Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 36-37

36 JENNY, ROBERT, RIVERA, AMANDA, TRAVIS, HOWARD, AND THE SPIDER Rivera drove Robert and Jennifer to their house. They sat in the back, holding each other the whole way, not saying a word until they thanked him when he dropped them off. On the drive back to the station Rivera tried to formulate a story that would save his career. Any version of the true story seemed like a sure ticket to a psychological disability retirement. In the end he decided to tell the story as far as the point where The Breeze disappeared. A month later Rivera was pumping Slush-Puppies at the Seven-Eleven, working undercover for the robbery division. However, with the arrest of a team of robbers that had terrorized convenience stores in the county for six months, he was promoted to lieutenant. Amanda and Travis rode with Howard. At Amanda's request, Gian Hen Gian saw that Effrom's body was turned to stone and placed inside the cave. When Howard stopped in front of Amanda's house, she invited Travis to come inside. He refused at first, wanting to leave her alone with her grief. â€Å"Have you completely missed the significance of all this, Travis?† she asked. â€Å"I guess so,† he said. â€Å"Did it occur to you that the presence of Catch and Gian Hen Gian proves that Effrom is not gone completely? I will miss him, but he goes on. And I don't want to be alone right now. I helped you when you needed it,† she said, and she waited. Travis went in. Howard went home to work on a new menu for his restaurant. Chief Technical Sergeant Nailsworth never found out what happened to Roxanne or who she really was, and he was heartbroken. Because of his grief he was unable to eat, lost a hundred and fifty pounds, met a girl at a computer user's meeting, and married her. He never had computer sex again outside the privacy of his home. 37 GOOD GUYS Augustus Brine declined offers for a ride home. He wanted to walk. He needed to think. Gian Hen Gian walked at his side. â€Å"I can repair your truck, make it fly if you wish,† the Djinn said. â€Å"I don't want it,† Brine said. â€Å"I'm not even sure I want to go home.† â€Å"You may do as you wish, Augustus Brine.† â€Å"I don't want to go back to the store either. I think I'll give the business to Robert and Jenny.† â€Å"Is it wise to put the drunkard in the wine barrel?† â€Å"He won't drink anymore. I want them to have the house, too. I'll start the paperwork in the morning.† â€Å"It is done.† â€Å"Just like that?† â€Å"You doubt the word of the King of the Djinn?† They walked in silence for a while before Brine spoke again. â€Å"It seems wrong that Travis has lived so long without having a life, without love.† â€Å"Like yourself, you mean?† â€Å"No, not like myself. I've had a good life.† â€Å"Would you have me make him young again?† Brine thought for a moment before he answered. â€Å"Could you make him age in reverse? For each year that passes he is a year younger?† â€Å"It can be done.† â€Å"And her, too?† â€Å"Her?† â€Å"Amanda. Could you make them grow young together?† â€Å"It can be done, if you command it.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"It is done. Will you tell them?† â€Å"No, not right away. It will be a nice surprise.† â€Å"And what of yourself, Augustus Brine? What is it you wish?† â€Å"I don't know. I always thought I'd make a good madam.† Before the Djinn could say anything else, Rachel's van sputtered up beside them and stopped. She rolled down the window and said, â€Å"Do you need a ride, Gus?† â€Å"He is trying to think,† the Djinn snapped. â€Å"Don't be rude,† Brine said to the Djinn. â€Å"Which way are you going?† â€Å"I don't know for sure. I don't feel like going home – maybe ever.† Brine walked around the front of the van and slid open the cargo door. â€Å"Get in, Gian Hen Gian.† The Djinn got into the van. Brine slammed the cargo door and climbed into the passenger seat next to Rachel. â€Å"Well?† she said. â€Å"East,† Brine said. â€Å"Nevada.† It was called King's Lake. When it appeared in the desert, it simultaneously appeared on every map of Nevada that had ever been printed. People who had passed through that part of the state swore that they had never seen it before, yet there it was on the map. Above the tree-lined banks of King's Lake stood a palace with a hundred rooms. Atop the palace a massive electric sign read, BRINE'S BAIT, TACKLE, AND FINE WOMEN. Anyone who visited the palace was greeted by a beautiful, dark-haired woman, who took their money and led them to a room. On their way out a tiny brown man in a rumpled suit returned their money and wished them well. Upon returning home the visitors told of a white-haired man who sat all day in the lotus position at the end of a pier in front of the palace, fishing and smoking a pipe. They said that when evening approached, the dark-haired woman would join the man and together they would watch the sun go down. The visitors were never quite clear as to what had happened to them while they were at the palace. It didn't seem to matter. But after a visit they found that they appreciated the simple pleasures that life presented to them and they were happy. And although they recommended Brine's to their friends, they never returned themselves. What went on in the rooms is another story altogether.

Quality management Essay

Dialogue 2: Identify two (2) thought leaders relative to quality management. Research each to determine their core ideas and contributions. Synthesize your thoughts about each into a one paragraph (per leader) that contains important and meaningful statements about each thought leader, their contributions, and the relevance of the contribution today regarding the work of project managers. Joseph M. Juran Dr. Juran devoted 70 years to his books, thoughts, and life work revolutionizing the philosophy of total quality management. His developed quality management ideas work around the quality trilogy of Quality Planning, Quality Improvement, and Quality Control. Through the Juran Institute, Dr. Juran has maintained the capability to continually broaden the experiential learning of economist, scientist, and engineers around his work. Dr. Juran’s teachings and guidance focus efforts on the customer and their needs, optimizes the product for those individuals, optimizes the processes involved, and ensures that the process will actually produce the product. Dr. Juran understood that the human component (the customer, the manager, the scientist, the engineer) was an integral piece of the quality process. His lessons contributed to the rise of the Japanese economy after his hands on workings with the Union of Japanese Scientist and Engineers. The push of information today has allowed th ese theories to flourish. Customer satisfaction is an ever pressing position for large and small businesses. Today’s managers would be hard pressed to understand the human factor, if individuals like Dr. Juran did not lay the ground work to focus efforts on the human factors. Genichi Taguchi Taguchi was a Japanese Textile Engineer that understood the processes and influences of small and large businesses. He realized there were variables within management’s control and others that we not. His major contributions/theories were the following: The Loss Function- an equation to quantify the decline of a customer’s perceived value of a product, as the quality declines; Orthogonal Arrays and Linear Graphs- tools to identify and isolate the items concerned when dealing with effective costs and time; Robustness- the identified course of developing products and processes that perform uniformly regardless of the uncontrollable forces.

World history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

World history - Essay Example Safavid Empire (1502-1736), on the other hand, was a key ruling dynasty of Persia –the modern Iraq. The dynasty marked the beginning of the history of modern Persia (Strayer, 15). The Twelver school of Shi’a Islam was the empire’s official religion. Safavid succumbed to hasty collapse in 1722. The dynasty experienced a short restoration between 1729 and 1736 after ruling successfully between 1501 and 1722. The Empire controlled nearly all parts of modern Iraq, Armenia, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Songhai Empire dominated mainly the western Sahel between 15th and 16th century. The empire was among the largest in both African and Islamic history (Strayer, 21). The ruling ethnic group was entirely the Songhai people. Apart from Gao (the capital), other key cities under the empire include Djenne and Timbuktu. In summary, Songhai rulers took advantage of the weakening Mali Empire to reassert control of Gao and further expand Songhai rule. Askia’s successors plotted a series of coups that led to instability and a period of decline. The dawn of modern world history and the Colombian exchange involved the discovery of the Americas in the Western world. The Colombian Exchange was among the most critical and establishing events of the modern world. The dawn of modern world history and the Colombian exchange was also the beginning of the era of global trade. In particular, the exchange focuses on the history of the Americas in the pre-Colombian era. Apparently, the animal, bacterial, and plant life of the Americas and Afro-Eurasia began to mix after Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas (Strayer, 27). The Colombian Exchange had dramatic effects on the world. For instance, it led to the introduction of new diseases to American populations. The American population did not have prior experience of these diseases. The outcomes were overwhelming and

The Dark Child -Cmr Ly - Novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dark Child -Cmr Ly - Novel - Essay Example The story is told by a grown-up narrator-protagonist who recalls his years as a young boy. The autobiographical characteristic of the novel leads the reader to assume that this young boy (Fatoman), who is the main character of the book, is Camara Laye himself. Laye traces the development of his cultural and personal values as a young man coming of age within the Malinke tribe. He portrays nostalgically his happy childhood, his parents, education, initiation of Malinke culture, ritual circumcision, and the end of his youth. He then goes to Conakry for higher education; after completing it, he gets a scholarship to go to Paris for further higher studies. The story starts with the young 6 year old Fatoman (Laye himself) playing in his village Kouroussa. â€Å"I was a little boy playing around my father’s hut† (Laye 17). The relationship with his parents, especially his mother, is the link between the boy and his African roots. Laye is very proud of his parents, depicting both as outstanding characters. His father, a reputed blacksmith in the village, is also endowed with spiritualistic powers. His father tells Laye: â€Å"The snake is the guiding spirit of our race. Can you understand that?† (Laye 69). Although theirs is a patriarchal society where the father is the head of the family, in Laye’s household it was his mother who was dominant. â€Å"I realize that my mother’s authoritarian attitudes may appear surprising; generally the role of the African woman is thought to be a ridiculously humble one, but Africa is vast, with a diversity equal to its vastness.† (Laye 69). His mother had spiritual powers as well. â€Å"It was due to the strange powers she possessed.† (Laye 69). Among these powers was the ability to persuade animals to obey her commands and being able to approach crocodiles without being harmed. Laye lays great emphasis on

Economics of Industry - Market structure in the aircraft manufacturing Research Paper

Economics of Industry - Market structure in the aircraft manufacturing industry - Research Paper Example (Boeing, 2011) Boeing, then expanded by acquiring Vertol Aircraft Corporation in 1960. (The Boeing Company, 2011) In 1996, Boeing took over  Rockwell’s aerospace and defense units. Then in August 1997, Boeing merged with  McDonnell Douglas. This merger allowed Boeing's leadership to increase as it joined with the line of Douglas airplanes. (The Boeing Company, 2011) The tax breaks given to Boeing by the US government have also helped in the expansion of the firm. It is believed that subsidies for the defense wing of Boeing have also helped with the commercial side of aircraft manufacturing. (Irwin & Pavcnik, 2003) In 2002, Boeing’s market share was 54%, however it is now struggling to maintain it. (Taylor & tillman, 2002) Airbus Airbus  is a  subsidiary of  EADS, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company. (Airbus, 2011) It was a government initiative by France, Germany and UK in 1967. It started off as a  consortium  of aerospace manufacturers,  Airb us Industry. The combination of the European defense and aerospace companies in 2000 led to a company  being established in 2001. BAE Systems and EADS transferred their assets to Airbus  SAS, for ownership in that company. EADS  owned 80% and  BAE Systems  20%. (BBC News, 2000) In October 2006, BAE sold its ownership to EADS. Airbus Industry was officially recognized in December 1970. It is believed that Airbus has only been successful due to protection used by the European countries and a large launch aid. WTO reached a decision in August 2010 and May 2011 that Airbus had indeed received unacceptable government subsidies from several European countries which resulted in lower sales of Boeing aircrafts. (New York Times, 2011) Airbus’ market share has been steadily increasing sine its share of 46% in 2002. (Taylor & tillman, 2002) Product Development Boeing Boeing has approximately 12,000 commercial aircrafts in use globally, which constitutes around 75 percent of th e world fleet. Through Boeing Training & Flight Services, it trains maintenance and flight staff in the 100-seat-and-above airliner market. Boeing has over 159000 employees, working in 71 countries (The telegraph, 2011). Through this diverse workforce and extensive training, the company’s product development ability has increased. In aircraft manufacturing, focus has always been on developing low cost, high quality aircrafts. Hence, approximately half of the current commercial aircrafts will be replaced in the next 20 years due to technological obsolescence and inefficiencies. This will increase the demand for new ones. Approximately 1,362 commercial aircraft orders were placed in 2010, greater than twice the amount placed in 2009. (Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, 2011) Emphasis is also on fuel efficient and environmentally friendly productions. Boeing, together with Air New Zealand has undertaken research on sustainable alternatives to conventional fuel. (Boeing, 2011) Exten sive and expensive research allows better versions of existing aircrafts to be developed and new aircrafts to be launched in this oligopolistic market. Boeing has also resorted to outsourcing its production to Japanese suppliers including  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries  and  Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The use of advanced technology has allowed Boeing to enhance its production capabilities. (Reuters, 2011) Airbus An internal air transportation system is used to airlift

China Is an Example of the East Asian Capitalist Developmental State Essay

China Is an Example of the East Asian Capitalist Developmental State - Essay Example This essay declares that to begin with the Chinese capitalist developmental state policy makers do not trust the markets to self-regulate themselves thus the government will intervene when need to set the direction in a desired manner through the implementation of industry policies or adjustment of interest and exchange rates. The Chinese government has avoided the extensive welfare programs that are rampant in Western economies (Jensen and Weston, 2006). Rather, the firms develop a bond with their employees through engaging them and motivating them as well as increasing their value within a firm. This paper makes a conclusion that the economic situation in Chinese capitalist developmental state tends to favour industry over the service sector as well as investment activities over local consumption to drive its growth. In a nutshell, China is a capitalist economy that has taken a different approach to solving the inherent issues in a bid to spur its economic growth. With the numerous challenges and economic risks that are facing Western economies it is evident that soon with the threat of China being a global economic giant they are going to resort to restrictions as a technique to mitigate financial risks. It is worth noting that China is indeed a capitalist developmental state since all its economic policies are formulated with a close guard and control by the state. The state can arbitrary intervene to solve any economic situation that it deems to be crucial to the overall benefit of China as a nation.

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth Essay - 1

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners - Essay Example The objective of management is characterized by four concepts namely goal, scope, definiteness and direction. Managers view objectives as the business values that should be achieved. Therefore, the scope of these values must be well defined, in addition to inclusion of extra goals. Management objectives can be classified as primary, secondary, personal or social. The following paper is a critical debate on the question: Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? Focus will be laid on the general objectives of management and the way in which they should be prioritized for maximum benefits. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a principle performance estimate in business management (Decker and Learning, 2001). The primary objective of any business management should be focused upon customer satisfaction. This will provide the avenues required for profits that generate wealth of shareholders and owners. The management’s primary objectives should be related to customer satisfaction through the provision of saleable goods and services in the market. These goods should be reliable, have standard quality, competitive, reasonably priced, technologically produced and insufficient in quantity. The secondary objectives are those strategies that assist in achievement of primary objectives. Personal objectives purposes to benefit individuals in a business organization e.g. increasing the wealth of owners and shareholders. Social objectives maximizes the social gain of the community from an organization e.g. the social responsibilities of the organization to the community. Customer satisfaction includes interaction with customers in an ethical environment. Most traditional business strategists view maximization of the shareholder and owner wealth as the fiduciary obligation of business managers (Shaw, 2009: 572). This view is related to the fact that most shareholders invest in the company on the understanding that the management will steer the company on the strategy of generating profits for them. The view was also presented in an era where most capitalist were obligated to manage their own business enterprises. The recent emergence of joint stock companies meant that the managerial control of corporations has technically been divorced from ownership. However, business theorists have failed to establish a mechanism that can harmonize the interests of managers and shareholders to prevent the former from enriching themselves at the expense of the latter. This is has been proven by the recent behavioural trends whereby the managers awards themselves lux urious pay and remuneration packages without any benefits to the shareholders. Managing Efficiency Efficiency is the guiding principle for any successful business. There is no business that has ever risen to top of the industry through slow, outdated and clunky management practices. In the current business environment, the management that only focuses on compliance to stockholder expectations while ignoring inefficiency does not succeed (Morris, Schindehutte and Allen, 2005: 726-735). The imperative issues that should be recognized include cost

Nonprofit Governance WA 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Governance WA 3 - Coursework Example Carver forces not to use 360 degree evaluation of a CEO because it violates the good governance when it is applied to a CEO. The CEO must be evaluated with unknown criteria. The board should not confront a CEO in front of all the board members which most often does not work. Each individual board member should separately evaluate the CEO with full authority (Carver & Carver, 2009). The ad hoc members should not observe or experience the evaluation of a CEO because these are the special groups which are outsourced and are not part of an organization. In that case the assessment would not be accurate and there are chances that the assessment process would not according to company’s criteria. Lastly, the Board should not assign the task to the ‘special committee’ or the Chairman for the assessment of the CEO because unconsciously, the CEO would then work for whoever appointed him to handle the company’s matters. The board itself would be responsible for the evaluation of CEO (Carver & Carver, 2009). The points listed by Carver for the CEO evaluation has to be agreed because these points can either help a company in the appointment of a good CEO or it can make it worse for the company. The board should be able to adopt the concept of self inspection monitoring in which the company relates its own standards for evaluating the CEO with the general standard in other firms. This helps the company in mitigating the risks involved with their own CEO evaluation and in the end it can propose points related to the company’s own process related to the CEO evaluation. There is an agreement how Carver proposed those points which should be avoided in the case of a CEO in forming the special committee or hiring the outside professionals to deal with the case. There is a possibility that the CEO might perform the work that pleases the committee who

The buying back of shares is a dangerous financial strategy as it Essay

The buying back of shares is a dangerous financial strategy as it increases the company's capital gearing. Evaluate this - Essay Example There are different motives that would attract the companies to buy back the shares and there are different techniques that can be used to go through the process of stock repurchase. Different techniques that can are used by the companies for their stock buy-back are as follow: Company offers to purchase the shares from their shareholders at a premium price thus it gives value to them and extra return over price they actually had paid for the shares when they were bought. Companies often buy back their shares from the open market like an ordinary investor purchasing shares and making investment. It is often seen that the market and shareholders perceive the decision of the company to buy back the shares as a positive move and shareholders expecting higher returns stimulates stock price of the company (Larry, 1981). Motives for stock buyback Different circumstances and requirements of business conditions can influence management of share repurchase. Such motivating factors along with their reasons are discussed below: Market perception It is the perception of the shareholders and potential investors that exists in the market matters for future of company. Company is believed to use capital or extra finance available to them to buy back its shares thus giving the perception in market that there shareholders would be valued as they are provided the opportunity to trade possessed shares at the premium price (Udo & Richard, 2003). Thus removing any negative market perceptions that the stock price of the company has fallen and they have low future expectancy that what effects dealing of shares in market. It is often due to low earnings reported by the company in past some period, its operations effected by some scandal or lawsuit thus the share buyback is used as an option to remove any negative perceptions that are prevailing regarding the company in the market (David, et al., 1995). It is becomes necessary for the company to make the share buyback as market due to such instances and incidents might value the share price way low and shares are being traded at value that is below the expectancy of company thus in order to keep a standard for their shares in market and keeping value for their shareholders alive however it is believed that hike in share prices through this approach is of nominal period (Mansor, et al., 2011). Financial Ratios It is a usual practice in the market adopted by the investors before making any investment they make decisions on the basis of research and evaluation of the companies that are seem potential for the investment. Financial ratios of the company are most basic and foremost results that are used for the evaluation of the company. It is part of rational decision making of the investor as they evaluate their choice of investment before making the final decision (Amy, 2000). Thus share buyback can be the part of an accounting technique to get the desired results for the company as however it is the personal financ e of the company that they utilize to buy-back the shares thus it is confidence that the companies have on their abilities that makes them repurchase the outstanding shares that are either absorbed or turned to treasury stock. Thus the purchase reduces assets of company as it is the cash that is being paid for purchase of the shares therefore one of most important

Literature Review Format Essay Example for Free

Literature Review Format Essay Literature Review This packet details the steps necessary to produce a literature review that may be required for work in various disciplines, including English, history and psychology. This packet is not intended to replace instructor guidelines and should not be used in that manner. The packet’s intended use is as a supplement to classroom instruction on assembling a literature review. Therefore, it contains only general information that must be tailored to fit specific guidelines as required by your discipline and by your instructor. This packet is subdivided into six sections: I. General Information States what a literature review is and what purpose it serves. II. Process Gives step-by-step instructions on how to get started on your literature review. III. Organization Explains the two most common ways of arranging information in a literature review. IV. Format Provides descriptions for two of the most common formats used in a literature review, the item to item comparison and contrast (Format A) and the criteria to criteria comparison and contrast (Format B). V. Checklist Allows appraisal of your completed literature review to assure that it follows all necessary guidelines. VI. Resources Lists helpful resources used to compile this packet so that you may obtain further information. General Information Definition Literature reviews can have two roles: In their first role, they function as a stand-alone paper. At other times they will actually be part of a larger research thesis. In this handout, literature reviews will be referred to in the stand-alone sense. As a stand-alone paper, literature reviews are multi-layered and are more formal and detailed than book reviews. As the author of a literature review, you must become familiar with a large amount of research on a specific topic. You will then develop your own thesis about the topic related to this research. After this, you will classify and critically analyze research on the topic by making a comparison between several different studies and by emphasizing how these studies and their comparison relate to your own thesis. In effect, a literature review is a paper that compiles, outlines and evaluates previously established research and relates it to your own thesis. It provides a context for readers as if they  Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 were researching the topic on their own. Just from reading your paper, readers should be able to gain insight into the amount and quality of research on the topic. Your thesis and the literature reviewed serve several important functions within the paper: †¢ Your thesis creates a foundation for the literature review because it helps narrow the topic by providing a sense of direction; however, you will have to conduct some initial research and reading before deciding on an appropriate thesis. Your personal thesis may be a statement addressing some of the following situations: â€Å"why your research needs to be carried out, how you came to choose certain methodologies or theories to work with, how your work adds to the research already carried out† (Brightwell, G. and Shaw, J. , 1997-98), or it may present some other logical perspective. †¢ Reviewed literature is organized in a logical manner that best suits the topic of the review and the hypothesis of the literature (see Organization and Format). The selected method of organization and style of format should draw attention to similarities and differences among the reviewed literature; these similarities and differences are based on specific criteria you revealed in the literature review’s introduction. According to Brightwell and Shaw (1997-98), your goal in the body of the review â€Å". . . should be to evaluate and show relationships between the work already done (Is Researcher Y’s theory more convincing than Researcher X’s? Did Researcher X build on the work of Researcher Y?) and between this work and your own [thesis]. † Additional information on these topics can be found in the Organization and Format sections of this packet. Therefore, carefully planned organization is an essential part of any literature review. Purpose Although literature reviews may vary according to discipline, their overall goal is similar. A literature review serves as a compilation of the most significant sources on a subject and relates the findings of each of these sources in a rational manner while supporting the literature review author’s own thesis. A literature review establishes which sources are most relevant to its author’s point and which sources are most credible to the discipline at hand. In a literature review, the results of previous research are summarized, organized and evaluated. Discipline-Specificity A literature review’s organization, format, level of detail and citation style may vary according to discipline because different disciplines have different audiences. Examples here pertain to the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. †¢ Natural and social sciences The author of a literature review in the natural or social sciences must pay close attention to measurements, study populations and technical aspects of experimental findings. Typically, a portion of the natural or social sciences literature review is set aside for reviewing sources on the primary topic. Then, a comparative analysis or discussion section is used to analyze the similarities and differences among the sources, tying them in with the literature review author’s original thesis. †¢ Humanities The author of a literature review in the humanities usually does not set aside a special section for reviewing the sources; instead, citations may be found randomly throughout the paper. The literature being reviewed is arranged according to paragraphs based on the author’s points, which in turn, support the author’s thesis. The paper itself may not be called a literature review at all. It is more likely to be called a critical analysis. Remember that the best bet for determining what type of literature review is appropriate for your course is checking with the instructor prior to beginning research. Email at [emailprotected]hv. edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 REVIEW 1. What is the purpose of a literature review? What is the connection between the author’s thesis and the literature being reviewed? 2. What discipline will your literature review be classified in? Process 1. Find several articles that deal with your research topic. Sometimes it is helpful to review the bibliography of one of the first scholarly sources that you encounter and compare it to the bibliographies of other sources on the topic. If the same source is listed within several of these bibliographies, it is probably a fundamental, credible source that will aid you in your review. 2. Before you begin reviewing literature, realize that you are looking to accomplish two things: A. Defining your research problem/thesis (examples: finding a flaw in research, continuing previous research, etc . . . B. Reading and evaluating significant works that are relevant to your research problem. You will be conducting Steps A and B simultaneously because the two form a circular pattern. As you read related sources (Step B), you define your problem, and as you define your problem (Step A) you will more easily be able to decide what material is relevant enough to be worthy of reading (Step B). 3. Once you begin reviewing, make an entry with complete bibliographical information and comments for each work that you are going to include in the review. 4. Compare the articles by evaluating the similarities and differences among them. This will be the initial stage in the formulation of your thesis. 5. Form a thesis that is clearly written and can be logically supported by the literature you will include in your review. 6. View the articles briefly again and jot down any notes that seem to relate to your thesis. 7. Decide which organizational pattern and format are best for the topic of your review. 8. Construct an appropriate outline for the literature review. 9. Write an introduction that introduces the topic, reveals your thesis statement, and arranges key issues. 10. Organize and write the body of your paper according to the appropriate format: topical or chronological. 11. Write a conclusion that reconciles similarities and differences on the topic and reemphasizes the criteria used to arrive at this conclusion. 12. Complete the final draft of the literature review. Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 13. Check over the final draft for grammar and punctuation errors. 14. Use the checklist provided here to make sure that all parts of the literature review are addressed and focused. Establishing a Critical Response for a Literature Review You may find this section helpful at Steps 3, 4 and 5 of the process. When reviewing your sources, explore the following areas to help develop your critical response: What is the purpose of the research or work? What research or literary methods are used? How do the major concepts operate? In a research study, how accurate are the measurements? In a literary work, is the author’s position objective or biased? What are the different interpretations of the results of the study or of the literary work itself? REVIEW 1. What do you consider to be the most crucial step(s) in the process of your literature review? Why? Justify your response(s). Organization A literature review can be arranged either topically or chronologically. Topical organization occurs in reviews where previous research being evaluated is divided into segments with each one representing a part of some larger issue. In a topical review, the author begins by describing the characteristics of research shared by several studies and then moves on to analyze their similarities and differences. For more information, see the example below. Example The organization of a literature review begins in the introduction. For example, in the introduction of a literature review about the effect of seating arrangements on peer tutoring communication, you would first introduce the topic and what your literature review will attempt to assess: †¦Writing centers can set the table for collaborative tutoring sessions through a careful consideration of spatial arrangement . . . Then state what angle is going to be explored: †¦These studies will be used to support the author’s claims that spatial arrangement is instrumental in encouraging collaborative environments in the writing center†¦ Then, arrange key issues that will be addressed in this review by answering questions that you have personally developed and are tailored to fit your topic. In the introduction, give the audience a clear picture of how you will organize your paper: Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 In the following, I1 first review some relevant research concerning spatial arrangement and then discuss some recommended and alternate seating arrangements to encourage a collaborative environment in the writing center. Finally, I include some other considerations. In the body of this literature review, you would organize the information topically around each point (or question) that you asked yourself: -Research Review -Recommended Spatial Arrangement -Alternative Spatial Arrangement -Other Considerations. Then, write a conclusion that explains the significance of your findings: †¦While the seating arrangements outlined above are generally a good ‘setting’ for peer tutoring sessions, we should remember that each tutoring session is unique. Not all students will be comfortable with a side-by-side spatial arrangement at a round table. Tutors should be perceptive of and receptive to students who may have other spatial needs†¦ Chronological organization occurs when a review is organized in time order and is most often used when a historical context is needed for discussing a topic from its beginning to its current state; chronological organization is  especially helpful when discussing inactive periods and shifts in perspective on a given topic. Example The organization of a literature review begins in the introduction. For example, in the introduction of a literature review entitled Development of Social Science Research on Attitudes Towards Gender in America, you would first introduce the topic and what your review hopes to assess: †¦This literature review will assess the development of research designed to uncover gender attitudes in America during the latter part of the 20th Century†¦ Then state what angle is going to be explored: .. As research progressed throughout the 20th century, the methods that social scientists use for measuring these attitudes developed and changed as well†¦ Then, chronologically arrange issues that will be addressed in this review: Gender stereotypes still exist today, and varying attitudes can be traced over the past fifty years. Survey instruments used to gather data on these varying attitudes have also changed drastically over the course of time. In the body of this literature review, you would organize the information chronologically, adressing each point (or question) that is being asked for a particular time period: -Stereotypes and Survey Instruments of the 1950’s -Stereotypes and Survey Instruments of the 1960’s -Stereotypes and Survey Instruments of the 1970’s -Stereotypes and Survey Instruments of the 1980’s -Stereotypes and Survey Instruments of the 1990’s -Current Advancements Always clear the use of I with your instructor. An alternative to this would be the use of third person wording, such as â€Å"This paper reviews some relevant research concerning spatial arrangement and then discusses some recommended and alternate seating arrangements to encourage a collaborative environment in the writing center. † 1 Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 Then, write a conclusion that explains the significance of your findings: Although the survey instruments used in the 1950’s and 1960’s developed an obvious bias when surveying Americans regarding gender attitudes, the 1970’s brought about great change. Today social scientists are more careful than ever about testing the quality of a survey instrument before using it on the general public. Format There are also two suggested formats for composing your literature review. Format A is used when comparing several studies that have similar hypothesis but different findings. Each piece of research is summarized individually. Format A is good for reviews with a small number of entries; however, this format may confuse the audience when used with a large number of reviews because descriptions of so many studies may get in the way of the analysis. Keep in mind that each piece of research usually will not receive equal attention in the review. Format A Outline I. Introduction consists of four parts that are usually discussed in one paragraph. a. Identify the general topic being discussed. b. Mention trends published about the topic. c. State thesis establishing the reason for writing the literature review. d. Explain criteria by giving a description of each of the criteria used in evaluating the literature review and rationalizing its organization II. Literature reviewed section is divided up according to study. a. First study is summarized and discussed. b. Second study is summarized and discussed. c. Third study is summarized and discussed. III. Comparative analysis acknowledges the similarities and differences between studies. a. Similarities (if any) among the studies are evaluated and discussed. b. Differences (if any) among the studies are evaluated and discussed. IV. Conclusion/Summary effectively wraps up the review. a. Summarize points of comparison or contrast among the works based on Section III of your review. b. Provide insight of relationship between the topic of the review and a larger area of study such as a specific discipline or profession Format B  organizes the literature review according to similarities and differences among research rather than by literature studied. In a review organized according to Format B, little background information on the literature being reviewed is given outright. Instead, it is worked into the body paragraphs of the sections on similarities and differences. The conclusion then uses these two sections (similarities and differences) to tie in points of comparison and contrast between the works. Format B better suits papers that are topically organized. Format B is outlined below. Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 Format B Outline I. Introduction consists of four parts usually discussed in one paragraph. a. Identify the general topic being discussed. b. Mention trends published about the topic. c. State thesis establishing the reason for writing the literature review. d. Explain criteria by giving a description of each of the criteria used in evaluating the literature review and rationalizing its organization II. Similiarities within the research are discussed. a.  First similarity among research is discussed. b. Second similarity among research is discussed. c. Third similiarity among research is discussed. III. Differences in the research are discussed. a. First difference between research is discussed b. Second difference between research is discussed c. Third difference between research is discussed IV. Conclusion/Summary a. Summarize points of comparison or contrast between the works. b. Provide insight into relationship between the topic of the literature and a larger area of study such as a specific discipline or profession. The most important thing to remember when organizing a literature review is that it is not a list summarizing one work after another. The review should be organized into sections according to theme that are set apart by subject-related headings. REVIEW 1. Which format have you chosen for your literature review? Why? A Literature Review Checklist: Did I . . . . . . ? ? Establish a valid thesis based on the examined research ? State this thesis clearly in my introduction ? Define unfamiliar terms ? Incorporate background information to define the problem ? Begin each entry in the review with a complete bibliographical reference ? List and describe the hypothesis/thesis in each work reviewed Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288 ? Describe the outcome of the work or the research ? Develop and incorporate my own comments, including response to the research, similarities and differences among literature reviewed, and reservations regarding author’s methods or conclusions ? Avoid overquoting ? Check for grammar and punctuation errors ? Correctly cite all references in uniform documentation style Resources Brightwell, G.  and Shaw, J. (1997-98). Writing up research. Retrieved August 20, 2002 from Languages and Educational Development at the Asian Institute of Technology’s Web page at http://www. languages. ait. ac. th/EL21OPEN. HTM Central Queensland University Library. (2000). The literature review. Retrieved July 22, 2003 from http://www. library. cqu. edu. au/litreviewpages/ Cuba, L. (2002). A short guide to writing about social science. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishers. Leibensperger, S. (2003). Setting the table: Encouraging collaborative environments with spatial arrangement in the writing center. Unpublished literature review. Northern Arizona University. (1999). Electronic textbook A blast from the past: Your literature review. Retrieved May 30, 2002 from http://jan. ucc. nau. edu/~mid/edr720/class/literature/blast/reading21-1. html Taylor, D. , Procter, M. (2001). The literature review: A few tips on conducting it. Retrieved June 17, 2002 from http://www. utoronto. ca/writing/litrev. html Trinder, L. (2002). Appendix. The literature review. Retrieved August 27, 2003 http://www. uea. ac. uk/~w071/teaching/ppf/Appendix%20Lit%20Review. pdf The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. (2001). Academic writing: Reviews of literature. Retrieved May 30, 2002 from http://www. wisc. edu/writing/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature. html *In traditional APA style, this section would be entitled â€Å"References† and would be listed on a separate page double-spaced. Due to space constraints in this packet, it has been formatted differently. Copyright 2003 by the Academic Center and the University of Houston-Victoria. Created 2003 by Candice Chovanec-Melzow. Email at [emailprotected] edu University West, room 129 (361) 570-4288.

Impact of Dementia on Quality of Life | Intervations

Impact of Dementia on Quality of Life | Intervations Dementia and Incontinence An exploration of the impact that these conditions have on quality of life and a discussion of strategies that may be employed to manage the problem and/or enable the sufferer and carers to cope. Based on the 2001 census, it is estimated that the total number of people living with dementia in the United Kingdom (UK) is 775,200 and that this figure will rise to 870,000 by the year 2010 and to 1.8 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Society 2004). Dementia affects about one person in 20 over the age of 65 years. This figure rises to one person in three for people over the age of 90 years (Gow and Gilhooly 2003). Studies have estimated that 18,000 people with dementia are under the age of 65, and that the number of people in the UK with dementia in minority ethnic communities could be as high as 14,000 (Alzheimer’s Society 2004). Dementia is described as â€Å"a syndrome due to disease of the brain, usually of a chronic or progressive nature† (World Health Organization 2001). Dementia is associated with a range of symptoms including impaired memory, disorientation, poor concentration and difficulty in naming and use of language. Patients with dementia have an impaired ability to learn or recall learned information, difficulty in using motor skills and co-ordination, difficulty thinking in a clear and coherent way and in understanding or following a sequence (Jacques and Jackson 1999). The significant disabilities associated with dementia can be accompanied by personality and mood changes, and changes in judgement. The term â€Å"dementia† is an umbrella term used to describe a number of conditions in which these symptoms occur, and where a differential diagnosis has been undertaken to rule out other causes for these symptoms (Cheston and Bender 1999). These include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia. It is proposed that dementia commonly leads to incontinence of urine, faeces, or both. Urinary incontinence us up to four times more common in individuals with dementia than in people without dementia. Loss of continence may be more prevalent in Alzheimer’s disease than in vascular dementia, and becomes more common with increasing dementia severity (Skelly and Flint 1995). Men are more at risk than women, possibly because of associated prostatic problems. Faecal incontinence is less common than urinary incontinence, however both urinary and faecal incontinence are strongly associated with caregiver stress and possible premature entry to nursing and residential homes (Armstrong 1999). In fact, the rates of incontinence are particularly high among patients in hospitals, nursing homes and residential homes, where it is debated that approximately half might be affected (Irwin 2001). This essay will briefly discuss the pathophysiology of the different types of dementia and incontinence with a view to investigating how these linked conditions affect quality of life. There will also be a discussion about various strategies that may be employed to manage the problem and/or enable the sufferer and carers to cope. It is proposed that approximately 55 percent of patients diagnosed with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease, also known as Alzheimer’s dementia (Killeen 2000). It is a degenerative disease affecting the brain. This is a result of changes in the structure and function of two proteins, beta-amyloid and tau that cause the formation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangle form in areas of brain tissue, which destroy them (Burns et al 1997). The cause of this process is not yet fully understood. The temporal and parietal lobes of the brain are generally affected in Alzheimer’s disease, which can result in significant memory loss and an inability to recognise people and places. This can be extremely distressing, particularly if the person no longer recognises his or her image or that of friends and family (Kitwood 1997). As the condition progresses, basic skills and capabilities can be lost. Visual-spatial skills can become impaired, resulting in the patient becoming unabl e to put sequences of an activity or movement together (Jenkins 1998). The frontal lobe can also be affected and this can result in difficulties in communication and judgement resulting in disinhibited behaviour (Jacques and Jackson 1999). In Alzheimer’s disease the symptoms progress gradually but persistently over time (Burns et al 1997). Vascular dementia, also referred to as multi-infarct dementia, is another common type of dementia. It is caused by problems in the circulation of blood to the brain, which results in multiple strokes to brain tissue resulting in significant cognitive impairment (Sander 2002). These strokes can cause damage to areas of the brain responsible for speech or language and can produce generalised symptoms of dementia. As a result, vascular dementia may appear similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Vascular dementia can progress in an irregular manner with episodes of sudden loss. It can also take the pattern of gradual change, as in Alzheimer’s disease. The rate of memory loss and impairment of insight appear to progress at a slower rate than in Alzheimer’s dementia. Vascular dementia has been identified as a distinct condition in up to 20 percent of people with dementia (Miller and Morris 1993); however, as with all types of dementia it can co-exist with other forms of the co ndition. Vascular dementia is considered the second most common form of dementia in the western world (Nor et al 2005). Another common form of dementia is Lewy body dementia. Lewy body dementia is characterised by fluctuations of cognitive impairment, which are defined by episodic confusion and lucid intervals. These fluctuations in cognition can occur over minutes, hours or days. They can occur in as many as 50-70 percent of patients and are associated with shifting levels of attention and alertness (Archibald 2003). Patients with Lewy body dementia can experience visual and auditory hallucinations, secondary delusions and falls. These symptoms can result in the person presenting with behaviours that are challenging. Lewy bodies are tiny spots containing deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein. These are found in the hippocampus, temporal lobe and neocortex in addition to the classic sites in the substantia nigra and other subcortical regions (Del Ser et al 2000). Lewy body dementia is ranked as the third major type of dementia. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of people with dementia wil l have the Lewy body form of the disease (McKeith et al 1995). However, this figure could be much higher, and it is estimated that up to 36 percent of people with dementia could have this type (Del Ser et al 2000). It is posited that continence is a basic function that should be maintained in healthy elderly people, regardless of age. Loss of continence can be interpreted as a dysfunction of either the lower urinary tract or bowel, or of some other system that participates in the maintenance of continence, in particular the nervous system (Crome et al 2001). Loss of continence in the patient with dementia is related most commonly to alteration in basic factors necessary for its maintenance or to use of medication (Ouslander 2000). People with dementia are also more prone to suffer delirium which is associated often with incontinence. Immobility can soon lead to loss of continence and the frequency, and severity of incontinence is strongly associated with dementia severity and incapacity to walk or make transfers (Skelly and Flint 1995). Resnick (1995) analysed the relationship between incontinence and a series of factors outside the lower urinary tract. He found that if patients maintained inde pendence to make transfers and to dress, even though their dementia was severe, they could maintain continence. The influence of sedative drugs, physical restrictions and other environmental or social factors must not be forgotten. Furthermore, the attitude of professionals, with over-use of absorbent or palliative products for incontinence, can itself lead to loss of continence. Since the aetiology of incontinence in the older person with dementia may be multifactorial, it is suggested that a multidimensional assessment is required to identify the pathogenic mechanisms involved. The diagnostic assessment should be individualised, depending on the characteristics of each patient (clinical, functional, life expectancy) as well as the impact of incontinence (Khoury 2001). Generally, it is accepted that the basic assessment should include several components such as a medical history, clinical type of incontinence, the severity of incontinence, and the timing of leakages. A functional assessment focusing on mobility (transfers, walking, and skill grade) and mental function should be undertaken and a formal assessment should be made of the severity and nature of the cognitive impairment and of any depression or behavioural disorders that could influence presentation, as well as management of incontinence. Finally, an environmental assessment would prove useful to detect the existence of barriers that could limit access to the lavatory (Alzheimer’s Society 2004). It is posited that incontinence has an adverse effect on the quality of life. Quality of life can be defined as the awareness of the capacity to meet personal, psychological and social needs on a daily basis. It is proposed that incontinence is very distressing and it can affect an individual’s sense of dignity and self-esteem especially if the person needs personal help from a carer or relative as a result of incontinence (DuBeau et al 2006). Treatment of urinary incontinence is based on various approaches, which should be used in a complementary way to obtain the best results. It is fundamental to establish realistic therapeutic objectives. However, it is argued that it will not be easy to obtain positive results in all patients, because of immobility and lack of co-operation. Trying to reduce the severity of incontinence and maintenance of patient well-being, good perineal hygiene and â€Å"social continence† may be a more realistic goal. Thus, an individual approach is essential, adapted to the characteristics and situation of each patient (Irwin 2001). It is proposed that treatment measures should include the identification and treatment of concurrent medical conditions, active management of constipation, hygienic-dietary recommendations (reduction of stimulant substances e.g. caffeinated drinks, modification of timing of fluid intake). An improvement in mobility, a review of usual treatment and change of drugs that are potentially involved in incontinence recommendations should be included in treatment measures. The type of clothes worn such as clothes with simple opening and closing systems can help with toileting and incontinence. Utilising environmental interventions such as; enhanced visibility by painting toilet doors bright  colours, signposting and good lighting, ensuring easy access to toilets, providing grab-rails and raised toilet seats, and ready availability of mobility aids, commodes and urinals, preferably with nonspill adapters, will be of immense help. Debatably, these measures might assist the dementia patient w ith any possible confusion as to where the toilet is (Alzheimer’s Society, 2004). Other strategies for the management of incontinence in the dementia sufferer could include behavioural techniques. These techniques attempt to promote a change in the patient’s (or caregiver’s) behaviour, trying to re-establish a normal pattern of bladder-emptying or to prevent the patient from being wet. Simple, non-invasive, behavioural techniques are relevant for almost all types of patients and incontinence, and can be used jointly with other therapeutic options, especially drug treatment (Khoury 2001). Two groups of techniques are differentiated: those performed by the patient (pelvic floor exercises, bladder-retraining, biofeedback) and those by the caregiver (micturitiontraining, scheduled voiding, prompted voiding). It is argued however, that the patient-dependent techniques require previous instruction as well as understanding and collaboration by the patient, so they may be impracticable  for people with advanced dementia. The most used behavioural techniques are prompted voiding, micturition training and scheduled voiding. Prompted voiding has the greatest scientific support. The objective  of this technique is to stimulate the patient to be continent through periodic assessments by the caregivers and positive reward systems. Several studies demonstrate the effectiveness of behavioural techniques in institutionalised elderly subjects with dementia, especially in reduction of incontinence episodes. However, most data report its effectiveness only in the short term (Eustice et al 2002, Durrant and Snape 2003). Dementia is a distressing long-term condition that affects both sufferers and their carer’s quality of life. Coupled with that incontinence can be humiliating for the individual with dementia and upsetting for their significant others around them. It is important to assess the person’s individual needs as incontinence in dementia is multifactorial. There are various strategies and treatments that can be put into place that will assist both the sufferer and their carer. Behavioural techniques such as prompted voiding, micturition training and scheduled voiding have been found useful as a treatment alongside environmental and current review of medical history. It is important to note that incontinence should always be viewed as associated with, rather than caused by dementia and therefore potentially treatable. References Alzheimer’s Society (2004) Policy Positions: Demography, www.alzheimers.org.uk/News_and_Campaigns/Policy_Watch/demography.htm,  (Last accessed: August 2006) Archibald C (2003) People with Dementia in Acute Hospital Settings: A Practice Guide for Registered Nurses, Stirling, The Dementia Services Development Centre Armstrong M (1999) Factors affecting the decision to place a relative with dementia into residential care, Nursing Standard, 14, 16, 33-37 Burns A, Howard R, Pettit W (1997) Alzheimer’s disease: A Medical Companion, Oxford, Blackwell Science Cheston R, Bender M (1999) Understanding Dementia: The Man with the Worried Eyes, London, Jessica Kingsley Crome P, Smith AE, Withnell A (2001) Urinary and faecal incontinence: prevalence and health status, Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 11, 109-113 Del Ser T, McKeith I, Anand R, Cicin-Sain A, Ferrara R, Spiegel R (2000) Dementia with Lewy bodies: findings from an international multicentre study, International  Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15, 11, 1034-1045 Durrant J, Snape J (2003) Urinary incontinence in nursing home for older people, Age Ageing, 32, 12-18 Eustice S, Roe B, Paterson J (2002) Prompted voiding for the management of urinary incontinence in adults, Cochrane Database Systemic Review Gow J, Gilhooly M (2003) Risk Factors for Dementia and Cognitive Failure in Old Age, NHS Health Scotland, Glasgow Irwin B (2001) Management of urinary incontinence in a UK trust, Nursing Standard, 16, 13, 15, 33-37 Jacques A, Jackson G (1999) Understanding Dementia, (3e) Churchill Livingstone,  Edinburgh Jenkins DAL (1998) Bathing People with Dementia: The Bathroom and Beyond, Stirling, The Dementia Services Development Centre Khoury JM (2001) Urinary incontinence: No need to be wet and upset, North Carolina Medical Journal, 62, 74-77 Killeen J (2000) Planning Signposts for Dementia Care Services, Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Kitwood T (1997) Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First, Milton Keynes, Open University Press McKeith IG, Galasko D, Wilcock GK, Byrne EJ (1995) Lewy body dementia: diagnosis and treatment, British Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 6, 709-717 Miller E, Morris R (1993) The Psychology of Dementia, Chichester, John Wiley  and Sons Nor K, McIntosh IB, Jackson GA (2005) Vascular Dementia: Series for Clinicians, Stirling, The Dementia Services Development Centre Ouslander J (2000) Intractable incontinence in the elderly, British Journal of Urology International, 85, 3, 72-78 Resnick NM (1995) Urinary incontinence, Lancet, 346, 94-100 Sander R (2002) Standing and moving: helping people with vascular dementia, Nursing Older People, 14, 1, 20-26 Skelly J, Flint AJ (1995) Urinary incontinence associated with dementia, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 43, 286-94 World Health Organization (2001) Alzheimer’s disease: The Brain Killer, Geneva, WHO Leadership and Management Case Study: Selfridges Leadership and Management Case Study: Selfridges Introduction 1.1 Company and Organizational Culture Selfridges is a well reputed department store chain in the UK which is targeting the high end customers. In the 1856 the company was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. They have opened the second largest flagship stores in London on 1909 and another prominent three stores opened recently. The company could be managed to come to the current position due to the perfect directions and leadership shown by the top management. This practice is already added in to the corporate cuture and values. (en/StaticPage/Our+Heritage/?msg=, 2010) The fashion retail industry is extremely competitive due to the highly saturated marketplace. It is therefore vital for retailers to develop a competitive strategy so they can position themselves in the market to attain a sustainable competitive advantage and increase revenue. Attaining competitive advantage is dependent on the careful construction of a clear vision and mission with perfect leadership that reflects and utilizes the competitive strategy and indicates the intended positioning while incorporating the values, culture and competencies of the company. By making the strategic direction of the company explicit with a set mission and values, all internal operations will have a clear foresight allowing them to position the company in a synergistic manner, achieving stated goals and objectives. Aligning an organizations leadership to achieve the mission and position is therefore fundamental in remaining strategically fit, and this report will assess the extent to which Selfridges stated mission, values and objectives reflect their intended positioning in the fashion retail market. 1.2 The Vision, Mission and Values of Selfridges As the initial step of the leadership, should have given perfect direction to the organization. Therefore it is necessary to have clearly defined vision, mission and values to achieve and adopt. Vision Statement To be the most innovative and fashion forward department store in Europe, offering the most exclusive brands to customers of all ages in an environment that is entertaining and inspiring. Mission Statement To operate stores filled with brands and events that inspire customers and staff, to deliver profitability. Values Selfridges have four stated values, which they uphold as a priority to maintain; Customers: Our challenge to fulfill the high expectations that customers have of Selfridges makes our stores unique, entertaining and fashionable. We house the best designer wear products in the world and offer our customers exclusive access to highly seek after collections. Employees: We recognize the importance of our employees, and how significant they are to the success of Selfridges. We strive to motivate, encourage and inspire our employees as they work to deliver objectives and push the boundaries of what Selfridges is capable of. Responsibility: We are one of the UKs top ten ethically responsible companys and we endeavor to continue looking after the environment and society. Innovation: We are an iconic brand because of our constant crusade to break boundaries, start trends and provide innovative in-store and online experiences for our customers. 1.3 How the Leadership Operates in the Selfridge Vision The vision statement is explanatory in what Selfridges want to achieve in the future, and this future vision will be useful to employees, as they will be aware of how the company plan to develop, and the direction they are pursuing. The language is clear and concise, and instills a sense of motivation for employees. The vision is available through a few internal distribution channels; intranet, notice boards, contracts, monthly departmental meetings and team meetings. That the vision is so easily accessible will make its clear aims resonate throughout the company, and will ensure that all operations are working with that ultimate goal in mind. Mission The mission statement is not extensive enough in its scope regarding their competitors, their geographical scope and their specified target customer groups for it to satisfy employees want for knowledge of the company. Despite this, it is very accessible. Like the vision, the mission is available via the intranet, notice boards, contracts, monthly departmental and weekly team meetings. The easy accessibility to the statement is certainly strength, however, the lack of clarity in what the companys mission is regarding such vital aspects like competitors and customers, makes its existence like a brief summary of the vision. Values Most employees at Selfridges, being among the best in the industry, will have most likely worked for a large company before settling at Selfridges. They will therefore know that a company, who addresses employees in their values, is a good company to work for as they consider their staff at the heart of their operations. This is what Selfridges are communicating in their values and their use of language such as importance if our employees and significance to the success of Selfridges are key words that will resonate well. The values are available via the intranet, contracts and staff guidebooks, yet they are not posted on notice boards in the same way the vision and mission are. Leadership Managing the Change 2.1 Leadership Style There are number of leadership styles identified based on the reactions, objectives and practical applications with their leadership qualities. 1. Autocratic leadership These types of leaders have higher powers compared to their subordinates and dominating the team. Other team members not propose their opinion and will not accept other suggestions. Due to this type of leadership employee turnover will increase and there is lots of absenteeism. This leadership is suitable for unskilled workforce to fore and get the task done. Anyhow this is not an acceptable method in the management. 2. Bureaucratic leadership Bureaucratic leaders mostly consider the systems and procedures and use the recorded style. They will direct to be conducting the whole process as per the stick process. It is very important in the high risk areas in the factories and serious safety areas. 3. Charismatic leadership This leader is very enthusiastic and energetic to bring their team to the established target. This person should have self confident about the leadership as well as the group achievements. They believe their team members and perfectly give directions to the target. There is a personal rapport between the leader and subordinates. If the leader left the company will affect to the organization. This type of leadership shows bigger responsibility compared to others and the leader has to spend more time and give the maximum commitment to the team. 4. Democratic or participative leadership Get the decision contribution from the other members and leader will take the final accurate decision. This style will increase the soft skills and talents of the team members and creating enthusiasm. Team members feel as they are important people to the organization as giving personal views and decision making involvement. To take a decision will take long time, but the decision accuracy is perfect. As the result will be a common idea it will be a quality decision. 5. Laissez-faire leadership Give the individual responsibilities and take decision to team members and leader will monitor the progress. Leader should maintain effective communication with each member as he is responsible to each decision made by team members. These types of leadership required, when the team members are well qualified and experienced of their job responsibilities. The manager / leader should apply sufficient controls and closely monitor the decisions and routine work of the each team member. 6. People-oriented leadership or relations-oriented leadership The leader will not drive task oriented controls. They consider the people oriented achievements without forcing to the task. Some task oriented leaders are give directions to achieve the responsibilities without concern the major activities. People oriented leaders try to maintain their goodwill and not pressurized on team members. 7. Servant leadership If the leader ready work on requirements of the team named as a servant leader. The entire team will participate in the decision making. Team members prefer to the leader as the person represent the whole team requirements. But the leader should maintain the gap between normal team member and the leader. 8. Task-Oriented leadership Leader required achieving the task only. Mainly force all member to go for given targets and closely follow-up and monitor the progress. Task oriented leaders not care about the well-being of the team members and consider only the achievements. This leadership is similar to the autocratic leadership and members will be not satisfied. Leader is trying to show his / her achievements to the top management and not bothering to think about the fellows. 9. Transactional leadership All the members should obey to the leader and do their jobs properly. They cannot comment on the given responsibilities and leader is having authority to punish who fails to achieve the targets. Also the leader can give incentives and rewards to the successful members of the team. Mainly should be awarded the members who could achieve the management expectation and not the actual achievement. This is purely a management style and cannot accept as the leadership method. 10. Transformational leadership Leaders are encouraging team members to go to the target and achieve the organizational expectation. Always the leader giving advices to each team member and solve minor issues will arise. Always the leader will look after the initiatives and add values. (pages/article/newLDR_84.htm, 2010) 2.2 Feedback from Employees (3600) This is a well accepted human resource management measurements to measure the actual attitude, talents, strengths and weaknesses of the any stage of the employee. Let the employee to set in to a circle / disclose all information and get feedback from manager, supervisors, peers, subordinates and top management. Also get the feedback from external parties such as customers, suppliers, and other stake holders who are the people deal with this person. Self assessment gives to do a self evaluation and find key aspects personally. Managers will give their feedback in traditional report format and other stake holders will just explain their comments in an email or telephone call to the relevant evaluator. 360 feedback methods shows the adequate areas of the person and easily advise and give proper training to develop his / her attitudes, talents and skills. If the result is very satisfied management can give promotions, financial as well as non financial rewards for the excellent performance and it will be a motivational factor to job satisfaction. This approach is mainly focusing to get personal development and add value to the organization. As this is a open policy can clearly identify adequate areas of the each person without considering the rank or the level of the employee. It is necessary to conduct this methodology once per annum to get the maximum result. Also should not de-motivate single employee and show the importance of this application. 2.3 Tuckmans model Under the Tuckmans method there are main four areas realized and Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing in the team development stage. This is the well reputed team building methodology. Forming Stage This is the initial stage of the task and team members are not clear about the objectives and time limitations. Therefore the leader should clearly explain the team objectives, the way of planned approach, available resources and limitation. Team members will have several problems about the target and will raise lot of questions and tolerance. The leader should perfectly and specifically explain the team goals and the requirement to each employee. Storming Stage Even the objectives received team not aware that how to achieve them. There is some confusion in this stage as uncertainties. Team members are having issues about the individual responsibilities and how to arrange the process orderly. There are lots of negotiations, discussions and ideas will come in this stage. Supervisors and team leaders are required to negotiate this situation and minimize confusion. Most of the time tem leaders and managers should avoid this sage as time consuming and create personal issues with team members. Under a clear direction will be possible to neglect the confusion and achieve the target. Norming Stage In this stage team members should be clear about the target and the task. Team functions should be created by giving single responsibilities to the each person. As specifically nominate team members to the responsibilities can clearly identify the role they have to play in the team. After that team managers should link the all tasks together and make specified individual responsibilities to each member. All team members should give their maximum support to achieve the final objective. Performing Stage The all team members will be clear about themselves and others job responsibilities and tasks. Under the clear supervision the team will goes to the target maintaining a shared supervision. If is there any problem the team members will solve the issue inside the team as they are having mutual understanding and clear about the target. At this stage team members no need help / assistance in instructions and guidelines. The leader has to set team objectives and the way of the achievement. Team members need help only in their personal and interpersonal developments. (tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm, 2010) Work Delegation Managers can get more effective team performance by work delegation. But this task should be conducted in proper way. As he lack of knowledge number of managers are reluctant to give work delegation to team members. The disorganized and inflexible management may be the major cause of not delegating work effectively. The insecurity in the work place and confusion about who is ultimately responsible are the other barriers for effective delegation of work. Managers cannot avoid their responsibility by delegating their difficult tasks to subordinates. They are always accountable for the allocated responsibilities for their designation. Accordingly, managers are responsible for the actions of their subordinates. This may results some managers reluctant to delegate their works. There are different types of subordinates that can be experience by the managers. While some work hard to complete their task effectively, there are some people who would like to avoid their responsibilities and let their managers to make all decisions. Through effective delegation, these barriers can be overcome. Guidelines for effective Delegation: In order to practice effective delegation it is important to keep working relationships alive. Rather than completing a task solely, delegation has a better chance of succeeding. The following are some situations where ethics comes to bear in day-to-day organizational activities. Prerequisites: The basic prerequisite for effective delegation is the willingness of the managers to give freedom to their subordinates to accomplish delegated tasks. This means let them to choose methods and solutions to complete their tasks. This allows employees to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. Mistaken should not discourage the delegation. Mistakes should be identified as the requirement for training support. The second prerequisite for delegation is open communication between managers and employees. In order to delegate tasks effectively, managers should know the capabilities of each employee. Some employees are prefer to accept many responsibilities if their managers are willing to appreciate and reward them. The third and last prerequisite for delegation is in the managers ability in some specific areas such as corporate objectives, the way to achieve the target, employee capabilities and etc. Tasks of effective Delegation: Clearly define the exact delegation areas specifically based on the requirement, delegating person and the time requirement. Should careful the secrecy and the importance on the particular task before the delegation. Delegate the correct person will be easier and perfect. Have to consider that the task required any special competencies or developmental experience. Also better to check the previous records of the person to identify the special competencies available. Provide required resources and special instructions accordingly. Organisation should have contingency arrangements and financial budget to give resources and trainings immediately. Managers should provide all required date efficiently and effectively. Also necessary to maintain good communication with the delegated person and make further arrangements to get cleared sufficient details. Feedback system reacquired to monitor the progress of the accuracy of the delegation. (4760-barriers-to-delegation/, 2010)

Marketing Disney Consumer Products in the Middle East Essay -- Busines

Marketing Disney Consumer Products in the Middle East 1. Disney Consumer Products Middle East was interested in Lebanon, which has only one million children and teenagers and not Egypt, which has a much larger population, due to the following reasons; a. The literacy rate in Lebanon was much higher than the literacy rate of the populations of other Arab states in the Middle East at that time. b. The population of Lebanon was more familiar with western products, which included the Disney products. In reference to (Exhibit 6) in the case study, one could see that both awareness of the brand and awareness of the various product categories of the brand were already established. c. Many of the Lebanese distributors occupied important positions throughout the Middle East, which in turn might help DCPEME in penetrating other Arab markets. d. The Lebanese society was comparatively liberal when compared to other neighboring Arab states, thus all Disney products would be accepted and readily sold in such a market 2. In 1993, Disney products were distributed in Lebanon through one of the following three channels; a. Worldwide licenses that legitimately distributed Disney products through their Lebanese distributors. b. Non-worldwide licenses that distributed Disney products through Lebanese distributors. c. Non worldwide licenses unaware that several that several of their wholesalers were selling Disney ... Marketing Disney Consumer Products in the Middle East Essay -- Busines Marketing Disney Consumer Products in the Middle East 1. Disney Consumer Products Middle East was interested in Lebanon, which has only one million children and teenagers and not Egypt, which has a much larger population, due to the following reasons; a. The literacy rate in Lebanon was much higher than the literacy rate of the populations of other Arab states in the Middle East at that time. b. The population of Lebanon was more familiar with western products, which included the Disney products. In reference to (Exhibit 6) in the case study, one could see that both awareness of the brand and awareness of the various product categories of the brand were already established. c. Many of the Lebanese distributors occupied important positions throughout the Middle East, which in turn might help DCPEME in penetrating other Arab markets. d. The Lebanese society was comparatively liberal when compared to other neighboring Arab states, thus all Disney products would be accepted and readily sold in such a market 2. In 1993, Disney products were distributed in Lebanon through one of the following three channels; a. Worldwide licenses that legitimately distributed Disney products through their Lebanese distributors. b. Non-worldwide licenses that distributed Disney products through Lebanese distributors. c. Non worldwide licenses unaware that several that several of their wholesalers were selling Disney ...

Themes of The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai Essay -- Village Sea

Themes of The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai The novel, 'the village by the sea' by Anita Desai is about how Hari and Lila struggle for the survival of their family in the absence of their drunken father and ill mother. As portrayed in the beginning of the novel, the opening scene is described to be an unstable environment. This is reflected by the setting of the waves and how they are portrayed to be 'unstable' as the author uses phrases such as 'high tide' and 'low tide' to show the instabilities of life and its changes. In relation to this essential opening scene, this novel is briefly paraphrased to be a book describing the transformations and the hardships in life. As connected to these major morals described by the author, there are several minor themes in relation to the morals as mentioned earlier. These themes are responsibility, self-control and love. The main themes of this novel are change and survival. ?Change? in this book is the way each character is able to understand things in life have to be changed in order to progress. The theme of change is portrayed when the governors decide to turn Thul into an industrial area. Other situations are when Biju starts to introduce motor boats to Thul for fishing instead of manual one and this shows that the change of boats is for the development of fishing. Desai is able to communicate to us this theme when Hari?s father is able to turn from a useless drunken man to a responsible and caring person and also how Hari?s mother is able to get better from her ill state. With this, we can see that each situation in the book is linked together by the way Hari?s father changes when his mother falls ill and is taken to the hospital. This theme is stro... ... Coconut day. One main one is the way Hari?s father out of love for the family and his wife changes from drunkard to a responsible man. Another theme shown is self-control and this shown by the way Lila is able to keep the money she earns from the De Silvas to buy food for the family and not spent on useless things.Other examples are the way Hari makes a lot of money in Bombay, but although there so many nice things in there, he does not spend it but saves it. One character that is able to show this is Hari?s father by the way he is able to control himself from drinking toddy. From what we can see in the novel, the themes are related to each other like change and survival leads to responsibility, responsibility leads to love and self-control and also responsibility relates to love. This is created by the way the user creates the setting of the novel.

“Competing for the Future” by Gary Hamel and C K Pralahad

The book, â€Å"Competing for the future† brings into fore the discussion of effective strategic management as a path towards the establishment of efficient organizations and companies for the future. Moreover, the book's objective is to create ways in which leaders, specifically managers, can help lead the path towards the creation and development of an effective strategy plan for the organization. The path towards the future, however, should not be misconstrued as a ‘race' in which organizations or companies must participate in. What Hamel and Pralahad brought into focus is the nature of the race towards the future, and this was aptly stated in the book (25): There is not one future but hundreds. There is no law that says most companies must be followers. Getting to the future first is not just about outrunning competitors bent on reaching the same prize. It is also about having one's own view of what the prize is. There can be as many prizes as runners†¦In business†¦what distinguishes leaders from laggards, and greatness from mediocrity, is the ability to uniquely imagine what could be. Given this thesis of the book, the authors began their discussion by making it clear that in strategic planning, members of the organization must have a ‘vision,' the ability to imagine things beyond the scope of reality. That is, organizations and companies must also ‘dream,' create ambitions that have not been always considered â€Å"realistic,† yet feasible enough to be accomplished provided the strategy is well-thought out and effectively implemented (145). Of course, it is vital to consider that the process towards the establishment of an effective strategic plan is to bring together all members of the organization, because to delegate the task to a specific group would mean foresightedness in the part of the manager. The authors recommend that for full participation among members in the organization become possible, managers should plan to make each member educated about the whole process in which the organization/company operates (146). Re-educating members/employees ensures that they are able to understand how the organization/company works, and can provide suggestions or recommendations that can be beneficial not only to one department or sector of the organization, but also to the whole organization. The process described above illustrates the authors' view of what â€Å"resource leverage† should be: an acknowledgment of the organization's existing resources, and what can be generated as new resources from these existing ones. Thus, putting leverage on resources may be accomplished through converging, targeting, mining, blending, balancing, recycling, co-opting, and protecting these resources (160-173). Central also to the discussion of strategic management is establishing an organizations ‘core competencies.' The authors define core competencies as those activities that are an â€Å"integral part of the process of general management† (225). This does not only include specific products and/or activities, but all activities and products must be considered as potential core competency. The bigger and more difficult task is in identifying an organization's core competencies; surely there would be activities that specific members of the organization may consider as core, but the authors clarify that these activities becomes a core competency when it is an inevitable and essential part of the organization's daily activities and operations (226). Integrating together the authors' recommendations, â€Å"Competing for the future† brings into light how managers have the foremost goal of creating strategies that integrates the thoughts expressed in the book. This includes creating the â€Å"big dream,† opening up to the possibility that ambitious goals propels companies and organization towards the front race to the future, re-educating employees/members about the organization's daily operations, and identifying core competencies in preparation to the creation of a core competence agenda.

Intro to Ethical Hacking: Ocean’s 11 show Essay

Ocean 11 , perhaps one of the most successful films of all time in bringing together several of the biggest names in the movie business was never really expected to have such a cult following . In the 1960s this heist film was created by Lewis Milestone with the goal of featuring the original rat packers , Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis Jr , Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford . During this time , it was never expected that this would be such a success in its later years yet in a 2001 remake of the film , it opened up the franchise to a whole host of opportunities by again featuring some of the biggest names in the business such as George Clooney , Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. The 1960 ‘s Ocean ‘s eleven movie was based on a series of thefts of Casinos along the Las Vegas strip by a number of World War II veterans which was originally based on a story that was heard from a gas station attendant by Gilbert Kay (Levy 1998 . The basic premise of the movie is the New Year ‘s Eve heist which is planned by the group . The success is virtually ensured as no group as highly trained has ever attempted to commit such a heist . The plan is to blow up the tower to create a diversion and under the cover of darkness , steal the money from the cashier ‘s cages and then load them into garbage bins. Ocean’s 11 shows how elaborate internal control systems can turn out to be. For luxurious 5-star Casinos, making sure no smart-aleck can cheat in a game is already a huge deal but safeguarding of valuable assets is top priority. It is hard to emphasize how Casinos need to have significant amounts of cash reserves in their in house coffers. And this fact is not unknown to the public, more so to schemers. And just like banks and financial institutions, it is imperative for Casinos to invest in a control system that would stop these burglars. No matter how hard an organization strives to protect its assets, the possibility of theft continues to exist. Even a strong internal control is not an absolute deterrent to fraud and crime. There are cunning minds who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Ocean’s Eleven has a happy ending for its criminal protagonists. In real life, though, fraud and theft have led to the sad endings of many companies, such as Enron. Now, more than ever, it has become increasingly important to have a company strategy that highly integrates internal control, and a deep ethical foundation. Without this, a company’s management could be the perpetrator. Effective internal control should be supported by a control environment that promotes ethical decisions. As accountants, we must firmly uphold the ethical standards of our profession, despite the pressures and temptations that we may encounter.

Comprehensive Analysis of Staples

Comprehensive Analysis of Staples Harding University Angela Maloch Ashley Perez Keith Miller Ricky Griffin Abstract This paper will review Staples, Inc. comprehensively. The authors will discuss Staples’ visions, missions, and objectives, in addition to outlining the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. Several matrices will be included to provide visual aid and better observations of the operations and current practices of the company. Recommendations will be provided on new courses of action that may benefit the company and help increase sales and brand awareness.Vision and Mission Staples, is the world’s largest office product organization, and a reliable source for office solutions. The company products and services include office supplies, copy and print supplies, and technology to support these products. Staples, also provides supplies for facilities, break-room, and furniture (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples c onceptualized the office superstore in 1986. It has more than 88,000 associates worldwide, in 26 countries, and fosters annual sales of 25 billion (Staples, Inc, 2012).Many organizations foundations began with a vision and an organizational mission. The vision and mission are set to be accomplished by setting objectives, and implementing strategies to achieve the goals set by the organization. According to Business Improvement Architects: Creating a compelling vision and developing the strategies to achieve it is one of the organization's most difficult challenges. The vision is more than a dream; it must convey a larger sense of organizational purpose, so that employees are able to picture themselves â€Å"building the dream company† rather than â€Å"laying the stones. It is an ambitious view of the future that everyone in the organization can believe in, one that can be realistically achieved, yet offers a future that is better in important ways than what now exists. (Bus iness Improvement Architects, n. d. ) Staples mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products (David, 2013). † The mission is simple yet it encompasses what the organization strives to do with the products and services it provides to its customers throughout the world. Staples, does not have a written vision, but he the organization utilizes a unique approach in identifying the future direction of the company.Staples Soul program is a program designed by Staples, Inc. to help make the organization an employer and neighbor of choice, and sets Staples brand apart from competitors. The program is also aimed at allowing Staples to grow profitably and responsibly (Staples, Inc, 2012). Objectives and Strategies In Staples 2011 Annual Report, Ron Sargent who serves as the organization’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer stated: At Staples, we take great pride in our consistent execution and our ability to evolve and meet the changing needs of our custo mers.Throughout our 25 year history we’ve succeeded by setting aggressive goals, acquiring and retaining customers, and being accountable for our performance. We took the same approach in 2011 and made progress on many of our key initiatives, despite the challenging economic environment. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has established goals and objectives to keep the organization viable in the fast changing market, and the sluggish economy. The Staples Soul program, separates the organizations objectives into four pillars, and outlines the strategies to obtaining those objectives.The four pillars of focus of the Staples Soul Program are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples Community Objectives and Strategies Staples is dedicated to bring education, hope and opportunity to the communities of where their customers live. The community efforts are strategically approached through local grassroots programs, and large scale initiatives that build ties in the global community (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has donated more than $17 million to nonprofit organizations, in the United States, and around the world in 2011.Through its Choose a Charity program, Staples has enabled associates to donate nearly $1. 9 million to organizations, in which they care about (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has also been established volunteer programs, and associate volunteer programs which has led to more than 33,000 hours of volunteer work to being performed in 26 countries (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples and Ethics and Strategies Staples 2011 Annual report discusses their objective to meeting the ethical component of the organization.The report states: We believe that doing right is just as important as doing well. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty, fairness and integrity, and continually implement strategies to ensure ethical conduct from the boardroom to the supply chain to the store. Our strong ethical foundation, demonstr ated in the daily relationships with our stakeholders, and ensures our continued success. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples stress the importance of ethics in the business organization. The good business ethics must span throughout the entire organization.In efforts to achieve and maintain an ethical environment Staples has done the following: * Ethics, helpline, and training and awareness program in every business unit and function worldwide (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Established a new Ethics scorecard that allows senior leaders and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to monitor compliance with program requirements (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Created and established a monitoring and measurement framework to assess how well we are preventing, detecting and responding to ethics and compliance risks (Staples, Inc, 2012). Updated the Staples Suppliers Code of Conduct, by adding an Environmental and Business Ethics section, while modifying other sections (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, the Environment and Strategies Staples Annual Report focused on environment as its third organizational objective. The organization’s 2011 report states: At Staples, our vision is to generate business and environmental benefits for ourselves, our customers and our communities by leading the way in sustainable business practices. his vision through a continued focus on sourcing more sustainable products; improving our offering of recycling and other green services; maximizing our energy efficiency and renewable energy use; and eliminating waste. In 2011, we communicated several new global sustainability goals and continued to work in several program areas to help move us closer to our sustainability vision. (Staples, Inc, 2012) As mentioned before the environmental pillar of the Staples Soul programs is beneficial to the organization, the environment, the community and the customer.Staples has been instrumental in environmental progress by: recycling more than 67 million ink and toner cartridges, and 13 million pounds of technology waste in the United States. Staples has continued the implementation of its Race to the Top Initiative, which is focused on key suppliers reducing the environmental impact of their product (Staples, Inc, 2012). At the end of 2011, Staples had 286 facilities in the U. S. that have received the ENERGY STAR ® for buildings certification. By the close of 2011 Staples had 36 solar installations at 33 facilities and purchased a large sum of renewable energy certificates.Staples has a goal of reducing operational electrical intensity by 25%, and global carbon emissions by 50% by 2020 from a 2010 baseline (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, Diversity and Objectives Staples believes that being a successful company is dependent on people with rich backgrounds and diverse views. Staples commitment to diversity and inclusion opens the doors for the people of different races, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, background and thinking styles. This in turn allows the company to be more innovative, because the organizations associate base reflects the diversity of the customers.Staples’ diverse workforce and suppliers help to build and enrich relationships with customers. While building upon these customer relationships, the organization is able to adapt to the ever changing global market place (Staples, Inc, 2012). Although Staples does not have a written vision statement, the Staples Soul Program has outlined the path, in which the organization wants to proceed over its business life. Fred R. David states: â€Å"A vision statement should answer the basic question, â€Å"What do we want to become? † (David, 2013, p. 45) David also states that a comprehensive mission statement is formulated by a clear vision.It is suggested that the vision statement be established first, and should be short approximately one sentence (David, 2013, p. 45). Many organizations have both a vision and a missi on statement. David states that an organization’s mission statement distinguishes one organization from another in the same industry. An organization’s mission statement is â€Å"its reason for being. A mission statement is important for effectively establishing objectives and forming strategies (David, 2013, p. 45). It is important when formulating a vision and mission statement, it is important to include the managers and the employees.When employees and managers work together to formulate the organizations vision and mission, the statements will reflect the personal visions that employees and managers alike feel passionate towards, and sets the foundation for the future. The shared vision leads to a common objective and can motivate employees and remove the mundane atmosphere in the work environment (David, 2013, p. 47). An organization’s vision and mission statement can: * Ensure unanimity of organizational purpose * Provide a standard for allocation of org anizational resources * Establish organizational climate or general tone Serve as a focal point for people to identify with the organization’s purpose * To help translate objectives into a work structure assignments and task * To specify organizational purpose and translate those into organizational objectives (David, 2013, p. 48). The Staples Soul Program sets the tone for a vision statement for the organization. Staples vision statement could read: â€Å"Staples vision is to be a world leader in providing easy assessable office supplies while being committed to improvements in ethics, environment, community, and diversity for those we serve. The Staples mission as stated before states that the company’s mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products. † (David, 2013, p. 69) Staples mission and vision projected through its Staples Soul Program has set then foundation for the organizational to expand and utilize its strengths and opportunities to contin ue to be a leader in its industry. The organization can also utilize this foundation set to identify weaknesses, and potential industry threats. Eternal Opportunities and Threats External Opportunities Opportunities can give an organization an edge over the competition. Staples, Inc. isplays the potential to increase its growth in additional countries. Currently Staples has 300 stores internationally. An international expansion would increase the profits for the organization. According to David (2013) â€Å"Growth is forecast to reach almost $88 billion by 2013, reflecting a five-year average growth rate of less than 1 percent† (p. SM-66). The advancement in technology can provide Staples with a balanced diversity for its shoppers. New technological gadgets continue to bring additional efficiency for individuals in a number of ways such as online shopping, reading books, and playing games. Staples, Inc. artnered with Barnes and Noble to offer an alternate color reader commonl y known as The NOOK. This technological device competes with Amazon’s Kindle and the Apple’s iPad. The partnership with Barnes and Noble will provide Staples with the opportunity to expand within the digital era. External Threats Threats are external and could occur at any time. Threats most often occur from other competing companies. Staples, Inc. continually competes with a number of organizations in regard to price competition and retail competition. Price competition occurs with equal ground stores such as Office Depot and OfficeMax. Staples, Inc. s the largest office supply company compared to Office Depot classified as the second place organization. David (2013) stated the following interesting fact, â€Å"Staples is larger than Office Depot and OfficeMax combined† (p. SM-76). The three organizations display similar challenges in regard to the reduction of sales because of businesses going paperless. The retail competition includes stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target. These organizations display the need to obtain additional market share. As stated earlier, Staples, Inc. began the route of digital services with the latest product from Barnes and Noble commonly known as The NOOK.With the consumer trend of digital services reduces the need for traditional supplies. Green initiatives continue to be another factor for the reduction of traditional supplies, which reduces the need to stock a lot of cases of copy paper in the distribution centers. Competitive Profile Matrix External Factors External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) Key External Factors WeightRatingScore Opportunities International growth (only 300 stores overseas). 12 4. 48 Trends towards digital items. 12 4. 48 New partnerships (Barnes & Nobles). 11 3. 33 Implement research/development. 15 4. 60Threats Price competition. 10 3. 30 Retail competition. 12 4. 48 Unemployment rates. 06 2. 12 Oil prices. 06 2. 12 New technologies reduce need for traditional supplies . 10 3. 30 Green’ initiatives might shift demand for products . 06 2. 12 Totals12. 04 The External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) demonstrates how opportunities and threats may affect the company. Similar to the IFE, this gives a visual rating of the importance of external factors that may contribute to or inhibit the success of Staples. Seen in the matrix above, new opportunities can greatly contribute to the success of Staples.With such broad expansion opportunities, it would be easy for Staples to make new connections overseas, whether in creating new locations or promoting online sales. New partnerships should be looked into as well. Staples has already teamed up with Barnes & Nobles, but opportunities with other major brands might impact Staples’ sales in a positive way as well. Implementing a research and development team can give Staples the opportunity to study consumer patterns, marketing techniques, and what products to offer to better meet the needs of society.Comp eting companies that offer similar products are the greatest threat the Staples. To best combat this, Staples needs to be prepared to offer the best customer service and technologies to stay in the competition. New technologies are changing what consumers need in regards to office supplies. For example, most consumers have switched to computer filing, rather than paper filing. This reduces the need for so much paper, files, folders, and filing cabinets. While some may still need this, Staples may want to look at reducing their inventory of these items and offering a larger supply of more current and modern items.Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Strengths Strengths refer to the factors that exist within the company and exhibits formations of competitive advantage. The organization has dominance worldwide in more than 22,000 locations to include China, Australia, Germany, North America, and a number of other countries. Staples, Inc. is an established organization with a well developed infrastructure that offers business services such as supplies, technology, furniture, and office machines inside the stores as well as online. Staples, Inc. has a competitive advantage with the use of its online sales market.Instead of keeping a large inventory, the majority of the retail store locations stock approximately 7,000 products. When customers do not find a particular item inside the store, he or she can receive next day service at the local store when ordering from Staples. com. This avenue provides customers the option to review over 30,000 products in approximately 125 distributions. When the customer orders a product, he or she can request to receive shipment at the local store, at work, or at a home address. This type of service provides convenience for Staples, Inc. shoppers. In addition, Staples, Inc. ade an investment in regard to its delivery system with a purchase of small fleet of electric trucks. The purpose of this investment was to improve the org anization’s efficiency and cost minimization by reducing fuel cost by 75% compared to diesel trucks. Internal Weaknesses Weaknesses are the areas an organization needs to try to correct imperfections for improvement. Understanding potential weaknesses can help an organization to both manage and remove possible threats. In contrast to a limited inventory as strength, this concept can be a weakness in regard to customers not wanting to wait for a specific product.Customers may go to a competitor to purchase the needed product or purchase it online. A number of challenges exist because of the advanced technological era. For instance, Staples, Inc. reported a seven percent decline in stock prices according to its 2010 Annual Report. Internal Factors Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) Key Internal FactorsWeight RateScore Strengths Strong international growth and partners. 12 4. 48 Advertising and marketing. 12 4. 48 Strong Online sales market. 10 3. 30 Many convenient Locatio ns. 10 3. 30 Staples Delivery System. 11 3. 33 Weaknesses Only 1. % increase in Sales (2010). 06 2. 12 Stock price fell 7% (2010). 06 2. 10 Poor executive compensation plans. 12 4. 48 Poor inventory management. 11 3. 33 No research/development Budget. 10 3. 30 Totals13. 19 As seen above, the Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) is used to provide a numerical and visual score of key factors of the internal strengths and weaknesses. This gives management an idea of how to prioritize any issues that may be affecting or attributing the growth or success of the company. With more than 1500 locations throughout the United States, Staples is easily accessible to the population.Their advertising and marketing campaigns are successful and catchy; this creates brand awareness, and can potentially bring in more consumers. The internal weaknesses have caused such financial stresses on the company that it is very important that these issues are addressed. For instance, in 2010, there was only a 1. 1% increase in sales and stock prices fell 7%; however, the CEO of Staples, Ron Sargent, took a 41% pay increase. Moves like this can set Staples up for failure, so it is important for management to be aware of these internal issues through the use of an IFE.With no research and development budget, Staples is falling behind the trends of fast-paced society. They are not current on what is popular and what issues may be hurting their sales. * SWOT Analysis According to Thompson, Gamble, and Strickland (2006), â€Å"A SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful tool for sizing up a company’s resource capabilities and deficiencies, its market opportunities, and the external threats to its future well-being (Chap. 3, p. 85). A SWOT analysis is a significant portion of the strategic planning model.An organization uses a SWOT analysis that consists of strengths as internal forces of the organization to accomplish the objective; weaknesses are internal forces of the organization t hat harm the objective; opportunities are external forces that can expand the organization; threats are external forces that can destroy the organization’s success. In developing a strategic plan, leaders must ask if the current strategic plan is adequate to achieve the goal and are there allowances for contingency plans if the current plan is not working.Therefore, an effective strategy will consider the internal and external factors of the SWOT analysis by looking at the big picture of what an organization will face in the course of goal achievement. SWOT Matrix Space Matrix Current Strategies Inventory Staples is looking to reduce physical inventory in stores and offer a wider variety via Staples. com (Donoher as cited in David, 2013). In doing this, they can limit the size of store locations and be able to cut building costs, utilities and floor space on new locations.In addition, research done by Shankar, Rangaswamy & Pusateri (1999) indicates that online shopping is mor e convenient than offline shopping and allows consumers to find products to best fit their needs. This strategy, once fully implemented may promote more business to the website and offer better selections. The only issue that may arise is not having an item in stock that competitors might have. It would helpful to research buying trends and patterns of this industry and keep those items stocked. Prices Low prices have been the ultimate focus of Staples.This is understandable in retail today, however customer service and loyalty programs are just as desirable to consumers. Indicated by Shankar, Rangaswamy & Pusateri (1999), customers are not sensitive just to price increases, but rather a mixture of factors that contribute to the overall buying experience. Slightly raising prices and focusing more on customer service can produce a better experience for in-store shoppers and may encourage them to return. Also, in some cases, low prices can correlate with low quality.When Staples offer s their own brand items for extremely low prices, consumers may consider the price in relation to the quality. Recommended Strategies Based on the case study, Staples, Staples has seen gradually declining sales and profits in recent years (Donoher, as cited in David, 2013). In order to turn that around and be a successful office supply company, they need to implement new strategies. Staples is not a competitor with other office supply companies. They cannot maintain desirable inventories of what consumers are looking for and they cannot beat the prices and leverage that other similar stores offer.If left alone, Staples will go out of business. Suggestions on strategies that may offer aid to Staples are outlined below. Retrenchment â€Å"Retrenchment occurs when an organization regroups through cost and asset reduction to reverse declining profits† (David, 2013, P. 146). If Staples would try this strategy, they might be able to save the company and turn it around. In order to implement this strategy, they would stop opening new stores, and perhaps even close stores throughout the United States. Closing stores throughout the United States can greatly reduce costs and increase revenues.It would be most logical to close the locations with the lowest annual sales. In addition, by reducing the number of store openings would allow for more focus to be within what Staples already has. This means there would be more time to focus on customer service, inventory management, product display, management, and online sales. Online sales are such a large portion of their business, it may be more effective to put more efforts into obtaining sales through that medium, rather than brick and mortar locations. Related DiversificationIn order to remain in the competition, Staples must be open to diversifying the products they currently offer. Staples needs to revamp their current inventory and look at what it is consumers want today. With such a boom in technology, there is a consumer desire for new and up-to-date items. The items they rarely sell need to be taken off the shelves or offer a very limited inventory in stores. That clears up space for new items, and a greater inventory capacity. By stocking items that customers want can increase the traffic flow through the store.Often, consumers know competing stores, such as Office Depot and Wal-Mart have more of what they need, so Staples is eliminated completely. Recommended Annual Objectives and Policies Organizational Annual Business reports are a vital tool in making recommendations for annual objectives, and policies. The annual report identifies the company’s short falls, but more importantly it shines the light on the organizations achievements. The annual report also illustrates the plans and strategies to rectify its weaknesses, and refute potential threats.According an article by Jill Leviticus, an annual report; â€Å"provide information on the health of your company to shareholders, stakeholders, the media and your community. † (Leviticus, 2012) The article also states that the organizational annual report provides financial information, highlights achievements, promotes the organization, and other key information to the stakeholders (Leviticus, 2012). Staples 2011 Annual Business Report outlines the organization’s recommended annual objectives and policies, which is based on the needs of the employees, shareholders, and customers.Annual Business Reports and meetings cover a broad range of objectives and policies. Staples 2011 Annual Business Report covered topics on beneficial of ownership of common stock, corporate governance, and election of directors, employee stock plans, and long-term cash plans (Staples, Inc, 2012). Adjustments to these specific objectives and policies will specifically impact the viability of Staples, Inc. The aforementioned Staples Soul Program has been instrumental in making the organization the â€Å"employer and neigh bor of choice. † (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has been proactive in implementing policies and objectives to acilitate the organization in achieving goals centered around the four pillars of the Staples Soul Program, which are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Strategy Review and Evaluation Defining a strategy is an educated guess. The guess is a key process in any organization. The changes that occur in today’s society can make or break an organization. Strategy, as any other process improvement, cannot be determined unless it is measured. There is an old saying that says it is hard to know where you are going until you know where you have been.Strategy has to be evaluated to determine if the direction of change is favorable or unfavorable to the organization. There are acronyms of famous cycles to help lead an organization to improve. PDCA, PDSA or DMAIC are some of the well-known cycles. These cycles define a basic process of evaluati ng changes made to determine if the actions taken reflect the desired results. A similar process of planning, doing, studying and acting has to be defined in each organization. Organizations can vary in the data used but the process will be the same. DataThere are a number of inputs that need to be included into strategy development. External inputs include items such as customer needs, customer survey results, industry trends, regulatory requirements, technological advancements, market risks and competitive intelligence to name a few. Internal inputs include company vision, mission, goals, philosophies, employee survey results, SWOT analysis and balanced scorecard results. These inputs will help determine what a company’s balanced scorecard should be. The balanced scorecard could be used by location moving up to the organizational level.It could also translate down to specific goals and objectives for individual performance management. Measure Once the balanced scorecard has been developed then it is time to capture the results. In most cases these results are measured monthly. There are some cases where the time frame may extend to a longer period of time depending on the metric being measured. For instance, financial information would probably be calculated monthly by an internal team. An external assessment could be used to challenge or protect your company such as Sarbanes-Oxley audit. These measurements help determine direction.Review Periodic reviews of balanced scorecard information are required to determine if the actions taken are effective or not effective. These reviews can occur at different time intervals. Changes or actions taken can immediately take effect or it could be a period of time before the change is realized. An example of immediate effect could be actions taken to reduce inventory levels. Depending on the action the company may see the results on the following month. An example of a longer term effect may be implementing an â⠂¬Å"open door† policy which involves a cultural change that may not be seen immediately.A general understanding of the metric and the anticipated impact time should be rationalized during the review process. Adjustment Once the review has been analyzed actions should be taken to correct metrics that are not performing to the desired results. There are several methods of problem-solving that can be used to help work through the possible contributors of poor performance. The A3 process was derived by Toyota. The process is a collaborative problem-solving tool used to manage individual issues from beginning to end.The A3 process identifies the team, the problem, the metrics used to measure the issue, potential causes, countermeasures to potential causes, responsible party assigned and results. The cycle starts again similar to the Plan, Do, Study and Act cycle mentioned earlier. Recommendation The recommendation for Staples is to have monthly reviews as well as annual reviews. Th e monthly reviews would consist of A3’s developed for each of the metrics. The A3’s would be reviewed to see how the countermeasures are impacting the metric. This type of review will help monitor performance in the short-term time frame.Annual reviews should be conducted on the internal and external inputs and balanced scorecard results. The annual review would be designed to develop the strategic plan for the following year or longer. References Business Improvement Architects. (n. d. ). Understand the organization's vision. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. bia. ca: http://www. bia. ca/vision. htm David, F. R. (2013). Strategic Managment: A Competitive Advantage Approach (14 ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Leviticus, J. (2012). What Is the Purpose of Company Annual Reports? Retrieved November 23, 2012, from www. smallbusiness. hron. com: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/purpose-company-annual-reports-57428. html Shankar, V; Rangaswamy, A. & Pusateri, M. (1999). The online medium and customer price sensitivity. Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology. Staples, Inc. (2012, April). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. thomson. mobular. net: http://thomson. mobular. net/thomson/7/3218/4642/document_0/SPLS_2011AR. pdf Staples, Inc. (2012, November 14). Corporate Profile. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. staples. com: http://investor. staples. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=96244&p=irol-IRHome