the changes, managed to admit their mistakes and considered the creation of mergers and acquisitions as a viable strategy to adopt.
With the recent and quite radical changes in the IT sphere, major companies specializing in providing the related services were forced to reconsider a range of their strategies and shift to new and improved techniques of expansion into the world market. Google, Inc and Twitter, Inc must be mentioned among such publicly traded organizations. Both companies seem to have embraced the changes, managed to admit their mistakes and considered the creation of mergers and acquisitions as a viable strategy to adopt.
Google and Twitter: On Their Way to Global Dominance Essay With the recent and quite radical changes in the IT sphere, major companies specializing in providing the related services were forced to reconsider a range of their strategies and shift to new and improved techniques of expansion into the world market. Among such publicly traded organizations, Google, Inc and Twitter, Inc must be mentioned. Both companies seem to have embraced the changes, managed to admit their mistakes and considered the creation of mergers and acquisitions as a viable strategy to adopt. As a result, both companies are currently growing by acquiring less competitive firms and expanding into the world market. Indeed, a single look at Google’s policy will reveal its expansion plans: the organization has acquired BlackBerry, Boston Dynamics, Nest Labs, Inc. and Dropcam, and created a range of mergers, including the one with Motorola Mobility. It is clear that Google is planning to grow further and exploring new opportunities by creating new mergers. Such an intense struggle for the dominance in the global market can be explained by the fact that Google has recently had to refuse from a range of ideas, which seemed quite promising a few years ago. As the recent announcement on Google explained, the company had to abandon a number of the projects that it used to view as promising several years ago; for example, Picasa, Google Docs and Orkut were shut down, since similar and more successful services were created by other companies (Siganos, 2013). As the representatives of the Google, Inc. explained, the services that were closed down had been created before new opportunities for communication and data exchange emerged; therefore, being ahead of its time, Google finally had to yield to more advanced companies. Consequently, to regain its status, the company had to conjure a different strategy. As a result, the idea of merging with the companies that have designed more advanced services appeared to be the solution. Twitter, Inc., however, had other reasons for choosing the policy of mergers and acquisitions. It is remarkable that, unlike Google, which was initially targeted at providing a variety of services, twitter was designed solely as a social network from the very creation of its concept (Sprangler, 2013). Hence, the reasons for the leader of Twitter to adopt the strategy of mergers and acquisitions, shifting to the idea of corporate governance, have a different line of reasoning to be based on. Unlike Google, which does not seem to have very strong rivals except the apple, Inc., Twitter has to deal with a lot of competition, primarily, the rivalry with Facebook. Though each of the companies bases its philosophy on a unique concept and includes original options for its users to enjoy, both fall under the category of social networks and perform the same function, i.e., facilitate the process of users’ communication by transferring information from one user to another. Therefore, twitter clearly needed to revamp its reputation by growing larger and more influential, which resulted in a range of acquisitions and mergers with various companies, primarily, the ones dealing with analysis and advertisement. Though each of the organizations has its own reasons for choosing the strategy of mergers and acquisitions, both Twitter and Google seem to be going in the same direction. The results of these steps, however, are bound to be quite different as well. Reference List Siganos, A. (2013). Google attention and target price run ups . International Review of Financial Analysis, 29 (3), 219–226. Sprangler, T. (2013). Twitter nets social-TV startup blue fin. Multichannel News, 34 (6), 22.
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: Google Corporation in Japan Research PaperIn recent years, Google has struggled to gain a foothold in key Asian markets such as South Korea, China, and Japan. This paper explores Google's current activities in Japan, the challenges it faces in this market, and possible strategies for improving its performance in the Asian market.
Google Corporation in Japan Research Paper In recent years, Google has struggled to gain a foothold in key Asian markets such as South Korea, China, and Japan. This paper explores Google's current activities in Japan, the challenges it faces in this market, and possible strategies for improving its performance in the Asian market.
Google Corporation in Japan Research Paper Introduction Google is a US-based global company with extensive operations around the around. Established in 1998, the tech-giant is among the biggest search engine companies in the world. Although the company specializes in this market, today, it produces other products, such as Gmail, Google-plus, and Google Drive. The company manages these products through more than 1,000,000 servers around the world (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). This infrastructure also accommodates more than 750 million search requests monthly (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). These requests translate to more than 50% of the search engine market. In some parts of the world, like North America, the company enjoys more than a 60% market share (it is the number one search engine company in about 17 countries around the world) (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). Relative to this success, the company reports an annual revenue of more than $10 billion (about 48% of this revenue comes from its international operations) (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). Its collective competencies have made Google the most visible global website (Facebook is its biggest competitor in this regard) (SWETA, 2009). As shown above, Google has enjoyed significant market successes around the world. However, it continues to struggle in some key locations. Particularly, the company has had trouble penetrating key Asian markets such as South Korea, China, and Japan (although it has a strong market presence in these countries). Consequently, Google now strives to improve its performance in these markets. This paper pays a close attention to its Japan operations by exploring its current activities in the country, the challenges it faces in this market, and possible strategies for improving its performance in the Asian market. Google’s Japan Operations Japan is among America’s biggest export market. It is also the third largest economy in the world (with a GDP of about $5.8 trillion) (US Department of Commerce, 2014). Based on its strategic importance to US companies, it is not surprising that American companies exported about $70 billion worth of goods to the Asian economy (US Department of Commerce, 2014). Japan’s impressive stock market performance has also improved its attractiveness to American companies. Part of its success hinges on a strong economic model that supports the activities of local and foreign firms, such as Google. This economic model hinges on three strategies – “monetary loosening, fiscal stimulus centered on infrastructure spending, and growth-oriented structural reform” (US Department of Commerce, 2014, p. 5). In 2013, technocrats in Japan and America agreed on several agreements that would improve the business relationship between Japan and America. The 2013 Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement outlines the outcomes of these discussions (US Department of Commerce, 2014). Experts estimate that this agreement would increase Japan’s contributions to the world’s Gross Domestic Product by 40% (GDP) (US Department of Commerce, 2014). Although experts do not know the effects of this agreement (yet), American companies have developed a lot of interest about it. Particularly, American companies that seek to expand their operations globally (such as Google) have paid special attention to the opportunities that may arise from such arrangements (US Department of Commerce, 2014). Indeed, being the fourth largest market for US products, American companies should pay attention to Japan. However, companies that wish to venture into this market need to use well-thought out strategies to succeed. More so, technology companies like Google need to show a strong business acumen when doing business with Japanese customers because Japan is already a technologically developed economy. In fact, its level of technological development is only comparable to other developed markets. The US Department of Commerce (2014) explains that Japanese markets are important to the American economy because they bring many Foreign Direct Investments in the US (Eaton, 2014). Concisely, Eaton (2014) says, it is the second largest foreign investor in America (with investments worth about $257 billion). American companies have reciprocated these trade inflows by investing in the Japanese market. Google leads this trend by establishing Japanese offices in Osaka and Tokyo. Google Japan is a franchise of the US-based company. It is a key research and development (R&D) facility (the third largest in the world) and the most notable “mark” of the US-based company in Asia. In line with Google’s diversification strategy, the center operates mobile and internet services. Its mobile operations outline the most successful venture of the tech-company in Japan. This success has increased the company’s profile in the country. For example, in a 2011 brand survey, Google won the coveted prize of being the highest valued brand in Japan (CET, 2011). This success stems from the company’s popular operating system (android), which powers many smart-phones that most people use in the Asian market. The Japanese business community (mainly) affirmed its success in this regard (CET, 2011). In line with this success, CET (2011) says, “Businesspeople rated Google higher than Microsoft Japan in terms of corporate attractiveness among professionals, while consumers put Google ahead of Microsoft Japan on originality” (p. 4). However, Google has not experienced the same success in its Japanese search engine operations. For example, Eaton (2014) says, unlike other markets, Google trails Yahoo as the dominant search engine company in Japan. This is surprising because the company has a very low market share in this market (in most parts of the world, Google has the biggest market share in search engine operations). To prove how Google dominates the global search engine market, the figure below shows how it compares with its competitors Figure One: Google’s Dominance of the Search Engine Market (Source: SWETA, 2009) Eaton (2014) explains Google’s dismal performance (in Japan) by saying the California-based company only commands about 33% of the Japanese search engine market. Comparatively, Yahoo dominates about 56.5% of this market (Eaton, 2014). These statistics show that Google’s performance in the Japanese market is dismal. Its international market strategy defines its performance. Google’s International Strategies Google’s company mission, which states, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful to all” (Hrones & Bailey, 2011, p. 3), shows that the company intends to have a strong global presence. However, to succeed in the global market, the company needs an effective corporate strategy. The key to this success is having an effective international strategy. Google’s managers have realized this fact and use a standard international strategy in most of its foreign markets. This international strategy centers on using localized domain names for its global markets. It explains the company’s global market expansion (in more than 144 countries) (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). Google’s international market strategy applies to its Japanese venture because the company uses the standard global strategy to operate in this market. Key promotional campaigns also seek to strengthen this strategy. Promotional Campaign Based on its dismal performance in Japan, Google has undertaken several promotional campaigns to improve the market awareness of some of its products. The California-based company has used different strategies of doing so. For example, it has installed WI-FI internet access in some Japanese restaurants to encourage its customers to try its products (Eaton, 2014). Using tactful business strategies, such as requiring prospective customers to register their Google devices with the internet services, the company has achieved significant success in this regard. In line with its promotional campaigns, the company has launched new television spots in Japan to improve its brand image in the Asian country. Observers have different opinions about the potential success of these initiatives. However, few of them dispute the use of unconventional means by the tech-giant to promote its products (Eaton, 2014). For example, Eaton (2014) says, “So far the process has included strange events like floating passers-by in the air under 2,500 helium balloons, and even adapting Google’s traditionally spartan (nay, empty and boring) homepage to include links to YouTube and Gmail” (p. 4). These are some latest efforts by Google to improve the brand awareness of its products in Japan. Experts still do not know if these strategies would meet their goals, but many of them believe the tendency of Japanese customers to experiment with new things could boost the company’s performance in Japan (Eaton, 2014). Relative to this uncertainty, Eaton (2014) says “if Google does manage to capture attention, it needs to persist in those efforts, as it could be just as easy to lose new customers as to win them” (p. 4). Japan’s Culture and Business Practices Venture Japan (2009) says many western companies, such as Google, view the Japanese business culture as a big obstacle to doing business in the lucrative Asian economy. The credibility of this perception is not important to this paper, but it highlights how the Japanese business culture affects the international strategies/perceptions of foreign companies in Japan. Venture Japan (2009) also says many foreign companies fear starting a new business in the Asian economy because they rely on a misconception that the Japanese business culture is “too risky” to accommodate new ventures (especially from foreign firms). Indeed, the success of many companies, such as Yahoo, BMW, and Louis Vuitton shows that western companies, such as Google, may succeed in this market too. However, this fact does not imply that western and Japanese business cultures are similar. Many differences exist. However, they do not make Japan a riskier foreign market destination for Google (compared to other markets around the world). In fact, experts say some aspects of the Japanese business culture can benefit Google if it learns how to “swim with the cultural tide,” as opposed to going against it (Venture Japan, 2009). This section of the report shows the unique cultural differences that make Japan a “special” destination for Google. Service-Oriented Google is mainly a service-oriented business. Therefore, its Japanese enterprise needs to include the perspectives of customer services that local people have. Venture Japan (2009) says there are many differences between western and Japanese perspectives on service delivery. For example, service providers in Japan emphasize the need to give friendly customer services to customers. For instance, luggage carriers, cleaners, and waiters at Japanese airports are respectful and polite to all their customers. Similarly, many Japanese service attendants at train stations bow or remove their hats when a visitor boards a train (Venture Japan, 2009). The same treatment occurs in hotels because service attendants are always polite and friendly to visitors. They also like to take their time to discuss their visitors’ needs. To illustrate this fact, Venture Japan (2009) says they would easily explain the purpose of different buttons on a hotel room bed, even if a customer does not ask. The above customer service standards are unique to Japanese service providers. Many western service providers also use the same customer service standards, but, unlike their counterparts in Japan, they need payment (“tips”). Japanese service providers do not need any “tips” because they believe their personalized services are part of their job description (Venture Japan, 2009). Therefore, Venture Japan (2009) elaborates that their excellent customer service is not a Japanese social norm, or practice, (some people think Japanese service providers offer personal services because they are naturally polite). Granted, Japanese people are culturally polite, but they do not offer the personalized services because they are polite. They believe their duty is to make customers happy. This business culture is useful to Google because it should define its customer service model. For example, Japanese customers may not accept paying for extra services (information) that the company provides. Therefore, they should avoid charging extra money for product accessories or “extra” search engine services. Language Differences Google offers its services in different languages. In the search engine market, the company allows its customers to customize languages according to their preferences. This feature allows (mainly) non-English speakers to have the same experience as English speakers do (when they use Google). Japanese customers do not use English as their primary language. Therefore, Google’s success in Japan depends on its ability to circumnavigate this challenge. However, Venture Japan (2009) cautions the company against using general strategies when doing so. For example, in other markets, the company translates English into a foreign language and expects all users to have the same experience with its products. This strategy would be ineffective in Japan because although many Japanese businesspersons speak English, their ability to do so does not mean they subscribe to the western business culture. For example, Venture Japan (2009) says a Japanese executive may be very polite to another person, and even praise him, but have no intention to do business with him. Furthermore, Japanese executives may arrange several meetings with a potential business associate (to look polite), even when they have no intention to do business at all (Venture Japan, 2009). Usually, they would do so by hoping that the other party would lose interest. Based on this understanding, Venture Japan (2009) cautions that, “Politeness and meeting manners are a key aspect of Japanese business culture and, as noted above, one which may mislead foreign executives” (p. 2). Legal Differences Google has to acquaint itself with the changing legal environment that characterizes the Japanese search engine market. Privacy laws are the most significant issues that affect the company’s operations. For example, the company has clashed with the Japanese government for infringing on the country’s privacy laws. A Tokyo Times Report (cited in TNWC, 2013) clarified that the Japanese government opposed how the US-based company stored and used users’ information. TNWC (2013) explains this issue (further) by saying the company wanted to combine users’ information in one subset, such that, regardless of a person’s location, customers could easily access their information. Since Japanese privacy laws did not allow this practice, the government started investigating Google for infringing on the country’s privacy laws. Google has had the same issue with other Asian countries. For example, South Korea had raised the same issue with the company (TNWC, 2013). To overcome these challenges the company needs to change its international strategy in Japan. Conclusion and Recommendations More Flexibility Language and geography do not limit Google’s success. However, it depends on showing more flexibility in its Japanese operations. This paper shows that the company has used this strategy by adopting a narrow focus of language translation. Indeed, while it is difficult to count all the language-specific Google applications that the company has produced (in this paper), the company has strived to produce culturally relevant materials to its global customers (including Japan). This is a key tenet of its international strategy. In line with this understanding, Hrones & Bailey (2011) say “Realizing a need for a global internet media provider, Google has taken on more than 50 companies to extend its range of services, which would then be translated and exported” (p. 3). This need is important to the company’s success in Asia and other non-English speaking parts of the world because Hrones & Bailey (2011) say about 65% of the global market for internet users do not speak English (as their primary language). Furthermore, the top ten languages used in the internet reach about 85% internet users (Hrones & Bailey, 2011). Although this percentage is the majority, the rest of the market (15%) accounts for about 200 million people (still a significant number). Therefore, Google has an untapped market. Again, to exploit this potential, the company needs to diversify its international strategy of focusing on language multiplicity to include more flexibility in its international strategy. Palich & Gomez-Mejia (1999) say the concept of relatedness, although common in product diversification literature, is important in evaluating the success of this strategy. They also affirm the need for Google’s managers to show managerial flexibility when operating in the Japanese market because if they do not show this flexibility, the cultural diversity between Japan and western nations may derail the company’s success in this market (Palich & Gomez-Mejia, 1999). This view stems from studies, which show that cultural synchrony increases corporate efficiency (Palich & Gomez-Mejia, 1999). Exploit Cultural Opportunities Alongside the flexibility strategy, Google should exploit the value that Japanese customers attach to business loyalty. To do so, it can redesign its customer service model to cultivate long-term business relationships. Indeed, unlike many western societies, Japan is a highly traditional and conservative society. Its structured nature demands that all people work for the “greater good” of the society. Therefore, people dislike individualism and selfishness. In their place, Japanese people prefer loyal and polite people. These virtues should characterize Google’s Japanese strategy. Therefore, the company needs to include these elements in its customer service model. Overall, adopting these recommendations should improve the company’s performance in Japan. References CET. (2011). Google Tops Corporate Brand Survey In Japan . Web. Eaton, K. (2014). Google Plays Catch-Up in Japan With New TV Spots and Free WiFi . Web. Hrones, L., & Bailey, H. (2011). Google Inc. International Strategies . Palich, L., & Gomez-Mejia, L. (1999). A Theory of Global Strategy and Firm Efficiencies: Considering the Effects of Cultural Diversity. Journal of Management, 25 (4), 587-606. SWETA. (2009). Google Continues To Be The Search Engine Leader With Huge Margins . Web. TNWC. (2013). Japan warns Google that its new privacy policy may violate data protection laws [Updated]. Web. US Department of Commerce. (2014). Doing Business in Japan . Web. Venture Japan. (2009). The Japanese Company In Japan’s Culture . Web.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The main purpose of the article 'The Five Minds of a Manager' by Gosling and Mintzberg is to present a relatively new paradigm of thinking that analyses the mind of a corporate manager.The authors take the example of models is success as a master's program at the university of Montreal, where Mintzberg is a professor of management studies. The success of the program in educating practicing managers to attain a new paradigm of thinking is the authors' main motive in developing the article.
The main purpose of the article 'The Five Minds of a Manager' by Gosling and Mintzberg is to present a relatively new paradigm of thinking that analyses the mind of a corporate manager. The authors take the example of models is success as a master's program at the university of Montreal, where Mintzberg is a professor of management studies. The success of the program in educating practicing managers to attain a new paradigm of thinking is the authors' main motive in developing the article.
Gosling and Mintzberg’s “The Five Minds of a Manager” Essay The main purpose of the article ‘The Five Minds of a Manager’ by Gosling and Mintzberg is to present a relatively new paradigm of thinking that analyses the mind of a corporate manager. In the article, the two scholars have attempted to describe their paradigm and its effectiveness. They take the example of models is success as a master’s program at the university of Montreal, where Mintzberg is a professor of management studies. The success of the program in educating practicing managers to attain a new paradigm of thinking is the authors’ main motive in developing the article. According to the authors, the new paradigm of thinking takes into consideration the difficult role of managers in organizations as the reason for developing and teaching the idea of new ‘mind-set’ to practicing managers. The authors argue that rather than dropping the idea of management for the sake of new perspectives in organizational leadership, they realize that management and managers play the most crucial roles in running local and global organizations. The purpose of this paper is to review and summarize the article by Mintzberg and Gosling, with an aim of presenting the ideas and perspectives of the authors. Mintzberg and Gosling argue that the modern concepts of management take leadership as a superior task, while management seems to be both inferior and obsolete. This phenomenon creates an appreciation of the idea of leadership at the expense of management. They claim that management remains an important area in business and if leaders do not emphasize on management, the organizations are likely to lose the benefits of good business management. With this in mind, the authors argue that the mind of an ideal manager remains complex to enable it execute all the tasks necessary for the organization. According to the authors, their new model considers a successful manager as having the need of various ‘mind-sets’. In this paper, they introduce the five mind-sets: the reflective, analytic, worldly, collaborative and action mind-sets. According to the article, the reflective mind allows the managers to execute the task of ‘management of self’, where the mind makes the connections between experience of happenings and the explanation of these. Managers must gain experience and reflect on them to determine the actions within their organizational management. Secondly, the article takes the analytical mind as that part of the managers’ mind that manage organizations by having an in-depth understanding of the institutions, functions, information flow and their roles. Thirdly, the worldly mind-set enables managers to manage context, while the collaborative mind-set allows the managers to think of and manage relationships. Finally, the article talks of the action mind-set, which allows the managers to influence, implements, execute and manage positive change in the organization. In this article, Mintzberg and Gosling have introduced a relatively new perspective of the tasks for managers in an organization. The new paradigm they introduce in their argument is important not only for teaching practicing managers, but also for every member of an organization as well as future leaders in business, public and corporate sectors. Moreover, it provides the reader with an important understanding that will enable them reconsider the idea of dropping management for organizational leadership, especially at a time when most organizations, scholars and the public are only appreciating the role of leaders at the expense of management and its role in business, public and social organizations.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The essay discusses the influence of social media on the work of an official face of a government. It is obvious that personal account in any popular social network can help an official face to perform his/her work more efficiently. However, there are also some risks connected with the involvement of an official face of a government into social network activity.To give a clear evidence to this statement, it is possible to analyze influence of social media on the work of an official face of a government.
The essay discusses the influence of social media on the work of an official face of a government. It is obvious that personal account in any popular social network can help an official face to perform his/her work more efficiently. However, there are also some risks connected with the involvement of an official face of a government into social network activity. To give a clear evidence to this statement, it is possible to analyze influence of social media on the work of an official face of a government.
Great Influence of Social Media Analytical Essay Nowadays, there is no use denying the fact of a great influence of social media on all spheres of our life. People devote more and more time to this mean of communication. Moreover, now it can be used not only for fun, however, people who have occupations connected with public activity can also be involved in the process of communication with the help of social media and networks. To give a clear evidence to this statement, it is possible to analyze influence of social media on the work of an official face of a government. It is obvious that personal account in any popular social network can help an official face to perform his/her work more efficiently. It goes without saying, that he/she will be able to analyze different points of view of people who visit the page of this official. Taking these opinions into account, he/she will be able to give better pieces of advice to government and social aspects of politics will be improved. However, there are also some risks connected with the involvement of an official face of a government into social network activity. Being a representative of the main power of a state, this person should be distant and reserved. He/she should save his authority and reputation. The profile in different social networks can, however, explode the reputation of this person. The thing is, that there is a certain code of communication in the Internet and very often people say everything they think without taking into account some peculiarities of current situation. Moreover, another risk is connected with publications of an official face of a government. He/she should keep in mind that all his/her words now are observed and followed, that is why, very often there are scandals connected with some messages of the officials in social networks. To overcome all difficulties which this person can meet on his/her way it is possible to suggest some certain set of strategies which will guarantee success of his/her online engagement. First of all, it should be said that a person should distinguish clearly the purposes of the use of social media (Mitchel, Gottfried, Killey & Matsa 2014). He/she should remember that official page or profile in some social network cannot be used for sharing some private information or for other private purposes ( Guidelines for Peronal use of Social media n.d). The only aim of this page should be its usage for the work of this person. Moreover, one more fact should always be taken into account. The profile influences the image of an official greatly and that is why its design should meet the highest standards and demands on formatting of web sources in the Internet ( Social Media Overview n.d). The content should also be mentioned. It is the most important part of the personal page of an official, that is why it should be organized perfectly (Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy & Silvestre 2011). It is possible to suggest introducing of special editors who will watch and redact all information which an official face of a government wants to publish ( Social Media Policy for Official Social Media Accounts n.d). Moreover, comments should also be censored. Abuse and some racist or other discriminatory statements should be deleted for this page not to become the place for disputes on the basis of gender, race or some other issues. The information presented here should also be approved by the government as it is inappropriate for an official to publish data which can discriminate the work of the main state institution. Reference List Guidelines for Personal use of Social media . Web. Kietzmann, J., Hermkens, K., McCarthy I., & Silvestre, B. 2011, ‘ Social media? Get serious! Understand the functional building blocks of social media. ‘ Business Horizons , vol. 54, pp. 241-251. Web. Mitchel, A., Gottfried, J., Killey, J. & Matsa, K. 2014, ‘ Section 2: Social Media, Political News and Ideology ‘, PewResearchCenter . Web. Social Media Policy for Official Social Media Accounts. Web. Social Media Overview. Web.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: Grounded theory is a qualitative approach to research that encompasses the use multifarious iterative methodologies to carry out systematic analysis of social phenomena. The grounded theory methodology is explicitly applied in the generation and/or development of new theories with reference to interactive social inquiries.
Grounded theory is a qualitative approach to research that encompasses the use multifarious iterative methodologies to carry out systematic analysis of social phenomena. The grounded theory methodology is explicitly applied in the generation and/or development of new theories with reference to interactive social inquiries.
Grounded Theory Qualitative Research Definition Grounded theory is a qualitative approach to research that encompasses the use multifarious iterative methodologies to carry out systematic analysis of social phenomena. The grounded theory methodology is explicitly applied in the generation and/or development of new theories with reference to interactive social inquiries. Creswell (2012) reveals that the grounded theory is suitable for seeking advanced knowledge about a specific social phenomenon. The grounded theory methodology uses abductive rather than inductive or deductive reasoning. However, abductive reasoning is a compromise of both inductive and deductive ways of thinking. Inductive and deductive philosophies seek the best explanation about the subject of study. This characteristic makes grounded theory research appropriate for analyzing intricate social occurrences in the society. Unlike many other theoretical concepts, grounded theory research uses data to develop theories. In this case, data is analyzed with a view of building a theory. The researcher is not expected to approach phenomenal data with a theory (Lawrence & Tar, 2013). Types of Grounded Theory Research Designs There are three types of grounded theory designs that include systematic, emerging, and constructivist grounded theory research designs. The systematic grounded theory design focuses on the utilization of open, axial, and selective coding techniques in the process of data analysis (Creswell, 2012). These systematic phases enable the researcher to develop a cogent archetype of the expected theory. On the other hand, the emerging design emphasizes allows the theory to develop from the obtained data. This type of grounded theory research does not use predetermined stages as in the systematic grounded theory design. Lastly, the constructivist design entails the analysis of respondents’ attitudes, values, expectations, beliefs, and philosophies. It seeks to examine individual experiences. Process of going about this Research Creswell (2012) explains the various distinctive stages that are involved in the process of going about the grounded theory research. The grounded theory methodology starts with data collection. Personal consultations, direct observations, and journal information constitute the different techniques that researchers use to collect grounded data. The method that is used to collect data depends on its ability to provide flexible information since grounded research is a dynamic process. The second step entails note taking. The keenness of the researcher is crucial to obtain relevant information. The sensitivity of the information that is collected in the process of grounded theory research determines the applicability of the developed concepts. In the third step, the researcher is expected to seek approval and permission to access information from relevant sources. Fourthly, the grounded theory research involves intentional conduction of theoretical sampling. Next, the collected data is coded to provide a framework for developing the anticipated theory. The sixth step entails validation of the developed theory. Finally, the researcher has to write a grounded theory research report to support the developed theory. Difficulties Grounded theory research involves difficult processes such as collection and analysis of cyclical data. Indeed, the collection of cyclical data, analysis, and determination of conclusions is time-consuming. This challenge significantly affects the ability of the researcher to maintain perpetual comparison of grounded data (Lawrence & Tar, 2013). Furthermore, grounded theories are inferential rather than descriptive. This nature of research complicates the understanding of abstract information. This situation affects flexibility and ability to uphold reliability throughout the entire process of research. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Grounded Theory Research Creswell (2012) posits that every qualitative approach to research has its own advantages and disadvantages that determine its suitability for analysis. One of the greatest advantages of the grounded theory approach is its methodically and rigorously framed investigation procedures. The systematic arrangement of the theory’s stages eases the collections, analysis, and generation workable solutions to social issues. In addition, the grounded theory research provides the researcher with rich data that is gained from the experiences of other individuals. The theory obtains data from experiences pertaining to different social phenomena. This advantage enables the researcher to use old information to come up with alternative solutions for complex problems. However, the grounded theory research has various disadvantages. First, since the theory is a compromise between inductive and deductive reasoning, the partiality of the information interferes with the dependability and substantiation of the entire process of data analysis. Secondly, the qualitative nature of the results that are obtained for the grounded research process is at times ambiguous for practitioners. Field in which the Grounded Theory Research is mostly widely used The grounded theory research is used in many fields to seek practicable solutions for social phenomenon. Lawrence and Tar (2013) reveal that the grounded theory research has become increasingly popular in conducting medical studies. Its qualitative aspects make it appropriate for designing, rationalization, and generation of pioneering findings that enhance the handling of patients and administration of treatment. Furthermore, the grounded theory approach is useful in accountancy. Accountants require abductive reasoning to gather and analyze coded data. It enables them to develop pertinent theories through the manipulation of accountancy data. Accounting practices demand uninterrupted assessment of complex information from business documents. The analysis of such information requires the application of qualitative methods such as the grounded theory research. Reference List Creswell, J. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. New York, NY: Sage Publications. Lawrence, J., & Tar, U. (2013). The use of Grounded Theory Technique as a Practical Tool for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 11 (1), 29-40.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The groupthink concept refers to a psychological phenomenon happening within a cluster of persons under which the aspiration for conventionality within this cluster results in a biased outcome in the decisions made. High-quality decision making, on the other hand, is a process of critical thinking that relies on the presence of verifiable facts and competitive positioning advantage.
The groupthink concept refers to a psychological phenomenon happening within a cluster of persons under which the aspiration for conventionality within this cluster results in a biased outcome in the decisions made. High-quality decision making, on the other hand, is a process of critical thinking that relies on the presence of verifiable facts and competitive positioning advantage.
Groupthink Concept and High-Quality Decision Making Compare & Contrast Essay Table of Contents 1. Groupthink Concept 2. High-Quality Decision Making 3. Differences between Groupthink and High-Quality Decision Making 4. Bibliography 5. Footnotes Groupthink Concept Groupthink refers to a psychological phenomenon happening within a cluster of persons under which the aspiration for conventionality within this cluster results in a biased outcome in the decisions made. The main underlying assumption towards belonging to this cluster is the need to minimize conflict through blind conformity. Thus, an individual caught up in a groupthink phenomenon is blindly loyal to a set of thoughts or actions for fear of being controversial as a result of exercising independent thinking. The often dysfunctional dynamics within such a group generates what is commonly referred to as an “illusion of invulnerability” 1 . Actually, the groupthink psychology makes persons belonging to this group to belief in universality of their decisions as right without accommodating the opponents’ abilities, which are often underrated. In the worst case, groupthink orientation in the decision making process may generate actions that are dehumanizing those perceived as belonging to the opponent quarter. High-Quality Decision Making The process of high-quality decision making is dependent on heuristic since it provides assumptions, integration of options, and rational control. Decision environment often experience dynamics and swings which create short and long term effect on chances of survival for two alternatives to solve a problem. When faced with a decision problem that requires critical assessments, high-quality decision making process resorts to analytical tools that ensure competitive positioning advantage and rationality. Each option is assigned to a quadrant with predetermined response strategies and ‘follow-ups’ upon each decision made 2 . Differences between Groupthink and High-Quality Decision Making High-quality decision making functions on the presence of rationality and verifiable facts, irrespective of the position or situation that the decision making agents are in. Unlike groupthink decision making process, high-quality decision making incorporates a series of perspectives through which the final decision is identified via a qualitative analysis. Therefore, high-quality decision making relies heavily on the pillar of alternatives through research and knowledge of the situation or problem. On the other hand, groupthink (‘ingroup’) decision making process only accommodate the views of a cluster of individuals who belong to similar orientation and cannot exercise independent thinking. Decision making through groupthink is very biased since the underlying determinants of the decision matrix is loyalty and “illusion of vulnerability” 3 . Since high-quality decision making process operates on the periphery of rationality parameter, the final verdict can be described as reliable and accommodate variant views. Given that different aspects of decision making such as assumptions, integration of options, and rational control are integrated, most of visible or invisible biases are dampened as the effects of social presence elevate the decision science. Unfortunately, the groupthink phenomenon has structural faults which prevent the benefits of reliability and social effects since it is characterized by a context of provocative situation. Besides, groupthink decision process is characterized by internal or external pressures for a consensus which may generate accord-seeking propensities. Unlike high-quality decision, groupthink creates a false illusion which is inherently dysfunctional 4 . An example of groupthink is the decision biases that led to an attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in the year 1941. Persons entrusted with the responsibility of rational decision making allowed shared rationalizations and illusions to shadow their judgment on the need for precautions. However, the attack could have been avoided had the decision makers embraced the components of high-quality decision making. Bibliography Fiske, Susan, and Shelley Taylor. Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture . California, Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013. Schafer, Mark, and Scott Crichlow. Groupthink vs. High-Quality Decision Making in International Relations . New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2010. Footnotes 1 Mark Schafer and Scott Crichlow, Groupthink vs. High-Quality Decision Making in International Relations (New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2010), 51. 2 Susan, Fiske, and Shelley Taylor, Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture (California, Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013), 23-29. 3 Mark Schafer and Scott Crichlow, Groupthink vs. High-Quality Decision Making in International Relations (New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2010), 51. 4 Mark Schafer and Scott Crichlow, Groupthink vs. High-Quality Decision Making in International Relations (New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2010), 51.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: Despite its quest to maximise the shareholders' value and the level of profitability through the merger, H. J. Heinz might experience challenges that might hinder the attainment of the desired goal.
Despite its quest to maximise the shareholders' value and the level of profitability through the merger, H. J. Heinz might experience challenges that might hinder the attainment of the desired goal.
H. J Heinz Company and Kraft Foods Merger Proposal Introduction The contemporary business environment is undergoing an unparalleled paradigm shift. Consequently, business entities are progressively adjusting their corporate and business-level strategies in order to remain competitive. Some of the strategies that firms have adopted entail diversification, expansion, and the formation of mergers and acquisitions. Lakhman (2011) emphasises that mergers and acquisitions [M&A] have become a critical strategic tool that organisations are increasingly adopting in their quest to attain sustainable growth and profitability. Additionally, the significance of mergers and acquisitions amongst organisations has further been increased by the need to establish strong brands and venture into new markets. The application of M&A’s is not isolated to a specific industry, but it has become a common phenomenon across diverse industries. Firms within the fast food industry are amongst the organisations that have integrated the concept of M&A (Soni 2014). Saunders (2009) emphasises that the industry has become intensively competitive and mature, thus making it a challenge for business entities to maximise their profitability. H.J Heinz Company, which operates in the US food industry, has attained remarkable market performance over the past few decades. Its past success has arisen from the adoption of effective internationalisation and product diversification strategies. H. J Heinz has attained remarkable market recognition due to its delicious and nutritious food products. Moreover, the firm has established operations in over 200 countries. Despite its past market success, Heinz is focused on attaining economic sustainability as one of the dimensions towards sustainable development. In a bid to achieve this goal, H. J Heinz Company announced its ambitious plan to enter a merger and acquisition agreement with Kraft Foods. The merger will lead to the creation of a new business entity, which will operate under the name The Kraft Heinz Company . Under the M&A agreement, Heinz will have a 51% stake, hence earning the control of the new entity. The new firm will become the third largest food enterprise in North America. It is expected that the merger will increase the sales revenue of the two firms to $28 billion ( Market Watch 2015). Consequently, the entity will be in a position to maximise its profitability, hence generating high value to the shareholders. Problem statement Despite its quest to maximise the shareholders’ value and the level of profitability through the merger, H. J Heinz might experience challenges that might hinder the attainment of the desired goal. Weber and Tarba (2013) argue that successful implementation of mergers is a challenge to most organisations. The frequency and scale of the M&A’s failure have increased substantially over the past decades despite their continued popularity to different organisations (Vazirani 2002). The failure of M&As has largely arisen from the adoption of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, which has translated into the adoption of ineffective post-acquisition integration process (Lakhman 2011). Most organisations engaged in M&As do not appreciate the importance of incorporating strategic human resource management practices. Failure to appreciate the role of strategic human resource management practices during the M&A will increase the likelihood of failure of the intended Heinz-Kraft merger. Effective application of the SHRM will enable the firm to cope with some of the major causes of failure, which include culture shock and the employees’ resistance. One of the fundamental SHRM practices that the firm must consider is effective leadership. Purpose The purpose of this research is to evaluate how H. J Heinz Company can undertake the post-merger integration phase successfully during its intended merger with Kraft Foods. The report specifically assesses the concept of employee involvement and engagement as some of the fundamental strategic human resource management practices during M&A. Analysis Culture shock and employee resistance in M&As Saunders (2009) cites economic sustainability as one of the critical dimensions that organisations can adopt in assessing their success in M&A’s processes. However, to achieve this goal, organisations must evaluate the efficacy of their resource utilisation in addition to the strength of the organisational culture. M&As contribute to the achievement of strategic competitive advantage that might be difficult to attain through organic growth (Horwitz et al. 2002). Horwitz et al. (2002, p.2) emphasise that an organisation’s culture influences the development of ‘shared purpose, organisational direction, and early employee involvement’. However, an organisation’s ability to sustain the positive outcome associated with the strategic management practices implemented is subject to the degree to which it has developed its capability. In order to develop a strong organisational culture, it is imperative for managers to entrench the Australian Public Service [APS] model. The model postulates that leadership and strategy are some of the crucial components in promoting organisational capability (Markovic & Barjaktaarovic 2014). Moreover, the existence of disparate organisational cultures may limit the merger’s integration process due to the existence of strong cultural norms, organisational identities, and work practices (Pugh 2007). A greater dissimilarity between organisation’s culture results in cultural shock. Employees attach significant value to organisational culture and they are more concerned with its preservation (Horwitz et al. 2002). According to the APS leadership model, organisational managers should be concerned with how to establish a high level of collaboration and building a common purpose amongst the employees (Markovic & Barjaktaarovic 2014). Most organisations engaged in M&As tend to ignore the importance of conducting cultural due diligence, which is one of the aspects of promoting organisational capability. Markovic and Barjaktaarovic (2014) cite values and norms, which comprise the elements of culture, as one of the dimensions in nurturing organisational capability. Poor leadership, for example failure to involve employees in implementing significant strategic initiatives such as mergers can culminate in the destruction of organisational value. Saunders (2009) is of the view that the rate of the M&A’s failures across different industries is as high as 88% and it may increase in the future if effective leadership models and approaches are not adopted. Consequently, organisations’ merger and acquisition processes have often been characterised by recurring problems such as ineffective communication and lack of a clearly defined change process to cope and manage emerging HR issues. Most organisations have not understood the importance of incorporating a comprehensive guidance and support mechanism during the merger integration phase. Vogelsang (2013) notes that mergers and acquisitions are characterised by a number of stages, which include the pre-acquisition stage, foundation-building stage, the rapid integration phase, and the evaluation and adjustment stage. Kiessling and Harvey (2006) cite the importance of adopting the knowledge-based view during the M&A process. One of the critical organisational resources that the organisational leaders should consider includes the human capital. This approach will play a fundamental role in organisations’ quest to exploit the privately held knowledge during the M&A process. Employees constitute one of the fundamental sources of tacit knowledge that organisations can utilise during organisational change processes. The capacity to exploit the tacit knowledge depends on the organisations’ ability to implement employee engagement in their strategic human resource management practices. Cummings and Worley (2014) further contend that employee involvement increases the employees’ level of motivation, hence their productivity, thus, ignoring employees during major change initiatives such as M&A. The M&A between the two firms will lead to a significant change in Heinz’s operations. The M&A will culminate in the development of new job roles, which might be a source of stress for the firm’s employees. Myungweon (2011) corroborates that organisations’ M&As lead to varying psychological strains and outcomes. The change processes characterised by high demands and low control lead to a negative impact on the employees such as job strain, which might culminate in high blood pressure and depression. Conversely, change situations characterised by high demands and high control leads to positive outcomes such as motivation, high level of job satisfaction, and regeneration amongst employees (Myungweon 2011). This aspect underscores the fact that low involvement in organisational processes leads to negative change outcomes. In its quest to invest in the M&A, it is imperative for Heinz to recognise the importance of assessing the prevailing cultural differences between the firm and Kraft Foods. This aspect will play a fundamental role in determining the cultural fit between the two firms. Additionally Horwitz et al. (2002) emphasise that the propensity to entrench a strong leadership mind set increases the likelihood of a merged organisation to survive and grow. Leadership in the change process Heinz Company’s leadership must appreciate the role of people management during the merger and acquisition. The firm should not only emphasise on financial due diligence, but also the incorporation of the human factor. In a bid to achieve this goal, the firm’s management team must appreciate the significance of incorporating efficient leadership strategy. Lussier (2008) affirms that the leadership strategy is critical in determining the employees’ commitment during the change process. However, successful implementation of leadership during change initiative is a challenge to most organisations. Kouzes and Posner (2010) cite the dynamic business environment and change in the employees’ demands as some of the sources of complexity in organisational leadership. Despite the internal and external changes, organisational leaders have an obligation to ensure that emerging issues are resolved adequately. Truss et al. (2013) cite leadership as one of the core drivers of employee engagement. In addition, Truss et al. (2013, p.307) corroborate that managers ‘must ensure that employees develop a clear understanding of the organisations’ vision and strategy for direction, demonstrating commitment to living the company’s values, and showing genuine concern for the wellbeing of their team members’. In a bid to progress through the pre-merger and post-merger integration phases successfully, the Heinz’s management team should integrate a leadership style that is founded on the precepts of emotional and inspirational influences. The Heinz’s management team must appreciate the importance of influencing its employees to support the M&A. The type of leadership style adopted determines the degree to which employees are influenced to support the change process (Lussier 2008). Therefore, the Heinz’s leadership style should not simply emphasise on attaining the predetermined business, cultural, and corporate goals. On the contrary, the firm’s management team must ensure that it translates into increased employees’ benefits (Avolio & Yammarino 2013). One of the most effective leadership styles that the firm’s management team should consider includes the charismatic leadership style. However, Lussier (2008) is of the view that most M&A processes are characterised by ineffective application of this kind of leadership. This assertion arises from the failure to balance power between the firms involved in the M&A. The acquiring firm might exercise superiority with reference to leadership during the M&A. However, Lussier (2008, p.196) contends that this ‘could cause the acquirer to look at the acquired and its policies and systems in a condescending manner’. The effective application of the charismatic leadership style is essential in creating a strong vision that will enhance the probability of attaining the desired change outcome. The charismatic leadership style leads to the development of a high level of enthusiasm, commitment, and loyalty amongst the followers (Czovek 2006). By adopting this style, Heinz Company will be in a position to deal with emerging issues such as employee resistance to organisational processes. Moreover, the organisation will be in a position to nurture a strong connection with the top management. This aspect means that employees will be in a position to offer critical insight on issues that they consider as most important in their continued stay within the organisation. Subsequently, the firms’ management teams will derive sufficient insight that they can consider in managing the M&A. Employee involvement and engagement Adopting the charismatic leadership style will enable the organisation to entrench the concepts of employee involvement and engagement successfully. This goal will be achieved by providing employees with an opportunity to express their ideas regarding the intended change. Moreover, the organisational leaders will be in a position to share their ideas regarding the M&A. The implementation of employee involvement and engagement depends on the organisational leaders’ emotional intelligence, which entails the capacity to manage the employees’ emotions that arise due to organisational changes. Through charismatic leadership, Heinz Company will be in a position to entrench employee involvement by advocating open communication. Lussier (2008, p.376) defines employee involvement as ‘the set of practices adopted by organisations in order to increase the employees’ input into decisions that affect organisational performance and the employees’ well-being’. Employee involvement is based on four main aspects, which include information, knowledge and skills, power, and rewards. According to Lussier and Achua (2010), charismatic leadership does not emphasise the dissemination of information, but exchange of information amongst the involved parties. The Heinz’s management team must focus on ensuring that there is free flow of information across the organisation. This aspect of engagement will make the employees feel appreciated and part of the organisation (Cook 2008). Charismatic leadership style will play a fundamental role in entrenching a high level of trust between the organisation’s management team and the employees. Thus, the employees will support the organisation in its change process (Lussier & Achua 2010). In addition to employee involvement, charismatic leadership will also play a fundamental role in promoting a high level of work engagement. Wolf (2011) defines work engagement as the degree to which an organisation’s workforce engages actively in self-managing activities. Thus, engagement is an effective motivation tool (Albrecht 2010). However, attaining work engagement is based on the degree to which employees understand the organisations’ mission and vision. Charismatic and transformational leadership styles will enable employees to develop a strong vision regarding the intended change outcome. The employees will become more engaged in the assigned job roles. Moreover, the employees will attain a strong degree of control and flexibility in their assigned the assigned job roles (Avolio & Yammarino 2013). This aspect means that employees will be provided with an opportunity to utilise their intelligence in making decisions on how to undertake the assigned job roles and responsibilities. Through this approach, Heinz Company will develop a strong level of organisational identification despite the change being undertaken. Moreover, a high level of engagement will culminate in increased employee motivation. Thus, the likelihood of employees being engaged extensively in implementing the change will be increased considerably. In addition to charismatic leadership, the management team at Heinz Company should integrate the stakeholder engagement model. The model emphasises the importance of developing a comprehensive understanding of the employees concerns ( Deloitte 2008). One of the approaches that the management team should consider in integrating the model is the concept of participation (Bennett & Jennings 2011). The organisation should delegate tasks to employees in addition to integrating the two-way engagement through effective communication. Kotter’s change management strategy In its quest to achieve the desired M&A outcome, it is imperative for Heinz Company to integrate effective change management strategy. The strategy should be based on the charismatic leadership style. One of the most effective change management frameworks that the firm should consider in its quest to undertake the pre-merger and post-merger integration processes successfully includes the Kotter’s change management framework. Under the Kotter’s framework, the firm’s management team should consider the following aspects. 1. Creating a sense of urgency – the Heinz’s management team should ensure that employees understand the need to implement the M&A within the shortest time possible. In a bid to achieve this goal, the management team should ensure that employees understand the importance of the M&A in strengthening the firm’s competitive advantage in order to achieve economic sustainability despite the turbulent economic environment. 2. Guiding coalition – implementing the change process culminates in the establishment of new job roles. However, executing such tasks may require additional knowledge and skills. Such tasks may lead to an increase in the level of dissatisfaction amongst employees. In a bid to avert such a situation, Heinz should constitute a team of leaders whose responsibility should involve guiding the employees in undertaking the new job roles. Moreover, the guiding coalition should focus on establishing a collaborative working relationship. This aspect will play a fundamental role in ensuring that employees are motivated and directed through the change process. 3. Creating the vision – the Heinz’s management team should ensure that employees are committed to the change process. However, this goal can only be achieved if the lower level employees have developed a strong vision regarding the change. Furthermore, it is also essential for the organisation’s management team to design an effective strategic plan to achieve the vision. 4. Communicating the vision – the organisation’s management team should entrench effective communication in order to sustain the vision for change. Additionally, this step should also entail promoting the development of the desired employee behaviour. 5. Empowering the followers – the organisation’s management team should ensure that the obstacles that might hinder the change process are eliminated. One of the issues that the firm should focus on entails eliminating uncertainty such as job loss and loss of status associated with change processes. In a bid to achieve this goal, it is essential for the firm’s management team to provide employees with an opportunity to make decisions associated with the assigned job roles. This aspect will make employees feel more engaged and involved in organisational processes. 6. Establishing short-term wins – in a bid to ensure that employees are sufficiently motivated, Heinz should establish short-term wins by undertaking appraisal on the progress of the change process. The appraisal process should culminate in rewarding and recognising employees who achieve the set benchmark. 7. Sustaining acceleration – Heinz should be committed to improving and sustaining positive change outcome. In a bid to achieve this goal, the firm’s management team should review and adjust its change systems, policies, and structures continuously. One of the issues that the firm’s management team should focus on entails investing in the employees’ development (Kotter 2007). 8. Institutionalising the change – the firm’s management team should develop a strong connection between the employees and the change outcome. This goal can be achieved by integrating effective leadership in order to foster the integration of the desired organisational behaviour. This approach will ensure that the positive change outcome achieved is sustained into the future (Kotter 2007). Conclusion and recommendation Mergers and acquisitions have incessantly become one of the most important strategic approaches that firms are increasingly adopting in an effort to achieve growth and sustainable development. However, literature shows that successful implementation of mergers and acquisition is a major challenge to most organisations. The challenge arises from the involved organisations’ failure to adopt effective strategic management practices. In a bid to deal with these challenges, the organisation’s management team should integrate the concepts of employee involvement and engagement. However, to implement these concepts successfully, the organisation’s management team should integrate effective leadership style. Some of the most effective leadership styles that Heinz should consider include the charismatic and transformational leadership styles. By adopting these styles, the firm will limit the likelihood of resistance. On the contrary, the organisation will entrench a strong sense of organisational identity amongst employees. Reference List Albrecht, S 2010, Handbook of employee engagement; perspectives, issues, research and practice , Edward Elgar, Northampton. Avolio, B & Yammarino, F 2013, Transformational and charismatic leadership: the road ahead , Emerald, Bingley. Bennett, D & Jennings, R 2011, Successful science communication; telling it like it is, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Cook, S 2008, The essential guide to employee engagement; better business performance through satisfaction , Kogan Page, Philadelphia. Cummings, T & Worley, C 2014, Organisation development and change , Cengage Learning, New York. Czovek, T 2006, Three seasons of charismatic leadership , Paternoster, Bletchley. Deloitte: Stakeholder engagement 2008. Web. Gill, C 2012, ‘The role of leadership in successful international mergers and acquisition; why Renault-Nissan succeeded and Daimlerchrysler- Mitsubishi failed’, Human Resource Management, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 433-456. Horwitz, F, Anderssen, K, Bezuidenhout, A, Cohen, S, Irsten, F, Mosoeunyane, K, Smith, N, Thole, K & van Heerden, A 2002, ‘Due diligence neglected; managing human resources and organisational culture in mergers and acquisitions’, South African Journal of Business Management , vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1-10. Kiessling, T & Harvey, M 2006, ‘The human resource management issues during an acquisition; the target firm’s top management team and key managers’, International Journal of Human Resource Management , vol. 17, no. 7, pp. 1307-1320. Lakhman, C 2011, ‘Post acquisition cultural integration in mergers and acquisitions; a knowledge based approach’, Human Resource Management , vol. 50, no. 5, pp. 605-623. Kotter, J 2007, ‘Leading change; why transformation effort fails’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 2, no.3, pp. 1-10. Kouzes J & Posner, B 2010, The leadership challenge , John Wiley & Sons, Westford. Lussier, R 2008, Management fundamentals; concepts, application, skill development , South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason. Lussier, R & Achua, C 2009, Leadership with Infotrac: theory, application, & skill development , Cengage Learning, Mason. Market Watch: H.J Heinz Company and Kraft Foods Group sign definitive merger agreement to form the Kraft Heinz Company 2015. Web. Markovic, A & Barjaktarovic, S 2014, Proceedings of the XIV international symposium symorg 2014; new business models and sustainable competitiveness , FON, New Jersey. Myungweon, C 2011, ‘Employees’ attitudes towards organisational change; a literature review’, Human Resource Management , vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 479-500. Pugh, L 2007, Change management in information sciences , Ashgate Publishing, New York. Saunders, M 2009, ‘The management of post-merger cultural integration; implications from the hotel industry’, Service Industries Journal , vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 1359-1375. Soni, K 2014, ‘A study on pre merger and post merger acquisition; selected financial parameters for selected cement’, Journal of Management, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 3-13. Truss, C, Alfes, K, Delbridge, R, Shantz, A & Soane, E 2013, Employee engagement in theory and practice, Routledge, New York. Vazirani, N 2012, ‘Mergers and acquisitions performance evaluation; a literature review’, Journal of Management , vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 37-42. Vogelsang, J 2013, Handbook for strategic HR: best practices in organisational development from the OD network, American Management Association, New York. Weber, Y & Tarba, S 2013, ‘Socio-cultural integration in mergers and acquisitions; new perspectives’, Thunderbird International Business Review , vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 327-331. Wolf, J 2011, Organisational development in healthcare; conversations on research and strategies, Emerald Group, Bingley.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: Buddhism psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the intention of an action as the primary cause of the resulting effect. The intention is considered an important mental event or process that directs the mind about execution of an action. If the intention is negative in nature, then the probability of engaging in destructive activities is high. On the other hand, if the intention is positive in nature, then the probability of engaging in constructive activities is high.
Buddhism psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the intention of an action as the primary cause of the resulting effect. The intention is considered an important mental event or process that directs the mind about execution of an action. If the intention is negative in nature, then the probability of engaging in destructive activities is high. On the other hand, if the intention is positive in nature, then the probability of engaging in constructive activities is high.
Buddhism Psychology in Changing Negative Behaviors Essay (Article) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Conceptualizing Buddhism Psychology on One’s Actions 3. Controlling Negative Habits Using Karma 4. Conclusion Introduction Buddhism psychology refers to bad habits as the intentions of acting in a harmful manner. The concept of the bad habit is nonexistent if the intention to do harm to self or others is not manifested. In order to prevent bad habits, an individual must trigger a mental action that inhibits manifestation of ill intentions. In normal circumstances, a well-intended action leads to benevolent deeds. However, ill-will is a major motivator for vicious deeds. The control over the mind is considered integral in Buddhism psychology. From this perspective, environmental protection depends on human actions. Modern Buddhism psychology is integral in shaping human perspective about environmental protection. From a Buddhist perspective, having positive thoughts about environmental protection is a good intention. If an individual’s intention towards others and the community are positive in nature, then the probability of engaging in destructive activities is minimal. For example, concern for others in the community is vital in avoiding negative deeds such as the excessive emission of carbon. Apparently, carbon emission and related pollution activities are referred as biodegradation activities. Moreover, positive mentality towards saving the world from global warming and other detrimental environmental activities is necessary. Buddhism psychology establishes some of the fundamental concepts that can help in controlling spiteful intentions towards the environment. In this regard, Buddhism psychology plays a pivotal role in changing negative habits or negative thinking about environmental protection to positive actions. Conceptualizing Buddhism Psychology on One’s Actions In Buddhism psychology, the intention is considered an important mental event or process. Apparently, the intention directs the mind about execution of an action. Therefore, the intention enables the mind to determine whether human beings should engage in virtuous, neutral or non-virtuous behaviour. The consequences of ill-will or bad intention are referred as Karma. The cause-effect relationship of an action and subsequent reactions is that the end-results depend on the original intent and human will. Karma has two classifications that are referred as the intended action and action of intention. Intended action entails verbal or physical expressions. On the other hand, action of intention is the impulse or thought to act in physical or verbal manner. From a psychological perspective, an individual is susceptible of executing the action of intention before the intended action. In Buddhism psychology, the action of intention is not immediately established from an individual desires to act. For some time, the individual contemplates with the desire to act until the same matures to an intended action. In addition, this contemplation is referred as Karmic seeds. From this perspective, the concept of karmic seed is referred as developing the action of intention into a real action. The karmic seed concept determines whether the mind manipulates a verbal or physical action into a positive or negative action. Controlling Negative Habits Using Karma Since negative habits are as a result of Karmic seed, it is ideal to destroy the same though Buddhism. The four powers of purification are major elements in Buddhism psychology. Apparently, the four powers of purification are integral in controlling the manifestations of the Karmic seeds. First, the power of object is critical in changing an individual’s negative habit. For example, an individual’s experience in environmental pollution or degradation is enough to change negative habits. However, this power of purification is effective if the object in question is the environment, people or community. Secondly, the power of regret should be observed when controlling negative habits. In this context, an individual is required to contemplate on past actions and misdeeds and regret on the same if harm was realized. In this regard, harm resulting from environmental degradation should be highly regretted. Thirdly, an individual is required to exercise the power of the promise when changing from negative to positive habits. The third power entails promising of never repeating the same misdeeds. The third power is integral in avoiding activities that degrade the environment. In Buddhism psychology, the third power requires the utmost honesty in order to change negative habits effectively. Finally, the power of practice is important in establishing activities that protect the environment from further degradation. The forth power entails positive thinking and acts as motivation to an individual. From a Buddhist perspective, activities such as offerings and reciting mantras are critical in maintaining the power of practice. Making environmental protection a cultural practice is integral in developing positive habits that conserve nature. From the four laws of Karma, bad habits do not go unpunished. In this regard, individuals destroying the environment should realize that nature is unforgiving. Conclusion Buddhism psychology analyzes the intention of the mind and how the same can be changed into positive habits. Buddhism psychology is developed from the preset of reversing the real action once the intention to action is changed. Apparently, negative habits that include environmental destruction are manifested in the mind. Moreover, the mind is easily manipulated by an intention. Therefore, Buddhism psychology is critical in understanding the mind and changing subsequent actions into positive habits that protect the environment.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The text discusses the Amazon workplace culture case study & solutions to its 5 key problems. It reveals that the management's core strengths and weaknesses lie in its insensitive and harsh approach towards employees, as well as the lack of benefits and praise. The text concludes that these issues create the need to analyze the Amazon corporate culture issues to establish an ethical working environment.
The text discusses the Amazon workplace culture case study & solutions to its 5 key problems. It reveals that the management's core strengths and weaknesses lie in its insensitive and harsh approach towards employees, as well as the lack of benefits and praise. The text concludes that these issues create the need to analyze the Amazon corporate culture issues to establish an ethical working environment.
Amazon Corporate Culture Issues Term Paper Table of Contents 1. Insensitive Management 2. Lack of Benefits 3. Disregarding Employees’ Need for Work-Life Balance 4. Lack of Praise 5. Unfair Systems of Ranking 6. Works Cited Problems with the Amazon Company Scenario: the corporation’s employees report multiple cases of workplace disregard and human rights violations. They talk about the lack of benefits and praise, as well as an unfair ranking system. This creates the need to analyze the Amazon corporate culture issues to reveal the management’s core strengths and weaknesses. It will help establish an ethical working environment, thus enhancing employees’ satisfaction. Below, see the Amazon workplace culture case study & solutions to its 5 key problems. Insensitive Management The approach selected by Amazon’s management seems to be rather insensitive and harsh in relation to employees. It is especially observable regarding those who have to encounter serious health or life hardships, such as cancer, accidents, or divorce (Rosin). In response to multiple reports, the company’s spokesman – Craig Berman – claims that this attitude is not their policy or practice, thus rejecting the mentioned issue. Moreover, Amazon is insensitive to its employees while they need support and understanding to perform their work effectively. As a rule, a large and stable business is insensitive to the loss of not only employees but also managers as the structure and organization of business processes of large companies are built in such a way as to minimize risks. In particular, in Amazon, each manager is required to have several successors – the potential candidates who can replace him or her, if required (Kim). Such candidates can become both employees of the company and people from the outside. The manager oversees their career growth, helps them develop, and tries to develop a commendable successor. This, however, does not mean that the role of each individual employee is so small that it is impossible or unworthy to fight for it. People are the key source in a company of any size, and the success of a business depends on their professionalism, motivation, and well-coordinated work. In offices, Amazon uses a self-reinforcing management system and psychological tools to encourage tens of thousands of office workers to new achievements. The company applies a continuous algorithm to boost up the efficiency of its employees. However, the measures are rather controversial. For instance, psychological pressure is used while asking employees to report about problems occurring with their work. The most difficult questions are asked about the failure in work, when, for example, customers did not receive their orders on time (McCray et al. 48). Such conversations severely hamper the rest of the work as employees should take all these metrics as part of the overall workflow and make their minds work with plenty of details under stressful conditions. As a result, workers feel that their work is never finished or not done well enough to meet the company’s requirements. Lack of Benefits The mission of Amazon is to be the most client-oriented company in the world and continuously enhance service standards. Putting a customer at the forefront, the company can be merciless to its competitors and, most importantly, to employees (Kim). This means that offering low prices and fast shipping, Amazon offers almost no benefits to staff members. On the contrary to Google and Microsoft that focuses on employees’ wellness, nutrition, and special benefits, Amazon does not promote personal value in employees (Rosin). While successful managers receive competitive wages, the rest of the employees are expected to be fragile, as stated in rule number nine declared by the company. This implies that workers should independently pay for their leisure, phones, and travel expenses. Moreover, according to the first rule of Amazon’s corporate culture, employees should prioritize customer service over their own obsession (Kim). It should also be emphasized that the company requires workers to partially pay for their relocation expenses in case they quit within two years. The mentioned aspects illustrate that Amazon’s employees experience the lack of benefits that inevitably leads to stress and burnout. The company’s leadership considers employees to be a large system of elements, which can easily be replaced by similar ones. Disregarding Employees’ Need for Work-Life Balance The work-life boundaries are also not followed in the company. “One time I didn’t sleep for four days straight”, as noted by Dina Vakkari, the manager of gift cards to other companies (Rosin). Once she paid to the Indian freelancer so that he could enter more data into the database for her. She and other employees did not lack a career choice, but they said they absorbed the priorities of Amazon. Another example is the fiancé of one of the former employees, whose partner worked till 10 PM and did not agree to go home. The mentioned examples clearly show that employees do not have enough time to rest. Both former and current Amazon employees dissatisfied with working conditions have created the Former and Current Employees (FACE) website, presenting anonymous feedback on the company’s corporate culture. The key problem, as stated by the website authors, is that Amazon uses excessive power of managers while such abuse leads to the emotional burnout of employees and worsens the atmosphere inside the company (Kim). The creators of FACE believe that the feedbacks and reviews provided on the website would prompt the company to solve issues in management and HR. In case there would be no changes, the members of the organization assure to seek to adopt the legislative measures. FACE already published more than 100 negative reviews about the company’s internal culture along with the open letter addressed to Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos, claiming to improve the current situation. Taking into account that Amazon employs more than 230,000 employees, the audience of this website is extremely small, yet it may rapidly grow in case of the lack of adequate measures (Kim). The representatives of Amazon declined to comment on this case. Lack of Praise The new employees should receive an introductory lecture, according to which they are ordered to forget bad habits acquired at previous jobs. To become the best Amazons, they need to follow the 14 principles of leadership that are put on comfortable laminated cards and specify the corporate culture of the organization. In Amazon, employees are encouraged to criticize other people’s ideas at meetings, lateness, and other related issues. The core idea is that employees should motivate themselves based on their own efforts, thus integrating into the system and becoming a single whole. The culture of the company encourages the entrepreneurial abilities of employees as well as the ability to take responsibility and bring results (O’Reilly et al. 602). However, disputes and conflicts are not uncommon here as the company considers that everyone should be able to defend and argue his or her point of view. In this regard, the internal environment seems to be overly aggressive. The lack of praise demotivates employees to develop and achieve the stated goals, instead of focusing on self-motivation and the ability to cope with daily routine. Unfair Systems of Ranking Criticism in the company goes through the special Anytime Feedback Tool, through which employees can complain or praise either colleagues or management. While the managers can identify the authors of the messages, they are usually not known to the one about whom these messages were written. Thus, every employee has a rating, and employees with the worse rating are to be fired at the end of the year. Utilizing the above tool, Amazon pursues competitiveness and productivity within the company, yet it causes the fact that everyone tries to surpass the others (Flamholtz and Randle 83). Even though according to managers, most of the reports are positive, employees call them “a river of intrigues and machinations” (Kim). This system of ranking seems to be quite unfair as the authenticity of the information regarding one or the other employee cannot be guaranteed by the author of the complaint. In effect, the system creates plenty of false messages and deteriorates the working atmosphere by disrupting trust and respect between staff members as well as between the latter and management. In addition, the so-called Organization Level Reviews conducted on an annual basis serve as a basis to discuss the lower-level employees in the presence of the higher-level works (Rosin). Such meetings can be regarded as unethical as they may diminish one’s role in the organization and insult his or her feelings. The preparation for this event is reminiscent of the preparation for judicial protection: in order to avoid the loss of valuable team members, they should prepare strong evidence to protect the unjustly accused and blame members of other teams. Works Cited Flamholtz, Eric G., and Yvonne Randle. “Corporate Culture, Business Models, Competitive Advantage, Strategic Assets and the Bottom Line.” Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting , vol. 16, no. 2, 2012, pp. 76–94. Kim. Eugene. “ There’s a Website Just for Upset Amazon Employees to Post Reviews, and its Organizers Want a Union. ” Business Insider . 2017. Web. McCray, J. P., et al. “Transformational Crisis Management in Organizational Development: A Focus on the Case of Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.” Organization Development Journal , vol. 30, no. 1, 2012, pp. 39–52. O’Reilly, C. A., et al. “The Promise and Problems of Organizational Culture: CEO Personality, Culture, and Firm Performance.” Group & Organization Management , vol. 39, no. 6, 2014, pp. 595–625. Rosin, Tamara. “ 9 Key Issues with Amazon’s Corporate culture. ” Becker’s Hospital Review . 2015. Web.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: This paper aims to analyze the case study by examining the biological, psychological, and psychosocial functioning of the subject, Anna, and to explore the implications of her current developmental stage in her life.Overall, Anna has no concerns with regards to her psychological development. She is a healthy, active woman who is coping well with divorce and working for a newspaper. Her high cognitive resources are a major factor for her successful development in this stage of life.
This paper aims to analyze the case study by examining the biological, psychological, and psychosocial functioning of the subject, Anna, and to explore the implications of her current developmental stage in her life. Overall, Anna has no concerns with regards to her psychological development. She is a healthy, active woman who is coping well with divorce and working for a newspaper. Her high cognitive resources are a major factor for her successful development in this stage of life.
A Middle-Aged Woman’s Developmental Analysis Essay Although middle adulthood did not emerge as an individual developmental stage until the mid-twentieth century (Willis, Martin, & Rocke, 2010, p. 131), it is considered one of the most significant periods in the developmental life cycle, because it builds the basis for the later years of life (Wills et al., 2010, p. 131). This paper aims to analyze the case study by examining the biological, psychological, and psychosocial functioning of the subject, Anna, and to explore the implications of her current developmental stage in her life. Biological Functioning Completion of Physical Development Tasks There are no distinct physical development tasks applicable to the midlife period. Considering Anna’s overall performance, she does not show any signs of difficulties with physical tasks; she is capable of moving around the town, driving, and exercising, which are the main activities at this stage of life. In general, there are no concerns with regards to Anna’s physical development. Significant Illness or Disease Despite her parents having a worrying history of diabetes and arthritis, which can be inherited, Anna does not have any significant illness or disease that would affect her wellbeing and physical performance. She lives a relatively healthy life and does not have any serious concerns regarding her physical or mental health. Nutrition and Exercise Issues Living a healthy lifestyle is crucial for the midlife and later life development, as Muhlig-Versen, Bowen, and Staudinger (2012) note: “evidence has been presented that physical fitness interventions can stimulate positive cognitive development in later adulthood and old age” (p. 855). Overall, Anna has no nutrition or exercise issues that would affect her wellbeing. She lives an active, healthy life, which is a major factor for correct later life development. Psychological Functioning Cognitive Development Cognitive development during the midlife period is concentrated mainly on the factors that promote a person’s flexibility and adaptability to the changes in life or difficult situations. For instance, low cognitive resources are linked to a higher risk of dementia in later life (Wills et al., 2010, p. 132). High cognitive resources, on the other hand, are related to fewer negative events in midlife and the easiness of coping with changing conditions (Wills et al., 2010, p. 133). Anna’s successful coping with divorce thus indicates a high level of cognitive resources. Moreover, working for a newspaper also requires various cognitive abilities, such as good memory, quick thought process, and good decision-making, which are also the desirable cognitive traits in midlife development (Muhlig-Versen et al., 2012, p. 855). Cultural Development Research suggests that cultural development comes to a halt in middle adulthood (Wrzus, Hanel, Wagner, & Neyer, 2013, p. 70). However, as Wills et al. (2010) argue, “Early midlife may be the peak time to reap the cultural assets of education, career, relationships, and family” (p. 133). For Anna, too, middle adulthood is the period of stability. She lives away from her parents and has the freedom to live her life at the pace she chooses. Anna’s relationship with friends and family is relatively stable: she has close ties with her parents and meets her friends regularly. Finally, a degree in English enabled her to form a stable career with no significant risks of becoming unemployed mentioned. Generally, Anna’s cultural development conforms to the norms for her age period. Emotional Development Anna is portrayed as emotionally stable. She is capable of coping with stressful situations healthily, as shown by her experience of divorce. This is critical at her developmental stage, as Wruzs et al. (2013) claim: “throughout the rest of adult life, when remaining life time is perceived as increasingly limited, emotion regulation goals become increasingly important” (p. 54). This is why middle adulthood becomes the age of new beginnings for many people, especially with regards to romantic relationships (Wruzs et al., 2013, p. 54). Anna’s example here, too, complies with the prescribed emotional developmental scheme for middle adulthood: following her divorce, she has now recovered emotionally and is ready to make new romantic attachments. Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, and Empowerment One of the results of healthy development in early adulthood is the stability of self-concept and self-esteem in midlife. However, in some cases, middle adulthood also becomes the time of decline in independence: for instance, if the parents of a midlife adult are sick and require constant attention, so the adult decides to move back in with them. Individual empowerment, however, has been efficient in raising independence and self-determination (Muhlig-Versen et al., 2012, p. 863). The case study shows that Anna has a normal self-esteem and empowerment level for her age, as she refuses to move in with her parents and values her freedom. Significant Life Issues/Events and Diversity Issues The main life event described in the case study is Anna’s divorce. She admits that it had a profound effect on her; however, she managed to overcome the struggle, showing a strong post-divorce dynamics, which is characteristic for the middle adulthood development in women (Muhlig-Versen et al., 2012, p. 856). No significant diversity issues were indicated in the case study. Psychosocial Functioning Family Environment Anna’s family environment has been quite tense in recent years. Her parents have gotten involved in her personal life, as they do not approve of her new romantic interest due to his race and religion. Researchers agree that in most cases, the family environment becomes more important for people as they reach middle adulthood, and the value of close relatives’ opinion rises during this time (Wruzs et al., 2013, p. 54), so it is not surprising that Anna’s relationship with her parents affects her emotionally by raising the level of stress in her life. Social Institutions The case study does not describe Anna’s belonging to different social institutions in detail: for instance, it is unclear whether or not the environment at her workplace is pleasant. However, some examples of the influence of social institutions on her life are evident. Greve and Staudinger (2015) describe how the number of social institutions the person is part of peaks during early adulthood and declines in the later years (p. 806). Due to the reduction in the number of social institutions available, the number of social interactions drops, which is why romantic interests in middle adulthood usually begin at work, just as Anna’s relationship with Robert did. Spirituality Research suggests that the spirituality of women rises during their transition from earlier adulthood into midlife (Wink & Dillon, 2002, 92). Anna, on the other hand, does not seem to conform to this trend: she started to question her religious beliefs after the divorce. For instance, she thinks that it could be a good idea for her to move in with Robert before they get married, which is against the strict Catholic doctrine. Community and Social Network It is evident from the research that the number of acquaintances and friendships declines with age (Wruzs et al., 2013, p. 54). The case study shows a similar situation in Anna’s life: she has managed to maintain a tight circle of close friends, with whom she meets regularly, however, there is no mention of her active social life beyond that. Discrimination/Oppression and Economic Factors Being a member of the Latino population, Anna was highly likely to experience some sort of discrimination or inequality at some point in her life, even though this was not mentioned directly in the case study: “Discrimination has been shown to be a chronic life stressor that is associated with negative mental health outcomes for Latinos in the U.S.” (Torres, O’Conor, Mejia, Camacho, & Long, 2011, p. 363). Even though there is no indication of the impact of discrimination on Anna’s mental health, it is likely that the inequality has affected her economically (through the apparent pay gap between Latinos and white Americans) and socially (by elevating chronic stress levels). Resilience Despite the preconceptions that people become less flexible with age, research shows that resilience remains a feature of many midlife adults: as Greve and Staudinger (2015) argue, “individuals can return to a normal, or their initial, level of functioning following developmental setbacks or crises, either with or without external support” (p. 797). This is true for Anna: from the case study, we see that she was successful in adjusting to the changes in her life following the crisis of a divorce. Conclusion Saint Leo University emphasizes the importance of the development of a person’s mind, body, and spirit. Anna’s case shows evidence of development in all three of those areas: she exercises regularly, aiming to maintain her wellbeing, she has healthy strategies for dealing with stressful events and maintains healthy relationships with her family and friends, and she questions the validity and applicability of her religious beliefs, which shows the development of her spirit. Overall, Anna’s story shows a good pattern of middle adulthood development, which is why Saint Leo University’s Value of Development applies to her case. References Greve, W., & Staudinger, U. M. (2015). Resilience in later adulthood and old age: Resources and potentials for successful aging. In D. Cicchetti & D. J. Cohen (eds.), Developmental psychopathology (pp. 796-840). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Web. Muhlig-Versen, A., Bowen, C. E., & Staudinger, U. M. (2012). Personality plasticity in later adulthood: Contextual and personal resources are needed to increase openness to new experiences. Psychology and Aging, 27 (4): 855-866. Web. Torres, H. L., O’Conor, A., Mejia, C., Camacho, Y., & Long, A. (2011). The American dream: Racism towards Latino/as in the U.S. and the experience of trauma symptoms. Revista Interamericana de Psicología/Interamerican Journal of Psychology, 45 (3): 363-368. Willis, S. L., Martin, M., & Rocke, C. (2010). Longitudinal perspectives on midlife development: stability and change. European Journal of Ageing, 7 (3): 131-134. Web. Wink, P., & Dillon, M. (2002). Spiritual development across the adult life course: Findings from a longitudinal study. Journal of Adult Development, 9 (1): 79-94. Web. Wrzus, C., Hanel, M., Wagner, J., & Neyer, F. J. (2013). Social network changes and life events across the life span: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 139 (1): 53–80. Web.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The essay discusses a new, technologically advanced car that is set to be launched into the global market. The car has many features that make it unique, such as its improved engine specifications and the option for a 15-minute autopilot. The project is bound to be successful because of the large number of extraneous, non-financial factors affecting the process of the project implementation.
The essay discusses a new, technologically advanced car that is set to be launched into the global market. The car has many features that make it unique, such as its improved engine specifications and the option for a 15-minute autopilot. The project is bound to be successful because of the large number of extraneous, non-financial factors affecting the process of the project implementation.
A New, Technologically Advanced Car in the Global Market Essay Table of Contents 1. Project Idea 2. Rationale: Why the Project Is Bound to Be Successful 3. Project Objectives: Something to Capitalize on 4. Scope Statement: The Range of Issues to Embrace 5. References Project Idea The car market has been thriving over the past decade, with a lot of new models appearing every year. The project in question aims at exploring the chances that the car market has to offer and strives to build a strategy for launching a new car into the global market. Furthermore, the opportunities and threats associated with the process will be considered, and a sustainable strategy for carrying out the launching will be designed. To select the project, the multi-criteria method was chosen. The reasons for the specified decision concerned the large number of extraneous, non-financial factors affecting the process of the project implementation. For instance, the competition levels can be viewed as a substantial factor defining the development of the area. Similarly, industry trends can be referred to the non-financial factors that affect the development of numerous companies operating in the designated environment. It would be wrong to claim that the financial aspect is unimportant; instead, it should be viewed as the factor bearing relatively the same level of importance as the rest of the issues (Larson & Gray, 2017). Therefore, a combination of the financial and non-financial approaches is recommended. As long as all factors affecting the process of product launching are taken into account, success can be achieved. Rationale: Why the Project Is Bound to Be Successful With the recent breakthrough in the areas of business and technology, the growth of the car industry can hardly be a surprise. New opportunities for car design and improvement emerge on a regular basis, and new products are launched surprisingly often. However, the automotive industry market has not been saturated yet, especially as far as the cars for personal transportation are concerned. Therefore, given the high levels of demand in the specified economic environment, one must admit that the project has the chances to succeed (Biswas, Mukherjee, & Roy, 2014). Furthermore, it should be noted that the product has a rather impressive competitive advantage. Particularly, the improved engine specifications allow for extraordinary maneuverability and steering. Furthermore, the car will include several options; particularly, the customers will be able to choose from three engine options, two transmission options, and two fuel options. Thus, the needs of a larger variety of consumers will be met. Last but definitely not least, the car will incorporate the option for a 15-minute autopilot without any human-made input (either manual or voice-based one). The rationale behind the proposal is to introduce the product to the target market for a reasonable price to explore the opportunities for attracting a large number of customers and developing a strong competitive advantage (Sah et al., 2014). Project Objectives: Something to Capitalize on The current car market does not offer any opportunities for providing customers with autopilot functions in cars. Granted that the concept is currently being developed by Tesla and Toyota (Ingle & Phute, 2017), the specified option is still rather unexplored and new. Furthermore, introducing the elements such as voice control for setting the necessary directions is going to be an unprecedented case in the contemporary automotive industry. Thus, the goals of the project will be based heavily on the identified characteristics of the product. The following objectives will be set: * Exploring the current car market; * Determining possible trends in the car market development based on the current phenomena; * Designing a brand image that will allow representing the car in the target market; * Developing a branding strategy that will help make the product memorable and attractive; * Creating a marketing approach that will allow selling the car to the target audience successfully; * Building a powerful competitive advantage. Indeed, it is important to make sure that the car will become instantly recognizable among a range of similar products. Furthermore, given the high levels of rivalry in the designated industry, the project may be affected significantly by the actions taken by the corporate giants such as Toyota, Tesla, etc. The corporate strategy, therefore, will have to be based on enhancing innovation and promoting R&D activities to deliver the product of the finest quality. Furthermore, a strong emphasis must be placed on the marketing processes so that the brand should become easily recognizable and very memorable (Babafemi, 2015). Scope Statement: The Range of Issues to Embrace The scope of the project can be described in the following way: * Objective: introducing the car into the global market successfully; * Deliverables: gaining at least 0.1% of the market share; * Milestones: + Competitive advantage developed: July 1; + Marketing strategy designed: July 15; + 50% of the expected number of customers attracted: July 31; + Final assessment: August 31; * Technical requirements: 2600 mm wheelbase, 1,600 kg kerb weight, 160 bhp, 121 kW; * Limits and exclusions: the car will be produced in 3 colors; * Only 13 variations (engines, transmissions, fuel options) will be available. In the course of implementing the objectives, the life cycle of the project described above as a product will be considered. For instance, the specified stage will be considered as project planning. The design of the appropriate strategies for the future launch into the market will become the project planning stage. To proceed to project execution, one will have to deploy the suggested approaches and actually launch the product into the market (Hussein, Chouman, & Dayekh, 2014). The stage involving the project closure will incorporate the calculation of costs and profits, as well as drawing conclusions regarding the project success (see Fig. 1). Thus, the success of the project will be evaluated. Figure 1. Innovative Car: Project Life Cycle. References Babafemi, I. D. (2015). Corporate strategy, planning and performance evaluation: A survey of literature. Journal of Management Policies and Practices, 3 (1), 43-49. Biswas, A., Mukherjee, A., & Roy, M. (2014). Leveraging factors for consumers’ car purchase decisions: A study in an emerging economy. Journal of Management Policies and Practices, 2 (2), 99-111. Hussein, B., Chouman, M., & Dayekh, A. (2014). A Project Life Cycle (PLC) Based approach for effective business process reengineering (BPR). Industrial Engineering Letters, 4 (6), 1-9. Ingle, S., & Phute, M. (2017). Tesla autopilot: Semi autonomous driving, an uptick for future autonomy. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), 3 (9), 369-372. Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2017). Project management : The managerial process (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Sah, M., Asmida, M., Habidin, N. F., Latip, N., Azrin, M., Salleh, M. I. (2014). Supply Chain Management (SCM) practices and continuous innovation (CI) in Malaysian automotive industry. European Journal of Academic Essays, 1 (4), 62-67.
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Create the inputted essay that provided the following summary: A Primer on Corporate Governance by Kluyver Essay (Book Review)In his book A Primer on Corporate Governance, Dr. Cornelis de Kluyver presents basics of governance in corporations and provides important guidelines for persons interested in the subject. The author also aims at answering the critical question regarding corporations
A Primer on Corporate Governance by Kluyver Essay (Book Review) In his book A Primer on Corporate Governance, Dr. Cornelis de Kluyver presents basics of governance in corporations and provides important guidelines for persons interested in the subject. The author also aims at answering the critical question regarding corporations
“A Primer on Corporate Governance” by Kluyver Essay (Book Review) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background Information 3. Summary 4. Evaluation 5. Conclusion Introduction Corporate governance is an area that is interesting to business persons, executives, investors, and educators, but it is also actively discussed by the wide audience, and its aim is to answer the questions regarding firms’ responsibilities and relationships with stakeholders. In his book A Primer on Corporate Governance , Dr. Cornelis de Kluyver presents basics of governance in corporations and provides important guidelines for persons interested in the subject. However, the author also aims at answering the critical question regarding corporations’ purposes and targets of firms’ services while paying attention to the stakeholder and shareholder perspectives that explain debates in the field. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the book with the focus on the main aspects discussed by the author and evaluate the author’s attempts to provide answers to the important questions in the area of corporate governance with reference to the historical context and real-life examples. Background Information There are many questions and controversial ideas associated with the concept of corporate governance in the context of the United States. Dr. Cornelis de Kluyver has the experience of working as a director of NASDAQ and as a management consultant (De Kluyver, 2009). Consequently, the book can be viewed as a result of synthesizing the author’s experience in the field. The book also refers to the conclusions made after discussing the modern approach to corporate governance with pioneers and experts in the area. Therefore, the criteria for judging the book are its relevance to be proposed as a primer for students and persons who do not have the background knowledge regarding corporate governance and its appropriateness to provide answers to the debates that are interesting to experts in the field. Summary Dr. de Kluyver has divided the book into three large parts. In the first part of the book, corporate governance is discussed from a macro perspective as a system that has its purpose, principles, and major actors. Much attention is paid to discussing the roles of shareholders and stakeholders, and the author tries to answer the following question: “Do shareholders own the company?” (De Kluyver, 2009, p. 27). Thus, Dr. de Kluyver takes different perspectives while analyzing shareholders’ and stakeholders’ interests in the context of firms’ actions and strategies directed to the value maximization. The author provides definitions of the basic concepts, descriptions of historical events and real-life examples, discussions of the key governance principles and the issue of accountability, as well as the description of the board of directors and associated roles. Furthermore, much attention is paid to analyzing the US approach to creating the corporate governance system and the recent reforms in the field, as well as to comparing this system to other business governance strategies in the world. While focusing on different examples of corporate governance patterns around the globe, the author states that the lack of a consensus regarding “why a company exists, to whom directors are accountable, and what criteria they should use to make decisions … is a significant obstacle to increasing the effectiveness of the corporate governance function” (De Kluyver, 2009, p. 36). Therefore, the second part of the book provides the detailed discussion of the main elements of corporate governance systems. Dr. de Kluyver describes responsibilities that the board members have and concentrates on explaining such issues as succession planning, the selection of CEOs, the evaluation of their performance, and debates regarding the size of executives’ compensations. The author provides the detailed discussion of such issues as risk management, a process of developing strategies, a process of forming the high-performance board, and a process of overcoming external pressures and obstacles. The third part of the book is an epilogue in which the author discusses future perspectives related to the development of corporate governance in terms of using innovative practices and addressing the latest social and business requirements (De Kluyver, 2009). According to Dr. de Kluyver, the main factors that can influence the development of the idea of corporate governance in the future are globalization, changes in shareholders’ perspectives, and changes in relationships between companies and stakeholders. Evaluation The goal of Dr. de Kluyver’s book is to explain all important issues related to corporate governance systems, including responsibilities and interests of the main actors. The content of the book is discussed as appropriate for both beginners and specialists in the field. It is important to state that the author has achieved his goal, and the book can provide students with the knowledge regarding the basic concepts and executives with the most effective strategies to use in their practice. Furthermore, while answering the question regarding the shareholder-stakeholder debates in the field, Dr. de Kluyver does not take the certain position, but he aims to discuss the issue from several perspectives. From this point, the central lesson of the book is that corporations should serve interests of both shareholders and stakeholders as it is equally important to guarantee profits for owners and contribute to the society while providing stakeholders with certain benefits. Thus, the strength of the book is its appropriateness for the wide audience of readers who want to learn how corporations can be governed effectively. Furthermore, the author discusses the question of corporate governance from different angles and supports his conclusions by real-life examples (De Kluyver, 2009). Still, while focusing on this or that view presented in the work, Dr. de Kluyver is inclined to support his words only by one reference. The book includes discussions of controversial ideas; therefore, to make a certain argument, it is important to provide several references. The topic of corporate governance is interesting to be discussed in detail, and the book provides answers to all main questions that can be asked by each person who wants to explore the specifics of creating the governance system and building the relationships with the community. Conclusion Dr. de Kluyver’s A Primer on Corporate Governance is proposed as a guide for the audience interested in aspects of corporate governance, the work of boards of directors, and the use of strategies to develop corporations. The book includes definitions of the main concepts related to the field, and the author supports them with examples of the recent and widely known controversial events and challenges. In spite of the fact that the book includes a lot of appropriate information to be discussed by beginners and experts, it is possible to conduct the further research regarding the trends and perspectives related to the future development of corporate governance systems in order to add the information to the third part of the book. A Primer on Corporate Governance is important to be used by students, educators, and executives because it provides a range of viewpoints regarding the approaches to overcoming crises and coping with ethical and business issues.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The sense of community is a feeling of belonging to a group that provides support and identity.Diverse Backgrounds and Their Impact on CommunityIt should be noted that the social identity of people is based on their feeling of belonging to specific social groups. Moreover, it directly depends on the way a person characterizes him or herself with respect to these groups. In particular, this pattern is applicable to residents of all types of communities, and it defines both intergroup and interpersonal relations and internal processes as well.Transportation Issue and Its Effect on Group IdentificationThe issue of social identity is directly related to the sense of community, and it inevitably affects the life of each individual. Researchers argue that the more stable the relations in the community become, the less personalized is the identification of its participants, and individual traits of each person become less important since community interests become the top priority for all residents. When individuals are engaged in a group, they feel safer; they start to identify themselves socially, which leads to a more harmonious life of society.
The sense of community is a feeling of belonging to a group that provides support and identity. Diverse Backgrounds and Their Impact on Community It should be noted that the social identity of people is based on their feeling of belonging to specific social groups. Moreover, it directly depends on the way a person characterizes him or herself with respect to these groups. In particular, this pattern is applicable to residents of all types of communities, and it defines both intergroup and interpersonal relations and internal processes as well. Transportation Issue and Its Effect on Group Identification The issue of social identity is directly related to the sense of community, and it inevitably affects the life of each individual. Researchers argue that the more stable the relations in the community become, the less personalized is the identification of its participants, and individual traits of each person become less important since community interests become the top priority for all residents. When individuals are engaged in a group, they feel safer; they start to identify themselves socially, which leads to a more harmonious life of society.
A Sense of Community: Evaluating and Analysis Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Community Description 3. McMillan-Chavis Elements 4. Diverse Backgrounds and Their Impact on Community 5. Transportation Issue and Its Effect on Group Identification 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction It should be noted that the social identity of people is based on their feeling of belonging to specific social groups. Moreover, it directly depends on the way a person characterizes him or herself with respect to these groups. In particular, this pattern is applicable to residents of all types of communities, and it defines both intergroup and interpersonal relations and internal processes as well. Researchers argue that the more stable the relations in the community become, the less personalized is the identification of its participants, and individual traits of each person become less important since community interests become the top priority for all residents (Wise, 2015). When individuals are engaged in a group, they feel safer; they start to identify themselves socially, which leads to a more harmonious life of society. Consequently, the issue of social identity is directly related to the sense of community, and it inevitably affects the life of each individual. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sense of community as applied to a particular group and evaluate it in terms of the four elements proposed in the McMillan-Chavis approach. Community Description The community under analysis is represented by low-income families who reside in rural areas of the state. The families and individuals belonging to this social entity have various backgrounds, and they are engaged in different occupations. Nevertheless, almost all representatives have life conditions below-average level, and not all of them can be characterized as self-sustaining families. To be more precise, the majority of the community needs to apply for assistance; however, they have poor access to local social services due to insufficient transportation system. In addition, many residents qualify for government assistance such as SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid, and so on. Nonetheless, they cannot apply for those because of the inability to access the services. These factors lead to such consequences as malnutrition, which poses a threat to community health. Moreover, it has resulted in inadequate living conditions in which the greatest part of the community has to reside. Given these issues, it is crucial to analyze the way a sense of community contributes to the well-being of residents and their feeling of social identification. McMillan-Chavis Elements McMillan and Chavis have developed a system that provides a platform for analyzing the psychological feeling of community. Its main elements are the sense of belonging to a group, the possibility to influence the setting and the others, the feeling of engagement to meet the needs of residents, and collective emotional bonding. According to researchers, these aspects and their intensity evidence that community residents are important to each other and that they can influence their well-being by putting a joint effort into it (Wise, 2015). The feeling of belonging to a group enables people to meet their needs easier through a mutual contribution. However, more importantly, it increases the quality of life of all residents. Despite the fact that these elements are universal, the constituents can be different for various cultures and settings. It is necessary to emphasize that from the point of view of the unity under analysis, the sense of community is influenced by the participation of residents in local organizations and their general representations about their area (Wise, 2015). Due to the fact that the residents are rather isolated from other communities because of the transportation issue discussed above, they try to communicate more closely and support each other. Residents try to participate as much as possible in solving the problems of the community, which gives them the opportunity to exercise their rights and be more active in the life of society. In addition, such engagement of the population gives residents the chance to feel part of the community and rally the inhabitants (Jason, Stevens, & Ram, 2015). Such involvement in internal processes increases their sense of happiness and enhances the feeling of membership. Nevertheless, there is a need to develop methods and tools that will allow residents to take responsibility for the development of their area. At present, a large part of the population poorly assesses their ability to influence the life and improvement of their community. Small-scale activities do not provide an opportunity to improve effectively the lives of residents despite the interest of people. However, residents also have little time to participate in public life due to problems related to the livelihood of families. Therefore, despite the residents’ desire to influence the proceedings within the society in order to improve the quality of life and satisfy their needs, the community either does not have the tools to support the residents or the inhabitants are deprived of opportunities for this activity (Wise, 2015). It is important to note that despite the fact that most of the population has a desire to participate actively in the life of the community and positively assess their intent in planning the future, individuals do not have access to mechanisms for such participation. Also, many people have a lack of time to participate in events, which indicates the need to create ways to attract residents to the management of the area. Therefore, regarding the four elements suggested by McMillan and Chavis, the community has a strong sense of membership. Residents identify themselves with the group and are eager to make a personal investment. In addition, it is possible to assume that the community has a common symbol system due to the fact that the area is rather isolated and people try to stick to each other. Nevertheless, the influence element is weak because of the insufficient levers of power that individuals possess. Residents cannot influence others, which weakens cohesion within the group. This leads to the fact that the fulfillment of needs is insufficient as well. Individuals do not have an opportunity to participate in group formation to an adequate extent. Therefore, since they do not have the mechanisms to influence the setting, participants cannot feel rewarded and feel less integrated (Jason et al., 2015). Nonetheless, community residents share common values, which is a positive aspect in that matter. Regarding the shared emotional connection, individuals have quite positive contacts, which reinforces the feeling of group identification. However, it is rather difficult to judge whether this element is strong enough since further detailed research on the history and customs of this community is needed. Diverse Backgrounds and Their Impact on Community It should be mentioned that the members of the community have diverse cultural backgrounds but they share similar life settings and conditions, which affect the sense of community. Cultural differences among residents imply that people have different values and beliefs (Kutay Karacor & Senik, 2016). Nonetheless, the similarities in conditions and life situations have brought residents together so that they have started sharing mutual goals and views. Therefore, the differences in backgrounds had enriched identity and did not push the community to prioritize one subgroup to another. Therefore, it can be assumed that in the case of the community under analysis, diverse backgrounds should be considered an asset to forming a sense of community and driving people to collaborate. Transportation Issue and Its Effect on Group Identification Notably, the issue of transportation that exists in the area affects the sense of community. Researchers claim that effective transportation has the potential to reshape communities by providing residents with greater opportunities, which also influences the degree to which residents are willing to contribute themselves to community development. The crucial aspect of this issue is the vision of the community since transportation should envision the goals and aims that residents have (Kutay Karacor & Senik, 2016). Therefore, the transport system should be planned in accordance with collective community representations to be able to meet the needs of people. In general, it should serve as a means to boost social engagement and foster a sense of identity. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that the analysis of the four elements proposed by McMillan and Chavis showed incomplete identification of residents with their social group. Not all four elements are equally pronounced; moreover, several of them are practically absent for objective reasons. Most of the community inhabitants want to form a sense of community and participate in its development. They exhibit high levels of membership. Nevertheless, the low level of participation in the events indicates that this group has no essential mechanisms of influence; although, the residents want to be active in the life of society to fulfill their needs and have a greater bond with others. In order to solve the existing problems, it is necessary to conduct further research aimed at studying the approaches to meet the needs and desires of residents. References Jason, L. A., Stevens, E., & Ram, D. (2015). Development of a three-factor psychological sense of community scale. Journal of Community Psychology, 43 (8), 973-985. Kutay Karacor, E., & Senik, B. (2016). Understanding sense of community through neighborhood satisfaction and socio-demographic variables. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 3 (2), 1022-1035. Wise, N. (2015). Placing sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 43 (7), 920-929.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The role of nurses in the modern healthcare setting is increasingly becoming critical as they find themselves in a situation where they have to be involved in decision-making processes to save lives of patients.The purpose of this project is to completely computerize the system at this facility and eliminate the paperwork. The project seeks to ease the work of nurses so that the burden they have can be reduced to enable them deliver quality services.
The role of nurses in the modern healthcare setting is increasingly becoming critical as they find themselves in a situation where they have to be involved in decision-making processes to save lives of patients. The purpose of this project is to completely computerize the system at this facility and eliminate the paperwork. The project seeks to ease the work of nurses so that the burden they have can be reduced to enable them deliver quality services.
ABC Healthcare Center: Project Improvement Term Paper The role of nurses in the modern healthcare setting is increasingly becoming critical as they find themselves in a situation where they have to be involved in decision-making processes to save lives of patients. Unlike before when nurses had to wait for directives from the doctors, nurses in the modern society are expected to have skills that can enable them to help save the life of a patient, especially in emergency cases when a medical doctor is not around. Information is critical in the work of nurses today. To deliver quality services to their patients, they must be equipped with the right information about the patient. They should know what should be done at specific intervals (Dua, Acharya, & Dua, 2014). That is why when handing over a patient from one nurse to another, there is always a record that is often left so that the incoming nurse can know how to handle the patient. In this project, the focus will be to improve data management system and communication among the nurses at ABC Healthcare Center as a way of enhancing smooth handover of patients from one nurse to the other and reducing the workload of the nurses. Long and Short-Range Objectives When undertaking a project, it is important to outline the objectives to make it possible to assess whether the outcome meets the desired standards. It is important to outline both the short and long-term objectives for this project. The long-term objectives for the project are as stated below. * To help solve the problem of understaffing of nurses without necessarily hiring new nurses at ABC Healthcare Center. * To transform data management processes and communication among the nurses as a way of enhancing quality of service delivery. * To empower nurses at ABC Healthcare Center by providing them with the right information and making consultation among nurses simple and efficient. To achieve the above long-term objectives, a number of short-term goals will have to be accomplished. The following are the short-term objectives for this project. * To phase out the current ineffective communication systems used by nurses at ABC Healthcare Center to ease their work. * To train the nurses on how to use the new data management and communication system to enhance the quality of their work. * To inculcate team spirit and commitment towards having a united approach of handling their duties. Purpose The current data management and communication system at ABC Healthcare System is partially computerized. Although there are computer systems used to record and transfer patient’s data, there are instances where nurses opt to use paper records, which they consider more efficient in their work. The purpose of this project is to completely computerize the system at this facility and eliminate the paperwork. The project seeks to ease the work of nurses so that the burden they have can be reduced to enable them deliver quality services. The expected outcome is a platform where nurses would find it easy making electronic records of their observation and storing them in databases where other nurses and doctors can have access at any time and without strain. The new system is expected to make the process of handing over patients from one nurse to the other simple and effective. Environmental Assessment This project seeks to introduce a change in the manner in which data is managed and how medical staffs communicate within this hospital. It is expected that there will be both internal and external factors in the current environment that may facilitate or inhibit the change. It is important to look at these factors. External Environmental Factors Facilitating factors President George W. Bush signed an Executive Order 13335 in 2004 that created ONCHIT (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) (Tavana, Ghapanchi, & Talaei-Khoei, 2015). This was a direct commitment of the political leaders to support automation of the healthcare sector in the country. The emerging technologies have also facilitated automation of healthcare records by introducing gadgets and programs for data management and communication. Inhibiting factors The high cost of some of the gadgets needed for the automation process sometimes slows down the automation process as the stakeholders struggle to fund such processes. Another big inhibitor in the external environment is the hacking problem. Some hospitals are slow when it comes to automating their systems because of the fear of possible hackers that may steal important data or interfere with it in a way that may have devastating consequences. Internal Environmental Factors Facilitating factors In the firm’s internal environment, the biggest facilitating factor is the commitment by the top management of the facility to embrace the emerging technologies. Employees of this firm are often taken through regular trainings, which means that they will find using the new systems easy. The institution also has regular funding from the government and other charitable institutions that it can use to support the project. Inhibiting factors The biggest inhibitor within the internal environment is the employees’ reluctance to embrace the emerging change. The fear of the unknown often makes employees resist change (Nelson & Staggers, 2014). The project may also be affected if the targeted health experts fail to learn how to use the new system as soon as possible. Existence of other equally important projects may strain the resources needed to fund this project. The management may opt to fund those other projects, especially if they are considered more important. Current Workflow Nurses at ABC Healthcare Center often find themselves under pressure and overstretched trying to meet the increasing needs of the patients. Currently, the records of the patients are taken electronically when they visit this facility. For patients in the wards, nurses often take records of their observations, using a paper and pen, before transferring their data to the system’s database after every round. They consider that process simple, but the truth is that they end up doing the same job twice. Sometimes the paper records may be dropped and lost, forcing them to go and redo the observation or make up data based on the past records. According to Hoyt and Yoshihashi (2014), there are cases when incoming nurses find absolutely no data left by the nurses who were in the previous shift, making their work very complex. It is disastrous making up patient’s data because they may be subjected to wrong medication that may worsen their conditions. The new system seeks to eliminate such problems. Nurses will take their records electronically, and the information will be transferred to the database in real time. Accuracy of the data will be improved and the work of the nurses will be simplified. Options for Improving the Process The management can decide to address the current problem using two options. The first option would be to hire more nurses at this facility to ensure that the workload on the individual nurse is significantly reduced. The main benefit of this option is that patients will be given personalized attention. Nurses will feel relieved, as the number of patients they will be taking care of per a given shift will be reduced. Coordinating teamwork under such an environment will be easy because these nurses will understand their patients at a personal level. However, the cost of hiring new nurses will be high. It is more costly to hire more nurses than to embrace the emerging technologies. The second option will be to automate the system as recommended in this project. This option emphasizes on the need to automate the entire system of data management to ease the pressure on the nurses (Braunstein, 2015). Nurses will be recording their observation electronically at the wards when observing the patients, eliminating the need to redo that work after making their rounds of observation. This method is less costly compared to the above option. It also enhances accuracy in data management. However, the initial cost of installing the required gadgets may be high. Preferred Option and Rationale The two options discussed above have their advantages and disadvantages. However, the preferred option is the automation of the system. The rationale of choosing this option is that it allows this facility to maximize the resources it has to deliver high quality services to the patients. Instead of spending more money by hiring new nurses, this approach makes the work of the current nurses easy, eliminating the pressure they had in meeting the expectations of the patients (Maeder & Martin-Sanchez, 2012). The approach is also in line with the government policies that require healthcare institutions to automate their systems. When implemented appropriately, it will ensure that there is accurate recording of patients’ information and efficient storage and sharing of patients’ data by the medical staff. Implementation Plan Implementation of this plan is very critical in ensuring that it achieves the targeted goal. The table below is a summary of the timeline of various activities and the stakeholders responsible. Table 1: Timeline of the scheduled activities. Activity March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 Aug 2017 Oct 2017 Proposal Development P. L. Proposal Approval Management Identification of Vendors P. L. & P.M Selection and Purchase P. L. & Mgt Installation of the system Vendor Training Vendor Commencement Stakeholders As shown above, the first step will be proposal development that will be done by the project leader. Within the month of March, the proposal should be fully developed and ready for presentation before the management of this facility. The management will go through the proposal and make its approval in the month of April. The management can suggest changes, which may be necessary to make the project more efficient. If the management makes the needed approval, the next stage will be for the project leader and project members to identify the vendors who can offer the needed system at the best price. Identifying a number of vendors may be necessary so that the most qualified vendor is selected. After identifying a number of vendors, the project leader will present the options to the management, clearly outlining the cost of their services and value offered. The management will then select the most appropriate vendor based on the value offered. The process of identifying and selecting the most appropriate vendor is expected to last for two months, from the beginning of May to the end of June. The next phase will be the installation of the system. After making the purchase, the vendor will be expected to install the system that the nurses will use. The installation process can take about two weeks before these vendors can embark on training the staff. As soon as the system is installed, the vendor will train the nurses, doctors, and other relevant members of the staff on how to use the system to make their work easy. These activities will take two months, from early July to end of August. By October, everything should be ready for the official commencement of the use of the new system to manage data and communicate within the firm. All the stakeholders will have their different roles in ensuring that the new system delivers the desired value. Evaluation Methodology As mentioned in the introduction, the current data management approach and communication among the nurses is time consuming, creating pressure among the nurses in terms of delivering their services to their clients. The current system also makes the process of handing patients from one nurse to the other at the end of the shift ineffective. Once the new system is introduced, the challenges identified should be addressed. The evaluation method should focus on how well the objectives were met when the change was introduced. When the outcomes of the project meet, the set objectives, then the identified problems will be addressed (Berkowitz & McCarthy, 2013). One method of evaluating the outcome of the project will be to determine the ease with which nurses can record data when observing patients in the wards. The new method must make the process of recording the observation easier and less time consuming. It should eliminate cases where nurses are forced to go back to the wards and observe again because of lost or misplaced paper records. It should also eliminate instances where nurses guess patients’ data, based on previous records because of time constraint (Braunstein, 2013). The workload of individual nurses should be reduced once the system is introduced. When conducting the evaluation of the new system, it should be determined whether communication between nurses and doctors and among nurses is improved. These are the premises upon which the evaluation will be based. Conclusion Data management and communication among the medical staff are critical activities in healthcare institutions. With the emerging technologies, pressure is mounting on healthcare institutions to embrace the emerging technologies as a way of reducing pressure on the medical staff and improving quality of the services offered. This project focused on eliminating paperwork completely at ABC Healthcare Center. The project seeks to reduce the workload of nurses by improving the efficiency of their work. The project seeks to ensure that when nurses are leaving at the end of their shifts, they leave detailed and relevant information about their patients to ease the work of the incoming nurses and eliminate mistakes that are often related to miscommunication or provision of wrong data about a given patient. It is expected that this project will transform the quality of services at this institution. References Berkowitz, L., & McCarthy, C. (2013). Innovation with information technologies in healthcare . London, UK: Springer. Braunstein, M. L. (2013). Health informatics in the cloud . New York, NY: Springer. Braunstein, M. L. (2015). Practitioner’s guide to health informatics . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons Publishers. Dua, S., Acharya, U. R., & Dua, P. (2014). Machine learning in healthcare informatics . Berlin, Germany: Springer. Hoyt, R. E., & Yoshihashi, A. (2014). Health informatics: Practical guide for healthcare and information technology professionals . New York, NY: Cengage. Maeder, A., & Martin-Sanchez, F. J. (2012). Health Informatics: Building a healthcare future through trusted information; selected papers from the 20th Australian National Health Informatics Conference (HIC 2012) . Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press Inc. Nelson, R., & Staggers, N. (2014). Health informatics: An interprofessional approach . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons. Tavana, M., Ghapanchi, A. H., & Talaei-Khoei, A. (2015). Healthcare informatics and analytics: Emerging issues and trends . New York, NY: Springer.
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Write an essay about: The article discusses the concept of ableism and how it can be seen in education, work environment, and community. It also talks about the capabilities approach and how it can help to ensure educational justice for all members of the society regardless of their disabilities.
The article discusses the concept of ableism and how it can be seen in education, work environment, and community. It also talks about the capabilities approach and how it can help to ensure educational justice for all members of the society regardless of their disabilities.
Ableism in Education, Workplace and Community Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Education 3. Community 4. Corporate 5. References Introduction The notion of ableism has been intensively studied in modern literature. The term refers to effective discrimination targeted against individuals with disabilities, favoring those who are not disabled. An ableist environment (educational, corporate, or societal) is the one that poses a threat to disabled individuals, stating that non-disabled people must be regarded as the standard for ‘normal living.’ Therefore, this literature review will focus on the exploration of ableism in education, work environment, and community in order to address the problem and ensure equal treatment for all members of the society regardless of their disabilities. Education The article written by Ashley Taylor (2012) addressed the concept of the capabilities approach that underlined the importance of educational equality in order to respond to the existing social injustices. The author put forward the view that education prepares individuals for the future participation in the social and political life of the community; therefore, excluding disabled individuals from education will result in excluding them from life in general. Taylor (2012) advocated for the capabilities approach as a method of ensuring educational justice and normalizing disability in a society when it is excluded (p. 113). Burke and Wolbring (2010) supported the view held by Taylor (2012) and stated that education is a human right in itself, which presents a basis for democracy, economic stability, health, family, and environmental sustainability (p. 235). Researchers explored the BIAS FREE Framework and concluded that the initiatives implemented for enhancing education should be combined to increase their effectiveness and support the development of an equitable approach where all human beings regardless of their status or disability can exercise their rights. Smith, Foley, and Chaney (2008) raised an issue of ableism not being recognized as a concern for education since it is viewed as a defect rather than a difference (p. 304). Authors advocated for increasing the need for disability-related counselor competence since almost twenty percent of Americans have some disability due to many factors (inheritance or even combat trauma). Due to the fact that more in more individuals with disabilities are entering higher education settings, the government is presented with a challenge or providing counseling services for them. Therefore, the society should get to grips with the understanding that counselors should be educated on the needs of the disabled individuals and address their challenges (stress, anxiety, and depression) when they enter an education setting. Hutcheon and Wolbring (2012) examined the experiences of disabled students in post-secondary education within the framework of “body-social-self” (p. 39). Researchers concluded that the sphere of higher education must address the differences between individuals in their abilities since disabled students are presented with tremendous barriers (social, emotional, and physical) in their post-secondary education. They underlined the importance of enhanced financial support and peer awareness for facilitating inclusion in secondary education on a full range of levels. Community According to Fiona Kumari (2009), addressing the issue of ableism in the context of societal processes is similar to dealing with the concept of “whiteness” in race theory or “masculinity” in gender studies (p. 638). The author argued that society should shift the focus on concentrating on what the studies of disability teach people about ableism developed and operated. For Kumar, the idea of ableism is a cultural project that is repeatedly performed in society and is very hard to control since the people affected by ableism do not have control over it. Hodge and Runswick-Cole (2013) examined the participation of disabled families (including their children and teenagers) in leisure activities (p. 311). Researchers focused on the idea of disabled childhoods to challenge the ableist practices and give children an opportunity to move beyond such notions as “other” and “normal” in order to function more freely within their communities (Hodge & Runswick-Cole, 2013, p. 322). Moreover, the authors underlined the fact governmental initiatives should promote the agenda of inclusion and include disabled children in mainstream leisure settings. Munger and Mertens (2011) studied the theoretical and philosophical frameworks as a basis for discussing the available research practices, putting an emphasis on cultural differences because various societies have contrasting views on disability (p. 23). The authors underlined the importance of studying the notion of disability within the cultural and community context as a way of promoting the ideas of social justice and offering disabled members of communities with a range of extended opportunities and resources. Researchers offered to adhere to the transformative paradigm for offering people with disabilities an opportunity to change for achieving the high standards of social justice (Munger & Mertens, 2011, p. 31). Corporate An extensive essay written by Basas (2013) attempted to combine the studies of law, feminist theory, and cultural studies for examining the status of women attorneys that have disabilities (p. 32). By conducting a study with a sample of thirty-eight women attorneys with disabilities, Basas was able to analyze processes of discrimination within the sphere of the legal profession. The researcher concluded that there is a concerning trend of ableism targeted at women with disabilities operating in the legal sphere; the study participants indicated that they were used to accommodating themselves in the workplace instead of enforcing their human rights outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Such findings suggest that the legal environment should employ appropriate modifications to tailor to individuals with disabilities and ensure an inclusive environment for all. Mik-Meyer (2016) also focused on exploring ableism in the context of a corporate environment and dedicated her research on how non-disabled employees engage in discrimination of their co-workers with disabilities (p. 1). The study involved nineteen managers and forty-three employees that worked with an employee that had cerebral palsy. The key finding of the research was that employees referred to individuals with visible disabilities as “different” (Mik-Meyer, 2016, p. 4). The othering of employees with disabilities directly relates to the concept of ableism that limits individuals’ right to inclusiveness and tolerance. The last piece to be included in this literature review is the article by Chacala, McCormack, Collins, and Beagan (2014) that addressed the issue of disability and ableism within the profession of disabled occupational therapists. The topic of the research is particularly beneficial because disabled therapists can offer a unique and valuable perspective on disabilities as well as put forward crucial challenges that the sphere of occupational therapy takes for granted. It was found that some colleagues and managers had negative perceptions of the disabled therapists, which presented a significant barrier to their practice. Inequality was exacerbated since disabled therapists were responsible for “creating bridges” between different perceptions of ableism. However, study participants indicated that their disabilities enhanced the practice instead of limiting it. References Basas, C. (2013). The new boys: Women with disabilities and the legal profession. Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, 25 (1), 32-94. Burke, B., & Wolbring, G. (2010). Beyond education for all: Using ableism studies lens and the BIAS FREE framework. Development, 53 (4), 535-539. Chacala, A., McCormack, C., Collins, B., & Beagan, B. (2014). “My view that disability is okay sometimes clashes”: Experience of two disabled occupational therapists. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21 , 107-115. Hodge, N., & Runswick-Cole, K. (2013). ‘They never pass me the ball’: Exposing ableism through the leisure experiences of disabled children, young people and their families. Children’s Geographies, 11 (3), 311-325. Hutcheon, E., & Wolbring, G. (2012). Voices of “disabled” post-secondary students: Examining higher education “disability” policy using an ableism lens. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 5 (1), 39-49. Kumari, F. (2009). Contours of ableism: The production of disability and abledness. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Mik-Meyer, N. (2016). Othering, ableism and disability: A discursive analysis of co-worker’s construction of colleagues with visible impairments. Human Relations, 69 (6), 1-23. Munger, K., & Mertens, D. (2011). Conducting research with the disability community: A rights-based approach. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 132 , 23-33. Smith, L., Foley, P., & Chaney, M. (2008). Addressing classism, ableism, and heterosexism in counselor education. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86 , 303-309. Taylor, A. (2012). Addressing ableism in schooling and society? The capabilities approach and students with disabilities. In C. Ruitenberg (Ed.), Philosophy of education (pp. 113-121), Urbana, IL: Philosophy of Education Society.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: This essay discusses the business plan for a subscription box enterprise located in the Canadian city of Toronto. The company would offer food-based subscription boxes to its customers within the city and neighboring towns and villages. customers are allowed to choose between three types of delivery options, including monthly, bi-monthly, and weekly deliveries. The products delivered to the subscription boxes include pastry, lollipops, chocolates, cookies, sauces, and much more.
This essay discusses the business plan for a subscription box enterprise located in the Canadian city of Toronto. The company would offer food-based subscription boxes to its customers within the city and neighboring towns and villages. customers are allowed to choose between three types of delivery options, including monthly, bi-monthly, and weekly deliveries. The products delivered to the subscription boxes include pastry, lollipops, chocolates, cookies, sauces, and much more.
ABox4You: Subscription Box Business Plan Essay Subscription boxes are a rising trend in the United States of America and the practice is quickly spreading into Canada. Subscription boxes are, in many ways, like other subscription-based goods such as newsletters and journals. The only difference is that instead of papers and articles, the subscription box supplies clients with several interesting goods, small items, and artifacts, depending on the customer’s wishes. Subscription boxes typically share a particular theme – they could provide foods, collectibles, cosmetics, hygienic products, and many other things to clients. Several possible themes and combinations are nearly limitless. The appeal of this business format is that the receivers never know what they are going to get. This creates intrigue, a feeling of wonder, and surprise (Bischof, Bottger, & Rudolf, 2016). Modern businesses are expected to sell not only goods but experiences and emotions as well. This business plan proposes the establishment of a subscription box enterprise located in the Canadian city of Toronto. Company and Product Description ABox4You is a subscription box enterprise, which operates in Toronto, Canada. It provides food-based subscription boxes to its customers within the city and neighboring towns and villages. Customers are allowed to choose between three types of delivery options, including monthly, bi-monthly, and weekly deliveries. The products delivered to the subscription boxes include pastry, lollipops, chocolates, cookies, sauces, and much more. Customers are allowed to pick the goods they like and strike out products they do not want. Subscription boxes are delivered to clients via the company’s couriers and third-party delivery services. Product SWOT and Needs Analysis A SWOT analysis is a standard practice that is used in the creation of business plans. The acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, which need to be identified in the process of generating a business idea (Kulp, Eastwood, Turner, Goodman, & Ricketts, 2016). Strengths Subscription boxes are a new selling format that may attract the attention of potential customers. Lack of similar services within Toronto means that aBox4You will not have any competition. The relative ease of replenishing supplies by working with local producers and retailers. Weaknesses The enterprise will require plenty of producers to promote variety in its merchandise. Also, the company will need to establish its delivery service or rely on third parties to deliver goods to its customers. Opportunities If successful, aBox4You will establish a dominant role in the budding market before any competitors even arrive on the scene. Threats If the enterprise fails, the opportunity at claiming the market will be lost, as other competitors will emerge. Needs analysis is important for any prospective enterprise, as it helps to outline the requirements and resources necessary for the creation, promotion, and distribution of a product (Craig & Bensoussan, 2015). As it stands, aBox4You will need the following key components and services to facilitate its operations: * Space for storing, sorting, and packing the boxes, before their delivery. * An array of reliable suppliers of high-quality foods, preferably at a discount. * A courier company that would deliver the goods to the customers. * Ways of advertising the product to potential customers. Business Environment Analysis The city of Toronto is one of the most populous cities in Canada, with a population of over 2,500,000 people. It is the economic center of Ontario Province and a very wealthy and well-off city. It possesses an advanced and developed infrastructure. Market research shows that there are no enterprises within the city that deal with subscription boxes, which presents an opportunity for aBox4You. The levels of unemployment in Toronto are low, which means that the population will be able and willing to spend money on subscription boxes. Canadian government promotes low-interest loans and other benefits to small businesses (Chandler, 2012). Overall, the conditions for opening a subscription box enterprise in Toronto are deemed favorable. Determining Primary and Secondary Markets The primary market for aBox4You would be families with young children. Children are considered to be the main consumers of sweet foods and related products. However, their parents pay for these little luxuries. This is why our subscription boxes will be made to entertain the children and compel their parents to pay for them. The secondary market for the subscription boxes involves anyone who would be willing to purchase them. Foods are a universal commodity – everyone likes foods no matter age, gender, or social status. Thus, aBox4You will not be limited to just one or several population segments – the entire market is potentially within the company’s grasp (Aghdae & Alimardani, 2015). Analyzing Primary and Secondary Markets For a deeper analysis of primary and secondary target markets, we are going to use the 4 Ps marketing mix, as it is the basis for all other analytical tools used in business planning. The 4 Ps stand for Product, Price, Place, and Promotion (Huang & Sarigollu, 2014). Using these four criteria, it will be possible to explain the connection between our business and potential customers. Product: As it was mentioned before, aBox4You will provide subscription boxes with various foods (namely sweets) to its customers, using a subscription-based distribution model. Since the product is universal, it is likely to encompass the entirety of the market, not just primary and secondary target markets. Price: The company will feature a flexible subscription plan ranging from the very small and basic packages with the price of 10 dollars a month, to very large ones with a great variety of goods, maximum price capping at 75 dollars. The wide pricing spread will ensure that nobody is excluded. Every client will be able to find an affordable subscription plan. Place: Toronto is a large city with a working population and high standards of living. It was chosen as the starting market for aBox4You due to the majority of the populace being capable of becoming potential customers. Promotion: The company will invest in an active promotional campaign to inform all and any potential customers about our enterprise and our services. In addition to standard and virtual media outlets, aBox4You will actively work with its producers and partners, for advertising purposes. Short-Term and Long-Term Goals Short-term goals for aBox4You include establishing a base of loyal customers that will be the source of our revenue flow. Other short-term goals include claiming the market within the city of Toronto, establishing a network of providers and partners to supply us with all the required goods, and conducting a successful promotional campaign to inform the population about our company and services. These goals are interconnected so that achieving one will serve as a benchmark for the others. Providers and partners could be found among the small local businesses and shops. Traditional and digital media outlets could be used during the promotion campaign. If these two steps are successful – the others will soon follow. Long-term goals involve expanding the reach to other large cities within the immediate vicinity of Toronto, such as Vancouver and Montreal. Both of these cities are rich and populated, thus being promising potential markets. Other long-term goals involve establishing a personal company delivery service. It would allow the aBox4You to control its shipments more directly without having to rely on 3rd parties. The last long-term goal for the company involves retaining dominant positions in the market, improving the quality of service, and expanding its client base. These long-term goals assume our short-term goals were reached. With Toronto as a base, it will be possible to repeat the scenario in other large cities within our vicinity and open our offices there. Conclusions Subscription boxes have proven themselves to be an effective and innovative model of product distribution. It is being adopted across the USA and is making its way to Canada. Canada is a rich country with a favorable business climate and extensive governmental support for small businesses. These factors, combined, would allow aBox4You to seize a dominant position in the market before anyone else does. This business plan provides a wholesome and comprehensive model to follow, outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the project, specifies the materials and resources needed to start the business, and establishes the link between the target market and the product itself. While there are several weaknesses in the proposed business idea, they are negligible at best and can be overcome with adequate management and planning. The company provides a lot of possible customizations regarding choices of goods and possible subscription plans. This flexibility will ensure maximum customer involvement and broaden the potential target market. Due to the universal nature of the goods provided by aBox4You, its subscription boxes are very likely to find success among customers of all ages and social statuses, which promises rapid growth and large profits. References Aghdae, M.H., & Alimardani, M. (2015) Target market selection based on market segment evaluation: a multiple attribute decision making approach. International Journal of Operational Research, 24 (3), 22-31. Web. Bischof, S.F., Bottger, T., & Rudolf, T. (2016). What’s in the box? Risk in surprise subscription models. Association for Consumer Research, 5 (3), 1-15. Chandler, W. (2012). The economic impact of the Canada small business financing program. Small Business Economics, 39 (1), 253-264. Craig, S.F., & Bensoussan, B.E. (2015). Business and competitive analysis. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Education. Huang, R., & Sarigollu, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. International Series on Consumer Science, 13 (1), 113-132. Kulp, C., Eastwood, C., Turner, S., Goodman, M., & Ricketts, K.G. (2016). Using a SWOT analysis: Taking a look at your organization. UKnowledge, 4 (1), 5-11.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The paper examines the ADEC curriculum in terms of its key aspects. A curriculum can be defined as a comprehensive set of knowledge, skills, and objectives that a student is to gain during the academic year. It should be noted that the process of learning is central to the curriculum's activities, which, in turn, are directed by the educational objectives of the corresponding level.
The paper examines the ADEC curriculum in terms of its key aspects. A curriculum can be defined as a comprehensive set of knowledge, skills, and objectives that a student is to gain during the academic year. It should be noted that the process of learning is central to the curriculum's activities, which, in turn, are directed by the educational objectives of the corresponding level.
Abu Dhabi Education Council Curriculum Essay (Critical Writing) Table of Contents 1. Curriculum 2. Vision, Mission, and Values 3. Philosophical Basis 4. Learning Theory Curriculum In this paper, the ADEC curriculum is being analyzed in terms of its key aspects. A curriculum can be defined as a comprehensive set of knowledge, skills, and objectives that a student is to gain during the academic year. It should be noted that the process of learning is central to the curriculum’s activities, which, in turn, are directed by the educational objectives of the corresponding level. The curriculum results from social activity, and it is a dynamic field designed for both the present and emerging purposes. Vision, Mission, and Values The vision of UAE’s ADEC is reflected in the concept that education is the first primary. ADEC endorses all learners throughout the educational process to allow them to attain their full capacity to contend in the global market. The system is aimed at building unique multifunctional members that will be able to show high performance in a variety of settings. The mission reveals the system’s intention to produce excellent apprentices who will epitomize a steady significance of culture and heritage and who are ready to face versatile challenges. The main values are reflected in the six leading aspects, which are teamwork, transparency, integrity, accountability, respect, and compassion. The curriculum stresses out the importance of cooperation and collaboration, open and honest interactions, mutual respect, and personal liability for action. The understanding of the responsibility towards others supports these core postulates. Overall, ADEC is aligned to strengthen the bridge between the community in the past and the community in the present, which is achievable through the creation of a generation that appreciates its background, culture, and heritage and looks forward to adding precious and meaningful contributions to the UAE legacy. These values represent a high level of the relationship among individuals and emphasize the importance of a person as a part of society. Philosophical Basis ADEC aims to prepare students for future work to meet the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision. To achieve this goal, numerous initiatives have been implemented to facilitate the English language acquisition maintaining a focus on the culture of the country and the development of the 21st-century skills. Thus, progressivism is one of the leading philosophical bases, and it ensures that advancement in science, economic development, and social organization are essential to enhance the current situation in the country and around the globe. The initiatives include an outcome-based curriculum, the application of student-centered approaches, a continuous evaluation of the framework, and inquiry-based learning approaches. Learning Theory The learner is central to the curriculum. The educators facilitate the learning processes effectively and support students to gain the maximum academic achievement. The learning process implies: * Engagement in active learning experiences; * Participation in literacy activities; * Access to a wide range of literacy resources. The curriculum learning theory is based on the usage of 21st-century skills. The emerging global connectedness and widespread of informational sources and technologies require students to develop such abilities as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. To guarantee that the curriculum facilitates high-quality education that meets students’ interests and needs, it is constantly reviewed and developed to match students’ progress and introduce the latest studies and technologies into it. Importantly, the curriculum contributes to lifelong learning and requires students to take on responsibility for the sufficiency of their knowledge. The humanistic psychology that is inherent to the educational plan enables considering the learner’s motivation and feelings. Thus, ADEC learning theory is a combination of several speculations to address the needs of students and reach the outcomes of lessons effectively.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which teachers in Abu Dhabi Government Schools get satisfied with the leadership principles and styles.The study found out that teacher satisfaction is significantly affected by leadership styles and principles. It is recommended that the administrators should learn to engage teachers and treat them with respect.
The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which teachers in Abu Dhabi Government Schools get satisfied with the leadership principles and styles. The study found out that teacher satisfaction is significantly affected by leadership styles and principles. It is recommended that the administrators should learn to engage teachers and treat them with respect.
Abu Dhabi Government Schools Leadership Style Principles Thesis Executive Summary The United Arab Emirates’ government has made impressive steps towards modernizing the education system in line with the emerging changes in various sectors of the economy. However, the issue of teacher satisfaction and motivation is yet to be given proper emphasis. In this study, the researcher focused on determining the degree of teacher satisfaction in relation to principles and styles of the leaders embraced by the management unit at the school level. The researcher used secondary data to inform this study. Imaginary data was also used to support the analysis process. The analysis was done using SPSS and the findings presented in charts and figures. The study found out that teacher satisfaction is significantly affected by leadership styles and principles. It is recommended that the administrators should learn to engage teachers and treat them with respect. Introduction Background Teachers working in government schools in Abu Dhabi play a critical role in nurturing young children to become responsible members of the society who can lead the country into a better future. Some of them work under extreme conditions, but that does not stop them from ensuring that they pass knowledge and instill discipline in their students (Hajar, 2016). However, it is important to note that the quality of services that teachers deliver directly depends on their levels of motivation. A study by Lynch (2016) found out that highly satisfied teachers are more likely to deliver excellent work than their colleagues who are not satisfied. When teachers are satisfied, they get the drive to go the extra mile in ensuring that their students are given the best. According to Mehisto and Genesee (2015), the government of Abu Dhabi has come up with various programs meant to ensure that teachers in government schools remain satisfied as a way of improving their level of performance. Karadağ (2015) says that there are various ways of ensuring that teachers are satisfied. One can use monetary and non-monetary approaches to ensure that workers feel appreciated and motivated enough to go the extra mile in every responsibility assigned to them. In this paper, the researcher is interested in determining the degree to which teachers in Abu Dhabi Government Schools get satisfied with the leadership principles and styles. Significance and Purpose of Study This study is very important in defining the policies that should be embraced by the Abu Dhabi schools. According to Karadağ (2015), the concept of leadership is as old as the origin of the human being. Biblical accounts and historical facts tell about how leadership is important in organizing and coordinating people towards a common cause. The Egyptian Empire, the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire are just but examples of great kingdoms that ruled the world because of great leadership. Teachers in public schools within Abu Dhabi are under the direct leadership of various administrators, from the regional level to the national level (Mehisto and Genesee 2015). At the school level, teachers are directly under the leadership of school administrators. These administrators have supervisory roles over these teachers, and they are expected to address the concerns that may arise within the institution. The manner in which they conduct their supervisory roles and how they relate to the teachers define the level of teachers’ satisfaction. On the other hand, the approach taken by the superior officers within the ministry of education directly affects the approach that these administrators take when supervising the work of teachers. The stakeholders must understand that the manners in which teachers are treated directly affect their satisfaction levels and hence the quality of services they deliver (Rubie-Davies 2015,). Using theories such as Transformational Leadership Principles and the Great Man Theory, the research will investigate how leadership affects teachers in Abu Dhabi public schools. Problem Definition The education sector is very important because it prepares the younger generation to be ready to take our society to the next level. Teachers are expected to not only educate but also counsel and guide the learners towards a greater future. Teachers are expected to identity the unique skills and talents of their students. They are also expected to help them develop the talents in a way that will benefit them and the society. Teachers are also expected to work closely with parents to help students who have psychological problems to overcome their conditions and lead normal lives. Hajar (2016) says that stakeholders also expect teachers to instill discipline among the children. The important role that teachers play makes it necessary to ensure that they are always satisfied at work. However, it is unfortunate that little attention is often paid by the relevant stakeholders to ensure that teachers are satisfied at work. The leadership approach that is currently used pays more emphasis on the need to supervise them than to offer leadership that is satisfactory to them (Rubie-Davies 2015,). In this study, the researcher wants to determine how this approach can be changed. The stakeholders in the field of education must ensure that proper leadership is offered to these teachers to ensure that they remain satisfied. This way, they are able to offer quality services to the learners at all times (Rossman 2014). This topic was chosen because of the need to find ways of motivating teachers so that they can deliver best services to their students. Research Questions According to Fowler (2014), when conducting a research, it is important to come up with objectives. The objectives clearly define what the research project seeks to achieve when it is finalized. The main goal of the research project was to determine the degree of teacher satisfaction in relation to the leadership principles and styles applied in Abu Dhabi government schools. The following are the goals for this research: * To determine the leadership principles and styles used by government schools administrators in Abu Dhabi. * To determine the level of satisfaction of teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools. * To establish the relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership principles and styles in government schools in Abu Dhabi. * To come up with recommendations on how the administrators can embrace leadership principles and styles that can promote teacher satisfaction. Research Objectives It is necessary to have research questions that will guide the important process of data collection. Fowler (2014) says that research questions help a researcher to know the specific information needed from the imaginary and secondary sources. They help in eliminating cases where irrelevant data is collected from the participants or from secondary data sources. The following are the research questions that were developed based on the set research objectives: 1. What are the leadership principles and styles used by the government schools administrators in Abu Dhabi? 2. What is the level of satisfaction of teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools? 3. What is the relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership principles and styles in government schools in Abu Dhabi? To achieve the above objectives, the research will be conducted in selected schools within the Abu Dhabi. Literature Review Understanding the Concept of Leadership According to Normore, Long, and Javidi (2016), leadership refers to the art of offering guidance to others in an organizational or team setting. Leadership is a concept that has attracted the attention of many scholars over the past several years. It is not something that is unique to humans. Animals have also demonstrated high level of leadership as they try to survive in the harsh environment. Hajar (2016) says that an organization’s success often depends on its leadership. When one is entrusted with the noble role of being a leader, it does not mean that he or she is put in a position of giving commands. Leadership does not involve dictating what should be done, when and how. It entails being a servant to others and offering them the vision they need. Leadership is a service to people who entrust one with the position. It entails making difficult decisions for the benefit of everyone. It requires an individual to be selfless and able to take a direction that may not be pleasing to the leader as long as it will benefit the majority. According to Styron and Styron (2017), being a leader is a very demanding job. One must be capable of seeing what others do not. A leader must be capable of owning up to his or her mistakes and the mistakes that the team members commit (Ali & Dahya 2015). Given that a leader is expected to have a vision for the team, he or she must be a constant dreamer. A leader should be able to visualize a better future for the people and come up with a comprehensive plan that can help the team or organization work towards achieving the dream (Selley 2012). In the current competitive business environment, managers are under pressure to embrace leadership as a way of motivating the employees towards a greater success. A manager directs, instructs, and can sometimes take punitive measures if one fails to meet the set expectations. On the other hand, a leader guides and offers emotional support and when one is unable to meet the set expectation, he or she will motivate that person to deliver better results in the next assignment (Quinn 2014). It means that while many people fear managers, they find leaders fun to work with and they often try to deliver the best outcome in every assignment given to them, not out of fear, but because of the team spirit, the motivation given to them, and the desire to please their leader. Management is slowly shifting towards leadership in the modern organizational settings (Trabue & Trabue 2013). Instilling fear may sometimes make people to work hard because of the need to avoid the possible consequences. However, using fear to manage people is not a sustainable approach. With time, Lynch (2016) says that people get to understand how to overcome the fear and when that happens, they will have no drive to deliver good results in the workplace. Others get to learn how to manipulate the threat and to have their way. The aim of the people now changes from achieving the organizational goals to working towards eliminating or avoiding the threat (Rossman 2014). It means that as long as the threat is eliminated, then they find no meaning going an extra mile to deliver good results. According to Tandon (2015), there has been an argument as to whether leadership is a trait that one is born with or an acquired trait based on one’s socio-economic and cultural forces. While a section of scholars have argued that some people are born with some characteristics that naturally make them leaders, other scholars argue that the trait is acquired based on the environmental forces one is exposed to over a given period. According to Mohler (2012), it is true that some individuals are born with unique characteristics that make them likely to become leaders. However, they still have to learn a number of things within their environment to become leaders. They have to learn to be trustworthy individuals, fearless and visionary, selfless and focused, and able to work with people from diversified backgrounds. These are the traits, which they have to learn to be great leaders. As Karadağ (2015) says, sometimes one needs to be exposed to leadership to become one. One needs to understand the expectations of the followers, how the interest of a leader sometimes conflicts with that of the followers, and what can be done to ensure that the conflicts are addressed in the best way possible to the interest of the masses. It is important to look at the Great Man Theory and its relevance in the modern-day society. Great Man Theory According to David, Boniwell, and Ayers (2013), Great Man Theory holds that some people are born great. They have unique intelligence that is above the average, they have the charisma, their wisdom is unique, and they exude confidence and power. Such individuals are able to bring people together and inspire them to take specific actions that may be transformative. The theory largely holds that leadership comes naturally and cannot be acquired through learning. It is in one’s heart. Although one may learn how to coordinate and control a team, he or she may not offer leadership when a time comes to make that tough decision (Ladd 2014). When a big challenge faces a team, people tend to forget what they have learnt and behave naturally as guided by their instincts. If such a person was taught to be selfless, when a time comes to be selfless and they learn that in so doing they may suffer, then such lessons tend to be forgotten and they will try to save themselves at the expense of the team (Hojjat & Moyer 2017). On the other hand, if the trait of selflessness was something that one was born with, then such a person will not fear sacrificing self. He or she will face the challenge with the main goal of protecting the people irrespective of the consequences that he or she will face. That is why Fowler (2014) says that leaders are always known in times of crisis. When others make concerted efforts to save themselves from the eminent danger, they commit themselves to serving others. They forget about themselves and the need to take care of one’s self and embrace a bigger picture of protecting the society (Quinn 2014). Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish Writer, popularized this theory in the 1840s, explaining why hereditary leadership had remained strong around the world at a time when the society at that time was keen on embracing democracy. It is important to note that although the theory has remained very relevant and still holds some truth in the modern society, scholars in the recent times have proven that the environment within which one is brought up influences their leadership capabilities (June & Mathis 2013). One may be born with unique capabilities, but one’s capacity to be a leader depends on the nature of upbringing and the values he or she embraces as a child. Recent studies have proven that indeed one can acquire leadership traits through learning and inspiration (Ali & Dahya 2015). One can learn to be selfless, visionary, ad capable of leading people to a greater success, Types of Leadership According to Rossman (2014), different people embrace different forms of leadership. The approach that one takes to guide his or her team to a greater success may not be the same as the approach that another leader would take. As such, scholars have tried to identify different types of leadership that exists and their relevance in the modern organizational setting. It is important to analyze some of the fundamental leadership styles that exist in the modern society. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership is often centered on the idea that the leader is the boss (Trabue & Trabue 2013). Such a leader is believed to have authority over others and the decision he or she makes is final and must be respected by everyone. For one to practice this form of leadership, he or she must have some power over the followers. Such a leader must be capable of having a strong influence over the followers that make them fear disobeying him or her. A boss who can hire and fire, a military commander, a person who is physically stronger than the follower is, or any other power that others fear can enable one to exercise this form of leadership. In such an environment, there is little room for flexibility. All-important decisions are made by the leader, often with limited or no consultations at all. The followers are expected to follow the issued instructions directly without fail. Kafele (2015) calls it the rule by fear. Although many people in leadership positions in the modern society believe that they are practicing a more democratic form of governance, the truth is that this is one of the most common leadership styles in the modern society. Once one is entrusted with power, they let the power get into their head and want to dictate everything that happens within their organization, sometimes without consulting. They will try to crash any form of resistance using the force available at their disposal. This form of leadership can only be effective if the power that one holds over the people remains strong. In case the power fades, then such a person may lose the command (Quinn 2014). Democratic Leadership This is a form of leadership where one entrusted with the position works closely with the subordinates (Clark 2015). Unlike the autocratic leadership where the leader makes most of the decisions, in democratic leadership decisions are made in consultative forums. Before a leader makes a final decision, he or she will try to listen to the views of the subordinates and create a forum for dialogue in case it is not easy to come up with a universal decision. Such a leader will ensure that the final decision made over an issue is in line with what the team discussed and agreed upon. This form of leadership highly embraces upward and downward communication because the leader does not monopolize power and ideas (Quinn 2014). Such a person in leadership appreciates that sometimes the best ideas may come from the junior employees. As such, allowing free flow of information from top to bottom and back makes it possible to share ideas and come up with the best decisions based on the forces within the environment. This form of leadership cherishes fairness, creativity, courage, competence, honesty, and intelligence among all the stakeholders. Everyone is constantly reminded that they have leadership roles to play and as such, they must think and act as leaders (Karadağ 2015). Cross-Cultural Leadership In the modern society, it is common to find an organizational setting that is culturally diversified. For instance, the city of Dubai has been attracting employees from all corners of the world (Locklair 2013). Cross-cultural leadership exists in an environment where there are people from various socio-cultural backgrounds. The leader must be capable of understanding the cultural differences of the people under his or her leadership. According to Locklair (2013), a cross-cultural leader must understand the relevance of people’s varied culture in the workplace environment. One must be very accommodating and capable of understanding issues from the point of view of another person who may be of a different socio-cultural background. It is also important for such a leader to use diversity within the organization as strength instead of allowing it to become a dividing factor (Locklair 2013). For instance, the different cultural beliefs often mean that different people will want to be grated prayer time at different days of the week. A leader should take advantage of the existing cultural diversity to assign duties in a way that would be convenient to people of different cultures. In the end, both the needs of the organization and personal needs of the employees will be met without having any conflict (Rossman 2014). Laissez-Fair Leadership According to Ladd (2014), laissez-fair form of leadership is not very common and its effectiveness is often disputed by various scholars. This form of leadership devolves power to the lowest level possible. Individual employees are allowed to work with minimal or no form of interference at all. A leader in such an environment is expected to take a back seat and watch from a distance how different employees undertake their duties. The employees may consult with the leaders on issues that may be challenging or beyond the employee’s control (Wiseman & Anderson 2013). However, the employees are expected to make all the decisions regarding how they undertake their duties. This form of leadership can only be used when handling highly skilled individuals who understand their work perfectly well and need little motivation if any to deliver excellent results. In some cases, these employees may have more skills than their leaders in their respective environments (Quinn 2014). As such, the leader would try to avoid any interference because he or she cannot offer proper professional advice. Keeley (2013) says that aspects of Laissez-fair form of leadership are necessary when handling teachers. They are highly trained professionals in the industry of teaching and as long as their interests are met, they may need little motivation to deliver the best results expected of them. Transformational Leadership According to Covey and Media (2015), transformational leadership is one of the forms of leadership that has been praised by scholars over the recent past. Transformational leadership entails bringing about positive change within groups, organizations, and people. Change is one of the forces that organization and people cannot avoid. In one way or the other, people and organizations must change in a way that will enable them to be in line with the environmental changes (Mohler 2012). As new market needs and environmental challenges emerge, it becomes necessary for employees and organizations to adjust their operations to be in line with the changing forces. However, Selley (2012) says that people fear change. There is always the fear of the unknown. Employees may fear losing their jobs or having a situation where their current skills and capabilities are irrelevant in the new settings. The financiers may fear a situation where their investment is not equal to the returns (Mohler 2012). Fear of change, if not managed, may lead to resistance towards change. It is at this point, where transformational leaders come in. They get to convince the followers that there is little to fear about change. Garcia (2012) notes that transformational leaders often challenge the current capabilities of their employees with the view of making them perform better. They get to understand the current capabilities of the employees than convince them that they have the capacity to deliver better results (Rossman 2014). They positively stretch the limits of the followers in a positive environment where everyone believes that nothing is impossible. They try to achieve the impossible by making impressive and consistent steps towards the desired success. Transformational leaders empower their followers. They make the followers understand that they have unique skills and capabilities that they are yet to exploit and that if these capabilities are fully exploited, then the impossibilities can be eliminated (Locklair 2013). It is one of the most desirable forms of leadership in the modern society. Teacher Satisfaction According to Dörnyei and Ushioda (2013), satisfaction refers to a feeling of fulfillment that often arises from one’s expectations, wishes, needs, or desires being met. It is the pleasure that one gets when the expectations come true in the best way possible. Teacher satisfaction, therefore, refers to a feeling of fulfillment that would arise from their expectations being met. It is important to note that teacher satisfaction can be broadly looked at from three different perspectives. The first perspective of teacher satisfaction is a situation where the expectations of their students’ performance and behavior are met. When students are well-behaved and often excel in the local and national exams, a teacher will always gain satisfaction (Rossman 2014). They view the performance of their students as a true reflection of their own performance. When the students emerge the best within a given region, they feel that it is through their efforts that the level of excellence in students has been achieved. They also feel proud in having highly disciplined students who do not only respect adults but also their peers and are capable of addressing their differences without engaging in physical wars (Rossman 2014). This is a very important source of teacher satisfaction. However, this study will not focus on it. The second perspective is the satisfaction that teachers get from their peers. Just like any other employee, a teacher expects to have a highly accommodating workplace environment where they can engage as teachers and try to find common solutions to common problems (Ladd, K 2014). Teachers expect to have an environment where their peers are not judgmental and race, religion, or gender is not considered a divisive factor. They expect to give and receive respect and support from the colleagues whenever that is necessary. When that is lacking, then they may lack the satisfaction they need. On the other hand, when they get respectful and supportive colleagues who are ready to always help and ask for help, then they may create important bonds that will help them get the desired satisfaction (Ali & Dahya 2015). The study will not give this aspect of teacher satisfaction serious significance despite its importance (Lynch 2016). This is so because the research focuses primarily on the third perspective of teacher satisfaction, which is leadership. Every school has a person who is responsible for the general administrations. The administrators are responsible for the supervision of the teachers and general management of the institution. They are expected to offer guidance to teachers and ensure that the set goals are achieved as per the desires of the stakeholders. Some of these administrators have punitive powers over teachers. When a teacher is hired, one of the main expectations is to have an understanding leader who is rational and capable of listening to the needs and expectations of the employees (Blankstein, Noguera, Kelly, & Tutu 2016). When a leader is overly demanding, keen on issuing threat, quick to punish, and does very little to guide teachers on the path towards the desired success, then the affected teachers are likely to be unsatisfied (Lynch 2016). Importance of Leadership in Teacher Satisfaction Teacher satisfaction is very important. According to Kathleen and Damerow (2014), teaching is a calling. Sometimes teachers find themselves trying to impart knowledge into the minds that are not keen on acquiring new knowledge. In other cases, the learners may not have the capabilities to grasp concepts as fast as one would desire and, therefore, must repeat the concepts severally for them to understand. Teachers may have family issues that may make them sad and less spirited when they go to school. Unlike an engineer who can afford to work in silence, teachers have to engage the learners. However, they must do that without revealing their emotions. Learners must not detect that their teacher is having emotional problems (Dörnyei and Ushioda 2013). The learners may be too young to understand the issues that the teacher is going through. As such, it is expected of the teacher to rise above the personal emotions and be able to work with students without allowing their emotions to take the better of them. Teacher satisfaction is very important because it defines the mood of teachers in classrooms (Wiseman& Anderson 2013). Although teachers may be capable of hiding their emotions from the learners, when they are constantly frustrated and dissatisfied of their working environment, they cannot deliver their best. They may not steer students towards the success, which is desired (Lynch 2016). Maslow’s Theory of Needs Maslow’s Theory of Needs can help in explaining the concept of satisfaction (Kafele 2015). As shown in the figure below, there are different levels of needs based on one’s social status. Figure 2: Maslow’s Theory of Needs. As shown in the model above, the basic of all needs is the physiological needs such as food, water, warmth, and rest (Fowler 2014). It is followed by safety needs and then esteem needs. At the apex are the self-actualization needs (Kafele 2015). When trying to enhance teacher satisfaction, it may be necessary to understand their needs as defined in the above ladder. Trying to meet their needs as per the classes set in this theory can help in enhancing their level of satisfaction. Impact of Leadership on Teacher Satisfaction Rubie-Davies (2015) argues that teacher satisfaction cannot be taken for granted, especially in the current society where teachers are considering venturing into other careers other than teaching. Teaching as a career is considered one of the most stressful jobs, especially when one is handling young children (Locklair 2013). They make noise and sometimes they become uncontrollable. Some rarely follow the instructions given to them while others prefer engaging in physical or verbal fights. They do not reason as adults and as such, it is the teachers who are expected to understand them. Doing that may sometimes be stressful especially when one has done all that is realistically possible to make them be reasonable. When other external forces further affect such a stressful environment, then a teacher may feel like completely breaking down. They may lose the urge to be their best when teaching in class (Locklair 2013). That is why leadership is very important when it comes to teacher satisfaction. Leadership plays a critical role in ensuring that teachers are satisfied. One of the most important roles of head teachers is to ensure that their teachers are in the best state possible to be in a classroom setting (Mohler 2012). It means that it is their responsibility to ensure that their teachers are not carrying with them the stress from home or any other setting into classrooms. They must engage the teachers as often as possible just to ensure that they are capable of going to the classrooms and delivering the services expected of them. These leaders, as Hooper (2013) says, must understand their teachers so well that they can detect when they have a problem simply by observing how they act or speak to the learners, colleagues, or superiors. Leadership is critical in ensuring that teachers have some level of contentment when they are at work. They should make teachers feel valued and respected. According to Quinn (2014), in a classroom setting, a teacher is always a leader. He or she must have the respect of the learners and be able to issue instructions to the learners, which must be honored. As such, school principals must make teachers feel that they are leaders. They must feel that they are responsible for the classes they handle and that they must offer guidance to the learners without any direct influence from the administrators. Those in leadership must be capable of creating an environment where teachers feel that they have some form of freedom to do what is right but in a way that they believe is creative. Creativity among the teachers only exist when they are satisfied with the leadership of their school and feel that their decisions will be considered important by those in power. That explains why scholars such as Armitage (2012) highly emphasize on the need for the head teachers to ensure that their teachers are always contented. It not only improves their productivity but also ensures that cases of teacher turnover are as minimal as possible. Research Gaps According to Normore, Long, and Javidi (2016), when conducting a review of literature, one of the main areas of focus should be to identify the existing gaps in the research. It was critical to identify the research gaps to help guide the study in a way that there would be no duplication of existing knowledge. The literature that was reviewed provided comprehensive information about leadership principles and how they affect the satisfaction of employees. They look at the stressful environment in which teachers work and how leadership approaches taken by the management affect them in one way or the other. However, it was evident that a gap exists in literature that explains teacher satisfaction and leadership approaches in the local Emirati contexts. Most of the literatures were published in Europe and North America. This study seeks to address the gap identified in the existing literature. Research Methodology The education sector in Abu Dhabi has undergone massive transformation over the recent past as the stakeholders try to align the teaching methods with the labor market needs. According to Moen, Mørch, and Paavola (2012), for a long time, the employers have complained that most of the graduates lack the practical skills needed in the labor market. This research will be very informative for the policy makers and other stakeholders who are interested in redefining the education sector by ensuring that teachers are always motivated to go an extra mile in the tasks they undertake when in school. It is, therefore, important to define the methodology that was used in collecting and analyzing data. Defining the methods makes it possible to understand how the researcher arrived at the conclusions and recommendations made in the study. This section will outline the methods used in this research. Research Approach Defining the research method makes it possible for one to understand the pattern that a researcher took in the study. Based on the nature of the topic of the research, deductive reasoning was considered the most appropriate research design. The researcher reviewed a number of theories that exist in this field and then developed question for the purpose of analysis. The researcher then conducted observations and tests to answer the set questions. The figure below shows the deductive pattern of the research that was taken in this study. Figure 2: Deductive reasoning. Research Design Research design that is chosen should be in line with the research approach chosen and the nature of data that a researcher seeks to collect from the field (Hajar 2016). The researcher wanted to determine the degree of teacher satisfaction in relation to leadership styles in Abu Dhabi government schools. As such, the most appropriate design was quantitative method. Using the mathematical tools, it will be possible to determine the levels of teacher satisfaction in these government schools and the possible gaps that exist. Some aspects of qualitative research were also necessary to help explain the statistics that were analyzed using mathematical methods. Sampling According to Chadwick (2015), when conducting research, it is important to have a manageable research population. In this study, the imaginary data was collected from imaginary participants. Imaginary data was used because the researcher did not get the needed approval in time to conduct the interviews as was previously planned. Given that this was an academic research, the time available for the study was limited. As such, the researcher had to come up with a manageable sample to ensure that the necessary data can be collected from the participants for the purpose of analysis within the time available for the research. Simple random sampling was used in the study. From each school, the researcher selected four teachers and one administrator or head teacher. It means that the imaginary sample population was fifty participants. Data Collection Data was collected from two main sources. The first source of data was the secondary sources. The researcher collected secondary data from books, journal articles, and reliable online sources. Imaginary data was collected from the sampled participants as discussed above. Five schools participated in the study. The time available for data collection was limited and as such, the researcher e-mailed questionnaires to the respondents and contacted each of them through the phone to explain the relevance of the study and their role. Those who agreed to be part of the study were requested to fill the questionnaires and send them back through the e-mail within a period of three days. Once the questionnaires were received from the participants, the researcher embarked on processing them. Data Analysis The data that was collected from the imaginary respondents was raw and it was important to processes it to bring the meaning out of it. The imaginary data was analyzed using mathematical methods. The information gathered from the imaginary respondents was fed into the SPSS spreadsheet and analyzed. The findings that came out from the analysis were presented using graphs and charts to make it easy for one to understand the information. Each of the graphs and charts were accompanied by detailed description to ensure that the intended meaning comes out. The analysis was based on finding answers to the questions that were set in this research using secondary data and hypothetical data. Result and Major Finding The imaginary data collected from the field was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). In this section, the researcher will present the findings made from the analysis. The first question wanted to determine from the imaginary respondents the leadership principles and styles commonly used in the Abu Dhabi government schools. What are the leadership principles and styles used by the government schools administrators in Abu Dhabi? Imaginary respondents were requested to name the most common leadership styles in their respective institutions of learning. The figure below shows the leadership styles that the imaginary respondents noted are common in their current institutions. Figure 3: Common leadership styles in Abu Dhabi schools. Majority of the imaginary respondents noted that autocratic leadership is the most common form of leadership in these institutions. Most of those in management positions often issue instructions and they expect the junior officers to follow their instructions without question. A few others have embraced democratic leadership where they consult the junior officers when they want to make a decision. Transformational and cross-cultural leadership styles are the other forms of leadership practiced by a few administrators in Abu Dhabi government schools. The next question focused on determining the level of satisfaction of teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools. What is the level of satisfaction of teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools? The response that was obtained from the imaginary participants was fed into SPSS spreadsheet and the figure below shows the result that was obtained from the analysis. Figure 4: The level of satisfaction of Abu Dhabi government teachers. As shown in the graph above, majority of the imaginary respondents did not register very high levels of satisfaction. Most stated that they are somehow satisfied, which means that they feel there are issues that have not been addressed or the environment within which they work do not offer them the kind of satisfaction they desire. Only a few of the imaginary participants stated that they are highly satisfied. 12 stated that they are somehow satisfied while 8 said they are satisfied. 2 of them stated that they are dissatisfied while one stated that he is highly dissatisfied. The following question wanted to establish the relationship that exists between teacher satisfaction and leadership style. The following question was posed to the respondents. What is the relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership principles and styles in government schools in Abu Dhabi? The researcher obtained an answer from the imaginary participants, which was analyzed and presented in the chart below: Figure 5: Relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership style. Majority of the respondents 67% said that the relationship is very close while 17% stated that it is close. Only 4% of the participants felt that there is no clear relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership style. The study has revealed that there is a direct relationship between leadership style and teacher satisfaction in Abu Dhabi schools. When administrators employ leadership styles that empower teachers and make them feel respected, their level of satisfaction increases. However, when teacher engagement is lacking and the leaders issue instructions that must be followed without question, then teachers are likely to be less satisfied. It was revealed that those who are entrusted with position of power in Abu Dhabi government schools directly affect leadership styles, which are used (Blankstein et al. 2016). The researcher wanted to determine if the level of satisfaction of teachers has impacts on their performance in classrooms. It will be important to know this so that leaders can understand the need to ensure that teachers are always satisfied. The following figure shows the relationship that exists between teacher satisfaction and their performance in classroom based on the response obtained from the respondents. What is the relationship between teacher satisfaction and performance in classroom? Figure 6: Relationship between teacher satisfaction and performance in classroom. As shown in the above majority of the respondents stated that there is a close relationship between teacher satisfaction and performance in classrooms. They explained that when teachers are satisfied, their satisfaction would be reflected in classroom in the form of improved performance. None of the respondent stated a contrary opinion. The analysis of hypothetical data demonstrated that indeed there is a relationship between teacher satisfaction and their performance in classroom. Highly satisfied teachers are more likely to deliver good results than their colleagues that lack the satisfaction. The stakeholders must understand that it is impossible to introduce major policies in schools to improve performance if teachers are not satisfied (Blankstein et al. 2016). They must feel respected and appreciated to support these policies. The following question focused on investigating the ways through which the right leadership policies can be promoted among the head teachers and administrators in Abu Dhabi government schools to enhance teacher satisfaction as a way of promoting the level of their performance. How can the administrators in Abu Dhabi government schools embrace leadership principles and styles that can promote teacher satisfaction? The respondents gave a number of suggestions on how administrators and head teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools can embrace various leadership principles and styles that can promote teacher satisfaction. One of the suggestions that were mentioned by most of the respondents was regular training. The respondents stated that the administrators should be taken through regular training so that they can understand various leadership styles and their relevance in an organizational setting. Another respondent stated that policies put in place by the government also define the leadership approach embraced by the leader. Policies that require the administrators to engage the teachers regularly are likely to reduce cases of autocratic leadership. This will force the administrators to embrace democratic leadership. Engaging teachers is also critical in ensuring that the policies enacted are practical. Teachers interact with the learners on a daily basis and know concepts that can be relevant or not (Covey & Media 2015). Their input can help come up with effective policies. Discussion of Results The review of the existing literature in this field and analysis of imaginary data has provided insight into this topic. It is clear from the above analysis that teachers play a critical role in the education sector. As the Ministry of Education tries to redefine the current methods used in both the private and public schools, it should be clear that teachers play a central role in ensuring that the set goals and objectives of the ministry are achieved. Once a new policy is enacted, it will be delivered down to the teachers who are expected to implement it and ensure that the expected outcome is achieved. According to Ali and Dahya (2015), teachers play a critical role in terms of ensuring that the vision and strategic objectives of the Ministry of Education are achieved. However, it is unfortunate that in most of the cases the stakeholders ignore that need to ensure that teachers are satisfied. Teachers are always in contact with the students. They must manage their emotions at all times to ensure that their attitude towards students and their work of teaching remains positive. The other stakeholders within the ministry, from the top officials to the head teachers in the schools must also be committed to helping teachers remain positive in their work. Unnecessary stressors should be managed and the environment should be supportive of their work. Although good salary goes a long way in enhancing satisfaction of teachers, Clark (2015) says that financial benefits are not the only way of motivating teachers. Leadership strategies that those in managerial positions take also play a significant role in enhancing their satisfaction. According to Ali and Dahya (2015), the nature of work of teacher’s means makes them leaders by default. In a classroom setting, a teacher must offer guidance to students, resolve disputes, reprimand those who make mistakes and reward those who show excellence in their class work and in other co-curriculum activities. The students must see a leader in them so that they can be given the respect they deserve. However, that can only happen if they demonstrate leadership traits. It all depends with how those in the administration treat them. If they are always engaged, respected, and consulted whenever major decisions are to be made, they will feel that they are part of the leadership. They will know that they have to think and act like leaders because more often than not they will be expected to engage with the leader and be part of the solutions to the issues facing the firm (Clark 2015). However, when the administrators embrace autocratic leadership when managing the teachers, a sense of fear is created. The affected teachers feel that they are less significant within the institution as their decisions make less significance impact within the institution. Ladd (2014) says that it is not easy to hide fear. When a teacher is constantly in fear, learners will see the fear and they will no longer respect such teachers. In fact, it can be disappointing to the learners if a person they look up to shows fear before them. In many cases, teachers become the role models of students, especially at early stages of development. At the same time, they are constantly reminded that fear is a negative trait that one must avoid. When they read the same fear in their teachers, then the admiration will be gone and in its place, there will be disappointments (Hojjat & Moyer 2017). It means that the feelings that teachers have directly affect the learners. According to Ali and Dahya (2015), the Ministry of Education, from its top leadership to the junior administrators at the school level, must understand that teacher satisfaction is given priority at all times. The analysis of the imaginary data shows that most teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools are somehow satisfied. It means that although they are not complaining, they feel that there are areas, which they feel the management has failed to meet their expectations, which lowers their level of satisfaction. It is also clear from the analysis that most of the administrators in these schools that participated in the study use autocratic style of leadership (Chadwick 2015). They may be receiving instructions from the top leaders but they rarely involve teachers to see how the new policies can be implemented in a way that will be satisfying to the teachers. It is therefore clear that the reduced level of satisfaction of the teachers may partly be attributed to this form of leadership that is used by most of the administrators (Garcia 2012). Those within the administration must understand that leadership strategies that they embrace have direct impacts on the degree of teacher satisfaction. Teacher satisfaction on the other hand, directly affects the level of performance of teachers in the classrooms (Ali & Dahya 2015). When the administrators employ oppressive laws and management strategies when handling teachers, teachers will become frustrated and that will be directly reflected in the classroom. The ultimate loser in this case will be the learners who everyone tries to protect. As Clark (2015) suggests, protecting and caring for the learners, the Ministry of Education must protect the teachers and ensure that they are always satisfied because they are always in contact with the students. Conclusion, Recommendation and Novelty Summary of the Research The degree of teacher satisfaction is significantly influenced by the leadership principles that those in managerial positions use when handling teachers. As human beings with feelings, teachers prefer being treated with respect. Those in management positions must understand that teachers are adults who can reason rationally. They must also know that when given the right environment, they can be self-driven and can achieve the set goals and objectives with minimal supervision, if any. In Abu Dhabi, the ministry of education has come with elaborate plans to ensure that the curriculum is aligned with the current environmental needs so that graduates come out of the learning institutions with practical skills that can be used to tackle real-life problems (Hooper 2013). In that ambitious program, efforts are also made to ensure that learners are actively engaged in the learning process and that teaching is changed from teacher-centered to being student-centric. These massive changes must be implemented by the teachers. However, they can only do so if they feel satisfied with their work. Their level of satisfaction is often translated to the service they deliver to the learners. Teacher satisfaction should not just be based on attractive remunerations. They should also feel respected by those in power. The leadership approach that the administrators and senior ministry officials take should reflect respect and concern for the teachers (Kafele 2015). The same will be reflected in the services teachers offer to the learners. The researcher is of the opinion that the government of Abu Dhabi should invest more on teacher training. Teachers should also be allowed to play a critical role in policy development by regularly and actively engaging them. Instead of policies being developed at the ministry’s headquarters, a new approach should be embraced where the process starts with the teachers before the ministry officials can come up with new regulations. Managerial Recommendations It is clear that the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders have made significant steps towards transforming the education in the country based on the forces in this twenty-first century. Teachers in Abu Dhabi and other parts of the country are currently paid better than it was the case in the past. However, one area is yet to be given emphasis that it deserves. The issue of leadership is yet to be considered very important despite its relevance in teacher satisfaction. The following recommendations should be considered: * The school administrators and headmasters should learn how to embrace democratic and transformational leadership traits; * The school administrators and headmasters should constantly be reminded to engage teachers as much as possible when implementing new policies; * The ministry officials should ensure that the administrators are regularly taken through training about leadership. Limitation and Future Research The biggest limitation that the researcher faced when undertaking this research project was time constraint. As an academic research project, the researcher had to complete the project within the time available. It forced the researcher to limit the sample size for the study. Future scholars should explore this issue further using a larger sample size. The researcher also recommends that future studies should focus on how teachers are responsible for their own satisfaction in a school setting. Reporting, Timing, and Budget In this report, it was important to present the information in a professional manner as per the academic guidelines. The secondary sources had to come from reliable sources. That is why they were taken from ABI, Inform, Ebsco, Emerald, and Google Scholar. The entire process took about two months. No Budget required. Novelty It is important to ensure that a research is brings out new knowledge to enrich the existing ones in the field of study. This study was an original work of the researcher. Information collected from secondary sources has been cited correctly within the paper and then listed in the reference page. The imaginary data was obtained from the selected participants, analyzed, and presented using figures and charts. Conclusion and recommendations have been made based on the findings from the imaginary and secondary data sources. Appendix: Data Collection Instruments Questioner Question The following are the research questions that were developed to help in collecting data for the study: 1. What are the leadership principles and styles used by the government schools administrators in Abu Dhabi? 2. What is the level of satisfaction of teachers in Abu Dhabi government schools? 3. What is the relationship between teacher satisfaction and leadership principles and styles in government schools in Abu Dhabi? Data Table Table 1: Leadership Styles. Common Leadership Styles in Abu Dhabi Schools Transformational Leadership 2 Laissez-Fair Leadership 0 Cross-Cultural Leadership 1 Democratic Leadership 4 Autocratic Leadership 18 Table 2: Satisfaction Levels of Abu Dhabi Teachers. How Satisfied Are Abu Dhabi Government School Teachers? Highly Satisfied 2 Satisfied 8 Somehow Satisfied 12 Dissatisfied 2 Highly Dissatisfied 1 Table 3: Relationship between Teacher Satisfaction and Leadership Style. Relationship Between Teacher Satisfaction and Leadership Style Highly Related 67% Related 17% Somehow Related 8% Not Sure 4% Not Related 4% Reference List Ali, Y &Dahya, A 2015, ‘Leadership style and teacher job satisfaction: empirical survey from secondary schools in Somalia’, Research on Humanities and Social Sciences , vol. 5, no.8, pp. 84-94. Armitage, A 2012, Teaching and training in lifelong learning , Open University Press, Maidenhead. Blankstein, A, Noguera, P, Kelly, L & Tutu, D 2016, Excellence through equity: five principles of courageous leadership to guide achievement for every student , ASCD, Alexandria. Chadwick, D 2015, It’s how you play the game: the 12 leadership principles of Dean Smith , Oxford University Publishers. Clark, J 2015, The five principles of global leadership: how to manage the complexities of global leadership , McGraw Hill, London. Covey, S & Media, M 2015, The 7 habits of highly effective people: interactive edition , Mango Media Inc, LaVergne. David, A, Boniwell, I & Ayers, A 2013, The Oxford handbook of happiness , Oxford University Press, Oxford. Dörnyei, Z & Ushioda, E 2013, Teaching and researching: motivation , Pearson Education Limited, New York. Fowler, S 2014, The Workhouse: the people, the places, the life behind doors , Casemate Publishers and Book Distributors, Philadelphia. Garcia, H 2012, The power of communication: skills to build trust, inspire loyalty, and lead effectively , FT Press, Upper Saddle River. Hajar, K 2016, The effectiveness of school principal communication on teacher job satisfaction , McMillan. London. Hojjat, M & Moyer, A 2017, The psychology of friendship , Oxford University Press, Oxford Hooper, R 2013, Role conflict experienced by teachers: it’s relationship to stress and burnout , Lulu Com, London. June, L & Mathis, C 2013, African American church leadership: principles for effective ministry and community leadership , MacMillan, London. Kafele, B 2015, The principal 50: critical leadership questions for inspiring school-wide excellence , McGraw Hill, London. Karadağ, E 2015, Leadership and organizational outcomes: meta-analysis of empirical studies , Cengage, New York. Kathleen, M & Damerow, R 2014, Teaching and learning English in the Arabic-speaking world , Routledge, New York. Keeley, L 2013, Ten types of innovation: the discipline of building breakthroughs , Wiley, Hoboken. Ladd, K 2014, Positive leadership principles for women , Springer, New York. Locklair, B 2013, 10 principles of great leadership , Lulu Com, New York. Lynch, T 2016, The future of health, wellbeing and physical education: optimizing children’s health through local and global community partnerships , Cengage, New York. Mehisto, P & Genesee, F 2015, Building bilingual education systems: forces, mechanisms and counterweight , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Moen, A, Mørch, A & Paavola, S 2012, Collaborative knowledge creation: practices, tools, concepts , Sense Publishers, Rotterdam. Mohler, A 2012, The conviction to lead: 25 principles for leadership that matters , Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis. Normore, A, Long, L & Javidi, M 2016, Handbook of research on effective communication, leadership, and conflict resolution , McGraw Hill, London. Quinn, R 2014, The best teacher in you: how to accelerate learning and change lives , McMillan, London. Rossman, J 2014, The Amazon way: 14 leadership principles behind the world’s most disruptive company , Springer, London. Rubie-Davies, C 2015, Becoming a high expectation teacher: raising the bar , Routledge, New York. Selley, N 2012, Art of constructivist teaching in the primary school: a guide for students and teachers , David Fulton Publishing, New York. Styron, A & Styron, J 2017, Comprehensive problem-solving and skill development for next-generation leaders , Springer, McMillan. Tandon, P 2015, Educating the next generation: improving teacher quality in Cambodia , Cengage, New York. Trabue, J & Trabue, D 2013, Parentleaders: effective leadership principles for parents , Tucson, Wheatmark. Wiseman, A & Anderson, E 2013, Annual review of comparative and international education 2013 , Emerald, Bingley.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has implemented a reform in the health insurance system to provide a right to choice and better access to health providers. The increasing cost of health care and the influence of the world economic crisis has led to the countries inability to pay the expenses on their own. Therefore, many countries have decided to modernize their health care system to share the responsibility of supplying with the private sector.
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has implemented a reform in the health insurance system to provide a right to choice and better access to health providers. The increasing cost of health care and the influence of the world economic crisis has led to the countries inability to pay the expenses on their own. Therefore, many countries have decided to modernize their health care system to share the responsibility of supplying with the private sector.
Abu Dhabi Healthcare System Payment Reforms Essay The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has implemented a reform in the health insurance system to provide a right to choice and better access to health providers. The increasing cost of health care and the influence of the world economic crisis has led to the countries’ inability to pay the expenses on their own. Therefore, many countries have decided to modernize their health care system to share the responsibility of supplying with the private sector (Hamidi, Shaban, Mahate, & Younis, 2014). While the Abu Dhabi plan incorporates the involvement of the private sector, the prices and benefits are determined by the government. The latter is under a threat of financial difficulties. It is urgent to make the medical treatment branch more competitive to avoid monopoly. The reform in the Abu Dhabi health care system aims at reconstructing, coordinating, and providing sufficient financing which would enable high-quality, attainable, and cost-effect health care. The core elements of the reform are compulsory health insurance, increased competition, and a consolidated regulatory system (Koornneef, Robben, Al Seiari, & Al Siksek, 2012). However, despite the citizens’ involvement in the insurance program, there is no fair allocation of the insurance coverage costs. The positive change of the reform is a competition among health care providers. The high level of the contest has led to Aster DM Health Care’s ambition to open several new hospitals in Abu Dhabi. The company plans to open Medicare hospital, Medicare women and children’s hospital, and several other institutions by the end of 2018 (Saho, 2016). Therefore, the reform brings benefits for the people in the form of new facilities built for them. The three basic sources of funding in Abu Dhabi are the government, the sponsors and employers, and the individuals (Hamidi & Akinci, 2015). The government is responsible for the single-payer insurance plan. Employers are in charge of ensuring their workers. Sponsors ensure those who do not work. The share of the individuals is paid via out-of-pocket payments (Hamidi & Akinci, 2015). There are three health insurance options: basic, enhanced, and Thiqa. Each of them has its peculiarities, and people may choose the program which they can afford and consider the best for them. Abu Dhabi’s health care system is guided by several legal regulations. One of the basic principles is the Code of Conduct of the Ministry of Health. Confidentiality and allowing patients to take part in the decision-making process are the core postulates in the Code of Conduct (Tithecott, 2014). According to the Code of Conduct, any inappropriate conduct on the part of a medical worker is considered a violation and demands investigation. The Health Authority-Abu Dhabi has a legal obligation to put into action, administer, and accomplish the health regulations (Tithecott, 2014). When there is a suspicion that a health provider has violated the norms, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi is empowered to examine the case. In the process of inspection, all health care facility employees have to assist the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi. If the Ministry of Health and the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi extended the ability of all insurance providers to contract with government hospitals, the latter would benefit greatly. The financial support obtained with the help of insurance would enable the government hospitals to become more efficient and competitive. With the improved budget, government hospitals would be able to prove better care for their patients. Given equal opportunities with private hospitals, government facilities would not need to concentrate mostly on the owners of the basic insurance program. References Hamidi, S., & Akinci, F. (2015). Examining the health care payment reforms in Abu Dhabi. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 30 (2), E69-E82. Hamidi, S., Shaban, S., Mahate, A. A., & Younis, M. Z. (2014). Health Insurance reform and the development of health insurance plans: The case of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Journal of Health Care Finance, 40 (3), 47-66. Koornneef, E. J., Robben, P. B. M., Al Seiari, M. B., & Al Siksek, Z. (2012). Health system reform in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Health Policy, 108 (2-3), 115-121. Saho, S. (2016). Aster DM expands hospital network in Abu Dhabi . The National . Web. Tithecott, A. (2014). Competition to attract patients between healthcare providers in Abu Dhabi . Tamimi . Web.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: The purpose of this paper is to map out and analyze the materials management and procurement processes in Abu Hail Health Center, Dubai, identify the gaps and redundancies in their current system and propose a set of solutions and recommendations to improve the situation.
The purpose of this paper is to map out and analyze the materials management and procurement processes in Abu Hail Health Center, Dubai, identify the gaps and redundancies in their current system and propose a set of solutions and recommendations to improve the situation.
Abu Hail Health Center: Materials Management and Procurement Process Essay Introduction Material management and procurement processes are all important parts of PHC supply chains. In order to facilitate efficient supply chains, most PHCs have dedicated software for material coding, inventory management, and medical supply and demand projections. Despite this, most governments, including the UAE, do not have any precise instructions for managing PHC-related materials such as drugs, vaccines, personal protective equipment, medical equipment and the like, in primary healthcare facilities. Various studies report that inefficient materials management and procurement can cause drug shortage, prolong laboratory investigations, and cause incidents of non-utilization of government-funded health facilities available to the general public. Most drug shortages are caused by improper demand projections, while laboratory on-provision delays are caused largely by equipment malfunctions, employee shortages, and shortages of required reagents. Management of these resources includes their procurement process, storage, distribution, maintenance, and disposal. The purpose of this paper is to map out and analyze the materials management and procurement processes in Abu Hail Health Center, Dubai, identify the gaps and redundancies in their current SCM and propose a set of solutions and recommendations to improve the situation. Background Abu Hail Health Center is a relatively small PHC that provides quality healthcare to the people of Dubai and surrounding areas. It has a total of 141 qualified medical personnel, out of which 47 are doctors and 94 are nurses and paramedics. This PHC is currently under the administration of the Ministry of Health. It was set up in 1999, meaning it is a relatively modern PHC. It possesses good capabilities and resources required for cutting-edge medical treatment (“Abu Hail health center,” 2017). Aside from standard medical procedures, Abu Hail Health Center operates a well-equipped laboratory with state-of-the-art investigative medical facilities. It also provides radiography services , which include standard radiography and X-ray, ultra-sound, mammography, fluorography, OPG, and other services. Healthcare Utilization Indicators Three healthcare utilization indicators that influence the population around Dubai. PHC are socio-economic standing of the population, median age of the population, and quality of offered care. Socio-economic standing stands for how rich the population is. If the majority of patients have jobs and savings, and are not constrained by monetary concerns, they are more likely to utilize PHC facilities. Median age has a direct correlation to the number of PHC visits, since old age is associated with numerous ailments and diseases. Lastly, the quality of provided care directly corresponds to the level of trust between the patients and the PHC workers, meaning that patients are more likely to attend PHCs with high quality of care. Effective chain supply management has a direct correlation on the last health utilization indicator, and can affect the first one indirectly. Avoiding drug shortages effectively increases the quality of provided care, thus contributing to improving the levels of trust between patients and the medical facility. Other than that, it also helps save money, which in turn helps reduce costs and make healthcare more available to everyone. PHC Supply Chain Model The modern theory of supply chain management identifies three supply chain models – Foundation Model, Optimization Model, and Transformation Model (Schwarting, Bitar, Arya, & Pfeiffer, 2011). Abu Hail PHC, as many modern and advanced medical facilities, operates using the Transformation Model. This is a complex model which balances medical costs, medical efficiency, and seeks to ensure positive patient outcomes. It is classified by its patient-centric approach, meaning that all decisions in regards to supply chain management are taken with patient needs in mind. It implements lean materials management, judges medical products based on their contribution to organizational and clinical goals, and incorporates improvements in clinical protocols in SCM decision-making (Schwarting et al., 2011). The result is optimized operational costs, minimization of mistakes due to human error, through system integration and optimization of procurement processes using the most advanced automated protocols, and reduced organizational purchasing risk due to increased compliance with established supply contracts (Schwarting et al., 2011). Material Planning and Procurement In Abu Hail, drug demand forecast is based on utilization data from the previous year. The demand for the current year is formulated by reviewing a number of drugs used in the previous year and adding 10% to the new purchase order (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013). The calculated amount is sent to the District Health Office, where the requisition request is reviewed by the pharmacist, who then files the document for the materials to be supplied to the PHC from the Central Store in Dubai. Abu Hail PHC receives its drug supply from several independent sources, which are (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013): * Medical supplies from the Central Store received as Annual Drug Stock. * Drugs received as supply in accordance with various national health programs, in addition to the Annual Drug Stock. * Drugs received by sending a request to the District Health Office. * Procurements of drugs from the local suppliers in accordance with individual supply contracts. One of the major challenges in this procurement system is the Annual Drug Stock. Although it is given out in amounts based on demand in Abu Hail PHC, its contents are developed on a statewide basis, and not on individual criterions for each PHC. This lack of flexibility means that the PHC might receive plenty of drugs that it does not require, while the amount of medical supplies it actually needs is based on demand would barely be enough to operate with, without causing any potential shortages. This flaw is common in many state-funded PHCs, as they all operate using similar PHC supply chains (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013). In order to make up for the shortcomings of the current system, Abu Hail PHC is forced to work with private medical suppliers in order to purchase the drugs they need, in a case of shortage or an emergency. Although this helps alleviate some of the tension, prices offered by such suppliers are often higher than they would have been if the PHC received the required amount of drugs from government-sponsored institutions (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013). Storage and Stock Entry Abu Hail PHC has dedicated storage facilities for different materials. The materials are split according to their type – one room is dedicated to storing drugs, injections, and medicines, another – for storing instruments and materials related to X-ray, Laboratory, and Radiology practices, and the third room is dedicated to storing linen. Every room has its dedicated pharmacist or a nurse to help distribute required materials (Denton, 2010). The stock contains numerous labels that are pre-designated for specific medicines and products. These include stock registers for tablets, syrups, and capsules, surgical equipment, injections, linen, film, reagents, and other supplies. Register template features the date or receiving, name of medicine, quantity, total quantity of balance, stock issued to the department, and expiration date registry (Denton, 2010). This register is updated as soon and as often as it is possible. The pharmacist reviews the drugs that are near their expiry date, which is within 3 months. In order to ensure that these medicines are not wasted, inquiries are made to other PHCs to find out if they have the need for such medicine. Alternatively, these medicines are used in the PHC setting, should the Medical Officer decide that it is appropriate (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013). Material Disposal In Abu Hail PHC, drugs are seldom disposed of. Most of them are utilized in an efficient manner prior to their expiration date. However, should any drugs cross the expiration line, they are treated in a similar way to how medical waste is disposed of – they are put in sealed bio containers and delivered to the medical disposal facility, which then conducts the disposal processes in a safe and efficient manner, according to high standards for the procedure (Render & Heizer, 2013). Laboratory-related Material Procurement and Maintenance Laboratory equipment and reagents are largely supplied by the DHO at Dubai. The operation of procurement is the same as for drugs – the PHC sends a report of material use for the last year and requests the same quantity of materials and reagents plus 10%. The equipment is used until a malfunction occurs, after which obligatory maintenance is in order (Genovesi, 2015). Maintenance checks are performed from time to time to assess the safety level of particular apparatuses. Once the equipment is beyond repair, it is then utilized for scrap, and an indent is sent to the DHO. The main issue with this approach is that eventual malfunctions of laboratory equipment cause delays in providing analyses, which in turn is connected to certain financial expenditures and health-related risks, as the inability to provide accurate laboratory analyses in time can be detrimental to the overall quality of healthcare provided in the facility (“Manual for procurement,” 2013). Radiology-Related Material Procurement and Maintenance Radiology departments possess a great number of various devices to assist in all sorts of medical endeavors. The equipment involved in radiology practice includes static X-ray units, mobile X-ray units, Fluoroscopy units, CT, MRI, Mammography, Ultrasound, and Radiography equipment (“Manual for procurement,” 2013). X-ray units all require a film to project the results of the scan onto, whereas the rest of the units require liquid conductors to be placed on the body of the patient, in order to increase the accuracy of the scan. All mechanisms require maintenance and spare parts, as time goes on. Once more, the procurement process for this equipment and all related materials is similar to that of drugs – they are supplied by the DHO. When it comes to maintenance, the PHC technicians on site perform small repairs and regular maintenance procedures. In the case of serious breakdowns, the equipment is either sent to maintenance to the office of the company that provided it or is disposed of and sold to scrap, should the wear-and-tear prove to be beyond repair. Although these malfunctions are infrequent, they pose a serious danger to hamper or paralyze the work of the entire radiology department, should malfunctioning equipment be one-of-a-kind (“Manual for procurement,” 2013). Another issue that is raised among the staff of Abu Hail PHC is that the staff of radiology department is rarely included into decision-making in regards to procurement and maintenance of their respective equipment. The PHC largely operates on DHO generalized guidelines rather than out of its own practical concerns. Conclusions and Recommendations Although Abu Hail PHC maintains a good level of efficiency when it comes to PHC supply management and procurement strategies, there are several issues that may pose potential risks in case of a deficit of required supplies and materials. In this section, innovative strategies would be provided to deal with some of the more prominent issues with Abu Hail PHC’s Supply and Management System (Render & Heizer, 2013): 1. DHO Generalized Annual Drugs Stock. Although the PHC manages to deal with the issues of the Annual Drug Stock not meeting the actual demands of the PHC by exchanging medicines that are near their expiration date with other medical facilities, and by relying on local suppliers to make up for the deficit whenever it is required, these measures do not offer a long-term solution. In order to change the DHO policy towards Annual Drugs Stock, Abu Hail and other government facilities should promote a more diversified approach, in order to ensure every PHC receives its Annual Drugs Stock in accordance with their specifications and needs (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013). 2. Demand Forecasting. The current method of demand forecasting is standard for many medical facilities around the world. However, while it is considered staple in many manager books, it fails to take certain issues into account, which could cause a potential deficit. Other parameters that need to be taken into account during demand forecast are (Uthayakumar & Priyan, 2013): 1. Trends in medicine during the last two years (not one). 2. Prevalence of certain diseases in the country and particular region. 3. Analysis of patient age groups. 4. Population growth rates within the immediate area around Abu Hail PHC. 3. Involvement of Laboratory and Radiology Departments in Procurement Processes and Decision-Making. As it stands, Abu Hail PHC practices a top-down approach, where the decisions are made at the top, using annual reports and standard management practices. It leads to generalization of the needs of departments, which is further extrapolated by the DHO. In order to promote accuracy and efficiency in lean supply management, representatives of these respective departments are to be involved in procurement and decision-making processes. 4. Preemptive Maintenance Practices. Although it is addressed to some degree during regular scheduled maintenance procedures, Abu Hail PHC addresses serious equipment maintenance issues post-factum, which usually happens after equipment suffers a malfunction. This may cause unnecessary delays. Two potential strategies can help deal with these issues (“Manual for procurement,” 2013): 1. Major preemptive maintenance procedures that include replacing certain parts and pieces of the equipment prior to it suffering a major malfunction. This could be used during low seasons, where patients are not as many, which would allow to perform maintenance without risking any inconveniences. 2. Fixed asset lifecycle concept. Although it may be too expensive to perform with certain equipment, particular instruments, devices, and mechanisms should be replaced by the DHO after a certain period of time, in order to avoid potential malfunctions. 5. Incorporating Total Quality Management Model into PHC Supply Models. It is a relatively recent approach to management implemented on a horizontal level between end users, suppliers, and distributors of medical supplies. There are three ways in which incorporating TQM will improve overall efficiency at the Abu Hail PHC (Render & Heizer, 2013): 1. More employee involvement in decision-making in regards to supply matters and procedures. 2. Reducing the amount of steps required to procure required medicine, instruments, equipment, and tools. 3. Quality improvement of patient care will also reduce the amount of medicine otherwise wasted due to expiration date and other factors, which will contribute to avoiding shortages. References Abu Hail health center. (2017). Web. Denton, B.T. (2010). Handbook of healthcare operations management. New York, NY: Springer. Genovesi, L. (2015). The procurement process . Web. Manual for procurement of diagnostics and related laboratory items and equipment . (2013). In World Health Organization. Web. Render, B., & Heizer, J.H. (2013). Operations management: Sustainability and supply chain management. New York, NY: Pearson. Schwarting, D., Bitar, J., Arya, Y., & Pfeiffer, T. (2011). The transformative hospital supply chain: Balancing costs with quality. New York, NY: Booz&Co. Uthayakumar, R., & Priyan, S. (2013). Pharmaceutical supply chain and inventory management strategies: Optimization for a pharmaceutical company and a hospital. Operations Research for Healthcare, 2 (3), 52-64. Web.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The text discusses the importance of detailed short-term objectives in education. These objectives should be very precise and detailed in order to ensure their effectiveness. The educator should clearly understand the outcome of every intervention, and, thus, the objective should include strong verbs. It is also crucial to make sure that all the details are provided. These include conditions, time, behavior, criteria. Finally, when it comes to behavioral objectives, the educator should describe meaningful details concerning the desirable behavior.
The text discusses the importance of detailed short-term objectives in education. These objectives should be very precise and detailed in order to ensure their effectiveness. The educator should clearly understand the outcome of every intervention, and, thus, the objective should include strong verbs. It is also crucial to make sure that all the details are provided. These include conditions, time, behavior, criteria. Finally, when it comes to behavioral objectives, the educator should describe meaningful details concerning the desirable behavior.
Academic and Behavioral Short-Term Objectives Coursework Short-term objectives should be very precise and detailed. These characteristic features ensure its effectiveness. The educator should clearly understand the outcome of every intervention, and, hence, the objective should include strong verbs. It is also crucial to make sure that all the details are provided. The details include conditions, time, behavior, criteria. As has been mentioned above, the behavior should be revealed in particular verbs (for example, read a specific number of words, do a particular number of sums, and so on). The criterion enables the educator to make sure that the student is making progress as specific results will be tangible. Thus, it is vital to include a percentage of correct answers given, several sums are done, and so on. Importantly, when it comes to behavioral objectives, the educator should describe meaningful details concerning the desirable behavior. For instance, the teacher may note that the student should say hello, look at all the people in the room, and smile at everyone when entering a room. The conditions should also be depicted in detail. If a student says hello and smiles in the middle of a class or activity, it will mean that the student has not achieved the goal set and that the intervention is ineffective. Finally, time is another important factor. It is crucial to identify a particular time frame that will be sufficient to make the behavior a norm rather than an exception. It is possible to provide two short-term objectives. One of them is associated with academic goals, and the other is linked to the behavioral ones. Short-term (academic) objective : When given a spelling test that consists of 30 randomly chosen words out of 50 items (CVC pattern), Kate will write 85% of words correctly, and this score will be the same (or higher) during four following spelling tests. 1. Statement of Expected Outcomes (or Behavior): the student will write 30 words correctly 2. Statement of Conditions or Circumstances: when given a spelling test consisting of 30 randomly chosen words out of 50 items (CVC pattern) 3. Statement of Criterion: Kate will write 85% of words correctly 4. Statement of Time: during five consecutive spelling tests Short-term (behavioral) objective : When provided with ten opportunities to answer a question during a week, Steve will give a correct answer each time only after raising his hand and being invited to reply. 1. Statement of Expected Outcomes (or Behavior): Steve will give a correct answer each time 2. Statement of Conditions or Circumstances: When provided with ten opportunities to answer a question 3. Statement of Criterion: Steve will give a correct answer each time only after raising his hand and being invited to reply 4. Statement of Time: ten opportunities to answer a question during a week In conclusion, it is possible to note that detailed short-term objectives enable the educator to check the effectiveness of the intervention as well as evaluate the progress of the student. It is vital to pay the necessary attention to all the elements of the short-term objective as they allow the instructor to see the progress as well as particular gaps if any. The two short-term objectives provided include all the necessary aspects and can be instrumental in evaluating the progress of the student, his/her achievements as well as the effectiveness of the intervention.
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Write an essay about: The accounting information system is a computer system established in most businesses for purposes of collecting, processing, and storing financial information to track accounting activities and conduct audits. The accounting information system has been found to be ineffective in preventing fraud in the past.
The accounting information system is a computer system established in most businesses for purposes of collecting, processing, and storing financial information to track accounting activities and conduct audits. The accounting information system has been found to be ineffective in preventing fraud in the past.
Accounting Information System and Fraud Prevention Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Accounting Information System (AIS) 2. The Enron Scandal: AIS failure to prevent fraud 3. Third-party accounting systems: implications of fraud 4. Prevention of fraud at Enron 5. Effective prevention of fraud through legislation 6. Recommendations 7. References Accounting Information System (AIS) The AIS is a computer system established in most businesses for purposes of collecting, processing, and storing financial information to track accounting activities and conduct audits. In the past, firms used internal customized accounting systems to cater to the specific needs of the company. However, developing such specific systems proved challenging and time-consuming especially with the development of general-purpose third-party systems such as Sage and Oracle (Romney & Steinbart, 2011). Reports processed using AIS allow decision-makers to formulate strategic financial policies in addition to giving stakeholders access to information regarding their financial positions. Modern AIS systems comprise three or more tiers separated according to functionality. The most common architectural tiers include user presentation, application processing, and data management. Such separation ensures the manageability of information, accuracy, and consistency during the processing and reliability of subsequent reports, especially for financial managers (Romney & Steinbart, 2011). Although most modern AIS systems result in reliable financial reports, fraud can occur through the manipulation of information and exploitation of loopholes present during the transfer and storage of information from one tier to another. The fraud may occur in different forms including alteration of information during processing, entering incorrect information into the system to obtain a desirable report, and delays in entering financial data in different processing stages and inappropriate storage methods that result in loss of crucial information. These improprieties make auditing difficult and often lead to loss of money to individuals involved in the AIS operations and sometimes the management officials of a company. The Enron Scandal: AIS failure to prevent fraud Enron, which was an American company in the energy sector, was involved in a fraud that eventually led to its bankruptcy after the October 2001revelations. The situation also led to the “collapse of Arthur Andersen, which was an audit and accountancy firm that was one of the five largest firms in the world” (Anand, 2013, p.64). The firm’s financial team failed to detect improprieties during the audit process, thus leading to its prosecution for fraud alongside Enron’s executives. Although the Supreme Court acquitted the firm of charges against it by Enron’s shareholders, the damage that the lawsuit brought upon the firm’s reputation led to the loss of most of the firm’s clients and its eventual dissolution (Eichenwald, 2005). One of the main reasons why the company’s customized AIS failed in preventing fraud is because the system existed in such a way that entry of information into the data system regarding sales, purchases, and investments happened internally and manually by people in charge of operating the system. Therefore, the system could not prevent fraud through fraudulent initial data entry. This aspect means that members of a firm’s finance team have to ensure that the initial entry of data into the system is correct for the right reports after data processing. Enron’s main problem was overzealousness in its investment risks. Aside from dealings in the energy sector, such as deals in natural gas, Enron undertook supplementary deals through offering wholesale trading and risk management services (Eichenwald, 2006). Although this aspect often earned the company substantial additional revenue, some deals resulted in great losses, which the company’s former president and chief executive officer, Jeffery Skilling, hid using unethical practices. The main aim of such behavior was to create the impression that the company was making great progress in stock trading on Wall Street even when revenue was lower than expected. This strategy ensured that investors viewed the company to be in good standing, and thus they bought more stocks in the investment process. One example of instances where the company tried to cover up losses involved Blockbuster Video, a company in the entertainment industry. Enron took up a contract with Blockbuster Video that required Enron to introduce on-demand entertainment in the US within a year. However, during the execution of the twenty-year contract, Enron realized that the market demand was lower than pilot projects had estimated, thus leading to losses. Instead of informing investors and shareholders of the loss, the company, through its former president, Jeffrey Skilling, and Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Fastow, hid the loss by entering faulty information into the AIS regarding the project’s success and revenue earnings (Eichenwald, 2005). Another way in which the accounting system failed in its prevention of the Enron fraud is the complexity involved in processing data, which created loopholes through which the company executives could alter information to create favorable reports for investor attraction and maintenance purposes. Initially, the accounting process was easier as the company used the historical cost accounting method, which was easier to apply as it constituted the listing of actual costs of supply and services coupled with actual revenues that the transactions earned the company at the end of each financial year. The historical cost accounting method was reliable, stable and thus predictable, allowing Enron to manage its finances appropriately and make reliable strategic plans for financial growth (Eichenwald, 2005). However, when Jeffrey Skilling joined the company in 1990 and eventually attained a promotion to chief operating officer in 1997, he advocated for the adoption of the mark-to-market accounting model. The accounting model involves the estimation and inclusion of future profits in business transactions into the company accounts using their present value. Skilling justified his support for mark-to-market accounting by insisting that the method provided a realistic projection of profits coupled with giving investors a better idea of profits to expect when making their investments (Eichenwald, 2005). Another key feature in the model is that it creates a need for revision of projections as trends in market pricing change within the estimated projection period. Although this provision ordinarily allows financial managers to keep updated information in the AIS database and gives shareholders better management of their shares, it also creates room for unscrupulous dealings such as fraudulent alteration of account amounts. For instance, in the case of Enron’s contract with Blockbuster Videos, the company estimated profits worth over one hundred million dollars after the contract’s completion, based on the outcome of pilot projects concerning the twenty-year contract. However, after a few years, Enron discovered changes in the market demand that resulted in fewer sales in the entertainment industry, thus causing the company significant losses. However, to maintain the company’s reputation and the hope of success most investors in the project clung to, Skilling and Fastow maintained the continued recognition of estimated revenue instead of data and records to indicate the new developments (Eichenwald, 2005). Continued recognition of the revenue ensured investor confidence and increased the company’s stock prices by indicating profits while the real situation comprised loses. Additionally, the complexity of the company’s business model and accounting system made it difficult for the auditor, Arthur Andersen, and shareholders to keep track of the accounting process, thus affording Enron’s management a chance to move money around in various accounts to cover up losses. The unpredictability of the mark-to-market accounting model and difficulties in keeping track of past and present transactions created a scenario in which the Arthur Andersen auditing firm frequently accepted Enron’s excuses for discrepancies in financial reports, even though the firm suspected foul play in the data entry process in Enron’s AIS. The fact that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission had approved the usage of Enron’s accounting model, thus leading to its adoption by other firms to boost investments, created reasonable doubt in explanations regarding faulty information in Enron’s reports. Third-party accounting systems: implications of fraud Third-party accounting systems are essentially accounting software that specific firms develop for sale or lease to other firms for use in their accounting systems. In most cases, such software accommodates various functions to suit various needs, with the most common being data entry into different accounts, data processing to establish amounts such as profits or losses, and creation of records for storage purposes. Some of the most common examples include Oracle, QuickBooks, and Sage. Although small corporations choose to adopt third party accounting systems as they are, larger corporations often seek certain specifications for some features and resort to modification or alteration of such features to choose company needs (Romney & Steinbart, 2011). For instance, in the case of Enron, it is very likely that if the company chose to utilize features from a third-party accounting system, the company would have made modifications to such software to mitigate the complexity of its business model as well as the mark-to-market accounting model, especially during data processing. In case of fraud due to the failure of a third-party accounting system by way of the breach, liability depends on the conditions accompanying the accounting system, compatibility with the company’s accounting model, and consideration for any alterations to the system after purchase. The software provider is only liable when fraud occurs due to a malfunction in the software’s operations. For instance, a software provider would be liable if features that the provider expressly states to operate at optimum levels fail, thus creating opportunities for fraudulent interference in the accounting process. A good example of such a malfunction is one where the software stalls for long periods before processing data despite the provider guaranteeing quick data entry and processing. Additionally, in assessing the liability of a software provider, one has to consider whether the provider was aware of the specific functions that a company intended the software for before making recommendations regarding its use. For instance, if the software provider were aware of the need for Enron to use the mark-to-market model, but recommended a software version that did not support the model leading to fraud, the software provider would be guilty of negligence under common law. Professionals and other service providers owe a duty of care to their clients and are guilty of breach of such duty if they sell faulty products or provide inadequate services to clients leading to injury or harm. However, in the case that such breach occurred due to the fault of the client in instances where the client tampered with features in the software, thus leading to the malfunction of which fraud was resultant, the software provider would not be liable to the fraud. Prevention of fraud at Enron One of the advances in accounting and information technology that would have helped prevent the occurrence of fraud at Enron is the establishment of new legislation governing the functions that auditors and company executives fulfill in their firms about accountability and transparency. During Enron’s hearing, Lay stated that although he was aware of Skilling’s activities in the running of the company, he was not always keen on details, which allowed Skilling to make unethical decisions that led to the company’s bankruptcy. Skilling resigned from his position a few months before the discovery of the fraud at Enron in August 2001. The Sauternes-Oxley of 2002 was responsive to this loophole by increasing the punishment available to courts for such corporate oversights leading to fraudulent loss of funds for shareholders. This aspect has so far given executives adequate reason to oversee the accounting operations in their companies coupled with enhancing their attention to details even in instances where they delegate duties to subordinate members (Anand, 2013). Secondly, the development of data encryption has ensured that accounting information is only available to specific members in a firm during specific periods, usually according to the purpose of such access. For instance, a software provider can modify specific features and create a code through which to access specific accounting information at specific periods. This aspect ensures that employees are careful during the initial data entry process and in addition to the reduction of chances for interference in the data processing phase (Romney & Steinbart, 2011). Effective prevention of fraud through legislation The Sauternes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 is one of the most notable legislation that the American government enacted after the Enron’s scandal and the Worldcom fraud case the following year. Although the Act has many benefits especially to investors and shareholders, it also carries some limitations that fail to address the fraud issue in its entirety. Some of the most prominent features in the Act include improvement of transparency on financial matters to the public, curbing fraud through the institution of higher penalties to criminal offenses regarding fraudulent dealings by companies, and provision of compulsory rotation of the lead auditor in a firm in a bid to reduce the chances of the occurrence of conflicting interests. Title II also establishes standards that give external auditors independence in the auditing process while Sec.304 of SOX provides for the individual responsibility of every corporate executive, which ensures that financial reports undergo thorough scrutiny by the executives before they become public knowledge (Anand, 2013). This aspect is especially important in reducing instances where individual executives in public corporations risk the financial health of companies in quests for personal gain. The Act also allows enhanced financial disclosure by ensuring that corporations document off-balance-sheet transactions, pro forma figures, and stock transactions by corporate leaders in a bid to reduce the risk that moral hazard poses to investors by forcing a higher degree of care in investments on companies (Anand, 2013). The concept of moral hazard suggests that a person is more likely to take a greater risk if a different individual stands to suffer in case of any negative consequences from such risk. For instance, executives in corporations such as Enron are likely to take a greater risk with money from investors and shareholders than they would take with personal funds. The Act proposes stronger sentencing guidelines for crimes such as failure to certify corporate financial reports in addition to establishing fraudulent alterations to financial reports and such other conspiracies as criminal offenses (Anand, 2013). Although the above features offer adequate protection for investors and shareholders, some aspects of these provisions stifle the development of small and medium enterprises in addition to making compliance difficult and expensive thus defeating the purpose for the Act’s formulation. For instance, the compliance costs under Section 304 increase with time even during financially turbulent periods, thus creating problems for mid-capital companies and small businesses. Some of the charges that public companies incur include “directors and officers’ insurance, audit fees, legal costs, and board compensation” (Romney & Steinbart, 2011, p.106). The costs form part of the recurring expenditure that public corporations incur, and thus most companies have to compensate by sourcing for additional capital. Since the inclusion of the charges does not take into account the unpredictability of economic trends, such as the 2007-2009 economic crises, the impact of these changes affects the ability of companies to generate additional capital constantly. Small and medium-sized public corporations are especially vulnerable as compliance charges apply to all corporations regardless of their sizes. Larger corporations bear the advantage of having stronger capital bases, and thus they are more resilient to changes in financial markets. Kessel (2011) highlights a requirement by the stock exchange rules for biotech companies to seek prior consent from shareholders for the issue of certain amounts in equity securities. This important element furthers corporate governance and protects the interests of shareholders from fraudulent dealings and moral hazard-related situations. However, this aspect also means that the companies have to wait for lengthy periods as shareholders scrutinize the securities, some times leading to the loss of numerous windows of opportunity to make important deals. This aspect, in turn, means a decline in the market value of the biotech companies together with creating substantial difficulties for SMEs to generate enough capital to gain a competitive edge against bigger public corporations. From this perspective, the Act appears to stifle the development of SMEs in its bid to protect public interests (Kessel, 2011). Also, the Act provides for frequent rotations of the lead auditor to address the issue of conflicting interests, but it does not feature provisions for rotation of auditing firms. Anand (2013) cautions that rotation of the lead auditor of a firm instead of the entire firm still presents a problem regarding conflicting interests for the public corporations as most people in a firm work towards a common goal and they are thus prone to similar dealings. Recommendations To prevent a future recurrence of such fraud cases, Enron should establish a strict code of ethics in addition to adopting security measures for the company’s accounting databases. the use of encryption codes for access to accounts, for instance, prevents unauthorized access to such accounts and ensure accountability as such codes reflect individuals accessing accounts as well as the duration of access, thus indicating people responsible for any changes. The best way to implement this strategy is to involve a third-party software provider or monitoring firm for transparency and easier establishment of responsibility in case anything goes wrong. References Anand, S. (2013). Essentials of Sauternes-Oxley. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Eichenwald, K. (2005). Conspiracy of Fools: A true story. New York, NY: Broadway Books. Kessel, M. (2011). Sauternes-Oxley Overburdens Biotech Companies. Nature Biotechnology, 29 (12) , 1081-1082. Romney, M., & Steinbart, J. (2011). Accounting Information Systems . New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The text discusses the importance of addressing culture issues and human capital problems in order to create a multicultural environment that would be comfortable for all employees. It also highlights the effect of leadership styles on global organizational culture and how the transformational leadership framework can be used to motivate employees to learn more about other cultures.The importance of addressing culture issues and human capital problems in order to create a multicultural environment that would be comfortable for all employees is discussed in the text. The text also highlights the effect of leadership
The text discusses the importance of addressing culture issues and human capital problems in order to create a multicultural environment that would be comfortable for all employees. It also highlights the effect of leadership styles on global organizational culture and how the transformational leadership framework can be used to motivate employees to learn more about other cultures. The importance of addressing culture issues and human capital problems in order to create a multicultural environment that would be comfortable for all employees is discussed in the text. The text also highlights the effect of leadership
ACG Inc.’s Multicultural Human Capital Trends Essay Table of Contents 1. Culture Issues and Human Capital Problems 2. Leadership Styles: Effects on Global Organizational Culture 3. Human Capital Management Goal 4. References Given the current propensity toward globalization and multiculturalism in the environment of most markets (World Economic Forum, 2016), there is a consistent need to address the issues that may occur in the course of cross-cultural communication. The dilemmas related to the subject matter do not necessarily concern direct conflicts; apart from the latter, misconceptions and the inability to adjust the workplace environment so that the representatives of any culture could feel comfortable in it deserves to be mentioned (Deloitte University, 2016). As the case of AGC shows, creating a multicultural environment in which the needs of all stakeholders are taken into account is the most promising strategy that is likely to lead to a strikingly rapid improvement in the staff’s performance. Culture Issues and Human Capital Problems Meeting the needs of the employees in the environment of the global economy is admittedly challenging because of the necessity to focus on a variety of other aspects of the firm’s functioning. Without a sustainable approach toward resources management, a leader will be incapable of paying due attention to the communication issues in the organization. Therefore, the promotion of a set of values aimed at creating a multicultural environment must be considered (Antwi, Opoku, Seth, & Margareth, 2016). A closer look at the case will show that the HRM managers are not fully aware of the reasons for the former members of the organization to leave. In other words, neither of the HR department members concerned themselves by asking the employees about the reasons for their dissatisfaction. The specified phenomenon shows clearly that the lack of care for the people that work for the company, as well as the unwillingness to encourage them to perform better, can be deemed as the foundational problems of AGC (Halim, Ahmad, Ramayah, & Halifah, 2014). Leadership Styles: Effects on Global Organizational Culture Seeing that the adoption of an appropriate leadership style may motivate people to learn more about other cultures and, therefore, adopt a more sensible approach toward the cross-cultural communication process, it can be assumed that the choice of a leadership strategy has a direct effect on the global organizational culture. For instance, in the case under analysis, Shawn’s idea concerning the increase in diversity rates in the organization and the emphasis on multiculturalism as the foundation for the communication process is likely to have a positive effect on the employees’ workplace experience and, therefore, on their performance (Yasin, Nawab, Bhatti, & Nazir, 2014). The Transformational Leadership (TL) framework, which is currently viewed as one of the most popular strategies for managing relationships in the multicultural environment, should be viewed as the possible tool for improving relationships between the staff members and the managers by convincing the latter to focus on the culture-specific needs of the staff. Furthermore, the approach will have to be supported by the Visionary Leadership strategy, which will serve as the foundation for the company’s HR-related choices. Thus, a gradual change in the global organizational culture will change gradually. As a result, the principles of better quality management, such as TQM, can be introduced to the target setting (Batool, Rahman, & Akhtar, 2016). Human Capital Management Goal Shawn should consider investing in the staff members and building a multicultural environment in which they will feel comfortable to improve the current situation. Furthermore, a radical change of the corporate ethics and values toward the need to take the needs of all stakeholders including staff into account must be included in the list of the firm’s goals. As a result, the company will be able to retain its employees and promote essential ideas related to the corporate values to them (e.g., the significance of professional growth, acquisition of new skills, meeting the Corporate Social Responsibility standards, etc.). References Antwi, J. O., Opoku, A. C., Seth, A., & Margareth, O. B. (2016). Assessing the human resource management practices of public banks from employees’ perspective: Case study of selected branches of Ghana Commercial Bank, Kumasi. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 4 (1), 13-30. Batool, S., Rahman, S., & Akhtar, N. (2016). Relationship of management-rated high performance work system and competitive advantage: mediating role of collective human capital. Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences, 9 (1), 176-187. Deloitte University. (2016). Global Human Capital Trends 2016. The new organization: Different by design . Westlake, TX: Deloitte University Press. Halim, H. A., Ahmad, N. H., Ramayah, T., & Halifah, H. (2014). The growth of innovative performance among SMEs: Leveraging on organisational culture and innovative human capital. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2 (1), 107-125. World Economic Forum. (2016). The human capital report 2016 . Web. Yasin, G., Nawab, S., Bhatti, K. K., & Nazir, T. (2014). Relationship of intellectual stimulation, innovations and SMEs performance: Transformational leadership a source of competitive advantage in SMEs. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 19 (1), 74-81.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The article discusses three crucial elements that help to make the research process effective. It claims the process must be rigorous, reflective, and relevant.
The article discusses three crucial elements that help to make the research process effective. It claims the process must be rigorous, reflective, and relevant.
Action Research in Public Organization Development Essay (Article) Table of Contents 1. Summary 2. Contemporary Thinking 3. Research Importance 4. Application 5. Reflection 6. Conclusion 7. References Many organizations conduct research works to determine whether their business needs any improvement. Usually, this measure is taken to calculate the efficiency of current processes and the ability to reach certain goals. For instance, a company must be very specific and ask questions only about those fields that are relevant to it (O’Leary & Hunt, 2016, 50). This paper analyses the article that discusses what elements does the quality research has when used for organizational development. Summary The article by Coghlan and Shani (2014) discusses three crucial elements that help to make the research process effective. It claims the process must be rigorous, reflective, and relevant. The first feature stresses the importance of data collected during the study. The second one discusses whether the data is linked to previous or contemporary research that can be found in literature and case studies. Finally, the relevancy element determines whether the collected data addresses the goals set by an organization. All three elements are applied to several steps of the research process. They include the purpose of research, the context, methodology, and method of inquiry, design, narrative and outcomes, reflection on the story, and discussion. The authors of the article offer a table that matches rigor, reflectiveness, and relevance with these features. Each combination is supported by questions that have to be addressed at each point of research. The discussion finalizing the article states that there are four primary factors for evaluating action research. These are the importance of context understanding, the quality of collaboration between researchers and employees, the quality of the process itself, and the development of collaboration from learning by practice. Contemporary Thinking The article corresponds well with the contemporary perception of the topic. For instance, studies suggest that context is one of the most important factors for conducting quality research (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2016, p. 99). A person who is responsible for evaluating various elements of a process must be skilled in collecting the right data. It takes a deep understanding of the culture in which he or she is trying to function. An article by Coghlan and Shani (2014) features several questions that are important while acting in a context. They call for determining whether the contextual data is collected in a way that corresponds with quality standards and whether it is supported by the previous research. It may sometimes take a long time for researchers to collect the necessary information. The important part is to have a systematic approach to every detail noticed and recorded during weeks or even months. Research Importance The article illustrates the importance of using analytics for decision-making within organizations. It makes it understandable that effective studies of organizational processes can draw positive results from each outcome, whether it is a negative or a positive one. A positive outcome would require the company’s top management team to keep the same strategy as it was using before. An adverse outcome is an opportunity to learn new ways of tackling the issue. Thus, the management team is making decisions based on organizational research, and their results are directly linked to the quality of data collected and analyzed. Application This article has given me an understanding that context is one of the most important factors in conducting organizational research. Another factor that I have found to be important is the importance of collaboration between researchers and employees. The public administration calls for a deep understanding of processes that flow inside a working community. Understanding psychology and behavior is crucial is one wishes to collect the necessary data. All work should be conducted in an atmosphere of collaboration. Interviewees should understand that all research questions that are discussed during the research will help to make considerable changes to the way they work and to any performance factors required from them. Reflection I have found the topic of this article to be quite interesting to discuss. A perspective from rigor, reflectiveness, and relevance is much broader than I thought it should be for conducting an organizational study. However, there is a good point that there are several frameworks for collecting data and analyzing it. I believe that this article reveals the importance of those frameworks being relevant to an organization and to various fields it needs to analyze. It would be overwhelming to test every single process within a company, as it takes time and might be irrelevant for the primary questions facing a management team. Conclusion The research method in an organization that includes the focus on rigor, reflectiveness, and relevance seems to be much more effective than the approach of using a universal framework. The article demonstrates the importance of linking context, data collection, design, analysis, and conclusions to these factors. The process of making decisions becomes facilitated when a research team focuses only on those issues that are relevant to the main goal and were analyzed in the past for drawing connections between the past and the current situation. References Coghlan, D., & Shani, A. (2014). Creating action research quality in organization development: Rigorous, reflective, and relevant. Systematic Practice & Action Research, 27 (6), 523-536. Web. Eriksson, P., & Kovalainen, A. (2016). Qualitative methods in business research: A practical guide to social research. London, UK: Sage. O’Leary, Z., & Hunt, J. S. (2016). Workplace research: Conducting small-scale research in organizations . London, UK: Sage.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: The text discusses the importance of acts of kindness for happiness. It also talks about how acts of kindness can be applied to everyday life and treatment.The importance of acts of kindness for happiness is discussed in the text. It is also talked about how acts of kindness can be applied to everyday life and treatment.
The text discusses the importance of acts of kindness for happiness. It also talks about how acts of kindness can be applied to everyday life and treatment. The importance of acts of kindness for happiness is discussed in the text. It is also talked about how acts of kindness can be applied to everyday life and treatment.
Acts of Kindness and Happiness in Human Life Research Paper Introduction Even though happiness is an essential component of human life, there is no clear definition of what it is and what a person can do to achieve it. Different theories suggest a whole number of approaches that converge in some points and diverge in others. However, it is commonly accepted that an individual is likely to become happier and release negative feelings through an act of kindness towards another person (Della Porta, 2012; Buchanan & Bardi, 2010). An act of kindness is understood as a generous deed (benefiting certain people) that requires some effort on behalf of an agent but does not bring him/her any profit (Layous & Lyubomirsky, 2014). The research at hand is aimed to prove that, to boost happiness through receiving positive emotions, a person should commit more actions that can be referred to as acts of kindness. Research Methods The present paper is based on the extensive literature review of the sources investigating the issue of happiness as well as various activities that help enhance personal satisfaction. These studies are analyzed to answer the following research questions: 1) How are acts of kindness related to happiness? 2) Which of them are the most happiness-boosting and what mechanisms do they use? 3) How can acts of kindness be applied to everyday life and treatment? Chapter 1. Importance of Acts of Kindness for Happiness Happiness is rather a vague notion having a lot of subjective definitions. Some researchers regard it as “experiences of frequent positive emotions and relatively infrequent negative emotions” (Della Porta, 2012, p. 1), while others define it as “a skill that can be cultivated” through the development of such important human qualities as benevolence, altruistic love, and compassion (Richard, 2011, p. 275). For the convenience of research, it will be understood as a state of mind characterized by a person’s total satisfaction with his/her current well-being, which makes him/her adopt an optimistic way of thinking (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2011). According to the construal approach to happiness, this condition is not self-regulated and can be achieved through positive emotions and cognition as well as various acts of kindness that are defined as positive behaviors. According to Richard (2011), such kindness-oriented behaviors are primarily based on the creation of appropriate inner conditions that allow diminishing self-centeredness and increase altruistic intentions in individuals. It is worth mentioning that such acts have to be neither random and spontaneous nor classified into a particular category (e.g. an anonymous act of charity). Kindness is rather a continual and intrinsic orientation towards ethical and human values that makes people more emphatic and stimulates them for the engagement in “prosocial, generous behaviors that promote goodwill and the well-being of others” (Richard, 2011, p. 277). The most important and sole condition of kindness is that “the giver” must be selfless in his/her intention to do good to “the recipient” (Rudd, Aaker, & Norton, 2014). However, to enhance the effectiveness of acts of kindness, a person should try to engage in different activities instead of repeating the same actions regularly. For example, Lyubomirsky and Dickerhoof (2014) observe in one of their studies that when a person performs different acts of kindness throughout an enduring period, e.g., “do a new household chore one week, surprise their pet with a treat another week,” he/she attains a greater level of well-being than those people who continuously perform similar acts of kindness (p. 13). Therefore, it is possible to say that when kindness is expressed spontaneously and is triggered by intrinsic motivation rather than prompted by the external situations, it leads to more positive outcomes including happiness and promotion of both individual and common welfare. From the Buddhist perspective, happiness is not given to a person as a gift but must come as a result of a particular behavior (Richard, 2011). From the perspective of positive psychology, happiness is directly linked to individual positive emotions, behaviors, and perceptions which can be formed either by the external life events and circumstances (the “bottom-up perspective”) or by a person’s biological and temperamental factors (the “top-down theory”) (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2010, p. 230). In this way, based on the bottom-up principles of positive psychology, happiness can be achieved through performing pleasant activities (e.g. communicating with a company of close friends). However, from the Buddhist perspective, the satisfaction derived from such actions is incomparable to the condition achieved by committing a selfless act of kindness. Thus, happiness is understood as an active process rather than a final result. Active happiness implies that a person can contribute to shaping his/her well-being through various actions including meditative practices (Ricard, 2011), expression of gratitude (Della Porta, 2012), and development of optimistic thinking (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2010). Acts of kindness have no negative side effects. Besides, it has been proven by research that, in comparison to other activities enhancing happiness, they give the most impressive results. Acts of kindness manage to increase satisfaction by reducing negative feelings and are likely to give the person who performs them with a sense of achievement and self-significance (Della Porta, 2012). But Della Porta (2012) identifies an important factor that defines a positive effect of different acts of kindness on personal well-being – it is intrinsic motivation and the autonomy-supported environment. His findings are also supported by ideas outlined in Richard’s (2011) article which refers to “the enhancement of intrinsic values” (p. 278). It is possible to say that the improvement of individual inherent values can be encouraged by different social and religious actors, but, to increase the effectiveness of acts of kindness, people should not be forced to perform them but should rather be provided with the environment in which their orientation towards the performance of good and kind deeds will be increased. Despite the evident advantage of acts of kindness, there exists an opposing point of view. A lot of people tend to believe that virtuous behavior is particularly hard to practice because some improvement activities may require additional expenses, time, and development of skills; moreover, many people tend to believe that happiness practices may be “of little use” as their results are not evident and, in most cases, rather questionable (Della Porta, 2012, p. 4). However, this vision of kindness is deluding virtue does not lack its rewards and benefits, both short- and long-term (Sandstrom & Dunn, 2011). Chapter 2. How Acts of Kindness Promote Happiness Though it is evident that acts of kindness contribute to the level of personal happiness, the ways of promoting it are not quite clear. A series of experiments were conducted to identify what mechanisms underlie an act of kindness and which of them are the most effective. In one of such experimental studies, participants were asked to write a letter expressing gratitude. Their emotional reaction to this simple act was analyzed afterward. The results of the research showed that the more letters people wrote – the greater emotional gains they received. Therefore, gratitude as a particular act of kindness turned out to be a powerful tool in enhancing happiness and life satisfaction. Besides, it was assumed that expressive letter-writing might help people struggle with symptoms of depression (however, it is difficult to say whether acts of kindness are effective in eliminating the causes of depression) (Toepfer, Cichy, & Peters, 2012). Although the study mentioned above proves the positive cumulative effect of acts of kindness, it does not manage to answer how such acts should be designed to ensure happiness boosting. Another study on the topic involved a series of laboratory experiments with the purpose to trace the dynamics of performing acts of kindness. It found out that those people who were given a more particularly-framed prosocial goal (e.g. were assigned to make another person laugh by telling a joke) felt much more content with performing their actions and achieving positive results than those who were given an abstract task contiguous in its function (e.g. to make a person feel happy) (Rudd et al., 2014). Such outcomes are explained by the discrepancy between reality and the participants’ expectations. Unlike the second group, those who had a concrete task could see the actual result of their performance, which matched their expectations (Rudd et al., 2014). Thus, to enhance happiness, an act of kindness must be designed in such a way that its outcomes are predictable and observable. When a person planning to perform an act of kindness is more or less sure what results are going to be obtained and what emotions the receiver will get, he/she feels sure that no side consequences will emerge to spoil good intentions (Rudd et al., 2014). Thus, the giver feels happier through the development of higher self-confidence. Besides the immediate effect of satisfaction from a good deed, an act of kindness has long-term benefits. The concept of “pay it forward” suggests the idea of achieving happiness by starting a chain of acts of kindness (Pressman, Kraft, & Cross, 2015, p.2 ). The point is that the agent receives more positive emotions if his/her action manages to foster the altruistic behavior of the recipient making him/her repeat a similar act to other people rather than simply repay the giver. The results of the study by Pressman et al. (2015) contradict the findings obtained by Della Porta (2012) who claim that autonomous motivation is a necessity for gaining psychological benefits of an act of kindness because the pay-it-forward activity is a forced kindness intervention. As mentioned by the researchers, the study participants who performed a forced pay-it-forward activity reported increased “optimism, gratitude, life satisfaction, and joviality” (Pressman et al., 2015). However, the positive effects were rather short-term than stable. Either way, the findings make it clear that an act of kindness can encourage further positive behaviors (Pressman et al., 2015). Chapter 3. Use of Acts of Kindness in Everyday Life and Treatment Acts of kindness are capable of boosting happiness not only as a temporary context-dependent condition but also as overall life-satisfaction. An experiment carried out by Buchanan and Bardi (2010) aimed to prove that conducting new acts of kindness every day for a certain period (10 days) is capable of increasing the total life satisfaction of people regardless of their gender or age. A control group consisting of 38 males and 48 females aged from 18 to 60 was randomly selected, and they were asked to perform either an act of kindness, an act of novelty or restrain from any actions towards other people whatsoever (Buchanan & Bardi, 2010). Before and after this intervention, their life satisfaction was measured. The results demonstrated that life satisfaction increases in cases of experimental conditions and remains unchanged when the action was controlled or refrained from (Buchanan & Bardi, 2010). Thus, the experiment allows concluding that novelty is a pivotal component in happiness-boosting activities. Layous and Lyubomirsky (2014) express a similar viewpoint in their study stating that “people instructed to perform different acts of kindness each week (e.g., do a new household chore one week, surprise their pet with a treat another week) showed larger gains in well-being than those instructed to perform the same acts of kindness (e.g., do new household chores each week)” (p. 479). The importance of variety in doing acts of kindness has already been mentioned: a person who performs the same act for a long period gets used to it as to a part of his/her routine and fails to derive any satisfaction from it after a while. On the contrary, varying acts of kindness (doing something new every day trying not to repeat the same action in sequence) gives a cumulative effect and boosts happiness much more effectively (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2011). However, no matter how diverse acts of kindness might be, it is highly important to commit them regularly as the effect they produce should constantly be reinforced and enhanced for the agent to feel satisfaction (Layous, Nelson, Kurtz, & Lyubomirsky, 2016). Thus, an act of kindness that can be classified as happiness-boosting is not merely an action of a certain sort but a part of a long-lasting habit. According to Lyubomirsky and Della Porta (2010), individuals who regularly express optimism frequently report “experiencing more positive events that linger with them;” moreover, it is found that the positive experiences provoked by optimistic behaviors increase happiness (p. 18). For instance, people who perform such acts regularly receive gratitude from the recipients, which makes them happier. It is also observed that a habit of conducting acts of kindness can even produce situations in which new friendships are likely to emerge (Lyubomirsky & Della Porta, 2010). Acts of kindness apply not only to everyday experience but also as a tool used in conjunction with various therapies that aim to mitigate the consequences of psychological disorders. Healthy people naturally use adaptive strategies that help them cope with symptoms of depression and apathy: they try to avoid pessimistic thinking, interpret upsetting circumstances in a positive light, etc. (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2011). At the same time, Toepfer et al. (2012) observe that unlike healthy individuals, people with affective disorders are unable to adapt to the changing reality and tend to feel unhappy every time things go wrong. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that a pessimistic predisposition can be alleviated not only in healthy individuals going through a hard period of life but also in people suffering from various disorders such as depression or generalized anxiety. However, “practicing positive, intentional activities may directly combat the effects of negative construals (which characterize generally unhappy people), while simultaneously promoting the effects of positive construals” (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2011, p. 236). These findings are consistent with observations made by Toepfer et al. (2012) who suggest that the acts mentioned above of kindness (expressing gratitude, showing generosity, prompting others to act kindly, etc.) may help depressed individuals enhance self-satisfaction and feel happier. Social connections that are established in the process of performing a good deed assist perfectly in treating social anxiety decreasing negative emotions provoked by the idea of communicating with new people. As far as depression is concerned, acts of kindness help shift attention from introspection to other people’s problems and concerns. When a person gets distracted, he/she is more likely to recover from this condition (Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2011). Thus, targeting positive patterns of behavior can assist in the process of eliminating and preventing maladaptive self-perception as well as the perception of the environment. Conclusion The research at hand was aimed to explore acts of kindness as an effective method to enhance happiness. It focused on the ways personal satisfaction, positive emotions, a life-asserting perception of the world, and general well-being can be attained through performing particular actions and developing habits. Understanding the significance of acts of kindness (especially in their relation to happiness) is useful and can be applied not only to everyday life but also as a complementary therapy for treating social and affective disorders. The research has shown that a person should produce as many acts of kindness as the circumstances allow, trying to diversify them as much as possible since novelty contributes to happiness derived from a good deed. The mechanisms that foster happiness through acts of kindness – emotional response, observation of positive results, and involvement in chains of good deeds – have been investigated and explained. The conclusion that is to be made is that the applications of the acts of kindness techniques prove to be effective no matter what domain is chosen for action and what goals (short- or long-term) is to be achieved. References Buchanan, K. E., & Bardi, A. (2010). Acts of kindness and acts of novelty affect life satisfaction. The Journal of Social Psychology, 150 (3), 235-237. Della Porta, M. D. (2012). Enhancing the effects of happiness-boosting activities: The role of autonomy support in an experimental longitudinal intervention (Doctoral thesis, University of California, Riverside, CA). Web. Layous, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The how, why, what, when, and who of happiness: Mechanisms underlying the success of positive activity interventions. In J. Gruber & J. Moscowitz (Eds.), The light and dark side of positive emotions (pp. 473-495). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Layous, K., Nelson, S. K., Kurtz, J. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2016). What triggers prosocial effort? A positive feedback loop between positive activities, kindness, and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1 (1), 1-14. Lyubomirsky, S., & Della Porta, M. D. (2010). Boosting happiness, buttressing resilience. In J. W. Reich, A. J. Zautra, & J. Hall (Eds.), Handbook of adult resilience: Concepts, methods, and applications (pp. 450-464). New York, NY: Guilford Press. Lyubomirsky, S., & Dickerhoof, R. (2011). A construal approach to increasing happiness. In J. E. Maddux & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Social psychological foundations of clinical psychology (pp. 229-244). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Pressman, S. D., Kraft, T. L., & Cross, M. P. (2015). It’s good to do good and receive good: The impact of a ‘pay it forward’ style kindness intervention on giver and receiver well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10 (4), 293-302. Ricard, M. (2011). The Dalai Lama: Happiness through wisdom and compassion. International Journal of Wellbeing, 1 (2), 274-290. Rudd, M., Aaker, J., & Norton, M. I. (2014). Getting the most out of giving: Concretely framing a prosocial goal maximizes happiness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 54 (1), 11-69. Sandstrom, G. M., & Dunn, E. W. (2011). The virtue blind spot: do affective forecasting errors undermine virtuous behavior? Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5 (10), 720-733. Toepfer, S. M., Cichy, K., & Peters, P. (2012). Letters of gratitude: Further evidence for author benefits. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13 (1), 187-201.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The essay discusses the role of an acute care nurse practitioner in gerontology and the scope of their practice.The role of an acute care nurse practitioner in gerontology is to provide care to older adults in a variety of settings. These settings include hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. Acute care nurse practitioners in gerontology work with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care to their patients.
The essay discusses the role of an acute care nurse practitioner in gerontology and the scope of their practice. The role of an acute care nurse practitioner in gerontology is to provide care to older adults in a variety of settings. These settings include hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. Acute care nurse practitioners in gerontology work with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care to their patients.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in Gerontology Essay Role The person interviewed for the paper is employed at a local nursing facility and works as a Clinic Nurse Manager. For confidentiality purposes, the interviewee is referred to as Alison. Alison has a Registered Nurse qualification and the corresponding level of competency. In the identified facility, Alison coordinates administrative activities. Particularly, she supervises the work of the employees, including FPNs and ANPs. Alison views the role of an Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) as that one of a nurse and an educator. In other words, raising awareness among the target audience about essential health concerns is an important part of an APRN’s duties (Quill and Abernethy 1174). Scope The interviewee seems to have a rather good concept of the differences in the competencies and roles of an APRN, an FPN, and an ACNP. For instance, Alison makes it quite clear that an APRN should be considered primarily with addressing the availability of information to the patients, whereas the FPN should research family history and help family members build stronger ties, and an ACNP must address the emerging issues threatening the patients in the ICU (Goldman and Schafer 651). Experience The experience that Alison has is truly priceless, as it sheds light on not only the clinical concerns but also the communication dilemmas that nurses often have to address, along with managerial issues. For instance, the interviewee brought up the subject of successful communication between the nurses as the platform for creating a framework for continuous improvement in quality. Indeed, there is evidence that the lack of appropriate tools for information acquisition and transfer triggers numerous misunderstandings and misconceptions including the threat of misinterpreting or omitting an essential part of the patient’s health record or personal information. Therefore, it is imperative to introduce the tools that will help store the patient’s information, retrieve and, and transfer it successfully (Cowen and Moorehead 290). Additionally, the significance of emotional intelligence (EI) has risen among the nurses operating in the ICU environment. Seeing that the conditions of an emergency room (ER) require a quick and efficient response, an ACNP must be able to identify the problems that the patient faces in a manner as timely and efficient as possible. At this point, EI becomes a primary tool in locating the sources for concern and addressing them correspondingly (Bloomer et al. 758). Procedures The credentialing model employed at the facility follows the standard requirements. The education records together with the certificate and a license are viewed as a necessity. Additionally, the employment history and the clinical references of the candidate are considered very closely. The evidence for liability insurance is also required, as well as the proof of being a member of professional nursing organizations. Furthermore, the analysis of the evidence of the candidate’s practice is also considered a part and parcel of the certification process. Although skill performance and the related records are not viewed as a crucial part of the model and are not necessarily reviewed in the course of the cementation, the provision thereof is a welcome addition to the pieces of evidence proving the person’s competency levels (Dahlin and Ferrel 60). Number of APRNs Since the facility is rather small, the number of staff members working in it is quite humble. At present, there are 47 APRNs employed. The facility also has a rather high employee turnover rate, which is partially due to the intense workload. Number of FNPs At present, the facility employs 27 FNP. However, according to the interviewee, the number of nurses employed in the facility changes regularly due to the high workplace burnout and employee turnover rates. Therefore, there are clear indications that the identified nursing environment requires better management, as Alison explains. Reporting The process of reporting used at the organization is rather simple. The reports summarize the essential outcomes of the therapies and interventions provided to the patients. After the essential information has been arranged in the required manner, it is submitted electronically to the Service Director following the company’s policies. Thus, the data is processed adequately, and the implications for further actions are identified. Hospital Practices vs. the Board of Nursing Statements The current framework of managing the work of APRNs, FNPs, and ACNPs aligns with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). For instance, the significance of focusing on the individual needs of each patient and promoting successful communication between nurses are considered crucial elements of the NCSBN policies (National Council of State Boards of Nursing par. 4). Implications for Improvements Although the facility members have created an up-to-date environment, in which patients feel comfortable, there are certain issues to be addressed. For instance, the workload of the nursing staff needs reconsideration. Unless proper measures are introduced, an increase in workplace burnouts is expected. Therefore, a sustainable strategy must be incorporated into the company’s financial strategy so that the number of staff members could be increased. Works Cited Bloomer, Melissa J, Ruth Endacott, Margaret O’Connor and Wendy Cross. “The ‘Dis-Ease’ of Dying: Challenges in Nursing Care of the Dying in the Acute Hospital Setting.” A qualitative observational study. Palliative Medicine 27.8 (2013), 757-764. Print. Cowen, Patrick S., and Sue Moorehead. Current Issues in Nursing . Elsevier Health Sciences, 2014. Print. Dahlin, Constance, and Betty P. Ferrel, Advanced Practice Palliative Nursing . Oxford: OUP, 2016. Print. Goldman, Lee, and Andrew I. Schafer. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2015. Print. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Standards development . 2016. Quill, Timothy E., and Amy p. Abernethy. “Generalist Plus Specialist Palliative Care – Creating a More Sustainable Model.” The New England Journal of Medicine 368.13 (2013): 1173-1175. Print.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The essay discusses the role of public opinion and the mass media in administrative constitutionalism and social justice. It explains how the mass media can be used to shape public opinion and how this can impact social justice policies. It also talks about the role of newspapers and television in spreading crime news and how this can affect public order and safety.
The essay discusses the role of public opinion and the mass media in administrative constitutionalism and social justice. It explains how the mass media can be used to shape public opinion and how this can impact social justice policies. It also talks about the role of newspapers and television in spreading crime news and how this can affect public order and safety.
Administrative Constitutionalism and Social Justice Dissertation The Role of Public Opinion and the Mass Media The mass media is one of the primary sources of information available to society. Public opinion, in turn, matters because people do not interact with each other and ultimately it leads to social isolation. Therefore, society ends up relying on media updates and not on the factual data obtained from other people. Similarly, it means that society does not perceive all the dangers of miscommunication (Marion & Oliver, 2012). If the government fails to contact the citizens, the latter will look for the news in the mass media which usually exaggerates the outcomes but does not propose solutions to the problems. The current point of view at the crimes and violence is predestined by the commercial pressure applied to the mass media sources. Ultimately, this leads to the transformation of public opinion and major criminal justice policies. In other words, the mass media takes into account marketing and economic objectives that overrule the usual journalistic principles instead of mirroring the news. The Role of Newspapers and Television The role of newspapers and television can be described as an exaggeration of news reports and real dimensions of the problems. As a result, this majorly impacts public order and safety. In the majority of the cases, popular media becomes the viral source of information which forms the public opinion (Griffin, Woodward, & Sloan, 2016). Sometimes, the crucial sources of information are used to influence public opinion to implicitly affect certain political outcomes. Newspapers and television are used to criminal sensations because this kind of information usually boosts ratings. For these companies, the higher goes the rating, the higher go the profits. It is a well-known fact that violence rates have grown significantly since the appearance of the contemporary mass media business. Public anxieties are intensified through newspapers, television, and social media. The key problem is that the reports commonly focus on the personal interpretation of the reported crimes and not on the expert commentary and factual data. This tendency is also present in the political sphere as numerous politicians prefer yellow press to quality sources. The Roles of Various Interest Groups Special interest groups may seriously impact the development of public policies. It is safe to say that a great number of professional associations are no strangers to spending money on the operations intended to transform public opinion. The majority of lobbyists who are directly related to the development of new legislations are closely acquainted with policymakers and government representatives (Gaines, 2014). Even though special interest groups claim that their key objective is affluence of the population, they are most interested in greater revenues and tend to disregard the initial propositions when their goal is accomplished. The negative impact of interest groups can be described as thriving political and administrative corruption and social influence. The Characteristics of Interest Groups in the Formulation of Criminal Justice Policies There are several characteristics of interest groups that impact the way they are perceived. First, the outcomes of the creation of an interest group rely on the goals of the group and the perspectives of offered incentives. Second, the impact of interest groups on the formation of criminal justice policies is influenced by the roles of the members in the decision-making process (Tanenhaus & Zimring, 2014). This means that the level of impact is dependent on the status of a member of the special group. The last characteristic is the degree of bureaucracy. This factor influences the creation and employment of administrative strategies. References Gaines, L. K. (2014). Homeland security: A new criminal justice mandate. In S. L. Mallicoat & C. L. Gardiner (Eds.), Criminal justice policy (pp. 67-87). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Griffin, O., Woodward, V. H., & Sloan, J. J. (2016). The money and politics of criminal justice policy . Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Marion, N. E., & Oliver, W. M. (2012). The public policy of crime and criminal justice (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Tanenhaus, D. S., & Zimring, F. E. (2014). Choosing the future for American juvenile justice . New York, NY: New York University Press.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : Adobe Systems' piracy challenge and solutions report discusses the company's efforts to use information technology to curb piracy. The report also talks about the company's pricing policy and how it has exacerbated the problem of piracy.
Adobe Systems' piracy challenge and solutions report discusses the company's efforts to use information technology to curb piracy. The report also talks about the company's pricing policy and how it has exacerbated the problem of piracy.
Adobe Systems’ Piracy Challenge and Solutions Report Introduction Adobe Systems is an American technological company that was incepted in 1982. The company has cut a niche in the information technology (IT) industry by specializing in software solutions that can be used with different systems. The company has specialized in the development of digital software solutions that are suitable for professionals. The most noticeable inventions by Adobe are the PDF digital document and the Photoshop application. Adobe is a successful company that has been listed at NASDQ with a share price of $109.03 as at 21 st October 2016 (Bakioglu, 2016). Adobe’s products are unique in nature because the company has invested in an area that is lucrative but with limited competition. However, for a long time, the pricing of its products has been inhibitive to the mass market. The company sells its products at premium prices. The pricing approach locks out the mass market and zeros in on the professional market. Most Adobe’s products are professional software that is used for specific trades. Identification of Problem, Opportunities, and Symptoms The primary challenge that Adobe faces is the application of Information technology to curb piracy. The pricing policy has exacerbated the problem. It discriminates many users. By targeting mainly the professionals, the company has ended up neglecting a huge potential market that can buy its products. The high prices that are charged for Adobe’s products have locked out the mass market. The company is facing the problem of losing a potential market to a future entrant or losing revenues to piracy. Many people globally resort to piracy as a way to access software that is not affordable. As a profit making company, Adobe needs to raise share price as part of revenue boosting solution. The company has an opportunity to tap into the growing market that has developed with the spread of information technology. Whereas the potential market sounds sweet to the enterprise, the reality on the ground dictates a different tone. The risk of Adobes products being pirated remains alive thus a great fear of the company. Statement of the Problem Adobe Systems faces the challenge of how to roll out its software to the mass market internationally without risking piracy. The situation is a dilemma that the company needs to resolve because the mass market provides a better revenue base that can facilitate the growth of the enterprise. While the professional market is profitable, the company has failed to grow it for the last 20 years leading to stagnation of the value of its shares (Bakioglu, 2016). The company wishes to identify the international regions with high rate of piracy to deal with the problem. It will enable the business to come up with solutions that can guarantee success. Adobe is a global company that has penetrated numerous regions around the world. The advent of computers and the subsequent spread of Smartphone technology have endeared the company to both professionals and other users. Digital applications that Adobe produces have become signature tools in almost all Smartphones. It leaves the company with the challenge of how to identify global piracy spots and seal the loopholes. A look at the piracy pattern indicates that the trend is not evenly distributed across the globe (Bakioglu, 2016). Some regions are rampant with the problem while some have small levels. Summary of Alternative Solutions * Stick with the professional market * Mapping the troubled areas * Enhancing the security features of the products * Open up to the mass market Evaluation of Alternative Solutions The company can tap into different solutions as it strives to solve the problem. Stick with the Professional Market The company can stick with the professional market which has served its interests for a long time. The professional market is small and easy to manage compared to the mass market. However, it has been blamed for the stagnation of the company’s share value. Its growth is insignificant because it is a tiny niche in the technological market. The downside of depending on the professional market is that the company is forced to price its products highly (Sako, 2012). The pricing strategy has the effect of locking out other professionals who are not ready to pay premium prices. The move will also escalate the risk of the products being pirated because they will remain expensive yet popular. Mapping the Troubled Areas Different countries have varying levels of law enforcement with regard to piracy and intellectual property infringement. Adobe should map out the various areas as a way to allocate resources to curb piracy. Research indicates that most Asian countries have piracy problems due to weak laws or the government’s lack of commitment to solving the problem (Baird, Miller, Raghu, & Sinha, 2016). In this case, the company will be required to use geographical information systems as a mapping tool. It will enable the company to conduct research on the areas to find out the rate of piracy and determine the extent of the vice. By mapping different areas, the company can manage to come up with a risk analysis report that will allow it to make accurate decisions to solve the problem. Enhancing the Security Features of the Products Adobe can improve the safety features of its products as a way to secure them against piracy. It will require the company to invest in research and development to create reliable methods of fighting piracy. The primary challenge to this remedy is that a majority of the experienced hackers can easily unlock any new security system for fun (Bakioglu, 2016). Hackers are unpredictable, and their intentions are varied across the globe. Thus developing a system that is hard to hack requires tremendous effort. Open up to the Mass Market The company can have a paradigm shift by opening its products to the mass market. In essence, the change will guarantee that products are made available at affordable prices. The mass market has the advantages of high and quick returns. The high number of Smartphones in the market has enhanced the demand for different types of applications (Sako, 2012). The main problem with this approach is that the company will do a disservice to its loyal clients. The professional market uses this software as part of its occupation, and opening up the software to everyone would result in the professionals losing a lot of customers. Conversely, Adobe will not have solved the fears that led to it targeting only the professionals (Sako, 2012). A price that is deemed affordable in Europe and America may seem expensive in other parts of the world. Thus, changing the prices would still encourage piracy. Rationale for the Selected Solution Adobe requires investing in information technology (geographical mapping system) to help it overcome the prevailing problem. The rationale for selecting the application of information technology to map the troubled areas is that it will enable the company to analyze each region with regard to its demographic and market characteristics. It will also enable the company to assess the risk levels in each geographical region that it intends to exploit. Availability of market information is crucial to developing an appropriate approach to each market (Davenport, 2013). Market features are usually unique based on the geographical location. They are derived from people’s cultural beliefs and practices. Information System Design Proposal It would be advisable for Adobe Systems to manage the distribution of its products based on information obtained through geographical information system. The company should come up with a system that is water tight to secure its product from piracy. The company will manage to come up with a cost-benefit analysis of markets by mapping out demographic features and economic potential (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2012). The cost-benefit analysis should be the first step before introducing the software to the mass market. An analysis of the economic potential will help Adobe to identify areas that are prospective markets for the product. A huge customer base with an average purchasing power is good enough for any company to exploit. Geographical mapping of the market will enable the Adobe to develop regional services for the specific areas as a way to meet their demands (Pearlson, Saunders, & Galletta, 2016). Some areas might have a big population but with a low buying power. Such areas are not economically viable for setting up of markets because the products may not sell as expected. Geographic information system is essential for management because it enables a company to develop specific market approaches for individual areas (Hitt et al., 2012). The global market is dynamic. Thus, organizations require understanding the particular area before they decide to invest. The importance of using geographical information system is that it can help to gather statistical information that is vital for decision-making. This recommendation is meant to inform the management about the strength of the chosen model and how it is appropriate Adobe’s strategic plan. The strategic plan of Adobe is to introduce its software to the global market with minimal piracy risks. Conclusion Information technology is important for a business because it simplifies decision-making processes. The present business world is very competitive due to globalization. Hence, organizations have to make informed and fast decisions. Failure to identify and exploit opportunities can be detrimental to a business. Working at the global stage is more complicated due to challenges posed by different laws and cultures. The global business arena is lucrative to all companies. However, it has many risks that should be identified and eliminated. It calls for a cautious approach when dealing with the global market. Organizations require having adequate information about a target market before they invest. Due to the elastic nature of the global market, organizations should have up-to-date information about present and possible risks. Investing in information technology can go a long way towards helping Adobe target the global market. The application of geographical mapping system would enable the company to identify the regions that pose significant piracy problems. Eventually, the company would know how to deal with such regions. References Baird, A., Miller, C., Raghu, T., & Sinha, R. (2016). Product line extension in consumer software markets in the presence of free alternatives. Information Systems Research , 27 (2), 282-301. Bakioǧlu, B. (2016). The gray zone: Networks of piracy, control and resistance. The Information Society , 32 (1), 40-50. Davenport, T. (2013). Process innovation: Reengineering work through information technology . Harvard: Harvard Business Press. Hitt, M., Ireland, R., & Hoskisson, R. (2012). Strategic management cases: Competitiveness and globalization . New York: Cengage Learning. Pearlson, K., Saunders, C., & Galletta, D. (2016). Managing and using information systems, binder ready version: A strategic approach . New York: John Wiley & Sons. Sako, M. (2012). Business models for strategy and innovation. Communications of the ACM , 55 (7), 22-24.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: Adolescent development is a dynamic biopsychosocial process that has to be understood by both parents or caregivers and health care providers to guide children through the transition from childhood to adulthood. No one would deny that adolescent development does not occur outside the context of familial and peer relationships. Therefore, it could be argued that the most important distinguishing characteristics of an adolescent are products of family and peer influence. Adolescents develop their identities and beliefs about their role in surrounding cultural environments
Adolescent development is a dynamic biopsychosocial process that has to be understood by both parents or caregivers and health care providers to guide children through the transition from childhood to adulthood. No one would deny that adolescent development does not occur outside the context of familial and peer relationships. Therefore, it could be argued that the most important distinguishing characteristics of an adolescent are products of family and peer influence. Adolescents develop their identities and beliefs about their role in surrounding cultural environments
Adolescent Health Problems and Development Essay Adolescent development is a dynamic biopsychosocial process that has to be understood by both parents or caregivers and health care providers to guide children through the transition from childhood to adulthood (Neinstein, Woods, Gordon, Katzman, & Rosen, 2009). No one would deny that adolescent development does not occur outside the context of familial and peer relationships. Therefore, it could be argued that the most important distinguishing characteristics of an adolescent are products of family and peer influence. Adolescents develop their identities and beliefs about their role in surrounding cultural environments through interaction with different social groups. Therefore, their ability to cope with the developmental process is directly influenced by their familial and peer relationships (Neinstein et al., 2009). Unlike Western cultures, the traditional cultures of India and China are associated with a strong pattern of closeness to extended family members (Arnett, 2013). Even though American minority cultures often display a similar proclivity for living in immediate proximity to their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, Western majority cultures engage in less frequent contact with their extended families. Taking into consideration the fact that “closeness to grandparents is positively related to adolescents’ well-being” (Arnett, 2013, p. 181), it could be argued that Western society could benefit from this practice. Moreover, traditional cultures promote caregiver relationships between siblings, thereby strengthening their bond and substantially reducing the amount of conflict in a family. There is ample evidence suggesting that health problems faced by adolescents are likely to result in negative consequences in their lifetime (Reilly & Kelly, 2011). For example, adolescent obesity that adversely influences the developed world for the last few decades is positively related to adult morbidity, specifically cardiometabolic morbidity (Reilly & Kelly, 2011). There is also a large body of evidence that shows that exposure to major psychological stressors during adulthood leads to “elevated rates of morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases of aging” (Miller, Chen, & Parker, 2011, p. 959). Health problems faced by adolescents have a lingering influence on their adult life; therefore, it is necessary to take a careful and systemic approach to their treatment. Even though a fourteen-year-old female patient is perfectly capable of grasping the specifics of the physical exam it is necessary to address the issue of “self-consciousness about their own body” (Sanfilippo, Lara-Torre, Edmonds, & Templeman, 2012, p. 120). The challenge stems from the fact that adolescents develop at varying ages; therefore, it might be necessary to precede an examination with educational videos that explain the process of examination. Even though the child’s parent is present at the exam, it is necessary to talk directly to the child to establish rapport. The child should be provided with a confidential screening questionnaire. It is also necessary to check adolescent-specific history, immunizations, substance abuse, depression, and eating disorders among others (Schuiling & Likis, 2013). The child should be encouraged to allow a doctor to become “the liaison between her and her family” (Sanfilippo et al., 2012, p. 212) so she could be provided with health information. A doctor should “discuss issues of confidentiality with an adolescent and their parent/guardian” (Sanfilippo et al., 2012, p. 263) before taking their sexual history. Even though teenagers are allowed to legally consent to “confidential diagnosis and treatment of STDs” (Sanfilippo et al., 2012, p. 263), they should be informed that if a patient’s disease poses a significant threat to either their or someone else’s life, the clinician has a right to disclose such information. A doctor has to provide a patient with information on abstinence, STD risk reduction, and condom use among others (Sanfilippo et al., 2012, p. 263). References Arnett, J. (2013). Adolescence and emerging adulthood: A cultural approach. New York, NY: Pearson. Miller, G., Chen, E., & Parker, K. (2011). Psychological stress in childhood and susceptibility to the chronic diseases of aging: Moving towards a model of behavioural and biological mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin, 137 (6), 959-997. Neinstein, L., Woods, E., Gordon, C., Katzman, D., & Rosen, D. (2009). Handbook of adolescent health care (1st ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Reilly, J., & Kelly, J. (2011). Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: Systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, 35 (1), 891-898. Sanfilippo, J., Lara-Torre, E., Edmonds, K., & Templeman, C. (2012). Clinical pediatric and adolescent gynecology . New York, NY: Informa Healthcare Schuiling, K., & Likis, F. (2013). Women’s gynecologic health (1st ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay examines the social pressure and roles of adolescents and how they are affected by their parents' criticism.
The essay examines the social pressure and roles of adolescents and how they are affected by their parents' criticism.
Adolescent Self-Perception and Parental Care Essay Table of Contents 1. Social Pressure and Roles of Adolescents 2. Conclusion 3. Bibliography 4. Footnotes Although it is considered that adolescents’ responsibilities are somewhat smaller in scope and significance than those which adults have, the challenges they encounter throughout every single day of their lives may be unbearable. Excess public expectations, parental and peer criticism, necessary to comply with various social roles are just a few reasons contributing to various teenage psychological difficulties. In particularly challenging situations, positive and trustful communication with peers and adults serves as the primary source of support. Thus, its role in the promotion of adolescents’ well-being is critical. Based on this, we will analyze the roles and self-perceptions of teenagers, as well as adults’ perceptions of adolescents, and the parent-child communication styles that are prevalent in the society to understand what communication patterns and contexts of support have greater potential to stimulate the development of sound identities and welfare in teenagers. Social Pressure and Roles of Adolescents In “The Triple Bind,” Hinshaw and Kranz examine how average teenagers are perceived in the modern culture and how various social expectations, mediated via parental, peer, and teachers’ criticism, affect children’s behaviors and overall psychological conditions. The authors state that nowadays teenagers are expected to be ambitious and successful in every area of life, and in the case of failure or even a little mistake they start feeling guilty and unhappy because of the criticism and unacceptance by others. When trying to enrich their academic, personal, and athletic lives, children frequently encounter unmanageable levels of pressure which, at some point, may result in a psychological burnout. Moreover, it is observed that in many cases girls are exposed to greater public pressure and contradictory expectations. They should show excellent results in education and career and, at the same time, fulfill their traditional social roles of wives and mothers, and reveal their innate feminine beauty and qualities in all possible ways 1 . The perceived contradictions and unconformity between social expectation and personal interests is detrimental to individual health and feeling of psychological security. Parents represent the primary category of caregivers. However, frequently they fail to provide sufficient psychological and emotional support to their children and often do not listen to them. It is possible to say that the paternalist relationship style is prevalent in contemporary society. The given interaction framework excludes collaboration as such and implies interactions built according to the “I win – you lose” principle 2 . The critical distance between the generations is clearly defined in the paternalist relationships whereas parents are placed in the center of these relationships, while children are marginalized, and their interests and needs are suppressed. The role of a parent implies that caregivers will always guide and lead their children, establish mutual trust, and efficiently manage interpersonal conflicts 3 . However, excess criticism and strict parental orientation towards their children’s achievements serve as the primary source of pressure for adolescents and trigger distress and anxiety in them. Of course, when children’s interests are not considered, and their aspirations are substituted by the parentally approved activities, they likely to see their lives as worthless and insignificant. As a result, there is no engagement and no hope. At the same time, community support may play a substantial role in managing crises and help adolescents cope with life challenges. In “Nobody Cries When We Die,” Patrick Reyes describes how the relationships with God and the studies in the local all-boys Christian school helped him to withstand domestic violence and other misfortunes he encountered when living in the gang-infested neighborhood during the adolescence 4 . The boy underwent his parents’ divorce. His mother never talked about it with him or his brothers, and when she decided to move in with a new boyfriend, Patrick had to face this as an inevitable fact although he did not like the idea of living with an unfamiliar person who, moreover, turned out to be violent and intolerant. In situations like this, the level of stress experienced by children can be overwhelming, and, in a lot of cases, it reaches the critical point. Moreover, when facing violence and living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, many children choose the path which is the easiest to ascend on, which is involved in the crime and gangs. The case described in the reading reveals the significance of community and religious support for the teenagers in crises as it helped Patrick to go the other way in life. Such support may help children to develop personal mechanisms of coping with conflicts and problems, as well as provide sufficient information and knowledge needed for building self-awareness and choosing a constructive and positive mode of life. Conclusion Despite their social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, all modern teenagers are exposed to significant pressure. The inability to express own opinions and realize personal needs and interests often results in psychological difficulties which can be aggravated if a teenager perceives a high level of criticism and has no sources of support. Moreover, adverse conditions can develop even easier if a person lives in an unfavorable environment. Based on this, teenage problems should be recognized by the family and community members, as well as the society as a whole, because recognition leads to the improvement of communication, dissemination of risk information, and increasing the accessibility to various sources of community assistance. While a certain level of parental authority is right, parents, educators, and other adults who have the power of influencing children should learn to collaborate with young individuals, listen to their voices and take into account their interests. In this way, it will be possible to develop a sense of meaningfulness in their lives and show children that they matter. Bibliography Clark, Chap. Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers . Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011. Hinshaw, Stephen, and Rachel Kranz. The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures . New York: Ballantine, 2009. Nakata, Sana. Childhood Citizenship, Governance and Policy: The Politics of Becoming Adult . New York: Routledge, 2015. Reyes, Patrick, and Jimmy Santiago Baca. Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood . Saint Louis: Chalice Press, 2016. Footnotes 1 Stephen Hinshaw and Rachel Kranz, The Triple Bind: Saving Our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures (New York: Ballantine, 2009), 48. 2 Sana Nakata, Childhood Citizenship, Governance, and Policy: The Politics of Becoming Adult (New York: Routledge, 2015), 30-31. 3, Chap Clark, Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011). 4 Patrick Reyes and Jimmy Santiago Baca, Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood (Saint Louis: Chalice Press, 2016), 4-6.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The article discusses the importance of ACTH in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. ACTH is an essential element of the HPA axis, and its release is regulated by a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). The most significant variable in regulating the activity of the HPA axis is stress.
The article discusses the importance of ACTH in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. ACTH is an essential element of the HPA axis, and its release is regulated by a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). The most significant variable in regulating the activity of the HPA axis is stress.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Regulation Essay Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is an essential element of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The most important physiological promoter of ACTH release is a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) (Wein, Kavoussi, Novick, Partin, & Peters, 2012). The most significant variable in regulating the activity of the HPA axis is stress (Wein et al., 2012). Backström and Winberg (2013) note that the major source of stress in humans is presented by social interactions. Thus, the authors emphasize the relation between ACTH release and stress levels in the organism. The normal operating of the HPA axis is necessary for any human’s health. Disorders in the regulation of glucocorticoid are connected with psychological and physiological conditions such as hypertension, post-traumatic disorder, diabetes, or depression (Arnett, Muglia, Laryea, & Muglia, 2015). Therefore, understanding the way in which HPA output is connected with the reaction to environmental stressors will enable the professionals to find the approaches to regulating the problem (Arnett et al., 2015). Hsu et al. (2012) investigate the behavioral patterns of response to stress. In their research, Hsu et al. (2012) investigate provide evidence of how a single nucleotide polymorphism in the CRH receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene demonstrates behavioral and neuroendocrine stress vulnerability. The authors conclude that CRHR1 single nucleotide polymorphism rs110402 can eliminate neural responses to emotional stimuli and thus provide a potential vulnerability mechanism for the development of major depressive disorders (Hsu et al., 2012). The rationale for Regulation of ACTH Since ACTH is a common response to stress, regulation of ACTH is connected with the treatment of stress disorders (Dunlop, Mansson, & Gerardi, 2012). Dunlop et al. (2012) suggest the following treatment methods of ACTH release: oxytocin, neurosteroids, dopamine, glutamate, neurokinin/Substance P, endocannabinoids, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. These medications are aimed at intensifying memory of fear elimination, interrupting reconsolidation and diminishing fear memories, and promoting engagement in psychotherapy by eliminating fear and developing acceptance of experience (Dunlop et al., 2012). Melmed (2017) suggests several ways of regulation of the HPA axis. Cytokines A better understanding of the evolvement and regulation of the HPA axis comes with the knowledge that the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) plays a crucial role in these processes (Melmed, 2017). LIF provokes the transcription of proopiomelanocortin neurons. Cytokines can stimulate the release of ACTH by stimulation of hypothalamic secretion (Melmed, 2017). Oxytocin Low-dose perfusion of oxytocin reduces the levels of cortisol and ACTH, Oxytocin works through paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis and connects to arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptors, but it is not as strong as AVP in provoking the release of ACTH (Melme, 2017). Glucocorticoids These are the main negative regulators of ACTH. Glucocorticoids create nongenomic outcomes that occur faster than genomic ones. Glucocorticoids stimulate corticotrophs to inhibit ACTH secretion (Melmed, 2017). A negative response can be described as “long, short, or ultrashort” in accordance with the place and character of the hormone which mediates the response (Melmed, 2017, p. 61). Protracted negative feedback by glucocorticoids performs a significant function by limiting the activation of the HPA axis (Melmed, 2017). Physiological Regulators of ACTH Secretion Many physiological issues can impact the ultimate pattern of ACTH release. Such factors include the negative response by glucocorticoids, circadian rhythms, and stress (Melmed, 2017). These aspects influence one another in a combined manner to be able to control the release of ACTH. Also, am important role in the restriction of ACTH release belongs to the immune system, which cooperates with the HPA axis (Melmed, 2017). References Arnett, M. G., Muglia, L. M., Laryea, G., & Muglia, L. J. (2015). Genetic approaches to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation. Neuropsychopharmacology, 41 (1), 245-260. Backström, T., & Winberg, S. (2013). Central corticotropin releasing factor and social stress. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7 , 49-58. Dunlop, B.W., Mansson, E., & Gerardi, M. (2012). Pharmacological innovations for posttraumatic stress disorder and medication-enhanced psychotherapy. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 18 (35), 5645-5658. Hsu, D. T., Mickey, B. J., Langenecker, S. A., Heitzeg, M. M., Love, T. M., Wang, H.,… Zubieta, J.-K. (2012). Variation in the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene influences fMRI signal responses during emotional stimulus processing. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32 (9), 3253-3260. Melmed, S. (Ed.). (2017). The pituitary (4th ed.). London, UK: Academic Press. Wein, A. J., Kavoussi, L. R., Novick, A. C., Partin, A. W., & Peters, C. (Eds.). (2012). Campbell-Walsh urology (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The paper at hand is aimed to investigate the major theories of second language acquisition in their application to the given lesson. It is going to analyze the way the language is taught and perceived by the students, the strategies applied by the teacher, the learning activities the students perform, and the feedback that they provide.
The paper at hand is aimed to investigate the major theories of second language acquisition in their application to the given lesson. It is going to analyze the way the language is taught and perceived by the students, the strategies applied by the teacher, the learning activities the students perform, and the feedback that they provide.
Adult English Lesson in Melbourne: Analysis Essay The video that is going to be analyzed in the paper was recorded at a language school in Melbourne. It demonstrates an adult ESL class studying English at a pre-intermediate level. The major challenge for the teacher consists in the fact that all the students have different cultural backgrounds, which implies that none of them share the same mother tongue. The class is comprised of students coming from Korea, Peru, Brazil, and Italy. The teacher, Monique, who is British, has been teaching these students for about five months. The major language focus of the class is the oral practice of Past Continuous and Past Simple tenses in their application to real-life situations. The students are asked to tell a story about a special occasion from their experience. The task starts with a brainstorming activity for students to recollect vocabulary on the topic establishing connections and associations that constitute one semantic field. Since all the students come from different countries, their cultural and stylistic traditions, as well as structural contrasts of their mother tongues, account for the fact that they conceptualize language differently. Theoretically, this implies that: 1. the students are supposed to segment the input coming from the teacher using different criteria and, therefore, understand the task differently; 2. they may select different language units when verbalizing a similar idea; 3. they use different links to connect events in discourse (Ortega 2014). Practically, these implications are taken into consideration by the teacher who creates an interactive environment encouraging students to assist and check each other. Besides the evident purpose of collaborative grammar and vocabulary acquisition, this is also done to share the students’ peculiar models of language conceptualization that reflect their worldviews. The paper at hand is aimed to investigate the major theories of second language acquisition in their application to the given lesson. It is going to analyze the way the language is taught and perceived by the students, the strategies applied by the teacher, the learning activities the students perform, and the feedback that they provide. The content and the structure of the lesson have been briefly summed up in the introductory part; the main body of the essay will be devoted to the analysis of SLA theories and aspects of the classroom language and activities exemplifying them; the conclusion will draw together the central points of the analysis and attempt to provide future directions for linking theory and practice. Key Theories of SLA and their Reflection in the Lesson There exist at least forty theories of second language acquisition; however, none of them manages to explain its nature exhaustively and completely. The task is complicated by the fact that the process of language learning is not linear and cannot be reduced to a set of simplified mechanisms as most theories attempt to do (Ortega 2014). Thus, it would be logical to assume that the real practice of SLA may unite features of several models as it can be demonstrated using the materials of the given lesson. Behaviorism Behaviorism understands SLA as a stimulus-response mechanism, which consists of acquiring positive automatic learning habits. The major emphasis is made on an external linguistic environment that impacts the learner through a sequence of stimuli and responses in the form of repetition (Larsen-Freeman 2015). Thus, acquiring a language relies not on internal mental processes but rather on inductive discovering of repetitive patterns in the stimuli provided by the environment with subsequent formation of the whole language system in the mind of the learner. The model is fully applicable only in the field of phonetics as acquiring correct pronunciation is largely based on repetition (Ortega 2013). Despite its one-sided approach, behaviorism gave birth to profound error analysis that is aimed to investigate the impact of the first language on SLA (Mitchell, Myles, & Marsden 2013). The lesson given by Monique does not explicitly demonstrate the application of the model. However, the teacher stresses the importance of students’ checking each other’s sentences and correcting mistakes, which allows them to learn something about each other’s first language alongside with SLA. In general, the teacher gives the students numerous stimuli for encouraging them to provide feedback and ensure understanding of the task. Moreover, she praises the desired behavior providing positive reinforcement. However, no direct repetition is involved, which implies that Monique does not rely fully on the power of the language environment in SLA. Acculturation This environmental model suggests that SLA is successful under the condition that learners manage to overcome the existing cultural and psychological barriers between them and those who speak the language they are trying to acquire (Mitchell, Myles, & Marsden 2013). In the given case, the teacher attempts to bridge the gaps by emphasizing similarities the students have despite their different cultural backgrounds. She intentionally encourages them to verbalize what actions they are performing while trying to complete the task to make them acquire the feeling of belonging as all the students can see that they use the same techniques (non-verbal language, reading, writing, discussing the task with each other, etc.) Semantic Theory Learning the second language deals primarily with the acquisition of meanings in their correlations with previously unknown forms of words. According to the semantic theory, there exist four major types of meaning: lexical, grammatical, semantic, and pragmatic. Thus, acquisition of languages is a basic understanding of the way meaning is connected with form, structured in sentences, and applied in real-life situations (Hasko 2013). During the lesson, we can observe how the teacher encourages her students to notice different types of meanings: e.g. she gives them the task to create a semantic field based upon semantic and lexical associations that are stored in their mental vocabulary; then, she draws their attention to the connection of the grammatical form “was” with the idea of the past that it expresses; moreover, the teacher touches upon the pragmatic aspect speaking about smileys and body language. Universal Grammar Theory Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar states that there are common parameters and properties that all languages share as well as those that are specific for each language. Therefore, the success in learning grammar is predetermined by the accurate setting of the required parameters (Edmonds 2014). The problem with the application of this theory in the class described is that all the students have different first languages, which means that it is hardly possible for the teacher to track the transfer of their mother tongues’ structure upon the target language. However, the idea of a common pattern for expressing the past is still expressed. Input Hypothesis The hypothesis states that the most exhaustible source of information about the language you are trying to acquire is the language itself. The term “input” signifies the immediate contact with the language while “intake” stands for the processing of the language to extract information valuable for learning (Slabakova 2016). The quality of the input is supposed to be the most influential factor of SLA success. Thus, the level of the input must be comprehensible to students following the i+1 principle. It implies that the language should contain new complicated structures that are not familiar to learners for them to increase their competence gradually (Gass 2013). However, the level of the input should not be too high as it may hinder intake. It is also essential to alter input for being able to draw the attention of learners to some important language phenomena (Edmonds 2014). The lesson under discussion demonstrates various modifications of input aiming to achieve better understanding. The teacher uses long and short sentences interchangeably for students to receive the impression of natural communication at the level that is understandable to them. She asks numerous questions and resorts to repetitions of the most complicated phrases to help students understand the task accurately and fully. Moreover, the teacher also prompts the students to write down their ideas and exchange them, which provides additional input as they can enrich each other’s vocabulary this way. It means that each of them can provide input for his/her task partner maintaining the process of intake at the same time. This develops multitasking and assessment ability. Monitor Model Krashen’s monitor model distinguishes between the processes of language acquisition and actual learning. According to is, the first process is subconscious and does not have anything in common with academic studying. It means picking up a language as children do, without any reflection upon its structures or vocabulary (Richards 2015). On the contrary, the process of learning is intentional and is connected with traditional language classes. These approaches are drastically different. However, language acquisition may transform into learning under the condition that the learner attempts to analyze and understand the rules of the language that he/she uses and obtain greater control over the speech production through this understanding. Such monitoring of your speech production helps adjust your language to the required parameters (VanPatten & Williams 2014). During the lesson, we can observe how the teacher fosters the monitoring activity of her students. They are asked to perform the task together and compare the words and sentences that they have written. The idea is that it allows evaluating your level of vocabulary as compares to your partner’s. Moreover, the analysis of another person’s mistakes helps reflect upon the correctness of grammar structures in your sentences. The student goes from the subconscious language acquisition to intentional learning. Interaction Hypothesis Long’s interaction hypothesis states that the success of SLA is determined by the constant use of the language in communication. The hypothesis stresses the significance of the input and claims that its effectiveness is enhanced when students do not understand each other initially and have to put effort into negotiating for meaning (Larsen-Freeman & Long 2014). This comes as a result of receiving negative experience: if a student pronounces something that his/her teacher or partner does not understand, he/she has to modify the utterance in such a way that comprehension becomes possible. In this way, students start reflecting upon their grammar and word choice more carefully (Madeira 2016). The process of input for the interlocutor is slowed down in such cases but that quality of it increases. Moreover, learners can realize differences between the idea they have of their language knowledge and the way other people perceive it, which makes them review their approach to learning in general or direct their attention to bridging some particular gaps (Bygate, Swain, & Skehan 2013). During the class, Monique used interaction as the major technique of SLA. The students almost did not have any opportunity to work individually – they were involved in the unceasing interaction with their group mates. The major factor that allows using this approach is the cultural diversity of the class. The point is that the students had no other common means to express their ideas and achieve mutual understanding. They are forced to use their limited second language skills to get understood. However, the teacher also emphasized their ability to facilitate the process with the help of non-verbal communication that is highly important in real-life communication and can serve as a useful tool in class. Output Hypothesis or Lingualization Swain’s output hypothesis stresses the significance of the output in second language practice as compared to the role of the input. It is claimed that only observing the way utterances are produced, the student becomes capable of understanding the language mechanisms (Kormos 2014). The observation of the output makes students transfer from the semantic perception through strategic processing towards grammatical excellence. Seeing the discrepancy between what they say and what can be said, they realize what things they still do not know and manage to acquire this knowledge more quickly and effectively. This brings about a metalinguistic function of the output (Tarone, Gass, & Cohen 2013). The experience of the students from Monique’s class shows that the output is no less significant than the input as all the students attempt to speak even when listening is the major activity they are currently performing. The teacher is sure to realize the importance of expression and asks a lot of questions that encourage students to verbalize and repeat her ideas enriching them with their own. This way she involves students in the process of explanation of the task and makes them combine the input and the output, which helps imitate real-life conversation. Conclusion As we can see from the analysis of the lesson, smart teaching, and well-structured learning environment are capable of opening a wide variety of opportunities for second language students to receive and share knowledge. Moreover, context-aware systems are highly advantageous in terms of the teacher’s ability to track the individual progress of each student within the scope of each task (Breen 2014). This allows stepping aside from the traditions of the instructed learning of languages. As far as the application of various theories, hypotheses, models are concerned, it would be fair to notice that none of them provides a clear-cut comprehensive system that could eliminate the necessity to look for new approaches. Currently, the most problematic point concerning linking theory to practice consists of the fact that proponents of each approach tend to stick to their view excluding the possibility of the models to enrich each other (Carter & McCarthy 2014). The analysis of the lesson proves that many of the popular views upon the teaching and learning process can be selectively combined. This indicates the direction for further research as it is highly important to find out which theories complement each other to improve students’ experience and results. Reference List Breen, MP 2014, Learner contributions to language learning: New directions in research , Routledge, London. Bygate, M, Swain, M, & Skehan, P 2013, Researching pedagogic tasks: Second language learning, teaching, and testing , Routledge, London. Carter, R & McCarthy, M 2014, Vocabulary and language teaching , Routledge, London. Edmonds, A 2014, ‘Conventional expressions’, Studies in Second Language Acquisition , vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 69-99. Gass, SM 2013, Second language acquisition: An introductory course , Routledge, London. Hasko, V 2013, ‘Capturing the dynamics of second language development via learner corpus research: A very long engagement’, The Modern Language Journal , vol. 97, no. 1, pp. 1-10. Kormos, J 2014, Speech production and second language acquisition , Routledge, London. Larsen-Freeman, D & Long, MH 2014, An introduction to second language acquisition research , Routledge, London. Larsen-Freeman, D 2015, ‘Saying what we mean: Making a case for ‘language acquisition’ to become ‘language development’, Language Teaching , vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 491-505. Madeira, A 2016, ‘Second Language Acquisition’, The Handbook of Portuguese Linguistics , vol.4, no. 2, pp. 578-590. Mitchell, R, Myles, F, & Marsden, E 2013, Second language learning theories , Routledge, London. Ortega, L 2013, ‘SLA for the 21st century: Disciplinary progress, transdisciplinary relevance, and the bi/multilingual turn’, Language Learning , vol. 63, no. 1, pp.1-24. Ortega, L 2014, Understanding second language acquisition , Routledge, London. Richards, JC 2015, Error analysis: Perspectives on second language acquisition , Routledge, London. Slabakova, R 2016, Second Language Acquisition , Oxford University Press, Oxford. Tarone, EE, Gass, SM, & Cohen, AD 2013, Research methodology in second-language acquisition , Routledge, London. VanPatten, B & Williams, J 2014, Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction , Routledge, London.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The text discusses two characteristics of adult learning: one, that adult learners tend to bring in their past experiences that may complicate the acquisition of the new knowledge, and two, that adult learners are willing to see the connection of the newly acquired knowledge to their daily life and the translation of the learned material to practice.
The text discusses two characteristics of adult learning: one, that adult learners tend to bring in their past experiences that may complicate the acquisition of the new knowledge, and two, that adult learners are willing to see the connection of the newly acquired knowledge to their daily life and the translation of the learned material to practice.
Adult Learners’ Features and Attitude to Knowledge Essay Two Characteristics of Adult Learning One of the primary characteristics of adult learners is their possession of the experiences and opinions obtained previously in life (“Characteristics of adult learning,” n.d.). In other words, apart from the motivation and a rational determination to learn that may serve as the factors helping to increase the effectiveness of their learning process, adult learners tend to bring in their past experiences that may complicate the acquisition of the new knowledge (The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, 2007). Another characteristic of adult learners is their willingness to see the connection of the newly acquired knowledge to their daily life and the translation of the learned material to practice (“Principles of adult learning,” n.d.). As an adult learner, I have experienced both of these characteristics. In my opinion, the two aspects mentioned above are interconnected. The challenges presented by the adult learners’ set mentalities and prejudices can be overcome through the practical demonstration and application of the new knowledge. I believe that modern universities are focused on battling stereotypes and set impressions and attempt to provide the opportunities for independent research so that the learners could use what they have learned, practice their newly acquired skills, and see the benefits of critical thinking and an open mind right away. References Characteristics of adult learning . (n.d.). Web. Principles of adult learning . (n.d.). Web. The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. (2007). 30 things we know for sure about adult learning. Showcasing Popular Issues Series, 29 (4), 1-2.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The text discusses the features of a stock, the approaches of estimating value of common stock, risk, and portfolio.
The text discusses the features of a stock, the approaches of estimating value of common stock, risk, and portfolio.
Advanced Financial Management Report (Assessment) Table of Contents 1. Features of a stock 2. Approaches of Estimating Value of Common Stock 3. Risk 4. Portfolio Features of a stock Generally, a stock represents a unit of ownership in an entity. It represents a package of rights and powers. The examples are the right to receive dividend, voting rights, and the right to receive consideration during the merger, among others. Secondly, the stock is characterized by uncertain returns. For instance, a company may not have adequate earnings to pay dividends. In this case, there will be no return on stocks. Finally, the value of stock is based on cash returns, such as dividends and capital gains. There is no ceiling on this value. The intrinsic value is a projected true value of an entity, while the market value is the value of the entity that is reflected by the price of its stock. The process of arriving at the intrinsic value of a stock is quite tedious and difficult. However, there are a number of methods that are commonly used to arrive at this value. The market value is often based on external expectations and opinions, while the intrinsic value is verifiable. In most cases, the intrinsic value is always different from the market value. Approaches of Estimating Value of Common Stock Under the constant growth model, the intrinsic value of a stock is estimated using the expected future streams of dividend that is assumed to grow at a constant rate. Under this approach, the dividend per share grows at a constant rate in perpetuity. On the other hand, the dividend growth rate is expected to be higher than the average rate, and then it returns to the normal level under the supernormal growth approach. The supernormal growth rate is often arrived at after comparing the performance of the company with the industry averages. Risk Generally, the risk is the uncertainty that is associated with the outcome of an investment. There are several ways of measuring risk. The most common way of measuring risk is by using a standard deviation. It measures the dispersion from the average values. Other ways of measuring risk are the coefficient of variation, range, alpha, beta, value at risk, conditional value at risk, r-squared, and Sharpe ratio, among others. When making an investment decision, an investor needs to evaluate both the risk and return of the security. Different securities have different levels of risks and returns. Therefore, the investor needs to evaluate the risk-return tradeoff and select a combination that matches their expected return and their attitude towards risks. Portfolio Creating a portfolio allows an individual to invest in a variety of assets that have different levels of risk and return. The main reason why an investor needs to create a portfolio is to minimize risk. When done correctly, the total risk of a portfolio is always much lower than that of an individual asset. Constructing a portfolio reduces the correlation between assets. This leads to a reduction of risk of the overall portfolio. Each portfolio has a combination of risk and return of its own. The return of a portfolio depends on the return and the weight of each asset. In some cases, the return of a portfolio is always lower than that of individual asset that has the highest return and higher for assets that have least return. The risk of a portfolio can be categorized into systematic and unsystematic risk. Unsystematic risk represents a risk that can be reduced and eliminated through diversification. On the other hand, systematic risk cannot be eliminated. The risk is inherent in the entire market or a section of the market. This type of risk is measured using beta.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The essay discusses the importance of understanding the nine core competencies of the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) for advanced practice nurses.Advanced Practice Nurses: The Importance of Understanding the Nine Core Competencies of the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
The essay discusses the importance of understanding the nine core competencies of the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) for advanced practice nurses. Advanced Practice Nurses: The Importance of Understanding the Nine Core Competencies of the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
Advanced Nurse Practitioners: Issues and Trends Essay Introduction In the modern world characterized by ever-changing lifestyles, Advanced Nurse Practitioners (APNs) play a pivotal role. In effect, APNs need to have the requisite expertise that helps them provide high-end services to patients. Notably, exceptional service quality is a factor that differentiates service delivery in health facilities. Some of the core competences, which nursing practitioners need to possess include those provided by the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). Practically, NONPF has nine core competencies focused on ensuring that the quality of services delivered in healthcare facilities is exceptional and satisfactory. In the quest to ascertain the essence of expertise in the field of healthcare, I interviewed with an APN, who has worked in several hospitals as a Certified Nursing Practitioner (CNP). They need to interview a qualified nursing practitioner emanated from the fact that I wanted valid, reliable, and practical information that could foster my understanding of the concepts of NONPF. It is within this backdrop that the essay undertakes an interview to examine the core competences of NONPF and the roles of APNs. Description of the Nine NONPF Nurse Practitioners Core Competencies During the interview with Ikemefuna Nonso, who was the selected interviewee, we discussed the nine NONPF core competences and their essence in the field of healthcare. Ethics, policy, practice inquiry, leadership, as well as technology and information literacy are some of the NONPF competencies discussed. Other competencies include independent practice, health delivery systems, scientific foundation, and quality. Apparently, a combination of the nine competencies leads to the development of a practical framework that facilitates efficient and high quality of services. In the perspective of Ray, Staples, and Hannon (2016), a good understanding of the core components provided by the NONPF for nursing practitioners enables APNs to deliver services that match patient requirements. As such, it is important to ensure that nurses not only understand the core competencies of NONPF but also apply them in their operations. Scientific Foundation Competence: Scientific foundation is a competence that incorporates science and its findings into the health sector. Fundamentally, the health sector has a close relationship with the field of science. Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, and O’Grady (2014) elucidate that scientific foundation competence facilitates the collection of scientific information useful in improving the quality of healthcare. Therefore, findings from the field of science can have a significant influence on the nature of service delivered by medical facilities. Leadership Competence: Leadership competence is very instrumental in furnishing practitioners with skills useful in the provision of advice, guidance, and assisting other nurses. Hain and Fleck (2014) explain that since nursing practitioners grapple with situations that require timely decisions, the essence of leadership competence is a factor that they cannot downplay. The competence enables the practitioners to think critically, be assertive, and make wise decisions that conform to the required standards. Practice Inquiry Competence: The medical sector is ever-changing and dynamic with a diversity of patient requirements. To ensure that their services meet the demands advanced by patients, APNs need to engage in constant inquires, collect data, and publish them for future use. It is imperative to state that the data collected is very useful in advancing the quality of healthcare (Nagelkerk, 2006). APNs need competence because it helps them devise new ways of delivering services and facilitates exchange ideas with APNs from other regions of the world in the quest to ensure that patients receive the best services. The competence compels APNs to act as leaders, role models, and mentors to junior nurses and helps them foster the quality of services. Quality Competence: Consequently, quality competence enables nursing practitioners to improve the overall value of care accorded to patients (Gosselin, Dalton & Penne, 2015). The competence compels practitioners to initiate strategies that amplify the efficiency of care in an attempt to ensure that the services provided are high end. Just like in other fields of humanity, patients expect the best services out of minimal expenditure. The implication of the expectation is the need to ensure that while services are exceptional, they still match patient expectations in terms of cost and value. Independent Practice Competence: Independent practice is a competence that provides patient-centered initiatives. To deliver services that focus on patient needs, nursing practitioners have to utilize the independent practice competence. Independent practice competence compels practitioners to follow the guidelines provided by their licenses of practice and accord patients with the necessary guidance on a wide variety of diseases in a free and fair manner (Cherry & Jacob, 2015). By undertaking their services independently, nursing practitioners strive to free themselves from unwarranted biases or influences that can affect the quality of services. Technology and Information Literacy Competence: Technology and information literacy is a competence that facilitates the incorporation of technology into healthcare facilities. It is vital to explain that through the competence, nursing practitioners can successfully store patient data using electronic software for easy retrieval. Gosselin, Dalton, and Penne (2015) assert that by adopting and applying the competence in a medical facility, nursing practitioners develop a framework that facilitates easy and efficient service delivery. Using the competence, practitioners can store patient information in a platform that is free from various cases of misplacement or unwarranted access. Policy Core Competence: Conversely, the competence that concerns policy enables practitioners to understand, apply, and abide by the various health and insurance policies that govern the health sector nationally and globally (Cherry & Jacob, 2015). As they strive to ensure that their services are in line with the requirements instituted by national and global health organizations, APNs asses the ever-changing policies. By assessing and constantly updating their skills with new policies, APNs eventually facilitate the delivery of services that are exceptional and satisfactory. Practically, these policies affect all facets of healthcare. Therefore, APNs should ensure that they constantly update themselves on these policies so that they deliver services that meet the required national and global standards. The competence results in wise decisions, which are ethical, and in line with state and global requirements. Ethical Competence: To advance my understanding of the competencies provided by NONPF, I further engaged Ikemefuna Nonso on the respective competences and what each one of them espouses. In the explanation provided by the practitioner, I learned that the core competencies, which concern ethics, facilitate the delivery of moral decisions that practitioners encounter in their practice. According to Nagelkerk (2006), ethics competence helps APNs handle challenging situations in a wise manner and make decisions that are morally sound in relation to their respective consequences. It is fundamental to explain that in the course of duty, APNs encounter issues that require urgent, but morally upright decisions. The absence of competence leads to decisions that are detrimental in relation to the ethical beliefs of the patient or the society. Health Delivery Competence: Health delivery competence helps practitioners to analyze the quality of care and make decisions that advance service quality. The purpose of the competence is to ensure that the quality of services matches the modern standards. Safety, cost, and the overall state of equipments used in a medical facility are among the aspects that the competence focuses on. Furthermore, the competence leads to recruitment of skilled human resources and training of the existing nursing practitioners. Ray, Staples, and Hannon (2016) elucidate that recruitment and training of nursing practitioners usually follow the trends that affect the medical sector. Therefore, the health delivery competence plays an instrumental role in the healthcare sector. Interview with the APN The interview that I conducted looked into the various core competencies of NONPF and how they can be incorporated into the field of medicine. To acquire the relevant information, I looked for an experienced APN, who had the right expertise on nursing and NONPF concepts. The interviewee, Ikemefuna Nonso, is a qualified APN, who is a holder of a master’s degree in nursing. Also, she has a wealth of experience acquired after a long period of practice in various medical facilities. The experience was acquired before and after the attainment of a master’s degree. As such, by securing an interview with her, I had the assurance of getting the information that could help me dissect the various competences in the field of nursing. To improve the quality of my information and the interview, I combined verbal statements with written questions that were semi-structured. Moreover, we agreed to meet at a time when the practitioner was free from several commitments. Analysis of the Discussed APN Core Competencies Fundamentally, during the interview, we covered the competencies held by APNs and the relationship with the provisions of NONPF. I observed and learned that the competences of APNs, which range from leadership, guidance, to the provision of ethical advice are within the spectrum of NONPF core competences. From the interview, it became evident that APNs play a very crucial role in health facilities, which is almost equivalent to that played by doctors. The interviewee informed me that their participation is useful because it minimizes the challenges which doctors experience when assembling junior nurses in an attempt to foster the quality of care. It is important to assert that although the interviewee had the competences, his major focus was in the field of nursing practitioner (CNP). According to the interviewee, the love and passion to help a wide spectrum of patients in and outside the hospital led to the decision of undertaking the role. Conclusion Stakeholders in the medical field cannot underscore the vital role played by APNs in the administration of medical attention. Notably, the interview unfolded some factors that revolve around the medical field. As such, I learned that APNs are among the individuals who determine the quality of care that patients receive in a medical facility. During the interview, the core competences of NONPF become clear to me. A look at the NONPF core competencies demonstrated a close relationship with the roles that APNs undertake every day in the course of duty. Core competences like ethics, policy, practice inquiry, leadership, technology and information literacy, independent practice, health delivery systems, scientific foundation, and quality are very essential in the field of medicine. It is imperative to elucidate that by understanding these competencies and applying them in their practice, APNs not only improve the quality of care that patients receive but also amplify the level of satisfaction derived from service delivery. Therefore, the relevance of APNs and the NONPF in the medical sector is one that stakeholders need to promote. References Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. (2015). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management . St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Gosselin, T., Dalton, K., & Penne, K. (2015). The role of the advanced practice nurse in the academic setting. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 31 (4), 290-297. Hain, D., & Fleck, L. (2014). Barriers to nurse practitioner practice that impact healthcare redesign. The online journal of issues in nursing , 19 (2), 21-38. Hamric, A., Hanson, C., Tracy, M., & O’Grady, E. (2014). Advanced practice nursing: an integrative approach . New York, NY: Elsevier. Nagelkerk, J. (2006). Starting your practice: A survival guide for nurse practitioners . St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Ray, S., Staples, E., & Hannon, R. (2016). Canadian perspectives on advanced practice nursing . Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars Press.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The text discusses the roles of pros and cons of advanced practice nurses.Pros: Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services.Cons: Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility.
The text discusses the roles of pros and cons of advanced practice nurses. Pros: Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services. Cons: Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility.
Advanced Practice Nurse: Roles, Pros and Cons Essay Choosing a Role in the Field of Advanced Practice Nurse A choice of a role in the field of advanced practice nursing requires a good understanding of the various factors that revolve around the field of nursing. In effect, the main roles that Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) undertake concentrate on patient care and fall into four categories. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Certified Nurse-Midwives are the four categories, which espouse the four roles that APNs undertake in the course of duty. Imperatively, nursing activities performed by APNs take place in and outside healthcare centers (Florida Nurses Association, 2008). As such, the scope of APNs’ service delivery is wide and comprises several areas in and outside the medical facilities. While a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is responsible for the administration of anesthetics to patients, Nurse Practitioners help in the examination and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in and outside the medical facilities. Consequently, practitioners also handle issues relating to diabetes, asthma, and immunization. On the other hand, the Clinical Nurse Specialist helps in the assessment and control of cancer, heart problems, and issues that affect women and young children. Pulcini, Jelic, Gul, and Loke (2010) state that Certified Nurse-Midwives are concerned with birthing issues, which incorporate the administration of prenatal and antenatal care to expectant women to ensure healthy delivery and optimum infant care. The activities involved in each of the four roles facilitate informed selection concerning the likes and preferences of a particular APN. Pros and Cons of the Four APN Roles Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Pros * Improves the expertise of a nurse in the role of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. * Improves the quality of care that patients, who need anesthetics like sedatives and painkillers receive. * Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services. Cons * Limits the skills of a nurse to the role of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. * Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility. * Lowers productivity because it limits expertise and initiates specialization. Nurse Practitioner Pros * Improves the quality of care that patients receive. * Offers a wide spectrum of choice for nurses, who execute diverse roles in the healthcare sector. * Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services. * Improves the expertise of a nurse in the respective role. Cons * Limits the skills of a nurse to the role of Nurse Practitioner. * Lowers productivity because it limits expertise and initiates specialization. * Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility. Clinical Nurse Specialist Pros * Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services. * Improves the quality of care that patients receive. * Improves the expertise of a nurse in the Clinical Nurse Specialist role. Cons * Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility. * Limits the skills of a nurse to the Clinical Nurse Specialist role. * Lowers productivity because it limits expertise and initiates specialization. Certified Nurse-Midwives Pros * Improves the expertise of a nurse in the respective role. * Encourages specialization, which is a good ingredient in the delivery of exceptional services. * Improves the quality of care that women and young children receive. Cons * Limits the skills of a nurse to a midwifery and infant care role. * Lowers productivity because it limits expertise and initiates specialization. * Encourages specialization, which over time reduces flexibility. References Florida Nurses Association. (2008). Improving Access to Health Care and Containing Costs. An Action Plan for the State of Florida, 1 (1), 1-22. Pulcini, J., Jelic, M., Gul, R., & Loke, A. (2010). An International Survey on Advanced Practice Nursing Education, Practice, and Regulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 42 (1), 31–39.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The importance of theory classes in nursing can't be understated. Theory is the foundation upon which all subsequent learning is built. It is through theory classes that nursing students learn the application of several procedures in the field. Theory classes also enable the nurse to write information that later translates into reference materials. The information written down during theory classes is very useful and their easy retrieval makes them very vital in the nursing practice.
The importance of theory classes in nursing can't be understated. Theory is the foundation upon which all subsequent learning is built. It is through theory classes that nursing students learn the application of several procedures in the field. Theory classes also enable the nurse to write information that later translates into reference materials. The information written down during theory classes is very useful and their easy retrieval makes them very vital in the nursing practice.
Advanced Practice Nurse’s Skills and Duties Essay Importance of Theory Classes in Nursing Nursing is a very important activity that concerns human life. As such, a combination of theory and practical lessons is very essential. While some nursing students downplay the relevance of the theoretical aspect of nursing, they fail to understand that the aspect is key to understanding the underlying nursing concepts. DeNisco and Barker (2016) explain that smart nurses combine their practice with information acquired during their periods of learning. Principally, the theory is the initial part of nursing where nurses get the first concepts that concern the practice. It is through theory classes that nursing practitioners know the application of several procedures in the field. Also, theory classes enable the nurse to write information that later translates into reference materials. The information written down during theory classes is very useful and their easy retrieval makes them very vital in the nursing practice. Consequently, theory helps nursing practitioners refresh their memories and recall the practices that they have not engaged in for long period. After several years of practice, nurses may forget some aspects that are important in the field of healthcare. Forgetfulness can transpire if the nurses are not practicing a certain aspect frequently. As a result, the nurses eventually engage in one practice, and in case the expertise is required concerning the forgotten aspects, they may be unproductive. Therefore, studying theory even after long periods of practice is very realistic and practical (Buppert, 2012). It is important to highlight that even lawyers and judges refer to the information acquired during their learning process to make informed and wise counsel. As such, having to study theory in a nursing class is one of the aspects that one cannot underscore in the quest to become the best nursing practitioner in the healthcare sector. Negotiation Strategies that are Important for Contract Renewal In the context of nursing care and practice, practitioners in the healthcare sector need to understand the strategies, which are core in negotiating for a contract renewal. Some of the main strategies that nursing practitioners should understand and utilize during a contract negotiation process include income, expenditure, and unpaid activities that they undertake during their practice. Before negotiating for a contract renewal, a nurse needs to understand the income that the primary care center generates. DeNisco and Barker (2016) assert that understanding the income generated by the center is a vital concept as it facilitates informed negotiation. Knowledge of the income also helps nursing practitioners to asses themselves and their worth in line with their salary and the contract in question. It is imperative to understand that a practitioner, who brings in income, is in a good position of getting a renewal of the contract in the event of a well-designed negotiation. Another strategy that helps the practitioners renegotiate a contract renewal successfully is an insight into the income concerning their salary and term of the contract. If a nurse meets about 20 patients in a day, it implies that the amount of income generated to the center reflects the amount paid by the patients. If the amount paid by each patient is $60 during a session of visit, then it translates to an average of $1,200 per day, which also forms part of the practitioner’s salary. According to Buppert (2012), the salary of practitioners should be a third of the income that they generate. Therefore, if the income exceeds a third of their salary, practitioners can successfully negotiate for a contract renewal. The amount of referrals and the engagements that practitioners have had out of schedule is another important strategy that they can advance during a negotiation process. The engagements undertaken out of the schedule to address patient needs play an integral role in defining the practitioner’s interest in propelling the facility to the much-desired success (DeNisco and Barker (2016). It is imperative to assert that owners of a primary care facility expect nurses, who deliver and bring in income. Redundant nurses do not get their contracts renewed but smart ones enjoy the regular renewal of their contracts and eventual confirmation of their service in healthcare facilities. References Buppert, C. (2012). Nurse Practitioner’s Business Practice and Legal Guide . Sudbury, Canada: Jones & Bartlett Learning. DeNisco, S., & Barker, A. (2016). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the Profession . Burlington, New Jersey: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: The difference in licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) in the States can be bridged through evidence-based strategies that will lead to Seamless Continuity between APN practices in the United States of America.The difference in licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) in the States can be bridged through evidence-based strategies that will lead to Seamless Continuity between APN practices in the United States of America.
The difference in licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) in the States can be bridged through evidence-based strategies that will lead to Seamless Continuity between APN practices in the United States of America. The difference in licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) in the States can be bridged through evidence-based strategies that will lead to Seamless Continuity between APN practices in the United States of America.
Advanced Practice Nursing in the United States of America Essay The difference in Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) in the States While the laws governing the practice of APNs are almost similar in various states of the United States of America, they demonstrate some differences. Fundamentally, the differences of APN roles related to the scope of practice, licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (Lugo, O’Grady, Hodnicki, & Hanson, 2007). In the state of Washington, licensure requires one to be a holder of a license as a registered nurse. The requirement is compulsory for all individuals who intend to practice as advanced practice nurses in Washington State. In the state of Illinois, licensure and certification can materialize if one is a holder of a doctorate, masters, or a Ph.D. degree in nursing. The requirements advanced by the state of Illinois compel individuals to pursue high levels of education and be smart in the field of nursing before receiving accreditation. Betancourt, Green, Carrillo, and Iia (2003) allude that although the state acknowledges the fact that all APNs are nurses, its provisions clarify that registered nurses with high-end skills qualify to be APNs. Consequently, LACE requirements in California dictate that individuals should be holders of RN license before them becoming practicing APNs. Moreover, the state needs accreditation from the certification board so that one qualifies to be an APN in the region. Before commencing work as an APN in California, one has to acquire a license as an active registered nurse. Restricted Practice for APNs in the States The states of California, Washington, and Illinois have different rules that govern the operations of their APNs. Although these rules follow a similar pattern, they have differences. Practically, states such as Washington have relaxed rules, which broaden the spectrum of APN operations. On the other hand, California falls among the states that limit the scale of activities that APNs can undertake in various medical facilities. Consequently, the state of Illinois compels APNs to work together with doctors when delivering healthcare services to patients. The restrictions limit the roles of APNs and compel them to undertake their activities under the guidance of a doctor. Avery, Germano, and Camune (2010) assert that the difference in operations emanates from the rules laid down by the various boards that determine the requirements of the healthcare sector in the respective states. In California, the regulations come from the Board of Registered Nursing, whereas in the state of Washington the rules governing APN operations come from the Nursing Commission. Evidence-based Strategies that Will Lead to Seamless Continuity between APN Practices in the United States of America The difference in the rules of operation governing APNs in the United States of America is one of the factors that prevent the seamless execution of healthcare. While some states allow the full practice, others limit the operations of APNs to reduced practice. According to Betancourt et al. (2003), the rules applied by different states in the United States of America are perplexing since the same APNs limited by some states exercise full practice in other states. The resultant of the different roles is a disparity in the expertise demonstrated by APNs working in various states. It is chief to explain that APNs have been engaging in unlimited administration of healthcare and have executed their roles effectively. Therefore, by limiting and restricting them to collaborate with physicians, the state confines the scale of care that patients could receive in the event of their full practice. In the perspective of Avery et al. (2010), various states need to review their rules concerning the roles of APNs and ensure that they rhyme with those in other states. The need to have consistency in the rules transpires because of the absence of seamless service delivery across the various states in the country. References Avery, M., Germano, E., & Camune, B. (2010). Midwifery practice and nursing regulation: Licensure, accreditation, certification, and education. Journal of Midwifery& Women’s Health, 55 (5), 411-414. Betancourt, J., Green, A., Carrillo, J., & Iia, A. (2003). Defining cultural competence: A practical framework for addressing racial/ ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. Public Health Reports, 1 (118), 293-302. Lugo, N., O’Grady, E., Hodnicki, D., & Hanson, C. (2007). Ranking state NP regulation: Practice environment and consumer healthcare choice. The American Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11 (4), 8-24.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: This essay discusses leader-member exchange (LMX) in general and within the context of nursing. In particular, the work considers the definition of LMX and its key features, reviews the key research topics related to LMX, and it discusses its value and significance. After that, the paper applies the information to the context of nursing while introducing additional research dedicated specifically to nursing settings. The value of LMX for nursing is described together with the current and potential issues of LMX in nursing
This essay discusses leader-member exchange (LMX) in general and within the context of nursing. In particular, the work considers the definition of LMX and its key features, reviews the key research topics related to LMX, and it discusses its value and significance. After that, the paper applies the information to the context of nursing while introducing additional research dedicated specifically to nursing settings. The value of LMX for nursing is described together with the current and potential issues of LMX in nursing
Leader-Member Exchange in Nursing Essay Introduction Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) is a rather innovative and comprehensive approach to leadership, which was the first to attempt to explain the effects of leadership by analysing the mutual, reciprocal relationships between leaders and members (Goldberg & McKay, 2015). It appears to have a very extensive potential from the point of view of individual and organisational outcomes, and it is a useful tool that can provide the framework for the development and analysis of leader-member relationships, which makes it of interest for nursing. The present essay is devoted to an analysis of LMX in general and within the context of nursing. In particular, the work considers the definition of LMX and its key features, reviews the key research topics related to LMX, and it discusses its value and significance. After that, the paper applies the information to the context of nursing while introducing additional research dedicated specifically to nursing settings. The value of LMX for nursing is described together with the current and potential issues of LMX in nursing, after which LMX improvement solutions for nursing leaders are offered, and a conclusion about the use of LMX in nursing is made. LMX: Basis and Importance LMX Definition LMX can be defined as an approach to leadership, which is predominantly characterised by its focus on the reciprocal relationship between leaders and members, which is used to understand the specifics of the effects of leadership (Barbuto, Wilmot, & Story, 2011; Bauer & Erdogan). This relationship is continually created “through a series of social exchanges between leaders and employees,” and with the exchanges being reciprocal, both groups can contribute to the development of the relationship (Goldberg & McKay, 2015, p. 733). In particular, a member that demonstrates exceptional performance typically enjoys more support (more high-quality relationship) with the leader due to having contributed his or her high-quality performance to the exchange (Kam, Vegt, Janssen, & Stoker, 2014; Wang, Kim, & Milne, 2017). A person with a less impressive performance may enjoy a less trusting and positive relationship with the leader, which constitutes a poor, low-quality mutual exchange and results in a somewhat contractual relationship between the two (Han & Jekel, 2010). The former employee is likely to become a member of the in-group, while the latter would, as a part of the out-group from the point of view of the character and quality of their relationship with the leader (Gibb & Zhang, 2017; Kozlowski, Mak, & Chao, 2016). The approach of LMX was novel in multiple ways: it shifted the focus from one of the participants of the exchange to both of them while also highlighting the fact that leaders develop different relationships with different members and that these relationships are dynamic (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015; Ospina, 2016). Apart from that, LMX has a long history: it began its development in the 1970s as Vertical Dyad Linkage theory, grew into a major, mature field of investigation, and it proceeds to rapidly develop even nowadays (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015, pp. 29-30; Gooty & Yammarino, 2016). As a result, it is necessary to investigate the key aspects of the contemporary understanding of LMX and related research. Key Aspects of Contemporary LMX Research Characteristics of the members Throughout its development, the theory of LMX appears to have changed its direction a couple of times. Initially, the characteristics of the leader and the member were of particular importance to LMX researchers (Schyns & Day, 2010). For example, given the process of LMX relationships development, hard-working people with a need for personal growth are more likely to be engaged in high-quality exchanges. Another feature that is of importance both for the leaders and the members from the point of view of LMX is communicative skills (Erkutlu & Chafra, 2012; Schyns & Day, 2010). Indeed, communication is central to leadership in general and LMX in particular (Bakar, Mustaffa, & Mohamad, 2009). LMX is predominantly related to interpersonal communication (that between the leader and the member), but intrapersonal communication also appears to be of significance for the approach (Litano, Major, Landers, Streets, & Bass, 2016). Intra-communication (intra-personal communication) refers to a person’s communication with oneself (Kam et al., 2014). The expectations of both the employee and the leader are of significance for the development of LMX, which makes the person’s ability to understand oneself as important as the ability to communicate this understanding to another person (Goldberg & McKay, 2015). Intra-communication is also connected to intrapersonal emotional intelligence, which is another significant feature for LMX. Emotional intelligence presupposes the ability to understand the feelings of oneself and other people (Erkutlu & Chafra, 2012). When viewed from the point of view of LMX, this skill can be helpful for the leader and the member in developing their relationship. Finally, it is noteworthy that the diverse features of employees can decrease the effectiveness of LMX activities because of the differences in perceptions, cultures (Brunetto, Shacklock, Teo, Farr-Wharton, & Nelson, 2014), and other specific characteristics (Goldberg & McKay). Apart from the characteristics of the members, various styles of leadership have been investigated from the LMX perspective. For example, Pellegrini, Scandura, and Jayaraman (2010) consider the paternalistic (benevolent and authoritarian) style and show in their study with the sample of 420 people that it is appropriate for LMX, but its effectiveness depends on the cultural specifics of a country. Moreover, Schyns and Day (2010) mention the characteristics of the environment, for example, strict rules, which can hinder the development of relationships. To sum up, a variety of factors that can have an impact on LMX seem to be researched quite extensively. Beyond dyadic level Nowadays, LMX research seems to be moving towards the investigation of areas “beyond the dyadic level” (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015, p. 35). Indeed, companies are complex systems, in which multiple forms of exchange can occur, and any of them can be of importance for leader, employee, team, and organisation outcomes (Buch, 2014). For instance, Vidyarthi, Erdogan, Anand, Liden, and Chaudhry (2014) discuss the topic of an employee working with two leaders, which results in the overlapping of the two exchanges. They demonstrate that the effect of the combination of the two relationships offers a more comprehensive explanation of employee outcomes than the consideration of each relationship on its own. Even LMX can occur on various levels, but it is not the only type of exchange that is possible (Karanika-Murray, Bartholomew, Williams, & Cox, 2015). For example, Buch (2014) concentrates on the member-organisation exchange and team-member exchange, both of which can affect turnover intention. Moreover, the various exchanges that occur on the side of the member can interact: for instance, a negative LMX can be mediated by positive team-member exchange (Karanika-Murray et al., 2015). Thus, LMX appears to be aiming for a more comprehensive approach. The effects of LMX One of the key LMX findings consists of the fact that leaders tend to form relationships of different quality with various members; in other words, these relationships vary in the level of closeness, trust, respect, the amount and value of communication, and some other features (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015). As a result, LMX can be used to explain varied leadership effects: in the view of the approach, the outcomes of leadership extend by the varied quality of leader-member relationships. This phenomenon results in limited positive outcomes for the members with low-quality relationships and extensive positive outcomes for those with high-quality LMX. In fact, modern-day LMX theory and research are especially engaged in the investigation of the consequences of LMX (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015, pp. 34-35). The present paper also intends to investigate the outcomes of LMX, determining its importance and value. LMX Importance and Value LMX is capable of affecting work outcomes of the members (Karanika-Murray et al., 2015), and this effect is apparently achieved through both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation (Breevaart, Bakker, Demerouti, & Heuvel, 2015). For example, LMX can be subdivided into economic and social LMX, which refers respectively to the economic element of the relationship between leaders and members and the social one (Buch, 2014). The former (salary, bonuses) is likely to provide extrinsic motivation, but the latter (positive, trusting, supportive relationships) are more likely to function as intrinsic motivation. In general, the following results of LMX can be singled out from research-based articles. The quality of LMX is correlated with attitudinal and behavioural outcomes (Goldberg & McKay, 2015, p. 736; Gooty & Yammarino, 2016, p. 916). An example of the former is the commitment of the employee (Hanse, Harlin, Jarebrant, Ulin, & Winkel, 2015; Vidyarthi et al., 2014), and reduction of conflict engagement and can be viewed as an example of the latter (Cropanzano, Dasborough, & Weiss, 2016). In fact, Bakar et al. (2009) demonstrate that LMX quality can affect (improve or decrease) team-oriented commitment. A negative relationship is found between high-quality LMX and work-family negative experiences (in particular, the interference of the former and the latter) (Litano et al., 2016). This factor is significant on its own, and it can also contribute to the psychological comfort of an employee. Also, the perception of the job’s characteristics can be affected by LMX (Karanika-Murray et al., 2015). In general, LMX quality can affect the employees’ well-being (for instance, in terms of tiredness) and psychological health (for example, burnout), which Karanika-Murray et al. (2015) demonstrate tin their quantitative research with 337 workers as a sample. Self-efficacy of the employees develops as a result of high LMX (Walumbwa, Cropanzano, & Goldman, 2011). Also, positive, high-quality LMX fosters the development of leadership in employees, and in-group members are more likely to acquire influence and take leadership positions (Vidyarthi et al., 2014). Improved creativity can be fostered by LMX (Cropanzano et al., 2016). In general, LMX is expected to have a positive impact on members’ professional and personal development and careers (Qu, Janssen, & Shi, 2017; Zivnuska, Kacmar, & Valle, 2017). Apart from that, Goldberg and McKay (2015) report that the existence or absence of a role conflict can also depend on the quality of LMX. All these factors contribute to the quality of the employees’ performance and can have positive impacts on their productivity and customer satisfaction (Jaiswal & Dhar, 2016; Srivastava & Dhar, 2016). Thus, the organisation can also benefit from LMX. It should be pointed out that the specifics of LMX effects on employees are non-linear. Boon and Biron (2016) carry out a longitudinal study which suggests that person-organisation fit can affect person-job fit in case LMX quality is high. However, the same study also indicates that high LMX can be correlated with greater turnover intent in case the employees’ demands-abilities fit inadequate. The authors also received similar results when regarding the relationship between performance and turnover intentions, demonstrating that high LMX could result in greater turnover intention in highly performing persons (Biron & Boon, 2013). Apart from that, multiple features that can mediate of affect LMX outcomes were mentioned above (for example, specific features of the members of the environment). Thus, the relationship between LMX and employee and organisational outcomes are rather complex (Trybou, Gemmel, Pauwels, Henninck, & Clays, 2013). The extensive development of the field of LMX research indicates that modern researchers and practitioners find the approach useful (Bauer & Erdogan, 2015). Given the mentioned outcomes, which are admittedly vast (Zivnuska et al., 2017), it is not surprising that a prescriptive approach to leadership was developed, in which leaders were encouraged to form high-quality relationships with all employees (Metcalf & Benn, 2013; Schyns & Day, 2010). Such an approach made the investigation of LMX particularly significant. To sum up, LMX is a rapidly developing and rather popular framework, which is why it may be of use for nursing, The following section is going to consider this supposition. LMX in Nursing: An Interpretation Key Findings There appears to be a number of studies that attempt to determine the application and effects of LMX in nursing settings. For example, the paper by Portoghese, Galletta, Battistelli, and Leiter (2014) with the sample of 935 nurses demonstrates that LMX can affect job satisfaction and result in improved motivation and reduced turnover intention in nursing settings. Similarly, Han and Jekel (2010) carry out quantitative research with the sample of 400 nurses, which showed that LMX indirectly reduced turnover intention by increasing job satisfaction while reduced job satisfaction had the opposite effect. There is also a correlation between LMX and educational opportunities for nurses (Brunetto et al., 2014). Also, LMX has been shown to foster personal knowledge transfer in nursing settings (Davies, Wong, & Laschinger, 2011). The studies of nursing LMX also incorporate other features of LMX research mentioned above. For example, Hanse et al. (2015) carried out quantitative research with a sample of 240 nurses to check the appropriateness of servant leadership for LMX. The authors found that there was a strong correlation between certain elements of servant leadership, which typically focuses on serving the community and empowering the members, and LMX quality. The authors demonstrate that humility and empowerment are particularly significant for LMX. In general, the attempts at applying LMX to nursing settings seem to be possible. However, the general tendency for non-linear, complex relationships and effects is applicable to nursing LMX as well. For example, the study of Trybou et al. (2013) demonstrates that the relationship between LMX and nurses’ outcomes is rather complex and the desired outcomes are not always guaranteed. Similarly, Brunetto et al. (2014) provide a survey-based report that involved the surveying of over 1300 nurses; it finds that LMX is capable of affecting organisational commitment in nurses. However, the authors also discover that the results can be affected by culture, which can reduce the effectiveness of the approach. A complex relationship has also been discovered in the determination of the elements of LMX that can influence the engagement of nurses. In particular, respect and contribution seem to have a positive relationship with engagement but affect relationships have a negative relationship (Rodwell, McWilliams, & Gulyas, 2016). To sum up, the nursing LMX research seems to be developing in the general direction of LMX providing sufficient evidence to the approach being useful in the settings. Importance and Value in Nursing The general potential of LMX that is described above as well as the evidence of this potential being transferable to nursing settings implies that LMX should be of importance for nursing. However, several specific features of nursing and LMX seem to be particularly appropriate for each other. The role of managers in nursing settings is exceptionally important (Han & Jekel, 2010), but nursing leaders need specific tools that could improve their ability to lead (Rodwell et al., 2016). LMX provides rather sound and logical explanations of the factors that define the outcomes of leadership and constitute relationships, which makes it relatively easy to analyse and develop both. Apart from that, LMX’s focus on empowering is in line with nursing leadership guidelines, and so is LMX’s ability to foster leadership and autonomy (Farr-Wharton, Brunetto, & Shacklock, 2011; Hanse et al., 2015). The motivational and supportive aspects of LMX are of particular relevance to nursing due to its ongoing resource crisis and generally high levels of burnout and turnover intention (Cummings et al., 2010). LMX’s quality improvement features are exceptionally important for the sphere of human activity which literally involves saving human lives. As a result, LMX can be regarded as valuable for nursing both due to its evidence-proven qualities and the fact that it is a convenient tool, which nursing leaders can employ to improve their practice. LMX Issues in Nursing Workplaces A significant theoretical issue of LMX is the problem of discrimination, which seems to sprout from the theory’s admission of leaders forming special, more supportive relationships with some of the members (Gooty & Yammarino, 2016). Moreover, Rodwell et al. (2016) show that the perception of discrimination of this kind reduces trust and increases turnover intention in nurses. Thus, a significant flaw of LMX (its tendency to favour one group of people over others) can diminish the effectiveness of LMX in nursing settings. Apart from that, diversity management appears to be challenging for LMX (Goldberg & McKay, 2015, p. 730). Nowadays, diversity of the workforce is a fact that needs to be taken into account by the managers to ensure the protection of minorities from discrimination and their engagement in leadership, which they have been historically denied. In fact, in nursing, diversity can be regarded as a positive feature because it plays a role in reducing healthcare disparities by engaging more minority representatives in disparities research (Phillips & Malone, 2014). However, LMX does not appear to encourage diversity. According to Goldberg and McKay (2015), the typical exclusion of minorities from supervisory posts results in them being supervised by people with backgrounds that are different from theirs. Modern LMX research indicates a positive correlation between background similarities in leaders and members and the quality of exchange between them when compared to the leaders and members that lack similarities (Goldberg & McKay, 2015, p. 135). Therefore, the differences can affect the quality of relationships, potentially worsening it. In turn, the quality of relationships can result in negative outcomes for the employees (that is, discrimination), and the relationships are likely to sustain themselves, remaining low-quality (Goldberg & McKay, 2015). In the end, legal issues can ensue, or the turnover intent can increase in the discriminated group, and they might leave, which would further reduce the diversity of the settings. Goldberg and McKay (2015) do point out that additional research is required, in particular, for certain minority groups: current research predominantly contains information on gender and ethnicity without any consideration of co-influence. Still, the possibility of increased discrimination is a very significant concern, especially in nursing settings, which are dedicated to improving the diversity of their workforce (Phillips & Malone, 2014). To sum up, while offering multiple solutions, LMX can also have rather crucial drawbacks, which nursing leaders need to take into account. Practical Strategies to Improve the Quality of LMX Solution for the Issue From the point of view of the discrimination issue that is discussed above, the prescriptive approach to leadership might be recommended (Metcalf & Benn, 2013; Schyns & Day, 2010). It is a rather difficult method of achieving the desired results, but it has certain advantages when considered from the nursing perspective. First, it attempts to resolve the issue of discrimination, which, as was mentioned above, is unacceptable in nursing settings. Second, such an approach allows employing human resources, which are rather scarce and overworked in the field (Cummings et al., 2010), in a more efficient way than the alternative option. This factor includes the absence of adverse effects and the presence of positive ones, especially those related to self-efficiency, empowerment, and professional development. The quality of care is of primary importance in nursing settings (Phillips & Malone, 2014), and the engagement of every nurse in self-development is the most positive outcome. However, the process is unlikely to be simple, which is why the following section considers the strategies for efficient use of LMX in nursing settings. Strategies for LMX Development This section does not intend to recite all the potential strategies for the improvement of LMX use in nursing settings, but it provides several suggestions. First of all, it is important to remember the specifics of LMX relationships: they are reciprocal, dynamic, and usually require extensive intra- and interpersonal communication. The establishment of the contact can be regarded as the duty of the leader, but the characteristics and skills of the employees are also of great importance, which is why it is necessary to promote appropriate behaviours. For instance, Schyns and Day (2010) mention the habit of seeking out feedback as a very significant one, and it can be promoted by the leader. It is also noteworthy that while being dynamic, LMX tends to be self-sustaining. Indeed, Goldberg and McKay (2015) point out that a high-quality relationship, which is the result of deep, meaningful exchanges, contributes to more meaningful exchanges; an example of the latter can include enriching and creative tasks (Qu et al., 2017). Similarly, a low-quality LMX would be expected to sustain itself, resulting in an ongoing lack of trust and understanding and multiple negative outcomes. From this perspective, it becomes apparent that the leader needs to be active and find the means for detecting and addressing issues in relationships as soon as possible. From the point of view of detection, LMX itself provides an appropriate framework. As for the resolution of the issues, customised approaches are likely to help. Indeed, it is important to take into account the specifics of the settings, including the individual and group characteristics of the members. For example, it is established that for nurses, social LMX is shown to be of particular importance from the point of view of positive job perceptions (Trybou et al., 2013). In other words, while economic measures should not be neglected, it is important to specifically work on the supportive, trusting, friendly element of the relationship with the employees in nursing settings. Similar specifics may be found in psychological groups or even individual persons. The customization of approach is likely to enhance the positive outcomes of LMX, and while it is likely to require many resources (predominantly, time), the goal appears to be worthwhile. Conclusion The present essay has reviewed the topic of LMX from general and nursing perspectives, which allows making the following conclusions. LMX is a comprehensive framework, which emerged by considering two participants of the leader-member relationships instead of one. Nowadays, LMX appears to extend its perspective to even more complicated networks of relationships. In any case, the focus of LMX on the specifics and mechanics of relationship development and its understanding of the variability and dynamic nature of relationships make it an appropriate relationship analysis tool, which can be employed by nurse leaders. Moreover, the application of LMX to a variety of settings, including nursing ones, is evidenced to result in multiple positive outcomes, some of which include improved psychological comfort, greater commitment, reduced turnover intent, improved quality of work, professional and personal development, and so on. From the point of view of nursing, as well as any other field of activities, LMX appears to be a very valuable leadership approach as well. LMX has at least one noticeable flaw: it does not have safeguards against discrimination and can, in fact, support disparities. Indeed, relationships tend to be self-sustaining: high-quality relationships tend to remain high-quality and, possibly, improve, but negative ones tend to remain negative or become worse. As a result, employees with better-quality LMX tend to be “favoured” over those with lower-quality LMX. Since discrimination in nursing settings is inappropriate, the present essay suggests using the prescriptive approach: that is, ensure the development of positive relationships with all employees. While difficult to complete, this task is appropriate for nursing due to multiple positive outcomes as well as more efficient employment of human resources. As for the strategies that should enable a nursing leader to develop the relationships, they include taking into account the process of relationship development, actively analysing and improving the relationships, and customising the approach to the needs of particular people. In the end, LMX appears to be most appropriate for nursing both as a tool for leadership analysis and a leadership approach, and its flaws seem to be manageable, which is why its promotion in nursing settings seems to be most appropriate. References Bakar, H., Mustaffa, C., & Mohamad, B. (2009). LMX quality, supervisory communication and team‐oriented commitment . Corporate Communications: An International Journal , 14 (1), 11-33. Web. Barbuto, J., Wilmot, M., & Story, J. (2011). Self-other rating agreement and leader-member exchange (LMX) . Perceptual and Motor Skills , 113 (3), 875-880. Web. Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2015). Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) theory: An introduction and overview. In T. N. Bauer & B. Erdogan (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Leader-Member Exchange (pp. 28-37). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Biron, M., & Boon, C. (2013). Performance and turnover intentions: A social exchange perspective . Journal of Managerial Psychology , 28 (5), 511-531. Web. Boon, C., & Biron, M. (2016). Temporal issues in person–organization fit, person–job fit and turnover: The role of leader–member exchange . Human Relations , 69 (12), 2177-2200. Web. Breevaart, K., Bakker, A., Demerouti, E., & Heuvel, M. (2015). Leader-member exchange, work engagement, and job performance . Journal of Managerial Psychology , 30 (7), 754-770. Web. Brunetto, Y., Shacklock, K., Teo, S., Farr-Wharton, R., & Nelson, S. (2014). Nurses’ supervisors, learning options and organisational commitment: Australia, Brazil and England . Journal of Nursing Management , 23 (8), 1029-1038. Web. Buch, R. (2014). Leader–member exchange as a moderator of the relationship between employee–organization exchange and affective commitment . The International Journal of Human Resource Management , 26 (1), 59-79. Web. Cropanzano, R., Dasborough, M., & Weiss, H. (2016). Affective events and the development of leader-member exchange . Academy of Management Review , 42 (2), 233-258. Web. 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Litano, M., Major, D., Landers, R., Streets, V., & Bass, B. (2016). A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between leader-member exchange and work-family experiences . The Leadership Quarterly , 27 (5), 802-817. Web. Metcalf, L., & Benn, S. (2013). Leadership for sustainability: An evolution of leadership ability. Journal of Business Ethics , 112 (3), 369-384. Ospina, S. (2016). Collective leadership and context in public administration: Bridging public leadership research and leadership studies . Public Administration Review , 77 (2), 275-287. Web. Pellegrini, E., Scandura, T., & Jayaraman, V. (2010). Cross-cultural generalizability of paternalistic leadership: An expansion of leader-member exchange theory . Group & Organization Management , 35 (4), 391-420. Web. Phillips, J. M., & Malone, B. (2014). Increasing racial/ethnic diversity in nursing to reduce health disparities and achieve health equity. Public Health Reports , 129 (1), 45-50. 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Impact of leader member exchange, human resource management practices and psychological empowerment on extra role performances . International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management , 65 (3), 351-377. Web. Trybou, J., Gemmel, P., Pauwels, Y., Henninck, C., & Clays, E. (2013). The impact of organizational support and leader-member exchange on the work-related behaviour of nursing professionals: The moderating effect of professional and organizational identification . Journal of Advanced Nursing , 70 (2), 373-382. Web. Vidyarthi, P., Erdogan, B., Anand, S., Liden, R., & Chaudhry, A. (2014). One member, two leaders: Extending leader–member exchange theory to a dual leadership context . Journal of Applied Psychology , 99 (3), 468-483. Web. Walumbwa, F., Cropanzano, R., & Goldman, B. (2011). How leader-member exchange influences effective work behaviors: Social exchange and internal-external efficacy perspectives . Personnel Psychology , 64 (3), 739-770. Web. Wang, P. 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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : Online leadership is increasingly being used by organizations going global in their operations. There are both pros and cons associated with this form of leadership.The concept of online leadership is one that is still evolving. It is associated with the use of information technology to provide guidance and share information with employees working in different parts of the world. There are pros and cons associated with online leadership. The paper provides a proper guide for those planning to embrace online leadership within their organizations.
Online leadership is increasingly being used by organizations going global in their operations. There are both pros and cons associated with this form of leadership. The concept of online leadership is one that is still evolving. It is associated with the use of information technology to provide guidance and share information with employees working in different parts of the world. There are pros and cons associated with online leadership. The paper provides a proper guide for those planning to embrace online leadership within their organizations.
Advantages and Limitations of Online Leadership Term Paper Introduction The emerging technologies are reshaping the way in which organizations are run across the world. Massive advancements witnessed in the field of information technology have completely transformed the way employees and managers interact in organizational settings. Information technology is currently playing a very critical role in organizations that are going global in their operations. Managers of these global organizations now rely on technology to provide leadership and share information with employees overseas. A chief executive officer in an office in Manhattan can easily monitor and guide operations of his or her firm’s overseas branches in Dubai, Beijing, Tokyo, Berlin, and Cape Town in real-time using emerging technologies in the field of information technology. It has led to the emergence of online leadership (Avoloi & Kahai, 2002, p. 334). Leaders are increasingly relying on technology to share information with their junior officers, to issue guidance, and to ensure that everything runs as per the expectations. Online leadership is specifically important for large companies with several branches either locally or at global level. It limits the need to travel and ensures that information is made available in real-time. According to some scholars, there are pros and cons of online leadership (Sivunen, 2008, p. 48). This form of leadership has brought a massive change in the manner in which leaders interact with the employees. Although the benefits it has brought are clear, it is also important to note that a number of weaknesses are associated with this form of leadership. In this paper, the researcher seeks to identify the advantages and disadvantages of online leadership. The paper will provide a proper guide for those planning to embrace online leadership within their organizations. Understanding the Concept of Online Leadership Leadership According to some scholars, leadership is the art of providing guidance to others on the path that should be followed towards greater organizational success (Roy, 2012, p. 58). Whenever a group of people gathers to work on something, they need a leader that can help in coordinating their activities and organizing them as they try to achieve success. Leadership goes beyond management. It goes beyond issuing orders and expecting everyone to obey the orders. It goes beyond coming up with punitive measures for people who fail to obey the set instructions. It is a conviction that one has to work closely with others to realize an organizational goal. A leader must be capable of understanding the capabilities of his or her people and what affects them. A leader must always be at the forefront in dealing with and managing challenges that his or her team may encounter from time to time. A leader must be capable of listening and understanding the team members (Snellman, 2014, p. 1252). It is a misconception that a leader should always issue instructions, and followers must obey. However, some scholars argue that before issuing an instruction, a leader must listen to what the followers have to say and their suggestions about how an issue must be addressed (Jawadi, 2013, p. 19). A leader must be very tolerant and able to work with people who have varying opinions over specific issues. Instead of forcing personal beliefs and convictions on people, a leader should be capable of debating with followers with the view of identifying and embracing the best practices. Leadership entails making very difficult decisions that may sometimes be unfavorable even to the leader. It is common for a leader to be faced with a dilemma when working with his or her team. The approach that one takes to address such a dilemma defines the kind of a leader he or she is. Some people prefer the easy way out when faced with a dilemma. Such people lack leadership skills (Snellman, 2014, p. 1255). A good leader should be ready and capable of choosing the most difficult or longest of the paths if it will yield the best result for the team. Leadership requires one to think, not just on the basis of personal benefits, but on how everyone else will benefit. It means that he or she must be ready to sacrifice personal benefits for the greater good of the group. In leadership, what is important is to ensure that the goals and objectives of the team are achieved in the best way possible. A leader should always strive to motivate team members to achieve greater success for the team. He or she should identify the personal limits of every team member and be able to challenge those limits positively with the view of making them perform better. A leader should not use fear. Instead, he or she should use motivation as a way of making team members achieve greater success. The team members should always be reminded that they should all benefit if they remain committed to the organizational goals. In modern society, organizations are facing new challenges that require proper leadership to help in managing them. The emerging threat of cyber attack, diversity in the workplace, increasingly empowered employees, stiff market competition, changing external environment are just some of the unique challenges that leaders have to deal with currently. The use of threats and dictatorship is no longer an option in the modern workplace environment. Leaders have to embrace transformational leadership qualities to achieve success in such a turbulent environment. These emerging challenges require a leader to be capable of embracing dialogue instead of threats and ultimatums (Roy, 2012, p. 60). That is why scholars have developed a keen interest in expanding knowledge about leadership in the modern organizational setting. Virtuality The emerging technologies, especially in the field of information communication technology, have completely transformed the manner in which organizations are run in modern society. According to some scholars, information is one of the most critical aspects of management (Avoloi & Kahai, 2002, p. 329). Information is the engine that drives organizations. The top managers need information about how various departments are fairing, the progress made in achieving the set goals and objectives, and factors that hinder success. These top managers use that information to formulate new policies that will address the identified weaknesses and promote greater success. On the other hand, junior employees need information from the top managers on how to undertake their duties, especially in the face of new challenges that keep emerging in the workplace. Virtuality, as defined by some scholars, refers to the use of computer technology to create a virtual reality in a given setting (Shwarts-Asher, 2012, p. 69). Virtual reality involves creating an environment that resembles an actual ideal environment but in an imaginary setting. However, virtuality is currently going beyond imagination. The new technology is now making it possible to make virtuality a possible way of planning and communicating the plan to employees. It enables the planners to visualize what the plan is capable of achieving and the steps that are needed at each stage. It has made communication easy in organizational settings both for the top leaders and junior employees. Virtuality is redefining leadership in modern society. Online Leadership According to some scholars, online leadership refers to the use emerging technologies in the field of information and communication technology to guide and control people who may not be in same physically environment as the leader (Avoloi & Kahai, 2002, p. 333). Technology is changing rapidly and leaders are finding it necessary to use it as a way of enhancing their ability to control their organizations even when they cannot be physically present at all times. Companies in the modern society are facing stiff competition in the market and one of the ways that they have is to expand their operations to the global market to increase their market share. Companies such as Daimler, Adidas, Volkswagen, and DHL are operating in the global market. There are also large non-governmental organizations such as Transparency International, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund which also operate globally. All these organizations operating at global level- whether they are for profit or non-profit making organizations- have a leader who sits at the headquarters. In the past, such a chief executive officer would only need to issue instructions to be carried out by regional heads. However, the new challenges emerging in the modern society require presence of these top leaders at the local level of management in these overseas branches. The top leaders need to be physically present in different locations where their organizations operate so that they can see for themselves the challenges that their employees face during their normal operations. This is critical to ensure that when making policies, the local forces that affect operations of the organization in different countries are taken into consideration. However, says that it may not be practically possible for a leader to be physically present regularly in all the regions where his or her organization operates (Snellman, 2014, p. 1256). Such a leader is often needed in the boardrooms on a regular basis to come up with new policies or to help negotiate good deals for their organizations. The boardroom meetings are just as important as getting on the ground and understanding the local forces. That is why it has become critical for the leaders to rely on information technology. The emerging technologies have now made it possible for leaders to engage in boardroom meetings not only by being physically present but sometimes using modern means of communication. For instance, a leader- while travelling on a plane from Munich to New York- can hold a meeting of the board of directors using video conferencing technologies. In fact, the new virtual reality technologies has come up with new software that makes it possible for such conferences to be more real as they give a more realistic image of the person. Online leadership is apparently going to define how future organizations are run. Advantages of Online Leadership In a recent study, online leadership is increasingly becoming a common and very popular concept in the modern society (Hunsaker & Hunsaker, 2008, p. 94). The popularity of this form leadership is a clear indication that it has benefits that have been tried and tested. It is important to look at the specific advantages of online leadership to the modern day organizations. Distance and Time The advancements that have been witnessed in the field of transport have helped in eliminating the geographic barrier that existed in the past. It is now possible for one to travel from Europe to North America in just a few hours. It means that top managers can easily move from one overseas brand to another to monitor what is going on and how performance can be improved. However, the truth is that even with the advanced means of transport, it is still time-consuming for these top leaders to move from one place to another. As some scholars argue, the work of a chief executive officer goes beyond that of a supervisor (Sivunen, 2008, p. 55). He or she needs to provide leadership and negotiate terms and conditions on behalf of the company in a way that would be most beneficial to the company. It means that most of the time these top leaders are needed in the boardroom meetings. However, knowing what is happening in local and overseas branches is equality important for such a leader because it will inform the kind or decision he or she makes. Online leadership helps in addressing the distance and time problems (Caulat, 2006, p. 6). It allows the leader to take just a few hours to visit, in a virtual world, various local and overseas branches and get a clear picture of what is going on. He is able to share with the overseas managers and supervisors about local forces that affect their operations and what can be done to address them. Using video conferencing, a leader is able to bring together all the regional heads into a common conference where they can discuss fundamental issues about growth and development of the organization. It not only saves time for the top leader of the organization but also the regional heads. Instead of traveling to the headquarters, such leaders will only need to sit in their respective offices and with the help of technology they can have a platform where they can communicate. Bringing Out the Qualities of a Leader Leadership qualities often have a significant impact on the productivity of the employees. When junior officers realize that their leaders are not concerned about their welfare, they can become less motivated at work. Online leadership makes it easy for a leader to interact with employees. Employees can directly send messages to the top leaders using various technological platforms and the leader can respond to their messages. That would be a reminder that the leader cares and is able to listen to the junior employees. It will motivate such employees to deliver better results than before in their respective areas of work. Online communication also helps in building trust. It creates a platform where any major issue within the organization can be addressed through proper communication. Regular and effective communication creates trust (Jawadi, 2013, p. 22). When issues that bring about suspicions are eliminated, stakeholders become more trusting and committed to their duties. Through online leadership, it is possible to create online teams that can enhance chances of achieving the desired success. Line managers from different countries can form virtual teams where they interact regularly, share information about successes and challenges, and try to come up with ways of delivering the best performance for the organization in their respective countries. The top leadership of an organization may help in developing such teams. A solution that worked for a marketing manager in Berlin may not be the solution that will deliver the same results in Chicago (Wang, 2011, p. 52). These are two different markets are the local culture in the two countries also differ. However, the approach that was used by a marketing manager in Berlin can be adjusted by the marketing manager in Chicago to fit the local context. A unique idea that is developed by a finance manager in Japan can be used by another finance manager in London for the greater success of the organization. Constant sharing makes it possible for the followers to understand their leader in a better way, understand his vision, approaches, and commitment to the organization. Ease of Communication and Satisfaction of Various Stakeholders Online leadership eases communication within an organizational setting. According to some scholars, embracing modern communication technologies is unavoidable in the modern organizational setting (Hunsaker & Hunsaker, 2008, p. 99). Top managers currently find themselves faced with numerous issues that need their attention and as such, time is of essence. Online leadership makes it easy to communicate with various stakeholders without spending a lot of time. Using emerging technological tools for communication, it is now possible for leaders to interact with employees, customers, suppliers, and partners. Their grievances can be addressed with ease, helping to create a harmonious business environment. Online leadership creates a sense of satisfaction in different ways and for different stakeholders. For the top leadership of an organization, the fact that he or she can interact with as many of the mid-managers and junior employees as possible creates some sense of satisfaction. The leader no longer has to travel to various parts of the world to monitor the progress. He or she can easily monitor the progress at the comfort of his or her office in the company’s headquarters. It creates a satisfaction for these leaders that a lot can be done with very minimal effort (Sivunen, 2008, p. 52). It is also satisfying that they can easily know what is going on in other branches from junior employees in case the regional heads try to hide the truth. The ability of the chief executive officer to interact with junior employees through the social media platforms or other internal communication systems means that they can always have additional eye on the operations overseas. It increases the number of possible whistleblowers just in case any clandestine activities may be going on without the knowledge of the top manager. The mid managers will also get a form of relief and satisfaction with online leadership. According to some studies, mid-managers often find themselves under pressure from both their top managers and junior employees (Hunsaker & Hunsaker 2008, p. 98). The top managers constantly want to see better results registered irrespective of the status of the systems and structures on the ground. On the other hand, junior employees want their workplace environment to be as sustainable as possible and any challenges addressed within the shortest time. Through online leadership, mid-managers can let the top managers have access to the realities on the ground. These top managers will be able to understand the kind of challenges that these mid-managers go through. It will be easier for the recommendations that the mid-managers make to the top managers to be implemented hence their burden will be lessened. The junior employees will also get some form of satisfaction. The barrier that existed between them and the top managers will be eliminated. They will be able to communicate directly with the top managers and share with them the most troubling issues in their workplace. It will create motivation among these employees knowing that their interests will always be put into consideration by the top leaders. Case Study: Google’s Distributed Leadership Google Inc. is one of the largest companies operating in various countries around the world. The company’s success has been attributed to its unique leadership approach (Lussier & Achua, 2015, p. 398). The company has been keen on hiring highly skilled employees and then empowering them to make decisions in their respective areas of work. At this company, everyone is considered a leader in his or her jurisdiction of work. A closely knit community is created based on the emerging communication technologies. Junior employees can easily interact with senior leaders in platforms created by VR and AR technologies. A recent study shows that Google Inc. has a team of highly satisfied and very committed employees because the system makes them feel valued (Lussier & Achua, 2015, p. 406). The junior officers can easily reach out to the top managers and vice versa in an attempt to have a close working relationship. The firm has remained highly innovative and successful because of the communication approach that the firm has embraced. It has been able to overcome stiff competition from rival firms in the industry. Disadvantages of Online Leadership Online leadership is very important in the modern communication age and some scholars believe it will define the future of leadership (DasGupta, 2011, p. 36). However, it is important to appreciate that a number of factors that may make it appear undesirable to the relevant stakeholders. It is important to look at the disadvantages of online leadership and if possible, how each can be mitigated. Cost of Initial Investment in the Modern Technology According to some recent studies, sometimes the nature of technology needed to embrace fully online leadership may be very highly (Chang & Lee, 2013, p. 990). New technologies such as hologram may require substantial initial investments that may be too high for some organizations, especially the non-profit making entities that rely on donations. Maintaining these systems is also costly in terms of having the expert to operate and repair them. Large corporations such as Daimler may not have much problem investing in such a technology. However, it may find it challenging finding experts who can properly manage the systems once it becomes operational. This is so because the new technologies still lack proper experts to manage them in organizational settings. For small-sized organizations with tight budgets, these technologies may remain pipe dream. However, it is expected that with time the problem will be resolved. More experts will be available as these technologies become more relevant in the society. The cost of purchasing and maintaining these technological systems is also expected to drop. Overreliance on Trust and Creation of Laxity in Leadership According to some studies, online leadership heavily relies on trust (Wang, 2011, p. 58). The leader believes that whatever information that he or she received from the regional heads is the truth. It is natural for people to try and create self defense using any means possible when faced with a problem. As such, regional head may hide a problem to the top managers when communicating in the online platform. Knowing that the leader is not physically present to assess every project, they can overestimate or underestimate facts for their own benefits. Without trust, online leadership cannot lead to the desired success. Lack of physical presence makes one’s authority to be less significant. People can act in a manner they desire knowing that they can always manipulate their way out by providing the leader with information that would be favorable to them. According to some recent studies, online leadership also creates laxity among the leaders (Carte et al., 2006, p. 332). Sometimes it becomes necessary for a leader to make surprise visits to local and overseas branches to see what goes on in their absence. However, the emerging technologies create the impression that they can make these visits in virtual platforms without having to travel. They end up taking very limited time to visit these branches, making it possible for the regional heads to manipulate the system in their favor. The management that has opted to embrace online leadership should be ready to address this problem. Leaders should remember that although virtual reality and augmented technologies makes their work of interacting with various stakeholders easy and less time consuming, sometimes they need to be physically present to ensure that what they gather is what is reflected on the ground. Overreliance on Internet Mediated Communication Technologies Online leadership entirely relies on internet mediated communication technologies (Sivunen, 2008, p. 59). It is true that internet mediated communication technologies are increasingly getting sophisticated and very efficient. However, it also comes with a number of challenges that cannot be ignored. One of the biggest threats of this form of communication is susceptibility to cyber attack and theft. It takes a lot of time and resources for a firm to come up with an idea and develop it into a plan that can be implemented to give a firm a competitive edge over market rivals. Such unique knowledge gives a firm an ability to outperform top competitors. However, that can only be so if the information is not leaked to rival companies. When the information is shared in the online platforms, it becomes possible for rival companies to hack the system and steal the information. Some cyber criminals even end up manipulating the information in a way that it becomes either useless or dangerous if implemented in the manipulated form. There have been cases where some criminals even demand for payments after illegally gaining access to important information that should not be accessible to the public. According to recent studies, when information is shared in the online platform, a leader may find it difficult knowing whether his or her own employees are directly involved in leaking important details (Chang & Lee, 2013, p. 998). Sometimes the problem may not be caused by external stakeholders hacking into the system but internal employees who may be selfish enough to sell the information to third parties. The management will, therefore, end up spending resources addressing a problem that do not really exist. Addressing this problem requires a firm to have top experts that can put a firewall on the firm’s communication system and constantly monitor and address any attempts of terror attack. Extremely sensitive information should not be made available in the online platform because of the high risks, unless it is very necessary to do so (Nance, 2016, p. 19). The management should have a backup system where information can be retrieved from in case the one in the system is corrupted. The IT department should also be capable of determining whether an information leak was caused by internal stakeholders or external stakeholders. When using online leadership, it is important to take care of the nature of knowledge shared by the stakeholders. The management should remember to ensure that very critical information is only shared with trusted stakeholders to protect the firm. Case Study: IBM International Business Machines Corporation, popularly known as IBM is an American technology company that has its headquarters in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911, the company’s global operations have always been coordinated from its headquarters in New York. However, in 2006 the company decided to move John Paterson, the company’s Chief Procurement Officer, to Shenzhen in China (Santos, 2013, p. 5). This decision was meant to ease the procurement. However, it meant that the firm had to rely fully on online leadership to coordinate its activities at the top level. Massive investment had to be made to ensure that the top officers in China could work closely with their counterparts in the United States (Santos, 2013, p. 5). Although procurement activities were conducted more efficiently, the personal relationship that these top managers had before faded. In such an environment, the leaders may have varying views towards some issues that need consensus, making the decision-making process more complex and time consuming. Difference in the environment makes them have varying opinions towards the management issues. Conclusion Online leadership is increasingly becoming relevant in the modern society. The emerging technologies in the field of information and communication are making it possible for leaders to coordinate and guide their followers using online platforms. It is becoming easy to use new technologies such as the social media or other new communication tools such as hologram and video-conferencing technologies to interact with stakeholders irrespective of their physical locations. Online leadership is very beneficial not only to the leaders but also the followers. It creates a platform where information can flow freely and be shared easily for the benefit of everyone. It empowers the junior stakeholders by enabling them to engage their top leaders with ease. However, it is also important to appreciate that online leadership has a number of challenges that cannot be ignored. The biggest challenge is cyber attacks. When information is shared in the online platform, it is easy for external stakeholders who are highly skilled in information technology to hack the system and steal or manipulate information for their own benefit. Sometimes it may not be easy to know whether the attack is external or facilitated by internal stakeholders. References Avoloi, B., & Kahai, S. (2002). Adding the ‘e’ to e-leadership: How it may impact your leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 31 (4), 325-338. Carte, T., Chidambaram, L., & Becker, A. (2006). Emergent leadership in self-managed virtual teams a longitudinal study of concentrated and shared leadership behaviors. Group Decision and Negotiation, 15 (1), 323–343. Caulat, G. (2006). Virtual leadership in today’s global economy, virtual teams are a fact of life. The Ashridge Journal , 360(1), 6-11. Chang, W., & Lee. C. (2013). Virtual team e-leadership: The effects of leadership style and conflict management mode on the online learning performance of students in a business-planning course. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44 (6), 986–999. DasGupta, P. (2011). Literature review: e-leadership . Emerging Leadership Journeys, 4 (1), 1- 36. Hunsaker, P., & Hunsaker, J. (2008). Virtual teams: A leader’s guide, team performance management. An International Journal, 14 (1), 86-101. Jawadi, N. (2013). E-leadership and trust management: Exploring the moderating effects of team virtuality. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 9 (3), 18-35. Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership . Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Web. Nance, M. (2016). Plot to hack America: How putin’s cyberspies and wikileaks tried to elect an American president . New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Web. Roy, S. (2012). Digital mastery: The skills needed for effective virtual leadership. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 8 (3), 56-66. Santos, J. (2013). Designing and leading virtual teams. INSEAD, 76(1), 1-29. Shwarts-Asher, D. (2012). Social communication behaviors of virtual leaders. Telecommunication Economics, 72 (16), pp. 67–77. Sivunen, A. (2008). The communication of leaders in virtual teams: Expectations and their realisation in leaders’ computermediated communication. The Journal of E-working, 2 (4), 47-60. Snellman, L. (2014). Contemporary issues in business, management, and education 2013 virtual teams: Opportunities and challenges for e-leaders. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 110 (1), 1251-1261. Wang, V. (2011). E-leadership in the new century. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology, 2 (1), 50-59.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: In this paper, the author will compare two textbooks in order to determine which one is more effective in teaching adverbs. The chosen word class for the study is adverbs. The analysis of efficiency will be carried out by making a comparison between two books used in teaching English in secondary school. The two paperbacks to be used are Understanding Syntax (3rd edition) and Basic English Syntax with Exercises. The books provide detailed accounts of how adverbs modify adject
In this paper, the author will compare two textbooks in order to determine which one is more effective in teaching adverbs. The chosen word class for the study is adverbs. The analysis of efficiency will be carried out by making a comparison between two books used in teaching English in secondary school. The two paperbacks to be used are Understanding Syntax (3rd edition) and Basic English Syntax with Exercises. The books provide detailed accounts of how adverbs modify adject
Adverbs and English Syntax in the Textbooks Essay In this paper, the author will analyse the effectiveness of a textbook manual in relation to a specific area of syntax. The chosen word class for the study is adverbs. The analysis of efficiency will be carried out by making a comparison between two books used in teaching English in secondary school. The two paperbacks to be used are Understanding Syntax (3rd edition) and Basic English Syntax with Exercises . The books provide detailed accounts of how adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, nouns, clauses, and determiners. First, the author will provide a detailed analysis of the chosen area of syntax. In this section, the author will define adverbs and provide different uses and applications of the syntax in sentences. The second section of the paper will look into how each of the two reference books addresses the issue of adverbs. Here, the writer will provide examples from the textbooks to substantiate the findings. The third section of the paper will focus on how the reference books successfully analyse the chosen area of syntax. In this part, the author will evaluate such aspects as how the techniques applied in the books facilitate or hinder the teaching of adverbs. Some of the questions to be addressed touch on whether or not the approach helps learners to practice enough, gain interest in learning the syntax, and understand all aspects related to the adverbs. The final section will be a summary of what the paper focused on and the findings from the comparison of the two reference books. A Discussion of the Chosen Area of Syntax The selected area of syntax in this paper is adverbs. The reason for selecting the word class is because it is used at length by the authors of the chosen reference books. Adverbs are phrases that modify adjectives, nouns, and clauses (AlHamdany, 2012). In addition, the words modify determiners, verbs, and other adverbs. The primary reason for this change is to express such factors as place, frequency, manner, and degree. As such, adverbs help to answer questions like what, when, how, where, and the extent to which something happened or was done. Traditionally, adverbs were considered parts of speech (Eppler & Ozon, 2013). However, advancements in linguistics have resulted in the use of the syntax to categorise different forms of syntactic behaviour. According to Tallerman (2011), based on where they are placed, adverbs can bring out different meanings in a sentence. For example, in the sentences ‘He died quickly’ and ‘quickly, he died’, the word ‘quickly’ brings out two varying meanings. In the first sentence, the word acts as a verb-modifying adverb. As a result, it expresses a natural way. In the second sentence, the phrase acts as a sentential adverb explaining course. In addition, some adverbs cannot modify all words. According to Givon (2015), an adverb, such as ‘very’, can modify an adjective, but not a verb. In a sentence, for example, it can only be said ‘John is very slow’ and not ‘John very walked home’. On their part, such adverbs as ‘here’ and ‘there’ can be used to modify verbs but not adjectives (Miller, 2001). A sentence, for example, can only be framed as ‘the shirt looks very good there’ and not ‘it is a there good shirt’. Apart from modifying, adverbs can at times be used as predicative expressions. To this end, they are used to show location. For example, ‘Mary, your car is there’. The word ‘there’ acts as the predicative expression. According to Freidin (2012), predicative phrases express an attribute assigned to a clause’s subject or object. However, they do not act as phrase adjuncts or arguments. In spite of adverbs being used as predictive expressions, not all of them can apply to such situations. The main adverbs, which cannot be categorised as predicative, are those ending in –ly (Tallerman, 2011). In a sentence, for example, one cannot say that ‘the suggestions are insightfully’. Using the –ly adverb makes the sentence seem incomplete and incorrect. In addition, some adverbs can be used as superlatives when the meaning permits. The syntax turns into superlatives or comparatives when users add ‘most’ or ‘more’ before it (Cullen, 2008). Other adverbs, such as ‘well’, can be used in inflected forms. According to Wyse, Jones, Bradford, and Wolpert (2013), adverbs have different principles and usage based on language. In English, for example, they are formed from adjectives that end in –ly. In German, they form a cluster of noninflectable phrases. For an English adverb to be used in German, it has to be prearranged under adjectives with adverbial use in a sentence. In such a language as Dutch, the syntax has the basic form of its subsequent adjectives. In addition, adverbs are not inflected. However, they can be compared based on sentence structure and meaning that is to be relayed. Adverbs in Understanding Syntax Overview The first reference book to be analysed is Understanding Syntax, 3rd edition. A study of the text reveals that the manuscript focuses on adverbs from the perspective of how they modify verbs (Tallerman, 2011). The text does not discuss how the syntax links sentences to the wider context. In addition, the book highlights how irregular adverbs are applied in sentences to bring out the correct meaning. The book does not analyse adverbs from the perspective of how they modify clauses, nouns, or determiners. The reason is that all the examples provided focus on verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. For example, Tallerman (2011) observes that central adverbs are formed from the related adjectives with the help of the –ly affix. The book teaches how the syntax modifies verbs by giving examples of the words ‘sudden’ and ‘suddenly’. For example, ‘Kim stopped suddenly’. In addition, the book gives a similar example in French. Tallerman (2011) notes that in French, – ment changes sage ‘wise’ into sagement ‘wisely’. In relation to irregular adverbs, the book teaches that the syntax carries the same form as the adjective. For instance, a sentence can only be framed as ‘she works fast’ or ‘hard’ and not ‘she works fastly’ or ‘hardly’. The word ‘hardly’ can only be formed by a different adverb, creating a different meaning (Tallerman, 2011). The new sentence with an opposite meaning will be ‘she hardly works’. The book also teaches about adverbs from the perspective of comparative suffixes –er and –est. The examples provided are ‘sooner’ and ‘soonest’. The Degree of Success to which the First Book Analyses Adverb Based on the evaluation, the book does not successfully analyse the chosen area of syntax. However, the manuscript provides information that is useful to all students in secondary schools. The reason why the book is considered unsuccessful is that Tallerman (2011) focuses more on adverbs from the perspective of how they modify verbs. The author provides little information on how the word class modifies other words, such as adjectives, nouns, and other adverbs. In addition, Tallerman (2011) provides few examples on how adverbs are used. The primary examples provided are two. The sentences are ‘Kim stopped suddenly’ and ‘she works fast’ or ‘hard’. Based on the discussion of the syntax, students can understand the use of adverbs and where they are placed in a sentence. In addition, learners can note important information and gain interest in the syntax. However, only quick learners will develop the interest and understand the application of adverbs with ease. Due to the few examples provided in the book, slow learners may find it difficult to comprehend how the syntax is used. In addition, they may find the explanations difficult to follow. As such, they may lack interest in the word class (Rauh, 2010). The book should have provided more examples of sentences with adverbs placed at different positions in a sentence. In addition, the author should have used more adverbs, such as those of time, place, and frequency. Adverbs in Basic English Syntax with Exercises Overview The second reference book is Basic English Syntax with Exercises by Newson et al. (2006). A review of the book shows that it teaches adverbs from the perspective of how they modify verb phrases and link sentences to the wider context. In addition, the book discusses how learners can distinguish verbal phrases from sentential adverbs. The two sentences below are used to understand the separation: * 168a. He certainly will find out. * 168b. He will quickly find out. In the first sentence, the adverb modifies the whole sentence (Newson et al., 2006). The meaning relayed is that he will definitely find out. On its part, 168b modifies the verb in the sentence. The modifier helps to show the manner in which he will find out, which is ‘quickly’. The book also analyses how the positioning of adverbs affects the meaning of a sentence. In the first sentence, the sentential adverb comes before the modal auxiliary. In the second, the verb phrase adverse follows the auxiliary. According to Newson et al. (2006), placing an adverb far from the verb phrase leads to a sentence that is grammatically incorrect. Examples of the sentences include: He quickly will find out The doctor thoroughly may examine the patient However, the book shows that the sentences can be made grammatically correct by placing emphasis on the finite constituent. In addition, the text teaches how structures that can be adjoined by adverbs. Wyse et al. (2013) are of the view that under certain circumstances, adverbs can adjoin to any part of a verbal phrase. The Degree of Success to which the Second Text Analyses the Selected Syntax One can conclude that Newson et al. (2006) successfully assesses the chosen area of syntax. The reason is that the text provides detailed and in-depth information on how adverbs act as verb phrase modifiers. In addition, the authors provide numerous examples to help understand how the syntax is used in sentences. In every adverb use, the book provides at least three examples with the verbs positioned differently in each sentence. The approach makes understanding of the concept easier for secondary school students. In addition, Newson et al. (2006) use diagrams to explain how adjuncts and objects in the position of the verb complement each other. Based on the discussion of the syntax and examples provided, learners can understand how adverbs are positioned and used in a sentence. For example, Newson et al. (2006) note that adverbs should not be placed far from the verb phrases. The reason is to avoid grammatically incorrect sentences. In addition, learners can note what is intended, such as the forms of structure that adverbs can adjoin to. Due to the many examples provided and easy explanation, most learners are expected to gain interest in the syntax and practice enough. All the teaching methods used in the book are suitable for scholars at the secondary school level. Consequently, the techniques facilitate the teaching of the selected area of syntax. However, the book should have focused on the modification of other words, such as adjectives and nouns. Conclusion In this paper, the author analysed the different uses of adverbs by comparing two books. The paper provided a detailed discussion of the syntax selected, which is adverb. The author defined and discussed various uses of an adverb. The adverb modifies a number of words, such as verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and nouns. Secondly, the author of this paper looked at how the two books analyse the adverb syntax. The first text focused on adverbs from the perspective of how they modify verbs. On its part, the second book focused on how the chosen syntax acts as a modifier and links sentences to the wider context. Thirdly, the paper analysed the degree of success to which the two books discuss the chosen syntax. It was concluded that the first text unsuccessfully tries to teach adverbs. Some of the reasons for this lack of success are that the book does not provide sufficient examples and explanations to show how different adverbs are used and located in sentences. On its part, the second text was found to effectively discuss the chosen syntax. It provides easy and detailed explanations and uses numerous examples that are structured in a different manner. References AlHamdany , H. (2012). The usefulness of systemic functional grammar and its impact on students’ communicative skills in ESL context. European Scientific Journal, 8 (11), 176-194. Cullen, R. (2008). Teaching grammar as a liberating force. ELT Journal, 62 (3), 221-230. Eppler, E., & Ozon, G. (2013). English words and sentences: An introduction . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freidin, R. (2012). Syntax: Basic concepts and applications . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Givon, T. (2015). The diachrony of grammar . Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Miller, J. (2001). An introduction to English syntax (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Newson, M., Hordos, M., Pap, D., Szecsenyi, K., Toth, G., & Vincze, V. (2006). Basic English syntax with exercises . Budapest: Bölcsész Konzorcium. Rauh, G. (2010). Syntactic categories: Their identification and description in linguistic theories . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Tallerman, M. (2011). Understanding syntax (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge. Wyse, D., Jones, R., Bradford, H., & Wolpert, M. (2013). Teaching English, language and literacy (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Bias and Prejudice are critical attributes in counseling relationships and acceptance of individual differences. Counselors should reexamine their past views and prejudices against other racial groups. The professionals should be on the frontline to support the rights of every client.
Bias and Prejudice are critical attributes in counseling relationships and acceptance of individual differences. Counselors should reexamine their past views and prejudices against other racial groups. The professionals should be on the frontline to support the rights of every client.
Advocacy Theories: Bias and Prejudice Essay Table of Contents 1. Bias and Prejudice 2. Diversity and Parity of Services 3. Understanding the Perspectives of Others 4. Reference Bias and Prejudice Kottler and Shepard (2014) indicate that prejudice and bias affect society negatively. Bias is a downbeat thought of a group or an individual based on economics, religions, or politics. Prejudice revolves around making inappropriate decisions about specific groups without upholding the right truth (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). Bias and prejudice are critical attributes in counseling relationships and acceptance of individual differences. Counselors should reexamine their past views and prejudices against other racial groups. The professionals should be on the frontline to support the rights of every client. Counselors should also guide their clients to neutralize their biases and promote the idea of diversity. These attributes will definitely dictate my duties as a counselor. I will be obliged to respect the values, concepts, and practices of my clients. Prejudice and bias encourage me to maintain a nonjudgmental stance. This approach will minimize the challenges of bias and prejudice. As a counselor, I will be guided by advocacy and social justice. This knowledge will guide me to develop personalized and culturally competent therapies depending on the attributes of the clients (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). This approach will eventually result in a powerful counseling philosophy. Diversity and Parity of Services The world is becoming diverse in terms of population. This kind of diversity explains why mental health workers and counselors have been promoting the parity of services. This emphasis will ensure evidence-based support is available to diverse populations. Flexible therapies will be required to support the diverse needs of different groups. The issue of parity is also critical, whereby every client receives adequate care without discrimination (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). The implementation of powerful programs advocating for parity of services will ensure quality services are available to more people. I have the potential to take responsibility for responding to these emerging concerns. I will begin by developing a powerful philosophy that can meet the needs of more diverse populations. Whenever providing counseling and human services, I will always focus on diverse groups and provide equal support. The inclusion of more professionals from different backgrounds in my counseling teams will make it easier for me to respond to these concerns (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). I will engage in lifelong learning in an attempt to understand the values and beliefs of more cultural groups. Understanding the Perspectives of Others Human service professionals and counselors should be willing to expand their world. Personally, I am planning to implement a powerful plan that can guide me to understand the perspectives of diverse populations. The first approach will be to engage in constant learning. This practice will make it easier for me to learn more about different cultural groups and religious practices (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). The second step is to interact with more counselors and professionals from different regional and cultural backgrounds. The counselors will equip me with new ideas that can expand my world. The third strategy will be to travel widely and interact with more people from diverse backgrounds. This practice will equip me with new competencies that can support my philosophy. The fourth approach will be to engage in continuous practice. This kind of practice will guide me to offer quality therapy to more people from diverse backgrounds. The fifth strategy will be to provide counseling to more individuals from drivers backgrounds (Kottler & Shepard, 2014). I will offer support to different groups, such as African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. The practice will widen my skills and eventually make me a knowledgeable provider of culturally competent therapies. Reference Kottler, A., & Shepard, S. (2014). Introduction to counseling: Voices from the field (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The product design is based on Craig's preferences. The sketches done by Craig in developing the product depict his point of view regarding what would make an excellent hanging chair. The design approach failed to consider the preferences of the target clients.
The product design is based on Craig's preferences. The sketches done by Craig in developing the product depict his point of view regarding what would make an excellent hanging chair. The design approach failed to consider the preferences of the target clients.
Aerial Chair Product’s SWOT and Alternatives Case Study Introduction The founder of Above Ground Designs, Craig Hines, wanted to provide a single product dubbed the Aerial Chair to the market with hopes of making it the most sought-after hanging chair. Craig applied his creativity in designing the Aerial Chair before selling it through various approaches including exhibits. However, several aspects of marketing proved ineffective, thereby offering Craig’s rivals a competitive edge. In this respect, this paper analyses the case of the Aerial Chair by focusing on the key issues and strategic approaches. The paper will also identify the alternatives and similar critical matters that require Craig’s consideration before providing the recommendations, which can bolster the success of the product. Current Situation The creation of the Above Ground Designs aimed at facilitating the realization of Craig’s dream of offering a successful product to the market. The Aerial Chair saw its establishment from the creativity of Craig who sketched the hanging chair himself. Craig further advanced the product by introducing the Superlite version that targeted the backpackers’ market segment. The initial marketing strategies entailed exhibitions at trade shows, outdoor fairs, and shopping malls. Endorsements from different magazines including Outside and Men’s Health saw the Aerial Chair gain popularity as it received positive reviews. However, the pricing aspect of Craig’s marketing strategy prompted his leading retailer, Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) to ask for a wholesale price of below $100. The pricing issue created a considerable success problem for Above Ground Designs. Poor display of the product also offered Craig’s competitors like Airchair and the SKY Chair, a competitive advantage. The need to invest in a more efficient marketing strategy demanded Craig reinforce his financial resources. Moreover, the essence of venturing into the boating market niche offered Above Ground Designs an opportunity for growth amid the challenges faced. Key Issues Several issues affect the success of Above Ground Designs. Thus, they require immediate intervention. The critical issues comprise the different aspects of marketing that lack efficiency. The key problems that influence the prosperity of the Aerial Chair include product design, pricing, distribution volume, product promotion approaches, and finances. The mentioned issues affect the operations of Above Ground Designs, thereby limiting sales and acquisition of a larger market share. The product design is based on Craig’s preferences. The sketches done by Craig in developing the product depict his point of view regarding what would make an excellent hanging chair. Although creative, the design approach failed to consider the preferences of the target clients. Consequently, Craig was forced to introduce products of several colors to meet the unique preferences of the company’s market base. The pricing element also undermined the competitiveness of the Aerial Chair in the market. The lack of economies of scale barred Craig from enjoying the small production and operation costs compared to main rivals such as Airchair and the SKY Chair. Notably, the production costs for the original and Superlite hanging chairs were $62.72 and $61.74, respectively. As such, Craig initially priced the Aerial Chair at $199 for wholesale clients and $120 for retail customers. However, the increase in the prices due to significant production costs prompted Craig to raise the retail price to $149. Above Ground Designs’ competitors slightly raised their prices. However, they sold their products at lower costs than the Aerial Chair. The pricing aspect undermined the competitiveness of Above Ground Designs in the market, necessitating the introduction of a new strategy. Above Ground, Designs could hardly distribute at least 100,000 hanging chairs to suppliers at a go. The company, at its peak inventory, could only produce 300-400 chairs, mostly after receiving orders. The limited availability of the Original and Superlite models that came in four distinct sizes discouraged most large retailers, including QVC from engaging in a big deal with Above Ground Designs. Essentially, increasing the sales of a product in the market is one of the key aspects of enhancing the realization of profits in a given industry. Nonetheless, the low sales volume realized by Aerial Chair owing to the insufficient inventory undermined the expansion of the company in a market with abundant growth opportunities. Therefore, the need to bolster the inventory and distribution aspects is critical for reinforcing the success of Craig’s dream. Amid the initial success gained by the product through advertisement with various magazines, the Aerial Chair encountered some considerable product promotion challenges. Notably, the poor display of the product in different retail stores undermined its visibility, hence impacting the sales volume. Most retail stores considered placing fast-moving items that occupy smaller floor spaces in strategic areas, thereby not prioritizing products such as the Aerial Chair. The display limitation diluted the growth of brand awareness for the Aerial Chair. The need to strengthen the financial health of Above Ground Designs is crucial since it plays an integral role in fostering the effectiveness of marketing approaches. Craig injected money into the business from his future inheritance to stabilize the financial health of the company. Nonetheless, the plan was not strategic enough as it was untenable. The founder feared to acquire finances from credit facilities to facilitate the efficiency of Above Ground Designs with regards to inventory and distribution. Thus, the need to reinforce the financial management of the company was essential. SWOT Analysis The need to investigate the internal and external influences that affect the performance of the Aerial Chair is necessary. The strengths and weaknesses faced by Above Ground Designs account for the internal factors that influence its performance. On the other hand, the opportunities and threats represent the external factors that have an impact on the success of the Aerial Chair brand. Strengths Above Ground, Designs has an innovative founder who pursued a dream of developing a product that suits his interests. The designing of the Aerial Chair emanates from the ideas and interests of the founder (Craig). Thus, the creativity of the leader accounted for its development and survival in the industry amid the challenges. The promotion of the product through the print media platform, especially magazines is one of the marketing strengths of the Above Ground Designs. The company gained considerable popularity through the advertising done by magazines such as Outside, Men’s Health, Cruising World, Motor, Boating, and Sunset. Weaknesses Above Ground, Designs has a weak financial position that undermines its marketing endeavors. The economic instability bars the company from enhancing its inventory. Besides, Craig fears to acquire credit facilities to bolster the efficiency of the company’s operations in the recreation industry. The pricing of the Aerial Chair also undermines the competitiveness of the company. The rivals of Above Ground Designs offer a variety of products at prices lower than those of the two Aerial Chair models found in the market. The pricing is a major setback to the company’s marketing strategies. The poor display of the product in stores adversely affects the company’s performance. The lack of creativity in marketing has hindered the ability of the Aerial Chair to secure strategic places in stores. The product promotion weakness makes the company’s brand image inferior to its competitors besides customers finding it less appealing. Threats Above Ground, Designs faces stiff competition from rivals, including Airchair and the SKY Chair due to its ineffective distribution network and marketing strategies. The competitors have greater brand images that make their products more preferred by customers in comparison to Craig’s offerings to the market. Financial instability experienced by Above Ground Designs inhibits the sustainability of its marketing approaches. Notably, Craig lacks a financial plan to guide the marketing strategies of the company. The issue forces the company to depend considerably on print media and displays to boost the popularity of the brand. Craig depends on his inheritance to finance the company, depicting an unsustainable financial management strategy. Opportunities The increase in sales of residential houses in the United States has triggered the growth of the outdoor furniture market. The two industries are directly correlated. The trend implies that demand for products offered by Craig’s company would increase. The decreasing oil prices in the pleasure boat market offer Above Ground Design a chance to exploit clients in this sector. Furthermore, the increasing incomes of the United States employees provide a greater purchasing power as they seek to buy recreational items including the hanging chairs. Alternatives * Do nothing: The failure to implement an alternative would lead to a deterioration of Above Ground Design’s financial health. Failure to act would also force customers to consider products offered by rivals due to the high prices. Refraining from taking precautionary measures would also result in tarnishing the image of the Aerial Chair brand in the market. * Seeking financial support: A reinforcement of the financial resources required to foster the sales and grow the market share acquired by Above Ground Designs is essential. The availability of adequate funding is crucial for promoting production and distribution to meet the pricing and inventory requirements in the market. * Integrating online platforms in product promotion: Besides using the company’s website, the need to engage online platforms such as social media will facilitate increased awareness of the Aerial Chair brand. Social media as a marketing platform has the potential of reaching customers worldwide. Critical Issues The identified alternatives affect several aspects of the marketing mix that Above Ground Designs needs to integrate to foster success in the market. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the positive and negative outcomes of the alternatives identified. Essentially, the marketing mix incorporates the 4Ps, which represent the product, place, price, and promotion. Doing nothing implies that the product would not see any improvement meant to meet the standard offered by rivals. As such, it would be hard for the company to increase sales volume by venturing into new markets. Lack of intervention would also imply that the prices for the Original and Superlite products would still be high compared to those offered by the rivals. Additionally, failure to take action would lead to no improvements in the product promotion endeavors, which are requisite for the attainment of Craig’s dream. Injection of financial resources would see the Aerial Chair attain a desirable brand image. The alternative also has the potential of stabilizing the prices of the two Aerial Chair models with the objective of realizing competitive prices in the market. The injection of financial resources would enable the company to increase the distribution channels. It would also have sufficient money to procure an integrated marketing strategy. Adopting greater use of the online platform would improve the image of the Above Ground Designs brand, thus enhancing the product and promotion aspects of the marketing mix. Importantly, the alternative has the potential to increase the sales of the company in the recreation sector. The use of online platforms would facilitate the distribution of Aerial Chairs through online retail stores. Recommendations For the sake of driving the Aerial Chair towards success, Craig needs to consider some interventions. The recommendations focus on the aspects of finances and product promotion. First, Craig needs to source financial resources from players such as financial institutions to enhance the sustainability of the company’s marketing objectives. The strategy is crucial for supporting the redesigning of the product to fit the market expectations and facilitating the reduction of the offered price. Second, Craig ought to consider engaging in marketing strategies that seek to capture the global market. The integration of various social media platforms would be beneficial for Aerial Chair since it would reach different market niches that need the product for recreational purposes. Finally, the hiring of professional marketers is crucial for fostering the planning aspect of marketing. Notably, Craig lacks a marketing plan, which is vital for guiding the actions necessary for promoting products. Besides, a business plan is also required since it gives a company a sense of direction towards the realization of the set goals and objectives.
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Revert the following summary back into the original essay: The African American racial group has the highest rate of unemployment in the United States, continuing a longstanding pattern whereby Blacks always find themselves at the periphery of the American labor force. A recently released report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Black or African American racial group had an unemployment rate of 11.3% in 2014, while Whites had an unemployment rate of only 5.3% ( Labor force characteristics , 2015).
The African American racial group has the highest rate of unemployment in the United States, continuing a longstanding pattern whereby Blacks always find themselves at the periphery of the American labor force. A recently released report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Black or African American racial group had an unemployment rate of 11.3% in 2014, while Whites had an unemployment rate of only 5.3% ( Labor force characteristics , 2015).
African Americans’ Unemployment Rate in 2014 Essay The African American racial group has the highest rate of unemployment in the United States, continuing a longstanding pattern whereby Blacks always find themselves at the periphery of the American labor force. A recently released report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Black or African American racial group had an unemployment rate of 11.3% in 2014, while Whites had an unemployment rate of only 5.3% ( Labor force characteristics , 2015). Among teenagers, the Black or African American racial group has the highest unemployment rate, at 33%, while the unemployment rates for Hispanic, White, and Asian teenagers stand at 22.5%, 17.3%, and 14.0% respectively ( Labor force characteristics , 2015). Some of the reasons that have made the Black or African American racial group to have the highest rate of unemployment include discrimination in the private sector, lack of good education opportunities, high levels of crime within the African American neighborhoods, and resiliency in sticking to the frustrating experience of job search. References Labor force characteristics by race and ethnicity, 2014 . (2015). Web. Labor force statistics from the current population survey . (2016). Web. Rampell, C. (2011). Older workers without jobs face longest time out of work. The New York Times . Web.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The paper at hand is going to prove that African Diaspora fully expresses itself in the Black Church as a people-oriented community taking care of its every single member.The paper at hand is going to prove that African Diaspora fully expresses itself in the Black Church as a people-oriented community taking care of its every single member.
The paper at hand is going to prove that African Diaspora fully expresses itself in the Black Church as a people-oriented community taking care of its every single member. The paper at hand is going to prove that African Diaspora fully expresses itself in the Black Church as a people-oriented community taking care of its every single member.
African Diaspora and the Black Church Essay Although African Diaspora had to cover a long way to mold its unique ecclesial pace, it has finally managed to become the major spiritual, social, political, and cultural institution uniting its followers of African descent. The history of Black Church formation accounts for the fact that its spiritual domain is not detached from the empirical one. This religious community was formed not for abstract philosophical speculations but out of a need to create a secure space where believers can find comfort, healing of body and soul, support, and understanding necessary for developing qualities that, according to their beliefs, shape a human being. Therefore, each individual is viewed as grounded in the Black Church community that values equal relationships between its members and between the self and the universe. 1 According to J. A. Joseph, “African-Americans connection to the Black church is directly linked to the overriding belief among African-Americans that service to God is linked to service to humanity.” 2 Thus, the paper at hand is going to prove that African Diaspora fully expresses itself in the Black Church as a people-oriented community taking care of its every single member. Historical Background of the Diaspora Expression in the Black Church When we attempt to analyze the nature of spirituality in the African Diaspora, it is highly important to remember that the Black Church appeared as a response to slavery. The point is that white landlords often used religion to prove that African people were created with the only purpose – to serve their masters, which should be done immaculately to win a place in heaven. African Diaspora embraced this religion but still introduced certain changes to give people a chance of intellectual and spiritual escape from their humiliating position. From the very beginning, the Black Church gave people power, love, and endurance to tolerate those who oppressed them. It became the only place where they could feel free and welcome. 3 It is also worth noticing that the Black Church was not only a place providing comfort and sympathy to its members but also a huge arena where political, social, religious, and other problems were addressed. The idea standing behind its formation was that people do not need pity exclusively – they deserve living a full-fledged life with adequate social participation outside the atrocities of racism. Thus, the religious community served as a solid institution guarding the rights of each. 4 One more important historical expression of the African community in the Black Church is its role in the success of the Civil Rights Movement. The Church managed to survive and save its core principles throughout all hardships it had to face. Thus, it was strong enough to provide support to its members in their strivings to find social and political justice and eliminate racial prejudice in society. It organized volunteers and provided the community with the necessary funding. Moreover, it encouraged leadership in the form of spiritual guidance for people not to be afraid to take part in the Movement. 5 Thus, it is evident that the Black Church was formed to satisfy the primary needs of the African Diaspora – namely, its desire to find comfort, support, spiritual guidance, and direction for further action. That is why its deep spirituality has always been coupled with purely empirical help in daily-life matters. The Holistic Essence of the Spiritual Domain Formed by the Black Church Even though the Black Church was concerned with satisfying the practical needs of the community, it never diminished its spiritual significance. It is believed that both the physical and spiritual realms of a person have to be addressed. The “sin-sick” soul harms the body and must be cured. The spiritual dimension intricately intertwines with the empirical world; therefore, religious practice is understood as a holistic one – soul and flesh, humans and the environment, the dead and the living do not exist separately. This belief stems from the nature of the African Diaspora that has always been deeply collectivistic. African people feel confident when they have a common-shared sense of God who can be accessed at any single moment of joy and hardship. 6 The holistic view of the religion steps away from adhering to strict rules but emphasizes human relationships instead. This implies that the vision of a righteous life involves meeting the goals established by the whole community. That is why, if a person possesses certain gifts (such as healing, communicating with spirits, knowing rare languages, etc.), he/she automatically bears a responsibility to share them with the Diaspora and to use them for the good of people. The individual is linked both to God and to other members of the Church. Even the greatest power of healing is understood not as a personal possession but as something supernatural that has to be transferred from one person to another. 7 Thus, it can be inferred that the Black Church has managed to form an ecclesial domain that was unique in its holistic nature as it managed to cover all aspects of spirituality making it a collective notion. The Significance of the Modern Black Religious Community Although slavery times are over, the African Diaspora continues to be reinforced by the spiritual and financial assistance provided by the Black Church. Its support (especially in times of hardship) is comparable with the support of the family. The Church has committed volunteers and participates actively in the social and political life of its community. 8 As a result of such spiritual guidance, the members of the Black Church demonstrate dedication to the active solution of all human problems. For instance, African-Americans donate app. 25% more money to various charity needs than all other groups of the population taken together. Moreover, app. 9 out of 10 donated dollars go to the Church for it to be able to provide food, shelter, and financial assistance to those in need. 9 Since the Black Church has always stressed the idea that the spiritual health and the health of the body are interdependent, it is now an active participant in the health care policies of the state. The reality is that the representatives of the African Diaspora are 30% more likely to die of the heart attack, to have diabetes, HIV, and other incurable conditions. The Church encourages health education and disease prevention, weight-loss programs, lectures and seminars at schools and universities, etc. Moreover, many health organizations are already in partnership with the Black Church that allowed them to open their educational centers on its territory. 10 Thus, the current mission of the Black Church is the same as it was years earlier: its spiritual care demonstrates itself in every sphere making no difference between race, social status, age, or financial state of those who need its help. Conclusion Having analyzed the historical formation of the Black Church and its current interpretation of religion, we can conclude that its deep spirituality stems from the comprehensive function that it has to perform. The African Diaspora finds there not the only comfort for the soul, but also financial and political empowerment, education, health support, and satisfaction of its needs for active social participation, which the Church demonstrates by its example. Bibliography Joseph, James Alfred. Black Philanthropy: The Potential and Limits of Private Generosity in a Civil Society . Indianapolis: Association of Black Foundation Executives, 2013. Mitchem, Stephanie. African American Folk Healing . New York: NYU Press, 2007. Footnotes 1. Stephanie Mitchem, African American Folk Healing (New York: NYU Press, 2007), 19. 2. James Alfred Joseph, Black Philanthropy: The Potential and Limits of Private Generosity in a Civil Society (Indianapolis: Association of Black Foundation Executives, 2013), 28. 3. Ibid., 38. 4. Ibid., 43. 5. Ibid., 45. 6. Mitchem , African American Folk Healing , 26. 7. Ibid., 27. 8. Joseph, Black Philanthropy: The Potential and Limits of Private Generosity in a Civil Society , 52. 9. Ibid., 54. 10. Ibid., 54-55.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The African Hebrew Israelites in Israel are a community of African Americans who came to Israel in the 1960s. They believe they are the descendants of the Tribe of Judah and practice a polygamous and vegan lifestyle.
The African Hebrew Israelites in Israel are a community of African Americans who came to Israel in the 1960s. They believe they are the descendants of the Tribe of Judah and practice a polygamous and vegan lifestyle.
African Hebrew Israelites Community in Israel Essay African Hebrew Israelites in Israel In Israel, there is a community of African Hebrew Israelites (AHI). They are the descendants of a group of African Americans who came to Israel in the 1960s from Chicago. Their number is about 3,500 people, but thousands of AHI live in other countries around the world (Mintz par. 6). Although they regard themselves as Jewish, none of the branches of Judaism acknowledges them as such. The history of the community started in 1966 when their subsequent spiritual leader Ben Ammi had a revelation from the Archangel Gabriel who told him to return from America to the Holy Land (“About Us” par. 9). The members of the community founded by Ben Ammi believe that they are descendants of the Tribe of Judah, one of the ten lost tribes of ancient Israel. However, their relation to the tribe is not admitted by present-day Israel. AHI has experienced several confrontations with the state. For example, the community’s cemetery was destroyed in 2013 by local authorities based on the explanation that AHI is not Jewish (Diary of a Revolutionary). The remains were transferred to a suburban area with no indication of a burial site, which caused burning indignation of the community. However, AHI adapted to living in Israel so that they could practice their customs. The community successfully uses present-day internet technologies to communicate with the rest of Israel and internationally about their lifestyle and traditions (Yehudah 180). AHI is polygamous and vegan, which they explain by directly following the instructions from the Old Testament (“About Us” par. 27). They only wear clothes made of natural fabrics like silk, cotton, linen, and wool. AHI practice circumcision of boys eight days after birth as well as isolation of women during menstruation and after childbirth. The period of isolation depends on the baby’s sex (Mintz par. 13): 40 days if a boy was born and 80 days if it was a girl. One of the distinctive customs of the AHI community is celebrating the exodus from the United States. Every year, two days in May are dedicated to festive outdoor activities in commemoration of this event. Many AHI comes to Israel in May for this celebration. Apart from the exodus from America, AHI also celebrates Jewish holy days, one of which is Shavuot, the harvest celebration. One of the festive activities is dancing. Men and women dance separately. First, men dance in a large circle. They carry wooden sticks and give cries. Women stand at a distance and sing. Children participate, too (Orhof, “Dance for the Land 2”). Then, some of the dancers line up and hold one another’s stuck, which creates a continuous chain. After that, men go aside, and women start to dance in the same circle. Women’s dancing is different: they do not carry sticks, and their movements resemble those performed when reaping crops (Orhof, “Dance for the Land 3”). During the dances, everybody wears colorful outfits. The dancing is rhythmic and energetic. It represents the joy of collecting the harvest and the gratitude to the land. Unlike many religious groups, the AHI community is quite open. In Israel, they operate several businesses that produce handmade utensils, pottery, and clothes (Mintz par. 9). Members of the community also manage a chain of vegan restaurants. Based on their genesis, identity, and customs, AHI has been studied by many anthropologists and ethnographers since the establishment of the community fifty years ago. Works Cited About Us: African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem 2016. Web. Diary of a Revolutionary. “Breaking News on African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. Mintz, Zoe. “Who Are The Black Hebrews? 3 Things To Know Since Spiritual Leader’s Death.” International Business Times. 2014. Web. Orhof, Ori. “African-Hebrew-Israelite Community in Dimona, Israel – Dance for the Land 2.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 2014. Web. Orhof, Ori. “African-Hebrew-Israelite Community in Dimona, Israel – Dance for the Land 3.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 2014. Web. Yehudah, Miciah Z. “Thin Description: Ethnography and the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem.” Journal of Pan African Studies 7.8 (2015): 180-185. Print.
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Write the full essay for the following summary: In African cultures, life is seen as the greatest gift. Therefore, pregnant women are treated with care and respect; they are secluded from the potential negative impacts to preserve the new life. Also, the care and support given by pregnant women include feeding them the best of available foods and surrounding them with protection. The failure to provide a pregnant woman with the required care is believed to anger the spirits of the ancestors that may inflict a stillbirth or a miscarriage.
In African cultures, life is seen as the greatest gift. Therefore, pregnant women are treated with care and respect; they are secluded from the potential negative impacts to preserve the new life. Also, the care and support given by pregnant women include feeding them the best of available foods and surrounding them with protection. The failure to provide a pregnant woman with the required care is believed to anger the spirits of the ancestors that may inflict a stillbirth or a miscarriage.
African Traditional Spiritual Care Throughout Life Essay Childhood: Birth Birth is the first of the main rites of passage in the vast majority of African cultures. Some of them also include rituals dedicated to the conception, the confirmation of pregnancy, and to prenatal period. The rituals related to childbirth differ for various African tribes and ethnicities. In African cultures, life is seen as the greatest gift. Therefore, pregnant women are treated with care and respect; they are secluded from the potential negative impacts to preserve the new life. 1 Also, the care and support given by pregnant women include feeding them the best of available foods and surrounding them with protection. The failure to provide a pregnant woman with the required care is believed to anger the spirits of the ancestors that may inflict a stillbirth or a miscarriage. 2 Naming Ceremony In African cultures, the time when a child is given a name is associated with his or her becoming a member of the community. 3 In that way, naming is the crucial procedure that does not only allow a newborn child to enter the community but also indicates that the child is now considered a person. Also, since it is believed that a child comes to our world from the world of spirits and carries an important and unique task in life; his or her name is usually chosen in a way to reflect the discovered or perceived reincarnation, mission and personality. 4 Most African peoples (the Edo, the Hutu, the Yoruba, the Akan, to name a few) conduct the naming ceremonies a week or 8 days after the child is born; these ceremonies involve all of the tribe or community members since a new child is seen as belonging to the tribe for the first time and thus needs to be acknowledged by it as a human being. 5 Coming of Age: Adulthood Often, the rite of adulthood is the primary association with the entire concept of the rites of passage that are typically associated with maturation and coming of age. The rites of adulthood were designed to provide the necessary guidance and experiences for young people to learn and become productively functioning adults. The rituals of these rites usually included the young people in their puberty years, who are to undergo the transition. In many African cultures, the rites of adulthood include the rituals based on the isolation of the young initiates from the rest of their communities and testing their skills of decision-making and problem-solving, as well as their wisdom, practicality, strength, and courage. 6 This is done because adult life is usually more demanding, difficult, and comes along with more responsibilities than that of a child or a teenager. Puberty Initiation Rituals Puberty is a period of multiple changes for every person. The changes are not only physical but also emotional. They can be rather overwhelming for a young individual, and as a result, the youths are educated about their transition with the help of puberty initiation rituals. They can differ from one African community to another, but the vast majority of them are associated with the death of a child self of a maturing person and the birth of the adult self. 7 Also, puberty initiation rituals usually involve the interaction between the elders and the youth coming of age for the transition of important knowledge. The process of initiation may include shaving off the initiates’ hair, throwing away their old clothes, and receiving new names to re-enter the community as adults and obtain their new places in it. 8 Circumcision Rites The rite of circumcision is majorly associated with the traditions and rituals of Islam and Judaism; however, the history of this rite is much longer than those of the main modern religions. Circumcision was performed in ancient Egypt and penetrated many different African cultures in that way. 9 Circumcision rite is held at different stages of life in various cultures. It is performed by the senior men on the young initiates, and the youths must endure the entire procedure without demonstrating any signs of pain or discomfort to show their strength. After the procedure is complete, the initiates are left alone for a period required for their wounds to heal. Further, they can return to their communities and are readmitted in their new social status. Clitorectomy Rites In the contemporary world, clitorectomy is viewed as a highly controversial ritual and is often criticized as a sign of oppression of women. However, the true meaning of clitorectomy in the African cultures was much deeper than just the mutilation of the genitalia. The procedure that is recognized as female circumcision may differ; its variations involve versatile techniques and strategies targeting different parts of the female external reproductive organs. Clitorectomy is intended as a removal of the parts of female genitalia that resemble those of males; and in that way, it is believed that femininity is strengthened and fertility is maximized. 10 Similarly to the rites of circumcision, clitorectomy is carried out by the senior females of the community and is performed alongside the other initiation rituals such as the provision of sexual education and instructions as to the duties and responsibilities of an adult woman. Ancestorship: Death In African cultures, the concepts of life and death are tightly intertwined. Just like birth is considered as a child’s arrival to the world of the living from the spirit world, death is viewed as an individual’s transition to the spirit realm. The two worlds are perceived as real to an equal degree; in that way, humans are seen as comprised of both spiritual and physical elements. As a result, death is viewed as a separation of the body and the soul of an individual where the former is returned to nature through burial, and the latter moves on to the afterlife. Burial & Funeral Rites In many African cultures, burial and funeral rites are held separately. The funeral rituals take place 40 days after the body is buried; during this period, the family of the deceased is expected to collect funds and plan the funeral; and the relatives who live far away – to come and attend the ceremony. The funeral is usually much bigger a ceremony than burial. The mourning family would wear white and red colors (they are associated with funerals), change their hairstyles, or cut their hair. 11 The personal things of the deceased are put in the grave; the remaining properties of the dead are not used for at least a year. The bereaved family is to have a ritual washing to get rid of the uncleanness inflicted by the death in the family. Bibliography 1. Davis, Tasha. “ Rites of Passage. ” African People . Web. 2. “ Death & Burial. ” Africa . Web. 3. Magesa, Laurent. African Religion: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life . Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1997. 4. Laurent Magesa, African Religion: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1997), 88. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid, 89. 7. Ibid. 8. Tasha Davis, “Rites of Passage,” African People , Web. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid. 11. Ibid.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The text discusses the importance of taking the needs of employees into account when designing a human capital management strategy. It also highlights the need for a new leadership framework to carry out the intervention.
The text discusses the importance of taking the needs of employees into account when designing a human capital management strategy. It also highlights the need for a new leadership framework to carry out the intervention.
AGC Inc.’s Diagnostics and Interventions Report Table of Contents 1. Diagnosis 2. Intervention 3. Evaluation 4. References Diagnosis Based on the recent data provided by AGC, the company has been suffering from a lack of consistent leadership and the inability to meet the culture-specific needs of its staff members. Indeed, even though the employees have been provided with extensive opportunities for training their skills, the fact that the company has been paying little to no attention to their specific needs defined by their background shows that the current human capital management (HCM) strategy leaves much to be desired (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). Therefore, there is an urgent need to redesign the current approach toward HCM and introduce the framework that could help take the unique needs of the staff into account. Thus, the turnover rates in the organization could be reduced to a considerable extent (Lawler & Bodreau, 2015). Furthermore, the fact that the managers of the company failed to introduce an appropriate HCM framework points to the fact that the organization lacks a set of values that would help steer the decision-making process the right way and consider the needs of the employees fully. In other words, it is imperative to revisit the set of values and the corporate philosophy on which the decision-making processes are based at present. Afterward, a more cohesive HCM approach can be designed. Intervention To improve the current situation at AGC, the leaders of the organization will have to reconsider the values according to which the company’s decision-making process occurs. By setting the priorities straight and recognizing the necessity to cater to the needs of the staff members, the leaders of AGC will be able to improve the current situation significantly. Particularly, a very heavy emphasis must be placed on the promotion of cross-cultural communication and the design of negotiation strategies. Indeed, in a multicultural environment, conflicts are going to be inevitable due to the differences in viewpoints and philosophies. Consequently, the adoption of an appropriate negotiation technique based on a compromise and cooperation should be considered a necessity in AGC (Phillips & Phillips, 2014). Also, the intervention must be carried out under a new leadership framework. A combination of the transformational leadership approach and the concept of visionary leadership must be utilized as the main tool for establishing new principles of communication in the workplace. Seeing that the visionary approach will inspire the participants, whereas the transformational one will guide them through the change, it is expected that AGC will transfer successfully to a new system of HCM (Satia, Kumar, & Liow, 2013). Finally, support services should be introduced to collect feedback from the staff and introduce a better communication model. It is expected that a redesign of the current information management framework will result in processing the employees’ requirements faster. As a result, the needs of the personnel will be met more efficiently (Russ, 2014). Evaluation The efficacy of the change management plan described above can be measured with the help of questionnaires and a comparison between the performance levels of the staff. The first step will require creating a set of Likert-scale questions so that the employees could evaluate how their culture-specific needs are met. The next step will require a quantitative analysis of the staff’s performance before the implementation of the plan and after it was introduced into AGC’s design. The results of the analysis will show whether the approach can be deemed efficient. It is expected that the identified approach will help increase the staff’s satisfaction levels (Hardy, 2014). Consequently, their motivation rates and performance quality will also improve significantly. Furthermore, a rise in responsibility levels is expected. The increase in the staff’s productivity, in turn, is bound to trigger a large improvement of AGC’s market performance. References Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice . Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Publishers. Hardy, K. (2014). Enterprise risk management: A guide for government professionals . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Lawler, E., & Bodreau, J. (2015). Global trends in human resource management: A twenty-year analysis . Stanford, CT: Stanford University Press. Phillips, J., & Phillips, P. P. (2014). Making human capital analytics work: Measuring the ROI of human capital processes and outcomes . New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional. Russ, M. (2014). Management, valuation, and risk for human capital and human assets: Building the foundation for a multi-disciplinary, multi-level theory . New York, NY: Springer. Satia, J., Kumar, A., & Liow, M. (2013). Visionary leadership in health: Delivering superior value . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The essay discusses the learning goals of an agency and how they are developed. The goals include distinguishing, appraising, and integrating multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom. The plan for achieving these goals includes discussing the information from the peer-reviewed articles with the supervisor, participating in supervision sessions, examining agency reports, and defining what sources are better to use in particular situations.
The essay discusses the learning goals of an agency and how they are developed. The goals include distinguishing, appraising, and integrating multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom. The plan for achieving these goals includes discussing the information from the peer-reviewed articles with the supervisor, participating in supervision sessions, examining agency reports, and defining what sources are better to use in particular situations.
Agency Learning Goals and Plan Development Essay Agency Learning Goals Distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom * Discuss the information from the peer-reviewed articles with the supervisor * Participate in supervision sessions * Examine agency reports * Point out the differences between the information obtained from different sources * Define what sources are better to use in particular situations Analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation * Examine and analyze a guide for these practices * Identify confusing areas * Discuss these areas with the supervisor Demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, and colleagues * Complete required documents * Respond to emails and phone calls/messages timely and professionally * Analyze the best practices of effective communication maintained by the rest of the personnel * Point out several communications patterns that can be advantageous in the workplace View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants * Ask for help and advice from other personnel * Engage other professionals in learning * Discuss with them different learning opportunities available in the workplace * Develop a plan for their possible future utilization Analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being * Review the manual * Identify those policies that are confusing * Think of the way they affect social well-being * Develop several personal policies to improve social well-being * Address them to the supervisor Continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services * Check the availability of updated material and report on them * Attend conferences and team meetings * Investigate client charts and think of the changes in the client population * Consider why these changes are observed and how they can influence adoption practices * Discuss personal ideas with the supervisor Substantively and affectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities * Review client charts * Discuss particular cases of adoption with the supervisor * Observe client sessions maintained by other professionals and the supervisor * Analyze organizations and communities that are served * Think of the way they differ and how it affects adoption Personal Learning Goals Practice personal reflection; self-correction to assure continual professional development * Make notes in the reflective log * Reconsider professional behaviors and develop personal feedback * Consult a supervisor to obtain additional feedback * Point out the way self-correction will be maintained Attend to professional roles and boundaries * Review the manual to define professional roles and boundaries observed currently * Inform clients of the personal position and the power available within the organization Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication * Follow the policies of the social services system and perform all steps of complex processes according to the organizational guideline * Dress up and communicate following social norms and agency rules * Think of the way these norms and rules are followed by the rest of the personnel * Discuss how the adherence can be improved (if needed) Use supervision and consultation * Interact with clients to define similar experiences * Discuss the feelings * Think of the assistance that may be required by clients and define several particular cases * Focus on the clients and the way they behave * Try to identify when they feel uncomfortable and require some help or reassurance * Help clients in practice, explaining the information they find confusing or difficult to understand Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power * Analyze peer-reviewed articles to define cultural differences * Point out the influences of different cultures on the way they affect privilege and power * Examine client charts * Define how their cultural background can affect their chances of adoption and its outcomes * Define the client’s privilege and power and develop a plan to enhance them * Focus on some professionals in the agency * Gather background information about their culture * Examine previous events and make notes of the current ones to see how their cultural structures and values influence privilege and power * Think of personal culture and its effect in the same manner * Discuss personal considerations with the supervisor Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups * Define personal values with the help of several tests/questionnaires * Consider possible biases based on those values that may occur while performing personal duties * Think of the way they can be eliminated * Develop a plan and discuss it during a supervision session Professional Learning Goals Advocate for client access to the services of social work * Provide several referrals in the framework of post-adoption planning * Think of a couple of real cases of adoption that faced some issues * Point out how these issues could be eliminated if there was a professional who advocated for clients in another way Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work Statement of Principles * Review the code of ethics and underline the most critical standards that can enhance decision-making * Based on the code of ethics describe how conflicts should be resolved * Learn about a particular aspect of the provided service and its implication on practice * Discuss differences and similarities of what was learned in class and placement * Think of the reasons for these differences and define what should be done to align theory and practice for the future students to avoid these issues Tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts * Discuss how to implement ethic principles in practice * Think of the situations when ambiguity can be experienced * Define those ethical principles that should be used as a guide to resolving conflicts * Consider the possibility of exceptions and address it to the supervisor Recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences * Complete client assessments * Define the client’s differences in the framework of their life experiences * Develop a list of key points that should be practiced to appreciate diversity and reduce the influence of personal judgments * Make notes on what can be learned from a diverse client population * Define several situations from personal life experiences and think of the way they could be affected by diversity Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination * Gather epidemiological information regarding the topic * Assess several clients to reveal the situation within the community * Develop a plan to eliminate oppression and discrimination Use research evidence to inform practice * Summarize and critique peer-reviewed articles * Point out the best practices discussed in them and think of their utilization Critique and apply knowledge to understand person and environment * Prepare a plan to get to know information about clients and their environment * Assess clients to ensure that they are ready to adopt a child and can find a common language with him/her (focusing on some case) * Choose some theory and consider how it applies to a client * Discuss your work with the supervisor Use empathy and other interpersonal skills * Point out those interpersonal skills that are critical for practice * Define how and when they should be used * Address clients, using them Collect, organize, and interpret client data * Examine client chart * Interview a client * Prepare a review of the obtained information * Interpret findings with the focus on the client’s opportunity to adopt a child Assess client strengths and limitations * Examine client chart * Point out one’s strengths and limitations considering adoption opportunities * Think of the ways one’s strengths can be advanced and limitations eliminated or at least minimalized * Discuss this plan with the supervisor Help clients resolve problems * Interact with clients and ask them about possible issues or misunderstandings * Offer several ways to solve them Facilitate transitions and endings * Examine client charts of those clients who will not require services soon * Develop a plan to minimalize cooperation step by step
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: The paper highlights the need to address the issue of an aging population, which is a substantial problem for America's prison system. Also, the paper provides a brief discussion of economic, social, and political reasons for addressing the issue in a timely and effective manner.
The paper highlights the need to address the issue of an aging population, which is a substantial problem for America's prison system. Also, the paper provides a brief discussion of economic, social, and political reasons for addressing the issue in a timely and effective manner.
Aging Population Issues in American Prison System Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Aging Trend 4. Justification to Address the Issue of Aging Prison Population 5. The Feasibility of the Issue Reaching the National Agenda 6. Conclusions and Recommendations 7. References Introduction Over the next four years, there is a need to address the issue of the aging prison population in the U.S. A lot of concern has been expressed regarding the continuous growth of the number of older people in prison (Williams, Sudore, Greifinger, & Morrison, 2013). In 2006, the issue was pronounced one of the top management challenges of the U.S. Department of Justice (Psick, Simon, Brown, & Ahalt, 2017). The increase in the number of elderly individuals in prison requires the expansion of staff numbers to take care of inmates who have some disabilities such as vision loss or a debilitating sense of hearing. As a result, the costs of medical care for prisoners have risen dramatically over the last decade (Psick et al., 2017). This paper aims to highlight the need to address the issue of an aging population, which is a substantial problem for America’s prison system. Also, the paper provides a brief discussion of economic, social, and political reasons for addressing the issue in a timely and effective manner. The analysis of the feasibility of the problem reaching the national agenda will also be included in the paper. Background During the last decade, the rate of growth of the number of aged prisoners has noticeably increased (Psick et al., 2017). Most people in America’s prison system are considered elderly (Williams, Stern, Mellow, Safer & Greifinger, 2012). For example, there has been a significant growth of men and women aged 55 years and above from 32,600 to 124,400 between 1995 and 2010 (Psick et al., 2017). This growth accounts for about a 282% increase when compared to a 42.1% increase in the case of the total population increase in the prisons within the same duration (Psick et al., 2017). A case of an increase in the number of elderly people in prison was reported in 2000 when the number of elderly prisoners was only 3% of total America’s prison population, but in 10 years the population grew by 5% (Psick et al., 2017). Presently, this group of people accounts for more than 16%. (Psick et al., 2017). Recent projections show that there is a possible increase in the number of elderly people in prison by about 4,400%, concerning the increasing trend since 1981 (Psick et al., 2017). Based on this estimate, the number of prisoners who are 55 years of age and above is likely to be 33.3% of America’s prison population (Psick et al., 2017). If assessed in terms of states, the number of aged prisoners ranges between 4.2% and 9.9%, with the state of Oregon having the highest rate and Connecticut having the lowest rate (Psick et al., 2017). Between 1997 and 2007, there was a 145% increase in the number of aged people in prison in the Southern States (Psick et al., 2017). Male prisoners account for the highest percentage of America’s aging prison population since only about 6% of the elderly prisoners are females (Williams et al., 2012). In terms of race, 15%, 33%, and 42% of the total number of elderly prisoners are Hispanic, Black, and White, respectively (Williams et al., 2012). The elderly convicts also account for the highest number of deaths in prisons. For instance, more than 8,400 elderly inmates were reported dead in prison between 2001 and 2007 (Williams et al., 2012). This accounted for an increase in deaths by 11.8% in the period between 2001 and 2007 (Williams et al., 2012). According to Psick et al. (2017), there is a high probability that the number of deaths among elderly prisoners is going to increase. This is attributable to the fact that as the current prisoners continue to age, the admission of new ones continues. Aging Trend The number of elderly people in America’s prison systems continues to increase each year (Williams et al., 2012). As pointed above, new individuals are imprisoned each day, and they inevitably transition to older age (Williams et al., 2012). Even though this might be a significant contributing factor to the increased numbers of old age convicts, concerns have been raised regarding the government’s policies on “touch-on-crime” (Williams et al., 2012). Some scholars argue that the increased numbers of elderly people in prison are brought about by the general aging of the people in America as well as those individuals who engage in criminal activities (Williams et al., 2012). For example, in the mid-seventies, the government of the United States established laws that were aimed at ensuring that people convicted of any crimes served a long jail term, and they would not be given early releases (Williams et al., 2012). For this reason, it is evident that most of the aged inmates were jailed when they were much younger and spent several decades in prison following the introduction of these laws, which restricted early release of prisoners including those who were convicted of non-violent crimes (Williams et al., 2012). A good example is the case of Texas prisons where 65 percent of the elderly inmates were convicted of crimes that were not related to violence offenses (Williams et al., 2012). In North Carolina, more than 26 percent of aged prisoners were incarcerated for drug-related crimes (Williams et al., 2012). Interestingly enough, other crimes accounted for about 14 percent of the total population of elderly inmates of the state (Williams et al., 2012). Additionally, other factors that are considered to have played a significant role in the exacerbation of the issue include the technical revocations, the truth-in-sentencing conditions, and the “three strikes” laws that affect repeat offenders (Maschi, Viola, & Sun, 2013). Following such factors, the prison system of America experienced a 300 percent increase in the prison population especially for individuals serving a sentence of twenty years between 1986 and 1995 (Maschi et al., 2013). According to the provided statistics, it is evident that more and more old people are being jailed, a move that has significantly increased the number of old prisoners (Maschi et al., 2013). The continuous trend regarding the increase in the number of aged prisoners has been showing to have adverse impacts. The presence of older prisoners has costly implications for the economies of the country, the criminal justice system, and the communities in which these prisoners are released. Justification to Address the Issue of Aging Prison Population Numerous politicians have expressed their fears that the high number of old people in prison will have adverse effects on the social, economic, and political life of the United States (Williams et al., 2017). The economic facet of the issue has to do with the fact that it creates a substantial burden for the national budget due to the increased costs of the delivery of healthcare services as well as the costs of housing in prisons. This is attributable to the fact that as inmates grow old, the cost of their care and housing proportionally increases. The cost of taking care of elderly prisoners is higher than that of the younger ones because aging inmates require special care due to their increased vulnerability to several chronic illnesses. The social implications of the problem of having a large population of elderly prisoners are associated with a need for prison administrations to offer conditions of confinement that correspond to the rights and the needs of the prisoners (Maschi et al., 2013). As of now, the majority of prisons in the United States do not have proper policies, resources support, and commitment to ensure that the elderly prisoners are provided with better care. For example, it has become very costly for the prison system to offer an appropriate response to geriatric populations’ needs that include, but are not limited to, health and medical care. Also, the probability of elderly prisoners experiencing mobility problems that can disrupt their emotional well-being is exceptionally high. The same can be said about the chances of older prisoners developing terminal, disabling, and chronic illnesses (Percival, 2015). The high cost of medical care is associated with the fact that there is no provision for health insurance programs that cover individuals in prison (Rikard & Rosenberg, 2007). Access to health care services is a problem for people behind bars. Moreover, according to Maschi et al. (2013), the older state prisoners’ medical expenditure exceeds that of the young inmates by eight times. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of incarcerated individuals tend to suffer from poor diet and lack of exercise. Furthermore, people in prison are likely to grow old at a faster rate due to the emotional problems they encounter in prison. The continued growth of the population of old people in prison is a challenge to the social, economic, and political pillars of American society. Despite the approach that one takes regarding the problem of increased numbers of elderly prisoners, it is hard to deny that the provision of adequate medical care conditions and the implementation of proper staff training programs are a must (Williams, Rothman, & Ahalt, 2017). Considering the rate of occupancy of the prisons, it is not possible to cater for all elderly prisoners who are not able to get out of bed by themselves; therefore, there is a need for policies that are aimed at ensuring that the care of elderly prisoners is improved (Rikard & Rosenberg, 2007). Another important facet of the issue is that the increased number of elderly prisoners is a burden to the taxpayers since they a social group that takes care of prison security and control measures, which tend to be quite expensive (Rikard & Rosenberg, 2007). Considering the infirmities and the age of these prisoners, such security measures are not necessary since these individuals do not pose a high level of threat. There is ample evidence suggesting that some sentences of elderly inmates do not warrant a long stay in prison. The continuation of a prison term has no significant positive impacts as far as the principal aims of punishment are concerned, which includes retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation among others (Rikard & Rosenberg, 2007). In most cases, the continued incarceration of prisoners who have stayed in prison longer and have served a significant part of their sentence may be considered a violation of the rights of the affected prisoners regarding a proportionate and just punishment (Williams et al., 2017). Such conditions call for alternative forms of punishment that could help to achieve the goal of punishing an offender without overburdening the society. For example, home confinement could be an effective solution to the problem. Taking into consideration the fact that the aging prison population takes a grave toll on the social life and public health of American communities, it can be argued that the problem has political ramifications. Politicians who will show that they are able to properly address the issue will amass a substantial amount of political capital that can be used to win elections and bring about meaningful social change. It is important to understand that the problem of mass incarceration is not a bipartisan issue. It can be argued that neither Republican nor Democratic party is interested in annually spending more than 80 billion dollars on the incarceration of elderly inmates (Williams et al., 2017). Considering the magnitude of the effects caused by the increase in numbers of elderly people in America’s prisons, it is justified for the government to address the problem (Williams et al., 2017). Such a move would ensure that the available resources are not drained, and that appropriate system is put in place to improve the health care services provided to elderly prisoners. Compassionate release policies might become an effective solution for the problem, which at the same time has a high potential of becoming a political tool for politicians who know the intricacies of the agenda-setting theory. Such policies would allow “some prisoners with life-limiting or serious illness to die outside of prison” (Williams et al., 2017), thereby reducing unnecessary incarcerations. The Feasibility of the Issue Reaching the National Agenda The agenda-setting theory is referred to as the capacity of (mostly news media) to champion for the salience of a particular issue on the national agenda (Johnson, 2013). Two main presuppositions of the theory can be stated as follows: 1) the media does not reflect reality but shapes it; and 2) the media coverage of an issue leads to the distortion of audience’s perception of other problems, thereby making covered material more important for the public (Johnson, 2013). In this particular case, the core assumptions of the theory apply to the possibility of the problem of an aging prison population reaching the public agenda. If one were to consider media agenda-setting as the dependent variable in influencing the cognitive process of the nation, they would realize that to decrease the number of aging prisoners in the American justice system, the issue has to be covered more often. Currently, the coverage is lacking in terms of accessibility. It is extremely important because the agenda-setting effect can only take place if an issue is extensively covered by electronic and print media with large audiences (Johnson, 2013). Policymakers play a key role in the agenda-setting process (Johnson, 2013). It has to do with the fact that they can often be more influential than even the most renowned media sources. Moreover, for any issue to achieve a substantial level of prominence, it has to be supported by some high-caliber politicians who understand how to properly leverage the media’s thirst for highly reliable sources of information that is valuable in terms of predictability and relevance. However, while the increase in the number of aging prisoners is a problem, there are various ideologies and current national trends that might interfere with the possibility of this issue gaining prominence in the public sphere. Furthermore, the existence of various laws and regulations that govern the length of certain sentences impedes the development and implementation of new policies (Rikard & Rosenberg, 2007). For instance, there are ‘touch-on-crime’ laws that restrict prisoners from early releases regardless of a crime that one has committed. Also, the number of investigative committees assessing prison conditions is woefully low (Loeb, Steffensmeier, & Myco, 2007). The government laws and policies and the absence of prison investigations, substantially exacerbate the lack of political will to make the issue of the aging prison population a part of the national agenda. Conclusions and Recommendations It is evident that the issue of increased elderly prisoners in the American justice system has become a national crisis. The justice department has expressed its concerns about the adverse effects associated with the excessively high numbers of elderly prisoners. One of the significant problems is that the growth in the number of elderly prisoners is causing a strain on the resources allocated to the country’s prisons. This is attributable to the fact that elderly people have a high probability of suffering from chronic and terminal illnesses, which require advanced medical care and costly equipment. Such a situation increases the taxpayers’ burden. Therefore, the government should come up with a policy that ensures the reduction of the aging population in prisons by setting up a certain age limit making sure that elderly individuals do not remain in prisons longer than is required by the conditions of fair and just punishment. Higher quality of health care services for aged prisoners is also a must. Notably, aged prisoners suffering from the loss of vision and hearing require special care (Williams et al., 2017). Such individuals might find it hard to cope with overcrowded conditions of prisons; therefore, the government should come up with better infrastructures to reduce excessively high occupancy rates. The revision of the existing ideologies and values can be a suitable approach towards addressing the problem of an aging prison population. For example, the primary goals of punishment include retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. While ‘tough on crimes’ policies and accompanying them long sentences might have appeared as reasonable approaches to the reduction of the rates of criminal activities, these laws do little to achieve the goals of punishment and instead violate the rights of the prisoners. Taking into consideration the social, economic, and political aspects of the issue, it can be argued that a lot needs to be done to address it properly. If the issue is not addressed, its effects will continue to tear apart the fabric of American society. Therefore, the government should come up with better policies that reduce the number of criminal activities that the elderly people can be jailed for and improve the mental and physical conditions of inmates. References Johnson, T. (2013). Agenda setting in a 2.0 world: New agendas in communication . New York, NY: Routledge. Loeb, S. J., Steffensmeier, D., & Myco, P. M. (2007). In their own words: Older male prisoners’ health beliefs and concerns for the future. Geriatric Nursing , 28 (5), 319-329. Maschi, T., Viola, D., & Sun, F. (2013). The high cost of the international aging prisoner crisis: Well-being as the common denominator for action. The Gerontologist , 53 (4), 543-554. Percival, G. (2015). Smart on crime: The struggle to build a better American penal system . New York, NY: CRC Press. Psick, Z, Simon, J, Brown R, & Ahalt, C. (2017). Older and incarcerated: Policy implications of aging prison populations. International Journal of Prison Health, 13 (1), 57-63. Rikard, R. V., & Rosenberg, E. (2007). Aging inmates: A convergence of trends in the American criminal justice system. Journal of Correctional Health Care , 13 (3), 150-162. Williams, B. A., Rothman, A., & Ahalt, C. (2017). For seriously ill prisoners, consider evidence-based compassionate release policies . Web. Williams, B. A., Stern, M. F., Mellow, J., Safer, M., & Greifinger, R. B. (2012). Aging in correctional custody: Setting a policy agenda for older prisoner health care. American Journal of Public Health , 102 (8), 1475-1481. Williams, B. A., Sudore, R. L., Greifinger, R., & Morrison, R. S. (2013). Balancing punishment and compassion for seriously ill prisoners. Annals of Internal Medicine , 155 (2), 122-126.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: This paper is a reflection on a scenario conducted among the three principal project parties including French sales directors and corporate owners, German technical designers, and UAE-based A380 buyers. The paper examines problems faced by the international project and lessons learned from cultural, language, commercial, and other issues.The paper examines problems faced by the international project and lessons learned from cultural, language, commercial, and other issues.
This paper is a reflection on a scenario conducted among the three principal project parties including French sales directors and corporate owners, German technical designers, and UAE-based A380 buyers. The paper examines problems faced by the international project and lessons learned from cultural, language, commercial, and other issues. The paper examines problems faced by the international project and lessons learned from cultural, language, commercial, and other issues.
Airbus A380: International Project Management Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Cultural Peculiarities 3. Overcoming Inconsistency 4. UAE-based A380 Buyers’ Support 5. Conclusion 6. References Introduction This paper is a reflection on a scenario conducted among the three principal project parties including French sales directors and corporate owners, German technical designers, and UAE-based A380 buyers. The paper examines problems faced by the international project and lessons learned from cultural, language, commercial, and other issues. Cultural Peculiarities One of the most striking features of the scenario under discussion is a cultural peculiarity. Speaking of culture, every nation tends to implement its ideas and point of view. In this case, Germans could not understand why the French assemblers were unable to use the fifth version of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) ( Airbus – A380 2016). Nevertheless, the use of a particular version was not discussed at the beginning of the project. It should be emphasized that the interoperability was fully ignored. This misunderstanding might cause future delays and increased costs. Lawrence (n.d., p. 6) states that “it is essential to have established a common and integrated toolset and also common methods and processes”. In other words, it is necessary to utilize the same software and tools in designing the international project. However, if such a situation occurred, then a compromise should be achieved by mutual concessions. Moreover, organizational culture also plays a significant part in the international project. It is important to develop conflict tolerance and risk tolerance so that employees of different groups might communicate effectively. Also, the integration between units matters. In this scenario, there was no integration as every party wanted to achieve its own goals instead of the paramount project objective ( Airbus – A380 2016). The occurred situation illustrates that the parties failed to act in coordination with each other. Consequently, a coordinated manner should be of priority from the very beginning of the international project. Meanwhile, the best scenario might focus on openness and knowledge sharing. Overcoming Inconsistency As it was stated before, the use of different software led to technical problems. However, there is another issue faced by the project related to the inconsistency of actions. In particular, French representatives wanted the Germans to take a share of the costs to rectify while the latter did not recognize any role in the delay as the technical drawings were handed over timely. This commercial issue shows that the project lacks concerted decisions. In this connection, it seems appropriate to stop arguing and elaborate on clear priorities based on the key target. The fact that French sales directors and corporate owners were unwilling to negotiate on money reveals the reluctance to collaborate and listen to others’ ideas. In its turn, it might cause even the deeper frustration of German colleagues. Therefore, there is a need to establish clear objectives through lean thinking. According to Lawrence (n.d., p. 13), “it encourages the project manager or modeller to identify clear project deliverables and work backwards from these by showing the ‘information-pull’ of the network”. It becomes clear from the above observations that all the parties should think in the same direction. Furthermore, the mentioned issue reflects poor risk analysis as well as a lack of understanding of dependencies (Lawrence n.d.). For example, Germans were sure that quality control was French responsibility. However, quality issues should be controlled at all levels. Language differences might also cause several problems concerning the metric or imperial transformation of data. As a result, the project turned out to be too complex requiring huge customization. To prevent the above situation, it is crucial to choose the same language of operation. For instance, it might be English due to its widespread nature. UAE-based A380 Buyers’ Support Considering the scenario, it becomes evident that buyers are quite disappointed and frustrated by the delay. Some of them want immediate compensation while others are ready to refuse from the sales contracts if Airbus is unwilling to rectify. The situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible as the rejection to buy a part of the A380 aircraft would undoubtedly lead to the increased costs and some suspense of the subsequent production. Therefore, there is a need to provide UAE-based buyers with appropriate support and information concerning terms and technical improvements. Conclusion All in all, it seems essential to pinpoint that the situation needs an urgent implementation of comprehensive change management. Based on the detailed understanding of tasks, tools, and cultural specifics, the project should be adjusted to the occurred challenges. In its turn, a sophisticated risk analysis would contribute to the prevention of misunderstandings and similar problems in the future. Speaking of stakeholders, it might be a good idea to set up strong buy-in requirements so that they would be more unwilling to leave the project. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that this scenario reflection revealed several issues faced by Airbus. They comprise such problems as the inconsistency of actions, lack of cultural and intercultural organization, commercial aspects, and others. All of them need to be resolved according to the suggested assumptions. Finally, this role play was of great importance as it demonstrated the possible issues that might occur in the framework of international projects. References Airbus – A380 2016. Lawrence, P n.d., Planning in the Dark: Why Major Engineering Projects Fail to Achieve Key Goals, pp. 1-17.
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Convert the following summary back into the original text: The importance of human factors in airport security cannot be overestimated. They determine the level of the efficiency of the security system and could be the main reason for numerous failures.
The importance of human factors in airport security cannot be overestimated. They determine the level of the efficiency of the security system and could be the main reason for numerous failures.
Airport Security and Human Factors Management Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Human factors definition 3. Importance 4. Modern approach 5. Conclusion Introduction The complexity of the modern world and problems and misunderstandings in international relations resulted in the rise of terrorism, which is considered one of the most topical issues of the modern world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, terrorist attacks have resulted in numerous deaths and devastations. That is why the approach to security has been altered to be able to face modern challenges and to protect people. The creation of the perfect security system became the main task of governmental agencies that should monitor the activity of groups that might pose a security issue to the existing world order. Besides, because crowded places often are the main aim of these attacks, security systems, first of all, try to guarantee their protection. Airports could be considered areas of this sort and their protection is very important. The majority of modern airports have unique systems that are implemented to avoid complications and emergent situations. However, they are still not perfect because there are human factors that impact their functioning and condition the appearance of numerous failures. For this reason, the investigation of human factors and understanding the main reasons that conditioned their appearance might increase the safety and security of airports and workplaces. Human factors definition Human factors could be defined as the study of how individuals might behave physically and psychologically in different environments (Harris 2002). The fact is that significant differences that exist among people condition the way they respond to different stressors and act under the emergent conditions. That is why companies have Human factors departments that investigate the given aspects and provide the data needed to create the approaches that might mitigate the possible negative aftermaths of unexpected human actions. Importance Human factors are also extremely important for airport security because they determine the level of the efficiency of its security system (Price 2013). Numerous factors determine the performance of human operators at airport security checkpoints and other important posts. Besides, the mood of a person who performs his/her duties is one of the key aspects that should be considered when trying to predict any possible complications and avoid their appearance. Numerous investigations show that in case a person is disappointed, he/she suffers from the lack of attention, problems with concentration, and pretermission of duties. In this regard, the study of human factors might contribute to improved comprehension of the importance of this aspect and the impact it might have on the organisation of security in airports. Additionally, the error probability also comes from the disregard of human factors. It could increase if an employee is not provided with appropriate conditions or his/her basic needs are ignored. Modern approach Therefore, when speaking about human factors, it is also necessary to admit that their list is constantly being extended because of the appearance of new aspects that impact workers performance. In recent years, new technologies have been introduced to alter the situation in the existing sphere and attain success in the provision of security services to people. However, their efficiency could remain limited in the event people who are chosen as their operators are untrained and selected in an inappropriate way. In this regard, consideration of human factors is important for the further evolution of the security measures accepted by an airport. The modern approach presupposes numerous and comprehensive consultations with candidates who want to work in the given sphere and monitor the functioning of the security system. Response time, ability to function under high pressure, the oscillations of the level of attention, adherence to the rules, formulated statutes, etc., become the factors that should be investigated because they might condition the appearance of a mistake resulting in the significant threat to the security. Thus, the appropriate human resources management and the focus on the creation of the beneficial environment might have to eliminate these problems. The modern approach to human factors management in airports presupposes the constant enhancement of the performance of its workers to guarantee that they will be able to act under the complicated conditions and accomplish their tasks at the highest level. Furthermore, the level of salary could also be considered one of the aspects that impact human factors and could result in increased or decreased performance (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security 2011). Low wages are often taken as one of the principal contributors to poor performance, while higher wages might attract more experienced workers and introduce the additional motivation of all employees who are going to function in this sector. The oscillations in wages have a direct correlation to the workers satisfaction and their efficiency. Additionally, it might provide better social opportunities and activities for people to build their careers. Study of human factors also implies the provision of additional training for workers and the assessment of their performance. This practice provides an opportunity to teach people how to act in different complex situations that might appear in the airport and avoid complications and crucial errors that might pose a great threat to the security of people who could be found there. Conclusion Altogether, human factors have a great impact on the functioning of the whole airport and its security system. The importance of this task could hardly be overestimated because it guarantees that people could feel secure and protected. Human factors incorporate peoples unique peculiarities that determine the way they act under different conditions, their professionalism, the level of salary that affects the employees satisfaction, and several other factors that might precondition the appearance of bad mistakes that undermine the efficiency of the whole system. However, the study of the above-mentioned aspects could help to recognise the necessity of the investigation of this aspect and creation of the environment that should minimise the risks by providing employees with an appropriate environment beneficial for their personal and professional growths and increased level of satisfaction. Therefore, specialists working in the given sphere should also be provided with an opportunity to respond to any threat. It means that the security system they use should be efficient enough for them to determine a dangerous element and perform certain steps needed to eliminate the possibility of a terrorist act. Only if individuals working in the given sphere are provided with appropriate and efficient equipment, is it possible to speak about the great level of efficiency and admit the improved outcomes in organising security and protecting people (Raphael 2013). In conclusion, human factors are extremely important for the modern security systems because despite their increased efficiency there are still people who operate them and determine the final success. The majority of modern organisations consider these facts; however, there are still numerous mistakes that result in the appearance of a threat.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The essay discusses how the tragic events of September 11, 2001, have changed the way in which the American citizens viewed their safety forever. It also talks about how the increase in safety rates has also caused a gradual reduction in customer satisfaction rates because of the rise in the procedures' duration and the associated inconveniences.
The essay discusses how the tragic events of September 11, 2001, have changed the way in which the American citizens viewed their safety forever. It also talks about how the increase in safety rates has also caused a gradual reduction in customer satisfaction rates because of the rise in the procedures' duration and the associated inconveniences.
Airports Security Systems and Passenger Satisfaction Research Paper Background The tragic events of September 11, 2001, have changed the way in which the American citizens viewed their safety forever. The insecurity rates went through the roof after the infamous attack, making people abandon air transportation for quite a while. Even nowadays, after the hysteria has subsided to a considerable extent, the fear for people’s lives still defines the measures used in order to facilitate passengers’ safety. However, the increase in safety rates has also changed the procedures that passengers undergo when checking in. Specifically, the time that the process of checking in and handing in the luggage typically takes has been extended for security reasons, which was bound to affect the satisfaction rates of the target audience. Although the precaution measures used nowadays in airports are aimed only at increasing the passengers’ safety and promoting security, they also cause a gradual reduction in customer satisfaction rates because of the rise in the procedures’ duration and the associated inconveniences (Hoffman & Reinares 2014). Essential Factors As stressed above, the enhancement of the systems facilitating passenger security is what the post—9/11 social attitudes manifest themselves in. Though the fear of terrorism has subsided to a considerable extent, there is still a fear of an imminent threat that the exposure to the global environment implies. As a result, the check-in procedures may become overly complicated and time-consuming. The delays that the enhanced security and the long checks imply can be considered the main source of customer dissatisfaction at the airport (Perkins 2007). In addition, the routine checks that the passengers have to go through, as well as the baggage handling, could use a significant improvement. For instance, the time that it takes to check the luggage, as well as allow the passengers to pick it after the flight is over, needs to be reduced. For this purpose, the purchase of more efficient equipment and the rearrangement of the checking process must be considered. The Theory of Perceived Attributes helps shed some light on the nature of the dissatisfaction as well. According to the principal postulates of the theory, people do not accept innovations instantly; instead, they need encouragement and support throughout the process of getting used to the novelties in the company’s design. It should be noted, though, that the process of implementing change, in general, and altering the quality of the airport services, in particular, can become much easier once an efficient model for change is incorporated into the corporate framework. For example, the DMAIC principle suggested by Thomas Pyzdek (Pyzdek & Keller 2014) may be considered an essential addition to the firm’s change management strategy. When evaluating the suggested approach, one must give Pyzdek credit for creating the model that can be used to encourage an unceasing improvement of the services and a regular update of the quality standards. Thus, the premises for a regular update of the services can be created, which modern airport companies lack significantly. As far as the time issue is concerned, there seems to be a lack of tools that can support a more efficient use of the personnel’s time in contemporary airport facilities. For example, the Just-in-Time (JIT) framework, which is aimed at minimizing the defects and maximizing the positive outcome, can be included in the range of tools used by the staff of modern airport companies (Lai & Cheng 2012). Furthermore, the management of the essential processes will be enhanced with the help of a redesign of the corporate values and the philosophy of leadership used in the target facilities currently. Reference List Hoffman, B & Reinares, F 2014, The evolution of the global terrorist threat: from 9/11 to Osama bin Laden’s death , Columbia University Press, New York, NY. Lai, K H & Cheng, T C E 2012, Just-in-time logistics , Gower Publishing, Ltd., Burlington, VT. Perkins, R A 2007, ‘Using Rogersʼ Theory of Perceived Attributes as a framework for understanding the challenges of adoption of open educational resources’, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 59-66. Pyzdek, T & Keller, P 2014, The Six Sigma handbook , McGraw Hill, New York, NY.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: Advertisers often use video and pictures to publicize products and services online. Material posted online in this form requires considerable bandwidth and time to download and access the content. However, Akamai service is designed in a way that allows an advertiser to upload data quickly, even in high traffic websites.
Advertisers often use video and pictures to publicize products and services online. Material posted online in this form requires considerable bandwidth and time to download and access the content. However, Akamai service is designed in a way that allows an advertiser to upload data quickly, even in high traffic websites.
Akamai Technologies Company’s Services Case Study Akamai Technologies Inc. is an online content delivery network that aims at providing efficient internet solutions. Its knowledge base of internet network activity can guarantee advertisers quick access to online content, validated end-user information, and location-specific pricing of commodities or services. This service is significant for them as they can personalize their ads based on location, market trends, and consumer behavior. It also allows them to understand the positions of users and tailor ads for them. Advertisers often use video and pictures to publicize products and services online. Material posted online in this form requires considerable bandwidth and time to download and access the content. However, Akamai service is designed in a way that allows an advertiser to upload data quickly, even in high traffic websites. In other words, it reduces the time taken to load a page. Another advantage that an advertiser can reap from this service is the retention of customers. Most consumers are impatient and need real-time information that answers their questions about products or services. With Akamai services, advertisers can now retain their customers since information is instantaneous owing to reduced traffic. This underpinning enables them to sustain the competitiveness of companies in dynamic markets. Advertisers also benefit from the abridged preparation of online media using enhanced transcoding and dynamic packaging tools provided by Akamai services. Moreover, the online content delivery network has a comprehensive suite of analytic tools that offer an opportunity for real-time monitoring of ads. Particularly, this feature improves viewer experience; hence, it increases audience engagement, which is advantageous for advertisers. An unlimited number of product types benefit from Akamai services as more firms are shifting their business models and marketing strategies to the Web. Indeed, the growth of Akamai Technologies Inc. has created a powerful platform for internet retailers and content providers. Products that benefit from Akamai services range from electronics such as smartphones and televisions to expensive cars and residential houses. It is a great move for marketers. These wide-ranging products benefit from reduced data traffic since information only retrievable from the nearest servers. Advertisers use text, video, or images to pass information about products online. As such, they benefit significantly from increased Web performance owing to reduced traffic from Akamai services. The server supports download, adaptive, dynamic, and object content delivery. Download delivery entails large file-based content such as games, videos, music, and bulky Pdfs. Adaptive media includes on-demand (real-time), MPEG, HLS, and HDS streaming video formats. Images are uploaded or downloaded using object delivery service for.jpg and.gif formats. Companies and organizations are offered to upload and store media content that they intend to deliver to their consumers. Recent research shows that a lot of data traffic is generated through Saumsung.com. However, failure to use Akamai services has led to the loss of market share to other phone and TV manufacturers such as Apple and Philips, respectively, since their websites load content faster than those of Samsung. To thrive in a competitively inclined market, there is a need for companies to ensure faster content delivery using improved Web performance offered by Akamai Technologies Inc. Last but not least, retail and sales products also stand a chance to benefit from Akamai services.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: AKU Company's Organizational Change and Outcomes Essay (Critical Writing)The essay discusses the implications of organizational change at AKU Company, a English organization that provides the representatives of the general public with communicational devices, mobile phones in particular. The company is willing to expand to improve its competitiveness constantly. However, the organizational change that it is going to implement soon will be entailed by a range of cultural, ethical, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) implications.
AKU Company's Organizational Change and Outcomes Essay (Critical Writing) The essay discusses the implications of organizational change at AKU Company, a English organization that provides the representatives of the general public with communicational devices, mobile phones in particular. The company is willing to expand to improve its competitiveness constantly. However, the organizational change that it is going to implement soon will be entailed by a range of cultural, ethical, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) implications.
AKU Company’s Organizational Change and Outcomes Essay (Critical Writing) Organizational Changes: AKU Company AKU is an English organization that provides the representatives of the general public with communicational devices, mobile phones in particular. It operates in the market only for 2 years yet but it already has a lot of loyal clients and its business turns out to be rather successful. Still, the company is willing to expand to improve its competitiveness constantly. Realizing the necessity to attract customers, its CEO decided to put more emphasis on innovations, claiming that AKU should launch a new product if it is willing to continue developing. As a result, the company faces a necessity to implement organizational restructuring so that it can manufacture and sell smart bracelets developed for communicational purposes. This change also triggers revamping of departments, as separate workgroups are needed to focus on the new product. The CEO believes that restructuring will have an advantageous influence on the company’s operations because it will make it more centralized and efficient. The organizational change that AKU is going to implement soon will be entailed by a range of cultural, ethical, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) implications. Basically, AKU has a flat structure, which means that only a few employees have an opportunity to interact directly with the top management team and the CEO. In this way, they tend to have more autonomy in comparison to other workers. What is more, their level of authority is rather high because of the lack of hierarchy. The necessity to launch a new product is going to entail the creation of additional departments and teams, which means that those employees who are now close to the top management will make one step down and reduce interactions with a boss. A chief operating officer is likely to take everything under control over time. Such kind of organizational restructuring has some positive alterations because it will make interactions more structured. However, cultural changes may cause additional issues and misunderstandings among the personnel. For example, employees may start arguing regarding the importance of their operations. In addition to that, departments may turn into competitors who are willing to protect their budgeting and hierarchical position. If restructuring will lead to the creation of combined groups (novices and experienced employees), competition within the organization is going to increase. In this way, the workers are likely to gather in groups who are operating in opposition, trying to ensure the management that they perform better than others. Such an environment will have negative influences on both social and psychological cultures. It will be rather difficult for the management to spread shared vision and values, making the company united. The information flow may undergo a range of obstacles that affect the effectiveness of communication and lead to more critical complications, such as inappropriate quality of products or safety. AKU’s restructuring may also be considered to be unethical by some employees. For example, those members of the staff who has already worked at their positions for a couple of years may think that it is unfair to allow novice professionals to maintain similar duties and have the same authority and autonomy. In addition to that, there may be a situation in which the management will need to resort to downsizing, for instance, if there is a possibility to hire a person who can cope with additional duties or is ready to be paid less from the very beginning. The company should not forget that it has moral obligations to its employees (Greenwood). Thus, the management needs to think of harm it can cause through the implementation of changes. In the framework of SCR, AKU can provide negative influences on the environment. The company is going to manufacture a new product, which means that it will deal with the increased amount of resources that are rather harmful to nature and require a special kind of utilization. Thus, it is significant for the organization to think about the ways it can reduce the footprints of its production processes. In addition to that, ethical labor practices should be discussed in this framework. AKU must ensure that it treats its personnel appropriately and that its practices are aligned with international and local laws. Human resource management (HRM) department also should think of the possibility to cope with those issues that are connected with the client’s traditions, social norms, business practices, etc. (Yang, Colvin & Wong). Organizational restructuring is likely to entail a range of HR issues that are to be efficiently managed to reach positive outcomes. In this way, HR should develop a clear strategy for a change to be implemented smoothly. The CEO should pay attention to the company’s positioning and identify the strengths and weaknesses its personnel has. As a result, HR will be able to maintain a proper assessment of worker’s skills and knowledge so that it will be seen if some of them should be fired and substituted by other people. In this manner, new personnel should be hired. AKU will be able to achieve success in the sphere only if it pays enough attention to the talent. Of course, additional training for novice employees will be required, but it should not turn into a total educational course. AKU should think of the company’s hierarchy and consider what positions are required to fill the gap which occurred due to the creation of a new product. To ensure that new personnel is not going to face difficulties from the very beginning, the company also believes that it would be better if it gives leading positions to those people who have worked in this company from the very beginning. Such alteration is going to appeal to current professionals because it will ensure that their efforts are appreciated and that all people are equally valued. The HR department should pay additional attention to the communication with different stakeholders because it provides a basis for the novice employees who are yet not aware of the communicational peculiarities of AKU. In this way, employees will be aware of how to communicate different job implications and address concerns after the adoption of a new organizational structure (Guest & Woodrow). Thus, it can be concluded that organizational changes have an enormous influence on all companies and require thorough investigation and assessment. AKU plans to resort to organizational restructuring due to the development of a new product that was not manufactured by it beforehand. It can be concluded that any organizational change is likely to turn into a complicated procedure that is greatly affected by the cultural, ethical, and CSR implications. The management realizes that it is significant to make other people avoid feeling neglected even though they are fired. Thus, it resorts to the best strategic options for managing HR issues. Reference List Greenwood, M.R. (2002) ‘Ethics and HRM: a review and conceptual analysis’, Journal of Business Ethics , 36 (3), pp. 261-278. Guest, D. & Woodrow, C. (2012) ‘Exploring the boundaries of human resource managers’ responsibilities’, Journal of Business Ethics , 111 (1), pp. 109-119. Yang, N., Colvin, C. & Yim-Yu, W. (2013) ‘Navigating corporate social responsibility components and strategic options: the IHR perspective’, Academy of Strategic Management Journal , 12 (1), pp. 39-58.
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Provide the inputted essay that when summarized resulted in the following summary : The most significant fact about me is that for four and a half years my profession was jumping out of airplanes with a gun, and now I want to go into public relations. That probably wouldn't get him the job, Tom thought. The most significant fact about me is that I've become a cheap cynic.
The most significant fact about me is that for four and a half years my profession was jumping out of airplanes with a gun, and now I want to go into public relations. That probably wouldn't get him the job, Tom thought. The most significant fact about me is that I've become a cheap cynic.
1950s in Wilson’s “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” Research Paper “The most significant fact about me is that for four and a half years my profession was jumping out of airplanes with a gun, and now I want to go into public relations.” That probably wouldn’t get him the job, Tom thought…. “The most significant fact about me is that I’ve become a cheap cynic.” (Wilson 15) Introduction Sloan Wilson’s The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit has become a cornerstone within the genre of fictional stories that depict American corporate and consumer culture directly following the Second World War. The American 1950s had the imprint of many linchpin historical events that created a rift between civilians and war veterans. Wilson effectively ties together the two main themes of the era: the traumatic effects of participating in the war effort and the attempt to pursue traditional capitalistic happiness within these new circumstances. The “Consumer Culture” of the 1950s The meaning of the American dream was embedded in its possible attainment by anyone through working hard, as the American society was said to have few barriers between an individual and their success. Happiness becomes accessible through product attainment, and even the opening of the story deals with the fact that the protagonist and his wife, Tom and Betsy Rath, want to live in a better house (Wilson 1). This theme is, coincidentally, one that the story attempts to dispute, demonstrating the disturbing aspects of the American dream, consumerism, and corporatism for those making their way up the social and business ladder. Formation, History, Representation To contend such a keystone idea, prominent on a national scale it is first necessary to understand the origins of it. Already during the 19th century, Americans are in general are described as “the most energetic people [that] were paired with the most boundless trove of natural resources” (Morris 288). World War II made America in the 1940s an economic behemoth both internally and externally (Wooldridge and Greenspan 273). This kind of prosperity even gave the name of the Fabulous Fifties to this decade of American history, demonstrating the extravagance of the epoch. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit , however, shows the negative sides of corporate culture presenting the cynicism and the two facades of those who adapt their individuality for the benefit at a moment’s notice. Things that get a person the job position become valued and falsely or in reality adhering to the work-unrelated whims and interests of employers decides movement up the corporate ladder. The business setting and the morality within it is a prevalent topic within the Fabulous Fifties. The movie Executive Suite (1954) depicts the chaos of the struggle for power within a company after the death of its president, showing lowly and cutthroat behavior. Howells’ The Rise of Silas Lapham deals with similar ethical issues throughout the book (343). However, Tom Rath’s story, set in 1953, was intended to show not just the moral compass predicament but also deal with the systematic disillusionment, which was not yet possible in the 19th century. The Relevance of Capitalistic Happiness and Sloan Wilson Today The story of the detriment of corporate culture, overwork, and conformism seems to be superfluously relevant to a 21st-century world. However, these questions remain acute, especially considering the idea of the importance of taking accountability for your own life, rather than just the individual actions that make it up. A demonstrative sign of error within 1950s society would be the example of Saul Bernstein, a judge, operating not by the law but by “which of the two men would be pleased by justice?” (Wilson 149). Therefore, the character of Tom Rath remains relevant primarily not only due to his veteran status and the perseverance of the story’s circumstances in today’s world but because he aspires to moral goodness and straightforwardness. American Businessmen and Young Families in the Post-World War II America A threat to morality and ethics stemmed from the desire to demonstrate oneself as the best candidate not only through work-related performance but also as someone fitting ideally within the mandatory corporate culture. A controlling mechanism was achieved, as may be identified by the story’s title, “by enforcement of dress codes and norms and by informal social control” (de Casanova 74). This trend within the workplace blended in with family life, affecting that which seemed utterly separate from employment. Role of Women: Clerics and Executives’ Wives Women take on an important but perhaps not directly visible role within Wilson’s story. The position of women workers despite experiencing an elevation due to an interest in them as employees during World War II was still that of subordination (Orleck 254; Bonaparte 12; Ruggles 1805). As an example, the depiction of secretaries in the story takes on an almost vulgar tone, with them often being hired for looks. An apt representation of this would be Tom’s thought when he, freshly raised to a special assistant, examines calling-buttons in his office: “maybe the second one’s for a redhead and the third one’s for a brunette” (Wilson 109). The dres’ code of office-working women is additionally intended not to blend in, as the gray suit does, but on standing out (de Casanova 121; Wilson 109). This kind of thinking is not meant to be an example of Tom’s misogyny, but instead of the trends of the time, wherein women clerics and secretaries become victims of the same conformism. Executives’ wives are not bereft of participating in this motif, advancing it in a different vector as sole caretakers of emotionally empty homes. Their husbands’ overworked state takes a toll on personal lives, with the households of Hopkins and Rath becoming two relevant examples. Helen Hopkins, distanced by her husband’s work ethic to the periphery of his attention, creates her own life, occupying herself with children and parties (Wilson 173). The cry of their daughter Susan “you’ve hardly bothered to see me since I was born!” becomes the slogan of the children whose parents focused on work not only to attain the American dream (Wilson 230). The role of wives remains supportive, as in a way Betsy Rath makes the same sacrifices during war and peacetime through waiting for her husband, whether from work or the front. The Rath Family Betsy and Tom start falling into the same trap as the rest of the corporate workers’ families through their adherence to the superimposed scheme. Effectively, all of the sacrifices made during the story are a direct attempt to achieve happiness through work, perseverance, and competition, which is a straightforward idea of the American dream (de Casanova 185-186). The rift between them is deepened by their inability to sympathize with the war versus civilian experience. The conflict between their real wishes and the current situation, however, becomes too much to bear, with Tom, and therefore Betsy, eventually withdrawing from the corporate race in favor of finding their happiness. Betsy Rath as an Executive It is interesting to analyze the character of Betsy Rath as a strong woman, who fights against conformity and effectively becomes the catalyst for Tom’s character growth. She reacts to Tom’s preference to continue to speak what people would like to hear, all in the name of achieving the American dream, by calling this kind of behavior sickening (Wilson 204). While Tom states that “wars are full of dirt,” it is Betsy that bluntly conveys to both her husband and the reader that the corporate workplace is not much different (Wilson 291). Betsy’s character thus is portrayed not as physically but as emotionally strong. As seen in the story, when moving up the corporate ladder there comes a time when speaking your mind becomes rewarded, something that is, however, not welcome while at lower-standing positions. Therefore, musing on Betsy’s competency as an executive through displacing her from the traditional role of a wife to that of a business administrator becomes interesting to consider. Her character is that of a woman who is not afraid to take risks, endure hardships, and say what must be spoken to change people’s minds and mold the situation to her advantage (Wilson 269). Therefore, while maybe in a time-displaced from the misogyny of the 1950s her competency could doubtless be achieved at a higher standing corporate position it would be tempered by her vehement distaste for groveling. Conclusion Demonstrating the effects of disillusionment and work-related exhaustion through the example of numerous families and their struggle for happiness, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit becomes a story about balancing between conformity and rebellion. Through a joint effort, Tom and Betsy Rath attempt to overcome the hindrances to their happiness posed by corporate culture and deepened by World War II. Rebellion thus becomes the “winning side” of the argument, with both of the characters refusing to continue to partake in societally predestinated roles for the sake of the now almost hollow American dream. Works Cited Bonaparte, Margaret. Reexamining the 1950s American Housewife: How Ladies Home Journal Challenged Domestic Expectations during the Postwar Period . 2014. Scripps College, Senior Thesis. de Casanova, Erynn Masi. Buttoned Up: Clothing, Conformity, and White-Collar Masculinity . Cornell University Press, 2015. Executive Suite. Directed by Robert Wise, performances by Robert Wise, Wiliam Holden, and Barbara Stanwyck, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954. Howells, William Dean. The Rise of Silas Lapham . Booklassic, 2015. Morris, Charles R. The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J. P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy . Owl Books, 2005. Orleck, Annelise. Common Sense and a Little Fire: Women and Working-Class Politics in the United States, 1900-1965 . 2nd ed., University of North Carolina Press, 2017. Ruggles, Steven. “Patriarchy, Power, and Pay: The Transformation of American Families, 1800–2015.” Demography , vol. 52, no. 6, 2015, pp. 1797–1823. Wilson, Sloan. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit . Da Capo Press, 2002. Wooldridge, Adrian, and Alan Greenspan. Capitalism in America: A History . Penguin Press, 2018.
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Write a essay that could've provided the following summary: The essay discusses the observational field research conducted on 5 hour energy drinks and their consumers. The research found that the majority of consumers were male, aged 14-55, and that the drink was most often purchased in the early morning hours.
The essay discusses the observational field research conducted on 5 hour energy drinks and their consumers. The research found that the majority of consumers were male, aged 14-55, and that the drink was most often purchased in the early morning hours.
5 Hour Energy Drink: Observational Field Research Essay Based on the claims made on the 5 Hour Energy website, the hypothesized characteristics of the people I expect to be buying the product are the age between 14 and 55, male gender prevailing, and most importantly, these are the people that engage in the night time activities or need an extra energy boost for other specific purposes (5-hours Energy, 2016). For instance, these are the students who have to go to the studies after the party. Another group of customers is people that have to stay up at night for the working goals. I estimate that the best sales of this product take place during the early morning hours and the late evening hours. In addition, I assume that people’s choices are highly affected by the marketers’ efforts, and, in fact, the beverage value for the body is greatly exaggerated, whereas potential hazards are concealed. The purpose of this research is to define the components of a 5 Hour Energy drink, to show its positive and negative aspects, define the groups of people that mostly consume it, and describe one typical location where this product is sold. After hypothesis formulation and company website overview, I went to Walmart to continue my research. The store is located in an urban area in the small town of Moorestown, New Jersey. There are not many stores around. Most people come by a car while some other customers come on foot. The number of people visiting is over 200. The crowd’s demographic characteristics are (1) age between 15 and 60; (2) male visitors are 60%; (3) visitors under the age of 45 are 55%. The investigation mostly carries the character of the time allocation research, as it determines the overall customer’s behavior according to certain time frames. The 5 Hour Energy shots are placed in the visible area, along with the other energy drinks. I was observing the overall situation for 15 minutes in the early morning at 7 a.m. According to my observation, a few male visitors bought the shot, while some of them even purchased a few shots. The first 5 ingredients of Five-hour Energy are taurine, citicoline, phenylalanine, caffeine, and tyrosine. The three vitamins that the drink contains are B6, B12, and B9. The daily value of these vitamins for an individual varies based on age and gender. This number can range from 0.1 to 1.7 mg. The manufacturers state that the vitamin dosage in the drink is safe (5-hours Energy, 2016). The shot’s weight is equal to 2-ounces. The cost of 1 ounce of the drink is from $1 to $1.5, depending on the retailer margin. As it can be seen on the bottle, the company that produces 5 Hour Energy products claims that their energetic shots are completely safe and cause no health damage. The drink appears to be effective for those who have a complicated and oversaturated schedule. It was proved multiple times that this energy drink significantly increases the level of vitality and activity, even if exhaustion is too strong. The average 5 Hour Energy shot costs $2.25. It would be reasonable to compare it to other similar energetic drinks. In this respect, Red Bull can be mentioned, which contains caffeine, sugar, taurine, and B-group of vitamins such as B 12. The price for 12 ounces Red Bull is $2.62, and thus for one ounce, it is a little over 20 cents. Red Bull is widely advertised in the mass media. It is renowned as the most popular energy drinks brand all over the world. This fact and the low price make me as well other buyers shift the choice to this product. Besides, Red Bull manufacturers make an emphasis on its super vitamin boost for the body. However, research indicates that the human organism is not capable of processing more than the daily limit of either water- or fat-soluble vitamins, and thus, the extra amount exists the body unused (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rote, 2013). Therefore, I come up with the hypothesis that people take so many vitamins only under the influence of outreach in the advertising, but in essence, this huge amount plays no beneficial role for the body. In conclusion, this observational research project presented me with an opportunity to imagine what stands behind the scholars’ work. I enjoyed observational investigations to study the buyers’ behavior. My hypothesis appeared to be justified by the seen picture. I found that people make their purchasing choices based on the information spread by the marketers, and this information is not always trustworthy and can be misrepresented to formulate the wrong impression on the buyers and affect their consumer behavior. Research indicated that in spite of the positive effects on activity and productivity that could be achieved thanks to the 5 Hour Energy shots, there are unpleasant moments that question the safety of that product. There were many indications of health issues because of the 5 Hour Energy drinks consumption. For people with metabolism and cardiovascular, the amount of caffeine that is present in the shot could be dangerous. References 5-hours Energy. (2016). Product facts . Web. McCance, K. L., Huether, S. E., Brashers, V. L., & Rote, N. S. (2013). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (7th ed.) . St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
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Provide the full text for the following summary: A child counselor works with children to help them become mentally and emotionally stable. The case that is examined in this essay is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The disorder is about disruptive behaviors of children, such as difficulty in communication, aggressiveness, not obeying school or parents' commands, etc. The child is 12 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was six years old. Numerous complaints from teachers and others around him were due to his disrespectful actions towards
A child counselor works with children to help them become mentally and emotionally stable. The case that is examined in this essay is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The disorder is about disruptive behaviors of children, such as difficulty in communication, aggressiveness, not obeying school or parents' commands, etc. The child is 12 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was six years old. Numerous complaints from teachers and others around him were due to his disrespectful actions towards
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a Child Case Study A child counselor works with children to help them become mentally and emotionally stable. The case that is examined in this essay is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The disorder is about disruptive behaviors of children, such as difficulty in communication, aggressiveness, not obeying school or parents’ commands, etc. The child is 12 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was six years old. Numerous complaints from teachers and others around him were due to his disrespectful actions towards them. He does not get well at home or in school and does not listen to anybody. The child has a lot of siblings and a family that is in a financial state of poverty. His parents do not discipline him and place the responsibility of his actions on ADHD. The child usually causes trouble when he is not monitored. I will use a cognitive theory of counseling to maintain the mental health of the child. The cognitive theory emphasizes an individual’s feelings and present behaviors. It is also more oriented to problem-solving rather than the past of the individual. To communicate with the child and know him better, I will apply “play therapy.” During the therapy, children are expected to play games with different toys that they enjoy. Such activity may reveal various aspects of a child’s personality and mental health. In addition, a counselor can engage more with a child, so having a connection with him. Nielsen et al. (2017) investigated that occupational therapy that includes “play, sensory, motor, and cognitive skills” have a positive impact on children with ADHD (pp. 73). When having play therapy, the child obtains all the attention of a counselor and has the ability to communicate with the adult nearby. Such a comfortable place may make the child feel safe so that he is ready for examination by a counselor. Moreover, a study of 40 preschool and school-age children with ADHD and their parents and teachers was conducted to examine the effects of play therapy on stabilizing attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (El-Nagger et al., 2017). The study found a positive correlation between the therapy and children’s mental health. There also were significant statistical differences in children’s emotional and behavioral conditions before and after the use of play therapy sessions. In addition to the play therapy, I suggest using therapy with the child’s parents. Parents-child interactions are shown to be effective in mitigating the disruptive behavior of children (Hosogane et al., 2018). Parents may be involved after an individual therapy session with a counselor. This is because the child may feel aggression towards his parents and be triggered by them. Therefore, careful engagement of parents in game therapy is crucial. By systematic work with parents and the child, a counselor can identify effective treatment and teach parents how to deal with their child outside of a counseling center. To conclude, the role of a child’s counselor in maintaining the mental health of a child is vital, as he reveals problems of the child and helps him to control his emotions. Play therapy can be applied to work with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. By active interaction with a child and providing him a comfortable place, a counselor can analyze the actions of the child and suggest treatment. Moreover, there is a need to encourage parents in play therapy to have a persistent treatment. References Nielsen, S. K., Kelsch, K., & Miller, K. (2017). Occupational therapy interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 33(1), 70-80. Hosogane, N., Kodaira, M., Kihara, N., Saito, K., & Kamo, T. (2018). Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) for young children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japan . Annals of General Psychiatry , 17(1), 1-7. El-Nagger, N. S., Abo-Elmagd, M. H., & Ahmed, H. I. (2017). Effect of applying play therapy on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice , 7(5), 104.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: The essay tells about Chinese history from the period when the Qing dynasty began its ruling and was replaced by the Republic of China. This era was characterized by the formulation of Chinese identity, the status of "central efflorescence", and the relationships between East Asian countries, including the Korean Chosŏn, Vietnam, and Japan, before and during the expansion of European countries.
The essay tells about Chinese history from the period when the Qing dynasty began its ruling and was replaced by the Republic of China. This era was characterized by the formulation of Chinese identity, the status of "central efflorescence", and the relationships between East Asian countries, including the Korean Chosŏn, Vietnam, and Japan, before and during the expansion of European countries.
“A History of Chinese Political Thought” by Kim Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main body 3. Conclusion 4. Reference Introduction “Epilogue: China in Larger Contexts” is a chapter from the book A History of Chinese Political Thought written by Youngmin Kim. It focuses on Chinese history from the period when the Qing dynasty began its ruling and was replaced by the Republic of China. This era was characterized by the formulation of Chinese identity, the status of “central efflorescence”, and the relationships between East Asian countries, including the Korean Chosŏn, Vietnam, and Japan, before and during the expansion of European countries. This chapter tells about China’s growth regardless of the challenges and concerns that existed between the neighbors and was based on various political and cultural allegiances (Kim, 2017). To become the strong Republic of China, the Qing dynasty had to contribute to the foundation of collective identity and establish its operational power in a large context. Main body The author offers to consider the rise of China as a global power through the prism of its relationships with the nearest neighbors. For example, it is said Korean Chosŏn cherished its political hope for the Ming dynasty’s return to China (Kim, 2017). In the beginning, they used the concept of “central efflorescence” as the ideology that introduced a “weapon of the weak” in the hands of the Qing dynasty (Kim, 2017). With time, when the Qing demonstrate its military power and global intentions, even the most confident intellectuals of the Chosŏn accepted a new dynasty and its ideology as a possibility to unite the whole nation that was free from barbarians and open for new negotiations. In addition, some Asian countries wanted to strengthen their positions in the face of the coming European expansion. Vietnam was afraid of the French conquerors, and Japan did not want to lose its stability and independence from the outside world. Conclusion To survive a fast-spreading European impact, China had to improve its understanding of place and identity. The Qing used the idea of “central efflorescence” as a new center of civilization (Kim, 2017). The flow of capital, new technologies, and globalization were used to promote market-oriented progress. The Republic of China followed the principle of collective intentionality according to which the population became able to create new standards and make the world follow them. The history of the Republic of China was based on contradictions, doubts, and high expectations that strengthened its people and proved its power in the eyes of the neighbors, friends, and enemies. Question The age of globalization and the spread of new technologies have a considerable impact on the rapid rise of Chinese powers around the whole world. Still, what is the exact role of such factors as identity, self-understanding, and “central efflorescence” during the expansion of the European empires for China, in general, and for the Qing dynasty, in particular? Reference Kim, Y. (2017). A history of Chinese political thought. Medford, MA: Policy Press.
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Write the original essay that provided the following summary when summarized: A History of Chinese Political Thought by Y. Kim Essay discusses the evolution of Chinese political thought and how it has been shaped by the country's historical development.The essay discusses how China's perception of itself has evolved over time and how its national cultural identity has been influenced by the political course of development. It also looks at how China's relationships with its neighbors have been shaped by the centralization of power and the concepts of dominance.
A History of Chinese Political Thought by Y. Kim Essay discusses the evolution of Chinese political thought and how it has been shaped by the country's historical development. The essay discusses how China's perception of itself has evolved over time and how its national cultural identity has been influenced by the political course of development. It also looks at how China's relationships with its neighbors have been shaped by the centralization of power and the concepts of dominance.
“A History of Chinese Political Thought” by Y. Kim Essay Kim views China’s perception in the context of its historical development and draws parallels between national cultural identity and the political course of development, focusing on “the existence of a homogeneously unified and univocal” country (218). Despotic orders that are associated with this state are explained by the long and complex epoch of development, and the dominance of national foundations is viewed regarding historical perspectives. The Chinese power centralization had a significant influence on the formation of medieval trade relations since, as Kim notes, the country became one of the centers of cultural interaction among states (219). Nevertheless, different epochs of development are considered those stages that significantly influenced the perception of the image of modern China. According to the author, the Qing dynasty was one of the key points that marked the end of one era and the beginning of the other one (Kim 220). Relationships among neighboring Asian countries were largely determined by the position regarding the spheres of influence and the centralization of power; therefore, contradictions arose. Misunderstandings between China and neighboring countries, particularly Korea, are viewed as disagreements regarding the centralization of power and the concepts of dominance. Kim argues that the Korean state took over some aspects of Chinese ideology, changing it and adapting it to its own regime (221). The concept of “central efflorescence” is proposed as a phenomenon describing the abolition of many aspects of traditional life in the era of the Ming dynasty, in particular, domination and slavery (Kim 222). The examples of Vietnam and Japan are considered in relation to the approach to the organization of the power structure, and some similarities may be traced. The strategic principles of eastern countries largely determined the nature of the relationships among states in the framework of trade, military, and other areas. The criticism of dynasties emanating from various intellectuals was associated with significant changes in political regimes. The author also compares the modern power models of European countries and argues that their approaches are destructive for traditional Chinese society where the order is based on foundations and traditions (Kim 225). Nevertheless, today, the role of this eastern country on the world stage is mentioned as significant, despite the fact that “The Chinese government has been passionately devoting itself to the idea of a unified state” (Kim 230). The driving force of the country is significant, and its potential is used for strengthening positions and development. Work Cited Kim, Youngmin. A History of Chinese Political Thought . Polity Press, 2018.
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Provide a essay that could have been the input for the following summary: Aaron Swartz's Crusade for Information Commons was a essay about the life and work of computer programmer and political activist, Aaron Swartz. The essay discussed how Swartz fought for an open and free Internet, and how the US government responded with unjustified brutality when he tried to release data from a scientific site. Swartz was threatened with a fine of $ 1 million and 35 years in prison, and he eventually lost his life.
Aaron Swartz's Crusade for Information Commons was a essay about the life and work of computer programmer and political activist, Aaron Swartz. The essay discussed how Swartz fought for an open and free Internet, and how the US government responded with unjustified brutality when he tried to release data from a scientific site. Swartz was threatened with a fine of $ 1 million and 35 years in prison, and he eventually lost his life.
Aaron Swartz’s Crusade for Information Commons Essay Aaron Swartz, a person with outstanding abilities in the field of technology and a political activist, advocated for an open and free Internet. When he tried to release the data from the scientific site, the authorities reacted with unjustified brutality. Swartz was threatened with a fine of $ 1 million and 35 years in prison. This young man solved the problem in his own way – he lost his life. The film The Internet’s Own Boy tells about Aaron Schwarz’s participation in the development of the World Wide Web (Internet) and the subsequent harassment by the US government agencies, which led to the tragedy. Aaron has been considered a child prodigy: at the age of 14, he worked under the leadership of Tim Bernes-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, and participated in many significant projects. The key idea of Swartz was to eliminate inequality in access to information, thus allowing everyone to acquire relevant knowledge and skills. This genius wanted users to have no restrictions on access to information and saw the goal of his life in making the Internet closer to people. Aaron entered Stanford University, but he studied there for only a year since he was unable to endure the framework of university education. Swartz noted that only university staff and students could receive open access to information of databases, which means that the study in the context of higher education is the only way to learn through scientific articles (Reynolds 105). This violated the opportunity of self-education, which Aaron regarded as the most productive form of learning. He was sure that the world would be better if he would promote free access to the Internet at the maximum and fought for it to show the generative potential of the Internet. One may state that his actions were consistent with the First Amendment that implies freedom of the press, copyright regulations, and access to places where people can speak and listen. After leaving Stanford, Swartz founded his own company called Infogami, soon after which he merged it with the Reddit portal. It was an entertainment social news site where users could openly share links to any information they like on the Internet. Aaron’s colleagues emphasized his contribution to the development of the business: everything that the programmer tried to improve became better. Reddit was sold to Condé Nast Publishing House, and Schwartz invested money received from the sale of the resource into the development of the Watchdog service, where all the available information about American politicians was systematized. In addition, he was a co-founder of Creative Commons, the website integrating information from the Global Community based on collaboration, remix, reuse, and sharing. At this point in his life, Aaron began to take decisive action against restrictions on the Internet. To understand the controversial nature of Swartz’s actions and views, it is essential to pay attention to the main document clarifying information distribution on the Internet. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is the main regulatory legal paper establishing criminal liability for illegal actions in the field of computer information. It establishes responsibility for several basic offenses, including computer espionage, committed use of computer technology, unauthorized access to information, deliberate and negligent damage to protected computers, and so on. Currently, the US Congress is introducing a new cybersecurity bill, which provides for tougher penalties for cybercrime and the actual equalization of the definitions of their public danger with real crimes. The Internet activists believe that since government documents are free of copyright, they should be available to everyone for free. Carl Malamud, the founder of the Public.Resource.org organization, came up with a method for this, and Swartz supported his idea. It turned out that in seventeen public libraries in the United States, visitors were provided free trial access to the PACER database. Malamud encouraged all concerned users to visit these libraries, download as many documents as possible, and send them to him for display on the web (Constant 241). Schwartz responded to the call and, being an excellent programmer, wrote several scripts that allowed him to download 20 million pages of documents, which was equal to 20 percent of the entire PACER database. It was the first time when Aaron was sued for illegal activities on the Internet. Aaron Schwartz, known as one of the prominent Internet activists, was faced with a number of corporations profiting from the sale and access to information that should belong to the society because it is paid at the expense of taxpayers (da Silveira 7). In 2011, a criminal case was opened against Schwarz, accusing him of illegally downloading files from the JSTOR online library (Peters 196). Even though the latter withdrew the lawsuit, the court decided to arrange an indicative trial, threatening with imprisonment for a term of 35 to 50 years and a fine of $ 1 million for downloading files. It seems that as a protest to such a response from the government, Swartz committed suicide and showed the world that changes are possible. It is important to emphasize that Aaron saw the unlimited potential for self-education on the Internet-based on online scholarly articles, books, and many others sources. He was inspired by the fact that he destroys the boundaries that impede the free flow of information. At the same time, it is not clear what exactly Swartz planned to do with the articles further. He could make them accessible to all Internet users by following the fundamental principles of freedom of information, analyze the data given in the articles, or, at least, demonstrate that this is commonly possible. From my point of view, the efforts of Swartz were justified as he presented the very possibility of making information free. Indeed, today, only students of universities and staff have access to the scholarly literature, while people with low income, living in remote areas, and having other problems are deprived of the opportunity to obtain new knowledge from online databases. However, I consider that new policies on the federal level should be implemented to resolve the issue with open access to relevant information on the Internet, which fits the First Amendment. Until there are acts and policies that declare free access unauthorized, the actions of programmers similar to those of Swartz would be illegal. Even though he was considered a criminal by the government, people still value his great contribution to the creation of Creative Commons and information sharing. Personally, I agree with the fact that the existing law on the restriction of copyright and access to information is outdated and needs to be improved. In the context of globalization, the generative potential of the Internet allows making people closer to important knowledge, while it is unfair to limit the access of people who have no money to purchase articles. Thus, the efforts of Swartz were effective and thought-provoking as they made many people ponder over their rights on the Internet. Works Cited Constant, Sarah A. “The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: A Prosecutor’s Dream and a Hacker’s Worst Nightmare – The Case Against Aaron Swartz and the Need to Reform the CFAA.” Tulane Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, vol . 16, 2013, pp. 231-250. The Internet’s Own Boy . Directed by Brian Knappenberger, performance by Aaron Swartz, FilmBuff and Participant Media, 2014. Peters, Justin. The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet . Simon and Schuster, 2016. Reynolds, Glenn Harlan. “Ham Sandwich Nation: Due Process When Everything Is a Crime.” Columbia Law Review Sidebar, vol . 113, 2013, pp. 102-109. da Silveira, Sérgio Amadeu. “Aaron Swartz and the Battles for Freedom of Knowledge.” SUR – International Journal on Human Rights, vol . 18, 2013, p. 7.
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Write the original essay for the following summary: The proposed "ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm" would start its journey through its web portal aim to provide legal service for the foreign workers and local employers for commercial and immigration law areas and it would be a virtual legal service center operated through web-based technology instead of traditional office space.The ownership of the company are business graduates with a small investment and one of them would be self-employed, but the company staffing would be hired through online outsourcing instead of traditional in-house employees where the attorneys
The proposed "ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm" would start its journey through its web portal aim to provide legal service for the foreign workers and local employers for commercial and immigration law areas and it would be a virtual legal service center operated through web-based technology instead of traditional office space. The ownership of the company are business graduates with a small investment and one of them would be self-employed, but the company staffing would be hired through online outsourcing instead of traditional in-house employees where the attorneys
ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm Business Plan Research Paper Executive Summary The proposed “ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm’ would start its journey through its web portal aim to provide legal service for the foreign workers and local employers for commercial and immigration law areas and it would be a virtual legal service center operated through web-based technology instead of traditional office space. The owners of the company are business graduates with a small investment and one of them would be self-employed, but the company staffing would be hired through online outsourcing instead of traditional in-house employees where the attorneys would be work as freelancers and the company would be a limited liability company with 60% and 40% share. Several Law firms appeared online who indirect competitor of this company for resource similarities, but the “Ogletree Deakins” is the direct competitor of this law firm for both resources and service similarities. The company starts with self-finance and goes for financing from any bank or venture capital after the first year of operation and pays tax associated with the self-employment category. The operational management of the company would engage substantial measurement as well as continuous analysis of the internal processes with critical tools and significant techniques to managing the supply chain aimed to mobilize logistics. The quick-shifting dynamics of the ICT integration in the business procedures of the law firm, this company would facilitate the attorneys to take part in the legal process outsourcing, alternative fee-earning opportunity and even to mergers or acquisition with foreign law firms where clients would get a remarkable cost-cutting opportunity with direct communication. The projected income statement of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm shows net profit before the interest, taxes will be $328816, and net income will be $322997. The balance sheet demonstrates the net worth of this firm will be $341997 while total assets and liabilities will be $590880 and $258883 accordingly. Introduction The political economy of illegal immigration has threatened globally due to the new immigration policy of the Trump administration in the USA as well as Brexit the UK’s withdrawal from the EU would generate a new dimension for the Law Firms working with labor and immigration law. Online Law firms providing legal support for undocumented immigrants have a tremendous market in the USA although corporate law, pension, and employment law, as well as IP law, has a rising public sphere with a large volume of legal process outsourcing approach with attractive fees arrangements. The proposed “ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm’ has been organized to provide legal service and consulting to the less privileged working group along with the undocumented immigrants who are living within the USA and abroad. Rather than the high lawyer’s fees, the company would penetrate the market with competitive price-tagged service offerings and would attract the target group to reduce their attorney’s cost extremely due to the information and communication technology (ICT) integrated innovative business model of the company. BBC reported that the estimated number of undocumented illegal immigrants in the USA is around eleven (11) million that included 750,000 children and young people while the new policy addressed deportation by engaging new 10000 agents to strengthen security in the borders and immigration (British Broadcasting Corporation 1). The ongoing vulnerability and continuous threats of deportation of the existing illegal immigrants needed emergent legal support and the “ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm’ has aimed to address this market potential. The business model of the proposed law firm is just a virtual legal Service center operated by engaging web-based technology instead of traditional office space and employees it would gather clients, lawyers, and virtual assistance for administrative tasks in the online platform to interact, exchange views, make payment and receive legal service delivery. Nowadays, the government of the United States concentrates more on the national security for which illegal immigrants need legal support to work in this country and get benefits through the legislative process. At the same time, workers seek better jobs, but a large number of employees do not have proper documents; consequently, they prepare forge and fake papers, which worsen the security dilemma. Thus, foreign workers face serious problems in the USA with frequent changes in immigration policy or security measures. On the other hand, the government has already introduced a new H-1B visa system to recruit skilled labor force in the tech industry, but many competent workers fail to avail of this opportunity as they do not have the right information regarding this project (Woog). The entrepreneurs are going to establish the “ABC Online Legal Consulting Service” to provide legal support to foreign workers along with national employers. This company will operate from a single website and target thousands of employees to assist them. This Legal Consulting Company will ensure superior standards of performance, reliability, professionalism, expertise, and service excellence at affordable service charges. Organization Structure The organizational structure of the company has deeply concerned with the nature of the business, virtual product line, and its operation; being a business graduate with the small investment the entrepreneur is reluctant to engage full-time employees rather the freelancers and virtual assistants would be the major operational force of the company. The owner of the company recognized that the internet most amazing tools to materialize his desired business of online legal service provider for the Americans and expatriates illegally residing in the USA to mobilize all of them in a single platform for their legal service as well as Legal advice. The product line of the company consists of several web services such as documentation, licensing, tax return filing, company formulation, IP protection, and private law matters while an array of independent immigration attorneys would be available to provide custom legal service to ensure every individual need for court trails. At the startup, the company would not recruit any full-time employees but engage several virtual assistants who would be efficient to provide customer service for 24 hours on the company’s website and would attend the chat and phone calls. The major framework of this online law firm would be based on open-source software integrated by a freelance IT professional where the clients would be registered by two-step verification and could place an order for their desired service and they also enjoy the liberty to choose attorneys from the independent attorneys registered with this company. The accounts, HRM, and to some extends advertising through website optimization of the company would be managed and administered by integrated software, any disorder or error with the web-based operation would be guaranteed by the software provider and the owner himself would look after all through the operation until any paid manager hiring. Figure 1: Organizational Structure. Source: Self Generated. Before coming into operation, the company would seek local authority to registering licenses for a single-member limited liability company (LLC), tax identification number; take membership of the local bar association, as well as shifting regulatory requirements for online legal practice. Background of the Owners The Entrepreneur-1 is a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the US University and now continuing Masters Degree as a part-time student from a third country and living with F-1 student and applied for an M1 visa by admitting in the Optional Practical Training (OPT). The Daily Caller reported that only 17% of the college graduates have a suitable job in the USA while 83% goes for odd job or unemployed. The Entrepreneur-1 considers that the US economy has failed to recover the vulnerable economic condition generated from the global financial crisis and the US job market has highly destabilized; therefore, it would not be wise to waste time by seeking a job rather it would be a time-worthy step to start an online business. As an international student in the USA, Entrepreneur no.1 has closely observed the distressed lifestyle of the illegal immigrants and decided that need emergency legal support online and that could generate good revenue; therefore, he aimed to implement this project. Entrepreneur-2 is the classmate of Entrepreneur-1 in the same University and an international student in the USA; hearing the business concept from Entrepreneur-1, he agreed, appreciated, and decided to contribute 50% investment. The Entrepreneur-2 has engaged in an on-campus job as a result he could not participate in the operation. They agreed that Entrepreneur-1 would own 60% of the share while Entrepreneur-2 entitled to 40% of the share. Organizational Chart Being a multi-faceted online law firm, the organizational structure of the company would design a dynamic strategy for coordination among the practicing and non-practicing legal professionals are analogous to drive a small startup to a large one with diverse categories of product and service line. The entrepreneur has already learned from his academia that the leadership of the organization is the vital force to manage and administer different segment of the organization including planning, operation, and management, and to engage highest efforts to achieve the short-term and long-term goals and the owner himself work as the leader of the law firm. The organizational chart of the law firm has designed as follows- Working Group Benefits Qualification / Job Responsibilities Requirements * Managing people concerned with the firm; * Provide motivating training to the workforce to attain organizational goals and values; Entrepreneur-1 himself works as CEO Owns 60% shares Business graduate * Continuous efforts to improving client service quality; * Sophisticated sales strategies by analyzing client’s behaviors and needs; * More and more integration latest software and digital marketing campaign, and professionalism * Participate in the meeting; Entrepreneur-2, (don’t participate in the operation) Owns 40% shares * Provide consultation and suggestion; * Check time to time progress; * Successful Lead Generation Virtual assistants (technical) US$ 7.50/ hourly Freelance working experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills and Good command in writing and speaking English; * Continuous Content Moderations * Technical Support for the dynamic web; * Appointment setting with the CEO; * Time to time telemarketing; Virtual assistants (administrative) US$ 6.00/ hourly; estimated workload 100 hours per month Online working as a freelancer to perform the administrative task with good command in writing and speaking English; * Attending chat and inbound and outbound call answering with the customers; * Taking surveys; * Providing email and customer support; * Independently prepares all sorts of legal drafts and documentation Virtual assistants (law clerk/ legal secretary ) US$ 600/ month Law student or law graduate but not yet enrolled for practicing * Prepares notes and reports pointing concerned law and its sections exactly fit for every case * Independently summarize facts and findings, trial briefs, evidence and witnesses, dates, and motion; Independent attorneys 30% of the sales LLB degree with practicing license and must be a member of any local Bar Association of the United States * They are responsible to provide additional paid services, such as preparing documents, drafting or filing suit * Provide other legal advice to the foreign workers Table 1: Working group, benefits, qualification, job responsibilities. Source: Self-generated. Marketing Marketing is the major lifeline of a company and the “ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm’ would emphasis on cost-effective digital marketing rather than the traditional way the company engage its strategy for online marketing with dynamic tools available in this area such as – * Content Marketing: Content marketing is the most effective tool for the legal service providers online, by adding appropriate content with details of services and facilities offered would attract more and more clients as well as improve branding; * Digital Analytics: The Company would conduct vast market research that collects the data those potential customers use to search online law firm which is called keywords, identifying the keywords the content would be written carefully to search engine optimization; * Mobile Optimization: The digital marketing strategy of this law firm would engage its efforts for not only but also optimize the web in a user-friendly manner by which the Internet users from the mobile phone and tablets could visit the company’s website very easily and could get SMS message for a different marketing campaign; * Social Media Strategy: The Company also emphasizes the social media platforms by posting regular updates and news with rich content of the law firm. Market Research Analysis To establish ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC), the marketers have prepared a questionnaire with 18 questions and distributed it to foreign workers to get an idea about the market, assess market demand, and gather more information regarding target customers. Since this legal consulting firm would be operated online, the marketers have included several questions regarding online service to know the perception of the foreign customers towards online service. The marketers receive feedback from fifty foreign workers, and the result shows 76% of respondents believed foreign workers experience legal problems in the USA and this online legal consulting service would be useful for them. The Survey To what extent you think legal consulting service online be helpful Among the 50 respondents, 14% respondents strongly agree legal consulting service online would be helpful, highest 56% of respondents believe that online consulting would be helpful, 10% of respondents do not have a clear conception in this regard, 16% of respondents seem online consulting would not be helpful and 4% respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Comment: The result shows 70% of people think online legal consulting services would be helpful, which indicates that there is a prospective market for online legal service providers. To what extent you think this online legal consulting service is useful for foreign workers Here, 12% of the respondents strongly agree that online legal consulting service is useful for foreign workers, 48% of respondents believe that online consulting service is useful for foreign workers, 6% of respondents were not interested in response this question, 20% of respondents disagreed with the statement and 14% respondents strongly disagree that online legal consulting is not useful for foreign workers. Comment: from the result of the survey question, it is found that 60% of respondents think online legal consulting service is useful for the foreign workers, which indicates that foreign workers have confidence in online legal consulting service and they will use its services. To what extent you think foreign workers face challenges in the USA In giving feedback to this question, highest 42% of respondents strongly agree that foreign workers face challenges in the USA, 34% of respondents agree with the statement, 4% of respondents do not know in this regard, 14% of respondents disagreed that foreign workers face challenges in the USA and 4% respondents strongly differ with the statement. Comment: from the feedback of this question, it can be concluded that foreign workers need legal support and there is a potential market while 76% of people believe foreign workers experience legal problems in the USA. To what extent you think the service of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm is more convenient Here, 18% of respondents strongly agree with the statement, highest 52% respondents believe that the service of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm is more convenient, 10% of respondents do not have any idea about other service company, 12% of respondents seem the service of this law firm is more convenient and 8% respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Comment: The objective of this question is to assess the market position and it indicates ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) is one of the most convenient solutions for foreign-born workers in the USA. To what extent you think this service is economical In response to this question, 12% of respondents somewhat disagreed that this service is economical, 16% respondents strongly disagreed with the statement and 8% of respondents do not aware in this regard; on the other hand, the highest 42% of respondents strongly agreed that this service is economical, and 22% respondents strongly agreed that this service of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm is economical. Comment: The purpose of this question is to identify the market position and the result shows that ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) is one of the most economical solutions, which will influence the foreign-born workers in the USA to take its service. To what extent you think this service is better than the existing ones Here, 32% of the respondents strongly agree that the service of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) is better than existing ones, 24% of respondents believe that this service is better than existing ones, 6% respondents do not know about other companies, 26% respondents disagreed with the statement and 12% respondents strongly disagree that this service is better than existing ones. Comment: This question aims to observe the perception of the foreign workers towards other similar companies to assess market competition; the result indicates the market is too competitive and ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) needs to broaden service range and improve quality. To what extent you think that the charges of the online consulting service should low Highest 38% of respondents strongly agree that the charges of this online consulting service should low, 30% of respondents just agreed with the statement, only 2% of respondents have no opinion; on the other hand, 16% of respondents seem it should not seek low price and 14% respondents strongly disagree, as they believe it should charge a high price for service. Comment: ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) needs to consider low service charges while aggregate 68% of respondents think the charges of the online consulting service should low. To what extent you think the price is the main consideration to decide to use this service Among the 50 respondents, the highest 44% respondents strongly agree that price is the main consideration to decide to use this service, 30% of respondents believe that price is a major consideration, 8% of respondents have no opinion, 10% of respondents seem price is not the main consideration and 8% respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Comment: The main reason to ask this question is to assess the effectiveness of the pricing strategy and the result shows the price is one of the prime factors to foreign workers to use the service of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) and charge of service is suitable to the foreign workers. To what extent you think foreign workers could manage without using online legal consulting service In response to this question, 20% of respondents strongly agreed that foreign workers could manage without using online legal consulting service, the highest 36% of respondents agreed with the statement, and 6% of respondents do not know; however, 20% of respondents disagreed that foreign workers could solve the problem without using, and 18% respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. Comment: This question aims to identify market demand and the result shows that the market of online legal consulting service is high, but still a significant part of the population depends on alternate legal consulting service; therefore, it has to organize integrate marketing campaign to develop market and aware foreign workers. To what extent you think the quality of the service is important to foreign workers According to the respondents, highest 62% of respondents strongly agree that the quality of the service is important to foreign workers, 30% of respondents just agreed with the statement, 2% of respondents have no opinion about quality, while 6% of respondents seem quality is not the main consideration and only 4% respondents strongly disagree that quality of the service is important to foreign workers. Comment: This question aims to assess the importance of quality to foreign workers and the result indicates that ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) has to ensure high standards. To what extent you think the quality of service plays a vital role to retain customers From the answer to this question, the highest 66% of respondents strongly agree that quality of service plays a significant role to retain customers, 22% of respondents just agreed with the statement, only 2% of respondents do not have any idea, 4% of respondents seem quality is not an essential factor and 6% respondents strongly disagree that quality of service plays a crucial function to hold clients. Comment: This question has formed to analyze the impact of quality to develop a loyal customer base and the result demonstrates that ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) has to maintain a high standard. To what extent you think foreign workers need prompt legal service Here, 54% of the respondents strongly agree that foreign workers need prompt legal service, 28% respondents agreed with the statement, 6% respondents do not know; on the other hand, 8% respondents disagreed, and only 14% respondents strongly disagree and believe that foreign workers do not require legal service on time. Comment: From the feedback of the survey question, it is found that an aggregate of 82% of respondents seem timeliness of the service is important to foreign workers and other clients of this online law firm; therefore, it should maintain deadline carefully. To what extent you think existing services are satisfactory to foreign workers From the answer to this question, highest 34% of respondents strongly agree that existing services are satisfactory to foreign workers, 26% of respondents just agreed with the statement, only 6% of respondents do not have any idea, 24% of respondents argued that existing services are not satisfactory and 10% respondents strongly disagreed with the view of this question. Comment: This question has formed to assess the position of the competitors in this industry and the result demonstrates that respondents provided mixed responses; thus, there is a prospective market, but it needs to guarantee a high standard. To what extent you would like to use our services once again In response to this question, the highest 40% of respondents strongly agree that they would like to use our services once again, 34% of respondents seem they will use this service in the future, 8% of respondents can’t decide, 10% of respondents disagree with the statement and 8% respondents strongly disagree that they would not like to take its services once again. Comment: The main purpose to raise this question is to assess customer loyalty and the result shows aggregate 74% of respondents would like to use our services once again; consequently, there is a potential market, but it needs to maintain quality. To what extent you think you give information about our service to other foreign workers or friends According to the respondents, the highest 30% of respondents strongly agree that give information about our service to other foreign workers or friends, 22% of respondents just agreed with the statement, 24% of respondents not sure, 10% of respondents seem that they would not recommend this service to a friend and 14% respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. Comment: Since a significant part of the respondents seems they will not recommend service to other foreign workers or friends, ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) should offer commission for reference. To what extent you think that foreign workers would rely on a new company: In response to this question, 18% of respondents strongly agreed that foreign workers would rely on a new company, 24% respondents agreed with the statement, and 14% respondents are confused; however, the highest 36% respondents disagreed and 8% respondents strongly agreed to state foreign workers would not depend on a new service provider. Comment: from the feedback of this question, it can be said that ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) needs to concentrate more on the market development program and increase the budget for promotional activities to aware foreign workers that law clerks and attorneys have long experience in this sector. To what extent you think that a new service provider could give wrong information or commit fraud From the answer to this question, highest 36% of respondents strongly agree with the statement, 34% of respondents just agreed that a new service provider could give wrong information or commit fraud, only 8% of respondents do not have any idea, 12% of respondents argued that they would not get the proper information from the new owner and 10% respondents strongly disagreed with the question. Comment: This question has formed to find out foreign workers desire from a new company and the comment illustrates 70% of people think the new company could commit fraud or give wrong information; thus, ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) needs to provide payback guarantee and ensure accurate information. To what extent you think foreign workers switch off its service at any time Among the 50 respondents, 30% respondents strongly believe foreign workers switch off its service at any time, 20% respondents just agree with the statement, 14% respondents do not know, 24% respondents disagreed and 12% respondents strongly disagreed that foreign workers switch off its service wherever they want. Comment: The result shows foreign workers could switch off its service at any time; thus, ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) needs to focus on customer relationship management. Sales Forecasting It will earn $581880 per month in the first year: Unit Prices Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Total Sales $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 Unit Prices Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Total Sales $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 $48490 Table 2: Sales Forecast. Source: Self generated. Potential Customers The new immigration policy of the Trump administration has threatened illegal immigrants in the USA, but it does not mean that the business of law firms working with immigrants has thrown in a vulnerable situation rather it would expand in a new area to work the foreign workers (British Broadcasting Company). Policymakers, researchers, and attorneys know very well that the fertility rate of the country reached its lowest point in the last hundred years and the US demography has sustained at its current level depending on both illegal and legal immigrants. Thus, whatever the new administration’s political statement is, there is no way to maintain the sustainability of the demography as well as the gigantic US economy without increasing the rate of immigrants were the only security measures required for the terrorist and Islamic radicalism orientation of the immigrants. Narrowly all the citizens of the United States including both illegal and legal immigrants who need legal service for their legal status, including employment, medical, taxation, and social security are the Potential Customers of the company, but in a broader sense, all global citizens access to the online and required the services offered by the company are the Potential Customers. Advertising Though the budget for advertising is very limited, the markers of ABC Legal Consulting Company will adopt different advertising tools to attract foreign workers and other customers. The markers mainly focus on the online advertising system, such as use search engine optimizer, set up pages on Facebook and Twitter, add in different websites, write content for blogs, and so on. The purpose of the owners to use online media is to become familiar to the foreign workers, minimize advertising costs, and develop a large customer base in the USA labor market. Website of ABC Legal Consulting Company is also used as an important communication media while foreign workers will have the opportunity to get necessary information about its service, for example, the benefits it will bring to the expatriates, the legal status of the foreign-born those residing in the USA. The owners of this consulting company seem foreign workers will be interested to take its service if they aware of their problems and the path of the solution; it is also important to provide information to the foreign workers about the lawyers of the company to ensure them that lawyers are capable enough to solve their legal dilemmas. Furthermore, the owners of ABC Legal Consulting Company will carry out an integrated marketing campaign to develop the brand’s image and aware foreign workers and other customers (employers) about the new policy, their rights, wage, discrimination, the importance of legal documents, provision of laws, service range of this firm, qualification, and experience of the lawyers, price structure, and visa process. The purpose of this multi-media campaign is to aware foreign workers regarding the fraud practice of the scam company, and to influence them to use their funds in the right way to take legal support. The following table gives the projected cost for advertising using social media- Integrated Marketing Budget for ABC Online Legal ConsultingFirm Online media purpose 2017 Custom design and template creation $100 Limited Charge for Blog (2 posts) $80 Initial Page Set-up in Facebook and Twitter $50 Content Management $80 Facebook Ads to endorse $175 IMC over the internet, which include expenses for campaigning through social networking sites, website maintenance, e-mail, devolvement of search engine optimization, etc $175 Monitor Social Media (Minimum Charge) $60 Studying the target audience of the campaign through a market research survey $50 Press kits, brochures, and posters $70 Billboards/hoardings and other outdoor ads and promotional tools $80 Expenses for Public relations $120 Other costs of the advertising department $50 Costs for prize winners $110 Total Budget for Social Media Advertising $1200 Table 3: Budget for IMC Campaign of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm. Source: Self-generated. Here, it is important to mention that the owners will not consider any print media, radio, and television for advertising; however, it will use Brochures and posters, billboards, newsletters, Yellow page, Facebook, and Instagram to some extent. Competition Before starting a new business, it is essential to identify the competitors in the market and analyze their strengths, opportunities, and competitive forces; after having those data the company would design a strategy to encounter the market competitors (Bergen and Peteraf 157). The collected data would assist to understand the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the rivals in the US market, to identify the competitive moves and countermoves to the competitors to attain practicable experience to fight with the competitors and to conquer the market segment. (Bergen and Peteraf 157). The theoretical approach to identifying the competitors would be based on the framework of direct-indirect and substitution of product and service providers with common characteristics in the market shown as below- Figure 2: Market Competitors Mapping. Source: Bergena and Peteraf (160). In the USA, there are hundreds of law firms and chambers with billion dollars turnovers working in different sectors including the corporate arena (Josten). Large law firms are not direct competitors of this online legal consulting firm. The online law firms of the USA like “Freshfields”, “LegalZoom”, “Mills & Reeve”, “Minter Ellison”, “Norton Rose”, “Shearman & Sterling” has web-based legal service providing facilities for multiple health, insurance, HR, tax and different documentation; the “Online Legal Consulting Firm” has the similar products and services to offer online, but none of them provide illegal immigration support. On the other hand, “Ogletree Deakins” of the USA has an online legal service providing facilities with Immigration compliance; Thus, Ogletree Deakins is the direct competitor of “Online Legal Consulting Firm” Ogletree Deakins started its journey in 1977 with the association of some practicing lawyer in the USA, but came into online operation in the recent years and get a gigantic gain in over 45 states of the USA and overseas countries like Canada, UK, Mexico, and European Union. The company focus on labor and employment law as well immigration consultancy and mobilize its client both offline and online but don’t provide open price offerings at their website for their services on the contrary “Online Legal Consulting Firm” would offer most competitive pricing at its website to attract clients. Despite the hidden charges and load of the extra burden of attorneys’ fees, the “Online Legal Consulting Firm” would engage an analytical approach of the price charged by the company and its competitors and identifies the simultaneous reflection of the legal marketplace with changing demand and supply-side attributes that would ultimately motivate the client to align with the company. Assess competition using Porter five forces model: Figure 3: Porter’s five forces for ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC). Source: Self-generated. * The threat of New Entrants: At the same time, the new entrants will get many facilities because the United States is a top destination country for foreign-born workers while above 25741 thousands foreign workers employed in the USA; prominent law firms will try to provide online consulting service to control this industry. The threat of new entrants is high due to small start-up costs, low operating expenses, no special legal formalities to operate a business through an online support center; * Bargaining power of customer: The bargaining power of the foreign workers will be too high because they have prior knowledge about the job market situation in the USA. Besides, most of the law firms have already started to provide online legal consulting service; therefore, foreign workers will have an opportunity to switch off its service; * Rivalry among competitors: ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm (LLC) will face intense competition while many renowned law firms offer the same service; rivalry among existing law firms is moderate; * Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The supplier’s power is very low in online legal consulting service; * Threats of substitute: Since foreign workers have to take legal service if they face any problem, they need to contact legal advisers; therefore, the threat of substitute services is low. However, a significant part of foreign workers is still interested to take service directly from law clerks to collect information, process visa, get a job permit, and prepare documents. Pricing ABC Online Legal Consulting Company will offer services at a very low price because it has to attract a large number of foreign workers to strengthen the business. The marketers of this legal consulting service will set-up a pricing strategy considering the result of the market survey. In the first instance, it will offer some free services to increase the number of visitors; here, free services include providing the latest information regarding law reform and immigration policy, the duty of employers towards foreign workers, rights of the employees in the workplace, and so on. Ordinary customers or foreign workers who visit this website for the above-mentioned information could get service just by searching information from the content of this web-page or contracting with the admin panel. ABC Online Legal Consulting Company will charge for further services and foreign workers along with other customers need to sign-up on this site to become a member. Additional paid services include preparing legal documents, designing plans, filing cases, and so on. The following table gives more information regarding pricing structure- Service name Service description Price range * No cost for signup * No membership charge for common information Membership The cost of membership is dependent on how foreign workers decide to use its services * $5 for general member * $60 for a golden member * $10 for additional paid services General question Answer to the question related to employment law problems, the background of the service providers or lawyers, wages, harassment and victimization, job description, bonus and commission disputes, and work hours, no-match letter * Free in most of the time * Charge only incur while additional paid services require to the clients Free Initial Consultation New issues in policy delivery and representation for foreign workers, discrimination in the workplace * Free legal advice, and assistance Designing plan to obtain an H-1B visa, right employers, or design another career path by checking the resume of the workers * It has to keep the prices fairly low * Usually $50 to $200 * It will charge $50 to $1000 Preparing legal documents It includes finding the Job by contacting the company or providing a list of the employers, completing a permit application form consisting of family information. Also, preparing legal documents to get a work permit after getting job offers and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form * Charges could increase to ensure the quality of services * 20% discount is allowed for old customers or who come in reference * The cost of documentation is dependent on the quality * Usually $500 to $2000 Drafting and filing case Wage and hour laws, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), wages and entitlements, leave, superannuation, dismissal, redundancy, discrimination, no-match letter, issues affecting contractors * The company is going to charge foreign workers a higher service fee when they seek fixed or any special renowned Attorney for drafting or filing a case * Credit offerings for loyal customers * It would not charge an unrealistic amount Explanation of policy the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, role of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), social benefits and unemployment insurance benefits, guest worker program, and so on * Usually $5 to $20 * Charge incur for additional paid services Follow-up Services Foreign workers could drop a message or make a phone call to get further service for the same case and the concerned lawyer must contact clients as soon as possible * In most cases, it offers follow-up services free of cost * Foreign workers have to pay $5 to $100 if asks for service after 1 year Table 4: Price structure. Source: Self-generated. Accounting Since ABC Legal Consulting Company will operate from a single website and will not have any physical office, it should require comparatively lower operating costs to carry on business in the USA. This company will recruit two part-time employees to maintain the webpage and upgrade the system; here, workers will provide freelance service for which it should not require to purchase any office equipment for them. Besides, the owners of this company have a limited budget to start-up an online consulting business; thus, it would not be possible to pay a fixed salary to the lawyers and another law clerk at the initial stage. The lawyers will provide service using its website and the company will give 50% commission as a service charge; on the other hand, two law clerks will get a fixed salary from the company. This legal consulting company is not going to deliver products for which it should not require transportation costs; however, lawyers will use their facility to provide additional paid services. Income Statement Pro Forma Profit and Loss 2017 % Sales $581880 Direct Cost of Sales $0 Total Cost of Sales $0 Gross Margin $581880 Gross Margin % 100% Expenses Website design $3000 0.516% Salary of administrative workers $16800 0.206% Payment of technical workers $14400 2.475% Adverting, Sales, Marketing, and Other Expenses $12000 2.06% Web Content $1000 0.172% Trade license and Taxes $1300 0.223% Payment to law clerk $24000 4.12% Payment to Attorneys $174564 30% Service Delivery, Bill $1000 0.172% Equipment and Other $5000 0.5895% Total Operating Expenses $253064 43.49% Net Profit Before the Interest and Taxes $328816 56.51% Interest Expense $0 Taxes Incurred (1%) $5819 1% Net Profit $322997 55.51% Net Profit/ Sales margin 55.51% Table 5: Pro Forma Profit and Loss Statement. Source: Self-generated. Income Statement Clarification Sales According to the report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 25741000 foreign workers employed in the USA, and the unemployment rate among foreign laborers has increased by 4.8% and the foreign-born population has enlarged by 6% (May). Assuming that 10% total employed foreign workers, 2574100 foreign human resources, would require consulting service, and only 2% of them or 51482 foreign employees would use its free and additional paid-up service. It also assumes that 45482 foreign workers just visit or take free services include membership, initial consultation, and explanation of policy; the rest 6000 foreign workers would pay a total of $290940. The calculation is – Services Number of foreign workers Per unit cost Sales revenue Designing plan 1000 $50 $50000 Preparing legal documents 4000 $50 to $500 $530000 Drafting and filing case Follow-up Services and General question 1200 Free to $10 $1880 Total sales revenue $581880 Table 6: Sales. Source: Self-generated. Expenses * Website design: this legal consulting firm will operate online; thus, it has to expend a total of $3000 for designing a website, purchasing a domain, and creating a portal or database; * Salary of administrative workers: the owners will recruit two fixed general employees that are responsible to give feedback to the foreign workers and provide other free services through the website of this company; each clerk will get $700 per month. Cost for administrative workers would be $700*2*12 months = $16800; * Salary of technical workers: ABC Legal Consulting Company will take services from an outsourcing company and two freelancers will be responsible for maintaining the website; each technical worker will get $600 per month. Cost for technical workers would be $600*2*12 months = $14400 * Trade license and Taxes: ABC Legal Consulting Company should have a trade license to operate the business and it will require $1300 each year; * Service Delivery, Bill: As it will not sell any goods, it should not require delivery cost, but some foreign workers need to collect legal documents from law clerk or Attorneys; so, it will require approximately $1000 for this purpose; * Salary of law clerks: From the market survey report, it is assumed that this company will get a large number of customers within 4 months from starting a business; therefore, it has to pay law clerks to provide specific services. They will receive payment on a commission basis. The salary calculation will be the number of customers they serve, multiplied by 30% commission. They will also be responsible for providing some free services; * Payment to attorneys: Service charge of each customer, multiplied by 30% commission; * Web Content: This company has to include online resources on the website; it should require at least $1000 to collect and upload user data to the webpage; * Advertising cost involves integrated marketing, and promotional activities to develop the brand’s image. Balance Sheet Assets Cash $591880 Net value of Website $4000 Equipment $5000 Total Assets $590880 Liabilities Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $253064 Taxes Incurred (5%) $5819 Total Liabilities $258883 Net Worth $341997 Table 7: Pro Forma Balance Sheet. Source: Self-generated. Balance Sheet Clarification * Cash: The owners of ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm will only take cash using different payment options, and it will generate $581880 from sales revenue and another $10000 comes from the investors or owners of this company; * The net value of Website: As foreign workers will only use the website to receive services, it will be the most important asset to this company; the value of the website including the cost of content; * Equipment: the owners need to purchase two computers and some office equipment, which will require about $5000; * Accounts Payable: The amount of total operating costs of the first year of ABC Legal Consulting Company will be approximately $253064; * Taxes: According to the Pro-forma income statement of ABC Legal Consulting Company, the owners need to pay 1% for their business; thus, the amount of tax will be $5819. Finance The owners will identify the break-even point where it operates without loss or profit; ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm will generate profit from this point. Break-even = Fixed Costs / (Selling Price – Variable Costs) = $9564/ ($50 -$12) = 251.68 According to the income statement, the fixed costs include the salary of administrative and technical workers, costs of equipment and promotional activities, payment of the law clerks, and trade license fee. It estimates from the market survey that 45482 foreign people will just visit its website and only 6000 foreign workers will take its additional paid services, which range $50 to $500 or above; so, it considers $50 service charge. On the other hand, variable costs come from the maintenance of the website; besides, this business will start using $10000. The calculation indicates ABC Online Legal Consulting Firm needs to provide service to at least 252 foreign workers to reach in break-even point. Source of Capital There are many sources of investment companies and venture capital for the startups of small business, but to get such financing it is essential to recognize the long-term growth potential of the business by the Venture capitalists to assess risk while funding from the capital market for startups is very hazardous. According to the consideration of the entrepreneurs, it would be a time-consuming factor to arranging startup financing for the project rather the initial financing from own sources would save time to start the project, and after successful ran it would seek further financing from venture capital companies. Two entrepreneurs will establish ABC Legal Consulting Company and they will supply $10000 to start-up business; here, it is important to mention that both owners are students and they will invest from the personal savings account. The investors are committed to sharing loss and profit according to the memorandum of the firm; the following table gives more information in this regard- Name of the Investors Equity Investment Amount (US) Investor-1 The CEO and Managing Director 50% 5,000 Investor-2 Director and Shareholder 50% 5000 Table 8: Source of capital. Source: Self-generated. Financial Ratios Key Ratios Formula Calculation Current Ratio Current Assets/Current Liabilities $590880 / $258883 =2.28% The profit margin on sales Net Income / Sales $119339 / $581880 = 55.51% Return on Investment (Sales revenue – cost of investment) / cost of investment ($581880 – $10000) / $581880 = 98.28% Table 6: Ratio Analysis for ABC Legal Consulting Company. Source: Self-generated. From the result of current ratio and profit margin on sales ratio, it can be said that the liquidity position of ABC Legal Consulting Company will be stable; besides, it will have the capacity to pay off liabilities and use assets properly; moreover, the result of ROI demonstrates ABC Legal Consulting Company will be a highly profitable business in the USA. Operational Management Operational management indicates the critical tools, significant techniques, and key factors, which involve managing the supply chain to mobilize logistics of an organization just in time with appropriate quality and best price to ensure standard measures of performance (Dilworth 17). The implication of operations management for manufacturing companies and service industries differs from each other, as a manufacturer the “Online Legal Consulting Firm” provides digital legal documents while it provides court trail service as a service provider; as a result, both categories of operational management would be practiced by the company that generates value-added operational management for the stakeholders. Although the small scale businesses don’t bother with operational management, in every step of the business they perform and use every element of operational management while the components of it involved every task starting from raw materials collection, product or service construction, inventory, quality, and production control, distribution and to managing customers and supplies (Dilworth 17). At “Online Legal Consulting Firm” all the products and services are customized and varies from client to client, there is no chance gather product and service before their order should be placed; thus, the operational management of the company would engage substantial measurement as well as continuous analytic of the internal processes. Tax Compliance The Online Legal Consulting Firm” would comply with the federal income tax regulations as well as self-employment tax associated with the limited liability companies that pointed out the income of wage more than US$108.28 would be assessed for social security and Medicare taxes. The company would involve a tax attorney to assess and produce its tax return after the first year of operation, as there is no advance income tax provision for the small startup business in the USA. Personnel The initial investment of the “Online Legal Consulting Firm” would be US$ 10,000 and both owners Entrepreneur-1 and Entrepreneur-2 would equally invest this amount from their sources. Though they equally invest, one of the owners has already engaged in an on-campus job, he will not actively participate in the business operation. As a result, they agreed that owner no.1 would own 60% of the share while owner no.2 entitled to 40% of the share. This firm will recruit two freelancers to maintain a website, two full-time workers, or law clerks to perform administrative jobs and give continuous feedback to the foreign workers; at the same time, independent attorneys will sign-up to join this online law firm. Procedures Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has made dramatic changes in the modern lifestyle and even advanced human civilization while the business processes in different sectors have quickly shifted to match with the changing dynamics. The legal service firms are not apart from the web of ICT integration at their business processes and there are a remarkable number of virtual law firms operating a business through using their website based on the virtual office. The attorneys of the website-based virtual law chambers use the online law office as a means of easy and timely communication as well as collaboration with the clients and connecting the case matters from anywhere remotely. At the same time, the virtual office staff could perform their task remotely from their location and there is no burden to attend to the office timely. Moreover, the clients by login into personal account would be able to know the case status, dates and also could make payment insecure way. Moreover, the amended Rule 4 of the US Civil Procedure has generated a one-step forward imitative for the virtual law firms by allowing electronic service of the process instead of physical acknowledgment of summons or any other compliance documentation and it made the litigation process easier for the online law firms. The attorneys of the online law chambers get a new window to handle clients out of their state and out of the country crossing the border barriers. The quick-shifting dynamics of the online law firms would facilitate the attorneys to take part in the legal process outsourcing, alternative fee-earning opportunity, and even mergers or acquisition with foreign law firms. Conclusion From the analysis of the market research survey and income statement, it can be concluded that starting an online legal consulting service for foreign workers is an outstanding business concept. The main problem will be conveying a message to the foreign workers to aware of the service of this online legal consulting firm to increase market demand and gain competitive advantages; as a result, it will be difficult to gain the confidence of the customers. On the other hand, this business will be prospective because above 25741000 foreign workers are employed in the USA and they need legal support for frequent change of immigration policy and security measures. Works Cited Bergen, Mark, and Margaret Peteraf. “Competitor Identification and Competitor Analysis: A Broad-Based Managerial Approach.” 2013, Web. British Broadcasting Company. “Trump Administration Widens Net for Immigrant Deportation.” BBC, 2017, Web. Dilworth, James. Operations Management 3E Providing Value in Goods and Services . Cengage Learning, 2013. Josten, William. “Where is the Pressure Coming from for Small US Law Firms?” Thomson Reuters , 2016, Web. May, Caroline. “Record 25,741,000 Foreign-Born People Employed in the U.S.” Breitbart , 2016, Web. Woog, Dan. “Employer Rules for Hiring Non-US Workers.” 2016, Web.
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Write the original essay that generated the following summary: In her article "Abortion is too complex to feel all one way about" that appeared in the New York Times (March 13, 1986), Anna Quindlen attracts the attention of the global community to one of the most controversial issues of society today: the pros and cons of abortion. In fact, as made clear in the article, Quindlen seems to be extremely sincere when communicating with her readers about this important topic.The article is devoted to the author's personal experiences
In her article "Abortion is too complex to feel all one way about" that appeared in the New York Times (March 13, 1986), Anna Quindlen attracts the attention of the global community to one of the most controversial issues of society today: the pros and cons of abortion. In fact, as made clear in the article, Quindlen seems to be extremely sincere when communicating with her readers about this important topic. The article is devoted to the author's personal experiences
Abortion Is Too Complex to Feel All One Way About Essay In her article “Abortion Is Too Complex to Feel All One Way About” that appeared in the New York Times (March 13, 1986) , Anna Quindlen attracts the attention of the global community to one of the most controversial issues of society today: the pros and cons of abortion. In fact, as made clear in the article, Quindlen seems to be extremely sincere when communicating with her readers about this important topic. The article is devoted to the author’s personal experiences with abortion; she mentions many of her acquaintances of different ages who were pregnant and who could not have their pregnancies terminated due to a range of reasons related to religious identity or their specific circumstances and relationships with their families and parents. Personally, I suppose that the consequences of delivering unplanned and unwanted babies are terrible and that the topic raised by the author deserves significant attention. The duplicity of those who want to ban all abortion everywhere is obvious; contrary to the assumptions promoted by pro-life movement activists, the obligation to raise unwanted children cannot make young girls more responsible. Instead, the baby becomes just an additional problem. In this article, Quindlen states that the problem of abortion is much more complex than it may seem to be at first glance. This is why there are more assumptions and facts that need to be taken into account by those people who consider themselves to be against abortion in any situation. When it comes to the specific circumstances that make pregnant teenagers, and adult women want to have an abortion, the author is not a strong supporter of the idea that a personal decision is appropriate in all circumstances. Having read this article, I suppose that she tries to act as a kind of mediator between the representatives of two movements with completely opposite values: pro-choice and pro-life activists. In other words, although she seems likely to agree with the pro-choice movement on many points, she still seems to deny the necessity of abortion in some cases. To her, it is not fair to equate pregnant women who have no money with those who have a “stable home and marriage” when it comes to the moral appraisal of the decision to terminate a pregnancy (Quindlen 2). As for my personal opinion on the given article, I can say that there are a lot of ideas expressed by the author that I find to be extremely important. When discussing the style and particular linguistics choices that the author uses in order to make readers see that she is sincere and that this problem really bothers her, there is a wide range of adjectives and expressions that make this work both an article and a kind of literary work at the same time. Also, Quindlen highlights the duplicity of those people who beguile women out of having an abortion with the help of scary materials but then tend to ignore the pain that the children may endure “when they are unwanted, even hated or simply tolerated” (2). In the end, this article presents an important discussion related to the issue of abortion. The author’s attempt to attract the attention of all those people who have a kind of one-track mind about abortion can really contribute to the resolution of this problem. Personally, I agree with many points raised by Quindlen, and this is why my response contains a positive evaluation overall. Works Cited Quindlen, Anna. “Abortion Is Too Complex to Feel All One Way About.” New York Times . 1986, p. 2.
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