Managing Value for Competitive Advantage Company Analysis Essay

Managing Value for Competitive Advantage Company Analysis - Essay Example The rapid changes in business environment in the 21st century demand that businesses reinvent themselves in order to remain relevant. The economy has changed from being commodity based to become a knowledge –based one. Sources of value creation have shifted from tangible assets to intangible things. Advances in technology and globalization have given the issue of making networks and building long-term relationships more prominence (Castell, 2000). Simply put, in the information age, the flow of communication plays a vital role in enabling the business to succeed. According to Freeman, the term stakeholder may be defined as any group or individual who are in a position to affect or be affected by a company’s objectives. The type of interests that the stakeholders have in a company differs. For instance, investors have a stake in the equity of the firm. In addition, other direct stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and competitors have a stake in the financial success of the company. Wheeler and Sillanpaa (1997) also included individuals and groups that speak for the environment, non-human species and future generations in the list of stakeholders. This type of stakeholders is interested mostly on the impact that the firm has on people and on the environment. Further, Freeman states that there are two fundamental issues that should be articulated in the analysis of stakeholder theory and value creation (1994). First, the fundamental question on the purpose of the organization must be answered. This sets the stage for the management to elaborate on the core function that the firm engages in. The shared purpose of the value that the organization creates helps to rally the stakeholders to work hand in hand towards achieving their goal. The second issue that should be considered is about the responsibility of the management to the stakeholders. It is accepted that sustainable economic value can only be created by the voluntary coming together of people to improve the wellbeing of each other. It is imperative the organization outlines how it intends to do business and precisely the kind of relationships it intends to build with the stakeholders. Creating value for stakeholders provides a win-win scenario for both the firm and the stakeholders (Jones et al, 2002). When a company creates products and services that customers are willing to buy, offering rewarding jobs that

Timberland’s Corporate Essay Example for Free

Timberland’s Corporate Essay How would you characterize Timberland’s exercise of its corporate power in society? Is Timberland using its influence responsibility? If so, how? †¢ I would characterize Timberland’s exercise of its corporate power in society as â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility†. Timberland is being socially responsible towards society and is acting in a way that enhances society. Timberland is practicing the â€Å"iron law of responsibility† which says that in the long run, those who do not use power in ways that society considers responsible will tend to lose it. The company is using its influence responsibly through charitable giving; cash and in-kind donations, and giving footwear to  schoolchildren in Afghanistan, and sustainability issues. Has Timberland balanced its economic and social responsibilities through its various programs, such as the annual Serv-a-Palooza event and sustainability goals? Are the company’s programs examples of enlightened self-interest? †¢ Serv-a-Palooza was an event that celebrated Timberland’s centennial anniversary where over 500 volunteers worked on various projects to support local New Hampshire communities and areas in Missouri afected by tornados. Timberland’s sustainability goals include reducing carbon emissions and using renewable energy sources. The two programs balanced Timberland’s economic and social  responsibilities. By having a philosophy to further the interests of others and the communities that surround them. Timberland  ultimately serves their own self-interest. What are the arguments for and  against Timberland’s social  responsibility initiatives? †¢ Arguments for Timberland’s social responsibility initiatives include balancing corporate power with responsibility, improving stakeholder relations, and enhancing business reputation. Arguments against Timberland’s social responsibility initiatives include requiring skills businesses may lack and placing responsibility on the business rather than individuals. Although Timberland possesses power and influence, responsibility comes with power and they need to properly manage that power. As previously mentioned, Timberland is using its power responsibly by way of charitable giving and reducing their carbon footprint. By focusing on social issues Timberland has created strong stakeholder relationships and built a loyal customer base. Although one can raise arguments against Timberland’s social responsibility issues, they have done a great job of developing the most important intangible asset- their reputation. If you were an executive of VF Corporation, would you  support continuation of these initiatives? Why or why  not? †¢ As an executive of VF Corporation I would continue to support the initiatives of Timberland to continue to establish trust amongst stakeholders. The current initiatives have been beneficial and have not had a significant cost to stakeholders. It is important that VF Corporation continue this philosophy and still allow stakeholders to profit from the company with little to no cost. The social enterprise created by Timberland has been extremely successful in improving human and environmental well-being. Not only does Timberland care about their local New Hampshire community, but they search all over the world to find ways to give back to society. If VF Corporation continues to support the social initiatives as they did in their first Serv-a-Palooza Timberland will surely be recognized as one of the country’s â€Å"Best Corporate Citiens.†

Recognizing Laboratory Safety :: essays research papers

Recognizing Laboratory Safety Purpose:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this lab is to stay safe no matter what you're doing in lab. You may be working with dangerous materials such as glass or acid. Procedure: I am following the procedure described in pages 21-24 in the Biology Laboratory Manual. Observations: Does not apply to this lab Answers to Questions: 1. The flask symbol means glassware safety. Glassware can be broken easily. 2. The goggle symbol means that you are working with fire. It is extremely important to protect yourself from fire. 3. The hand symbol signifies that you are to wear heat-resistant gloves. 4. The bottle with the crossbones on it means chemical safety. Whenever you see this symbol, you know that you will be working with possibly dangerous chemicals. 5. The eye symbol signifies that you will be working with objects that could be hazardous to your eyes 6. The razor blade symbol signifies that you will be working with sharp objects. You should always be careful when working with sharp objects. 7. An electrical plug symbol means that you will be using electricity in your lab. Never touch an electrical socket or appliance with wet hands. 8. The symbol that looks like a duck means that you will be working with live animals. Analysis and Conclusion: 1. The person is not wearing safety goggles and he isn't really paying close attention. Safety goggles are vital when you are working with fire. 2. She is pointing the vial towards herself. Whenever you are working with heating liquids, the vial should never pointing towards you. 3. The person is heating a liquid with a top on the beaker. Whenever you are heating a substance, there should never be a top on the liquid.

Bad Boys I Synopsis

Bad Boys which was directed by the Michael Bay, former video director, had the chance to be recognized as this action comedy film had been a big hit. Allotting a very big budget for this movie was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. The main casts in this film are two Miami cops, Mike Lowrey in the portrayal of Will Smith (a bachelor) and Marcus Burnett in the person Martin Lawrence (a family man). Their team up gives the film best shots.Lowrey and Burnett takes a highly dangerous case since 100 million dollars of heroin had been stolen out of the basement of police headquarters, which had been the biggest drug bust of their careers. These two Miami policemen have only got 72 hours to reclaim the heroin before the Internal Affairs Division shuts them down. A French drug kingpin named Fouchet (Tcheky Karyo), puts them hot on the trail, since this drug lord leaves a trace of bodies in his wake.Giving color to the story is played by Julie Mott (Tea Leoni), who witnessed the m urder of her friend, Maxine Logan (a hooker). She decided to contact the police and is willing to talk only to Mike but he doesn’t know what he looks like. Since Mike is not there, Marcus, his partner needs to pretend as Mike, living a bachelor lifestyle. In Mike’s return, he should also impersonate Marcus as a married man. What makes it exciting is that it has been complicated on both parts but they have to do it in order for them to get the support of the sole witness.This movie is a great film specially their concept of the â€Å"buddy† formula. The scenes are realistic and high violence gave the movie a very attractive taste to the viewers. By the end of the movie, what we care about are the story, picture and main characters which give the movie a very fantastic film. Bad Boys. (1995). Synopsis for Bad Boys. Retrieved April 23, 2009 from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0112442/. MSN movies. (1995). Bad Boys: Synopsis. Retrieved April 23, 2009 from http://movi es. msn. com/movies/movie-synopsis/bad-boys. 1/

An Analysis of the Armful

An analysis of the poem â€Å"The Armful† by Robert Frost In Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Armful† the speaker in the poem is not defined, but that is of no consequence, as the feeling of frustration that is conveyed in the poem’s first four lines could have been expressed by either a man or a woman. The speaker is not speaking to anyone in particular in the poem but it can be inferred that he is speaking to the reader on a higher level as, speaking literally; everyone can empathize with the feelings of frustration a person struggling to carry and balance too many packages conveys.In the poem the speaker has gone for groceries, probably without help, over shopped and is having a difficult time with all the bags he must carry. The packages slip from the speaker’s hands and he tries to catch them with his knees all the while still trying balance the rest of the his packages. In the end the he is forced to drop the groceries and find a better way of packing them back in the bags. Although the tone from the onset is that of frustration by the end it changes to something more positive. It can then be inferred that the theme of this poem is one of hope.The poem creates an image of someone who is in need of help and is alone, not necessarily lonely as in need of social capital, but alone on the inside. The constant, repetitive use of the word ‘I’ supports the idea and feeling of isolation even though, as the reader, it is easy to put one’s self in that situation and to feel as if you were there watching. It has to be assumed that the author is not literally writing about someone’s troubles during a routine shopping trip. Take, for instance, lines three (3) and four (4) ‘And the whole pile is slipping, bottles, buns, Extremes too hard to comprehend at.Once’. One can connote that it has more to do with the abstract, inner most problems of the authors mind as opposed to actual contents of a brown paper bag. These Images are brought to life in this rhythmic poem by the use of figurative language, particularly through the use of metaphor and symbolism. The rhythmic patterns of the poem can be seen at the end of each line. Here are the first two lines of the poem as an example of the rhyme scheme ‘For every parcel I stoop down to seize I lose some other off my hands and knees’.An example of alliteration can be seen in the second line when the author writes ‘ And the whole pile slipping, bottles, buns’. The implied comparisons or metaphors are abundant in this short poem. In fact it can be said with certainty that the poem is one big metaphor. Robert Frost uses this poem to explore deep feelings within himself and within everyone. Once again using lines three (3) and four (4) as an example ‘And the whole pile slipping, bottles, buns, Extremes too hard to comprehend at once’ is a metaphor for the complexity of the mind.The author’s problem s are like a whirlwind that makes his mind slip. Whether the problem is heavy symbolized by the bottles or lighter symbolized by the buns they hold equal weight in the space of the mind, that to this date we barely understand the inner workings of. In the next two lines, ‘Yet nothing I should care to leave behind. With all I have to hold with hand and mind. ’ Foster is implying that his problems are so great and unmanageable that he cannot stop thinking about them.In the next two line, lines seven (7) and eight (8), he gives the reader a glimpse that his problems may be more than in his head. It reads ‘And heart, if need be, I will do my best. To keep their building balanced at my breast’. This infers that his problems may also be emotional and he is trying hard to balance the two. In the last four lines is where the theme of the poem starts to take shape and one can see that all is not lost. In lines nine (9) and ten (10) the speaker says ‘I crouch d own to prevent them all as they fall; then sit down in the middle of them all’.The speaker at this point realizes that he is carrying too much both mentally and emotionally and decides to stop and analyze what is happening to him, take it slow and figure something out. By the time line eleven (11) and twelve (12) come around one can surmise that the speaker has had enough of his problems and is actively looking for a way to fix things, a way to deal with his problems, as the speaker states ‘I had to drop the armful in the road and try to stack them in a better load’. In The Armful Robert Frost has written a piece that almost anyone can relate to.Everyone has had problems that seemed insurmountable but have mustered the courage and the will to supersede these hurdles and have gotten through them. In all, the author has used imagery, rhythmic sense, syntax that is not overly complicated and figurative language to forge a poem that can be considered a metaphor for l ife. Holding on to things can over complicate our lives and if one stops and thinks about what is really important ones loads will lightened. The poem is also symbolic of mans need to overcome adversity.

Imbue

Imbue Imbue Imbue By Maeve Maddox The old word imbue seems to be taking on new meanings. First let’s look at the only definitions currently given in the OED: imbue (transitive verb) 1. To saturate, wet thoroughly (with moisture); to dye, tinge, impregnate (with color or some physical quality).   2. To impregnate, permeate, pervade, or inspire (with opinions, feelings, habits, etc.). Merriam-Webster concurs: imbue (transitive verb) 1.   to tinge or dye deeply 2. to cause to become penetrated: impregnate, permeate Here are some examples of traditional usage: [Robert] Schuman’s desire to imbue his musical works with the character of literary texts. [Ian Fleming] implemented a strict schedule for his writing [and] meticulously researched facts to imbue his works with realism. helping out with the family businessimbued her with the entrepreneurial spirit The ruling classes and the intellectual elites in the emerging Haitian state remain imbued with French culture.   [When Pickwick is jailed] the lighthearted atmosphere of the novel changes, and the reader is given intimations of the gloom and sympathy with which Dickens was to imbue his later works. The audience got a taste of how  literature imbues  the world with infinite possibilities. Notice that in each example, the verb imbue is used with the preposition with: imbue his musical works with character of literary texts imbue his works with realism imbued her with the entrepreneurial spirit remain imbued with French culture with which to imbue his later works imbues the world with infinite possibilities Because imbue tends to be a literary word, I was surprised to see it used with the preposition to in this sentence on a literary site: Certain writers in the modern day and age use archaic terms such as thy, thee, and wherefore to imbue a Shakespearean mood to their work. I’ve also encountered nonstandard usage of imbue in other contexts: this post is me, taking my own advicein an effort to reveal qualities which I endeavor to imbue in future illustrations. Sadly, many people only know indoor plants for their decorative value and are largely unaware of the many benefits they imbue to those who share their spaces. The first writer seems to be using imbue in the sense of instill; the second, with the sense of impart. A piece of fabric may be imbued with dye. A child may be imbued with feelings, beliefs, and habits of mind. The image is that of a liquid being poured over something that soaks it up. So why are some speakers beginning â€Å"imbue things to†? One possibility could be the new use of imbue as gaming jargon:   Ã‚  How to make an imbue Weapon Imbues and WoD Switching the imbue on your offhand weapon In this context, the noun â€Å"imbue† refers to something added to a weapon to permeate it with certain powers. In gaming-speak, it is possible to imbue powers to an item. Those who imbue items are known as Artificers. Select the enchantment [you] wish to imbue to the item. Imbue is also enjoying popularity as a brand name for various products and enterprises. Imbue Bittersweet Vermouth Imbue Pain Relief Patch Imbue Design Imbue Winterguard Imbue Apparel Imbue Youth Movement Bottom Line: Apart from its use as jargon, imbue is a transitive verb. The preposition used with it is with. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsHang, Hung, HangedProverb vs. Adage

Avian Influenza essays

Avian Influenza essays Avian Influenza is a contagious virus that usually infects all species of birds, but it has recently been tracked to infect humans as well, putting many people at fear of an influenza pandemic. This virus is normally found in free flying birds for example, shorebirds, gulls and other seabirds. The problem arises when domestic poultry like chicken and turkeys become infected and has recently been connected to humans today. The first reports of Avian Influenza were in Italy in 1878 where it was seen as a serious disease of chickens. At the time they called it the fowl plague it wasnt till many years later that they changed it to Avian Influenza. It was 1955 when they determined it one of the influenza viruses. What determines a virus to be influenza is whether or not the virus particle has an envelope with glycoprotein projections with hem agglutinating and neuraminidase activity. This sounds very complicated but, these two surface antigens are identified in simpler terms with only the letters H and N. It has been recorded that there are 15 hem agglutinating and 9 neuraminidase antigens in a type A influenza. Which brings us to types A, B, C influenzas; type A is the most common influenza virus that will affect domestic animals in addition to the possibility of humans. Type B and C influenza does not have the ability to infect domestic animals, it is not as harmful. Surprisingly, Avian influenza norm ally doesnt make wild birds sick, but domesticated birds become very ill and in many instances it will kill them. Generally this virus doesnt infect humans; however there have been some reports for human outbreaks since 1997, letting us know that Avian Influenza is a risky Type A influenza. In order to see the symptoms of Avian Influenza in humans we need to know the characteristics of Avian Influenza in birds. The virus is carried in their intestines and spread by shedding it. The ways in which birds shed th...

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems Biologists have a system for not only distinguishing the animals, plants, and environments (habitats, communities) that make up the natural world but also for describing the complex interactions and relationships between them. The classification is hierarchical: Individuals belong to populations, which together form species, which exist within communities, which in turn thrive within specific ecosystems. Energy flows from one organism to another through these relationships, and the presence of one population influences the environment of another population. All in the Family A community is defined biologically as a set of interacting populations. It is often used to describe the dominant species within a certain area, say, the community of salamanders that lives along the banks of a mountain stream. A community is also the physical environment in which those salamanders thrive- commonly known as a habitat- in this case, a riparian community. Additional examples would be a desert community, a pond community, or a deciduous forest community. Just as organisms have specific properties that make them unique, such as size, weight, age, sex, and so forth, so too do communities. When conducting their studies, biologists and other scientists make note of the following characteristics: Diversity, or the number of species in the community. A community can also be described as being either densely or sparsely populated as a whole.Relative abundance, which refers to the abundance- or lack thereof- of a species within a community with respect to the abundance of all the other species living in that community.Stability, or how much a community changes or remains static over time. These changes can occur because of internal or external factors, or a combination of both. The members of the community can remain stable and thrive in spite of the changes impacting their environment, or they can be ultra-sensitive to even the slightest changes. Community Relations The relationships between populations in a community are varied and may include both positive, negative, and mutually beneficial interactions. Examples of community-level relationships include competition (for food, nesting habitat, or environmental resources), parasitism (organisms that survive by feeding off a host organism), and herbivory (species who depend upon consuming local plant life to survive). These relationships often lead to changes in the genetic makeup of the population. For example, one or another genotype may be more successful due to certain community processes. The System as a Whole An ecosystem can be defined as all the interacting components of the physical and biological world. Thus, an ecosystem can encompass multiple communities. Keep in mind that drawing a line around a community or an ecosystem is not a clear matter either. Communities blend together, and there are gradients throughout nature, from one habitat to another- for instance, the oases that exist within desert environments, or the forests that line ocean shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Scandinavia. We can at best use the concepts of communities and ecosystems to organize our study and understanding of the natural world but are far from being able to assign exact boundaries to these concepts.

Risk Assessment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Assessment Paper - Essay Example The risk assessment plays an important role both in helping the judge in a case of juvenile crime determine the level and type of punishment or correctional service necessary. This paper assesses the cases of a fifteen year old girl Coleen M. and a 17 year old boy Xander L. It analyses the effectiveness and shortcomings of the two methods in the analysis of the two cases. On the Missouri assessment scale, the high score is 15. This portrays the candidate with the highest risk level (Missouri Juvenile Risk Assessment Scale). On the Washington risk assessment scales the highest mark is 31 which shows the highest level of involvement in delinquency. (Washington State Juvenile Pre-Screen Assessment Scale). So the lower the score of the candidate, the better in terms of behavior and self-control. Coleen is 15 year old girl who is charged with the involuntary manslaughter of her neighbor by pouring a liquid pesticide on her. In addition, she was prior to that involved in the death of the neighbor’s sister by driving a mobile home into the victim’s car, though this was ruled an accident. She has been adjudicated as a delinquent and an assessment is necessary to determine her level of delinquency. On the Missouri scale Coleen’s assessment is as follows. Coleen has had no prior referrals. She scores 0 since her first referral is at age 15. She has not been formerly charged on any counts s misdemeanor or serious crime. So her score on that is 0. On placement, she has been placed out of her home permanently following the departure of father from homes and her mother’s joining of a drug rehabilitation center, so her score on that is 1. It is unclear from the information given whether there has been any serious negative peer influence on her, but since it is mentioned that she was in the company of three homeless men in a poppy field, her score on peer influence is 1. Though she has run away from home on two occasions, there is no

Final Field Experience Summative Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Final Field Experience Summative Report - Essay Example The first day offered education and training in making the apple crisp, the second day’s lecture was upon the food and food safety with some Nutrition activity (Puzzles). Third day involved sewing the 2 hall button and preparing to make pillows while the fourth day involved sewing. B. Description of instruction observed On the first day, the students were asked to make the apple crisp. To make sure that all students participated in the activity, the teacher arranged all students in the groups. Roles assigned to the members of the group included measuring oats, mixing margarine and cleaning apples. As the students performed these tasks, the teacher kept a close eye upon the students to ensure complete participation and cooperation by the students. The second day’s lesson was more theoretical than the first day’s lesson. On the second day, the teacher delivered lecture on food and food safety. He required the students to make notes so that they would pay attention throughout the lesson. The teacher did not permit any discussions among the students in this lecture. The teacher made the students pay attention towards the lectures by asking them questions randomly or asking them to repeat what he had just said. Students that would not be able to do that felt embarrassed. Thus, the teacher controlled the students psychologically. No student wanted to become prominent as a bad student, so everybody paid attention. C. Teacher transitions A teacher uses transitions to build up the students’ concepts and help them identify the links among the various lessons. Once the teacher starts the lesson there maybe need to transition either between topics or different subjects. To make the transition smooth from one lesson to another, the teacher first gave a recap of... On the first day, the students were asked to make the apple crisp. To make sure that all students participated in the activity, the teacher arranged all students in the groups. Roles assigned to the members of the group included measuring oats, mixing margarine and cleaning apples. As the students performed these tasks, the teacher kept a close eye upon the students to ensure complete participation and cooperation by the students. The second day’s lesson was more theoretical than the first day’s lesson. On the second day, the teacher delivered lecture on food and food safety. He required the students to make notes so that they would pay attention throughout the lesson. The teacher did not permit any discussions among the students in this lecture. The teacher made the students pay attention towards the lectures by asking them questions randomly or asking them to repeat what he had just said. Students that would not be able to do that felt embarrassed. Thus, the teacher c ontrolled the students psychologically. No student wanted to become prominent as a bad student, so everybody paid attention. A teacher uses transitions to build up the students’ concepts and help them identify the links among the various lessons. Once the teacher starts the lesson there maybe need to transition either between topics or different subjects. To make the transition smooth from one lesson to another, the teacher first gave a recap of the previous lesson. This way the students remembered what the last lesson entailed.

An illustrated critique of the nature of brand design and its value to Essay

An illustrated critique of the nature of brand design and its value to a selective company - Essay Example However, twenty-first century marketing is affected and transformed by the following: globalisation, rapid developments in information and computer technology, digital platforms of communications, the development social awareness of corporations, and the recognition of consumers’ rights and the change significance of consumers in marketing (Domegan 2008; Elliot & Percy 2007; Hastings &McDermott 2006; Kotler et al 2006). Since, contemporary marketing places the customer ‘at the heart of all transactions’, thus, satisfaction of their needs and adding value to their experiences have become some of the primary drivers for the continued innovation of marketing (Bignell 2002; Schmitt 2000). In this regard, this study will look into one of the most important facets of marketing – brand design and its value to the company. Marketing is not just simple offering of products to the customers. It is primarily geared towards satisfaction of clients’ needs. Howeve r, as there are other companies who are producing the same products aiming the same goal of satisfying customers brand becomes a necessary tool. Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of these that identifies the goods or of a seller and differentiates them from those of competitors† (Kotler et al, 2006: 312). Moreover, brands also refer to the â€Å"tangible and intangible attributes that represent the company and also symbolise the customers’ perception† (Kotler et al, 2006: 109). In this case, brand designs are not just the physical attributions of the brand. It includes the emotional, experiential and cognitive connection that the customers may experience upon the use of the product. In this sense, brand design becomes the conduit in establishing the brand equity and loyalty that has been recognised as profitable for the shareholders and a more definite source of long–term sales (Doyle 2008). As such, this study will look into the impact and value of brand design to a selected company. This is significant as it help in gaining a better understanding of the correlation between brand design and its value. At the same time, it helps identify other possible factors that may influence the relationship between brand design and its value to the company. For this study, Apple is the selected company that will be analysed. The paper will have the following structure. The first part is the introduction wherein a brief discussion of marketing branding and the various influences of affecting contemporary marketing are provided. Likewise, the purpose and structure of the research are also given. The second part will deal with an overview of Apple while the third section will deal with segmentation, targeting and positioning of the brand. Meanwhile, the fourth part will undertake an evaluation of brand design and the fifth part will address the question ‘how important is the brand for the business. Finally, the l ast section will contain the conclusion and recommendation of the study. Apple Inc: A Brief Overview Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Mike Markkula on 1976 and incorporated on 1977. The first products of the company were Apple I, II and III. These products were moderately successful in the market. In 1983, they released Lisa, which was a failure. However, by 1984 the

Temperature Control In Foods (Milk) Delivered To Hospitals In Saudi Research Proposal

Temperature Control In Foods (Milk) Delivered To Hospitals In Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example This research study is likely to make a significant difference with regard to milk storage and delivery not only in the medical setting but also in other sectors like milk processing and storage in retail shops such as supermarkets. This will be achieved as a result of the researcher making applicable recommendations that are within the requirements of the Saudi Food & Drug Authority, the body that is in charge of ensuring that all food substances reaching the citizens are within the required standards. The body works with other relevant stakeholders like the ministry of health in cross-examining the quality of the foodstuffs and drugs in the state's market. This research conducts using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, meaning that the researcher will combine both qualitative and quantitative research concepts. The researcher uses quantitative tactics in collecting data relating to temperature control in milk delivered in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. During this research study, the researcher is not likely to be in a situation that may lead to a violation of respondents’ rights. However, the researcher will safeguard respondents’ right to privacy by withholding any information that they may feel confident or secretive like business secrets, profitability, or any other area that the researcher may be interested in investigating. In addition, the researcher will ensure that respondents are aware that their businesses are being examined for academic purposes though the findings may be used as reference sources during other studies.

Primary Source Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Primary Source Analysis - Essay Example Class struggles arise when the rulers exploit the ruled leading to the negative relationship they share. When the exploitation has become too much the ruled struggle to get power, and finally they become victors because they are many. Therefore, he points out that history is dynamic and progressive in the sense that has power changes hands from the rulers to the ruled, history changes and progress is achieved. He also describes the modern material world of the bourgeois, which is the most progressive class in terms of material things like technology, private property, communication and transportation (Marx & Engels, 1948). They value money, and therefore they oppress the proletarians who are the workers. The workers receive no pay and, therefore, suffer. Even internationally, the bourgeois trade unfairly by buying at a very cheap price but selling very expensively. The proletarians suffer and decide to struggle for power but at first, they fail because they are not united. Finally, they take over power because they become united against the bourgeois with the support of a few bourgeois. He advocates for the abolition of the private property because it is the cause of exploitation and class struggles (Marx & Engels, 1948). These will lead to a classless society which private property belongs to the state. In this context, the reader is left to find out other ways of eliminating the exploitation of the ruled in the society and how we can be part of the change the society we live in. we should not sit and wait for someone to come from outside to bring the change we want. The change should come from within. Unity brings change. Das Kapital is another source by Karl Marx that supports the communist manifesto by highlighting the plight of the worker and their relationship with capitalists. This work shows how much workers are exploited in this state of capitalism (Wheen, 2007). The capitalist

Why is Zara a pioneer in affordable design clothing Research Paper

Why is Zara a pioneer in affordable design clothing - Research Paper Example The paper "Why is Zara a pioneer in affordable design clothing" concenrs Zara Marketing Fashion from a ‘Fresh is What Sells’ Point of View. Because of the way that Zara, a leader in women’s fashions and a success story, has designed its marketing and business strategies, one will almost never walk into the same store twice. In looking at how to design a clothing store with its eye on the bottom line profit, Zara has found the key to their own success in the example of the produce isle. What is fresh is what will sell. As well, they have found that having many items to choose from with limited availability is far greater than having a great number of a select few items. In an economy where fashion is no longer a priority, survival becomes a game of playing the numbers in the way that will create the largest overall profit. In this game, Zara has found a formula for success that is working. Zara is a clothing company based in Spain and is a subsidiary of Inditex. In ditex has over 2500 stores across the world with Zara being around 800 or more of those outlets. According to Hines and Bruce (2007), the most successful launch of a store took place in Dublin Ireland in an outlet that was over 20,000 square feet (247). The business design is based on the concept that what is done quickly will have the best result. Getting new designs from the design room to the floor takes five weeks whereas a redesign of a piece of clothing will take only two weeks to reach the stores. Zara markets clothing for men.

Primary Source Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Primary Source Analysis - Essay Example Class struggles arise when the rulers exploit the ruled leading to the negative relationship they share. When the exploitation has become too much the ruled struggle to get power, and finally they become victors because they are many. Therefore, he points out that history is dynamic and progressive in the sense that has power changes hands from the rulers to the ruled, history changes and progress is achieved. He also describes the modern material world of the bourgeois, which is the most progressive class in terms of material things like technology, private property, communication and transportation (Marx & Engels, 1948). They value money, and therefore they oppress the proletarians who are the workers. The workers receive no pay and, therefore, suffer. Even internationally, the bourgeois trade unfairly by buying at a very cheap price but selling very expensively. The proletarians suffer and decide to struggle for power but at first, they fail because they are not united. Finally, they take over power because they become united against the bourgeois with the support of a few bourgeois. He advocates for the abolition of the private property because it is the cause of exploitation and class struggles (Marx & Engels, 1948). These will lead to a classless society which private property belongs to the state. In this context, the reader is left to find out other ways of eliminating the exploitation of the ruled in the society and how we can be part of the change the society we live in. we should not sit and wait for someone to come from outside to bring the change we want. The change should come from within. Unity brings change. Das Kapital is another source by Karl Marx that supports the communist manifesto by highlighting the plight of the worker and their relationship with capitalists. This work shows how much workers are exploited in this state of capitalism (Wheen, 2007). The capitalist

Marketing case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Marketing case analysis - Essay Example Accepting Sears’ proposal means that Goodyear would have to change its distribution policy. There can be certain changes such as including their own Goodyear seller that would carry this brand exclusively. The reason for doing this is that Goodyear would have their own channel through which it can sell more and more to its customers. The customers would not have to go anywhere else for buying Goodyear’s tires because Goodyear would have its stores made available everywhere within the customers’ reach. Also, it is said that channel of distribution must be selected carefully so that it is within access of most possible customers and provides a number of prospects (Linton, n.d.) . But there are some limitations as well. Firstly, the dealers might influence the customers to buy other brands because there are very few dealers who have the full knowledge of tires. Secondly, brand loyalty and tires have high tendency of being elastic in demand. One day, customer might w ant Goodyear but the other day the customer could decide to go for Sears or any other brand. Thirdly, product cannibalization might appear between Sears and the franchised dealers. Moreover, continuing sales to Sears would also trigger another concern that whether to sell the Eagle brand only or sell some other specific products as well. The other solution is to reject the proposal and maintain the status quo. This can cause a lot of problems. Already, Goodyear is facing decline in the current market position and loss of market share by 3.2%. There is high competition and Goodyear has no strong market share outside the American continent. The cut throat competition in both price and quality might cause greater problems for Goodyear. The conclusion lies with the decision of accepting the Sears proposal. By employing this action, there would be an increase in the distribution channel leading to an increment in the revenues for Goodyear. This would prove

Where Is Sony Vulnerable Essay Example for Free

Where Is Sony Vulnerable Essay Sony started as a radio repair shop, founded by Masuru Ikura and Akio Morita after World War II. The company began its long history of producing compact consumer electronics in 1957, when it introduced the world’s first pocket-sized all-transistor radio. The company’s name, Sony, was taken from sonus, the Latin word for â€Å"sound.† Sony went on to invent a series of transistor-based TVs and increasingly smaller audiocassette recorders. In 1979, the Sony Walkman introduced the world to a new, portable way of listening to music. Sony became a world leader in consumer electronics and was the first Japanese company to have its shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In the late 1980s, Sony began expanding into media, purchasing a U.S. record company (CBS Records for $22 billion in 1988) and a major Hollywood studio (Columbia Pictures for $4.9 billion in 1989). The purchases made Sony a major force in the entertainment industry. The importance of marketing at Sony started with Akio Morita, who said that for a company to be successful, it must have three kinds of creativity: creativity to make inventions, creativity in product planning and production, and creativity in marketing. Creativity in marketing at Sony means not just clever ads, but deep insight into its customers. For example, Sony knows its PlayStation customers like to find clues and to decode things. So Sony’s ads for PlayStation 2, like â€Å"Signs,† feature a young man walking the streets of a city where he encounters various signs foreshadowing the events. Mannequins appear in a store window, arms outstretched, and point enigmatically to something that’s about to happen. â€Å"The lead character is almost in the midst of his own role-playing game. He needs to follow clues to save the heroine,† said Andrew House, Sony’s executive vice president of marketing. In the ads, â€Å"we were essentially trying to tap into a range of emotions that we think we deliver in the games—intrigue, foreboding, excitement, panic, relief and achievement at the end.† Sony’s marketing also includes careful measurement of each campaign’s effectiveness. Fo r example, Sony runs 30-second commercials for its PlayStation as part of the previews in more than 1,800 theaters and on 8,000 movie screens. The ads appear before such films as â€Å"The Cat in the Hat.† Sony Computer Entertainment America has been running movie ads for six years. â€Å"Cinema advertising has been very effective for us,† said Ami Blaire, director of product marketing. â€Å"The reason why we have committed to cinema every year is the tremendous unaided recall shown by our own research and Communicus commissioned ad tracking.† Another example of measurement is Sony’s GenY youth marketing efforts. â€Å"The online program promoting the NetMD, ATRAC CD Walkman and Cybershot U30 ran July 1 through September 30 2003, and we found that more than 70 percent of the clickthroughs were spurred by rich media ads via Eyeblaster, versus static banners,† said Serge Del Grosso, Director of Media and Internet Strategy, Sony Electronics. In fact, Sony has even developed a direct-marketing solution which it sells to other companies who want to measure marketing effectiveness. The product, called eBridge[TM], allows marketers to use video, measure the effectiveness of the campaign, and gain insight into the target audience, all in one package. Sony expects that the next big breakthrough will not come from a single new electronic device. Rather, Sony president Kunitake Ando says that the future lies in making a whole range of devices more useful by linking them in a networked home-entertainment system. The company believes that its clout in consumer electronics, combined with its media content, will allow it to steer that convergence in a way that suits it. Whether the future of convergence resides in TVs or PCs or devices, $62-billion Sony makes every one of them—with a strong brand name that gives them an extra push off retail shelves around the world. Discussion Questions 1.What have been the key success factors for Sony? 2.Where is Sony vulnerable? 3.What should it watch out for? 4.What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going forward? 5.What should they be sure to do with its marketing? SONY Sony started as a radio repair shop, founded by Masuru Ikura and Akio Morita after World War II. The company began its long history of producing compact consumer electronics in 1957, when it introduced the world’s first pocket-sized all-transistor radio. The company’s name, Sony, was taken from sonus, the Latin word for â€Å"sound.† Sony went on to invent a series of transistor-based TVs and increasingly smaller audiocassette recorders. In 1979, the Sony Walkman introduced the world to a new, portable way of listening to music. Sony became a world leader in consumer electronics and was the first Japanese company to have its shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In the late 1980s, Sony began expanding into media, purchasing a U.S. record company (CBS Records for $22 billion in 1988) and a major Hollywood studio (Columbia Pictures for $4.9 billion in 1989). The purchases made Sony a major force in the entertainment industry. The importance of marketing at Sony started with Akio Morita, who said that for a company to be successful, it must have three kinds of creativity: creativity to make inventions, creativity in product planning and production, and creativity in marketing. Creativity in marketing at Sony means not just clever ads, but deep insight into its customers. For example, Sony knows its PlayStation customers like to find clues and to decode things. So Sony’s ads for PlayStation 2, like â€Å"Signs,† feature a young man walking the streets of a city where he encounters various signs foreshadowing the events. Mannequins appear in a store window, arms outstretched, and point enigmatically to something that’s about to happen. â€Å"The lead character is almost in the midst of his own role-playing game. He needs to follow clues to save the heroine,† said Andrew House, Sony’s executive vice president of marketing. In the ads, â€Å"we were essentially trying to tap into a range of emotions that we think we deliver in the games—intrigue, foreboding, excitement, panic, relief and achievement at the end.† Sony’s marketing also includes careful measurement of each campaign’s effectiveness. Fo r example, Sony runs 30-second commercials for its PlayStation as part of the previews in more than 1,800 theaters and on 8,000 movie screens. The ads appear before such films as â€Å"The Cat in the Hat.† Sony Computer Entertainment America has been running movie ads for six years. â€Å"Cinema advertising has been very effective for us,† said Ami Blaire, director of product marketing. â€Å"The reason why we have committed to cinema every year is the tremendous unaided recall shown by our own research and Communicus commissioned ad tracking.† Another example of measurement is Sony’s GenY youth marketing efforts. â€Å"The online program promoting the NetMD, ATRAC CD Walkman and Cybershot U30 ran July 1 through September 30 2003, and we found that more than 70 percent of the clickthroughs were spurred by rich media ads via Eyeblaster, versus static banners,† said Serge Del Grosso, Director of Media and Internet Strategy, Sony Electronics. In fact, Sony has even developed a direct-marketing solution which it sells to other companies who want to measure marketing effectiveness. The product, called eBridge[TM], allows marketers to use video, measure the effectiveness of the campaign, and gain insight into the target audience, all in one package. Sony expects that the next big breakthrough will not come from a single new electronic device. Rather, Sony president Kunitake Ando says that the future lies in making a whole range of devices more useful by linking them in a networked home-entertainment system. The company believes that its clout in consumer electronics, combined with its media content, will allow it to steer that convergence in a way that suits it. Whether the future of convergence resides in TVs or PCs or devices, $62-billion Sony makes every one of them—with a strong brand name that gives them an extra push off retail shelves around the world. Discussion Questions 1.What have been the key success factors for Sony? 2.Where is Sony vulnerable? 3.What should it watch out for? 4.What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going forward? 5.What should they be sure to do with its marketing?

Beatrice and Benedick in Acts one and two vs. Hero and Claudio in Much Ado about Nothing :: essays research papers

The two sets of characters Beatrice and Benedick, and Hero and Claudio are two very different sets of people, however they have one thing in common, there is love between each couple. During acts one and two, we are shown how different Beatrice is to her cousin Hero, how similar Beatrice and Benedick are and how similar Hero and Claudio. When you first meet Beatrice and Hero, act one scene one, they have just heard from a messenger boy of the soldiers imminent return to their household. Immediately Beatrice asks about the whereabouts of one Signor Mountanto. Only Hero knows who that she means Signor Benedick of Padua. You then instantly learn that there is some history between Benedick and Beatrice, Leonato explains, ?You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her: they never meet but there?s a skirmish of wit between them? This tells you straightaway that there is a connection between the two, but so far we do not hear more. So far, Beatrice has spoken a lot and Hero we have only heard from once to correct the name Beatrice gives to the messenger. Beatrice teases the messenger boy about Benedick, until Beatrice?s uncle tells the messenger about the ?merry war?. It seems that Beatrice is an example of how a women shouldn?t behave around men where as Hero is showing how to be a ?proper? lady by keeping quiet until asked for. Beatrice is presented as a very passionate person, whilst Shakespeare has presented Hero as a meek, timid woman, in fact Hero only speaks one line. You finally meet the soldiers, including Claudio and Benedick, later in Act one, Scene 1. When the soldiers do come in Claudio does not say anything until he is on his own with his friend Benedick. In this way he is very like Hero, he doesn?t say anything as it is not needed, he does not add to conversation. In fact when he does speak, you see a passionate side to him come out as he tells of his liking of Hero, in this way he is very like Beatrice as he has a very passionate personality, although he, unlike Beatrice, keeps it under wraps. When you first hear Benedick speak, he in conversation with Leonato and Don Pedro but by the 3rd time that you hear him speak, he has already engaged into a heated conversation with Beatrice.

The Bluest Eye :: essays research papers

	Misdirection of Anger "Anger is better [than shame]. There is a sense of being in anger. A reality of presence. An awareness of worth."(50) This is how many of the blacks in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye felt. They faked love when they felt powerless to hate, and destroyed what love they did have with anger. The Bluest Eye shows the way that the blacks were compelled to place their anger on their own families and on their own blackness instead of on the white people who were the cause of their misery. In this manner, they kept their anger circulating among themselves, in effect oppressing themselves, at the same time they were being oppressed by the white people. Pecola Breedlove was a young black girl, growing up in Lorain, Ohio in the early 1940's. Her life was one of the most difficult in the novel, for she was almost totally alone. She suffered the most because she had to withstand having others' anger dumped on her, internalized this hate, and was unable to get angry herself. Over the course of the novel, this anger destroys her from the inside. When Geraldine yells at her to get out of her house, Pecola's eyes were fixed on the "pretty" lady and her "pretty" house. Pecola does not stand up to Maureen Peal when she made fun of her for seeing her dad naked but instead lets Freida and Claudia fight for her. Instead of getting mad at Mr. Yacobowski for looking down on her, she directed her anger toward the dandelions that she once thought were beautiful. The dandelions also represent her view of her blackness, once she may have thought that she was beautiful, but like the dandelions, she now follows the majorities' view. However, "the anger will not hold"(50), and the feelings soon gave way to shame. Pecola was the sad product of having others' anger placed on her: "All of our waste we dumped on her and she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us"(205). The other black people felt beautiful next to her ugliness, wholesome next to her uncleanness, her poverty made them generous, her weakness made them strong, and her pain made them happier. In effect, they were oppressing her the same way the whites were oppressing them. When Pecola's father, Cholly Breedlove, was caught as a teenager in a field with Darlene by two white men, "never did he once consider directing his hatred toward the hunters"(150), rather her directed his hatred towards the girl because hating the white men would "consume" him.

Electronic Health Records Essay

Implementing a new electronic health records (EHR) system to replace manual records is an extremely complicated task. EHRs use complex algorithms to exchange patient data among different physicians and departments such as a pharmacy and laboratory. EHRs are becoming popular because employees and patients can access records anytime and anywhere. Patient drug alerts are also part of the system to warn emergency room and intensive care nurses about potential drug reactions. A needs assessment is a systematic procedure to determine what components are required for EHR implementation to prevent failure of the highly costly investment. Although EHR systems have been shown to dramatically reduce human error, proper assessment before undergoing the implementation process is critical or errors and costs could actually increase. An EHR assessment must be completed before the software packages can be selected to ensure it is conformed perfectly to the specialized needs of the hospital. According to the California Medical Association the assessment has two steps: 1.) Readiness Assessment; and 2.) Work Flow Analysis (Ginsberg et al., n.d.). The assessment should be done by a seasoned group of engineers, physicians, lab workers, billing staff, pharmacists, and nurses to collaborate so that each department increases patient safety and efficient care. The assessment should include a web-based demonstration that allows all stakeholders to identify gaps that would hinder their job responsibilities. Once the needs assessment has been done and vendors chosen as potential suppliers, the readiness assessment should begin. One of the most important data to collect is financial resources. Are more physicians going to be  hired that will increase training costs? Can the organization truly afford the upstart investment and ongoing computer support? Space considerations are also critical to evaluate because most closets are too small for the new EHR platforms that have huge servers. High-speed internet capabilities are a must for EHR data exchange between stakeholders. Moreover, are existing medical records planned to be thinned to put the data into the new system? If so, data needs to be destroyed according to HIPP protocol to protect patient confidentiality. The work flow analysis portion of the needs assessment looks at step-by-step procedures. Examples are scheduling, diagnostic tests, and reviewing tests, prescribing medication, clinical notes, and billing data (Ginsberg et al., n.d.). Other data to be analyzed for the EHR system should be medical history forms, lists of current medications vital signs, insurance, and referrals. The flow of steps in this planning process involves network upgrades, expanding server room space, a Medicare fraud plan, selection of three EHR vendors, visiting other hospitals using the systems, negotiating, and finally select the model that is best suited to all stakeholders. A 10-year study done by the Canada Health Info way about who should be consulted during adoption of an EHR system looked at 29 key stakeholders involved in establishing policy (Rozenblum et al., 2001). They found that stakeholders should be consulted from a bottom-up, clinical needs approach first because they will be the heaviest users of the system. This means physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, billers, lab workers, and pharmacy employees need to have significant input into selecting what aspects are most important. The number one reason for implementation failure is inadequate involvement of line-worker clinicians (Rozenblum et al., 2001). Therefore, the informatics team must work very closely with these stakeholders. Other critical stakeholders to consult are the finance department to ensure how much funding is available. Patients are also important stakeholders because no one wants their health information linked to a huge system that is insecure and prone to hacking confidential medical records. Policy makers at the executive organizational and governmental level also have powerful sway over which EHR is chosen. Lack of  collaboration among these diverse groups can delay implementation of the system for decades. Appropriate needs assessment provides relevant feedback to upper management. This helps these higher-ups make wise decisions based on financial resources, training needs for staff, vendor choice, and whether or not EHR is even necessary (Hartzler et al, 2013). Upper management is also provided with the ability to analyze which employees should have access to the system (or what parts of the system) to complete their designated tasks. Gaps between â€Å"wants† and â€Å"needs† can also be identified so that valuable resources are analyzed in cost-benefit analysis. Training needs or additional hiring of employees can also be anticipated to prevent glitches in the system due to human error. EHR systems can increase profit margins and protect patients from human error if assessed closely prior to purchase and implementation. References Ginsberg, D. (n.d.). Successful preparation and implementation of an electronic health records system. Best Practices: A guide for improving the efficiency and quality of your practice. Retrieved December 26, 2014 at https://www.cmanet.org/files/pdf/ehr/best-practices-7.pdf. Hartzler, A. et al. (2013). Stakeholder engagement: A key component of integrating genomic information into electronic health records. Genetics in Medicine, 15, 792-801. Rozenblum, R. (2001). A qualitative study of Canada’s experience with the implementation of electronic health information technology. CMAJ, 183(5), E281-E288.

Case Study †Bob Knowlton Essay

Description Bob Knowlton was recently assigned to be a project head of the new photon unit at Simmons Laboratories. He received the assignment from Dr. Jerrold, the head of the laboratory. Unbeknownst to Knowlton, Jerrold had decided to bring in another person to the project, Simon Fester. Although Fester is obviously a brilliant individual, he lacks any sort of teamwork skills and derisively says the decisions made by groups exhibit a â€Å"high level of mediocrity†. This disturbs Knowlton because he feels that group participation in the meetings with all departments yields great decisions and builds camaraderie. At a meeting between the sponsors of the research and the project heads, Fester controls the presentation and the coinciding after-meeting. Knowlton feels that Fester has taken control of his project and has started to look for positions at other companies. He tenders his resignation a few weeks later, surprising both Jerrold and Fester. Unfortunately Jerrold did not anticipate and had made plans to move Fester to another project, assuming Knowlton would continue to head up the project. Now the once promising project is in shambles with no leadership. Diagnosis Although the relationship between Jerrold and Knowlton seemed strong and they talked frequently, there was still an obvious communication disconnect between regarding Fester. Knowlton does not clearly state to Jerrold what his misgivings about Fester are. In addition, Knowlton appears not to have confidence in his abilities and basically allows Fester to run the show. Theory Knowlton believes that he â€Å"happened† into his new position and feels that he had some lucky breaks in obtaining it. Locus of control is used to explain whether or not individuals think their outcomes are controlled internally or externally (Luthan, 2011) . Knowlton is exhibiting an external locus of control since he credits his ascension to his current position as a â€Å"miracle†. This coupled with the fact that he is threatened by Fester  looking at his graphs, running his meetings, etc., shows that Knowlton does not think his ability (internal locus of control) had anything to do with his promotion. Prescription Jerrold should make an attempt to rehire Bob back into the company. He obviously faith in his abilities and needs Knowlton’s experience to run the photon project. Jerrold also needs to work with his subordinates – including Fester – on interactive communicating and teambuilding. Fallout If Jerrold is unable to convince Knowlton to return to the company, he may have to pull back Fester from his new project to run the photon project or let the latter stagnate. However, unless Fester can learn to include team members in making decisions, the project will fail due to a lack of teamwork. References Luthan, F. (2011). Advanced Organizational Behavior. : McGraw Hill.

Has the development of Human Resource Management practices replaced the need for trade unions Essay

According to Phelan (2007, pp. 45-47), trade unions were the most powerful organizations after the industrial revolution. During the 19th and 20th century, management was largely mechanistic and the position of workers was not felt unless the force of the numbers was employed. As a result, the membership to the trade unions increased steadily to 1979 after which a sharp decline is evident. During the 20th century, Donna, Stephen and Roderick (2007, p. 832) report that over one third of all employees belonged to trade unions by 1979 before declining sharply o 13. % by year 2000. In their view, Gurpreet (2007, p. 85) and Hearnshaw (2007, p. 76) argue that the trade unions decline is an indication of the critical period that change must be embraced to create greater value of the production systems. According to Tove, Hammer and Bayazit (2009, pp. 405-406), the unions lacked the needed sensitivity to their members and held their views towards salaries and job security only. Under this model, unions failed to recognize the fact that if employees were guaranteed what the unions provided, they would lack their value. From their view point, Coca-Stefaniak, Hallsworth and Bainbridge (2005, pp. 361-363) argue that trade unions’ mandates lacked clear definition and therefore kept overlapping between political delineations to employees protection. Consequently, many leaders used them to settle political scores and stepping stones to power. Indeed, Marlow (2006, p. 54) points an accusing finger to this vagueness in executing their mandates that employees sought to distance themselves. A major question that arises at this point is what is indeed the future of the unions? Though many analysts appear to avoid answering the question directly, Pencavel (2003, p. 21) and Blanden and Machin (2003, pp. 121-122) suggest that the unions will indeed not fully die, but resilience of their roles will be evident when major problems occur. Comparison of human resources managements and trade unions Comparison of trade human resources and trade unions brings out the picture of two negating forces but geared towards achieving the same objectives. To begin with, trade unions were run politically and therefore involved a very wide spectrum of employees they dealt with. As a result, Gill (2009, pp. 41-42) explains it was very hard to address the demands of the different members with ease. On the other hand, human resources management is a discipline defined by clear cut professional outline that have key objectives. Redman and Wilkinson (2009, p. 121) explain that apart from this clear objectivity, human resources managers have a narrower spectrum, for instance, one company or institution, which makes it easier to address concerns of their subjects. The approach and consideration of trade unions as Marchington and Wilkinson (2005, p. 114) pointed out in their study, was based on a competitive model that was viewed as a major achievement for specific leaders. As a result, other options were locked out; a consideration that created controversy with economists and political elites. Marchington and Wilkinson (2005, p. 117) further point out that human resources managers consider conflicts to be critical aspects that must be addressed carefully in defining a better relationship and ultimately greater productivity. Though Jose and Fernando (2002, pp. 181-182), use of the term ‘militant’ when referring to trade unions has received sharp criticism, it is perhaps the correct term. Trade unions main method of addressing conflicts was use of strikes and demonstrations. As a result, they resulted to great losses to particular institutions, companies and even nations. Human resources managers however, balance between critical human qualifications, existing infrastructure and overall returns as dictated by the demand and supply of resulting products. Gill (2009, pp. 41-42) therefore concurs with Marlow (2006, p. 78) that everybody has his own niche and stands a better chance of advancing with ease. Modern roles of human resources a) Staffing and selection The roles of human resources have over the years changed with the rising demand to view employees as a responsive system as opposed to a rigid consideration Farber and Western (2002, pp. 398-399) explains that this role therefore creates a harmonic platform that proactively addresses key problems that necessitated the need for trade unions. Staffing and selection is done on the basis of merits; a consideration that give employees great security both locally and internationally. By conducting effective selection, the employees do not feel threatened, but are given a chance to improve on their skills which the organization they work for strongly struggles to retain while others remain opportunistic to outsource (Blanden and Machin, 2003, pp. 126-127). Unions are therefore rendered less essential as job security is indeed very high and payments highly sustainable. ) Rewarding compensation and motivation management To concur with Gill (2009, p. 90) conclusion, poor rewarding systems formed the basis of unions in the mid-twentieth century. At this time most production were privately owned, but most importantly, they lacked effective competition to trigger better compensation and motivation of their workers. Human resources managements’ greatest roles are indeed to assess performance, initiate the needed improvement ef forts and most importantly reward the best performers. In his theory of human needs, Robert Maslow argued that when employees are guaranteed the needed capacity for progression towards self actualization, other systems are easily foregone (Gill, 2009, p. 48). Unlike the trade unions that provided only raising the salaries, human resources create a roadmap for sustainability; a factor that Brewster (2004, p. 371) indicate directly disrupts their consideration for unionization. c) Employee’s development and modelling When refereeing to the current replacement of trade unions roles with human resources management, one cannot fail to focus on the modelling and development roles. Though trade unions train their members on different aspects of their relationship with their seniors and the employers, greater credit as Jose and Fernando (2002, p. 189), suggests, is given to human resources managements. As indicated earlier, trade unions lack the necessary specificity on their members who are highly diverse. Due to their smaller nature of operation, human resources have proved to be more effective in that employees are continuously modelled with close supervision with an aim of improving their place in an organization. Jose and Fernando (2002, pp. 188-190) add that modelling sets a clear role model and a definite roadmap to follow in addressing their concerns and issues. d) Negotiating and change management Unlike during the period of the trade unions, negotiations have taken a central position for all the employees. Brewster (2004, p. 368) explains that human resources management eliminates key bureaucracies and therefore brings the employees closer to the top leadership. Furthermore, human resources management facilitates teamwork to encourage involvement of all the workers in negotiating their views in an organization. To infer greater need for negotiations, Coca-Stefaniak et al (2005, pp. 366-367) argue that internal and external change agents often propose changes towards improving the welfare of the employees and ultimate productivity of the company. As a result, the need for trade unions to create either a rise in payments or even improved working conditions does not arise. Counterarguments In his view, Phelan (2007, pp. 4-75) suggests that trade unions roles will remain critical despite the current decline. He further points out that though many workers have shifted from the trade unions; their need will always be rekindled during the periods of major crisis. During the 2007-2008 financial crises, many workers turned to trade unions for protection of their jobs. Pencavel (2003, p. 25) cites the political interference in reducing the relevance o f the unions. As a result, strength of trade unions will always recur when new political elites with favouring views rise to power. However, the two counterarguments fail to acknowledge the great advancements in technology that facilitate easier detection of workplace problems, faster communication and precise assessment that assists in making the correct decisions to avoid major issues (Hearnshaw, 2007, p. 69). Conclusion and recommendations From the above discussion, this paper supports the thesis statement, ‘the critical roles played by human resources managements that greatly satisfies the customers, improves their earnings, secures their employment, and maintains the correct organization cultures have increasingly replaced the need for trade unions. Trade unions came out as strong movements that were very vibrant during the 20th century when clear professionalism lacked in running businesses and organizations. Human resources management came in with great specialization that is highly proactive and employees driven; a consideration that surpassed the major roles of the unions. However, counterarguments presented in the discussion are true and their roles will often recur during periods of major crisis in organizations.

Tuner Laboratory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tuner Laboratory - Essay Example This kind of a stub causes a removal of harmonics from a given signal, more specifically at the circuit’s output, while giving some allowance to the fundamental flow. After schematic construction of this entire set-up, the stub’s length will be tuned until the desired response of around 5 GHz is attained. It hence establishes a clear understanding of the ultimate concept of the applicability of fibre optic transmission. The main practical application of this tuner circuit is on the AM and FM radios that typically works through the aspect of incorporation of high frequency signal as well as modulation of its amplitude, hence leading to the establishment of Amplitude Modulation as a key acronym. There are some of the radio antennas that operate over the audio spectrum of between 20 Hz and 20 KHz, from an extremely lower frequency communications that are often utilized in submarines. Based on this fact, each and every individual who shall be listening and transmitting woul d have the ability of hearing what other individuals were saying. Thus, there would not be a much clearer means of signal separation. These two major signals are often remarkably close within the frequency range, but are also still under clear separate ends hence allowing for efficient separation a given radio or any other applicable device. In the tuner circuit, wire connections are often insulated so as to prevent any form of accidental energy coupling into many other things. It tends to consist of almost two layers mainly because of some integral reasons. There exists both the outer and the inner layers. The cladding, which is usually taken to mean the outer layer, has a little lower index as compared to the core or the inner layer. In this manner, the light is hence allowed to constantly bounce to and fro without any form of relying on the fibre’s outer interface. The entire variation in the refractive index between the core and cladding often works towards

Civil Committment of Sexual Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil Committment of Sexual Offenders - Essay Example Minnesota allows for civil commitment of sex offenders who have completed their jail terms, a provision that has been made in the Minnesota Commitment Act. The act reasons that civil commitment of sex offenders is a necessary measure to prevent dangerous sexual offences from occurring in the future (Barnickol, 2001). In California, civil commitment fro sex offenders is allowed under the Sexually Violent Predator Law. The provisions of the commitment law for sex offenders in California are the same as in Kansas and Minnesota. Other States that have adopted civil commitment laws for sex offenders who are deemed dangerous include: Washington, Missouri, Florida, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Iowa (McCaffrey, 1994). One of the similarities that stand out in many of the sex offenders’ civil commitment laws in different states is the requirement that a criminal is likely to pose sexual offense danger to other people after he is released at the end of his jail term. The laws seek to ha ve violent sex predators who have some form of mental abnormality to be committed to involuntarily and indefinitely to appropriate facilities for treatment. The laws also require that such offenders must have completed their jail sentences. Although all the civil commitment laws in states that have adopted are largely similar, there are a few differences that exist. For instance, in the Texas legislation of civil commitment, a criminal is liable to commitment if he is found to have behavioral abnormality. This is different from the mental abnormality mentioned in other similar legislations (Prentky, Janus, and Barbaree, 2006). Different states have also taken different approaches in the management of civilly committed sexual offender populations. Florida for example, requires the offenders to be committed to be assessed by a qualified team so as to determine if they are sexually violent predators. The evaluation process is a civil proceeding after which those offenders found to meet the criteria are kept under watch at the Florida Civil Commitment Center together with other detainees who are still awaiting similar civil trials (McCaffrey, 1994). In Washington, evaluation of an offender’s state of mind is done by a Joint Forensic Unit whose members are forensic experts who deal specifically with risk evaluations related to sex offence. If the offender is fond to meet all the legal requirements for civil commitment, the King County Prosecutor’s Office or the Attorney General’s office then files a petition and a hearing is scheduled within 72 hours. If the superior court finds the offender to be a suitable candidate for a civil commitment trial, he is taken to the DSHS Special Commitment Center located on McNeil Island. During the trial, the jury or judge must determine without doubt that the offender is a sexually violent predator before he is transferred to a Secure Community Transition Facility (LaFond and Winick, 2003). Similar civil or c ourt hearings are scheduled for each offender who is regarded to have mental abnormality which makes him a danger to others in all the states where civil commitment for sexual predators has been legalized. After they are committed in specialized facilities, the sexual predators receive special treatment for a specified period to make them better members of society after which they are released to carry on with normal life. Costs vs. Benefits of Civil Commitment One of the benefits of civil

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Interview - Essay Example One of her first jobs is to work at a call center of a cellular phone company. She made $9 per hour then. She worked graveyard shifts, and she complained that the schedule and target goals were very stressful and exhausting. After only three months, she decided to shift to becoming a pre-school teacher. She finished BS Mathematics and she enjoyed it. But she realized that she wanted to also become a pre-school teacher. For the next three years, she took Early Childhood and Education programs. After she finished the programs, she applied for a public school in our community and she got hired. Right now, she is still a pre-school teacher and loving her job. She makes around $30,000 every year. She is now pursuing her MA in Early Childhood Education. Teachers are not superheroes; they are human beings with likes and dislikes in this world. She said that as a girl, their family had two dogs, three cats, two rabbits, and two hamsters. The most special pet for her was Britney, their white cat with blue eyes and bunny tail. She is special, because she seems to be aware of her limits as a pet. Janice said: â€Å"Brit is the sweetest cat ever, and she never pounces on food, unless it is given to her. And you can just feel that she loves you so much, when she brushes on your legs.† Like other people, Janice tries to avoid some things, but she ends up doing them. She said that some of the things that she is doing that she said she would never do are eating another slice of chocolate cake, and spending more time playing CastleVille than originally planned. She admitted being â€Å"partially addicted† to both. Janice stresses that she hates long lines, traffic, and young people who disrespect their parents. Some of the best things that Janice loves about her life right now are that she can do anything she wants, because she is still single and she does not have to be encumbered with the responsibilities of being a

Illiad and Odyseey Greek Mythology about the Soul Essay

Illiad and Odyseey Greek Mythology about the Soul - Essay Example The underworld was ruled by Hades, and all souls after physical death went there. Greek religious beliefs were not written down in parchments but were orally passed on from one generation to another. In every culture, epical stories were created, basing on religious beliefs, and exchanged through word of mouth so that the thoughts and beliefs took deep roots in society. While philosophy was hard for the average human being to understand, fictionalized accounts were easily comprehended. Heroic stories had the power to pass on values and moral to people rather than scripts intended to preach religion. Narratives based on adventures of brave and idealistic protagonists, therefore, became popular among masses and the authors interlaced such sagas with religious and philosophical thoughts in a manner accessible to ordinary people. Thus, Iliad and Odyssey, the two epics by Homer, have a strong influence not only on Greek culture but also on their religion. Homer’s â€Å"Odyssey† is an account of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca from the Trojan War. It narrates his adventures and how he overcame the wrath of Poseidon, with the help and blessings of Goddess Athene, daughter of Zeus. Odyssey concentrates on the happenings in Odysseus’ native land, Ithaca during a twenty year period when he was away from his motherland, and the tribulations suffered by his faithful wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Finally, after a long and arduous struggle, Odysseus returns to his land, with the help of the goddess Athene, and is reunited with his wife and son. He also succeeds in killing all the suitors who wanted to marry Penelope during his long absence from Ithaca. As was the contemporary practice prevalent during that time the dead were not buried but cremated. The practice of building â€Å"a mould with all the proper funeral rites† was also practiced. (Homer, 1991. p.12, line 293).  

Womens Health and Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Womens Health and Rights - Essay Example Females have the capability of carrying a fetus in their wombs. It is a distinct characteristic of females that males would not be able to replicate. This makes females an important entity in the preservation of mankind. However, with such importance, are females given the same importance with regards to health information and breakthroughs compared to the males? Females are continuously proving to the society that they are just as capable as the male members of the civilization. This is despite the fact that there are differences between the characteristics of the two genders. There are specific distinctions in health needs between males and females. A female’s reproductive system is more complex than that of the male. It is during the adolescence when females experience a number of physical changes. This is the time when females start having their monthly menstruation period. There are certain discomforts that go together with this health condition uniquely present in female bodies. There is neither an excuse nor a medication that can stop this health event from happening. There are sites in the worldwide web that aims to report health information and concerns. One of these sites is WebMD.Com. As the site’s slogan goes, if a person is well-informed on how to take care of their bodies, these people would have better health and will be living a better life. This site does have a specific page for women’s health that addresses women’s needs to be able to gain better knowledge of their physical well-being. It is truly necessary for medical information websites to have pages that would address to women’s health. There are health conditions that need to be addressed especially when they will eventually lead to life threatening ailments. The issues that are being tackled at the site vary from puberty to menopause. Navigating to the page is only a click away from the homepage. It is good that WebMD presents this page exclusively for women’s health. Even men can use this page as a guide in understanding their partners especially when women are undergoing hormonal changes. There are a number of ailments that only a woman can acquire. This goes hand in hand with their ability to get pregnant. Even if this is given information, women’s health is often neglected as men’s health is often the given more attention and focus. It is quite alarming though that the most discussed aspect on the site is related to the reproductive system. Females are smart and can understand information just like as their male counterparts. Health conditions are not always on the good side. When females are faced with serious health problems, lay down the truth and do not sugar-coat the reality. Birth control is one of the aspects that affect the females more than the males. However, this may also be the cause of several reproductive disorders that women acquire during their lifetime. A female needs to intake pills or i nject contraceptives to be able to control hormones that are possible for them to conceive. What are not clearly stated though would be the after effects of these medicines to women who would eventually stop using them and acquire the desire to conceive? Instead of stating artificial birth control methods, to truly protect women’s health, medical sites or institutions should promote natural form of birth control that would not manipulate hormones or genes that might be the cause for infertility and other ailments as their side effects. When a reader does not research further, only the positive effects or the negative effect of the medication can be known which can be considered impartial. If this website would stand for its slogan, the possible negative effects of medications to women at the onset should be

Make Educating Girls a Priority Essay Example for Free

Make Educating Girls a Priority Essay The article emphasizes on providing education to every eligible girl in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It highlights that a girl who takes birth in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa has to undergo desperate hardships such as poverty, disease, war or famine. Apart from that, she will also have to confront the disadvantage of being a girl. There is no culture, country and continent that are destitute of inequality. The root cause of girls not getting education is the cultural norms and economic hardships, which parents face. There is a norm of single-sex schooling in poor Muslim countries like Pakistan, Yemen, and Morocco and in the problem is that rural areas of those countries can afford only one public school that can be set for girls only. The inequality between girls and boys exist heavily in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and almost all of those countries come under the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). One way for these countries to head towards economic development is by making educating girls a priority. Making separate schools in places where girls and boys are educated separately is one solution. It is believed that by building girls schools, the education gap can be eliminated to a great extent. Policymakers can strengthen the incentives for parents to send their daughters to school by setting the no-fee policy. However, in economics, nothing is for free. There is always someone or something that pays for it. A no-fee policy may be brought about by taking a portion of the peoples taxes. Another thing the policymakers can do is provide stipend for girls who enroll in girls school. This would surely increase the girls enrolment rate as the graph below indicates that the fall in fees from f to f1 will lead to an increase in the enrolment rate from e to e1. Providing every eligible girl in South Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa would contribute towards the countrys development because major studies of growth conclude that improved knowledge, higher efficiency, and better education play a vital role in the functioning and productivity of an economy. The World Bank has pointed towards human development which they believe better education, and family planning can promote development as effectively as capital investment in physical plant. As the article states that 99% of the 529,000 women who die annually from pregnancy related hurdles come from developing countries and the reason for that is the lack of education for women in those countries. Uneducated women do not know the severe malnutrition and prenatal care during pregnancy which puts both the child and the mother at serious risk. Expenditure on human capital better educated, health, and nutrition tends to reduce birth-rates and infant mortality. The women will be educated and will be able to effectively take part in family planning as she will be aware of the consequences. Having a controlled population means a positive result in the GNP per capita which is the result of subtracting the population growth rate from the GNP growth rate. Educating the girls will privilege them to be able to raise their child effectively in a civilized manner. Educated women will be aware of dangers such as HIV/AIDS, poor sanitary habits and poor dietary habits. So basically they will be aware of the environment around them and above all they will know their rights and therefore fully stand up for themselves. So, educating the girls would not only benefit themselves but the society as a whole as well. So education helps the overall population and on a larger scales the whole world. Apart from giving a country an efficient work force, education makes the individual able to read, write, and communicate. When the people in a society are capable to bring forth their views, opinions and debates, it brings a social change and the changing attitudes of people may achieve a number of developmental aims. Providing education to the girls would also add to the countrys labor force which would definitely lead to an increase in economic growth. Therefore an economic development would shift the countrys Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) curve to the right as shown in the graphs below. In my opinion, I would say that providing education to girls in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa by building single-sex schools is a much appreciated step because of the numerous benefits it will contribute to the world. However it has to be taken into consideration that in some parts of the world providing co-education is unacceptable for example the northern areas of Pakistan. Therefore single-sex education will be a much better choice as it will be acceptable and also appreciated. However, single sex education is said to be not as beneficial as the co-education because in co-education pupils of both gender get to interact with each other and learn much more than they can in single education. But single sex education will be the only choice that can be perused in areas where co-education is not allowed. Although building single-sex schools will have an opportunity cost as the government will have to sacrifice something in order to afford the cost of building schools, but I would say it is all worth it. When the girls of a country are educated they will definitely add to the countrys work force and educating girls means educated women in the country which means that they will know how to properly raise their children and nurture them. There are many benefits which the country will have from providing education to the girl. There are short term benefits as well as long term benefits. More emphasis will be on the long term benefits as you know that it will take time before the women of the country will all be educated and it will take time to have an impact of providing education to girls on countrys women literacy rate. I also found the idea proposed in the article by the policymakers about handing the money to the mother of the school-going girl, instead the men. Handing the money to the women is a very effective and well-thought idea as mothers are more concerned about their childrens health and nutrition.

The Sme Growth Strategies Economics Essay

The Sme Growth Strategies Economics Essay This paper focuses on factors affecting the growth and performance of small and medium enterprises. The aim was to identify strategic factors differentiating young and long-lived growth SMEs. The empirical data consisted of 32 young (8 years or less) and 33 long-lived (20 years or more) growth SMEs. A comparison of the two groups of growth SMEs revealed strategic differences with important implications between young and long-lived SMEs. The results suggest that firm age does matter for SME growth strategies. The results increase our understanding of the factors affecting SME growth and performance in two different contexts. Keywords: growth; performance; strategies; small and medium enterprises INTRODUCTION Firm growth is a central focus area in strategy, organizational and entrepreneurship research. Much research effort has been targeted particularly at investigating the factors affecting firm growth, but to date there is no comprehensive theory to explain which firms will grow or how they grow (e.g. Garnsey, 1996). It seems that not even very strong explanatory factors have been identified, though various explanatory approaches have been presented. The research community largely shares the view that growth SMEs have a special importance in the economy (see e.g. Storey, 1994). During the last ten years, the research on firm growth has largely focused on high-growth SMEs. It is argued that a relatively small proportion of all small firms are responsible for the major part of the small firm contribution to net new jobs (Storey, 1994; Birch et al., 1993). These firms have been described as gazelles, fliers, growers and winners, and the targeting of effort towards them has been described as picking, stimulating, or backing winners (see e.g. Gibb, 1997; Freel, 1998; Beaver Jennings, 1995). More recently, the role of fast-growing small firms has been questioned, and the issue is known as the mice vs. gazelles (Birch et al., 1993) or flyers vs. trundlers (Storey, 1994) debate. In other words, the debate has focused on the question: which of these actually has the major impact on net employment (Davidsson Delmar, 1998)? On the other hand, it has been recognized that attending exclusively to firm-level growth and jobs may be too narrow an approach. Firms, even very small and non-growing ones, can have different strategic roles or positions in the local economic system (Laukkanen 1999). Some are critical facilitators of other firms growth or of their very emergence, and thus are important for job creation at the local level. In fact, previous research reveals that firm growth is a multidimensional phenomenon. There is substantial heterogeneity in a number of factors associated with firm growth and related research (Delmar et al., 2003). The most recent research on firm growth has increased our understanding of different growth patterns. As Delmar et al. (2003) have shown, firm growth patterns are related to the demographic characteristics of firms such as firm age. SME growth is often closely associated with firm overall success and survival (e.g. Johannisson, 1993; Phillips Kirchhoff, 1989). Growth has been used as a simple measure of success in business (e.g. Storey, 1994). Also, as Brush and Vanderwerf (1992) suggest, growth is the most appropriate indicator of the performance for surviving small firms. Moreover, growth is an important precondition for the achievement of other financial goals of business (de Geus, 1997: 53; Storey, 1994; Reynolds, 1993; Day, 1992: 128; Phillips Kirchhoff, 1989). From the point of view of an SME, growth is usually a critical precondition for its longevity (Storey, 1994: 158). Phillips and Kirchhoff (1989) found that young firms that grow have twice the probability of survival as young non-growing firms. It has been also found that strong growth may reduce the firms profitability temporarily, but increase it in the long run (McDougall et al., 1994; cf. MacMillan Day, 1987). However, there are several conceptual and empirical challenges in the study of firm growth (see e.g. Davidsson Wiklund, 2000; Delmar, 1997). Firm growth in general refers to increase in size. In research, firm growth has been operationalized in many ways and different measures have been used. This may be one reason for the contradictory results reported by previous studies (Weinzimmer et al., 1998: 235), though other explanations have also been presented (see Delmar et al., 2003; see also Davidsson Wiklund, 2000). The most frequently used measure for growth has been change in the firms turnover (e.g. Weinzimmer et al., 1998: 238; Hubbard Bromiley, 1995; Hoy et al., 1992; Venkatraman Ramanujam, 1986). Another typical measure for growth has been change in the number of employees. However, it has been found that these measures, which are frequently used in the SME context, are strongly intercorrelated (North Smallbone, 1993; Storey et al., 1987). Such an intercorrelation may not exist among capital-intensive large companies. Most studies of firm growth have focused on large companies or new venture, while the growth of established, long-lived SMEs seems to have attracted much less attention. In fact, many organizational life cycle models present growth as one stage of development in the organizational life cycle. On the other hand, it has been shown that most new jobs are created by existing, not new, SMEs (e.g. Davidsson et al., 1993; see also North et al., 1992). However, previous studies of SME performance have focused on the performance of new ventures rather than on existing SMEs and on the factors behind their longevity and growth (e.g. Tsai et al., 1991; Duchesneau Gartner, 1990; Keeley Roure, 1990). This study takes a holistic and extensive approach to factors affecting SME growth and performance. Firm growth and performance are much affected by strategy, which involves choices along a number of dimensions and can be represented by a firms overall collection of individual business-related decisions and actions (Mintzberg, 1978; Miles Snow, 1978). Though there is a variety of definitions of the term of strategy, it can accurately be conceptualized as a pattern of strategic variables, because the elements of strategy the individual business-related decisions and actions are interdependent and interactive (Galbraith Schendel, 1983). It is argued that the identification of strategy patterns permits a more complete and accurate depiction of overall strategic behavior (see e.g. Hambrick, 1983; Robinson Pearce, 1988). Previous research has suggested that the paths to growth can differ systematically by firm-level factors such as firm age (Fisher and Reuber, 2003; Delmar Davidsson, 1998). In fact, already in the late fifties Penrose (1959) presented the view that a firms growth pattern is dependent on its age, size, and industry affiliation (see Delmar et al., 2003; also Stinchcombe, 1965). As Delmar et al. (2003) suggest, it is probable that different growth patterns have different implications for management and possibly also for the long-term performance of the firm. In this light it seems useful to compare young growth SMEs and long-lived growth SMEs and determine whether they differ in characteristics and strategies. The central research question is, how do young and long-lived growth SMEs differ in their strategic attributes? In other words, the aim of this paper is to investigate whether firm age plays a role in firm characteristics and strategies. The findings will increase our understanding of the factors associated with firm growth and performance in these two different contexts. FACTORS AFFECTING SME GROWTH Although there has been much interest in understanding small firm growth during the last ten years (e.g. Davidsson Delmar, 1999; Delmar, 1997; Wiklund, 1998), there is still not much of a common body of well-founded knowledge about the causes, effects or processes of growth (Davidsson Wiklund, 2000). Moreover, although several determinants of firm growth have been suggested, researchers have been unable to achieve a consensus regarding the factors leading to firm growth (Weinzimmer, 2000). Most of the research work in this area fails to provide convincing evidence of the determinants of small firm growth as a basis for informing policy makers (Gibb Davies, 1990: 26). Attempts to build models for predicting the future growth of the firm, i.e. picking winners, have not been particularly successful. Moreover, as Spilling (2001) reminds us, the status of being a growth firm may be rather temporary. Early studies of growth focused on large companies and their diversification strategies. However, small firms are not small big firms. In large companies the role of diversification, for example, may be significantly bigger than in the case of SMEs. Indeed, growth through diversification may be necessary for the growth of a large company (Kay, 1997). The existing research on the growth and strategy of SMEs has focused mainly on new ventures (Olson Bokor, 1995). There are few studies of the growth of established SMEs: one instance is Davidsson (1989), who studied the subsequent growth of an SME from the psychological point of view. Maybe the most comprehensive compilation of results of previous studies focusing on small firm growth is that presented by Storey (1994). Several classifications of factors affecting firm growth have been presented. The general preconditions for growth have been suggested to be (1) entrepreneurs growth orientation; (2) adequate firm resources for growth; and (3) the existence of the market opportunity for growth (cf. Davidsson, 1991). Storey (1994: 158) claims that there are three key influences on the growth rate of a small independent firm: (1) the background and access to resources of the entrepreneur(s); (2) the firm itself; and (3) the strategic decisions taken by the firm once it is trading. The most important factors associated with an entrepreneur are motivation, education, the firm having more than a single owner, and the firm having middle-aged business owners. The growth of the smallest and youngest firms is the most rapid. The location and industry sector also affect the growth. The most important strategic factors are shared ownership, an ability to identify market niches and introduce new products, and an ability to build an efficient management team. Storey argues that these three components need to be combined appropriately for growth to be achieved. Gibb and Davies (1990: 16-17), on the other hand, have grouped the factors explaining growth into four types of approach (Gibb, 1997: 2-3; Pistrui et al., 1997; Poutziouris et al., 1999). These are: (1) personality-dominated approaches, which explore the impact of personality and capability on growth, including the entrepreneurs personal goals and strategic business aspirations (e.g. Chell Haworth, 1991; 1992); (2) firm development approaches, which seek to characterize the growth pattern of the firm across stages of development and the influence of factors affecting growth process (e.g. Scott Bruce, 1987); (3) business management approaches, which pay attention to the importance of business skills and the role of functional management, planning, control and formal strategic orientation in terms of shaping the growth and performance of the firm in the marketplace (e.g. Bamberger, 1989; 1983); and (4) sectoral and broader market-led approaches which focus largely on the identificati on of growth constraints and opportunities relating to small firm growth in the context of regional development or the development of specific industrial sectors such as high-technology small firms (e.g. Smallbone et al., 1993). The entrepreneur and growth intention The behavior of entrepreneurs is strongly affected by intentions (e.g. Krueger Carsrud, 1993: 315; Bird, 1988: 442). The firms strategic behavior and subsequent growth is understandable in the light of its growth intention. Therefore, firm growth is based not merely on chance, but on the managements conscious decision making and choice. Naturally, the firm can grow even though it is not the managements aim, but in such a case the growth is not planned and so may include more risks. Planning helps in managing growth. In general, goals and objectives can be divided into two categories. On the one hand, there are final goals which are valuable as such. On the other hand, there are goals which have instrumental value for achieving some other goals. Growth can be regarded as the second most important goal of a firm, the most important one being firm survival, i.e. the continuity of the business. Moreover, growth is an important precondition for a firms longevity. Negative growth of an SME is often a sign of problems, while stagnation, i.e. a situation where growth has stopped, is usually indicative of problems that a firm will face in the future. As a matter of fact, growth often has instrumental value. For new ventures, firm growth is needed to ensure an adequate production volume for profitable business. Growth can serve as an instrument for increasing profitability by enlargening the firms market-share. Other similar goals include securing the continuity of business in the conditions of growing demand or achieving economies of scale. Moreover, growth may bring the firm new business opportunities (cf. the corridor principle, Timmons 1999), and a larger size enhances its credibility in the market. Also, achieving a higher net value of the firm can be regarded as a motive for firm growth. In SMEs, growth objectives are often bound up with the owner-managers personal goals (e.g. Jennings Beaver, 1997), and so it is important that they support each other. Much has been written about the importance of the entrepreneurs growth motivation (e.g. Perren, 2000; Davidsson, 1991; Miner, 1990). The close connection between an owner-manager and the firm is the dominant characteristic of small firms (Vesalainen, 1995: 18). Instead of profit maximization or growth, a firms primary goal may be the entrepreneurs independence or self-realization (see e.g. Foley Green, 1989). Moreover, there may be no adequate resources for growth, or the expected increase in business risks may limit a firms growth willingness. However, aversion to growth has been said to be the principal reason why most SMEs stagnate and decline (Clark et al., 2001). In several typologies, entrepreneurs and firms are categorized by their business goals, so growth has been a widely used dimension in many typologies. There are two broad approaches in the studies of small firm success: (1) the business professionals model, and (2) the small business proprietors model (Bridge et al., 1998: 140-142). These two approaches can be identified in several typologies of entrepreneurs (e.g. Smith, 1967; Stanworth Curran, 1976). According to the business professionals model, a successful firm is one that achieves its highest potential in terms of growth, market share, productivity, profitability, return on capital invested or other measures of the performance of the firm itself. In the small business proprietors model, the owner-managers main concern is whether the firm is providing them with the benefits they want from it. These benefits are often associated with a lifestyle and an income level to maintain it. In the latter model, firm success therefore mean s being able to reach a level of comfort rather than achieving the businesss maximum potential. Firm development In firm development approaches, firms are seen as temporal phenomena which are born, grow, mature, decline and die. Firm growth is the basic dimension of the models of organizational life cycles (e.g. Greiner, 1972; 1998; Mintzberg, 1979; Churchill Lewis, 1983; 1991; Miller Friesen, 1983b; Scott Bruce, 1987). Numerous models of organizational life cycles have been presented, e.g. a three stage model (Smith et al., 1985), four stage models (Quinn Cameron, 1983; Kazanjian, 1988), five stage models (Greiner, 1972; Galbraith, 1982; Churchill Lewis, 1983; Scott Bruce, 1987), and a seven stage model (Flamholtz, 1986). These multistage models use a diverse array of characteristics to explain organizational growth and development. Organizational life cycle models is one application of the configurational approach in describing the stages of life cycles and the transformation from one stage to another (Mintzberg et al., 1998). Common to these growth pattern models is the claim that changes in an organization follow a pattern characterized by discrete stages of development (Dodge et al., 1994). Typical of these patterns are the sequence of events that show how things change over time, a hierarchical progression that is not easily reversed, and a composite of a broad range of organizational activities and structures. Organizational life cycle models are important in understanding the differences in success factors of the firm between the stages of the life cycle. However, organizational life cycle models have been criticized because of their extreme simplification of reality: in some cases not all stages of development are found, some stages of development may occur several times, the stages of development may occur in an irregular order, and there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the theories (e.g. Gibb Davies, 1990; Bridge et al., 1998: 105; Eggers et al., 1994; Birley Westhead, 1990; Miller Friesen, 1983a; Vinnell Hamilton, 1999; cf. Dodge et al., 1994). In addition, on the basis of the results of their study of high-growth firms, Willard et al. (1992) concluded that the applicability of conventional wisdom regarding the leadership crisis in rapid growth entrepreneurial firms may no longer be valid, if, in fact, it ever was. Despite the critiques of organizational life cycle models, strategic management and entrepreneurship research has demonstrated life cycle theory to be one of the most powerful tools for understanding and predicting venture performance. According to Greiner (1972; 1998), for example, a firms failure to adapt to a series of crises caused by growth is one of the principal causes of firm failure. Growth strategies Several growth strategies related to business management approaches have been presented in the literature. Managing growth is a major strategic issue for a growing firm (see e.g. Arbaugh Camp, 2000). Strategy is the most important determinant of firm growth (Weinzimmer, 2000). Among high-growth firms, Dsouza (1990) identified three primary strategic clusters: (1) build strategy, i.e. emphasis on vertical integration; (2) expand strategy, i.e. emphasis on resource allocation and product differentiation; and (3) maintain strategy, i.e. emphasis on market dominance and/or efficiency. Thompson (2001: 563-565) presents four growth strategies: (1) organic growth; (2) acquisition; (3) strategic alliance; and (4) joint venture. On the other hand, when looking at the product/market strategy, four options can be seen: (1) market penetration; (2) new product development; (3) new market development; and (4) moving into new markets with new products (Burns, 1989: 47). However, there is a lack of agreement in empirical findings concerning product- and market-based strategies. While Sandberg and Hofer (1987) argue that product-based strategies work better than focused strategies, Cooper (1993) claim that focused strategies outperform differentiated product strategies (Pistrui et al., 1997). Perry (1986/87) investigated growth strategies for an established small firm, and concluded that the most appropriate growth strategies are niche strategies, i.e. market development and product development strategies, in that order. However, it seems that most empirical studies focus on new venture strategies. Studies of competitive strategies related to firm growth have been carried out in the new venture context by McDougall and Robinson (1990), McDougall et al. (1992), Carter et al. (1994), and Ostgaard and Birley (1995), among others. As opposed to the organic growth strategy, acquisitions are regarded rather as a large company growth strategy which can be either synergistic or nonsynergistic (Anslinger Copeland, 1996). Forward or backward vertical integration means that the acquired firm is located at a different level of the value-addition chain, i.e. the acquired firm is a customer or supplier of the firm. In contrast, horizontal integration refers to a firm which is at the same level of value-addition, i.e. it is a competitor. Lateral integrations refer to unrelated businesses which represent a diversification strategy. In addition to becoming bigger and thus acquiring greater market power, there might be several other reasons for acquisitions, e.g. acquiring synergies, industry restructuring, reduction of business risk, acquiring new knowledge and other necessary resources, overcoming barriers to entry, and entering new markets quickly (see Vermeulen Barkema, 2001; Empson, 2000; Birkinshaw, 1999; Tetenbaum, 1999; Chatterjee, 1992). Despite the fact that growth through acquisitions is more typical of larger firms than smaller ones (see e.g. Davidsson Delmar, 1998), it is one option for the growth of an SME. However, it seems that few studies focus on acquisitions made by small firms. Also, one often neglected way of growing is by setting up new firms. Studies using a firm as the unit of analysis have not been able to identify growth through a portfolio of firms as one way of growing (see Scott Rosa, 1996). However, it has been found that portfolio entrepreneurship appears to be more common than suspected, and that it is characteristic of entrepreneurs who own and manage growth firms (Pasanen, 2003b). Wiklund (1998: 239) concluded that growth through portfolios of firms does not seem to be an alternative to growing a single firm, but entrepreneurs leading rapidly growing firms tend more often to start subsidiaries and independent new firms and to grow these firms. Small business growth through geographic expansion is a challenging growth strategy, as during the course of opening a new geographical site an entrepreneur will be confronted with the task of managing an existing business and a start-up at the same time (Barringer Greening, 1998). Penrose (1959) proposed already in the late fifties that firm growth is constrained by the availability and quality of managerial resources. Many studies draw attention to the important role of an entrepreneurial team for firm growth (see Birley Stockley, 2000). Also, in their study of technology-based ventures, Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1990) found an association between a strong management team and firm growth (see also Weinzimmer, 1997). In addition to the importance of favourable firm-internal conditions, the strategies should be in harmony with the environmental conditions. Different growth environments may require different business strategies for SMEs. For instance, Chaganti (1987) found that for small manufacturing firms, different growth environments required distinctly different strategies. Interestingly, this was contrary to the findings concerning large companies. It was concluded that strategic flexibility is a critical requirement for small firms (Chaganti, 1987). Growth barriers Sectoral and broader market-led approaches focus largely on the identification of growth constraints and opportunities. It has been found, for instance, that economic fluctuations strongly affect the growth probability of small firms (Kangasharju, 2000). Also, for firm growth, it seems that aiming at growing market niches is more important than taking market shares from competitors (Wiklund, 1998). However, growth can happen only if there are no growth barriers. Such barriers can be related to firm-internal and firm-external factors (see e.g. Barber et al., 1989; Smallbone North, 1993a; Vaessen Keeble, 1995; Jones-Evans, 1996; Vesper, 1990: 174-175; Hay Kamshad, 1994). The growth barriers characteristic of small firms in peripheral locations have been presented by Birley and Westhead (1990: 538). In the study carried out by the Cambridge Small Business Research Centre (1992), the most common growth barriers were related to factors on the macro level. The most important growth barriers were related to difficulties in obtaining finance and the price of money, the level of and decrease in demand (also Perren, 2000), and tightening competition (also Hay Kamshad, 1994). Other growth barriers were caused by restrictions determined by authorities, problems in obtaining a skilled workforce, and the small number or lack of potential cooperation partners in the area. The firm-internal factors affecting unwillingness to grow include the entrepreneurs fear of losing her or his autonomy, difficulties in fitting together personal and the firms goals, and weak managerial or marketing skills (see also MacNabb, 1995; Perren, 2000). These issues are particularly ty pical when an entrepreneur transfers from the role of entrepreneur to that of manager, or when the firm hires a new manager. DATA AND METHODS This paper is based on data from a larger exploratory study of the factors affecting SME performance (Pasanen, 2003a). Empirical data were collected from 111 growing SMEs in Eastern Finland. The sample was split into quartiles, based on firm age. Lower and upper quartiles of firms were chosen for the final samples, in order to compare the firms in these quartiles with each other. The lower quartile consisted of 32 SMEs aged eight years or less (young firms), whereas the upper quartile consisted of 33 SMEs aged twenty years or more (long-lived firms). A growth firm was defined as a firm with actual growth in turnover during the past five years. Growth was measured as a change in turnover between two time points ignoring the regularity or irregularity of growth over time (see Delmar et al., 2003; Weinzimmer et al., 1998; Delmar, 1997). A mail questionnaire was directed to the CEOs of SMEs operating in the sectors of manufacturing, business services, and tourism. The response rate was 5 3.7 %. Firms in the samples shared the following features: (1) size: SMEs, i.e. they employed fewer than 250 persons; (2) performance: growth firms, i.e. they had grown in terms of turnover during past years; (3) location: peripheral, i.e. outside major cities and not in core areas; (4) ownership: independent firms, not subsidiaries of other companies; and (5) industry sector: operated in the sectors of manufacturing, business services, and tourism. The age of young firms ranged from 2 to 8 years, the average being 5.5 years with standard deviation of 1.7 years. The age of long-lived firms ranged from 20 to 120 years, the average being 40.4 years with standard deviation of 24.9 years. Half of the long-lived firms were less than 35 years old. A comparison of the two groups of SMEs was based on data referring to the characteristics of entrepreneurs and enterprises, their life cycles, the strategic choices made, the success factors of SMEs, and the nature of their environment (see Pasanen, 2003a). Several factors in these areas are associated with firm performance. The characteristics of entrepreneurs consist of variables relating to entrepreneurs education, experience and other demographic factors. Variables related to the characteristics of SMEs and their life cycles include the firms demographic characteristics and growth behavior indicators. For the strategic choices made by the firm, the focus was on innovativeness, internationalization, specialization and networking. These strategic choices include three important elements affecting SME performance: markets, products, and the way of doing business (Normann, 1976). Innovativeness refers to the products of the firm, internationalization to its markets, and specializatio n and networking to the way of doing business. The environment was approached by studying the characteristics of the customer, industry and location. The success factors of SMEs were presented as statements describing their importance in the firms competitive advantage. In identifying the differences between young and long-lived SMEs, approximately 150 variables were tested using appropriate statistical tests, depending on the variable: the t test, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, or chi-square test. These tests were conducted to test the differences between the two groups for each of the individual variables. In some analyses, the U test was used instead of the t test due to the skewness of the data. RESULTS A number of differences in characteristics of the owner-managers and firms and their success factors were found between young and long-lived growth SMEs. Three variables related to the characteristics of the owner-managers showed statistically significant differences between the two groups of SMEs (Table 1). Almost all young firms were led by the founder(s) of the firm, whereas this was the case for only half of the long-lived SMEs. Among young SMEs, owner-managers had less experience and were younger than their counterparts in long-lived SMEs. TABLE 1 Differences in characteristics of owner-managers between young and long-lived SMEs (p Variables Test p value Founder  Ã‚ £2 = 6.705 (df = 1) p = .010 Total length of experience as owner-manager U test (z = -2.546) p = .011 Age U test (z = -2.459) p = .014 Fourteen variables characterizing the SMEs showed statistically significant differences between young and long-lived SMEs (Table 2). Young firms had had more founders (means 3.3 vs. 2.1) and had more founders still involved in the firm at the time of the survey than long-lived SMEs had (means 2.9 vs. 1.1). Almost all young firms were founded by a team of owners, whereas half of the long-lived SMEs were founded by a single owner. Being a family firm was more typical of long-lived SMEs (58%) than of young firms (19%). Long-lived SMEs were bigger in size than their younger counterparts: the average full-time personnel was 84 employees in long-lived SMEs and 21 in young firms. Moreover, the number of establishments was bigger in long-lived SMEs than in young firms, averaging 3.5 and 1.7, respectively. Acquisitions or mergers were more typical of long-lived SMEs (39%) than of young SMEs (13%). Owner-managers in long-lived SMEs were more satisfied with their firms success than those in young firms. On a scale of 1 (fully satisfied) to 4 (not at all satisfied), owner-managers in the long-lived SMEs had an average satisfaction of 1.7, whereas among young firms the average was 2.1. During their life cycle, more than half of the long-lived SMEs (55%) had at least once faced a situation where the firms existence, i.e. survival, had been threatened, while only one fifth of the young SMEs (22%) reported that their existence had been threatened. Managerial know-how was considered to be higher in long-lived SMEs than in young firms. In long-lived SMEs, principles and practices of management had changed more than in young firms. Among young SMEs, almost all firms (91%) had stayed close to their original business, whereas among long-lived SMEs seven out of ten firms (70%) had stayed close to their original business. There were also differences in products and customer structures between young and long-lived SMEs. The proportion of products with declining volume was higher in long-lived SMEs (6% of their products), whereas such products accounted for 2% of the young firms products. Among young firms, the cumulative proportion of turnover due to the five biggest customers was 59% of the firms total turnover, whereas in long-lived SMEs it was clearly lower, 41%. TABLE 2 Differences in characteristics of firms between young