The ARES Decision

The Area's project idea aroused with the purpose to solve BAN current problems. These problems included a significant amount of resource waste and lack of coordination among departments. For instance, dispatchers who were responsible for 20-30 trains in their assigned territory most of the times were able to only focus on 5-7 trains, treating the rest of the trains with less attention. In addition, dispatchers were on their own and there was no cooperation among them since they could only see information about their territory and not others.For dispatchers, there was no way to see the whole stricture of the current situation, so poor decisions about scheduled maintenance-of-way (MOW) crews were being made. Communications with trains and MOW vehicles was poor, current information about railroad operations were difficult to obtain and sometimes the information was erroneous. Certainly, ARES will improve operations in BAN but the top management specifically the CEO of BAN and top manage ment is not completely convinced to carry out the project. ARES is a very large and costly project and they need to be sure that the benefits are realistic.Moreover, they want to make sure that BAN will obtain a return after investing $350 lions on the project and also there is the question on whether the investment could turn out to be more. Another issue is related with the organizational structure according with the chief operating officer the new technology alone will not benefit the company but the restructuring of the entire company and many operations as well (Cash, p. 25). For all those reasons they want to consider other cheaper alternatives before making this important decision.Industry Competitive Analysis -? Porters Five forces Treat of new Entrants: Given that the railroad industry requires a heavy initial investment the treat of new entrants is low. However, effects of deregulation on both the trucking and railroad industries were changing the competitive environment i n transportation (Cash, p. 62). Trucking companies needed a lower initial investment to enter and they Were gaining advantage Over railroad companies since they were providing door-to-door delivery service which was being preferred by customers in order to meet the just-in-time production.Treat of Substitutes products: For BAN its largest source of revenue was coal (Cash, p. 62), and its major competitor was the Union Pacific UP), which was another railroad company that had recently invested in a new technology. Heehaw commodities like coal and grain would normally be transported by train which put BAN in a position where it was difficult for customer to switch but when it comes to transport light products trucks were moving ahead by providing faster service that customers were willing to pay.Bargaining power of Buyers: The railroad industry had a few companies providing the service to the customers, but it was facing two major challenges which were better service and capital intens ity (Cash, p. 68). This was making the trucking industry stronger since customers were looking for a faster service and they were able to provide it. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Farmers and other big corporations were Ban's suppliers. For suppliers providing light products like agricultural and food products they had the alternative to switch to the trucking companies, but for the ones providing yeah. Products like coal and automotive products they didn't have to much bargaining power since railroad companies were the best way for transporting these. Industry Rivalry: The number one competitor is the Union Pacific (LCP) and they were also investing to be more efficient (Cash, p. 4). Certainly, the trucking industry was becoming a strong competitor for BAN as well, since the costs in the trucking industry were going down due to the effects of deregulation and they were providing more flexibility for customers.Generic Strategy BAN currently is following the cost leadership strategy by using economies of scale to transport high volumes of commodities to its customers. Coal was the number one source of revenue and BAN had long term contract customers (Cash, p. 4). The second largest source of revenue was agricultural modesties and BAN was expecting to grow in this segment given recent changes in economic policies in Eastern Europe.To satisfy the expected increase in demand for this type of products BAN will need to become even more efficient to keep its cost leadership strategy, maintain its current customers and gain potential new customers in the future. Organizational Structure Burlington Northern is structured in a functional form, where similar knowledge, tasks and skills are being grouped together. This is because the functional form promotes economies of scale (Cash, p. 35). For instance chapters are in charge of controlled the trains and each of them were assigned to a region and they Were only responsible for that region.They also schedule maintenance with the MOW crews. Other operations were divided by function as well, such as control systems and communications, maintenance, and freight car management and each of these departments were reporting to the operations manager assigned to that department. The idea behind this form is to create a rational system to operate in as efficient as possible (Morgan, p. 22). However, the question was whether after implementing ARES this form would still be suitable; the new system might suggest an organizational structural change.Stakeholders Top management: This group has the responsibility of keeping the company running, which means that the BAN must continue making profit in order to maximize the company's value. F-or this reason they have to make sure that an investment of this magnitude is justifiable and that in the long run will provide the identified benefits. Employees: This group will be affected directly by the ARES project, the whole business process is going to change and they il l have to adapt to the new system.The advantage is that this new system promise to be more efficient and safe which can make their jobs easier but on the other hand some people might lose their job or since ARES is supposed to automate a lot of processes currently being made by them. Customers: ARES is going to improve the scheduling of trains which ultimately will provide a faster and more reliable service to its customers. However, in order to still be profitable after ARES implementation, BAN might increase the price for the service and customers which will affect customers.Solutions: One solution for BAN could be to implement the entire ARES system in a geographic region first. With this solution the top management could analyze the benefits in reality before doing a whole implementation of the system which is riskier. Another solution could be to not do any implementation for now and wait and see how other railroad companies adapt to new emerging technologies, by doing this BAN would take an adapter position which would still keep them competitive regarding technological development but with less risk.Adaptive companies use information technology at a level close to their competitors (Friedman, p. 72). But this solution affects the customers that are demanding faster delivery necessary for the recent trend of KIT manufacturing who might end up switching to trucking companies, which ultimately affects BAN because by the time they finally implement a system to improve the delivery to customers, they will have lost a lot of potential customers. The best solution and recommendation for BAN is to do a whole implementation of ARES despite its high cost.Without a question, the environment is changing and BAN must adapt and stop using old technology if they want to continue being in business. BAN is a very large company that eels with complex business processes everyday thus in order for them to survive and keep growing they should be aggressive and be the leader in the industry having the most advanced technology. ARES will automate a lot of processes in a more efficient Way minimizing human errors which ultimately will reduce labor cost by eliminating unnecessary manpower.ARES will also improve the scheduling of trains which will eradicate the meet and passes problem one of Ban's biggest challenge. Clearly, the poor utilization of Ban's assets (bad scheduling and waste of resources) is creating bottlenecks which s preventing them from making more profit and meet the market demand. One important message revealed in the book ‘The Goal† is that companies should balance the flow with the demand from the market (Goldwater, p. 139). The demand is growing national and is expected to grow more even in the international arena in the future.ARES will optimize the whole system of BAN which in the long run will generate high revenues because they will be able to meet the market demand. However, the implementation Of ARES will affect the e ntire company and operations and many organization changes will be required. Companies in order to survive must embrace change and successful adaptation of organization to environment depends on the ability of top management to interpret conditions facing the firm in an appropriate manner to adapt relevant course of action. Morgan, p. 47). In order to take advantage of all ARES features and benefits BAN they should also switch to use a matrix organizational structure. The fully developed matrix is team driven, in that priority is given to business, program, product, or project areas, with functional specialist providing support, where the focus is on end product or revere encouraging a flexible, innovative, and adaptive behavior (Morgan, p. 51 Matrix organizational structure is the best choice for a growing and complex company like BAN.

Conflict and Reconciliation Essay

A state primarily consists of three vital things, without which a state would no longer be called a state. These three things namely – people, territory and government. The three of them are dependent and interdependent on each other. It is difficult to have them separated and be considered as the sole cause of a problem. The territory is not in our hands, this is the land that we got after independence. The government is what runs the country, but, there is nothing that we, citizens can do. All we get to do is elect a representative party of the government every four years. And lastly, we have the people of the country. This is yet another vital component of a state. Without this, a state would be a deserted piece of land. (Muller, 2005) There have been instances where the so-called people of the land are not one. In fact, there have been conflicts between the people. Well, there are a lot of conflicts. But it is never the conflict that is harmful, it is never the clash of ideas that breaks the country, but the behavior of the conflict is what drives people away from being one. Once there is a rift between them, there is no going back. It is difficult to bring the people out from their then built in schemas. After a conflict which has taken out peace form one sect of the country, it is difficult to have them stop stereotyping the other one. There is a key word that I have used in the previous sentence. The word sect caught my attention as soon as I was done writing the sentence. I ask myself, is our country divided into sects? Is that what is causing the conflict? Is it the cause of the rifts that take place every day? Is it the cause of the grudges built in people? Is this what makes them stereotype others that are not in their sect? Well, after hours of pondering, I say yes. This is why we are not one. This is exactly why we can not have a civil discussion among people of different sects without having any clash of ideas. The division of sects in the country is the very reason of as to why we give the term â€Å"Many Americas† to this country. Let’s consider a couple of examples that might invoke us and might bring us to a conclusion that the division of people into sects is not the only cause of the so-called â€Å"Many Americas†. There is no doubt that we have different communities in this country. Well, every nation does, it is not like our nation is different from the rest. It is just that we do not have to over look the priorities and the benefits of the sects that are small in number. It is human nature to consider the things that are obvious and are right in front of us. Although it is not right not to consider the sects that are in minority. Lets take an example of the people contemporarily living in the country. We have a lot of Indians present, some are working, some are studying and some are living as illegal immigrants. In fact a lot of them are living as illegal immigrants. Definitely, the clash of ideas and compromise has to be there. Without compromise, the clash of ideas between them, will grow and will soon develop into huge unsolved rifts. This is just one trivial example. Just to mention that I am not considering the illegal immigrants, who are staying in the country because they want to and not because they can stay? Their story is pretty different. If they can not be hired for any job because they do not hold a passport or a green card or hold a long expired visa – well, they are to blame. There are different cultures, different religions, different races, cultures, beliefs, doctrines, creed, color. There is so much that has been separating us. This is what people usually say. I do not second their notion. It is highly incorrect for them to say that if some one is in the minority, they do not belong to this nation. If some one has a different skin color than me, they are just different. Well, I say such people are nothing but shallow. There is not much that we can do to make them turn around and understand that although there are people of different doctrines living in the same piece of land as us, but they are still Americans, they are still a part of us. Just telling them that they are wrong is not going to change any thing. The schemas that people develop and stick to the fore front of the minds of the people, do not just develop in a day. It takes a lot of years to develop them and it takes just seconds to make them even worst. By this I mean that it is difficult to drive the schemas out, however, it is not difficult to build upon them. It is easier said than done. Many Americas is not many, its just one. It’s a matter of perception. Let’s take a trivial yet crucial example of the positive instances never being counted or accounted for. I was with my friends at the beach. The Indians at school are known for stealing trinkets from the kids at school. My friend’s watch got stolen from our spot. We were all worried and the first thing that she did was point â€Å"I† for stealing it. Lets take â€Å"I† as the Indian girl who was blamed. Just because she was around our spot at the beach does not necessarily mean that she stole it. Well, she was embarrassed and humiliated in front of all the kids there. It was a school trip so all the kids from school were there. Her entire bag was toppled; all the things inside it were forcibly thrown out of it. I tried to stop my friend but, she would just not let it go; it was an expensive watch. Well, at the end we found out that some one’s dog took it. But the point of the entire story is that she did not do it. Even after the incident, they all still blamed the Indians for taking away things ever time something got lost. It is not a matter to be proud of. We are all one. We are all one nation. It is ok to share the same piece of land with some one who is a little different from us. Although this was just one example, there are many others that I will be mentioning about in the final paper. The entire point of this rough draft is that no matter how different one may be, we are all living and sharing the same piece of land. The belief that this is my land more that it is yours just because there are more people like me on this land than you; this idea is to be driven out of our heads as soon as we can before matters worsen. There is not much that we can do to make them forget the existing schemas and understand that although there are people of different doctrines and beliefs, living in the same piece of land we are, but they are still Americans, just like us and they are still a part of us. We all together make this nation. It is not just one sect or two, it is many Americas that make this beautiful, peaceful country, our country. And just telling those people that they are wrong is not going to change any thing. The schemas that people develop and stick to the fore front of the minds of the people, do not just develop in a day. It takes a lot of years to develop them and it takes just seconds to make them even worst. By this I mean that it is difficult to drive the schemas out, however, it is not difficult to build upon them. Hence, we are altogether one nation no matter how many creeds and sects our nation has. Reference: David J. Whittaker, Conflict and Reconciliation in the Contemporary World Gilbert H. Muller, Many Americas Reading and Writing across the Cultural Divides

Nissan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nissan - Essay Example It seemed like no one would be able to revive the company. In 1999 Renault has bought a 37% share of Nissan and announced the merger between two companies. Investing $5,4 billion in Japanese manufacturer falling quickly into the abyss was taken as more than just unwise by skeptics. Nevertheless, executives of Renault were optimistic about the deal. Carlos Ghosn was sent to head the restructuring of Nissan by Renault in June 1999. "Ghosn slashed costs and laid off employees, but also instituted a sweeping reorganization of the entire company, announced an ambitious slate of new vehicles and promised that if Nissan was not profitable in 2000, he and his entire managerial staff would quit"2. Eventually Ghosn has kept his promise and became a CEO of Nissan in 2000. Nissan had lost Japanese market share for 27 years in a row, and was operating at 50% capacity, with far too many suppliers, constant goal changes, poor accounting data regarding product line profitability (later found only 4 of 43 models were making a profit), and goals generally lacked quantitative specificity on amount (eg. "Build a quality product"), timing, or priority.3 The company was dying under the traditional Japanese management. ... innovative and motivating technique; statistical quality control as the key to productive effectiveness; a long planning horizon; and consensus decision making, as a form of participative management4. The Japanese style of management is all about quality. Due to the fact that a lot of American and European companies have successfully implemented Japanese strategies it should be noted that quality is really important when it comes to competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the mistake of Nissan was behind the belief that quality is the only important factor. This mistake was uncovered by Carlos Ghosn. Traditional Japanese management is based on the collective mentality. Individualism is valued less in Japanese companies than in European. Nissan needed drastic changes and cost reduction above all, however the Japanese mentality interdicted the implementation of extreme methods used by Ghosn. Additionally, overlapping net of distributors, which is also a typical feature of the Japanese management strategies, has played a mean joke to Nissan, forcing its distributors to compete with each other. Resuming the subsection, it can be concluded that traditional style of management was ineffective in Nissan. It was like dozens of feuding board members were not able to make an agreement. Changes made by Ghosn The impact made by Carlos Ghosn on the performance of Nissan was great. This Brazilian manager of Lebanese origin used a simple philosophy: "Be transparent and explain yourself in clear, lucid terms. Do as you say you are going to do. Listen first; then think".5 It may seem really simple, however it helped Ghosn to perform greatly in South and North American divisions of Michelin, and then in Renault and Nissan. According to Magee, he "may be the only person to have four

MSc Practical UNIX Security ''LDAP'' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MSc Practical UNIX Security ''LDAP'' - Essay Example The Light Weight Directory Access Protocol is a communication standard that provides a communication channel for the clients within a directory service. A comprehensive definition of LDAP is defined as â€Å"Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, a protocol which helps find people, computers and other resources on a network. Designed to work with existing address-book standards and improve compatibility between widely differing systems, the ldap standard was adopted by the ietf in 1997 and now forms the basis of many white-page directories on the web. It has also been incorporated directly into some software programs and operating systems, making it possible to find e-mail addresses without visiting a directory site† (Ldap. 2003). LDAP was established after X.500 protocol, which was also a directory service standard protocol. ... Active directory is â€Å"an implementation of LDAP directory services by Microsoft for use in Windows environments. Active Directory allows administrators to assign enterprise-wide policies, deploy programs to many computers, and apply critical updates to an entire organization. An Active Directory stores information and settings relating to an organization in a central, organized, accessible database. Active Directory networks can vary from a small installation with a few hundred objects, to a large installation with millions of objects† (Active Directory. 2007). Few checklists are applicable including the network connectivity testing and raising the Active directory domain functional level to Windows 2003. Moreover, for Linux / UNIX, ‘identity management module’ installation is required on the domain controller along with the configuration of NIS server. LDAP Account Management In order to manage account in the UNIX network environment, the Unix systems are con figured with Microsoft Active directory for centralized management of user accounts. Moreover, it also solidify network security by integrating role based access and Kereberized authentication. Consequently, the operational cost is minimized, for the management of UNIX accounts. Moreover, UNIX contains various features for authentication and authorization. The authentication is concerned with user authenticity and authorization is related to ensure that users have been granted to perform tasks. However, there are some issues associated with UNIX account management: Synchronization is not properly conducted Vulnerabilities related to NIS Operating on LDAP services without multiple platform support Standardized management for

The Learning Curve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Learning Curve - Essay Example As the essay starts, David Sedaris is found saying â€Å"The teaching job was offered at the last minute, when the scheduled teacher found a better paying job of delivering pizza† (Sedaris, 2009, p.83). This sentence is very funny as it creates a situation in the mind of readers that the scheduled teacher was just about to make his way to school but then he changed his path and opted to deliver pizza for more money. Thinking about a teacher (or about to be teacher) delivering pizza on a bike itself seems very funny. In the very next sentence David Sedaris is found saying that he was given two weeks to prepare and in those two weeks he did prepare by standing in front of the mirror and practicing â€Å"Hello , class, my name is Mr. Sedaris† (Sedaris, 2009, p.83). The author has used irony in this particular sentence to elucidate his situation. He was given a couple of weeks to prepare notes and practise the way he would teach instead he spent those weeks in practising ho w he would introduce himself to the class. In one part of the essay, David Sedaris writes â€Å"childbirth is one of those details that looks to slip the mind of most opera characters† (Sedaris, 2009, p.85). It was funny to read this because of the situation that was created before this sentence actually emerged in the essay. David Sedaris was describing Victoria Buchanan high-school reunion and how she passed out and ended up with a hippie. It was then the writer said the following words. This type of humour is called ‘cheesy comedy.’ Under such type of comedy a writer looks to humorously degrade someone or a group of people by making through jokes. In reality people forget that someone is being degraded because the joy of laughter is greater than the insult being made (Young, 2002, p.95). At one other portion of the essay the writer writes â€Å"Nobody dies on Wednesday – hadn’t these people learned anything?† (Sedaris, 2009, p.86). The fun ny thing about the sentence is that David Sedaris is the teacher and he is asking whether the students had or had not learned anything. His clueless state of mind together with the absurd reasoning that nobody dies on Wednesday makes him sound like a ‘slapstick’ comedian. According to Judy Carter, slapstick comedy is something that makes an actor look foolish and funny at a very serious entourage. Thus when David Sedaris says that nobody dies on Wednesday on a serious situation it makes him sound goofy and slapstick (Carter, 2001, p.60). Although it might be used as light humour, some of the text might be offending to some of the readers and could be regarded as a little controversial. When David Sedaris says that he managed to get the teaching job as the scheduled teacher failed to show up because he got a better paid pizza delivery job, he seems to degrade the teaching occupation. Teaching is regarded as a very respectable job as it is expected from the teachers to im part knowledge and groom the youth of a nation. But it does not look like David Sedaris places the same importance to it. Also he is shown as an irresponsible teacher setting the wrong kind of example to the other teachers to follow. There comes huge responsibility with this occupation and the writer clearly laid more emphasis on his semblance when he talked about rehearsing in front of the mirror. Though funny it sets the wrong message to the larger audience. The

Will special programs for reconvicts reduce recidivism Essay

Will special programs for reconvicts reduce recidivism - Essay Example The study will focus on the area covered by the Metropolitan Police force and the State of Colorado in the U. S. A. it will compare and contrast the statistics relevant to the study. The convicts who have been reconvicted and those who have not been will also be compared and contrasted to study whether there is a class of persons more likely to reoffend than others. The histories of both the classes of convicts will be studied to determine the necessary steps to be taken for the prevention of recidivism. The results of this study will be utilized to identify the most representative of reconvicts will be formed. Experimental groups of the classes will be identified. The experimental groups will be given correctional lectures, incentives for good behavior including the shortening of the period of notification and a role in social aid for police forces (volunteering for traffic police duties etc.) apart from psychotherapy and counseling. Persons in each group will be selected randomly. The study will be done with the aid of secondary data in the form of the records maintained in the form of Violent and Sexual Crimes Register, Offenders Index and the National Police Register in the United Kingdom and the similar records in the U. S. A.

Internal Control System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Internal Control System - Essay Example Internal Auditing is defined as an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization to accomplish its objectives by evolving a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. The internal audit activity evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of controls that encompass the organization's governance, operations, and information systems (Arens, Loebbecke, Lemon, & Splettstoesser, 2006). Internal audit reviews include the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, safeguarding of assets, and compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. These reviews ascertain the extent to which operating and program goals and objectives have been established and whether they conform to the requirements of the organization. It also examines the extent to which results are consistent with established goals and objectives and whether operations and programs are implemented or performed as intended. One of the primary responsibilities of internal auditing is the assessment of internal control system of a company. ... It also examines the extent to which results are consistent with established goals and objectives and whether operations and programs are implemented or performed as intended. One of the primary responsibilities of internal auditing is the assessment of internal control system of a company. The French Institute of Chartered Accountants defines internal control "as a set of security measures which contribute to the control of a company. Its aim is to ensure, on the other hand, the security and safeguard of assets and the quality of information, on the other hand, the application of instructions given by the Senior management, and to encourage improvements in performances. It is evidenced through the organisation, methods, and procedures for each of the company's activities, so as to ensure the continuity of that company." There are two identified types of controls, Preventive and Defective Controls. Preventive controls are intended to foil errors or irregularities from happening. It is a positive control that helps avert losses. On the other hand, detective controls are devised to identify or uncover inaccuracy and irregularities after they have occurred. Both of these controls play an important role to an effective control system. Preventive controls are essential because they are proactive and emphasize quality. However, detective controls play a critical role in providing evidence that the preventive controls are working and thwarts losses. Internal Control Objectives There are seven pre-defined internal control objectives, namely, authorization, completeness, accuracy, validity, physical safeguards & security, error handling, and segregation of duties. 1) Accountability, authorization and approval- the

Performance and Service Excellence in the Service Industry Case Study - 2

Performance and Service Excellence in the Service Industry - Case Study Example The Overnight Service delivers all packages by 8.00 AM to about 5000 zip code areas. Its Priority Overnight service delivers by 10.30 AM on the next business day in most US cities and by noon in other cities and regions. The standard overnight delivery delivers packages by 3 PM in most cities or by 4.30 PM in other areas. The air charter service accepts all commodities that will fit in an aircraft and provides the plane and the crew while the customer chooses the time, route and terms of service (FedEx para8). FedEx maintains a profitable commitment to excellence by applying the eleven management principles underlying its success. It makes customer satisfaction the central focus of business as this is good for business. The flat management structure minimizes a distance between leaders and front line workers while empowering employees and expanding their responsibilities. FedEx has been very committed to reasonable job security by cross-training employees for more flexibility allowing for a redistribution of work during low periods and hiring of part-time workers during peak workloads, thus eliminating the need for layoffs during off-peak times (FedEx para8). The human resources department designs thoughtful and creative compensation schemes, supple duty hours and permanent part-time work. Benefits are structured to accommodate personal preferences. FedEx has a policy of promotion from within, and problem resolution is given ultimate importance with the CEO sometimes intervening to resolve grievances. Open communication is enhanced through an internal broadcasting company, FXTV that reports and discusses all company news (Goldsack para 12). Even though everyone has their own responsibilities, the fences are low so that employees can help each other in case somebody is stuck. This is where cross-training comes in handy. The focus is customer satisfaction.

Speach on ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speach on ethics - Essay Example This disease is caused by a SARS corona virus, and diagnosis of this disease involves detecting the body temperature, hence people with temperatures beyond 380c may be suspected. This process involves the use of modern laboratory methods such as ELISA and X-rays. SARS, as you may be aware, does not have specific treatment, but medics and other scientists are coming up with drugs such as antipyretics, which help improve respiration. According to Paquin (52), there are various prevention measures that our health professionals should implement when dealing with SARS. These include isolation of the infected people from the healthy ones to prevent spreading of this virus. Quarantine should be done to the suspected individuals who may be carrying the infection. All the victims should respect and adhere to all the instructions given by their heath attendants. Having summarized the information about the disease, I would like to support my fellow colleagues who are against the idea of disclos ing SARS information to the public. My ministry and other stakeholders are working hard to fight this disease – to make it just a history and not an epidemic in our city. I wish this disease to be fully eradicated in this country just like small pox; I believe our struggle will bear fruit in due time. If one is diagnosed with the disease, do not cause havoc among other people by telling them he is affected – this should be a personal matter. At the same time, infected people should be granted confidentiality when they seek medical attention and the necessary measures to be taken by health professionals. Paquin (57) states that one should take care and not panic if the infection is suspected; instead, one he should seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you instill fear in people, this will affect our market stocks, since the citizens will not be free to trade, as they will not want to risk being infected. This, in turn, may

Foods representing American Essay Example for Free

Foods representing American Essay The United States of America is a melting pot of different ethnic cultures and hence in that respect is considered to be one of the most diverse countries in the universe. The cultural cuisine is marked by the influence of different cultures and is difficult to actually say which one stands out to be a symbolic representation of American culture. But before one can delve any further it is important to understand the root significance of what is it like to be American or the American way of life. What is the American way of life all about ? Or, what is Americanism all about and how does it permeate it’s way into defining certain kinds of food onto an iconic level. Imagine food being granted the iconic status of being truly American! An average outlook on the part of most Americans, is that they generally like and prefer food that is cheap, quick, and convenient regardless of whether it is purchased from a supermarket or a fast food store. In other words, cooking or buying food is never expected to be a hassle- it ought to be fast, easy, â€Å"with minimal or economic sacrifice† (Ikerd,2009). The characteristics of America’s food culture are cost, convenience, and appearance. Let us take a look at some of the foods that have acquired an iconic brand status of being truly American. These foods have a sense of place and a signature style as being a symbolic representative of a place / region in America. What one generally gets to hear about is hamburgers, French fries, potato chips, e. t. c Apart from just the usual common food/snack varieties that are popular, and if one were to really look harder for a search- there are regional / locational foods that have shaped the thought process all across America. Apple Pie, New England Clam Chowder, Pastrami (New York), Shoofly(Pennsylvania), Smithfield ham(Virginia), Po boys (Louisiana), Fajitas (Texas). a) Apple Pie: is considered to be a European import and has come to stay in America for centuries and been perfected over the years. An American Apple pie is homely and rustic in appearance. b) New England Clam Chowder: No trip to Boston is complete without a proper bowl of clam chowder. A proper chowder is deep and aromatic, with layered flavors atop a porky foundation (Bonne, 2009) c) Pastrami (New York): Pastrami is man’s mastery over meat. It begins with a simple slab / plate of meat — a cut which is different from the grill-and-serve of the obvious hunk of a cow, needs the much needed transformation. It is then subjected to a dry cure process: salted with a good portion of cracked black pepper and maybe with a little sugar and spice — which rest on the meat as it is left to be smoked. When it is finally ready- whole pastramis are steamed for quite a few hours before serving. d) Shoofly pie (Pennsylvania): is a fruity pie and quite a tasty one. It is crusty with molasses and crumbs. The crumbs add texture to the dense and rustic pie rich with molasses in taste. According to popular Amish folklore one is reminded of the fact that the name derives itself from an activity that refers to the constant need to shoo away flies from these succulent and juicy sweet treats atop which are the generous pools of molasses that lay formed. d) Po-boys (Louisiana): This a generally considered a workaday food meant for hungry and hardworking people trying to meet ends. It’s discovery is attributed to two brothers viz. , Benjamin and Clovis Martin, who ran a restaurant in the city’s French Market. Eating a ‘Po-boy’ is quite an unforgettable sandwich treat. WORKS CITED Ikerd, John (2009) â€Å"The American Food Culture† Retrieved on 29th May, 2009 http://www. kerrcenter. com/nwsltr/2005/spring2005/food_culture. htm Bonne, Jon (2005) â€Å"10 Foods that make America great† Retrieved on 29th May, 2009. http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/8392312//

Strategic Procurement Issues Inherent In A Hospital Project Construction Essay

Strategic Procurement Issues Inherent In A Hospital Project Construction Essay Health care of the society is the top concern of the government. The government is committed to improving the quality of care of all the people therefore the poor quality of the hospital building became a major concerned. The aim is to restore and improve quality delivery of health services to local community required betterment of the facilities. There are two options available in front of trust and as per the government report; the trust has forty eight months to improve the hospital infrastructure. The chief executive and the head of the estate at trust with the consultation of central government have been provided two options: To renovate the existing building or To build a new hospital on a derelict site, this was formerly used by heavy industry owned by city council. This project is an assessment of the procurement options design and build novation procurement method under the private finance initiative and the issues that awake using the strategy during the project. After examine the carefully and assessing the entire clients (the Trust) requirement, for the proposed hospital, the report recommends building of a new hospital on the derelict site and the use of design and build procurement system. This is because the design and build procurement option offers cost effective, time bound, good quality and sustainable project delivery. The proposed design and build procurement system has the characteristics of achieving the issue of clients requirement appropriately and under the P.F.I. (private finance initiative) will give the best value for money with a focus on the public sector procurement as mentioned in the project brief. It also leads to time savings and achieve value for money and the required quality as per ground situation. The report also assessed the risks using the supply chain management under the scheme of private finance initiative involve in the project and their solution as the success of the project is concerned. Finally an effective supply chain management with T.P.I (Third party inspection) procedure has also been recommended for efficiency in the project delivery in order to meet the quality standard required by the hospital trust. INTRODUCTION This report seeks to address all the strategic construction procurement issues inherent in a hospital project and an appropriate advice given to the chief executive of the trust. The process is to map the effective stakeholders and their influence on the project. There is a brief of the project from initiation through design with drawing of the new build building as required a lot of detailed changes to convert the derelict industry into hospital building to make a proper use of the building as well as to make an appropriate use of the surrounding of the building. The operation and maintenance after construction in long run is major concern for providing a better and superior quality of services therefore design and build novation under P.F.I. is best option available. STATEMENT OF WORK 2.1 Scope of project Client Objectives: The time seems to be major constant as the Trust has given only 48 months of time to improve the structure and facilities and for the Construction of the new hospital building. As the estimate are final to 90 m Pounds the cost is also the major constant for the client obtained the certainty in cost to obtain best value for money with in a focus on the public sector procurement. The quality is also the major concern as the new build site is not developed properly and the trust has to Develop the road works, parking, hard and soft landscaping, drainage and other external works for the use of hospital running, Provision of office accommodation, a restaurant / cafà © area and obviously some form of warehouse and delivery areas. To preserve and develop and make appropriate use of the existing flora and fauna at the site of new build to make it more eco-friendly environment for the hospital patient and working of staff. It has been assumed that the present derelict bridge is just opposite the site of the building and near the flora and fauna to make appropriate use of the derelict pedestrian bridge, it can be develop for the site scene / landscape. s The study prevails that there is an existing mineshaft, which has to be close effectively so that it should not effect the environment of hospital surrounding in the future. There is need to adopt the construction management program to maintain supply chain management for effectively completion of project on time and maintain quality of material used and be in cost effective. Scope of the project Supply chain management procedures to be adopted so that all the material should be procure well in advance for the timely completion of the project and as all the material has to be procure by contractor by T.P.I. (third party inspection) by Independent body has been suggested to maintain the quality if the material used. The client has maintained PEP plan for control and performance measurement Comparison between the New builds site and Old Refurbishment. The following point has been taken to make comparison between New Building by using derelict industry and the Refurbishment of old building as per the client (TRUST Hospital) requirement. The survey team after analysing following points comes to conclusion that the use of new building for the construction of the hospital as an appropriate decision: The Survey team has assumed that the derelict Industry was closed due to competition in market and is not old more than 10 years as the Old hospital is approximately 70 to 80 years old. So structure needs more maintenance after construction It has been analysed that the old building has to be Control demolished which is still not possible with the current running of the hospital in the existing building. As its suggested that ramp should be used in hospital instead of stairs for the movement of patient from one floor to another and even in case of emergency like fire etc, when lifts cant be operate. So the construction of ramp in new building is easy else its very difficult to provide ramp in the old building. The derelict industry site has a wide range of flora and available in its surrounding which is best for the environmental policy of the NHS. From the studies of project brief it has stated that the hospital used for the acute care and accident and emergency so there will be a helipad will be preferred to Trust at the tar macadam area for landing of helicopter in case of emergency services through the helicopter, as well the new build site is well connected to road for quicker services through road as well. The new build site is also have provision for the future extension as the development are taking place in the surrounding area over decades of time. The specialist installation such as heating, ventilation and air condition is easy in new building while during the refurbishment it is quite difficult to replace the new with old one and difficult in after maintenance. Project Stakeholders The stake holders are important part in the overall process of project success so all the beneficial stakeholders are identified related to subject and their influence are clarify properly. As Walker and Marr states that a stakeholder is a term used for individuals or groups who have a connection to or an association with an organisation. They have a stake, claim, or vested interest in the day to day operation of the Project. The only way of business to know their value will be to determine exactly who their stakeholders areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..and to ask them. The urgency to adapt to stakeholder power and leverage it as a business strategy is not just a business fad; it is a winning approach and the more satisfying way to do business - WIN WIN Solution. A commitment to sustainability is broader, deeper and of substantially greater strategic value to a company than merely reporting on environmental outcomes. One goal of sustainability initiative is to realize long term business benefits by building non-financial performance measures- issues key stakeholders care about into business processes. When we have gained commitment from our stakeholders, it enhances our business performance, growth and higher stock value over time. All stakeholders may be important, but nobody said they were all equal. (Walker and Marr, 2001) Extended Stakeholderism The customers, employees, and owner, or investor would consider the immediate, or core, stakeholders because these are the one we live with every day. But as in our families we have close relation with and obligation to the rest of the family as well the extended stakeholder of the business. Business depend upon on forging powerful relationship with what we would call extended stakeholders, those individuals outsides an organization beyond customers who are important to the business, such as suppliers, alliance partners, community leaders, the media , and the government. Immediate Stakeholders Extended Stakeholders Individual investors Institutional investors Customers Employees Unions Suppliers Alliances Partners Industry associations Local communities Consumer/ user association Special interest group Media Government regulators Competitors Outside board directors The general public (Beyond local communities) Financial Analysis Lenders Education leaders The Status of Stakeholder Loyalty There is value in evaluating and classifying stakeholders according to different levels of commitment to the project. Survey research can/has determine peoples position regarding the firm and their loyalty to it. Their answers can/has used to position the stakeholders on a spectrum of: . How positive or negative they feel towards the firm and . How likely or unlikely they are to remain loyal or continue supporting the firm in the future. We would normally people in a simple matrix. There are four possible combination of high and low attitude and behavior in this matrix, so we can segment the stakeholders as being truly loyal, accessible, trapped, or high risk Behaviour Positive Negative Truly Loyal Accessible Trapped High Risk High ATTITUDE Low The successful stakeholder relationship passes through four stages, called the Four Gates of Engagement: Awareness, Knowledge, Admiration, Action. (Walker and Marr, 2001) Recognition of project through from initiation through design, construction, operation, and maintenance and their consequent impact on the project procurement issue As the new build site has proposed the following points are suggested for the construction As there was a mine shaft present in the surrounding of the site so a case study has been done to investigate the Bearing capacity of soil for the construction of the hospital building. The design is be eco-friendly basis on the following points: Their should be proper ventilation and natural Light and air arrangement for the patient health and to keep staff working spirit up for efficient working. The CLC (cellular light weight concrete) blocks are hollow and hence will help in maintaining the internal temp of the room and also help in reducing sound level as hollow blocks are good insulator of heat and sound. As CLC blocks are also help to eliminate the crack between the brick and concrete and hence it will lead to less maintenance in future better value for money. The large tar macadam area, surrounding the site should be developed as the helipad so that the emergency cases can be carry through the helicopter easily and further land will be used for the recreational activities of the staff. The derelict bridge can be developing for pedestrian to cross the road as the adjacent arterial road will become more congested during peak periods. Risks Miler and lessard (2001) states that the successful projects are not selected but shaped with risk resolution in mind. Risk is the possibility that event, their resulting impact and dynamic interactions may turn out differently that anticipated and construction is nothing special compared with other industries because we simply carry out projects to a specified timescale using teams of specialist for design and construction by marshalling appropriate resources to overcome the physical and technical power involved. So to manage risk is most important for the successful completion of project in Time to keep certainty in cost and achieve the appropriate quality. RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS RISK ASSESSMENT IDENTIFYING HAZARDS Assess probability and consequences Priorities Risk control measure Remove Contractually Insurance Retain Self finance Reduce Eliminate/substitute Reduce chance Reduce effect Residual risk RISK MANAGEMENT Risk management Process (Gunn 2008) To monitor the risk, the risk register should be maintained at site RISK REGISTER Item Description Risk Without control Controls Residual risk Action H M L Cost Impact Time impact` Others (CIOB (2002) (Chartered Institute of building code of practice for project management, 3rd edition. Blackwell edition) PROCUREMENT RISK Procurement Method Balance of Risk Client Contractor Traditional Lump sum Client Led design and built Contractor -led design and built Management contractor Construction management Contractor Finance (PFI) Finance Design Construction Finance Design Construction Finance Design Construction Finance Design Construction Finance Design Construction Finance Design Construction Hughes and Murdoch (2000) states that the apportionment of risk in design and build contracts is unique among procurement methods. This uniqueness is brought about by the single point responsibility and by the nature of the relationship between employers requirement and contractors proposal. The following points are considered for risk management in Design and built: Money Completion of the project Default by employer or contractor Time Quality Measurement of performance and benchmarked Akintoye, Beck and Hardcastle (2003) indicated the PEP plan is a live, dynamic management document that records the project strategy, organisation, control procedure and responsibilities. It is updated regularly during the projects life cycle and used by all parties both as a means of communication and as a control and performance measurement tool. Value management and other activities lead to the completion of various reports that are contained in the PEP. Examples of items that PEP should contain are: The options appraisal incorporating the clients value system. The user needs the strategic brief. The performance statement of all aspects of the project, the project brief The project execution strategy The form of contract, partnering agreement, etc The contract specifications / drawings etc Project reporting procedure and particularly the procedure for information distribution, and communication, between the clients project team consultant and the contractor The executive summaries and action plan from value management workshop reports The risk management strategy and latest risk analysis The required completion date including for any phase Holroyd (2003) considered that this is not about lowest price, but ultimately about best overall value for money. Partnering implies selection on the basis of attitude to team working, ability to innovate and to other efficient solutions. We think that it offers a much more satisfying role for most people engaged in construction and the introduction of performance measurement and competition against clear targets for improvement, in terms of quality, timeliness and cost, as the principal means of sustaining and bringing discipline to the relationship between clients, project team and their suppliers. The evidence we have seen is that these relationship, when conducted properly, are much more demanding and rewarding than those based on competitive tendering. There are important issue here, particularly for the public sector. He also consider Latham Report that effective partnering between client and contractor with teamwork and a win-win approach helped to bring the Sizewell nuclear p ower station to completion on time and within budget. But there is still scope of improvement in productivity and cost reduction, especially if design and construction team could be kept together. Akintoye, Beck and Hardcastle (2003) consider that PFI is the principle model of PPPs in the UK NHS. Procurement Route: To choose an appropriate procurement strategy is most important to achieve value for money, cost certainty and in time and of best quality. Holroyd (2003) states that clients who know what they want, who do not change their minds, and who states clearly what they want, tend to procure projects that do represent value for money. As Masterman states that the formulation of the most appropriate strategy is one of the most important tasks that the client has to undertake the projects life. The project strategy consist of a number of sub strategic areas, which needs to be examines in detail so that appropriate decisions can be taken as to which sub strategy should be adopted. The following points should include: Milestone schedule time; Quality; Financial objectives, funding and cost planning The role of the client and the third parties; The client project objectives; Environmental issues; Safety; Legal and insurance issues; Technical and design philosophy Project/ work breakdown structure; Risk management; Project constraints; Public relation/ communication The appropriate method of procurement mostly depends upon the following: Whether the organisation is publicly or private owned or funded The level of knowledge and experience within the organisation in dealing with the construction industry and implementing building project. Whether the project is needed by the client to accommodated his/her own industrial or commercial activities or whether the project is needed to lease, or sell, to other. The activities carried out by the organisation and the resulting project typology. Categorisation of building procurement System: Separated Integrated Management Discretionary Oriented The Conventional System Design Variation British partnering of Property Build Design Federation Build System Package Develop Construction Deals Management Turnkey Construct Management Design Contracting Manage Design and Build In DB there is a single point responsibility for both the design and construction of the project. The clients benefits from the contractors expertise early in the project. Research (Gidado and arshi 2004) suggest that there may be as a many as six versions of design and build. For instance, Rawlinson (2008) reports on the recent successful use of develop and construction with a two stage tender and tendering arrangement, a novated design, open book accounting and with the risk and value benefits of a Collaborative approach all on the same project. Types of Design Build Arrangement Extreme Variety A Employer led Design Develop and construct Design and Build (Single stage tender) Z Contractor led design Design and build (two -stage tender) Negotiated design and build Design and manage Turnkey The client may wish to provide the contractor with minimal information in the form of an outline brief. This will leave the design and built contractor fully responsible for the conceptual and detail design in order to meet the employer requirements. An alternative twist on develop and construct, is to novate the architect or design team to the contractor once the contract has been awarded. This variant is known as novation design and build because the clients architect, and may be other member of the design team, are legally passed over to the contractor in order to produce the detailed aspects of the design. The novation arrangement should be agreed with the architect when he is first appointed. In this way, the client will maintain an interest in the design but the contractor will pay the continuing design fees through to contract completion and become responsible for the entire design. The Tender documents will contain details of the clients consultation and the proposed novation procedure, together with a requirement that the contractor who is eventually awarded the contract will have to accept responsibility for the total design of the project, including the initial work carried out under the clients aegis. In other words it is as if the consultants by the contractor, including the level of fees, have been predetermined by the client, although normally this is a matter for negotiation between the contractor and the design team. DESIGN AND BUILD CLIENT LED DESIGN RELATIONSHIP The Team being novated to DB Contractor . (WILEY-BLACKWELL, 3rd edition, construction planning, programming and control 2009: 32) Procurement strategy The choice of building procurement systems available to clients is now so wide that the need to carry out the selection of the most appropriate method depends upon the critically study of the clients (TRUST) requirement in a disciplined and objective manner. (Masterman 2006) The procurement of a construction is chosen upon the clients project requirement and a balance between time, quality and cost. After considering entire client requirements critically and the forecast budget. JCT Design and Build novated system contract is most appropriate for the construction of hospital for the trust as According to International Commission on building (CIB W92) the procurement process is a strategy to satisfy clients development and/ or operational needs with respect to the provision of constructed facilities fro a discrete life cycle. (Masterman 2006:26) Under the JCT 05 design and build conditions, it is perhaps worth noting the practice that the employer identified a design team and the same team will become the contractors team once the contractors is appointed under a design and build form of contract and the payment terms may be either stage payments or periodic payment. Periodic payments are normally monthly, whereas stage payments are based on agreed cumulative values linked to stages or milestone as stated in the contract particulars. The payments period from the payment request date is specified in the contract as 14 days. (Davison 2006) We can write it as the option chosen for the design and build is on the cost effective and time management as steffen and Jeffery in Stakeholder Power states that as proven by the corporate raiders, one of the fastest means of raising stock value is to boost profit by cutting costs. This ushered in the era of crash dieting by large companies also known as reengineering or downsizing. (Walker and Marr 2001) The Procurement strategy is chosen on the basis of following criteria noted in the NEDO report. NEDO has suggested eight procurement factors to be considered at the procurement stage. Of these, the three main considerations are: Cost certainty of the market price at the bid submission and final account stages. Time the overall timing of the project from inception to completion. Quality the clients required standard of design and workmanship as expressed in the specification. Five other considerations were also highlighted as being influential on the choice of the procurement route. These are: Complexity Complexity of the building design, layout and services provision. Controllable variation How sure is the client of his requirements? The cost of variation of the contract may prove difficult to agree and assess. Degree of completion Does the client wish to create competition at the design and construction stage of the project? Client Responsibility Does the client wish to be directly involved in the decision making during the project. Risk in the project Commercial risk, occupation risk, design and construction risk. Taking the following factors into account, decisions has made in relation to: Choice of appropriate Procurement strategy for managing the contract (JCT- Design and Build) The Clients requirement stated in the Task Considering the clients brief and assessing the projects feasibility Considering the Project Finance Decided how to procure and manage the design and construction Considering the realistic time period for the overall project. (Williams and Cooke 2009) As the time period is of high priority and the early starting of the project is the must as the Clients required the project to be: Completed as quickly as possible (because time is money a month delay in project not even counted the construction charges but also a lot of overhead and industrial charges also) Completed by specific date (that must be achieved to ensure the govt about the proper running of the hospital) Completed on time once it commence (with no time slippage by starting the project at once under design and build procurement method) 50 40 35% 30% 30 25 % 20 6% 10 2% 2% 0 JCT98 JCT JCT JCT JCT Other Standard Intermediate Minor with Management Form Form Works Contractors + Agreement Design Major Projects SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT HOLROYDS (2003) suggest that the supply chain role is critical to achieving sustained improvement and forward thinking. In the context of extensive sub-contracting this is perhaps more so. Partnering, correctly implemented, will provide benefits comparable to those obtained by the integrated project process. (Trevor M. Holroyd, Buildability, Thomas Telford Publishing, Thomas Telford Ltd, 1 Heron Quay, London 2003) Some major clients have assembled their own standing lists of preferred suppliers according to requirement of their projects so that their project can be managed on a more long term and integrated basis while retaining an appropriate degree of competition and control. These suppliers or supply chain partners, include architects, engineers, main contractors, specialist contractors and suppliers of a variety of goods and services. The supply chain can be defined as the entire chain of processes that exist between the point at which a need for goods or services arises to the point at which the end user receives them and payment is made to the supplier. Problem is that one part of the chain impact directly on all subsequent stages, and proactive management of the supply chain is therefore fundamental to providing an efficient and effective procurement services to the organisation. (Cooke and Williams 2009) The contractor should be given the whole responsibility for the procurement of all material under the contract and a T.P.I (Third party Inspection by Individual body Trust) must be considered to achieve the best quality of material procurement. The essential point here is that the supply chain links, all the activities between suppliers and customers in a timely manner. The material will be procured at least 8 weeks before the schedule of use to maintain progress in time. Adversarial Relationship Collaborative Relationship Fragmented Lack of Process Customer Processes Customer Focus integration Satisfaction The role of SCM (supply chain Management) addressing the key problems in construction. (Fewings 2005) Cooke and Williams 2009 describes that the fast track system as a management approach aimed at the early completion of the construction phase using a combination of innovative procurement methods, industrialisation of the construction process and the use of work package contractors in order to benefits from their expertise, especially as regards their design input. The benefits of system include: Overlapping of work package both during design and construction Less duplication of effort and waste Less uncertainty and inefficiency at work package interface The use of innovative construction methods Incorporation of cutting edge technologies More emphasis on the standardisation, pre-assembly and modularisation of the construction process As a consequence, the fast-track system has the propensity to deliver completed projects in remarkable timescales. Identification and justification of relevant forms The purpose if this work is to examine the standard forms of contract most commonly used in the construction industry today. Standard forms look in at least three directions at once. One of these is towards the wider law, be it the law of contract, and be it statute law or common law, with its constant accretion arising out of decided cases. In addition all of this forms considered are entire co

The Metamorphosis Essay :: essays research papers

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From this story, I inferred that suffering is a necessary component of a healthy mind. Every member of the Samsa family experiences this suffering and their spirit and will are awakened by it. They all undergo a painful metamorphosis, Gregor's being the most dramatic. The complacent relationship between Gregor and his family is shattered one morning and their roles are basically reversed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To feel an obligation to an unpleasant task and to have others depend on you is to have a sense of purpose. It is a basic human need that makes one feel venerable and deserving. The most glaring evidence for this theory is the tradition of serving one's country in the military, which Gregor has done. Self-sacrifice and hard work are what enable us to look people in the eye.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is this need which was Gregor's motivation for trudging on through a job which he despises. He is like a bottom-feeder for other people's love and respect. He maintains a spark of real intimacy for his sister, which later surfaces when he hears her playing the violin to the guests. At that moment he realizes what he has been starving for as he plays out in his mind the fantasy of keeping her in his room, having her play to him, kissing her, and telling her his plans of sending her to a music school. This gaining of Grete's love and appreciation is the reward Gregor feels he has earned through his suffering. When he hears his family's decision that he is in no way a human being and must be gotten rid of, he realises that his hope will never be realised. He dies alone shortly after this, as if he is giving up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is this way of life which each member of Gregor's family fights to attain. His father, after becoming basically an invalid through five years of inactivity, quickly becomes strong and capable through his new job. He clings to this new responsibility, wearing his uniform constantly. He even sleeps in it 'in extreme discomfort, and yet quite peacefully.'; Gregor's mother did most of the house work and 'great piles of sewing.'; Grete became the one to take care of Gregor. Even though she soon started to despise this job, it was still very important to her. She becomes very upset at her mother for trying to clean Gregor's room, taking that responsibility away from Grete.

Medicare In The 96 Elections :: essays research papers fc

Medicare in the '96 Elections Among the many differences between President Bill Clinton (Democrat) and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole (Republican), lays a common debate topic, Healthcare. The issue is the fact that funding in Medicare's budget will not last but another four years. Both Republicans and Democrats have ideas on how this budget should be reformed, but the two have not yet come to a median resolution. In the beginning of the Presidential campaign Medicare was a hot topic. It will be shown that as Election Day drew nearer Republicans were forced to attack President Clinton's policy because they had no substantial plan of their own. Prior to 1965, payment for a particular medical service was paid for either directly by the recipient of the care or by the recipient's insurance company. Usually to get full coverage or even coverage with a low premium the rates are outrageous. For this reason many poor, elderly and severely disabled Americans were unable to receive proper medical treatment. Then, in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson proposed one of his Great Society programs, Medicare. Medicare would allow those who were severely disabled, elderly or poor to receive quality medical treatment without worrying about the cost . This government funded program would subsidize the service of physicians, inpatient hospital care and some limited home care. The money would come from that money set aside for Social Security. Medicare, along with its sister program, Medicaid, allow broad access to physician and hospital care to all disabled Social Security recipients, most all elderly and some of the poor. Medicare has two parts, A and B. Part A, which covers all enrollees, covers hospital costs only. Part B, also known as Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI), is an optional plan for which a premium is charged. The SMI plan covers 80 percent of office visits, preventive medicine, surgery and diagnostic specialties (x-rays, etc.). What Medicare does not cover include: hospital stays over 60 days, extended nursing-home care, or the cost of lengthy illnesses. In the cases where Medicare will not cover costs, recipients usually use secondary retirement programs either from pension plans or retirement programs such as AARP (American Association for Retired People). Those who do not have such plans, are forced to drain their assets until they qualify for the sister program Medicaid. Medicaid is a program set up the same as Medicare but primarily for those who fall short of the state-specified income level. Costs covered by Medicaid are close to those covered by Medicare differing only by nursing-home care and treatment in state mental hospitals . In 1965, at the same time the

Imprisonment and Persecution of Quakers :: British History Essays

Imprisonment and Persecution of Quakers In An Account of the Travels Sufferings and Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone, Blaugdone describes her experiences as a traveling Quaker minister, most often those of persecution and imprisonment. Imprisonment was not an uncommon occurrence for Quakers, as Blaugdone exemplifies. Traveling from town to town, Blaugdone notes, â€Å"I had Prison in all those Places† (12). Although the Quaker ideal of denouncing the clergy was not necessarily uncommon, the Quakers were much more zealous in their pursuit to spread the Truth, therefore much of their persecution was due to their own perseverance (Trevett 18). A common justification for Quaker imprisonment was blasphemy (Trevett 17). Elizabeth Hooton, a strong female figure in Quakerism, performed many of the same roles that Blaugdone did, and in return, she was imprisoned for merely reprimanding a priest (18). Hooton was arrested numerous times for activities such as public speaking, refusal to swear an oath in court, and disturbing the peace. In Blaugdone’s Account, disturbing the peace seems to be merely stepping foot in town. Numerous laws were also passed that enabled the arrest and persecution of Quakers, including The Blasphemy Act, The Conventicle Acts, The Five Mile Act and The Quaker Act. All of these laws basically prohibited Quakers from disrupting the ministry of the church (18). By challenging priests in their own churches, organizing and attending gatherings, and meeting with and preaching to others on street corners, Quakers broke the law. Blaugdone clearly took part in these ‘unlawful’ activities: â₠¬Å"And then I was moved to go to Great Torrington in Devonshire, unto the Steeple-house there, where was a very bad Priest† (Blaugdone 13). Of course her only outcome at talking to the priest was to be once again put in prison. By 1659, twenty-one Quakers had died in prison due to ill treatment, while countless others were crippled or their health had been permanently damaged (Trevett 18). Blaugdone reveals similar mistreatment in her Account: â€Å"and the nest day the Sheriff came with a Beadle, and had me into a Room, and Whipt me till the Blood ran down my Back† (15). Whipping was not the only form of punishment exercised against Quakers. Punishments included public humiliation, pelting, whipping sometimes after being stripped naked, fining family members, and confiscation of property (Trevett 21). Prison conditions were also quite inhuman, and prisoners depended upon either the good nature of guards of bribes.

Leadership Interview and Analysis Essay

I interviewed the owner of a mid-sized engineering firm from this point forward referred to as Jack. Jack has been in the engineering field over 30 years starting as a project engineer and has worked his way to owning his own company. He has no formal training or degree in management or leadership and is speaking from experience. For Jack the definition of leadership is to guide and direct. He compares a manager in business to a platoon leader who can lead a group of people in a productive manor to achieve a desired outcome. When guiding these employees or soldiers the use of direct consequence or praise is the best way to guide your followers to the desired goal. Jack believes that most employees need close watch and a tight leash as to not fall off task. When Jack was asked what characterizes a good leader he continued to refer to the military example, even though he has never served. He believes there are two main components of a strong leader, wisdom and people skills. With wisdo m you will have a strong knowledge of the tasks or products offered and are able to assist in problem solving. Along with wisdom Jack believes that you will be able to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the market. People skills are the second part of Jacks components for a strong leader. When a leader has strong people skills he can relay his wisdom in an effective manner to employees so they can complete the desired task. He also believes that strong problem solving skills come along with people skills; you should be able to mediate an issue between employees or a client in a way as to not effect production or lose a client. Jack believes that situation plays a role in leadership. This is what separates strong leaders from the average. A strong leader can be placed in most any situation and be successful. If a mediocre leader is put into a simple or familiar situation they could be interpreted as a strong leader but will fail when tested. He also states that there are a few situations where even the strongest most experienced leaders will fail. The example of a pilot, seconds from destruction, could direct and organize his crew to the best of anyone’s ability and yet still fatally crash. This relates to business during market downturns and changes in technology. If you have too much expense and debt during a downturn or your only product has just been rendered obsolete by a new technology, there is not much you can do. When asked about the followers he prefers to refer to them as â€Å"the team† and they need to work together if they are going to be lead well. Although when asked if a strong leader can take â€Å"bad† followers and still accomplish a common goal, he believes it can be done. Jack still refers back to the military, when grunts come in general infantry they are generally â€Å"bad† followers but a strong leader can bring them together, have them work as a group and agree to go to war together. In Jack’s career he has encountered good and bad followers, some needing a lot of structure and others which could be trusted to complete the work with minimal supervision. Jack has a very â€Å"laid back† style of leadership and with some employees this became an issue because they took advantage of the freedom. In Jacks experience leaders can be trained but there is a small group that will never be a good leader. In society he believes there is a very large â€Å"middle ground† of people who can be trained to accomplish anything they set their mind to. He thinks that some great leaders are born that way and it comes much more effortlessly than for others. That being said, if one of the â€Å"middle ground† individuals had the desire and training they too can rise to be a great leader and accomplish great things. In general Jack believes that great leaders can either be born or trained to achieve the highest level of leadership and that there is a small g roup of individuals that un-salvageable. After this interview I think Jack has a understanding of what makes a leader but still has leaning to do. First and foremost leadership is a process and not just a single tactic to achieve a single goal. It is the development of relationships between the leader and the followers along with the relationships between the followers themselves. Through these emotional connections a leader can work with a group of followers and accomplish great things even when situation may be very difficult. I found it very interesting when talking about the characteristics of a strong leader Jack’s first response is wisdom, which I believe he relates to intelligence. Intelligence is a very large factor in being a strong leader but being inspiring is just as important. Being a â€Å"people person† does not make you a good leader. An individual can be very kind and a good listener but unless they can inspire a group of people to work together for a common goal they will not be effective. Jack believes that leaders can be trained to accomplish a high level of success much like the ones that are natural leaders. This is idea is in line with academics that leadership can be classically trained and not only gained by experience. Another issue with Jacks interpretation of leadership is how a strong leader can improve an already good situation. He sees that strong leaders can handle most situations and accomplish necessary tasks but fails to acknowledge that the entire dynamic is related. His views seem negative towards a leader with a good group of followers and a positive situation, that with a strong or marginal leader you will have the same result. I disagree with this idea and believe with a strong leader you can have increased productivity and quality of product. It also seems that Jack thinks all managers are leaders which is not the case. Managers and leaders have many of the same characteristics but hold different roles within a company. Managers are there to provide guidance and accomplish a short term goal or task whereas a leader is there to inspire and create a challenging vision for the long term success of a company. True leaders will be introspective as they learn from experience. This is known as the action-observation-reflection model in which a leader will take an experience and give it additional attention to learn as much as possible. First you must review the action that caused the experience, then review the outcome of that action and finally determine how you feel about the outcome. When using this method reviewing a situation one can gain a great deal of knowledge to apply in the future. Jack also seems to have fundamental attribution error when reflecting on why he considers an employee to be bad. He has a bias that when an employee is not functioning at their full capacity it is only due to them taking advantage of him and his method of management. He fails to see if there could be any outside factors causing these behaviors; for example, if an employee is also a student who in enrolled in a very difficult course may appear to be leaving early and â€Å"taking advantage† when in fact they just have a class to attend. This could be easily remedied by offering a flexible schedule where the employee could begin their work day a little earlier. This also relates to the self serving bias where this employee could hold Jack responsible for not performing in class instead of realizing they didn’t dedicate enough time out of class for study. Jack also believes that to be a good leader you must be very proficient in the task at hand. The academics disagree with this idea and note that the higher level of management the less technical knowledge you must have. This is where vision and inspiration become extremely important to guide your followers to success. In conclusion Jack has learned well from his years of experience but there is still room for growth in his knowledge of leadership and management, especially the difference between the two. Something that would greatly help improve the quality of management and leadership within the company would be using some assessment the leaders. This could be accomplished by having a questionnaire rating the leader by the superiors and subordinates. This method would help understand the performance of the leader as assessed by the superior and the effectiveness as provided by the subordinate’s questionnaire.

Public Speaking Self Reflection Essay

The information in this paper will include the topics of a presentation such as the introduction, body, conclusion, delivery, language, audience and topic, visual aids, and the general evaluation. This paper embraces the thoughts from the presenter, incorporating personal ideas and those of peers and instructors, on how this speech went during each step of the giving process. By reviewing the presentation and accumulating the thoughts of those involved will improve future productions. Introduction The intro to this presentation should catch the attention of any doctor who knows about time management. Gaining attention and interest early was a goal in this presentation. The topic to save time and view radiology films from home was clear, and informative. An overview was not given of what would be covered instead the speech flowed into the step by step to view the images from home . Body The body of this presentation logically flowed step by step, using PowerPoint to deliver messages clearly and so that the audience could follow along more easily. No misinterpretation was felt regarding the use of language spoken, and the body was delivered well. The steps were clear and concise. Delivery When viewing the presentation again, it was rushed from start to finish. The time factor disabled the use of more information being shared. A well defined topic would have solved this problem. Watch out for eye contact, hand gestures, and bouncing around, these were noticed and portrayed poor body language. There were not any pauses due to time constraint. There were times that there could have been a pause to prove a point, or to allow the audience to ask a question or catch up to the speaker. Language The language used was appropriate. Due to the recording device used the audience could not hear clearly. Future presentation must have a better sound system. Audience and Topic The message was adapted for the appropriate audience. One of the biggest topics in any clinic is how to save time in a day. This is one suggestion for doing just that. Any doctor looking to save time would view this two minute presentation to allow them a few extra minutes each day. Visual Aids Step by step instructions were used via PowerPoint, on how to view Patient Images from home. The slides allowed the audience to view the steps clearly and efficiently. Many times in this presentation the visual aids allowed the speaker a chance to look away from the audience. A quick glance is fine but there is no reason to read the slide. Conclusion The end of the presentation was as rushed as the beginning and body. The reinforcement of how this would save time in the day, allowing more time with patients, was preparation to the end of the speech. There was not a vivid ending just more of the same Power Point presentation. A stronger conclusion would have helped close the presentation with confidence. Overall Evaluation The presentation was good throughout. There could have been a better sound system to make the presentation more appealing. The requirement was met for the assignment. To respect attention to detail, the time limit was followed closely. A general comment stated, was to wait a second or two prior to speaking to allow equipment to work so as not to cut off the beginning. There was clear purpose and overall the outcome was quite good. By reviewing the important parts of a presentation, introduction, body, conclusion, delivery, language, audience and topic, visual aids, and overall evaluation, the giver of the speech can use the information provided to improve upon them self. Overcoming the need to think of oneself as right and allowing outside perspective enables the speech presenter the ability to become a remarkable speaker, in everyone’s eyes.

South West Airlines a Review

SOUTHWEST AIRLINE ANALYSIS Contents SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY4 INTRODUCTION4 PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS5 OVERVIEW5 MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS6 PESTEL Analysis6 Industry Analysis9 Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation9 Five Forces Analysis10 PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS13 OVERVIEW13 SWOT ANALYSIS14 Strengths14 Weaknesses15 Opportunities15 Threats16 The VRIO Framework16 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS17 PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY18 Mergers and Acquisitions18 Financial Outlay18 Legislation19 PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONS19 Ansoff Matrix19The TOWS Matrix20 PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS21 OVERVIEW21 PART 5: DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY22 PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY23 PART 7: CONCLUSION24 REFERENCES26 SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION Southwest airline is based in the United States with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, that mainly serves a domestic clientele in northern America. The company has grown from a few ai rcrafts at induction into the aircraft market, to a fleet of many domestic carriers that serve the larger domestic airline clientele.Started in 1971, Southwest Airlines started business with three Boeing aircrafts while serving three cities in Texas notably Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Today the company serves 97 destinations in 41 states within the US, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and six near international countries with a fleet of 694 Boeing jets (Southwest, 2009). The company is now one of the United States biggest airline companies, offering low cost fares to their clients.The company offers the lowest combination of aircraft fares to its customers making it one of the most attractive airline carriers in the continent. The company boasts of in addition to the low fares a working staff that are reliable as well as a friendly customer service, a rich corporate culture that extends deep within the communities they work with. The company has grown ma inly through acquisitions and mergers with other companies and has been described by Fortune Magazine as one of the most profitable companies of 2012 according to (Southwest, 2012).This report will undertake an intensive look at the internal and external influences that affect the company as well as the current issues and challenges the company is facing. Further the report will generate strategic options for the company as well as an evaluation of them while describing the selected strategy. The main stakeholders associated with the company are the customers proven by the effort with which the company strives to ensure their comfort through consideration of pricing, as well as convenience offering many flights to various domestic locations offering the customers convenience.Other important stakeholders held in regard by the company are the employees of the company who are dedicated to working for the company, suppliers who continuously accord support to the company as well as the i mmediate community that the organization interacts with. With relation to the strengths that the company possesses in the domestic airline industry the company can be assumed to be working in a cost leadership generic strategy (Porter 1980). The reasons for this are that as the company is operating with the low cost policy to its clientele, the company has the advantage of working with a wide and broad base of clients.The strength therefore for the company comes from working with the numbers of passengers that it ferries between destinations on a low cost policy. PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW An external analysis is often used by organizations in a bid to identify the threats and the opportunities that exist in a company’s environment. Opportunities and threats for companies are mainly of an external nature and can have a direct impact on a company’s performance. Opportunities for a company such as Southwest Airlines are potentially rewarding conditions only when the company responds to them properly and in the right manner.Threats on the other hand are the conditions that can potentially weaken a company and provide hindrance for the company potentially preventing it from attaining its organizational goals and objectives. MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Macro-environmental analysis involves a company analysing the environment that it has no control over. To do so is done with the purpose and intention of deriving the potential opportunities and threats that exist for the company allowing it to make appropriate considerations and decisions in the light of the issues presented.The PESTEL model is the most popularized model used to analyse the macro environment of a company in addition to other forms of models and structures that are also used in the analysis. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis tool looks at the environments of the changes in Political climate, Environmental climate, Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic as well as the Legal a tmospheres surrounding the entity (DeWit, 2004). A diagrammatic representation of the external environment that surrounds organisations is as described below; [pic]Diagram 1: PESTEL representationSource: Hunger (2011). Political Analysis The political climate surrounding the Southwest airline is not intensive. The managerial relations with the government of the day are okay. And therefore government interference in the affairs of the company is highly limited. Economic analysis An analysis of the economic environment surrounding Southwest airline is favourable. The domestic market the company addresses is well responsive to the company as they endeavour to fulfil their mission of transporting passengers at reduced rates that favour their consumers.The company has maintained profitable constant for the last 40 years. Socio-Cultural Analysis Socially the company has interacted well with their clients, suppliers and customers over the years. By giving back and engaging in community soc ial relations with the parties the company boasts of having a good working as well as cultural background with the people it has dealt with. The company owns a training centre from where they are able to give education to the people on aircraft flying as well as other airline related activities.In addition the company is heavily unionised so as to address the plights and concerns of their employees. Technological Analysis The company in recent years has engaged in technological advancements by keeping up to date with the current systems that are being introduced everyday integrating them into their systems. Systems such as booking, route paths as well as their company itinerary are available online and they have improved efficiency for the companies.The company further boasts of being the first aircraft line to own a website in early 1995 as well as the downloadable tool in 2005, that notified customers of offers and promotions that the company was running. Environmental Analysis Th e company has engaged in sustainable forms of fuel usage as well as sustain ably monitoring their resources. Through projects such as Evolve, which involved the redesign of the cabins on the craft to accommodate efficient waste disposal as well as reduce weight from waste on the craft.The company in recent times for example contracted Pratt and Whitey to supply the company with Eco-power water pressure washing systems that allowed the company to wash the grime of the engines turbine blades while the aircraft was parked at the gate. This allows the company to engage in environmental friendly ways while still maintaining their goals of quick turnaround (DeWit, 2004). Legal Analysis The company has been engaged in various legal tussles with some of their effects being felt to this day.A legal issue with the Wright Amendment has over the years been a stumbling block for Southwest Airlines as it acts as a limiter to the number of turn around flights that the company can offer. Having a l arge customer base is an advantage for the company but with the Wright Amendment whose recommendations are still being eliminated in phases the legislation has prevented the company from delivering more service to their clientele which would help them boost their revenues. Industry AnalysisConducting an industry analysis is also essential for a company as it helps the company determine the profitability levels of the company within the competitive industry (Hubbel, 2013). The main objective for this analysis is often to determine the factors of competition that influence the industry. Conducting this type of analysis is mainly aided by the five forces model that was presented by Porter, (1980). Its purpose is to mainly help create and manage competitive advantages for a company that may allow it to be steps ahead of the immediate competition.Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation [pic] Source: Sridhar, 2012 Five Forces Analysis The five forces analysis tool mainly undertakes a s tudy of the following areas in the external environment of a company; barriers to entry, substitutes available, supplier power, buyer power and finally competitive rivalry. Researching by concentrating using the above areas of environment for a company helps a company greatly when coming up with specific strategies and the development procedures on which to follow so as to assess the position of the company in relation to their current standing (Choo, 2002)Barriers to Entry Southwest airline is currently faced with a high amount of entry barriers into the market. In recent times airline companies have been conducting mergers and acquisition arrangements amongst each other mainly due to the high costs that are found within the industry. Among the first challenges to entry the company was faced with was the Wright Amendment which was created in 1979. This federal law governed the traffic at Dallas Love Field which was the predecessor to the airfield now located in Dallas, Texas.This a mendment regulated the amount of non-stop flights between Texas and other states. This law caused the founders of the company to concentrate on the local market dwelling with the demand that existed within the state of Texas. In recent times more specifically in 1997, 2005 and 2006 as a result of some repeal some of the restricting factors in the law were abolished leaving others intact. These led to the company increasing the number of direct flights in the state as well as expanding into other states around the country.In later times merging of companies has also created a problem for Southwest Airline. The reason for this is that these mergers increase the capital revenues for the other companies enabling them to invest more in profitable investments and thus more profits. This consequentially causes the company Southwest airline to lose out on market share and customers. Some examples of companies that have merged recently are Delta that merged with Northwest Airline, American a nd America West, United Airlines and Continental and the recent rumour that US Airways would be merging with American.Availability of Substitutes This refers to the alternatives that are available to the local customers. This is in reference to other forms of transport other than air. This challenge is not as significant to the company as since the other available forms do not meet the demands of the market in comparison to the demand for air transport. Transport by railroad is not as popular amongst the people since it is not enough in supply and not readily accessible. Road transport especially by bus too is not suited for the kind of clientele that need the services of the air transport.The customers who mainly use the service are frequent fliers as well as business people who need to travel across the country on a regular basis to meet their clients and other people they may need to interact with in the course of their journeys. Supplier power The ability of the company to meet the demands of the market is very high. Supplier power refers to the size of the companies that are engaging in the supply of a service or a good. For Southwest airlines the company is very well capable to meet the demands of the market.The company services a large fleet of aircraft well suited for the job of transporting passengers and in addition has a very low rate of cancelled flights 16. 1% according to the statistics provided by American Skies in 2012. Buyer power The power of the consumers has been decreased by the capability of the company to manage their flights and fleets. In addition the company has a very high efficient rate of route utilisation meeting the demands of the market in a timely and capable manner. Competitive RivalryThe competition surrounding the company is fierce. With the recent mergers of the afore mentioned airline companies operating in the US alone, the market has become very competitive and volatile for Southwest and thus the need of a good strategy so as to keep up in the market or else risk being phased out. Some of the company’s main competitors are companies such as American Airlines, US Airways, United and Delta. These companies are engaged in acquisitions and mergers in efforts to dominate more within the market which poses a threat to Southwest Airlines.To win customer loyalty for Southwest Airlines in the highly competitive environment it is prudent that the paper also addresses the concerns that customers address before they identify an airline as their choice of carrier. Some of this factors that customers address are: i. Reliability- Is the company able to offer on time departures and how do they handle customer luggage? For an airline that is constantly getting delays this is not a strong suit or losing luggage in transit and is a turn off for many customers. ii.Number of flights- This is another consideration as clients may be interested in travelling back and forth even within a day. The number of flights t hat a company handles is also a vital factor to win the loyalty of a customer to the company. iii. Pricing- This factor is the most important. In today’s economies customers have become price sensitive and will go for the cheapest options available but that provide quality services that a client may feel as they have spent their money in a worthwhile manner. Using the PESTEL and Five Forces Models above a number of opportunities present themselves.The opportunities available are that once the Wright Amendment restrictions are lifted the company could increase the number of turn around flights delivering more services to the customers. The company could engage more in mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of more international flights to more destinations. The threats that pose a danger to the company achieving its goals and objectives include the possibility of losing clients to other companies as a result of the mergers occurring that could in turn induce the lowering o f prices by the other companies as they would have more resources.The threat of economic instability causes a rise in cost in provision of added benefits which would force the company to downsize staff or reduce on other costs or be left with the option of increasing fares so as to continue working efficiently and effectively. PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW This is an evaluation of a company’s current position from an internal point of view with regards to the marketing operations and financial strengths of a company. Using a value chain for Southwest airlines would benefit the company as they strive to offer valuable services in the industry to their stakeholders.Using internal analysis would benefit the company in streamlining operations as they would endeavour to use their strengths and turn around their weaknesses so as to create opportunities in the chains of activities in the delivery of operations that they would undertake. SWOT ANALYSIS An internal look at the com pany using the SWOT analysis reveals the strengths possessed by the company as well as the weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company.An internal analysis of the company’s relations and affairs helps in trying to determine on which areas the company could possibly improve upon so as to come up with good strategies that the company can work with (Hunger, 2011). Strengths i) The company has a stable financial outlay that assists when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. The company recently announced an expansion program of their company headquarters where they would then serve clients on a 24hr basis having ensured that their systems would be up to date and efficiently working for the market it seeks to maintain. i) Low fee airline. For the company this is a strength because consumers and the market get to enjoy quality services as well as at an affordable price making it one of the most profitable companies through opportunistic costs. The company through its n umerous routes transports many passengers while conducting their quick turnaround system to meet the heavy demand present in the market. iii) A good working staff. One of the many fun facts about the company is that they have 1,355 married couples. This is a sign in addition to the many unions present within the company to address issues and concerns f the staff members. What the above facts present is that the company enjoys a good working environment and highly motivated at the same time. iv) The company has the lowest complaint records according to American Skies 2012. The rate was estimated to be at 0. 32 of every 100,000 passengers. This is a strength acknowledging a good appreciative customer base. Weaknesses i) With the maintenance of the low pricing strategy adopted the company has been utilizing the conditions have however been changing especially with the recent economic troubles that were experienced globally.In the aviation industry, this was affected by the high costs o f fuel and other products. ii) Confined market. Over the years the company has been dealing domestically limiting the number of consumers and who in turn developed an attitude towards the company when it came to destinations outside the domestic company. This left room for other companies to set up shop in the international travel market. Opportunities i) The company has an opportunity to deal with the international market through associations created recently with companies such as AirTran Airways.The merger which is expected to be complete by the year 2015 is an opportunity for the company not only to increase its revenue but to also expand its market. ii) Good pricing on aircraft. Dealing with exclusively Boeing to deliver crafts for the company the company has been the launching pin for many of the Boeing designs and creations. The good relationship that exists with the company presents that the company can get good pricing deals for the aircraft that they incorporate into their fleets. Threats ) The company is faced with the threat of losing out on revenue with the high costs being incurred by the company in the conduct of its operations in comparison to the low pricing that they charge to their customers. ii) The recent merging trend happening in the industry also poses a great threat for the company. This threat poses the challenge for the company by them losing out on the market share which stands at 12. 3 according to the American Skies records, 2012. The VRIO Framework [pic] VRIO framework addresses the questions of Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization.Using this framework to generate strategic plans for a company is also a worthwhile strategy by asking the questions on the resources available to the company, are they valuable, rare, can they be duplicated and the capability of the organization to exploit this resources. For example using the resources of the company ie. Number of staff, aircraft carriers, capital outlay, loyalty of the custom ers we get the following results by asking the questions, i) Value: Is Southwest able to exploit this resource or neutralize a threat in regards to the resource? ii) Rarity: Is Southwest in control of the industry on this resource? ii) Imitability: Is the resource difficult to imitate in the industry? iv) Organization: Is the company ready to take advantage of the market? For Southwest the answers to this questions are as found in the table below. |Resources |Value |Rarity |Imitability |Organization | |Staff |High |Yes |No |Yes | |Aircraft carriers |High |Yes No |Yes | |Customers |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | |Capital outlay |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Financial analysis for the company reflects that the company has been doing well with a net income of $421 million (? 279) in 2012 as reflected below: †¢ Net income: $421 million (? 279) †¢ Net income, excluding special items: $417 million (? 76) †¢ Total revenue passengers carried: 109 million †¢ Total RPMs : 103 billion †¢ Average passenger load factor: 80. 3 percent †¢ Total operating revenue: $17. 1 billion (? 11. 3) (Southwest, 2012). In comparison to the achievements the company has made over the years a good strategy needs to be determined and formulated so as to assists the company maintain its lead as well as strengthen it. PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY The company as identified by the above tools of analysis reveals that the company is faced with a number of challenges as articulated below.Mergers and Acquisitions This challenge though Southwest company is also engaging in it shows that the company is taking up its position within the international aviation industry in a slow paced nature. With other companies merging so as to take advantage of resources and opportunities means that they are gaining more within the markets. With a project as the merger between the company and AirTran Airways the process should be speeded up so as to create the opportunity for the company to engage in more destinations as well as the international market (Southwest 2012).Financial Outlay The company has steadily over the last few years been losing out on revenues and reduction in profits. For Southwest, this challenge has been as a result of increased costs of operations as well as diversion of revenue towards other projects such as the expansion of the headquarters for the company. For the company this poses the challenges for the company since they are investing in more acquisitions which are on a low share of the market bringing in little returns although increasing the number of destinations that the company can reach thereof.Legislation Amendments to regulation such as the Wright Amendment are required to be amended fast and implemented so as to create an opportunity for the company to increase its number of flights between destinations to serve the large customer base and reduce on the loss of revenue. Federal legislation is what made the company start off at a slow pace that caused the company to lose out on gaining more market share. PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONSWith relation to Southwest airlines strategy of delivering services to their clients at the lowest costs confirms that the company wishes to continue with the generic strategy of cost leadership. With the options available for the company such as those of mergers this could entirely support the company in achieving its goals and objectives of expansion and cost effectiveness. Strategic tools such as the Ansoff Matrix and the TOWS matrix reveal strategic options that a company such as Southwest could implement and follow so as to increase their position in their market (Choo, 2002).Ansoff Matrix As depicted in the image below the Ansoff matrix is a simple model that helps a company identify the opportunities present for it to engage in and come up with a good strategy by looking at the factors of market penetration, product development, market developm ent and diversification by comparing to the products offered and the markets available. For Southwest the company has penetrated the market effectively in the domestic scene whereas internationally the company is taking a slow route with the merging with other companies such as TransAir Airways.This tool links organizations marketing strategies together with the strategic directions that the company is pursuing so as to present the organization with alternative growth strategies. The tool identifies the market as well as the organization on the grounds of level of market penetration and market development. These two features of the market are analysed on the grounds of the relation of existing products to the existing as well as the new markets. Product development and diversification are measured and obtained in the view of how new products will relate or will be received in an existing market as well as a new market. pic] The TOWS Matrix This employs the theory of the SWOT analysi s but instead identifies the threats and opportunities first and the weaknesses and strengths are last. The reason for this is so that the management identifies the threats and opportunities first and then using the strengths and weaknesses finds the best solutions on how to handle them. The threat of losing out revenue and the emerging trends taking place in the market are the biggest challenges for the company. The opportunities for the company are those of penetrating the international market through mergers and partnerships with other airlines so as to gain ground.The company also has the opportunity to reduce costs by gaining discounts from suppliers and other available resource demanding duties so as to increase revenue. To increase opportunity and reduce the threats the company should employ the strengths of the strong financial outlay and engage in profitable projects to cover revenue base, and take advantage of the strong customer loyalty base available for the company. Wit h weaknesses the company should re-evaluate their pricing strategy so as to keep up and maintain a stable working financial base without losing value from their customers.PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS OVERVIEW Strategy evaluation is an easy task to perform for management of an organization especially when using procedures such as those described above. However it becomes more complicated when the strategies to use are concerned with emerging issues that are not expected. In the selection of the best criteria to use when selecting the best strategy so as to ensure its success in implementation the criteria that they need to meet range from consistency, consonance, advantage, feasibility, suitability, and acceptability.Developing a choice strategy, an organization should ensure that the strategy does indeed meet all the above criteria so as to be considered as being worthy of implementation. In the case of Southwest airlines, using the generic strategies of the An soff Matrix, TOWS matrix to sort the internal elements that influence the organization and the PESTEL and five forces models for the external environment determining the best strategy would involve analysing the strategies using the criteria above.For the internal analysis the TOWS matrix lacks in consistency. The elements that present themselves are lacking in consistency due to the constant changes going on in the environment. As the company undergoes restructuring as a result of the merger with other organizations this presents the problem of different variables coming up making the matrix not suitable to rely upon. Unlike the Ansoff matrix that fits all the criteria as stipulated the failure by one strategy to meet this disqualifies it from being used.In the external analysis the PESTEL analysis is the best strategy to use as it has a broad coverage detailing the issues that are relevant this model out rightly fits into the Southwest Airline external environment. PART 5: DESCRIP TION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY The TOWS analysis is the best method to utilize for development of the strategy. The matrix comprehensively involves an intensive study of the external and the internal environments that affect the company. The possible strategies that come out of the use of the TOWS analysis are: i. Engaging in the International MarketPenetrating into the international market would be a rich opportunity as the company is already popular domestically and so the company could be assured of gaining ground in the market share. Investing in this opportunity would be a gain for the company. With the repeal of the Wright Amendment with the last clause expected to be taken off in 2014 the company could easily take advantage of this opportunity and expand their market. ii. Reduction of costs By reducing on the heavy investments such as the staffing costs the company could save on revenue and profits.Laying off excess staff and conducting an intensive study on which resources to sav e up on would create an opportunity of savings for the airline. iii. Taking advantage of more Mergers with other airlines The last strategy that the company could possibly engage in would be that of merging with more companies. This would lead to savings on capital resources for the company. At the same time more ground would have been covered as the companies working in conjunction with each other would help reduce the barriers that a company by itself would be challenged with.PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY The strategy recommended for Southwest Airlines would be to embark on an international growth pattern. Going on global outreach program would help the company boost its profit as it serves more clients in the international market. The reputation of the company as a result of being an already established airline would help boost its image in the international scene especially as a result of the low pricing strategies that the clients would be expecting as well as the helpful members of staff.Providing a consistent and adaptive transport system as the company is already known for domestically would ensure that the company would always have an awaiting market ready for them. By expansion through more acquisition programs as well as mergers the company would ensure that the fully meet the demands of the market. The idea of expansion is also feasible by that the company already possesses adequate resources from staff, to carriers and the capital to launch into the new ventures could easily be raised with respect towards the financial reserves that the company possesses.The expansion strategy is also suitable and acceptable as the market is quickly turning global with individuals travelling further away mainly for the purposes of business or leisure. The world today has been brought together making it very accessible from one area to another. The physical requirements that could possibly be required would be those of carriers, which the compa ny already possesses financially the company possesses the strength and capital. Human resource is not an issue for the company as it has a good relationship with its staff and in addition the company further possesses a large base of employees.Finally the company possesses the reputation of a good cost effective and dependable airline. With this the company has one of the biggest strengths that it could actually possess that would ensure its success in the international market. PART 7: CONCLUSION Strategy formation is an important aspect in enhancing organisational, and market growth. Strategy formulation enhances effective creation future growth plans for the organisation through continued research of the most effective strategies relating to organisations objectives and implementing them to ensure effective organisational growth.Southwest airlines realises this fact and hence inputs a lot of research and commitment into ensuring that proper strategic decisions are met that enhanc e achievement of organisation’s overall objectives. Incorporation of a competent and skilled research and development team ensures that the organisation conducts the necessary research on their products, their performance, customer satisfaction and customer needs experienced in their current product market and anticipated venture markets.Through proper incorporation of the TOWS model, the organisation is able to understand market demands through incorporation of market penetration and development strategy, product development strategy and diversification strategy depending on current position of organisation products in the market and their anticipated growth strategy. Therefore strategy formation plays a vital role in enhancing organisational development through incorporation of various strategy development measures that aim at expanding organisation’s market share and scope.REFERENCES Choo, M, Chun, W & Bontis, N 2002, The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organisational Knowledge. New York: Oxford University Press. De Wit, B & Meyer, R 2004, Strategy, Process, Context and Content: An International Perspective, 3rd ed. , London, Thomson International Business. Gomez, M, Luis R, Balkin, D, & Cardy, L 2008, Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edn, New York: McGraw-Hill Hunger, J & Wheelen, L 2001, Essentials of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall. Southwest. om, 2009, Southwest Airlines –A Brief History. Retrieved on http://www. southwest. com/swamedia/swa_history. html Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: The Free Press â€Å"Southwest Airlines will become Launch Customer for the New Boeing 737 Max Aircraft† 2011. Southwest Airlines Retrieved on 1st March 2013 http://www. swamedia. com/releases/7b1c6522-daf8-40be-98d4-ce354aa974d3 Sridhar, A. (2012) Information Systems Strategy and Management, Masters in Management Information Systems at UIC .