Drug Essay Essay

â€Å"Drug abuse and addiction are major burdens to society; however, staggering as these numbers are, they provide a limited perspective of the devastating consequences of this disease† Essay On Drugs Numerous incidents have been reported in television and social Medias in this persuasive  essay about drugs users and dealers who are caught in the acts, especially in those squatters area or what they call â€Å"drug dens†. Not only those person who live in this populated area are being reported to the authorities but believe it or not powerful persons like government officials also indulge their selves in using prohibited drugs. Most of the drug users in the Philippines are young people. Illegal drugs that are present include marijuana, LSD, opiates, and barbiturates. While there are no accurate statistics available, it is estimated that as many as 60,000 young people in the Philippines are dealing with drug addiction. So what is the reason why this young people are attracted to use this illegal drugs? Maybe you will agree with this points I’ve listed. I’ll focus my discussion on young people who use prohibited drugs. First, Enjoyment. Despite all the concerns about illegal drug use and the attendant lifestyle by young people, it is probably still the case that the lives of most young people are centred on school, home and employment and that most drug use is restricted to the use of tobacco and alcohol. They may adopt the behaviour, fashion and dialect of a particular subculture including the occasional or experimental use of illegal drugs without necessarily adopting the lifestyle. Even so, the evidence of drug use within youth culture suggests that the experience of substances is often pleasurable rather than negative and damaging. So possibly the main reason why young people take drugs is that they enjoy them. Second, Environment. Many young people live in communities which suffer from poverty, with high unemployment, low quality housing and where the surrounding infra-structure  of local services is fractured and poorly resourced. In such communities drug supply and use often thrive as an a lternative economy often controlled by powerful criminal groups. As well as any use that might be associated with the stress and boredom of living in such communities, young people with poor job prospects recognise the financial advantages and the status achievable through the business of small scale supply of drugs. Third, Curiosity. Most young people are naturally curious and want to experiment with different experiences. For some, drugs are a good conversation point, they are interesting to talk about and fascinate everyone. Lastly, Personal Problems. Some young people will use drugs specifically to ease the trauma and pain of bad relationships and the physical and emotional abuse arising from unhappy home lives. Such young people will often come to the attention of the school. If these problems can be addressed, then if drugs are involved they can become less of a problem. So how can we prevent this wide spread use of drugs and drug addiction? For me, it is within ourselves, and that is DISCIPLINE. It’s hard for me to know that the lives of my fellow young people are being devastated just because of this prohibited drugs. If I have the opportunity to renew their lives, I would help them by conducting seminars about drug addiction. I will encourage them to join some recreational activities to reverse the ir attention on drugs. I will share to them the Good News, which is Jesus Christ because I believe that He alone can change our lives, from evil to good. Works Cited Currie-McGhee, L. K. Drug Addiction. San Diego, CA, ReferencePoint Press, 2011. Drug Addiction. Strasbourg, Council of Europe Pub., 2005. â€Å"Drug Addiction.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/drug_addiction. â€Å"Editorial Board.† Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, vol. 28, no. 2, 2015, p. iii. doi:10.1016/s0867-4361(15)00035-8.

African American Oral Tradition Essay

Modern African American Literature was formed under a stressful time for Africans, slavery. The only way the stories of the indigenous people of Africa were passed down was through oral recollections, or stories of the events. In America this was especially difficult for the slaves because of laws preventing them from learning English. By not being allowed to learn English, the slaves had to learn English solely on auditory purposes. This essentially made the slaves illiterate. When the slaves transferred the language that they heard to paper, a new style of language was formed which was referred to as dialect. Dialect is what the slaves thought they heard and the correct spelling of those words, not standard English. Dunbar, who wrote fluently in both standard English and dialect was praised by white critics only for his dialect poems, and not praised for his poems in standard English. His literacy works are still alive today, however the dialect works were attached with a stigma. Usually whites despised the African’s dialect. Therefore, the slaves would not try to publish any type of work with dialect because the slaves did not want to be associated with the stigma. In all, by creating a unique dialect gave the slaves a bilingual type of style. By not being able to write, slaves also made Genres such as, spiritual, folk songs and gospels. Songs such as these were ways of passing down stories to the next generation. These songs also contained secret messages. These messages may have contained information about escape routes or even the underground- railroad. However most of the songs were spiritual in nature. The songs also progressed through the years. The originals slave folk songs, spirituals, and gospels are now prevalent in modern day jazz and the blues. Martin even gives the example of Hayden, who mixes his song ideas with the ideas of Bessie Smith. Even though African are allowed to read and write, this is a form how their culture is still expressed today. Martin made the emphasis that the oral tradition is part of the African Americans distinct culture.

Communication Dashboard Project Description Essay

Communication Dashboard Project Description - Essay Example ominance in its business line, the growth of the organization as well as the increased data traffic in its website is owed to social media connectivity which enables users to post reviews based on first-hand information or research. The purpose of the yelp.com is to collect information from users all around the San Francisco area and use it to provide customers with market information regarding the businesses and organizations active in the restaurant industry. The overreliance of the website’s reviews from online social media shows that the company embraces technology and uses as a business tool. While the site is informative in business terms considering business-to-customer relationship, it also aids the restaurant industry to maintain regular and sustainable growth and development. However, since yelp offers information regarding services offered around the San Francisco’s restaurant industry, it faces challenges from competition comprising of consultant firms, experts in market analysis, professionals with high levels of experience in evaluating business performance, as well as internal sources that companies provide shareholders with in terms of annual financial results. Based the base factors, this study aims at analyzing the communication process of the company’s website as the communication vehicle. Yelp is an organization that uses a website to link customers with customers and businesses with customers as the organization’s website is used as the communication vehicle. Under the notable features of the website are financial strategies, business strategies, as well as customer attraction to San Francisco restaurants. San Francisco’s economy is highly dependent on the number and output of businesses within the region. Based on this case, San Francisco has been applying and implementing strategies that can help trade resources available within the state. On the other hand, the number of visiting customers from other states continued to grow

The Analysis of SONY Corporation Research Paper

The Analysis of SONY Corporation - Research Paper Example The parent company and the electronic business unit of the Sony Group are SONY Corporation. The company is majorly operating in the entertainment and electronic products segment. The success and expansion in terms of market share have made the company one of the comprehensive companies in the entertainment sector. The Japanese based company focuses on products such as TV, computers, audio, gaming devices, movies and music. The company over the years has been witnessed to develop its in-house standards for various storage techniques and new recording measures. The company did not adopt any of the standards that were set forth by other manufacturers or other organizations. The company either individually or in collaboration with other partners has developed many new forms of recording formats such as a blue-ray disc, floppy disc and compact disc. The company has a wide range of products that it offers to the global markets and it has incorporated the best of technologies in its devices so that the company is at par with the competition. The company has established its position as the highest revenue generation company in Japan. In the year 2013, the overall revenue that was generated by the company was over  ¥6.493 trillion and it maintains positive cash flow in the system. The major objective of the corporate social responsibility activities of the company is to enhance its corporate value that it performs through sound practices in its business operations and innovation. The CSR activities of the company highlight the innovation through its services and products that excites as well as inspires, extending support so as to develop a sustainable as well as better society, and providing assistance to those communities in which they operate. The company believes that the activities that they perform enhance their corporate value and at the same time is beneficial for the society (Sony Corporation, 2014). The expectations of the society of the company constantly emerge with the product line diversification of customer lifestyles and markets, and also along with the changing concerns of the stakeholders in the industry.

Equality and Diversity Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Equality and Diversity Policies - Essay Example Although there are varied perceptions of diversity in concept and practice, one compact and comprehensive definition is provided by Esty, et al. (1995), where the authors state that:â€Å"Diversity is acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status.†Diversity management, Foster and Harris (2005) opine, â€Å"Encourages innovative practices in human resource management that values employment relationship by addressing individual needs.† Potentially, employers see immense advantage in deploying demographically diverse workforce.Diversity, as opposed to equal opportunity, extends beyond legislation and focuses more on differences amongst individuals and groups. The liberal perspective has moved the diversity discourse from providing equal opportunities addressing social discriminati on to promoting and managing diversity for societal progress and advantages. Equal opportunities policies often promotes sameness in treatment of individuals; whereas, diversity focuses on managing individual differences for gaining competitive edge. Diversity connotes, gender, age, ethnic background, as well as, non-visible characteristics, like work experience and disability factors (Kersten, 2000). In this context, diverse workgroup is beginning to be recognized for its contributory value to meet organizational objectives, than merely to meet legal. and regulatory aspects. Laflà ¨che (2005) chooses a metaphor â€Å"head and heart† to emphasize the effect of diversity on the inner-workings of an organization. It is another way of saying that the entire enterprise must commit to the cause of diversity in order to make a convincing and lasting change in human resource and team management practices that is seen as consistent and

Does FIFA bring an economic upturn in countries hosting the world cup Essay

Does FIFA bring an economic upturn in countries hosting the world cup - Essay Example world Cup was estimated to have added the GDP to Brazil of at least $ 30 billion, and (Baumann, Engelhardt & Matheson (2012), argues that the world cup results in temporary upsurge in real employment, while Pillay & Bass (2008) point out that perhaps they are motivated by the need to reduce poverty. There is a great debate on the real economic potential for the host nation of the FIFA World Cup; critics of its economic potential argue that the 32-day tournament results in costs that outweigh the real economic benefits (Lee & Taylor, 2005). Conversely, proponents point out that the tournament has an impressive quantifiable real economic plus to the economy (Baade, & Matheson, 2004). Obviously, high number of travelling fans contributes to tourism, which will ead to sufficient infrastructures, security as well as the boost of morale brought by the good feeling of hosting the World Cup (Crnelissen, 2014). At the end of 2010 the organization had generated 4.189 billion dollars and addition 3.6 billion dollars from World cup not directly related to world Cup (Federation Internationale de Football Association, 2007). This paper by concentrating on some of the most significant economic aspects that greatly contributes to the growth of a country (Andreff, 2012). The paper further relates these aspects to the World Cup and the impact it has on them. The paper is divided into three sections; theoretical framework, the methodology and the findings of the study. In this section, the paper proposes four major economic indicators, which are used to determine the upturn or downturn of an economy. Further, FIFA’s impact on the economy will be defined from point of view of these indicators. An intricate discussion on the four indicators shall ensue below in this section. A number of macroeconomic models have been proposed to be effective in the study of the real economic benefits of the FIFA World Cup to the host nation economy. Alhert (2001) used the input-output model to

The Success and Challenges of Ryanairs Operations and Marketing Essay

The Success and Challenges of Ryanairs Operations and Marketing Strategies - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the technology which is used by Ryan Air is one of the key factor successes because it saves check-in time and also helps to reduce check-in staff costs. Through this process, a company can maximize its profits. Effective resource planning and redesigning its operations are also the success factors. The company maintains low fare as it is generally operated short distance trips. This policy attracts fare-conscious customers who have to travel frequently. The demand is increasing and the travelers are motivated as they are getting the best value for money air services. The company carries out point to point operations on a regular basis which helps to eliminate the requirement of frills services. This point to point operation eliminates extra cost and travelers can get direct routes and non-stop services which cannot be provided by the long route airlines services. Units costs are also reduced as the aircraft are utilized more. As the rou tes are direct so it helps to reduce operating costs and further expenses. It targets to reduce aircraft equipment costs. They have generally used the single type of air crafts but later they upgraded it by using the new model of aircraft for stiff competition in the market and also for environmental rules and regulations. So this competitive mentality is another key factor of success as well as they are thinking about the society at large and agreed with corporate social responsibility. The company has the core competence which is nothing but a set of technology and skills. Through this core competence, the company enables to achieve a particular benefit which they also can provide to its customers.

Blackberry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Blackberry - Research Paper Example As of 2012, there are more than 8 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide. The company has its offices in Europe, North America and Asia- Pacific. It is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Company’s vision and goals include providing solutions across global mobile market. BlackBerry’s current mission is to enhance its current product portfolio and develop new products. It also aims to provide uninterrupted and efficient services. The brand’s corporate culture is well developed and celebrates creativity, achievements as well as risk taking attitude (Ahmed 35). The workforce is motivated to accomplish beyond potential. BlackBerry also supports the environment through variety of campaigns, programs and participative opportunities. The company is known for its philanthropic activities. The company has donated huge amounts in various social charities as well as institutions for growth and development of the society. Industry Information The industry info rmation includes Pestle and Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Pestle analysis Political Canada is a land of rich natural resources. Political environment is progressive; quality of life is stable and comfortable. Since political risk is very low in Canada, organizations have the liberty to establish their corporation without any political hassle. Economical Economy of Canada is dominated by service sector. Major energy exporter and trading country across the globe. Conservative banking system Economic system is market oriented. Social Sense of belongingness in the community. Living standard is high and maintaining social status is important. Women are given less preference than men in society and occupation. Technological Internet usage is one of the highest across the globe Most of the internet users are teenagers and young adults Social media is gaining a cult status Legal Federal state with parliament system Supreme court has the authority to bind any court with single ruling Individual privacy is important for Canadians and they also have a privacy protection act Jurisdiction is divided between provincial and federal jurisdictions Environmental Criticized for lack of environmental improvement activities High emission of greenhouse gases and high waste production from industries as well as organizations (â€Å"Environment†). Need for greater sustainable consumption Porter’s Five Forces Figure: Porter's five forces model (Source: (Source: Author’s creation) Production More than 90 percent of BlackBerry’s production costs go for its four largest suppliers. These are Elcotec, Jabil Circuit, Qulacomm and Multi-Fineline (â€Å"Do you know who manufactured your BlackBerry†). Various third party application developers have been integrating with the device. The company is a bit secretive about its supply chain management process as there is no mention of its logistics strategy in the company’s website. Since majority of its suppliers are concentrated in China, the company sometimes faces issues in terms of timely delivery and logistics management in case of bull orders. Personnel The employee compensation is based on basic pay, merit pay as well as benefits and incentives. Benefits include free message parlor, free gym membership, free participation in various wellness programs and a free BlackBerry. The current human resource division of

Reflective cycle Essay Example for Free

Reflective cycle Essay I will reflect on an incident that occurred during my shift to develop positive attitude towards nursing informatics. In this reflection, I am going to use Gibbs (1988) Reflective cycle. This model is a recognized framework for my reflection. Gibbs (1988) consist of six stages to complete one cycle which is able to improve my nursing informatics and learning from the experience for better practice in future. The cycle starts with description of the situation, analysis of the feelings, evaluation of experience, analysis to make sense of experience, and conclusion of what else I could have done and also action plan to prepare if the situation arose again. However, Siviter (2004) explains that reflection is about gaining self confidence ,identify when to improve, learning from own mistakes and behavior, looking at other people perspectives, being self aware and improving the future by learning from the past. In my context with the patients, it is important that the nurse incorporates nursing informatics to improve health care delivery. However Hebda and Czar (2009) defines nursing informatics as the use of information and computer technology to support all aspects of nursing practice, including direct delivery of care ,administration, education and research. Nursing informatics involves the use of computer based information system which according to Stair and Reynolds (2008,pg 4) is defined as a set of interrelated components that collect ,manipulate, store and disseminate data and information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet an objective. Description I had just reported from the four months maternity leave and during the shift changeover, I was informed by my colleagues of the new method of requesting for investigations online and that I was to see the team leader to take me through the process. I heard my colleagues discuss a lot on how the new system was consuming their time and since it had been made a hospital policy they had no choice than to adhere to it. This did not sound interesting to me as I did not even have computer literacy and wondered why the institution had changed the system. I shied off from seeking help from my team leader since I did not want to be embarrassed for not being a computer literate. I decided that I am going to use the old method and when I am asked,I will defend myself and say that I did not know about it. Unfortunately, the team leader did not realize that I had just reported from long leave and needed updates or maybe she waited for me to take an initiative to seek for updates from her as it always happens when one comes back from long leave which did not happen. During the doctor’s rounds, one of my patients had some request for investigations and because the phlebotomy rounds had already taken place, one of the doctors obtained the blood from the patient and left for me to charge and send it to the laboratory. I decided to give the health care assistant the specimen to take to the laboratory hoping that the laboratory technicians would charge it as they had always done before the introduction of the new system. During the exit round, the doctor inquired on the report and when I called the lab they said that I was supposed to check from the computer. Since I did not have any computer literacy, I pretended that I was checking but the doctor got impatient and decided to check by himself. On checking, the doctor found that the specimen was never charged and so could not access the report. On calling the laboratory technician, it was reported to the doctor that the specimen was discarded because it was assumed to be a reject since they had not found the details online. The doctor got so upset with me and insisted that I should explain to the patient what happened so that he could obtain more specimen. I got so confused because I didn’t have the exact words to tell to the patient. I then gathered courage and told the patient that the specimen obtained earlier was not enough for the investigations requested and that we needed to obtain more specimen.at first, the patient could not understand but after a second thought, she gave the consent and the specimen was obtained. This time round the doctor lost trust in me and decided to charge by himself and gave a health care assistant to take the specimen to the laboratory. Feelings On reflection of the incident, I felt so embarrassed because such things are not supposed to happen to a senior nurse who is supposed to be giving guidance to the junior nurses. I also felt irresponsible for not seeking help from my colleques on charging the patient’s specimen and that I had not taken the initiative to see the team leader to give me the updates that occurred while I was away. I felt empathetic for the patient and blamed myself for not taking the proper action. I also felt at my level I needed to have computer literacy because that is what hindered me from seeking help. The American Nurses Association (2007) states that the experienced nurse builds up on the competencies required for practitioners using basic computer skills to information regarding the patient and has to be proficient in her/his area of specialization. The doctors, and other nurses felt upset for my action. Evaluation Good points. After the incident, it made me think of how I would have handled the situation and how important computer information literacy is to me and other healthcare practitioners. Selvasekaran (2008) defines computer literate health care provider as that who has basic understanding of the computer hardware, common types of software and different ways in which software application can be used in patient care environment. Association of college and research libraries (2002) defines information literacy as the ability to recognize when information is needed as well as the skills to find, evaluate and use needed information effectively. Bad points. It was a shame that my negligence of seeking information led to the waste of patient’s specimen leading to waste of time in obtaining the results. It also caused more pain to the patient since the patient needed to be pricked again and this added extra stressors to the patient who was already stressed by her illness. The other bad point is that the laboratory technician discarded patient’s specimen instead of calling the ward for it to be charged. Analysis I wondered why the institution had changed from the old system of requesting for investigations, I then remembered that earlier I had read from a book on the importance/benefits of nursing informatics in a healthcare setup which included: †¢Improved access to information. †¢Error reduction improved communication. †¢Decreased redundancy on data entry. †¢Convenience. †¢Decreased time spent in medication administration documentation †¢Increased time for client care †¢Facilitation of data collection for research †¢Improved record security †¢Improved quality of care and patient satisfaction (Hebda and Czar 2009 pg 37). I then realized that the old method did not have the above qualities and so the institution opted for the new system. In this case there was ignorance of seeking information due to lack of computer and information literacy. Maybe I would have given the sample to my colleagues who were well informed to charge. I also could have called the laboratory technician and inform that the specimen had not been charged. It is good that I finally learnt from my my mistake and that the second sample drawn was charged and results acquired. However, having no computer literacy information literacy does not make my action acceptable. Conclusion. My reflection of this event explores how important nursing informatics is in a healthcare set up and that all the healthcare providers should have knowledge on nursing informatics. The whole issue was embarrassing and I felt that instead of just sending the specimen and assuming that the lab technicians will charge, I would have given it to my colleagues to charge or inform the laboratory technician that I was not able to charge the specimen hence helping them to take an appropriate decision instead of discarding it. Also instead of shying off from seeking the information on the new system from the team leader, I would have gained a little knowledge from my colleagues on how to operate the computer and then boldly proceed to the team leader for more information. This showed that I was not wise enough. According to American Nurses Association (2007) wisdom occurs when knowledge is used appropriately to manage and solve problems. Results from understanding and requires human effort. However, If I had availed myself for the information, this mess would not have happened. Action plan. In order to prevent the incident from happening again, it is important that when I come back from a long leave, I should take the initiative to seek for updates from my colleagues and also the team leader taking in account the sensitive issues like this one.I should also seek help from my colleagues of things that am not certain of so as to prevent unpleasant incidences from happening. The action I took after the incidence was to write an incident form so that others could learn from my mistake. I also sought the information on online investigation request from my colleagues and team leader and also enrolled in computer classes so that I could have enough knowledge on computer literacy since the information I got from my colleagues and team leader was so particular and only concerned requesting of investigations and obtaining reports.i also called laboratory technicians and informed them to always call the ward before discarding patients specimens. I have learnt that there can be many positive learning opportunities from the mistakes we make. Reflection can sometimes show your shortcomings and this can be an excuse not to reflect, but by taking negative incidences positively you can turn around change yourself for the better. I am now computer and information literate. References: American Nurses Association. (2007). Scope and standards of nursing informatics practice.Washington: American Nurses. Association of College and Research Libraries. (2002). Information literacy competencestandards for higher education. Retrieved in November 18, 2002, fromhttp://www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html#ildef. Gibbs (1998). Learning by doing. A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further educatingunit. Oxford: Oxford polytechnic. Hebda, T., Czar, P. (2009). Handbook on informatics for nurses and healthcare professionals.(4th ed.) . Pearson: New Jersey. Selvasekaran, J. (2008). Essentials of computer for nurses. (2nd ed.). Mumbai: Jaypee brothers. Siviter, B. (2004). The student nurse handbook. Philadelphia: Baillere Tindall. Stair, R., Reynolds. (2008). Principles of information systems. (8th ed.).Boston: Thompsoncourse technology.

Types Of School Essay Example for Free

Types Of School Essay All children in England are entitled to a free place at school from the age of 4 until they are 16 although the law was changed in 2008. The new law states that young people, until the age of 18 if they were born on or after 1st September 1997, must stay in either: Full time education Training schemes such as apprenticeships Part time education or training as well as part time work whether that be paid or voluntary There are many different types of schools across England. Each with different working practises and different funding methods. Children are able to enter infant schools from the age of 4 until they are 7. They then move onto the junior section which from 7 until 11. From junior school they progress to secondary school at the age of 11 until the age of 16-18 depending on their birth year. Pre-schoolSame Sex School Grammar SchoolBoarding SchoolForest school Boarding SchoolSteiner School Types of School Faith SchoolAcademies Language schoolComprehensiveBehavioural Units Art/Dance SchoolPrivate School A local education authority maintained school is one that is funded by the local education authority where pupils have to follow the national curriculum and will be one of the following: Foundation school Community school Voluntary controlled school Voluntary aided school Nursery school. Early education for eligible three and four year olds may be offered in nursery schools, nursery classes or in reception classes in  primary schools. All these are examples of LEA maintained schools. Special school. Some special schools are local education authority maintained schools. These could be community, voluntary or foundation special schools. Pupils at a maintained special school usually have been assessed and given a statement of special educational needs (SEN). Some special schools are independent schools. Community schools Community schools are funded by the local education authority who also employ the staff. Pupils have to follow the national curriculum and the admissions policy is usually set out and delivered by the LEA. The governing body is responsible for the day to day running of the school but the LEA owns the school site. The local education authority is expected to provide support services to community schools such as educational needs services and psychological services. Voluntary schools There are two types of voluntary schools:- Controlled Aided Voluntary controlled schools A voluntary controlled school can also be called a religious or faith school. The local authority fund these schools, employ the staff and provide the support services. The land and buildings are owned by a charity, often a religious organisation such as a church. The charity have the authority to appoint some members of the governing body but the LEA is responsible for the running of the school. The admissions policy is set out and administered by the LEA. Voluntary aided schools Voluntary aided schools are usually called religious schools or faith schools. In a voluntary aided school the land and buildings are owned by a charity, as with voluntary controlled schools, but the governing body is responsible for running the school. The governing body employs the staff as well as determining the admissions policy in consultation with the LEA. The LEA provides the support services for these schools. Foundation schools In foundation schools the land and buildings are owned by a governing body, who are also responsible for running the school. The local education authority funds the school and the governing body employs the staff as well as providing most of the support services for the school. The admissions policy is determined by the governing body, in consultation with the LEA. There are various sorts of schools that are not maintained by the local education authority. Most of these schools do not have to follow the national curriculum. These include: Independent schools City technology colleges Academies Special schools not maintained by the local education authority Early learning organisations. Independent schools In an independent school the governing body is responsible for the day to day running of the school who also determine the admissions policy with the head teacher. They are funded by fees paid by parents and sometimes by charitable trust funds. The head teacher with the backing of the governing body employs the staff and either the head teacher or the governing body manage and be responsible for the running of support services. City technology colleges City technology colleges are independent non-fee paying schools and are situated in urban areas. Pupils follow a curriculum that is similar to the national one with the addition of an emphasis on technological and practical skills. The department for children, schools and families (DCSF) along with commercial sponsors fund the college and share the responsibility of the running of the school with the company that owns it. The governing body employs the staff as well as buy in and manage support services. The admissions policy is determined and administered by the governing body. Academies Academies are independently-managed, all-ability schools which operate outside the control of the local authority. In a city academy the government  funds the schools running costs and employs the staff. Special schools not maintained by the local education authority Some schools for pupils with special educational needs are not maintained by the local education authority. In some cases the local education authority may pay the fees so that a pupil with special educational needs may attend one of these schools if this school best meets their needs. Early learning organisations Early learning for eligible three and four year olds may be offered in independent playgroups, private day nurseries or independent schools. A part time place will be free, but a parent will usually have to pay fees if a child is attending on a full time basis.

Blood And Human Sacrifice For Mesoamerican Indians Theology Religion Essay

Blood And Human Sacrifice For Mesoamerican Indians Theology Religion Essay While it may not have always been clear why blood was a necessity for humans to survive, it was always worshiped unlike anything else. Practically every tribe and civilization throughout Mesoamerican history has participated in some sort of blood or human sacrifice. Even though each group of people may have had very different beliefs and even different rituals, blood was central part in many ceremonies. Nevertheless, the extent to which blood had been used was extremely different. While some civilizations sacrificed thousands of humans, some only participated in animals sacrifices, and others had no sacrifices at all. Blood ceremonies happened for a number of various reasons, anything from a coming of age, to the induction of a new king, to the construction of a new temple. Most often sacrifices were made to appease the gods, as a sign of piety and could be performed by anyone from a lowly servant to a king. While the Aztec, the Maya, and the Kuna were all very different people livin g at different times in Mesoamerica with entirely different ceremonies and beliefs, all used blood as an integral part in many of their rituals. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexicas, were a group of culturally united people that mostly spoke Nahuatl and lived and ruled in Central Mexico during the fourteen to sixteenth centuries. They ruled from a large city called Tenochtitlan, which is now the present-day location of Mexico City. Out of all of the Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs had the most prolific blood rituals and human sacrifices. They especially thought it was important to sacrifice humans, at least once a month so that they could appease the gods and bring good luck to their land. However, researchers have found that human sacrifices in the Aztec empire were done much more often than once a month. Even many of the Aztec myths surround human sacrifice. The Legend of the Five Suns attempts to explain the formation of all of the gods and why there is a need for human sacrifices all in a single story. It begins with the god Ometeotl creating four sons who would be the four cardinal directions and who would also c reate all other gods that the Aztecs worshipped. These four gods created people and when they did they had to create a god that would serve as the sun as well. Unfortunately the gods that would be created for the sun were not be perfect and kept fighting and the sun god kept changing which kept killing all of the people on earth. Finally Quetzalcoatl decided that he would not let the people that he created be destroyed so he went to the underworld to steal their bones and resurrect them. At the same time created for them a new sun called Huitzilopochtli. This is the sun that the Aztecs believed was in the sky over their heads. They also thought that every time it turned dark Coyolxauhqui, the goddess of the moon, and the stars were fighting with Huitzilopochtli to try to take his spot. In Tenochtitlan: Capital of the Aztec Empire Jose Luis de Rojas emphasizes the conclusion of the myth: The myth dramatizes the triumph of the sun over the moon and the stars when it rises each day (pg . 16). Additionally, the human sacrifices performed by the Aztecs were supposed to help give Huitzilopochtli the strength to fight back and to rise again each morning. In The Aztecs: New Perspectives Dirk R. Van Turenhout explains the importance of sacrifices: The Aztecs shared with other Mesoamerican peoples the belief that sacrifice to gods was necessary to ensure the continued existence of the universe (pg 188). Without human sacrifices there could be no life sustained on earth. Even the founding of Tenochtitlan is a legend based on the human sacrifice of a princess. It is said that when the Mexica, or the Aztecs, first came to Central Mexico they were forced to settle in Chapultepec, a region with very poor resources and living conditions. Here they fell under the rule of another city called Culhuacan whose rulers were said to be descendants of the Toltecs. After the Mexica city helped Culhuacan defeat an enemy the King of Culhuacan gave away his daughter for marriage to one the Mexica leaders. Unfortunately when he arrived for the marriage ceremony to Chapultepec, to his disbelief he saw one of the Mexica priests wearing his daughters skin over his head. Upon being questioned the priest explained that their god, Huitzilopochtli asked for them to sacrifice the princess. Outraged the King forced all of the Mexica off of the land. They wandered aimlessly for weeks searching for a place to settle when Huitzilopochtli came down from the heavens and told them to settle down when they see an eagle perched on a cactus killing a snake. They came across this scene in the middle of a marshland and there founded their soon to be great capital of Tenochtitlan. Just like this one many of the Aztec myths are based on human sacrifice, or at least have human sacrifice, demonstrating how important of a ritual it was in their lives. For the Aztecs most of the human sacrifices were performed by a set of five or six priests. The victim would be dragged up the stairs to the top of the temple where a few of the priests would hold him down on a stone slab and one priest would make an incision in the victims abdomen with a flint knife. He would then reach in and quickly pull out the still beating heart for all to see. The heart would then be placed in a bowl which would be offered to the gods and the body would be pushed down the stairs. Meanwhile all of the spectators were expected to perform some sort of bloodletting ritual themselves. While this was the most standard form of human sacrifice each god had a specific sacrificial ritual that had to have been followed. In the Handbook to Life in the Aztec World Manuel Aguilar-Moreno describes the different human sacrifice rituals of the Aztecs: Types of sacrifices included extraction of the heart, decapitation, dismemberment, drowning, or piercing by arrows, to name some examples. Instruments of choice included, but were not limited to, a techcatl, which was a sacrificial stone; a cuaubxicalli, a container to hold hearts; a teepatl (flint knife), which was used to stab the subject (pg. 154). The Aztecs used the most elaborate ways they could think of to kill their victims in order to show their obedience and respect to the gods. The Aztecs performed the most gruesome and grotesque human sacrifice rituals in Mesoamerica. Out of all neighboring civilizations the Aztecs held the largest human sacrifices and in recent times researchers have speculated about the causes of these mass sacrifices. They have come up with a number of reasons, though the most important three seem to be religious, political, and ecological. The Aztecs seemed to believe that sacrificing humans to the specific gods would bring them anything that they wanted, from a season of good rain, to a well-built temple, to a victory against an enemy. If things were not going the way they were planned it was often thought that the particular god was not pleased with the sacrifice so more would have to be made. For example when building the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan the Aztecs sacrificed more than eighty thousand prisoners, approximately ten per minute during the four day building process. Many of the sacrifices could have had more backing by political reasons though. In The Aztecs: New Perspectives Dirk R. Van Turenhout writes: Modern sc holars of Aztec religion are convinced that the frequency with which these sacrifices occurred had the additional aspect of propaganda (pg. 190). It is believed that the Kings would sacrifice as many people as possible to demonstrate their strength and influence as well as make sure that all of the servants obey. The Aztecs held a lot of land at their peak that was occupied by people who were not Aztec descendants so they had to be kept in line; the thousands of human sacrifices could have been the annual tributes that these villages each had to pay to stay protected by the Aztec empire. Not only did this have a strong effect on the people living in the civilization it could also have been an intimidation factor for the civilizations around. In his book, City of Sacrifice: The Aztec Empire and the Role of Violence in Civilization, David Carrasco explains the role of the sacrifices in instilling fear in the surrounding populations; The ritual extravaganza was carried out with maximum theatrical tension, paraphernalia, and terror in order to amaze and intimidate the visiting dignitaries who returned to their kingdoms trembling with fear and convinced that cooperation and not rebellion was the best response to Aztec imperialism (pg. 75). Some even think that the numbers of sacrificed could be much lower than is believed and reported by the Aztecs because the number of deaths were inflated to scare their enemies. The Mayans were a very advanced civilization living on the Yucatan peninsula in Mesoamerica starting during the pre-classic period and reaching its peak between 250 and 900 AD. The Maya were a very progressive civilization for their time having creating a written language as well as mathematical and astrological systems. Unlike the Aztecs, the Mayan people were not as inclined to participate in human sacrifices, yet they often had blood rituals. The Mayans had a large number of religious festivals and rituals throughout their calendar year but as researchers have found none included the sacrifices of humans. The festivals based off of the calendar had a few animal sacrifices and most importantly all had some sort of bloodletting ceremony. These bloodletting rituals could be performed by practically anyone, such as a young boy or a servant male but for the large gatherings it would be the king or the priests preforming public bloodletting. In Handbook To Life In The Ancient Maya World Lynn Vasco Foster explains the importance of bloodletting in Maya culture: Despite the pain, the Maya elite carried out bloodletting rituals for a variety of purposes. They believed they could traverse cosmic boundaries in bloodletting rituals, and Maya rulers could contact deities and ancestors (pg 191). The bloodletting would be done by sticking a barbed rod through the tongue, ear, or foreskin and blood would be collected on a piece of parchment and then burned for the gods. The foreskin or the vagina was the most common places where blood would be taken from because of the great significance of these body parts. For obvious reasons the blood from these locations was considered to have fertile qualities and was used in ceremonies concerned with the plant life and the growing of crops. One of the most important reasons for bloodletting and any blood ritual was to see the Vision Serpent. The serpent was by far the most important social and religious symbol for the Mayans and the Vision Serpent was the most important of all serpents. Often the purpose of the bloodletting was to contact and communicate a deceased relative or a god. During a successful bloodletting the participants would see the Vision Serpent and out of its mouth would form the head of the god or ancestor they are contacting. The Vision Serpent was a direct link for the Mayan people from the physical world to the spiritual world. In Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization Arthur Andrew Demarest mentions the importance of bloodletting in art: The importance of bloodletting is confirmed by archeological evidence, as well as iconographic representations and carved texts (pg 188). One of the most famous depictions of bloodletting from the Mayans is found on a limestone carving called Lintel 24 which was discovered in Yaxchilan by a British archeologist named Alfred Maudslay in 1882. This lintel depicts the ruler Shield Jaguar holding a torch while Lady Xoc pulls a rope with shards on it through her tongue to produce the vision serpent. The hieroglyphs state that the carving dates back to the 28th of October 709 and also give the names of the two represented. Depictions like these were popular in Mayan civilizations and adorned many tombs demonstrating the importance of these rituals. Though according to records the Mayan people rarely had human sacrifices during the calendar festivals, they may not have been as innocent as the Spanish conquistadors thought. During excavations of various pyramids and other influential sites bodies were found that told a very different story. The Mayans were a very aggressive civilization and often participated in war, even with other Mayan groups. When this would occur any prisoners that would be taken would usually be sacrificed in grandiose celebrations. In The Ancient Maya Sylvanus Griswold Morley explains the importance of these rituals: These sacrifices were apparently essential to the sanctifying of important rituals, such as the inauguration of a new ruler, the designation of a new heir to the throne, or the dedication of a new building (pg. 543). These sacrifices were a way to induct a new king or simply show how powerful and successful a current king was. Often after a king died, his son would not be allowed to rule until he brought back prisoners from an enemy tribe and sacrificed them. If during this escapade he would be murdered himself, that would be his fate and the next in line for the thrown would have to do what he failed to accomplish. While both the Aztecs and the Maya had very elaborate blood rituals, both were very different. The Mayans only used human sacrifice as a way to demonstrate that a King was worthy of ruling the city, otherwise for the most part human sacrifices were shunned. While the Aztecs would sacrifice thousands to ask the gods to help them construct a great pyramid the Mayan people chose to sacrifice animals instead. In comparison with the neighboring civilizations of the same magnitude the Mayan people can be considered to have had very mild blood rituals. Unlike the Mayan and Aztec decedents, the Kuna tribes of today still participate in the same, or at least very similar, blood rituals as they had before the Spanish invasion. The Kuna people live in villages in present day Panama and off of the coast on the San Blas Islands. A significant difference between the Kuna and most other Mesoamerican tribes and civilizations is the great emphasis that they put on women in their society. The Kuna are matriarchal and women are held as the ultimate symbol, participating in many tribal decisions and gatherings that would in most other cases be solely for males. Similarly, most ceremonies are centered around women and in a few of them blood plays a substantial role. The inna tunsikkalet ceremony is the second largest ceremony that revolves around Kuna women. This is a two day puberty ceremony which is this first in a series of coming of age rituals and is very similar to the inna suid rite, or the hair cutting ritual, that is held later once the girl is ready to be married. Unlike many other Kuna rituals, the inna tunsikkalet is a family and household event (280, The Art of Being Kuna). During this time the young girls are isolated from the rest of the community and are not allowed to touch the ground with their feet and have to be carried if they need to leave their room for whatever reason. During this ceremony it is believed by the Kuna that the young girls are getting rid of all of the bad in their bodies through this blood. They are expelling any evil spirits from their bodies through the flow of blood. A few months after the Kuna girls have been secluded from all others and have finished their first menstruation the girls family sponsors a collective drinking bout (280, The Art of Being Kuna) during which the girls are again isolated. This time they are put in a surba, or a small, rectangular, wooden enclosure where they are painted in a black dye from the genipa fruit. Alexander Moore writes that after they have com pleted their rite the pubescent girls, then, have emerged in this modern community as the paramount symbol of community life (276, The Art of Being Kuna). In comparison with the Maya and the Aztec the Kuna did not participate in any animal sacrifices nor did they see it necessary to sacrifice humans to appease the gods. The use of blood in their ceremonies was purely symbolic and was not forced out of the body in any way. Unlike the other people of Mesoamerica the Kuna did not see a need to feel pain or show penance during their blood rituals and in this way can be considered a more advanced and civilized tribe of their time. The differences between the Kuna and the other people of Mesoamerica can be attributed to the small communities that never fought, but also were never conquered. They never saw any gruesome battles or bloodshed and for the most part have been a peaceful tribe. For this reason many of their blood ceremonies and rituals are not as extreme as the Aztec or Mayan sacrifices. Yet blood was still an all important part of their lives, without it there would be no inna tunsikkalet, or puberty rite. Blood played an integral part in just about every civilization and tribe throughout Mesoamerican history. Though, this doesnt come as a surprise; blood ceremonies, in some way, have been a part of practically every single culture from the beginning of time until the present. From the enormous, public gladiator battles and executions in the Coliseum during time of the Roman Empire in the 70 AD to the symbolic drinking of Christs blood during the Eucharist under Christian theology in todays world, blood has and will always play an important role. While human sacrifices have long been gone from our world, some religions, such as the Santeria, still participate in animal sacrifices as a way of healing. One of the possible explanations for the importance of blood in so many different cultures and societies over such a long period of time is that blood is practically the same in just about everyone. Whether one was a Mayan king or a humble servant he still had blood that flowed in exactly the same way. Anyone who wanted could participate in these blood rituals and show their piety to the gods, even if it did not mean a public ceremony. Blood is also universal, every single person who has ever walked this earth had blood flow through their veins. For this reason it is safe to assume that most people were aware of it and for most it was something of a mystery, something that could mean the difference between life and death, something that could be worshipped. Whether it is for religious, cultural, or medical reasons, blood will always play a significant role in our lives. Blood is as important as air, water, or food, without it we would not survive.

Internet Marketing :: BTEC Business Management Marketing GCSE

Internet Marketing Being a writer isn’t a complicated task, but being a messageful writer requires lot of experience and inner self-presentation. James Baldwin was a very great writer. He expresses his inner feeling into his writing, which makes him true writer. When ever he wrote something always contain some kind of message. Most of his writing about African American culture where he raised. His writing tells the story of pain. He painted cruel history of black community into his writing. His writing contains lot of pain and anger, which could only describe by his writing. He was a one of the leader who speeches his nation by his writing. After reading his piece of art, which was presented via short stories and many books, I have come to perceive James Baldwin as a legendary writer. Through his short stories, Baldwin expresses the truth about his life. It seems that most of Baldwin's life was spent during times of extreme racism and he was strongly discriminated against due to his racial and ethnic background. Some of his stories were written in the middle of 19th century, a time when American citizens were distinguished by their color. It was a time when black and white people had their own separate worlds in which they were living. It was very hard to break the narrow-minded ways of many racist people. In other words, there was a self-created border between both races. In his stories, "Previous Condition" and "Sonny's Blues," Baldwin has developed characters to fight against racism in attempts to live their lives as they please. In "Previous Condition," the character named Peter, had a very difficult life. For example, throughout his childhood, Peter was often called a "Niger" by white children. At that time, Peter was too young to understand the meaning of that word. After understanding what people meant when they called him "Niger," he began to hate his life. Peter no longer wanted to live in the neighborhood in which he belonged to. Peter wanted to change his entire lifestyle. He didn't want to just "struggle and survive." Peter didn't want to be average, he wanted to succeed. Finally, in pursuit of his dreams, Peter decided to sneak out of his neighborhood with the help of a white friend. This turned out to be an awful mistake that Peter would regret for as long as he lived.

Essay --

Over the past century and a half, the spur of Bigfoots existence has questioned many researchers and non-believers alike. Extensive research and findings have sparked many to seek out if there is another creature amongst our woods. Bigfoots existence is limited to substantial evidence such as sightings, footprints, and somatogenic traces. Ben Radford the author of â€Å"Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence† explains effectively of the possible existence through extensive evidence and theories whether the beast actually resides among us. The theory of there being an ape like beast that walks through our wilderness all started with a 16mm film in Bluff Creek, California by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in 1967. The video displayed a tall, hairy human like figure trolling along a timber clearing walking briskly away from Patterson and Gimlin. The film ignited a craze amongst scientist and viewers to go on a conquest to prove Bigfoots existence. The 1967 film was never proven to be a hoax or real evidence and still today is a toss up. Personal sightings or eyewitness accounts make up what seems to be the most numerous amounts of evidence that’s been brought to attention. Sightings are not justifiable to whether â€Å" Squatch† is real no matter how many sightings are reported. The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society stores archives of Bigfoot reports across Pennsylvania for almost the past century. Locally, in Erie County, there has suspected to be several eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot encounters. People often confuse a Sasquatch with a bear or some other unknown animal that they may seem to not make out clearly. â€Å" Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable†(Radford 2002). Sure some people would not believe a person ... ... tested hairs and other parts for DNA and concluded that they fit into our family tree. â€Å" Those hair samples that could not be identified as known animal or human were subsequently screened using DNA testing, beginning with sequencing of mitochondrial DNA followed by sequencing nuclear DNA to determine where these individuals fit in the tree of life† (Ketchum 2013). The existence of Bigfoot isn’t quite certain to be real with the numerous accounts of acclaimed sighting and physical evidence that has been laid on the table for researchers to decipher. From my standpoint, Bigfoot is a cryptozoological creature that has yet to be explained that I’m not for certain about. Radford explained the facts whether the existence of Bigfoot is real or just a hoax. It’s just a matter of time when and where this mythological being will proven to be a new life form amongst us.

Ghani Glass (Strategic Management Report)

Literature Search Strategy â€Å"Strategic Management can be defined as the Art and Science of formulating, implementing and evaluation cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives† [1] â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term which achieves advantage for the organization t Through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations†. [2] Stages of Strategic Management The strategic-management process consists of 3 stages that are; pic] Strategic Analysis This is all about the analyzing the strength of businesses' position and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be assisted by a number of tools, including: †¢ PEST ANALYSIS – a technique for understanding the â€Å"environment† in which a business operates †¢ SCENA RIO PLANNING – a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business †¢ FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS – a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry MARKET SEGMENTATION – a technique which seeks to identify similarities and differences between groups of customers or users †¢ DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX – a technique which summarizes the competitive strength of a business’s operations in specific markets †¢ COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – a wide range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summaries a businesses' overall competitive position †¢ CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR ANALYSIS – a technique to identify those areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT ANALYSIS – a useful summary technique for summarizing the key issues arising from an assessment of a business’s â€Å"internal† position and â€Å"exte rnal† environmental influences. STRATEGIC CHOICE This process involves understanding the nature of stakeholder expectations (the â€Å"ground rules†), identifying strategic options, and then evaluating and selecting strategic options. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION It is the trickiest part†¦ When a strategy has been analyzed and selected, the task is then to translate it into organizational action. VISION STATEMENTS Vision statements are defined by organizations as â€Å"What do we want to become? † [3] â€Å"Strategic visions ought to convey a larger sense of purpose- so that employees see themselves as â€Å"building cathedral† rather than â€Å"laying stones†. [4] MISSION STATEMENTS â€Å"Mission Statements are enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one business from other similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of the firm’s operations in product and market terms. † [5] â€Å"A mission describes the organization’s basic function in society in terms of the products and services it produces for its customers†. [6] A clear Mission statement should have each of the following elements: [pic] External Assessment: Porter 5 Forces Model That Shapes Industry The process of performing an external audit must involve as many managers and employees as possible. Awareness of the 5 forces for external assessment can be very useful for the firm as it is able to determine the position of the respective company in the industry. To perform an external audit a company must accumulate competitive intelligence and information about economic social cultural demographic environmental political governmental legal and technological trends. Other sources include magazines, newspaper, internet and business journals. Following are the 5 forces that shape strategy. [7] These 5 forces determine the attractiveness of the industry. If the rivalry is intense, for example in auto and gaming industry, we can say that it has reduced the attractiveness of the industry. Similarly, if the forces are moderate, as they are in industries such as software, soft drinks, and toiletries, many companies are profitable. Industry structure drives competition and profitability, not whether an ndustry produces a product or service, is emerging or mature, high tech or low tech, regulated or unregulated. While a myriad of factors can affect industry profitability in the short run – including the weather and the business cycle – industry structure, manifested in the competitive forces, sets industry profitability in the medium and long run. These five forces are further affected by the external environment which are rather uncontroll able and are widely popular as PEST in Porter theory of 5 forces. They are called Political, Environmental, Social and Technological. Relationship between External forces and Organization [pic][8] Internal Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses A strategic-management audit of a firm’s internal operations is imperative to organization’s health. Increasing number of successful organizations are using the internal audit to gain competitive advantage. Management, marketing, financial/accounting, production / operations and management information systems represent the core competencies of the organizations and their value chains. An organization should identify and evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively formulate and choose among alternative strategies. [9] GENERIC COMPETETIVE STRATEGIES The second central question in competitive strategy is a firm's relative position within its industry. Positioning determines whether a firm's profitability is above or below the industry average. A firm that can position it well may earn high rates of return even though industry structure is unfavorable and the average profitability of the industry is herefore modest. Each of the generic strategies involves a fundamentally different route to competitive advantage, combining a choice about the type of competitive advantage sought with the scope of the strategic target in which competitive advantage is to be achieved. The cost leadership and differentiation strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of industry segments, while focus strategies aim at cost advantage (cost focus) or differ entiation (differentiation focus) in a narrow segment. The specific actions required to implement each generic strategy vary widely from industry to industry, as do the feasible generic strategies in a particular industry. While selecting and implementing a generic strategy is far from simple, however, they are the logical routes to competitive advantage that must be probed in any industry. [10] COST LEADERSHIP: Cost leadership is perhaps the clearest of the three generic strategies. In it, a firm sets out to become the low-cost producer in its industry. The firm has a broad scope and serves many industry segments, and may even operate in related industries — the firm's breadth is often important to its cost advantage. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry DIFFERENTIATION: The second generic strategy is differentiation. In a differentiation strategy, a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. FOCUS: The third generic strategy is focus. This strategy is quite different from the others because it rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment of group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. By optimizing its strategy for the target segments, the focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: A firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is â€Å"stuck in the middle. † It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. If a firm that is stuck in the middle is lucky enough to discover a profitable product or buyer, competitors with a sustainable competitive advantage will quickly eliminate the spoils. In most industries, quite a few competitors are stuck in the middle. Ghani Glass – An Introduction: The founder of Ghani Group Sheikh Abdul Ghani (late) started business in 1963 and established a coal / silica sand mining firm in the name of Ahmad Brothers and Company. Now, the group is running a diverse range of businesses including three glass manufacturing plants, an automobile plant and a number of leading mining companies have an annual turnover of over Rs. 8 Billion. The origins of this group can be found in the mining industry given its involvement in coal, salt and sand mining since 1959. The substantial strategic benefits of vertical integration led them to consider venturing into the manufacturing field in subsequent years. The chosen manufacturing field was glass manufacturing due to the robust demand for glass products in the country. The Ghani Group was not new to the glass manufacturing industry. They had been supplying silica sand to the glass industries four decades back. Their dedication to quality and customer service allowed them to land an exclusive 25 year excellence certificate from Phillips. Their venture into the manufacturing field took the form of Ghani Glass, incorporated in 1992 and starting production in 1995, forming the first step on the road to success of Ghani Glass limited, which today own three glass plants namely GGL1 – Hattar, GGL2 – Landhi and GGL3 – Sheikhupura Road. Companies of the Group The diversified businesses operating under the umbrella of Ghani Group are as follows: †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Hattar (GGL-I) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Karachi (GGL-II) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Sheikhupura (Float Glass Plant) †¢ Ghani Automobiles Limited (formerly Ghani Textile Ltd. †¢ Makerwall Collieries Limited †¢ Ghani Mines (Pvt. ) Limited; †¢ Ghani Chromites Mines Pvt. Limited †¢ Ghani Corporation †¢ Ahmed Ghani Joint Venture †¢ Al-Muhandus Corp. †¢ Ahmed Brothers and Co. Vision: To indulge in honesty, integrity and self determination, to encourage excellence in performance and most of all to put our trust in Allah, so that we, eventually through our efforts and belief, become the leader amongst glass manufacturers not only in Pakistan but in Asia. Mission: The company has no mission statement and according to them, their vision connotes their mission. External Environment Porter’s Five Forces Applying Porter’s five forces to the Glass Industry allows us to acquire a fair view of the potential attractiveness in terms of profitability of the industry and Attractiveness. | | |Yes |~ |No | |A | |(+) | |(–) | | |Threat of New Entrants | | | | | |Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any Proprietary product differences in your industry? | | |[pic] | | |Are there any established brand identities in your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? | |[pic] | | |Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is serviceable used equipment expensive? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does experience help you to continuously lower costs? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or | | | | | |supplies? |[pic] | | | | |Does your product or service have any proprietary features that give you lower cost? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any licenses, insurance or qualifications that are difficult to obtain? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Can the newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | The threat of new entrants is significantly low as there is high capital investment required for establishing a manufacturing facility in this industry. Besides, the current players in market are well settled and have strong brand identities. Incase any new firm wants to enter this industry; it will be faced with predicaments in setting-up distribution links as the existing companies have substantial control over main channels. PEST ANALYSIS P: The Government of Pakistan has certain regulations related to establishment of a manufacturing facility. All new firms are subject to different licensing and regulatory procedures and the industry’s tax structure in also not supportive. E: Primarily, the economic conditions do not affect the behavior of this industry as glass has no direct substitutes and all the buyers including domestic and commercial ones are bound to buy glass when they need it. S: With a strong cultural heritage, Pakistanis are well known for their arts and crafts. The words beautification and decoration are directly related with glass. Besides basic usage, people decorate their houses with vases and other decorative items made up of glass (mainly float glass). Hence, the social and societal values are in favor of this industry. T: Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and one of the basic reasons for that is lagging behind in the field of technology. The technology required in this industry is not only expensive but the manufacturing / processing equipments are also not easily available in Pakistan. All existing companies have to import the machines from countries such as Japan, Germany and China. | | |Yes |~ |No | |B | |(+) | |(–) | | |Bargaining Power of Buyers | | | | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? | | |[pic] | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in – house? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. | |[pic] | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer’s business are profitable |[pic] | | | | |You provide incentives to the de cision makers. |[pic] | | | In this industry bargaining power of buyers is very low. This is due to low number of producer of glass compare to large number of buyers of glass. There are hardly four companies existing in this industry. PEST ANALYSIS P: As such, the politico legal system has not influenced the bargaining power of customers in this industry. Even in the turbulent times, the company has been successful in achieving sales targets and net income is continuously showing an upward trend. E: Economic conditions do not impact the bargaining power of buyer in this industry because the offerings of Ghani Glass are quite high in quality as compared to that of others. S: The float glass has become an indispensable element of modern infrastructure thereby; it has resulted in an increase in demand and decrease in bargaining power of buyers. T: The element of technology is very significant in glass industry and the processes involve high-tech machinery which makes superior glass. It can, therefore, be concluded that technology factor is lessening the buyers’ power. |C | |Yes |~ |No | | |Threat of Substitutes |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Industry is Not Cyclical with intermittent over capacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. | |[pic] | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and | | |[pic] | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is comple x and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | |[pic] | PEST ANALYSIS P: Political conditions of our country don’t hit the rivalry factor of this industry up to large extent. But when small players in the industry leave the business due to unrelenting political mayhems, big players like Ghani Glass take the advantage of a decrease in competition, direct or indirect. E: The GDP of our country is growing and so is per capita income. Glass is a commodity where consumption is dependent on income. As incomes of individuals and corporations tend to increase, the consumption of glass also increases. Glass is also used in bottling of soft drinks, medicines and automobile industry. The consumption of consumer goods also helps glass industry to endure economic slowdowns. S: Since the social factors are causing an increase in demand for glass, every player gets a chance cater certain segment of users. Thus it reduces the intensity of rivalry among the exiting competitors. T: Due to the enhancement in technology and emergence of internet, both domestic and corporate customers have easy access to different suppliers thus it is increasing the rivalry among the existing competitors. F | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 20 |4 |0. 80 | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply rising demand in |0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |construction of business arcade (in which float glass is the main | | | | |ingredient) | | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince Glass which is |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |technologically well-equipped | | | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional conglomerates in |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |pursuit of globalization | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in Afghanistan, Iran and Indian |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |markets. | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | |Threats | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 0 |3 |0. 30 | |The emergence of substitute products such as aluminum and wood |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium and Malaysian Float Glass |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 05 | INTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION | |IFE MATRIX | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |2. Team Vigilance |0. 10 |3 |0. 20 | |3. Loyalty of employees |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their business |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |5. Better product quality compared to rivals |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |6. A widely recognized brand |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | |7. Strong distribution channels |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  8. Dedicated human resource at managerial levels |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | | |   | |Weaknesses | | | | |9. Weak R & D related to new product development |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |10. Lack of technically-sound labour |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  11. Not upgraded training facilities for labor |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 15 | COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX (CPM) | | |Ratings |Total |Ratings |Total | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Technology |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Advertisement & Communication |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |Financial Position |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Management |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Competition |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 |2 |0. 20 | |Dedicated Human Resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Distribution Channels |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 20 | |2. 20 | Competitors Analysis Pharmaceutical Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Float Glass Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 75% in this industry. Food & Beverages Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Major Customers: Leading national and multinational companies of Pakistan †¢ Construction companies – local and multinational †¢ Architectural and engineering companies †¢ Also being exported to over 12 countries KEY SUCCESS FACTORS UNMATCHED QUALITY: Ghani Glass is successful because of the quality it offers. In connivance wi th same, they charge a premium price and this results in high profit margins. Consequently, the company has more money to reinvest. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ALL OVER PAKISTAN: Ghani Glass has successfully formed a strong distribution network by giving better margins to distributors. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY: Ghani Glass uses the most advanced technology in the industry. The company installed its first state on the art plant in 1993. Later on, the company set-up first Float Glass manufacturing facility in 2003. Since then, they are constantly improving their technology and resultantly, they have been able to make quality oriented products and it helped them in becoming a trend setter and market leader. MARKETING STRATEGIES: Word of mouth is the most important tool which they have used for the promotion of their products. They have also used billboards and personnel selling tools to promote their products. In nutshell, they were able to position their product as the best in terms of quality through marketing strategy. This also increased their brand equity. SKILLED ENGINEERS HIRED FROM FOREIGN MARKETS: In Pakistan, the education level is backward that has led to lack of availability of skilled labour in the country. Also there is such institution in Pakistan that engineer can be trained to handle the technology. Therefore to overcome this hindrance they have hired employee mainly engineer from foreign market. As compare to their rival their engineer are more skillful and efficient. DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCE & EMPLOYEES: Ghani Glass provides is staffs with three time meal that is breakfast, lunch and dinner free of cost. It means that they make sure their employee and labors are fit and healthy. It is due to their policy that their labor has become dedicated and hard working. Company makes sure that no labor or employee is ill-treated. They follow strictly the labor law which has made the labor and employee loyal to the company. Core Competencies: – Technology: The company is using superior technology as compared to others in market and it has helped them in retaining market leadership status. – Dedicated HR: The employees are extremely loyal and the company is using strategic tactics to retain their motivation level. For instance, there are no overtimes and each and every employee is given free meals throughout the day. – Product Innovation: Ghani Glass is leading the industry by innovating round the year and becoming pioneer in every segment of glass industry. Value Chain Financial Ratio Trends Financial Ratio Trends |Ratios |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Activity Ratio | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |6. 55 |6. 13 |5. 67 |4. 04 |2. 0 | | | | | | | | |Fixed Asset Turnover |1. 86 |1. 78 |1. 6 |1. 45 |2. 68 | | | | | | | | |Total Asset Turnover |1. 04 |0. 78 |0. 79 |0. 86 |1. 04 | Analysis Ghani Glass is the market leader of its industry. It is financially sound with increasing returns and stable inventory control. Following is an in depth analysis of Ghani Glass Ratios: LIQUIDITY RATIO Liquidity ratio examines the liquidity position of the company. This means, whether the company has enough liquid or cash or inventory to cope up with its short term liabilities and expenses. The current ratio FY2005 was 2. 9 which is very high. Ghani had a lot of liquid FY2005 which was idle and needed to be invested back in the company, and hence doing so GHANI reduces its current ration to 1. 98 FY2009 which is still very high, but it defines GHANI to be in a strong position with enough liquid to cope with short term liabilities. Quick Ratio describes whether the company is able to pay its short term liabilities without relying on its inventory. GHANI FY2009 has an adequate quick ratio of 1. 05, hence defining GHANI to be in a better position even if it runs short of inventory. Price to earning ratio, though has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06x in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical , law and order situation. Profitability Ratio Ghani has been able to produce good profits and returns for its investors. Ghani has been able to maintain its Gross Profit Margin between 25-30% and Net profit Margin between 15-20%. This explains a balanced business operation that has been able Ghani to maintain this level of profits, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions. Return on Capital employed has been increasing since 2006. In 2006, the return on capital employed was 12. 06% but now has been increased to 25. 65% which is clearly overwhelming. It clearly shows that Ghani have been successful in producing excellent returns but every penny invested in the company by its investors. This proves Ghani to be a market leader and why Ghani is financially sound. Price to earning ratio, though ,has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06 xs in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical, law and order situation. MATCHING STAGES THE Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is another important Stage 2 matching tool of formulation framework. It explains that what is our strategic position and what possible action can be taken. It is not closed matrix. It is prepared on graph. It is closed matrix. This follow counter clock wise direction. It contains four-quadrant named aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions financial strength [FS] and competitive advantage [CA]) and two external dimensions (environmental stability [ES] and industry strength [IS]). These four factors are the most important determinants of an organization's overall strategic position. |Financial Strength (FS) |Rating | | | | |1. Return on investment |+4 | |2. Leverage |+3 | |3. Liquidity |+3 | |4. Cash Flow |+3 | Financial Strength: Ghani has a strong Financial Condition with increasing returns and has enough liquidity to cope with its short term liabilities. |Industry Strength (IS) |Rating | | | | |1. Growth Potential |+4 | |2. Profit Potential |+3 | |3. Technological know-how |+3 | |4. Financial Stability |+3 | Industry Strength The growth potential of the entire Glass industry has been on the higher side since the demand of glasses in households and offices had taken shape in our businesses and daily lives. Financial stability is quite positive in the industry as Ghani has been performing well along with its competitors who are located in the informal sector of the market. Technology is an important factor here as people get more and more aware of the new technologies coming in the market & their benefits the more they will demand it as influenced by the external as well as internal forces. Profit potential in the industry is quite high as population & demand are ever growing factor. Environmental Stability (ES) |Rating | | | | |1. Technological Changes |-2 | |2. Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |3. Competitive Pressure |-1 | |4. Price range of competing products |-3 | Environmental Stability Barriers to entry are low as Technology required for producing glass is very high. Competitive pressure is low du e to only 2 major companies in the Industry. Also price range of competing product is stable in the industry Competitive Advantage Ghani has excellent market share which accounts for 71% in the market. Ghani has a good product quality to cater to its audiences. The industry doesn’t necessary has customer loyalty and any customer would be looking for good quality affordable glass irrespective of the producer of the glass. |Competitive Advantage (CA) |Rating | |1. Market Share |-1 | |2. Product Quality |-2 | |3. Customer Loyalty |-3 | |4. Technological know how |-1 | SPACE MATRIX RESULT |x-axis: 5 + -2 = 3 | |y-axis: 6 + -3. 25 = 2. 75 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | |POSITION |   |   |   |   |   |   |COMPETITIVE | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |V |VI | | | | | |VII |VIII |IX | [pic] 3 to 4 [pic] 2 to 2. 99 [pic] 1 to 1. 99 |STRENGTH |WEAKNESSES | | |Superior Technology than competitor. |Weak R&D related to new product development | | |Team Vigilant |Lack of Abundant quantity of quality labor | | |Skilled and abreast with knowledge employers|Not upgraded training facilities for Labor | | |Ample financial resources to reinvest and | | | |grow their business. | | |Better product quality relative to rivals | | | |A Widely recognize market leader | | | |Strong Distribution channel | | | |Dedicated Human resources | | |OPPORTUNITIES | Strengths-Opportunities SO |Weakness-Opportunities WO | |Increasing demand of glass products | |With increasing demand of glass products, | | |With superior technology, better skilled |Ghani glass should improve its research and | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |employees and increasing demand of glass, |development department. (W1 O1) | | |Ghani Glass can pursue product development | | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply |by producing products such as bowls and |Partnering and ventures with regional | |rising demand in construction of business |glass crockery. (O1 S1 S3 S4) |conglomerates will bring in skilled labor. |arcade in which float glass is the main |Ghani should export glass to Afghanistan (S4|(O5 W2) | |ingredient |O6) | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince |Ghani should install plant in Iran (S4 O6) | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |With ample financial resources, Ghani Glass | | |well-equipped |can acquire small businesses in the | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional|industry. (O4 S4) | | |conglomerates in pursuit of globalization | | | |Uprising demand in Afghanistan and Iran | | | |markets. | | |THREATS |Strengths-Threats ST |Weakness-Threats WT | |Gas Load Shedding |Increase trade promotion as a proactive |Ghani R&D should produce new products to | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |measure to silent emerging rivals. (S4 S5 S6|compete with emerging rivals like Khawaja | |The emergence of substitute products such as |T2) |Glass. (W1 T2) | |aluminum and wood |Negotiate with the Government to receive | | |Importing of glass from China, Saudi Arab, |exemption in Gas Load Shedding. T2 O6) | | |Malaysia a nd Belgium | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From the I-E Matrix it can be concluded that Ghani Glass is internally very strong with the IFE of 3. 15 and EFE weighted score of 3. 05 which means that it lies on the first quadrant of the I-E matrix. Company lying on the first quadrant of the matrix are suppose to adopt aggressive strategy. Company which lies on Quadrant I,II or IV are suppose to grow and build. Here Ghani Glass lies in First Quadrant so it should Grow and build its market which means it has to adopt aggressive strategy such as forward integration, Market penetration or product development. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE Q S P M | |Key Success Factors |Weight |Market Develop. In Iran & |Product Development (Glass | | | |Afghanistan |Crockery) | | |AS | | |TAS | | | |TAS |AS | | |Opportunities | | | | | | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 0 | | | | | | | |4 |0. 80 | |0. 60 | | | | | |3 | | |Forward integration (opening retail |0. 10 | | | | | |outlets) | |- |- |1 | | | | | | | |0. 0 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply | | | | | | |rising demand in construction of business | | | | | | |arcade in which float glass is the main | | | | | | |ingredient | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 5 | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince|0. 15 | | | | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | |well-equipped | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Partnerships and joint ventures with |0. 05 | 2 |0. 10 |2 |0. 10 | |regional conglomerates in pursuit of | | | | | |globalization | | | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in |0. 05 | | | | | |Afghanistan and Iran markets. | | | |3 | | | | |2 |0. 10 | |0. 15 | |   | | | | | | |Threats | | | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 0 | | | | | | | |- |- | | | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 10 | | |2 | | | | | | | |0. 20 | |The emergence of substitute products such |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |as aluminum and wood | | | | | | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium made and |0. 05 | 3 | 0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |Malaysian Float Glass | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |2. Team Vigilant |0. 10 |- | | | | |3. Skilled and abreast with knowledge |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |employers | | | | | | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | |business | | | | | | |5. Better product quality relative to |0. 10 |- | |2 |0. 20 | |rivals | | | | | | |6. A Widely recognize market leader |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |3 |0. 15 | |7. Strong Distribution channel |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |8. Dedicated Human resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Weaknesses | | | | | | |9. Weak R&D related to new product |0. 10 |- | |1 |0. 10 | |development | | | | | | |10. Lack of Abundant quantity of quality |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |- | | |labor | | | | | | |11. Not upgraded training facilities for |0. 5 |- | |- | | |Labor | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 60 | |2. 35 | Interpretation of QSMP After tho roughly analyzing the QSPM scores, it can be concluded that the Market Development in Afghanistan and Iran is much more feasible rather than opting for product development. The pitfall in applying this strategy can the cultural mismatch in the organization. Balanced Business Scorecard | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– [1] Fred R. David, Strategic Management Concept and Cases 12th Edition. p. 4 2 Johnson and Scholes, Planning and Strategic Management, 1999. p. 10 [2] Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 [3] Thompson, Strategic Management 13th edition p. 40 5 Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 6 Mintzberg [4] Strategic Management by Thompson, 13th edition p. 80 [5] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th edition p. 73 [6] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th Edition p. 104 [7] Creating and sustaining superior performance by Michael E. Porter Free Press, 1998 (1985) ———————– 10 2 1 3 1 10 4 10 1 2 10 1 3 10 1 [pic] Objective 1. Continuous training and development 2 Organizational cultures which encourages change and development. Measure Create a supportive work environment & corporate culture. Target 1. Increased one-to one contact at all levels; 2. Real time communication. 3. Collective decision making Initiative 1. Empowerment. 2. Restructuring of Human Resource department and policies. Learning & Growth Initiative Simplify procedures and streamline workflows. Target More strategic acquisitions of small players Measure Engineering efficiency, continuous technology adoption Objective To bring continuous improvement in business processes and reduce costs Internal Processes Objective To strengthen relationship with customers. Measure Number of co-operative efforts Target Maximum customer participation and involvement Initiative Increase focus on check-in services. Customer Objective Increasing profit by 3% in F. Y 2010 Initiative Trade promotions locally and internationally Target Retain Market Domination Measure Strive for an incline in Sales Revenue Financial TOWS Matrix AMMa

Filipino Traits

FILIPINOS ARE: 1. clean. 2. jolly. 3. musically-inclined. Filipinos, although regarded by Claire Danes as dirty people, are hygienic. This may be because of the tropical weather we have. We tend to sweat a lot so we bathe as much as we want. Unlike others, especially the French, we do not just shower or drench our bodies in water; we use soap and even pumice stones to thoroughly cleanse our bodies. We also have the unwavering joie-de-vivre in us.Despite the economical and political issues we face, we still have a candle of hope that never ceases to radiate. We laugh and even crack the most ridiculous jokes even amidst excruciating pain.. We have lots of feast days that would give us a long-term break from problems. We have a happy disposition in life. We are musically-inclined. In every town, there are groups of musicians and bands that showcase exceptional talent in music. Filipinos are starting to dominate the international music scene.There are Allan Pineda, member of the Grammy A ward-winning group Black Eyed Peas (Grammy Award-winning group); Nicole Scherzinger, leader of The Pussycat Dolls; Allan Pineda, vocalist of the Journey; and Charice Pempengco, given the title Icon of Tomorrow by an international teen magazine, to name a few. Also, The University of Santo Tomas Singers Choir of the World- Luciano Pavarotti Grand Prize at the 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, in Wales, UK — the oldest and most prestigious choir competition in the world.OPINION: Due to racial discrimination, most of us conceal our Filipino side. Foreigners mock our country, saying that this is a country of domestic helpers. Moreover, our country is know to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We should not be affected by this because there are so many things to be proud of in being a Filipino, and it is our musical inclination usually highlighted, thanks to our artists. Let us just enhance the good points and eliminate the bad ones. I see that we a re starting to ake a good image of our country. Kaya Pilipinas, umasenso ka! ?Ref: http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=uxEYobbU-D8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=filipino+musically-inclined&source=bl&ots=-FXeXu7OpE&sig=qJCIQUR6mk-CkmtBO2jlOEiWBmo&hl=tl&ei=7GnTTNLnB8a3cIeLtd4E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=filipino%20musically-inclined&f=false http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20071127035508AAEh5ZF http://ph. mg60. mail. yahoo. com/dc/launch?. gx=1&. rand=7thn8lb1eoail Filipino Traits FILIPINOS ARE: 1. clean. 2. jolly. 3. musically-inclined. Filipinos, although regarded by Claire Danes as dirty people, are hygienic. This may be because of the tropical weather we have. We tend to sweat a lot so we bathe as much as we want. Unlike others, especially the French, we do not just shower or drench our bodies in water; we use soap and even pumice stones to thoroughly cleanse our bodies. We also have the unwavering joie-de-vivre in us.Despite the economical and political issues we face, we still have a candle of hope that never ceases to radiate. We laugh and even crack the most ridiculous jokes even amidst excruciating pain.. We have lots of feast days that would give us a long-term break from problems. We have a happy disposition in life. We are musically-inclined. In every town, there are groups of musicians and bands that showcase exceptional talent in music. Filipinos are starting to dominate the international music scene.There are Allan Pineda, member of the Grammy A ward-winning group Black Eyed Peas (Grammy Award-winning group); Nicole Scherzinger, leader of The Pussycat Dolls; Allan Pineda, vocalist of the Journey; and Charice Pempengco, given the title Icon of Tomorrow by an international teen magazine, to name a few. Also, The University of Santo Tomas Singers Choir of the World- Luciano Pavarotti Grand Prize at the 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, in Wales, UK — the oldest and most prestigious choir competition in the world.OPINION: Due to racial discrimination, most of us conceal our Filipino side. Foreigners mock our country, saying that this is a country of domestic helpers. Moreover, our country is know to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We should not be affected by this because there are so many things to be proud of in being a Filipino, and it is our musical inclination usually highlighted, thanks to our artists. Let us just enhance the good points and eliminate the bad ones. I see that we a re starting to ake a good image of our country. Kaya Pilipinas, umasenso ka! ?Ref: http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=uxEYobbU-D8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=filipino+musically-inclined&source=bl&ots=-FXeXu7OpE&sig=qJCIQUR6mk-kmtBO2jlOEiWBmo&hl=tl&ei=7GnTTNLnB8a3cIeLtd4E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=filipino%20musically-inclined&f=falsehttp://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20071127035508AAEh5ZF