Strategic Management of Tenfold Organic Textile - 3710 Words

MGW3401 – STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Tenfoldâ„ ¢ Organic Textile Case Analysis Report Lecturer: Dr Chong Yit Sean, Esther Tutor: Dr Tan Seow Kian, Sharon Cheok Huei Chun (24826200) Teoh Tong Aik (26094193) Florian Navintach Zeorelli Samerawickreme (24729833) Clement Marsha (25342754) Habiba Almahrooqi (25384589) Table of Contentsî ¿ ¿ Executive Summary 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of the report 1.2 Company information 1.3 Assumption 1.4 Methodology 1.5 Purpose of Report 2.0 Strategic Analysis 2.1 SWOT ANALYSIS 2.1.1 Strengths 2.1.2 Weaknesses 2.1.3 Opportunities 2.1.4 Threats 2.2 Main issues 2.2.1 Issue 1 2.2.2 Issue 2 3.0 Evaluation of Alternative Strategies 3.1 Alternative 1†¦show more content†¦The second alternative is using the Blue Ocean Strategy to create value innovation by offering different kind of organic apparel to the partner brand. Moreover, blue ocean strategy can help Tenfold to enhance the organization’s strategic position. All in all, the best strategy for Tenfold is the blue ocean strategy since it can decrease the number of its competitors when using this strategy. Introduction Purpose of the report The purpose of the report is to analyze and discuss the main issues that Tenfold organic textile need to improve and provide alternatives to get a superior performance. Assessing the company’s strengths and weaknesses will help Tenfold to have a planned strategy, gain more profit and create a well-known brand. Furthermore, a clear understanding about the opportunities and threats of the organization can help the management to identify the changes and new alternatives that can be made to enhance the organization’s strategic position Company information Tenfold Organic Textiles is a company that manufactures naturally dyed organic cottons which was founded by Leah Weinstein and her brother Paul Weinstein in 2006. Tenfold’s main mission is to provide organic apparel using naturally dyed fibers by reducing the use of the chemicals in textile manufacturing. They believe that fashion industry should not pollute the environment with chemicals and synthetic dyes. In order for theShow MoreRelatedWalmart Case Study5076 Words   |  21 Pageslike to show our gratitude to Resp. Prof. Mr. Sham Sharma, for providing us with the golden opportunity to prepare an intellectual report, on Distribution amp; Logistics Management of â€Å"wal-mart†. We are grateful to Resp. Prof. Mr. Sham Sharma, for guiding us to prepare an aesthetic report on Distribution amp; Logistics Management of â€Å"wal-mart†with the proper information and knowledge of sixteen elements of formal report writing. Without his kind support it would have been difficult for us to completeRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesand 15 case examples which have been chosen to enlarge speciï ¬ c issues in the text and/or provide practical examples of how business and public sector organisations are managing strategic issues. The case studies which follow allow the reader to extend this linking of theory and practice further by analysing the strategic issues of speciï ¬ c organisations in much greater depth – and often providing ‘solutions’ to some of the problems or difï ¬ culties identiï ¬ ed in the case. There are also over 33 classicRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management 215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell LeadershipRead MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 PagesMarketing Management, 14e (Kotler/Keller) Chapter 1 Defining Marketing for the 21st Century 1) Which of the following statements about marketing is true? A) It is of little importance when products are standardized. B) It can help create jobs in the economy by increasing demand for goods and services. C) It helps to build a loyal customer base but has no impact on a firms intangible assets. D) It is more important for bigger organizations than smaller ones. E) It is seldom used by nonprofitRead MoreMerger and Acquisition: Current Issues115629 Words   |  463 PagesMergers and Acquisitions Current Issues Edited by Greg N. Gregoriou and Karyn L. Neuhauser MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Also edited by Greg N. Gregoriou ADVANCES IN RISK MANAGEMENT ASSET ALLOCATION AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS DIVERSIFICATION AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT OF MUTUAL FUNDS PERFORMANCE OF MUTUAL FUNDS Mergers and Acquisitions Current Issues Edited by GREG N. GREGORIOU and KARYN L. NEUHAUSER Selection and editorial matter  © Greg N. Gregoriou and Karyn L. Neuhauser

Effective Communication Paper Free Essays

Communication is important for any kind of environment. The technique, which has been effective and ineffective at the same time, is the team approach and feedback. These techniques are good because this will allow a person to receive feedback and improve in any areas that an individual needs to improve. We will write a custom essay sample on Effective Communication Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now This can be useful in health care work because of how some health care workers are already doing self-assessments. Self-assessments are important because this will allow the team to improve and, allow the team to brainstorm any ideas together by improving together.The most effective technique for sharing information and ideas would be the team approach and feedback. For the most part the team approach has worked tremendously where I work. They use the team approach because this allows all the employees to show that he or she can work as a team. Team approach is effective because this allows all team members to brainstorm together, increase ideas and improve learning experience, reduced workload and collective security (Schultz, Wilson and Hess, 2010). The team approach has many advantages and disadvantages when working as a team.Some like to work as a team while others do not like to work as a team making this difficult to come together by brainstorming ideas. Techniques that are ineffective are sometimes the team approach and taking feedback positively. Sometimes the team approach did not work because everyone was not willing to do his or her part and left the leader to do the job instead of working as a team. The team approach has been ineffective because sometimes the scheduling was not right and sometimes the person had different point of views which made this difficult to come to an agreement (Schultz, Wilson and Hess. 010). This can be bad because some of the employee’s that I had worked with wanted to do all the stuff by themselves and, not want any kind of team approach. The feedback sometimes did not work because once he or she receives the feedback some take the feedback to improve his or her self while he or she sometimes ignores the feedback that was given. Once the day was through, they would have comment cards that customers would feel out if the customers had any kind of problem. Sometimes I would receive negative feedback because I had a poor attitude.Knowing that I was going to receive this ahead of time I still did not like the fact that this was negative feedback. Knowing that a person can receive negative feedback can make a person not want to function that well as a team. I know when working personally with teams that having a negative attitude about feedback is not good and will not get you anywhere but losing a job. â€Å"(Belschak, 2009, para. 2 states this helps to strengthen employees’ education and understanding of outcomes). † These techniques can be useful in the healthcare by having self-assessments to see how the teams and employees are doing.By having self-assessments this will allow the managers to see how the individuals are doing working as teams or by themselves. This technique is good because this will let the team know the area he or she needs improvement in and, how he or she can improve. Self-assessments are just letting that person know the feedback of the assessment so that he or she will allow improvement (Moskal, 2010). Most of the healthcare workers now will rely on technology as this is a demand for healthcare workers. Technology can affect this process because some of the jobs might not be ready to use this kind of information.Technology has a major impact because of how technology now uses emails, fax machines, video conferencing and voice messing. Now with technology increasing everyone should have some kind of training if wanting to work in the health care field. The techniques that are effective in the health care system are feedback and team approach. Team approach is turning to be out in all of the business as well as taking classes online. Working as a team has many advantages as well as the given feedback. Everyone will be able to work closely together feeding off one another as he or she learns from each other along with the feedback and the team approach. How to cite Effective Communication Paper, Papers

Mcdonalds Organizing Function of Management Essay Example For Students

Mcdonalds Organizing Function of Management Essay McDonald’s Organizing Function of Management Billie Holloway Jack Geer July 19, 2010 Organizing Function of Management This paper shows how McDonald’s like any other organization must use the organizing function of management to have a successful business. Management must always take action. It is important for management to organize and coordinate activities that relate to the establishments policies. Over the years management has developed from creating charts to identify business functions, creating reporting relationships, and having personnel departments that administer plans, programs and paperwork to having effective managers who use new forms of organizing. In today’s society it is important that management view their employees and customers as the most important resource available. Organizations are building establishments that are flexible and adaptive in regards to competition and customer needs. It is important that organizations organize activities that attract people to the establishment, specify job responsibilities, put specific jobs into job categories, marshal and assign resources, and create conditions that people work together to accomplish the maximum amount of success possible (Bateman ; Snell, 2009) McDonald’s Corporation McDonald’s Corporation is made of franchises and operates in 117 countries. Through all the McDonald’s Corporations they have employed more than 15 million people. In 2009 an average of 60 million customers were served each day around the world (McDonald’s 2009 Annual Report, 2010). McDonald’s uses a collaborative management approach which has created a strong global leadership team throughout McDonald’s history. Management has taken responsibility of working together with each other’s franchises to take on new challenges and responsibilities on behalf of the Company (McDonald’s 2009 Annual Report, 2010). McDonald’s continues to be successful because of the focus on their management enhancing long-term profitable growth, giving the recognition to management and leadership development, and offering their customers a means of eating out that will still fit their way of life (McDonald’s 2009 Annual Report, 2010). Physical Assets McDonald’s individual franchisers or company will handle the physical assets of the corporation. The majority of McDonald’s restaurants are independently owned and operated by men and women internationally. The conventional franchise agreement has the franchisees provide part of the capital requirements. These requirements will consist of investing in equipment, signs, seating, and the decorations of their restaurant. The franchisees will also need to keep updating the restaurant though the years. Through the agreement of the organization and the franchisees the company will own the building and land that the restaurant is on or if the building is leased the company will carry the long-term lease of the building that McDonald’s franchise occupies. By McDonald’s having full rights to the building that the restaurant is in they can control costs better and ensure that all franchises correspond with each other (McDonald’s Corporation, 2010). McDonald’s believes them to be the main franchiser or the organization and the owners of the franchises work together to give customers a great experience which in the end will help create a higher profitability for the Corporation. Although being the franchiser allows the Corporation to guide the franchises in the right direction it is important the franchise can provide the services the people in the area want and have experience in customer values. While the franchises work together to create a memorable experience for the customers they are: 1) constantly developing new ideas, 2) improving operational standards, 3) improving marketing concepts and products, and 4) improving price strategies to fit the economy. To improve the overall performance, McDonald’s restaurants are continuously reviewing and creating new ideas that will interest the customers (McDonald’s Corporation, 2010). Monetary Although we have been seeing hard times in the economy McDonald’s was able to see profitability. Response to civil disobedience EssayFrom the three main areas that employees are concerned the HRM was able to create three basic elements of EVP for the establishment. These elements consist of: 1) Family and Friends, 2) Flexibility, and 3) the Future. At this time, McDonald’s is in the beginning stages of an internal launch and activation phase pertaining to the three basic elements of the new employment value proposition plan. Conclusion McDonald’s is a growing franchise that understands the importance of their commitment to their employees. The food service business fast paced and McDonald’s is one of the largest and busiest companies in the food service industry. In the food service industry it is important to focus on the people, both employees and customers because without dedicated people it is hard to create good business results (McDonald’s Corporation, 2010). To ensure the success of McDonald’s keeps growing the management team must continue to organize and coordinate activities associated with running an international business. References Bateman, T. S. , ; Snell, S. A. (2009). Management: Leading ; Collaborating in a Competitive World, Eighth Edition BizEd. com (2010). McDonald’s Company Facts. http://www. bized. co. uk/compfact/mcdonalds/mcindex. htm BusinessDictionary. com (2010). Definition: Management. http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/management. html McDonalds Annual Report (2009). McDonald’s Corporation (2010). http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/investors/publications. html McDonald’s Corporation (2010). At the front counter – Engaged and committed employees. http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/csr/report/employment_experience/employment_value_proposition. html

Kanye West, leader of the zeitgeist free essay sample

He is a musician, songwriter, record producer, film director, and fashion designer. West suggests that his music Is more advanced than any other of our time. Hes going to raise above our culture Limitations and revolutionize the bar for good rap music. But should Kenya West be the leader of the zeitgeist? Yes Kenya should be the leader of the zeitgeist because he captures the zeitgeist of the modern male, he is larger than life in an endearing human way, and he lives by his own morals. Kenya is shaping the way male in his generation dresses.In his XSL article multiple Grammar winner Kenya West says l even do the ultimate TA boo of hip-hop and actually wear my pants on my waist. West Image has gone against what hip-hop traditionally considers normal, and he has Influenced a lot of what define the normal male look. Kenya also has good taste. We will write a custom essay sample on Kanye West, leader of the zeitgeist or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The clothes he wear are what male of this generation think are fashionable. Kenya said ; my biggest goal is to be anchored in taste and beauty; He had done bad things but he will start to apply good taste. He is striving to be the best at what he does.Kenya will continue to hang peoples view of hip- hop and he will continue to define the modern day male. Changing the look of modern male Isnt all West Is good at doing. He Is good at seeing himself as bigger than life and making people believes that he is. At the VIM in 2009, when West interrupted Taylor Swift and said Beyond had the best record of the year she should have won. This was yet another episode on a growing list of outrageous self aggrandize scenes. Most people were angry at him for doing that, but its moments like this that make West seem so endearing.He is a character, but people still see themselves In him. By saying what he said, West was being god In his own way. He was thinking Just because he say what he believed, It might changed the outcome but he just came out looking like an egotistic person. His actions and his ego is what make Kenya who he is. Kenya mention ; a lot of time my ego is the armor. West used his big ego to hide behind, but he realized that to be a different man to be a better leader he has to change his ways of thinking and by changing he will continue to make people perceive him as superior than life.Therefore, by Kenya hanging the way he thinks and acts, It may have seemed that he had lived the life of two men. The pain Kenya lived through had shaped him Into the man he is today. West say God put him through so much its help turn him into this soldier. West was pushed through life quickly. He experienced things that many people will never experience in their life time. He took these experiences and changed into a skilled warrior. Furthermore Kenya lives by his own set of principles. Kenya state l would rise everything to express what I felt was the truth. Kenya Isnt concern with what people thinks of him. What he believes Is that he Is speaking the truth, therefore he speaks his mind: He is productive also outspoken. It is part of Kenya Wests job to tell people the truth about himself, just like it is part of his Job to make great song said David Samuels author of the Atlantic American Mozart. Samuels was uttering that Kenya is a man of facts and reality. He speaks his mind in ways many people dont and he speaks his mind In the music he creates which Is what make his songs so great. Samuels would also compare Kenya to the Mozart of this generation. Rd speaks to the audience of his generation the same way Mozart music had spoken to the audience of his generation. The same way Mozart had changed the way his generation listened to music, Kenya is doing the same for his generation. Kenya is influencing the culture the same way a good zeitgeist leader would. It seems that Snakes goal is to be identified as the zeitgeist of his generation. Thus, Kenya West should be Consider a zeitgeist leader of this period , he is an influential man, a strong individual and a forthright man. These are all the characteristics people need and looks for in a great leader.

Free Essays on Understanding The Rationale Behind Machiavellis The Prince

Understanding the Rationale Behind Machiavelli’s The Prince Machiavelli’s scientific and rational perspectives are blunt and harsh. His book The Prince is a look into the world of running a state and the basis for gaining respect as a leader. He writes that a state is only created if people cooperate and work to maintain it. Putting faith and trust in the people to really work and understand that everyone has to give to receive is similar to that of a utopian society yet different. Here Machiavelli explains that a state needs to take precedence over everything. This is the same idea for a utopian society. However, in a utopian society everyone is equal and gets no more than the next person. In a Machiavellian society the state is most important and everyone must work for it’s maintenance but everyone is not equal and certain leaders and people can excel further. Maintaining sovereignty should be the focus of a leader and the people of the state. If one does not work on sustaining the sovereignty of a state it will surely fall apart and be taken over. Further the leader would appear to be weak and cause the state to quickly boot him out of his position. Machiavelli believes strongly that a state should be founded on military power. â€Å"It is of such importance that military prowess not only keeps those who have been born rulers in power but also often enables men who have been born private citizens to come to power,† (Machiavelli). By this Machiavelli points out that someone who is already in the blood line to be a ruler needs to work to keep a strong militia, and for those that want to come to rule need to remember that military ability is key. He believes that the strength in militia will show how really strong a leader is. It will allow other leaders to recognize that you hold power over your own people and can conquer anyo ne that tries to ruin your respective state. â€Å"On the other hand, one sees that wh... Free Essays on Understanding The Rationale Behind Machiavelli's The Prince Free Essays on Understanding The Rationale Behind Machiavelli's The Prince Understanding the Rationale Behind Machiavelli’s The Prince Machiavelli’s scientific and rational perspectives are blunt and harsh. His book The Prince is a look into the world of running a state and the basis for gaining respect as a leader. He writes that a state is only created if people cooperate and work to maintain it. Putting faith and trust in the people to really work and understand that everyone has to give to receive is similar to that of a utopian society yet different. Here Machiavelli explains that a state needs to take precedence over everything. This is the same idea for a utopian society. However, in a utopian society everyone is equal and gets no more than the next person. In a Machiavellian society the state is most important and everyone must work for it’s maintenance but everyone is not equal and certain leaders and people can excel further. Maintaining sovereignty should be the focus of a leader and the people of the state. If one does not work on sustaining the sovereignty of a state it will surely fall apart and be taken over. Further the leader would appear to be weak and cause the state to quickly boot him out of his position. Machiavelli believes strongly that a state should be founded on military power. â€Å"It is of such importance that military prowess not only keeps those who have been born rulers in power but also often enables men who have been born private citizens to come to power,† (Machiavelli). By this Machiavelli points out that someone who is already in the blood line to be a ruler needs to work to keep a strong militia, and for those that want to come to rule need to remember that military ability is key. He believes that the strength in militia will show how really strong a leader is. It will allow other leaders to recognize that you hold power over your own people and can conquer anyo ne that tries to ruin your respective state. â€Å"On the other hand, one sees that wh...

Aging Population in Hk

In the past, many people dead in childhood due to sickness and improper medical treatment, which enzymes and bacteria can easily kill them. However, with the development of medical technology, such as introduction of new treatments like antibacterial, people can combat many diseases and have a longer life, and the death rate can be lowered. Hence, as Hong Kong is a stable place, it can make people in Hong Kong live longer. Hong Kong is a stable place without the threat of civil wars and lack of essential resources like water and food, compare with some undeveloped countries. In addition, the Hong Kong government also maintain stability by making policies such as food hygiene policy. With maintaining stability, people can live longer then. The above conditions lead to the increasing longevity of Hong Kong people, which caused the aging population in Hong Kong. Declining birth rate In the past 50 years, there was a baby boom occurred in Hong Kong. People at that time did not concern about the cost of bring the child up and the problem of population explosion, which lead to the high birth rate at that time. After reaching 1980s, the birth rate started to be declined. This is mainly due to higher education rate in HK, when there is a higher educates rate, less female would unwilling to born more children. Hence, fearing from financial burden, as it bringing a child up requires a high cost, families are unwilling to give birth to child. Moreover, people are more likely to settle down at a later age, form their families when they become old, this also lead to a low birth rate. In fact, the low death rate could bring few negative effects. However, when there is a declining birth rate, the young age group cannot support the size of old age group born in the baby boom. This will lead to a serious problem. In short, a declining birth rate and a low death rate caused the aging population. Situation in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, the population sizes of youngsters are keeping decreasing with a decrease of 17. 9% in 33 years. In contrast, the number of old people are keeping increasing, it is estimated in 2033, the old age group will become one-forth of the whole population. Hence, there is a decreasing trend in birth rate in 40 years with a drop of 1500 babies per year. Nevertheless, the trend grow again since 2005 due to migration from Mainlanders, they could only be able to work until 2030,which may hard to combat the problem. To conclude, the problem of aging population is serious. Impact of aging population In medical aspect, aging population may increase medical expenditure of government because elderly people may have the high risk of chronic diseases. Due to increases of medical services, the demand of doctor and nurses would also be increased. However, the government may not have enough money to provide better medical services as a lower tax income. This may lead to poor quality of medical services. From the point of view of the government, aging population reduces the government’s income as providing more welfare and medical care for elderly. It would also affect the GDP of HK due to more elderly people and less working population, which reduce Hong Kong’s economic development. HK competitiveness in the world may be seriously affected. In social aspect, aging population may increase the pressure of working force, as they need to pay more tax to government for providing better medical services and welfare, even though the demand of productivity at will be high and high salaries will be paid in the future. On the other hand, it may also enhance the problem of poverty as they may unable to work after retired. Suggestions of aging population From the above passage, we can see that aging population will cause a high expenditure and welfare on the government. The aims of the solutions below are to solve these problems. To start with, the government can solve the problem by Enabling older individuals to keep economically active. For example, the government can employed these old age people part-time works to enhance productivity. It can also encourage them to spend more money to enhance the economy by encourage them to travel in Hong Kong, such as the $2 Public Transport Concessions for the elderly. For those retired who are poor and disable to work, the government should put more resources to help them maintain a living. For example, increase the amount of welfare on the poor, or provide resources to some fund, which helps the old age groups, such as the Community Collusion Fund. On the other hand, the government should also cut some welfare, for example, the introduction of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) can let the old people save money itself for entire when they are working; the issue of health care voucher can reduce the burden of the government-owned health system. These measures can help the government to reduce the welfare.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION - Essay Example These two areas are very important because the front office provide the first impression that guest have about a hotel. The front office agents must therefore exhibit high standards of mannerism in greeting guests, welcoming them; smiling and having guests feel at home. The root cause of negative mannerism and knowledge at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotels front desk services can be categorized as inadequacies in personnel, procedures, policies and equipment. The weaknesses on the blueprint are on the physical evidence and the onstage employee action areas since they affect customers’ actions. In the blueprint for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, front office is physical evidence. Physical evidence in this case is the environment and people within the front office area. For every moment of truth and each action taken by the customer, the physical evidence that customers come into contact with is critical (Baum & Odgers, 2001). Front office consists of tangibles, that customer come into contact with that are likely to influence how business customers perceive quality at the Marriott Marquis Hotel’s front desk. Poorly arranged front office will deter business customers from booking the hotel. Onstage employee action is the second area on the blueprint that is affected by the weaknesses mentioned above. Front office are onstage employees and are actively involved in making reservations, giving suggestions, phone calls receiving, manage registration process, fulfilling guest needs/delivering bags, solve their problems, and process the registrations of their business customers. There is high degree of interaction with business customers in the blueprint thus the type of interaction influences their action. Poor manners and knowledge by front office agents will definitely results into poor guest experience and impression of the hotel. In this respect, personnel attributes such as poor training, attitude, poor communication etiquette, bad customer

Farm Subsidies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Farm Subsidies - Assignment Example Farm subsidies should be phased out to accommodate contemporary trends in agriculture. Resources directed to farm subsidies could be invested in more productive projects that lack complementary alternatives. There are numerous alternatives in acquiring farm produce in the event that local farmers fail to meet local demand. An outstanding alternative is importation of farm produce. Prices of imported farm produce are relatively low due to absolute or comparative advantages enjoyed by the source of exports. In the contemporary times, every aspect of production has become oriented towards international interdependence. Supplying products and services at the minimum cost possible is the primary objective that any given business entity seeks to achieve. This is more so due to the fact that business enterprises operate under a profit motive. Even with farm subsidies eliminated, product supply in the markets can still remain constant or even increase through agricultural businesses (Miller & Spoolman, 2011). Therefore, farm subsidies should be phased

Health and Hygiene Essay Example for Free

Health and Hygiene Essay The word technology refers to the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include construction technology, medical technology, and information technology. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including todays global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of the Planet Earth and its environment. The distinction between science, engineering and technology is not always clear. Science is the reasoned investigation or study of phenomena, aimed at discovering enduring principles among elements of the phenomenal world by employing formal techniques such as the scientific method. Technologies are not usually exclusively products of science, because they have to satisfy requirements such as utility, usability and safety. The 20th century brought a host of innovations. In physics, the discovery of nuclear fission has led to both nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Through our modern day miracles of science we are able to appreciate that which is truly an incredible era of advanced erudition and self-sufficiency. Because of the advantages of modern day technology, we are allowed the unique benefit of looking back on what was and comparing it with what is and what could be. Technology is no longer seen as a barrier, but as a breakthrough. Bringing fresh insight and offering better jobs to those who are willing to take a step towards the future. .

The Russian Tsars Control of the Kazakh Steppe Essay -- Russian Empir

To what extent and in what ways did Russian Tsars control the Kazakh steppe between 1820 and 1890? During political Kazakh khans of three Hordes gave oaths and signed papers of their inclusion to Russian Empire. Although the documents were signed, both sides did not obey them . Empire had not got any actual political power in the beginning of 19th century in Kazakh steppe, and numerous anti-Russian rebellions support this claim. The document of â€Å"Ustav o Sibirskih Kirgizah, 1822† made it possible to gain control of the steppe by creating a system with new approach of ‘divide and rule’. New policy included creating ‘elite’ with developed morals and literacy relying on the nobel families, so called Chinggisids, and land new administration policy. Rebellions, presence of national identity, resistance to settlement of nomads caused difficulties in establishing control in the steppe. However, even though there was some kind of oppositon from nomads, the policy was very successful. Russian empire was in control of the Kazakh steppe after mid-ninetee nth century when steppe officially was divided into separate entities. The Plan of Reorganization (1809) of Tsarist Russia did not take into account differences of central and peripheral parts. Imperial legislative law applied with restrictions and exceptions depending on regions, but general principle was decentralization of the Tsarist Russia by dividing it into several parts and concentration of the administrative units by integrating central and regional agencies. Speranskii’s â€Å"Ustav o Sibirskih Kirgizah, 1822† reform assigned administrative units and positions to create a new bureaucracy . When the position of khan was removed the unity of the nomadic tribes was destabilized. Thus... .... 1 (Jan. - Mar., 2003), pp. 5-33 Levi, S. (1999). India, Russia and the Eighteenth-Century Transformation of the Central Asian Caravan Trade. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol. 42, No. 4 (1999), pp. 519-548 Malikov, Y. (2005). The Kenesary Kasymov Rebellion (1837–1847): A National-Liberation Movement or â€Å"a Protest of Restoration†? Nationalities Papers, Vol. 33, No. 4 Manz, B. F. (1987). Central Asian Uprisings in the Nineteenth Century: Ferghana under the Russians. The Russian Review, vol. 46, 1987, pp. 267-281 Martin, V. (2010). Kazakh Chinggisids, land and political power in the nineteenth century: a case study of Syrymbet. Central Asian Survey, 29:1, 79-102 Sbornik dokumentov. (1996). Natsional’no-osvoboditel’naia bor’ba Kazakhskogo naroda pod predvoditel’stvom Kenesary Kasymova (Sbornk dokumentov). Almaty, 1996, p. 39, 121-122

Dollar Tree Analysis

IBP Objectives * Focus on continual growth and improvement while providing a reasonable return to our investors. * Obtain more of the middle-income consumers as consumers, opposed to just low-income consumers. * Increase the public’s awareness of Dollar Trees products, inventory, and quality of products. Have Dollar Tree become a part of consumers recall. * Inform consumers of the extreme quality of Dollar Tree’s products, no products are expired or out to date. We just get an extreme discount with loyal distributors. * Change customer’s attitudes towards Dollar Tree and discounts stores in general.Discount stores carry the same quality name brands as department stores, while staying true to their single price of $1 for everything. * Increase sales and customer traffic in stores from $5,882. 4 million annual revenue by 5% to $ 6,176. 52 million. * Increase consumer purchases from seasonal purchases to everyday purchases. Most people shop in discount stores for se asonal, party supplies opposed to everyday consumer needs, like dish soap. IBP strategy Being a dollar store, Dollar Tree’s usual target audience is primarily low-income households with about 55% of their customers making less than $40,000 annually (IBISWorld, 2011).About 69% of African Americans shop at dollar stores at least once a month compared to 50% of Caucasian consumers (Mintel, 2005). Dollar Tree has successfully marketed themselves to lower income Hispanics and African Americans, but there is an opportunity in another market. In recent years there has been a rise in the number of upper income consumers using Dollar Stores. Everyone would much rather save money shopping, which is why with the recent economic downturn, it has become more common for middle and upper income families to supplement their shopping needs with dollar stores.We see an opportunity to market to this newly emerging market, and believe that we need to capture brand loyalty before the recession is over. Dollar Tree has a unique opportunity with the recession. Because so many people have been affected by the current economy, more than ever people are looking for cheap ways to maintain their lifestyles. As lower income households continue to shop at dollar stores, people who were once wealthy or are still considered wealthy are starting to reconsider their shopping behaviors. Offering products like juice, spices, hips, and several other food and drink products, any homemaker could easily get all of their grocery shopping complete without checking the price tag (â€Å"Dollar Tree, 2012†). The middle class in America typically consists of people with a fast paced lifestyle, and they are all very busy. They work hard for their money, and are always looking for deals, but sometimes don’t have the time to go from store to store searching for the best price. Simply put, this demographic does not like to waste time, which will be one of our key marketing points.There ar e very few stores that offer the amount of different products that Dollar Tree does. There aren’t any stores that have the variety of products that Dollar Tree offers for only one dollar. You can get office supplies, party supplies, medicine, food, games and toys, and much more. The medium income demographic would be attracted to this because they can get all of their errands done at one store for a portion of the price. As well as targeting medium-income households, we will narrow that down to 25-34 year olds in that demographic. These are people who are starting families and starting careers.They are busy trying to make it in the world, and targeting this demographic would prove extremely beneficial for Dollar Tree. We can establish brand loyalty with this relatively young market, and possibly profit in future years when these younger family’s children start shopping. On top of targeting 25-34 year olds in the middle class, we will also continue to target Dollar Tree ’s current market of lower income households. We will run advertisements in these lower income areas simply to serve as a reminder of Dollar Tree’s low fixed price of a dollar.The one quality that puts Dollar Tree ahead of all other dollar stores is that it actually sells all of its products at one dollar. It does not matter what the product usually sells for or what it should sell for, because Dollar Tree’s business works in a way that makes them capable to sell their products at the simple price of one dollar. Because of this unique aspect, we will focus a large portion of our advertising on that message. Consumers can do all of their shopping at one low price, and in return, receive quality products which satisfy their needs. Our advertising will give off the personality of the average working family.Dollar Tree is not a fancy store and that is certainly not the image that our advertising will convey. We want people to be able to relate to Dollar Tree and hav e the feeling that shopping at our stores is like shopping at a Walmart or Cosco, but cheaper and less of a hassle. It’s the one stop shop for all of your family needs. For our media plan, we decided to advertise through Television, Newspapers, and Internet, and these advertisements will run for a whole year. Dollar Tree’s advertisements will give off the same consistent visual appeal to all of its targeted consumers.Moreover, all elements of Dollar Tree will portray a consistent image, while visually appealing to their target consumers. With that being said, our creative strategy will focus on the portrayal of Dollar Tree as a family business with great products at low prices. To do this, advertisements will show off many popular, trusted name brands with the intent to influence consumers into believing Dollar Tree carries quality and trusted products. In order to get as many customers into our stores as possible, our advertisements will visually appeal to middle clas s families.In addition, advertisements will contain visuals of various families shopping at its stores, and have the families appear to be very stress free and loving. These visual appeals will give off the impression that Dollar Tree caters to everyday middle-class consumers by offering an enjoyable family-friendly environment. Dollar Tree competes with many big-chain grocery stores in the country like Wal-Mart, Meijer, and Kroger. These are all huge stores with larger budgets than Dollar Tree, giving them the ability to create expansive creative campaigns that register with consumers.We don’t ask Dollar Tree to go over their limit, but to work with what they have, represent themselves well, and differentiate from other competitors. We believe that there are amazing opportunities for Dollar Tree within their market, and that they are not taking advantage of them by not committing to a traditional ad campaign. We found out that they are missing out on many beneficial ways to increase the company’s income, by not advertising much, and not representing themselves well. Also, differentiating Dollar Tree from other stores is a very important aspect, because too many stores cause clutter to consumers.We have to make Dollar Tree stand up as something special, different, and relatable to target consumers. All of these elements would get the store new shoppers as well as maintaining their current customer base. Media Strategy Dollar Tree’s first problem is that they don’t allocate enough money in their advertising budget to produce an effective campaign that has the ability to produce worthwhile reach and frequency. If they wish to emulate stores like Wal-Mart it is essential that they advertise like them. Wal-Mart’s annual ad budget is $2. billion; we are not trying to suggest that Dollar Tree spend $2. 1 billion. However that $2. 1 billion spent on advertising is only . 8% of Wal-Mart’s annual sales, this is the strategy we suggest Dollar Tree employ (Ries, L. , 2011). Dollar Tree’s current advertising budget is $11. 1 million about . 2% of their annual sales. By increasing the ad budget to . 8% of annual sales, which by market standards is still below average, their new budget would be $47 million a budget that can actually buy effective GRP’s year round. The optimal media strategy for Dollar Tree is to use a pulsing technique.A pulsing strategy is most effective because consumers use their products year round, but there are significant seasonal spikes in consumer spending around holidays, mainly Easter and Christmas. To do this, it’s important that Dollar Tree maintain a moderate level of reach year round of 75 or at least 3/4th of the target audience. At the same time, Ostro’s Matrix indicates that an appropriate level of frequency should be at 4. 1 exposures. During the months of March, April, November, and December is when we plan our flights.During the flighting months reach increases to 80% of the target market and frequency to 4. 5 exposures in the national market. It is also during these months that we use an integrated spot market strategy to maximize consumer spending in local markets that Dollar Tree has a particularly high presence in by increasing reach to 90% and frequency to 6 exposures. These spot markets include 5 DMA’s in California and Florida (Griffin, J. , 2012) Los Angeles, Sacramento–Stockton, San Francisco, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa-St. Pete making up 11. 31% of the U. S. population.To reach our targeted audience of middle-class Americans, it was decided to use TV as the primary vehicle to maximize exposures at the national level. To support the brunt of the ad campaign about a quarter of the budget was spent on half page full color ads in national newspapers since 79% of Americans with white collar jobs read the newspaper (MC Marketing Charts, 2009). Dollar Tree has invested into Dollar Tree Direct, an onli ne e-commerce business, so an additional quarter of the budget was used to buy internet sponsorships, embedding a link to Dollar Tree Direct onto already branded websites (Dollar Tree Inc. 2010). Research Questions Dollar Tree is having issues determining the consumer’s current awareness of their product, recall of their product, and approval ratings. Several research methods would be effective to obtain this information. Such as survey research, Dollar Tree can pass out surveys to their target consumers using geographic location or an online survey targeting the sites their audience will frequent; or through email lists. Another issue of Dollar Tree is that in the past they were unsure of what their target audience should be.Since the economy is so poor, they have expanded their target reach from low-income to the middle-class, but who accompanies this middle class. The middle-class is a large sector that contains many different incomes, lifestyles, etc. To deal with this di lemma Dollar Tree can perform focus groups to figure out who is shopping at Dollar Tree. Why they are shopping there, if they are not shopping there; why not? They can get in-depth answers on what the public really thinks of Dollar Tree, and similar stores within their market sector.

Far from the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy Essay

The following is a summary of critical viewpoints on Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd. See also Thomas Hardy Literary Criticism, Thomas Hardy Short Story Criticism, and Jude the Obscure Criticism. INTRODUCTION Long considered one of England’s foremost nineteenth-century novelists, Hardy established his reputation with the publication of Far from the Madding Crowd in 1874. It was the first of his so-called â€Å"Wessex novels,† set in a fictitious English county closely resembling Hardy’s native Dorsetshire. The novel, whose title was borrowed from Thomas Gray’s famous â€Å"Elegy in a Country Churchyard,† initially appeared in magazine serial form and was the first Hardy work to be widely reviewed. Variations of its rustic characters and settings were to be repeated in several future novels. The novel’s protagonist, Bathsheba Everdene, would also presage other strong Hardy heroines. Plot and Major Characters Bathsheba Everdene, who has inherited a large farm from her uncle, becomes the center of attention for three men. After a chance meeting with a gentle sheep farmer, Gabriel Oak, Gabriel proposes marriage to Bathsheba, but is refused, as she does not consider him a proper suitor. Gabriel loses most of his herd and becomes a faithful shepherd for Bathsheba. She then meets a neighboring well-to-do farmer, Mr. Boldwood, who impresses Bathsheba. She later capriciously sends him a valentine, which excites Boldwood, and he later proposes marriage. Bathsheba puts him off, but it is assumed that she will succumb. In a subplot, a marriage between Bathsheba’s servant, Fanny Robin, and the dashing Sergeant Troy is stopped because of a misunderstanding. Troy turns his attentions to Bathsheba and impresses her with his dazzling sword practice. Troy gains her hand in marriage, leaving Boldwood heartbroken. Meanwhile, the hapless Fanny dies in the workhouse, and her body is brought back to Bathsheba’s farm. Bathsheba discovers the corpse of a baby, Troy’s child, beside that of Fanny. Troy then disappears, and when his clothes are discovered on a beach, it is presumed that he has drowned. Boldwood reappears on the scene, and Bathsheba agrees to marry him out of a sense of remorse. Troy, however, unexpectedly returns and is killed by the distraught Boldwood, who is later tried and found insane. Bathsheba is at last ready to see the true worth of Gabriel, who has faithfully waited like the Oak of his last name, and the two are married. Major Themes A facile interpretation of Far from the Madding Crowd would be that true love triumphs over adversity. Since Hardy’s ending, however, has often been criticized as contrived, other dominant themes in the novel should be explored. The â€Å"Wessex† setting is almost a theme in itself, with the changeless rhythms of nature and agrarian life set against the vicissitudes which confront the characters. It is noteworthy that the most positively portrayed characters are those closest to the earth, such as Gabriel and the peasants who work the soil. The timelessness of the setting is contrasted with the struggles that the characters face against time and chance. Had Bathsheba not sent the valentine, had Fanny not missed her wedding, for example, the story would have taken an entirely different path. Another important theme is that virtue will ultimately be rewarded. Bathsheba’s final acceptance of Gabriel is a form of redemption for her earlier willful behavior. The development of Bathsheba’s character reinforces the ideas that vanity is futile and that rebellion will ultimately be put down for the good of the community. While Bathsheba ultimately is portrayed as a reformed character, the reader may find that her old feisty self was truly more interesting. Critical Reception Far from the Madding Crowd was the first Hardy novel to receive considerable critical attention. It was widely reviewed in England and also marked an important stage in the growth of Hardy’s international reputation; the Paris journal Revue des deux mondes, for example, made it the occasion for a long survey-article on Hardy’s work to date. After the appearance (anonymously) of the first installment, the Spectator observed that â€Å"If Far from the Madding Crowd is not written by George Eliot, then there is a new light among novelists.† Critics during a number of decades have noted that the early serialization of the novel presupposed certain conventions, which could account for the melodramatic nature of many of the scenes. Study of Hardy’s manuscript has shown that he had to make extensive alterations in the portions of the novel referring to Fanny Robin and her illegitimate child. Hardy was widely read and respected at the turn of the twentieth century, but a perception that his work was mostly for a popular audience discouraged serious criticism for several decades. In 1940, a seminal issue of the Southern Review devoted solely to Hardy precipitated a rebirth in Hardy criticism. Early modern critics tended to praise Far from the Madding Crowd’s evocation of rural life or its universality of theme. By the 1960s and 1970s, Freudian and feminist criticism predominated. In the 1980s and 1990s, critics used a wide variety of critical approaches to Far from the Madding Crowd. While some reviewers continued to adopt a New Critical stance, most were influenced by deconstructive or New Historical techniques. A few of the themes critics exploited were the forms of love in the novel, its subtexts, Hardy’s narrative techniques, the relationship of Far from the Madding Crowd to Hardy’s own life experiences, and the novel’s treatment of gender and power. Reviews of film and television adaptations of the novel formed a wholly separate genre of criticism.†

My Palace

My Palace My Palace I want to live my life without the rush routine. Therefore, I sought for a nice, calm place, where nothing will disturb me. Moreover, I found a place, where I would build my house of dream. Lombok, the island in Indonesia is my place of choice. My house would be a three-floor building made of wood. Garden, mostly strict, but containing bright spots of local flowers, will surround the house. It will be looked after by a gardener, who will live in his own house on its territory. In the backyard of the house there will be a huge swimming pool, with a couple of beach chairs and surrounded with native flora of Indonesia. Next to the swimming pool will be a garage with the car and a boat so I could drive the coastline and to go to sea. There is a lot of free space on the first floor. The parquet floor is made of oak. Near the door, there is a little table with a vintage phone on it. The living room will occupy the largest part of the first floor. There will be a huge plasma hanging over the fireplace. A big sofa and a couple of armchairs, complemented with a large cow skin carpet on the floor, will allow me to relax while watching my favorite programs every day. Bright colors and post-modern paintings, like Andy Warhol works, will cover the walls. All of the furniture on this floor will be made of natural materials, like cherry, but still looking vintage enough due to its 60s and 70s design. The orange-painted wall separates the living room from the dining room and kitchen, with an oak table, huge enough for 6 person and vintage cherry chairs. Candy bottles, plastic tea, coffee, and powder containers, along with old-fashioned salt and paper shakers are occupying shelves above the stove. There my chef would prepare my favorite meals, and traditional dishes. The second floor will be as big as the first one, pretty much the same in design, but separated in more parts. The rooms for guests, chef, and house cleaner will be here. Tiles in different colors will decorate the bathrooms for guests and housekeeping personnel, so they could avoid entering each others rooms. In addition, my working place with my PC and Internet access will be on the second floor. Next to my working place, there will be a room with three closets, built in wall units, and a big mirror, so I could enjoy the dressing process. The basement will be big, but it will not be the basement in this common meaning. My private home theater will occupy the bigger part of it. There will be three rows of extremely soft and comfortable armchairs, going downward to the big screen. Black paint and movie posters, mostly from 60s, will cover the walls. The second part of this place will be my gym. All necessary pieces of gym equipment will be present. The lamps will be built-in in the ceiling; a huge mirror will cover the entire wall. Black-and-white photos of different bodybuilders will cover the white walls. At last, my bedroom and bathroom will occupy entire third floor. Not the walls, but color stripes will separate the bedroom into parts. A combination of green and blue colors on the walls will create the atmosphere of peace and calmness. An old-school alarm clock on the night table, lava lamps of different colors, posters of long gone actors and famous in the mid-century bands, vinyl disk player and dream catcher, hanging over the bed will remind of 60s. The window will be in all length of the wall, and there will be a telescope near it so I could watch the stars at night. This room will also have a large wardrobe, where I will store the clothes for my everyday life. Bathroom will have a jacuzzi in it; light blue tiles will cover the walls and the floor. In addition, I would have a kitchen elevator so I could order some drinks while taking a bath and plasma mounted on the wall. This is how I imagine my house of dream. I will do my best to make this dream come true.

Driving while under the influenced Research Paper

Driving while under the influenced - Research Paper Example Alcohol is a depressant since it lowers the performance of the nervous structure within the body. The act illustrates that the usual brain task is deferred since the individual is not capable of functioning generally. Alcohol has an effect on an individual’s information process sing ability. The consumption of alcohol previous to driving to a great extent enhances the dangers of car crashes, vehicular deaths as well as highway injuries. The more the intake of alcohol, the higher the possibility of the individual being engaged in a misfortune incase he drives (Sherer, 231). There are many reports incidences of populaces who died in travel collides connecting to alcohol. In New York City, in the year 2006, about 17,600 populaces lost their lives in travel hurtle engrossing alcohol. Also in the same period more than 1.6 million drivers were taken into custody for over speeding while high of alcohol or substances. In America, in the year 2012, 10,322 populaces were murdered in alc ohol-impaired travelling collides, it represented almost one-third of every traffic connected deaths. The harshness of alcohol-stimulated dangers depends on the quantity of alcohol present in the bloodstream, which is supported on an individual’s blood alcohol content (BAC) proportion. Majority of the populaces start to experience the results of alcohol when their BAC varies between 0.03% & 0.059%. By this position, the individual feels relaxation, talkativeness and mild euphoria, but they endure from judgment, concentration, coordination, and impaired alertness (Sherer, 239). Once a person’s blood alcohol content gets to 0.03% & 0,059%, the mind’s capacity to hold chores needed for safe travel is interfered with. The mind’s capability to manage eye actions and process information as well does not function properly. This means that the driver under the influence of alcohol uses more time in

Catholic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Catholic - Essay Example After the death of Jesus the Christian belief became an independent faith, but a faith persistently persecuted by the Romans. The disciples of Jesus and their descendants would spread the word the gospels and the path to salvation through Jesus (Fairchild 1). It would not be until after the Romans abandoned their pantheon of Gods and adopted Christianity as their official religion that such persecution would stop. This is how the Roman Catholic Church was born (Bellitto 1-2). Its power spread throughout the lands and Rome conquered under the name of Jesus forcing many to convert under duress. It became and remains one of the most commonly practiced religions in the world. With the onset of the Scientific Revolution the belief in faith showed a bit of decline as the influence of science, logic, and rationale was embraced. However, that did not diminish the Church for long. Even today the number of people who admit that they are Catholic is higher than ever in certain states around the country. However, the number of people actually attending Church services has greatly diminished. There is a demographic change being seen in the faith, as well. Catholic congregations tend to be elderly women, middle class Caucasian families with small children, and Hispanic or Latino families. The number of young females of all age categories has heavily diminished, primarily because of the highly patriarchal interpretations of spiritual passages, there vocal position on the issue of birth control, and there diminishment of women’s rights have turned many young females from Catholicism as a religious option. However, despite these changing demographics and shifting Church presence experts remain confident that Catholicism will remain a top faith well into the future (Briggs 1). Again, as previously mentioned, experts on the subject of theology are confident that Catholicism will continue to have strong membership into the near future (Briggs 1).However, there are other opi nions that reference the fact that with the changing, globalization of the world it is imperative that all institutions, including Catholicism, will need to reform, reinvent, or innovate their perspectives to meet the changing times. If not, it is likely, that the distance between the logical, technological thinkers and those that practice religion will widen. In the next 5 years or the next decade it is likely that they will maintain their popularity, however in 25 years the world will have changed and if Catholicism, along with other faiths, are not willing to adapt to those changes it is possible that their number of believers will plummet. Teachings of the Group In the most basic explanation Catholics believe that there is One Almighty God, who created all the universe and the world we live upon and then created man in his image in a the Garden of Eden. He sent his son to be born of perpetual virgin, Mary, and then grow to become the leader who would lead them to salvation for t heir immortal souls. They believe that Jesus Christ is the means to salvation of the soul; which is extremely important to Catholics. If one is too heavy with sin they will spend eternity in Hell, while those who are free of sin and lead a â€Å"good life† will be allowed to enter the gates of Heaven. They believe that the Bible expresses truths that are not open for debate. They

Examining the Skills of Famous Business Leaders Research Paper

Examining the Skills of Famous Business Leaders - Research Paper Example This paper analyses the leadership style of these two individuals. Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi on January 29, 1954 (Achievement, 2009). She started her career as a radio broadcaster. She showed early on in her career the ability to communicate with others and to captivate the attention of large audiences. In 1985 she started the talk show â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† which soon became the nation’s top talk show nationwide. Oprah Winfrey’s leadership style can be categorized as a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders are those leaders who by force of their abilities are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followers (Schermerhorn, et. al. 2003). Alan Greenspan was born on March 6, 1926. He majored in economics from the University of New York. Some of his professional accomplishment includes being the top economics consultant for the firm Townsend-Greenspan, advisor to President Nixon, and advisor in the Ford presidency (Answers, 2009). His greatest professional goal was becoming the president of the federal reserve from 1987-2006. Mr. Greenspan was a powerful figure in US political regime that was considered the most powerful financial leader during his tenured as head of Fed. His leadership style can be categorized as a transactional leadership. Transactional leadership behavior focuses on the accomplishment of tasks and good worker relationships in exchange for desirable rewards in the workplace (Leadingtoday, 2003). The leadership style of Oprah Winfrey is much different that the leadership style of Mr. Greenspan. Oprah utilized her outgoing personality to inspire others, while Alan utilize his legitimate power to dictate the economic policies the country would follow as far as monetary policy is concern. Greenspan had many people that disagreed with his decisions who became adversaries of his regime. Oprah utilized

The important of Civic Engagement & social capital and community Essay

The important of Civic Engagement & social capital and community capacity of Civic Engagement - Essay Example Moreover, it would also entail a brief description of the overall activities of the project; that is, the specific activities that will be undertaken in the project and how they may impact on the local communities. The introductory section would also describe the ways in which the local communities may be engaged in the development project and the pertinence of using the identified engagement methods. Additionally, brief information concerning the period that would be taken to engage the local communities and the specific departments where the local communities shall be engaged. Engagement of the local Community: Under this section, information concerning the pertinence of engaging local communities in any public development shall be discussed. It would also entail provision of case studies, in a brief manner concerning past successful development projects that undertook civic engagements in their development projects. Negative impacts that might arise in case the public is not engaged in the development project shall also be elaborated. Consequently, information regarding associated costs of engaging the local community in the development project shall also be discussed i.e. the amount of financial resources that may be needed to engage the local community. The potential roles that could be played by the local communities shall also be described in this section for instance; provision of local construction materials, assessment of possible conflict that could occur and developing solutions, awareness creation concerning the importance of the development project within the city, identification of community perception concerning the development project as well as seeking the support of the community concerning the road development project. Role of project developers in the civic engagement: Information regarding the roles

A Sense Of Urgency In Your Workforce Business Essay

A Sense Of Urgency In Your Workforce Business Essay The term Change Management refers to managing change successfully in any and all spheres of our lives, not just at work. Wherever the change happens, it is not easy to handle. Most often, the change that happens tends to complicate matters rather than simplifying them. Frequently, when we talk about change, it is in the organizational context, though there are personal and social changes that can be just as hard or even more difficult to handle. Like Gandhi said, We should try to be the change we want to see. If we approach any change, whether it is personal, professional or social, with an open mind, then the chances of successfully coping with it increases. Why is Change so Hard? It is hard because, when we go about our daily lives, we perform most of the mundane tasks on autopilot. We hardly use our conscious mind. Imagine switching on the coffee maker in the morning. You hardly open your eyes when you do it; now imagine that you have traded your regular coffee maker for an espresso machine. How hard do you find it to make your first cup of coffee in the morning? Likewise, in our professional lives too, we get used to our routine and become set in our ways; so we tend to use our subconscious minds more than we think, even at work. So, when there is change afoot, our subconscious mind, which is primitive, is wary of getting re-programmed, to learning new ideas and functions, and so feels threatened. This elemental resistance to re-learning new ideas and functions is the reason, we are resistant to change, which makes changing so difficult. Ch: 1 INDIVIDUAL CHANGE To improve is to change; to be perfect is to constantly change. Winston Churchill. Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Barrack Obama were all well aware of the power of the individual and his ability to effect in himself and in his society. They managed to mobilize millions of people to change the way individuals, communities and governments function by just their beliefs and their tenacity. From their achievements, we know just what one person can do when he or she is steadfast in his or her beliefs and principles. These great souls have managed to bring about mind-boggling changes in their societies and their governments, just by being strong. Each of these great men and women started off as ordinary citizens; each underwent some intense upheaval in their lives that changed them completely. This change brought them greatness and untold benefits to the world around them. Every type of change, whether individual, organizational or societal, starts ultimately with the individual. However, most of us, in our eagerness to succeed, end up committing one of two common mistakes that people make when it comes to change: we either implement the changes much too slowly to be effective, like dipping our toes to test the waters. Or we go overboard and jump in headfirst in our enthusiasm and end up drowning. If you try to change too much too soon, there is the likelihood of you getting frustrated and giving up. It is easy to advocate others to change than to try and change oneself. However, too slow a change might also not bring enough results and lead you to getting disheartened, and hence abandoning the changes. Moderation is the key to success. Everything in moderation should be the cardinal rule for success. Change what you can, without causing too much disruption to your system and routine, and you will succeed. Whether the change you are trying to effect is trivial like your diet or exercise routine or is major like overcoming an addiction or changing your outlook, etc., try it in moderation to succeed. For instance, if you are trying to lose weight or quit smoking, unsuccessfully, try to reduce your portions, while increasing your exercise by maybe 10 minutes, instead of going on a crash diet; likewise, cut down on the number of cigarettes or on the nicotine content, or go for a smaller cigarette with less nicotine. All it needs is a little will power to change, and change successfully. Remember to come up with a realistic plan; also find a good outlet for your possible frustrations; try change counseling; and last but not least, try and remind yourself that the mind controls the body. Try to find inspiration from the world around you, and know that nothing lasts forever; everything is transient and change is the only constant in life! ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: The first thing to understand, and understand well, about Organizational Change is that it is an Ongoing Process and not a Single Event. Most organizations know the importance of being able to change with the economy and the market conditions. The economy and the market are not static; they are in a dynamic state, changing constantly. So to flourish, an organization should also be amenable to change. If you bend with the wind, you can survive; if you stand rigid, you will break. This is true for every being in nature and it is equally true for each organization. So organizations bring in experts who help them and their workforce to deal with the changed circumstances. Such experts are usually trained in Change Management, which can help individuals, teams and entire organizations to transition from their current state to a better future state. The many stumbling blocks in the path of positive change might be cultural, social or economic. A trained change management expert can identify such causes and address them to effect positive change. To understand Change and to help organizations to handle it better, one should first understand the factors behind the necessity to change, and how and in what form the Change is to take. There are many types of organizational changes, which are determined by some key factors like the goal of the proposed changes, the scope of the changes, the intensity and the time frame involved. Once these parameters are determined, the style of change, namely the implementation parameters have to be decided upon. The change can be instructional or participatory: which means that the change is dictated by the top management, or everyone brings their ideas and it is collaborative in nature; and whether the proposed change to be effected is structural or process-oriented: which goes to say if the changes are going to be in the organizational structure or in its processes. These sorts of crucial decisions, when arrived at after careful consideration of all the factors, are the decisions that can help your organization to change successfully. There should be no room for any ambivalence when setting the agenda for change. Clarity in thought and communication will help in achieving the desired results from your workforce by motivating them in the right way. According to Percy A. Dastur, author of The Art of Change Management, Organizational Change can be broadly classified into Organization-wide involving the entire organization Subsystem Change involving one small section or department Developmental Change involving improving the structure and processes and Remedial Change involving the fixing of any issues or problems that are an impediment to the healthy functioning of the business. There are some sub-classifications called Transformational Change, Incremental Change, Planned Change and Unplanned Change. These are self-explanatory in the type of change they bring about in the organization. The next key factor for Change to be considered is the change driver. A change driver can be External or Internal. In most cases, external change drivers can become catalysts for internal change. For instance during the recent global meltdown, giants like Microsoft and Caterpillar were drastically affected and were forced to cut costs and lay off employees. However, many other companies, large and small, were able to carry on, largely unaffected. This reflects the on the companies structure and policies. Though Caterpillar is the world leader in mining and earth-moving equipment manufacturing, it had to lay off almost 20,000 employees as its operational costs had to be cut down by 25% for it to weather the downturn in the global economy. This is a classic case of unplanned change brought about by an external factor. At times, technology ushers in change, whether you are willing or not; so it becomes a case of swim or sink. Case in point: Nokia was ruling the mobile market until 2004; then Apple came out with its iPod, that changed the way people listen to music; Sony, the world leader in individual portable music players with its Walkman, had to come up with a Network Walkman, after it realized it had to either join the mobile music brigade or lose out. After the unprecedented success of MP3 players, Sony realized that it had to come out with a similar product, or lose a chunk of the market, which might otherwise have stayed loyal to Sony. So in the case of technology-led consumer focused industries like music players and mobile phones, in which Sony and Nokia were the undisputed pioneers, external changes forced them into strategic change. This is an external driver leading to innovation and product enhancement. To truly understand the impact of one revolutionary product on an entire industry, you have to remember that in the case of technologically advanced industries, Apple is an industry outsider in three of the above four categories. Yet it had the entire music and mobile phone industry turn on its head with one single product. With the technological development in many areas growing by leaps and bounds, many organizations are kept on their toes, trying to keep with the latest developments. For instance, digital photography and the advent of the digital camera, gave stiff competition to the film photography industry, both the camera manufacturers and film suppliers, with new entrants like Casio, HP and IBM dominating the market. When the camera phone were introduced I market, the digital cameras are also struggling to find space in the consumers conscience. This is a classic example of technology being an external driver for change. Ch: 2 THE CHANGE PROCESS Generally, an organizational change is a complex maneuver, involving 4 core actions: appreciating the change, mobilizing support for the same, executing it and building change capability. It is the responsibility of the leadership to ensure that these actions are carried out, for successful change. Appreciating change involves appreciating the fact that change is difficult; it is so because it involves changing our mental models. When you talk about an organization as a single entity, you might forget the fact that it is made up of thousands of individuals scattered across the country or around the globe. So the idea of the organization is abstract and emotional than physical. This mental picture of the organization has to be changed, when you talk about changing the organization and that it is not an easy task. The proposed changes might be in any of the following areas of the organization, like marketing, manufacturing, processes, quality control, technology or productivity. Mobilizing support involves motivating your workforce to adapt the changes willingly and wholeheartedly; first the mental models of your managers have to be changed towards accepting the newly introduced changes. Only then they, in turn, can convince their teams to adopt the changes. You can opt for either imposing the changes and expect the support of your workforce, or you can expose them to the benefits of the proposed changes by addressing them and communicating the perceived benefits of the changes to the welfare of the entire organization. This will also help the workforce to develop a positive attitude towards the coming changes, which might ultimately lead to a successful change or an unsuccessful one. Depending on the size and structure of your organization, identify Change Strategists, who can strategize on what to change and its benefits; then appoint Change Implementers who are responsible for implementing the proposed changes; then identify and train the Change Recipients: they are the ones who are directly affected by the coming changes. So their co-operation will determine whether your change succeeds or fails. Executing change is the most critical component of organizational change and is not easy; this phase involves creating the actual new processes or procedures and implementing them; then troubleshooting as and when necessary. It is the most difficult part of the change process; many key people might not like the changes and decide to leave the organization; with a well thought out plan, and clearly outlined ideas for the type of change and scope of change, you can go to some extent to lessen the confusion and maintain some semblance of normality. Quite often, the outcome of the organizational change is decided in this phase; because if this implementing of the change does not happen as proposed, then it is almost a sure thing that it is about to fail. Building change capability is the long term plan for sustained changes so that the organization stays ahead of the competition in a fluid market. Just because you were able to change once successfully does not mean that from now onwards, it is going to be smooth sailing. Change has to be constant and you have to keep adapting and improving according to the fluctuating market conditions in order to stay ahead of the game. Again to help this happen, you have to identify innovative thinkers and strategists and equip them with the authority to effect similar changes and when they deem necessary, in order to sustain the advantages of the organizational change. One of the fundamental ways to help your workforce develop change capability is to help them to learn, how-to-learn; for, over the years, they would have developed their own style of functioning and working in a certain way; for them to change to a new system, they have to re-learn their jobs in the new system. It is not easy to discard something and re-learn a different way to do the same job. It involves enormous stress and re-training and can be quite taxing on your employees. So show them how to learn, for them to cope with change easily. CHANGE LEADERSHIP When your organization is in the middle of a change, or is set to change, your role as the leader is the most essential and influential one. You have the responsibility to understand the need to change, identify the changes needed, identify the people who can strategize and implement, and finally motivate your workforce into embracing that change. You are the cognitive tuner, efficacy builder, systems architect and also the people catalyser, according to V. Nilakant and S. Ramnarayan, authors of Change Management . So the importance of your role to the success of the process of organizational change cannot be overstated. As a leader, your contribution to the organizations future and towards a successful change should be a value proposition. What is a Value Proposition? It is a couple of phrases or statement that has 3 unique characteristics: it offers something of value to the customer; it is customer friendly and it has a differentiator that sets it apart from your competitors. Some fantastic examples of good value propositions are: Dominos offer of 30 minutes or free. It offers the hungry customer the chance to have his meal hot and in 30 minutes, failing which, he does not have to pay at all. This revolutionized the pizza delivery business. Dominos captured the customers mind space by giving a tangible guarantee, failing which instant reward. Walmarts price guarantee: Always Low Prices, Always. Googles faster and wider search results. BMWs ultimate driving experience, etc. Depending on the size of your organization, the change can be leader-driven, process-driven, team- driven, expert-driven or change management driven. The first approach is successful only in the case of small and medium sized concerns. Though you, as the leader will have the decision-making authority, the team driven change has a better chance of success. The process driven one, though, will take time as your workforce has to learn the new process and get comfortable before productivity can reach previously existing levels. Most organizations favor the last method: change management method, which is the team and expert driven method. This method of change brings to the table the expertise, the commitment, the technical know-how and the ownership qualities, thereby almost creating a fail-proof method of change. As a smart leader, you should be aware of the importance of ownership, involvement and commitment of your workforce to the change process for it to be successful in the long ru n. As the leader, you have to persuade your workforce to commit to the changes and there are experts whose ideas are remarkable. Consider the world-renowned social psychologist Robert Cialdini, who in his books about Influence, written after some 30 years in the field, expounds the best ways to persuade your workforce. The specialty of Cialdinis work is that it is based on research of people in industries like car dealerships, real estate, insurance sales, army recruiting and advertising, whose jobs depend on people saying yes to them. He then wrote the 6 Principles of Persuasion. They are Liking, Reciprocity, Social Proof, Consistency, Authority and Scarcity. Liking: When we hear a suggestion from someone we like, we tend to be positive towards that; on the other hand, when a suggestion comes from someone we do not like, we are predisposed to dismissing the suggestion, however valid or helpful it might be. Liking also stems from and towards similarity; so if someone like you tells you something, you are more likely to listen than to someone whom you might perceive as superior or inferior. So, rather than having a mass gathering where you announce the plans for the changes afoot, you need to first inform your team of senior personnel. Let them talk to their teams and so on until the frontline staff are informed by their own supervisors or managers. This will help them to be open to the coming changes, and also help them to feel included rather than being huddled into a great auditorium and addressed by someone from a podium or a screen. Reciprocity: This is nothing new; the Bible says it: Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. This is also Cialdinis expert opinion. When you treat people right and listen to them, they too will reciprocate. So, he recommends that in a large organization, identify those who are well liked and respected; tell them about the coming changes and enlist their help in communicating the same to their colleagues in a positive light. And generally if the workforce is treated well, and taken care of, in times of adversity, they will not mind helping by working extra hard or taking a pay cut or accepting the changes willingly and working harder to learn the new process or technology, as the case may be. However, if the organization is perceived as miserly, the workforce will be resistant to learning new processes that might be implemented as part of the changes. Social Proof: It means validation from our peers and those around us; we are unduly influenced by the opinions of those around us, which can often lead to thoughtless behavior. A classic example of this is the multiple car collisions that we see during rush hour; even though all lanes are moving, slowly but steadily, one driver decides to jump lanes to see if he can go faster; then the next one follows, leading to many others too trying to jump lanes; this leads to numerous collisions during rush hour, frequently. Also called the bandwagon effect, this is one of the best ways to influence your workforce and mobilize support. Consistency: Here it is not used in the usual sense of staying consistent, but rather means consistency in ones words and actions; this particularly carries weight when it comes to garnering support for the proposed changes, especially when they are publicly disclosed. As a general rule, something publicly declared is thought to be incontrovertible; when someone declares something in public, people do not expect them to go back on their word. In change management, this can be a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled manager. However, it will be effective only when it is used not to intimidate or threaten, but in consultation with the workforce. Authority: This principle goes to show that when an expert shares an opinion or fact, we tend to take it at face value; we dont question it or his authority. This expert driven change can be a powerful tool to convince your workforce to adopt the proposed changes in full measure, for the benefit of themselves and the organization. E. Sreedharan, who was invited to join the Delhi Metro, proved his authority by completing the ambitious project in time and on budget. He asked for and was granted full freedom in the operations and in the hiring and firing of his team, with no political influence, which is unprecedented in the Indian bureaucracy. Scarcity: This is based on the idea that we want what is restricted to us. If the workforce is told that unless the proposed changes are adopted whole-heartedly, they might lose their jobs, then they are more likely to work harder to assimilate the new changes and processed. We respond to the threat of something becoming scarce, than to the promise of some benefit. Our primitive psyche responds better to the threat of losing something than to the idea of gaining something. However, a manager should be careful to not use threats when explaining the potential losses. A leaders role when it comes to change management is never ending. One of his core duties is mobilizing support, and there are a hundred different ways, depending on the size, nature, structure and architecture of your organization. But one essential ability is the think out of the box and catch the imagination of your workforce and to be quick on your feet. To be able to out think the others is a great gift for a leader. You have to be a fast thinker, a brilliant strategist and skillful negotiator to be a successful change management leader. Consider this story: Just before a Presidential election, the Presidential campaign managers decided to release some three million brochures with a nice photo of the Presidential Candidate on the cover; almost on the eve of the planned blitzkrieg, in the last few weeks of the campaign, they found to their shock that the photo was copyrighted to a studio in Chicago. The campaign was in a quandary; they did not have the time to reprint the brochers; neither could they risk a lawsuit or a scandal at that late stage of the campaign; inquire about the studio and its owner brought further disturbing news. The owner was someone who was difficult and money-minded; so, after a brainstorming session, the campaign manager had his secretary shoot off a fax to the studio owner, which read: We are considering offering some studios a chance to sponsor a photo of the Presidential Candidate; when we win, it will be a chance for you to gain huge publicity mileage out of it; so what are you willing to pay us for using your photo? The story goes that the offer was a princely sum of $250; which the campaign manager promptly accepted and went ahead with the release of the brochure using the photo. The candidate was Roosevelt, in 1912 and the studio was Moffat Studios in Chicago. This story was told by Professor James Sebenius and the campaign manager is George Perkins. This shows that, if you are clear headed thinker, who can think on his feet, even major catastrophes can be skillfully avoided, just by deft handling, especially if you know human nature. This is the hallmark of a great leader! As a leader, you can beg and barter for change; it all depends on your target audience. If your audience will respond better to negotiation, then you can offer some deal which will benefit them hugely when the changes are in place and the organization is healthier. You also have to pick your time and do whatever is necessary to maintain the momentum. If you can get your workforce to genuinely believe and participate whole heartedly, the changes that you bring to your organization cannot help but succeed. The commitment of your workforce is the key to the success of the proposed changes! Ch: 3 EXECUTING CHANGE Dr. John Kotter, one of the leading authorities on Change Management and author of Leading Change says, Accelerate. It is better to change at a fast pace in order to keep ahead of your rivals, or else, chances are that you will be stuck in a perpetual game of catch-up. And for an organization to change successfully, the behavior of its employees has to collectively change; and that is a mammoth task. However brilliantly you plan and communicate it to your workforce, and get them committed to the idea of change, unless you execute the plan equally efficiently, all that effort will end up getting wasted, and the change process will become an utter failure even before its launch. To help in this Herculean endeavor, Dr. Kotter has devised an 8-step process, of which he says: There are still more mistakes that people make, but these eight are the big ones. In reality, Even successful change efforts are messy and full of surprises. But just as a relatively simple Vision is needed to guide people through a major change, so a vision of the change process can reduce the error rate. And fewer errors can spell the difference between success and failure. Dr. Kotter recommends learning from both your successes and your mistakes: Establish a sense of urgency in your workforce Examine your competition and the market realities. If the market is in a slump, be realistic in your expectations. In a recession, effecting change in your organization can go only so far in bringing results. Organizational change cannot compensate for the prevailing market conditions. As the senior management, you have to identify your weak areas as an organization, and also watch out for any potential crises in the offing. Communicate such looming crises to your employees so that they are ready and willing to accept the coming changes. Your success in changing for the better, as an organization, depends on your managers ability to convince their teams that the coming change is inevitable and that it will benefit the organization and everyone working for it. Plan your strategy to play to your unique strengths, and to take advantage of any opportunities. These initial steps will help you to motivate your employees and help them to adjust to the coming changes, as they have been made aware of the importance of the changes to the future of the organization. Establish a Powerful Guiding Coalition A guiding team made up of individuals from the teams across the board will help in promoting employee cooperation and in wider acceptance of the changes, because your employees feel like stakeholders and also as a part of the decision making coalition. This inclusive approach will yield better results when compared to a top-down approach. This coalition should also be vested with the authority to effect necessary changes within the organization and in its policies to improve the results of any transition planned. Most frequently, failure to improve employee participation in all levels leads to fostering of resentment towards the senior management and thereby resistance to the proposed changes. However, this does not mean that the top management is not responsible for effecting the desired changes. The onus is on the top management to see that employee morale is kept high and that the proposed changes are accepted and adopted by all. A Clear Vision a Simple Plan to Achieve it First you have to envision the changes you want to see in your organization, and then you will have a clear vision of the benefits that the proposed changes can bring to your organization, and then take the time to convey the same to your workforce. Then devise a simple plan to achieve that change, and convey that to your teams. This will help your workforce to feel that they are important to the company and also inculcate a sense of participation and inclusiveness. A simple and sensible plan can do wonders for an organization that wants change by motivating its employees. Simplicity will win every day over grandiose words and actions, as most people can see through them clearly. Share your Vision and your Plan When you share and communicate your vision of the positive changes and your plans to achieve the same, you can reap the untold benefits of employee participation. When your workforce feels included in the decision making, it inspires them to perform better as they feel like stakeholders and not just employees. It is always better for the organization when they volunteer and work harder on their own conviction, rather than being coerced in any way. In an organization with thousands of employees, such voluntary participation and ready support can make a huge difference to the outcome of the proposed changes. Empower your employees Identify those of your employees who can convince their colleagues to follow in their footsteps; when you workforce receives information that is promising from their peers, especially someone they like and respect. When you allocate such responsibilities, you should also allow room for individual ideas and action. New ideas and innovative suggestions should be encouraged and adopted where ever possible. This can go a long way in improving input and in inculcating a sense of ownership amongst your employees. This empowerment will also instill accountability in your workforce, thereby increasing productivity, as the sense of ownership will give them an incentive to see that the organization flourishes. As a corollary, restrictive actions on the part of senior staff and management should be discouraged, as they can be an impediment to successful and sustainable change. Strategize and Plan for Short Term Benefits Any vision for successful change has to be, inevitably on a long term basis; but little successes in the short term have to be acknowledged and rewarded, as that will help your employees feel positive about themselves, their changed circumstances, and also help to boost their morale. Set realistic short term goals and reward those who are successful in achieving them. For instance, you can set up annual reward programs for those who perform well in the newly formulated strategy, or master a newly introduced innovation; this will encourage better participation from your workforce in the changed strategies. Consolidate and Build to Further Improve By this stage of the change process, you should be able to see that your initial efforts are paying off; your employees have adjusted well to the changes and their productivity has increased. The changes have really helped your organization to perform better and to compete in the market, favorably, when compared to its competitors. But do not stop pushing hard, because now is not the time to rest on your laurels. Now is the time to forge ahead, firing on all cylinders and with more vigor. When you achieve positive results from change effected, you gain credibility. Use this credibility to push forward. Otherwise your sense of achievement might prove to be premature as it takes sustained effort to maintain difficult changes in an organization and change is an ongoing process. You can even hire or promote staffs who are open to change, without too much resistance fro