The Censorship Of The Media - 1542 Words

But while the larger media corporations may be hesitant to allow these other conceptions of the human to be represented in the mainstream, there is no such hesitation in fan communities. The fans are not and do not have to be concerned with â€Å"securing the well-being of our present ethnoclass† (Wynter). Rather, they are considered with their own well-being and their own representation and thus they are able to tell the stories that they want to be told and there is nothing preventing them from doing so. While TV shows can be cancelled, movies rated so that almost no one can see them, and books can be banned, but there is no such censorship on the internet so they are free to represent other human experiences without fear of being silenced or†¦show more content†¦While this may not be a wholly accurate reflection of how these people are treated in reality, one must remember that fanfiction is not a primarily political act, but an act of wish fulfillment. This normal ization reflects the desire of the â€Å"Human† to be treated equally to the â€Å"Man.† And even though there has been a significant increase in the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, it is important to note that the majority of these characters still happen to be white. White people are arguably the most overrepresented group in the media and while some may argue that, at least in the United States, white people make up the majority of people and are therefore have greater representation, that does not change the fact that people of color exist and deserve just as much representation as their white counterparts. Also, that statistic is not uniform throughout the U.S. and there have been several TV shows set in New York City (one of the most culturally in the U.S.), such as Friends and Girls on HBO, that have been criticized for having improbably all white casts. Most characters on TV shows and movies are white. Most models are white. Most celebrities are white . The white body is so overrepresented and people of color are so underrepresented that sometimes it seems as if people of color do not even exist at all. The

Ford vs. Gm Free Essays

FORD MOTOR COMPANY . VS. GENERAL MOTORS Ford Automotive Company Background The Ford Automotive Company began as a vision of its founder Henry Ford. We will write a custom essay sample on Ford vs. Gm or any similar topic only for you Order Now Henry Ford was born in 1863 on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan. In 1890 Ford’s hobby in the engineering field became a career as he began his employment at Detroit Edison Company. In 1892, Ford built his first gasoline buggy in which he sold in 1896 to help fund the construction of a new automobile. Three years later in 1899, Ford was forced to quit despite his promotion to chief engineer because of his hobby outside of work. The loss of his career at Detroit Edison Company did not slow Ford down. Soon after that he started Detroit Automobile Company with the help of some private investors. Shortly after, he withdrew from that business association because of accounting and prices of the cars produced by the company. On June 16, 1903 Henry Ford opened a converted wagon factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit which became known as the Ford Motor Company. After the company was formed it went through ups and down like any other company. The Ford Motor Company fought with the Licensed Association of Automobile Manufacturers over rights for a patent held on road locomotives with internal combustion engines when the company began. The Model T was the beginning mark of Ford’s success being one of its most popular cars in 1908. Ford was also involved in the war effort in World War I. The Ford Motor Company placed its resource at the disposal of the government providing large quantities of automobiles, trucks, ambulances, Liberty airplane motors, Whippet tanks, and Eagle submarine chasers. The Ford Company later expanded into other countries such as England, German, and Russia. The Ford Motor Company has been through many changes in time that include two World Wars, the Great Depression and more. General Motors Automotive Company Background William C. Durant, founder of General Motors Company was born in Boston, Massachusetts on December 8, 1861. Durant was also the grandson of Michigan Governor Henry H. Crapo. Durant dropped out of high school to work in his grandfather’s lumberyard. He went from the lumberyard to selling carriages. In 1886, Durant founded the Flint Road Cart Company which transformed from $2,000 start-up capital into a $2 million business that made sales around the world. Durant teamed up with Josiah Dort to create the Durant-Dort Carriage Company based in Flint, Michigan in 1890. Their company became the number one leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. After Durant produced the modern system of automobile dealer franchise s, he was offered a general manager position of Buick in 1904. Shortly after obtaining this position and being successful in it, Durant became president of the company taking it in a different direction. Durant arranged the incorporation by proxies of General Motors and quickly after sold stock and with the proceeds acquired Oldsmobile in 1908. After that acquisition, Durant acquired Oakland, Cadillac. In 1911, Durant went into a partnership with Louis Chevrolet, starting the Chevrolet Company. In 1916, GM was incorporated as General Motors Corporation. GM went on to expand by purchasing McLaughlin Motor Car Company in Ontario, Vauxhall Motors of England, and 80% share in German automobile manufacturer Adam Opel AG. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan, GM had successfully exceeded the sales of Ford Motor Company. GM also became versatile by purchasing Fokker Aircraft Corp of America and Berliner-Joyce Aircraft in which later merged into General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation. GM manufactured vehicles and aircrafts for both Allied and Axis customers during WWII. GM continued expanding and came out with more brands the almost any other automobile company in the world. Ford Motor Company Profile Ford Motor Company is a public company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford is a worldwide company located in Dearborn, Michigan which is also part of the S P 500. The key people involved in the success of this great company include William C. Ford, Jr. (Executive Chairman) and Alan R. Mulally (President CEO). Ford’s production consists of automobiles and automotive parts. Ford produces amazing vehicles such as the Mustang, F-150, Fusion, Taurus, Focus, etc. Ford also has subsidiaries such as Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo. Ford has its own luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. The line of services that ford provides involves automotive finance, vehicle leasing, and vehicle service. Ford Motor Company has had an exceptional year with revenue up $136. 26 billion, operating income up $8. 681 billion, net income up $20. 21 billion, total assets up $178. 35 billion, and total equity up $15. 07 billion. General Motors Company Profile General Motors Company is labeled as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The headquarters of GM is located in Detroit, Michigan in the Renaissance Center. GM has 156 facilities on six different continents and serves the public worldwide. One the key people in the current success of GM is Daniel Ackerson (Chairman and CEO). Their products include automobiles and automotive parts and also financial services. GM has a many subsidiaries that consist of CAMI, Adam Opel AG, Holden Ltd, Vauxhall, and more. GM’s divisions include Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. The 202,000 employees have helped to produce revenue adding up to $150. 28 billion in 2011. To add to GM’s great year, the operating income is up $9. 287 billion, net income is up $7. 585 billion total assets are up $144. 60 billion, and the total equity is up 38. 9 billion. Employee Benefits Ford provides a great benefits package. There employee package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Paid Vacation * Paid Company Holidays * Ford Flexible Work Program * Savings Stock Investment Plan (401K) * Ford Retirement Plan * Vehicle Purchase Plan * Community Service Program * Ford Employee Recreation Program (FERA) General Motors also provides an excellent benefits package. GM employees’ benefits package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Savings-Stock Purchase Program 401(k) * Personal retirement income plan * Financial planning * Life insurance * Disability benefits * 17 Paid holidays 2 Week vacation with 1-3 years of service * 5 Week vacation for longer service employees * 5 additional paid days off Employees and immediate family members purchase vehicles at a significant discount The Customer is Always Right Our principal purpose in presenting you with this information is to help you with your decision in choosing a company to work for as a communications consultant. Through our research we have f ound a considerable amount of data that should not only help you decide which company you will be choosing, but clarify which company would be the best choice. In presenting information there are several challenges in deciding which categories would peak your interest in a company. While there are vast amounts of information at your fingertips we have reviewed personal accounts of employee satisfaction experiences as well as customer satisfaction surveys, challenges that each competitor faces both near and far, and the tough decisions that Ford and GMC have had to make during the times of financial crisis. It is our belief that employee satisfaction is a key to a successful business and so do most major businesses, including Ford and General Motors. Employed persons spend the majority of their time at work, and that makes it obvious that employee satisfaction should be the one of the most important categories researched. To determine if not only the company fits you, but to see if the â€Å"YOU† fit the company. Since 2009, the year of GMC filing bankruptcy, 29,000 or more salaried employees are operating under a new policy that concentrates efforts towards placing the customer’s needs first, and receiving a bonus when customer retention goals are met. These efforts are to improve customer relationships with the GM products and services. Here are some comments from glassdoor. om about General motors recent customer experiences, â€Å"GM is the place to go† says a former project manager in Chicago, Illinois. A former engineer in Detroit, MI on a recent visit to a GMC dealer said â€Å"management is working hard to improve the culture which has been slow and cumbersome. † GMC since their recent financia l crisis has placed a concentrated effort on employee and customer satisfaction, and it has proven to be a key to their revival. Their initiative is to increase its customer retention from 52 percent to 58 percent, if the employees reach the company’s retention goal it will add $4. billion in annual revenue. â€Å"Mark Reuss, General Motor’s North America President stated it’s the first time in his 26-year career that the automaker will reward employees based around how well they retain their customers. † General Motors is definitely creating a change in policies and procedures and only employee effort and good managing decisions will decide the future success of the company. Ford on the other hand stood strong through the financial crisis of the latter part of the 2000’s, declining acceptance of the Tarp money offered by the Government, and choosing not to declare bankruptcy. Ford’s success is due mainly to the Ford family giving up the reigns and allowing an outsider executive control over the company, and other employees making good decisions, and allowing the company to rely on employees and great customer satisfaction to keep the ball rolling. William â€Å"Bill† Clay Ford, Executive Chairman of the Board for Ford Motor Corporation, and former CEO, acknowledged that there may have been some gain from taking TARP money, but nothing is forever, and people have short memories. So it is really up to Ford everyday to earn our respect. GM is a great competitor, and we know that. I like where we are positioned and I like that we have positioned ourselves to earn that respect† he was quoted in an article â€Å"How Ford did it† on Cnn. com. Ford’s Pulse Survey Ford motor company has gone through great lengths to improve their company not only as an automotive manufacturer but in terms of employee satisfaction. In 2009, 80 percent of Ford’s salaried employees participated in their annual Pulse survey. The Pulse survey gives Ford an insight into employee’s actual satisfaction with the company, their job, diversity, and other aspects of the workplace. The Pulse survey includes several categories one being an (ESI)- Employee Satisfaction Index, in which 68 percent gave a good rating which was a two percent increase from the previous year and a third year with improvement to the company’s scores. The area of greatest improvement was the employee overall satisfaction and information received from upper level management. Other areas that have improved over the years are supervision and diversity. Ford has placed a highly concentrated effort into improving communications internally to build trust and increase transparency amongst employees. Diversity in the Workplace Since 1903 Ford has been known as a leader in the automotive industry and a leader in diverse practices in the workplace. Ford is still committed to hiring a highly skilled workplace that reflects many different aspects of our country including culture, ethnicity, race, age, perspective, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation. In 1913 Ford offered five dollars a day to factory workers to attract the African American and immigrant citizens in the community helping create the black middle class. By 1916 Ford was proud to have employed with them, men and women from 62 different nationalities, and 900 disabled employees. In the year 1919 Ford is responsible for leading to the first mosque in the United States. By 1920 Ford had more African American employees than any other automotive company in the world. That year they also employed their first Asian-Indian employee whom later established the Ford of India. In 1941 Ford negotiates its first collective bargaining agreement which was groundbreaking, mostly because it explicitly prohibited discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or creed. 944 is when Rose Will Monroe, a rivet gun operator, was chosen to appear in a commercial for the Ford Motor Company showing determined women factory workers and personifying the Ford image of diversity for all in the workplace. In 1970 several women join the company as salaried employees. They quickly moved up the executive ranks becoming the first women to enter Ford’s Mar keting and Sales Management Program. Today, Ford’s efforts continue in hiring female employees in the executive, management, and engineering divisions. Barb J. Samardzich, Vice President of Powertrain Engineering has said that today 18% of Ford employees are women, which is 5% higher than it was when she graduated from college. In 2003, the company included an expanded definition of diversity to include not only race, ethnicity, age and gender but also many things are unique to employees unique such as backgrounds, opinions, experiences, perspectives and life situations. â€Å"It also put an emphasis on fostering an inclusive culture that is free of barriers, and in which all employees are included, respected and appreciated†, says Ford executives. At GM, we view diversity as a critical business imperative that in the long-term will benefit each of us, and all of us. We drive diversity throughout our organization by focusing on five areas: Customers, Communities, Dealers, and Suppliers† says GM executive. GMC hasn’t always made the best decisions as a company, but one of the keys to their success is creating a strongly d iverse workforce. On March 14 GMC hosted a luncheon celebrating their 50th anniversary of Inforum a professional organization focused on creating strategic connections and accelerating careers for women throughout Michigan. This year GMC showed a bit of Latin flair when they allowed designer Johanna Medina, designer of GMC’s Acadia to be the keynote speaker. She spoke to students of Bronx high school of visual arts about her path to working as a designer for GMC and how much she enjoys the diversity of their workforce. The General Motors African Ancestry Affinity Network (GMAAN) held its 6th Annual Black History Month Celebration on February 24, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom inside the Greektown Hotel in Detroit, MI. This year’s theme was â€Å"Influencing a New Generation† and GM’s own Mr. Ed Welburn, Vice President of Global Design, was the Keynote Speaker. Ed spoke about his love and passion for designing vehicles and how it was influenced by GM at a very early age and he was absolutely determined to work for the company that inspired him. He manages 11 Global design studios in eight countries and over 1,800 creative people that continue to design the best award-winning vehicles around the world. Ed is the 6th person to lead GM Design in the company’s 100 year history and the first to lead a united GM Global Design organization. GM also supports diversity by recognizing women of color in the workplace. In 2011, Chevrolet was the sponsor for BET’s first annual award show for women of color, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! â„ ¢ Soul Tour. GMC has constantly showed their efforts to encourage diversity in the workplace from Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. to being one of the Gold sponsors of the Special Olympics of Michigan which were held on Macomb Community College Campus in Warren, MI. First Lt. Travis Manion was moved by the members of FDNY Rescue Company One, one of the first fire companies to respond to the World Trade Center on Sept. 1, after spending a day with them before his last tour of Iraq in 2006. Their hard work and sacrifice only reinforced Travis’ belief in serving his country. While Travis was killed by enemy fire in Fallujah later that year, his spirit lives on thanks to the Travis Manion Foundation. In July 2011, the GM Foundation and Chevrolet donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Fou ndation to help take its 9/11 Heroes Run fundraiser nationwide. Ford and GMC are two very great companies that show much promise for the future. They have increased size, profitability, technology, but most importantly employee and customer relations. Ford was built on tradition and has set several market trends in which most automotive companies have followed including GMC. General Motors has also made a name for itself in the automotive industry becoming a known producer of quality cars and other automotive parts. They have partnered with several diverse groups to spread an image of how much they care about keeping culture, diversity, and employees ‘ rights and freedoms amongst the highest priorities. These are only a few aspects that define both of these companies without diving into financial statements and stock prices. The more important points we hope to reach in coming to a conclusion on the decision for you is what the companies plan to do with their futures. What challenges does each of these competitors face? What difficult decisions have each had to make for each of them to still be thriving as much as they are today? Looking Ahead The most important part of planning your future career with a company is to research what decisions they are making currently about guiding their future. The automotive industry faces several challenges in today’s struggling economy while trying to make those choices. Globalization, Demographics, General Motors is currently going through a complete renovation with their new business model in place, combining automotive aspects with new digital technology, and competing with new entrants into the industry that now have a competitive advantage with smaller more economical alternative vehicles. In today’s U. S. automotive market there are companies such as Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and more who have become heavyweight competitors in the national and international industry. Detroit was for years the epicenter of the American automotive industry; it was not until recently when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allowed foreign companies to open factories in the South-Eastern areas of the country. This move actually gave foreign companies a great perception in the public’s eyes because it created thousands of employment opportunities for locals and those who lived in northern states who were struggling to find jobs. The Southern Auto Corridor† which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia serves as the production center of foreign automotive companies and provides the biggest competitor for auto makers such as Ford and General Motors. They not only have to compete with the public’s opinions of the companies providing better jobs, but also the foreign companies cornering the fuel efficiency market. Ford, since it w as established has been an innovator in the automotive industry, from the T-model to the Ford F-150. Ford has set the standard with being the first to release new technology and set trends in the highly competitive industry. In the 1960’s it was the Mustang and today it’s vehicles such as the Fusion, and Focus with incredibly economical technology setting the car’s estimated fuel economy over 40 miles per gallon. General Motors has also been one of the industries top competitors and most creative innovators. In the 1960’s when Ford released the Mustang, setting an industry standard for American vehicles, General Motors released the Camaro and Firebird which became the Mustang’s number one competitor. Today they are at the top of the American automotive industry, releasing the Chevy Volt a hybrid vehicle that offers consumers enough fuel efficiency to make a trip to the gas station only once a month with regular charging. The competition continues between these two mega competitors in the research and development of hybrid vehicles, Sports Utility Vehicles that can hold large families and achieve the same fuel economy as the smaller hybrid vehicles. In today’s economy efficient personal finance has become the key to our success, and as a smart business model Ford and General Motors has realized that creating smarter, more economical vehicles is the best way to increase consumer perception and retention. With gas prices fluctuating daily, hybrid and alternative vehicles have become the future of the automotive industry. They have become the future not only because of consumer’s personal finances, but because of global warming. The environmental affects of motor vehicles is threatening the way of life as we know it. Global Warming is a rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and is affected heavily first by the ocean, but secondly by large factories and vehicles such as cars and trucks giving off large amounts of CO2. As time goes on the Earth will be plagued with horrible climates and scarce resources, that’s why the automotive industry and the people of the world are strongly pursuing alternative vehicle options to save the environment. The environment changes as well as the societal views and opinions. Cars that were once considered popular are no longer the talk of the town. The age group that vehicles are sold to is often identified by the amount of digital technology it has or the sport styled body kits. Demographic and Consumer behavior have always been a challenge for the automotive industry. It is why they change models yearly in efforts to incorporate new and improved functions. Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are America’s legendary competitors in the automotive industry. There is not a person in the United States that does not know at least one or two vehicle models of either company. Who Has the Advantage? Ford Motor Company and General Motors have both competitive advantages over each other and over other automobile companies. Both companies make all types of automobiles, from cars to SUV’s, which gives them an advantage of offering all types of automobiles. â€Å"Ford Motors adopted the strategy that allowed it low production cost by cutting all the excessive cost involved in its operations. †(Ford Case Study) This strategy gave Ford a big cost advantage over other competitors in terms of lower cost. By cutting the costs on materials and production supplies that were not being used effectively, Ford increased their profits and could increase their market share. Ford increased its market position in the automobile industry by increasing consumer trust by fighting against bankruptcy. A competitive advantage that both companies have in the industry is the cost of their products. Both companies provide affordable vehicles that consumers are looking to buy during these hard economic times. Although the automobile industry has taken a huge hit in recent years due to the recession, they are still fighting hard to produce new and eco-friendly vehicles for consumers. General Motors has a competitive advantage in the selection of vehicles they offer to the public. Since General Motors is made up of four widely known automobile companies (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), they have a wider target market and are therefore able to appeal to more consumers. Both Ford and GM offer great service. This gives them a competitive advantage over other automobile companies that lack in service and part availability. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which are built in foreign countries, sometimes take a little longer to get parts and that could make some consumers shy away from them. Our conclusion is that Ford Motor Company’s ability to cut cost while still making a quality product gives them the advantage over General Motors. The Great Automobile Recession Both Ford Motor Company and General Motors have faced challenges in the past that were hard for them to overcome. We can start to look as recent as the last ten years to see challenges that had to be overcome. Ford and General Motors were both near bankruptcy due to the most recent depression. â€Å"In 2006, Ford posted its biggest operating loss to date: $12. 6 billion. This coincided with continued deterioration in market share, with the majority of these losses being captured by Toyota and General Motors. From 1997 to 2007, Ford’s United States market share plummeted from 25% to 15%. †(Oasis Consulting) Ford is making moves to try to get the company back on its feet and moving in the right direction. One thing that Ford did to get through these rough economic times was to sell Jaguar and Land Rover. They are also in the process of trying to sell Volvo, which could be very economically productive for them. The Ford Motor Company is trying to get rid of all their other companies to cut costs and help overcome the enormous debt owed by the company. General Motors went through the same economic challenges as Ford, except their situation was a little worse. As General Motors got right to the threshold of bankruptcy, they were bailed out by the U. S. Treasury in an effort to keep the United States automobile companies afloat. â€Å"GM, critically short of operating cash, received a bridge loan from the U. S. Treasury, under the conditions that the company further accelerates a tough restructuring of its U. S. operations that had been underway for several years. †(General Motors web site) These economic hardships pushed both of these companies to the limit, but they were both able to overcome these challenges and become stronger because of it. Due to the extreme consequences General Motors had to face during the recession, we believe that Ford Motor Company is in better shape as an overall company. General Motors had to be â€Å"bailed out† by the government, which means that they were going bankrupt before being given money by the government. Company Success Both companies have had plenty success in their histories. One of Ford Motor Company’s biggest successes is the creation of the Mustang in the 1960’s. â€Å"The sharp, four-seat 1965 Mustang became the â€Å"darling† of America. The â€Å"love affair† brought about the sale of 100,000 Mustangs in the first 100 days. Total sales for the year reached 418,812, far exceeding the 100,000 projected by market research. † The Mustang has been one of the most popular cars in the automobile industry. For forty years, Ford has made a huge profit from the selling of the Mustang. Another success story was the creation of the Thunderbird. This car came out before the Mustang, and was equally as popular. â€Å"The 1955 Thunderbird made its first public appearance in dealer showrooms on Oct. 22, 1954 with a selling price of $2,695, although delivery prices ranged from $3,000 to $4,000. The public went for the Thunderbird in a big way, placing more than 3,500 orders in the first 10-day selling period. † This shows just how popular this Ford model was in its time. Two thousand dollars was a lot during that time period, and to sell that many means major profit for Ford Motor Company. General Motors also has their share of success stories. â€Å"To be the best, General Motors must continually meet and exceed customer expectations. To be flexible and successful across our organizations – Vehicle Manufacturing (Assembly, Powertrain and Stamping), Manufacturing Engineering, and Service Parts Operations – we use a single common manufacturing system to ensure high quality and reliability. † This shows that General Motors takes great pride in making sure that each vehicle is created to the best of their ability. For most of the twentieth century, General Motors was biggest company in the automobile industry. We have given several reasons why we have chosen Ford Motor Company as the company you would prefer to work for. Ford Motor Company is in better financial shape, has remained a leader in employees overall Quality of Life, and has made smart, progressive, and innovative decisions concerning the future of their company as a leader in the automotive industry. General Motors, who had been bailed out by the government is making a turn around since the crisis, but the company is still searching for an identity as a brand, and has a lot of work to do in directing their company. There are several challenges for both companies and with competition comes job opportunities. As a communication consultant for Ford or GMC would be a great career, but our consulting group is sure that we have displayed to you that Ford is the company for you. Works Cited AE Television Networks, LLC. â€Å"William Durant creates General Motors†. http://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/william-durant-creates-general-motors (2011). Dornbach-Bender, Rhett, Bill Slade Joe Thorpe. â€Å"Strategic Report for Ford Motor Company. † Oasis Consulting. 20 April 2009. Web. 11 April 2012. http://economics-files. pomona. du/jlikens/SeniorSeminars/oasis/reports/F. pdf Ford Motor Company. â€Å"An American Legend. † Web. 13 April 2012. http://media. ford. com/article_display. cfm? article_id=81 Glassdoor. â€Å"Ford Motor Reviews†. http://www. glassdoor. com/Reviews/Ford-Motor-Reviews-E263. htm (2012). GM Historical Pamphlets. General Motors. http://www. gmheritage center. com/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures. html (2012). Sabatini, Jeff. â€Å"GM now tying all employee bonuses customer Loyalty†. Automotive News. http://www. autoblog. com/2012/06/05/gm-now-tying-all-employee-bonuses-to-customer-loyalty/. (2012). Sustainablity Report: â€Å"Employee Satisfaction†. How to cite Ford vs. Gm, Essay examples

Organization Theory and Design Designed Organization

Question: What does a well-designed organization look like, and how does it feel to work there? And how is it different from a poorly-designed one? Answer: Introduction This study deals with understanding the importance of well-designed organization at workplace. In this particular assignment, detailed investigation is conducted for bringing out real issues behind poor-organizational structure at the same time. Concept of Well-designed organization Well-designed organization gives employees healthy work environment for showing their skills and expertise. Business requires proper organization structure for attainment of future profits. Designing organization structure helps top management in identification of talent for adding up in the business enterprise (Sorge, 2012). Well-designed organization looks as a planned structure whereby enough human resources are present with the company for accomplishment of future goals. Each person has job description that mainly outlines duties as well as job occupancy on matters relating to own position in the organization chart. Employees feeling while working at well-designed organization Employees enjoy working in well-designed organization whereby each plan of action is intimated beforehand. This type of organization will encourage transparent communication whereby employees are free to express their views and grievances against the company. Positive informational flow is an essential way for attainment of success within an organization (Daft, 2012). Well-designed organization structure inculcates individuals as well as departments for coordinating their efforts in proper lines of communication in building structure. Issues related to poor-designed organization Poor-designed organization leads to miscommunication, as people might not be sure regarding information and sending important messages. Poor organizational skills bring hindrance in productivity. Addition to that, poor-designed organization lacks essential time management skills that are required for prioritizing assignments. Poor-designed organization faces certain issues like poor managerial skills, poor communication as well as poor strategic management. Issues relating poor-designed organization include employees facing lot of problems with senior authority. Conclusion At the end of the study, it is concluded that well-designed organization enables employees working freely and full of dedication at work. Poor-designed organization fails in meeting the best interest of employees as well as potential customers at the same time. Reference List Daft, R. (2012).Organization theory and design. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Sorge, A. (2012).Organization. London: Thomson Learning.

The Pursuit Of Truth Through Religion And Science Religion Essay Example

The Pursuit Of Truth Through Religion And Science Religion Essay Truth as defined in the lexicon is something that corresponds to fact or world. In recent civilised history, scientific and spiritual positions have frequently conflicted with one another. However, truth can be proven in legion ways. Religious thoughts are usually presented foremost, and so sufficient scientific grounds gathers to make bold spiritual beliefs. The 2008 Mumbai onslaughts were an illustration of strong and devoted spiritual beliefs by Islamic terrorists from Pakistan. In add-on, 90 per centum of the universe s population believes in religion of God go forthing the others sing scientific discipline and assorted positions. Albert Einstein and Galileo Galilei had a greater scientific spectrum and deemed it had an reply to about everything. These finds of scientific discipline are met with amazement and most are considered a divergence. Life of Pie by Yann Martel and Robert Zemeckis movie Contact, contribute significantly in understanding decently, the definition of truth. These two illustrations and the people involved are portrayed by their undetermined heads to happen the chase of truth. So, what is truth? The ethos of scientific discipline was ever been about seeking for the truth. Science is demonstrated clearly and has a distinguishable point in the two comparings. Mr. Satish Kumar from Life of Pie is an Atheist. He says, I do nt believe in faith. Religion is darkness. ( Martel, 29 ) . This statement proves that he disapproves of faith and does non hold religion. He believes in scientific discipline since he is a Biology instructor. Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba doubted the being of religion since they do non believe Piscine Patel s ( Pi ) narrative about the carnivorous island drifting bananas. Therefore, he has a more scientific position. Dr. Eleanor Arroway from Contact, a dedicated truster of scientific discipline was determined to happen other signifiers of life utilizing radio uranology. She says, It s like you re stating that scientific discipline killed God. What if scientific discipline merely revealed that he neer existed in the first topographic point? Contact. This demon strates that she has a higher spectrum towards scientific discipline, and considers that scientific discipline can turn out that God neer existed. Michael Kitz, has a deep scientific head and inquiries Ellie about her experience in the wormhole and, if to believe in religion. Dr. Arroway and Mr. Okamoto both have similar constructs and inquiry themselves about What is truth. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pursuit Of Truth Through Religion And Science Religion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Pursuit Of Truth Through Religion And Science Religion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Pursuit Of Truth Through Religion And Science Religion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Faith is understood to be an unverified cognition that is acknowledged and believed through faith missing the demand of cogent evidence. In some cases, faith is demonstrated significantly, by terrorist act Acts of the Apostless and protest. Pi s male parent has faith in faith and accepts it as truth. He merely wants Pi to believe in Hinduism. He utters, But Muslims? It s wholly foreign to our tradition. They re foreigners. He is dedicated to one faith and wants Pi to be attached to it besides. Joseph from Contact who is a passionate truster in faith represented himself dramatically by perpetrating a self-destructive mission. He did that to give any new informations found on the exhibition. Joseph is the leader of an organisation that prohibits the usage of scientific discipline and merely believes in God. This bold act demonstrates his domination of religion and being of the God. David Drumlin from Contact claimed to believe in God but is unsure of truth. Therefore, is truth faith? The Centre of the spectrum, both includes spiritual and scientific beliefs. Pi accepts and considers both in the being of God and the survey of scientific discipline. In add-on, he besides studied fauna and faith. He prays to three different Supreme beings. He says I merely want to love God ( Martel, 69 ) . His cognition about God and faith helps him last the assorted obstructions he faces on the lifeboat. Pi besides thinks about ways to last utilizing the scientific cognition taught by his instructor. Palmer Joss from Contact spent his life seeking for truth through the religion in God. He replies, Ironically the thing that people are most hungry for, significance is the one thing that scientific discipline has nt been able to give them Contact. This statement shows that he believes in faith but, he besides considers scientific discipline since he is destined for truth utilizing both signifiers of information and besides an writer of an astronomy book. Truth is better understood by these persons. Truth plays an of import function in the defining of an single character. This is represented in infinite ways and has legion accounts. Religion and scientific discipline have ever been in clang with one another because they each demonstrate complete opposite ideals. Religion is widely accepted since 90 per centum of the universe s population believes in religion of God. Most scientists believe that scientific discipline can explicate that God neer truly exists and there is nil like religion or hope. Therefore, what is truth?

Comparison between ancient roman lifestyle to today essays

Comparison between ancient roman lifestyle to today essays Roman lifestyle is very similar and very different compared to life today. Rome had a harder way of life, and a shorter one too. They had ways of entertainment similar to ours. Also they had some similarities and differences in their meals. The places they bought those meals from shows that roman shopping and daily errands are different too. When Romans were bored they went out, just like us today. They often went out to plays held in large, open theatres. They also went to other special arenas to see people competing in games, and a circus. Our entertainment today is roughly similar. Plays are held at theatres. Games are also played in big arenas, and a circus does come to town. Although, our games today do not involve gladiators fighting animals to the death, we are still entertained by sports. In Rome there were two kinds of people the upper-class patricians, and the lower-class plebeians. This means two different meals. The plebeians might have a meal of bread, dry or dipped in wine, and water. Sometimes olives, cheese, or raisins were sprinkled on the bread. They also had fish and vegetables. It became the custom to distribute bread daily to the unemployed. Workmen, on their way to work, grabbed some bread, and ate it on the way. The Patricians enjoyed fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, bread, and used honey to sweeten food. (Sugar was unknown). They had slaves to cook and clean. Slaves cut their food for them, because they didn't use forks or knives, they ate with their fingers. A wet towel was handy (or brought by slaves) to tidy up after a meal. Today we pretty much eat the same foods, but we dont enjoy the same services. We have lower class people who cant afford great meals, and we have upper class people who can afford better ones. The one thing we do not have is slavery. Daily errands and shopping were done at the forum. The forum was the main marketplace and business center, wh ...

Comparison between ancient roman lifestyle to today essays

Comparison between ancient roman lifestyle to today essays Roman lifestyle is very similar and very different compared to life today. Rome had a harder way of life, and a shorter one too. They had ways of entertainment similar to ours. Also they had some similarities and differences in their meals. The places they bought those meals from shows that roman shopping and daily errands are different too. When Romans were bored they went out, just like us today. They often went out to plays held in large, open theatres. They also went to other special arenas to see people competing in games, and a circus. Our entertainment today is roughly similar. Plays are held at theatres. Games are also played in big arenas, and a circus does come to town. Although, our games today do not involve gladiators fighting animals to the death, we are still entertained by sports. In Rome there were two kinds of people the upper-class patricians, and the lower-class plebeians. This means two different meals. The plebeians might have a meal of bread, dry or dipped in wine, and water. Sometimes olives, cheese, or raisins were sprinkled on the bread. They also had fish and vegetables. It became the custom to distribute bread daily to the unemployed. Workmen, on their way to work, grabbed some bread, and ate it on the way. The Patricians enjoyed fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, bread, and used honey to sweeten food. (Sugar was unknown). They had slaves to cook and clean. Slaves cut their food for them, because they didn't use forks or knives, they ate with their fingers. A wet towel was handy (or brought by slaves) to tidy up after a meal. Today we pretty much eat the same foods, but we dont enjoy the same services. We have lower class people who cant afford great meals, and we have upper class people who can afford better ones. The one thing we do not have is slavery. Daily errands and shopping were done at the forum. The forum was the main marketplace and business center, wh ...

A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Essay Example for Free

A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Essay College (1014) , Cross-cultural (58) , College Students (39) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Love is a feeling known to many people. Sometimes, it becomes a goal for different individuals to find their love through different ways. Moreover, love is a feeling which helps individuals to be compassionate to other people. Hence, love is not a mysterious thing yet no one has really attempted to study such topic for its very vague concept. However, there is a study which presented varying aspects regarding love. The article Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students. Furthermore this article provides a very significant understanding towards the subject of love. Therefore, as stated by the author is categorized into six different types of love. The types of love which were mentioned are Eros, Ludus and Storge which are categorized as the primary styles of love. The secondary styles are Pragma, Mania and Agape. These are all composed of different categories which mostly provide the concept of love in the current society. Eros is known to be the romantic and passionate type of love. Ludus is known to be the game playing love. Storge is a love which is based on friendship. Pragma is meant to name the practical kind of love. Mania is the possessive or dependent kind of love while Agape is the unselfish kind of love. Thus, all of these kinds of love is dynamic that could interchange or develop through time (Neto, 2007). Hence, the author was able to create a study which does not focus on the concept of romantic love but also the varying kinds of love in the society. Hence, in order to understand the concept of love, the author view various culture such as the British, Portuguese and the Indians in order for to attain the accurate results of the data. In the conclusion, the author realized that the need to view love must go through a gender, cultural and psychological aspects for there are great differences in the ethnicity of varying individuals. The research question in the author’s mind is definitely leaning on the concept of love through utilizing the concept of Lee on various students from India, Britain and Portugal. Hence, this is the main basis utilized by Neto in order to derive to such study. In order to get the accurate data, the author used various students of different nationalities such as Indians, British and Portuguese that shall provide different view points of the study. The study was composed of 562 individuals who are not equally divided between male and female. The results stated that different cultures of people are important in predicting the kind of styles of love which they make. Furthermore, the cultural perspective mainly predicts what kind of love the participants wanted to experience. Moreover, the gender of the students who participated is significant in the study. Therefore, there are studies which show that Eros is important to both genders. Hence, in the study Indians is much leaning into three secondary type of love such as Pragma, Mania and Agape (Neto, 2007). Thus, the Portuguese and British participants are much active in the Ludus kind of love. In the whole study, I view that all the information provided is very interesting. The kind of love that is being practiced by different individuals from varying countries is truly affected by the culture and environment they have experienced. Furthermore, I find it very interesting that Indians tend to have a Mania style of love. Although I have learned their culture, I do not believe that Indians’ love style could lead into a very deep and possessive state. I have learned that although love is needed by everyone, the types of love could be different. Love is not only defined through an Eros relationship but also through different kinds of love such as Storge or Agape. Most people see love as a serious relationship that could end up in marriage. Friendly relationships and companionships are also love but with limitations. References Neto, F. (2007). â€Å"Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students. † Journal of Comparative Family Studies. Retrieved on May 13, 2010 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb3248/is_200704/ai_n32226385/? tag=content;col1 A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students. (2016, Sep 19).

Teaching Assistant Duties Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Teaching Assistant Duties - Assignment Example He is a visual learner, which would account for his enjoyment of reading. Nathans communication skills need to be further developed through social interaction, ie. playtime, in order for him to feel more comfortable during group activities. Rebecca has developed some level of communication and language learning, however, she is behind in development with her age group. Her profile indicates that she has difficulty concentrating and is easily distracted. This would indicate that she has a short attention span and would require shorter, more interactive lesson activities in order to improve her learning. 1. Learning activities, materials and/or equipment, the organization of pupils, staff, and parent helpers are differentiated by the teacher to ensure that the â€Å"programme of work enables pupils to develop in the manner, and the rate, most appropriate to them† (p.145). This provides pupils with learning activities that offer a â€Å"variety of learning modes and experiences, and a fair balance of both mental and physical activity† (p.145). 4. Praise and encouragement are used by staff towards pupils in the form of â€Å"positive feedback, continuous assessment, and clear explanations† in order to continue and promote steady progress made by the pupils. As a teaching assistant, their role in planning and preparing learning activities involve meeting with the teacher regularly to discuss the â€Å"teachers lesson plans, the objectives of the learning activities†, what the teachers expectations are of the teaching assistants contributions to learning activities and the type and level of support for pupils that is expected (p.130). The teacher and teaching assistant will also discuss strategies for learning activity support. Short, after-lesson discussions should also be included as part of the planning and prepare role. During these discussions, the teaching assistant will give feedback about pupil progress during individual and group activities.

PSYCHIATRIC NURSING SPECIALTY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PSYCHIATRIC NURSING SPECIALTY - Essay Example Even though such psychiatric nurses have been in existence for a very long time, there continues to be changes or evolutions that are experienced in the delivery of their roles. The current stage in the specialty’s evolution can be pointed to be concentrated on the nature of management interventions that are used in treating patients. By this, reference is being made to the introduction and use of multi-formulated interventions to care. Such multi-formulated interventions focus on the combination of psychosocial interventions, spiritual interventions, medication, and therapeutic relationships (Penades, Catalan and Salamero, 2006). In order that psychiatric nurses will be able to go about this evolution well, the body which is responsible for certification of students which is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has introduced a new competency area for students which aim to promote advanced practice nursing. Once the need for the evolution was made public, there were several experts and commentators who expressed doubt at the possibility of the change being possible. The author however holds the opinion that the specialty has the potential to evolve. For those who argued that the evolution was not possible, their major point of argument was that the multi-formulated intervention was going to defeat the conservative practice where care giving had been very concentrated on specific areas of disorder (Kemp and Davis, 2006). This should however not be seen as a reason for the failure of the evolution. The reason this is said is that mental health conditions come in many different forms and are often accompanied with the exhibition of different lines of disability. Often, these disabilities touch on several aspects of life including cognition, behavioral, psychological, social, and spiritual. In the light of this, using an isolated and focused intervention

Ethics and Morality Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Morality Essay â€Å"In philosophy we have a problem knowing the origin of right and wrong, there are various theories and ideas but we do not seem to have a definite answer to this question. † By Jamee Ford In life people are brought up in different homes, surrounded by different people and are taught different ways of life. As we grow up we are taught the difference between what is considered right and what is considered wrong, which is based on what is socially acceptable. We learn from a young age how we are expected to behave, the rules we have to abide by given from family and the morals we should have and grow up with. In this society it is difficult to find the origin of right and wrong for there are so many theories and ideas, but yet there is no definite answer. I believe morality comes from us citizens, the law, our feelings and our religion can give a certain indication to how we set our values, but I belive it is an objective fact that what is said to be wrong is wrong and what is said to be right is right. A minority of people believe that morality comes from God. These people have a lot of faith and get their morals and understanding of right and wrong from their belief in god and their bible. For example in the Bible, there are the 10 Commandments, a list of what is acceptable and unacceptable according to God. But what if we don’t believe in god, where would our sense of right and wrong come from? If we can’t change people’s options and feelings on what is right and wrong just by saying that it is acceptable or unacceptable, then why is it okay to say God can. Without god, would their still be morality? Because if god made it acceptable to kill other people, that still wouldn’t make it okay, so I believe this theory is unproven and morality and our right and wrongs can’t come from this theory. Another theory that has brought to the attention of the origin of right and wrong is The ‘Feeling Theory’ and the ‘Boo-hoorah’ theory. The feeling theory is an example of how morality does come from us. We make things right or wrong by approving or disproving of them. If a person has certain feelings about another person’s actions, it is saying something about them. If they disprove of an action, it is considered morally wrong to that person. This theory is people making a claim about what they think; they are claiming whether the action is right or wrong. The ‘Boo-Hoorah Theory’ is another example of how morality comes from us but involves expressing what we think is right or wrong rather than making a claim about it. Something is neither true nor false and according to this theory there is no fact of the matter just an expression of what the person observing thinks. The feeling theory and the boo-hoorah theory are both wrong for everyone is different and raised differently with different beliefs (everyone has different feelings). So technically one person can truly believe that it is okay to kill while another says it’s not okay, these two people are contradicting one another which rules out both theories. Some children are brought up in an abusive home environment; does this mean that morally they think its okay to treat people differently based on how they were raised? All people are raised in a different environment, under different circumstances so if morality comes from us then morality would have to include a whole lot of different views. Another important theory is that morality and our right and wrongs come from the law. Morality and the law often correspond, our morals are what we consider right and wrong, While the law is what has been decided as right and wrong for us. Both murder and stealing are things we consider morally wrong and are also against the law. In the perfect world we all want the law to coincide with morality, but in reality most likely will never be like that. For example drugs are illegal and the law will not accept any sort of behaviour involving drugs, but in some cases people justify that is morally acceptable to deal drugs use it for personal use because of financial situations and pleasure. So they morally justify it in their own head for it to be okay. Even though morality can be guided by the law, helping us understand the differences between right and wrong, morality can’t come from the law, for there are a lot of things the law accept but us civilians see it as wrong. As we can see morality cannot come from the above theories, for they all leave the question of the origin of right and wrong UN answered. I believe that morality comes from us and that things are right and wrong anyway. I believe G. E Moores theory of the extra fact (the six sense) that can detect wrongness. I truly believe this for it is true that there is that something inside of us, guiding us and helping us know what is right and wrong. We don’t necessarily have to be taught about all the wrongs in life to just get that gut feeling that mugging an elderly person is just wrong, why do we feel that? Why don’t we do it? It is because it is something that is just there. Also everyone in the world is different, we all come from different backgrounds and everyone has been brought up differently, in different environments. So therefore we all have different feelings and beliefs, for someone can truly believe that stealing is acceptable, when another thinks it is wrong. Morality is based on how you feel and how you treat people, expecting the same in return; you wouldn’t want someone to hurt you, so why would you want to hurt them. There are no proven facts to where right and wrong comes from but it is something that is just there. It changes over time, and things that were once believed as right are now seen as wrong. So therefore we cannot place judgements for we don’t know what morality and right and wrong will be seen as in ten years time, it’s based you as a person.

My Dream of Becoming a Web Designer :: Admissions Essays

My Dream of Becoming a Web Designer As a young child, my dream occupation was to dig up dinosaurs. As I grew older and my interests changed, my dream profession changed also. Although most of these dreams were not very long lived, one occupational dream has outlasted all others, and has finally emerged as the dream I passionately pursue. It all started when my grandparents purchased their first computer. Being as this was the first computer I had ever used, I did not know how to use it very well. I mostly used it for games, which my grandma would set up for me to play. I also drew pictures with the computer's paint program, the functionality of which, unfortunately, was very limited. The relatively new computer industry's technology could not produce enough colors to portray very realistic pictures. Despite this fact, I spent many contented hours creating images on my grandparent's computer. A few years later, my family moved. As we were no longer close enough to use my grandparent's computer, we purchased a new one for ourselves. I again used the computer for games and did some text editing, but started to utilize the paint program even more than I had before. The up-to-date colors available meant that I could create fairly high-quality pictures. However, my limited paint program again handicapped my skills, its inadequate tools requiring me to draw every pixel manually, which proved very time consuming. After using the new computer for a few years, I sent a picture I had created to my uncles who work with 3D imaging. They were impressed, and asked me if I would like a professional imaging program. For my next birthday I received the digital imaging software Photoshop LE, renowned for its professional capabilities. This tool took my imaging skills to all new heights. I was able to quickly and easily create high-quality images, and could edit and enhance existing photos for professional-like results. Photoshop became by far my favorite program, and I spent much time expanding my imaging skills and knowledge. Now, years later, I am working towards a B.S. in Professional and Technical Communication. I plan to use my imaging skills for the Web, a media that relies heavily on images for communication.

Nike Financial Analysis Essay

Nike  is a company that has thoroughly embedded itself into the psyche of people around the world. It’s a company that started with humble origins from selling footwear in the basement to becoming the behemoth in the athletic industry. Bill Bowerman, University of Oregon track ; field coach, and Phil Knight, middle-distance runner under Bowerman co-founded Nike. Nike was first established as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 as a partnership and the name Nike was officially adopted on May 30, 1978. The infamous Nike Logo – Swoosh, was created for a fee of $35 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphics design student. In 1980, Nike becomes a publicly traded company with the completion of its Initial Public Offering of 2,377,000 shares of Class B Common Stock on New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol NKE. Today, Nike employs over 27,000 people across the globe, and has net revenue in excess of $13 billion. The purpose of this paper is to provide investors with comprehensive information on Nike, its financial health and activities, its strength and weaknesses, and whether Nike creates value to its shareholders. This paper will analyze Nike’s capital structure, scope of international operations, recent stock performance, and dividend policy. We will examine how Nike’s international operations are conducted, its criticisms and strengths. Nike’s debt ratios, dividend payout ratios, dividend yield, and interest coverage ratios over the previous 5 years will be discussed and compared with industry benchmarks. Its bond ratings and the relation between the operating characteristics and its leverage will also be analyzed. Managers for Nike are creating value for shareholders by expanding Nike operations in foreign markets as much as possible. Nike’s sales and earnings outpaced Wall Street estimates FY 06. Nike’s sales reached $15 billion and its earnings per share were up 18%. Over the past 5 years, Nike’s earnings per share on compounded rate were up 20%, gross margins averaged 42% and in the past year, Nike delivered 44% margins in a period of rising costs. The current managers are maximizing shareholder’s wealth but in the footwear industry, Nike’s performance still falls. The footwear industry averaged about 14. 25%, while Nike’s growth in stock was 10. 48%. If the increase in value of shares is a benchmark of performance for managers, Nike’s performance is unimpressive. Nike has a Price to Book (MRQ) ratio of 3. 97, while the industry Nike competes in has a ratio of 3. 96. S;P 500 has a Price to Book (MRQ) ratio of 3. 90. Nike has a Price to Tangible Book (MRQ) ratio of 4. 26, while the industry has a ratio of 4. 44, and the S;P 500 has a ratio of 7. 22. The Nike brand itself is the biggest strength of Nike. Its other strengths include international operations where it is expanding aggressively, innovation of new products and ability to connect with its consumers. People’s perception of Nike as an exploiter of workers in developing nations, might cause considerable damage to its brand, and the poor performance of its stock relative to its industry is also one of its weaknesses. Nike’s managers must maximize shareholders wealth, which is not at its optimum level. As a world-renowned multi-national corporation, Nike has a presence in almost every nation. Nike itself started by importing athletic shoes from a Japanese company called Onitsuka Tiger Company. Nike earns more revenues from its international operations than its domestic market. Nike earned about $6. 5 billion FY 2005 from its international operations, compared to $5. 1 billion from its domestic market. International operations appear to be a key driver of Nike’s growth. Nike’s international operations are divided into 3 different regions. The EMEA region oversees operations in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The Asia Pacific Region oversees operations in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. The Americas region oversees operations in South America, and North America (excluding United States). Europe, Middle East, ; Africa (EMEA) is headquartered in Hilversum, Netherlands. In terms of revenue, the EMEA is Nike’s second largest region. EMEA region contributed about $4. 3 billion in revenues for Nike. Of these, footwear revenues contributed $2. 5 billion, apparel revenues contributed $1. 5 billion and equipment revenues contributed $284.million. FY’05, 31% of Nike brand revenue was generated by sales in the EMEA region. This region is also the third largest in terms of manufacturing. EMEA region employs about 6,000 Nike employees, and has about 104 contract factories. These factories in addition, employ 29,242 workers. The Asia Pacific region is Nike’s third largest in terms of rev enue, and the largest in terms of manufacturing. Nike has 13 branch offices and subsidiaries in the Asia Pacific region. China has become both a source country and a vital market for Nike. Asia Pacific region has 3,282 Nike employees approximately. The region also has 252 contract factories located in North Asia, and 238 contract factories located in South Asia. Combined, these factories employ 550,821 workers. Nike’s revenues for year 2004 from its Asian operations were about $1. 6 billion. Of these revenues, approximately $855 million were from footwear sales, $612 million from apparel sales and $146 million from equipment sales. The Americas region is the smallest in terms of revenue 2nd largest in regards to manufacturing. The first Nike shoe ever contracted out was done in Mexico in 1971. For year 2003, the region provided Nike with revenues of $624 million. Of these revenues $412 million were from footwear sales, $166 million from apparel sales and $47 million from equipment sales. This region has approximately 1076 Nike employees and additional 44,568 workers working in 137 total contract factories. Nike has branch offices and subsidiaries in five countries. Some of the challenges that Nike has faced and still faces are in regards to its manufacturing facilities and violation of labor laws. Nike has been accused on numerous occasions of employing children in its factories or exploiting workers in developing countries. In response to these allegations, Nike implemented strict standards for manufacturing facilities, including minimum age, air quality, mandatory education programs, expansion of micro-loan programs, factory monitoring, and enhanced transparency of Nike’s corporate responsibility practices. In order to better its image, Nike even ceased orders from Pakistan in November 20, 2006 as the soccer-ball manufacturer there failed to correct labor-compliance violations. Examination of Nike’s debt ratios reveals that the company has less debt in proportion to its assets. In 2002, Nike had a debt ratio of . 404 with total assets being worth about $6. 44 billion, and total debt of $2. 60 billion. In 2003, Nike’s debt ratio increased to . 415, its total assets increased by $378. 1 million, and its total debt increased by $226. 4 million. Debt ratio fell to . 394 in 2004, and fell further in 2005 to . 358. In the year 2006, Nike’s debt ratio increased to . 363, and had total assets of $9. 87 billion and total debt of $3. 58 billion. Examination of Nike’s interest coverage ratio reveals that the firm can sufficiently pay outstanding debt. If one were to take only Nike’s interest coverage ratios into account, it can be said that Nike generates sufficient revenue to satisfy interest expenses. In the year 2002, Nike had an interest coverage ratio of 22. 43. This further increased to 29. 04 the following year with EBIT amounting $1. 25 billion and interest expense amounting to $42. 9 million. In the year 2004, interest coverage ratio increased phenomenally to 59, with EBIT being $1. 48 billion and interest expense being $25 million. Finally for the year 2005, the interest coverage ratio was 388. 485 with EBIT being $1. 86 billion and interest expense being $4.million. Nike has a 5-year average leverage ratio of 1. 5, the industry leverage ratio is about 1. 5, and S;P 500 Index has a leverage of 4. 9. The firm’s leverage shows that Nike is using long-term debt, and it is measurable and appropriate. The operating characteristics include volume of sales in tune of $13,739. 7 million FY 2005, $12,739. 7 million sales in 2004, $10,697. 0 million sales in 2003, 9893. 0 million sales in 2002, and 9488. 8 million sales in 2001. These financial conditions indicate that Nike, Inc. percentages are not high and provide protection for the stockholders. Nike’s bond ratings by Moody for Senior Unsecured loan has a rating of A2, an Aa3 rating for Credit Default Swap, Aaa for Equity-Implied, and an A2 rating for Bond-implied. Nike pays dividends to its shareholders every quarter. In the past 5 years, Nike’s dividends ranged from $. 12 a share in March of 2002 to $. 37 a share in December of 2006. Nike’s dividend rate is much higher than both the industry average, and the S;P 500 Index. For the last 12 months, the dividend rate paid by Nike was 1. 48; while the industry average was . 32, and the S;P index dividend rate was . 74. Nike’s annual dividend yield is about 1. 0%, while the payout ratio is 24%. K-Swiss, one of Nike’s competitors has an annual dividend rate of . 20, annual dividend yield of . 60% and a payout ratio of 9%. Skechers USA, another competitor, paid no dividends. The dividend yield of S;P 500 was 2. 06%, while the dividend yield in the footwear industry was 1. 44%. The payout ratio f or the footwear industry was 20. 37%, and the S;P payout ratio was 28. 23%. Although, S;P 500 performed better than Nike in regards to dividend yield and payout ratio, one has to take into account that in footwear industry, Nike’s dividend yield and payout ratio were considerably higher than its competitors. In regards to its dividend policy, Nike is very attractive, and is very much â€Å"ahead of the pack†. Nike also has a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) and allows its shareholders to participate in it through its Nike Direct-SERVICE Program. Through this program, shareholders can convert their cash dividends into shares at a significant discount to the current share price. Nike has a market value of $24. 41 billion. Approximately 1. 33 million shares are traded daily on average. Over the course of 5 years, Nike’s stock price went from $56. 92 as of Jan 2, 2002 to $97. 45 as of Dec 11, 2006 – an increase of 71. 5%. The graph below illustrates Nike’s 5 Year trend. In the recent year, the firm’s shares were traded as high as $99. 30, and as low as $75. 52. The firm started with a stock price of $85. 95 in the beginning of the year and as of December 12, 2006 closed at $96. 57 – a . 90% decrease from the previous day. The stock performance trend reveals that Nike experiences a greater loss during the months of August and September, and greater gains in October thru December, which is the holiday season. The graph below shows Nike’s stock performance trend in the recent year. The chart below shows growth in Footwear Industry in comparison to S&P 500 index. In conclusion, Nike’s future growth would primarily derive from its foreign operations. As the footwear industry in the domestic market has slowed, Nike has to expand aggressively in foreign markets. Nike pays more dividends in comparison to its competitors; the firm should reinvest that money in aggressive expansion in foreign markets rather than giving back the shareholders the profit. Nike’s returns are also significantly less than the S&P 500 index and within its own industry.

Ministering to Mormons

Reflecting on I Love Mormons: A New Way to Share Christ with Latter-day Saints Most people associate the Mormon faith with the church that is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, Mormonism has its roots in New York State, where Joseph Smith founded the Church of Latter-Day Saints during the nineteenth century, when he was allegedly visited by an angel that he called â€Å"Moroni.† The principles upon which he based this church underwent many changes as the founders of the faith traveled westward, so many that people might question whether it is the same faith or not.   It is not unusual, however, for a young faith to undergo many changes: it can be argued that Christianity experienced many of the same dynamics in it beginnings as it moved from its country and culture of origin and spread across the world.   David Rowe’s text suggest that individuals who would preach Christianity to Mormons should approach Mormonism as less of a cult and more of a culture and will less zeal than love, Section 1: Overview of Mormon Theology According to its founders, the Mormon faith is based on the teachings of the descendents of ancient holy men and the faithful who came to this continent even before the birth of Christ.   The original teachings of the church were supposed to have been translated from golden plates that the angel Moroni, which were given to Joseph Smith. Some of those early teachings have fallen into disuse or have changed completely. For example, while Smith might have included polygamy and believed in a priesthood open to only a chosen few, polygamy is now discouraged, if not openly condemned by the church and the priesthood has been open to men of all races (Rowe 2005).   Other tenets have been added or subtracted from the faith or have altered in some way as the Mormon faith seeks to solidify itself. While the Mormons consider themselves to be a Christian faith, a number of beliefs and practices set them apart from other Christian denominations.   Some of these beliefs and practices include: Baptism of the dead Eternal marriage, known as a â€Å"celestial marriage† performed in the temple The belief in four sacred texts: the Holy Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and The Book of Mormon, and Teaching that God, the Father and Jesus Christ, the son, are of separate earthly bodies (Rowe, 2005). The Mormon Church also places a lot of emphasis on the family and on gender roles.   The church emphasizes the woman’s role in staying home and caring for the children, while men typically take on leadership roles–although these things are not absolute.   In addition, church members are intended to follow the law of chastity and to abstain from certain food, drinks, and substances. Church members are expected to proselytize.   All male members of the church are expected to perform a mission, which begins at 19 years of age and lasts two years.   Although women are not forbidden from going on missions, the requirements for women are different in terms of serving during a mission.   Finally, the LDS Church tends to believe that the individual can receive revelations from God, particularly in personal matters.   There are many precepts of this complex faith that are not covered by this paper; however, the ones that are listed represent some of their more important beliefs. The Mormon faith does not have a single, monolithic form.   Rather, it is comprised of splinter groups.   Given the statement   in Rowe (2005) that Mormonism â€Å"may stand as an indictment to Protestants because they arose to compensate for some perceived failure in the Christian movement† that encouraged him to start â€Å"a single ‘true Church’ that he believed would unify all members and spell an end to denominational schism,† this fact is interesting and interesting one (pp. 18-19). In general, the term â€Å"Mormon† is most accurately applied to the individuals who followed Smith’s teachings and settled in Utah; however, the church elders prefer that it be known by the more accurate name of â€Å"Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints† (Rowe, 2005). Section 2: â€Å"Wisely and Gently† Kraft (1998) reminds the reader that God apparently wants people to be respectful of other cultures and that He gave such directions through the Holy Bible.   In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, Kraft states, God’s purpose is indicated through Paul’s words about living like a Jew when among the Jews and living like a Gentile when among the Gentiles, and so being â€Å"all things to all men, that [he might] save some of them by whatever means are possible† (p. 384). Kraft discusses the various levels of culture, which is the manner in which people live their lives.   People are products of their culture, which determines the manner in which they view the world and the pressure for the individual to conform within that worldview is strong (Kraft, 1998).   In addition, Kraft reminds the reader that Jesus worked not by attacking people or their cultures, but by working with people within their cultures to effect change. Overall, Mormonism has a number of good principles behind it and yet its worshipers have been widely persecuted for their faith.  Ã‚   Today’s Mormons tend to be â€Å"thin-skinned, hypersensitive, and virtually expecting to be attacked† for their beliefs (Rowe, 2005, p. 49).   Whether or not the individual talking with a Mormon agrees with the positions of that person’s faith, Rowe states that they are deserving of respect. This position is particularly important, since Mormons typically have a certainty in the truth as preached by their prophet and the awareness of their nature as what Rowe (2005) calls â€Å"an exodus community† (pp. 48-49), both of which cause them to close the doors to communication more readily than individuals in other faiths.   Despite the apparent wisdom behind this statement of affairs, however, it appears to contradict the author’s assertion that Utah’s admittance to the Union ended the â€Å"us against them† mentality that existed between Mormons and the United States government at the time (p. 47). Section 3: Proselytizing Rowe (2005) constantly reminds the reader that the Mormons have their own culture.   For this reason, Christians are to treat them as they might adherents to Islamic, Hindu, or Buddhist cultures, as well as any other non-Christian cultures.   Rowe (2005) describes the Mormon Church as being â€Å"Christianesque† in that it is â€Å"linked to statements and images from the Bible† (p. 42).   However, some of the teachings are not Christian in nature, such as Joseph Smith’s vision of separate beings for God the Father and Jesus Christ. Because this teaching is so different from that held by other Christians, it is important to be prepared with gentle teachings about its error, as well as other errors held by the Mormon Church.   It is doubly important because the worldview of Mormonism is compulsive in its teachings, just as is the case in many Muslim cultures (Duin, 2006, p. 2).   Because it is not possible for Mormons to examine their faith for themselves, other Christians should be able to help them do so. According to Coleman (1993) Jesus was able to start with a small group of disciples because â€Å"it did not matter how small the group was to start with so long as they reproduced and taught their disciples to reproduce (p. 102).   It was a strategy that, as stated earlier, depended on assimilation to achieve results.   One thing to share, then, would be that Christ died for everyone on the Cross, not just for a significant few.   He accepted and cared for all faiths and races (Coleman, 1993). Rowe (2005) suggests trying to bring the two value systems into perspectives by working with the person being instructed to put the message of the Gospel into words according to each faith and then using that as a basis for discussion (p. 65).   Final, it would seem important to understand the Mormon teaching of two Beings known as God in the Mormon Church, and how it relates to or differs from the traditional Christian teaching of monotheism.   By understanding these differences and by being able to speak in a learned and intelligent manner to another individual from a Mormon perspective. References Coleman, R. E. (1993).   The master’s plan.   Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (3rd ed.), Ralph D. Winter and Stephen C. Hawthorne (eds.).   Pasadena, CA: William Carey. Duin, J. (2003).   The Washington Times.   New World Communications, Inc. Kraft, C. H. (1998). Culture, worldview, and contextualization. Rowe, D. (2005). I Love Mormons: A New Way to Share Christ with Latter-day Saints. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

African Americans essays

African Americans essays In the period after Reconstruction the position of African Americans in southern American society steadily deteriorated. After 1877 the possibilities of advancements for African Americans disappeared almost completely. African Americans experienced a loss of voting rights and political power created by methods of terrorization such as lynching. The remaining political and economic gains that were made during reconstruction were eventually whittled away by Southern legislation. By the 1900s African Americans had almost no access to political, social, or economic power. Shortly after this Jim Crow laws began to emerge, segregating blacks and whites. This dramatic transition from African American power to powerlessness after reconstruction gave birth to two important leaders in the African American community, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Although these two remarkable men were both in search of a common goal, their roads leading to this goal were significantly differen t. This is most evident in the two most important documents of the mens careers: Booker T. Washingtons, 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech and W.E.B. DuBois response to this, The Souls of Black Folks. These two men were both dedicated to solving the difficult problems African Americans experienced in the post reconstruction south. Both DuBois and Washington wanted economic prosperity for African Americans but they differed on what would be done to achieve this. Both men focused on education as a key to the improvement of black life but they differed on the form education should take. The true difference in these mens extremely different routes to better the lives of African Americans after reconstruction was a product of their extremely different backgrounds. In this essay I will examine the documents, 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls...

Constructivist Learning and VLEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Constructivist Learning and VLEs - Essay Example As the essay stresses learning theories are the basis of instructional-design theories. Reigeluth comments that the relationship between a learning theory and an instructional theory could be equated to that of a house and its foundation. Problem-based learning (PBL), is a constructivist learning model, which is fundamentally an instructional-design theory. Reigeluth observes that a theory is considered to be an instructional theory if it â€Å"offers explicit guidance on how to better help people learn and develop.† From the report it is clear that constructivist theories are based on the assumption that students must construct their own ideas through the guidance of a teacher. Here the teacher is a mere guide and the student shoulders the responsibility of unravelling knowledge for themselves. In constructivist model of education, there is no memorising of theory and data. Students have to reach upon their conclusions and have to develop knowledge by themselves. As Miller suggests, if the learner is to acquire specific knowledge, then the instruction must employ the correct instructional strategy for promoting the acquisition of that kind of knowledge. Cognitive Constructivism propounded by Piaget believes in the supremacy of mind in learning process and considers the organization of information around concepts, problems, and the interrelationships of associated subjects and ideas.

Issus on Populr Journlism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Issus on Populr Journlism - Essay Example In rÐ µcÐ µnt timÐ µs Ð ° numbÐ µr of issuÐ µs Ð °nd notions hÐ °vÐ µ Ð °ppÐ µÃ °rÐ µd in thÐ µ fiÐ µld of journÐ °lism Ð °s its dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt hÐ °vÐ µ broÐ °dÐ µn Ð °nd gÐ °inÐ µd morÐ µ Ð °rÐ µÃ °s to discovÐ µr. OnÐ µ of such issuÐ µs rÐ µfÐ µrs to tÐ °bloidisÐ °tion which is Ð ° tÐ µrm frÐ µquÐ µntly usÐ µd in journÐ °lism Ð µnvironmÐ µnt. JournÐ °lists, mÐ µdiÐ ° critics Ð °nd Ð °cÐ °dÐ µmics Ð °pply this tÐ µrm to chÐ °rÐ °ctÐ µrizÐ µ rÐ µcÐ µnt trÐ µsnds in thÐ µ mÐ °ss mÐ µdiÐ °. Ð ° shift to nÐ µw Ð °nd morÐ µ Ð µntÐ µrtÐ °ining kinds of journÐ °listic contÐ µnt with thÐ µ dominÐ °ncÐ µ of visuÐ °l prioritiÐ µs ovÐ µr thÐ µ vÐ µrbÐ °l tÐ µstifiÐ µs thÐ µ involvÐ µmÐ µnt of tÐ °bloidisÐ °tion. ThÐ µ shift in thÐ µ kind of lÐ °nguÐ °gÐ µ usÐ µd, Ð °nd thÐ µ strÐ µss upon thÐ µ sÐ µnsÐ °tionÐ °l Ð °nd thÐ µ Ð µmotivÐ µ, Ð °nd thÐ µ incrÐ µÃ °sing dominÐ °tion of visuÐ °lly dÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µd discoursÐ µ, undÐ µrminÐ µ thÐ µ plÐ °cÐ µ of rÐ µÃ °son. Ð °t thÐ µir most Ð µxtrÐ µmÐ µ, critics of tÐ °bloidisÐ °tion sÐ µÃ µ it Ð °s onÐ µ mÐ °jor Ð µlÐ µmÐ µnt provoking Ð ° crisis of public lifÐ µ thÐ °t is Ð µroding thÐ µ bÐ °sis of dÐ µmocrÐ °cy. On thÐ µ othÐ µr hÐ °nd, thÐ µrÐ µ Ð °rÐ µ thosÐ µ who Ð °rguÐ µ thÐ °t thÐ µrÐ µ is littlÐ µ or no Ð µvidÐ µncÐ µ for growing tÐ °bloidisÐ °tion, Ð °nd thÐ °t thÐ µ trÐ °ditionÐ °l functions of thÐ µ mÐ °ss mÐ µdiÐ ° continuÐ µ to bÐ µ dischÐ °rgÐ µd Ð °t lÐ µÃ °st Ð °s wÐ µll Ð °s thÐ µy hÐ °vÐ µ bÐ µÃ µn in thÐ µ pÐ °st. OthÐ µrs wÐ µlcomÐ µ thÐ µ sprÐ µÃ °d of tÐ °bloidisÐ °tion, which thÐ µy sÐ µÃ µ Ð °s broÐ °dÐ µning Ð °nd dÐ µmocrÐ °tizing thÐ µ contÐ µnt of thÐ µ mÐ °ss mÐ µdiÐ °. ThÐ µ old wÐ °ys of thÐ µ mÐ µdiÐ ° wÐ µrÐ µ thÐ µ prÐ µsÐ µrvÐ µ of Ð °n Ð µlitÐ µ minority.

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders Essay

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders - Essay Example It can also be defined as the authoritative decree of the punishment of a convicted person (Birmingham, 2002). Under this context, criminals or people who are found guilty of committing some crime have to face the consequences of their actions and the decision making is in the hands of an authoritative power which decides the penalties for the offenders. These decisions are made on the basis of a set of rules which are operating in the area where the crime has been committed. The rules and punishments are same for everyone irrespective of their color, caste or creed, but there are some special circumstances where these rules have to be tweaked. Same is the case with the people who are not mentally fit; their sentencing differs from criminals of normal medical conditions. Mental Disorders: A disorder can be termed as functional abnormality. Mental disorders comprise of a wide range of derangements in behavioral or psychological functions. These are mainly a combination of abnormal tho ughts, emotions, and relationships with others. This psychological instability and disruption in the equilibrium of motions is often reflected in the behavior of the affected individual. The set of laws and the law enforcement agencies work in different ways all over the world; the decision and punishment of mentally disabled criminals basically depends on the local area where they have been convicted. The Effect of the Selected Sentencing Policy on All Involved Stakeholders: No matter what laws regarding mentally disordered convicts is operational in certain areas, the decisions taken and the results of the sentence always affect the stakeholders one way or the other. Stakeholders: A stakeholder can be an individual or a group of people as well. A stakeholder is a party that is affected by or can affect the actions of the project at hand. In law enforcement, the stakeholders can be: Judiciary Probation and parole services Social service organizations Mental hospitals and treatment facilities Community etc. Even though according to The Task Force, created by the American Bar Association a person should not be sentenced to death or executed if at the time of the offense he/she was suffering from a mental disorder or was mentally challenged in a such a serious way that reflects in his/her behavioral and social adaptive skills. Even after these rules have been set, they are not applicable to all circumstances and some counties and their legal systems do not implement upon them. Furthermore the second rule of The Task Force states that offenders should not be executed or sentenced to death of at the time of the offense they had no awareness of the nature of the crime and the consequences associated with it. If they are mentally impaired and cannot exercise rational judgment or do not have any idea about the lawful actions that might be taken as a result of the crime, then in all these cases the guilty person should not be executed or sentenced to death as s/he is mentally challenged (Tabak, 2006). Criminals with mental disorders are released after a small period of incarceration. The period of incarceration depends upon the severity of the mental disorder and the nature of the crime. After that period, such people are often shifted to community centers, mental hospitals, or other treatment facilit

The Main Advantages of Sales Force Automation Essay

The Main Advantages of Sales Force Automation - Essay Example Salesforce automation is a component of CRM that is implemented to execute, drive, and track sales initiatives. SFA systems organize sales teams by providing the tools to properly manage leads, accounts, opportunities, and marketing campaigns. (Sales Team Automation) Â  The contemporary age is the era of industrialization and technological advancement. The quick and accurate flow of information regulates the corporate companies within the business environment. All the great organizations are applying latest methods of communication and marketing while making and developing their strategies. Bill Gates, the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, declares fast flow of information and application of technology to be in leading position. The most meaningful way to differentiate your company from your competitor, the best way to put distance between you and the crowd, is to do an outstanding job with information. How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose. (Gates: 1999 p 1). The managers of sales force apply sales marketing systems, i.e. the information management systems highly supportive in the mechanization of sales force administration; sales force automation is a part of it. Simply put the term refers to the s ystem that could maintain and keep the record of the complete sales process automatically. SFA includes a contact management system which tracks all contact that has been made with a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required.

The goals needed in planned change

The goals needed in planned change There are many goals of a planned change. Basically the goals are aimed to improve the ability of the organisation to adjust to changes happening in the environment. Change in employees behavior is expected and these changes to lead to improvement in organizational effectiveness and efficiency. In this assignment we will discuss a case study on the strategic change management in the AEGON Company. As we have discussed in the training presentation the different aspects and reasons of strategic change management and the process of strategic change management involves developing an innovative vision for where the company needs to be, and then developing an equally innovative path for achieving the goal. This can only be done through the combined effort of all the company, its employees and the stakeholders. The discussion of this case reflects the following points: Develop systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change and develop a change management strategy with stakeholders. Evaluation of the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change. Explanation of what systems and processes would need to be/have been developed to ensure involvement of the stakeholders in the change. Strategy creation for managing resistance to change Review of the effectiveness of management actions to overcome any identified instances of resistance Discussion of the most important features in the successful implementation of organizational change, drawing upon at least two organizational models Plan to implement a model for change and develop appropriate measures to monitor progress. With the changing prospects of customers, organizations persistently require to adapt to stay competitive. Managers might look for situations which are common to them when experience pressures for change. It involves civilizing the traditions in which they function, gradually. This is incremental change. But improving gradually may not be adequate. The need is to adjust to all of the main changes in the surroundings. Lack of it results in strategic drift. When a company undergoes strategic drift, it does not make tough and major decisions to deal effectively with all of the changes in its business environment. Managers within the organization have to accept the change completely to let alone strategic drift. It results in a responsive organisation. (AEGON-Embracing and pursuing change, n.d.) AEGON Group is one of the worlds largest life insurance and pensions companies. AEGON owns pensions, life insurance, asset management and adviser businesses in the UK. The AEGON Group has 27,000 employees and over 25 million customers worldwide. Its major markets are in the USA and Netherlands. Since 1994, the UK has become another major and increasingly important market. In 1994 AEGON bought a large stake in Scottish Equitable. Scottish Equitable was a strong brand with a heritage that went back to the 1830s. Since then AEGONs UK business has grown both organically and by acquiring other businesses. As most of the acquired companies kept their existing identities, awareness of AEGON in the UK remained relatively low. AEGON realized that such low levels of awareness could impact on its ability to achieve its ambitions. Therefore, it needed to combine the global strength of its parent with the experience and reputation of the domestic company brands, like Scottish Equitable, that made up AEGON in the UK. (AEGON-Embracing and pursuing change, n.d.) In this assignment well discuss the success that accepting and practicing change has brought to AEGON in the UK. This change is helping AEGON move towards its goal of becoming the best long-term savings and protection business within the UK. Kurt Lewins change model In early 1950s Kurt Lewin a psychologist developed a model of change management. He described the freeze model of change which suggests that change involves a shift from one still condition by means of a state of activity to a different still condition. This involves a three-stage process of managing change: unfreezing, changing and re-freezing. Source: http://www.strategies-for-managing-change.com/kurt-lewin.html Stage 1: Unfreezing This stage implies getting prepared to change. It involves getting to a point of consideration that change is compulsory and getting ready to alter from our current comfort zone. (Kurt Lewin change management model, n.d.). Stage 2: Change or Transition The second stage of transition is known as change. Transition is the internal faction or voyage we make in response to a change. This occurs as we accept and make the changes that are required. (Kurt Lewin change management model, n.d.). Stage 3: Freezing (or Refreezing) The third stage is freezing, while many people refer to it as refreezing. As the name suggests this stage is about instituting stability when the changes have been made. The changes are acknowledged and turn into norms. People form new contacts and become contented with their routines. This will surely take some time. (Kurt Lewin change management model, n.d.). The 8 steps of John Kotters change model Each stage of Kotters change model acknowledges a key principle identified by him linking to peoples response and approach to change, and in which people see, feel and then change. For change to occur, it helps if an adequate number of people within an organisation want it. By developing a sense of urgency around the need for change it helps management to start the initial inspiration to get things moving. (John Kotters guiding principles for leading change, n.d.). Source: http://www.strategies-for-managing-change.com/john-kotter.html According to John Kotter the major challenge in front of leadership in a change process is just getting people to change their behavior. People modify their behavior when they are motivated to do so, and that can be done when you speak to their feelings. (John Kotters guiding principles for leading change, n.d.). AEGON UK had the following driving forces for organizational change. Financial restructuring in the United Kingdom. Growth in population and changes in demographic attributes. Cultural diversification in the UK. Changes in social dimensions of the United Kingdom. Evolution of political orientation and policies. Increase in the domestic purchasing power. Institutional and policies neglect regarding the financial products. High competitiveness and consequent challenges. Deficient Management practices. Inefficiency in processes The most suitable change model fitting to AEGON UK will probably be Kotters Eight Step Change Model. As it fully prepares the employees of the company before even the vision is created that will eventually helps in the change in the long run. There are some disadvantages as well to this model. This model is mostly suitable for the companies because of its simplicity and applicablity as considerable change is required for the divisions. This will also facilitate in the transition because the division has a long history comparable to rest of the company and people are not as set in the ways, as they would be if the division had been around longer. (Strategic change management, n.d.). AEGON UK strategic planning implies planning for the long-term. The time frame associated with this type of planning is from three to five years into the future. Due to this timeframe, there are several challenges associated with long-range planning. These include: creating a plan that is breakthrough in its orientation rather  than more of the same, getting all stakeholders to commit to the organizations strategies   and   to   follow   through   on   implementation   of   critical   activities,   and decreasing cycle time in the planning process. This sort of orientation necessitates approaches to strategic planning that involve all employees and stakeholders in the planning process and a planning process that can occur within a shortened time frame. The researcher will prefer to adopt Large Group Interventions Technique to address the proposed change in the chosen organization AEGON. (Strategic change management, n.d.). In   case   of   the   AEGON   UK   there   were   many   deriving   forces   that caused   the background   of change   in AEGON   UK. AEGON   UK   was although was bearing international repute but still it didnt had band awareness   by   the   name   of   AEGON   in   the   United   Kingdom.   The philosophy of the financial services products that were being sold by AEGON UK or its competitors were quite difficult to understand by the potential customers. Life expectancy in the United Kingdom has increased in the recent years so people can expect to be retired for  longer age and similarly many individual never think it worthy to plan about their retirement properly, on the other hand there was a derive from the government to reduce dependency on the state in old age so there was a need to make a social awareness among the people for the benefits of having the financial products sold by the AEGON UK to secure   their   fut ure   because   benefit   of   these   investments   usually realized in later years. AEGON was not well recognized in the areas other than pensions. Above stated reasons are the few of those that lead management to introduce change in the corporate structure and strategy of the AEGON UK Limited. (Strategic change management, n.d.). People who are directly affected by the decisions of an organization are the stake holders.   Stake holder may be internal (management, employees etc.) and they may be external (government, suppliers, banks, media, shareholders etc). Every stake holder has different expectations from the organization.   In the process of change, stakeholders can be involved in a number of ways like: Involve them in problem solving. Keep them up to date of standing towards corporate objectives Take actions on feedback received by them Mobilize the correct resources at the right moment to recognize the implementation plan (Strategic change management, n.d.). Involvement of stake holders to the process of change was done by the new chief executive officer of AEGON who carried out the following actions; Simplification of Financial Services The Chief Executive Officer of  AEGON adopted a customer focused approach. The CEO simplified the complex financial services in terms of their understanding and it was now made very simple to understand. The clients which know   that   what   they   are   investing   into   and   what   investment they get back   at   the   end   of   the   contract.   To date back customers have always been disturbed doing complex calculations. Now the customers are happy because they dont need any financial interpreter to understand the ins and outs of the products offered by the AEGON. (Strategic change management, n.d.). Workforce Development The most important stake holder of the organization is the employees. These are the people who are practically liable make the change process successful. New CEO took  the employees in confidence and told them about the fact that what AEGON stands today and what AEGON wants to stand in the future. He explained the factors behind this change. The CEO introduced job rotation which involves prospects from one job to the other job.   Hence it provided individual employees with a career path. CEO also arranged a Management Development Program in collaboration with a leading management college for  the training of the workforce. (Strategic change management, n.d.). Creating Distinct Market Place     To let revisit the brand identity of  AEGON into the minds of the people, the CEO carried out an external promotional campaign to highlight the relationship between the locally famous Scottish Equitable and AEGON. The CEO spoke to the media stating the reasons for the change and how the change will be beneficial for the stakeholders. (Strategic change management, n.d.). As we know that the stakeholders are critical to the success of initiating change in the organization. Stakeholder Management Strategy is an important discipline that successful people use to win support from others. Stakeholder Analysis is the technique used to identify the key people who have to be won over. Stakeholder Planning is done to build the support that helps organization to succeed. (Strategic change management, n.d.). The benefits of using a stakeholder-based approach The   opinions   of   the   most   strong   stakeholders   to   shape   change implementation at an early stage. They will support the company as well as their input can also improve the quality of the project Getting support from strong stakeholders can help you to win more resources There are more chance to achieve strategic goals successfully. By communicating with stakeholders early, you can ensure that they fully understand what you are doing and understand the benefits of your  aim. By this they will throughout support you actively. By anticipating what peoples reaction to your project may be, and build into your plan the actions that will win peoples support. (Strategic change management, n.d.). Strategy for managing  resistance to change in the organization Following strategies can be implemented for managing resistance to change in the AEGON. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There will be a workflow process in order to achieve results for mutual benefits for employees and organization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There will be an Authority Process in order to direct behavior in the interests of the organization and its participants. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There would be a Reward and Penalty Process to induce people to behave in away required by the interests of the organization and its participants and / or to behave in a way making associated activity possible. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There will be a Perpetuation Process to maintain, replenish, and make adequate the quantity and quality of social and natural resources utilized by the organization and its participants. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There must be an Identification Process to develop a concept of the wholeness, uniqueness and significance of the organization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There will be a communication process to provide for the exchange of  information, ideas, feelings and values etc utilized in all activities to the stakeholders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There must be an evaluation process which establishes criteria for and defines levels of utility and value for people, materials, ideas, and activities and which rates them and allocates them to these levels. (Strategic change management, n.d.). Model for implementing  change in the organization Model for change implies towards the overall strategy to incorporate change into the organizational culture. Model of  change is usually implemented into the following steps; Access the necessity of change Forming a powerful alliance Creating an idea for change Communicate the vision Remove barriers Incorporate the change into organization. (Strategic change management, n.d.). The CEO of AEGON implemented  the same model  to inculcate change into the organization. The CEO realized the need for change and he came to the conclusion that the company is not doing well comparable to its competitors. The legislative restriction of price decreased the profitability Lack of brand awareness getting worst And difficulty of the  customers  understanding  the   aim  of  the  services offered by AEGON The above mentioned were the factors that required an immediate change into the organization at a large scale. The CEO conducted a SWOT analysis of the company and decided to develop a new behavioral framework for the staff which was known as 8 behaviors framework and also arranged managerial training for the workforce. He further addressed the stakeholders of the organization to communicate his vision to them by simplifying the financial services, developing a workforce and arranging a brand awareness campaign. (Strategic change management, n.d.). The CEO also communicated to the media about this change process and the reasons for change.   Hence   model   implemented   by   the   CEO   of  AEGON   UK   brought   about evident positive   change   to   the organization and gave it a new line of direction towards the desired goals and objectives. (Strategic change management, n.d.). Implementation of the model in  the organization, expected improvements and appropriate measures to monitor progress The plan for the change was implemented into the different stages like discovery phase to analyze where the AEGON is right now, where it wants to be and what actions are required to meet the objectives set by the head to become the best long term saving and   protection   business   into   the   UK. First phase revealed the reasons for changes and weaknesses and strengths of the organization. After the discovery phase the next step was to involve the appropriate stake holders into the process of change. The head of the AEGON involved various stakeholders in different effective manner as mentioned earlier.   The CEO further redeveloped the organizational behavioral framework and arranged the training of the staff members. (Strategic change management, n.d.). The   outcomes   of   the   efforts   made   by   the   CEO   were   extremely cheering and rewarding for the company. Before the change there was confusion among the people about the recognition of AEGON but after   the   strong   promotion   of   the   brand   AEGON   with   Scottish-Equitable created a more reliable image of the AEGON into the minds of the people. Moreover the brand carried a new more powerful and prestigious look as AEGON Scottish-Equitable. (Strategic change management, n.d.). The behavior of  the employees altered altogether. They behave with more customer oriented  approach.   Now   the   employees   are   concerned   to   provide   beneficial   services   to existing   and   prospective customers and the organization is always doing its level best to do what is really important to their customers.  (Strategic change management, n.d.). AEGON providing the levels of return guaranteed and being liable for any risks associated with doing so it reflects more probability about levels of income for the clients. As a result of the change applied by the CEO of AEGON, the company reconstructed its brand reputation, became more customer  oriented, started to provide more innovative services and became more popular amongst the consumers and finally the business has grown to a huge extent. The CEO planned to develop a new organizational behavior framework  to align the brand values of AEGON. (Strategic change management, n.d.). To entrench this culture, AEGON developed a behavior structure to maintain its brand values. It was intended to persuade how people at all ranks within the organisation might work and make decisions. These behaviors highlight the values of the organisation. They have assisted to build AEGONs culture and have also impacted its performance. AEGON also introduced a Management Development Program, supported by a top Management College. The eight behaviors are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Think customer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Embrace change à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Encourage excellence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Act with integrity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Decisive action à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work together à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learn and grow à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relate and communicate. (AEGON-Embracing and pursuing change, n.d.) Conclusion There is nothing permanent except change. It is continuous. The process of change is an expedition. Business organizations will always be influenced by external factors. AEGON responded to these factors by simplifying, clarifying and strengthening its brand in the UK. As organizations change, their patterns of behavior and business culture flourish. For AEGON, this is a cycle in which the business uses its knowledge to learn from its experiences. This has assisted AEGON as an organisation to move positively towards achieving its full potential and to stay competitive in a progressively difficult market. (AEGON-Embracing and pursuing change, n.d.) AEGON recognized a need to give itself a greater market presence. The change has made the organisation much more customer focused. As a result it is more effective.