Business Environment. Understanding the Organisational Purposes of Business

Introduction In this assignment I am going to identify the purposes of different types of organisations, describe the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different stakeholders and explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them. I am also going to give examples based on my own personal experience. Identify the purposes of different types of organisation Business organisations can be divided mainly into two sectors. The private sector, which is formed by sole traders, partnerships, companies and franchises. The sole trader is the most popular form of business ownership. This kind of business is managed by only one individual who puts all of his savings and his time into making it a success. He is his own boss but it also has a negative aspect which is that he has to deal with a lot of responsibilities. For example window cleaning, plumbing. Partnerships can have between two and twenty partners. There can be exceptions for some forms of partnerships such as big accountancy firms whose partners also enjoy limited liability. This means that they can only loose the amount of money that they have invested even if the business goes bankrupt. E. g. vets, solicitors. Companies are owned by shareholders who choose Directors to give direction to the business. The Chief Executive has the responsibility of making the most important decisions. Specialist Managers will be appointed to run the company on behalf of the Board. Shareholders put funds into the company by buying shares. Every company must register with the Registrar of Companies, and must have an official address. Private companies have Ltd after their name. They are normally smaller than public companies. Shares in a private company can only be bought and sold with permission of the Board of Directors. Franchises are businesses in which someone gets formal permission given by a company to sell its goods or services in a particular area. The business policies have to be the same in every establishment. The franchise pays a sum of money as capital and the franchisor is responsible of the equipment. The first one must buy a certain amount of supplies from the econd in order to make sure that the quality of the product is the same as the original. This together with a percentage of the profits of the business goes to the franchisor. The advantages of Franchises are that they have a well-known name. For example McDonalds. The main aim of all of these private organisations is to make a profit. Other goals consist on having a good customer service, gaining a good reputation, offering quality product s, etc. Even when they do charity events these organisations earn a profit on the long run because of the positive publicity they obtain. This will make them increase their number of customers and make them look more competitive towards their rivals. The public sector is made up of central government, local government and businesses that are owned by government. A Public Limited Company has its shares traded on the Stock Exchange, which can make it win a large sum of money in a very short period of time. On the contrary the original shareholders could lose the control of the business if large quantities of shares are bought as part of a takeover. To create a Public Limited Company the directors must apply to the Stock Exchange Council, which will check the accounts. Non- Profit organisations receive donations or funds from groups or governments. All the money they earn from selling goods, which have usually been donated by the public, goes straight back into the organisation to improve the quality of their service. The aim of the public sector is not to generate a profit but also not to waste money just to generate enough to be able to continue with their community services. Describe the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different stakeholders A stakeholder is a person, group or organisation that has a direct or indirect stake in an organisation because it can affect or be affected by the organisations actions, objectives and policies. The following are different types of stakeholders which you could find in the private sector. Owners or shareholders who want the business to be a success because they have invested their own capital and expect to gain a profit out of it. An organisation has legal and moral obligations to its owners being the most important one to try and ensure that they receive an adequate return on their investment. Employees are a vital part of any organisation. In order for a business to succeed it needs to offer a nice working atmosphere and pay good wages to their employees to keep them motivated at the workplace. One way to achieve this is by implanting performance related bonuses which are usually related to the success of the business as a whole. In this case both parties will be satisfied with the end result. Unions. Their goal is to better the employees work conditions by trying to increase wages and secure jobs. Managers usually have a fluent verbal communication with the union’s spokesperson to avoid any conflicts that could occur if their demands are not materialised even if not completely in some way. Customers. A business has to know how to fulfil their customers’ needs which includes offering quality products at a reasonable price, that the goods they have gone to purchase are available because otherwise they will go to the competition to get them and that they receive good customer care. All of these factors will make the organisation have a fixed clientele because they will come back if the experience has been good and it will also make it gain customers thanks to the word of mouth recommendations. All of the above are primary stakeholders as they have some direct interest or stake in the organisation. Secondary stakeholders are public or special interest groups that do not have a direct stake in the organisation but are still affected by its operations. Some examples could be the local, state, and federal government, trade and industry groups, media, competitors, etc. Explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them Organisations not only have moral and ethical responsibilities towards a range of stakeholders but also towards the wider community. The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to the responsibilities that modern business organisations have to create a healthy and prosperous society. They also have legal responsibilities which include consumer and product laws, environment laws and employment laws. These laws obligate the organisation to create new jobs, reduce contamination by for example using plastic bags that can be recycled, etc. nd at the same time they are doing something good for the community. Corporate Social Responsibility involves making sure that the organisations goods and services meet the customers’ demands and are provided in a fair way and also that they are involved in relevant sponsorship and humanitarian activities to help social development. Normally there are e ight main types of strategies in which an organisation can be involved with at any time: Growth involves the expansion of a business, its markets, products, size, etc. For an organisation to grow it needs to find up and coming markets where they will be able to make a profit. Stability involves a consolidation strategy for the organisation. There must be set guidelines so that the business can keep on working efficiently even if changes occur. Profitability. Gaining a profit is essential for nearly every organisation especially for the private sector where shareholders have a lot of influence. Efficiency consists on using the means the organisation has in the right way. It is an important strategy for public sector service organisations to demonstrate that the taxpayer’s money has been used properly. Market leadership strategies are about being the best in your market. The market leader can obtain cheaper stock because they buy larger amounts of it. Survival. In such a competitive business environment survival is the key to be able to continue advancing. Merger and acquisition makes the organisations benefit from the advantages of integration by for example gaining new customers. Globalisation strategies involve expanding internationally to countries where normally the cost of production is lower and this will make them gain a larger profit. Based on my personal experience in the private sector in which I have worked for McDonalds and for El Corte Ingles I have observed several differences. On the one hand, McDonalds which is a franchise, pays the minimum wage and their clientele is formed by the working class. On the other hand, El Corte Ingles, which is the first distribution group of Spain in the sales volume sector and is formed by eighty department stores all over the Spanish territory. The wages are higher than in McDonalds and the products they offer are usually select. For this reason customers range from middle to upper class. Both are commercial organisations which means that their income must be bigger than their expenses. Conclusion In conclusion I have learnt that for an organisation to be successful it needs to adapt to the current situation and has to develop new strategies to be able to compete with rivals. Offering quality products at a reasonable price will make customers buy more which will activate the economy and the organisation will still gain a profit. References The Times 100 Business case studies. Revision theory – Strategy theory. www. businesscasestudies. co. uk VCE IT Lecture Notes – Organisational goals. www. vceit. com :

Customer Service Plan Essay

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), founded in 1887, is one of the world’s foremost medical research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. 26 Institutes and Centers comprise the NIH, which has the primary research goal of acquiring new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. In 1993, President William J. Clinton issued Executive Order 12862 challenging Federal agencies to improve customer service. Further, Executive Order 12862 tasked agencies to survey their customers to identify what kinds of services they really want and to gather ideas from front-line employees on how to better deliver those services. The goal of this Customer Service Plan is to convey to you, the customer, a realistic, achievable approach for improving customer service at the National Institutes of Health. NIH is committed to improving the way it offers high quality services that are easily accessible to every American citizen. With this in mind, this Customer Service Plan is organized for your convenience. Customers may look at Attachment 1 to find some examples of activities going on at NIH that are organized by customer groups, consumers, health professionals, other governmental agencies, and grantee organizations. We want the plan to be as user-friendly as possible, and we welcome your comments and suggestions. Read more: Essay on  Present Proposals for Improvements to Customer Service ________________________________________ EXECUTIVE ORDER Executive Order 12862, â€Å"Setting Customer Service Standards† requires Federal agencies to: †¢Identify customers who are, or should be, served by the agency; †¢Survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services; †¢Post service standards and measure results against them; †¢Benchmark customer service performance against the best in business; †¢Survey front-line employees on barriers to, and ideas for, matching the best in business; †¢Provide customers with choices in both the sources of service and the means of delivery; †¢Make information, services, and feedback systems  easily accessible; †¢Provide means to address customer feedback; and, †¢Provide feedback to our customers on what improvements we have made. [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ PRINCIPLES This Customer Service Plan is based on ideas, suggestions, and feedback received from our customers as well as an extensive best practices search. It defines our customer service standards and processes for building and maintaining high quality services to meet those standards throughout the country. The following principles drove the process for developing the plan: Customers Know What They Want – Rather than sitting back and assuming that we know what customers wanted and needed, our agency is going out and asking. Through formal surveys, focus groups, and conversations, we are listening to what our customers think about the types and quality of services and products we offer. What we learn is helping to shape the ways in which we strive to redirect our services to ensure that we continuously improve our ability to meet your needs. Customer’s Needs Are Paramount – Based on feedback from our customers, NIH must respond to comments and suggestions about improving the way we deliver products and services. Communication Is Key to Our Success – Developing effective tools to maintain lines of communication with our customers will help us do our jobs better. By developing more effective ways to direct information to our customers and by providing clearer paths to receive feedback, our agency will better address customer needs and concerns. [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ APPROACH/SCOPE NIH is diligently working to address the spirit of Executive Order 12862. A dedicated group of representatives from across the agency is convening to form an on-going Customer Service Management group to implement the customer service program and to ensure that the agency enhances its customer focus as it improves current services and develops new initiatives. The agency has gathered information from customer service surveys, focus groups with  front-line staff, and conversations with key external partners, to ensure that initiatives address issues important to our customers. This plan presents an opportunity to share with our customers our commitment to providing quality service. NIH is committed to protecting, promoting, and enhancing the health of the American people and to improving its processes to offer high quality services that are easily accessible to the public. The Customer Service Plan establishes a broad framework to address customer issues. The customer service standards address issues our customers have told us are important to them. The primary focus of this document is to ensure that we are continuously listening to our customers and making certain that their needs are being met or exceeded. While the focus is on our outside customers, it does not diminish the need to ensure that our internal NIH customer needs are also being met. It is imperative that an integrated view of all our customers’ needs be pursued in order to ensure that the needs of our entire customer population are met. If we do not provide outstanding service to our internal customers, we will be unable to provide outstanding support to our external customers. [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ OUR CUSTOMERS The NIH serves four primary external customer groups–the general public, health professionals, other governmental agencies, and grantee/contractor organizations. These four broad categories encompass the populations that we serve and work with most often. When the agency embarked on this process, we felt it was necessary to define and limit our primary groups. As we continue with our customer service initiatives, we may include additional customer groups. [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ STANDARDS The standards described in this report represent the NIH effort to identify the needs and concerns of our customers and to establish measurable processes to address these needs and concerns. The standards have been  developed from information gathered from surveys/focus groups, and benchmarking with other outstanding organizations and are based on measured performance attributes – a set of criteria that expresses customer requirements and expectations. Performance attributes are organized into two categories. 1.Process attributes — transaction-related characteristics represented by internal operations, such as procedures, policies, and functions – the primary focus is continuously improving our internal operations so we can deliver our products and services quicker, better and cheaper; and 2.Quality attributes — image-related characteristics that describe the contact between the customer and the organization. The overall standard of quality we seek is customer service for the American people that is equal to or better than the best in business. The following attributes were used to develop the standards: Process Attributes †¢Consistency in policies and procedures – holding to the same principles across the organization †¢Convenient feedback mechanisms – feedback that are easy to use and access †¢Frequent communication – including follow-up – any form of communication on a regular basis, where taking action following that communication enhances the effectiveness of that communication †¢Managing resources well – careful control and use of resources, human as well as fiscal, to maximize their impact and effectiveness †¢Problem solving and attempts to remove barriers – proposed solutions or considerations to resolve something that is an obstruction or prevents progress †¢Prompt handling of customer feedback – immediate or quick management of customer dissatisfaction by empowering employees to fix problems †¢Flexible options – sending and receiving information using a variety of methods, including greater use of e-commerce solutions †¢Continuous Improvement – striving to do everything quicker, better and cheaper Quality Attributes †¢Accessible – ability or freedom to approach, communicate with, or make use of †¢Courteous – respect or consideration  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Flexible – capability to adapt to or change requirements †¢Knowledgeable – familiarity with or understanding of facts and/or conditions †¢Listens well  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ gives attention and/or careful consideration to what is said †¢Reliable and Trustworthy – dependable, confidence in character, abilities, and truth †¢Timely – information and/or responses are provided early or on time [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ AGENCY-WIDE STANDARDS The following standards apply to all customer groups. All NIH Customers are entitled to: †¢fair, courteous and professional treatment †¢information that is accurate and current †¢timely responses to requests †¢reasonable access to appropriate staff †¢two-way communication †¢opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, as appropriate and †¢consideration of their opinions and concerns by the agency in the decision making process †¢use of plain language for all communication with the public (Attachment 2) In addition: †¢The General Public is entitled to accurate and timely health information about research being conducted. †¢Health Professionals are entitled to timely information that will assist them in advancing and protecting the public health. †¢Other Government Agencies are entitled to: ocooperation from the NIH in maximizing efficient use of resources, eliminating duplication of efforts and carrying out collaborative efforts; otechnical assistance, training and guidance †¢Grantee/Contractor Organizations are entitled to: otimely review of applications and awards; oprofessional treatment in resolving disputes; ofair application of laws, regulations and policies; ofair and consistent application reviews; orespect in the performance of duties and responsibilities; and otimely payment. [ Return to Menu ] ________________________________________ FUTURE EFFORTS NIH will continue to embark on a variety of initiatives to ensure that it continues to address customer needs. The on-going Customer Service Management group will coordinate these activities. Ensuring that quality service is provided is an on-going process that requires changes in the way we do business by increasing emphasis on listening to our customers and by learning from the best in private industry. The agency will strive to reinvent itself — to become more efficient and effective–and to provide the types of services the public expects. Over the coming months, the agency will: †¢develop programs and initiatives that address customer needs. The agency, as a whole, and the individual centers and institutes will use the information gathered from the survey and focus groups to develop and enhance services. †¢benchmark against the best-in-the-business. The agency will determine what internal processes need to be improved, benchmark with leading industries, and establish performance standards. †¢establish processes to improve customer feedback. Systems will be established to receive and address customer suggestions and feedback.

Personal Leadership Development Project Paper Essay

Personal Leadership Development Project Paper - Essay Example The training period, all the trainees are conduct seminar, study classes etc, for developing the quality of employees. It is a good training. Verizon wireless, my role is to design the job, job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, hiring, induction, evaluation of performance, compensation management, training and development, welfare administration, employee movements, health and safety administration, grievance handling, discipline etc. The H R training in offices getting lot of experience, these experience are helps to manage the colloquies in the organization, also helps to identify the minds and behaviour of sub-ordinates. In my carrier planned some strategies. First one is to keeping 99% attitude for work and personal matter. Attitude is 99 percent, every person’s carrier is successful, for the reason I am keeping attitude for one year for the marketing training period, and our attitude is loose at one time for losing our carrier. Another strategy is to don’t cheating others. As a manager, in my view, to achieving the goal of the organization, to motivate and trained to the subordinates to achieve the higher volume of business. Which subordinates are performing better, to give additional bonus, gifts etc,. The main role of HR manager is to functioning the effective utilization of human resource in an organization. The overall goal of the organization is to building strong brands, expanding the bus iness, and getting marketing leadership. The main goal of organization is to create a new business in new areas. The top of the organization focusing expanding the networks across the countries. The training is conducting in the branch office; communicate the sub-ordinates for the entire process of organization and the organizational goals. The aim and objectives of the company is to achieve the market leader in wireless network. It is a very good feedback from my sub-ordinates or trainees, because,

Atherosclerosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Atherosclerosis - Essay Example The lesions of atherosclerosis start with fatty deposits and gradually develop into complicated lesions. The progressive development of atherosclerotic is classified into six types with increasing effect of compromising the function of the arteries. The first four types of the atherosclerotic lesions do not produce clinical symptoms, while the fourth and fifth type produces clinical symptoms. These clinical symptoms are dependent on the site of compromise of the integrity of the artery. The metabolism of lipids and their serum levels, body fat, obesity, infections and inflammations have a role to play in the development of atherosclerosis and are high risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. In addition gender, heredity, diseases related to diet like metabolic syndrome, and life style are all factors that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis by themselves or in conjunction with the other factors. Two mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis consisting of chronic endothelial injury and elevated lipid levels. Risk factors like infection, inflammation, and smoking can lead to epithelial injury and elevated lipid levels encourage formation of plaque loaded with lipids and initiate the formation of clot or thrombus. The formation of thrombus can lead to a total blocking of the lumen of the artery, which clinically manifests itself in different ways, depending on the location of the blockage, Occlusion in the arteries that supply blood to the heart manifest as myocardial infarction, while in the case of occlusion in the arteries supplying blood to the brain manifests as a stroke or a cerebrovascular event. Infarctions in the liver and kidneys through similar mechanisms impair their functions. The impaired blood flow as a result of the occlusion, if not reversed immediately can lead to ischemia of the involved tissues and death of the tissues, Pharmacological

World History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World History - Essay Example The country was divided as never before or since and it was seemingly the last time civilians bravely sacrificed themselves for a cause. The Vietnam War divided the nation along ideological battle lines. The older generation, the ‘establishment’, was of the WWII period and operated under a nationalistic perspective. They believed that to be a true patriot was to blindly follow the authority of the governmental powers that be, to support your ‘country’ even when you thought it was wrong. The young college protesters, the ‘new generation’, the counter-culture redefined this notion of patriotism. They believed that to be truly patriotic was to question the decisions of government and openly dissent when it was judged to be wrong. The philosophical chasm was wide and emotions ran deep on both sides. Those that protested sacrificed much. They suffered the scorn of their parents who couldn’t understand why their children were rebelling against the very foundation of their parents’ beliefs thus causing what was referred to as the ‘generation gap.’ Some war protesters were killed by soldiers of the National Guard as was the case at Kent State and South Carolina State. The protesters and draft-dodgers were thought of as anti-American by the mainstream citizenry who regarded their actions as nothing short of treasonous. This attitude makes one wonder what the ‘greatest generation’ thought they were fighting for during WWII. They fought to defend freedom on foreign soil but were very much opposed to the constitutionally guaranteed right to peacefully assemble in their own country (Bexte, 2002). The war protesters of the 1960’s had the courage to act upon their political and philosophical convictions unlike those who are opposed to the Iraq War today. The two conflicts are eerily similar on many fronts yet the public reaction has been very dissimilar. Then as now, those opposed to the war are

The Election of 1828 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Election of 1828 - Research Paper Example The longest elections in american history have opened a new era of democracy and have brightened the way for future changes that will build constant vision of modern society. By 1828 the United States was by no means a nascent democracy by all standards with elections being hallmarks of a growing democracy. However, some elections were deemed as significant as they were controversial that they changed the election culture and served as a blueprint from which future political developments sprouted from. By the end of 1828, Americans had voted into office a man who was widely regarded as a champion of the common people1. The 11th elections proved to be a turning point in American history as, in as much as it was mired in smear underhand tactics and open character assassination, it heralded a return of party politics as it managed to whip the masses into two major party lines and the consequent party conflicts and bitterness would resonate for years. Andrew Jackson’s loss in the 1824 elections which were regarded as a ‘corrupt bargain’,2 and his ride to victory four years later through the support of the poor or working class clearly formed a template many future elections that were to follow where political power closely resembled the growing population of the United States. It was now possible for a person of humble descent like Andrew Jackson to ascend to the highest pinnacle of political power unlike where it was a reserve of a small clique of aristocrats. Andrew Jackson won in the election of 1824, but faced a loss to John Adams when the election was deferred to the House of Representatives3. He (Andrew Jackson) and his loyalist were outraged when the House of Representatives because of the influence Henry Clay, an unsuccessful presidential candidate and speaker of the house, awarded the presidency to John Quincy Adams. One may wonder if the process was free and fair and totally unbiased as a few days later, the president-elect John Quincy Adams named Henry Clay his secretary of state4. At the time, this was a position that had been a launch-pad for future presidents. The American people who had clearly demonstrated their preferred candidates felt betrayed by the very system that unified them as a people. One is compelled to raise various questions on the turn of events since Andrew Jackson won a plurality of electoral votes in the election which meant that he was the ultimate choice of the Americans. Andrew Jackson was devastated by the turn of events and one would understand his reaction at the time and devoted himself for the next four years to winning the presidency in the 1828 election: the next election. The modern Democratic Party was formed through the efforts of Andrew Jackson’s loyalist, Martin Van Buren. This political machine was one of the many strategies they used. Van Buren worked extra hard to gain popularity in the East as Andrew Jackson was already popular in the west. Nominations for the 182 8 elections changed and legislatures were tasked with the job of making the nominations. John Quincy Adams was re-nominated by the National Republicans while the Democrats nominated Andrew Jackson. The nomination presented a rematch between two great rivals of the time, Andrew Jackson and President John Adams. The campaign was one of the nastiest in American history. The elections of 1828 proved to be unique from all the previous elections in American history in various ways. The campaign was marked by considerable cased of mudslinging. This vice was uncommon during previous elections

Project management 'New museum' Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Project management 'New museum' - Assignment Example Projects have a start and end date, the funding limits, consumes human and nonhuman materials (Kerzner, 2006). Project management involves planning and monitoring of the project compares the intended and the actual end of the project. Analyze the impact and making adjustments as needed. (Meredith, 2006). Project management changed from hierarchical matrix to a linear matrix with the Project Manager responsible for the project from planning to completion. This makes selection of a project manager that has a set of skills that allows successful completion of the project. A manager needs experience, knowledge, good communication skills, interpersonal relationship, and the ability to make subset of the teams work in harmony and move the project to completion. Project Managers use a series of planning tools to assign tasks, monitor progress, and ability to adjust project timelines as needed (Meredith, 2006). Stakeholder charts identifies individual and groups with an interest in the proje ct. Some of these stakeholders will work on the project as a team member. Work flow charts break the process used into segments each part dependent on the deliverables of the prior team efforts. In practice several phases operate at the same pace with deliverables due in the same time frame. Gannt charts track progress of the teams and allows for adjustment if one team's deliverable falls behind the due date. Introduction Gotham Science Museum planned expansion has received a legacy from a museum sponsor to fund the entire cost of the project. His bequest asked that environmental science as the focus of the new wing. The education director says that requests for programs dealing with environmental science are increasing. The present education space limits the ability to deliver hands-on environmental classes. The need for more space has become critical due to increase requests for classes and special programs related to the science. Current education department space handles approxi mately 120 students at one time. The education director has a waiting list of schools wanting to programs in the sciences to enhance learning experience of their students in the science disciplines (Chrysler Museum of Art, 2010). . Project The present museum structure has expanded twice in the last twenty years and has reached the limit of expansion capacity. The museum director recommended to the board of directors that the museum locate a building or vacant lot in close proximity to the main museum building as an education annex. A new facility offers potential to carry out the request of the legator that the new center concentrate on environmental science. An acquisition committee searched the available buildings and lots that fill the museum's vision of the annex. The city council stepped in with an offer of the Gotham Bank Building. The building is located close to the industrial section of the city, and in close proximity to the waterfront park. The building is five stories an d offers an opportunity to completely gut and renovate the building using green technologies. The site selected, a planning committee organized of professional museum staff, members of the museum's support staff, and the city assigned an engineer and building inspector to the committee to advise on the feasibility of possible renovation concepts. The planning committee

Human resource policies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human resource policies - Case Study Example Our argument is that, in order to play a strategic role in the organization, the HR policies and practices that make up an organization's people strategy should reflect, reinforce, and support the organization's business aims and objectives. A strong linkage is needed between the overall vision of the organization that is held in the minds of the senior executives and the aims, objectives, and underlying philosophy of the organization's approach to managing people. This linkage will ensure that HR interventions can become a creator, and not an inhibitor, of sustained competitive advantage. This link between people strategy and business-unit strategy we term vertical alignment. Note, however that alignment suggests a much more fluid dynamic that allows for variation and flexibility. It is not a mechanistic "matching" exercise between business strategic objectives and people strategies; often, such matching is simply not feasible and, in any case, will act as a constraint. Instead, the process is evolving, based on an understanding of what the business's goals are, their people implications, and the translation of these into an overarching people strategy that can be used as a basis for detailed HR policies. Some core policy-setting, majority of decision-making and service provision is at the divisional and local level. There is limited shared services or automation, resulting in duplication across the business. Strategic goals: Cost control; divisional growth; market penetration. What this means for HR: HR services are closely aligned to divisional/local requirements resulting in variation in service offering across divisions. Challenges for HR - Evolution is driven by a 'powerful few'; - HQ has grown by adding management layers; - Corporate centre's role is to check what is proposed by divisions; - Centre not seen to add value. HR impact in a nutshell: Requires strong local HR capabilities. HR's response: Matthew Brearley, HR director, Vodafone says: "This definition is partly correct, but I feel HR's ability to influence is a blend of the organizational model and environment and personalities of people. We have a global framework but freedom to work in our territories. Do I have the ability to influence and make change - absolutely." Recruitment and Orientation At the global level, Corporate Responsibility (CR) is integrated into induction training for all new employees, through workshops that talk about the company's CR policies. All employees also receive the booklet on 'Passion for the World Around Us' that identifies the company's values and its commitment to the goals of CR. Vodafone conducts an annual employee survey that includes questions about whether the company is generating trust and adequately managing its environmental

Kant Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Kant Categorical Imperative Essay Kant’s Categorical Imperative is made up of two formulations, Formula of Universal Law and The Formula of the End in Itself. The first formulation is best described by the following statement, â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law without contradiction. † (Kant, 1785, 1993). What does this mean? A maxim is the fundamental rule of conduct or your moral belief upon which you chose to act. A universal law is a law that everyone must follow regardless of the outcome. How do we determine if the maxim can become universal? One of the first things to do is to ask yourself if it would be acceptable that everyone do the same thing that you are considering doing in that situation. We were given several examples in The Elements of Moral Philosophy and the one that made the most impact was â€Å"suppose a man needs money, but no one will lend it to him unless he promises to pay it back-which he knows he won’t be able to do. Should he make a false promises to get the loan? † (Rachels, 2012). If this happened the maxim or universal rule would be anytime you need a loan tell a lie that you will repay it and you will get the loan. This is not something that everyone would be willing to do because you will no longer believe others when they tell you this statement and no one would be willing to make the loans. The second thing you should do to determine if the maxim can become universal is look at your answer to the first question. Did you say â€Å"yes, I think that everyone will do it? †. If so, then ask yourself if it makes rational sense to want everyone in the same situation to do what you are contemplating doing. If your answer was no to either question then your maxim cannot become universal law because it is not considered moral. Overall, based on Kant, an act is morally right only if the primary rule of behavior, which is how you decide to act morally, can constantly and universally relate to you and others. The second formulation is best described by the following statement, â€Å"Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end. † (Kant, 1785, 1993). Basically, this means that morality consists of doing your duty to treat people, including yourself, and an end, never as a means to an end. Kant combined the second formulation with the first because we have a perfect duty to not use the humanity of ourselves or others merely as a means to some other end. Most ends are somewhat subjective because they need only be pursued if they are in line with some particular hypothetical imperative that a person may choose to adopt. (Categorical Imperative Explained, 2012). The second formulation also leads to the imperfect duty to further the ends of ourselves and others. If any person desires perfection in themselves or others, it would be their moral duty to pursue that end for all people equally, so long as that end does not contradict perfect duty. The question of whether or not Kant adequately addresses the problems evident in comparison of the two formulations cannot be summed up with a simple yes or no answer. He makes a good argument for both sides just as he opposes both sides. The difference is whether or not we have the right moral sense to determine why and how our decisions affect ourselves and others. Kant shows that you have struggles when rationality and practicality are conveyed to cover the same matter. So after all this we ask the question, â€Å"How plausible is the theory? † I think that it is a logical theory that clearly assists in making decisions. It provides a plausible account of morality because you can look at others and have a tendency to complete your actions based on those of others. Kantianism is a more consistent theory because it can be universally applied to all. It is more believable because even if the penalties of carrying out an action aren’t necessarily the best, the individual is still obligated to perform the action because it is their duty to do so. Kant’s theory focuses on the motivation of actions and has a clear and distinctive set of universal rules, and is morally sound. Consequently, ethically and morally they are doing the right thing. Bibliography Categorical Imperative Explained. (2012, April 12). Retrieved from Everything Explained: http://everything. explained. at/categorical_imperative/ (1993). In J. W. Ellington, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (p. 30). Hackett. Kant, I. (1785, 1993). Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 3rd ed.. . In J. W. Wllington. Hackett. Rachels, J. (2012). The Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill. Reason Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reason Chicago: Reason Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reason (accessed April 17, 2012). The Elements of Moral Philosophy. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://jamesrachels. org/78improvedsentences. htm Chicago: The Elements of Moral Philosophy, http://jamesrachels. org/78improvedsentences. htm (accessed April 17, 2012).

Football game Essay Example for Free

Football game Essay The crowd sat on the edge, waiting impatiently for the next pass, the next tackle. This intense game had both teams fighting for control of the ball, struggling to score the next touchdown. The crowd was alive with concentration, which was then immediately interrupted by deafening cheers as soon as their team scored. As a fan, football from my perspective has always been a phenomenal sport that creates an intense, fun, and lively social atmosphere. It gives a chance for friends and family to bond over cheering their team on, while jokingly trash talking others in a casual manner. At a particular Eagles vs. Cowboys game I attended last year, this experience is exactly what I received. The lights, the screams, and the smell of delicious food all served to create a fun event. The highlight of the night, however, was when quarterback Michael Vick got hit extremely hard in the back field. It should have been a late hit but no whistles were blown. The crowd was immediately silenced by the sudden knockout. No one had expected such a hard hit. We fans craned our neck desperately trying to get a better view of what was going on. I remember being completely in awe of the violent nature of football that was revealed to me that night. I was surprised to find that such a dangerous game was even being encouraged to play! But there was one thing that was undeniable for sure— that hit was one moment I would surely never forget. From that game on, I always continued to follow the events and highlights of football. The league put out a lot of new rules for the NFL, to ensure the safety of its players. One of these rules was that a defenseless player cannot be tackled. So for example, if a receiver goes up for the ball, he cannot be tackled in the air. Another rule is the helmet to helmet tackle. A defender is not allowed to make a hit on a player, making contact from his helmet to the defenders. This can result in a serious concussion, and for long time purposes, the players can develop brain damage. To also make the game safer, kickoffs are now issued on the 30 yard line opposed to the traditional 20 yard line. This makes the return possibility very low, because the kick usually ends up deep in the end zone. This new rule change enforced on the kickoffs also accounts of less injuries, because it is one less play being executed. Special rules for quarterbacks have also been placed. Quarterbacks are looked at as the captains of their team. They know the offense’s strengths and weaknesses the best so they can make the right calls in the right situation. These players cannot be injured whatsoever, because of their impact on the game. That is why new rules, such as late tackles, are being enforced on defenders that try to scare the quarterbacks. When the new rules first came out, I supported and respected the fact that they were concerned about the player’s safety. The scientific discoveries about head trauma and mental illness made sense to me, and protecting the players from it seemed like a great idea. Soon the rules were being strictly enforced in the pros. When my friend and I went to the Cowboys and Eagles game, one of the first things that happened was a foul called for hitting helmets with a player. I approved of the call, it seemed fair. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friend shaking his head and say under his breath, â€Å"Man, football just isn’t the same anymore. † I shrugged it off— it wasn’t my fault he wasn’t enjoying the game. But later that night, his words tossed around in my head. Something did seem different about that game. But what exactly did he mean by not being the same? This question led me to reminisce back to earlier that game, when Vick first got late hit in the back field. The one thing I was certain of was that the beauty of the sport was created by the suspense of the game.

St Patrick History

St Patrick History Saint Patrick is internationally known as the saint of Ireland. From the time you were born you have celebrated Saint Patricks Day. You dress up in green and say, Everybodys Irish on Saint Patricks Day. Most people dont know the true history behind Saint Patrick, and only think of Saint Patricks Day as a day for fun. Even historians have trouble uncovering the truth about Saint Patrick. Saint Patricks early years are also a mystery to us. However, we do know that when he was about sixteen he was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Ireland. There he became a shepherd (Jones). Being a slave was a hard, grueling life, and that was when Saint Patrick turned to God for comfort (Catholic Online). About six years later, he had a dream that he would return to Britain. Seeing this as a sign from God to tell him to escape from slavery, he did so (Jones). In order to return home he had to take a ship. He traveled on foot over two hundred miles to reach a ship that was approaching departure. The ship traveled for three days, until they found land. They then traveled on foot for a month or so until their provisions were gone, and there was no food to be found (Attwater 613). The captain of the ship asked Saint Patrick, What have you to say for yourself, Christian? You boast that your God is all-powerful. So why cant you pray for us its beginning to look as if we may not survive to see another living soul (OKeeffe). Saint Patrick simply replied, Turn trustingly to the Lord who is my God because nothing is impossible to Him. On this same day, He will send us food sufficient for our journey, because for Him there is abundance everywhere (OKeeffe). Suddenly, they saw pigs blocking their path, and the crew quickly killed and cooked the pigs for them to eat (OKeeffe). Soon, after being away from his people for about six years, he finally reached home, most likely in Gaul. They welcomed him warmly and told him not to leave them again (Attwater 613-614). He studied for several years in Europe to become a bishop. He became a bishop and then was sent to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity (Jones). Ireland was populated by Druids at that time. Druids were pagan religious leaders in Ireland. He had to perform many miracles in order to show Gods worthiness to the Irish and prove the Druids wrong (Delaney 447). One of his miracles in Ireland was the banishing of the snakes in Ireland. Christine OKeeffes Legends of Saint Patrick states that snakes is a metaphor for Druids and instead of driving snakes out of Ireland he actually drove all the Druids out of Ireland (OKeeffe). After many miracles and thirty-three years of work, he successfully converted almost all of Ireland to Christianity (Jones). Saint Patrick not only evangelized Ireland, he also raised the standards of scholarship and encouraged the study of Latin (Delaney 447). Saint Patrick most likely died in Ireland around 461 A.D. (Jones). Saint Patrick is known worldwide as the saint of Ireland, but he is the saint of much more. His patronages include engineers, excluded people, ophidiophobics (people who have a fear of snakes) and Nigeria. He is the patron saint against snakes and snake bites. Saint Patrick is also the patron saint of many dioceses. For example he is the patron saint of the dioceses of New York City, New York; Ottawa, Ontario; Erie, Pennsylvania; and the archdioceses of Norwich, Connecticut; Dromore, Ireland and Burlington, Vermont. His representations include the shamrock, snakes, the cross, harps, demons, baptismal fonts, purgatory, a bishop driving snakes before him, and a bishop trampling snakes. Saint Patricks Feast day is on March 17 (Jones). His Feast Day is on March 17 because that was when Saint Patrick is believed to have died (Catholic Online). Saint Patrick was canonized before the institution of the modern investigations performed by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (Jones). Before the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, saints were canonized by local bishops, prelates, or patriarchs. Due to being canonized before the institution of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, the date on which he was canonized is unavailable. Saint Patrick is also known as the Apostle of Ireland, Maewyn Succat, Patricius, and Patrizio. Succat was Saint Patricks pagan birth name, and it means warlike. Patricius was Saint Patricks baptismal name and it means noble (Jones). According to Jones, St. Patrick states in his Confession, I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others. If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for Christs name. I want to spend myself for that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. It is among those people that I want to wait for the promise made by Him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world, (Jones). This statement by Saint Patrick sums up what I admire about him: I admire his courage to return to Ireland and convert the Irish to Christianity; I admire his fortitude to stand up for God and what he believes in no matter what the consequences; and I admire his piety, or his love of God. In hard times we turn to God for help and comfort. If Saint Patrick wasnt a slave in Ireland he wouldnt have turned to God. When Saint Patrick turned to God he became a new person, and little did he know that he would change the course of history. If he hadnt converted Ireland to Christianity then he would not have become a saint, and the people of today wouldnt celebrate Saint Patricks Day. Work Cited Catholic Online. Saint Patrick. Catholic Online. Catholic.org. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. Delaney, John J. Dictionary of Saints. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1980. Print. Jones, Terry H. Saint Patrick. Star Quest Production Network. Saints.sqpn.com. 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010 OKeeffe, Christine. Legends of Saint Patrick. Tartan Place. Tartanplace.com. 18 Feb. 2004. Web. 15 Jan. 2010. Saint Patrick. Butlers Lives of Saints. Attwater, Donald, and Herbert Thurston S.J. Vol. 1. New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1963. Print.

Caffeine and Anxiety Essay -- Does Coffee Cause Anxiety?, 2015

"We want to do a lot of stuff; we're not in great shape. We didn't get a good night's sleep. We're a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup." --Jerry Seinfeld I suffer from anxiety and depression. These are issues that influence my life on a daily basis, so I am quite attuned to them. I started to notice that sometimes, while I was drinking coffee, I would begin to have those tell-tale feelings of anxiety, and it made me wonder if it was the coffee triggering these attacks. After doing a little research, I found that I am not the only one out there who suffers from this specific problem. Coffee has been becoming more and more popular. It is now considered stylish to be walking down the street with a disposable Starbucks or Dunkin cup in our hands. They can be found all over Instagram as proof. Coffee shops are where people go to catch up with friends, study, have meetings, and more. With this new societal norm in mind, researchers have become increasingly concerned with caffeine’s role in panic and other anxiety disorders. Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says, â€Å"People often see coffee, tea, and soft drinks simply as beverages rather than vehicles for a psychoactive drug. But caffeine can exacerbate anxiety and panic disorders.† How, you may ask. Caffeine works by blocking the depressant function of a chemical ca...

Essay --

When you dial 911 for an emergency, the outcome may very well depend on the 411 – the quality of information available on your condition and ways to treat it. Everybody will experience an Emergency Room visit at some point in their life, go through the extensive admittance process and will be expected to wait for a considerable amount of time before they get treated. The treatment might not come right away depending on the severity of the injury. But have you ever wondered why this always happens? It is obvious that hospitals are always busy; you’ll see nurses always running around and hear doctors’ names being called on the PA, all of this caused by the endless amount of people that get admitted every second of the day. What people aren’t aware of is that there’s an uprising problem that’s present throughout the whole healthcare system. The healthcare industry generates massive amounts of data every day, part of which is sourced and document ed from ancient times. Not every bit of information generated has been in a format readily understood by people in the medical field. To help better acquire, document and understand this information, and to create practical guidelines and applications in today’s healthcare industry, Health Informatics has been created as a discipline. Many medical informatics systems have been developed for maintaining patient records in the doctor’s offices, clinics, and individual hospitals, and in many instances systems have been developed for distributing information among multiple hospitals and agencies. But much remains to be done to make such information systems maximally useful, issues surrounding confidentiality and ethics plus the lack of funds and training pose as the biggest challenges. The advance... ...tics to Improve Environmental Health Practice† published in the Journal of Environmental Health, asserts that the Environmental Health Specialists Network Information System (EHSNIS) program has been implemented by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health to serve as a model of how health informatics would translate into the health environmental field. The EHSNIS’ main purpose is to accumulate data from numerous areas to track of a potential â€Å"foodborne and water-borne illness outbreak† (44). On the local to global scale an integrated informatics system would enable health professionals to detect and track natural health emergencies. More importantly this emphasizes on how the collaboration of two different organizations in making of an informatics system that could detect of a potential outbreak should serve as a model

How Does Steinbeck Present Curly’s Wife

Of mice and men’ is one of Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbecks most poignant. ‘ Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression it features two farm workers called George ad Lenny. The travel around together in search of work sharing a dream of a place of their own- a small ranch where they can live and work for themselves. It tells the story of how violence may erupt to destroy those dreams. Curley’s wife- as she is known to the audience- is the only women on the ranch. Without the identity of a name she is known only by association of the man she doesn’t even like. Despite her marriage to Curley she flaunts herself around the ranch in inappropriate clothing ‘she had full rouged lips†¦She wore a cotton housedress and red mules,’ flirting with ranch hands and is conscious of the effect she has on men. These clothes and her behaviour I think are designed to provoke interest and attention rather than to invite intimacy. She seems preoccupied with strategies to avoid detection from her husband and manages this by continuously asking of his whereabouts. ‘Have any of you boys seen Curley? ’ Like George, Lenny and later on Candy, Curley’s wife has a dream despite it being one of great contrast to theirs. She has an ambition to work in films ‘coulda been in the movies and worn nice clothes’ and this is no doubt stemmed from her desire for attention and is linked to her loneliness and insecurities on the ranch as she bitterly resents not being treated as an individual. Men make promises to her ‘he says he was gonna out me in the movies’ but she appears to lack the intelligence to realise the emptiness of their promises. The perceptions we make of Curley’s wife are corrupted from the views of the ranch hands. Because sexuality is her only weapon she is referred to as ‘jailbait’ and ‘ a tart’ ‘Jesus what a tramp. George has reason to be weary of her presence especially with Lenny around and the incident in Weed. ‘Listen to me you crazy bastard†¦ Don’t you even look at that bitch Curley’s wife is first presented to us on page 32 ‘ the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off’ a girl was standing there looking in’ Curley’s wife has brought darkness supposedly symbolising the potential danger of her character. During the last chapter Steinbeck cleverly attempts to alter our perception of Curley’s wife by portraying her in a different light. During chapter five, Lenny has just killed one of Slim’s puppies by clumsily petting it. His tendency to inflict damage through trying to show affection is become more prominent. Steinbeck creates an atmosphere of tragedy and doom in which the reader is aware of Lenny’s anxiety ‘and rattled the halter chains. ’ Curley’s wife enters wearing ‘a bright cotton dress’ and ‘red ostrich feathers’ and the reader already knows of Lennies attraction the colour red which creates a sense of painful inevitability. Her face is ‘made up’ and her ‘curls’ are in place†¦ This suggested to me that she has obviously made herself as seductive as possible. Curley’s wife is attracted to Lenny because he has got the better of her husband. I think she has worked out an arrangement to ensure that Lenny and her will be alone without interruption but Lenny is acutely aware of George’s instructions to avoid conversation with her aswell as the consequences of not being able to ‘tend he rabbits. ’ She is desperate to talk to him ‘you’re a nice guy, why can’t I talk to you? ’ and when getting the chance to do so the words pour out of her in her passion for communication although Lenny barely listens. Here she describes her desire to be an actress, her naivete in thinking her ‘old lady’ had stolen the letter and why she married Curley and not liking him. Yet it is as this point that despite her provocative dress sense and her sensuality we realise that she wants only to talk to Lenny ‘why can’t I talk to you? I never talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’ and comfort him when he tells her how he has killed the puppy, ‘don’t you worry none. ’ Steinbeck has cleverly created a more passionate portrayal, someone we can feel sympathy for. At the point where Curley’s wife offers for Lenny to stroke her hair ‘feel right round there, feel how soft it is’ the audience are uncertain as to whether this is an innocent, childish act referring to its texture or that she is knowingly leading Lenny towards a sexual encounter. It is also apparent at this period, of how young she actually is, the act of stroking hair is very harmless and childlike, not what we would expect of her character earlier in the novel. She is likened to a little girl who wants to feel physical contact without sexual trace. When Lenny is petting Curley’s wife’s hair he proceeds in ‘mussing it up’ I noticed how she only struggled when she came to this realisation again pointing to her self-image and vanity. Lenny mistakenly breaks Curley’s wife’s neck and is fatally killed. Lenny escapes and we are left with a desciption of the setting of the barn and of her, ‘and the meanness and the planning’s and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face’ here Steinbeck sums up everything we already know about her but in a way that transforms the way we think about her. Still with flawless skin she appears ‘pretty and simple†¦sweet and young’ a complete contrast to what is perceived of her in earlier chapters. I think her death could have just as well of been caused by Lenny’s unthinking roughness as by any decisions of hers that things had gone to far. A ‘shepherd bitch’ symbolises an entity that Curley’s wife will never possess, this being children ‘jumped in among the puppies. ’ Curley’s wife is undoubtedly one of the most poignant characters in the novel and one that Steinbeck portrays his feeling for than any other character.

Postgraduate education

Electronics & Communication Eng as my major for it offered me innumerable choices of specialization. During these 4 years I learnt Subjects like-Electronics Devices & Circuits,Pulse & Digital Circuits,programming in C, Digital Integrated Circuits,Digital Communication Theory,Veils Design,Computer Communication Networks and Digital Signal Processing. These subjects aroused my research instincts when I realized I am really excited about the prospects of me being a part of such researches. Research Background I always had a Liking for the books from a very young age, perhaps this made meInquisitive about everything I came across yearning to know It's Intricacies. This later helped me immensely when I started representing my school team regularly at inter- school science festivals. My first brush with serious research was in final year of my undergraduate course when I successfully completed a project titled â€Å"Design and implementation of ARQ Protocols in Data Communication† a t Communication division,Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (L. R. D. Elders Research & Development Organization,Government of India-Ministry of Defense,Bangor as art of a 4 member team.The project implements ARQ Protocols in data Communication networks using the widely popular coca microelectronic. The coca systems used for Transmission and reception have been designed and Implemented. We did parallel research along with our gulled providing valuable inputs apart from helping him with calculations. Coals In a decade from now I envisage myself as a Research Scientist In premier research Laboratory or as a Professor in a top university. I understand that M. Sc culminating in University. Why University of Saskatchewan ?A Graduate education that would enable me to pursue advanced degree is what I have aspired for . 1 also believe that good graduate program is an essential step for realizing my long-term goals. I hope to fulfill my ambition at University of Saskatchewan , whi ch I consider one of the best to pursue graduate studies . 1 have gone through the brochure and website very carefully and I have concluded that with excellent research facilities and highly knowledgeable faculty, University of Saskatchewan will provide a perfect environment to focus all my resources towards research.I am confident that I'll be able to meet the standards of the University. I am eagerly waiting for an opportunity to make significant contribution in research and Development programs of the University. Conclusion I fully understand the kind of dedication, perseverance and resolve a graduate program calls for; I believe that I have the ability and determination to tread on this exciting path. In conclusion, I do hope that I'll be given a fair chance to realize my objectives by being granted an admission. I look forward for a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the University. (Ninja Visitant's Mashes)

Reforms in China Essay

Many reforms have been introduced in China since it attained its independence but the most significant ones took place after 1978. These reforms are very popular in the history of China as the economic transformation is all attributed to them. The need to introduce the reforms was the urgent political as well as economic urgency to revive the Chinese economy which was headed for doom. Communism failed to see the country realize its goals of industrialization. Instead it had seen the country compromise its food security and it was clear that development would not be realized self sufficiently. There was need to introduce new and different policies to help change the country’s economy. The reforms were successful in the sense that they liberalized prices, diversified the banking systems and promoted the development of the private sector which was almost inexistent. The state sectors would gain increased autonomy and would operate in a free economy as a way of increasing their efficiency. Despite all these positive effects of the reforms, important issues that emerge calling for serious or vital considerations if they are to be addressed effectively. This paper aims at classifying the CPS reform strategy and establishing if it is a sinified socialist or an authoritarian developmentalist. CPS reform strategy is authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The reforms have been successful in improving the people’s standards of living and as Randall explain in his book China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? the life expectancy rate has risen. (Peerenboom, 2007). China has been registering economic growth year after year and this is expected to go on for quite a long time. It has promoted trade liberalization and embraced capitalism but the role of the state is also significant and cannot be undermined. The state is responsible for the regulation as well as the control of important sectors of the economy. It also ensures that the conditions are effective for the effective operations of business. Privatization was to be encouraged with the introduction of the reforms. It strengthened the private sector which was almost inexistent during the era of communism. The reforms have brought about mixed feelings to the Chinese people. Despite the economic benefits that came with the reforms it is argued that they brought about separation or segregation among the Chinese people. China introduced the reform as it wanted to revive the economy as well as to increase its independence where the aspect of foreign dominance would be eliminated. The political leaders at the time internalized the need for intensive economic development and there were focused to enhancing industrialization. A socialist nation is one where the state has much control over almost all aspects. Such systems are condemned in the sense that they create minimal incentives to encourage innovation. In general, the issue of efficiency is one that raises much concern in as far as such states are concerned. With the reforms the government control on prices would be minimized and consequently the market distortions that were caused would be eliminated. If power is decentralized the various levels of government would have the autonomy necessarily to enable them work effectively and efficiently. Allowing state corporations to operate within the limits of the market forces of demand and supply would see to it that prices reflected the actual prices. It is this ideology that would enhance the effectiveness of such bodies. As China moved away from the initially practiced socialism it continued to undermine nationalism and the economic aspect was placed above the other aspects. The resultant effect of this practice was the intensive distortions in the economy as well as in the political arena. The popular values that ensured that the people’s interests remained the government’s major role were replaced by the need to develop. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four democracy in the Asian countries remains a highly debatable issue and it creates mixed reactions in people. The real sense of democracy does not seem to be felt as can be seen in the manner in which elections are carried out. In any democratic nations elections are carried out to let the people have a say in the matters concerning their nation. They act as a measure that checks on how a country is run. Good leaders are generally elected or re-elected to continue with the projects they have established. However, the manner in which most Asian countries conduct their elections is quite questionable and it raises concerns as to whether the main reason for the elections is to ensure that democracy prevails. They are characterized by chaos and people would go the extra mile of disrespecting the rule of law to secure their position in power. The response of the common man as regards to this issue is hostile in nature. If people are denied the right to freely and fairly participate in the running of their own nation then they end up opting for harsh measures. (Peerenboom, 2007). Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah argue there is need to reform the political organization too. Power in China has not been reformed and the same powers that the first generation had are the same powers that the four generation has. (Huang, 2005). A good illustration to prove the reality of this statement is the fact that just as the earlier leaders had much power in as far as the military was concerned so are the current leaders. There is need to change the political system especially the party organizations. This would lead to their effectiveness in addressing issues as they emerge. The political leadership should move with the times as different times are characterized by different and unique issues. Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah suggest that if the government is to regain its lost glory tarnished by the rampant corruption that jeopardizes its very legitimacy then the political leadership must be reformed. It must change in a manner that makes it relevant to the newly emerging situation. (Amin, 2005). The reforms can be explained as ‘authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The political elite who form the government are committed to ensuring that development remains a highly valued national goal. To attain this goal they have set necessary institutions to design, implement the state led development projects. Although capitalism is embraced in such a state this is not without some restrictions. The institutions with the role of ensuring that policies set in place are geared towards the economic development of the nation makes it hard for other parties to make their contribution. This exclusivity of some institutions at that expense of the majority causes much conflicts or tension. The capitalism exercised in China is limited to the extent at which the state intervention is ensured. Policies that are allowed are those that pave way for rapid industrialization and more preference is given to the structures or institutions that would be of a positive impact in as far as economic development is concerned. The reforms failed to let the market operate effectively as with the mixed economy government control in market was inevitable. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four, bureaucratic privileges were not effectively addressed and the country’s power structure was not effectively addressed thus undermining democracy. As a result of this the common man feels detached from the same system that is supposed to ensure that his interests are amicably dealt with. The government has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities effectively as can be seen in the way it exhibits laxity in the implementation of laws that ensure the protection of its citizens. Public participation is highly disregarded in as far as policy making is concerned. The reforms were to bring about significant changes which should be felt by the entire system. (Peerenboom, 2007). Consequently there is need to implement changes in the legal as well as the political institutions. Some aspects of socialism should be adopted to ensure that economic development is not at the expense of the common man. For there to be effective development it is important that countries must embrace democracy. Whenever democracy is undermined then the chances for intensive demonstrations are increased and this is not good for the economy. If people are not allowed to have a say in their affairs they may opt for the harsh ways of expressing their views. Again, if consultation is not done the policies to be implemented may not necessarily the best for the people. Democracy invokes varying or rather conflicting views as some argue that its efficiency is correlated to state of the country in question. To this regard they argue that its effectiveness would be felt in the developed countries. (Peerenboom, 2007). However, in some developing countries with many groups where there is minimal chance of one group dominating the others it can well exercised. In the current position, democracy only works to benefit a few people in the society. The elite who stand a better position in society whether in the aspects of power or money tend to benefit at the expense of the majority poor. Democracy does not address the same issues it was introduced to deal with. In any cases it only works to perpetuate conflicts as the commoners will strive to use whichever means at their disposal to have their voice heard. The inefficiencies that ‘democracy’ is characterized with include the lack of transparency by the elite n society. This paves way for irregularities in the system as the political elites are not answerable to anyone. They are reluctant to meet the needs or interests of the people even though that is their major role. Another important characteristic of this democracy as explained by Randall in China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? is the poor dissemination of information. The reason behind such practice is the need to keep the people in the dark in the running of the state. As the saying goes, ‘what you do not know does not bother you’, if people are not aware of the actual evils of their systems then they would not air their views on the same. Again, if only the positive information is disseminated then the people are less likely to condemn the system or even make contributions in the running of the system. (Peerenboom, 2007). In chapter four of his book, China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? , Randall explains how China prides in the way it has successfully alleviated millions from poverty. However their efforts can be countered by the fact that it has not dealt with the issue of inequalities effectively as the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very wide. (Peerenboom, 2007). The government is however committed to ensuring that education and healthcare are given much priority and this can be seen in the introduction of free schooling and subsidized medical care in the rural areas. There exist significant disparities in as gender is concerned and women tend to for instance register higher illiteracy rates compared to men. The minorities also seems to have been neglected by the current system and thus there is need to address their interests. Although the Chinese people need to address the main issues affecting them especially the inequality and corruption such efforts are hindered by the lack of sufficient resources. The social groups that would have come in handy in enhancing this lack the financial power to operate effectively and efficiently. Randall in China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? describes the civil societies as too weak to meet their challenge. Jianfu Shen in his article, Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China, the population growth is also an issue that the Chinese government should address. (Shen, 2004). It is critical for it to promote equality among its citizen so that it has a unified growth. The issue of inequality is also cited as one that calls for urgent redress by Tun-jen Cheng and others in China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, (Friedman, 2005). The issue of environmental degradation is also highlighted and it has intensified as industrialization continues to be embraced. In China the elections do not address the people’s problems. (Peerenboom, 2007). This is evident in the sense that the problems of inequality, corruption, poverty and human suffering are not resolved after elections. The elected government seems to forfeit its role in addressing the problems at hand. Politics is dominated by the political elite who are in close links with the business elite or are themselves in business. Money also plays an important role in influencing the elections as the affluent give money to attract more votes. The authoritarian developmentalistic reform strategy gives room for social evils like political violence as well as rampant corruption. Corruption is a major setback in China as Randall explains in chapter five of his book, China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? There is need to ensure that the existing institution especially the legal system reform so that they can effectively deal with it. The role of the legal system cannot be underestimated in as far as economic development is concerned. Law and order must be maintained to create conducive environments for the people. If the rule of law is well adhered to then the chances for corrupt dealings will be minimized to a large extent. The legal systems would ensure that property rights are respected and this will be effective in ensuring that businesses flourish. (Peerenboom, 2007). This paper has by and large explained the aftermath of the reforms as a way of defining the strategy’s position. The reforms produced varying effects as some benefited at the expense of others. Whether the reforms brought about economic growth is undisputable given the fact that they saw the country emerge from just another developing country to register an increment in the country’s GDP year after the other. Many people were relieved from poverty as their incomes rose and so did their standards of living. However there is another aspect of the reforms that is not only worrying but needs to be addressed. The reasons that make the reform strategy take the form of an authoritarian developmentalist by limiting the people’s voice or say is irrelevant need to be well addressed. Lack of effective democracy where important human rights are not respected makes the reform strategy a failure in the sense that it undermines important issues that it ought to be addressing. References Randall Peerenboom. 2007. China Modernizes – Threat to the West or model to the rest? ` Oxford University Press Yanghong Huang, 2005. `Is the Chinese State Apparatus Being Revamped? ` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company, Samir Amin, 2005. `Theory and Practice of the Chinese Market Socialism Project: Is Market Socialism an Alternative to Liberal Globalization? ` in Tian Yu Cao, ed. , The Chinese Model of Development, London and New York: Routledge,. Edward Friedman. 2005. `Jiang Zemins Successors and Chinas Growing Rich-Poor Gap,` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company Jianfu Shen, 2004. `Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China,` Journal of Contemporary China, 13, 41 (November 2004): 637-661

Inquirer is the leading broadsheet in the Philippines Essay

Inquirer is the leading broadsheet in the Philippines. In 2001, it launched Libre, a free tabloid distributed in the MRT-LRT area. It was an unprecedented move of a major daily giving away their newspaper on weekdays and recovering cost solely from advertising revenue. Visit the MRT-LRT site and discuss and explain your answers to the following: Background: Inquirer Libre (Inquirer Free) is a free, bilingual (Filipino and English) tabloid published in the Philippines. It is published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and is considered a trimmed-down version of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that is distributed on public transport. It is available in all stations of LRT, MRT and PNR, WGA Eva Macapagal Port in Metro Manila, as well as selected branches of McDonald’s. Unlike other Philippine tabloids, Inquirer Libre seeks to provide commuters access to decent, useful and meaningful news and current events. The income generated from distributing Inquirer Libre comes from advertising. a.What was the underserved and unserved market Inquirer was trying to tap? Underserved – used to describe a place, market, etc. where fewer goods and services are available than there should be. Unserved – there is totally no goods and services available for the people. Answer: A. The Inquirer created first a market niches that identified the needs or wants of the target market that were poorly addressed or not at all by their competitors. These niches showed them the underserved and unserved market which was composed of the commuters of the MRT-LRT stations with 500, 000 average commuters per day, even greater than its intended capacity. It’s a very diversed public which includes students, office clerks, professionals, etc. who rode trains everyday in their way to school, work, and their destinations. This people were always in a hurry and therefore have no time to read the news. Their age ranges from 18-40 years old. B. There are many management concepts to choose from. For instance, core  competency espouses that the company’s assets or strengths be the unit of analysis while industry analysis advocates that competition be the unit of analysis. Then there is also market-driven strategy that promotes customers in the center of strategy while market-driving strategy focuses on underserved and unserved markets as unit of analysis for strategy. A popular concept, Blue Ocean Strategy, is considered a subset of market-driving strategy since it entails two additional requirements, other than new demand, that of creating differentiation and being low-cost. One critique about contemporary marketing practitioners is that they are actually market-driven strategists, who may not fully understand the principles, frameworks and concepts of market-driving strategy to grow the brand and the business long-term, hence, their tools are often short-term, brand switching tactics, designed to gain market shares. If the company’s reward system is aligned with desired strategic thinking, then market penetration, in addition to market shares, would have to be imposed by management as part of its key result areas. Without a market-driving strategy, a marketing plan focusing solely on the served market is incomplete as it risks losing the underserved or unserved markets, many times, even bigger than the current served customers. In Mansmith and Fielders Inc., market-driving strategy is defined as embracing innovative changes in the logic of industry and business system to grow its profit and industry’s demand from underserved and unserved markets. The goal is not incremental but strategic growth and has three different levels: level 1 is about a major change in value proposition more than a major change in business system; level 2 is about a major change in business system more than a major change in value proposition; while level 3 is about a major change in value proposition coupled with a major change in business system. Selecta ice cream by Walls is an example of level 1 market-driving strategy. Selecta is the dominant brand of ice cream in the Philippines, but it was not so a few years ago, as it was neck-to-neck with Nestle. Problematic with declining industry demand, the marketers went on to ask mothers what  they liked to serve during birthdays and what they actually served. The result of their insighting led them to launch Selecta’s 3-in-1 ice cream, combining three of the favorite ice cream flavors in a tub at an affordable price. With this huge success that turned around shrinking industry demand, they even extended to four flavors with 3-in-1 plus 1, wanting to own the term â€Å"3-in-1.† Meantime, Nestle was not able to immediately respond with the new value proposition of Selecta, as they did not have the technology to do 3-in-1. Mothers were happy they were able to serve what they really liked to serve, children were happy with each of their favorite flavors, while fathers were happy too with a cost-saving solution, improving not just company’s sales but also industry demand in the process, attracting many lapsed customers to return. Waters Philippines is an example of level 2 market-driving strategies where there is a major change in the business system more than the value proposition. (Disclaimer: Waters Philippines is owned by the author.) It markets Waters Bio Mineral Pot, a premium home water purifier—mineralizer—alkaline maker that is leader in its segment. Waters used to be sold in appliance and other retail stores on cash basis in the late ’80s and early ’90s; however, its growth was constrained with its inability to explain the product features and benefits of the high end products in stores. This led to stores requiring them to go on promotional sale, with the additional problem of the fixed cost of hiring its own promo girls and the automatic termination of these promo girls in five months just when their competency is peaking. Waters then decided to create its own independent direct sales force who were able to go direct to the customers (instead of waiting for them to go to the retail stores) to promote the product, backed with installment plans that nearly matches what consumers typically pay monthly for water delivered by their water refill stations. The installment plans allowed more affordability for the consumers while enhancing the business opportunity for its sales network. Today, Waters Philippines is expanding to Indonesia to tap into a bigger combined market. Inquirer Libre is an example of level 3 market-driving strategy, which saw a major change in value proposition coupled with a major change in business system. As the leading broadsheet in the Philippines, Inquirer wanted to broaden its readership base to include younger consumers, so in November  2001, it launched Inquirer Libre. The Inquirer’s mother brand gave the new tabloid-size newspaper immediate credibility among its train riders. Libre (meaning â€Å"free† in English) is a complimentary morning daily that is heavy in entertainment and with a lot of light, human interest articles designed to be read in 15 minutes. Instead of selling the newspaper, it gave away Libre for free. Instead of tapping newspaper dealers, it went straight to consumers by way of self-service pick-up stations, hence, avoiding traditional trade margins and sales returns (after all, it’s a free paper). Instead of showing half naked women targeting blue-collar workers, it decided to be a wholesome paper targeting the young white-collar workers. Hence, instead of the usual readers in their 30s to 40s, Libre readers are mostly in their 20s not known to be newspaper buyers. This is an example of category point-of-entry marketing that will eventually turn some of the current Libre readers to broadsheet readers in the future. As can be seen from above, the three levels of market-driving strategy help companies think strategically, looking beyond the value proposition to include their value chain—instead of plainly being better, it strives to innovate by being different. C. Many tabloids in the country have been operating for a long time on a formula of scandalous attention-grabbing headlines and photos of sexy girls on the front page. One tabloid, Inquirer Libre, decided to take a different route. Using market-driving strategies,Inquirer Libre presented its product differently while targeting a new market. As explained by marketing guru Josiah Go of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc., market-driving strategies, the latest buzzword in market orientation, call for a breaking of the rules and changing the value proposition or business system or both to grow profit and demand from new and marginal customers. (See previous post here.) Inquirer Libre is a morning tabloid featuring short news and feature articles that can be read in 15 minutes. However, Go points out that unlike the other tabloids, it is given for free at MRT stations. There are no photos of naked women; the total package is wholesome. The target market consists of office people in their 20s and 30s on their way to work. â€Å"Instead of tapping the  traditional newspaper dealers, Libre’s new channel is in the various train stations. This means no dealer trade margin and no sales returns,† says Go. Inquirer Libre also has a classified ads page that runs every Thursday, a new reason for the target market to read it. As a result of the market-driving strategies (give it out for free, go wholesome, go direct to the market at train stations, offer classifieds), Inquirer Libre is the leading free tabloid in Metro Manila and hit its ROI fast. Are you looking for a way to survive the cut-throat competition? Market-driving strategies may be the answer. A TOTAL of three—that was the number of enrollees R. A. Gapuz Review Center (RAGRC) had back in 1994 when they opened, offering review classes for those taking government board exams. But this did not deter founder Ray Gapuz from persevering in his then newly established business. Nowadays, their number of enrollees are in the thousands, so much so, that review and coaching sessions have to be scheduled in hotel ballrooms, mall cinemas and even big events places such as the Philippine International Convention Center and Araneta Coliseum. And get this—review classes are also beamed via satellite to other venues in the country. Of course, online review courses are also offered. Today RAGRC is the market leader among nursing review centers, getting the lion’s share of 40 percent of the market among 55 documented review centers, according to its website. Just how did RAGRC succeed? Josiah Go, marketing guru and chairman of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc., points to market-driving strategies applied by the company. â€Å"Market-driving strategies define how a firm will embrace innovative changes in the industry logic and business system to grow its profit and industry’s demand from marginal and non-customers,† says Go. To do this, innovations may be implemented in the value proposition (what the company may offer customers), the business system, or both. Here are steps RAGRC took to succeed: 1. Give a new value proposition by: – Offering an intensive 10-day review course at 8 hours a day aside from the traditional 6-month review course at 3 times a week. The shorter review course allows nursing graduates to find work while providing RAGRC faster turnaround. – Holding review classes in hotels and malls instead of cramped classrooms. – Presenting the curriculum according to diseases regardless of age to remove any duplication encountered when doing  it by specialization. This is well appreciated by the reviewees. 2. Innovate the business system by: – Going high tech and livening up review classes by holding it game show style and offering stimulating card games as reinforcement. This prevents boredom from setting in. Market-driving strategies are all about changing the rules of the game in order to attract new demand. They may just be what your company needs to be profitable and stay profitable. Josiah Go is conducting a seminar dubbed â€Å"Market-Driving Strategies: Executive Workout† on June 25-26 in Makati City and on July 14-15 in Cebu City. E-mail info@mansmith.net for details.

Beane Curriculum Review

The editor of this text presents a range of authors concern about the state of curriculum in K-12 schools of North America in the 21st century. Beane describes the collection of reviews as critiquing curriculum as â€Å"disconnected, fragmented, and incoherent†. Eighteen professional writers contributed their perspectives of working with current curriculum that seeks to â€Å"Leave no child behind†.Authors work in a range of education areas; professors, teachers, lecturers and administration staff. Each author shares their way of engaging with curriculum in a meaningful way so as to relate to the day to day existence of students.The book was written to fill the gap observed by the authors, which is that there is a lack of curriculum that truly prepares students for lifestyles, careers and personal development suited to live in this the globalized millennium. Throughout the ideal â€Å"educated† person is explored, incorporating a diversity of themes that highligh t the integration of curriculum, within and between subjects and across cultures. Importantly, it comes across, is the critical need to research more authentic assessment forms, to establish broader goals and standards and to be more fully inclusive of students. 2.Write down striking words, images, phrases or details. The Search for Coherence is the title of Chapter One is a striking phrase in that it implies that the concept of coherence, as it applies to curriculum, is dearth. This is surprising given the governments push for a â€Å"No Child Left Behind Policy† which has seen a radical shake-up of curriculum. The image this casts for me are teachers and lecturers using a torch to look high and low for an elusive â€Å"something†; all the while becoming more and more frustrated. Coherence for me describes a state of understanding that allows practical application of knowledge and comprehension.I love the term â€Å"inclusiveness† because it reflects basic huma n rights to freedom of thought, values and speech. It facilitates the cultivation of discussion to find answers and to listen to each party who is involved. A multi-perspective can only enrich decision-making processes, and better enable critical analysis and monitoring of existing processes and protocols in the delivery of education services to ensure best practices. Critical Analysis 1. Ask yourself questions about the text: What perplexes you about a particular passage?I am having trouble understanding how a coherent curriculum will ensure a general standard of delivery while tailoring itself to the ever changing individual needs of students, teachers, education institutions and the workforce. The relevance or usefulness of a curriculum must be dynamic in order to provide what is needed as defined by all stakeholders. However, how to be confident that there is an equal access to opportunities and resources that comprise a basic education that will allow students to become functio nal community members, that contribute as well as take care of their personal well being.Also, the phrase â€Å"repositioning [of] learning experiences into meaningful contexts† (p. 8) comes across as vague and not really saying anything. How the context that is being suggested is quantitatively or qualitatively different form what currently exists is left unclear. 2. Try agreeing with the writer. I agree with the need to develop a more meaningful and purposeful curriculum for our children, young people, and professionals-in-training. A multidisciplinary approach to discussing and problem-solving the issue is a clear approach to aid in the differentiation of concepts and actual facts with regard to current curriculum practices.I concede as well that education needs to go beyond â€Å"mug and jug† and contribute to the motivation, engagement and facilitation of continuous learning and self-discovery of both the student and teacher. The weaving of theory and tried educat ion delivery practices are the best way to provision students and teachers with unambiguous explanations that cultivates applied knowledge. The collection of articles encourages the reader to reflect on their own practices and to determine where flexibility, creativity and change could be of benefit.However, the authors leave out one set of very important stakeholders – the caregivers of the students. More and more literature is encouraging the inclusiveness of caregivers in the education of their child. The authors tended to ignore directly engaging caregivers in the determination of what is missing in curriculum and most importantly, how to best develop a more coherent form. This is contended to be a loss for any curriculum development as caregivers have intimate knowledge of the needs, desires, fears and capabilities of their children.Also, many parents are in the workforce or contribute to the community in some other capacity and so also have first hand knowledge of the s kills and attitude that is needed for citizens of the future. I anticipate that I will seek continuous development in policy analysis and research work, to be able to monitor and evaluate my practices and the organizational culture and values I am working with. As well I will start a reflective journal to record my own practices and views toward student responses, and my satisfaction with meeting the goals to aid in â€Å"educated person