The Effects Of Special Needs On Children And Adults With...

1.Special Need Individuals Though history children or adults with physical and mental disabilities are vulnerable to physical and verbal abuse and neglection from their parents or guardian, because of the lack of knowledge on what a child is going through. Special needs people face many issues socially because they are perceived as outcasts; because they don’t fit with society norms. Social norms are a set of rules of behaviors that are acceptable to society and if people don’t fit with these norms they can be treated differently or given the cold shoulder. Due to these social norms, special need people face discrimination in schools, jobs, or in their own community. Special needs people also have difficulty to make new friends or acquaintances, they are more likely to get rejected due to lack of understanding of certain behaviors. Being teased by peers because of constantly having to live their life on an on-going loop and being unable to change their routine. 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Switching Time A Doctor s Harrowing Story Of Treating...

Switching Time: A Doctor’s Harrowing Story of Treating a Woman with Seventeen Personalities Karen Overhill visits Doctor Richard Baer for the first time on January 11, 1989. Behind her lies a lifetime of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at the hands of those meant to protect her. Though she seeks treatment for severe depression, in the next four years it will become incredibly clear that Karen suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, or Multiple Personality Disorder as it is more commonly known. The rest of her treatment becomes dedicated to uncovering the basis from which her mind has constructed these personalities and reveal the truth hidden in her lost time. Karen suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, a mental illness characterized by â€Å" a disruption of identity. . . by two or more distinct personalities† â€Å" that alternate control of an individual’s behavior† (Bell, Jacobson, Zeligman, Fox, Hundley 151). These personalities are often adopted as a sort of coping mechanism to persistent, extreme trauma faced throughout childhood, sexual abuse being the most common. An individual with Dissociative Identity Disorder will experience several â€Å"blackout† episodes where time escapes them and they lack any remembrance of where they are or how they got there. This, as is the case for Karen, creates a cycle of panic where she has no clue why she’s in a department store buying a hat for her son when she intended to go grocery shopping (Baer 27). It even goes to

Case of Study Retailing Market of Australia †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Case of Study Retailing Market of Australia. Answer: Introduction Change has been a significant part of any organization, especially within the changing political, economic, social and technological climate. In return, the changes lead the organizations to meet greater demands, opportunities and challenges in terms of developing the retail sector. The fundamental dynamics of changes in the retail sector of Australia has already generated more interest for the researchers, as the big Australian retailers have already implemented several changes and the small ones are now taking innovative and bold steps against the global competitors (Hayes 2014). This also requires reshaping their existing strategies to gain the competitive advantage in the market place and attract more customers. Retailing in Australia has been successful for the small businesses so far. In the last financial year, the retail market of Australia has shown to have increased by around 3%, however in terms of the previous years growth rate; it has shown a slower rate (Cameron and Gre e 2015). However, the change management is very much required, especially for the grocery retailers, as this sector of retailing has seen the highest growth in the last few years. This report will study the retailing market of Australia in terms of a small grocery retailer, Thomas Grocer in Sydney. The organization is a comparatively small grocery store which has started planning for a change in order to attract more customers on the domestic level. However, due to this change the employees of the organization were not being able to cope up with the situation. I have been working with this organization for last two months as a part-time sales person, therefore in this report I will evaluate the industry and the internal and external contexts for prescribing the change initiatives. The models and theories will be discussed to support the proposed change initiative. Recommendations will be made for the possible issues due to the change within the organization. Evaluation of the industry According to Varley (2014) the grocery industry of Australia is mostly dominated by two big players, Woolworths and Coles. Both these organizations hold around eighty per cent of the entire market share. However, there are several independent retailers and wholesalers in the market along with different specialty retailers. Other than the two big players in the market, there are few international grocery organizations such as Aldi. Moreover, both the Woolworths and Coles have a significant impact on the price control of the Australian grocery market. However the Australian market is an established competitive market which has set the prices in a relative way according to the buying behavior of the customers within the market. In the recent times, the most dominating characteristics of the retail market is that the organization are utilizing the advancements of technology as an effective method for luring the potential customers. This has effectually increased the amount of buying mate rials within the industry. The organizations have also implemented the loyal program cards which have been very much effective in retaining the customers. However, Fernie and Sparks (2014) has indicated that there are few barriers within the industry which may hinder the growth of the industry to a great extent. Several organizations are not being able to entry in the market or to expand due to the lack of sites as the desired ones are already taken by the big players of the industry. Moreover, the entire industry had become monopoly due to the bigger players in the industry. Roth (2016) also reveal that the there has been a hike in the market prices even though there has not been any changes in the quality of the product. However, all the findings regarding the industry indicate that there is a workable competition in the market along with the existence of the monopolistic power. Moreover, the small organizations in the market need to deal with this competition strategically as the competition is quite tough here. Organizational culture and structure Thomas Grocer is a small grocery retail shop in Sydney with two outlets in the city. The organizational structure of the organization mostly determines the business activities of the company. The structure of Thomas Grocer also enforces few limitations on the way of addressing problems Thomas Grocer has a functional hierarchical organizational structure. There dominant features of the structures are definitions on the basis of functions and hierarchy. The hierarchy relates to the vertical command lines and authoritative throughout the structure. For instance, other than the Managing director of the company, all the employees have a superior employee. The directions mostly come from the higher levels of the management and implemented by the middle management. The job definitions on the basis of functions involves different group of employees for different job definitions. Fior instance, there are different departments in the organization such as, marketing and sales department, human resources department, finance department, customer service department etc. The people who are capable of working in such department are only put in such teams. The organizational culture of Thomas Grocer has few primary components. These components are utilized in guiding the organizational behavior of the employees. The components are: Providing best service to the customers Respecting every individual Doing the actions with adequate integrity In case of providing service to the customers, Thomas Grocer prioritizes the clients most in the operation chain. However, the organization also identifies the contributions and efforts of the employees for making the business successful. Along with that, the organization also strives for excellence within the individual performances, respective teams, and the organization. In addition to that, the organization promotes the values of fairness, honesty and impartiality within the decision making procedure. However, the organization requires applying its beliefs and core values in the operational chain. SWOT analysis: Strength The primary strength of Thomas Grocer is that the organization has excellent employee who have strong knowledge regarding the existing products. The organization also has good relationship with its customers in the neighborhood. In addition to that, the employees also have a good internal connection with the management and they have always maintained the hierarchy (Cullen et al. 2013). Two of the stores of Thomas Grocer are located in a good position in Sydney; therefore even if there is higher competition in the market along with monopoly, the organization manages to pull the crowd. This is also because the successful marketing strategies that the organization has applied. The organization has constant presence in social media, magazines and news paper. The organization is also reputed for innovation in the market. Weakness Recently the organization has faced struggles with meeting the deadlines as the work force is not sufficient for managing the entire increased work load. As the locations of both the store outlets are in a good position, the organization has to bear the higher rental costs. There are also cash flow issues. The organization does not keep its records in a proper way. Therefore it does not even have any loyalty program which can be helpful in retaining the customers (Gallino. and Moreno 2014). The organization also does not provide the opportunity of online shopping to the customers. Sometimes, they have to hold larger stock as well. Opportunity The organization has a good reputation in the market; therefore the organization is reliable for the customers. There is also a strong customer base in the market; however, the organization needs to expand it. The demand in the neighborhood has also increased in past financial years. Threats The strong competitors and the major key players in the retail sector are the main threats for the business. Most of the customers are now interested in doing online shopping; however, the organization still does not provide this opportunity for the customers. Also the depression in the economical situation has also affected the business in the last few years. Kotters Change Management Theory Kotters Change Management Theory is one of the most popular theories around the world. A professor at Harvard Business School, John P. Kotter has derived this theory where he has divided the change management process in eight stages, such as, Increase urgency This stage includes the creation of a urgency sense among people for motivating them towards the desired objectives (Neumeier 2013). Build the team This stage indicates to get suitable people in the team mixing their knowledge, skills and management. Get the correct vision This step is related to the creation of the right vision with the strategy along with objectives, emotional contacts and creativity (Burke 2017). Communicate- This is a major stage where the communication with people takes place about the change and the need for it. Get things done- For empowering the things or the required actions, it is necessary to get adequate support, remove the obstacles and implement necessary feedbacks. Focusing on the short-term goals- Focusing on the short term goals will enhance the way of achieving the success. Not giving up- Being persistent is the ultimate key for success; therefore one should not give up at any stage (Hayes 2014). Incorporate the change- Other than managing the change in an effective way, it is significant to incorporate it and make it a major part of everyday work culture. This theory has described the entire change management process in a step by step way, therefore it is easier for the organization for following and incorporating it in the system. However, this model is quite time-consuming as all the steps have to be followed. McKinsey 7S Model This model had been developed by the consultants of McKinsey Company. There are seven stages in this model, such as: Strategy: The strategy indicates to the plan which has been created for reaching the goals. This stage also involves a step wise future plan (Mitchell, Fredendall and Cantrell 2015). Structure: This is the stage of this model which can be related to the method to follow to reach the goal. Systems: For getting a job done, the system is the way which elaborates the regular day activities. Shared values: This refer to the primary or the core values of the respective organization. Style: This is way which the change is implemented and the leaders of the organization adopted (Alshaher 2013). Staff: This refers to the employees and their capabilities of working the change out. Skills: This refers to the competencies and the knowledge of the employees who are the existing workforce of the organization. This model refers to the methods in a transparent way with a profound insight in the way of reinforcing it. This also considers all the necessary components for implementing the change and offers a directional factor for the organizational change (Alshaher 2013). However, all the sections in the model are co-related, therefore if one stage fails, it is highly possible that the other ones starts failing too. Change initiatives In this internet era, it is necessary to have a successful online presence for any organization, especially in the fast growing countries like Australia. The penetration of internet shows that there are several identifiable changes in the buying behavior of the Australian grocery and retail customers. Alshaher (2013) indicates that most of the customers are now more comfortable in shopping their groceries online as it saves time. There are several stores which also offer convenient deals for using the banking transactions while shopping. Therefore, Thomas Grocer will offer its customers the opportunity of shopping online along with the customer loyalty cards. These cards will offer the customers an added benefit such as flyer points while using. This will increase the numbers of purchase as the customers will want to gain more flyer points. The store can also start a rewards program which will let the customers have more benefits such as more discounts on the next shopping or on the shopping of any related store. Therefore the organization will be able to increase the demand of the customers to a great extent by offering them the online shopping and loyalty programs. This will also help Thomas grocer to gain a competitive edge amongst the small retailers in the Australian grocery market. The organization should also adhere to its strategy as mentioned in the previous models and ensure that they have a actual plan for materializing. Recommendation Recent researches on the implementation of the online shopping system indicates that the customers are mostly impatient, therefore they get easily dissatisfied if there is any issue with the website or the application and move to another retailer. Therefore, while implementing the changes in the online shopping and loyalty program in Thomas grocer, the management has to ensure they provide unique experience to each of the customers. This will help them not only in retaining the old customers, but also attracting the new ones. The following recommendations are made for the organization which may help them to enhance their chain management procedure. Firstly, the organization needs to chalk out the plan for the required change. This will eventually let the company find out the gap in their system thoroughly. The management should analyze their entire business process and understand why they require implementing the change. After the analysis, they need to validate the improvements which can be reinforced in the system through the change initiatives. At this stage, the organization needs to have a profound understanding that what is happening within the market place. This will help them in planning a strategy which can include the significant changes. Secondly, the organization will also require identifying the key Performance Indicators for tracking the outcomes of the change initiative. This will ensure that the organization can easily measure the success of the proposed change initiatives. Thirdly, Thomas Grocer will also require structuring the entire plan of changing the shopping platform for the customers. The plan can only be structured when the organization has fixed goals. The change management procedure will only be successful when the entire process contains the naturally occurred disruption and resistance. Therefore the more the organization focuses on its goals, the more they can accomplish the desired goal. According to McKinsey 7S Model, this stage is very important as it defines the ways of accomplishing the goal. Fourthly, the organization needs to take of the technological issues strategically. While opening an online shopping website and application, it is very important to choose a right domain which is catchy and easy to remember for the customers. They should also avoid any kind of similarities with any other existing names of the domain. It is better to choose the same name as the store. Fifthly, the online store should be set up following a right catalog. The online stores do not really have sales persons, therefore thee visuals and product descriptions should be effective enough to make sure the online visitor ends up being a customer. Sixthly, the organization should also train and develop their employees so that they do not face any kind of trouble with the change management. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that, in the retail industry it is very important to bring more innovative procedures and changes in their regular processes. The effective changes in structuring, technology, policies and strategies can help the organizations to sustain in this global market environment. In this essay, the change management process in a small grocery retail business has been suggested. However, the organization also needs to remember that they can have several change initiatives, but it is the employees who can make the entire change management procedure possible. The possible recommendations for managing the change have been suggested in this essay as well. References Abouali, A., Harraz, N. and Fors, M.N., 2015. Optimizing Inventory Replenishment and Shelf Space Management in Retail Stores. Alshaher, A.A.F., 2013. The McKinsey 7S model framework for e-learning system readiness assessment.International Journal of Advances in Engineering Technology,6(5), p.1948. Btiz-Lazo, B., 2017. Between Novelty and Fashion: Risk Management and the Adoption of Computers in Retail Banking. InDecision Taking, Confidence and Risk Management in Banks from Early Modernity to the 20th Century(pp. 189-207). Springer International Publishing. Bhushan, A., Zanwar, A., Jain, N. and Rao, P.H., 2017. Technological Integration and Sustainable Initiatives to bring in Efficiency in Supply Chain in Indian Multi-Brand Retail.Journal of Supply Chain Management Systems Volume,6(1). Burke, W.W., 2017.Organization change: Theory and practice. Sage Publications. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cao, L. and Li, L., 2015. The impact of cross-channel integration on retailers sales growth.Journal of Retailing,91(2), pp.198-216. Chakraborty, R., Lee, J., Bagchi-Sen, S., Upadhyaya, S. and Rao, H.R., 2016. Online shopping intention in the context of data breach in online retail stores: An examination of older and younger adults.Decision Support Systems,83, pp.47-56. Chou, Y.C., Chuang, H.H.C. and Shao, B.B., 2016. The impact of e-retail characteristics on initiating mobile retail services: A modular innovation perspective.Information Management,53(4), pp.481-492. Cullen, J., Tsamenyi, M., Bernon, M. and Gorst, J., 2013. Reverse logistics in the UK retail sector: A case study of the role of management accounting in driving organisational change.Management Accounting Research,24(3), pp.212-227. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan page publishers. Gallino, S. and Moreno, A., 2014. Integration of online and offline channels in retail: The impact of sharing reliable inventory availability information.Management Science,60(6), pp.1434-1451. Gao, F. and Su, X., 2016. Omnichannel retail operations with buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store.Management Science. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Insley, V. and Nunan, D., 2014. Gamification and the online retail experience.International Journal of Retail Distribution Management,42(5), pp.340-351. Mitchell, B.C., Fredendall, L.D. and Cantrell, R.S., 2015. Using McKinseys 7 S Model to Empirically Examine Organizational Effectiveness among the NBA Teams.International Journal of Management and Human Resources,3(1), pp.69-86. Neumeier, M., 2013. Using Kotter's Change Management Theory and Innovation Diffusion Theory In Implementing an Electronic Medical Record.Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics,8(1-2). Roth, L.J., 2016. Successful Business Process Management in Retail. Varley, R., 2014.Retail product management: buying and merchandising. Routledge.

Odd Future free essay sample

Odd Future is a hip-hop group from Los Angels composed of multiple artists such as Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Doom Genesis, Hodge Beats, Left Brain, Taco, and many more. The beats are produced by aptly-named Hodge Beats, as well as some contributions from Tyler the Creator, often referred to as the leader of the group. The main rappers on the tracks are Tyler the Creator and Doom Genesis, with many features from Hodge Beats as well. The lyrics were very crude, profane, and violent, which is seemingly what helped them to gain such notoriety.With their original beats, shocking lyrics, and innovative rhyme scheme, it was easy to see what drew their huge fan base In over the last year or two. The group played dozens of songs, but highlighted their biggest hits and only played snippets of the others. Yonkers, which is Tyler the Creators biggest hit, was a very complex song with intricate lyrics and a strange beat. We will write a custom essay sample on Odd Future or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The lyrics contradicted themselves throughout the song, and they were performed very energetically.The beat was very dark and powerful, with an odd riff in between verses that grew on you throughout the song and got stuck in your head. Doom Genesis, the less controversial artist of the group, performed his verse of Real, a song released by the group this summer. HIS lyrics were more typical of mainstream rappers, focusing on money, women, expensive clothes, and Jewelry. In contrast, Tellers lyrics were generally about hardcore drugs, rape, murder, and controversial figures/issues such as Hitler and slavery. The biggest hit of the night as the song Orange Juice, a song by Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt (prominent member of the group who has been on a long hiatus), with Doom Genesis performing Earls verse for him. The song was very well-performed, sampling a catchy beat I recognized from the song Lemonade by Gucci Mane. The lyrics from Earls verse contained clever metaphors linked together by a very Intricate rhyme scheme that reminded me of Mine, regarded as a hip-hop legend, but in a much smoother tone.Tellers verse essentially blasted mainstream society but contained a similar hymen scheme, though performed less masterfully, and had a few controversial lyrics intended to catch the ear of the listeners. Overall, the group was very talented but seemed to lack genuine message to the audience, although I wondered if maybe the strong lyrics were a satirical attempt at Imitating most of the mainstream rappers these days. The audience was a strange mix of just about anybody you could t hink of; from nerdy-looking white kids to ghetto-looking black kids, young adults to young kids, rednecks to skaters, girls and boys, etc.It seems as though the group doesnt appeal to any specific demographic, but rather is entertaining to a large variety of people. The only exception would be people about 30 years or older, but thats not surprising as most people of that age arent that Interested In popular music anyways. The audience had a great time, as the performers were very Interactive with us and got the crowd energize. Id say on a scale of 1 to 10 the performance was a 7, only because at some points the crowd got a little too out of hand (your usual managers under the influence getting riled up).Also, at some points the lyrics were hard to hear and the beats became distorted from being too loud. Other than that, it was a great concert and I thoroughly enjoyed It! Odd Future By thundered their huge fan base in over the last year or two. The group played dozens of songs, but highlighted their biggest hits and only played snippets of the others. Informers, which is Tyler the Creators biggest hit, was a very complex song with intricate lyrics Real, a song released by the group this summer. His lyrics were more typical of verse contained clever metaphors linked together by a very intricate rhyme scheme seemed to lack a genuine message to the audience, although I wondered if maybe the strong lyrics were a satirical attempt at imitating most of the mainstream rappers these days. The audience was a strange mix of Just about anybody you could think of; surprising as most people of that age arent that interested in popular music anyways. The audience had a great time, as the performers were very interactive with was a great concert and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Helicopter parents, noobs and brain candy - Emphasis

Helicopter parents, noobs and brain candy Helicopter parents, noobs and brain candy As a new year begins, you cant help but look back on the one just passed: its gains and losses, its highs and lows, the memorable moments and those best forgotten. So why not do the same for the words and terms that entered our lives or at least the dictionaries in 2011?* You can make your own mind up about which of those categories these words fall into, but more to the point can you pick the correct definition for each from the choices below? 1. boomerang childa young adult who regularly travels abroad, returning home only to save up enough money to go travelling againa young adult who returns to live at his or her family home, especially for financial reasons a child who must divide his or her time between the two households of separated parents2. helicopter parenta parent whose presence in his or her child’s life is sporadic owing to business or other outside responsibilitiesa parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child a parent who travels extensively with young children in tow3. robocalla telephone call from an automated source that delivers a pre-recorded message to a large number of people a voicemail message delivered by a robotic voice as a result of a text message inadvertently being sent to a landlinethe experience of calling a helpline and being faced with a recorded series of instructions and pre-recorded information4. brain candybroadly appealing, undemanding entertainment that is not intellectually stimulating a person (usually a woman) who is considered to be both highly intelligent and very attractivean ironic term for foods that are supposedly beneficial for one’s body and brain, but not pleasurable to consume5. nooba desirable young man or woman (from ‘nubile’)a foolish mistake or gaffe, perpetrated because one is new to an activitya novice or newcomer to a profession or activity 6. mumpreneura person who makes a living selling items targeted at new mothersa woman who combines running her own business with looking after her children a woman who starts a new career or business after her children have left home7. mamila middle-aged man in Lycra a middle-aged man in leggingsa man who favours dressing in animal-prints8. emberrorista person who records incidents involving friends or acquaintances in embarrassing situations and posts them on the interneta person who targets members of the public or celebrities with practical jokes using hidden cameras for television or online broadcastan organisation or person that seeks to reveal potentially embarrassing information – often as a political weapon 9. foodoira film charting the journey food items take, from cultivation to consumptionthe practice of bringing food into the bedroom (combination of ‘food’ and ‘boudoir’)a blog or book combining memoir and recipes 10. nurdlea very small pellet of plastic that serves as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products an obstacle or hurdle that must be negotiated within an online gaming worldan awkward or strange person Let us know how you got on. Have you used any of the terms? (Weve already heard from a keen cricketer about an alternative meaning for one of them.) If not, will you be adding any of them to your vocabulary? And which ones (if any) are you hoping to forget long before the year is out? * Words taken from 2011 entries in Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, Concise Oxford English Dictionary and Collins English Dictionary And if thats put you in a quizzing mood, why not pit yourself against our fiendish spelling test?

History of the Olympics - 1972 Olympic Games in Munich

History of the Olympics - 1972 Olympic Games in Munich The 1972 Olympic Games will probably be best remembered for the murder of eleven Israeli Olympians. On September 5, a day before the Games were to begin, eight Palestinian terrorists entered the Olympic Village and seized eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team. Two of the hostages were able to wound two of their captors before they were killed. The terrorists requested the release of 234 Palestinians that were being held in Israel. During a failed attempt at rescue, all of the remaining hostages and five of the terrorists were killed, and three terrorists were wounded. The IOC decided that the Games should go on. The following day there was a memorial service for the victims and the Olympic flags were flown at half staff. The opening of the Olympics was postponed one day. The decision of the IOC to continue the Games after such a horrific event was controversial. The Games Went On More controversies were to affect these Games. During the Olympic ​Games a dispute arose during the basketball game between the Soviet Union and the United States. With one second left on the clock, and the score in favor of the Americans at 50-49, the horn sounded. The Soviet coach had called a time-out. The clock was reset to three seconds and played out. The Soviets still hadnt scored and for some reason, the clock was again set back to three seconds. This time, Soviet player Alexander Belov made a basket and the game ended at 50-51 in the Soviets favor. Though the timekeeper and one of the referees stated that the additional three seconds was completely illegal, the Soviets were allowed to keep the gold. In an amazing feat, Mark Spitz (United States) dominated the swimming events and won seven gold medals. More than 7,000 athletes participated, representing 122 countries.

Why M&A's failure is a topic of key strategic relevance Dissertation

Why M&A's failure is a topic of key strategic relevance - Dissertation Example On the other hand, external factors include the actual market condition where the cross border mergers and acquisition took place, the actual market competition that happens within the industry level, and the role of government intervention through policies and regulations. Specifically the case of SAIC was unique as compared to the British Aerospace (BAe), BMW and Phoenix Consortium is because the company decided to create business alliance with MG Rover through joint-venture method rather than acquisition method. Since SAIC agreed to enter into joint-venture arrangement with MG Rover, the company (SAIC) was able to free itself from the risk of having to share MG Rover’s debt obligations. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................ 2 Table of Contents .................................................................... 3 I. Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 a. Case Study Overview ............................................... 6 a.1 Historical Background of MG Rover †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 a.... .................................................. 14 III. Research Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 a. Primary Research Method †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....†¦.. 17 a.1 Target Interviewees ........................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 a.2 Site of the Research Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 21 b. Secondary Research Method †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......... 21 IV. Research Findings and Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 a. Internal Factors that Promotes a Failed Merger and Acquisition ............................................ 23 a.1 Unclear or Undefined Organizational Vision and Mission ..................................... 23 a.2 The Presence of Cultural Clashes Resulting to Organizational Miscommunication ..................................... 24 a.4 Lack of Business Integration ...................... 26 b. External Factors that Promotes a Failed Merger and Acquisition ............................................ 29 b.1 Market Condition ........................................ 30 b.2 Market Competition within the Industry ...... 31 b.3 Government Policies and Regulations ....... 33 V. Conclusion and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 36 a. Conclusion .............................................................. 36 a.1 MG Rover and the British Aerospace (BAe) . 36 a.2 MG Rover and BMW ................................... 38 a.3 MG Rover and Phoenix .............................. 41 a.4 MG Rover and SAIC ................................... 44 b. Recommendations ............................................. 44 Appendix I – Historical Timeline of MG Rover †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 47 Appendix II – Semi-Structured Interview Questionnaire †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 48 Appendix III – Reasons why BAe, BMW,

What is the globalization and impact of drug trafficking Research Paper

What is the globalization and impact of drug trafficking - Research Paper Example e international consumption increasing greatly, the people engaged in the administration have also participated in this trade forgetting about the negative impacts it imparts on the general population and hampering the future. Although in the recent years genuine efforts have been given on reducing the drug trafficking by focusing on the supply side, demand side in this paper is highlighted as a more important dimension for attaining solutions. Intensification of the term ‘globalization’ is indeed a dominant phenomenon unleashing its practicability in diversified gesture from the second half of the twentieth century to the instance we are standing today1. Technically speaking, theme of globalization encompasses around the notion that, nation states are intertwined with information exchange along with amalgamating culture, religion, tradition, business practices and so on2. Now within the domain of business perspective globalization among its multifarious dimensions imparts a significant part. Globalization has brought many opportunities but at the same time has imposed a lot of critical challenges and adverse effects. Drug trafficking is one such arena where the adverse effects of globalization has made its full interventions. Rational individuals are required to be bestowed with tasks of analyzing, understanding as well as harnessing the benefits for eliminating the negative consequences that come with it. Th e paper will be discussing the negative impacts of globalization with respect to drug trafficking (special emphasis on Latin American countries) with an attempt to find out potential solution to curb down its evil effects. From theoretical perspectives globalization can be visualized as a platform where the private organizations are operating in a global forefront with a disciplined behavior with equilibrium occurring at the intersecting point of demand and supply curves. Similarly it can be stated that the market of illicit drugs and its trafficking

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay Example for Free

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay An ideal renaissance man or woman in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, a time when people aspired to be skilled in numerous areas and humanistic education was customary, meant you would have to stand out from the rest. Pico della Mirandola theories in Oration on the Dignity of Man sum up the ideal Renaissance man. He proclaimed that individuals face no limits to their development except those that are self-imposed (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). In theory only one can hinder their own success. The ideal renaissance man had a broad base in knowledge or was highly skilled in the arts, music or literature. Some lived up to being ideal just because they were bold or unique. The ideal renaissance man was respected by his peers and his knowledge and abilities were often required by the patrons of this era. Ingeniously, some individuals happened to be masters of art, engineering, and even anatomy all at the same time. Mostly men, renaissance contributors did not normally encourage women to participate during this time. Women were encouraged to fit the profile of wives and mothers and their political rights at this point were still kind of limited. Nevertheless, there were many that fit the description of an ideal renaissance women. One unique women of this time was Laura Cereta. A writer who struggled with heavy criticism from her cohorts because of her scholarly pursuits. In response to both the men and women who were judgmental of her, Laura wrote two letters â€Å"that were penned to answer both critics: a defense of learning aimed at male humanists and a defense of her vocation directed toward her female critics† (Cunningham 289). Laura’s heated verbiage in these letters won her great recognition and respect. In describing an ideal renaissance man Leonardo Davinchi owned up to that title for his many achievements. He donated to us many chemical theories, the air balloon, the telescope, and trigonometry. He was a plethora of knowledge. He was also recognized for his many works of art known all around the world today, The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper for example. He was diverse in his thinking and saw many of his ideas through. He was a living example and true to Leon Alberti’s (1404–72) quote: that â€Å"men can do all things if they will. † The Renaissance is understood as a historical era of cultural movements. Its contributors are termed â€Å"Ideal Renaissance Men and Women† for making it possible. Even so, they continued to pursue more knowledge and abilities. For this, they were ideal renaissance people of their time.

Nike- Huma Resources Essay -- essays research papers

It all started with a simple handshake between two running geeks in Eugene, Oregon and now they own the world's most competitive sports and fitness company. The Pacific Northwest is Nike's hometown but like so many ambitious souls, they have expanded their horizons to every part of the world. Nike has two headquarters; it’s World Headquarters in Oregon and its European Headquarters in The Netherlands. Those two running geeks are Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The long lived business partnership began in 1962 as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). Their first year sales were $8,000 and every year after proceeded to increase. In 1972 they changed their company name to Nike. The word Nike comes from the Greek winged goddess of victory. They have achieved victory over the past 30 years. Through those years Nike has remained focused on creating performance opportunities for everyone who would benefit and offered empowering messages for everyone who would listen. Nike has a great accomplishment of servicing human potential through sports. Bill Bowerman was a legendary track and field coach at the University of Oregon. He was a teacher who showed athletes the secrets of achievement. From him Nike has derived their mission and through his eyes they see their future. The Nike mission is "to bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete." As long as there are athletes, there will be Nike. In achieving their mission Nike has a vision for their company. The Nike brand has three areas of focus in their vision of success for their company. The first one is to play a role in effecting positive, systemic change in working conditions within their industries. They believe that in order for market forces to have responsible competitiveness, consumers must be able to reward brands and suppliers using fact based information. Their second vision is to create innovative and sustainable products. They apply this vision to their two long term aspirations: eliminating waste and eliminating toxics. Nike feels by achieving sustainable products they will be able to prevent a separation between the coolest athletic products and the environment. They have selected these two goals in the physical sciences because if they can achieve that then objectively they are moving toward sustainability. They are beginning to include the s... ...02, Nike was the only company to be given a perfect score. Only 28 companies were given perfect scores in 2003. In 2004, that number doubled to 56. Nike has been established in corporate responsibility years before other companies. Since 2001, more than 300 of Nike's top level U.S. executives attend three-day diversity workshops, a commitment of time that reflects the value of Nike's places in supporting a diverse workforce. Nike also began offering one-day workshops for additional managers, since 2003 an additional 700 managers have completed these training sessions. Before doing this paper I felt that Nike was successful because they continue to have innovative marketing. They have made an impact with their advertising and they strive to endorse their brands with athletes. I also felt that Nike’s success was due to their great quality of products. My thoughts still hold true but I do feel now, after doing this paper, that Nike is successful because of their employee involvement and also their environment awareness. As a young adult, I also find it very aspiring that one of Nike’s goals is to support the youth with their right to physical activity.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Abstract: Customer relationship management systems are used in the contemporary business environment to facilitate relationship marketing and other practices, which help firms enhance relationships between themselves, their customers, suppliers, employees, and other partners in their business processes. CRM systems provide all parties with vital information which helps make operations more efficient and enhances profitability. However, CRM systems also have drawbacks. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of CRM systems and illustrates the mentioned concepts through a case study upon Dell. Introduction: A few decades ago, customers would personally go to supermarkets or other stores where they had previously purchased products or availed a service in order to either register complaints, to inquire about other products and services, or in order to purchase the product or book the service again. Likewise, businesses would attempt to observe and manually record which items left their shelves sooner and which items were less popular with customers amongst other data such as sales figures, regular purchasing patterns of customers, and how many customers were satisfied/dissatisfied with a product/service (Reinartz, Kraft, & Hoyer, 2004). While it previously took weeks or months for businesses to attempt to gather this information, such information is now available to businesses within seconds. However, the benefit of convenience is not only limited to businesses as customers also enjoy the facility of lodging complaints, asking questions, placing orders, and getting a fully personalized c ustomer service based upon their interests and preferences. While some customers enjoy the fact that businesses are aware of everything about them including their birthdays and the number of members in their family, some customers are not as enthusiastic about this sphere of customer relationship management software systems. Accordingly, customer relationship management software systems have their respective advantages and disadvantages (Chen & Popovich, 2003). This paper will discuss the manner in which customer relationship management systems have revolutionized e-business practices and integrated people, processes, and technology both within and across organizational contexts followed by a discussion of the best practices of firms using customer relationship management systems. The paper will then continue to discuss the challenges posed by the customer relationship management system and the social implications of its use with specific emphasis upon privacy issues. A case study o f Dell will be provided further in the paper in order to illustrate the applicable concepts mentioned. The paper will conclude with a summary of the main points emphasized in the paper and recommendations for improvements in the use of customer relationship management systems. Customer Relationship Management Systems and Their Effect on E-business: â€Å"E-business is an overall strategy which enables the proper management of business functions including time cycle, speed, globalization, enhanced productivity, reaching new customers and sharing knowledge across institutions for competitive advantage† says Lou Gerstner, CEO IBM (Lecture 2). Previously, businesses were not properly aware of what their customers needed and attempted to fulfil those needs and wants through guesswork or by asking a few customers what they preferred over what they did not desire in a product. Thus, managers recorded customer complaints in registers and attempted to resolve them eventually, while this process often resulted in delays over months. However, the implementation of e-business systems and the widespread use of e-commerce have enabled the introduction of customer relationship management systems, which include the â€Å"methodologies, software, and communication capabilities, that help organizations to structure and manage their custo mer relationships and interactions with the objective to increase customer satisfaction with the organisation’s products or services† (Lecture 3). Therefore, customers are now able to access reliable, accurate, and vital information regarding the products and services that they have used with the click of a mouse (Bose, 2002). Customer relationship management systems have benefitted firms by integrating people, processes, and technology to increase the level of efficiency in organizations and enabling firms to use customer information to their advantage. The system enables the production of a customer database recording all customer details and creating a customer profile, which provides the company with details regarding the customer’s needs and frequent purchases. While previously companies would attempt to sell the same product to every customer in the same manner, customer relationship management systems allow the information regarding customer preferences to be used to differentiate and specifically target the firm’s products to a customer (Payne & Frow, 2005). Customer relationship management systems are not only used to remain in communication with customers, but are used as a tool to connect a firm’s customers, distribution channel members, suppliers, and other similar parties within the same platform and maximising all of these relationships to increase profitability in the business. This is done through the various features of the customer relationship management systems which provide vital information for all of the parties involved in the business, thus making the conduction of business more convenient, information easily accessible, and operations efficient and cost-effective (Payne & Frow, 2005). For example, the sales force automation function of customer relationship management systems provides information on customers, previous deals, and competitors to support the sales force of the team. Thus, the system hel ps the sales force of the firm perform their job more effectively and also provides the suppliers of the business information regarding customer preferences and the products in highest demand amongst different target groups. Other functions of the system include customer service and support systems, which enable customers to track their orders, monitor their requests, and enables managers to reply to customer queries promptly thus aiding both customer service personnel and customers to fulfil their functions with ease. Field service is a function that allows remote staff to quickly and effectively communicate with the customer service personnel to meet individual needs. Thus, the customer relationship management system provides information to remote staff regarding customer needs in order to enable them to meet them more adequately (Jayachandran et al, 2005). The marketing automation function of the system allows up-to-date information on customers’ buying habits to enable th e construction of effective marketing campaigns. Accordingly, the system also facilitates the marketing team of an organization to construct and design specifically targeted and effective marketing campaigns which may help increase the profitability of a firm (Bose, 2002). Therefore, the customer relationship management system provides information for several parties involved in the business process and thus integrates the use of technology with people in order to improve and enhance business processes. This is one of the main reasons that customer relationship management systems are becoming highly popular amongst firms. The use of the system enables a firm to grow revenue, provide better customer service, introduce repeatable and consistent sales processes, create new value and increase customer loyalty (Campbell, 2003). It also allows firms to implement the three phases of customer relationship management systems, which enables the acquisition of new customers, enhancement of the profitability of existing customers, and the retention of profitable customers for life. It enables the implementation of core customer relationship management processes including cross-selling and up-selling, direct marketing, customer support, and sales force automation. Thus, the use of these processes brings substantial improvements in marketing campaigns, product development, sales, and field service (Lin, Chen, & Chiu, 2010). The use of customer relationship management systems has enabled firms to communicate within their organization, with customers, and across their organization to other firms, who may be members of the distribution channel or the firm’s suppliers, by sharing and gathering vital information regarding customers and processing this information to make it useful in the business process. The best practices of customer relationship management systems include well-establishment of organizational needs, good inter-departmental communication, the integration of front-end and back-office data-mining procedures, and the establishment of an up-to-date central warehouse of data (Oztaysi, Sezgin, & Ozok, 2011). Many firms currently apply customer relationship management strategies through the implementation of social customer relationship management and the use of social media to get their message across to customers effectively. Platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are used in order to communicate with customers and advertise products/services to them (Bose, 2003). However, while the use of customer relationship management systems provides extensive advantages to a contemporary business, there are still challenges involved in the use of these systems. While many customers are now accustomed to buying products online, other customers are still highly wary of using such systems and exposing personal information on such websites. Moreover, while the people of some cultures prefer communicating via an electronic source, others a re only satisfied with personal contact (Oztaysi, Sezgin, & Ozok, 2011).These challenges will be discussed in the next part of this paper. Challenges of Customer Relationship Management Systems and Social Implications of their Use: In order to gather all of the data needed to meet customer needs and provide information to suppliers, sales force, managers, and other parties in the business process, the business needs to use the aid of cookies to track customer surfing details and to record what types of products customers purchase from other websites. The problem is that some customers regard this as an invasion of privacy and refrain from shopping online because they are aware that firms are monitoring their actions. Statistics show that 51% of shoppers are highly concerned about privacy online and 48% refrain from shopping online because of privacy issues (Lecture 3). This can pose serious problems for firms who want to efficiently use their customer relationship management systems and prevent customers from using spyware protection software, making the use of these systems redundant (Fan & Ku, 2010). Other challenges posed by the use of customer relationship management systems include the lack of appropriate executive support as some customers feel that they do not receive adequate service online while some business executives also feel that these systems are not satisfactory for use in organizations and refrain from using them. Additionally, many firms lack rationale when they decide to use customer relationship management systems (Ang, 2011). For example, a firm who has a highly personal relationship with customers and thrives upon the personal contact that it enjoys with its customers may not benefit from the adoption of a customer relationship management system as it may lose the element of being able to personally attend to customers. Other problems with the use of customer relationship management systems include an inappropriate network infrastructure, user resistance, and the lack of cultural preparation of these systems (Fan & Ku, 2010). One of the major flaws of CRM systems includes their lack of adaptability to different cultures. Contemporary business research has found that customers belonging to different cultural backgrounds tend to act differently when interacting with businesses and have varying preferences regarding the type of contact that they find suitable in business settings. While consumers belonging to masculine cultures may prefer or be comfortable with using technological solutions and communicating with customer service personnel online, customers belonging to feministic cultures may prefer more personal contact. Moreover, customers belonging to certain cultures may consider the invasion of privacy that these systems encompass highly inappropriate while customers from other cultures may believe it to be useful in helping them find the right product (Chen & Popovich, 2003). Customer relationship management systems may also be hard to use for the company’s existing management and employees and they may resist a change to the use of these systems as it may involve a change in organizational culture. The appropriate implementation of these systems requires communication, culture, and coordination which helps employees adapt to the systems more appropriately (Campbell, 2003). It may be difficult to integrate the system with other departments in the organization, which will result in the adoption of the system to be expensive. The system may not coordinate well with other accounting and finance software which may cause the organization additional unnecessary expenditure in attempting to adjust the customer relationship management software with their existing technology, existing business processes, and the people associated with the business (Campbell, 2003). It is evident that while the customer relationship management system offers numerous advantages to firms and customers, there are specific challenges that the implementation of the system faces, especially in the realms of resistance shown by customers in allowing an invasion of their privacy. The next section of this paper will outline the manner in which De ll Inc. used customer relationship management software to its advantage and how it incorporated the system within its firm. Dell Case Study: Dell is a globally renowned company offering customers leading global systems and services and the company required the aid of a customer relationship management system to integrate its customers and other global sales teams with the business. Previously, the company used multiple systems, internally designed by the company, which were used in each of the regions that the company operated in. However, the company wished for a flexible and convenient system which was globally accepted and used widely. While the company aimed to find a solution themselves, it was proving to be highly expensive. Thus, the company implemented the use of SalesForce CRM, which is a software allowing the company to integrate with technological partners, customers, employees, and other agents in their business processes. The company required a solution to gather feedback from its 80,000 employees worldwide and also wanted to begin a global partner program in the near future for which it required an appropria te communication platform enabling it to efficiently and effectively communicate with potential technological partners. Thus, the use of SalesForce CRM integrated various departments within the organisation and also allowed the organization to communicate with other organizations using the same interface (Dell Case Study, 2011). The company solved several of its problems using the customer relationship management system which included communicating with approximately 3 million customers everyday and also collaborating with 80,000 employees worldwide. The use of the system enabled the company to extract the top ideas for innovation and better understand what customers were looking forward to by gathering and processing customer feedback on the system. Moreover, employees were also required to give innovative ideas for future technological solutions and business processes and this information was also automatically sorted by the system in order to show Dell’s business executive s the most popular opinions. Top ideas were generated through comments and voting upon the posting of various opinions on the system (Dell Case Study, 2011). The company greatly benefitted from the implementation of this system as it generated over 2,500 ideas on innovation in the first week and approximately 700 ideas related to employee feedback regarding business processes. The company has been able to use vital customer feedback in order to design desktops and consumer notebooks and also left Windows XP as a pre-installed operating system in the computers because of customer demand. The technology implemented in the customer relationship management systems enabled the company to track main technological trends and develop products accordingly (Dell Case Study, 2011). Using the Salesforce CRM system enabled the company to integrate various players in its business processes via one platform and also enabled the company to design some its own software solutions which allowed the co mpany to enhance its relationship marketing strategies. However, one of the problems that the company faced with the implementation and use of the Salesforce CRM system was user adaptation of the system. Teaching users worldwide how to operate the various functions that the system offered was an obstacle that the company overcame through offering training sessions on the use of the system and teaching employees and other users worldwide how to use the system within fourteen days. Thus, because Salesforce CRM is an easy-to-use system, users were able to adapt to the new technology easily and within a short period of time. Dell significantly benefitted from the use of the system and the system proved to be cost-effective, efficient, and highly beneficial in increasing the revenue of the company. Obstacles such as adaptation were overcome through the provision of training sessions and through company focus upon implementing and using the system. While the initial installation and provi sion of training for the system was expensive, the system aided Dell in collaborating with both employees and customers and enabled the company to devise its own technology. Moreover, the company did not use the system to â€Å"spy† on customers or invade their privacy which proved to be an added advantage. The system was used in various manners by the company to solve its current problems and can be used in other ways in the future. Thus, customer relationship management systems can prove to be an addition of value for a company and an important tool used to integrate processes, people, and technology to enhance relationships within the organisation and outside the realms of the organisation as well. The next section of this paper will discuss the main points emphasized in the paper and provide recommendations regarding the use of customer relationship systems and for Dell Inc. Conclusion and Recommendations: There are various advantages associated with the use of customer relationship management systems which include the functions such as sales force automation, direct marketing, customer service, field service automation, and others. Hence, the use of such systems promotes convenience, access to information and information-processing, and enhances the efficiency of business operations. Moreover, it also allows the integration of people, processes, and technology. This has been illustrated in the case of Dell who use SalesForce CRM to integrate inter-department functions with other organizations that it wishes to partner with. However, the drawbacks of using customer relationship management systems include the issue of customer privacy, user resistance, lack of adaptability, and the inability to prepare the software for use by different cultures. Accordingly, it is recommended that customer relationship management software not be used in place of personal contact but can be used as an ad ditional resource helping keep customers and businesses connected. However, businesses should frequently encourage personal and face-to-face contact with their customers and ask customers for feedback regarding products/services or their personal preferences instead of tracking customers’ surfing data through the use of cookies. If the business deems it necessary to track customer information through cookies, the company must aim to ask customers for permission and inform them that this will enable the business to serve them better through products customized and tailored to suit their needs. Additionally, customers must attempt to adapt the system to suit people of different cultures and nationalities in order to make the system suitable for use by all. In the case of Dell Inc. it is recommended that the company use its CRM system to freely communicate with clients, enable them to customize their computers, provide feedback, and can also use it to motivate employees. This ca n be done by using it as a portal to provide hard-working employees with recognition for their contribution to the organisation. The company can also use it as a marketing tool in order to inform customers of new products based upon their recent purchases. Thus, the company can use the CRM system for multiple purposes. References Ang, L. (2011). â€Å"Community relationship management and social media.† Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management. Vol. 18(1) pp. 31-38. Bose, R. (2002). â€Å"Customer relationship management: key components for IT success.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol.102(2) pp. 89-97. Campbell, A. J. (2003). â€Å"Creating customer knowledge competence: managing customer relationship management programs strategically.† Industrial Marketing Management. Vol. 32(5) pp.375-383. Chen, I. J., & Popovich, K. (2003). â€Å"Understanding customer relationship management (CRM): People, process and technology.† Business Process Management Journal. Vol. 9(5) pp. 672-688. Dell Case Study (2011) Dell-Case Study. Accessed on: March 11, 2014 Available at: http://doblegroup.com/dell-case-study/ Fan, Y. W., & Ku, E. (2010). â€Å"Customer focus, service process fit and customer relationship management profitability: the effect of knowledge sharing.â⠂¬  The Service Industries Journal. Vol. 30(2) pp. 203-223. Jayachandran, S., Sharma, S., Kaufman, P., & Raman, P. (2005). â€Å"The role of relational information processes and technology use in customer relationship management.† Journal of Marketing. Vol. 69(4), pp.177-192. Lin, R. J., Chen, R. H., & Chiu, K. K. S. (2010). â€Å"Customer relationship management and innovation capability: an empirical study.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol.110(1) pp.111-133. Oztaysi, B., Sezgin, S., & Ozok, A. F. (2011). â€Å"A measurement tool for customer relationship management processes.† Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol. 111(6) pp. 943-960. Payne, A., & Frow, P. (2005). â€Å"A strategic framework for customer relationship management.† Journal of Marketing. Vol. 69(4) pp.167-176. Reinartz, W., Krafft, M., & Hoyer, W. D. (2004). â€Å"The customer relationship management process: its measurement and impact on performance.† Journal of Mark eting Research. Vol. 41(3) pp.293-305.

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Sport Obermeyer Ltd. To: Wally Obermeyer From: 341 Consulting Group Date: Re: Production Process Problem Sport Obermeyer Ltd has quite a few problems at the moment that stem from a lack of streamlining of its operations. One of the problems that the skiwear manufacturer currently faces is demand uncertainty and how to measure it considering the disparate forecasts the buying committee members have come up with. In addition, the long lead-times for the production process makes forecasting even more difficult. The second issue for Sport Obermeyer is determining how to allocate production between the factories in Hong Kong and China. Conclusion and Recommendation Inaccurate forecasting is a major problem facing Sport Obermeyer, which has been addressed in Appendices A and B. Appendix A shows how much should be produced in Hong Kong given the assumption that there is no limit to the capacity; however, we have been asked to comment only on the initial order quantity, and not the reorder quantity. In keeping with this constraint, and using the forecasts given by all the committee members, we believe that Appendix B is an accurate representation of the amount of each style that should be produced in Hong Kong. It should be noted that this is only a short-term solution to the problem and the model itself must be looked at. For more consistent, accurate forecasts, a weighted average method should be used to give those committee members who have been most accurate in the past more importance, instead of using a simple moving average. As long lead times contribute to the difficulty in forecasting demand, Sport Obermeyer should attempt to reduce lead times for its production. One of the root issues causing the length of lead time is the number of SKUs, as well as the variety of components used in their production. Simplifying the product line would involve stopping production of those products with the least demand, reducing suppliers as well as altering designs so that they share as many of the same components as possible. Using the demand forecast for the 10 women’s parkas in Appendix B, there are three products, which have forecasted demands of less than 357, after which the demand spikes up. By removing the bottommost products, Stephanie, Teri, Isis would be deleted, which would allow for a shorter lead time. Sport Obermeyer should also introduce an integrated computerized system connecting all the different supply chain links. This would help reduce the time spent processing orders and make more efficient use of the raw materials. A combination of actions mentioned above can help make a significant change in the forecasting process and will allow Sport Obermeyer to make full use of its existing capacity. The company plans to source products roughly 50% from China and the other 50% from Hong Kong factories this year is attainable. However, our recommendation is to assign products to Hong Kong and China factories based on quality and design. According to Appendix C, the cost difference when comparing 19 parkas produced at both factories is not significant; but the Hong Kong factory is much more efficient. The products in Hong Kong are of a higher quality, require lower repair rates, and are produced twice as fast as those produced in the Chinese factory. Another advantage to the factory in Hong Kong is the minimum order quantity of 600 units, which provides the management with more flexibility in terms of determining their initial production requests. Lower quality products should be produced in the Chinese factory to take advantage of their low labor costs. Evaluation Criteria The main goal of the recommendations is to streamline Sport Obermeyer’s business processes. One of the most important criteria is the speed of the planning and production cycle. Any alternative that can reduce this time, from its current threshold of approximately two years, should be strongly considered. With regards to market share, Columbia Sportswear is gaining market share by providing lower-priced, higher-volume-per-style products. Sport Obermeyer needs to try and cut costs, and streamline its number of SKUs to achieve market dominance. It positions itself as a middle to high end producer, and the quality level should continue to be taken into consideration when looking to cut costs. Alternatives With regards to the inaccurate forecasts, Obermeyer could analyze the demand for its products based on an advanced showing prior to the one in Vegas and compare it with actual purchases. While this alternative can potentially be implemented, its effectiveness and reliability would be unknown. Simplifying the product lines would have a more direct and immediate impact on the lead times. Another possible alternative would be to start producing the products with the most predictable demand in advance. However, before implementing this change, Sport Obermeyer should focus on making overall accurate demand forecasts based on the newly recommended weighted average method. Implementation. Our implementation process will begin immediately with Wendy Hemphill researching the specifications for an integrated computerized system that match the supply chain structure of the company. Because of the complex nature of such a project, Sport Obermeyer would have to invest in such a project in November 1992, to begin use in February of the year of completion. In January 1993, the Buying Committee should implement the weighted-average forecasting method to analyze product demand. Since this is not a large change form the simple moving average, it should be used to find the forecasted demand for 1993. The following month, the SKUs should be reviewed based on the forecast created to consider which product lines to drop. This will be a gradual process, beginning with the deletion of a minimum number of products. In May 1993, the Buying Committee should allocate different product styles between Hong Kong and China based on quality. This can be seen in Appendix D.

Shakespeare’s Influence on English Literature Essays

Shakespeare’s Influence on English Literature Essays Shakespeare’s Influence on English Literature Paper Shakespeare’s Influence on English Literature Paper Essay Topic: Cymbeline Shakespeare’s influence on English literature has been unsurpassed. His influence did not confine itself to the intricate detailing of his stories alone, but extended to all aspects of storytelling, namely mellifluous prose, evolved characterization and varied settings.  All of these contributed in making his stories memorable and through primarily these three elements together with the sheer variety and breadth of his storylines, he continues to exercise a dominant influence on English literature and captivate and enthrall. Beyond anything, his life is an example of complete dedication to his craft. His life is marked by a focused devotion to English literature and language through his Tragedies, Comedies and Histories, cumulatively known as the First Folio, Second, Third and Fourth Folios. Whatever is known of Shakespeare is drawn primarily from two sources, his literary texts and remnants of church and legal records from which one can trace the significant aspects of his life, though much of it is conjecture. Shakespeare’s mother, Mary, was the daughter of Robert Arden of Stratford. John, his father, was a leather merchant whose life witnessed tumultuous financial highs and lows. There is a probability that Shakespeare attended grammar school during his early years, though his parents were in all probability illiterate. At the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than him. Till 1592, no other record alludes to his life. In 1592, Robert Greene referred to Shakespeare when he wrote in Greene’s Groatsworth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance about â€Å"an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger’s heart wrapped in a player’s hide, supposes he is as well as able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you; and being an absolute Johan-nes fac totum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country† (Alexander, xvi). This remark only serves to reiterate that Shakespeare had gained significant recognition through his plays by 1592 and inspired sufficient rivalry in literary circles though Greene’s is the only known enmity. Even this remark is a travesty of Shakespeare’s own lines from Henry VI, Part Three; â€Å"O tiger’s heart wrapped in a woman’s hide† Johannes fac totum referred to here means the jack of all trades. This observation was partly correct, for Shakespeare was multifaceted. Apart from being a writer, and starring in his own plays, he was also associated with a theatrical group comprising of Richard Burbage, a noted stage performer and they were known after their patron as Lord Chamberlain’s Men and after King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth, they were known as â€Å"the King’s Men†. It was to this company that Shakespeare directed his unswerving attention by composing all his plays solely for their enactment. In 1593-94, Shakespeare, to much critical acclaim, published his poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucerne. Shakespeare was diffident about the publication of his plays and took no interest in their printing, being interested only in their faithful and dramatical reproduction. This is responsible for the problems in establishing the accuracy of his texts and in dating them. Shakespeare’s first tragedy was Titus Adronicus, (C. 1592-94) in which Ovid’s influence was profound though it did not gain much prominence because of its implicit violence. It has, of late, been revived. During this period, he wrote Henry VI (c. 1588) and Richard III (c. 1593), Henry V (c. 1599). Richard II and Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 were also composed during this time. According to the Lexicon, the principal Comedies written during this time were Love’s Labour Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Twelfth Night. He devoted himself principally to Tragedy after 1599. These include- Julius Caeser, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus. There were some plays that were difficult to categorize such as Troilus and Cressida, All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. The end of his writing career was marked by four plays- Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest and Pericles. Shakespeare’s supremacy was not confined to English literature alone but extended to the English language as well. The strength of Shakespeare’s influence can be ascribed to his riveting and compelling storylines, his evolved characterization and the mellifluous language. Through his plays, he for the first time in English literature created believable, expressive characters. He delved into the psyche of his protagonists and imbued them with life. What perhaps makes these characters lasting and unforgettable is that they are neither wholly evil nor wholly good, but real. Hamlet fascinates readers with his complexity. Emotional and daring, lackadaisical about revenge and shades of insanity are traits that render him complex. Othello, initially portrayed as courageous and proud, reveals that he is in fact flawed, like all of Shakespeare’s characters, when his implicit trust in Iago betrays him to act upon his jealousy and kill Desdemona. Shylock in The Merchant Of Venice sins as much as he is sinned against, as much a hero as a villain. It has been argued that Shakespeare’s characters stoop to melodrama, but one has to remember that he was, above all a consummate dramatist. It has been said that a compulsive and insightful reading of all of his plays serves to make one a better judge of human character, its motivations, conflicts, passions and fallacies. (â€Å"Bartleby†). His thoroughness in the execution of his characters served to inspire generations of writers. In fact, Herman Melville’s main antagonist in Moby Dick, Captain Ahab, is believed to be a classic Shakespearean character, whose downfall and doom are brought about by his own weakness. According to Wikipedia, Shakespeare’s resonant prose also reverberates through time, through the writing of Charles Dickens, on whom Shakespeare’s influence was profound, and William Faulkner. He also helped develop the English language. English, before the times of Shakespeare was impulsive and unstructured. Shakespeare enhanced the beauty of the language by adding to its vocabulary and gave it depth by the beauty of his prose. Many of the phrases that his characters used have become common parlance. He freed the English language. Successive generations have interpreted and reinterpreted Shakespeare’s plays and will continue to do so for posterity. The vividness of his imagination helped unify the thought and action of his characters and gave them force and passion, so much so that these characters inspire hatred and love, but never indifference. In Othello, for instance, it is the language which defines the play. Othello’s prose is mellifluous in the true sense of the term, so much so that a critic on remarking about the language of Othello has called it â€Å"Othello’s music†. (â€Å"Geocities†). However, the language of Othello gradually breaks down, as consumed by jealousy his character slowly disintegrates. In the Act I, Scene III, Othello states â€Å"And little of this great world can I speak/ More than pertains to feats of broil and battle† (Shakespeare, 1118). The Duke also expresses his opinion that Othello would also win his daughter’s heart. Othello also says â€Å"Yet I’ll not shed her blood/nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow† (Shakespeare, 1149), As his character becomes darker, his language crumbles, he stoops to words to communicate instead of sentences, â€Å"Killing myself, to die upon a kiss† (Shakespeare, 1153). This was one of the first plays in which the language evocatively moves in tandem with the plot. Another way in which Othello was revolutionary was that the main protagonist was one of the first or colored black heroes in the history of English literature. Inspite of his race and also despite the fact that he was a foreigner in conventional Venice; he rises to a position of influence and marries a white woman, a circumstance unthought-of during Elizabethan times. Othello also has to overcome considerable racial discrimination. Shakespeare imbues Othello with all heroic and noble characteristics, save for one tragic flaw, jealousy. With this Othello’s fate was sealed. He became the embodiment of the ‘perfect tragic hero’ in English literature. Also unique among Shakespearean tragedies, Othello was mostly a tragedy of character, while all the other Shakespearean tragedies were set amongst political backdrops, Othello was propelled and instigated by his self doubt, jealousy and by the diabolical wickedness in the character of Iago. The language, the setting, the characterization and the taut plot makes Othello the most heartrending and memorable of Shakespeare’s tragedies. This power to captivate and enthrall readers through delving into Othello’s psyche helped redefine psychological realism. With only three principal characters, Othello, Desdemona and Iago, it is also one of Shakespeare’s most centered plays in which the action concentrates around these three characters. Again, for Romeo and Juliet, the primary element of the play that resonates through time is the language. Romeo says â€Å"Love is a smoke rais’d with the fume of sighs† (Shakespeare, 904). This is more poetry than prose. The characters, besides using poetry in speech, also use metaphors, oxymorons, allegories and paradoxes. Shakepeare also uses sonnets in the scenes between Romeo and Juliet to express their depth of love to each other. In these scenes, the language imbues their emotions with a rich texture. There are also a lot of action words used. It is this poetry of language that was to have a tremendous influence on the romantic poetry of Keats and also of Coleridge. Thomas Carlyle has this to say about Shakespeare’s influence on literature This King Shakespeare does he not shine, in crowned sovereignty, over us all, as the noblest, gentlest, yet strongest of rallying-signs; indestructible; really more valuable in that point of view than any other means or appliance whatsoever? We can fancy him as radiant aloft over all Nations of Englishmen, thousand years hence. From Paramatta, from New York, wheresoever, under what sort of Parish-Constable soever, English men and women are, they will say to one another, ‘Yes, this Shakespeare is ours; we produced him, we speak and think by him; we are of one blood and kind with him. (Bernard Levin. From The Story of English. Robert McCrum, William Cran and Robert MacNeil. Viking: 1986)† (â€Å"Shakespeare Online†). Thus, Shakespeare’s impact on literature is lasting. The range of his genius defies imagination. It will continue to stir future generations till eternity.

Where Should I put my Quotation Marks Slate Magazine and the Rise of Logical Punctuation.

Where Should I put my Quotation Marks Slate Magazine and the Rise of Logical Punctuation. On May 12, 2011, not one, but TWO of my friends and colleagues pointed me toward an article in Slate Magazine entitled, â€Å"The Rise of Logical Punctuation†. In the article, author Ben Yagoda explores the nuances of where to place periods and commas within quotations (inside or outside the quotation marks?).   Not long ago, I wrote an article touching upon much the same topic:   The Quandary of Quotation Marks (â€Å" â€Å").   My conclusion was that the British are much more logical than we are in the U.S., following the rule that punctuation goes inside the quotation marks only when it is part of the quotation.   How simple is that?   And yet I continue to follow the U.S. protocol. Slate Magazine itself, as well as The New York Times and the Washington Post, follow AP guidelines and put periods and commas inside the quotation marks.   But Yagoda references a Twitter post by Conan O’Brien, a Wikipedia entry on Frank Sinatra, and the website Pitchfork, all of which follow the British way, with periods and commas lying outside the quotation marks.   He also relates that his students largely refuse to follow the traditional U.S. rules even when they know they will be penalized for doing so.   I highly recommend taking a look at his article for an interesting exploration of why we choose to punctuate the way we do. Last week my blog explored the distinction between grammar purists and progressives in Steven Sawyer’s guest article, Top 10 Obsolete Grammar Rules.   It looks like we can add number 11.   According to Yagoda, despite the Chicago Manual of Style’s adherence to the traditional style, we may be fast on our way to an obsolete punctuation rule – another feast for progressives.   As Yagoda claims, â€Å"A punctuation paradigm is shifting.†Ã‚   Note:   even under the â€Å"new† rules, or the â€Å"new normal,† the period belongs inside those quotation marks because it was indeed part of the original sentence in Yagoda’s article.   Crystal clear, right? By the way, â€Å"new normal† was the phrase chosen as â€Å"Cliche of the Week† last week by Chris Pash in his blog. Do you choose to follow the progressive â€Å"new normal† when it comes to quotation marks?   Or will you remain a purist?   So far I’m sticking with the old fashioned way, but I feel a possible change erupting. Category:Grammar Writing TipsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 23, 2011 1 Comment Steven Sawyer says: October 20, 2011 at 5:15 pm Brenda, good stuff. And thanks for the mention of my guest article. I wanted to share that I correspond regularly with teachers and students from places like Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Argentina and Columbia. It appears to me, from their comments and writing that these countries are leaning more heavily towards learning British English, not only in punctuation and grammar, but in spelling as well. For example, the British spelling of these words differs from how we spell them: centre, litre, metre, colour, favour, honour, labour, to name just a few. Do you think we will ever adopt British English if it becomes the standard for most of the rest of the world? Log in to Reply

Identification, Collection and Preservation of Trace Evidences Research Paper

Identification, Collection and Preservation of Trace Evidences - Research Paper Example Most fiber piece contains similar physical nature with majority of such pieces found in crime scene are either made from polyester or nylon. The class characteristics includes weave pattern, dyes present, cordages, fabric impressions and tears (Brown, 2001). Thus, fiber in a crime scene is hard to identify without using microscopic and a combination of chemical and instrumental tests. Fibers are normally found in fabric abrasions with some trapped within torn material. In scenes involving hit-and-run motor vehicles fibers occur on scratched sections, and in burglary incidences they are normally found in tattered screens, clothing and broken glass (Brown, 2001). Collection is based on length of the fibers, such that if the fibers are undersized or few in numbers, the investigator is required to wrap the region or the entire product comprising the fibers in a paper (DuPre, 2013). However, if the fibers are large or in greater numbers, the investigator should place them in a bindle that is then placed in a sealed and marked coin envelope (Dutelle, 2011). The fibers should be picked up on tape if the lab in that jurisdiction permits it but with defined requirements. All clothing of belonging to an individual from which the fibers are found to have come from should also be picked for comparison purposes. Every garment should be placed on uncontaminated sheet of paper before separately rolling it up after marking the exhibit. Loose fibers should not be positioned directly into mailing wrapper since they can be lost (Buckles, 2010). Firearms Class characteristics found in firearms largely arises from the impact of bullets fired from the firearm, s uch as number and width of grooves, course of twist, or bullet diameter, in addition to the caliber and rifling patterns inside the barrel (DuPre, 2013). The cartridges and casings also have class characteristics like breech marks, impressions created by firing pin, in addition to extractor and ejector marks (Buckles, 2010). Firearms are easy to identify when there is transfer of the individual distinctiveness, chiefly striated marks left from the firearm to bullet and cartridge ammunition component (Brown, 2001). In terms of collection, the firearm should not be picked up through placing any other object in the barrel terminal. Unfired cartridges should not be left inside the magazine if the magazine is separated from the gun even as the rifles and shotguns must not be dismantled (Buckles, 2010). The investigator should not clean the firearm bore, chamber, or cylinder until they are submitted or even try to fire the firearm before it is evaluated in the Lab. Moreover, firearm havin g a cartridge inside the chamber must never be transported by any method since the firearm is not cocked or on-safety (Brown, 2001). The investigator should also record serial number, model, the firearm make, in addition to the weapon caliber (Hess & Orthmann, 2009). Marking should be done using an inconspicuous method that does not detract from its value, since copy serial numbers are sometimes on different firearms of a similar make and general-type. Nonetheless, model numbers and the firearm patent numbers should

Brand Loyalty Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Loyalty - Case Study Example Various models have been conventionally put forward to elaborate the decision making process that an individual may employ for improving the quality of his/her decisions. Good decision making is to much an extent, an in-born quality, though the integrity of a decision can be evaluated against a potential model in order to enhance its quality. It is essentially a human activity (DQI, 2008). This paper aims at comparing the decision making processes described in the case study with the traditional problem solving approach to consumer decision making process. The traditional approach: Before analyzing the way in which traditional decision making process of consumers is conceived and interpreted, it is customary to discuss the traditional problem solving approach as the former gains influence from the latter. Traditional problem solving approach: â€Å"The Problem Solving process consists of a sequence of sections that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved† (A non., n.d.). There are various stages in the problem solving process (ITS, 2005), that are explained below: 1. Identification of problem: In this step, the problem that an individual faces is identified. 2. ... 5. Evaluation of solution: If the problem goes away, the solution works. Else, the solution has to be reselected in the step 3 and steps 4 and 5 should follow until the problem is gone. Traditional decision making process: In the traditional decision making process, consumers are conceived as highly risk averse in nature and rational in their approach. This is the fundamental reason why conventional conceptions about consumer decision making recognize it as information processing or problem solving phenomenon. The traditional models of consumer decision making presents a very logical and rational process, where, the consumer formulates and works upon a logically constructed course of action in an attempt to satisfy the very need. Therefore, the traditional decision making process of consumers consists of five basic steps, namely, need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice, and evaluation of decision (Spielberger, 2004, p. 486). There also exists an alternative model of consumer decision making in which, the cognitive, behavioral and affective responses occur in a hierarchical order. The sequence is commonly known as C-A-B sequence. It is noteworthy here that the steps of the traditional problem solving process greatly resemble those employed in the traditional decision making process. This is the key reason why it is said that traditionally, consumers adopt problem solving approach to make their decisions. Identification of problem is the recognition of need. Information search for making decision is similar to visualizing the problem in context of the background. Alternate decisions are